Psittacus menstruus, Russ. Synonyms: Pionus menstruus, Gr.; Pionias menstruus, Wglr., Fnsch., etc., etc.

German: Der blaukopfige Portoriko-papagei.

THIS is a very handsome bird, with a very unbecoming name, but naturalists are not over particular when an appellation suits them; the general colour is dark grass green, the upper wing coverts are greenish olive, with a bronzed reflection in certain lights, and the lower green; the head and neck are violet blue, the ears are black, the tail dark green, the lower tail coverts purple, and the vent blood-red.

Male and female are exactly alike in general appearance; it is another Brazilian species, but extends into La Plata.

Wagler separated this bird from the genus Psittacus, and formed it, with some other species, into a separate genus which he distinguished by the term Pionus, but it seems to us a pity to multiply genera on such slight, and, to our mind, inadequate grounds. The characters of the former genus, Psittacus, according to Wagler, are - Bill strong, proportionate, the upper mandible with the culmen slightly narrowed, the tip, with its under surface, rough with elevated ridges, strongly toothed or emarginate, under mandible slightly compressed, with the cutting edges sinuate.

In the latter genus, Pionus, the characters given are - The bill large, the culmen biangulate, the tomiae sinuate, but not distinctly toothed. Differences, surely, scarce sufficient to warrant the creation of two genera, where the general appearance, and, especially the habits, no less than the habitat of both are, in almost every instance, identical, or at best so slightly divergent as to point to generic unity, and concentration being the order of the day in other circles, we have no hesitation in including the subject of the present notice with the rest of the short-tailed Parrots, of which the Amazons and the Grey are the most familiar examples.

Red-Vented Parrot.

The Red-vented Parrot is not very commonly seen in this country, and consequently commands a high price, which is, in our opinion at least, quite out of proportion to its merits, for, although undeniably handsome, and as a rule very tame, it makes, at best, a very poor talker, but different specimens vary a great deal in intelligence and capacity for acquiring human speech.

The Hon. And Rev. F. G. Dutton's Account Of The Red-Vented Parrot (Pionus Menstruus)

Why this bird should be called the Bed-vented Parrot, zoologists only know! It is true it has a red vent, but that is quite the least noticeable point about it. The distinguishing part of its plumage is its violet head and neck, and it is much more aptly named by the French, Le Perroquet a camail bleu.

It is much smaller than the Amazon, but about the same size as the White-fronted Amazon. The beak is horn colour, with a red spot on each side of the upper mandible. The head, neck, and part of the breast are bluish violet, and the feathers on the belly are tipped with blue. The bird is green on the back, but the wings are a yellow green. The vent, as the name implies, is tinged with red. The tail is green, with red at the root of the inner web of the first three feathers.

Bechstein says the bird comes from Guiana, does not talk, and is very tame and gentle. These remarks I can endorse. All the Pionuses I have seen have been very tame and gentle. Mine took a strong dislike to one man, but the rest of the world could do what they pleased with it. It was very quiet, never screamed, but never learnt anything. It was a stupid bird. It never made any distinction except in the one case I have mentioned. It had no more affection for the person who fed it than it had for any one else. When it flew, it settled on the ground and remained where it lit. It had no idea of coming home again. It was lost owing to this. It flew away, and we did not see where it lit. We could not find it, and it probably fell a prey to a fox. It never washed. Its food is the same as for an Amazon.