Psittacus leucocephalus, L.

White-fronted Amazon (Ger., Rothhalsige Kuba-Amazone, blos Kuba-Amazone, roihbauchiger Kurzflugelpapagei; Fr., Perro-quet-Amazone a tete blanche, Perroquet Amazone de Cuba; Dut., Havana of Cuba Amazone Papegaai) - Description - Domestic Character.

This bird has been known as long as any of the American parrots, for it was mentioned by Aldrovandi. The first to describe it was Edwards, and Linne gave its scientific name. Old authors extolled it highly, and Catesby even calls it the "Paradise Parrot;" Bechstein also includes it among the most teachable, and asserts that they chat much, and become very tame.

It is white on the forehead, top of the head, lores, and eye cere; the cheeks, round the ear, and the throat, are purple-red; the upper tail coverts yellow-green; the coverts of the primaries and the bend of the wing blue; the basal half of the tail feathers, on the inner webs, scarlet; all the upper part of the body deep grass-green, each feather having a broad black tip; the lower part is grass-green, the feathers being only lightly tipped with black; the belly purple; the leg feathers light-blue; the lower tail coverts yellow-green; the beak pale yellowish-white; the cere pure white; the eyes brownish or reddish-yellow; the feet whitish flesh-colour; claws flesh-coloured. In the female the red spot on the throat is said to extend to the upper part of the breast, and the lower part of the breast to be purple. In young birds the plumage is as follows: Only the forehead white; spot near the ear more of a greyish-black; the cheeks green, with a few red feathers. Special marks : The absence of the band on the forehead, and the stripes of the eyebrows; wings without central spot; on the other hand, the purple belly.

Size, fully that of a jackdaw (length, 12 1/2in. to 13 1/4in.; wings, 6 7/8in. to 7fin.; tail, 4 1/8in. to 4 3/8in.).

It is a native of the Island of Cuba. Dr. Gundlach has given some interesting particulars concerning its habits in freedom, and I may also refer the reader to the remarks on Amazons on page 94 : "The young birds in their native place are frequently stolen from the nest and brought up by hand; they are esteemed because they learn easily to repeat words and sentences, become very tame and affectionate, and have pleasing habits and beautiful plumage."

Fanciers among us also praise it as teachable, good-tempered, and easily tamed. "It chatters willingly and continuously," says Mr. K. Petermann, of Eostock, "but mostly incomprehensibly, and though it possesses remarkable power of distinction and an excellent memory, yet it is in every material respect far behind the Grey Parrot, and the most noteworthy of the Amazons." This opinion is decidedly just. The above-named gentleman has a Cuban Parrot of this breed which has never been ill during twenty-two years.