PARRAKEET (Fr. perroquct, from Sp. peri quito, diminutive of perico, parrot, from Pedro, Lat. Pctrus, Gk. Ilerpos, Peter, from tr/rpos, rock; also explained as from It. parochetto„ diminutive of poroeco, parish priest, jestingly applied to the bird). Any of many small kinds of parrots. pecially the East Indian and tralian species of the genus Pahvornis and its allies. The American parrakeets are chiefly of the genus Conurus, one species of which is found within the limits of the United and not elsewhere. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the Carolina parrakeet (Conurus Carolinensis) was found throughout the Eastern and Central United States as tar north as Nebraska, Wisconsin, and central New York. It was not merely a summer visitor. but occurred also in winter, so that it was ably hardy for a parrot. At the beginning of the twentieth century. the species was almost extinct, and survived only in the most ble parts of Florida and Indian Territory. It is a beautiful bird, and also noisy, gregarious, and tame, so that it has been an easy victim. It is a trifle more than a foot Ion!". hright green in color, with the head and neck yellow, forehead. cheek, and bend of wings orange. It feeds on seeds, units, and so on, and is very destructive to fruit. On account of the damage it did in orchards, it was ruthlessly killed in early days. Its nesting habits have never been authentically described, and there is some dispute as to whether its eggs are laid in a hole in a tree as is customary with parrots. One of the most beautiful groups, combining graeeinhtess of form with splendor of plumage, is that 1.1 which the Alexandrina cur ring parrakeet (Pa/oornis .1 lex andri) belongs. It is about the size of a mon pigeon. with a red collar. and is a native of the East Indies. It is said to have been brought to Europe by Alexander the expedition to India, and to have been the first parrot known to the Greeks and Romans, by whom it was prized. as it still is, not
only for its beauty, but for its docility and p. wer of imitating human speech. 121 men-.' Clucks lire in some of the eocoanut Ceylon, and fill the air with deafenim; screams. The ring parrakeet con getters. natives chiefly of the East trih es. which exhibit inuch variety of splendid plunia . 1:10 fig Which the East Indian ne.e-ringof tr,thiwritiv torquata) is one of the most familiar; its eral color is green. the neck of the to de 0111a Mented with a Llitek•cdged :Much like them in length and form of tail. but with longer and stronger is the small (P?zoporus f tralia and Tasmania. This bird inhabits thicket, and runs much on the ground, but occasionally takes a short low flight. It makes no lout lays its eggs in a lode in the ground. Its colors. dark green above, and ellowisli below, ere less brilliant than in many of the parrot tribe, but the Idird is finely marked and n otth Its flesh has a very stian-g game flavor. There are numerous other Australian spceies, dis tributed in several genera. of which exhibit great splendor of plumage. lost Lindh. r the grass, shell, or parrakeet t .1/. !op..it turas undabitusi. a Very In•alltiftli little bird. which has long been one of the favorite in all (arts of the and often sells under the name (q.v.). It is -mall. slender, and It has a yellow head. with three black surmount...I by a blue patch; the hack is yellow with black tram - verse markings; the brm‘n with green outer webs and yellow margins; the rump and under parts green, the tail green, bounded with Yellow hut with the two central quill. blue. (For illustration see Plate of l'Aniorrs.) lit the vast inland plains of Australia this parrakeet is to he seen in flocks of many dreds feeding on the seeds of the grasses. which afford food also to many other small such as those of the genus Eu phema.