Sittace, Wgl.

Known as Speaking Parrots from Ancient Times - Suited for Ornamental Purposes - Distinguishing Marks - Habitat - Life in Freedom - Food - Character in Captivity - Talking Capacity.

The Macaws are of special interest to the readers of this work, first because they belong to those speaking parrots which have been known from the most ancient times - we find them described even by Aldrovandi and Gessner - and, secondly, because they all, without exception, have the capacity of learning to speak. The greater number, and the larger among them, have the same relation to parrot lovers as have the cockatoos; inasmuch as, for the same reasons (see p. 137), they are not suitable for keeping in cages in the drawing room, but must, like them, be regarded rather as ornamental birds for ante-rooms, gardens, or verandahs, or even for the fowlyard and park. For this purpose, however, they are very acceptable, as almost without exception they are extremely healthy and hardy. Hence, also, they are much esteemed in zoological gardens and natural history collections.

The following may be given as their distinguishing marks : Beak very large and strong; upper mandible much bent downwards, with a long overhanging point, and distinct indentation : the lower mandible deeper, with broad but slightly curved socket edge, abrupt point; the ridge is flat, and has not a sharp edge; the tongue is thick, somewhat larger in its anterior part, lower down fleshy, with fine longitudinal furrows on the upper side, between which, upon the projecting ridges, grow little blunt papillae in rows, at the back four pairs of warts of unequal sizes, and a slightly notched edge slanting outwards in an oblique direction. The nostrils are round, set in the bare cere, the latter being covered only in some specimens with little feathers; the cheeks, with the region round the eye, and near the lower mandible, are unfeathered, but some have rows of little feathers under the eye; the wings are long and pointed; the tail long, sharp, cuneiform; the feathers graduated, each being rounded at the tip; the feet powerful; legs short and thick; claws large and much bent; the plumage firm and hard, without the powdery down; shape thickset, but much larger in appearance (owing to the long tail) than it in reality is; size, varying from that of a pigeon to a domestic fowl.

They are natives only of America, where they are found from the North of Mexico as far as South Brazil and Paraguay. The dense primeval forest is their abode, especially in the lowlands along the streams and rivers, but also in the mountains to an elevation of nearly 12,000ft. They live in couples, and after the nesting season in families; many assemble from time to time, sometimes several species together, in large flocks. In their flight they cleave the air rapidly, but, in the case of the larger species, heavily; their gait on the ground is awkward, in a sidelong direction; but, on the other hand, they climb rapidly and nimbly in the branches. All kinds of tree fruits and seeds, especially palm nuts, hard as stones, which they break with their powerful beaks, form their food. They sometimes fly to great distances, and attack the crops of the settlers with destructive effect. They are eagerly pursued, as well on account of the damage they do as for their plumage and the food furnished by their flesh, which, however, is of no great delicacy. For this reason they have become exceedingly sly, and have learnt how to hide themselves so cunningly in the thick tops of the highest forest trees, that they can with difficulty be shot. They have been almost universally driven out of the inhabited districts. Their nests are made in the hollows of gigantic old trees, and are occupied yearly by the same couples. They lay but two eggs, which are hatched by the hen only.

The majority of those imported are young ones, taken from the nest by the Indians, reared by hand, and brought to the seaports; consequently, nearly all the macaws which come into the market are fully, or at least half, tame.

In captivity they are, as stated before, exceedingly healthy and hardy, and, at the same time, good-tempered and affectionate; but, on the other hand, a macaw, when vicious, is extremely dangerous. An account of these birds, by the best connoisseur in this subdivision of parrots - Mr. Fiedler, university bookseller in Agram - will be found interesting. He has kept a variety of species for many years, and declares emphatically that it is a mistake to suppose that macaws are not suited for keeping in a room. "On the contrary," he says, "I can assert with confidence that none of them are screamers, and may, in truth, be kept in the room even of a nervous lady. Of course, one must not buy the first macaw that comes to hand, but one which is still young, and which is capable of receiving affectionate treatment and training. Such a bird will not only become uncommonly tame, allow itself to be caught and petted by a child, and fly into the open air and come back at call, but will never once screech." In contrast to this account, however, a macaw in the Zoological Gardens, where it is sometimes wrongly treated by the attendants and very frequently teased by the public, may become an incorrigible screamer and a really vicious bird.

The macaws learn to say many words, often whole sentences, with a loud, powerful, but usually an indistinct utterance. In capacity for speech they are, on the whole, a long way behind the Grey Parrots and Amazons, as well as the Alexandrine Parrakeet, which is more nearly related to them; although otherwise they are indeed very intelligent birds. The smaller species, again, are greatly surpassed by the larger in both respects.

The macaws are fed similarly to the Amazons and Grey Parrots. The larger species are mostly kept singly, fastened by a chain to a stand, and the smaller species in couples in breeding cages. Nearly all the known species are imported alive. With suitable treatment, the macaws, especially the intermediate and larger ones, attain, even in captivity, an astonishingly great age.