Psittacus auripalliatus, Lss.

GoIden-naped Amazon (Ger., Gelbnacken oder Gelbnacke-Amazone, Gelbnackiger Papagei, Goldnachen-Amazone oder Amazonenpapagei, blos Goldnachen und gelbnackiger Kurz-flugelpapagei; Fr., Perroquet Amazone a collier d'or; Dut.,Goudnek Amazone Papegaai) - Distinguishing Characteristics.

Though nearly related to the preceding, this kind is easily-distinguished by the connoisseur. It is pale grass-green on the forehead, top of the head, and cheeks; crown of the head cerulean blue, and more or less (sometimes not at all) yellow; round the eyes blue, each feather edged with black; nape of the neck lemon-colour; the edge of the wing sometimes red, sometimes with single red feathers, sometimes with large red marks on the shoulder; central spot in wing red; a third from the base of the tail feathers, on the inner side, red; all the upper part of the body grass-green; on the back and the sides of the neck each feather has a blackish tip; lower parts of body greenish-yellow; beak dark horn-grey, with a yellow spot at the base; cere blackish, with small, black, bristly feathers; eyes brown or reddish-yellow, whitish eye cere; feet a brownish horn-grey; claws black. The plumage of the young birds is said by Hagenbeck to be without the yellow feathers on the neck. Special indications : The cerulean colour on the crown of the head and round the eyes, the yellow neck, and the black, bristly feathers on the skin of the nose. Otherwise it bears a strong resemblance to the Surinam Amazon. Size, nearly that of a raven (length, 14 1/2in. to 15 3/4in.; wings, 71/2in. to 8 1/4in.; tail, 4§in. to 4 3/4in.). It is a native of Central America as far as Nicaragua. According to the account of the traveller, Dr. von Frantzius, it is much esteemed in Costa Rica as a cage bird, and valued as learning to speak easily. It appears in our markets less frequently than others of the same family, yet it is certainly among the best-known parrots.