PDF - Wallace Online

294 TROPICAL NATUREinto light or deep blue, as in some macaws ; into pure yellowor rich orange, as in some of the American macaw -parrots(Conurus); into purple, gray, or dove-colour, as in someAmerican, African, and Indian species ;into the purest crimson,as in some of the lories ;into rosy- white and pure white,as in the cockatoos ;and into a deep purple, ashy, or black,as in several Papuan, Australian, and Mascarene species.There is, in fact, hardly a singledistinct and definable colourthat cannot be fairly matched among the 400 species ofknown parrots. Their habits, too, are such as to bring themprominently before the eye. They usually feed in flocks ;they are noisy, and so attract attention ; they love gardens,orchards, and open sunny places ; they wander about far insearch of food, and towards sunset return homewards in noisyflocks, or in constant pairs. Their forms and motions areoften beautiful and attractive. The immensely long tails ofthe macaws, and the more slender tails of the Indian parraquetsthe fine crest of the;cockatoos ;the swift flight ofmany of the smaller species, and the graceful motions of thelittle love-birds and allied forms, together with their affectionatenatures, aptitude for domestication, and powers ofmimicry combine to render them at once the most conspicuousand the most attractive of all the specially tropicalforms of bird-life.The number of species of parrots found in the differentdivisions of the tropics is very unequal. Africa isby far thepoorest; since along with Madagascar and the Mascareneislands, which have many peculiar forms, it scarcely numberstwo dozen species. Asia, along with the Malay islands as faras Java and Borneo, is also very poor, with about thirtyspecies. Tropical America is very much richer, possessingabout 140 species, among which are many of the largest andmost beautiful forms. But of all parts of the globe thetropical islands belonging to the Australian region (fromCelebes eastward), together with the tropical parts of Australia,are richest in the parrot tribe, possessing more than 150 species,among which are many of the most remarkable and beautifulof the entire group. The whole Australian region, whoseextreme limitsmay be defined by Celebes, the Marquesas, andthe New Zealand group, possesses over 200 species of parrots.