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Edwards, George, 1694-1773. / A natural history of birds. The most of which have not hitherto been either figured or described, and the rest, by reason of obscure, or too brief descriptions without figures, or of figures very ill designed, are hitherto but little known
(1751)
The ash-colour'd and red parrot, pp. 163-[Plate] 163 ff.
Page 163
( x63 ) The Ah-colour'd an> Red P A R R 0 T. T H I S Bird is about the Bignefs of a tame Pigeon, or of the cobnon Afli-co- T lour'd Parrot, with a red Tail, of which it is a Species, if not the very fame, accidentally variegated in its Plumage. The Bill is of a blackifh Colour, hooked, having Angles on the Sides of the upper Mandible; the Tongue is round at the End, black, and foft; the Noftrils are placed pretty near together, in a white Skin that covers Part of the Bill above; this Skin points with an Angle into the Bill on each Side below the Noitrils, in a Manner I have not obferved in other Parrots; the Sides of the Head are cover'd with a bare Skin of a whitifh Colour, which joins to the Bill forwards. The Eyeß are placed in the Middle of thefe bare Parts, on the Sides of the Head; they are fiall in Proportion; the Irides of a bright Yellow. The Plumage of the whole Bird (except the Tail) is a Mixture of Afh-colour'd and red Feathers: A few of each Colour here and there are placed in little Plats all over the Head, Neck, Body and Wings, which forms a broad Mixture of the Colours. Each of the above Colours is darker in the greater Feathers of the Wings, than in other Parts. The Tail is wholly Red, the Feathers being (hort, and of equal Length, not much ex- ceeding the Length of the Wings when they are clofed. The Legs and Feet are made as in all other Parrots, and cover'd with a rough fcaly Skin, of a dark Alh- Colour, or Blackiff. The common Afh-colour~d Parrot is fo much the fame with this, that the Print would equally ferve for either of them; the Defcription of the Bill, Eyes, Tail, Legs and Feet, is the very fame in both; all the Difference is, that the common one has the Plumage all the Body over of an Afb-Colour, lighter on the Rump and Belly,, and darker on the greater Feathers of the Wings. Thefe Birds are brought from Guinea, on the Coaff of Africa. The common grey ones are known in London by the Name of Guinea Birds. Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. has informed me, that the Red and Blue Sort is found in the Ifland of St. Thomras, pof- feffed by the Portugueze, and lying on the Coaft of Africa, in the Atlantick Ocean, under the Equinogial Line. I drew this Bird from Life, at the Houfe of Sir Charles Wager, in the Year 1736. It was afterwards prefented to Sir Hans Sloane, who has it now [1750] living, at his Houfe in Cbeyfa. Wil/ughby, P. I14. has taken the Defcription of the Aflh-colour'd Parrot from Aldrovandus, who fays, they are brought from Mina, an Indian City; and /1bin fiys of it, in his Hifiory of Birds, Vol. 1. P. 12. this Kind comes from EajiIndia, both which I take to be Miflakes, for I am well affured that what we have are brought from Africa, ge- nerally by the Way of the WO/l-Indies, by our Guinea Traders, that fupply our Sugar IHlands with Negroes. The mixed Afh-coloured and Red Parrot, hath not been be- fore defcribed. The
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