The Key to Scientific Names
- amazona
- Mod. L. Amazonus Amazonian, of Amazonia.
● ex “Amazonian Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (Chloroceryle). - AMAZONA
(Psittacidae; Ϯ Mealy Parrot A. farinosa) French name “Amazone” given to various tropical American parrots by de Buffon 1770-1783, because they came from the Amazonian rainforests. The Amazon was probably first seen in 1500 by the Spanish commander Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, but real exploration of the river came with the voyage of Francisco de Orellana in 1540-1541. His florid tales of female warriors, perhaps based on a misunderstood Tupí word amassona ‘boat destroyer’, gave the river its name; "VII.e Sous-genre. AMAZONE; Amazona. Bec robuste, très-crochu, épais; à arête rubanée ou formant une dépression aplatie, étroite, qui suit la courbure du bec, les côtés renflés, les bords festonnés; la mandibule inférieure échancrée en avant; narines arrondies, très-ouvertes dans la cire et à rebord saillant; ailes s'étendant jusqu'au tiers de la queue; les tarses très-courts, réticulés, robustes. 26. AMAZONE MEUNIER; Amazona pulverulenta: Psittacus pulverulentus, Gm.; Levaill., Perroq., pl. 92. ... plumage vert pruineux et à teint glauque ... 27. AMAZONE A FRANGES; Amazona Levaillantii: Psittacus Levaillantii, Lath.; Psittacus infuscatus, Shaw. ... 28. AMAZONE DUFRESNE; Amazona Dufresniana: Psittacus Dufresnianus, Shaw (?); Levaill., pl. 91. ... 29. AMAZONE A TÊTE JAUNE; Amazona icterocephala: Psittacus ocrocephalus Gm.; Buff., Enl., 312 et 313; Levaill., Perroq., pl. 98." (Lesson 1830); "Amazona Lesson, Traité d'Orn., livr. 3, 1830, p. 189. Type, by subsequent designation, [Psittacus pulverulentus Gmelin, 1788 =] C. farinosa = Psittacus farinosus Boddaert [1783] (Salvadori, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., 20, 1891, p. 268)." (Peters, 1937, III, p. 216). Different interpretations of G. Gray, 1841, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 68, could conclude that the correct type of Amazona is either (A) Psittacus amazonicus Linnaeus, 1766, or (B) Psittacus amazonicus Latham, 1790 (not of Linnaeus, 1766) = Psittacus ochrocephalus Gmelin, 1788. The distinctive parrots of this genus are also known as Amazons, especially in aviculture.
Var. Amazone, Amazones.
Synon. Androglossa, Chrysotis, Oenochrus, Psittacus.
