Avian oral pigmentation.

Abstract

Inspections were made of the oral mucosae in three Lutino parakeets, six Bee Bee parrots, and four Ama­ zons (two Amazona aestiva, or blue-fronted, and two Amazona ochrocephala or yellow-fronte d). Sections of hard palate, tongue, and floor of the mouth were excised from the anesthetized birds, and duplicate specimens placed in 10% buffered neutral formalin. A portion of each specimen was processed for routine paraffin em­ bedding, while the other was treated for dopa enzyme reaction before processing and embedding. The paraffin blocks were cut at 6 microns, and the