56 | Andrew Fackson Grayson. — [ ZOE 
ing up a constant squalling of harsh and discordant jargon, which 
is very disagreeable. But if they are taken from the nest before 
they are fledged, they may be taught to utter some words very dis- 
tinctly. 
I saw nests of this parrot, all in the hollows of large trees, one 
only of which I was able to reach. This one was in a large smooth 
bark tree, known here as “palo prieto.’’? The entrance was much 
larger than the bird required; it was where a limb had broken off 
close to the trunk, about sixty feet from the ground, inside of it 
there was a very large hollow, about as deep as I could reach 
with my arm. The eggs (two in number) lay upon the bare rotten 
wood which had been a little scooped out, forming a slight indenta- 
tion. The eggs area clear white, and a good deal larger than a 
tame pigeon’s and of an elliptical form. They were so far advanced 
in incubation, that I was unable to preserve them. When 
I discovered this nest, which was in a very secluded and shady spot 
among large trees, the male was sitting alone on the branch of an ad-_ 
jacent tree, apparently keeping watch while the female was sitting. 
_ Being a fine looking specimen I shot him. I continued my ramble 
through the woods and in about an hour returned to the spot. I 
sat down beneath the shade of the tree containing the nest, to con- 
sider the chances of getting up to it. Suddenly the female 
made her appearance in the door of her domicile; after looking 
around she at length gave a long, low whistle, as if calling her 
mate, but there came no answer: in afew moments she gave another 
a little louder, still she only heard the echo of her own voice in the 
silent woods. She finally gave a loud and angry scream, yet there 
came No response. After waiting for a few moments in doubtfal 
Suspense, muttering something to herself, which seemed plainly to 
say, “‘ Why doesn’t he come” with apparent disappointment she 
returned into her nest. | 
The following day I returned with assistance to climb the tree, _ 
but before we made any attempt to doso, she came to her door,and | 
_ went through the same performance of calling for her mate as on the - 
day previous. There was something touching in the peculiarly sad- 
dened tones of her voice on this occasion, which was very different 
from the harsh and angry scream of the day before when she first _ 
missed her spouse. Before I reached the nest she flew off a little _ 
distance and perched upon a branch from which she watched us in _ 
silence desecrating her sacred abode. ee 
