Appendix 209 



whether their utility is greater in the fields, when they pick 

 up the vermin, destructive to crops and seeds, or their harm- 

 fulness to men, when they devour grain, the food of man. 

 However the number of them is so great, that they are 

 condemned by the laws ; harmless and useful birds in other 

 respects. For, when still tender from the nest, they are 

 used as food by country men. Only in lofty trees, and that 

 as it were, in company and in numbers do they nest, abide 

 and roost. 



Of the Sacropsittacus. 



I have observed that there are many kinds of Parrots. For 

 some that are small, namely of the size of a Thrush, have the 

 whole body quite green, but the tail, which is long and slender, 

 either yellow, green, or crimson. Again some are very 

 large, of the size of a Crow, altogether crimson or red, except 

 under the lower belly, on the ends of the wings, and on the 

 tip of the tail, on which parts they shew greenish blue. These 

 have a large beak, hollow, shining and hooked, pale only in 

 its middle, partly black at each end, while the lower jaw 

 is entirely black, the cavity being filled by the tongue, which 

 is hard and black of the style and shape of that of other 

 Parrots. The cheeks on both sides are whitish on the 

 wrinkled skin, in shape almost obtusely triangular, the rows of 

 soft red feathers being set in equidistant parallel lines, though 

 in some places also without being in rows. The eye, small 

 and set in a white ring of skin, has a black pupil, which is 

 surrounded by a golden circle. It has four toes fashioned 

 in such a way that nature seems to have intended to place 

 all of them in front, but to have turned two of them back for 

 the sake of supporting the body. Brasil sends us these birds, 

 which we call Sacropsittaci on account of their remarkable 

 size. For the ancients used to call that Sacrum, which was 

 notable and large. As the os sacrum, ancJwra sacra, falco 

 sacer — which they call Hicrofalco, piscis sacer, lepov /xevos, 

 fames sacra, and morbus sacer. Compare with these the 

 picture of this kind, which you have received from us. Other 

 regions, as the Spanish Isle, Egypt and India, produce other 

 kinds which are midway in size, but with various colouring. 

 For some with the whole body grey have strong tails, some- 



t. 14 



