PSITTACID.?:. 315 



places during tlie niglit. On the first appearance 

 of dawn, these birds are in the habit of assembling 

 from their nocturnal retreats in vast flocks, and 

 perching on dead trees, where they may be observed 

 preening their feathers in the early rays of the sun, 

 as if to dry them from the dew of the night. They 

 then separate into small parties, and scatter them- 

 selves in search of their food, which consists chiefly 

 of various fruits : they sometimes commit great 

 destruction among the orange plantations. After 

 having satisfied their hunger, they invariably pro- 

 ceed to the banks of the rivers to bathe, until the 

 heat of the day drives them to seek the thick foliage 

 of the trees, where they enjoy the refreshing coolness 

 of the shade, and remain so quiet that their presence 

 is not discoverable. At any alarm, however, the 

 whole flock flies off" hastily, uttering loud discordant 

 screams, to another retreat. Towards evening they 

 leave the trees, for the purpose of obtaining their 

 second daily supply of food, after which all the flocks 

 reassemble with much noise, and again visit the 

 river to perform their second ablutions ; and before 

 going to rest, revisit the trees to preen and dry 

 their plumage by the last rays of the sun. This 

 completed', they separate and retire each to its own 

 peculiar roosting-place, until the dawn of day again 

 awakens them into active life. On the approach of 

 the rainy season, these birds migrate to the warmer 

 districts, and, during their migration, rise to so 

 great an elevation in the air, that they are not visible 

 to the naked eye, though their discordant notes are 

 distinctly heard. They seek the quiet solitudes of 

 the forests for rearing their young, and feed their 

 nestlings by disgorging into theii^ mouths half-mas- 

 ticated fruit, after the manner of Pigeons. The 

 female deposits from two to four eggs on the bare 

 wood in holes of trees. 



The Ash-coloured, or Grey Parrot {P,sUtacus eri/thacus), 

 is one of the s])ecies most frequently kept in England, and 

 is familiar to all. It inhabits the woods of tropical Africa. 



