114 CAROLINA PARROT. 



One of these I wounded slightly in the wing, and the pleasure Poll 

 expressed on meeting with this new companion was really amusing. 

 She crept close up to it, as it hung on the side of the cage, chattered 

 to it in a low tone of voice, as if sympathizing in its misfortune, 

 scratched about its head and neck with her bill ; and both at night 

 nestled as close as possible to each other, sometimes Poll's head being 

 thrust among the plumage of the other. On the death of this com- 

 panion, she appeared restless and inconsolable for several days. On 

 reaching New Orleans, I placed a looking-glass beside the place where 

 she usually sat, and the instant she perceived her image, all her former 

 fondness seemed to return, so that she could scarcely absent herself 

 from it a moment. It was evident that she was completely deceived. 

 Always when evening drew on, and often during the day, she laid her 

 head close to that of the image in the glass, and began to doze with 

 great composure and satisfaction. In this short space she had learnt 

 to know her name ; to answer and come when called on ; to climb up 

 my clothes, sit on my shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I took her 

 with me to sea, determined to persevere in her education ; but, destined 

 to another fate, poor Poll, having one morning about day-break wrought 

 her way through the cage, while I was asleep, instantly flew overboard, 

 and perished in the gulf of Mexico. 



The Carolina, or Illinois Parrot (for it has been described under both 

 these appellations), is thirteen inches long, and twenty-one in extent ; 

 forehead and cheeks orange red ; beyond this, for an inch and a half, 

 down and round the neck, a rich and pure yellow ; shoulder and bend 

 of the wing also edged with rich orange red ; the general color of the 

 rest of the plumage is a bright yellowish silky green, with light blue 

 reflections, lightest and most diluted with yellow below ; greater wing- 

 coverts, and roots of the primaries, yellow, slightly tinged with green ; 

 interior webs of the primaries deep dusky purple, almost black, exterior 

 ones bluish green ; tail long, cuneiform, consisting of twelve feathers, 

 the exterior one only half the length, the others increasing to the 

 middle ones, which are streaked along the middle with light blue ; shafts 

 of all the larger feathers, and of most part of the green plumage, black ; 

 knees and vent orange yellow ; feet a pale whitish flesh color ; claws 

 black ; bill white, or slightly tinged with pale cream ; iris of the eye 

 hazel ; round the eye is a small space, without feathers, covered with 

 a whitish skin ; nostrils placed in an elevated membrane at the base 

 of the bill, and covered with feathers ; chin wholly bare of feathers, 

 but concealed by those descending on each side ; from each side of the 

 palate hangs a lobe or skin of a blackish color; tongue thick and fleshy; 

 inside of the upper mandible, near the point, grooved exactly like a 

 file, that it may hold with more security. 



The female diff'ers very little in her colors and markings from the 



