too NEWS FUOM THE BIRDS. 



mates, and are found in America, Africa, south- 

 ern Asia, Australia, and many of the islands of 

 the Pacific Ocean. Many of them are very beau- 

 tiful in plumage, having such a variety of bril- 

 liant colors that they flash like jewels as they 

 swing themselves on the branches. Their 

 voices do not well correspond with their gor- 

 geous attire, for they screech and cackle and 

 cry until the woods echo with their disagree- 

 able din. 



You seldom see one of these birds except 

 in a cage, and perhaps you have the idea that 

 they can scarcely fly at all, but are adapted 

 only for clinging and climbing. In their na- 

 tive state, however, many of them are very 

 swift and ao-ile on the wins^. Mr. Audubon, 

 in his interesting account of the Carolina par- 

 rakeets, a species very recently extinct, says 

 that their flight is rapid, straight, and continu- 

 ous through the woods or over fields and 

 rivers. As they fly they incline their bodies 

 from side to side, so that the observer can 

 sometimes see their upper parts and at other 

 times their lower. They veer from a straight 

 course only for obstacles, such as houses and 

 tree trunks, glancing aside in a very graceful 

 manner. On reaching a spot where food may 

 be found, instead of alighting at once, as many 



