PARSON-BIRD 691 
approached by some species of Clrysotis—usually styled Amazons— 
and yet its congener P. timneh is not known to be talkative.! 
Considering the abundance of Parrots both as species and in- 
dividuals, and their wide extent over the globe, it is surprising how 
little is known of their habits in a wild state. Even the species 
with which Englishmen and their descendants have been more in 
contact than any other has an almost unwritten history, compared 
‘with that of many other birds ; and, seeing how many are oppressed 
by and yielding to man’s occupation of their ancient haunts, the 
extirpation of some is certain, and will probably be accomplished 
before several interesting and some disputed points in their economy 
have been decided. The experience of small islands only fore- 
shadows what will happen in tracts of greater extent, though there 
more time is required to produce the same result; but, the result 
being inevitable, those who are favourably placed for observations 
should neglect no opportunities of making them ere it be too late. 
PARSON-BIRD (so-called by the English in New Zealand from 
the two tufts of curled and filamentary white feathers hanging 
beneath its chin, which were supposed to resemble the bands worn 
until lately by clerics), the Prosthematodera nove-zealandix of modern 
ornithology. Made known on the publication of Cook’s First 
Voyage (i. p. 98), where it is figured as the Poe or Poy-bird,? in 
1776 it was technically described by Pennant and figured by Peter 
Brown (Jilustr. Zool. p. 18, pl. ix.) from a specimen in Tunstall’s 
collection still existing in the Museum at Newcastle-on-Tyne (Fox, 
Synops. Newc. Mus. p. 1388). The bird belongs to the Mcliphagidx 
(HONEY-EATER), and is in many ways one of the most remarkable 
of them, being generally of glossy black with vivid green or blue 
reflexions, while in addition to the white gular tufts, the feathers on 
the sides of the neck are curved forwards and white-shafted, the 
greater wing-coverts also being white. It is a fine songster, and 
a great favourite in captivity, learning to mimic various noises, 
1 Tn connexion with the ‘‘speaking” of Parrots, one of the most curious cir- 
cumstances is that recorded by Humboldt, who states (Ansichten der Natur, ed. 
3, i. p. 285, Engl. transl. p. 172) that in South America he met with a vener- 
able bird which remained the sole possessor of a literally dead language, the 
whole tribe of Indians, Atures by name, who alone had spoken it, having become 
extinct. This incident was the theme of a poem by Curtius, printed in Hum- 
boldt’s volume, and how cleverly it has been worked into a romance by a recent 
novelist all well know ; but unfortunately there are people who will have it that 
the romance of the story did not begin with Mr. Grant Allen. 
2 This name, for a long while used in the books, was given by Cook’s people, 
who compared the bird’s remarkable gular tufts to the earrings worn by the 
Tahitians, and called Pozes, as the word was then written. But Kago is given as 
the native name of the bird, and in the form Koko is still used, though 77 is 
the commoner appellation. 
