YELLOW-BELLIED PARROQUET. 265 



with precipitation, and ran as if for life from the 

 scene. 



The food of this species consists of various fruits 

 and seeds. The fiddle-wood, burn-wood, fig, and 

 pride of China, afford it plentiful and agreeable 

 nutriment. It cuts into the plantains, both when 

 green and ripe ; and its fondness for the sweet 

 and spicy berries of the pimento renders it the ab- 

 horrence of the planter. I have seen it on the top 

 of a guava-tree holding something in its foot, which 

 it cut to pieces with its beak and fed upon; pro- 

 bably the young fruit. When the prickly-yellow 

 is in seed, the Parroquets come in flocks to eat of 

 it ; when they lose their wonted wariness. I have 

 known them to resort to a large tree, overhanging 

 the public road, day after day ; the passing by of 

 persons beneath causing little observation ; gene- 

 rally, however, they would utter a screech or two, 

 and then go on feeding. I have shot several in- 

 dividuals from this tree in succession, yet in a few 

 minutes the flock would be there again. 



Often when mortally wounded by a shot, the grasp 

 of the climbing feet, by which the bird was hang- 

 ing from the twigs, becomes convulsively tightened, 

 and the falling body is seen suspended head down- 

 ward; for some minutes, often longer, it thus re- 

 mains, the wings now and then giving an ineffec- 

 tual flutter, till at last one foot relaxes its hold, 

 and then the other, and the bird falls heavily to 

 the ground. They are often sought for the table, 

 and I can speak from personal knowledge to their 



