22 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
generally the same number that started together in the 
morning came back together. 
These parrots must certainly be endowed with a very 
great instinct to know the way to the Island, as they come 
from great distances, and from every direction. 
Not only do they come to the Island of Nengue 
Ngozo to sleep, but in the month of February and the 
beginning of March many remain and have their nests on 
the Island. They all would have had their nests, I am 
sure, if there had been hollows of trees enough for them. 
These gray parrots do not build a regular nest, but 
choose a tree where there is a deep hollow to lay their 
egos in. The nests are discovered by hearing their 
young calling all day long for their parents to feed them. 
I never saw more than two young ones in one nest, or 
hollow of a tree, and very funny they looked when cover- 
ed with down before their feathers had grown. 
What awful cries they utter as they see the human 
hand coming through the darkness ready to catch hold 
of them. And you had better look out for your fingers, 
for they bite terribly hard, I assure you, as I know by 
experience, and that in despite of their being very young. 
There were days when I hid myself near a tree close by 
the place where they came to sleep, but the parrots seem- 
ed to know it, and would fly round and round it, and 
then go away. It is but very seldom that I ever was 
able to approach parrots when they were perched on a 
tree standing by itself: they would fly away before I 
could come within gunshot distance. They are exceed- 
ingly shy. 
When they approach their nests they always come 
in the most silent manner, not uttering a single cry. 
