23^ Account of a Parrot hiUchcd at Rotkc. 



there is a confiant relation between the time employed in 

 incubation and the duration of their life. 



T. Hi/Iorj' tjj the Parrots, tbt'ir Laji/ig and Incubation. 



The parrots of which I am going to give the hidory, be- 

 long to M, Paffeii, a Roman. 



In the firft place, I mult exprefs my gratitude to the owner 

 for having permiued me to examine and obicrve them very 

 clofelv, and for havmi)- communicated to Jne the obiervations 

 iwhich either he or his mother had an opportunity of malting, 

 forfixleen years, on the manners and habiti; of thefe birds, 

 which enables me to give a correct hillorv of them. 



M. Paflferi obtained at M iricilles, in 17<S6, a female parrot 

 of the family of the Amazons. Sjme months after, he got, 

 at Avignon, a male under the name of the AmHZf)U parrot of 

 Br.izil. He put th^-m to2:et!ier, beinj; both tame, and fuf- 

 fered them to go abo;U The houfe at their picaiure. They 

 never had a fmall chain on their legs, nor any other badge 

 of'fjavcry, 7'hev often reuiained on the (lick placed for 

 them, and fomctimcs they retired in the night to a large 

 iron cage which was not (luit ; and in every other place 

 \vhere they have fince been, they have always enjoyed the 

 fulleft liberty. From the moment they faw each other, they 

 conceived a ftrong mutual attachment, the caufe of which, 

 no doubt, was their difference of fex; and their friendtliip 

 Itill continues to fuch a degree, that if feparated tor a few 

 moments they are in the greateft agitation, en)it loud cries, 

 and their uneafinefs contimies till they are again brought to- 

 gether. When they came int^) the pofllfTion of M. Pafferi 

 they had attained to their full growth^ but he had no know- 

 ledge of their age. 



The male pronounced diftin6llv feveral French v.'ords, as 

 it does dill; but the female emits only loud cries, and chat- 

 ters very much, without articulating a fingle word. They 

 have travelled a great d^al with their mafter, being firft car- 

 ried to Rome, thence to Forti, Valentano, and Nagni, and 

 again back to Rome : during thefe journeys they were lluit 

 lip feparatcly in fmall wooden boxes called Jabots*'. 



Tlic female liid eggs feveral times. The lirft time this 

 circuniftance \va.^ obfervcd- was at Forti, about five years 

 ago. She produced two etrgs, wdiich (lie depofitcd in a hole 

 near the kitchen chimney; but the inceiVant noife of the 

 people going b:!ckwards and forward*:, prevented her from 

 continuing to hatch ti-cm. Rcfides, unforefeen circumflances 

 obliged the owner to change his refidencc. 



• Tiiis mrthod <^f c. rrying : ircis is very convenient ; for, as they cannot 

 turn ihemfclvcs, i-'^cy do noi: i^-oii their plumage. 



7'ho 



