Parrots. 227 



the cold at all, now and then coming in to warm his 

 feet, and then going out again, and remaining out all 

 the winter. I have read a delightful account of a 

 colony of Macaws, Lories, Cockatoos, Parrots, and 

 Parrakeets of all nations, inhabiting the grounds of a 

 gentleman's house in Surrey, and here they became so 

 completely at home, that their several characteristics 

 and individual peculiarities were exhibited to perfection. 

 The Macaws are generally inhabitants of the recesses 

 of the interminable forests of South America; the 

 Lories live in India and the Asiatic islands ; the Cock- 

 atoos are confined to the Eastern Archipelago and 

 Australia ; the Parrots proper come from the tropical 

 regions of Africa and South America ; the beautiful 

 little Ground and Grass Parrakeets are natives of 

 Australia ; and the tiny short-tailed Love Birds are 

 found in both continents. They all feed on fruits and 

 seeds, Indian corn, etc. Bread and milk (not too liquid, 

 the milk being boiled and poured over a slice of stale 

 bread, previously soaked in warm water and squeezed 

 dry), biscuit, corn, nuts, sweet almonds, a lump of 

 sugar, hard and soft fruit and hemp-seed are generally 

 given to the larger species, the smaller birds live upon 

 canary and millet-seed. Many of them are fond of 

 Cayenne pepper, and capsicums and chilies may be 

 given to them as remedies when out of order. Meat 

 and rich cakes and pastry are very injurious to Parrots ; 

 meat is especially bad for them, and heats them to 



152 



