NATURAL HISTOKT. 259 



In painted plumes superbly drest 



A native of the gorgeous East, 

 Poll gains at length the British shore, 



Part of the captain's precious store." COWPER. 



801. Why is a parrot able to move its bill with unusual force, 

 and to peck out and divide its food with extreme nicety ? 



Because loth mandibles of the parrot's beak are moveable (most 

 birds being able to move only one), and are endowed with a large 

 amount of muscular power. 



802. The fleshy tongues of parrots are as peculiar as their bills, and are very usefui 

 to the birds in turning a nut, or other food, into a convenient position for the power 

 of the bill to bear upon it. The fleshy tongue is found in all parrots, excepting the 

 Australian group, called the loniqets, which birds feed on the honey of flowers, 

 and have tongues formed with bristles like a brush, with which they sweep 

 together the honey. 



803. Why has each species of the parrot tribe its own peculiar 

 residence, and a very limited distribution around it? 



This is partly accounted for by the shortness of the wings, and the 

 want of power of flight, which prevent their migration ; but it is 

 partly due also to the adaptation of each species to a peculiarity of 

 conditions, which would not be met with elsewhere. 



804. Why among the parrot tribes are there marked differences 

 in the forms of their feet ? 



Because, as there are various kinds of trees and plants upon 

 which they live, so a different form and development of the climbing 

 organs is necessary to adapt the bird to its habitation. 



805. Those who have examined the tropical forests, mention that there appears to 

 be a species of parrot adapted for each of the more conspicuous kind of trees which 

 are to be met with in those forests. Thus, if the tree is a palm, or anything else 

 which has a single stem, and can afford nourishment for a bird only at or near the 

 top of that stem, then the species of parrot set over it to consume the surplus of its 

 fruit is an air bird, capable of flying over the forest in search of such trees ; and, 

 when this is the case, the body of the bird is lighter in proportion to its lineal 

 dimensions, and us tail is generally very much produced, which assists it m ascending 

 and descending. On the other hand, the short-flighted parrots, which inhabit trees 

 which are very n>uch branched, and bear fruit in the axillae of the leaves of the 

 smaller twigs, have t K e bodies stouter in proportion to the dimensions, the tail 



