64 MEMOIR OF PLINY. 



a clot of earth vp with her feet, and therewith hide 

 her whole body, and so saue both herself and her 

 couey. To conclude, partridges (by report) live six- 

 teene yeeres." 



Of birds that have the faculty of articulation, Pliny 

 mentions one called Taurus, because it lowed like an 

 ox ; and another which could imitate the neighing of 

 a horse. " But aboue all other birds of the aire, the 

 parrats passe for counterfeiting a man's voice, inso- 

 much as they will seeme to parle and prate our very 

 speech. This foule cometh out of the Indies, where 

 they call it sittace. It is all the body ouer greene, 

 onely it hath a collar about the necke of vermillion 

 red, different from the rest of her feathers. The 

 parrat can skil to salute emperors, and bid good mor- 

 row ; yea, and to pronounce what words she heareth. 

 She loueth wine well, and when she hath dranke 

 freely is very pleasant, plaifull, and wanton. She hath 

 an head as hard as is her beak ; when she lernes to 

 speak shee must be beaten about the head with a 

 rod of yron, for otherwise she careth for no blowes. 

 When she taketh her flight downe from any place, 

 she lighteth vpon her bill, and resteth thereupon ; and 

 by that meanes favoureth her feet, which by nature 

 are weak and feeble. There is a certain pie, but of 

 nothing so great reckoning and account as the par- 

 rat, because shee is not far set, but hereby neere at 

 hand ; howbeit, she pronounces that which is taught 

 her more plainly and distinctly than the other. These 

 take a loue to the words that they speak ; for they 



