PARROT'S BILL. 415 



insects, fruit, &c. But they do not always con- 

 fine themselves to this sort of food ; for in their 

 native forests they are often seen perched on high 

 trees, watching the moment at which old birds 

 leave their nests, when they pounce downward 

 upon the callow young, which they seize and 

 devour. 



The bill of the horn-bill is characterised by a 

 most singular prominence, which juts out some- 

 what like a horn. It is also very large in propor- 

 tion to the size of the bird, and the edge of the 

 upper mandible is sometimes toothed like a saw. 

 It is not known what is the purpose of this promi- 

 nent part of the bill in the economy of the bird. 



The bill of the parrot, familiar as the bird is to 

 us in its state of captivity, deserves a little study. 

 The chief uses of this bill are for the purpose of 

 breaking hard vegetable substances, and climbing. 

 Next to the cross-bill, it is perhaps one of the 

 most powerfully armed birds, if we regard simply 

 the degree of force with which it can squeeze any 

 substance. The bill works slowly, and simply by 

 pressure, and somewhat resembles in its action a 

 pair of nutcrackers ; but beyond all comparison it 

 is the better cracker of nuts of the two. Several 



