528 



A HISTORY OF 



ihat the smallest animals arc always the most 

 prolific; for being, from their natural weak- 

 ness, more subject to devastation, nature 

 finds it necessary to replenish the species by 

 superior fecundity. In general, however, 

 the number of their eggs is stinted to two, 

 like those of the pigeon, and they are about 

 the same size. They are always marked 

 with little specks, like those of a partridge ; 

 and some travellers assure us, that they are 

 always found in the trunks of the tallest, 

 straightest, and the largest trees. The na- 

 tives of those countries, who have little else 

 to do, are very assiduous in spying out the 

 places where the parrot is seen to nestle, and 

 generally come with great joy to inform the 

 Europeans, if there be any, of the discovery. 

 As those birds have always the greatest do- 

 cility that are taken young, such a nest is 

 often considered as worth taking some trou- 

 ble to be possessed of; and, for this purpose, 

 the usual method of coming at the young is, 

 by cutting down the tree. In the fall of the 

 tree it often happens that the young parrots 

 are killed ; but if one of them survives the 

 shock, it is considered as a sufficient recom- 

 pense. 



Such is the avidity with which these birds 

 are sought when young ; for it is known they 

 always speak best when their ear has not 

 been anticipated by the harsh notes of the 

 wild ones. But as the natives are not able 

 upon all occasions to supply the demand for 

 young ones, they are contented to take the 

 old ; and for that purpose shoot them in the 

 woods with heavy arrows, headed with cot- 

 ton, which knock down the bird without kil- 

 ling it. The parrots thus stunned are car- 

 ried home: some die, but others recover, and, 

 by kind usage and plentiful food, become 

 talkative and noisy. 



But it is not for the sake of their conver- 

 sation alone that the parrot is sought after 

 among the savages ; for though some of them 

 are but tough and ill-tasted, yet there are 

 other sorts, particularly of the small parakeet 

 tribe, that are very delicate food. In gene- 

 ral it obtains, that whatever fruit or grain 

 these birds mostly feed upon, their flesh par- 

 takes of the flavour, and becomes good or 

 ill-tasted, according to the quality of their 

 particular diet. When the guava is ripe, they 



are at that season fat and tender; if they feed 

 upon the seed of the acajou, their flesh con- 

 tracts an agreeable flavour of garlic; if they 

 feed upon the seed of the spicy trees, their 

 flesh then tastes of cloves and cinnamon; 

 while, on the contrary, it is insupportably bit- 

 ter if the berries they feed on are of that qua- 

 lity. Their seed of the cotton-tree intoxicates 

 them in the same manner as wine does man.; 

 and even wine itself is drunk by parrots, as 

 Aristotle assures us, by which they are thus 

 rendered more talkative and amusing. But 

 of all food, they are fondest of the carthamus, 

 or bastard saffron; which, though strongly 

 purgative to man, agrees perfectly with their 

 constitution, and fattens them in a very short 

 time. 



Of the parakeet kind in Brasil, Labat as- 

 sures us, that they are the most beautiful in 

 their plumage, and the most talkative birds 

 in nature. They are very tame, and appear 

 fond of mankind; they seem pleased with 

 holding parley with him; they never have 

 done; but while he continues to talk, answer 

 him, and appear resolved to have the last 

 word : but they are possessed of another qua- 

 lity, which is sufficient to put an end to this 

 association ; their flesh is the most delicate 

 imaginable, and highly esteemed by those 

 who are fonder of indulging their appetites 

 than their ears. The fowler walks into the 

 woods, where they keep in abundance, but 

 as they are green, and exactly the colour of 

 the leaves among which they sit, he only 

 hears their prattle, without being able to see 

 a single bird ; he look? round him, sensible 

 that his game is within gun-shot in abundance, 

 but is mortified to the last degree that it is 

 impossible to see them. Unfortunately for 

 these little animals, they are restless, and 

 ever on the wing, so that in flying from one 

 tree to another, he has but too frequent op- 

 portunities of destroying them ; for as soon 

 as they have stripped the tree on which they 

 sat of all its berries, some one of them flies 

 oflTto another; and, if that be found fit for 

 the purpose, it gives a loud call, which all 

 the rest' resort to. That is the opportunity 

 the fowler has long been wailing for; he fires 

 in among the flock, while they are yet on the 

 wing; and he seldom f- ' of bringing down 

 a part of them. But it is singular enough to 



