114 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



ninety-five. 1 Perhaps even this list might be 

 increased, were every accidental change of 

 colour to be considered as constituting a new 

 species. But, in fact, natural history gains 



1 The parrot genus includes about one hundred and 

 seventy known species. All the species are confined to 

 warm climates, but their range is wider than Bnflbn 

 considered, when he limited them to within 23 on 

 each side of the equator ; for they are known to extend 

 as far south as the Straits of Magellan, and are found 

 on the shores of Van Dieman's Land ; and the Carolina 

 parrot of the United States is resident as far to the 

 north as 42. Wilson saw them, in the month of 

 February, along the banks of the Ohio, in a snow-storm, 

 flying about like pigeons, and in full cry. And another 

 time he saw them, about thirty miles above the mouth 

 of the Kentucky river, as they came in great numbers, 

 screaming through the wood, about an hour after sun- 

 rise, to drink the salt water, of which they are remark- 

 ably fond. 



Parrots live together in families, and seldom wander 

 to any considerable distance ; these societies admit with 

 difficulty a stranger among them, though they live in 

 great harmony with each other. They are fond of 

 scratching each other's heads and necks; and, when 

 they roost, nestle as closely as possible together, some- 

 times as many as thirty or forty sleeping in the hollow 

 of the same tree. There they sleep in a perpendicular 

 posture, clinging to the sides by their claws and bills. 

 They are fond of sleep, and seem to retire into their 

 holes several times in the day as if to enjoy a regular 

 siesta. 



The young shoots of various plants, tender buds, 

 fruits, grains, and nuts, which they open with much 

 adroitness to obtain the kernel, are the chief aliments 

 which the parrots use when in a state of liberty. We 

 know that, in a state of domestication, they eat almost 

 everything that is offered to them ; but it has been re- 

 marked that certain substances, such as parsley for in- 

 stance, which have no sensible effect on other creatures, 

 are to parrots mortal poisons. In the forests, which are 

 their favourite retreats, the parrots assemble in troops, 

 and cause much devastation by the vast quantity of food 

 which they consume, not merely for their subsistence, 

 but to gratify that mania for destruction for which, 

 even in their domestic state, they are noted. The 

 lo'ud cries of these bands are heard a great way off, 

 when they seek their last repast before the setting of 

 the sun. By these cries the planter has timely warn- 

 ing to employ some means of preventing those hosts 

 of destroyers from alighting on his newly-sown fields, 

 where, in a short time, they would not leave a vestige 

 of grain. 



The description which Wilson gives of the flight of 

 the Carolina parrot is probably applicable to many other 

 species which have not, in their wild state, been noticed 

 by an equally intelligent observer. "There is a re- 

 markable contrast between their elegant manner of 

 flight and their lame and crawling gait among the 

 branches. They fly very much like the wild pigeon, 

 in close compact bodies, and with great rapidity, mak- 

 ing a loud and outrageous screaming. Their flight is 

 sometimes in a direct line, but most usually circuitous, 

 making a great variety of elegant and serpentine mean- 

 ders, as if for pleasure." 



The Carolina parrot seems to have been a favourite 

 with Wilson. He carried one with him in one of his 

 most laborious journeys in the Western States; by day 

 it rode in his pocket, and at night it rested on the 

 baggage, dosing and gazing into the fire. Happening 

 to catch another, which he had slightly wounded, he 

 plac.cd it in the cage with this, who was delighted to 

 gain the accession to her society; she crept up to the 



little by these discoveries ; and as its do 

 minions are extended it becomes more barren. 

 It is asserted, by sensible travellers, that the 

 natives of Brazil can change the colour of a 

 parrot's plumage by art. If this be true, and 

 I am apt to believe the information, they can 

 make new species at pleasure, and thus cut 

 out endless work for our nomenclators at home. 



Those who usually bring these birds over 

 are content to make three or four distinctions, 

 to which they give names; and with these 

 distinctions I will content myself also. The 

 large kind, which are of the size ol a raven, 

 are called maccaws ; the next size are simply 

 called parrots; those which are entirely white, 

 are called lories ; and the lesser size of all are 

 called parrakeets. The difference between 

 even these is rather in size than any other 

 peculiar conformation, as they are all formed 

 alike, having toes, two before and two be- 

 hind, for climbing and holding; strong hooked 

 bills for breaking open nuts, and other hard 

 substances, on which they feed; and loud 

 harsh voices, by which they fill their native 

 woods with clamour. 



But there are further peculiarities in their 

 conformation; and first, their toes are con- 

 trived in a singular manner, which appears 

 when they walk or climb, and when they are 

 eating. For the first purpose they stretch 

 two of their toes forward, and two backward; 

 but when they take their meat, and bring it 

 to their mouths with their foot, they dexter- 

 ously and nimbly turn the greater hind toe 

 forward, so as to take a firmer grasp of the 

 nut or the fruit they are going to feed on, 

 standing all the while upon the other leg. 

 Nor even do they present their food in the 

 usual manner ; for other animals turn their 

 meat inwards to the mouth ; but these, in a 

 seemingly awkward position, turn their meat 

 outwards, and thus hold the hardest nuts, as 

 if in one hand, till with their bills they break 

 the shell, and extract the kernel. 



The bill is fashioned with still greater pe- 

 culiarities ; for the upper chap, as well as the 

 lower, are both movable. In most other 

 birds the upper chap is connected, and makes 

 but one piece with the skull ; but in these, 

 and in one or two species of the feathered. 



stranger, chattering in a melancholy tone, as if express- 

 ing sympathy for its misfortunes, stroked its head and 

 neck with her bill, and at night they nestled as close as 

 possible to each other. On the death of her companion, 

 she appeared inconsolable, till he placed a looking-glass 

 near her, by which she was completely deceived. She 

 seemed delighted with the return of her companion, and 

 often during the day, and always at night, she lay close 

 to the image in the glass, and began to dose with great 

 composure and satisfaction. He was so unlucky as to 

 | lose this interesting bird in the Gulf of Mexico, where 

 j she made her way through the cage, left the vessel, and 

 j perished in the waves. 



