6o THEPIGEONKIND. 



with heavy arrows, headed with cotton, which knocks down the bird 

 without killing it : fome die, but others recover, and, by kind ufaae and 

 plentiful food, become talkative and noify. 



Some of them are, particularly the fmall paroquet tribe, delicate food. 

 In general, whatever fruit or grain they moftly feed on, their flefh par- 

 takes of the flavour. When the guava is ripe, they are fat and tender; 

 if they feed on the feed of the acajou, their flefh contrails an agreeable 

 flavour of garlick j if they feed on the feed of the fpicy trees, it taftes 

 of cloves and cinnamon. 



The paroquet kind in Brafil, Labataffures us, are beautiful and talka- 

 tive, very tame, and appear fond of mankind ; pleafed with holding parley 

 with a man ; they never have done ; but while he continues to talk, anfwer 

 him, as if refolved to have the laft word. 



When a fowler in purfuit of them walks into the woods, as they are 

 green, and exaftly the colour of the leaves among which they fit, he only 

 hears them, without feeing a fingle bird; fenfible that his game is within 

 gun-fliot in abundance, he is mortified to the laft degree that it is invifible. 

 Unfortunately for themfelves, they are ever on the wing ; for as foon as 

 they have ftripped the tree on which they fat of its berries, fome one of 

 them flies to another i if fit for their purpofe, it gives a loud call, to 

 which the reft refort. At this opportunity the fowler fires among the 

 flock while on the wing, and feldom fails of bringing down fome. 



On the coaft of Guinea, parrots are confidered by the Negroes as their 

 greateft tormentors. The parrots perfecute them with unceafing fcream- 

 ing; and devour whatever fruits they attempt to produce in their little 

 gardens. 



The green paroquet, with a red neck, was the firft brought into Europe, 

 and the only one known to the ancients from the time of Alexander the 

 Great to the age of Nero. This was brought from India j afterwards the 

 Romans found others in Gaganda, an ifland of Ethiopia. 



T 



T HE 



PIGEON AND ITS VARIETIES. 



H E tame pigeon, and its varieties, derive their origin from the 

 ftock-dove, the Englifh name, implying its being che Jlock of the 



other 



