SCANSORES. 363 



moving the upper mandible is much more highly developed in 

 this family than in other birds, that organ not being connected 

 into one piece with the skull, by elastic and yielding bony plates, 

 as is the c-ase with the birds in general, but constituting a par- 

 ticular bone, distinct from the rest of the skull, and joined to it. 

 This mobility becomes more conspicuous, for the reason that 

 their vigorous jaws are set in motion by a greater number of 

 muscles than are found in other birds. The advantages of this 

 peculiarity of structure are apparent, when we remember the 

 use which a Parrot makes of the beak, as a third hand, to assist 

 it in climbing from bough to bough, or about the bars of its cage 

 when in confinement. The beak appears to be well supplied 

 with nerves of sensation, as the bird not only seems to enjoy 

 holding its food with the tip of its bill, but sometimes scratches 

 that organ with its foot, plainly showing that there must be sensa- 

 tion. The thick and fleshy tongue of the Parrots, is a very del- 

 icate organ of taste; it is covered, like that of the Mammalia, 

 with papilla, and being moistened by a constant secretion of 

 saliva, they are able to select and taste different kinds of food. 

 In some of the Australian species which suck the nectar of 

 flowers, the tongue, while retaining the thick form and fleshy 

 structure common to the family, is distinguished by the peculiar- 

 ity of terminating in a number of very delicate and close-set fil- 

 aments, which can be protruded and expanded like a brush. One 

 of these species, the Australian LORIKEET, is of a predominant 

 azure color, and is sometimes called the Blue-mountain Parrot, 

 Trichoglossus, (Gr. hair-tongued ;) liamatodus, (Gr. of blood- 

 color,) when shown, in confinement, a colored drawing of a 

 flower, it applied the tip of its tongue to it, as if it would suck it, 

 and on another occasion, made a similar attempt on seeing a 

 piece of furniture calico. 



The most prevalent hue of the Parrots, is a soft and lustrous 

 green, varied, however, with scarlet, yellow and blue in profu- 

 sion, usually arranged in broad and well defined masses. 



The Parrot tribe have been arranged into several groups, 

 founded, to a great extent, upon variations of plumage. 



(1.) The TRUE PARROTS (Psittacus] are, for the most part, 

 found in tropical America. Their prevailing color is green. 

 The Ash-colored, or Gray Parrot, P. eryihacus, is seen in Africa. 

 This group excels all the others in powers of imitation. The 

 species of the Green Parrots are numerous. The best* known, 

 are the FESTIVE PARROT, P.festivus, and the AMAZON'S PARROT, 

 P. Amazonicus. The latter has superior mimic propensities, but 

 the Festive Parrot is the larger in size. The Amazon Parrot 



