84 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



as described by Bingley, that occurred in a pair of 

 the Guinea parrot (Psittacus pullarius). "A male 

 and female of this species were lodged together in 

 a large square cage. The vessel which held their 

 food was placed at the bottom. The male usually 

 sat on the same perch with the female, and close 

 beside her. Whenever one descended for food, the 

 other always followed ; and when their hunger was 

 satisfied, they returned together to the highest perch 

 of the cage. They passed four years together in 

 this state of confinement; and from their mutual 

 attentions and satisfaction, it was evident that a 

 strong affection for each other had been excited. 

 At the end of this period the female fell into a state 

 of languor, which had every symptom of old age ; 

 her legs swelled, and knots appeared upon them, 

 as if the disease had been of the nature of gout. 

 It was no longer possible for her to descend and 

 take her food as formerly ; but the male assiduously 

 brought it her, carrying it in his bill, and delivering 

 it into hers. He continued to feed her in this man- 

 ner, with the utmost vigilance, for four months. 

 The infirmities of his mate, however, increased every 

 day ; and at length she became no longer able to 

 sit upon the perch : she remained crouched at the 

 bottom, and from time to time made a few useless 

 efforts to regain the lower perch ; while the male, 

 who remained close by her, seconded these feeble 

 attempts with all his power. Sometimes he seized 

 with his bill the upper part of her wing, to try to 

 draw her up to him ; sometimes he took hold of her 

 bill, and attempted to raise her up, repeating his 

 efforts for that purpose several times. His counte- 

 nance, his gestures, his continual solicitude, every 

 thing, in short, indicated, in this affectionate bird, 

 an ardent desire to aid the weakness of his com- 

 panion, and to alleviate her sufferings. But the 



