394 FOREIGN BIRDS. 



There was gallantry, too, that the soul might entrance ; 

 And love shot his bright and his heart- thrilling glance. 

 The great loud himself, who was quite at his ease, 

 Seem'd to say to his Vassals ** now do as you please !'* 

 The signal thus given, many Birds of the throng 

 Sought various diversion the cool shades among. 

 Some flew in high circles ; some leap'd ; others sang ; 

 And the Bell-birds repeated their loud and harsh 



clang. 

 To the wood pensive lovers in silence retir'd, 

 To hear the warm vows long and often desir'd. 

 The Parrots (***) were prating, of what who may 



know? 

 The Macaavs on the palms made a beautiful show : 



(") Order, Pic^, (Linn.) Parrot, Cockatoo, Lory, 

 Paroquet, Macaw, &c. 



The genus Psittacus, {Linn.) or Parrot, comprehends 

 nearly two hundred and forty species; the distinguishing cha- 

 racteristics of the tribe are a hooked bill, the upper mandible 

 as well as the lower moveable and not connected, and in one 

 piece with the skull, as in most other birds, but is joined to 

 the head by a strong membrane on each side, which lifts and 

 depresses it at pleasure; feet formed for climbing. The 

 genus may also be subdivided into those having a long 

 wedge-shaped tail; and those with a short tail equal at the 

 end, including the Cockatoos and Loriesj gentrally, but not 

 altogether. 



The Parrot is an intratropical bird, and generally found within 

 from twenty-four to twenty-live degrees of latitude on each side 

 of the equator. Yet there are some exceptions to this : it is oc- 

 casionally seen as far south as the straights oi Mugellanf in Van 



