THE PIE KIND. 127 



dental change of colour to be considered as constituting a new species. 

 But, in fact, natural history gains little by these discoveries ; and as 

 its dominions 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 

 called maccawx : the next size are simply called parrots : those which 

 are entirely white, are called lories : and the lesser size of all are cal- 

 led parakeets. 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 behind, for climbing and holding; 

 strong hooked bills for breaking open nuts, and other hard substan- 

 ces, on which they feed ; and loud harsh voices, by which they fill 

 their native woods with clamour. 



But there are further peculiarities in their contormation : and first, 

 heir toes are contrived 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 dexterously 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 pre- 

 sent their food in the usual manner ; for other animals turn their 

 meat inwards to the mouth ; but these, in a seemingly awkward posi- 

 tion, 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 peculiarities ; for the upper 

 chap, as well as the lower, are both moveable. 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 tribe 

 more, the upper chap is connected to the bone of the head by a strong 

 membrane, placed on each side, that lifts and depresses it at pleasure. 

 By this contrivance they can open their bills the wider ; which is not 

 a little useful, as the upper chap is so hooked and so over-hanging, 

 that, if the lower chap only had motion, they could scarce gape suffi- 

 ciently to take any thing in for their nourishment. 



Such are the uses of the beak and the toes, when used separately, 

 out they are often employed both together when the bird is exercised 

 in climbing. As these birds cannot readily hop from bough to bough, 

 their legs not being adapted for that purpose, they use both the beak 

 and the feet; first catching hold with the beak, as if with a hook, 

 ' nd drawing-up the legs and fastening them, then advancing the head 

 and beak again, and so putting forward the body and the feet alter- 

 nately, till they attain the height they aspire to. 



The tongue of this bird somewhat resembles that of a man; for 

 which reason, some pretend that it is well qualified to imitate the 

 feuman speech ; but the organs bv which these sounds are articulated^ 



