THE PIE KIND. J29 



the Brazilians when they piepare for battle. In brief, when it came 

 into the woman's head to bid it sing, it sang ; to dance, it danced 

 But if, contrary to our promise, we refused to give the woman the lit 

 tie present agreed on, the parrot seemed to sympathize in her resent 

 ment, and was silent and immoveable ; neither could we, by any 

 means, provoke it to move either foot or tongue." 



This sagacity, which parrots show in a domestic state, seems also 

 i.aturai to them in their native residence among the woods. They 

 'live together in flocks, and mutually assist each other against other 

 animals, either by their courage or their notes of warning. They 

 generally breed in hollow trees, where they make a round hole, and 

 do not line their nests within. If they find any part of a tree begin- 

 ning to rot from the breaking off of a branch, or any such accident, 

 this they take care to scoop, and to make the hole sufficiently wide 

 and convenient ; but it sometimes happens that they are content with 

 the hole which a woodpecker has wrought out with greater ease be- 

 fore them ; and in this they prepare to hatch and bring up their 

 young. 



They lay two or three eggs ; and probably the smaller kind may 

 lay more ; for it is a rule that universally holds through Nature, that 

 the smallest animals are always the most prolific; for being from 

 their natural weakness, more subject to devastation, Nature finds it 

 necessary to replenish the species by superior fecundity. In general, 

 however, the number of their eggs is stinted to two, like those of the 

 pigeon, and they are about the same size. They are always marked 

 with little specks, like those of a partridge, and some travellers assure 

 us that they are always found in the trunks of the tallest, straightest, 

 and the largest trees. The natives of these countries, who have little 

 else to do, are very assiduous in spying out the places where the par- 

 rot is seen to nestle, and generally come with great joy to inform the 

 Europeans, if there be any, of the discovery. As those birds have 

 always the greatest docility that are taken young, such a nest is often 

 considered as worthy taking some trouble to be possessed of; and for 

 this purpose the usual method of coming at the young, is, by cutting 

 down the tree. In the fall of the tree it often happens that the young 

 parrots are killed ; but if one of them survives the shock, it is con- 

 sidered as a sufficient recompense. 



Such is the avidity with which these birds are sought when young; 

 for it is known they always speak best when their ear has not been 

 anticipated by the harsh notes of the wild one. But as the natives 

 are not able upon all occasions to supply the demand for young ones, 

 they are contented to take the old ; and for that purpose shoot them 

 in the woods with heavy arrows, headed with cotton, which knock 

 down the bird without killing it. The parrots thus stunned are cai 

 ried home : some die, but others recover, and, by kind ut<tge, and 

 plentiful food, become talkative and noisy. 



But it is not for the sake of their conversation alone that the parrot 

 :S sought after among the savages ; for though some of them are but 

 tough and ill-tasted, yet there are other sorts, particularly of the sinal' 

 parakeet tribe, that are very delicate food. In general it obtains 

 that whatever fruit or grain these birds mostly feed upon, their flesh 

 partakes of the flavour, and becomes good or ill-tasted, according to 



