THE AMAZON GKEEN PARROT AND THE COCKATOOS. 415 



These, however, should be given with great caution, as several, such as 

 parsley and chickweed, are exceedingly hurtful. 



When proper precautions are taken, the Parrot is one of our hardi- 

 est cage-birds, and will live to a great 

 age even in captivity. Some of these 

 birds have been known to attain an 

 age of sixty or seventy years, and one 

 ^ hich was seen by Le Vaillant had at- 

 tained the patriarchal age of ninety-three. 

 At sixty its memory began to fail, and at 

 sixty-five the moult became very irreg- 

 ular and the tail changed to yellow. At 

 ninety it was a very decrepit creature, al- 

 most blind and quite silent, having for- 

 gotten its former abundant stock of 

 words. 



The general color of this bird is a very 

 pure ashen gray, except the tail, which is 

 deep scarlet. '^^^ Sulphur-crested Cock- 



rA '• ^ /^ T» ATOO (Cacatua qalerita). 



Two species of Green Parrot are ^ ^ 



tolerably common, the one being the Festive Green Parrot, and the 

 other the Amazon Green Parrot. 



The Amazon Green Parrot is the species most commonly seen in 

 England. It is a native of Southern America, and especially frequents 

 the banks of the Amazon. It is not, however, so retiring in its habits 

 " as most Parrots, and will often leave the woods for the sake of prey- 

 ing upon the orange-plantations, among which it works great havoc. Its 

 nest is made in the decayed trunks of trees. 



As a general fact, it is not so apt at learning and repeating phrases 

 as the Gray Parrot, but I have known more than one instance where 

 its powers of speech could hardly be exceeded, and very seldom rivalled. 

 One of these birds, which used to live in a little garden into which my 

 window looked, was, on our first entrance into the house, the cause of 

 much perplexity to ourselves and the servants. The nursery-maid's 

 name was Sarah, and the unfortunate girl was continually running up 

 and down stairs, fancying herself called by one of the children in dis- 

 tress. The voice of the Parrot was just that of a child, and it would 

 call "Sarah!" in every imaginable tone, varying from a mere enunci- 

 ation of the name, as if in conversation, to angry remonstrance, petu- 

 lant peevishness, or sudden terror. 



The Cockatoos are very familiar birds, as several species are com- 

 mon inhabitants of our aviaries, where they create much amusement 

 by their grotesque movements, their exceeding love of approbation, and 

 their repeated mention of their own name. Wherever two or three of 



