230 HISTORY OF 



upon the seed of the acajou, their flesh contracts 

 an agreeable flavour of garlic ; if they feed upon 

 seed of the spicy trees, their flesh then tastes of 

 cloves and cinnamon ; while, on the contrary, it 

 is insupportably bitter if the berries they feed on 

 are of that quality. The seed of the cotton tree 

 intoxicates them in the same manner that wine 

 does man ; and even wine itself is drunk by par- 

 rots, as Aristotle assures us, by which they are 

 thus rendered more talkative and amusing. But 

 of all food, they are fondest of the carthamus or 

 bastard saffron ; which, though strongly purgative 

 to man, agrees perfectly with their constitution, 

 and fattens them in a very short time. 



Of the parakeet kind in Brasil, Labat assures 

 us, that they are the most beautiful in their plum- 

 age, and the most talkative birds in nature. They 

 are very ta'me, and appear fond of mankind; 

 they seem pleased with holding parley with him ; 

 they never have done ; but while he continues to 

 talk, answer him, and appear resolved to have 

 the last word : but they are possessed of another 

 quality which is sufficient to put an end to this 

 association ; their flesh is the most delicate ima- 

 ginable, and highly esteemed by those who are 

 fonder of indulging their appetites than their 

 ears. The fowler walks into the woods, where 

 they keep in abundance ; but as they are green, 

 and exactly the colour of the leaves among which 

 they sit, he only hears their prattle, without being 

 able to see a single bird: he looks round him, 

 sensible that his game is within gun-shot in abun- 

 dance, but is mortified to the last degree that it 



