HABITS OF THE PARROTS. mi 



from the boughs, or swinging to and fro like rope dancers, or 

 jumping from branch to branch, or climbing to the top of the 

 highest trees ; and the parrots behave exactly in the same 

 manner. They also are constantly screaming, flying or climbing 

 about, when not eating a banana or cracking a nut ; they also 

 are particularly noisy before going to sleep. 



As the monkey seldom or never sets his foot on even ground, 

 but climbs or springs from branch to branch, thus also the 

 parrot will rarely be seen walking ; his flight is rapid, but 

 generally only of short duration, so that evidently neither the 

 ground nor the air were destined for his habitual abode. In 

 climbing, however, he shows an uncommon expertness and 

 agility, unlike that of any other quadruped or bird, as the 

 organ he chiefly uses for the purpose is his beak. He first 

 seizes with his powerful mandibles the branch he intends to 

 ascend, and then raises his body one foot after the other ; or if 

 he happens to have a sweet nut in his, bill which he is anxious 

 to preserve, he presses his lower mandible firmly upon the 

 branch, and raises himself by the contraction of the muscles of 

 his neck. On descending, h6 first bends his head, lays the back 

 of his beak upon the branch, and while the extended neck 

 supports the weight of the body, brings down one foot after the 

 other. While accidentally walking on even ground, he also 

 frequently uses his upper mandible as a kind of crutch, by 

 fixing its point or its back upon the ground; for the formation 

 of his toes is such, that he can walk but very slowly, and con- 

 sequently requires tlie aid of that singular support. Thus 

 monkeys and parrots are, in the fullest sense of the word, 

 dendritic animals — the free children of the primeval forest. 

 But if the toes of the parrot are but ill adapted for walking, 

 they render him valuable services in grasping his food. They 

 even form a kind of hand, with which he conveys the morsel 

 to his beak. This easily cracks the hardest nutshell, after 

 which the broad and fleshy tongue adroitly extracts the kernel. 



In his free state the parrot lives only upon nuts and seeds ; 

 when captive, however, he becomes omnivorous, like man his 

 master, eats bread and meat, sugar and pastry, and is very fond 

 of wine, which has a most exhilarating effect on his spirits. 



Like most monkeys, the parrots are extremely social. At 

 break of day they generally rise in large bands, and with loud 



