THE CAROLINA PARROT. 65 



learn to speak, and their cry is rather disagreeable, yet one 

 cannot help admiring them as much for their beauty as their 

 great mildness. They are so much attached to each other that 

 they must always be had hi pairs, and if one dies the other 

 rarely survives it. Some people think that a mirror hung in 

 the cage, in which the survivor may imagine that it still sees 

 its lost companion, will console it. The male remains affec- 

 tionately near the female, feeds her, and gives her the most 

 tender caresses ; she, in her turn, shows the greatest uneasi- 

 ness if she be separated from him for an instant. In the 

 countries which this species inhabits, it makes great havoc 

 among the corn. In Europe it is fed on canary seed, millet. 

 and white bread soaked in boiled milk. 



THE CAROLINA PARROT. 



Psittacus Carolinensis, LINH.EUS* ; La Perruche a tte jaune, BUFFON, pi. enl. 499 ; 

 Der Carolinische Sittich, BECHSTEIN. 



THIS bird is about the size of a turtle-dove ; its length is 

 thirteen inches, of which the tail measures at least half. The 

 beak is as white as ivory, the membrane and naked circle of 

 the eyes, as well as the feet and claws, greyish white ; the 

 front of the head of a beautiful orange, the back, the nape of 

 the neck, and the throat, light yellow j the rest of the neck, 

 the back, breast, belly, and sides, are green ; the tail is green, 

 and very wedge-shaped. 



OBSERVATIONS. A native of Guiana ; this pretty parrot also breeds in 

 Carolina, and sometimes even penetrates into Virginia in large flocks 

 during the fruit season, making great ravages among the nuts, of which it 

 only eats almonds, rejecting all others. It is frequently brought to Europe ; 

 and in Paris it is the species of parrot which costs the most. It is fed, 

 says Buffon, on hemp seed ; but it is better to add white bread soaked in 

 water, or boiled milk which is not sour, wheat, Indian corn, and the like. 

 Its cry is frequent ; it is rather wicked, and does not speak ; but it well 

 makes up for this by its beauty, the elegance of its form, its graceful 

 movements, and its strong and almost exclusive attachment to its mistress; 

 it likes to hang by the beak, even while sleeping, and will let itseTf be 

 carried thus every where without moving for a very long time. 



* It appears that the Psittacus Ludavicianus, LINN^US, Perruche d t&e aurore 

 BUFFON, is the same species. 



F 



