PARSON-BIRD 691 



approached by some species of Chrysotis usually styled Amazons 

 and yet its congener P. timneh is not known to be talkative. 1 



Considering the abundance of Parrots both as species and in- 

 dividuals, and their wide extent over the globe, it is surprising how 

 little is known of their habits in a wild state. Even the species 

 with which Englishmen and their descendants, have been more in 

 contact than any other has an almost unwritten history, compared 

 with that of many other birds ; and, seeing how many are oppressed 

 by and yielding to man's occupation of their ancient haunts, the 

 extirpation of some is certain, and will probably be accomplished 

 before several interesting and some disputed points in their economy 

 have been decided. The experience of small islands only fore- 

 shadows what will happen in tracts of greater extent, though there 

 more time is required to produce the same result ; but, the result 

 being inevitable, those who are favourably placed for observations 

 should neglect no opportunities of making them ere it be too late. 



PARSON-BIRD (so-called by the English in New Zealand from 

 the two tufts of curled and filamentary white feathers hanging 

 beneath its chin, which were supposed to resemble the bands worn 

 until lately by clerics), the Prosthematodera novse-zealandise of modern 

 ornithology. Made known on the publication of Cook's First 

 Voyage (i. p. 98), where it is figured as the Poe or Poy-bird, 2 in 

 1776 it was technically described by Pennant and figured by Peter 

 Brown (Illustr. Zool. p. 18, pi. ix.) from a specimen in Tunstall's 

 collection still existing in the Museum at Newcastle-on-Tyne (Fox, 

 Synops. Newc. Mus. p. 138). The bird belongs to the Meliphagidse 

 (HONEY-EATER), and is in many ways one of the most remarkable 

 of them, being generally of glossy black with vivid green or blue 

 reflexions, while in addition to the white gular tufts, the feathers on 

 the sides of the neck are curved forwards and white-shafted, the 

 greater wing-coverts also being white. It is a fine songster, and 

 a great favourite in captivity, learning to mimic various noises, 



1 In connexion with the "speaking" of Parrots, one of the most curious cir- 

 cumstances is that recorded by Humboldt, who states (Ansichten der Natur, ed. 

 3, i. p. 285, Engl. transl. p. 172) that in South America he met with a vener- 

 able bird which remained the sole possessor of a literally dead language, the 

 whole tribe of Indians, Atures by name, who alone had spoken it, having become 

 extinct. This incident was the theme of a poem by Curtius, printed in Hum- 

 boldt's volume, and how cleverly it has been worked into a romance by a recent 

 novelist all well know ; but unfortunately there are people who will have it that 

 the romance of the story did not begin with Mr. Grant Allen. 



2 This name, for a long while used in the books, was given by Cook's people, 

 who compared the bird's remarkable gular tufts to the earrings worn by the 

 Tahitians, and called Poies, as the word was then written. But Kago is given as 

 the native name of the bird, and in the form Koko is still used, though Tui is 

 the commoner appellation. 



