Biiius. 197 



The parrot, which is so common as a foreign bird with n?, is 

 equally so as an indigenous bird in the climates where it is produced. 

 The forests swarm with them ; and the rook is not better known 

 with us than the parrot in almost every part of the East and 

 West Indies. It is in vain that our naturalists have attempted 

 to arrange the various species of this bird ; new varieties daily 

 offer to puzzle the system-maker, or to demonstrate the narrow- 

 ness of his catalogues. Linnaeus makes the number of its varie 

 ties amount to forty-seven ; while Erisson doubles the number, 

 and extends his catalogue to ninety-five. Perhaps even this 

 list might be increased, were every accidental change of colour 

 to be considered as constituting a new species. Hut, in fact, 

 natural history gains little by these discoveries ; and as its do- 

 minions are extended it becomes more barren. It is asserted, 

 by sensible travellers, that the natives of Brazil can change the 

 colour of a parrot's plumage by art. If this be true, and I am 

 apt to believe the information, they can make new species at 

 pleasure, and thus cut out endless work for our nomenclators at 

 home. 



Those who usually bring these birds over are content to make 

 three or four distinctions, to which they give names ; and with 

 these distinctions I will content myself also. The large kind, 

 which are of the size of a raven, are called tnaccaws ,- the next 

 size are simply called parrots ,- those which are entirely white, 

 are called lories ; and the lesser size of all are called parakeets. 

 The difference between even these is rather in size than any 

 other peculiar conformation, as they are all formed alike, having 

 toes, two before and two behind, for climbing and holding ; 

 strong hooked bills for breaking open nuts, and other hard sub- 

 stances, on which they feed ; and loud harsh voices, by which 

 they fill their native woods with clamour. 



But there are further peculiarities in their conformation ; and 

 first, their toes are contrived in a singular manner, which appears 

 when they walk or climb, and when they are eating. For the 

 first purpose they stretch two of their toes forward, and two 

 backward ; but when they take their meat, and bring it to their 

 mouths with their foot, they dexterously and nimbly turn the 

 greater hind toe forward, so as to take a firmer grasp of the nut 

 or the fruit they are going to feed on, standing all the while upon 

 i the other leg. Nor even do they present their food in the usual 



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