BOOK X.] History of Nature. 231 



guage, and the Psittaci 1 even hold a Conversation. This Bird 

 cometh from India, where they call it Sittace. It is green all 

 over the Body, only it hath a distinct Collar about the Neck 

 of vermilion red. The Parrot salutes Emperors, and pro- 

 nounces what Words she heareth ; she is also very wanton 

 under the Influence of Wine. Her Head is as hard as her 

 Beak. When she learns to speak, she must be beaten about 

 the Head with a Rod of Iron : for otherwise she careth for 

 no Blows. When she taketh her Flight downward, she 

 alighteth upon her Bill, and leans upon it, and by that 

 means favoureth her Feet, which are but feeble. 



There is a kind of Pica (Magpie) of less excellency, be- 

 cause she does not come from so far ; but she pronounceth 

 what is taught her more freely and distinctly. These take a 

 Love to the Words they speak ; for they not only learn 

 them, but they delight in them : insomuch that they study 

 them inwardly, and by their careful thinking upon what 

 they learn, they show how attentive they are. It is known 

 that they have died for Grief that they could not conquer 

 the Difficulty of some Words ; as also, that unless they hear 

 the same Words repeated often, their Memory fails to retain 

 them. If they are in search of a Word, and chance te hear 

 it pronounced, they will show wonderful Signs of Joy. Their 

 Beauty is not ordinary, although not very lovely. But they 

 are handsome enough in the Power to imitate human Speech. 

 It is said, that none of their kind are able to learn, except 

 such only as feed upon Mast; and among them, those acquire 

 the more easily that have five toes to their Feet: but not 

 even these unless in the two first Years of their Age. Their 

 Tongue is broader than ordinary : as they are all in every 

 separate kind that counterfeit Man's Voice : although this 

 happens to almost all Birds. Agrippina, the Wife of Clau- 

 dius Caesar , had a Turdus (Thrush) at the Time I compiled 

 this Book, which imitated Man's Speech ; a Thing never 

 known before. The young Ccesars, also, had a Sturnus 

 (Starling) and Nightingales taught to speak Greek and 



1 Psittacus Alexandra LINN. Parrot. Wern. Club. 



