42 Mr. Vigors's Sketches in Ornithology. 



those times,* were honoured by the attention of some of the chief 

 men of science, and were immortalized by the genius of some of 



" Psittacus a vobis aliorum nomina discam, 

 Hoc didici per me dicere, Caesar ave." 



Martial. Epig. Lib. XIV. 



We may adduce the following passage from the " Anthology" as illustrative 

 of the lessons which were given to these birds. 



" "^irrtxy-os o ^^oroyv^vs apsis ^vyorsv^sx xv^rov. 



H^ti^EV SIS o^vjj.ovs acv^o(pvst tm^vyi. 

 Alii S'sjc/aeXetw* aaira.cri^aKTt 'K.S.t^x^ot, kKsivov^ 



OfS' ■xv oqt) XvjJjjv riyxyiv nvofAecros. 



E^^XIA.B S' WKV^IOaX.TOS 01,11X5 OIIOVOS) tqt^uv 

 TlS (p^WXt OVVXTXI OXIlJ.0Vt yxt^ SVCTTEIV. 



O^^svs ^yj^xs iiTSKTsv iv n^ea-tv^ ss §6 as Kxi-jxf 

 Nvv aasXtvtTTos xitxs o^vts aKaxfExsra/." 



Anthol. Lib. L p. 84. Ed, Hen. Staph. 1566. 



It is to this mode of salutation that Persius alludes in the Prologue to his 

 Satires, when he speaks of that necessity which forced him to become a poet, 

 as it forced the Parrots and Pies to talk. 



" Quis expedivit Psittaco suum Xi^'pE ? 

 Picasque docuit nostra verba conari ? 

 Magister artis ingenique largitor 

 Venter, negatas artifex sequi voces." 



* The fame of Augustus's and Vespasian's Parrots is well known. In later 

 times a bird of this description acted an even still more conspicuous part in 

 an equally imperial house. Basil, the Macedonian, after having ascended the 

 throne of Constantinople, imprisoned his son Leo upon some false accusation ; 

 and continued his anger towards him, without regard to the lamentations of 

 his family and their intreaties for his freedom. Moved however by the pitiful 

 tones of one of these birds, which had learned to imitate the lamentations of 

 the household, and to repeat the name of Leo in accents of commiseration, he 

 consented to liberate him ; fearing, as the Annalist infers, that his own heart 

 should appear more insensible to the feelings of nature, than that of a bird. — 



" Hv y.xt ar^ou^iov y-aaiMV skh xxtx rov olkov^ 

 EfSa TiDiqos o\o(pvq(MS Kxi yoos e^w^e^toj 

 O-ffsp ax.ooov jvnyj/is (puvuv Sf*)v)jT«f wv. 



