AVES—PARROT. 545 
These birds wlien in flocks, on retiring to rest, generally appoint one tc 
watch during the night. While they are asleep, he sits perched at the top 
of a tree, above them, and makes a continual noise, resembling ill aiticulat- 
ed sounds, moving also his head, during the whole time, to the right and 
left. For this reason the South Americans give to the toucan the name of 
preacher toucan. 
The toucan builds its nest in the holes of trees, that are either formed by 
itself, or that from accident it meets with, and lays two eggs; and no bird 
better secures its young from external injury. It has not only birds, men, 
and serpents to guard against, but a numerous train of monkeys, still more 
prying, mischievous, and hungry, than all the rest. The toucan, however, 
sits in its hole, defending the entrance with its great beak; end if the mon- 
key venture to offer a visit of curiosity, the toucan gives him such a welcome 
that he is soon glad to make his escape. 
This bird is a native of Guiana and Brazil, and is said to be in great re- 
quest in South America; both from the delicacy of its flesh, and on account 
of the beauty of its plumage, particularly the feathers of the breast. The 
skin of this part the Indians pluck off, and, when dry, glue to their cheeks, 
and this they consider as an irresistible addition to their beauty. | 
THe. PARR OT. 
Tuts bird is said to have been first introduced into Europe, by Alexander 
the Great. It is equally remarkable for its beauty and its docijlity. But its 
chief attraction is to be found in its ability to utter articulate sounds, a gift 
which it possesses in far greater perfection than any other bird. Its voice 
also is more like a man’s than any other; the raven is too hoarse, and the 
jay and magpie too shrill, to resemble the truth; but the parrot’s note is of 
the true pitch, and capable of a variety of modulations. For this it is 
indebted to the form of its bill, tongue, and head. “Its bill, round on the 
outside and hollow within, has in some degree the capacity of a mouth, and 
allows the tongue to play freely; and the sound, striking against the 
circular border of the lower mandible, is there modified as on a row of \eeth, 
while the concavity of the upper mandible reflects it like a palate; hence 
the animal does not utter a whistling sound, but a full articulation. The 
tongue, which modulates all sounds, is proportionably larger than in maz, 
and would be more voluble, were it not harder than flesh, and invested with 
1The genus Psiftacus, which includes parrots, maccaws, cockatoos, &c., has the bili 
short, thick, gibbous, very strong, convex above and below, much bent and hooked at the 
pot; lower mandible short, obtuse; base of the bill within a cere; head large, nostrils 
orbicular, pierced in the cere, open; legs short, robust; tarsus shorter than the external 
toe; the interior toes united at their base ; tail of varied form. 
= 3 
69 46* 
