46 



of warning. They breed in the hollows of tree&, 

 where they maice their nests. The larger kind lay 

 only two or three eggs; but it is probable that the 

 smaller ones lay more. The natives are very assidu- 

 ous in finding out the places where they nestle, for 

 the purpose of procuring the young; because those 

 prove the most tractable and lively which are reareci 

 in confinement. Indeed the Indians are not anxious 

 to possess these birds for their talking alone, for sale, 

 or for their beauty, but also for food ; since, though 

 some are ill- tasted, others are very delicate eating, 

 particularly the paroquet kind. Numerous as the 

 species are, and widely as they are disseminated over 

 Asia, Africa, and America, yet it appears that they 

 were not very generally known lo the Greeks. The 

 green Paroquet with a red neck was the first of this 

 family imported into Europe : for Onesicrites, the 

 conductor or admiral of the fleet of Alexander the 

 Great, brought them from the Island of Taprobane, 

 the modern Ceylon. They were indeed so new and 

 uncommon, that Aristotle, in his 8th book of animals, 

 seems not to have seen them, and mentions them 

 only from report; for he says, "there is an Indian 

 bird, called the Psittace, which is said to speak.^' 

 The beauty of these birds made them however ob- 

 jects of luxury among the Romans, who lodged them 

 in cages of silver, or shells, and of ivory ; and the 

 price of a parrot often exceeded that of a slave. To 

 enumerate what number of distinct species of these 

 birds have already been discovered, would be impos- 

 sible, since our vessels from New Holland and the 

 southern islands are daily adding new ones to this 

 extensive and beautiful genus. 



The one in the larger Case, marked unique, is the 

 property of A. Harrison, Esq. of Parliament-street, 



