30 cassell's book of birds. 



either as a protection from the burning heat of the sun, or for the purpose of concealment, and hasten 

 to them at once on the slightest alarm. They know what an excellent protection to them, clothed as 

 they are in leafy green, the verdant bower offers ; and, truly, when thus ensconced, they are tolerably 

 secure from observation ; a man may know that there are fifty of them in a tree, and not see one. 

 In playing their game of hide and seek, both the colour of their feathers, and the cunning so 

 peculiar to all parrots, contribute to their safety ; — they do not want to be seen. One of their 

 company has just at the right time observed the approach of an enemy ; he gives a sign, they 

 are all at once silent, and withdraw themselves towards the centre of the tree ; noiselessly, they 

 climb to that side of the summit opposite to the spot where the enemy has appeared, they then 

 fly off, and it is only when they are a hundred yards away that they seem to recover their voice, and 

 scream to their hearts' content, apparently rather out of bravado, after having thus outwitted their 

 pursuers, than for the sake of calling upon their companions. This clever game they play more 

 especially when they have settled on some tree for the purpose of enjoying the fruit, as it is then that 

 their thievish design is carried out with the greatest cunning. " Whilst on the wing," says Poppig, 

 " the large golden green Araras of the Andes will arrest their flight to come down upon the scarlet 

 Coral trees (Erythrina) and the yellow Tachice, the heads of which they eagerly devour. Their cry is 

 positively fearful ; nevertheless, they are quite clever enough to understand that it would be 

 dangerous to give utterance to it when they are just about to plunder some ripening field of Indian 

 corn. At such a time, every one of them will repress its inclination to make a noise, giving utterance 

 to no sound except a sort of murmur, with which it accompanies its proceedings, as it prosecutes its 

 work of destruction with surprising quickness. "The sportsman, or even the exasperated Indian, 

 finds it by no means an easy task to surprise the thieves, seeing that two of the oldest birds are 

 always set as watchmen upon the highest trees in the neighbourhood. The first note of alarm is 

 immediately answered by a general, half-uttered cry from the assembled pilferers ; the second is 

 responded to by deafening screams, raised by the whole flock as they fly away, and it is only when 

 their enemy has departed that they begin anew their destructive raid." 



The presence of a numerous flock of parrots is generally only betrayed by the empty husks that 

 rattle as they fall against the broad leaves of the bushes, producing a sound that can be heard from 

 some distance. 



Le Vaillant has noticed the silence of these birds at the approach of a suspicious-looking visitor, 

 on the occasion of their mid-day assemblages. They will keep themselves so still that not the slightest 

 sound can be heard to proceed from among them, even though thousands should be congregated 

 together. On the discharge of a gun, the whole multitude will immediately take wing, and rise into 

 the air with deafening cries, as though rendered furious by the interruption. 



Far different is their conduct when they have become aware that the good-nature of man leaves 

 them unmolested. In India, as Jerdan informs us, they not only come boldly into the towns, but will 

 settle down, without the slightest shyness, upon the tops of the houses, and from this elevation 

 descend to plunder the gardens and fields in the neighbourhood. Incredibly great, and justifying the 

 most efficient means of defence on the part of man, is the destruction caused by parrots ; nothing is 

 safe that is not constantly guarded. Like the monkeys, they waste a great deal more than they eat. 



The multitudes which assemble upon the fields or fruit trees devour all they can upon the spot, 

 bite off still more, and carry a few ears of corn up into the trees, in order peaceably to fill their much 

 craving stomachs. When they make their appearance in the orchard, they search every tree that is 

 in fruit, and pluck such as may be ripe ; bite a bit off, and if it does not exactly suit their very 

 refined taste, throw it down upon the ground and take another instead. While feeding they generally 

 climb the branches from below upwards, and as soon as they get to the top fly away to another 



