CHAPTER XI 



Parrots and cuckoos 

 ORDERS— PSITTACI AND CUCULI 



PARROTS are quite distinct in many particu- 

 lars from any of the birds so far described. 

 They are a very ancient group and have under- 

 gone such deep-seated structural changes, especially 

 in regard to the skull, that it is not easy to discover 

 what their nearest relatives are, though the Cuckoos 

 are generally accorded this honour. 



Among the Parrot's many striking peculiarities the 

 beak is most conspicuous. Not only is it a very pow- 

 erful weapon, but it also plays an important part in 

 climbing among the branches of trees. It is heavy, 

 sharply pointed and recurved. Some species have the 

 ability to hook the tip of the beak on a branch or the 

 bar of a cage and remain suspended from it for hours 

 at a time. 



The legs are very short and the toes are arranged 

 in pairs, two in front and two behind ; hence these birds 

 are called Zygodactyle, or yoke-footed. The use of the 

 foot in holding food and conveying it to the mouth is 

 not confined to Parrots, as certain other birds have 

 this habit. In the true Parrots there is no crest, the 

 tails are square and the upper mandible has tooth-like 

 notches along the edge. 



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