BIRDS. PIES. Parrot. 559 



II. PIE S. 



The bill is convex, and fomewhat compreffed, or 

 flattened, at the fides. 



V. PARRO T— 5. PS ITT A C U S. 45. 



The bill is much hooked ; the upper mandible is moveable, 

 and in many fpecies is covered with a cere: The noftrils are 

 rounded, and are iituated in the bafe of the bill: The tongue 

 is large, blunt, rounded, and flefhy: The feet have two toes 

 placed forwards, and two backwards. 



This very numerous genus is fo remarkably diftinguifhed from all others, that it may be reckoned 

 an arrangement of nature rather than of artificial fyftem ; this was noticed by Pliny, who gives an 

 exceedingly good diftinftive mark from the tongue, which he juftly obferves is confiderably larger 

 than in other birds. It is a gregarious and clamorous race, extremely docile, and very imitative of 

 founds, even learning to counterfeit the human voice, and to articulate words with great diftinclnefs, 

 but the natural voice is loud, harfh, and unpleafant. Parrots live chiefly in pairs, of one male with 

 a Angle female, but thefe aflbciate in vaft multitudes ; they may be reckoned to hold the fame place 

 among birds that Apes and Monkeys occupy among the Mammalia ; like thefe they are very nume- 

 rous, very imitative, very mifehievous, and very ufelefs; they are likewife chiefly confined to the tro- 

 pical regions of Afia, Africa, and America, though a few are found in colder countries, as far north as 

 Carolina, and even fouthward at the Straits of Magellan. The head is generally large, with a flat crown, 

 which in feveral fpecies is furnifhed with a creft ; the legs are for the moft part fhort ; the feet have 

 four toes, two of which are turned back, but one of thefe can be brought forwards on occafion -, the 

 toes are very flexible, and are ufed like hands for holding any thing and carrying it to the mouth ; 

 they may be called prehenfile feet from this property, to diftinguifh them from common climbing 

 feet, which are not fo variously ufeful ; they climb with great facility, ufing the bill to affift the feet. 

 Parrots are very long lived ; they feed chiefly on nuts, fruits, and feeds, and can crack the hardeft 

 nut-fhells with their bills. They breed in hollows of trees, without conftnicting any neft, and lay 

 two or three white eggs each brood, which mufc be frequently each fcafon, from the vaft numbers 

 that every where abound in the hot countries. 



To facilitate, in fomc mer.fure, the difcovery of any particular fpecies, in fuch a prodigious number, 

 Dr Gmelin and Mr Latham have arranged this genus under two fubdivifions, which are diflihguifhed 

 from each other by the form of their tails ; in the firft divifion, Pfiiiaci macronri, the tails are long, 

 and wedg'i like, the middle tail quills being longer than thole on each fide ; in the fecond fubdivi- 

 fion, PJitiaci brachvuri, the tails are fhort and the end is equal, all the feathers being of an equal 



4 B 2 length, 



