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THE CAROLINA PARROT. 



" What is called by Europeans the Illinois Parrot, 

 (Psittacus pertinax,) is evidently the young bird in 

 its imperfect colours. Whether the present species 

 be found as far south as Brazil, as these writers 

 pretend, I unable to say ; but, from the great 

 extent of country in which I have myself killed and 

 examined these birds, I am satisfied that the present 

 species, now described, is the only one inhabiting 

 the United States* 



" Of one hundred and sixty-eight kinds of Parrots, 

 enumerated by European writers as inhabiting the 

 various regions of the globe, this is the only species 

 found native within the territory of the United 

 States. The vast and luxuriant tracts lying within 

 the torrid zone, seem to be the favourite residence of 

 those noisy, numerous, and richly plumaged tribes. 

 The Count de Buffon has, indeed, circumscribed the 

 whole genus of Parrots to a space not extending 

 more than twenty-three degrees on each side of the 

 equator: but later discoveries have shewn this 

 statement to be incorrect, as these birds have been 

 found on our continent as far south as the Straits of 

 Magellan, and even on the remote shores of Van 

 Diemen's Land, in Terra Australasia. The species 

 now under consideration is also known to inhabit 

 the interior of Louisiana, and the shores of Missis- 

 sippi and Ohio, and their tributary waters, even 

 beyond the Illinois river, to the neighbourhood of 

 Lake Michigan, in lat. 42 deg. north; and, con- 

 trary to the generally received opinion, is chiefly 

 resident in all these places. Eastward, however, of 



