THE CAROLINA PARROT. 



Ill 



destroyed in their texture by the falling of the tree, 

 appeared, he said, to be formed of small twigs glued 

 to each other, and to the side of the tree, in the 

 manner of the Chimney Swallow. He added, that if 

 it were the proper season, he could point out to me 

 the weed from which they procured the gluey matter. 

 From all these contradictory accounts nothing 

 certain can be deduced, except that they build in 

 companies, in hollow trees. That they commence 

 incubation late in summer, or very early in spring, 

 I think highly probable, from the numerous dissec- 

 tions I made in the months of March, April, May, 

 and June ; and the great variety which I found in 

 the colour of the plumage of the head and neck of 

 both sexes, during the two former of these months, 

 convinces me, that the young birds do not receive 

 their full colours until the early part of the succeed- 

 ing summer." 



Respecting the habits of the Parrakeets during 

 incubation, Audubon has been able to add but little 

 to that given by Wilson ; all he says is, that " their 

 nest, or the place in which they deposit their eggs, is 

 simply the bottom of such cavities in trees as those 

 to which they usually retire at night. Many females 

 deposit their eggs together. I am of opinion, that 

 the number of eggs which each individual lays is 

 two, although I have not been able absolutely to 

 assure myself of this. They are nearly round, and 

 of a light greenish white. The young are at first 

 covered with soft down, such as is seen on young 

 owls. During the first season, the whole plumage 



