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1|rst species, called thecau (psittacus cyanalysio's) is 

 a little larger than a common pigeon, and is decorat- 

 ed with a superb blue collar; the head, wings and 

 tail are green spotted with yellow ; but the back/ 

 throat and belly are yellow ; the tail is of a middle 

 length and equal. These birds are very numerous^ 

 and very destructive to the corn; they fly in large 

 flocks, and whenever they light upon a field to feed, 

 one of their number is stationed upon a tree as a 

 centinel, who advertises his companions by frequent 

 cries of the approach of danger. This renders them 

 difficult to be approached, and the only means of 

 obtaining a number of them at a shot is by throwing 

 á hat in the air, which they fly at with incredible 

 eagemess. They make their nests among the steep- 

 est declivities, in which they scoop deep and wind- 

 ing holes, and lay two white eggs of the size of a 

 pigeon's." Although their nests appear to be inac- 

 cessible, the peasants take great áumbers of their 

 young. In order to do this, they let themselves 

 down by a rope to the mouth of the holes, and dra\ir 

 the young parrots out with a kind of hook riiade for 

 the purpose. These are a cheap and excellent food ; 

 Ihave seen eight of them sold for the smallest coin 

 of tlie country, about three sous. When the first 

 brood is taken away, they hatch a second, somètimés^ 

 a third, and even a fourth ; to this wonderful feciih- 

 àity is owing the great numbers of these l)irds, which 

 frequently destroy the crops^ They are easily tamed; 

 and readily' taught to speák. ^ ^ ' ° ^ " ' 



Those which are migratory are the choroi and the 

 jaguilma. I call them migratory, from their inhkbii- 



