but the organs by which the founds are articu- 
lated lie farther down in the throat, being per- 
formed by the great motion which the os hyoides 
has in this bird above all others. 
Though the Parrot is common in Europe, it 
■will not breed here, the climate being too cold 
for it's warm conftitution; and, tliough capable 
of enduring our winter when arrived at maturity^ 
it always appears fenfible of it's rigour, and lofes 
both it's fpirit and appetite during the colder part 
of the feafon: it then becomes torpid and inac- 
tive; and feems quite changed from that buftling, 
loquacious animal, which it appeared in it's na- 
tive forefts, where it is almoft perpetually on the 
wing. Neverthelefs, the Parrot lives, even with 
us, a confiderable time, if properly attended to. 
The extreme fagacity and docility of this bird 
may be pleaded as the beft excufe for that perfon 
who fpends whole hours in teaching it to fpeak ; 
and indeed the Parrot, on fuch cccafions, feems 
to be the wifefl: animal of the tv/o. At firfi;, it 
obftinately refills all inflrudticn ; but feerns to be 
won by perfeverance ; makes a few attempts to 
imitate the firft founds j and, when it has once ac- 
quired the articulation of one word dlftinftly, the 
reft of it's leffon is generally learned with facility. 
In thofe families where the mailer or mifcrefs 
has the feweft avocations, the Parrot ufuaily re- 
ceives the greateft inftruflion, and becomes more 
expert in proportion to the afliduity of it's teach- 
ers. The French ladies fpend a great part of 
their time in inflructing their feathered pupils; 
and it mufc be acknowledged that the Parrots in 
France fpeak much more diftin6lly than thofe in 
England, in confequence of their continual fchool- 
ing. But even the Parrots of France are m.uch 
inferior to thofe of the Brazils, where their edu- 
cation is confidered as a very important bufinefs. 
Clufius afifures us, that the Parrots of that country 
are the moft fenfible and cunning of all animals 
not endued with reafon. There is a large bird of 
this kind in Brazil, which the natives call the 
aicu-ous, the head of which is red, violet and yel- 
low j the body green j the tips of the wings red 
and the tail long and yellow. This animal is 
feldom feen in Europe, but it is a prodigy of un- 
derftanding. ' A Brazilian woman,' fays Clufius, 
* who lived at a village two miles diilant from 
the ifland on which we refided, had a Parrot of 
this kind, which was the wonder of the place : it 
feemed endued with fuch underfcanding, as to 
dlfcern and comprehend whatever fhe faid to it. 
As we fometimes ufed to pafs by that woman's 
door, flie frequently called on us to flop, pro- 
mifing, if we would give her a comb, or a look- 
ing-glafs, that fne would make her Parrot fing and 
dance to entertain us. If we agreed to her re- 
queft, as foon as fiie had pronounced fome words 
to the bird, it began not only to leap and fl^ip on 
the perch on v/hich it flood, but alfo to talk and 
to vv'hiftle, and imitate the fhouts and exclama- 
tions of the Brazilians when they prepare for bat- 
tle. In fhort, when it came into the v/oman's 
head to bid it fmg, it fang; and to dance, it 
danced : but if, contrary to our promife, we refufed 
to give the woman the little prefent agreed on, 
the Parrot feemed to fympathize in her refent- 
ment, and was filent and immoveable ; nor could 
we by any means provoke it to move either foot 
or tongue.' 
This fagacity, which Parrots fliew in a domef- 
tic ftate, feems alfo natural to them in their refi- 
dence among the woods; they live together in 
PAR 
flocks ; and mutually affifl each other againft their 
enemies, either by their courage or their notes of 
warning. They generally breed in hollow trees, 
v/here they make round holes, without any lin- 
ing. The largeft Parr ots lay two or three egf^s; 
but it is probable that the fmailer kind mayTay 
more, it being an invariable rule in nature, that 
the fmallefl: animals are the moft prolific. In 
general, hov/ever, they have but two eggs, like 
thofe of the pigeon, and nearly of the fame fize ; 
marked with litde fpecks, like thofe of the 
partridge. Travellers affure us, that the nefts 
of Parrots are aKvays found in the trunks of the 
talleft, ilraighteft, and largeft trees. The na- 
tives of thofe countries are very afiiduous in 
fearching out the places where they nefrle; and 
as thofe birds v;hich are taken young always pof- 
fefs the greateft docility, a neft is confidered as 
worth taking fome pains to be pofTefied of: the 
ufual method therefore is to cut down the tree j 
and though in it's fall the young Parrots are fre- 
quently killed, yet if but one of them ftiould 
furvive, the fpoiler confiders him.felf as abun- 
dantly rewarded. 
But as the natives cannot always fupply the de- 
mand for young ones, they are contented to take 
the old ; which they fhoot in the woods with heavy 
arrows, headed v/irh cotton, Vv'hich ufuaily ftun 
the birds, and bring them to the ground v/ithout 
killing them: after receiving this blow, fome of 
them die, while ot'iers recover; and thofe which 
are reftored become talkative by proper tuition, 
tender uf:ge, and plentiful feeding. 
But the favages are not thus induftrious to pro- 
cure thefe birds merely for the fake of their talk- 
ing : for, though fome of them are ill-tafted, others 
are very delicate food ; particularly thofe of the 
fmall parroquet tribe. Labat alTures us, that the, 
parroquetkind of Brazil are the mofc beautiful as 
to their plumage, and the moft talkative birds in 
nature. They are extremely tame, and appear 
delighted with human fociety: but, unhappily (or 
them, they are poffefled of another quality which 
often puts an end to this aflbciation ; their flefii is 
the moft delicate that can be imagined; and is 
highly efteemed by thofe Vv'ho vv'ifti rather to in- 
dulge their appetites than their ears. 
There are indeed many motives for deftroying 
or feizing thefe beautiful birds; notwithftanding 
which, they are ftill found in very great plenty, 
and confidered by the negroes on the coaft of 
Guinea as their greateft tormentors; they are pel^ 
tered v;ith the inceffant fcreamings of flocks of 
Parrots, which alfo devour whatever fruits they 
attempt to raife in their little gardens. In other 
places, indeed, they are not quite fo numerous 
and deftru£live; but there is fcarce a country of 
the tropical climates that has not numbers of the 
common kinds, as well as fome which are pecu- 
liarly it's own. Upv/ards of one hundred difte- 
rent kinds have been enumerated by travellers on 
the continent of Africa only; and there is one 
country in particular, north of the Cape of Good 
Hope, which derives it's name from the multitude 
of Parrots that inhabit it's woods. White Parrots 
have been difcovered in the torrid regions of 
Ethiopia: in the Eaft Indies, they are of the 
largeft fize; in South Americaj they are docile 
and talkative; they fv/arm in great abundance in 
all the iflands of the Pacific Sea and Indian Ocean ; 
and add to the fplendor of thofe woods v/hich are 
cioathed with perpetual verdure. 
, Though thefe birds are at prefent fo univerfaliy 
known. 
