LE vaillant’s pi onus. 
135 
hill to chaunt a hymn in honour of the God of Day. 
The reason, however, of this assembly of the parrots, 
is to warm and dry their plumage, moistened and 
chilled by the dews of night, which in these regions 
is often cold, and always damp. When once warmed, 
and their plumage dry, they arise in small flocks, 
and fly around in quest of their favourite fruit, a 
kind of cherry, the stone of which they break, in or- 
der to obtain the kernel. This their morning’s meal 
continues till about 10 or 11 o’clock, at which time 
all the separate flocks fly to the water to bathe. 
When the heat of day commences, they again seek 
the deep recesses of the woods, in order to enjoy the 
refreshment of the shade ; and at this time they keep 
a silence so profound, that not a sound shall be heard 
by a person sitting beneath a tree, though the branches 
above be crowded with legions of parrots ; but on 
the report of a gun, the whole flock fly off with the 
rapidity of lightning, with a confused mixture of the 
most discordant screams. 
When this their time of rest is elapsed, they again 
disperse, in order to obtain their second or evening 
meal ; after which, all the flocks of the whole district 
reassemble with much noise and animation, and this 
is the signal for their second visit to the water, which 
is often far distant, as only the purest will please 
them. They are then seen confusedly and playfully 
rolling over each other on the margins of the pool, 
at times dipping their heads and wings into the wa- 
ter, in such a manner as to scatter it all over their 
