s 
EEAUrirVL BIEES. 
that their principal food is yegetahle ; that they nestle 
chiefly in the holes of trees, having two broods in the 
year ; and that they are very noisy withal : hut this is 
nearly all that is known of these birds in wild nature. 
The whole family has been divided into the following 
siib-families, viz., Macrocercince, Maccaws ; PsittacincB, 
Parrots ; Piyctolopliince, Cockatoos ; LoriancG, Lories ; 
and IBlaiycercincd^ Broadtails or Loriets. 
The FlatycercincG compose Mr. Swainson’s fissiros- 
tral di^dsiou of the family, and are considered by him 
as analogous to the fissirostral tube of the Insessores. 
Thev are less arboreal in their habits than otliers of the 
family, and are distinguished, says Mr. Selby, from the 
rest of the PsittacidcB by their slender and elevated 
tarsi, and the less falcated form of their claws. Their 
wings also are shorter, and rounded, the first quill- 
feather being inferior to some of the succeeding ones. 
In consequence of this formation, their habits are less 
strictly scansorial than those of the typical Parrots ; 
but the deficiency is amply compensated by the ease 
and agility with which they move upon the ground, 
where their actions partake in a great measure of that 
freedom which distinguishes so many of the scansorial 
order, but which is almost denied to the typical 
Parrots, whose movements upon a plain surface are to 
a great degree awkward and constrained. The Flaty- 
cercince are birds of elegant and graceful form, and 
their carriage and actions are in accordance with it, 
as they display an activity and liveliness of motion far 
superior to that of the true scansorial species, and 
more in character with that of other birds. In rich- 
ness and diversity of plumage also, they yield to none 
