124 
PSITTACUS CAROLINENSIS. 
Its left foot to hold the bur, as did several others 
I kept for some time. I beg’aii to think that this ni's 
be peculiar to the whole tribe, and that tliey all m * 
if I may use the expression, left-footed ; but by shoo 
a number afterwards while en^ajcd in catiuy 
berries, 1 found sometimes the left, sometimes the 
foot stained with the fruit ; the other always clean ; a 
which, and the constant practice of those I I'^’l ’Kir 
appears, that like the human species in the use of * ’ 
hands, they do not prefer one or the other inda"' 
minutely, but are either left or rijjht footed. 
return to my prisoner : In recommitting it to “ da'^ve 
vile” we generally had a ipiarrel ; during which d 
quently paid me in kind for the wound I had i''ll’‘'Kt 
and for depriving it of liberty, by mitting and Kc 
disabling several of my fingers with its sharp and 
ful bill. The path through the wilderness bet"^^^||l 
Nashville and Natchez is in some places bad l’®.K(]i, 
description. There are dangerous creeks to 
miles of morass to struggle through, rendered alnio*'' J 
gloomy as night by a prodigious growth of timber> '■j|( 
an underwood of canes and other evergreens; " Kf 
the descent into these sluggish streams is often t«’’||i 
fifteen feet perpendicular into a bed of deep clay- J 
some of the worst ot these places, where I haO) *^j|v 
were, to fight my way through, the paroquet fre(ii“’''uj i 
escaped from my pocket, obliging me to disinouid ^ ] 
pursue it through the worst of the morass bef<’''|^ 
could regain it. On these occasions 1 was jii 
times tempted to abandon it ; but 1 persist*’“j|,(! i 
bringing it along. When at night 1 encamped >'* it i 
woods, 1 placed it on the baggage beside 
usually sat, with great composure, dozing and it 
at the fire till morning. In this manner I cari''' ^j! I 
upwards of a thousand miles in my pocket, 
was exposed all day to the jolting'of the horsCi^ jt 
regularly liberated at meal times and in the eveiiifr’sc- 
which it always expressed great satisfaction. I'' I’jlii! 
ing through the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations^ 
Indians, wherever I stopped to feed, collected 
