Parrot. 
431 
manifested a very striking attachment to each other; 
and their friendship was so remarkable, that, if they 
were separated only a few minutes, they exhibited 
the greatest agitation, sending forth piercing cries, 
and never becoming quiet till they were put to- 
gether again. When M. Passeri first became pos- 
sessed of them, they had attained their full growth, 
but he was unable to determine their age. The 
male distinctly pronounced several French words, 
and continued to do so ; the female on the contrary 
«/ 
made only a shrill cry, and prated a good deal with- 
out pronouncing a single word. These birds travel- 
led with their master to different parts of Italy, 
making their journey separately confined in a small 
wooden box, called by the French a sabot. The 
female has laid eggs several times : the first was at 
Forti, six years ago. She laid two, in a trough 
near a kitchen chimney, and continued to sit on 
them notwithstanding the noise of people passing 
and repassing, and the unforeseen circumstance 
which obliged Mr. Passeri to change his abode. The 
second time was at Valentano. The bird then laid 
two eggs in the corner of a room, without preparing 
any nest. She sat on them some days, but it was 
thought advisable afterwards to put them under a 
pigeon : notwithstanding they were covered some 
time, they were not hatched. She laid a third 
time, about the middle of May 1800 . The num- 
ber of eggs was the same as before ; they were laid 
on the ground, and some days afterwards were found 
broken; whether in consequence of any inter- 
