The Hiftory ^ANIMALS, 367 
The wings are long, and are of the fame colour with the reft of the bird ; the co¬ 
vering feathers are paler than thofe of the back, and the under part of the wings is 
alfo yet paler. The bird is not a fwift nor an eafy flier, notwithftanding the advan¬ 
tage of this breadth of wing, but it’s body is bulky, and it’s motions none of them 
quick. 
The tail is very fhort; it fcarce reaches at all beyond the tips of the wings, when 
they are clofed; but, though not confpicuous for it’s length, it is fufficiently fo in it’s 
colour, being of a bright and elegant red. 
The legs are of a bluifti-grey; they are fhort, but robuft: the toes are long and 
ftrong, and the claws are remarkably long, large, and fharp in the wild ftate; 
though, with us, the treading on the dung in a cage injures them greatly. 
This is a native of the Eaft and Weft Indies, and of many parts of Africa. It is 
very common with us in houfes, and, though the leaft beautiful of all the Parrot-kind, 
is valued for it’s docility, and the clearnefs of it’s voice: it is the happieft mimic of 
all the race, not only of the human voice, but of all other founds. All the writers 
on birds have defcribed it. Gefner, Aldrovand, Charleton, Willughby, and Ray, 
all call it Pfittacus cinereus five fubcreruleus; we, the grey Parrot. 
Pfittacus cinereus alts et uropygio ruhro tin&is . 
The grey Pfittacus , with the rump and wings 
tinged with red. 
This is a very beautiful bird; it is one of the largeft of the Parrot-kind : it’s fize is 
about that of a well-grown pullet: the head is large and rounded j the beak is re¬ 
markably large $ it is very hooked and black all over: the upper chap is much longer 
than the under, and is very prominent or convex toward the middle : the noftrils are 
round, and ftand near one another at the bafe of the beak : the eyes are fmall, but 
very bright 5 and the tongue is large, thick, and flefhy. 
The head and neck are covered with fhort, broad, and very thick-fet feathers, 
the body with longer; the whole bird is of a very pale and beautiful grey : it has no¬ 
thing of the dufky lead colour or bluifh tinge of the common grey Parrot, but the grey 
is pale, filvery, and almoft white, and the hinder part of the back, and the white 
rump, are of a ftrong fear let, very bright and beautiful. 
The wings are long and large; their covering feathers are of the fame whitifh-grey 
with the reft of the bird, but the long feathers are of a beautiful fcarlet, the fame with 
that of the rump $ thefe make an elegant variegation in the colour, as the bird fits; 
and ftill more fo, when they are expanded for flying, as much more of fhe fcarlet is 
then feen. 
The legs are ftiort, thick, and of a dulky lead colour ; the toes are long, thick, and 
fcaly, and the claws are robuft, black, and fharp, but not very long. 
The tail is ftiort, it hardly reaches beyond the tips of the wings; it is of the fame 
colour with the body: it’s fize would naturally have led authors to the ^ranking it 
among the macao’s, but the fhortnefs and form of the tail forbid. 
This is frequent in the woods in the American iflands, and is fometimes brought 
alfo from the ifland of Madagascar, and fome other places; we have it often brought 
over alive, but it does not bear our winter fo well as fome of the other fpecies. The 
late Lord Petre had one which lived feveral years, and fpoke very articulately. Gefner 
and Aldrovand have defcribed it under the name of Pfittacus Erythroleucos; and Ray, 
Willughby, and many of the late writers have borrowed the fame name, though it is 
not quite proper, the general colour being not an abfolute white, but a fine pale, 
filvery grey. 
tetetumpet) 
parrot. 
PJittacus 
