231 
of Pliny. Here, somewhat unaccountably, the Turtle Dove is omitted. The 
sixth volume, the last as yet published, contains the natural history of the Psitta- 9 
cidce, or Parrots, and is undoubtedly altogether the best of the series, the figures 
being drawn by Lear, well known by his abilities as a zoological draughtsman, 
and the descriptions by P. J. Selby, Esq. 
The very sight of the Parrots, favourites of the cage in Europe, from their 
first introduction by the followers of Alexander, recall a hundred “ pretty Polls” 
to our recollection, while the grating shrieks from the Parrot-room of the Zoologi¬ 
cal Gardens, still resounding in our ears, remind us that till they have borrowed a 
little of the vernacular idiom of mankind, though their plumage might vie with 
angels, that,their voice, like that of the Peacock, can only be compared to a fiend’s. 
As the power of imitating the intonations of the human voice, and even repeating 
long sentences so singularly developed by this family, is possessed by only a few 
other birds of the Sturnidcc and Corvidce conirostres, we should have been 
pleased to have seen this curious subject more dilated upon, especially with regard 
to the construction of the tongue, and the wild habits of the birds. It is, however, 
merely cursorily alluded to. “ The power of imitating the human voice, and learn¬ 
ing to articulate a variety of words and sentences, is not possessed by all the spe¬ 
cies, but is principally confined to the short and even-tailed Parrots, in which the 
tongue is large, broad, and fleshy at the tip.” The subject is indeed again slightly 
brought forward in the History of the Ash-coloured Parrot , (Psittacus erytha- 
cus , Lin.) of which Mr. Lear has given a resemblance so faithful and accurate, 
that we can almost swear to the sly old rascal. As this bird is so well known, the 
•following extract may be interesting :—■“ Many of our readers will recognise an old 
and amusing acquaintance in the characteristic figure of this well-known species ; 
not, indeed, conspicuous for that variety and brilliancy of plumage which distin¬ 
guishes the great majority of this tribe, but remarkable for its docility and mimicry, 
the faculty it possesses of imitating the human voice, as well as any other sound, 
its never ceasing garrulity, and its clear and distinct articulation. In most of these 
particulars it surpasses the rest of its congeners ; on which account it has always 
been held in high estimation by the bird-fancier and lover of living curiosities. 
This we learn from the large sums that have at all times been offered and given 
for highly-gifted or well-taught individuals. Even as early as A. d. 1500, we read 
of a Parrot at Rome, supposed to be of this species, for which 100 gold pieces were 
given by a Cardinal. Its merits, however, appear to have been of a kind well cal¬ 
culated at that period to create an unusual degree of astonishment, and a feeling 
of the marvellous, as it had learned to repeat with clearness, and without hesita¬ 
tion, the whole of the Apostles’ creed. Willughby, also, in his old and excellent 
work on Ornithology, mentions the high prices brought by Parrots of various spe¬ 
cies in Holland, and other parts of the continent. To enumerate the various anec¬ 
dotes related of this bird, would not only occupy more space than the nature of our 
