PARROTS. 
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the rather compressed and lengthened bill, and by the papillae covering the naked 
portions of the face. The general colour of the plumage is ashy, with a bright 
red tail. The range of this species extends from the Congo and Guinea coast 
across Equatorial Africa to the east of Lake Nyasa. In Liberia and lower Sierra 
Leone it is replaced by P. timneh, distinguished by its dark grey plumage, and 
the dark red of the tail. The best account extant of the habits of the grey 
parrot in its wild state is one by Mr. J. G. Iveulemans, who had an opportunity of 
studying these birds during a long residence on Prince’s Island, where they 
especially frequent a hill, known as the Pico do Papagaio. Mr. Iveulemans writes 
THE GREY PARROT (| Iiat. size). 
that “ these parrots are always found in flocks which go about the island during 
the day, returning to their own appointed place on the mountain in the evening to 
roost. Their food consists of fruits, such as the palm-nut, the avocat, the banana, 
goyave, mango, and many other fruits of a smaller kind, but they always give 
the preference to the palm-nuts. They drink but little, and as no water is found 
on the Pico, they must obtain what they require during the day on the lowland. 
They make no nest, but deposit their eggs (which are from two to four in number) 
on the bottom of the hole. The eggs are in size, shape, and colour similar to those 
of the wood-pigeon; when unblown they are of a pinkish hue, which may be owing 
to the thinness of the shell. Both birds take it by turns to sit, and while one is 
sitting the other often comes and feeds it out of its crop. The young ones are fed 
