BIRDS. 249 
When tame, it eats almost every article of human food. 
It is particularly fond of bread, beef, fried fish, pastry, 
and sugar. It cracks nuts with its bill, and picks the 
kernels dexterously out with its claws. It does not chew 
the soft fruits, but it sucks them by pressing its tongue 
against the upper part of the beak : and the harder sort 
of food, such as bread and pastry, it bruises, or chews, 
by pressing the tip of the lower upon the most hollow 
part of the upper mandible. 
THE PARROQUET (Palceornis torquatus,} 
Is less than the common parrot, and furnished with a 
longer tail. There are several varieties of this bird, 
whose habits and qualities are similar to those of the 
parrots. They are even more easily tamed ; and, although 
they do not articulate so readily, they are the amusement 
of sedentary ladies in all countries where they are 
known. Parroquets are natives of the East Indies and 
Australia, particularly Van Dieman's Land, where they 
are found in great abundance. 
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