212 
The Animal-Lore of Sliakspeare’s Time. 
the sunne; or the haire of the sunne; in the Antilles they call it the 
risen or awaken bird, and they say it sleepeth sixe moneths, and livetli 
other sixe moneths. It is the finest bird that can bee imagined; it 
hath a cap on his head, to which no proper colour can be given, for on 
whatsoever side yee looke on it, it sheweth red, greene, blacke, and 
more colours, all very fine, and shining; and yellow more fine then 
gold. The bodie is grey; it hath a very long bill, and the tongue.' 
twice the length of the bill; they are very swift in flight, and in their 
flight they make a noise like the bee, and they rather seeme bees in 
their swiftnesse then birds, for they alwaies feed flying without sitting 
on a tree, even as the bees doe flie sucking the honnie from the flowers. 
They have two beginnings of their generation, some are hatched of 
egges like other birds, others of little bubbles, and it is a thing to bee 
noted, a little bubble to beginne to convert itselfe into this little bird, 
for at one instant it is a bubble and a bird, and so it converts itselfe 
into this most faire bird, a wonderful thing, and unknowne to the 
philosophers, seeing one living creature without corruption is converted 
into another.” ( Purchas , vol. iv. p. 1305.) 
It is matter for regret that Shakspeare had no chance 
of seeing these flying jewels. Pitch might have exchanged 
his bat courser for one of these tiny steeds, “ Swifter than 
arrow from the Tartar’s bow.” But alas, had they been 
permitted to grace the revels of Titanias court, prosaic 
critics would have pointed out that fairies carefully avoid 
the sunshine that these tropic gems delight in; so perhaps 
it is well that humming-birds were unknown to the poet. 
The Parrot, in consequence of its amusing ways, and 
Parrot ease which it may be taught to talk 
and imitate various sounds, has been in all 
times a favourite domestic pet. The rose-ringed parrakeet 
is described with minuteness by Skelton in his singular 
poem, Speah Parrot :— 
“ My name is parrot, a bird of Paradise, 
By nature devised, of a 'wondrous kynd 
Dienteli dieted, with divers delicate spice 
Tyl Euphrates that floud, driveth me into Inde 
Where men of that countrey by fortune juie find 
And send me, to great ladyes of estate. 
Then parrot must have an almondj>r a date. 
