Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 15, PLA-RAM

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allotted to the hawk and othefcarnivorous birds : but
the reafon feems to be, that the parrot being a heavy-
bird, and its legs not very fit for fervice, it climbs
up and down trees by the help of this (harp and hook¬
ed bill, with which it lays hold of any thing and fe-
cures itfelf before it ftirs a foot; and befides this, it
helps itfelf forward very much, by pulling its body on
with this hold.
Of all animals, the parrot and crocodile are the
only ones which move the upp^r jaw ; all creatures elfe
moving the lower only. As fome particular animals
befide are fond of particular foods, fo the parrot loves
nothing fo much as the feeds of the carthamus, or ba-
llard-faffron ; and eats them without any hurt, though
they are a purge when given to other creatures.
Parrots are found almoit everywhere within the tro¬
pics ; and in their natural Hate they live on fruits and
feeds, though, when tame, they will eat flefh,and evenfifh.
In the Eaft and Weft Indies they are very common,
and in fuch warm climates are very brifk and lively ;
here, however, they lofe much of their vigour. They
feldom make nefts, but breed like owls in hollow trees;
they lay two eggs. At particular times they fly in
very large troops, but ftill they keep two and two to¬
gether. This genus confifts of infinite variety, not fo
much owing to mixture of fpecies, however, as might
be fuppofed. They feem to run vaftly into one ano¬
ther, fo as to appear to be related, though received
from different parts of the world ; this, however, may
poffibly be occafioned by their being carried from one
place to another for the fake of fale. This uncertainty
of native place has prevented Mr Latham from follow¬
ing Buffon’s plan, and ranging them according to the
places they are fuppofed to inhabit ; he divides them
therefore into thofe with uneven and thofe with even
tails.
Buffon ranges the parrots in two great claffes: the
firft of which comprehends thofe of the Old Con¬
tinent, and the fecond thofe of the New. The former
he fubdivides into five families, the Cockatoos, the Par¬
rots, properly fo called, the Lories, the long-tailed Paro¬
quets, and the fhort-tailed ones; and the latter into fix,
viz. the Macaos, the Amazonians, the Creeks, the Po¬
pinjays, the long-tailed Paroquets, and the fliort-tailed
ones.
Mr Latham has increafed the genus from 47 to 163;
and fince the time he wrote h's Index at leaft 20 more
have been difeovered. They are very generally divided
into three kinds : 1. The larger, which are as big as a
moderate fowl, called macaos and cocketoons ; thefe have
very long tails. 2. The middle-fized ones, commonly
called parrots, which have fhort tails, and are a little
larger than a pigeon. And, 3. The fmall ones, which
are called paroquets, and have long tails, and are not
larger than a lark or blackbird.
1. The pfittacus macao, or red and blue macao, is red,
except the wing quills, which above are blue, below ru¬
fous : the fcapular feathers are variegated with blue and
green : the cheeks are naked and wrinkled. It is about
tv/o feet feven inches and a half long, and about as big
as a capon. Edwards fays, when perfedl, it will rneafure
a full yard from bill to tail. It inhabits Brafil, Guiana,
and other parts of South America. It was formerly
very common in St Domingo, but is now rarely found
there. It generally lives in moift v/oods, efpecially
p S o
fuch as are planted with a particular kind of palm, per- Pfittacur
haps what is called the macaw tree. It does not in II
general learn to fpeak, and its voice is particularly _
rough and difagreeable. The flefh is hard, black,
and unfavoury, but makes good foup, and is much
ufed by the inhabitants of Cayenne and other places.
This fpecies, in common with other parrots, is fubjeift
to fits when tamed; land though it will live for many
years though the returns be pretty frequent, it gene¬
rally falls a vidtirn to that difeafe at laft. The Ameri¬
cans call it gon%a!o. 2. The pfittacus ararauna, or blue
and yellow macaw, is blue above, and yellow below,
and the cheeks are naked, with feathery lines. It is
about the fame fize with the laft, and inhabits Jamaica,
Guiana, Brafil, and Surinam. 3. The pfitttacus feve-
rus^or Brafilian green macaw, is black, with a greenilh
fplendor; the bill and eyes are reddifh, and the legs are
yellow. It is about one foot and five inches long, and
is common in Jamaica, Guiana, and Brafil. It is how¬
ever comparatively rare ; but it is extremely beautiful,
and of a very amiable and fociable temper when familiar
and acquainted ; but it can neither bear ftrangers nor
rivals : its voice is not ftrong, nor does it articulate very
diftinftly the word ara. See Plate CCCCXVI. %
4. The pfittacus aurora, or yellow amazon, is about
12 inches long, of a green colour, with blue wing quills,
and a white front; its orbits are fnowy. It inhabits
Mexico or Brafil; but in all probability the latter, from
the one which Salerne faw, and which pronounced
Portugueie words. The pfittacus guineenlis, or yel¬
low lory, is about ten inches long, and is an inhabitant
of Guinea. The bill is of a black colour ; the cere, the
throat, and fpace about the eyes, are white ; above the
eye there is a patch of yellow, and the reft of the head
and neck is crimfon. The breaft is yellow, wing co¬
verts green, and the quills are blue, edged with yellow'.
Under the wings, belly, thighs, vent, and to the under
part of the tail, the colour is white, which laft is tip¬
ped with red ; the legs are dufky, and the claw's black.
See Plate CCCCXVI.
5. T he pfittacus pullarius, red-headed Guinea parraket,.
or Guinea fparrow, is about five inches and a halflong.
It inhabits Guinea, and is found in Ethiopia, the Eaft
Indies, and the ifland of Java, and fometimes in Suri¬
nam. It is green, with a red front, fulvous tail, black
bar, and cinereous orbits. The male of this fpe¬
cies is peculiarly affcfkionate to the female. See
Plate CCCCXVI.
In Mr White’s 'Journal of a Voyage to New South
Wales, w'e find a defeription, with excellent engra¬
vings, of feveral fpecies of this extenfive genus ; and in-
Governor Philip’s Voyage to the fame place, we find
deferiptions and prints of feveral of the fame ipecies.
But the moft particular of the later authors are Buffon
and Latham, efpecially the laft; to whofe extenfive and
accurate work we therefore refer our readers for that
information which our limits permit us not to give. See
his Synopfis, vol. i. p. 194—323. See alio Buffbn,,
vol. vi. p. 63 — 245.
PSOAS, in anatomy. See there, Table of the
Mufles.
PSOPHIA, in ornithology ; a genus belonging to
the order gallina. The bill is moderate ; the upper
mandible is convex ; the noilrils are oblong, funk, and:
pervious; the tongue is cartilaginous, flat, and fringed;
at
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