c h a p , openeclj than it gave à Ihrieky and difappeared in an ïn-
XVII,_f Rant, flying over the Tempatèe Greek. The poor valet
Rood perfectly petrified, and -could only- /pronounce
“ Voyez-vous?” whilffc I took, to ray heels to-avoid the
approaching ftorm, but flopped, near enough to obferve
•Fourgeoud’s motion« through thé underwood. He was
no fooiier informed o f the accident, than he began
to ftorm, fwear, and dance like a man totallÿvdepriyed o f
rêafon ; he next, by kicking it, killed a poor waddling.duck
belonging to one o f our officers; and at laft aótdally trampled
his very wig under his feet, while I frood ^remhling^
and the reft o f the fpeftators -were. laughing_aloud. In
about half an hour his paffion began gradually to dooli
'and theh'he had recourfe to a ftratagem which adbually
brought the parrot back into his poffeffibnl’îîfsfe'placed
4gm 'retaainitig captive oh the top dfkits oage^.. tiédi by a
fthall cord Touhd its claw; this h è Ifet/in theiopen air,
putting a' ripé banana infide, and leavèng-rfhe dbdr opeh^
To that any other hird except the-prifotier might come
at it ; the poof captive at laft becoming very • hungry,
ftiàiâë fiich a noife and fhrieklng ^ t o ’Be heard hy^hts
mate, who returning entëred the cage/in.queft of food,
and was once more deprived o f his freedom. I now
ventured from my concealment, and was acquitted after
a gentle reproof ; though poor Laurant, as’may well be
imagined, did not efeape without a thundering ledlure.
‘ The cocatoós hre lèfs than the parrots, and of a green
colour,3- except the head and a few feathers in the tail,
which
whichra're of a pale red. ‘ This bird is crowned with a fa - CHAP.
'■ Hqfh'e or bunch of feathers, and which generally lie back- ^ .
Ward, but which It1 er eSts at pleafure, when it is irritated
orafraid.
’ 1' have.-alfoTeen in Surinam a parrbt of, a,deep flrate
blue colour, though not like thefe- that come from the
coaft ©j£:Guinea", which, are Iratheri o f a lead-grey. This
parrot is' laid' to' .be-lvefy fcarce, andmnly inhabits the
deepeft fecdftes.of'the foreft^whence'itds brought to Pa-
ramaribb’by the; Indi&ps^- this .bird is: Iefs, than! the common
parrot, hut appears very flrqng' and lively:-/ The
moft common parrots -in G'uiana- are thofe’ which Mare-
grave xallsJ dguriicura. Thefe birds ’are not/fa large as .
thofe* that .come from Africa;; theyiare- green,with the
hreaft and belly* a pale yellow; on the I top o f the head
they have a blue fpot, - and the "feet are grey, with four
toes like* the reft of* the*genu?/ two before and two* behind;
in the wings they have feme-feathers of a bright
blue, and fdnie' a deep crimfon; th§y?are more; a nuifance
than a pleafure -in Surinam, where, in prodigious flocks,
they perch amongftthe coffee, maize, rice^&c. and commit
great devaluations pand what makes.them a ftill greater
nuifance, their fhrieking noife is almoft infupportable.
They always, fly inpairs', and very fwiftf towards the eaft,
as I havte-abferved, meeting the-fun in,the morning, and
toward the'weft they follow it in the evening! they generally:;
breed- in remote places and lay two eggs. I
brought down two of thefe parrots at a fhot when S was
a£