Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 15.djvu/449

PARROT. to talk at all. In their native wilda these par- rots go about in Hocks during the day, and return at night to certain 'roosts.' They eat various fruits and nuts, especially palm-nuts. They breed in holes in trees, often in companies, and aid one another in defending their homes. All parrots nest in holes in treses except a few aberrant ones, like some in New Zealand, which lay their eggs in holes or hollows of the ground or among rocks. All lay white eggs. Fossil representa- tives of this tribe carry its history back to the Lower ^Miocene Age.

UiBLioou.MMiY. The latest monographer of the parrot family is Count Salvador!. For his papers and those of other systematic orui- thologi.sts, consult Xewton, Diciionarij of Birds (Xew York, 1893) : also Evans, liirds (ib., 1900). For descrijitions and treatment of these birds as pets, consult (irccne. Parrots in Vaptiv- il}l (Lonilon, 1884), three royal octavo volumes with colored plates.

See Plates of Parkots, Cockatoos a^d Mac.iws.

PARROT-FISH, or LoBO. Any of many species of the family Searid.T, particularly of the genus Scams. Tlu' form is oblong ' and massive, with large scales. They are fishes of brilliant colors in'general, and some have won- derful splendor, and have received their name partly on this account and partly on account of a fancied resemblance in their jaws to a parrot's l)ill. They are mostly herbivorous, some feeding on corals, and are' not good food fishes. Most of them are natives of the tropical seas. One species in the Jlcditcrranean (Hcarus Creticus) is the 'searus' of the ancients, about which many wonderful stories were told as to its love, its wisdom, its ruminating, etc. Several species inhabit tropical American waters, and are known in the West Indies as 'loros,' 'viejas' (i.e. old wife), 'guacamaias,' etc.

PAR'ROTT, KoBERT Parker (1804-77). An American soldier and inventor of ordnance, born at Lee, X. H. He graduated at West Point in 1824, and was assigned to the artillery. Until 1829 he remained at the Jlilitary Academy as an instructor, then performed garrison duty for several years, and in 18;iU took part in the operations against the Creeks. He was promoted to l)e captain on .January 13th of that year, but resigned from the service in the following October to become superintendent of the West Point Iron and Cannon Foundrv at Cold Spring, N. _Y., a position which lie 'held until 1807. ATiile there he invented the famous Parrott cannon used by the Federal Armv and Xavy during the Civil War. Captain "Parrott wa's first judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Putnam County from 1843 to 1847, and was superintendent of schools at Phillipstown from 1848 until 1850. For a description of the Par- rott gin, see Ordnance.

PAR'RY, Charles Ciiristopheb (1823-90). An American botanist, honi in Worcestershire, England. He was educated at Union College, and afterwards practiced medicine in Davenport, Iowa. His study of the botany of the district resulted in his appointment to the geological survey of the Northwest (1848). then to the survey of the Mexican boundary (1 849.52), and he was successively botanist to' the Pacific Rail- road surrey of the 35th parallel and to the De- partment of Agriculture from 18G7 to 1871. His pul)lieations jnchide: liulnnicul Observations in] Wcslcrn Wi/oiniiiy (1874): IJutaiiical Observa- iions in Southern Utah (1875) ; U'crision of the] L tilted States Pacific Coast Species of Arcto- staphylos (1883); Revision of the Genus Chori- zunlhe (1884) ; and The Xorth American Genus Ceanothiis (1888).

PARRY, Charles Hubert Hastings ( 1848 — ). An English composer, born at Bourne- mouth. At the age of seven he was sent to a private school at Malvern. His earliest attempts at music, in the form of chants and hj-mntunes. date from this time. In 18G0 he was sent to Twj-ford School, and took lessons from the vil- lage organist; while there he came under the inllucHcc of Samuel 8<'bastian Wesley, the organ- ist of Winchester Cathedral. In ISIil he entered Eton. He studied composition under Elvey and often acted as composer, organist, or vocalist for the musical society of the "college. In 1807 he entert'd Exeter College, Oxford, where he came under the notice of Sir .John Stainer, and became the founder of the University Music Club. He obtained in 1874 his degree of'masler of arts, and took advance<l study in music under IJennett and ilncFarren, together with an extended course under Daiinreuther. Upon leaving Oxford he was anxious to adopt the profession of music, but his family ojiposed the plan. After tluee years in a business house, however, he devoted himself entirely to music. His first success as composer was with his Intermez::o lieligioso ( 18G8) . Other compositions include: Pronwlheus Unbound (1880); Symphoni) So. 1 in G (1882); The diaries of Our Blood and State (1883); the oratorio Judith (1888) ; Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day (1889): The Lotus Eaters (1892); and Hypatia (1893). He was appointed Choragus of Oxford University in 1883, and in the same year was granted the degree of musical doctor by Cambridge, followed in 1884 by Oxford, and in 1891, by Dublin. lie was appointed director of the Royal College of Music in 1894, and was made a knight by Queen Victoria in 1898. PARRY, Sir William Edward (17901855).

A British Arctic explorer and naval oHicer. born at B.ith. on December 19. 1790. He joined the British Navy as midshipman in 180G, rose to the rank of rear-admiral, was in the hvdrographic service from 1823 to 1829, and retired from the navy in 1852. He is best known as an Arctic explorer. In command of the ships Griper and lJrcl<i he left England in 1819 to seek the North- west Passage. He passed up BafJin Bav, exnlored and named Barrow Strait, Prince Regent's Inlet, and Wellington Channel, and reached Melville Island in September of that year, having crossed longitude 110° W., thereby" winning a reward of £5000 offered by Parliament. He returned to England in November. 1820, and published a narrative of his expedition. He sailed again in 1821 with the Fury and IJcela to make the Northwest Passage, and reached Repulse Bay, which he proved to be land-locked instead of a strait leading to the west as was supposed. He wintered on Melville Peninsula, where be made a study of the Eskimos, discovered Hecla and Fury Strait the next summer, but was bafHcd by ice and compelled to spend the succeeding winter at the east entrance to Hecla and Fury Strait. The expedition underwent many hard-