Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-04

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tradesman in Old Bailey, just opposite thu
prison, which is vouched for az true in th'
strictest sense. The man had a wonderful
'brd sense and his power of training bird:
became famous throughout the metropolis. He
had taught his green parrot TO speak whenever
knock was heard at his street door; but whcr
the bell of the same door was rung, he had
taught the gray parrot TO answer. The house
still standing, has one of those projecting
porches that prevent the second story from be
ing seen from the pavement: One day person
Knocked. who is thereY asked the green
parrot. "The man with the leather" was the
reyly. The bird answered, CAN rightP and
then became silent. After waiting some time
and not finding the door opened, the man
knocked again. "Who is there? again asked
the parrot "Who's there? cried the porter
outside. "Its |, the man with the leather; why
don't you open the doorP IAN right" re
peated the parrot, which so enraged the mar
that he furiously rung the bell. go to the
gate!" shouted a new voice, which proceeded
from the gray parrot. "To the gatep repeated
the man, seeing no gate; "what gateP "New
gate! Newgate!" responded the gray parrot
The porter was enraged but, stepping across
the street, the better to answer what he sup
posed to be the insolence of the house maids
he saw that he had been outwitted and teased
by couple of parrots.
This same Motley had been employed by q
gentleman, who had heard of his knowledge Of
birds, to purchase for him white cockatoo
The price was of less importance than the
health, disposition, and breeding of the bird.
She was to use no bad language, be subject to
no fits of passion, have been trained to be
handled by women and children, and be cleanly
in her habits. Morley took great pains TO please
his employer, and at last sent him home per-
haps the most perfect specimen of the breed ever
seen in London. As i saw the bird ten years
ago, nothing in the way ofornitholOgical beauty
could surpass it. OF pure, snowy white from
top of crown TO tip of tail; without speck OF
lead, gray, or crimson, on single feather; free
from all sign of cross with paroquet or macaw;
and in shape attitude, bearing, and action, as
distinguishabe as booded horse Beauty"
as she was called, stood unriyaled. When she
was sent home, there was perfect satisfaction I;
the employer was pleased, as he well might be;
the family of daughters in ecStasieS of admira-
tion and Morley richly remunerated for his
trouble. But the bird would not talk. This was
attributed, at first, to fear; then TO change of
diet; and, at last, to absolute inability OF
course, there was great disappointment.
Beauty cage hung at the dining room window;
every visitor was in admiration of her spotless
plumage and faulTless shape; and, of course,
everybody sympathized in the disappointment
at her irremediable defect.
What pity it is she does not talk!, re-
marked a person one day at dinner. 'She
would be worth her weight in gold"
"She almost cost it as it is, said pater-famil-
las. "The creature is a cheat. Fine feathers
don't make fine birds, certainly not fine parrots.
l paid ten guineas for her, and she cannot say
one word"
"Ah, but l think the morel What's the use
of talking, if you have nothing to sayP came
in clear articulate sounds from the cage, TO the
amazement of family and guests. That settled
forever Beauty's supremacy.
Happy as this rejoiner was, it by no means
gives full idea of the intelligence of the bird.
WOUlH w bpr
and she would learn what she ought not. Her
owner, DR.. Hail. one day peremptorily dis
charged servant After shutting the door of
the study, the latter exclaimed, III anger; ON
himi DR.. Hall is a great rascal" The bird
heard and caught the words, and could never
be made to unleam them. DR.. Hamilton Roe,
waiting one morning in DIR. Halls ante-room,
observed, Beauty" and iocularly said: 'Who
are youP "Beauty's DR.. Halls trumpeter ro
toto tooN replied the Bird but, Immediately
becoming grave, and edgiug cOnddentally to-
ward the side of the cage, she added, in lower
voice: On him! DR.. Halls a great rascalP
Whether it is possible TO entirely eradicate bad
habits in parrots is doubtful. Captain Simpson,
well known by transatlantic passengers, used to
duck his paroquet in the sea every time it Swore
an oath. This seemed to cure him of using pro-
fame language. The creature really connected
an oath with dowse in the water, and gave up
swearing. One day, in furious storm, man
was washed overheard and with great difficulty
was recovered. As soon as he was drawn on
deck, and efforts were being made to resuscitatc
him, Polly kept hopping around the circle, shal1-
ing her head from side to side, saying graveiy
You've been swearing you've been swearing.
This reminds me of what occurred in clergy.
mans family in Exeter, England. The bishop
OF the diocese had been holding confirmation
and was lunching at the rcctory with several Of
his clergy. In the middle of the repast one Of
those dreadful pauseS in the conversation took
place No one seemed able TO break it, when
to the establishment and dismay of all present
most horrible swearing tongue poured forth d
torrent OF blasphemy and abuse upon the as
sembled guests. Every one looked aghast a
these unusual sounds, which for minute or two
continued uninterrupted. The hostess, however
hastily arising from the table, drew aside mus
lin curtain and discovered the offender in thu
person of gray parrot purchased that morning
from travelling bird dealer
This habit of using profane and filthy Ian
guage is generally caught by parrots on then
sea voyages from the sailors. When good Queen
Charlotte visited Admiral Hawkes. flagship, tC
congratulate him on his great victory, she was
attracted by gray parrot which hung in the
torecastle The bird was singing God SAVE
the king" Every note and word was giveT
with such perfect accuracy that her majesty
surprised and delighted, requested closer in
tervew, and, during lunch, the parrot was con
sequently swung in her cage on the quarter
deck. No sooner had she reached her place o.
honor, however, than she forgot all her gooC
manners. A torrent Of immodesty, unfit fol
royal or even plebean ears, was poured forth
and the creature, unconscious of iudecorum
was hurried back to the sailors quarters. Al
rule parrots do not learn TO speak by rote. A
phrase repeated hundred times will otter
never be learned, whereas sharp word, an an
cry expression, or quick retort is caught in
stantly.
1t is said that macaws are the best takers o
the whole species, providing they are reared
from the nest. And not only are they able t
talk, but they also sing in peculiar, soft voice
In sweetness, though not in compass Of musica
notes, they are, however, cXcelled by the gras
or green paroquet. While the cockatoo is thu
hardest of the parrot tribe, and the most easily
tanned, 1t IS, at the same time, the most Difficult
to teach to talk at all well. Its disposition i:
more gentle, however, and its obedience mort
implicit, than any of the other species. Tho
gray African parrot, from Its doclity and apti
tude, ranks everywhere as a favorite, though o
late years the common green Amazon, from the
little attention requires and its quick sagacity
is sharing the general favor
gentleman residing in Wilmington, Della
ware, owns one of these Amazon parrots Ii
possesses t1uency and variety of Language
rarely ever equaled by the African gray. Al
soon as her master returns from the office fol
dinner, Polly begins to salute him in fOndes
expressions: "Papa dear, come and kiss YOU
pretty green beauty Come in, papa; come in
and. give us kiss, and thousand more 2
when the iootman enters the room, she says L
10 MN, but never TO any one else, "Fetch my
dinner, James; I'm hungry. Stupid fellow!
can't eat my head Off To bachelor friend
who frequently spends several weeks at the
house, Polly has but one question, never put &c
any one else, "Oh, you gay deceiver, why did
you promise to marry me, and didn'tP To q
gentleman, a near neighbor, whom she had once
overheard saying, at the after dinner table, "ThC
birds invaluable; $500 would not buy her, if
owned her-would it, Polly?" she always adj
dresses the salute the moment he appears; "FivC
hundred dollars would not buy Polly, if you
owned her! Five hundred dollars! Five hun.
bred dollars! Why, the birds invaluabe"
This Wilmington parrot certainly discrimi
mates between the sexes and between conditions
in life. 10 well dressed young gentleman the
remark is, "What ret up! What swell you
areH 10 young lady, on the contrary, fond
ling and kissing, she says, with great Difference
rs she not ice?-so niceP Whereas to a cer
gyman, who is detected by his dress, she is eX
LET us prayP "Gory be to God p "Amen I
She was once lost, stayed out over night, ant
grief and searches ruled the dsconsoate house
hold. AT daybreak, however, a workman, 20
ING to his job, was hailed by Polly, from pile
of bricks, with the call, "Take me homel Take
me home" Whether the night chilled bird die
or did not attach meaning to the words, it il
certain that the workman did, and that he mad,
a good thing OF bringing her home.
But singing is below speaking as an accom-
plishment in birds There is hardly songstel
of the wood that cannot be taught music, and 9
canary will give descant above the reach o