Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-14
CHAPTER ON PARROTS.

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uadesman In the old Bailey, just opposite the
prison, which Il vouchsafed for ss true in the
strictest sense. The man had a wonderful
"eird-sense," and his power of training birds
became famous throughout the metropolis. He
had taught his green parrot to speak whenever
a knock was heard at his street door; but, when
the bell of the same door was rung. he had
taught the grey parrot to answer. The house,
still standing has one of those projecting po.ches
that prevent the second story from being seen
from the pavement. One day person knocked,
man with the leather" was the reply. The
bird answered, "All right" and then became
silent. After waiting some time and not finding
the door opened, the man knocked gain. "W no
Is there" again asked the parrot. Who's
there?" cried the porter outside. "It's |, the
man with the leather, why don't you open the
door?' GAN right" re peated the parrot which
50 euraged the man tn At he furIously rang the
bell. $50 to the gate!" shouted q new voice,
which proceeded from the gray parrot. "T0
the gate!" repeated the man, seeing no gate;
the gray parrot. The porter was enrsgei; but,
stepping across the street, the better TO answer
what he supposed tn be the insOlence OF the
house maids, he saw that he had been Outwitted
andteased by couple OF parrots.
This same Morley had been employed by
gentleman who had heard of his knowlsdge of
birds, to purchase for him a white cockatoo.
II e price was Of less importance than the health
disposition, and breeding eft the bird. She was
20 use 10 bad language, be subject TO no fits of
passion. have been trained to be handled By
women and children. and be cleanly ia her
habits. Morley took great pains TO please his
employer, and 1T last sent him home perhaps
the most perfect specimen of the breed ever
seen in London. As saw the bird ten years
ago, nothing in the way OF orni hole yical beauty
could 'surpass Il. OF Iure, sn0 w white, from
top OF crown - tip Of tail; without sreck OF
lead, gray, or crimson on single feather; free
from all sign of cross with paroquct or mscay:
and IN shape, attitude, bearing aRd action, ss
distinguishable as a bl0Oded horse. 'B,auty,"
as she was called, stood unriyalled. When she
was sent home, there was perfect satisfaction;
the employer was pleased, as he well might be;
the family OF daughters in ecstacy of adIuira-
tiop, and Morley richly remunerated for hi,
trouble. But the bird would not talk This
of diet, and at last, TO absolute inability. OF
course there was great disappointment. Beau
tvs cage hung at the dining room window;
every visitor was in admiration of her spotless
plumage and fau!tless 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 cinner. "She
wou Id be worth her weight in gold
She almost cost il as 1t is" said pater-
famlias. 1.-The creature is a cheat. Fine
feathers don't make fine birds, certainly not
she cannot say one word;
"Ah, but | think the more! What's the use
OF talking, II you have nothing to say?n came
IN clear artlcuate sounds from the cage, to the
ana zment of family and guests. That settled
forever Beauty's supremacy.
Happy as this rej0inder was, it by no means
gives full idea of the intelligence OF the bird.
She would not learn what you tried TO teach
her, and she would learn what she ought not.
Her owner, DR.. Hall, one day peremptorily dis
charged a servant. After shutting the door of
the study, the latter exclaimed, in anger:
ON him! DR.. Hall is a great rascall' The
bird heard and caught the words, ami could
never be made TO unlearn them. DIR. Hamilton
hoe, waiting one morning in DR.. Halls ante
rooIo, observed, Beauty, and iocularly said;
''WAO are you?" "Beauty's DR.. Halls trump
eter, ro-tO-to too" replied the bird but innne-
dlattiy becoming grave, and edgiug cOniiie
lal. toward the side OF the cage, -he aided IN
lover voice: ON him! DIR. Halls q great
rascaE'
Whether it is possible to entirely eradicate
bad b 2hits in parrots is doubtful. Capt Sino-
son, well knowp by transatlantic passenger,
used 10 duck his IaTOqu in the sea every time
1t svOre an Oath. This seemed TO cure him OF
using prOtaAe LANGUAGE. The creature really
connected an oatn with a dOwse in rhe water
ana gave up swearing. One day, IN furious
storm, man was washed overheard, and with
great difficulty Was recovered. AS soon ga he
wcs drawn on deck, and efforts were being
made 10 rssuscitate him, Polly kept hopping
around the circle, shaking her head from side
70 side, saying grayely, " You've been swear
ing, you've been swearing"
ms re minds me of what occurred in cler-
gyDans family, in Exeter, England The
bishop OF the diocese had been hold ng con-
and was lunching at the rectory with
several CT his clergy. In the middle of the re-
past, one OF these dreadful passes in the con-
versatiOn took place. No one seemed able TO
break 1t, when, 10 the astonshment and Lisnav
OF all present, most horrible Swearing tongue
poured forth torrent OF blasphemy and abuse
upon the assembled guests. Every one looked
aghaSt at these unusual sounds, which, for a
minute or Two, cou>inusd uninterrupted. The
hostess, however, hastily rising from the table,
drew aside musln curtain, and discovered the
offender in the person of gray parrot, pur-
chased that morning from a travelling bird
dealer.
This IF
guage is generally caught by parrots on their
sea voyages from the sailors. When good Queen
Charlotte visited Admiral Hawkes. hag-ship,
TO congratulate him on his great victory, she
was attracted by gray parrot which hung in
the forecastle. The bird was singing "God
Save the King" Every note and word was
given with such perfect accuracy that her ma
jesty, surprised and delighted, requested a closer
and, during lunch, the parrot was
swung in her cage on the quarter
deck. No sooner had she reached her place of
honor, however, than she forgot all her good
manners. A torrent of immodesty, unfit for
royal or plebeian ears was poured forth, and
the creature, unconscious OF indscorum was
hurried back to the sailors quarter. AS rule,
repeated hundred times will often never be
learned, whereas sharp word, an angry ex-
preston or Q quick retort, is caught instantly.
1t Is said that macaws are the best takers of
The whole species, providing they are reared
from the nest. And not yNiy are they able to
talk, but they also sing in peculiar, soft voice.
In sweetness, though not in compass Of musical
notes, they are, however, excelled BY the grass
or green ParOquet. While the cuckatoo is tina
hardest OF the parrot tribe, and the most easily
tanned X IS, at the same time, the most difficult
TO teach to talk at all well. Its disposition IA
more gentle, however, and its obedience more
implicit, than any OF the other species. The
gray African parrot, from its docility and apti-
tude, ranks everywhere first as u favOrite
though OF late years the common green ANA
zon, from the little attention IT requires and its
quick sagacity, is sharing the general favor.
gentleman residing in Wilmington. Della
ware, owns one OF these Amazon parrots. Ii
possesses q fuency and variety of language
rarely ever equaled by the African gray. As
soon a. her master returns from the office for
dinner, Polly begins to salute him In fondest
expressions: .'Papa dear, come and kiss YOUR
pretty green beauty! Come in papa. come in,
and give us Q kiss, aud a thousand more!"
When the fOOtman enters the room she SAWS to
him, but never TO any one else, "Fetch nv
dinner, James, I'm hungry. Stupid fellow,
can't eat my head Off" To a bachelor-friend,
who frequently spends several weeks at the
house, Folly has but one question, never put
10 any one else, sob, you CAV deceiyer Why
did you promise to marry me, and didn't?' 10
gentleman, near neighbor, whom she had
once overheard saying, at the after-dinner
table, 1.-The birds invaluable; $500 would not
buy her, il owned her-would il PolIyp'' she
always addresses the salute the moment he ap
pears "Five hundred dollars would not buy
Polly, II you owned her! Five hundred dollarsi
Five hundred dollars! Why, the birds in
This Wilmington parrot certainly discrim.-