Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-11-24
A cnAPTER ON PARROTs.
By n. S. DODGE.

Ahey beli n 8OOd story IN NeWgate-
street, London, Of a parrot, or of two
parrots rather, a gray and a green one,
belonging to Merely, a tradesman in the
Old Bailey, just opposite the prison,
which Is vOuched for as true ia the
strictest sense. The man had a wonder
ful bird-sense, and his power Of train
ing birds because 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 gray parrot 70 answer. The
/ house, still standing, has one Of those
projecting pOrches that prevent the sec
; Ond story from being seen from the
pavement. One day a person knocked.
} "WhO is Thereof asked the green par
rot. "The mar with the leather was
the reply. The bird answered, "AI
} rightvi and then became silent. After
waiting some time, and not finding the
door opened, the man knocked again.
"WhO is there?n again asked the par
rot. "WhO's there?" cried the porter
outside, otis /, the man with the leath-
er; why don't you open the dOoF?' "An
rightn' repeated the parrot, which 50
enraged the man that he furiously rung
the bell. go to the gatel' shouted a
new voice, which proceeded from the
gray parrot. "TO the gait" ~ "Newgatei
N~ewgatet1 responded the grey parrot.
The porter was enraged; but stepping
across the street, the better to answer
what he supposed to be the insOlence Of
the h~ouse-maids, he saw that he had
been Outwitted and leased by a couple
of parrots.
This same Merely had been employed
by a gentleman who had heard Of his
knowledge Of birds, to purchase for him
a white eOckatOO. The price was of less
Importance than the health, dis
position, and breeding Of the bird. She
was to use 40 bad language, be subject
to no fits of passion, have been trained
to be handled by women and children,
and be Clearly in her habits. Merely
took great pains to please his employer,
and at last sent him home perhaps the
most perfect specimen Of the breed ever
seen in London. As Isaw the bird ten
years ago,n nothing IN the way Of OrnithO-
logical beauty could surDass it. Ofpure,
snowy white from top Of crown 70 tip of
tail; without a speck.Of lead, gray, or
crimson, on a single feather; free from
all sign Of cross with paroquet Of ma
cav; and in shape, attitude, bearing. and
action, as distinguishable as a bloOded
J uOIEE-DEduLIs d1 EuG WAS GaAAtlF 1ADoA
unrivaled. When she was sent home,
there was perfect satisfaction; the EN-
plOyer was pleased, as he well might be;
the family and daughters in ecstasies of
admiration; and Merely richly remu-
nerated 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 vas great disappointment. Beau
ty's cage hung at the dining-rOOm win
dow; every visitor was in admiration Of
her spotless plumage and faultless shape;
and, of course, everybody sympathized
in the disappointment Of her irremedi-
able defeat.
"TWhat a pity it is she does not taIk?'
remarked a person one day at dinner,
''she would be worth her weight in
gold"
"She almost cost it as it is, " said pater-
familias. 1.-THE creature is a cheat.
! Fine feathers don't make fine birds, GER
tainly not fine parrots. I paid ten gum
cas- for her, and she cannot say
wOrd.n
"Ah, but I think the more! What's
the use Of talking, if you have nothing
to say?" came to clear a~rticulate sounds
from the cage, to the amazement Of fam
nv anu AuEoL5s LAAA 1ELNANA AtAGHNA
Beauty's supremacy. Happy as this re-
joinder was, it by no means gives a 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, DIR. Hall, M day per-
emtOrily discharged a servant. After
shutting the door Of the study, the lat
ter exclaimed in anger: ON him.
DR.. Hall is a great rascal" The bird
heard and caught the words, and could
never be made to unlearn them. Dr.
Hamilton Roe, waiting M morning in
DIR. Hahs ante-rOOm, observed: ''Beau-
ty," and iOcularly said: "WhO are yOu?'
"Beautyis DR.. Halls trumpeter-ro-tO-
to-tOOW' replied the bird; but, imme-
diately becoming grave, and edging
confidently toward the side Of the cage, !
she added, in a lower. voice: Damn
him! DR.. Halls a great r~ascal!1
Whether it is possible to entirely Grad
adieate bad habits in parrots is doubtful.
Captain Simpson, well-knOwn by trans
atlantic passengers, used to duck his
p~aroquet into the sea every time il
swore an oath. This seemed to cure
him of using profane language. The
creature really connected an oath with a
dOWse in the water, and gave up swear
AAA. OAAGhGAN 3 Al . 1AA1Na oE1AAA = 1890
was washed overheard, and with great
difficulty was recovered. As soon as be
was drawn on deck, and efforts were
being made to reeusitate him, Polly
kept hopping around the circle, shaking
her head from side to side, saying grave
ly, "NOu've been swearing-yOu've
been s~wearing!' This reminds me Of
what occurred in a clergyman's family
in Exeter, England. The Bishop Of the
diocese had been holding a confirmation,
and was luncbing at the rectOry with
several of his clergy. In the middle %
the repast, one of those dreadful pauses
in the conversation took place. No m
seemed able to break it, when, to the as
constituent and dismay Of all present, a
most horrible swearing tongue poured
forth a torrent Of blasphemy and ebuse
upon the assembled guests Every one
looked aghast at these unusual sounds,
which, for a minute or two continued
uninterrupted. The hostess, however,
hastily rising from the table, drew aside
q muslin curtain and discovered the Of
fender in the person of a gray parrot, +
purchased that morning from a ( ravel-
ing bird-dealer.
The habit of using profane and filthy
language is generally caught by parrots
on their sea-vOyages from the sailors.
When good Queen Charlotte visited Adj
miral Hawkes. flagship, to e~Ongratu-
late him OF his great victory, she was
attracted by a gray parrot which hung
in the f~orecastle. The bird was singing
God SdUe the kalg. Every note and
word was given with such perfect accu-
racy, that her majesty, surprised and de-
lighted, requested a closer interview, and, +.
lunch, the parrot was eOnse- !
quently swung in her cage on the quar-
ter-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 even
ears, was poured forth, and the :
creature, unconscious of indecOrum, was
hurried back to the sailors quarters.
As a rule, parrots do not learn to speak )
by rote. A phrase repeated a hundred
times will often never be learned, where .
as a sharp word, an angry look or a
quick retOrt, is caught instantly. It is
said that macaws are the best takers of :
the whole species, providing they are
from the nest. And not only are !
they able to talk, but they also sing in a Z
peculiar, soft voice. In sweetness, though !
not in compass of musical notes, they Z
are, however, excelled by the grass OF !
green parOJuet. While the cOckatOo is !
the hardest of the parrot tribe and the :
most easily tanned, It is, at the anne {
time, the most difficult to teach to talk I
at all well. Its disposition is more gen. !
tie, however, and its obedience more
implicit, than any of the other species. /!
The gray African parrot, from its dOeil- !
and aptitude, ranks everywhere first {
rs a favOrite, though of late years the I
common green Amazon, from the little l
attention. it requires, its quick sagacity, :
IS sharing the general favor. I
a gentleman residing in Wilmington, :
Delaware, owns one of these Amazon !
1t possesses q flueDey and va :
of language rarely ever equalled by !
the African gray. As soon as her mas
Ter returns from the office for dinner, :
Polly begins to salute him in her fond
est expressions: "Papa dear, come and
kiss your pretty green beauty! Come
n, papa, come in, and give US a kiss
and a thousand mOre.i When the foot
nan enters the room, she says to him, !
put never TO any one else, Fetch my Z
James, Pm hungry. Stupid u
I can't eat my head OFF, TOa =
D~achelOr-friend, who frequently spends 2
weeks at the house, Polly has =
1ut one question, never put to any one :
'tOh, you gay d~eceiver, why did !;
promise to marry me, and didn't?l =
To a gentleman a near ~neighbOr, whom =
he had overheard saying, atthe dinner y
able: s'The birds Invaluable; five hun =
lred dollars would not buy her. If I Y
,wned her-wOuld il, POlly9' she always u
addresses the salute the moment he ap- z
"Five hundred dollars would not Z
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