Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-11
T.aLKIJvG BIRDS.

novelty, as they have been noticed by wri-
ters from time almost immemoral, and now
in the Southern countries almost every
town possesses its half dozen birds that
are warranted to talk, sing, pray or swear
tyou in any language, living or dead;'
and 1t Is sorry fact that in the last accom-
plishment they are generally 'superbly pro-
icient.'
The species of parrots that are especially
noted for their mimic talking are the green
parrot of the West Indies and South Amer
lea, and the gray parrot, or jaco, of Africa,
and in some Of them it seems as If they al
most understood what they said, instead of
repeating from mere memory.
Some even repeat sentences as long as
the Lords Prayer, and they initiate all
noises with marvellous accuracy. Mr..
Selby tells of one that was kept near quay
in seaport time, and had learned all the
words and ejaculatory terms that were
used by sailors and carriers and the word
back used by the carriers, was great ia
vorite with her. One day, seeing horse
and cart on the quay, she yelled out, Back,
back upP with so much vigor that the
poor horse backed off the quay and was
drowned.
LIE valiant tells Of one that lived to the
patriarchal age of ninety three years. In
his best days this parrot had been distin-
guished for his powers of conversation,
and he was so remarkably docile that he
would perform many little acts when or
dered to do, such as fetching his masters
eli 1. al,
When he reach ed the ripe age of sixty he
began to lose his memory, and would con-
fuse and tumble together different frag-
ments Of former learning. From this time
his infirmties went on increasing, until in
his last days he became perfectly decrepit,
and was only kept alive by being fed at in
tervals W It'll biscuit soaked in MADEIRA
A SINGING PARROT.
Figuier mentions a gray parrot that was
purchased In Bristol, and its intelligence
was certainly wonderful. 1t asked for
things and gave ORDERS sang several songs,
and whis.led some airs very well, beating
the measure. When it made false note 1t
recon- menced, and never committed the
mistake again. And again he says: we
have often, when passing through the Rue
Flower des Flammes, at Montpelier, heard
aparrot which distinctly sang and articu-
lated two verses of song.'
In the Travels in SPAIN by the Mar
quis Of Langle, he mentions parrot that
retained a quantity Of things-an incredi-
BILE number Of stories and anecdotes, which
1t relates and articulates without hesitation.
II spoke Spanish, murdered French, knew
some verses of Rae lne could say grace, re-
peat the fable of the crow, and count thirty
louis. They dared scarcely hang its cage
at the windows, for when 1t was there, and
the weather was fine, the parrot talked
ceaselessly.
1t said everything 1t knew, apostrophized
all passers-by, except women, and talked
politics. In pronouncins the word Gibral-
tar, 1t burst out laughing, and one would
think 1t was man that laughed. To a
parrot, Prince Lion owed his life He had
been condemned to death by his father,
and the parrot took 1t so much to heart
that he repeated without ceasing, Alas
bird made such an impression on the bru-
Val lhlueT tudL TelGdSou his SON.
THE PARROT AS A JUDGE.
M. Lemeont relates a story where par
rot took Justice In her own hands and made
such hue and cry that the whole town was
aroused. In town OF Normandy a
butchers wife beat her child numerically
every day. The infant sank under the i'll
treatment. The justice Of man made no
remonstrance, but gray parrot which
lived In the house of ropemaker oppo-
site to that Of the butcher, took upon her.
self the chastisement Of this unnatural
mother. 1t continually repeated the cries
which the poor child uttered when he saw
his mother rush at him with tho rod in her
hand-'What for what forr' This phrase
was uttered by the bird with such doleful
and duplicating accents that the indignant
passers-by entered unexpectedly into the
shop and reproached the ropemaker for his
barbarity. He justified himself by show
ing his parrot and relating the history OF
his neighbours child. After some months
tho woman, pursued by the accusing phrase
and the murmurs Of public opinion, was
obliged to sell her business and leave the
village So with all their noise and mis-.
chievous habits, they are sometimes pro.
ductive Of good.
ROYAL BIRD.
King Henry VIII. possessed right roy
al parrot in more senses than one. Il
spoke long sentences Of Latin and Greek
swore little In French, and was a grea
admirer of drinking songs, OF which A
knew a score. 1t was invariably kept In I
large room Of the palace bordering on thu