Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-05-21
late into the afternoon before he learned
that the body was among those found
on Warmers Flats.
A Hunters Parrot.

"a correspondent OF the Little KOck
ARK. } Gazette sends that paper the fol.
lowing Of common poll-parrot, which,
1t Is claimed, has not only been trained
to hunt, but which has learned to take
o great delight in the chase. The
owner and trainer Of this hunting par.
rot is boatnan, who formerly piled
between Little Rock and New Orleans,
put who some years since gave up
the business of boating and has since
led the Life of a hunter, living in .
snug cabin at the junction of the Big
Mammelle Greek with the Arkansas
River. This hunter-hermit, whose
name is Nathan Lask, brought
from New Orleans, on making his last
trip to that city, fine young parrot, to
which he soon became more attached
than to any other thing on earth.
Seated upon his shoulders, the parrot
attended him in all his walks. To train
the bird and to talk to it was almost
his sole occupation. With the careful
training of so loving q master, added
to It's great natural talent for initiating
all manners of cries of birds and ami
mails, this bird has become a marvel
ct cunning, and great wonder in his
way. Taken into the hills bordering
Big Mammelle Greek, and the signal
being given at intervals, it utters the
cry of the turkey so perfectly as to de-
ceive the Oldest ind most astute COB
bier that ever strutted. On being an
swered by gobbler, the parrot pro-
ceeds to lure him to death in the most
fiendishly and coquettish manner i'm
aginable. Seated on his masters
shoulders, charity and coyly the parrot
replies. Once lie has fully attrac ted
the attention of the vain and anxious
gobbler, often allowing him to call in
fretful tone twice or three times be-
fore deigning to answer, he then, in q
low and tender notes, lures the
proud bird of the forest within range of
the hunters deadly rifle. Seeing the
turkey struggling in the agonies of
death fills the parrot with the most
fiendish delight, to which he gives ut
terance in succession of blood chilling
cha has" in all manner of diabolical
tones and keys. Should the hunter
miss his aim, however, the parrot ruffles
his feathers, croaks and scolds, pulls
his masters hair, and long refuses to be
pacified. Duck hunting in Forche and
Meto bayous is, however, the parrots
chief delight. Seated in the bow of
his masters boat, snugly ensconced
in a patch of tall bullrushes, the parrot
bursts forth into such a 'quack, quack-
ing," and general duck gabble that
there seems to be in the vicinity a
whole flock of these birds enjoying
themselves immensely. Thus are many
passing focks of ducks lured within
range of the gun of the hunter. Geese
are in the same way called up by this
wonderful parrot; also many other
wild fowl and even deer, as the bird
initiates the plaintive bleating of a
fawn or doe to nicely. No money
would buy the bird, and Nat. Lask,
seen strolling through the woods gun
in hand, and with his almost INSOFAR
able companion seated on his left
shoulder, seems a second Robinson
Crusoe. Although SO perfect in his
limitations of all manner Of birds and
animals, the parrot is not great talk
er; indeed, bis vocabulary is limited
to few words and one or two short
phrases. He will some times sing out,
"Nat, you lubber," and when Dan
Lanigan, "a brother boatman of Mats
living at the head of Bayou Forche,
and almost his only visitor, } in his dug
out, is seen padding toward the mouth
of Big Mammelle Greek, the parrot
whose name, we forgot to soy, is Bobby
will shout, flanagan, ahoy! Lana
gan, a-a-hoy !" The moment Bobby sees
his master take down his gun he is in
q great futter. He cocks his head on
one side, his great red eyes sparkling
with delight, and in a low, inquiring
tone says "Turkey? turkey?" "No,
Bobby" Nat will perhaps say, "not
turkey to-day Bobby cocks his head
the other way and softly says, "Quack,
quack, quack" eyes, Bobby" says
Nat, "quack, quack!" Bobby then
bursts into loud cha, ha, hat" and
cries, "Nat, you lubber, quack,
quack, quack !" Then he ha-ha's till
the whole cabin rings again.