Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-06-18
A Hunters Parrot.

a Hunters GarrOt.
a CORRESPONDENT of the Little Rock
lark gazette sends that paper the follow
irg account of common poll-parrot,
which, iC is claimed, has not only been
trained to nunt but which has learned to
take great delight in the chase. The
owner and trainer of this hunting parrot
is b0atman who formerly piled between
Little Rock and New Orleans, but who
some years since gave up the business Of
boating and has since led the life Of q
hunter, living in snug cabin at the juno
ton of Big Mammelle Creek with the
Arkansas River1 This hermit hunter,
whose name is Nathan Lask, brought with
him from New Orleans on making his last
trip to that city a fine young parrot, to
which he soon became more attached than
any other thing on earth. Seated upon
his shoulders the parrot attended him in
all his walks TO train the bird and talk
to it was almost his sole occupation
With the careful training of so loving a
master, added to its great natural talent
for initiating all manner of cries of birds
and animals, this bird had become mar
vel Of cunning and a great wonder in its
way Taken into the hills bordering Big
Mammelle Creek, and the signal being
given at intervals, it utters the cry of the
turkey so perfectly as to deceive the old,
est and most astute gobbler that ever
strutted. On being answered by COB.
bier, the parrot proceeds to lure him to
death in the most fiendishly-co quettish
manner imaginable. Seated on his
masters shoulder, charity and coyly the
parrot replies. Once he has fully attracted
the attention Of the vain and anxious
gobbler, after allowing him to call in a
fretiul tone twice or thrice before deign-
ing to answer, he then, in few 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 tiendish delight, to which he gives
utterance in "A succession of blood.chilling
ha, 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 paci-
fed Duck hunting in Forchc ana Meto
BayOus is however the parrots chief de
light. Seated in he bow of his masters
boat, snugly ensconced in a patch of tall
bulrushes, the parrot bursts forth into
such "quack, quacking," and general
duck gable that there seems to Be in the
vicinity u whole flock of these birds, all
ENJOYING themselves immensely. Thus
are many passing tlocks 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
fowls, and even deer, as the bird initiates
the plaintive bleating of tawn or doe to
"A nicely. No money would buy the bird,
and Nat Lask, seen strolling through the
| woods, gun in hand, and with his almost
inseparable companion seated on his left
shoulder, seems second Robinson Cru
soc. Although so perfect by his imita
tons Of all manner OF birds and animals
the parrot Is not a great talker; indeed,
his vocabulary is limited to a few words
and one or two short phrases. He will
sometimes sing out, Nat you lubber,"
and when Dan flanagan "a brother boat
man of Mats living at the head of Bayou
Forche, and almost lis only visitoTl, IN
his dug-out, is seen padding in toward
the mouth Of Big Mammelle Creek, the
parrot-whose name, we forgot to say, is
Bobby-Wili shout, flanagan, ahoy
flanagan, aa-hoyw The moment Bobby
sees his master take down his gun he is in
great tuuer He cocks his head on one
side, his great red eyes sparkling with
delight, and in low, inQuiring tone says;
"Turkey? urkey?' NO, Bobby" Nat
will perhaps say, mot turkey to day
Bobby cocks his head the other way, and
softly says, "Quack, quack, quack?"
Yes, Bobby" says Nat, "quack
quack~ Bobby then bursts into loud
ha ha, ha" and cries, MAT, you Tub.
Der, quack, quack, quack" Then he ha
has till the whole cabin rings again.