Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-18
Anecdotes of Parrots.

the 9th OF October, 1SU2: " A few days
ago died in Half-moon street, Piccadilly,
the celebrated parrot of Col. 0'Kelly.
This singular bird sang a 1umber of
songs in perfect time and tune. She could
express her wants articul ately, and give
her orders in manner nearly approach
ing to nationality. Her age was not
known; il was, however, more than thirty
years, for, previously 10 that period, Col.
O'Kelly bought her at Bristol for hun
dred guineas. The Colonel was repeat
edly offered 500 guineas year for the
bird by persons who wished TO make a
public exhibition of her; but this, out of
tenderness for his favOrite, he constantly
refused This parrot, we are told, beat
time with all the appearance Of science,
and so accuI at was its judgment that if
by chance it mistook a note, it would re-
vert to the bar where the mistake was
made, correct itself, and, still beating reg
uiar time, go through the whole with won
derful eXactness.'
In WlllOughby's translation of CIus5us,
HIS Discourse and account of Parrots, we
read as follows: "The noble Philip Mar
nixius, of st. Aldegond, had parrot whom
| have oft heard laugh like a man, when
he was by the bystanders hidden so to do
in the French tongue, in these words:
laugh; yea, which was more wonderful,
it would presently add, in the French
tongue, as if it had been endowed with
reason, but doubtless so taught. % Le
grand sat qui me fdtct rire! o what d
fool to make me Taught and was wont to
repeat these words twice or thrice" This
has sometimes been adduced as proof of
the great intelligence of parrots. 1t is
evidently, however, rather an illustration
of memory and ASSOCIATION of ideas,
which, with other things, will be found IL
Illustrated also in the following account
communicated to us of parrot in London:
A blue macaw in Brooks menagerie
initiated to perfection the snarling, bark
ing and bowling of dogs, and the cack-
ling and growing of owls, and would also
astOnish the visitors by its readiness in
mimicking any peculiar voice in the COM
pany DR.. Thornton bought the bird for
fifteen guineas; but it mOped, sickened
and seemed to have lost all initiative
power till it was released from captivity
and allowed therange of the house. Then
it speedily recovered health and regained
the beauty of its plumage, made itself
perfectly at home, became very loqua-
cious and played many amusing tricks
Its sense of smelling was very acute, and
1t was generally the first to announce din
ner was ready. Its mode of showing
gratitude or satisfaction was by half-ex-
pandlng its wings, with a gentle, tremu-
louS tiutter of the feathers, and uttering
low and not unpleasant note. If food
was proffered which its instinct or caprice
rejected, it would take it with its foot and
throw it down with an exclamation which
sounded like "THereh' Food that was to
its liking was carefully examined, tasted,
and then conveyed TO the birds own tin
dish, in which it was picked close bv
pressure with the bill. If any of the
children fell or were hurt, Poll was the
first to give the alarm, and did not cease
clamOring till the cause was attended to-
DIR. Thornton $ son taught this parrot to de-
scend from its perch at word of command,
and to stand upon his finger then, on
another order, it turned back downward,
and hung on the finger by one foot, retain
ing its hold, although swung about ever so
violently. Like mary other parrots and
cockatoos, it was evidently vain and very
susceptible of tlattery, and was generally
prompt in complying, if asked, to extend
Its wings and show their beauty. |
would walk on the ground backward if
ordered TODD SO, walking in this direction
with the utmost ease. 1t was extremely
fond of music; and with movements of
the feet along the perch, danced to all live
ly tunes, its wings also moving and its
head moving backward and forward in
correct time. BY a peculiar working of
the serratures or file which all parrots
have in the upper mandible, against the
lower, it diligently strove to initiate the
noise made by a scissors grinder who
weekly visited the street; but finding that
this alone did not quite serve the purpose,
II had recourse to the eXpedient of striking
It's claws against the Uncovered perch.
and, accurately observing the time of the
turning of the Wheel effected SO exact an
imitation once or twice a day that the
neighhorS said the man had become per-
petual nuisance.
From the same source with the forego-
ing, we derive the following account of
another parrot: A lady he'd a gray par
rot of four years old, that learned new
words and sentences every day, and made
surprisingly correct application of them.
Enjoying perfect freedom. he would
sometimes indulge in the expensive lux
ury of mischief, upon which his mistress
would scold him, when he would indig-
nantly reply: Not naughty Pol, ,"
=" Not bold bad bird :" and reiterate,
with stamping of his right foot and an
up-and- down movement of his body: g
am mott am mott" When she praised
him, he would tell her that she was a
darling, and that he loved her. He was
very Jealous of attentions paid to chill
dren, and when he saw them caressed
would cry: go away, bold girl!' or
Go away, bold boyr' using the terms
girl and boy with accurate discrimina-
ton. He remembered every name that
he heard, and applied it correctly to the
person. Once seeing a visitor without
dog he was accustomed to have with him,
he called the dog by name and whistlcd
for him, although neither the gentleman
nor his dog had been at the house for
some months. He would mimic visitor
taking off coat or shawl, as if trying to
dIves himself of his wings, and no one
laughed more heartily at his perform
ances than he did himself He would
play with the cats till tired of them, and
then whistle for the dogs to chase them
away. He was often allowed to be out of
doors, and the crows would fly away in
alarm from tree when he got upon it.
he calling good mornings after them with
great apparent delight
" Let me catch you doing that again ~
called out parrot to some boys who had
given runaway ring to TIL: door bell of
house at Acton. One of the BOYS, see
ing no one out the bird in the cage. and
struck with feeling of awe, called next
day and apologized to the owner of the
house. As he was quitting the hall, Poll
exclaimed, 20, then, you won't do that
again. '-Chdm6ers' Journal.
FACTS AND FIGURES.
GERMANY has an extensive iron bust