The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-07
FEATHERY PETS.
THE TRADE IN TUNEFUL BIRDS
OF BRILLIANT PLUMAGE.T -
Something Also About Monkeys and
Other Gentle Pets Without
Wings-Rare Birds that
Bring Big Prices. -


were enjoying the sight of the gayly-
plumed birds in brass and painted cages,
he was met by clipper young woman,
who readily responded to his inquiries.
The first batch of information was lost
to the seeker after it in pandemonium
of howls, yells and screeches. However,
becoming somewhat accustomed to the
uncanny noises, he comprehended that
she was bewailing the paucity of trade.
"Monkeys2" went on the young wo-
man, in response to further inquiries.
sNo we haven't one in the store, and ]
hope I may never see one of them again
as long as live. They're just nuisance,
and that's all. Insver could see nothing
funny in them. We haven't had one IL
the house for month. Let's see, the
last one was Capuch:n, and we sold it
to newly y-married couple who live in
Denver. They were awfully rich, and
had a conservatory for flowers, you
know, and the lady said she tn ought
monkey in the conservatory would look
just too cute for anything. And the
husband-well,. I could see that anything
she wanted she could have. They bought
the monkey. I'm perfectly sure of one
thing: by this time they either havent
any monkey or they haven't any conserT.
atory. A monk is death on plants Of
any kind. Why, this same monkey we'd
sold once before to an artist on Monroe
street, who said he wanted it for an orna'
ment for his studio, whatever that 'ls.
| The artist lent the beast to man whs
! was growing century plant on the lake
front, together with q museum. That
monkey consumed the century plant one
night for o late supper, and it didn't dis.
turb his digestion any more than If it bad
been Welsh rarebit. I don't know what
kind of century plant it was. 1t might
have been a young plant. Any:
how, back went monk to the artist and
thon back here, when the owner of thu
shop bought him in again at half price:
We had monkey here once that had .
broken arm. He couldn't use it, but Q
man bought him just the same. he SAID
he was doctor. So I suppose he wanted
to experiment on him."
The reporter was tired of monkey talh
and turncd to the occupants of the cages.
"Those love birds there" said the &C.
complish.d young woman, "don't sing,
but we sell 'em for SIS a pair. Thai
there's Toucan. He's worth 1885," The
bird alluded to appeared to the unlnl.
tiated eve neither valuable for its beauty
of plumage nor sweetness of voice. It,
q native of Central America, and, though
in appearance quite as revolutionary as
most of the denizens of that part OF the
globe, has the one redeeming virtue OF
being gentle and incapable of the ferocity
which its villanous-looking beak would
suggest. f
"That Bird" said the reporters in.
formant, pointing tn fat little creature
contentedly warbling to itself, ''that bird
is a Japanese robin, and the price of it L
S8." This art Gle in the feathered ina
resembles the ordinary robin in appear.
ance, except in the fact that it is nearly
as bright-hued as parrot.
The demand, the Tri6uns's represen'
tative was informed, is greatest for ca
naries, after which come mocking-birds.
The sale of black caps, a bird whose titia
betrays its chief CHARACTERISTIC, he wa.
told, came next in the estimation of fam
ciers, to the nightingales as song-birds.
The only further information volun.
teered was that Guinea-pigs were rated
in the household-pet market at from 81
to $3.50 per pair.
At another establishment, similar q
the one just described, there were thu
same rows of cages, containing canarles.
parrots, doves and pigeons; the same as
sortment of aquariums, abounding IL
gold and silver fish. In corner of .
cage fully fifty tiny white mice were hud
died closely together. Gray pigeons ?
and white doves cooed plaintlvely from
dark places under the counter. On .
high perch sat most naughty looking
parrot, evidently proud of its brilliant
plumage and yet oblivious to the fac,
that its tail feathers were dis .racefuH.
deficient in number. Other parrots there
were whose feathers were colored by na
ture with hues the blending of whict
successfully d .fes mans cruie idea OF ths
proper harmony o. tints. Three dlmlnu
tive marmosets looked forth from then
retreat with their bright, sparkling eyes,
seemingly full of good nature. As 8
matter of fact they are almost untama
BILE. AS they darted about their cags
they resembled so many hairy comets,
the disproportivn size of their tails to
their bodies producing that eject.
Like the first store visited the nolsei
were indrscribable. Let one immaglne
sounds composed of commingled abs,
ees, aaas, COOS, and uuus, which we're
shrieked from every nook and corner.
Away from all light fully dozen little
parrots were wasting their gorgeousnes'
in dark, dilap;dated cages. A dis~onso'
late and solitary monkey scratched hi.
eek in an embarrassed way as the II
porter approached its cage and added
evidence to the "origin-o -of-species' doc:
trine by his perfect frenzy of fear and
anger when he first got glimpse OF tha
reporter. Before the reporter had left,
however, the animal had so far sue
cumbel to the usual course of coaxinp
adopted by interviewers that he betrayed
q very evident curiosity as to what kind
of a queer bird his visitor might be. he
even went so far as to attempt to relats
his personal grievances in doleful chat
ter. His confidence will never be be-
trayed.
An cmploye stated that tho foreign
birds are all brought from New York,
where the jobbers buy them as they ara
brought from the ships.-ChicaQo 7ss-
bune.