The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-01-11

some wonderful Educated Parrots tn Paris
Tricks They Perform.
Says La Nature; An exhibition Of
educated parrots held in Paris showed
very clearly to what high state of
perfection these birds are capable
of being trained. Their stage was
a long table, at one end ot which were
perches, on which were grouped half
a dozen parrots, Four oi these were
cockatoos white, with yellow crests;
the other two were gray parrots, with
the neck and under parts rose color
Among the tricks which they perform
at the bidding ot their owner. NJ Abby,
are the follow,ngS Two fixed bars ON
upright supports are placed ON the
table; parrot CLIMBS upon one of
them, turns a somerset. keeps his head
downward. and. passing ON 10 the
second bar, goes through the same
exercise. Their owner then calls Tom,
a small white parrot who comes toward
him as If about 60 climb on one of the
bars, but runs hack again, holding
down his head and shaking his wings in
agrotesque way. Tom is evidently the
buffoon of the troupe. A bell is then
brought, with a handle which forms q
lever; a parrot advances, and putting
one foot on the lever, rings the bell.
The trainer asks the audience what
number of rings they wish for; some
one exclaims seven! and the parrot
rings the bell seven times.
The bird is then asked how much
does three times three make, and it re-
plies by ringing the bell nine times. A
perch is then placed on the table III the
form of a see-saw, at each end of which
a gray parrot perches and in the CEN
ter, Just above the pivot, jumps mag
nlticent white parrot named Charley,
the principal one in the troupe. This
parrot, throwing the weight of his body
successfully to right and left of the
pivot. rocks the see-saw rapidly. 10 see
the animation of this bird during the
performance one would suppose that
he took real pleasure in rocking his
companions
The same bird then goes through
another exercise. Four tiagstaffs are set
up on the table, and at the foot of each
is a flag attached to a cord, which
passes over pully at the top. The
flags are English, French, Belgian,
and American. One of the audience
asks for the French flag. Charley adj
vances, draws himself up, erecting his
bright yellow crest, and spreading his
wings, suddenly seizes the line with his
beak and foot, hauls up the flag as
sailor would, hand over hand, until it
is fast at the top. He then goes through
the same perfo nance with the other
flags In succession.
Several letters of the alphabet are
placed upright on the table, and
Charley is again brought forward, plum
ing himself as before. \ spectator calls
for letter. Charley hesitates, inclines
his head on one side, appears to reflect,
then suddenly advan es and picks up
the letter named, repeating the per-
Torrance with other letters when
called for. Suddenly little Tom jumps
off his perch, runs up, seizes the re-
manning letters one after another, and
pitches them on the floor. Another
parrot then appears, and at the word of
command throws several somersets' on
the table. Two others follow, and
waltz slowly round while the music
plays.
OF all parrots M. Abby considers
the white cockatoos the most gifted in
regard to agility and capability for
learning tricks-being, in fact, aero
bats by nature. They are very slow in
learning to talk, but they are easily
tanned, and understand and do what
they are told.