The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1889-10-05
Parrots tho Peri ct'cn of Whose
Education Is Marvellous
Polly That Repeats the Lord's Prayes
with Considerable Piety and One
Which, Initiates n Isad hoy
Tho Iuetza and Sopliote.


Tho Iuetza and Sopiiote.
A letter from Quezaltenango, Guatemala,
10 the New York Times says; A small In
habitant of Central America not hereto
fore mentioned by me, but very deservingof
il, is the !" loro,' or parrot One sees many
that arr viii taught in the United States, but
doubt II there are birds In any part Of the
world which have attained such perfection
Of education as those here. | heard one
sing an "Ave Maria from beginning to end
without missing a word or note or uttering
a false one. Another, belonging to priest,
could repeat the Lords prayer, and should
one not understand sufficient spanish 70
know he would yet be instantly aware that
the bird was praying, so perfect were his
tones, initiating the low, solemn voice OF
his master. There are, OF course, the great
majority which wish to know overy moment
II there is mo bread for Polly" and those
which use strong and emphatic Ian
guage. Some persons teach their
birds to repeat certain answers TO GER
tain questions, and in this way save
themselves much annoyance. In Gen.
tral American towns, the houses are built
on a hollow-square plan, having an interior
"patiou or court. The heavy double door
leading In is usually open. Hay, wood and
carbon or charcoal arc sold from door 70
door by Indians carrying their loads on
their backs Whatever may be for sale Is
yelled at the door in very much the same
voice that venders OF oranges, strawberries
and breoms used to call out in the streets OF
New York, but in this country the yelling
is continued until an answer is obtained;
and when a house is well supplied il Is
rather trying TO patience and and latent
temper to have "carbonln thundered ost in
your yard every five minutes. So they put
the parrot in green tree where II Is DIM
cult TO see him, and he answers INC" and
in a voice so human that not five carbon
niers" in q hundred can discover the deceit.
All this IL very agreeable should you not
wish 10 buy any thing. but should you wish
to buy something the parrot answers "No,"
just the same, and probably adds on acurse,
which explains common sight-that Of Q
haticss, coailess man rushing out Of his
house into the street to call back an Indian
who has just been dismissed by the parrot
Whae staying IN hotel in Quczaltenango
my room vas next 10 that Of a German fam
lily who had spcndidly-cducated parrot
and little boy named Herbert. The parrot
was ~ much q member OF the family as any
os The Others, and, being constantly with
iheu. 10 became very wise. Herbert was
very often SEQ ded and punished by his
mother ~ofteneg, believe, than the little
fellow deserved. and these punishments
and uerbert's sobbirg and crying made q
decided impression o. the bird. The little
BOY father was often away, and soon
noticed that no turned TO the parrot for COM
panionship, as there were no Little children
for piaYmates Wien .ae iainily left their
rooms Polly was always locked up, and dur
ing these absences he would practice his
rcperie.re, now singing some song, now
swearing at some imaginary person. Tnen,
in imitation of the mother and IN her harsh,
Aern YoIee, he would cry out: HERBERT
Eerbertl what 90 you mean by thati You
bad boy,n and after making o sound In ini-
tatIon Of slap nc would cry and sob pre-
ciscly Ike the child. Though ! knew that
the family owned this bird. yet he often de-
ceived mo and excited what at the time was
unnecessary sympathy for Herbert
A beautiful bird, and one now fast be-
coming extinct, IL the "ouetzal.n the Ne
tional bird of Guatemala; and with such
reverence is he regarded that his engrav-
ing occupies the center OF the postage
stamps of the country. The body Of the
bird Is about the size Of that OF q good
sized California quail; his general color
Is a beautiful emerald green, with GRIM
son and yellow luster running through It;
the small feathers Of the head stand
straight up, and his four or five tail feath-
ers, which grow to the length OF two feet,
arc rich green and red His home Is In the
tallest mountains; he pines away and dies
after q month of captivity, and even the
Indians, who know his habits, are unable to
keep him alive when away from his native
haunts. 1t is said that his food is the plan
tain but confined rs pct he does not rel
ish IT, prepared in most tempting was.
They say he dies should one OF bis tail
feathers be broken. How true this may be
do not know, but it seems to have some
foundation considering the great care he
takes of them. His nest Is built In cylin.
drical shape, with hole at each end, and
much resembles o lady's nun. Hc enters
at one end and rests with his long feathers
hanging out; in leaving his nest he never
backs out--that would ruftlc and break his
feathers--and the Indians, knowing this,
always approach MS head and easily capt
urc him. After death the crimson aud