The new North-west., 1890-03-21
THE TALKATIVE P0LLIES.
AN ENTHUSIAST PRESENTS HIS
VIEWS ON PARROTS.

From-Thc Females, Can Learn to Talk.
Some Practical Hints Parrot Dietary
nnd Training.
~ suppose you know that every ship from
the isthmus lands at least Il score Of parrots
i'll San Francisco" said all enthusiastic bird
tanner to reporter lately.
"What becomes of thern!"
~ believe most of them die within IL month
Tor want Of proper care, and very few of the
rest learn to talk. 1t wouldn't be nn exag
geration to say that half the population of
San Francisco has tried its hand ut parrot
keeping; but Il good talking bird is ns rare us
ever, and will always command Il high price
or course all the parrots don't come from the
isthmus or the coast towns where the steam
ers call; but enough come from these points
at a low figure to make it well worth while
for man to undertake the business Of train
ing and acclimntizing them. You can get
young parrot at Corento or Acapulco, or nt
almost any Central American port, for five
pesos about s4), that will be worth $50 or
500 when properly taught. It's easy enough
when you know the way"
"Sone varieties are better than others, are
they not!'
Eyes, but practically any parrot can be
trained to talk if you commence when the
bird is young There is a common but fool
sh notion that it is only the male birds that
talk. AS matter of f,ct, there is no more
difference in this respect than i'll the human
species The hen parrot can do her share Of
talking" .~s. ~s.S
WHAT THEY EAT
"Do the ditrerert kinds of parrots require
different fooda"
"Certainly; that is one OF the secrets Let
me describe to you here the kinds Of parrot
-.tI. ~: Hr
course, you know they are all imported and
accli,natized, the bird being strictly tropical
in its natural habitat. The Mexican double
yellow head !,.rrots are among the best
birds we get; they have better talking
power, greater sharpness in picking up words
and tricks, and a more pleasing, human like
voice than the other varieties. They are also
quick to become attached to their owners,
and to make strangers feel like strangers,
which is one Of the chief charms of u parrot
for the average man or woman. That's hu-
man nature, isn't it! If parrot will take to
everybody the owner has no use for it. This
variety has another good qualty-that Of
fearlessness. A Mexican double yellow head
parrot will convince any cat in about two
minutes that distance lends both enchant-
ment and safety to the view. AS to what
these birds can learn, will only say that
mails in tho barnyard- rooster, the dog,
the pigs, the pea hens, the turkeys; they can
be made to repeat half dozen letters Of the
alphabet correctly in succession, spell words,
and as to sWearing-they will pick up 'cuss
words as quick rs any 10-year-old gnnin in
Tar Flat
"Are these birds SIZE ones which die off 50
fastn
''Ies, because tney are the most sensitive
of all parrots They require special care tho
first winter and should be kept warm and
out of the draught. Just here will give
you pointer. If you put a monkey an ant
eater, a parrot or any tropical animal in q
draught of air-as, for instance, by opening
the window in room where FIRE is burning
you are going to lose your pet. 1t will
catch cold and die as surely rs if you had
put it in refrigerator car,n
Then the imported parrots die Of cold.n
"Sot all Of them. 1t is not really cold
enough i'll San Francisco 10 kill n parrot,
even on cold day, but draughts are fatal
in summer and winter alike. The real trouble
people have in raising parrots is because they
will not try to believe that the birds get
along much better at first without drinking
water. If you set a vessel of water near a
freshly imported parrot, however healthy, it
will drink itself to death; that's what !
mean.
DRINKING WATER
Then you would give them no water at
all"
Not exactly that, a little water may be
given to young bird every day; say one or
two teaspoonfuls. But the proof that water
is bad for a green parrot If you let the bird
feed ITSELF is shown by the fact that a parrot
which has been getting along finely for Il
whole week without water, but with plenty
Of green food, which contains nll the water
it requires, will get dySentery or some other
trouble directly ii is allowed TO swill all it
wants. -="~"
parrots are reckless feeders, theus'
''1n captivity, yes, and that is the cause Of
most OF their ailments. The birds naturally
live on seeds und fruit, under conditions
which permit them TO have fresh food at all
times, ami plenty of fresh air and sunlight.
But parrot in captivity is kept i'll a state of
chrome irritabilty by hot and improper food
coffee, meat, stale bread sour vegetables
at the bottom of its cage-is it wonder that
the bird sckensf Why, the life Of parrot is
in the sunlight and the fresh fruits on the
treesl How many people think of summing
their parrot thing which ought to be done
every day?n
''Do all the varieties require the same
carel,'
Not as to the temperature of the room,
but as to the feeding. yes certainly. A sick
parrot is. in nine cases out Of ten, an exposed
or overfed parrot. Tho hardest Of all varie-
ties is the African gray, but itshould never be
| fed with soft bread, which agrees well with
other parrots. Tho proper thing for this
! bird isa diet Of water crackers, pilot biscuit,
| hemp, and occasionally n piece Of ncaly
| apple or peanut. Tho African parrot may
also be trusted with drinking water in its
cage, which is dangerous experiment with
the green varieties while young.
"There is no whistler to beat the African
gray, and it never screeches, OF course this
bird comes high, because it has to come by
way of Liverpool and New York, or round the
Horn; but it is fine pet and as have said
hardy bird. a good African parrot is not
dear at $50 or even 500"
"What other varieties come herel'
''The Cuban parrot. 1t is very beautiful
bird, good talker aud fair whistler. This
| is delicate variety till thoroughly accli.
mated, and is subject 10 all the rules about
limited water diet There is no better food
for this parrot or for parrots generally than
plain boiled rice, with tho gumlny matter
washed off by pouring cold water OH the boiled
mass. No food should ever be left in the cage
to sour.n-San Francisco Chronicle.
Religious Instruction In the East.
| Religion enters deeply into the daily life Of
the Mohammedans and in eastern countries