Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-03
FUNNY FACTS ABOUT PARROTS.
Some Are Like Owls. Others Eat Flesh and
Yet Other Kinds Have Absurd Habitss

40 Oeook kAhuos AAaso ADsuhO noOtt&A
THE VARIOUS SPECIES IN AUSTRALIA - wHKx
PARROTS WERE PLENTIFUL IN THIS COUNTRY
crows AND NAePrEs A. rALKKRs-Hov TO
TEACH A cRow-THR BEST rNrrAroRs.
ssDARRoTs ARE FUNNY BIRDS" SAID
Il Ornithologist Robert Ridgway Of the
Smithsonian Institution TO a STAR writer the
other day. There is one species Of nocturnal
habits in New Zealand called the owl parrot
which lives in holes among the roots OF trees
and feeds upon the succuleut roots Of big ferns.
1t looks rather like an owl, but, although il has
wings OF fair size, it cannot fy at all. because
1t has no muscles with which to work its PIN
ions This is the only known bird outside Of
the ostrich family that has no keel on its breast
bone. 1t can pitch itself off from height,
spreading its wings to ease its descent, but
those appendages are merely employed on the
parachute principle.
IN AUSTRALIA.
Australia and the neighboring islands are
more thickly occupied by parrots than any
other part of the world, but the species found
In that region are peculiar to it and many Of
them are very curious. 1t is only there that
| the wonderful cockatoo family exists To this
genus belongs the biggest of all parrots, known
~' sAAS oSAAosu SoShatoO, WHICH IKE as u
goose, jet black al over even to ITS crest. with
beak much more powerful than that of any
eagle. With this instrument it is said TO he
able to crack the hardest OF the tropical nuts,
on the kernels OF which it feeds. In New Guinea
| Is found pigmy parrot not large as an En-
glish sparrow. which is known as the bat parro-
quet. because 1t roosts at night head down.
ward, holding on to the perch by its claws
SHEEP KILLERS
Another kind of Australian parrot has .
feathered tongue for the purpose OF feeding
upon the honey of flowers. Somewhat has
already been published concerning the extraor-
binary sheep-eating parrots of New Zealand.
They alight upon the backs of sheep at pasture,
and, fastening themselves to the wool with their
claws, tear away with their strong hooked beaks
at tho backs Of the helpless animals. The lat
ter run frantically about in their agony, finally
succumbing to their feathered foes. which
eagerly gobbie the kidneys ard the TAT sur
rounding those organs. leaving the carcasses
of the slsin scattered about the fields.
1t was long time before the sheep farmers
discovered what enemy was destroying their
focks in this fashion. Their theory is that u
winter Of famine among the parrots rendered
the birds hungry. They had always up to that
time been vegetable feeders. but one dav
number of them aligned near some butchered
carcasses of sheep that had been hung up and
1t occurred to them to try their flavor. Having
thus acquired the taste they adopted the car
their beaks are as well adapted those Of owls
and hawks.
OF BEAUTIFUL PLUMAoE.
Australia has by far the most beautiful
parrots in the world, as well as the greatest
variety. Some of them are adorned with all
the most brilliant colors of the rainbow. In
the Argentine Republic and Paraguay there is a
species which makes a communal nest. Com
bining their efforts they fetch together a great
| Of Il
forming it into a sort of platform ten or twelve
feet across. This platform serves the purpose
OF a roof, and beneath it holes constructed
for every pair. These holes SO made, with
entrances at first horizontal and then vertical,
that a complete house is provided for each
parrot family, the roof overhead keeping of
the rain.
SCARCITY N THIS COUNTRY.
"Fifty years ago parrots were plentiful all
over the eastern half of the United States. They
were Of one Species which is now known as the
North Carolina parroquet. The genus to which
they belong includes fifty known species, of
which this one is by far the most beautiful So
short time as half a century ago it vas plen-
tiful as far north as the Great Lakes. 1t was
abundant in the Ohio valley, in the Mississippi
valley, in the valley Of the Missouri aud
| through Nebraska, Dakota and the west as far
| as Colorado and south to Texas. These par
rots have been so systematically exterminated
eAat ~ pIcetut tucS are lOuuU Only mere ana
there in Florida, along the gulf coast and in
the Indian territory. Several reasons are ac-
| countable for their determination. One of
them is found in their unwillingness to desert
| a wounded companion. II one parroquet in a
flock is wounded the hunter can kill them all
because they will not leave an injured com.
rade. Another cause for their disappearance
is found in the fact that they used to be great
pest to the farmers, eating the corn while In
the milk and devouring the young fruits for
~ tha a1a
themselves very good to eat. One way Of cap
turing them wholesale was to cut down hollow
tree i'll which they had roasted for the night,
their habit being to 60 in through hole as
swallows fill a chimney, and hang by their bills
stuck in crevices. Parroquets are true parrots
Notwithstanding their diminutive size Those
found in America are all small macaws. As for
the macaws In general, they belong only in the
new world. Another reason why the North
Carolina parroquet has been destroyed is that
its feathers particularly useful for the max
ing of feather flower work, their tints being ex-
actly such as are required for the purpose.
PARROT DIALOGUE.
Speaking Of macaws reminds me Of the
only apparently reasonable dialogue that 1
have ever heard between parrots 1t was in
the Smithsonian zoo. A blue and yellow one
occupied the same place with another that was
dressed in red and green. The two fell to
lighting In my presence and one knocked the
the vanquished, starting to walk away. The
victor shouted from the perch, Come back b
Come backn But the defeated one looked up
cooked his eye, and replied hoarsely, Rats
"Macaws often talk well. but their voices are
disagreeably hoarse aud inhuman. Parrots are
considered the talking birds par excellence,
but there are other feathcred creatures which
are much more accomplished linguists than
they. Ravens, crows and magpies all bet
ter speakers than parrots. They are not SO
versatile, it is true, and the sounds they are
able to produce are not SO varied; but their
voices and articulation are far more human.
crow 8 talk in the next room may readily be
mistaken for that OF a human being, but the
same can hardly be said of parrots speaking.
1t has been remarked that the voice of a
parrot is like that Of a crazy person. Parrots
are the best imitators-that is to say,
they mimic whistling and other noises, partic-
ulari y laughing, 10 admiration. But not one of
their kind could ever approach magpie of my
acquaintance, which is the best talking bird
that have ever known about. Not only is it
acquainted with words. but it varies their in
Election to convey different meanings 1t
is favorite with children, and it has actually
learned baby talk to some extent One OF its
favorite phrases is, 'Bobs all rightp On this
it harps with ever so many variations, saying
that Bob is this and Bob is that, but never can
it be persuaded to say that Bob is bad, though
great efforts have been made to teach it the
words.
HOW TO TEACH A CROW TO TALK.
"If you wan. to get a talking crow hire a