The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-17

on reaching port they are transferred al
ssctIy to- climate vastly different thar
s1sir natural Artisan climate. This parfot
which are brought north III smiling vessel
are we'll treated, and. the yoyag1
Dei.g longer, they coms gradually into Is,
solder cline, and become used to " by IL,
time they rench port. Az I said, those sail.
lnG vessels arc Dutch, md that IL Why thu
gray parrots we get here from England gen
snn.Iy turn ont ~ much worse than those
We gss from Holland. They arc frequently
sickly, and oftener thsn not they have
h0afse voices, and do not make good talk.
or, some will never talk. I Originally
got several big lots OF gray parrots from
England, but they turned out 70 badly that
p~ntronized Holland nftsrward With the
pest results. Naturally, the Holland birds
Tor any person who 10 buying = parrot ia
pay q little more and got d guarantee that
the bird was brought north in a sailing yes
VOL ana IL young. am out OF the bird bus
mess myself entirely now, and nm deyotina
AL my %resources to elephants, lions, tigers
and otner large animals for shows and
menaRcfiss, but tho retail purchaser can
depend upon any reputable bird Sancier to
doal squarely with him In this respect.
~ Tor American parrots, perhaps the
best that can DO got IL the big fanams par
rot. IL - green and yellow, like the Mexi-
can birds. but much tho largest parrot in
inc market: II il a capital talker, In many
ways equaling tho gray parrot, but IL Ia ex-
pensivs. patty because Il il seldom brought
to this sid Of she continent. For some
reason these birds 20 to San Francisco al.
most exclusively, and New York dealers
nave to order them from there. The most
common parrots in b market are the Mex
ic1n and cuban. The Mexicsn double-yel.
low-head y general favorits, green all
over except its head, which has two brilliant
yellow tufts. 1t makes an excellent talker,
but, like the gray parrot, Is much better
whom brought north overland or in sailing
vessels. We get large numbers by steamer.
but more by sailing vss1sls to gulf ports
to these birds is their tendency to a disease
of the eyes. The Cuban parrots are smaller
and green. We got in New York from TO-
OOO to D,OOO every June and July. They
are sold to dealers at from &is to x3G 4
dozen. They ars caught in the nests
tne same way. as the African
parrots and raissd in yards or corra!s in
when was dealing in the birds. Our mon
caught thousands OF them in the nests, and
e!fter clipping their wings, turned them
loose until they were old enough to ship.
We fed them On boiled corn meal. soaked
ship biscuits. boiled rice, boiled potatoes,
and potatoes and eggs. Their bills are
.equjre this kind Of food until the bills
harden. They are generally hardened by
he time they reach New York. Cuban
lead the market in this country, for
lot only are they cheaper than any other
,ariety, but they make excellent takers il
hey have been treated right after carture
md transported under favorable conditions,
here are also several other parrots in the
market. The single y~ellow.head, from
1exico, with one yellow crest, il nearly MS
god q bird as the double yellow-head.
The blue-head and red-head from Brazil.
the rich dark green isthmus parrot
With a yellow collar, are the other chief
They are all good birds under
conditions"
How many parrots arc sold in New York
ach year?'' was asked.
between 80.O 0 and 10000" said he.