Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-01-23
PARROTS
IN the Noisy BIRDS q
BIG INDUSTRY.
Hundreds Brouaht Over in o Single
Voyage From Cuba aud Mexico
How They arc Caught-.
Their voluo.

Their Value.
The Ward STEAMSHIP Company enjoys
the distinction of being the limo which
brings the noisiest migrants TINT are 10.
ceiyed at this port. Seven or eight
thousand of them have already been
landed Mt this port this season. It was
on Tuesday that 800 or 400 arrived, and
they had to discover themselves to sew.
cral visitors to the steamer in order to
mako their presence generally known,
and this they did in their own way.
They raised such u hubbub of whirring
and fluttering, punctuated with squawks
and squeaks underneath their tarpaulin
cover that tho visitors naturally inquired
what caused the noise.
parrots, "rcplied dark-complexioncd
man, who seemed to feel Us strong pro-
prietary interest in the birds as a large
and vigorous Thomas cat who was prauc-
ing gayly around tho scenc., .'Seel"
said tho dark man as no throw back tho
tarpaulin, disclosing to view swarms of
young Mexican and Cuban parrots, who
fluttered wildly and scrocched ina dozen
keys as the light entered the cages.
They were pretty birds aud had been
caught in their nest only fortnight
or SO before the steamer sailed from Ha-
Vana.
"There are only 800 or 400 of thcm,"
said the parrot-tcnder in tone as if he
generally considered parrot in tho alb
stract rather than in tho concrete. son
the last VOYAGE" he continued, III had
900 to take care of, and he said it as if
the caring for 1000 parrots was Nero
bagatellc. "Was alone2 Certainly,
except that Thomas here volunteered his
assistance after we left Havana, when he
killed big rat that wandered too near
the cages. One healthy, vigorous rat
will kill four or five parrots or dozen
canaries in one night. He will eat n
parrots brains and suck its blood in no
time.
Tho business of importing parrots to
this country has grown to largo dimen.
sions within the last twenty years. There
are two large establishments in New
YORK. city, Bartels's and Ruhe's, who i'm
port from 5000 to 10, 600 year from the
South Americas, Mexico anu Cuba. This
year there has been SO much rainy
weather in the parrot countries that breed.
ing was interferred with, and the result
has been that there is falling off in
numbers. Tho old birds nest in holes in
high trees, aud the rain browns the
young ones.
We catch parrots when they gro young,
only few months old. Indians and na-
tivcs climb the trees and pull tho nest.
They take the birds to the scaports, and
we buy them there. Bringing tho birds
here causes us tho worst trouble. First
we have to look out for the rats, second
the weather. We stow the parrots away
in warm place and cover the cages with
tarpaulin. They are very susceptible
to changes in tho weather. 1 have had
nearly an entire consignment die on voy-
age. We feed them on pilot bread and
sugarcd water when they arc young. I
don't give old parrots pilot bread, but
feed them on hempsced. Well, when we
get our birds safely in port they arc dis
tributed wholesale to small dcalera
throughout the city and country, who re-
tail them. The gray or African, is the
most expensive parrot, but it is rather
rare.
SIT is the best, too, but many people
think that the Mexican parrot is the best
talker. The Mexican is large bird,
and has green and yellow head. I
have Mexican bird which can sing
'Pcek-a-boo,' and would not take $500
for him. A valuable parrot is the Bra
lillian Amazon, green bird with n little
blue above his beale. But speaking of
these parrots we got from Mexico and
Cuba, the Cuban is the most numerous
and cheapest. They sell from S24 to 1886
o dozen. They have white heads, red
Threats and green bodies, and don't
learn to speak very plain. The Mexi-
cans bring from So. so to So apiece, the
African $40, and the single ycllowheads
from Selth America SIS.
'sThe blue head Amazon is scarce now,
and think that tho Indians are eating
them. Their flesh is exceedingly deli
cate. Last year about 1000 parrots
were imported to the United States, of
which sU6GGs or 5000 were from Cuba,
and the rest were from Mexico ififtff aatsher
countries. We get only few hun
dreds from Africa. Franco sends to
Africa for parrots, and we export many
parrots to England, Germany and Bel
GUM.
"You will find the parrot everywhere,
and he makes good citizen. The last
time was in Holland saw one that
was $50 years old, but by George, he
was cockatoo. Still he was a species
of parrot. "-Neu Yorb Tribune.