Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-07-08
PoLLYs PROOF OF BRAINS.

least is endowed with reasoning facul-
ties to a surprising degree.
The following narrative of Polly's do
ings and sayings is an unadorned, plain
statement of facts, devoid of all exag-
geration or establishment. l make this
preliminary statement because there is
disposition to receive with consider
able salt the most serious utterances of
writer's of presumably humorous fiction,
and, in the next place, some of the re-
marks of my parrot betray greater
| degree of intelligence than is usually
accredited to feathered breeds.
Polly was purchased for twelve dol
lars at bird store on the Bowery. She
is what is known as "a double-headed
Mexican" the head and neck being a
bright yellow and the tail and wings
| tipped with red. The rest of her body
is of dark green color.
For several weeks after 'Polly'' be-
came a member of my family serious
| apprehensions as to her own conversa-
tional abilities were entertained, for
she was as silent as old Gen. Moltke
himself, when we were startled by her
singing in clear, ringing voice:
oh, you girls, you giddy young girls!
Polly had not resided on the Bowery
without paying attention to her sur
roundings. 1t seems this was the first
line of popular refrain. The proximi-
ty of concert hall to the bird explains
how the parrot had come to acquire the
words and music.
After this Polly began to make great
progress. She initiated the sad wall of
the midnight cat on the fence in the
back yard so perfectly that Skye ter
rier, ''Dudie" by name, ran yelping
through the house hunting for the sup
posed feline. 'Dudie's'' subsequent dis
cussions with cats were initiated to per.
lection, the bow-wows and meows of
the parrot not being distinguishable
from the real Article.
The warwhoop of our milkman-I
lived in Harlem at the time-and that
of neighbours milkman, who emitted
sort of double-barreled whoop, were
faithfully reproduced, as was the whistle.
OF the letter carrier, which is the most
difficult sound she has ever mastered.
This feathered photograph also learned
to sing in perfect time the words
''Peekaboo, see YOU" and 1.-The flow
ers that bloom in the spring. the latter
being the longest continuous sentence
she has ever been able to master She
can, however, initiate me calling the
dog, whistling and saying, Come here,
you Dude!'
When we first got the parrot it be-
came customary at meal times to ask
''Polly want some?" From that day to
the present time, whenever Polly sees
anybody eating she calls out ''Want
some. Polly want some" Having been
fed with crackers from paper bag,
whenever she sees a paper bag she con-
meets it with eating, and says: s'Polly
wants some" as she does when she
hears nuts being cracked or sees oranges
or apples.
This is certainly something more
than what is commonly called Sin
stinct." 1t shows the exercise to a
certain extent of the reasoning faculty.
Perhaps the most convincing proof
that parrots have the ability to as
soeiate ideas is to be found in Polly's
use of the word "good-by." When any
member of the family puts on coat, or
hat, Polly will invariably exclaim
''Good-by!" She infers that the person
is actually going out. because she has
heard that expression used when a hat
or wrap was put on. Even the use of
the words going OUT in conversation
impels the parrot to say ''Good-by!''
When a person enters the room Polly
calls out "Hello!' having heard the
word frequently used under similar cir
cumstances. Very rarely is ''hello!'
improperly substituted for ''good-by!''
This certainly shows a correct associ-
alton of ideas, and is not what is gem
orally understood as ''parrot talk
This parrot has unmistakable per-
sonal likes and dislikes While it is
and always has been dangerous for one
person to touch the bird, another can
handle her at all times with perfect i'm
punity, she holding out her head to be
scratched and encouraging other IA
miliarities. Towards myself Polly has
maintained an attitude of unbroken
hostility for four years. The origin of
her animosity was my pulling and sud-
denly letting go a rubber band, the
other end of which Polly had in her
beak. Time and again have l tried to
make up, but in vain. Quite recently
Polly bit a triangular piece out of my
hand and there is no hope of any future
reconciliation.
Among the traits of parrots may be
mentioned professional jealousy
Thinking might have twice as much
amusement If I had two parrots l pro-
cured a second one. No two rival
opera singers could have shown more
animosity toward each other. Polly re-
fused to converse as long as the other
| In ho nd -.
get rid of the other one, after which
the gratified bird resumed her former
loquacity.
Parrots will eat a great variety of
food, but the one / am describing OBJ
jects to dry bread or cake. On receiv-
ing piece of cracker, Polly viii carry
it with great deliberation to the cup of
water and hold it in the water until it
is thoroughly soaked before attempting
to eat it. Birds are not supposed TO be
as intelligent as dogs, but the parrot
soaking it's food to make it more pal
atable shows as muohAintelligenee as
the dog that buries piece of meat for
the same purpose.
Parrots have a sense of malicious
humor. When Polly has succeeded in
biting the finger of anyone she dislikes,
there is no doubt that she rejoices over
her triumph, for she laughs distinctly
hooking laugh, which says as plainly
as words: 'sHa! got even with you that
time" She, moreover, displays me-
ehanical skill in dislodging her feed cup
from the cage, and when it falls to the
ground with a chatter she laughs and
chuckles as if she realized that she had
perpetrated a practical joke.-Alex E.
Sweet, in N. Y. Herald.
PROVINCIAL FRANCE.