The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-07-28
GORGEOUS PARROTS.
Fighting Bird which Fought Its Way -
Banlshment.

q Fishting Bird which Fought Its Way -
Punishment.
With the ancients the parrot was not
. bird to be revered, SO far as can be
learned. 1t is not depicted on any of
The sacred scenes in stone that tell the
stories of the nations of old, nor has II
ever been found uummified in the
tombs of Egypt Most likely the an
clients thought il an uncanny bird, and
also dangerous one, with its capabili-
ties of repeating what it heard. An
other thing was that in those days
women had not much to say in the or
aering of the household. save in and
around the harem, and, perhaps, the
worthy satrap had enough of noise in
that part of his establishment thorough
ly to satisfy him and make him wish for
blissful silence in his own quarters.
The advent of the parrot into private
life is contemporaneous with the eman-
cipation OF women. II is only pet in
so-called civilized countries. The blacks
of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand,
the negro of the Congo, tie natives of
Central and Northern South America
had simply used the bird for food and
its feathers for ornament Some I'M
known woman of the Circassian race
must have found that it made more
noise than herself, told tales on her hus
band, and the trade began.
To many people nowadays the parrot
bird of ones earliest "reminiscences.
The bird had not its domicile in ones
own home, but It +, rned one of the
pets of a maiden aunt. woman to he
well thought OF and respected. and it
was instilled into the youthful mind,
however miscellaneous it may have been,
that no jokes were II be played within
the walls of her well-aept house In
furtherance Of these commands You
were fool enough to say pretty poll"
and scratch the Bonded head, and then,
looking curiou,ly round the room,
scratch the birds eye, the next moment
leaving part OF your finger and finger
nail In the birds beak.
These old-maid birds are generally
pious and are much more cared for than
the housemaid; but sometimes they end
In evil ways. The parrot that the pious
aunt Of VsrrisOpht Boomershine gave
him when about to Join his regiment,
In the hope Of keeping that worthy
youth from the pitfalls of military life.
was chockful of good Biblical advice,
but Verrisopht went on leave, and the
parrot was taken to the barrack-room,
whence it came back the most bias
phemous of birds. Profanity it took
kindly to. and SO shocked the maiden
aunt during an unexpected visit to the
barracks, that had she not died before
she could alter her will, Verrisopht
would have been left IL poor man.
The parrot from its birth is a noisy
bird. The bird in its nest makes more
noise than a dozen toucans, and when
old enough to Join in the flights that
every morning and evening cross the
tropical forests joins in the squawking
chorus that can be heard mile away.
But there are parrots and parrots.
The little love bird gives up its life to q
small twitter aud lust 70 kiss and kiss
and kiss again. while the royally-robed
macaw or white-plumed, yellow-crested
cockatoo spends its life in noise and
battle.
There Is one good thing to be said for
the parrot and that is that 1t will al
ways go to its brother in distress.
Whether from curiosity or kindliness
who can tell? Should you wound a
parrot you may he certain Of a good
bag. As you hear the next flock APP
preaching press the wounded bird with
your foot. The cries attract the other
birds and they circle round, giving one
some capital shots. 1t sounds little
cruel, but then the larder must be sup
piled.
In captivity, however, they are
strange birds, the larger numbers only
admirable for their plumage and hor-
ribly exasperating for the noisy monot-
cny of their voices But some undoubt-
eddy are amusing for their mimicry and
the affection they show. What man
has travelled abroad and has not seen
the parrot, apparently monarch of all
It surveyed, wandering with its side
long gait about the floor of the house,
and climbing every chair, making free
Of the lobe of the ear OF the visitor and,
missing the accustomed earring Of its
mistress. drawing blood from the guest
who foolishly wanted to make himself
agreeable? However slecpful a man
may be, if fate should lodge him In a
house where this bird is pet, he must
make up his mind to rise at early dawn.
or liz in bed and silently bless the
nuisance.-N. Y. Tribune.