Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-07-20

on one occasion when a newspaper mad
been read aloud in his presence, the
Colonel, on coming into the room, bali
an hour after, had, as he opened the
door, been convinced by the sound
that the same person was still reading
aloud, and was scarcely abls to believe
that it was the parrot repeating to him.
self inartjculate sounds precisely in
the tone and manner of the reader"
Among other peeuliarities of the
same bird may oe mentioned its pos
session Of an accurate ear for music, so
that it would beat time while it whis-
tied, and if il mistook a noto it would
evert to the bar where the mistake
occurred, and finish the tune quite
correctly. 1t could, too, not only
answer questions but give orders and
express its wants in a manner strongly
suggestive of a rational being.
When Prince Maurice was Governor
of Brazil ne heard of the remarE able
convers ltional powers of a certain old
parrot that was said to be able to an
swer questions Just like a reasoning
creature. He accordingly sent for the
bird, which was brought into a room
where the Prince was with a number OF
other persons. A few minutes after
wards the bird called out, "What a
company of white men are hereP'
| Asked "who he thought that man
was" the Prince being pointed to, il
answered, "Some general or other. u
/ The Prince then asked, "Where did
YOU come from?" s'From Msrinnan, "
answered the bird. ITO whom do you
| belong?" "To Portuguese. "What
do you do there?" 81 watchthe chick
ems" The Prince laughed, and asked
"You watch the chickeps?" "Yes; and
1 know how to do it well, rejoined the
bird, which then called out three or
four times, "chuckl chuck" as though
! bringing a number Of chickens to-
gether.
/ A friend of Buffon's possessed a yell
low-wlnged parrot which showed
great attachment to its master, but was
very capricions in its temper, expecting
a full return for every demonstration
of its civiIity. 1t would, IN play,
sonnet mes bite a little too hard and
then laugh heartily. If rebuked it be-
came refractory, and could only be re-
clalmed by gentle and kind treatment.
1t was dull and silent If confined in its
cage, but when set at liberty chattered
necessarily, and repeated everything
! that was said.
Alexander Wilson, the author of
american OrnithOlogy," while on one
! of his exped tions caught a parrot,
which lie put in a cage and placed I'M
| der the piazza of a house where he
J STAYED, below NatcheZ. BY its call it
coon attracted the passing tlocks OF
parrots, and, such is the attachment
| these birds have for one another, nu-
I IL. I L..
| the trees imme lately above, keeping
up a constant conversation with the
prisoner. "One of these" Mr.. Wilson
continues, 81 wounded slightly in the
wing, and the pleasure Poll expressed
on meeting with this new companion
, is really amusing. Sine crept close up
/ to it as it hung on the side of tie cage,
chattered to it in a low tone of voice,
as if sympathizing IN its misfortune,
scratched about its haa9 9p| peek with
her bill, and both, at night, nestled as
ciose together as possible, sometimes
Polls head being thrust among the
plumage of the other. On the death
of this companion she appeared rest
less and inconsolable for several days.
On reaching New Orleans [ placed a
looking glass beside the place where
perceived the image all her former
| fOndness seemed to return, so that she
could scarcely absent herself from 1t a
moment. 1t was evident that she was
completely deceived. Always when
evening drew on, and often during the
day, she laid her head close TO that of
the image in the glass, and began to
doze with great composure and satis-
faction. In this short time she had
learned to know her name, to answer
and come when called on, to climb up
my clothes, sit on my shoulder, and
eat from my mouth"
A friend of Mr.. Woods family had a
grey parrot which became so energetic
in her demonstrations of affection to-
wards some young goldfIches she
found III n nest ia rose tree, that she
frightened the parents away, and then,
seeing them deserted, herself became
their foster mother. "She was so at
teutiye to her little charges that she
refused to 60 back to her cage, and
remained with the little birds by n ght
as well as by day, feeding them care
fully, and forcing them to open their
heaks If they refused her attentions.
When they were able to hop about they
were very fond of getting on her back,
where fonr of them would grayely sit,
while the fifth, which was the Young
est, or at all events the smallest, al
ways preferred to perch on Polly's
head. With all these little ones on
her back Polly would very deliberately
walk up and down the lawn as if to
give them exercise, and would scme-
times vary her performance by rising
into the air, thus setting the ten little
wings IN violent motion, aud giving the
five little birds n hard task to remain
on her back. By degrees they became
less tlmid, and when she rose from the
ground they would leave her back and
fly down. They were but ungrateful
little creatures after all; for when they
were fully tledgcd they few away, and
never came back again to their foster
mother. Poor Polly was for some time
in great trouble about the desertion of
her foster children, but soon consolei
herself by taking care of another little
brood. These belonged to n pair of
hedge-sparrows, whose home had been
broken up by the descent of some
large bire Polly found the little
birds in dire distress, and contrived
IN some ingenious manner to get
them, one by one, on her back, to fly
with them to her cage. Here she estab-
lished the little family, never entering
the cage except for the purpose of ut
tending to her young charge. The
oldest part of the matter was that one
Of the parents survived, aud Polly was
seen to talk TO her in the most absurd
manner, mixing mp her acquired vo
cabul ry with that universal b:rd-lan-
guage that seems to be common to all
the feathered tribes, and plentifullY
interlardIng her discourse with sundry
profane expressions. At last the in
stinctive language conquered the hui
man, and the two birds seemed TO
understand each other perfectly"
A somewhat similar instance, is
recorded by Mr.. Buxton, as quoted by
Darwin in his "Dt scent of Man" In