The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-08-23
PARROTS AS ORNAMENTS.
Washington Girls Vow Carry Young
Birds That Match Their
Costumes.

Since the Audubon society and pub
lie sentiment have decreed that stuffed
birds are not appropriate ornaments for
civilized woman, Washington girls
Of the smart set have taken to live
birds. Live birds are far more inter-
esting, they say, and the plumage of
some of the birds that were too large
to go on hats is far more brilliant than
that of the small ones.
To properly carry out this fashion it
is necessary to have variety of birds
of gay plumage which are well trained.
The parrot is best adapted to the pur-
pose and is most used. The extensive
importation of young Cuban parrots
has made il possible to get an excellent
specimen for from four to ten dollars.
These emerald birds are generally the
nucleus for whatever collection is
made. They are tanner than other birds
and are less inclined 20 struggle for
freedom. For this reason it is better
to start with parrot rather than with
a wilder bird. He seems perfectly sat
isfied to clutch the T-shaped handle of
| the parasol, which serves as his perch,
his yellow crest bobbing rhythmically
up and down, as if he were trying to
| save himself headache, while his mis-
| tress, with easy grace, carries the closed
parasol with the handle up. If he be
| well trained he will need nothing to
| hold him.
| OF course the birds and the frock
worn should have agreement in color.
1 Of . n -ha fret IN
introduce the fad only appears with
her parrot when dressed in black, with
which is combined the brightest green
Ia green which exactly matches the
| green of the birds plumage. For cos
tune in which red is the predominant
| color she has splendid red bird, whose
perch is a slender baton of wood about
ten inches long. This slight rod is held
as is closed fan. A delicate chain OF
silver aluminium around the ankle Sc
cures the bird. This is hardly neces-
sary. however, as the bird has learned
it's duties perfectly. Four birds are
now being trained for the same pur-
pose.
A prominent Washington dealer in
birds said:
IL have observed the fashion. al
though it is very recent. Going down
Seventeenth street | saw a woman in
a carriage with two paroquets. | made
| up my mind then that while / did not
think the idea is destined for much pop
ularity, it is not well to be unmindful
| of such things. If there is any call
for them | shall be ready to supply the
| demand"
| The same young man who, thorough.
| ~ up to date and alive to the new
things, gave his best girl a white rab-
bit some few weeks ago, recently pre-
sented her with beautiful, well-trained
| parrot and a green parasol with an
especially made handle. But the girls
who know of the gift are puzzled to de-
termine whether it is only thought.
| full, clever present, or deep, Machiavel-
| Ian scheme of his to discover what they
| say about him.
With the latter possibility in mind,
they teach the parrot to say: Charlie
| is a bright boy" and other non-commit-
tai phrases. So when Charlie goes to
interview Polly alone he will probably
be disappointed in the result.
The custom will encounter difficulties
in some states if it gets beyond the
parrot stage. There are stringent laws
in many states which prohibit the keep
| ing of certain birds of the forest cap
tive. The parrot is safe from these,
however, and we may expect to see fair
madens stalking about like Robinson
Crusoe with his famous bird.
Il think it's awfully silly" said one
young woman, ito use a parasol just
as a perch. The parasol part of it is
no good at all to one. You have to keep
it closed, with the handle part upper
most all the time. But | suppose that
| the effect intended is that while you
were out walking beautiful bird, at
tracted by your good lool-s, came out
of the sky somewhere, and that you had
to improvise perch for it,"
This fancy is in no way akin to fall
conry, but we may soon hear of hoods
| and "tagles."- N. Y. Herald.