The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-17

A Wonderful Creature, Possessing
Five Senses of an Acute Degree.

Five Senses of an Acute Degree.
From the Washington Star.
ornithologists have discovered that the
parrot is a wonderful bird In more re-
spects than that OF being able to talk 1t
has been learned by those skilled in bird
cult that the vari-hued biped is a crea-
ture possessing a rare degree each of the
five senses-seeing, hearing, touching,
tasting and smelling-and significance of
each.
The parrot is placed by naturalists at
the head of the bird creation; nor is this
on account of its vocal capacity. but be-
cause of its intellectual superiority and
it's adaptability to circumstances.
A clever journalistic writer has recently
shown the close relation between the pos
session on the part of an animal of an
organ, or organs, by which it is enabled
to judge rightly of the relation of objects
and the mental status of that animal In
addition to their prehensile feet, which
are nearly as highly developed as human
hands, parrots are provided with a high
ly developed prehensile bill, and within it
a tongue which acts in reality as an or
gan of touch But this is not all. The
parrot alone, among all birds. has the
power of moving the upper as well as
the lower java popularity very noticca-
blo WH6H IL HdpSS eAdNllN ike a hutldn
being. 1t is this strange mobility of both
the mandibles at the same time, combin-
ed with the crafty effect of the sidelong
glance from those artful eyes, that gives
the characteristic air of intelligence and
wisdom to the parrots face. One nat
urally expects so clever bird to speak,
and when it turns suddenly with some
appropriate remark no surprise is occa-
stoned
The exquisite sensibility of the parrot TO
the slightest sound or movement in its vi
cinity, or even at some considerable dis
lance, suggests it's life in its native for
est The way the bird holds a piece of
fruit or meat bone in one claw while he
strips off the rind or the meat dexterous-
ly with the lower mandible, keeping a
sharp lookout meanwhile for a possible
intruder, conveys the whole story of life
in the jungle better than Kipling has.
One sees in that act the watchful mon
key, ever ready to swOop down upon the
dainty plumege of the parrot, who ever
and anon changes his position on his
perch as if he felt himself upon the
spreading boush of tree, and desired to
scan every portion of the dense, tropical
foliage
The African gray parrot is in many re-
spects the most remarkable and highly
bred in the world. Though not arrayed
in such gorgeous attire as his brethren
in other parts of the world, his sober
suit Of gray being merely enlivened by
his cardinal red tail, he is a strlkingy
handsome bird. Seen in an apartment
shaded from the glare of day, he is Meth
er beautiful nor gaudy. but when the
sunlight quivers upon his plumage. the
contrast between the exquisite pearl gray
and glowing red is both rich and gor-
geous, 1t is then also observed that
the delcately tinted feathers, from a mi
croscopic minuteness on the head to
feathers several inches on the tail, are
of texture that is rarely seen on any
other bird.
The discovery of a new species of par
rot is even at this late day no uncom-
mon event in the scientific world. The
common belief that parrots are exclusive
ly tropical birds is mistake. though
most, If not all varieties introduced
as pets are from the tropical regions. In
this country the Carolina parrakeet at
the beginning of the last century. used
to range in summer as high as the shoes
of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, and even
within the last forty years it reached,
according to trustworthy accounts, the
junction of the Ohio and Mississippi riv-
ers, though 1t is doubtful IL parrots have
been found in their wild state above the
Gulf states.
1t may be remarked that, with all its
high intelligence, no parrot has yet laid
claim to being a saint. The moral de-
ficiencies and reckless animal spirits Of
the bird were commented on by the phil
osophers of old Rome in the days of Nero,
who caused numbers of Parrots to be i'm
ported from Upper Egypt. They became
a very fashionable pet in Rome. and
were lodged I'm cages of tortoise shell
and ivory. with silver wires. but they
were professediy- esteemed IS ceiicecies
for the table. and one emperor Is said
to have fed his lions with them, just as
Vitellus caused to have prepared a dish
composed of the brains of 10000 peacocks
The beauty of the parrot has been sung
by some of the foremost Roman poets.