The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-10
SOME UNIQUE House
PETS IN WASHINGTON
Colonel RanSdell'S Sporty Ari-
IONA Quail.
Baroness HcnEeImuIIcr'S CHDarfC7
and Australian BufInnch md
Little Terrier sport.

Col. Daniel y RansdeU. Sergcaut-at-
Arms OF The Senate. has in his attractive
home or Capitol Hin one Of the most
unique and interesting house pots ever
seen N Washington. II is an Arizona
quail. the surviving one Of three that were
brought all the way from the Territory.
Tommy Atkins is the name Of the pet OF
the RansdeH family. and he is a beautiful
bird with brilliant plumage and topnot
that locks for All the world like the pom
pom Of fashionable woman's couture.
Tommy lives in the box in which ne
travelled all the way from Arizona and
when called upon to perform for the ladies
ard gentlemen be walks out into the mid
die OF the room with as stately a tread as
If ne we're dancing the minuet.
II Full of Tricks.
ne is highly intelligent and wiz jump
into a callers lap and perform various
tricks similar to those of a trained dog
Tommy is a very sporty bird. and Wntn
one makes a show OF teasing him ne viii
fly at the persons hand and fight like
gamecock.
He has a peculiar cry or whistle and
can talk back when addressed just as
parrot does
Strangely enough. however. there is
only one person in Colonel Ransdelfs
household the bird will talk with This
Is the younger son. who viii so 10 the top
floor of the house and. leaning over the
hanlstcrs. call Tommy in a coaNing voice.
Immediately the quail will answer back
and in the same tones viii keep chat
,ering as long as Tire boy talks 10 him.
Tommy is as tame as a house cat and
ance is demanded by all callers and is
neyer-ending source Of delight.
Baroness HeuEcImuIIcr's CannrieS.
Baroness Hengelmuner. wife Of the
Austrian Minister has turned her bou-
toir into a private aviary, and has now
Dve bird cages. each housing a fine sin
ger The baroness has so trained her
birds-most of them canariCs-that they
viii come ont Of their cages and 90 about
the room al will, each returning upon
signal from her.
Another pet. who also inhabits this
sunny apartment. is Spot "A Mexican ter
rier, w.o allows the birds TO walk all
over him. and take Liberties with his eyes
and nose.
Spot even tried to be polite TO an
Australian bullfnch which the baroness
brought TO Washington with her on her
land, but now all Of that is past and a
battle royal is waging at the legation
that is a source Of much amusement to
the Minister and his suite.
BuIIHnch Got Too Fresh.
AS one OF the servants put it, DOT
bullfnch got him too fresh. and took a
bath in the Dresden china bowl that was
purpOsely imported as a drinking dish for
Spot. Spot caught the bird in the act,
and the feathers fairly flew.
But the bullhnch escaped with its life
and now sits on the topmost perch Of tho
cage. and when Spot is IN the room gives
vent 10 mOurnful notes Of woe. If 10 ven
lures near the door Of the cage Spot is
underneath with lusty barks ready 20 re-
ceive and devOur II.
All peace negotiations on the part OF
the Minister and other diplomats have so
far failed. and the only way in which
the bullhnch gets it's regular outing is
TO turn Spot out OF the room for a time
and lock the door. All overtures Of peace
on the part Of the offending bird have
failed, aE.' the baroness, while amused,
IS in despair.