Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-22
Parrots.

A lady was waiting in a hotel parlor
for an electric car when she heard a
call, "All aboard; here's your cart"
Starting up, she heard another call,
Hurry, hurry, now
SO she ran to the door as fast as she
could only to find that there was NJ
car at all in sight. But as she turned
back the same voice said, "Dick, you're
bad boy. Ha. ha! hal" and looking
up she saw a parrot swinging in his
cage.
Perhaps You have been cheated by a
parrot some time. for they love to make
people think someone is calling them
and many parrots can not only talk,
but can initiate very closely the voices
of those they hear.
And the parrot OF himself is q hand
some fellow. 1t is said that there are
| more beautifully colored. scarlet, Grim
son, blue, green, yellow and purple
birds among the parrots than any 9TH
er bird family. All the parrots have
big hooked bills, with which they can
bite hard and hold on tight. as you will
know if one has ever taken hold of
your finger. If you will notice one Oh
its perch, YOU will also see that of its
four toes, two always point forward
and the other two back.
But it is not alone because they are
such handsome birds that You so often
| see n parrot, but because it is natural
| for them to initiate the sounds they
| hear, which helps them to learn to talk.
| For the parrot observes III that is said
and done around him. He has an eX-
| Cellent memory, and Will often repeat
what h" has heard in Il very funny
way. Besides, he loves the company o.
people. and when he is in the mood for
il takes great pleasure in repeating
what he knows and attracting notice.
Though the parrot learns to talk by
hearing people, he is also carefully
taught. and in New York there is a
regular school for parrots.
"And how do they teach them"
think you ask.
II is III this way: The birds to be
taught are let loose III room, and
shut in with them is 4 parrot that can
say words Of one syllab such as
dog" cat yes no" and he
soon teaches them what he knows.
Then another bird that can say longer
words and simple sentences is put in,
and when they have learned all he
knows, one who can talk still better is
put in. OF course some parrots. like
some children. can learn much more
y easily than others. and these Smartest
ones are now taken by the man who
owns them and taught to say their let
| tiers, to sing. and perhaps to spell sim
pie words. For the more clever things
| a parrot can do. the larger price il will
bring. The gray parrots from Africa
| are said to be the best takers, but the
parrot family includes many birds. as
| the cockatoo. the parrakeet, the lory.
| and the macaW.
The maCdW parrots are large. snowy
birds, with very long pointed tails, and
| the most awful voices for Screeching
| that any bird ever had. Parrots are
| found in many lands, but the macaws
| only in Mexico ana South America
where their gay plumage brlghtens
| many a forest. The blue and yellow
macaw, orange-yellow below and
| bright blue above. is the one most often
seen. And for all il has such an ear
| splitting voice. ii can seldom be taught
| to talk, and is apt to bite. For its
beauty the macaw is often kept not
only in the Zoo but is a household pet.
| For Of them it is indeed true that cline
| feathers make fine birds. Selected.