Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-11-05
Three Floors and Basement
Needed to Accommodate the
feathered Pets.
LIVELY new YORK HOUSE
Wonderfully Accomplished Parrots
and cockatoos, Temperamentai
Canaries and Brilliant Black
and Yellow Troplcals
That Initiate Musical
instruments.

cluD, at loU west SlXty-nIln street.
They counted up to the tooth bird that
had arrived the other day, and then
Il took so much time to serve bird
seed, meal worms, boiled eggs and
baked apples for the little guests that
they stopped counting, and no one
knows how many birds there are now
three floors and basement of them,
including a bird comic opera troupe
1t is very chatty place, this bird
club, and when reporter dropped In
a gay voice said "Hello!" cheerfully
and then began In a clear voice to
sing:
Yankee Doodle came to town riding on
pony,
Stuck a feather in his hat and called
1t Macaroni.
The nonchalant reception of a guest
was In keeping with the character OF
the singer, who is one Of the aristo-
Gratis of the club. He Is Mexican
yellow head parrot a wonderful bird,
one In 10000, worth many thousands
of dollars; there have never been a
dozen so valuable in the country and
his mistress would not take any price
for him. Polly is patriotic In his mus
ical selections; he sings Marching
Through Georgia" and shouts give
la France" and II you knew his mis-
tress you would know where he learn
ed the sentiments, for he speaks ex-
actly In her voice. Polly also knows
his primer and If he happens to be
In a showing-off mood he will ask:
"Can you spell cat? I can spell cat
cat, cat" He will do the same with
the word dog and wind up with:
"What does the canary do" and
with twitter and trills he will show
how the canary sings.
An Acrobatic cockatoo.
But the talented Mexican is not the
greatest bird socially in the club If he
IS worth in cold cash at least $1,000.
There is big white Malacca cocka-
too, "Coco," with a rose-tinted crest
who is In the $1,000 class and who
trots around the floor, does side
tracking dance when in frisky MOOD
and nips at visitors feet and really
does the honors Of the place. II a Wis
itor puts an inviting hand down to him
he is likely to take bite In earnest
though he rubs his head gently against
Miss Pope when she appears, nips her
ears and fingers, but ever so gently
He Is conceited creature and poses
for admiration openly. He does gym
nastic stunts on chair, and to attract
your attention and show you how he
does II he calls "Hello" now and again
In a voice that is astonishingly human.
He can converse fluently In both
French and Spanish.
While the club has its greatest num-
Der Of visitors In summer. II is an all
the-year-round affair and takes in not
only boarders, but hospital patients
birds that have bad manners and
others for one reason or another. Miss
Virginia Pope was the first woman TO
put the bird club and hospital on the
map. She has wonderful fondness
for the little creatures. birds having
been her favOrite pets from the time
she was q little girl, and she has re-
markable control over them and they
seem to have absolute confidence in
her. When she has taken in sick
bird that needs constant care and
warmth she has been known TO take
Il to bed with her and with II lying up
close TO her throat she has cared for IL
all night, ready to attend to its slight
est need.
Birds Are Temperamental.
"Glve the birds something to amuse
Them" says Miss Pope, especially the
parrots; clothes pins, buckle with a
strap, a key on a ring, or little bell,
and one parrot has been known TO
go to sleep with little china doll in
its claw, like child. Toys keep them
from pulling out their plumage.
birds are very temperamental. I
had one canary that could not per-
suade to take bath. 1t fluttered ts
wings and appeared very angry and
unhappy every time the bath was
brought until one day by chance |
brought the water In a very gay-col-
Ored little dish. / was surprised to
see 1t hop down to It quickly and there
was never again trouble with that lit
tie birds baths. The little tramp, as
] had called 1t, became a clean little
gentleman"
Birds 60 to the club sometimes to
learn good table manners. Some OF
them are very naughty about scatter
ing seed out Of the dishes onto the
floor. 1t Is bad habit which can be
broken. Parrots sometimes have not
the bath habit because in their native
climates there are heavy dews and
they are not accustomed to the baths
taken by smaller birds. A spray bath
with an atomizer or plant sprayer
twice week keeps them clean and
happy.
Birds are subject TO all sorts Of ills
which affect human beings. They
have indigestion II they have poor