GREEN PARROTS 195 



it, for parrot-catching is quite a profession, so large is 

 the demand for captive birds — and then sets in likely 

 places split pieces of bamboo smeared over with bird- 

 lime. When daybreak comes the unlucky birds that 

 have chanced to roost on the limed bamboos find that 

 they cannot get away, that they are stuck to their 

 perches ! 



Natives of India are very fond of taming parrots. 

 They capture the birds at an age when they are unable 

 to feed themselves. These young parrots are considered 

 as members of the family, and are allowed to roam 

 about at large in the room in which their master lives. 

 They make a great noise and so are not very desirable 

 pets. 



I am sometimes asked by those who keep parrots 

 how to make them talk. This is not an easy question 

 to answer. Some birds are much more ready to learn 

 than others. I do not consider that the various Indian 

 species make such good talkers as some other kinds, as, 

 for example, the West African parrot — the grey one 

 with the red tail. Nevertheless, what follows applies 

 indiscriminately to all species of parrot. If you want 

 to make a bird learn quickly to talk, use plenty of bad 

 language before it. It is really wonderful how rapidly 

 a parrot will pick up swear words. There appears to 

 be an incisiveness about them which appeals to parrot 

 nature. As a rule it requires much patience to teach a 

 parrot anything except profanity. Constant repetition 

 of the same sound before the bird is necessary. The 

 gramophone is said to make the best teacher. The in- 

 strument should be made to repeat slowly and steadily 



