TAMING AND TRAINING. 35 



but it may also become just as unbearable and worthless. It 

 gives the owner pleasure when the parrot learns to pronounce 

 or even sing words, to pipe or whistle airs ; indeed, the songs 

 of other birds are often repeated more or less faithfully ; but 

 how unpleasant is it when it imitates the screaming cries 

 of all the other birds which it hears, repeats all sorts of 

 shrill sounds, such as the crowing of cocks, the barking of 

 dogs, the creaking of doors, the whistling of steam engines, 

 the crying of children, &c. ! It must, therefore, be the task 

 of the trainer to divert its attention from all disagreeable, 

 and to accustom it to pleasant sounds. 



Although the love of parrots in all their varieties is surpris- 

 ingly active and wide-spread, yet it would assuredly be much 

 more extensive if many real or supposed drawbacks did not 

 present themselves. Many people have a dislike to parrots on 

 account of their ''amphibious-like climbing"; "their deceit, 

 cunning, and ill-temper" ; ''their dreadful noise" ; in short, on 

 account of many disagreeable habits ; but, according to my firm 

 conviction, founded on years of experience and exact observa- 

 tion, all such complaints rest solely on prejudice, ignorance, or 

 on the fault of the owner. The case is yet worse if, as Mr. 

 Dulitz says, the parrot keeper happens not to be a lover of birds. 

 The beautiful bird, in its pretty cage, serves only as an orna- 

 ment to the room. The talent of learning to pronounce words 

 at first gives pleasure, but after the charm of novelty has worn 

 off the bird only serves to amuse visiting friends and acquaint- 

 ances. It becomes more and more indifferent or wearisome to 

 its owner ; its care is left to the servants, and its fate becomes 

 joyless and pitiable, indeed it soon grows hateful to its owner. 

 Almost every parrot, particularly if highly gifted and lively, 

 wishes to love and to be loved — a fact which the amateur should 

 never forget. Whoever cannot fulfil this chief condition of the 

 parrot's well-being does very wrong in buying such a bird. All 

 mistakes in training, instead of producing the good results 

 which training ought, go. on the contrary, to bring out objec- 

 tionable qualities. A grave truth is contained in the saying 

 that " He who is not himself well instructed should not presume 

 to instruct others" — be it man or animal. Nevertheless the 

 training of our most favoured friends in the animal world, of 

 our most intimate companions among domestic animals, is, as a 

 rule, left in the hands of rough people, often not even good 

 tempered, and generally incapable of doing their work well. 



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