40 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



Now the attempt may be made to scratch the head while saying 

 a few words coaxingly, especially such words as it already knows; 

 this should be done in the twilight, or in the evening by gas 

 light ; soon it will be pleased with such caresses, and will even 

 put its head into its master's hand. These attempts should 

 always be made through the cage bars, through which one 

 should be able to reach easily (see ante, p. 21). The whole arm 

 should never be put through the cage door, for this always makes 

 the bird violent. Only after a long time, when it is quite 

 accustomed to be stroked through the bars, and is no longer shy, 

 should one begin to open the cage door and let it come out, and, 

 then, not unless the room is quite quiet ; it must also have 

 plenty of time to make up its mind, even if it be some hours, 

 before it comes out, and climbs on the roof of the cage. Very 

 soon it will look for this freedom with impatience. While it is 

 out of the cage the owner should devote a great deal of attention 

 to it. If it be tame enough to take food from the hand, catch a 

 finger in its beak without biting, or push its head into the hand 

 while one scratches the plumage with the other, then it is time 

 it should learn to perch on the hand. If it should take too 

 long a time to coax it to do this voluntarily, the bird must be 

 accustomed by forcible means to do it (see p. 37). In the 

 course of a week it will certainly be got to do so of its own 

 free will. 



Before I enter upon the practical directions for training, I 

 must first pronounce my verdict against an extremely im- 

 proper, but unfortunately widespread, prejudice. This is the 

 so-called "loosing of the tongue," which many people, how- 

 ever, consider absolutely necessary, and which others, for their 

 own advantage, declare to be desirable. I had, in common 

 with other writers on this subject, firmly believed that the 

 idea that a bird's tongue must be loosed in order that it may 

 learn to speak, only found favour among uneducated people, 

 and, therefore, had supposed it to be unnecessary to speak at 

 length about this superstition ; whereas now I find that it 

 is much more general than one could imagine. I even heard 

 lately that it was taught in a young ladies' school of 

 considerable standing. I also, from time to time, receive 

 inquiries on this subject. Therefore, it must now be dis- 

 tinctly declared that it is not necessary to loose the tongue of 

 any bird, but that it is great cruelty to animals, and only brings 

 profit to those men who speculate on the simplicity of others. 



