42 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



it should be praised when it is good and obedient, and scolded 

 when it is obstinate or will not obey. An intelligent bird 

 soon comprehends such things, and it is often really astonish- 

 ing with what sharpness and certainty it learns to know and 

 distinguish under such circumstances. In teaching the parrot 

 to sing one or more songs, or to whistle airs, care must be 

 taken that only one key be made use of, whether it be taught 

 by the mouth or by means of a flute. 



The parrot should at first be taught easy words, and progress 

 by degrees to more difficult ones. Every day, or at least from 

 time to time, all that the bird has hitherto learnt, almost 

 from the very beginning should be repeated, and only when 

 it is quite certain that it has all this by rote, or when it has 

 been recalled to its recollection, should new words be repeated 

 to it. In doing this, there must be no prompting while the 

 bird practises, if it stop in the middle of a word, or a wrong 

 double-syllabled pronunciation of the word may be learnt. 

 One must wait always until it has ceased to speak, and then 

 pronounce the word or sentence clearly once more. In break- 

 ing off the habit of uttering unpleasant or disgusting words 

 and sounds, one .must be careful not to laugh at them, for 

 that would only incite the bird to pursue its evil ways the 

 more eagerly, just as is the case with children. It can only 

 forget them if they are never repeated in its presence, and a 

 yet better plan is to interrupt it with some desirable expres- 

 sion the moment it begins to pronounce them. Constant 

 practice is necessary, not only for the bird which is being 

 trained, but also for finished speakers ; and it must always 

 be borne in mind that being at a standstill in any kind of 

 learning means falling off, and that, therefore, with but 

 scanty practice, the most highly gifted parrot is in danger of 

 "going back," that is, of forgetting or confusing what it 

 has learnt, or even of becoming stupid, and for this reason 

 declining greatly in value. Teaching gradually step by step 

 will certainly insure the parrot's becoming a good speaker. 



Of course, the talent of different birds varies considerably. 

 One may learn with difficulty and be able only after long 

 practice to pronounce a word, but then may remember it and 

 always retain what it has been taught ; a second catches 

 up words quickly, and even learns them at the first repetition, 

 but forgets just as quickly ; a third learns rapidly and 

 also remembers ; a fourth learns little or nothing ; a fifth 



