202 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



itself, Laving been introduced either purposely or by chance. 

 The dealers distinguish between the birds from the different 

 continents ; the adult fuU-plumaged birds from Asia having 

 red, and those from Africa black, beaks. 



There can scarcely be any other parrot so frequently stolen 

 from the nest, and reared by hand, as this ; and, therefore, it 

 not only comes into the market very numerously, but most of 

 the Eing-necked Parrakeets are already tame enough to perch 

 on the finger. This is especially the case with the Indian birds, 

 for most of those sent from Senegal or Ceylon are caught in 

 nets in great numbers when old. 



The Ring-necked Parrakeet is, indeed, of great value as a 

 cage bird, for whether taken from the nest when young, or 

 caught when old, it soon becomes very tame, in the first case 

 surprisingly soon. In some cases it learns at once to speak well. 

 There is a case on record where a parrakeet of this species 

 acquired a hundred words, and, indeed, whole speeches ; more 

 over, it learnt to pronounce several languages, English, Ger- 

 man, and French, clearly and distinctly, and at the same time 

 exhibited extraordinary cleverness and intelligence. The dis- 

 agreeable qualities of the Noble Parrakeets, mentioned on p. 199, 

 are, however, always found, even in the most accomplished 

 speakers. On the other hand, an advantage possessed by these 

 birds is their great hardihood, for they have been successfully 

 kept in the open air throughout the winter. 



Mr. Photograh Otto Wigand, of Zeitz, was the first to breed 

 the Eing-necked Alexandrine Parrakeet, and to describe the 

 plumage of the young birds and its change of colour. By the 

 observation thus afforded all previously disputed points were fully 

 cleared up. 



Whoever wishes to buy a Eing-necked Parrakeet should 

 choose, if possible, a young and uniformly green bird ; it is 

 immaterial whether it may afterwards develop the colours of 

 an adult male or female. An old, wild bird, which screams at 

 every approach, should be avoided. The food mentioned on 

 p. 199 should be given. With regard to taming and training, 

 attention should be pai^ to the remarks on p. 34, et seq. 



