216 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



first fluttered as if mad ; but by the fourth day it was corapletely 

 tamed, and soon I did not need to take it in my hand at all ; 

 for, when it saw me coming with the sponge, it voluntarily held 

 its head bent forward. When it was quite well it began to fly 

 about the room madly, by which it in no small degree disquieted 

 the other birds; but when I called 'Aral' it stopped at once, 

 and when I showed it the sponge it immediately flew to the 

 place where I had always washed its head, and let me take it 

 quietly in my hand. Now it is thoroughly tame, and allows 

 itself to be laid on its back, &c. Formerly a dreadful 

 screamer, and especially noisy in the morning, it has now been 

 trained, by a few cross words and light taps on the beak, to 

 abstain entirely from its cries. It is, moreover, charmingly 

 affectionate, and has learnt without any particular teaching to 

 say ' Ara ! Good Ara!' and 'Cockatoo I' just as plainly as any 

 Grey Parrot. A female (for such it proved later on by laying 

 eggs) of this species became just as tame, and learnt to say 

 exactly the same words, but pronounced them more softly." 



Mrs. von Proschek, who also received a specimen of these 

 parrakeets, informs us that it not only became uncom- 

 monly tame, but also chattered much and continuously, and 

 imitated the barking of dogs. Mr. Napoleon M. Kheil, of 

 Prague, bought from M. Petzold, a bird dealer of that town, two 

 specimens which proved equally gifted, droll, and affectionate, 

 lively and comical, as any other parrot. Certainly, at times 

 they uttered such harsh resounding cries as to be unbearable — 

 the more brightly the sun shone the more they screamed ; but 

 they also learnt to repeat some words. The Vienna bread, 

 which was given dry, was always carried by them to the water 

 vessel and dipped, in order that they might eat it wet. They 

 expressed their pleasure by uttering murmuring sounds. 



This species first appeared in the Zoological Gardens in 

 London in the year 18G4, when several specimens were shown. 

 Since then it has been seen in other gardens and at exhibitions. 



