220 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



wards it learnt to say, " Good niglit, doctor ! " the names 

 "Marie," "Julie," and "Leo," and "Well! Bilberli, where 

 are you ? " At the same time it would try to bite the fore- 

 finger, if held out to it, so that one had to take care when 

 feeding it, and if scolded it cried out angrily, "Go away! 

 Just wait, you rascal, I'll come to you 1 " Another time it would 

 ask, "What are you doing? " and call out "Come down ! " It 

 could laugh and sneeze, and when it did the latter it courteously 

 wished itself "Good health!" "It rejoiced greatly at my 

 return after a lengthened absence, and in its delight chattered 

 most comical gibberish. But with all its affection and drollness, 

 it uttered sometimes a most intolerable scream, and was so obsti- 

 nate that it could not be silenced with threats. It occasionally 

 interrupted itself in a comical manner by exclaiming, ' Be quiet ! ' 

 and in this way it now and then admonished me if I made a 

 noise by whistling or otherwise. If I sang or whistled something 

 to it, it stretched itself to the utmost, and stepped gravely and 

 with erected plumage up and down the perch, as if dancing, 

 uttering now and then a whistle or cry. It had not accom- 

 plished much in the way of singing ; it tried the tunes ' Kommt 

 a Vogerl' geflogen,' and 'e Briefle auf mei Fuss!' It would 

 rest at night suspended from the wire. Its diet consisted of seeds 

 only — millet, canary seed, oats, and sunflower seeds — with a 

 little whey cheese, turnip, or fruit, and with this it seemed to 

 thrive well. It never spoke in the presence of strangers. If 

 my own cat came into the room it took no notice, but would 

 greet a strange one with a cackling cry. I might here remark 

 incidentally that another Half-moon Parrakeet, owned by a 

 friend of mine, also learnt to speak very well." 



A bird of this species in my own possession became tame 

 without any trouble on my part, and when I went into the 

 aviary would fly at once on to my shoulder or climb upon 

 my outstretched finger. It may, I think, take precedence of 

 all its congeners in teachableness and gentleness. It is usually 

 sold in couples. 



