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a perch, and it is rarely a parrot will lose the chance 

 of getting a step higher. After repeating this two or 

 three times the parrot will gladly come on j^our finger 

 whenever invited. This accomplished, the training is 

 complete, and although perhaps a more laborious 

 method than others, I find it the most satisfactory. 

 As to talking, I think by far the best plan is to have 

 the bird in the room with you whenever possible, and 

 by hearing conversation she will pick up more and 

 will pick it up quicker than by having one sentence 

 dinned into her. This repetition method often leads 

 to a bird returning the compliment and repeating one 

 sentence until 3^ou feel inclined to wring her neck. I 

 have tried both methods and will never go in for the 

 repetition business again. One is very apt to become 

 annoyed, and in all probability your heated remark 

 will be picked up at once whilst your oft repeated 

 phrase will be ignored. I have often noticed that a 

 cock parrot prefers a lady and a hen a gentleman ; 

 many fellow parrot lovers have noticed the same fact 

 and in choosing a parrot it does no harm to bear this 

 in mind, which, if the contention is correct, may make 

 a tremendous difierence in the length of time in train- 

 ing and taming. I alwaj^s myself choose a hen, and so 

 far have been most successful. 



As to diet a newly imported bird does best on 

 maize, and if the bird is young and its beak at all soft, 

 the maize should be steeped. I have found nothing 

 to beat Hyde's parrot mixture as a staple food. This 

 should be gradually introduced amongst the maize. 

 Each feed the maize should be decreased until the bird 

 is right on to the mixture. If you find that any par- 

 ticular ingredient is entirely and systematically left by 



