74 E. Maud Knobel — Character in Blue-fronted Amazon Parrots


extending beyond the eye and well down on to the breast.

The shoulder spot and speculum are of a vivid scarlet, and the dark

blue of the flight feathers is very rich in colour. I think Dinah and

I fell in love at first sight, for she had only been a few hours in Gamage's

when I saw her and made her acquaintance. She came immediately

on to my hand, and let me do as I pleased with her. I visited her many

times, but for a whole month resisted her charms, but each time I saw

her I wanted her more and more until one fine day the deed was done,

and I brought her home. The first morning I uncovered her and let

her out of her cage she seemed rather cross. She had certainly got out

of bed the wrong way. I believe, however, this was accounted for by

her being covered over. She probably was not accustomed to it, and

was too hot. That was speedily rectified, and she has never shown

any sign of being cross since, except when she thought my father was

going to take her away from me, when she tried her beak on his thumb !

Now Dinah is absolutely the opposite to Ena. She plays about the

whole day, swinging on a chain, lying on her back at the bottom of the

cage, and playing with a bit of stick, and never seems tired. Yet to me

she is one of the most gentle and loving birds I have ever had. I can

do anything with her, and the moment I come into the room she wants

to come to me to be nursed and petted. She and Ena live in the same

room, one in each window, and she is beginning to try and copy Ena in

the way of laughing, which is amusing to hear, but beyond saying

" Hulloa " and " Pretty Bird " and singing a little, I have not heard

her do much in the way of talking until a few evenings ago, when I

came in, and I must say they were both " going it ". Ena was saying

all he knew, and Dinah was chipping in in a loud voice with " Hurrah,

hurrah, hurrah ", and then talking what sounded like Portuguese. In

the Avicultural Magazine for June, 1902, in an article of Canon Dutton's,

I see he says that " some people think that female parrots are much

gentler than male birds.'' This has certainly been my experience,

though I cannot say that my knowledge of male birds has been very

great, for out of the thirteen Amazon Parrots that I have had I believe

only two have been cock birds. But both those cock birds have been

good talkers, very independent, and they have not wanted to be petted.

I had a theory that if one only acquired a bird young enough one could



