292 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



Anecdotes." "A few days ago, died, in Half Moon Street, 

 Piccadilly, the celebrated parrot of Colonel O'Kelly. This 

 singular bird sang a number of songs in perfect time and 

 tune. She could express her wants articulately, and give her 

 orders in a manner nearly approaching to rationality. Her 

 age was not known ; it was, however, more than thirty year? ; 

 for previous to that period, Colonel O'Kelly bought her at 

 Bristol for one hundred guineas. The Colonel was repeatedly 

 offered five hundred guineas a year for the bird, by persons 

 who wished to make a public exhibition of her ; but this, out 

 of tenderness to the favourite, he constantly refused. She 

 could not only repeat a great number of sentences, but answer 

 questions put to her. When singing, she beat time with all 

 the appearance of science; and so accurate was her judgment 

 that if by chance she mistook a note, she would revert to 

 the bar where the mistake was made, correct herself, and still 

 beating regular time, go through the whole with wonderful 

 exactness." A Grey parrot is said to have been sold in 1500, 

 for a hundred guineas, to a Lord, High Cardinal at Rome, on 

 account of its ability to repeat, without error, the Apostles' 

 Creed. 



The Orey The Grey Parrot though less attractive in colour 

 Parrot. than other species, is perhaps the most popular 

 of the parrot family on account of its superior accomplishments 

 as an imitator of familiar sounds. Mr. Jesse secured from 

 a lady friend a description of the performances of a grey 

 parrot which resided at Hampton Court, from which we 

 quote the following : " Her laugh is quite extraordinary, and 

 it is impossible not to help joining in it, more especially 

 when in the midst of it she cries out, 'Don't make me 

 laugh so; I shall die, I shall die!' and then continues 

 laughing more violently than before. Her crying and sob- 

 bing are curious; and if you say, 'Poor Poll, what is the 

 matter?' she says, 'So bad, so bad; got such a cold;' and 

 after crying some time, will gradually cease, and making 



