230 Bird-keeping. 



the proper time to make use of them. The well-known 

 story of Henry the Seventh's Parrot, which, on falling 

 into the water, called out, " A boat ! twenty pounds 

 for a boat ! " and on its rescue, when the waterman 

 claimed the reward, gave orders to " give the knave a 

 groat," is only one of numbers of the same kind. They 

 will often repeat words apparently with the full know- 

 ledge that they are doing wrong, and expecting to be 

 scolded or punished for the offence. A bird of which 

 I heard some years ago, would always whistle the 

 " Grenadiers' March " whenever he saw a certain 

 colonel of volunteers ; but when the gallant officer 

 brought a party of ladies to his cage, instead of greet- 

 ing him as usual, he, apparently with malice prepense, 

 broke out into a torrent of bad language, which caused 

 his visitors to retreat in dismay. Another Parrot, now 

 living, appears, I am told, to have especial delight in 

 calling out in answer to the inquiry for his mistress, 

 " She 's gone to church or cha-pel," from some idea of 

 fun or mischief attached to the words (the lady being 

 entirely unlikely to go to any such unorthodox place 

 of worship). Parrots, too, will frequently act the part 

 of V enfant terrible of the house by making disclosures 

 which are not intended to be made, either by the 

 mistress to her guests, or by the servants to their 

 mistress. I have read an amusing anecdote of this 

 nature where, on the occasion of a grand dinner, a 

 Parrot betrayed the ordinary habits of the household 



