THE BLOSSOM-HEADED PARRAKEET. 151 



in his time and had had a considerable experience of 

 life before his transportation, poor old fellow! He 

 never moulted again and after a time his plumage 

 became ragged and he himself as disreputable looking 

 an object as when he first passed under my care. 



He lived for several more years, however, and by 

 degrees his nails and bill grew to such enormous 

 length that they had to be cut to keep him from 

 involuntarily committing suicide by hanging. Then he 

 lost his hearing completely, and ultimately became 

 blind, but notwithstanding he had quite a good 

 appetite and was able to find his food and water as 

 readily as he did when he had the use of his several 

 faculties. In this sad condition he lasted for several 

 years more, presenting such a woful appearance that 

 he was nicknamed "Misery", a designation that was 

 singularly appropriate in his case, for he looked the 

 veriest picture of it. I do not think he suffered any 

 pain, for when roused he would move about actively 

 and his food and water were acceptable to him to the last. 



I should not have mourned for his loss, it may well 

 be supposed, and one day it occurred to me to try 

 an experiment with the poor old creature. I had always 

 understood that parsley was the prussic acid, so to 

 speak, of the Parrot race, and I gave a piece of it to 

 "Misery", who took the leaf from me gratefully and 

 ate it greedily, but did not seem to be "a ha'porth the 

 worse!" Another fallacy exploded I 



