THE FESTIVE AMAZON PARROT. 225 



For example, if he anathematized his eyes and limbs 

 when there was no one present but ourselves, well, it 

 did not much matter; but when he repeated the remark 

 with the substitution of "your" for "my" in presence 

 of the Vicar, oh dear! it was shocking 1 and the dear 

 man very pardonably exclaimed : " What a dreadful bird I " 



But, after all, poor "Butcher" had no idea of what 

 he was saying, or took it for granted, perhaps, that 

 whatever he heard proceeding from the lips of a 

 superior human being must be all right: how was he 

 to discriminate between a Minister of the Gospel and 

 an infuriated carter whose vehicle had stuck fast in 

 the slough of Rye Lane? 



How indeed? but my reverend friend was not 

 unreasonable, and ultimately smiled and forgave "the 

 Butcher" for his reprehensible, language in considera- 

 tion of the marvellously life-like manner in which he 

 uttered the mysterious words: "It's just like a rabbit 1" 

 an expression he had only heard once and whereby 

 hangs a tale, not to speak of a tail, the particulars of 

 which have already been made public. 



The general colour of the Festive Amazon is green : 

 his bill is light horn- colour, and just above it is a 

 narrow band of red immediately succeeded by one of 

 light green, and that by another of a lilac shade which 

 reaches to the middle of the head. The cheeks are 

 brilliant verditer green; the flights, blue; and the rump 

 (or lower back) red. 



15 



