34 OUR HOME PETS 



showing that his evil passions are aroused, 

 but it ruins him for agreeable house compan- 

 ionship. It develops bad temper and disa- 

 greeable ways, such as squawking in jays, 

 screaming in parrots, and harsh scolding in 

 others. It makes them irritable, malicious to 

 other birds, and often to children. 



To make him thoroughly happy, a bird in a 

 house needs some amusement ; he pines for 

 something to interest him, and, like a child 

 kept in, he should be provided with play- 

 things. A pet paroquet that I knew once, 

 though he had the freedom of his master's 

 house, was furnished with a small basket of 

 playthings, a bunch of keys, a bit of chain, a 

 spool or two, a few marbles, and other things. 

 The bird knew as well as any child that the 

 basket and its contents were his, and he made 

 a great row if any one touched them. Many 

 times a day he got down his basket, and 

 amused himself an hour at a time with its 

 treasures. 



Another bird a parrot had to be enter- 

 tained every day, and if people were busy and 

 he were neglected, he helped himself to play- 

 things. A favorite object was a spool of 



