THE TALKING TRIBES 103 



was his offence, and did not repeat it to the 

 family. But here comes the proof of his intel- 

 ligence when a servant or stranger was in the 

 room alone, he would lean forward eagerly, and 

 in a sepulchral whisper propound his anxious 

 query, " Where's Alice ?" 



Another proof is furnished by a bird exceed- 

 ingly fond of one of the household, whom he 

 called " Mamma." On one occasion she felt 

 obliged to reprove him ; she spoke severely to 

 him, and threatened him with a little stick, 

 though she did not touch him. From that 

 moment he was alienated ; he no longer called 

 her by the tender name ; he was cross to her, 

 and even to her children, whom he distin- 

 guished from their cousins in the same house. 

 It was months afterwards when she told the 

 story, and though she had made every effort, 

 he still refused to be won back; he would not 

 forgive. 



Stories of this bird's intelligence are innu- 

 merable. Every parrot owner has a stock of 

 them, and one could easily collect enough to 

 fill many books. It is well known that parrots 

 are as capricious as human beings in their 

 likes and dislikes; but it is not so generally 



