11)0 CANARIES AND CAGE-BIRDS. 



written to point out inoiv definitely their specially attractive qualities. The two very 

 evident reasons why the Cuban is such a favorite are his gaudy plumage and his 

 low price. But these two reasons do not seem to us to account for the demand 

 that absorbs ten thousand Parrots of a certain variety ; while there are sold, proba- 

 bly, not a full thousand of all other varieties combined. That is a trite saying, 

 "It is hard to teach an old dog ; ' ' but it applies with especial force to any creature 

 who would learn a new tongue. It is pretty generally agreed, that a native American 

 can learn to speak French more fluently if he commences in childhood than if he 

 undertakes to acquire the language in middle life ; and we shall refrain from 

 absurdly undertaking to make you believe that our Parrots are smarter than your 

 best baby. 



The Cubans, when imported, are some of them not yet old enough to be in full 

 feather, ranging in age from two to four months. They are too young to know 

 even what fear is, and in some instances cannot feed. themselves. They are young, 

 they are tame, they are parrots, mimics, and good listeners. Every word and 

 every sentence spoken to them fall on a new, never-before-occupied brain. This 

 accounts for the fact, that, after a two-weeks' tutelage, the bird may exclaim in 

 mock-derision, " Bah ! I hate that Mr. Flanders ! " 



These birds are captured before they are old enough to fly from the nest, and are 

 brought to New York during the latter part of June and in July, in shipments of 

 six hundred to fifteen hundred birds. Some dealers immediately select promising 

 birds, and put them out with trainers for instruction : but the great proportion is 

 sold as soon as they arrive, buyers preferring to train the talkers to suit them- 

 selves ; many claiming that the regular trainers give too much Sunday-school 

 instruction, and not a sufficient variety of oaths and double-entendres. 



As stated above, the birds are very tame, being too young to know how to be 

 cross, and may be handled at once with impunity. If handled carefully, and not 

 teased and annoyed, they remain tame, and, of course, learn faster than birds that 

 are abused or tortured so they are in constant apprehension of bodily danger. 

 These birds sell for $4, $5, and $6 each. 



The docility of Parrots, the facility with which most kinds can be accustomed to 

 cage-life, and the talents they possess of imitating the human voice, and pronouncing 

 words or sentences, have made them favorite cage-birds, and sufficiently explain, 

 that, when America was discovered, they were found domesticated by the natives. 

 The first American Parrots, probably these Cubans, that were exported to Europe. 

 were carried by Columbus when he returned on his voyage of discovery, and were 

 with him when he held his solemn entry in Seville, March 31, 1493. 



In Cuba and other West-Indian Islands, Parrots are used for soups and other 

 highly prized dishes ; it is said that a stranger, lunching in a restaurant there, feels 

 somewhat apprehensive when he hears a waiter shout, " Two Cubans on toast ; " but 

 his fears are allayed when it is explained that the two Cubans are only Parrots. 



This bird is about twelve inches long. The upper parts are green, with a band 

 of white above the beak ; the throat and upper part of breast are bright scarlet ; 

 and the wings and tail-feathers are blue, green, and scarlet intermixed, making the 

 bird one of the most beautiful of the gorgeous-colored birds of the tropics. 



His food is the plain hemp-seed, with occasionally some unhulled rice mixed 



