AFRICAN GRAY PARROT AND OTHER PARROTS. 103 



the Parrot to speak certain words, but everything said must awaken in its mind a 

 distinct perception. For this it is necessary it should have some conception of time, 

 place, space, and other circumstances. " Good morning 1" should be said early; 

 * Good evening ! " or " Good night !" late. " How do you do? " and " I am glad 

 to see you !" on arrival, and "Good by ! " on going away. One should knock, and 

 then call out, " Come in ! " Count out titbits to the bird, " one, two, three," or names, 

 ' nut, almond, apple." Later on it should be praised when it is good and obedient and 

 scolded when it is obstinate or will not obey. An intelligent bird soon comprehends 

 such things, and it is often really astonishing with what sharpness and certainty it 

 learns to know and distinguish under such circumstances. In teaching the Parrot 

 to sing one or more songs, or to whistle airs, care must be taken that only one key 

 be used for each song. 



The Parrot should at first be taught easy words, and progress by degrees to more 

 difficult ones. From time to time the lessons should be reviewed, all that the bird 

 has hitherto learned should be repeated, and only when it is quite certain that it has 

 all this well mastered should new words be repeated to it. In reviewing, there must 

 be no prompting while the bird practises if it stop in the middle of a word, or a 

 wrong pronunciatou of the word may be learned. Wait until the bird has ceased to 

 speak, and then pronounce the word or sentence clearly once more. Constant prac- 

 tice is necessary not only for the bird which is being trained, but also for finished 

 speakers ; and it must be borne in mind that no advancement in any kind of learn- 

 ing means there will soon be a falling off, and that Parrots, as well as those men 

 who possess "giant intellects," are ever forgetting or confusing what has been 

 learned. Teaching gradually, step by step, will certainly insure the Parrot becom- 

 ing a good speaker. 



FOOD, CARE, AND DISEASES OF PARROTS. 



Food. For nearly all Parrots when over four months old the regular food is 

 equal parts of cracked corn, unhulled rice, hemp, and sunflower seeds. Probably 

 nine Parrots thrive on this mixturewhere one will do better on some other variety. 

 It is necessary to watch each bird and withhold whatever may be for him indigest- 

 ible or otherwise harmful. Stale bread or cracker, soaked in a little water or in 

 coffee, plain or with milk, is good. Coffee is the usual drink, but for some birds 

 water is better ; others are made sick by drinking water. A piece of cuttlebone the 

 size of a walnut should be given daily ; six to ten peanuts may be given ; all other 

 nuts are likely to be injurious. Apples, oranges, bananas, red-pepper pods, and 

 lettuce may be given, selecting the kind which is good for each bird. Keep an 

 abundance of silver gravel in the cage. Greasy foods, meat, bones, butter, and 

 table dainties almost always cause diseases, which take a long time to cure. There 

 is one Parrot in, say, ten thousand, which can eat from the diuing-table and still live. 

 With proper attention to the food, cleanliness, and cage of the bird, it will seldom 

 be necessary for you to consult the articles on diseases. 



Cages for Parrots should be of suitable size to allow plenty of exercise, on 

 which largely health depends. The Cuban, and others no larger, may be kept in a 

 cage twelve or thirteen inches in diameter, though for even these the larger cages 



