THE ASH-COLOURCD PARROT. 125 ' 



Attention Astonishing memory. 



parts of Africa. This bird is justly deemed supe- 

 rior to the green parrot, both in the facility and 

 the eagerness with which it imitates the human 

 voice : it listens with attention, and strives to re- 

 peat ; it dwells constantly on some syllables which 

 it has heard, and seeks to surpass every voice by 

 the loudness of its own. It seems to prescribe 

 to itself tasks, and tries every day to retain its 

 lesson. This engages its attention even in sleep ; 

 and Marcgrave asserts, that it even prattles in its 

 dreams. Its memory, if early cultivated, become. 1 * 

 sometimes astonishing. Rhodiginus mentions a 

 parrot which could recite correctly the whole of 

 the Apostles' Creed. 



A parrot of this species, which a gentleman 

 purchased at Bristol, not only repeated a great 

 number of sentences, but answered many ques- 

 tions: it was also able to whistle a variety of 

 of tunes. It beat time with all the appearance 

 of science; and so accurate was its judgment, 

 that, if by chance it mistook a note, it would re- 

 Tert to the bar where the mistake was made, cor- 

 rect itself, and still beating regular time, go 

 through the whole with wonderful exactness. 

 Its death was thus announced in the General 

 Evening Post, for the ninth of October, 1802. 

 " A few days ago died, in Half-Moon Street, 

 Piccadilly, the celebrated parrot of Colonel 

 O'Kelly. This singular bird sang a number of 

 songs in perfect time and tune. She could ex- 

 press her wants articulately, and give her orders 



