276 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



I shall conclude this brief demonstration of the keen 

 sympathy which may exist in birds, by quoting the follow- 

 ing very conclusive case in the words of its distinguished 

 observer, Dr. Franklin : * — 



I have known two parrots, said he, which had lived together 

 four years, when the female became weak, and her legs swelled. 

 These were symptoms of gout, a disease to which all birds of 

 this family are very subject in England. It became impossible 

 for her to descend from the perch, or to take her food as formerly, 

 but the male was most assiduous in carrying it to her in his beak. 

 He continued feeding her in this manner during four months, 

 but the infirmities of his companion increased from day to day, 

 so that at last she was unable to support herself on the perch. 

 She remained cowering down in the bottom of the cage, making, 

 from time to time, ineffectual efforts to regain the perch. The 

 male was always near her, and with all his strength aided the 

 feeble attempts of his dear better half. Seizing the poor invahd 

 by the beak, or the upper part of the wing, he tried to raise her, 

 and renewed his efforts several times. 



His constancy, his gestures, and his continued solicitude, all 

 showed in this affectionate bird the most ardent desire to relieve 

 the sufferings and assist the weakness of his companion. 



But the scene became still more interesting when the female 

 was dying. Her unhappy spouse moved around her incessantly, 

 his attention and tender cares redoubled. He even tried to open 

 her beak to give some nourishment. He ran to her, then re- 

 turned with a troubled and agitated look. At intervals he 

 uttered the most plaintive cries ; then, with his eyes fixed on her, 

 kept a mournful silence. At length his companion breathed 

 her last ; from that moment he pined away, and died in the 

 course of a few weeks. ^ 



The jealousy of birds is proverbial ; and that they also 

 manifest the kindred passion of emulation, no one can 

 doubt who has heard them singing against one another. 

 Mr. Bold relates that a mule canary would always sing at 

 his own image in a mirror, becoming more and more excited, 

 till he ended by flying in rage against his supposed rival. 



The late Lady Napier wrote me, among other ' anec- 

 dotes of a grey parrot left on a long visit to the family of 

 Greneral Sir William Napier, at the time residing in Grer- 



' Zoologist, vol. ii. 



