FOOD OF THE GREY PARROT. 533 



These, however, should be given with great caution, as several, such as parsley and cliick- 

 weed, are very hurtful to the bird. 



There are few things which a Parrot likes better than nuts and the stones of various 

 fruits. I once succeeded in obtaining the affections of a Parisian Parrot, solely through the 

 medium of peach-stones, which I always used to save for the bird, and for which he 

 regularly began to gabble as soon as he saw me coming along the street. When taken 

 freshly from the peach the stones are very acceptable to the Parrot, who turns them over 

 and over, chuckling all the while to show his satisfaction, and picking all the soft parts 

 from the deep indentations in the stone. As a great favour I sometimes used to crack 

 the stone before giving it to him, and his delight then knew no bounds. Walnuts when 

 quite ripe are in great favour with Pa,rrots ; and it is very curious to see how well the bird 

 sets to work at picking out their contents, holding the nut firmly with its foot, and 

 hooking out its kernel with the bill and tongue. A split walnut will give a Parrot 

 employment for more than an hour. 



Woody fibre is generally beneficial to these birds, who often try to gratify their 

 natural longing for this substance by pulling their perches to pieces. The Parrot owner 

 will find the health of his pet improved and its happiness promoted by giving it, every 

 now and then, a small log or branch, on which the mosses and lichens are still growing. 

 Some persons are in the habit of giving their Parrots pieces of meat, fish, and other 

 similar articles of diet, but generally with evil effects. The diet is too stimulating, and 

 keeps up a continual irritation in the system, which induces the bird to be always pecking 

 out its feathers. Many Parrots have almost stripped themselves of their plumage by this 

 constant restlessness, and I knew of an individual that had contrived to pluck himself 

 completely bare in every part of the body which his bill could reach, so that he presented 

 the ludicrous sight of a bare body and a full-plumaged head. The soaked bread and milk 

 which is so often given to these birds is, also, too heating a diet, and their bread should 

 only be steeped in water. 



The Parrot has the true tropical love for hot condiments, and is very fond of cayenne 

 pepper or the capsicum pod from which it is supposed to be made. If the bird be ailing, 

 a capsicum will often set it right again. It is rather curious that my cat has a similar 

 taste, having, I presume, caught it from her master. Some months ago, a careless cook 

 made a " curry " with a dessert-spoonful of cayenne pepper instead of curry powder, to the 

 very great detriment of the throats of the intended consumers. " Pret," as usual, pushed 

 her nose against my hand to ask for some of my dinner, so in joke I gave her a very red 

 piece of the meat. To my profound astonishment, she ate the burning morsel with great 

 zest, and became so clamorous for more that I could hardly satisfy her fast enough. 



The Parrot should be able to change its position, as it does not like to sit perpetually 

 on a round perch, and is much relieved by a little walking exercise. If possible, it should 

 have some arrangement to enable it to climb ; a matter easily accomplished by means of 

 a little wire cord and a small modicum of ingenuity. There should always be some spot 

 where' the Parrot can find a warm perch ; as all these birds are singularly plagued with 

 cold feet, and often catch sundry disorders in consequence. If it is kept in a cage, the 

 Parrot should never be confined in a brass prison ; for the bird is always climbing about 

 the wires by means of its beak, and is likely to receive some hurt from the poisonous 

 verdigris that is sure to make its appearance sooner or later on brass wire. An occasional 

 bath is very beneficial to the Parrot's health ; and if the bird refuses to bathe, tepid water 

 may be thrown over him with very good effect. 



When proper precautions are taken, the Parrot is one of our hardiest cage-birds, and 

 will live to a great age even in captivity. Some of these birds have been known to attain 

 an age of sixty or seventy years, and one which was seen by Le Vaillant had attained the 

 patriarchal age of ninety-three. At sixty its memory began to fail ; and ai sixty-five the 

 moult became very irregular, and the tail changed to yellow. At ninety it was a very 

 decrepid creature, almost blind and quite silent, having forgotten its former abundant 

 stock of words. 



A Grey Parrot belonging to one of my friends was, during the former part of its life, 

 remarkable onlv for its large vocabulary of highly discreditable language, which it would 



