OF ANIMAL SAGACITY. 21 



the story. 9 The circumstantial details were such as to enable 

 me to investigate the matter for myself. 



I had no opportunity of doing so till August 1875, when, 

 being in Edinburgh for a few days, I called upon the photo- 

 grapher referred to for the purpose of seeing his parrot, 

 and of hearing for myself the character of its ' speech.' 

 With Mr. Truefitt himself I had a long interview ; saw pho- 

 tographs of the animal, and heard many anecdotes illus- 

 trating its intelligence. Among other information he gave 

 me the name of the writer of the article in 'Chambers's 

 Journal,' who proved to be an English clergyman. The parrot 

 itself was in the country at Cramond, near Edinburgh 

 in charge of Mr. Truefitt's mother, who was more fully 

 acquainted with all her pet animal's peculiarities, in con- 

 sequence of the closer intimacy of her association with it, 

 than any other member of her family. 



My object not having been gained by a mere conversation 

 with Mr. Truefitt, I devoted a day to a pilgrimage to Cra- 

 mond. There I saw the bird, and had the benefit of a long 

 interview with its mistress. The result of all which enquiries 

 was that, though I saw the bird to disadvantage after an 

 illness and just before dinner, when it is always indisposed 

 to conversation I was convinced of the truthfulness of all 

 the statements regarding it ; for instance, those which illus- 

 trate its appropriateness of remark. It so happened that 

 about the same time Edinburgh was visited by a troupe of 

 performing dogs, whose feats were made the subject of exhi- 

 bition at one of the theatres. The newspaper reports of 

 course bepraised those feats as something marvellous. I 

 therefore devoted an evening to attend at the said exhibition ; 

 and here again I was left in no doubt as to the genuineness 

 of the proofs of intelligence called forth by proper training. 

 The occasional mistakes of the animals dogs of different 

 breeds were quite as instructive as their more successful 

 performances, showing, as both did, the operation of an in- 

 telligence quite comparable to man's. 



Seeing especially that I have entered more fully on this 

 subject elsewhere, I cannot occupy space here with further 

 examples of the results of my efforts to establish the authen- 



