E. Maud Knobel—Character in Blue-fronted Amazon Parrots 73


De Von was visited, with the result that Ena was brought home. Now

Ena is an exceedingly independent nature—does not care to be nursed

or petted or even have his head scratched, but is developing into a

wonderful talker and whistler. He will come on my hand, in fact I

bring him down to breakfast like that every morning, but it is only on

sufferance. He is not yet in adult plumage, which I believe they don’t

obtain for two or three years, but he has moulted, and certainly looks

a lot better than a year ago. He is an elegant slim bird, with much

darker green feathers than either of my hens — a small, rather round

head, prettily marked with blue and yellow—more yellow than Richard

and like Richard the shoulder spot and speculum are pink rather than

red in colour. Richard will sometimes play in his cage either with

a piece of wood or chain, and very occasionally will lie on his back and

play with his toes in the way parrots do, but Ena, though he is still such

a baby, never has played, and I don’t think ever will. He is entirely

taken up with talking, and starts with my early tea at 7 o’clock in the

morning, though still covered over, and goes on till he is again covered

over in the evening. He literally laughs and cries the whole day

through. He cries at times in the most heartrending way, sobbing out

at intervals, “ Mother, I want Mother,” and when it becomes really

desperate he will suddenly stop and laugh as heartily as he had cried,

as if it had been the greatest joke. He makes all the noises of a baby,

and, I think, would deceive anyone. This accomplishment he learnt

elsewhere. Every morning he asks himself in the most concerned

manner, “ Ena, how are you ? Aren’t you well ? ” He imitates faithfully

cats mewing, dogs barking, the squeak of a certain tap, and other sounds

about the house, and as to whistling, I sometimes think he will drive

me grey, he is so quick at picking up. When first uncovered, and again

when it is getting time to be put to bed, he becomes very restless, and

it is the only time he shows an inclination to scream, but by taking him

on my hand and holding him up and letting him have a good flutter, it

generally has the desired effect of stopping him.


My third Blue-front that I have just now is quite a new acquisition,

having only been here three weeks. Dinah is a very young hen, and

one of the handsomest birds I have ever had. She has a slight

frontal band of blue, and a great deal of yellow of a deep colour,



