PARROTS. 37 



scream for help, as though being shaken, and call out again, 'Don't shake me; you rascal! 

 All! that's the way of the world! alas! alas! Don't shake me, you rascal!' and then laugh 

 with great distinctness. If anything ailed him, he would exclaim mournfully, ' Poor Poll is ill ; 

 poor little parrot !' If annoyed, his tone became defiant — ' Wait a minute ; I'll come and punish 

 you !' If ever he saw the cloth being laid, or heard from a distance that preparations were making 

 for a meal, he would immediately call out, ' Let's go to dinner ! ' When the family were at breakfast 

 he would ask, ' Am I to have anything ? I should like some chocolate ! ' He would remain quiet 

 as long as his master slept ; but if in another room would begin singing and whistling at break of 

 day. In order to see if it would be possible to teach Jako to sing, we selected such words as he could 

 say, and he was soon able to sing a verse of a song ; he could put in harmonies, and readily run 

 up and down the scales, and learnt to whistle many scraps and shakes. He never kept to the same 

 key, but would take the air half a tone higher or lower, and yet never utter a false note. Whilst at 

 Vienna he was taught an air from ' Martha,' and on being shown a dance, tried to imitate it by raising 

 one foot after another, and putting his body into dancing attitudes. Kleimayrn died in 1853, and 

 Jako fell ill, as it would seem, from pining after his beloved master. In 1854 he was so weak that he 

 had to be laid in a little bed and carefully tended ; he continued, however, to talk incessandy, and 

 after saying, 'Your poor little parrot is ill !' — died." 



A young lady has given us the following particulars about another "Jako :" — "The parrot of 

 which I am about to speak was given me by a man who had lived for many years in the East Indies. 

 The bird at first knew nothing but Dutch, but soon learnt German and French, and after a time 

 spoke as clearly as a human being in all three languages ; he was so observant that he often 

 used phrases which had never been taught him, applying them on fitting occasions in the most 

 astonishing manner. He said a number of disjointed Dutch words and sentences, intermixing 

 German quite correctly when the phrase was not forthcoming in the former language. He 

 could ask, answer, and request you to give him something, and thank you for it, varying 

 the use of the words according to the time, place, or person. ' The little parrot wants something to 

 eat ! ' If he did not get what he wanted, he would immediately scream out, ' I must and will have 

 something to eat ! ' And if still kept waiting would begin throwing everything about to vent his 

 anger. He said ' bon jour ' in the morning, and ' bon soir ' in the evening j asked permission to 

 retire, and took his leave of us. When he was carried out, he would say, ' Bon soir, bon soir.' 



" This bird was particularly attached to his mistress, from whom he received his food, and would 

 press his beak on her hand, and say, ' Kiss the lady's hand.' He took great interest in all she did, 

 and whilst she was busied with something would often ask, with most comic earnestness, ' 'What 

 is the lady doing ? ' After her death, he evinced great sorrow, and it was only widi difficulty 

 that he could be persuaded to take food, or that his life could be preserved. He whistled 

 wonderfully well, particularly the tune, ' Ich dank dir schon durch deiner Sohn,' and sang most 

 beautifully. He would say to himself, ' Polly must sing a little,' and then begin — 



" ' Perroquet mignon, 

 Dis moi sans facon, 

 Qu'a-t-on fait dans ma maison 

 Pendant mon absence.' 



Or— 



Then he would sometimes say- 

 Or— 



" ' Ohne Lieb mid olme Wein 

 Konncn wir doch leben ? ' 



" 'Ohne Lieb und ohne maison 

 Konnen wir doch leben.' 



" ' Ein Kuss — satis /at;<m.' 



