The Hoary Parrot. 297 



tible of imitating the human voice are eager to Hsten to children, 

 whose articulation is imperfect and unequal, and therefore more 

 correspondent to their own. But the hoary parrot copies also 

 the deep tones of the adult ; though the effort is laborious, and 

 the words are less distinct. One of these birds was so complete- 

 ly drilled by an old sailor, that it acquired exactly his hoarse 

 voice and cough ; and though it was afterwards committed to a 

 young person, and was in no other company, it never forgot the 

 lessons of its first teacher, and it was amusing to observe its tran- 

 sitions from a soft gracious note to its former hoarseness and coarse 

 marine tones. 



But not only has this bird a facility to articulate words, it has 

 also an eagerness in imitating the human voice. It listens with 

 attention, and strives to repeat ; it dwells constantly on some syl- 

 lables which it has heard, and seeks to surpass every other voice 

 by the loudness of its own. We are often surprised at its repeat- 

 ing words or sounds, which we never taught it. Aldrovandus 

 gives an account of a parrot belonging to Henry VIII. which was 

 generally kept in a room, the window of which overlooked the 

 Thames. It had learned several phrases which it had heard the 

 boatmen and passengers repeat. One day while playing on its 

 perch it unfortunately fell into the river. No sooner was it ap- 

 prised of the danger of its situation than it screamed loudly, Jl boat ! 

 Ji boat ! Twenty pounds to save me ! A boatman passing by, 

 thought it to be a person, and precipitated himself into the water, 

 to save, as he thought, some one drowning. But on taking it 

 out he discovered it to be the parrot belonging to the king. He 

 accordingly carried it to the palace of the king, demanding the 

 twenty pounds for his reward. The story being related, the king 

 cordially fulfilled his parrot's promise. 



About forty years ago, a very essential discovery was detected 

 at Dublin, by means of a parrot. The Lord Mayor, with his 

 suit, enforced a law of entering, unexpectedly, all the shops of 

 that city so as to examine the goods, weights, measures, Sfc 

 Having once visited the shop of a baker, and the weight of the 

 loaves found just, they were well satisfied and were leaving the 

 shop, when a parrot that was in a cage, fastened at the window, 

 vociferated, Look in the cabinet ! Look in the cabinet ! On hearing 

 this the Lord Mayor and his suit entered a small room which 

 they had overlooked, in which several loaves were found that 

 were of unjust weight. They were immediately carried away 

 and the baker punished. 



The parrot seems to set itself tasks, and tries every day to re- 

 tain its lesson. Cardan goes so far as to ascribe to it meditation 

 38 



