300 The Hoary Parrot. 



tion of its talents. This parrot has only been equalled in talents 

 by one owned by Colonel O'Kelly of London. Once upon being 

 asked to sing it repHed, / never, sing on a Sunday. ' Never 

 mind that Poll,' the Colonel would say, ' come, give us a song.' 

 Ao excuse me, Fve got a cold, it would reply. Don't you hear 

 how hoarse I am 9 This extraordinary bird could perform the 

 three verses entire of ' God save the king,' words and music 

 from beginning to end. 



When the Colonel and his parrot were at Brighton, one 

 time, the bird was asked to sing ; it answered, / can't. 

 Another time it left off in the middle of a tune, and said, 

 / have forgot. Colonel O'Kelly continued the tune for a 

 few notes, and the parrot took it up where the Colonel had left 

 off. The parrot took up the bottom of a lady's frock, and said, 

 WTiat a pretty foot ! The parrot seeing the family at break- 

 fast, said, Won't you have some breakfast, Poll ? The com- 

 pany mopped it a good deal, and it said, I don't like it. It 

 would ask for all that it wanted and apparently with reason. It 

 was purchased at Bristol for 100 guineas. Some persons 

 who were desirous of exhibiting it publicly offered the Col- 

 onel 100 guineas a year for the use of it, but he was too much at- 

 tached to it to accept this offer. Its death was announced in the 

 London Gazette of the 9lh of October, 1802. It was dissected 

 by Messrs. Kennedy and Brooke who found the muscles of the 

 larynx, which regulate the voice, considerably enlarged by exer- 

 cise. 



That sort of society which the parrot forms with man, is, by 

 means of language more intimate and pleasing than what the mon- 

 key can claim from its antic imitation of our gestures.and actions. 

 If ihe useful and amiable qualities of the horse, or the elephant, 

 command our attention and esteem, the singular talents of the 

 prattling bird sometimes engage more powerfully our curiosity. 

 It diverts and amuses ; in solitude it is company ; it takes part in 

 conversation, it laughs, it breathes tender expressions, or mimics 

 grave discourse ; and its words uttered indiscriminately please 

 by their incongruity, and sometimes excite surprise by their apt- 

 ness. Willughby speaks from Clusius, of a parrot, which, when 

 a person said to it, ' laugh. Poll, laugh,' laughed accordingly, 

 and the instant after screamed out. What a fool to make me laugh ! 

 We have the account of another which grew old with its master, 

 and shared with him the infirmities of age. Being accustomed to 

 hear scarce anything but the words, Je suis maladc; ( I am 

 sick;) when a person asked it, Qu'as-tu, perroquet, qu'as-tu7 



