252 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



TALKING BIRDS AND THEIR WAYS. 



1. Nearly all the birds that are capable of articulating 

 words belong to the parrot family, which numbers more 

 than three hundred species. The common gray and green 

 parrots are too well known to need description. The fam- 

 ily belong to the climbers, but are slow and awkward upon 

 the ground. In climbing they use both beak and claws, 

 and in eating they use one claw to hold the food. The 

 beak is very strong, and capable of great destruction in 

 either offensive or defensive warfare. They are natives of 

 tropical climes, live in pairs, and feed upon soft, pulpy 

 fruits, especially such as have hard kernels or seeds. When 

 wild they are usually seen in large flocks morning and 

 evening, active in procuring food, and exceedingly noisy 

 and quarrelsome. In captivity they are generally capri- 

 cious in temper and mischievous. 



2. Innumerable anecdotes are told of them which go to 

 show that they have not only the ability to speak, but also 

 to attach a definite meaning to the words they utter. A 

 few years since, I was the owner of one which we named 

 "Poll," to distinguish her from "Polly," our other pet. 

 She had lost her beauty by a scald on the head, and never 

 possessed the winning ways of her companion. She would, 

 indeed, say, when the reason of her bald pate was asked, 

 "I've been scalded"; and whenever a bald-headed gen- 

 tleman entered the room, she shouted to him, "You've 

 been scalded ! " and then, turning to her friends, and 

 changing her grammar correctly, would cry out, to our 

 infinite annoyance, "He's been scalded!" She could 

 cry, "Hip, hip, hurrah! three cheers for the queen!" 

 could sing and dance to the tune of " Polly, put the ket- 

 tle on, we'll all have tea" ; and would ask very peremp- 



