42 GBEY P ABBOT. 



actually brought from that island of spices, we feel sure that it was 

 not indigenous to it. 



The male and female are exactly alike, and learn to talk with almost 

 equal facility; the male, however, is usually the more fluent speaker 

 of the two, but what few words the female learns she generally pro- 

 nounces with great distinctness. 



It has been said that a Parrot can only speak in one tone of voice, 

 but this is not universally correct, for we once lived next door to a 

 retired tradesman who was possessed of one of these birds, and of a 

 white Pomeranian dog, which the bird would call "Carlo, Carlo ", in 

 such an exact imitation of his mistress's voice as to deceive the dog 

 himself. The old gentleman was very fond of sitting and smoking in 

 an arbour at the bottom of the garden, where his meditations were very 

 frequently disturbed by his wife calling to him from the house, in 

 order to consult him upon some domestic matter, on which occasions 

 he used to call out, in the gruffest of gruff tones: "Well, what do 

 you waant?" which the bird used to repeat so correctly as to leave 

 the hearer in doubt as to whether it was the man or the Parrot that 

 had spoken. 



To Mrs. Cassirer we are indebted for the following account of a 

 Grey Parrot, communicated to Dr. Brehm by a lady of high rank: — 

 "The bird of which I am about to relate some particulars, was pre- 

 sented to us by a man who had lived in the Bast Indies for a long 

 time. The bird could already speak well, but only Dutch. In a short 

 time, however, he learnt both German and French. These three lan- 

 guages he spoke as distinctly as a human being, and was so attentive 

 that he often caught up expressions which had never been used before 

 him; introducing them appropriately to the great astonishment of every 

 one. 



"He spoke single words and sentences in the Dutch language, and 

 also introduced Dutch words with judgment between German ones, 

 when he did not know, or had forgotten, the German equivalent. He 

 asked questions and returned answers, made requests and returned 

 thanks; and used words correctly in relation to time, place, and persons. 



"Tolly wants to kluk kluk (drink)': ' Polly wants something to eat/ 

 If he did not receive what he wished for at once, he exclaimed: 'But 

 Polly must and will have something to eat!' If he still received 

 nothing, he flung everything about to show his anger! 



"His morning greeting was 'Bon jour', the evening one 'Bon soir': 

 he expressed a desire to rest, and took leave: 'Polly wants to go to 

 sleep': as he was being carried away, he took leave, repeatedly saying: 

 'Bon soir, Bon soir.' Towards his mistress, who usually fed him, he 



