GREY P ABBOT. 55 



male is the songster, so in talking-birds, I believe the male to be 

 the talker. The female may learn to speak, but not nearly so well, 

 as a rule. That there are exceptions is as probable as that there are 

 hen Canaries with a considerable power of song. 



But how to distinguish the sex of the Grey Parrot, I know not. 

 Some people say that the hen has the natter and broader skull. I 

 cannot say: but I can say this, which gives colour to the assertion, 

 that all the good talkers I have had, had small neat heads, with the 

 skull nicely arched and a small beak; while the flatter headed birds 

 with large beaks have been the bad talkers. 



Certainly if I were going to buy a young one, I should take care 

 to pick out one with a small arched skull, and with a small beak. 



This brings me to the subject of the purchase of a young Parrot. 

 Many of those imported, perhaps it would not be too much to say 

 most of those imported, die soon after their arrival, or soon after 

 their purchase. Many of them probably have already the seeds of 

 disease in them, and the journey from the dealer to the purchaser's 

 house takes away what little chance they might have had of recovering. 

 The chief symptom is an unquenchable thirst, and diarrhsea. To give 

 the bird cold water will add to the mischief. I should try milk — skim 

 milk — with a little brandy in it — a teaspoonful to four tablespoonsful. 

 If it could not digest that, then I should try warm water and brandy. 

 By this means, if the bird will do nothing but drink, you are keeping 

 up its strength all the time. 



I should occasionally vary this diet with warm chicken broth, till I 

 could get the bird to eat boiled maize or rice. It must be kept in 

 an even warmth, about 70°; for Grey Parrots, heat alone is almost a 

 cure for many of their illnesses. 



In old days, the books always used to give bread and milk as the 

 proper food for Parrots. I believe very few adult Parrots will be 

 found to eat it, and it is not very good for them, if they will. But 

 young Parrots require it, and it may be continued till they show a 

 distaste for it, when it can be changed for bread and water, or for 

 plain water. As to the seed for them, hemp, canary, and millet, are 

 all good. The three best and plumpest Grey Parrots I have ever 

 seen were fed, one on nothing but hemp, and the other two on nothing 

 but maize unboiled. 



Sometimes one meets with Grey Parrots with the red feathers ap- 

 pearing amongst the grey. These used to be thought accidental 

 examples, and were said by their owners to be unrivalled talkers: a 

 recent traveller, however, reports that there is a district in Africa 

 where the variegated bird replaces the ordinary type of grey. If that 



