CUBAN PARROT. 105 



a variety of accomplishments without any attention to them on the part 

 of their owner. An odd one here and there may certainly do so, hut 

 as a rule, unless considerable pains are taken, a Parrot will make no 

 progress to speak of, in a human language. 



The more a Parrot is noticed and spoken to, the sooner it will 

 become docile, and begin to repeat the words and sentences it hears. 

 We have, it is true, known cases where one of these birds has repeated 

 with perfect accuracy even tolerably long sentences, which had certainly 

 only been once uttered in its presence; but such exceptional talent is, 

 to say the least, rare; and the contrary rule may indeed be said to 

 obtain among them. 



If it is wished to teach some word or phrase to a pet Parrot of 

 any species, that phrase, or word, must be distinctly and slowly repeated 

 before it whenever an opportunity presents itself; and the more fre- 

 quently the better. At first, very likely, the bird will take no notice; 

 but after a longer or shorter interval, the patience of the tutor will 

 be rewarded by hearing the pupil whisper a word, or a word or two 

 of the phrase spoken to it, which it will do in a low key, and with 

 a deeply meditative air, as if it were severely taxing its memory, or 

 testing its power of articulation. By and bye the pupil gains confi- 

 dence, and repeats its lesson with more boldness; but not until it is 

 perfect in it should another trial be made, and a new word or sentence 

 be introduced, or added to the existing repertory. 



By judicious education a Parrot, of almost every known kind, from 

 the tiny Budgerigar to the gigantic Macaw, may be converted into a 

 talker, more or less proficient it is true, according to the species taken 

 in hand; but we have no hesitation in saying that all the Parrots, with 

 a very few exceptions, will learn to speak; and very likely that the 

 few that have hitherto been looked upon as non-talkers, may with 

 greater care than has hitherto been bestowed upon them, develop latent 

 talents which had not been previously suspected. 



"Who, for instance, would have imagined a few years since that the 

 Undulated Grass Parrakeet, generally known by its aboriginal Australian 

 name of Budgerigar, would have developed powers of speech? but that 

 it has done so is incontestable; for not only does Dr. Karl Puss, in 

 his work, Die Sjprechenden Papageien, give several instances of talking 

 Budgerigars; most interesting, but too long for quotation in these 

 pages, although we reserve some of them for our Appendix; but a 

 well-known London amateur has recently communicated to the Bazaar 

 newspaper an account of one of these birds, which he has himself 

 taught to speak. 



"I have at the present time", writes Mr. Joseph Groom, on March 

 in. i 



