IMITATIVE FACULTIES OF PARROTS. 55 



many ditferent species of Parrots. The voice of 

 the Raven is too hoarse, that of the Jay and Magpie 

 too sharp, to resemble the truth ; but the note of 

 Parrots is of the true pitch, and susceptible of 

 nearly as much variety of modulation as that of 

 man himself. 



It is truly surprising with what facility they 

 imitate and acquire different words, and even 

 sentences. We have now beside us a specimen of 

 the common Green Parrot, which we borrowed 

 to study its habits. For the first time, it heard 

 this day the name of Emily called out pretty 

 sharply from our lobby ; it instantly imitated the 

 word, as distinctly and as neai'ly as possible, in the 

 same tone : it made a second attempt at the word, 

 but with less success. This name was repeatedly 

 pronounced before it in the course of the day, and 

 it frequently imitated it with great distinctness. 

 There must be something in the sound of this 

 name which has affected its ear ; for we have tried 

 it with a variety of other words, which it has never 

 once attempted to repeat. 



It has been mentioned, tliat a Parrot was taught 

 to repeat a whole sonnet from Petrarch ; and 

 Goldsmith says, — " That I may not be wanting in 

 my instance, I have seen a Parrot, belonging to a 

 distiller, who had suffered pretty largely in his 

 circumstances, from an informer who lived opposite 

 him, very ridiculously employed. This bird was 

 taught to pronounce the ninth commandment — 

 Thou ahalt not bear false witness against thy neigh- 



