56 



INTELLECTUAL AND IMITATIVE 



hour — with a very clear, loud, articulate voice. 

 Tlie bird was generally placed, in its cage, over 

 against the informer's house, and delighted the 

 whole neighbourhood with its persevering exhor- 

 tations." 



Locke, in his Essay on the Human Understand- 

 ing, quotes the following anecdote of a conversing 

 Parrot, from the " Remains of what passed at 

 Christendom from 1672 to 1679)" in such a way 

 as to lead us to suppose that he believed it. " When 

 Prince Maurice was Governor of Brazil, he was 

 informed of an old Parrot that was much spoken 

 of, in consequence of being able to converse like 

 a rational creature, — at least, it would answer the 

 questions that were put to it. It was at a distance 

 from the seat of government; but having heard 

 much of its merits, the curiosity of the Viceroy 

 became roused, and he directed that it should be 

 sent for, that he might in person examine into the 

 fact. When it was first introduced into the room 

 where the Prince sat, with several Dutch gentle- 

 men, it immediately exclaimed, in the Brazilian 

 language, ' What a company of white men are 

 here ! ' Pointing to the Prince, they asked, * Who 

 is that man ?' The Parrot answered, ' Some general 

 or other.' When the attendants carried it up to 

 him, he asked, tlirough the medium of an interpre- 

 ter, (as he was ignorant of its language,) ' Whence 

 do you come?' The Parrot answered, ' From 

 Marignan.' The Prince asked, * To whom do 

 you belong?' It answered, 'To a Portuguese.' 



