I 



FACULTIES OF PARROTS. 71 



the desire of his master he extended his wings to 

 shew their beauty. He would then fan the spec- 

 tators with his wings. He was next put on the 

 ground, and then walked as readily backwards as 

 forwards, with his two toes in front, and two behind. 

 He would then clamber like a sailor up the mizen, 

 and with his two open mandibles embraced his perch, 

 which was nearly two inches in thickness. Placed 

 there, he was asked — if a certain gentleman were 

 to come near him, how he should be served ? He 

 shook his head several times, raised his wings, erected 

 his feathers, and opened his mouth, laid hold of a 

 finger, seemingly in earnest, and kept biting it, as 

 though he would have taken it off, opposing every 

 resistance ; and when he liberated the finger, 

 uttered a scream. He was then asked how he would 

 serve his master? — when he would gently bite his 

 finger, caressed it with his beak and tongue, and 

 held his head down, as expecting it to be scratched. 

 Nor is this all : a nut being given to him, while on 

 the lower part of his stand, he mounted the upright 

 stick, and the nut disappeared without the spectator 

 being able to tell how. At the word of command 

 he presented it to the company, held it in his paw, 

 and then cracked it. He had been taught to conceal 

 the nut under his tongue, in the hollow of the under 

 mandible. When a peach stone was given to him, 

 he found out its natural division, and after repeated 

 efforts, he contrived to open it and eat the kernel. 

 When nuts were presented to him, he became 

 all agitated ; and he had so much sagacity, that, 



