ASH-COLOURED PARROT. 



489 



lived in the family of a Mr. Meninck-Huysen in 

 that city for the space of thirty-two years, and 

 which had before lived forty-one years with Mr. 

 Meninck-Huysen's uncle, who bequeathed it to 

 him : thus it had lived in a state of domesticity no 

 less than seventy-three years, and there can be 

 little doubt that it must have been at least two or 

 three years old at the time of its arrival in Europe. 

 This bird, at the time Monsr. Levaillant saw it, 

 was in a state of entire decrepitude, and, having 

 lost its sight and memory, was in a. kind of lethar- 

 gic condition, and was fed at intervals with biscuit 

 dipped in Madeira wine. In the time of its vigor 

 and earlier age it had been a kind of Cicero among 

 Parrots; speaking with the greatest distinctness, 

 repeating innumerable sentences, and of so docile 

 and obedient a disposition as always to fetch re- 

 gularly its master's slippers when he required it, 

 as well to call the servant, &c. At the age of 

 sixty its memory began to fail, and instead of ac- 

 quiring any new phrases, it began very perceptibly 

 to lose those it had before attained, as well as to 

 intermix in a discordant manner the words of its 

 former language. It moulted regularly every year 

 till the age of sixty-five, when its moulting grew 

 very irregular, and the red feathers of its tail were 

 supplied by yellow ones, after which no other 

 change of plumage took place. 



