506 



AURORA PARROT. 



of them agreed in telling him just the same thing 

 that the Parrot said." 



In modern times we have heard of no bird of 

 this genus that could rival the celebrated Parrot 

 so many years in the possession of the late Colonel 

 O' Kelly. The following particulars^, politely com- 

 municated by Sir Henry Englefi^ld, Bart, afford a 

 convincing proof of the memory and docility some- 

 times exemplified in the present race of Parrots. 



" Col. O' Kelly's Parrot was of a beautiful green 

 colour, and had, I think, a spot of red on each 

 shoulder. I saw him in company with eight or 

 ten other strangers. At first the bird seemed 

 alarmed at the number of people, and was quite 

 sullen. The housekeeper was sent for, and she 

 gradually brought him into good humour by caress- 

 ing him, talking, and singing to him. The first 

 tune he sung was The banks of the Dee. He sung 

 several verses of this by snatches, pausing between 

 whiles, as if his memory failed him. The maid 

 then helped him, by going on where he left off, 

 and then he took her up, not repeating what she 

 had sung, but going on from her last words. He 

 pronounced the words of the song very distinctly, 

 much more so indeed than when he spoke, for his 

 articulation in speaking was not remarkably clear. 

 The tone of his singing was very odd. It seemed 

 like an automaton imitating a human voice j but 

 the intonation was very good, and had he been 

 taught by a good singer instead of a kitchen-maid, 

 I have no doubt that he would have sung very 

 agreeably. The maid prompted him to sing God 



