Three Tovi Parrakeets. 
83 
Three Tovi Parraheets — Difference in Character. 
By Miss D. E. Pethie. 
It is now a yuod many ■, ears since I started keeping a 
Tovi as a pet — 1 had to wait quite six niontlas before I could get 
one from Messrs. De Von. When it did arrive it was wortli the 
wait; " Sammy " No. 1 was 7s. 6d. only! He, or rather she, 
as we found out later, was quite a Dickens-character. In three 
days " Sammy " was quite tame; she was very dirty, and I think 
the hand washing that was given her helped in making her less 
frightened. She used to spend hours on my shoulder, and 
didn't mind one old cat we had a bit, but her character was more 
developed when we came to Southsea. She was always out, 
and shouted loudly if left alone a minute. She used to come 
everywhere on my shoulder, and every now and then give 
friendly ( ?) nips at my neck, but 1 wasn't quite so keen on such 
caresses, as she had a way of taking up a small piece and giving 
it a twist ; also she loved anything bright, and bit through a gold 
chain of mine two or three times before I could stop her. 
Funnily enough the colour orange terrified her, and she would 
sit motionless for hours if there were any flowers of that colour 
about. When my mother was ill " Sammy " was left a good 
deal alone; she used to jump off her cage (her wing was cutj 
run across the room and into my mother's room next door, look 
up at the bed to see if my mother was there, if so climb up, and 
go to sleep with her head under the clothes. Once or twice she 
ran into the room when my mother was not there, and if she 
heard voices downstairs she'd hurry down and " cheep " all the 
way. One day we heard a frantic " cheep " outside the door, 
and there was " Sammy " feeling lonely. Another day I was 
at the top of the house; " Sammy " evidently couldn't find 
anyone, so, hearing a noise, came upstairs to investigate, 
patiently climbing each stair, and grousing the whole time- 
such a relief when the top one was negotiated. 
Unfortunately this " Sammy died 3 years ago, but 
before she died she took a great dislike to me. She was on 
my shoulder when I was whistling to " Jack," my troupial, 
when she suddenly flew at at my ear and hung on — it was some 
