THE PARROT. 
69 
The ease with which this bird is taught to speak, and the 
great number of words which it is capable of repeating, are 
dually surprising. We are assured, by a grave writer, that 
0r >e of these was taught to repeat a whole sonnet from Pe- 
trarch ; and “ that I may not be wanting in my instance,” 
s ays a late writer, “I have seen a parrot, belonging to a dis- 
tiller, who had suffered pretty largely in his circumstances 
h'om an informer who lived opposite him, very ridiculously 
e| nployed. This bird was taught to pronounce the ninth 
commandment, Thou shall not bear false witness against 
yiy neighbour, with a very clear, loud, articulate voice, 
fhe bird was generally placed in its cage over against the 
■nformer’s house, and delighted the whole neighbourhood 
''''til its persevering exhortations.” 
Willoughby tells a story of a parrot, which is not so dull 
fts those usually brought up when this bird’s facility of talk- 
'JJg happens to be the subject. “ A parrot belonging to King 
Henry the Seventh, who then resided at Westminster, in 
lls palace by the river Thames, had learned to talk many 
'\ords from the passengers as they happened to take water. 
Hue day, sporting on its perch, the poor bird fell into the 
' v ater, at the same time crying out, as loud as he could, A 
l> °ot, twenty pound for a boat. A waterman, who happened 
to be near, hearing the cry, made to the place where the 
Parrot was floating, and taking him up, restored him to the 
, l "g- As it seems the bird was a favourite, the man in- 
Sls ted that he ought to have a reward rather equal to his 
services than his trouble; and, as the parrot had cried 
' v enty pounds, he said the king was bound in honour to 
S la nt it. The king at last agreed to leave it to the par- 
*ot s own determination, which the bird hearing, cried out, 
un ^' e knave a groat." 
| hose who usually bring these birds over are content to 
^ahe three or four distinctions. The large kind, which are 
size of a raven, and are called Maccaws ; the next size 
aie simply called Parrots; those which are entirely white 
? re called” Lories ; and the lesser size of all are called Para* 
K .eets. The difference between even these is rather in the 
n 1Ze than in any other peculiar conformation, as they are all 
O'med alike, having toes two before and two behind for 
^‘‘rnbing ami holding ; strong hooked bills for breaking 
nuts, and other hard substances, on which they feed ; 
d loud harsh voices, by which they fill their native woods 
' v “h Hamour. 
„ , bill is fashioned with peculiarities; for the upper chap, 
as the lower, are both moveable. In most other birds 
