42 
OBEY PARROT. 
actually brought from that island of spices, we feel sure that it was 
not indigenous to it. 
The male and female are exactly alike, and learn to talk with almost 
equal facility; the male, however, is usually the more fluent speaker 
of the two, but what few words the female learns she generally 
pronounces with great distinctness. 
It has been said that a Parrot can only speak in one tone of voice, 
but this is not universally correct, for we once lived next door to a 
retired tradesman who was possessed of one of these birds, and of a 
white Pomeranian dog, which the bird would call “Carlo, Carlo”, in 
such an exact imitation of his mistress's voice as to deceive the dog 
himself. The old gentleman was very fond of sitting and smoking in 
an arbour at the bottom of the garden, where his meditations were very 
frequently disturbed by his wife calling to him from the house, in 
order to consult him upon some domestic matter, on which occasions 
he used to call out, in the gruffest of gruff tones: “Well, what do 
you waant ?” which the bird used to repeat so correctly as to leave 
the hearer in doubt as to whether it was the man or the Parrot that 
had spoken. 
To Mrs. Cassirer we are indebted for the following account of a 
Grey Parrot, communicated to Dr. Brehm by a lady of high rank: 
“The bird of which I am about to relate some particulars, was 
presented to us by a man who had lived in the East Indies for a 
long time. The bird could already speak well, but only Dutch. In a 
short time, however, he learnt both German and French. These three 
languages he spoke as distinctly as a human being, and was so attentive 
that he often caught up expressions which had never been used before 
him; introducing them appropriately to the great astonishment of every 
one. 
“He spoke single words and sentences in the Dutch language, and 
also introduced Dutch words with judgment between German ones, 
when he did not know, or had forgotten, the German equivalent. He 
asked questions and returned answers, made requests, and returned 
thanks ; and used words correctly in relation to time, place, and persons. 
“‘Polly wants to kluk kluk (drink)'’: ‘Polly wants something to eat.’ 
If he did not receive what he wished for at once, he exclaimed: ‘But 
Polly must and will have something to eat!’ If he still received 
nothing, he flung everything about to show his anger! 
“His morning greeting was ‘Bon jour', the evening one ‘Bon soir’: 
he expressed a desire to rest, and took leave: ‘Polly wants to go to 
sleep': as he was being carried away, he took leave, repeatedly saying : 
‘Bon soir, Bon soir.’ Towards his mistress, who usually fed him, he 
