54 
GREY PARROTS. 
The iris changes gradually and slowly; the eyes are dark for more 
than seven months. The feathers when wet appear of a dark bluish 
grey, with a purple gloss. 
“As to the method of treatment, I have always found hemp seed 
to be a very good kind of food, and one that is relished by the bird ; 
boiled rice is also very suitable, and a lump of sugar is a source of 
great amusement. They will eat canary and other small-grained seeds, 
but these I think are objectionable, as they keep the bird too much 
occupied with eating, so that they lose a good deal of their capacity 
for imitating words. The best food is Indian corn boiled or ground 
and mixed with hemp seed, and bread softened in sugar water. 
Almonds are not easily digested, and bitter almonds make them ill. 
Parsley is poison for a Parrot. Fresh fruit, such as figs, pears, cherries, 
etc., always give great satisfaction to the bird, but they must not have 
too much of it.” 
The Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton' s account of the Grey Parrot. 
Of all Parrots there is none so well known as the Grey. If a man 
has ever seen a Parrot, it is probably a Grey that he has seen. If a 
person wants a Parrot, he wants a bird that will talk, and the Grey 
Parrot is, on the whole, the surest of talkers. Other Parrots may 
become more wonderful talkers, but they probably will require careful 
teaching, the Grey Parrot can be trusted to pick up words without 
much trouble. 
But in spite of this, a great deal of misapprehension exists as to 
the talking powers of the Grey Parrot. One hears stories of Grey 
Parrots that had been in the possession of different people, and would 
suddenly pass from a childish treble to a gruff man's voice. Such 
birds may have existed, but I can only say that though I have 
possessed several Grey Parrots, and known more, I never yet came 
across one that had this power. The Macaws unquestionably possess it; 
Amazons have an unrivalled power of imitating the general tenour of 
a conversation without pronouncing one distinct word, but Grey Parrots, 
according to my experience, though they learn to pronounce their 
words distinctly, always do so in their own rather throaty voice: nor 
are they by any means all gifted with the same power of speech. 
I have had a Grey Parrot which, though very tame, could never 
learn a word; and I had another which only required a week or two 
to learn long sentences, and began to reproduce them after a day or 
two. Books tell one that the two sexes talk equally well. I doubt 
this about any species of Parrot, or bird. Just as in song-birds, the 
