GREY PARROT. 
55 
male is the songster, so in talking-birds, I believe the male to be 
the talker. The female may learn to speak, but not nearly so well, 
as a rule. That there are exceptions is as probable as that there are 
hen Canaries with a considerable power of song. 
But how to distinguish the sex of the Grey Parrot, I know not. 
Some people say that the hen has the flatter and broader skulk I 
cannot say: but I can say this, which gives colour to the assertion, 
that all the good talkers I have had, had small neat heads, with the 
skull nicely arched and a small beak; while the flatter headed birds 
with large beaks have been the bad talkers. 
Certainly if I were going to buy a young one, I should take care 
to pick out one with a small arched skull, and with a small beak. 
This brings me to the subject of the purchase of a young Parrot. 
Many of those imported, perhaps it would not be too much to say 
most of those imported, die soon after their arrival, or soon after 
their purchase. Many of them probably have already the seeds of 
disease in them, and the journey from the dealer to the purchaser s 
house takes away what little chance they might have had of recovering. 
The chief symptom is an unquenchable thirst and diarrhsea. To give 
the bird cold water will add to the mischief. I should try milk skim 
m ilk — .with a little brandy in it— a teaspoonful to four tablespoonsful. 
If it could not digest that, then I should try warm water and brandy. 
By this means, if the bird will do nothing but drink, you are keeping 
up its strength all the time. 
I should occasionally vary this diet with warm chicken broth, till I 
could get the bird to eat boiled maize or rice. It must be kept m 
an even warmth, about 70°; for Grey Parrots, heat alone is almost a 
cure for many of their illnesses. 
In old days, the books always used to give bread and milk as the 
proper food for Parrots. I believe very few adult Parrots . will be 
found to eat it, and it is not very good for them, if they will. But 
young Parrots require it, and it may be continued till they shewed a 
distaste for it, when it can be changed for bread and water, or for 
plain water. As to the seed for them, hemp, canary, and millet, are 
all good. The three best and plumpest Grey Parrots I have ever 
seen were fed, one on nothing but hemp, and the other two on nothing 
but maize unboiled. 
Sometimes one meets with Grey Parrots with the red feathers 
ajipearing amongst the grey. These used to be thought accidental 
examples, and were said by their owners to be unrivalled talkers : a 
recent traveller, however, reports that there is a district in Africa 
where the variegated bird replaces the ordinary type of grey. If that 
