2 THE PARROT TRIBES. 
the Romish church, not as creatures that could afford a certain 
amount of innocent amusement, but as instruments for delud- 
ing the weak and superstitious minds of the people. In the 
sixteenth century a hundred gold pieces were given by a cardi- 
nal for a grey parrot of uncommon cleverness, and who could, 
without pause or hesitation, distinctly repeat the whole of the 
Apostles’ creed 
A gentleman residing at Huddersfield, and with whom I am 
well acquainted, possesses a green Amazon parrot of uncommon 
ability. When the baby cries, he will endeavour, by using the 
exact words of the nurse, to pacify it. When he sees the steam 
gushing from the spout of the kettle, he exclaims “ The kettle 
boils; — make the tea!” When the weather is lowering, and 
black clouds prognosticate a storm, he is dreadfully uneasy. 
He shuffles from one end of his perch to the other, ejaculating 
“ Ain’t it dark ! I think it will rain.” One of the most asto- 
nishing things in connection with this bird happened in my 
presence. My friend gave a dinner party, and one of the guests 
was a gentleman who stammered very much, and it was ob- 
served that whenever the latter spoke, the parrot was particu- 
larly attentive. After dinner the stammering gentleman saun- 
tered up to the parrot’s cage, and said, “ Well, P — p — p — poll, 
what’s o’clock?” upon which the parrot immediately replied, 
“ P — p — p — past four!” imitating the stammer so capitally 
that its possessor could not forbear laughing as heartily as the 
rest. 
Nothing seemed to afford it so much delight as mischief. 
When its cage was hung at the window, it would amuse itself 
by hailing every fruit-vendor or itinerant merchant that 
passed below, and then chuckle in the most hearty way at 
their bewilderment. Opposite my friend’s residence there were 
some buildings in course of erection, and the men at the top 
of the scaffold were in the habit of calling to those below for 
such material as they wanted — “ More bricks,” “ More mor- 
tar,” and so on. In a very short time Poll had these terms by 
heart, as well as the gruff tones in which they were uttered. 
No sooner did the labourer (an Irishman) relieve himself of a 
load, than the everlasting cry, “ More mortar,” assailed his 
ears. He bore it with exemplary patience, till the mortar- 
board on the top of the scaffold was piled up ; once more the 
order for “ Mortar, more mortar ! ” was given, and then, to my 
friend’s delight (he was a spectator of the scene), the Irishman 
flung down his hod, and making a speaking-trumpet of his 
