428 
PARROT. 
The following remarks of Dr. Goldsmith, upon 
this subject, may be here introduced with great 
propriety : 
“ The extreme sagacity and docility of the bird 
may plead as the best excuse for those who spend 
whole hours in teaching their parrots to speak ; and 
indeed the bird on these occasions seems the wiser 
animal of the two . It at first obstinately resists all 
instruction; but seems to be won by perseverance, 
makes a few attempts to imitate the first sounds, 
and when it has got one word distinct, all the suc- 
ceeding come with great facility. The bird gene- 
rally learns most in those families where the master 
or mistress has the least to do ; and becomes more 
expert in proportion as its instructors are idly assi- 
duous. In going through the towns of France 
some time since, I could not help observing how 
much plainer their parrots spoke than ours, and how 
very distinctly I understood their parrots speak French, 
w r hen I could not understand our own, though they 
spoke my native language. I was at first for ascribing 
it to the different qualities of the two languages, and 
was for entering into an elaborate discussion on the 
vowels and consonants ; but a friend that w r as with 
me solved the difficulty* at once, by assuring me 
that the French women scarcely did any thing else 
the whole day than sit and instruct their feathered 
pupils ; and that the birds were thus distinct in their 
lessons in consequence of continual schooling.” 
“The ease with which this bird is taught to speak,” 
continues the same author, “ and the great number 
