e feeding its
young. It has a large hooked beak, and climbs trees by the aid of its
beak and feet.

The plumage of parrots varies in color. I have seen it of a bright
green, also, red and gray. These birds were well known to the ancient
Greeks and Romans, who got them mostly from India and Africa.

The parrot, as every child knows, can be taught to talk. This power it
shares with some other birds whose tongues are thick, round, and almost
the same in form as that of the parrot. Starlings, blackbirds, jays,
jackdaws, and ravens can imitate the human voice.

The parrot imitates all the noises it hears--the mewing of cats, the
barking of dogs, and the cries of birds--as easily as it imitates
speech. The parrots brought from Africa seem to prefer imitating the
voices of children, and, on that account, more easily receive their
education from them.

[Illustration]

But the gray parrot imitates the grave tones of older persons. A parrot
from Guinea, taught on the voyage by an old sailor, had caught up his
hoarse voice and cough perfectly. Afterwards, owned and taught by a
young girl, it did not forget the lessons of its first master. It was
amusing to hear this bird pass from a soft, girlish voice to his hoarse
and sailor-like tone.

Not only has the parrot the power of imitating the human voice, but it
seems to wish to do so. This is shown by its attention in listening, and
by the efforts it makes to repeat every word. It will often repeat words
or sounds that no one has taken the trouble to teach it.

A parrot which had grown old with its master, and shared with him the
pains of old age, being used to hear but little more than the words, "I
am very ill," when asked, "What is the matter, Polly?" answered in a
dismal tone, and stretching itself, "I am very ill."

The language of the parrot is not wanting in ideas. When you ask one if
it has breakfasted, it knows well how to answer you, if it has satisfied
its hunger. It will not tell you that it has breakfasted when this is
not the case: at least, you cannot force it to say "No" when it ought to
say "Yes."

I have heard of a parrot, which, when pleased, would laugh most
heartily, and then cry out, "Don't make me laugh so! I shall die, I
shall die." The bird would also mimic sobbing, and exclaim, "So bad, so
bad! got such a cold!" If any one happened to cough, the parrot would
remark, "What a bad cold!"

UNCLE CHARLES.

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