Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/323

 WOMAN'S PETS This section of Every Woman's Encyclopedia will prove to be of great interest to wom'jn, and will contain practical and authoritative articles on : Prize Dogs Cats : Good and Bad Points Parrots Lap Dogs Cat Fanciers Children's Pets Dog's Points Small Cage Birds Uncommon Pets Dog's Clothes Pigeons Food for Pets Sporting Dogs The Diseases of Pets How to Teach Tricks How to Exhibit Dogs Aviaries Gold Fish, etc., etc. THE PARROT A^ A PET How and When to Acquire a Parrot— The Best ** Talkers ''—How to Treat and Feed the Bird- It Can Easily be Tamed — The Parrot's Talking and Singing Lessons barking of dogs, children crying, etc., in a very droll manner. I A GOOD parrot is one of the most enter- "^^ taining and delightful of companions. As a family pet he is quite the most popular of cage-birds, and, if properly chosen, can be bought more cheaply than most people seem to imagine. It is best to get a young but acclimatised bird of about eighteen months old from some reliable dealer, and to undertake its entire education oneself. A talking parrot does not begin to speak until the end of its second year. Its choice of words and topics of conversation, therefore, remain entirely in its owner's hands, and all fear of a sudden stream of " imprecations " or of " language unfit for ears polite " is entirely avoided. The African Qrey Parrot The African grey parrot, with its deep rose-coloured tail, which is so familiar to all parrot-lovers, is imported from the Gold Coast. This species almost invariably turn out good speakers, and may be bought, warranted to be thoroughly acclimatised, from a reliable dealer at the above-mentioned age for about three guineas. The Blue-Fronted Oreen Amazon The second best parrot for talking purposes is the blue-fronted green Amazon. Al- though its home hes in the forests of South America, it is a much hardier bird than the African grey, and less expensive. A young and thoroughly acchmatised bird may be had for about thirty shillings. It is not so certain to turn out a fluent talker as the African grey, but many of them speak extremely well, and are splendid mimics, imitating the drawing of corks. There is no special limit to a talking parrot's powers of learning, and it will add constantly to its vocabulary. A well-trained talking parrot of from five to ten years old costs six or eight guineas, or even more, so that it is well worth while to train it oneself, even apart from the interest and pleasure to be gained by doing so. Cages A parrot must be kept in a proper parrot's cage, made of stout wire, with wooden perches — made of the hardest wood ob- tainable, a parrot will whittle anything to pieces — with metal caps where the ends fit into the cage. Metal perches are dangerous, and should be avoided. They are cold, and have been known to cause such diseases as inflammation of the lungs. Choose a square cage in preference to a round one, as it gives the parrot more room. A good one can be obtained at from twelve to fourteen shillings. Before putting the parrot into his new home, remove the criss-cross of wire which is, as a rule, to be found placed an inch or two above the tray — made to draw in and out for cleaning purposes — which forms the bottom of the cage, because it prevents the bird from getting at the sand and grit (which must be placed there daily) ; and that he should eat this is most necessary for his good health. The tiny sharp stones of the grit remain in the parrot's crop, and take the place of teeth in grinding up the hard grains which form much of its food. Without a good supply