292 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

Anecdotes.” “A few days ago, died, in Half Moon Steet,
Piccadilly, the celebrated parrot of Colonel O’Kelly. This
singular bird sang a number of songs in perfect time and
tune. She could express her wants articulately, and give hex
orders in a manner nearly approaching to rationality. Her
age was not known; it was, however, more than thirty years,
for previous to that period, Colonel O’Kelly bought her at
Bristol for one hundred guineas. The Colonel was repeatedly
offered five hundred guineas a year for the bird, by persons
who wished to make a public exhibition of her; but this, out
of tenderness to the favourite, he constantly refused. She
could not only repeat a great number of sentences, but answer
questions put to her. When singing, she beat time with all
the appearance of science; and so accurate was her judgment
that if by chance she mistook a note, she would revert to
the bar where the mistake was made, correct herself, and still
beating regular time, go through the whole with wonderful
exactness.” A Grey parrot is said to have been sold in 1500,
for a hundred guineas, to a Lord; High Cardinal at Rome, on
account of its ability to repeat, without error, the Apostles’
Creed.

The Grey § The Grey Parrot though less attractive in colour

Parrot. than other species, is perhaps the most popular
of the parrot family on account of its superior accomplishments
as an imitator of familiar sounds. Mr. Jesse secured from
a lady friend a description of the performances of a grey
parrot which resided at Hampton Court, from which we
quote the following: “Her laugh is quite extraordinary, and
it is impossible not to help joining in it, more especially
when in the midst of it she cries out, ‘Don’t make me
laugh so; I shall die, I shall die!’ and then continues
laughing more violently than before. Her crying and sob-
bing are curious; and if you say, ‘Poor Poll, what is the
matter?’ she says, ‘So bad, so bad; got such a cold;’ and
after crying some time, will gradually cease, and making