Grey Parrot, Red-tailed Grey Parrot, or Jaco (German, Grauer Papagei oder Jako, rothschwanziger Papagei and rothschwanziger Graupapagei; French, Perroquet gris, Perroquet cendre, Jaco; Dutch, Grauwe of Grijze Papegaai) - Natural History - Importation - Talent for Speaking and other Imitations - Apprehension and Judgment - Illustrations - Precautions in Acquiring.

No other parrot, indeed no other bird, is so highly gifted as the common Grey Parrot; moreover, these gifts extend in various directions, for it is, without exception, the best of all talkers, and at the same time possessed of rich mental talents. It therefore justly rejoices in the greatest and most general popularity.

It is said to have been known from very ancient times, and, though it cannot be proved with certainty that the people of ancient civilisation possessed these birds, yet our authors of the sixteenth century speak of them. In the Middle Ages they were often brought to Europe, and since that time the love for them has become more and more wide-spread.

On the other hand, it is astonishing that travellers, up to the present time, have not been able to get any satisfactory information of their life in freedom, and that we are still ignorant as to their food, manner of building, first plumage, and other important points.

The Grey Parrot is ashen grey; each feather on the head, neck, breast and back has a light edge. The wings are of a darker grey, without the light edge; the quills greyish-black : the middle and lower part of the back, and the rump, are pure greyish-white; the tail, as well as upper and lower tail coverts, scarlet; breast, belly, sides, and hinder part of the body, whitish-grey; the beak black, the eyes black, grey, yellow, or white, according to age : the skin on the nose, lores, and circle round the eye (eye cere), featherless and greyish-white; the feet bluish or whitish grey, dappled with black; the claws black. The plumage, like that of most parrots, is more or less full of down. The size varies extraordinarily, and often depends upon the age, sex, and, probably, on the place where found; it is about that of a large pigeon - length 14 1/8-in. to 15 3/4in. (the smallest from 11 3/4in. to 12 5/8in.); the wings from 7 1/2in. to 9in.; the tail from 2 3/4in. to 3 1/8-in. long. The differences in sex are not yet known with certainty; the smaller, lighter-coloured parrots are taken to be the females, and the larger, darker ones, with long neck, for males. The negroes are said to assert that the nostrils of the males are round and those of the females oblong; the only certain difference (according to Soyaux) probably is that the bones of the pelvis are close to each other in the male, and in the female are so far separated that an egg can pass through.

The colour of the plumage of the young birds has not been ascertained with certainty, at least, no African traveller has stated whether the young leave the nest with a red tail, or whether, as asserted by some one who could, however, give no proof of his statement, they have at that stage a brown tail. Otto Richter, of Bremerhaven, says that he recognises the young Grey Parrots as they come into the market most surely by the brown nest feathers which cover the whole body, with the exception of the head, pinions, tail, and belly, and which by degrees give place to the grey feathers with a light edge. These birds mostly have black eyes when they arrive, which gradually change to ashen grey; in about five months they become light grey, and after the lapse of a year grevish-yellow, or pale yellow; and not till after three or four years do they become maize-coloured, or yellowish-white. The tail is bright red, every feather faintly seamed with brown, changing by to these according to fancy, while the White-fronted and Red-throated Amazons, also the Vinaceous and Dufresne's Amazon, are said to be much less teachable, and the smaller species, such as the Yellow-shouldered, Salle's, the White-fronted, and Bed-fronted Amazons, and others, are evidently much less gifted, and are admired much more on account of their pretty comical ways.

As a rule, the Amazons are fed by the dealers with oats, maize, and moistened bread; and on this point I beg to refer the reader to the remarks made concerning the great parrots. But, as the knowledg3 we have of their life in freedom shows that they live on fruit, they should have some from time to time, and that of a good sweet con ion, particularly valnuts, hazel and other nuts. The evil consequences of an unnatural diet are seen in no species of parrots so plainly as in these. But with suitable food and good management, they prove themselves to be very strong and hardy, and, like the Grey Parrot, attain to a great age. They are justly included among the most admired of all parrots.

Further details will be found in the chapters on the individual species. Concerning "Purchase," "Management," "Taming," and "Training," I beg to refer the reader to the special sections.