Exposition of the Subject - Breeding of Valuable Speakers.

In accordance with the title of this work, I must here treat of all parrots which have hitherto proved themselves to be gifted with speech, from the best speakers down to those species of which it has been shown that, at least, one of their kind has, at all events, learnt to pronounce one word. Of course, 1 shall notice them in proportion to their very varied gifts; describe the valuable and remarkable talkers fully, and speak of the remainder the more shortly according as their importance to the fancier decreases. In my books, before mentioned, I have divided this family of birds into two great groups, the short-tailed, or true parrots, and the long-tailed, or parrakeets. The former number amongst their ranks the most excellent speakers, and I therefore now begin by describing them. Among them there are classes of which all the members have shown themselves possessed of the gift of speech; for instance, the Grey and the Black parrots, and the Amazons; while in many other classes, in the short as well as the long-tailed species, hitherto only some kinds, or even only one individual, has proved itself capable of speaking. Those classes of which, as yet, no species has been found to be talkers, are mentioned on page 5, but are left otherwise unnoticed. One part of the subject of parrot fancying which, in later times, has become very important, i.e., breeding, I must of necessity pass over in complete silence, as not coming within the limits of this book. Of the lesser kinds, many, as is generally known, have already been most successfully bred, and the young used by preference for teaching to speak. Attempts at breeding the larger and more valuable speakers, have, up to the present time, scarcely ever been made; on the one hand, because such a pair of birds would require a very large space for the purpose, and on the other, and chiefly, because one would not wish to expose valuable speakers to danger, or even to risk those parrots which promise to repay their training well. This apprehension, however, is not well founded; for, according to my experience, the bird is by no means more than ordinarily endangered during hatching, if treated competently.