In every transaction in living animals there are on the one side self-deceptions which are very difficult to avoid, and on the other, more dishonesty than in most bargains. It is a melancholy, but nevertheless undeniable fact, that only too often one party seeks to overreach the other, and that real or supposed, unintentional or planned, dishonesty is in such a matter to be found in persons otherwise thoroughly respectable. Anyone possessing a favourite bird, a talented creature, obtained, perhaps, after several failures, and which knows one or more speeches, is apt to consider it as a notable talker, and, in perfect conviction of the truth of this, declares it to be such. Now, circumstances occur which make a sale either desirable or necessary; and then, without any evil intention, there is much more promised than the facts justify. On the other hand, many a buyer deceives himself with false hopes. He wishes to obtain an excellent bird for an extremely low price. Thus there are mutual deceptions, and consequently unavoidable quarrels and strife. Undeniably there are very many men in this trade who speculate in an unjustifiable manner upon the simplicity and credulity of others, cry up speaking parrots above their capabilities, and sell them much over their value. Indeed, surprising cases of deception come under my notice, in which quite untrained or old unintelligent birds have been sold as excellent speakers.

A greater and more extensive evil, which under some circumstances becomes suggestive of misdemeanour, arises out of so-called "acclimatised " birds. Under this title many parrots are put up for sale, which the inexperienced purchaser is made to believe, and even often feels fully convinced, offer the best guarantee of good quality in every respect. Now it is astonishing how much is included in the term "acclimatised," or rather, how much it is made to include. Strictly speaking, a bird can only be regarded as acclimatised when it is not only quite accustomed to the country, but has moulted at least once, appears in full plumage, with all the other signs of health, and, above all things, is fully accustomed to the new diet and management. The vendor, especially the dealer, may, on the contrary, declare a parrot to be acclimatised when it has only in some degree become used to the change of climate and diet, and has only been imported a few months, or even weeks, no matter its condition. The slightest misadventure, especially the trials of a journey, may then cause sickness or death. The safeguard of such a guarantee of "acclimatisation " is therefore nothing but an empty form of words.

The next point which, indeed unnecessarily, gives rise to quarrels, is a want of knowledge and patience on the part of the buyer. One must be prepared, even in the case of an excellent, gifted, and well-taught parrot, to find that it will not, for the first few days, or, it may be, weeks, utter a word. Therefore, we may consider that these birds only speak or show off their powers in any direction when they feel physically quite well, safe, and comfortable. A proof of the mental endowments of the bird lies in the fact that with sharp wit it notices the alterations of its surroundings, becomes used by degrees to the new circumstances, and then begins to feel at ease. I would beg my reader to turn for further information on this point to the section upon "Taming and Training."

All parrots are conveyed wholesale in wooden chests, which are only wired in the front. As a rule, we find the recognised practical arrangement that the front wired side is so sloped off that one can see where to throw the food, and, at the same time, the shy birds can withdraw to the background. The door is either placed in front in the bars or in the boards at the back, and is usually only just large enough for a bird to get through. There are no vessels for food, which,is simply thrown on the floor. The large parrots mostly, as before mentioned, get no water at all, or it is only put in for them in earthen jars once or twice a day. In the cages of the lesser and smallest kind there usually hang simple jars or pots, which, unfortunately, are almost invariably fixed, so that they cannot be cleaned during the whole journey. Most cages are not even fitted with an arrangement for cleaning, so that the dirt, husks, and other refuse, as well as the excretions, lie rotting and infecting the air. Of late the cages sent out by the wholesale dealers for the sea voyage are so arranged that there is a movable border of about lin. to 1 1/2in. in width set in the front edge, close to the floor, through the opening of which the dirt is drawn out every day by means of an iron hook. Miss Christian Hagenbeck and others send out with their buyers very practically arranged cage chests, capable of being disjointed; therefore, I may with pleasure mention that there is on the part of many an earnest endeavour to abolish, or at least to mitigate, the evils mentioned. Naturally, there is still much left to be desired in this respect.

For carriage inland, whether it be from the dealer to the amateur, or vice versa, the cages generally used are very suitable, but otherwise appear very rough. They consist of a simple, oblong, wooden case, the front and upper side of which are barred, and the rest usually lined with thin zinc when intended for the larger parrots or for those much given to gnawing. The top slopes off to the back in proportion to the height of the bird, so that the back is only about two-thirds as high as the front. Either the top or the back forms a movable lid or door, through which the bird is taken in and out. In front, below the bars, this case has a space for food, separated from the floor by little boards or wooden laths; and, further back, a thick perch, immediately above the floor. Most cages contain no water vessel, and often they are without a food trough or perch. It is rightly supposed that a parrot can do without drink for a short journey of three or four days, whereas a water vessel might be injurious to it, for in cold, cheerless weather the water sprinkled over it by the motion might cause it to take cold or some similar illness. Sometimes the endeavour has been made to prevent this by means of a sponge; but, as a rule, the parrot pulls this out, and gets much more wet, or swallows it, and thereby brings on worse illness. English dealers fill the drinking vessel with bread, steeped in water, but this is not judicious, for it becomes sour and causes diarrhoea and the like. The pneumatic drinking vessel, which has lately been much used, may be recommended for parrots which have to travel a distance, but it must be entirely of metal, either zinc or tinned iron; the cage, also, must be much larger than the customary ones, so that such a vessel may be put into it without cramping the bird too much; the longer the journey the more space is required. For short distances it is best, as said before, that water should be left out. For conveyance in cold seasons, special winter travelling cages are manufactured, the outer part of which consists of a double case with a wired window, while the inner cage is a common travelling cage.