120-YEARS-OLD PARROT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 March 1927, Page 12

120-YEARS-OLD PARROT

STILL TALKING BRIGHTLY A parrot, believed to be more than 120 years old, is at present living in a house in Philbeach Gardens, London. This bird, though devoid of feathers on its breast and back, still has fine red tail feathers and a mass of grey feathers cn its wings. All day long, despite his reputed age, he talks, swings on a rope, and plays with a ball. Colonel W. B. Ferris, its owner, told a “Daily Mail” reporter something of its story. He said: X have known Peter, my parrot, for 55 years, and he was just as bald in 1872 as he is now. He was in India at the time, the property of the Maharajah of Kolhapur, and was then known to be of great age. The maharajah told me he was originally the tribal mascot of the Rajah of Satara. In 1801 a British soldier captured him after a battle between the English and the Rajah, but he was returned later. In 1844 he was handed to the Maharajah of Kolhapur, who gave him to me. Peter was then known for hundreds of miles round as the “Maharajah Parrot.” When I was governor of Aden, Peter nearly caused an “international incident.” A Russian admiral called on me, and when I entered the room I saw he was annoyed. “Has that bird been taught to insult foreigners?” he asked. “No,” I replied. “Well,” he added, “when I came into the room I said, ’Good morning, Pretty Polly,’ and the bird replied, ‘You infernal bounder.’ ” It took me some time to pacify the admiral.