Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-04-05
ANIMALS AND HUMAN SPEECH.
Intelligent Dogs and Observation-Disclosures =
ofths FuIHTe.

Intelligent Dogs and Hd.ParroGs--Pa.stbIIItirs
ofths Future.
The Manchester (England) Guar-
dton says: A writer in the Journal
n Science deals with the interesting
subject Of the attempts Of certain of
the lower animals 10 acquire human
speech. At the outset the observer Is
struck by the curious fact that the
most successful attempts Of this ma
tnre have been made not by the ami
mails that are usually held 70 rank
nearest ~ humanity but by certain
birds. 81 A. Rouion tells Of a dog
that can pronounce the words INA
maman." Considering the intelligence
Of dogs, 1t is perhaps matter Of sur
PRISE that such stories are not COM
moner II has been suggested that
the cause may be in the difference in
structure Of the vocal organs. At all
events, the lower mammalia asa rule
do not learn human speech. II is the
parrot and not the monkey that learns
10 talk. This has struck the observ-
ant negro, who is said % have the
ory that the monkey can speak but
viii not do 50, lest hr should be made
70 work. II the monkeys had arrived
at this generalization, they would soon
find that even the mutcs must d.
something in the complex organiza-
tIon Of civilized life. It is clear,
however, that in addition 70 the
possession Of certain physiolog!-
cal aHd mental characters.
tics an animal must be in
close contact with man before he can
be expected TO become familiar with
his speech. II is evident that the ami
mails that would appear most prom.
isng for such an experiment are not
available for the purpps" They do
not increase in captivity. and hence
the hcrsiitary Influences Of sclertiye
development carried on for generations
is entirely absent. It's grayelv doubt
cd by some whether the birds that
initiate the speech Of man have any
perception whatever Of the meaning
Of the words they use Do they EN-.
ploy their phrases with definite pur-
pose or intention. Or DO they merely
reproduce what they hear a. boy
may initiate the quack Of a duck OF
the grunt Of pig The writer Of the
article mentioned recitcs the case Of
parrot which Away preferred the pc
tiiIon. "Giyc Polly bit. il you
please" when She saw that food wa'
being prepared, but did not offer that
observation a. any other time. lie
also mentioned . magpie At stow.
market that knew and used with &C.
ouracy the names II several members
Of the family. The Able Gras la.
two parrot, that use general phrases
with appropriateness. When a sup.
ply of seeds i, given 10 Coco she
cries: "Here is something good"
II her companion screams, he
SAYS Come. Coco'tc, don't scream;
sing" If her request IS compiled with
she patronizingly observes You
sing wcll-oh. very well" VI. Gras
was giving some directions ts his
housekerpcr, when Coco interiected;
How. don't you understand: Z" In
telhgent parrots occasionally vary
their phrases, and like children who
are learning t. talk. never speak OF
themselves in the first person. The
child calls itself " Baby" as the parrot
STYLES itself Polly" The bird and
child alike puzzle and blunder in COM
ing over new phrase. and have e.
pccial difficulty in mastering the final
part 81 the sentence. Considering
what an individual bird can accom-
pliSh. it would he rash 10 limit the pos
sibilities Of that which might bee If
generation after generation of clever
parrots were matched. " Perhaps"
says the writer. lin these days of cram
and of the equal rights Of animals, We
may in FIVE centuries have magpies in
the fifth and sixth standards, macaws
for me examination Of the
science and art department, and cock
atoos--sweet bird graduates-taktng
their degrees at the University of
London"