New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-28
ANIMALS ACQUIRING HUMAN SPEECH.
From The Manchester Guardian.

From The Manchester Gu0rdidn
IA writer ia che Journal Of Science deals with tho
interesting subject of the attempts OF certain OF the
lower animals to acquire human speech: AZ tue
outset the observer 10 struck bv the curious iace
that the most successful attempts of this nature
have been made not by the animals that are usuaiiy
held to rank nearest to humanity but by certain
birds NJ. A. Rouion tells Of dog THAT can pro-
nonuce the words ma mamdn. Considering the III
telliRsnce of dogs, IL Ii perhaps mater v
that such stories arc not couimoner. IL mas pecn
suggested that the may be IN the difference IN
structuru of the vocal organs At all events. the
lower nammalia as rule DO MOI learn numsn
speech. 1t is the parrot and not tho MONKEY tnas
learns TO talk This has struck the observant Negro
who Is said to have theory that the monkey CAD
sneak but will not do so. lest he should be maue 70
work. If the monkeys had arrived AZ tniJ se. ,.,s
zation they would soon find that even tbe mutes
mnst do something in the complex organization OF
civilized life 1t is clear. however, that III addition
to the possession of certain physoqgicai alu mea-
tai animal must DE IN Close con
tact with man before he can he expected 10 Decono
familiar it'll his speech it is evident that tue an-
imss that would appear most ms r ,ou They
do not increase in captivity and hence the nciedt-
tary Influences q seectiye detelopment cair,ou ~
for generations is entirely absent; ! Is gansy
doubted by some whether the birhs that ifhltste
the speech OF man have any perception Whaeeve,ot
the meaning of the words they use. 10 .ney en, -,
ther phrases with definite purpose or Intention, of
do they merely reproduce what they near, as 10Y
NAV Initiate tho Quack OF duck or the ginnt OF
niuY The writer of the article MENTIONED recitts
the case of q parrot which always preferred tue
petitiOn " Give Polly Bit. il yon please when sho
saw that food being prepared, but did not oher
that observation at any other time lie also men,
toned a maybe at Stowmarket that knew and usrd
with accuracy the names OF several members Oh
the family. The Abb6 Gras has two parrots that
use general phrases with strict APPROPRIATENESS.
q Here is something good" IL her companion
screams he says, come, Cocotte. don't scream,
singn III her request is complied with she pairon,zz'
ingy observes, "Yon sing WI oh, very WELL . a.
Gras was giving some directions to MS h9use
Sesner wben Coco intcriected "How; dont
YOU understand I4t'l DS4a... I"t nDd Ike
cbiiJrsn who ere learning to talk neve,
speak Of themselves in the rst pe1sGin t.cf "soIy
The bird and the child alike puzzle and s,aas S 10
oviav ,5 m astering the final part OF. the sentence
Considering hat an individual bird can accomplish
n would DO rash to limit the possibilities OF that
which might be If genesation after generation ,S cs
w1iter. I'm these days OF cram and OF the equal
rights Of animals we may IN i've centuries nsvs
preparing for the examination vi the Science anu
Art department and cockatoos-sweet bird graou'
atestakng their degrees ut the University ot Lon-
don"