Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-18

A writer In the yosrnuf o, se;..-.
oeais with the Interesting subject Of the
attempts of certain Of the lower AMI
mah 70 soqoire h1msn speech. Az the
Outset the observer h struck by the en-
r1ous fac: thss the most sucoeeusul A..
temptA OF this nature have ban MADE
not BY the animals that are usually bald
20 rank nearest 70 humanity. bot bv ser
tain birds n. A. Ronjon tells Of q doc
tnas can pronounce the word ina ma
m0n- Considering the intelligence Of
doRs II - perhaps a matter Of surprise
tnaf such - - are not commoner. II
has oeen suggested that the cause NAV
% IA tne o.derence Ia structure of the
voch orRanA. Al ali events the lower
mammslia - rule do not learn human
soeech- II II ths parrot and NOT the
monkey that learns to talk. This has
struck the observant negro, who il said
to have theory that the monkey can
speak bot viii mot do %, lest be should
be made to work. II the monkeys had
arrived az this generalization they
would soon md that even the mutes
must do someshing in the complex or
ganizatio0 OF civilized life. lis clear.
however, that in addition to ths posses.
slon OF Cortain physioloQicai aud mem
close contact With man before it can be
expected to become familiar with his
speech. II is evident that the animals
that would appear most promising for
such an experiment are not availabls
for the purpose. They do not increase
IN captivity, and hence the hereditary
infiuences Of selective development car
ried on for generations is entirely abb
sent. II IL Rravely doubted by some
whether the birds that initiate the
speech of man have any perception
whatever OF the meaning of tho words
they use. Do they employ phrases with
dennite purpose or intention, or
do they merely reproduce what they
hear, as a boy may initiate the quack Of
dusk or the grunt of a pig? The
writer OF the article mentioned rocites
the case Of parrot which always pre-
ferred the petition. Give Polly bite,
II you please" when she saw that food
was being prepared. but did not Offer
that observation at any other time. He
aIso mentioned magpie at Stormarket
that knew and used with ACCURACY the
names of several members Of the family.
The Able Gras has two parrots tha:
use general phrases. With strict appro-
priateness. When 4 supply of seeds
Is given 10 Coco he cries, Here is
something good" II his companion
screams, ne Saws: "Come, Cocoste, don't
scream; sing" II her request is com-
piled with, he patronizingly observes:
"Y0u sing we'll; oh. very wellv' III.
Gras was giving soue directions { his
honsekeeper, when Coco interjected:
How; don't you understand" Intelli-
gent parrots occasionally vary their
phrases, and, like children who are
learning TO talk. never speak of them
selves in the first person. The child
calls itself BABY" as the parrot styles
itself Polly" The bird and the child
alike puzzle, and blunder in coming
over new phrase, and have especial
difficulty in mastering the final part of
the sentence. Considering what an in
dividual bird can accomplish, it would
be rash TO limit the possibilities of that
which might DO il generation after gen.
Grafton Of clever parrots were matched.
Perhaps" says the writer, sin 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 preparing for the examination
Of the science and art department, and
cockatoos- sweet bird graduates tax
ing their degree at the University of
London"