The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-30
TALKING BIRD
Quaint Accompi s5Tnsuts If cine of
the heathered II iha

bird. with short tai, orange beak and
legs, and bright yellow ear-fiars. which RIM
around TO the back If lis head like a broad
collar. 1t IS TO d, lively I'd, with a mel
low song and whsle II It's own. It's Dover
OF reproducing hulna. speech is wonderful
and 1t exni6its TIE greatest anxiety that the
tones shall be cOrrccJ, repeating them softI o
TO itself, with its head on one side. and then
shouting out the words. In the IL sect-hou
at the Zoo there is a fine old mvrab
who was deposited" in 1883. While
visitor is examining the Indian
moths coming out of their
coccons he may hear behi d him Thought
full cough, and then "hulloa ~ shouted With
startling sudde ness. 1t is the mynah. cnx-
ions to be friendly. and to begin CONVERSE
ton. Tie Hindu trader in the bazars avail
themselves OF the mynahs services in a
curious way. They teach it to pronounce
the holy name of Rama, and while its mas.
ters thoughts are on earthly things intent
the bird compounds for the neglect bv
shouting necessarily the name of the pod
and texts IN honor OF bis power 1.-THE Doet
Ovid's Indian parrot fiHds its way, as he
hoped, to tie paradise of birds, and there,
Convertit volucres in sua Yerha pias.
1t must surely meet the mynahs there also
Another bird which talks better than
most, and whistles better than any. is the
piping crow. 1t is lively black and white
bird, as large as rock, but far more ele-
CANT in form. Several specimens inhabit
the geological gardens; but the best is in the
western avlary, where he whistles "Merrily
Danced the Quaker" in tones like flute
The American bluejay, most brilliant
creature, flushing with hues of emerald
aGd turquoise, is an admirable mimic of
many sounds, even of the human voice
Wilson speaks of one (which had all the
tricks and loquacity of parrot; pilfered
all 1t could conveniently carry off; an
swered to its name with great socla 1ilitv
when called upon, and could articulate
numher Of words pretty distinctly" Our
English jays can also talk and magpies, es-
pecially if kept in good health and spirits
by being allowed partial freedom, soon
pick up words. Jackdaws and the Amer
lean crow can also be taught to
telk. But in all the crow tribe,
except tie piping crow, the reproduc-
t1on or human speech seems to be
more trick of mimicry than an effort to
acquire substitute for song. Parrots, my
nabs, and some cocketoos take infinite pains
to learn correctly and increase their stock
OF phrases. But the maggie or jay mimics
what it finds easy, and takes no further
trouble. Even the raven seldom has many
words at command, though, owing to its
deep, resonant voice and imposing size. it
attracts far more attention than a after
ing jay. The raven is the largest creature
except man that can talk, and fancy
and superstition have naturally ex-
aggerated its powers Still, the
speech of tine raven has a depth and
solennity which that of no other bird
obtains, and whether in boding utterances,
Ike those attributed to the ravens of
"Barnaby Ridge" or Eigar Allen Poe, or in
Main h1Qinaeo lilo 10 in
in Guildford street. which used to say,
"Ostler, here's a gentleman" when a
customer arrived, its powers are generally
marked and recorded We knew fine
bird, belonging to Statesman" in North
cumberland, that would say, Poor old
Ralph" or call the collie dog in the exact
tones used by Its master. But the crow
tribe. though as clever as the parrots, are
not SO easily domesticated. and their
beaks and tongues are well suited for the
musical sounds of human speech. Most
of the parrots. and some cockatoos and ma
ca@s, have both the mental and physical
gifts necessary tomake them excel IN talk
ing. Parrots of all classes have heshy
tongues moistened with saliva, and the
arcAed beak prov des substitute for our
palate and teeth. They have also wide
n strils, and their natural voices are loud
enough and strong enough to equal
the volume of hnman speech. In DISPOSE
tion they are highly initiative.
Cockataos are almost like monkeys
in mimickirg men. For instance, If you
bow to them they will make elaborate bows.
If you put your head Ga one side, they will
often do so. too But with many p rrots the
desire to learn new sounds is not. we think,
a mere trick of mimcry, but the desire to
possess a song-an accomplishment with
which to please, identical in kind with the
motive which prompts the young of sing
ing birds to learn taeir parents notes, or, ia
the case of the canary, to learn and iIn-
prove upon a song, not their own, which
they have transmitted to their posterity.
TIE following account of tie development
of the talking power in young parrot OF
which we have seen much lately, is, We
submit. strong confirmation OF this view.
Our informant is n lady, whose sympathles
are by no means limited to parrots. as the
context will show; and her observations
are wholly reli .ble. 1--WE bought Barry,
she writes, "when he was quite young, be-
fore his feathsrs were fully grown; and we
had him year before he began to talk;
Then he began to make very odd
noises. as if be were trying to say
words. but could not quite do it.
Now he constantly learns new words and
sentences. and early in the morning near
him practicing them over TO himself, ex-
actly as our battles used to do IN tie early
morning hours in bed. II he improves as
much in the next ten years as he has In the
last. he should be able to recite poem II
we teach nim." There is no reason Why a
parrot should not continue to increase his
stock of phrases as he grows older, II the
supposition that he looks upon 1t as an &C.
complishment for whica lie Is in some way
the better, is correct The butcher blrd,
for instance, and the sedge warbler do not
rest satisfied with learning their own
notes. but often learn and reproduce
the notes OF other birds IN great
perfection. The hooking bird, which. 'l!xe
Che sedge- warbler, has q fine song OF MS
own. does the same But tie parrot has the
advantage in being very long-llved ana
constantly ir human company Inc young
parrot mentioned before gave an exceiieht
instance of the ssociation in ITS mind OF
words with things Before it could talk IL
was friendly with kitten which USED 70
enter its cage. This kitten was sent away,
and for a year there was not anotneF
in the house. Then gray PERSIAN
kitten was bought, and when intro
duced to the parrot was ut o1ce addressed
ss "Kittv.n a word he had hardly heard
aimee the departure Of the other. The cor
RICHNESS of parrots imitation, the result no
dopbt of their careful practice, IS remark
able. A lady Of the Dutch Court, visiting
fhe nalace in the wood at the Hague soon
after the death Of the late Queen OF holland
was startled by hearing the Queens SJice
exactly reproduced. II was "nlte coch No
9Th nor