The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-03-07
SOME BIRDS THAT TALK.
THE MACPiE. JAcKDAW. CHOW
AND PARROT.
Some Valuable Hints on Edsestins the Parrot to
DO . Brilliant Convsrsstionsiist and
Eseisw rrofanity-Ths Grow
Kind IL Q Fair Talker.


The most accomplished talker OF
Indian birds is the my nah, a handsome
purple-black bird. with u short tail.
orange beak and legs. and bright yell
low ear-flaps, which run around to the
back OF Its head like a broad collar.
II is bold. lively bird. with mellow
song, and whistle OF Its own. It's
power Of reproducing human speech
is wonderful. and II exhibits the great
est anxiety that the tones shall DO cor
rect. repeating them softly to itself,
with its head on one side, and then
shouting out the words.
Another bird which talks better
than most and whistles better than
any. is the piping crow. IT is lively
black-and- white bird, rs large us a
rock, but far more elegant in form.
Several specimens inhabit the zoologi-
cal gardens. but the best is in the
western aviary, where he whistles
''Merrily Danced the Quaker" In tones
like flute.
The American blue jay says the
London Spectator, most brilliant
creature, flushing with hues OF emerald
and turquoise. is IN admirable mimic
Of many sounds, even of the human
voice. Wilson speaks of one (which
had all the tricks and loquacity OF q
parrot; pilfercd all it could con venient-
ly carry Off; answered to its name
with great sociability when called up
on, and could articulate a number OF
words pretty distinctly" Jackdaws
ana the American crow can also be
taught to talk. But In all tho crow
tribe. except the piping crow, the re-
production Of human speech seems to
be more trick OF mimacry than IN
effort to acquire substitute for song.
Parrots. mynahs, and some cockatoos
take infinite pains to learn correctly
and increase their stock OF phrases.
But the magpie 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. 1t attracts more atten-
tion than a chattering jay. The raven
Is the largest creature except man that
can talk" and fancy, and superstition
have naturally exaggerated its powers
But the crow tribe, though as clever
as the parrots, are not SO easily do
mesticated, and their beaks and
tongues IRE less we'll suited for
the musical sounds OF human speech.
Most OF the parrots. and some
cockatoos and macaws, have both the
mental and physical gifts necessary to
make them excel in talking. Parrots
OF all classes have feshy tongues,
moistened with saliva, and the arched
5eak provides a substitute for our
palate and teeth. They have also
wide nostrils and their natural voices
ARE loud enough and strong enough to
equal tho volume OF human speech.
In disposition they are highly imita-
tive. Cockatoos are almost like mon
keys In mimicking men. For instance,
II you bow to them they will make
elaborate bows. II you put your
head on one side they will often do 80
too. But with many parrots the de-
sire to learn new sounds is not, we
think, nero trick OF mimicry, but
desire 70 possess n song-nn &C
complishment with which to please.
Identical in kind with the motive
which prompts the young Of singing
birds to learn their parents notes, or,
In the case OF the canary, to learn and
improve upon a song. not their own,
which they have transmitted to their
posterity.
Tho following account OF tho develop
ment OF the talking power in a young
parrot OF which we have seen much late
ly Is. we submit, strong confirmation
Of this view. Our informant is lady
whose sympathies are by no means
limited to parrots, rs the context will
show, and her observations are wholly
reliable: 1--WE bought Barry" she
writes. 'when he was quite young. be-
fore his feathers are fully grown. and
we had him year before he began to
talk. Then he began 10 make very
odd noises. as II he was trying to say
words, but could not quite do 1t. Now
he constantly learns new words and
sentences, and early In the morning /
hear him practicing them over to him
self, exactly Us our babies used to do
in the early morning hours in bed. II
he improves as much In the next ten
years as he has In the last he should
be aOle to recite u poem II we teach
him." There is no reason why
parrot should not continue to increase
his stock OF phrases as he grows older,
II the superstition that he looks upon
IL as an accomplishment for which he
81 in some way tho better. Is correct.
The butcher bird, 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, like the sedge
warbler. has q fine song of his own,