The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-31

I sound and initiate It; but I do not believe
they know the meaning OF the words shsy
.~ronouncs or could answer = ssties OK
questions correctly.
They have not 40 much shrewdness or
Instinct % characterize our crows. Inc
touoan, with his great clumsy beak n h's
awkward gait, has much oftener been
known to act % ii guided by reason.
When touoans are taken young they be-
some tame and very soeiable with all the
members Of the family, but resent the CON-
Ing Of . stranger. I have seen a toucan,
when . strange dog came about the prem
Uses. watch for IN opportunity to
tiptos cautiously upon the enemy
from behind aud then catch him
By the hind leg, close to the foot; the dog
limped away bowling, and the toucan. with
! note very much like a hoerse laugh, pre-
tended 10 limp in the contrary direction
with one wing partly trailing on the ground.
I oan tell you q true story hat Will show
You the sagacity of this bird. II was years
ago whom the Moravian missions were first
founded in British Guinea, and the ships
Of England and Holland were every year
bringing emlgrants TO that part OF The new
world. a..
AMI. Denton with his wife and infan mt
oon came over to settle near Barteke At the
mouth Of the Esssquibo river. There was
q Young chimpanZee on board that became
the voyage. and whom he left the ship on
her arrival the captain made him a present
OF Mick" The ohimpanzee was so At
tachsd TO his new master that he attended
him evsry where; but after the first year he
seemed to transfer this special affection to
little Oscar, then nearly three years old.
About this time a native Indian made the
family q present of q ~touoan, who soon
became a general favorite and Nick's in
separable companion.
The two creatures knew each others way
20 we'll that whom Nick went of into the
plantation. Tramp" the toucan. would
watch for his coming and fly to meet him,
sure Of getting part of the banana, or fig.
or whatever fruit the chimpanZee had found
in his rambles. They seemed to have a
mode of sign talk; when Nick saw the tou-
can come in from the outside veranda,
giving one hoarse croak like q bulifrog, n
betake herself to her usual shelter under =
totuma, he knew that q strange biped or
Quadruped was coming, and went out to see
who it might be.
A totuma is half of a great gourd that
grows on a tree; it has a smooth green rind.
and when it is sufficiently large to make a
good sized bowl it is taken from the trse
&uU Gus IL AhAFebs 1A0 PlIA anu ocoun aAo
scooped out. the inside of the shells 10
scraped and secured, and then the halves
are left out in the air to season and dry.
The outer part gets rs hard as horn, and
they make very serviceable bowls.
The toucan used to step on one edge OF
his totuma or drinking bowl, and tip it
towards him, then grasp ths other edge
with his beak and draw it over himself as
he squRts down.. The wild toucans in the
forest have holes in tree trunks that they
can back into in times of danger, leaving
their great bill edwards ready to defenC
themselves against monkeys or Other ami
mails that try to disturb them, or it wat
doubtless this instinct, habit. remembrance
or what you will that made him uss thu
totuma in this way.
Sometimes Mr.. Denton would take littl'
Oscar out on the plantation, where tn
slaves were at work among the cofIee-trees
or into the suRar-cane fields. Nick an
the touoan would always 90 along, as i
they did not like to be separated from tn
child. Sometimes the ohimpanzee, VIII
was q particularly steady fellow. woul
carry the little boy, and he seemed muc
pleased whenever Mr.. Denton allowed hir
to do it.
There came at last days Of anxiety an
trouble for the colony, the terrible Maroon
declared war on the white settlers, an
there was a state of constant alarm.
One afternoon Mr.. Denton had gone wit
his wife to visit q sick neighbor. leavin
the house in charge of two servants. Osca
was playing on the outer verandah. Mic
sat on the broad railing pulling a ripe fig