The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-28
cleveland Leader.)

expert in bird talk. His name is DR. |
Nelson R. Wood, and he has made a |
study OF the conversation of many |
kinds OF feathered creatures. He de-
ciares that they have langua ges of their |
own, in which they are able to convey |
their ideas to each other, and the only
reason why we do not understand them
is that we have not taken the trouble
to listen and observe Dr.. Wood not
only comprehends much of what birds
say, but, to a considerable extent, he
can make them understand him.
One does not have to go into the will
derness in order to study the talk of
birds. He can do so, says Dr. Wood, 10
better advantage in a farmyard than
anywhere else in the world. There he
will find the best conversationalists, IN
asmuch as chickens and turkeys have
more to say for themselves than any
other known birds-not even excepting
the parrot and the crow, which are
pretty good takers, whether tanned or
in wild state.
Chickens and turkeys are good talk
ers. not because they have been so long
dOmesticated. but simply for the rea-
son that nature has furnished them
with exceptional gifts in the converse
tional line. Doubtless the fact that they
| have so many enemies has something to
do with it. On this account they have
various notes of warning, curiously
each other or to their tender offspring.
From daylight until nightfaII the
/ talk of the farm yard is going on all
the time. and anybody is at liberty TO
( listen TO il and study it If he likes.
/ Much of the conversation is quite of a
social nature, while now and then re-
marks are made that relate to food
seeking or dangers which may threat
en-. The various vocal sounds uttered
/ have perfectly clear meanings, we'll I'M
derstood among the fowls themselves,
and any intelligent human being can
learn the language if be viii take the
pains.
As takers parrots have a much high
er reputation than chickens simply be-
cause they are imitators. Barnyard
| fowls, though such close companions
| of man. DO not mimic his speech; but
this does not imply that they have not
| a language of their own. On the con-
trary, their language is rich. as any
! observant person may perceive for
/ himself in the course of a brief visit
! TO quarters occupied by poultry Tur-
keys possess a range of speech hardly
less wide than chickens, but ducks are
1 inferior as takers.
Parrots are born converse tionalists,
and even in wild state they do an
immense deal of talking. These mon
keys of the feathered world are mimicS
above all else, and in their native for
ests, where they fly about in great
hocks, they are constantly initiating
the noises of the woods and the voices
of other creatures. But, oddly enough,
the best talking parrOt, In confinement,
is not necessarily the best imitator-
The so-ealled double yellow head
parrot of tropical America is unriyaled
for, conversation, but as a mimic it is
excelled by the gray African bird with
the red tail.
DR.. Wood says that a good talking
crow is a much better speaker than a
parrot. It is not so versatile. the
sounds it utters being less widely differ
entiated, but its speech is more human
like. A parrots voice has been conn.,
pared to that of a crazy person, where
as the remarks made by crow in the
next room are readily mistaken for
those of a human being. As initators
however, parrots are unsurpassed, and
their mimicrS of laughing. whistling
chuckling, and other sounds is often
marvellous.
@ . g
If you want to get a talking crow
says DR.. Wood, your best plan is tt
hire a small boy some time in April OF
May TO obtain a half-fedged young one
from the nest. Bring it up by hand
and talk TO il a great deal. repeating
the same things over and over again
!
And on no account split the birds
tongue-a bit of cruelty often prac-
ticed in obedience to an absurd popular
nation that a crows conversations
powers are increased by such surgica
treatment The result of your expert
ment will depend largely upon chance
inasmuch as some crows are born talk
ers, while others are much less gifteC
in this respect.
: Ravens and magpies which belong
to the crow family, are good takers
All three are among the most intelIi
: gent of birds and bestow great affee
ton upon their owners when kept II
captivity. DR.. Wood some years age
had a crow which amused itself b.
eoasting down an inclined plank
spent hours together at this sport
using the top of a mustard tin fol
its sled. 1t would carry the sled u
to the top of the plank, step into it
and slide to the bottom. repeating TIT
operation again and again with tn
greatest glee.
The sounds initiative of humal
4 speech which are uttered by the par
I ! rot and the crow have nothing to dl
with bird language, properly speaking
| It is the birds own talk in Dr.. Woods
/ opinion, that is really interesting an'
worthy of study. Having the best o
: feathered converse tionalists under on
2 there is no good reason why we shoui'
I not make a beginning in this kim
2 of knowledge with an inquiry into tn
: elements of chicken talk. Each specie
of bird has its own language, so tina
1 the field of research in this line is SUI
> ficiently wide. Some day, perhaps,
: lexicon of bird speech may be pub
:. lished in a dozen volumes OF so 70
the instruction OF nature lovers.
The ROSTERS crow at night is
! note of watchfulnesS. or of response
: the cry of other cocks. He means I
. say that he is on guard and that al
! is we'll" At other times he will crol
!. in defiance, and. if separated from hi
y mates, he is apt to crow right aion
+ continuously, being agitated and anx
. ious. When he meets another coo
: and a combat threatens, he utters
peculiar chuckle and drops one WING
f This means fight. But the other rOOste
: is younger, perhaps. and does not fec
$ as yet quite big and strong enoug
: to risk conflict So he lowers his IA
4 and begins TO sing like a hen. A mo
/ ment later he sinks away.
e In making ready to fight the frs
rooster utters d short, sharp note c
defiance. When his opponent has de
parted from the field he crows tri
umphantIy Then he goes 10 hunt &c
= worms, and, on discovering a delicac
of the sort, summons his hens by
:. / DecuIiS~ racLr1e that Is ono IF the mos