Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-27
CROW THAT CAN TALK.
One of the Very Few Instances on
 Record


 Everybody knows that the Ameri- can crow can talk freely in his own language, but that he can also learn to talk good English is fact not quaintances. It is not certain that every crow can do this. But so1lle can. .ss.54.ss. 6
 Out west there is common black 1 crow that has learned good deal of English without any direct effort to teach him. This particular crow lives in Cameron, Mo, and belongs to young McGee, the son of carpenter The bird is in the habit of greeting various persons whom he meets in the streets in a loud voice, though aside from few words his vocabulary is little known to the ordinary citizen. At l home he is very talkative. and his owner is sometimes compelled to in- | sist that young crows shall be seen and not heard.
 l Rev J. Hubbard Langville, preacher and ornithologist of western New York, published a book in 1884, ill which he tells the following about q Kansas crow: "An Indian used to visit the mission, bringing with him | tongue split and able to mimic dis l unctly quite a number of words, as also to originate little sentences of his own. During one of these Indian visits patch of land was being plowed. The crow, with his bright red ribbon trailing behind him on the ground, was busy picking up insects. and some little girls were trying to catch the ends of the ribbon Just as their tiny hands were about to grasp the streamers the willy crow would spring forward and. looking back ward, would tauntingly say, You didn't, did your 1"
 That is certainly an interesting ac. count of a bird but the talking crow of Cameron is more interesting by l far, because he is alive to-day and has a town full of witnesses to his clever ness. One gray haired woman relates I that she was leaving home on a cer- tain afternoon when she heard a cry of Grandma! Grandmaw She looked everywhere, thinking that her little grandson had come, but presently saw the crow peeping mischievously froTrl the housetop. Further evidence of the crows speech is from the members of the north side school. He is fond of the children, and is always on hand WhCA IuSy are VuIIOUIbs UuIN lIlG Jdui- tor says the bird is never to be seen about there on Saturday or Sunday. 4 He certainly talks, and talks dis, tinctly, though his list of words was confined to a few names. When wis ited at his home, however, the bird talked quite after the fashion of the most skillful parrots, who, 1t is said never do their best in strange com pany. He called members of the fam fly tpa,'' ma ''Nora" and Homer His question, 'tWhat for?'' was inter. posed in the conversation with laugh able results. He called the chickens to their food, clucked like hen; ne moved like kitten. It was said tha1 he enjoyed a dog fight above all else encouraged it in the beginning by shouting "Hi-hi-hiv' and adding fue by spirited ejacIlations of "Sick 'er' and Lick em.'
 He plays with children, but fights if they disturb him. He will be foul years old this spring, so the youtl says who took him from nest in tht woods. He lived upon bread and mea in his babyhood, and the diet evident ly agreed with him well.-Buffalo Ex press.