The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-22
MANY BIRDS JABBER
HUMAN LANGUAGE
Ordinary Parrot Often Excelled
by TropicaIW Winged Creatures
That Initiate Woman.

AS one of the judges at the Express
parrot competition l had an opportunity
( of noting, not by any means for the first
time the extraordinary public interest In
talking birds, and also the capr1ciousness
though known to be the best takers, re-
Quire patience in those who want to hear
them speak in company Other parrots OF
less repute are often less shy, and some
9 times speak as well, though undoubtedly
intellectual ability is far more general
among the gray birds. l remember, some
ten years ago, seeing at bird show at
Oxford a specimen Of the common green
ring-necked parrakeet of India which con-
tinually talked during the exhibition.
It's voice was high and thin; but it's re-
quest: Waiter, bring Polly pint of beer.
quick! quick, quick! was unmista aka IN IN
sex often seems to influence the talking
capacity of parrot. hen red-and -yei,
low macaw in the Calcutta geological
gardens. which had been received by eX-
change from the London Zoo. used to say
3 Come on, Cocky!" with absolute perfec-
ton of information, while her mate never
said a word. In India 1 also heard OF
specimen of the native green parrakeet
which must have been an extraordinary
talker. Its owner-a SoldIer-Sald that
the bird (Which, by the way, he did not
want to selD spoke English, Hindustani
and Japanese, and picked up fresh express
sions so readily that he was afraid to
swear at the servants before it.
The Indian parakeets were those first
known to the ancients, and the bird which
belonged to Corinna, the beloved of Ovid,
has been immortalized by the poet. 1t
was, he said, more brilliant green than
emeralds. with saffron bill, and its last
words were "Corinna, farewell!''
Diplomatic Parrot.
Another Roman parrot was, like our
fiscal friends, educated in politics, and is
made to remark:
FOR other names your teachings may
avail,
/ taught myself to utter Caesar, hail!' 4"
1t is a far cry indeed from ancient
Rome to modern New Zealand, but from
the latter country comes an anecdote of a
political bird whose utteranceS were very
much to the point. This was not a par
rot, but tut or parSon bird. The tut is
large honeysucker about as big as a
misse- thrush; with lovely bronze-b black
plumage, set off by pair of white neck
tufts, recalling a parsons bands. 1t is
clever mocker and learns to speak
This particular bird belonged to an old
chief, Nepia Taratoa, whom, together
with many other natives Sir Walter But
Ter was once addressing on some matter
of grave political import. The naturalist
politician, who tells the story against him
self, had only just finished his speech
when, before his master could reply, the
tut called out from his cage overhead:
Tito" (falseD with unmistakable empha-
sis 1t was too much for the audience
and Nepia Taratoa himself overcome with
the rest, laughingly remarked that Sir
Walters arguments We're sound enough,
but that the bird was clever, and still I'M
convinced
The parson bird is a convincing proof Of
the fact that birds do not talk with their
tongues, for, being honeysucker, the tut
has a long, eXtensible tongue, with a
fr1nged tip, as unlike the human tongue
as possible. AS a matter of fact. birds
voice is formed in the syrinx, which is
quite low down in the windpipe, and,
therefore, cannot have anything at all to
do with its tongue in any case. Of other
talking birds not of the parrot family the
most celebrated is the Indian hill mynah
a large, thick-set starting, glossy black
with orange bill. In India, it's native home
1t is often Kept as a pet, and when it talks
really wen is q perfect wonder to listen to.
A Total AbstaIner.
The best ever heard-in fact. the best
talking bird of any kind have met-be-
longed to friend in Calcutta. and spoke
In an absolutely human way, with a deep
throaty voice. He required some coaxing
before he would display his talents, and
the method employed was to get a native
servant-a very good fellow, but of some
what bibulous tastes-to talk to him. So
this worthy would squat down, and re-
peat-for he spoke English weli-the
mynahs own phrases to the bird. But the
mynah would not say. WHO are you?''
I'm off to London" or any other of his
set phrases; instead, he would after a
while, come out with MOT drop to save
my soul!' which sentence. when once
started, he would continue to repeat at in
tervalS with painful diStinctness and ap-
parent satisfaction.
The owner of this bird once had another
which spoke equally well-but far less re-
spectable He had bought it as talker.
but In ignorance of the extent of its
knowledge or the depth of it's corruption
and when a lady came in to buy talk
ing mynah 1T was brought out for her OBJ
servation. If 1 were to repeat what that
wicked ToVOah said If he
British matron.
The mynah found home, for the next
person who wanted One-who happened to
be a legal practitiOner-no sooner heard
the birds somewhat unduly racy vocab-
ulary than he exclaimed That's the bird
for me-" and carried it off in triumph.
Statutes a Guest.
The house mynah of India, which is a
neat brown bird with yellow legs and hab-
Its much like our own starting, is not sc
often heard Of as a talker. but knew one
very good one in Calcutta, which was par
ticularly free and friendly in conversation
As soon as one went to the cage it would
commence to bow in regular starting ia sh-
ion and to say "Mynah mynah, pretty
mynah! Call the dog! Jack, Jack, JackI''
all very much in one breath, and in a de-
cidedly high key.
Indeed of all talking birds this half
domestic creature is about the best for a
pet; it is very easy to keep, cannot bite
IKE q parrot and gets so tame that it can
even outside, with unclipped wings
Another good talker. which can be al
lowed liberty with less risk than this my
nah, owing to its greater size and
strength is the piping crow. the imagine
of Australia, which IS always on view al
the crows cages at the Zoo. This hand
some pied bird has a beautiful whistle
as his natural note, and in captivity ne
learns to pipe tunes and to speak with
great readiness, and is very ready to show
off his accomplishments in either direc-
ton
Danoerous HandehaLa