Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1913 — Birds That Can Talk. [ARTICLE]

Birds That Can Talk.

Professor Scott of Princeton says that wild birds sometimes Introduce variations into their songs and, again, more rarely, imitate not only the songs of other birds, but the barking of dogs, mechanical sounds 'like the creaking of wheels, the flllng;of a saw and even human speech. A writer in Bird Lore gives*this welltauthenttcated incident: One morning while I was standing on my back steps I heard a cheerful voice say: “You are a pretty bird. ) Where are you?" I wondered how any/parrot could talk loudly enough to be/heard at that distance, tor the houses f on the street behind us are not near. Preeiently the voice came again, dear, musical and strong: ‘You are a pretty bird. Where are you?” For several days 1 enduredvthe suspense of waiting tor time} to \ Investigate. Then I chased him! up. There he was in the top of a w alnut tree, and his gorgeous attire totyl me immediately he was a rose broasted grosbeak. At the . end of <a week he* Was saying, “Pretty, pretty bind. Where are you?" He and his mate stayed/ near us all last summer, and this Wring they came again. He* is making the same remark as plainly as 'Over a bird can speak.