BIRD MIMICRY AND VENTRILOQUY.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 32

BIRD MIMICRY AND VENTRILOQUY.

Undoubtedly the most perfect mimic amongst the feathered tribes is the American mocking-bird, a bird belonging to the thrush family. ' On account of its wonderful powers of imitation, the aborigines of Mexico called it centcontlatlolli — namely, 400 tongues or languages. It is during the daytime that its imitative powers are usually exhibited ; and so perfect is its mimicry of the songs of other birds that even the most practised ear is easily deceived thereby. Although it has never been known to imitate the human voice, its powers extend to the mimicry of the cries and calls of other birds, the mewing of cats, the barking of dogs, cock-crowing, hen-cackling, pig-squeaking, creaking of hinges, and numerous other sounds

The best imitator of the human voice is the parrot ; but its powers as a mimic are so well known that we need not stay to enumerate them.

It must not be supposed that this faculty is confined to one or two species, for it is possible that most birds are more or les3 endowed with it. Many of our British species are excellent mimics, and although by no means so proficient in the art as their foreign brethren, the term " mocking-bird " might be very appropriately applied to not a few. The development of these powers frequently takes place when in confinement, the exercise of the faculty seeming to afford much enjoyment to the performer. Amongst the British birds which may be taught to utter words and short sentences are the magpie, jay, starling, and jackdaw. The firstmentioned of these, it is said, may be taught to speak almost as plainly as the parrot does ; and the starling may be taught to say almost anything, as well as to whistle tunes. A goldfinch has been known to mimic to the life the chirp of the sparrow, the " spink, spink" of the chaffinch, the twittering of the swallow, the bell-like " scold " of the blackbird, the notes of the oxeye tit, the bunting, the whitethroat, and the wren — in fact, any and every bird's cry that he had the chance of hearing during his 10 years' confinement.

The bullfinch is a notable imitator of tunes, while the canary frequently reproduces parts of the airs that have been whistled or played in his hearing. There is on record a most interesting and curious case of mimicry by a canary. A gentleman having taken temporary rooms in a London lodging house, was much disturbed during his first evening's stay there by the persistent striking of a clock (utterly regardless of time) outside his room. It became so annoying to him that he opened the door for the purpose of calling his landlady, when, to his surprise, the sound suddenly ceased. Upon questioning the landlady, he found that the sound was made by a pet canary whose cage was placed in a window seat outside his door. The imitation was so exact that it was impossible to detect the fraud by the ear alone.

Keculver Marsh, on the coa|t of Kent, is much frequented by lapwing^and skylarks, the latter of which have adopted the peculiar and well-known alarm cry of the plover. These birds are also imitators of the cry of the ringed plover. Professor Newton tells us of another imitator of the lapwing— the starling, who, moreover, has been heard to imitate the twittering of the swallow, Jay&, again, are said to be able to reproduce the peculiar notes of the -carrion crow. There are very few persons who have intruded upon the nesting-ground, of. the lap-

vdng who have not been deceived by the piteous cry and painful fluttering of an apparently wounded bird ; for the plover is an excellent mimic in this respect, and by these means succeeds in drawing off the novice from her nested treasure. Titlarks, wild ducks, wagtails, and sandpipers also thus exercise their reasoning faculties and powers of mimicry.

Death-simulation is a species of mimicry or fraud not unfrequently practised by birds when suddenly alarmed. The following is one out of numerous instances that might be cited : Some 10yds from her nest on Lough Neagh, a water-hen was discovered lying on her side, partly in the water, her head being concealed by one of the large loose stones which lay about the spot.' The bird was picked up by the tip of the wing ; and as its limbs were relaxed, and to all appearance it was quite dead, the holder was about to drop it to the ground again, when, to his intense astonishment, the mimic suddenly flapped its wings and took to flight. The landrail has been known to simulate death in -a similar manner, and under the closest examination it showed not the slightest sign of life. The pretence was continued until some time after it had been stowed away in the captor's pocket, when, with a sudden effort, it escapad from its prison and flew away as if nothing had happened.

Not only are certain individuals of the feathered tribes true mimics, but it is possible, nay, probable, that some few also are ventriloquists. Mr Rigg Withers tells us that during his wanderings in the foreste of Brazil he discovered a bird-ventriloquist which has a peculiar shrieking cry as loud as a peacock's, and which is known as the bellbird. He thus writes about it : "It is seldom seen in its wild state, being, like the musical frog, a ventriloquist of very high powers, and as a sun loving bird, a frequenter of the highest tree tops, where its snow-white plumage and transparent wings render it almost invisible even when in motion." From a description of this bird's performances in confinement, it appears that its notes were heard, in every quarter of the small village, and seemed at times to come from the mountains at the back of the village, fully a quarter of a mile away.

Mr Bowdler Sharpe tells us that one day in early spring, when in a wood near Mongeron, France, his ear was arrested by a loud and not unmusical cry like that of ja titmouse. As the sound appeared to be close to where he was standing, he searched all the tree in the immediate neighbourhood, but could find no bird of the tit family. At length, however, he discovered that the notes were produced by a creeper which was busily engaged in search of insect-food on a tree some 10yds away. The cry, he states, was ventriloquial, sometimes appearing to be uttered close at hand and sometimes at a distance.

Whether or not the corncrake is gifted with the power of ventriloquy, we do not know, but we well remember how frequently in our bird-nesting days we were deluded by i this bird. Stealthily making our way along some hedgeside, we would be suddenly startled by the " crake, crake " of the landrail, seemingly close at hand. With "cautious steps and slow "we would make our way through the long grass towards the spot whence the sound proceeded, when, as though the bird were gifted with the power of invisible flight, it would be transported to a spot some hundred yards away. this we would cautiously proceed ; tjut just when we appeared to be within a few feet, without a rustle, without a 'blade of grass stirring, apparently without a pause, 'the monotonous " crake, crake " would be heard at a still further distance. As we think of it now, we can distinctly recall the " haunted " feeling we experienced as we stood in the meadow (it was evening) listen ing to the landrail's notes, which seemed to swell and die away almost to an echo, as does a peal of bells on a fitful breeze ; and we are strongly inclined to think that the cause of the sound appearing to emanate from so many points almost at the same time is due to a ventriloquial power with which the bird is probably endowed. The grasshopper • warbler and the ring-ousel possess similar powers, which are doubtless a means of protection to them, being used to lure away the intruder from their nests. — " Chambers' Journal."