ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH 



ALL Anglo-Indians are acquainted with the 

 voice of the coppersmith bird, although, 

 possibly, some do not know him by sight. 

 ^ His unceasing, monotonous, metallic Tonk, 

 tonk, tonk is perhaps the most striking of all the 

 familiar sounds of an Indian garden. It is this which 

 has given him his popular name. His note bears a 

 remarkable resemblance to the sound of a hammer 

 tapping upon metal. And, as the human coppersmith 

 in the gorgeous East seems to spend most of his day 

 in aimlessly hammering copper, it is easy to trace the 

 origin of the bird's name. Indeed, the resemblance has 

 struck both Indians and Europeans. 



The notes of different individuals of the species are 

 often of a different pitch. Some call more rapidly than 

 others : when therefore two neighbouring birds sing 

 simultaneously they give rise to the phenomenon of 

 musical beats. The note of the coppersmith is by no 

 means unpleasant ; nevertheless, in this, as in all other 

 cases, familiarity breeds contempt, and most Anglo- 

 Indians are of opinion that they hear too much of the 

 bird, and agree with Lockwood Kipling that " when 

 you are down with fever and headache, you wish the 

 noisy bird would take a holiday or go on strike." 



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