132 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN MAN. 



enter the house — for my footstep is recognized — the bird will 

 repeat one of my sayings. If the servants enter the room 

 Poll will be ready with one of their expressions, and in their 

 own tone of voice. It is clear that there is a close association 

 in the bird's mind between certain phrases and certain persons 

 or objects, for their presence or voice at once suggests some 

 special word. For instance, my coachman, when coming for 

 orders, has so often been told half-past two, that no sooner 

 does he come to the door than Poll exclaims, ' Half-past two.' 

 Again, having at night found her awake, and having said, 

 'Go to sleep,' if I have approached the cage after dark the 

 same words have been repeated. Then, as regards objects, 

 if certain words have been spoken in connection with them, 

 these are ever afterwards associated together. For example, 

 at dinner time the parrot, having been accustomed to have 

 savory morsels given to her, I taught her to say, ' Give 

 me a bit.' This she now constantly repeats, but only 

 and appropriately at dinner-time. The bird associates the 

 expression with something to eat, but, of course, knows no 

 more than the infant the derivation of the words she is using. 

 Again, being very fond of cheese, she easily picked up the 

 word, and always asks for cheese towards the end of the 

 dinner course, and at no other time. Whether the bird 

 attaches the word to the true substance or not I cannot say, 

 but the time of asking for it is always correct. She is also 

 fond of nuts, and when these are on the table she utters a 

 peculiar squeak ; this she has not been taught, but it is Poll's 

 own name for nuts, for the sound is never heard until the fruit 

 is in sight. Some noises which she utters have been obtained 

 from the objects themselves, as that of a cork-screw at the 

 sight of a bottle of wine, or the noise of water poured into a 

 tumbler on seeing a bottle of water. The passage of the 

 servant down the hall to open the front door suggests a 

 noise of moving hinges, followed by a loud whistle for a cab."* 

 Concerning the accuracy of these observations I have no 

 doubt, and I could corroborate most of them were it necessary. 

 * Journal of Mental Science, July, 1879. 



