ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH 
LL Anglo-Indians are acquainted with the 
voice of the coppersmith bird, although, 
possibly, some do not know him by sight. 
His unceasing, monotonous, metallic Zonk, 
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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