ot. All parrots do not possess this last peculiarity,
but there is one point which all have in common: their tongue is
broader than that of any other bird. Wherefore they articulate human
words more easily owing to the size of their palate and the organ of
speech. When it has learnt anything, it sings or rather speaks it out
with such perfect imitation that, if you should hear it, you would
think a man was speaking; on the contrary if you hear a crow[42]
attempting to speak, you would still call the result croaking rather
than speech. But crow and parrot are alike in this; they can only
utter words that they have been taught. Teach a parrot to curse and it
will curse continually, making night and day hideous with its
imprecations. Cursing becomes its natural note and its ideal of
melody. When it has repeated all its curses, it repeats the same
strain again. Should you desire to rid yourself of its bad language,
you must either cut out its tongue or send it back as soon as possible
to its native woods.

[Footnote 42: _corvinam quidem si audias idem conantem, crocire non
loqui._ The text is corrupt, Van der Vliet's suggestion probably gives
the correct sense.]

_A comparison between the eloquence of the philosopher and the song of
birds._

13. ... For the eloquence bestowed on me by philosophy has no
resemblance to the song that nature has given to certain birds which
sing but for a brief space and at certain times only. For instance,
the swallows sing at morn, the cicalas at noon, the night-owl late in
the dark, the screech-owl at even, the horned-owl at midnight, the
cock before the dawn. Indeed these animals seem to have made a compact
together as to the various times and tones of their song. The crowing
of the cock is a sound should wake men from their beds, the horned-owl
groans, the screech-owl shrieks, the night-owl cries 'tuwhit, tuwhoo',
the cicalas chatter, and the swallows twitter shrill. But the wisdom
and eloquence of the philosopher are ready at all times, waken awe in
them that hear, are profitable to the understanding, and their music
is of every tone.

_On Crates the Cynic._

14. These arguments and the like which he had heard from the lips of
Diogenes, together with others which suggested themselves to him on
other occasions, had such influence with Crates, that at last he
rushed out into the market-place and there renounced all his fortune
as being a mere filthy encumbrance, a burden rather t