ad imitandvm humanae vocis sonvm dociles

Re: calandra

 
"Aves ad imitandum humanae vocis sonum dociles sunt." (Curtius)

J.  McMahon:

>I guess we should
>all be aware of [the northern  mockingbird's] scientific name:
>Mimus polyglottos.

One thing to  consider is -- since they claim to be 'good learners' -- 
whether 

a  mockingbird 

(I can't see the tongue so find 'polyglottos' disturbingly  figurative -- 
can a mockingbird sing _without_ a tongue: I suppose a cat _can_  miaow 
without one) 

will find Latin easier over Greek.

I find that  the 'th' of the Greek, along with the ypsilon, and the rhota 
would make for  harder imitations. 

On the other hand, the belcanto qualities of Latin  (or paleo-Italian) as I 
say should fit a bird.

---- Bellini noted that  belcanto is best when the 'castrato' does not sing 
another language as a first  language. O. T. O. H., Joan Sutherland, who 
was born as an anglophone has  produced the best bel-canto syllabifications in 
the history of opera. So go  figure.

I'm less sure about the mockingbird.

My History of Opera  notes that when "Rinaldo" was produced in London, as a 
novelty, 'birds were  introduced in the garden scene', which I find kind of 
 neat.

Cheers,

J. L. Speranza
The Swimming-Pool  Library,
     Bordighera
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