Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-02-06
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS AND
INSECTS.

OF talking birds the magpie and the
parrot have long been famous, their natural
aptness for initiating the human voice being
such that il has apparently required no
very great exaggeration Of their actual
powers to make them play the part oil very
Intelligent and discreet takers. Plutarch
narrates, on the authority OF eye witnesses,
q story Of the very singular conduct ol q
magpie that was quite n musical prodigy.
This magpie was all the while repeating
words and initiating the sounds OF instru-
ments, not, indeed, says the narrator, from
any training, but simply from an eNtraord-
mary ambition il had 10 leave nothing un-
spoken which il heard, aud TO perfect 1t
self, by intense study, in all kinds Of music;
30 that its tongue was always going Win
the greatest variety OF sounds Imaginable
1t belonged to o barber, who kept it at his
shop in Rome, just opposite the Greek
forum. 1t happened that rich man OF the
neighborhoed having died, the funeral pro-
cession, accompanied by many trumpeieIs.
halted and made a long stop before the
BARRIERS shop, and, the music pleasing the
people, il was prolonged and repeated. The
magpie listened, and from that day was al
together mute, not so much as mutterlng
the usual notes by which it made It's wants
known. This was matter ol great worder
TO those who had been accustomed to pass
by The shop and listen 10 tue bird, and some
attributed his silence 10 wichcIalt, though
the greater number were Of The opinion that
the noise Of the tfumpels had struck it deal
No such thing, say Plutarch. The BIRDS
-1rnsS5f siIenee proceeGeO iIUh. lie siuGying
over in secret the music il had heard lor
one day il suddenly came out win vii INC
aouris6es of the irumpets, observing WIN
,bo greatest exactness OF time uil ibe
changes and caderces Of the harmony
We have come striking examples oil Tue
use of language hv those Of the insec U'hes
which live in societies. When an ant
nest is disturbed, those upon the suiiNce
transmit the alarm to those in tho interior
and thew all Immediately set about carrying
the larIm and pupe TO the lowest ppu.'-
mepis. which they seem insilneuVely 70 re
gard as the safest and most secure II .n'
ruins of the nest are scattered upon tu'
aoor ,he ants set out in thousand dlieren
d;rae,ions 10 discover some place OF retreat
and 90 soon as any one OF them hnds
chink in the wall or in the floor througl
which they can escape, il runs to It's com
nanions and tells them Of the discovery
has made, and perhaps guides them 10 IN
snot. In a very little while the news spreau
ihrough all The tribe, and they are 500
far away in some snug place oil reunion
The naturalist Gould tried curious ca
oar;msnt with n colony Of ants, whlc
furnishes us with further proof Of their con
municatipg together. lie put them lh'o
aower not. which he surrounded win wa'e
SO as 10 prevent their leaving H. AHer
few days he stretched several threads Iro
lhe upper part Of the flower pot 70 pol
beyond the water, when presently oue
The ants detected this bridge, ana eonihul
Gated the discovery TO the olhersi Wnen
a little while the threads were eoVeieu WI WI
these busy bodies passing anu fep"ss'"s w
them. ... sor sr,
inc some ants feasting upon some dellca
,bev lad found in his closet be SHOOK lhe
ont and suspended the article by s'ri
from the ceiling. 1t chonced, however, u y
one ant was left; and, alter eallng i's
!, found it's way up the string ana alol
ihe wall 10 It's nest. In less than nan
bour great company Of ants sailed out
,hcir hole and crept along the ceiling a.
down tLe string TO the swoetmeat, Wbi
,ros soon consumed. The doctor lnlcfI
,bot the first ant bad communicated 10
comrades the new position ol thelI uellcR
and hnd directed them the opiy way
it. .,nbot ,t,o adr.
toge of the ant in being Np'e 10 emp
sound TO a very limited extent IN G9mmu
eating its wants ana WISHES si uuu , "li .ne
,s;,;ons Of its nature. These sounds
tui.'Un wi. ,,ocoI however, and, as with the
~ antenrn constitute the chief organ
inu"ags lnu with the bee. OF this we b
55ic Droof in the interesting Investigate
up bv The gifted Francis Huber,
lo"is host biographer. When lie had
od pee Tho queen bee from the hive,
hees did not seem TO be aware oI her
,, o.es at first. and their labors proceede,
ai ror about an hour afterwards, "
,%osa bepan 10 be some disorder IL
Community. The bees that hrst beca
aareible Of their loss ran about the
md as they met with others, they mutu
crossed their antenne ana struck l
lightly BY this means the SAD ln'ellis'
seemed 10 traverse the whole hiVe IN
little while; for the agNGlloh mere
rapidly, ill the "hole topula''@ou @ mas
a~a Of the young brood OF gathered he
n, Hiobt be seen running here and
oser tbe combs, or repeatedly rushing
S-om he hive and entering il again. !
- ~ three hours order was restored,
hav col about constructing royal &C
order 10 repair their loss
Nargraye gives o singular account 0
.ssembiies OF the OuOrlLe monkeys V
Ss had frequently Witnessed They a
bic in the woods, and one oil them u
,hs M highest place in tree, makes :
with his hand for the rest to sit round
soon as he sees them placed he begin
discourse in loud aud preciplla,e
and the rest observes a proloulu 81
When he has finished he Signals VII Wy
hand for the resi- TO reply, az wn'In w, Gu u. su
raiss their voices together until by al
.ignai % they are enjcined 10 be silent