The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-02-27
THE VOICES OF ANIMALS.
BY PROFESSOR JAMES ORION.

Aquatic animals are mute. A world of
radistes, molusca, and fishes, therefore,
would be silent. Insects are about the only
invertebrates capable of producing sounds.
Their organs are usually external, while
those of higher animals are internal. In
sects of rapid flight generally make the
most noise. In some the noise is produced
by friction (stridulation); in others, by the
passage of air through the spiracles (hum-
ming. The buzzing of flies and bees is
caused in part by the vibrations of the
wings; but it comes mainly from the spira-
cles of the thorax.
Snakes and lizards have no vocal cords
and can only hiss. Frogs croak, and croco-
diles roar by the vibration of the CLOTHS.
The huge tortoise of the Galapagos Islands
utters hoarse, believing noise.
The vocal apparatus in birds is situated
at the lower end of the trachea, where it
divides into the two bronchi. 1t consists
mainly of long drum with a cross bone,
having vertical membrane attached to its
upper edge. Five pairs of muscles Gin the
songstersl adjust the length of the wind
pipe to the pitch of the CLOTHS. The vari-
GUS notes are produced by differences in
the blast of air, as we'll as by changes in
the tension of the membrane. The range
of notes is commonly within an octave.
Birds of the same family have similar
voice. All the parrots have harsh utter
ance; geese and ducks quack; crows, mag
pies, and jays cav; while the warblers diff
fer in the quality rather than the kind Of
note. Some species possess great compass
of voice. The bell bird can be heard nearly
three miles; and Livingston said he could
distinguish the voices of the ostrich and
lion only by knowing that the former roars
by day and he latter by night.
The vocal organ of mammals, unlike
that of birds, is in the upper part of the
laryx. 1t consists of four carriages, of
which the largest (the thyroid produces
the prominence in the human throat known
as Adams apple, and two elastic bands,
called vocal cords, just below the CLOTHS or
upper opening of the windpipe. The vari-
GUS tones are determined by the tension of
these cords, which is effected by the rails
ing or lowering of the thyroid pro minence.
The will cannot influence the contraction
of the vocalizing muscles, except in the
very act of vocalization.
The vocal sounds produced by mammals
may be distinguished into the ordinary
voice, the cry, and the song. The second
is the sound made by brutes. The whale,
porpoise, armadillo, ant eater, porcupine,
and giraffe are generally silent. The bats
voice is probably the shrillest sound audi
BILE to human ears. There is little mod
ulation in brute utterance. The opossum
purrs, the sloth and kangaroo moan, the
hog grunts or squeals, the tapir whistles,
the stag bellows, and the elephant gives
hoarse, trumpet sound from it's trunk and
deep groan from its throat. All sheep
from the bison to the musk OK; all the
horses and donkeys neigh; all the cats
n,iau, from the domestic animal to tho
lion; all the bears growl; and the canine
family fox, wolf, and dog bark, howl and
whine. The bowling monkeys and goril-
las have large cavity sac in the throat for
resonance, enabling them to utter power
full voice; and one of the gibbons has the
remarkable power of emitting a complete
octave of musical notes. The human voice,
taking the male and female together, has
range of nearly four octaves. Mans power
of speech, or the utterance of articulate
sounds is due to his intellectual develop
ment rather than to any structural differ
ence between him and the apes. Song is
produced by the CLOTHS, speech by the
NOTWITHSTANDING american.