Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-05-20
The Voices of Animals.
From the Scientific American.

Aquatic animals are mute. A
world of r2diates, mollu5es, and
Fl hes, therefore would be silent. In
sect- are about the Only invertebrates
capable of producing unds Their
organs are usually external, while
those Of higher animals are internal.
lnSe cts of rapid flight generally make
the most noise 10 some the noise
l. produced by friction (stridulation);
in others, by the passage Of air
through the epiracles (bummIng)
The buzzing of flies and bees is
caused in part by the vibrations of
the wings but it comes mainly from
spiracles OF the tnorax.
Snakes and lizards have no vocal
cords, and car only hiss Frogs croak,
and crocod les roar by the vibration
of the glotti-. The huge tortoise of
the Galapagos Islands u.ters hoarse,
believing noise.
The vocal apparatus in birds is
situated at the lower end of the
trs chea where it divides into the two
hronchi. 1t consists mainly Of long
drum with cross bone. having
vertic m brana TO its upper edge.
Fivo pair of muscles Tin the songsters)
adjusts he length 81 the windpipe to
the pi.ch Of the CLOTHS. The various
notes are produced by differences in
the !lt.t of air as well as by changes
II the tension Of the membrane. The
range Il notes is commonly within
All octave. Birds OF the sam, family
h, &c similar voice. All the parrots
have harsh uttcrance geese and
ducks qnack ; crow, mogpies and
lays caws; whilo the warhlers differ
IN the quality rather thar the kird f
note Some sp cie@ por Sc great com
pass of Vote The Ii tir'i can b.
heard nearly ihree mics; alol Living
st0n said be c0uli di>tiDgui- he'd I'll
voices of the ostrich al lion only nl
knowing that he f,fmer roars bv
dav and the latter by - ht.
The vocal organ Of mammals, an
like that of birds, is in the upper part
of the larynx II consits Of four car
tlages, Of which the largest CHE
thyroid produces the prominence in
the human throat known as Adams
apple. and two elastic cords, called
vocal cords, Just below the windpipe
The various tones are deter miaed by
the tension of these cords, which Is
effected by the raising or lowering
by the thyroid prominence. 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 SQUAD made
by brutes. The whele. porpcis
armadillo, ant eater, porcupine and
giraffe, are generally silent Tn
bats voice is probably The shrill Il
sound audible to human oars There
il little molulalion in bcuta utt rance
The o%ossum puIrs. The sloth an
kangaroo moan the beg grunt- o.
squeals, the tapir whist :, tho Stag
bellows, and the elephant gives q
uOdIcc u utu pcS iAOtu Us - VI N d'u
deep gr0an from its throst. Al
sheep have a cultural voice all the
cows 1--we. from the bison 10 the
musk OK the horses and donkeys
neigh the cats new, from the de-
mestic animal t the lion he bears
growl; AMI all the canine family (tox.
wolf aud d3g) bark, howl and whine.
The bowling monkeys and goril'as
have q larger cavity or sac in the
throat for reasance, enabling them TO
utter a powerful voice. and one OF
the gibbens has the remarkable pow
er of emitting a complete octave Of
musical notes. The human voice,
taking the male and female together.
has range of nearly four ottaves.
Mans power of speech, or the uttet>
ance of articulate sounds, is due 10
his int llectuaI Development rather
than to any structural difference be
tween him and the apes. Song i
produced by the CLOTHS, speech by
the m nth.