Holiday journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1879-1879, 1879-12-17
vssAl Organs Of cats.

eShs WAeA WV nCOpo VI tAo Ahqulhlcn "
the Pathological Society, which met
here recently. to know whether the
physiology OF the vocal organs and the
comparative tonic properties Of the
large layn tubes Of different animals
come under discussion as well as the
parts Of speech and their forms and
differences. But II the voice, as well
as the uttered sound, do, indeed, fall
within the province Of this learned so
ciety, we trust that they will pay some
attention to a subject hitherto sadly
neglected, or, perhaps. despised-the
vocal organs Of the domestic cat. The
attempt has repeatedly been made to
cultivate the organs Of speech Of other
animals less advanced In the scale OF
nature. The parrot and the raven have
been taught to speak, and the frog, the
elephant, the donkey and the hog have
had music lessons given them with
more or less Of success. AS for the dog,
the poodle and the Spitz have been
made TO laugh and to cry, to converse
and to declaim, to sing and to chant.
Poets have written eloquently about
;he dog and his honest bark, bsying
deep-mouthed welcome and all that,
about the music Of the chase and the
exhilarating yelp Of the terriers in pur-
suit OF badger and otter, rat or rabbit.
The same poets, II cat bur raises his
voice in self-assertion or sentimental
now anywhere in the neighborhood, go
for the bootjack at once. AL the human
race Except the Chinese) have COM
bined to put down the vocal aspirations
Of our feline friends. There Is an I'M
questionable hardship in this, for cats
are OF imaginative and tender DISPOSE
ton. Music enraptures and the sound
Of their own voice is dear to them.
They love the moonlight and the gentle
hush Of midnight. They are as fond Of
the housetops as II they were Syrlans
or Algerlans, and they are as full Of
electricity as the State of Maryland will
be when 'Mr. Thomas and myself''
have done manipulating 1t. The vocal
powers Of the cat have been preposter-
ously neglected. II any animal can DO
taught to speak and sing 1t Is the cat.
There Is resemblance which is almost
startling between poz hup,and and ZOE
feiiHa, and this likeness will impress
every one who attends diet Of women's
rights women with the recollection on
his mind Of convocation of cats. In
the tones belonging to what is known
as the upper register particularly the
similarity is 30 close as to make them
almost identical, and there must needs
be . very great resemblance between
the vibratile vocal chords and laryngeal
sacculi OF the two classes OF tabbics.
The undeveloped possibilities Of the
cats vocal organs will be revealed to
all those who take pains to listen to the
dialogues Of the more cultivated mem
bers Of the tribe secure from Interrupt
tlon and brickbats on secluded aies
wall after midnight. In rich eioouenoe
and even passion Of utterance, In ebb
and '..Sw OF sound, in crescendo and
diminuendo, pitch and cadence, nexl-
bility and vehemence Of transitlon,
sriliIancy OF appog!stare. and In that
mellow warmth Of tone which is dear
70 every true artist. the cat exoels above
all other creatures. Vocal scope Of this
sort should surely be easy TO expand
Into speech.
Now the science or language rests
upon the laws Of phonology. II cats
can speak they ought to be made to
speak, The operations OF Grlmm's law
cannot be concluded from the race Of
grimalkins, An animal which has al
the kissing sounds Of Saxon speech, 10
unpleasant to foreigners. at her
tongues end, so to speak; which does