Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-09-15
LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS.

Because we cannot train animals to
speak our language we must not as
sumo them incapable of expressing
their. thoughts in way to be under
stood by their own kind. As a mat
terbeyond doubt, most gregarious ami
mails are found to possess a language
either of signs, sounds, or gestures,
immensely inferior to human speech,
there is every reason to suppose, but
yet apparently sufficient for the wants
of the humble intellects employing 1T.
Sir John Lubbock proved conclusive
ly that ants have language of some
sort by which they can communicate
with their fellows. As far as he
could ascertain, this was not a Ian
guage of sound, and the prevalent
opinion is that they exchange ideas
by means of antenna. Hens, ducks,
and geese, express their ideas by
variety of vocal sounds; dogs and
cats, in addition, employ the language
of gesture and sound. Rabbits, again,
which never use their voice except in
extreme danger, tap on the ground
with their feet in a manner as ex-
pressive as it is curious. While breed
ing, pigeons give forth a strange
sound that discloses the existence of
a nest CT preparation for one. In
deed, without some kind of language
it is difficult to understand how
pair of birds could settle about the
proper site to build nest, besides
the incidental questions requiring con-
sultation that must arise during its
construction. Although dogs are,
pethaps, better able to understand
human speech than any other animal,
their powers of vocal imitation seem
extremely defective when they are
pleased to make such attempts. [
have known shepherds dog in the
Highlands that would never willing
ly absent himself from private wor-
ship, and when the singing commenc-
ed he invariably joined in, his music
al intentions evidently being much
more praiseworthy than his execution.
Dogs, however, are not without
their language.
Sir John Lubbock has hit upon a
novel idea by way of testing canine
intelligence. Recognizing that it is
physically impracticable for dog to
talk, he has begun to teach his poo
die cyan" to understand the value
ofcertain words printed on cardboard.
First the dog was fed from saucer
over which the word STOOD" was
placed, while side by side with this
was an empty saucer covered with a
plain card. The poodle soon learned
to distinguish between the two, and
was then taught to bring the "food'
to its master when it wanted some
thing to eat. By degrees it was in
itiated into the import of other cards,
such as "bone," ''out,' "water,"
sspet me-" Writing to the Spectator
recently on his experiments, the we'll
known banker states: 81 have no
doubt he can distinguish between
different words. For instance, when
he is hungry he will bring food
card, time after time, until he has
had enough, and then he lies down
quietly for nap. Again, when l
am going for walk and invite him
to come, he gladly responds by pick
ing up the sout' card and running
triumphantly before me to the door.
In the same way he knows the bone
card quite we'll As regards water
(Which 1 Ispell phontically, so as not to
confuse him unnecessarily, keep
card on the floor in my dressing
room, and whenever he is thirsty he
goes off there without any suggestion
from me, and brings the card with
perfect gravity. If, through inad-
vertance, he brings card for some
thing he does not want, when the
corresponding object is shown him,
he seizes the card, takes it back
again, and fetches the right one. No
one who has seen him look along
row of cards, and select the right
one, can, think, doubt, that in bring
ing card he feels he is making a re-
quest, and that he cannot only per-
fectly distinguish between one word
and another, but also associate the
word and the object. - Welcome.