The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-03
THE FOWL LANGUAGE,

Registering the Remarks of the Rooster
at His Harem.
After the language of cows, quails, and
monkeys. the language of hens has come
forward az a subject for scientific study
with the photograph, says the Youths Com
panion. A scientific Frenchman, NJ. Pre-
vot du Haudray, has become convinced that
barnyard fowl have a real language, and
that the curious sounds which they are con-
~tinually uttering are perfectly understood
by one another.
He has for some time kept a monograph
hung up in u coop in which several cocks,
hens, and chickens are confined. He has
caused, as it were. the fowls to talk about
Nil sorts of things by agitatinR them in one
way another, by letting them become
hungry and then feeding certain of them
ways has induced them to utter all the
sounds of which they seem to be capable.
These sounds the monograph has faith
fully recorded, and III. Perot du Haudray
declares himself able to demonstrate from
them that the chickens have a means of
communication which may properly be
called a language.
Persons who have observed the habits of
poultry will not find it difficult to believe
that they converse q great deal together.
while the old hens are undoubtedly very
much given to talking to themselves. It
will be interesting to observe, for instance,
whsn the French student of the subject
has complesed his report, exactly what Il
hen means when she goes around the yard
exclaiming at the top of her voice, "Kra-a-
a.ah-krah-krah-krah-krah!" The signif-
canoe of this speech has puzzled many
observers.
M. Prevot du Haudray's monograph may
49, 4 H. .~r-l
the syllables actually pronounced by n
rooster when he crows. 1t is traditional
among English-speaking people that the
cook SAYS ''cock-a-doodle-do"' But a
Frenohman represents the sound-which,
BY the way. he calls the cocks ''singing'-
with the syllables "cocorico."
To the German the rooster seems to say
kikiriki-the is in this word having the
sound of the English ee. The Italians rep
resent the sound BY still another and differ
emit combination of syllables. Every nation.
no doubt. has its own idea of the way to
represent this familiar remark of the chan
ticleer.
variance in the representation of the oack-
ling of a hen after she has laid an egg.
She %articulates with great %plainness and
positiveness the syllables 'cut-cut-out cut.
co-do-cut"
Recently there was a very interesting
Growing contest between %roosters III Bel
GUM. The poultry raisers of the vicinity
of Lisge are sue admirers of the music
which their BOOSTERS furnish that they de.
cided to hold q competition at Liege te
prove definitely whose rooster was the
champion Grower.
All the birds entered in the competition
and there was a great number-were PLACED
in cages, one in each cage, with a trust,
worthy man in front of each to record tn,
crowlngs. The contest lasted one hour ant
the cock which erowed the greatest numbe,
of times in that period received u valuable
prize.
The WHINE of the prize crowsd 1874 times
or more than twice a minute. Anyone whs
has seen a young rooster mount a ~barnyart
| fence and crow until the housewife come,
out and throws Il milk pan at him will no
be inclined to impeaoh the accuracy of thi
count. unless he thinks it is an under state
ment. 1t is possible that the Liege cock
were embarrassed by the strange surround
ings and did not do themselves justice.