The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-01-24
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Speech OF Animals.


lished fact that these vocal sounds
are Of sufficient range to express other
than mere physical ideas, and thus to
assume the Importance of a language,
is probable, although as yet improved.
It is toward the final settlement of
this question that l wish to add my
mite, and, while there is much that
might be said, in the present instance
will confne my observations to a
field but little explored-the attempts
Of animals to communicate with man.
For the last three years | have had
a tame fox squirrel Of which [ have
made great pet. Polly has occupied
a cage in the laboratory where she
has been, for the most part, shut off
from the sights and sounds of
the outside world. Although at
times the laboratory has had other
tenants in the shape Of squirrels, rab-
bits and guinea pigs, she has formed
no particular attachment for any Of
them, but when I am about she is u.s.
ually close to me, either on my
shoulder or following me about like a
dog.
Unconsciously at first and later with
a definite purpose, [ have talked to
her much as one would talk to young
child. About year ago she began to
reply to my conversation. At first it
was only in response to my questions
as to food, etc., but later her "talk'
has assumed larger proportions, until
now she will, of her own accord, as
sume the initiative.
Her vocabulary appears to be quite
extensive, and while, for the most
part, pertains to matters Of food and
personal comfort, there are times when
it seems as though she were trying to
tell me Of other things.
When I first go out where she is in
the morning she Immediately asks for
food, and until that want is supplied
she keeps up a constant muttering.
Later when her hunger is appeased
she will ask to be let out OF the cage.
Often when playing about the room
she will climb onto my shoulder and
"tazh' to me for a while in low tone
and then scamper off. Unless she
is sleepy, she will always reply to any
remark made to her.
Her speech is not the chattering or.
dinarily observed in squirrels, but
low gutteral tone that reminds one
both Of the low notes of frog and
the cluck Of chicken. Some Of the
notes I have been able to repeat, and
invariably she becomes alert and re-
plies to them. Unfortunately the ef-
fort to reproduce her tones produces
an uncomfortable effect on my throat.
and 1 have been obliged to desist from
further experiments in that direction
The sounds that she makes are quick
and in low tones; SO the attempt to iso'
late words is very difficult, yet there
is as much range of infection as in
German.
Another reason why I believe she is
endeavoring to communicate with me
is that she has used the same sounds
toward other squirrels confined in the
same cage, and that, while she will an.
swer any, ,one who addresses her, she
voluntarily will only talk at length to
me. That she understands what is
said TO her is beyond question, and, ,
furthermore, she will distinguish be-
tween a remark make to her and one
made to some one else.
I have had many pets that would
answer In monosyllables to a question
asked them or indicate by actions
their desires, but this is the first in
stance that has come under my OBJ
servation in which an animal has at
tempted more than that.
Wheen Polly first commenced
talking" I regarded it merely as idle
chattering, but further observation
shows that it was not such and that
the sounds she makes have definite
meaning. Moreover, the sounds she
makes in talking are not the shrill
notes of anger or alarm, but low, clear
sounds that are Enthusiastically articu-
late.
In my fondness for my pet, have 1
overestimated the sounds she makes
or am I right in assigning to them the
characters of speech ? Why should
an animal not attempt to communicate
with man? The higher animals are
possed Of a well-fcrmed larynx and
vocal chords. Why, then, should we
deny or ever question the possibility
of artic,llate speech? And if they
can converse among themselves why
may they not attempt to commr-
nicate with man?
Any onewho has owned a well-bred
dog can relate numerous instances in
which his dog has clearly understood
what was said to it, and the readiness
with which dog learns a new COM
mand shows an intelligence Of high
order. Although a dogs vocabulary
is Of limited range, it has certain de-
finite sounds that possess an unmis-
taxable meaning. There is the short,
sharp bark that expresses want, the
low, nervous bark that means dis