The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-25
CHICKENS CAN TALK.
PROFESSOR HAMERIK SAYS so, AND
HE IS AN EXPERT on THE SUBJECT.

Some odd and Interesting Facts About
Barnyard Fov-I~-R oo-ter- ~ Wen -
Hens Are Great Go,-iper- Inside Infor-
nation About Growing.
The simians that Professor Garner
discovered in Africa AMI which he claims
can talk as readily Is human beings viii
have to look 10 their laurels, for Pro
fessOr Asger Hamerik Of the Peabody
institute Of Baltimore has made the
discovery that hens and ROSTERS of the
ordinary barnyard breed hold prOtracted
and interesting conversations with each
other
The careful attention he has given
70 the subject has not been in vain. Al
though he has not yet advanced so far
in his researches as TO lie able TO discuss
the topics of the day with his chickens,
he has learned enough TO be able TO
tell what hen means when she cacb-
les, whether it is for a newly laid egg
or merely Il tale of woe or a pecan of
triumph over the discovery of "A fresh
worm or juicy grasshOpper. He can
also tell you from the tones Of ROSTERS
crow whether he is signaling a victory
Owe a conquered foe or merely passing
away the time or heralding the ap-
proach of day.
The rooster has been the professors
pet subject. He has been ON the great
est terms of intimacy with Sir Chan
ticleer for upward of 20 years. ''Roost-
ers," said nc TO a reporter, las well as
hens are the greatest gossipers III the
world When they get together, they do
nothing but chatter continually. This
is true also Of the young pullets. L have
watched them for hours at a time, and
they would talk III this way Here
the professor gave an imitation of a hen
clucling and other of the sounds so IA
miliar IN the farmyard.
THAT they are conversinS with one
another is proved by the fact that a
rooster or n hen when alone is absolute
ly silent, excepting on rare occasions,
when it sings q low lullaby, us 1t We're,
to itself, much as humans hum when
alone or as q cat Will pur when content
ed. Just as soon, however, as the soil
tary hen or rooster meets another you
will hear an animated conversation. L
have not progressed so far that am able
to understand all they say, but L under
stand some of their sounds and can imi
tate one or two so successfully that 4
hen listening Will pay close attention to
me- Thus if l sound the note of alarm
hen makes when hawk is near or
some other danger menaces she will i'm
mediately fly TO cover"
The professor believes chickens tell
each other current news. One day he in
troduced new hen into his yard who,
3 ,a I,a, or
up great cackling and flew around the
yard III a state of evident terror. An
old hen observed her for few minutes,
meanwhile making some sounds that
were intended to reassure the scared
fowl, but which had no effect, for the
new arrival cacllled worse and louder
than ever. Finally the old hen approach
ed close to the stranger, chucl1ling in 4
low tone What she said he had no
means of knowing, bat il must have
been something of y reasSuring charac-
ter, for the new hen ut once ceased her
chatter, and never after that did she dis
play the least fear of the dog.
Growing among the ROSTERS afforded
Professor Hamcrik another interesting
study. He noted the crows of over 800
ROSTERS and never found two WHO
crOwed alike. Each, after little prac-
tice, could readily be distinguished from
the other. The duration OF growing Is
between midnight and noon. Each crow
lasts from three To seven seconds. A.
though ROSTERS ruav crow st any time
of night, especially if it Is moonlight or
they are disturbed by light, they crow
the most frequently IT dawn or just
before
The growing seems 10 be u sort Of tel
egraph service between the ROSTERS. &C
cor6ing to Professor Hamerik, for in
variably In ncighborhoOd where there
are many chickens the growing Is al
ways started Ill the morning by the
same rooster. Immediately response
comes from all the other ROSTERS. Gen
orally there are about seven crows given
in an interval Of 10 seconds, and then
there Is silence for the space of perhaps
20 seconds, when the first rooster starts
again, and the performance IS repeated.
\ rooster always crows. too. shortly
after eating, and never fails 70 voice
his Joy in Il deep toned crow after he
vanQUishCS 4 rival.
Tho professor has discovered, among
other things, that chickens have very
acute sense of taste, hearing and vision,
but lack the sense OF smell The most
powerful fumes of acid are impercepti-
bic 20 them. IN experiment with am
mOria proved that, though overcome
with il, the hens walked blindlv into
the same danger repeatedly.
The sense of taste Is exceedingly well
developed. The professor frequently OBJ
served n chicken after eating anything
II rar+icr larry rcliSLpd give vent 10 4
peculiar chuckle that was undoubtedly
meant for an exclamation Of pleasure.
The sound Is a low, soft information.
continued for some seconds. - New
York World.