The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-29

WASHINGTON, Nov, 2s.-PrOf Mel
.,r R. wood. taxldermlst OF the Ma
,,nnpl Museum. has completed a study
n me sounds of birds, and after years
Investigation he is prepared to main
toln that they have a language
81 don't want to be understood as say
ing that lis of high order Of develop
msnt" said Prof. Wood, because long
Judy Of the subject has developed the
nc, that the language Of birds. while
sufficient for. their somewhat limited
needs is necessarily crude. And yet l
do no, hesitate to say that bird language
Is lar ahead of anything thus far devel-
oped by or likely to come OF investiga-
lions into the talk of monkeys.
AS | said recently before the Ameri-
can onlthologlsts' Union, the language
Of birds is now well enough defined by
careful study TO classify 1t as such. II
70 impossible to demonstrate In print
practically how far progress has been
made in the development OF bird Lam
guAge because II Is only by correctly
initiating the various sounds OF bird
notes expressing different FEELINGS that
we can demonstrate the wonderful gifts
they have.
"An Interesting phase OF the study Of
bird language ls the discovery that It Is
not the most highly developed birds that
have the greatest variety; Of sounds. ex-
pressing different thlngs, and, therefore,
the largest vocabulary. on the con-
trary, the common field crow has vo-
cabulary more expressive and Of Wild
er range than many OF the finest song
birds In all the comparisons, however,
| except the parrot, which regard as
more Of II human than a bird.
THE bird language has notes indlcat-
Ing all the emOtlons-enVy, love, jeal-
ousy, contentment. alarm, pain, pleas
ure, 1t Is sufficiently comprehensive
for the needs of the different families,
and that II Is thoroughly understood
even by the young birds at an early
stage Is demonstrated to the satlsfac-
lion OF all who have glven the subject
any serious and intelllgent considera-
tlOn. -
81 assert that the language ofNbirds is
Of higher order than anything II is
possible 10 make out Of The chatter Of
band OF monkeys. And yet do not
place the bird ahead Of the monkey In
the scale OF Intelligence. 1t Is the mon
keys Initiative faculty which impresses
US His chatterlng sounds are not sus-
cPptlble of intelligent graduation into
more than the simpler expressions.
The American wild turkey, one OF
the finest fowls OF the western world.
0T,r a
Iords one OF the best illustrations of the
versatility of bird languages. 1t has a
vocabulary. or at least dozen words,
we'll defined. For instance. its constant
Peril from half dozen sources. over
head and under foot, renders necessary
different notes to express the kind Of
danger, whether immediate or prospec-
tive. and the source. whether in the
air or on the ground. For danger over
head, as from hRw': or an eagle. where
the peril Is still remote, the turkey has
low note, well drawn out, which cau-
lions every member OF the flock. For
immediate danger II gives an entirely
different note, quick, sharp, prolonged,
tremuous. meaning: Hide, the enemy!
the enemy!'
When danger threatens from fox
or a dog a distinct signal must be used.
From the hawk or the eagle the turkey
must hide on the ground In the under
brush From the dog or the fox he
must fly to the trees. Thus. when the
dog or the fox appears the signal Is
given. The same note as the
flying signal Is used when there Is
suspicion Of danger on the ground. ex-
cept that the note Is prolonged Instead
Of being quickly uttered, The instant
the warning of danger from an unknown
enemy on the ground Is heard every bird
In the flock ceases feeding. With Recks
elongated, looking carefully In every
direction. the flock circles around until
II has covered an area great enough to
show that the alarm was groundless,
When feeding in field where the
food is plentiful and Of the kind 1t likes
the turkey has a sound Of contentment
varying at the different stages. until the
final word from the patriarch OF the
flock checks the meal instantly, and
away they 20. The turkey also has
words or sounds OF defiance, often
combined with the gobble Of the male.
Its vocabulary Includes ringing note
Of eXultation when he has conquered
foe and distinct and characteristic eX-
pressIons for envy, want, pain, pleasure,
alarm or comfort.
Generally the sHIR OF the singing bird
Is merely call for Its mate. When the
canary in It's gilded cage sings loudest
it is usually call Of agony instead Of
pleasure. 1t is pouring ouumuslc from
It's throat in the mad endeavor to call
Its absent mate 10 Its side. Correctly
Interpreted. 1t is an appeal for freedom,
an appeal for the happiness of old, when
with It's mate 1t wandered free In the
empire OF the air, The male singer has
a love pnnrr which n DOIIra ont in the
probability Of Its happiness when the
love dream Is young. II has also a
low, EoothInE song which It sings to its
mate while she Ia Nesting. The bird
songs Of fall are for pleasure only. Few
sing much beyond the Courtship and
breeding season. The notes OF the song
bird, therefore arc more or less those
N want Of pleasure and Of love,
"tn my Investigations have found
that the hen bird of the domestic chick
en- has ma fluent a command OF Language