The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-25

s1SsInerely8aaca1lf for Its ma te.asgR heH9t3tises
canary In Its giIded cage SINGS loudest, u
! Is usual call Of agony, instead Of peas
sure. It Is occurring out music from ssits 3
throat in the mad ndeavor3 to ca II IS
absent mate to its side. Gorrectly MET
Spreted It is an appeal for freedom. g 2 flp7
peal for the harp iness of old when WIZ VIZ
Its mate 1t wandered free In the e1llp e.s
OF the air. The male singer has 2. !. !. :
song which 1t pours out In the p :.
Gifts happiness s7llen the love drea1 80
young. It has also a low, 500 thlns SUE 70
which lit sings to it's mate " me si,s :
nesting. The bird songs OF talt q =
pleasure only. Fe5N sing much beyoilu a.ns
courtship and breeding season. 7 ne h 1'!'z-
of the song bird, tf1erefore,are more Or
less those of want, of pleasure ana OF
love.
HIn my inyestigat atoms have found t nat
he hen bird of the domestic 9cnlc ke1lll il s.
as fluentx comm nd of lang as !, VI
most any member of the lea tHetH su = ioe
she is a much more fluent taiker tnaii ft i
male, her lord and master anu her
bulary discounts anything tnus LII US
covered in this particular f1eid OF my
CATION. The cackle$ of the hsn Is gu, -, :,
instance, for three distinct purposes, ana
shos5as manys distinctive notes She uses
in seeking the nest, or when calling Hlor !
her mate one soft note: anotnes y "
alarm, when very much frightened =. 8 an Z
other Of triumphant rejoicing as she eiti.er
flies from the nest or to it. LlkeWlse,''
has three songs offdistinct& types Tile lose =
song, happy response to the eages coulsT
ing of her mate; the song o.. iliu ne.
when idly hunting for food lilolca.i1is' - -
certain purpose in her movements :,.. ..,s
lullaby song, a low, croonlils { ~
note hushing the young chlcken rs ~ ~ st l,
6 -
..I have frequently experimental WIN WIN
the lullaby song by initiating the low,
soothing notes, and little chickens, he'd
in the hands and thus sung to IN the 'sl AZ.
guage they understand, will quickly IAN an
asleep. The mother Zen has also various various
notes for warning her brood. she uses
a harsh. sharp. combine ton OF cachlc
and cry to warn them of snake, or an
unknown object on the ground, w'tlile ..
notify Them that she considers certain
food unfit for them she Utilities a Varia-
tion of the slu11rber song A certain.
sharp, prolonged note is used by the men
to keep strange chickens from her brood,
and how we'll the little, fluffy mites I'M
derstand the mother tongue may be no
ted by observing IN any poultry YARD
how twenty hers with as many broonS,
nearly al! of the same age, VIII keep
every member of her particular family
II lire. There IS no mixing the BABIES IN
.lle chicken world Every little chick
ssnows its protectors call, and the moti1er
hen knows the individual PROGENY Tor
which she holds herself responsible.
There is. too. among the birds a silent
language. It is used almost wholly by
the males. Letstwo cock birds. strangers
to each other, meet on neutral territory.
IS it to be war or peace? The die is cast
without exchange of words or loss OF
time. One flaps his wings. then
straightens the wing nearest the stranger,
letting it go as far as. and not below,
the saddle feathers. ruflles up the feath-
ers on his neck and looks inquirlngly
at the other. If the second bird exc
cutes half flop of the wings, places
them below the saddle feathers, raises
low note, it IS an evidence of humble
ness. He is afraid of his opponent But
! on the other hand, if he returns the de-
faint SALVATION in kind, a battle royal
follows.
1.-THE quail, Mormon of the fowl family
is also the possessor of vocabulary
somewhat more extensive than the ma.
jority of his kind. but not so large as
that OF the domestic hen. Because of the
habits of the bird and the inability tc
catch his natural moods In captivity
little progress has thus far been made ir
interpreting the sounds which comprise
his language.
"In the near future we shall be able
to group the language of the various
members of the fowl family into a com
prehensive whole and show how they
have been talking among themselves fol
untold centuries aand how the language
of the birds is amply sufficient for their
environments and needs"