Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1900-04-12
HOW THE BIRDS TALK
A GOVERNMENT EXPERT HAS
STUDIED THEIR LANGUAGE.
He Says the Grow Is a Great Talker,
and the Wild Turkey Converses
More or Less Freely, But the Hen
Is the Best Conversationalist of All.

, "An interesting phase of the study
of bird language is the discovery that
1t is not the most highly developed
birds that have the greatest variety of
sounds expressing different things,
and therefore the largest vocabulary.
On the contrary, the common field
crow has vocabulary more express
siye and of wider range than many
of the finest song birds. In all the
comparisons, however, l except the
parrot, which l regard as more of a
human than bird.
1.-THE bird language has notes indi-
eating all the emotions-envy, love,
jealousy, cOntentment, alarm, pain,
pleasure. 1t is sufficiently comprehen
sive for the needs of the different
families and that it is thoroughly I'M
derstood even by the young birds at
an early age is dem nstrated to the
satisfaction of all who have given the
subject any serious and intelligent
consideration.
1.-THE American wild turkey, one of
the finest fowls of the Western world,
or the Eastern for that matter, affords
one of the best illustrations of the
versatility of bird language. 1t has
vocabulary of at least dozen words,
well defined. For instances, it's con-
slant peril from half dozen sources,
overhead, and underfoot, reuders nee
cssary different notes to express the
KIND OF danger, whether immediate or
prospective. and the source, whether
in the air or on the ground. For dan
ger overhead, as from Il hawk or an
eagle, where the peril is still remote,
the turkey has a low note, we'll drawn
out, which cautions every lnrwber Of
the flock. For immediate danger it
gives an entirely different note, quick,
sharp, prolonged trcmulous, meaning,
Hide! The enemy! The enemy"
when danger threatens from q fox
or dog a distinct signal must be
used. From the dog or tie fox he
must fly up into the trees. From the
hawk or the eagle the turkey must
hide on the ground in the undcrbr,lsh.
Thus. when the dog or the fox appears
The signal to fly is given. The same
note as the flying signal is used when
there is suspicion of danger on the
ground, except that the note is pro.
longed instead of being quickly ut
tered. The instant the warning of dan.
ger from an unknown enemy on the
ground is heard every bird in the flock
looking carefully in every direction,
the flock circles around until it 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 it
likes. the turkey has a sound of con.
tentment, varying at the different
stages, until the final word from the
patriach of the flock checks the meal
instantly and away they go. The tur.
Key also has words or sounds of def
ance, often combined with the gobble
of the male. Its vocabulary includes
ringing note Of eXultation when he
has conquered foe, and distinct and
characteristic expressions for envy,
want, pain, pleasure, alarm or COM
fort.
"Generally the song of the singing
bird is merely a call for its mae.
When the canary in its gilded cage
sings loudest, it is usually call of
agony, instead of pleasure 1t is pour
ing out music from its throat in the
mad endeavor to call its absent mate
to its side. Correctly interpreted, it is
an appeal for freedom, an appeal for
the happiness of Old when with its
mate it wandered free in the empire
Of the air.
I'm my investigations | have found
that the hen bird of the domestic
chicken has as fluent command of
language as almost any member of
the feathered tribe. She is a much
more fluent talker than the male, her
lord and master, and her vocabulary
discounts anything thus far discov-
cred in this particular field of investi-
cation. The cackle Of the hen is used.
for instance, for three distinct pur-
poses, and she has as many distinc.
tive notes. She uses in seeking the
nest or when calling her mate one soft
note: another of triumphant rejoicing
as she either flies to the nest or from
it, Likewise, she has three songs of
distinct types, the love song, a happy
response to the eager counting of her
mate; the song of Indifference, when
idly hunting for food, Indicating no
certain purpose in her movements: the
lullaby song, low, grooming, 500 ng
note, hushinG the young chickens to
sleep.
Il have frequently experimental
with the lullaby song by initiating the
low, soothing notes, and little chick
ems held in the hands and thus sung
to In the language they understand
will quickly fall asleep The mother
hen has also various notes for warn
ing her brood. She uses harsh sharp
combination of cackle and cry to
warn them of a snake or an unknown
object on the ground, while to notify
them that she, considers certain food
unfit for them she utilizes a variation
of the slumber song A certain sharp,
iS Nv hn
keep strange chickens from her brood.
and how well the little fluffy mites I'm,
derstand the mother tongue may be
n0'nd hE observing in any poultry
yard how twenty hens with as many
broods, nearly all of the same age,
will keep every member of their par.
ticular families in line. There is no
mixing the babies in the chicken
world. Every chicken knows it's pro.
tector's call, and the mother hen
knows the individual progeny for
which she holds herself responsible.
1.-THE quail, Mormon of the fowl
family, is also the possessor of a yo-
cabulary somewhat more extensive
than the majority Of his kind, but not
so large as that Of the domestic hen.
Because of the habits of the bird
and the inability to catch his natural
moods in captivity, little progress has
thus far been made in interpreting the
sounds which comprise his language.
SIN the near future we shall be able
to group the language of the various
members of the fowl family into
comprehensive whole and show how
they have been talking among them.
selves for untold centuries and how
the language of the birds is amply
sufficient for their environments and
needs. Prof n II. Wood. National
Museum, Washington.