The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-11-08
HOW BIRDS AND BEASTS
TALK WITH EACH OTHER
The Sense of Sight and Smell as Means
of Communication.

In walking through a geological park
or a natural history museum. the great
difference between birds and animals
or more correctly mammals-in regard
to color is noticeable. Many Of the
feGthered creatures have brilliant
tints and hues. and the coats OF hair
: OF the four-footed lzindred-the deer. the
bears, the monkeys-are comparatively
dulI-coiored. The reason for all this is
most interesting, and, when unlocked
from its hard sheathing or scientific
words, will add pleasure TO any visit we
/ may pay hereafter to zoo. a museum,
or even z circus
Birds and animals have no system OF
postoffices, no letters, or even addresses;
when the children of the jungle and
desert are lost, no policeman or detec-
tive hastens 10 ind them. no telephone
or telegraph aids the search. Yet with
out any Of these necessaries, the wild
creatures have wonderful systems OF
communication - more accurate and
/ trustworthy than any we can ever hope
to invent. The five senses land perhaps
a mysterious sixth OF which we can only
guess) are the telephones and police. the
automatic alarms and senJinels Of our
Wild friends. Our own abilities IN Using
/ eyes, nose, end ears are pitiful when
| compared with the same functions in
birds a15 animals.
Eyes and noses are important keys to
the bright colors OF birds and the COM
parative sonberness Of hairy-coated
creatures. Take a dog and an orioie
as good examples Of the two extremes.
When a dog has lost his master. he
first looks about He strains his eyes
with the intense expression Of a short
sighted person, and after a few mo-
ments OF this usually yelps with dis
appointment drops his nose to the
ground, and with unfailing accuracy
follows the track or his master. When
the freshness OF the trails tells him he
Is near its end he resorts to eyes again,
and Is now near enough 70 recognize
the face he seeks. A fox when running
before A hound may double back, and
make a close reconnaissance near his
trail. passing IN full view without the
hounds seeing him or stopping IN fol-
lowing out the full curve OF the trail
ahead. so completely does the wonder
ful power OF smell absorb the entire
attention OF the dog.
Now turn TO the oriole. As we
might imagine. the nOstrils incased IN
horn render the sense or smell or slight
account. II Is hard 10 tell how much
q bird can distinguish in this way
probably only the odor OF food near at
hand. When we examine the eye Of
our bird we find a sense organ Of a
very high order. Bright intelligent,
full-circlsd OF great size compared 10
the bulk OF the skull protected ~
three complete cyelids; we realize that
this must play an important part in
the life Of the bird. There are. Of
course. many exceptions 20 such an gen
eralization as this. For instance, many
species Of sparroWs are dull-colored. We
must remember that the voice-the calls
ana songs OF birds-is highly developed.
and In many instances renders bright
eoioring needless in attracting the mate
or locating a young bird
AS We have seen, the sense OF smell IS
very highly developed among our four
footed animals. but 70 make this eff
Gent there must be something for il 20
act on. and IN this regard NE find some
interesting Facts OF which little has
been written outside Of scientific text
books Birds have only one gland on
the entire body-the oil gland above the
base OF the tail. which supplies an unc-
tuous dressing for the feathers. Birds
therefore, have not the power Of sweat
Ing. but mako up for this by very rapid
breathing. Four-footed animals, on tEe
tions Of the body. Nature is seldom
contented with the one function which
an organ or issue primarily performs.
but adjusts ard adapts 1t TO others in
most ingenioC ways.-New York Even
ing Post