The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-03-26
LANGUAGE CT ANIMALS.
Boms % ths Lever Creatures Abie I
Initiate fSnnda.

Boms % ehs Lever Creatures Ahie -
Initiate fOnnda.
The cries Of animals are . species
Of natural language. according TO =
writer In Forest and Stream. Tie
older grammarians. remember. taught
as thar crying. weeping. laughing. etc.
were examples Of natural language:
they were expressive Of feeling
natural to men and were understood
by all Intuitiyely. The origin Of spoken
or artificial language. as IL Is called.
Is large subject and do not propose
70 enter upon Il; but ! presume that
all forms OF natural language. Includ-
ing the cries Of beasts aud birds. are.
az the term implies. natural 10 them.
that is. born with them; and the spe-
cife cry Of any species must be de-
ternlned by some peculiarities OF the
vocal organs In that species- For eK-
ample. q crow croaks and . rooster
crows. because by the peculiar
structure Of their vocal arrangements.
they can utter those sounds more read
Fly than any other. Yet. by training
and effort, some Of the lower creation
become able 10 initiate and reproduce
other sounds than those most natural
10 them. just as the FIRST natural out
cries OF the infant give way through
culture TO the myriad uttersncss OF
artificial language.
The bawiing Of a COW and the roar
OF lion are quite different sounds
and. as things stand now. the sound
uttered by one Of these animals would
be quite impossible 10 the other yet.
as I read Darwin. either Of these out
4 cries might IN time come 70 be the
natural cry OF the other. II the two
species Of animals could he brought
/ 10 live peacefully together and 70 the
4 Lion il should bec3me apparent taat tie
4 voice Of the COW would be OF great
value 10 him, say in the matter Of
securing his food. there is no reason
TO doubt that be might In the course
I OF time. from EFFORT transmitted from
generation 10 generation. come at
length TO possess the dnicet notes OF the
COW.
II the giraffe. which was originally
only o large antelope. has developed his
high forequarterS. his elongated neck
aud his long. flexible upper lip. from
his efforts 10 browse on the higher
branches OF the trees. and II The
founder. which when young has its
eyes on the opposite sides Of its head
as any well-regulated Gsh would be ex-
pected TO have. is able through long
continued effort to transfer the eye
that rests diSagreeably on the SANDS
around 10 the other side OF its head
where IL may be OF some service. there
Is no telling what varieties or modin-
cations Of voice or shape may be
wrought in nature in the course OF the
ages.
But let Us have no meanderinE- A
kitten cries out. because In common
with nearly al animals. Il is furnished
with certain vocal apparatus. and its
cry takes the popularity Of a NEW.
> because that sound best responds %
J Its special vocal apparatus Hence.
and especially in view Of the little in
eident which I have related I an led
10 believe that the young OF any AMI
nal utters the same cry as It's mother
and not from imitation. think q
young rooster crows and a young hen
! cackles. not In imitation Of their elders.
but. like the poet who ''lisped In mum
bers." because the numbers cane
Imagine II Robinson Crusoe had landed
on bis solitary island with = good
fresh-laid hens egg in his pocket. and
be had put il TO hatch under his PEI
! parrot. the rooster. IL such had come
forth. would have crowed out Justify
Of a summer morains. and never would
have learned TO say Poor Pollr' in the
I ...~fE