The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-09
VEN7RlL0QuISM AMONG THE BIRDS Many of the Lower Animals Seem to Possess This
 Power.
THE CROWS BARK OF A DOG
There Seems to Be No Reason for This Inherited Ability, But It Un-
 dcniably Exists.

There are many accomplishment sess inherently, but which man can only gain through great application.
 It would take long time for boy to learn to make the sort of snare that a spider spins instinctively, and colony of beavers can build a better men, says St. Nicholas.s
 One of the human accomplishments hard to learn is ventriloquism. It seems to be gift which comes to but few of the human species; vet among birds there are species every individ- ual of which possess the power of making the voice seem to come from another spot than that in which the owner is located.
 There seems to be very little reason for this In most cases, but still there must be some, for nature is very eco- nomical in bestowing her gifts, and one may be sure that the possession of the power argues it's usefulness. The first example of ventriloquism which will occur to most people Is the voice of the mourning dove. suppose that every boy has been fool ed by this bird. l know that l was, and was delighted when discovered, after walking around a tree in the l orchard, that the voice did not come from far away but close at hand. When the mourning utters his call he swells up air-sacs in his breast and neck, and these act as sort of sounding chamber. which tends to ! hold and repress the sound as a sound l is made in a barrel The emu has the same quality in his voice It s as though these birds swallow their voices.
 The crow has some notes which are very ventriloquial in quality. One note in particular is much like tho bark of distant dog, so much so, ir fact that l had trouble in convincing a friend that it was the voice of 2 crow about three hundred feet away and not that of a distant dog, Tho chckadee has A call-note of sucl 1 quality that it's source is always un certain until the bird is located.
 The oven birds teacher! teachcr! always seems to come from severa feet higher than where the bird i actually standing,
 The thrushes, at least the woot thrush and the robin, have q peculia habit of singing to themselves, AS 1 were Often, as l have been sittini in the woods, a wood thrush has becl singing, say, thirty feet away, whlcl l supposed was at least 200 yard away, until discovered the bird. Tn
 whispered song is perfect so far a
 phrasing and notes are concerned bu in very low key.
 have heard European thrus
 sing In cage at the zoo when tn
 notes could not be heard farther tha
 fifteen feet. With my car withi
 three feet the song was perfect an beautiful as in the ordinary way. Why these birds sing SO l have n . idea.
 The peculiar wattles on the neck c EUlned lOWl nhu lp HlSllIl'h''' ' D me until one day when l was max , ing careful drawing Of vii , guinea fowl The wild guinea COG
 has wattles as the domestic one, onl exaggerated. I noticed that Whe , the cocks boak was toward mo h. harsh call was louder. Then | notice
 that when his beak was open tn
 lower mandible, being lowered, almo'
 filled the space between the two sid
 wattles, thus making cup, and tht the notes were thrown by sort
 megaphone, or just as boy throw
 his voice by making a cup of h . hands,