The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-09
LANGUAGE OF THE HEN.
n. Geraud, of Paris. Makes Unique
Discovery Regarding Chickens.

III. Geraud. of Paris, Makes Unique
Discovery Regarding Chickens.
From the Kansas City star.
When a hen says "Krah-krah-krah. -
or anything, she has been in mischief.
according TO a recent scientific report
When she says nothing the case is the
same. but silence mitigstes the ofrense.
NJ. Geraud, Of Paris, after experiment
ing with a photograph and birds Of high
and low degree, concludes that fowls
have a language adapted not only TO ex-
pressing all the emotions Of which chick
ems are capable. but that they communi-
cate intelligence Of interest 10 one an
other.
The language OF the hen may never
d:splace Esperanto as the medium Of
cranks and reformers-uEless some be-
nevolent crank undertakes 10 reform the
pedatory suburban fowl-but g study Of
hen talk may interest the gardener. the
savant and the hen.
The French sayant recorded the sounds
he heard in the baruyard. the garden,
and In the fields, all under varying cir
cumstances, and when the voices were
reproduced in the presence Of the hen
folks the puzzled hiddies exhibited all
the signs OF anger, fear, complaint, eau
ton. curiosity. affection. and destructive
ness. A gardener. whose E;tle place has
been the scene Of the dialogues repro
duced. and who was present at the
demonstration. exhibited signs Of anger.
but none Of affection.
Many persons have wondered what the
hen means when she struts about the
yard and sings "Krah-catuk-catuk The
photograph has made II clear Repro
duce that sound on the phonograph and
the hens will boldly attack the most
promising cockerel in the flock. Then
they viii proceed to make curious marks
like the letter X in any flower bed that
chances to be convenient The first
word Of that phrase IS simply an ex-
clamatiOn of indignation and defiance.
The second word means Votes for
LADIES' and the third is a repetition Of
the phrase to give it emphasis. The
hieroglyphics are self-explsnatory. The
hens OF New Zealand and four American
States never exhibit this curious phase.
"Cut-cut-cut-Ca-da means that
the hen has just laid. or he'd In the
estimation of one observer, the hen quad
ruples the cuts" when she reflects that
her effort has merely served the purpose
OF the egg trust. and there is a tradition
current on the farm 20 the effect that
the cackllng hen sings y-lay-Iay-and-
go-barefoot," but these interpretations
are probably fanciful. and certainly pes
simistic
Reproduce the "weet-weetn record and
every broody hen viii proceed to hover
the first hoverable object she encounters
When a hen sees an incubator for the
first time she utters a cultural sound
that may be written "Quah-quah-quahl'
The human equivalent occurs in some OF
Senator TiIIman's appreciations Of the
party in power.
It is quite likely that some of the
sounds and their effect on the fowls
have been misinterpreted. It is conceiv-
able that a savant may have CHANGED
upon a flock of fowl in the act OF de-
stroying a garden at the moment that
the gardener become aware of the spolla-
ton. and in such d case the confusion
of sounds would produce an unintelligi-
bic record