5 2o SCIENCE PROGRESS 



of varied vocal sounds in the wild state than is observable in 

 the gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangs. Hence possibly the 

 suggestions which have been made by comparative anatomists 

 that we must seek our forefathers rather in the direction of the 

 gibbons than among, or near, the greater apes, receive some 

 support from the study of the beginnings of articulate speech. 



A very little imagination will show what an enormous 

 advance was made as soon as artificial verbal counters or 

 tokens were invented which enabled men to traffic in ideas 

 by means of the mouth and the ear. Among many non- 

 speaking creatures there is a system of vocal signalling which 

 meets most of their needs. Like ourselves many of them also 

 seem to have a good flow of small-talk, which advertises their 

 presence and serves certain social purposes, but conveys very 

 little meaning. Animal cries are for the most part mere 

 stereotyped signals for awaking the attention of the senses. 

 They are incapable of expansion or adaptation to give an 

 elaborate message. That they are effective is almost always 

 due to the exceedingly keen perceptions of most creatures 

 whose lives are constantly in peril, and not to any explanation 

 which they may convey of the exact state of affairs. The senses 

 of most lower animals are so much more acute than ours, 

 especially as regards scent, sight, and hearing, that on receiving 

 ever so small a hint they will get detailed information of the 

 approach of an enemy when it seems to the human watcher 

 that the only possible way in which such information could be 

 obtained must be through some detailed communication from 

 one of their fellows. 



All animals and birds which are either gregarious or are in 

 the habit of associating habitually with other creatures have 

 a very alert sense of the behaviour of their comrades round 

 about them. Let one beast arrive in the herd panting and 

 frightened from near a neighbouring thicket where an enemy 

 might lurk, and all the rest do not need to ask a single question 

 before seeking safety. There can be no doubt that the con- 

 spicuous marking of many gregarious animals, such as for 

 instance the white tail in the deer and the rabbit, are specially 

 adapted for aid in this method of self-preservation. 



Often a good deal of system and intelligence is shown in 

 giving and receiving warnings of this sort. Mr. Stewart White 

 has given a most amusing account of the behaviour of the 



