528 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



NEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE LANGUAGE OF 

 ANIMALS. 



By M. De LACAZE DUTHIERS, 



OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. 



I HAD occasion, in a note publislied several years ago in the 

 Revue Scientifique, to mention a parroquet whicli I have since 

 continued to observe, the manifestations of whose intelligence are 

 both interesting and instructive. Many acts of birds are difficult 

 of interpretation. To speak only of their songs, the meanings of 

 most of the innumerable varieties of sounds which they produce, 

 and of their diverse warblings, escape us completely. It is not 

 possible to find the meaning of these things except by form- 

 ing suppositions and hypotheses, or by catching the connections 

 between cries and acts. But instances of the latter kind are ex- 

 tremely rare in comx^arison with the great majority of the mani- 

 festations made by animals. 



Thus, to select examples which every one can observe, when a 

 canary-bird is warbling in its cage and becomes deafening, or 

 when a lark rises straight up in the air and incantat suum tirile 

 tirile — sings its tirile tirile — as Linnseus picturesquely expresses 

 it ; when a tomtit, leaping from branch to branch of a willow or 

 among the reeds, repeats its florid warblings ; when a raven croaks ; 

 when a blackbird whistles — what significance can we attach to 

 their songs and their cries ? Certainty is impossible, and we can 

 only form more or less plausible hypotheses concerning the inter- 

 pretation of them. 



The parrot furnishes us one more aid in this matter than other 

 birds, and this helps us, to a certain extent, in overcoming the 

 difficulty of interpretation. It has an articulate voice, and when 

 we have taught it a few words, the meaning which it gives them 

 may be better divined by us according to the tone and the rapid- 

 ity or slowness of its utterance. This permits us to discover the 

 feelings that move it, for we can better judge from an articulate 

 sound than from one that is merely musical. 



Much has been written on the language of animals. It is 

 neither my desire nor my intention to repeat here all that may 

 have been said on this subject. It would take too long and would 

 be of no use. I have often witnessed facts that may be of inter- 

 est to those who are occupied with the mental manifestations of 

 animals. I will simply relate them ; and of such as are already 

 known, I will merely mention them anew, admitting in advance 

 a priority for others which I do not demand for myself. 



There can be no doubt that animals communicate their impres- 



