1903 The Language of Birds 101 



This is the more surprising because the language of birds 

 is so easily analysed. It has no accidence or syntax, no 

 conflicting alphabets or confusion of accents. Its conson- 

 ants are very few, and the entire vocabulary of most species 

 scarcely contains a dozen words. But we do not realise 

 what birds' language is, because we pay so much attention 

 to their song, whereas this is the least important of the many 

 phases of bird language from a scientific point of view. 

 We might as well be content in ethnology with stating that 

 "the language of the English is ' Brit-annia-rules-the- 

 waves ' ; whereas the French language has a catchy rhythm 

 in which the word ' marchons ' is frequently repeated." 



The song of birds is not their language — it is their chal- 

 lenge. As such it has its value, but, being a comparatively 

 recent acquisition, it could only serve as a means of classi- 

 fication between species, which are easily classified by other 

 features. Birds use other and more ancient notes, however, 

 some of which carry us back almost to the beginning of 

 birddom. 



The oldest part of bird-language is probably the cry of 

 the nestling, not only because the circumstances in which 

 it is uttered have undergone least change, but also because 

 the most ancient traits of all animals are to be found in the 

 very young. Thus, if we suppose that the first great 

 division of birds took place between those that " chirped," 

 like the young sparrow, and those that "cheeped," like the 

 young chicken, we have practically divided all existing 

 birds into two natural classes. The pigeon, for instance, 

 might, from its habits, size, shape, &c, be regarded as a 

 perching bird ; but the cheeping of its young classes it at 

 once, and correctly, with the swan and the plover rather 

 than the sparrow and the thrush. There are exceptional 

 groups whose young have peculiar voices ; but these, as I 

 will show later, have been modified by circumstances. 



Next in point of age and authority for purposes of classi- 

 fication would come the call notes. These, like the familiar 

 household words of human language, would naturally have 

 changed little, as being in constant use between immense 

 numbers of individuals. And here we see at once how large 

 chunks of the bird-kingdom can be correctly classified. In- 



