there was a rush, presumably of the 

 fighting members, to the spot where 

 the row began, and after some seconds 

 a large Leopard sprang from the midst 

 of the scuffle. In a few bounds he was 

 in the open, and stood looking back, 

 licking his chaps. The Pigs lid not 

 break cover, but continued on their way. 

 They were returning to their lair after 

 a night's feeding in the plain, several 

 families having combined for mutual 

 protection; while the beasts of prey 

 were evidently waiting for the occasion. 

 I was alone, and though armed, I did 

 not care to beat up the ground to see 

 if in either case a kill had been effected. 

 The numerous herd covered a consid- 

 erable space, and the scrub was thick. 

 The prompt concerted action must in 

 each case have been started by a spe- 

 cial cry. I imagine that the first as- 

 sailant was a Tiger, and the case was at 

 once known to be hopeless, the cry 

 prompting instant flight, while in the 

 second case the cry was for defense. It 

 can scarcely be doubted that in the first 

 cgse each adult Pig had a vision of a 

 Tiger, and the second of a Leopard or 

 some minor foe." 



The structure of throats that talk and 

 sing varies greatly, and scientists have 

 yet much to learn about the adaptations 

 of forms to purposes. AgassLz gives 

 the following clear description of the 

 throats of birds: "The proper larynx 

 is very simple, destituteof vocal chords, 

 and incapable of producing sounds; but 

 at the lower end of the windpipe there 

 is a second or inferior larynx, which is 

 very complicated in structure. It is a 

 kind of bony drum, having within it 

 two glottides, formed at the top of the 

 two branches of the windpipe, each pro- 

 vided with two vocal chords. The dif- 

 ferent pieces of this apparatus are 

 moved by peculiar muscles, the num- 

 ber of which varies in different fami- 

 lies. In birds which have a very monoto- 

 nous cry, such as the Gulls, the Her- 

 ons, the Cuckoos, and the Mergansers, 

 there is but one or two pairs; Parrots 

 have three; and birds of song have five." 

 But there are still further items regard- 

 ing special uses that make the question 

 hard to solve. 



Some throats that have apparently 

 the same structure as far as the scalpel 



and microscope can distinguish have 

 marvelously different powers of deliv- 

 ery. MacGillivray has pointed out that 

 the Rook and the Hooded Crow seem 

 to have just as complex an apparatus 

 for their sepulchral utterances as the 

 Nightingale and the Blackbird. But 

 where loudness of sound is required 



without reeard to 



range 



and quality 



there are some notable conformations, 

 as in the Whooping Crane and the 

 Howling Monkey. This Monkey has 

 large cavities communicating with the 

 glottis, and the air reverberates as it 

 passes the larynx so the most deafen- 

 ing noises are produced. 



Birds sing and other animals yell, 

 roar, and snort, not for love-making 

 purposes, but rather because of the joy 

 of life that is in these creatures, and it 

 manifests itself in this way as well as 

 in the gambols of the Lambkin or the 

 antics of the Monkey. The voice of 

 the Mule is the sweetest sound in the 

 world — to some other Mule. But it is 

 sweeter still to the Mule that makes 

 the joyful sound. Placzeck notes that 

 a bird frequently sings lustily when he 

 knows himself to be entirely alone. 

 "In the spring-time of love, when all 

 life is invigorated, and the effort to 

 win a mate by ardent wooing is crowned 

 with the joy of triumph, the song 

 reaches its highest perfection. But the 

 male bird also sings to entertain his 

 mate during the arduous nest-building 

 and hatching, to cheer the young and, 

 if he be a domesticated bird, to give 

 pleasure to his lord and the Providence 

 that takes care of him, and in doing so 

 to please himself. Lastly, the bird 

 sings — by habit, as we call it — because 

 the tendency is innate in the organs of 

 song to exercise themselves." In other 

 words, animals have the apparatus for 

 making noises provided them in their 

 organs of breathing, and because they 

 have them they use them and are de- 

 lighted with them, each in his own 

 kind. Finding them a source of joy 

 unto themselves it is not to be won- 

 dered at that they employ their voices 

 in their love-making because they feel 

 that what pleases themselves so much 

 must not be without effect upon their 

 loved ones. 



204 



