I06 NATURE STUDY. 



which carry us a step farther. Turkeys hatched under 

 common hens soon learn the cry of alarm and obey it as 

 readily as if it was in their " native language." I have 

 not seen a hen able to keep young ducks out of the water 

 by her cries of alarm, but they will understand her when 

 other danger threatens. But I noticed an incident recent- 

 ly which goes still a step beyond this. The English spar- 

 rows are numerous about my poultry yard, eating and 

 drinking with the chickens and chipping all the time, so 

 that the fowls take no notice of them under common cir- 

 cumstances ; but one time, while the two flocks were eat- 

 ing together promiscuously, a cock-sparrow in a tree over- 

 head discovered a cat or some dangerous object on the 

 other side of a board fence six feet high, and gave a cry of 

 alarm, and it was obeyed by the chickens as readily as by 

 the birds, showing that in their association with them they 

 had learned some of their language. 



Another incident which may be worth adding to this is 

 my experience with the large black ants. They were trav- 

 eling on a fence built of large poles and extending about 

 forty rods, one end being at a pond and the other meeting 

 a stone wall on high land. They were continuously on 

 the journey, going and coming, and, while watching them 

 and wondering what they were going so far for and how 

 much they knew, each about the business or duties of the 

 other, I killed one of them, and let the body remain there. 

 The next one that came along went very near his dead 

 companion, then stopped and ran about excitedly for a few 

 seconds, then went back till he met another, and they put 

 their heads together, and in an instant the second was as 

 excited as the first, aud this continued on both sides of 

 the source of trouble till quite a number had gathered ; 

 then an apparent consultation was held, and the crowd on 

 both sides went down to the under side of the large pole 

 and continued their journeys, and every one that was met 



