38 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



goose wonder tales of Jack Miner, and hear him imitate (to 

 perfection) the honk call of the gander at his pond, calling to 

 wild flocks in the sky and telling them about the corn and 

 safety down where he is. 



The woodpecker drums on the high and dry limb of a dead 

 tree his resounding signal-call that is nothing more nor less (in 

 our view) than so much sign language. 



It was many years ago that we first heard in the welcome 

 days of early spring the resounding "Boo-hoo-hoo" courting call 

 of the cock pinnated grouse, rolling over the moist earth for 

 a mile or more in words too plain to be misunderstood. 



The American magpie talks beautifully; but I regret to say 

 that I do not understand a word of its language. One summer 

 we had several fine specimens in the great flying-cage, with the 

 big and showy waterfowl, condor, griffon vulture, ravens and 

 crows. One of those magpies often came over to the side of 

 the cage to talk to me, and as I believe, make complaints. 

 Whether he complained about his big and bulky cagemates, or 

 the keepers, or me, I could not tell; but I thought that his 

 grievances were against the large birds. Whenever I climbed 

 over the guard rail and stooped down, he would come close up 

 to the wire, stand in one spot, and in a quiet, confidential tone 

 talk to me earnestly and gesticulate with his head for five 

 minutes straight. I have heard senile old men run on in low- 

 voiced, unintelligible clack in precisely the same way. The 

 modulations of that bird's voice, its inflections and its vocabu- 

 lary were wonderful. From his manner a messenger from 

 Mars might easily have inferred that the bird believed that 

 every word of the discourse was fully understood. 



The lion roars, magnificently. The hyena "laughs"; the 

 gray wolf gives a mournful howl, the coyote barks and howls, 

 and the fox yaps. The elk bugles, the moose roars and bawls, 

 in desire or defiance. The elephant trumpets or screams in 

 the joy of good feeding, or in fear or rage; and it also rumbles 

 deeply away down in its throat. The red squirrel barks and 



