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THE LANGUAGE OF WILD ANIMALS 



LANGUAGE is the means by which men and animals 

 express their thoughts. Of language there are four 

 kinds: vocal, pictured, written and sign language. 



Any vocal sound uttered for the purpose of conveying 

 thought, oi influencing thought or action, is to be classed as 

 vocal language. Among the mammals below man, speech is 

 totally absent; but parrots, macaws, cockatoos and crows have 

 been taught to imitate the sound of man's words, or certain 

 simple kinds of music. 



The primitive races of mankind first employed the sign 

 language, and spoken words. After that comes picture lan- 

 guage, and lastly the language of written words. Among the 

 Indians and frontiersmen of the western United States and 

 Canada, the sign language has reached what in all probability 

 is its highest development, and its vocabulary is really 

 wonderful. 



The higher wild animals express their thoughts and feelings 

 usually by sign language, and rarely by vocal sounds. Their 

 power of expression varies species by species, or tribe by 

 tribe, quite as it does among the races and tribes of men. It 

 is our belief that there are today several living races of men 

 whose vocabularies are limited to about 300 words. 



Very many species of animals appear to be voiceless; but 

 it is hazardous to attempt to specify the species. Sometimes 

 under stress of new emergencies, or great pain, animals that 

 have been considered voiceless suddenly give tongue. That 

 hundreds of species of mammals and birds use their voices in 

 promoting movements for their safety, there is no room to 



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