96 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



one of demand or supplication, as when wishing for a door 

 or window to be opened. According to Houzeau, who paid 

 particular attention to the subject, the domestic fowl utters 

 at least a dozen significant sounds.* 



The habitual use of articulate language is, however, 

 peculiar to man; but he uses, in common with the lower 

 animals, inarticulate cries to express his meaning, aided by 

 gestures and the movements of the muscles of the face, f 

 This specially holds good with the more simple and vivid 

 feelings, which are but little connected with our higher 

 intelligence. Our cries of pain, fear, surprise, anger, to- 

 gether with their appropriate actions, and the murmur of a 

 mother to her beloved child, are more expressive than any 

 words. That which distinguishes man from the lower ani- 

 mals is not the understanding of articulate sounds, for, as 

 every one knows, dogs understand many words and sen- 

 tences. In this respect they are at the same stage of devel- 

 opment as infants, between the ages of ten and twelve 

 months, who understand many words and short sentences, 

 but cannot yet utter a single word. It is not the mere ar- 

 ticulation which is our distinguishing character, for parrots 

 and other birds possess this power. Nor is it the mere 

 capacity of connecting definite sounds with definite ideas; 

 for it is certain that some parrots, which have been taught 

 to speak, connect unerringly words with things and per- 

 sons with events. J The lower animals differ from man 



* "Facultes Mentales des Animaux," torn, ii, 1872, pp. 346-349. 



fSee a discussion on this subject in Mr. E. B. Tylor's very inter- 

 esting work, " Researches into the Early History of Mankind," 1865, 

 chaps, ii to iv. 



1 1 have received several detailed accounts to this effect. Admiral 

 Sir B. J. Sulivan, whom I know to be a careful observer, assures me 

 that an African parrot, long kept in his father's house, invariably 

 called certain persons of the household, as well as visitors, by their 

 names. He said "good morning" to every one at breakfast, and 

 "good night" to each as they left the room at night, and never re- 

 versed these salutations. To Sir B. J. Sulivan's father, he used to 

 add to the "good morning" a short sentence, which was never once 

 repeated after his father's death. He scolded violently a strange 

 dog which came into the room through the open window; and he 

 scolded another parrot (saying "you naughty polly ") which had got 

 out of its cage, and was eating apples on the kitchen table. See 

 also, to the same effect, Houzeau on parrots, " Facultes Mentales," 

 torn, ii, p. 309. Dr. A. Moschkau informs me that he knew a star- 

 ling which never made a mistake in saying in German " good morn- 

 ing " to persons arriving, and "good-by, old fellow," to those do- 

 parting. I could add several other such cases. 



