FACULTIES OF THE MIND. 279 



Thus, the frog, when in a tadpole state, is silent ; nor does 

 it ever utter its croakings, until it has reached maturity. 



The sounds by which we express pain, are universally 

 disagreeable to those of our own species ; while those which 

 indicate happiness are pleasing. There is even a corres- 

 ponding sympathy excited by the sounds which the inferi- 

 or animals utter, expressive of pleasure or pain. 



The possession of this natural language is peculiar to 

 those animals which live in society, either uniformly or oc- 

 casionally. In the former case, the faculty of language is 

 generally co-eval with life, while in the latter, it is only pos- 

 sessed during the period of the social union, and disappears 

 when the temporary purposes for which it was necessary 

 have been accomplished. ^ 



In this natural language, the vowel sounds are chiefly 

 observable in the child, although the sounds of consonants, 

 particularly K and R, may often be distinguished. Many 

 of the sounds of the lower animals consist of monosyllables, 

 as those of the lamb, while those of the cuckeo or partridge 

 consist of two syllables, and even three may be perceived 

 in the mournful cry of the kitteewake, when disturbed 

 during the breeding season. 



In Man, the natural language consists in weeping and 

 sometimes laughing, and to these are added, in after life, 

 other sounds which express anger, joy, or pain. These 

 actions are not confined to a particular tribe, but are com- 

 mon to the race, and universally understood. 



In the examination of acquired language, we are 

 frequently at a loss to draw the line of distinction be- 

 tween the sounds of nature and those of imitation. Be- 

 fore we can judge with certainty on the subject, we must 

 take the particular animals whose language we are examin- 

 ing under our care, in order to become acquainted with 

 their natural sounds, and the education of which they are 

 susceptible. It is necessary, likewise, that we attend tc 



