THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE 45 



gent dog can doubt it, and probably no one will ven- 

 ture to raise a question at this point. AMiether it be 

 from articulated words or simply from the intona- 

 tion of the voice is immaterial, for either would 

 imply that animals obtain ideas from sounds. This 

 fact shows that the mental p»owers of some animals 

 are upon a grade high enough to recognize the use of 

 some words, and consequently considerably above 

 that grade which simply involves perceptions. 



More significant, however, is the fact that some 

 animals have means of communicating with each 

 other. This fact, for some years dimly appreciated, 

 has been brought into clear light in recent years by 

 the study of both wild and domestic animals. Even 

 among animals guided mostly by instincts, like the 

 insects, this power is evident. An ant finds a piece 

 of food too large for it to handle alone and runs off 

 to its nest, soon to reappear with several helpers. 

 What happened in the nest, of course, we do not 

 know, and verv likelv we are inclined to see more in 

 the incident than really belongs there. But beyond 

 question communication must have been conveyed to 

 the individuals in the nest to have caused them to 

 follow the leader to the food. Among higher animals 

 the evidence is better known. A mother hen seeing a 

 hawk, calls her chicks to herself for protection by a 

 few clucks which plainly convey some idea to them. 

 Multiplication of instances is unnecessary, for they 

 are generally known. The method of the communi- 

 cation certainly varies. Sometimes it is by voice, 

 sometimes by variation in intonation, sometimes by 

 actions, and sometimes perhaps by tactile impres- 

 sions. 



Whether it is proper to call this language it is 



