104 HOMO V. DARWLV. 



us away from the point when he talks about the inarticu- 

 late cries of man and animals. Le6 him tell us whether 

 any creature on this earth, except man, can rationally use, or 

 be taught rationally to use, articulate language. 



Darwin. " It is not the mere power of articulation," my 

 Lord, " that distinguishes man from other animals, for, as 

 every one knows, parrots can talk ; but it is his largo 

 power of connecting definite sounds with definite ideas ; 

 and this obviously depends on the development of the 

 mental faculties." (Vol. i. p. 54.) 



Lord G. That is just the point, Mr. Darwin ; let us 

 therefore confine ourselves to it. Of course, parrots may 

 be taught to utter a few articulate sounds, and so may 

 starlings. But the question is, Do any of the lower 

 animals possess " man's large power of connecting definite 

 sounds with definite ideas ?" Can you mention one that 

 Las this power, or in which it may certainly be developed ? 



Homo. You will not find it easy, my Lord, to hold Mr. 

 Darwin to the point, lie knows very well what the point 

 is, for he states it clearly enough ; but he no sooner does 

 so than he starts away from it like a scared animal, and 

 never ventures to look near it again. Would you believe 

 it, my Lord ? He gives us nine pages on language, without 

 once attempting to discuss in them that peculiarity which, 

 he says, distinguishes man from other animals "his large 

 power of connecting definite sounds with definite ideas." 



Lord C. What then are the points he takes up ? 



Homo. He tells us, my Lord, that the dog baiks in four 

 or five different tones, to express so many different feelings 

 that may influence him ; that the sounds uttered by birds 

 offer, in several respects, the nearest iiiuilogy to language ; 

 and he gives details which he thinks shows that an in- 

 stinctive tendency to acquire an art is not a peculiarity 



