290 LANGUAGE IN OTHER ANIMALS. 



France, and he finds too frequently, after long courses of 

 serious effort, that his knowledge of them is very imperfect. 



But it never appears to strike him as equally necessary, if 

 he is to understand the language of the lower animals, that 

 he must give a corresponding attention to its study. Even 

 in our universities, or wherever as in Germany it is scien- 

 tifically taught or studied, comparative philology includes 

 only the spoken, written, and printed languages of man. 



The veiy name philology is literally a fondness for words 

 mere words that is, for one form merely of the expression 

 of feeling or thought. Comparative language, however, should 

 obviously include all forms of expression, not those only that 

 are vocal or that are represented by words. A chair or pro- 

 fessorship of comparative language should exist in all our 

 great universities, and due attention should be given to 

 those rudimentary forms of expression that are common to 

 other animals with man, and that are much more practically 

 important than that limited form of language which is 

 spoken, written, or printed. 



As has been pointed out in the preceding chapter, even 

 in man himself the latter form or forms of language do not 

 always occur, while in such birds as the parrot very distinct 

 speech and very appropriate remarks are occasionally ex- 

 hibited or made. In a succeeding chapter it is shown that 

 by mutual understanding of each other's language conversa- 

 tion becomes possible between man and his dog. 



Man soon learns to understand the meaning or signifi- 

 cance of the feature-changes, of the gestures, attitudes, or 

 movements, of the vocal utterances, of other animals when 

 it becomes his interest to do so when, in order to their 

 training, for instance, for this or that purpose of his own, 

 he has to interpret their thoughts and feelings, gauge their 

 tempers and temperament, form an estimate of their character 

 or capabilities, ascertain the kind and amount of their intelli- 

 gence. And similarly the dog, elephant, horse, and other 

 animals, when a sufficient motive arises, and they have the 

 necessary opportunity, speedily learn man's language not 

 the meaning of his looks and acts merely, but frequently of 

 his words, phrases, and conversation. 



