How Animals Talk 



A mother-partridge has more than once flown in 

 my face or beaten me with her wings, while 

 "fierce" hawks, owls and eagles have merely cir- 

 cled around me at a safe distance when I came 

 near their young. In the majority of cases, how- 

 ever, I think that birds come to a distress-call 

 simply because the excitement of an individual 

 spreads to all creatures within sight or hearing, 

 just as a crowd of men or women will become 

 excited and rush to a common center before they 

 know what the stir is all about. 



In confirmation of this theory, it is not necessary 

 to cry like a distressed young crow to bring a flock 

 over your head. The imitated hawing of an old 

 crow will do quite as well, if you throw the proper 

 excitement into it. Again, on any summer day 

 you will hear in your own yard the pip-pip of 

 arriving or departing robins. The same call is 

 uttered by both sexes, at all times and in all 

 places ; yet if you listen closely you must note that 

 there is immense variety in the accent or inflection 

 of even this simple sound. The call is clear, 

 ringing, joyous when the robins first arrive in the 

 spring; it is subdued when they gather for the 

 autumn flight ; it is sleepy or querulous when they 

 stand full-fed by the nest, and most business-like 

 when they launch themselves into flight, which is 

 the moment when you are most sure to hear it. 



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