324 



[Vol. XXII. No. 567 



a very severe pruning. When growth began in the 

 spring there were no leaves to produce active transpira- 

 tion, and but few growing points to accommodate the ex- 

 cess of water which the large root system was continually 

 pumping up. The excess of water in the phellogen layer 

 was drawn into the interior of the cell protoplasm by the 

 vegetable acids, and since it could not filter out readily, 

 nor be removed sufficiently fast by transpiration, the cells 

 were abnormally stretched and at last collapsed. 



Similar troubles have been recorded as appearing on 

 other plants, as potatoes," grapes,' rose and plum seed- 

 lings, gooseberries, beans* and jsears^; and recently Hal- 

 sted has recorded it on pelargoniums.' 



THE SPEECH OF ANIMALS. 



BY HOWARD N. LYON, M. D., CHICAaO. 



That animals have a means of communication among 

 themselves through certain vocal sounds is a well estab- 

 lished fact; that these vocal sounds are of sufficient range 

 to express other than mere physical ideas, and thus to 

 assume the importance of a language, is probable, al- 

 though as yet unproveu. It is towards the final settle- 

 ment of this question that I wish to add my mite, and, 

 while there is much that might be said, in the present in- 

 stance I will confine my observations to a field but little 

 explored — the attempts of animals to communicate with 

 man. 



For the last three years I have had a tame fox squirrel 

 of which I have made a great pet. Polly has occupied a cage 

 in the laboratory where she has been, for the most part, 

 shut off from the sights and sounds of the outside world. 

 Although at times the laboratory has had other tenants 

 in the shape of squirrels, rabbits and guinea-pigs, she 

 has formed no particular attachment for any of them, but 

 when I am about she is usually close to me, either on my 

 shoulder or following me about like a dog. 



Unconsciously at first and later with a definite purpose 

 I have talked to her much as one would talk to a young 

 child. About a year ago she began to reply to my con- 

 versation. At first it was only in response to my ques- 

 tions as to food, etc., but later her "talk" has assumed 

 larger proportions until now she will, of her own accord, 

 assume the initiative. 



Her vocabulary appears to be quite extensive, and while, 

 for the most part, it pertains to matters of food and per- 

 sonal comfort, there are times when it seems as though 

 she were trying to tell me of other things. 



When I first go out where she is in the morning she 

 immediately asks for food, and until that want is supj)lied 

 she keeps up a constant muttering. Later when her 

 hunger is appeased she will ask to be let out of the cage. 

 Often when playing about the room she will climb onto 

 my shoulder and "talk" to me for awhile in a low tone and 

 then scamper off. Unless she is sleepy she will always 

 reply to any remark made to her. 



Her speech is not the chattering ordinarily observed in 

 squirrels, but a low gutteral tone that reminds one both 

 of the low notes of a frog and the cluck of a chicken. 

 Some of the notes I have been able to repeat, and in- 

 variably she becomes alert and replies to them. Unfor- 

 tunately, the effort to reproduce her tones produces an 

 uncomfortable effect on my throat, and I have been obliged 

 to desist from further experiments in that direction. The 



2Ward, on some relations between host and parasite. Proceedings Royal 

 -Society. XLVII, 1890, p. 303-443. 



'Gardener's Chronicle, 1878, I. 802, and 1889, I. 503. 



^Sorauer, Wassersucht bei Ribes aureum, Freihoff's Deutsche Gartner- 

 zeitung, Aug. 1S80. 



Pflanzenkrankheiten, Zwei'te Auflage, I. 235-238. Goeschke, Die Wasser- 

 sucht der Ribes, Monatsschrift d. Verein z. Beford. d. Gartenbaues in den 

 kgl. Staaten, October heft, 1880, 451. 



»Quabius,.-Wassersucht bei.Birnen,-J.-ihresti. d. Sohle§. -Geatral-verein's-fur 

 Gartner und Gartenfreuhde zu Breslau, i88i. 



^Bulletin Torrey Bot. Club, XX., 1893, 391, 



sounds that she makes are quick and in low tone, so the 

 attempt to isolate words is very difficult, yet there is as 

 much range of inflection as in German. 



Another reason why I believe she is endeavoring to 

 communicate with me is that she has used the same sounds 

 towards other squirrels confined in the same cage, and 

 that, while she will answer any one who addresses her, 

 she voluntarily will only talk at length to me. That she 

 understands what is said to her is beyond question, and, 

 furthermore, she will distinguish between a remark made 

 to her and one made to some one else. 



I have had many pets that would answer in monosyl- 

 lables to a question asked them or indicate by actions 

 their desires, but this is the first instance that has come un- 

 der my observation in which an animal has attempted more 

 that that. 



When Polly first commenced "talking," I regarded it 

 merely as idle chattering, but further observation shows 

 that it is not such, and that the sounds she makes have a 

 definite meaning. Moreover, the sounds she makes in- 

 "talking" are not the shrill notes of anger or alarm, but 

 low, clear sounds that are unmistakably articulate. 



In my fondness for my pet, have I overestimated the 

 value of the sounds she makes, or am I right in assigning 

 to them the characters of speech? Why should an animal 

 not attempt to communicate with man ? The higher 

 animals are possessed of a well-formed larj^nx and vocal 

 chords. Why, then, should we deny or ever question the 

 possibility of articulate sjpeech '? And, if they can con- 

 verse among themselves, why may they not attempt to 

 communicate with man ? 



Anyone who has owned a well-bred dog can relate 

 numerous instances in which his dog has clearly under- 

 stood whtit was said to it, and the readiness with which 

 a dog learns a new command shows an intelligence of a 

 high order. Although a dog's vocabulary is of limited 

 range, it has certain definite sounds that possess an un- 

 rhistakable meaning. There is the short, sharp bark that 

 expresses a want, the low, nervous bark that means dis- 

 comfort, the sharp, quick bark of joy, the low whine of 

 distress, the growl of distrust, the deep growl of anger, 

 the loud bark of warning and the whimper of fright. 

 When to these is added the various movements of the 

 body, cowering in fear, crouching in anger, the stiff brac- 

 ing of the body in defence, leaping in joy, and many 

 special actions, as licking the hand of the master or pull- 

 ing at his clothes, we find that a dog can express his likes 

 and dislikes, his wants and his feeling as clearly as though 

 he were human. Anyone who, in a time of sorrow or de- 

 pression, has had his dog come to him and lay its head in 

 his lap and has looked down into those great brown eyes 

 so full of sympathy and love, can never doubt that the 

 dog understood all, and in its own way was trying to 

 comfort. 



A friend's cat has an unmistakable sound for yes and 

 no. The former is a low meyouw, while the latter is a 

 short, sharp m'yoww. If Tom wants to go out that fact 

 is made manifest by a quick meyouw'. If, perchance, 

 anyone should be in the chair which Tom regards as his 

 especial property, no regard for propriety restrains him 

 from indicating that fact and unceremoniously ordering 

 the instructor out. His me'youw' on such an occasion can 

 not be mistaken. Instances of this sort are not uncom- 

 mon and ordinarily fail to attract attention, but is there 

 not here a field that will well repay a careful investiga- 

 tion ? 



Until my pet squirrel commenced her performances I 

 regarded these things as a matter of course, but her chat- 

 tering has raised with me the question, Is it not possible 

 that our animal friends ar« endeavoring in their own way 

 to talk to us as we talk to them ? 



