416 CURIOSITIES OF THE VOICE. 



In comparison with the human voice, that of animals seems poor indeed. 

 The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, the bloating of the sheep, 

 cannot be called language, in the proper sense. Yet the larynx of these 

 creatures is on the same plan as that of man. Among monkeys the resem- 

 blance is perfect. To all appearance the impossibility of speaking is due 

 to the formation of the lips and tongue. In 1715 Leibmtz announced to 

 the French Academy that he had met with a common peasant's dog that 

 could repeat thirty words after its master, in spite of such an authority, 

 we must always say wheii we most admire the intelligence of this faithful 

 companion, "He only wants words." So well endowed with memory, af- 

 fection, and intelligence, he can only express his joy by sharp, short expira- 

 tions of air through the glottis. Howling is a prolonged note in the phar- 

 3^nx, excited by deep grief or pain. Yet they in common with many other 

 animals can communicate with each other in a marvelous manner when 

 they wish to organize an expedition. A dead bullock was lying in a waste, 

 far from all habitations, when a solitary dog, attracted by the smell, came 

 and fed upon it ; immediately he returned to the village and called together 

 his acquaintances. In less than one hour the bones were picked clean by 

 the troop. 



Opportunities for studying the language of wild animals are rare; they 

 fly from man, and when in captivity they become nearly silent, only utter- 

 inff a few cries or murmurs. Travelers have sometimes been able to watch 

 the graceful movements of the smaller African apes. Living in the branches 

 of trees, they descend with great prudence. An old male, who is the chief, 

 climbs to the top and looks all around ; if satisfied, he utters guttural sounds 

 to tranquillize his band ; but, if he perceive danger, there is a special cry, 

 an advertisement which does not deceive, and immediately they all dispense. 

 On one occasion a naturalist watched a solitary monkey as he discovered 

 an orange-tree laden with fruit. Without returning, he uttered short cries; 

 his companions understood the signal, and in a moment they were collected 

 under the tree, only too hapi)y to share its beautiful fruit. Some kinds 

 possess a curious appendage, a sort of aerial pouch, which opens into the 

 interior of the larynx and makes a tremendous sound. These howling apes, 

 also called Stentors, inhabit the deepest forests of the New World: and 

 their cries, according to Humboldt, may be heard at the distance of one or 

 two miles. 



If it be ever possible to observe the play of the larynx of animals during 

 the emission of sounds, the subject will be a curious one. The difficulty 

 seems almost insurmountable, as their good-will must be enlisted ; yet M. 

 Mandl, full of confidence in his use of the laryngoscope, does not despair. 

 After man, among animated Nature, the birds occupy the highest rank in 

 Nature's concerts ; they make the woods, the gardens, and the fields, resound 

 with their merry warbles. Cuvier discovered the exact place from which 

 their note issues. They possess a double larynx, the one creating the 

 sounds, the other resounding them: naturalists call the apparatus a drum. 



