420 IMITATIVE LANGUAGE. 



language of our progenitors consisted of vocal sounds, 

 and also movements of the hands. The activity of 

 mind and social affection developed in these animals 

 through the Law of Compensation made them fond of 

 hahbling and gesturing to one another, and thus their 

 language was already of a complicated nature, when 

 events occurred which developed it still more. Owing 

 to causes remotely dependent on geological revolu- 

 tions, dark days fell upon these creatures. Food 

 became scanty ; enemies surrounded them. The con- 

 tinual presence of danger, the habit of incessant com- 

 bat, drew them more closely together. Their defects 

 of activity and strength made them rely on one another 

 for protection. Nothing now but their unexampled 

 power of combination could save their lives. This 

 power of combination was entirely dependent upon 

 their language, which was developed and improved 

 until at length it passed into a new stage. The first 

 stage of language is that of Intonation, in which the 

 ideas are arranged on a chromatic scale. We still 

 use this language in conversing with our dogs, who 

 perfectly understand the difference between the curses, 

 not loud but' deep, which are vented on their heads, 

 and the caressing sounds, which are usually uttered 

 in falsetto ; while we understand the growl, the whine, 

 and the excited yelp of joy. The new stage of lan- 

 guage was that of Imitation. Impelled partly by 

 necessity, partly by social love, combined with mental 

 activity, these animals began to notify events to one 

 another by imitative sounds, gestures, and grimaces. 

 For instance, when they wished to indicate the neigh- 

 bourhood of a wild beast, they gave a low growl ; they 

 pointed in a certain direction ; they shaped their 

 features to resemble his ; they crawled stealthily along 



