14 6 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Aug. 32, 1903. 
poor, the poison can be removed or counteracted before 
life becomes extinct. 
The treatment usually advocated in cases of snake bite 
is to ligature the part bitten and fill the victim up with 
whisky, but there is good reason to doubt the efficacy of 
this procedure. The action of alcohol in large doses is 
such as to assist rather than combat the action of the 
venom. The first step to be taken in all ordinary cases is 
to ligature the wound and then to remove the venom, 
either by sucking it out, or by opening the bitten part so 
that it may escape with the blood. At the earliest possible 
moment a solution of one part of chromic acid to 100 
parts of water or a solution of chloride of gold or per- 
manganate of potash of the same strength should be in- 
jected with a hypodermic syringe into the wounds and the 
surrounding tissue. Alcohol may now be administered 
in small doses as a stimulant, and an effort should be 
made to induce a profuse perspiration. In cases where 
there seems imminent danger of collapse, hypodermic in- 
jections of strychnia are recommended, even in doses 
which under ordinary conditions would be fatal. The 
services of a skilled physician should be obtained at the 
earliest possible moment. 
Fortunately all the venomous serpents are disappearing 
before the onward march of civilization. The opening up 
of a country to agriculture affords them fewer opportuni- 
ties for a retreat from danger, and man always brings 
with him domesticated animals which destroy the snakes 
even more thoroughly than he can by his own efforts. 
Doubtless some of these reptiles will withstand this in- 
vasion for many years to come, but in the end they all 
must go, and then, perhaps, the harmless snakes will cease 
to suffer for the bad company which they are now forced 
to keep. W. P. Hay. . 
Language of the Lower Animals. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
In FoREST_ AND STREAM of June 6, Hermit expressed 
his opinion, in regard to the alleged speech of animals, as 
follows: "I do not believe that the speech of the lower 
animals is inherited. It would be just as unreasonable 
as to claim that human speech is inherited." As it is a 
self-evident fact that speech must be either inherited or 
transmitted by instruction, and as it seemed plain that he 
used the term speech as synonymous with language, I 
ventured to state (see Forest and Stream of July 4) 
that I knew of nothing to indicate that these animals 
either possess or used a language that can be transmitted 
by instruction. In other words, I stated that I knew of 
nothing to show that the animals possess any speech or 
language which is not inherited; and I virtually asked 
for the production of reliable evidence to the contrary, if 
any such is available. In Forest and Stream of August 
S, Hermit gives another interesting account of his ob- 
servations, in which he takes enough notice of my com- 
munication to show that he does not perceive the points 
to which I tried to call attention. He says: "Your cor- 
respondent, I. W. G., makes much of the bawl of a 
frightened calf which brings the nearby herd to the 
rescue. * * * These hereditary functions are out of 
place in this discussion. There is no dispute on this 
line. * * * It is not language but tone that brings 
the herd to the rescue of the calf. Even I. W. G. could 
recognize the note of terror in the calf's cry, although he 
might be wholly ignorant of the bovine language." Now, 
as a matter of fact, it is just these "hereditary functions ' 
that I wish to have in the discussion, for the purpose 
of either identifying them as the "bovine language" or 
distinguishing that language from them. From my point 
of view, they must remain in the discussion until Hermit, 
or someone else, displaces them by demonstrating the ex- 
istence of a better "bovine language." I think Hermit 
will agree that in a general sense, or for our present 
purpose, language may be defined as any means by which 
ideas are communicated , from qne individual to others. 
It is obvious that the bawl of the calf conveys a crude 
idea to the cattle. It is the "jiote of terror" that conveys 
the idea that the situation demands. And if the needs of 
cattle, in regard to language, are supplied by various 
impulsive tones, _ actions, and postures— "hereditary func- 
tions," as Hermit calls them— it follows that the "bovine 
language" consists of "hereditary functions." If cattle 
have a language other than these "hereditary functions," 
by all means let us have a definite and verified description 
of it, and that much of the controversy will be disposed of 
at once. 
Hermit tells us that a kitten was taught by the cat to 
anticipate the approach of a butcher cart by signs made 
by the cat as she watched by the window. But he does 
not even attempt to prove that these alleged signs were 
anything more than the expressions of listless waiting, and 
of eagerness in view of approaching gratification, Avhich 
are practically involuntary, or "hereditary functions," and 
which the kitten understands by what may be called 
heredity or intuition. If the cat instructed the kitten in 
the language of signs, how did she do it? If Hermit 
affirms that the cat told the kitten beforehand that her 
cars pointed forward would mean one thing, and when 
they were pointed back it would mean something else, 
he should be able to describe definitely the process by 
which the cat communicates this information. How does 
the cat say to the kitten, "While the wagon is not in sight 
I will hold my ears back, and when I see it coming near 
I will point them forward ?" If Hermit does not know 
how it would be possible for the cat to make a previous 
arrangement of this kind with the kitten, how does he 
know that such an arrangement was made? Is he quite 
sure that the kitten did not perceive the approach of the 
wagon by scent or sound on its own account? He does 
not need to be told that tlie senses of smell and hearing 
in sorne of the animals are surprisingly acute in com- 
parison with the same in us human beings. " But in regard 
to general perception and imagination, man is the most 
abundantly endowed of all animals, and when one, who 
is a warm advocate of a certain theory, essays to serve as 
the eye of accurate knowledge, he needs to hold a tight 
rein on his own perceptive faculties, in order to keep 
himself from seeing more than there is to see. 
Hermit also gives an instance of a cat not mewing 
until it had the company of another cat, and, in effect, 
asks us to accept it as evidence of the necessity of in- 
struction. As several correspondents of Forest and 
§TREAM have given many; \0stances of ai:^i,mals making 
the distinctive cries of their species without the possibility 
of instruction, it will be necessary for him to explain 
these cases out of his way before he can reasonably ex- 
pect the abnormal action of one cat to be overwhelmingly 
convincing. When we see numerous animals performing 
certain functions without instruction we have positive 
evidence_ that they do not require instruction ; but the fact 
that a single cat does not mew in orthodox fashion until 
late in life is no evidence at all in regard to cats as a 
species. There are abnormal beasts just as there are ab- 
normal human beings. Moreover, doing a thing is posi- 
tive evidence_ of the ability to do it, while not doing a 
thing is, of itself, at best, but negative evidence of the 
lack of ability. And will Hermit please tell us why the 
bawl of a calf is more an "inherited function" than the 
mew of a cat? If the mew of a cat is pertinent to this 
discussion, why is the bawl of a calf impertinent? 
It is necessary to bear in mind that the question is not 
whether the lower animals have a language. It is ad- 
mitted on all sides that they do communicate crude ideas 
to each other, and this could not be without some sort of 
a language. It is not even doubted that they can be in- 
structed in language. It is a matter of common ex- 
perience that nearly all of the animals can be instructed, 
some more, some less, in human language. But the point 
of significance here is that both the instruction and the 
language are outgrowths of the intelligence of man. A 
horse, for instance, is taught to start, to stop, to back, 
etc., etc., at the command of the human voice. This un- 
doubtedly requires a considerable degree of intelligence 
on the part_ of the horse. But the horse has no control of 
either the instruction or the language. The horse never 
makes the human sound which he associates with the 
action, and hence horses never communicate this language 
to each other. The instruction is all by the intelligence of 
man; and the language is formulated and used entirely 
by man, and for the benefit of man. 
The question before us is simply whether the lower 
animals have languages of their own which they them- 
selves can transmit or perpetuate by instruction. Some 
naturalists enthusiastically and positively declare that they 
have. Others, and some of us who are not naturalists, 
ask for the production of substantial evidence. Let it be 
noticed that such a language would require the animals 
to have a previous arrangement, or conventional under- 
standing, in regard to the sonnd, motion, or posture which 
is to represent each thing. Human languages can be 
transmitted by instruction only because they are based on 
human conventions; that is, on mutual prearrangements 
and understandings. Each human language is developed 
by the development of civilization and the needs of the 
people. A language which is based on convention — on 
general consent — is at the command of those who use it, 
and can be changed at their pleasure. This is the case 
with all the human languages. Each word is associated 
with the thing it represents, and is adopted into the 
language by the exercise of Abolition and intelligence. If 
the lower animals have not a language based on conven- 
tion — if each sound, movement, or posture, is not asso- 
ciated with the thing it represents by intelligent prear- 
rangement and mutual consent — it is obvious that the 
language cannot be transmitted by instruction. If they 
have a language based on convention, where is the evi- 
dence? How would it be possible for any species of ani- 
mals but man to make the least change in its language by 
the exercise of volition and intelligence? And, if they 
have not sufficient intellisence to change their language, 
how can they have sufficient intelligence to communicate 
a knowledge of it to each other by intentional instruction? 
I. W. G. 
Observations on Birds. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Early in June of this year a catbird came every morn- 
ing at the first light to an apple tree near my window 
and woke me with his song. All day long he could be 
heard in some part of the grounds, often singing on the 
wing in flight from one tree to another. His favorite 
perch was on the dead limb of a tall locu,st tree near the 
apple tree where the nest is located. While on this perch 
every note was given as clear and distinct as a bell, and 
without a slur. Sometimes it was the full notes and trills 
of this bird, at others a clear and distinct whistle, or the 
notes of the meadowlark, whippoorwill, robin, etc., but 
when in the tree with his mate, the notes were soft and 
low as a love song. 
Last week, after his morning song, he stopped singing, 
and has since been silent. We looked about for the cause 
and foimd that the birds had hatched their young. It 
seemed apparent that bird had found Jh at his notes would 
not buy insects for his family, and, like a sensible father, 
had gone to work. We now see him flying in and out of 
the tree with his mate carrying food to their young. 
It has been our custom for a long time to throw crumbs 
in the yard near the balcony to feed the birds which come 
there for them each morning. One day this week a chipping 
sparrow brought with her a young one quite as large as 
herself, and commenced to feed it small particles of 
crumbs. The young one was ravenous, and ate piece after 
piece as given it by the mother, but would not pick up the 
food from the ground. After a time the mother gave it a 
very large piece, so large that the young one could not 
swallow it, but bit a piece from the cracker and let the 
balance fall to the ground. Although directly under the 
young one's bill, it would not pick up the piece, but flut- 
tered on after its mother. She gave it another large 
piece, and again it dropped a part of it. The mother 
picked this up from the ground, and when the young one 
dropped it next time, it picked it up of its own accord, 
and after that it began to eat from the ground freely, 
and when quite satisfied flew away. 
One day among the bread and crackers given the birds 
was some corn bread ; but all the birds coming to feed — 
among them a scarlet tanager — rejected the corn bread, 
and the chippy ate only of the crackers. The afternoon 
following her teaching of the young one to eat bread, the 
old sparrow brought another young one and attempted 
the same tactics, but the young one was either too stupid 
or too young to be taught, and had to be fed until it flew 
away. * -■ > « 
At anotIi[cr tim? we saw the miother feeding a young^ 
one, which was evidently older than either of the two 
others spoken of, quite a good sized worm. The young 
sparrow took it from the mother crosswise, when the 
mother immediately took the worm again from the young 
one's bill and turned it around so that it could be swal- 
lowed endwise. 
While walking in the woods near our house we found 
a young olive-sided flycatcher, just from its nest and un- 
able to fly more than two or three feet at a time. The 
mother bird was much distressed, .and flew about making 
a peculiar cry. The young one fluttered to a low bush, 
when the mother rewarded it with an insect which she 
picked from the ground. The mother then called from a 
low shrub nearby, and the young bird tried twice to reach 
it, but each time fell short, and went back to the bush, 
but the next time the j^oung one attempted it, it caught 
with its claws on a limb of the shrub, and after one or 
two attempts succeeded in reaching the limb, which was 
about_ four feet high. After each attempt the mother 
gave it food. On returning that way two or three hours 
after, I found the young one well up in a cedar tree. The 
mother appeared to be perfectly happy, and the young one 
always ready for its insects. 
What is intelligence and what instinct? 
Why should a bird be afraid of a crow or a hawk and 
not afraid of a hen or a dove? Why should it be afraid 
of a cat or dog and not afraid of a pig or a hare? 
I suppose it is experience combined with teaching. 
E. R. W. 
Oyster Bay, L. I. 
'mtje md 0m 
Proprietors of shooting resorts will find it profitable to advertise 
them in Forest and Stream. 
CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 
Migfatioa of Prairie Chickens. 
Chicago, 111., August 15.— There is reason to believe, 
as has already been mentioned, that we shall have a fairly 
good season of prairie chicken shooting in Wisconsin, 
Minnesota and both the Dakotas this fall. Whether or 
not we call high license a theoretical or practical success, 
either the high licenses or the growing sentiment in favor 
of game protection is slowly beginning to work a benefit 
in the matter of our upland game supply in these Western 
States. It is believed that plenty of good chicken country 
will be found for those who are willing to enjoy them- 
selves temperately on our Western prairies this fall. 
Most of this chicken shooting will be over by the end 
of the first week in September. That is the hottest and 
hardest part of the prairie chicken season, and one which 
ought to be least attractive to the upland shooter. The 
hot weather is hard on the dogs, and birds, although 
fairly well grown, are by no means so strong in the first 
week in September as they are ten days or two weeks 
later. From a keen shooting standpoint, the wonder is 
that so small an interest attaches to the sport of upland 
grouse shooting in late September and October. An old 
time chicken shooter of Chicago said to-day : 
"If I wanted to have a really good chicken shoot, I 
would not cry over the fact that we can't shoot in Illinois 
for several years. Neither would I go out to Minnesota 
or Dakota. I would wait until about October, when the 
stormy fall weather begins, and then I would go out into 
northwestern Iowa, say in the country along about Spirit 
and Okoboji lakes. Understand, I don't say that this is 
a good country in the early fall. I only say that it is good 
when the storms have driven the chickens out of Dakota 
and Minnesota. 
"Sotne say that this migration of prairie chickens does 
not exist, but any well posted man who has shot in the 
West knows that these birds do move out of Dakota every 
fall and go north again in the spring. I have seen them in 
droves of two or three hundred flying low and strong. 
When they get into a country which suits them they scat- 
ter among the corn fields, and then they offer sliooting 
for the man who understands how to get them, and it is 
shooting on good big birds and under sporty circum- 
stances. I would rather have this shooting on migrating 
birds just at the end of fall and the beginning of winter 
than to kill any number of these half developed young 
birds which anybody can stop in August or September," 
AotoinofatUst and Woodcock. 
On July 4 Mr. N. Landon lioyt, son of the Chicago 
merchant, Mr. W. M. Hoyt, took a friend in his automo- 
bile and started out along the roads which run north of 
Lake^Bluff, a suburb above this city and not very far from 
the Skokie Marsh, which, as is well known, sometimes 
affords a bag of snipe or woodcock. Mr. Hoyt was 
lucky or unlucky enough to kill five woodcock. He was 
followed by wardens Thayer and Edwards, who arrested 
him and his friend as they came back to the automobile, 
the birds being confiscated. The case came up for trial 
before Justice Boyer at Evanston last Monday, and Mr. 
Hoyt was fined $15. There had perhaps been intercession 
made with the powers that be, since, for some reason, 
State Gatne Commissioner A. J. Lovejoy wired the justice 
asking that the fine be made $15. The justice thereupon 
imposed that fine, covering one bird. It would seem that 
a gentleman able to go about his sport so comfortably, not 
to say luxuriously, might have been able to stand the 
additional $60 for the four woodcock on which he did not 
settle. There is talk about reopening the case, but it is 
difficult to see how this can be done at this date. It is to 
be said in favor of Mr, N. Landon Hoyt that the wood- 
cock which he is reported to have killed are said to have 
been quite clear of all adhering portions of shell, and 
that none of them was killed while sitting upon or ad- 
jacent to the nest which brought it forth. The whole mat- 
ter is the fault of the age, not of Mr. Hojrt. An automo- 
bile is fast, and hence its owner may sometimes be a little 
sooner. 
Tip on Chickens. 
The Richardson t>rotliers, of tl^is city, this wee^s; shipped 
