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are capable of representing simple ideas by conventional signs, 
either oral or otherwise. Thus the “ language 33 of brutes 
approaches more nearly to the complex than to the simple 
phenomena of human speech. Again, the vocal sounds which 
an animal is able to produce are few in number : hardly, if 
ever, corresponding to the number of his feelings, they are 
totally inadequate to represent the objects by which he is 
surrounded, and still more inadequate to express combinations 
of the ideas of such objects, together with the requisite modi- 
fications of time and space. It may be said that language 
does not always express a thought or judgment, but a feeling, 
as in the case of the optative, and perhaps the' imperative 
mood. But these moods are for the most part nothing more 
than subjunctives with an ellipse of the principal verb. How- 
ever this may be, we always use these moods for the purpose 
of informing another that it is our wish or will that such or 
such a thing should happen or be done, even though the in- 
formation be conveyed merely with the view of exciting 
sympathy, and when an optative sentence seems to degenerate 
into an expression of feeling, we may apply the remarks 
which I have already made as to the vocal expression of human 
feeling generally. 
Although articulate language is not necessary to the com- 
munication of thought, yet verbal language (I am compelled 
to use this pleonasm owing to the frequent misuse of the 
term “ language ”) is indispensable. And this conclusion is 
nowise affected *by the fact that a complete thought may be 
communicated by means of a simple sound or gesture as a 
conventional symbol ; for symbols of this nature only convey 
the meaning which has been previously attached to them by 
verbal agreement. Mr. Pike, however, says, “They (the 
symbols) may be used for the purpose of communication (but 
not in the form of articulate speech) as in communicating 
ideas of food, danger, game, &c. Both brutes and men use this 
kind of language. The cawing of the crow, the whistle of the 
thief, the look of the lover, may all be classed under this head.” 
In this classification there seems to be considerable confu- 
sion of ideas. Cawing is, I believe, peculiar to rooks (I pre- 
sume Mr. Pike alludes to rooks) ; at all events it is natural to 
them, and not learnt by association with other rooks. If half 
a dozen rook's eggs could be taken to the antipodes and 
hatched there, I do not think any one will doubt but that the 
young rooks would caw as soon as they were old enough. 
But I am not aware, on the other hand, that whistling is 
either peculiar or natural to thieves ; although such a state of 
affairs would add greatly to our social comfort, and would be 
