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188
The Speech of Monkeys
·
R. L. Garner
149
The
sounds
of
birds
have
been
studied
perhaps
more
than
any
others
except
those
of
man,
but
they
have
not
been
studied
as
speech,
nor
to
ascertain
their
meanings.
Their
musical
character
has
attracted
attention
and
been
the
subject
of
some
discussion.
My
opinion
is
that
much
that
has
been
said
on
that
subject
belongs
more
properly
to
the
realm
of
poetry
than
of
science.
I
think
the
sounds
of
birds
are
chiefly
intended
for
speech,
but
it
may
supply
the
place
of
music
in
their
aesthetic
being;
but,
so
far
as
I
have
observed,
I
confess
that
I
cannot
find
that
they
obey
the
laws
of
harmony,
melody,
or
time,
and
it
is
my
opinion
that
most
of
the
efforts
to
write
the
sounds
of
birds
on
a
musical
staff
are
not
to
be
relied
upon
as
accurate
records
of
the
sounds.
There
is
no
doubt
that
each
sound
uttered
by
a
bird
is
in
unison
with
some
note
in
the
chromatic
scale
of
music,
but
the
intervals
between
the
tones
of
the
same
bird
do
not
coincide
with
those
of
the
human
voice.
It
is
quite
evident
that
birds
possess
an
acute
sense
and
ready
faculty
for
music,
and
many
of
them
show
great
aptitude
in
imitating
the
sounds
of
musical
instruments;
some
varieties
of
birds,
such
as
the
southern
mocking-bird,
the
thrush,
and
others,
imitate
with
great
success
the
sounds
of
other
birds.
They
often
do
this
so
perfectly
as
to
deceive
the
species
to
which
the
sounds
belong.
The
songs
of
birds,
as
they
are
called,
appear
to
afford
them
great
pleasure,
and
they
often
indulge
in
them,
I
think,
as
a
pastime;
the
effect
is
pleasing
to
the
ear
because
of
its
cheerfulness,
and
it
is
not
discordant
or
wanting
in
richness
of
tone
in
most
birds.
From
the
little
study
I
have
given
them
I
think
it
safe
to
say
that
the
range
of
sounds
possessed
by
any
one
bird
is
quite
limited
and
their
notes
are
strictly
monophones.
This
last
remark
does
not
apply
to
the
sounds
made
by
parrots
and
birds
of
that
kind.
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