A philosophical amusement upon the language of beasts / Written originally in French. By Father Bougeant ... , now confined at La Fleche on account of this work.
- Bougeant, père, 1690-1743. Amusement philosophique sur le langage des bêtes
- Date:
- 1739
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A philosophical amusement upon the language of beasts / Written originally in French. By Father Bougeant ... , now confined at La Fleche on account of this work. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![t S* ] is not only confined, as I faid, to the QbjeCts belonging to their Prefervation, but alio limited in its own Nature, having commonly but one Exprefiion for each Objedt 5 and this is the Caufe of their frequent Repetitions. For as it is natxw ral for Beads always to infill upon the fame Ob¬ ject till their- Defire is fulfilled, or diverted by another more prefiing, and as they have but one Way to explain themfelves upon each QbjeCt; it is neceffary that they fhould always repeat the fame Exprefiion, and that this Repetition fhould laft as long as they are taken up with the fame Thing. Thus a Dog barking in the Night on Account of forrie Noife he has heard, evidently repeats this Phrafe over and over, “ Have a care ! f£ i hear a Noife which give me Uneafmefs : Or, I fee fome body 1 miftrufl53 ; and he will not ceafe repeating it till his Apprehenfions are overu Thus a Chaffinch for ever repeats to his Mate the fame Exprefiion of his Love and Tendernefs, and will tell her the fame Phrafe twenty times over, 4C I love you, I love you or fomething equi¬ valent. But in other Circumflances, as for In- flance, thofe of Anger and Jealoufy, of Satisfact¬ ion and Grief, we fee that both Dog and Chafe finch ufe many other different Phrafes ^ or if we do not perceive the Differences of them, it is meerly the fault of our Organs, or the little knowledge we have of their feveral Accents. • It is then true with regard to Birds whom we have taken for our Example, that rnoft of them are great Repeaters. Nay, it is not enough to fay :mojl of them, for they are all in the fame Cafe, and if the Nightingale feems toufe fewer Repetiti¬ ons, it is only becaufe his Phrafe is longer and the Difference of his Notes more perceptible. But it is neycrthelefs true that they have different Phrafes, - ' - - ' • ■ ' 't T ' ’ r for](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30376166_0060.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
