How animals talk

In Short

William J. Long presents a defense of animal intelligence, arguing that birds and beasts communicate through a natural, silent telepathy that humans have largely lost to modern civilization. Drawing on decades of solitary wilderness observations, Long explores how creatures share emotional warnings, direct their young, and act in unified harmony through a subconscious "super-sense." Part field guide and part philosophical reflection, the book invites readers to look beyond rigid mechanical explanations of nature. It has endured as a classic of early twentieth-century nature writing because of its gentle, intimate prose and its timeless plea for human empathy with the wild.

The Story

The narrative opens with an everyday observation that sparks a lifelong inquiry: a neighbor’s terrier communicates silently with the author’s setter, Don, instantly enlisting him in a joint excursion. From this humble starting point, Long takes the reader into the woods to examine how animals convey thoughts and emotions far beyond the reach of audible calls or physical gestures.

He begins by analyzing vocalizations, such as the varied distress calls of crows and the subtle alarms of mother birds, before shifting his attention to silent perception. Long introduces "Chumfo," a native term for a subconscious super-sense that allows wild creatures—and occasionally primitive or attuned humans—to feel hidden danger or detect another living presence without relying on sight, sound, or smell. He tests this idea through personal experiences, recalling how his mother instinctively knew when he was in peril, and how his dog Don would wait by a distant roadside on the exact day of his return from school.

Expanding this concept of silent communication, Long investigates collective group behavior. He examines the synchronized wing drills of flocking birds, the swarming of bees, and the sudden, unified movements of animal herds, rejecting the standard scientific explanation of a "collective impulse" as an empty phrase. Instead, he proposes that animals share a subconscious emotional bond—a "swarm spirit"—that allows a group to act as a single entity driven by a shared, unvoiced intent.

To demonstrate how this unspoken dialogue operates in the wild, Long shares detailed field encounters. He follows a male fox tracking his captive mate across four miles of unfamiliar territory without relying on scent trails, led entirely by her silent call. He describes sitting motionless in the forest, watching how young foxes, brooding woodpeckers, and curious minks react when approached with quiet, non-threatening thoughts rather than the predatory energy of a hunter.

In the final chapters, the arc moves from general principles to a deeply personal reflection on a remote, unnamed pond hidden within a caribou bog. Long documents years spent observing the resident black mallards, deer at a mineral spring, and local predators. When a colony of beavers alters the water level and drowns the surrounding larches, Long reflects on the impermanence of nature and his own place within it. The book concludes with a quiet farewell to this cherished sanctuary, expressing a patient hope that the wilderness will eventually restore itself.

How It Unfolds

The spark of curiosity A small terrier wakes an old setter with a silent touch of the nose, prompting the author to question how animals pass complex ideas without spoken words.

The limits of sound Long examines the call of the crow and the instinctual protective cries of mother birds, showing that while sounds carry immediate emotional weight, they reveal only the surface of animal interaction.

The hidden super-sense Introducing the concept of natural telepathy, Long describes how timber-wolves and other wary predators detect hidden hunters through an unspoken, subconscious awareness of danger.

The mind of the flock Observing the intricate, simultaneous movements of bird flocks in autumn, the author challenges orthodox scientific theories and attributes their perfect synchronization to a shared emotional impulse.

The silent summons A wild dog-fox travels across miles of unfamiliar country directly to a hidden vixen, providing a striking illustration of long-distance mental transference in the animal world.

Lessons in stillness By sitting motionless in the wilderness and projecting calm intent, Long earns the trust of inquisitive foxes, brood-nesting woodpeckers, and passing minks.

The sanctuary lost Returning to his beloved secret pond after a two-year absence, Long finds that beavers have flooded the basin and killed the larch trees, leaving him to contemplate nature's cycles and the eventual return of the wild.

The People

William J. Long The observer and narrator who seeks to understand the inner life of animals. He desires a sympathetic, childlike connection with nature and stands opposed to cold, purely mechanical views of animal behavior. Through years of quiet wilderness tracking, he transforms from a curious reader into a patient defender of animal consciousness.

Don and Rab Long’s setter dogs across different periods of his life. Don demonstrates an intuitive awareness of his master's return times, while Rab serves as a playful, energetic companion whose keen nose tests the boundaries of animal perception during hunts. Both dogs bridging the gap between human domesticity and wild instincts.

Matty A remarkable Indian guide in the Newfoundland wilderness who possesses an almost uncanny ability to call wild creatures. Matty understands the subtle rhythms of the forest, effortlessly summoning a brooding woodpecker from its nest tree with a gentle rap of his knuckles where loud knocking failed.

The Sparrow-Tamer An elderly performer in a public garden who communicates silently with wild cock-sparrows. He demonstrates that birds respond to a person's genuine mental attitude of camaraderie rather than physical bribes or tricks.

In Its Own Voice

"The silence of one man rests you like a melody; the silence of another bores you to yawning, perhaps because it is a 'dead' silence..."

Long observes how human silence carries unspoken emotional weight, comparing our subconscious communication to the natural signals used throughout the animal kingdom.

"To take a walk with your dog may be a revelation to you, as most simple matters are when you dare to view them for yourself without prejudice."

The author encourages readers to step outside artificial human habits and re-examine the everyday world through the heightened sensations and joyful curiosity of an animal.

"From the beginning, therefore, I met all birds and animals in a child's impersonal way; which, strangely enough, ascribes personality to every living thing, yes, and honors it."

Long reflects on his foundational approach to nature, arguing that a child's natural curiosity and respect for wild creatures offers a far truer understanding than predatory instincts.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book argues against the cold, mechanistic view that animals are merely creatures of blind reflex and basic instinct. Long asserts that living things share an interconnected, subconscious life force that enables silent communication, emotional projection, and intuitive perception. The text questions the superiority of modern human civilization, suggesting that our reliance on spoken words, technology, and analytical thinking has dulled our primary senses and severed our natural bond with the earth. By examining the silent language of the woods, Long challenges readers to cultivate stillness, abandon the urge to dominate the wild, and recover the lost perceptual inheritance that connects humanity to the rest of the natural world.

Why Read It Today

This book will appeal to naturalists, animal lovers, and readers who appreciate contemplative outdoor literature in the spirit of Henry David Thoreau or John Burroughs. Long’s writing feels like a quiet walk through an old-growth forest, marked by serene observations, gentle humor, and an unhurried, poetic cadence. What stays with the reader is his insistence on treating every bird and beast as an individual with its own agency, character, and interior life.

Modern readers should be prepared for the leisurely nineteenth-century pacing and the author's willingness to rely on personal anecdotes rather than controlled laboratory scientific studies. Long also reflects the outdoor traditions of his era, occasionally mentioning hunting practices alongside his observational outings. However, his overriding attitude is one of deep reverence and gentle curiosity. His insights into animal awareness and human distraction remain surprisingly fresh, offering a peaceful antidote to the noisy, hyper-connected pace of contemporary life.

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<Elicitation label="Compare Long's work with John Burroughs' nature essays" query="Compare William J. Long's philosophy on animal mind and communication with the views of his contemporary, John Burroughs, including their famous 'nature fakers' debate."/>

<Elicitation label="Explore the concept of 'Chumfo' and natural telepathy further" query="Deepen the analysis of 'Chumfo' and animal telepathy in William J. Long's work. How does he construct his evidence for this sense throughout the text?"/>

<Elicitation label="Analyze Long's prose style and descriptive techniques" query="Provide a literary analysis of William J. Long's prose style, focusing on his use of metaphor, structure, and tone in 'How Animals Talk'."/> </ElicitationsGroup>