E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Animals (The cries of).
Apes gibber; asses bray; bees hum; beetles drone; bears growl; bitterns boom; blackbirds whistle: blackcaps—we speak of the “chick-chick” of the blackcap; bulls bellow; canaries sing or quaver; cats mew, purr, swear, and caterwaul; calves bleat and blear; chaffinches chirp or pink; chickens pip; cicadæ sing; cocks crow; cows moo or low; crows caw; cuckoos cry cuckoo; deer bell; dogs bark, bay, howl, and yelp; doves coo; ducks quack; eagles scream; falcons chant; flies buzz; foxes bark and yelp; frogs croak; geese cackle and hiss; goldfinch—we speak of the “merry twinkle” of the female; grasshoppers chirp and pitter; grouse—we speak of the “drumming” of the grouse; guineafowls cry “come back”; guineapigs squeak; hares squeak; hawks scream; hens cackle and cluck; horses neigh and whinny; hyenas laugh; jays chatter; kittens mew; lambs baa and bleat; larks sing; linnets chuckle in their call; lions roar; magpies chatter; mice squeak and squeal; monkeys chatter and gibber; nightingales pipe and warble—we also speak of its “jug-jug”; owls hoot and screech; oxen low and bellow; parrots talk; peacocks scream; peewits cry pee-wit; pigeons coo; pigs grunt, squeak, and squeal; ravens croak; redstarts whistle; rooks caw; screech-owls screech or shriek; sheep baa or bleat; snakes hiss; sparrows chirp or yelp; stags bellow and call; swallows twitter; swans cry—we also speak of the “bombilation” of the swan; thrushes whistle; tigers growl; tits—we speak of the “twittwit” of the bottle-tit; turkey-cocks gobble; vultures scream; whitethroats chirr; wolves howl.
