M. Davidson and the cheekadee

From:

http://lsv.uky.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0812A&L=CLASSICS-L&P=R2437&I=-3

M. Davidson justly reacted to the effect that a nuthatch may find the
cry of a cheekadee _alarming_.

Is that because it's just an alarming cry?

I can imagine that, if I'm on an Indonesian beach, and I hear a lot of Indonesians around shouting, I can imagine there is danger somewhere, without me getting to _know_ what they "mean".

The Greeks and the Romans are wiser here allowing _sign_ to stand in a 'natural' relation to the designee. Or not.