New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-09-29
Ths 1ntelIlrsnee o. Anlmal..
ANECDOTES OF DOGS AND ELEPHANTS.

From the Harmonies of Nature, an interesting
volume just published by the Appletons, we ex-
tract the following paragraphs on the intelligence
Of animals
As the mammalia are mans nearest relations in
q physical point of view, they are also endowed
with an intelligence superior to that of other ami
mails, and not seldom prompting them to actions
which seem rather to belong TO the sphere of
reason than to that of brute instinct. The Chin
panzee for instance, will lock or unlock door or
drawer, will thread any needle, and cannot be
taken in by the same thing twice.
dog in monastery, perceiving that the monks
received their meals by rapping at buttery door,
contrived to do so likewise, and when the allow
ance was pushed through and the door shut, ran
off with it. This was repeated until the theft was
detected.
| Another dog belonging to Mr.. Taylor, a clergy
| man who lived near Cotton, near Wolsley bridge,
was accused of killing many sheep. Complaints
were made to his master, who asserted that the
thing was impossible, because he was muzzled
every night. The neighbors perssting in the
charge, the dog one night was watched, and he
was seen to draw his neck out of the muzzle, then
go into q field and eat as much of sheep as
satisfied his appetite. He next went to the river
to wash his mouth, and returned atterWard to his
kennel, put his head into the muzzle again, aud
lay very quietly down to sleep.
| Mr.. Morland, a surgeon in Paris, had taken into
his house the dog Of friend which had broken
| its leg, and good-naturedly cured 1t. Sometime
after, the dog scratched at the door of Mr., Nor.
lands study, and, on being admitted, introduced
another dog, to whom some accident had hap
pened, and who could hardly crawl along after
his guide. The first dog plainly showed by his
caresses what he wanted and the surgeon, admir-
ing his sagacity took charge Of his protege and
cured him likewise.
As the elephant surpasses all that breathes on
dry land irf bulk and muscular power, his mental
faculties also assign to him one of the first places
in the animal creation. When tanned, he becomes
of the most gentle and obedient of all domestic
| quadrupeds and, in most cases, is exceedingly
fond of his keeper, and soon learns to distinguish
the various tones of the human voice. as express
sive of anger, appreciation or command. His
strength is rendered doubly serviceable to man by
the intelligence he eviuces inits use. He will load
a boat with amazing deXterty, carefully keeping
all the articles dry. and disp0sing them where they
ought to be placed In propelling wheel car
riages heavily laden, up declivty. he pushes
them forward with his forehead and supports them
with his knees.
i In Ceylon, where the elephants are frequently
employed in dragging and pilmg felled timber,
they manifest an intelligence and deXterity which
is surprising to stranger because the sameness
of the operation enables them to go on for hours,
disposing Of log after log, almost without hint or
direction from their overseers. Sir Il. Tennent
mentions two elephants thus employed in the yards
attached to the cOmmissariat stores at Columbo
who accomplished his work with equal precision
and with greater rapidity than if it had been ac
complished by dock labOrers. When the pile at
tanned certain height, and they were no Longer
able, by their joint efforts, to raise one Of tht
heavy ebony logs to the summit, they had beer
taught to lean two pieces against the heap, up the
inclined plane of which they gently rolled the re
naming logs and placed them trinity on the top.
Six apples, presented to Missouri editor
; weighed five pounds and four ounces,