The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-09-19
Wisfeilaufous.
DO Aarmals Think or Reason:

hE AIIn1alS MINK OF ntcAoOhe
The theory that animals think and reason, and
their mental manifestations differ from those oi
mankind only in degree, has found . new sdvo
cate in Earnest Mansalt. Here are some of the
stories which he narrates to establish the claims
of feas, fishes and bugs. He also claims for these
inferior creatures the affections Of parental love
and sn emotional nature, capable of gratitude
for kind treatment.
There were industrious heas before our time.
Baron Walckensr (who died in 1852 saw with his
eyes, for sixpence, in the Place de Ia Bourse,
Paris, tour learned fieas perform the manual e1-
ercise; standing upright on their hind legs with
splinter of wood to serve for pike. The other
feas dragged golden carriage, with third hea
holding whip on the box for coashman. An
other pair dragged cannon. The flea horses
were harnessed by q golden chain fastened 70
their hind legs, which WAS never taken on. ihey
had lived this way two years and hall, wltnou'
any mortality among them when Walcknaer saw
them. They took their meals on their keepers
arm Their faats were performed plate OF
polished ga., When they were sulky and re-
fused to wo.h, The man, instead OF whipping
them, held bit of lighted charcoal over their
backs, which very soon brought them to their
senses.
But of what use is cleverness without hear?
The flea strong maternal affections. She lays
her eggs in the crannies of floors, in the bedding
of animals, and on babies night clothes When
the helpless, transparent Larvae appear, the moth
er flea feeds them, as the dove does its young, by
discharging into their mouths the contents Of her
stomach. Grudge her not, therefore, one small
drop Of blood. For you it is nothing but a flea
bite; for her tits the life of her beloved offspring.
While pleading, however, for the flea. we can
not do as much for the bug, though no is gifted
with fuller letalJuld intelligence. An inquis-
itive gentleman, Wishing to know how the bug
became aware of human presence, tried the fol-
lowing experiment: He got into bed suspend
ed from the ceiling without any tester, in the
middle of an uir.a mished room. lie then plac-
ed on the floor bug which, guided probably by
smell, pOndeu6d a means of reaching the bed.
After deep re1.c.'us climbed the wall, travel
ed straight across tae ceiling to the spot imme-
diately over the bed aud then dropped plump on
the observers nose Was this, or was it not an
act of Intelligence
The fish belongs to the great Flathead family.
The same sort Of platitude which you in his
person doubtless extends to the. whole of his
character. Vow have met him somewhere in hui
man shape-one of those pale-faced wishy-washy
gentlemen, whose passions have extinguished all
heart and feeling. lou often find them in dip
lematic regions, and can't tell whether they are
fish or flesh But iftheir mental powers are less
developed, their term of existence is more extend.
ed. They gain in longevity what they lose in
warmth Of temperature. u,
Nevertheless, the skill with which the sickle
back constructs his nest is now a matter of nat
ural history. Other fishes display an address
which we acquire only by long and constant prac-
tce One fellow, with lnuzzle prolonged into
narrow tube which he uses as popgun, prowls
about the banks of tidal rivers. On spying fly
on the water weeds, he slyly swims up until he
gets within five six feet of it. He then shoots
it with water from his proboscis, never falling to
bring down his game. A Governor of the Hos
pital at Batavia, doubling the fact, though at
tested by credtsble witnesses procured some of
these fish to witness their prsnks. He stuck a
fly on pin at the end of stick, and placed it so
as to attract their notice. Ts his great delight,
they shot it with their guns, for which he re-
warded them with treat of insects.
The pike has proved himself not only intelli-
gent, but even OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES it who will
of gratitude.
"While living at Durham" says DR.. War
wick, 81 took walk one evening at Lord STAN
fords park. On reaching pond in which fish
We're kept ready for use, | observed fine pike of
some six pounds weight. At my approach he
darted away like arrow. In his hurry he
knocked his head against an iron hook fixed in a
post in the water, fracturing his skull and in
juring the optic nerve side of his head
He appeared to suffer terrible pain; he plunged
into the mud, houndered hither and thither, and
at last leaping out of the water, fell on the bank
On examination, portion of the brain was seen
protruding through the fractured skull
''Ihis carefully restored to its place, making
use of a small silver tsothpick to raise the spn-
tiers of broken bone The fish remained quiet
during the operation when it was over he
plunged into the pond. At first his sufsrings
appeared to be relieved, but in the course of few
minutes he began rushing right and left, until
he again leaped out OF the water"
81 called the keeper, and with his assistance
applied bandage to the fracture That done,
We restored him to the pond and left him to his
fate. Next morning soon as l reached the
waters edge the pike swan to meet me quite
close to the bank, and laid his head upon my feet.
l thought this an extraordinary proceeding.
Without furthur delay examined the wound.
and found it was healing nicely. then strolled
for some time by the side of the pond The fish
swan after nae, following say steps and turning
as / turned"
"The following day l brought few Young
friends with me to the fish. 1t came toward
me as before. Little by little he became SO tame
as to come to my whistle and eat out of my hand.
With other persons on the contrary, he contin-
ued as shy and wild as ever"