South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-05-19
Mental Powers Of Animals.

THE lower animals, like man, manifestly
feel pleasure and pain, happiness and mis-
cry. Happiness is never better exhibited
than by young animals, such as puppies,
kittens and lambs, when playing together
like our own children. Even insects play
together, as has been described by p.
Huber, who saw ants chasing and pre-
tending to bite each other, like so many
puppies.
Ir is q well established fact that the
lower animals are excited by the same
emotions as ourselves. Terror acts in the
same manner on them as on us, causing
the muscles to tremble, the heart to palpi-
tate, and the hair to stand on end. Sus-
picion, the offspring of fear, is eminently
Characteristic of most wild animals. Cour-
age and timidity are extremely variable
qualities in the individuals of the same
species, as is plainly seen In dogs.
We see maternal affection exhibited in
the most trifing details. Thus Rengger
observed an American monkey carefully
driving away the flies which plagued her
infant, and Duvancel saw a hylobate wash
ing the faces of her young Onss in a
stream. So intense is the grief of female
monkeys for the loss of their young, that
it invariably caused the death of, certain
kinds kept under confinement by Brehm
in North Africa. Orphan monkeys were
always adopted and carefully guarded by
the other monkeys, both male and female
One female baboon had so capacious q
heart that she not only adopted young
monkeys of other species, but stole young
dogs and cats, which she continually car
ried about. An adopted kitten scratched
this affectionate babOOn, who certainly had
a sharp intellect; for she was much aston
ished at being scratched, and Immediately
examined the kittens feet, and without
more ado bit off the claws. As Whewen
has remarked, "Who that reads the touch
ing instances of maternal affection related
so often of the women of all nations, and
of the females of all animals, can doubt
that the principle of action is the same in
the two cases?
Most of the more complex emotions are
common to the higher animals and our
selves. Every one has seen how jealous
dog is of his masters affection, if lavished
on any other creature; the same fact is
observed with monkeys. This shows that
animals not only love, but have the desire
to be loved. Animals manifestly feel emu
lation. They love appreciation or praise;
and dog carrying basket for his master
exhibits, in high degree, self-complacency
and pride. A great dog scoms the snarl-
of a little dog, and this may be called
magnanimity. Several observers have
stated that monkeys certainly dislike be-
ing laughed at; and they sometimes in
vent imaginary ofenses. In the Geological
Gardens there was a baboon who always
got into furious rage when his keeper
got out letter or book and read it aloud
to him.
Hardly any faculty is more important
for the intellectual progress of man than
the power of attention. Animals clearly
manifest this power, as when a cat watches
by hole and prepares to spring on its
prey. Wild animals sometimes become so
absorbed when thus engaged that they
may be easily approached. Mr.. Bartlett
has furnished a curious proof how variable
this faculty is in monkeys. A man who
trains monkeys to act used to purchase COM
mon kinds from the Geological Society at
the price of five pounds for each; but he
offered to give double the price if he
might keep three or four of them a few
days in order to select from. When asked
how he could possibly so soon learn
whether particular monkey would turn
out good actor, he answered that it all
depended on their power of attention. If,
when he was talking and explaining any
thing to monkey, its attention was easily
distracted, as by fly on the wall or other
trifling object, the case was hopeless. If
he tried by punishment to make an mat
tentive monkey act, it turned sulky. On
the other hand, monkey which carefully
attended to him could always be trained.