The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-04-01
Do Animals Think2

show that animals think and rea
son just as man does, though in q
Logger degree. Perhaps some of our
readers may notice things in ami.
mails which show that they have a
great deal of intelligence, even ii
they do not reason. Mr.. Paul Broc-
ca, the French author, devoted
much attention to this subject. 1t
has been said of animals, writes
Mr.. Broccs, that their actions are
| always mechaniesl and without
method. This may be true of de=
nestle pets, who are Influenced al
most entirely by the human beings
around them, but does not the
beaver change his plans, acting
nog as builder, now as miner, &C
cordihg to circh tastapcesg Besides
this, everyone knows that the bee
frequently substitutes pentagonal,
or five sided, for hexagonal, or six
sided cells, and that this alteration
in the Sork is made only when
necessary. Il has blso been SAID
that animals do not reason. What
then is done by the foxes which 10
Thrace, are driven on to the ice to
test it's strength? These animals
step carefully and lightly, with
their hesds ipalipedi and turn back
suddenly, directly they discover by
the sound of the ice cracking, that
it is not safe to proceed farther. A
dog, which, in following a scent, ar
rives at . eross road is seen to
stop, consider for a moment, then
plunge along one Of the roads,
shifting cautiously, turn back
and try another road in the same
manner, and finally dart unhesiting-
ly down the third. 1t is evident
that his logic tells him that as his
prey has net taken one Of the first
two roads examined it must neces-
sarily have taken the third road,
so he does net waste time in fur
ther investigation. That this is
not mere instiact is shown by the
fact that q dog sometimes makes a
mistake in such = case, and that
when the fact becomes evident, he
sinks out of sight of the hunters,
looking picture Of shame and hu-
initiation.
Foresight is a quality the posses
sion Of which no one will deny TO
ants and bees, aud the former GER
tainly have a sense of compassion.
This is diplayed in the tender care
bestowed on the wounded during
the terrible battles fought between
different tribes of ants. The suf-
fering and helpless ones are not left
to perish, but are carried OF the
battlefield by = regular "ambu-
lance-cerps." No one doubts the
existence of memory in animals,
and as to ambition, is it necessary
to recount the pitched battles which
take place in bee hives between
the different candidates for royalty2
How can one pretend that man on
~ has the gift of languagel He
must be blind indeed who does not
see that all animals have some
means Of Communication with each
other. To give only one example,;
there is no possible doubt that ants
makes themselves understood by
their fellows, by means of the
touch of their delicate, sensitive
sntenne or feelers. Before a war,
q council 10 held, and messengers
hurry abe4t. Scouts or spies are
sent out, and the attack is has
tened or postponed according 20
their reports. All. this could not
be done without a very compl, te
method Of communication, for the
giving and receiving Of orders, etc.
Moreover, If snimsls had no Ian
guage, how could they teach their
young? That they do, teach them
is evident from the fact of young
foxes in countries where the ami
mails are hunted, being infinitely
more wary than rull-grown ones in
other lauds! How else are we to
account feE ibis than by saying
that the parent foxes tell their
children OF danger and to avoid il?
The man that is cruel to amin ais