The Opelousas courier., 1886-06-12
DO ANIMALS THINK?
Interesting Discussion Of a
Question Often Asked.
Facts Advanced to Show Animals Pos
sess Some Human Qualities.

A great deal has been written to show
that animals think and reason, just as
man does, though in a lower degree.
Perhaps some of our readers may notice
things in animals which show that they
have a great deal of intelligence, even If
they do notc reason. Mr.. Paul Brocca,
the French author, devoted much atten-
ton to this subject. "It has been said
of animals" writes Mr.. Brocca, ''that
their actions are always mechanical and
without method" This may be true of
domestic pets, who are Influenced almost
entirely by the human beings around
them, but does not the beaver change his
plans, acting now as a builder, now as
miner, according to circumstances? Be
sides this, everyone knows that the bee
frequently substitutes pentagonal, or five
sided, for hexagonal, or six-sided cells,
and that this alteration in the work is
made only when necessary. 1t has also
been said that animals do not reason.
What then is done by the foxes, which
in Thrace, are driven on to the ice to test
it's strength? These animals step careful
ly and lightly, with their heads inclined,
and turn back suddenly, directly they
discover, bythe sound of the ice cracking,
that it is not safe to proceed farther.
A dog, which, in following a scent, ar
rives at q cross-road is seen to stop, con-
slider 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 unhesitatingly
down the third. It is evident that his
logic tells him that as his prey has not
taken one of the first two roads examined,
it must necessarily have taken the third
road, so he does not waste time in fur
ther investigation. That this is not mere
instinct is shown by the fact that a dog
sometimes makes a mistake in such a
case, and that when the fact becomes cv-
ident, he sinks out of sight of the hunt
ers, looking a picture of shame and hu-
initiation.
Foresight is a quality, the possession
of which one will deny to ants and bees,
and the former certainly have a sense of
compassion. This is displayed in the
tender care bestowed on the wounded
during the terrible battles fought be-
tween different tribes of ants. The suf-
fering and helpless ones arc not left to
perish, but arc carried off Of the battle
field by a regular ambulance corps"
No one doubts the existence of memory
in animals, and as to ambition, is it nee
essary to recount the pitched battles
which take place in bee-hives between
the different candidates for royalty2
How can one pretend that man only has
the gift of language? He must be blind
indeed who does not see that all animals
have some means of communication with
each other. To give only II example:
there is no possible doubt that ants make
| themselves understood by their fellows,
| by means of the touch of their delicate,
sensitive antenna or feelers. Beforea war,
a council is held, and messengers hurry
about. Scouts or spies are sent out, and
the attack is fastened or postponed, ac-
cording to their reports. All this could
| not be done without a very complete
method of communication, for the giving
and receiving orders, etc. Moreover, if
animals had no language, how could
they teach their young2 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 han %full-grown mes in other lands!
| How else are we to account for this than
by saying that the parent foxes tell their
children of danger, and to avoid it,
| Amertco', A~griculturist.