The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-05-20
Do Animals Think +?

A great deal has been written to show
that animals think and reason, just as
man does, though in lower degree.
Perhaps some of our readers may notice
things in animals which show that they
have great deal of intelligence, even if
they do not reason. Mr.. Paul Brocca,
the French author, devoted much atten-
tion to this subject. 1t has been said of
animals, writes Mr.. Brocca, that their
actions are mechanical and without
method. This may be true of domestic
pets, who are influenced almost entirely
by the human being, around them, but
does not the beaver change his plans,
acting now as builder, now as miner
according 10 circumstances? Besid IS
this, every one knows that the bee fire..
quently substitutes pentagonal, or five
side, for hexagonal, or six:sided cells,
and that 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 its
strength? These animals step carefully
and lightly, with their heads inclined,
and suddenly directly they discover by
the sound of the ice cracking that it is
not safe to proceed farther. A dog,
which, in following scent, arrives at
cross road is seen to stop, consider for q
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. 1t 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 further inves.
tigation. That this is not mere instinct
is shown by the fact that dog sometimes
makes mistake in such case, and that
when the fact becomes evident he sinks
out of sight of the hunters, looking
picture of shame and humiliation.
Foresight is quality the possession Of
which no one will deny to ants and bees,
and the former certainly have 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
suffering and helpless ones are not left
to perish, but are carried off the battle
field by regular Ambulance" No one
doubts the existence of memory in ami
mails, and as to ambition, is it necessary
to recount the pitched battles which take
place in bee hives between the different
candidates for royalty? How can one
pretend that nan 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 one example: there
is no possible doubt that ants make
themselves understood by their fellows,
by means of the touch of their delicate,
sensitive antena or feelers. Before the
war a council is held, and messengers
hurry about. Scouts or spies are sent
out, and the attack is hastened or post
poned, according to their reports. All
this could not be done without very
complete method of communication, for
the giving and receiving of orders, etc.
Moreover, if animals had no language,
how could they teach their young? That
they do teach them is evident from the
fact of young foxes in countries where
the animals are hunted being infinitely
more wary than full grown ones in other
lands How else are we to account for
this than by saying the parent foxes tell
their children of the danger, and how to
avoid it?-American AgricultWist.
- The New York World notes that
General Longstreet, although good
Republican since the war, took part in
the Atlanta ovation to Jefferson Dayi,
last Week in full Confederate uniform.
His reconciliation with Mr.. Davis was
complete and cordial. Negro field hands
saluted the train bearing the ex.Confed-
crate Cheftain as he swept from Mont
gomery to Atlanta, and white militia