Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-09-06
MEMORY In ANIMALS.
They Are Never Caught Twice in
tho Same Trap.
Instances Which Go to Prove That Crea
lures of Instinct Are In Some Re-
spects Wiser Than Those Pos
scssed of Reason.

The proof that experience is the guide
of life among the lower animals may
be found very low in the scale of ami
NAL organisms, says the Vienna Stein
der Weiser. The razor shell, or mol
lusli, as soon as the tide retreats, buries
itself in the sand, often to the depth of
several feet. The fishermen who hunt
them use long, thin rod, hooked at
the end, or they sprinkle little salt in
the hole to drive out it's occupant.
This generally succeeds; there is a
movement in the sand, and half the
creature appears on the surface. With
a quick movement the fisherman tries
to seize him. If this fails the mollusk
vanishes into its hole, and all the
Establishments of the fishers art would
fail to tempt him out a second time-the
molluslz has profted by experience.
Similar conduct of animals which
cannot be regarded as other than the
result of experience may be noted
among the most diverse species.
A fox that has once been caught in
trap and fortunately regained its
freedom will profit by the experience
and beware of traps in the future. The
same is true of many other animals and
the birds also. Quail which have once
been Noted by the allurements of the
''call," if they regain their freedom
will never be allured by it again.
Every hunter is familiar with the fact
| that it is much easier to outwit young
animal than an experienced one.
Bortase tells very interesting story
of how lobster got the better of an
| oyster. The lobster several times inserted
his claws into the half-opened shell
but the oyster always closed in time tc
save himself The lobster then seized
a stone and inserted it quickly into the
the oyster. Monkeys secure oysters by
the same trick, but there is nothing SC
remarkable in that, as their intelligence
is well known.
| Kirby tells of the bees, that after re
| pcated raids of the deaths head upor
their store they build a sort of bull
warl1 about the hole of entrance tt
keep them out. Duges observed {
spider which had seized a bee from be
hind and thus hindered it from flying
The stronger bee, however, had his leg:
free and walked off with the spider
which tried to drag her into his den
The struggle lasted some time, whel
the spider lowered itself with it's pre-,
by thread. The bees legs were useles
in midair, and the spider chung to he
until he had accomplished his full pur
pose.
1t is impossible to argue that thes
are exceptions, which afford no proof Q
a general intellectual capacity of ami
mails. Every such experience is ind
vidual, and, from the circumstances c
its origin, cannot extend to the species
We must concede, too, that even anon
animals there are individuals niue
more highly gifted than the general ru
of the species. Innumerable instance
are seen among horses, dogs, elephant
and monkeys; to deny the fact woul
be to deny the capacity of animals fo
further development. The possibilitie
of such advance are of course limited
but so also is the possibility of huma
I advance, although the boundary line
/ not yet in sight. The higher ANNA
f are much more ready to meet exec
r tional exigencies than the lower, bot
because their capacities are greater an
!! because they have been more highly d.
1 vcloped by wide range of experience