Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-01
EsthetIcs aud ReligIon in Animals.

lJean D'Ault IN the Revue des Rsvuesl
Are animals deprived Of an aesthetic
ssnsel There is, OF course, no question
as to very refined or subtle aesthetic
ssnse. Moreover, that sense lie rare, varia
BILE, cspricious, subjective; and the same
picture, the same piece of music, the same
piece of sculpture, The same monument,
impress the aesthetic sense of different
people In greatly different ways. The
question, therefore, is simply 10 determine
whether animals possess in any apprecia-
ble msnner certain tastes indicating an ell
ementary ssnse of the beautiful. This
sense assuredly exists. 1t is not at all
present, at least to any appreciAble extent,
in all animals, and those who do possess 1t
manifest It in different degrees; bat 1t is
sufficient to know that its existence can be
recognized.
Birds are particularly gifted in this man
ner. They have taste for bright colors
and melodious sounds, and most frequent
ly the male subjuga;es and fsscinstes his
mate with the besuty of his plumags or
the hsxibility of his vocal organs From
this sense come those curious parsdes of
love (smopg peacocks, for instancel of
which Darwin, and more recently Hudson,
have given us 80 many examples These
psrsdes are veritsble conventions of beau
tyS. There are, besides. other birds who
show this aesthetic sense in a singular
manner. One of these is the baya He
has passion for brilliant aud variegated
objects, and he has q habit of ornament
ing the entrance to his nest, which is built
with infinite art and elegance, with a yari-
ETY. of objects, gathered by bits from all
quarters, which happen TO strike his fam
ey. Among them are brilliantly colored
feathers of other birds, bright bits of
shells, bits of stuffs, aud the bird struts
about in the midst of all this with evident
pleasure. Insects slso possess a marked
aesthetic sense. They prefer certain col
ors, and the plants which depend upon
them for fertilization show an entirely diff
farent variety of cOlors from those of
plants whose fertilization is affected by
means of the wind Musical sounds also
affect different animals in marked man
ner; they have their preferences and their
antipathies. To be cure, :his aesthetic
sense Is not very elevated, but It iz present
in a rudimentary condition; they are not
entirely Indifferent to the manifestations
which, with us, address thsmselves only
TO an aesthetic sense.
In similar manner, these who deny the
religious sentiment to animals deceive
themselves. Without doubt this religion
Is of very inferior order, blt, to be ex-
act, can that of millions of human beings
be placed in a very elevated categoryi An
alyze the religious idea, deprived of all its
pretencss and superfetations, and what do
you fndl Fear and love, from which come
submission and many other sentiments,
which, according to the quantity, are
mixed with the two principal Ingredients.
Quatrefsges writes that 1.-THE domestic ami
mails are religious, for they obey those who
appeal to them with the rod OF with gu
gar" In smother place he ssys: There
| Is no difference between the negro WHO
| sdores a dangerous animal and the dog
| who cringss at his masters feet to obtain
| pardon for fault. Animals run TO msu
| for protection as the believer to bis God.
OF course, between the religion OF q
| dog and that of Pascal there are differ
| ences, but all the forms of transition
| agree; savage man, as well SIS the man who
/ believes himself civilized, furnishes innu
| mersble examples of this, and shows that
1 here, as in other matters, the differences
| are in degree, not in kind Animals
| know the sense of the mysterious; they
| are fetishists; they sscTibs life to the life
less; and what more than this, may ssk
comprises the religion of many of oul
II DcAWtfu HaAaAA-4 VI
/ the groesest, most primitive polythsism
| and the purest Christian religion, the die
tinetions are few and gradual; not al 81
| specific and fundamental Ol the othsi
hand, between the ruiiments Of religion
past aud present, aud csrtain sentiment
of the higher animsla, the differences beA
the same character; the sourcs Is the same
The sentiment of the mysterious ant
supernatural lie manifested by 8 number O
animals and has been observed with SON
attention. Herbert Spencer reports son
observations ON a large mssiiff which be
longed to one of HE friends. The dos
playing with q cane which had bee
turned over to him. inadvertently struc
the ground very hard with one end of Il
and, naturally, the other end struck wit
force sgainst his month. The animal 9
that unexpected manifestation shove
CONSERVATION, and, suspsotiDg some sol
Gerry, concealed himself. IL was wit
great difficulty that be could be induced
return to his plsythiDg. 'His condue
showed very clearly that the cane, so Ion
as 1t only exhibited traits with which b
was familiar, was not considered by hsr
as an active agent; but as coon as he II
eeived an injury from 1t he was led, fc
the moment, to class Il with snimate ot
iects, and to consider 1t as capable of ir
juring him anew" Certsin persons hsI