The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
REASON nv
Intelligent Oysters. - Pet Caterpillar, mn Un-
grateful butterfly, nnd wise Fish.

grateful hutttFHN' uhu NNHe Eitu'
Henri do Par,illc has written for a French
newspaper tho following article on the memory
of fish, insects. and other creatures:
"Iterr Edingcr, the German anatonist, re-
Gently discovered that fishes have memories.
| Now it is believed that insects and mollusks urc
equally gifted. Ono OF my lady readers, a teacher
OF dra in the Paris schools, puts tho follow.
Ing question to me: How can any one imagine
any animal TO exist without n memory 2 And,
dwelling upon her query, she aflrms that cater
pillars have memories. She at ono time
possessed u big brown caterpillar with
magnificent fur. She kept him in a work
box and carefully fed him with choice
leaves. Now this caterpillar, following tho
fashion of his kind, used TO roll himself up in a
hill whenever ho was frightened. When tho
lady wanted to make his bed and fix up his
apartments, she took him dclicatcly on u leaf
and brought him out of tho box. At first the
creature would roll himself up, but In n short
time he became tame and remained In IN out
stretched condition, knowing vol that no
harm was intended.
"'I was then n schoolgirl In the Sacr6.Cnur of
Bcauvais,' said my correspondent, and with
my caterpillar l guvc exhibitions to tho Sisters
and tho girls Whenever she touched him no
remained perfectly at ease and never coilod
himself, but when any one OF tho other girls
I NM ic hSAtAENi ioAib' ii''S'a |.
IIo knew his mistress we'll: therefore the crea-
ture evidently possessed n memory.
"Onc morning the lady opened tho box and.
to her establishment, the caterpillar was gone.
In his place there was u little heap OF n~Rglutin-
atcd hairs. Her pet had become n chrysalis.
The Sisters and pupils awaited the arrival OF tho
butterfly with impaticnco. The question was.
would the butterfly have any recollection Of its
existence as a caterpillarl And would 1t re-
,a,,bA tta IA tpYau 4 1bn nQyyn Ia llil
guessed. Butterfly and caterpillar are two:
And the butterfly had no recollection o! its kind
nurse and paid no attention to her whatever.
When 1t rose in the world it forgot its old friend:
The young lady aftcrwnrd raised several
s IS1Hgrnls as 9 3Se f Rgno Of # th ali c Syinss4 hc ses sta tn.
ment proves that it is quite possible that cater
pillars have memories.
lusks. A civil engineer wrote to me as follows:
While at Courscullcs-sur- Mer watched, with
curiosity the oyster tloats. Noticing II workman
at low tide shovelling ont n great quantity of
oysters upon a d~ccliviiy, 80 as okccp them com
OF the operation. He replied that the oysters
were to be sent TO Paris, but that before send;
ing them II was necessary to educate them and
shells. II you export oysters that are accus-
tomedto be always in the water. they, open on
out. dead. and spoiled; II, on the contrary, they
are placed upon a declivi,y,a 80 c, that tn 'dhGE will ,,h be
will learn in u few days that, if they open
their shells when they are dry. they will be
left without water. and doubtless surfer con-
wisely retain the liquid. and when they learn
that trick they are sufficiently advanced to pass
their examinations in Paris. Therefore the
oyster. though inferior in intelligence to a fish.
Is susceptible OF training. 1t must be admitted
that il has a certain memory. since 1t rcco!lects
It's sufTerings from the imprudcEt opening of its
enough to keep itself shut when, in a basket,
fishes. 1t is given by Mr.. Pierre MtRnin OF the
EercUr. 1t Is not necessary TO travel very far
he, says, to get the evidence Of memory among
look at the historic carps in the ponds of the
castle. l often went there some years ago when
! was camped in the forest with my regiment
during tho firing exercises. There is one spot
behind tho castle where people amuse them
selves by throwing bread and fruit 10 the carps:
and fought for by tho fish. But. If an apple Is
thrown in, the fish, recognizing it; pass 4 by dis.
thing is beyond the power OF their Jaws.
"'Thcrn Is one trick which Is often played upon
them. and that is to throw TO them an entire
loaf. and as hard a loaf as can be procured. The
carps poke their noses at il and retire. keeping
i IN view. They Surround Il remaining at a
pro"c hts, It from NTH Time i' to i u 70 V asccr tai tie
progress of the soaking and softcning. and in
about twenty minutes. when the. explorer dis
covers that the required degree of softneSs has
been reached, he notifies his companions OF the
fact by a wnE OF his tail or by whatever means
y they charge upon tho loaf. tear it to pieces,
and help themselves. In q few seconds nothing
Now this shows that experience has
taught the carps that the bread. no matter how
hard 1t may be NJ first. is bound in time to be-
! come soft enough 10 eat. and they walt patiently
there is not only evidence OF memory. but also
the proof of a complex intellectual operation
M. Pierre Megnin may be right. because 1t
is very difficult 20 explain in any other way than
by cerebral action. that series OF facts in some
for The softcning OF the hard bread every time
II Is thrown to them