The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
rntsillrenos I'M Young Animals.

Intelligence I'm Young Animals.
The collection Of papsr published under the
title OF Ths NGAsrs and Development Of Animal
htelioenoe by WRa1nx MLIs tMacmillansl 10,
TO q considerable extent the outcome Of first
hand Investigation. Especially win the third
part Of the book be found a 0torehouso OF
trustworthy facts. from which the reader may
draw his own conclusions. The prosecution Of
the studies, the results Of which are here pre-
sentSd. nscossitated the breeding and rearing
OF a large number OF animals during the last
ten yoars. II IL the conclusions founded on the
authors personal researches to which We
would invite attention. A preliminary word
should DO said concerning Prof. Mills's
method Of observation. He has proceeded
on the assumption that In order TO under
stand an individual dog, for example. IL In
needful to begin with lin at his birth and to
follow his history throughout his life. When
suoh studies are carried out on representatives
OF different groups OF animals, as we'll az on DIFF
ferent breeds or individuals OF the same group.
our conceptions OF the true nature Of animal
intelligence. or. to use a moro comprehensive
term, the psychic life Of animals. are vastly
widened and become more correct in every
particular. When. for instance. q litter Of pup
pies and q litter OF kittens are studied together
the lines OF development are found to be al
most parallel for q time, but then to diverRe
moro and more. The same thing is true Of the
various individuals In q given litter. even
though the circumstances under which they
are reared are che same. BY this method Of
comparative study. questions as to what 10
common to q certain race and to different races
closely allied. as TO the relative strength OF the
individuality OF members Of the same litter or
family and as to the influence Of the surround
ings. under which term 10 embraced what we
mean by education. may all 30 some extent DO
answered.
Prof. Mills studied . litter Of pure-bred 81.
Bernard puppies for Q period Of sixty days from
birth. and he then subjected q litter Of mon
grels to similar consecutive observation for O
period OF oighty-seven days. These researches
Were followed BY the study Of q litter Of kittens,
which was prolonged for 1856 days. The con-
illusions to which the author was led may be
summed up In q few sentences. Although. In
popular estimation, the dog and the cat are re-
garded as opposites in almost every respect,
they have. IL reality. much moro in common
than do any two others Of the animals COM
monty kept By man. It is scarcely necessary
to point out that both Of them are born blind
and deaf. but the eyes OF the cat open sooner
than do those Of the dog. and hearing Is also
acquired somewhat earlier. In both, the proc
esses OF learning to see and to hear are
gradual. A difference was remarked In the
movements Of the ears: A kitten. when react
ing to a sound. turns the ears reflexly to the
side. While the dog tends to draw them back.
Therb Is nothing In the dog that corresponds
exactly to the hiss. or to the opening Of the
mouth In the kitten when surprised. As early
as the third day o young cat gives evidence Of
the possession Of the sense Of smell. which,
however. 10 still very feeble. Upon the whole
1t seems that taste and smell are both present
rather earlier In the cat than In the dog. Our
| atIthrH fa ~ NhA o0t-tNn Al A-AI
mails. at frat. find the nipple Of the mother by
touch rather than by smell and that they are
drawn toward the belly Of the mother by the
warmth Of the part. He is not. indeed. pre-
pared to affirm or deny that smell and taste are
present at birth: but. II they do exist, they play
but a subordinate part In the animals life dur
ing the blind period. Prof. Mills has no
doubt that tactile sensibility. the tempera-
ture sense and motor pow exist in
tho dog and the cat at birth, but the owl
dences. such as reflex movements from D pinch.
are. for some time. scarcely discernible.
The dog and the cat resemble each other in
the slowness with which they acquire power
over the hind limbs. Neither the puppy nor the
kitten has any appreciable voluntary control
over the tall during tho blind period, but the
dog eventually uses this member much more
than the cat in the expression OF emotion.
What the dog signifies by means Of his tail the
cat often expresses by purring, which lattor
practice. however. is developed much later than
the friendly wagging Of the tail In the dog.
The antipathy OF the cot to the dog, while
related to a psychic state. based on the
necessity Of self-preservation from intruders.
is peculiarly marked toward the dog.
The behavior Of a kitten q few days after it's
birth. toward even the smell Of a dog on a
mans hand. is very suggestive OF an instructive
fear or dislike. Equally striking, however, IN
the kitten as In the puppy. Is the rapidity with
which the creature tires under any sort Of slim
illus. Thus. after 4 few trials, the smell of a
dog ceases to produce reaction In o cat during
the blind period. This tendency to rapid ia
tiGue indicates why young animals must sleep
30 much. Prof. Mills is convinced that any
sort of irritation. whether arising from within
or from without, that will prevent the frequent
occurrence Of sleep will disorder the health,
and even cause death. This he believes to be
one reason why parasites Rre so Injurious to
very young animals. AS In the case OF the pup
by. q young kitten, even on the day of its
birth. will be slow to crawl of a surface. liko
that OF q table. for example. These animals
have what amounts TO a sense Of support, the
ABSENCE OF which causes thOm uneasiness.
They turn away from the space beyond their
support because it docs not afford the essential
FeIsation. This tact seems to our author as
fundamental as anything that Is to be found IN
anime psychology. In tho kitten, "a in the
puppy. the winking reflex is slowly developed,
and is never 30 marked as It Is in man. A oat
can look at one much moro steadily than can a
dog. and for a longer time. a fact which has its
psyehicAl Significance. Again. the cat knows
no shyness or modestyU In the sense In which a
pure-bred dog will exhibit such q feeling. In
one particular the kitten Is greatly In advance
OF the puppy at q corresponding period,
namely. In the coordination of voluntary
movements. None OF our domestic animals has
such power over the fore limbs as has the cat;
this superior is clearly ovinced when
the animal is but two months old. The habits
OF crouehing, OF lying In wait and OF concealinE
objects are developed at a relatively late period
and with comparative feebleness In the dog:
facts which seem to be related to tho mannerin
which the mature animal secures its prey In
the Wild state. The canidG, 1t will be remem-
bered. hunt either alone or In packs. and rely