The Washington times., 1922-05-22
eachs ~~" Charles Dana Gibso
DO ANIMALS REASON?
NOTED SCIENTIST DECLARES THEY DO
Instinct Alone Does Not Account for Rare
Intelligence and Sense of Distinction
Shown By Many.

ing, I do not think that the posses.
sion of intelligence can be denied
to the lower animals, because !
believe that many of them do eX-
ercise a power Of rea sonirc. j. e,
Of drawing conclusions from olseT.
walton.
Natural history books are full of
Instances of what I should call *
hibitions of intelligence by dogs.
cats. elephants. horses and many
other creatures much below these
in organization. II is trur that
some naturalists insist that all of
the apparently intentional and ! ca
sOncd acts Of such humble Crea-
lures are merely manifestations %
instinct. or unconscious resp nsr,
10 external sumuli, bur all ud'u"a.
lists are not Of that opinion. Ant
the sole fact Of this division II
opinion suffices 10 show that the
question must remain an open one
In the sciences pOpul1TlN g Ourrl
under the name Of "Datur1l h-S
tory" you cannot find the same
solid ltses for pOs!'lN" C1nCius on:
as those which exist in the math".
matical field Wherever no-I"--
matics cal be applied yoI hav" Ger.
tain abiished and universally
reCogni7od aXiOms anI unv4rNlnE
methods which all use alike. dnd
armed with them one is n posi-.
ton 10 reach conclusions and 20
make affirmations that cannot be
successfully contested HIt II ls
not 80 with regard to Questions
concerning the conduct Of animals
There two observers with tn
same phenomena before them may
arrive al precisely opposed C1n".u-
sions without either being able 10
appcal 10 established pr.r'Ip.eS. o.
laws that are Ca Dahle Of af'ori'rS
an unquest!unahl" hi" d"mors'reNHn
It VIII no. do 10 Gsrlu" &0 I'.
ton performed by an a"Nual T."
mere instinct beCaus" II w's "N..
IDENTIFY done for snlf-pr"se"Va'-"0
We should he shutting ourselves
out OF the r,alm Ot reasoned "On.
duct II We pushed that doctrine 80
its limit. Take some concrete eN'
arYr'es: When thar excellent Ha1u.
ralist. observer and reporter, Thorn
as Belt. was sLNCl in, nt.r- " ynid
mine, and in his leisure hours
studying nature. III Nicaragua, ne
made some fascinating studies oI
the conduct OF columns OF nar'h'
inc ants of the genus ECiton. HIS
own words are best:
Il once saw a wide column try.
ing to pass along cumming
nearlr perpendicular slope. They
would have got very slowly over
Il. and many Of them would hav"
fallen. hut a number having 90.
cured their hold. and reaching +"
each other. remained stationary.
and over them the main column
passed.
Another time they were cross.
ing a waterCOurse along 2 small
branch. not thicker than n goose.
Quill. They wide~ed this natural
bridge to three times its width
hv a number Of ants ClinEing to L
and to each other "D each side.
over which the column passfd
three or four deep. Except for
this expedient they would have had
70 pass over in single file, and
treble the time would have been
consumed"
Mr.. Belt adds: Can II not he
contended that such insects are
able to determl . b. reasoning
rowors which is n" hrst way Of
doing a thi-E. and that their &C.
tions are guided by thought and
reflection? This view is much
strengthened by the fact that the
cerebral ganglia IN ants nre moro
developed than in any other in
sect"
with precise reference 70 tho
intplliCenCe # spiders I fird
among Mr.. Belts records an ac.
count Of the terrible paniCs caused
by the advance Of armies of ants
through the forest all sorts Of in.
sects fleeing wildly before them,
while the ants chased their vic
tins 70 the tops ot long grasses
and bushes and cornercd them
there. But a spider sometimes
escaped by ri" ming out 10 the end
OF a branch and suspendinE itself
from n single thread Of silk, be-
tween the enemies above and the
enonies below,
There is exhibited an extraor-
dinary repuEnancc nv many people
against admitting that nm" living
bei-R on this earth has hocn fur.
nishod with anything in tho slight.
est degree resembling tho pe"uiiar
gifts thnt assure 70 our race its
immensely superior status, THIS
seNms 20 mo u petty jealousy.
When we dissect the motives Of the
human heart do we discover any
reason why man should no the OK
elusive poSeessor OF sparks Of Di-
vino right?
c,@a ssO,