360 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, 



saluted; a ceremony which he never performed but once again 

 upon a similar occasion. Finding hirn extremely tractable, I 

 made it my custom to carry him always after breakfast into the 

 garden. ... I had not long habituated him to this taste of 

 liberty before he began to be impatient for the return of the 

 time when he might enjoy it. He would invite me to the garden 

 by drumming upon my knee, and by a look of such expression 

 as it was not possible to misinterpret. If this rhetoric did not 

 immediately succeed, he ivould take the skirt of my coat between 

 his teeth and puU it with all his force. He seemed to be 

 happier in human society than when shut up with his natural 

 companions. 



Rats and Mice 



Eats are well known to be highly intelligent animals. 

 Unlike the hare or rabbit, their shyness seems to proceed 

 from a wise caution rather than from, timidity ; for, when 

 circumstances require, their boldness and courage in 

 combat is surprising. Moreover, they never seem to lose 

 their presence of mind ; for, however great their danger, 

 they seem always ready to take advantage of any favour- 

 ing circumstances that may arise. Thus, when matched 

 with so formidable an opponent as a ferret in a closed 

 room, they have been known to display wonderful cunning 

 in taking advantage of the light keeping close under the 

 window so as to throw the glare into the eyes of the enemy, 

 darting forwards time after time to deliver a bite, and then 

 as often retiring to their vantage-ground. 1 But the emo- 

 tions of rats do not appear to be of an entirely selfish cha- 

 racter. There are so many accounts in the anecdote books 

 of blind rats being led about by their seeing companions, 

 that it is difficult to discredit an observation so frequently 

 -jconfirmed. 2 Moreover, rats have been frequently known 

 to assist one another in defending themselves from dan- 

 gerous enemies. Several observations of this kind are 

 recorded by the trustworthy writer Mr. Eodwell, in his 

 somewhat elaborate work upon this animal. 



' See Watson's Reasoning Power in Animals, and Quarterly Review, 

 c. i., p. 135. 



2 See especiall}' Jessp, Gleanings, &c., iii., p. 206 ; and Quarterly 

 Review, c. i., p. 135. 



