2 The Scottish Naturalist. 



of ad eaptandum Christmas or other books — none of 

 which are original — the authors having simply compiled 

 from sources of information themselves second-hand, 

 and probably embellished. 

 In consequence of the recent writings of Darwin and his 

 school — including Huxley, Hasckel, Lubbock, Tylor, Spencer, 

 Wallace, Houzeau, Miiller, Wood, Lyell, and others, on the 

 " Place of Man in Nature," the subject of the Mental Condition 

 of the Lower Animals has acquired a degree of popular, as well 

 as scientific, interest that it never before possessed. Correct 

 conclusions on such a subject can be based only on well ob- 

 served and well established facts ; and it has become desirable 

 to accumulate such facts in order that legitimate scientific 

 generalization may be founded thereupon. It is important, 

 therefore, that all incidents illustrative of Thought or Reason — 

 of the higher processes of mind — in the lower animals, [wherever 

 such incidents have been properly and at first hand observed, 

 described, and authenticated,] should be placed on record, in 

 works of reference accessible to British Naturalists. I am 

 sure the Editor of the Scottish Naturalist will permit me to say, 

 and will agree with me in saying, that to no better purpose can 

 its columns be devoted, and that he will gladly give space to 

 anecdotes of such a character. 



In the course of my own enquiries, I have been brought into 

 correspondence with the authors of several works on Animal 

 Habits and Character, some of whom have done me the favour 

 to place at my disposal, for publication, original, hitherto un- 

 published anecdotes illustrative of the possession of Reason by 

 the lower animals. I propose, in these columns, offering a 

 series of these " true stories" — 



i. Because of their inherent interest : and 

 2. In order to invite and encourage others to add their con- 

 tributions to such a collection. 

 For the following five " true anecdotes," as she herself dis- 

 tinctively calls them, I am indebted to Miss K. A. Buist, author 

 of an illustrated work recently published by the well-known 

 firm of Macmillan, of London and Cambridge, on " Birds : 

 their cages and their keep : being a practical manual of Bird- 

 keeping and Bird-rearing." The work in question has been 

 most favourably reviewed in the AthencBum and other journals, 

 and is especially to be commended to all of her countrywomen 

 who either now have, or are likely at some future time to 



