3 68 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



drawing further conclusions from their comparative observations 

 in addition to recording and classifying them ; but, if the teacher 

 is really capable of teaching, it will be found that the children 

 begin to suggest these conclusions themselves, and, this stage 

 once reached, the success of the method is insured. 



Glimpses of the meanings of adaptations of structure to func- 

 tion soon follow, but they should be obvious and simple at first, 

 and the mistake should not be made of entangling a child in a 

 discussion as to more remote meanings. It should never be 

 forgotten, in fact, that the first steps consist in learning to ob- 

 serve accurately and to record faithfully, comparative exercise 

 being used in addition, both as a check and as a stimulus to the 

 judgment. 



THE INTELLIGENCE OF CATS. 



By W. II. LAREABEE. 



QUESTIONS concerning the quality or faculty in animals 

 comparable with human reason and the extent to which it 

 is developed in them are much discussed. Mr. Romanes dis- 

 criminates between those ideas of quality that spring from mere 

 sensuous impressions and those elaborated notions that arise 

 from the more complex associations supplied by mental reflec- 

 tion, and assumes that brutes have a power of thought of the 

 former or inferior order. The Rev. George Henslow admits that 

 they reason as we do, but always in connection with concrete 

 phenomena, whether immediately apprehended by the senses or 

 present to consciousness through memory; but that they have 

 no power of conveying truly abstract ideas. Prof. Exner regards 

 them as capable of certain determined combinations in view of 

 specific ends which are variable within very narrow limits. Some 

 of the recorded instances of the exercise of thought by animals 

 suggest that the sphere of their action in this line is often ca- 

 pable of considerable enlargement. 



In a former article were considered some of the friendships 

 which cats appear to form with human beings, particularly with 

 the members of the families in which they live. The discussion 

 might be continued indefinitely, and illustrated by incidents 

 without number. Of equal interest are the associations which 

 they are capable of forming with other animals. 



We have only an imperfect knowledge concerning the rela- 

 tions of different animals toward one another. We can conceive 

 the relative feelings of an animal that pursues and one that is 

 pursued, and can comprehend that there should be jealousies and 

 disputes between rivals for the same prey. We perceive animals 



