between Man and all oilier Animals. 7 



instinctively against the winter season.* Perhaps it might 

 be deemed a sufficient overthrow to this most shallow notion, 

 to call in mind the migrative impulse ; to enquire how the 

 untaught cuckoo (raised by permanently resident foster- 

 parents) could reason that in another clime it should escape 

 the rigours of a season that it had never experienced ? But 

 herein we have an additional principle involved, which will 

 require a separate consideration. Proceed we, then, to 

 examine into the presumed sagacity of those provident crea- 

 tures, as the ant and harvest mouse, that habitually lay up a 

 store for future need, and even provide against all possible 

 injury from germination, by carefully nibbling out the corcule 

 from each grain. Can any thing be more truly wonderful as 

 a matter of instinct ? All instincts are, indeed, equally won- 

 derful. But it would certainly be even more extraordinary, 

 if every member of these species were to be alike induced to 

 pursue the same course by a process of reasoning. The 

 following anecdotes will suffice to probe the intellect of these 

 animals: — I have a tame squirrel, which, though regularly 

 fed all its life from day to day, nevertheless displays the 

 intuitive habit of its race, in always hoarding the superfluities 

 of its food. Now, in its mode of effecting this, a superficial 

 observer might fancy that he discerned a fair share of intel- 

 ligence. Carrying a nut, for instance, in its mouth, it scrapes 

 a hole with its fore paws in the litter at the bottom of its 

 cage; and then, after depositing its burthen, scratches together 

 the hay, or whatever it may be, over it, and pats it down with 

 its paws. Moreover, it never fails to remember the spot, and 

 will occasionally, when not wishing for food, examine the 

 place to ascertain whether it be safe. But mark the sequel. 

 I have repeatedly seen the same animal act precisely thus on 

 the bare carpet, and upon a smooth mahogany table ; yes, 

 upon a table I have frequently seen it deposit its nut, give 

 it a few quick pats down, and finally thus leave it wholly 

 unconcealed.f The tits (Pari), also, evince a like propen- 

 sity of hiding food, one of their many resemblances to the 



* See Mag. Nat. Hist, (old series), vol. ix. p. 611. 1. 15. 



f It is no new remark, that rodents are much below the Carnfvora in the 

 scale of intelligence ; a necessary consequence of their inferiorly developed 

 brain. Yet few animals have more instinctive cunning and resource than the 

 common rat : but this is not intellect, of which it displays scarcely any 

 when brought up tame ; a condition which, as will be shown, is sure to call 

 forth the non-instinctive intelligence of animals. Judging from my own 

 observation, I should say that the rat was mentally superior to the house 

 mouse, but inferior to the squirrel ; which, in its turn, must yield in intel- 

 lect to the hare ; and, I believe, the comparative structure of their brains 

 will be found in accordance. 



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