288 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to another of his positions, which I can but regard as an 

 unTvarranted assumption ; namely, that the brute does not 

 ^^ think" in the proper acceptation of that term. Taking the 

 expression, as he evidently meant it, to comprehend all dumb 

 animals — domestic ones included — I would ask how the ox 

 would ever come to his fodder, the bee construct her hive, 

 or the bird build her nest, without thinking of the ol^ject 

 aimed at? 



The five senses are all possessed by the mere animal, as we 

 denominate him. These, by means of nerves, as in man, 

 communicate with the brain, the seat of mental activities, 

 and thus the animal makes up judgment as to his own course 

 of action to be pursued, and often, also, as to what will be 

 that of others. If he sees danger, he will avoid it. If he 

 tastes food which he does not like, he will reject it. He 

 manifests his pleasure or displeasure at the different sounds 

 he hears, accordingly as they are agreeable or disagreeable to 

 him. So of the other senses. His brain, although relatively 

 small, compared with that of man, is subject to all this variety 

 of impressions, as the seat of consciousness. Does he not, 

 then, thinks in the proper acceptation of the term? 



Let us take some actually known facts as demonstrating 

 the existence of faculties in animals, corresponding in nature 

 to some of those enjoyed by men. They are indeed abun- 

 dant, but we can hei*e present only a few. Some years since 

 lived a friend of mine in the town of Nantucket, who kept a 

 cow. The animal was much of the time in a small lot inclosed 

 by a high board fence, the outlet being a gate with a large 

 wooden latch. Just under the latch was a hole through the 

 board in the door, so that a person on the opposite side could 

 put a finger through and raise the latch. Outside of the lot 

 was good grazing. That cow, having had access there, 

 learned the art of putting one of her horns through that finger- 

 hole and raising the latch, and of thus making her egress to the 

 place of feeding. Finally, after trying other means to break 

 up this habit of the animal, the owner closed up the aperture. 

 The cow, not to be outwitted, then accomplished her object 

 by putting her horns under the gate and raising it from its 

 hinges. Now, are there not manifest in the conduct of that 

 cow, first, perception f she perceived the way in which fier 



