COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY. 6$ 7 



extent to which animals do continue, it may be in pairs or in larger 

 numbers, to defend themselves against enemies ; hunt down prey; rear 

 young ; elude enemies ; overcome difficulties in travel ; work in con- 

 cert in the preparation of dwellings, and in many other instances, has 

 been but inadequately considered. And in many such cases it is quite 

 impossible to explain these things by that refuge of tbe unthinking or 

 prejudiced, "instinct." The limits of an address of this kind do not, 

 of course, permit of detailed evidence being adduced for the views 

 maintained. Such evidence is, however, within the observation of all 

 to some extent, and is, so far as the literature is concerned, found in 

 elaborate form in the admirable writings of Romanes and Lindsay 

 more especially. Thus much by way of clearing the ground, of pre- 

 paring the mind for a careful and earnest study of our fellow-creat- 

 ures of the lower grades, without prejudice and without fear of any 

 loss of self-respect by the concessions we may be obliged to make. 



As to how, so far as the study of comparative psychology itself is 

 concerned, che objects of this society may be best advanced, let me 

 now endeavor to indicate briefly. A great part of the material avail- 

 able is found in literature of very varying reliability. In many cases 

 there is so obvious a prejudice in favor of the particular animals 

 whose performances are described, that very large deductions must be 

 made. We shall do well to be more than cautious in what we accept. 

 At the same time much that can not be regarded as wholly reliable 

 may prove suggestive and serve as the stai'ting-point of investigations. 

 But there is no reason why many points now bearing the character of 

 uncertainty and indefiniteness might not be submitted to the test of 

 experiment. Doubtless not a few supposed facts would vanish into 

 thin air if subjected to such examination. However, I must at the 

 same time state that a careful perusal of the accounts of the experi- 

 ments of even the most skillful investigators by this method, with its 

 clearly defined but artificially arranged conditions, has convinced me 

 that such do not wholly meet the case. They bear with them the 

 danger of fallacy against which one must constantly be on the watch. 

 It must always be considered that the great question is, not how an 

 animal's mind may act, valuable as that may be, but how it normally 

 does act ; that is to say, what are the natural psychic processes of 

 the class of animals under investigation ? The same cautions, in draw- 

 ing conclusions, must be observed in the allied science of physiology, 

 one in which the conditions can be much more accurately regulated. 

 Plainly, it will be desirable to keep our facts very sharply apart 

 from our explanations. The science of psychology is a very youthful 

 one, that of comparative psychology still more so ; and, at the present 

 stage of the science, any one who contributes a single fact will be a 

 real friend to their progress. We must endeavor to secure a large 

 number of correspondents who will furnish accurate accounts of phe- 

 nomena in this realm, of which they have been themselves the observ- 



