THE INTELLIGENCE OF MAMMALS 



233 



see or understand what was passing in the brain of an ele- 

 phant, we should doubtless appreciate that its range of 

 thought is very limited. The beaver imitates man appar- 

 ently in cutting down trees, and this, in all probabiHty, is 

 one of the most remarkable examples of intelligence among 

 mammals, as in cutting down a tree the beaver seems to have 

 an object in view beyond the mere act, and to have thought 



Fig. 205. — An Intelligent Horse. 



out the act and its results ; that is, it cuts down a tree so 

 that the latter may fall and aid in raising the water in the 

 stream, to cover its house or nest, and afford it protection 

 from various enemies. How much instinct there is in this, 

 how much intelhgence, it would be difficult to say ; but 

 beavers have been seen to work on a tree entirely from 

 the land side, not having intelligence to see at once that by 

 felling the tree in that way it would be of no service to them. 



