282 THE AMERICAN BEAVER. 



latter and the most intelligent of the inferior animals. 

 The difference expresses the superiority of his struc- 

 tural organization and of his mental endowments. 



On the other hand, can it be truly affirmed that 

 the inferior animals have been stationary in tlieir 

 knowledge from the commencement of their exist- 

 ence? This conclusion should not be over-hastily 

 assumed. Within the period of human observation, 

 their progress has seemed to be inconsiderable — but 

 yet not absolutely nothing. For example, dogs under 

 training have developed special capacities, such as the 

 pointer and the setter, and have transmitted them to 

 their offspring. This shows not only progress, but 

 that of so marked a character as to work a transform- 

 ation in the characteristics of the animal. Many ani- 

 mals, as the elephant, the horse, the bear, and even 

 the hog — the type of stupidity — have been taught a 

 variety of performances, under the stimulus of re- 

 wards, of which they were previously ignorant. 

 These examples, however, are less important than 

 the knowledge acquired by undomesticated animals, 

 and transmitted, as a part of their experience and 

 knowledge, in the species in which they were ac- 

 quired. Of this kind are the several varieties of the 

 beaver lodge and dam, and the development and per- 

 petuation of the idea of a beaver canal. When care- 

 ful and patient investigation has been made of these 

 several subjects, the results will materially modify, 

 in all probability, our present impressions. 



Finally, is it to be the prerogative of man to uproot 

 and destroy not only the masses of the animal king- 

 dom numerically, but also the great body of the spe- 

 cies? If the human family maintains its present hos- 



