CoGiTic Evolution of Man 623 



intelligent response, and that state in which the evolving nerve 

 cells link together several intelligent response-impulses, and in 

 the process start a concept relation, the transition seems to 

 be graded and clearly traceable. But here the "cross-ques- 

 tioning" of animals has only been practised to a moderate 

 degree during the past twenty years. The comparatively scant 

 results, however, clearly indicate the ever-widening avenue of 

 research and reward that the remaining years of this century 

 will bring. 



But as a measure of caution, if we select only results from the 

 higher mammals, the experiments of Cole (23 Jj.: 211) and of 

 H. B. Davis {235: 479) with racoons indicate the formation 

 not merely of percepts regarding the position, connections, and 

 motions of the various fastenings the racoon had to unloose, 

 but also definite even though perhaps simple concepts as to 

 how the position, connections, and motions of these were re- 

 lated to a definite end. The fact that this end was a satisfy- 

 ing one for them, in that they thus achieved greater liberty in 

 some cases, and still better were rewarded by food in others, 

 is proof that the satisfied state is the constant ultimate, even 

 though temporary, result that molecular combinations work 

 toward, from inorganic particles upward in graded manner to 

 highly complex neuratin interlinkings. 



While discounting many of the reported ivise acts performed 

 by dogs, beavers, and elephants, as well as other animals, there 

 still remains a large residuum of kno^Ti effort that can only be 

 explained as due to simple though exact concepts or reasoning 

 toward high proenvironal results. For when one watches the 

 movements of a trained elephant, even though under the guid- 

 ance of a still more trained "keeper," it is human arrogance 

 and bigotry alone — not scientific skei)ticism — that would 

 deny reason to the former, and grant it to the latter. 



The studies already referred to on monkeys (]>. 565) and 

 others that are yearly appearing all furnish solid and exact 

 proof of the intelligence as well as the reasoning faculties pos- 

 sessed by many of these. But between the highest mental acts 

 of a monkey and the average mental acts of a Bushman, a 



