THE MENTALITY OF THE HORSE. 



BY B. M. UNDP:r'hIIJ., V. M. D. 



So far as our present data enable us to judge, the most 

 intelligent animals are not necessarily those nearest to man in 

 the systems of zoological classification. In a branch of the 

 Animal Kingdom we may find groups with mental endow- 

 ments considerably abov^e those of some members of a branch 

 higher in the zoological scale, as, for instance, some insect 

 members of the Arthropoda when compared in this respect 

 u'ith the lowest \'ertebrates. Psychical evolution is not con- 

 tinuous with organic evolution, and groups within groups 

 show such breaks. Thus, mental development is not contin- 

 uous with the ascending series of orders in the class Mam- 

 malia. Descending from the highest intelligence, the mam- 

 malian orders containing species that manifest intelligence in 

 notable degree have been listed as follows: — i. Primates 

 (including man); 2, Carnivora (dog); 3, Proboscidia (ele- 

 phant) ; 4, Ungulata (horse) ; 5, Rodentia (beaver). Taking 

 a classification in descending order zoologically we have: — 

 I, Primates; 2, Insectivora ; 3. Cheiroptera; 4, Rodentia; 

 5, Carnivora; 6, Proboscidia; 7, Ungulata; 8, Cetacea ; 

 9, Sirenia ; 10, Edentata ; ir, Marsupialia ; 12, Monotremata. 

 The last five in this list (whale, manatee, sloth, kangaroo, 

 duck-mole) are not remarkable for their intelligence. In the 

 fifth, sixth and seventh (dog, elephant, horse) intelligence 

 follows the zoological orders in descending degree ; the fourth 

 (bea\'erj ranks above all these zoologically, but beneath them 

 psychi)U\^ically, while the second and third (moles, shrews, 

 i)ats ) are placed above all animals in the zoological scale 

 except Primates, yet they are not worthy of mention in a list 

 distinguished for intelligence. 



As will be seen in the order given, the intelligence of the 

 horse is exceeded by that of the dog and elephant. He must 

 also give way in this respect to that humble member of his 

 own family, the ass, but compared in intelligence with the 



