2 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 
fond mother thus address her infant? If the reply 
were—Because she cannot help it, would it not express 
an uncontrovertible truth? If you choose, I will put 
the same in another form and say, because it is natural 
for her to do so. But these endearing terms are used 
by the father, the brother, the sister, and even the one 
who drops in as a casual visitor, and is not in the 
remotest way allied by blood. While in these instances 
there may be something in the intellect and feelings of 
each, not in those of the other, there is much in 
common—at least such we must assume, if we are to 
furnish any reasonable explanation of the facts. So 
that when the mother, the father, the brother, or 
the sister speak of the squirrel as a “dear little 
fellow,” or the cage bird as a “sweet pet,” they must 
recognise in him some of those same qualities which 
render the infant human being attractive. The fact is, 
we make the world of animal life about us a reflection 
of ourselves ; we spontaneously implant in the bird and 
the squirrel qualities that are our own. They interest 
in proportion as they seem to embody the same 
thoughts and feelings as ourselves. We assume that 
they have the same pleasures, pains—even the same 
hopes and fears. Man makes himself the measure of all 
things when he follows primitive impulses, and this is 
the real explanation of the interest that the great mass 
of human beings take in the world of animal life in 
general, and more especially in these animals with 
which we are brought into daily contact. 
It must be clear that this is perfectly natural, as 
much so as to feel a sympathy with our fellow-men, 
though in a less complete and perfect way. It is only 
when certain animals are believed to be disagreeable or 
dangerous that they become repulsive, and in pro- 
portion as they seem to approach our ways of viewing 
things and share our feelings, are we drawn to them. 
