COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY 39 
itself. This was especially clear on studying blind 
persons. The progress made even in walking under 
difficulties was owing, in the most successful cases, in 
great part, to superior brain development. The subject 
is of wide scope and of the very highest interest, but 
we cannot enter upon a further discussion of it now. 
At our January meeting Mr Pease reported some obser- 
vations on a black-and-tan bitch. He had proved to 
his entire satisfaction that this animal understood the 
meaning of certain words perfectly well, in so far as 
could be judged by her actions. Thus she never con- 
founded such words as “ breakfast,” “dinner,” “ supper.’ 
It will be seen that we have given the question of the 
extent to which the dog understands words a good deal 
of examination. It merits the closest study, for un- 
questionably the magnitude of the gap between man 
and the lower animals is owing to the capacity of man 
to use, and his actual employment of, language. But I 
must repeat what I said in my last year’s address, that 
it is more than likely that we much under-estimate the 
capacity of animals to communicate with each other 
by a language of their own. 
Unlike the dog, the cat has received very little atten- 
tion and consideration from man. There are many 
reasons for this neglect, but not least in significance is 
the fact that puss is no flatterer; the dog adapts him- 
self to every caprice and whim of his master, but the 
cat is always herself. To understand her thoroughly, 
to see her at her best, she must be manipulated as a 
delicate piece of mechanism, and treated in the very 
kindest fashion. When so dealt with, the cat proves to 
be by no means only a comparatively untamed em- 
bodiment of certain strong instincts. I have main- 
tained, and supported the opinion by some evidence, 
that the intelligence and possible good qualities of the 
cat have been much under-estimated. 
