ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE, AND HOW TO STUDY IT 11 



It is quite true that the man can think otherwise 

 about his hunting, cycling, etc. He can discuss with 

 his fellows the causes of successes and failures ; he can 

 even write a treatise on hunting. But when the hunter 

 thinks matters over in his own mind after a day's 

 sport when he goes so far as to seek for explanations, 

 when he must perceive relations, do you conceive that 

 his state of mind is absolutely impossible to the dog 

 that is, most of it ? The case for the ape is stronger 

 still, when we consider the wonderful resource he some- 

 times shows in protecting his offspring, in co-operative 

 defence, etc. 



Some writers, who assume a very conservative 

 position in regard to animal intelligence, lay down the 

 rule that we must in no case interpret an action as the 

 outcome of the exercise of a higher faculty, if it can be 

 interpreted as the outcome of the exercise of one which 

 stands lower in the psychological scale. Hence they 

 think that many of the actions of such animals as dogs, 

 cats, etc., which some would attribute to reasoning or 

 an analogous psychic process should be explained in 

 some simpler way. But why should we bind ourselves 

 by a hard and fast rule like this one ? Is it not the 

 truth at which we wish to get ? For myself, I am be- 

 coming more and more sceptical as to the validity of 

 simple explanations for the manifestation of animal life 

 whether physical or psychical. It is true the whole 

 matter is made easier for the student, in that he can 

 the more readily grasp and remember the opinions of 

 others, processes which take up a large part of his time. 

 If we analyse our own actions, especially the motives 

 for them, with special care, how often do we realise that 

 our fellow-creatures have judged us hastily and im- 

 perfectly. That our motives for actions are often found 

 to be far more complex than even we ourselves 

 supposed at first, is a view of the case that was pre- 



