26 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 



traceable in large part to his eminently social tendencies, 

 resulting in the division of labour, with its consequent 

 development of special aptitudes and its outcome in the 

 enormous amount of force which he can, on occasion, 

 bring to bear against the various tendencies making for 

 his destruction. Indeed, the isolated individual man is 

 scarcely as well prepared in the struggle for existence 

 as most other animals. But the extent to which 

 animals do continue, it may be in pairs or in larger 

 numbers, to defend themselves against enemies ; hunt 

 down prey ; rear young ; elude enemies ; overcome 

 difficulties in travel ; work in concert in the preparation 

 of dwellings, and in many other instances, has been but 

 inadequately considered. And in many such cases it is 

 quite impossible to explain these things by that refuge 

 of the unthinking or prejudiced, " instinct." The limits 

 of an address of this kind do not, of course, permit of 

 detailed evidence being adduced for the views main- 

 tained. Such evidence is, however, within the observa- 

 tion of all to some extent, and is, so far as the literature 

 is concerned, found in elaborate form in the admirable 

 writings of Komanes and Lindsay more especially. 

 Thus much by way of clearing the ground, of preparing 

 the mind for a careful and earnest study of our fellow- 

 creatures of the lower grades, without prejudice, and 

 without fear of any loss of self-respect by the con- 

 cessions we may be obliged to make. 



As to how, so far as the study of comparative 

 psychology itself is concerned, the objects of this 

 society may be best advanced, let me now endeavour 

 to indicate briefly. A great part of the material avail- 

 able is found in literature of very varying reliability. 

 In many cases there is so obvious a prejudice in favour 

 of the particular animals whose performances are 

 described, that very large deductions must be made. 

 We shall do well to be more than cautious in what we 



