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. 



