ANIMAL SENSATION AND PEKCEPTION. 55 



Suppose that instead of this, the neighbourhood of 

 a fierce fire, or violent rain and hail, or a stormy wind, 

 or some other natural phenomenon, surprises or in- 

 jures such creatures; these facts do not affect them 

 as if they were merely occurrences in accordance with 

 cosmic laws, for such a simple conception of things is 

 not grasped by them. Such phenomena of nature 

 are regarded by animals as living subjects, actuated 

 by a concrete and deliberate purpose of ill-will towards 

 them. Any one who has observed animals as I have 

 done for many years, both in a wild and domestic 

 state, and under every variety of conditions and 

 circumstances, will readily admit the fact. 



This truth, which clearly appears from an accurate 

 analysis of facts, and from experiments, can also be 

 demonstrated by the arguments of reason. Since 

 animals have no conception of the purely cosmic 

 reality of the phenomena and laws which constitute 

 nature, it follows that such a reality must appear to 

 their inner consciousness in its various effects as a 

 subject vaguely identical with their own psychical 

 nature. Hence they regard nature as if she were 

 inspired with the same life, will, and purpose, as 

 those which they themselves exercise, and of which 

 they have an immediate and intrinsic consciousness. 



It is true that after long experience animals be- 

 come accustomed to regard as harmless the pheno- 

 mena, objects, and forces by wilich they were at 

 first sympathetically excited and terrified. Of this 



