THE ANIMAL CREATION. 65 



nomy of bees and ants, partaking as it does, of con- 

 trivances, plans, and internal arrangements which 

 have both surprized and attracted the attention 

 of persons in all ages. But when we find bees 

 building regular fortifications before the entrance 

 of their hives, or witness that power of commu- 

 nication, which ants possess by means of their 

 antennae, through which their wants and wishes are 

 made known to each other, we must confess that 

 there is something beyond mere instinct that in- 

 fluences then" operations. 



I might multiply examples to a great extent in 

 order to prove the existence of a reasoning faculty 

 in the animal creation. But enough has been 

 said to illustrate my theory, and 1 will conclude 

 with a remark of Mr. SmelhVs. 



" Brutes, like men, learn to see objects in their 

 proper position, to judge of distances and heights, 

 and of hurtful, pleasurable, or indifferent bodies. 

 Without some portion of reason, therefore, they 

 would never acquire the faculty of making a 

 proper use of their senses. A dog, though 

 pressed with hunger, will not seize a piece of 

 meat in the presence of his master, unless it be 

 given him ; but with his eyes, his movements and 

 his voice, he makes the most humble and ex- 

 pressive petition. If this balancing of motives 

 be not reasoning, I know not by what other name 

 it can be called." 



