210 LESSONS FROM NATURE. [CHAP. VII. 



&quot; reason.&quot; The anecdote only shows that some monkeys are 

 more easily impressed and more retentive of impressions 

 than others. 



Again, we are told, as an instance of reason, that &quot; Kengger 

 sometimes put a live wasp in paper so that the monkeys in 

 hastily unfolding it got stung ; after this had once happened, 

 they always first held the packet to their ears to detect any 

 movement within.&quot; But here again we have no need to call 

 in the aid of &quot; reason.&quot; The monkeys had had the group 

 of sensations &quot; folded paper &quot; associated with the other 

 groups &quot; noise and movement &quot; and &quot; stung fingers.&quot; The 

 second time they experience the group of sensations &quot; folded 

 paper &quot; the succeeding sensations (in this instance only too 

 keenly associated) are forcibly recalled, and with the recol 

 lection of the auditory sensation the hand goes to the ear. 

 Yet Mr. Darwin considers this unimportant instance of such 

 significance that he goes on to say : 



&quot; Any one who is not convinced by such facts as these, and by what 

 he may observe with his own dogs, that animals can reason, would not 

 be convinced by anything I could add. Nevertheless, I will give one 

 case with respect to dogs, as it rests on two distinct observers, and can 

 hcurdly depend on the modification of any instinct. [The italics are mine.] 

 Mr. Colquhoun winged two wild ducks, which fell on the opposite side 

 of a stream ; his retriever tried to bring over both at once, but could 

 not succeed ; she then, though never before known to ruffle a feather, 

 deliberately killed one, brought over the other, and returned for the 

 dead bird. Colonel Hutchinson relates that two partridges were shot 

 at once, one being killed and the other wounded ; the latter ran away, 

 and was caught by the retriever, who on her return came across the 

 dead bird ; she stopped, evidently greatly puzzled, and after one or 

 two trials, finding she could not take it up without permitting the 

 escape of the winged bird, she considered a moment, then deliberately 

 murdered it by giving it a severe crunch, and afterwards brought away 

 both together. This was the only known instance of her having 

 wilfully injured any game.&quot; 



Mr. Darwin adds : 



&quot; Here we have reason, though not quite perfect, for the retriever 

 might have brought the wounded bird first and then returned for the 

 dead one, as in the case of the two wild ducks.&quot; Vol. i. pp. 47, 48. 



Jlere I reply we have nothing of the kind, and to bring 



