INTRODUCTION. 13 



certainly have missed a great many stories of 

 real value. In truth, there is nothing so cre- 

 dulous as universal incredulity. An attitude 

 of general incredulity means a blind belief 

 in the existing state of opinion. If we 

 believe that animals have no reasoning 

 power, and refuse to examine evidence that 

 is brought to show the contrary, we are 

 adopting, the attitude of those who disbelieve 

 that the earth goes round the sun because 

 they seem daily to see a proof of an exactly 

 opposite proposition. If people are to refuse 

 to believe anything of a dog that does not 

 sound likely on the face of it, we shall never 

 get at the truth about animal intelligence. 

 What is wanted is the careful preservation 

 and collection of instances of exceptional in- 

 telligence. 



III. 



Before I conclude this Introduction, I 

 should like to address a word of apology 

 to the correspondents of the Spectator whose 

 letters form the present volume. Though the 

 copyright of the letters belongs to the editors 



