ACTIONS OF ANIMALS EXPLAINED 



The reason of this is that, while the dog is 

 descended from a roving, gregarious animal, and 

 has transferred to its human owner the allegiance 

 which its ancestors always gave to their leader; 

 the cat is descended from a wild animal of solitary 

 habits, which depended for safety upon the pos- 

 session of a lair to which it could always retire to 

 rest for the day. 



In a state of nature the central fact of a wild 

 dog's roving life was a leader to follow, that of a 

 wild cat's existence a safe den to retire to; and 

 to-day the dog will follow its human leader where- 

 ever he goes, but the cat will return to its home. 

 If we try to read conscious human emotions into 

 their conduct, we cannot explain the contradiction ; 

 but regarding it as the automatic result of in- 

 herited instinct, it appears perfectly natural. This 

 is only a passing illustration, but it will serve to 

 show how much knowledge of nature lies open to 

 us if we can only persuade ourselves to view the 

 phenomena of nature from the natural i.e., not 

 the civilized human point of view. 



And, viewing the conduct of the higher animals, 

 the least observant of us must often be forced to 

 conclude that they have no sensibility at all. 



A terrier will tear himself repeatedly among 

 thorns in pursuit of a rabbit, and still be keen to 

 enter them. , */%* / . 

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