THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



Yet, by jumping to the conclusion that the bird 

 had bandaged its own wound, the reporter of the 

 incident to the papers has doubtless imbued 

 thousands of readers with the idea that a bird 

 knows how to select material for bandaging a 

 wound and how to apply it skillfully. It is the 

 circulation of tales like this which makes it so 

 difficult for the average reader to get a proper 

 understanding of nature. 



It is only because almost all literature on the 

 subject of nature is so tainted with this false hu- 

 man sentiment that I receive so many letters from 

 unknown correspondents, asking for explanations 

 of simple phenomena, which they would find no 

 difficulty in explaining for themselves, if they 

 could look at the matter from the right point of 

 view. 



I will quote an instance or two. One correspon- 

 dent wrote : " During the winter I brushed four 

 of five cows that I saw occasionally only for an 

 hour or so at the week-ends. I soon noticed this: 

 that they asked for it, and as soon as I got the 

 brush would strike each other with their horns to 

 be first brushed; one, a red one, was so masterful 

 and skillful in horning the others' ribs that I had 

 to brush her first, and tie her up while the others 

 had their turn. Now if these cows did npt feel 

 pleased with the brushing, would they have strug- 

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