154 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN ANIMALS. 



taken by the French, when they invested Madras, in the late 

 war, and was carried to Pondicherry in a close carriage. But 

 from thence he found his way back again to his old quarters, 

 though Madras is over one hundred miles distant from 

 Pondicherry." If we substitute yards for miles, similar cases 

 are on record with regard to frogs and toads — which from being 

 so numerous can scarcely all be false. And that some reptiles 

 have an imagination passing into what I have called the third 

 stage is proved by the case of the python mentioned in "Animal 

 Intelligence," which, when sent to the Zoological Gardens, 

 pined for its previous master and mistress. The Cephalopoda 

 and Hymenoptera have already been alluded to. Lastly, on 

 the next level (25) we attain in Birds to imagination proved 

 to be unquestionably of the third degree by the phenomenon 

 of dreaming. Above this level it is not of so much interest to 

 trace the improvement of the faculty. Such improvement 

 throughout the subsequent levels till man, probably consists 

 only in a progressive advance through imagination of the 

 third degree — it being I think highly improbable, and cer- 

 tainly not betokened by any evidence, that imagination in 

 any animal attains to what I have called the fourth degree, 

 which I therefore consider distinctive of man. 



" For know that in the soul 

 Are many lesser faculties that serve 

 Reason as chief. Among these, Fancy next 

 Her office holds. Of all external things, 

 Which the five watchful senses represent, 

 He forms imaginations, airy shapes ; 

 Which Reason joining or disjoining, forms 

 All that we affirm, or what deny, 

 And call our knowledge." — Milton. 



Before taking leave of Imagination there are two branches 

 of the subject which I should like briefly to consider. One 

 is the opinion held by Comte that the higher animals present 

 ideas of Fetishism. On this topic I cannot more briefly 

 convey the material which I have to render than by quoting 

 a previous publication of my own from "Nature."* "Mr. 

 Herbert Spencer in his recently published work on the ' Prin- 

 ciples of Sociology ' treats of the above subject. He says, 

 ' I believe M. Comte expressed the opinion that fetichistic 

 conceptions are formed by the higher animals. Holding, as I 



* Vol. xvii, p. 168, el scq. 



