98 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN MAN. 



man, that slight differences of attitude are not so perceptible 

 to them as to ourselves. 



Major Skinner writes of a large wild elephant which he saw 

 on a moonlight night coming out of a wood that skirted some 

 water. Cautiously advancing across the open ground to with- 

 in a hundred yards of the water, the animal stood perfectly 

 motionless — the rest of the herd, still concealed in the wood, 

 being all the while so quiet and motionless that not the least 

 sound proceeded from them. Gradually, after three successive 

 advances, halting some minutes after each, he moved up to 

 the water's edge, in which however he did not think proper 

 to quench his thirst, but remained for several minutes 

 listening in perfect stillness. He then returned cautiously 

 and slowly to the point at which he had issued from the 

 wood, whence he came back with five other elephants, 

 with which he proceeded, somewhat less slowly than before, 

 to within a few yards of the tank, where he posted them as 

 patrols. He then re-entered the wood and collected the whole 

 herd, which must have amounted to between eighty and a 

 hundred, and led them across the open ground, with the most 

 extraordinary composure and quiet, till they came up to the 

 five sentinels, when he left them for a moment and again 

 made a reconnaissance at the edge of the tank. At last, 

 being apparently satisfied that all was safe, he turned back, 

 and obviously gave the order to advance ; " for in a moment," 

 says Major Skinner, " the whole herd rushed to the watc-r, 

 with a degree of unreserved confidence so opposite to the 

 caution and timidity which had marked their previous 

 movements, that nothing will ever persuade me that there 

 was not rational and preconcerted co-operation throughout 

 the whole party" — and so, of course, some definite communi- 

 cation by signs (p. 40 1). 



With regard to the use of gesture-signs by cats, I have 

 given such cases as those of their imitating the begging of a 

 terrier on observing that the terrier received food in answer to 

 this gesture (p. 414) ; making a peculiar noise on desiring to 

 have a door opened, which, if not attended to, was followed 



