154 ORGANIC EVOLUTION — MENTAL 



into the water, and swim across to me — get on my 

 hand sometimes. When I called ' Tommy,' it would 

 nearly always come, whatever the time of day, though 

 it was only fed after breakfast ; and it seemed quite 

 tame." — Animal Intelligence, p. 255. 



In this case the instinctive knowledge which im- 

 pelled the frog to fly from a human being was quite 

 overcome by the rational knowledge, which dispelled 

 its fear of its mistress. The cerebral lobes of the brain 

 are relatively larger in frogs than in fishes, but in the 

 higher reptiles there is a still greater relative and abso- 

 lute increase of size in these structures, and in them 

 also are developed greater powers of reason, as the 

 following examples prove. 



" But a most singular instance of attachment between 

 two animals, whose natures and habits were most 

 opposite, was related to me by a person on whose 

 veracity I can place the greatest reliance. He had 

 resided for nine years in the American States, where he 

 superintended the execution of some extensive works 

 for the American Government. One of these works 

 consisted in the erection of a beacon in a swamp in one 

 of the rivers, where he caught a young alligator. This 

 animal he made so perfectly tame that it followed him 

 about the house like a dog, scrambling up the stairs 

 after him, and showing him much affection and docility. 

 Its great favourite, however, was a cat, and the friend- 

 ship was mutual. When the cat was reposing herself 

 before the fire (this was at New York), the alligator 

 would lay himself down, place his head upon the cat, 

 and in this attitude go to sleep. If the cat was absent 

 the alligator was restless, but he always appeared 

 happy when the cat was near him. The only instance 

 in which he showed any ferocity was in attacking a fox, 

 which was tied up in the yard. Probably, however, the 

 fox resented some playful advances which the other had 



