230 The Outline of Science 



mammals show great cleverness in dealing with traps, and the 

 manipulative intelligence of elephants is worthy of all our 

 admiration. 



7 

 Why is there not more Intelligence? 



When we allow for dexterity and power of association, when 

 we recognise a certain amount of instinctive capacity and a capa- 

 city for profiting by experience in an intelligent way, we must 

 admit a certain degree of disappointment when we take a survey 

 of the behaviour of mammals, especially of those with very fine 

 brains, from which we should naturally expect great things. Why 

 is there not more frequent exhibition of intelligence in the stricter 

 sense ? 



The answer is that most mammals have become in the course 

 of time very well adapted to the ordinary conditions of their life, 

 and tend to leave well alone. They have got their repertory of 

 efficient answers to the ordinary questions of everyday life, and 

 why should they experiment? In the course of the struggle for 

 existence what has been established is efficiency in normal circum- 

 stances, and therefore even the higher animals tend to be no 

 cleverer than is necessary. So while many mammals are extraor- 

 dinarily efficient, they tend to be a little dull. Their mental 

 equipment is adequate for the everyday conditions of their life, 

 but it is not on sufficiently generous lines to admit of, let us say, 

 an interest in Nature or adventurous experiment. Mammals 

 always tend to "play for safety." 



We hasten, however, to insert here some very interesting 

 saving clauses. 



Experimentation in Play 



A glimpse of what mammals are capable of, were it neces- 

 sary, may be obtained by watching those that are playful, such 

 as lambs and kids, foals and calves, young foxes and others. For 



