MENTAL FACULTIES OF ANIMALS. 395 



The examining committee of the Massachusetts Agricult- 

 ural College was constituted by the appointment of Messrs. 

 Bennett, Sargent and Goodale. 



Voted, That a committee of three be appointed, to appear 

 before the legislature and request that a law be enacted to 

 prohibit the catching of the fish called trout, in any public 

 stream, pond or lake withiu the limits of this Commonwealth, 

 for the term of three years from the first day of May next. 



Messrs. Cole, Davis and Moore. 



Voted, That in case any delegate is unable to attend the 

 exhibition to which he is assigned, he be requested to notify 

 the Secretary, and that a substitute be appointed in his place. 



Voted, To appoint a committee of three to consider and 

 report upon the necessity of uniformity in the length of car- 

 riage-axles in this Commonwealth. 



Messrs. Davis, Graves and Goodale. 



The following essay, prepared by President P. A. Chad- 

 bourne for the meeting at "Westfield, was then submitted, 

 upon — 



THE MENTAL FACULTIES OF OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



In discussing this subject, "The Mental Faculties of our 

 Domestic Animals," there are certain preliminaries that must 

 be settled, in order that we may be understood. The common 

 language in regard to this whole subject is in a very unsatis- 

 factory condition. The same terms and powers are defined 

 so differently by different writers and speakers, that it is often 

 difficult to tell whether they agree or not. The only attempt 

 that will be made in this short paper is to introduce the sub- 

 ject, and define and explain some of the leading terms, so that 

 it may be fairly understood what we mean when we use 

 them. 



1. And, first of all, as to the subject itself. Many are 

 ready to deny, at the outset, that animals have mental powers 

 at all. For all such our discussion should stop before it 

 begins. 



