252 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



To illustrate the fact by further comparison, we 

 now come to the bird which lays its eggs in short" 

 mown grass in the Eegent's Park Gardens, which 

 of course heats by its own damp. This bird ex- 

 hibits decidedly an amount of thought, and there- 

 fore of reason, for it bears in its reasoning mind 

 the amount of heat which is necessary to keep the 

 eggs Avarm throughout the time of incubation, and 

 the bird visits the heap of grass that contains the 

 eggs very frequently, and tries the temperature 

 with its foot: if too hot, he decreases the grass 

 around the eggs ; if too cold, he heaps on more 

 grass; and thus exhibits a thoughtful hnowhdge 

 tending to a distant hut expected result^ and that 

 is ^^ reason." No ^^stoker" could heat his engine 

 better. 



The dog is possessed of reason, and I illustrate it 

 by a reference, in the first place, to my present 

 retriever, Neptune. When he came to me he was 

 a full-grown, uneducated, unsophisticated puppj^ 

 He knew nothing of England, as he came direct 

 from Newfoundland. He took not the least notice 

 of any living thing excejot myself. He cared not 

 for game of any kind, and was frightened at the 

 sight of a live rabbit. For all this inertness, there 



