158 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [9:6— Sept., 1913 



"The animal after man knows most is the Parote, the reason is 

 it can talk. The only difference in a Parote and a man is it has 

 feathers and a bill instead of a nose, it has feathers instead of 

 cloths." 



"I think the horse knows most because I have seen a horse in 

 a show dance to music. Dogs are intelligent but they do not seem 

 to have an ear and time for music the way this horse had." 



"The monkey is the animal most like man, and it knows most. 

 I saw a monkey ttmiing a toy chiim, when his master did not look 

 why he took a rest. But when the man looked back the monkey 

 started again." 



"The horse is after man in his intelligence. In the circus 

 horses dance to the music and they do it with thought." 



"A monkey knows most next to man. A man was taken from 

 a monkey." 



TABLE THREE. 



Showing children's ideas of the most intelligent animals. 



Dog Horse Monkey Parrot Wild Birds 



40 per ct. 32 per ct. 14 per ct. 6 per ct. 3 per ct. 



TABLE FOUR. 



Selection of the horse as the most intelligent animal. 



Grades: 4th 5th 6th 7th 



Boys, 68 per ct. 38 per ct. 26 per ct. 22 per ct. 



Girls, 38 " 34 " 32 " o " 



The following animals were mentioned which are arranged in 

 the order of intelligence as interpreted by the children: dog, 

 horse, monkey, parrot, wild birds. Table 3 shows more exactly 

 the relative standing. The animal chosen seemed to depend to 

 some extent on the grade. This was especially marked in the case 

 of the horse, table 4, which appeals less to the higher grades, its 

 place being taken largely by the dogs. 



The reasons assigned for considering the various animals 

 intelligent are of interest, not, or course, as bearing at all on the 

 actual intelligence of the animals concerned, but as suggesting the 

 child's conception of intelligence. Following are the reasons given, 

 with the per cent in each case; ability to perform tricks, 28 per 

 cent; ability to understand what is said to them, 21 per cent; 

 caring for people and saving life, 18 per cent; actions similar to 

 man's, 10 per cent; evidence of raemory, 6 per cent; ability to 

 avoid danger, 3 per cent. 



