CAN ANIMALS REASON? 13 



to keep the fire going." Cuvier, however, tells us of an 

 ourang-outang which, when at meals, if it was unable to fill 

 its spoon, would pass it on to the person next to it, in 

 order to get it filled. This clever ape, seeing, on one 

 occasion, that the glass which it had placed on the table 

 was on the point of toppling over, put out its hand and 

 prevented the glass from falling. I have noticed and 

 admired the intelligence with which dogs in charge of 

 children have sometimes prevented the little ones from 

 going too near the edge of a precipice, or the brink of deep 

 water. Newfoundland and other water dogs will often 

 recognise the fact of persons drowning, and will go to their 

 assistance ; although such animals might view with un- 

 concern an ordinary swimmer in the water. The Indian 

 elephant can be easily taught to pile up logs of timber with 

 almost mathematical precision. Probably one of the best 

 instances of what we might call reasoning power in animals 

 is furnished by the fact that the sight of a dog being tied 

 behind a moving carriage is an almost irresistible tempta- 

 tion to other dogs to attack him, no matter how inferior 

 they may be to him in strength and size. The assaulting 

 parties appear to understand that an animal thus pulled 

 along by the head, is at a very serious disadvantage in 

 defending himself against an attack from behind. 



Most of us, no doubt, have observed the artifice grooms 

 adopt, of showing a sieve of corn to a horse which is 

 loose in a field, and which they wish to entice within 

 catching distance. Although we may laugh at the sim- 

 plicity of the horse in this instance, we must not therefore 

 conclude that he is altogether wanting in sense ; for we may 



