THE HIND AMUSES HERSELF 7 



state of nature has somewhat more of it than his 

 four-footed neighbours. 



My only reason for touching on this question is 

 that I want to say that I recognise a mind-Hfe in 

 animals similar to, though much lower in degree 

 than, that of man. And the subject was suggested 

 by the behaviour of the hind during the whole time, 

 which was not far short of an hour, while I sat there 

 intently watching her with interest and with surprise 

 as well. And the surprise was at the intense interest 

 she, on her part, was taking in the little sounds 

 coming to her from the wood. These sounds, as we 

 have seen, were of no import in the creature's life. 

 It can even be said or supposed that she knew they 

 were without significance, since there was no fear 

 of any danger from that direction; and so wholly 

 free from fear was she that even my presence at the 

 tree's root behind her was disregarded. Surely thus 

 in her listening she was experiencing a sort of mind- 

 life, amusing herself, we might say, in capturing and 

 identifying the series of slight sounds floating to her. 

 Or one might compare the animal in that state in 

 which I watched her, resting after feeding, chewing 

 the cud, and at the same time agreeably occupied 

 in listening to the little woodland sounds, to the man 

 who, after dining well, smokes his cigar in his easy- 

 chair and amuses his mind at the same time with a 

 book — a fascinating story, let us say, of old unhappy 

 things and battles long ago. 



The last paragraph is pure speculation, and if any 



