xxvi INTRODUCTION 



Taken as a whole, this name means (1) that the "popular" name 

 of the animal is Coyote; (2) that its scientific name (Latin) is Canis 

 (= dog) latrans (= barking); and (3) that it was first correctly de- 

 scribed and named in print by a man named Say. If we consult 

 our books, we will find that Thomas Say was a Philadelphia natural- 

 ist, and his description of this animal appeared in "Long's Expedi- 

 tion to the Rocky Mountains," published in 1823, Vol. I, page 168. 



Whenever the name of an animal has been so long in use that it 

 has become familiar to millions of people, any attempt to change 

 it tends to create confusion. A slightly incorrect name in universal 

 use is often better than the confusion and doubt inseparable from 

 attempting a change. Thus, the American buffalo, considered in 

 connection with the world's bovine animals generally, is really a 

 bison; and the prairie-* 'dog" is really a prairie marmot; but 

 since nearly all the inhabitants of America know these animals by 

 their incorrect names, and any effort to force a universal change 

 would be quite fruitless, it would be unwise to attempt it. 



It is very important to the student that the names of the various 

 Orders of vertebrate animals should be learned and remembered; 

 for they are the keys with which to unlock and reveal all syste- 

 matic knowledge of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. 



THE INTELLIGENCE OF ANIMALS: A WARNING 



During the past ten years, so many persons have requested my 

 views regarding the mental capacity of animals, that I feel impelled 

 to enter here a brief statement, coupled with a warning. Un- 

 fortunately, it cannot be written otherwise than in the first person. 



While I have no desire to exploit my personal experiences among 

 wild creatures, it is at least fair to state, for the benefit of the mil- 

 lions to whom the writer is unknown, that of wild creatures in their 

 haunts, and also in captivity, he has seen as much as most men of 

 his tastes. 



The tendency of the present is to idealize the higher animals, to 



