EDUCATION OF ANIMALS BY EACH OTHER 279 



ing condition to strengthen other weak combs, so as to 

 prevent a similar condition in them. They discover the cause 

 of the fall in one case and the means of preventing a similar 

 accident in other cases. 



The lessons of experience have to be learned gradually or 

 suddenly frequently at great cost to the individual, its 

 family, or race. 



Just as happens in man, there are individuals among 

 the lower animals so peculiarly constituted mentally that 

 they do not gain knowledge from experience. This, how- 

 ever, is exceptional, and can usually at least be attributed 

 to the presence of mental defect or disorder. The subject is 

 fully discussed in the chapters on ' Mental Defect and Derange- 

 ment. 9 on ' Stupidity, 9 and on ' Error. 9 



It is of interest to bear in mind that experience is of two 

 kinds 



1. That which is acquired by the individual ; and 



2. That which has been accumulated by generations of 

 individuals, and has been transmitted by or from ancestry 

 (Lewes) ; while 



3. Of the two, ancestral, inherited experience is in certain 

 respects the more important (Spalding). 



Self-education^ tuition, or improvement occurs in other 

 animals, under the same circumstances as in man, involving 

 the same mental qualities, developed or displayed in the 

 same way. Various birds learn for themselves the songs or 

 notes of other genera or species, and they have concerts among 

 themselves (Darwin) ; at least they do so in confinement 

 (Baird) though it does not appear how captivity operates 

 possibly simply because then only is the acquisition noted 

 or notable by man. Self-education includes, for instance, 

 the learning of lessons by practice. Various song birds and 

 other animals learn their lessons as children do. This takes 

 place in the mocking bird (' Percy Anecdotes ') and jay 

 (Jesse). Elephants have their rehearsals by themselves, as 

 was long ago pointed out by Pliny, and has been confirmed 

 in modern times by Buckland; they practise for their danc- 

 ing feats (Pliny). The horse too practises its dancing lessons. 

 There is a regular practising by the young of manoeuvres 



