How Animals Talk 



his tracks, at a distance), but in order to receive 

 a more intimate or convincing message than the 

 sense of smell can furnish. Likewise, a man 

 naturally pats the head of a dog, or ringers an 

 object after minutely scanning it with his eyes; 

 and in this instinctive action is the ancient touch 

 of recognition. Touch is the oldest and most 

 universal of the bodily senses, sight, smell, taste 

 and hearing being later specializations thereof; 

 by it the living creature first became aware of a 

 world outside of self; and to it we all return for 

 verification of our sense impressions. Therefore 

 it happens most naturally that, despite warning 

 signs or penalties, thoughtless men will put their 

 hands into the bear or monkey cage, where animals 

 are no longer natural or to be trusted, and our 

 children must be forever lectured, or sometimes 

 spanked, for handling things which they have 

 been told to let alone. 



Besides, when one is very near a strange bird 

 or beast, one becomes vaguely conscious of an 

 extra sense at work, that real but uncatalogued 

 sense-of-presence (to coin a name for it) which 

 makes two persons in a room aware of each other 

 at every instant, even while both are absorbed in 

 quiet work or reading. The "feel" of the same 

 room when one occupies it alone is very different; 

 and the difference may help to explain why gre- 



[276] 



