~ ANIMAL BRAINS—WHICH IS THE CLEVEREST ANIMAL? 
A contribution towards the solution of this problem by 
C. J. Cornisy, M.A., F.Z.S., Editor of “The Living Animals of the World.” 
T is difficult to devise, even in fancy, any form of capacity-catching examination by 
which to test the powers of various animal brains. We have not only to think of a 
test more or less applicable all round, but also to distinguish between natural brain power 
and the same when developed by education, as, for instance, im the case of the wild and 
the tamed and trained elephant. To go no further than the case of primitive man, Sir 
Harry Johnston’s second volume on the Uganda Protectorate is almost entirely devoted 
to the extraordinary phenomena of hwman natural history there exhibited in primitive 
conditions. In the mass of facts contained in this rough transcript of the ways and minds 
of these central African races, the following is not the least curious. He found the 
Forest Dwarfs were a large and widely scattered race, living close to other villages and 
families of full-sized negroes. These big negroes were agriculturists, built good houses, 
and were partly civilized, while their little neighbours were stark naked and lived like 
squirrels or forest animals. Yet when the dwarfs were in contact with white men, and 
had lived for some time in their camps, they developed a quickness and intelligence far 
beyond that of the big black agricultural negroes. The same may be and probably is 
the case with animals. Some have capacity of a high order undeveloped. 
Probably the dog and elephant belong to this order of brain. Wild dogs are more 
remarkable for courage than sagacity, and when kept in captivity have not shown any 
great intelligence. Domesticated dogs, though uneven in cleverness, undoubtedly 
share with the elephant the first place as thoughtful servants of man. They are far 
better able to enter into his thoughts than any other creatures, and consequently 
receive a much larger share of his attention and kindness. There are plenty of stupid 
dogs, too, but as a rule they have a kind of straightforward common sense which 
takes a great deal 
of beating. 
As a good 
example, take the 
case of a retriever 
which, not long 
ago, was sent into 
a ditch to bring 
out a winged 
partridge which 
had run into it. 
The dog picked up 
the scent, rushed 
along the bottom 
of the ditch under 
the brambles, and, 
after a little grop- 
ing about, emerged 
on the bank with 
an old rusty kettle 
in his mouth, 
holding it by the 
handle. The 
laughter and chaff 
Reproduced by permission of Sir Harry Johnston from his work, ‘‘ The Uganda Protectorate.” 
A YOUNG AFRICAN ELEPHANT 
One of Sir Harry Johnston’s pets in Uganda. 
78 
