ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 25 
or less awkwardly. Similar want of uniformity prevails 
among mammals. Horses, deer, sheep, and cattle are born 
with some power of locomotion, with sight, hearing, etc., 
in active operation, and with mental powers in exercise. The 
rabbit is born blind, and, though sentient, scarcely conscious 
for ten or twelve days after birth; a period corresponding 
to about a year of the human span of life. Puppies and 
kittens also are born blind and helpless; and man, though 
born with open eyes, remains helpless and dubiously con- 
scious for many months. 
Again, certain animals which in an early stage of exist- 
ence may possess a dim power of reflection, and exercise 
volition in locomotion and the quest for food, pass through 
a subsequent comatose and unconscious phase. Thus a 
caterpillar falling into the middle of a road sets off at top 
speed for the nearest verdure. A few weeks later it loses 
all power of locomotion, and perhaps all consciousness, 
although the motor nerves of the chrysalis cause muscular 
movements when it is touched. The chrysalis of the death’s- 
head moth (Acherontia atropos) squeaks audibly when 
handled. 
It seems, then, impossible to indicate precisely the 
period of existence when consciousness begins. Although 
the lion cub is born with legs and eyes, the eaglet with 
wings, these legs, eyes, and wings cannot be put to use for 
long afterwards; but the foal in the strawyard, the plover 
on the moor, exercise both legs and eyes from the first. The 
common Mayfly (Ephemera danica) spends three years as an 
unlovely larva, living in mud, swallowing much and match- 
ing the mud in colour. At the end of this obscure, not to 
say obscene, period of probation, after passing through 
7 In the Personal Reminiscences of Sir Frederick Pollock, vol. 
ll., pp. 188-9, the following incredible passage occurs :—‘‘ Dugald 
Stewart was once asked what was the earliest thing he could 
remember. He said it was being left alone by his nurse in his 
cradle and resolving to tell of her as soon as he could speak.’’ 
My sole object in quoting this is to give an example of the kind 
of uncritical rubbish has to be cleared away before any progress 
can be made in penetrating the supersensory mystery. 
