Mind in the Lower Animals. 169 



tions. But I do not have time to do either the one or the 

 other. 



But to begin, take this case : A naturalist friend of mine was 

 one day walking along a road, and saw as he walked one of those 

 familar road beetles, rolling its ball of compost. He stopped and 

 watched it for a few moments, and then with a pin, made the ball 

 fast to the gro'und. The beetle seemed surprised at this turn in 

 its affairs, but soon recovered itself, and endeavored as before to 

 push its ball ; but it was not able to do so. It crawled over and 

 round it, and appeared to carefully inspect the situation, and at 

 the same time made strenuous efforts from all points to move its 

 ball : still it could not move it. It then climed up on its ball, 

 and sat there for a few moments, quietly moving its antennae as 

 if in a sort of reverie, and then rose on its wings and flew away. 

 The gentleman much interested in what he saw, thought he would 

 tarry a while and see what would come to pass. He had not 

 waited many minutes, until he heard the familiar hum of two 

 beetles. They circled about, as is their custom, and finally they 

 both alighted near the ball. One of them was recognized as being 

 the same beetle that had been first observed. It was known by 

 a speck on one of its wing cases. The two immediately went to 

 the ball and united their efforts to move it, the one pushing, and 

 the other pulling, But after various trials, they ceased, and lit- 

 erally putting their heads together, they seemed to be in consul- 

 tation. During this time the gentleman quietly removed the pin 

 and left the ball free. They at last went back to the ball, and 

 tried to move it, and of course succeeded. Whereupon beetle 

 number two rose up on its wings and disappeared, while beetle 

 number one rolled its ball along without farther interruption. 

 Now I am quite well aware that this is a simple story, but it is 

 none the less interesting to one who will consent to think on it 

 without prejudice. A hundred histories of this kind would really 

 not be any better than one. 



Let us examine this case a little more closely. It might be said, 

 with more or less propriety, that the beetle formed it3 ball as a 

 nidus for its young, arid then sought a proper place in which to 

 bury it away, guided solely by instinct. But I do not think it 



