374 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



in question, and, by analogy, a similar faculty progres- 

 sively diminishing in the lower classes. 



An elephant which a few years ago belonged to Mr. Cross, 

 at Exeter 'Change, attained to the practice of a curious 

 trick, which by repetition might be said to have acquired, 

 if indeed instinct could be acquired, something of an instinc- 

 tive character ; but which, the first time it occurred, at 

 least, seems attributable to nothing short of reason. It is 

 the usual part of the performances of an elephant at a public 

 exhibition, to pick up a piece of coin thrown within his 

 reach for the purpose, with the finger-like appendage at 

 the extremity of the trunk : on one occasion a sixpence was 

 thrown down, which happened to roll a little out of the 

 reach of the animal, not far from the wall : being desired 

 to pick it up, he stretched out his proboscis several times 

 to reach it: he then stood motionless for a few seconds, evi- 

 dently considering, we have no hesitation in saying evidently 

 considering, how to act ; he then stretched his proboscis 

 in a straight line as far as he could, a little distance above 

 the coin, and blew with great force against the wall ; the 

 angle produced by the opposition of the wall, made the 

 current of air act under the coin as he evidently intended 

 and anticipated it would, and it was curious to observe the 

 sixpence travelling by these means toward the animal, till 

 it came within his reach, and he picked it up. 



This complicated calculation of natural means at his dis- 

 posal, was an intellectual effort beyond what avast number 

 of human beings would ever have thought of, and would 

 be considered as a lucky thought, a clever expedient under 

 similar circumstances in any man. It was an action per- 

 fectly indifferent, had no relation either to self-preserva- 

 tion or to propagation. The picking up the sixpence and all 

 the other tricks these animals are taught, may be strained 

 into a mental association below the level of reason, arising 

 from the food with which the animal is in general rewarded 



