president's addeess. 189 



are seen, not in alliance with Eeason, but in alliance with In- 

 stinct, which means more than the absolute negation of reason. 



Inattention to this distinction is the cause of much confusion 

 and misconception in estimating the powers which animals pos- 

 sess. For example, because a dog can distinguish a three-cor- 

 nered figure from a square, it would be absurd to suppose him 

 capable of forming the rational conception of a triangle ; or be- 

 cause he is capable of simple judgments, that he can reason. In 

 like manner, though animals remember, they do not recollect. 

 They have sensations, but not sentiments ; volitions, but not 

 will. They have the perception of form and colour, but not 

 the sense of beauty. They can distinguish and imitate tones, 

 but they have not the sense of musical harmony : the piping 

 bullfinch can no more be said to have the musical sense, than 

 the talking starling the gift of language. In these cases there 

 are elements of thought blended with the sense, derived from a 

 region of mind, which the brutes cannot reach. 



But now, keeping in view the difference drawn between ani- 

 mal sagacity and reason, and the further distinction in the facul- 

 ties common to men and beasts arising from the connection of 

 these faculties with reason in man, how far, it may be asked, 

 does it accord with facts ? How far do the faculties here as- 

 signed to the brutes, and under the limitations stated, enable 

 us to account for the phenomena observed in their conduct ? 



In answer to this I can only now state my belief, that a satis- 

 factory explanation can be given in accordance with these prin- 

 ciples of the actions of brutes, and that in so large a majority of 

 cases as to rule what is doubtful, and to aff'ord a presumptive 

 test of the accuracy of what is told of them. It was my inten- 

 tion to endeavour to justify this belief by showing the application 

 of these principles to some of the anecdotes referred to above, 

 but I find that to do so would exceed the limits to which I wish 

 to confine these remarks. Instead of doing so I will just point 

 out, before I have done, one or two considerations bearing on 

 the solution of such cases. 



The key to very much in the actions and habits of animals is 

 to be found in the law of the association of ideas which plays a 



