IV 

 THE MOST INTELLIGENT ANIMALS 



TO the professional animal-man, year in and year out 

 comes the eternal question, "Which are the most 

 intelligent animals?" 



The question is entirely legitimate. What animals are the 

 best exponents of animal intelligence? 



It seems to me that the numerous factors involved, and the 

 comparisons that must be made, can best be expressed in fig- 

 ures. Opinions that are based upon only one or two sets of 

 facts are not worth much. There are about ten factors to be 

 taken into account and appraised separately. 



In order to express many opinions in a small amount of 

 space, we submit a table of estimates and summaries, covering 

 a few mammalian species that are representative of many. 

 But, try as they will, it is not Ukely that any two animal men 

 will set down the same estimates. It all depends upon the 

 wealth or the poverty of first-hand, eye-witness evidence. 

 When we enter the field of evidence that must stand in quo- 

 tation marks, we cease, to know where we will come out. We 

 desire to state that nearly all of the figures in the attached 

 table of estimates are based upon the author's own observa- 

 tions, made during a period of more than forty years of ups 

 and downs with wild animals. 



40 



