MORAIi SENSE. 99 



remarks, assuredly would never again attack a single monkey of 

 a troop." 



It is certain that associated animals have a feeling of love for 

 each other, which is not felt by non-social adult animals. How 

 far in most cases they actually sympathize in the pains and 

 pleasures of others, is more doubtful, especially with respect to 

 pleasures. Mr. Buxton, however, who had excellent means of 

 observation," states that his macaws, which lived free in Norfolk, 

 took "an extravagant interest" in a pair with a nest; and when- 

 ever the female left it, she was surrounded by a troop "scream- 

 "ing horrible acclamations in her honor." It is often difficult 

 to judge whether animals have any feeling for the sufferings of 

 others of their kind. Who can say what cows feel, when they 

 surround and stare intently on a dying or dead companion; ap- 

 parently, however, as Houzeau remarks, they feel no pity. That 

 animals sometimes are far from feeling any sympathy is too 

 certain; for they will expel a wounded animal from the herd, or 

 gore or worry it to death. This is almost the blackest fact in 

 natural history, unless, indeed, the explanation which has been 

 suggested is true, that their instinct or reason leads them to expel 

 an injured companion, lest beasts of prey, including man, 

 should be tempted to follow the troop. In this case their con- 

 duct is not much worse than that of the North American Indians, 

 who leave their feeble comrades to perish on the plains: or the 

 Fijians, who, when their parents get old, or fall ill, bury them 

 alive."^ 



Many animals, however, certainly sympathize with each other's 

 distress or danger. This is the case even with birds. Capt. Stans- 

 bury" found on a salt lake in Utah an old and completely blind 

 pelican, which was very fat, and must have been well fed for a 

 long time by his companions. Mr. BIyth, as he informs me, saw 

 Indian crows feeding two or three of their companions which were 

 blind; and I have heard of an analogous case with the domestic 



1° Mr. Belt gives the case of a spider-monkey (Ateles) in Nicara- 

 gua which was heard screaming for nearly two hours in the forest, 

 and was found with an eagle perched close by it. The bird apparently 

 feared to attack as long as it remained face to face ; and Mr. Belt be- 

 lieves, from what he has seen of the habits of these monkeys, that they 

 protect themselves from eagles by keeping two or three together. 'The 

 Naturalist in Nicaragua,' 1874, p. 118. 



" 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.,' November, 1868, p. 382. 



12 Sir J. Lubbock, 'Prehistoric Times,' 2nd edit. p. 446. 



^ As quoted by Mr. L. H. Morgan, 'The American Beaver," 1868, p. 

 272. Capt. Stansbury also gives an interesting account of the manner 

 in which a very young pelican, carried away by a strong stream, was 

 guided and encouraged in its attempts to reach the shore by half a 

 dozen old birds. 



