114 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



A good observer, Leroy," states that in districts where 

 foxes are much hunted, the young, on first leaving their 

 burrows, are incontestably much more wary than the old 

 ones in districts where they are not much disturbed. 



Our domestic dogs are descended from wolves and jack- 

 als," and, though they may not have gained in cunning, 

 and may have lost in wariness and suspicion, yet they have 

 progressed in certain moral qualities, such as in affection, 

 ■ trustworthiness, temper, and probably in general intelli- 

 gence. The common rat has conquered and beaten several 

 other species throughout Europe, in parts of North America, 

 New Zealand, and recently in Formosa, as well as on the 

 mainland of China. Mr. Swinhoe," who describes these 

 two latter cases, attributes the victory of the common rat 

 over the large Mus coninga to its superior cunning; and this 

 latter quality may probably be attributed to the habitual 

 exercise of all its faculties in avoiding extirpation by man, 

 as well as to nearly all the less cunning or weak-minded rats 

 having been continuously destroyed by him. It is, however, 

 possible that the success of the common rat may be due to 

 its having possessed greater cunning than its fellow-species 

 before it became associated with man. To maintain, inde- 

 pendently of any direct evidence, that no animal during the 

 course of ages has progressed in intellect or other mental 

 faculties, is to beg the question of the evolution of species. 

 We have seen that, according to Lartet, existing mammals 

 belonging to several orders have larger brains than their 

 ancient tertiary prototypes. 



It has often been said that no animal uses any tool; but 

 the chimpanzee in a state of nature cracks a native fruit, 

 somewhat like a walnut, with a stone." Eengger'* easily 



*• "Lettres Phil, sur I'intelligenoe des Aniraaux," nouvelle ^dit., 1802, p. 86. 



'* See the evidence on this head in chap. i. vol. i., "On the Variation of 

 Animals and Plants under Domestication." 



^ "Proc. Zoolog. Soc," 1864, p. 186. 



" Savage and Wyman in "Boston Journal of Nat. Hist.," vol. iv., 1843- 

 44, p. 383. 



•8 "Saugethiere von Paraguay," 1830, s. 51-56. 



