238 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



determined solely, as is vulgarly supposed, by the images in the 

 mind of the mother, i.e., by the mere sensations and perceptions 

 therein produced, independently of the emotions excited by 

 them— cannot well be supposed. It is, doubtless, to this ^com- 

 pound state ' of mind — to use an expression of Sir James Mack- 

 intosh — a state 'easily called to mind,' in consequence of the 

 vividness of its first impression, 'frequently recurring,' and 

 'warmly felt,' that we must ascribe the effect. 



"It is not unlikely, that this particular agency of the mind is 

 more frequently exerted in the females of the lower animals, 

 than in those of our own species ; and that cases exemplifying it, 

 are oftener met with in the brutes than in man. If this be so, a 

 reasonable explanation of the fact may be given. We know 

 that the minds of the lower animals are in a great measure 

 limited to particulars, and these few in number, and almost 

 exclusively external objects of sense; that the external senses 

 are more perfect in them than in us ; and that the perceptions 

 resulting from their exercise seem, in various instances, to follow 

 more surely and more quickly — to be more intuitive and wider 

 in their scope, and more vivid — in them than in man; and that 

 the simpler emotions (excited by those perceptions) of joy, fear, 

 affection, anger, &c., of which they are manifestly susceptible, 

 seem often to be peculiarly strong. We know also that they 

 possess the faculty of memory; and we may well suppose, from 

 their limited range of association, (or suggestion,) that sensations 

 that formerly made a powerful impression on their minds, will be 

 more easily and oftener recalled in them than in us, who, though 

 more apt to be 'troubled about many things,' are proportionally 

 less apt to be affected, or at least permanently or continuously 

 impressed, by any one thing. These circumstances and pecu- 

 liarities of mental action, must obviously be singularly favorable 

 to the production of the results in question. 



