NATURAL HISTORY. 



INSTINCT OR REASON— WHICH? 



C. M. DICKSON. 



There has been a great amount of dis- 

 cussion regarding the question as to 

 whether some animals are capable of rea- 

 soning. 



It is my belief that the dog can, and does 

 reason, and to prove my case I will give 

 an account of an incident which occurred 

 at the home of my nearest neighbor who 

 owns a St. Bernard puppy — 3 months old. 



The dog in playing got some burs on 

 him, and in pulling them off got one fast 

 in his throat. In his endeavors to get it 

 out be became frantic; pawing at his 

 throat, vomiting and howling at the top of 

 his voice. 



We tried to assist him, but could not con- 

 trol him. He finally broke away from i 3 

 and ran into the kitchen where there wa? a 

 strip of old rag carpet, and when we 

 reached him he was chewing frantically at 

 one corner of it. He continued chewing 

 and swallowing, until he had gotten quite 

 a piece of it down his throat; when he put 

 his paws upon it and pulled it out again 

 bringing the offending bur with it. As 

 soon as he felt the relief which followed its 

 removal, a light of joy shot from his eyes 

 and he leaped and rolled about, showing as 

 plainly as if by words his intense happiness. 



In order to decide whether this' was in- 

 stinct or reason, let us see first what con- 

 stitutes instinct. 



Instinct is a special innate propensity in 

 any organized being, but more especially in 

 the lower animals, producing effects which 

 appear to be those of reason and knowl- 

 edge; but which transcend the general in- 

 telligence or experience of the creature. 

 Instinct is said to be blind — that is, either 

 the end is not consciously recognized by 

 the animal, or the connection of the means 

 with the end is not understood. Instinct 

 is also, in general, somewhat deficient in 

 instant adaptability to extraordinary cir- 

 cumstances. 



Reason, is an idea acting as a cause to 

 create or confirm a belief, or to induce a 

 voluntary action; a judgment or belief go- 

 ing to determine a given belief or line of 

 conduct. 



Now, as we see in instinct, there is " de- 

 ficiency in instant adaptability to extra- 

 ordinary circumstances " and " the connec- 

 tion of the means with the end is not un- 

 derstood," this could not have been " in- 

 stinct." If reason is " an idea acting as a 

 cause to determine a given line of conduct," 

 it certainly must have been reason that in- 

 duced the puppy to seek relief in the man- 

 ner in which he did, as it was an " idea 

 looking toward a means or an end," which 

 constitutes judgment, or reason. 



MOUNTAIN SHEEP DYING OF SCAB. 



Anaconda, Mont. 



Editor Recreation: In the May issue of 

 Recreation, you ask for information as to 

 how 4 Bear P. O., Wyoming, got its name. 



In the fall of '85, I was guide for the wife 

 of Marquis De Mores, that gallant French- 

 man who was killed by natives, in Africa. 

 We were camped 8 miles from Col. Pick- 

 ett's ranch, and by the way, the Colonel is 

 one of the best bear hunters in the West. 

 The first day the madame and I were out 

 we killed 4 bears, all large silver tips. That 

 is one version of how 4 Bear got its name. 

 There may be others. In 4 days, we saw 17 

 bears; though they are scarce there now. 



There were large bands of Mountain 

 Sheep in the Wind river mountains, in '85; 

 but they contracted the scab from the 

 bands of tame sheep, and are now nearly 

 exterminated. Near where Red Lodge, 

 Mont., now stands. I counted in '86, 43 

 dead mountain sheep on one hillside, all 

 having died with scab. I predict that in 15 

 years from now, there will be no mountain 

 sheep alive, except those in captivity. The 

 scab will have flashed all of the wild ones. 

 I can name several localities where moun- 

 tain sheep were plentiful a year ago; but 

 having come in contact with tame sheep, 

 are completely wiped out. Their hair all 

 falls out and their skin becomes wrinkled, 

 like that of an elephant, and very scabby. 

 Then when winter sets in, they die. 



Of course they could be as easily cured 

 as a tame sheep, if a person could get hold 

 of them and souse them in sheep dip. 



Your article on page 376, May number, 

 on raising game in captivity, that future 

 generations may see them, is an intelligent 

 one and the subject is ably handled. There 

 are 2 kinds of wild animals which few parks 

 have, and which are very hardy. These are 

 the mountain goat and the mountain sheep. 

 It is only a matter of a few years when both 

 will be extinct unless allowed to be taken 

 and domesticated. Vic Smith. 



DO SOME ANIMALS BREATHE UNDER 

 WATER? 



Virginia City, Mont. 



Editor Recreation: A writer raises the 

 question as to how long the beaver, otter, 

 muskrat and mink can remain under water 

 without coming to the surface for air. 

 Among other things he says: 



" In my hunting expeditions, through 

 various sections of the West, I have talked 

 with many experienced hunters on the sub- 

 ject and have found there is a common be- 

 lief that the animals mentioned share with 

 the fishes an ability to draw a supply of 

 oxygen from the water; but the fallacy of 



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