604 The Reasoning Faculty of Animals. [August, 
female following her mate with a streaming banner, which proves 
to be the indispensable snake skin. 
Whether this bird, like its little congener, the wood-pewee, 
has at last concluded that its nest will be more safe near the habi- 
tations of man, remains to be seen. 
70: 
THE REASONING FACULTY OF ANIMALS. 
BY JOSEPH F. JAMES. 
i Aaa as has been written on the subject of instinct and 
reason in animals, the question as to whether they possess 
reason is nearly as far from being answered as ever, and people 
continue to write and argue with the same pertinacity as of yore. 
Some writers have maintained that all the actions of animals 
lower than man, are performed by a something designated as 
instinct, and that this was a faculty given by Divine power to 
animals, to take the place of reason possessed only by mankind. 
Others have said that both animals and men have reasoning 
powers, but the former in such a limited degree as to be hardly 
noticeable, Still others contended that animals were actuated to 
a very great extent in their actions by reasoning faculties, and that 
entirely too much stress has been placed upon the power of oi 
stinct ;} while a last party have said that neither man nor beast 6 
possessed of reason, but that both perform all their actions auto- 
matically, and being under the influence of unchangeable law, do 
what they do because they cannot do otherwise.” 3 
In the olden time, before we knew as much about the animal 
world as we do now, the unerring faculty of instinct was ex- 
patiated upon times without number. All animals were set down 
as without reasoning powers, and when one did perform 4” 
action. out of accordance with its usual life, it was looked upor a 
a most remarkable phenomenon, and as instinct working 17 = 
abnormal direction. Besides, this instinct was thought to be be- 
stowed by the Deity, directly upon the animal. In later days 
?The latest book taking this ground is « Mind in the Lower Animals,” by W. 
_ Lauder Lindsay, 2 vols, 1880. 
_. * Descartes’ idea of animated machines, It has for its strongest supporter bog 
_ fessor Huxley. See article “Are Animals Automata?” by T. H. Huxley in Popular 
‘Science Monthly, v, 724. : 
