1881.] The Reasoning Faculty of Animals. 613 
when she saw a large toad moving along the base of a wall, and 
examining it most systematically. He raised himself on his hind 
legs, peered into a crevice first with one eye and then with the 
other, and pushed his paw into the aperture. Apparently dissat- 
ished, he continued his operations and examined another, and 
then a third. This last seemed to satisfy him, and slowly draw- 
ing himself up he disappeared into the crevice. He evidently 
knew his own size and selected a hole big enough to crawl 
into without effort. All fishermen know how difficult it is 
to induce an old trout to take the fly,and when hooked how suc- 
cessful he often is in tangling the line, or snapping it off against 
roots or stones. He has gained by long experience a knowledge 
of the traps set for him by man, and uses his knowledge in keep- 
ing out of the snares, and breaking away when caught. He has 
sense enough to know the danger he is in, and reason enough to 
keep out of it. 
In respect to the reasoning powers of birds, there are so many 
anecdotes that it is difficult to make a selection. Every one 
nows how easily many birds are tamed; the crow or raven for 
instance, and above all the parrot, and how cunning they are in 
hiding any article they wish to keep to themselves. Swallows know 
that the hawk is their enemy, and sometimes take great delight 
in pestering him. Dashing forward as if immediately into his 
claws, then suddenly swerving off and enjoying the discomfiture 
of their enemy, who thought to have a feast. A swallow had be- 
come entangled by the leg with a string. His cries attracted 
some companions, and after a consultation they conceived a 
method of releasing the captive. They commenced to fly past the 
bird one after the other, each pecking at a certain point on the 
string as he passed, until it was cut in two, and the bird freed 
from bondage. A story is told of a goose and a hen. The latter 
hatched out some duck eggs, and of course the ducklings wished 
‘o take immediately to the water. The hen objected seriously, but 
without avail, and while she was mourning over the obstinacy of 
her brood, a solitary goose swam up, and with a noisy gabble 
took charge of them. After piloting them up and down for a 
while, they were turned over to their foster mother, Next day 
the same scene was repeated. This time the goose came close up 
to the bank, and without further parley the hen jumped on her 
* Wood, Man and Beast, loc. cit., p. 23. 
