ON SAGACITY AND INSTINCT. 



177 



Instinct is always admirably adapted to the habits of the animals to 

 which it has been given ; and in examining the works of nature, and 

 observing the action of this wonderful faculty, we cannot avoid being 

 struck by the infinite wisdom and beneficence of the Creator; and 

 though in some instances we may notice peculiarities, the reasons for 

 which we cannot comprehend, we have no right to expect nature to 

 conform to rules laid down by ourselves, and it is no reason because to 

 our limited understandings habits which we observe are incomprehen- 

 sible that such reasons do not exist ; we have no right to question the 

 wisdom of the great Creator, nor to imagine, because these peculiarities 

 do not agree with our ideas of perfection, that it is an error on the part 

 of the Maker of all. 



But I have been led deeper into the mazes of this most interesting 

 subject than I intended ; and I shall now merely mention one or two 

 facts in illustration of my first proposition, " that animals {some 

 animals) possess, when in a state of domestication, some degree of the 

 reasoning faculty." 



I had, when a school-boy, a Newfoundland dog, which I was in the 

 habit of taking out, twice a week (half-holidays); and he knew so well 

 when those days came, that he would howl piteously, if by any occur- 

 rence he was not taken for his exercise : he was a great favourite, and 

 a most (C sagacious " animal. 



A spaniel, with which I was acquainted, would always insist upon 

 accompanying any member of his master's family who went out, and 

 frequently when his company was anything but agreeable ; but on 

 Sunday he never attempted it, nor would he even think it worth while 

 to rouse himself from before the fire. 



Now, if I go too far in stating this to be direct reason, it is certainly 

 not instinct ; these dogs could not possibly know the interval between 

 two periods, but must have known from other circumstances the days 

 when they were to remain at home and when they might go out. 

 Would instinct teach the horse to obey his master ? or would an animal 

 possessed of mere instinct show such evident traits of attachment and 

 docility as the horse, the dog, and the elephant, not to quote the mul- 

 titude of anecdotes which we have on record of the astonishing " saga- 

 city " of these noble animals ? Would instinct alone teach the shep- 

 herd's dog to scour the hills for miles around, and gather every stray 

 sheep to the flock, or select his master's sheep from among any number 

 of strangers? Instinct might instruct the dog to find his master, or 



