48 
THE DESCENT OF MAN. 
Part L 
Mr. Colqnlioun 16 winged two wild-ducks, which fell 
on the opposite side of a stream ; his retriever tried to 
bring over both at once, but could not succeed ; she 
then, though never before known to ruffle a feather, 
deliberately killed one, brought over the other, and re- 
turned for the dead bird. Col. Hutchinson relates that 
two partridges were shot at once, one being killed, the 
other wounded ; the latter ran away, and was caught by 
the retriever, who on her return came across the dead 
bird ; “ she stopped, evidently greatly puzzled, and 
“ after one or two trials, finding she could not take it up 
u without permitting the escape of the winged bird, she 
“ considered a moment, then deliberately murdered it 
u by giving it a severe crunch, and afterwards brought 
c * away both together. This was the only known in- 
“ stance of her ever having wilfully injured any game.” 
Here we have reason, though not quite perfect, for the 
retriever might have brought the wounded bird first 
and then returned for the dead one, as in the case of 
the two wild-ducks. 
The muleteers in S. America say, “I will not give 
“ you the mule whose step is easiest, but la mas rational , 
“ — the one that reasons best; ” and Humboldt 17 adds, 
“ this popular expression, dictated by long experience, 
“ combats the system of animated machines, better per- 
<c haps than all the arguments of speculative philosophy.” 
It has, I think, now been shewn that man and the 
higher animals, especially the Primates, have some few 
instincts in common. All have the same senses, intui- 
tions and sensations — similar passions, affections, and 
emotions, even the more complex ones; they feel 
16 1 The Moor and the Loch/ p. 45. Col. Hutchinson on 1 Dog 
Breaking/ 1850, p. 46. 
17 1 Personal Narrative/ Eng. translat., vol. iii. p. 106. 
