1883.] 
( 241 ) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
*«,* The Editor does not hold himself responsible for statements of fails or 
opinions expressed in Correspondence, or in Articles bearing the signature 
of their respective authors. 
“ REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM.” 
To the Editor of the Journal of Science. 
Sir, — Regarding the advanced scientific formula I send two 
syllogisms : — 
The Sun is the cause of all animate existence. 
Intelligence is the resulting faCt of animate existence. 
Therefore — the Sun is the cause of intelligence. 
Intelligence is the fadlor of all things. 
The Sun being the cause of all animate existence. 
Therefore — the Sun is the maker of itself. 
These syllogisms I send you by way of a nut for your cor- 
respondent, “A Lucretian,” to crack. He seems apt enough to 
ask questions and suggest doubts (presumedly a la Socrate ), and 
doubtless your readers would be glad if he would give them 
some of his reason and logic ( d la Platon). 
An apt observation (I think) of Lord Mahon’s is in point : — 
“It is among men as among certain tribes of animals; it is 
sometimes only necessary that one of the herd should step for- 
ward and lead the way to make all the others follow with alacrity 
and submission. 
A propos of this is the much-vexed question of “ mind in 
animals.” The real point is, What is meant by mind ? There 
can be no question but that animals have intelligence. If they 
had not, unless merely automata , how could they exist and carry 
on their functions ? That they have intelligence the most unob- 
servant could not doubt ; but it is mainly, if not entirely, directed 
to sense (sensation) results — to the gratification of appetite, pre- 
servation, affections and generation, and probably avoidance of 
pain. They have instincts and instinctive intelligence, which 
reaches the primitive stage of reasoning. All this they share 
