Ox\ THE REASONING FACULTIES OF ANIMALS. 245 
it in my fracture-box, giving her at the same time aperient medi¬ 
cines, &c. She went on very well, and, up to the 17th of January 
last, seemed to promise a complete cure; when, on that day, she 
fell again. 
On a minute examination, 1 found the same bones fractured 
below the cuneiforme medium. I now considered that the only 
chance to save the animal’s life was to amputate the limb, which, 
after due preparation, was performed. I soon stopped the hemor¬ 
rhage, dressed and bound up the denuded part, and fixed on a wooden 
leg by means of straps with buckles around the tarsus. The cow 
has been very well ever since, and is at present doing well. 
ON THE REASONING FACULTIES OF ANIMALS. 
By Mr. W. C. Spooner, V.8., Southampton. 
Instinct, or rather the mental endowments of animals, has 
within these few years engaged considerable attention, in common 
with all subjects connected with natural history. The habits and 
dispositions of animals have been made the object of rational ob¬ 
servations and reflections; and the consequence of this has been, 
that, with very few exceptions, those who have made it their study 
have acknowledged that animals possess some portion of the rea¬ 
soning powers. Other narrow-minded persons, who would fain 
judge of every one at the tribunal of their own bigoted notions, 
condemn such opinions (as well as all others that differ from their 
own) as atheistical and absurd. They exclaim in the pride of their 
hearts. What! shall we, the lords of the creation, before whom all 
other creatures bow; shall we acknowledge that brutes possess in 
common with us that faculty which we have always been taught 
to consider as the exclusive prerogative of man,—the test of im¬ 
mortality itself] No! the dignity of our nature revolts at the de¬ 
basing fraternity! 
There are others, and amongst them some naturalists, who, having 
witnessed with astonishment the actions of domestic animals, and 
being unable to explain them on the principle of instinct, are yet 
afraid to accord them the possession of reason, believing that this 
faculty is the token of immortality: they accordingly temporize 
with the matter, and endeavour to account for the actions they 
have witnessed by saying that “ they approach or border on rea¬ 
son.” Now, it seems to me that it is very absurd thus to mince 
the matter: either animals possess reason, or they do not. Let us 
see if there be any thing so terrible in the acknowledgment. 
Reason is defined by our great lexicographer as ‘‘the deduction 
VOL. XIII. K k 
