INTELLIGENCE OF “DUMB” ANIMALS 
Considerable space will be devoted hereinafter to the intel¬ 
ligence of birds and animals, which would appear as straying 
somewhat far afield from the subject being treated. For this 
we beg the kind indulgence of the reader. It has been done to 
afford a contrast between the intelligence of the serpent and 
other members of the lower order of animal life. 
Pity the man who discounts the intelligence of “dumb” 
animals. In reality they are dumb, and the animal kingdom 
could not properly aim any criticism at man for such refer¬ 
ence, but when we confuse the meaning of the word dumb with 
the word stupid, as is done by so many members of the human 
family, then they grossly slander members of the lower order 
of animal life, many of which are capable of reasoning to a 
degree comparing favorably with proud man, and in many in¬ 
stances actually outwitting and putting him to shame. 
We are indebted to an old pioneer for the following rather 
brief story relating to his experiences while trapping timber 
wolves: During his early efforts, when there was no scarcity 
of this animal, he succeeded in bagging them with comparative 
ease, but he was driven to the conclusion that among wolves, 
as among dogs, there was a varying degree of intelligence. It 
must be presumed that those rating mediocre and those of a 
low order of intelligence readily fell victims to his cleverly 
prepared traps, and consequently his bag of these crafty ani¬ 
mals was very satisfactory for a long period of time. While 
it appears too uncanny to be true, yet there was good reason 
for believing that they were slowly but surely passing word 
down the line, acquainting every member of the pack with the 
nature of the man-made contrivances which were so rapidly 
decimating their ranks, and warning members to beware of 
them. Surviving members of the pack, which we must conclude 
were endowed with superior intelligence, inasmuch as they had 
eluded man’s most cleverly concealed traps, finally would not 
remain content to leave these traps alone. As they moved to 
and fro in the wilderness in pursuit of game, they would aban¬ 
don the chase and trail man from trap to trap until he had 
70 
