The Dawn of Reason; or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals

nd a very large majority of the creationists deny the presence of reason in the lower animals, and group all psychical manifestations that are to be observed in animals lo

ental peculiarities as well as his corporeal individualities to his offspring. The experiences of thousands of years leave their imprint on the succeeding generations, until deductions and conclusions drawn from these experiences no longer require any special act of r

hich had not a single faculty of heredity. For instance, several years ago I noticed that one of the combs in a beehive, owing to the extreme heat, had become melted at the top and was in great danger of falling to the floor. The bees had noticed this impending calamity long before I had, and had already set about averting it. They rapidly threw out a buttress or supporting pillar from the comb next to the one in danger, and joined it firmly to it, thus shoring it up and preventing its fall in a most effectual manner. When they had made everything strong and secure, they went to the top of the comb and reattached it to the ceiling of the hive. After

at violence. She fell to the floor stunned, but when she had recovered from the effects of the blow, she flew here and there about the room as if looking for another exit. Finally, she discovered a small crevice in the casi

seem to be likewise in possession of that peculiar function of the mind called by some psychologists "unconscious memory," through which they are, probably, enabled to transmit impressions of comparatively recent experiences to their offspring, I hardly think that the mud-dauber was influenced in her ac

d to go down into the sulcus between the bricks and to pull the paper in the direction of its long axis in order to

alities in ants, bees, and wasps in the course of a few generations. The facility with which these creatures adapt themselves to new environments-in which their very organisms, physical and psychical, are cha

morning and carry them back at night. They gather the eggs of the aphides, carry them into a specially built nursery, attend them carefully until the young aphides are hatched out, and then carry them to the shrubs most liked by them for food. Some strange sense enables them to recognize one another-an ant of the same species, but coming from another nest, is immediately recognized as a stranger, and at once attacked. If the

surprised when we find striking evidences of ratiocination in these little creatures. The better creatures are able to communicate ideation or thought, the st

terror and fled away into the nest. She soon returned, however, with thirteen other soldier ants, and made a careful examination of the body and its surroundings. Her companions also examined the corpse, and, having satisfied themselves that their comrade was dead

ity-the soldier ants-went immediately to the scene of the tragedy, made an examination, and then returned and gave in their report; the undertaker, in the shape of the la

refreshments or have their wounds attended to. The blacks, which composed the attacking army, were in light marching order, and had neither of these conveniences and necessary adjuncts. The yellow ants frequently sent back to their village for re?nforcements; the ants that had been out on hunting expeditions when the battle was joined were notified as soon as they arri

condition, and working for their masters willingly and without demur. The besieged ants evinced a high degree of reason and forethought, for, as soon as the presence of the besiegers was noticed, strong guards were posted in all of the approaches to the nest, both front and rear. The red ants sent a

eat myrmecologist, Huber, was correct in his desc

ess, being in fact immediately beneath their jaws, they would not touch it! I then placed a black slave in the jar; she at once went to her masters, and, after t

conclusion, however, is by no means true. The facts indicate mental degeneration. So utterly subservient ha

nervating influence of slavery. Sir John Lubbock's remarks anent the four genera of slav

rongylognathus, and Anergates) "offer us every gradat

have comparatively recently taken to slave-m

. They have lost their knowledge of art, their natural affection for their young,

the bodily strength. They are no longer able to capture their slaves in open warfare. Still

laves; that for a time they maintained their strength and agility, though losing by degrees their real independence, their arts, and many of their instincts; that gradually even their bodily force dwindled away under the enervating influence to which they had subjected them

That it is a true one, an abundance of data most emphatically declares. The influence of slavery on the human race (th

d the similarity, nay, the sameness, of mind in man and the lowe

e necessities of such environment, such an animal evinces ratiocination. I have seen many instances of such action on the part of an

uching out of Huerfanos Park, a government reservation, I believe, at that time. The nest was situated on the sandy shore of a small creek, and was a perfect square of three or four feet, fro

rk yellow workers which were engaged in bringing food to the village. No sooner was a burden put down than it was seized by black workers, which then carried it into the nest. At no time did I se

only for a moment or two, for orders were issued by some ant in authority (so it seemed, and so I believe), and the line was established, though somewhat thinned by the absence of soldiers. The messenger was sent to headquarters and re?nforcements were sent

, and in a day's time filled up the deep excavation level with the surrounding surface! The patrol was then re?stablished on the old line as though nothing had occurred to interrupt the ordinary routine of the colony. Before leaving the valley I dug up the nest and examined the peculiar individuals whose

turned into a delicious honey, the flavor of which (

e imprisoned honey-makers were merely animated bags of honey, and were kept by the other ant

y my hunting-knife showed that they recognized, at once, the calamity that

y as honey-makers, and that there is a distinct recognition of a division, or division

ng buildings, etc. Second, the nymphs. These differ in nothing from the workers, except that they have rudimentary wings. Third, the neuters. These are much less in numbers than the workers, but exceed them greatly in bulk. They have long and very large heads, armed with powerful mandibles, and are the se

of wings, and with their aid mount immediately into the air. The next morning they are found covering the ground, and deprived of their wings. They then mate. Scarcely a single pair in many millions escape their enemies-birds, reptiles, beasts, fishes, insects, especially the ot

y, but are never allowed to leave their prison. The female soon begins to oviposit-the eggs, as fast as they are dropped, being carried away into the nurseries by the workers. As the queen increases in dimensions, they keep enlarging the cell in which she is confined. Her abdomen begins to extend until it is two thousand times the size of the rest of the body, and her bulk equa

aborers immediately retire into the inmost recesses of the nest and give place to another class of its inhabitants, the warriors. Several soldiers come out to reconnoitre, they then retire and give the alarm. Then several more come out as quickly as possible, followed in a few moments by a large battalion. Their anger and fury are excessive. If you continue to molest them, their anger leaps all bounds. They rush out in myriads, and, being blind, bite everything with which they come in contact.[82] If, however, the attack is not continued, they retire into the nest, with th

rmites is, unquestionably, instinctive, but the psychical habitudes which originate division and partition of labor, which set apart certain individuals (in no wise different from their fellows) as officers and overseers, which, beyond peradventure, are abl

long will they be unable to grasp the idea of intelligent ratiocination in the lower animals. A company of men rebuilding a wall which has been overthrown by a tempest are s

eir grain. They were bringing out the little grass-seeds by the hundreds and thousands, and carrying them some distance from the nest, where they were dropped on the turf. It is possible that these ants were only getting rid of spoiled grain, but I think not, for several of the seeds secured and planted by me germinated. I

ndibles, outer sheath and all, and, by vigorously twisting them from side to side, would separate them from the stalk; they would then crawl down and carry them into the nest. I did not notice here the roads

earless little warriors when on the march. The ants were moving nearer to their grain-fields, and were carrying with them their young, etc. The route, from the old home to the new, was patrolled on either side by soldiers. Every now and then I saw one of these individuals rush aside, elevate herself on her hind legs, shake her

aff from the nest and carrying it some distance away. It is said by Texan observers that the harvesters of that state bring the grain

bility. Many of the savage races are unable to count above three,-some not above five,-thus demonstrating the truthfulness of the abov

n any bright day in August or September busily engaged on the margins of ponds, ditches, and puddles in the procurement of building materials. They will alight close to the water's edge, and, vibrating their wings rapidly, will run hither and thither over the moist clay until they arrive at a spot which, in their opinion, will furnish suita

ouses; after securing mortar they invariably return, each to her own structure. This statement can be easily verified. While the insect is engaged in applying the mortar, take a came

act of human intelligence; they are able to tell which of the eggs will produce males and which females. Not only are they able to do this, but, seemingly fully aware of the fact that it takes a longer time for the female larv? to pupate than it does the male larv?

he cell, she packs away in it the favorite food of her offspring, which is spiders. She knows that in the close, hot cell the spiders, if dead, would soon become putrid and unfit for f

artial to the beautiful Argiope, which, banded as it is with gray and yell

egg-membrane, finds fresh and palatable food

es not appear to notice that her food-supply has been tampered with; she completes her quota, five for the males and eight for the females, and then closes the cell, no matter if there remains in the co

us partially filling it, the insect knows at once that something is wrong, and will proceed to investigate. She will remove the spiders on top of the paper, will extract the wad, and will then proceed with her count. On the other hand, i

left behind in the nest, recognizes the danger, and therefore abandons the nest. But numerous experiments along this line teach me that smell has nothing to do with it whatever. I have removed eggs with a long iron ladle, the bowl of which I had carefully refrained from touching, and also with sticks freshly cut in the wood, and yet the birds would invariably abandon their nests. On the contrary, when all, or nearly all, the eggs have been laid, several

d it. The domestic barnyard hen has had her nest robbed for such a long period of time that she has lost the faculty of counting. But even this meek provider of food for mankind is able, in some instances, to count one: she will not l

r the interloper had left her egg; she examined the nest carefully, and turned the eggs with her beak. Finally she thrust her beak through the shell of an egg and bore it far from the nest before dropping it on the ground. Now, as far as I could tell, the eggs were alike, but the sharper and more discriminating eyes of the turkey undoub

the value of numerical rotation. Of course, in the vast majority of trained animals, the

year or so ago through which she became permanently and totally blind. Recently she gave birth to a litter of six puppies, all of which were uniform in size and markings. Immediately

ppeared to become very much disturbed about something; she jumped out of the box and then jumped back again, nosing the puppies as before. Again she jumped from the box and then made her way toward the cellar, followed by her astonished

lked away with it in his arms. It was not long before the blind mother showed her distress so plainly, that I begged him to return the puppy, whi

rth. It is much more reasonable to suppose that the dog knew that she had given birth to six young ones, and that she had counted them when they had been removed to their new home. Again, it is a well-known fact that a dog can retain only one scent at a time; hence, this fact alone would militate somewhat against the idea that the sense of smell was the detecting agent in this case. Nor coul

he afternoon, resting for an hour at noon. As soon as the mule completed its fiftieth trip, it marched away to its stable without orders from its driver. To show that it was not influenced by the sound of factory whistles and bells, the following remarkable action on the part of this animal is vouched for by the superintendent of the line, who gave me these data. On a certain occasion, during a musica

at the door, and is generally the first to enter the dining room. A few moments before meal-time, Melchizedek (for he is of royal blood and bears a royal name) becomes uneasy, jumping from chair to floor or from floor to chair, and sometimes mewing gently. The moment the bell rings, he i

rick suggested by sensual impulses I had ample opportunity of satisfying myself. The owner of the animal would leave the room, no one being present but myself, and when I would call for two marbles, or one marble, o

markable when it is agreed by the best authorities th

and action for definite purposes not instinctive. In regard to bees, Huber's experiment with the glass slip proves c

aware of the fact that it would be difficult to affix the comb to the slippery surface of the glass,

nowledge of glass, hence we are forced to conclude tha

the outer surface convex, the bees made the cells on the former

ge of the comb, could agree to give it the same curvature from one extremity to the other; or how could they arrange t

owever complex, can possibly account

early demonstrated that some of them do make use of intelligent ratiocination. To prove that this view, i.e. that the lower animals reason, is wide

highest animal of all-Homo sapiens; we will now proceed to study certain psychical attributes in the possession of the lower

TNO

. II. p. 280; see also

yms with which the general student is familiar. The non-technical

by Lubbock, Ants, Bees, and Wasps, p. 83; Romanes, Animal Int

their European kin; so the experiment may be easily performed by any one at al

ts, Bees, and Wa

yrmecocystus, of course, but knew nothing of its natural history. Comparison will show that my observations differ from those of the gentlemen mentioned above. I saw nothing whatever of the web described by Captain Fleeson: the honey-making solitaires were simpl

irby and Spenc

nce original ideation and fail so to do. But, is man any different? How often do we find ourselves checkma

nsas are unique; at least I have been unable to find any data corroborative of this

rgiope under observation in this an?st

ology, pp. 231, 232, habits of Epipo

cker, Esq.,

for noting them down. I have endeavored to locate the superintendent in question, but

n, Descent of Man, p. 87; Whitney, Enc. Brit., "Phil

quoted also by Kirby and Sp

ence, loc. cit. a

lution in Man; Lubbock, Senses, Instincts, and Intelligence of Animals, and Ants, Bees, and Wasps;