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

eatest of the many evidences of intelligent action on their part.[108] Letisimulation (from letum, death, and simulare, to feign)

usily feeding on the minute buds of an alga. These rhizopods suddenly drew in their hair-like cilia and sank to the bottom, to all appearances dead. I soon discovered the cause in the presence of a water-louse, an animal which feeds on these animalcules. It likewise sank to the bottom, and, after examining the rhizopods, swam away, evidently regarding them as dead and unfit for food. The rhizopods remained quiet for several seconds, and then swam to the alga and resumed feeding. This was not an accidental occurrence, for several times since I have been fortunate enough to witness the same wonderful performance. There were other minute animals swimming in the drop of water, but the rhizopods fed on u

ody, and hangs in the water like a bit of cotton thread. It has a twofold object in this: in the first place, it hopes that its enemy will think it a piece of wood fibre, bleached alga, or other non-edible substance; in the second place, if the beetle be not deceived, it will nevertheless consider it dead and unfit

he be provided with a glass of clear water, a dyticus, and several of these little worms. The annelid is able to distinguish the beetle wh

Newfoundland, I noticed a beautiful anemone in a pool of sea-water. I reached down my hand for it, when, presto! it shri

on moths,-the Isabella tiger-moth,-is a noted death-feigner, and will "pretend dead" on the slightest provocation. Touch this grub with the

ous soil gave way beneath its feet, and it rolled to the bottom. It then tried the west side, and met with a similar mishap. Not discouraged in the least by its failure, it then tried the east side, and reached the very edge, when it accidentally disturbed the equilibrium of a corncob poised upon the margin of the pit, dislodged it, and fell with it to the bottom. The caterpillar evidently thought the cob was an enemy, for it

placed in a live box and then be examined with a moderate power, they can be seen to feign death. The rapidly vibrating cilia which surround the margin of the "bells" give rise to currents in the water which can be easily made out as they sweep floating particles toward the creatures' mouths and stomachs. If the table on which the microscope rests be rapped with the knuckles, the colony will disappear as if by magic. Now, what has beco

bserved in the great snake family. The so-called "black viper" of the middle United States is the most accomplished death-feigner that I have ever seen; its make-believe death struggles, i

ic habit, but the evidence is not all in, and some day, p

s so free from ordinary dangers, that, at first, I was loath to credit the evidence of my own perceptive powers; and it

g the intolerable itching which has given to it its very appropriate name. It is only the females that make tunnels in the skin; the males move freely over the surface of the epidermis. The females make tunnels or cuniculi in the cuticle, in which they lay their eggs, and they can readily be removed from these burrows with a needle. While observing one of these minute acarii through a pocket lens, as it crawled slowly on the surface of the skin, I wished to examine the under surface of its body. When I touched it with the point of a needle

ce it falls over, apparently dead. It draws in its legs, which become stiff and rigid; even its antenn? are motionless. You may pick it up and examine it closely; it will not give the slightest sign of life. Place it on the ground and retire a little from it,

ambles to its feet and resumes the rolling of its precious ball. The habit of making use of this subterfuge is undoubtedly instinctive

g (not the "bombardier beetle") has, on the sides of its abdomen near its middle cox? ("hip bone"), certain bladd

; it then fires its broadside at the enemy. If the foe is not vanquished (as it commonly is), but still continues the attack, the bombardier turns and fires another broadside from th

on him and cease his onslaughts. The stink-bug in this seems to be governed and directed by reason, though the means used for defence must come under the head of insti

ir antenn?, and drop to the ground. They will allow themselves to be pulled about by their foes without the slightest resistance, sho

on occasions. The cat has been seen to feign death for the purpose of enticing its prey within grasping distance of its paws. In the mountains of East Tennessee (Chilhowee) I once saw a hound which would "play dead" when attacked by a more powerful dog than itself. It would fall upon its back, close its eyes, open i

tain exceptions, prefer freshly killed food. They will not touch tainted meat when they can procure the recently killed, blood-filled

apparently as a relish, just as we sometimes eat odor

hence, when they come upon their prey apparently dead, they will leave

r, companion scavengers, it can eat putrid flesh with impunity. Other flesh-eating animals avoid carrion when they can, for long years of experience have taught them that decaying meat contains certain ptomai

mind-element was to be discerned. Mimicry and kindred phenomena hardly have a place in this treatise, for they are, undoubtedly, governed and dir

TNO

tive; yet the recognition of danger, which sets in motion the phenomena of letisimulation, is undoubtedly due, pr

eaux, Life in Ponds and Streams, p.

Mattingly, Owen

ct with their sensitive glands;[A] he has likewise shown that plants, in the phenomenon known as circumnutation, evince a percipient sensitiveness that is as delicate as it is remarkable.[B] Hence, we need not feel surprised when we find, even in a plant, evidences of such a widespread stratagem as letisimulation. The champion death-feigner of the vegetable kingdom is a South American plant, Mimosa pudica. In the United States, where in some localities it has been naturalized, this plant is known as the "sensitive plant." A wild variety, Mimosa strigilosa, is native to some of the Southern States, but is by no means as sensitive as its S

ctivorous Plants

of Movement in P

The Study of I

Griffiths' Cove, Chilhowee

nal use of means to obtain a certain desired end. The fact that the dog "inherited the act" from i

CLU

e same in kind as that of man; that, though instinct undoubtedly controls and directs many of the psychical and physical manifestations w

ir eyes even to the data collected by the chiefs of their tribe, Agassiz, Kirby, Spence, et al., and go on their way shouting hosannas to omniscient, all-powerful Instinct! When one of the lower anima

animals (that is, lower than man), that I think that it can be demonstrated analogically t

raction from which the highly specialized function of man has been developed. The faculty of computing in animals is one evidence of the presence of this psyc

i and corpora striata), and in other ganglia situated in the spinal cord and elsewhere in the body. My fox terrier has a brain which, in all essential details, does not differ from that of man, and my observations teach me that his mind is the same in kind as that of man as far as memory, emotions, and reason are concerned; then why deny him the possession of abstraction in som

e abstract ideas, the quality of which is very hi

abstract ideas; for instance, I think it is impossible to doubt that they acquire through their own exp

ick up things from the ground and give them to his mahout sitting on his shoulders. Now the first few months it is dangerous to

ings, such as a crowbar or a piece of iron chain, will be handed up in a gentle manner; a sharp knife will be picked up by its handle and placed on the elephant's head, so that the mahout may take it by the handle. I hav

that his elephants not only recognized such qualities as we

c consciousness remains awake, and sometimes makes itself evident in dreams. I have repeatedly observed my terrier when under dream influence, and have been able to predicate the substance of his dreams from his

time. Thus, I have seen my dog chase imaginary rats around my room after having been aroused while in the

drug influence. Alcohol, chloroform, ether, opium, strychnine, arsenic, all produce characteristic symptoms when they are introduced into the circulatory system

the water; but, when large doses were given, they soon became stupefied and finally died. I have seen drunken jelly-fish rolling and tacking through the alcohol-impregnated water

cohol when under its influence. Horses, dogs, cats, monkeys-all mammals are affected characteri

ild cherry, and, when afflicted with the diarrh?a, can be seen biting into, and sucking, the sap from the tender twigs of such trees. Dogs, when constipated, will search for and devour the long, lanceolate blades of couch-grass (Triticum repens); horses and mules, when they have "

Central Park. One of these animals claimed as her property a particular blanket, and, notwithstanding the fact that there were other blankets in the cage in which they were confined, always covered herself with this blanket. She would take it away from her companion whenever she wished to use it. Again, two tur

h them. It seems to me that in all such instances these animals regard themselves as individuals; that they recognize the psyc

nts, and use them in getting rid of certain parasites;[121] monkeys use rocks and hammers to crack nuts too hard for their teeth; these creatures also make use of missiles to hurl at their foes;[122] chimpanzees make drums out of pieces of dry and resonant wood;[123] the orang-utan breaks branches a

, but think it hardly necessary. I think that I ha

s as Kirby and Spence are forced to ad

ons? Are they in every case the blind agent of irresistible impulse? These queries, I have already hinted, cannot, in my opinion, be replied to in the affi

utable evidence of reason. Not the higher abstract reason of the

as I believe that most readers can comprehend an illustration much quicker th

rival in her nest, and destroys them, is directed by something infinitely higher-by reason. The using of a common nest never occurs amon

occurred, perhaps, to them in a state of nature, or if by any possibility it had ever occurred before, the chances are that such occurrences were few in number, and that they happened at long intervals of time, thus precluding the establishment of an instinctive habit. Nor do I think it possible for

show that the psychical traits evinced by them indicate that their me

TNO

d Spence, Ento

, pp. 101, 102; see also Kemp, Ind

Jelly-Fish, Star-Fish,

nd in the Lower A

r, Sir R. Tennent, Bi

Vol. XXI. p. 34; quo

l, Nature

nimal Intelligen

in the Lower Anima

Malayan Archi

y, loc. cit.

turalist in Ni

Geistesleben de

d Spence, Ento

IOGR

uralist on the

aturalist i

istesleben

als of Natu

Mind in

The Study

ectivorous Plants; Formation of Vegetable Mould; The E

cal Action of Lig

Reptiles

fe in Stream

. Shar

y of Creation;

Anthrop

e Fauna of

Natural His

he Study

ication o

Spence.

Animals in Health; Mind in

ts, Bees, and Wasps; The Social Hymenoptera; The

rain and it

hysiognomy an

ysiology of Mind

Four Han

The Rac

. Animal

ature,

s. The Hum

. Body

tion in Animals; Mental Evolution in Man;

fe of Leo

. The M

. Thieris

. Anim

e of the Mind

nimal Parasite

d Life; The Ma

e and Growth

doner's Walk

British

N

E F G

P Q R

, am?ba catches a

entiation in A. Eichornii, 7

nd sand grains in an

e in

t in

locality i

nd devouring the you

pastime

eigning

f alcoho

6; author's experiments in demonst

by, 182; difference betwe

, eyes

feeding on s

g acineta c

periment with, 42; d

parasitic

ween light and darkness by, 54

li o

ory as to de

f auditi

xperiments

s choice

in,

n the, 62; memory of frie

observat

iments with La

s recognized an

r in the b

ve-filaments in the

nts (chloroform an

evinced

of worker ants

usement in

ations of L. fl

eolatus fond

vations of pr

ations of Beckia

odura in the nests of F. f

f reason i

l of a

betwe

n of Huber's experim

ation i

ary of degener

ense in

gning in

ia, eye

tionately trea

s domestic

sps for food pref

hetic nerves pa

g in, 184; Paul Bert's

xperiments

experiments

us atratus, 34; of

is resini

n of individuals by, 75; bird dec

tion in, 138; homing

domesticate

viduals in, 76, 77;

sense i

g, death-feig

actinophrys

olaris, death-f

nger in, 71; recognition

le, homing s

for larva selected by,

bservations

third e

s, death-fei

tion on a, 95; faith in man's a

esicles of, 37; memo

in a male, 142; idea o

ntal affectio

earing in, 36; Will'

by, 83; author's test for m

, 75; recognition o

cells in embr

smiles evinced by, 89; fa

f property ri

ancers of, 33; orga

vesicles of, 37; mem

latus, ants ma

iar assemblages o

drake and a, 78; fondness

inition of, 43; ti

location of

cation of the s

auditory

uardian and fr

eriment on the chro

of, 21; power o

city

, ears

yes of fres

the origin of

illum, death-f

inicola, bal

f, 33; love of

a friend by a, 78

rtain musical k

periments w

al discriminati

f the echo

ations of an ec

ffection i

of numbers in

of dreaming

on by si

difolia, inse

antam cock and, 78; hawk a

direction

f, 30; death-feigning in a fresh-wa

ition of indi

us, 30; co

opper'

nus,

ation practised by, 105

experiment

offsprin

in testing parental a

rescue an imprisoned, 100; Belt's expe

the, 217; Conklin's testimony a

stop bullet

bush used as

h fresh food used by, 104; differentiation in t

definition o

gth of life in

der's, 9;

e's

e's

er Cymoth

rea'

rchin

er's

ope'

l's,

ish's

nus'

hthalm

dium'

tis'

nd pigmented, 13; pare

direction

86; dancing and milit

educatin

rigin of unilat

in, 100; species of Podu

sympathy evi

, pet beetles in

-making habit in, 155; s

servations o

n in the, 182; chro

observat

olor-changing

f suitable spot for

make the toilet of, 130

on the color-changi

parri, tinctum

of offspring in, 138;

ing sense

se of cudg

per, ear

ce to seasons shown

h of gilt catfish

length of

amusement in, 123; auth

rgans of aud

ip between a

ing calamity by, 90; consternati

engineering

inced

hown by

nt demonstrating

in the, 143; seeking man'

ication

th-feignin

decorative ins

use feeding on

nerve-tiss

ognition of kind

ositing in the bodies of

efinition o

n the, 142; battle b

ogy, and psychology of, 4; n

s" o

or "hand

s of nervous

f nectoca

icate

sought

ision of the marg

determinat

f alcoho

changing functi

y of locality in, 65

xperiments

experiments with, 67; sl

e species disin

memory of ki

organs of h

efinition of, 202

n, 194; Romanes on the

wls cleane

Kate Field's music-loving, 119; fo

e "singi

ment with the p

in the, 137; battle betwe

ess in, 130; diamond mis

s tastes i

of the toile

music in, 108; t

ss spider of, 11; e

in the beet

a reven

intoxica

forcing auditory

scussion under

a, death-fei

osa, death-fei

efiniti

tion of sight

tion of nerve-cells in,

en as a friend by,

eproach mani

computing i

ammer by

correlation wi

in, 116; musical di

observat

experiments

and analysis of the

ervations of music

time evinced b

s of, 17; repr

of friends (kindred) in,

oney-making, 157; na

n testing the reasonin

labor in a c

inal bodies in j

essions through, 41; the po

of ideas (impr

ry i

in, 186; author's e

, eyes

of foreleg of horse f

ic eyes of, 26; d

simulation in

r in the, 89; use o

sense in th

, eyes

ngth of life in

offspring in

tat of, 25; peculiar

of,

of,

the, 122; Lockman's accou

scriminati

ection in the, 139; Ris

eyes in the, 9; absence of colo

e color-changing function of

escens make pets of, 126; a

tendency of slaver

riments in locating or

ed, 111; love of

trumental m

the singing v

al music in, 116; power of m

, 147; difference bet

ection in, 48; Carter'

ry i

ming sens

ocality in, 62; author

nis, death-fei

in the male, 128; author

in, eyes

f, 19; visual

ship

ense of direc

xperiments

in demonstrating homi

author's experiment in testi

on and "homing i

ions of "homing i

n of unilateral

individuals in, 77; pa

a laugh

72; recognition of

music in

riments with

ments with pipe

tions on the love

nstinct pres

web spu

affection

nt in testing par

ent (pebble a

memory i

system of, 46; observations

determinat

ia of

on caused by the habit of sl

ancers of, 33; loss

f balance

y hairs

in a colony of, 161; number o

gravid q

exica

and worke

reasoning po

c in, 113; musical di

ideatio

f, 182; location of color-ch

n the, 87; a p

ction in the

ck dogs medicate th

s in the, 76; recognition of

mutation in the

h-feigning

f conscious, 39; physi

uthor's experiments in tes

indred in t

lity and of ev

from a single ex

fe in the mu

son in the mud-

asy acquirement in the a

mputing in th

n testing the computin

or the male and female gru

ense of direct

evinced by, 93; recogniti

de show

NOM

OMAS DEVI

he Charity Organizatio

ellow in the Univers

urer of the Am

sion of Unive

Cloth.

d Thomas Devine peculiar qualifications for the preparation of a text-book upon this subject, and his

ning exposition of the subje

gaining their majority should read a good work on this subject, and we co

be found a handbook suited to i

MILLAN

AVENUE,

RY OF P

ECIAL RE

ION AND DE

EMS AND C

W. WIND

sophy in the Unive

lation by JAMES

f Philosophy in the U

oth. $4

to every student of phil

age to age and of the logical relation of the various schools and thinkers to each other. There is no other work available in English which presents these aspects of

answers its purpose. It should have a place in the lib

a book in the form of a history of philosop

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