essays on life, art and science-第22章

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little。　　We；　too；　are　animals；　and　can　no　more　refuse　to　infer
reason　from　certain　visible　actions　in　their　case　than　we　can　in　our
own。　　If　Professor　Max　Muller's　plea　were　allowed；　we　should　have　to
deny　our　right　to　infer　confidently　what　passes　in　the　mind　of　any
one　not　ourselves；　inasmuch　as　we　are　not　that　person。　　We　never；
indeed；　can　obtain　irrefragable　certainty　about　this　or　any　other
matter；　but　we　can　be　sure　enough　in　many　cases　to　warrant　our
staking　all　that　is　most　precious　to　us　on　the　soundness　of　our
opinion。　　Moreover；　if　the　Professor　denies　our　right　to　infer　that
animals　reason；　on　the　ground　that　we　are　not　animals　enough
ourselves　to　be　able　to　form　an　opinion；　with　what　right　does　he
infer　so　confidently　himself　that　they　do　not　reason？　　And　how；　if
they　present　every　one　of　those　appearances　which　we　are　accustomed
to　connect　with　the　communication　of　an　idea　from　one　mind　to
another；　can　we　deny　that　they　have　a　language　of　their　own；　though
it　is　one　which　in　most　cases　we　can　neither　speak　nor　understand？
How　can　we　say　that　a　sentinel　rook；　when　it　sees　a　man　with　a　gun
and　warns　the　other　rooks　by　a　concerted　note　which　they　all　show
that　they　understand　by　immediately　taking　flight；　should　not　be
credited　both　with　reason　and　the　germs　of　language？

After　all；　a　professor；　whether　of　philology；　psychology；　biology；
or　any　other　ology；　is　hardly　the　kind　of　person　to　whom　we　should
appeal　on　such　an　elementary　question　as　that　of　animal　intelligence
and　language。　　We　might　as　well　ask　a　botanist　to　tell　us　whether
grass　grows；　or　a　meteorologist　to　tell　us　if　it　has　left　off
raining。　　If　it　is　necessary　to　appeal　to　any　one；　I　should　prefer
the　opinion　of　an　intelligent　gamekeeper　to　that　of　any　professor；
however　learned。　　The　keepers；　again；　at　the　Zoological　Gardens；
have　exceptional　opportunities　for　studying　the　minds　of　animals
modified；　indeed；　by　captivity；　but　still　minds　of　animals。　　Grooms；
again；　and　dog…fanciers；　are　to　the　full　as　able　to　form　an
intelligent　opinion　on　the　reason　and　language　of　animals　as　any
University　Professor；　and　so　are　cats'…meat　men。　　I　have　repeatedly
asked　gamekeepers　and　keepers　at　the　Zoological　Gardens　whether
animals　could　reason　and　converse　with　one　another；　and　have　always
found　myself　regarded　somewhat　contemptuously　for　having　even　asked
the　question。　　I　once　said　to　a　friend；　in　the　hearing　of　a　keeper
at　the　Zoological　Gardens；　that　the　penguin　was　very　stupid。　　The
man　was　furious；　and　jumped　upon　me　at　once。　　〃He's　not　stupid　at
all；〃　said　he；　〃he's　very　intelligent。〃

Who　has　not　seen　a　cat；　when　it　wishes　to　go　out；　raise　its　fore
paws　on　to　the　handle　of　the　door；　or　as　near　as　it　can　get；　and
look　round；　evidently　asking　some　one　to　turn　it　for　her？　　Is　it
reasonable　to　deny　that　a　reasoning　process　is　going　on　in　the　cat's
mind；　whereby　she　connects　her　wish　with　the　steps　necessary　for　its
fulfilment；　and　also　with　certain　invariable　symbols　which　she　knows
her　master　or　mistress　will　interpret？　　Once；　in　company　with　a
friend；　I　watched　a　cat　playing　with　a　house…fly　in　the　window　of　a
ground…floor　room。　　We　were　in　the　street；　while　the　cat　was　inside。
When　we　came　up　to　the　window　she　gave　us　one　searching　look；　and；
having　satisfied　herself　that　we　had　nothing　for　her；　went　on　with
her　game。　　She　knew　all　about　the　glass　in　the　window；　and　was　sure
we　could　do　nothing　to　molest　her；　so　she　treated　us　with　absolute
contempt；　never　even　looking　at　us　again。

The　game　was　this。　　She　was　to　catch　the　fly　and　roll　it　round　and
round　under　her　paw　along　the　window…sill；　but　so　gently　as　not　to
injure　it　nor　prevent　it　from　being　able　to　fly　again　when　she　had
done　rolling　it。　　It　was　very　early　spring；　and　flies　were　scarce；
in　fact　there　was　not　another　in　the　whole　window。　　She　knew　that　if
she　crippled　this　one；　it　would　not　be　able　to　amuse　her　further；
and　that　she　would　not　readily　get　another　instead；　and　she　liked
the　feel　of　it　under　her　paw。　　It　was　soft　and　living；　and　the
quivering　of　its　wings　tickled　the　ball　of　her　foot　in　a　manner　that
she　found　particularly　grateful；　so　she　rolled　it　gently　along　the
whole　length　of　the　window…sill。　　It　then　became　the　fly's　turn。　　He
was　to　get　up　and　fly　about　in　the　window；　so　as　to　recover　himself
a　little；　then　she　was　to　catch　him　again；　and　roll　him　softly　all
along　the　window…sill；　as　she　had　done　before。

It　was　plain　that　the　cat　knew　the　rules　of　her　game　perfectly　well；
and　enjoyed　it　keenly。　　It　was　equally　plain　that　the　fly　could　not
make　head　or　tail　of　what　it　was　all　about。　　If　it　had　been　able　to
do　so　it　would　have　gone　to　play　in　the　upper　part　of　the　window；
where　the　cat　could　not　reach　it。　　Perhaps　it　was　always　hoping　to
get　through　the　glass；　and　escape　that　way；　anyhow；　it　kept　pretty
much　to　the　same　pane；　no　matter　how　often　it　was　rolled。　　At　last；
however；　the　fly；　for　some　reason　or　another；　did　not　reappear　on
the　pane；　and　the　cat　began　looking　everywhere　to　find　it。　　Her
annoyance　when　she　failed　to　do　so　was　extreme。　　It　was　not　only
that　she　had　lost　her　fly；　but　that　she　could　not　conceive　how　she
should　have　ever　come　to　do　so。　　Presently　she　noted　a　small　knot　in
the　woodwork　of　the　sill；　and　it　flashed　upon　her　that　she　had
accidentally　killed　the　fly；　and　that　this　was　its　dead　body。　　She
tried　to　move　it　gently　with　her　paw；　but　it　was　no　use；　and　for　the
time　she　satisfied　herself　that　the　knot　and　the　fly　had　nothing　to
do　with　one　another。　　Every　now　and　then；　however；　she　returned　to
it　as　though　it　were　the　only　thing　she　could　think　of；　and　she
would　try　it　again。　　She　seemed　to　say　she　was　certain　there　had
been　no　knot　there　beforeshe　must　have　seen　it　if　there　had　been；
and　yet；　the　fly　could　hardly　have　got　jammed　so　firmly　into　the
wood。　　She　was　puzzled　and　irritated　beyond　measure；　and　kept
looking　in　the　same　place　again　and　again；　just　as　we　do　when　we
have　mislaid　something。　　She　was　rapidly　losing　temper　and　dignity
when　suddenly　we　saw　the　fly　reappear　from　under　the　cat's　stomach
and　make　for　the　window…pane；　at　the　very　moment　when　the　cat
herself　was　exclaiming　for　the　fiftieth　time　that　she　wondered　where
that　stupid　fly　ever　could　have　got　to。　　No　man　who　has　been　hunting
twenty　minutes　for　his　spectacles　could　be　more　delighted　when　he
suddenly　finds　them　on　his　own　forehead。　　〃So　that's　where　you
were；〃　we　seemed　to　hear　her　say；　as　she　proceeded　to　catch　it；　and
again　began　rolling　it　very　softly　without　hurting　it；　under　her
paw。　　My　friend　and　I　both　noticed　that　the　cat；　in　spite　of　her
perplexity；　never　so　much　as　hinted　that　we　were　the　culprits。　　The
question　whether　anything　outside　the　window　could　do　her　good　or
harm　had　long　since　been　settled　by　her　in　the　negative；　and　she　was
not　going　to　reopen　it；　she　simply　cut　us　dead；　and　though　her
annoyance　was　so　great　that　she　was　manifestly　ready　to　lay　the
blame　on　anybody　or　anything　with　or　without　reason；　and　though　she
must　have　perfectly　well　known　that　we　were　watching　the　whole
affair　with　amusement；　she　never　either　asked　us　if　we　had　happened
to　see　such　a　thing　as　a　fly　go　down　our　way　lately；　or　accused　us
of　having　taken　it　from　herboth　of　which　ideas　she　would；　I　am
confident；　have　been　very　well　able　to　convey　to　us　if　she　had　been
so　minded。

Now　what　are　thought　and　reason　if　the　processes　that　were　going
through　this　cat's　mind　were　not　both　one　and　the　other？　　It　would
be　childish　to　suppose　that　the　cat　thought　in　words　of　its　own；　or
in　anything　like　words。　　Its　thinking　was　probably　conducted　through
the　instrumentality　of　a　series　of　mental　images。　　We　so　habitually
think　in　words　ourselves　that　we　find　it　difficult　to　realise
thought　without　words　at　all；　our　difficulty；　however；　in　imagining
the　particular　manner　in　which　the　cat　thinks　has　nothing　to　do　with
the　matter。　　We　must　answer　the　question　whether　she　thinks　or　no；
not　according　to　our　own　ease　or　difficulty　in　understanding　the
particular　manner　of　her　thinking；　but　according　as　her　action　does
or　does　not　appear　to　be　of　the　same　character　as　other　action　that
we　commonly　call　thoughtful。　　To　say　that　the　cat　is　not
intelligent；　merely　on　the　ground　that　we　cannot　ourselves　fathom
her　intelligencethis；　as　I　have　elsewhere　said；　is　to　make
intelligence　mean　the　power　of　being　understood；　rather　than　the
power　of　understanding。　　This　nevertheless　is　what；　for　all　our
boasted　intelligence；　we　generally　do。　　The　more　we　can　understand
an　animal's　ways；　the　more　intelligent　we　call　it；　and　the　less　we
can　understand　these；　the　more　stupid　do　we　declare　it　to　be。　　As
for　plantswhose　punctuality　and　attention　to　all　the　details　and
routine　of　their　somewhat　restricted　lines　of　business　is　as　obvious
as　it　is　beyond　all　praisewe　understand　the　working　of　their　minds
so　little　that　by　common　consent　we　declare　them　to　have　no
intelligence　at　all。

Before　concluding　I　should　wish　to　deal　a　little　more　fully　with
Professor　Max　Muller's　contention　that　there　can　be　no　reason
without　language；　and　no　language　without　reason。　　Surely　when　two
practised　pugilists　are　fighting；　parrying　each　other's　blows；　and
watching　keenly　for　an　unguarded　point；　they　are　thinking　and
reasoning　very　subtly　the　whole　time；　without　doing　so　in　words。
The　machination　of　their　thoughts；　as　well　as　its　expression；　is
actualI　mean；　effectuated　and　expressed　by　action　and　deed；　not
words。　　They　are　unaware　of　any　logical　sequence　of　thought　that
they　could　follow　in　words　as　passing　through　their　minds　at　all。
They　may　perhaps　think　consciously　in　words　now　and　again；　but　such
thought　will　be　intermittent；　and　the　main　part　of　the　fighting　will
be　done　without　any　internal　concomitance　of　articulated　phrases。
Yet　we　cannot　doubt　that　their　action；　however　much　we　may
disapprove　of　it；　is　guided　by　intelligence　and　reason；　nor　should
we　doubt　that　a　reasoning　process　of　the　same　character　goes　on　in
the　minds　of　two　dogs　or　fighting…cocks　when　they　are　striving　to
master　their　opponents。

Do　we　think　in　words；　again；　when　we　wind　up　our　watches；　put　on　our
clothes；　or　eat　our　breakfasts？　　If　we　do；　it　is　generally　about
something　else。　　We　do　these　things　almost　as　much　without　the　help
of　words　as　we　wink　or　yawn；　or　perform　any　of　those　other　actions
that　we　call　reflex；　as　it　would　almost　seem　because　they　are　done
without　reflection。　　They　are　not；　however；　the　less　reasonable
because　wordless。

Even　when　we　think　we　are　thinking　in　words；　we　do　so　only　in　half
measure。　　A　running　accompaniment　of　words　no　doubt　frequently
attends　our　thoughts；　but；　unless　we　are　writing　or　speaking；　this
accompaniment　is　of　the　vaguest　and　most　fitful　kind；　as　we　often
find　out　when　we　try　to　write　down　or　say　what　we　are　thinking
about；　though　we　have　a　fairly　definite　notion　of　it；　or　fancy　that
we　have　one；　all　the　time。　　The　thought　is　not　steadily　and
coherently　governed　by　and　moulded　in　words；　nor　does　it　steadily
govern　them。　　Words　and　thought　interact　upon　and　help　one　another；
as　any　other　mechanical　appliances　interact　on　and　help　the
invention　that　first