Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1892 — MEMORY OF ANIMALS. [ARTICLE]

MEMORY OF ANIMALS.

The proof that experience is the guide of life among the lower animals may be found very low in the scale of animal organisms. The razor shell or mollusk, as soon aa the tide retreats buries itself in the sand, often to the depth of several feet. The fishermen who hunt them use a long,thin rod, hooked at the end, or they sprinkle a little salt in the hole to drive out its occupant. This generally succeeds; there is a movement in the sand, and half the creature appears on the surface. With a quick movement the fisherman tries to - seize him. If this fails the mollusk vanishes into his hole, and all the blandishments of the fisher’s art would fail to tempt him out a second time —the mollusk has profited by experience. Similar conduct of animals which cannot be regarded as other than the result of experience may be noted among the most diverse species. A fox that has once been caught in a trap and fortunately regained his freedom will profit by the experience, and beware of traps in the future. The same is true of manv other animals and of birds also.

Quail which have once been netted by the allurements of the “call,” if they regain their freedom, will never be allured by it again. Every hunter is familiar with the fact that it is much easier to outwit a young animal than an experienced one. Bortase tells a very interesting story of how a lobster got the better of an oyster. The lobster several times inserted his claws in the half-opened shell, but the oyster always closed in time to save himself. The lobster then seized a stone and inserted it qnickly into the cautiously opened shell and devoured the oyster. Monkeys secure oysters by the same trick, but there is nothing remarkable in that, as their intelligence is well known. ‘ Kirby tells of the bees that after repeated raids of the “death’s head” upon their store build a sort of bulwark about the hole or entrance to keep them out. Duges, says the Vienna Stein der Weiser, observed a spider which had seized a bee from behind, and thus hindered it from flying. The stronger bee, however, had its legs free and walked off with the spider f which tried to drag her into his den The struggle lasted some time, when the spider lowered itself with its prey by a thread. Thie bee’s legs were useless in mid-air, and the spider clung to her until he had accomplished his full purpose. It is impossible to argue that these are exceptions, which afford no proof of a general intellectual capacity of animals. Every such experience is individual, and,_ from the circumstances of its origin, can not extend to the species. We must concede, too, that even among animals there arc individuals much more highly gifted than the general rule of the species. Innumerable instance are seen among horses, dogs, elephants and monkeys; to deny the fact would be to deny the capacity of animals for further development' The possibilities of such advance are, of course, limited, but so also is the possibility of human advance, although the boundarj- line is not yet in sight. The higher animals are much more ready to meet exceptional exigencies than the lower, both because their capacities are greater ajxd because they have been more highly developed by a wide range of ex« pcrienccs.