176 THE GROUNDWORK OF SCIENCE

dog the same kind of expectant feelings and the therewith

associated actions, which had become so engrained during

its residence at the archbishop's.

We ought, perhaps, also to notice the oft-told tale about

crows which have been thought able to count It appears

that somewhere beneath the nests shot at was a watch-house,

and by its aid the wary crow was, only after several vain

attempts, finally deceived. When about to shoot the nests,

in order to deceive the suspicious bird, the plan was hit

upon of sending two men to the watch, one of whom

passed on while the other remained. This stratagem was

without effect. The next day three went, but the bird merely

looked on while only two returned, and it was found necessary

to send five or six men to the watch-house before her

senses were sufficiently confused. But there was surely

nothing very wonderful in the fact that a crow, seeing a

man go beneath her nest with a gun, should keep clear

till she saw him go away, even if he had hidden himself

for a time. What marvel was it, then, that the bird's sense-

perception felt a difference between the visual picture

presented by a group of three men and another presented

by only two? The wonder rather is that the crow should

not have been more discriminative.

But obtuseness to numerical differences on the part of

highly organized animals, such as dogs and cats, seems to

us very wonderful, indeed absolutely to negative their

possession of any sensitive faculty which might run parallel

with our idea of number. Such is the case, since both

bitches and she-cats do not seem to miss a single pup or

kitten which may be taken away from the others in her

litter when they have not actually witnessed the act of its

being taken away.

But the fact which has been most relied on as a proof

that a mere animal can understand what "number" is,

dog the same kind of expectant feelings and the therewith

associated actions, which had become so engrained during

its residence at the archbishop's.

We ought, perhaps, also to notice the oft-told tale about

crows which have been thought able to count It appears

that somewhere beneath the nests shot at was a watch-house,

and by its aid the wary crow was, only after several vain

attempts, finally deceived. When about to shoot the nests,

in order to deceive the suspicious bird, the plan was hit

upon of sending two men to the watch, one of whom

passed on while the other remained. This stratagem was

without effect. The next day three went, but the bird merely

looked on while only two returned, and it was found necessary

to send five or six men to the watch-house before her

senses were sufficiently confused. But there was surely

nothing very wonderful in the fact that a crow, seeing a

man go beneath her nest with a gun, should keep clear

till she saw him go away, even if he had hidden himself

for a time. What marvel was it, then, that the bird's sense-

perception felt a difference between the visual picture

presented by a group of three men and another presented

by only two? The wonder rather is that the crow should

not have been more discriminative.

But obtuseness to numerical differences on the part of

highly organized animals, such as dogs and cats, seems to

us very wonderful, indeed absolutely to negative their

possession of any sensitive faculty which might run parallel

with our idea of number. Such is the case, since both

bitches and she-cats do not seem to miss a single pup or

kitten which may be taken away from the others in her

litter when they have not actually witnessed the act of its

being taken away.

But the fact which has been most relied on as a proof

that a mere animal can understand what "number" is,