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Chapter 6 ANIMAL MATHEMATICIANS

Word Count: 2508    |    Released on: 30/11/2017

houghtless an

tive in his

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ledge, without really knowing the ways of Nature, have builded. It will also record all the strange and curious facts about animals and their ways without insisting too much on rigid explanation. These new scientists are far different from their predecessors who tried to explain everything they did not understand about an animal's behaviour in terms of the scanty information gained by studying a f

lue of numerical rotation. Most of the arithmetical feats of trained animals are hoaxes regulated by their sense of smell, sight, touch and taste. But no one doubts their ability to count. I have know

utine work of this mule was to cart two loads of wood to the town every day. One day the negro wished to make a third trip, but wa

one of the attributes of his mental superiority. However, many facts go to show that animals have no

oured servant, whose faithful dog had been trained to know that just at noon each day he was expected to carry lunch to his master. I have seen the dog on more than one occasion playing with children in the streets, suddenly break away without any one calling him, or any suggestion on our part as to t

occasion the train was delayed two hours, and it was exceedingly cold, but the devoted companion remained until his maste

t her, there was a mystery about her; every Tuesday evening she disappeared; we tried to watch her, but in vain; she was always off by nine P. M., and was away all night, coming back next day wearied, and all over mud, as if she had travelled far. This went on for some months, and we could make nothing of it. Well, one day I was walking across the Grass-market, with Wylie at my heels, when two shepherds started, and looking at her, one said, 'That's her; that's the wonderful wise bitch that naebody kens.' I asked h

ntinued; not, however, so far as the spaniel was concerned. His visits continued as before. On the eve of the first Christmas following the misunderstanding, the Guilford family were astonished to find at their door their London friend, C?sar. Naturally, they expected that he had come in advance of the family, and were happy in the thought of this unexpected reconciliation. All evening they awaited their friends, but none arrive

m, such as to state the square root of nine, or of sixteen, or the sum of two numbers. He would then point at each card in succession, and the dog would bark when

ortunities to learn as the man. Many savages, for example, cannot count beyond three or four. Sir John Lubbock gives an anecdote of Mr. Gal

at the word two. Then he might pass on to six or seven. After he had progressed to ten, he might begin addition. At least the experiment would be interesting and conducive to learning the truth. Surely a knowledge of mat

f the Hottentots to count to three. These inequalities in the mathematical notions of different people should make us very cautious about saying that animals cannot count and h

A HERD OF SHEEP IS GUARDED BY ONE OR MORE

IN SPITE OF ITS DOMESTICATION, HAS A

as the average human being in making these distinctions, yet when mentally compared to the state of Bushmen, Tasman

iven from his pen, if by chance one of his party is left behind he refuses to go-thus indicating that he is able to tell that the exact number is not with him. His affectionate and gentle disposition, not to mention his love

t the safest way of escape, and the power of the enemy even better than savage man. Yet in most of these problems, definite notions of number or figures have little part. A dog, when hunting, for example, on a prairie where he has to leap over ditches or quickly turn around a large tree, is able by a second's thought to do so without danger. He clears the wire fence, leaps the ditch, dashes through a

tactics used that would be useless in other cases. If four dogs attack, two on each side, it retreats, with face toward the enemy. If a dozen dogs are in the attacking for

iately. When dogs are chasing a hare, if they raise another, they become very confused, as if they did n

not yet learned that arithmetical notions are more difficult than geometrical ones. Our industrial civilisation has caused us to lose the idea of the insignificance that number has in animal life compa

ed to being fed at six o'clock in the morning, and when on one occasion his master did not a

ouzeau claims that a female crocodile remains away from her eggs in the sand for twelve to t

eniable that they have a love of mental acquisition, and it seems that the Creator has given to every animal, as a reward for its limitations in other respects, a definite innate knowledge and desire to advance educationally. There is in the breast o

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Contents

Chapter 1 ANIMALS THAT PRACTISE CAMOUFLAGE Chapter 2 ANIMAL MUSICIANS Chapter 3 ANIMALS AT PLAY Chapter 4 ARMOUR-BEARING AND MAIL-CLAD ANIMALS Chapter 5 MINERS AND EXCAVATORS Chapter 6 ANIMAL MATHEMATICIANS Chapter 7 THE LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS Chapter 8 IN THEIR BOUDOIRS, HOSPITALS AND CHURCHES Chapter 9 SELF-DEFENCE AND HOME-GOVERNMENT Chapter 10 ANIMAL ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND HOUSE BUILDERS Chapter 11 FOOD CONSERVERS
Chapter 12 TOURISTS AND SIGHT-SEERS
Chapter 13 ANIMAL SCAVENGERS AND CRIMINALS
Chapter 14 AS THE ALLIES OF MAN
Chapter 15 CLEO'S SILENCE
Chapter 16 THE LARGER VISION
Chapter 17 THE OPAL GATES
Chapter 18 QUESTIONS
Chapter 19 CLEO'S CRY
Chapter 20 THE BLOW FALLS
Chapter 21 THE NEW LIFE PURPOSE
Chapter 22 A MODERN SCALAWAG
Chapter 23 HIS HOUSE IN ORDER
Chapter 24 THE MAN OF THE HOUR
Chapter 25 A WOMAN SCORNED
Chapter 26 AN OLD COMEDY
Chapter 27 TRAPPED
Chapter 28 BEHIND THE BARS
Chapter 29 ANDY'S DILEMMA
Chapter 30 THE BEST LAID PLANS
Chapter 31 A RECONNOITRE
Chapter 32 THE FIRST WHISPER
Chapter 33 No.33
Chapter 34 THE FOLLY OF PITY
Chapter 35 A DISCOVERY
Chapter 36 THE CHALLENGE
Chapter 37 A SKIRMISH
Chapter 38 LOVE LAUGHS
Chapter 39 FIGHT IT OUT!
Chapter 40 ANDY FIGHTS
Chapter 41 THE SECOND BLOW
Chapter 42 THE TEST OF LOVE
Chapter 43 THE PARTING
Chapter 44 FATHER AND SON
Chapter 45 THE ONE CHANCE
Chapter 46 BETWEEN TWO FIRES
Chapter 47 A SURPRISE
Chapter 48 VIA DOLOROSA
Chapter 49 THE DREGS IN THE CUP
Chapter 50 THE MILLS OF GOD
Chapter 51 SIN FULL GROWN
Chapter 52 CONFESSION
Chapter 53 HEALING
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