In 'Nature' (vol. xi., p. 48) Mr. Mitchell gives the following instance of intelligence on the part of a small perch. Having one day disturbed its nest full of young fry, Mr. Mitchell next day went to look for the nest; 'but we searched in vain for the fish and her young. At length, a few yards further up stream, we discovered the parent guarding her fry with jealous care in a cavity scooped out of the coarse sand. . . . This is the first and only instance that has come under my notice of a fish watching over her young, and conveying them, when threatened with danger, to some other place.'

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In Nature' (December 19, 1878) there is also published a communication which was made by Mr. J. Faraday to the Manchester Anglers' Association, concerning a skate which he observed in the aquarium of that town:

A morsel of food thrown into the tank fell directly in an angle formed by the glass front and the bottom. The skate, a large example, made several vain attempts to seize the food, owing to its mouth being on the underside of its head and the food being close to the glass. He lay quite still for a while as though thinking, then suddenly raised himself into a slanting posture, the head inclined upwards, and the under surface of the body towards the food, when he waved his broad expanse of fins, thus creating an upward current or wave in the water, which lifted the food from its position and carried it straight to his mouth.

It will be observed, however, that this observation is practically worthless, from the observer having neglected to repeat the conditions in order to show that the movements of the fish were not, in their adaptation to these circumstances, purely accidental. Therefore I should not have alluded to this observation, had I not found that it has been quoted by several writers as a remarkable display of intelligence on the part of the fish.

I must not take leave of this class without making some allusion to the alleged habits of the so-called 'pilotfish,' and also to those of thresher' and 'sword-fish.' I class these widely different habits together because they are alike in being dubious; different observers give different accounts, and therefore, until more information is

forthcoming, we must suspend our judgment with regard to the habits in question. The following describes what these habits are believed by many observers to be.

Captain Richards, R.N., says that he saw a blue shark following a bait which was thrown out to him from the ship. The shark, which was attended by four pilot-fish, repeatedly approached the bait; but every time he did so one of the latter rushed in and prevented him. After a time the shark swam away; but when he had gone a considerable distance, he turned back again, swam quickly after the vessel, and before the pilot-fish could overtake him, seized the bait and was caught. While hoisting him on board, one of the pilots was seen to cling to his side until above water, when it dropped off. All the pilots then swam about for a time, as if searching for their friend, 'with every apparent mark of anxiety and distress." Colonel Smith fully corroborates this observation; but Mr. Geoffrey, on the other hand, saw a pilot-fish take great pains to bring a shark to the bait.2 Probably the truth is that the pilot-fish attend the shark in order to obtain the crumbs that fall from his feasts, and that the cases in which they appear to prevent his taking the bait are without any psychological significance.

With regard to the alleged co-operation of the threshing and sword-fish in the destruction of whales, all that can be said is that the statements, although antecedently improbable, are sufficient in number not to be ignored. Mr. Day appears to accept the evidences adequate, and gives the following cases :--

Captain Arn, in a voyage to Memel in the Baltic, gives the following interesting narrative:-One morning during a calm, when near the Hebrides, all hands were called up at 2 A.M. to witness a battle between several of the fish called threshers or fox-sharks (Alopecias vulpes), and some sword-fish on one side, and an enormous whale on the other. It was in the middle of the summer; and the weather being clear, and the fish close to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of witnessing the contest. As soon as the whale's back appeared above the water, the

1 Cur., Anim. Kingd. x. p. 636.

2 F. Day, loc. cit.

threshers springing several yards into the air descended with great violence upon the object of their rancour, and inflicted upon him the most severe slaps with their long tails, the sounds of which resembled the reports of muskets fired at a distance. The sword-fish in their turn attacked the distressed whale, stabbing from below and thus beset on all sides and wounded, when the poor creature appeared, the water around him was dyed with blood. In this manner they continued tormenting and wounding him for many hours, until we lost sight of him; and I have no doubt they in the end completed his destruction.

The master of a fishing-boat has recently observed that the thresher-shark serves out the whales, the sea sometimes being all blood. One whale, attacked by these fish, once took refuge under his vessel, where it lay an hour and a half without moving a fin. He also remarked having seen the threshers jump out of the water as high as the mast-head and down upon the whale, while the sword fish was wounding him from beneath, the two sorts of fish evidently acting in concert.

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[Dr. Günther, however, denies that the thresher ever attacks whales; and Prof. Moseley writes me that he considers the alleged cases 'very unlikely,' as the hide of the whale is so tough, and the blubber so thick, that the animal would not feel or care about the thresher, which, by falling on the whale from a height of say 20 feet, might nearly commit suicide without the whale knowing anything about it. The supposed thresher is usually a whale splashing, or whales copulating.' Moreover, as regards the pilot-fish, Prof. Moseley writes me that from actual observation he can fully corroborate the opinion which I have expressed. The pilot-fish,' he says, 'cannot possibly hold on the shark, as it has no means of attachment'; it is the Remora (which habitually clings to the bodies of sharks) that has been mistaken for the pilotfish. The latter is a most unfortunate fish to run as exhibiting animal intelligence. It constantly mistakes a ship for a big shark, swimming for weeks near the watersurface, just a foot in front of the cutwater. Now, if it swam just behind the stern it would get plenty of food, whereas in front of the bow it gets nothing whatever. Nevertheless, it stays on at what in a shark is of course the right place, ready to be at the beast's mouth directly food is found.'-1886.]

CHAPTER IX.

BATRACHIANS AND REPTILES.

ON the intelligence of frogs and toads very little has to be said. Frogs seem to have definite ideas of locality; for several of my correspondents inform me that they have known cases in which these animals, after having been removed for a distance of 200 or 300 yards from their habitual haunts, returned to them again and again. This, however, may I think perhaps be due to these haunts having a moistness which the animals are able to perceive at a great distance. But be this as it may, certainly the distance at which frogs are able to perceive moisture is surprising. Thus, for instance, Warden gives a case in which a pond containing a number of frogs dried up, and the frogs thereupon made straight for the nearest water, although this was at a distance of eight kilometres.1

A curious special instinct is met with in the toad Bufo obstetricans, from which it derives its name; for the male here performs the function of an accoucheur to the female, by severing from her body the gelatinous cord by which the ova are attached.

Another special instinct or habit manifested by toads is described by M. Duchemin in a paper before the Academy of Sciences at Paris.2 The habit consists in the killing of carp by squatting on the head of the fish and forcing the fore-feet into its eyes. Probably this habit arises from sexual excitement on the part of the toads.

I have one case, communicated to me by a correspondent, of a frog which learnt to know her voice, and to come when called. As fish will sometimes do the same 1 Account of the United States, vol. ii., p. 9.

April 11, 1870.

thing, the account is sufficiently credible for me to quote:

I used to open the gate in the railings round the pond, and call out Tommy' (the name I had given it), and the frog would jump out from the bushes, dive into the water, and swim across to me get on my hand sometimes. When I called 'Tommy,' it would nearly always come, whatever the time of day, though it was only fed after breakfast; but it seemed quite tame.

A

very similar case is recorded by Mr. Pennent of a toad which was domesticated for thirty-six years, and knew all his friends.

There is no doubt that frogs are able to appreciate coming changes of weather, and to adapt their movements in anticipation of them; but these facts show delicate. sensibility rather than remarkable intelligence.

The following observation of Edward, the Scottish naturalist, however, shows considerable powers of observation on the part of frogs. After describing the great noise made by a number of frogs on a moonlight night, he says:

Presently, when the whole of the vocalists had reached their highest notes, they became hushed in an instant. I was amazed at this, and began to wonder at the sudden termination of the concert. But, looking about, I observed a brown owl drop down, with the silence of death, on to the top of a low dyke close by the orchestra.2

Reptiles.

Like the other cold-blooded Vertebrata, the reptiles are characterised by a sluggishness and low development of mental power which is to some extent proverbial. Nevertheless, that some members of the class present vivid emotions is not to be questioned. Thus, to quote from Thompson:

The common guana (Lacerta iguana) is naturally extremely gentle and harmless. Its appearance, however, is much against See Bingley, Animal Biography, vol. ii., p. 406. Smiles, Life of Edwards, p. 124.