Do Animals Reason?

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One pleasant day last summer, aays a correspondent of the Boston Post, a small party embarked in a wherry to visit Russ's Island. In the boat was a Newfoundland dog. As soon as we had disembarked, the dog observed at a short distanee about a dozen cows and an old lame horse feeding, and accordingly rushed towards them barking at the top of his voice. This attack first startled the cows, and they beg&n to retreat with considerable speed. The horse was selected as the main object of his assault, and limped away as well as he could. The cows huddled together in a group, and passed around among each other for a few minutes, apparently consulting on what was best to be done. Finally they came forward in a body, covered the retreat of the old horse, and took the van themselves. They then moved deliberately together in a line, with heads toward the ground and horns presented to the dog, and drove him back defeated. At every succeeding rally on his part, they continued to repulse him until he abandoned his attacks, and then retired to a grassy spot to graze as before. These cows actually protected their lame associate from the assaults of the noisy invader.

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