DO ANIMALS REASON?
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR.1
SIR,—The enclosed extract from last Saturday's Yorlcshire Observer is, I think, evidence of value in support of an affirmative answer to this question.—I am, Sir, &c., Thorn Garth, Thackley, Bradford. RICHARD WATSON.
"A remarkable incident illustrative of a dog's sagacity was witnessed on the Otley Road at Far Headingley, near Leeds, on Thursday evening. A heavy dray was drawn up outside a house of refreshment at the roadside, and presumably the driver had gone inside, for the sole occupant of the dray was a dog—one of the bob-tailed sheep variety. A motor-car came along the road, and just as it was abreast of the dray the driver changed the gear, making the usual crunching, grinding noise. This appeared to startle the horse attached to the dray, and it commenced to prance about, and eventually moved off dawn the hill. The dogs evidently disapproving of this, began to run to and fro on the front of the dray, barking furiously. The horse, however, took no notice, but continued down the hill at a sharp trot. A dozen people made towards it with the intention of checking its career before it got out of hand, but all were forestalled by the dog, who, apparently recognising that prompt measures were necessary, jumped off the dray, and seizing the trailing reins in its teeth hung on to them with all its might. The dog was dragged along the road for a few yards, but fortunately the horse had not attained any great speed, and, feeling the check, came to a stand- still as the driver ran panting up. But for the dog's prompt action in all probability the horse would not have been stopped before it became more frightened, and if it had got fairly started down the hill into Headingley the consequences might have been very serious indeed."
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