Page:George Archdall Reid 1896 The present evolution of man.djvu/166

154 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; and it seemed quite tame."—Animal Intelligence, p. 255.

In this case the instinctive knowledge which impelled the frog to fly from a human being was quite overcome by the rational knowledge, which dispelled its fear of its mistress. The cerebral lobes of the brain are relatively larger in frogs than in fishes, but in the higher reptiles there is a still greater relative and absolute increase of size in these structures, and in them also are developed greater powers of reason, as the following examples prove.

"But a most singular instance of attachment between two animals, whose natures and habits were most opposite, was related to me by a person on whose veracity I can place the greatest reliance. He had resided for nine years in the American States, where he superintended the execution of some extensive works for the American Government. One of these works consisted in the erection of a beacon in a swamp in one of the rivers, where he caught a young alligator. This animal he made so perfectly tame that it followed him about the house like a dog, scrambling up the stairs after him, and showing him much affection and docility. Its great favourite, however, was a cat, and the friendship was mutual. When the cat was reposing herself before the fire (this was at New York), the alligator would lay himself down, place his head upon the cat, and in this attitude go to sleep. If the cat was absent the alligator was restless, but he always appeared happy when the cat was near him. The only instance in which he showed any ferocity was in attacking a fox, which was tied up in the yard. Probably, however, the fox resented some playful advances which the other had