[GJ]As I understand the observations here tabulated, the twelve cards lay always within Van's reach and sight. An ordinary untrained dog would have taken no notice of them. But Van, when he wanted food or tea, went and fetched the appropriate card, and got what he wanted in exchange. In twelve days he only made two mistakes, bringing "Nought" once and "Door" once.
[GK]"Mental Evolution in Man," p. 27.
[GL]"Intelligence of Animals," p. 121.
[GM]Mr. Romanes also says ("Mental Evolution in Animals," p. 235), "This abstract idea of ownership is well developed in many if not in most dogs." By an abstract idea of ownership I understand a conception of ownership which, to modify Mr. Romanes's phrase, is quite apart from any objects or persons of which such ownership happens to be characteristic. Even if we believe that a dog can regard this or that man as his owner, or this or that object as his master's property, still even this seems to me a very different thing from his possessing an abstract idea of ownership.
[GN]Doubt has recently been thrown on this fact. Mr. Bateson has shown that some fishes do not hear well, and has suggested that the carp may be attracted by seeing people come to the edge of the pond.
[GO]Journal of Marine Biological Association, New Series, vol. i. No. 2, p. 214. I should not myself have used the word "explanation."
[GP]Ibid. vol. i. No. 3, p. 240.
[GQ]I have to thank this gentleman for a most interesting account of the intelligence of his favourite bird.
[GR]Professor Max Müller suggests to me that perhaps the ants were frightened.
[GS]"Mental Evolution in Animals," p. 82.