THE SAGACITY OF BEARS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,..-Referring to your correspondent's letter, in the Spectator of November 9th, noticing the faculty which bears possess of putting two and two together, I wonder whether any of your readers have observed the same thing with regard to some of the elephants in the Zoological Gardens in London. For when a child, in throwing a biscuit to the elephant, dropped it between the cage and the barrier, and out of reach of the child or the elephant, the latter blew the biscuit with its trunk till the child could reach it, and again attempt to throw it into the elephant's mouth. This happened not once, but several times. Not that elephants have perfect reasoning powers, as the sequel to this story will show. After the small child had made many vain attempts to throw the biscuit far enough, a good-natured lad standing near thought he would help, so took the biscuit from the child. This displeased the elephant, who thereupon dealt the lad a severe blow on the arm, causing him a good deal of pain.—I am, Sir, &c., Newport, Salop, November 12th. A. MOSSOP.
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