Another collection of philosophical conferences of the French virtuosi upon questions of all sorts for the improving of natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent. & J. Davies ..., Gent.

CONFERENCE CLXVII. Whether Birds, or four-footed Animals, or Fishes be most Intelligent. (Book 167)

THe Aire, having most affinity with the Spirits whereby all the functions of the soul and body are exercis'd, and both are conjoyn'd; it may seem sufficient to give the advantage to its Inhabitants the Birds, though they had not the testimonies upon which men value themselves above their fellows, to wit, more advantages of nature, and a greater apitude to disciplines then others. For they have the same priviledges of walking upon the earth that other Land-Animals have; yea, some of them, as the Plongeon or Ducker go upon the waters; and be∣sides,

they have this particular Gift of Nature, that they cleave the Air with a motion so swift, that the Holy Scripture hath express'd the speed of Angels by assigning them wings. Nor can you imagine any action, without excepting even virtuous ones, which is not found in a Bird. The Swallow is skill'd in Archi∣tecture; the Halcyon is able to divine how far the Nile will over∣flow, and knows that out of Nature's respect to her, there will be no Tempest at Sea while she is building her Nest; the Goose is so safe a Guard, that it sometimes sav'd the Capitol to the shame of the Sentinels; the Wren serves for a guide and a scout to the Crocodile; the Crow and the Turtle are patterns of con∣jugal amity; so are the Storks of piety; and even the swarms of Bees, are models of Common-wealths; and the Pismires, when Age and Experience has render'd them more advised, acquire wings. The Silk-worm is nothing but a Caterpiller till its wings appear; and then fluttering about it, perpetuates its species with such prudence, that it doth not lay its Eggs in heaps, which would hinder their hatching, but disperses them in several places, in order to being more commodiously animated by the heat of the Sun. Then, as for Art, we see no Animals besides Men capable of speech (the first of Disciplines) but Birds. And the particular Examples of the Elephant, and a few other Beasts that have shewn some shadow of Judgement, are out∣done by the Eagle which flew into the fire, wherein her Mistres∣ses Body was burning, and many other Instances too numerous to be mention'd.

The Second said, That the little head of Birds, in comparison of the rest of their Body, their driness and abounding Choler permit them not to be so intelligent as other Animals; their chattering jargon as little deserving the name of a Language, as their other actions do that of Virtue. Moreover, their sleep being not so sound and deep, as that of Terrestrial Animals, which by sucking their Dams are more humid; and sleep being the restorer of Spirits, Birds cannot have such plenty as other Crea∣tures. Whence they suffer themselves to be more easily taken than Land-Animals, whose Bodies being more symbolical with ours, they must also have greater aptitude for exercising some functions correspondent to those of our Mind. For the cavities of their head and brains more resemble ours, than those either of Birds or Fishes; particularly, that of the Ape, which conse∣quently is the most intelligent of all Animals next Man; with whom all will agree, that no other Animal can dispute the pre∣eminence of Judgement with the least shew of Reason; if any should, it would never gain the Cause, in regard Man must be the Judge.

The Third said, Man hath no more reason to award this Cause to himself, than to pretend to the advantage of flying better than Birds, or swimming better than Fishes, who exceed all Creatures in point of Health, even to a Proverb, which is a thing

altogether necessary to the functions of the Soul. Moreover, they are of a very long Life, which begets Experience, as that doth Understanding. Their Health is manifested by their Fecundity; and since coldness is the Complexion of the wife, and Salt is reckon'd the Symbol of Wisdom, Fishes, the inhabi∣tants of the Sea, and the coldest of all Creatures, must have a share thereof. Besides, if softness of Flesh be a sign of goodness of Witt every where else as 'tis in Man, (and Physiognomy teaches us to draw consequence from other Creatures to him) Fishes have this advantage above all the Inhabitants either of the Air or Earth; both which, were indeed made for Man, but the Sea was primarily made for Fishes; its other conveniences being only accidental. Silence, the common distinction between the wise and the foolish, is natural to them; whereas the voices and chantings of Birds and other Animals, is oftentimes the oc∣casion of their ruine. Yea, they are so subtle, that Fisher-men cannot take them but with a white line, of the colour of the water; otherwise, if it be gross and visible, they will not come near it. Diffidence, the Parent of safety, is more common to them than to all other Animals, and their vigilance is greater. Land-Animals have no sleight equall to that imperceptible charm, whereby the Torpedo chills the arm of the Fisher-man; or to that of the Cuttle-fish, which when she is in danger of being taken, moils the water with her Ink to keep her self from being seen; or to that of the Polypus, who becomes of the Colour of the Rock upon which it holds, to void being perceiv'd. And though the Element of Water so separates us from the commerce of its Inhabitants, that the hundreth part of what concerns them is unknown to us; yet there is none but observes, that Fishes need more sleights to secure themselves from the ambushes and hostilities of others, than the beasts of the field have, which are also more easily taken. The Fish call'd the Mullet, strikes off the bait of the hook with her tail, instead of being taken by it; and if she cannot do so, she is contented to bite it round about; and the Sea-wolf finding her self taken, shakes her head this way and that way with much pain, till she have cast out the hook again; and for the same purpose, the Sea-fox turnes her inside outwards. The Loubine and Sea-dog finding themselves surrounded with the Net, make a hole in the ground and sculk therein, till the Net be drawn over them; but the Dolphin rejoyces in the Net, because he may with ease fill himself with his fellow-prisoners; yet when he perceives he is drawing near the shore, he bites the Net; which if he cannot do quick enough, the Fisher-men knowing him a Friend to Man, pardon him the first time, and only thrusting a bul-rush through his skin let him go; if he be taken again (which seldom happens, as Plutarch saith, out of whom most of these Relations are taken) he is beaten. Yea, they are ingenious not only for themselves, but for others; for when the Gilt-head hath swallow'd the

hook, his companions bite the line, and if one of them fall into one of the Meshes, they lend him their tails to bite and draw him through; and when the Barbles see one of their compani∣ons caught they get upon him and with the indented spine they have upon their backs cut it asunder. Crassus's Lamprey would take bread out of his hand, and was bewail'd by him when it dy'd: The story of Arion, and that of the Fish call'd Manaro in the Island of Hispaniola, which was delighted with praises and Mu∣sick carry'd nine or ten persons upon his back, and having been wounded by a Spaniard disappear'd; the Raye which Olaus writes defended a man from Dogs upon the shore of Denmark; and the Sea-Eele which the Indians carry behind their Boats to let him play about the Tortoises and other Fishes which they take; are abundant instances that Fishes are both sociable and docible. This also is justifi'd by the Pinatere, which pricks the Oyster to advertise it when its prey is within; by the Spon∣gothere, which performs the same office for the Spunge; and by the Whale's guide whom she suffers to sleep in her throat, and without whom she would dash against the shore; by the Pike, which keeps company with the Tench, whose sliminess serves to close his wounds; by the Tunnies, who always set their good eye toward the shore, and move well order'd in a cubick squa∣dron; by the Sea-Urchins, which presaging a tempest, lade themselves with stones for fear of being carry'd away by the waves; and by all Fishes in general, which swim against the wind, lest it should open their scales, excepting one whose scales are set the contrary way.