The Descent of Man

is any other animal, admits of no dispute; and
this is mainly due to his power of speaking and
handing down his acquired knowledge. With
animals, looking first to the individual, every
one who has had any experience in setting
traps, knows that young animals can he caught
much more easily than old ones; and they can
be much more easily approached by an enemy.
Even with respect to old animals, it is impossible
to catch many in the same place and in the
same kind of trap, or to destroy them by the
same kind of poison; yet it is improbable that
all should have partaken of the poison, and
impossible that all should have been caught in
a trap. They must learn caution by seeing their
brethren caught or poisoned. In North America,
where the fur-bearing animals have long
been pursued, they exhibit, according to the
unanimous testimony of all observers, an almost
incredible amount of sagacity, caution
and cunning; but trapping has been there so
long carried on, that inheritance may possibly