We are finally beginning to sink our prejudices sufficiently to concede that there is a whole unknown field here to be investigated, instead of brushing it all off as pre-programmed instinct. Much animal behaviour can be attributed to instinct, but we are now aware that many of the ‘higher’ animals – dogs, parrots, the whale families, seals etc – have the ability to think their way through quite demanding problems. This seems to me to be a real step forward.