"BRUCE," THE MANCHESTER FIRE-HORSE. 



575 



that there is no more difficulty in explaining the 

 origin of the instinct to remain passive in the 

 presence of danger than there is in explaining 

 the origin of any other instinct — that of running 

 away from danger included. Moreover, one of 

 the animals to which Preyer refers, viz., the Ar- 

 madillo vulgaris, not only remains motionless 

 when alarmed, but rolls itself up into a ball — an 

 action which certainly cannot be explained on 

 the hypothesis of kataplexy. The most, there- 

 fore, that can be said for this hypothesis is, that 

 possibly in its first initiation the instinct may 

 have been assisted by the occurrence of kataplexy. 

 The time during which the kataplectic stupor 

 lasts varies in different species of animals, and 

 also in different individuals of the same species. 

 The maximum duration observed in the case of 

 rabbits was twelve minutes ; but fowls and Guinea- 

 pigs continue stupefied for a somewhat longer 

 time. By watching carefully for the first indica- 

 tions of recovery, and by preventing the voluntary 

 movements in which these indications consist, 

 animals may be kept in a state of kataplexy for 

 an indefinite time. Warm-blooded animals do 

 not suffer from such prolonged experiments ; but 

 the latter are fatal to frogs. In mammals the 

 most characteristic features of the kataplectic 

 state, besides that of unconscious stupor, are vio- 

 lent tremblings' of the extremities, blinking of the 



eyes, movements of the jaw and pupils, irregular- 

 ity of the pulse and breathing, pallor of ears in 

 rabbits, occurrence of defecation and micturition. 

 On recovery the abnormal state passes off sudden- 

 ly, leaving the animal bright and brisk as before, 

 and thus, as in so many other respects, the state 

 of kataplexy differs from that of ordinary sleep. 



One other point of interest must be noted. 

 Preyer finds that it is impossible to produce the 

 state of kataplexy in any animal that is " newly- 

 born." In the case of Guinea-pigs susceptibility 

 to be thrown into this state only begins to show 

 itself during the first week after birth, and then 

 gradually increases through two or three weeks. 

 This curious fact is explained by the hypothesis 

 that the volitional centres — or the centres which 

 are supposed to be affected by kataplexy — require 

 some time after birth to be brought into func- 

 tional relation with the lower centres. 



On the whole, then, it will be seen the facts 

 relating to the hypnotism of animals are much 

 more definite than the theories by which it is 

 sought to explain them ; and although we may 

 be prepared to agree with Preyer that these facts 

 in some way depend on certain unusual stimuli 

 acting in some peculiar manner on some inhibi- 

 tory centre or centres, we must feel that this 

 statement of the case brings us only to the thresh- 

 old of an explanation. — Nature. 



"BRUCE," THE MANCHESTER FIRE-HORSE. 



By A. TOZER, Chief Fire-Station, Manchester. 



AT the latter part of the spring of 1864, 

 " Our Bruce " was born ; he soon began 

 to show signs of a very promising hunter, of over 

 sixteen hands, and in due course commenced his 

 training for the chase. At five years old he had 

 grown to a beautiful animal, very docile and trac- 

 tive — his mottled gray coat the pride of the groom 

 and the admiration of his master. " Our Bruce," 

 in the hunting-field, once stumbled, and, in con- 

 sequence, lost the confidence of his master, who 

 disposed of him to the Manchester Carriage Com- 

 pany. In the early part of the year 1870 he was 

 sold by the Carriage Company to the Manchester 

 Corporation for the fire-engine department, and 

 commenced his duties on the 24th March. His 

 general appearance and kind, tractable, willing 

 ways were soon noticed by the firemen, and in 

 less than a month after he joined the brigade he 



was the favorite of the whole establishment, hav- 

 ing pretty well the free run of the yard, in which 

 he caused much diversion by his singular and 

 funny ways. He was always full of innocent 

 mischief, and one of his greatest delights was to 

 chase the men about the yard. It sometimes 

 happened that he was let out for a gambol when 

 the children were playing. On such occasions it 

 was most interesting to notice how careful he 

 was in not going too near them. At other times, 

 when the engines were in the yard, he seemed 

 not to forget his early training as a hunter, and 

 would amuse himself by jumping over the poles. 

 When tired, he would lift the latch of the door 

 and go into his stable, and just as easily, after a 

 rest, vrhen the stable-door was closed, he would 

 let himself out again, or knock loudly at the door 

 to attract attention. Near the stable-door there 



