Introduction 31 



sounds, some of which are highly musical even to us, is evidence 

 of their having progressed far in this direction, and the en- 

 joyment of the Pack-rat in its pile of glittering baubles is 

 founded, as I see it, on no other sense than the love of the 

 beautiful. 



It is possible to show that five of the Ten Command- moral- 

 ments are natural laws, namely, the ordinances against diso- ^^^ 

 bedience, murder, impurity, theft, and falsification, the breach 

 of which among animals entails severe punishment. 



These things I have set forth in detail elsewhere." 



Vice among animals affords an interesting field of enquiry. 

 There is more of it than is generally known. 



Vice I assume to be the deflection of any natural part or vice 

 power from its proper purpose, to one which works harm for 

 the species. Thus we see self-mutilation among monkeys and 

 parrots. We see hens devouring their own eggs, the loco-habit 

 among range cattle and horses, rare cases of infidelity among 

 pigeons, of stealing among pack-rats, and incest among geese, 

 as well as unholy barren alliances between species wide apart. 



We have, indeed, recorded among animals nearly every 

 kind of vice that was known among men and forbidden by 

 Mosaic law. 



With few exceptions, however, these cases are among 

 domesticated or captive animals; and the questions arise: 

 Has all this evil been developed in the animals by their cap- 

 tivity or has their captivity merely given us unusual opportuni- 

 ties for observing it ? 



The latter seems more probable, though there is some 

 truth also in the former explanation. 



In the way of animal crime nothing is better known than crime 

 infanticide by father or mother. In most cases it arises from 

 man's interference with the young. If we handle the new-born 

 young of a rabbit the mother is likely to kill them; this I have 



" See Natural History of the Ten Commandments Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907. 



