134 



DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



The ostrich is losing his useless wings, and those of the 

 apteryx have gone, except that some of the bones can yet be 

 found just under the skin of the breast. And so examples of 

 missing or disappearing parts could be multiplied indefinitely, 

 but enough have been given to show that development does not 

 always proceed regularly, and that the arrest of one part does 

 not necessarily prevent the development of others. 



The most important phase of this subject to the general 

 student is in the field of the mental and moral characters, espe- 

 cially with people. Idiocy is but the arrested development of 

 one or all of the mental faculties, just as insanity is their break- 

 ing down from insufficient power originally or from overwork 

 or abuse in life. 



Just as we have idiotic people, so we have idiots among 

 horses and dogs, a fact that destroys or greatly lessens their 

 value in proportion to the kind of work we expect them to do. 

 We have also insane individuals in both species, and some of 

 the most dangerous runaways are due to sudden insanity of the 

 horse, brought on by fright, old age, or disease. 



Both horsemen and dog fanciers should understand that in 

 these two species we are dealing with mental faculties of an 

 order so high that any disturbance or shortage is a serious 

 matter. Other animals are of a much lower order of mentality 

 and we depend less upon their intelligence, so that relative 

 idiocy is not so noticeable, nor is insanity so likely to appear, 

 because they lead, upon the whole, a relatively tranquil life. 

 Occasionally, however, a steer loses his head, as when being 

 driven in a strange place, and when he does it is a good time 

 to find cover. 1 



The most serious consequences follow the arrested develop- 

 ment of the mental and moral faculties in man. We are only 

 recently coming to recognize these unfortunate individuals as 

 degenerates and to realize their wholly dangerous character. A 



1 This happens frequently about the stockyards in all markets, though 

 commonly animals in large numbers are extremely quiet. 



