THE RIGHTS OF ANIMALS 



215 



nature, will be in the direction of a greater care _asjtp our 

 domesticated forms. While we must continue to make their r 

 lives subserve our own, we may well insist that they should 

 be properly housed, and have what it may be possible to 

 afford them in the way of their primitive joys, which come 

 from the sun, the air, and their natural food. No one who 

 has seen a long-stabled horse made free of a field can have 

 failed to note the intense pleasure which he takes in return- 

 ing to something like his natural conditions. Many a cow 

 stable with its foul conditions inflicts more and more endur- 

 ing torments than all the vivisectionists that some misguided 

 philanthropists are fighting; yet because of the novelty of the 

 naturalist's work these attend to the new scene and neglect 

 the ancient abuse. Among these evils which are to be cor- 

 rected we may also account that which arises from the un- 

 guided development of what are called fancy breeds. Thus 

 among our horned cattle, the Jerseys have been brought to 

 a point where, from the iniquitous inbreeding, which is 

 against what may be called the morality of nature, they are 

 fearfully subjected to tuberculosis. The punishment for this 

 insensate performance comes back upon mankind in the dis- 

 semination of consumption ; but unhappily it does not visit 

 the people who are responsible for the development of this 

 breed. A like, though less considerable, evil is shown in 

 the fancy breeds of dogs, pigeons, and some other petted 

 animals, where for amusement and as an indication of his 

 power man has raised up many decrepit and sickly varieties, 

 which are not likely to have a fair share in the pleasure of 

 life which their natural breeding insured them. 



The observant naturalist of the field has the sense at 

 least he has it if he be endowed with a little imagination of 



