io 4 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



intelligence of the dog, the cat, the horse, parrot and ape. On 

 the contrary, it is our desire to reveal the mental capacity of 

 every elephant living, tame or wild, except the few individuals 

 with abnormal or diseased minds. It is not to be shown how 

 successfully an elephant has been taught by man, but how all 

 elephants in captivity have been taught, and the mental capac- 

 ity of every elephant. 



Under the head of intellectual qualities we have first to 

 consider the elephant's 



POWERS OF INDEPENDENT OBSERVATIONS, AND REASONING 

 FROM CAUSE TO EFFECT 



While many wonderful stories are related of the elephant's 

 sagacity and independent powers of reasoning, it must be 

 admitted that a greater number of more wonderful anecdotes 

 are told on equally good authority of dogs. But the circum- 

 stances in the case are wholly to the advantage of the universal 

 dog, and against the rarely seen elephant. While the former 

 roams at will through his master's premises, through town 

 and country, mingling freely with all kinds of men and domestic 

 animals, with unlimited time to lay plans and execute them, 

 the elephant in captivity is chained to a stake, with no liberty 

 of action whatever aside from begging with his trunk, eating and 

 drinking. His only amusement is in swaying his body, swing- 

 ing one foot, switching his tail, and (in a zoological park) looking 

 for something that he can open or destroy. Such a ponderous 

 beast cannot be allowed to roam at large among human beings, 

 and the working elephant never leaves his stake and chain 

 except under the guidance of his mahout. There is no means 

 of estimating the wonderful powers of reasoning that captive 

 elephants might develop if they could only enjoy the freedom 

 accorded to all dogs except the blood-hound, bull-dog and a 

 few others. 



In the jungles of India the writer frequently has seen wild 

 elephants reconnoitre dangerous ground by means of a scout or 



