The Puma 297 



old anatomists called "animal spirits." In the mean 

 between these extremes lay the mystery. Who was to 

 decide when the panther patted you gently with his 

 sheathed paw, or put his head before the book, whether 

 these solicitations to take notice of him had their root in a 

 need for sympathy, or were signs of a desire to enjoy some 

 pleasant sensation, such as being scratched or played with ? 

 One could only guess at this from the clue given by a 

 knowledge of his character. 



Much uncertainty exists with regard to the degree in 

 which his aesthetic sense was developed. Whoever has 

 shown pictures to children and savages, knows the great 

 uncertainty attending their recognition of things which 

 are familiar to them. The puma liked glaring colors and 

 bright objects, yet while capable of identifying a large 

 statue, the preference he exhibited for certain paintings 

 depended most probably on their florid style. If his 

 guardian read a work illustrated with engravings while he 

 looked over his shoulder, they made no perceptible im- 

 pression upon him. He admired gorgeous parrots that 

 cursed him, and for a long time made hostile demonstra- 

 tions towards a raven who was too wise not to let him 

 alone. Some of the great hunters have thought that those 

 strong predilections exhibited by tigers for certain beauti- 

 ful localities which otherwise had nothing to recommend 

 them to the choice of such inmates, were evidence of 

 appreciation upon their part of this advantage. 



That conclusion is, however, a very uncertain one, and 

 most likely comes under the head of those observations 

 that Czermak designates as " events viewed unequally " ; 



