354 UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN LANGUAGE. 



and they enter into the spirit of his sport. In the same way 

 other dogs enjoy man's games or children's romps, intelli- 

 gently taking their proper parts, and usually when they do 

 so take part, showing both to man and child excellent exam- 

 ples of good humour and control over their tempers, and of 

 not permitting jest to run into earnest. There is apprecia- 

 tion of man's object even in chickens, according to Houzeau. 



The working elephant of India requires only to be shown 

 or told what man wants, has but to get a clear idea of man's 

 object in doing a certain work, and of the mode in which it 

 should be done, in order to execute the said work intelli- 

 gently. Its mahout or cornac otherwise keeper or driver 

 gives the necessary explanations in a mixed language, that 

 is quite intelligible to the animal, composed partly of words, 

 partly of gestures (Houzeau). 



We read, moreover, of dogs accepting man's verbal invi- 

 tations to dinner, and punctually keeping their engagements 

 (Pierquin), and of. Barbary apes also begging or fishing for 

 invitations, just as children do (Cassell). 



Ability to understand man's language implies 



1. A natural aptitude to learn it ; and 



2. A special study of it. 



And this aptitude and study, again, involve a high de- 

 gree of intelligence, the power of close and keen, long and 

 careful observation, the faculty of reflection, and ability to 

 draw inferences from the facts of observation. 



Per contra, in order to the understanding by man of ani- 

 mal language, a similar aptitude and study, similar mental 

 qualities are required. And just in proportion as he pos- 

 sesses such an aptitude, and devotes to the study in question 

 a similar amount of patience and perseverance, will be the 

 nature and degree of the knowledge of animal language 

 which he acquires. Observation, experience, practice, 

 lead man to read the meaning of the looks, gestures, cries, 

 or other forms of expression in the lower animals, just as 

 they do his. Belt could tell, from its cries and without see- 

 ing it, whether and when a certain tame cebus monkey was 

 hungry, eating, frightened, or menacing. The shepherd and 

 sportsman understand the language of their dogs. Man 



