152 THE ART OF TRAINING ANIMALS. 



institution. We had the pleasure of seeing the performance of 

 quite an excellent artist in the pork line^ who was traveling 

 through the eastera states under the title of " Wicked Will/' 

 as a side show to a circus. 



Will traveled in a cage very similar to those used in mena- 

 geries, except that it was smaller. This cage at the exhibitions 

 was placed upon a platform with the grated part facing toward 

 the audience*. It was rather higher than was necessary to 

 accommodate the hog, the upper part containing a number of 

 compartments about six inches in depth, in which were kept 

 corn, curry-combs, and other toilet articles. The exhibitor 

 lifts the lid which covers these receptacles, takes a few grains 

 of corn in his hand and drops them quietly on the carpet ; then 

 he opens a door at one of the small ends of the cage and Will 

 emerges, grunting and sniffing around. The cage door is now 

 shut, and while Will hunts for kernels of corn that have been 



EDUCATED HOG. 



scattered around, the exhibitor gives a little dose of natural his- 

 tory, hog characteristics, etc. 



The performance commences by the exhibitor placing ten 

 cards, on which the numerals from one to naught are printed, in 

 regular order across the front of the platform. Then he asks 

 Will a number of questions, such as the number of days in a 

 week, in a month, in a year — it is of no consequence whafy so 

 long as the answers can be given in numbers. The hog goes 

 slowly from card to card, with his nose down, commencing at 

 the figare 1. When he comes to the right number he takes 

 it in his mouth and brings it to his master. 



" Now," says the exhibitor, " if any lady or gentleman will 

 tell the hog the year they were born in, he'll tell them their age." 



Somebody in the crowd gives the date of his birth, and at his 

 master's command Will selects the figures showing the man's 

 age. This is repeated a number of times for different individ- 

 uals, to the wonder of the crowd. Then a watch is borrowed 

 and the hog tells, in the same manner, the hour and minutes. 



