WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP. 



which soon wearies it, and makes it both incapable 

 and unreceptive of further instruction until it has 

 rested. This is a fact worth remembering by 

 amateurs who teach tricks to their pets, and often 

 err by lessons too long continued. 



In the St. Nicliolas magazine for February, 

 1882, appeared a valuable article upon " Men-and- 

 Animal Shows," in which the following remark- 

 able statement is made ; I have never known of 

 its parallel: "During the winter of 1881, a num- 

 ber of elephants were in training at Bridgeport, 

 Conn., for the summer campaign of Mr. P. T. 

 Barnum. They submitted, from day to day, with 

 vast grumbling and trumpeting, to have one leg 

 or another tied up, and be driven around on what 

 they had left. They lay down ; got up ; obeyed 

 every order of the teacher as well as ever they 

 could ; carefully imitated one another ; but their 

 great sagacity was shown after the animals were 

 left a little to themselves. The keepers observed 

 them on their exercise ground, with no human 

 teacher near to offer a word of suggestion or ex- 

 planation, and yet, singly or in pairs, the huge 

 scholars gravely repeated their lessons, and did 

 their ' practising ' on their own account. This 

 was the secret of the wonderful proficiency they 

 afterward exhibited in the ring." 



These facts, which I have verified, form quite 

 the most noteworthy evidence I have ever learned 

 in regard to animal intelligence as affected by 



