Mind in A nimals. 383 



among them who is more mighty than the rest, and who 

 holds his place by superior force, either of intellect or mili- 

 tary power. Challenged by one of the inferior chiefs and 

 victorious, he retains his post, but if vanquished, his con- 

 queror takes his place, his property and his wives. But 

 curious to relate, with men as with birds, the members of 

 the harem seem to trouble themselves very little, if any, 

 about the change of master. The Scriptures are full of 

 allusions to the invariable custom that the conqueror takes 

 the possession of the harem belonging to the vanquished. 

 David did so with regard to the women of Saul's household, 

 and when Nabal died, who had defied the authority of David, 

 so the latter, as a matter of course, took possession of his 

 wife, together with the rest of his property. And when 

 Absalom rebelled against David, he publicly took possession 

 of his father's harem, which was a sign that he had assumed 

 the kingdom. 



Where a number of creatures are confined in the same 

 place, a very curious sort of tyranny is sometimes mani- 

 fested. Mandarin ducks, according to Mr. Bennett, when 

 confined to an aviary, show a very querulous disposition at 

 feeding-time. The males of one and the same kind of a dif- 

 ferent species endeavor to grasp all the nourishment for 

 themselves, unmindful of the wants of others, and will not 

 even permit their companions to perform their ablutions 

 without molestation, although they may themselves have 

 completed what they required. Often the mandarin ducks 

 have been observed to excite the drakes to assail other 

 males or females of the same species, and other kinds of 

 birds in the aviary, against whom the ladies, from some 

 cause or other, have taken a dislike. One pair of these 

 ducks are always to be noticed that exercise a tyranny over 

 the others, not allowing them to wash, eat or drink, unless 

 at their pleasure and approval. 



But, of all tyrants, none can be compared to a spoiled dog, 

 who is even worse than a spoiled child. Obedience is a 



