86 ANIMAL KEPUTATION. 



of children' (Wood). The tiger shows considerable intel- 

 ligence or ingenuity in its mode of catching monkeys, 

 giving the tree on which they are perched an unexpected 

 shake. 



Next to the tiger the common hycena bears the most 

 decided reputation in the popular mind for ferocity. In 

 captivity it is the fancied embodiment of unrest; it is 

 regarded as incapable of domestication, as the most unpro- 

 mising subject for conversion into a pet. One of the hysenas 

 is called the 6 laughing ' hyaena, but its laughter is supposed 

 to be of the kind that we call c fiendish/ and ascribe to the 

 typical demons of operas. Nevertheless the hyaena may be 

 trained to act in place of a watch dog ; it becomes attached 

 to man, and is sensitive to kindness (Baird) . And there are 

 few, if any, of the higher animals of which the same may 

 not be said viz. that they may be tamed, and will repay 

 man's efforts in their training or tuition. All that is usually 

 required is to begin their education with the earliest stages 

 of their growth to remove them from their natural sur- 

 roundings while they are yet quite young if possible, when 

 new-born and to treat them with a prevailing kindness to 

 bring them up in an atmosphere of sympathy. 



We are not accustomed to think of the wolf unless in 

 connection with incorrigible or untamable ferocity, voracity, 

 rapacity, and bloodthirstiness ; and yet various authors de- 

 scribe it as capable of being tamed, as being affectionate 

 and emotional, moved equally by joy and sorrow. Frederick 

 Cuvier gives the case of a tame one that was as tractable as 

 a dog, and as fond of its master, drooping in his absence 

 and making ' demonstrations of delight ' on his return, 

 6 planting its fore feet on his shoulders and licking his face.' 

 Such companionships, with all the affection they embody or 

 illustrate, must be borne in mind in judging of the probable 

 verity or authenticity of various current stories of the up- 

 bringing by Indian wolves of human children. 



When we speak of a man being c a bear,' we usually 

 mean that he is all that is gruff and rough, uncouth, un- 

 polished, unfeeling ; and we, moreover, regard the animal 

 itself as stupid, callous, cold, and cruel. In reality, however, 



