IN OTHER ANIMALS. 185 



ception of the distinction between spoken as well as acted 

 truth and falsehood, fact and fiction ; for we are told, for 

 instance, that the parrot sometimes not only detects, but 

 denounces with the utmost indignation, man's verbal false- 

 hoods (' Animal World ') . On the other hand, one of the occa- 

 sionally base or bad purposes to which the same bird applies 

 its wonderful gift of speech is mendacity : so that it is 

 capable at once of ' telling lies ' itself and of detecting and 

 reprimanding falsehood in man. 



A certain sentiment of decency, modesty, or propriety 

 occurs in various social animals, illustrated as it is by 



1. Their sexual bashfulness and chastity. 



2. Their care of the dead, including the 



3. Use of dying-places and cemeteries. 



4. Their employment of latrines or their equivalents. 



It has to be remarked that the moral virtues are illustrated 

 mainly by or in those animals that have directly or indirectly 

 received their moral training from man such animals as the 

 dog, elephant, and horse. As a general rule to which there 

 are exceptions both in man and other animals the human 

 child and the yonng animal can equally be educated both 

 to distinguish and do the right. In the formation of their 

 character moral virtue may be made to dominate over moral 

 vice, though it is probably impossible in either case to extin- 

 guish the latter. Moral perfectibility may be aimed at, 

 though it cannot be attained ; but the degree of moral excel- 

 lence attainable is such in other animals, as in the child, that 

 it should stimulate man to put forth all efforts in the moral 

 training of both. This, however, is a subject that pertains 

 more properly to the chapters on .' Education.' 



