EDUCATION OF ANIMALS BY MAN. 263 



man's education of the domestic animals is this, that such 

 animals as the elephant, horse, ass, mule, dog, orang, and 

 chimpanzee, for instance, can often work without a master's 

 supervision, direction, or even presence that is, when they 

 have been thoroughly instructed in the duties required of 

 them. In other words, a certain spontaneity of action is 

 acquired, the result partly of habit, partly of willingness, 

 partly of pleasure taken in the work itself. They come to 

 do things of their own accord, habitually, almost automatic- 

 ally, readily, which at first were done only by command, in 

 a master's presence, and as the result of gradual, systematic, 

 long-continued, laborious training. 



This, in fact, is one of the many triumphs of the education 

 of the lower animals by man, one of the many strong and 

 utilitarian arguments in favour of its being thorough. His 

 labour is repaid in the assistance he derives in the co-ope- 

 ration or service of the animals on whom he so well bestows 

 his efforts. The elephant, if only it be shown its work, and 

 understands its nature and its master's object, may be 

 trusted to do it without supervision and with wonderful 

 skill, energy, and perseverance (Houzeau). The dog goes 

 messages wholly without surveillance. tf Performing ' dogs 

 may be daily seen in the streets of London going through 

 their performances by themselves, and not even for the 

 benefit of themselves. For Grenville Murray mentions one 

 whose decrepit, blind beggar-master was confined to bed, 

 while his dog's performances were the sole means of his 

 obtaining an income and thereby life-support. 



It is creditable to human sympathy to be able to say that, 

 so far as the collection of coin was concerned, the sagacious 

 animal's tricks were more successful when performed in the 

 absence of all human supervision or accompaniment than 

 had the poor beggar himself been present. Houzeau speaks 

 of a French butcher's dog that conducted both cattle and 

 sheep alone, unaided, unseen by its master. 



Animals that are in the habit of doing certain things 

 under certain circumstances have been trained to do so by 

 man, but under his auspices sometimes act without orders, 

 on their own responsibility, in his absence, taking for granted 



