GENERAL TREATMENT. 331 



morals, in different animal-species and genera, under different 

 forms of education. 



4. There are many cases in which wealthy philozooists 

 have made due provision in their wills for the kind main- 

 tenance of their four-footed or feathered companions during 

 the remainder of their lives. At present, however, the 

 devising of legacies or bequests of any amount to the lower 

 animals by way of annuity, superannuation allowance or 

 otherwise, is too apt to be regarded as an evidence on the 

 part of the benevolent donor of testamentary incapacity, 

 in other words of morbid eccentricity or insanity. On this 

 ground, or on other grounds equally frivolous, wills, contain- 

 ing such legacies, are generally contested by the relatives of 

 the testator, by those who would, were such legacies declared 

 invalid, become the beneficiaries ; and there seems to exist a 

 strong tendency on the part both of judges and juries, in 

 such cases, to side with the human beneficiaries, by render- 

 ing such wills nugatory so far as concerns the animals so 

 obviously intended to receive benefit. 



A disputed case of a cat's inheritance was the subject of 

 a well-known law plea at Vienna, in 1874, a wealthy lady 

 having left the whole of her fortune to her pet cats, twelve 

 in number, to their ( legitimate ' offspring, and to the custo- 

 dians of both the original pets and their future progeny. I 

 have notes of a similar case that occurred in America. 



While, however, the rich are in a position to make 

 proper provision, testamentary or otherwise, for the life-long 

 comfort of their pets the poor, whose pets are quite as 

 intelligent and amiable, quite as much esteemed as com- 

 panions or friends, quite as much thought of and made of 

 in the heyday of their youth and maturity, are not in a 

 position to make any provision whatever to take effect after 

 their own demise. In the case of these animal pets of the 

 poor, there is ample room for private bequests and charitable 

 institutions, to which nominations might be made, as in the 

 case of our asylums for the indigent-old (Young). 



5. Schools for the training of piping bullfinches and other 

 song-birds exist in some parts of Germany. There is no 

 reason, but the contrary, why the admirable principle and 



