GENERAL TREATMENT. 339 



just as we are appreciative, sympathetic, kindly disposed to- 

 wards them. 



Whenever a child or youth learns, thinks, sees, knows, or 

 feels all this, it will follow almost as a necessary conse- 

 quence or corollary of his knowledge that he will thence- 

 forth treat his fellow- creatures, of whatever grade, with 

 a new and higher consideration. If he do not, there is 

 probably some error or defect in his own moral and intel- 

 lectual nature, calling for the serious attention of his parents 

 or teachers. 



By proper education of the young in the natural history 

 of the lower animals, and especially in a knowledge and 

 appreciation of their moral or mental character, there could 

 not fail gradually to arise a more healthy and happy tone 

 of public teaching concerning the rights and requirements of 

 these zoologically inferior creatures, and this would infallibly 

 in its turn lead to or culminate in a much more humane, 

 kind, or judicious, and at the same time wise or politic, 

 treatment. Man himself would share in the benefit in a 

 thousand different ways, of which at present he has small, if 

 any, conception. Not only would his own moral nature be 

 improved, but we should hear much less of hydrophobia, 

 and stand little in dread of it, knowing, as we then should, 

 how rare real rabies is on the one hand, and real hydro- 

 phobia on the other, and how large a part is played, in re- 

 gard to the latter most horrible of all the disorders to which 

 poor human flesh is heir, by a morbid, or ill-regulated 

 imagination. 



There are many ways of introducing the subject of the 

 natural history of the lower animals, as well as of man him- 

 self, into our schools of every grade ; many modes of incul- 

 cating the principles and practice of humanity to our 'poor 

 relations.' In the first place, there should either be special 

 school books, containing only stories or statements illustrative 

 of zoological facts, of animal sagacity and habits ; or, what 

 would be less of an innovation, such stories, anecdotes, de- 

 scriptions should be introduced here and there into text- 

 books of the existing kind. 



Among books specially adapted for the young is a series 



z 2 



