84 BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 



hot enough, no doubt, it was to make the lesson a 

 disgusting piece of barbarity; but, after all, probably 

 he did not suffer a bit more than the pointer often 

 does under a savage-tempered gamekeeper : and let 

 me tell the shot that a great deal of what he de- 

 mands of his pointer is as little natural to him as 

 dancing is to a bear, and consequently it is just as 

 arbitrary to demand an act contrary to habit of one 

 animal, as it is in the case of the other. It may 

 very properly be said, no possible public advantage 

 can accrue from a bear's dancing ; no absolute public 

 good arises from partridges being shot, for the 

 markets could be plentifully supplied with them by 

 other means. Shooting is a gentlemanly amuse- 

 ment it may be argued, and a bear's dance is not ; 

 granted, but a thing being gentlemanly only, in no 

 way warrants improper cruelty to an animal, a bit 

 more than if the pursuit was even vulgar. Now 

 what would the bear leader say ? I should conceive 

 it would be something to the following effect : " I 

 have used cruelty to make my bear dance, I allow 

 it, but then his dancing supports me and my family, 



