JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 109 
time carefully kept chained to his kennel, yet otherwise kindly treated 
and well fed, on account of his general amiability and faithfulness, 
except in the one dangerous direction. In an unlucky day, or night, 
seduced, as was believed, by evil counsels of canine associates, Bruin 
wandered towards neighboring sheep-folds and met his death by the 
rifle bullet of an irate stockman of the vicinity. So the moral of it 
all seems to be that qualities and biases if not wisely modified and 
judiciously directed, become evils and scourges in exact proportion 
to their aboriginal energy and vigor. 
The oft alluded to anecdote of the discouraged school-master, 
who, on being railed at by one of the parents of a non-progressive 
pupil, gave as a reason for said pupils being always at the bottom of 
his class: ‘“‘My dear friends, I fear that the boy’s unsatisfactory 
status is attributable to his having no capacity.” ‘‘Oh,” replied the 
guardian, *“‘he need no longer be kept back on that account, for we 
will buy him a ‘ capacity.’ ” 
It may be oftened noticed by farmers what a vast difference 
there is in the temperment and quickness of apprehension of farm 
animals, some being stolid and imperturbable, while others are habit- 
ually suspicious, irritable, or what is called in a perpetual state of 
aggressiveness and irascibility, individuality being as well marked a 
trait perhaps in all the inferior forms of animal life as it is seen to be 
in the genus ‘‘ Flomo.” 
A yolume might be written truly describing the peculiarities of 
constitutional temper, disposition and mental traits, and leanings 
and investigating powers of the various creatures that are to be met 
with on every farm. The farmers’ tact seems often to consist in the 
exercise of prudent, selective work, and to repress the perhaps ‘‘too 
wide-awake ” and self-resourceful peculiarities of some tribes of stock, 
such as are to be kept and pampered in monotonous quietude on the 
most nourishing food rations in rapid route to the abbattoir, while others 
may be better utilized by deliberate training, mental and sinewy 
qualities, as in the cases of ‘‘ breaking in the horse, ox or dog.” The 
semi-wild cattle of the ranch, in their struggles with their compeers 
and with numberless dangers of circumstantial surroundings, soon 
evince acuteness to ‘‘size up” a sudden danger or a suspicious am- 
buscade, in short a higher phase of intelligence and craftiness than 
