vi ANIMAL TRAINING AND INTELLIGEN cH 
orders of these, such as fishes, amphibians, au. 
reptiles. Examples of all these have been made 
pets, and taught some very simple actions; but 
the so-called performing serpents of the circus 
are not so really, simply submitting to be put 
through certain motions in the hands of their 
keepers. The South American anaconda seems 
to be more amenable than any other snake to in- 
struction, really amounting in some cases to a 
trained obedience. 
Birds open to view a much wider range of men- 
tal capability. Sportsmen need not be reminded 
by me of the accurate way in which hawks are 
trained by falconers, and cormorants are employed 
to bring in fish. Here the natural habits of the 
birds are controlled at man’s behest; but the edu- 
cation of some small birds has led them far be- 
yond the range of their natural exertions and 
aptitudes. Such are the performances of canary 
birds and other trained finches, which equal, in 
the mental adaptiveness and grasp implied, those 
of most of the four-footed performers of the menag- 
erie. These birds will tumble like gymnasts, will 
draw tiny carriages, discharge firearms at one 
another, drop down in pretence of death, and do 
many other diverting feats. They will even sub- 
mit to be handled by the clown’s dogs and cats, 
showing no fear of these, their ancient ogres. 
Though finches are usually selected for this 
kind of training, there seems no reason why a 
