Alind in Animals. 383 
among them who is more mighty than the rest, and who 
holds his place by superior force, either of intellect or mili- 
tary power. Challenged by one of the inferior chiefs and 
victorious, he retains his post, but if vanquished, his con- 
queror takes his place, his property and his wives. But 
curious to relate, with men as with birds, the members of 
the harem seem to trouble themselves very little, if any, 
about the change of master. The Scriptures are full of 
allusions to the invariable custom that the conqueror takes 
the possession of the harem belonging to the vanquished. 
David did so with regard to the women of Saul’s household, 
and when Nabal died, who had defied the authority of David, 
so the latter,as a matter of course, took possession of his 
wife, together with the rest of his property. And when 
Absalom rebelled against David, he publicly took possession 
of his father’s harem, which was a sign that he had assumed 
the kingdom. 
Where a number of creatures are confined in the same 
place, a very curious sort of tyranny is sometimes mani- 
fested. Mandarin ducks, according to Mr. Bennett, when 
confined to an aviary, show a very querulous disposition at 
feeding-time. The males of one and the same kind of a dif- 
ferent species endeavor to grasp all the nourishment for 
themselves, unmindful of the wants of others, and will not 
even permit their companions to perform their ablutions 
without molestation, although they may themselves have 
completed what they required. Often the mandarin ducks 
have been observed to excite the drakes to assail other 
males or females of the same species, and other kinds of 
birds in the aviary, against whom the ladies, from some 
cause or other, have taken a dislike. One pair of these 
ducks are always to be noticed that exercise a tyranny over 
the others, not allowing them to wash, eat or drink, unless 
at their pleasure and approval. 
But, of all tyrants, none can be compared to a spoiled dog, 
who is even worse than a spoiled child. Obedience is a 
