142 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



a fierce baboon. The little American monkey, wto was a 

 •warm friend of this keeper, lived in the same large com- 

 partment, and was dreadfully afraid of the great baboon. 

 Nevertheless, as soon as he saw his friend in peril, he 

 rushed to the rescue, and by screams and bites so dis- 

 tracted the baboon that the man was able to escape, after, 

 as the surgeon thought, running great risk of his life. 



Besides love and sympathy, animals exhibit other quali- 

 ties connected with the social instincts, which in us would 

 be called moral; and I agree with Agassiz" that dogs possess 

 something very like a conscience. 



Dogs possess some power of self-command, and this does 

 not appear to be wholly the result of fear. As Braubach" 

 remarks, they will refrain from stealing food in the absence 

 of their master. They have long been accepted as the very 

 type of fidelity and obedience. But the elephant is likewise 

 very faithful to his driver or keeper, and probably considers 

 him as the leader of the herd. Dr. Hooker informs me that 

 an elephant which he was riding in India became so deeply 

 bogged that he remained stuck fast until the next day, when 

 he was extricated by men with ropes. Under such circum- 

 stances elephants will seize with their trunks any object, 

 dead or alive, to place under their knees, to prevent their 

 sinking deeper in the mud; and the driver was dreadfully 

 afraid lest the animal should have seized Dr. Hooker and 

 crushed him to death. But the driver himself, as Dr. 

 Hooker was assured, ran no risk. This forbearance, under 

 an emergency so dreadful for a heavy animal, is a wonder- 

 ful proof of noble fidelity." 



All animals living in a body, whioh defend themselves 

 or attack their enemies in concert, must indeed be in some 

 degree faithful to one another; and those that follow a 

 leader must be in some degree obedient. When the ba- 



" "De I'Espece et de la Classe," 1869, p. 97. 

 " "Die Darvvin'sohe Art-Lehre," 1869, s. 54. 

 '* See also Hooker's "Himalayan Journals," vol. ii., 1854, p. 333. 



