VI ANIMAL TRAINING AND INTELLIGENCE 1 6/ 



about a week longer, and a leopard, which comes 

 next in intelligence to a lion, about six weeks, to 

 learn the same feats. The tiger would take seven 

 or eight weeks ; a tigress, eight or nine weeks." 



Lions have been taught to ride on horseback 

 and on a tricycle, draw a chariot, to form living 

 tableaux by grouping themselves together, some 

 upon the backs of others, etc. ; but it is said that 

 the most difficult feat of all is to teach a wild 

 beast to let you lie upon it. This used to be 

 done every night during one of Barnum's tours, 

 but the performer said the tigress underneath 

 him was never contented with it. 



Though the trainers prefer to give their ex- 

 hibitions just after the beasts have been fed, this 

 is often impracticable and does not make much 

 difference. The danger lies in the instinct of 

 ferocity, not in a desire for food; and it often 

 happens that performances in travelling shows 

 are given with animals which have not been fed 

 for two or three days. There is this difference 

 between the ferocity of a lion and a tiger: the 

 former will attack its master now and then out 

 of spite or temper, while the tiger seizes him 

 through sheer love of blood. All tigers are 

 "man-eaters" if they dare to be. 



Lions have been a part of public shows since 

 history began. They were led as trophies in the 

 " triumphs " of semi-barbarians, and were ex- 

 hibited and sacrificed by thousands in the Roman 



