288 WILD ANIMALS. 



wlio had been in the habit of treating the animal with great 

 brutality, but "whom it had not seen for that period of time. On 

 the road, among several other elephants, was one ridden by this 

 identical man. Immediately the animal in question saw him it 

 rushed at the elephant he was riding, upset the man, and, taking 

 him in its trunk, dashed his brains out on the ground ! It then 

 walked round and round him kicking his body repeatedly. In 

 the panic created by this act, the other elephants and their drivers 

 fled, but shortly afterwards the infuriated animal was found to be 

 perfectly quiet, and gave no further trouble, for it was of an 

 inoffensive disposition and was not must. 



Another case occurred in 1866 in a circus that was performing 

 in St. Heliers, Jersey. From the report in the Times newspaper 

 we learn that a man named Williams, a groom in the circus, 

 in the discharge of his duty, went to the stable after the evening 

 performance to attend to the horses. " While giving water to 

 the horse placed next to the elephant, the latter, wishing to 

 drink, reached out his trunk, which Williams struck a violent 

 blow, refusing the animal any water. He then, to show a com- 

 panion — a soldier of the 69th Regiment — his mastery over the 

 elephant, commanded the animal to perform some of his usual 

 tricks. This was done, until the patience of the docile beast 

 being exhausted at the unreasonable demands of Williams, he 

 threw his trunk round him and pressed him against the stable wall 

 with such force that when the unfortunate man fell to the 

 ground and was picked up he was half dead and bleeding pro- 

 fusely. He was conveyed at once to the General Hospital, 

 where he was attended to ; but it is feared that the internal 

 injuries he has received may terminate fatally." These two cases 

 read in conjunction with others that have periodically occurred, 

 show that individual animals can be revengeful, and some possess 

 a retentive memory of injuries received. 



Their capability of receiving instruction is undoubtedly very 

 great. The little clown elephant "Tom Thumb," owned by 

 Barnum, which nearly shared the fate of "Jumbo" last year, 

 exhibits probably the highest training that can now be given any 

 animal, for it appears to act independently of any word of com- 



