THE OCCUPATIONS OF ANIMALS | 15 
only allude to them to show what animals are capable 
of in the way of sleep. 
Lastly, animals spend no inconsiderable portion of 
the day in play. The play of animals is too big a 
subject to be discussed at the tail end of an essay. It 
must suffice that nearly all the higher animals indulge 
in play ; some go as far as to play regular games. 
The life of an animal bears the same relation to that 
of a human being as an anthem does to a polemic 
oration. The anthem is made up of one short para- 
graph; the speech is replete with facts and figures. 
The delivery of each may occupy the same time. In 
the former, two or three phrases are sung and resung; 
in the latter, weighty sentences follow in rapid succession, 
one upon the other. 
It may be said that, if such be the case, if animals 
have thus to drag out their lives, they cannot be happy. 
This I deny. Animals are not aware of the fact that 
they are frittering away their lives, that they do much 
useless work. The singing of an anthem causes as 
much pleasure to the chorister as the delivery of a great 
speech to the orator. 
I took out my pony this morning. She had not left 
her stable for several days, except for walking exercise. 
Was she bored by her long sojourn in the stable? Not 
in the least. She seemed very loath to leave it. During 
the whole of the outward journey she was making 
attempts to turn homewards, and when at last her 
desire was realized, her pace was visibly accelerated. 
The dog forms an exception. No doubt he does get 
tired of doing nothing. The piteous wail of a hound 
