MENTAL POWERS OF ANIMALS. 373 



from front and rear ; now singly, now in a body, now on all 

 sides. All the climber could do was to get down with a whole 

 skin, and in spite of coaxings, threats, &c, nothing would 

 induce him to attempt the nest a second time. It was only 

 after I very reluctantly shot one of the plucky little fellows, and 

 drove away the rest, that we were able to examine the nest in 

 safety. ... It was one of the most interesting sights that 

 I have ever witnessed in my life. And here, what is still more 

 interesting to an ornithologist is that, not only did the birds 

 belonging to the nest take part in its defence, but all the others 

 of the same species in the neighbourhood also joined in it. 



That some animals and a few birds occasionally indulge in 

 practical jokes will, I think, be readily admitted. Take the case 

 of a dog wi-ich has been trained to bring balls or pieces of 

 sticks which are thrown in front of it. It will sometimes bring 

 the object and drop it in front of one, and just as its master 

 goes to pick it up, it will seize it, and run off with it. 



A few years ago I had a small poodle, which was in the 

 habit of chasing and barking at monkeys. One day I saw a 

 large monkey catch it in his hands, give it a good shaking, and 

 then let it go. And again, I once saw a dog slapped in the face 

 by one of these animals. 



Last year I happened to witness an amusing incident in 

 the "Eden Gardens" in Calcutta. A large number of Flying 

 Foxes (Pteropus edivardsii) had taken up their abode on one 

 of the high trees growing on the sides of one of the avenues, 

 and the crows (C. splendens) spent a good deal of their time 

 daily in harassing these poor animals. A crow would take 

 up a position on a branch from which a few foxes were 

 suspended, look at them in a most casual sort of way as if 

 no harm were intended, and having selected an unfortunate, 

 who was half asleep, peck at him most viciously three or four 

 times in quick succession. When he had roused all the foxes 

 on the branch to his complete satisfaction, he would suddenly 

 dart across to another branch, from which a few more of these 

 animals were suspended, and while passing, make a sudden 

 assault on one, who was probably in dreamland, and was thus 

 always taken unawares. Judging from the number of crows 

 taking part in this game, it seemed that they derived much 



