AARON 



107 



on board the ships to which they are consigned for 

 various ports of Europe and other countries. It is 

 not often from neglect or cruelty, but usually from a 

 change of food, climate, or condition, yet the 

 creature suffers just the same whether the cause 

 is from design or accident. One fruitful source of 

 death among them is pulmonary trouble of various 

 types. 



One look at the portrait of Aaron will impress 

 any one with the high mental qualities of this little 

 captive, but to see and study him in life would 

 convince a heretic of his superior character. In 

 every look and gesture there was a touch of the 

 human that no one could fail to observe. The 

 range of facial expression surpassed that of any 

 other animal I have ever studied. In repose, his 

 quaint face wore a look of wisdom becoming to a 

 sage ; while in play it was crowned with a grin of 

 genuine mirth. The deep, searching look he gave 

 to a stranger was a study for the psychologist, while 

 the serious, earnest look of inquiry when he was 

 perplexed would amuse a stoic. All these chang- 

 ing moods were depicted in his mobile face, with 

 such intensity as to leave no room to doubt the 

 activity of certain faculties of the mind in a degree 

 far beyond that of animals in general ; and his con- 

 duct, in many instances, showed the exercise of 

 mental powers of a higher order than that limited 

 agency known as instinct. 



In addition to these facts, his voice was of better 

 quality and more flexible than that of any other 



