THE SCHOOL OF NATURE 115 



for the species as a whole, is the very conclusion of 

 the whole matter, since every individual that comes 

 to an untimely end at the hands of an enemy gives 

 that enemy a lesson not to meddle with other indi- 

 viduals of the like kind. Moreover, it is also probable 

 that, through the subtle power of ''association," animals 

 that have once or twice suffered by molesting any one 

 kind of glaringly-coloured offensive animal will begin 

 to have a general suspicion of all glaring colours. 



" Till old experience do attain, 

 To something like prophetic strain." 



Speaking for myself, I know that, having many 

 times suffered, I now use great caution in handling 

 animals whose colours at all resemble those of a 

 blazer," especially if the colours be yellow and black. 

 A burnt child dreads the fire : and no reasonable 

 argument can be adduced why the higher animals, 

 whose mental powers are not enormously inferior to 

 those of very young children, should not learn by a 

 single painful experience. As a matter of fact, every 

 one practically admits this in the training of domesti- 

 cated animals, who are broken in, like unruly children, 

 by punishment, and if we only use our eyes we can see 

 the same thing going on in the stern school of Nature. 



For instance — if I may just this once make a 

 rather serious digression — I at one time owned a young 

 Himalayan bear, brought in by hillmen straight from 

 his mothers lair, and thenceforward, until he went 



