2 
SELBORNIANA. 
Docking Horses is now carried on to a painful and even 
shocking extent, and any one who has much to do with riding or 
driving horses cannot but see how the animals suffer from the 
flies when they are deprived of their natural weapon of defence 
against the insect pests. On the other hand, absolutely long 
natural tails are unworkable. Last month the Royal Agricultural 
Society passed a resolution that after the Maidstone meeting of 
next year no foals with docked tails shall be exhibited ; after the 
meeting of igoo no yearlings, and after the first meeting of the 
new century no two-year-olds. And most people regarded this as 
a step forward in humanity, as well as in cultivating the graces 
of horseflesh. But a number of societies have protested, and 
an attempt at a compromise was made at the Royal Agricultural 
Society's meeting yesterday, when Sir Walter Gilbey moved 
that the resolution should apply to hunters only. Mr. Muntz 
moved, virtually, that the operation of the resolution of Novem- 
ber should be suspended, and we regret to say this was carried 
by twenty-six votes to twenty-two. Thus, the whole question 
of docking is re-opened, and considering the cruelty both of the 
operation and of its effects, we hope the country will make its 
mind felt on the subject. To shorten the tail is bad enough ; to 
truncate that which is a portion of the animal’s body is mon- 
strous.— Daf/y Chronicle, December 7. 
M. Bourdarie’s Appeal for the Elephant. — Mrs. Hub- 
bard writes; — “A practical method of discouraging the trade 
in ivory would be efficacious if it were only adopted generally. 
It is simply that we should all forego the use of ivory, and have 
our knife-handles, &c., made of xylonite, or one of the good 
forms of celluloid. The 40,000 elephants annually destroyed 
for manufacturing purposes have their long, wise lives sacrificed 
mainly in the service of billiard players. This is quite unneces- 
sary, as xylonite billiard balls are now made as truly and are as 
pleasant to play with as Shose of ivory.” 
Pasteur Institute for India. — Captain F. E. Pirkis sends 
us a memorial from a public meeting of native residents in 
Bombay to the Governor-general in Council against the proposed 
“ Indian Princes’ Victoria Health Institute.” 
An Old-World Botanist. — Erratum. On p. 225 in vol. ix., 
line II,. for “ Bobart’s’’ read “ Dodart’s.” 
