38 
PASSIONS OF ANIMALS. 
leave, during the summer season, but a small stream of water 
running through them, though their beds are mostly of con- 
siderable breadth, very heavy for draught, and abounding in 
quicksands. It happened that an artilleryman, who was seated 
on the tumbril of one of the guns, by some accident fell off, 
in such a situation that in a minute or two the hind wheel 
must have gone over him. The elephant, which was stationed 
behind the gun, perceiving the predicament in which the man 
was, instantly, without any warning from its keepers, lifted 
up the wheel with its trunk, and kept it suspended till the 
carriage had passed clear of him. 
^ ^ ^ Jjc 5}s 
“ Birds have some little leaven of envy in their compo- 
sition. Vultures drive each other clamorously away from 
their carrion ; when the wood-pecker sees another hammering 
at a tree, it flies at it and attempts to dislodge it, in order 
to secure the insect within ; the petrels quarrel for their 
food so furiously and in such numbers, that they often allow 
themselves to be caught in the blindness of their rage ; horses 
attempt either to drive each other away from their crib, or 
try to monopolise their neighbour’s measure ; and dogs ab- 
stain from that which is intrusted to them only so long as 
they are unmolested, for as soon as they find themselves 
unable to defend their charge from other dogs, they fall to it 
themselves. They are also envious of attentions and caresses 
bestowed on other dogs by their master. A dog was trained 
by his master to execute several commissions. When he 
wanted him to go to the tavern, he made certain signs, which 
the dog understood, and immediately set off to bring home 
whatever the tavern-keeper put into the basket intended for 
his master. He went on in this manner for some time 
without accident; when one evening as he was returning 
with some hot pies for his master’s supper, two dogs in the 
neighbourhood, attracted by the inviting smell of the pastry, 
took it into their heads to attack the faithful messenger. The 
dog instantly dropped the basket, and placing himself before 
it, flew with determined courage at the first that advanced ; 
but while he was thus engaged in fighting with one, the other 
dog ran to the basket and began to devour the pies. This 
was an embarrassing case for the poor animal. After a 
moment’s reflection, seeing that it was impossible to pre- 
serve the pies for his master, he determined at least to have 
them for himself; and, accordingly, without any further 
hesitation, he darted upon them and dispatched all that 
remained. 
“As regards cruelty, the only real example of it is found 
