FROM THE ANIMALS' POINT OF VIEW 271 
between civilized man and “ instructed ” wolves, in 
the experiences of the French Revolution; but with- 
out following his fortunes in those troublous times 
for game-preservers, we may perhaps return to the 
question of the natural relation of animals to man, 
which, as pictured by Rousseau to prove his a priori 
notions of a state of nature, so justly incurred the 
criticism of the practical observer and practised writer, 
M. Georges Leroy. 
That man is, generally speaking, from the animals’ 
point of view, an object of fear, hostility, or rapine, is 
to-day most unfortunately true. But whether this is 
their natural relation, and not one induced, and capable 
perhaps of change, is by no means certain. Savage 
man, who has generally been first in contact with 
animals, is usually a hunter, and therefore an object 
of dislike to the other hunting animals, and of dread 
to the hunted. But civilized man, with his supply of 
bread and beef, is not necessarily a hunter; and it is 
just conceivable that he might be content to leave 
the animals in a newly-discovered country unmolested, 
and condescend, when not better employed, to watch 
their attitude towards himself. The impossible island 
in The Swiss Family Robinson , in which half the 
animals of two hemispheres were collected, would be 
an ideal place for such an experiment. But, un- 
fortunately, uninhabited islands seldom contain more 
than a few species, and those generally birds, or sea- 
beasts ; and in newly-discovered game regions, savage 
man has generally been before us with his arrows, 
