24 
PASSIONAL ZOOLOGY. 
occupied itself with breeding the pheasant and peacock, fifteen 
centuries before the epoch of the crusades, in spite of the vulgar 
opinion, which is wrong in attributing to these holy enterprises the 
honor of first importing these noble fowls into the European 
world. 
I should find myself very much embarrassed to say what inven- 
tion there is that does not proceed from the chase, either directly 
or indirectly. I should be tempted to draw myself out of the 
aftair like that young intellectual pantheist, who, on being promised 
an orange by his archbishop if he could tell him where the good 
God was, replied, ‘‘ I will give you two if you will tell me where 
He is not.’’ 
It is the Hunter who has invented the dog — the dog that gave 
to man the herd — the dog, cornerstone of the social redemption. 
The astronomer descends in right line from the shepherds of 
Chaldea, to whom the dog had given some leisure. What shep- 
herd is not somewhat of a hunter, an astrologist, a sorcerer, a phy- 
sician ? 
The Scythian, ancestor of the German, father of the Franc, are 
cited in all the writings of antiquity as perfect models of sobriety, 
innocence, and honor. These people, so jealous of their inde- 
pendence, and who bear an immaculate reputation for justice 
and bravery, have been hunters, among whom woman, admitted 
into the counsels of the tribe, guides the warriors to glory, com- 
bats and dies with them. It is the superhuman courage of the 
heroines of Scythia that recalls the tradition of a nation of Amazons 
on the banks of the Thermodoon. They were right in seeking for 
the free woman to liberate the world, those Judases of St. Simon- 
ism, who have since sold the blood of the people to the powers of 
capital for a handful of gold ! The voice of free countries pro- 
claims the beneficent influence of the spirit of the chase. 
The testimony of various beasts is also homage to the chase. 
The dog, the wolf, the fox, that have in their souls so much finesse, 
rascality, and wit, modestly confess that they owe their superiority 
over other beasts only to the daily practice of hunting, which has 
developed their intelligence immensely, by forcing them to invent 
every day some new strategic combination, and keeping their im- 
