The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-04-08
WELLINGTON, O., THURSDAY, April, 8, 1880.

hODA L Al NIL ., lC
Popular Misconceptions Of the So
called Lower Animals.
The following is from review in the
New York Sam of a recently published
work, Mind in the Lower Animals"
by DR.. w. L. Lindsay:
1t is amazing to note how signally the
con6(usions of vulgar observers have
been vitiated by their Indifference or
imagined superiority to the so-called
lower animals-how widely, in other
words, the regulations popularity as
signed to certain species fail to repre-
sent their real moral or intellectual
qualities. We, hear a great deal, for
instance, of the lion as the king of
beasts, and of its alleged bravery. But
African travellers and sportsmen have
exposed the .pretensions of this animal,
describing cowardice as its true char
acter rather than courage, and showing
that it will run away like q whipped
cur under circumstances in which the
tiger will boldly attack and kill. The
ideas generally associated with the last
named beast are those of ferocious
courage, bloodthirstiness, untamea-
bility; but according to Jamrach, the
well-known wild animal dealer of Lon
don, the tiger can, be tanned, If taken
young, and then forms harmless COM
panionships with dogs or other animals.
Next to the tiger, the common hyena
bears the most decided character for
ferocity in the popular mind. Its
laughter Is supposed to be of the kind
that we call fiendish, and which we
ascribe to the typical demons of opera
or pantomine. Nevertheless, the hyena
may be trained to act in place of q
Watchdog; it becomes attached to man,
and is sensitive to Kindness. Again,
we are accustomed to think Of the wolf
in connection with incorrigible voracity
and bloodthirstiness, yet numerous
authors Of unquestioned competence
describe it as capable Of being
tanned, as being affectionate and
emotional, moved equally by joy and
sorrow. Frederick Cuvier gives the
case of q tame one that was tractable as
dog and as fond Of its master, droop-
ing IN his absence and making demon
stfations of delight on his return,
planting its forefeet on his shoulders,
and licking his face. Such companion
ships, with all the affection they en-
body or illustrate, must be borne in
mind in Judging of the probable verify
Of various stories current at the pres
ent day in India about the upbringing
by wolves of human children. To cite
another instance of misconception, we
speak OF a man being q bear, when we
mean that he is gruff OF rough, stupid,
- nnld nd Tv.
however, the Arctic bear, with which
species we should be most familiar
through accurate description, is intelli.
ionable and tractable. Their whelps
but harmless playfellows of children,
and they will also mess amicably with
cats, dogs and birds. There is, in fact,
q rarity Of bad humor-of any loss Of
temper-in bear whelps brought up
with human infants; even teazing by
the latter is borne with wonderful
cided affection is contracted for some
child cSmpanion, whom the bear cui
may even feed, protect and caress. II
Is no popularity of the Arctic bear tha'
it is sometimes unhappy, sullea and re-
IL tiilS CooC, 10 III bilstL vi 81
many other animals, it is under the In.
f1uence of mans persecution of theil
cubs that such moral ormental qualities
are developed.
1t would seem, too, that the cat has
been quite as much maligned and mis-
understood as it has been petted. IT.
apparent affection is often described as
a cupboard love; it is said to be at.
90 81, ID 20, e., I
is associated with ideas of greediness
spitefulness, and calculating cruelty,
The truth is that the cat is singularly
unselfish and generous animal, capable
of great self-sacrifice. In one authen.
ticated instance it was accustomed tc
feed jay twice day with mice, and
another cat always laid at her masters
feet the mice she had caught before
she would eat them, making use Of
them only when they were given bach
to her by her master. The attachment
of the cat is frequently as great to per
sons as to places, such fondness, how.
ever, naturally depending on how wei
she is treated. Cases are cited of cat.
following their masters from place tC
place as unconcernedly as the dog. and
it is certain that they may be trained t.
guard and defend like the last-nameG
animal.
Passing to the dog. we are reminded
that in the East his name is a term o.
profoundest contumely when used BY
man toward his brother man, and in the
Turkish dominians, where the poor ami
NAL is either utterly neglected or cru
ely i'll used, it unquestionably possesse.
evil qualities that are not developed in
happier circumstances! We ourselves
use the word ''dogged'' in q contempt
Gus sense, as synonymous with stupid
hopeless obstinacy. But such self
willedness. or perversity, is no more
a feature of the natural character of tht
dog than it is of that of the ass, mule
or pig. When it exists it is usually the
fruit OF mans training or usage. Ever
the bulldog, which is popularity sup
posed incapable of anything but feroci
ty and combat. becomes, under kindl,
treatment, companionable and good
tempered; he may be taught tricks o.
feats like those performed b,
the poodle or other dogs, ant
he often shows attachment h
his master. There is an authentic &C
count of bulldog that died of grief OF
being transferred to a new owner, ant
another is recorded to have saved
human life by carrying a rope ashor'
from shipwrecked vessel, a fact thu
more remarkable because animals o
this species are not water dogs. By
another careless and erroneous meta.
phor, we speak of ill-matched spouse
as leading cat-and-dog life. The fac
is that when left alone, cats and dogs
SO far from quarreling with each other
form the closest companionships ol
friendships, and their fights, when they
do occur, are commonly the direct re
suit of mans Intervention, of his crue
propensity for what he calls sport. Th'
alleged mutual antipathy of the dos
and cat are shown by number of veri
fed facts here cited to be one of man
many fables, fictions or popular delu
sions concerning other animals.