The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-05

through series of hoops returned Sc
dately to her basket and was carried
out. Another rode on saddle strap
ped to a dogs back while it danced a
wild and rollicking Spanish waltz.
third played equestrenne, jumping on
and off a saddle strapped to huge
mastif which ran in a circle. after the
manner of a real circus horse.
fourth climbed a ladder over 20 feet
high and after posing herself on
small platform for an instant sprang
into a life-net that was held in the teeth
of a half score of dogs.
The brains of these cats are the
most wonderful that 1 have ever found
in Fells domestica, or the common
house cat" said Or. Capen.
intellectual development is the re-
suit of meeting and overcoming diff
fieulties. The necessity of thinking how
to provide food. avoid danger and Sc
cure warmth makes the wild animal. as
rule. far more intelligent than the
domestic animal. which has all these
necessities provided by a human mas
ter.
But in these cats another form of
brain development has resulted from
their training. Their memory is inordi-
narily large and their perceptive facul-
ties are unusually great.
There is no more conceited and
vain animal living than the cat. and
in order to educate these specimens it
was necessary to appeal to those pas
sions. Is il not so?"
Yes" replied Coleman. "only kind
words and gentleness will teach a cat
anything. With dogs it is different
There you must have discipline or the
dog will do what he wants and not
what you want. A touch of the whip
now and then does them good You
must not beat them, for that would
break their spirit. But just the sting
of lash helps them to learn to obey
Cats are different. Petting and kind
ness and dainties and soft places to
sleep and nap--those are the things
that win them. Dogs are like bright,
intelligent boys. and cats are like
beautiful women"
See this big Angora," said DR.. Ca
pen, smoothing back the hair of the
gray cats head. See how broad and
fiat the skull is. There is no bump
of benevolence or domesticity in its
makeup. 1t will love best the person
who treats it best. That is the Sc
cret of Mr. Goleman's power over
these dumb beasts.
Simply because they cannot talk we
call them stupid, but as a matter of
fact they are mighty clever beasts and
make us do most of their work for
them. Do you remember what Mon
taigne said about this subject? He
remarks in one of his essays: When
you are having a romp with a cat
and are laughing at its funny capers.
rest assured that 1t is laughing at and
enjoying yours
"Self-esteem, vanity and love of
good living are abnormally developed
in these animals. blow or an un-
kind word would destroy the labor of
months. Knowing their power, they
use it to the utmost to get as much
from their master for as little in re-
turn as possible. 1t is the tyranny
of the helpless over the strong and
able That is one of the reasons why
we speak of all cats as She, regard
less of sex.
You will notice that all these trick
cats are very broad between the eyes.
showing marked development of the
bump of individuality. Another Gu
rious development Is the large size of
the organ Of calculation, which lies
at the outer corner of the eye.
Eventually and comparison, which
occupy the center of the forehead, are
also extremely we'll developed. On the
other hand, the back of the skulls is
extremely narrow, showing lack of all
domestic traits. Amativeness, philo-
| progenitiveness and all the organs
which tend toward devotion to- home
! and family are almost wanting. These
| cats do not perform their tricks for
love of their master but rather be-
cause they feel flattered by their Enas-
ter's devotion.
Briefly put, / may say that the ami
| able propensties are small the selfish
sentiments are large; the perceptive
faculties unusually well developed, and
the reflective faculties above the nor
NAL.
IAN these cats have definitely form
ed characters and can be counted on
to act in a given way under given
circumstances. The conformation of
the skulls shows definitely that this is
so.
Il have to consider each cats char
acter," said Coleman. las soon as I
find out what she is willing to do, then
/ teach her that, and humor and hu-
NOR and humor her into doing it al
ways when l tell her to. ! have been
familiar with animals from childhood
up. l was born in a Circus and have
lived with horses and dogs and cats.
l have taught seals to juggle and do
tricks. They are easily taught. l have
trained horses. They, too, learn read
lily. So do dogs. But cats-they are
the very devil to teach"