The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-26
ANIMAL CONSCIENCE.


FROM the chicago chronicle.
And now they say animals know
right from wrong. and that even IN a
puppy's breast is kindled that spark of
divine fire. a conscience.
The beasts of the field have eaten
of the fruit of the tree of the knowl-
edge of good and evil That they are
capable of loving and of devotinK
themselves to those they love. that
they offer models of maternal and con-
jugal affection, has long been admit
ted, and to-day they are credited with
expressions of some notion, however
obscure or imperfect. of good and evil,
OF merit and demerit, of Justice and
injustice. There is a familiar anec-
dote from the naturalist, Romanes,
about his dog. which never stole a
thing in his life save once. and then
under these circumstances:
'One day when he was hungry"
says hts master, "he seized a outlet
from the table and carried 1t under a
sofa. / was witness to this fact. but
pretended | had seen nothing and the
culprit remained some minutes under
the sofa. divided between the desire
to assuage his hunger and the senti-
ment of duty. The latter finally tri-
umphed, and the dog deposited at my
feet the outlet which he had stolen.
This done he returned to conceal hasn-
self under the sofa, whence no appeal
could make him emerge. In vain
gently pattsd his head: the only effect
Of this caress was to make him turn
his face with an air of contrfti0n that
was truly oomical"
What gives particular value to this
example, concludes Romanes, 10 that
the dog in question had never been
beaten, so that 1t could not have been
fear of corporal punishment which
actuated him. In him there seems to
be an animal that knows what he
owes 20 another. There are also ami
mails which know what Is due them.
II has often been stated that certain
beasts have a precise idea of what
can be exacted from them without In
Jury and that they ask In their own
way to be limited to their proper OBJ
legations. The mules on tramways In
New Orleans have TO make their trip
Ave times in succession. They so four
times without any manifestations OF
rebellion, but at the end of the fourth
round begin to bray.
Or. Edmondson, who has made
special study of crows. says that they
hold periodic assizes, when the affairs
OF the season are appealed. They gath
er together in large numbers for
convocation. Among them are some
whose fallen heads indicate accuse
while stlll others are motion and cla-
NOR. When the assembly is ended there
Is a general noise, and a little after
lawyers, listeners and bailtffs pounce
upon the two or three prisoners ar
raigned before the bar and ply them
with strokes until death ansues.
To wrong one, to render unto each
his own, to receive according TO ones
deserts. is only the negative os the
moral code. Above the duties OF jug
tice are those OF charity. the formula
of which is this. do unto others as
you would that they do unto you"
Whether animals attain to this stage
may be partially judged by a scene the
theater of which was a large Partisan
menagerie. A little black-and-wh
dog was thrown into the cage of
lioness named Constantine. Terrified
and trembling in all his limbs the dog
tried to hide in a corner. The ltoness
slowly rose and approached the poor
beast, which uttered a plaintive cry,
regarding her with an appealing look.
The lioness TRANQUILITY returned to her
repose without injuring the little dog.
At rnealtime the lioness' ration OF meat
was tossed into the cage. She left a
part for her little companion. Some
days later the dog ate his meals with
her. and a week later he flung him
self on the dinner. When autumn ar
rived the dog thought II seemly to pass
nights between the lions paws, the
climax in a beautiful example Of Glenn
ency and hospitality. The hero ami
NAL can even vanquish his instructive
pride, pardon his injuries and volun-
tarily offer reconciliation.