Dogs Vs. Elephants

In instituting a comparison between tie intelligence of a dog and an elegant, Sir S. Baker decides in favor of lie former, "who, when the day's work is over, lies down and sleeps beore the fire at his master's f eet and reams of the dangers and exploits of he hunt." Sir. S. Baker seems to lave forgotten the old story in Esop's Fables, where the horse waa ealous of the dog and tried to ingraiate itself with its master by imitating ts rival's habits of fawning on its maser and jumping on his lap. Of courae he horse farad badly in the contrast. And so would the elephant if he were x try to imitate the dog and curl himself up at his master's feet before he oamp ftre. But Sir S. Baker himself acknowledges that the elephant is instruoted and guided by the mahout in all that ie does. He writes thus: "I do not cnow a more agreeablO sensation than ,he start in the early morning on a ,horoughly dependable elephant. with a mahout who takes a real interest in lis work. A thorough harmony exista etween man and beast, and you feel jrepared for anythingv But how muoh depends upon that mahout! It is imjossible for a bystander-to comprehend ;he secret signs whioh are mutually understood by the elephant and his piide - the elephant detects every movement, however slight, and is thus mysteriously guided by its intelligence; ihe mighty beast obeys tho unsaen lelm of tliought, juirt as a huge ship yields, by apparent instinct, to the rudder which dlrectg her oourse." And he goes on to observe: "What must be the result should an elephant oe giiided by a mahout of uncertain temperamerft? The great trouble when riding on an elephant is the difflcnlt.y in gettlng the mahout to obey an order. In tíger ihooting the elephant will at once detect anything like tremor on the part of his mahout. Freqvently a good lephant may be diagraced br thu nerroutne of his mahout, aotolag being so oontagious as fsr.1 Alter thii Ustimony it teems ruaioakbla to think tht the elephant ia m muah uparior in intelligence to tha dog u tha mahout is to the elephant.