usually obeyed with tardiness and hesitation, and very often
manifested nervousness and uncertainty.

In the mind of the elephant, e. g., _each_ elephant, there
was no confusion of ideas or lapses of memory, but, on the
contrary, the mental grasp on the whole subject was so secure and
comprehensive that the animal felt himself the master of the
situation.

I have never yet seen a performance of trained dogs which could be
considered worthy of serious comparison with the accomplishments
of either performing or working elephants. In the matter of native
educational capacity the dog can not on any grounds be considered
the rival of the elephant. The alleged mental superiority of the
dog is based almost wholly upon his powers of independent
reasoning and observation as exhibited in a state of almost
perfect _freedom._ Until the elephant who has grown to
maturity under man's influence, is allowed the dog's freedom to
plan and execute, no conclusive comparison between them can be
made.

Moral Qualities of the Elephant. Finally, we come to a
consideration of the elephant's moral qualities that have a direct
bearing upon our subject. In India, excepting the professional
"rogue," the elephant bears a spotless reputation for patience,
amiability and obedience. The "rogue" is an individual afflicted
with either an incorrigible disposition, or else is afflicted with
insanity, either temporary or permanent. I know of no instance on
record wherein a _normal elephant_ with a _healthy mind_
has been guilty of unprovoked homicide, or even of attempting it.