At the Zoological Gardens in London, and at several places on the continent, seals have been exhibited which had been taught to perform a number of tricks. The first “learned seal” which appeared in this country was one exhibited first at Barnum’s old Museum, on the corner of Broadway and Ann street, and afterward1 in various parts of the country. Ned, as he was called, was quite a philosopher in his way, and submitted gracefully2 to the change from his secluded3 haunts on the icy shores of Greenland, to the excitements of a public life.
Seals are naturally docile4 and intelligent, but skill in grinding a hand organ is scarcely a gift which comes by nature, and even in the case of Ned it was necessary to stimulate5 his musical taste before he became an adept6 on that instrument. This stimulus7 was the same as that to which we owe the curb-stone performances of modern Romans—hunger.
He had before this learned of his own accord to come up out of the water on the appearance of his keeper. He was kept in a large tank, or box, one half of which held the water, while the other half was floored over forming a platform on which he was exhibited. From this platform an inclined plane, formed of planks8, led down into the water. Around the edge of the tank and platform a wooden railing extended, and in one corner of this enclosure was kept a tin box containing the fish with which the seal was fed. When the seal was first exhibited his keeper was in the habit of taking a fish from this box at each half-hourly exhibition, and tossing it to the seal who would come partly out of the water and open his mouth to catch it when he saw it in the keeper’s hand. This box had a lid to prevent Ned helping9 himself, and the seal soon learned that the noise of opening the box was followed by his getting a fish; so before long it was only necessary to tap on the lid to make him come up on the platform.
There was one trick which Ned invented himself, and used to perform to his own great satisfaction. He always liked to be able to see his keeper, but visitors often crowded around the tank so much as to obstruct10 his view. When this happened, Ned had a way of beating vigorously about in the water and splashing the offending spectators so that they were glad to withdraw to a more respectful distance. This afforded considerable fun to the attachés of the museum, who had discovered 182Ned’s little game, while, we believe, visitors never suspected that their ducking was anything more than mere11 accident.
The first feat12 he was taught was to sit up on his hind13 quarters. This was easily accomplished14 by holding a fish in the air as an encouragement for the seal to keep an erect15 position. More difficulty was experienced in teaching him to play the organ. Day after day his paw was placed on the handle, while the trainer industriously16 turned the crank and held Ned’s paw in position at the same time. Ever and anon the man would remove his hand to see if the seal continued the motion, but down would flop17 Ned’s paw and he would gaze vacantly at the instrument without the least apparent consciousness of what was to be done. But by-and-by there was a little hesitation18 in the paw and it did not drop quite so promptly19 on the trainer’s hand being removed. Then Ned got a little fish. The next time the paw lingered quite perceptibly on the handle, and there was just the faintest movement toward turning the crank. Then Ned got a bigger fish, which he undoubtedly20 relished21 exceedingly, for all this time he had been on short allowance. So it went on, the seal grinding a few notes, increasing their number each time and being rewarded with fish, until he had learned to roll out the full supply of tunes22 the instrument afforded, though his “time” would have puzzled a musician, his efforts being to grind at the greatest possible speed, and we feel safe in asserting that his “Old Hundred” was the fastest thing on record. After every exhibition he was rewarded with fish.
NED, THE “LEARNED SEAL.”
Quite a number of instances are recorded where seals have been tamed without any design of public exhibition. A writer in the London Field gives some curious details of his own experiment. He says:
“When a boy, I was presented by some fishermen with one 183apparently not more than a fortnight old, which in a few weeks became perfectly23 tame and domesticated24, would follow me about, eat from my hand, and showed unmistakable signs of recognition and attachment25 whenever I approached. It was fond of heat, and would lie for hours at the kitchen fire, raising its head to look at every new comer, but never attempting to bite, and would nestle close to the dogs, who soon became quite reconciled to their new friend. Unfortunately the winter after I obtained it was unusually rough and stormy. Upon that wild coast boats could seldom put to sea, and the supply of fish became scanty26 and precarious27. We were obliged to substitute milk in its place, of which the seal consumed large quantities, and as the scarcity28 of other food still continued, it was determined29, in a family council, that it should be consigned30 to its own element, to shift for itself. Accompanied by a clergyman, who took a great interest in my pet, I rowed out for a couple of miles to sea, and dropped it quietly overboard. Very much to our astonishment31, however, we found that it was not so easy to shake it off. Fast as we pulled away it swam still faster after the boat, crying all the time so loudly that it might easily have been heard a mile away, and so pitifully that we were obliged to take it in again and bring it home.”
A somewhat similar story is told in Maxwell’s Wild Sports of the West, where may be found a very interesting and touching32 narrative33 of a tamed seal, which lived for several years with a family, and which, although it was repeatedly taken out to sea in a boat and thrown overboard, always found its way back again to the house which it loved, even contriving34 to creep through an open window and to gain access to the warm fireside.
In the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, there was, for some time, a specimen35 of the marbled seal. Two little dogs, in the same enclosure, amused themselves by mounting on its back, barking, and even biting it—all of which the seal took in good part. Sometimes it would pat them with its paw; but this seemed intended more to encourage than to repress their gambols36. In cold weather, they warmed one another by huddling37 together. If the dogs snatched a fish from the seal’s mouth, it bore the loss patiently; but it generally had a fight with another seal, the sharer of its mess, until the weaker one sounded a retreat.
Some few years ago a “talking fish” was profitably exhibited in London and the principal provincial38 towns, at a shilling a head. The fish was a species of seal, and the “talking” consisted of a free translation of its natural cry into the words ma-ma, or pa-pa, according to the fancy of the showman or spectator.
184Gold and silver fish are frequently kept as ornaments39 in glass globes or aquaria; those vessels40 which present the largest surface to the air being preferable. Fish kept in the flask41 shaped, or narrow mouth globes, so often used by thoughtless persons, can never be kept healthy, and their spasmodic efforts to get breath are a sufficient indication of their sufferings.
These fishes may be easily tamed. Gentleness is the all-essential requisite42. They can be taught to eat from their owner’s hand by first dropping morsels43 of food in the water while your finger is placed on the outside as near it as possible. For a little while they will be afraid to approach the food, restrained by the sight of the finger, but by-and-by they will approach and seize it. After they have ceased to fear your fingers on the outside, attach a bit of the food to your finger and cautiously insert it in the water; if hungry they will presently muster44 courage to come and take it, and in due time will take their food in that manner as a matter of course. If fed at stated hours they will learn to distinguish the approach of the customary feeding time and will signify the fact by floating up to the surface shaking their fins45, and sticking their heads out of the water. In this same manner they recognize their master or mistress and express their pleasure at his or her approach.
A lady writer thus describes some fish kept in her family as pets: “They knew a wonderful deal more did these little fishes. They would come to the top of the water to be fed and take their food from my fingers. When they wanted fresh water they could call for it by making an odd, clicking noise. They would remain perfectly still while being talked to, and wink46 with evident satisfaction at the compliments lavished47 upon them. When, after a prolonged absence, their lawful48 owners returned to them, these little fishes would wriggle49 about and indulge in wonderful demonstrations50 of joy and welcome. Oh, the learned seal was nothing in comparison to them.”
It is not alone gold and silver fish that admit of being tamed. A correspondent writing from Franklin, Indiana, says of the fishes in a pond on his grounds that they will approach on hearing his whistle, eat from his hands, and allow him to take them from the water. A little girl in one of the New England states rendered some trout51, which inhabited a brook52 near her father’s house, so exceedingly tame, that, when feeding them, she was obliged to check the impetuosity of the more voracious53 ones by a little stick armed at the point with a needle.
Mr. C. L. Vallandigham, of Ohio, is our authority for the following story: “While upon the Island of Bermuda, in traveling from one portion of the island to the other, I passed by a 185stone enclosure, perhaps a hundred feet in diameter. The islands are coral in their formation. There was a pool of water full of fish inside the enclosure. I paid an English shilling for admission inside, where I saw perhaps a hundred fish, thoroughly54 tamed, each one having a name, and each one answering to the name by which he was called. One of them, I recollect55, was called Dick. I spoke56 to him as I would to a dog, and he came and lifted up his head and allowed me to rub his back, just as you would a cat. Now, as I told you, if any body else had told me that I wouldn’t have believed it. But it is nevertheless true. There is just such a pool there, and they are so intelligent that they recognize their names.”
THE HIPPOCAMPUS.
Possibly some of our readers remember the queer little fishes Barnum exhibited some years ago, and which he called “seahorses” on account of the great resemblance of the heads to those of miniature horses. These were labeled as coming from the Gulf57 of Mexico, though in reality caught in New York Bay. They were what are known to naturalists58 as the short-nosed hippocampus, and being peculiar59 we give an illustration which will convey a better idea of their appearance than any mere description. They are commonly about five inches in length, and 186are to be found on many parts of our coast. When swimming about they maintain a vertical60 position, but the tail is ready to grasp whatever it meets in the water, and this is the means by which the creature appears to obtain rest. The tail will quickly entwine in any direction around weeds, or other supports; and when fixed61 the animal watches the surrounding objects intently and darts62 at his prey63 with great dexterity64. They raise themselves to higher positions on their supports by the aid of the hinder part of their cheeks, or chins, when the tail entwines itself afresh. We do not think those at the museum performed in public but their keeper to while away leisure time made them very tame and taught them several little tricks, among others to perch65 in a row on his finger. The four little fellows, each only about four inches in length, presented a most comical appearance. The system of training in this case was very similar to that which we have described as having been practiced in the case of the “learned seal.”
We cannot say that we ever had any personal experience with oysters66 in the capacity of pupils, but in at least one case has a bivalve been made subject to the tamer’s art. In an English paper of 1840 we find a curious account of a gentleman at Christ Church, Salisbury, England, who kept a pet oyster67 of the largest and finest breed then known. It was fed on oat meal, for which it regularly opened its shell, and was occasionally treated to a dip in its native element; but the most extraordinary trait in the history of this amphibious was that it proved itself an excellent mouser, having killed at least five mice, by crushing the heads of such as, tempted68 by the luscious69 meal, had the temerity70 to intrude71 their noses within its bivalvular clutches. On one occasion two of these little intruders suffered together.
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1
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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obstruct
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| v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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13
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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16
industriously
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flop
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| n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下 | |
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18
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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23
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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domesticated
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| adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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gambols
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| v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 ) | |
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huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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42
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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45
fins
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| [医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌 | |
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46
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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47
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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49
wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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50
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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51
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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52
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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53
voracious
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| adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的 | |
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54
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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55
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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56
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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57
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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59
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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62
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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63
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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64
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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65
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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68
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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69
luscious
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| adj.美味的；芬芳的；肉感的，引与性欲的 | |
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temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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