HOW PERFORMING ANIMALS LEARN THEIR TRICKS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7554, 18 April 1914, Page 6

HOW PERFORMING ANIMALS LEARN THEIR TRICKS.

A OH AT WITH A WELL-KNOWN TRAINER. TS it cruel to teaXalimals to perform 1 tricks P Mr. Thomas Hardy, the noveHstsays "Yes," ***> ™ V'T lotto to tho London 'Times'tells barlowingStories of caged skylarks poisoned by their broken-hearted mothers, and trained uVs Sarved into submission. *«SSiM tales," said Mr. Fred Ginjjtt, tho English trainer, m a recent interZvi "aro absurd. No animal can ever {e trained to perform a trick which.t dislikes. On the contrary, it is the fust obieot of every trainer to discover how Sals play when at liberty, and to at--85! to imitate these games ni the tried it with a two-foot plank, xno los mm were given in public at Portsmouth, and lasted about fifteen minutes each Xt Gradually I reduced the width Sthe board to seven inches, and raised it a littlo way from tho ground. The trick pleased the horse almost as much K pleased-me. It was a great success with the public. CLEVER BLACK BESS. "What about the death of Black Bess in Tnnr Dick Turp m spectacle Mt. UinZlr> linked. "People said that you must hare doped th/mare to make %?ta Jofino. Black Bess was the easiesfhorso to train I ever snlendid beast in every way. She jusi oK her parf from the first moment and she never makes a mistake, fahe na* had six Turpins on her hack now-one o them an amateur with very little Know ledge Bui Bess carries off the show by Keif. She's a thoroughbred you know She was never touched wittt a Spin her life. I would like to see tho man "Mr, Ginnett added, grimly, who would dare to put a whip on Black

*!!£.? Ginnett then told the story of his troop, of Boy Scouts and poinded out that he had anticipated B.P. by sev ehil years. "I promised," he declared, "to turn out boys and pomes in six weeks so that they should form a really Xctiya body. J did it .The ponies were a much easier proposition than tne hoys. Before the specified time was up eveiy animal knew the words of command by heart and obeyed them instant, ly. The troop was a great success, it was reviewed in Hyde Fark. MICE TERRIFY ELEPHANTS. "K rubber ballsJiad not been invented there would have been no performing do». 'Ban, the drunken dog' was trauW by rolling a hall from side to side in front of him. The dog, of course, followed every movement of tho ball. Afterwards the ball was dispensed with, the trainer's hands .indicating the necessary'movements. In a similar way

docs are taught to turn somersaults. A ball is thrown and the dog springs at it The next throw is directed behind the dog, which, in consequence, flings itself backwards. Once the idea is grasped subsequent training is easy. Mr. Ginnett went on to speak of elephants, and pointed out that in the natural state these animals rise on. their hind legs to pull down trees, and bend down until their heads touch the ground in order to plumb into deep wells with their trunks. He told a good story of a performing; elephant he had which broke loose wElst on a toiir in Wales and invaded a girls' school during the night. The scholars mistook the visitor for a burglar, and gathered on the lawn to await the arrivai of the policeman they had summoned by telephone. On the

policeman seeing the elephant and reporting, a generalstampedeensued. Mr. Gjnnett was summoned, arid found his pet in the kitchen regaling himself with loaves of bread and soapy water from a washing-tub. Unfortunately, the fare had the effect of distending the creature to such an extent that it could no pass through the doorway. But elephants have no respect for doors. A heave of the great shoulders, and doorposts and wall were scattered Tike chaff, and the elephant emerged. Several of the scholars fainted, and~ the policeman bolted home. Elephants are exceedingly timid animals; they are specially afraid of mice, which" sometimes run up their trunks. "When this happens the elephant usually breaks loose ancT'stampedes. Mr. Ginnett once had to pay heavy damages because four of his elephants, which had been startled by a flock of sheep, ran amok in a private estate and destroyed a greenhouse. An elephant has wonderful balancing powers, and is thus able to perform tricks like rope-walking with ease. It is the rarest_ thing in the world for an elephant to miss its footing.

TREACHEROUS WOLVES

"Have you seen .Captain Woodward's sea-lion 3?" Mr. Gintiett asked. "Their wonderful balancing feats were suggested in the first instance by the sight of sea-lions at play in San Franscisco Bay. The animals were noticed tossing pieces of wreckage about from one to the other, and it was remarked that they hardly ever made a miss. Sea-lions like elephants, are natural balancers. "Speaking of lions and tigers, the lion is a noble animal, and easy to train if one takes him the right way. He is a natural hunter. The tiger and the leopard, on the other hand, are assassins. No trainer would dare to strike a tiger. The 'red-hot pokers' one hears about in connection with these animals are pieces of painted wood -, they are used for effect\oflly. Wolves are the most treacherous of all wild animals; they are so •stupid that it is a waste of time to attempt to do anything with them. On the other hand, it is a wonderful tribute to the trainer's skill that ho has succeeded in evolving so faithful a companion as the dog from this unpromising material." .._„,„_ ,

WEIGHTY SALUTES. Mr. Ginnett spoke of Consul, the ape man, and said thai he was brought up from early youth as a human being. He always ate at tabic, woro clothes, and slept -in a bed. He was never at any time subjected to cruel teatment. On on© occasion his owner, the late Mr. Rostock, entered his dressing-room and. slapping him on the back in a friendly way', said. "Halloa, Consul! How are you to-night?" Consul grinned and returned the salute —but so forcibly that nis trainer was felled to the ground. Three times oyer the blow was repeated, always in the most amiablo manner. Sir. Rostock was rather severely knocked about. Animals of that sort are not, one ironld imagine, favourable subjects for cruelty. "If yon tnant to see real brntalitv," said Mr. Ghmett, finally, "go to a fat utocfc flhow, or wntch poultry being forcibly fed. Is a lover of animals, that sort of thing disgusts me, and I would abolish it if I could.-" Mr. Ginnett ha 3 the honour of per-

forming on two occasions before the late Queen Victoria, who presented him with a jowclled tic-pin in tokon of her appreciation.