Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1894 — TRAINING SEALS. [ARTICLE]

TRAINING SEALS.

They Show a Remarkable Degree of Intelligence. 1 ‘There is no limit to the capabilities of seals,” said Professor Woodward. “They not only learn to imitate, but they also reason. Unlike other animals, the seal is trained without punishment. In fact, to use * whip would be to frighten the animal, which is the most timid and nervous of all brute creation. It will learn by imitation, and none has ever lived long enough to test its capacity for acquiring knowledge. There is a steady and constant improvement in them until they die. A seal understands that it is to be rewarded if it performs what is expected of it, and that It is not to be rewarded if it fails, which indicates reasoning faculty. If a performing seal has done its work, and by any oversight fails to get its fish, it will flap its tail on the floor and cry to attract the attention of its trainer; but if it has not done the work, no fish is expected, and when it falls to get any, no objection is made. “In the training of seals another exception to usual training methods is made. It is never well to begin too early. The baby seals are weak and cannot stand the strain. The human expression in the eyes of seals has often been commented upon, and it is not strange that there should be a good deal of the human in the disposition of these animals. Some of them are Inclined to take a very serious view of life, while others appreciate a joke. Some have a greater degree of intelligence than others, and they all display an affection which approaches the human. “They have beeh trained to do some very remarkable things, the usual repertoire, however, being to play banjos, tambourines, drums, guitars, cymbals, etc., of course, without any particular tune, but they will operate the instrument, commencing and stopping at words of command. They sail yachts by pushing them along; smoke cigars, blowing the smoke away from them, giving the appearance of its coming through their nostrils; sing songs by emitting their peculiar sounds by word of command, one of them playing an accompaniment on a musical instrument; carry a line in the water to a person adrift, turn grindstones, push a needle, and make a very interesting imitation of sewing, waits, climb chairs, stand on their tails, jump, with other diverting feats that show an adaptability to training possessed by no other animal, unless it is the dog. A clown seal is also a feature of most performances with trained seals. Ido not believe that there are any tricks except those of agility taught to dogs which cannot be successfully imitated by seals, and many aquatic performances they do that no other animals can. They enjoy the tricks in water, but a troop of seals does not like the part that has to be done on the stage.”—[St. Louis Globe-Democrat.