Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-07-23
ANIMAL CUNNING.

Here is story which our veracious
Deacon E. S. Palmer relates to us, and
which we are, therefore, bound to believe:
"About two years ago one of his trusted
hens hatched a brood of chickens, and
they were domiciled in a coop in the
garden. Close by, in an asparagus bed,
rested a fine old cat, the pet of the
household, with some new kittens. One
of the kittens looked upon the chickens
and loved them SO well that it abandon
ed mother, and brother, and sisters, and
went to the old hen and asked to be ad-
mitted into her family circle and become
a member thereof. Biddy clucked assent,
and thenceforward hen, chickens, and
kitten mingled together in mutual symp-
athy and sweet accord. It astonished
the deacon, yet did his heart good, to
see chickens and kitten rubbing against
each other and lying close together, and
his favorite hen brOoding them all with
her wings, and the entire family acting
all day as if kitty, in spite of four claws
and her fur, had been Matched from an
egg. The curious afiliation has been
kept up until this day. The kitty of two
years is now grave old cat, but from
klttenhOod to the present it has lived and
roasted with the chickens and hen."
There are several witnesses to the
truth of another story. The afiliation
in this case was between cat at the
Hyland House barn and four small pigs.
1t commenced last summer and continued
some weeks, on the grounds and street
adjoining the Hyland House. The cat
saw the pigs, went up to them, made
friends with them, and became their
constant companion until they were shut
up in pens. While they ate, the cat was
always present, and they followed it
about, running when it ran, and walking
when it walked, and each night the cat
and pigs slept together in the straw.
Just after the last heavy fall Of snow
a man in West Sparta. while in his
barn-yard feeding cattle, heard noise
among his geese, close by. He turned
and saw fox take one of them by the
neck, sling 1t over his back, and start
across the fields with it for Hartman
gully, a quarter of mile away. The
man chased with pitchfork, but the
snow was SO deep that the fox gained on
him. So he called his shepherd dog and
showed him the game. The dog quickly
caught up with the fox, but the fox
dropped his goose, turned around, whip
ped the dog, and then took up the goose
and trotted on again. The dog was in
duced to tackle the fox three or four
times, and each time the result was the
same as we have described; the goose
was dropped, the dog whipped, and a
forward movement with the goose. The
fox finally got safely into the gully with
his goose, and probably never had bet
ter opinion Of himself than he had when
he was satisfying his hunger on the
choice meal that he had secured with so
much risk and courage.
About five weeks ago quail few into
one of our village yards, and was picked
up by kindly hand and given to Mr..
Thomas O'Meara, who put him in large
cage in his store. In the same room
were two canary birds, in another cage.
The canaries would sing and the quail
would whistle in response, and so much
reciprocity of feeling was manifested
that after time Mr.. O'Meara transfer
red the canaries to the cage of the quail,
who received the songsters with evident
delight, and when night came, seeing
them place themselves on perch in the
top of the cage, it hoped to another
perch just below and slept there. This
it has done each night since, although
before, in accordance with quail customs
the world ever, its roost was the bottom
of the DanviHe (N.Y.) Advertiser.