River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-04-26
Animal Cunning.

Here is q story which our yeracious
Deacon f. S. Palmes relates to US, and
which we are therefore bound to believe:
About two years ago one OF his trusted
hens Matched a brood of chickens, and
thew were domiciled in coop in the gar
den. Close by, in an asparagus bed,
rested fine old cat, the pet OF the house
hold. with some new kittens. One OF
the kittens looked upon the chickens and
loved them-loved them so well that 1t
abandoned mother, and brothers, and SIS
tiers. and went to the old hen and asked
to be admitted into her family circle and
become member thereof. Biddy clucked
assent, and thenceforward hens, chickens
and kitten mingled together in mutual
sympathy and sweet accord. 1t aston
ished the Deacon, yet did his heart good,
to see kitten and chickens rubbing
against each other and lying close to-
gether, and his favorite hen brooding
them all together with her wings, and
the entire family acting all day as II
Kitty, in spite of her four claws and her
| fur, had been Matched from an egg. The
curious utilization has been kept up until
this day. The kitty of two years ago Is
| now a grave old cat, but from kittenhood
to the present it has lived and roasted
with the chickens and hens.
| There are several witnesses to the truth
| of another story. The utilization in this
case was between a cat at the Hyland
House barn and four small pigs. Ii
4 commenced last summer, and continued
4 for some weeks, on the grounds and
streets adjoining the Hyland House. The
cat saw the pigs, went up to them, made
friends with them, and became their con-
slant companion until they were shut up
in pens. When they ate, the cat was al
WAYS present, and they followed 1t about,
running when it ran and walking when II
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 b.. He turned around
and saw fox take one of them by the
neck, sling it over his back, and start
across the fields with it toward the Hart
man gully, quarter of a mile away. The
man chased with a pitchfork, but the
snow was so deep that the fox gained or
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
whipped the dog, and then took up the
goose and trotted on again. The dog
was induced to tackle the fox three Oh
; four times, and each time the result wa:
the same as we have described: the goose
was dropped, the dog whipped, and ther
a forward movement with the goose. The
fox finally got safely into gully witt
his goose, and probably never had bet
ter opinion of himself than he had while
he was satisfying his hunger on the
choice meat that he had secured with Sc
much risk and courage.
About five weeks ago quail flew into
one of our village yards, and was picked
up by kindly hand, and given to Thos
O'8Ieara, who put him in large cage III
his store. In the same room were two
canary birds in another cage. The cana.
ries would sing, and the quail would
whistle in response; and SO much reel
procity of feeling was manifested that
after time, Mr.. 0'Meara transferred the
canaries to the cage of the quail The
quail 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 over, its roost was the bottom
of the cage.-DdnsrHIe (N. - Adrertiser