The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-05-24
Uncommon Pets.


with venerable carp; Cowper doffed his
melancholy to play with his hares. and
Give owned pet tortoise. The driver of
London hanson was wont to carry lit.
tie cub-fox on the top of his cab. to their
mutual enjoyment. G. F. Berkeley made
household pet of young stoat, rem.
dered motherless by his gun. Sir John
Lubbock contrived to win the affection of
sessed of two butterflies of different spe-
cies in a chrysalis state, resolved to try
how far they would be amenable to kind
ness, and placed them, for security, in a
glazed cabinet in her well-warmed bed
room. A few days before Christmas she
was delighted by the appearance of a lit
tie yellow butterfly, but was puzzled how
to cater for the delicate little creature
Taking fairy-rose then in bloom, she
dropped a little honey and rose-water in
blossom, and put the plant in the cabi-
net, and soon had the satisfaction of see-
ing the butterfly take its first meal. In q
fortnight it would leave the rose to settle
on her hand Wien she called it by its
name, Psyche. By-and-by peacock
butterfly emerged into active. life from the
other chrysalis. The new conner accepted
the sensation of active life at once, and,
like its companion, delighted in being
talked and sung to, both especially enjoy
ing being waved in the air and danced up
and down while quietly resting upon the
hand of their mistress. Upon thecoming
of summer the cabinet was moved close to
the window, and its doors thrown open.
For some days neither of its tenants cared
to venture beyond the window-sill, but one
bright afternoon their protectress, with
many bitter tears,'' beheld them take
wing and join some wild companions In
the garden; at night, however, they re-
turned to their lodges. Next day they
took the air again and were not seen un-
til September One afternoon there came
heavy thunderstorm, and when it was
over, yellow butterfly was found,
dead on the window. .sill-which the lady,
with some warrant, lamented over as her
own particular one; the 6 peacock" too,
would seem to have met like fate, for it
was never seen again. 1t would be hard
to find more repulsive- looking reptile
than the iguana, nevertheless the society
of one afforded much pleasure to an
American lady residing in Brazil. Pedro,
as he was called, was well provided with
raw meat, bananas and milk; allowed to
bask in his mistress room in the daytime,
and to make himself cozy between the
mattresses of her bed when the sun went
down. He cheerfully accepted the novel
position, like wise iguana. His loving
lady was wont to carry him abroad in her
arms-<a practice that kept acquaintances
at respectful distance-for however they
might pretend TO admire Pedro's bead like
spots Of black and white, his bright jew
eled eyes, and elegant claws, they were
careful not to make any near approaches.
Nothing pleased madame SO much as to
drop her pet without warning at the feet
of unsuspecting gentlemen, and elicit
from naval officers symptoms OF terror
such as would not have been drawn forth
by an enemy's broadside or lee-shore.
Of course Pedro came to grief. RAM
bling one dav, unattended, he came across
"a marauding Frenchman," his owners
maid arriving only in time to rescue his
hfeless body. 1t was sent, wrapped in
black Grape, to neighbor with q weak
ness for fricassced lizard; but, having
seen this especial one fondIed and ca
ressed, he could not find the appetite TO
eat it; and so PedraMas consigned to the
earth instead of the pot. De Candolle tells
of a fair Switzer who made companion
of a young wolf, and had the melan-
cLoly satisfaction of seeing the fond beast
fall dead at her feet in paroxysm OF joy
at her return home after long absence.
But the proprietress of loving leopard
that came regularly to her cham
Der door in the dead OF the
night and howled loudly enough to
wake the Seven Sleepers. until its
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