Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03
BEAST, BIRD, FISH.
SOME ODD PARAGRAPHS ABOUT ANIMALS
AND THEIR DoINGs.
Expressions of Sympathy for Animals and
Anecdotes Concerning Them
"A Reprobate Horse.

Expressions of sympathy for Animals and
Anecdotes Concerning Them
A Reprobate Horse.
SYMPATHY.-I cannot understand that
morality which excludes animals from hui
man sympathy, or releases man from the
| debt and obligation he owes to them. Sir
John Bowring.
SAGACIoUs.- Abbott is the possessor
of fine setter-dog which seems to be en-
| dowed with more than its share OF 1ntelll-
! gence. The sagacious animal, which can
be often seen serving as hitching-pos for
the doctors steed, will, when ordered by
his master, take a prescription to such
drug store as may be named, wait for 1t to
| be compounded, and return to the doctor
office with it as soon as possible thereafter.
He is equally at home in seeking out any
article that may be needed from the doc
tors office, and conveying it to any dis
tance.-[St Paul Pioneer Press.
GOLD FIsH.-Charles j. Fentland, of
Newburyport, has in his garden tank
containing some fifty gold fish, which are
supplied by fountain of pure water, which
bursts up from the center. These fish are
so tame that they will come at his call and
take his fingers in their mouths when put
| into the water On being fed he calls
| them to the surface, and they take their
| food like so many hungry birds. They
manifest no shyness and are happy and
contented family.-[News Germ.
PIGEONS. Bingley gives singular anec-
dote of the effect of music on pigeon, as
related by John Lockman, in some reflec-
| lions concerning operas, prehxed to his
musical drama of "Rosalinda." He was
STAYING at a friend house, whose daughter
was a fine performer on the harpsichord,
and observed pigeon, which, whenever
the young lady played the song of
"Speri-si," in Handles opera of Cad
metus" land this only, would descend
from an adjacent dove-house to the room
window where she sat, and listen to it, ap-
parently with the most pleasing emotions
and when the song was finished, it always
returned Immediately to the dove-house.
ABOUT A HAwK.-An engine driver on
French railway gives some singular de-
tails concerning an old hawk which is ac-
customed to profit by the fear excited in
Young birds by the noise of the locomotives
| on that line. The little bird of prey dis
plays an instinct closely bordering upon
reason. HE is" says our informant,
accustomed to fly beside the trans pass.
ing between Mesgrigny and Romilly, and
has been known to the officials for more
than fifteen years. Having learnt from
experience that the terror inspired by the
trains drives such birds as may
be near the railway out of the hedges on
either side of the line, the hawk scars
evenly a few yards above the carriages, and
carefully keeps himself hidden in the cloud
of steam emerging from the funnel So
soon as a suitable victim appears, he is in
continently bounced upon and devoured.
Should, however, the piratical bird by
chance fail of his object, he returns to his
place amid the steam, from which even mis-.
siles cannot dislodge him, slight turn Of
the wing always enabling him to evade
them. The birds flight is extremely rapid,
as, indeed, that of all hawks is well known
to be. If the train is, say from $50 to
200 yards ahead, and going at express
speed, few seconds suffice to place him in
turn the same distance in front, even after
chasing bird along the hedges.
MEMORY OF THE HORSE. The powers Of
memory of a horse were illustrated at
Rochester, n Y, the other day, where the
driver of a hook and ladder truck tried an
experiment to test them. Three and hall
wears ago the city sold team of horses that
had been used for drawing this truck, and
since then they had been employed in diff.
ferent work. The other day the driver
took the horses into the truck house and
turned them loose, whereupon each went
| L. ton ..yhap
was sounded ran out and took their accus-
toned position at the tongue of the machine.
CANARIEs AS CONCERT SINGERS. en-.
tire novelty in the concert-singiDg depart,
ment of musical art is promised to the
lover of sweet sounds by an ingenious citi-
zen of Phenixville, South Australia. This
gentleman has for some years past devoted
himself exclusively to the training of Ca
nary birds in every known method of vocal
ization, and, as we gather from antipodean
journals, with extraordinary success. But
he has recently crowned his triumphs as a
very Lamperti of feathered songsters by
inventing a mechanical apparatus by
which his yellow pupils will be taught
| to perform music of a more reconcile
and complicated character than mere bal
lads and opera-airs. He proposes, with
the aid of this continuance, not only to
produce canary soloists, capable of execut-
ing airs like % Dip Your Chair" or ''Dee
Tanty," as the immortal Jeames de la
Pluche designated the forid displays fash
ionable in his day, but to teach his pupils
part-singing and the rendering of the most
| difficult modern operate choruses. These
astonishing results are to be attained by
the following process The cages in which
the professors pupils reside are hung up
in front of mirror, behind which is fixed
a musical box, which plays the solo, part
song or chorus they are desired to per-
form. The birds listen eagerly to the
music, turning their attention to the
quarter whence it proceeds. Their
gaze is naturally directed TO the
mirror, in which they see the reflection of
their own graceful persons. At once they
hop to the conclusion that their counterfeit
:. presentments are real live canaries, melo-
diously engaged in singing the unfamiliar
strains that delight their ears. From OBJ
servation to imitation, it appears, is but
step with the intelligent and tuneful
canary-b bird. He is apt, in concerted mu-
sic, to double part, and betrays predi-
lection for the g leading business :" but,
being gifted with quick ear, he soon
recognizes the desirability of filling up the
notes wanting to complete the chords, and
adapt himself to harmonic requirements
with artistic promptitude. Wagner's ''Tri-
logy," performed by a company of canaries,
may thus be an attractive item in the oper-
attic performances of the future ! Lon
don Telegraph.
How GEORGE HONEY HUNTED BATS
Here is story far funnier than most of
the anecdotes one finds under the caption
of nourelies Ia main in the Journal Amu-
SAINT or the Figaro. 1t is a story of George
Honey, the distinguished actor, who, many
years ago, while on a tour in the prov.
inces, had taken lodgings in humble
house, somewhat the worse for wear.
Soon after retiring he was awakened by a
fiuttering noise. as of bird, around the
curtain Of his bed. He sprang up, struck
a light, and saw dark little creature with
wings laundering about the room.
/ Not being well acquainted with nat
ural history, he did not recognize
it as bat, but determined to. catch
it, if possible, and examine it carefully in
the morning Taking up felt hat, he be-