The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-31
Attachments OF Animals.

In his 1.-TWO Years in Victoria" How
lit gives an interesting account of the
fondness displayed by an Australian
stork for man. This bird, known as
the companion" probably on account
of his social habits, forms strong attach
ments for people. There was one at
store on the Bendigo, says Mr.. Hewitt,
running about the diggings, and though
often, apparently, in jeopardy from the
huge dogs that hunted it, it would not
go away. Its great attraction was a
stockman, whom it followed about on his
rounds. When he came out of his abode
in the morning the bird began to leap
and flap its wings and run round him,
making the most extraordinary cries; it
would then make great jumps, as high
as the mans head, cutting the oldest
figure with its long legs, its Tapping
wings and its gaping beak. The stock
man would then say to it: "Come along,
mate; let us go to the horses" when it
would leave off its caperings and cries
and walk along soberly by his side.
When the man went up to a horse on
one side, the bird would go up to it on
the other, to stop it; but if the horse Of
fered to come toward it, it hoped away
nimbly, and sought protection by the
man. Wherever its human companion
went, there was the bird to beseen, stalking
along at his side. But the fiercest and
apparently least tamable of beasts some
times shows this unaccountable prefer
ence for man. An ancient author re-
marks that notwithstanding the many
instances of such attachments which he
had heard of, he declined to believe
them, until he saw lynx,
that he had received from Africa, so af-
fected towards one of his men that he
could no longer doubt. ''When my
man was present." he remarks, "the
beast would use many notable entice-
ments and pleasant notions; and when
he was going hold him back, and look
after him when he was gone. very sad in
his absence, but most jocund when he
returned; and when my man went from
me the beast expressed his love with
continual sickness, and after some few
days died"
An account of a cat which displays in
tense and unaccountable partially for a
certain boy in one of our great public
schools was recently brought under our
own notice. The boys of particular
ward, to the number of about thirty, sleep
in row of beds side by side. Every
morning when it is about time to get up,
the cat belonging to the ward finds its way
to its favorite boy, who is not known to
have done anything to propitiate it,jumps
on to his bed, nestles down by his side,
and purring and caressing, endeavors in
every possible way to manifest its affec-
ton for him. One day, owing to some
alteration of the beds, it jumped on the
wrong one, and when the occupant at
tempted to stroke it, it became enraged,
scratched him, and flew off to it's favor
lite boy. Madame Helveius had cat
which would not allow any one but its
mistress to feed or caress it, and which
never attempted to modest the birds which
she kept. When its darling mistress died
the poor animal was removed from the
room; but the next morning it found its
way back and was crying piteously. After
the funeral it was missed, and ultimately
was discovered on the grave, dead of
grief.
In the F." Biographia Hibernia," an af-
fecting anecdote is told of such a friend
ship between a man and wolf. A large
tame wolf that had been brought up from
a cub ON board ship, was particularly at
tached to certain Lieutenant. A vio-
lent storm overlook the vessel, and its
destruction appeared certain. The poor
animal was sensible of the danger, and
whilst its bowling was most piteous
it could not be driven from the side of its
friend. When the ship broke up, both
the officer and the wolf got on to mast,
but were several times washed off, yet
again and again, by helping each other,
contrived to regain their frail hold. At
last the man became benumbed, and 50,
although they had drifted to no great
distance from the shore, finding that he
was unable to support himself any longer
he gave farewell look and probably an
endearing word to his vulpine friend,
which loosened its hold on the mast, and
clasping its fore-paws round its masters
neck they sank together.