St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-05-05
KNOWING CREATURES.

We haveread stories of spiders tanned
BY prisoners, and here is one from
animal Intelligence" which shows
that, besides being capable OF tameness,
they have sense enough to resent being
leased: II noticed one day in halt
dark corner tolerably respectable
SPIDERS web, in which a well-fed spider
had made its home, and sat at the nest
opening early and late watching for
some flying or creeping food. Itsoon
became regular duty with me to carry
it flies several times a day, which lad
down before its door with par OF
pincers. After a while the spider came
each time and took the flies out OF the
pincers. This game was carried on for
some weeks, as it seemed to me curious:
But one day when the spider seemed
very ravenous, and regularly flew at
each fly offered to it, I began teasing it.
AS soon as it had got hold of the fly |
pulled it back again with the pincers.
It took this exceedingly i'll. The first
time, as I finally left the fly with it, it
managed to forgive me; but when |
later took fly right away. our friend
ship was destroyed forever. On the
following day it treated my offered flies
with contempt, and would not move,
and Oh the third dayaalt had disap-
peared. =
South America-the Ecitons-Whlch 60
| about in great crowds and kill every
| live creature they overtake. There IS
an account given by Mr.. Belt, showing
that not all the wisdom OF the country
j belopes to the ants. ssMany OF the
/ spiders would escape by hanging sus-
/ pended by a thread of silk from the
/ branches, safe from the foes that
swarmed both above and below. | no
ticed that spiders generally were most
! intelligent in escaping, and did not, like
I the cockroaches and other insects, take
shelter in the first hiding-place they
/ found. / have often seen large spiders
making off many yards in advance, and
! apparently determined to put a good
/ distance between themselves and the
4 foe. I once saw one of the false spiders,
or harvest men, standing in the midst
of an army of ants, and with the great
est GOODNESS lifting, one after another,
it's long legs, which supported its BODY
& above their reach. Sometimes as many
as five out of its eight legs would be
liftedsat once, and whenever an ant APP
preached one of those on which it stood,
there was always clear space within
reach to put down another, SO as to pc
able to hold up the threatened one out
of DANGER
One who has studied the ways OF that
wise bird. the gray parrot, is ready te
believe almost any story about 1t. Ihere
is one in which pussy, though very
knowing herself, found her match II
cunning. sOne day the cat and parro1
had a quarrel. I think the cat had up
set Poliy,s food, or something OF tina
kind; however, they seemed all RICH
: again. An hour or7so after Polly wa
standing on the edge Of the table; sh'
called out, in tone of deep affection
.Puss,. puss, come then, come then
pussy Pussy went, and looked up in
. nocently enough. Polly with her beal
seized a basin Of milk standing by, ant
tipped the basin and all its content
: over the cat; then chuckled diabolically
OF course the fall broke the basin, ant
half-drowned the cat. :
l In one case parrot owed its life t
: puss. Zone evening there was no on
! In the kitchen. Cook had gone Up
stairs and left bowl Of dough to ris
by the fire. Shortly after the ca
q rushed up after her, mewing and max
= ING what signs she could for her to g
: down: then she jumped up and seize
: her apron, and tried to drag her down
: ! AS she was in such a state OF excite
! ment, cook went and found Polly SHREK
ing, calling out, tapping her wings
:. and struggling violently, up to nc
. knees in dough, and stuck quite fas
No doubt if she had not been rescue
= she would have sunk in the morass an
been smothered.
: Cage-birds know quite well enoug
:. how to ask for q bath, and it seen
= that some wild ones do also. A LAD
! writing about a jackdaW which live
= in her yard says: II generally made
. practice of filling a large basin while
:. stands under the trees every mornlr
= for Jacks BATH. A few days ago
forgot this duty, and was reminded !
& the fact in very singular manne
: :, When opened my sdressing-room shu
- tiers about eleven o'clock, I found u
Z little friend waiting just outside ther
III though he knew that be should $
n line there; and when he did, he place
himself Immediately IN front OF me. al