Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-27
SOMETHING ABOUT PETS.
Nheir Tricks and NIanners-Rats and
Sea Gulls in Domestic Life-The Char
acters of Dogs.

htile-Irequent1G, up town park the other
day when be espied little girl, as fresh
and pretty as the fairest OF Maymornings.
seated on the grass and playing with an
animal which to his Mortified gaze exhib-
ted all the outward characteristics
of an ordinary house rat ext
cent in point of color and
size. 1t was white instead of gray and a
trifle smaller than that universally.abhor-
red rodent.
"Aren't you afraid Of that sort of beast?v
queried the reporter, drawing near.
ME afraid of SnOwnakew replied the
little maiden, opening wide her eyes in
Indignation and astonIshment. mo, in
deed. Why, be wouldn't bite me for
anything" In evidence Of her statement
she stroked the creature caressingly and
poked II up her sleeve, whence il peered
forth In moment, its little pink ewes
blinking serenely. "There, -! told Won so. y
continued the child, with an air of tri-
umph. "Why, it wouldn't even bite YOU
or ANYBODY else" and before the reporter
had time 10 enter protest she had pick.
ed up the creature again and placed it in
his hand. 1t showed no signs of hostility
sleeve, but much TO his relief quickly re-
traced its footsteps to sniff at the sun.
shine. The girl took 1t and placed it I'M
tremendously in her pocket tsGrand-
pa has lots of them" she said ecome
with me and he will tell you all about
them"
The reporter followed the child's foot
steps and soon found himself confronting
an ola man with a soldierly air, ruddy
cheeks and bright, intelligent eyes that
told OF well-preseryed vitality as certainly
as the snowy hair and beard showed that
their owner had contended with the
storms of many winters. Bv his side was
superb mastltf. Whatever his profess
sion had been, the old mans conversation
soon made 1t apparent that animals, espe-
clallY domestic animals. were his hobby
"All that Lytton and Kingsley say in
praise OF the weed divine az mans great
CONSIDER" he said, Il would say with
much greater emphasis IN favor of the
dog. ! have never been without one since
l was lad of A." He said that he
had kept all sorts of pets when he was a
boy, and now in his old age made a living
by selling them. And Pm not ashamed
of it" he added, with genial frankness.
For over an hour he talked about the
characteristics and pecuIiarities of an
imals, big and little, to the interested
reporter.
Il think the rat is the most maligned of
all animals" he declared. 'EeW people
recognize the important part he plays in
the economy of nature, and bis personal
character is still more misunderstood No
creature is so amenable TO the influence
OF kindness. deal only in the fancy va
riety-the white and white and
black rat. The common rat is
nG fr1rI nTrr I,,YE
popular prejudice against 1t is too strong
to be overcome by any amount OfevideDce
of its good traits. A rat can be tanned far
more easily than a squirrel or a rabbit. A
rabbit will, in fact, hardly ever submit to
being fOndled and is always stupid. A
rat takes as much delight IN cleaning it.
self as a cat. The first pair of white rats
| had were fierce and spiteful when they
came into my hands. | bought them of a
companion who had not taken proper
care of them. Two weeks Of cleanliness
and kindness made them as harmless as
doves and far more tractable. ! built a
double-decked hutch, or sort of miniature
house, for my first pair, and they speedily
rewarded my sOlicitude by adding eleven
little baby rats to the family circle. These
survived after a somewhat trying expert
ence. A little brother left the door open
and the mother rat promptly kicked her
babies out on to the floor some four feet
below. They were then little pink pieces
of anatomy, hairless and merely rough
suggestion of what they might become.
After first licking my little brother, l
constructed another nest and replaced the
helpless youngsters init. But the mother
was evidently intent on hOuse-cleauing.
She kicked them out of the nest again,
this time into the areaway Of the NINA
ture cottage. Then che built the nest
over again after her own fashion. and
carried her progeny back TO it. When
they grew little older very pretty they
looked as they trOOped down the front
stairs following the mother rat for
their breakfast of bread and milk.
"Small monkeys are cheeky and mis-
chievous, but are amusing pets. The
first one | owned had been obtained by a
sailor from some South American Indians.
Evidently they had utilized it for certain
operations, which among some OF the
lower civilized classes are reformed by
means Of small smooth comb. When
introduced to polite society he could not
forget his early training. The result
was decidedly embarrassing to yisi-
tors, and the monkey was got rid of
by giving it away to an itinerant organ
grinder.
you would hardly think that the sea
gull. tine wiz sea Gull, the DOlu sea gun,
could he so far weaned from his rowing
habits as TO live cOntentedly within the
confines OF garden, and that, too, in full
view Of the scar OF course his wings
have TO be kept clipped. We were never
without a sea gull in my old home when !
was a boy. They had vOraciOus appetites
and digestion that would shame an Os-
trich. have seen them swallow small
fish until there WAS positively not room
for even one more, but still that one more
would be taken aboard again and again,
though as often summary elected by the
birds outraged stomach. The sea gull in
captivity Will eat almost anything, snails
and insects of various kinds that abound
in garden. Verify all is fish that comes
10 his net, They will even lie in wait for
sparrows and other small birds, keeping
quiet for long time until some feathered
chirper ventures unusually near, and
then making vicious rush at 1t. When
enraged the gull distends its neck, opens
wide ITS beak, displaying "A capacious
throat, and uttering "A shrill cry of 'yack-
ey,' 'yackey." Great fun the young
sters used tn think 10 to get the gull
mad and be chased by it around the How
er-beds.
81 believe the character OF dOg-where
other dogs are kept--is influenced good
deaf by his dog associates. / had big
stately Newfoundland once, the pet and
pride OF the village. He was slow 20 en-
ter a quarrel with other dogs, but once ~
IL he was sure TO come out ahead. lie
constituted himself the guardian OF "A