Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-14

stead or my neighDor S cat, haG been
playing with the mouse, of course
should have felt'i duty either to write
to the Times or draw the attention OF
the Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty
to Animals, to the matter As it was,
did neither, but it led mo to think of
the amount of time spent Tor wasted)
by animals of all kinds in simple play
or pleasure unconnected in any way
with more material enjoyment.
DogJthough not able to squandcr their
time over Il newspaper, will spend
hour after. hour seated at a window,
watching all that passes in the street;
or, in the evening, regarding a mouse
hole - not with the slightest idea OF
gain or profit, but merely as an agree
abe way of passing the time. Then
there are the long continued flight of
tame pigeons about our houses, the
guadrille of the house fly across our
ceilings, the gamboling of gnats, and
the lowering in the sun of those bright
colored two.winge1 flies we sometimes
call drones. Even the patient ass,
that beast of many woes, is naturally
rather light-hearted, though his orli-
nary relaxation seldom goes beyond
roll in dirty road when off duty; but
those who have kept and cared for one
know well enough mis- loud clear bay
of honest recognition and JOY at the
sight of any one to whom he Is attached;
while an under-worked joyous donkey,
fond of sport, has been even seen to in
dulge in hunting pigs round fam
yard, catching and holding them by
the tails, until their squeals brought
/ the owner to the rescue.
No boy ont of school shows his sense
of happiness or freedom more strongly
than u horse or pony does when first
turned loose for run at grass tearing
round the paddock, now stopping for
moment to snort and fill his lungs with
the fresh open air, aud then with kick
up of the heels, continuing his gallop.
These spells OF play last longer with
some horses than others, depending often
upon the length of time the animal has
been s.able-fe ]. A horse that is turned out
daily merely trots off few yards. with
Il merry laugh, before beginning TO nib
bic tn fresh sweet grass. In their
stable the amusement of horses too
often take the form of wanton mis- CHI ef
or some such "horse-play" as unlock
ing stab e-jacket and tearing il up, or
biiny holes in the own clothing, kick
ing Their stall to bits. etc; viii u very
playful pony has been known to in
dulge in pull ing The feathers out of ana
pigeons tails. Talking of pigeons re-
min Is me- of the quantity of small talk,
gossip, or sean al INDUCED in by them
an | certain other birds before retiring
fJr the night or beginning w) k for the
day. lloas '-SparrJws, starings a ID
rookS are al very cha ty mt thes, times;
while birds who lcll more sol.try
lives, nearly always end and begin the
day with song of Joy
Sea birds PROBABLY have their notes
Of pleasure; but they are rather Gar
cylish, y il may coin an I'D. ective, as a
rule, aud much gwen to scoiding and
fault finding; reminding one in this o.
the domestic goose aud swan. The
. little tame gull aforesaid is most amusing
m this way INDUCING in long fits OF angry
oidng ut intruding cats, or boys who
chance to stop and look through the
ral'ngs of his back garden, and not
having 90 vi word for even q police.
man. 1t is said that "a cat may looS
at k ng;" but no matter how respect
fully cat looks at Jack, she is sure to
;.r w down upon her head Storm Of
abu.e. But even Jack has his pas
times, one OF which consists in making
Ii tie nau ical experiments with any
hing that will float, such as sticks and
raws in his pan OF water.
We know that in hot weather mel
| delight to pack Their carpet-bags and
take bng Journeys 10 the sea, with {
view chiefly to taking headers into it
5 milarly. mutatis mutandis, porpoises
when they migrat1, as they often do
} shoreward, up inland rocks and rivers
are seized with the desire to take lofty
almost Observation-Disclosures int
the air. But whether they do so mere
~ to show their strength and power o
rising al owe their fellows or to get ;
peep at the bearings of the land abou
them is u mystery,
Dogs do not caew or smoke. But
dog nearly always keeps store o
flvorite old dry bones by him, one o
which he loves to bring TO the lireside
: to pass away half an hour before goin!
TO bed gnawing at it; while light
hearted dogs viii often end spell O
chewing at their bone with game O
, pitch-and-toss with i. have evel
known dog to play pitch-and-tos
with single pellet of sho,.
One sees more of the dog and cat an,
? their pastimcs than Of otlcr animals
! but it is likely TIA. in state OF natur
!, most beasts spend quite as much Q
their life in killing tine as do these
81 Jn,nos E1zoI1o