The Irish standard., 1892-05-28
GuLLs AND PoRPolsEs.
Funny Pets of Deck Hand That Follow
Ship Around.

Ship Around.
ssI read good DEAL" said deck
hand on the Piedmont ferryboat as it
pulled out from the slip to San Fran
cisco Chronicle reporter, about the in
telligence of animals and birds. The
eastern and English papers are full of
the topic, but no San Francisco report
er devotes any time to such subjects.
Now you have Prof. Garner ready to
proceed to the Guinea coast to take
down on the photograph the hare
Tipped eloquence of a lot of chattering
monkeys and gorillas, while here at
home some of the most talented men of
the dailies obstinately refuse to make
themselves familiar with the acute in
tellect of the humber friends that they
meet every day.
''You see those seven gulls sitting on
the piles of the slip? They are the con-
slant companions of the Piedmont, and
follow her every trip from the city to
Oakland and back again. | know every
one Of them and every chick of them
knows me- I have not cultivated their
acquaintance more extensively than to
provide them daily with few little
fishes that my son catches at the Oak
land wharf, but these birds are grateful
There is one particular one there. Do
you see him-that one with few black
spots near the tip of bis wings? Well,
he is more confident than an old poll
parrot. I can call him, and he will just
plunge toward my hand and pick from
between my fingers anything I have
there, although fish is what he prefers
You doubt me? Well, now will show
you that am telling you the truth
Putting his hand into his pocket the
deck hand pulled out a small, withered
perch and called: ''Dickey! Diclzey!''
Immediately the gull, which had been
emit, swooped down upon the extended
palm of the sailor, delicately extracted
the perch from between his thumb and
forefnger and few away with the
prize, screeching pseans of pleasure as
he went up into the air.
The deck hand, elated at the success
of his demonstration, again asserted
that ''DicISey" had more sense than d
horse and that all the Piedmont gulls
would be as smart as his pet had he
but time to improve their mental capac-
tiles.
But added the man, sit is hard for
me to train them, because my time is
fully occupied during my watch look
ing after the lower deck, and were the
captain to discover that have leisure
to fool with these gulls, why, my name
would be mud. Therefore, please don't
give nae away
In q few moments the deck hand was
prepared for another ocular demon
stration, this time on the intellect of
fishes.
II have also studied porpoises, - said
the sage, land they are as cunning as
possums. Now, among my fnny friends
there is a porpoise that 1 christened
Johnny and whenever l call him he
shows up and l hand him Il fish. He
watches the Piedmont and myself from
morning to night, but he turns up more
regularly at lunch hours | will sum-
mon him now.'
The deck hand called ''Johnny!'' in
loud voice, when Immediately, right
under the bow of the boat, up jumped
a big porpoise The deck hand threw
another perch into the bay and the por-
poise waved his back fur with a pleas
ant shake, kind of ''pour prendre
congo" wriggle and disappeared. Every
one was dunfounded at the apparent
magic, but the deck hand explained it
with a. laugh that was echoed by all
present. He said that the porpoise had
not really answered his call, but be-
ing so used to their movements he knew
exactly where it would show up after
he had once seen it coming to the sur
face, and he had SO timed himself, while
keeping his audience interested, as to
bring about the climax when he was