Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-16
FRIENDLY ANIMALS.
ODD FRIENDSHIPS THAT DUMB
CREATURES CONTRACT.

The particular friendships occhsloh-
ally formed by animals among thom-
selves are characterized by the virtues
and failings incident TO human attach.
nen,s. We are frequently reminded OF
mans sclhshnoss and inconstancy IN tho
WAYS Of the bayito creation, nor IL 1t
peculiar TO animals that they sometimes
enter into alliances Of u curious kind
Naturally enough, horses often mako
friends and comrades among their own
race, rs dogs do still oftener, but close
friendship and understanding between
horses and dogs is apparently moro Ire
auont than any similar relationship
between tho individuals Of tho Same
species. Perhaps the most remarkable
attachments are those shown by animals
thrown together by enforced circum-
stances and separated from others OF
their kind.
Horses have n positive dread OF soil
tude. aud when this happens to be nm.
avoidable will make friends OF the most
unlikely creatures. Tho hours which u
carefully tended favoritc passes In his
box are often relieved by the companion
ship Of tho stable cat, which the nobleT
qundrupcd speedily adopts as it's own,
and to which It often becomes genuinely
attached. The absence Of the cat Il at
once remarked by the horse. who mani
tests impotence aud plainly asks for tho
restoration Of its favoritc.
One OF tho runners in tho Derby, q
colt namcd Galeopis. had for some
time before the rncc shown symptoms
Of distress and unoasiness, amounting to
positive melancholy. and not attribute.
bic TO any physical cause. A goat and
kid were procured ind judiciously in-
troduced TO tho stable. tho result being
thus described by an oyowitnoss' Ca
leopds seemed to take much interest In
them until the goat died: but the kid no
mains. and the horse now vastly diyerts
himself by lifting tho little creature up
by tho back Of its neck with It's teeth,
putting Il down In the mangcr. careful
ly placing It on tho ground again after
awhile. and then repeating tho opera
ton"
There IL nm interesting record OF tho
strange dislike entertained by pony
for particular horse with which Il was
brought into daily contact. and tho OK
traordinnry friendship formed by It for
a calf In tho same meadow. Tho pony
and cnlf became inscparable. show
ing their mutual regard In many divert
Ing ways. greatly 10 tho annoyance Of
the calls mother. who not unnaturully
evinced tho utmost Jealousy and resent
mcnt. Gilber. White relates how n
horse and hen. spending much OF their
time together in lonely orchard. also
became tho fastest OF friends: Tho
fowl would approach the horse with
notes OF complacency, rubbing herself
gently against his legs, while tho horse
would look down with satisfaction. and
move with tho greatest caution and cir
cumspection lest ho should tramplc on
his diminutivo companion"
Dogs have so much lnrger share OF
personal liberty than horses or cattle
that their friendships obviously lie moro
at their own disposal. But notwith-
standing this fact they constantly mako
friends Of tho most unlikely BIRDS
and for tho most incxplicablc reasons.
No doubt some temporary alliances are
formed for the attainment Of particu-
lar object, not always Of creditnblc
kind. Attachments between members
Of tho same race are Of course common,
but attract the less notice ON account OF
thor obvious reasonnbleness. Dogs,
however, are greatly addicted to queer
company, and constantly go out Of their
way IN quest Of 1t. The numerous
friendships formed between dogs and
geese, and even poultry in general arr
quite remarkable. II ia not generally
recognized that the goose is n bird Of ex'
traordinary sagncity--it has even been
described us of great intellectual capaci
ty-and this mutual regard of fur and
feather may proceed ON an understand
ing that overrides the distinctions of race
The species OF goose known as ia,
''gray lag is especially remarkable 70,
its strong and frequent attachments Il
the dog. Ono that was rescued by !
mastin from the insidious attack OF
fox showed consciousness Of its obliga
tions and desire TO return them tina
were touching In their obvious feeling
The goose entirely abandoned the soci
iety Of its kind. roasted in the dogs ken
mel and followed 1t In its daily wander
ings over n large farm and through tn
ncighboring village. The dog happen
ing TO fall i'll the goose would not leav
him night or day, and would TO all ap
pearanco have been starved had not
pan of corn been placed for II every da,
near the kennel.
Tho French naturalist Ilouzoau ais
relates howa Chinese goose made friend
with dog at first sight, uttering threat
OF vengeance against any person or IN
imal offering to interfere with its favor
lite, in whose occasional absence 1t wa
inconsolable. Dogs and fowls also onte
into amicablo relations for reasons muc
less apparent to onlookers than TO then
selves. A hen and retriever becam
40 strongly attached that tho formc
laid her eggs and Matched her chicken
in his kennel, an interesting observe
remnrking how, on the hen leaving q
entering her nest, tho dog would moy
from tho threshold TO make way, Will
any attempt TO touch the eggs In the al
sence Of the hen was met by his imin
diato dispprobation.
Another remarkable friendship gre
mp between spaniel and young cocl
which was for some reason perfectly o
tracized by his fellows and not Above
10 feed with the other poultry in ii
farmyard, Tho spaniel was constant
observed keeping tho fowls away, in o
..