New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
THE TEMPER OF ANIMALS.
MORE AMIABLE THAN NAN.
From The London Spectator.


for animals are subject 10 jealousy, and jealousy
is the direct result Of feeling OF personal dis-
advantage But il draws attention 10 'lc iaes
that occasions Tor disagreement IN Tine case VI
most animals are and unusual 0uesuohs
of domicile are almost the sole ground oil diseoru
in the animal world, with the exception gI .I.e
fierce dissensions raised al palring-tlme, anu even
in the last case combat Is only gcneiai III Tue
case Of polygamOus animals. Deer Ight ihoe
fercely than wolves. and wild sheep tnah lions.
and though there Ii. or was an e"s'e IN Va.
100 which was caught locked III the talons OF
another eagle when lighting IN the sprihs' llc
fcrcest birds are usually friendly with their own
species and while utfs and black-game hght IKE
gladiators for their wives, the eagle, anu ,hc
peregrines as a rule, male Ill peace. froAIhmm9,
the severcst trial 10 human temper, SELDOM iu"S
the animal mind and different species lNe Ia
harmony together. each seeming as IN tie ca-o
" owls and the prlirie-does, or rocks ana STAR
lings. rather to prefer than shun the society ga
the other The choicest spots for homes are
naturally the source Of warfare among Dlrds, anu
other animals frequently fight for the pos'eS'lsts
Of some favorite breding-pace. BADGERS anu
foxes which have shared the same earih during
winter often light for sole possession IN the sprlnS
when the fox invariably wins. result wnica
would hardly be expected from the reld,No
uhysoue of the TWO animals But such quar-
rels are only for the sake of rearing theh younp
not for selfish reasons ana even apPFehehue1u"
pressure the food supply rarely eNcltee III wiz.
except in the case of tie largest ca1niVoroa .
birds and animals which require WIDER rai5e
for hunting and drive their young 10 otner us.
trcts The rodents and rnminan!s are less Iea.otS,
and that strong social and gregarious INSTINCT
which the existence of lll-tcmPr as pernathen.
characteristic would inevitably destroy keeps
them together in peace and harmony. lney INV
society. and not the least marked diucrente
heeween the temperament of animals ana men -
that animals DO not by mere contact lrriuhte eao'
other--l positive and not unimportant coinpehss-
lion for the absence of the gin Of SPEECH
Since occasions of difference are 80 few n9Ihini
but the assumption of an ancient ana lho ic
magnity in animal minds, such rs the authol
of Three Men in Boat supPoses III 'nr us
Of fON-tcrricrs have been cue 10 nou"'
dose Of original sin could Justify the view ~
generally held tlat animals arr ~ A rule ieiocous
and ill-tempered notion summed mp IN Mr
Burnand's conclusions in Happy Thoughts, uh'
NEST of the creatures with which lie came IN
contact in the country were wien nol dinseron,,
always very uncertain. Tho exact contrary wou,u
he nearer the truth Animal temper Is naturaiiy
pacifc. eouabe ana mild. Bad temper Is tie
privilege of more highly organized NATURES ann
| tbS mild resentment Of the pacablp tiger mus
| ts DEVELOPMENT in the apOplectic Jury OF I've
| mandril and the measured malice OF ihinNin".
l!orace's suggestion that fronet'ue aa , ~.
| Il-tcmper of man the strength of MAJ ION nlu>s
he taken literally The general law OF goon-ll-
! ,nrp in the animal world makes the exceptions
all rho more remarkable. Quarresome species up,
pear among friendly tribe, Just rs an l'irn'pei'a
| individual does in a kindly species. lie ~
mnants are most peace lnl race, yer ue.d ale
! savage. and is that handsome lhdaE an'c'o!r.
! the nvIghau \ tame stag Is 4 very G2uSeIpus
NO, ond oven the bpautifn' rOchnck has hreh
| known to kill boy in y wild lit OF rage, ~,
the fercest and most vindlctlve OF all WIN ''
4
| rican gnu which never loses It's lll-temper wheh
tanned and always remains among the lew gan M
eeroas animals which re IccpcrI a, s,e ar. arc
| thp zpbras and the wild asses. when sne3'te
| that human mismanagemrnt is not entirety 10
l,ame for the occasional ill-temper and ohstinsey
VI 70 the ul.tempercd species we may add the
camel and the two horned black rhinoceros me
! last is really ferncous. charelng Down On any
| creature man or beast, without proVoeatlon' anu
| canahlc Of iufcting mortal wounds even on me
lion the elephant or It's own KIND >t ano'E az =;
the larger creatures of the animal khsGopi, A. IL
| difficult to find more than dozen species whicn
orc n a class ill-tempered unless we lrclude Al
those carnvorous animals which exhibit certain as
rcrocity in the capture OF their prey bu. VII
| bc found that. apart from this law oi ."r an
| bcnr such animals are not, as a rnle el'heI III
| tan,ncred ar malicious On the contrary. TIER
| no-IIraI bias is toward good nature, ana II may
m ;nferreI that the ferccnes, exhibited by them
| whom actually striking their prey l. rather a
| Gradual development from a particular necessary
than eSsenta part OF their na, tlr;i I,a.
| good-hnmor of the lions and other feIlHae Wie
| we'll illustrated by scene AT the Zoo few weeks
AGO. The young lion from Sokoio was mucn
| intent on breaking in the iron shutter when
senarotcs the mouse il now occupies from its
former quarters next door. Apart from the HSry
proper wish to right 10 us former ao,lclr.
! il had the irritating stimulus HuppDeI ny an
| IN hammered and dpcIrpit old leopard which WI,
crawling on the other side of the shutter anu
| even went 50 far 10 insert one OF us lOngrst
| ,ceth into the crack between the shutter ana ,ne
wall rs a reminder Ia the lion Of what was
waiting for il on the other side. The non was
| striking constant heavy blows on the door, ani
vas So intent on its occupation as 10 disregard
rho call of its keeper The keeper quietly attrdc,eu
-" attention by pulling its tail and the Ion
at deslsted rubbed IN Iact t IssInS nattsd
ana have It's name caresSed. Avery beautifnl
NINA close by exhibited all the pleasure of a
| friendly cat at being stroied, ana the tlger ilom
! Turliestan allowed hlniseH 10 w i"n"iO" INN
That good-tempercd races contain very i'll
n,tilred individuals raises the difficult question
| of temperament. good authority on horses sr.
| Nayhew endeavors to show that Ill temper ainonS
Them is accidental. not innate IN ms worN ~"
| hing is shown TO be due Ia bran-iIsfass, shynS
| N defective vision and temper - the mlShana2e'
| mpnt of man. There is much truth nut also inucH
error here. Those best acquainted with the n ;l
! the tpmpcraments of individuals diner: rake Iol
| instance the Of three highly bTrd No9hg 1T
scy heifers Of which the writer mas "dSc ill., a as
! ul-brinuing from their earliest DAYS; ney haNr
| never been frightened nor struck they nave not
oven heard rough word from their earliest JAYS
! even when they jumped the gardeh-lehcr anu
bro,reed an an APRICOT tree. One is rs gentle ana
domrsticatcd rs n we'll bred can be- the others
are ready with their horns az any or no provo ,
tion The same is of horses: some are 81 III
tempered that they will kick or blte al any iiV,ng
| thnr that comes near them. IL Is as IBpDsslo,"
to trace these dislikcs 10 any known cause a. 10
| is 10 find a reason for the antipathT when cows
! hoye for harps However great our hiking ior
/ horses we cannot deny that some OF the pes,
! thoroughbrpds are rrvcngpfni. quarrelsome ana
! liable 10 frchtfully sudden fits of rage No doa,s
| this evil temper is often accompanied Dy splenin
| qualities Of endurance Chestnut horses whIcn
| have generally the most uncertain temperS' We
| nerhaps the most high-cOuraged. But courage ara
! temper are not always allied; and temper nei
| human mana cement ire not necessarily connected
| Pendigo and Surcfoot We're both tralnei IN U
| Seven Barrows" stable by the late Mr. Jousi0r,
! who always avoided any srverity OF Treatment,
and never ran his horses light" Each as
three. year-old won great race; BendIgo the
| Cambridgeshre Surefoot the Two lhonsano
Guineas Both carried of the Eclipse Stakes at
Sandown. worth 10000. later in their career.
! Yet Bendgo had a perfect temper while Snr-
! foot's is well known 70 he feroeioH Bcndtp
| would train himself and however well ne ran -
! trials on the White llorse Hill. his
trainer knew that he would do still better on the
!