The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1892-10-12
FRIENDLY ANIMALS.
ODD FRIENDSHIPS THAT DUMB
CREATURES CONTRACT.

Display I'm Choosing Companions.
SEINE Remarkable Cases.
The particular friendships occasion
ally formed by animals among them
selves are characterized by the virtues
and yfailings incident to human attach
ments. We are frequently reminded of
mans selfishness and Inconsistency in the
ways of the brute creation, nor is it
peculiar to animals that they sometimes
enter into alliances of curious kind.
Naturally enough, horses often make
friends and comrades among their own
race, as dogs do still oftener, but close
friendship and understanding between
horses and dogs is apparently more fire.
quent than any similar relationship
between the individuals of the 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 a positive dread of soil
tude, and when this happens to be un-
avoidable will make friends of the most
unlikely creatures. The hours which a
carefully tended favorite passes'in his
box are often relieved by the companion
ship Of the stable cat, which the nobler
quadruped speedily adopts as its own,
and to which it often becomes genuinely
attached. The absence of the cat is at
once remarked by the horse, who mani
Tests irnnatience and plainly asks for the
restoration of its favorite.
One of the runners in the Derby, a
colt named Galeopsis, had for some
time before the race shown symptoms
Of distress and uneasiness, amounting to
positive melancholy, and not attributa-
BILE to any physical cause. A goat and
hid were procured and judiciously in
troduced to the stable, the result being
thus described by an eyewitness: Ga
leopsis seemed to take much interest IN
them until the goat died; but the kid re-
mains, and the horse now vastly diverts
himself by lifting the little creature mp
by the back Of Its neck with its teeth,
putting 1t down In the manger, careful
ly placing iton the ground again after
awhile, and then repeating the opera
tion.n g
There is an interesting record Of the
strange dislike entertained by a pony
for particular horse with which it was
brought into daily contact, and the e1-
traordinary friendship formed by it for
calf in the same meadow. The pony
and calf became inseparable, show
ing their mutual regard in many divert
Ing ways, greatly to the annoyance OF
the calf's mother, who not unnaturally
evinced the utmost jealousy and resent
ment. Gilbert White relates how
horse and hen, spending much of their
time together In lonely orchard, also
became the fastest of friends: The
fowl would approach the horse with
notes Of complacency, rubbing herself
gently against his legs, while the horse
would look down with satisfaction, and
move with the greatest caution and cir
cumspection lest he should trample on
his diminutive companion"
Dogs have so much larger share Of
personal liberty than horses or cattle
that their friendships obviously lie more
at their own disposal. But notwith-
standing this fact they constantly make
friends of the most unlikely birds''
and for the most inexplicable reasons.
No doubt some temporary alliances are
formed for the attainment of particu-
lar object, not always of o creditable
kind. Attachments between members
OF the same race are Of course common,
but attract the less notice ON account Of
their obvious reasonableness. 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 are
quite remarkable. 1t is not generally
recognized that the goose is bird OF ex
traordinary sagacity lit has even beer
described as Of great intellectual capaci
ty-and this mutual regard of fur ant
feather may proceed ON an understand
ing that overrides the distinctions of race
The species of goose known as tht
gray lag is especially remarkable fol
its strong and frequent attachments t,
the dog. One that was rescued by (
mastiff from the insidious attack of I
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 d large farm and through tn
neighboring village. The dog happen
ing to fall III the goose would not leav
him night or day, and would to all ap
pearance have been starved had not
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