Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-17
FRIENDLY ANIMALS.
odd FrIrndship THAT Domh Cr'sturcs Cor
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The particular friendships occasion
. F''v formed by animals among them
ta.yes are characterized by the virtues
and faiIu., incident 20 human attach
mems. We are frequently reminded OF
mans s,'..-uugss and Inconsistency In the
WHY'S Cf the brute creation, nor is i.
i peculiar % animals that they sometimes
enter into alliances of q curious kind.
Naturally enough. horses often mako
friends and comrades among their own
race. as dogs DO still ofteuer. but a close
friendship and understanding between
horses and doss is apparently more fire.
uuent than any similar relationship
between the individuals ot the same
species. Perhaps the most remarkable
attachments are those shown by animals
thrown together 10y enforced circum'
stances and separated from others OF
their kind.
Horses have a positive dread II s0li-
tule. and when this happens TO be un-
av7idable Will make friends Of the most
unlikely creatures. The hours which
carefully tended favorite passes in his
box are often relieved by the companion
ship of the stable cat, which the noble-
Cuadruped speedily adopts rs its own,
and 10 which it often becomes genuinely
attached. The absence Of the cat il at
once remarked by the horse, who mani
tests impatieuce and plainly asks for the
res toration Of its favorite.
Ono Of the runners in the Derby, a
colt named Galeopsis, had for some
time before the race shown symptoms
Of distress and uneasiness. amounting 10
p0r,ive melancholy, and not attribute
bic TO any physical cause. A goat and
kid We're procured and judiciously In
trcduced 10 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 fiverts
himself by lifting the little creature up
by the back Of its neck with its teeth,
putting IT down in the manger, careful
ly placing it on the ground again after
awhile and then repeating the opera
ton"
There il IN interesting record of the
strange dislike entertained by - pony
for q particular horse with which it was
brougLr into daily contact, and the ex
traor.uary friendship formed by it for
a calf iu the same meadow. The pony
and elf became inseparab.e. show
ing their mutual regard In many divert
inE way, greatly to the annoyance OF
the cal. q mother. who not uEnaturally
eviacrl The utmost jealousy and resent
meut. Gilbert White relates how
horse and hen, spending much Of their
time t.g,.hDr In n lonely orchard, also
/ became the fastest Of friends: The
| fowl would approach the horse with
no es of Complacency, rubbing herself
gently against his legs, while the horse
would look down with satisfaction, and
move with the greatest caution and cir
| curspccton lest he should trample on
! his diminutive companion"
Dogs have so much larger a share OF
! personal liberty than horses or cattle
that thor friendships obviously lie moro
nt their own disposal But notwith-
standing tus fact they constantly mako
friends Of the most unlikely BIRDS
md for the most inexplicable reasons.
No doubt some temporary alliances are
formed for the attainment Of n particu-
lar object, not always Of q creditsble
kind. Attachments between members
Of tho 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 20 out Of their
way in quest Of it. 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-
traorIiuary sagacity-it has even been
described as Of great intellectual capaci-
ty--and this mutual regard Of fur and
feather may proceed on an understand
Ing that tOyerrides the distinctions Of race.
The species OF goose known rs the
"sr2v lag is especially remarkable for
It's strong and frequent attachments to
the dog One that was rescued by
mast.u from the insidious attack Of
fox showed n consciousness Of its obliga-
tious and desire 10 return them that
were touching in their obvious feeling.
! The goose entirely abandoned the soci-
iety Of is kind, roasted in the dogs ken
mel aud followed it in its daily wander
iugs over a large farm and through tn
ncighhoring village. The dog happen
ing So fan al the goose would not leave
| him nj 1ht or day, and would to all sp-
. peara.ce have been starved had not u
/ pan Of corn been placed for it every day
near the kounel.
The French naturalist Houzeau also
| rcll-es howa Chinese goose made friends
| with dog NJ first sight, uttering threats
Of vengeance against any person or an
! I'M Offering 10 interfere with It's favor
| he, ia whose occasional absence 1t WAS
/ hCOusola5le. Dogs and fowls also enter
I htoamicaJle relations for reasons much
/ less apparent 10 onlookers than to them.
/ selves. \ hen and a retriever became
/ 30 strongly attached that the former
/ lail her eggs and hatched her chickens
! in bis kennel, an interesting observer
/ rCmarkiug how, on the hen leaving or
| entering her nest, tho dog would move
/ from tie threshold 10 make way, while
any attempt 20 touch the eggs In the ab.
I Fnico Of the hen was met by his imme-
date dispprobation.
Another remarkable friendship grew
MP between n spaniel and young cock,
- D. G &.