The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-11-26

FRIENDLY A
Odd Friendships at Dumb
Creatures Contract.

failings incident to Human attachments.
We are frequently reminded of man
selfishness and INCONSISTENCY in the ways
of tie brute creation, nor is it peculiar
to animals thst they sometimes enter
into alliances of a curious kind. Natural
ly enough, horses often make friends
and comrades among their own race, as
dogs do still oftener, but close friend
ship aud understanding between horses
and dogs is apparently more frequent
than my similar species. Perhaps the
most remarkable attachments are those
shown by animals thrown together by
enforced circumstances and separated
from others of their kind.
Horses have positive dread of soil
tude and when this happens to be unavoid
able will make friends OF the most
unlikely creatures. The hours which
a carefully tended favorite passes in his
box are often relieved by the compan-
ionship of the stable Cat which the
nobler quadruped speepily adopts as lis
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genuinely attached. The absence of the
cat is at once remarked by the horse
who mauifests impotence and plainly
asks for the restoration OF its favorlte
One of the runners in the Derby colt
named Gaeopsis had for some time
before the race shown symptoms of
distress aud uneasiness amounting to
positive melancholy and not attributable
to any physical cause. A goat and kid
were procured and judiciously introduced
to the stable the result being thus
described by an eye witness: "Galeopsls
seemed to take much Interest in them
until the goat died: but the kid remains,
and the horse now vastly diverts himself
by lifting the little creature up b. the
back of its neck with its teeth, putting it
down in the manger, carefully placing
it on the ground again after awhile and
then repeating the operation.
There is an interesting record OF the
strange dislike entertained by pony
for a particular horse with which it was
brought into daily contact, and the
extraordinary friendship formed by it
for calf in the same meadow. The
pony and calf became inseparable, show
ing their mutual regard in many
diverting ways greatly to the annoyance
of the Calls mother, who not unnaturally
evinced the utmost jealousy and resent
| ment. Gilbert White relates how a
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 wi satisfaction, and
move with the greatest caution and
circumspection least he should trample
on his diminutive companion.
Dogs have so much larger a 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 inexpicabe reasons.
No doubt some temporary alliances are
formed for the attainment of particular
object, not always of creditable kind.
| Attachments between members of the
same race are of course common, but
attract tae less notice on account OF
their obvious reasouableness. Dogs,
however, are greatly addicted to queer
| company and constantly go 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
extraordinary sagacity-itha has even been
| described as of great intellectual
capacity-and this mutual regard of
fur and feather may proceed on an
understanding that overrides the
distinctions of race.
The species of goose known as the
gray lag" is especially remarkable for
it's strong and frequent attachments to
the dog. One that was rescued by a
| mastiff from the insidious attack of a
| fox showed consciousness of it's
obligations and desire to return them
/ that were touching in their obvious feel.
ing. The goose entirely abandoned the
socle&y OF it's kind, roasted in the dog s
.lkennel andfollowed it in it's daily wander
ing over large farm and through the
neighboring village. The dog happening
to fall i'll the goose would not leave him
night orday, and would to all appear
ance have been starved had not pan oil
corn been placed for it every day near the
kennel.
The French naturalist Houzsau also
relates how a Chinese goose made
friends with dog at first sight, uttering
threats of vengeance against any person
or animal Offering to interfere with its
favorite, in whose occasional absence il
was inconsolable. Dogs and fowls also
enter into amicable relations for reasons
| huSh 1908 q Ppaicho W uhiOohOis bboL
themselves. A hen and retriever
became 30 strongly attached that the
former laid her eggs and Matched hel
chickens in his kennel, an interesting
observer remarking how, on the her
leaving or entering her nest, the dog
would move from the threshold to make
wayIwhils any attempt to touch the eggs
| in the absence of the hen was met by
his immediate disapprobation.
| Another remarkable friendship grew
up between spaniel and young cock,
which was for some reason perfectly
ostracized by is fellows and not allowed
to feed with the other poultry in the
farmyard. The spaniel was constantly
observed keeping the fowls away, in
order that its prosecuted friend might
obtain food, the cockerel obvious
recognizing and reciprocating tie good
will shown by its four footed protector.