The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-03
DECEIT AMONG ANIMALS.
Monkeys Simulate Sickness in Order
to Secure Dainties.

S1indling and deceit ale known among
animals. In military stables horses are
known to have pretended to be lame in
order to avoid going to military exercises.
chimpanzee had been fed on cake when
sick; after his recovery he often feigned
coughing in order to procure dainties The
cuckoo sometimes lays its eggs in the spar
rows nest, and TO make the dece ption surer
it takes away one of the sparrow's eggs.
Animals are conscious of their deceit. This
is shown by the fact that they try 10 operate
secretly and noiselessly; they show sense
OF guilt If detected; they take precautions in
advance to avoid discovery; in some cases
they manifest regret and repentance. Thus.
bees which steal hesitate often before and
after their exploits, as if they feared punish
ment. One describes how his monkey COM
mitted theft While lie pretended TO sleep
the animal regarded him with hesitation,
and stopped every time his master moved or
seemed on the point of awakening. Such
and many more well-known facts NAV be
due, perhaps, to fear of punishment, which
naturally follows misdeeG, just as is OBJ
served among habitual thieves. Cases of
meanneSs are not so numerous among the
animals. A surprising one is the innocent
dove, which sometimes hides under her
wings food for which she has no need, SIM
ply TO deprive her companions. The sense
of property is manifested in the COMPETE
ton for prizes, as In the struggle for the
female or for food, rank, territory or nests.
The dog distinguishes the property of his
master, and even diseriminates between OBJ
jects belonging TO different members OF the
same family.
1t is well known that. by wise employ
ment OF punishment, animals can be trained
and improved. There are, however, in
stlncts that II seems impos sible To change.
The cat, in spite Of 10 g domesticity and
repeated punishments, never loses its habit
OF stealing, and a curious coincidence is
that. among criminals. thief is the most
difficult to reform. and is generally incor-
rtgibe. Severity may help feeble animals
sometimes, but it renders the more vigorous
vindlctive. In the casa OF criminal man the
same idea is true. Meteoric conditions
have their influence. Thus animals OF the
same species, or relate ones, are fiercer in
the torrid zone than in the less warm re-
gions OF America (Rousse); the lions in the
Atlas mountains are much less formidable
than those in the desert Cattle have been
known during the warm season, and espe-
cially at the approach OF storm. to be
taken with an attack of fury, and rush
against persons and trees until the storm
bursts and the rain calms them.
Theft is common vice among animals.
In stealing to satisfy hunger the passion is
generally irresistible. There is a selection
of suitable objects. The dogs or cats contine
themselves to food. There is. as a rule, no
boarding or hiding. but the food is used at
once. But in the stealing of useless arti-
Giles practiced by magpies. rats and mon
keys. the method is often systematic, or at
long intervals, boarding or hiding being the
rule; this is sort of kleptomania, perni-
ciousness. or a love of stealing for its own
sake. As magpie is notorious for stealing
gittering objects, so we find the parallel
among savages, who have been known to
help themselves ON Shipboard to all the
movables. being fascinated by mirrors. cut
lery and jewelry. Sometimes bees, in order
to save trouble. attack in crowds well fur
nished hives and carry off the provisions;
they gradually acquire taste for this, ana
form companies and colonies of brigands.
Ii bees are given a mixture of honey aud
brandy they can acquire taste for 1t. and
become irritable under its influence, drink
and cease 70 work, and, like men, fail from
one vice to another