Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-12

Have Their IAttie Pests and Treat Then
Most 1euderly.


New York Tribune.
The why Hons treat the tiny creatures
Of animals life is study, IL may be
FIAT there is SOME animals language, aud
that the legend Of the llttlo mouse Whei
saved the Hons lie by gnnNing the net
has become known 20 the dcuiapns OF
the jungle and handed down as animal
folklore. or h may he that the King Of
beasts has n positive contempt for any
dining extremely small. but tits never
thelese fact that lions will not attack
tiny animals when they are put together
Prof Edward Darling. now playing at
Hugcnbeck's, than whom there IL no
moro profound student of ions life
and character IN the country, has made
many curious experiments VITA his hve
big beasts.
II never saw lion kin rat or
mouse" said Prof Darling. and ! have
had many Of them put in the cage with
my five lions My attention was INST
drawn 10 this when J was on my way
from London to Bnt1yia, 10 lava. on the
ship Roiundo had my five lions with
me- and in the quarter Of the shin IN
which thoy were housed were mnny rats,
One day / saw Leo, my invorite Hon,
lying down aud holding between his
paws very loosely monster ship rat.
] thought perhaps that the cat instinct IN
the lion bad made him catch II, and That
he would probably play with It while,
then eat Il. and ! watched. Imagine,
however. my eurprise when | saw him
loosen the rat. and the rat make no at
tempt to get away, but run up aud over
his gigantic paws and play with him.
Wa were long time making u trip, and
every day this ships rat went into Laos
cage. and the two played together as
gently ns two little children, ! made
several attempts 10 capture the rat, hOp
inn fltuF Ftnrltuue | fuimuf fuLu n nahDFp
with me, but ] could not succeed, and |
promise You that old Leo did not like A.
all my attempting 70 Interfere with his
pct When we got 10 lava we had 10
take the lions out, and leo had 10 loHr
his pet He could have killGd that rat
thousand times, hut he never did H.
There was another Instance suhse-
qucnt 10 this whore Leo had q net rat.
which mikes me believe that the lion
has real fondness for the rodent. II
was In 1881 In Calcutta. We were play
| Ing at the Madam, one Of those gigantic
| places IN far India, ami WHOM 7 went
/ 10 see my peia one morning. ] saw that
| Leo had found another rat for pct.
My i've Hons were all together, hu, this raj
would play only with leo, There were
many other rats in the place. but the
other Hons would not look al them. II
seems To me to be- fact that the lions
| consider these little animals 100 small Ia
| be touched. I have known Of rats being
| found dead In a Hons cage. but J believe
that thcy were simply Killed. by the lion
| rolling on iarm or stepping on them
| through carelessne,s, but Hons never eat
| them.
'Now, my theory Is this A lion OF
| tiger, or, In fact. any Wild animal kept
alone grows very lonesome, In theil
natural state wild beasts always run Ia
| psirs. They love opmpanionshlp. aud
| when put alone thoy bco1ne 80 lonesomt
tiiat when another ANIMAL, even though
| 4 Is y rabbit h put ia the sumo Gag,
| with them. they refrain from killing Z
20 a. 10 have tia cnmpani0nshlp, w,
| have heard many instances VI men, boina
| alone. saiipwrecked II yon Ike, max,
| slnlnge irlends WHY NOT lionY