The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-29
STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS.
CURIOUS INSTANCES OF IETKLLI-
0ESCE IN FROGS And TUADs.
What = Distinguished Naturalist Saw
snake Chsrmers Do-A Household
Where Reptiles Were tho Pets.


frequently a traveller VINO has paid but a
casual visit 10 a little-knoWn race Ot men
s-fs down their Intelligence and civil
cation AT the level OF the prOverbial
people Of kamtckatka, while the ira
der and missionary, whose aVOcatiOnS
make il necessary for them to dwell
among the race. give different testimony,
The extent 10 which these remarks ap-
ply to the subjects OF the present paper
frogs. tOads, aiiigators, tortOlseS and
suakes-wlll be evident to ny readers
when they remember how the majority
of people shun them as objects OF disgust
Remembering that we are not in search
of instinct either ordinary or special We
must take the few instances or lnteil-
gence We can gather HOt as IdIltles, DHl
as indications Of more instances II We
could only live In touch with the Great
Mr.. Romanes says that lady COM
municateq the following u MIN about
frog: Il used To open the gate IN tne
ratings round the pOnd, aLd can Out
Tommy Ghe name | lfri given ~, anu
the frog would jump out from the bushes,
into the water. and sWi I'M across 10 me,
and get on my hand sometimes. W hen }
called Tommy il would nearly always
come. whatever the time OF day. though
it was only fed after breakfast but al
seemed quite tame.
myself had a tame toad which was
anything but the repulsye thing mat
common Imagination would make IL out
to be- In summer il lived I'm rOckWOrk
devoted 10 ferns. ON the approach OF
cold weather IL was placed IN the cellar
and allowed to hibernate no attempt
being made 10 change the course or ITS
natural life. but as soon q, II slgnlued
its desire 10 move again IN society ~
hopping round the cellar IL va brought
VI stairs. This continued three years,
ana ! certainly did not notice mat IT.
traiuins. if such IL could bee called. had
to bee repeated each spring
Whenever ] went into the garden ana
made a Kissing sort OF chirp with my lips
the toad came from under the stones.
At first / would take IL up on the palm
Of my hand. hut soon II would mop on
when I laid my hand on the ground
would then walk about me house win
IL inviting my friends 70 stroke IT, ami
would place il on my writing table among
my papers. II seemed perfectly happy.
and IL was dilicIlt TO tnlnk mat me cledI
eparllling eve was not ObSCrNdnt OF my
doircs and conscious OF my Identity ]
often caught flies for IL in the window,
and or holding them near me mouth. we
tongue was thrown out with incredible
rapiditv 10 seize them.
Occasionally a blue bottle" would buzz
around and the toad undoubtedly was
conscious of its presence lsrnihk IN
head 10 follow the sound ahd throWlh-
ont the tongue as " anticipating treat.
HIS end certainly was not peace, Tor tAe
door into the dusty street being lelJ
open. he wandered. on my return ne
did not answer my accustomed c.th aH'
BEGAN a search. Suspectir- the pos
sibllltv ~ escape looked into The street
and there was my pet smotnerei lh dnSt
and crushed fiat by passing yen.
There is nothing remarkable ABOUT inc
story beyond the fact that the tOad hau
an intelligent passiy1tv. which IN human
beings not infrcquenty passes muster as
docilty. Frogs possess extreme srhsi-
tivouess 10 atmospheric chahSeS' rs lS
well known from the treeiroT being me
herald of rain Edwards the Scottish
naturalist records an instance or an
other kind Of intelligent sensitiveness.
presently. when the whole OF the Noca-
lists had reached their highest notes, they
became hushcd I'm an instant l was
amazed az this and began 10 wonder AT
the sudden termination ~ the concert
But looking about, J observed Il Drown '.,i
owl drOp down On 10 the TOP on low
dyke close 10y the orchestra. J. ne uoSS
recognized the presence Of their enemy
on thc lookout for supper.
/ must once more give what ! can an
instance Of intelligent Tassivity ! kept
! land tortoise FOR some tlme-oVer Two
| years allowing il 90 hibernate in r. cool
| cellar for two winters ! had no dlihcul-
| " i'm getting the creature 70 rerpsllz'
my voice. for before / had had II DAY
! II would walk about whenever ! uchIti
ite head Ultimately IL became so tame
| that il would run df YOU can call a tor
| toi,e's waddle "runniugD across The gar
| den al my call. and ! was not long IN
| finding out what be regarded az daiutieS.
| ,rbe greatest treat | could give him APP
! pcared 20 hc the tender shoots anu i' rs
| Of kiipey-beans. There was no more
| hesitation about taking food from my
| hand thar is shown 10y pet dCS' hol
nearly as much as that evinccd by the
| most dOciie cat
Two large tortoiscs were kept on board
! the Challiueer during the expedition m
! the southern seas. They We're fed eood
| deal on pine apples. a number OF Whlch
! were hung up i'm the paymaster once.
! Having found ont these, they would go
| 70 the door and. propplng themselves
| up AGAINST a board placed There 10 Keep
| ont dogs. would glare ana sniu lonSin-Iy
! az the fruit They could also INA thtr
| way 20 the captains ro0m where they
! were sometimes fed from another store
| Of fruit Perhaps the tortoise Is $50"
but sure" in other matters than running
races with hares
The following story recorded by jesse
| ing his "Glcaning5' is worth repetition.
| a most singular instance OF attach
| wont between Two animals whose natures
| and habits were most opposite was re-
| lated 10 nee by person on whose Nerac-
| IT'S ] can place the greatest reliance. RE
had resided for nine years i'm the Amerl-
| can States. where me- superintended me
execution of some extensive works Tor
the American Government. ono OF these
| works consisted iu the erection OF "a bea-
can I'm a swamp in one OF the rivers,
where he caught young ailisdtor ms
animal he made so perfectly tame that
lN
dog scramhling uU the stairs after him,
and showing much affection and docil-
u.s.. lis great fayorite, however, was a
cat and the friendship was mutual.
when the cat was rcposing herself be
fore the fire this was at New York;,
the alligator would lay himself down,
place his head upon the cat, and i'm this
attitude 90 10 sleep. lf the cat was ABB
sent the alligator was restless ~ he
always appeared happy when the cat "as
near him The only instance ln which De
showed any ferocity was I'M attacking
fox. which was tied mp in yard. Proba-
bly,, however. the fox resented some play
ml advances which the other had made,
and thus called forth the anger Of the
ALLIGATOR I'm attacking the fox he did
not make use OF his mouth, but beat him
with so much severity with his tail that
had not the chain Whl,h confined the
fox broken. he would probably have killed
him The alligator was fed ON raw flesh
and sometimes with mix, TOT which he
showed a great tOndness. In cold wealth
cr he was shut up in box, with wool
i'm II but having been forgotten one frOs-
" night, he was found dead In the morn
The cunning Of the alligator In pursuit
If its nrev is well known. but that is due
10 what we accord the name instinct. In
the Instance given above this reDulsive
animal shows power OF adaptation 70
circumstances alien 10 its nature, 10
u-hfph we can scarcely deny the same IN
teIligerce." OF the same order is the in
stance quoted by Mr.. ROmanes from
Nature" i'm which Mr.. +. {. Buck says:
Toward dusk. at the same moment.
avarv one OF the crOoOdiles which had
been barking during the day, left the
hank on which they were lying or the
deep water i'm which they were swimming,
ana formed a line across the steam,
which was about twenty yards vide.
Ttev had to form lOuble line. as there
vas net room for all in a single line.
TLfv then swan slowly up the shallow