Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-03-28
Trained Beasts.
SOME EXTRAORDINARY EMPLOY,
MENT OF WILD AND Do
MESTIC ANIMALS.

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In many countries the fish. catch
ing powers Of the otter are taken
advantage of, and this falcon of the
water is trained to perform, i'm the
sea or river, tasks similar to those
fulfilled by the falcon in the air.
Bishop Heber mentions having seen
lying on the bank of a river, in
China, q number of tame otterS.
tethered by long ropes attached to
collars woven of straw. The ami
NAL is captured when very young,
and fed entirely on bread and milk,
not being allowed morsel of fish.
An artificial fish is then tied to a
string and the otter taught to re-
trieve il. a real fish is next sub
stituted and the otter is punished
II he mangles it, and rewarded if he
brings it to his master uninjured.
The Chinese fish with tethered Of
ters, and as soon as the animal seiZes
fish they haul it into the boat and
force it to relinquish its prey by
stamping on its tail.
The Chinese also train the cormo.
rant as a fish-catcher. A ring is
slipped over the neck of each bird
just loosely enough to let it breathe
freely, but tight enough to prevent
its swallowing. When the bird has
given up its victim, it's master raises
the ring and rewards it with n NOR
sci of fish.
In the timber trade Of Ceylon,
elephants are very important fac
i tors, and are found immensely use
ful in piling the timber. Once taught
its task, it will continue to work
without the aid of an overSeer.-
Other elephants are trained to act as
builders and to summon the over
seer as soon as they have laid a
course of stones, so as to obtain his
approval before they begin on the
next. One of these animals was OBJ
served by the Overseer to stand in
front of certain portion Of the
wall SO as to hide it from observa-
ton. The overseer insisted upon
seeing it, Whereupon the elephant,
who had scamped" portion of
his work, voluntarily pulled down
the defective portion and relaid it.
One of the most remarkable dogs
Of the present day was Diabla, who
engaged in the inland smuggling
trade on the Continent. For a long
time he was the terror of the Gus
toms officers, for he surpassed his
human instructors in the way he
evaded the duties on silks and laces
which he carried beneath his false
coat Of shaggy hair. His culminat-
ing feat was riding twenty miles I'M
hn
which contained the officers who
were on the lookout for him. An
other dog of remarkable sagacity
belonged to a shoeblack in Paris.
With a view to improving business,
he used to dip his paws in the mud
and then soil the boots of the first
person that passed along. The dog
was bought by an Englishman, who
was amused and charmed by his trick
but the faithful little creature es.
capped to Dover, crossed to Calais,
and found his way to his old master
in Paris.
There is kind of dog named
"turnspit," descended from ill., made
hounds. which they resemble in
body, but have very short and even
crooked legs. They are also said tC
be derived from terriers. The name
comes from the duty to which mer
set them, forcing them to turn the
kitchen-spit, On which the fowl oI
meat is roasted before the open fire
The dog was put into an inclOseC
wheel, placed at the end of the spit
which he had to tread, causing it tC
revOlve. 1t is a curious fact tha
now the office is abandoned, the race
has become nearly extinct. The
Duke de Liancourt had in his kitcher
two turnspits, which took thei
> turns regularly every other day ir
the wheel one of them, not likin!
!, his employment, hid himself on,
day when his turn came, and hi
companion was forced to mount tn,
wheel in his stead. The latter wa
so angry that he conducted the cool
to the garnet, where the idle dol
= was hidden, and killed him.
In many parts of the province 0
/ Canton, in China, the orange tree
are infested with worms, and to ge
rid of these pests the natives impor
ants from the neighboring hills
The ants are trapped by holding tn
> mouth of lard bladder to thei
nests. Full of the little creatures
=, these bladders are put among tn
branches Of the orange trees, Wher,
they form colonies, and to facilitate
their movements bamboo rods ar
laid from tree to tree. They s0ol
disperse through the Orangeries ant
=, eXterminate the worms.
= The delicacy of scent which tn
: pig possesses in remarkable degre
, has been turned to the use of man
The celebrated sow, named "Slut'
in the early part Of this century il
( England was taught by her master
a gamekeeper, to mark game like
pointer. In some respects she sur
passed the dogs at their own bust
ness, having frequently detected
n covey of close-lying birds which tn
dogs had missed. She was not re
stricted to one kind Of game, but Il
, a single day was known to poin
partridges, pheasants, blackgame
snipes and rabbits; but for some un
y explained reason she never took an
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