The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-11-13

EASsSh Va INh a SduSCu OllS Species
to make war upon another, says the
New York World.
Instinct was a busy word then. but
nowadays many people have substi-
tuted the word reason" Many animals
perform acts and evince the possession
OF emotions that are analogous to rea-
son, to love and to hate. Wild as we'll
AS domestic animals show anger as we'll
as pleasure, and their anger is often
directed against Il specific person or
object.
Animals have been known to die OF
a broken heart and many have COM
mitted suicide. They did not use the
bare bodkin nor did they resort to car
bolic acid, but they killed themselves
by other means. We heard a short
time ago of a monkey in the Glen
Island menagerie that hung himself be-
cause he was separated from his love.
The act was p~remeditated and was
carefully planned and the hanging was
a success in every way.
Dogs have been known to commit
suicide by jumping in front of NOV
ll5 lldll1S, do well DIS ny uIOW1lIlS
themselves. Snakes, which are not
credited with a high order Of intelli-
gence, know that their own poison is
fatal, and when angered, injured or bit
ten by another reptile bite themselves
repeatedly and cause immediate death.
During the middle ages and even as
late as the time Of Shakespeare ami
~ r. -,-~o l.,ol 1.~,l1-
BILE for their acts. They we're tried for
various ~offenses and il found guilty
were convicted and punished. Mules
were deprived OF their ears for wrong
doing, and this altered the appearance
OF the animal, whether it improved
their morals Or not. There was an
other punishment inflicted on mules
which suggests that there was method
in the madness of the authorities. A
mule which was particularly wicked
was made forfeit to the crown and the
king had a corral of asses which could
not be equaled for d%eprayity in the
world.
Occasionally the animals We're tried
before an ecclesiastical tribunal.
Swarms of flies, bees, leeches and other
insect pests were often condemned to
vacate within a certain time under pen
atty of "malediction." AS a rule certain
sections of the country were set aside
to which the condemned animals might
retire and live in peace and quiet.
A horde of flies that bothered the res
idents of Mayence was tried once and
they escaped punishment because OF
their small size and extreme youth.
Rats one time began eating the barley
Of France and were tried in court.
They were defended by an eminent
lawyer named C~hasseneux, and he actu-
ally won the suit and the rats escaped
punishment. In Naples an ass was
tried-by a jury of his peers, no doubt
and sentenced to die at the stake.
The sentence was carried out and that
ass never committed murder again.
About the year 100 the practice died
cut, and some time after the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ami
mails wa organized and since then do
nestle animals have been better
treated.
Instances Of affection between ami
mails that are ordinarily disposed to
combat each other are quite common.
Cats occasionally adopt young mice or
rats and raise them with tenderness
and care. Dogs and cats do not always
fight "like cats and dogs" but live in
peace and harmony. Henry C. Dins-
low Of Yates, N. Y, tells of a foxhound
be once owned which took a great
fancy to a robust pig. The dog would
spend hours in the pen playing with
the porker, and he was overjoyed when
the pig would engage in a game OF tag.
The hound would perform amazing
antics with a view Of entertaining the
shoat.
Mr.. Dinslow also had a duck which
apparently fell in love with a hand
ONE Leghorn rooster and paid assid-
uous court, much to the disgust of the
naughty fowl. Finally the rooster con-
WINGED the duck by means of his bill
and spurs that her attentions were dis
tasteful, and the duck was forced to
cease following the handsome rooster.
Wild animals In ~menageries seldom
meet after a separation without a fight
and the Introduction of a e bear, lion
OF tiger into a cage is the signal for a
riot. The young born in captivity are
frequently eaten by the mother. Such
an occurrence happened in New York's
Central park zoo in 1892, when Jennie,