The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-03-18
COMEDIANS OF ANIMAL REALM
Grotesque in Appearance and Clown
ish in Their Manners.

4
too fat. but only "well liking" and free
to wander in big yard and forage for
themselves, are among the most comic
animals. Almost all the necessary ele-
ments are present-fat bodies and fat
cheeks, twlnkling eyes, tightly curling
tails, short, turned-up noses, voices
capable OF expressing in grunt intense
self-satisfaction, curiosity and all forms
of squeaks and squeals for surprise,
fear and panic. The writer has watch
ed family of young pigs, about eight
cen inches long. just turned out TO spend
the morning in a meadow, and returned
convinced that there was not a mo-
ment at which their appearance and be-
havior was not too cOmical for descrip-
ton. Each flower and weed was tast-
ed by the little pigs with the air of a
connoisseur trying Il new dish, and
when they found horse lying asleep
taking its Sunday rest the whole litter
stood in a semi-circle round Its head
as If grouped to sing in a chorus.
Pigs are SO funny, and everyone so
thoroughly recognizes the fact now
that 1t seems rather odd that the dis
covery should be SO recent. There Is
plenty of allusion to the pig as a filthy,
ugly creature In the East, and many old
English anecdotes of their cunning and
knowing We about weather and food,
but except~tuae pig-selling scene in the
Acharnians, which is sadly wanting In
humor, there is hardly any early recog-
milton OF the comieality of pigs. The
reason is that it is only the modern
improved British pig that is comlcal.
His alone are the round stern, the
curly tail, the short nose, the dumping
cheeks and the fine high spirits. The
wretched greyhound pig of the East
or of the unimproved breeds of Europe
has not an atom of humor In him.
Even a young wild boar is a glum little
fellow, only growing lively as he grows
hungry. We owe the ''comic pig" to the
encouragement of the Smlthfield show
and the Royal Agricultural Society.
But there is room for difference as to
the humorous side of animal life in
creatures which are not domestlcated
and have never changed
The owl Is a case in point. The
Greeks looked upon him as grave and
wise bird and assigned him to Athene.
We think his appearance comic, and In
common talk the owl represents be-
wildered, rather dense person, who can
not see the obvious. Though the Greek
revered the owl, the Hindoo feeling is
exactly the same as ours. To call q
stupid servant "ooloo" ('you OWL
would convey exactly the same mean.
Ing in India as it would here. A ply.
steal explanation is just possible. We
and the Hindoos think of the night
owl, a bird bewildered by light. Ath.
ene's owls, which are now sold In large
numbers in London as pets, are little
wideawake ground owls, able to see
by day as we'll as by night. Most peo-
pie who have watched penguins hop.
ping on the ground will own that when
moving about they are lrresistibly fun.
ny. Their little wings, like fat hands
without arms, round white waistcoats
short necks and short legs with little
fat, black feet, make them n bird
edition of Mr.. Pickwiek. Their only
movement is a series of hops, with the
head bent neryously forward as II
they were afraid of falllng-which they
are-and their little wings stuck out
on each side to balance them. OF
course, the penguin has not the least
notion that 1t Is funny or amusing, and
is as uncomfortable as a Chinese lady
trying to walk across rice field. Puff
fins rank high among the comic birds
Their makeup" which ls that of q
city waiter, is enhanced by the big
red and yellow bill, which is set on like
a Guy Fawkes mask. Young puffins
which have not developed this adjunct
to facial expression" are far less lu
dlcrous to look upon and have none OF
the exaggerated, inspection-like air OF
their seniors. The Japanese artists
who have tiue sense of the ludicrous
In nature, but usually read In some
portion of human wit into their studies
of animal life, show proper apprecla
ton Of the comlcallty of the crab. They
cast bronze crabs in all attitudes, the
most effective being the enraged crat
sticking up his pinching claws in 8
position of defense. If their mechani
cal skill also allowed of a clockworli
movement, by which the crab could be
depicted retreating sideways, with his
claws raised and swapping, these works
Of art would be perfect illustrations OF
the comic side of submarine llfe.-Lon,
don Spectator.