The Press., 1904-12-07
STORIES OF ANIMALS
A DOG THAT STOLE BUT ONCE AND
 THEN REPENTED.


 and Execute Sentence an Culprita
 of Their Tribe Puppy ana Lion
 That Ate and Slept Together.
 And now they say animals know right from wrong and that even in a puppy's breast is kindled that spark of divine fire, a conscience.
 The beasts of the field have eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That they are capable of loving and of devoting themselves to those they love. that they offer models of maternal and conjugal af- lection, has long been admitted, and today they are credited with expres- sions of some notion, however obscure or imperfect, of good and evil. of merit and denseRft, of justice and injustice. There is familiar anecdote from the naturalist Romanes about his dog, which never stole a thing in his life save once and then under these. cir cumstances:
 "One day when he was hungry" says
 
 the table and carried it under a sofa. I was witness to this fact, but pre- tended I had seen nothing, and the culprit remained some minutes under the sofa, divided between the desire to assuage his hunger and the senti- ment of duty. The latter finally tri- umphed, and the dog deposited at my feet the outlet which he had stolen. This done, he returned to conceal him. self under the sofa, whence no appeal could make him emerge. In vain gently patted his head. The only eff feet of this caress was to make him turn his face with an air of contrition that was truly comicaL" ..
 What gives particular value to this example. concludes Romanes, is that the dog in question had never been beaten, so that it could not have been fear of corporal punishment which ac- tuated him. In him there seems to be an animal that knows what he owes to another. There are also animals which know what is due them. 1t has often been stated that certain beasts have a precise idea of what can be ex- acted from them without injury and that they ask in their own way to be limited to their proper obligations. ''The cattle in the gardens of Suse," Montague says, ''are used to turn large wheels for drawing water. Each is required to make a hundred revolu- tons every day. They are so accus- toned to this number that it is almost impossible to make them do more, and having finished their task they stop short"
 One day the illustrious scholar Arago was forced by a storm to take refuge in a rOadhouse. He was warming him. self in the kitchen when his host went to put a chicken on the spit. This done, be wished to pick up a terrier that was in the room to make him turn the spit, but the animal took refuge under the table, showing his teeth. When Akago was astonished at the con duct of the dog. it was explained that the animal was not altogether in the wrong, as it was not his turn to attend to the spit Another terrier was found and put to work without a protest. When the chicken was roasted on one side, the cook thought it time to re- Heve the spit turner. This time the dog that had been rebellious caused no trouble and applied himself to his task. Is it credible that animals rem der justice. have a species of tribunals where the accused appear before mag istrates? Certain animal tribes pos sess veritable judiciary organization in the image of those of human so- cieties.
 Dr. Edmondson, who has made special study of crows, says that they hold periodic assiZes when the af- fairs af the season are appealed. They gather together in large numbers for a convocation. Among them are some whose fallen heads indicate accusa- tons; others are. grave like judges, while still others are motion and clam or. When the assembly is ended there is a general noise, and little after law yers, listeners and bailiffs bounce upon the two or three prisoners arraigned before the bar and ply them with strokes until death ensues.
 To wrong no one, to render unto each his own, to receive according to ones deserts, is only the negative of the moral code. Above the duties of justice are those of charity, whose for mula in this: Do unto others as you would that they do unto you" Whether or not animals attain to this stage may be partially judged by a scene whose theater was a large Parisian menagerie. A little black and white pug dog was thrown into the cage of c ioness named Constantine Terri 1ed and trembling in all his limbs he tried to hide in a corner. The liOness slowly rose and approached the poor beast, which uttered plaintive. cry, her with an appealing look. The honess tranquilly returned to her repose without injuring the little dog. When meal time came the lioness' ration of meat was tossed into the cage. She left part for her little companion. Some days later the dog ate his meals with her, and week later he flung himself on the dinner. When autumn arrived the pug thought it seemly to pass the, nights between the Hons paws, the climax in beau dful example of clemency and hospi- tality.
 The hero animal can even vanquish his instinctive pride, pardon his injuries and voluntarily offer reconciliations. Backok narrates that a dog that had quarreled with companion separated from him in temper. On the morrow the other dog presented himself with biscuit and offered it to his old ad- versary as a pledge of peace. Chicago Tribune.
 Charms of Fossil Hmntfmg.