Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-11

Z York Herald.
and some careless person had left the
doors open Half an hour later the
beaver was found snoring happily on
a comfortable couch OF piled up table
cloths, sheets and napkins, while close
beside him, his head pillowed on the
beavers soft fur, lay Mackey, also
sound asleep.
Coon as a Life Saver
The writer once owned a pet Ameri-
can raccoon. The little creature formed
firm alliance with a black kitten,
and the games those two had beggar
description Hide and seek around
the 'coons kennel and pile OF bar
rels was the commonest play No one
could watch the two without feeling
positive that they enjoyed the romp
and understood each others move
ments just as well as any two children
ever did. one day in her wild excite
ment pussy ran on to q springboard
which stretched over pond and fell
i'm. What did the coon do but delib-
erately follow? There was apparently
no intention of rescue and, In any
case. the cat was ashore again In
few strokes. for cats are very fast
swimmers. But 1t was an odd thing
to see.
lydLe III Illc summer VI Ill lllt ttll ~
autumn the squirrel kittens have tre-
mendous games. They usually choose
a beechwood for their antics, and 1t is
one of tho prettiest sights in the world
to watch them.
Sit perfectly still and they will not
pay the slightest attention to you.
Their principal game Is chasing one
another round and Nround the trunk,
to the tip of a thin branch and leap
a f1t a other
lowing full speed, barking all the time
with sheer delight 1t is, in fact reg
ular follow my leader game.
Monkeys have similar games. Karl
Groos mentions a tame long tailed
monkey that was devoted to swinging.
He would hook his chain over bough
and swing at the end of it with the
plainest pleasure. He knew exactly
how much line was needed so as just
to clear the ground, and never made
mistake in letting out exactly the right
amount.
Almost all young animals play. 1t
is one of the most charming sights
imaginable to watch fox cubs amusing
themselves outside the earth late on
summer evening. They not only roll
and gambol like kittens or puppies,
but they have also a game which
strongly resembles a sham fight
The young of all the cat tribe, in
cluding lions and tigers are naturally
playful. Even such clumsy creatures
as rhinooeroses and elephants enjoy
games in their early youth.
Badgers have a peculiar play. They
seem to enjoy turning somersaults. The
young badgers in the geological gar
dens amuse visitors by tnrning somer-
saults scores of times in succession on
the same spot.
Bears do the same thing, and not
only young bears, but old ones also.
The natives of Kamchatka have
dance which they call the bear dance.
Every gesture is copied accurately
from the bear. The natives them
selves appear to be proud Of the fact
that the bears are their dancing mas
terS.
A Stately Bird Dance
Dancing is by no means confined to
quadrupeds; in fact, is is the principal
play of many birds. Perhaps the finest
of bird dancers is the American cock O
the rock. These birds have regular
dancing places, level spots which they
keep clear of sticks and stones. A dozen
or more of the birds assemble round
this spot and then a cock bird, his
scarlet crest erect, steps into the CEN
ter. Spreading his wings and tail he
begins to dance, at first with slow and
stately steps, then gradually more and
more rapidly, until he Is spinning like
a mad thing. At last, tired out, he sinks
down, almost out of the ring, and an
other takes his place
Some of the quail tribe are great
dancers and so are the American sand
hill cranes. 1t is most ludicrous sight
to watch a crane dancing; he is so des-
perately solemn over the whole per-
formance He looks like a shy young
man who has just learned to waltz and
is rather ashamed of the accomplish
ment.
So much for games without toys. But
many wild creatures get a great deal
of amusement out of inanimate OBJ
jects. The kitten plays with ball of
worsted and every one knows the dog
that possesses a pet bone, some dry
and grubby relic which is not the least
use as food, but which the animal
throws about and catches again by the
hour and when finished with buries in