The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-02-20
GAMES OF
ANIMALS
From The Strand Magazine


which practises and enjoys sliding
play. Offers go in for regular tooos-
gaming. First choosing a steep, STOP
ing river bank where the soil is OF
clay and the water at the bottom fair
ly deep. they set to work and care
fully remove all the sticks and loose
stones which might get in their way,
and then the fun begins. Climbing
I'D the bank at some spot where it is
not too steep, the first otter goes 10
the head of the slide, lies down hat
on his stomach, gives a kick with
his hind legs, and down he glides,
head foremost, into the water. The
second follows his leaders example,
and then the third, as rapidly as they
can. The bank soon becomes smooth
and slippery, and the faster they
travel the more the offers enjoy 1t.
They keep on and on until quite tired
out, and will come back to the same
spot day after day to renew their
game. So common is this practice
on the part of offers that the relent-
less trapper long ago came to kno"
it we'll and makes practice OF set
ting his trap just where the poor ut
tie beasts leave the water to climb
afresh for another slide, and hardly
ever fails to secure the leader, gen.
orally the old dog-etter.
With offers this tobogganing is not
merely summer pastime. In winter
they have the same amusement. the
only difference being that they choose
a snow bank instead of a mud one.
Brehm, the German naturalist, has
recorded an exactly similar game
played by channels in the Alps. In
summer chamois climb to the upper
heights. and there, in the midst OF
the solitudes of perpetual snow. en-
joy themselves vastly, leaping rrom
rock to rock, and often playing
game very like follow my leader
But the most curious part of their
fun is their tobogganing. They choose
a Steep snow covered slope; the lead
er throws himself into a sort OF
crouching position and, working his
his legs as though he were swim
ming, slides down for distance OF
a hundred yards or more. Arrived at
the bottom, he springs to his feet and
climbs up again. The others look on;
and then another of them makes
trial of the slide. The rest follow
one by one.
1t may be objected that chamois
have adopted this method of travel
ing down a snow slope simply because
it was the easiest and most convent
emit; but surely the fact that the
same animals have been watched to
make the experiment several times
over on the same slide is certain
proof that the tobogganing is genuine
play and nothing else.
There are many instances on record |
of dogs having taken to coasting |
down snow slopes. But the dog is |
a domestic animal, and a marvellous |
ly initiative one. so for the purpose |
Of proving animal play he must in this
case be put out of court.
Humboldt speaks of having seen I
a tame capuchin monkey riding
pig The monkey would wait about
in the morning till he could catch
A pig. spring upon it's back. and ride
Of with every symptom of delight, |
singing SO tightly that poor piggy, do
what he might, could not free him
self Of his encumbrance. Once he
lad secured a mount nothing would
induce Master Capuchin to give 1t up.
Even when the pig was feeding the
monkey kept his seat.
The lemur is not a monkey, but a
Iery near relative. A white fronted
emur belonging to Broderip, the ma
uralist, used to have tremendous
James with tame beaver named
3inny. Nacky, as the lemur was call
d. would play tag with Binny,
ouching his great fiat tail with one
niger and dancing round the heavy.
unable beast. while the beaver with
'lephantine playfclness would charge
Aacky with all his might, but, of
course, never coming near the airy
prite.
One day the two were left alone
ogether. In the room was a linen
'ress, and some careless person had
eft the doors open. Half an hour
alter the beaver was found snoring
apply on a comfortable couch of
lied up tablecloths, sheets and nap
.ins, while close beside him. his head
allowed on the beavers soft fur, lay
dacky, also sound asleep
The writer once owned a pet
american raccoon. The little crea-
ure formed a firm alliance with a