Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10
LECTURES.
FREAK PETS LOVED BY
ENGLISH SOCIETY WOMEN
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

tCTe1Sn correspondence OF ne StAT
LONDON, October 1. 1902
A NY society woman may have a
~ Pomeranian dog which costs 5000
or a blue Persian cat from the cat
terry of Princess Victoria OF Schleswig-
Holstein. Such pets were chic year ago.
Today they are commonplace and 1t is
the eccentric pet which can do things"
that is the fashion. Doubly chic is it to
possess favorite of this kind which IT
is impossible to duplicate. In the first in
stance 1t was the Duchess of Roxburgh
who set the craze for these quaint favor
ties. Her grace has an almost phenome-
nal power In training birds. animals and
reptiles. At Floors she has a number Of
birds and animals which do things"
Every one asks to see her performing
thrush. which dies turns somersauIts
and will bring her in his bill. across a
room, anything she points to. She also
has, a clever robin. When she goes on
visits she is generally accompanied by
one or the other of her favorftes, each
of which has an elaborate and Deautil ul
travelling cage for such occasions.
A tame ferret is the favorte Of Lady
Evelyn Guinness. 1t is ferocious to any
one save Its mistress, but will sit on her
shoulder affsctionateIy while it's little
fiery eyes glare at strangers. Recently
while staying In a country house. Lady
Evelyn missed the ferret. A search being
instituted, ii was found at the farmyard
in the center Of nest of prize unfedged
duclllings, all of which were dead, while
it was sleeping calmly among its vic
Tins. There was a great rumpus. Lady
Evelyn resented the fact that her pet was
spoken of severely. 1T was the instinct
of the little animal to kill ducks, she
said, and IT was absurd to blame 1t.
The superstition that If you can make
a pet of a tortoise you are bound to bring
good fortune to yourself is generally ac-
cepted by those who believe in such
things. The tortoise has been found to
possess more intelligence than is gener-
ally supposed. and smart women who do
not resent the fact that others possess
the same pet are going In with much
enthusiasm for it. Even in the months
it sleeps the pet tortoise lie taken about
by Its mistress in Gage, which is
miniature garden and possesses every
thing that possibly appeal to the
tastes of the occupant
Performing ladybirGs and butterflies are
to be seen just now at Cardiff castle,
where the young Marchioness OF Butte
amuses her guests with one or two tricks
she has taught them. The brief life of
butterfly prevents much being accomplish
ed, but Lady Butte thinks that were it
otherwise she might do a great deal
with the beautiful insect.
A pet goat. which Is groomed every day
with great care and has his long dark
hair tied up with pink or blue ribbons, is
beloved by the Duchess of Teck. She has
had this favorite for a considerable time.
and she says it has the faithlulness Of a
dog and considerable amount of intel
ligence. When recently the duchess was
staying with her sister-in-law, the Prin-
cess OF Wales, the duchess goat was a
familiar figure at FrogmOre. Occasion
ally the goat was harnessed to an ex-
qusite little cart, and its mistress
youngest little girl was seated in the
chariot.
When Lady Cheylesmore was at Hugh
enden, Lord Beaconsffeld's seat. she had
the garden when she called them. and
sat round her on the branches of the
trees if they were iavorite cats. They
are still at Hughenden, as Lady Cheyles-
more thought it would be unkind to take
them from their beautiful home when she
resigned the tenancy Of it.