Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-25
Animals Wed and Get Divorces.
BIRDS AND HUM ANS, STRIVING FOR IDEAL


! It seems rather unusual to speak of
love and marriage in connection with
animals, Yet il is an established fact
that practically every form of mar
rage contract known to man, from
free love to the soul mate" theory.
can be found in the animal world. And
not only marriage, but regular pro-
cess of courtship.too, as romantic as
lanv that ever graeed the pages of a
novel.
1 While some young human couples
are pouring out their hearts to each
other beneath the spreading limbs OF
some apple trees, very likely. amid the
tsheltering branches of the same tree,
some scarlet-crested. magnificently
plumed Romeo is making ardent love
to his coy, coauettish Juliet.
! Sometimes, though, it is the other
way, for many of our feathered sisters
nave most advanced notions of wo-
mems rights. A dozen birds have
sometimes been seen grouped around
one poor. hunted male. who looked in
vain for a way of escape, but found
none. John Burroughs says that
among birds the choice seems to rest
with the female. The male can court
as ardently as he pleases. but his la
hor will be in vain unless the fair one
is persuaded that he is the proper one
to share her home with her
But when Mr.. Bird tries to persuade
her he doesn't have things all his way.
as one might suppose. The story of
one such feathered courtship as de-
, scrihed by an eyewitness has all the
romance one could wish for. \ saily
plumed bird was discovered busiy
preening himself and making as care
, full toilet as it is possible for a bird
to make This done. he carefully bal
, anced himself on a choice limb and
, uttered tender note of love. Anoth-
er tender note answered him from a
neighboring tree. Looking up the
I. watcher saw demure little female,
looking saucily across at her admirer.
: He edged little nearer tand made
, another remark. But alas a new
complication arose. A second gentle
man appeared on the scene and put in
his word. An interesting trio of en-
dearing remarks now ensued. The tive
male birds called in turn, and for each
the female uttered different note.
| Finally. the first bird screwed up his
-, courage to the point where he deter
= plead his suit at close range. So he
!, flew toward the other tree, but was
met halfway by his rival, who collid-
ed with him head-on land scolding and
fluttering the two dropped to the
ground, while the little flirt who had
made all the trouble flew gaily away
. For ages the entire animal world
has been seeking for the ideal form
I.f wi, I.,f,, bas
passed through the same stages as
5 has man in his search for the highest
form of union. Many animals have
2 nearly approached this ideal stage
t and others have drifted farther away
from it than they were in the begin
, ming.
The general belief that all ANNA Is
5 are polygamous is an erroneous one
based on the knowledge of our domes-
+, tic animals. Like man. the best type
of animal has hut one mate.
There are four distinct forms Of
marriage among homogeneous ami
mails The first closely resembles the
trial marriage, and is the type repre-
: scented by moose The male NOSE se-
lects the mate that pleases him and is
> faithful to her as long as she pleases
: him he leaves her and finds another
1t is not uncommon for a moose who
is rather hard to please to have as
many as dozen or more wives in one
season
The second type of animal marriage
is that which lasts during the breed
ing season only. 1t is type common
to nearly all mammals.
l..
again the next season, but among
rats rabbits and squirrels the separa-
, ton is permanent. Among foxes
r coyotes and similar animals the faith
err usually stays away until the chill
dren have been reared. In some hui
man tribes Of a low order it has beer
found that the fathers do the same
thing.
Ninety per cent of all animals are
: homogeneous. The father in this case
is needed more than among humans
f for he must provide the food while the
: mother matches the eggs. While, ir
: rare instances, the male bird sits on
d. the nest. the general rule in birddon
a is that the place for the female is in
k the home.
?? The nearest approach to the idea
n married life is found among wolves
: They marry for life, and only the
4 death of one leaves the other free tc
marry again There is often great
d affection between the mates and
c something very close to chivalry on
a the part of the male. 1t is recorded
II that two wolves in the London Zoe
: were very jealous of each other, and
frequently quarreled. One day dur
!, ing an unusually fierce dispute the
4 male approached the female angrily as
" II to bite her, but just as he reached
.her he stopped as II held back by