The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-23
COURTSHIP AMONG ANIMALS
They Love, Marty, and Arc Divorced,
According to Naturalists.

Surprising though the statement
may seem. it is a fact. borne out by
the careful study Of scientists, that
practically every form of marriage
contract known to men. from free
love to the soulmate theory. can be
found in the animal world. Male
animals even have their bachelor
clubs, and that wonderful naturalist,
Ernest Thompson Seton. has related
how little societies OF animals are
established among deer and ANITA
lopes. These zsocieties usu9ly se0nr
sist of three or four young bucks,
which range and feed together in per-
feet friendship. They are quite
happy. and never quarrel or f1ght un-
til some lady intrudes. But once q
doe joins the herd. good-by to peace.
The brothers fight among themselves
sport. until one of them drives or the
others and goes away with her.
There are four distinct forms Of
marriage among homogeneous ami
mails. The first closely resembles the
trial marriage, and IL the type repre-
lects a mate and II faithful to her so
long as she pleases him. and when
she no longer charms. he promptly
divorces her and finds another mate.
The second type Of animal mar
riage is that which lasts during the
seek their mates again next season,
but among rats. rabbits. and squirrels
the separation Is permanent, although
among foxes, coyotes. and smaller
animals the father, who presumably
hates the worries Of domestic life.
usually stays away until the children
have been reared. and then returns.
The third type of animal marriage
is that common among wild geese.
pigeons. and possibly owls. The
union lasts through life and If one OF
| the pair dies the other never seeks a
second mate. but mourns disconso-
lately until death.
The fourth type Of marriage is the
nearest approach to the ideal married
life, and, curiously enough, is found
most commonly among wolves
/ Wolves marry for life, and only the
marry again. Furthermore. there i
/ even a genuine display OF chivalr.
and affection between such animals
| 1t is recorded that two wolves In the
London zoo were very jealous of each
other and frequently quarreled. One
| pute the male approached the female
| angrily as if to bite her, but just a.
he reached her he stopped as if hello
back by something within him. Th<
female then approached timidly, gen
tly licked his face, and domestic hap
piness was once more restored.
Marriage. it appears, is almost uni.
versal in the animal world. Bache
lors and spinsters are very rare. ye1
after the brief period Of mourning i.
| over, the bereaved animal has yer,
little difficulty in finding a new mate
Perhaps the most interesting poin
in regard to this subject is that ami
mails. like men. often have proved
that monogamy il the ideal married
state. A polygamous race increase.
faster for q time. and produces on
spring of. apparently. unusual intel
lgence and development. but it IL &
notable fact that deer, which are mos
polygamous, are lowest down in thu
scale OF development and are mos
seriously sc0urged by epidemic
plaques. The great objection to poly.
gamy in animals is that only one par.
ent-the weaker-has the care OF thu
Offspring. and that at the death Of thu
father serious trouble often occur.
among the survivors.-London Tit
Bits.