Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-01

4
growing demand for these birds, as
well as for some of the brilliant
South American birds, like the Bra
lillian cardinal and the troupial.
Crows and ravens are also said to
be replacing Canaries in the draw
ing room. Crows when taken youns
in life become very tame and low
able, and they can often be taught
to talk as amusingly as a parrot.
1t is also considered much smart
er to keep a wildcat now than an
Angora. Common cats are out of
the question altogether; they mus.
either be got rid of or kept out of
sight like milady's gowns of three
years ago. If possible one should
visit South America or Mexico and
return with wildcat, so that one
photograph may appear in the pic
torial supplements, but if this can
not be arranged a wildcat should
by all means be secured through
dealer. The Margay cat or long
tailed cat of South America is
good choice, as it has a striking col
or scheme, being grizzly brown or
reddish with black spots and rings
1t is also said to yield gracefully to
domestication-something which is
rare among the wildcat species
Another picturesque pet from
South America which is being wide
ly adopted by city jewellers is the
coat, a close relative of our own
North American raccoon. 1t has
the same beautiful coat, an even
bushier tail and a strangely mobile
nose that can be twisted, extended,
contracted or made rigid at will.
The coat is easily tanned and be-
comes devotedly attached to its
home and master. According to one
dealer, who owns such an animal, 1t
is the most interesting and amusing
pet he has ever had, keeping him,
he says, constantly entertained by
it ridiculous antics.
Also the Pocket Mouse.
Some people who like pocket pets
have adopted pocket mice, which
oddly Snapped little animals are
now being imported from the
southwestern states to supply the de
mand for novelties in the metropol-
| itan pet markets. The pocket
mouse is fawn-colored above and
white below, with fine, silky fun
and large, lustrOus eyes, But its
head is so large in proportion to its
snail body, its hind legs so enorm-
Gus compared to it's diminutive feet,
and its tufted tail so unexpectedly
long that it has a very droll appear
ance. 1t is said to be an affection
go 10. fs.,
cept for its habits which cause it to
be very active at night and to sleep
| during the day. 1t can be induced
to change this unfortunate custom,
| however, if it is fed in the daytime
and food is not left in its cage at
night.
Women seem to be losing all of
their traditional fear of mice, ii
one may judge by the heavy de-
mand for these creatures at the pet
shops. Waiting mice, especially
! have lately become almost as popu
lar as goldfish. Nature played a
cruel joke on these little rodents,
making it impossible for them to
travel in straight line. They are
able to move forward only in dizzy
circles, taking two steps backward
for every three forward. Even when
eating these mice do not seem able
to cease their quivering st. Vitus
dance motion.
In some cases novel pets can be
trained to be extremely useful
Thus, one man who kept a Mygale
spider for a pet, trained it to live
among the curtains of his bed and
rid him of flies and mosquitoes
which would otherwise have dis
turbed his slumbers.
Chamelions are also to be rec
commended as attractive household
pets to people who are troubled
with cockroaches. These curious
lizards prefer flies, but they will
gladly accept a straight cockroach
diet after the fly season is over.
Although they have a rather alarm
ing appearance, with their large
google eyes and long, sticky
tongues, they possess a gentle dis
position except where pestiferous
insects are concerned. Moreover, as
everyone knows, these eXtraordi-
nary creatures are able to adapt
their colors to their environments,
so that they would never interfere
with the color scheme of room.
But there are some people who
prefer cockroaches to chamelions
and, incredible as it may seem, even
these annoying insects can be
trained to be affectionate pets. DIR.
L. O. Howard of the United states
Bureau of Entomology, has had re-
markable success along this line.
"a croton bug" he writes, "of
the usual. inquisitive form of mind,
inhabited my office desk, and as
soon as ! laid down my cigar upon
the edge of the drawer the little fell
low invariably came out of his hid
ing place and worked vigorously at
the moist end. At first he was
after the moisture, but later the
tobacco taste grew and he became
as much addicted to the habit as
the most inveterate tobacco user.
1t may be worth mentioning that
it seemed to have no deleterious eff
feet upon his health"
Demand for Tires Seen.
This conclusion was based upon
actual figures sent in from various