Year: 1875

From Harper's Weekly.


ANIMALS.


Higher Life OfThe Brute.


The following anecdotes have
been sent to me by London physi-
clan, and forcibly illustrate the facul-
ty possessed by ANIMALS of commu-
nicating ideas to each other. The
first is an example of


DOG LANGUAGE.


While / was living in the country
with friend, a most interesting in
cident was observed in the history
of the dog.


My friend had several dogs, two
of which had special attachment
TO, and understanding, with each
other. The one was a Scotch terri
er, gentle and ready to fraternize
with all honest comers. The other
was as large as a mastiff, and looked
like compound between the mas
tiff and the large rough stag-hound.
He was fierce, and required some ac-
quaintance before you knew what
faithfulness and kindness lay be-
meath his rough and savage-looking
exterior. The one was gay and
lively, and the other stern and
thoughtful.


These two dogs were often o b.
served to go to a certain point to-
gether, when the small one remain
ed behind at a corner of a large field
while the mastiff took around by
the side of the field, which ran up
hill for nearly mile, and led to the
wood on the left. Game abounded
in those districts, and the object of
the dogs arrangement was soon seen.
The terrier would start a hare, and
chase it up the hill toward the large
wood at the summit, where they ar
rived somewhat tired. At this point
the large dog, which was fresh and
had rested after his walk, darted
after the animal, which he usually
captured? Then they ate the hare
between them, and returned home.
This course had been systematically
carried on for sometime before it was
fully understood.


The next anecdote shows that an
imals belonging to different species,
such as the dogs and cats,





OTHER,


and act in concert.


A relation of mine In Dumfries-
shire had a dog and a cat which
were attached to each other in an
extraordinary manner, and both
were great favorites in the house
hold. The dog, however, was not
intended to sleep in the house, and
was carefully put out every night;
but, strange to say, he was always
found in the morning lying before
the fire with the cat by his side.


One evening the master of the
house heard a sort of rap at the
back door leading to the kitchen,
and saw the sgaacious cat spring up
and strike the latch, while the dog
pushed open the door, and entered
in triumph. This system must have
long been carried on and when it
was discovered, / need not say how
interested were the members of the
household in these intelligent and
really wonderful creatures.
Most persons have heard of the


CELEBRATED RooK PARLIA1IENTs,
though very few have seen them
l have an account written by lady,
who was at the time in bad health,
and was reclining among some
shawls behind n windOw-curtaln,
where even the sharp eyed ROCKS ala
not detect her.


The account resembles those that
have already been given by other
writers, but introduces one addition
al circumstance. The rocks (called
crows by the spectator) assembled
in a circle, and in the middle one
bird looking very downcast and
wretched. Two more rocks took
their places at its side, and then
vast amount of chattering went on.
AT last the two birds, which. seemed
to act as accusers, pecked the cen
trail bird and flew off. All the 9TH
ers then set ON the condemned bird,
pecked it nearly to pieces, and went
away, leaving the mangled body on
the gr0unas 2 --lsl
/ The lady who witnessed this re-
Irarkable scene was much struck
by the variety of tones employed by
the birds, and their great expressive
ness.


This account is corroborated by
Mai-Norgate in his "Notes on the
Indian Crow" published in the loo
logist, p. 1850.


THE CROW HAS MEETINGS
for some reason or other; these the
natives call Punchayeti--a sort of
court.


have several times seen these as,
semblies. Four or five crows Will