Gc Pana Oe oe aie TPT Pen OE eed eet reLzezy $f. H Te BR A ae F THE | Theological Seminary, PRINCETON, N. J. ( Ax Shelf Book Ganon Alingsley’s “ Coton Geology.” EOWN GEOLOGY. By the Rev. CHARLES KINGSLEY. Fourth Thousand, crown 8vo, ds. ‘A masterpiece of popular scientific exposition.”— Echo. ‘6 Readers who possess a scientific habit of mind will find much to itemat them in every page of this volume. The author has the power, so rare and so invaluable, of communicating his own enthusiasm and earnestness. He here compresses within the briefest compass the results of many years’ thought and observation, and illustrates his facts and suggestions with singular felicity of language. Not even Professor Huxley could convey scientific information in a style more straight- forward and transparent.”—Pall Mall Gazette. W. ISBISTER & CO., 56, LUDGATE HILL, LONDON. MAN AND BEAST Vie Id, MAN AND BEAST HERE AND HEREAFTER ILLUSTRATED BY MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED ORIGINAL ANECDOTES By tHE Rev. J. G. ‘WOOD, ma, F.LS. AUTHOR OF “‘ HOMES WITHOUT HANDS,” ETC. ‘““T canna but believe that dowgs hae sowls.’’ James Hoace, the Ettrick Shepherd TWO VOLUMES-—II. LONDON DALDY, ES BIST ER; &. Ger ' 56, LUDGATE HILL 1874 LONDON : PRINTED BY VIRTUE AND CO.,; CITY ROAD. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER IX. CHEATERY xX. Humovr XI. Privz, Jeatousy, ANGER, Revencr, Tyranny. Debt. MCONSCINNCH 3)).; XIII. Sympatuy AND FRIENDSHIP XLV. Love or Master . . *. XV; ConsucaL Love XVI. PArentat Love XVII. Tue Future STATE Me hn) WEG ie Me OC) ele? Os fe He a ) i; x, a) Ane CHAPTER IX. CHEATERY. Animal Swindlers.—“ Barbekark” as a Cheat.—Roguery de- tected.—Dogs shamming Lameness.—Dogs cheating each other.—The Elephant, “‘ Burra Sahib,” hiding a Cake,— Comparison with Humanity.—Golden-crested Wren as a Cheat and Thief.—T wo Ravens uniting to cheat a Dog out of his Dinner.—Alliance between a Dog and a Raven.— Principle of the Ambuscade. LL virtues have their opposite vices, and, just as there are animals capable of exercising great self-denial in order to give to others that which belongs to them- on selves, and even displaying an amount of generosity unsurpassable by any human being, so there are animals which can cheat like accomplished swindlers. Sometimes, as VOL. II. B 2 CHEATERY. in the following instance, the same animal is capable of both acts. “ Barbe- Here is an anecdote of ‘‘ Barbekark,” the again. dog which killed the deer and then gave it up to his master. The narrator is Captain Hall. ‘““T have before mentioned some _ parti- culars of these dogs, and I now relate an anecdote concerning them during our pass- age across from Greenland. The dogs ‘One day, in feeding the dogs, I called the whole of them around me, and gave to —in turn, each in turn a capelin, or small dried fish. To do this fairly, I used to make all the dogs encircle me, until every one had re- ceived ten of the capelins apiece. —ofwhich ‘‘ Now, Barbekark, a very young and | ain shrewd dog, took it into his head that he ee would play a white man’s trick. So every time that he received his fish he would back Square out, move a distance of two or three —and gets dogs, and foree himself in line again, thus double his * share, recelying double the share of every other CHEATERY. ay) dog. But this joke of Barbekark’s bespoke too much of the game that many men play upon their fellow-beings, and, as I noticed it, I determined to check his doggish pro- pensities. Still the cunning and the sin- gular way in which he evidently watched me induced a moment’s pause in my in- tentions. “Kach dog thankfully took his capelin as his turn came round; but Barbekark, finding his share come twice as often as his companions, appeared to shake his tail twice as thankfully as the others. A twinkle in his eyes, as they caught mine, seemed to say, ‘ Keep dark ; these ignorant —making an accom- fellows don’t know the game I am playing: i OE T. I am confoundedly hungry.’ ‘‘ Seeing my face smiling at his trick, he He then tries fora now commenced making another change, treble thus getting three portions to each of the “iia others’ one. This was enough, and it was now time for me to reverse the order of Barbekark’s game by playing a trick upon him. Accordingly every time I came to B 2 hand CHEATERY. him he got no fish; and although he —butfails. changed his position three times, yet he Finding hunself outwitted, —he ex- presses penitence, —and is pardoned. More dog swindlers. got nothing. Then, if ever there was a picture of disappointed plans, of envy at others’ fortune, and sorrow at a sad misfor- tune, it was to be found on that dog’s countenance as he watched his companions receiving their allowance. Finding he could not succeed by any change of his position, he withdrew from the circle to where I was, and came to me, crowding his way between my legs, and looked up in my face as if to say, ‘I have been a very bad dog; forgive me, and Barbekark will cheat his brother dogs no more. Please, sir, give me my share of capelins.’ I went the rounds three times more, and let him have the fish, as he had shown himself SO Sagacious, and so much like a repentant prodigal dog.” As cheatery requires the use of the intel- lect, it is evident that the most intellectual animals will be the most accomplished cheats. Dogs, therefore, may be expected CHEATERY. 5 to be considerable adepts in cheating, and are often very amusing in their attempts to deceive human beings. Here are one or two more examples of cheating in the dog. One of my friends had a couple of little toy-terrier dogs. As is usually the case in such instances, though very fond of each other, they were horribly jealous with regard to their master, and neither could endure to see the other caressed. It so A terrier seeing its happened that one of them broke its leg, elt a and was in consequence much petted. Its Pett’ companion, seeing the attention that was paid to the injured animal, pretended to be bipeee lame itself, and came limping to its master, met with holding up the corresponding leg, and *4ent trying to look as if it were in great pain. The following anecdote is sent me by a friend. | ‘A Skye terrier of our acquaintance, named ‘ Monte,’ had at one time a very sore leg, and during his illness he got a great deal of sympathy and petting. ver since, gympathy se : ; 2 on fal: when he has been in any mischief, he comes pretences. A human parallel. Three ter- riers take a fancy to the same couch, —and struggle for it. CHEATERY. running on three legs, holding up the one which was once sore, but is now quite well. In his own way, he is quite as arrant an impostor as the well-known begging ‘sailor’ with one leg tied up to look as if he had lost it.” A curious and rather ludicrous instance of cheatery, on the part of the dog, was observed by one of my friends. He has three little black-and-tan terriers, father, mother, and daughter, which are great pets, and consider the house as their own property. Like most pet dogs, they have their favourite spots by way of couches ; and as they all three generally take a fancy to the same spot, there is occa- sionally a difference of opinion and a slight loss of temper. The one pet spot of all is a soft cushion at the head of a sofa. Now the cushion had accommodated easily the father and the mother; but when the daughter came, and in course of time wanted her share of the couch, it was found CHEATERY. a ~ that the quarters were rather too limited for comfort, especially as the daughter persisted in growing until she reached the size of her parents. | One day the father and daughter had got The father into the room first, and according to custom ese exclude made straightway for the cushion, on which the mother, they established themselves comfortably, occupying the whole of its surface. Pre- sently the mother came in, and also went to the cushion. She tried to take her place on it, but her husband was too selfish and her daughter too undutiful to move, and in con- sequence she had to retire. Presently she went to the farthest corner 1 who of the room, and suddenly began to scratch to find violently, barking, growling, and sniffing as corner, if she were digging out a rat. Up jumped. the others, all blazing with excitement, and anxious to have their share of the sport. As soon as they had got their noses well =antices down in the corner, the mother ran to the s away, sofa at full speed, jumped on the cushion, amen session curled herself round, and was happy. How- herseig ‘“* Sambo ”’ and his tricks. He goes out rab- biting in the morning, CHEATERY. ever, she was generous in victory, and made room for her husband and daughter as they came back to the sofa, crestfallen and humiliated. One of my brothers has furnished me with an account of an audacious piece of cheatery practised by his dog. “My dog is a white terrier, called ‘Sambo,’ on account of his colour, supposed to be a pure specimen of the ‘fox’ variety, but perversely exhibiting unmistakable evi- dences of the existence of the more plebeian ‘bull’ somewhere in the roll of his ancestry. He is good-tempered and affectionate, and devoted to his master — and to sport, especially to the pursuit of rabbits. ‘One fine morning last January I took him out for a couple of hours’ rabbiting, to his great joy, but, as I could also see by his way of constantly coming back to have a look at my face, to his intense puzzledom, An afternoon alone with me was quite natural, and according to custom; but starting at CHEATERY. 9 eleven A.M. had always meant a day with the keepers—and where were the keepers? rapes We found no rabbits; but then he was not keepers, busy as usual, his head was not sufficiently clear from other matters to look them up with his usual care and perseverance. ‘He passed many a likely bush without eet even a glance of his eye, and I began to fear sulky. that he was ill; when suddenly, as luck would have it, we heard several shots in rapid succession, and found ourselves in the midst of a regular rabbiting party. The He vive effect upon Sambo was miraculous; his tail pty, and ears went up, and he sprang at once from a state of low despondency into one of violent activity. A few moments before siiaahins and he seemed to have made up his mind that the British rabbit was an extinct animal, and his master a great fool for carry- ing a gun in pursuit of it: of course, as he was under orders, he must look for them, or pretend to do so—but it was awful humbug. Now, to see him rushing all over the place, —ana hunts as- quartering the ground, with his tail going, siduonsly 10 CHEATICRG: and his nose investigating every little tuft, one would have thought there was a rabbit for every square yard. ‘Things went on as usual until the time arrived that I had to take myleaye and return home. Now, not only had we just arrived at a favourable spot in the covert,—a fact just as well known to the dogs as to ourselves,—but Feat there were unmistakable signs of approach- time, ing luncheon. My first call to my dog was therefore unheeded: he had suddenly con- celved a violent affection for another dog, with whom, by the way, he could never on —when he ordinary occasions agree, and in the inter- gets into (: : ae change of friendly confidences was quite snahes abstracted from the outer world. ‘“A more imperative summons made him start—a very false move, but he at once compensated for it by facing round sharply in the opposite direction to me, and looking anxiously up the drive instead —and Of down, with his head and ears up, as becomes. oblivious If he rather expected to see me at the of his master, end of it about half a mile off. How- CHEATERYS. II ever, it would not do, and he was reduced to —whom at last he following me, though he kept to heel with ‘arn drooping head and tail and many a wistful look behind. “We had hardly got well out of the sight of the keepers, when he suddenly brightened up, as though he thought life had yet some joys in store for him, trotted on in front, and behaved himself as usual. Suddenly, just a few yards from the exit from the covert he ‘made a point’ at a solitary tuft of grass He pre- and rushes. I was astonished that a rabbit find a rab could be harboured there, as we had but just passed over the very spot with a regular array of dogs and beaters; but Sambo said ‘rabbit,’ as plainly as possible, so in went my cartridges again, and the necessary per- — mission was given. ‘To my astonishment no rabbit appeared; but none the less Mr. Sambo went through all the regulation manceuvres formulated and provided in such cases. He dashed 7th#e the ima- into the tuft, came out the other side, as 82") 12 CHEATERY. if in full chase, yelped as if he were only just out of biting distance of his prey, and was lost to sight in a moment, and —does not What is more—he returned not. I whistled Ee called, but no sound could be heard. Suddenly his ‘little game’ flashed upon —andis me. I went back to the keepers, and there found taking his Was my friend taking his luncheon affably Mieco with one of them—a particular friend. With the utmost respect for his mental resources, I yet thought it necessary to be ‘firm’? with him, and I do not think he will ever play me that trick again.’ me One of the most amusing anecdotes of swindler. attempted cheatery is narrated of an ele- phant, by Lady Barker. The ‘* When we paid them a visit upon the elephant pete afternoon of the storm, the huge beasts bath, were taking a bath, or rather giving it to themselves by filling their trunks with water, and dashing it over their heads, trumpeting and enjoying themselves im- mensely. At a little distance the cooks CHEATERY. 13 were busy baking the chupatties—a ae muffin as large as a soup-plate, and nearly pine as thick—in mud ovens; and the grass- Prepared. cutters had been down to a ‘ jhed,’ or pond, near to wash the dust off the large bundles of grass for the elephants’ suppers. We talked a little to the mahouts, and one very picturesque old man seemed exceedingly proud of his elephant’s superior slyness and cunning, and begged us to stay and see him ‘cheat ;? so we waited till ‘ Burra Sahib,’ or ‘ Mr. Large,’ had finished his bath, and came slowly up to the mahout for his supper. ‘¢The mahout called out to the cook to see bring the chupatties, and made us retire ae peti behind a tree and watch what Burra Sahib did. As soon as the cook went away, the elephant put up his trunk and broke off a large bough of the tree above him. This they generally do to serve as a brush to keep off flies, so he knew that was nothing remarkable. He then looked slyly around him, with his bright, little, cunning eyes ; 14 CHEATERY. and as he could not see his mahout he thought the coast was clear, and hastily —stealsa snatched up a chupattie, which he ‘put andidesit under the branch on the top of his head. read = L._ noticed how carefully he felt with his flexible trunk if any edge was uncovered, and arranged the leaves so as to hide his spoil completely. He then ‘¢ Burra Sahib then raised his voice and his supper, bellowed for his supper in loud and dis- cordant tones. The mahout then ran up as if he had been a long distance off, stood. in front of him, and commenced handing him the chupatties, counting, as he did so, one, two, three, and so on. The elephant re- ceived each in his trunk, and put it gently into his huge mouth, bolting it as though it had been a small pill. Twelve chupatties was the allowance, and he required this sort of food to keep him in good condition. ee a When the mahout came to number eleven muffin he looked about for the twelfth in great dismay, pretending that he could not think what had become of it, and calling CHEATERY. 15 for the cook to scold him, searching on the ground, and wondering, in good Hin- dostanee, where that other chupattie could be. The elephant joined in the search, Tara turning over an empty box which was near, rence and trumpeting loudly. ‘“The mahout was delighted to see how much this farce amused me, and at last he turned suddenly to the elephant, who was still hunting eagerly for the missing chu- pattie, and reviled him as a thief and a Hew ie ‘big owl,’ adding all sorts of epithets, and desiring him to kneel down, which Burra Sahib did very reluctantly. The mahout then scrambled up on his head, snatched off the branch, and flung down the chupattie, belabouring the elephant well with the —ana bough which had served to conceal it. It inate seems that the trick had been played suc- cessfully many times before Burra Sahib was found out, and the poor cook used to get into trouble, and be accused of keeping the missing chupattie for his own private consumption.” 16 Compari- son with human beings. The servant breaks a vase, —buries it, —and pretends CHEATERY. A servant belonging to one of my friends acted just like this elephant. She had broken a valuable China vase, and in order to hide the evidences of her delinquency she broke up the fragments very small, and buried them. When the vase was missed, she protested that she knew nothing about it. She knew that such a vase was some- where in the house, but had not the least idea where it could be; and for three ie look for whole days she went over the house with Cheating among birds. A golden- crested wren her mistress, hunting in every cupboard and shelf for the article which she had herself buried in the garden. Birds can be capable of cheating, not only each other, but other animals. Even the pretty little golden-crested wren has been detected in deliberate theft and de- ception. A gentleman was watching a chaffinch building its beautiful nest, and soon found that he was not the only spectator. Ata distance was perched a golden-crested wren, CHEATERY. 17 which watched the proceedings carefully. ps As soon as the chaffinch went off to fetch ee more materials, the gold-crest cunningly stole round in an opposite direction, and carried off the newly brought hairs, &c., for its own nest. This went on for some time, —and until, at last, the aggrieved chaffinch found acariale out the robbery, and chased the gold-crest so fiercely that it did not attempt to renew the theft. This story is told by Mr. W. Thompson, in his ‘‘ Natural History of Ireland.” He also states that this kind of robbery is not at all uncommon with the gold-crest. Its —which nest is made of the same material as that of pe te the chaffinch, and so it is accustomed to in its own avail itself of the labours of that bird in order to lighten its own toil. The celebrated Arctic voyager, the late Sir L. McClintock, mentions a curious in- stance of stealing on the part of the raven. When they were in Mercer Bay, a pair of Aretie ravens, probably male and female, used to VOL. II. c 18 CHEATERF. hang about the ship, and pick up any refuse food that might be lying about. At a cer- tain hour of the day the men were accus- tomed to wash out their mess-tins, the rejected contents of which were regarded by the ship’s dog as his proper perquisites. —hang ‘The ravens, however, held a different ship for opinion, and, by force of superior in- tellect, almost always contrived to gain their own ends. arene As soon as the tins were emptied, and the emptied. dog ready for his meal, the ravens set to work to cheat him out of his food. They assaulted him from the front, keeping him from his food by perpetual annoyance, and at last induced him to make a charge at They them. Of course, after the manner of ravens, inveigle the dog a they contrived to flap their way just out of his reach. This process was repeated until they had inveigled him to a considerable —and then distance, when they took to wing, and, hismeal. being able to fly faster than the dog could run, managed to secure a good meal before _ he could reach them. CHEATERY. 10, It is evident that they must have con- Concerted certed this plan of action between them ; so that we see in this ruse an example of reason and the communication of ideas by means of language. My readers may per- —and language, haps remember the story of the two dogs who used to hunt the hare in concert, the one starting the hare, and driving it towards the spot where the accomplice lay hidden. I knew of an instance where a somewhat similar arrangement was made; only in this ae case the two contracting parties, instead of being two dogs, were a dog and a raven, the latter making use of its wings in driving the prey out of the heather into the open eround. Many instances of such alliances are known, and in all of them there is the curious fact that two animals can arrange a Two animals mode of cheating a third. In fact, they ene : employ one of the principal stratagems in **% the art of war, @.e. the ambuscade, or im- —on the f : _ principle ducing the enemy to believe that danger is of the am- buscade, imminent in one direction, whereas it really c 2 20 CHEATERY. set es ee hes in the opposite and unsuspected direc- mond tion. No one would say that a general who man, —_ contrived to draw the enemy into an am- buscade acted by instinct: the act would be accepted as a proof of reasoning powers surpassing those of his adversary. And, if this be the case with the man, why not with the dog, when the deception is carried out by precisely the same train of reasoning ? CHAPTER X,. HUMOUR. Practical Joking the lowest kind of Humour.—Torture the Humour of the Savage.—Spinning Cockchafers.—Making a Boy “ jump like a Dog.’—Humour in Birds.—The “Chukor” Partridge and the “ Punkah-wallah.’’—Hu- mour in the Buzzard.—The Kestrel’s idea of Humour.— The humcrous Heron.—“ Making-believe”’ in Children and Animals.— Swallows mobbing a Kestrel. The same Birds mobbing a Hare.—Swallows mobbing a Cat.—Spar- Ousels mobbing a Cat.—Jackdaws doing the same.— Ring Doves mobbing a Dog.—Monkeys and Crocodiles.—A Cock tantalizing the Hens with Food, and eating it himself.— Sense of Humour in the Parrot.—A Cat deceived by a Parrot.—The Peacock and the Poultry.—Humour in the Emeu.—Ditto in the Mooruk.—A Dog and his practical Jokes.—A Horse playing practical Jokes on a Boy.— Mr. G.’s_ Pony.—Horses chasing a Pig.—Animals joining in Children’s Sports.—A Dog playing at “Touch.”—A Pony and a Cat playing “ Hide-and-seek” with the Chil- dren.— Peter,” the Field-Mouse, playing the same game.— A mischievous Canary.—The Bullfinch and the Workbox. —Practical Jokes played by “‘ Ungka,”’ the Siamese Ape.— Sense of Humour in the Next World. MONG other traits of character which Humour common to are common to man and beast, is the ear: e . sense of humour. 22 Humour exhibited by annoy- ance of others, —or even by physi- cal torture. As among Savages HUMOUR. This is developed in various ways. Mostly, it assumes the form of teasing or annoying others, and deriving amusement from their discomfort. This is the lowest form of humour, and is popularly known among ourselves as practical joking. Some- times, both with man and beast, it takes’ the form of bodily torture, the struggles of the victim being highly amusing to the tor- turer. Civilised man has now learned to consider the infliction of pain upon another as anything but an amusement, and would sooner suffer the agony than inflict it upon a fellow-creature. But to the savage there is no entertainment so fascinating as the infliction of bodily pain upon a human being. Take for example the North American Indian tribes, among whom the torture is a solemn usage of war, which every warrior expects for himself if captured, and is cer- tain to inflict upon any prisoner whom he may happen to take. The ingenuity with which the savage wrings every nerve of the HUMOTR. oy human frame, and kills his victim by sheer pain, is absolutely fiendish; and yet the whole tribe assemble round the stake, and gloat upon the agonies which are being endured by a fellow-creature. Similarly, —in an the African savage tortures either man or ema woman who is accused of witchcraft, em- ploying means which are. too horrible to be mentioned. | Yet, even in these cases, the cruelty seems to be in a great degree owing to obtuseness of perception; and the Savage Obtuse- who ties his prisoner to a stake, and_per- percoption forates all the sensitive parts of his body cause, with burning pine-splinters, acts very much like a child who amuses itself by catching ge flies, pulling off their wings and legs, and Seeds watching their unavailing efforts to escape. Dy pang I do not know whether it is the case now or not, but some twenty years ago I saw cock- chafers publicly sold in Paris for children to torture to death; the amusement being to run a hooked pin through their tail, tie a thread to it, and see the poor insect spin in 24 —or spin- ning cock- chafers. HUMOUR. the air. After it was too enfeebled to spread its wings, it was slowly dismembered, the child being greatly amused at its endea- vours to crawl, as leg after leg was pulled off. I rescued many of these wretched insects from the thoughtlessly cruel chil- dren, and released them from their suffer- ings by instantaneous death. In Italy a similar custom prevails, though in a more cruel form, the crea- tures which are tortured by way of sport bemg more capable of suffering pain than are insects. Birds are employed for the amusement of children, just as are the cockchafers in France. to take pleasure in its fright, and to enjoy the sport of teasing it. “T followed the little group until an—bys series of undulation of the park hid it from my simulated attacks. view, and was greatly surprised to see the dexterity with which the swallows calcu- lated their distance so as to impress the hare with the idea they were flying straight at her, and yet, when they were on the point of dashing against her, took a sharp turn, and swept off in a curve, to renew the attack again the next moment. ‘‘T will close my epistle with an anecdote i related by the Rev. Philip Skelton, as hay- ing come under his own observation, which seems to be appropriate, and which, I be- lieve, will be new to most, if not all, the readers of this paper. I give it in his own words :— “<7 have entertained a great affection and some degree of esteem for swallows, ever since I saw a remarkable instance of 44 Some swallows annoy & cat —by at- tacking her from behind, and evad- ing her strokes, —as she tried to catch them. They attack in organised succession, HUMOTR. their sense and humour played off upon a cat which had, upon a very fine day, rested herself upon the top of a gate-post, as if in contemplation; when ten or a dozen swal- lows, knowing her to be an enemy, took it into their heads to tantalise her in a manner which showed a high degree, not only of good sense but of humour. One of these birds, coming from behind her, flew close by her ear, and she made a snap at it with her paw, but it was too late. Another swallow, in five or six seconds, did the same, and she made the same unsuccessful attempt to catch it; his was followed by a third, and so on to the number just mentioned; and every one, as 1t passed, seemed to set up a laugh at the disappointed enemy, very like the laugh of a young child when tickled. The whole number, following one another at the distance of about three yards, formed a regular circle in the air, and played it off like a wheel at her ears for near an hour, not seemingly at all alarmed at me, who stood within six or seyen yards of the post. I HUMOUR. 45 enjoyed this sport as well as the pretty birds, till the cat, tired out with disappoint- ment, quitted the gate-post, as much huffed, —and at last drive I believe, as I had been diverted.’ ”’ her away. The habit of “ mobbing” seems to be inherent in animal nature, generally, and is even found in fishes, as may be seen by the following anecdote. It is related by Ns Captain Crow, from personal observation :— anon ‘One morning, during a calm, when near the Hebrides, all hands were called up at 3 am. to witness a battle between several of the fish called threshers, a fox shark, and some sword-fish on the one side, and an enormous whale on the other. It The whale was in the middle of summer, and _ the foes, weather being clear, and the fish close to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of witnessing the contest. ‘*¢ As soon as the whale’s back appeared above the water the threshers, springing —who several yards into the air, descended with pana veringly, great violence upon the object of their “iW 46 —some from above, —and others from below, —conti- nuing the attack for several hours. This tem- porary alliance —between different species HUMOUR. rancour, and inflicted upon him the most severe slaps with their long tails, the sound of which resembled the report of muskets fired at a distance. ‘The sword-fish, in their turn, attacked the distressed whale, striking it from below, and thus, beset on all sides, and wounded, where the poor creature appeared, the water around him was dyed with blood. “Tn this manner they continued tor- menting and wounding him for many hours, until we lost sight of him, and I have no doubt that, in the end, they completed his destruction.” It 1s worthy of notice that, in this case, a temporary alliance was formed between fishes belonging to different families. The sharks and sword-fishes have but little in common, and yet they united in order to attack the whale, which could not have done any harm to either of them. It is evident, therefore, that fishes must be able to communicate ideas to each other, and to act upon those ideas. In other HUMOUR. 47 words, they possess a language which is intelligible to fishes in general, and not Eg, restricted to any one species. It is abso- en lutely inaudible and unintelligible to us, but that it exists is an absolute certainty. A. still more curious alliance was men- tioned to me by Captain Scott, R.N., Captain namely, a joint attack upon a whale by deve e _ the grampus and sword-fish, 7.e., an alliance between a mammal and a fish against a mammal. Birds seem to be great adepts in the art Humour in the of tormenting, and this talent accordingly een shows itself where least expected. As a ‘an rule, domestic poultry are remarkable for the generosity with which the master-bird treats his inferiors; he will scratch the ground, unearth some food, and then, in- stead of eating it himself, will call some of his favourites to him, and give to them the delicacy for which he had laboured. But I knew of one case—a solitary one, I hope— where the cock scratched as usual, called 48 HUMOUR. his wives, and, when they had assembled pect round him, ate the morsel himself. It was much like that of the just like the old school practical joke. Old schoolboy. hoy to new boy, holding out an apple: ‘Do you like apples?” New boy to old boy: “Yes.” Old boy to new boy: ‘Then see me eat one.” Parrots are possessed of a very strong sense of humour, and are much given to practical joking, after the ways of mankind. The parrot My own parrot had a bad habit of whistling amuses See for the dog, and then enjoying the animal’s | the dog. discomfiture; and there have been many parrots who would even play practical jokes on human beings. Dogs and cats, however, seem to be the principal victims of the parrot’s sense of humour. I know a case where a parrot is allowed to go about the house as it likes. In that house there is also a cat, with which Polly wend is pleased to amuse herself. One day, when the cat was lying asleep on the rug, the —daped parrot began to mew and scream just lke parrot, young kittens when they are hurt. Up HUMOUR. 49 jumped the cat, and rushed in frantic haste to her beloved offspring, and was very much astonished to find them all safe and com- fortably asleep. She then returned to the —into rug; but as soon as she had curled herself that hor | up, and settled herself comfortably, the were hurt. parrot recommenced her mewings and cries, and in this way contrived to dupe the cat three times. Every one who has watched the habits of Sense of peacocks knows the peculiar rustling sound spent) which they can produce by shaking the feathers of their train. One of these birds, which inhabited a large yard in common with other poultry, was pleased to take —who tyrannizes umbrage at the chickens, and amused him- over the d poultry, self by driving them about, and not allow- ing them to eat their food. His crowning Pent joke was to drive them all into a corner, ner spread his train, and rustle the feathers ling of his over their heads so as to frighten them. acre. All birds of the gallinaceous order are horribly alarmed at anything that appears VOL. TT, E 50 HUMOUR. EM A Oo AR a cee ee eek See above them, probably owing to their instinct fear. which teaches them to beware of a bird of prey. Sportsmen, who have found the birds become wild and wary towards the end of the summer, are well aware of this fact, Use zt theand, by flying a common paper kite, are sportsmen. enabled to come quite close to the birds, which mistake the paper kite for a bird of prey, and crouch closely to the eround as long as it is above them. ‘The peacock was, therefore, playing on this instinctive sense of fear, when it spread its train over the chickens. Humor In his “Gatherings of a Naturalist in emeu. Australia,” Mr. Bennett mentions an instance of humour in an emeu. A pair of these birds lived at Sydney, and were so tame that they walked about among the people who came to listen to the band. One day, some persons were present who did not know the birds, and, being afraid of them, The bird Tan away. Whereupon the emeus, enjoy- aed ing the joke, gaye chase after one of the fugitives, and took off his hat. HUMOUR. ot The same author gives a description of enue the beautiful species of cassowary, called mooruk, the mooruk. He kept a pair of them in a yard with his poultry, among which was a very consequential bantam cock. Every —who checks the now and then the mooruk would take a vanity of antam. fancy for chasing the bantam all over the : yard, and endeavouring to trample him underfoot. Here are two accounts of a similar mode of practical joking carried on by a dog, which I knew personally, and a horse, both belonging to the same lady. ‘We have a little Pomeranian dog, one A dog amuses of whose principal amusements consists in himself persecuting any fowls which may invade the pening precincts of his garden, though he never meddles with them when they keep to their own territories. His favourite mode of —by torture consists in running down the unfor- them ove tunate fowl, rolling it over upon its back, backs. and then running round and round it. This conduct the dog repeats as often as the poor E 2 52 HUMOUR. victim regains its feet. Should the fowl happen to be a large Cochin or Malay, the frantic agitations of its elevated legs are most ludicrous.’’ Playful. Horses, when kindly treated, are very horse fond of practical joking, from sheer exu- berance of spirits. Ignorant grooms very often are unable to understand that playful- ness 1s not vice, and, when they are brought in contact with a high-spirited, playful — often animal, consider it to be a vicious one, and for vice. treat it with brutal violence, thus ruining the temper of the animal. Here are some examples of practical joking in horses. He gad hh ‘One of our carriage horses, ‘ Charley,’ riage horse although by no means vicious, was a saucy creature. We had much difficulty in secur- ing him, as he could slip or untie his halter, take down the bar, and open the stable-door. One day the groom forgot the necessary pre- Pood caution of locking the door. Out into the stable, yard walked Charley, where he found the coachman’s little boy. The animal did not HUMOUR. be attempt to hurt the child, but (with that feeling which causes great boys to find amusement in teasing younger ones) drove rsp him into a corner, and, seeing that the little the 2 pee fellow was frightened, kept him there by him there shaking his head at him whenever he —by attempted to escape. I happened to be the his he head at first person who discovered them, and, although but a child myself, went to the rescue. “I knew the animal’s funny tricks, and he knew that I was not afraid of him, there- fore he allowed me to lead him back to the stable, only giving a parting shake of the head to his late prisoner. Although so fond He would serve dogs of liberty himself, he would thus i Imprison and fowls in thesame dogs, cats, or fowls whenever an opportunity Way. offered.” One of my friends, when a boy, had a Humourin Shetland pony, whose idea of humour con- poxy, sisted in throwing every one who got on his — who back ; and the variety of means which he pas =e who es could employ showed a wonderful readiness = and fertility of invention. Having heard ep The coach- man’s ac- count. Three hunting ponies. “Tom Tit” and his ways. HUMOUR. 2) ee eS the owner of the pony tell a few anecdotes of his former favourite, I asked for further details, and received from the old coachman of the family the following account, which I print exactly as it was written :— “In the year 1841, 2, 3, The P Fox Hounds was kept at K pad Gaye ses master of them. There was three young Gentlemen, sons of Mr. G. They had each Poneys for hunting. Mr. F. was the eldest, then Mr. C. and Mr. A. Mr. F. twelve years of age, Mr. C. ten, and Mr. A. nine. The Poneys was kept rough, never in a Stable; they ran out in the Park summer and winter, had a shed to go into at night ; they got a little Corn and Hay in winter, that was all the Grooming they got. One of them named Tom tit was rather a,rum one to ride; he was about ten hands igh, a dark Bay with Black Points, Kurrded very little flesh, more like a roe deer than a Poney; his rider was Mr. C. At that time his weight would be about 6 Stone. None Could ride him but him self. I remember of 5 of the HUMOUR. 55 Stable Lads trying to ride him in the Park ee five stable- amongest the rest [was one. No sooner did GE ve we get on to him then he Pitched every one of us over his head. Of Course we had no Saddle. ‘“T have seen Mr. C. get on to him Not being in the Stableyard, and the first thing he fiat master, he would try to do was to Pitch him over his tries to head ; having failed in that, he would try to oe sie rub him off against a wall or house, thinking he had got his leg betwixt him and wall; but Mr. C. was too wide awake for him, the moment he saw what he was up too he put his leg up on his neck, then having faild there, he maid for the Coachhouse wich was verry narrow, Just room enough to let a Man in along side of Carriage, he would get in there trying first the wall and then against the Carriage; he had not room —ora enough to turn to get out, so that some of ee us would lift him and his rider out with- out any Damage being done; then having faild in all these atemps, he ran off Past the Mansion house; there is a burn runs 56 | HUMOUR. Close Past the house, a Bridge over it, Hethen and then a gate about 4 feet High, and tries to jampa wich he maid an atemp to Jump, he got gate, —butcan his fore legs over the tope bar up as far only get se fore ag the knees and he was fixed he Could eg’s over, nether get one way nor another, he was Aas Standing on his hind feet almost as Straight upright. ag aman and his rider Still in the Saddle. I run up to him and said, What are you Heand doing there? His rider said, I know what, his rider yells he wants me off some way or other, so 11tea O together. must Just get down when he had the bold- ness to get up, I will not Come off: so I a lifted the two off the Gate. .I have seen him through =when in a run with the Hounds go through small gaps, a hole in a hedge you would think not large enough to let one of the Hounds. He was very Seldom thrown out of a run, he Could gallop like a race horse; very Good —and once for soft ground, being so hight. J remember tried to A of the going a-missing all in a sudden so 1s rider by lying they were both lost. Mr. G. ealled out, own ina ditch. C., were are you? The answer sounded near where were Standing I hear they were HUMOUR. 57 both lying in a ditch up to the neck in water, and Poor C. and Poney had to go home very much aganst there will.” The same pony was afterwards sold and nen ios taken away. However, when he was some eas: five or six miles away, he had recourse to his eee old tricks, he sent his rider over his head, 7 galloped off, and jumped several walls, swam the river Harn, and presented himself at his old quarters. The “Mr. C.,”” mentioned by the coach- erbagle man, tells me that the perpetual struggle for tery: mastery was nothing but pure fun on the part of the pony; but that if he had once dismounted, even when in such absurd positions as those which the coachman so well describes, the pony would have been master ever afterwards. Last summer I was witness to a scene, The horses ; at Barfrey- showing that the horse possesses a strong ston sense of humour. I was walking through Barfreyston, a village near Dover, and saw over the rather high wall of a farmyard 58 HUMOUR. mere couple of horses careering about madly. The wall was so high, that only their heads could be seen, and occasionally a whisk of their tails. Finding an aperture through which I could look without being seen, I found that the horses were amusing them- —by selves by chasing a pig, hunting it round and hunting a vides ae pig, round the yard, driving it into corners, and occasionally flinging their heels into the air with delight. penne They scarcely gave that wretched pig any the yard, rest. Sometimes, when tired with their exertions, they would lie still for a few minutes, and the pig would get away as far as possible from his tormentors. But mo 4 20 sooner did the poor animal settle down no repose, to a cabbage-leaf than the horses would be at him again, driving him about, and putting him in such a state of perturbation by chasing him from different directions, that he had not the least idea where to ivo ca run go as to escape his tormentors. The chievous boys | horses, in fact, were acting just as two have done, school-boys might be expected to do if HUMOUR. Sy: a pig’s adverse fate had delivered it in their hands. Many of the lower animals not only show Animals capable of their playfulness in such tricks as those pe which have been mentioned, but are able pa to appreciate and take part in the games played by children. When I was a boy, I The knew a little dog, a King Charles’s spaniel, pigs at, which was an accomplished player at the with boys, well-known game called tigg, or touch. The little animal displayed quite as much enthusiasm as any of the human players, and would dart away from the boy who happened to be “ touch,” with an anxiety that almost appeared to be terror. Of course, to touch the dog was an impossibility ; but he was a generous little —and is generous creature, with a strong sense of justice, and 48 well as playful. so, when he thought that his turn ought to come, he stood still and waited quietly to be touched. His mode of touching his His mods of touch- playfellows was always by grasping the end ing. of their trousers in his teeth; and as it was 60 A pony playing at hide-and- seek, paDaisy, the cat, —learn- ing, when a kitten, HUMOUR. impossible for the boy to stop when so seized. in full course, the dog often got jerked along the ground for some little distance, A lady told me lately that, when a girl, she had a pony which would play hide- and-seek with the children. Hiding was necessarily only a pretence on the part of the pony; but the animal would go to some corner, hide its head, and make believe that it was entirely concealed. Hide and seek seems to be a game which can be learned and enjoyed by many animals. One of my correspondents has sent me an account of a favourite cat which was an adept in the game. She was a white cat, with yellow eyes, and went by the name of “Daisy.” She was given, when quite a little kitten, to her mistress, who was then a young child, and the two became insepar- able companions, joining in their sports, one of which was hide-and-seek. HUMOUR. 61 The little mistress used to hide, and the Te sd ek kitten to search for her, invariably discover- and. seek with his xe poong ing her lurking-place. sieht: One of the most curious points in this SEA wards animal was, that when she became a cat, and te had a kitten of her own, she taught pete young one the game which she had fen from her mistress, importing into the game an element which I have over and over again seen in the same game when played by children. The kitten went and hid it- —which they play self, or, rather, pretended to hide, and the just as mother went in search of it. She would would do, pretend not to see the kitten, and pass close to its hiding-place. Then, as if startled, Milanese she would spring back, the kitten would s eeNart jump out at her, and the two would rush about in high glee. The reader can compare with this story the anecdote of “Pop” and the hidden key, which will be found in another part of this work. A somewhat similar anecdote is told in the Zoologist, page 9430, of a short-tailed 62 HUMOUR. Ts ee ieee Te Ashort- fieldmouse, which had been tamed. It was tailed field- miguaets found so covered with ticks that it could from ticks, hardly crawl. It was picked up, cleared from the vermin, and placed in a box. It was so grateful for the relief, that it did not try to —and escape, and, on the very first day, took food becomes 4 ; tame. from the hand of its benefactor. Itlearns “Little ‘ Peter,’ as he was named, soon its name “Peter,” learned to come when called, and was let comes poet out of the box every day to play about the a room. Strange to say, he showed a decided appreciation of fun, a favourite amusement being to hide himself in a basin of corn, rts which was kept for his benefit. In this he and-seck would bury himself, refusing to answer to in a corMnm- bowl; his name, and evidently expecting to be ape looked for. If my friend took no notice of tience him, Peter’s slender stock of patience soon ae became exhausted ; first a shrill squeak was heard, then the corn flew up in showers, and, at last, up came Peter’s little round head to the surface.” This interesting little animal died from feasting too largely on a pear which had HUMOUR. been injudiciously given to it by one of the servants. Dr. Bennett, in his “Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia,” mentions that a couple of young duckbills in his possession used to play at hide-and-seek behind the furniture of the room. One would hide itself and then give a squeak, when the other would hunt for it and at last find it. The reader will remember that a kestrel possessed the same powers of “making be- lieve,” pretending that a piece of brick was a mouse, and fighting fiercely if any one oifered to take it away. Not even the huge and unwieldy whales are exempt from the sense of humour as displayed by playfulness. In Bennett’s ‘Whaling Voyage” there is a short and graphic description of this trait of character in the spermaceti whale or cachalot, as it is often called :— ‘““A large party of cachalots gambolling on the surface of the ocean is one of the most curious and imposing spectacles which See the kestrel, Vol. ae page 38. ea n the ma whale, 63 64 —which - will lea completely out of the water, —so as to make a great splash when they fall. Captain Scott’s anecdote. HUMOUR. a whaling voyage affords; the huge size and uncouth agility of the monsters ex- hibiting a strange combination of the grand and ridiculous. ‘(On such occasions it is not unusual to observe a whale of the largest size leap from the water with the activity of a salmon, display the entire bulk of its gigan- tic frame suspended at the height of several feet in the air, and again plunge into the sea with a helpless and tremendous fall, which causes the surrounding waters to shoot up in broad and lofty volumes capped with foam. ‘Others of the same ‘school’ leap or ‘breach’? in a less degree, sportively brandish their broad and fan-shaped flukes in the air, or protrude their heads perpen- dicularly above the waves, like columns of black rock.” Captain Scott, R.N., once told me, as an example of the height to which a cachalot will leap in these gambols, that when standing on the deck of a man-of-war, HUMOUR. 65 he has seen the horizon under the animal before it fell again into the water. When we recollect that these whales often reach eighty feet in length, we may appreciate the force which is exerted in projecting this huge mass to such a height. Here are two instances of humour as Playful- ness in exhibited by birds, and showing playful- birds. ness without any desire to cause personal annoyance. Two ladies were sitting at work in a room A pet in which was a pet canary belonging to one unwinds a of them. The bird threw a reel of cotton bites on the floor, took the end of the thread in ge its beak, and wound it first round the neck ™*e of one lady and then round that of the other, until the reel was empty, when the bird perched on a chair and seemed quite pleased with its freak. The lady to whom the bird belonged tried —and will not allow to unwind the thread from her neck, but it wiih ge every time that she attempted to remove it, the canary flew at her and flapped its wings VOL. II. F 66 Humour in a bull- finch. ‘Baliye: empties a workbox, —pulls all the pins out of the cushion, —throws away the needles, —and twists the thread round the lamp. HUMOUR. PARE thie and kept on with quiet dignity; but whenever she er out Oo danger. moved towards the fire, or in any direction that seemed dangerous, he put his great paw upon her, and turned her another way.” Adogacts One of my friends has written to say that asassistant , ° cook, she knows a dog in Berkshire who acts on the same principle as Help, though, on account of his small size, he cannot do without human assistance. When the cook —watches the sauce- pan, and . . calls the to watch it, and can go about other business cook ifit . : : ; boils over. IN perfect security, knowing that, if the puts a saucepan on the fire, she sets the dog CONSCIENCE. 121 saucepan should boil over, he will call her. He also looks after He is also put in charge of the cradle; and the baby, and fetches if the child should wake up, goes and ee ee fetches the nursemaid. In these cases, be- sides the sense of responsibility, there 1s much reasoning power, and a capability of Reason understanding human language. And _ it language. must be noticed that the dog last mentioned never fetches the cook to the cradle, nor the nurse to the saucepan. A somewhat similar case is related by a lady whom I have known for some years. ‘One of my earliest recollections is of a fat, black, curly-haired old dog, called ‘Offy.’ This was an abbreviation of orphan, « Ofy” his mother having died immediately after charge of his birth, and his father being unknown. u-sery, Offy was the delight of our hearts, the kindest, gentlest, and most attached of dogs. At night he always lay at the top —and _ of the stairs leading to the nursery, so that pe nige no one could enter without his permission. ‘Once, when we were at the seaside, 122 CONSCIENCE. is seized with quite helpless. By chance one day she rheumatic een@tt was left alone, propped up with pillows chair. The nurse my nurse had a rheumatic fever, and was in a large arm-chair near the fire. Sud- denly the house resounded with Offy’s barks. One maid was out walking with us, and the other was busy getting dinner eae in the kitchen, when Offy’s barks attracted fetchesa her notice. Running up-stairs, she was servant, ere. met by the dog, who ran down to meet eo oan ons caught her by her dress, pulled her up att, the stairs, and there, lying on the floor, Snows her Bs ou with her head and arm on the fender, lay the sein tt poor nurse, unable to move. Without the chair. dog, she must have been burned to death.” Here we have a variety of qualities which certainly do not belong to the mortal part of a living being, whether man or beast. Sympathy, Hirst, there is sympathy with suffering. —reason, ‘Then there is reason, telling the animal that the fallen woman was in danger, and could not help herself. Reason also told the dog that he was incapable of helping her himself, and that he must summon some CONSCIENCE. 123 one who had the power. He then had recourse to his own language, which he eee knew would be understood, and called for help as intelligibly as if he had spoken human words. Sometimes conscience assumes the form ea of moral responsibility, the animal being animals. determined, at any risk, to perform the task which is allotted to it. A gentleman, to whom I am indebted for many original anecdotes about various animals, has sent me the following account of determination to fulfil a duty. ‘‘ Bree,” an English water-spaniel belong- « Bree,” ing to me, was bred from two London prize pantie dogs of that class. “A few years ago, his former master went to St. Abb’s Head for shooting. At the ‘Staples Heugh’ he winged a duck. —chasesa The bird, in agony, rolled over the preci- eee pice; while poor Bree ran with such im- petuosity, that he jumped over into the —ana leaps over sea, a height exceeding one hundred feet, a precipice into the and fell into some forty feet of water. Bea. 124 CONSCIENCE. i a ere ER LS He con- * When he came to the surface, there ee * Was no place near where he could land, and, seeing the duck rounding the ‘ West-hare- cars,’ he struck out, and, after following it past the ‘Skelly,’ the ‘Ramfands,’ the ‘Goose-cruives,’ &¢., overtook it at the ‘Clawfords,’ in ‘Hare -law- cove Bay.’ fecea: Grasping the duck in his mouth, he pro- ceeded with it up ‘ Kel-car-brae,’ one of the most difficult passes on St. Abb’s Head, pand . and, on reaching his master, laid the bird brings it to his at his feet.” master, —after a The distance which the dog swam is rile somewhere about a mile. The lady, through whom this anecdote was sent to me, writes as follows :—“ As to the story of St. Abb’s Head, you would require to sce it before you could appreciate what a dreadful leap the dog had taken.” TI possess photographs St. Abb’s Of Bree, his master, and St. Abb’s Head. Testtoad The latter word, by-the-bye, is an abbrevi- ation of Ebba, the remains of whose convent are still to be traced, close to the head itself. “Staples” is a corruption of “ steeples,” a CONSCIENCE. 125 word derived from some rocks that stand steeplewise in the sea. The fall must have been a tremendous Benes one, and how the dog escaped instant pice. death is more than I can imagine. The shock must have been a very severe one, and the animal would have been quite justified in coming ashore at once. But ee ie he knew that his duty was to catch the duck, and he did so. That he did receive —in spite a very great shock is evident from the fact shock, that, although a retriever, and by nature a ‘good water-dog, he has since this adventure contracted such a horror of the sea, that eee the sea he can scarcely be induced to enter it. ever after- Sometimes the dog takes up a wrong idea es of duty, but perseveres in it, notwith- standing all obstacles. In the two following ee instances, the dog considered that his duty duty. lay in accompanying his master, and set himself to discover some plan of overcoming obstacles. ‘A friend of ours, a clergyman in one of those rural Welsh villages whose name 126 CONSCIENCE. A spaniel we find some difficulty in writing, and still rectory, more in pronouncing, had a spaniel, sent from a friend in England to the rectory of C. I forget now the correct spelling, but no matter. Fae ‘Soon after his arrival, the dog proved ee ee himself a most determined church-goer. church, The first attempt took the family quite by surprise. They knew not he had accompanied. them, until they had taken their seats; so they very wisely -pushed him underneath, —and where he remained during the service, one remains quietly of the quietest members of his master’s sorviee. congregation. The next Sunday, when the church bells commenced, the dog was shut in the library ; but, soon after the service Eom had begun, he jumped through the window, nes Ca pushed open the church-door, walked with all proper demureness to his own pew, and resumed his former position under the seat, where he was again allowed to remain. On the third Sunday, the dog’s movements were more vigilantly watched. Directly the bells degan, he started off full trot to the CONSCIENCE. 127 church, once more occupied his old corner, Tepes defied alike the threats and persuasions of pa the servant to remove him, and, on the arrival of the family, welcomed them triumphantly. ‘One more last attempt was made on the succeeding Sunday to keep him away, which was only a partial success. Early in Beas the morning, he was shut in a shed, from ima shed, which he could find no egress; but, directly the bells began, he struck up a loud howling ore in accompaniment, which he continued during 4 during the the whole of church- -time, and, as the service, church was close to the rectory, he could be heard at intervals during the service, of course disturbing the risible powers of pa the junior members of the congregation, so fonsresa- that nothing remained but to send him back to his former master in England.” The dog in question ought to have learned by heart an epigram in a curious and very scarce quarto book, called ‘ Salmagundi.” ohare It was published in 1791, and I have a copy, which was presented by the author to my grandfather. It is, in its way, as 128 CONSCIENCE. interesting as are Gilray’s political carica- tures, comprising, as it does, the famous “Wilkes and Liberty” times, and abound- ing with witty little yeux @esprit in Latin and English. Here is the epigram which has been mentioned :— ON A FAVOURITE DOG WHO REGULARLY ACCOM- PANIED HIS MISTRESS TO CHURCH. Epigram “’Tis held by folks of deep research, A tan He’s a good dog who goes to church ; going dog. As good I hold him every wit, Who stays at home and turns the spit ; For though good dogs to church may go, Yet going there don’t make them so.” A somewhat similar instance occurred to myself. I was making some arrange- iS ments in the church, and had left my dogs paces outside, thinking that they would amuse themselves by swimming in a neighbouring pond, as they were accustomed to do. I had, however, not been in the building —tt for many minutes when a scratching, “ Apollo” makes his scrambling sound was heard, followed by way in. a heavy thump, and up came my bull-dog ‘¢ Apollo,” looking delighted to see me. CONSCIENCE. 129 [I put him out at the door, but could not He is imagine how he had made his entrance. Sand Presently there was another scratching, and I saw Apollo’s head at a little window ee i: which had been left open for ventilation. eevee at a He contrived, in some curious manner, to hold.on by his fore paws until he scrambled his hind legs upon the sill, and then forced himself through an aperture so small that he could not jump, but had to let himself fall. The window is at a considerable height oe some from the ground; and, as a rather wide rom the trench runs round the building, Apollo had to make a tremendous leap to reach the window-sill. He had evidently failed several times, the scratches on the old wall aye showing where he had slid down. He mei) always was a fine jumper, but this window ane must have tested his leaping powers to the utmost. Sometimes we see in mankind an in- Blunder- stance of good-hearted blundering, wrong- honesty headed honesty ; and much the same mixture of characteristics is to be found in the dog. VOL. II. K 130 —in the terrier *¢ Boxer.” He isa watchful guardian of his master’s property. An Irish beggar steals a loaf, —and is captured by Boxer. CONSCIENCE. There was a brilliant black - and - tan terrier, named “Boxer,” belonging to a Mr. B., who was then in India, and about to proceed on the welcome journey home. Boxer had one prevailing idea in his doggish mind, namely, that he had perpetually to take care of some one or something. He watched his master’s property with the utmost fidelity. the family to Scotland, a couple of Irish Once, after the return of beggars came by, and were given a good meal, the empty dish to be left outside the house. When they had finished, the woman, seeing that the cook was not in the kitchen, slipped in and stole a loaf of bread. She had not calculated on -Boxer, who was out in a moment, caught the woman by the bare ankle, and there held her until his master came himself to take charge of the thief. Had the dog restricted himself to such guardianship, he would have been a most He guards excellent guardian ; but, unfortunately, he his mis- tress, was possessed with a rooted idea that every one who approached his mistress meant to CONSCIENCE. 131 hurt her, and must therefore be assaulted. When she was ill, and lying on a couch, he used to sit by her side, and was so careful in his watch, that he would not saree al allow even her husband to approach without ear coh seizing him. He did not hurt his master, ont though he bit his ankle a hundred times, > by way of reminding him that his mistress was not to be disturbed. In one way he was really useful, especially during the residence of the family in India. During her illness, his mistress had He dis- f ; covers that a very great antipathy to centipedes, cock- kisses roaches, and other creeping things, of which rch there is ample store in that country. Boxer somehow found out that they were ob- noxious to his mistress, and used to keep a sharp look-out for them, if they approached ic her. Sometimes, if he were not at hand, be and he heard a scream, he would dash off to his mistress, look about for the Sib sr cause of her annoyance, and straightway demolish it. In his anxiety to do his duty by his kee 132 CONSCIENCE. His zeal mistress, Boxer sometimes allowed his zeal outruns his dis- +o outrun his discretion. cretion. Once, during the voyage, the ship was fie becalmed in the tropics, so that the man a e wheel at the wheel had a sinecure. Mrs. B. was lying in the cabin at the time. The —picks up man, seeing a needle lying just outside the a needle, ‘ door of the cabin, went and picked it up, —and is and was instantly pinned by Boxer, who pinne Boxer, chose to think that he was stealing the property of his mistress. He did not hurt the man, but frightened him so much that he holloaed loud enough to alarm all the saree inmates of the ship. Among others, release Mrs. B. ran out to see what was the him until mG the Matter, and advised the man to put the needle. needle down again. This he did, when Boxer at once released him. He behaved in a somewhat similar manner when the ship arrived in the Cove of Cork, though, in this instance, with more show pile the Or terete The stores of biscuit had been biscuit ate 2 got up on the main-deck, for the purpose of ridding them of the cockroaches, weevils, CONSCIENCE. 133 and other unpleasant creatures that are apt to infest provisions. A number of Irishmen —anIrish- man eats came on board with milk, eggs, &ec., for one, sale, and one of them, thinking no harm, began to eat a biscuit. Boxer, however, —and is considered himself the guardian of the oway by ship’s stores, flew at the man, and drove him away. When home was reached, he took, in his He takes wrong-headed way, a violent antipathy to tion to the the clergyman. Perhaps he objected to a a black dress, after being accustomed to the light costumes of India. At all events, he could not endure the gentleman, and always seemed to know instinctively when- ever he was approaching the house. On these occasions, it was necessary to shut him —and has to be kept up; and even then he used to tear and out of his scratch at the door so furiously, that he a greatly damaged it. The oddest part of the proceeding was that, as soon as the gentle- —untilthe clergyman man was in the reom with his master and is in bee m wil roo mistress, Boxer did not trouble himself his master. about him. 134. CONSCIENCE. This queer, faithful, blundering dog lived for nearly twenty years in the family. Recogni- A very common form of conscience having among the lower animals is that which may be defined as a recognition of haying done wrong, and an acknowledgment that punishment is deserved. It is exactly the same feeling which induced Adam to hide himself after he had fallen into sin. Ideasof Animals have in their way very decided right and wrong- ideas as to right and wrong; and when they have committed an act which they know will offend their master, they display Oonstlents keen a conscience as could be exhibited Penitence. by any human being self-convicted of a sin; and, in many cases, the offence is acknowledged, and the creature remains miserable until pardon has been granted. This we call in ourselves penitence. Two examples of this phase of conscience are here given. As to the first, I was in doubt whether to place it under the head of Reasoning, Language, or Love of Owner. CONSCIENCE. 135 But, as it illustrates the power of conscience Many in the lower animals, I have placed it late under the present head, without, however, removing the passages relating to the other qualities. ‘¢ Reasoning powers are certainly exercised. by dogs; how would they otherwise know = do when Sunday came round? Our darge dog * know Sun- ‘Bran,’ a cross between a retriever and a deerhound, never thinks of following us to “Bran” never ac- church, though he regularly comes in on companies his master Sunday afternoon, in expectation of the on Sunday walk which he knows his young masters “Heme. take between the services; and on week- days he will even run up-stairs if he hears us moving about the bedrooms, which he in some way connects with walking out. He looks so intelligent that it is difficult at su to believe he does not understand conver- ondels sations, and we talk to him often as if he Pee, were a human being. He is very good- tempered, and particularly so with cats and children, When we were at Worthing, two years ago, a large white cat belonging 136 CONSCIENCE. to the house constantly shared his bed; and me is on more than one occasion the cat, dog, shee and the little grandchild of our landlady were found curled up together ! ‘Whenever he did wrong as a young pent dog, we found the greatest punishment was ignored. to take no notice of him, and refuse his Being re- offered paw. On one occasion, I remember, an offence, he ran off, and was missing all day. When he came back, he was shut up in his sleeping-place, after we had shaken our heads at him and turned away. Although —he Mi he must have been very hungry, he would not touch his food, but sat close to the —but cries door, whining and crying, till we made paren it up with him by telling him he was forgiven, and taking his offered paw, when he ate his supper and went quietly to bed. His love His love for us is unbounded, and he masters. almost overwhelms us sometimes by his affectionate embraces, especially if we have been away, when he almost falks in his joy at seeing us again.” CONSCIENCE. 37 A lady has sent me a short account of the behaviour of another dog, which clearly shows that the animal possesses the attribute of conscience. The little animal has been The ac- taught many tricks, among which is the ment accomplishment of shaking hands. This he * 48 will seldom condescend to do without much coaxing. But, if he has done anything - cea wrong, he comes up, looking very much exercised when he ashamed of himself, and voluntarily offers er pear ; have done his paw. wrong. I may here refer to the dog * Help,” who went sheep-killing while his master thought that he was chained up at home. It was a clear case of conscience, though not accom- « Help” panied by penitence. He knew that he pe 4 was acting wrongly, and that his master ner would be offended, and therefore endea- oe : voured to avoid punishment by destroying the oa hig the evidence of his crime. ce How painfully keen can be the sense of A keen con- conscience in the dog, is shown by the science. \ following account, which is written by a 138 CONSCIENCE. brother clergyman well known in the literary world. A New. | ‘““A Newfoundland dog of great age, but dog still the gentle, good-tempered friend of his master’s children, lay one morning sound asleep. One of his playfellows, wishing that he should accompany their walk, gave fstily him a kick. The poor dog, suddenly child, awakened, seized sharply the little girl’s leg, but without really hurting her. The nurse thereupon scolded him, pretended to —andis beat him with a pocket handkerchief, and, manded. when he wanted to go with them, shut the door in his face. He takes “‘ One of the men, soon afterwards, found meee him lying with his head in a ditch, dragged him out, and brought him to the stables, where he lay, refusing to eat or drink. sand is Ere long, he was again found at the same ina ditch. ditch, dead. Whether, in remorse and despair of forgiveness, he had successfully ' repeated an attempt at suicide, or whether he had lain down there to die of a broken heart, I do not know.” CONSCIENCE. 139 One or the other was evidently the case, Conscience and, whether it were suicide or sorrow, of death. conscience was the real cause of death. The same writer proceeds to say :—‘“ You also asked for the epitaph on our poor little friend’s grave. It is as follows :— “COLL” ‘ FAITHFUL, LOVING, GENTLE, WISE, Epitaph on a dog. BY HIS UNTIMELY DEATH MADE EMPTY NO SMALL SPACE IN OUR HOME AND HEART. ‘Alas! too soon, dear loving friend, Our close companionship doth end ; Yet sense of Right, heart true and fond, Must have, methinks, some glad BEYOND.’ “Poor H.! it was her first great grief, and yet lives. but it soon learned my intentions, and would only go with me as far as the road. On —and being told to go home, it would fly round under- standsan my head, then make a great round in the air and fly home. ‘Unfortunately, it became troublesome, as most pets do, and used to get into the LOVE OF MASTER. 203 dairy and disturb the milk. My aunt shut ye es it up, but forgot to give it any water, and end. the poor bird died of thirst. Many tears "were shed, and we were obliged to let my uncle think that I had the bird with me in the village.” I am acquainted with two jackdaws, Two tame which behave in much the same manner. caval One of them entirely declines all inter- course with the jackdaw world, and attaches himself exclusively to the inhabitants of the house. He has the full use of his wings, Oneal but generally employs them in flying about house, the house, and occasionally settling on the heads of persons to whom he chooses to take a fancy. I have had him on my head many times, and it was sometimes rather startling, when absorbed in a _ book or —and is sometimes conversation, to see something black dash nog ‘ami- before one’s eyes, to hear a loud squall of liar than agreeable. ‘¢ Jack!” in one’s ears, and then to feel the grasp of sharp claws on the top of the head. The other jackdaw owns a _ divided allegiance. He does not enter the house, 204. LOVE OF MASTER. a ci and freely consorts with his fellows. But ae Se he is always within, or, at all events, in sight of the garden, and is ready to greet any members of the family who leave the pean house. He will generally accompany them friends in in their walks; and if they are accompanied walks. —_ by friends who are not acquainted with his ways, he is apt to startle them by an occasional swoop close to their heads accom- panied by a loud caw. Divided Here is a case of divided companionship com- panto in a rook. The anecdote was communi- an cated to me by a lady. A young ‘In the early part of 1861, a young brought to rook was brought to one of my children. the house Sonne It was wounded in the wing, and unable to fly; but every care was taken of it, and it soon recovered. We gave the bird its liberty; but during the whole of that year —andis it kept about the garden, and close to the friendly. house, always coming to be fed when called. ‘“He remained with us for some years, LOVE OF MASTER. 205 when he suddenly disappeared. We feared He dis- that he might have been shot; but, to our ene surprise, about the month of June ‘ Jack’ again made his appearance, sitting in his rea accustomed place in a tree opposite the returns, window. From that time he has been a constant attendant, coming to us when we call him, and following us from place to place. At other times he joins his com- —joining 8 com- panions, and flies about with them, only panions from time returning to us to be fed.” to time. The following pathetic little tale shows Love of how the love of master in a dog’ survived 4 dog. death. It shows reasoning and self-denial Moe) on the part of the dog, and also affords denial. another example of the manner in which the power of reason in an animal seems to break down just where it might be expected to manifest itself most success- fully. A shep- 66 Some years ago, a fearful snowstorm ; Si, his dog are happened in the Isle of Skye. A shep- [Ager - ina snows herd had occasion to go to look after his storm, 206 LOVE OF MASTER. flock, attended by a faithful dog. The storm increased, and the poor shepherd Night could not accomplish his task; night had comes on, set in, and he was unable to return to his home. Struggling in vain through the —and the drift and darkness, he became utterly man dies. exhausted, lay down and died. The dog ‘‘The dog, more fortunate than his reaches home, master, got back to the lonely sheiling; and when it was seen that he was alone, search was made, but in vain. Hope was giving way to despair, when it was observed that the dog daily took away a piece of mee tk bannock’ or cake in his mouth, as it was akes a pieceof thought to hide it for some future occasion. bannock, But, with that noble instinct with which a wise Providence had endued him (although in this instance unavailing), he set off day by day with this-supply to where his master lay, and on being followed it was found that “md layshe had placed no fewer than five pieces of it on the preast of ‘bread on his breast. Alas! the vital spark master. . Subject had long since fled, but there was the for a pic- Saas : , ° ture. striking token of instinct and affection, LOVE OF MASTER. 207 meet subject for even a Landseer to depict.” The intensity of the love which the Dying for je ; love, lower animals can entertain towards man may be estimated from the fact that they have been known to die for the loss of those whom they love. I give three in- stances of such potent grief, two being exhibited by dogs, and the other by a in dogs canary which lived in my own family for some years. The first anecdote is taken from the well-known “ Memorials of a Quiet aa Life,” by Augustus Hare. Quiet ‘Her poor old dog, ‘ Phlos,’ pined away from the moment of his mistress’s death. He pined and vexed himself whenever the “ Phlos” grieves at undertakers came to the house, and, on the the loss of 18 mis- night before her funeral, laid himself down tress, and died—died, as the servant said, just —and dies on t like his mistress, with one long gasp of Hebols breath. Thus ended a life bound up in funeral our recollections with ‘ Julius,’ with Have- } lock, from whom it derived its name, and 208 My dog “Rory.” LOVE OF MASTER. Julius’s dear friend, Tom Starr, by whom it was given.” Then there was my dear dog, “ Rory,” the quaintest, funniest, and most eccentric dog that I ever knew. A rough Irish Hiscolour, terrier, black as night, with a triangular —eyes, patch of snowy white on his breast, and another on the under side of his tail-tuft ; thick, heavy eyebrows, with a bold curve in them, only letting the gleam of the glittering eyes sparkle from between their fringes; black moustaches, to match the eyebrows, only very much longer and —andears. thicker; and ears standing nearly upright for half their length, and then abruptly drooping as if made of black velvet. I call him my dog, not because he ever belonged to me, but because he was pleased to adopt me as his master, and totally to Ownership repudiate his legal owner, who, by the of the dog. way, very honourably paid the tax for him. Shortly after taking my degree, I accepted a scholastic offer, which took me into Wilt- LOVE OF MASTER. 209 shire, where it was impossible to introduce Rory. So, with many regrets, I left him Rory ig eft be- to the care of the household, all of whom hina, were very fond of him. “Of course, he was greatly troubled at my absence, and was perpetually on the watch for me, but after some weeks he apt watcnes seemed to understand the state of things cee and to be reconciled to his lot. It. so happened that after I had been away for some three months, I had to attend to.some —who re- . turns after family business, and visited home for a few an absence ) of several hours. Rory was there, and gave me the months. most curious welcome imaginable. Naturally a dog of the most exuberant He made sais . P very little spirits, exalted to the skies by a kind word, demon- and crawling on the ground in utter abase- rae ment if scolded, he might have been ex- pected to be more than usually demonstra- tive when I unexpectedly made my appear- ance. But he did nothing of the kind. He licked my hand, and that was all. But —but was silently he would not lose sight of me. He followed affec- " tionate, me silently about the house, and, when I sat Vide Fee oe ji 210 LOVE OF MASTER. —lying down, lay on the floor, with his chin resting with his chin upon on my foot, and his beautiful loving eyes . his mas- ter’s foot, azine steadily and wistfully at me through their heavy fringes. He seemed to know that it was for the last time, and kept: his —ani steady gaze until I was obliged to leave the steadily : gazing at house. He made no particular demonstra- ee tion when I bade him farewell; but his In a few lawful owner claimed him, took him away, Hes OF and in a few weeks my poor Rory was i dead. His There are several now living, who will exuberant rt ae always cherish an affectionate regard for humour. Rory and his odd ways. No human being could have possessed a keener sense of humour than had Rory, and no one ¢ould have been more fertile in hitting upon plans ne a for gratifying that sense of humour. He over, would knock over every fat lap-dog that geustsice: he met, frighten their mistresses half out of tresses, their senses, walk by their sides on his hind legs the whole length of a street, and alto- gether comport himself like an amiable maniac. He chiefly exulted, however, in LOVE OF MASTER. 211 alarming college dons as they statelily sailed seer starties the along in the full glories of silken gown, pena ai cassock, and scarf. Such, at least, was the dignity. custom in my time, now some thirty years ago; but I am given to understand that, in these degenerate days, undergraduates wear moustaches, and a don looks like anybody else. | Perhaps that very sense of the ridiculous Bene of which was gratified by seeing so stately a culous, being lose all his dignity in instant and groundless alarm, was owing to the sus- ceptibility of disposition which, on the —and ‘ ; ; d suscepti- one side, hurried him into absurd extraya- pied fs gances, and, on the other side, cost him his tion. very life in disappointed longings for the presence of his self-chosen friend. The case of the canary was as follows. It belonged to the head nurse, and WAS A canary kept in the day-nursery with the children. panionable At all meal times the cage was always dren, placed on the table, and the bird received much notice. It so happened that the children went away for a few weeks’ visit. p2 —and pinesawa for their logs. Webber's story of a pipin bullfinch, —who by degrees wins her affections. LOVE OF MASTER. Although the nurse had the bird in her room, it pined for the society of the chil- ” dren, refused to eat, and in a day or two was found dead at the bottom of the cage. The following story is related by Mrs. Webber in ‘The Song-birds of America,” and shows how a bird actually died because he thought that he had lost the love of his mistress. Mrs. Webber had just lost a pet thrush, and was inconsolable. However, a piping bullfinch was brought as a present, and liked to teach her the airs which he knew. At first the bereaved lady would not listen to him, but his winning ways quite overcame her. 3 ‘Although I still said I did not love him, yet I talked a great deal to the bird; and as the little fellow grew more and more cheerful, and sang louder and oftener each day, and was getting so handsome, I found plenty of reasons for increasing my atten- tions to him; and then, above all things, he seemed to need my presence quite as much LOVE OF MASTER. 213 as sunshine ; for if I went away, if only to ae my breakfast, he would utter the most eet piteous and incessant cries until I returned to him; when, in a breath, his tones were —and re- changed, and he sang his most enchanting her pre airs. ‘He made himself most fascinating by He pipes his polite adoration; he never considered a himself sufficiently well dressed; he was = most devoted in his efforts to enchain me by his melodies; art and nature both were called to his aid, until, finally, I could no longer refrain from expressing in no measured terms my admiration. He was then satisfied not to cease his attentions, but, to take a step further, he presented Bp. me with a straw, and even with increased 4 present. appearance of adulation. | “From that time he claimed me wholly ; He ia no one else could approach the cage; he jealous, would fight most desperately if any one dared, and if they laid a finger on me his fury was unbounded ; he would dash him- self against the bars of his cage, and bite 214: LOVE OF MASTER. —and the wires, as if he would obtain his liberty cveryone at all hazards, and thus be enabled to punish proaches the offender. Ale awakes “Tf I went away now, he would first his tress inthe Mourn, then endeavour to win me back by morning, sweet songs. In the morning I. was —watches awakened by his cries, and if I but moved her as she isdress- my hand his moans were changed to MG, glad greetings. If I sat too quietly at my drawing, he would become weary, seemingly, and call me to him; if I would not come, he —and Would say, in gentle tone, ‘Come-e-here! calls her in intel- come-e-here !? 80 distinctly that all my ee friends recognised the meaning of the accents at once, and then he would sing to me. ‘¢ All the day he would watch me: if I was cheerful, he sang and was so gay; if I were sad, he would sit by the hour watch- ing every movement; and if I arose from my seat, I was called ‘ Come-e-here;’ and whenever he could manage it, if the wind He objects blew my hair within his cage, he would cut hair, it off, calling me to help him, as if he thought I had no right to wear anything LOVE OF MASTER. 215 else than feathers; and if I would have hair, gigas at it was only ene for nest-building. If I che ought to wear let him fly about the room with the painted feathers. finch, he would follow so close in my foot- He follows er about steps that I was in constant terror that he the noel would be stepped upon, or be lost, in follow- ing me from the room. “‘ At last he came to the conclusion that I could never build a nest. I never seemed sett sidering to understand what to do with the nice that she is too young materials he gave me, and when I offered ‘ take to return them he threw his body to one herself side, and looked at me so drolly from one eye that I was quite abashed. From that time he seemed to think I must be a very young creature, and most assiduously fed me at stated periods during the day, throwing up He there- from his own stomach the half-digested food her for my benefit, precisely in the manner of crop. feeding young birds. “ But I did not like this sort of relation- eon ship very much, and determined to break it fed, down, and forthwith commenced by coldly refusing to be fed, and, as fast as I could 216 LOVE OF MASTER. bring my hard heart to do it, breaking down all the gentle bonds between us. Binet ‘The result was sad enough. The poor very great A : riot fellow could not bear it: he sat in wonder- ing grief—he would not eat; at mght I took him in my hand, and held him to my cheek; he nestled closely, and seemed more happy, although his little heart was too full —anddoesto let him speak. In the morning I not re- det scarcely answered his tender love-call, usual to his call. * Come-e-here;’ but I sat down to my drawing, thinking if I could be so cold much longer to sucha gentle and uncom- plaining creature. ‘‘T presently arose and went to the cage. He is pre- Oh, my poor, poor bird! he lay struggling sently seen ; ; : lyingon on the floor. I took him out—I tried to his back on the call him back to life in every way that I knew, but it was useless; I saw he was dying, his little frame was even then grow- ing cold within my warm palm. I uttered Hean- the call he knew so well; he threw back his swers the call ofhis head, with its yet undimmed eye, and tried mistress, to answer; the effort was made with his LOVE OF MASTER. 217 last breath. His eye glazed as I gazed, and —and dies his attitude was never changed. His littie b+. heart was broken. I can never forgive my- self for my cruelty! Oh, to kill so gentle and pure a love as that!” Many of my readers will anticipate the The story. rey- subject of the next few pages, namely, ae Bobby,” “Greyfriars Bobby,” a dog whose love of its master long survived death. I have been acquainted with the story of this faithful animal for many years—long, indeed, before PP, the touching narrative was made public Pop. the through the very prosaic medium of the tax- s@therer gatherer. In the Scotsman of April 138, 1867, the following narrative appeared :— ‘A very singular and interesting occur- ab ine rence was yesterday brought to light in the Court. Burgh Court by the hearing of a summons in regard to a dog-tax. Hight and a half years ago, it seems a man named Gray, of 4 poor whom nothing now is known, except that he Ra fa Old Grey- was poor, and lived in a quiet way in some friars urch- obscure part of the town, was buried in Old iy 218 LOVE OF MASTER. —andhis Greyfriars Churchyard. His grave, levelled grave has 4 long been by the hand of time, and unmarked by any obliterated by time, stone, 18 now scarcely discernible; but, although no human interest would seem to attach to it, the sacred spot has not been wholly disregarded and forgotten. During all these years the dead man’s faithful dog —though has kept constant watch and guard over the gotten. grave; and it was this animal for which the collectors sought to recover the tax. At the “James Brown, the old curator of the funeral the : ‘ wees dog burial-ground, remembers Gray’s funeral, attended, and the dog, a Scotch terrier, was, he says, one of the most conspicuous of the mourners. The grave was closed in as usual, and next —and was Morning ‘ Bobby,’ as the dog is called, found next : day lying was found lying on the new-made mound. on the : : ’ “5 grave. This was an innovation which old James This being could not permit; for there was an order at ruleshe the gate, stating, in the most intelligible Was ex- pelled, characters, that dogs were not admitted. Pare ‘Bobby’ was accordingly driven out; but made his , ° wayin next morning he was there again, and for again in spiteof the second time was discharged. The third LOVE OF MASTER. 219 morning was cold and wet; and when the chastise- : f : ? ment, and old man saw the faithful animal, in spite of was then all chastisement, still lying shivering on the remain. grave, he took pity on him, and gave him some food. ‘This recognition of his devotion gave ‘Bobby’ the right to make the churchyard Since that his home; and from that time to the present made the he has never spent a night away from ae his master’s tomb. Often in bad weather —ana watched attempts have been made to keep him within eer) doors, but by dismal howls he has succeeded stave, in making it known that this interference 1s not agreeable to him, and latterly he has always been allowed his own way. At almost any time during the day he may be seen in or about the churchyard; and no matter how rough the night may be, _thronbh nothing can induce him to forsake the roughest hallowed spot, whose identity, despite the irresistible obliteration, he has so faithfully preserved. Hah “Bobby has many friends, and the tax- Sii"y - him many gatherers have by no means proved his picnas, 220 LOVE OF MASTER. enemies. A weekly treat of steaks was long allowed him by Sergeant Scott, of the Engineers ; but for more than six years he —who fod has been regularly fed by Mr. Traill, of the larly, restaurant, 6, Greyfriars Place. He is constant and punctual in his calls, being guided in his mid-day visits by the sound of the time-gun. On the ground of harbouring the dog, proceedings were taken against Mr. Traill for payment of the tax. The defendant expressed his willingness, could he claim the dog, to be responsible for the —buthe tax; but, so long as the dog refused to would attach himself to any one, it was impossible attac himself to to fix the ownership; and the court, seeing anyone, —sothat the peculiar circumstances of the case, th wasre- dismissed the summons. ‘Bobby has long been an object of eurlosity to all who have become acquainted with his history. His constant appearance —toush in the graveyard has caused many inquiries vould wil. t0 be made regarding him, and efforts with- endetn out number have been made to get posses- neoied. sion of him. The old curator, of course, LOVE OF MASTER. 221 stands up as the next claimant to Mr. Traill, and yesterday offered to pay the tax himself rather than have Bobby—Greyfriars Bobby, to allow him his full name—put out of the way.” Four years longer the faithful little dog At last he kept his loving watch, and at last died, to EA, the regret of all who knew him, never pee cute having been out of reach of his master’s*s grave; though, in his later years, the 8’ infirmities of doggish age forced him to accept a partial hospitality of the curator. I am sure that Lady Burdett-Coutts gladdened the hearts of many lovers of animals—as she certainly did mine—when she perpetuated his memory by a lasting monument of granite and bronze. The His mom- ment now monument is a drinking-fountain made of Beare : ; perpetuate Peterhead granite, and surmounted by a life- his memory. size statue of Bobby in bronze. During the many years which elapsed None but between the death of his master and his own could snOW e departure, the lowly grave was forgotten by eat. all but the dog. No stone guarded it, and stave, 222 LOVE OF MASTER. not even a mound marked it. The grass and weeds grew luxuriantly over it as over the level soil around. There has been for years nothing that could mark out the erave from the surrounding soil, but the _puthis little dog knew the sacred spot under which memory was Letter lay his master’s remains, and for hours used than that ofman. to stand upon it, keeping his guard. A little way from the grave is an altar-tomb, His only under which Bobby used to shelter him- self in bad weather, and to which he always used to take the bones and other food provided for him by the generous persons whose names have already been mentioned. Three I possess three photographic portraits of photo- graphic Bobby. One represents him as standing portraits o “Bobby.” upon the nameless grave, which is utterly indistinguishable from the weeds and herbage around. The portrait is not quite so good as it might be; for Just as the photographer had got the dog into focus, and “Bobby’s” had uncovered the lens, Bobby unfortunately guardian- ship of th i ASSI ship of the caught sight of a dog passing the gate of yard. the churchyard, and, according to custom, LOVE OF MASTER. 223 flew at him furiously. He did not seem to object to human beings, but a dog he never — would permit to be even in sight. The best of the three portraits is that from which the bronze statue has been taken. He is sitting on the altar-tomb His usual above mentioned, and is looking upwards aud le with that wistful, patient, longing, yearn- ing expression of the countenance which was peculiar to the animal, and is con- spicuous in all the photographs, however - imperfect they may be. od Some animals, notably dogs, have a ae wonderful power of returning to their dibs beloved master, even though they have been conveyed to considerable distances. So many examples of such feats are on record, that I refrain from mentioning them, and cial in only give one or two, the truth of which %8* is guaranteed by my correspondents, whose letters I possess. “A gentleman in Calcutta wrote to a friend living near Inverkeithing, on the 224 LOVE OF MASTER. pele shores of the Firth of Forth, requesting him erate to send a good Scotch collie dog. This was oe done in due course, and the arrival of the Hearrives, dog was duly acknowledged. But the next mail brought accounts of the dog having disappeared, and that nothing could be seen or heard of him. Imagine the astonish- ment of the gentleman in Inverkeithing, —butafter when, a few weeks later, friend Collie a while makes his hounced into his house, wagging his tail, appear ance at hi his barking furiously, and exhibiting, as only a a dog gan, his ereat joy at finding his master. “ OF course all inquiry was made to find out how Collie got home again, when it was _having discovered that he had landed from a collier gone first / ; to Dundee, which had returned from Dundee. Inquiry an bee made at Dundee, when it was found me abe i that the dog had come there on board a ship from Calcutta. Now, it can be understood that the dog might have recognised the sie collier, as he might have seen the vessel on ere 18 & ° e . problem some former occasion at Inverkeithing ; but not easy of ; solution, how he should have selected, at Calcutta, a LOVE OF MASTER. 225 ship bound for Dundee is not so easily explained.” There is one solution of this remarkable problem which has occurred to me. Pro- bably, the dog, not liking the strange land and the dark faces, had slipped back to the ships with which he had been familiar at home. Recognising the well-known Scotch —except A y the accent on board one of the ships, he must supposi- tion that have got quietly on board, and, on landing he etad at Dundee, transferred himself to the collier. Seek y This is merely conjecture, but I do not see *°°e* any other mode of accounting for the dog’s wonderful journey. A scarcely less wonderful feat was A dog makes @ performed some time ago by a dog which compli- cated jour- returned to his mistress from a distance. It 2¢y is true that Manchester is not so far from Holywell as India is from Scotland ; but the —trom a Manches- journey, though shorter, was very much ter to . : Holywell. more complicated, and involved several modes of locomotion, some of which, at least, must have been adopted by the dog. VOLWI Q cy: ae LOVE OF MASTER. The narrator of the story is my friend, the late J. Hatton, M.D., whose name has been perpetuated on a life-boat presented by his widow to the Dungeness station. Dr. Hat- Some years ago, when I lived im ton’sstory. Manchester, I attended, for fever, a me- Aes chanic, who worked for Messrs. Sharp, chester mechanic Boors, and Co., the celebrated locomotive- engine makers. When he became conva- _visits lescent, he went to the house of his mother, his mother at Holy- who then lived at Holywell, in Wales. well, an aes After he had recruited his health, and was about to return home, his mother gave him a dog. There was ‘He led the animal from Holywell to Bs Bagill by road, a distance of about two | miles. Thence he took the market-boat to wee Chester, a distance of about twelve miles, if for twelve T remember right. Then he walked through miles, then untett Chester, and took rail for Birkenhead. peste From that station he walked to the landing- Na stage and crossed the Mersey to Liverpool. wa” He then walked through Liverpool to the through i ercuht. station at Lime Street. Then he took rail LOVE OF MASTER. 227 (2% AU SR SR Es , HR er to Manchester, and then had to walk a then rail- distance of a mile and a half to hishome. ~ ‘This was on Wednesday. He tied the dog up, went to his work on Thursday as usual; and on the Sunday following, think- On sun- ing that the dog was accustomed to the locees the place, he set it at liberty. He soon lost ie sight of it, and on the Wednesday following he received a letter from his mother, stating ee igap- that the dog had returned to her. Now Een you will'sce that the dog went first by road, home, then by market-boat, then through streets, then by rail, then by steamer, then through streets again, then by rail again, and then through streets again, it being dark at the Rage time; and yet the dog had sagacity enough nee to find its way back to the scene of its early recollections.” In this, as in other stories of a similar character, one of the most curious points is the extreme rapidity with which the animal made the journey. I do not know whether the market-boat ran on Sunday, but, at all events, the dog must have Q 2 228 LOVE OF MASTER. ont achieved the distance in some forty-eight some hours. hours. Hemutt That the dog in question retained a have taken note of his remembrance of the route by which he had route. travelled, and knew how to avail himself of the means of transit, I have no doubt what- ever; and this notion is confirmed by the behaviour of a dog that belonged to one of my correspondents, Mr. B., who has kindly sent me several dog-biographies that came within his own experience. A prize He was then living in East Lothian, and grey- hound had given the dog, a prize greyhound, to a is taken to anew friend who lived at Greigston, near Cupar, home, dis- appears; in Fife. His new owner took him home, but in a few days the dog was missing. His owner advertised his loss, and the animal —andis Was captured on the pier at Burntisland, capture ; eee ‘ on the pier evidently waiting for an opportunit 0 at Burnt- ". y 8 PP y t coche cross in the steamer, whence he would for the ° ane undoubtedly have found his way back. This pier is fully twenty miles from the spot which he deserted. LOVE OF MASTER. 229 I can easily understand how a dog would manage to slip on board by pretending to belong to one of the passengers. Dogs are Doge and quite alive to the social distinction between ters. those who belong to some particular owner and those who are masterless, the latter being looked upon by themselves much as a ‘‘masterless man” was regarded in the abe: time of Elizabeth, ze. a sort of social out- eae cast, unacknowledged by his fellows. _ I owed the life-long friendship of my inimitable Rory to this feeling. He was none of my dog. He belonged to a How I ob- mman of another college, with whom I had “Rory.” hardly exchanged half-a-dozen sentences. His master was obliged to cross the sea He is she during the long vacation, and left the dog in of a the charge of his scout. | ‘Being always of an aristocratic turn of —but re- mind, Rory repudiated the scout altogether, Rise and, remembering that he had been in my master, rooms at Merton, he paid me a visit one morning, and engaged meas his master. It was not the least use to take him back, for 230 —and en- gages me in that capacity, —exercis- ing his own free will. A little dog being lost in London, —makes his way safely LOVE OF MASTER. he always returned in an hour or two; and at last it was tacitly agreed that he should retain possession of me. He knew the value of a collegiate master, and was not going to be fobbed off with a scout. His legiti- mate master having deserted him, he exercised his right of selecting a master for himself, and accordingly he chose me, and kept me, and, when we were parted, he died of grief, as has already been narrated. I know another dog who displayed great wisdom in escaping the snares of London life. He was a beautiful little dog, just the animal whom a_ professional dog-stealer would be sure to snap up, if possible. One day he had been for a drive with his mistress, and, on being allowed to alight with her, had in some way been separated from her. After a vain search she drove home, and sent the servants to try and find her lost pet. ° He was presently discovered by the coachman, trotting quietly home- LOVE OF MASTER. 231 Th VENDIO. LP nate SU ak ES wards, not in haste like a lost dog, but with pd ending to a composed air, and pretending that he belong to ) 7 an imagin- 1 : ary mas- belonged to some one who was going in the rats same direction. I have seldom met with a more curious Another cote example of the ability of a dog to find his dog story. master than is related in the following story. ‘Some years ago, when I lived in Fife, I was coming to Edinburgh with my eldest daughter. Zeno accompanied us to the Zeno ac- companies station, about a mile from home; and ag [ his master to the Fife did not wish him to come any farther, [ station, asked a gentleman who was living with me —is given ° in charge to take him home. to a friend, ‘Just as the train was about to start I gah € train looked out to see if he had gone, when Nears 1 ' ’ iyg lowing saw him following my friend up the stairs Hin were at the station. We rattled along for a t* distance of about twelve or fourteen miles The : J steamer at till we reached Burntisland, where we had Buratis- land is to cross the Forth. then reached, “The day became very cold, with snow Saget and sleet, so we hurried down to the ®tarted, | 232 Zeno walked into the cabin. How he got there is still a mystery. His general character, —and his old age of repose. LOVE OF MASTER. steamer. We had left the pier about ten minutes when a passenger, wishing shelter, opened the saloon-door, when, to my great surprise, in walked Zeno, sniffing his way up till he came to me and jumped upon my knee. How he came was a mystery to me, and ever will be. All the carriages were shut when I last saw him. I think that he must have returned and got into the guard’s van; but no one could tell me, and the strange thing was that he did not get out at any intermediate station. “T still have the old dog, and he is as dear to me as ever. Never was there his like: never did he bite, though teased by children and grandchildren. His life is now one of constant repose; and when the cord will one day snap which will sever our long and faithful connection, I shall mourn his loss as that of a friend. ‘Talk of ‘dumb animals,’ we might well Destiny of take lessons from them in many things; they man an so-called 6 dumb 99 animals. would even put many to shame. Yes, ours is a higher and a nobler destiny, but yet LOVE OF MASTER. 233 withal, methinks we might learn to profit from much we both know and hear of in the lives of our anim al friends and relations.” The reader will perhaps remember that Zeno has already been mentioned under the head of ‘‘ Jealousy.” It is often, but erroneously, said that Erroneous cats are selfish animals, attaching themselves «ats, to localities and not to individuals. This idea has, perhaps, some ground of truth, for it is not so easy to understand the nature of a cat ag that of a dog; and when a cat is —whoare not understood, it is very likely that she ligent | cares less for the inhabitants of a house than tonate, for the house itself. But I know of many instances where cats have been in the habit of moving about with their owners, and —not to have been as unconcerned as dogs would but to have been. My own cat “Pret,” for example, was ay oie first taken from a small house at Green- planes of @, wich to a large one in the very heart of the city, where he had the range of many 234 LOVE OF MASTER. cellars, but no open air. Next he went. to another large house in the city, where he _tovaried had no cellars, and could only get on the localities, , ah _leads by special permission. Then he was moved into a house in the country, where he had neither cellars, leads, nor tiles, but a a garden. After that we moved to a larger unchange siection house in the same village, whither he fol- lowed us of his own accord. His mother His mother, ‘“ Minnie,” always accom- behave inthe _ panied her mistress when she was on a visit, same way. and I have more than once taken Minnie to her mistress for a journey of several miles, Here is a corroborative letter by a lady. ee ‘I believe, for my part, that cats attach themselves to people and not to places. Our cats always seemed to know their masters. One, belonging to my sister, would scratch all the rest of the family, though quite Aten gentle with her, We travelled about once cat fora year and a half with a favourite cat ; —inows though during that time we changed our the apart- ments of lodgings many times, she never left us. er mis- tress, She even seemed to know our rooms, and LOVE OF MASTER. 235 kept to them when there were other apart- ments in the same house. She used to knock at the door when she wanted to come —and in, and would endeavour to turn the handle the door. by taking it between her paws. I have also ce: seen her, when she was thirsty and could not reach the water in the jug, dipping her jae paws in to get it in that way. She would acts follow my brothers round the room when they whistled a tune, and rub her head rae iS against their hands and face, and touch eos their lips with her paw, as if pleased with the sound.” Perhaps the reader may remember the Rosy history of Lady E.’s cat Rosy, on p. 176, “ae Vol. II., in which it is incidentally mentioned that she always travelled with her mistress. My late esteemed friend, Mr. W. Cham- bers, called my attention some years ago to a story of a cat, which showed that the attachment of the animal towards man is Attach ment toin- much stronger than towards locality. He dividuals, guaranteed the truth of the statement, and localities. 236 A manand his wife, having to move from the west to the east coast of Scot- land, —go by Bea, —leaving their cat behind them. But in a short time she makes her ap- pearance, —very emaciated and tired, having evidently come by land. How did she find her masg- ter’s house ? LOVE OF MASTER. furnished me with the name and address of the person to whom the cat belonged. The story is briefly as follows. A man and his wife, living in the northern part of Scotland, near the west coast, had to move to a place on the east coast. In consequence of the expense of taking furniture by land, they travelled by sea, passing round the northern point, and landing near their new home. Having been told that cats only cared for localities and not for human beings, they, meaning all kindness, left the animal behind them. They, however, had not been long settled in their new home, when the man, on returning from work, saw a cat sitting on the wall, and found that it was actually his own cat, who, by some mysterious means, had found him out. She was hungry, emaciated, and tired, and had evidently travelled by land to the same spot which they reached by sea. The power by which she did it may be instinct, or it may be the exercise of a faculty not possessed by man. LOVE OF MASTER. 237 But I have related the anecdote to show how great must have been the love felt by the cat for its master, when it left the home me strong which it knew well, and took a long and must have been her fatiguing journey to join its master in a fection. house which it did not know. The following anecdote shows that the cat does love people more than places. ‘‘ Last summer we were staying for some The town- ; j crier of weeks at Victoria Place, Eastbourne, and Hast ourne every morning the town crier came in front has no sinecure, of our house, giving out the public amuse- ments for that evening, and a list of articles lost. Judging from the large number of things daily missing, either visitors or sand | ramati- inhabitants must have been a most careless cally an- nounces a race. He was the most amusing crier I ers of ever heard, making his announcements in a semi-dramatic style and tone, which, together with a good voice and most pompous delivery, rendered these minor affairs quite important. One of the missing items espe- —amongst : which is a cially attracted my attention. 238 LOVE OF MASTER. tortoise- ‘* “Lost, a tortoiseshell cat, of the Persian shell Per- sian cat. breed, with a velvet collar round its neck, rather old and very shy. Whoever will bring it to the Crier, dead or alive, shall receive ten shillings reward.’ | Thiswas “ 'I'his was repeated for many days, and continued for pes then the reward was increased to one sove- weeks and Se reign, with the intimation that no larger sum would be offered. At about the end of three weeks the ‘Cat’ was taken off the list, and I inquired after the fate of poor pussy. History of “The cat, which was of rare beauty, e cat. had been brought to this country as a pre- sent to Lady ——, and had for years accom- panied her when travelling. Soon after their arrival at Eastbourne, that love of She ioe liberty inherent in all animals, and a due stra t ue we ; aes re * appreciation of the surrounding scenery, where she : . washuntea duced pussy to stray into the woods, at, bat” Where she was at first hunted as a wild cat, “pet and afterwards chased and shot at to obtain the offered reward. She contrived to escape all these dangers, and existed on the few LOVE OF MASTER. 239 4, dens TR RE RUSE OSE S17 eed OT | wild birds that she could catch, until Lady —living on birds heard of her whereabouts and went in and other wild crea- search of her. The poor half-starved pet, tures. on hearing the voice of her mistress calling Her mis- . tress goes her name, jumped on her shoulder, and thus to look for er, and terminated her rambles in the wild woods. Se meee It is a most dangerous mistake to offer a to her call. reward for a lost pet, ‘dead or alive,’—the Dead. of addition of the former word, whilst facili- tating its capture, oftentimes proving its death-warrant.”? The same lady, who communicated the preceding anecdote, has favoured me with two more, showing the attachment felt by dogs to their masters. ‘A friend of ours, a great traveller, who A foreign has generally several dogs of various breeds, * on always takes one of them with him, making it a rule to take a different dog each voyage, in order, as he says, ‘to give them all a foreign education ;’? home occupations pre- venting him from bestowing much time upon them when in England. Our dogs 240 LOVE OF MASTER. ee ee but not do not have this advantage, being generally or others. i ee ss "left at home during our absence, in charge eit a home. and under the tuition of an old house- keeper. ‘A remarkable instance of the power of scent was manifested by our little Maltese “Joy” dog, ‘Joey.’ Our travels are often long in could al- i : ways dis- duration, and far distant; but, however inguis : letters numerous the post-offices through which written by hismis- “ oyr letters passed, he could always tress, no matter bed : is © Entec ther distinguish them from others, evinceing were posted, great joy when allowed to smell them, and often trying to obtain possession. He was anxiously watching the postman’s knock one morning, when several letters Anumber arrived. Accidentally they all fell to of letters bane the ground. Joey took advantage of his the q Position, selected ours, and rushed off in ? peta " great glee, giving the old housekeeper a ee famous run round the garden, and then eaten most decidedly refusing to give up his eee | i prize. She was obliged to adopt the expe- last for the pedient of slipping the letter (slightly envelope. damaged) out of the envelope, and allowing LOVE OF MASTER. 241 him to retain the latter, which he carried off in triumph to his basket.” This is the same dog of whom several anecdotes have already been related, show- ing his great mental capacities. As far as I can learn, all animals have not only a capacity for the society of men, but an absolute yearning for it. This feel- A yearn- g for ing may be in abeyance, as having received human society in no development at the hands of man; but it a ani is still latent, and may be educed ie those —though atent in who are capable of appreciating the cha- some. racter of the animal. ‘Tigers, for example, are not generally considered the friends of mankind, and yet the Indian fakirs will The fakire travel about the country with tame tigers, and which they simply lead with a slight string, tigers. and which will allow themselves to be caressed by the hands of children without evincing the least disposition to make a meal of them. In the case of domestic animals, even the fc fiercest of them have this innate longing for desire the VOL. II. R 242 com- pa aP of man. They ap- preciate confi- dence, —as did “ Mess.’”’ A little girl wan ders aca the kenne of a ferocious blood- hound, —who takes charge of her, —and es- corts her and her mother home. LOVE OF MASTER. human society, and will indulge it when they have the chance. This chance gene- rally occurs by means of confidence on behalf of the human being. The animal is surprised to see some one who is not afraid of him, and so gives his confidence in re- turn, The reader will perhaps remember how that eminently ferocious ‘‘ Mess” be- came my very good friend. A somewhat case has similar just been related to me. A little girl, about two years old, wan- At last ane child was found asleep in the kennel _ dered from her nurse, and was lost. of a peculiarly savage bloodhound, named “Rob.” The dog was jealously guarding his little charge, and would let no one approach, until the mother came. She called the child, who came to her, followed by Rob. She took the child home, but Rob insisted on accompanying them; and as they went, the little girl held her mother with one hand and Rob’s child being so small, and Rob so large, that ear with the other—the LOVE OF MASTER. 243 he had to walk all the way with his head bent down. _ I have read an account, but do not recol- lect where, of a boy who went into a stable ae ey inhabited by a notorious “savage.” He did pees not know the character of the animal, gave him bread and other delicacies, and the horror of the groom may be imagined when Horror of the groom one day he found the boy and the horse at their intimacy, lying together on the floor of the stable—the boy not having the slightest idea of the —which was yet character of the horse, and the horse not Ma Mees ct on having the least intention of hurting the boy, both sides. but cherishing him as a valued companion. I have now the pleasure of giving a few A few — little histories showing the affection which signees of is often entertained for man by animals which he is not generally accustomed to consider as his companions. I have already mentioned an instance of friendship between a sheep and cows, and I now give two examples of the same attachment of sheep to man. as bS 244 LOVE OF MASTER. A pot Jamb ‘We had a pet lamb, which was fed by which was peaby the the cook. When the lamb was about six cook, weeks old, the cook became ill, and was —follows confined to bed for some days. While she her to her sick room, WAS ill, the lamb left its usual place of —lies abode, lay beneath her bed, and refused. all bed, food, although the milk was offered from zand re- the usual bottle. It did not seek nor worry the sick servant, but lay perfectly quiet under her bed. A pet ‘“A pet sheep of my late brother has sheep maine af- come to end its days with us at Bassendean. ction This sheep was the constant out-door com- panion of my brother and his niece. They wee) were, however, obliged to give up walking nuisance. with him, for he would insist on pushing © his way between them, and would not con- descend to walk on one side.” Mistaken We are rather apt to consider the goose opinion ; ; ; : concer: (including gander) as a peculiarly stupid ing the A : goose, bird, and to use its name as we do that of the ass, as a synonym for folly. Yet a greater mistake could not be made in either LOVE OF MASTER. 245 case. We have already been told of an ass —and the which his master was obliged to sell be- a cause he was too clever to be kept, and led the other animals into mischief. The same writer now tells us a story of affection se between a goose and a man. for a man, ‘“ A goose—not a gander—in the farmyard of a gentleman, was observed to take a par- ticular liking to her owner. This attach- ment was so uncommon, and so marked, paras that all about the house and in the neigh- ane bourhood took notice of it; and, conse- bovrs, quently, the people, with the propensity coe they have to give nicknames, and with the the man, sinister motive, perhaps, of expressing their sense of the weak understanding of the ame AG hi man, called him ‘Goosey.’ Alas! for his name of ‘*Goosey.”’ admirer, the goose’s true love did not yet run smooth; for her master, hearing of the He has ridicule cast upon him, to abate her fond- up ia the ; ness, insisted on her being locked up in the var fo poultry-yard. an of his ‘Well, shortly after, he goes to thoes aac the petty adjoining town, to attend petty sessions; sessions in ai: LOVE OF MASTER. a ncigh- and in the middle of his business, what ouring town, does he feel but something wonderfully —he finds warm and soft rubbing against his leg, the goose , : uunee and on looking down he saw his goose, against his i f ; ectibne with neck protruded, while quivering her pet cat. wings in the fulness of enjoyment, looking The by. up to him with unutterable fondness. This Standers laugh, and was too much for his patience or the by- the farmer kills, as he ’ é : : thinke the Standers’ good manners; for while it set goose, and : : ° : prrows her Lem wild with laughter, 1t urged him to ae a deed he should ever be ashamed cf ; for, twisting ‘his thong-whip about the goose’s neck, he swung her round and round until he supposed her dead, and then he cast her on the adjoining dung- hill. ) Atter- , ‘‘ Not very long after, Mr. Goosey was was seized seized with a very severe illness, which serious ill- : ; ° eae brought him to the verge of the grave; and —and on : recovering OU€ day, when slowly recovering, and he sees the goose sit- tin - . . ee postehis thing he saw was his goose, sitting on the window ° ° ° : andwatch- grass, and looking with intense anxiety at ing for : ° ; him, him, The effect on him was most alarming. allowed to recline in the window, the first LOVE OF MASTER. . 247 ‘“¢¢ What!’ says he, ‘is this cursed bird He was at ; ‘ first very come back to life; and am I, for my sins, to much annoyed, be haunted in this way ?’ “ of self for the love of others. It is, in fact, loving the neighbour better than one’s self. CHAPTER XV. CONJUGAL LOVE. Necessary Limits of Conjugal Love among Animals.—Non- pairing Animals.—Polygamous Animals.—Animals which pair for a Season.—Animals which pair for life.— Supply of spare Partners.—The Turtle-dove, the Eagle, and the Raven.—Conjugal Love in the Teal.—Picture of the “ Widow.”’—Conjugal Love among Fishes.—The “ Devil-fish’’ and its Fate——The Chocollito of South America.—Faithlessness, Sorrow, and Death.—Materials for Drama. S may easily be imagined, there are but Limit of . } ; ‘ r conjugal few animals in which this kind of love love. can be manifested. The greater number of species have no particular mates, but simply meet almost by chance, and never trouble themselves about each other again. Nom many : ‘ animals it real conjugal love, therefore, can exist, cannot wh ws ; : _ exist, and it is rather curious that im such ani- mals a firm friendship is often formed —thongh ear friendship between two individuals of the same sex. does exist. 256 Polygamy among animals. A sense of appropria- tion. Pairing for the season, —anda supply of spare partners. CONJUGAL LOVE. Next we come to polygamous animals, such as the stag among mammals and the domestic poultry among birds. Here is a decided advance towards conjugal love, although, as in the case of polygamous man, that love must necessarily be of a very inferior character. Here is, at all events, a sense of appropriation on either side, and, as has been already mentioned in the chapter headed “ Jealousy,” the proprietor of the harem resents any attempt on the part of another male to infringe on his privileges. Next we come to those examples where, as in many birds, a couple are mated for the nesting-season, but do not afterwards seem to care more for each other than for their broods of children. If, during the nesting-time, one of the pair be killed, the survivor, after brief lamentation, con- soles itself in a few hours with another partner. There really seems to be a supply of spare partners of both sexes always at hand; for, whether the slain bird be male CONJUGAL LOVE. 257 or female, one.of the same sex is sure to be ready to take its place. Lastly, we come to those creatures which ane are mated for life, and among them we often find as sincere conjugal love as among monogamous mankind. Prominent among them are the eagle, the raven, and the dove ; Asst well and it is remarkable that while we praise pacieee for its conjugal fidelity the turtle-dove, the lve. type of all that is sweet, good, and gentle, we entirely forget to accredit with the same virtue the eagle and the raven, types of all that is violent, dark, and cunning. There are many anecdotes in existence of the conjugal love among such birds, but, as they are so well known, I shall not refer to them, and only mention one or two with which we are not so familiar. I shall give only three instances, all of bie which show how deeply conjugal affection gota can be felt by the lower animals, and how pattner, completely the love of self is forgotten in the love of the partner. In the first of these instances, life was risked in the face VODs I, oh 258 CONJUGAL LOVE. Ue ee oe ek a eo ee ea eee ae Jif of danger, and only spared by reason Wk of forbearance; in the second, life was risked and lost; and in the third life was lost without the intervention of any ex- ternal danger. Conjugal In Hardwicke’s ‘Science Gossip” for teal. 1870, p. 36, there is an account of the teal, in which the conjugal love displayed by this bird is well shown. The writer had been duck-shooting, and had just shot a mallard, when a couple of teal sprang up, alarmed at the report. A duck “The duck, being the nearest, received nee the contents of the remaining barrel, and fell dead upon the soft mud at the very edge of the water. ‘““ While speculating upon our good luck, and putting in two fresh cartridges, the cock teal, which had flown up to the other end of the pool when his mate fell, turned back, and, after flying up and down several Her mate times with mournful notes, returned to her body, the spot whence he rose, and pitched upon the mud, close to the dead duck. Here he CON/JUGAL LOVE. 259 remained for some seconds, nodding his —which he tries te head and curtseying, as if about to take resuscitate wing, uttering a low note the while, as if to entice away the duck, whom he appeared so loth to leave. ‘“We were so struck at this manifestation ne 1fe 18 of affection that we could not find it in our peeed in nse- heart to shoot the poor bird, and, as we “uence of ) , his con- jugalaffec- tion. moved on to pick up his mate, he rose, and was soon out of range again.” Perhaps the reader may remember a beautiful paimting by Landseer, entitled ‘The Widow,” in which a similar scene tous is represented, except that it is the drake which is lying dead, and the duck which is mourning over her deceased partner. Fishes are thought to be rather prosaic Fishes not susceptible beings. They do not possess much expres- beings as a general sion of feature, at all events, to human eyes ; ™=, and their habits and their looks are, as a rule, much on a par. Yet there is at—but J : ! there are least, one instance known in which a fish, ec and that a singularly hideous one, exhi- § 2 260 The Devil-fish of the Mediter- ranean: —its size —and strength. A female devil-fish is caught in a net. CONJUGAL LOVE. bited a degree of conjugal love, which would have done honour to any human being. Inhabiting the waters of the Mediter- ranean Sea is a gigantic ray, called popu- larly the Devil-fish, and scientifically Cepha- loptera Massena. These fishes are formed. much like our common ray, but attain the most enormous dimensions, sometimes mea- suring thirty feet across the fins. The power of this fish is quite proportioned to its size. When pierced with eight or ten harpoons, and towing behind it a string of ag many boats, all pulling against it, the devil-fish has been known to drag the whole line some ten miles to sea, and finally to break lose and escape, with all the weapons still sticking in its back. The Mediterranean fishermen employ, in the capture of the tunny, a vast net, called a mandrague, which is separated into many chambers. In one of these nets, a female devil-fish contrived to entangle herself, was captured and taken ashore. She weighed CONJUGAL LOVE. 261 1,528 lbs. A male who had accompanied her, but had not got into the net, was disconsolate at her capture, and for two Her mate ; i haunted days haunted the spot where his companion tae ans or two had been captured. He wandered round 4ays, and round the nets, seeking for his lost mate, and was at last found in the man- —and was ; ; y then found drague, but dead, having died of grief. SCA At The last case is that of some little South The Cho- collitos of American parrots, called Chocollitos. They South are charming little birds, gentle, and easily Ra tamed. ‘They are among the monogamous birds, and are, as a rule, strictly faithful Raa to their marriage vows. ‘There are, how- fae ever, exceptions to most rules, and one of these is related by Froebel, in his work on South America. The traveller in question was a guest for a while in a house at Granada. In this house about twenty chocollitos were Twenty kept; and, as they were all brought to the collitos house when very young, they did not form their matrimonial attachments until after 262 —are mated, and live happily, —except one pair, of which the female roved faithless. The male discovers his loss, —pined away, an died of vrief. See the history of the Mandarin duck. CONJUGAL LOVE. eo hs ie AI STS their arrival. Perhaps among them the sexes were not equally divided, so as to ensure each bird a mate ; but the sad fact was, that, after one pair had entered the — marriage state, another male made love to the wife. The lady was weak, and yielded to the solicitations of the too fascinating lover. The result was, according to Froebel’s own words, as follows:—‘‘ When the hus- band understood the whole extent of his misfortune, and after he had made the last unsuccessful attempt to bring his faithless companion back to the path of duty, the unhappy creature, heart-broken by his wrongs, took his lonely seat on the perch on which he had passed happier nights, closely pressed to the side of his partner, refused to eat or drink, and one morning was found dead on the floor below.” The reader may compare this narrative with that of the Mandarin duck, narrated on page 94. In both cases there was strong conjugal love; but in the former the CONJUGAL LOVE. 263 lady was faithful, and her husband avenged himself on the disturber of his domestic peace; while, in the latter, the lady was frail, and the husband died of a broken heart. Both narratives are wonderfully human, and each could furnish the plots Materials of a sensational drama. drama. CHAPTER XVI. | PARENTAL LOVE. Absence of Filial Love among Animals.—Analogy with Human Beings.—The Savage and his Parents.—Parental Love among Animals.—The ‘Storgé’’ of Theorists.— Identity of the Feeling in Animals and Man.—Endurance of Parental Love in the Animals.—Exceptions to the | general Rule.—A Cat and two Generations of Kittens.— My own Cat and her Young.—The Dog “ Georgie”’ and her Daughter.—Abnegation of Self—The Flycatcher and my Cat.—A released Prisoner and joyous Escape.—A courageous Swallow.—Redbreast and Viper.—Passive Courage in a Partridge.—The Whale and her Young.—A Duck’s Journey, and Rescue of her Young. Do Animals have Names in their own Language ?—The Mystery of Parental Love in Birds.—Love and Intellect.—Parental Love among Fishes.—The Stickleback and its Nest.— Apparent Reversion of Parental Love.—The Pipe-fishes and Sea-horses.—The Cursorial Birds and their Eggs.—A brave Spider.—Comparison between Man and Animals. EFORE beginning this subject, I can- Filial love not but remark the apparently singular apparently : absent in’ fact that, whereas among the lower animals the lower animals. We find so many instances of the love of PARENTAL LOVE. 265 parents towards their offspring, we see so few, if, deed, any trustworthy accounts of the Filial Love, or love of children towards their parents. Yet the same Bree analogy prevails in this as in other cases which have already come before us, and we must look to man if we wish to under- stand the lower animals. Even human nature must be highly developed before filial love can find any place in the affec- tions. In the savages it barely exists at aa all, and certainly does not survive into savage mature years. Wn Take, for example, even such fine speci- mens of the savage, as the North American The | Indian and the Fijian. The idea of being a subject to their parents never enters their Tiare heads; still less does the idea of loving them. It is the glory of a North American Indian Insubordi- nation of boy, at as early an age as possible, to despise boys en- couraged. his mother and defy his father. And the i women are just as bad as the men. They, rejoicing in the pride of youth and strength, utterly despise the elder and feeble women, 266 PARENTAL LOVE. Neglect of even though they be their own mothers, old women bythe and will tear out of their hands the food young, which they are about to eat, on the plea that old women are of no use, and that the —evento food will be much better employed in starvation. nice! nourishing the young and the strong. Then, if the tribe be on the move, and those who are old and infirm are felt to be hindrances, they settle the matter by Abandon- leaving them behind. They just salve ment of peanorm their consciences by building a_ slight travelling, shelter of sticks and boughs, lighting a fire, and leaving a little water and food. But they know perfectly well that before another sun has set there will be nothing left of their victims but the bones, the —and wolves having made short work of them leaving ’ A them to as soon as the tribe was out of sight. The the wolves. forsaken make no complaints, neither do The aban- those who press forward expect a better doned had done the fate; and hence it is that they all wish same themselves rather to fall in battle than to die a natural Setia death, after feeling themselves a burden better. to all around them. PARENTAL LOVE. 267 The charming little episode in ‘ Robin- son Crusoe,” where Friday finds and re- joices over his father, is a very pretty piece of writing, but quite out of accordance with the repulsive reality of savage life. As to the Fijians, they have not the least Burying a father scruple in burying a father alive when he alive, and strangling begins to be infirm, and assist in strangling 4 mother. a mother so that she may keep him com- pany. With regard to the Bosjesmen of South Africa and the ‘black fellows” of Australia, I very much doubt whether Among e very they ever have possessed the least idea that Lee vag there is any duty was owing to a parent from a oneal child. Nor have they much notion of duty (iy Po" from a parent towards the child. The father is just as likely as not to murder his child — parents urdering as soon as it is born—perhaps rather more ee otis likely than not; and if he be angry with * phteed any one for any reason, he has a way of yocation.. relieving his feelings by driving his spear through his wife or child, whichever hap- pens to be nearest. Even the mother treats her child rather 208 PARENTAL LOVE. Even the worse than a cow treats her calf, and leaves mothers Ae the tiny creature to shift for itself at an age eir Chll- dren ata when the children of civilised parents can very early a scarcely be trusted to pass a quarter of an hour alone. This being the case with parental love, eT it may be easily imagined that filial affec- to be tion can have but little opportunity of wantingin development, and JI very much doubt thesavage. whether in the true savage it really exists at all in the sense in which we under- stand it. By ana- As, therefore, we find that in the lower ogy, there- fore, we human races filial love either is very cannot ex- ties a ; | atts pect to trifling, or is absolutely non-existent, we etn id need not wonder that in the lower animals we find but few, if any, indications of its presence. Parental We now proceed to the subject of this chapter, namely PARENTAL LOVE, and the various modes in which it develops itself. There are many writers who assert that parental love in the lower animals is not PARENTAL LOVE. 269 identical with that of man. They say that ott it is only a sort of blind instinct, and, m order to mark more strongly the distinc- Attempt to tion between man and beast, call the ola parental love of the latter by the name of them. “storgé.” For myself, I really fail to see any distinction between the two, except that in civilised man the parental love is better regulated than among the lower They only iffer in animals. But, as we have already seen, the amount of among the uncivilised races it is not tesulaton. regulated at all, and, indeed, many of the beasts are far better parents than most savages. Neither can I understand why the word The word ‘“storeé ” should be applied to parental love applied by among the lower animals, and not to the notonly to same feeling in man. The word is used mals by Greek writers, together with the verb from which it is formed, to signify the love. between human parents and children. —but to For example, in Plato we have the term a used for mutual love between parents and children—‘‘ The child loves, and is 270 PARENTAL LOVE. loved by its parents;” and the same word is used in the same sense in several passages of Sophocles and other writers. Relative One argument which is always employed endurance of parental by those who deny the identity of the feel- ing in both cases is, that parental love endures throughout life in man, while in the lower animals it expires with the adolescence of the young. This statement is partly, but not entirely, true. As a —in rule, it is true with civilised man; but, civilised man, the ag I have already shown, the parental love savage, and the of a savage does not last longer than that of a bird, a cat, or a dog, taking into con- sideration the relative duration of life. And the reason is the same in both cases. Reasons Were parental love to exist through life in or 108 early ex- the savage, the bird, or the beast, the race tinction in the savage would soon become extinct. Neither is beast. able to support their children longer than Inability their time of helplessness. The beast and 0 provide P ‘ spt Blake bird cannot, and the savage will not, provide for the future, and if the young PARENTAL LOVE. 271 had to depend upon their parents for sub- sistence they would soon perish of hunger. There are, however, exceptions to this A few ex- general rule, and always, as far as I can thogeneral see, in domesticated animals whose means of subsistence are already ensured. Several of such cases have lately come before my notice. One hag been already narrated under a different heading, 7.e. “Sympathy,” p. 175, where some traits of two cats, ae a mother and daughter, are recorded. [I the car. here present the reader with another anec- dote of parental love surviving adolescence. Parental It is a very remarkable story, because we a see, in the first place, the usual law prevail- cence, ing, and the once-favourite child driven Roam away in anticipation of a new family. That family having perished, the original pa- rental love resumed its sway, and the very child which she had angrily expelled from her presence was recalled, and all the Ree treasures of her maternal tenderness poured mined. out upon him. ‘A cat, long an inmate of this house, A cat is allowed to rear one kitten ; —which thrives, and —isa great favourite with its mother, _ jealousy whenever —who suddenly takes a dislike to her child, —and drives it away, —pro- bably with PARENTAL LOVE. kittened this spring, and one of her off- spring, a Tom, being given her to rear, she proved a most fond and_solicitous mother. The kitten grew and throve, and soon became a very fine and playful young cat. The maternal feelings were con- stantly developed, the mother calling it, licking it, sharing and promoting its frolics, and exhibiting the tenderest anxiety and any strange person approached. ‘“‘In the midst of this exuberant affec- tion a change passed over the cat, and the young one suddenly became the object of hate and irritation to the formerly loving mother. She would not allow it to approach her; and if it only dared to look at her, she would spit and hiss and fly at it, be- coming absolutely savage when she found it near her. ‘““It soon became evident that there instinctive would be another litter of kittens, and prescience of harm. this sudden change of manner was pro- bably instinctive on the part of the cat, PARENTAL LOVE. 273 who found herself unable to join in the usual gambols. “One day, however, a second revulsion Her affe- of feeling took place; she called her first- daly re- turns, born in the most tender and yearning tones, and tried to entice it up-stairs with her. She was so anxious to have her son with —and she restores her, that she even tried to drag him up- her son into favour stairs by the neck as she used to do when he was a little kitten. | ‘“Two days afterwards, the second family She has was born, and all of them met a watery frm, death. The cat did not seem to miss or downed, regret her lost young, but took back her Res. first-born in their place. Though as large her son in as its mother, it at once resumed all the aerny’ habits of its infancy, sucking as it had been accustomed todo. The mother licked and vic caressed if, just as if it had been a new- ‘natin born kitten, and displayed the greatest bie) anxiety when the postman or any stranger eed approached. The young Tom still con- tinues to suck, though he has caught many mice and eaten them.” VOL. I, At 274 PARENTAL LOVE. Asimilar A very similar event occurred last year occurrence ames (1873) in my own house. My cat, called by the children ‘“ Duckie,” had a family, out of which two were saved. These grew to be cats, and, in the ordinary course of events, were sent off by their mother. In the meanwhile a new family arrived, but, pe ier as we already had three cats in the house, O 1ttens being they were at once dismissed from a world abolished, in which there was no place for them. Sand two Their mother immediately took the two a cats taken in former kittens into favour; and the oddest their stead. thing was, that she treated them exactly as if they had been tiny helpless kittens a few days old. Compari- Her conduct reminded me very much of son with yng that which we often see in parents, espe- eng’, cially if they live with or near their ee children. They really cannot understand conduct of that a man of forty, or a woman of thirty, parents are anything more than children, and are ereatly discomposed whenever these elderly children venture to think or act for them- —and old ; . servants. selves. It is the same with old servants ; PARENTAL LOVE. 275 and there are many parents of large families, who to the old nurse remain ‘Master Tommy” or ‘Miss Emily” to the end of the chapter. The next anecdote relates to the dog, and Parental shows that in a civilised dog, so to speak, ay. parental affection can endure as in a civi- lised human being. ‘‘My dog, ‘ Georgie’ (short for Georgina), A dog and has a daughter, named ‘Poppie,’ whose daughter father was a collie, she herself being a retriever. People said that it was not safe to keep a mongrel of that description, but experience has proved the mistake. ‘““She is now (1873) five years old, and retain the affection which exists between mother pee ae and daughter is really beautiful. They always sit close together, and Georgie playfully pinches her daughter all over. If they have been separated by any chance, —and al- ways wel- the daughter comes up wagging her tail, come each ; o ° d other after and then licks her mother’s nose and 2 tempo- rary sepa- mouth ration. tT 2 a: PARENTAL LOVE. They go, “Sometimes they go out rabbit-hunting out rapdpit- faana together, and always act in concert. Hach ogether, of them takes an opposite side of a whin- bush, and one keeps watch while the other and gserapes. They perfectly comprehend the communi- ae mah meaning of each whine or bark, and no two eac. otner in | ladies could understand their own language own guage, better than did these dogs, or be more companionable to each other.” showing Here is also another proof of the fact that they pen cee that animals have a language of their own emnite ideas to by means of which they can convey definite each other. ideas to each other, nearly, if not quite, as well as we can do with the aid of words. Abnega- One of the most beautiful characteristics 10n O self of parental love is the utter abnegation of self which it gives. This is chiefly shown —in pre when the young are in danger. A human danger, mother in charge of her child will defy a danger before which she would shrink if alone, and in defence of her offspring will dare deeds of which most strong men would be incapable. For the time her selfhood is PARENTAL LOVE. rely. extinguished, and her very being is merged —the self into that of the child; and rather than a for the time ex- hair of that child’s head should be touched, tinct, and her she would calmly consent to endure the worst being merged in tortures that could be inflicted upon her. eee ea Indeed, if she would not do so, she would she will dure en. be no true mother, and would degrade her- pain without self below the beasts and the birds, who murmur, have no hesitation in performing that duty to their offspring, though savanis do say that they only possess ‘“‘storge,” whatever —whether they may mean by it, and not parental to man oF love. I will now give a few instances of the marvellous courage inspired by parental tna love in the lower animals. Every one who has paid even a passing rea attention to the habits of birds must have catcher, noticed that the spotted fly-catcher has a —and ita habit of selecting some favourite perch, pony which it frequents from day to day, scarcely yeas ever changing its haunts. From its coign of vantage it keeps anxious watch around, aa q and when it sees an insect on the wing, puns dashes off, captures it, and returns with its 278 PARENTAL LOVE. prey to its perch. It may possibly catch insects when they are not on the wing, but I never knew a fly-catcher do so. Ayoung In my garden there is a young mulberry- mulberry- ’ . f ‘ 5 ee my tree, which is highly prized, having been garden sent specially from Japan, and being the only survivor of six, the others being all killed by nocturnal cats, who found the stems exactly suitable for sharpening their —is found claws. Of course the young tree was Oo DE € spot watched with exceeding care, and it was perch o a ily- . soon seen to become the favourite perch of a spotted fly-catcher. Attra The bird followed the. usual customs of bird’s its kin, but after a while it began to act in move- ments be- q very strange manner, fluttering backwards come very ronark- and forwards between the house and the tree, chirping in a loud and distressed tone, and evidently possessed by anger as well as —andare fear, The cause of its extraordinary action evidently . caused by was soon seen to be a cat, which was —who was crouching in front of the ventilation-aper- watchin . a ventila- Migue a ture of the ground floor, and apparently watching something behind the bars. The PARENTAL LOVE. 279 bird tried in vain to draw off the cat’s The bira attacks the attention, fluttering so closely that I feared sah . ue 1SK O er lest pussy should strike it down, and even lie, at times pecking at the animal’s tail. On removing the cat, a young bird was —in de- fence of a seen within the grating, evidently the off- ene ie spring of the fly-catcher. These birds have ns mag a way of building their nests in very odd places, and I surmise that in the present case the parents must have made their way through a hole under the steps, and so have reached the ventilating-shaft. As soon as the cat had been removed, the The cat emg re- mother-bird, regardless of my presence, flew moved, the mother to the grating and began to feed the young beeen one. She then went off to a little distance Y""® and called her offspring. The poor little and tries get it bird did all in its power to get through the into Ate bars, fluttering its wings and answering its a mother with piteous chirps. I felt quite res uneasy about them both, for the cat was sure to come back again, and the mother was so bold and reckless in her assaults that I feared for her life; and if she had 280 PARENTAL LOVE. —which been killed, the young one must have died would havein- of hunger. volved ae 4 her §o I tried to see whether the young bird was sufficiently fledged to use its wings, as in that case it might be let out; but it was se pee so timid that it retreated into the darkness timid, © as soon as I approached, and would not let me examine it. An opera-glass, how- ever, overcame the difficulty, and, finding Ae that the young bird was fully fledged, I s uy cut away one of the bars so as to leave Ataris & passage, and went to some little dis- the grate, tance. The mother, who was anxiously watching me from the roof of an outbuilding, went at —when once to the spot, and, after much calling, the mother , t coaxes induced her offspring to come out of the cea aperture which had been made for it. The delight of the two was beautiful to see ; but the mother evidently had the cat in her mind, and did not mean to waste any time in placing her child in safety. So she induced it by degrees to follow her up the branches of an apricot-tree, and thence to PARENTAL LOVE. 281 the roof of the house, where even a cat —and then to the could not follow. roof of the house. In his ‘“ Birds of Ireland,” vol. 1. page 115, Thompson relates an anecdote of a Another anecdote spotted fly-catcher. It had chosen for its on tbs Hyg resting-place the unglazed window of an outhouse at Beechmount, and had there Tanaey built a nest ‘which was so composed of outhouse, cobwebs inside and outside that no. other material was visible. From its choice of this fragile building substance, the spotted fly-catcher is called ‘cobweb-bird’ in some parts of England. On the nest alluded to being approached, when it contained young, the parent bird was very bold, flying angrily —and in ‘ : , : defence of at the intruder, uttering shrill cries, and i young attacKke roaching him so near that it might any one eke 4 8 8 who ap- almost have been struck with his hand.” —_Preached, The same writer mentions that the spotted fly-catcher is equally bold towards other birds, beating away all which dare to ap- Rai proach their nest. It is perhaps worthy of away other notice that, in the instance which I myself observed, I did not once see the male bird; 282 PARENTAL LOVE. possibly he may have fallen a victim to the cat. Maternal The swallow is equally courageous in courag . , theswal- defence of her nest. Some little time azo, low. there was a swallow’s nest in the porch of the rectory at Adisham—the bird being, of course, carefully protected. Not knowing A nest of the nest, I happened to be standing near aporch, the porch, and was much annoyed by a swallow, which persisted in flying round and round, uttering its shrill screaming cries, and occasionally darting close to my —uneas face. . It was not until some little time boldness had elapsed that I suspected the cause of mother the bird’s behaviour, and then, on looking in de- round, saw the nest and the young in an heryoung, angle of the porch. —the love In all these cases, the bird had no hesita- of o spring = flon_ In matching itself against foes from ove powering which it would have shrunk in terror had oflite. not the love of offspring overpowered the love of life. It does not in the least matter what the foe may be, the parent attacking PARENTAL LOVE. 283 the most powerful enemy with as little hesitation as if the relative proportions of size and strength were reversed. Can a material projectile affect life P tee be eae a the s of aes THE FUTURE STATE. appalling strains in the great drama of life, that terrible structure of animal life is as harmless as a marble statue, and is soon decomposed by the chemical elements which surround it. ‘For an hour after its departure the carcase remains warm and pliable. LEvery limb is perfect, not a muscle of the body is injured; only the organ of will 1s unstrung, and the spiritual operator departed. And such an operator! Is his knowledge obli- terated ? Has a leaden missile annihilated a decree of the Almighty, and decomposed a celestial volition?—or has it only re- leased an immortal soul from the prison- house of a terrestrial body, and given it a passport to the sublime joy of its eternal existence ?”” In the last sentence the writer has touched upon the central idea of this book, namely, the possession by animals of an immortal soul. The reader may re- mark that in Vol. I. page 29, I have cited the important passage of Ecclesiastes, THE. FOTORE STATE: 335 in which a spirit is assigned to the beasts —as men- tioned in as well as to man. Now, the very fact ele s1astes. that man can transmit his ideas to the _ lower animals is a proof that they must possess a spirit which is able to com- municate with the spirit of man. When, ) Obedience for example, a man gives an order to fers the his dog, and is obeyed, he affords a proof of 4 epi that both possess spirits, similar in qua- lity, though differing in degree. To give No order is obeyed an order to a plant would be useless and apo ecause 1 absurd, because the plant has no spirit bas He spiri which can respond to the spirit of the man. But the spirit of the dog can and does respond to the spirit of the man,— —ana cannot and the two will equally live, each on its pana € spirit proper plane, after the earthly body has of man. been resolved into its elements. One of our own poets has rightly said— “Man never dies; the body dies from off him; ”’ and this is equally true of man and beast. Neither The change which we call death is but beast dic. a more rapid disengagement of the spirit 336 THE FUTURE STATE. a The bey from the body than that which is perpe- ea tually taking place. The body is un- spirit, ceasingly separating itself from the spirit, and whether in the waking or sleeping hours the earthly particles which the spirit has accreted around itself are constantly rand we being thrown off. In fact, the death of daily.” the body is ever with us, and is a necessary concomitant of the temporary connection between the immortal spirit and the ma- terial world. We now advance one more step. Spiritand We all know that spirit cannot act matter. ; s directly upon matter, and vce versa. The earthly eye, for example, cannot see The senses Spiritual objects. But the spiritual eye, due to the spiritand which gives force and potency to the no fesh. optic nerves of the material eye, can do so if the outer veil of flesh be for a while removed. Take, for example, a few es atee instances of such extended vision as given in the Scriptures. First, there is the case of Elisha’s servant, whose spiritual LHE FUTURE STATE. 337 eyes were opened, ~.e., enabled to pierce ee D through the veil of the flesh, and who the Old was enabled to see the hosts of spiritual beings by whom the place was surrounded. Similarly, when the shepherds saw the eat, angels who announced the birth of Christ, taments. and when the three apostles saw Moses. and Elijah, they saw these spiritual beings with the eye of the spirit, and not with that of the flesh. There are, as we know, many persons The living who cannot believe that, as they put it, dead. the living should be able to see the dead. Neither do I believe it. But as the spirit lives, though the material body no longer enclose it, surely there can be no difficulty in believing that the living spirit within The spirit an earthly body may see a living spirit spirit, which has escaped from its material garment. We do not doubt that after the death of the body the spirit will live and see other spirits similarly freed from earth, ciahibe ir and it is no very great matter that the > pce living should see the living, though one VOL. Il. Z 338 Tf animals possess THE FUTURE STATE. be still enshrined in its earthly tabernacle, and the other released from it. This being granted—and it is not very much to grant—it necessarily follows that if the lower animals possess spirit, they spirit, they may be capable of spiritual as well as ma- can see spiritually. The story of Balaam, —and the inference to be drawn from it, terial vision. That they do possess this power, and that it can be exercised, is shown by the story of Balaam. There we find it definitely stated, not only that the ass saw the angel, but that she saw him long before her master did. Now, the angel, being a spiritual being, could only be seen with the spiritual eye; and it therefore follows that, unless the story be completely false, the animal possessed a spirit, and saw with the eye of that spirit. I should think that none who believe in the truth of the Holy Scriptures (and I again remind the reader that this book is only intended for those who do so), could doubt that here is a case which proves that the spirit of the ass was capable THE FUTURE STATE. 339 of seeing and fearing the spiritual angel. Bastia, And if that be granted, I do not see pacha how any one can doubt that the spirit which saw the angel partook of his im- a thes mortality, just as her outward eye, which beast, saw material objects, partook of their mor- tality. Shortly afterwards, the eyes of the prophet were opened, and he also saw —and the the angel; but it must be remembered that hit, the eyes of the beast had been opened first, and that she, her master, and the angel met for the time in the same spiritual plane. I haye for a long time had in my posses- A modern parallel to sion a letter from a lady, in which she ee narrates a personal adventure which has a singularly close resemblance to the Scrip- tural story of Balaam. It had been told me immediately after I threw out my “ feeler ”’ in the ‘Common Objects of the Country.” As I had at that time the intention of some fl vindicating the immortality of the lower ae animals, I requested the narrator to write suthenti it, so that I might possess the statement authenticated in her own handwriting. Ae: 340 A favour- ite cat —rests upon the lap of her mistress, —in a room illu- mined by a cheerful fire. The va- cant chair near the fire-place. THE FUTURE STATE. At the time of the occurrence, the lady and her mother were living in an old country chateau in France. ‘Tt was during the winter of 18— that one evening I happened to be sitting by the side of a cheerful fire in my bedroom, busily engaged in caressing a favourite cat—the illustrious Lady Catharine, now, alas! no more. She lay ina pensive attitude and a winking state of drowsiness in my lap. “ Although my room might be without | candles, it was perfectly illuminated by the light of the fire. There were two doors— one behind me, leading into an apartment which had been locked for the winter, and another on the opposite side of the room, which communicated with the passage. ‘¢ Mamma had not left me many minutes, and the high-backed, old-fashioned arm- chair, which she had occupied, remained vacant at the opposite corner of the fire- place. Puss, who lay with her head on my arm, became more and more sleepy, and I pondered on the propriety of preparing for bed. THE FUTURE STATE. 34] aU Saeed ‘Of a sudden I became aware that some- ga thing had affected my pet’s equanimity. uneasy, The purring ceased, and she exhibited rapidly increasing symptoms of uneasiness. I bent down, and endeavoured to coax her into quietness; but she instantly struggled —anathen terrified at to her feet in my lap, and spitting vehe- ene mently, with back arched and tail swollen, call F she assumed a mingled attitude of terror and defiance. ‘The change in her position obliged me to raise my head; and on looking up, to my The vacant inexpressible eae I then perceived that chair is a little, hideous, wrinkled old hag occupied occupied mamma’s chair. Her hands were rested on an cld her knees, and her body was stooped for- ward so as to bring her face in close prox- imity with mine. Her eyes, plercingly fierce and shining with an overpowering lustre, were stedfastly fixed on me. It was as if a fiend were glaring at me through them. Her dress and general appearance Gare denoted her to belong to the French dour- use in geowste; but those eyes, so wonderfully B42 The nar- rator is paralyzed with fear, —while the cat.is roused to frantic energy, —and en- deavours to escape, THE FUTURE STATE. large, and in their expression so intensely wicked, entirely absorbed, my senses, and precluded any attention to detail. 1 should | have screamed, but my breath was gone whilst that terrible gaze so horribly fasci- nated me: I could neither withdraw my eyes nor rise from my seat. ‘“‘T had meanwhile been trying to keep a tight hold on the cat, but she seemed reso- lutely determined not to remain in such ugly neighbourhood, and after some most desperate efforts at length succeeded in escaping from my grasp. Leaping over tables, chairs, and all that came in her way, she repeatedly threw herself, with frightful violence, against the top panel of the door which communicated with the disused room. Then, returning in the same frantic manner, she furiously dashed against the door on the opposite side. “My terror was divided, and I looked by turns, now at the old woman, whose ereat staring eyes were constantly fixed on me, and now at the cat, who was becoming THE FUTURE STATE. 343 every instant more frantic. At last the —having dreadful idea that the animal had gone mad os : had the effect of restoring my breath, and I screamed loudly. ‘““Mamma ran in immediately, and the cat, on the door opening, literally sprang over her head, and for upwards of half an hour ran up and down stairs as if pursued. I turned to point to the object of my terror: The ter- it was gone. Under such circumstances the ates lapse of time is difficult to appreciate, but pears. I should think that the apparition lasted about four or five minutes. ‘Some time afterwards it transpired that a former proprietor of the house, a woman, Suicide. had hanged herself in that very room.” The close but evidently unsuspected. re- Uncon- semblance of this narrative to the story of genre Balaam is worthy of notice. In both cases Sorptoal we have the remarkable fact that the animal was the first to see the spiritual being, and to show by its terrified actions that it had done so. 344 THE FUTURE STATE. Epilogue. THERE are but a few words to be said by way of epilogue. Objections Some of the objections that have been mortality made to the future life of the lower animals 18) e dower agg aye already been mentioned, but there are two others which I must briefly notice. One is that, if all created beings are to Want of live eternally in heaven, there would not be e — xoom for them. I feel almost ashamed even to mention such an absurd notion, but as it has been put forward by several persons I feel bound to notice it. —which | The answer is self-evident. In the first does not existinthe place, in the spiritual world space and time world. do not exist; and even if they did, surely God can create space, if He has need of it. Debasing Lhe second objection is, that by granting — ney! immortality to the animals we lower the ates condition of humanity; but if the animals be immortal there is surely no use in de- nying it. We cannot shirk a fact, and even if we could we ought not to do so. Such an argument, moreover, is not very credit- able to humanity, for it seeks to elevate THE FUTURE STATE. 345 = ae i ENO Rtas ee Sa GS de man by depreciating his fellow-creatures of a lower order. In announcing my belief that the lower there will animals share immortality with man in cane between the next world, as they share mortality in eee this, I do not claim for them the slightest equality. Man will be man, and beast will be beast, and insect will be insect, in the next world as in this. They are living ex- ponents of Divine ideas, as is evident from et the Holy Scriptures, and will be wanted to: wanted continue in the world of spirit the work sina which they have begun in the world of matter. But, though I do not claim for them the Summary. slightest equality with man, I do claim for them a higher status in creation than is generally attributed to them; I do claim for them a future life in which they can be compensated for the sufferings which so many of them have to undergo in this world; and I do so chiefly because I am quite sure that most of the cruelties which — are perpetrated on the animals are due 34.6 THE FUTURE STATE. a RD SN ee oO ee to the habit of considering them as mere machines, without susceptibilities, without reason, and without the capacity of a future. THE END. LONDON: PRINTED BY VIRTUE AND CO., CITY ROAD. Lear aii i ap pate Th ii Ry ays Piieos 7758 ites "Se > Naat teas ecihes DEE ee - et Me eek... SSE [aaron ieee ie Me t ' i GAYLORD PRINTEDINU.SIA | Spe am 2 ew enn een thar Y ra ase SS =e Deere et ae ed Be pren =e ~~ = = ae ea re a wi a ee ee at = vi moet” St bh % , - ae ¥ i °. ¥ : 5 sage “ dato os eds athitn salen Sitte Ml eves teabSetasS c Fy i . 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