1 8 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



at a load. And so it is with other animals. Sometimes it is 

 beauty of form and then again a quality quite dissociated from 

 it. We would scarcely say that the lamb of a few days has beauty 

 of form. Its thick, stubby legs are all out of proportion; and yet 

 the lamb is a favorite with the artist. How careful he is to 

 portray that peculiarly playful and innocent expression which 

 only lambs can have, and which so redeems their ill proportions 

 that we are tempted to smile at them with good humored in- 

 dulgence. These attractive characteristics are not peculiar to 

 domestic animals only. What is more appealing than a little 

 racoon? I well remember two young ones strolling side by side 

 into our front lawn on the farm. A description of those furry 

 little lumps as they toddled along the path toward the house is 

 quite beyond me. Their sharply pointed noses, agreeably setting 

 off their plump little cheeks did full justice to their still innocent, 

 though cunning eyes, not to mention the good natured set of 

 their broad, pointed ears. 



Similarly many other examples could be given but time does 

 not permit. Let us consider the ways of these animals. In 

 their playful moods they often arrest us in our work. We are 

 amused by their antics. We may smile or even laugh and we 

 go about our task the happier for our experience. On the other 

 hand, however, they often possess characteristics that by no 

 means amuse us, nay rather the reverse, and right here let me 

 tell you that a contemplative sense of humor may save the day 

 and bring forth a smile instead of an imprecation, may cultivate 

 in us strong and beautiful traits instead of making us servile, 

 weak and ridiculous. One example will suffice to illustrate my 

 point and I shall give it almost verbatim, as expressed by a local 

 lover of nature. I cannot improve on it. 



"Cows certainly think, but only when they have the proper 

 environment. They don't think all over the place like college 

 professors and eminent people generally. Cows can spend days 

 and days without thinking, but when the conditions are right 

 they think unutterable things, and the object that inspires them 

 to their loftiest flights is a gate. You have only to look at them 

 and notice the awful solemnity of their magnificent eyes to know 

 they are not thinking of any ordinary matter like the beef trust, 

 or the high cost of hay. But it is not enough to have a cow see 



