68 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



would stand for a few moments, touching noses, 

 which is the horse's way of kissing or expressing 

 affection. They would then go quietly back together 

 to the others and begin grazing side by side. 



This book has birds for its subject, and we shall 

 get to something about them by-and-by: just now 

 I want to emphasise the fact of a feeling and union 

 among animals generally, which is in its nature 

 identical with what we call friendship in human 

 beings. The fact is more readily accepted when we 

 treat of mammals, just because they suckle their 

 young and have hair instead of feathers to clothe 

 them. We, evolutionists think, were hairy too in 

 our far past, and some mammals, like ourselves, have 

 lost their hairy covering. That some animals are 

 capable of a strong affection for a human being 

 or master is a fact familiar to everyone; we think 

 instantly of the dog in this connection; the dog 

 is indeed commonly described as the "Friend of 

 Man," but if the description implies a superiority in 

 this respect it is certainly unjust to other species. 



An acquaintance of mine keeps a timber wolf as a 

 pet — the biggest, most powerful, probably the most 

 ferocious of all the numerous varieties of that terrible 

 beast. Yet his owner assures me that his wolf is as 

 much attached to him as any dog could be to a man, 

 that he would trust him as he would the most in- 

 telligent, affectionate, and gentlest - mannered dog. 

 Though so big, this wolf is privileged to lie on the 

 hearthrug at his feet, and if there are children about 

 they are permitted to sit on or roll over him, to pull 



