The Goat as a Foster-Mother. 249 



new kids as her own. These should not, however, be 

 left with her the first time, but removed as soon as they 

 have had a sufficient quantity of milk, the goat being 

 held by the horns or head-stall while the kids suck, and 

 only released and allowed to stand free when she no 

 longer shows any opposition. Should any milk be left 

 by the kids it must of course be drawn by hand. After 

 a few attempts it will be noticed that the goat looks 

 forward to the appearance of the kids to relieve her of 

 her milk, and by the maternal expression of her face 

 when they are sucking will readily show that her feelings 

 towards them have undergone a change, after which they 

 may be left together. 



A goat will occasionally take to other kids willingly, 

 and of her own accord, though such cases are not common. 

 A remarkable instance of the kind came under my 

 observation some years ago, which shows that these 

 animals have their sympathies like human beings. This 

 goat, which belonged to Mr. B. Ravenscroft, of St. 

 Albans, had given birth to two kids ; but the maternal 

 instinct in the animal seemed so imperfectly developed 

 that she not only refused to allow her young to suck, but 

 even maltreated them whenever they approached her. 

 Another goat in the same stable, which had kidded some 

 eight weeks previously, but whose kids had died a few 

 days after birth, seemed to take pity on these ill-used 

 little ones, and by her sympathetic bleatings encouraged 

 them to come to her for the nourishment their own dam 

 refused to give them. And not only this, but she 

 evidenced the disgust she felt at the unmotherly conduct 

 of the other goat by punishing her with her horns 

 whenever the latter attempted to butt at the kids. The 

 strangest part of the affair, however, consisted in the fact 

 that this benevolently-disposed animal was out of con- 

 dition at the time, and yielding scarcely any milk, so that 



