SOME PECULIAR PETS 255 



extraordinary individuality. Their cats do 

 things no cat was ever before known to do ; 

 their parrots and other birds show what we 

 call human nature in a wonderful degree, and 

 their dogs almost talk. The reason is plain : 

 the animal or bird is made one of the family; 

 it is talked to and petted as well as cared for ; 

 its intelligence develops, and the beast be- 

 comes very like the human being. Watched 

 with loving eyes, the actions of the pet are 

 understood and responded to, and one is sur- 

 prised to see almost a common language es- 

 tablished between the two races. It is a won- 

 derful and beautiful study, and that family has 

 more pleasure and real companionship with 

 its pets than any other I know. 



The least attractive of the animal world for 

 pets are the reptiles, yet boys especially appear 

 to dote upon them ; possibly they are the easi- 

 est to secure. Where is the boy who never 

 kept a turtle ? very uncomfortably, too, as a 

 rule. If these unresponsive, cold-blooded fel- 

 lows must be kept, they should at least be 

 made as comfortable as possible. To be strict- 

 ly just, too, though reptiles are harder to 

 understand than the races more near to us in 



