DOMESTIC ANIMALS 335 



ANIMALS VALUED AS PETS 



Besides the animals just described there is another class valued 

 principally as pets or companions. This list includes dogs, cats, 

 squirrels, rabbits, guinea pigs, song birds, etc. 



Dogs. These animals have been the companions of man 

 from the earliest times and have always been highly esteemed. 

 The leading varieties are the shepherd dog, the bull dog, the 

 mastiff, the St. Bernard, the Newfoundland, the pointer, the 

 Scotch collie, the English setter, the Irish setter, the retriever, 

 the Italian greyhound, the deerhound, English foxhound, the 

 field spaniel, the terriers, the Chinese chow chow, the French 

 poodle, and others. 



Cats. The domestication of the cat took place at a very 

 early period, and mention of its first connection with man is 

 found in the ancient monuments of Egypt, Babylon, and Nineveh. 

 Among the Egyptians, cats were worshiped as sacred animals and 

 they were inmates of certain temples. 



The principal long-haired cats include the Angora, Persian, Chi- 

 nese, and Indian families of cats. Other prominent breeds are 

 the Maltese, the royal cat of Siam, the Manx cat, and the common 

 short-haired or western cat of various shades and colors. 



Squirrels. The common red squirrel and the gray squirrel if 

 captured while young and reared by hand become quite tame 

 and gentle. 



Rabbits. European rabbits, of which there are many breeds, 

 and Belgian hares, are raised as pets for children. 



Guinea Pigs. These animals are small rodents or gnawing 

 animals, and their native country is Brazil. They are of various 

 colors and are about the size of a large rat, but their bodies are 

 shorter and more blocky. 



BEES 



In many parts of our country bee keeping may be made a 

 very profitable side line in farming. Especially is this true 

 where there is an abundance of honey-yielding blossoms. White, 

 clover, Alsike clover, sweet clover, alfalfa, Spanish needle, bass- 

 wood, raspberry, sourwood, white sage, aster, blueberry, horse 

 mint, wild pennyroyal, black mangrove, holly, poplar, chestnut, 



