OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



INTRODUCTION 



Our subject is inexhaustible. From the boy 

 who believes that his clog knows as much .i-- hr 

 to the scientist who demonstrates 

 to his satisfaction by laboratory 

 experiments that animals are but 

 creatures of habit and not of rea- 

 son, all the world is interested in 

 the animals of the home. Their 

 presence seems to be necessary to 

 complete the family circle. 



What touching tales we read 

 of the fidelity of dogs ! Who has 

 never amused himself by playing 

 with kittens, whose gracious little- 

 ways are equal to their graceful- 

 ness ? Who does not remember 

 the anguish of heart when his pet 

 lamb of childhood was laid away in the garden 

 grave, or when the pet of any kind, whose last 

 flays had come, was returned to the earth for 

 burial and repose .'' 



These things indi- 

 cate the affection which 

 man has for domestic 



animals, and the almost human ties that fiften 

 liiii'l liiiii til the brute n-calion. 



The numerous photographs that illustrate 

 Our Dovicstic Aniiitals will cast light on the 

 descriptions in the text, and we have striven 

 to make the style of the volume agreeable and, 

 abo\e all, anecdotical. It is by stories and pic- 

 tures that we teach children the principal things 

 of life ; it is equally by stories and pictures that 

 we now desire to create a love for the 

 animals who share our lot, and for those 

 whose fatal destiny it is to feed us. 



Scientific men have concerned them- 

 selves seriously (though relatively only of 

 late) with most of the domestic animals in 

 a manner that promises the speedy solu- 

 tion of many problems. Designers have 

 cleverly, though less seriously, represented 

 these animals, while painters have tried 

 to reproduce them, as far as brush and 

 palette would allow, — more particularly 

 horses, dogs, and cats, — in all their mani- 

 fold variety of form and color. Sculptors 

 and poets have immortalized them in many 

 a masterpiece, and they serve as models of 

 desiarn for the various branches of the arts 



