296 



TABLE-TALK AXD VARIETIES. 



more?" "Yes; I have a pack of mad bird, on account of these sin- 



hounds for hunting the fox." "And 

 they cost a great deal too?" "A 

 very great deal." "And I have 

 birds for hawking." " I see ; birds 

 for hunting birds. And these swell 

 up the expense, I daresay ? " " You 

 may say that, for they are not 



common in this country, 

 then I sometimes go out 



And 

 along 



with my gun, accompanied by a 

 " And 

 "Of 

 the 



setter and a retriever." 

 these are expensive too ?' 



course, 

 animals 



After all, it is not 

 of themselves that 



away with the money : there must 

 be men, you know, to feed and 

 look after them, houses to lodge 

 them in in short the whole port- 

 ing establishment." " I see, I see. 

 You have horses, hounds, setters, 

 retrievers, hawks, men and all 

 for the capture of foxes and birds. 

 What an enormous revenue they 

 must cost you ! Now, what I 

 want to know is this, what return 

 do they pay ? what does your 

 year's sporting produce ?" " Why, 

 we kill a fox now and then only 

 they are getting rather scarce here- 

 abouts and we seldom bag less 

 than fifty brace of birds each sea- 

 son." "Hark!" said the lunatic, 

 looking anxiously round him . " My 

 friend" in an earnest whisper 

 " there is the gate behind you ; 

 take my advice, and be off out of 

 this place while you are safe. 

 Don't let the doctor get his eyes 

 upon you. He ducks us to some 

 purpose ; but as sure as you are 

 a living man, he will half-drown 

 you! " 



PLAYFULNESS OF ANIMALS. 



Small birds chase each other 

 about in play, but perhaps the con- 

 duct of the crane and the trumpeter 

 (Psophia crepitans) is the most ex- 

 traordinary. The latter stands on 

 one leg, hops about in the most ec- 

 centric manner, and throws somer- 

 sets. The Americans call it the 



after each other, and 

 surface of the water 



gularities. The crane expands its 

 wings, runs round in circles, leaps, 

 and throwing little stones and pieces- 

 of wood in the air, endeavours to 

 catch them again, or pretends to 

 avoid them, as if afraid. Water- 

 birds, such as ducks and geese, dive- 

 cleave the 

 with out- 

 stretched neck and flapping wings,, 

 throwing an abundant spray around. 

 Deer often engage in a sham battle- 

 or a trial of strength, by twisting 

 their horns together and pushing 

 for the mastery. All animals that 

 pretend violence in their play stop- 

 short of exercising it ; the dog takes 

 the greatest precaution not to injure= 

 by his bite ; and the ourang-outang, 

 in wrestling with his keeper, at- 

 tempts to throw him, and makes 

 feints of biting him. Some animals 

 carry out in their play the sem- 

 blance of catching their prey ;. 

 young cats, for instance, leap after 

 every small and moving object, even 

 to the leaves strewed by the autumn- 

 wind ; they crouch and steal for- 

 ward ready for the spring ; the 

 body quivering and the tail vibrat- 

 ing with emotion, they bound on. 

 the moving leaf, and again watch,, 

 and again spring forward at another. 

 Eeugger saw young jaguars and 

 cuguars playing with round sub- 

 stances like kittens. Young lambs 

 collect together on the little hillocks 

 and eminences in their pastures, 

 racing and sporting with each other 

 in the most interesting manner. 

 Birds of the pie kind are the ana- 

 logues of monkeys, full of mischief,, 

 play, and mimicry. There is a story 

 told of a tame magpie, which was. 

 seen busily employed in a garden 

 gathering pebbles, and with much 

 solemnity and a studied air drop- 

 ping them in a hole about eighteen 

 inches deep made to receive a post.. 

 After dropping each stone, it cried 

 "cm-rack!" triumphantly, and set 

 off for another. On examining the 



