FRIENDSHIP IN ANIMALS 71 



she would go and seek for him. It was near sunset 

 when she reached the wood, and after making her way 

 to its innermost part she stood still and raising her 

 voice to its highest pitch sent forth a loud shrill call — 

 Peter — Pee-ter — Peee-ter ! and then waited. By-and- 

 by she heard a sound, and looking in the direction it 

 came from she spied Peter himself coming towards 

 her at his topmost speed, making the dead leaves fly 

 about him with the wind he created ; but when 

 he got to her there was no touching him, though she 

 was eager to clasp her dear recovered friend in her arms, 

 for he was beside himself with joy and could only rush 

 round and round her in a wide circle and then charg- 

 ing straight at her leaped clear over her head, and then 

 again, and then a third time ! This sounds incredible, 

 but the lady sticks to it that her fox did accomplish 

 this feat, and says that she was astonished at the sight 

 of its transports of joy at finding her. Then, when he 

 had thus worked off his excitement, they went home 

 together, Peter trotting along at her side and breaking 

 out from time to time into fresh demonstrations of 

 delight and affection. 



Friendship among birds is less remarked than it is 

 in mammals, simply, I believe, because their inner 

 life is less openly revealed to us ; in other words, be- 

 cause they have wings to fly with, and quicker, brighter, 

 more variable or volatile minds to match the aerial life. 

 Numbers of species pair for life, including many that 

 are gregarious ; I take it that in such cases the bond 

 which unites male and female throughout the year is 



