87 1 2 THE HARMONIES OF NATURE. ' 



who, at the beginning of their acquaintance, endeavours to shake 

 off his burden ; but, finding it impossible, soon learns to love his 

 companion, so that, when the saimiri is busy chasing insects, his 

 friend, before leaving the spot, first gives him notice by a 

 gentle cry. 



A still more remarkably disinterested friendship is sometimes 

 found to unite quadrupeds belonging to different families. There 

 are many examples of lions having spared the life of dogs that 

 had been thrown into their dens for food, and of the strongest 

 affection having been formed between them. One of these 

 couples existed a few years ago in the Zoological Gardens at 

 Antwerp, and it was most interesting to see the mighty African 

 throwing himself on his back, and playfully tossing his tiny 

 friend between his enormous paws. The dog a regular spoilt 

 child frequently plagued his mighty comrade, though without 

 ever making him impatient or angry. 



Even the breast of the tiger has been known to expand to 

 the genial influence of friendship, and to entertain feelings 

 supposed to be totally alien to its nature. Captain White, the 

 commander of an English merchantman, having been presented 

 with a tigress, during a voyage to Cambodia, used to feed her 

 every day with a live dog. After playing some time with its 

 victim, as the cat with a mouse, the tigress, seizing it by the 

 neck, divided the arteries, and walked up and down, lashing with 

 its tail, and holding it in its mouth while sucking the blood. 

 One day a young dog was thrown into the cage, who, pos- 

 sessed of a more than common courage, and resolved not to 

 submit quietly to his fate, jumped up to the tigress, and bit her 

 in the nose. An instant death might have been expected to be 

 the punishment of this audacity ; but the impotent fury of the 

 little dog seemed to please the formidable brute, who, gently 

 warding off the attack, endeavoured by her caresses to gain the 

 confidence of her pigmy adversary. In a short time friendship 

 was established, and the two became inseparable. 



The instinctive attachment of the domestic animals to man 

 is of the highest importance to his welfare, as otherwise they 

 would hardly have so patiently submitted to bis yoke, or so 

 willingly obeyed his commands. How could he have tamed them? 

 How could he have trusted them, if they had not been impelled 

 by their nature to seek his company to become, not his unwil- 



