THE EMOTION OF GRIEF IN ANIMALS 83 



do not usually exhibit emotion at their loss. In all 

 the ruminant animals the expression of emotion is 

 very limited, and not easily recognised. Cows certainly 

 are much distressed at the loss of a calf, and deer 

 by that of a fawn. On the other hand, the former 

 are so inexplicably dull of comprehension, that in 

 India it is the custom to stuff the skin of a calf 

 which has been turned into veal, and set it in the 

 cow stable, which at once induces the cow to continue 

 giving milk. Cats, when in distress, seem moved by 

 exactly opposite causes to those which induce sorrow 

 in the dog. They are infinitely miserable at the loss 

 of their kittens, and frequently adopt some other 

 creature in their place, but they seem little moved 

 by the death or sickness of human friends. But this 

 is not always the case. During the last influenza 

 epidemic a lady who was attacked was moved into 

 a different room from that which she usually 

 occupied. Her cat, a grey Angora, at once dis- 

 covered this, and came and sat outside for some 

 days, but was not admitted for fear it might also 

 catch the universal plague. When it did contrive to 

 enter, it sprang on the bed, purring and showing as 

 much pleasure as it had previously shown dejection. 

 Wild animals naturally limit both their affections 

 and regrets to each other's society. In the social 

 life of most animals there is so little difference 



