FOSTER PARENTAGE. 485 



fondness by bleating and caressing over this one than she did 

 formerly over the one that was really her own.' 



In some cases the foster-mother devotes her whole atten- 

 tion to her foster-young, if the latter are of the same age 

 and of the same species. In other cases the foster-mother 

 has young of her own, in which case the adoption of the 

 young of other individuals, species or genera, is usually the 

 result of compassion and over-flowing motherly love, not 

 of an ungratified maternal instinct. In such cases, cats and 

 other animals make no invidious distinction of the adopted 

 strangers ; the orphaned or deserted offspring rank pari 

 passu with her own in the affections of the foster-mother. 



As a general rule, foster-parentage, the assumption of 

 a mother's duties, the adoption of young, whether orphaned 

 or deserted or not, developes all the finer traits of the 

 maternal character constancy and intensity of affection, 

 unremitting attention, lavish generosity, touching tenderness, 

 self-sacrificing devotion. Foster-parents sometimes die, sac- 

 rifice themselves, in the discharge of their self-imposed duties, 

 e.g. the lark (Buffon). Low tells us of the tenderness of a 

 bereaved bitch to her foster-young. The female elephant 

 allows herself to be suckled by other youngsters than her 

 own, an illustration of maternal generosity (Houzeau) ; and 

 the same is done sometimes by the dog and cat. 



But, on the other hand, a selfish, rigid, and jealous exclu- 

 siveness may be exhibited, as when a cow repulses the calf 

 of another cow. 



Instances of indifference or cruelty are commonest, in 

 other animals as in man, on the part of stepmothers and, 

 unfortunately also of fathers at the instance of stepmothers. 

 Thus Watson mentions the ill-feeling of a turkey step- 

 mother to her adopted young, and the resultant merciless 

 treatment the father becoming indifferent or unnatural in 

 his affection, perhaps under his second spouse's malign influ- 

 ence. A common form of a stepmother's unfair treatment 

 of her adopted young is her selfish exclusion from her affec- 

 tions and attentions of all offspring not her own. It may be, 

 Watson suggests, parental affection that leads the widower 

 swallow to provide a stepmother for his brood ; and we know 



