Mind in Animals. 375 
upon them, and that they felt it as such their looks only too 
strongly testified. There was a relish of delight in it for the 
cock, for the cackle, which he immediately gave, assured me 
of this fact as much as the laugh of a man could have done 
who had played such a joke upon one of his fellows. 
Parrots are much given to practical joking, after the ways 
of mankind. A parrot, belonging to an aunt, had a bad habit 
of whistling for a dog, and then enjoying the animal’s bewil- 
derment and discomfiture. She would call the cat, as her 
mistress was accustomed to do, and when puss would come, 
expecting some dainty article of food, she would call out in 
her severest tone, “‘ Be off, you hussy!” and the cat would 
make all possible speed for a place of security, greatly to the 
amusement of the parrot from her perch in the cage. There 
have been known parrots that would play practical jokes 
upon human beings, but dogs and cats seem to be the prin- 
cipal victims of the parrot’s sense of humor. 
Animals not only show their playfulness in such tricks as 
have been mentioned, but many of them are able to appreciate 
and take part in the games played by children. When I 
was a boy I knew a dog, a species of greyhound, which was 
an accomplished player at the well-known game called tag, 
or touch. Quite as much enthusiasm was displayed by the 
animal as by any of the human players. He would dart 
away from the boy who happened to be “touch” with an 
anxiety that almost appeared terror. It was an impossibility 
to touch the clever canine player; but he wasa generous 
creature, with a strong sense of justice, and so, when he 
thought that his turn ought to come, he would stand still 
and wait quietly to be touched. His manner of touching 
his play-fellows was always by grasping the end of their 
trousers with his teeth, and as it was impossible for the boy 
to stop when so seized in full course, the dog was often 
jerked along the ground for some little distance. 
Hide-and-seek is a game which is often learned and en- 
joyed by many animals. I have often been an interested 
