THE UNIVERSAL FAMILY PAPER FOR INTER-COMMUNICATIONS ON 



NATURAL HISTORY-POPULAR SCIENCE-THINGS IN GENERAL, 



Conducted by WILLIAM KIDD, of Hammersmith,- 



Author of the Familiar and Popular Essays on ''Natural History;" "British Song: 

 Birds; " "Birds of Passage;" "Instinct and Reason;" " The Aviary," &c. 



"the OBJECT op our work is to make men WISER, without obliging them to turn over folios and 



QUARTOS. — TO FURNISH MATTER FOR THINKING AS WELL AS READING." — EVELYN. 



No. 38.— 1852. 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18. 



Price 3d. 



Or, in Monthly Parts, Price Is. Id. 



THE ART OF TAMING ANIMALS. 



We Are looked up to as " Sir 

 Oracle," it seems, on all that is connected 

 with the training, teaching, rearing, and 

 taming of Birds and Animals. People 

 write to us, as if we were a magician, and 

 must necessarily be able to do, as well as 

 know — every thing ! 



Some years since, the public were full of 

 wonder when they beheld a large cage in the 

 Waterloo Road, filled with a variety of ani- 

 mals of opposite tastes, habits and dispo- 

 sitions. They saw the cat familiar with the 

 rat, pigeons with owls ; jackdaws, hawks, 

 guinea pigs, leverets, hares, rabbits, &c. &c, 

 herding together in apparent amity. This 

 cage was christened the " Happy Family," 

 and the exhibitor reaped a rich harvest of 

 pence. With him, the " harvest " is now 

 over. He is cut down and withered. The 

 grave closed on his remains years agone. 

 He was himself a happy creature. We see 

 him now, with his full-moon countenance ; 

 triumphing mentally as well facially in the 

 work of his hands. It was " as good as a 

 play" to see him glide mysteriously round 

 the corner of the cage, armed with a saucer to 

 collect the dues ; one almost felt the " obliged 

 party" whilst contributing to the funds ! 



The mantle of this brute-tamer has since 

 descended upon some others; and we have 

 now foxes, badgers, pole- cats, monkeys, and 

 a host of other novelties, gracing some half- 

 dozen similar cages in different parts of the 

 town. As regards ourselves, we see little 

 to marvel at in these animals, or in their 

 training. We sometimes smile at them in 

 the winter season, when a lighted candle is 

 placed inside. It is no uncommon circum- 

 stance for a monkey, on such occasions, to 

 singe, if not to burn, the end of his tail ; 

 and to watch the contortions of his face, the 

 while, is excruciatingly-droll indeed! The 

 cat, too, often gets singed ; and the antics 

 consequent thereupon among the monkeys, 

 foxes, &c, is funny — very. But in the as- 



sociation of these creatures, there is no " art 

 of taming " exhibited. A stick, a rod of 

 hot iron, starvation, and " use" (" second 

 nature"), are the " inducements " held out 

 to make these creatures fraternise — and they 

 surely are very powerful " persuasives to 

 early piety." We look at these things several 

 times ; and all wonder, all interest ceases. 



It is not so with birds or animals regu- 

 larly " tamed." We see in them that the 

 prevailing feeling is affection, — that the ani- 

 mal loves you for yourself. It hears your 

 voice, your step ; and tries hard to get at 

 you. If a bird — it sits on your finger, your 

 head, or your shoulder : it eats from 

 your mouth ; nestles in your bosom ; sidles 

 towards you in the cage ; and must enjoy 

 your society. Its heart, though small, is 

 full of love, and it will impart it to you. 

 This is true affection. 



Now all this is the result of a naturally- 

 affectionate disposition in the master or mis- 

 tress. It affects the atmosphere it inha- 

 bits, — diffuses, by contact, all its health- 

 ful influence around. It is the same as with 

 ourselves and our associates, — for there is a 

 very close analogy, in many things, between 

 the higher and the lower world. The 

 instincts of the latter are strangely mar- 

 vellous. We have had birds in our time, 

 whose " love " for us, and ours for them, 

 has been such that no person could credit it. 

 We shall therefore be contented with this 

 remark, en 'passant. 



Now as regards animals generally, they 

 are won in precisely the same way. Kindness 

 of speech, familiarity of manner, the whole 

 heart given up, and confidence shared — 

 these the animal readily comprehends, ap- 

 preciates, reciprocates. Perhaps the horse 

 and the dog are the most susceptible to 

 " pure friendship " of all animals. We have 

 had proofs innumerable of this. What would 

 our readers think of us, if we were to say 

 that we have had more real happiness, ex- 

 perienced more true affection and constancy, 

 from certain of these quadrupeds, than from 



Vol. II. 



