THE BOBCAT'S BANQUET. 



W. L. UNDERWOOD. 

 Photos by the Author. 



A great philosopher once said, "The 

 proper study of mankind is man." In 

 modern times we find that the proper study 

 of man, for at least a portion of the time, is 

 wild animals. Thousands of men, women 

 and children are seeking every opportunity 

 to learn more of the wild creatures that in- 



No. i. 



habit the forests, the fields and the moun- 

 tains. It is the duty of every parent and 

 every teacher to afford those under his 

 charge the best possible opportunity for 

 pursuing this study. 



There is no" method by which this line 

 of study can more profitably and practically 

 be followed than by domesticating wild ani- 

 mals. There 

 are scarcely 

 any species of 

 quadruped in 

 this country 

 that can not 

 be easily do- 

 mesticated, if 

 taken in 

 charge when 

 very young. 

 The fur-bear- 

 ing animals, 

 especially, 

 take readily 

 to the domes- 

 tic life of hu- 

 man beings. 

 Take, for in- 

 stance, a 



young lynx, or wolf, or panther, or otter, 

 and after a few days of handling and kind 

 treatment he becomes as affectionate as a 

 kitten or a puppy. A fawn, of any of the 

 species of deer, or a cub bear may also be 



trained within a few days or weeks; and 

 while the nature of any wild beast is mate- 

 rially changed by its introduction into a 

 family of human beings, yet its character- 

 istics remain largely the same as in its wild 

 state. These may be observed and studied 

 to any extent desired, while the pet capers 



about the 

 dooryard, the 

 house, or the 

 barnyard. 



Humanita- 

 ri an s have 

 often claimed 

 that the keep- 

 ing of wild an- 

 imals in con- 

 finement is 

 cruel, but this 

 is not neces- 

 sarily so. On 

 the other 

 hand I claim 

 that the man 

 who takes one 

 of these wild 

 beasts from 

 the woods 

 while in infancy, gives it a good home, 

 feeds it regularly, and allows it proper 

 liberty, confers on the animal a lasting 

 kindness. I do not believe in caging up 

 live animals and confining them to small 

 areas ; but if any such animal can have the 

 freedom of the house, or a yard or a field, 

 according as its nature may require, it will 



No. 2. 



suffer no inconvenience from its change 

 of environment. On the other hand, the 

 man who takes such an animal from its 

 wild state, saves it from suffering many a 

 pang from hunger. He saves it from the 



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