B28 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 21, 1899. 
when I saw him pay $1,000 for the two animals. I was 
convinced that I had parted with my collection for far 
too Httle money, and I vvas still further enlightened 
on the subject some ten days afterward, when the 
dealer smilingly showed me a communication from the 
zoological gardens of Antwerp ofifering him 2,500 francs 
for the pair of bush bucks. 
I watched anxiously for the sailing of another vessel 
for South Africa, and finally secured passage in one 
bound for Cape Town. On my arrival there I found 
that little or nothing could be done in my line in that 
vicinity, and .1 was puzzled Avhere to go next, when 1 
fortunately made the acquaintance of a Yankee skipper 
who sailed a small vessel up and down the East Coast. 
He persuaded me to take passage with him for Durban, 
Katal, which port he represented as being a good one 
for my business. On my arrival there I found a pair 
of cheetahs on sale, which I immediately purchased, 
and a short time afterward managed to get three lions. 
I remained about six months and secured a very good 
# 'collection, and then sailed for home, where .1 arrived 
with scarcely a loss, and profiting by my former ex- 
perience received much better prices than on my first 
venture. 
While preparing for my next rip I received orders 
fbr two hippopotami, or rhinoceroses if the hippopotami 
could not be obtained. In order to gain time, I took 
steamer for England, and on, my arrival in London 
visited the establishments of the various dealers in wild 
animals, for the purpose of procuring either hippotami 
or rhinoceroses, but I learned nothing until the morning 
I was to leave for Southanrapton to catch the steamer 
for Cape Town. Happening in at Jamrack's, he in- 
formed that he had just received a letter from his son 
in Calcutta, who Avould return in a sailing vessel via the 
Cape of Good Hope. Then he read a hst of the stock 
he intended bringing with him, and among them were 
two rhinoceroses. Of course I had not informed him that 
they were the very animals I wanted, and simply re- 
marked, "If it were not for the vile roads in my country 
I would . like to purchase the rhinoceroses, but they 
were so heavy that it would be almost impossible to 
wagon them." He immediately said, "Let me sell them 
to you." 
"How much would, yoq haveVthe nerve to ask me 
for them?" " ■ ' ' ' 
"I'll furnish the two for £600." 
I immediately accepted the offer, and he frankly ac- 
knowledged that if he had suspected that I really wished 
to purchase the animals he would have named a much 
higher price for them. They arrived in New York in 
good order, and singular to relate, years after, when in 
charge of the zoological gardens of Philadelphia, I as- 
sisted in making a trade with a showman for one of the 
same animals, and to-day Pete the rhinoceros is one of 
the leading features in that famous collection. 
Frank J. Thompson. 
My Little Bantams. 
The world is constantly reminded that it is not value 
ttuantity or even usefulness of a thing that enables it to 
secure attention which becomes the synonvm for pleasure. 
Little things possess attractiveness which on cultivation 
and acquaintance may give as great reward of pleasure as 
that experienced by lovers of fine horses or short-horns 
or by the autocrat who marshals his hosts at will. It is 
all the same. 
- Pleasure, being merely a gratfication of the senses un- 
der the will, makes the sources of enjoyment as variable as 
tastes and inclinations of individuals. The Frenchman with 
hi.s army of well-drilled fleas, no doubt feels quite as much 
pleasurable pride and holds as large a measure of military 
glory as any duplicated Napoleon or second Alexan"- 
der. And it would seem among the possibilities that edu- 
cation in this line may be carried far enough to enable 
cadet canary birds to experience as much pleasure in wit- 
nessing their insurgent brothers tumble over on touching 
off the field pieces, as is attributed to Gen. Otis on seeing 
his explosive shells mow down the Filipinos. 
Birds are remarkably bright, and receive instruction 
readily. They have no difficulty in making their wants 
known, and some can be taught to articulate and appar- 
ently to understand the meaning of words in human lan- 
guage. It is quite evident that all domestic fowls and 
quadrupeds understand the meaning of much of the lan- 
guage addressed to them by their attendants. Birds, 
however, more than beasts, possess the faculty to speak 
the^ human language and to understand that spoken. 
Some years since an amu.sing incident occurred with an 
unsophisticated squirrel hunter who was not aware that 
birds in this neighborhood sometimes talk. While he 
was in the act of drawing a bead upon a crow the bird 
cried out, "Don't shoot me, damn you!" He lowered 
his gun, and in breathless agitation reached the nearest 
house, saying, "I came very near shooting the devil' down 
in the woods, but he said 'Don't shoot me, damn you ' 
and I got out of that locality as quick as could." The 
bird was a favorite of the neighborhood and had been 
taught to say these words for his own protection. 
When birds are compared and measured by commenda- 
ble faculties, no species has greater claims than the one 
6n which was Conferred the honor of illustrating the 
goodness, mercy and solicitude of Divinity for the Way- 
w^ard -City. 
The hen is not only a model of careful anxieties, love 
and protection, but is by nature exceedingly intelligent. 
She recounts her young, and when one is missing she 
calls aloud and searches fof the lost. She is so partial to 
her own that she detects and resists with unerring sagac- 
ity additions and substitutions to her family. How her 
little brain accomplishes so many wonderful manifesta- 
tions of superior intelligence is as much a mystery as the 
phenomenon miracle that perpetuates her species. 
Some years since the writer had two blue blood game 
hens hatching the same day. The hens were sisters — 
iridescent black. Their chicks were alike, all black, with 
a' white downy spot on the breast. The fiit hen taken off 
the nest had five young, while the other hen, still on the 
nest, had' six. The doubtful undertaking was to kidnap 
the chicks of the mother still on the nest and have the 
hen taken off adopt the six incubated by her s,ister. A' 
chi^ fuom under hen No. 2 was quietly ajad unnoticed 
plscre4 with fl^ose of the hen having five, In a few min^ 
utes the mother became disturbed in mind, raised her 
feathers and walked around, passing her head close to the 
chicks, showing as a hen only can that things were not 
satisfactory. In another minute she picked up a chick and 
killed it at one dash and outcry of anger. 
In the evening she was placed in a box and three addi- 
tional chicks with her own were put under her for the 
night. In the morning ^vhen taken out with eight young 
she became furious and killed two and badly injured the 
third before the massacre was stopped. Those killed and 
injured were no doubt chicks belonging to the other hen, 
although the closest observation could reveal no differ- 
ence in the two broods. 
Not long since a neighbor brought in six motherless 
bantam chicks a day or two old to place with a bantam 
hen having a like number of the same age. The mother 
accepted five of the strangers colored as her own, but the 
white one she stubbornly refused to admit to association 
TXiE BANTAM MOTHER. 
with her family, and made it necessary to keep it out of 
sight to save its life. In this instance the objections must 
have been founded on "color line," as it is not likely the 
mother reasoned abstractly far enough to anticipate un- 
pleasant gossip from its adoption. There seems to be 
good reason to believe that while birds are all partial to 
nice and fashionable plumage, they alike detest any devia- 
tion from standard colors. In the fall of 1880, while wait- 
ing for wood ducks on the border of a pond, thousands of 
starling came in yelling and screaming and acting in the 
air with as little sense as an infuriated mob of human 
beings. They thundered around the pond for some time 
before the cause of the disturbance was ascertained. They 
were after a white starling, which they seemed deter- 
mined to kill. The persecuted bird not likely had com- 
mitteed any offense, but like humans they mobbed it alto- 
gether on account of color. 
Hens are not all in the same degree of exclusiveness ; 
but enough so to maintain and enforce hereditary and 
constitutional requirements, being in favor of educating 
and taking care of tlieir own to the exclusion of all others. 
A hen is a hen, regardless of size. The brain, with its 
activities and power, bears no relation to the magnitude of 
COL DEWEV. 
the birds. A bantam mother is just as amcli a typical 
mother as one of ther larger sisters. Bantams are heredi- 
tary pets and wonderfully pleasant schoolmasters; and if 
any one desires to lengthen out his days, obtain informa- 
tion and amusement combined, and feels assured he will 
not become muddled in trying to solve the problem of 
matter and mind in the order of evolution, let him at-', 
tempt to rear a few bantams and he will be satisfied with 
the reward and quite certain he has not discovered the 
philosopher's stone. 
The bantam mother shown in our illustration with a 
brood of ten little chicks is just off the nest. The hen 
weighs 80Z. and the young J/^oz. each. Three weeks ago 
these bright little fellows were nothing but eggs; now 
each is an intelligent being. See! One picks up a crumb 
too large to swallow and starts off on a run, fearing a 
brother or sister might come in for a share of it. The 
mother says she has found a good morsel; instantly all 
make a rush for the prize. She sees the shadow of a pig- 
eon's wing and says "Hawk." They instantly drop down 
and lie motionless until told the danger is over. How did 
selfishness find its way into the egg? Who taught the 
mother's language? It is astonishing that so small 
amount of brain only a few days old should be able to 
carry on so many amusing pranks bearing" no relation to 
experience or observation. 
Bantams are not reared without much care and unre- 
mltting attentjoji^ They are little gluttons, and at the 
mother's bidding gladly eat anything they Sre -able to 
swallow, making their infancy fraught with many perils. ■ 
It is for this reason better to take them from the hen as 
soon as off the nest and restrict them to soft diet for ! 
several weeks. Early this summer nine youngsters were ' 
taken from the mother and placed in a small back yard ' 
full of bushes, vines and other undergrowth. While we I 
were fixing them in their new location a lady, seeing what ; 
was being done, volunteered the prophetic statement, 
"You are having all your trouble for nothing; the rats 
will take every one of them in little or no time." The re- 
ply she received was: "Here is a cat that will attend to ! 
that matter." The lady smiled, saying: "Doctor, you 1 
know a cat is the most treacherous animal ever made, and ,1 
will eat up every one of the little ones before you know ' 
it." This compelled a response that "Cats were very )i 
much like women — good ones are very good and bad ' 
ones are very bad." 
There was abundant reason for confidence in the cat. 
Last summer— 1898— he guarded most faithfully a brood 
of young bantams and a covey of young quail at the same 
time in this inclosure, until they were full grown, without 
the loss of a bird. 
Assisted by Tommy nine young bantam orphans were 
placed in a sunny spot with water and food near by; and 
naturally enough a voice came from an old doctor saying: 
"Now, Pussy, don't you hurt these little baby chicks, 
but watch the rats; they will kill them if you are not 
watchful." Of course the cat made no response of ap- 
proval except to purr and rub his sides against his inas- 
ter's legs more vigorously. 
It was, however, felt that all was right; and on return 
after an absence of several hours, Puss was found on 
duty and manifestly much gratified that he had already 
captured a rat. From this time on every rodent that I 
entered the back yard in daytime and could not give the ' 
countersign became a prisoner after the administration 
order. And it is a matter of record that in two weeks ' 
six large rats came to an untimely as well as timely end : 
in attempting to molest the guardian's charge; and the 
family of little orphans remained free from disease or ac- 1 
cident untile matured all right. 
It bacame quite instructive to witness the interest the 
cat really showed in various ways for the welfare and pro 
tection of his subjects. When the chickens were being- 
fed he would take a position at the proper distance from 
the plate on which the bantams received their food, look- 
ing as sleepy and indifferent as possible; but what was 
passing in his mind, however, can be surmised only by 
following actions. When the bantams received a fresh 
supply of food the English sparrows would gather in and' 
sit around on the bushes, awaiting a favorable oppor- 
tunity, English-like — to "Jack Spratt the platter." Quite ' 
often a hungry one would crowd in among the chicks to 
share their meal. This was what the cat was waiting lor. 
At the right time he would leap upon the group and pick 
up the sparrow, and walking off a short distance would 
take a lunch. He never made a mistake nor accidentally 
injured any of the pets, although the performance was 
almost a daily occurrence. 
There are several varieties of bantams. The illustra- 
tions here given were taken from the partridge game 
probably the most hardy, pugnacious and pompous vari 
ety ever produced in this section of the United States. 
Notwithstanding the warlike propensities of the males, 
they are undoubtedly the most thoroughly domesticated, 
gentle and affectionate of all the birds known. The ma!ei> 
usually weigh about ilb. and the females 8 to looz. at 
maturity. 
The warlike disposition or love for battle being heredi- 
tary, it is distributed to members of the same brood in 
various degrees of intensity. Some of the males devote 
themselves entirely to war, while others are more for 
peace and domestice quiet. And like the pugnacity of 
human and other animals, that of the bantam manifests 
itself at the earliest periods of existence. Some young 
bantams only a few days old will take the position and go 
through all the bodily motions of a gamecock in battle, 
if one simply places a hand before tliem in a menacing 
manner. 
With a brood in the spring of J 898 there was one that 
manifested an unusual degree of pugnacity at a very early 
age. This trait increased with growth, and at maturity 
made him so fearless and full of fight that he received the 
sobriquet of Col. Dewey. He is now a beautiful bird of 
two summer.s, weighing only lib. Though small, he feels 
as large and expan.sive as a coming empire, with a bear- 
ing so highly military and self important that an eclipsing 
shadow is cast over the polished manners of successful 
and well paid United States admirals. 
But with all his desire to subjugate lie has never shown 
any disposition to kill or destroy liberties of others in 
kind of his own. 
His disposition to fight, however, regardless of law, 
constitution or acts of Congress, has given him great no- 
toriety, and he is known all over the city as the bird with 
the ultimatum for war. He knows no arbitration or peace 
"commission, golden rule or right of cliscoverey; but in- 
sists that pedestrians on the streets are semi-barbarous 
insurgents, incapable of self-government, and "must be 
killed or captured," and with these he combats, ending 
each engagement with crows of immense conquest and 
slaughter. 
His bravery is as sound as a gold standard dollar and 
is not tainted" in the slightest degree with heroism which 
prefers warldce assaults upon defenseless women and 
children to those of a responding battery. Still, it is 
evident that his bearing is particularly pompous and im- 
perialistic when he can start peaceblo females on the run 
sufficiently to bring out those high notes of despair heard 
on the appearance of a mouse. 
Various attempts have been made to bring about 
friendly relations between the Colonel and his monstrous 
i61b. cousin; but all negotiations so far have failed. In 
the meantime the Colonel has given his friends to under- 
stand he is an American Bird, independent and opposed 
to foreign alliance; that he needs no protection nor alien 
assistance, and like Admiral Sampson, home production 
can lay out anything that carries a foreign name. 
A battle is expected — a battle of i 6to i — an honest vic- 
tory, with the weapons furnished by nature, as no stock 
is taken in the priestly assertion that "God is always ori 
the side of t^e longest gyms au4 strongest powder." 
_ ; . ' ' . .N. E. Jones, 'M. D, 
