14 JANUARY 1928, Page 13

ANIMAL AFFINITIES.

Trainers of animals for parlour tricks such as those we- see at Olympia say that dogs especially enjoy their associa- tion with horses. There seems to be some natural affinity between the two tribes. I have known of several dog and horse friendships ; and of no other association quite like them. The poet Cowper and others have persuaded various animals to consort together in so-called happy families—dogs and cats and hares and others ; but they do not naturally come together, as dogs and horses often do. I have a puppy— brought up in a town—that showed both animosity to and fear on a first introduction to cattle and sheep ; but evinced no feeling beyond friendly curiosity towards horses. However, it must be confessed that it had similar feelings towards a cat, till its nose was scratched.