Animals Worth Knowing. By Jennie Chappell. (S. W. Part, ridge
and Co. 2s. 6d.)—We warmly recommend to our readers these "True Stories of the Intelligence of Animals and Birds,"— the title is surely just a little odd. The dog naturally comes first, and we have the usual trials of faith. 'Fido' and Bianco,' two French poodles, who play a game at cards, and know what they have won or lost= Bianco,' asked what Fide ' had won, took an 0 between his teeth—are certainly on the border-line. So is Rufus,' who can spell " dog " in English, French, and German. This, it seems, is to be accounted for by mind-reading. If his mistress purposely made a mistake, 'Rufus' did the same. But is the wonder less ? The "Cat" chapter is excellent. The cat is commonly a self-contained and even unsympathetic creature. But 'Yahoo' persuades a strange kitten that he has come to a good house ; a kitten, pitying an invalid dog, tries to wash his thick coat with her tiny tongue ; some altruistic creatures—the writer has known such—will give their food to hungry strangers. Horses and asses follow. Then comes the elephant, and the elephant is as wonderful as any. Thus a tame elephant, supposed to have strayed into the woods, has really been employed in capturing a wild one, fastening her own chain round his legs. But there is nothing to beat the story of the creature which killed its keeper in a fit of passion. The widow in fierce reproach threw her baby at its feet. "Kill the child as you have killed the father." From that day it was the child's devoted servant. But we must stop, and indeed we need say no more.
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