The Human Side of Animals   By: Royal Dixon (1885-1962)

THE HUMAN SIDE OF ANIMALS

BY ROYAL DIXON AUTHOR OF "THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS," "THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES,"

"THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS," ETC.

WITH TWO ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLORS AND THIRTY TWO IN BLACK AND WHITE

NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1918, by FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages

MADE IN U. S. A.

TO MARCELLUS E. FOSTER WHO BELIEVED

NOTE

The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to his fellow naturalist and friend, Mr. Franklyn Everett Fitch, for carefully reading the entire manuscript and making many scholarly and valuable criticisms and corrections.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

FOREWORD xiii

I ANIMALS THAT PRACTISE CAMOUFLAGE 1

II ANIMAL MUSICIANS 18

III ANIMALS AT PLAY 32

IV ARMOUR BEARING AND MAIL CLAD ANIMALS 46

V MINERS AND EXCAVATORS 61

VI ANIMAL MATHEMATICIANS 88

VII THE LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS 99

VIII IN THEIR BOUDOIRS, HOSPITALS AND CHURCHES 120

IX SELF DEFENCE AND HOME GOVERNMENT 130

X ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND HOUSE BUILDERS 150

XI FOOD CONSERVERS 170

XII TOURISTS AND SIGHT SEERS 181

XIII ANIMAL SCAVENGERS AND CRIMINALS 199

XIV AS THE ALLIES OF MAN 210

XV THE FUTURE LIFE OF ANIMALS 234

ILLUSTRATIONS

Recreation is as common among animals as it is among children ( in Colours ) Frontispiece

The Indians claim that the mother bison forced her calf to roll often in a puddle of red clay, so that it might be indistinguishable against its clay background 6

The zebra is one of the cleverest of camouflagers. The black and white stripes of his body give the effect of sunlight passing through bushes 7

Monkeys are the most musical of all animals. When they congregate for "concerts," as some of the tribes do, the air is filled with weird strains of monkey music 20

Cats, unlike dogs, are very fond of music. And it has been proved that their music sense can be developed to a remarkable degree 21

A happy family of polar bears. The young cubs wrestle and tumble, as playfully as two puppies. This play has much to do with their physical and mental development 34

Dryptosaurus. The prehistoric animals, too, undoubtedly had their play time, with games and "setting up" exercises 35

The mother opossum is never happier than when she has her little ones playing hide and seek over her back 38

This young fox came from his home in the woods daily to play with a young fox terrier. He is now resting after a romp 39

Naosaurus and Dimetrodon, two extinct armour bearers who should have been well able to protect themselves 50

An armour bearer of prehistoric times whose shield was an effective protection against enemy horns 51

To the polar bear the ice and snow of the Far North means warmth and protection. The mother bear digs herself into a snowbank, where she lives quite comfortably throughout the winter 84

The sharp claws of the ground squirrel are efficacious tools in digging his cosy underground burrow 85

The coyote can readily distinguish whether a herd of sheep is guarded by one or more dogs, and will plan his attack accordingly 94

The zebu, the sacred bull of India, in spite of its domestication, has an agile body and a quick, alert mind 95