Produced by Chris Curnow, RichardW, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Public and Private Life of Animals by J. Thomson [Illustration] PUBLIC & PRIVATE LIFE OF ANIMALS. [Illustration] PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. EDINBURGH AND LONDON. [Illustration: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE OF ANIMALS. LONDON. 1876. [Artist] _BREVIER. S._] [Illustration] [Illustration] PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE OF ANIMALS. _ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF BALZAC, DROZ, JULES JANIN, E. LEMOINE, A. DE MUSSET, GEORGES SAND, &c._ BY J. THOMSON. [Illustration] With Illustrations. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET. 1877. [_All rights reserved._] [Illustration] CONTENTS. PART I. INTRODUCTION— INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ANIMALS • 1 RESUMÉ OF PROCEEDINGS • 4 HISTORY OF A HARE • 13 THE FLIGHT OF A PARISIAN BIRD IN SEARCH OF BETTER GOVERNMENT • 35 LIFE AND PHILOSOPHICAL OPINIONS OF A PENGUIN • 56 THE LAST WORDS OF AN EPHEMERA • 75 THE SORROWS OF AN OLD TOAD • 77 THE THEATRICAL CRITIC • 88 THE PHILOSOPHIC RAT • 98 THE SUFFERINGS OF A BEETLE • 108 A FOX IN A TRAP • 126 TEXT-BOOK FOR THE GUIDANCE OF ANIMALS STUDYING FOR HONOURS • 138 THE INCONSISTENCIES OF A GREYHOUND • 149 TOPAZ THE PORTRAIT-PAINTER • 162 JOURNEY OF AN AFRICAN LION TO PARIS • 175 ADVENTURES OF A BUTTERFLY • 188 THE MISFORTUNES OF A CROCODILE • 200 THE FUNERAL ORATION OF A SILKWORM • 206 PART II. DAILY BULLETIN OF EVENTS • 213 HISTORY OF A WHITE BLACKBIRD • 239 THE QUEEN’S HUSBAND • 262 THE LOVES OF TWO INSECTS • 268 THE LOVE ADVENTURES OF A FRENCH CAT • 282 CELEBRATED TRIALS • 296 THE BEAR; OR, A LETTER FROM THE MOUNTAINS • 309 THE SEVENTH HEAVEN • 318 LETTERS FROM A SWALLOW TO A CANARY • 327 MEDICAL ANIMALS • 344 THE GIRAFFE’S TABLETS • 353 THE CROAKINGS OF A CROW • 361 SOUVENIRS OF AN OLD ROOK— SUMMARY • 367 AN OLD CASTLE • 371 THE DUKE AND DUCHESS • 373 AN OLD FALCON • 375 WHAT ANIMATES THE HEART OF A CHAMELEON • 377 HISTORY OF THE HOSTS OF THE TERRACE • 380 LAST CHAPTER • 384 [Illustration] [Illustration] PART FIRST. [Illustration] [Illustration] INTRODUCTION. _INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ANIMALS._ [Illustration] Weary of insult, ignominy, and the constant oppression of man, we, the so-called Lower Animals, have at last resolved to cast off the yoke of our oppressors, who, since the day of their creation, have rendered liberty and equality nothing more than empty names.