OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2642, 25 September 1882, Page 3

OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS.

As wo hare now a local Sooiety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals the doings of similar societies in various parts of the erorld, and, indeed, oil matters humane, especially such aB affeot our "animal friends," become more than over matters of publio interest. It is no small feather in the cap» of our New Zealand legiilators that their Cruelty to Animals Act, 1880, is more comprehensive thnn the English Aot, as they are only now extending the Bnglißh Act to protect wild animals, which have, by an Aot since 1880, boen equally proteoted with domestic ones. In Garibaldi, the conqueror and hero of Italy, the animal oreation has lost a true friend. His noble oharsoter demonstrates what has so often been observed before, that tenderness, gentleness, and benevolenoe towards man and beset are found conspicuous in the oareer of a dauntless man. It is very touching to read in Colonel Tecchy's book, " Garibaldi at Caprera," how the General nursed the sick animals on his island home, gently patting their heads, and saying, "Poor things, you also have your sufferings, r-resdful bodily pains, instead of heartaohes j" and again, we read of his i-ponding half the night searching for a little lamb lost up the mountain, ooming home. " He took the little creature to his bed, and lay down with it, giving it a bit of sponge dipped in milk to suck to keep it quiet, so thitt no one should know the kind act he had done," This touching incident is only one of the many instances, given of Garibaldi's kindness to animals. An influential meeting has taken place in London on the subjeot of slaughter-house reform, at whioh the report of the oommittee appointed by the Sooiety for Providing Sanitary and Humane Methods of Killing Animniß for Food was presented. The necessity ol im-

(proved methods and of inspection will at or.ee be recognised from the faot that thoro are many diseases that might possiblj bo communicated through the flesh of animals to the human system. The promoters of this , movement desire to raise £IOOO to establish a model slaughter-house, where all the arrangements should be perfeot, and the animals killed as painh ssly as possible. When once this was established, the society could call on , the Government to take up the matter at affecting the publio health. It appears that in preparing animals for food, there are four distinct operations:— 1. Keeping the animals in a lair for a short period before slaughtering. 2. The slaughtering. 3. The dressing of the carcase. 4 The storage of the meat before its removal for consumption. Where these opera lions have been most clearly defined and kept absolutely distinct from each other, there perfection has been most nearly arrived at; but this is just what is generally wanting in the English private slaughter-houses. The principle that slaughter-houses should be subjcot to inspection for three distinot purposes hue been legislatively acknowledged. Ist. To reduce to a minimum the nuisanoe they necessarily ocoasion tho neighborhood around them. 2nd. To prevent them becoming a further source cf disease, through supplying unwholesome meat. 3rd. To ensure the humane treatment of animals. Local horse shows, not of pedigree animals,but of oart horsos, oab horses, and horses used in daily business, are beooming common and popular in England. The show includes a parade of the animals through the town, and prizes are given, not only for tho finest horses, but for the best kept and groomed, and for the best and cleanest harness. In some places the proceedings terminate with a dinner or tea in the evening, given to the owners or drivers.followed by addresses. Suoh shows, as was observed at one of these meetings, tend to promote a better understanding, a kindlier feeling, and sympathy between the man and the horse. As all matters Eastern are now of interest, it may not be out of plaoe to draw attention to the kind feeling existing in Turkey towards animals. A writer in the " Animal World " for July instances seeing a youn? Turk buy a loaf and stop and divide it among two street dogs ; he also relates how some workmen, on receiving their pay, clubbed together to buy captive birds and release them; the flocks of pigeons flying about in perfect security are also a great feature in some of the cities, grain being kept in the Mosque enclosures for sale to any charitable person who wishes to feed them. Vivisection.—That the action of the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is bearing good results is evidenced from the concluding paragraphs in the reports of the inspectors of England, Scotland, and Ireland :—" 1. It may, therefore, be confidently stated that during the past year no oaso has arisen in whioh it was found necessary to inflict pain, exespt of the most trivial nature, iu the proseoution of soientifio inquiry." A olay pigoon trap ia spoken of by the "Chicago Field" as attracting great notice at the present time among pigeon shooters ; i the shooting is very difficult, trying even the best shots. As the " Lanoet" and other home ! papers have been severely criticising match pi„ eon shooting at live birds, suoh a substitute as the above, whioh ia a patent by Mr . Ligowsky, will enable lovers of the sport to enjoy their praotioe in a humane manner. It is comforting to think that there is some use for spiders beyond eating flies. In i England and Ireland both the spider itself, ' and also its web, has been used as medicine in cases of ague. Silk also has bsen made from them. M, Bon, a Frenchman, sent ' some stockings and gloves to the Royal • Society in 1710, made from spiders' silk, obtaining four ounoes of silk ~ from thirteen ounoes of cocoons.

Little Folks' Humane Society.—A society of this kind has been started in OUgo ; in England the Little Folks' Sooiety, started at the commencement of the year, now numbers 12,000 members; their Royal Highnesses Princesses Louu>e, Victoria, and Maud of Wales have enrolled themselves as members. As there are 20,000 children in the Government schools in Canterbury, it is pleasing to see that our local sooiety contemplates a similar movement. The practical good on the future lives of ohildron of early inculcation of kindness to animals has been demonstrated by Mr Lancaster, who makes this a distinctive feature of training in a sohool supported by him in London, with the result that, of 7000 ohildren sent out of the school, not one had been convioted of any orime at the Folioe Court. Testimony on testimony oould be added to the same effect. I will only quote from a speeoh of Mr Bright when addressing 500 teachers in Birmingham—"lf I were a teacher in a sohool I would make it a very important part of my business to impress every boy and girl with the right of his or her being kind to animals." Testimony suoh as shows the.immenso importance of early implanting in the minds of young people the principle of kindness to animals. Lamina.