As strange as it may appear to some of you, the lower animals possess a
kind of telepathic sense. An animal is usually aware of your feelings
toward it, and your purposes regarding it. Domestic animals lose some of
this by generations of confinement, while the wild animals have the sense
highly developed. But even some of the domestic animals have more or less
of it. You will readily recognize this fact if you have ever tried to
"cut out" a certain animal from a herd or flock. You will find that the
animal in some way has sensed your designs upon it, no matter how
indirectly you approach it, and it will begin circling around the other
animals, twisting in and out in its endeavors to be lost to your sight.
The other animals, likewise, will seem to know that you are after only
that particular one, and will manifest but little fright or distrust,
comparatively.
I have frequently seen this thing, in my own country and in others, among
poultry raisers. The poultryman will think, to himself, "Now, I am going
to get that black hen with the yellow legs--that fat, clumsy one," and he
will move toward the flock slowly and with an air of unconcern. But, lo!
as soon as he gets near the creatures, that black hen will be seen edging
her way to the outer circle of the flock, on the opposite side from the
man.
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