,illustration3 ,,recreation ,,is ,,as ,,common ,,among ,,animals ,,as ,,it ,,is ,,among ,,children4 ,,the ,,human ,,side ,,of ,,animals ,,by ,,royal ,,dixon ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,side ,,of ,,plants1 ,,the ,,human ,,side ,,of ,,trees1 ,,the ,,human ,,side ,,of ,,birds1 ,,etc4 ,,with ,,two ,,illustrations ,,in ,,colors ,,and ,,thirty-,,two ,,in ,,black-,,and-,,white ,,new ,,york ,,frederick ,a4 ,,stokes ,,company ,,publishers ,copyright1 #aiah1 by ,,frederick ,a4 ,,stokes ,,company ,all rights reserved1 including that of translation into foreign languages ,,made ,,in ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,to ,,marcellus ,e4 ,,foster ,,who ,,believed ,,note ,the author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to his fellow-naturalist and friend1 ,mr4 ,franklyn ,everett ,fitch1 for carefully reading the entire manuscript and making many scholarly and valuable criticisms and corrections4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,,foreword xiii ,i ,,animals ,,that ,,practise ,,camouflage #a ,,ii ,,animal ,,musicians #ah ,,iii ,,animals ,,at ,,play #cb ,,iv ,,armour-,,bearing ,,and ,,mail-,,clad ,,animals #df ,v ,,miners ,,and ,,excavators #fa ,,vi ,,animal ,,mathematicians #hh ,,vii ,,the ,,language ,,of ,,animals #ii ,,viii ,,in ,,their ,,boudoirs1 ,,hospitals ,,and ,,churches #abj ,,ix ,,self-,,defence ,,and ,,home-,,government #acj ,x ,,architects1 ,,engineers1 ,,and ,,house-,,builders #aej ,,xi ,,food ,,conservers #agj ,,xii ,,tourists ,,and ,,sight-,,seers #aha ,,xiii ,,animal ,,scavengers ,,and ,,criminals #aii ,,xiv ,,as ,,the ,,allies ,,of ,,man #baj ,,xv ,,the ,,future ,,life ,,of ,,animals #bcd ,,illustrations ,recreation is as common among animals as it is among children 7in ,colours7 ,frontispiece ,the ,indians claim that the mother bison forced her calf to roll often in a puddle of red clay1 so that it might be indistinguishable against its clay background #f ,the zebra is one of the cleverest of camouflagers4 ,the black-and-white stripes of his body give the effect of sunlight passing through bushes #g ,monkeys are the most musical of all animals4 ,when they congregate for concerts1 as some of the tribes do1 the air is filled with weird strains of monkey-music #bj ,cats1 unlike dogs1 are very fond of music4 ,and it has been proved that their music-sense can be developed to a remarkable degree #ba ,a happy family of polar bears4 ,the young cubs wrestle and tumble1 as playfully as two puppies4 ,this play has much to do with their physical and mental development #cd ,dryptosaurus4 ,the prehistoric animals1 too1 undoubtedly had their play time1 with games and setting up exercises #ce ,the mother opossum is never happier than when she has her little ones playing hide-and-seek over her back #ch ,this young fox came from his home in the woods daily to play with a young fox-terrier4 ,he is now resting after a romp #ci ,naosaurus and ,dimetrodon1 two extinct armour-bearers who should have been well able to protect themselves #ej ,an armour-bearer of prehistoric times whose shield was an effective protection against enemy horns #ea ,to the polar bear the ice and snow of the ,far ,north means warmth and protection4 ,the mother bear digs herself into a snowbank1 where she lives quite comfortably throughout the winter #hd ,the sharp claws of the ground squirrel are efficacious tools in digging his cosy underground burrow #he ,the coyote can readily distinguish whether a herd of sheep is guarded by one or more dogs1 and will plan his attack accordingly #id ,the zebu1 the sacred bull of ,india1 in spite of its domestication1 has an agile body and a quick1 alert mind #ie ,roosevelt's ,colobus4 ,these horse-tailed monkeys chatter together in a language exclusively their own1 yet they seem to have no difficulty in making themselves understood by other monkey-tribes #aab ,a tamed deer of ,texas1 whose constant companion and playmate was a rabbit dog4 ,between the two1 there developed1 necessarily1 a common language #aac ,water-loving animals1 like the beavers1 seemingly take great pride in their toilets4 ,their fur is always sleek and clean #abb ,great forest pigs of ,central ,africa4 ,like the common domesticated hogs1 they will seek a clay bath to heal their wounds #abc ,the ,rocky ,mountain goat has many means of defence1 not the least of which is his agility in climbing to inaccessible places #acd ,wild boars are among the most ferocious of animals4 ,by means of their great strength alone they are well able to defend themselves #ace ,brontosaurus4 ,the animals that seemed best equipped to defend themselves are the ones that1 thousands of years ago1 became extinct #add ,this prehistoric monster was equipped not only with a pair of strong horns but with a shield back of them as well #ade ,the beaver is the greatest of all animal architects4 ,his skill is equalled only by his patience 7in ,colours7 #aeh ,the skunk mother tries to keep on hand a good supply of such delicacies as frogs and toads1 so that her young may never go hungry #agb ,the porcupine and the hedgehog have a unique method of collecting food for their young4 ,after shaking down berries or grapes1 they roll in them1 then hurry home with the food attached to their quills #agc ,the black bear is not one of the great migrating animals4 ,the thickness of his coat must therefore change with the seasons #ahh ,rabbits seem to have a well-devised system in their road-building1 running their paths in and out of underbrush in a truly ingenious manner #ahi ,the mongoose1 a scavenger of the worst type1 feeding on rats and mice and snakes1 and even poultry #bjb ,diplodocus4 ,the prehistoric animals1 also1 undoubtedly had their scavengers and criminals #bjc ,the ,esquimo-dog is man's greatest friend in the ,far ,north #bah ,chipmunks are among the most easily tamed of man's wild friends1 and they even seem fond of human companionship #bai ,men cruelly take the lives of these denizens of the wildwood1 rejoicing in their slaughter1 but the animal soul they cannot kill #bdd ,two pals4 ,there is between man and dog a kinship of spirit that cannot be denied #bde ,,foreword ,and in the lion or the frog-- ,in all the life of moor or fen-- ,in ass and peacock1 stork and dog1 ,he read similitudes of men4 ,more and more science is being taught in a new way4 ,more and more men are beginning to discard the lumber of the brain's workshop to get at real facts1 real conclusions4 ,laboratories1 experiments1 tables1 classifications are all very vital and all very necessary but sometimes their net result is only to befog and confuse4 ,occasionally it becomes important for us to cast aside all dogmatic restraints and approach the wonders of life from a new angle and with the untrammelled spirit of a little child4 ,in this book ,i have attempted to bring together many old and new observations which tend to show the human-like qualities of animals4 ,the treatment is neither formal nor scholastic1 in fact ,i do not always remain within the logical confines of the title4 ,my sole purpose is to make the reader self-active1 observative1 free from hide-bound prejudice1 and reborn as a participant in the wonderful experiences of life which fill the universe4 ,i hope to lead him into a new wonderland of truth1 beauty and love1 a land where his heart as well as his eyes will be opened4 ,in attempting to understand the animals ,i have used a method a great deal like that of the village boy1 who when questioned as to how he located the stray horse for which a reward of twenty dollars had been offered1 replied1 ,i just thought what ,i would do if ,i were a horse and where ,i would go--and there ,i went and found him4 ,in some such way ,i have tried to think why animals do certain things1 ,i have studied them in many places and under all conditions1 and those acts of theirs which1 if performed by children1 would come under the head of wisdom and intelligence1 ,i have classified as such4 ,life is one throughout4 ,the love that fills a mother's heart when she sees her first-born babe1 is also felt by the mother bear1 only in a different way1 when she sees her baby cubs playing before her humble cave dwelling4 ,the sorrow that is felt by the human heart when a beloved one dies is experienced in only a little less degree by an ,african ape when his mate is shot dead by a ,christian missionary4 ,the grandmother sheep that watches her numerous little lamb grandchildren on the hillside1 while their mothers are away grazing1 is just as mindful of their care as any human grandparent could be4 ,one drop of water is like the ocean2 and love is love4 ,the trouble with science is that too often it leaves out love4 ,if you agree that we cannot treat men like machines1 why should we put animals in that class8 ,why should we fall into the colossal ignorance and conceit of cataloging every human-like action of animals under the word instinct8 ,man delights in thinking of himself as only a little lower than the angels4 ,then why should he not consider the animals as only a little lower than himself8 ,the poet has truly said that the beast is the mirror of man as man is the mirror of ,god4 ,man had to battle with animals for untold ages before he domesticated and made servants of them4 ,he is just beginning to learn that they were not created solely to furnish material for sermons1 nor to serve mankind1 but that they also have an existence1 a life of their own4 ,man has long preached this doctrine that he is not an animal1 but a kinsman of the gods4 ,for this reason1 he has claimed dominion over animal creation and a right to assert that dominion without restraint4 ,this anthropocentric conceit is the same thing that causes one nation to think it should rule the world1 that the sun and moon were made only for the laudable purpose of giving light unto a chosen few1 and that young lambs playing on a grassy hillside1 near a cool spring1 are just so much mutton allowed to wander over man's domain until its flavour is improved4 ,it is time to remove the barriers1 once believed impassable1 which man's egotism has used as a screen to separate him from his lower brothers4 ,our physical bodies are very similar to theirs except that ours are almost always much inferior4 ,merely because we have a superior intellect which enables us to rule and enslave the animals1 shall we deny them all intellect and all feeling8 ,in the words of that remarkable naturalist1 ,william ,j4 ,long1 ,to call a thing intelligence in one creature and reflex action in another1 or to speak of the same thing as love or kindness in one and blind impulse in the other1 is to be blinder ourselves than the impulse which is supposed to govern animals4 ,until1 therefore1 we have some new chemistry that will ignore atoms and the atomic law1 and some new psychology that ignores animal intelligence altogether1 or regards it as under a radically different law from our own1 we must apply what we know of ourselves and our own motives to the smaller and weaker lives that are in some distant way akin to our own4 ,it is possible to explain away all the marvellous things the animals do1 but after you have finished1 there will still remain something over and above1 which quite defies all mechanistic interpretation4 ,an old war horse1 for instance1 lives over and over his battles in his dreams4 ,he neighs and paws1 just as he did in real battle2 and cavalrymen tell us that they can sometimes understand from their horses when they are dreaming just what command they are trying to obey4 ,this is only one of the myriads of animal phenomena which man does not understand4 ,if you doubt it1 try to explain the striking phenomena of luminescence1 hybridization1 of eels surviving desiccation for fourteen years1 post-matrimonial cannibalism1 ,nature's vast chain of unities1 the suicide of lemmings1 why water animals cannot get wet1 transparency of animals1 why the horned toad shoots a stream of blood from his eye when angry4 ,if you are able to explain these things to humanity1 you will be classed second only to ,solomon4 ,yet the average scientist explains them away1 with the ignorance and loquaciousness of a fisher hag4 ,by a thorough application of psychological principles1 it is possible to show that man himself is merely a machine to be explained in terms of neurones and nervous impulses1 heredity and environment and reactions to outside stimuli4 ,but who is there who does not believe that there is more to a man than that8 ,animals have demonstrated long ago that they not only have as many talents as human beings1 but that under the influence of the same environment1 they form the same kinds of combinations to defend themselves against enemies2 to shelter themselves against heat and cold2 to build homes2 to lay up a supply of food for the hard seasons4 ,in fact1 all through the ages man has been imitating the animals in burrowing through the earth1 penetrating the waters1 and now1 at last1 flying through the air4 ,when a skunk bites through the brains of frogs1 paralysing but not killing them1 in order that he may store them away in his nursery-pantry so that his babes may have fresh food2 when a mole decapitates earth-worms for the same reason and stores them near the cold surface of the ground so that the heads will not regrow1 as they would under normal conditions1 only a deeply prejudiced man can claim that no elements of intelligence have been employed4 ,there are also numerous signs1 sounds and motions by which animals communicate with each other1 though to man these symbols of language may not always be understandable4 ,dogs give barks indicating surprise1 pleasure and all other emotions4 ,cows will bellow for days when mourning for their dead4 ,the mother bear will bury her dead cub and silently guard its grave for weeks to prevent its being desecrated4 ,the mother sheep will bleat most pitifully when her lamb strays away4 ,foxes utter expressive cries which their children know full well4 ,the chamois1 when frightened1 whistle2 they might be termed the policemen of the animal world4 ,the sentinel will continue a long1 drawn-out whistle1 as long as he can without taking a breath4 ,he then stops for a brief moment1 looks in all directions1 and begins blowing again4 ,if the danger comes too near1 he scampers away4 ,in their ability to take care of their wounded bodies1 in their reading of the weather and in all forms of woodcraft1 animals undoubtedly possess superhuman powers4 ,even squirrels can prophesy an unusually long and severe winter and thus make adequate preparations4 ,some animals act as both barometers and thermometers4 ,it is claimed that while frogs remain yellow1 only fair weather may be expected1 but if their colour changes to brown1 ill weather is coming4 ,there is no limit to the marvellous things animals do4 ,elephants1 for example1 carry leafy palms in their trunks to shade themselves from the hot sun4 ,the ape or baboon who puts a stone in the open oyster to prevent it from closing1 or lifts stones to crack nuts1 or beats his fellows with sticks1 or throws heavy cocoanuts from trees upon his enemies1 or builds a fire in the forest1 shows more than a glimmer of intelligence4 ,in the sly fox that puts out fish heads to bait hawks1 or suddenly plunges in the water and immerses himself to escape hunters1 or holds a branch of a bush over his head and actually runs with it to hide himself2 in the wolverine who catches deer by dropping moss1 and suddenly springing upon them and clawing their eyes out2 in the bear1 who1 as told in the account of ,cook's third voyage1 rolls down pieces of rock to crush stags2 in the rat when he leads his blind brother with a stick is actual reasoning4 ,indeed1 there is nothing which man makes with all his ingenious use of tools and instruments1 of which some suggestion may not be seen in animal creation4 ,great thinkers of all ages are not wanting who believe that animals have a portion of that same reason which is the pride of man4 ,montaigne admitted that they had both thought and reason1 and ,pope believed that even a cat may consider a man made for his service4 ,humboldt1 ,helvitius1 ,darwin and ,smellie claimed that animals act as a definite result of actual reasoning4 ,lord ,brougham pertinently observes1 ,i know not why so much unwillingness should be shown by some excellent philosophers to allow intelligent faculties and a share of reason to the lower animals1 as if our own superiority was not quite sufficiently established to leave all jealousy out of view by the immeasurably higher place which we occupy in the scale of being4 ,from the facts enumerated in this book ,i find that animals are possessed of love1 hate1 joy1 grief1 courage1 revenge1 pain1 pleasure1 want and satisfaction--that all things that go to make up man's life are also found in them4 ,in the attempt to establish this thesis ,i have been led mentally and physically into some of ,nature's most fascinating highways and hedges1 where ,i have had many occasions to wonder and adore4 ,i will be happy if ,i have at least added something to the depth of love and appreciation with which most men look upon the animal world4 ,,royal ,,dixon4 ,new ,york1 ,april1 #aiah4 ,,the ,,human ,,side ,,of ,,animals ,i ,,animals ,,that ,,practise ,,camouflage ,she was a gordian shape of dazzling line1 ,vermilion-spotted1 golden1 green and blue2 ,striped like a zebra1 freckled like a pard1 ,eyed like a peacock1 and all crimson barr'd1 ,and full of silver moons1 that1 as she breathed1 ,dissolved1 or brighter shone1 or interwreathed ,their lustres with the glorious tapestries4444 --,,keats 7on ,lamia1 the snake74 ,the art of concealment or camouflage is one of the newest and most highly developed techniques of modern warfare4 ,but the animals have been masters of it for ages4 ,the lives of most of them are passed in constant conflict4 ,those which have enemies from which they cannot escape by rapidity of motion must be able to hide or disguise themselves4 ,those which hunt for a living must be able to approach their prey without unnecessary noise or attention to themselves4 ,it is very remarkable how ,nature helps the wild creatures to disguise themselves by colouring them with various shades and tints best calculated to enable them to escape enemies or to entrap prey4 ,the animals of each locality are usually coloured according to their habitat1 but good reasons make some exceptions advisable4 ,many of the most striking examples of this protective resemblance among animals are the result of their very intimate association with the surrounding flora and natural scenery4 ,there is no part of a tree1 including flowers1 fruits1 bark and roots1 that is not in some way copied and imitated by these clever creatures4 ,often this imitation is astonishing in its faithfulness of detail4 ,bunches of cocoanuts are portrayed by sleeping monkeys1 while even the leaves are copied by certain tree-toads1 and many flowers are represented by monkeys and lizards4 ,the winding roots of huge trees are copied by snakes that twist themselves together at the foot of the tree4 ,in the art of camouflage--an art which affects the form1 colour1 and attitude of animals--,nature has worked along two different roads4 ,one is easy and direct1 the other circuitous and difficult4 ,the easy way is that of protective resemblance pure and simple1 where the animal's colour1 form1 or attitude becomes like that of its habitat4 ,in which case the animal becomes one with its environment and thus is enabled to go about unnoticed by its enemies or by its prey4 ,the other way is that of bluff1 and it includes all inoffensive animals which are capable of assuming attitudes and colours that terrify and frighten4 ,the colours in some cases are really of warning pattern1 yet they cannot be considered mimetic unless they are thought to resemble the patterns of some extinct model of which we know nothing2 and since they are not found in present-day animals with unpleasant qualities1 they are not1 strictly speaking1 warning colours4 ,desert animals are in most cases desert-coloured4 ,the lion1 for example1 is almost invisible when crouched among the rocks and streams of the ,african wastes4 ,antelopes are tinted like the landscape over which they roam1 while the camel seems actually to blend with the desert sands4 ,the kangaroos of ,australia at a little distance seem to disappear into the soil of their respective localities1 while the cat of the ,pampas accurately reflects his surroundings in his fur4 ,the tiger is made so invisible by his wonderful colour that1 when he crouches in the bright sunlight amid the tall brown grass1 it is almost impossible to see him4 ,but the zebra and the giraffe are the kings of all camouflagers6 ,so deceptive are the large blotch-spots of the giraffe and his weird head and horns1 like scrubby limbs1 that his concealment is perfect4 ,even the cleverest natives often mistake a herd of giraffes for a clump of trees4 ,the camouflage of zebras is equally deceptive4 ,drummond says that he once found himself in a forest1 looking at what he thought to be a lone zebra1 when to his astonishment he suddenly realised that he was facing an entire herd which were invisible until they became frightened and moved4 ,evidently the zebra is well aware that the black-and-white stripes of his coat take away the sense of solid body1 and that the two colours blend into a light gray1 and thus at close range the effect is that of rays of sunlight passing through bushes4 ,the arctic animals1 with few exceptions1 are remarkable for imitating their surroundings2 their colour of white blends perfectly with the snow around them4 ,the polar bear is the only white bear1 and his home is always among the snow and ice4 ,the arctic fox1 alpine hare1 and ermine change to white in winter only1 because during the other seasons white would be too conspicuous4 ,the ,american arctic hare is always white because he always lives among the white expanses of the ,far ,north4 ,both foxes and stoats are carnivorous and feed upon ptarmigan and hares1 and they must be protectively coloured that they may catch their prey4 ,on the other hand1 ,nature aids the prey by providing them with colours that enable them to escape the attention of their enemies4 ,the young of many of the arctic animals are covered with fluffy white hair1 so that while they are too young to swim they may lie with safety upon the ground and escape the attention of polar bears2 but in the antarctic regions1 where there are few enemies to fear1 the young seals1 for instance1 are exactly the colour of their parents4 ,the most remarkable exception of mimetic colouring among the animals of the polar regions is the sable4 ,throughout the long ,siberian winter he retains his coat of rich brown fur4 ,his habits1 however1 are such that he does not need the protection of colour1 for he is so active that he can easily catch wild birds1 and he can also subsist upon wild berries4 ,the woodchuck of ,north ,america retains his coat of dark-brown fur throughout the long1 cold winters4 ,the matter of his obtaining food1 however1 is easy1 for he lives in burrows1 near streams where he can catch fish and small animals that live in or near the water4 ,a number of the old-school naturalists believed that when an animal's colouring assumed the snowy-white coat of its arctic surroundings1 this was due to the natural tendency on the part of its hair and fur to assume the colourings and tints of their habitat4 ,this1 however1 is absolutely false2 and no better proof of it can be offered than the case of the arctic musk-ox1 who is far more polar in his haunts than even the polar bear1 and is therefore exposed to the whitening influence of the wintry regions more than the bear4 ,yet he never turns white1 but is always brown4 ,the only enemy of this northern-dweller is the arctic wolf1 and against this enemy he is protected by powerful hoofs1 thick hair1 and immense horns4 ,he does not need to conceal himself1 and therefore does not simulate the colour of his surroundings4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,indians ,,claim ,,that ,,the ,,mother ,,bison ,,forced ,,her ,,calf ,,to ,,roll ,,often ,,in ,a ,,puddle ,,of ,,red ,,clay1 ,,so ,,that ,,it ,,might ,,be ,,indistinguishable ,,against ,,its ,,red ,,clay ,,background4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,zebra ,,is ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,cleverest ,,of ,,camouflagers4 ,,the ,,black-,,and-,,white ,,stripes ,,of ,,his ,,body ,,give ,,the ,,effect ,,of ,,sunlight ,,passing ,,through ,,bushes4 ,mimetic resemblances are worked out with great difficulty1 except in such cases as the nocturnal animals1 which simply become one with their surroundings4 ,mice1 rats1 moles1 and bats wear overcoats that are very inconspicuous1 and when suddenly approached they appear almost invisible4 ,some of the ,north ,american ,indians claimed that buffaloes made their calves wallow in the red clay to prevent them from being seen when they were lying down in the red soil4 ,the kinds of protection from these mimetic resemblances are many and varied3 the lion1 because of his sandy-colouring1 is able to conceal himself by merely crouching down upon the desert sands2 the striped tiger hides among the tufts of grass and bamboos of the tropics1 the stripes of his body so blending with the vertical stems as to prevent even the natives from seeing him in this position4 ,the kudu1 one of the handsomest of the antelopes1 is a remarkable animal in several ways4 ,his camouflage is so perfect that it gives him magnificent courage4 ,with his spiral horns1 white face1 and striped coat tinted in pale blue1 he is almost invisible when hiding in a thicket4 ,the perfect harmony of his horns with the twisted vines and branches1 and the white colourings with blue tints in the reflected sunlight conceal him entirely4 ,the snow-leopard1 which inhabits ,central ,asia1 is stony-grey1 with large annular spots to match the rocks among which he lives4 ,this colouration conceals him from the sheep1 upon which he preys2 while the spotted and blotchy pattern of the so-called clouded tiger1 and the peculiarly-barred skin of the ocelot1 imitate the rugged bark of trees1 upon which these animals live4 ,one of the most unusual and skilled mimics is the ,indian sloth1 whose colour pattern and unique eclipsing effects seem almost incredible to those unfamiliar with the real facts4 ,his home is in the trees1 and he has a deep1 orange-coloured spot on his back1 which would make him very conspicuous if seen out of his home surroundings4 ,but he is very clever1 and clings to the moss-draped trees1 where the effect of the orange-coloured spot is exactly like the scar on the tree1 while his hair resembles the withered moss so strikingly that even naturalists are deceived4 ,henry ,drummond must have known the animal world rather well when he remarked that ,carlisle in his blackest visions of 'shams and humbugs' among humanity never saw anything so finished in hypocrisy as the naturalist now finds in every tropical forest4 ,there are to be seen creatures1 not singly1 but in tens of thousands1 whose every appearance1 down to the minutest spot and wrinkle1 is an affront to truth1 whose every attitude is a pose for a purpose1 and whose whole life is a sustained lie4 ,before these masterpieces of deception the most ingenious of human impositions are vulgar and transparent4 ,fraud is not only the great rule of life in a tropical forest1 but the one condition of it4 ,many of the larger cats live in trees1 and most of them have spotted or oscillated skins1 which aid them in hiding among foliage plants4 ,the puma who wears a brown coat is an exception1 but it must be remembered that he does not need the kind of coat his fellow friends wear4 ,he clings so closely to the body of a tree while waiting for his prey as to be almost invisible4 ,this phenomenon is true throughout the animal world4 ,everywhere does ,nature aid in escape and capture4 ,only those skilled in the ways of the wild fully realise how conspicuous amidst foliage1 for instance1 would be a uniform colouration4 ,a parti-coloured pattern is extremely deceptive and thus protective1 and for this reason one seldom sees in ,nature a background of one colour2 and since the large majority of animals need concealment1 it is necessary for them to be clothed in patterns that vary4 ,these variations are especially noticeable in young animals1 and furnish them with a mantle that is practically invisible to predatory enemies during the time they are left unprotected by their parents4 ,these protective mantles often differ strikingly in pattern and colouration from those of their parents1 and indicate that the young animals present the colouration and pattern of their remote forbears4 ,it might even be said that the skins of the fathers are thrust upon the children1 even unto the third and fourth generation6 ,in fact1 it is quite probable that they give through this varying colouration the life-history of their family4 ,in all hoofed animals--antelope1 deer1 horses--the protective colouration is also adapted to habitat and environment4 ,most deer belong to the forest1 carefully avoiding the open deserts and staying near water4 ,they live chiefly in the jungle or scrub1 and are usually spotted with red and white in such a way as to be almost invisible to a casual observer2 some1 however1 that live in the very shady places are uniformly dark so as to harmonise with their surroundings4 ,the wild horses and asses of ,central ,asia are dun-coloured--corresponding exactly to their sandy habitat4 ,the ,shakesperian conception of the human world as a stage may be paralleled in the animal world4 ,animals1 like human beings1 have all a definite rle to play in the drama of life4 ,each is given certain equipment in form1 colour1 voice1 demeanour1 ambitions1 desires1 and natural habitat4 ,some are given much1 others but little4 ,many have succeeded well in the art of camouflage while endeavouring to make a success in life4 ,this success has brought the desired opportunity of mating1 rearing young1 bequeathing to them their special gifts and living in ease and comfort4 ,one of the most successful and striking cases of protective colouration in young animals is found in wild swine4 ,here there is longitudinal striping which marks them from head to tail in broad white bands1 over a background of reddish dark brown4 ,the tapirs have a most unique form of marking4 ,it is similar in the young of the ,south ,american and ,malayan species4 ,their bodies are exquisitely marked in snow-white bars4 ,at their extremities these bars are broken up into small dots which tend to overlap each other4 ,during the daytime these young animals seek the shade of the bushes and as the spots of sunlight fall upon the ground they appear so nearly one with their environment as to pass unnoticed by their enemies4 ,the adults1 however1 vary greatly one from another in colouration4 ,the ,american species is self-coloured1 while the ,malayan has the most unique pattern known to the animal world4 ,the fore-quarters1 the head1 and the hind-legs are black1 while the rest of the body from the shoulders backwards is of a dirt-white colour4 ,it has been observed by all students of ,nature that bold and gaudy animals usually have means of defending themselves that make them very disagreeable to their enemies4 ,they either have poisonous fangs1 sharp spines1 ferocious claws1 or disagreeable odours4 ,there are still others that escape destruction because of the bad company with which they are associated by their enemies4 ,the reptiles offer us many good examples of mimicry4 ,most arboreal lizards wear the colour of the leaves upon which they feed2 the same is true of the whip-snakes and the tiny green tree-frogs4 ,a striking example of successful camouflage is found in the case of a ,north ,american frog whose home is on lichen-covered rocks and walls1 which he so closely imitates in colour and pattern as to pass unnoticed so long as he remains quiet4 ,i have seen an immense frog1 whose home was in a damp cave1 with large green and black spots over his body precisely like the spots on the sides of his home4 ,author ,note3 ,the word mimicry as used here implies a particular kind of resemblance only1 a resemblance in external appearance1 never internal1 a resemblance that deceives4 ,it does not imply voluntary imitation4 ,both the words mimicry and imitation are used to imply outward likeness4 ,the object of the outward likeness or resemblance is to cause a harmless or unprotected animal to be mistaken for the dangerous one which he oftentimes imitates2 or to aid the unprotected animal in escaping unnoticed among the surroundings he may simulate4 ,a splendid example of pure bluff is shown in the case of the harmless ,australian lizard1 known scientifically under the name of chlamydosaurus kingii4 ,when he is undisturbed he seems perfectly inoffensive1 but when he becomes angry1 he becomes a veritable fiend-like reptile4 ,in this condition he stands up on his hind legs1 opens his gaping mouth1 showing the most terrible teeth1 which1 by the way1 have never been known to bite anything4 ,besides this forbidding display he further adds to his terrible appearance by raising the most extraordinary frill which is exquisitely decorated in grey1 yellow1 scarlet1 and blue4 ,this he uses like an umbrella1 and if in this way he does not succeed in frightening away his enemy1 he rushes at him1 and lashes him with his saw-like tail4 ,even dogs are terrified at such camouflage and leave the successful bluffer alone4 ,in all parts of the tropics are tree-snakes that lie concealed among the boughs and shrubs4 ,most of them are green1 and some have richly coloured bands around their bodies which look not unlike gaily coloured flowers1 and which1 no doubt1 attract flower-seeking insects and birds4 ,among these may be mentioned the deadly-poisonous snakes of the genus elaps of ,south ,america4 ,they are so brilliantly provided with bright red and black bands trimmed with yellow rings that it is not uncommon for a plant collector to attempt to pick them up for rare orchids6 ,wherever these snakes are found1 are also found a number of perfectly harmless snakes1 absolutely unlike the dangerous ones in habit and life1 yet coloured precisely the same4 ,the elaps fulvius1 for example1 a deadly venomous snake of ,guatemala1 has a body trimmed in simple black bands on a coral-red ground1 and in the same country and always with him is found a quite harmless snake1 which is coloured and banded in the same identical manner4 ,the terrible and much-feared elaps lemnicatus has the peculiar black bands divided into divisions of three by narrow yellow rings1 thus exactly mimicking a harmless snake1 the pliocerus elapoides1 both of which live in ,mexico4 ,presumably1 the deadly variety assumes the colouring of the harmless kind in order to deceive intended victims as to his ferocity4 ,surely this is sufficient evidence that colouration and pattern-design is a useful camouflage device of the great struggle for existence4 ,and it is safe to assert that any animal that has enemies and still does not resort to protective colouration or mimicry in some form is entirely able to protect itself either by its size1 strength1 ferocity1 or by resorting to safety in numbers4 ,elephants and rhinoceroses1 for example1 are too powerful to be molested when grown1 except in the rarest cases1 and are furthermore thoroughly capable of protecting their young4 ,hippopotamuses are protected by their immense heads1 and are capable of defending their young from crocodiles even when in the water4 ,the bison and buffalo1 which were once so powerful on the plains of ,north ,america1 were protected by their gregarious habits1 which terrorised their enemies--the wolves4 ,their nurseries were a feature of their wisdom4 ,these were circular pens where the tall grass was tramped down by expectant mothers for the protection of their young4 ,this natural nursery was protected from the inside by sentinels who went round and round the pen constantly guarding the young not only from the attack of wolves but also from venturing forth alone too early into the open unprotected plains4 ,in a similar way the snow-pens of the moose of the ,far ,north serve to protect them from the hungry hordes of wolves of which they live in constant danger4 ,this indicates that the annihilation of the bison and buffalo was due1 not to lack of wisdom1 but to man's inhumanity2 for1 taking advantage of their nurseries1 the men crouched near and concealing themselves in the grass killed not only the mothers for food but even the young in their savage sport4 ,the large majority of monkeys are protectively coloured with some shade of brown or grey1 with specially marked faces4 ,entire packs of ,ceylonese species will1 at the slightest alarm1 become invisible by crouching on a palm-tree4 ,one of the most strikingly coloured ,african monkeys is jet black with a white bushy tail1 and a face surrounded by a white ring1 or mantle of long silky hair4 ,he thus simulates so strikingly the hanging white lichens upon the trees that he is rarely seen by his enemies4 ,a book might be written upon the various ways that animals1 when closely associated with other animals or human beings1 imitate them4 ,darwin says that two species of wolves1 which had been reared by dogs1 learned to bark1 as does sometimes the jackall1 and it is well known that certain dogs1 when reared by cats1 imitate their habits1 even to the licking of their feet and the washing of their faces4 ,if a mongrel dog associates with a trained dog for any period of time it is remarkable the progress he will make4 ,for this same reason young dogs are carried on hunting trips with trained dogs that they may learn by imitation the art of hunting4 ,in the whole realm of ,nature there is nothing more wonderful than this matter of protective colouration4 ,animals do not monopolise the art4 ,it extends through the whole world of living creatures4 ,the fact that individual animals have no voluntary control over their own colour is eloquent testimony as to the existence of mysterious life forces and racial evolutions which are still far beyond the grasp of man's understanding4 ,to see a tiny chameleon adapt his colouring to his environment1 be it red1 green1 or yellow1 in the twinkling of an eye1 is to have seen an argument for ,god ,himself4 ,,ii ,,animal ,,musicians ,nay1 what is ,nature's self1 ,but an endless strife towards ,music1 euphony1 rhyme8 --,,watson4 ,the great thinkers of the age believe that the world is one marvellous blending of innumerable and varied voices4 ,this unison of sound forms the great music of the spheres1 which the poets and philosophers have written so much about4 ,even from a purely scientific point of view1 there is no denying that this music exists4 ,aviators tell us that when they listen from a distance to the myriads of noises and sounds that arise over a great city1 these are all apparently lost in a modulated hum precisely like the vibrations of an immense tuning-fork1 and appearing as but a single tone4 ,thus the immense noise going from our world is musically digested into one tone1 and the aviator soaring above the earth hears only the one sound--the music of the spheres4 ,the deep appreciation that animals have for music is becoming a generally known fact among those who have studied them closely4 ,every one must admit that there is much truth in the old saying that music hath charms to soothe the savage breast4 ,music is composed of vibrations1 which act with great power upon the nervous system of men and animals alike4 ,each is affected according to his particular physical and mental development4 ,professor ,tarchanoff has made a careful study of the influence of music upon men and animals4 ,he has demonstrated1 by means of a machine which carefully registers the various activities of the hands and fingers1 that when the hands are so tired and fatigued that they cannot make any marks except a straight line on the cylinder which registers the movements1 music will so stimulate the nerves as to cause all fatigue to disappear4 ,and as soon as the fingers again touch the cylinder1 they begin to draw lines of various kinds and heights1 thus proving that the music had rested the fingers and placed them under control4 ,various kinds of music were used3 that of a melancholy nature had precisely the opposite effect to that of a lively1 cheerful character2 the nerves of the hands could either be contracted or expanded according to the nature of the music4 ,like all real scientists1 ,professor ,tarchanoff does not claim to give any positive explanation of these facts4 ,he believes1 however1 that the voluntary muscles act in the same relation to the music as the heart--that is1 that cheerful1 happy music affects the excito-motor nerves1 sets up a vibration in those nerves which produces cheer and good feeling2 while sad1 morbid music plays along the depressant nerves and produces sadness and depression4 ,in view of these facts1 it is easy to see how animals1 with their nervous temperaments and ready response to outside stimuli1 are greatly influenced by various kinds of music4 ,it is scientifically recognised that music tends to increase the elimination of carbonic acid and increases not only the consumption of oxygen1 but even the activities of the skin4 ,there is no doubt that good music at meal time aids the digestion4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,monkeys ,,are ,,the ,,most ,,musical ,,of ,,all ,,animals4 ,,when ,,they ,,congregate ,,for ,,concerts1 ,,as ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,tribes ,,do1 ,,the ,,air ,,is ,,filled ,,with ,,weird ,,strains ,,of ,,monkey-,,music4 ,illustration3 ,,cats1 ,,unlike ,,dogs1 ,,are ,,very ,,fond ,,of ,,music4 ,,and ,,it ,,has ,,been ,,proved ,,that ,,their ,,music-,,sense ,,can ,,be ,,developed ,,to ,a ,,remarkable ,,degree4 ,cats have a species of unbeautiful music all their own1 generally produced at late hours of the night on the house tops1 garden walls1 and in the alleys of our dwellings4 ,miss ,cat's songs are far too chromatic to be appreciated by human ears2 as a result her concertos and solos are rarely spoken of by human critics4 ,however1 ,nature does sometimes produce a ,tetrazzini1 ,alice ,neilson1 or ,caruso1 in the form of a cat1 which really delights in harmonious combinations of sound4 ,i know1 for instance1 of a cat called ,nordica owned by ,presson ,miller1 who apparently takes the greatest delight in hearing good vocal and instrumental music4 ,another well-educated musical cat belongs to a friend who plays a guitar4 ,this cat delights in touching the strings with his dainty1 soft paws1 and springs with delight as the notes are produced4 ,the ,animal ,world speaks of five musical cats1 which were carried to various parts of the world and exhibited as bell-ringers1 and their owner made a fortune out of their concerts4 ,five bells were suspended from a hoop1 which hung above the stage1 and to each bell was attached a small rope4 ,at a given signal1 each cat would seize a bell and give it a pull4 ,this was done with such perfect time and spirit that one might well believe it was the work of human musicians and not of cats4 ,cows are responsive to certain kinds of music4 ,a funeral march makes them sad1 and ragtime so disturbs them that they give but little milk4 ,the newspapers claim that ,charles ,w4 ,ward1 who owns a ranch near ,eureka1 ,california1 says that the right kind of music will increase the production of milk1 and that he uses a phonograph in the dairy barn4 ,a friend1 who has travelled much1 tells the story of a musical cow4 ,he1 in company with two other friends1 was coming up a river in a small boat singing4 ,just as they turned a bend1 they saw a small brown cow1 suckling her calf1 along with several other cows in a nearby pasture4 ,the cow seemed so fascinated with the music that she plunged into the water and waded up to her head trying to reach the boat4 ,as they rowed along1 she ran up and down the bank1 cutting capers in a most astonishing manner and lowing and bellowing in testimony of her delight in the music4 ,she would leap1 skip1 roll on the grass1 paw up the earth1 like an angry bull1 and chase off like a playful kitten1 always with a low plaintive bellow as a final farewell4 ,these friends often rowed up the river just to see if the musical cow was there1 and she always greeted them in the usual appreciative manner4 ,lions and tigers are proverbially fond of music4 ,professional trainers tell us that these animals1 when tamed1 will not do their stunts without the accompaniment of music4 ,the story is told of a group of tigers which recently refused to perform1 because the musicians1 while the performance was going on1 went on a strike4 ,at once when the music ceased1 the animals returned to their respective seats and no amount of encouragement would induce them to continue their performance4 ,no amount of threats would induce them to work without music4 ,the trainer dared not punish them too severely1 yet he feared that if they were not forced to perform1 they might continue to strike4 ,but such was not the case1 for on the morrow when the musicians returned they acted as never before4 ,sheep1 both tame and wild1 are exceedingly fond of music1 and the shepherds of ,scotland have used it with their sheep for ages4 ,when the shepherd plays upon his flute or bagpipe1 they gather around him and listen apparently with great satisfaction2 when the music ceases1 they wander out to feed1 and in the evening he leads them home by the single strains of his flute4 ,circus horses are not only fond of music1 but are partial to certain tunes1 and demand that these be played while they are doing their turn4 ,if for any reason the band changes the tune during a performance1 they immediately refuse to go on with their stunts4 ,the original fountain of all music was based on the various voices and sounds of animals--and each musical instrument was originally devised to imitate these sounds4 ,for all instruments--the bass drum1 flute1 clarinet1 trombone1 trumpet1 violin1 and even pipe organ--an animal may be mentioned that owns the fundamental tones in its voice1 and which man has imitated4 ,castanets1 for example1 were imitations of the rattlesnakes2 the first musical instruments of any savage tribe of men are made so as to represent the voices of the chief animals of that particular locality4 ,every animal of the higher order1 with the exception of a few mute dogs that belong to very hot or cold climates1 is possessed of some sort of musical tone1 expressive of pain or joy1 and by means of which he can express certain emotions4 ,darwin claimed that the voice of the gibbon1 while extremely loud1 was very musical2 and ,waterhouse said that this musician sang the scale with considerable accuracy1 at least sufficiently well for a trained violinist to accompany him4 ,often when dogs hear music they howl1 or attempt to sing4 ,some show a decided preference for certain kinds of music1 and actually try to imitate it4 ,gross tells of a friend of his who had a dog with which he often gave performances4 ,the dog would accompany his master1 when he sang in falsetto1 with howls that were unmistakably attempts at singing1 and which readily adapted themselves to the pitch of the tone4 ,this was a musical accomplishment of which he was very proud4 ,on a subject of which so little is known1 there are1 of course1 diverse opinions4 ,scheitlin believed that music is actually disagreeable to a dog1 but he says that it may be questioned whether or not the dog does not in some way accompany it4 ,and ,romanes1 the great animal authority1 thought the same thing4 ,he had a terrier1 which accompanied him when he sang1 and actually succeeded in following the prolonged notes of the human voice with a certain approximation to unison4 ,dr4 ,higgins1 a musician1 claimed that his large mastiff could sing to the accompaniment of the organ4 ,alix gives such positive examples that they are really marvellous3 ,pere ,pardies cites the case of two dogs that had been taught to sing1 one of them taking a part with his master4 ,pierquin de ,gembloux also speaks of a poodle that could run the scale in tune and sing very agreeably a fine composition of ,mozart's ,my ,heart ,it ,sings at ,eve4 ,all the scientists in ,paris1 according to the same authority1 went to see the dog belonging to ,dr4 ,bennati1 and hear it sing the scale1 which it could do perfectly4 ,monkeys and apes most nearly approximate human musicians4 ,in central ,africa these animal tribes have musical centres where they congregate regularly for concerts4 ,prof4 ,richard ,s4 ,garner1 the noted authority on apes and monkeys1 believes that the time has already come for the establishment of a school for their education4 ,he would have the courses beginning with a kindergarten and advancing through as many grades as the students required4 ,prof4 ,garner furthermore believes that we have little understanding of the gorilla1 and points out that these animals have a very happy and harmonious home life1 the father being highly domestic and delighting in the company of his wife and children4 ,it is not uncommon to find five or six generations in a certain district of the jungle4 ,their near kin1 the chimpanzees1 are equally clannish1 but more musical4 ,they come down from the branches of the trees1 seating themselves on the dry leaves and assembling like an orchestra4 ,after all are ready1 they begin beating the leaves with their hands1 at first very slowly1 like the quiet prelude to a symphony1 and gradually increasing in tempo until the grand crescendo is reached4 ,then1 as if by the direction of an invisible leader1 the music suddenly ceases4 ,to deny that this is to them a real concert would lead us into extreme absurdities4 ,in this connection it is interesting to note that when a baby is expected in the village1 all music ceases until after its birth1 when they again resume their periodic musical festivals4 ,hensel verifies this observation1 and tells us of having seen apes come from their shelter in the early morning and congregate for a musical concert4 ,they repair1 he says1 to the shelter of some gigantic monarch of the forest whose limbs offer facilities for walking exercises4 ,the head of the family appropriates one of these branches and advances along it seriously1 with elevated tail1 while the others group themselves about him4 ,soon he gives forth soft single notes1 as the lion likes to do when he tests the capacity of his lungs4 ,this sound1 which seems to be made by drawing the breath in and out1 becomes deeper and in more rapid succession as the excitement of the singer increases4 ,at last1 when the highest pitch is reached1 the intervals cease and the sound becomes a continuous roar1 and at this point all the others1 male and female1 join in1 and for fully ten seconds at a time the awful chorus sounds through the quiet forest4 ,at the close the leader begins again with the detached sounds4 ,perhaps the most remarkable evidence of animals showing a comprehensive intelligence of musical pitch is demonstrated by cavalry horses4 ,that they thoroughly understand it is clearly demonstrated by the fact that they will obey the calls of the bugle for cavalry evolutions without a moment's hesitation and with no suggestion from outside sources4 ,these bugle calls are produced by a combination of four notes1 each of a different pitch1 and it is rarer to find a horse making a mistake in the musical orders given than it is for their masters4 ,rats and mice have a decided liking for music1 as is attested by the fact that they appear as uninvited guests and also come as near the performer as possible4 ,mice1 one would believe1 love church music1 for they often build their nests in pipe organs1 thus being able to rear their children in both a musical and religious atmosphere6 ,there is more truth than imagination in the story of the ,pied ,piper of ,hamelin1 which illustrates how they respond to the simple charms of music4 ,even donkeys betray tendencies toward musical efforts1 and seem to be aroused by music at least temporarily to a higher mental plane than ,balaam was inclined to ascribe to his wise ass4 ,not all of them sing equally well1 but in ,arizona the donkey is known as the desert canary4 ,if you were to spend a few glorious days in the ,hopi village of ,araibi1 you would hear through the still1 silent night their long nasal bray or song1 and you would be convinced that the term is quite appropriate4 ,you may not exactly like the tune1 but you will concede that they sing6 ,society is just awakening to the joy and the significance of community art4 ,this is everywhere indicated by the great growing group of people who come together for a common music1 either as a chorus or an orchestra or both4 ,but in this field man has not yet attained such unity of communal effort as have the frogs4 ,in the great swamps of the world myriads of them gather from miles around1 conscious of one purpose1 and by a marvellous understanding and co-operation create for themselves a symphony with beauties and harmonies of its own1 and such as to stand unrivalled in man's musical world4 ,in the great chorus are voices from the lowest bass of the croaking bullfrog1 squatting in the marshes1 to the myriads of tiny green tree tenors1 between which are millions of altos1 contraltos1 sopranos1 coloraturas and other voices not yet in our musical vocabulary4 ,these are accompanied by all the sounds of our orchestra and innumerable others of such delicate shades and gradations as to defy the ear of man4 ,if we listen to one of these concerts1 we will quickly recognise the tones of every familiar instrument1 such as the drum1 pipe1 horn1 trombone1 oboe1 piccolo1 'cello1 and violin4 ,the greatest of these musical festivals directly precedes the mating season1 and is a dramatic instance of a manifestation of an inner rhythm which corresponds to an external periodicity4 ,among the oldest traditions of the ,eastern world are those of snake-charming by means of music4 ,i have long been interested in this strange phenomenon of ,nature1 and in company with a brilliant young violinist visited a zoological park recently1 and after securing permission from the head keeper1 entered the snake-house4 ,the violinist began by playing a few most sympathetic chords1 first delicate and soft1 then sad1 then gay1 slow or tremulous4 ,near us1 coiled in his immense cage1 was a large cobra--the snake which all legend claims is most easily influenced by music4 ,almost immediately after the music began1 the cobra raised himself in a listening attitude1 steadily gazed at us as though he were viewing the future1 spread his immense hood1 and slowly began to shake his head from side to side1 as if he were trying to keep time to the music4 ,as soon as the music would change1 his attitude changed accordingly4 ,only after the music had ceased did he resume his normal position4 ,the ,indians agree that under the influence of various musical instruments1 especially bagpipes1 snake-charmers are able to get the snakes to come out from their homes among the old rocks and walls1 and when they appear they seem perfectly dazed so that they can be easily captured4 ,it is not well to have any kind of musical instrument played1 when in a forest at night where there are dangerous snakes1 lest they come to hear it4 ,snake-hunters always carry with them some kind of musical instrument1 depending upon the kind of snakes they wish to capture4 ,it seems that all are not equally fascinated by it4 ,i have experimented with little effect upon a large rattler2 it may have been that he was deaf4 ,but he gave little evidence of being interested4 ,we need not feel humiliated1 then1 for our animal kinspeople with their primitive music3 we were monkeys1 and before them we were reptiles1 birds1 fishes1 even worms4 ,but that was ages ago1 and we have grown up and become better musicians4 ,evolution has chosen us as its favourites and given us every advantage in the struggle up the ladder of life4 ,our musical rivals of yesterday are as chorus people compared to ,metropolitan ,opera stars1 with us4 ,on this earth we reign supreme1 we have conquered the earth1 air1 and water1 annihilating time and distance4 ,what more is there for us to learn of ,nature's secrets8 ,only an understanding of our lower brothers1 the animals4 ,,iii ,,animals ,,at ,,play 444 ,about them frisking1 played ,all beasts of the earth1 since wild1 and of all chase ,in wood or wilderness1 forest or den2 ,sporting the lion romped1 and in his paw ,dandled the kid2 bears1 tigers1 ounces1 pards1 ,gambled before them2 the unwieldy elephant1 ,to make them mirth1 used all his might1 and wreathed ,his light proboscis4 --,paradise ,lost4 ,that one touch of ,nature makes the whole world kin is shown in no clearer way than by the games and play of animals4 ,recreation is as common among them as it is among our own children2 and they seem always to be artistic and even skilled in their play4 ,young goats and lambs skip1 jump1 run races1 throw flips in the air1 and gambol2 calves have interesting frolics2 young colts and mules have biting and kicking games2 bears wrestle and tumble2 puppies delight in biting and tussling2 while kittens chase everything from spools of thread to their own tails4 ,but animal children grow up1 and stop playing to a certain extent as age advances1 precisely as human children do4 ,each settles down into a more practical condition of life4 ,they dislike to have their games and play disturbed1 and if the mother dog growls because her playful son has continuously tumbled over her while she was sleeping1 or the cat-mother slaps her kitten because he plays with her tail--it is a display of the same kind of emotion that prompts a human mother to rebuke her child in the nursery for making too much noise1 or for throwing toys out of the window4 ,animals1 like ourselves1 feel every sensation of joy1 happiness1 surprise1 disappointment1 love1 hope1 ambition1 and through their youthful games an entire index of their future lives may be obtained4 ,this play has much to do with the physical and mental development of the animals2 and it is strange indeed that so few writers have considered the subject of play in the animal world4 ,most of those who have noticed the subject at all1 drop it with a few remarks1 to the effect that it is highly amusing1 or very funny1 or unbelievable1 or so like the play of children1 without even a word of explanation of the whys and wherefores of it4 ,all animals have some kinds of play4 ,plutarch speaks of a trained elephant that often practised her steps when she thought no one was looking4 ,no one who has ever visited a zoological park and seen the crowded monkey and baboon cages can have failed to note the wonderful play of these animals4 ,seals seem never to tire of chasing one another through the water2 while even the clumsy hippopotamuses have diving games4 ,kittens begin to tumble and play before they are two weeks old4 ,they will roll and toss a ball1 hunting it from the dark corners1 lay in silent wait for each other1 and suddenly spring upon an unsuspecting fellow-cat-baby's back1 just as they will do later in life1 when seeking their prey4 ,i have seen them play with a catnip mouse for hours at a time1 just as the mother cat plays with a real mouse4 ,brehm says that this is noticed in their earliest kittenhood1 and that the mother cat encourages it in all ways possible1 even to becoming a child with her children from love of them1 as a human mother does in the nursery with her child4 ,the mother cat begins the play by slowly moving her tail4 ,gesner considered her tail as the indicator of her moods4 ,the kittens1 while they may not understand what this means1 are greatly excited by the movement1 their eyes sparkle1 their ears stand erect1 and slowly one after another clutches after the moving tail4 ,suddenly1 one springs over the mother's back1 another grabs at her feet1 while a third playfully slaps her in the face with his tiny1 soft1 cushioned paw4 ,she1 patiently and mother-like1 lovingly submits to all this treatment1 as it is only play4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,dryptosaurus4 ,,the ,,prehistoric ,,animals1 ,,too1 ,,undoubtedly ,,had ,,their ,,play ,,time1 ,,with ,,games ,,and ,,setting ,,up ,,exercises4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,a ,,happy ,,family ,,of ,,polar ,,bears4 ,,the ,,young ,,cubs ,,wrestle ,,and ,,tumble1 ,,as ,,playfully ,,as ,,two ,,puppies4 ,,this ,,play ,,has ,,much ,,to ,,do ,,with ,,their ,,physical ,,and ,,mental ,,development4 ,many scientists have claimed that this so-called instinct should not be classed as real play4 ,however1 such an authority as ,darwin thought it was play1 and ,scheitlin said that the cat let the mouse loose many times in order that she might have the experience of catching it each time4 ,no mercy is shown the helpless mouse1 which is the same to her as the toy ball--in the same way as a real beetle and a toy beetle are the same to a small child4 ,evidently the cat does not play with the mouse for the delight in torturing it1 but purely for practice that she may become skilled in the art of catching it4 ,the cat also exercises in springing movements1 and by studying the mouse's probable movements1 learns to acquire a knowledge and skill in mouse-ways otherwise impossible4 ,the same cruel practice is found among leopards1 panthers1 and wild cats4 ,brehm verifies the observation that many members of the cat family practise torturing their victims in a horrible manner1 pretending to liberate them1 until the poor creatures at last die from their wounds4 ,lenz tells of a marten that would play with its prey for hours when not hungry4 ,especially was this true when marmots chanced to be his victims1 and around these he would leap and spring1 dealing them terrific blows first with one paw and then with the other4 ,when hungry1 however1 he proceeded differently1 devouring them at once from teeth to tail4 ,all the cat family1 it seems1 are fond of human companionship1 and take almost as much delight in playing with human beings as with their own kind4 ,this is especially true of the puma4 ,brehm tells of a tame one that delighted in hiding at the approach of his master and springing out unexpectedly1 just as the lion does4 ,hudson claimed that the puma1 with the exception of the monkey1 was possibly the most playful of all animals4 ,travellers tell many interesting tales of the play of these animals1 especially on the ,pampas of ,south ,america4 ,gross relates the experience of an ,englishman who was compelled to spend the night outdoors on the ,pampas of the ,la ,plata4 ,at about nine o'clock1 on a bright moonlight night1 he saw four pumas coming toward him1 two adult animals and two young ones4 ,he well knew that these animals would not attack him1 so he quietly waited4 ,in a short time they approached him1 chasing one another and playing hide-and-seek like little kittens2 and finally leaped directly over the man several times4 ,the mother cat would run ahead1 calling to the little ones to follow her4 ,but she never disturbed him4 ,at times an animal at play with another uses the same tactics and methods employed on its prey4 ,of course1 the value of such practice for the tasks of later-life is evident4 ,dogs play hide-and-seek1 tag1 and various chasing games for hours without resting4 ,among the negroes of the ,south it is not uncommon to see a hound playing hide-and-seek with the little pickaninnies4 ,i have seen a hound peeping in and out among a pile of brush to discover where the little ones were hiding1 and at the first sight of a little black face1 he would lay low in anticipation of a playful spring1 or a sudden dash-away1 with the expectation of being chased by his friends4 ,at times he would suddenly disappear toward his home1 and slyly slip around and approach the playground from an opposite direction4 ,every one who has owned fox terriers knows how they will crouch in the open grass and remain motionless1 with quivering expectation for the other playfellow to arrive1 and when the one in ambush sees the other coming he springs toward him1 as though he were going to destroy him6 ,and when the two come together1 they attempt to seize each other by the necks1 as they would do in a real conflict4 ,a wrestle and tussle ensues and when utterly exhausted from this play1 the tired dogs1 like two fatigued children1 run to their homes4 ,dogs are fond of playing ball1 and will readily bring a ball or stick to their master when he has thrown it4 ,they will also go into the water to bring out sticks that may have been tossed in for amusement4 ,eugene ,zimmerman had a young fox terrier that would set a ball in motion1 when there was no one to pitch it for him1 by seizing it in his mouth and tossing it up in the air4 ,monkeys and jaguars will also play ball1 and tame bears take great delight in wrestling1 playing ball1 and fighting mock battles4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,mother ,,opossum ,,is ,,never ,,happier ,,than ,,when ,,she ,,has ,,her ,,little ,,ones ,,playing ,,hide-,,and-,,seek ,,over ,,her ,,back4 ,illustration3 ,,this ,,young ,,fox ,,came ,,from ,,his ,,home ,,in ,,the ,,woods ,,daily ,,to ,,play ,,with ,a ,,young ,,fox-,,terrier4 ,,he ,,is ,,now ,,resting ,,after ,a ,,romp4 ,beckmann wonderfully describes the play of a badger1 whose only playmate was an exceptionally clever dog1 who from his earliest youth had been taught to live with different kinds of animals4 ,together they went through a series of gymnastic exercises on pleasant afternoons1 and their four-footed friends came from far and near to witness the performance4 ,the essentials of the game were that the badger1 roaring and shaking his head like a wild boar1 should charge upon the dog1 as it stood about fifteen paces off1 and strike him in the side with its head2 the dog1 leaping dexterously entirely over the badger1 awaited a second and third attack1 and then made his antagonist chase him all round the garden4 ,if the badger managed to snap the dog's hindquarters1 an angry tussle ensued1 but never resulted in a real fight4 ,if ,caspar1 the badger1 lost his temper1 he drew off without turning round1 and got up snorting and shaking and with bristling hair1 and strutted about like an inflated turkey-cock4 ,after a few moments his hair would smooth down1 and with some head-shaking and good-natured grunts the mad play would begin again4 ,young animals are strikingly like children in their craving for amusement4 ,a young bear will lie on his back and play with his feet and toes by the hour1 while a young pup can have a great game with only a dry bone1 or by chasing his shadow on the wall4 ,rabbits come out in evenings on the sand-hills to play hide-and-seek with their young1 and squirrels never weary of this universally popular game4 ,i know of a young fox that used to come from a nearby woods every evening to play with a young fox-terrier4 ,they became great friends and were often seen in the woods together4 ,a friend who owns a ranch in ,texas once raised two young wolves that romped and played with the neighbour's dogs just as if they were dogs themselves4 ,there are other animals1 like the weasels1 that will also play with strange friends4 ,but they prefer their own kind as playmates4 ,they take the greatest delight in playing with their parents1 and nothing is more beautiful or strange than to see several of them playing in a valley on a sunny day4 ,out pops one little head1 with twinkling eyes glancing from side to side1 and then as if from nowhere1 the little brothers and sisters begin to appear1 chasing each other as though they were playing tag4 ,these exercises give them much agility which they will need in later life4 ,i once owned a tame raccoon1 and often kept him chained in the back yard4 ,when he could not find a young chicken or duck to torment1 he devised all kinds of schemes to relieve the monotonous hours4 ,he would pile up a number of small stones1 and carefully await his chance to fling one into a group of young chickens4 ,he seemed to understand that he was more apt to make a hit when he threw into a crowd than when aiming at a single chick4 ,at other times he would lie on his back1 madly waving his tail as though he were signalling for some one to come near4 ,if we chanced to pass by without speaking1 he would growl or whine in some way to attract attention4 ,after hours of self-amusement he would lie down as if life were useless1 and wait until something or somebody came along to amuse him4 ,his greatest delight was in fishing things out of a pan of water1 and he would wash every pebble or plaything that he owned and carefully lay it out to dry4 ,one day he pounced upon a rooster who insulted him by drinking from his water vessel1 and plucked a long feather from his tail so quickly that we could hardly realise what had taken place4 ,he then had great fun in attempting to stick the feather in his head or by planting it upright in the ground4 ,another day1 in winter1 he broke his chain and made straight for the kitchen1 where he found a snug warm place in old ,aunt ,moriah's kitchen oven4 ,the old negress came to cook dinner and when the raccoon suddenly sprang out of her oven1 she vowed1 ,i'se nevah gwine to cook in dis heah kitchen again2 dis place is hoodooed fo' life6 ,once we gave him a pail of hot milk1 and it was evidently hotter than we realised2 he started to drink it1 and suddenly stopped1 and in anger grabbed at a very young puppy that was following us1 and before we could stop him1 dipped the puppy's head into the hot milk4 ,fortunately1 however1 the milk was not hot enough to injure the puppy4 ,but the raccoon had taken his revenge out on the little animal1 and was evidently satisfied4 ,it is interesting to note that all animals seem to play games and take exercises that will be especially helpful to them in later life4 ,badgers1 for example1 delight in turning somersaults2 deer like to jump and leap2 foxes and raccoons practise stealing upon one unnoticed2 tapirs and crocodiles play in the water as night approaches2 mountain goats1 sheep1 horses and mules run1 leap1 jump1 and play follow-leader4 ,animals that live in the high mountains practise all kinds of high-jumps1 which would be unnecessary if they lived on level ground1 but are highly essential in mountainous countries4 ,brehm claims that in summer the chamois climb up to the everlasting snow and take much delight in playing in it4 ,they will drop into a crouching position on the top of a very steep mountain1 work their four legs with a swimming motion1 and slide down on the surface of the snow for a hundred and fifty metres4 ,as they slide down the snow flies over them like a fine powder4 ,as soon as they reach the bottom1 they jump to their feet1 and slowly climb up the mountain-side again1 while many of their comrades silently stand by and watch their coasting approvingly1 first one and then another joining in the sport1 like human coasters would do4 ,it is not uncommon for a number of them to tumble together at the bottom1 like romping children4 ,this coasting is very remarkable1 and through skill in it1 no doubt1 the lives of many chamois are saved from frightful accidents later in life4 ,alix tells us that dogs of mountainous countries are also often skilled in the art of coasting4 ,our tame fawn used to delight in playing with our old rabbit-dog1 ,nimrod4 ,they were the best of friends1 and the fawn would begin the chase by approaching ,nimrod as though he were going to stamp him into the earth1 and then suddenly leaping quickly and safely over the dog1 he would run away4 ,at this signal for a game1 if ,nimrod was in the mood1 he chased the fawn1 who would delight in jumping over fences and hedges and waiting for poor ,nimrod to get over or under just in time to see his playmate leap to the other side4 ,wolves1 if taken when quite young1 have a most unique way of showing their affection at the appearance of their master4 ,they will spring into the air1 tumbling over1 with whinnying cries of delight1 falling to the ground they pretend to bite and snap at everything1 until their friend finally comes very near them4 ,prairie dogs are fond of all kinds of races and jumping games2 they will each appear at the entrance to their underground homes1 and will play a simple form of prisoners'-base for long periods of time4 ,with defiant calls at each other1 one finally approaches the home of the other1 which is a signal for the third to attempt to slip into the entrance to the second one's home before he can return4 ,many join in the game and it usually ends in a regular roll-and-tumble for their respective homes4 ,perhaps the strangest of all forms of play is that in which young duckbills indulge4 ,they are slightly like puppies in their methods of roll-and-tumble1 but the way in which they grab one another with their strange bills1 as they strike with their fore-paws is quite original4 ,they seem to have an unusually good disposition1 and if one little playfellow falls in the game1 and desires to scratch himself before arising1 the other patiently waits until he arises1 when the mock battle begins anew4 ,antelopes have chase and marching games which are beautiful4 ,they seem rapidly to follow an invisible leader over the plains1 suddenly forming themselves into pairs1 fours1 eights1 sixteens1 until the entire herd thus form one line1 like an army of soldiers marching4 ,while this game is progressing1 certain of their number stand as sentinels and spectators1 and the slightest approach of an enemy is the signal for all play to cease1 and for them to disappear over the plains4 ,when we witness these abundant evidences of the need and prevalence of recreation in the animal world1 we are confronted with one more argument for the existence of real mental and moral faculties among our four-footed friends4 ,,iv ,,armour-,,bearing ,,and ,,mail-,,clad ,,animals ,the spectacle of ,nature is always new1 for she is always renewing the spectators4 ,life is her most exquisite invention2 and death is her expert contrivance to get plenty of life4 --,,goethe',s ,aphorisms 7trans4 by ,,huxley74 ,civilised nations throughout the world at different times in their country's history have protected their soldiers and warriors with coats of armour or mail4 ,this practice prevailed extensively during the ,middle ,ages2 but it has almost entirely disappeared4 ,the ,german breastplates of to-day are an attempted revival4 ,the coats of mail of the ancient warriors underwent an evolutionary process1 until they were indeed brought to a high pitch of perfection and beauty4 ,it was at this period that they were abandoned as too burdensome to be of practical value4 ,this protective form of armour has been used by animals since time immemorial1 and was copied by man from them2 and among the various forms of it are found examples of every kind of armour used in the human world1 from the rough leather shields of hide which the savages use1 to the ornamental suits of mail1 like those used by the knights of the fifteenth century4 ,indeed1 some animals have carried the art of protection to such an extent that they are veritable movable forts1 or tanks6 ,in the early part of the earth's history1 animals needed greater protection from powerful enemies than they do at present1 and they developed a coat of mail1 exquisite in appearance and even more efficient than that used by man4 ,yet1 like mankind1 they have found newer and more efficient methods of protection1 and as a result of changed conditions and enemies1 have discarded1 at least most of them1 their coats of mail and armour4 ,most of those who have held to the old-fashioned ways of fighting and facing the world1 have1 like unprogressive peoples1 perished2 and to-day only a few armour-bearing animals exist4 ,these classes1 however1 have never been very large1 and consist of two small families2 the pangolins and the armadillos4 ,the former live in southern ,asia and ,africa1 while the latter are inhabitants of ,south ,america4 ,these animals have a great advantage over man1 for their armour grows upon their bodies and is a part of them1 while man must put his on and take it off and continually replace the worn-out parts4 ,again1 while there are only three distinct kinds of human armour--the chain1 scale and plate armour--there are many kinds of animal armour4 ,what wonderful opportunities exist to-day in the great museums for studying the different kinds of animal armour1 for those who are interested6 ,the scaly ant-eater1 who is at home in ,africa and ,asia1 is one of the most unusual and original types of mail-clad animals4 ,he might be compared to a wolf in outline1 covered from head to tail in huge1 horny plates1 which look like immense finger-nails overlapping each other4 ,his head sharpens out into a long1 narrow snout1 which contains a sticky1 worm-like tongue1 and this he can use with great rapidity and effect in raiding an ant-hill4 ,he drops his tongue over the entrance1 and the ants attempt to crawl over it and are glued to it4 ,he walks in a very unique way by going upon the backs of his feet4 ,this preserves his wonderful claws for bursting open ants' nests1 as his chief food consists of these tiny insects and their eggs4 ,a cousin of the scaly ant-eater1 the great ant-eater of ,south ,america1 has the same general habits of his near-kinsman4 ,he has an immense bushy tail with which some naturalists claim he sweeps up ants4 ,this is not true1 however2 he uses his tail1 when he lies down1 to cover himself4 ,the hairs of the tail part in such a manner as to fall over the body like a thatched roof1 protecting it from rain and storm alike4 ,a part of the head and under portion of this ant-eater's body are unprotected1 and this is why he rolls himself up like a ball when danger is near4 ,in this position1 his scales stand out in such a way as to make a complete row of sharp points1 as uninviting as the wires on a barbed wire fence4 ,yet1 it is claimed that certain of his enemies1 like the leopard1 know his one great weakness--a terror of being wet--and often make him uncoil by rolling him into the water4 ,his coat of hard covering is really compact masses of hardened hair drawn out to sharp dagger points1 and might be likened to pine cones endued with power4 ,through ages of experience1 the scaly ant-eater has learned that even his powerful coat of protection is not altogether a success in life's battles1 and from time to time his armour has been made lighter and lighter1 and because he has been so slow in making the necessary changes1 he is to-day very scarce1 and able only by the greatest caution to drag out a dull existence as a nocturnal and burrowing animal4 ,it would seem that with such powerful protection as he originally had1 he would have outlived the puny armadillos1 but his fast disappearance proves that the race is not always to the swift1 nor the battle to the strong4 ,among the animals which have discarded their old-fashioned coats of mail1 and have successfully protected themselves against all enemies1 may be mentioned the frogs1 newts1 and their kinspeople1 the reptiles4 ,these latter1 the learned1 with their delight in multiplying terms1 have classed as amphibians4 ,during the period when the coal forests were growing over what we now know as ,england1 there were innumerable amphibians1 and even to-day their petrified footmarks are found in sandstone4 ,the underside of their chests were covered with large bony plates1 and in some cases the rest of the body was covered with scale-like bones4 ,yet1 all the newts and frogs of to-day have wisely discarded the old coats of armour used by their forefathers4 ,the armadillo has an armour of quite another kind1 notwithstanding the fact that pangolins and armadillos belong to the same great family1 and each eats ants4 ,their plates of armour1 or shields1 have nothing at all to do with the hair1 nor do they have anything to do with the exo-skeleton2 they are formed of bone material1 which appears in the true skin in the form of tiny shields1 and each shield is itself covered with a hard plate which grows in the outer skin4 ,the actual formation of these shields differs largely in the various species of armadillo4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,naosaurus ,,and ,,dimetrodon1 ,,two ,,extinct ,,armour-,,bearers ,,who ,,should ,,have ,,been ,,well ,,able ,,to ,,protect ,,themselves4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,armour-,,bearer ,,of ,,prehistoric ,,times ,,whose ,,shield ,,was ,,an ,,effective ,,protection ,,against ,,enemy ,,horns4 ,it is well to remember that the pangolins and armadillos are the last survivors of a great and ancient family of armour-bearers4 ,many of their remote ancestors have been found in the rocks and hills of ,south ,america1 and all of their representatives of to-day are small animals--the last of a doomed race--creatures of yesterday4 ,the glyptodon is known to have been more than eleven feet in length1 and his near-kinsman1 the chlamydothere1 was even larger4 ,he was nearly the size of our present-day rhinoceros4 ,these extinct giants carried on their backs huge domes of bony plates1 that must have rivalled our much-feared tanks1 of trench war fame4 ,one would think they were invulnerable1 yet the glyptodon and the chlamydothere1 with many other equally well protected creatures1 have long ago disappeared from the earth1 but how and why nobody knows4 ,this total disappearance of these marvellously protected giants1 which seemed capable of defending themselves against any and all kinds of enemies that might have arisen1 is one of the strangest and most unsolvable problems of science4 ,another mail-clad animal of importance is the armadillo of the tropical and temperate regions of ,south ,america4 ,he is nocturnal in habits1 sleeping in his underground home during the day1 and coming out at night to seek for food4 ,this underground home is rather large1 and the nursery is well protected from enemies by its location4 ,in it the mother armadillo rears her young until they are large enough to care for themselves4 ,all species of the armadillos are powerful burrowers1 and they are well equipped for their tunnelling in the earth with strong fore limbs4 ,they feed upon all kinds of insects and animal substances4 ,it is claimed that the giant armadillo is a veritable grave-robber and sometimes digs up dead bodies for the purpose of eating them4 ,these animals are plentiful upon the savannas of ,south ,america1 and they feast upon the bodies of dead cattle4 ,so hard are their coats of armour that the ,gauchos sharpen their ,spanish knives1 which they always carry1 upon them4 ,should the armadillo be attacked by a man on horseback1 he will burrow so rapidly that only by the quickest movements of the man can he be caught2 and if he is1 watch out for his terrible claws6 ,no animal is better protected by nature from its enemies than the pichiciago1 whose scientific name is chlamyphorus truncatus4 ,this strange little mantle-bearer wears a coat of mail which is as flexible as the human-made coats of armour of olden times1 and he is as safe under its cover1 which allows him perfect freedom1 as if he were under the ground4 ,he is about the size of the ordinary mole1 and his general habits are not unlike those of the mole4 ,he is an underground-dweller1 with enormous fore-paws1 palm-shaped1 upon which are five powerful claws4 ,these he uses to great advantage in digging in the earth for insects and for building his home4 ,he has a small snout1 reminding one of that of a pig2 while his piercing little eyes are deeply hidden in his fur4 ,he is a native of ,chile1 and because of his shy nature and subterranean habits is rarely seen4 ,the most interesting feature about this little creature is the cuirass which so perfectly protects his body4 ,its formation and arrangement is quite unusual2 it appears like a number of squared plates of horn1 tightly united to short strips of tape1 which are sewed together4 ,the cuirass is not connected with the entire body of the animal1 but only on the top of the head and along the spine4 ,it covers the entire back1 and when it reaches the tail1 turns downward1 forming a perfect flap1 which protects the hindquarters4 ,the various species of manis are famed for their powerful coats of armour4 ,they1 also1 belong to the great group of burrowers1 and their coats of mail assume both offensive and defensive characters4 ,these mail-bearers are covered with numerous sharp-edged scales1 like miniature horns1 which entirely overlap one another1 like shingles on a house4 ,they are of great hardness1 and form a belt which no animal of their regions can penetrate4 ,a revolver shot will produce not the slightest effect upon the body of this iron-protected animal4 ,these animals are plentiful in ,india1 and when they are molested1 they deliberately wind themselves up1 coil their tails over their bodies1 and remain in conscious security against the fruitless blows of their enemies1 who soon weary of the wounds caused from the prickly scales of impenetrable armour4 ,instead of wearing heavy coats of mail1 certain animals1 such as the hedgehog and porcupine1 prefer to wear coats covered with needles and pins4 ,of course1 a coat of spines is used purely for protection4 ,and against the attacks of such enemies as dogs1 it proves all-sufficient1 but it is a well-known fact that pumas and leopards will kill and eat porcupines at all times1 paying small attention to their spines1 as is shown by the number which are sometimes found sticking in the body of a porcupine-eating animal4 ,there are several species of this great spine-bearing family2 and many of them1 especially the true porcupines and the echidnas1 have burrows in the ground and thus have a double means of protecting themselves4 ,but others1 such as the hedgehog1 depend for their protection upon their ability to roll up into a ball1 thus presenting a barbed wire protection4 ,still others live largely in the trees and seek by other means to protect themselves4 ,one of the most interesting coats of armour is that worn by the porcupine ant-eater--oft-times erroneously called porcupine or hedgehog4 ,he is a native of ,australia1 and is a powerful burrower4 ,he is marvellously protected by means of a coat of needles or spines which inflict painful wounds on the dog or other enemy that ventures to attack him4 ,in case of danger1 he curls himself up into a ball1 and defies any one to come near4 ,not only does he possess the coat of prickles with which he defends himself1 but he also has a large perforated claw or spur on each hind foot through which pours an ill-smelling liquid1 and these also aid in protecting him4 ,there are several varieties of porcupines which inhabit ,asia1 ,africa1 ,southern ,europe and ,america4 ,when a porcupine wishes to attack an enemy1 he rushes at it backwards1 and usually leaves the enemy literally covered1 like a living pin-cushion1 with his spines4 ,these animals have convex skulls1 short tails1 and live chiefly in the warmer regions of the ,old ,world4 ,those of ,america are different in one particular--the soles of their feet are covered with hard1 bone-like tubercles1 instead of being soft and smooth2 there are also a number of hairs that are intermingled with the spines4 ,the ,canada porcupine has more hairs than the ,american1 and a shorter and stumpier tail4 ,another animal whose methods of defence are by means of his spines1 is the hedgehog4 ,his spines do not terminate in sharp points1 like those of the porcupine1 but end in tiny knobs4 ,these are placed beneath the skin1 and are like pins stuck through a cushion4 ,the hedgehog1 like the porcupine1 rolls himself into a ball when attacked by enemies1 and he has the additional ability of throwing himself down a hillside1 like a rolling ball1 and thus escaping his enemies without injury to himself4 ,it would seem that the hedgehog1 rolled into a ball and covered with prickles1 would be protected from all enemies4 ,but this is not true1 for the clever fox knows just how to make him unroll4 ,this one secret of the hedgehog's weakness very often causes his loss of life4 ,his weakness is a terror of being wet or dropped into water2 and when the fox finds him all rolled up1 he carefully rolls him into a pond of water and1 when he unrolls1 quickly drowns him4 ,notwithstanding the shortness of the hedgehog's spines1 he is the most highly specialised of all spine-bearing animals4 ,in the lower order of animals there are spiny mice and spiny rats1 and even the horned toad uses his horns as a means of protection against his enemies4 ,one of the most peculiarly armoured animals is the horned lizard1 commonly known as the horned toad of ,america4 ,his body is covered with small spiny scales1 while the chisel-shaped head has a circlet of miniature horns4 ,these he uses when attacked by enemies to shield himself against bites and knocks4 ,the ,indians claim that if a snake swallows the horned lizard whole1 the lizard will immediately work his way through the snake4 ,this would not be without a parallel1 however1 for it is generally known that box-fishes1 when swallowed by sharks1 bite their way out6 ,nature has been especially kind to horned lizards1 and that is the reason there are so many of them4 ,they well know the secret of the ,gyges ring1 and can put on the garment of invisibility in a very short time4 ,they especially frequent the desert regions of the ,south and ,west2 and those that dwell in black sandy regions are black2 those of red clay regions are red2 those of grey regions1 grey2 those from the variously coloured regions of blue and red are precisely the colour of the earth4 ,but not satisfied with all their protections of armour and camouflage1 they actually1 when hard-pressed by an enemy1 feign death1 like an opossum6 ,and if the enemy persists in his attack1 and ,mr4 ,lizard cannot escape1 as a final effort he spurts tears of blood from his eyes4 ,the ,mexicans call him the sacred toad4 ,the phenomenon of blood-shooting has been explained in various ways1 all of which seem equally unsatisfactory4 ,so far it is one of ,nature's secrets4 ,perhaps some day we may understand it4 ,the tortoises are among the best examples of creatures which to-day protect themselves with armour4 ,they are1 of course1 reptiles1 yet in the general formation of their armour1 they are strikingly like armadillos4 ,the tortoise has his armour so arranged over his body that it forms one big box4 ,he draws his head and limbs into this whenever danger is near4 ,in ,texas recently ,i found a small land terrapin1 and as soon as ,i came near1 he closed his house4 ,i picked him up1 and then carefully laid him upside down on the ground1 and stepped behind some nearby bushes to see what he would do4 ,immediately he poked his head out1 and then his feet1 and then he began to wave his feet wildly in air1 and finally threw himself in the right position and hastened away through the grass4 ,the turtle protects himself in the same way1 and draws his head1 feet1 and tail under his own house-roof where nothing can get him4 ,lobsters and crabs are excellent types of armour-bearing animals4 ,lobsters wear marvellous coats of mail1 very similar to those worn by human warriors during the age of chivalry4 ,their jointed structure assures them perfect ease and security4 ,crabs1 however1 believe1 as the tortoise1 in the strong-box protection4 ,when resting1 crabs tuck their legs beneath them1 so as to shelter themselves under the hard covering4 ,upon crabs ,nature has bestowed twin protective characteristics3 namely1 they are armoured1 and also mimic their surroundings4 ,the latter protection is especially needful1 because certain big fishes1 like the cod1 are in the habit of swallowing crabs whole4 ,in this case the armour is of no use1 while the protective resemblance saves the crab4 ,to discuss in detail all the various kinds of armour and mail that the different groups of animals have used and developed for offensive and defensive purposes since the days of the prehistoric gigantic armadillos to the present1 would require a book of itself4 ,it is sufficient to know that armour and mail and spines are among ,nature's most common forms of protection1 and that each age develops new and ever more efficient methods of defence4 ,this simply means that the age-long drama of evolution is always changing4 ,everything that is came out of that which was1 and throughout the ages the ever-evolving organisms have been developing out of the past1 that they might ever be new4 ,v ,,miners ,,and ,,excavators ,when the cold winter comes and the water plants die1 ,and the little brooks yield no further supply1 ,down in his burrow he cosily creeps1 ,and quietly through the long winter sleeps4 --7,the ,water ,rat47 ,there are many ground-dwellers in the animal world1 and foremost among them is the mole4 ,this remarkable little creature is not only gifted as a digger of canals and tunnels1 but plans and makes the most extraordinary subterranean homes4 ,sometimes he unites with his fellow creatures and establishes whole cities with winding passages1 chambers1 exits and entrances4 ,in fact1 he has not only an exquisitely arranged home1 but highways and roads that lead to his kingly hunting-grounds which are as elaborate as that of a modern man of wealth and culture4 ,indeed his subterranean network of tunnels excels in complexity our modern city subways4 ,his engineering calculations never fail1 and a cave-in of his hallways is unknown4 ,this little gentleman with the velvet coat is a genius of varied accomplishments6 ,but this is only true when the mole is in his proper sphere or home4 ,there he can fight like a tiger1 catch his prey both below and above ground1 build wells to collect and retain water1 swim like a fish1 and do many things which would seem impossible1 judging from his awkward and clumsy manner above ground4 ,his apparent awkwardness while out of his natural habitat is largely due to the peculiar formation of his limbs1 and the stupid appearance of his small half-hidden eyes4 ,these features seem to mark him to the casual observer as a dull animal1 yet in reality he is very active and bright1 and when at home displays his marvellous genius in many ways6 ,his upturned hands become powerful shovels1 and by the aid of an extra bone1 the sickle1 which belongs to the inside of the thumb1 he is enabled to work like an athlete4 ,his velvet-like hair stands straight up1 like the pile on velvet1 and his tiny eyes are so hidden by hair that they do not get injured4 ,the eyes are not well finished from an optician's point of view--but they serve admirably all the needs of the mole's life4 ,as dull and stupid as he appears1 he is1 considering his size1 the fiercest and most active animal in existence4 ,imagine him the size of a wild cat6 ,he would be a beast of exceeding ferocity4 ,even a lion would find him a formidable antagonist4 ,with such an animal tunnelling in his fields and cellars1 man would have a terror hard to exterminate4 ,the mole is an engineer and miner who seems to have a strange sense of direction practically unknown to many other animals4 ,how he manages to form tunnels and burrows in lines of such unusual straightness is unknown2 he always works in darkness1 unless it is that he can see in the dark4 ,his little hills are not deliberate structures2 they are only shaft ends through which this miner throws out the earth that he has scooped from subterranean depths1 and in most cases smoothed out so that if an observer examines the burrow he will find only solid earth1 and a road into his tunnel which leads to his real habitation4 ,the home of the mole is usually beneath a tree or hillock1 and reminds one of a miniature city of tunnels and engineering feats4 ,the main1 or central1 room is shaped like a great dome1 the upper part of which is level with the earth around the hill1 and therefore nowhere near its apex4 ,mr4 ,wood has verified the observation that around the keep are two circular passages1 one of which is level with the ceiling1 while the other is above4 ,the upper circle is decidedly smaller than the lower2 and there are five ascending passages which connect the galleries with each other4 ,there is only one entrance1 however1 and from it three roads lead into the upper part of the keep4 ,when a mole enters the house from one of the tunnels1 he must go through the basement in order to get to the upper part of the house and so descend into the keep4 ,there is still another entrance into the keep from below4 ,one passage leads downward directly from the middle of the chamber1 then curving upward1 leads into a larger tunnel or subway4 ,throughout the vast network of tunnels every inch of wall space seems quite smooth and polished4 ,this is due to the continuous pressure of the mole's fur against the walls4 ,thus there is little danger of the walls collapsing even after a rain-storm4 ,no human being knows just why the mole has such a complex system of underground streets and tunnels2 perhaps it is because he finds that a greater feeling of safety surrounds his home when he knows that in case of danger he can escape in a dozen directions4 ,surely he is the original builder of labyrinths6 ,how marvellous that so tiny a creature can build such a fortress6 ,the complex chambers and circular galleries do justice to an artist4 ,the space of ground covered by a single mole's roads and galleries is almost unbelievable2 in every direction from the fortress they run1 and are sunk at various depths1 according to the condition of the mole's hunting-grounds1 which are really the spaces of ground through which he tunnels4 ,worms and underground insects are his chief food4 ,sometimes he ploughs along the surface of the ground1 and exposes his back as he works2 but if the weather is dry1 he ploughs deeply into the earth for worms4 ,he fills his storehouse with earth-worms for winter use1 and he finds it necessary to bite their heads off1 which leaves them inert but not dead4 ,this cannot be done in the summer months without the heads re-growing and the worms crawling away4 ,the mole knows the exact temperature best suited for keeping his meat fresh6 ,a most interesting and beautiful family of miner-cousins of the moles are the shrews4 ,they are excavators of great ability1 and because of their nocturnal habits are rarely seen alive4 ,they are very similar to the mole1 though much more handsome4 ,their domicile is built of dry grass at the end of a tunnel4 ,the shrew mole of ,north ,america is a ground-digger of great ingenuity4 ,he is second only to the mole in the extent and pretensions of his engineering and tunnelling4 ,his eyes are very small and deeply hidden in his fur4 ,during the day he constantly comes to the surface of the earth1 and one may catch him by driving a hoe or spade underneath him4 ,another underground-dweller is the elephant shrew of ,south ,america4 ,he has a long nose1 thick fur1 short ears1 and1 unlike his cousins1 he loves to bask in the warm sunshine4 ,at the least signal of alarm he darts away to his subterranean home4 ,as a mining engineer he is unexcelled2 he sinks his tunnels by first boring an almost perpendicular shaft1 and then making his burrows at an angle4 ,it is a sad day for earth-worms when he decides to locate in their vicinity6 ,it is not an easy task to classify the homes of animals4 ,many of them have characteristics that entitle them to be placed under several groupings4 ,the otter1 for example1 might be classed as a cave-dweller1 as he seeks refuge in caves2 yet he also rears his young in underground nests as a burrowing animal4 ,but few naturalists believe that he does his own digging4 ,this is not surprising when we remember that there are many other animals that live in caves and grottoes1 and like the otter1 seek ready-made homes for their convenience4 ,among these may be mentioned three ,american salamanders1 bats1 and a few strange mice1 who seek darkness and constant temperature1 and therefore find caves best suited to their needs4 ,the same is true of the weasel1 who is thought to be a great burrower1 but in fact1 like our remote cave-dwelling ancestors1 makes his home only in caves1 in rocky crevices1 and under the gnarled roots of old trees4 ,he is a bright-eyed little creature1 with a slender snake-like neck and red body4 ,he is a great friend of mankind1 as he does more toward eradicating mice and other nocturnal depredators than all the rat-catchers in the land4 ,his home is quite ordinary compared to that of the more ambitious underground-dwellers4 ,a near cousin of the weasel1 and a most ingenious engineer and miner1 is the badger4 ,he is a tenement-dweller and builds his home in the deep1 shady woods4 ,his home is rather pretentious with several chambers1 and a most delightfully furnished nursery which is warmly padded with dry grass and moss4 ,the badger1 once so plentiful in ,england and ,america1 is fast passing away because of the increase of towns and cities4 ,as soon as the forest in which he dwells is drained and converted into farm land1 the badger disappears4 ,he is driven from the soil where he once held sway1 and is one of those unfortunate animals which are eliminated by man-made civilisation4 ,the fox of the ,far ,north is a famous excavator1 and his underground home which shelters and protects him from the extreme cold is most spacious4 ,it is a strange fact that these cunning little animals rarely make their homes away from others of their kind4 ,sometimes twenty to thirty are found in close proximity4 ,and their owners are unquestionably the smartest1 keenest1 and quickest creatures that roam the wilds4 ,while some of their deeds are questionable1 their quick wits and nimble bodies excite our admiration4 ,these arctic foxes really build small cities1 and their semi-social life may be accounted for by the peculiar suitability of the place which they select for a habitation4 ,their homes are usually in a sandy hill1 where it is very easy for them to burrow2 and the strangest part of the whole city is that each burrow is complete and entirely independent in itself4 ,there are many winding paths and tunnels in each house1 but each belongs exclusively to its owner and never winds into a neighbour's house4 ,in case of danger the fox has many directions in which he may escape4 ,the nursery is the most carefully arranged of all the rooms4 ,it is rather small and is directly connected with the main outer chamber somewhat like the nursery of the mole4 ,so skilfully is it situated that it sometimes happens a hunter will dig into a fox's burrow and never discover the nest of young1 and later the clever mother will return to carry away her babes1 which are usually five to six in number4 ,adjoining the nursery are two or three storage rooms filled with food for the winter4 ,the number of bones usually found in the basement indicates that a great variety of ducks1 fish1 hares1 lemming1 and stoats are regularly eaten1 and that the average fox family does not want for food4 ,the arctic fox is not only a beauty in his coat of pure white1 but is unusually brainy4 ,persecuted animals1 like persecuted human beings1 become very wise4 ,nature is kind to the fox in his arctic home1 and in the winter turns his coat snow white so that he may easily escape his enemies--especially men1 who seek his beautiful fur and edible body4 ,he is skilled in his distrust of wires1 sticks1 guns and strings6 ,no man knows better than he the meaning of foot-tracks in the snow1 and how long they have been there1 and which way they lead2 thus1 those that survive their enemies have acquired extreme wisdom1 and keep carefully away from everything that is at all suspicious to their eyes and nostrils4 ,the ,siberian fox is one of those wise creatures that has defied in a most extraordinary way his handicaps1 and1 refusing to admit them1 has boldly selected the strangest dwelling-place known to the animal world--the horn of the mountain sheep4 ,this unique dwelling-place has been the home of the ,siberian fox for ages1 and his ancestors have known no other4 ,the mountain sheep1 which are giants among their kind1 have the longest horns in proportion to their size of any animal in existence4 ,the argali of ,siberia is the largest of all sheep1 and is equal in bulk and weight to an average-sized ox1 with horns proportionally large4 ,the horns of these animals are strikingly like those of the ,rocky ,mountain sheep of ,america1 except they are much larger4 ,they spring up from the forehead1 tilt backward1 then boldly curve below the muzzle1 before finally again pointing upward and tapering into a sharp and delicate point4 ,they are hollow1 though exceedingly stout and elastic1 and strengthened on the outside by a number of ridges or horny rings set very close together4 ,they are found in large numbers in this land of perpetual ice and snow1 and it is thought that they break from the sheep's heads very easily4 ,it is not uncommon to find them lying in a spot which has been a battlefield1 where two sheep in attempting to settle some dispute have fought and fallen4 ,it is not long after they have thus fallen before they are utilised by ,mr4 ,fox4 ,he stores himself carefully away in these roomy horns1 one of which ,mrs4 ,fox uses as a nursery1 finding it a snug1 safe1 and warm place to rear her little family4 ,the other varieties of foxes1 especially the grey and red1 are not so skilled in home-making4 ,this may be due to the fact that they do not have need of such elaborate houses as their arctic cousins4 ,again1 it may be that the existence of numerous deserted homes of badgers1 or even rabbits1 makes it unnecessary for them to spend their time in building homes of their own4 ,it is much easier to enlarge the ready-made burrow of a rabbit than to dig a new tunnel1 of course4 ,if there is no ready-made burrow to be had1 then the wise fox sets to work and scoops out his own4 ,herein he sleeps all the day1 and comes forth only at night4 ,a small chamber from the main room serves as the nursery1 and here the babies are born and nurtured4 ,nothing is more beautiful than to see the entire family--mother1 father1 and children--come forth at evening to play4 ,the young are as sportive as pups1 but they never wander far from home4 ,their broad heads1 grey coats1 short tails and awkward appearance would lead no one to think that they were the children of handsome1 nimble-limbed1 intelligent ,mrs4 ,fox6 ,woe to the dog that enters ,mrs4 ,fox's home6 ,she is a pugilist of the first order1 and knows how to fight far better than the average bull terrier4 ,it requires a very savage dog to kill her1 and he is apt to be minus an ear when the battle is over4 ,red and grey foxes are similar in intelligence1 but differ in many other ways3 the former are like the gipsies in always moving about from place to place1 while the latter stick to one general locality1 although their hunting-grounds may range for several miles in all directions4 ,red foxes seem actually to enjoy being hunted by dogs2 in most cases they will outrun the dogs1 and rarely seek protection from caves or rocks4 ,the grey fox1 on the other hand1 cares little for racing1 but seeks protection among rocky cliffs where the dogs are at a disadvantage4 ,here none but the smallest canines may enter the holes and crannies1 and they are usually wise enough to stay out4 ,hunters are thoroughly familiar with the tactics of the fox family1 and therefore select the red ones for their sport4 ,the foxes are truly famed for their cunning1 and when other animals try to play tricks on them1 the trick usually turns out in the foxes' favour4 ,during the winter season these wise creatures are sometimes hard pressed for food4 ,birds and small animals are hard to catch1 and the farmers' chicken houses are closed4 ,it is then that the wise fox needs all his wit and wisdom1 for he oftentimes becomes the hunted as well as the hunter4 ,his chief enemies are the puma and the timber wolf1 but they are seldom able to get him4 ,the prairie-dog is so talented that he might be classed under several headings2 he is sociable1 a burrower1 and especially gifted in the art of constructing underground dog towns4 ,he is rarely called by his ,indian name1 ,wish-ton-wish1 and we know him only as the prairie-dog4 ,evidently he was given this name because of his yelping bark1 which resembles the cry of a young domestic dog4 ,he is a good-looking but rather curious little animal4 ,he has a round1 flat head1 and garish-red fur1 and a stout little body4 ,he makes an affectionate pet1 and loves the society of human beings4 ,when he decides to start a town1 he usually succeeds1 for he is an exceedingly prolific animal1 and his extensive burrows seem to have no ends4 ,they are rather large1 and run to great depths4 ,in the western part of the ,united ,states1 especially on the big prairies1 the prairie-dog towns often cover large areas4 ,they are usually dug in a sloping direction1 and descend four to six feet in depth1 and then suddenly rise upward again4 ,hundreds of these little tunnels are dug in such close proximity to each other that it is quite unsafe for cattle and horses to pass over them4 ,this is the chief reason why ranchmen do not like the otherwise harmless little animals of the prairies4 ,these dog towns are most curious1 and a visit to one of them well repays the traveller4 ,strangely enough1 the prairie-dog is exceedingly inquisitive and this very quality often costs the little animal his life4 ,mr4 ,wood1 in describing the prairie-dog's habits1 says that this wise little ,westerner1 when perched on the hillocks which we have already described1 is able to survey a wide extent of territory and as soon as he sees a visitor1 he gives a loud yelp of alarm1 and dives into his burrow1 his tiny feet knocking together with a ludicrous flourish as he disappears4 ,in every direction similar scenes are enacted4 ,the warning cry has been heard1 and immediately every dog within a hundred yards repeats the cry and leaps into his burrow4 ,their curiosity1 however1 cannot be suppressed1 and no sooner have they vanished from sight than their heads are seen protruding from their burrows4 ,sometimes hundreds of them will be peeping from their homes at one time1 their beautiful eyes sparkling as they cautiously watch the enemy's every movement4 ,the prairie-dog is truly a tenement dweller1 and his home is occupied not only by his own kind1 but by owls and rattlesnakes4 ,most naturalists believe that these incongruous families live in perfect harmony2 but it is a well-known fact that the snake occasionally devours the young prairie-dogs1 and he must be considered by them as an intruder who procured board and lodging without their consent4 ,the owls1 on the other hand1 are supposed to do no harm1 although it may be that they also occasionally feast on a tender young pup4 ,the magnificent little animals known to scientists as vizcachas1 and whose homes are on the pampas of ,south ,america1 are the most skilled builders of underground cities in the animal world4 ,their villages or cities are called vizcacheras and are provided with from ten to twenty mouths or subway entrances1 with one entrance often serving for several holes4 ,if the ground is soft1 it is not uncommon to find twenty to thirty burrows in a vizcachera2 but if the ground is rocky and hard1 only four or five burrows are found4 ,these wide-mouthed1 gaping burrows are dug close together1 and the entire town usually covers from one hundred to two hundred square feet4 ,the vizcacheras are different from other underground animal cities2 some of the burrows are large1 others are small4 ,most of them open into a subterranean main-street at from four to six feet from the entrance2 from this street other streets wind and turn in all directions1 like a man-made subway1 and many of them extend clear into other streets or subways1 thus forming a complete network of underground passageways4 ,all the tunnelled-out dirt is brought to the surface and forms a large mound to prevent the water from entering the cities4 ,according to ,w4 ,h4 ,hudson1 in ,the ,naturalist in ,la ,plata1 in some directions a person might ride five hundred miles and never advance half a mile without seeing one or more of them4 ,in districts where1 as far as the eye can see1 the plains are as level and smooth as a bowling-green1 especially in winter when the grass is close-cropped1 and where the rough giant-thistle has not sprung up1 these mounds appear like brown or dark spots on a green surface4 ,they are the only irregularities that occur to catch the eye1 and consequently form an important feature in the scenery4 ,in some places they are so near together that a person on horseback may count a hundred of them from one point of view4 ,unlike some burrowing animals1 the vizcacha does not select a spot where there is a bank or depression in the soil1 or roots of trees1 or even tall grass2 knowing that they only attract the opossum1 skunk1 armadillo1 and weasel1 he chooses an open level plot of ground where he can watch in all directions for enemies while he works4 ,the great or main entrance to some of these underground cities is sometimes four to six feet in diameter4 ,a small man stands shoulder deep in them4 ,the going and coming of these little vizcachas would almost lead one to believe that they have a primitive city government1 and are ruled according to definite laws4 ,their cities stand for generations1 and many of the old human inhabitants tell of certain vizcacheras around them which existed when their parents were living4 ,the founder of a new village is usually a male2 and he goes only a short distance from the other villages to establish his new colony4 ,these cities are by no means occupied by their builders alone1 but have their undesirables within their borders4 ,the unique style of burrowing which the vizcachas employ benefits several kinds of birds1 especially the ,minerva1 and one species of the swallows1 which build their nests in the bank-like holes in the sides of the vizcacha's cities4 ,several insects1 among which may be mentioned a large nocturnal bug1 with red wings and shiny black body1 also seek the same shelter2 another foreign inhabitant is a night-roaming cincindela1 with dark green wing-cases and pale red legs1 which remind one of oriental jewels4 ,there are also no less than six species of wingless wasps1 beautifully coloured in red1 black1 and white4 ,dozens of spiders and smaller insects that live in and near the vizcacheras1 which are everywhere sprinkled over the pampas1 pass in and out among the streets recognising their respective friends and enemies4 ,the home life in these communities is most interesting4 ,the burrowers remain indoors until late in the evening during the winter1 but in summer appear before the sun sets4 ,one of the larger males is the first to appear1 as if to see if everything is safe from danger2 if it is1 others immediately pop up and take their places at the entrance to the burrow4 ,the females are smaller than the males1 and stand up that they may see everything that happens4 ,curiosity struggling within them for mastery is often the cause of their death4 ,tiny swallows hover over the entrances1 like myriads of large moths1 with never-ending low1 mournful cries4 ,of all the incongruous inhabitants of the vizcacheras1 the fox is the most dreaded and the least welcome4 ,to appease his growls and snarls the vizcachas are sometimes forced to let him occupy one of their rooms for a season1 or even permanently4 ,during a part of the year he appears quite unassuming and indifferent to the general affairs of the household1 and he really goes quite unnoticed1 even though he may be sitting on the mound in the family group4 ,but when the vizcachas appear in the spring1 the fox begins to become interested in the nursery and as soon as the older animals are away he devours the young4 ,occasionally1 if the fox is hungry1 or if he has another friend to aid him1 he will hunt the vizcachera from end to end1 battling with the old1 and usually killing all the young4 ,it often happens that the mother vizcacha1 when her babes are large enough to follow her1 will take them away to another place that is safer4 ,the language of these city-builders is most unusual2 the males frequently utter the most varied and astonishing cries4 ,they are jarring in the extreme1 and are produced in the most leisurely manner1 growing louder and louder and finally ending with a slow quaver4 ,at other times1 they grunt like small pigs4 ,hudson says that any quick noise1 like the report of a gun1 produces a most startling effect among these little animals4 ,as soon as the report is broken on the stillness of the night a perfect furore of cries issues forth from every direction4 ,in a few seconds it ceases for a momentary lull1 and then suddenly breaks forth again1 louder than before4 ,the tones of the different ones are so different that the cries of nearby individuals may be plainly distinguished amidst the babel of voices coming from the distance4 ,it sounds as if thousands upon thousands of them were striving to express every emotion with their tiny tenor voices4 ,no words can describe the effect that these sounds produce4 ,one of the most peculiar calls is the special alarm-note1 which is sharp1 sudden1 and shrill4 ,it is reported from one to another until every vizcacha is safe in his burrow4 ,but with all the kind and sociable qualities of these little animals1 they have characteristics which seem rather paradoxical1 and chief among these is their resentment of any intrusion of neighbours into their burrows4 ,although a number of individuals may reside in adjoining compartments in the same burrow1 yet if one enters a burrow not his own--woe is he6 ,even when pursued by fierce dogs a vizcacha will rarely enter a room of another4 ,if he does1 he is immediately pounced upon by the angry owner1 and is usually driven clear out of the burrow4 ,these animals are undoubtedly far the most versatile and intelligent rodents in the world4 ,a most unusual miner and underground dweller is the pocket gopher of ,north and ,central ,america4 ,he is a rat-like animal1 and is most plentiful on the plains of the ,mississippi region4 ,he is unusual in appearance1 dressed in brown and grey fur1 with tiny white feet1 small eyes and ears1 and a short stubby tail4 ,his feet are wonderfully strong1 and his fore-paws are armed with strong1 curved claws4 ,but he is famed for his wonderful fur-lined pouches which open inside his cheeks and serve a peculiar use4 ,his entire life1 with rare exceptions1 is spent underground4 ,there he makes long tunnels for the purpose of securing tender roots for food2 these tunnels are about twelve to eighteen inches below the surface1 and usually wind under the foot of a tree where a sinking passage goes down four to five feet further and leads to a large living-room4 ,this is the family nest and nursery1 lined with grass and soft fur which ,mrs4 ,gopher has taken from her own body4 ,adjoining the living-room is a storage bin filled with nuts1 dried bits of roots1 tobacco1 and potatoes4 ,much that is exaggerated has been said in regard to the adaptability of the gopher for his work4 ,but it is a fact that he is of all the diggers best suited for his task4 ,he uses his strong teeth1 like a trench-digger uses a pick1 to loosen the earth2 and while his fore-feet are kept constantly at work in digging and pressing the dirt back under the body1 the hind feet also aid in shovelling it still farther back4 ,when a sufficient amount has heaped up behind him1 he performs the strangest of all his feats--he turns around1 and places his hands vertically against his chin1 thus forcing himself backwards1 pushing the dirt ahead of himself until it is forced out of the tunnel4 ,at the outer end of the tunnel is formed a little hillock4 ,dr4 ,merriam has made a special study of the gopher1 and in speaking of the strange habit of running backwards1 he says that even in carrying food to one of his barns or storehouses the gopher rarely turns round but usually runs backwards and forwards1 over and over again like a shuttle on its track4 ,the gopher uses his pouches for carrying food1 not dirt4 ,when he has eaten a sufficient amount of food1 he fills his pouches4 ,if a potato is too large to be carried in this way1 he trims it off to the right size4 ,his method of emptying his pouches is most interesting2 with his two tiny paws he delicately presses the food from his cheeks4 ,the woodchuck is an ,american basement-dweller of considerable renown4 ,his peculiar whistling cry has won for him from the ,french the name of siffleur2 and we sometimes call him by the very inappropriate name of ground-hog4 ,he is a skilled weather prophet1 and his appearance in the early spring signifies that the winter is over4 ,he never shows himself until the cold is gone4 ,the home of the woodchuck is usually found under a hill1 with a sheltering rock to protect the entrance1 which leads into a tunnel1 from twenty to thirty feet in length1 finally ending by entering his home proper4 ,the tunnel descends obliquely for several feet1 and again rises towards the surface4 ,his nest is rather large1 and nicely lined with dry grass and leaves1 which serve as a carpet for the young woodchucks when they come into the world4 ,the young remain in the underground home until they are about five months old1 then they go out into the world for themselves4 ,the ground squirrel long ago decided that he would rather have a dwelling under the ground than in the tree-tops1 for in an underground home he would have more protection1 a better place for storing food1 and a far safer nursery for rearing his precious babes4 ,so snug1 cosy and hidden are the tiny quarters to which his runs or subways lead that his family is quite safe against most enemies4 ,the ingenuity and skill shown in the construction of his home entitles him to rank among the leading animal miners and excavators4 ,the most unusual of all the underground and basement dwellers is the polar bear4 ,this wise inhabitant of the ,far ,north has long ago learned that no animal needs to freeze to death in the snow4 ,to him the snow is a constant means of warmth and protection1 and as winter approaches1 he seeks a position1 usually near a big rock1 where he digs out a hole of small dimensions1 and allows the snow to cover his body4 ,strangely enough it is only the female bear that seeks this permanent snow hut2 the males do not care to spend so much time in seclusion4 ,the same is true of the unmated females4 ,but the mated females always have snow huts in which they give birth to their young1 and where they reside until early spring2 then the mother bear comes forth with them to seek food and teach them the ways of the world4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,to ,,the ,,polar ,,bear ,,the ,,ice ,,and ,,snow ,,of ,,the ,,far ,,north ,,mean ,,warmth ,,and ,,protection4 ,,the ,,mother ,,bear ,,digs ,,herself ,,into ,a ,,snowbank1 ,,where ,,she ,,lives ,,quite ,,comfortably ,,throughout ,,the ,,winter4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sharp ,,claws ,,of ,,the ,,ground ,,squirrel ,,are ,,efficacious ,,tools ,,in ,,digging ,,his ,,cosy ,,underground ,,burrow4 ,there is no danger that the bears will stifle for air under the snow1 because the warmth of their breath always keeps a small hole open at the top of the snow-cell4 ,this snow-house increases as time goes on1 the heat exhaled from their bodies gradually melting the snow4 ,often ,mrs4 ,bear's home is discovered by means of the tiny hole in the roof around which is collected quantities of hoar frost4 ,hibernation is one of the strangest phenomena of the animal world1 and bears1 especially the white bear of the polar regions1 the black bear of ,north ,america1 and the brown bear of ,europe1 agree in the curious habit of semi-hibernation4 ,in the late fall of the season1 the bears begin to eat heavily and soon become enormously fat1 preparatory for the long winter of semi-sleep4 ,during the winter1 at least for three months1 the polar bear takes no food1 but lives entirely upon the store of fat which her body had accumulated before she went into retirement4 ,the same is true of many hibernating animals1 but in case of the bears it is more remarkable because the mother bear must not only support herself but nourish her young for a long period without taking any food for herself4 ,another good example of a ground-dweller is the aard vark of ,southern ,africa4 ,he is as curious as his name1 and scoops out immense quantities of earth to form his home4 ,this dwelling might be termed a cave1 as he heaps up the earth in the shape of a mammoth artificial ant-hill2 on one side is the entrance1 which is so skilfully formed that it looks far more like the work of man than of an animal4 ,his name is ,dutch and means earth-hog4 ,it is applied to him because his head looks somewhat like that of a pig4 ,his claws are powerful and enormous1 and with them he is able to dig into the hardest soil1 and to destroy the giant ant-hills which are dotted over the plains of ,south ,africa1 and which can withstand the weight of a dozen men4 ,this strange creature sleeps during the day1 and comes forth at evening to seek his food4 ,the first thing he does is to burst a hole in the stony side of an ant-hill1 to the utter dismay of its tiny inhabitants4 ,as they run among the ruins of their fallen city1 he throws out his slimy tongue and catches them by the hundreds4 ,in a short time only the shell of a half-destroyed wall remains4 ,these once stately ant-homes metamorphosed into caves1 form homes for the jackals and large serpents of the plains4 ,the ,kaffirs of ,africa use them as vaults into which are thrown their dead4 ,the aard vark outrivals1 with his great claws1 the most skilled burrowing tools of man4 ,these animals are therefore rarely captured4 ,it is not uncommon for a horse to fall into their excavations and be killed4 ,miners1 excavators1 and underground dwellers teach us the great lesson that1 while many of them sought the ground as a protection1 and found there many difficulties to overcome1 they not only have won in the great struggle of life but have so skilfully adapted themselves to their environment and surroundings as to become entire masters1 even artists1 in their methods of living4 ,,vi ,,animal ,,mathematicians ,but what a thoughtless animal is man1-- ,how very active in his own trepan6 --,,prior4 ,among the special senses of animals none seems more human than their knowledge of mathematics4 ,a recognition of this quality in animals is encouraging because the new scientists are earnestly trying to build up a true knowledge of animal behaviour by studying them in the light of the new psychology4 ,this will fill the place of the vast amount of misinformation which those skilled only in book-knowledge1 without really knowing the ways of ,nature1 have builded4 ,it will also record all the strange and curious facts about animals and their ways without insisting too much on rigid explanation4 ,these new scientists are far different from their predecessors who tried to explain everything they did not understand about an animal's behaviour in terms of the scanty information gained by studying a few museum specimens4 ,we might as well attempt to explain human nature from the study of an ,egyptian mummy4 ,the new method is simply to give the facts about an animal1 and frankly admit that in many cases1 such as are found in their knowledge of counting and numbers1 we must leave complete explanation to the future when we shall have a greater fund of scientific data on which to base our conclusions4 ,it is an established fact that some animals can count1 and that they have the faculty of close observation and keen discrimination4 ,they learn to count quickly1 but they do not fully appreciate the value of numerical rotation4 ,most of the arithmetical feats of trained animals are hoaxes regulated by their sense of smell1 sight1 touch and taste4 ,but no one doubts their ability to count4 ,i have known a monkey that could count to five4 ,he played with a number of marbles1 and ,i would ask for two marbles1 one marble1 four marbles1 as the case might be1 and he would quickly hand the number requested4 ,another incident that will illustrate the point is the case of a mule owned by an old negro near ,huntsville1 ,texas4 ,the regular routine work of this mule was to cart two loads of wood to the town every day4 ,one day the negro wished to make a third trip1 but was unable to do so4 ,when asked the reason1 he replied1 ,dat fool mule1 ,napoleon1 done decided we had hauled enough wood fo' one day6 ,prantl claims that the time-sense is totally absent in animals1 and that it belongs only to man1 as one of the attributes of his mental superiority4 ,however1 many facts go to show that animals have not only a specific time-sense1 but also a sense of personal identity which reaches back into the past4 ,time-sense is very highly developed in dogs1 cats1 hogs1 horses1 goats1 and sheep4 ,they apparently are able to keep an accurate account of the days of the week and hours of the day and night1 and even seem to know something of numerical succession and logical sequence4 ,a friend in ,texas had an old coloured servant1 whose faithful dog had been trained to know that just at noon each day he was expected to carry lunch to his master4 ,i have seen the dog on more than one occasion playing with children in the streets1 suddenly break away without any one calling him1 or any suggestion on our part as to the time1 and rush for the kitchen just at the proper moment4 ,no one could detain him from his duty4 ,this same dog1 however1 would on ,sundays continue to play at the noon hour4 ,surely1 if any explanation is to be offered in such a case as this1 it will imply as strict a sense of time as it does of duty4 ,a friend relates a case of a dog that went each evening to meet a train on which his master returned from the city4 ,on one occasion the train was delayed two hours1 and it was exceedingly cold1 but the devoted companion remained until his master arrived4 ,innumerable instances of such all-absorbing affection1 showing at the same time a sense of time1 might be cited4 ,dr4 ,brown gives a most remarkable example of a dog's ability to distinguish time4 ,the story is of a female dog1 though named ,wylie1 which was purchased by ,dr4 ,brown when he was a young man1 from an old shepherd who had long been in his employment4 ,wylie was brought to his father's1 and was at once taken1 he says1 to all our hearts2 and though she was often pensive1 as if thinking of her master and her work on the hills1 she made herself at home1 and behaved in all respects like a lady4444 ,some months after we got her1 there was a mystery about her2 every ,tuesday evening she disappeared2 we tried to watch her1 but in vain2 she was always off by nine ,p4 ,m41 and was away all night1 coming back next day wearied1 and all over mud1 as if she had travelled far4 ,this went on for some months1 and we could make nothing of it4 ,well1 one day ,i was walking across the ,grass-market1 with ,wylie at my heels1 when two shepherds started1 and looking at her1 one said1 ',that's her2 that's the wonderful wise bitch that naebody kens4' ,i asked him what he meant1 and he told me that for months past she had made her appearance by the first daylight at the 'buchts' or sheep-pens in the cattle-market1 and worked incessantly1 and to excellent purpose1 in helping the shepherds to get their sheep and lambs in4 ,the man said in a sort of transport1 ',she's a perfect meeracle2 flees about like a speerit1 and never gangs wrang2 wears1 but never grups1 and beats a' oor dowgs4 ,she's a perfect meeracle1 and as soople as a mawkin'4' ,she continued this work until she died4 ,another most striking instance1 showing animals' sense of time1 is that related by ,watson in which he tells of two friends1 fathers of families1 one living in ,london and the other at ,guilford4 ,for many years it was the custom of the ,london family to visit their friends in ,guilford1 always accompanied by their spaniel1 ,csar4 ,after some years a misunderstanding arose between the two families4 ,the usual ,christmas visits were discontinued2 not1 however1 so far as the spaniel was concerned4 ,his visits continued as before4 ,on the eve of the first ,christmas following the misunderstanding1 the ,guilford family were astonished to find at their door their ,london friend1 ,csar4 ,naturally1 they expected that he had come in advance of the family1 and were happy in the thought of this unexpected reconciliation4 ,all evening they awaited their friends1 but none arrived4 ,nor did they the next day4 ,csar had come of his own accord at the accustomed time1 and remained with his friends for the usual number of days4 ,this naturally led to a correspondence between the families1 who thereupon resumed their former friendly relations4 ,we do not believe1 of course1 that this dog counted the exact number of days to know when to start to ,guilford1 but he doubtless saw something to remind him of the past4 ,sir ,john ,lubbock once related before the ,british ,association at ,aberdeen how cards bearing the ten numerals were arranged before a dog1 and the dog given a problem1 such as to state the square root of nine1 or of sixteen1 or the sum of two numbers4 ,he would then point at each card in succession1 and the dog would bark when he came to the right one4 ,the dog never made a mistake4 ,if this was not evidence of a mentality at least approaching that of men1 we do not know what to call it4 ,if there is any difference between an animal and a human mathematician1 it depends upon special training4 ,the animal never has the same opportunities to learn as the man4 ,many savages1 for example1 cannot count beyond three or four4 ,sir ,john ,lubbock gives an anecdote of ,mr4 ,galton1 who compared the arithmetical knowledge of certain savages of ,south ,africa and a dog4 ,the comparison proved to the advantage of the dog4 ,there is no reason that a dog should not be taught arithmetic4 ,and if one wishes to do so1 it might be well to begin by making the dog distinguish one from two1 allowing him to touch both once at the word one1 and twice at the word two4 ,then he might pass on to six or seven4 ,after he had progressed to ten1 he might begin addition4 ,at least the experiment would be interesting and conducive to learning the truth4 ,surely a knowledge of mathematics is no more wonderful than that of the ordinary pointer dog's ability to distinguish different kinds of birds4 ,certain of those wise dogs are trained to hunt only quail1 while others hunt several varieties of game4 ,it should be remembered that all degrees of arithmetical aptitude are found in the human races1 from the genius of a ,newton and a ,laplace to the absolute inability of certain of the ,hottentots to count to three4 ,these inequalities in the mathematical notions of different people should make us very cautious about saying that animals cannot count and have no sense of numbers4 ,it is extremely probable that if we had a way of choosing those animals with a special gift for arithmetic1 they would surprise us with their learning4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,coyote ,,can ,,readily ,,distinguish ,,whether ,a ,,herd ,,of ,,sheep ,,is ,,guarded ,,by ,,one ,,or ,,more ,,dogs1 ,,and ,,will ,,plan ,,his ,,attack ,,accordingly4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,zebu1 ,,the ,,sacked ,,bull ,,of ,,india1 ,,in ,,spite ,,of ,,its ,,domestication1 ,,has ,,an ,,agile ,,body ,,and ,a ,,quick1 ,,alert ,,mind4 ,no one denies that animals are capable of distinguishing relative sizes and even quantities4 ,they are not so skilled as the average human being in making these distinctions1 yet when mentally compared to the state of ,bushmen1 ,tasmanians1 and ,veddahs1 who can count only two1 and call it many1 there is not such a vast gulf between them and mankind4 ,the zebu1 or sacred bull of ,india1 shows his mathematical qualities to a pronounced degree4 ,when he grows attached to a small group of his kin1 he will often refuse to leave them unless the entire group accompany him4 ,when driven from his pen1 if by chance one of his party is left behind he refuses to go--thus indicating that he is able to tell that the exact number is not with him4 ,his affectionate and gentle disposition1 not to mention his love of his offspring1 would entitle him to rank among the most human of animals4 ,no wonder he is worshipped in ,india1 where the human side of animal life is understood and appreciated to a degree quite unknown to the ,western world6 ,the fox and the wolf1 and even the coyote1 can readily distinguish whether a herd of sheep or cattle is guarded by three or four dogs1 and whether there is one herdsman or two4 ,they cannot tell the exact number of sheep1 however2 neither could a man without first counting them4 ,their knowledge of geometry is remarkable4 ,they can orient themselves to the surrounding woods1 measure distances1 figure out the safest way of escape1 and the power of the enemy even better than savage man4 ,yet in most of these problems1 definite notions of number or figures have little part4 ,a dog1 when hunting1 for example1 on a prairie where he has to leap over ditches or quickly turn around a large tree1 is able by a second's thought to do so without danger4 ,he clears the wire fence1 leaps the ditch1 dashes through a closing gate1 or escapes an infuriated enemy at a moment's notice4 ,this natural wisdom is exercised spontaneously in him1 it is the result of inborn theorems of which he may not even be aware1 but which he uses with a sureness that defies the book-learning of all our teachers of mathematics4 ,he uses speed1 force1 space1 mass1 and time with so small an effort1 and by the quickest and shortest routes4 ,suppose a wolf or a wild hog could not tell how many dogs were attacking it8 ,there would be no way for it to defend itself4 ,if four dogs attack it1 they are counted and the tactics used that would be useless in other cases4 ,if four dogs attack1 two on each side1 it retreats1 with face toward the enemy4 ,if a dozen dogs are in the attacking force1 the hog becomes confused1 loses all idea of number1 and wildly bites at any enemy that comes nearest4 ,man in a similar condition would use practically the same tactics4 ,cats undeniably count their kittens4 ,if the mother loses one of three or four1 she searches for it immediately4 ,when dogs are chasing a hare1 if they raise another1 they become very confused1 as if they did not know which to follow4 ,many shepherd dogs know if a sheep is missing from the flock and go to hunt it4 ,the efforts of scientific investigators1 who work with so many learned theories1 have been less successful in discovering the real facts about animals than of laymen1 largely because the scientists have not yet learned that arithmetical notions are more difficult than geometrical ones4 ,our industrial civilisation has caused us to lose the idea of the insignificance that number has in animal life compared to the idea of size4 ,most animals have a remarkable sense of size2 they measure time and distance better than civilised man4 ,a hyena1 for example1 knows just how near he dare approach an unarmed man4 ,a sense of time is common among animals that daily eat at fixed hours4 ,a donkey was accustomed to being fed at six o'clock in the morning1 and when on one occasion his master did not appear on time1 he deliberately kicked in the door to the barn and proceeded to feed himself4 ,animals are capable of measuring lapses of time in which they are particularly interested4 ,houzeau claims that a female crocodile remains away from her eggs in the sand for twelve to twenty days1 according to the species1 but returns to the place exactly on the day they hatch4 ,although we should hesitate to affirm that all animals have an extensive knowledge of figures and numbers1 yet it can hardly be denied that the elephant1 donkey1 horse1 dog1 and cat1 if given the proper training1 become good mathematicians4 ,it is undeniable that they have a love of mental acquisition1 and it seems that the ,creator has given to every animal1 as a reward for its limitations in other respects1 a definite innate knowledge and desire to advance educationally4 ,there is in the breast of every animal an irresistible impulse which urges it to advance in the scale of knowledge4 ,where the animal is blessed with other mental powers1 there is found a perfect harmony--of tact1 intuition1 insight1 and genius--all that man himself possesses4 ,,vii ,,the ,,language ,,of ,,animals ,who ever knew an honest brute ,at law his neighbours prosecute1 ,bring action for assault and battery ,or friends beguile with lies and flattery8 ,the fact that all animals possess ideas1 no matter how small those ideas may be1 implies reason4 ,that these ideas are transmitted from one animal to another1 no one can doubt in the light of our present scientific knowledge4 ,be not startled1 says the distinguished animal authority1 ,dr4 ,william ,t4 ,hornaday1 by the discovery that apes and monkeys have language2 for their vocabulary is not half so varied and extensive as that of the barnyard fowls1 whose language some of us know very well4 ,the means by which ideas are transmitted from one animal to another can be rightly described by no other term than language4 ,it is evident that there are many kinds of language3 the written2 the spoken2 the universal1 which implies the motion1 sign1 and form language2 the language of the eye1 by which ideas are exchanged without words or gestures2 and lastly1 a mode of expression little known to the human world1 but universal among animals4 ,this language is spoken by no man1 but is understood by every brute from the tiniest hare to the largest elephant2 it is the language whereby spirit communicates with spirit1 and by which it recognises in a moment what it would take an entire volume to narrate4 ,in its nature it differs essentially from all other languages1 yet we are justified in thinking of it as a language because its function is to transmit ideas from one animal to another4 ,every form of language is used by animals1 and each has its own peculiar language or dialect common to its tribe only1 though occasionally learned by others4 ,all the emotions--fear1 caution1 joy1 grief1 gratitude1 hope1 despair--are disclosed by some form of language4 ,it would be interesting to know how the use of the word dumb ever became applied to animals1 for in reality there are very few dumb animals4 ,doubtless the word was originally employed to express a larger idea than that of dumbness1 and implied the lack of power in animals to communicate successfully with man by sound or language4 ,the real trouble lies with man1 who is unable to understand the language spoken or uttered by the animals4 ,the gesture language is commonly used by many of the tribes of ,southern ,africa1 and some of the ,bushmen are unable to converse freely after dark1 because their visible gestures are needed as an aid to their spoken words4 ,only a few years ago there were almost as many different languages among the ,north ,american ,indians as there were different tribes1 and yet each tribe had a sign-language which any ,indian in any part of the world might understand4 ,in fact it was so simple that it might be practically mastered in a few hours1 and through it one might converse with the ,indians of the world without knowing a single word of their spoken language4 ,and this is exactly what the animals do with their universal language4 ,who does not understand the meaning of a dog when he approaches his master1 after receiving a reprimand for some misdemeanor1 with downcast head and lowered tail8 ,or who could fail to interpret the glee when he has done a noble deed and been praised by his master8 ,his is the language of gesture and look1 and is very similar to that in use by our deaf-and-dumb men throughout the world4 ,the ,hindoos invariably talk to their elephants1 and it is astonishing how they understand4 ,bayard ,taylor says that the ,arabs govern their camels with a few cries1 and my associates in the ,african deserts were always amused whenever ,i addressed a remark to the dromedary who was my property for two months2 yet at the end of that time the beast evidently knew the meaning of a number of simple sentences4 ,some years ago1 seeing the hippopotamus in ,barnum's museum looking very stolid and dejected1 ,i spoke to him in ,english1 but he did not even open his eyes4 ,then ,i went to the opposite corner of the cage1 and said in ,arabic1 ',i know you2 come here to me4' ,i repeated the words1 and thereupon he came to the corner where ,i was standing1 pressed his huge1 ungainly head against the bars of the cage1 and looked in my face with a touch of delight while ,i stroked his muzzle4 ,i have two or three times found a lion who recognised the same language1 and the expression of his eyes1 for an instant1 seemed positively human4 ,every one familiar with the habits of dogs believes that they have a language4 ,certain shepherds are quite particular about the company their dogs keep4 ,this story is told of a couple of shepherds meeting in a market-place in ,scotland1 each accompanied by his dog1 one of which was a sheep-murderer1 the other a faithful and respectable dog4 ,they seemed to strike up a great friendship1 and soon assumed so remarkable a demeanour in their conversation that their owners consulted together on their own account1 and agreed to set a watch upon them4 ,on that very evening both dogs started from their homes at the same hour1 joined each other1 and set off after the sheep4 ,it is unquestionable that these dogs had a sufficiency of language to understand each other4 ,the criminal had invited his innocent young friend to join him in his mischief1 and they agreed upon the time to meet and each kept his appointment4 ,it is likely that there was not an audible sound uttered during their conversation1 but that they used the language of look and gesture1 and while it was not understood by their masters1 it was entirely comprehended by themselves4 ,another instance of canine language is given by ,john ,burroughs1 who says that a certain tone in his dog's bark implies that he has found a snake4 ,there is an old maxim which says3 ,the empty wagon makes the most noise1 and it is interesting to note that the loudest-mouthed and most loquacious of all the animals are the lemurs1 who are the least intelligent members of their great family4 ,they chatter1 scream1 squeak1 and grunt from morning till night1 and two of them can make more noise than a cageful of apes and monkeys4 ,the orangs and chimpanzees1 on the other hand1 exceptionally wise and gifted linguists1 seldom utter a word or cry1 except under extraordinary circumstances1 and then briefly4 ,prof4 ,richard ,l4 ,garner1 who has spent much time in studying the language of animals1 has attracted a great amount of attention through his special study of the anthropoid apes4 ,he has lived among these animals in a steel cage in their native haunts and has used a phonograph to record their language4 ,prof4 ,garner told recently of an exceptionally intelligent ape1 named ,susie1 whose home used to be at the ,zoological ,park1 under the care of the ,zoological ,society1 and he claimed that ,susie could speak in her own language at least five words4 ,they were yes1 no1 protest1 satisfaction and contempt4 ,mr4 ,george ,gladden1 writing in the ,outlook on the chimpanzee's voice1 did not exactly commit himself as to his belief regarding this matter1 but he says3 ,now1 although ,mr4 ,engeholm 7for four years in charge of the ,primates ,house in the ,new ,york ,zoological ,park7 has not been able to discover that his apes use any language1 correctly speaking1 he is confident that the chimpanzees ,susie1 ,dick1 and ,baldy comprehend the definite meaning of many words1 and that their minds react promptly when these words are addressed to them in the form of commands4 ,this capacity is more highly developed in ,susie than in any other of the apes in this particular group4444 ,it is difficult1 of course1 to determine from the commands which an animal will obey precisely how many words employed in these commands are plainly understood2 but ,i have endeavoured to do this tentatively in the case of ,mr4 ,engeholm's commands to ,susie1 all of which ,i have seen her obey repeatedly and promptly4 ,mr4 ,gladden enumerates about forty-three commands which he claims to have seen ,susie obey promptly4 ,and he further states that the belief which many students of animal psychology hold that an animal gets more of the meaning of a command from the gesture which accompanies the command than he does from the actual words by which he is commanded1 is false1 and he adds1 as to this1 ,i can testify that of the forty-three commands 444 thirty-six may be1 and generally are1 unaccompanied by any gesture whatever4 ,how1 then1 does ,susie comprehend those commands unless through her understanding of the meaning of the words in which they are conveyed8 ,the distinguished phrenologist ,gall had a dog whose memory was remarkable1 and he thoroughly understood words and phrases4 ,on this subject ,i have made1 says ,gall1 the following observations3 ,i have often spoken intentionally of things which might interest my dog1 avoiding the mention of his name1 and not letting any gesture escape me which would be likely to arouse his attention4 ,he always exhibited pleasure or pain suitable to the occasion1 and by his conduct afterwards showed that he understood perfectly well4 ,col4 ,w4 ,campbell in his ,indian ,journal gives two remarkable instances of language and unity of work among animals which he saw at ,ranee ,bennore1 while he was on a hunting trip4 ,he witnessed1 one morning1 a striking case of wolfish generalship1 which in his belief proved that animals are endowed to a certain extent not only with reason but are able to communicate their ideas to others4 ,he was scanning the horizon one morning to see if any game was in sight when he discovered a small herd of antelopes feeding in a nearby field4 ,in another remote corner of the field1 hidden from the antelopes1 he saw six wolves sitting with their heads close together as though they were in deep conversation4 ,he knew at once that they were also seeking venison for breakfast and he determined to watch them4 ,he concealed himself behind a clump of bushes1 and the wolves who had evidently already decided upon their mode of attack began their manoeuvres3 one remained stationary1 while the other five crept to the edge of the field and one by one took the most advantageous positions1 the fifth concealing himself in a deep furrow in the centre of the field4 ,the sixth1 which had made no previous movements1 dashed at the antelopes4 ,the swift1 graceful creatures1 trusting in their incomparable speed1 tossed their heads as if in disdain of so small an enemy and galloped away as though they were riding on the winds with their enemy far behind4 ,but as soon as they reached the edge of the field1 one of the hiding wolves sprang up and chased them in an opposite direction1 while his fatigued accomplice lay down to recuperate4 ,again the light-heeled herd darted across the field1 evidently hoping to escape on the opposite side1 but here again they met another crafty wolf who chased them directly toward another of the pack4 ,the chase had begun in earnest1 the persecuted antelopes were driven from place to place1 a fresh enemy springing up at every turn1 till at last they became so terrorised with fear that they crowded together in the center of the field and began running around in diminishing circles4 ,during all this performance1 the wolf which was hidden in a furrow in the centre of the field had not moved1 although the antelopes had passed around and over him dozens of times4 ,he well realised his time for action had not yet come and crouched closer and closer awaiting a signal from his fellow hunters to spring into their midst1 and down one of the weakened antelopes4 ,at this point ,col4 ,campbell shot one of the wolves1 and the other five ran away and allowed the antelopes to escape4 ,surely no human combination could have shown greater reason and concerted action than was shown by the wolves under such conditions4 ,each had a particular post assigned1 and evidently some means of communication was used in indicating their respective locations4 ,each had a definite part to play in the complex scheme--so that their language quite evidently expressed abstract ideas4 ,that these ideas were carried out shows that the wolves were capable not only of laying ambitious plans for capturing prey1 but of carrying them out as well4 ,that beasts possess a language1 which enables them to communicate their ideas1 says ,thomas ,gentry1 has been clearly shown4 ,it is just as apparent that they can act upon the ideas so conveyed4 ,we have now to see whether they can convey their ideas to man1 and so bridge over the gulf between the higher and the lower beings4 ,were there no means of communicating ideas between man and animals1 domestication would be impossible4 ,every one who has possessed and cared for some favourite animal must have observed that they can do so4 ,their own language becomes1 in many instances1 intelligible to man4 ,just as a child that is unable to pronounce words1 can express its meaning by intimation1 so a dog can do the same by its different modes of barking4 ,there is the bark of joy or welcome1 when the animal sees its master1 or anticipates a walk with him2 the furious bark of anger1 if the dog suspects that any one is likely to injure himself or master1 and the bark of terror when the dog is suddenly frightened at something which he cannot understand4 ,supposing1 now1 that his master could not see the dog1 but could only hear his bark1 would he not know perfectly well the ideas which were passing through the animal's mind8 ,there is no doubt that animals understand something of our human language4 ,they may not be able to comprehend the exact words used1 but it is evident they get the meaning to a certain extent4 ,i once had a small ,mexican dog sent me from ,mexico2 he seemed not to understand what was said to him1 until a friend called who spoke to him in ,spanish1 whereupon he showed his delight and became at once a friend to the man who spoke his own language4 ,the ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,wood tells the following incident1 which forcibly illustrates the ability possessed by animals to commune with each other4 ,while ,i was living in the country with a friend1 a most interesting incident was observed in the history of the dog4 ,my friend had several dogs1 of which two had a special attachment to1 and an understanding with1 each other4 ,the one was a ,scotch terrier1 gentle and ready to fraternise with all honest comers4 ,the other was as large as a mastiff1 and looked like a compound between the mastiff and the large rough stag-hound4 ,he was fierce1 and required some acquaintance before you knew what faithfulness and kindness lay beneath his rough and savage-looking exterior4 ,the one was gay and lively1 the other1 stern and thoughtful4 ,these two dogs were often observed to go to a certain point together1 when the small one remained behind at a corner of a large field1 while the mastiff took a round by the side of the field1 which ran up-hill for nearly a mile1 and led to a wood on the left4 ,game abounded in those districts and the object of the dogs' arrangement was soon seen4 ,the terrier would start a hare1 and chase it up the hill towards the large wood at the summit1 where they arrived somewhat tired4 ,at this point1 the large dog1 who was fresh and had rested after his walk1 darted after the animal1 which he usually captured4 ,they then ate the hare between them and returned home4 ,this course had been systematically carried on some time before it was fully understood4 ,every animal has a definite language which is quite sufficient to express the desires and emotions of its nature1 and to make them intelligible1 not only to its own species1 but also to other animals and sometimes to human beings4 ,those which do not actually speak by means of a voice1 make signs or mimic understood things so as to be perfectly intelligible4 ,if animals had no language1 they could not instruct their young4 ,the young of animals in a civilised country are far wiser than the old ones in wild1 uninhabited countries4 ,this can be explained only by the knowledge which the young receive from their parents4 ,it is not uncommon for animals belonging to widely different species to speak the same language1 and thus become great friends4 ,a friend in ,texas once owned a cow whose sole companion was a small black goat4 ,one day the young goat followed the cow home from her grazing place1 and from that time on they were constant companions1 even occupying the same stall in winter1 sharing the same food1 and always sleeping near each other4 ,if one shoots a monkey in ,south ,africa1 and wounds it1 allowing it to escape1 there usually come droves of its kinspeople1 screaming and chattering the most diabolical language1 seeking to revenge the wrong done their tribe4 ,nothing demonstrates plainer that they have a common language2 otherwise1 how could they understand that one of their number had been wounded8 ,it is because of the communication of ideas by a common language among animals that hunters so fear to allow a wounded animal to escape at the beginning of their hunting season in certain localities4 ,a wounded bear who escapes1 for example1 will spoil the entire season for hunters by spreading the alarm among his people4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,roosevelt',s ,,colobus4 ,,these ,,horse-,,tailed ,,monkeys ,,chatter ,,together ,,in ,a ,,language ,,exclusively ,,their ,,own1 ,,yet ,,they ,,seem ,,to ,,have ,,no ,,difficulty ,,in ,,making ,,themselves ,,understood ,,by ,,other ,,monkey-,,tribes4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,tamed ,,deer ,,of ,,texas1 ,,whose ,,constant ,,companion ,,and ,,playmate ,,was ,a ,,rabbit ,,dog4 ,,between ,,the ,,two ,,there ,,developed1 ,,necessarily1 ,a ,,common ,,language4 ,near our country home in ,texas my sister found a very young red deer one morning just outside the garden1 and bringing it into the yard1 soon had a wonderful pet in this dainty spotted child of the woods4 ,we knew that its mother was not far away1 and so we placed salt and food just where the baby was found1 to attract the mother's attention4 ,in a few days1 we saw the mother1 and shortly afterwards five grown deer were seen eating the food we had placed for the mother4 ,evidently the news had been carried through the pine forests that it was safe for deer to come near our home4 ,my sister's pet grew rapidly1 and became a great friend of our yard dog4 ,they often played by running races together1 the deer would leap over the fence and the dog would chase him with great delight4 ,surely1 they must have had a spoken common language6 ,no one claims that in the language of animals there are principles of construction such as we find in the human languages4 ,the term ,barbarian means those whose language is only a bar-bar1 and this is really all that the sound of an unknown tongue implied to the cultured ,athenians4 ,the neighing of horses1 the howling of dogs and wolves1 the mewing of cats1 the bleating of sheep1 the lowing of cows1 the chattering of monkeys and baboons is nothing more nor less than their language4 ,and it is quite as intelligible to us as is the chattering of the ,hottentots of ,africa4 ,because we do not speak the languages of our animal friends does not take away from the genuineness of the languages2 we might as well claim that because our horse does not comprehend what we are saying1 that we are not speaking a language6 ,animals and men1 under normal conditions1 have been friends and companions since the beginning of time2 and in order that they may convey ideas to each other1 it is necessary for them to have some sort of means of communication4 ,as a matter of fact1 animal language is quite often intelligible to man4 ,their language might be likened to that of a young child that cannot pronounce distinctly the words we commonly use2 and yet we get the meaning from the intonation and gesture4 ,any man who has ever owned a horse understands the meanings of his various actions and vocal expressions4 ,there is the neigh of joy1 upon returning home after a hard day's work1 the neigh of distress1 when he has strayed from his companions1 the neigh of salutation that passes between two horses when they meet1 and the neigh of terror when enemies are near4 ,there is also the neigh of affection that is often given to his master when they first meet in the morning4 ,thus1 spoken words are not necessary to express elemental feelings4 ,elephants readily understand most of the words uttered by their masters4 ,menault tells of an elephant that was employed to pile up heavy logs4 ,the manager1 suspecting the keeper of stealing the grain set aside for the elephant1 accused him of theft1 which he denied most vehemently in the presence of the elephant4 ,the result was remarkable4 ,the animal suddenly laid hold of a large wrapper which the man wore round his waist1 and tearing it open1 let out some quarts of rice which the fellow had stowed away under the voluminous covering4 ,animals have the power to make themselves understood by man1 especially when they are in distress and wish man to help them4 ,and they often combine to help one another4 ,i was on a sheep ranch in western ,texas once when one of the sheep came bleating up to the camp late in the afternoon4 ,she uttered the most distressing calls4 ,a friend1 whom ,i was visiting1 assured me that something unusual was wrong4 ,together we followed the sheep back to where she had been feeding in the pasture1 she going forward in short spurts and continually looking back to see if we were coming4 ,she finally led us to an old well1 and we heard the plaintive voice of her young lamb that had fallen in4 ,as the well had no water in it1 and was only about six feet deep1 we secured a ladder and in a few minutes the lamb was restored to its mother4 ,she seemed delighted at the successful outcome of the accident4 ,she had come and told us her troubles and got aid4 ,cats are gifted linguists4 ,by mewing they can just as plainly express a desire to have a door opened or closed as if they requested it in so many words4 ,a friend has furnished me with an interesting account of her cat's ability to make herself understood4 ,it seems that the cat1 with her three small kittens1 at one time slept in a box prepared for her in the kitchen4 ,but one night when it was particularly cold1 some one left the kitchen window open1 and late in the night the cat went to her mistress's bed and mewed continuously until her mistress arose and went to the kitchen and closed the window4 ,the cat was perfectly satisfied1 as she had made her great need understood4 ,the ability that animals have to make their own language understood by man is not the only linguistic power they possess2 as already mentioned1 they are also capable of understanding something of human speech4 ,there is no doubt that all domesticated animals understand the human language2 the horse1 dog1 ox1 and sheep comprehend a large part of what is said to them1 though of course they may not understand the precise words used4 ,i once owned a rabbit dog1 ,nimrod1 and if he never understood another word of the ,english language1 there is no doubt that he knew what the word rabbit meant4 ,no matter in what manner or way ,i used the word1 ,nimrod was ready for a hunt1 and yelped with glee at the thought of the chase that he was to have4 ,i tested him over and over again by saying rabbit hunt gently2 it thrilled him with delight1 and while he was not very well educated in other things1 he always lived up to his name4 ,the ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,wood speaks of the great individuality of character which he has observed in dogs1 and that they unquestionably understand the human language4 ,there was in my pet greyhound ',brenda1' there was in my dear lurcher ',smoker1' and there is now in my dear lurcher ',bar1' and in my three setters ',chance1' ',quail1' and ',quince1' a refinement of feeling and sagacity infinitely beyond that existing in multitudes of the human race1 whether inhabiting the deserts or the realms of civilisation4 ,i cannot better define it than by saying that1 if ,i give these dogs a hastily angered word in my room1 though they have never been beaten1 they will1 with an expression of the most dejected sorrow1 go into a corner behind some chair1 sofa1 or table1 and lie there4 ,perhaps ,i may have been guilty of a hasty rebuke to them for jogging my table or elbow while ,i was writing1 and then continued to write on4 ,some time after1 not having seen my companions lying on the rug before the fire1 ,i have remembered the circumstance1 and1 in a tone of voice to which they are used1 ,i have said1 ',there1 you are forgiven4' ,in an instant the greyhound ,brenda would fly into my lap1 and cover me with kisses1 her heart tumultuously beating4 ,after she grew old1 her joy at my return home after a long absence has at times nearly killed her2 and when ,i was away1 the bed she loved best was one of my old shooting-jackets1 but never when ,i was at home4 ,the impassable gulf which the writers of old created between mankind and the animal kingdom was based mainly upon the belief that animals had no language1 but this has been proved a mistake and no longer exists4 ,in the light of modern knowledge and a better understanding of the marvellous theory of evolution1 we are thoroughly convinced that there is no break whatever in the long chain of living beings4 ,man has no art1 has developed no thing whatever1 no mode of language or communication1 that is not to be found in some degree among animals4 ,they are capable of feeling the same emotions as human beings1 and are therefore subject to the same general laws of life4 ,no science has been more beneficial than psychology in proving that they are human in all ways2 no discovery made by the human mind is so poetical and of such value as that which leads mankind to recognise some part of himself in every part of ,nature1 even in the language of animals4 ,this knowledge of all life is recognised by thinking men the world over1 removing forever that artificial barrier by which1 in his ignorance and prejudice1 he has separated himself from his lower brothers1 the animals1 denying unto them even a means of intelligent communication4 ,this recognition of the existence of a common language will go far toward establishing the universal brotherhood of all living creatures4 ,,viii ,,in ,,their ,,boudoirs1 ,,hospitals ,,and ,,churches ,never stoops the soaring vulture ,on his quarry in the desert1 ,on the sick or wounded bison1 ,but another vulture1 watching ,from his high aerial look-out1 ,sees the downward plunge and follows1 ,and a third pursues the second1 ,coming from the invisible ether1 ,first a speck and then a vulture ,till the air is dark with pinions4 ,many animals show a surprising knowledge of medical and sanitary laws1 but these laws vary in the different species as much as they do among humans4 ,animals are divided into as many classes and social castes as are mankind2 and those that have advanced beyond the nomadic life1 and have fixed homes with servants and luxuries1 naturally are more refined in the matter of their personal care4 ,science may yet prove that the old legend of the mermaid sitting on a rock1 with a glass and comb in her hand1 was not so far from truth as we imagine4 ,no doubt1 the bright-eyed seals looked like sea-maidens to many ancient mariners4 ,the originator of the mermaid stories had possibly seen seals making their toilettes4 ,these beautiful and affectionate human-like creatures of the water1 wear1 attached to their front flipper1 a handsome comb-like protuberance4 ,when they rest on the rocks1 they use this little comb to brush the fur on their faces2 and the ,northern fur-seals1 when the weather is warm1 use their flippers as fans4 ,the secret of teaching seals to play tambourines is due to their desire to comb their fur and fan themselves6 ,members of the cat family are1 perhaps1 the cleanest of all animals1 with the exception of some of the opossums4 ,lions1 panthers1 and pumas dress themselves very much as the domestic cat performs her toilette4 ,they use their feet1 dipped in water1 as wash cloths1 and their tongues as combs and brushes4 ,hares also use their feet to wash their faces1 and this they do very often1 to keep their exquisite hair in perfect condition4 ,dogs enjoy wiping their coats against green grass and shrubs4 ,certain animals are so fastidious that they have community beauty-parlours6 ,goats1 deer1 giraffes1 and antelopes1 for example1 are very particular about their personal neatness and cleanliness1 and they come together to assist each other in making toilettes4 ,one of the reasons that animals suffer so much in captivity1 especially when alone1 is that they have no one to help them dress1 and some of them1 such as the giraffe1 cannot reach all parts of their bodies4 ,i have seen a young guinea pig that had been rescued from a mud puddle being cleaned by both of his parents4 ,water-loving animals1 like the beavers1 seemingly take great pride in their toilettes1 and in this respect they show more human traits than any other animal4 ,it is a general belief that animals are quite care-free1 and that when they awake in the morning there is nothing for them to do but play or wander about4 ,this is a mistaken belief1 for they have to dress themselves1 and this not only means a bath in many cases1 but a smoothing out of their fur and hair4 ,some are shy and seek the darkest places to dress themselves1 others1 like the dog and cat1 seek the hearth4 ,every one has possibly seen a cow and horse licking each other1 and it is generally believed that this implies special friendship between the two1 but this idea is incorrect2 it only implies mutual aid in making their toilettes4 ,they have a beauty parlour1 and thus aid each other4 ,in no way are animals better prepared to teach man than in their methods of personal cleanliness1 and this means health4 ,their utilisation of clay1 dust1 mud1 water1 and even sunshine to keep their health1 far exceeds that of mankind4 ,in fact1 man's first knowledge of simple1 natural health remedies came from animals4 ,this wisdom they have acquired by ages of instinct and reason1 for theirs has been the normal life1 whereas man's is often abnormal4 ,each animal is his own specialist4 ,however1 when an animal becomes too ill to doctor himself1 he is treated by another4 ,i have seen a horse licking the wound of one of his fellows to stop the pain4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,water-,,loving ,,animals1 ,,like ,,the ,,beavers1 ,,seemingly ,,take ,,great ,,pride ,,in ,,their ,,toilettes4 ,,their ,,fur ,,is ,,always ,,sleek ,,and ,,clean4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,great ,,forest ,,pigs ,,of ,,central ,,africa4 ,,like ,,the ,,common ,,domesticated ,,hogs1 ,,they ,,will ,,seek ,a ,,clay ,,bath ,,to ,,heal ,,their ,,wounds4 ,animals know better than man what kind of food they need1 for the simple reason that their tastes are natural1 while man has allowed his to become perverted4 ,in times of sickness absurd practices have been observed4 ,ice-cream and buttermilk1 for example1 were for ages refused to typhoid fever patients1 while to-day they are generally used under such circumstances4 ,but the natural desire for sour and cold things was always in evidence2 animals have always depended upon these desires4 ,among them are skilled dietitians1 who restrict their diet in case of illness1 keep quiet1 avoid all excitement1 seek restful places where there is plenty of fresh air and clean water4 ,if a dog loses his appetite1 he eats dog grass1 while a sick cat delights in catnip4 ,deer1 goats1 cows1 and sheep1 when sick seek various medicinal herbs4 ,when deer or cattle have rheumatism1 they invariably seek a health resort where they may bathe in a sulphur spring and drink of the healing mineral waters4 ,they also know the full value of lying in the warm sun4 ,cats are skilled physicians1 and have various home remedies1 such as dipping a feverish foot into cold water1 or lying before a warm fire1 if they have a cold4 ,many animals know how to treat a sore eye--by lying in the dark1 and repeatedly licking their paws and placing them over the afflicted member4 ,how wonderful would the human race become1 if it had the strength of a lion1 the power of a bear1 the wisdom of an elephant1 the cleverness of a fox1 and the health of the wild boar6 ,but these qualities are found chiefly among the animals because of the marvellous knowledge of the laws of health and self-preservation4 ,john ,wesley claimed1 in his directions on the art of keeping well1 that many of the medicines which were used among the common people of his time were first discovered by watching animals in their medical practices to cure their ills and pains4 ,if they heal animals1 they will also heal men1 he claimed4 ,the ,american ,indians learned most of their cures from watching animals1 especially the cure of such diseases as fever1 rheumatism1 dysentery1 and snake-bites4 ,a rheumatic old wolf would bathe in the warm waters of a sulphur spring2 a sick and feverish deer would eat the fresh leaves of healing ferns1 while a wounded hog or bear would always seek a red-clay bath to heal the wounds4 ,sick dogs will invariably eat certain weeds1 and an unwell cat will seek healing mints and grasses4 ,old hunters tell us that a deer after having been chased for several hours by dogs1 and after having escaped them by swimming a cold stream1 will1 upon reaching safety1 lie down in the ice and snow4 ,if a man did such a thing1 he would immediately die4 ,but not so with the deer1 for he will arise about every hour and move around to exercise himself1 and on the morrow he is perfectly well4 ,the same animal1 shut up in a warm barn for the night1 as has many times been demonstrated with circus animals1 will be dead by morning4 ,from this natural method of healing1 mankind may learn much1 and especially as it pertains to the treatment of extreme heat1 cold1 exhaustion1 and paralysis of the muscles1 and most especially sores and wounds4 ,i have seen a wounded hog that had been badly bitten by a dog1 wallow in rich red mud to stop the flow of blood4 ,it is a common practice for a raccoon actually to amputate a diseased leg1 or one that has been wounded by a gunshot1 and wash the stub in cool flowing water4 ,when it is healing1 he licks it with his tongue to massage it1 and also to stop the pain and reduce the swelling4 ,this wisdom is often classed by the unknowing under the term instinct1 whereas it displays no less skill and knowledge than that of our modern surgery4 ,the intelligence of the raccoon stands very high in the animal world4 ,foxes1 when caught in a trap1 will very often gnaw off a limb4 ,this requires a special power and a moral energy that few men possess4 ,william ,j4 ,long1 in the ,outlook1 tells of an unusual proof of animal surgery in the case of an old muskrat that had cut off both of his forelegs1 probably at different times1 and had grown very wise in avoiding man-made traps1 and when found1 had covered the wound with a sticky vegetable gum from a pine tree4 ,an old ,indian who lives and hunts on ,vancouver ,island told me recently1 said ,mr4 ,long1 that he had several times caught beaver that had previously cut their legs off to escape from traps1 and that two of them had covered the wounds thickly with gum1 as the muskrat had done4 ,last spring the same ,indian caught a bear in a deadfall4 ,on the animal's side was a long rip from some other bear's claw1 and the wound had been smeared thickly with soft spruce resin4 ,this last experience corresponds closely with one of my own4 ,i shot a bear years ago in northern ,new ,brunswick that had received a gunshot wound1 which had raked him badly and then penetrated the leg4 ,he had plugged the wound carefully with clay1 evidently to stop the bleeding1 and then had covered the broken skin with sticky mud from the river's brink1 to keep the flies away from the wound and give it a chance to heal undisturbed4 ,it is noteworthy here that the bear uses either gum or clay indifferently1 while the beaver and muskrat seem to know enough to avoid the clay1 which would be quickly washed off in the water4 ,animals not only know how to doctor themselves when they are sick1 but some of them1 such as the fox1 have learned how to make artificial heat by covering green leaves with dirt4 ,and while they do not make fire1 their homes are often heated in this practical way1 and thus sickness avoided4 ,domestic horses and dogs wear hats in summer1 and possibly in the future they will learn the enormous importance of wearing clothes6 ,trained monkeys already take great delight in dressing up1 and dogs like smart suits4 ,monkeys show the greatest interest and brotherly love when one of their number is injured4 ,watson tells of a female monkey that was shot and carried into a tent4 ,several of her tribe advanced with frightful gestures1 and only stopped when met with a gun4 ,the chief of the tribe then came forward1 chattering and remonstrating vigorously4 ,but as he came nearer1 there was every evidence of grief and supplication for the body4 ,as he was given the body1 he affectionately took it in his arms and slowly moved to his companions1 and like a silent funeral procession they all walked away4 ,nor does their interest cease with life1 for we are told by no less authority than ,col4 ,theodore ,roosevelt of a large grizzly bear that was discovered lying across the trail in the woods4 ,the hunter shot her as she was preparing to charge him1 and later he examined the spot where she was lying1 and found that it was the newly made grave of her cub4 ,evidently some animal had killed the cub in her absence1 and she1 in her grief1 was determined to avenge the wrong by lying in wait for the enemy4 ,public meetings for civic council and religious worship are not confined to man alone4 ,in ,macgrave's ,history of ,brazil we are told of a species of ,south ,american monkey known as the ouraines1 which the natives call preachers of the woods4 ,these highly intelligent creatures assemble every morning and evening1 when the leader takes a place apart from the rest and addresses them from his pulpit or platform1 ,having taken his position1 he signals to the others to be seated1 after which he speaks to them in a language loud and rapid1 with the gestures of a ,billy ,sunday1 the audience listening in profound silence4 ,he then signals again with his paws1 when all cry out together in apparently confused noises1 until another signal for silence comes from their leader4 ,then follows another discourse1 at the close of which the assembly disperses4 ,macgrave attempts no explanation as to the object of these addresses2 but if his accounts be true1 surely they must have as much meaning for the monkeys as many of our public lectures and church services have for us6 ,no doubt much of the advice imparted concerns the personal and collective welfare of the tribe members4 ,,ix ,,self-,,defence ,,and ,,home-,,government ,in the days of yore1 when the world was young1 ,sages of asses spoke1 and poets sung2 ,in ,god's own book we find their humble name1 ,some enrolled upon the scroll of fame4 ,there is no phase of animal life which is more interesting than that through which ,nature governs and protects her children4 ,each and every species of animal possesses the method of self-defence and protection best adapted to it4 ,most of the larger animals are of themselves so powerful that they need no protection other than that afforded by their strength1 while most of the weaker and less aggressive animals are provided with some special method of defence4 ,the tiger1 lion1 panther1 and wolf have formidable claws and teeth2 while the shark has such immense jaws that he can sever the head of a goat at one bite4 ,and most of them are in reality tyrants4 ,they rule by tyranny--the oppression of the weak by the strong1 whether that strength be physical or mental1--a trait as common in animals as in man4 ,among the animals it takes the commonest form1 and they not only oppress the weak1 but actually kill and eat them1 even though they oftentimes are members of the same family4 ,they are exactly like human cannibals1 no better and no worse4 ,flight is perhaps the simplest and most natural method of defence4 ,the swifter animals1 however1 such as deer1 gazelles1 and hares1 which may easily escape by running their fastest1 do not always use this method1 but have other means so ingenious as to be real arts4 ,wolves1 when they see that they are outnumbered1 will sometimes escape by following the exact tracks of a single leader through the snow1 and from all appearances only one has passed the way over which a hundred may have gone4 ,hares will separate and run in opposite directions1 while gazelles1 if too closely pursued1 will jump to one side and lie flat on the earth to escape notice1 and as soon as the enemies have passed1 run in the opposite direction4 ,it oftentimes happens that aggressively disposed animals1 like cowardly men1 are apt to try battle with the unlikeliest adversaries4 ,a missionary from ,india tells the story of an alligator who was enjoying a noonday sleep on the bank of a river1 when an immense tiger emerged from the jungle1 made straight for the sleeping saurian until within leaping distance1 when he sprang on the alligator's back1 and gained a strangle hold before the sleeping monster could awake4 ,at first the tiger was master1 for the alligator could not bring his huge jaws into action1 and while lashing viciously at the tiger with his tail1 he was dragged into the jungle4 ,what happened there no one could see1 but in a few moments the tiger dashed out of the jungle and disappeared in the cane brakes1 and the alligator reappeared and crawled into the water4 ,the ape and the baboon are the most skilled of all animals in making their flight4 ,they use every method known to man1 and because of their swiftness of action excel man in certain ways4 ,like man1 in the face of danger1 they show great bravery and never lose their presence of mind4 ,the ape is fast disappearing before man1 but against other animals and ,nature he can well protect himself4 ,he is even braver than the lion1 who in captivity allows himself to be petted1 but rarely is this true of the ape1 and then only when conditions seem insurmountable4 ,in making his escape from an enemy1 the ape directs his flight in the most self-possessed and human-like way1 never losing his head1 and taking advantage of the first shelter or protection that he meets2 if the young1 or females1 or aged linger behind1 a strong army of males bravely returns to rescue them at the danger of losing their own lives4 ,many of their brave deeds1 if recorded in history1 would compare favourably with those of mankind6 ,too often has a poor1 sickly ape1 which by his very feebleness allowed himself to be captured and placed in a zoo1 been compared to human beings4 ,even in spirit and movements he has been considered as a human caricature and heaped with ridicule4 ,we have continually considered his defects1 without noticing his better qualities4 ,we would have a much higher idea of his great family1 if we would take a human derelict and compare him to an ape ruler6 ,this comparison would be more just4 ,certain of the baboon tribes which live among the rocks of high mountains and cliffs1 if pursued by enemies1 protect themselves by ingeniously rolling immense stones down upon their foes4 ,they also hurl with great force small stones about the size of one's hand4 ,as these tribes have each from one hundred to three hundred members1 they constitute a formidable grenade army6 ,in addition to their skilled methods of flight1 the baboons1 apes1 and monkeys come next to certain of the cat tribes as the greatest fighters in the animal world4 ,this is astonishing when we remember that these animals are not professional warriors1 nor do they have to fight to obtain their food4 ,their greatest defence is their quickness and powers of biting4 ,when they are attacked by a dog1 they usually bite off a foot or an ear1 or leave him minus a tail6 ,one of the bravest and fiercest of fighters is the bull-dog4 ,three of these animals together have been known to capture and hold a large bull4 ,deer1 when fighting among themselves1 often play more than anything1 and are not serious4 ,red deer seldom injure one another with their long antlers1 but they could easily kill a dog or even a man4 ,stags1 however1 often fight to death1 in some instances locking horns and tumbling over a precipice4 ,the most ingenious of all the horned fighters is the sable antelope1 whose clever system of self-defence might well be taught in war-schools4 ,his horns are long1 sharp-pointed1 and bend backwards4 ,when wounded1 or attacked by wolves or dogs1 he lies down1 and scientifically covers his back by rapid fencing with his pointed horns4 ,he can quickly kill any dog that attacks him in this way4 ,occasionally great battles take place between a buffalo and a lion1 or more often two or three lions attack a buffalo1 who rarely escapes them4 ,the strength of a lion is almost beyond our comprehension when we remember that one can actually carry a cow over an ordinary-sized fence4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,rocky ,,mountain ,,goat ,,has ,,many ,,means ,,of ,,defence1 ,,not ,,the ,,least ,,of ,,which ,,is ,,his ,,agility ,,in ,,climbing ,,to ,,inaccessible ,,places4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,wild ,,boars ,,are ,,among ,,the ,,most ,,ferocious ,,of ,,animals4 ,,by ,,means ,,of ,,their ,,great ,,strength ,,alone ,,they ,,are ,,well ,,able ,,to ,,defend ,,themselves4 ,a most unique fighter is the giraffe4 ,he has neither claws nor sharp teeth with which to defend himself2 so1 if he gets angry with one of his kind1 he deliberately uses his long neck like a pile driver would use a sledge hammer4 ,swinging it round and round1 he lets his head descend upon his adversary like a heavy ax6 ,the two animals use the same kind of tactics1 and bracing themselves so as to stand the blows1 they fight until one has to give in4 ,their heads are furnished with two small knob-like horns which only protect them from the heavy blows without serving as offensive weapons4 ,most singular and amusing of all methods of self-defence are those which entirely depend for their efficiency upon bluff1 or pretence4 ,the chameleon1 for example1 erects his snake-like hood1 though he is harmless1 and at the most could scarcely injure the smallest animal4 ,equally curious are the methods of skunks and polecats1 which project against enemies a highly disagreeable fluid4 ,passive modes of defence are as many and varied as are the active2 one of the strangest and most inexplicable of these is that known as spontaneous amputation1 technically termed autotomy4 ,the lizard1 for example1 when captured1 will abruptly break loose his tail in order to escape2 and certain wood rats1 when caught1 loosen the skin on their tails and deliberately slip away4 ,autotomy not only permits flight1 but also defends the animal against the most adverse conditions4 ,nearest akin to this--defence by means of amputation--is the practice of bears and raccoons of amputating their limbs when caught in steel traps4 ,mimicry1 which is treated under another chapter1 comes under the head of passive defence1 and form and colour play an important part in it4 ,strangely enough1 animals which have never resorted to mimicry as a means of protection1 when associated with others who practice it1 take on the habit themselves4 ,this may possibly be due to the fact that new enemies are constantly arising4 ,as human sharpshooters dress in garments of the same colour as the woods in which they hunt1 so many animals use this principle of imitation4 ,the colour of most animals is very similar to their surroundings4 ,this enables them to lie in wait for prey1 a practice as old as the hillsides with animals4 ,they have learned the extreme value of silence1 and that they must remain at times motionless4 ,this is especially noticeable with crocodiles1 which wait for whole days without moving1 concealed in the water or deep grass1 until their prey comes within striking distance1 when they pounce upon it4 ,the same is true of the python snake1 which hangs from a tree so immovable that he appears like a vine or a branch of the tree4 ,if an animal attempts to pass1 he drops upon it4 ,perhaps the most unique and successful method of passive defence is the feigning of death1 or playing 'possum met with in several animals1 such as the red fox1 the opossum1 occasionally the elephant1 and several of the snakes4 ,on many occasions ,i have been 'possum hunting in the ,south and found my dog barking at an apparently dead 'possum4 ,as soon as these animals are approached by larger and stronger enemies1 they drop absolutely motionless on the ground and close their eyes as though they were dead4 ,here they remain until the enemy either destroys them1 carries them away1 or leaves them alone4 ,if left alone for a few moments1 they immediately spring to their feet and make their escape4 ,elephants often feign death when captured1 in order to gain their liberty4 ,animal catchers tell many interesting tales of elephants feigning weakness from which they fall to the earth and later apparently die4 ,in many instances the fastenings are removed from their legs and head and the carcass is abandoned as useless1 when to the utter astonishment of all--before the captors get out of sight--the animal springs up and dashes away to the forest1 screaming with joy at the triumph of its deception4 ,many animals deliberately assume a frightful1 terrifying or grotesque appearance4 ,this they do by inflating their bodies1 by erecting hair1 skin1 or folds1 or by unusual poses4 ,darwin speaks of the hissing of certain snakes1 the rattle of the rattle-snake1 the grating of the scales of the echis1 each of which serves to frighten or terrify the enemy4 ,bluffing is another form of defence that many animals use4 ,the cobra1 for example1 when disturbed1 raises its immense hood in a most terrifying attitude6 ,many of the lizards use the same tactics2 while the horned toads of ,america when disturbed actually eject blood from their eyes4 ,every one is familiar with the cat's habit of raising the fur on his back when molested by a dog4 ,all bluffing animals1 when in danger1 try to assume a pose that will make them look most dangerous and impressive to their enemies1 and there is little doubt that in most cases they succeed very well1 for we have all seen a dog slink away from a menacing cat4 ,the elk or moose1 whose home is in the northern part of ,america and ,europe1 is a powerful and large animal1 sometimes seven feet in height1 and is able to endure much cold4 ,he has many enemies among animals and mankind1 and during the summer season he is quite able to protect himself1 but in winter there is considerable danger from hordes of wolves4 ,this is especially true just after a heavy snowstorm1 if the snow is wet and melting4 ,when it is dry and frozen1 he can travel over it with great speed1 and this he does by a most unusual trot which carries him along much faster than the trotting gait of a horse4 ,thus he is able to escape the hungry1 carnivorous wolves1 whose courage increases with appetite4 ,if crowded too close1 he is able also to protect himself by the most terrific blows of his fore-feet4 ,but when the spring weather sets in1 and the snows begin to melt underneath1 leaving the upper crust sufficiently strong to support the weight of lighter and smaller animals1 such as wolves1 especially when they travel swiftly1 he is in great danger4 ,for with every step he sinks to the belly in the snow1 while his enemies can walk right up to his head and shoulders without his being able to strike or paw them with his dangerous hoofs4 ,the advantage seems to be with the wolves1 and if ever they bring the moose to bay in the snow1 his life is doomed4 ,for they care little for his arrow-like horns1 but boldly jump at his throat and kill him4 ,herein comes the elk's wisdom--he deliberately sets to work1 before the snow melts1 and builds for himself and family an elk-yard1 which is nothing more than a large space of ground on which the snow is smoothed or trampled down until it becomes a hard surface on which he can walk2 it is also surrounded by a high wall of snow1 through which are certain exits that allow him to pass out1 if he desires4 ,all the enclosed space is not smoothed down1 but parts of it only are cut up into roads through which he may pass very swiftly4 ,woe unto the daring wolves that enter his snowy fortification--his ,no ,man's ,land--- for sure death awaits them6 ,a sense of law1 order1 government2 the sacredness of family ties--all these aid in the protection of animals4 ,family life with them originated just as it did in the human world4 ,the social instinct and the moral sentiments which arise from social relations in man and animal are the same4 ,moral obligations1 especially in relation to family ties and conjugal unions of animals1 are in many cases sacred binders to such ties4 ,the bear1 for example1 is proverbial for his conjugal faithfulness4 ,the married life of most animals is strictly moral1 and most of them are monogamists and have reached the highest form of family association and life4 ,in those places where they live promiscuously1 it gives them the same protection in herds as it does among our lower savages4 ,cattle1 sheep1 and horses unite for mutual protection2 wolves band together in packs2 and after they have been domesticated there is still not only a strong desire to band together for social purposes1 but also to hold courts of justice4 ,it sometimes happens that an angered husband takes the law in his hands1 like uncivilised men1 and beats his wife4 ,in the development and organisation of social and civil life the horse and the goat hold the foremost position4 ,it corresponds to that of man among the lower animals4 ,they do not believe in monarchies1 but strictly in republics1 or rather1 a democracy where all power comes from the working class4 ,the claims of the working class to the exercise of supreme control in all political affairs are practically realised4 ,among a herd of wild ,arabian horses1 the leading stallion1 or so-called king1 is really only the father of the tribe2 his functions are paternal rather than regal4 ,if he may be said to reign in a certain sense1 the true workers rule1 and his scouts and sentinels obey his wishes which the workers have influenced and formulated4 ,the existence of but one king leaves no room for dynastic troubles and rivalries which disturb1 so often1 our human countries and empires with such dreadful results4 ,if two rival kings arise at the same time in a herd of horses1 instead of forming factions in the state which end in civil war1 they fight it out personally until one of them is killed or defeated4 ,once in a great while the other horses intervene1 and drive the less desirable1 or the false-claimant of power1 away from the herd and its grazing territory4 ,in these troubles the real king has little or no power1 all activities are carried on by the workers4 ,if by chance he dies or is captured1 another king1 chosen by the herd1 immediately assumes the kingship4 ,it is a well-known fact that if the king of a herd of wild horses is caught1 it is not uncommon for his herd to remain as near him as possible1 and in their attempt to release him are often trapped themselves4 ,the king has no heirs1 either apparent or presumptive1 and no right of succession is recognised4 ,any member of the herd1 provided the workers choose him1 may become the king1 as every ,american school boy is a possible president of the ,united ,states4 ,among many animals there is a perfect social and industrial organisation in which the division of labour is far better adjusted than in many human organisations4 ,this1 of course1 is the result of gradual growth and evolution just as it is in the human species4 ,this can easily be proved among animals by their more primitive and savage habits4 ,monkeys1 for example1 in civilised monkey communities1 differ very greatly from those of wilder and less trained districts4 ,they are constantly changing their habits1 becoming more and more civilised by improving their methods of work and their moral and religious life as well4 ,in many cases they have ceased to kill members of their own tribe for small offences for which they used to kill1 and the cleanness and beauty of their home lives seem to increase with the years4 ,it oftentimes happens1 however1 that powerful ape and baboon colonies relapse into barbarism1 and roam1 plunder1 rob and murder1 like a pack of uncivilised wolves or hyenas4 ,they seem all at once to forget their peaceful industries and lose all desire for clean and right living4 ,and strangely enough1 when they once turn bad1 they seldom reform4 ,some naturalists believe that they are led astray by a wicked king or ruler who comes into power2 the natives believe the evil spirits have suddenly taken possession of them4 ,there is unquestionably1 in the life of many tribal animals1 a definite historical connection between the mother tribe and its colonies4 ,this relation extends to the tribes of tribes1 and thus there is an international relationship between the various members of a large number of tribes4 ,these communities share the same likes1 dislikes1 hatreds1 and aspirations4 ,a missionary friend told of his experience with monkey folk1 and how once1 when hunting1 his gun was accidentally discharged1 instantly wounding a large semi-tame baboon near his home4 ,he hastened to help the injured animal1 but saw that the relatives had crowded around and were terrorised1 as they thought it was intentional4 ,they not only followed him to his home1 but returned in the night and actually tore his fence down4 ,for months he was afraid to leave his wife alone during the day4 ,and the natives reported that large tribes of monkey folk immediately came into the community from remoter regions and were distinctly on the war path4 ,it was evident that their unjust antipathy was extended to all the kinspeople4 ,this is evidence of hereditary enmity1 such as is common among families1 tribes1 and clans1 and it often takes the form of feuds1 which are still in vogue in the mountainous counties of the ,south4 ,the baboons had suffered wrongs and never forgot it1 and it was transmitted to their offspring4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,brontosaurus4 ,,the ,,animals ,,that ,,seemed ,,best ,,equipped ,,to ,,defend ,,themselves ,,are ,,the ,,ones ,,that1 ,,thousands ,,of ,,years ,,ago1 ,,became ,,extinct4 ,illustration3 ,,this ,,prehistoric ,,monster ,,was ,,equipped ,,not ,,only ,,with ,a ,,pair ,,of ,,strong ,,horns1 ,,but ,,with ,a ,,shield ,,back ,,of ,,them ,,as ,,well4 ,the ability to use weapons1 tools1 and war instruments is not exclusively human4 ,even fish are capable of reaching their prey at a long distance4 ,the toxotes jaculator1 which lives in the rivers of ,india1 and feeds upon insects1 cannot afford to wait until the insects which thrive upon the leaves of aquatic plants fall into the water4 ,so as he cannot leap high enough to catch them1 he fills his mouth with water and squirts it at an insect with such aim and force that he rarely fails to knock the insect into the water where he can easily catch it4 ,many other animals squirt various liquids1 occasionally in attack1 but most times in defence4 ,the fish makes a veritable squirt-gun of his mouth4 ,beavers use sticks1 chips1 and even stones in building their dams2 and their engineering abilities are astounding4 ,they are also capable of meeting emergencies1 as shown by the following incident4 ,a farmer in ,michigan discovered one morning1 just after a flood1 that all his potato sacks1 which had been hung on a back fence to dry1 had suddenly disappeared4 ,a few days later he found them in a nearby beavers' colony1 used in rebuilding their dam1 which had suddenly overflowed4 ,the beavers wasted no time1 when they discovered their danger1 in meeting the emergency by using the sacks to prevent the destruction of their home4 ,monkeys make skilled use of clubs and stones in capturing their prey and fighting their enemies4 ,the skill with which some of them throw pebbles would lead us to believe they have already reached the degree of civilisation that many tribes of savages had reached only a few years ago1 when they learned to use the boomerang and lasso4 ,some naturalists claim that monkeys actually set pitfalls for their enemies and lie in wait for them to be caught1 just as a hunter would do4 ,elephants also know the value of clubs in warfare1 and will often use a broken limb of a dead tree as a weapon of defence4 ,the story is told and vouched for by ,mr4 ,william ,b4 ,smith that on his farm1 near ,mount ,lookout1 a few years ago a donkey grazed in the same pasture with a ferocious bull4 ,he was frequently attacked by the bull1 and always got the worst of the fight4 ,his feet were no match for the bull's horns1 but one day the mule grabbed a long pole in his mouth1 and1 whirling it about1 almost killed the bull1 and henceforth the two lived on the best of terms in the same pasture4 ,i have a friend who owns a cow that knows exactly how to lift an iron latch to the barn door with her tongue and open the door4 ,innumerable times she has opened a gate in the same way to permit her calf to go free with her4 ,so skilled is she in the manipulation of doors and latches that we are tempted to believe in some previous state of existence she was a professional lock-picker6 ,cats and dogs are famed for their ability to open doors by pulling latch-strings4 ,and not a few cats show a strong desire to study music by walking up and down the keyboard of a piano6 ,monkeys who live near the seashore show wonderful aptness in opening oysters and shell-fish with sharp stones1 exactly as a man would do4 ,monkeys have already reached the degree of civilization where they select the stones best suited for their work1 and from their progress in the past it is reasonable to believe that in the near future they will not only be able to make their own tools--thus placing themselves on a mental footing with our flint-chipping ancestors of the early stone age1--but will also learn the use of fire and eventually the use of guns and ammunition1 which marks one of the most important epochs in the evolution of the human species4 ,the chimpanzees1 gorillas1 and apes of the ,african forests have many times been observed in the act of piling brushwood upon the fires left by travellers1 and though they do not know how to kindle a fire1 they have learned how to keep it burning4 ,the tame ones soon learn how to ignite matches1 and often do great harm by starting forest fires4 ,but they show quite as much intelligence about the use of fire as the average small child4 ,in fact1 it has been thought by a number of great scholars that man had not yet made his appearance upon the earth in the miocene age1 and that all the marvellous chipped flints of that age belong to semi-human pithecoid apes of wonderful intelligence4 ,there is surely nothing in the facts of natural history1 nor in ,darwin's theory of evolution1 that makes such a supposition unbelievable4 ,baboons use poles as levers1 stones as hammers1 and seem to understand the more simple mechanical devices4 ,prantl claims that man is the only animal capable of using fire but not a few baboons know how to strike a match1 heap dried leaves over the blaze to make it burn1 and then heap on dead wood to feed the fire4 ,this knowledge with them1 exactly as with primitive peoples1 is a product of long experience and does not show any mathematical truths or principles any more than making a direct cut across a field implies knowledge of the relation of a hypothenuse to the two other sides of a right-angled triangle4 ,this is what ,prantl calls spontaneous mathematical thinking4 ,i knew of a tame ape in ,chicago that learned to swing from the end of a clothes-line and seemed to enjoy it very much4 ,the line was just the right length and properly hung so as to allow the ape to swing out from a kitchen window and touch the ground4 ,just for fun1 some one cut a piece from the line so that he could not reach the ground2 immediately the ape hunted another piece of cord1 tying it to the end of his line so as to increase its length1 and much to his delight1 continued to swing on the line4 ,the distinctive features of animal protection and home government1 especially in the higher groups1 may compare favourably with any of the methods used by civilised man4 ,this is true both of their offensive and defensive contrivances and for their monarchies and republics4 ,they use shells1 scales1 plates of every kind1 with innumerable modifications for various purposes--spines and allied armaments--all shapes and sizes2 poisonous secretions1 deadly odours1 strong claws and teeth wielded by strong muscles1 and form colonies that are more than a gregarious association4 ,in most cases1 they have communities composed of individuals living individual lives1 yet which act in cases of need as one unit4 ,x ,,animal ,,architects1 ,,engineers1 ,,and ,,house ,,builders ,the heart is hard that is not pleased ,with sight of animals enjoying life1 ,nor feels their happiness augment his own4 ,the most popular and perhaps the most interesting department of natural-history study is that which treats of the manner in which animals utilise the various materials of the universe for purposes of protection1 for war and defence1 for raiment1 food1 and even the luxuries of life4 ,man1 by his superior power of adaptation1 excels the lower animals in providing for the comforts of life2 but1 on the other hand1 in such practical arts as engineering and domestic architecture man frequently finds himself an amateur in comparison4 ,with all man's inventions he has not been able to equal some of the remarkable results produced by some animals4 ,the beaver1 for example1 shows a more profound knowledge of hydraulics than man himself4 ,the power possessed by these craftsmen1 not only in felling trees1 but in duly selecting the best places for making homes and in appropriating substances suitable for their needs1 is a never-ending marvel6 ,nowhere can we find a greater animal-workman than the beaver4 ,he belongs to the great burrowing family1 and is also extremely graceful in the water4 ,long ago he learned the advantages of co-operation1 and he unites with his fellows in building dams of felled trees1 which have been cut up into suitable length for use in damming up water places4 ,these are skilfully placed1 and with the aid of mud1 control the level of the water in selected places as efficiently as man could do4 ,as a social animal1 the beaver should be ranked among the first2 of course1 the various marmots are extremely sociable1 but they ordinarily live quite independently of each other1 except in cases where they chance to congregate because of favourable conditions4 ,the beavers1 on the other hand1 thoroughly understand the benefits of united labour1 and work together for the good of the community4 ,beavers1 if their skill were generally known1 would have a great reputation among their human friends4 ,recently1 at the ,new ,york ,zoological ,gardens1 a visitor was pointing out different animals to his little son1 and when he came to the beaver pond1 referred to two of these dam-builders and tree-cutters1 which were swimming through the water with large sticks in their mouths1 as big rats6 ,young beavers make their appearance in ,may1 and there are usually from four to eight to a family4 ,these kittens1 as they are called1 are odd looking little fellows1 with big heads1 large sharp teeth1 flat tails1 like little fat paddles1 and delicate1 soft1 mouse-like fur1 not at all coarse like that of their parents4 ,if taken at an early age they make nice pets and are easily domesticated4 ,in the early days of ,american history it was not uncommon to see one running around an ,indian lodge1 playing like a child with the little ,indians1 and frequently receiving with the papoose nourishment from the mother's breast4 ,strangely enough1 the cry of the young beaver is exactly like that of the baby child4 ,one of my friends in ,michigan recently stopped at an ,indian's house to see a real live baby beaver4 ,he cry all same as papoose1 remarked the squaw1 as she brought the young beaver out of the house1 giving him a little slap to start him crying--and cry he did6 ,the body of a grown beaver is usually about thirty inches long1 and something over eleven inches wide2 it weighs about sixty pounds4 ,the fore-paws are quite small in comparison with the rest of the body2 the hind feet are larger1 webbed like a duck's feet1 and are the principal motive power in swimming4 ,the most unique feature of the animal's body is the famous mud-plastering tail1 which is oft-times a foot long1 five inches in width1 and an inch in thickness4 ,the colour of the beaver varies2 there are black beavers1 white beavers1 and brown beavers4 ,the black are the best known4 ,the beaver is well equipped for defending himself1 and for carrying out his architectural schemes4 ,his jet black tail1 which is like a large paddle1 covered with horny scales1 he uses in many ways4 ,with it he turns the body in any desired direction while swimming and diving1 and1 in time of danger1 employs it as a sound board1 or paddle4 ,when alarmed at night1 he dives into the water1 and1 by means of his tail1 splashes so violently as to give warning to all beavers within a half-mile distance4 ,the stroke of the tail sounds not unlike a pistol shot4 ,as soon as a beaver sounds the alarm all others dive underneath the water4 ,his teeth are expressly suited by nature for cutting and chiselling out trees4 ,the dam is the beaver's masterpiece4 ,in the alder or birch swamps1 where he usually lives1 he oft-times builds from six to eight little dams from knoll to knoll1 and in this way makes a pond sufficiently large for his purposes4 ,the average beaver dam is from twenty to thirty feet long2 but they differ greatly in size4 ,there is one on a branch of ,arnold's ,river in ,canada1 where the stream is twenty-one feet wide and two feet deep1 which is especially well built4 ,the dam is seven feet high1 and rises five to six feet above the pool4 ,it is constructed mainly of alder poles1 which are arranged side by side1 and their length is parallel with the direction of the current4 ,to create a pond for himself and provide against drought is the chief aim of the beaver in building his dam4 ,just how these dams are built2 who plans the job2 who sees that it is carried out2 whether each works under his own impulse or whether they co-operate2 when they begin and how they finish2 all these things are unknown to man4 ,the investigation of such questions is almost impossible4 ,it is generally believed1 however1 that beavers work in gangs under a common boss or overseer1 and it is a known fact that they work only at night4 ,during a dark1 rainy night they accomplish twice as much as on a moonlight night4 ,no doubt the darkness gives them a sense of security which aids their work4 ,anyway1 in the completed job1 we see the evidences of a skilled engineer and architect1 and one who knew thoroughly what he was about4 ,the size of a dam depends entirely upon the wishes of its builders and location and general conditions of land and water4 ,sometimes the more ambitious beavers build a dam a quarter of a mile in length4 ,they employ exactly the same principle as is used in making a mill-dam4 ,beavers1 however1 were building dams long before millers came into existence1 and their methods are fully as scientific as those of man4 ,mill-dams usually run straight across a stream1 while beaver-dams are so curved that the water is gently turned to each side4 ,in this way the beaver-dams are capable of resisting immense quantities of water which in its impetuous rush would carry away the ordinary mill-dam4 ,many scientific thinkers claim that the beaver employs this principle of construction without knowing it4 ,how absurd6 ,who can be sure that he doesn't know it8 ,scientists of the old school desire proof before they will accept anything as a fact1 yet they themselves repeatedly make wild statements without proper substantiation4 ,it is not unusual for a beaver family to select a home on the bank of a pond1 lake1 or stream whose waters are sufficiently deep and abundant for all their needs4 ,in such a case dams are not needed1 and regulation beaver houses are rarely constructed4 ,instead1 apartment houses are hollowed out from the banks4 ,but in the ease of a town-site on shallow1 narrow waters1 dams are absolutely necessary to insure sufficient depth to conceal the beavers1 and to prevent obstruction by ice4 ,the entrance to the beaver's home is almost always under the water4 ,this arrangement safeguards the home from predatory enemies4 ,during the summer months1 beavers are inclined to live alone1 except when a new home occupies their attention2 but when autumn comes1 the various families of a neighbourhood meet and remain together through the following spring4 ,in the latter part of ,august the busy season begins1 and each and every beaver1 old and young1 aids in repairing the dam and dwellings1 which have been allowed to fall into decay4 ,the cutting and felling of trees is the first important work to be done4 ,these interesting tree-cutters usually work in pairs1 and are sometimes assisted by younger beavers2 thus the family works together in cutting and felling the trees1 but in other forms of labour it seems that several families work together4 ,if only two are engaged in felling a tree1 they work by turns1 and alternately keep guard2 this is a well-known practice of many animals both in work and play4 ,as soon as the tree begins to bend and crack1 they cease cutting and make sure of their definite direction of escape1 then they continue to gnaw until it begins to fall1 whereupon they plunge into the stream1 usually1 where they remain for some time lest the noise of the falling tree attract the attention of enemies4 ,their next work is to cut up the tree into sections which they can remove4 ,if the tree is not too large and has already fallen in the water1 they take it as it is1 otherwise it must be cut up and conveyed to the dam4 ,no professional lumberman better understands how to transport lumber to a desired place than beavers4 ,they realise the value of water transportation and thoroughly appreciate that trees can only be removed downhill4 ,from tame beavers we have learned that they remove smaller limbs by seizing them with their teeth1 throwing the loose end over their shoulder1 and then dragging them to their destination4 ,these water-loving animals rely mainly upon their native element for the movement of lumber and food1 and to aid this they employ engineering skill that is rivalled only by their feats of tree-cutting and dam-building4 ,this constructive faculty is shown largely in their canal-digging4 ,from one small stream to another1 or from one lake to another1 they excavate canals from three to four feet in width1 with a water depth of two feet1 and occasionally one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet in length4 ,the amount of labour they perform is almost unbelievable2 every particle of dirt is carried away between their chin and fore-paws4 ,this earth is sometimes used in plastering up a nearby dam or repairing their winter home4 ,small and tender twigs are transported to the vicinity of their lodges1 and then sunk for winter food4 ,mr4 ,morgan has made a close study of these canals1 and in speaking of them he says that when he first saw them1 and heard them called canals1 he doubted their artificial origin2 but upon examination he found that they were unquestionably beaver excavations4 ,he considers these artificial canals1 by means of which the beavers carry their wood to their lodges1 the supreme act of intelligence on the part of these wise animals4 ,even the dam1 remarkable as it is1 does not show evidence of greater skill than that displayed in the making of these canals4 ,no one who has ever understood the ways of the beaver can believe that he is not exceedingly intelligent4 ,the banks of these canals soon become covered with growing plants and moss1 and they look not unlike slow sluggish streams winding through the marshy lands4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,beaver ,,is ,,the ,,greatest ,,of ,,all ,,animal ,,architects4 ,,his ,,skill ,,is ,,equalled ,,only ,,by ,,his ,,patience4 ,the beaver huts1 or lodges as they are usually called1 look not unlike beehives1 somewhat broader at the base1 with thick walls and roof1 four to six feet in thickness4 ,they are formed of numbers of poles1 twigs1 and small branches of trees1 woven together and plastered with mud1 in the same way that the dams are made4 ,inside the house are circular chambers formed of mud1 which have been smoothed and polished like waxed floors by the feet of the occupants4 ,around the outer border of each polished floor is dry grass used for ,mrs4 ,beaver's nursery1 and here the young beavers sleep and play4 ,from the outside these beaver huts resemble ,esquimaux snow-houses1 being almost circular in form1 and domed4 ,the walls are quite thick enough to keep out the cold1 but with all the beaver's ingenuity1 he is helpless against trappers4 ,summer and winter they are hunted1 until now they are fast becoming extinct4 ,how few people seem fully to realise and care what is being done to wild animals6 ,they do not seem to know that it is a crime to take the life of a being unnecessarily4 ,only human life is sacred to them6 ,to realize the wonderful work of beavers1 and then to act as we do toward them is unworthy of our civilisation4 ,an interesting cousin of the beaver1 the musquash or muskrat1 and called by the ,indians the beaver's little brother1 is also a house-builder and engineer of no mean abilities4 ,he is at home throughout the greater part of ,north ,america1 and1 like the beaver1 frequents the regions of slowly flowing streams and large1 reed-bordered ponds4 ,here he mingles in groups of his own kin1 and together they build houses1 work and play1 dive and swim1 with almost as much skill as their big beaver brothers4 ,the muskrat is a skilled engineer1 and delights in tunnelling4 ,his home consists of a large rounded chamber which is reached by a long burrow from the side of a stream4 ,from his main living-room are oftentimes found a number of smaller chambers or galleries1 and these are used to store food in the form of delicate roots and bits of bark4 ,some of the more ambitious muskrats build large houses on piles of mud which rise out of the water4 ,these houses are usually made of heaps of dead grass and weeds which are cemented together with mud and clay2 at other times they contain no mud or clay1 and seem to be only piles of tender roots and swamp grasses to be used for food during the long1 cold winters4 ,from his physical appearance1 the muskrat is well prepared to do his work3 he is stoutly built1 with a body about a foot in length1 not including the tail2 has small eyes1 and tiny ears1 partly covered with fur4 ,in the winter1 as food gets scarce1 he begins to eat even the walls of his house1 and by the time his home is gone--spring has arrived6 ,a most unusual family of skilled house-builders are the brush-tailed rat-kangaroos1 or ,jerboa kangaroos of ,australia and ,tasmania4 ,they are no larger than an ordinary rabbit1 but they have cousins who are as large as a man4 ,these rat-kangaroos have most interesting tails1 covered with long hair which forms itself into a crest near the tip4 ,their homes are found among small grassy hills1 where there are a few trees and bushes4 ,they scratch out a small hole in the ground1 near a tuft of tall grass1 and so bend the grass as to form a complete roof to the house1 which is rather poorly constructed1 and whose chief interest lies in the unusual way the kangaroos have of carrying all the building materials1 like tiny bundles of hay1 held compactly in their tails4 ,there is no other workman among the animals that employs quite this method of transporting materials4 ,the rat-kangaroos have a dainty little brown cousin that lives in ,africa1 and who is occasionally seen jumping around on the ground1 underneath bushes1 and near damp springs4 ,he is very small1 not over three inches in length1 and is like a miniature kangaroo1 except for his long tail4 ,like their great cousins--the kangaroos--,mrs4 ,jerboa often carries her babies on her back when she goes out to seek food4 ,in the ,great ,sahara ,desert1 parched and dry1 are found numerous cities of these little animals4 ,with the exception of a few birds1 reptiles1 jackals and hyenas1 they are the only inhabitants of this barren and desolate land4 ,from the ,arabs we learn that these little animals have extensive and intricate burrows1 consisting of innumerable passages tunnelled out in the hard1 dry soil4 ,and these tunnels are the result of combined labour on the part of the entire community4 ,the least alarm causes them to scuffle away into their underground homes4 ,one of the larger species of ,central ,asia employs a stratagem that is remarkable4 ,like their cousins of ,africa1 they live in a great underground city which is a perfect network of burrows which end in a large central chamber4 ,from this chamber a long winding tunnel terminates very near the surface of the ground1 and it is a long distance from the other burrows4 ,no sign of its existence appears from above the surface of the earth1 but if an enemy invades the burrow1 away the jerboas rush for this secret exit and break through to the surface out of reach of the trouble1 and escape4 ,these ,african jerboas are exceedingly odd in appearance1 and they are two-legged in their habits of walk1 and never go on all-fours4 ,they walk by placing one hind foot alternately before the other2 and they run in the same way4 ,they can leap an extraordinary distance4 ,frogs and toads1 as a class1 are not so skilled in house-building as some of their higher relations1 but there is one of their number--the ,hyla faber--that is remarkably gifted in building mud houses4 ,he lives in ,brazil1 and the natives call him the ferreiro1 or smith1 and he is indeed the master-builder of his family4 ,mrs4 ,hyla is really the gifted member of the tribe1 and it is during the breeding season that she diligently dives underneath the water1 digs up handfuls of mud1 and builds on the bottom a small circular wall1 which encloses a space about ten to fourteen inches in diameter4 ,this wall is continued until it reaches about four inches above the surface of the water4 ,it looks not unlike a small volcano1 and the inside is skilfully smoothed4 ,this has been done by ,mrs4 ,frog's artistic hands4 ,when the house is entirely completed1 ,mrs4 ,frog lays a great number of eggs1 and here they are quite safe from enemies both as eggs and baby tadpoles4 ,mr4 ,frog seems little concerned in the building of the home1 but he does take pleasure in croaking for ,mrs4 ,frog while she works4 ,perhaps this is to her heart genuine music1 and his faithful attention to their children makes up for his love of idleness6 ,perhaps the strangest animal engineer in the world is found in ,madagascar and ,australia4 ,it is the duckbill or duckmole1 and is scientifically known as the ,ornithorhynchus paradoxus4 ,the natives of ,australia call it by several names3 ,mallangong1 ,tambreet1 and not a few call it1 ,tohunbuck4 ,this odd little aquatic engineer digs long tunnels of great intricacy in the bands of lazy rivers1 and because of its paradoxical nature and appearance has caused many strange stories to originate about its habits and methods of propagation4 ,it has the beak of a duck and waddles not unlike this bird1 but1 like other mammals1 it gives birth to its young1 and does not lay eggs1 as is so often claimed for it4 ,when swimming it looks like a bunch of floating weeds or grass4 ,its home is always on the banks of a stream1 and is always provided with two entrances3 one below the surface of the water1 and the other above4 ,this insures escape in case of enemies4 ,the main tunnel or road to the home is sometimes fifty feet in length1 and no engineer could devise a more deceptive approach2 it winds up and down like a huge serpent1 to the right1 and to the left1 and is so annoyingly variable in its sinuous course that even the natives have great trouble in digging the duckbill out of its nest4 ,the nest is oval in form1 and is well-carpeted with dry weeds and grass4 ,here the young reside on soft beds until they are large enough to care for themselves4 ,there are from one to four in each nest4 ,there are no greater architects in the universe than may be found among the coral-polypes4 ,these interesting little animals of the deep have been much misunderstood1 and have sometimes had the erroneous designation of insect bestowed upon them4 ,the word insect has been applied in a very loose and general sense in other days2 but naturalists and scientists should see to it that the use of this term be corrected in reference to these wonderful coral-architects1 and that no informed person refer to them except as animals4 ,even poets have been guilty of propagating the most erroneous ideas about the nature and works of these sea-builders4 ,montgomery1 in his ,pelican ,island1 makes statements that are shocking to an intelligent thinker1 and which no scientist can excuse on the ground of poetical license4 ,the poetry of this excellent author1 says ,dana1 is good1 but the facts nearly all errors--if literature allows of such an incongruity4 ,think of coral-animals as being referred to as shapeless worms that writhe and shrink their tortuous bodies to grotesque dimensions6 ,these deep-sea builders manufacture or secrete from their own bodies the coral substance out of which the great reefs are built4 ,it is a part of their life work and nature1 as a flower produces its own colours and shapes2 it is amusing to know that it has only been about one hundred and fifty years since it was discovered not to be a plant but an animal6 ,even ,ovid states the popular belief of the classic period when he speaks of the coral as a seaweed which existed in a soft state as long as it remained in the sea1 but had the curious property of becoming hard on exposure to the air4 ,these strange coral-producing animals of the deep demand two especially important conditions only under which they will thrive3 namely1 a certain depth of water and a certain temperature4 ,thus it is seen that the warmth of the sea determines the distribution of the corals2 the geography of these animals is defined by degrees of temperature4 ,only in equatorial seas may reef-building corals be found2 and if we select the ,equator as a natural centre of the globe1 and measure off a band of #ahjj miles in breadth on each side of that line1 we will find that it will include the chief coral regions of the earth4 ,the work of the corals is most interesting4 ,small as are these tiny workmen1 each and every one does his bit and1 speck by speck1 adds his minute contribution to the growing mass of coral until entire islands are surrounded by extensive reefs4 ,tahiti1 for example1 is surrounded by a barrier reef which is really an immense wall4 ,the large barrier reef on the northeast coast of ,australia extends in a continuous line for #a1jjj miles1 and varies from #aj to #ij miles in breadth4 ,some reefs are mere fringes which simply skirt the coast lands1 and seem to be mere extensions of the beach4 ,still another variety of reef is known as the atoll or lagoon reef4 ,this latter form is seen in circular rings of coral of various breadths which enclose a body of still water--the lagoon4 ,there are many of these coral islands in the ,indian and ,pacific ,oceans4 ,keeling or ,cocos ,atoll1 of the ,indian ,ocean1 is #i-a_/b miles in its greatest width2 ,bow ,island is #cj miles in length1 and #f miles wide2 while in the ,maldive ,archipelago one island measures #hh geographical miles in length1 and in some places is #bj miles wide4 ,when one beholds a large coral ring1 covered with rich soil and tropical vegetation1 and protecting a quiet lake-haven from the restless ocean without1 it is little to be wondered at that the earlier voyagers recorded their surprise that the apparently insignificant architects of such an erection are able to withstand the force of the waves and to preserve their works among the continual attacks of the sea4 ,as ,pyrard de ,laval truly said1 ,it is a marvel to see each of these atollons surrounded on all sides by a great bank of stone--walls such as no human hands could build on the space of earth allotted to them4444 ,being in the middle of an atollon1 you see all around you this great stone bank1 which surrounds and protects the island from the waves2 but it is a formidable attempt1 even for the boldest1 to approach the bank and watch the waves roll in1 and break with fury upon the shore4 ,as to the explanation of the modes of formation of these coral-reefs1 the scientists have long been propounding theories which are sometimes amusing4 ,strangely enough they have nearly all explained that coral-polypes aggregate themselves in the forms of atolls and barrier-reefs by a mysterious instinct1 mediocrity's only term for screening its ignorance1 and which is also given as the cause for their secreting lime4 ,flinders says that they form a great protecting reef in order that they may be protected by its shelter1 and that the leeward aspect of the reef forms a nursery for their infant colonies4 ,thus we see that these same scientists are accrediting these little architects with the possession of a great intelligence1 and they are thought to co-operate together in a manner expressive of the greatest degree of efficiency and brotherly feeling4 ,each of these scientists gives a theory that leaves untouched the essential question of the causes for coral-reefs assuming their various shapes2 and it is reasonable to believe that they work according to a divine wisdom and plan1 and that mankind does not yet understand their strange ways1 which give us a higher conception of the universe than that held by the ancients4 ,science has come to the point where it must recognise the perfect unity of all life1 and that our fellow-architects1 engineers1 and house-builders in the animal world also fill an important place in ,nature's great scheme4 ,,xi ,,food ,,conservers ,he prayeth well who loveth well ,both man and bird and beast4 ,he prayeth best who loveth best ,all things both great and small2 ,for the dear ,god who loveth us1 ,he made and loveth all4 --,,coleridge4 ,it can almost be said that there is no industry or profession of the human world that is not carried on with equal skill in the animal world4 ,this is especially true of merchandising and store-keeping2 animals1 however1 have different methods of merchandising than men1 although these methods are none the less real4 ,they give and take instead of buy and sell and have co-operative shops which they operate with great success4 ,they unite for a desired end1 and demonstrate their ability to work together in a common enterprise in a way that might teach man a good lesson4 ,food and shelter are the first needs of animals4 ,in order to obtain these1 they group themselves into foraging parties in the most ingenious manner4 ,like mankind1 they sometimes co-operate for dishonest ends2 they form trusts and organise into gangs for purposes of mutual aid4 ,deer1 monkeys1 rabbits1 foxes1 and numerous others conduct their dining-rooms on a co-operative principle4 ,some watch and wait while others dine4 ,the same is true where they go to watering places to drink and bathe4 ,perhaps the most unique and clever food conserver is the ,american polecat4 ,he not only provides for himself1 but prepares a larder for his young1 so that they will have plenty of food4 ,the nursery is usually comfortably embedded in a cave1 and is lined with soft1 dry grass4 ,adjoining this nursery is a larder1 which often contains from ten to fifty large frogs and toads1 all alive1 but so dexterously bitten through the brain as to make them incapable of escaping4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,pole-cat can then visit or hunt as they please1 so long as their children have plenty of fresh meat at home6 ,another interesting food conserver is the chipping squirrel1 or chipmunk1 so named because his cry sounds like the chirp of little chickens4 ,his method of dress is most unusual2 he is brownish grey in colour1 with five stripes of black and two of pale yellow running along the back of his coat2 the throat and lower part of his body is snowy white4 ,these colours occasionally vary1 when the grey and yellow are superseded by black4 ,his home is underground1 usually under an old wall1 near a rock fence1 or under a tree2 his burrow is so long and winding that he can easily escape almost any enemy1 except the weasel1 which is not easily outwitted4 ,his nursery and living-room is quite pretentious1 but his lateral storeroom is a marvel6 ,he is a miser indeed1 and stores up every acorn and nut he can find1 even many times more than he can ever eat4 ,his variety of food is almost unending--he loves buckwheat1 beaked nuts1 pecans1 various kinds of grass seeds1 and ,indian corn4 ,in carrying food to his home he first fills his pouches to overflowing and then takes another nut in his mouth2 he thus reminds the classical reader of ,alemon in the treasury of ,croesus4 ,the hedgehog is a regular ,solomon in her methods of collecting fruit4 ,plutarch had a very high opinion of her4 ,he says that when grapes are ripe1 the mother hedgehog goes under the vines and shakes them until some of the grapes fall2 she then literally rolls over them until many are attached to her spines1 and marches back to her babies in the cave4 ,one day1 says ,plutarch1 when we were all together1 we had the chance of seeing this with our own eyes--it looked as if a bunch of grapes was shuffling along the ground1 so thickly covered was the animal with its booty4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,skunk ,,mother ,,tries ,,to ,,keep ,,on ,,hand ,a ,,good ,,supply ,,of ,,such ,,delicacies ,,as ,,frogs ,,and ,,toads1 ,,so ,,that ,,her ,,young ,,may ,,never ,,go ,,hungry4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,porcupine ,,and ,,the ,,hedgehog ,,have ,a ,,unique ,,method ,,of ,,collecting ,,food ,,for ,,their ,,young4 ,,after ,,shaking ,,down ,,berries ,,or ,,grapes1 ,,they ,,roll ,,in ,,them1 ,,then ,,hurry ,,home ,,with ,,the ,,food ,,attached ,,to ,,their ,,quills4 ,alpine mice not only form comfortable winter homes in the earth1 but combine into small winter colonies1 each colony numbering about ten to twelve inhabitants1 all of whom are under the direction of a leader4 ,thus organised1 they proceed to lay up provisions for the winter4 ,they use their mouths as scythes and their paws as rotary machines4 ,surely their wisdom and foresight call forth our greatest admiration4 ,the jerboas or jumping mice are not only skilled athletes in the art of jumping1 but they are gifted food conservers and producers as well4 ,they lay up complete storehouses of food1 which they do not consume altogether as their appetite may direct2 but conserve it carefully for the times when nothing can be obtained from the fields4 ,then1 and then only1 do they open the closed magazines4 ,such acts of intelligence cannot be recorded under the head of instinct6 ,they demonstrate the ability to plan for the future1 and meet all emergencies4 ,certain food hoarders and robbers1 like the vole1 are so very greedy and become such misers that they often threaten total destruction to large areas of grain4 ,they were so plentiful in the classic land of ,thessaly1 the vale of ,tempe1 and the ,land of ,olympus that the old ,greeks established what they called an ,apollo ,smintheus1 the ,mouse-destroying ,god4 ,in the early spring1 according to ,professor ,loeffler1 who has made a special study of their invasions1 they begin to come down from their homes in the hills to the cultivated fields4 ,they seem to follow regular roads1 and often travel along the railroad embankment4 ,they travel very slowly1 and when at home live somewhat on the order of prairie dogs1 that is1 in underground dwellings with numerous winding passages and tunnels4 ,these wise little food conservers are nocturnal in habit1 and are rarely seen except by careful observers4 ,when they once determine to rob a field1 they do it with amazing rapidity and completeness4 ,in a single night hordes of these workers go into a cornfield and by daylight not a stalk of corn remains4 ,the field is as empty as if a cyclone had struck it4 ,they work with great system1 and while a part of their number cut the stalks down1 others cut it up into movable sizes1 while still others superintend its systematic removal4 ,storehouses are usually provided before the grain is even cut4 ,they make long voyages throughout a country1 storing away tons of grain and food in these various granaries4 ,to these they come for supplies whenever necessary4 ,all poverty-stricken voles are also fed from these storehouses1 since it is the product of the community as a whole4 ,aristotle wrote at length about their wise and destructive ways4 ,not the least ingenious of food conservers are the hamsters1 members of the great rodent family4 ,they have made their dwellings most comfortable and even luxurious in arrangement and furnishings4 ,like wealthy farmers1 they are not satisfied with comfortable dwellings only1 but they too must have spacious barns adjoining their homes4 ,their home1 or burrow proper1 consists of two openings3 one1 which is used as an entrance1 and which sinks vertically into the ground2 the other1 which is used as an exit1 with a winding slope4 ,the central room is beautifully carpeted with straw1 moss1 and dry leaves1 which makes it a very pleasant living-room and bedroom4 ,a third small winding tunnel leads from this room to the barns and storehouse4 ,thus1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,hamster and the children have no need to go forth in the cold and wet weather to seek food--they can remain at home perfectly protected and well-fed4 ,they are very liberal1 and in case of need or poverty1 will always share their food with their neighbours4 ,i once found the nest of a harvest mouse1 which was woven of plaited blades of straw of the oats and wheat4 ,it was perfectly round1 with the aperture so ingeniously closed that ,i could scarcely tell to what part of the nest it belonged4 ,it was as round as a marble and would actually roll when placed on a table1 although within its walls were six tiny mice1 naked and blind4 ,as they increased in size day by day1 the elastic wall of their small home expanded1 and thus served their need until such time as they were old enough to live independent of this specially provided shelter4 ,there is a larger animal1 known as a rat-hare or the harvest rat1 which gathers piles of hay for winter use1 sometimes to the height of six or eight feet in diameter4 ,they begin harvesting in the early part of ,august1 and after having cut the grass1 they carefully spread it out to dry before placing it in their barns4 ,these barns are usually located in holes or crevices of mountains4 ,they are found in immense numbers in the ,altai ,mountains4 ,the ,california woodrat is not only a food hoarder but a notable thief and robber4 ,a nest was found that was a veritable tool chest and pawn shop6 ,it contained fourteen knives1 three forks1 six small spoons1 one large soup spoon1 twenty-seven large nails1 hundreds of small tacks1 two butcher knives1 three pairs of eye-glasses1 one purse1 one string of beads1 one rubber ball1 two small cakes of soap1 one string of red peppers1 several boxes of matches1 with numerous small buttons1 needles1 and pins4 ,apparently these woodrats are as ambitious for unnecessary and useless possessions as is man himself4 ,their big storeroom did1 however1 contain a larder in which they had some of their favourite food1 such as seeds and nuts4 ,some animals have learned not only to acquire1 but also to defend and protect1 all their property4 ,we see in the human world how strong is the impulse to collect1 and children will invariably collect anything from pebbles to peach-pits1 if they see other children doing the same thing4 ,most animals that do not hoard are those that forage for food1 or fish1 and rarely have permanent homes4 ,the orang-outangs1 for example1 are regular gipsies1 and go from place to place wherever food is plentiful4 ,they take life easy1 and sometimes during their journeys select a suitable spot near the seashore and have a real picnic4 ,a scout has already discovered the right spot for getting big oysters1 of which they are exceedingly fond1 and when they have assembled1 certain ones proceed to dig up the oysters1 which they hand to others on the shore and they1 in turn1 place them on big stones1 and proceed to open them for the feast4 ,if one of the fishermen-monkeys discovers an oyster open1 he will not insert his hand to remove the meat until first placing a stone between the valves4 ,this assures him protection against the closing of the oyster4 ,in most cases1 they open the oysters by first placing them on stones and then using another stone as a hammer4 ,these facts are vouched for by no less authorities than ,gamelli ,carreri1 ,dampier1 and ,wafer4 ,it is only a matter of time until many animals will understand the use of man-made tools4 ,some have already learned to use such tools as they make and shape for themselves4 ,monkeys and apes are already gifted in this art4 ,of course1 under domestication1 they use knives1 forks1 spoons1 and dishes not so much from intelligence as from imitation4 ,this1 however1 might be said of many human beings4 ,i have seen an immense chimpanzee sit in a chair1 set his own dinner table1 use his knife and fork correctly when eating1 and take great delight in the use of his napkin1 which he always carefully refolded when his meal was over4 ,the human-like qualities of apes and monkeys1 however1 need scarcely be told4 ,they are so very similar to man in most ways that there are few things they cannot do4 ,aelian tells of an ape which learned to drive horses skilfully4 ,he knew just when and how to use the whip1 how much slack to allow in the reins1 and when to tighten them6 ,they greatly resent any intrusion on their hunting-grounds1 and make use of sticks and clubs to protect them4 ,the chief is always armed with a club1 and is thoroughly skilled in the use of it4 ,it sometimes happens that an elephant will come to the same tree to seek food that apes frequent1 and although they have no enmity towards each other1 they like the same kind of food4 ,as soon as the ape sees the elephant reaching his trunk among the branches1 he immediately slips near the elephant1 and when an opportunity presents itself1 he whacks him over the trunk with his club6 ,the infuriated elephant runs away in terror6 ,a story is told of a party of foraging apes who went into a cornfield with the purpose of robbing it1 and discovered two men4 ,they immediately rushed upon them and attempted to poke their eyes out with sticks and would have succeeded but for the intervention of two other men who chanced to be near4 ,the extreme cleverness of apes in applying their reason and judgment is shown in ,vosmaer's account of the female orang-outang1 who tried to open the padlock of her chain with a small stick4 ,she had seen her master open it with a key1 and she exactly imitated the motion of his hands in the attempt4 ,man shows a disposition to deny animals all traits and characteristics which are similar to his own4 ,this reminds us of a remark that ,cardinal ,newman once made that men know less of animals than they do of angels4 ,why should we show such foolish pride and delusion1 and try to baffle one of ,god's great facts8 ,when men attempt to extinguish the idea of animal intelligence and sentiment by referring to it as instinct1 we are reminded of the desert ostrich1 which buries its head in the sand and thinks it cannot be seen4 ,we should proudly acknowledge the wonderful human-like methods of these food conservers of the animal world1 and recognise in all this a guiding ,providence who provides for and protects all his creatures1 be they great or small4 ,,xii ,,tourists ,,and ,,sight-,,seers ,every night we must look1 lest the down slope ,between us and the woods turn suddenly ,to a grey onrush full of small green candles1 ,the charging pack with eyes flaming for flesh4 ,and well for us then if there's no more mist ,than the white panting of the wolfish hunger4 ,the desire to travel and see the great world is by no means peculiar to the human race4 ,it is found among animals to such a degree that groups of them will often leave their homes in one country and journey to another4 ,these strange wanderlust habits are noticed even by the casual observer1 and no special insight is required to see that these wise creatures have their annual tours excellently arranged and marked out4 ,their route is possibly as definitely arranged before starting1 as is the route of a human traveller4 ,they have their selected eating places arranged1 know every danger spot and the enemies they are likely to encounter4 ,the members of these co-operative tours take life tickets1 and each tour lasts about one year4 ,one of the most unusual instances of such co-operation is that of the lemmings of the ,scandinavian countries4 ,these are animals of the mouse tribe1 which live in the mountainous districts4 ,they live upon roots and grasses4 ,they breed very rapidly4 ,at certain times they go from the centre of ,norway to the east and west1 crossing valley1 hill1 and river in great masses4 ,many are destroyed by birds and beasts of prey1 but finally the survivors reach the ,atlantic on the ,gulf of ,bothnia and1 for some strange unknown reason1 plunge in and die4 ,only enough remain from one season to another to propagate the species4 ,it is an immense co-operative suicide society4 ,rivers and valleys are sometimes effectual barriers4 ,on the plains of the ,amazon great numbers of animals are found on one side of the river only2 these have not been able to cross to the other4 ,on the north side of the ,rio ,negro are two varieties of monkeys1 the brachiurus conxion and the jacchus bicolor1 which are unknown on the south side4 ,of course1 water-loving animals1 such as seals1 whales1 and porpoises are at home in the water and can swim for days without stopping4 ,quite a few animals can swim for a short distance1 but comparatively few for long distances4 ,in the early days in ,north ,america it was not uncommon for buffalo to swim across the ,mississippi ,river4 ,rats and squirrels often migrate in great numbers4 ,it oftentimes happens that ,arctic animals travel from one place to another on floating ice4 ,in the ,south ,american waters it is a common sight to see floating islands covered with plants and trees upon which there are live animals2 and while these animals are likely to perish1 they are oftentimes carried safely to land4 ,eagles have often been instrumental in bringing new species of animals to islands where they had previously been unknown1 their purpose being to provide food for their own young4 ,some of these animals would escape and henceforth become citizens of their new habitation4 ,an interesting division of migrants is that of the casual travellers1 like the men and women who always remain at home except when special business calls them away4 ,sudden climatic changes1 or the scarcity of food1 often cause stay-at-home animals to make tours into new territories4 ,as a good instance1 ,i might cite the case of three wolves1 which ,i saw entering ,jackson ,park in ,chicago1 during very severe weather when ,lake ,michigan was frozen over4 ,the morning papers stated that because of forest fires in ,michigan1 and the extreme cold1 which not only made food scarce for the wild animals of ,michigan1 but froze the ,lake1 many of them had come across the ice into the great ,chicago parks seeking food and shelter4 ,the subject of animal travel is full of interesting and difficult problems1 and not the least interesting nor the least difficult is the question of just how they find their way to and from various places4 ,many naturalists tell us that these animals are led by inherited instinct along the migration lines followed by their forefathers4 ,but even if this were true1 what made them originally follow such a course8 ,wild horses when travelling always have a leader as well as several sentinels for each herd4 ,by some unknown code this leader makes known his wishes and directs the movements of the herd4 ,no human army could have greater order or more perfect obedience to commands2 and under him there is absolute unity by means of which the carnivorous animals1 such as the wolf1 the jaguar1 and the puma1 are repelled4 ,wild deer invariably have a leader1 and while we do not know how he obtains his position1 nor how he directs his followers1 we do know he is highly successful in his efforts4 ,no act in the animal world bespeaks more intelligence than that of placing sentinels1 especially during a journey4 ,horses show striking skill and ingenuity in the choosing and placing of their sentinels4 ,any one who has been fortunate enough to have seen them travelling in the forests of ,south ,america1 where the wild horses are gregarious1 and travel in herds of five hundred to a thousand1 has noticed that sentinels are always stationed around the herd4 ,these animals are not well prepared for fighting1 and experience has taught them that their greatest safety is in flight1 and so1 when they graze or sleep1 sentinels are always on the look-out for enemies4 ,if a man approaches1 the sentinel at first walks toward him1 as if to make sure what the enemy is1 and what he desires1 if the man goes nearer to the herd1 the sentinel neighs in a most peculiar tone4 ,immediately the herd is aroused1 and gallops away1 not in confusion1 but perfect order1 as though its members were human soldiers4 ,the same is true of the white-legged peccaries1 so plentiful in ,guiana4 ,they congregate by the thousands1 choose a leader whose position is always at the front1 and travel for hundreds of miles through the great forests4 ,if they come to a river1 the leader halts1 as if to make sure that all is well for crossing1 then he plunges into the water and is followed by his immense army4 ,the sureness of the leader would suggest that he has been over the same route many times before--perhaps this is why he has been chosen6 ,if an enemy appears1 or any form of danger is approached1 they carry on an immense amount of chattering and proceed only when they have talked it out4 ,any hunter that should be foolish enough to attack them1 unless he were already up a tree1 would be torn to pieces with their terrible teeth and tusks4 ,they are as bloodthirsty as the wild boars of the ,black ,forest of ,germany1 and will sometimes actually tear down a tree up which an enemy has escaped1 that they may kill him4 ,the ,african apes have an interesting way of sending their sentinel to the top of an adjacent rock or tree1 that he may look over the surrounding valleys and plantations before they go to plunder a garden or field4 ,if he sees any danger1 he utters a loud shriek1 and the entire troop immediately runs away4 ,the monkeys of ,brazil post a guard while they sleep2 the same is true of the chamois and other species of wild antelope4 ,a few years ago1 many of the sheep in the northern part of ,wales had become quite wild1 and they usually grazed in parties of twelve to twenty1 always having a sentinel so stationed as to command a prominent view of the surrounding territory4 ,if any animal or person came near1 he would give a peculiar hiss or whistle1 repeating it two or three times1 at which the whole herd would scamper away to places of safety4 ,one of the most striking facts about migration is its never-failing regularity and success4 ,most animals migrate at the recurrence of the breeding season4 ,of these1 the great sea-turtle1 which seeks the shallow water and deep sandy hills when ready to lay her eggs1 is well known4 ,notwithstanding the great risks that practically all travelling animals assume1 they are successful as a whole in their travels1 and many return to bear testimony to a successful trip even across continents and sometimes the ocean4 ,they migrate1 for a variety of reasons4 ,when it is not for a more desirable climate1 nor more food1 nor even better breeding grounds1 we must either believe it is because of the natural desire to travel1 or frankly admit that we do not understand it4 ,the ,icelandic mice have probably the most curious methods of travelling of all migratory animals4 ,dr4 ,henderson1 an authority on ,iceland1 not only verifies the fact himself1 but gives the names of many prominent investigators who have seen the mice crossing small rivers and streams on thin pieces of dry board1 dragging them to the water1 launching them1 and then going aboard their little rafts4 ,they then turn their heads to the centre1 and their tails1 which hang in the water1 are used as paddles and rudders until they reach the destined shore4 ,among travellers none are more famed than the camels4 ,in their sphere and use they are supreme1 and ,nature has prepared them especially for travelling on the dry1 hot1 and barren deserts4 ,they are truly the ships of the desert for they travel on a sea of sand1 and their pad-like feet1 so poorly adapted for travel on moist soil1 is admirably suited to the desert sands4 ,they are capable of travelling many days without food or water1 and are used extensively in the desert regions of the ,east not only as beasts of burden but for their milk1 which is an important article of diet in those countries where the camel is at home4 ,animals that do not migrate1 especially those living in cold climates1 change their clothing at regular intervals4 ,their hair or fur increases in thickness in winter4 ,if we compare the ,indian and ,african elephants of to-day1 whose delicate thin hair is scarcely noticeable1 with the great extinct mammoth1 which had an enormous amount of woolly fur1 we readily see the great difference in their clothing4 ,yet these animals are members of the same great family4 ,the same difference may be noted with horses3 the ,arabian horse1 for example1 has short1 glistening fur1 while those of ,iceland and ,norway have very thick fur2 the same is true of ,northern and ,southern sheep4 ,animals which live in temperate regions1 put on much thicker coats in winter1 and shed them as summer approaches4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,the ,,black ,,bear ,,is ,,not ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,migrating ,,animals4 ,,the ,,thickness ,,of ,,his ,,coat ,,must ,,therefore ,,change ,,with ,,the ,,seasons4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,rabbits ,,seem ,,to ,,have ,a ,,well-,,devised ,,system ,,in ,,their ,,road-,,building1 ,,running ,,their ,,paths ,,in ,,and ,,out ,,of ,,underbrush ,,in ,a ,,truly ,,ingenious ,,manner4 ,the love of their original homes is one of the most striking features of certain animal travellers4 ,the fierce struggle for existence and the territory required for an animal's home largely determine the amount of effort they make to seize and hold certain possessions4 ,a pair of wildcats1 for example1 require a comparatively small hunting ground4 ,but this they will defend against invasion even to the point of death4 ,there are many more evidences showing the animals' love of home1 and that they also know the meaning of home-sickness4 ,not a few animals have learned definitely to lay out and obtain recognition for the boundaries of their respective ranging-grounds4 ,this is amply proven by their respect and recognition of rights of way4 ,animals of certain farms seem to know the exact boundaries of their grazing lands and pastures1 and to teach this knowledge to their young4 ,in addition they often police their lands and pastures against intruders4 ,woe unto any traveller found on the wrong highway6 ,it is not uncommon for the transgressor to be pushed from a right of way to the rocks below4 ,more than once a court's decision regarding disputable territory has been based on the sheep's recognition of boundary2 those sheep slain in battle or otherwise injured while trying to invade the questionable territory have been paid for by the owner of the transgressing sheep4 ,it is easy to understand how sheep can recognise their rights of way1 but somewhat difficult to account for their knowledge of boundaries4 ,sheep and goats have for ages been the greatest mountain-path and road-makers4 ,whether or not they have engineers1 we are not sure1 but they seem to select the shortest1 easiest1 and best route across the trackless hills1 and never seem to change the way4 ,in these localities1 the sheep are almost in a primitive condition1 and not the least interesting feature of their conduct in this relapse to the wild life is that1 in spite of the highly artificial condition in which they live to-day1 they retain the primitive instincts of their race4 ,that this peremptory and path-keeping instinct is shown by the habits of the musk-ox1 is clear4 ,he is as much akin to the sheep as to cattle1 and in habits more like those of the great prehistoric sheep as we imagine these to have been4 ,the musk-ox naturally assembles in large flocks1 and is migratory1 just as the domesticated flocks of ,spain are1 and those of ,thrace and the ,caspian steppe4 ,these flocks always return from the barren lands in the far north by the same road1 and cross rivers by the same fords4 ,nothing but too persistent slaughter at these points by the enemies who beset them1 induces them to desert their ancient highways4 ,pictures and anecdotes of the migrations of these animals1 and of the bison in former days1 represent them as moving on a broad front across the prairie or tundra4 ,the examples of all moving multitudes suggest that this was not their usual formation on the march1 and their roads prove that they moved on a narrow front or in file4 ,on the ,north ,american prairie1 though the bison are extinct1 their great roads still remain as evidence of their former habits4 ,these trails are paths worn on the prairie1 nearly all running due north and south 7the line of the old migration of the herds71 like gigantic rabbit tracks4 ,they are hard1 the grass on them is green and short1 and1 if followed1 they generally lead near water1 to which a diverging track runs from the highway4 ,how interesting must have been the life on this great animal highway1 before the ,indian made the deadly arrow to destroy these nature-loving travellers6 ,there is no doubt but that1 in their own way1 these animals felt all the emotions known to a human traveller2 that they enjoyed the flowery road1 rested and played when weary1 looked forward with joy to their favourite watering and bathing places1 and recognised old watering places that they had visited for years4 ,the great roads and highways made by graminivorous animals1 from those which the hippopotamus cuts through the mammoth canes and reeds of the ,african streams1 to the smaller rabbit highways of ,england and ,america1 all tell their own story of how these animals live and travel4 ,the principal roads of rabbits over hills are as permanent as sheep and buffalo roads4 ,these roads1 however1 should not be confused with the little trails that lead to their play and feeding grounds4 ,my friend and fellow-naturalist1 ,ralph ,stuart ,murray1 in writing to me from ,quebec1 says3 ,in speaking of animal road builders1 ,i might say that the rabbit or hare of the north woods deserves much attention1 for greatly interesting are his highways4 ,the life of the north woods brings one constantly in touch with these roads1 which1 after generations upon generations of constant use1 are worn deep and smooth into the moose grass and muskeg through which they run4 ,at places1 several distinct paths intersect1 and it is curious to note that while these roads wind in and out underneath the low hanging evergreens1 the 'cross-roads' will invariably be located in a clear open space1 often on the top of some small hillock4 ,the great age of these roads is very evident when compared with the newer1 shallower paths of more recent years4 ,so deep are the old ones1 in fact1 that the quiet watcher in the woods will occasionally see two large1 upright ears--unmistakably those of a rabbit1 seemingly sticking out of a hole in the ground--yet moving at a rapid pace1 and all the while no rabbit in view4 ,for all the world these vertical ears belonging to an unseen owner resemble in use and appearance the periscope of a submarine--the difference being that the rabbit uses his 'periscopes' for hearing1 in order to locate and avoid his foe1 the submarine its periscope to locate and attack its enemy4 ,the sheep terraces1 which are so common on the sides of hills1 though made by sheep1 are not roads1 but feeding grounds4 ,sheep1 when walking on a hillside1 invariably graze on the upper side1 as they cannot reach the lower grass4 ,therefore they walk backwards and forwards on the slope1 just as a reaping machine is driven over a hillside wheat-field4 ,as the sheep takes a neck's length each time1 the little ridges or roads correspond exactly with the measurements of the sheep's neck4 ,there are as many kinds of roads and terminals in the animal world as there are in the human1 and lest our pride make us forget1 we should remember that even the ,panama ,canal is dug according to the plan of a crawfish's canal1 such as may be seen near any muddy stream4 ,it is strange that no animal has learned to build elevated roads1 though animals that live in trees1 like flying squirrels1 monkeys1 and flying foxes1 are very skilled in going from one tree to another4 ,they have regular aerial highways1 and some of the tree frogs are veritable wonders in the accuracy of their leaps from tree to tree4 ,even more skilled than these are the agamid lizards of ,india1 whose chief means of travel is a folding parachute1 which at a moment's notice can be erected and carry to another tree its lucky possessor4 ,in ,borneo is an aviator tree-snake which is able to so spread his ribs and inflate his body that he can actually sail from branch to branch in the tree-tops4 ,there are night travellers as well as day travellers2 in fact1 there are more animals that roam around in a great forest at night than in the daytime4 ,they sleep during the day1 when the day animals are roaming about1 and go forth to roam when it is night4 ,it is then they seek for prey1 and are much feared by day animals4 ,they see well in the dark1 and travel so lightly that their footsteps cannot be heard4 ,on the ,island of ,java are found a family of strange1 dwarfish little beings1 which are called by the natives malmags1 or hobgoblins4 ,and they are well named1 for they look like creatures of a distorted imagination more than real1 living animals4 ,they travel only at night1 and so superstitious are the natives of their evil influence that if one of these uncanny little creatures appears near their rice fields1 the plantation is immediately abandoned4 ,however1 these small creatures are no larger than squirrels1 and are perfectly harmless4 ,they are very rare even in their native lands--the ,oriental ,archipelago and the ,philippine ,islands4 ,they rear their young in the hollow roots of bamboo trees1 and to disturb their nests means to incur the evil of all the land4 ,night animals do not go forth to travel and seek prey until the night is far advanced1 and their prey is soundly sleeping4 ,they seem to know the exact time of the night1 as if they had watches or clocks1 and they usually go forth to hunt about midnight and return to their homes about four o'clock4 ,only in cases of extreme hunger do they vary from this rule4 ,how marvellously skilled are they in finding their way6 ,they pass through a crowded forest as though it were daytime1 and strangely enough know just how to return to their lairs4 ,this special sense or gift is not possessed by man2 he must have marks and signs to return to a definite place4 ,these night-travellers number among their lot bats1 flying squirrels1 leopards1 and prowling snakes4 ,bats are not only the most interesting of the night-travellers1 but by far the most curious and wonderful animals in the world4 ,they are hideously ugly1 reminding one more of a miniature1 closed-up umbrella than an animal6 ,they are coarse1 awkward1 when not in flight1 and repellent2 yet they have such highly developed senses that they have no rivals in the animal world4 ,they excel most birds in flight1 are able to make long nightly journeys1 in which they use their wings not only for flight1 but as air-bags in which they catch all kinds of flying insects4 ,their sense of touch as we know it is really a combination of touch1 sight1 and hearing4 ,a bat is a paradox par excellence6 ,nature seems to have started to make a little bear or fox1 and suddenly forgot how and changed it into a winged freak1 with tail1 claws1 fur1 sharp teeth1 small ears that stand up1 and tiny1 half-buried eyes4 ,its queer angular-edged wings look like an umbrella1 with the cloth stretched over steel ribs2 but in the case of the bat1 this framework is made of delicate bones which are covered with a thin skin4 ,the skin contains numerous little sense organs dotted over its surface1 which give the bat his strange power4 ,bats look more like mice than they do like birds1 and they are sometimes called flittermice4 ,but they are mammals1 and the young are fed with milk by the mother1 just as a cow feeds her calf4 ,there is no danger that a bat will ever fly against you in the dark2 for they can avoid all mishap even when their eyes are put out4 ,they have special sense organs that tell them when they are nearing an object1 and can fly at headlong speed with the accuracy of a rifle bullet directly into a small opening4 ,this power is all due to the mysterious sense located in their wings and ears1 which causes even man to consider his senses weak in comparison4 ,bats are sociable creatures and huddle together and sleep in vast numbers during the day1 but when night comes on they come forth for their nocturnal travels and sport by the millions4 ,i have seen them leaving caves just at dusk in such numbers as to look like one immense volume of smoke1 twenty to thirty feet wide1 and lasting for more than five minutes4 ,mrs4 ,bat often takes her babies with her on these nightly travels4 ,i found one with two young clinging to her breast4 ,how they must enjoy these lovely trips6 ,there are many kinds and varieties of bats1 ranging in size from the flying foxes of the tropical world1 with wings five feet in length1 to the wood bat of ,north ,america1 which is not over six inches long4 ,these interesting friends of man are his greatest scavengers of the air4 ,they are doing much to check the mosquitoes throughout the regions of the world1 and in more civilized communities man makes shelters for them1 that they may eradicate mosquitoes4 ,,xiii ,,animal ,,scavengers ,,and ,,criminals ,a warning from these pages take1 ,and know this truth sublime-- ,each creature is a criminal ,when he commits a crime4 ,no more remarkable creatures exist in the animal world than those that play the rle of ,nature's scavengers and criminals4 ,they are as numerous and varied in their methods of working as they are interesting4 ,the only things they have in common are their profession and their appetites4 ,as individuals they are ugly1 unattractive and apparently void of personality and charm4 ,nevertheless1 they have an important part to play in the scheme of things4 ,one of the most noted of these scavengers is the jackal--the ,bohemian of the desert--whose territory extends from the ,gulf of ,persia to the ,strait of ,gibraltar4 ,he is equally at home in ,arabia1 ,persia1 ,babylonia1 ,syria1 ,egypt1 and the entire ,north ,coast of ,africa1 and no country from ,barbary to the ,cape of ,good ,hope is ever out of reach of his ghostly and uncouth howls4 ,he travels only by night1 and very rapidly4 ,when suffering with extreme hunger1 he will attack man1 but this he will do only in very rare cases4 ,as he lives entirely upon dead animals1 he is more of a thief and glutton than a robber and murderer4 ,he depends mostly upon flight and darkness for his protection1 and rarely ventures a direct attack4 ,with all his unlikable habits he is truly valuable as an agent of public salubrity1 and an important officer of the desert commission of highways4 ,these public scavengers1 while especially fond of carcasses and putrid flesh1 are not averse to a little fresh meat occasionally4 ,the jackal is truly the follower or purveyor for the lion1 and oftentimes they work together4 ,jackals will gather in large numbers near a lion's den and howl and scream until the lions come forth to disperse them4 ,as soon as a lion appears they stop their noise1 but when he is out of sight1 they immediately begin again4 ,this is done because game is near1 and the wise jackals wish the lion to kill the game4 ,when this is done1 and the lions have eaten all except the bones1 the jackals have their small feast of scraps4 ,these weird night prowlers have ways all their own1 as any one who has spent a night in a tropical desert can attest4 ,imagine yourself on the ,syrian plains between ,bagdad and ,damascus2 a small white tent1 and a starry sky3 the silence is appalling1 and you are just about to have your first sleep in the desert4 ,away1 away from the distance comes a mournful1 ghostly cry4 ,suddenly it ceases and like myriads of echoes it is repeated in hideous intensity--a babel of cries weird beyond description--so fierce and screeching as to be almost blood-curdling4 ,it seems to come from all directions and distance out of measure6 ,vibrating over the sands and through the rocks1 filling the immense void1 crying out as it were for the sphinx1 a veritable de profundis of the wastes4 ,the vultures1 who hold the fort during the day have given way to the night shift1 the jackals4 ,these come from all directions2 from the caves in the earth1 from among the rocks1 from here1 there1 and from everywhere to take up their hygienic services where it has been left off by the day scavengers4 ,if you were near an oasis in the desert at the close of day1 you would suddenly hear from the hot1 barren sands a deep and peculiar sound4 ,it swells and grows as an approaching wind1 growing louder and louder as it comes nearer4 ,suddenly by the light of the camp fire1 you see myriads of horrid green eyes1 like ghost torches in a graveyard1 and hear gnashing teeth1 greedy in anticipation of the garbage you have thrown away4 ,these hyena hordes are frightfully ugly1 but rarely dangerous to man4 ,they visit every oasis settlement in immense numbers1 howling1 yelping1 and fighting for any bit of offal they may find4 ,not a particle of garbage remains4 ,at the first sign of dawn1 they disappear like rats from a burning building1 and seek their caves to digest their ignoble banquets4 ,no human street-cleaner could ever excel their work4 ,no matter how large the garbage pile1 no matter how many dead dogs1 cats1 and donkeys in a village street1 no matter how unspeakable the offal1 it all vanishes as completely as though it had been burned4 ,not a piece of bone1 not a single chicken feather remains4 ,the natives have no fear of the hyena2 a small child armed with a stick can put to flight a dozen of them4 ,they are the lowest of cowards1 and will flee from their own shadows4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,mongoose ,,is ,a ,,scavenger ,,of ,,the ,,worst ,,type1 ,,feeding ,,on ,,rats ,,and ,,mice ,,and ,,snakes1 ,,and ,,even ,,poultry4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,diplodocus4 ,,the ,,prehistoric ,,animals1 ,,also1 ,,undoubtedly ,,had ,,their ,,scavengers ,,and ,,criminals4 ,in spite of their valuable services1 mankind hates the hyenas4 ,this is probably because of their absolute cowardice1 for they will never attack a living creature unless it is weak from illness4 ,sometimes they steal a baby1 never killing it outright1 but carrying it away to their dens to starve it to death before mutilating its body4 ,if the courage of this beast equalled his strength1 he would be the despot of the desert4 ,but he is like his fellow workman1 the jackal1 cowardly to the last degree4 ,neither of them ever attempts to put an enemy to flight by legitimate means4 ,they resort to fakery3 one howls1 and the other wrinkles his face in great anger4 ,the jackal's greatest asset and protection1 when he meets with an enemy1 is bluff4 ,he raises his ugly mane1 lifts his ungainly shoulders and assumes the look of a ,jason1 while in reality he is as harmless as a mouse1 and the smallest child could drive him away with a twig4 ,his bravery is all pose--a make-believe game--which he plays over and over again with every one he meets4 ,a noted ,american scavenger is the peccary1 a species of wild hog1 whose home ranges from ,texas to the ,pampas of ,south ,america4 ,he is a devourer of creatures more obnoxious than himself4 ,he moves with great rapidity1 is always on the alert1 and stops at nothing from mountains to a flowing river4 ,when he attacks an enemy he makes short work of him4 ,bands of these hogs are led by a chief1 who is the swiftest and fiercest of the herd4 ,this aggressive leader is followed by successive lines of males1 behind which come the strong females1 while the rear is brought up by the old1 the sick1 and the young4 ,in marching1 they have the discipline of a trained army1 and turn neither to the right nor to the left but go straight ahead4 ,if the leader1 for any cause1 decides to change his route1 the fact is quickly made known in some way to his followers1 and the turn is made at a direct angle1 with the accuracy of a surveyor1 and the peccaries go forward again directly toward their new destination4 ,this is another evidence of a special sense unknown to man4 ,but whenever a stop is made1 or wherever they go1 they do their work as scavengers4 ,fallen fruits1 dead animals1 insects1 snakes1 and worms are their prey4 ,thus they are valuable forest sweepers4 ,strangely enough1 in the animal world1 as in the human1 the lower professions are filled with those of less mentality than the higher1 and as a result we find scavengers are nearest allied to criminals4 ,the idea of one creature killing and eating another seems terrible4 ,yet they do1 and most often do human beings commit the same crime4 ,cannibalism among wild animals is a common occurrence4 ,the demand for food usually causes one animal to kill and devour another4 ,but in captivity there are other causes for cannibalism3 fear and excitement will oftentimes cause a mother to destroy her offspring4 ,it is a case of dog eat dog6 ,badgers often kill and devour their young4 ,wolves1 in cases of extreme hunger1 will eat their puppies2 and ,arctic travellers1 when food for their dogs is scarce1 have to guard constantly against the stronger eating the weaker4 ,i once caught a mother field mouse with her two young and placed them in a cage2 the next day the young had strangely disappeared1 but ,i am not sure that the mother had eaten them4 ,hogs1 cats1 and rabbits will sometimes kill and eat their young even when food is plentiful4 ,crocodiles show an occasional cannibalistic tendency1 while water-shrews are very pugnacious and oftentimes fight until one is killed4 ,the victorious one eats his enemy6 ,thus it appears that ,nature does not entirely disapprove of cannibalism1 or she would not allow so many of her creatures to practise it4 ,theft is a common vice among these various criminals4 ,monkeys and baboons form regular bands to rob and plunder4 ,they have a chief who sees that a sentinel is posted at each dangerous post4 ,the plunderers then line up in a long row1 and the leader gets the booty and passes it along the line until it reaches the last of the band--the receiver4 ,he deposits it in a safe place4 ,if the sentry sounds an alarm1 they all flee away1 each with as much booty as he can grab4 ,if the enemy presses too close1 all booty is thrown away4 ,passion1 especially of love1 causes much crime among animals as it does among men4 ,jealousy burns fiercely even in the breast of a beast4 ,it is a common heritage of the fiercest lion and the gentle gazelle alike1 and is capable of perpetrating the most dreadful crimes4 ,there are types of ugly dispositioned animals1 who are always in a ferocious mood1 just like certain ill-tempered human beings1 who believe everything and everybody is trying to injure them4 ,the common shrew1 for example1 is noisy1 bold and fussy4 ,he seems to delight in calling attention to himself by his grunty1 squeaky voice4 ,he advertises himself as a bad animal2 and bad he is1 for his terrible odour prevents other animals from coming near4 ,horses and mules are at times quite ferocious1 and kick and bite1 with no idea of obedience or kindness4 ,they1 of course1 like our human criminals1 are mentally unbalanced4 ,skilled horse trainers can detect at a glance a criminally inclined horse4 ,rogue elephants are common in ,india4 ,even their trumpeting shows a ferocity and unbalance that terrifies the natives4 ,often these criminal elephants are sufferers of mental ailments4 ,a respectable1 law-abiding elephant herd will not allow a thug or rogue to live in their midst4 ,they recognise him as dangerous for their society1 and combine to force him entirely away from their homes4 ,certain criminal animals have a strange antipathy for members of their own tribe1 or for other kinds of animals4 ,such is common among monkeys1 cats1 horses1 and dogs1 and many terrible crimes are committed because of these antipathies4 ,every one has witnessed the terror of a dog that has been insulted1 and elephants will carry an old grudge for fifty years and finally seek the most terrible revenge4 ,often violent outbursts of temper on the part of a tame animal are caused by a change in the temperature or atmosphere4 ,even animals have days when they feel ugly and grouchy4 ,those that live in very hot climates are especially subject to fits of rage and anger4 ,the approach of an electrical storm causes many of them to lose their self-control3 herds of cattle often stampede just preceding a cyclone4 ,they1 like human savages1 seem terrorised at the unknown4 ,not a few wild animals have actually run in the way of an automobile or passing train to attempt to stop it4 ,fear and rage are often caused by the appearance of a curious object4 ,a bull1 for example1 when he sees a red rag1 will madly rush at it1 seemingly altogether oblivious of the man holding it4 ,the matadors are safe only because the bull is insane from rage4 ,many scientists of fame1 like ,lombroso1 have demonstrated that strong drink is the cause of much crime among animals1 the same as it is among men4 ,in the pastures of ,abyssinia the sheep and goats get on regular drunks by eating the beans of the coffee plants4 ,they fight and carouse at such times like regular topers4 ,elephants are incorrigible when drunk1 while dogs and horses have to be put in strait-jackets to prevent them from killing themselves4 ,wicked animals always seek their own kind1 and often band together for evil purposes4 ,figuier tells of three beavers that built for themselves a nice little home near a stream1 and they had as a neighbour a respectable hermit beaver4 ,the three called on their neighbour one day1 and he received them cordially1 and hastened to return their visit1 when they pounced upon him and slew him1 like human murderers1 who had trapped their victim4 ,from all these we learn that ,nature is filled with life-saving and life-furthering adaptations4 ,just as in the human drama we find deceit1 disguise1 mask1 trickery1 bunco and bluff1 all forms of cheating and clever deceptions1 so it is precisely the same in the animal world1 though man is little informed on ,nature's real ways4 ,,xiv ,,as ,,the ,,allies ,,of ,,man ,who1 after this1 will dare gainsay ,that beasts have sense as well as they8 ,for me--could ,i the ruler be-- ,they should have just as much as we1 ,in youth1 at least4 ,in early years1 ,who thinks1 reflects1 or even fears8 ,or if we do--unmeaning elves-- ',tis scarcely known e'en to ourselves4 ,thus by example clear and plain1 ,we for these poor creatures claim ,sure sense to think1 reflect1 and plan1 ,and in this action rival man3 ,their guide--not instinct blind alone1 ,but reason1 somewhat like our own6 ,the wonderful world in which we live is full of animal life4 ,in the great forests1 under the ground1 on the steep mountainsides1 in the depths of the oceans1 rivers1 streams1 from the frigid north to the torrid south1 in the parched deserts1 are animals of every size1 colour1 and form1 all of which are1 in their general form1 adapted to their peculiar places in nature4 ,their lives and habits undeniably demonstrate proofs of divine wisdom1 intelligence1 and beneficence4 ,in fact they show an aptitude in many arts and sciences second only to that shown in man4 ,the reason that animals are often held in such low esteem by the world of science1 is because people are apt to look upon them as natural mechanisms and overlook what they are doing and feeling4 ,the propounders of false statements which attribute every act of an intelligent animal--second only to man and his faithful ally--as due to instinct only1 deal with metaphysical reasoning4 ,they have never considered the innumerable and irrefutable facts of animal life which no acuteness of analysis and pure thinking can ever explain4 ,most of these narrow1 bookish men deny to animals capabilities which every country schoolboy knows they possess4 ,it is no exaggeration to say that animals exist which sing1 dance1 play1 speak a language1 build homes1 go to school and learn1 wage warfare1 protect their homes and property1 marry1 make laws1 build moral codes1 in fact1 do everything that is generally attributed to man4 ,in comparing man and animals scientists are prone to ascribe to man as a whole the faculties which only the best trained and most talented possess4 ,they fail to consider our cannibal brethren1 such as are found among the ,dyaks on the ,island of ,borneo1 whose chief articles of adornment in the house are heads of murdered men1 and whose savage and fiendish ways would put to shame a civilised animal4 ,they forget how long man lived on this earth before he even learned to make fire by chipping flints4 ,since the beginning of time animals have been the friends and allies of man4 ,from the very earliest ages they have in innumerable ways been associated with historical events1 and with the laws1 customs1 superstitions1 and religions of all nations of the universe4 ,love1 devotion1 gratitude1 the sense of duty1 as well as all the lower passions of hatred1 revenge1 distrust and cunning are their heritage4 ,only an egotist who has known them in books only1 and knows nothing of their mentality and brain power1 would dare say that they are governed solely by instinct4 ,cases of animal suicide1 following some deep disgrace among them1 are not uncommon4 ,from the ,bible we learn that ,god frequently employed animals as agents to dispense ,his providence4 ,bullocks1 sheep1 goats were used by the ,jews in their religious services1 while a disobedient prophet was killed by a lion4 ,balaam was rebuked for his cruelty by an ass2 and ,david even called upon the animals to aid in praising ,jehovah6 ,that we may learn real gratitude for common mercies ,isaiah says3 ,the ox knoweth his owner1 and the ass his master's crib1 etc4 ,when the city of ,nineveh was threatened1 ,god had pity on it1 because there were many cattle there4 ,the ,saviour compared his own earthly condition with that of certain animals3 ,the foxes have holes1 etc4 ,he called himself the ',good ,shepherd1' and his followers were sheep who knew his voice4 ,john the ,baptist referred to ,him as the ',lamb of ,god'2 while ,john1 the beloved disciple1 when on the ,isle of ,patmos1 saw the throne of ,god in heaven1 and before it a lion1 a calf1 a man1 and a flying eagle4 ,the first beginnings of co-operation between men and animals must have begun by the approach of certain less timid animals1 which felt that better conditions for them and more food could be obtained near human habitations1 and perhaps1 more protection from dangerous animals4 ,or it may have begun through the stupidity of certain animals who failed to realize the danger of man's proximity4 ,it seems that the secret ambition of all animals is to become the allies of man4 ,this is demonstrated by the fact that most of them have gone near the villages and towns1 and1 consequently1 there are comparatively few remaining in the heart of the big forests4 ,under the true state of conditions man should live in harmony with these animal brothers1 with mutual trust and respect existing between them4 ,that would mean1 of course1 that man would have to show a little more kindness to them4 ,for while he is their true sovereign1 he abuses the privileges of his sovereignty in untold ways1 and up to the present time only a few animals1 like the dog and horse1 have been fully recognized as his allies4 ,all the others1 with few exceptions1 have shown a desire to become more closely united with man1 and yet during the thousands of years of man's rulership over the beasts1 he has been able to make allies of only about sixty4 ,this regrettable fact speaks for itself--showing that man has long abused his trust4 ,warfare1 as it is waged to-day1 demonstrates that notwithstanding man's vast number of scientific aids1 animals are still invaluable4 ,the innumerable mechanical and electrical devices unknown ten years ago1 such as enormous rapid-firing guns1 walking ,willies1 wireless machines1 traction engines1 smokeless and noiseless powder1 silent-sleepers and tear-bombs1 all of these have greatly increased man's power of offence and defence1 yet with all these ultra-modern improvements1 animals are absolutely essential in waging a successful war4 ,in military circles there is an ever-increasing demand for well-trained army horses1 sound in mind and body and educated in modern campaigning4 ,above all1 an army horse must be dependable1 must love his soldier-master and must know absolute obedience to orders4 ,every army horse has to pass an examination and prove his worth before he is enlisted into the service4 ,the largest of the mountain guns used in ,italy against the ,austrians were drawn up the steep mountains by mules4 ,another #ge-millimetre gun for mountain warfare is taken to pieces1 into four parts1 and each piece is separately packed on a mule4 ,the ,united ,states cavalry has the best trained war horses in the world2 many of them actually understand the complicated commands of their masters4 ,these horse soldiers have the insignia1 ,u4 ,s41 branded on the hoof of the left forefoot1 and the other animals in camp1 on the shoulder4 ,when a horse arrives at a regiment he is assigned to a troop according to colour1 size1 weight and mental efficiency1 and later he is permanently assigned to a man4 ,under no conditions is he interchanged or even ridden by another than his master1 and it is astonishing the tremendous affection that oft-times springs up between the two2 in many instances horses have been known to seek out their masters among hundreds of soldiers4 ,on the ,european battlefields1 near which there are few or no railroads1 animals have been the principal means of transportation1 elephants1 camels1 horses1 mules and oxen being chiefly used for this purpose4 ,the ,italian armies have used numerous teams of mountain-trained bullocks to draw loads up the mountains1 and1 while they cannot ascend roads as steep as those which the mules climb1 they are very valuable for heavy loads4 ,these bullocks work faster than an army mule1 for a mule will never hurry4 ,as the old darkey once said1 ,de mule warn't born fer to hurry2 not even a torpedo would make him move one step farster6 ,elephants have been used to a small degree in the armies of ,europe4 ,while they are splendid workmen1 they are dangerously subject to stampede1 and one stampeding elephant can do much harm in an army4 ,the ,british army has used quite a few trained elephants from ,india in their ranks4 ,they are especially employed to rout the enemy from small forests4 ,breaking through bushes1 crushing underbrush1 and pulling up small trees is their specialty4 ,they make splendid bulwarks for soldiers1 and when an army is marching through a forest1 are invaluable in clearing the way4 ,a ,british officer declared that one trained elephant is more valuable than a half-dozen traction engines4 ,far the most interesting and curious use to which an animal is subjected is the use of camels chosen and trained because of their strange colouring and height4 ,small groups of them have been stationed among clumps of acacia trees with a spy mounted on the animal's neck4 ,this is the safest place a person could be1 for the camel or1 in like manner1 the giraffe1 standing with only his head above the small trees1 looks precisely like a bit of the foliage in the distance4 ,camels are especially good for desert warfare1 because they can go without water so long and can easily carry loads weighing from #djj to #ejj pounds4 ,in the last ,afghan campaign the ,british lost over #ej1jjj camels and in the ,great ,war they have had more than #fj1jjj in army service in ,egypt4 ,camels are especially used for transportation purposes4 ,the ,british capture of ,jerusalem was greatly aided by these desert allies4 ,large numbers of oxen have been used in the ,french army4 ,they do not balk at autos and know no fear of shells4 ,one of the greatest allies of the animal kingdom in warfare is the dog4 ,these allies are trained to aid relief parties on the battlefields1 and many of the ambulance men have their splendidly trained dogs for seeking out wounded soldiers among the dead4 ,they are also trained as guards and watch-dogs and they become marvellously clever when used near the firing lines4 ,they carry water in the trenches and are trained in packs to dismount enemy motorcyclists by pulling them from their machines4 ,dogs also make splendid scouts1 and excellent and reliable messengers when not required to go too far4 ,these faithful friends of man1 according to ,buffon1 are far more easily taught than man1 and more easily led than any of the other animals1 for not only does the dog become educated in a short time1 but even adapts himself to the habits of those who control him4 ,according to circumstances1 a dog may become a soldier1 messenger1 water-carrier1 or guard4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,esquimo-,,dog ,,is ,,man',s ,,greatest ,,friend ,,in ,,the ,,far ,,north4 ,illustration3 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,new ,york ,,chipmunks ,,are ,,among ,,the ,,most ,,easily ,,tamed ,,of ,,man',s ,,wild ,,friends1 ,,and ,,they ,,even ,,seem ,,fond ,,of ,,human ,,companionship4 ,not the least among the uses of war dogs is the curious practice of sending them into the enemies' lines of cavalry to convey fire in order to terrorise the horses and throw them into confusion4 ,this practice has been quite common in the past4 ,each dog is dressed in a cuirass of leather and on his back is carefully strapped a pot of boiling1 blazing tar4 ,nothing so terrorises horses as the sight of approaching fire4 ,a small but valuable ally to man is the ferret4 ,this little creature has come into prominence more particularly during recent years1 when the rat infested trenches have made his services invaluable4 ,these ,hun-like rats1 devouring and devastating in their thirst for human blood1 would have forced the abandonment of many a front line trench but for the aid of these trained ferrets1 thousands of which have been daily employed on the battle fronts4 ,the immense services rendered by carrier pigeons in the battle of the ,marne1 not only to the military authorities1 but also to the public at large1 will cause the civilised world to pay more attention to the importance of these birds in the future4 ,they carried all kinds of messages to and from ,paris during this memorable battle2 in fact1 they have been used in all the battles as invaluable messengers4 ,small animals1 such as mice1 canary birds1 guinea pigs and rabbits are used in trench warfare1 because they are more sensitive than man to poisonous gases4 ,it sometimes happens that hundreds of men must be rescued from a trench by three or four men4 ,each rescuer carries with him a canary bird in a small cage attached to his shoulder4 ,and as long as these birds show no signs of distress the men are safe from gas poison4 ,the birds soon become attached to their masters and seem to like the adventure of the trenches4 ,as time goes on1 it is to be hoped that we will understand our animal brothers better1 and that our old attitude toward the so-called brutes will be entirely changed4 ,heretofore we have greatly abused the zebra1 for example1 because of his wild disposition1 ferocious humour1 distrust of all power except that in his own legs1 and his pronounced aversion to work4 ,why should we reproach him for his wildwood philosophy8 ,it is perfectly natural that any animal of his experience with man1 and with sufficient brains1 would have only contempt for all mankind4 ,his native home is in ,africa1 and his human associates1 if they are human1 have been the ,hottentots1 the ,namaquois or the ,amazoulons--the most impossible and hideous people on the earth4 ,since his babyhood days he has seen nothing but cannibalism and carnage among the savages2 and since his transportation to ,europe by a strange occurrence of horrible circumstances1 he has been the subject for all kinds of barbarous punishments which man has seen well to heap upon him4 ,the zebra is not of the mental calibre to be suddenly seized with love for the human species and its civilisations6 ,and the human species is astounded and thinks the zebra stupid and wicked4 ,he may be both1 but his wisdom is undeniable when it comes to trusting humanity1 and his wickedness is small in comparison to man's terrible cruelties4 ,he should be awarded a medal for wisdom6 ,for man is far the greater ass of the two6 ,he roams the wild prairies where the fields need no ploughing4 ,there he finds an abundance of grass and fresh water along the streams4 ,no loud cursing and swearing ever greets his ears1 nothing but the sweet song of the wild birds4 ,and his children romp and play with him1 free as the winds that blow4 ,of course1 he has enemies even there1 and so he uses camouflage by painting himself in attractive stripes1 so no one can see him at a distance4 ,even ,solomon should have praised his wisdom6 ,in the beginning ,god created man1 and not long after gave him as his policeman1 the dog4 ,and the obedience1 friendship and devotion of the dog to his master has been unending4 ,the dog discusses no questions of right or wrong1 his only duty is to obey4 ,this he does without a murmur4 ,he is the greatest testimony to man's civilisation1 the first and the greatest element of human progress4 ,through his co-operation man was elevated from the savage to the state of the civilised4 ,he made the herd possible4 ,without him there could have been no herd1 no assured subsistence of food and clothing1 no time to study and improve the mind1 no astronomical observations1 no science1 no arts1 no automobiles1 no airships1 no wireless telegraphy--nothing4 ,the ,east is the home of civilisation1 because the ,east is the home of the dog4 ,a young hound knows more about tracking game or scenting the enemy after six months' practice than the most skilled savage after fifty years of study4 ,the dog has so aided mankind as to give him more time for study and self-improvement4 ,thus began the arts and sciences4 ,an interesting1 and we believe original observation1 of the influence of the dog on peoples is that wherever the dog is found1 especially among the shepherd peoples1 such as the ,chaldeans1 ,egyptians1 ,arabs1 ,tartars1 and ,mongols1 cannibalism is unknown4 ,this is due to the fact that the dog enables them to maintain the herds which supply them with milk1 food1 and clothing1 thus preserving them from the criminal temptation of hunger4 ,the ,indians of ,north ,america never refrained from roasting their enemies until they made allies of the horse and dog4 ,humboldt proves the lively regret held by one of the last surviving chief lieutenants of the war-like ,tecumseh whom he asked about a certain ,american officer who took part in the fight4 ,uh6 replied the ,indian1 ,i eat some of him4 ,do you still eat your enemies8 asked ,humboldt4 ,no1 replied the ,indian4 ,big dog catch heap meat for me6 ,surely no animal could be more uncivilised or cannibalistic in its desires than man6 ,spinoza believed1 however1 that benevolence in animals consisted only in their kindliness and friendly feeling for each other and that we should expect nothing more of them4 ,a good cow1 so he thought1 was one that was kind to her calf1 however ferocious she might be toward human children4 ,but we do not accept this standard of goodness1 nor believe that animals' kindness extends only to their own tribes4 ,their lowest standard of life is no worse than the cannibalism existing among the lower tribes of uncivilised man1 which is one of the highest ideals of tribal life4 ,the greatest hero among our savages is the one that can put the most enemies to death4 ,many animals seem to have a social instinct and a moral sentiment toward man4 ,they try to break the old bonds of distrust between their master and themselves4 ,this is especially true of the puma1 second to the largest of the big cats of the ,americas1 which seems to love the society of man1 and seeks not only to be near him1 but to protect him from the attacks of the much-dreaded jaguar4 ,a civil engineer tells the story of an experience he had while journeying up one of the big ,south ,american rivers by boat4 ,at their nightly encampments one of the passengers on board was an old miner who insisted on sleeping in a hammock suspended between two small trees4 ,his weight was sufficient to bring the hammock almost to the ground at its lowest curve4 ,one morning1 his friends inquired how he had slept1 and he complained that the frogs and small animals had made so much noise under the hammock that he could not sleep4 ,one of the ,indian servants roared with laughter1 as he said1 ,uh1 'tiger' sleep with old man last night4 ,he watch him6--tiger being the ,indian term for the puma4 ,careful searching revealed the footprints of an immense puma1 and that he had evidently lain directly under the hammock4 ,the noise which had kept the old man from sleeping was the purring of the animal1 pleased over the privilege of sleeping so near a man4 ,these ,guiana ,indians know the ways of the forests1 and have a special liking for wild animals4 ,this entire absence of fear in the puma is the same as exhibited by the tame house cat4 ,many animals seem fond of human companionship1 and are easily tamed4 ,my sister raised a small red deer in ,texas1 and he became so perfectly tame that he would follow her wherever she went1 and would even take food from her hand4 ,in ,yellowstone ,park the deer are so tame they will come into the yards to get food1 while the brown bears approach the hotels like tramps1 and many of the smaller animals are perfectly fearless4 ,at the ,bronx ,zoological ,gardens1 and the ,london ,zoo1 the animals have lost all fear4 ,they seem to realise that they have no power to escape and depend entirely upon man for their daily food4 ,but1 of course1 their conditions are artificial1 hence such conclusions as we may draw as to their normal attitude toward man do not necessarily indicate the innate character of their wild kinsmen4 ,we occasionally find1 for instance1 that in unsettled regions like parts of ,mexico and ,south ,america1 where animals are plentiful and man's influence largely absent1 they are found to be particularly ferocious1 yet even then lions and leopards rarely attack men unless disturbed in some unusual way4 ,quite a few naturalists and scientists believe that the animals' love for man was acquired and not natural4 ,but if this be true1 how did the very early tribes of men escape destruction at the hands of the wild beasts which were far more numerous than at present8 ,the animal kingdom was evidently impressed by the power of man at a very early stage of its development1 but in just what manner or what period of time this came to pass is not known4 ,if we regard the conflict as merely between two great groups of animals1 surely the animals should have won1 and man would have disappeared from the face of the earth4 ,the fact that he did not1 and that he became master of the animals1 is presumptive evidence that man exceeded the animals in intelligence4 ,primitive man could have lived in no other way than by his wits4 ,for he was not nearly so well equipped for defence as are the monkeys of to-day4 ,their greatest power is in the ability to use their arms and hands in swinging rapidly from branch to branch4 ,this gives them an advantage over all tree-climbing cats4 ,they are very proficient in throwing stones and other missiles4 ,this is dumbfounding to other animals4 ,of course1 their intelligent and quick-witted methods of defence1 menace1 guard-duty1 and loyalty to tribe makes them great warriors1 and enables them to survive even the onslaughts of their greatest enemy and nightmare of every non-carnivorous animal--the harpy eagle6 ,through the necessary adjustments growing out of the close relationships of men to animals1 the mental faculties of both have been greatly stimulated and advanced4 ,the least developed races seem to be in such places as ,tierra del ,fuego1 where there are no savage animals1 and1 therefore1 no inducement for man to arm and defend himself4 ,the ,pygmies of ,central ,africa are mighty hunters1 otherwise they could not survive4 ,even the ,esquimaux are masters of the great polar bears and other northern animals4 ,in the wilds of ,africa1 where animals have had a terrible struggle for existence1 not only against disagreeable climatic conditions1 but all kinds of fellow-foes as well1 we find the nkengos have attained a civilisation that almost equals that of our savage brothers4 ,and these pale-faced little beings1 with their wrinkled1 care-worn1 parchment-like skins1 remind one of ill-treated1 white1 human-dwarfs4 ,their name1 nkengo1 means wild animal-men1 and when tamed they actually make excellent family servants for men4 ,these closest allies of man live in tall bamboo trees1 and are so curiously human that when seen walking around hunting berries1 nuts1 and fruits1 talking in guttural1 chattering tones1 like old fisher-women1 no one could doubt even their kinship to man4 ,their children assemble in groups to romp and play under the guardianship of either one of their mothers or grandmothers2 while the men forage for food1 and watch for enemies4 ,it is not uncommon to see an aged1 half-decrepit nkengo lying on a bed of sticks in a tall tree4 ,here he eats only green leaves and bits of fruit brought him by some kind friend1 being far too weak to hunt for food himself1 and furthermore1 fearing an attack from his mortal enemy1 the leopard4 ,if the colony decides to move to other territory1 either because of enemies or the scarcity of food1 they all assemble and hold a farewell gathering in which there is much mourning and apparent grief at forever leaving their aged kin to the fate of the wilds4 ,if they are possibly able to walk1 they are given patient assistance in travelling along4 ,sometimes1 when they are deserted1 sympathetic friends return for days with berries and koola nuts1 until at last the colony has gone so far away that none dare return alone1 in which event these helpless superannuated members are left to die in their lone tree-top beds4 ,many of these beds are as well made as the tree-beds of human beings1 and even better than the beds of the savage ,dyaks of ,borneo4 ,they are usually located in tall trees1 inaccessible to leopards and out of reach of their most dreaded of all enemies1 the terrible hordes of war-ants4 ,from these nothing escapes--not even elephants and tigers4 ,the arrival of a baby to these nkengos is of far more importance in their tree-top village1 than in a human city4 ,each of the female relatives1 and also the aged males1 takes special interest in the new-comer1 and they chatter around his little grape-vine cradle with much enthusiasm1 shaking their heads and delicately handling his tiny hands and toes as though he were the baby of a king4 ,this baby is much stronger and quicker to learn than human babies2 for when he is only two days old he is able to cling to his mother1 so that she can carry him with her on her hunting trips4 ,if he becomes too noisy from sheer delight when she is travelling through the forest with him1 she slaps him1 in an attempt to quiet him1 lest the leopards get him4 ,at night he sleeps snugly by his mother's side in the great tree-bed1 and she never allows him to crawl out of her arms for fear that he fall to the depths below4 ,she loves him dearly1 and watches with human eagerness for his first tooth4 ,he loves his mother and will stand for hours while she dresses his hair2 or lie on her breast as she rubs his little back4 ,these wild-children are always ill-tempered and self-willed4 ,no human mother has to show more patience and love than does the nkengo mother4 ,she takes the greatest delight in his first efforts at climbing and hunting1 and for hours she and his admiring relatives will watch him attempting to climb a cocoanut tree4 ,sometimes she will climb just behind him to catch him if he falls or becomes frightened4 ,his arms soon become very powerful1 for he is constantly swinging1 climbing1 and exercising by hanging from a bough with one hand while he pulls himself up with the great power of his muscles4 ,he is able to gather koola nuts long before his jaws are strong enough to crack them2 so his fond mother cracks them for him until his hands and mouth are stronger4 ,like all babies1 his ambition is to be big and strong like his father4 ,some of the apes are most intelligent and human1 and1 as allies to man1 are more desirable than certain of the human savages4 ,dr4 ,livingstone1 in his ,last ,journals1 describes one he first discovered4 ,their teeth1 he says1 are slightly human1 but their canines show the beast by their large development4 ,the hands1 or rather the fingers1 are like those of the natives4 ,they live in communities consisting of about a dozen individuals1 and are strictly monogamous in their conjugal relations1 and vegetarian1 or rather frugivorous1 in their diet1 their favourite food being bananas4 ,the natives where these apes live are cannibals1 and ,dr4 ,livingstone says1 they are the lowest of the low4 ,one of their number1 who had committed a great murder1 offered his grandmother to be killed in expiation of his offence1 and this vicarious punishment was accepted as satisfactory4 ,thus it is evident that certain of these wild-creatures--like the sokos--have a more correct conception of justice than their human associates1 the savages4 ,at least the animals do not make the innocent suffer for the guilty1 and give their lives unjustly4 ,should a soko try to take another's wife he is publicly punished by the tribe4 ,these animals have a great sense of humour and fully enjoy a practical joke4 ,strangely enough1 they never attack women and children1 but if any man approaches them with a spear or gun1 they try to rush upon him1 often at the expense of their own life1 and wrest the weapon from him4 ,most of them are exceedingly kind and civilised in their actions1 and natives always say1 ,soko is a man1 and nothing bad in him4 ,often they kidnap babies and carry them up into trees4 ,but these are never harmed and the apes are ever ready to exchange them for bananas4 ,the robbery is1 no doubt1 for the purpose of extortion4 ,if perchance one of their children is stolen1 the entire forest sets up a scream and wail until it is returned4 ,old hunters and travellers say that they would rather steal the child of a native savage than to take one of the sokos4 ,if one of the soko children disappears1 and they do not know what became of it1 they immediately send out detectives throughout the country to seek for it4 ,and woe be the home where a stolen soko baby is found6 ,but man has one great power--a far more potent ally than he has in his animal friends--the use of fire4 ,unquestionably to the minds of animals it is a supernatural power4 ,they cannot create it1 understand it1 and it is very doubtful if they can yet use it to advantage4 ,how marvellous is this thing--fire6 ,that great blazing pillar of cloud that destroys all1 and leaves nothing to show where it has taken its enemies6 ,to animals it springs up wherever man rests his head1 and protects him while he sleeps4 ,it is always with him1 and its presence for untold ages has brought terror to all of them4 ,not a few reports tell us that certain of our animal allies among the monkeyfolk of ,south ,africa use fire4 ,this may not be true2 but it is probable that the time is near at hand when the wild baboon-men of the woods will learn to make and use fire just as we have done4 ,enough instances could be shown illustrating animals as man's allies to fill an entire book1 but a sufficient number have been adduced to show how truly they are our allies1 helpers1 and protectors just as we are theirs1 only their mode of manifesting it is different4 ,we have shown the absolute fallacy of the old belief that animals lack mentality1 and that all their acts of kindness are based upon self-love and personal gain1 and have seen that in proportion to their opportunities in life1 they have quite as much mentality and brotherly love for each other and mankind as is found among our lower savages4 ,we have seen that among animals as among men1 individuals will give their lives for their fellows1 serve the weak and timid1 and demonstrate the highest and holiest feelings of which true souls can be capable1 and always share equally with man the burdens that fall upon themselves and their human allies4 ,and the time is already here when man should protect his animal friends more1 and teach them through human kindness not to fear him4 ,but this can only be done when he is willing to treat them as fellow beings only a little below him in the scale of existence4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,future ,,life ,,of ,,animals ,ah1 poor companion6 when thou followedst last ,thy master's parting footsteps to the gate ,which closed forever on him1 thou didst lose ,thy best friend1 and none was left to plead ,for the old age of brute fidelity4 ,but fare thee well4 ,mine is no narrowed creed2 ,and ,he who gave thee being did not frame ,the mystery of ,life to be the sport ,of merciless man4 ,there is another world ,for all that live and move--a better one6 ,where the proud bipeds1 who would fain confine ,of their own charity1 may envy thee4 --,,southey 7on the death of his dog74 ,the old belief is still prevalent that the ,bible teaches that of all living creatures man alone is immortal4 ,this erroneous belief springs out of man's egotism1 however1 and is not substantiated by the ,scriptures4 ,among many of the ,old ,testament writers we find that immortality was assured for neither man nor animals2 whereas1 with the larger revelation of the ,new ,testament1 immortality is no longer questioned for any living creature4 ,there are1 of course1 many supposedly intelligent people who deny to animals the power of reason1 and attribute all their marvellous powers and abilities to blind instinct4 ,it is1 therefore1 not the least bit surprising that the vast majority of people believe that when an animal dies1 its life principle dies also4 ,the animating power1 they believe1 is destroyed1 and the body returns to the dust4 ,these mistaken conclusions are largely1 if not wholly1 due to two passages of ,scripture1 one of which is in the ,psalms and the other in ,ecclesiastes4 ,the one most often quoted1 from the ,psalms1 runs in the authorised version3 ,nevertheless1 man being in honor1 abideth not2 he is like the beasts that perish4 ,this verse is frequently quoted as decisive of the whole question4 ,the other passage1 which is found in ,ecclesiastes1 reads3 ,who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward1 and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth8 ,it is upon the authority of these two passages that we are supposed to believe that when an animal dies1 its life has gone forever1 departed1 expired4 ,in this new age of thought and discovery1 we do not attempt to explain a passage of ,scripture1 no matter how simple it may appear to be1 without referring to the original text1 that we may see if the translator has kept the true sense of the words and adequately expressed their significance1 remembering that words often change their meaning1 and that the original use of a word may have conveyed exactly the opposite meaning to that which we at present attach to it4 ,but if we accept the passage just as it stands1 with the literal meaning of the words as is usually understood1 there is but one conclusion--animals have no future life4 ,death ends all for them4 ,but1 on the other hand1 if we are to take the literal interpretation of the ,bible only1 we are forced to believe that man1 as well as the animals1 has no life after death4 ,surely the book of ,psalms is full of examples to support this literal interpretation4 ,for example1 ,in death there is no remembrance of thee3 in the grave1 who shall give thee thanks8 ,again1 ,the dead praise not the ,lord1 neither any that go down into silence4 ,or1 ,his breath goeth forth1 he returneth to his earth2 in that very day his thoughts perish4 ,these quotations could be greatly added to1 and if taken in their literal sense1 we would reach but one conclusion--death ends all for every living creature6 ,nothing in all the literature of the earth could be more gloomy and discouraging than these quotations with numerous others that contemplate death4 ,yet1 vain man takes one little passage that seemingly denies a future life to animals from the same book that many times over denies a future life to mankind2 in fact1 there are five times as many ,scripture passages claiming for man that all ends in death as there are for animals4 ,over and over we are told that those who have died have no remembrance of ,god1 and cannot praise ,him4 ,the ,bible speaks of death as the land of forgetfulness1--the place of darkness1 where all man's thoughts perish4 ,nothing more than this could be said of the animals that perish6 ,other ,biblical writers referred to mankind as those who dwell in houses of clay1 and ,job says3 ,they are destroyed from morning to evening2 they perish forever1 without any regarding it4 ,in another place he says3 ,as the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away1 so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more4 ,again he speaks of the land of darkness and the shadow of death1 and says3 ,man dieth1 and wasteth away3 yea1 man giveth up the ghost1 and where is he8 ,as the waters fail from the sea1 and the flood decayeth and drieth up3 so man lieth down1 and riseth not4 ,job laments the pitiable conditions of his life1 and complains that life was ever granted to him1 and that even death can bring nothing to him except extinction4 ,yet1 if we examine ,ecclesiastes1 the book in which we find the single passage upon which many people base a belief in the non-future existence of animals1 there are passages which are really no more positive as to the future of mankind4 ,for example1 ,i said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men1 that ,god might manifest them1 and that they might see that they themselves are beasts4 ,for that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts2 even one thing befalleth them4 ,as the one dieth1 so dieth the other2 yea1 they have all one breath1 so that a man has no pre-eminence over a beast3 for all is vanity4 ,all go unto one place2 all are of the dust1 and all turn to the dust again4 ,again it is said3 ,for the living know that they shall die1 but the dead know not anything1 neither have they any more a reward1 for the memory of them is forgotten2 and ,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might2 for there is no work1 nor device1 nor knowledge1 nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest4 ,by interpreting these words literally1 there is but one conclusion relative to a future spiritual life1 namely1 that there is absolutely no distinction between man and his lower brother animals1 and that when they die they all go to the same place4 ,it is emphatically said that after death man knows nothing1 receives no reward1 and can do no work4 ,job has the same gloomy strain running through his writings1 and ,ecclesiastes gives a most morbid and gloomy view of death4 ,however1 no modern ,biblical scholar accepts these passages in this literal light1 for it is known that they were written symbolically1 or as parables1 and were not intended to be literally interpreted4 ,they have a spiritual significance4 ,we are1 however1 not interested here so much with this spiritual sense as we are with the literal implication of the translation4 ,therefore1 according to this literal meaning of the two texts1 if we accept them to prove that animals have no future life1 we are forced to believe by at least fourteen passages1 of equal if not greater power1 that man shares their same fate after death4 ,no man has a right to select certain passages from the same book of the ,bible and say that they shall be accepted literally1 and that other passages of equal merit shall be interpreted otherwise4 ,they must all be treated the same4 ,all scholars are familiar with that remarkable eleventh book of ,homer's ,odyssey1 known as the ,necromanteia1 or ,invocation of the ,dead1 and in it ,ulysses descends into the regions of the departed spirits to invoke them and obtain advice as to his future adventures4 ,one commentator says3 ,he sails to the boundaries of the ocean1 and lands in the country of the ,cimmerians1 who dwell in perpetual cloud and darkness1 and in whose country are the gates leading to the regions of the dead4 ,all is darkness1 discontent1 hunger2 nothing is said of virtue1 wisdom1 beauty1 happiness4 ,only bitter gloom6 ,no wonder this heathen poet considered1 with such views of a future life1 sensual pleasures as the chief object of this life4 ,the following dialogue between the inhabitants of the earth and the dweller in the regions of the dead--between ,ulysses and ,achilles--is remarkable for its horrible depiction of the future life3 ,through the thick gloom his friend ,achilles knew1 ,as he speaks the tears dissolve in dew4 ',comest thou alive to view the ,stygian bounds1 ,where the wan spectres walk eternal rounds2 ,nor fear'st the dark and dismal waste to tread1 ,thronged with pale ghosts familiar with the dead8' ,to whom with sighs1 ',i pass these dreadful gates ,to seek the ,theban1 and consult the ,fates2 ,for still distressed ,i roam from coast to coast1 ,lost to my friends and to my country lost4 ,but sure the eye of ,time beholds no name ,so blessed as thine in all the rolls of fame2 ,alive we hailed thee with our guardian gods1 ,and1 dead thou rulest a king in these abodes4' ',talk not of ruling in this dolorous gloom1 ,nor think vain words 7he cried7 can ease my doom4 ,rather ,i'd choose laboriously to bear ,a weight of woes and breathe the vital air1 ,a slave for some poor hind that toils for bread1 ,than reign the sceptered monarch of the dead4' ,yet1 even this outpouring of hopeless words by the heathen poet is encouraging when compared to the writings of the ,psalmist1 of ,solomon or ,job1 for those who have gone beyond the grave still have memory1 an interest in their friends on earth1 love and desire4 ,but no such hope exists for man1 if we are to accept literally all the passages of ,scripture which have been quoted4 ,by such interpretation1 man passes after death into eternal darkness1 forgetfulness1 silence1 where there is no work1 nor device1 nor knowledge1 nor wisdom--where even his very thoughts perish4 ,if these particular passages are to be accepted as final on the subject1 there is no future life for either man or animal4 ,they are too definite to admit of any interpretation that might soften or alter their meaning4 ,it may be shocking to some to compare the belief of an ancient ,greek and the teachings of a ,latin ,epicurean with the sacred writings of the ,bible4 ,yet1 it may be even more startling to point out that some of the teachings of the ,epicurean sensualist are quite as good as some of those of the writers of the sacred texts1 and that those of the ,greek poet are far better and more spiritual6 ,there is no denying that these are the facts1 if we are to be bound by literal interpretation1 unless we throw to the winds all reason and common-sense4 ,this leads us back to the point previously mentioned2 and we must determine if the authorised version gives a full and truthful interpretation of the ,hebrew original4 ,even a man who does not pretend to scholarship knows that it does not4 ,the word perish1 for example1 is not found at all in the ,hebrew text1 nor is the idea expressed2 the words which our translation twice renders as beasts that perish1 is1 in the original ,hebrew1 dumb beasts4 ,by comparing a number of the translations of the ,psalms1 into various languages--,psalm ,,xlix1 for example--we find that few1 if any1 of them suggest the idea of perishing in the sense of annihilation4 ,first1 let us consider the ,jewish ,bible1 which is acknowledged to be the most accurate translation in the ,english language1 and carefully read it4 ,in verses #ab and #bj of the above ,psalm1 where the passage is found1 the translation reads3 ,man that is in honour1 and understandeth this not1 is like the beasts that are irrational4 ,in a footnote the word dumb is offered as an alternative for irrational4 ,brunton's translation of the ,septuagint is similar1 and reads3 ,man that is in honour understands not1 he is compared to the senseless cattle1 and is like them4 ,wycliffe's ,bible1 which is translated from the ,vulgate1 reads thus3 ,a man whanne he was in honour understood it not2 he is compared to unwise beestis1 and is maad lijk to tho4 ,the ,douay ,bible1 put forth by the ,english ,catholic ,college of ,douay and which is received by the ,catholic ,church in ,england1 gives the passage3 ,man1 when he was in honour1 did not understand2 he hath been compared to senseless beasts1 and made like to them4 ,many other versions might be cited1 and very few of them even suggest the idea of annihilation4 ,if1 for argument's sake1 we suppose that the word perish has been correctly translated1 it by no means follows that annihilation is signified4 ,read1 for example1 the tenth verse of the same ,psalm in our authorised translation3 ,for he seeth that wise men die1 and likewise the fool and the brutish person perish1 and leave their wealth to others4 ,certainly no intelligent person would interpret this passage as declaring that the wise and the foolish and the brutish have no life after the body dies4 ,it is plain1 therefore1 that we may dismiss forever the idea that the ,psalmist believed the beasts had no future life1 and the citation may be rejected as absolutely irrelevant to the subject1 and the only one that appears to make any definite statements as to the future life of the lower animals4 ,every student of the ,bible will at once recognise how necessary it is that the original meaning of the ,hebrew text should be known1 and that the ,psalmist should not be accused of setting forth a doctrine of such great importance1 whether true or false1 when he may never even have thought or suggested it4 ,illustration3 ,,men ,,cruelly ,,take ,,the ,,lives ,,of ,,these ,,denizens ,,of ,,the ,,wildwood1 ,,rejoicing ,,in ,,their ,,slaughter1 ,,but ,,the ,,animal ,,soul ,,they ,,cannot ,,kill4 ,illustration3 ,,two ,,pals4 ,,there ,,is ,,between ,,man ,,and ,,dog ,a ,,kinship ,,of ,,spirit ,,that ,,cannot ,,be ,,denied4 ,having disposed of the possibility of a misunderstanding of the real meaning of the beasts that perish1 let us consider the quotation from ,ecclesiastes1 the only one that refers to the future state of animals4 ,who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward1 and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth8 ,we find an admission here that1 whether the spirit ascends or descends1 man and beasts alike have the immortal spark4 ,the ,hebrew version is precisely the same as our authorised translation4 ,read1 not an isolated verse1 but the entire passage3 ,i said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of man1 that ,god might manifest them1 and that they might see that they themselves are beasts4 ,for that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts2 even the one thing befalleth them2 as the one dieth1 so dieth the other2 yea1 they have all one breath2 so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast3 for all is vanity4 ,all go to one place2 all are of the same dust1 and all turn to dust again4 ,who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward1 and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth8 ,wherefore ,i perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works2 for that is his portion2 for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him8 ,these verses tell their own story4 ,it matters little whether ,solomon wrote this book in his later years2 it is1 in any event1 the confession of one who has had all the good things of this world1 and who saw the emptiness of them all1 and who sums up life with the words ,vanity of vanities1 all is vanity4 ,finally the author ironically advises his readers to trust only in the good of their labour4 ,thus it is shown that the quotation from the ,psalms in no way justifies the belief in the annihilation of beasts1 and that the one from ,ecclesiastes has been entirely and wrongfully misunderstood and interpreted4 ,in no way do the ,scriptures deny future life to the lower animals1 but in all ways1 if intelligently understood1 imply that man and beasts have1 equally1 a share in a future life beyond the grave4 ,as we have found out that the ,scriptures1 contrary to the popular belief1 do not deny a future life to our lower brethren1 the animals1 let us see if they actually declare a future world for them in the same way that they do for man4 ,man's immortality1 as we know1 is taught in the ,old ,testament rather by inference than by direct affirmation4 ,this is possibly due to the fact that the writers of the manifold books1 which were at a late date selected from a large number and made into one big volume which forms our ,bible1 thought as a matter of course that man lived on after death1 and never thought it necessary to assert that which every one knew4 ,but if we accept the teachings of the ,old ,testament1 inference gives much stronger testimony to the immortality of animals than it does to the immortality of man1 for while in neither case is there a direct assertion of a future life1 yet there is no direct denial of future life to the animals1 as has been shown to be the case with man4 ,all ,divine ,law includes a protection for the beasts1 and the laws of the ,sabbath were in essence a spiritual and not only a physical ordinance4 ,the ancient ,scriptures have innumerable provisions against mistreating or giving unnecessary pain to the lower animals2 and these provisions stand side by side in the ,divine ,law with those which speak of man4 ,note1 for example1 the prohibition of seething a kid in its mother's milk4 ,again1 there is a statement that the ox in treading out the corn is not to be muzzled1 lest he suffer hunger in the presence of food which he may not eat4 ,in the following sentences from the ,book of ,jonah1 it is plainly seen that the ,deity has not failed to take notice of the animals3 ,and should ,i not spare ,nineveh1 that great city1 wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand2 and also much cattle8 ,again1 in the ,psalms1 ,every beast of the forest is mine1 and the cattle upon a thousand hills4 ,i know all the fowls of the mountains3 and the wild beasts of the field are mine4 ,other passages that proclaim ,god as the protector of beasts1 as well as man1 might be cited1 for the ,bible makes frequent mention of them4 ,each of these ,scriptures unquestionably proves that ,god has an interest in all ,his creatures1 and that each shares ,his universal love4 ,no one can deny that ,genesis1 ninth chapter and fifth verse1 refers to a future life for beasts as well as man2 it is a part of the law which was given to ,noah and which was the forerunner of the fuller law handed down through ,moses3 ,surely1 your blood of your lives will ,i require2 at the hand of every beast will ,i require it1 and at the hand of every man2 at the hand of every man's brother will ,i require the life of man4 ,according to the ,mosaic law1 an ox which kills a man is subject to death1 exactly as a human murderer4 ,why should the animal be punished by death1 if he has no soul to be forfeited8 ,it should be remembered that while there are no ,scriptural passages that definitely promise immortality to animals1 there are many which infer it4 ,moreover1 we should not expect to gain definite information on the subject from the ,bible1 for it was written for human beings and not for animals4 ,if there are few direct references to the future life of man1 surely there must be still fewer to that of animals6 ,but just as man has for countless ages had within himself an everlasting witness to his own immortality1 so do we find that all who have really become acquainted with the lower animals1 with their unselfishness1 parental love1 devotion to duty1 generosity1 wonderful mentality1 and self-sacrifice--all those who know them realise that they are subject to the same moral law as man and share with him a future life4 ,lamartine beautifully expresses a future hope for his faithful dog3 ,i cannot1 will not1 deem thee a deceiving1 ,illusive mockery of human feeling1 ,a body organized1 by fond caress ,warmed into seeming tenderness2 ,a mere automaton1 on which our love ,plays1 as on puppets1 when their wires we move4 ,no6 when that feeling quits thy glazing eye1 ',twill live in some blest world beyond the sky4 ,who can say that from the depths of the wide ocean1 from regions unknown1 and lands unexplored by man2 from the remotest islands of the sea1 and even from the far icy ,north1 there are not animal voices ever rising in praise of our common ,creator8 ,the ,bible says3 ,the ,lord is good to all1 and ,his tender mercies are over all ,his works1 and1 ,all ,thy works shall praise thee1 ,o ,lord1--surely these endorse the above statements4 ,and why should man define the limit of ,god's goodness1 ,his love1 care1 and attention to the wants and needs of all ,his creatures8 ,the distinguished animal authority1 ,dr4 ,abercrombie1 admitted that animals have an immaterial principle in them1 which is distinct from matter4 ,but he does not say that this principle1 or soul1 will live after death1 as it is supposed to in man4 ,however1 many scholars both of ancient and modern times hold this opinion4 ,broderip1 in his ,zoological ,recreations devotes much space in referring to ancient philosophers and poets1 ,christian ,fathers1 and ,jewish ,rabbis that have believed in the immortality of animals4 ,the heroes of ,virgil have horses to drive in the ,elysian fields2 the ,greek poets gave to ,orion dogs4 ,rabbi ,manesseh1 speaking of the resurrection1 says1 brutes will then enjoy a much happier state of being than they experienced here1 and a number of scholars1 like ,philo ,judus1 believe that ferocious beasts will in a future state lose their ferociousness4 ,among more recent scholars who hold this belief is ,dr4 ,john ,brown1 who boldly says3 ,i am one of those who believe that dogs have a next world2 and why not8 ,the ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,wood said3 ,much of the present heedlessness respecting animals is caused by the popular idea that they have no souls1 and that when they die they entirely perish4 ,whence came that most preposterous idea8 ,surely not from the only source where we might expect to learn about souls--not from the ,bible1 for there we distinctly read of 'the spirit of the sons of man1' and immediately afterwards of 'the spirit of the beasts1' one aspiring1 the other not so4 ,and a necessary consequence of the spirit is a life after the death of the body4 ,let any one wait in a frequented thoroughfare for one short hour1 and watch the sufferings of the poor brutes that pass by4 ,then1 unless he denies the ,divine ,providence1 he will see clearly that unless these poor creatures were compensated in a future life1 there is no such quality as justice4 ,eugene ,t4 ,zimmerman says3 ,i cannot help but think that my faithful dog1 and playmate of my younger days1 will have some form of a future life4 ,we do not recognise an absolute spiritual barrier of separation between man and animals4 ,man is an animal--the first of animals2 but it does not of necessity follow that he will always continue to be so4 ,by what right does he presume to deny a soul and a continued spiritual existence to lower animals8 ,are we not all of us fellows and co-workers1 partakers of the same universal life1 sharing alike a common source and destiny8 ,this has always been the faith and insight of the child1 whose simple wisdom we ever turn to for truth and guidance4 ,and in our clearer realisation of the oneness of all life1 we will extend to all creatures the ,golden ,rule1 showing them the love and consideration we would have shown to us4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,,human ,,side of ,,birds4 ,by ,,royal ,,dixon ,with #d illustrations in color and #cb in black-and-white4 ,cloth1 #hvo4 ,with every statement based on fact1 and every fact of unusual interest1 the author shows that many qualities of and occupations in the human world have their parallels in the bird world4 ,here is bird study from a new angle--instead of treating our bird neighbors as labeled specimens to be described in scientific terms1 they are treated as friends1 and a careful study is made of their disposition1 character1 emotions and thought processes4 ,mr4 ,dixon tells of birds who are policemen1 athletes1 divers1 bakers2 birds who maintain courts of justice and military organizations and many other curious types4 ,,buy ,,from ,,your ,,bookseller but let us send you the news about books ,to the readers of this book who furnish name and address 7a postal card will do71 we will gladly send1 free of charge1 announcements of our new publications4 ,our illustrated holiday pamphlets with colored picture covers are unusually attractive4 ,books may then be ordered through your local bookshop4 ,we employ no agents or canvassers ,,frederick ,a4 ,,stokes ,,company #ddg-ddh ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,publishers ,,frederick ,a4 ,,stokes ,,company ,new ,york