Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-22

was with me ran after II, the RABBIT ran INTO
a bush and he caught il. Now, although
the poor thing was so injured, there was no
cry when | first disturbed and ran after it, or
when it was disturbed and followed the Sc
cond time, bat the moment il was caught 1t
began TO cry out, showing that fear could
excite a cry which all its sufferings could not
do.
When rabbits are caught in traps, II not
taken out in a short time they are almost sure
10 escape, either by breaking away by force
from the trap, and tearing of the leg, or by
biting the leg OF. These traps are made TO
clasp very strongly, but TO prevent escape as
far as possible, they are made purposely not
to close nearer than about the eigth Of an inch,
and the teeth are rounded so as not TO cut;
but rabbits are so indifferent to pain that l
hsv We seen their legs left in traps with the 81
Dews attached to them, just as the sinews
are drawn from the fowls legs previous
to cooking, and yet although the bone is
so broken, and the muscles and sinews torn
apart in this manner, it seems to have little
or TO effect on the health Of the animal.
! have seen them caught after having re-
Gently lost a leg, and TO all appearance, in as
good health, and as fat, as If nothing had hap
pened TO them. A short time since, ] saw a
rabbit caught which had but one leg, having
lost one hind leg apparently some time, and
the two fore legs very recently, but although
the poor animal had been obliged to 90 along
as il could with its one leg and the bare
stumps OF the others, it was in good condition
and healthy.
Rats will bite off their legs in a similar
way, and escape but ! do not know of any
animal which is strictly a beast of prey, OF
rather a hunting animal, that will do so. /
have never known a cat, polecat, or such ami
mails do it, although they may sometimes lose
a leg in a common trap which shuts close and
is apt to cut; and | have lately known a fox
found in a wood in a dying state, from star
walton, with a trap on its leg, an incumbrance
that a rabbit would have been free from in a
very short time.
These facts will, | believe, bear me out on
the point, that the sense of pain is for the pre-
servation of animals, by compelling them to
take due care OF themselves, and that no ami
NAL has a greater share of the sense of pain
than is necessary for the preservation of The
class TO which it belongs. Tn loss of a leg
must be a great inconvenience 10 any quad.
ruped, but rabbits or rats may still procure
food without it; even the case before alluded
to of the hyena, does not tell against il, as the
hyeua does not get its food by swiftness of
foot alone, nor is its foot the weapon OF attack,
as with the cat tribe but if a fox, wild cat,
~polecat, or any animal of that description, To-
ses It's leg, it is a chance if it docs not die of
starvation, unless lis prey be very plentiful (;
therefore, as the legs are of SO much impor-
lance TO these animals, they seem to be en-
dowed with a sense Of pain in proportion to
their usefulness, as a guard Tor their preser-
walton.
From the ease and indifference with which
crabs and HOLSTERS will throw off their claws,
when under the influence Of sudden fright, or
when their claws are injured, it is evident
that their sense Of pain from mutilalion must
be very little; and, according to the argu-
ment ] have advanced, it may be asked, Of
what use can the sense of pain be to any of
The crustaceous tribes! They are coated in
armor sufficient 10 protect them from all mi
nor enemies, and it they get into the power
of an enemy strong enough TO crush through
their shells, Of what nse can the sense Of pain
be to them then! But they show signs of
great pain when thrown into boiling water,
and ] see no reason why they may not be in
sensible 10 pain from mutilations, and yet be
sensible, in a high degree, to pain from ex-
IRENE changes Of temperature; for, as there
are no bounds 10 prevent their ranging over
all parts Of the sea, it is probable that a sense
~ y 1StoodiY ~ thOthN ohu ma
ny other animals also, to keep them 10 those
parts of the world which they were formed
TO inhabit. II may also be useful to keep
them to those parts and depths in the sea that
are necessary for their young to arrive at ma
iurity.
From the observation Of Sir Humphrey
Davy, and others well acquainted, il is very
probable that the sense of pain in many of
them is very trifling; and when we consider
the fecundity Of the cod, and many other fish,
es, the number Of eggs deposited by a single
cod fish in one season, according TO Leuea-
beck, upwards of nine miilions,) and bear in
mind, that unless these fish more than double
their numbers annually, that of the myriads
of fishes that are Matched from these eggs,
not more than three or four, or an average,
can arrive at the same maturity as the parent
fish, the others being all destroyed al differ
ent stages Of their growth, being the food Of
other animals it does seem probable that
there is a similar dispensation of mercy 10
them, as l have endeavored TO show there is
to rabbits and hares.
Many cases may be brought forward to
show the absence Of pain in insects. have
seen a wasp eat a fly almost Immediately af-
ter a portion Of its own abdomen had been
cut off; ] have also seen a cock-chafer crawl
ing and eating on a hedge after its abdomen
had been emptied Of the ~viscera, probably by
some bird. It is well known that a dragon
fly will eat freely for a considerable time
while confined bya pin through its body; and
every one who has collected chronological
specimens, must know the difficulty in kill
ing some of the larger moths. But as this
paper is already much longer than | original
ly intended, ! shall say no more on this point,
as the remarks on the subject in the introduce
ton to Kirby and Spence's Entomology are
very generally known.
1t may be well TO reflect for a moment on
the constant slaughter that is going on among
the lower class of animals. The number of
flies eaten by a single pair of swallows and
their young must be immense.
once observed a rather extraordinary IL
ln.a.aaion nf Tho Law of nafnra 70 aaf and ha