Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-05

EXPERIENCE OF ANIMALS. The expectation OF
the recurrence of an event is the impression OF a
former circumstance, which, from certain causes
and a resemblance of certain points, We are again
led to entertain and to see fulfilled; the former is
caused bv the memory and the latter by under
standing for the imagination, by comparison OF
the past with the present, prepares the MIND to re-
ceive a certain conclusive result. This application
of experience is traceable in the lowest orders ofe.
The razor shel-fsh buries itself deep i'll the sand,
when left by the ebbing tide and is attracted to the
surface by little salt being dropped into its hole.
A movement in the sand inmediately follows. and
presently half the fish becoming visible the fisher
man draws it out with an iron prong, but should
he fail in Selling it. relax his hold the fish rapid
ly disappears and will not rise again. although more
salt be thrown to it. 1t seems thus to be aware OF
its DANGER for it will come forth the fresh ap-
plicatop of salt should it not have been touched in
the first instance. Borlase says that he saw the at
tack of lobster on oyster.
Holsters, like most other crustaces, feed princ-
pally Oh shell fish, which they extract with their
claws, and in the instance in question the oyster
closed its shell as often as the lobster attempted to
insert ITSELF after many failures the lobster took
small stone, which it placed between the shells as
soon as they were separated, and then devoured
the fish. Monkeys in the West Indies have been
seen to resort to the same device. Crickets if dis
turbed, withdraw quickly into their holes, and re-
appear again soon; but if the disturbance be re-
peated, they remain altogether within them. A
fox escaped from trap in which it may have been
caught, remembers the danger, and is not again to
be deceived. Birds are equally suspicious.
The quail which has once been enticed into the
net by the call pipe, will not allow itself to be
caught again but some like the redbreast and tit
mice, are not so readily alarmed. A wasp encum-
bered by the struggles of large fly, which it had
caught bit its wings off, and then bore it away
with ease the same with a sand wasp, which at
tempted to draw small moth into his hole, but be-
ing prevented by its wings it separated them and
the legs from the body, and thus secured it Duges
saw spider which had seized a bee by the back,
and cfectualy prevented it from taking fight but
the legs being at liberty, it dragged the spider
along which presently suspended it by thread
from its web leaving it to dange in the air till it
was dead, when it drawn up and devoured.
The use of experience becomes more marked and
extensive with age, the higher we ascend in the
scale of life. Thus old birds are not so easily APP
preached within gunshot young ones old foxes
are less easily caught in traps and old stays show
more cunning. On newly discovered islands, the
birds and animals have no fear of man, and the
seals and other amphibin do not move at his ap-
proach ; but very short experience teaches them
i'll what their safety consists. In tracts where the
art of trapping has never been practiced, the ami
mails at first caught in numbers, but by degrees
they become more wary, and the hunter is compel
led to greater stratagems. In woods which are
much hunted the game is more shy and vigilant,
while it seems fully to comprehend the sanctty of
preserve.-Ihe Passions of animals, 6y e. p.
Thompson.