The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-11-14
Survival or Instincts.

The last number Of the Popular Science
Monfhfu contains an article on the survival
of instincts, which details some cruel and
apparently abnormal habits among domes-
tic animals, and traces them 10 early de-
yclopments of necessity. by repetition
they have acquired the force of instinct.
For instance. a gentleman living near
Brooklyn recently tetherrd turkey in the
field with rope for the better protection
OF her young brood. one day the turkey
became entangled in the cord and fell
helpless upon the ground. The other tlir
keys in the same Held. with whom there
had been constant aud friendly aSsOcia-
tion heretofore. Immediately fell upon their
disabled companion, and commenced pick
ing at her head and eyes, evidently with
the purpose OF killing her. This occur
renee led to inquiry, which ELECTED the tact
that such conduct was not unusual among
otherwise wcll-bchaved turkeys whenever
one of the flock became disabled and an
easy victim To its companions. The same
disposition. under similar circumstances,
has been found among other domcsticated
animal>-cattle. swine, and dogs. Drovers
of long experience testify that, when herds
of cattle are rapidly driven, and one falls
10 the ground or exhibits signs of weak
the herd TO set upon il and gore il 10 death
a Long Island gentleman reports "A case in
which this occurred in a field where cattle
were peacefully grazing, and another that
observation has convinced him that cry
of distress Is always signal for attack on
the part of the strong. instead of AN invita-
ton for sympathy The same propensity
has been observed among swine. In driv-
ing in the pens. and especially in crowded
ears, the weak are attacked by the strong.
and in some cases devoured as well a.
killed. On one occasion, after hog had
been slaughtered and eaten, other meat
was thrown to the survivors TO test wheth-
er hunger had tempted them 10 this trcacl.-
cry. but it was not touched. This seems
10 indicate that their cruelty was prompted
by some other instinct.
This propensity among dumb animals.
uniformly developed under certain con-
ditions. is reasonably attributed to sur
yival of certain instincts from former
wild condition. when such actions were
rendered necessary or advisableas means
of selt-preserNatiOn. This view is con-
iirmed by the fact that a similar disposition
has been noted among wild animals. Gu
yier SAYS OF the white urus: when one
ofthe breed happens To be wounded. or i
cnfeebled by agc or sickness. the others sci
upon il and gore il 10 DEATH Audubon
reports that ii is common among the wild
turkey on their marches for the old males
TO destroy the immature though the full
grown and vigorous birds are not attacked.
The American bison desert the old. sick
and disabled for the wolves to feed on.
Wounded wolves are killed 10y their COM
rades. An instance j. cited in which one
of number of porpoiscs following YES
sci was wounded by pole hurled at il
from the ship. when the others turned on
il Immediately. The yeriiication of this
habit among 30 many different species
giyes To il the character of instinct. which
was originally developed by the law OF
sclEpreservatiOn. Ii became necessary at
times To drive behind or DESTROY the feeble
in order To protect the majority when ami
mails were threatened or pursued by
stronger animals or by men, and this dis
position has been perpetuated and
strengthened 10y Transmission from gene
ration TO generation.
Darwinists find some support for their
hypothesis of common origin Of species
i'm traces of like disposition among men.
Mr.. Darwin himself mentions the practice
common among North American Indians
of leaving their fellow comrades TO perish
on the plains. and the Feee Islanders who
bury their parents alive when they get old
aud disabled. Like traits are found among
other savage and semi-savage people. But
it is not necessary to 20 to the savage state
of mans existence to discover them. His
tory shows similar desertion and dcstruc-
ton of the weak that the strong may sur
vivc even among civilized nations. At
Metz. there is bridge known as the
= Bridge of DEATH" not from the terrible
destruction of life during wars, but be-
cause there was an annual gathering mere
of the inirm and aged, by order of the
city authorities. After the helpless had
thus assembled. a charge was made upon
them. and they were forced TO jump into
the stream below. where their struggles
for life were met with pelting stones.
hurled az them by the populace gathered
along the banks. The very same trait.
having it, origin in the same motive, may
thus BE- found in certain stages among men
IS well a among brutcs. In the more adj
vanced stages of civilization there is still
mental reflex of this cruel tendency in the
disposition, altogether too frequently re-
cognized. TO Cypress those who have al
ready suffered reverscs. II Is generally
known n the tendency TO Kick man
when he Is down''-an expression which
seems 10 trace similarity between this hui
man trait and the animal instinct that Is
found to survive among the turkeys. the