The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-08-27
Birds Stimulating Suffering g-Animal
Instinct.

In walking along the side of river
with overhanging banks, | came sudden
ly on wild duck, whose young were
just out. Springing from under the
bank, she fnttered out into the stream,
with loud cries and with all the strug
gles to escape of a helplessly wounded
bird. To simulate the effects of suffer
ings from disease, ,or from strong emotion,
or from wounds upon the human frame,
is common necessity of the actors art
and it is not often really we'll done. The
tricks of the theater are seldom natural,
and it is not without reason that "theat
rical" has become proverbial expires
sion for false and artificial representa-
tion of the realities of life. 1t was,
therefore, with no small interest that on
this as on many other occasions, watch
! ed the perfection of an art which Mrs.
Siddons might have envied. The labor
ed and half-convulsive tapping of the
wings, the wringing of the body the
straining of the neck, and the whole ex-
preston of painful and abortive effort,
were really admirable. When her strng-
giles had carried her a considerable dis
tance, and she saw they produced no ef-
feet in tempting US to follow, she made
resounding flaps upon the surface of the
water to secure that attention to herself
which it was the great object of the ma
noeuvre TO attract. Then, rising sudden
| ly in the air, she made a great circle
round us, and returning to the spot re-
newed her endeavors as be fore 1t was
not, however, necessary; for the separate
instinct of the young in successful hi
ding effectually bafled all my attempts
to discover them.
If now we examine, in the light of ouI
own reason, all the elements of knowl
edge or of intellectual perception upon
which the instinct of the wild duck j,
founded, and all of which, as existing
somewhere, it undoubtedly reflects, We
shall soon see how varions and extensive
those elements of knowledge are. First
there is the knowledge that the canse OF
the alarm is a carniverous animal On
this fundamental point no creature i,
ever deceived. The youngest chick
knows hawk, and the dreadful form
fills it with instant terror. Next, there
is the knowledge that dogs and Other
carniverous quadrupeds have the sense
of smell, as an additional element Of
danger to the creatures of which they
prey. Next, there is the knowledge thai
the dog, not being itself flying animal
has sense enough not to attempt the pur
suit of prey which can avail itself o.
sure and easy method of escape. Next
there is the conclusion from all this
knowledge, that if the dog is to be in
duced to chase, it must be led to sup
pose that the power of flight has beer
somehow lost. And then there is the
further conclusion that this can only bt
done by such an accurate imitation of Z
disabled bird as shall deceive the enemy
into a belief in the possibility of cap
ture. And lastly, there are all he pow
ers of memory and the qualities of i'm
agination which enable good acting tt
be performed. All this reasoning ant
all this knowledge is certainly involved
in the action of the bird mother, just a
certainly as reasoning and knowledge o
a much profounder kind is involved il
the structure or adjustment of the or
ganic machinery by which and through
which the action is itself performed.- =
Duke of Argyll, Contemporary Re
view.