The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-05
VII. Beasts and Their Prey.

To ht devourei by wild beast is to
each OF us an odiouS thought: but it does
not follow that To be killed BY tiger or
by lion Is peculiarly painful. On this
topic DIR. Livingstone has given his own
valuable experience. 4 lion leaped on
him, seized him by the shoulder, and
tossed him in the air, as dog losses a
rat. The tossing caused a delicious de-
lirium, which precluded any sense of
pain; had he then died it would have
been a merciful death, but we should
not have known that so it was. How
ever, his companions shot the lion, who
thereupon Gr"pped his intended victim
and took to flight. DIR. Livingstone life
was saved, and he endured much pain
in the healing of his wounds, though he
had none while in the lions jaws The
skill with which all rapaciou@ animals
kill their quarry. has often been noted.
Evidently this is no accident; it pervade<
nature. The tossing of rat, or of
man. in the air, might have seemed
sportive caprice in the victorious beast.
whom we cannot suppose to do it from
any design; but when we learn that it
ean+es the captive to swOon, and be
numbs pain, we seem to read a divine
mercy beneath the animal instinct
Young lions are said to buTgle in their
first attempt to seize large game, and to
need instruction from their parents; but
to judge by young hounds there would
be no bunRling, if they did not assail
game disproportioned to them. With
great accuracy a young dog bites asnn
der the fatal artery of rabbit or leveret;
and it is not without reason that we
ascribe to all the carnivora an effective
skill in killing, which man with mnch
training rarely equals. YES" says one
class of reasoners, 1--WE admit that they
kill cleverly, and with little suffering TO
their prey; but consider what misery.
what terror the unhappy hare or deer or
partridge eniures while chased by its
adversary" Is there not here an entire
mistake? Tie up horses and bullocks
in stable, where they can hear out
side a lien or tiger roar, and. TO doubt,
they endure agonies of terror. Sweat
runs down them, they shiver and are ex
haustei by their own emotion. But
this is not their position in wild nature;
they are brought into it only by the ar
tifce of man The wild cattle take to
flight from the fierce beast, unless
strong enough to turn and face him. In
either case the exertion, or the prepara-
ton to fight, absorbs terror. While the
sailor has something to do against the
storm, activity subdues fear; but when
nothing can be done, and he sits help
less, then it is that fear may unman him
According to ldomeneus in Homer, the
greatest trial of mans bravery is, to sit
in ambush with foemen near outside the
thicket. When it is his duty to sit still
and do nothing, then it Is that 1.-The
coward's hue changes and his teeth chat
ter" Inaction being the state which
brings terror to its maximum, we may
justly doubt whether an animal which is
straiDiEg all its nervous and muscular
energy to escape, really suffers agony
from fear. Fatigue NAV at length in
duce distress, with symptoms similar to
those of fear, but violent exertion is
part of life of SUCH creatures and does
not impair their happiness. Rapncions
animals must kill, day by day, in order
to live; it is part Of the natural system
by which the balance of species is main
tanned. But no inference that the birds
and beasts which are the objects Of prey
have unhappy lives can he sustained
They evidently enjoy life, though ex-
posed 10 many dangers and alarms. To
say that life is precious is to avow that
the good largely predominates.-[F Fra
Sor'S MaOaz,na