Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-05-19

10 De devoureu ny Wild beast Is 10
each ofusan odious thought; but it does
not follow that to be killed by atiger or
lion is peculiarly painful. On this topic
Dr.. Livingstone has given US his own
valuable experience. A lion leaped on
him, seized him by the shoulder, and
tossed him in the air, as dog tosses q
rat. The tossing caused delirium,
which precluded any sense Of pain had
he then died, it would have beena a mer-
ciful death, but we should not have
known thatso it was. However his COM
panions shot the lion, who thereupon
dropped his intended victim, and took to
fight. DIR. Livingstone's life was saved,
and he endured much pain in the heal
ing of his wounds, though he had none
while in the lions jaws.
The skill with which all rapacious an
imals kill their quarry has often been
noted. Evidently this is no accident
it pervades nature. The tossing Of .
rat, or of a man, in the air, might have
seemed sportive caprice in the victori-
GUS beast, whom we cannot suppose to
do it from any design; but when We
learn that it causes the captive to swoon,
and benumb pain, we seem to read .
divine mercy beneath the animal instinct.
Young lions are said to bungle 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 bungling, if they did not assail
game disproportioned to them. With
great accuracy a young dog bites as
sunder thefatal artery of rabit orleveret
and it is not without reason that we as
cribe to all carnivora an effected skill in
killing, which man with much training
rarely equals. Yes, says one class of
reasoners, we admit that they kill clev-
erly, and with little suffering to their
prey; but consider what misery, what
terror the unhappy hare or deer or par
fridge endures while chased by its ad-
versary." Is there not here an entire
mistake2 Tie up horses and bullocks
in stable, where they can hear outside
a lion or tiger roar, and, no doubt, they
endure agonies of terror. Sweat runs
down them, they shiver and are exhaust
| ed by their own emotion. But this is
not their position in wild nature they
are brought into it by the artifce of
man. The wild cattle take to fight
from the beast, unless strong enough to
turn and face him. In either case the
exertion, or the preparation to fight, alb
serbs terror. While the sailor has some
thing to do against the storm, activity
subdues fear but when nothing can be
done, and he sits helpless, then it is that
fear may unman him.
According to Idomeneus in Homer,
the greatest trial of mans bravery is, to sit
in ambush with the foemen near outside
the thicket. When it his duty to sit still
and do nothing, then it is that the cow
ards hue changes and his teeth chatter"
Inaction being the state which brings
terror to its maximum, we may justly
doubt whether an animal which is strain
ing it nervous and muscular energy to
escape really suffers agony from fear.
Fatigue may at length induce distress,
with symptoms similar to those of fear,
but violent exertion is part of the life of
such creatures and does not impair their
happiness. Rapacious animals must kill
day by day, in order to live; it is part
of the natural system by which the bal
ance of species is maintained. But no
inference, that the birds and beasts
which are the objects Of prey, have un-
happy lives, can at all be sustained.
They evidently enjoy life, as do human
communities, though exposed to many
dangers and alarms. TO say that life is
precious is to avow that the good large
ly predominates. Fraser's Magazine.