The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-08
Suicide by Animals.

A cause Of suicide in the dog is given by
Morris, as illustrative of MANS pitlessness
to hls wornout animal dependents. The
poor animal was old, infrm, paralyzed, use
less, an outcast and a wanderer. Prior to
It's sulcldeb by drowning, 1t was characterized
ny sadness OF look. 1t obviously ponderc d
Its course af action, exhibited for time
lhestitancy, and at last came to decision.
ana acted upon it with promptncss and res
l0lutlon. 1t preferred death to It's expert
lSence of life, and refused to allow itself to
be saved. In auothcr instance, cited i1y the
same author, the dog was old, diseased,
distracted with pain. 1t, too, drowned it.
self with the utmost de!beration, first cast
Ing last pitcous, ''longing, lingering look"
az It's master, who had suspected it of being
affected by, and probably had discarded il
for, the suspected rabies. An old collie
(shepherds dog) in Caithncss, troubled
with inflrmties of age including deafness
and the loss Of teeth, in 1876 committed
sulclde-here again by drowning. ssEvid-
emily age was bulden to him. The day
before the last scene in the drama was en-
acted nc was observed to take a general
survey of the locality he was about to quit
forever-in q very shaky way. He then
wendcd his way over ground familiar to
him In his hunting days OF the seashorc-a
qlstance OF about two miles and without
taking longing, lingering look behind, lie
plunged into the sea and expired. The &C,
was witnessed by number of persons on
the shore" ,..
a Newfoundland dog "of great age had
his feelings wounded by being scoldcd,
beaten in prctense only by means of a
pocket handkerchief, and having a door
smut in his face when about to leave room
with his usual companions, a nurse and her
group Of children. Soon after he was
found alive, but with his head altogether
or partly submerged in ditch. IIo was
dragged out. But now he refused to eat
or rdrink, and before long he was found in |
the same position In the same ditch, but |
this time dead. He had succeeded in this |
second determined attempt at drowning.
put failed In securing his purpose with su(-
hclent rapdity and dircctncss by starvation.
D., 'WidIlnns; 5rIurcu t,o>w:,'::.-1 -s,-: 49,.
to become morose; it refused all compnn-
ionship, bit viciously, and had marked |
vagueness-as if contcmplativc-of gaze.
An American canvas back duck used its
bill to keep itself submerged till it was
drowned, seizing water weeds attached to
or growing from the bottom of pond or
lake. "Certain fowls were determined |
upon suicide, and many jumped deliberate
ly ovcrb oard" on the African lake Albert |
Nyanza., Captive birds sometimes poison
themselves, apparently preferring deathto
confinement. The American stag or deer |
commits suicide sometimes when seized or
attacked by the glutton-by prccipitating |
Itself against trees. Dr. Bdic has put upon |
record asyery; decided case of suicide in the |
common; Black scorpion Of. Southern India |
as it occurs for instance, in. Madras. One
was placed dexperimentally in glazed en-
tomologicals case and exposed to the suns |
rays. SssIhe light and heat seemed to irri,
tate livery much. Taking common bo-
tanical lens, focused the rays of the sun
on its back. The moment this was done
it began to run hurriedly about the case,
Kissing and splitting in very fierce way.
''This experiment was repeated some four
or five times with like results. But, on
trying it'once again, the scorpion turned
up Its tail and plunged the sting into its
was! quite extinct" Another Indian officer
confirmed DR.. Bidie's observation subse-
quently by asserting that scorpions do
commit suicide Is well known fact. They
turn back their tails and sting themselves tc
DEATH" For instance: "When surrounded
by circle ofg!owing embcrs," from which
presumably they infer escape to be impos-
sible and death by the torture of burning
imminent. Palsey's experiments on scorp-
IONS also led to their death by suicide, A
certain trap.door spider OF, New Zealand
cohibines nilrder of;its youag with volun-
tary sacrifice Of it's own )lfe.i ut is per-
fectly clear to me-" says most intelligent
observersan describer of its habits, Robert
Gillies, G. F., President of the Otago .lnsti
TUT, ,Sthat 'thes spider, deliberately sealed
it's nest and starved 1t elf and its young to
death. It evidently could not bear to leave
it's home, for 1t could have done go easily at
any time with its young. The partial
marring of its handiwork seemed to have
SO. dishcart6neddt that 1t sealed itself up it's
own ruined house--a Nu, broken hearted alrcbi- alrHcbii
tect and builder.l"' ,>r 'n.
Quigg ana billy .> II
.'sts. o. I r