New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14
MIXTURES MURDERERS.
From The 81. James, Gazette.
I... =. 4. 4.

From The ST. Jdines's Gazette
In Professor Newman's letter to the newspapers,
he saws that If we give up the cruelty of mang-
ling birds with the gun and leave the little hawks
to Kill themselves with divine deXt6Tlty they VIII
remain as nun erous now" Surely imagination
is al work here more tenderly than keenly. Anyone
who has spent quiet days on the lonely mooIs must
have seen a sparrow hawk chasing a lark. We
cannot tell what the larks private opinions may be,
but to all outward appearance II never appreciates
"divine dcxterity." The chase often lasts from
twenty minutes to half an hour. Sometimes the
lark gets clean away: sometimes it takes refuge at
the feet of "A man. or IN some friendly collage; but
more often the poor creatures night grows feeble.
and the savage enemy stOopS and brings 1t down.
When the captive and captor reach the ground the
divine deXterty makes Itself manifest IN most
butcherly process OF tearing and reudng. Part.
ridges and grouse which are pursued by the larger
hawks seem also TO suffer terrible agony during
their HI ght. In fact. from all observation, incline
to believe that if the birds could be got 10 deliver
an impartial opinion, they would declare IN favor
Of the swift oblivion given by the gun rather than
in favor of the long terror of flight, aud the cruel
rendng of beak and talons. Professor Newman
NAV have means of accurately gauging OTnithOlOg-
cal opinion; but We. the most part Of us. can only
form judgments from common observation. Those
who favor the Professors view OF natures opera
tions should try to spend one long day wild
place. They would find that day cycle of murder.
Surprising that the place is by the sea, lie down,
first of all by the side of some deep break in the
rocks and watch what goes as the tide flows in.
The goby turks behind the waving weeds and
dashes out now and again on his prey the dog crab
sidles along and watches his chances the black eel
winds slnuously about, with his villauOus eye and
his snaky coils making HIM look like the very
genius of murder. by the time the gap is COM
pletely filled the observer one great battle of
species against Species and he knows that the same
fight is going Oh IN every bay down the coast
Inland the same kind OF wild work may be seen
10y dexterOus watching. rabbit slnmbles hope
lessly among the tustocks. II seems dazed and for
done. few yards behind comes tiny brown
creature with white breast and vicious little teeth
and the poor rabbit knows that there Is no escape
from this deadly pursuer. Unless you to
deliver the rabbit from divine dexterity, you will
sec how natures butchers work. The chased least
begins to run in hating circles then IL stops and
screams: then there is brown fash. and the weasel
is fixed like an ugly parasite behind the poor vic
TINS ears then there is silence. Half hour
after YOU will the rabbit abandoned with n
gaping wound in its neck. If your terrier accom-
panies YOU then the rabbit is saved and the would
he murderer is murdered. The weasel turns on the
dog and squeaks with thin sound that sets the
teeth on edge; he also emits an abUmnable stencil
which stays long in the air. The terrier knows
that divine deXterlty must he exercised mot so
much for the purpose OF sparng the weasel pain
as for preventing that lively creature from getting
a hold on his jugulaTl, so he poises for a second
before striking. Then he catches the soft little
brute by the middle: there is "A swift fapping souna
as the dog shakes his head and then the weasel
flies four feet into the air. Evolution and training
have made this butcher efficient. Watch amongst
the sloe- bushes of some deep ravine. Down in the
hollow there is a red CLEAN as Reynard works his
way among the sedgeS lie comes into the open,
and you actually see him curl his lips into a queer
kind of MephIstophelian smile. He glances over
his shoulder. and advances with a wary gait
The innocent water hen goes on nOddng her head
and making little noises without being IN the least
aware of the greedy eyes and the bare teeth that
are flashing close behind her The fox makes
his dart there Is a gurgng scream. and divine
dexterity is once more made manifest. How many
more sights and sounds OF death meet eve and ear
In the cOnrse Of day and night there no need TO
might learn that man is not, after ALL the cruellest
OF animals.