Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-11
Animals That Hold Fast to Life.
Experiences of n Fisherman With Crea-
 lures That are Slow to Die.

Experiences of a Fisherman With Crea-
 lures That are Slow to Die.
 GF-on the New York Sum-
 ''You will hardly credit it," said a Staten Island fisherman whom a reporter talked with the other day, ''but the head of turtle will retain very marked interest in exist encs long after it's body has been served up in soup and steaks. I believe it is well- known fact, but I only discovered it six months ago. I found friend engaged in shelling a small turtle. Now he said, putting the head on the dresser, that will be alive and active tomorrow morning. Of course laughed at him, but I agreed to call next day and test his prophecy. Next morn ing my friend asked me to step into the kitchen. The head was still on the dresser, and though it had been separated from the body for at least sixteen hours the eyes were wide open and bright. Take care, exclaimed my friend, as 1 put my finger near the mouth. His warning came not second too soon. The head of that turtle absolutely jumped at me. Where it's motive power came from I cannot explain, bat 1t moved two inches toward me, and snapped at my finger with a viciousness that could not have been surpassed by oornered rat. think it a6U DcSn nOlQlQR DECK 1L6 nI6, as men or strong will power, for fixed purposes, lave been known to do, until an opportunity of fered to avenge the destruction of its body, for after it had made the effort it's eyes grew fixed and flmy, and in an hour it dead. Next to the turtle in obstinate persistence in living must come the eel. In recognizing the extraordinary length of time through which an eel clings to it's being under the most unfavorable circumstances, people, I think overlook the most unfavorable condi- ton of all-the removal of it from the water, state of affairs sufficient in itself to pro- duoe death.
 ''I do not believe that cutting an eeIs head of or serving his tail the same way shortsns his life much. He dies because he is out of his element, and had he been left unmutilated he would have lived but little. Of course, if you put him in sections on the frying pau you place upon him burden greater than be can bear, and he dies quickly; but the lesser injuries, affecting only the tail, head or skin, seem to me to make but little impression. The fact is, an eel can live an extraordinarily long time out of water. They hSbitually leave it of their own accord and wander in the fields that slope down to 8 creek not far from here. I have often met in the early morning cells making their way down to the creek. They had spent the night in the meadows in search of worms and were going back. Whether an eel or any other fish is capaDIe or IeeNng acute pain cannot say This I can vouch for When an eel haa been skinned and beheaded, and seems to be quite dead, little salt rubbed on the surface of the body will be apt to restore life very quickly. A snake dies quickly under inju- riss. The average snake will not live three minutes after his head is crushed with g stick. The eye of wild bird remains bright for some time after you have shot it, and is likely to cause 8 tender hearted sportsman on his first gunning expedition a good deal of self reproach.
 II do not know whether clans have at any time a very self-assertive existence, but that, ia captivity, the clam is able at times to make himself excessively dissgreeable I have had occasion to know. Not long ago I brought home big basket of clans. I placed them in dish pail and left them in the kitchen In the middle of the night my wife aroused me, saying that there were robbers in the house. With pistol in my hand I wandered from room to room. I could hear a most ex sraordinary noise, like combination of saw, ing, filing. grooming and grunting. with an occasional wstery gasp, but, for the life of me, could not imagine where it came from At last I went into the kitchen and the mys- tery was solved. Each clam, with his shell wide open, was making almost as much noise ss bullfrog in full vigor. I filled the pan with fresh water, which brought either con tentment or death; that is to say, it quieted them "