Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-06
r
o Most Animals are Affected by Earth

-
HOW Most Animals are Affected by Earth
Tremors.
Very probably not only fish but ami.
mails and some birds hear as much by
the vibration Of the earth as by thef
sound travelling in the atmosphere, andi
depend as much upon their Immediate.
perception of the slightest tremor Of
the earth as upon recognition by the
ear in the manner familiar to ourselves.
When rabbits, for instance, are out.
feeding in the grass, it is often posi-
BILE to get quite close to them by walk
ing in this way. extremely slow, and
carefully placing the foot by slow de-
grees upon the ground. The earth isl
then merely pressed, and not stepped
upon at all, so that there is no jar. By.
doing this l have often moved up with:
in gunshot of rabbits without the least.
aid from cover. Once now and then 1
have walked across a field straight at
them. Something, however, depends.
on the direction Of the wind, for then
the question of scent in. To-
some degree it is the same with hares.
1t is certainly the case with birds, as;
wood pigeons, a flock. of them, will rel
main feeding only just the other side
OF the hedge; but if you stamp thel
earth, will rise instantly. So will
rocks, though they will not fly far
if you are not armed. Partridges,
certainly secure themselves by their
attention to the faint tremorl
of the ground. Pheasants do
so too, and make off, running through
the underwood long before any one Isl
in sight. The most sensitive are land
rails, and it is difficult to get near
them, for this reason. Though the
moving grass must conceal an ap-
preaching person from them as it con-
ceals them from him, these birds changes
their positions, no matter how quietly,
he walks, Let him be as cunning as
he will, and think to cut off corners
and cross the landrail's retreat, the
bird battles him nine times in ten.
That it is advised Of the direction the
pursuer takes by the vibration of the
surface is at least probable. Other,
birds sit and hope to escape by remain
ing still till they detect the tremor COM,
ing direct toward them, when thew
rise. Rain and dry weather change
the susceptibility of the surface to vi
brate, and may sometimes in part ac-i
count for the wildness or apparent
tameness of birds and animals. Should!
any n doubt the existence of SUCH
tremors he has only to lie on the ground
with his ear neal the surface; but, be-;
ing unused to the experiment, he will
at first only notice the heavier sounds,
as Of a wagon or a carthorse. In rel
cent experiments with most delicate
instruments devised to show the cosmic,
vibration.of the earth, the movements,
communicated to it by the tides, or by
the pull OF the sun and moon, it has
been found almost impossible as yet to-
carry out the object, SO greatly are
these movements obscured by the cease
less and inexplicable vibrations of the,
solid earth. There is nothing unreas-
enable in the superstition that, if an in
strument can be constructed to show
these, the ears of animals and birds
living organisms, and not iron and
steel-should be able to discover the
tremors of the surface.-LW Of the
Fields.