Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-01-28
Snorts and Gcmes of Animals.

That insects have their games and
sports l am convinced This first oc-
Cured to me while in the Adirondacks
some years ago. l was some distance
in the wilderness, and having found
small clearing, was resting from my
climb, when suddenly the sun, that had
been obscured, sent band of light
through an opening in the trees and at
once transformed the spot into verit-
able fairy-land. From all about in
Vulnerable forms of insect life seemed
to spring into the gladstone light, and
soon the great sunbeam was the scene
of such revelry as is only imagined by
tellers of fairy stories. A band of
gnats, o. insects resembling them,
seemed to be performing some mystic
dance. They hoated on the beams of
light, rising and falling in undulating
lines, forming and reforming, now dis
appearing, as if at some preconcerted
signal, only to appear again in some
new shape. So regular and exact were
these movements that / was impressed
that they had some meaning. In and
about this band of players various
other forms were darting. Such games
of tagl such aerial leaps, dives and
plungesl all showing that this sunbath
was being enjoyed to the utmost ex-
tent.
Once, when lying on the rocks that
face the ocean, not far from Nahant, |
was attracted by n curious clicking
sonnd. first on one side, then on the
other; as if system of signaling was
going on. Recognizing the note of one
of the locust tribe, carefully turned
and saw half dozen large, rusty
brown fellows, commonly known as
grasshoppGrs, which 50 exactly imitat-
ed the rocks in color that it was " til
the greatest difficulty l distinguished
them when not in motion. 1t was ap.
parent that they were engaged III some
curious performance, as they were
marching about in the most erratic
mantler, lodging and hiding between
pieces of stone, and exhibiting remark
able acutenes in avoiding each other.
All the little Irregularities of the rocks
were carefully taken advantage of, and
their motions IN creeping upon one
another rem nded me of those of cat,
so 5tealthy and sly were they. This
game of hide.anG.seek was occasionlly
varied by leaping performance. Two
locusts would grayely face each other,
and then as if at a given signal they
would jump into the air, one passing
over the other in the flight, alighting
and assuming the same positions, only
reversed. | watched their maneuvers
for some time, and listened to the
curious clicking that accompanied
them; but finally an incautious move
ment broke up the games, and the play
ers flew away, seemingly uttering Wig
orous protests.
The love of sport is not confined to
these lowly creatures. l doubt that an
animal can be found which does not in
some way or at some time show de-
sire for what we term amusement"
Among the land animals, or rather the
land and water animals, the offers are
especially noticeable from the fact that
some of their games are exactly ike
those of human device. It was Audu-
bon who first chronicled their actions,
he having watched them from seclud-
cd spot, and since then their games
have been enjoYed by many Observers.
The ctter5 (lutra canadens s. are per-
haps the originators OF the games of
sliding down hill and tobogganing. -
Vide AlCak'.