The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-03-03
INMATE FEAR OF SNAKES.
Remarkable Physiological Proof that
Man Once Walked on All-Fourx

Prof. Morse in the Popular Science
Monthly: The widespread publ,
interest in Darwinism has ariser
from the fact that every theory anc
every fact advanced in proof of thu
derivative origin of species applied
with equal force to the origin O
man as one of the species. The
public interest has been continually
excited by the consistent energy
with which the church-Catholie
and Protestant alike-have in.
Weighed against the dangerous teach.
ings of Darwin. Judging by cen
turies of experience, as attested by
unimpeachable historical records
it is safe enough for an intelligent
man, even if he knows nothing
about the facts, to accept promptly
as truth any generalization of sci
ence which the church declares to
be false, and conversely to repudiate
with equal promptness as false any
Interpretation of the behavior of the
universe which the church adjudges
to be true. In proof of this sweep
ing statement, one has only to read
the imposing collection of facts
brought together by DR.. White, the
distinguished ex-President of Cor
nell University, which are embodied
in his work entitled "The Warfare
of Science" as we'll as two addi-
tional chapters on the same subject,
which have lately appeared in the
Popular Science Monthly. One then
realizes the lamentable but startling
truth that, without single excep-
ton, every theory or hypothesis,
every discovery or generalization
of science has been bitterly opposed
by the church. and particularly by
the Catholic Church, which resists,
and, as Huxley says, "must, as a
matter of life and death, resist the
progress of science and modern
civilization"
DR.. Arthur E. Brown has made
some interesting experiments with
the monkeys at the Geological Gar
dens in Philadelphia. He found
that the monkeys showed great fear
as well as curiosity, when snake
was placed in their cage, though
they were not affected by other an
imals, such as an alligator and tur
tie. On the other hand, mammals
belonging to other orders showed
no fear or curiosity at snake.
These experiments, repeated in va
rious ways, lead him to only one
logical conclusion, ''that the fear of
the serpent became instructive in
some far-distant progenitor of man,
by reason of his long exposure to
danger and death in horrible form,
from the bite, and that it has been
handed down through the diverging
lines of descent which find their
expression to-day in Homo and
Pithecus.
The same author, in an exceed
ingly interesting description of the
higher apes, says: "Mr. A. r. Wal
lace once called attention to the
similarity in color existing between
the orang and chimpanzee and the
human natives of their respective
countries. 1t would, indeed, seem
as if but half the truth had been
told, and that the comparison might
be carried also into the region of
the mind; the quick, vivacious
chimpanzee partaking of the mer-
curial disposition of negro races,
while the apathetic, slow orang
would pass for a disciple of the sui
len fatalism of the Malay"
DR.. Brown has also given de-
scription of the grief manifested by
a chimpanzee on the death of its
mate. His grief was shown by.
tearing his hair and snatching at
the short hair on his head. The
yell of rage was followed by a cry
the keeper had never heard before,
a sound which might be represented
by hah-ah- ah-ah-ah, uttered some
what under the breath, and with a
plaintive sound like moan.
Mr.. w. F. Hornady read at the
Saratoga meeting of the American
of Science an exceed
ingly interesting paper on the
"Habits of the Orang," as observed
by him in his native forests. He
saws: each individual of the Bor-
neo orangs differs from his fellows,
and has many facial peculiarities
belonging to himself alone as can
be found in the individuals OF any
mixed race of human beings" At
ter reeounting the many traits OF
the orang, heretofore regarded as
peculiar to man, he says: "Let any
one who is prejudiced against Oar
winian views 60 to the forest OF
Borneo. Let him there watch from
day to day this strange human form
in all it's various phases of exist
ence. Let him see it climb, walk,
build its nest, eat and drink and
fight like human "roughs." Let
him see the female suckle her
young and carry it astride her hips
as do the coolie women of
Hindostan. Let him witness their