The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-12-28
WONDERS OF INSTINCT,
THE CURIOUS POWERS OF ANIMAL s
WHO DO NOT REASON.


Why Savage Thought a Naturalist Must
Havo an Extra Eyc-The Protective In
stincts of Certain Birls-Curiosities of
Heredity in This Particular.
When the naturalist Ruppell explored
the highlands of eastern Africa, two
Soudanese cmirs or chicftains once per.
mitted him to deposit his baggage in
their military camp while he pursued
his inquiries in the glcns of neighbor-
ing mountain range. On his return ho
presented necklaces of beads to tho
emirs, and, having observed that there
were just twenty tents in tho fortified
kraal, and that every tent was occupied
by exactly seven men, he handed the
emirs bag containing 40 glass buttons,
with the request that they give one but
ton to every warrior in the camp.
The glittering kcepsakcs wero at once
distributed, and Ruppcll had just re-
loaded his baggage cart, when ono of
tho chieftains removed the professors
hat, and gravely examined tho top and
rear of his head.
Verify, oh, FRIEND" lie said, you
must have an extra ego somewhere or
other, for else you could not possibly
have discovered tho exact number Of
our men,"
The honest emir himself could proba.
bly, count up to seven, and with the aid
OF all his fingers and toes, perhaps could
count even to twenty, but evidently did
not think it possible that tho human
mind could grasp tho vast product of
tho two factors.
similar mistake may often tempt us
TO misconstruo tho abilities of our in
stinct guided fellow creatures. Thcsup.
posed sixth sense" may often be nothing
but an uncommon development of com
mon faculty.
Take for example tho dccrhound,
which pursues his game through brush
and brake, and returns safely home,
even after ho has crossed waters that
would prevent him from retracing his
steps by the sense of smell A few years
practice, however, enables tho hunter
himself to remember tho general dircc.
ton of his ramblcs through u painless
forest where n novice would surely lose
his way.
by hereditary transmission of the
traits of countless generations of dogs
that have hunted, and which include tho
wof-liko ancestors, tho domestic dog
may have perfected the ability to find
his way to an apparently preternatural
degree.
Individual experience, indeed, often
wholly fails to explain such faculties AZ
the protective instincts" of certain
birds and animals. Tho British zoolo
sist, Spalding, once procured some
newly Matched turkeys, and in order tc
make an experiment carried them into
hall adjoining room where he kept a
pair OF pet hawks that had not been fed
that morning, and which now and then
vented their impatienco in a shrill
scream.
The young turkeys had but just come
out of their egg shells, and had never
seen hawk or heard one before; but a,
the first sound of those screams they al
started to their feet and toddlcd off will
every sign of terror.
AT sight of u snake or rat my pet
balloon will retreat to tho farthest cor.
ncr OF her cage. l ascribed tho precau
ton to nervous dread of all unknown
animals, until l made the experiment
with pair of guinea pigs. Jenny was
eating her breakfast when the squealinl
little strangers entered her cage, but il
this case her only dread seemed to bt
that she might have to share her mea
with the uninvited guests.
| For Il minute or two she watched theil
movements with an air of puzzled curl
osity, but then, instead of taking to he
heels, she mado grab at tho intruders
and without further ado hustled then
out, and discouraged u repetition of tn,
visit by giving each parting pinch IL
the back.
Jenny had received her geological ed
ucation in tho Abyssinian highlands
while guinea pigs ore natives of Soutl
America, but somehow tho sight of tn,
waddling pigmies seemed to satisfy hel
that they could be no fighters.
This baboon has q strange appetite fol
insects. She appears to recognize the
difference between the harmless north
crn ccntipedc and its dreadful tropica
relative, but sho handles crawfish will
evident suspicion, either on account OF
their pinching apparatus or because OF
their resemblance to the overgrown scor.
pions Of tho tropics.
With snakes she absolutely declines
to take any risks; the nom poisonous va.
rieties include too many dangerous
strangers.
Hereditary instincts sometimes con.
tinuc to assert themselves under circunl-
stances that seem to make their assist
ancc rather superlluous. There was a
time when the ancestors of the dog found
it useful prccaution to bury the rem.
nants Of good meal, and thus provide
against possible times of scarcity, and
that old race habit still prompts their
descendants to hide bones and old crusts
even where the bounty Of their masters
supplies them with regular and abun.
dant daily meals
Lapdogs that have never left the prem
ises Of Il fashionable residence "hunt" in
their dreams, which proves that their
minds retain a latent aptitude for the
favorite pastimes Of their forefathers.
During q summer tour in the Austrian
Alps one Of my neighbors bought a
young shepherd dog and brought him tc
suburb Of Cincinnati, where sheep are
seen Only in the form Of mutton; but
every title while the young hcrder would
try 70 earn his board by collecting a
troopof stray geese, and, in spite OF their
Kissing protest, drive them along the
street like a flock of restless sheep
Felix l.. Oswald in Boston Globe.
First Claqueur-Why do you clap and
hiss at the same timer
Second Ditto-You see the new actress
has paid me to clap, and her rival has
paid me to hiss!-L Industricl.
The Calendar.
In the blank grammar school yester