The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-06-07
Instinct VS.. Skill.


to be altogether confined to the hu
man family of animals. Many o
the lower order of animals seem t.
possess quite as high a degree O.
mechanical skill as man. We cal
it instinct in the lower orders be
cause it seems to be Unborn with
them; while in man it is an acquired
knowledge and reached only by
progressive degrees. The animal
and the insect perform their first
mechanical work without model OF
instruction, and their first is as
perfect as their last. They have
no "scabs" in their communities
The relation between human reason
and animal instinct is so nearly al
lied that the line of demarkation
cannot be readily pointed out.
Who does not admire the skill of
the bee in constructing her cells for
honey?-nothing could be more
automatically correct. The same
thing may be said of many other
insects-especially of the various
spiders, who provide beautifully
delicate and safe homes for their
families. The beaver also builds
his dam and constructs his house
with wonderful degree of what we
are constrained to call intelligence.
Its mechanical principles are per-
feet. He could not build as he does
without a cutting tool and a trowel.
His teeth provides the one and his
tail the other. The nests of many
varieties of birds display much ap-
parent ingenuity and forethought
in so constructing them as to guard
their progeny from danger of vari-
Gus kinds. Many other similar
references might be made.
We have in California what per-
haps may be considered the chief of
animal architects in the shape of a
spider. His form and habits are
anything but pleasant to consider,
but his architectural skill is Won
derful to contemplate. In the con-
struction of his home he may we'll
challenge the world, whether insect
or animal. Being confined to trop-
ical and anti-tropical regions, he
must provide retreat impervious
to water. This is done by the use
of cement that becomes so firm
and hard that water will not pene-
trate its walls. The cover ITO his
little tenement is one of the nfarvels
of instinct which approaches SO
near to reason that we can't appfe-
ciate the difference. 1t is a trap
door and on the top of his house.
The opening must first be made and
the door must be made to fit it.
No cabinet-maker ever constructed
a more nicely and closely fitting ]
door, either large or small. It
neither shrinks nor swells; it opens
Is easily as though it simply rested
upon a plain surface. It has a
hinge so constructed that it has no
play, except in the proper direction
or opening and closing. AS we
nave remarked, the opening must
nave been first made, and with a
beveled edge. The door
must be made in separate piece
nd is usually about half an inch
n diameter, perfectly round, bev-
led in the opposite way from the
pening, and about a sixteenth of
n inch in thickness. This door
aust be made away from the OPEN
1g which it is designed to close.
low does the little mechanic con-
rive to make so perfect fit? Does
e rely solely upon his eye for the
roper dimensions, or does he lift
up and put it in place, repeating
hat operation and moving it off
gain until he gets the exact fit?
nd then how does he fasten to the
pposlte walls that wonderful hinge
hlch never creaks, so elastic and To
ct so true in it's motions? If the
lsect was human, he would pat I
1T the device, and make his CO. DIR
ssoclates pay him tribute; but not M M
IN spider commonwealths-every- nj
ing there is common, in reality, r ri
Did any one ever see this insect ut
at his work? We imagine re-
ot; else we should have been told Of
ng since just how he wrought. n n
e IS a very shy being, if not at Of q
cked, and most likely would go at,
on strike if he saw any one rel re-
atchlng him. The modus operandi es,
this spider at his work would be OF
very interesting study. Who will %
ke the time to investigate and re-
'rt upon this unique species of
chltecture? -=ScientiGc Press