Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-20
QUEER FACTS ABOUT BRUTEs.
Matters That Make Interesting Studies for
Human Observers.
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Human ODserVerS'
From the Boston Courier.
In the examination of the poisonous
machinery Of insects and reptiles it is
apparent that the destructive principle
is the same in all, and that the fang in
all possesses a hollow through which
the poison flows into the wound the mo-
ment the incision is made. The sting
of the scorpion is precisely like the fang
of the rattlesnake and performs its
deadly work on the same mechanical
principles.
The grip of an ants jaw is retained
even after the body has been bitten off
and nothing but the head remains.
This knowledge Is possessed by a GER
tain tribe of Indians In Brazil, who put
the ants to very peculiar use. When
an Indian gets cash cut In his hand,
instead of having mis- hand sewn to-
gether, as physicians do In this country,
he procures five or six large black ants,
and, holding their heads near the cash,
they bring their jaws together in biting
the flesh, and thus pull the two sides OF
the cash together. Then the Indian
pinches off the bodies of the ants and
leaves the heads cinging TO the flesh,
which is held together until the cash Is
perfectly healed.
A pair of rats, happily situated and
undisturbed, will, In three years, have
Increased to 656;s0S. Calculating that
ten rats eat as much in one day as a
man, which, we think, is rather under
than over the fact, the consumption OF
these rats would be equal to that of 65,-
$50 men the year round, and leave eight
rats I'm the year to spare. Multiplying
In this rapid way, 1t Is providential that
the rat has so many natural enemies.
All these to the contrary notwithstand-
ing, he often proves sufficiently trouble
some TO make the community conspire
against him. In Ireland they slnge the
hair OF rat which has been caught,
but Is Otherwise unframed. In Ger
many they let one loose with a small
bell attached to his neck. The tinkling
of this, as the belled rat chaSes his
friends, produces panic among them
and causes them to flee the premises.
The Bengal tiger has more courage
than the lion, according to a Snowman,
who states that the matter was tested
in this manner: 1--WE placed shooting
cracker in the respective cages and
fred the fuses. As soon as the fuses
began to burn they attracted the atten-
ton of both animals, but in widely
different manner. The lion drew into a.
corner and watched the proceedings
with diStrustful and uneasy eye. The
tiger, on the contrary, advanced TO the
burning fuse with firm step and un-
flinching gaze. On reaching the crack
er he took his paw and began to roll 1t
over the floor, and when it exploded be-
meath his very nose he did not finch,
but continued his examination until
perfectly satisfied. The lion betrayed
great fear when he heard the report of
the explosion, and for quite time could
not be cOaxed out Of bis corner"
A curious communication has been
to the Academic de Medicine" by NJ.
Motais of Anglers. whose works on the
various diseases Of the eye are highly
esteemed. He has closely examined
the effect Of captivity on the sight OF
wild beasts, such as lions, tigers, &C.,
and asserts that all animals In savage
state are far-sighted. The same remark
applies to man in an uncivilized state,
and even to those who, though civilized,
follow vocations which oblige them TO
remain constantly In the open air. such
as sailors or farm laborers. The same
faculty subsists In Gagged animals, when
they have been taken after the age of
six or eight months; but when born In
captivity or kept in cages when very
young they become nearsighted, which
NJ. Motais attributes to the narrow
space In which they are confined and
the training which obliges them to fol-
low the eye Of the keeper or tanner to
obey his will. The nearsightedneSs Of
school children may, In his opinion be
ascribed TO the same cause.-the habit OF
concentrating the sight on one point,
and the fact that the power OF the Wis
ual organ becomes modified according
TO the requirements to which IL is sub
jected.
Many stories told OF the crafty fox
are doubtless incidents Of the magma
ton. But recent writer tells an anec-
dote which, though taxing belief. he
says is vouched for by an eyewitness Of
the affair. Some fishermen on the west
coast of Ireland were In the habit Of go
ing TO a small island, few hundred
yards from the mainland, In quest of
bait. The island was inhabited by
large numbers Of rabbits, and could be
reached at low tide by wading, the
water there being only a few inches
deep. One morning they went in their
boat quite early, 1t being high tide, and
on landing saw dead fox lying on the
beach. The fur of the animal was all
bedraggled, and he seemed to have been
drowned. One Of the men, remarking
that his skin was worth something,
pitched him into the boat. Procuring
their bait they returned to the main
land. aud the man who had possessed
himself Of the fox seized him by the
tail and flung him on shore. As soon
as the animal struck the beach he
picked himself up with considerable