The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-14
INSTINCTS OF CATTLE.
Why They Are Excited by the Color
Rsd-Experiencs on the Pampas.

Why They Are Excited by the Color
Red-Experiencs on the Pampas.
From the Chicago Mail
When we consider that blood is red that
the smell of it is, or may be, or has been, as
ISOLATED with that vivid hue in the animals
mind; that blood, seen and smelt. is or has
been associated with the sight of wounds
and with cries of pain and rage of terror
from the wounded or captive animal. there
appears to be some reason Tor connecting
these two instructive passions as having the
same origin-namely. terror and rage caused
by the sight OF member OF the herd struck
down and bleeding, or struggling for life in
the grasp of an enemy.
l do not mean to say that such an image
is actually present in the animals mind, but
that the Inherited or instructive passion is
one in kind and in its working with the pas
sion Of the animal when experience and
reason was its guide. But the more l con-
slider the point the more am inclined to
regard those two instincts as separate in
their origin, although l retain the belief
that cattle and horses and several wild ami l.
mails are violently excited by the smell Of
blood for the reason just glven-namely,
their inherited memory associates the smell
of blood with the presence among them OF
some powerful enemy that threatens their
life
The following incident will show how
violently this blood passion sometimes
affects cattle, when they are permitted to
exist in a hale-w1ld condition, as on the
uampas. was out with my gin one day,
a few miles from home, when | came across
a patch on the ground where the grass was
pressed or trodden down and stained with
blood. | concluded that some thievish
gauchos had slaughtered fat cow there on
the previous night. aud, 10 avoid detection,
had SOMEHOW managed to carry the whole
of it away on their horses.
AS walked on, herd OF cattle, number
ing about 800, appeared moving slowly oil
to , ard a lmall stream q mile away; they
we're travelling in a thin long line, and would
pass the blood stained spot at distance Of
seven to eight hundred yards, but tho wind
from it would blow across their track.
When the taiuted wind struck the leaders
of the herd they instantly stood STILL raising
their heads, then they broke into loud ex-
cited bellowings: and finally. turning, they
started off at fast trot, following up the
scent in n straight line, until they arrived
at the place where one of their kind had
met its death. The coutagiol spread, and
before long all the cattle were congregated
on the fatal spot, and began moving around
in dense mass, believing continually.
Il may be remarked here that the animal
has a peculiar language on occasions like
this; it emits succession of short below
ing cries, like excited EXPLANATIONS, fol-
lowed by very loud cry, alternately sink
ing into hoarse murmur and rising to a
kind Of scream that CRATES harshlY on the
sense. OF the ordinary "cow music / am
great admirer, and take as much pleas
ure in it as in the cries and melodies Of birds
and the sound Of the wind ia trees; but this
performance Of cattle excited by the smell
Of blood is most distressing to hear.