Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30


dead level affords no appearance of extended
space. At sea, persons eye being six feet
above the surface OF the water. his horizon is
only two miles and four-fifths distant On
land. in perfectly fiat country, the limits of
observation are equally contracted. People
born and bred on the pampas when they first
visit mountainous district experience painful
sensations from viewing the widely extended
earth around them.
One of the most plentiful species of man.
mails is the strange armadil!o, one OF the most
ancient of surviving creatures, which was con
temporary with the gigantic Slyptodou and
colossal meGatherium 1t figures cons picuously
III she fables current among the natives. being
represented n creature fertile in cxpedien,s
and dipping other animals, especially the fox
just as 'Brcr Rabbit" does. Snakes. venom
ous or otherwise. are its fayo-ite prey. and it
kills them by actually saving them in two with
The serrated edges of its sharp. bony she'll
The bites of the serpent make no impression
upon Its enemy, probably proof against the
venom, like the mougOose. Snakes of the
pampas have MANY foes. HerOns and storke
swallow them whole The sulphur .styrant
bird" picks up the young serpent by the tai.
and uses it like fail against Il branch or stone
until Its life is battered out. Another de-
stroyer is the great iguana lizard, which kills
snakes by striking them with its powerful tail,
Itself rendered mvulnerable BY its coat of
amor. The iguana has been known to assail
with great ferocity lasso trailed from saddle
along the ground, mlstahIng it for o giant
ophidian.
THE WRESTLING FROG.
Frogs in other parts of the world are among
the most inoffensive of animals depending
upon their jumping powers for escaping, but
there is a species found on the pampas which
possesses an extraordinary means OF defense
Dr. W. IL. Hudson tells of an adventure he had
while out sniDe shooting one day, when, peer
ing into the disused burrOw of some rodent
animal, he saw a bury ing frog sitting
within it. Though it watched me attentively,h
he says. the frog remained perfectly notion
less, and this greatly surprised me. Before
WAS sufficiently near to make grab it sprang
stralg mt at my hand. and. catching two Of nv
fingers round with its fore legs, administered a
hug so sudden and violent as to cause an acute
sensation of pain. Then imme diately it released
Its hold and leaped away. | few alter it and
| tarely managed to overtake it before it could
gain the water. Grasping it behind the shoulders
so that ltcould not attack me IHoticed the enor-
nous development of the muscles of the fore
legs, usually small i'll frogs, bullying out in this
individual like u second pair of thighs and CIV
ing 1t strangely bold and formidable appear
ance On holding my gun within its reach it
clasped the barrel with such energy as to
bruise the skin OF its breast and leg j hat this
singular frog is able to seriously injure an
opponent cannot be supposed. but its unex-
pected attack must be OF great advantage. How
great must be the astonishment it causes an
adversary by Its leap, quick lightning, and
the violent hug 1t administers. In the confu-
sion 1t finds time to escape. l think that
wrestling frog would be an appropriate name
for the Species
Natives of the pampas believe that the milky
secretion exuded by the toad is a specific
remedy for shingles-a malady which is com.
mon among them, taking q painful and dam
WOull " ln no.
at such cure, just as they formerly did at
pepsne, which utilized moro than two
centuries ago by the .guachos" OF South
AInerlca who were accustomed 10 swallow the
lining OF the ostrich stomach, driei and pow
dered, for ailments caused by impaired dIses-
tdp AT presen. the ostrich hunter makes a
oPole prOht-One from the feathers of the
bifds he kills and the other from tile dried
stomach. with which he supplies thdA apot.i-
ecaries ut Buenos Ayres. The :oads secretion
above referred to affords to an otherwise de-
fenseless animal AN excellent protection. 1t is
attacked and eaten only by snakes. lizards and
the single venomOus species of its own kind
iound Iii the region described. This poisonous
toad, singular among all members OF Its family
Is extremely hideous. It's body is iumpy and
Digger Than mans fist. 1t bites savagely at
any thing that comes near, hanging on with the
tenaclty OF a bulldog and injecting its venom
into the blood. When tcaZed it swells itself to
such an extent that one almost expects 10 SEQ
IL burst. very often Its bites are fatal.
THE JAGUAR AND PUMA.
Greatest among the carnivores of the pampas
| are the jaguar and puma. There is also the
grass cat not unlike The dome slicated ami
| NAL. but larger, more powerful and frig,h.fuly
| savage. lhe puola. although the most bloou-
| thirsty OF hesh-eating creatures and extremely
courageous, has one very extraordinary char
acteristlc-lt will never attack man and cannot
pc induced even to defend itself against him.
W. ..ra =, 81. Il.
prey, even a small child may go out in safety
and sleep on the plain. YET this same creature
commonly attacks and kills the formidable
jaguar, harassng the latter by moving about
1t with such rapdity as to confuse it, and, whe I,
| an opportunity occurs. springng upou its back
| ana ihhlctinS terrible wounds with teeth and
claws IL Kills cattle and horses in great num-
Ders breaking the neck of each animal aitacke i
with IA single blow. Pumas have been occasion
| ally Kept AS pets, never showing the slightest
Ill temper. They are the most playful OF ami
mails, and are always delighted to gambot with
| u spool tied to a string
Dr. hudson speaks Of q ''gauchO" of his ac-
| qualntance who went out one day to Look for
| cattle. puma made his appearance and re-
| fused to walk away, even when the herder
| Threw the moose or his iasso over its neck The
gaucho then dismountcd. and. drawing his
| knife, advanced to kill it. Still the puma
| made no attempt to free itself from the lasso.
| but 1t seemed to know what was coming. for it
| DcSoh W sAcmoit, tEc tears IrOHi IT'S eyes
and 1t whined in the most pitiful manner He
| killed 1t az 1t sat there unresisting, but, after
| accomplishing the deed. felt that Le lad COM
| mitted "a murder. 1t was the only thing lie
had ever done in his life he said. which occa-
| stoned him remorse when lie remembered it,
| although he had slain several men in dueis
| fought with knives. All who have killed or
witnessed the killing OF II puma agree that it
| resigns itself i'll this pathetic manner to death
| at the hands of man. When attacked by the
latter its energy and daring at once forsake it,
| and 1t becomes weak, inofensivo animal,
which, trembling and altering piteous means,
| lmpicres compassion from a generous enemy.
But the enemy is not often generous.
| sKUNKs IN ENORMOUS NUMBERS
| The most dreaded animal of the pampas ID
! the skunk, which is found there in enormous
numbers. One terrible CHARACTERISTIC OF it ia
such confidence in the means OF defense sup
| Piled by nature that it will never run away.
| On the contrary, it seems rather disposed to
| court the society of man, and it will very often
advance upon dogs, stamDn9 its little feet in
| rage, jumping up and down, spluttering and
Kissing and Furnishing its brush like warlike
| banner above its head. On their part dogs
| even those of the greatest ferocity, have no
| fancy for attacking a skunk. When made to
| kill skunks they will do so, but always perform
| the loathsome task ~ expcditiously ~ posi-.
BILE, then rushing away with frothins
mouths to rub their faces In moist
| earth. Sometimes great eagles aid
other large birds OF prey make the mistake OF
attacking AZ INKS. but they are invariably WOr-