The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-28
ANIMALS WITH oUEE INSTINCTS.
White Nice, Blind Kittens and Wolf
Pups and Their PuzzlinS Ways.
From the WyashtuOtOn Stnr

White Mice, Blind Kittens and Wolf
Pups and Their PuzzlinS Ways.
From the Washington Star.
"Did you ever keep white micer said a
naturalist to q writer for the Star. "Never
did, cha Well they are very interesting
creatures, but they exhibit one freak
occasionally which has puzzled me great
deal OF course you know that they
are elbinos-that IL to say,
lusus naturae. Now and then among
ordinary gray mice one or two
white ones will be bsrn. 1t Is the same
with rats. Because they are odd aud pretty
such Albinos are sometimes preserved and
and pair OF them bred from. Naturally,
they tend to reproduce albinism 10 their
progeny. but some Of the latter from
generation to generation are gray, revsrtinR
to the original and normal color OF the
stock. The gray ones, however, are de-
stroyed always by the fancier and at length
pure strain of white mice Is obtained.
Precisely the same thing is done with white
rabbits, which are likewise Albinos All
white cats are apt TO have pink eyes and to
be nearly or quite bhad. AS for the mice,
even in a race Of white ones that has long
been cultivated by selection a gray speci-
men is likely to turn up occasionally"
"AIl gray, like the ordinary micea'
Exactly so. Now, It lie just here that the
puzzle / speak OF comes in. Take litter OF
white mice in which there are a couple Of
gray ones and you will find that the be-
havior of the gray mice is altogether diff
ferent from that of their white brothers and
sisters. Whereas the white ones show no
fear of human beings whatever, having bes
come accustomed to them through many
generations, the gray mice from the earliest
Infancy exhibit dread Of man. In fact,
they behave precisely as small wild mice
In a nest will do. Evidently in reverting to
the color OF their untamed ancestors they
have at the same time resumed the instincts
of the latter. Is not that very stranger
No, / cannot pretend to account Of it, II
is a psychological problem, too deep FOR
science to do more than guess at. For
reasons WHOA we are not able to comprehend
there is certain relation between color
and disposition in animals. For example,
1t is we'll known that white horses are the
most gentle. Did you ever see wolf pup"
"Nsver"
''Of course many OF our finest breeds Of
dogs are descended from wolves.
But take q newly born wolf pup
and procure Its adoption by
dog for nursing. Ii takes kindly TO
It's foster mother and usually thrives, but
actually before its eyes are open II shows
fear of human beings. Il 10 che same way
with blind kittens Before they have
opened their eyes they will spit and bristle
up If anything that smells of a dog be
brought near them. That is what is COM
monty termed INSTINCT But what IL
INSTINCT 1t is Inherited experience. The
kittens are afraid OF dogs though they have
never see one, for the reason that their
progenitors for thousands of generations
nave recognized the canine tribe as b 9stile.
Beasts have the same kind Of intelligence as
is possessed by man, though less of it, but
they have great advantage over
mankind in this inheritance OF experience,
which human beings enjoy scarcely
anything Of"