Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-04-21
NUMBER ONE. "
sELF-PRESERVATION is THE
FIRST LAW OF NATURE.
Some Curious Forms of This Defen-
siye Instinct in Big and Little
Animals That are Nat
urally Timid.
H ECoGNIZING the impossibility
- of bridging every stream and
L y working a million miracles to

ferred the simple alternative OF e1uoW-
ing her creatures with the instinct OF
self-preservation - a tendency which,
under certain circu instances, may take
the form of self-revenge. Nine out OF
ten species of animals avoid danger by
fight, but community interests and other
considerations compel the remaining
tenth to abide the arbtrament OF battle,
and without tie dread of their defensive
valor some of the most useful kinds OF
insects would have become utterly ex-
tinct. Ants, the restless scavengers of
the wilderness, will attack the disturber
OF their domicile with fury that dcters
even the greedy boar aud the insect
eating baboons of the Nubisu hill coun
try. Termites permit themselves to be
torn to pieces rather than loosen their
bulldog grip upon tic hide of foe, and
the hive bee assails intruders at the i'm
minent risk Of losing her life together
with her sting.
Some forms of that defensive instinct
have become curiously specialized. The
little capuchin monkeys of Il Brazilian
forests are so timid that they scamper
away at the mere rustliug Of leaf, but
experience has taught them that fight
offers no chance of salvation from the
pursuit of winged enemy, and at tn;
first glimpse of harpy eagle a swarm
of capt cinos will huidle together and
shrek ou. their defiance with an empha
sis that really makes the lowering muir
derer reconsider his project. If he does
risk a swoop a dozen pair OF hands will
grab him at once, and clutching at his
throat aud his wings soon fill the air
with a whirl of flying feathers, not un'
mixed with fur, while the screams OF the
combatants bring up ring.tailed allies
from all parts of the woods till the
would.be assassin is glad to get away
with the loss OF half his plu mage.
A still more interesting case of that
kind was observed in the geological gar
den of Cologne. A species of wild
goat, the capra ruppeli, haunts the rocks
of the Abyssinian highlands and man
ages to hold its own against all enemies,
with the exception of the heet-footed
mountain jackal, an adversary whose CO.
operative tactics and keenness OF scent
makes flight unavailing and have led the
capras to the conclusion that under Ger.
tain circumstances valor may be the bet
ter part of discretion. The yelp of an
approaching horde Of jackal' is there
fore a signal of instant rally on the part
of the goats. The nannies crowd
around their kids, and the bucks rush
forward en- masse, butting away with
rage that lays out yelTer at every
spring, and makes the survivors stand
back bowling aud covering. They had
no jackals in the Cologne 10, but their
capra buck somehow seemed to recog-
nize the relationship Of his hereditary
foe to the genus CAMS. and at sight of
dog he would fly idto a paroxysm OF
rage, rushing up and down his enclos-
ure, making frantic springs at the fence
and getting evidently crazed with impa-
tience to try conclusions with the cousin
of the Abyssinian kid killers.
Professor Mivart proved that there arc
"instincts" that lead to death by failing
to adapt themselves to change Of cir
cumstances. Migratory quail by thou
sands perish in the deserts OF Northern
Africa, where their ancestors used to fad
a comfortable winter resort, abounding
with forests and even with grain fields,
if we shall credit Pliny's account of the
Numidian coast lands. The forests are
gone, but myriads of quail still follow In
the same route, at the risk OF starvation,
and Norwegian lemming rats still OBJ
serve the ancestral custom by migrating
south in a strict beeline. fighting and
gnawing their way through all obstacles.
They travel in armies OF many hundreds
of thousands, and have regular van
guards to charge every living impedi-
ment. Foxes, aud even wolves, might
weld to a charge of that kind, for the
Jealous little rodents make up in mum.
bers and activity what they lack in
strength, but their tactics miss their pur-
pose in their application to a still greater
matter Of cooperation, and hundreds OF
farmers join in a campaign OF extermin-
alton as soon as their scouts report the
advance OF the lemming horde. Equipped
with untanned boots aud double jackets
they are rat proof, and use iron ringed
clubs that knock down whole squads Of
tho squeaking invaders at each blow,
but the sight Of their dying leaders en-
tirely fails to dauut the pluck Of the rear
ranks. On they come, with blind dis
regard Of consequences, and in the fury
of combat cling by scores to the impene-
trable boots OF their slayers and some
times to be swung clear of the ground
and down again with crushing elect.
Several species Of tortoises can be
hooked without a bait by taking ad-
vantage OF their mania for swapping at
every floating object, aud the great ant
bear OF the South American forests con-
trives 10 intimidate his feline enemies BY