The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-29


sheep jumped into the bay. and each one In
his leap sprang exactly as high the leader
had done, although, the rail being gone, no
occasion existed for high jump. The
teller of the story laughed, disgustedly, at
the stupidity of the bruteS, but il that is
stupidity it had its origin IN thoroughly
intelligent appreciation, at one time, of the
necessity for just such action, and the in-
herited instinct has not been OutgrOwn ia
many generations of life on the level.
These inherited instincts are exceedingly
interesting to study. They remain for so
many centuries, generations, ages even,
after the necessity that formed the habit
SappearS-making the tame COW charge
upon the domesticated dog, causing the
household cat TO prefer sleeping to eating In
cold weather and the dOmestiCated dog to
turn completely around before he lies down,
preventing young colt from crawling under
a pasture bar and escaping, even though
young calf just before him Is setting him
that bad example. Even man is not with
out these inherited instincts. We are wont
to accept the theolOgan'S explanation Of the
instructive hatred and fear the race has of
snakes, but the instructive repugnance of
man 10 the crawling things goes far back Of
the Garden of Eden episode, into the dark
ages when snakes were the terror and the
despOilers OF our anthrOpoid ancestors, as
they are of all the simian tribe o-day. Ii
Book OF Grnesls that put enmtG between
the serpents seed and that of Adam.
| was interested to read in last Sundays
CALL of two terriers whn, though their
owner believed neither had ever seen a
rat, could be thrown into frenzied excite
ment by the exclamation "RatsV That
wsEd has been used to excite and urge ter
riers upon their natural prey for as long as
man has bred terriers. The rafting instinct
has become e0ngenital with them. and we
have no reason TO suppose that the same
nervous connection that has been set up be-
tween its brain ana its jaws and muscles,
the sum-tOtal of nerve system that makes
the terrier a terrier, should not at the
same time produce an instructive under
standing of the word that means what it
was called into existence To eXtermlnate. for
the terrier. like the retriever, the grey
hound. the pug and all the other fancy"
descendants of the original wolf OF the
plains. is as artificial a creature as is any
one of the crockeTy dogs we see in the shop
windows.
] once owned retriever that would re-
trieve from pupDyhood. After he got his
eyes open there was no such thing as throw
ing anything away when he was in sight.
He sat up nights. as 1t were, to retrieve.
He would also, when he saw me lead my
pony to water, insist upon taking the halter
rope and leading her himself, and although
he had never been taught 10 fetch or carry
he always begged until he became nuisance
for the privilege of carrying whatever | had
in my hands whenever we took our walks
together. 1t was never safe, however, TO
let him carry anything out of my sigat, for
whether il was a parcel or purse or his
own dinner he would cheerfully give It up
to any one who offered to take tan inner
tied instinct not without its Inconvenience
But we are a long way from the rOas ted
CLAIMS that started US upon this little excur-
sion into the realm of natural science; as
far away in fact as we we'll can be while
studying life in this world where every
creature is linked 10 every other creature in
bonds of common origin, life and upward
tendency; where man is but the highest
form, with every duty laid upon him TO
study and know his little brothers.
ADELINE E. KNAPP.