Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-09-20

OF their stronger prosecutors took
refuge in the dark rcceSSes OF rocks
ami caves and that finally their eyes
became 81 accustomed to the absence of
daylight that they were shaped and
enabled To find their way In the dark
hess, It Is an uuQuestionable truth
that dark SURROUNDINGS will effect a
marvellous transformation of shape and
color IN all animals, but the question Is:
Arr nocturnal animals the descendants
of their dturnal contemporaries 1t Is
maIntVnel also by many that the deep
Sc, fishes are the evolutionary results
of their comrades of the up,,r water
strata, that IN the iuky hlackncss OF
the fathomleSS depths they lost their
eNcStght altogether and that their
trntacuar sense grew In proportion,
while others We're cnahlNl to assume
the phNSphNrCStSNrhe of the SEA fauna,
And this truth might be demonstrated
III many raS,S OF which the ustruus
SarlIuV OF our Illustration Is an exam
pie Vet many OF the scientists doubt
this theory and assert that no proofs
,an be adduccd setting forth the fact
that all nocturnal animals must 10
traced IL diurual families, Others
again maintain the vice versa and
designate the night nuimals as the orr
ginal ancestors, There exists more con-
vincivc ground for their argument, for
many ot the oldest mammals still adj
hcrN to nocturnal habits,
similar conditions are met with
among birds. The oldest aviary trihes
arc nocturnals, In New Zealand wherp
the birds are In n most primitive state,
this Is Illustrated In the owl parrot
and the strange klwis 81 also tho fly
Ing frog and squirrel monkey
The credulous have no cause to tidi-
Guile this theory. Owls, for example.
are ultra nocturnal birds, yet tho
snowy owls, which are SO numerous In
tho arctic regions, form an exception
live and soc like day.hr,ls, They weo
influenced by the long days nf the
arctic summer, and had to relInuuish
their nocturnal habits In land where
the sun shines NJ midnight
Two curious mammals OF this cate
CORY are the nycticehus tarlcgrndus, u
sort az slender lorls, and the depus
acgipticns or jumping mouse OF tho
orient Tho former Is found IN NADIA
gaScar. and the latter thrvcs IN Asia,
Arabia, and northern Africa. In tho
anatomical construction of tho loris
elements of the monkey. the squirrel,
and the owl are strangely mixed, and
1t seems to combine In ts habits all
these natures When at rest the little
| fellows huddlc together FOR warmth.
and coil themselves into the most gro
teSque attitudes.
| The jumping mouse Is Il dlmInutIye
Kangaroo, and, Ike the prairie dogs OF
America, live on plains and deserts,
are mora or less gregarious, troop
about together, finding their retreat In
burrows underground, the nests dis
playing Z eat architectural Ingenuity.
Their front legs are tiny aud their
hind legs are long and wiry, enabling
them TO jump with the rnpidlty OF
erasshoppcrs
The present geological classified tons
fall to satisfy most scientists and there
Is plenty OF room for doubt OF current
theories, The enigmntIcal physogno-
ml'S or this group possess many raro
features yet TO he satisfactorily nc
counted for. They are still conun-
drums In the evolutionary history OF
the fauna, VIII scientific research
ever solve all the mysteries OF creation2