Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-01-23
INFLUENCE UF FIRE.
THE EFFECT IT HAS UPON WILD
BEASTS AND BIRDS.

Used by Hunters and Travellers a Pro-
tection-Darwin's Experience with tho
Monkey and the Candle = Birds Fasci-
mated by "A Campfire.
While it is impossible to ascertain
what various animals think of fire. Il
they think about it at all, there is no
doubt that they regard it as containing
an element of danger to themselves In
every country where fierce carnivorous
animals abound the hunter under, tands
that his surest protection from their
fury is found in bright fire. In one of
Gordon Cummings books of hunting
adventures in South Africa he relates
story of the death of native who was
killed by a lion. The man, with COM
panion, was making journey through
a district where lions abounded and
noticed that the twain were being track
ed by giant king of the forest and his
mate. Knowing the habits of the lion,
and that the animal was very loath to
attack by day or when a fire was burn
ing, the travellers, when they halted for
the night, built roaring fire and agreed
that one should stay awake to keep it
burning. They had no firearms, and
their condition was perilous in the ex-
treme, for by the light of the fire they
could see the eyes of the two lions like
glowing balls in the forest near by, but
SO long as the fire blazed the animals
came no nearer.
Toward morning, however, the one
whose duty it was to feed the fire, over
come by WEAKNESS, fell into doze, the
fire burned low, and as soon as its flames
ceased to flicker there was rush, a
bound, and the lion carried away his
companion, grasping him by the shoul-
der, throwing the body over his back
and galloping off like a cat with
mouse. Tragedies of this kind are nu-
merous in Africa and Asia, but every
where result from carelessness, lack of
fuel or absence of firearms, for neither
the lion, tiger, panther nor any other
animal of the cat tribe can be induced
by hunger to rush into bright light
after its prey. No doubt the dislike of
light has something to do with it, Tor All
these animals are nocturnal, but the fear
of fire is probably quite as potent a fac
tor.
The curiosity Of the monkey is for
ever getting him into trouble He will
investigate anything, no matter what,
and in his pursuit of knowledge will
just as quickly and readily put his fin
gers into the fire as into the water. Dar-
win tells of monkey with which he
amused himself by encouraging the ami
NAL to initiate certain actions of his
own, the results of which he knew very
well would be disastrous to the simian.
The naturalist lighted candle, and in
the presence of the monkey, snuffed it
with his fingers. Leaving the candle
burning, Darwin went away to place
whence he could watch the animals
actions without himself being observed
The monkey of course snuffed the can
die and burned his fingers, but could
never be induced to repeat the expert
ment, and indeed, after that occasion,
could with difficulty be persuaded to re-
main in the room with a lighted candle,
seeming to regard it as sort of malevo-
lent fetch or demon that was called in
to existence for the special injury of
monkeys. 1t is said by naturalists, how
ever, that not all monkeys have this ex-
travagant fear of fire. In the forests of
Africa monkeys have often been seen ON
cold mornings warming themselves at
the embers of fires left by travellers, and
apparently greatly enjoying the genial
heat of the Goals. Glad as they were to
avail themselves of the warmth, how
ever, they had not sense enough to un-
derstand that the fire could be kept up,
and though material in the shape Of
dried branches and fallen wood was
abundant in the immediate vicinity they
made no effort to collect fuel and main
tain the fire.
All kinds of birds are attracted by fire
and light. In Herndon's valley of the
Amazon" there is queer paragraph de-
failing the effect produced ON the feath-
cred inhabitants of those tropical forests
by the campfres lighted every night by
the party. Travelling as they did for
considerable part of the time through air
uninhabited jungle, it is quite possible
that most of the birds had never before
seen the light of fire, and as soon as
the blaze began to shine through the
leafy arcades the birds, and particularly
the parrots, dropped everything and
came to look into the matter. They came
in thousands, the trees in the vicinity
were loaded down with them, and scores
of throats poured forth opinions on the
subject, all offhand and purely extern
poraneous, but none the less voluble or
loudly expressed. The uproar raised by
the parrots was sometimes deafening.
They came as close as they dared, form
ed circle in the trees at few feet dis
tant and shouted to one another about
the matter until sleep for the party was
out of the question. Shooting at them
and killing few of the number were
tried, and with good effect, for the rest
scattered instantly, but only to return
in ten minutes and renew the discussion
as vociferously as ever The party could
not stay awake all night to shoot par
rots, and so it became necessary after
the meal was ocoked to let the fire go
down as low as possible and set sentinels
to guard against the approach of wild
beasts. st. Louis Globe Democrat