The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-10
WEAPONS OF ANIMALS
SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY
DEFEND THEMSELVES.
Their Means of Protection Affect
by Sight, Touch and Smell.

son and gold on the slopes l sat still for
a few moments. and all at once became
aware OF an animal leisurely walking upon
one of the stone walls which form the
fences between the fields. My constant
companion in such rambles-the opera glass
showed the creature TO be a skunk, or,
as the natives call it, a polecat. Onward
the animal came, with its long white and
black tail lying along it's back, until it
was not more than three yards from where
/ was silently sitting. / must have made
some unconscious movement, Tor suddenly
II stopped and the tail became erect. With
out hesitation. / paid good heed TO the
danger signal and retreated a little dis
lance. His mephitic majesty apparently
was satisfied with the concession. and
walked slowly on, still keeping TO the top
OF the wall, but with his tail erect.
1 walked home musing on the curious
means OF defense which nature has be-
slowed on some of her subjects. Dogs
may delight to bark and bite" in their
conflicts. with their enemies; bears and
lions may growl and fight in self-de-
tense. but here is a creature which goes
on its way peacefully, for even the mon
grel cur Of the hunter of 'pelts'' knows
better than to come to close quarters with
a foe which possesses the power of emitting
one of the most powerful odors known
in the world. And assuredly the animal
seems conscious of its means of protection,
it acts with such provoking GOODNESS. There
appears to be perfect control over the
power of emitting the naseous fluid from
the glands which secrete it. for we have it
on excellent authority that the skunk,
when taken young, can be easily trained
and makes a Clearly. interesting and in
telligent pet. All the Mustelidoe are noted
for their unpleasant smell-otters, badgers,
martens. weasels and s~kunks-but out of
the whole number the last-named is the
only one which can actively use it as a
means of defense.
We are accustomed TO connect defense
among animals with biting. scratching,
singing, and the like; and consequently are
inclined to let slip some of the interesting
instances in which other means are used.
The toad, when suddenly seized, emits a
yelowish fluid which Is acrid enough TO
cause irritation of a delicate skin This.
OK the animal, for I had a tame toad for
several years which would hop from the
writing table to my outstretched hand and
SIT there quietly until / placed il down
again. Cuttlefsh possess an ink bag from
which the cephalopod elects a dark fluid
whlch enectually conceals il from any dis
retreat.
SAFE WITH BRIGHT CoIoRs.
Not only odor. but taste, is called in as a
means Of protection. It is we'll known thar
some caterpillars are so nauseous TO the
taste that insectivorous birds even will rot
eat them. And one OF the ~strangest facts
Is that these caterpillars are lot only
brightly and attractively colored i'm their
larval state, but also In the perfect form.
Two mammals are provided with a
strange means OF protection-the porcupine
and the hedgehog. The former is clothed
with hairs some OF which are thickened
and heightened into the porcupine ''quills"
Wnlcn nsure as pen-holders. A supposition
formerly held was that the creature bad
the power OF ejecting these spines, like so
many arrows, at its enemy, but this story
must be placed among the myths. What
the porcupine does is TO erect the spices.
which then stand up, not at right angles,
but at a slope over the body, and charge
MS enemy in that very un-Spartan-like
way. backwards. Dogs are often seriously
injured in this way.
The hedge hog. TO which Callahan COM
pares Prospero's spirits, and Lady Anne
the Duke Of Gloucester--the hedge pig of
Macbeth's witches-is a timid little Euro
pean animal about the size of a half
grown rabbit. Like the ~porcupine. 1T is
clothed in a spiny armor from head to tail,
and at the slightest sign OF danger it rolls
itself into a ball. Violence will scarcely
make 1t open itself out, but If water is
poured upon 1t the animal uncoils immedi-
ately. Few dogs care to attack a hedge
hog, for the spines prick like needles. The
armor is purely defensive. and not an Of
fensive provision.
Any one who has handled a hawk or
other member of the falcon family knows
how we'll bill and claws can be used. Even
the s~parrow-.that irrepressible English i'm
m.grant-wil bite and scratch in an in
credible way when caught. / have often
watched the swan. especially at breeding
time, and have been struck with the way
in which IL keeps intruders at a distance
from the nests or from the tawny brood
OF cygnets which Ii leads in and out of
the reeds. Certainly there are occasionally
well directed blows of the formidable bill,
but that member is mostly used in hiss
ing. But woe betide the dog which receives
a blow from the terrible wing. AS a weap-
on OF defense. and offense also. it may be
questioned whether there is anything
known among birds equal TO the wing OF
the swan. 1t is said that a single stroke
will break a mans arm. On one occasion
I witnessed a fight between two swans.
and I have rarely seen anything so terrible
as their anger, unless il was a combat I
saw between two stays. The rapid blows
from the wings reverberated over the lake.
and the water for a considerable space was
lashed into foam. The bills seemed never
in evident pride. the two birds sailed to-
wards each other and grappled with the
wings. Occasionally one seemed. to be
and then the turn of the other came for
punishment. Receding. they swan round
and round. as If taking breath. and then
the fight was renewed in the same way.
At length they separated. ruffled and still
angry, slipping away from each other as IL
were. kissing and sarching their snake-like
necks as proudly as ever.
OSTRICHES KICK.
Ostriches have powerful beaks with which
they can deal heavy blows. but their chief
protection seems to be in kicking. An os-
trich's kick is nearly as bad as a mules. 1t
would seem as If the habit belonged to the
relatives OF the ostrich also, for the emu
has il. / often used TO watch a domesti-
Gated emu which a friend had about his
farm. The bird was very timid and retir-
ing, and at the sight OF anything unusual
would quietly stalk TO The other side of the
field. One day a lady brought a terrier TO
the house. and as the dog had never seen
an emu. il set to work barking and follow
ing the bird about. For a long time the
emu took this verv calmly. merely retreat
ing 10 other parts of the field. The dog
grew holder, and once--once Only-got too
near the birds legs. One few out-I never
could satisfy myself, from an anatomical
standpoint, how the thing was done-and
the dog was thrpwn with such violence on
the ground that for several seconds he
was dazed, and when he got back his wits
he was a wiser dog. for he went home.
not uncommon, one wouIu> imagine, in
certain genera of birds. The domestic fowl
generally uses this method, as can be seen
in an irnpromptu main near the barn
means OF defense. but the { osest watching
OF the smaller birds has failed 10 show tina
they practice IL.
Perhaps one OF the most interesting. as