The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-17
TAUGHT BY INSTINCT.
Devices % Tropical Animals to Guard
Against tho Noxthern Cold.

Against tho Northcrn Cold
The student Of animal life at the
geological gardens is startled frequent
~ by the remarkable display OF sagae-
fly that is sometimes made by the in
mates of that interesting place. What.
for instance, could be more clever, more
thoughtful or more amazing than the
ection Of the indigo snake when cold
weather comes on? IL vas illustrated
recently. The first breath of cool air
that was waited across the garden in
formed the indigo snake that q cold
wave was at hand. They could not hide
their heads under their wings like tho
robin OF the nursery book. They could
not take violent exercise and warm up
their blood, for their blood will not
warm. So they settle the problem by
swallowing each other in turn. One in
digo snake will swallow his better half,
for example, until she becomes
thoroughly warmed up, and then she
viii swallow him until he feels comfort
able
1t is a very clever action on the psrt
OF these snakes. IL vindicates their
character. The fact that they swallow
one another is usually put down by
uuthinking people to ignorance. They
say that the indigo snake viii swallow
anything, even its friends. Perhaps
that is the reason the snake story tiend
usually stations himself in front of tho
indigo snakes cage. He knows that no
nlutter how big lie he tells. the snake
will swallow it as nonehalantly as
though it were piece of garden hose
or some suchluxury.
But more remarkable in sagacity
than the indigo snake are the tropical
birds in the ayiary. They are probably
the most wonderful geniuses ever seen
at the zoo. Coming, as they do, from
India's coral strand and other places
where the thermometers die of the
fever and the iceberg is unknown, they
find themselves unprepared for the rigor
OF the climate here. Such was the con-
dition of number of the new bird ar
rivals from India recently. They had
nothing but their light summer paja-
mas with them, aud when the biting
winds came whistling into their cot
tage they were chilled to the bone.
Their bills chartered like a telegraph
instrument on the night of prize
fight, and they shivered terribly.
Then their sagacity came to their
rescue. They noticed that as the cooler
weather drew near a large crop of down
appeared on some of the birds, who
were more accustomed TO the changes
of temperature They wondered
whether similar growth would make
its appearance on them,' but, like tho
youth who watches for his first mus
tache, they were disappointed. The
down did not come. They consulted
their tropical friends who have been at
the zoo for more than a year The lat
ter winked and whispered few words
to them which raised hope in their
troubled breasts. That night at Ip min
utes past ~ these tropical birds went
out in a body and attacked the other
birds who had more down than they.
With sharp bills the tropical birds
plucked the down from their sleeping
roommates. Little by little they pulled
forth the feathers until they had stolen
sll they possessed. Taking the down
they Intervene it so cleverly In their
own feathers that it looked perfectly
natural. This kept them nice and
warm.-Philadelphia Press.