The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-08-01
MasEu =S@oA
GpsepSpeDcil
\>&S9z0&a sEEss Nv On
ANIMALS TOO RICH.

admired, and can therefore swim, climb
and make their way in places where no
other animal OF similar size can 90. They
are the best equipped animals of their
kind. Side by side with these are found
snakes of similar size and equal powers,
except that they lack the invncible lethel
weapon. They only cary blank cartridges
in the battle of life. Evolution seems
arrested for no reason. They not only
fail to grow the poison tooth, but do not
develop the power of crushing their prey as
the constructors do. 1t would be far easier
for common grass snake to kill a frog by
poison before eating it, as the cobra does,
than to have to swallow it alive. 1t would
save it trouble to crush it, as a young boa
constructor of the same size would do but
1t does neither. because neither has devel-
oped the necessary equipment for so doinA.
By the theory of evolution the grass
snake ought, therefore, to 90 back in the
world, while the other common English
snake, the poisonous viper, armed with Il
weapon, powerful us a protection and
means of killing prey, increased in size and
numbers and took its place. Yet this is
exactly what has not happened. Grass
snakes are larger and more numerous than
adders, and there is no evidence that the
absence Of the poison fangs in any way
endangers the survival of the species.
1t is difficult to account for the absence
of any visible failure in life of insect-feed-
ing creatures competing for existence on
the same food, hut with such unequal
physical means for obtaining it as are pos
sessed by the swallow. the marmoset, the
shrew, the chameleon and the frog, In this
list of five creatures living upon similar
food we find that the physical appliances
for obtaining it range from the perfect de-
velopment of speed in flight in the swallow,
the addition of hands for capture in the
marmoset, bodily quickness and activity in
the shrew, the power of assuming color
exactly to that of environment in the
chameleon, supplemented by special apra-
ratus for shooting out the tongue and cap
turing insects when motionless, to the alb
sence of any special equipment at all:
except that of a rather long tongue, in the
insect-eating frog.
Yet the frog destitute Of all these
specialized appliances, lives Just as well as
the swallow, the shrew, the marmoset or
the chameleon, and at least one Species the
barking frog, finds that to get on in the
world it has only to be still and wait till
creatures walk into its mouth. 1t has
acquired skin color suited to its environ
ment and large mouth. But it is not,
and could never be, considered well pro-
vided for getting its living.
Our estimate of the physical means and
appliances necessary for the survival and
well being Of animals is probably set too
high. We Judge the needs of all from the
perfect development and acquired powers
of many, perhaps of most which evolution
has provided with appliances in excess of
their real wants. Most animals are over
equipped. Evolution has run riot and pro-
vided them with means and metal far in
excess of their needs, just as it has provided
them with an eXuherance Of ornament
which delights us, but must already have
passed beyond animal comprehension.
Probably the cats, great and small
would at once be named as the best equipped
of all classes of predatory creatures, and
the predatory creatures are by necessity
superior in most forms of physique to those
on which they prey. They are all built"
on one plan, with a special armament of
teeth. sheaths to keep their claws sharp,
muscles for springing suddenly to great
distances. padded feet to deaden the sound
concealmeut These acquired appliances
are il excess of their wants.
The polar bear, which can not spring
and has no sheaths for its claws, and has
little obvious provision to aid it in swim
ming, catches and kills animals larger than
those killed by the tiger and can kill them
in the water. The wolverine or glutton,
which is heavy, slow and has the feet of a
ferret, gets its living as carnivorous ami
NAL no less we'll than the tiger cats which
have far more specialized equipment for
their work.
There is actual evidence from the fossil
bones of tigers that this excess of equip
ment once went further and has been dis
carded as superiluous. An extinct species
developed canine teeth of such enormous
size that it has been named the ''saber-
toothed tiger" The teeth were too long
for its jaws, and the modern species use
shorter weapons, Just as modern ironclads
are provided with lighter guns. The curl
ing tusks of some of the mammoths and
the palmated horns of the Irish elk were
also in excess OF requirements and are
modified for use in the existing elephants
and reindeer. Many monkey possess II
thumb, but some do not, and there is no
evidence that they are, therefore, at dis
advantage for their nonprogressive life -
London Spectator.
To Qffar n Pau-arj of Inn nolIarc