The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-12
MORE THAN INSTINCT
CREATURES Low IN THE SCALE or
ANIMAL LIFE THINK AND FEEL.
Snails Have Affections and Bees and
Ants Do One Another Favors-
Spiders known to Love beauty.
philadelphia Press.

10 the lower animals think? 1t is not
hard to present evidence that creatures ex-
ceedingly low in the scale of animal life
are not on all occasions governed by in
stinct alone. For instance, certain minute
microscopic animalcules, technically known
as acthalia, whose natural habitat is saw
dust, viii confine themselves 10 water when
placed in watch glass; but if the watch
glass be placed on sawdust these little AMI
mals VIII make their way over its edge and
take up their abode in the sawdust-their
natural habitat This shows conscious de-
termination.
Again, common fresh water worm
which is about one-fourth of an inch long
and about thick as a hair, will feign
death when approached by the giant water
Deeue and Will hang suspended in the
water like a bit OF thread or a shred OF
WOOD nore. The tumble bug, which may be
seen any summer day busily engaged in pro-
peliing us ball or manure along the dusty
roads or sidewalks, If touched with a fin
ger VIII at once fall over on it's back, to all
appearance-dead. The legs will be folded
close 10 the sides Of the body, the antenae
Will be drawn in out of sight, and the head
VIII be bent forward toward the abdomen
Step aside and in a few minutes the an
and move TO and fro; then the other an
tenae VIII make its appearance and the
legs VIII begin to move. If the foot now be
stamped on the ground the beetle will at
once resume its deathlike seeming; il not
ClsturDed, however. il will scramble to its
Ieet and at once resume it's ball-rollirg
Many animals exceedingly low in the
scale or life show that they possess some
OF those emotions which man only arrogates
10 hlEself- Speaking Of snails, Mr. Darwin
SAYS:
These animals appear also suscentible
or some degree of permanent attachment:
an accurate observer, Mr.. Lonsdale, in
mails Helix pomatia1' one Of which was was
weakly, in a small and ill-proyided garden
After a time the strong anG healthy in
It's track OF slime over wall into adj
Joining well-stocked garden. Mr.. Ions
dale concluded that it had deserted it's
sickly mate; but after an absence of TWEEN
ty-fOur hours il returned, and apparently
communicated the result of it's successful
exploration, for both then started along the
same track and disappeared over the wall"
The affection of ants for their young is
Well known, but their concern for one an
other has not been dwelt upon. l have
repeatedly taken ants and painted them
with mixture of shellac and oxide of
zinc. When turned loose in the formicary
or artificial ants nest they would approach
other ants would at once begin 10 remove
the paint with their tongues and mandibles
1ellow-citizen was entirely cleansed of her
unsavory coating. have seen, on more
man one occasion; these kind friends made
deathly sick by the zinc, yet, after few
moments of rest, they would again resume
the cleansing process.
I have repeatedly seen ants take up
wounded companions and carry Them SEEM
dngiy with the tenderest solicitude into the
nest. Bees likewise show by their actions
t D they snare with man certain emotions.
on one occasion / used the paint brush
freely on queen which had just returned
20 the hive after her bridal tour. AS soon
as the bees discovered her condition they
at once surrounded her and bore her away
into the hive. On lifting the curtain which
covered the glass front of their home /
could see those devoted little creatures bus
tly engaged in removing the paint from the
limbs and body of their beloved sovereign.
They even turned her on her back in order
10 get at the under surface Of her body.
INGENUITY OF BEES
After they had cleansed her TO their salts
faction they set up a loud buzzing, a paean
OF thanksgiving as it were, and escorted
the purified monarch to her royal cell. On
another occasion the hot weather had
caused the wax supports of one of the
combs partially to give way. The bees at
once set to work and built a wall or brace
OF wax between the endangered comb and
the one next to it. They then built up and
strengthened the softened supports; when
this had been done they removed the wax
brace and used the wax elsewhere
AS SenSeleSS as OYSTER" is an every
day saying, yet the oyster has an amount
OF intelligence little to be expected in a
creature Of such low organization. Dicque-
mase assures US that oysters taken from a
depth never uncovered by the sea- open
their shells, lose the water within and
perish; but oysters taken from the same
place and depth, If kept in reservoirs, where
a short time and are otherwise incommoded,
learn to keep their shells shut, and then
live for much longer time when taken
out OF the water.
First Darwin and then Romanes noted the
above as wonderful evidence of intelli-
gence in a mollusk. The fact is turned
schools of France. The distance from
the coast to Paris being too great for the
opening their shells. they are first taught
In the schools TO bear a longer and longer
exposure to the air without gasping. ana.
when their education in this respect is
completed. they are sent on their journey
TO the metropolis, where they arrive with
closed shells, and in a healthy condition.
Some OF the mollusk possess the sense
or direction in marked degree, being able
10 find their way home from what must
be TO them great distances. For instance.
the limpet, after an excursion in search Of
food. will invariably return to it's home on
some rock or stone Insects likewise pos
sess this faculty, and have even seen the
blind beetles OF Mammoth cave return 10
their dOmiciles beneath some log of wood
or block OF stone after a journey of fifty
shadow O. IA doubt that these creatures
POSSESS memory and conscious determina-
ton. coincidentally a certain degree of in
telligence.
According to Schneider even the cephalo-
pods show memory. for he cites an in
stance Of octopus which unquestionably
Knew its keeper. Another observer saws:
An octopus which had had a struggle
with a lobster followed the latter into an
adjacent tank. to which il had been re-
moved for safety. and there DESTROYED it.
In order to do this the octopus had to
climb up vertical partition above .he sur
lace OF the water and descend on the other
spiders not only show a high degree of
1ntalligence in the construction OF their
weoS- often adapting them to utterly I'M
1oreseen conditions. but they also evince
degree of aesthetisism little TO be expected
In an insect. Not long ago / discovered
In an clubhouse peculiarly constructed
web stretched across an angle formed by
the juncture of two walls. Through its
center. reaching from top to bottom was a
closely spun band about an inch in width
looking like piece Of beautiful white silk
ribbon.
As soon the sun shone on this ribbon
inc spider would make her appearance
ard gravely and sedately promenade up
and down. She would never take food
while thus engaged, nor, in fact, while on
Ihis web. She had evidently constructed IL
Tor place of amusement and used IL for no
other purpose Her hunting or trap-web
was some two feet away and connected
with her pleasure resort by a bridge.