Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-01-12
ANIMALS TOO RICH.
REMARKABLE NATURAL ENDOWMENT.

REMARKABLE NATURAL ENDOWMENT.
Certain snakes OF medium size carry
tho most deadly weapon, whether of OF
fense or defense. owned by any animal
In addition they have the perfect yer.
tebrate structure which Sir Richard
Owen so much admired, aud can there.
fore swim. climb and make their way
in places where no other animal of SIM
liar size can go 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 invincible leihal
weapon. They only carry blank car
tridges in the battle Of life. Evolution
seems arrested for no reason. They not
only fail 20 grow the poison tooth, bnt
do not develop the power Of crushing
their prey rs the constructors do. 1t
would be far easier for common grass
snake TO kill frog by poison before
eating il. as the cobra does. than to
have to swallow il alive. II would save
IL trouble to crush II, us n young boa
constructor Of the same size would do,
but il does neither, because 1t neither
has developed. nor seems in the least
likely to develop, the necessary equip
ment for SO doing.
BY the theory of evolution the grass
snake ought therefore To go back In the
world, while the other common English
snake, the poisonous viper. armed with
weapon, powerful as protection and
q means Of killing prey, increased in
size and numbers and took its place.
Yet this is exactly what has not hap
pened Grass snakes are larger and more
numerous than adders, and there Is no
evidence that the absence OF the poison
fangs in any way endangcrs the survival
Of the species.
1t is difficult To account for the alb
sencc If any visible failure in life OF in
sect feeding creatures competing for ex'
istence ON the same food, but with such
unequal physical means for obtaining 1t
as are possessed by the swallow, the
marmoset, the shrew, the chameleon
and the frog. In this list of FIVE crea-
lures living upon similar food we find
that the physical appliances for obtain
ing it range from the perfect develop
ment Of speed in fight 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 similar to that Of environ
mcnt in the chameleon. supplemented
by special apparatus for shooting out
the tongue and capturing insects when
motionless, to the absence Of any special
equipment ut all. except that Of n rather
long tongue, in the insect eating frog.
Yet the frog. destitute Of NIL these
specialized appliances. lives just Us well
rs the swallow, the shrew, the marmo-
set or the chameleon, and at least one
species, the barking frog. finds that to
get ON In the world il has only TO be
still and wait till creatures walk into
its mouth. 1t has acquired skin color
suited TO its environment and q large
mouth. But it is not, and could never
be, considered well provided 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 ac-
quired powers Of many. perhaps of
most, which evolution has provided
with appliances in excess Of their real
wants. Most animals are overequipped.
Evolution has run riot and provided
them with means and metal far in ex-
cess Of their needs. just as it has provid-
ed them with. an exuberance Of oriia-
ment which delights us, but must al
ready have passed beyond animal COM
prehension.
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
q special armament Of teeth, sheaths to
keep their claws sharp. muscles for
springing suddenly to great distances.
padded feet to deaden the sound Of their
movements and color adapted for con-
cealment These acquired appliances are
in excess Of their wants
The polar bear, which cannot spring
and has no sheaths for its claws, and
has little obvious provision to aid it in
swimming, catches and kills animals
larger than those killed by the tiger and
can kill them in the water.