Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-06-10

AFox Came to Lie After BsIng Killed. Bit
lts captof and Escaped.

It. captof and Escaped.
Two cases are on record of foxes be-
ing discovered in lighthouses. In each
case the fox not only completely de-
ceived the finder, but allowed himself
to be dragged out by the brush and
thrown down. In each instance the
fox then jumped up and ran away.
Another example is that of fox which
dangled across mans shoulder as II
allowed itself to be carried along
road for more than mile. At last it
bit the man and was promptly dropped.
A cat was observed to carry q weasel
home in its mouth, the weasel daag-
ling helplessly. The door of the house
was closed and the cat, in conformity
with it's usual habit, mewed to gain
admission. To NEW, however, it had
to set down the weasel, which jumped
up and fastened on its nose.
The following instance was observed
by the late Professor Romanes: A corn
crake had been retrieved by dog,
and, having every appearance of being
dead, was put in a mans pocket.
Presently violent struggles were felt
and the man drew the bird out. To
his astonishment it again hung in his
hand limp and apparently lifeless. 1t
was then set upon the ground and
watched from behind some cover In
short time it raised its head, looked
around and decamped at full speed.
A singular fact that must not be over
looked in connection with this phenom-
enon is that some animals have been
found to be actually dead which were
at first thought to be shamming. Ro-
names, for instance, found this to be
the case with a squirrel which he had
caught in cloth and with which he
wanted to experiment with regard to
feigning of death.
Sir Z. Tennent also relates, in his
book on the Natural History of Cey-
Ion, that the wild elephant sometimes
dies when being taken from the corral
by tame elephants Further, he re-
lates case in which, being convinced
that an elephant was dead, he had its
leashings taken off, he and friend
leaning against it the while to rest.
Hardly had they left it when it rose
hurriedly, and trumpeting vocifer-
ously, rushed off in the Jungle. The
fact, however, that squirrel or an ele-
plant when captured unhurt will die
is sufficient to show that most pow
erful nervous arrangement of some
sort is induced.
When the late Joseph Thompson
lectured on his African experiences he
related how the first buffalo he shot
tossed him, and how, when he came to
himself and tried to sit up, he found
his antagonist glazing at him few
yards away. He told how he recol-
lected that buffalo does not try to
toss a creature which shows no signs
of life, and how he let his head sink
slowly back, and lay shamming death.
Pheasants, in flying across wide
stretches of water, have been noticed
suddenly to fall. In this way they are
apparently drowned. 1t is perhaps
dangerous to assert positively that fear
is here the active cause of death; yet,
we are apparently justified in believing
that paroxysm of fear can produce
sudden death. The squirrel and the
elepHaHt may nave uleu Oh fright, GER
tainly death in man can be produced
by sudden fear, and although man has
a much more sensitive nervous mech
anism, the lower animals have an ex-
tremely active instinct of fear.
Professor Lloyd Morgan mentions
the case of surfaceman working in
the Severn tunnel who was nearly
killed by train. 1t is stated that
"his attention was SO riveted that he
was unable to make, rather he
felt no desire to make, the appropri-
ate movements that he could not
help watching the train, but felt no
terror. With the greatest difficulty he
managed to shake himself free of his
fascination. In describing his feelings
when the danger was past he is re-
ported to have said: II came over all
ina cold sweat and felt as helpless as a
baby l was frightened enough then"
This may perhaps be taken as
cataleptic condition without fear
Scotsman.