Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-07-03
0. 7. MARSH. WOODSTOCK
ANIMALS SHAM DEATH.
Tale of a Clever Fox That Came to Lilo


and Escaped.
Two cases are on record of foxes
being discovered in henhouses. In
each case the fox not only complete
" deceived the finder, but allowed
himself to be dragged out by tho
brush and thrown down, in the one
case in field and in tho other on
dunghill. In each instance the fox
then jumped up and ram away. An
other example is that of fox which
dangled across a mans shoulder as
it allowed itself to be carried along
q road for more than mile. At last
it bit the man and was promptly
dropped. A cat was observed to car
nv Il weasel home in it's mouth, the
weasel dangling hclplessly. The
door of the house was closed, and
the cat, in conformity with its usu-
al habit, mewed to gain admission.
To new, however, it had to set down
the weasel, which jumped up and
fastened Oh its nose.
The following instcnce was OBJ
served by tho late Professor Ro-
names: A torrcrake had been re-
trieved by dog, and, having every
appearance of being dead, was put
in man $ pocket. Presently violent
struggles were felt, and the man
drew Tie bind out. TO his astonish
ment, it again hung i'll his hand
limp and apparently lifcless. 1t was
then set upon the ground and watch
cd from lehind some cover. In q
short time it raised it's head, looked
around and dccamred at full speed.
A singular fact that must not be
overlooked III connection with this
phenomenon is that some animals
have leen found to be actually dead
which were at first thought to be
shamming. Romanes, for instance,
found this 10 lie the case with q
squirrel which he had caught in a
cloth and with which he wanted to
experiment with regard to the
feigning of death.
Sir j.. Tel ncnt also relates in his
book Oh the Natural History of
Ceylon' that the wild elephant
sometimes dies when being taken
from the corral by tame elephants.
Further, he relates case i'll which,
being convinced that an elephant
was dead, lie had its lashings taken
off, he and a friend leaning against
it the while to rest. Hardly had
they left it when it rose hurriedly,
and, trulnroting vociferously, rushed
off i'll the jungle. The fact, however,
that squirrel OF an elephant when
captured unhurt will die is sufficient
to show th"t IL most powerful nerv-
Gus arrangement of some sort is
induced.
When tie late joseph Thomson
lectured Oh 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 glaring at
him few yards away. He told how
lio recollected that buffalo does
not try to toss Il creature which
shows no signs Of life, and how he
let his head sink slowly back and
lay shamming death,
PheusantH In flying across wide
stretches OF water have been noticed
suddenly to fall. In this way they
are apral entity drowned. 1t is per-
haps danger ous to assert positively
that fear is here the active cause of
death, yet we are apparently justi-
fled in believing that paroXysln of
fear can produce sudden death. The
squirrel and the elephant may have
died Of fright; certainly death in
man CAN 10 produced by sudden
fear, and although man has much
more sensitive nervous mechanism
the lower animals have an extreme
ly inst . of fear.
Professor Lloyd Morgan mentions
the case Of Il surface man working
III the Severn tunnel who was near
ly killed bya train. It is stated that
"his atteption was 50 riveted that
he was unable 10 make, OF rather he
felt no desire to make, tho appro-
pirate movements" that he could
not help watching the train, but felt
no terror. With the greatest diff
Guilty he managed to shake himself
free of his fascination. In describing
his feelings when the danger was
past 10 is reported to have saidI u
came over al cold sweat and felt
as hell less us Il baby. l was fright
ened enough then This may per-
haps be taken as II cataleptic condi-
ton without fear.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.