Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-05-13
LIFE WITHOUT WATER.
How Animals Can Endure the Thirst
OF the Desert.

OF the bcAcEt.
Among the questions asked in reia-
ton to the difficulties of the Indian
frontier war is the reason why the dif-
ficuity of obtaining water blocks our
advance but does not hamper the Ei.i.
men. The answer is that our trCopS had
in one camp upward of 2j.C00 baggage
animals. There were oxen. mules. don
Lcys a.d camcls. The former are al
WHY'S thirsty creatures. ard even the
CamC'S are credited with vastly larger
pcwcrs of sustaining thirst tlan they
possess. Mai. H.. G.. Leonard. after II
years experience as a transport officer.
is corvi"crd that camc!s should. il pos
sir,y. nc watercd every day. that they
cannot; lr trained to do without water.
ard that. though they can retain ~
.]al.Grs Of water in the ""llS OF the
stomach. four or five davS' abstinence
is as much as they can stand. in hca
ard with dry food. without permanent
Injury.
The record Of the sufferirgs of the
unfortunate animals which accom-
panied M ill-arrargcd expedition in the
EaSh"nr desert is a timely comment on
this opinion. II is very doubtful whcth-
Cr the minority Of the various desert
animals" willingly go wi,hou; water.
or. in fact. do so 10 any great extent.
They drink srariug!y. and can. prob
ably hv habi; aud practice. go for long
a. periods without drinking than spc-
CicS living m wcli-waicrrd districts.
Eut IL" absence Of any special provision
for the internal storing of water. cN.
ccpi in III" ~caIi:rls and seine ]tortoiscs.
seems tn indicate that This power OF
ten uCrary abstinence is only an ar-
Quiscl raTI".ty. Nor is IL often rrsSi.
bic 10 bc certain that stores Of water do
rot exist in "Gescrts;" stores perfectly
well known to the animals. though not
to ;~!avc.crs. This j. especially the case
in rocky deserts such rs the Rayuda
desert and that between Suakin and
Berbcr.
Some Of the correspondents Of The
Londan daily papers who recently made
the journey from the advanced posts on
the Me to Suakin. noted rs remarkable
that though they were in "A desert ar,l
making forced marches from want OF
water, which. when found. was as black
nc ink and almost undr.nkable hare.
AID gazelles swarmcj.
This is an almost certain sign thai:
this desert is not watcrlcss. Count
G.cichcm. when rccrossing the I!lyuda
desert from Mctcmmch. found real Cis-
terms Of water in one place away from
the ordinary track. \ typical dcscri
bird, which, like the gaHci.cs. irrbuas
and sand lizards. has ever taken its
rotor from its environment. is the sand
grouse. Yet Mr.. Dryden ;atrs that the
daily flight OF the sand grouse. Il species
Of exceedingly swift and swa.luw-likr
flight, 10 the water is one Of the sights
Of the vcIdt in the dry season. Their
mach!nc-likc puncii!ity and the won
derfuI displays afforded 10y their ruor.
nous flights at the desert pools" form
the subject Of ~ Of Mr.. Brydcu'S chan.
itrs of his recent work on South Africa
The watering process is gone through
with perfect order and without over.
crowding. From cighl u'c.och t. r.u..
Oh ten this wonderful flight continued.
az birds drank and departed. other.
were constantly arriving to take the,
places. | should Judge that the av.Ias.
time spent by each bird at ard aruu,,
''~ "aAA ga nun y 'EAl l.aN"
instance of animal knowledge Of IL,
presence of water in unsupported place.
had a practical result in Holland. The
question Of a supply Of good water for
The Hague was under discussion at ~.
time when the North Sea canal ~.
being constructed. Ore OF those mr.
cni remarked that there was water In
the sand hills: that the harcs, rabbits
and partridr"s which swarm in the
sand hills did not come to the wet
"po.dcrs TO drink. but knew II some
supply in III" dunes" thrmye'yrs; and
that he could name one or two place..
where he had seen water. This idea
WAS laughed at. but one OF the lnrli
ri giuccrs present look the hint. The
duncs were carefully cXplgrrd. and the
result is ihe %cutiiu" of II long reservoir
III the center Of the sand hills. which
nils with water naturally. aud supplies
the town.
1t is believed that rabbits ran exist in
TINS climate without Il permanent water
supply. Where they are kept ia IN.
closed warrcus without water this
must be accepted as u fact. The writer
mas seen only one such warren. where
there are always plenty Of drinking
troughS for the young phcasarts IN
summer, though in winter the rabbits
can only find rain water and dew.
lrosc III this warren are very poor aud
small. Iamr rabbits are commonly
kept without water. but they may be
seen licking the bars Of their hutch
after a shower. and drink eagerly when
thCy have the chance. Most other re-.
neh'S' li- uding rats. are thirsty crca.
lures. Jh" only animal iiv'rg in very
Cry places which seem able To do en-.
tirrIy without drink are snakes and
reptiles. In The cod desert Of Shifting
shnd in kashgar there were no rrn,ilcs
alta no; even n ny. But the Afrhuu
boundary commission found sw,rms
OF lizards and u new aud vrnomnus sur.
cics "i adder in astonishing numbers In
The awful desert Of hot. shifting gnud
nj tic corner where Persia. ~i!pInocbis.
tan and Afghaulsiau meet. We must
note one exception. the giraffe. which
Mr.. Dryden believes exists for three.
quarters Of the year In the north Kalo.
hari without water. tInt this caunni lac
proved until the desert has been OK
plored and the total absence Of yyo,cr
confirmed. There Is known 20 bc water
beneath The surface, and II the rirnirc