Morris tribune., 1898-05-18
ANIMALS ONCE WILD.
Queer Traits of Many Domestic Pets-Why
the Rabbits Tail Is White.

| 0UGSG VGS1G9 Oh NAAuy OUmGBg1C GeCb--NV ny
the Rabbits Tail Is White.
DR.. Louis Robinson has made an
interesting volume by taking in or
der the domestic animals and show
Ing us some of the traits which
mark them out as having been once
wild. While some of his instances
are obvious enough, others seem al
most too ingenious to be scientific.
1t Is easy to agree that when a
watchdog barks his action is trace
able to the old instinct for guarding
the lair of the pack; that the speed
and staying power Of the horse were
developed, in the first place, to en-
able him to escape from his gaunt,
persistent foe, the wolf, or that COWS
chew the cud because in early times
they had to get in store of food
rapidly whenever they could and
were obliged to masticate it after
ward when they were safe from the
other beasts that haunted their feed.
ing grounds. We can even accept
the terms "canine political econ
omy" and communal canine mo-
rality" as having some sort of mean
ing in the dog world. But DR.. Rob
inson is far from being content with
the obvious, says Blackwood's Mag
Rzine. In very interesting passage
he formulates the theory that the
markings of tabby cats are an in
stance of that protective mimicry"
which is common enough among
flying and creeping things, but is
supposed to be almost unknown
among mammals. Eagles, he has
found, are particularly fond Of the
flesh of animals of the cat tribe (this
is not discovery, though DR.. Robin
son has strong confirmation to bring
forward), and he points out that
when tabby is ourled up asleep it's
markings, looked at from above, are
curiously serpentine, so much so
that an eagle might easily mistake
it for its dreaded enemy. the snake.
Again, the splitting and Kissing of
cat closely resemble the sounds
made by serpents, and the head of
an angry cat, with ears pressed
fiat, eyes CLASSY and staring, and ex-
posed fangs," might well be mis-
taken for that of large snake. The
deception would be heightened, too,
by the snakelike movement of the
cats tail, and from these similarities
DIR. Robinson deduoes his theory.
Whatever doubt we may have as
to. the protective meaning of the
conoentric bands upon the sleeping
ocelot, or tabby, or of the attitude,
movement and utterances which
characterize a cat at bay, there can,
I think, be no two opinions as to the
cause Of origin and as to the pro-
tective value of the hiss when utter
ed by helpless young creatures such
as those we have been discussing,
and if the latter part of: the case be
admitted I do not see where the
Bkeptic is to draw the line and say,
"This may be true protective MIN
icry, but this must be accounted for
on other grounds. '..
DIR. Robinson would be pleased if
he could regard the fluffy white
tails of rabbits as emblems of altru-
ism on the part of these engaging
little creatures. He has no doubt
that the tails serve as danger signals
when it is too dark for their brown
bodies to be seen, but he sadly dis
misses the altruistio theory chow
Uncle Remus would have appreci-
ated itD and compares the arrange
ment of which the tails stand as evil
dence to "such highly civilized and
prosaic things as rates and taxes. F"
Certainly our rabbit or deer con-
fers benefit on his fellows at some |
expense to himself, but we know
because of the universal character Of |
the above law, if for no other reason
that he gets back from the COM
munity every bit as much as he |
gives. -" Thus, supposing the
life of a rabbit lie threatened 20 times
year "a very moderate estimate)
through his rendering himself spe-
oially visible, he receives more than
20 warnings from the caudal danger
signals of his fellow citizens Of the
presence Of dangerous foes which
might otherwise kill him. The re-
suit, as I have said, is very much |
like what one finds in civilized hui
man communities. VA
Loyal Denial.