The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-20

species have a method Of shaking hands
and passing the time OF day. by stroking
one another with their antennae. This
strolxing process evidently encompasses a
wide range of Information, for the affairs
of whole colony seem sometimes to be-
come readjusted because of ii. But just
what is the inner process of the. commune
cation. no one seems quite able to say
Does this stroking vary infinitely in pres
sure, as does the delicate touch of a blind
mans fingers, or is there in addition a
passage of sound with the pitch far below
the range of the human ear. Perhaps our
scientists will arrive at the meaning yet.
Dogs, cats horses, all animals in fact,
gaze at one another in apparent silence
and are friendly or hostile as the case
may be. How are their feelings transmit
ted? Does domesucity increase the power
of expression? Dogs have various express
sions. According 20 Darwin they yelp
with pain, growl with anger, whine with
fear, bay with anticipation, bark sharply
with pleasure. etc. Now. if we examine
the wolf we must be forced to think
these accomplishments acquired.
To Find Why Monkeys Can't Talk.
According to Prof. Edwin C. Conklin,
who has been instrumental in establishing
the animal experiment station, there is no
apparent reason why monkeys should not
be induced to talk in some civilized lam
guage; just which one, is not decided. Ii
would be out of the question to have dog
speak, for his vocal organs are not of the
proper shape TO make speech, yet 1t has
been improved wonderfully on its savage
ancestor. The monkey. on the other hand,
has never brought forth successive gen.
erations in captivity yet it has its HUI
man vocal organs ready made. The ques-
ton remains, then, what would be the I'LL
innate effect of environments? Would 1t
speak, finally? Without being too Garner
esque, it is the opinion of many scientists
that 1t would.
Curious Habits of Dogs.
All this comes under the head of COM
parative psychology. and by means
of it Prof. Conklin and his conferees hope
to trace to their origin the many curious
habits which domestic animals still retain.
Why, for instance, does the dog turn
around in a circle when about to lie down
to s.eep. 1t is said to be a remnant of
the days when he slept wild in leaves and
tall grass. Perhaps it is, but there may
be another reason behind it. Why do
pointers point naturally; why is the poo,
die more capable of doing tricks than the
spitz dog, and so on? This and many 9TH
er unexplainable actions of domestic ami
mails we may soon know all about We
may know why ii is that there is a pen
atty of non-production hanging over the
heads of hybTids-why the young of AMI
mails of two different species do not like
the mule, produce young; why many wild
animals refuse to breed in captivity.
\ ROOst for Bats.
Much attention will be given to the
night-hying animals and birds, of which
so little IS known A regular bat loft will
be maintained and the little animals will
be allowed to come and go at will, but
they will be closely watched. There will
be no trouble in establishing the bats in
the loft. II seems that it is only neces-
sary to keep bats in a loft for several
days until the odor of the animals per-
meates the place, Then, If liberated, they
will, like chickens, come home to roost and
bring other bats with them. The econo-
my of the bat investigation becomes ap-
parent when it is stated on authority that
they kill more mosquitoes than any other
animal bird or insect.
Snakes in the Cellar.
Down stairs, in the cellar of the insti-
tuition, there will be snakes and nevis and
chameleons, whose peculiar idiosyncracies
will be examined, and we may soon know
more of these animals than ever was
dreamed of by Wood or Shelburne.
II Is tIle nope OF the faculty OF tue, uni
versity that the species Of investigation
thus outlined will result In a broader sys-
tenn of biological teaching IN the public
schools generally. 1t is far better for the
general after life of the student and
infinitely more humane that he know
something more of the habits and intel
lectual traits Of an animal than of its
anatomy A knowledge of the insides of
dog Is all very well, but 1t is not as in
teresting nor of as great value as is
thorough acquaintance with it as a living
factor in the great round world. The ex-
pertinent of the University of Pennsyl-
vania at any rate will be watched with
interest. Its value must certainly become
more apparent as the years roll by and
the number of members of the wild animal
kingdom get less and less.
Theodore Waters.