New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04
NATURES SCANENGERS.
A PLEA FOR A BETTER APPRECIATION
OF BIRDS AND BEASTS
= G Afealo in The saturday ReyIew.

F. G. Afealo in The Saturday Review.
We human beings are odd in our atttud.
! toward the animal world In our likes and dis.
likes of the creatures of our own class and
: other classes OF animals We seem 10 base our
feelings on no logical ground Of reciprocity az
goodwill, Of gratitude. or the reverse but rattle,
on some almost inexplicabe whm. Certain
creatures are without reason given bad
name ard no proof of service rendered will
ever roinst ate them. Others are popular favor.
! ties and may rteal grain ard make life hid.
eous with their discordant cries. The entire
snake tribe. for example. is anathema with all
right minded folk, though II they were asked
the reason of their prejudice they would with
a pitiful and superior shrug. be driven back In
all probability on the ridiculous translation Of
Holy Writ, which. however deep IN It's charm,
cannot be relied upon in matters geological II
is fact that though few would credit IT, 4
gentleman, charged not long ago in an evening
paper with needless persecution Of our common
harmless snake. quoted in his deferce some
ancient injunction about bruslng the creatures
head in retaliation for an apocryphal bruising
OF his own heel. AS matter Of truth. and no,
Scripture serpents do not bruise cur heel, but
are only too glad TO glide away from IT. / IN.
derstand that in the breeding Season there are
| certain Indian snakes that resent unlLvted wit.
nesses Of their nuptidl ceremonies and 60 the
length Of chasing them off the premises This
may or may not be the case; but ! have
traEped after kangaroo through miles OF tall
grass simply infested (as proved by periodic
| ires) with snakes venomous and otherwise
without coming in contact with one although
CATERS 10 the knee were de ligueur on such oc'
casons in case of accident.
The vituperatiOn. however, reserved for the
reptile is not more forcible than that meted out
to the whole unpaid company OF natures scav'
engers and IL Is 10 this very REMARKABLE 10.
gratitude that it seems time TO draw attention
II cannot it is true be claimed for these usefu
servants that they possess beauty or charm
manner; but there are folks who are 0rnamen.
tai others merely useful, and the earth would
ha NIL MT " IL
for instance, be correct to assert that the gen.
tlemen who under the auspices OF the SANITARY
board impel gentle streams or water down tne
classic and verdant slopes that lead from Covent
Garden 10 the Strand are among the most
picturesque individuals in that neighDorhood
but II would be equally futile 10 deny then
place in the scheme OF the creation. Death Is evef
busy to render this earth an unclean aDode
This apparent even in these latitudes has
very much more serious aspect in tropical iands
where TIE burning caress OF pltiess sun orlnss
decay close on the steps of death, and the corpse
OF but an hour old is already al Worh POISONING
the surrounding air and spreading the germs
OF disease To Illustrate this balefu work
nature has enlisted an efficient army OF sca'eh,
gers drawn from all classes and commlsSiohes
10 keen pure the earth ard cleanse IL OF al lhas
is foul II might be expected that ratonA
generation " )ud not be slow TO recognize lne
value OF such officials. and would give them ~
least protection ard consideration iet ~
actually a fact that. 60 far from according theS
Invaluable creatures the same kindly forpear.
ance that is given unstiniingly To thousands oi
small fowl. more picturesque perhaps ou' Ger
tainly more harmful, We have not. most OF US,
good word TO say for any one serving IN me
scayenging brigade, and the econilSt woo
should plead their cause, individually Or A.
class would run the risk OF being voted eccen'
trio The very names OF the creatures can w
all the worst epithets applicabe 10 inc oru.s
world Vultures are repulsive; hyenas, Tor AZ
the world as IL they subscribed 10 the National
church are called sacrilegious because they
rifle graves; for sharks no term is suomt
enough and the honest sailor who occasonaiy
contrives TO haul one Of these ocean scaVengen
aboard metes out to II treatment tnal "ou"
be worther of the Grand Turk OF tradition
Nature. not being European Power, Hees
her forces in readiness where they are needeo.
IN consequence Of which the scaVeLgers muster
ir. strength in not countries. |utures wana.'
but rarely to these parts. and such sharks
occur are With few exceptions, but mlnno"sW
their race Yet we have even in these isan@
humber purifiers at work. tadpoles ana DUTY
ing beetles and others suitable 10 the Gun.
paratively easy work that falls 10 them one
OF these days. when natural history IL .aue
In a rational manner IN our schoois' whc 80 ~
rising generation learns to appreciate the liV'ne
world around instead Of barglng pianos any
splashing pigments We shall have Tecan.A
ton OF the modern geological faith ana oe... W
appreciation OF the beasts and BIRDS. we sue.
find nothing to shudder at IN the meal Oh .ns
yulture but we may. on the contrary, even eNIA
to protect that remarkable bird and us lelv"
scayengers as among the worthest OF ear'ns
children To the last the vulture Is active ~ :.
allotted mission. and when AT length IL laI.' -.
living beast or bird or insect VIII touch ~
BODY and IL must crumtle quietly TO DUST >
ELECTROMAGNETIC too lasting. as those knos
who have camped near an undiscovered oesA
yulture for some days-monunent 10 'ne 20,
fulness of the great sclvenging army OF "n''H
IL once was SO active member.