The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-26
Corn Should Not Follow.
QUEER FRIENDS.
Curious Instances of Commentator
Among Animals.
From the Humane Alliance.

From the Humane Alliance
An intimate connection subsisting be-
tween different animals is known as com
mensalism, commensals being creatures
which may be said to sit at the same
table, but which do not prey upon one
another OF late years naturallsts have
become acquainted with numerous exam
pies of this form of animal partnership.
In one of the Chicken Islands off the New
Zealand coast, curious lizard known
as the tuatara and certain species of the
petrels were found inhabiting the same
burrows, apparently on the best of terms.
In rare cases the burrow, which consists
of passage two or three feet long, ending
in a chamber a foot and half long, one
foot broad and six inches high, is the
work of the bird. AS a rule, however the
lizard is the excavator. Each builds its
nest on opposite sides of the chamber the
lizard almost invariably choosing the left
and the petrol the right side. The lizard
| feeds partly on worms and beetles and
partly on the remnants of fishes brought
to their common table by the petrol, both
beirg thus benefited by the partnership.
This is probably more than can be said
of the prairie dog, whose underground
home Is frequently shared by the rattle
snake and the burrowing owl. These
were at one time supposed to form a
"happy family" but considerable doubt
has been cast on the point by the dis
covery Of young prairie dogs In the stom-
ach of the rattlesnake. which seems to
indicate that commensalism in this par
ticular case has been a one-sidcd affair
so far as the benefits were concerned.
1t is among marine animals, however
that the most striking examples of G9m-
| mensalism have Seen observed. A feeble
fish called the remora owes its sue
cess in life to the powerful alliances Il
forms. One of its fms has been trans
formed into sucker placed right on top
of it's head, by means of which it at
taches itself firmly to any passing shark
whale or even ship, no doubt mistakins
the latter for some huge sea monster. By
these IL Is transported without any exer-
ton on its own part over great dis
tances, meanwhile picking up such food
as may come in its way.
Several small fishes have been found
also to habitualy lodge in the mouth
cavity Of a Brazilian catfish, sharing such
food as the latter succeeds In capturing.
The enemies of the smaller fishes are so
numerous that It is only by retreating TO
places inaccessible to their foes that they
have a chance Of survival. A favorlte
shelter for many small fishes Is the round
disk of the larger sea jellies, the singing
properties Of which probably cause them
to be avoided by the other denlzens of the
deep AS many as twenty fishes have
been counted swimming within the firing
ed margin Of one Of these pulsating UNI
brellas. The sea cucumbers are another
lowly group of marine forms which az
ford shelter to fishes.
other instances might be given, such as
that of the little pea crab, found in mus
sells and other bivalve shells. which In re-
turn for the protection given them by
the molluskan shell, gives Its host a
share Of the food It captures.