The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-21
rARslsR. THE PHILIPPINE LINK.
rhe Great-Gr sndfsther of Mankind
and other Animals I'm Our New Pos
sessions.

the ratification OF the pence treaty
Uncle sam is to exhibit expansion OF
his lower animal kingdom In the National
Geological Park. DIR. Frank Baker, sup
erintendent of the park, has just departed
unon . tour of collection. The Govern
ment naturalists are now giving their
attention to the strange fauna OF the Is
lands soon to become or already classed as
our new possessions Little scientific
attention has b,en given to these species
hitherto. They are practically unknown,
save to several travellers. whose reports
have been lately obtained.
The Governments savants are delighted
at the prospect of poking straws into the
cage of real live ''tarsier" OF course
you have no idea who Senior Tarsier Is.
Just now many evolutionists regard him
as q number of considerably elevated tenn
perature. Prof. Hubrecht of the Untver-
sity OF Utrecht has lately discovered that
be is no less a parsonage than link"
connecting Grandfather Monkey with his
ancestors Thus the evolutionary scale
would be changed by Prof. Hubrecht to
run, man, ape, monkey, tarsier, and SO
on, tarsier appearing as what may be
popularity termed the great grandfather
of mankind.
Tsrsier may best be described as having
n face like an owl and q body. limbs ana
tail like thoss of a monkey. His sitting
height Is about that of the squirrel. As
his enormous optics would lead one 10
suppose, he cuts capers in the night ana
sleeps In the daytime, concealed usually
in abandoned. clearings, wherenew CROWN
has sprung up to height OF 20 ieot OF
more Very often he sleeps In stahulns
posture, grasping the lower stem " u
small tree with his long ana siehusr
fingers and toes. During his nightly
wanderings he utters squeak IKE ln1C
of monkey. During the day the p1pils
of his eyes contract into fine lines, put
after dark expand until they MI most Oh
the irises From ris habit OF feeulng only
upon insects he has a strong, bat-hke
odor.
MIR. John Whitehead. who has spent the
past three years studying the anlmais OF
the Philippines foreshauows the proDaple
behavior of tarsier when he arrives ut the
national .'zoo' The Philippine natives
call the little creature 'msgou.' In
Samar" says MIR. Whitehead, In report
Just received at the Smithsonian, where
ut different times l kept several magous
alive / found them very docile ana easily
managed during the day. They 1eed
freely off 2rasshoppers, sitting on their
Launches on my hand. When offered an
insect the magou would stare Tor snort
time with its most wonderful ewes, tnen
slowly bend forward, and, with sudden
dash, would seiza the insect with botn
hands and Instantly carry IL TO Its mouth,
shutting its eyes ana screwing up its tiny
face In q most Whimsical Fashion. The
grasshopper was then quickly passed
through the sharp little teeth, the kicking
lags being held with both hands When
the insect was. beyond further mischief
the large ewes of the magou would open
and the legs and wings were then bitten
off, while the rest of the body was thor
oughIy masticated. My captives would
also drink fresh milk from spoon.
After the sun had set this little animal
becameimost dithcu:t t, manage, escaping
when possible and making tremendous
jumps from chair to chair. When on the
floor 1t bounded about like miniature
kangaroo travelling about the room on
its hind legs with the tail stretched out
and curved upward, uttering peculiar,
shrill, munkey-like Gsqueaks and biting
quite viciously when the opportunity
offered. This remarkable mammal Is
found in the islands OF Samar and Leite.
probably in Mindanao and perhaps in
Bohol.
Common throughout the Philippines is
still nearer relative Of man, long tailed
green monkey, which the natives call the
Hchongo' Chongo does n ottbehave him
self as we'll as does magou. In Northern
Luzon he infests the forests In the neigh
borhood of nativs plantations, especially
those of maize ana sweet potatoes, and Is
the cause of unlimited Taiago profanity
In Samar the rice fields have to be care
fully guarded against his attacks. he Is
to be seen anywhere from the cold noun
tain tops to the seaooast. Some pure
white monkeys are also found in Minda-
mao
Another freak beast which will excite
curiosity in our geological gardens is the
tamarau, dwarf buffalo, found In the
forests of Miudoro, of the Philippine
group. 1t is stuntod form of the Old
World buffalo, not OF the American bison.
il sometimes occurs high up in the noun
tains. 1t tunnels pathways through the
thick BAN boo underground covering the
ountain sides above = $50 feet. Hunters
must go upon hands and knees to follow
these trails. The aborignes never hunt
tnis little beast, being deathly afraid OF
The midget Philippines quirrel is anoth-
81. odd creature. 1t is about the size of IA
mouse, has legs longer in proportion than
those of the ordinary squirrel, larger eyes
and short, rounded ears. large, brown
rat, gray underneath and with squirrel
like head and eyes. lbut black, cord
tell, is of still greater interest from an
evolutionary point of view. 1t is discov-
erei to be the last link long needed to
complete the chain Of relationship be-
Iw,en the true rats and water rats. A
wild pig dignifed by the name of "Sus
throughout the whole philippine group.
1t is exceedingly exclusive during the
day, when 1t hides In the forest, but
sallies gayly forth during the night into
tine native maize and rice fields. where 1t
does much damage. The natives call this
badly behaved pig "babul."
The philippines win also contribute
giant fruit-esting bat. All American
bats, of course subsist entirely upon in
scots and are provided with sharp teeth
with which to nip them. The fruit-eating
Rat of these islands Is larger than rat.
has long head and blunt teeth. 1t
makes nightly inroads upon the banana
plantations and other fruit preserves.
During the day 1t sleeps hanging head
downward from tree.
In Bataan, of the Philippine group. he
found IA ohevretaiD, or ''mouse-deer.
tiny little pigIny, rs cunning as q fox.
and which when shared, feigns death
until freed, when 1t leaps up like light
Dtns flash and takes 10 the forest, leaving