The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-31
QUEER FRIENDSHIPS.
Different Animals That Get Along
very Well With Each Other.
From the Washington star.

From the Washington Star.
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 naturalists have
become acquainted with numerous exam
pies of this form of animal partnership In
one of the Chicken Islands off the New
Zealand coast, a curious lizard known as
the tuatara and certain species of the pc
trels We're found inhabiting the same bur
rows, 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 rule, however the
lizard is the excavator Each builds it's
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
animals being thus benefited by the part
nershp. This is probably more than can
be said of the prairie dog, whose under
ground home is frequently shared by the
rattlesnake and the burrowing owl These
were at one time supposed to form O
happy family" but considerable doubt
has been cast on the point by the discov-
cry of young prairie dogs in the stomach
of the rattlesnake, which seems to indicate
that commensalism in this particular case
has been a one-sided affair." so far as the
benefits were concerned.
1t is among marine animals, however,
that the most striking examples of COM
mensalism have been observed. A feeble
fish called the remora owes its success in
life to the powerful alliances 1t forms.
One of its fins have been transformed into
a sucker placed right on top of its head,
by means of which it attaches itself firm
ly to any passing shark, whale or even
ship, no doubt mistaking the latter for
some huge sea monster. By these it is
transported without any exertion on its
own part over great distances meanwhile
picking up such food as may come in its
way.
Several small fishes have been found
also, to habitually lodge in the mouth cav
ity of a Brazilian catfish sharing such
food as the latter succeeded in capturing.
The enemies of the smaller fishes are so
numerous that il is only by retreating to
places inaccessible to their foes that they
have a chance of survival. faVorite
shelter for many small fishes is the round
disk of the larger sea jellies. the singing
properties of which probably cause them
10 be avoided by the other denzens of the
deep. As many as twenty fishes have been
counted swimming within the fringed
margin of one of these pulsating umbreI-
las. The sea cucumbers are another lowly
group of marine forms which afford shell
ter to the 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
malluocan shell gives its host share of
the food It captures.