The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-06
THE Philippe LINK.
The Great-Grandmthcr of Mankind
and Other Animals in our new Pos.

Just departed upon q tour OF collection.
The government naturallsts are now
giving their attention TO the strange
fauna OF the islands soon to become or
already classed as our new possessions.
Little scientific attention has been given
to these species hitherto. They ere
practically unknown, save to travellers,
whose reports have been lately OBJ
tained.
The governments savants are delight
ed at the prospect Of poking straws in.
to the cage Of real live "tarsier."
| or course, you have no Idea who Senior
Tarsler Is. Just now many evolutionists
regard him as a number OF considerably
elevated temperature. Prof. Hubrecht,
OF the University OF Utrecht. has lately
discovered that he Is no less q person.
age than ''fink" connecting Grand
father Monkey with his ancestors. Thus
the evolutionary scale would be chang
ed by Prof. Hubrecht to run, man, ape.
monkey, tarsier, and SO on, tarsler ap-
| pearing as what may be popularity
termed the great-graRdfather' OF man
kind.
Tarsier may best be described ns hav-
Ing a face like an owl, and body.
limbs and tail like those Of q monkey.
His sitting height is about that of the
! squirrel. As his enormous optics would
lead one to suppose. he cuts capers In
the night and sleeps in the day time,
concealed usually in abandoned clear
ings, where new growth has sprung up
| to height OF twenty feet or more. Very
often he sleeps In standing posture.
grasping the lower stem Of small tree
with his long and slender fingers and
toes. During his nightly wanderlngs
| he utters n squeak like that of q mon
key. During the day the pupils OF his
eyes contract to fine lines, but after
| dark expand until they Ill most OF the
irises. From his habit OF feeding only
upon insects he has strong. bat-llke
odor.
Mr.. John Whitehead. who has spent
the past three years studying the anil
mails OF the Philippines, foreshndows
the probable actions Of tarsier when
he arrives at the national 200" The
Philippine natives call the little crea-
ture 'magou." In Samar," says Mr..
Whitehead. in n report Just received at
] the Smithsonian, where OF different
times I kept several magous alive, I
found them very docile and easily man
aged during the day. They feed freely
Off grasshoppers. sitting on their
launches on my hand. When offered
an insect the magou would stare for q
short time with its most wonderful eyes,
then slowly bend forward, and with
| sudden dash would Seize the Insect with
both hands. and instantly carry It TO Its
| mouth. shutting its eyes and screwing
up Its Tiny face In q most whimsical
fashion. The grasshopper was then
| quickly passed through the sharp little
| teeth, the kicking legs held with both
hands. When the insect was beyond
further mischief the large eyes Of the
| magou would open. and the legs and
! wings were bitten off, while the rest OF
the body was thoroughly masticated.
My captives would also drink fresh milk
from spoon. After the sun had set
this little animal became most difficult
to manage. escaping when possible. and
making tremendous Jumps from chair
| to chair. When on the floor It bounded
about like miniature kangaroo, tray
cling about the room on Its hind legs,
with the tail stretched out and upward,
uttering peculiar, shrill monkey-like
squeaks and biting most viciously when
| the opportunity offered" This remarka-
Bile 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 ma
tives call the "chongo." Chongo does
not behave himself as well as does ma
| gou. In Northern Luzon he infests the
| forests In the neighborhood OF native
plantations. especially those Of maize
| and sweet potatoes. and Ia the cause OF
| unlimited Talago profanity. In Samar
| the rice fields have to be carefully
| guarded against his attacks. He Is TO
| be seen anywhere from the cold NOUN
tain tops to the seacoast. Some pure
white monkeys are also found In Min
| danao.
Another freak beast which will ex-
cite curiosity in our geological gardens
is the tamarau, a dwarf buffalo. found
In the forests OF Mindoro, of the Phil
ippine group. 1t is stunted form Of the
Old World buffalo. not Of the American
bison. 1t sometimes occurs high up In
the mountains. It tunnels pathways
through the thick bamboo underground
covering the mountain sides above
5000 feet. Hunters must go upon hands
] and knees to follow these trails. The
aboriglnes never hunt this little beast,
being deathly afruid OF It.
The midget Philippine squirrel Is an
other odd creature. 1t is about the size
OF n mouse, has legs longer In proper
ton than those Of the ordinary squirrel,
| larger eyes and short, rounded ears.
| A large. brown rat. gray underneath
and with squlrrel-likc head and eyes,
| but black. cord-iike tail. Is of still
| greater Interest from an evolutionary
| point OF view. 1t is discovered to be
the last link long needed to complete
the chain OF relationship between the
true rats and water rats. A wild pig.
dlgnlfled by the name OF 'Sus Celeben-
sis Phillpplnensis." Is found throughout
the whole Philippine group; Il is ex-
ceedingly exclusive during The day.
| when II hides In the forest. but salllcs
gayly forth during the night into the
native maize and rise fields, where II
does much damage. The natives call
this badly behaved pig "babut."
The Philippines will also contribute n
giant frult-eating bat. All American
bats, Of course, subs!st entirely upon
Insects and are provided with sharp
teeth with which to nip them. The fruit
eating bat OF these islands Is larger
than rat. has long head and blunt
teeth. It makes nightly fnroads 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 n chevretaIn, or "mouse-deer." q
tiny little pisny, rs cunning as 4 fox.
and which, when shared. feigns death.
until freed. when II leaps UP like n
lightning fash and takes 10 the forest.
leaving the inexperienced trapper In
great surprise. The Philippines also
co3tain civets, wildcats. porcuplnes. liz
ards. snakes and alllgators. The ''cha-
| CON-, one vnrletS OF alligator, Is priced