St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-03-24

| the ground, their roots in turn are not
fastened into the tree, but are exposed
to the air and absorb food from it.
The mistletoe, the flower which, with
the holly and other evergreens, is used
for decorations at Christmas time, is,
however, complete parasite, and In
habits the oak tree usually, growing in
the erotches Of its great branches. The
mistletoe brings US to the kissing bug,
which is not of botany. but of entomol-
ogy (insectology), which is division
of zoology; and now we are getting
near to the elephant and the birds.
Naturalists tell US. that every living
creature or growing thing has its para
site. Even the flea, they say, which is
in itself parasite, has smaller feas to
keep it scratching and annoyed. If this
is fact and the theory correct, and sus-
ceptible of further application, then
parasite No. 2 must have his troubles,
and so on, multiplied into infnity.
Where does it stop? and what a terrible
case of ''ffea eat flea" il must be! And
what a source Of satisfaction ittwould
be to the poor dog to know how his tor
mentors were being tortured! From
the flea to the elephant is a big jump,
but we will make it, to the one with the
birds on his back. The birds are there
after parasites; and that is the answer
to the first question. One would think
that the elephant with his wonderful
endurance, his comparative ignorance
of pain and with hide that is inches
thick to protect him, would be above be-
ing annoyed by little things; but he
isn't.
In the deep forests of Africa, where
the elephant roams, there lives also an
insect called the 'wood-tick," and he
is his most hated and feared enemy
Against lions and tigers, against the
great rhinoceros even. the elephant is
as well fortified as battleship against
rife ball, but the tick is too small te
be fought. The tough, thick hide
which is proof against the claws Of the
lion and the thorns of the jungle, il
easy TO The tick. and he just bores il
full of holes. He gets down into the
crevices or wrinkles of the elephants
back and there he stays and gnaws
and chews and wriggles and scratches
No amount of rubbing against rocks
or trees will relieve the smarting. Bui
the elephant has a friend, little bird
friend. No sooner is the tick comfort.
ably situated than a pair of bright
piercing, yellow eyes seeks him out
and long. slender, graceful beaB
plueks him forth from his hiding and
feastlng. The owner of those eyes and
that bill is a beautiful white heron
He is small of body, long of leg and
large of heart and purpose, and in
northern Africa he is said by the ma,
tives and hunters to be the elephants
guardian angel. The elephant seems
to judge him so, too, for. ugly tenn
pered as he often is, he is never cross
with the heron, or ibis, as he is called
in the Nile country. When the long,
slender bill sinks deep into his sore
flesh, as it sometimes does, he is pa,
tient with his benefactor. and, bearing
the pain without a twiteh, seems to
know that it is for the best.
In countries where there are no Gle
plants the ibis seeks other animals,
and performs the same service for
cNen and sheep which it does for the
mammoth of the jungle. and from This
it comes to be called the cattle her
on. Cincinnati Commercial Tribune