The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-19
HOW ANIMALS SWIM.
The Polar Bear Is. Easily the Cham
pion of the Whole Family.
Parsons Magazine.

Pearson's Magazine.
Amongst what are generally considered
purely land animals there is no finer SWIM
mer than the polar bear. This grand crea-
ture, with which everybody is nowadays
familiar, spends more than half his time In
the water, performing immense Journeys
across the polar wastes from continent to
continent. The distance he travels from the
pack ice to the main coasts over open wa
ter are at times astounding, considering
freezing water, known to human beings as
the greatest deterrent to all long swims.
The most interesting family Of SWIM
mers is, perhaps, the rodents. 1t may be
taken as a general rule, that IL one men,
Der of a family is a good swimmer all the
rest are: but not so with regard 10 the
such fine performers as beavers. rats, mice
and their allies, but such regular land-lub-
bers as squirrels, hares and rabbits.
All the good swimmers amongst the.
rodents are also expert divers, and are
able, moreover, to raise or depress the
body in the water at will. When swim
ming at ease and unsuspicious or dam
ger the water line passes across the mouth,
the middle of the cheek and the shoulder,
disclosing on the surface rather more than
one-third Of the whole body; and, though
the root of the tail is seen. the tail itself is
generally under the water, excepting when
the animal is quite stationary. About rats
/ need hardly speak, so familiar to every
body are their habits. The common house
rat, when he takes to living on river
banks, is almost as much at nome IN
the water as his cousin, the water vole,
and the same thing may be said OF mice,
notably the water shrew.
Amongst the Indifferent of this
family the squirrel first claims attention.
MANY observers are of OD1nlOn that the
squirrel does not swim at all, but that by
hopping on TO a floating piece OF bark and
using his tail as a sail he crosses the widest
rivers. This is a very pretty story and one
with a certain amount OF truth in II Q have
myself seen squirrels floating down stream
in this way, but that he often attains his
object thus very much doubt.
Twice, while fishing in the Tay, 1 saw
SQUIRRELS actually swimming across the
river, and their movements struck me as
so peculiar that I afterwards experimental
with them in the water. They were evil
dently alarmed at the thought OF trusting
themselves TO so t~reacherous an element.
and, at starting, some of them sprang into
the air, as If inclined rather to fly than TO
swim; but. once well afoat, they padded
away with such extreme rapidly as 10 ex-
haust themselves within a few minutes al
most. In this action the head and Shout
ders are carried very high out of the water,
whilst the rest OF the body sinks deep be-
meath the surface-in direct contrast 10
the pose OIL mares III IdDDllSr WllCns III
swimming, are, like an nl-ballasted ship.
down by the head"
Like the squirrels. these two animals
snow great timidity in the water; and nat
urally' so, for their heads are so low and
sterns so high that the slightest ripple on
the surface would send their noses under
water and so drown them, unless they at
once returned to land. In perfectly still
water, however, they can both swim con-
siderable distances
Nearly all the ruminants are excellent
swimmers, and all take freely TO the water,
except. perhaps. the wild sheep and the
camels-
of pigs it is commonly reported that
so queerly fashioned are they. hat IL they
attempt to swim they cut their threats
with their fore feet, but this is only an
old wife's fable. Whether. wild or tame
they are all good swimmers, though, ow-
ing 10 the shortness OF their legs, they
feet, and beat the water very high. Many
Of the lands OF the southern seas ar,
now inhabited by wild pigs. which are the
descendants OF those which have swuu
ashore. sometimes great distances from
wrecked vessels
Camels cannot swim They are very
bouyant. but Unbalanced, and their head.
60 under water They can, however. bt
taught to. swim rivers with the aid OF
goatskins or jars fastened under their
necks. During the Beluchistan expedi.
ton Of 1898 the camels were lowered int
the sea from the ships. and their drivers
plunging overheard, clambered on to the
| rump Of their charges, causing the animars
head to come up: and thus assisted the,
were successfully riloted ashore.
Several animals, such as hedgehoGs an(
bats, who would. At first glance. be con
stdered Incapable Of natation, are In real
tty quite respectable performers.