The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-14
Animals as Swimmers.

ali inc plpeos and quadrupeds man
alone is unable to swim natually Lut
this, like many other sweeping state
ments, is not usually true. Many men
have been known to swim on their
first entry into deep water, while, on
the other hand, there arc several mann
mails whose natatory power is even in
fcrior to that Of man. Take. for in
stance, camels, monkeys, giraffcs and
liamas. Camcls, it lis true, may be
taught to swim with artificial aids,
and now and then apes manage to
scramble over narrow sheets Of water
without being dro vncd; but it may be
confidently asserted that neither gi-
RATES. nor limas can ever accomplish
the art
The vast majority swim we'll on
their first immersion in the water, and
whether as means Of passage or to
escape danger, most of them take to
the element with the utmost conf
dcncc, even on their first attempt.
Strange to say, certain members Of
the seal family, which eventually take
their place among the best swimmers
in creation are, at the outset of their
career, the most helpless.
Sea lions, although they do not
spend so long time in the water as
the true seals, move even more grace
fully and rapidly when in search of
food. The latter are SO much at home
in the water that they will sometimes
go fast asleep among the waves, and
will even lie for half al hour or more
at the bottom Of the water without
betraying any signs Of uneasiness.
The rodents are perhaps the most
interesting family of swimmers. All
the good swimmers among the rodents
are also expert divers, and are able,
moreover, to raise or depress the body
in the water at will. When swimmers
at ease and unsuspicious Of danger,
the water line passes across the mouth,
the middle of the cheek, and the shoul-
der, 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.
The paws Of harcs and rabbits in
swimming arc like All ill-ballastcd ship
down BY the head Like the squir.
rels, these two animals show great IT,
midity in the water; and naturally 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 considerable distances.
"a friend of mine, who is con-
stant fisherman" says N1r. Millais,
told me that he has three times seen
harcs try to swim the Tweed, and
each time, after going half way, the
timid creatures had to return, doubt
less owing to water getting into theif
nostrils. AS far as / have been able
to ascertain, rabbits and hares are the
only animals that expose the whole
Of the hind leg, except the foot, above
the water when taking stroke; the
effect of this is very curious, giving
them the appearance Of a slow stern
wheel paddle steamer. When once
fairly started the legs are moved Glow
ly, although the animals proceed lat a
fair rate Of speed"
Roe, although good swimmers, move
so slowly in water that a dog can out
strip them. AS to the hippopotamus,
all visitors to the "Zoo" are familiar
with his aquatic powers, but it is not
so generally known that the elephant,
too, is spledid swimmer and will
often remain in the water thirty six
hours ut stretch, swimming all the
time.
Major General Keatinge, V. c.,
sometime resident at Mandalesswhur,
on the Ncrbuddha, told Mr.. Millias
that during the rainy season wild cle-
plants occasionally came swimming
down the river past his house, tho
nearest jungle from which they could
have come being 200 miles upstream.
On these occasions the natives, though
provided with huge fat-bottomed
punts, and we'll knowing the value of
the animals, could not be pursuaded
to 60 near them, fearing to be seized.
AS geneal rule, they swim very
deep in the water, only the top of the