The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
ANIMALS AS SWIM MERS.
Camels. Monkeys. Glrsnes and IlamaS Are Not
Up In Natation.
From Peterson's Magazine.

From PetersOns Magazine.
II has often been said that among NIL the
hipeds and quadrupeds man alone IL unable TO
swim naturally: but this, Ike many other sweep
ing statements. is not usually true. Many men
have been known TO swim on their first entry
into deep water, while. On the other hand.
there are several mammals whose natatory
power IL even inferior TO that Of man Take.
for instance. camels, monkeys, giraTes and
llamas Camels, II il true. may be taught TO
swim with artificial aids. and now and then apes
manage to scramble over narrow sheets Of
water without being drowned, but II may be
conf IDENTIFY asserted that neither girafes nor
llamas can ever accomplish the arr.
The vast majority swim well on their first i'm
mersion in the water; and; whether as a,means
Of passage OF 10 escape danger, most Of them
take 10 the element with the utmost confidence,
even on their first attempt. -,
Strange 20 1ay, certain members or the seal
amily, which eventually take their place among
the best Wimmers In creation, are, at the out
set Of their career. the most helpless.
Sea lions. although they do not spend so long
n time in the water H. the true, seals, move
even more gracefully and rapidly when in
search Of food. The latter are so much at
home in the water that they will sometimes
90 fast asleep among the waves, and Will even
lie for half an hour OF more AT the bottom Of
the water without betraying any sign OF uneasi-
ness.
The rodents are perhaps the most Interest,"
ing family of swimmers. All the good swim
mers among The The T nC6dseann,Ssaa are 70 a rsS eS ~ dar Gss
the body in the water at will. When swim
ming et ease and unsusLicious q danger he
water line masses across the mouth, the middle
Of the cheek. and the shoulder, disclosing on
the surface rather moro than one-third, OF the
Is En seen The tail itself Is generally. under tho
water excepting when the ANNA IA quite
stationary.
are like an III -hallasted ship. down bv the head.
like the squirrels. these two animals show
great timidity in the water; and naturally 50
that the slightest ripple on the surface would
send their noses under water and so drown
them. unless they at once returned 10 land.
swim considerable distances.
A friend Of mine who. Is 2 constant Usher
man" saws Mr.. Millais, told mo that he has
and each time. after going half wav, the timid
G Tsinl Ss,l had i0,d r'ttSSr rI4: S dS%9ifll%'' as GVi faf S I9
7 have been able to ascertain rabbits and hnres
are the only animals that EXPOSE the whole Of
when taking n stroke: the effect of this Is very
curious, giving them the arnearanSe OF a slow,
fairly started the legs are moved slowly. al
though the animals proceed at a fa'r rate oi
slowly in water that a dog can outstrip HON.
As TO the hipnopotamus., all visitors 10 the
Zoo, are familiar s With his Rno& S4ua ibH, E IbN eIs.
plant, too, is a splendid swimmer, and VIII
often remain in the water thirty-six hours
AZ a stretch. swimming all the time.
Maior-General Keatinge. '. c.. some time
resident at Misunderstanding on. the .Nerbud-
dha, told Mr. Millals that, during the rainy
season wild elephants occasionally came swim
ming down the river past house, the near
est Jungle from which thu could have come
heing 200 miles upstream. on these occasions
the natives, though PROVIDED with huge nat
bottomed punts, and well knowtne the value
Of the animals, could not be persuaded TO go
near them, fearing to be seized.
As a general rule they swim very deep IN
the water, only the top OF the head ana the
trunk being visible; but OcCasionaly-per-
hays for their own satisfaction, q al tho insti-
CATION Of the mahout-they VIII swim, high,
even when they have a burden on their backs.
OF pigs II IL commonly reported that 20
queerly fashioned are they that II they attempt
to swim they cut their threats with their fore
feet, but this II only an old wifes fable. Whether
though. owing 70 The shortness Of tleir legs,
they Just touch their throats with their fore
feet and beat the water very high, Many
~ the islands q the southern seas are now
inhabited by Wild pigs which are the desC"nd-
ants 81 those which have swum ashore, some
times great distances, from wrecked vessels
tames cannot swim, They are very bu9y-
ant, but Unbalanced and their heads 60 under
water They can, however. be taught 10 swim
rivers with the aid ~ goatskins or jars fastened
under their ueCks During the Beluchlstan
expedition Of isgs the camels were lowered into
ing overheard. clan bered on 20 the rlmus ~
their charge, causing the animals heads 70
ONE NJ and thus assisted they were successfully
plotted ashore.
several animals, such a. hedRehoRs and bats.
who would, AZ first glance. he considered in
spectacle performers