The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GOOD TRAPEZE ron MONKEYS
NEAR VICTORIA MAMA.

GOOD TRAPEZE ron MONKEYS
NEAR VICTORIA MAMA.
Object OF Much Carteaity 70 the Girafre
-Hippsp0tsanuse Drag Up the Poles
Bees Hate Wires Birds Like Them
for Perches-Flsh and Ocean Cables.
The world II now 20 much covered with
telegraph and telephone wires that civilized
human beings soarcely notice them. They
run alongside most Of the highways In
England, and the Oft announced coming Of
an underground system seems to have no
influence In the direction Of reducing the
number. There IL good evidence, however,
says the London Glo5s. for, supposing that
the animal world has by no means grown
90 accustomed to the wires which swing
above their heads.
Cows. for example, have been seen stand
Ing at the corner Of 6elds listening In awe
struck fashion to the Eolian strains which
the iron and copper strands. Birds like the
apparently finer view than the boughs Of
trees. which arc understood generally as
being natures device for the purpose.
Curiously enough, bird will not sing from
tho wire; whether 1t - silenced by the
Eolian rivalry or whether. on the other hand,
II has come to see the utilitarianism Of the
structure and to feel that song is inoon-
gruous cannot be explained with our pres
ent knowledge.
Bees hate the wires; and there are we'll
authenticated cases Of Q swsrm Of bees al
tering their flight to avoid sdjaoenoy to the
lines. Rocks show the greatest partially
for them, q partially which they hold with
thesparrowu, and In some OF the older lines,
whore the wires are closer together than IL
now thought to be Wise, nests are built,
and the insulation Of the lines damaged
accordingly. It has been calculated by
one Of those statistical persons who had
time for the enterprise that there Is bird
swinging on the lines each mile Of the dis
tanoe, which when summed up gives us Q
total OF some 500 birds amusing themselves
In this fashion between London and Edin-
burgh
In distant countries there are amusing
instances Of the use to which wild animals
put the telegraph wires A report has just
reached England giving the details OF the
ideas Of monkeys In respect to telegraphy.
These animals are convinced appar-
emily that the wires are put up merely for
the purpose OF giving them long trapeze
for their Performance Near Victoria
Nyanza there il line of three wires, along
which there may be seen hundreds Of mon
keys enjoying themselves to their hearts
content.
The authorities have tried, by shooting
them In considerable numbers, to remove
this disposition, but the monkeys still run
the risk, and travellers report that they
often see them in dozens swinging by the
tails and chuckling in their own chatter
ing fashion with delight This does not
serve to improve the telegrsphic SERVICE
for in the depths Of the forest the monkeys
tricks often twist the wires, and currents
pass from one to another, giving q some
what confusing result at the ends.
Oddly enough, 1t is stated by experts
that the earlier ideas Of the monkeys as to
passed away. Nowadays 1t rarely hap
pens that wire 10 stolen. The idea has
spread that some kind persons, recogniz-
ing the needs Of the monkey tribe, have
put the wires up In such q secure way
merely that the monkeys may have perfect
swinging. and the monkeys are perfectly
wire apparently for this reason.
the curiosity Of the giraffe IL another
disturbing element. Cows here at homo
stare up at the lines when music is being
emitted: horses rub themselves against
the poles, but these two do but little dam
age. The giraffe, however, has the ad-
vantage Of being able to stretch his long
neck and to reach the wires themselves.
He has wonderful regard for the pottery
insulstor. He reaches up and seizss these
not very suoe ulent dainties, and pulls them
The arms Of wood on which the insulstors
are placed also allure the giraffe, and whom
he gets fairly settled at the base Of q pole
he finds rich amusement for couple Of days
dragging down the arms and pecking at
the insulators. The influence which this
has upon the transmission of messages can
be imagined.
It is as injurious az the influence Of the
hippopotamus, which creeps slyly up to
the poles. looks cautiously round to see
II any one Is Watching his performance,
drass over pole, Wires, insulators and ali.
The comfort IL that occasionally the hip
popotamus gets entangled in his own de-
vioes. He Ia not a very dexterous animal,
even at the best OF times; but when he's
wrapped round with some twenty feet Of
OF three wires-he finds progression some-
what retarded In time, no doubt. he will
learn that It Is as we'll to leave the wires
untouched, but it seems as If 1t will take
come years yet before the lesson has gone
homo.
What the denizene Of the deep think Of the
great sea cables IL a much q mystery as the
others. In some places the deep cables
swing from the ridge Of one plateau to the
ridge Of another, and upon the blight all
manner Of sea animals find that they can
disport themselves. One cable which was
y
GRAPE NUTS.