Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-21
Bees Don't Like Wires.

Bees hate the wires, and there are we'll
authenticated cases of swarm of bees al
tering their flight to avoid adjacency to the
lines. Rocks show the greatest part1allty
for them, partially which they hold with
the sparrows, and in some of the older
lines, where the wires are closer together
than is now thought to be wise, nests are
built and the insulation of the lines dam
aged accordingly. 1t has been calculated
bv one of those statistical persons who had
time for the enterprise that there is a bird
swinging on the lines each mile OF the dis
lance which when summed up gives us
total of some 800 birds amusing themselves
in this fashion between London and Edln-
burgh.
In distant countries there are amusing in
stances 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 apparently
that the wires are put up merely for the
purpose of giving them a long trapeze for
their performance. Near Victoria NyanZa
there is line of three wires, along winch
there may be seen hundreds of monkeys en-
joying themselves to their hearts content
Monkeys Like Wires.
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 telegraphlc service,
for in the depths of the forest the monkeys
tricks often twist the wires, and currents
pass from one to another. giving a some
what confusing result at the ends.
Oddly enough ii is stated by experts
that the earlier ideas of the monkeys AS TO
the pleasures of stealing the wire nave
passed away. Nowadays it rarely happens
that wire is stolen. The idea has spread
that some kind persons, recognizing me
needs of the monkey tribe, have put the
wires up in such secure way merely thdI
the monkeys may have perfect swlhsiiih,
and the monkeys are perfectly loyal u
the idea and refuse to steal the wire APP
parently for this reason.
The curiosity of the giraffe Is anolher
disturbing element. Cows mere at honie
stare up at the lines when music Is peinS
emitted: horses rub themselves against nc
poles but these two do but little damage.
The giraffe however, has the advantage
of being able to stretch his long neck anu
to reach the wires themselves. he mas d
wonderful regard for the pottery lnsuialoi.
He reaches up and seiZes these not very
succulent dainties and pulls them uoWh
drawing the strands with them. Inc arms
of wood on which the insuiators are pia 49,
also allure the giraffe, and when he gets
fairly settled at the base OF pole ne Illiu"
rich amusement for couple OF Gays oias
cling down the arms and peck1ng at the III
sulatOrS. The influence winch lIls mas uP'ti
the transmission of messages can De 4ii-
agined. ,a,,oo 90 tho
1t Is as injurious as the influence OF Tue
hippopotamus which creeps slyly up TO .ne
roles looks cautiously round to see II any
one is watching his performance, ana then'
hv q long null and a strong pull drags over
pole wires, insulators and all. The com
fort is that occasionally the hippopotaIm4s
gets entangled in his own devices. ne -
not a very dexterous animal, even at me
hest of times: but when he's wrapped round
with some twenty feet of wire--and in some
cases with twenty feet of three wires-he
finds progression somewhat retarded ~
time no doubt, he will learn that II is as
Ill IN leave the wires untouched, but II
seems as if it will take some years yet pc
fora the lesson has gone home.