Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-04-28
BEARS ARE THE BEST SWIM
MERS.
Excel All Others OF The Lower Rnima
World In This Respect

In spite of the fact that man is no
an instructive swimmer, as are most o.
the lower amin II, he exceis all OF the
latter that are not aquatic in endur
ance In the water. & is reported that
in attempting to swim across the Eng
iish channel recently q man covered
thirty miles before he succumbed tc
exhaustion. The only land animals
that are known to be able to approx
mate such feat are bears, which are
probably the strongest swimmers
among animals not specially adapted
| by nature for the water.
Deer and horses rank next to bears
in swimming powers. Deer swim rapid
ly and gracefully, and it is noe uncom-
mon for them to cover distance OF
ten or fifteen miles In the water
| Horses are powerful swimmers and
have none of the aversion toward en-
| tering the water which is often shown
even by animals which can swim we'll
when forced to.
A number of horses that were pas.
tured on tue American side OF the Mia
CARA river once swan In company
across this broad stream in order to re
turn to their old stable. 1t may be
| useful to know that in crossing a body
of water with horse the best method.
if the horse is expected to swim any
considerable distance, is to slide over
his back, hold the auimal tightly by the
tail and allow it to tow you across.
This relieves the horse of the weight
of the body and enables him to swim
faster and much farther than otherwise
would be the case.
Dogs vary greatly. in ability as swim
mers. The water spaniel, retriever,
mastiff, and st. Bernard excel all 9th
ers. A retriever known to the writer
once followed a canoe for nine miles.
The cog was much exhausted, however,
when drawn into the boat.
The elephant Is good swimmer, and
the wild animals of the cat family, the
tiger, the panther, the jaguar and
others, do not hesitate to cross lakes
and rivers. On the other hand, the
domestic cat shrinks from immersion,
and browns quickly. The nostris of
some small animals are so placed as to
rendering breathing very difficult when
they are in the water. Among these
are mice and rabbits, which will
drown without sinking beneath the sur
face. Rats are excellent swimmers.
Almost all birds except those which
are distinctly natatorlal are nearly
helpless in water. Small birds, in
particular, have no power of populsion,
aud, though they do not sink, they
drown quickly. Even many species of
waterfowl rise form the water with
difficulty or not at all, when their wings
are wet. After sea gull plunges and
returns to the surface it stretches its
wings SO that they may be dried by
the wind and sun before it attempts to
fly.
All reptiles swim. Almost all snakes
move through the water with as much
ease and rapidity as On land. Rattle
snakes, for example, are much given
to swimming i'll placid water if not too
cold. In the Everglade lake of Florida
they may be often seen. 1t is well to
know that to attack from a boat a
poisonous snake in the water is a much
more dangerous proceeding than to
attack the snake on land.
The reason Is that the reptile will i'm
mediately make for the boat, since it
must have solid base from which to
strike. 1t half leaps and half climbs
into the craft. and there is fight at
uncomfortahly close quarters--Chi-
cagO Chronicle.