The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-04-18

OF the water and closing its jaws, |
shoots upon the insect a long thread |
OF water-a veritable shower bath
which, falling back, washes the poor
creature into the river, where he has
not long to wait to be devoured. The
remarkable part of this performance
is the accuracy Of the fish's aim,
which rarely misses. In Java and
the neighboring countries people
often carefully preserve the toxote in
aquariums and amuse themselves by
offering it flies, holding them some
distance off so that it will shoot at
them with its douche. to the great de-
light Of the spectators.
To obtain food another fish, the
chelinous, proceeds in the same way
with salt water. but he is less adroit,
a fault which he possesses in common
with many hunters. Yet he is always
persevering. II he misses his aim he
tries again until he succeeds, unless
the insect has withdrawn out Of reach.
Lying in wait for prey is practiced
with great skill by a large number of
animals who have learned that in or
der not to brighten away the crea-
lures which they wish to catch 1t is
necessary to remain motionless. This
is notably the case with crocodiles,
which wait whole days without NOV
ing, hidden in the water or the grass
on the shore, until their prey, deceived
by their apparent quiet, comes to
battle or to Stake his thirst
II is also the case with the python
snake that waits hanging from the
trees by his tail so immovable that
he cannot be distinguished from the
surrounding branches. When an ami
NAL is about to pass he lets himself
fall upon it,
Various leeches in Africa proceed in
the same manner. In passing through
virginia. forests only too frequently
one hears a sudden noise like hail fall
ing on the branches. It is not falling
hail hut leeches which hasten to at
tach themselves to beasts of burden
and to men, from whom they hasten
N suck the blood. They were watch
ing their chance perched on the
hranches-an odd dwelling place, BY
the way-for creatures that are gener
ally considered aquatic.
The baudroie prefers to eaten oA
decoy. This large fish buries ltsen Il
the mud and lets only sort OF sinai
aag appear. which is fastened to hi
nose nv the medium Of long filamen
which floats as the water moves IL
The little fishes in his neighborhop'
hurry toward this flag, thinking the'
have n do with an easy prey. Whei
thew are gathered in goodly NUMBER
disnuting over the sweet morsel' Tn
baudroie opens his huge mouth an
swallows them without further cer'
mony. .ao5 orf
IN fine hunt by decoy, prefer TO US
trans It might be supposed that I'M
r,otbod of hunting, which demands
certain intelligence, would be pra'
creatures Of high organiz'
ton. This is not so. since the h III 81
insects employ it. The larvae Q. ~
nnt lion digs on the surface OF tn
Sard q large funnel, at the bottom
T'h;ch he crouches; every lnse'
w Which tries to pass rolls down into tn
tnnnal and reaches the bottom, wher
,t t once it is snatched up by the lsr ",
az Tb Uni IS pit hunting. Moreover, II tn \
r r,ntim 10 seems likely to escape, h
. yIcS,I at him quantities of SAM an,
s w%,cS makes him fall still more Quicl
ly. ,,.aocoscar spide
Lne' tor long time, puzzled IN
U wn,rn, 1t is noticeable that rre,
n ma. csnter of its web there is a gre'