Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE.
Animals Upon Which It il Safest to
Make Experiments.
From Forest and Stream.

Fipm HVFtst anu Strehm
1t is a popular belief, more or less loosely
formulated, that there is something so ter
rible and majestic in the human eye that
man has only to fix his gaze on the most
terrific denizens of the forest to inspire
some well authenticated. are on record or
ur.armed men. who have met the lion the
tiger in his native junges fixed their eyes
on his and compelled him to turn tail.
There is, then, some foundation for the
popular belief, but IL man having unques-
toned faith In the awe-Inspirlng power or
the human eye proposes to put IL to the
test In his own person, considerable discre-
ton is to be recommended not only In the
selection Of his beast, but also in the selec
ton of his locality. For example, he should
not make his first experiment with a ram
pageous bull in a ten-acre Enclosure at any
considerable distance from the fence: nor
would we strongly recommend a trip 10
the Rocky Mountains with the object of ex-
perimenting with full grown grizzly. for
both bulls and bears are fighting animals,
and have the habit of meeting their foes
face to face
The measure is successful only with the
cat family-lions, tigers, etc, and by no
means to be relied upon with them. Hope
of success depends upon the fact that the
members Of the cat family are not to any
extent fighting animals they do not hunt
In packs and quarrel over their prey; they
very rarely quarrel with each other over the
their prey they never attack in front.
II is a beautiful provision of nature that
the lion, the tiger. the panther, the leopards
and the whole family of Felidae arc
prompted by Irresistible instinct to seize
their prey from behind. sprlnging on IL
with their whole weight, closing their pow
erful jaws on the neck of their victim ana
dislocafing 1t with one wrench, while their
fierce claws penetrate the nesh and pa
ralyze the muscular powers. The tiger pur-
sues the same method, whether his prey is
a full grown buffalo or a tirnid fawn
The slender doe, with her fawn at her
heels, goes into cover for her midday siestt
and confronts the lurking tiger; she barks.
stamps her foot and endeavors to bounce
him; the tiger fixing his eyes on hers.
era wis a little nearer; paralyzed with ter
ror the poor beast Is Incapable OF flight but
unable to sustain the basilisk glance any
longer. she turns. as if to essay retreat At
that instant the tiger springs. grasps her
dies without a pafig
If the tiger comes Unexpectedly on
powerful animal like wild buffalo ard IL
/ offers battle the tiger declines it. but IL
hungry he will take advantage of what
cover there is and maneuver to get at the
tail end OF the buffalo and then make his
fatal spring.
With civilized men the tiger Is more wary,
for he stands In more awe of their APP
pliances than of the brute strength OF the
buffalo. Many hunter going through the
+ jungles has passed within an easy spring
VI TIC N4Sel lying III Wdll Ipr MIN. ana De-
fore he has gone another 200 yards the
same tiger has again been in position and
yet has wanted the courage to spring: even
man-eating tiger, IL familiar with fire.
arms, might hesitate to spring on a man
that had the courage TO confront him
In the jungle he would not attempt Il:
II brought face to face with a man he
would crouch, and If the man did not
turn to flee the tiger would disappear as
suddenly as If the earth had swallowed
him, but In very few minutes he would
have secured the desired vantage ground
and made his fatal spring.
This is not because the tiger is coward,
nor because the human eye is capable or
dominating him. When Il becomes a ques-
ton of fighting there is no sign of quail
Ing In lion or tiger, but when Ii is n mere
question of taking their prey the destruc-
tive instinct Is a purely pleasurabe one.
the enjoyment of which would be marred
IL they attacked in front. and provoked
their prey TO battle; and It IS a merciful
provision of nature that they show no such
tendency