The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-05-11
POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE.
Animals Upon Which II is Safest to
Make Experiments.


1t is a popular belief, more or less
loosely formulated, that there is some
thing so terrible and majestic in the
human eye that man has only to fix
his gaze on the most terrific denizens
of the forest to inspire them with
awe. Numerous instances, and some
well authenticated, are on record OF
unarmed men, who have met the lion
or the tiger in his naive jungles,
fixed their eyes on his and compelled
Linn TO turn tail.
There is, then, some foundation for
the popular belief, but if man hav-
ing unquestioned faith in the awe in
spring power of the human eye pro-
poses to put it TO the test in his own
person, considerable discretion is 10 be
recommended, says Forest and
Stream, not only in the selection OF
his beast, but also in the selection
of his locality. For example, he
should not make his first experiment
with a rampageous bull in tenacre
inclosure at any considerable dis
tance from the fence; nor would we
strongly recommended a trip to the
Rocky Mountains, with the object of
experimenting with a full grown griz-
zly, for both bulls and bears are fight
ing 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 relied upon with them.
Hope of success depends upon the fact
that the members of the cat family
are not to any extent fighting ami
mails; they do not hunt in packs ana
quarrel over their prey; they very
rarely quarrel with each other over
the females at mating season, and in
striking their prey they never attack
in front.
1t is beautiful provision of nature
that the lion, the tiger, the panther
the leopards and the whole family of
Felidae, are prompted by irresistible
instinct to seize their prey from behind,
springing on it with their whole
weight, closing their powerful Jaws
on the neck Of their victim. and dlslo-
eating 1t with one wrench, while their
fierce claws penetrate the flesh and
paralyze the muscular powers. The
tiger pursues the same method, wheth-
er his prey is a full grown buffalo
or a timid fawn.
The slender doe, with her fawD at
her heels. goes into cover for her
midday siesta, and confrOnts the Iurk-
ing tiger; she harks, stamps her foot
and endeavors to bounce him; the
tiger fixing his eyes on hers, crawls
little nearer; paralyZed with terror
the poor beast is incapable of flight,
Eut unable to sustain the basilsk
glance any longer, she turns, as if
to essay retreat At that instant the
| viselike jaws, and the victim dies
without pang
If the tiger comes Unexpectedly on
a powerful animal like a wild buffalo
| and it offers battle, the tiger declines
| 1t, but if hungry he will take advan-
| taee of what cover there is and ma
! noeuvre to get at the tail end of the
| buiInlO anu lIlNh lldht MS ltldl SpI luB.
With civilized men the tiger is
more wary, for he stands in more awe
! of their appliances than of the brute
| strength Of the buffalo. Many a hun
| ter going through the jungles has
! passed within an easy spring of the
| tiger lying in wait for him, and be-
| fore he has gone another 200 yards
| the same tiger has again been In posi-
| ton, and yet has wanted the courage
! to spring: even a man eating tiger,
| ii familiar with firearms, might hesi-
| tate to spring on a man that bad the
| courage to confront him.
In the jungle ne would no! attempt
| he would crouch, and if the man did
| not turn to fee the tiger would disap-
| pear as suddenly as if the earth had
swallowed him, but in a very few
| minutes he would have secured the de-
sired vantage ground and made his
| fatal spring.
This is not because the tiger is a
coward, nor because the human eye
| is capable of dominating him. When
it becomes a question of fighting there
| is no sign of quailing in lion or tiger,
| but when it is a mere question of TAX
ing their prey the destructive instinct
is a purely pleasurable one, the en-
| joyment of which would be ,marTed
if they attacked in front, and pro-
vOked their prey to battle; and it is
merciful provision of nature that
they show no such tendency.
Wlnd.Made Electricity.