The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-04-17
CRIMINAL INSTINCTS
Climate and Atmosphere Conditions
Have Marked Effect.

1t has been proved beyond question
that in the animal kingdom there are
many curious equivalents of crime
among men. Cannibalism is not un-
known in the animal world. Wolf
eats wolf. and in certain circum-
stances, and despite proverbs to the
contrary, dog will eat dog. Well nour-
ished dogs are not often guilty of this
savage custom, though it has been OBJ
served where necessity did not impel;
but Arctic travellers have frequently
fed their famished Eskimo team on
the carcasses of brethren that died
from effects of cold or hunger, and
under such conditions mothers have
devoured their puppies with no hesi-
tation or lack of appetite. Domestic
cats have killed and eaten heir'young,
and rabbits have been known to feed
on one another even when plentiful
ly supplied with food to their liking.
The rat is nearly always a cannibal
under stress of circumstances.
The cannibalistic propensities of the
pike need very little stimulus. Young
crocodiles are occasionally gobbled
by their parents, or at least by their
mothers. Warrior ants devour in
fury the ants they have killed in bat
tie
A certain famous case in reptile
house of a geological garden was evil
IDENTIFY not one of genuine cannibal
ism, but 'serpents have been guilty OF
the act. Infanticide, patricide, matrl-
eide and fratricide are aggravating cir
Gumstances of cannibalism in the an
imal world. There are crimes known
to our calendar of which the only or
the chief motive appears to be the
inveterate dislike of one individual
(the assailant) for another (the as
saulted), and these strange antipathies
exist in the animal world, and are the
cause of assault and battery, and OF
ten of the death of both parties.
Horses, dogs and monkeys furnish
many examples of violence proceeding
from antipathy.
The sudden gusts of uncomfortable
rage which impel the Malay to run
amuck through his native High street
seize at times upon the gentlest OF
animals, and the results are much the
same as in the Malay Peninsula, un-
less the subject of his brief, terrible
madness can be caught or slain DIT
ferent are the cases of animals pro-
verbal for their patience which may
be goaded into a fury. The drome-
dairy, ordinarily model of good be-
havior, is sometimes teased by his
drivers until they are compelled to
flee before. his rage or to strip off and
throw him their garments that he may
tear and trample them to pieces Ey-
cry one knows to what a pass the
docile elephant will carry his desire
for revenge when his dignity has bee2
insulted or his good nature abused
More curious it is to note that,
among animals as among men, some
of the worst offenses that can be COM
mitted have their origin in the pas
sion of love. Jealousy burns flercely
in many brute's bosom, and when
affected with the universal distem-
per of love-" the whole animal ere
alton, from the tiger to the dove, is
capable of any excesses against its
disturbers, whether of its own or the
human kind. Association for DELHI
crate purposes of wrongdoing is not
rare among animals, both of the high
er and lesser order of intelligence
Other animals steal in bands. Ba-
boons go out in troops to rob orchards
difficult Of access. Conditions of eli
mate and change of atmosphere have
their influence upon the temperaments
Of animals. Speaking generally, wild
creatures inhabiting very hot coun-
tries are more savage than those in
habiting cold or temperate climes.