Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
BY
PROF. SEYON, c. T.

Attention has recently been strongly d.
rected to the different ways of studying an
imals. There are two distinct methods.
There is first the direct way. By this
method the investigator goes out with
dozen or more dogs, a gun, an ak and any
other weapon that happens to be handy
around the house. When the animal to be
studied is sighted the dogs are sicked on
him, and they run him around the lot for
a hour SO until he is so tired that the
investigator get close enough to hit
the specimen over the head with the AK
or blow his head off with the gun. The
student, besides making careful notes dur
Ing tn time the dogs art at work. of the
running qualities of the animal, the length
of its stride, its powers of jumping and the
appearance of its eyes when 1t is all tuck
cred out and waiting for the ak, can, after
the blow has been given, make many inter-
estng discoveries on the animals body by
means of a carving knife. That is, he can
if he has time; but one of the disadvantages
oil this system is that the butcher-that is,
L mean the INSTRUMENTATION has time.
The dogs, for instance, are impatient to
chase a fresh specimen, and the man,
of course, hates to disappoint them.
Cruelty to his dogs is something that he
can't abide. It's the same feeling a man
has for his children about the circus. He
don't want to go himself; not at all. He
"ouu SldS DIT nome anu Keep Ills
wife company; but the children: he just
can't disappoint the children. That's the
way with the investigator by the direct
method. He would rather stay and inves-
tlgate that specimen with carving knife
to find out what it ate for dinner whether
it was caring for little ones. now lost and
probably crying in a most laughable way
from a ridiculous loneliness and hunger
but he just can't. His dogs would be so
disappointed, and then again he hasn't had
near exercise enough himself for really
truly strenuous life. And he is fairly
compelled to leave the specimen to be care
fully studied to be sure by the scavenger
beasts and birds, and go merrily on to
study fresh victim. or rather specimen.
The good points of the direct method of
investigation are obvious You get plenty
of exercise for one thing, and there is an
eXhilarating excitement about the whole
process that keeps the red blood going at
a fine speed. On the other hand Their is the
difficulty that with such investigators their
specimens either utterly lacking in re-
pose, through enforced rapid action, or are
so dead that they are all repose There is
no happy medium, as the man said who
was given the choice between standing on
a red-hot stove sitting on the same piece
of furniture Then also investigators who
follow this method are apt to be called I'M
pleasant names, such as butcher" blood
scientific vivisector or nature student by
the direct method pays the slightest atten-
ton to the names he is chriStened by
foolishly tender-hearted public. There
many eminent writer's belonging to the di-
rect school whose works can be studied
with profit, such as Prof. VIM. Cody on
the buffalo; Prof. Roosevelt on bears, wild
cats, etc; Prof. Phil Armour on beef and
hogs.
The second method of investigation is
known as the sneaky method. Followers
of this plan simply settle down among the
haunts of the animals to be studied and by
means of field glasses, cameras and note
book collect a whole lot of dry data about
the habits, life and general cussedness of
animals in general and the special animal
to be studied in particular. Such students
have habit of plying into the most sacred
domestic scenes of animals, and their in
trusions doubtless highly Objectionable
to the better class of the animal world
They hide behind rocks and up trees and
make notes of the actions of animals, who
are entirely unconscious, and perhaps never