The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-02-15
Natures Danger Signals

powers OF observation, VINO HAS
visited Nature in her wild haunts,
will assuredly have noticed that the
presence Of any dangerous animal
on the pr0wl is frequently revealed,
by other forms of life better gifted
with the intuition Of self-pEeserva-
ton. to those creatures whose sense
OF self-Drotection is not sufficiently
acute 70 enable them to prepare
themselves against the attacks OF
their natural enemies That Nature
should make some provision OF this
type is easily comprehensive to all
those people who have in the small
est degree paid attention to the law
regarding the balance of life, For,
if certain beasts and birds did not
possess athe means or instinct Of in
dicating the presence of danger to
other less watchful species, these
latter would speedily disappear from
off the face of the earth, owing to
the decided advantage which their
foes would obtain over them.
In the investigation. of this volu-
f1inous subject, let us first climb to
the roof of the world, the high table
land of Tibet, and examine the fauna
of those regions. Here we find the
Owls ammon wandering over the bare
and wind-swept hills. Although
these wild sheep are extremely wary
and difficult of approach, their worst
enemy, the ounce or snOw-leopard,
occasionally exacts toll from among
the flock. The sportsman who has
had the perseverance to penetrate to
such enormous attitudes in pursuit
OF this magnificent wild sheep will
have learnt, perhaps 20 his cost, that
to successfully stalk a herd of Owls
ammon, viligant eye must also be
kept on the kyang or wild ags. This
equine animal inhabits the same
ground as the Owls ammon, and
many noble ram has been saved
from the hunters bullet through the
timely warning afforded by this ash
nine quadruped These beasts are
gifted with an amount of curiosity
that is scarcely surpassed by any
other wild animal. On perceiving a
suspicious-looking object they will
come trotting slowly toward it, with
ears erect; but will pull up at re-
spectful distance in order to scruti-
nize the character Of the intruder.
Alarm will then take possession Of
them, and wheeling round the troop
will gallop off at top speed; but in
quisitiveness will soon gain the up
per hand, and circling round, they
will again approach the object Of
their attraction. After another and
more prolonged examination, they
will scurry off raising a cloud of dust
as they clatter along over the sun
baked surface. Should the cause Of
their restIessness remain hidden be-
hind some friendly rock or boulder,
they will, impelled by their over
towering curiosity, advance to with
in a comparatively short distance be-
fore being satisfied with it's identity
The sharp sight, or the extraordinary
smelling powers, of the Owls ammon
may fail to give due warming of the
proximity of some hostile foe, be he
a human being or the equally dread
ed ounce, but glimpse OF the Iu-
dicrous antics and persistent gam
bolings OF a group of spirited kyangs
will at once furnish them with : clue
that is rarely, if ever, neglected.
On descending from the roof of
the world. the first rung OF the lad
der brings us into the precipitous
haunts Of that most clever of noun
tain sheep, the burhel Many and
many time has a patriarchal ram
been advised of the presence Of man,
and the skulking snow-leOpard been
foiled of it's prey by the opportune
Shrek Of the powerful huinwal
pheasant, as it skins with wings out
stretched over some deep cleft in
the mOuntain-side, in the recesses of
which the herd, unconscious of the
lurking enemy anXiously watching
its every movement, is grazing on
small patch of green grass, while
on every side the rugged heights and
snow-clad peaks rise skywards.
Mountain game OF this description
invariably watches the boulder
strewn slopes beneath for signs of
an unwelcome intruder; and the
crafty ounce, fully aware of this
characteristic stalks his victim from
above, bouncing unexpectedly on a
straggler from the herd. 1t is the
shrill note Of the huinwal pheasant,
or ram chikor as it is sometimes
termed, itself disturbed from its
rocky perch, that gives the timely
signal to be on the guard against
molestation from a higher altitude.
Proceeding further down the lad
der of descent from those elevated