The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-05-19
SENSE OF SMELL IN ANIMALS
How Different odors Affect Various
Species.

III many dlllllldls SSenJ Sttuo W Dt
the most highly developed faculty.
Thus the wild camel's keenest sense,
according to Sven Heden, IS that of
smell. He was told by an experienced
camel hunter that 1t can scent a man
thirteen miles off! The deer, again,
has been known to take fright at the
scent of man twenty-four hours after
he had passed the spot. In two species
of armadillo, according to Mr.. w. II.
Hudson, the sense of smell is so mar
volously acute that it has made sight
superhuous, ant they are blind, or
next door to it,
1t is not easy u see what use the
characteristic smell. possessed by SO
many animals can be to the species,
except in such extreme cases as the
skunk and civet. Here, indeed, il is
veritable noli me tangere addressed
to the rest of the animal world. But
in the case of the fox, for example, 1t
seems altogether disadvantage and
danger to have such strong smell.
A pheasant had its nest in wood for
two or three years. and yet was never
discovered by the dogs-retrievers
pointers and fox terriers--which pass
ed and repassed II several times a day.
In the case of the pampas deer describ-
ed by the Naturalist in lie Plata" the
smell may be a warming to its enc
mics that it is not good to eat The
scent Is as strong as that of the skunk,
though less disagrecable. It's powerful
odor reaches the wanderer on the
pampas when the animal is not even III
sight. The gauchos of the district say
that II preserves the deer from snakes,
which dislike the smell And such
great faith have they in the efficacy
of the protection that they tie strips
of the deers skin, which still retain
the smell, round the necks of valuable
horses and turn them out to Craze
where snakes abound.
Animals. indeed, in many cases seem
to be strangely affected by smells.
Thus dog stealers are said to use a
scent so beloved of the canine race
that a dog will follow any one who
smells of II. They carry In their pock-
cts what is known as dog stealer's
pudding" which Is merely a piece of
linen which has been boiled and fla
vored with yalerian. So fascinating is
the odor that no dog will bite a man
who has a piece of the so-Called pud-
ding in his pocket And even the lion
Is said to be subdued by the scent OF
lavender. Trainers should take the
hint, for 1t is said that no one has
ever been attacked who took the pre-
caution to use this perfume. Most an
imals, indeed, seem to be fascinated
by the smell of lavender. Experiments
have been tried at the zoo and else
where. The leopard takes the scented
ball in its paws and rubs 1t over its
iace; the lion lays its head on the
scented fragment and puTrs; the tiger
is thrown into an ecstaCy of delight,
pleasure beaming from his eyes. A
dog, however, on which the writer OF
these notes tried the effects of hand
kerChief soaked in lavender water,
showed its dislike by backing away
uhutI INC ldblb Mn'u lllt oithl Mdo
brought near its nose. On cats the
effect was similar. A knowledge of
this fact sometimes proves of service
when a dog or cat becomes too af-
fectionate. SO the dislike of insects
10 certain perfumes may be of use to
their victims. what is II in the scent
of musk and geraniumy" asks a writer
in gardening paper, "that house flies
dislike? They leave a room in hot
, haste if geraniums are Towering on
the window sill 1t seems to be the
leaf perfume they dislike, for ! have
heard u medical men and nurses plac-
ing gelrnium leaves near patients
bed in order to keep off flies" Flies
are also said to dislike the perfume
of gardenia. Wasps, again, are said
TO avoid sweet peas, but this seems to
require confirmation.
Robert Bruce, according to the well
known story, once eluded his pursuers
aided by bloodhounds, by climbing Q
tree, dropping from 1t into the stream
wading down and then taking to the
land again, 1t Is interesting TO note