Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-12
"A SUGGESTION as to the reasons
~ for the numerical proportions
. between the sexes is made by

slstaa "a E4lOr the aanuln1Iltdll lio''tf
between the sexes is made by
il writer iii the Revue Scien-
tittque. 1t is generally supposed that
Il there is no notable difference in their
numbers. This opinion is based prin-
cipally on the study of man where the
proportion of males to females Is l03 TO
100. out Of rather moro than lo,VUO,ugp
births under examination. But thus
proportion does not hold good for the
lower animals In a certain species OF
toad there are fewer males born than
FEMALES Montgomery an American
naturalist, who has been studying the
numerical ratio of sexes IN q large
North American spider Iatrodecitus
mactans), has found after examining
4l45J young spiders newly born that
eight males are born for every female:
and after completing his observations
by examining some other species OF
spiders he found that the proportion
of the sexes Is different in different
species and may even serve as q Spe-
cfic character This fact will appear
unusual to naturalists. who are ac-
customed to find in collections more
adult females than males, but this re-
suits simply from the comparative
longevity of the females. He suggests
Us a working theory that IL among the
lower animals the males are more Wig
orous than the females, then the NUM-
Der of males in Il species may be slight
~ less than the number of females.
But when the males are less well en-
lowed than the females for the struS-
gle of life. and when they die freauent-
~ before maturing, then in that species
the number of females exceeds that OF
the males. Such is the case with spid-
ers
Snakes do not usually take up their
habtation in caves. but some years
ago snakes We're found in certain cav
erns OF the Malay peninsula. They
feed on the cave bats and their color
ing is remarkagly like that Of the
cave Walls Their resemblance would
be Of no use to them for protective
purposes. but as they frequent the
mouth of the cave Selling there the
unfortunate bats which are making
their way in or out, they may have at
rived at some adaptation of the laws |
of nature selection. Mr.. Lydekker men
tons in knowledge that n new species
of cave snake has lately been founh !
in an extremely dark cavern IN fonkin.
But this snake, though an allied mem-
beraof the same genus as the Malay
snake (wel known Asiatic species of |
Goluber) is of quite different colorinS |
and type. 1t is argued therefore, that
the resemblance of the Malay species |
to its surroundings may be purely ac-
+,
serwations on cannibal snakes: The |
king cobra Of southeastern Asia, which |
occasionally reaches n length of fully |
Is feet, is in the habit of preying on
nom venomous serpents of other species.
An individual specimen Of this snake,
measuring a little over II feet In length. |
hns, however been seen in Burma car
rying another member of It's own
species In it's jaws. much as terrier
carries a rat: while on & second occa-
sion a king cobra WAS observed in the
act OF eating an ordinary cobra, and
g in third case a cobra had been ac-
tually swallowed. Another king cobra I
has been known to devour the banded /
craft, while from the stomach of yet
another specimen was. taken an OK
ample of the still more venomous Rus
sells viper At first sight these in
stances suggest that the devourer must
bo immune to the venom of the de-
voured; but. according to experts. such
conclusions are not justified by the
present state of our information with
regard to the action OF serpent poison"
Some gratifying success has lately at
tended the efforts of the Yorkshire Ma
turalists union to discourage people
with guns from testing their prowess
on rare wild birds: and one man who
shot q white swallow and another who
& shot q bnzZard have been made to UNI
derstand-by the magistrates--tha this
form of stupidity may be expensive and
is certainly unpopular. a white swal-
low Is of sufficient rarity to be OF
great use in affording information to
those who observe bird migration, a
|. enhiect "hic','i 80 note. is receiving
good deal of attention in Central
Europe. In Germany and Denmark IL
number of young birds have Of late
years been marked" by fastening
aluminium rings round their legs; and
the information thus obtained concern
ing migratory movements Is the only
one which leads to positive knowledge
The Hungarian central bureau of orni-
thology has also now begun the mark
ing Of young stofks, herons, gulls and
swallows with the word budapest
and a number which corresponds to an
entry in the bureaus register. Anyone
finding a bird with such ring is re- |
nuested to send the ring with details
TO Budapest. The wide distribution OF
some Of the migrants is shown by the
fact that a house stork, marked in
Pomerania. was caught in Africa Is
degrees south of the equator.
In Australia. as in other countries,
there Is considerable danger that mfny /
beautiful birds will become extinct oW- |