The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-20

IRe most perfect SluuiaIloH VI
DEATH remarked a well known nat
uralist the other day. sis that or the
opossum, whence originated the
phrase playing 'possum.' Only the
closest examination can determine
that life still is present-in the pull
sation of the heart and in the almost
suppressed respiration. In this con-
dition, either the animal has lost the
sensation of pain or else it possesses
most wonderful powers of endurance,
for it permits itself to be used most
roughly without. showing the least
sign CT consciousness. If, however,
attention is withdrawn, the sly rascal
opens his eyes, glances around, and,
if the coast is clear. gently departs.
TIE striped squirrel, when caught
alive, will often lie limp and appar-
emily lifeless till its captor, thrown
off his guard, makes the opportunity
for its escape possible, when the little
animal will scamper off with a sharp
chitter of delight.
That such a huge beast as the ele-
plant should practice so remarkable
a r,lse seems incredible, but Tennent,
in his Natural History Of Ceylon,' re-
cords such an observation. After a
nu mber Of wild elephants had been
ca ptured one particularly fine spec1-
men was led out between two tame
ones, as is the usual method, and
started toward it's future home. some
miles away. When night fell and
torches were lighted to show the way,
the elephant refused to 90 on, and
finally sank to the ground, apparent
" lifeiess. The %fastenings we're TAX
en- off it's legs and when all attempts
to raise it had failed, the keeper, con-
WINGED that it was dead, ordered the
ropes to be taken off and the carcass
abandoned. While this was being
done he and a friend who accompan-
led him leaned against the body to
rest. They had scarcely taken their
departure, and proceeded a few yards,
when to their establishment the ele-
plant rose with the utmost alacrity
and fed toward the jungle, screaming
at the top Of its voice, its cries bling
audible long after it had disappeared
in the shades Of the forest.
"W. H. Hudson, the well known
naturalist, describes the d~eath-feign-
ing habit of a small South American
fox, common on the pampas. When
caught in a trap or overtaken it col
lapses as If dead, and to all appear
;ances is dead. The deception is SO
well carried out that dogs are con-
.stantly taken in by it. When n
withdraws a little way from a feign-
ing fox, and watches him very atten-
lively, a slight, opening of the eye
may be detected. Finally, when left
to himself, he does not recover and
start up like an animal that has been
stunned. but slowly and cautiously
raises his head first and gets up only
when his foes are at a distance. I
was once riding with a gaucho when
we saw on the open level ground in
front Of us a fox not yet fully grown,
standing still and watching our ap-
proach. All at once it dropped, and
when we came up to the spot it was
lying stretched out, with it's eyes
closed and apparently dead. Before
passing on my companion, who said
it was not the first time that he had
seen such a thing, dashed it vigorous
ly with his whip for ONE moments
without producing the slightest effect.
The Turkey Buzzard's Trick.
'The turkey buzzard is one of the
few birds who feign death to escape
their enemies. Once a friend shot a
specimen through the wing. He found
1t standing under a laurel bush, look
ing brightly about. one wing hang
ing. AS he approached it's head be-
gan to droop to n side and by the
time he reached it the buzzard lay
upon it's side, apparently lifeless. Be-
lieving that it was really dead, my
friend with difficulty forced it into
his game bag and proceeded home, a
distance of two miles. The bird was
then taken from the game bag and
thrown down in the yard, limp and
seemingly lifeless. My friends sur
prise may be imagined when, calling
out to the family to come and view
the captive a moment later, the bird
was found running around the yard
as lively as ever. On the family's ap-
proach, however, the same motions
were enacted as when it was first
captured. and again it lay upon it's
side, apparently dead. This routine
followed each approach until after a
while it became accustomed to the
presence of persons.
The wild goose, when wounded,
will occasionally adopt this ruse. AS
soon as it finds escape impossible it
will stretch out it's neck and remain
stiff and immovable, so that it may
be handled in this condition, the mus
Giles remaining rigid as in c~atalepsy.
If, however. 1t is not disturbed it will
soon begin to peep around and gradu-
ally attempt to get away.
The Spotted Tinamou (Nothura
maculosa), of the pampas Of South
America, is especially addicted to
practicing this trick. When captured,
after making a few violent efforts to
escape. it drops its head. gasps two
- 49,