Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-24

THIS is very pretty-but is it true? Tn
i fortunately for argument based upon it.
it is not true On the contrary species
which does not prey upon itself in times
of stress is, generally speaking, unfit to
survive.
This does not mean open warfare neces-
sarily, as we practice it. 1t means that indi-
viduals of the species fittest to survive and
to occupy positions of dominance over others
must on occasion destroy, without pity or
mercy, other individuals Of their own species
Destruction may be wrought in many ways
The bear fox or lion or leopard adults do
not engage in open warfare, perhaps. but
there is good reason to believe that such
creatures more or less habitually destroy,
and perhaps devour, their own progeny in
the event that the food supply Is inadequate.
We only know the intimate family habits of
these animals under the abnormal environ
ment Of captivity, but we find that many
animals are prone to destroy to abandon
their young under these abnormal conditions,
and there can be no doubt that they would
do the same under similarly abnormal con-
dtions naturally brought about.
OANNIBALISM is normal with many spe-
"
saving OF many situations There is a large
beetle known as alaus the larvae of which
live upon the insects under the bark OF dead
trees Each fallen tree trunk provides food
for certain number of bark and wood
feeding larvae These larvae provide food
for a certain number of alaus The mother
alaus does not know how much food there
will be for her young, and she deposits more
eggs than the food supply warrants The
young alaus, Matching from the eggs. wander
wood
feeders If they lived the peaceful life and
did nothing else than this the result would
be disastrous They would destroy all the
| bark and wood feeders (Which to their spe-
cies are as sheep and swine and cattle are
to mana necessary source of sustenance)
| and worse than this. they wound destroy all
their food supply before any OF them had
become strong enough to leave the tree trunk
| and seek food elsewhere.
Cannibalsm becomes the logical expedient
Whenever two young alaus encounter there
| Is a fight to the death and the victor devours
| the slain. Encounters are frequent in pro-
portion to number Of individuals, and 1t ends
by the survival of no more of them than
| enough to destroy the superfiuous wood feed
ers Plenty of the wood feeders survive to
| perpetuate their race-just as we see to 1t
| that the breeding stock of cattle shall not
| be destroyed.
This is not an exceptional case-it is a
common one, among insects, and II disproves
| the popular belief that internecine warfare
and cannibalism are abhorrent TO nature.
We reach false conclusions through accept
ing popular epigrams as premises for our
arguments, as witness the fact that the law
of gravity makes Of infinite space the vacuum
which nature holds in proverbial abhorrence.
| YTyURN from insects to plants. Go into the
| i Canadian forests of fir and spruce and
| find there the ground covered with young
seedlings of the older trees. They live for
i In a srriIl r.
| haps struggles on for longer period. But
| unless the older trees meet with disaster,
| thus making room for their offspring. all are
| destroyed BY what? BY nothing but Auffo-
| cation and famine, Light and food are de-
| MED them by their own parents. and they
are as certainly destroyed II human
mother refused air or nourishment TO her
i children 4 i 3. af X ~
Ts!s I: \; .sf:ssi; ssz Pssssss|E se!sEs| ~