The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1919-11-14
LITTLE TRAGEDIES OF FIELD AND
FOREST


and at first blush nothing seems to happen, or
seems possible to happen, yet Nature is eX-
ceedingly dramatic In the placid wildwood
way you will suddenly chance upon swift and
memorable tragedy more thrilling than the ar
tificial dramas of screen and stage and the
screen, but the dramas of Nature surprise you
constantly with their unexpected occurrence.
"The survival of the fittest,' is the ancient
but ever-new slogan of the beasts, birds and
reptiles of the field and forest When GER
tain animals meet il usually means sure ana
sudden death for one of them. Fortunately,
the fear of death endows even the lowest class
of life with a swiftness and cunning that
would put to shame the ordinary man and
woman. In times of danger instinct often rises
superior to education and cold scientific cal
cuation, which delights to tempt grim death.
The warning of instinct saves the weaker
animal and bird from danger. The rabbit is
soon aware of the presence of his old enemy,
the fox, while young partridges will conceal
themselves cunningly amid the leaves and
twigs when danger threatens them and you can
walk directly by them and fail to see them.
There are many combats between birds ami
mails and reptiles. The crow will attack the
hawk (as will also other BIRDS, the chicken
hawk and the crow will invade the barnyard
for small chickens. A hawk will catch a pigeon
flying above her, suddenly swooping down.
Red squirrels will fight with gray squirrels,
and drive them away, while black snake
often kills the deadly RATHER in a lively battle.
Even the little ants will engage in a lively
battle with foreign or different species of
ants Such a combat Thoreau witnessed and
his description of 1t in Walden is now famous
natural history
A fox is undoubtedly cunning and can easily
outwt a dog but the timid rabbit will often
escape Reynard. The latter is a sneak Once
he scents rabbit he will creep up carefully to
Ia .ba,,
However, bunny has sharp ears, and is seldom
caught mapping For a small animal he can
run quite rapidly. He cannot run down hill
very well but he can go with surprising speed.
He will circle away from the fox, always going
up hill or on level unless headed off. Then
occurs an interesting game Of hide and seek,
for a rabbit if he has any cover at all will con-
cea himself after running a short distance.
OF course. the nature of the land either helps
or hinders his escape. On rocky land, or in the
thick nderbruSh, he has a good chance OF max
ing his getaway" However, many rabbit
especially the young ones, make a toothsome
meal for sly Reynard.
Speaking of young rabbits, | oace found
nest in a COW pasture containing six cute lit
tie Dummies They were quite young, and not
having their eyes open yet rabbits are born
blind, they were very helpless. Fearing that
the cows might tread into the nest, | drove
number of stakes about it as protection. The
mother rabbit undoubtedly became alarmed at
my meddling and removed the young ones
A toad is very much afraid of snake, even
of a small one. If you push stick at a toad
he will promptly leap away, thinking it is his
old enemy, the snake, after him. | saw killed
a blacksnake not over three-feet long, and 1t
had swallowed a full-grown toad
Robin and Reptile
Once while was walking with a friend down
a wood road we came to a pasture where
robin was flying about in obvious excitement
We approached and under a chestnut tree saw
the robin flying about a large blacksnake,
which crawled off as we came nearer.
"The snake was charming the robin" eX-
claimed my friend. Had we not frightened
the snake away the robin would have been
doomed. 1t would have flown closer and closer
until it got directly into the snakes mouth, and
would have been swallowed aiver'
This | doubt, though | have heard many
stories about snakes charming birds and even
men. On this occasion the robin was probably
excited because she had nest in the chestnut
tree and tried to drive the snake away from
the young birds,
A snake is a great REPTILE of prev though