The Washington herald., 1922-11-19
Caught Cold Immediately on
Arrival Here and Risks His
Life in Streets of New York.
SAYS BRUTEs LIVE SIMPLY
Have Poorer Brains Than Men
But Use Them Much Better,
Is Assertion of Prof. Beck.
By WALTER voGDEs.
(copyriEht. 1921. by Cosmopolitan
Newa Servfcel

News servise.)
NEW YORK, Nov. 18.-Life
IN the jungles, in spite Of ma
rauding tigers, hungry croco-
diles, electric eels, and great
reptiles, is much safer than in
Washington, New York, Chi
eago, or any other large Amer
lean city, Prof. William, Beebe,
director of the tropical re-
search station of the New
York Geological Society, told
Cosmopolitan News Service to-
day.
DR.. Beebe, who has just re-
turned from a ten months
trip in the jungles of British
Guiana, says he observed
countless forms of animal life
for scientific purposes and en-
countered many jungle beasts.
DR.. Beebe Said his exhaustive
studies convinced him:
That man has a better brain
than animals, but that he does
not know how to use it as well.
That the jungle animals make
a much better showing than man
with the limited qualities nature
has given them.
That life with the animals is
more direct and instructive than
n our world. Animals, he said,
do not war on one another eX-
cept in pursuit of food, whereas
man wars on his fellows for
dozens of illogical reasons.
He found the Jungle animals
quite superior to jungle men," In
brilliance and beauty. in variety,
In adaptability to environment jun
gle animals surpassed the man. he
said
MUST SAVE WILD LIFE.
Are the animals of the jungle
mans enemies?" the scientist was
asked.
NO; that is a widely held and
erroneous idea" he replied. Man.
In the jungle. being the least sig
nifiCent Of figures. is not bothered
unless he attacks. If he is careful
not TO give Offense he can live
quietly and safely.
But take New York by compari-
son. As soon as our party, fresh
from the jungles. becomes exposed
to city life we all catch cold germs.
I go walking down the street and.
passing a skyscraper in the course
of construction. I run the risk of
death. Each time / cross a crowded
New York street, or ride in an au-
tOmObile or a train | feel the risk
to life and limb.
Civilized man does not appre-
ciate the value Of wild animals.
He is fast Obllterating the last free
animal stamping ground in the
tropics, but woe unto him II he
destroys animal life. II such a
thing happened. insects would null
tiply in countless numbers and de-
stroy man.
GIRL FACED JAGUAR ALONE.
''One of our party. young lady.
faced a jaguar alone IN the jungle.
They stood and looked at each
other for a moment. then the
jaguar went quietly away.
On another occas-o on a boa con-
strictor turned on me. We had
motion picture machine set up to
photograph it when it came toward
me, and tried to bury its teeth
in my arm, so that il could OBJ
tain a hold and wrap about me. |
wasn't bitten then, but I mad been
bitten by boa constructors before
Their teeth are finer than needles
and leave a clean, non-poisonous
bite.
My most exciting struggle on
this trip was with a giant arma-
dillo. These living. high powered,
armored animal tanks have never
been shown alive in a zoo.
Il found that my Indian hun
ters feared them more than the
other jungle animals But one day
i found a hole. which, / was sure,
had been made by a giant arma-
dillo.
While l sat down near it won
dering how I could bag the beast,
] heard a scuffling and 1t began to
back out of the hole.
'At such a time a human being
does not reason. l wanted a live
giant armadillo for the geological
park. so ] seized its tail, and the
animal only came out faster. turned
and made a side swipe at me. and
left at full speed. The armadillo's
reach was short, hence I am alive"
You see." he continued, what
a weak showing I. a man, made in
a conflict of strength with that
armadillo. Among the forms Of life
in the jungle. man ranks only
seventh"