The New York herald., 1922-05-28


batants is rendered hors de combat both of them
are too weak to continue the struggle.
Nobody would ever think that the clumsy walrus
could put to rout other large, agile creatures OF the
frozen North but Arctic explorers say that many
polar bear well testify to the combaive ability of
this powerful animal whose clumsness would seem
to bar it from putting up even creditable defence
However their long canine teeth terrible weapons
which they can use with much skill close quarters,
and although slow attack another animal thcy are
most furious when opposed or wounded The enor-
nous tusks capable of great execution and have
been known pierce the heavy plankings of boat,
SO it is little wonder that old walrus will
often put to rout polar bear which had hoped to
make meal of the aged looking creature
Many instances of combat between the larger mem
bers of the animal kingdom could be mentioned but
probably the most interesting battles are those staged
by the smaller insects For instance. Capt. Willard
Thomson once witnessed battle royal between
grasshopper and spider. both of them being exceed
ingly large specimens of their kind. The big spider
had just finished patching up its web that had been
torn by the caught in its slken meshes the
day before when along came the grasshopper and
leaped right into the trap Quick flash the spider,
which had been lying in wait behind its net sprang
forward and began to additional threads around
its victim.
First the legs were bound and the spider had just
begun to secure the body when the grasshopper evil
IDENTIFY realized the seriousness of its position and
began to the strength of its powerful legs. The
web torn to pieces from its efforts but the slken
strands held to such extent that the big insect
could entirely free itself before the spider in
lightning like fashion had it securely bound
So securely the grasshopper encompassed by the
web at this time that although it was about eight
enfIA 10
strength enough to break the network of tiny threads
that held it in death grip. Capt Thomson says that
Immediately after the spider that its victim
incapable of further resistance 1t sneaked back
to its lair and remained there in evident exhaustion
for several minutes.
When he returned to the scene of battle about
hour later the spider seemed to think that the Cap
tain was anxious to see the captured grasshopper as
an evidence of its skill artist for it crawed
all the secured insect several times while watch
ing its actions very closely. Ants and various other
insects wage actual battles with great armies of
their kind each of the warriors selecting opponent
and coming to grips that the end of either
batant, perhaps both of them In several Oriental
countries contests between individual insects are
popular sport
But the natives of Siam 60 to the fnny tribe for
their sport in this line. These famous fighting fish
called plakat and much is devoted to raising
them the interest in these contests being so intense
that the license to exhibit them brings in
siderable to the royal treasury. For some
time before a contest the plakat fed with the
larvae of mosquitoes and other insects frequenting
the water this type of diet seeming increase the
pugnacity of these pugilistic fish.
When the fish thought to be begerent enough
for contest two of them placed together in a
large glass globe For a minute two neither of
them appears to be OF the others presence.
Like human pugilists they pretend not to be
cerned in the matter, other than to swell up with
pride they circle around in the confines Of
the globe, but 1t is that both only looking
for opening. when of them suddenly makes
quick dart the other and the bout is in
They continue biting each other the fms and body
until the referee that the winner has sufficiently
demonstrated its superiority and then stops the bout
before fatality mars its ending.
ARIOUS attempts have been made to the
" wind to aid the bicycle rider in driving his