The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-14

surely the drama shows progress
sion, II Il II not prosress: evo-
luton IL integratiye; we hear
what one Of the philosophers has
called ''an cnward-advancing
melody.
HUNGER AND LOVE.
In compensatory recent times
man himself has como upon the.
ssags ana shared II it, hustle.
Sometimes il has been for evil.
- when ne lets rabbits loose ii
Australia or sparrOws IN the
United States But often It has
been for good. - when he pre-
serves vanishing antiques like the
New Zealand, lizard, or 90 taEnes
10 wolf that II becomes the trusty
guardian Of his herds. And.
apart from sharing IL the play.
man has begun IN still more re-
cent days 70 scrutinize the plot
and to ponder over its signifi-
canoe. This Ii the never ending
business 90 the naturalist.
The ways Of animals are mani
fold, and II seems at first sight
a. IL tho variety Of their pranls
defied classification. But when
we stand away little from tho
delightful details W see that
there are but two main motives
Hunger and Love. IL We use
both words largely. For hunger
includes not only the direct
quest for food. but likewise self.
preservation ana All sorts Of ad.
ventures In the art OF better
ment. And love includes not
only courtship, but working to-
gether; It is parental and filiaI
as well as conjugal: It expands
into many experiments in mutual
aid and socially.
What q dramatic touch there
is IN Mr.. Beebe's recent picture
OF the subterranean city Of the
leaf-cutting ants, where he saw Z
multitude Of workers chewing
and chewing for dear life, max
Ing ont Of the leaves that had
been brought in . green paste ON
which Il grown the peculiar
mould eaten by the ants as long
as they are underground! How
interesting. too. that when q
queen goes or to start . new
community she takes with her
IN . depression below her mouth
. pm Of the precious fungus.
wherewith to start new culture
when the workers have collected
ana chewed the necessary quad.
SPIDERS COURTsHIP.
The male spiders have also their
tournaments, ana they are famous
for the combined ardor and care
fulness Of their courtship. One
may dance round the female 4
hundred times. but he has one Of
his eyes, 80 to speak. on a path Of
retreat. For the capricious female.
whose temperament we cannot pre-
tend to understand, may sudden
~ end the performance by rushing
at the sutton and killing him there
and then. What began az a dance
ends with Q death. DR.. McCook
gives In his great book on spiders
an Interesting picture OF a female
spider seated In the hub Of her
web. while in one corner, trussed
up in silk threads, hangs the body
Of her loverI
But we must allow the idea Of
1ove" to expand If we are to
appreciate how much It preoccu.
pies animal activity. We must
think OF the labor Of nest-mal-
ing among Birds, the sand-wasp's
accumulation Of paralyzed insects
to serve as q living larder for the
grubs which she does not survive
to see, the male stickleback's
sawed nest and his long guard
ing Of 1t, the furious mother
stoat facing death in defending
her offspring. the sea-horse with
his mates eggs slowed away in
his pbreast-pocket and kept there
till they hatch, the mother otter
educating her cubs with infinite
patience and skill, the veteran
baboon defying the hunters and
their dogs in his rescue Of q
young one who had been left be-
hind in the retreat Of the herd.
There is often a markedly dra-
matte feature in the manifold
modes of parental care.
So when we scrutinize the
drama of animal life we find that
it is mainly concerned with caring
for self and caring for others,
and we admire the many solutions
of tho perennial problems Of hum
ger and love.
Besides their variety, ingenuity
and perfection there 10 often .
note of adventure