Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-26

The news has come that the Smith
sonian. Chrysler expedition into Brit
ish East Africa has caught giraffe
and a pangolin, which will be added
to our Geological Garden, and an In
quisitive layman, whose training is
to ask questions, demanded Of a scien-
tist, What is a giraffe good for?
Why a pangolin?'
The man of learning tainted the
auestioner by referring to the tradi-
tional story Of the farmer who de.
clared, when he saw CRANE at a
circus, There amt no SIGH animlle,
and by retorting that if the present
administration is found to have done
nothing else for the farmers. 1t counts
as for something to have demon
strated that there are giraffes.
That leaves only the pangol1n to
be justified.
A pangolin is an anteater, 1t usu'
ally refuses to dine on anything else
but ants, and one wonders how the
keepers will find time to feed peanuts
10 the elephant If they have to Skin
mish daily to catch enough ants to
fatten the pangolin.
1t is a scale-covered creature about
feet long. Where the pangolin
grows, the native humans belleve
that it's scales, when worn as neck
laces, will keep away lions, hence
the scales have market value OF
about half a dollar each--but 1t Is
with no such sordid motives that the
captured pangolin is to be quartered
at the Zoo. No more would the sc1en'
lists traffic in pangolin scales than IN
the quilts of fretful porcupine or
the tail feathers Of an ostrich.
~ X y
It is cruelty to animals to back a
scientist against wall and crOWo
him into defending the usefulness or
science. He tells us that science
broadens a mans horizon and en-
ables him to comprehend the marvels
of creation. That which IS pure
science" today becomes the very
foundation of mans advancement to-
morrow. and without it's discoveries
civilized man would be lower than the
savages. Even savages study the
species of wild animals ABOUT them
and learn their habits.
Crowds Of tourists flock daily INTO
the museum Of the Smithsonian IN
stitution to gaze at the specimens. the
shells and stones of ancient days. the
huge skeletons of dinosaurs ana the
weird remnants of other monsters or
the past, the relics Of species which,
ages ago, ceased to exist.
To the most unlearned the sight or
strange animals, birds and reptiles, as
found in the Zoo and the Museum,
Is an experience which, oftener than
may be supposed, gives the benolder
broader outlook upon the mysteries
of nature.
Every farmer knows how live stock
NAV be bred and improved-or by
wrong breeding may be degenerated
until pure.bred herds become worth
less scrubs. If such be obvious upon
a farm, in a decade Of breeding, how
much NAV be observed in the develop
ment of wild life through the cen
turtles,
In glass case in the museum may
he seen five or six beautiful antelopes
Of different species. There is one
with stripes running around its body.
like hoops around a barrel; it has
white crescent between its eyes and
two white spots upon its jowls. 1t is
graceful of limb. and. in life, is so
swift Of foot that no white man has
ever been known TO kill one. 1t is
called a "Harnessed Antelope for its
white stripes suggest a harness.
Alongside of that little antelope
stands another somewhat larger. but
it has identically the same stripes and
spots OF white. although much less
distinct. This one has a neck more
than a foot long. vet it retains the
grace and suppleness of its 'ances-
tors" for who can doubt that it is a
development of the smaller antelope,
with less elongated neck?
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