CASUAL COMMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 20310, 19 October 1929, Page 2

CASUAL COMMENTS

iAN AND THE ANIMALS [By Leo Fanning.] Many very interesting books have been written about the animal kingdom, (mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, etc.), but usually the authors have discoursed from the viewpoint of man as lord of the fowl and brute. They have conceded “ almost human intelligence ” to the less pretentious creatures, but the “ lower animals may retort that they_ did all the pioneering in social, industrial, and political affairs, and that man is merely a much-belated and over-rated discoverer or, improver of things originally invented or evolved by the “ lower orders.” * * * «• Man’s belief that he is the natural overlord of the world'is not admitted by the animals; indeed they often fiercely dispute the claim; and even the insects have very emphatic opposing opinions on that question. The truth is that each species of beast, bird,-and insect believes that the world exists for itself, and that other creatures are trespassers, intruders, nuisances. We know what the farmer thinks-of the rabbit; but what does the rabbit think of the farmer?; What is the rabbit’s view of the world? To the rahbit it is a region where some places are better for burrows • and herbage than others are, a region which would be much more pleasant for rabbits if foxes, ferrets, hawks, human beings, and other undesirable immigrants could be excluded. ■■ • * .« «■ What thinketh the earthworm of the cosmos? The worm, no doubt, feels that the earth and the fatness thereof are its own special preserve, and regards the early bird as the devil, with no right at all to worry the lawful possessors of the rolling globe, « » a » The word “yahoo” is a reminder of Jonathan Swift’s ‘ Gulliver’s Travels,’ in which the bitter satirist describes a land where the dominant race is the “ Houyhnhnm ” (the horse), to whom the “yahoo” (man) is subject. It would be very interesting to have some other books—not so contemptuous of poor humanity—in which other creatures, such as giraffes or kangaroos, bees or ants, "would hold the supreme power and would find Jobs for mankind. • '* ' # Long before men and women lived in villages with any kind of organisation, the bees and the ants had their elaborate social and ' industrial systems. The bees had their queendoms many thousands of years before the human race had its first kingdom. Both the bees and the ants believe very firmly in' policies of hard w r ork. They do not expect something for nothing. They do not look for doles. Indeed, they wear themselves to death with incessant industry, which is rather pathetic, and not at all an enviable fate. The bee would have a most scornful opinion of a human cabaret, and the ant’s comment on a garden party or a mayoral reception would be unprintable. * * * ♦ Many centuries before ■ any human community had an army for offensive and defensive operations, some species of ants had very efficient armies. Indeed, some tribes of ants specialised in robbery and slavery. -Some ants were also farmers thousands of years before the human race progressed from_ hand-to-mouth hunting , and fishing to” pastoral and agricultural pursuits. The ants had their “cows”—the aphis—which they penned up, fed with green stuff, and “milked.” These skilful farmers were not bothered with mortgages nor distressed by slumps in the prices of dairy produce. There are other farmers, the, animals which are known as haymakers. They cut herbage, dry it, cure it, and have stacks or silos of it for winter use.

The heo is, of course, well known as a _ mathematician, architect, and builder. The bee found out the exact angle to give the maximum strength to the waxen cells of the comb, The common rat is a very clever mining engineer; he knows exactly how to plan the drives of his tunnels between distant points. The beaver is an admirable waterworks engineer. And so you can go on with various other animals, birds, or insects, which have reached high degrees of efficiency in various occupations, • * « * Let us go for a moment to man’s latest feats in aviation and wireless. The albatross is still ahead of the aeroplane, and certain kinds of moths and butterflies were experts in wireless before the pyramids of Egypt were built. Those insects send signals long distances against the wind. Scientists say tn/it the sense of smell could not explain the marvel, and they declare with all the solemn seriousness of science (believable in this case) that the insects of one sex attract their mates by sending out radio messages. One sex has transmitting equipment, and the other has a receiving set. ' * » 4> «• This revelation of the moths’- progress in wireless comes as no surprise to those who have read about the electric eel’s battery. Here is a fish which had evolved an electrical installation within jts body so that it can give very severe shocks to other creatures, including man. This eel was a good practical electrician long before the human race reached the Stone Age. e«# . • “ Yes,” someone may say, “ the animals, birds, and insects may be all right in the hard-working trades and learned professions, but what about other developments in which man is pre-eminent?” Well, what about them? Take Parliament, for example. Who had the first Parliament? Not man. Plenty of birds and animals have been ahead of him there. It is well known that rooks have conferences under wise old presidents—a kind of Rook The delegates seem to have the equivalent of an order paper, and they apparently discuss policies. They certainly set an example to human Parliaments in the promptness and definiteness of their decisions,,

Take music, too. What is letter than a chorus of bellbirds or the solo of the tui or the thrush? The waibles and chortles of Australian magpies also set human folk something difficult to beat. « * # e It is the same with dancing. Australia’s bower birds and lyre birds have invented some wonderful dances which are performed with proper ritual, and there are many other birds which dance very prettily. • • * • Even in the arts of love-making the birds ’have ' nbthing‘""to‘'learn ’from

humanity. What could bo more hearttouching than the courtly bowing and cooing of the dove? Some birds and animals have also “ bachelor clubs ” during a period of the year when they are free of domestic duties. * ■# ■ ;*■„ In sjport, too, plenty of the birds and animals ha% r e gone further than mankind. New Zealand’s kea, one of the world’s best demonstrators of the joy of living, is full of fun and frolic, and is remarkably' clever in improvising- all manner of games. That well-known bird lover,, Mr .Edgar Stead, of Christchurch, could write a very bright chronicle on the games which his keas devised for themselves years ago.

In Wellington I have seen an air sports meeting of seagulls. About thirty of them took up a stance, on the .topmost ridge of a Harbour Board store.. One at a time they took the air, and evidently the intention of each was to do a circuit without flapping’;' its wings. They were imitating the gannet and the albatross. As one returned to its place on the roof another started off. No doubt they had a veteran gull as referee, and there may have been a prize for the best 41 planer,” ».*■ * * . Whatever way you look at things—‘ arts and crafts, work and play the animal kingdom seems to have .the credit of pioneering.’ 1 ’ ’ '