WIRELESS IN THE WILDS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2346, 16 January 1926, Page 13

WIRELESS IN THE WILDS

AS OLD AS THE HILLS. We all look upon wireless telegraphy as a very wonderful Invention, hut to the birds, mammals and Insects It is os old as the hills. For ages past they have been communicating, one with another, by a method of their own, without any sounds being uttered that human ears can pick up. This wonderful method of sending messages to their companions is not rare. It can be observed at almost any time by day or night In English woods and fields (writes Oliver G. Pike, F.Z.S., F.R.P.S., In the “Dally Mall.")

A few years ago we reared a race female moth and Imprisond her In a small box. This was placed In the garden ,and within an hour dozens of j males came up from every point of jthe compass. I Those moths had not boon seen In the district before, yet all around us were swarms of them. Where did they come and by what method did they know of the presence of the female! I have seen flocks of starlings containing not fewer than 20,000 bird! These manoeuvre with the utmost precision. They will all be flying north, then they turn as one bird and go east, then rise ■ or dive, and every wing action of every single bird In that vast flock will he performed at the same moment. I once thought that those on the Inside of the flock might copy the movements of their leader, but If so there would be a. certain amount of time lost., Moreover, I have photographed these great flocks by means of slow-motion kinematography, and the pictures show that all tho birds work together and also that they keep In time with their wings as perfectly as a regiment of trained soldiers perform their manoeuvres.

A few years ago, a female whitetailed eagle lost her mate. It was known that there was not another eagle of this species for hundreds of miles, yet very soon after a male appeared in the locality and mated up with the female. A similar Instance came under, by notice jln regard to the raven. While the fondle was sitting, her mate was killed. She did not desert her eggs, but continued to sit upon them .and although ravens were scarce In the district, we found that she had accepted another mate within 24 hours.