SUPERSTITIONS OF NATURE,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20586, 8 December 1928, Page 19

SUPERSTITIONS OF NATURE,

SOME QUEER BELIEFS. There was a time when men believed that swallows wintered at the bottom of ponds, that eels could be bred from horsehair' soaked in .water, and that toads carried, priceless jewels in their heads. “Them were the, days” to live in. Anybody believed anything and everything. It was the age of faith, or rather-of .credulity, Old Archbishop Magnus of Upsala declared that an enormous, sea serpent which lived on, the Norwegian coast used to. lift up its head,-snatch grazing sheep from the cliff tops, and- when it took the fancy for a more solid meal would swallow a three-masted schooner, deck fittings, cargo; and crew. His Grace of Upsala declared that he had seen these things done, and ho not only wrote them down but illustrated them with original drawings. What more proof could one demand? There are still people who' believer in the: sea serpent,, and Mr E. G-. Boulenger, director of, the Zoological Society's aquarium, makes merry over them; in his illuminating and; entertaining volume, “ Animal : Mysteries ” (London: Duckworth). At the, same time he says that-reasonable people are willing to wait further evidence and not dismiss the serpent. merely because he has not been hooked. Every expedition brings ' home a host of species' new 'to science. Meanwhile .Mr 'Boulenger finds among actual living creatures on land and in the ocean the most amusing and amazing features .and freaks. . His wellillustrated book is better than a picture show. '

In “As You Like ft ” reference is made to the toad “ Ugly- and_ venomous/’ which “Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.” Old writers enlarged on this wonderful conjunction, but their comments resemble one famous description of a rival’s performance of Hamlet—“ funny without being vulgar.” The old scientists agreed that “the stone might be found by exposing a dead toad to ants .and telling them to eat away the flesh.” Nothing be simpler, and the ants have eaten many toads since then, but the previous stone is still to. seek.

Fifty years ago the mermaids were quite a vogue, and the old Westminster aquarium had several of those talented ladies whose nether portion was grace-fully-encased in scales. Beneath the water their beauty and fish-like > grace delighted the spectators. One of these mermaids.” had. an. upsetting experience. Among 'her many unsuccessful suitors was a certain, vindictive furnace man whose duty is was to keep the.water in the exhibition tank at an equable temperature. Smarting one day under his charmer s indifference, he suddenly so raised the. temperature of the tank that the performance came to a premature close, due to the sea maiden splitting her nsh tail and conveying to a convulsed audience m very unfairy-lifce language the feet that an attempt was being made to -boil her alive.

, we cannot find a jewel in a toad’s head, we can see something much -more amusing if we-go to Regent’s - Park reptile house, in the spring. A small toad, whose habitat is Central and Western OMirope, is. known as the midwife toad, although in reality he is the lawful husband. His beloved spouse lays her eggs on land m a string for all the world like a rosary. Frogs usually lay their tho ‘wateij, but this species, for reasons unknown, _ prefers -the dry land, .the lather immediately, appears upon- the scene, twines the rosary of eggs round his bind limbs, carries them patiently for three or four weeks, makes his' way at the proper moment to the nearest pond, and then the 50 or 60 tadpoles that have developed within the; egg bite their way through - and. find freedom m the water. Here, surely, and in a literal sense, is “ the heavy father ” . A so ■ thoroughly domesticated that, all things' considered, he does more than his fair, share of perpetuating the species. To his many accomplishments he adds that of a midwife. A male Chilian frog discovered by Darwin is presumably more careful of appearance, for instead of wrapping the eggs round his hind legs, he swallows and keeps them in a pouch in his' throat until'they can do tor themselves, '' •

, A , n ,°^' el ; "Sutsiifg fattier is the common stickleback. Ho builds a nest of reeds and 'twigs, allures, to it a succession of Y/Y 05 ’ Yi'' , ■ ’"■hicli. is elaborately wooed. After the brides-have laid their eggs the father incubates them-'by violently fanning them with his tail and fins. The remarkable and unnatural feature in the case is that while he is, thus doing his duty, the. mother*, are making persistent aHeinpte to eat their own offspring. The affectionate and faithful father remains on guard- till the young arc hatched and some weeks old, and then incontinently . out by his parental cates. Whether. Ins manywidows, again enter upon the solemn state of matrimony is not vecornled by !Mr Boulenger. _ Aik animals can be inspired to fight. J.ne Konians loved to see lions and tigers m deathly combat. Cockfighting is still carried on in certain: South American States; • .elephants and.. camel ■ fights are not unknown in India and Africa. In Siam there is a little fighting fish which sets men gambling away their fortunes and even their pergonal liberty. Last century a loser would undergo a long term of slavery to . his successful competitor. In China the praying mantis is made to fight in public, and the conqueror invariably devours his antagonist. Among anglers in various parts of the world one finds cats, dogs, cormorants, and there are even fishes that go -plying Izaak Walton’s gentle art. Scores.of instances can be quoted'of cats going'with fishermen and helping them. Diving cats are often attached to watermills. They develop a taste for water rats, then for fish, and eateli them by a sudden dive. Last century the Earl of Home had a dog that would kill 20 large salmon in a morning. The cat eats its catch, but the dog fetches his to his master. The British angler fish is a great enthusiast for rod and line. He is a huge fellow, growing five feet in length, and often weighing 501 b before dinner and double that after it. The first dorsal fin ray inserted on the snout is very long and:rpdlike.;is movable in every direction, and terminates on a • fleshy flap, which is used as a bait; attracting other fishes. When waving in the Water this flap of skin looks remarkably like some small fish,_ so much so, indeed, that sooner or later it is seized by a passing -bass or codling. At once the “rod” bends towards the huge, cavernous, toothrimmed mouth. Once past those teeth there is no returning. Angler fish are found in nearly all seas. In one species the male has become degenerate and parasitic. He is attached to his wife by a special outgrowth of the head. The bulky bride weighs 201 b or more, while the lazy husband is so small as to be barely visible to the naked eye. ■ ■

Off the coast of California sea lions used to round up the fish,: which served' as food for immense quantities of birds. The seabirds deposited \-aluable guano, and a company was formed to operate it. Thinking that if the sea lions were shot there, would be more jfish' for birds, and therefore more guano, the sea lions were all destroyed. The result was, no sea lions—no fish; no fish—no birds; no birds —no guano. For once business men blundered. This charming volume has much to sav about the effect' of music on birds anil beasts. Sea lions "listening-in " is surely an attractive item. We-require no sea serponts. The world is crowded with greater wonders.