THE NATURALIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 48

THE NATURALIST.

Feigning Death.

The feigning of death by certain animals for the purpose of deceiving their enemies, and thus securing immunity, is one of the greatest of the mar.y evidences of their intelligent ratiocination. Letusimulation (from letum, death, and simulore, to feign) is not confined to any particular family, order, or species of animals, but exists in many, from the very lowest to the highest. It is found even in the vegetable kingdom, the wellknown sensitive plant being an interesting example. The action of this plant is, however, purely reflex, as can be proved by observation and experiment, and is not, therefore, a process of intelligence. The habit of feigning death has introduced a figure of Bpeech into the ErgUah language, and bas done much to magnify and perpetuate the fame of the only marsupial found outside the limits of Australasia. " Playing 'pogßum" is now a synonym for certain kinds of deception. I have seen this habit in some of the lowest animals known to

science. Some time ago, while examining the inhabitants of a drop of pond water under a high-power lens, I noticed several rhizopods busily feeding on the minute buds of an alga. These rhizpods suddenly drew in their hair-like filaria and sank to the bottom, to all appearances dead. I soon discovered the cause in the presence of a water lou3e, an animal which feeds on these animalcules. It likewise sank to the tottom, and after looking at the rbizopods swam away, evidently regarding them as dead and unfit for food. Tbe rhizopods remained quiet for several seconds, and then swam to the alga and resumed feeding. This was not an accidental occurrence, for twice since I have been fortunate enough to witness the same wonderful performance. There were other minute animals swimming in tbe drop of water, but the rbizopods fed on unconcernedly until the shark of this microscopic sea appeared. They then recognised their danger at once, and used the only means in their power to escape. Through the agency of what eenße did these* little creatures discover tbe approach of their enemy 7 Is it possible that they and other like mioroscopic animals have eyes and ears so exceedingly small that lenses of the very highest power cannot make them visible 1 Or are they possessors of senses utterly unknown to and incapable of being appreciated by man ? Science can neither affirm nor deny either of these suppositions. The fact alone remains that through some sense they discovered the presence of the enemy, and feigned death in order to escape.

Most animals are slain for food by other animals. There is a continual struggle for existence. Most of the carnivora and insectivora prefer freshly killed food to carrion. They will not touch tainted meat when they can procure fresh. It is a mistake to suppose that carnivora prefer such food. The exigencies of their lives and their struggle for existence often compel them to eat it. Dogs will occasionally take it,' but sparingly, and apparently as a relish, just as we eat certain odoriferous cheeses. But carnivora and inseotivora would rather do their own butchery ; hencs, when they came upon their prey apparently dead, they will leave it alone and go in search of other quarry, unless they are very hungry. Tainted flesh is a dangerous sabstance to go into most stomachs. Certain ptomaines render it sometimes very poisonous. Long years of experience have taught the act to the animals, and therefore most of them let dead or seemingly dead animals severely alone. — Atlantic Monthly.

Imitation v. Natural Intuition. — Some years ago an ornithologist made an experiment to discover whether natural intuition was stronger or weaker than the instinct of imitation in birds just hatched. He took three linnets and placed one with Borne tomtits, a second among some crested larks, and a third with some African birds. Each linnet rapidly learned the song of the birds among which it was placed, and did not utter a note of the song of its kindred. The first linnet was afterwards placed among other linnets, but it continued to sing like a tomtit.

Mimicry in the Spider. — A writer in " Insect Life," issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, describes a remarkable example of mimicry by a spider. At Jamesburg, New Jersey, in August of last year, bis attention was drawn to what was apparently a gall, perfectly formed, and growing upon the upper surface of a leaf of a small oak tree. On handling the leaf, however, the supposed gall rolled off, and when it was picked up was found to bo in reality a spider, which had been resting on the leaf, its curiously-formed abdomen simulating exactly both in form and colour the common oak gall, even to the tiny punctures through which the gall insect makes its exit when mature.

Do Animals Love Fun?— There seems no reason to doubt it. Monkeys are full of frolic for its own sake, and enjoy themselves mest of all when playing mischievous jokes. Mr Romanes's terrier performed its tricks so conscientiously that when no one praised it for them it used to become qnite sulky. A flock of geese have been known to cause a number of pigs to run the gauntlet between them, merely to hear tbe squealing of the porkers as they were bit at by the birds. There was a soldier's horse that was wont to be fastened by a river's bank, and the creature had the ill-habit of kicking at passing mcD, in order to make them fall into the water. The jackdaw will watch boys at their games with evident appreciation of the fun, and the amount of roguishness in kittens is perfeotly notorious.— Little Folks Magazine.