THE NATURALIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 54

THE NATURALIST.

Wild Traits in Young Animals.

An exceptionally interesting article in the January number of Pearson's Magazine, by Mr Louis Robinson, M.D., describes certain wild traits that are still evident in the characters of tame animals. We quote his remarks about the horse : —

"All our domestic animals exhibit abundant trices of the life of independence which they lived before man first enslaved them. Even the very qualities which we most value iv them, and which form the bond of association between them and ourselves, are traceable to certain conditions of their wild life. Thus the speed and endurance of a horse were, in the first place, developed in order that the wild horses might escape from their persistent enemies, the wolves. These ravenous creatures continually persecuted the herds of wild steeds for untold generations before the horse became man's servant, and any animal not strong enough or swifb enough to escape from them was- devoured.

" Another peculiarity of the horse which we find extremely valuable — that is, his docile temper, and readiness to submit to discipline — is not of man's making, but is due to the needs of wild life. Wild horses always live in herds, under the command of some experienced leader, and take orders from him. A little thought will show that if this were not the case, and if each went its own way, the herd vould soon become scattered, and would ),e quite unable to cope with the attacks of wolves and other fops. We .shall see tliat in many other instances man lias awiled himself of these innate social virtues among the lowei animals.''

It ts curious to note that the horse does not derive only bis cood qualities from ihe

former wild life of his race ; but also the so-called" equine vices. Moreover, we find that in the first place these vices were useful qualities.

" Thus, the habit of shying, which many riders find so embarrassing, would often be the salvation of a wild steed when passing near a spot where a beast of prey lay in ambush for him. Buck-jumping, which is so common among some of the half-broken horses in Western America and Australia, is a relic of a means of defence against formidable enemies of the leopard kind. These beasts, when they spring upon their prey, endeavour to get at the neck either to divide the great blood-vessels or to dislocate the vertebra. Now, the buck-jump-ing horse puts his head out of reach be : tween his forelegs, and at the same time arches his back and give a series of jolting bounds, so that it would be practically impossible for any leopard or panther to retain his hold."

Looks Like a Living Smoke- wreath. — Of all curious water creatures, few can surpass for queornoss and beauty the delicate floscule. At first sight ycra would never believe it to be a living creature at all. In fact, you would probably never notice it until it was pointed out to you, for it is almost transparent, and lives in a little house composed of material transparent as fine glass, into which it retreats at the slightest alarm. An eminent naturalist compares its reappearance from its shell to a wreath of water-smoke, the vapour-like appearance being given by the long, glass-like filaments which are attached to its body and constantly search for food through the water. It is only half an animal, living as it does with its long footstalk attached to the leaf of some water plant.

Swifter Than Birds. — It is the popular belief that the ihght of birds is much swifter than that of insects ; Uut a number of naturaUsts who have been making a study of the matter think that such is not the case. A common house fly, for example, is not very rapid in its flight, but its Mings make 800 beats a second, cind send it through the air 25ft, in ordinary • r.'iiKiWvincp* in that space of time. When the insect is alarmed, however, it has been found that it increases its rate of speed to over 150 ft per second. A swallow is considered one of the swiftest Hying birds, and it was thought, until a short time ago, that no insect could escape it. A naturalist tells of an exciting chase he saw between a swallow and a dragon fly, which is among the swiftest of insects. The insect flew with incredible speed, and wheeled and dodged with such eas^ that the swallow, despite its utmost efforts, completely failed to overtake and capture it.