Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 4, November 1900: Illustrated by Color Photography — John Shaqi
Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 4, November 1900: Illustrated by Color PhotographyVarious
History
Birds and Nature, Vol. 08, No. 4, November 1900: Illustrated by Color Photography
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
It had been arranged that I was to open the ball, so I
drew my peep and globe sights down very finely, taking the white breast
of the old buck for my bull's-eye, and pulled. Huffman's Kennedy and
Jack's carbine paid their compliments to the pretty visitors at almost
the same instant, and for about two or three minutes thereafter we
fanned them about as vigorously as ever a herd got fanned under similar
circumstances. The air was full of leaden missiles; the dry dust raised
under and around the fleeing herd as it does when a team trots over a
dusty road. Clouds of smoke hung over us, and the distant hills echoed
the music of our artillery until the last white rump disappeared in the
cottonwoods on the river bank.
"When the smoke of battle cleared away, and we looked over the field,
we found that we had not burned our powder in vain. Five of the little
fellows, the two bucks and three does, had fallen victims to their
curiosity. The two fawns had, strangely enough, escaped, probably only
because they, so much smaller than their parents, were less exposed."
The antelope have a curious way of protecting their young, when on the
open prairie. This is accomplished by placing a ring of sharp-pointed
cacti about a spot which has been beaten smooth by their hoofs. Inside
this ample protection the animal cares for its young and secures
ingress and egress for itself by jumping over the ring of cacti. This
serves to protect them from the majority of their foes, which inhabit
the open country.
The antelope does not thrive well in captivity, the older ones soon
killing themselves in their attempts to escape. The young taken soon
after their birth generally die early, unless very special care is
bestowed upon them, and even if they survive the juvenile state, they
are very likely to die when three or four months old, from pyaemic
sores or inflammation of the limbs.
PLANT PROTECTION.
In the last number of this journal it was shown how plants seek to
avoid the visits of unsuitable insects to their flowers. This is one
means of protection, but there are many others which are even more
striking and vital. It is supposed by many that plants are helpless
beings, which must submit to all sorts of unfavorable conditions which
come upon them. This is far from true, for while plants as a rule are
fixed and unable to escape from danger by flight, still they have very
many ways of helping themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account