The story of the universe. Volume 4 (of 4) : $b The earth's creatures : fauna
History
The story of the universe. Volume 4 (of 4) : $b The earth's creatures : fauna
Astronomy; Earth (Planet); Natural history
Besides these brutal chases wolves seem able to exercise a genuine
feint. Sometimes it is a couple who hunt in concert. If they meet
a flock, as they are well aware that the dog will bravely defend
the animals intrusted to him, that he is vigilant, and that his
keen scent will bring him on them much sooner than the shepherd,
it is with him that they first occupy themselves. The two wolves
approach secretly; then suddenly one of them unmasks and attracts
the attention of the dog, who rushes after him with such ardor
that he fails to perceive that in the meantime the second thief
has seized the sheep and dragged it into the wood. The dog finally
renounces his pursuit of the fugitive and returns to his flock. Then
the two confederates join each other and share the prey. In other
circumstances it is a wolf who hunts with his female. When they wish
to obtain possession of a deer, whose robust flight may last a long
time, one of the couple, the male, for example, pursues him and
directs his chase in such a way that the game must pass by a place
where the female wolf is concealed. She then takes up the chase while
the male reposes. It is an organized system of relays. The strength
of the deer becomes necessarily exhausted; he can not resist the
animation shown by his active foe, and is seized and killed. Then the
other wolf calmly approaches the place of the feast to share his part
of the booty.
The fox also successfully uses this method of coursing with relays.
It has often been repeated that man is the only creature sufficiently
intelligent to utilize as weapons exterior objects like a stone or
a brick; in a much greater degree, therefore, it was said, was he
the only creature capable of striking from afar with a projectile.
Nevertheless creatures so inferior as fish exhibit extreme skill in
the art of reaching their prey at a distance. Several act in this
way. There is first the Toxotes jaculator, who lives in the rivers of
India. His principal food is formed by the insects who wander over
the leaves of aquatic plants. To wait until they fell into the water
would naturally result in but meagre fare. To leap at them with one
bound is difficult, not to mention that the noise would cause them to
flee. The Toxotes knows a better trick than that. He draws in some
drops of water, and, contracting his mouth, projects them with so
much force and certainty that they rarely fail to reach the chosen
aim, and to bring into the water all the insects he desires. Other
animals also squirt various liquids, sometimes in attack, but more
especially in defence. The Cephalopods, for example, emit their ink,
which darkens the water and allows them to flee. Certain insects
exude bitter or fœtid liquids; but in all these cases, and in others
that are similar, the animal finds in his own organism a secretion
which happens to be more or less useful to his conservation. The
method of the Toxotes is different. It is a foreign body which he
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account