112 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
[August, 1891. 
life. We are dependent upon the sun for actual 
existence, and, with the plant, receive our food, 
our light, our warmth, and even our fuel from its 
benign rays ; and the green plant is the oft-for- 
gotten medium through which we receive both 
food and fuel. 
[Original In Populab Science News.J i 
ANIMAL PIRATES. 
BY MRS. M. J. GORTON. 
In the animal creation are exhibited so many 
traits that are characteristic of the human species 
that we might regard this or that phenomenon as 
an example of human nature ; and in no one trait 
is the parallel to be drawn with greater fidelity in 
the faithfulness of the likeness between certain 
animals and man than in the art of swindling. 
There are on record plans of the greatest inge- 
nuity, invented by him whose energies are con- 
served against the rightful belongings of another ; 
and, according to Sir John Lubbock, animals rec 
ognize the basic right to property — each member 
of a community to the produce of his own labor ; 
— and therefore robbers are robbers, whether ani- 
mal or human beings. Of the vast and often suc- 
cessful frauds perpetrated, there is a constant 
surprise at the accurate psychical insight and 
ability developed by the operator in the transac- 
tion, as also never-ending wonder at the simple 
credulity or helplessness of the victim. This is 
seen among animals to Such an extent that pity 
often becomes swallowed up in derisive contempt 
for the injured party; and the cheeky maraude 
wins the prize from the luckless victim of his arts, 
and also wins applause for his aptitude in secur- 
ing booty. 
The pullet in the barn-yard secures a prize un- 
aided, — a nice fat worm or a benumbed grass- 
hopper, — and the whole flock will take after her 
with outstretched wings, covetousness and jeal- 
ousy prompting to the most arduous efforts, when, 
with a premonitory "whirr! whirr!" sharply in- 
tonated and long drawn out, the Turk of this 
serjiglio of fluttering females announces grave 
danger from some lurking foe. The hens one 
and all hesitate, pause, and hurry to the side of 
their natural protector ; and he takes a few lordly 
steps, drops his military role, becomes the robber 
and glutton he really is, and helps innocence de- 
vour her tidbit, taking care to secure the choicest 
morsels for himself. 
On the plains and along the broad bottoms of 
the Missouri River are the colonies — often a com- 
munity of many members, with villages of wide 
extent — of tine American marmots, or prairie 
dogs. Merry, cheery, chipper little fellows, these 
gregarious villagers sit on the mound above or 
beside the open door that leads to their comfort- 
able subterranean dwellings, and hold converse in 
short, not unmusical barks, each greeting his 
neighbor and rejoicing in the sunshine. But into 
the sanctity of the home which he and his have 
constructed with much labor, the burrowing owl 
comes, uninvited, and becomes a tenant with a 
life lease, without so much as by your leave ; and 
one of the most atrocious results of this swindling 
arrangement is that the dog (a strict vegetarian) 
finds that the owl, whose young shares the nest 
with the infant marmots, feeds upon tliem, and 
rears its young upon the bodies of the children of 
its victimized landlord. Another and much more 
vicious tenant is the prairie rattlesnake; but his 
visits are few and far between, and when he does 
come it is in the character, quite often, of aven- 
ger, as it has been demonstrated beyond a doubt 
that owl pie is one of his favorite dishes, which 
seems just, for his more ravenous appetite re- 
quires several to satisfy, especially if young and 
juicy. The dogs are also at the mercy of this 
rapacious pirate. 
One of the most notable instances of "beggar- 
my-neighbor" is the cuckoo, which lives, is bred 
and nurtured by the labor of other birds ; and 
this habit is the rule of many birds. Sea-gulls 
and oppreys are systematically robbed of the 
fruits of their labors by the long-beaked pirates 
ever on the alert to rob. There seems very little 
excuse for these shameless swindles, as the bald 
eagle and the white-headed eagle — each the worst 
in tills particular of its kind — are well fitted by 
nature to provide themselves with their own fish. 
Perhaps they resemble the human harpy, one of 
whom wrote in his note-book: "Some men have 
plenty of brains and no brass; and some men 
have plenty of brass and no brains. It follows 
that the men with plenty of brass and no brains 
were made for men with plenty of brains and no 
brass." However, the altruistic instincts of the 
race in the shape of law did not accord with this 
philosophy of natural law, and the swindler has 
been made to sufter prolonged imprisonment in 
consequence. 
That animals have no method of redress does 
not fill our ideas of abstract justice, and " sur 
vival of the fittest " seems a cruel code. One day 
a long furry caterpillar was lying on the window- 
seat, and, as he seemed out of place, he was 
brushed out to lie on the grass. In a few mo- 
ments he was discovered in nearly the same posi 
tion. To secure his banishment he was carried to 
the door and tossed out, — all in vain, for soon 
there were two where before had been only one. 
Curious to see from whence they came, a few 
minutes spent in watching discovered the ground- 
wasp, or mud-dauber, who came and deposited 
another caterpillar beside those lying on the sill. 
Having placed four in position, his mate came and 
arranged the bodies to suit her fancy in one cor- 
ner of the window-seat. She deposited in each 
one an egg, and then the pair brought the mud 
and did a beautiful piece of masonry, sealing up 
the living bodies hermetically — for the wasps do 
not kill their prey, but paralyze it, so that their 
young when born will have fresh food. Ruthless 
robbers I Hapless victims ! 
A curious experiment may be made with a gar- 
den spider by going to one of their beautiful geo- 
metrically shaped webs and twanging a fork, — a 
silver dining-fork will vibrate sufliciently if held 
lightly and struck against some metallic sub- 
stance, — and touching the web at one of the radi- 
ating lines at the outer edge of the circle. The 
spider, if in the center of the web, turns rapidly 
to the right, then to tlie left, that he may be able 
to determine where the agitation is. The vibrat- 
ing thread shows where the prey is, and, feeling 
carefully, that there may be no mistake, he darts 
down the tremulous cable, seizes upon the fork, 
r;ms about upon the tines, and tries to enwrap the 
buzzing thing to entrap it for his own uses. Dip 
the fork in sweet syrup ; flies and bees are at- 
tracted, and when one is settled and intent upon 
the sweets, strike the fork gently and touch the 
leaf or the vibrating cable of the web. The 
spider, as soon as he can locate the prey, darts 
down, and speedily becomes aware of the gummy 
substance between him and his prey. Ascending 
the outer circle of the web, he hastily spins a pro- 
jection, and, when he has a leverage, drops lightly 
down on the hitherward side of his unsuspecting 
victim and quickly pounces upon liim; and the 
old drama of the spider and the fly is re-enacted 
for his sole benefit and enjoyment. 
There is another view of this interesting topic : 
There are many insects, birds, and beasts that 
preserve their being by simulating what they are 
not, that they may remain undistinguishable and 
escape the pit-falls that may lie in wait for them; 
also to catch the unobservant and destroy them. 
Among these are the " spectre insect," the " walk- 
ing-stick insect," and the "praying insect" (Mm- 
tis religiosa), which is so constructed, with its 
fore legs stiff and thrust into the air to resemble 
a withered twig, tliat it may escape foes from this 
very resemblance, also that it may catch any un- 
wary insect that ventures near for its own sub- 
sistence, thus simulating an attitude of patient 
endurance quite like those scavengers of the 
human race — the pious beggars who simulate 
faith and patient endurance, but are really burg- 
lars and robbers. The sphinx caterpillar also 
simulates what it is not, and escapes its enemies 
by putting on a false appearance, and also attracts 
its food in a like manner. 
Sir John Lubbock, in calling attention to the 
varied markings of the many varieties of cater- 
pillars, — Metitcea citcxia, M. artemis, M. athalia, M. 
selene, M. dia, M. euphrosyne, Aryynnis aglaia, Va- 
nessa polycJiloros, V. io, V. antiope, Cynthia cardtii, 
Argynnis lathonia, Eriogaster lanestris, Odonestris 
polatoria, Lasiocampa rubi, L. trifolii, L. rorobris, 
Oastropacha, Cheorocampa, and many others, — says 
that there is "not a hair or a line, not a spot or a 
color, for which there is not reason, and which 
has not a purpose and a meaning in the economy 
of nature." And in much of the explanation of 
these colors, spots, hairs, and lines there is ever 
the fact that the animal is playing a ruse, either 
to attract prey or to escape enemies; and often 
every act of its life seems to be to take in some 
luckless one, who is thus lured to destruction, or 
at least robbed of its rightfully acquired proi)- 
erty. 
+♦> 
[Original in POPULAK SCIENCE NEWS.] 
WOORALI POISON. 
BY S. L. CLAYES. 
WoOKALi is a vegetable poison which causes 
death very quickly when it is injected into the 
blood or applied to an open cut or wound; but, 
though speedy, it is gentle m its action, and its 
victim dies painlessly. It is this plant which is 
used by a number of the tribes of South American 
Indians as the principal ingredient in the prepara- 
tion of their famous envenomed arrows. For a 
long while it had proved impossible to wrest the 
secret of their poison from the tribes, but early in 
the present century it was confided by them, first 
to Sir Robert Schomburgk, and soon after to tlie 
celebrated English traveller, Waterton. 
The woorali is a plant with a climbing stem cov- 
ered with prettily shaped ovate leaves, and has a 
round fruit, which would not be unattractive to the 
eye were it not that the whole plant — stem, leaves, 
and fruit — is covered with a thick coating of long, 
stiff, reddish hairs, which stand out in a defiant 
way from its every part, and look like poison. 
Deadly though it be, it proves comparatively 
harmless when taken into the stomach, and has 
even been made use of by medical men in the 
treatment of certain diseases, such as lock-jaw 
and hydrophobia. 
Some days before the Indian wishes to prepare 
his arrows, he goes into the forest in quest of the 
materials for his decoction. First he seeks for 
the woorali vine, and finding it, cuts and secures 
what he thinks will be a sufficient quantity. Next 
comes a very bitter root. Tliis he digs out of the 
ground and carefully ties up, making it into a 
bundle with the woorali. Then he looks about 
