ANIMALS THAT HUNT.« 



Bv Henki Coupin. 



The nimrods who, armed from head to heel, are ^oing- forth in a 

 few days to contend with terrible partridge chicks and frightful rab- 

 bits may not be aware that their methods of hunting are in use among 

 animals. For the benefit of those who are perhaps ignorant regarding 

 this fact we will explain. 



The toxote, for example, a lish in the rivers of ^Malaysia, has learned 

 how to shoot at a mark and well deserves its name of the archer, 

 or the spitting-tish, which has been given it. Although aquatic it 

 feeds upon winged insects. When it sees on the plants on the bank a 

 silly insect gaping in the air it advances as near as possible to the 

 object of its desires, fills its mouth with liquid, and closes its gills. 

 Soon it raises its snout out of the water and, closing its jaws, shoots 

 upon the insect a long thread of water — a veritable shower bath — 

 which, falling l)ack, washes the poor creature into the river, where 

 he has not long- to wait to be devoured. The remarkable part of this 

 performance is the accuracy of the fish's aim Avhich ver}' rarely misses. 

 In Java and the neighboring countries people often carefully pre- 

 serve the toxote in aquariums and anuise themselves by offering it 

 flies, holding them some distance off so that it will shoot at them w^ith 

 its douche, to the great delight of the spectators. 



To obtain food another fish, the cholinous, proceeds in the same 

 wa3' with salt water, but he is less adi-oit, a fault which he possesses in 

 common with man}- hunters. Yet he is alwaj^s persevering. ' If he 

 misses his aim he tries again until he succeeds, unless the insect has 

 withdrawn out of reach. 



laying in wait for prey is practiced with great skill by a large num- 

 ber of animals who have learned that in order not to frig-hten away 

 the creatures which they wish to catch it is necessary to remain 

 motionless. This is notabh' the case with crocodiles, which wait 

 whole days without moving, hidden in the water or the grass on the 

 sliore, until their prey, deceived by their apparent quiet, comes to 

 bathe or to slake his thirst. It is also the case with the python snake, 



« Translated from tlu' Revue Scientifiqne (Paris), August 29, 1903, pp. 274-277. 



567 



SM 1903 37 



