54 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[JAN. 13, 1906. 

course, on the floor, it was quite impossible to 
scrape up dust enough to hide the offending 
food; but Plucky always went through the cere- 
mony. His act was of the symbolic order, and 
could not be more than symbolic, but he never 
failed to perform it. Sometimes it happened 
that some time later he thought otherwise, and 
came back to the plate, and changed his mind, 
eating the contents which he had rejected; but 
he might also come back and go through the 
disdainful gesture again. No other cat of mine 
has acted in the same way; they merely sniffed 
and went off. Was Plucky an exception? 
HENRY DE VARIGNY. 
An Exciting Scene. 
As I was walking along the Southern Boule- 
vard on Christmas Day I saw a crowd collected 
by a pond in the Zoological Gardens. The object 
of their interest was a large black dog which 
was trying desperately to regain a footing on the 
ice through which he had broken. Sometimes he 
would appear to be on the point of succeeding 
but then would fall back. The interest of the 
crowd became intense and at length some one 
hurried off for assistance. While he was gone 
the dog continued to struggle but was evidently 
growing weaker and weaker. When he appeared 
about ready to give up three employes of the 
Gardens approached on the run. They had a 
coil of rope with them, which they proceeded to 
unwind and throw one end toward the dog (in 
the hope, I suppose, that he would catch it in his 
mouth). It fell short but was thrown again. A 
second time it fell short. The crowd held its 
breath. Preparations were being made for a 
third throw when the poor dog was seen to dis- 
appear. “He’s gone—he’s gone!” was the cry, 
accompanied by a huge mournful “Ah!” 
The youngest of the three men who had been 
attempting the rescue now rushed out on the ice 
regardless of the frightened cries of the crowd. 
“You're risking your life! Come back—come 
back!’ Here and there he began crunching 
holes in the ice with the heel of his boot. At 
length he stooped down and took something in 
his hand, and lo! he was seen to drag the dog 
by the tail through the hole. Then amid the 
plaudits of the crowd he made a dash for the 
shore—broke through near the bank, but gal- 
lantly struggled upward with his charge. 
That, thought I, is the stuff of which true 
heroes are made. I Jearned subsequently that the 
dog, through the vigorous efforts of his rescuer 
and the other employes, was resuscitated. F. M. 
Remedy for Snake Bite. 

Successful Experiments Made in India. 
ConsuL Masterson, of Aden, reports that 
Dr. Leonard Rogers contributed a paper to the 
Indian Medical Gazette on the treatment of 
snake bite by permanganate of potassium, which 
has been very widely discussed throughout 
India, and which is likely to receive general at- 
tention from medical men. Consul Masterson 
writes: 
“Doctor Rogers, in this paper, reports of 
twelve cases of snake bite in which this new 
remedy was put into practice. In two cases it 
failed, but these were the cases in which the 
longest interval had elapsed before the remedy 
was applied. The persons were bitten during 
the night and were not treated till the following 
day, the interval in one case amounting to eleven 
hours and in the other nine hours. In seven of 
the successful cases the snake was killed and 
identified; in five cases it was a cobra and in the 
other two it was a viper. In the remaining 
three successful cases the identity of the snake 
was not ascertained in two cases and in the 
other case the reptile was seen and described 
as a cobra. ; 
Of the two fatal cases, one was bitten by a 
cobra, the other by a snake that was not 
identified. Two of the successful cases were 
treated by Europeans without any medical 
training. In three of the successful cases treat- 
ment was beguntat once, in the remaining seven 
the interval varied from half an hour to four 
hours. These results show that even when all 
the doubtful elements have been excluded or 
allowed for, this method promises to be most 
efficacious, and a very satisfactory feature is that 
it is so simple, anybody can apply it, and so cheap 
that it is within the reach of the poorest. 
When a person has been bitten by a snake 
the first thing to do is to apply a ligature above 
the wound to prevent the rapid absorption of 
the venom. Then an incision is to be made 
over the snake bite with any sharp cutting in- 
strument that is perfectly clean, and a few grains 
of the permanganate are to be well rubbed on. 
Permanganate of potassium is a cheap drug, 
obtainable from any druggist. It keeps indefi- 
nitely, and a pound would suffice, at the rate of 
10 grains for each case, for between 700 and 800 
people. There seems to be no reason why 
every household should not be furnished with 
this remedy, or why the great majority of 
twenty thousand odd deaths that take place in 
India each year from snake bite should not be 
prevented. 
The Hearing of Whales. 
THE question as to what extent the sense of 
hearing is developed in whales and dolphins is 
discussed in Naturwissenschaftliche Wochen- 
schrift for Dec. 18. The means of proving 

whether animals hear or not are three in num-_ 
ber—firstly, whether they respond to the action 
of sound-waves; secondly, whether they possess 
a voice; and, thirdly, the structure and relative 
development of their auditory apparatus. 
In the case of cetaceans, their capacity for 
receiving (and acting upon) sound-waves is 
demonstrated by the practice of shouting on the 
part of fishermen when engaged in driving a 
shoal of porpoises or blackfish into shallow 
water, for the purpose of frightening their in- 
tended victims. As regards the possession of a 
voice by cetaceans, it is stated that one species, 
the “buckelwal” of the Germans, utters during 
the breeding season a prolonged scream, com- 
parable to the scream of a steam-siren, and em- 
bracing the whole musical scale from base to 
treble. 
As regards anatomical considerations, it is 
true that the external ear is much reduced, the 
“pinna” being absent, and the tube, or “meatus,” 
of very small caliber. On the other hand, the 
internal auditory organs are developed on the 
plan of those of ordinary mammals, but display 
certain peculiar modifications (notably the re- 
markable shell-like form of the tympanic bone) 
for intensifying and strengthening the sound- 
waves as they are received from the water. It 
seems, therefore, perfectly evident that whales 
must hear when in the water. This inference 
is confirmed by the comparatively small develop- 
ment of the other sense organs. The eye, for 
instance, is very small, and can be of little use 
even at the comparatively small depths to which 
whales are now believed to descend. Again, the 
sense of smell, judging from the rudimentary 
conditions of the olfactory organs, must be in 
abeyance; and whales have no sense organs 
comparable to the lateral line system of fishes. 
Consequently, it would seem that when below 
the surface of the water they must depend 
chiefly upon the sense of hearing. Probably this 
sense is so highly developed as to enable the 
animals, in the midst of the vibrations made by 
the screw-like movements of the tail, or flukes, 
to distinguish the sound (or the vibrations) 
made by the impact of water against rocks, even 
in a dead calm, and, in the case of piscivorous 
species, to recognize by the pulse in the water 
the presence of a shoal of fish. Failing this ex- 
planation, it is difficult to imagine how whales 
can find their way about in the semi-darkness, 
and avoid collisions with rocks and rock-bound 
coasts.—London Field. 
Boston, Mass., Jan. 6.—The changed Forest 
AND STREAM is much liked and I have heard many 
words of praise and compliment. Your multitude 
of friends here are greatly pleased with the 
change. CENTRAL. 
The Badger as a Chicken Thief. 
Hamar, Norway.—An amusing incident hap- 
pened on a farm a little ways from town the 
other day, which shows that the badger is not 
such an innocent fellow as some think. 
The farmer, about dawn, hearing a commotion 
in the barn, hastily ran out to see what was the 
matter, and came across a badger who had taken 
a chicken in which he seemed very interested. 
As the farmer had nothing handy to hit him 
on the head with he grabbed him by the nape of 
the neck and down by the rump and carried him 
out in the yard, yelling for one of the boys to 
bring the kodak and take a snapshot of the out- 
fit, which was accordingly done, and then the 
badger, who had all the time hung on to his 
chicken, was dispatched; but even in death he 
wouldn’t let go. Cur. G 
The New Forest and Stream. 
COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES AND GAME, 
STATE OF INDIANA. 
CoLtumBus, Ind., Jan. 6.—Number 1, Volume 66, 
of ForEsT AND STREAM has just reached me, and I 
desire to congratulate you upon its handsome 
make-up—both interior and exterior. It is a 
never failing source of information and delight 
to all the employees of this office, and I desire in 
the beginning of the new year to wish you a 
happy and prosperous year in your good work. 
Z. T. SWEENEY, Com’r. 

WitmincrTon, Del., Jan. 7.—Just a line to tell 
you that I saw Forest AND STREAM in its new 
guise for the first time yesterday, and must say I 
like its new getup very much. We all like it 
very much, and it looks and is up-to-date. 
Epwarp BANKS. 

LANCASTER, Pa., Jan. 5.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: I have just looked through the new 
ForEST AND STREAM and with unbounded pleasure 
I note the valued change. How pleasant it would 
be if those of your readers who have worshipped 
at nature’s shrine in many lands and for many 
years could be rejuvenated to the same extent. 
How young and sprightly the old sportsman 
would look. SHONGO. 

Dayton, O.—Congratulations on your change. 
W. 

New York, Jan. 5.—Allow me to congratulate 
you upon the new style of the paper. 
Tuomas J. Conroy. 

Morristown, N. J., Jan. 6.—I wish to congratu- 
late you upon the improved form of your publica- 
tion. The illustrated feature in your magazine is 
remarkably attractive, and in other respects your 
magazine has been very much improved by your 
change of method. E RANDOLPH. 

Newark, N. J.—I congratulate you on the 
changed ForesT AND STREAM. It is handsome and 
taking. Dick SWIVELLER. 

STATE OF NEw York 
Forest, Fish AND GAME COMMISSION. 
Atpany, N. Y., Jan. 8—The new form of the 
old standard sportsmen’s paper is indeed an im- 
provement. Half a dozen visitors to the office 
have testified to this assertion within a few hours. 
Joun D. WuisH, Sec’y. - 

NorFo_k, Va., Jan. 8—I am simply delighted 
with the change in the make-up of Forest AND 
STREAM; familiar features all retained; only a 
different and more pleasing expression. 
CHARLES HALLOCK. 

St. AuGuUSTINE, Fla., Jan. 6.—The new Forest 
AND STREAM comes to us to-night, and I want to 
congratulate you on the change of form, highly 
improved appearance and attractiveness of the 
style you have chosen. 
