p. 10 | WHO IS THEIR TEACHER?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 17, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 11.

WHO IS THEIR TEACHER?

The grayhound runs by sight only. This is a fact. The carrier pigeon flies his hundreds of miles homeward by eyesight, noting from point to point objects that he has marked. This is only conjecture. The dragon fly, with 12,000 lenses in his eye, darts from angle to angle with the rapidity of a flashing sword, and as rapidly darts back, not turning in the air, but with a clash reversing the action of his four wings and instantaneously calculating the distances of the objects, or he would dash himself to pieces. But in what conformation of the eye does this power consist? No one can answer.

Ten thousand mosquitoes dance up and down in the sun with the minutest interval between them, yet no one knocks another headlong on the grass, or breaks a leg or a wing, long and delicate as they are. Suddenly a peculiar, high-shouldered, vicious creature, with long and pendant nose, darts out of the rising and falling cloud, and, settling on your cheek, inserts a poisonous sting. What possesses the little wretch to do this? Did he smell your blood while he was dancing?—No one knows.

A carriage comes suddenly upon some geese in a narrow road and drives straight through the flock. A goose was never yet fairly run over, nor a duck. They are under the very wheels and hoofs, and yet they contrive to flap and waddle safely off. Habitually stupid, heavy, and indolent, they are nevertheless equal to any emergency.

Why does the lonely woodpecker, when he descends from his tree and goes to drink, stop several times on his way and listen and look around before he takes his draft?—No one knows. How is it that the species of ant which is taken in battle by other ants to be made slaves, should be the black or negro ant?—No one knows.

The power of judging of actual danger and the free and easy boldness that results from it, are by no means uncommon. Many birds seem to have a correct notion of a gun’s range, and are scrupulously careful to keep beyond it. The most obvious resource would be to fly right away out of sight and hearing, but this they do not choose to do.

A naturalist in Brazil gives an account of an expedition that he made to one of the islands of the Amazon to shoot spoonbills, ibises, and other magnificent birds which are abundant there. His design was completely baffled, however, by a wretched little sandpiper, which preceded him, continually uttering his telltale cry, which at once aroused all the birds within hearing. Throughout the day did this individual bird continue his self-imposed duty of sentinel to others, effectually preventing the approach of the hunter to the game, and yet managing to keep out of the range of his gun.

—Philadelphia Times.