Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1883 — How Animals Help Each Other. [ARTICLE]

How Animals Help Each Other.

Darwin in his “Descent of Man” has many kind things to say about animals. Social animals, he tells us, perform many little services for each other. Horses nibble and cows lick each other. Monkeys pick from each other thorns and burrs and parasites. Wolves and some other beasts of prey hunt in packs, and aid each other in attacking their victims. Pelicans fish in concert. The Hamadryas baboons turn stones to find insects, etc.; and, when they come to a large one, as many as can stand round turn it over together and share the booty. Social animals mutually defend each other. Brehm encountered in Abyssinia a troop of baboons which were crossing a valley; they were attacked by the dogs; but the old" males immediately hurried down from the rocks, and, with mouths widely opened, roared so fearfully that the dogs precipitately retreated. They were again encouraged to the attack; but by this time all the baboons had re-as-cended the heights, excepting a young one about six months old, which, loudly calling for aid, climbed on a block of rock and was surrounded. One of the largest males, a true hero, came down again from the mountain, slowly went to she young one, coaxed him, and triupiphantly led him away, the dogs being too much astonished to make an attack. On another occasion an eagle seized a young monkey, which, by clinging to a branch, was not at once carried off. It cried loudly for assistance; upon which the other members of the troop, with much uproar, rushed to the rescue, surrounded the eagle, and pulled out so many feathers that he no longer thought of his prey, but only how to escape.