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Show Are Lower Animals Really AKve ? By Herbert N. Cnsson HUH more that scientists study life the less difference do they ilnd between what we cull dead things and what wo call live things. The latest book on this question Is called "Tho Comparative Compara-tive Physiology of tho Brain." by Professor Jacques Locb, of Chicago University. It Is like most scientific books-bard to read for those who want something exciting. Thcru nre two kinds of books. Some are like sandy beaches and boiuo are llku gold mines. The sandy beach books are for thoso -who llku play better than they llko work. They amiise you. nnd help you to forget your troubles; but after jou havo got through with them you have nothing left to keep that is valuable. Tho gold mine books are different. Whenever you rend one of them, you havu to work bard. You dig up tho Ideas out of the long sentences. You break up the big words that stick out hero and there like rocks. But when your work Is over you have some gold left and your mind Is stronger because or tho vigorous exercise. In Professor Loeb's book there Is a clinpter on "Instincts." which upsets n great many of our ideas on living things and dead things, lie mys that thousands thou-sands of the, lower animals nro nothing but machines. They "are not con-scions con-scions any more than a glass of soda water is conscious. In fact, they are nothing but little bundles of chemicals. Take n moth, for ltifctnitce. Why docs it always lly toward the light? Is it beeauso It is fond of tho light? Docs it have nn instinct in favor of bright objects? No, says Professor I.oeb. Nothing of tho kind. It turns to the light for the same reason that a pine board will warp If ypu leave It out lu tho sunshine. It curves In Its lllgjt and flies Into tho llaiuo for the same reason that u plant turns to the sunshine when it stands lu the window. It Is not true that either plants or iriotliK nro fond of light. Their likes or dislikes have nothing to do with tho matter. They are Just ns helpless us a photograph is when it bends nnd wrinkles from the beat of a stove. When u moth is flying nt the sldo of n lamp or electric light the rays of light tighten up the muscles of tho moth on tho sldo that Is nearest to tho light and warp It around until It llles directly into the blaze. The plants that move toward tho Rim turn around for tho samo reason. Tho rays of light tighten up the sido of tho stem that is nuarest to the sun, and slowly the plant swings around until it faces the light. Its movement Is caused by the chemical effect of light. You may havo noticed. In tho faprlngtlmc, how the little caterpillars come out of the nest and climb up to tho tips of the branches, whero the soft youug leaves are. How do they know that these leaves nro the best food Tor caterpillars? And how do they know, without being taught, that thcio leaves are always at tho tips of the branches? They don't know nnylhlng about It, says Professor Locb. As soon ns they come out of the nest tho rays of llghffrom tho nun warp their bodies In such a way that they cannot help climbing upwards. They nro little 'machines, almost like tho tin toys that the peddlers bell on the sidewalks. Tho Instincts of these littlo moths and caterpillars can bo chauged. If n bright electric light wcro to be placed at tho foot of every troo that has caterpillar nests on It the youug caterpillars would come marching down the tree to starvation nnd death. These curious ideas, I hope you will remember, are not fancies or guesses. Professor Locb has examined Cozens pt moths nnd dozens of caterpillars and dozens of plants, to find out why they net ns they do. If you think that his Ideas nro absurd, you can And out the facts by getting more moths and caterpillars and plants than he has, and by studying them more carefully than ho did. Now York Journal. |