Show I 0 DID MAN BORROW OW DEENE DERN DE- DE ENE RN E TACTICS FROM FROl ANIMALS rALS hen When men battled with sword and spear small forces utilized the phalanx principle developed by the father of Alexander the Great Standing shoulder to shoulder with weapons bristling outward rd a few men in hallow hallow- square quare formation often could withstand an out-numbered out force The prarie pioneers adopted adopted adopted ad ad- opted similar tactics on their overland journeys arranging their covered wagons in a hollow follow boll ow circle for protection against the Indians Man Ian is prone to think that all such valuable tactics are the result result re re- sult uIt of his own inventive genius but Edward A A- P Preble ebIe biologist biologist- of the Biological Survey of the United States Department of ot Agriculture suggests that he may have borrowed some of these ideas from the wild an- an mals The ox musk-ox an animal now v confined to Northern Canada Canada Can Can- a ada a and Greenland he says may be the originator of the protective hallow square The adults have strong horns that descend on either side of the head with sharp points turning upward When attacked they carry the head low and easily repulse their old age-old enemy the wolf The adult animals mass in close formation with the calves between them or within the closed circle If any two animals animals animals ani ani- mals are beset they simulate as i best they can the massed formation formation formation form form- placing themselves side sideby sideby sideby by side and facing in opposite directions Confidence in their ability to thus hus defend themselves themselves themselves them them- I selves proved their g for or at the approach of a hunter with witha a a pack of dogs the musk- musk oxen in massed formation would assume the defensive under under un un- der the impression that the tactics s against wolves would again serve selve them But the rifle put the matter in a different light and the musk- musk ox ax x has been exterminated over large ar areas as of its former fonner ran range range- e. e I Mr Preble says that similar tactics aches prevail among certain bit birds s Our native bobwhite bob which like the musk ox has s suffered at the h hands o of man remains in family partIes parties par par- ties throughout t the he fan fall and andI I winter vinter At night it roosts on the I ground u among grasses or weeds all ll the birds of a covey gather gathEr- sing ing closely closely tov together ether in a cir circle tAn heeds ds o d. d Thus US the flock acting as a unit is Is in in position t to sense danger danSer from any source and the slightest alarm the they can pan scatter all an directions Mr 1 Preble says that even if bobwhites bobwhites bobwhites bob- bob whites are hatched in incubators incubators tors or by ban bantan tan foster parents they assume the same roosting formation when a few weeks old indicating indicating- that the habit is isso so fO seated deep as to be instinctive tive |