Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Newspaper Page Text
2 r,',\ WHICH RACCOON'S MANAGE TO UN FASTEN. BY SLIDING OOITS AND LIFT iNG BARS, TO GET FOOD. A STUDY OF 'COOKS. Professor's Animals Able to Pick Many Locks. Wllbraham, Mass., Aug. 4. — A visitor is not loiik in this town before he is asked: "Say. have you seen Davis's 'coons? Well, you ought to see them, for they are trick animals." Davis is Professor 11. I?. Davis, of Wesleyan Academy, who will go to Clark University as Instructor next fall, and ho raises his hands in tote3t when one demands to see his "trick >ons." "I am not training 'coons to do stunts," vl« s;iys. "I am merely a worker along the line if comparative psychology, and I am experi menting with raccoons as other students have experimented with monkeys, cuts, <lo^s, and even rats." Nevertheless, his 'coons ar? interesting ani mals, and under his tutelage are gradually be ginning to do things that wild 'coons do not do. lie has two, one nervous and excitable and the Ither phlegmatic and comparatively slow mov kig. one is a rare "black 'coon" — and by thai is meant that its general color effect is black — and the other is the commoner tawny variety. They are about three years c-Id, and Professor Davis has had them two years, but they still have the wild in ih( ir nature and pace restless ly ba< !c and forth in a lonsing to run off to the R-ocds. However, they may be domesticated so that thoy will run about the house like cats, f lt-. •■ ing in cczy nooks in the corners, and even jtn tched out at full length on the back of a chair. The star "stunt" which the two little animals perform is to slide bolts and lift bars to get at their food. Professor Davis made a box to hold th< ir f >od on which he put an ordinary Iron bolt. After considerable fussing the animals shot this and made a dash for the bread inside. Then a button was added for a fastening, and ttie 'coons mastered this also. Next a wooden S.u~'r was added in such a way that it had to be pushed in, and this, too, was conquered by the little animals. Two other arrangements, similar t> the button, were added, that had to be swung either up or down, and the raccoons got the better of them. Now, to get in to their food they have to wrestle with five different sorts of fastenings, but they accomplish it easily. The different manner in which the two animals go abeut it is interesting. The nervous one works fast, breathlessly and excitedly, and makes nv'tiy false moves. The phlegmatic one works deliberately, more surely, and often opens the dcor before his nervous companion can. NKW-VoiiK DAILY TiMIU'NK. SINHAV, AMUST r», I!MMJ. RACCOONS WHICH A MASSACHUSETTS PROFESSOR IS TRAINING. This is as far as Professor Davis has gone, for he has been handicapped with other wurk, and the necessity of making cages and all con trivances himself, but this summer he will con- BOYS CALCULATING LATITUDE IN BELGIAN SCHOOL OF FISHERY. tlnue an Interesting line of experiments. He will test their Idea of color by one of two methods. Either he will put their food behind a board or some obstruction painted a certain color, and then move the board and food about from place to place t<> see if they recognize that particular color means focd, or else he will give them food In a box painted a certain color in a similar way. For instance, he will put the food in a box painted red and place the box in the corner. The next day he will use the same box. MENDING NETS IN OSTEND SCHOOL OF FISHERY. but put It In the middle of the ea~TTrT"''* if the animal recognizes at once tswT^* 1 Its food, there Is a probability thatL* 1 " 1 * nizes the color r*d. *• »*n. The animal's idea of form will ah* k. Pood will be given it I. a conical.* , *** or a eyltedrleal shaped bo*. aml a^'" the position of the box will b e chanz*! " ' animal still goes to It for f,,,,,, i a J^ ***• position Uinn changed, there U a^* 0 l: . that he reeocßiM its form. Then t^^N I be tested for its sense of sound. UsTl' I called, the rarcoons will be callsi L Si again arid again, ami if at last the ani * st.. nl to that partlcalar call, thatthey^, r sense of sound w>ul<l be evidenced. f>* ' * bell will kc runs at f*-«-'!inj? time, and If •• mals run to be fed at sound of the btll thl *~" sense is a?;»in made evident T** s*!5 *! The p. rsonality of the txro raccoons Ps»- I»;ivi.s regards as very strong an ,j Te 'J ?r? r tinctive. and he is constantly s'udyin- temperament. Sometimes they ar(> " tr£. S when they are being ccaxed to do trick recently one bit a visitor to the crge \» >ri teeth meeting in the vis.r : finger" bnM " ' most part they are irood natured aad or^f" of little tricks, such as bnrrowino- , * * pocket or hand f.r a piece of <ad J r ' z ' ! sel of cake, mu.h in th. manner E ' N squirrel, alth* th.y are of the bear t 5* The minute they k" a pieV« of fc*^ TffsT f fs It be meat or bread, they >rot over to »" water and wash it rigorotttly b« fow. \.,- as r This is always a part of their i ■ rur eS l Sometimes they g 2t uil.ous and th , , a they f : be doctored, just as human btlngs are i" - " : : lar complaint. e3are «Wasi~. "How do 1 know they arc- bi'io-v?»" «-i r^ fessor Davis, in reply to a oue<io n^: P *' point. "Why look at rhHr • iSS ? V? If th»y are thickly coated, wh? ten^efc* one their livers are out of order Then I» ' them for hlUoaai if they had «l! 2 ache I would not hesitate to S ive them Ja-". ginger." ' M6m J " — ' "YANKEES OF EUROPE: Belgians Nan Learning Scienti: Fisher?/ at Government Trtanh. The Belgians have always been a practfe people, and are to-day mere than ever entity to the r.leknani of "Yankres of Euro:*- , American visitors to »hp forthcoming Lie~» ■'• hibitiun will soon have the opportunity to' fc*j for themselves. Some time ago a gowrnnwr.? commissioner was appointed to inquire k> causes of the decline of the eon flourishing fish ing Industry along the Hi lcian coast Ai't-r i careful Investigation the commissioner report?: that foreign competition was responsible for :K« decline. The Belgian fi.shtr::it:n. the report • ■:■ eluded, owing to their superannuated methiis were not able to compete -with their Ens!*- French and Norwegian brethren. As a reaii: of this report the Belgian government decii!- that the only way out of the difficulty was ft establishment of schools of fishery, where youn: Belgian fisher people could be educated ■' modern methods of iMi livelihood Consequently a number of tithing schools hav been established on tho coast at Ostend, Blanli enburghe and Nlewport. 0£ these, the Oster. school is the most It 1 portant. and Is a model establishment of thekii There every facility la givca to boys wfco to* chosen fishing as their trade to acquire an & knowledge they may require and to face • hardships of their vocation. Beautiful m Continued atx tlshth pa«*. RARE EDITION a Prof. John James Andnb©»'» Quadrnpeo of North America. HwtfwH". I4'.»r:at«.: etaplM«f BabttaheU In culo» ta 1544. f eriect conation. tow**-