ANIMALS AS SPIES.

Matamata Record, Volume VI, Issue 475, 27 September 1923, Page 1

ANIMALS AS SPIES.

JAPANESE PRACTICES. The itse of animals as spies has been a military art practised in Japan from remote times ; : The so used were the dog, fox, and rat, which were trained for the purpose. Naturalists say that the fox can be trained oven to imitate human voice '(observes the World Magazine), and the power of the animal in this direction is very effective, especially when trained to utter low sounds. It is only common knowledge that dogs and cats can be trained to understand human speech. If you. order a dog to approach you when ho knows full well you intend to punish him he again reveals to a wonderful degree an accurate knowledge of your mind. The fox is considered among the most clever of the wild animals in Japan. In feudal times certain places were always guarded, and all travellers passing either way through these barriers were strictly examined, while other likely places had watchmen hidden;'but the entire-country could not be so covered. For this purpose the übiquitous fox was utilised. Human spies guarded the pathways over the mountains and across the plains, but the fox guarded the wilds and other pathless regions. The fox is small and not easily seen;'lie knows every fo,ot of the country he traverses- Al'ways on the trail, the animal spy follows the human spy. When the fexjpr the spy dog perceives or detects the pi'eserice of a human being in the course of his patrol he utters a faint sound, which his master understands and note's. The animal utters various sounds, and these are signals for the master to follow or to retire, as the case may require'. The animal is trained to vary the cry whether the ; enemy is .approa'chihg';or retreating. When the master, finds' he has lost the trail and .cahnpf. find his way out of the forest or mountain, he imitates the cry of .a fox. and gets a reply that guides him in the way he desires to [>o. If he contmu'es.'to cry or bark in a special way the. fox will come to him and lead him.' aright. Rats, too. were' us.ed as spies by the army officers in feudal Japan. The sny carried his pet .rat in his sleeve. On approaching the position to be espied upon ho let the animal go free. The rat was trained to. pick up any bit of napei" it could find and brinft- it hack to its master. In this way much valuable information was obtained.