Predator-and-prey paradox balances life
[2008-7-28]
Tag : microscope cover glass
The predator grasped its prey from behind, near the head, andthrashed left then right then left again. The prey floppedhelplessly, lifelessly, in a scene of life-and-death struggle thatI have witnessed repeatedly. Reaching my destination, I gathered up an armful of equipment andcarried it into the building where I arrayed everything on a lowtable. Several times I shook the jar and swirled the stream waterto assess the amount of debris settling to the bottom.
My first encounter came with a blue jay. I was an Iowa kidwandering among scout camp oaks and elms and hickories. A peculiarflitting motion caught my eye, and I discovered the jay. It had alarge caterpillar and was thrashing the larval insect against thebranch on which it perched. Twenty years passed before I learnedthat the jay was stripping the caterpillar's spines, some of whichcan sting and others that can pierce mouth or throat or stomach. Light in place, slide cleaned, wiped and ready, I whisked the coveroff the instrument then plunged a dropper into the jelly jar nowholding the moss specimen. Watching carefully, I manipulated thedropper tip to a collection of coarse debris before releasing therubber bulb to suck the specimen bits into the glass tube. A roadrunner once kept me occupied for more than an hour as itthrashed a racer. I could hardly believe that such a fast and agilesnake could be caught by a bird; but the two fought before me, eachstruggling to live, the one by killing and the other by not dying.
The water droplet puddled nicely on the slide. I eased it into theholder and turned the knobs so that the specimen sample moved intoviewing position. Adjusting the light, I was ready for the safarito begin. I remember watching a long-tailed weasel tussle with a mountaincottontail several times its size. Though the event occurred 30years ago, I can still see the weasel shaking and bashing thecottontail until no kick remained in the feet and no inner lightsparkled in the eyes.
I turned the focus wheel, a little bit, a little bit more, a touchmore.
The predator grasped its prey from behind, near the head, andthrashed left then right then left again. The prey floppedhelplessly, lifelessly, in a scene of life-and-death struggle thatI have witnessed repeatedly. Reaching my destination, I gathered up an armful of equipment andcarried it into the building where I arrayed everything on a lowtable. Several times I shook the jar and swirled the stream waterto assess the amount of debris settling to the bottom.
My first encounter came with a blue jay. I was an Iowa kidwandering among scout camp oaks and elms and hickories. A peculiarflitting motion caught my eye, and I discovered the jay. It had alarge caterpillar and was thrashing the larval insect against thebranch on which it perched. Twenty years passed before I learnedthat the jay was stripping the caterpillar's spines, some of whichcan sting and others that can pierce mouth or throat or stomach. Light in place, slide cleaned, wiped and ready, I whisked the coveroff the instrument then plunged a dropper into the jelly jar nowholding the moss specimen. Watching carefully, I manipulated thedropper tip to a collection of coarse debris before releasing therubber bulb to suck the specimen bits into the glass tube. A roadrunner once kept me occupied for more than an hour as itthrashed a racer. I could hardly believe that such a fast and agilesnake could be caught by a bird; but the two fought before me, eachstruggling to live, the one by killing and the other by not dying.
The water droplet puddled nicely on the slide. I eased it into theholder and turned the knobs so that the specimen sample moved intoviewing position. Adjusting the light, I was ready for the safarito begin. I remember watching a long-tailed weasel tussle with a mountaincottontail several times its size. Though the event occurred 30years ago, I can still see the weasel shaking and bashing thecottontail until no kick remained in the feet and no inner lightsparkled in the eyes.
I turned the focus wheel, a little bit, a little bit more, a touchmore.
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