The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-06-09
Ghe Nataralist.
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.


stretching out It's tongue and lying still,
and on the ants rising on it he draws in
his tongue. But it often breaks into the
} hills and penetrates them with his tongue
till satisfied. They have been tanned.
Mole-hills are ouriously formed by an
outer arch impervious to rain, and an in
ternal platform with drains, and covered
ways on which the pair and their young
reside. They live on worms aud roots,
and bury themselves in any soil in few
minutes.
Badgers form houses like moles, under
ground, and in rocks, and though large
animal 2 or feet long, it is perfectly in
offensive, and easily domesticated. The
glutton is the size Of the badger, and very
fierce and voracious, eating from G to l3
lbs. of flesh per day. The racoon, of the
same genus, is well known in Jamaica,
&c where in troops, it devours the maize
and fruits, and displays great ingenuity in
catching shell fish. The ichneumon, in
Egypt, performs the Office of the European
cat as destroyer Of rats and reptiles, and
devourer OF eggs, II is like the cat, but
legs shorter. The weasel has similar pro-
penFj'ies in northern climates. The ferret
is the length Of cat with the habits of
the weasel. The martin is an enemy of
cats. The ermine or stoat, and the sable
are like weasels, but longer, and their
skins fetch high prices. The pole.cat is
larger than the male house cat, and very
destructive to poultry, pigeons, rabbits,
&c. The genus mephtus has glands near
the anus, which secretes fetid acrid liquor
which they squirt on their enemies with
unerring destruction to clothes and skin,
and so offensive as to be distinguished for
a mile or two around.
Animals which live on vegetables have
no gall bladder. 1t is the same with the
pigeon, parrot, and ostrich, and with
mollusca.
In some ranliRdAtid the intestinal canal
is q times the length of the animal, and
in rodentta 10 times 10 hogs IL times
in the horse the colon is 81 feet, but in
the dog only 6 or inches. In the turtle
the intestinal canal is 5 times the length of
the body.
The hoOfs of animals are similar to the
nails of man, and grow from the roots.
Hair and feathers are analogous to the
human hair.
Horns Of animals are similar, in general,
to nails and hoofs; in COWS, sheep, &c.
they are formed of eoncentric layers in
hbres, like a collection Of hairs agglutina-
ted together. In deer they are bones
attached, but in the giraffe part of the
skull.
The guinea pig has 10 teats, the rat II,
and the hare lO. In laying hem the
ovary contains a great number of yellow
round bodies, each in its membrane or
calyx, which when exuded is received into
an extension Of the membrane, forming a
bunch, of which the outer are the largest.
These are the yolks of future eggs, to be
provided with white and shells.
The procreatiye powers of animals are
so various that LinnGus had design to
extend his sexual system to them. Leech-
es and earth-worms are hermaphrodite, as
well as snails and slugs.
The brain of fish is small and does not
fill the skull. They have no tympanum,
and no external ear They have neither
wlndpipe nor larynx, but breathe by gills.
Their nose is not connected with respira-
tiOn, and they have no urinary bladder.
In the ovula Of carb fish, called the roe,
nearly l5O,OOO germs Of eggs have been
counted, and in that ofthe sturgeon, weigh.
ing l6O pounds, nearly 100000.
The antene, or double, or quadruple
horns Of insects are SO curiously shaped
that l6O different forms have been noted
They are an organ of power and discrimi-
nation, like the arms Of a man, or the
trunk of an elephant, and have been sup
posed to be the residence of peculiar or
sixth sense.
The bones of birds are hollow, and filed
with air instead Of marrow.
Crustacea have teeth within the stomach
In serpents and fish both jaws are
moveable.
In animals that have no circulating sys-
TEN, the air is respired by air tubes run
ming below the skin, called trachee, as in
insects and mollusca; or it passes through
the integuments to every part of the body,
as In worms and zoophytes.
The lungs of birds are small, and of A
fattened form, and much dispersed; but
they respire through the bones and in
cavities of the muscles.
All hair is hollow and cylindrical
Young birds are covered with it, and
feathers are a variety and proceed from
bulbous root in the skin.
In the larva of insects there is an air
tube on each side, with branches and sew.
eral apertures.
The neighing Of horse is effected by
membrane which is alta ched to a cartilage.
and runs along the margins of the CLOTHS
The braying Of an ass is produced by a
similar membrane, and two large sacs
which open into the larynx. 1t is the
same with the mule. In apes, the bone
connected is concave, and hence their
noises.
The liquid poison of vipers and other
animals is of yellow color. 1t is secre.
ted in two small vessels, and communi.
Gates by tube with the crooked faups of
the viper 1t has no taste, but applied to
the tongue produces numbness. Abrown.
lsh yellow substance, like gum arabic, re.
mains after evaporation. Taken into the
stomach it kills small animals immediately.
The poison of the bec is similar in an.
pearance. 1t does not yield to the ordi-
nary tests of analysis.
CoHoRs LII. OtlOntostomo. Mouth
with mandibles, maxille, and lip.
ORDER XIII. Nelrop,era. -Four high.
ly reticulated wings, generally equal in
size; anus of the female without sting, or
compound borer.
ORDER XIV. Hymeaoptera. -Four
vonose wings, hinder ones smallest; anus
OF the female with a sting, or with a com.
pound borer or oviduct.
OoHoRs ~. Siiphonostos,a. Mouth
tubular, formed for sucking.
ORDER XIV. Dptera. Wings, and
halteres or balaucers two.
Few insects live more than year in
their perfect state, but often much longer
IN HAS l.. mn