The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-07
PECULlARITIES OF CERTAIN AMI.
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PECULlARITIES OF CERTAIN AMI
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An article on the peculiarities of a
few of the countless animal species may
interest the boys, and men also, for
That matter. The theme is inexhausti-
BILE. Infinite wisdom in the creation,
wherein man has never been enabled,
and never will be able, to discover a
single error, is as manifest in the brute
formation and instincts, as elsewhere.
Observe, first, the camel genus, includ-
ing the dromedary, with their singular
adaptation to the tfaversing of the
desert. Note his spreading feet, that
shall not sink deeply in the sand, and
thereby impede his progress; also his
self-sustaining supply of water, during
six or ten days; and more particularly,
the little plat of short, stiff hair within
his nostrils, through which, by closing
down the upper lid, he can sift air from
the sand for respiration in like manner
as fish separate air from water, through
the gills." His spinal column and
Paxwax, which support his head and
long neck, in a horizontal and curved
position, upward, are more peculiar
than in the horse or OK, or any other of
the shorter-necked animals. He is
very docile, possesses great strength,
with astonishing power of endurance.
DeQuincy, in his narrative of the grand
exodus of the Calmuc Tartars, states
that tie camel was the only animal
which endured, to the end, the terrible
hardships of hunger, thirst, cold and
heat, which reduced six hundred thou
sand souls to two hundred thousand.
The moose has combination of
mouth and nostrils which enables him
to eat grass and other herbs under
water, and an especially straight, trim
and delicate leg and hoofs, which shall
not entangle him in the meshes of herbs
and brush wood. He is the animal of
the swamp" as the camel is of the
desert. He is said to out -trot the fleet
est horse, but never canters. H 49,
The hog, in his inner formation, re-
sembles man more nearly than any
other known animal. He has his COM
bined carnivorous and granivorous
stomach, and his contrariness. las
contrary as hog" is a proverb. He
has been taught to read figures and
letters and to do other astonishing
things. His tusks are horns, not teeth.
Fancy row of teeth, with a horn in
their midst. Yetit is horn, the same
as if upon the top of his head, it has
the pith OF the horn; and a moments
reflection must convince even the
skeptic that a tooth would not answer
the intended purpose. 1t would break
and he would be worsted in battle. As
ne is, the wild boar is said to have gored
the king of beasts, the lion, to his van
quishmenta and death His greatest
popularity is that he is not ruminant,
in common with the split-hoofed genus;
and because he does not chew the cud,
the Jews rejected him as unclean. III
=. The dog species have very many Pc
culiarities, The hound, the coach, the
bull, shepherd, drover, setter, the noble
Newfoundland and St. Bernard, and
Others. My leterrier, or ratter, has
hair growing in a curve over his eyes,
which hides their glare from the cum
ming rat, yet does not obstruct his own
vision! This gives him great advanl
tage, like unto pussy-cats' sensitive
'.smellers," The dog never sweats or
perspires, he has to s'loll" it out of his
mouth. Though he runs until he fails,
his jacketis not moistened like other
animals; and he can plunge into the
water at the end of a heated race with
out injury, or. the rheumatic pains to
which man and other animals are sub
jected. "'rYet,' his skin. when tanned. is
nearly as porous as that of the deer.
This fact would seem to. require an
inner impervious skin, or film, which
alike estops Precipitation and excludes
water. The hounds keenest sagacity
cannot scent the female fox, and pre-
sumably, other of the lesser mammals,
during their nursing season. While
she yields milk her paws haye no trace
Of smell Their nurslings,i in their state
of lhelplessness, are mercifullyi pro!
tected ., The dog is the, emblem lof f.
deity. as, the anchor is Of hope, ,,..,.,t.,
Pussy can watch her mortal foes
without shutting her eyes or winking.
l never couldfdiscover pussi moistening
the pupils of her eyes by moving pre-
ceptible, film oyern them, as do some
birds, y. the a owl 1win particular. 17lNsWsReys