The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-03-24
PeeuIIaritIes er Certain Animals.

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 ineXhaustible.
Infinite wisdom in the creation, wherin
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, including the
drOmedaTy, with sheir singular adapta-
tion to the traversing of the desert. Note
his spreading feet. that shall not sink in
the sand, and thereby impede his pro-
gress also, his self-sustaining supply of
water, during six or ten DAYS; and. more
particularly. the little plat of short, thick
hair within his nostTils, through which,
by closing his mouth and lips tightly, he
can sift sand for respiration in like man
ner as fish separate air from water.
through the gills. His spinal column
and paXwax, which support his long
neck and head in horizontal and curv-
ed 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. De
Quincy, in his narrative of the grand
exodus of the Calumus Tartars. states
that the camel was the only animal that
endured, to the end, the terrible hard
ships Of hunger, thirst, cold and heat
which reduced six hundred thousand
souls to Two hundred thousand.
The moose has a combination of nos
tTilS and month which enables him to
eat grass and herbs under water. and an
especially straight, trim and delicate leg
and hoOfs, which shall not entaugle him
III 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 tleetest horse. but never can
terS.
The hog, in his inner formation. re-
semb!es man more nearly than any 9TH
er known animal He has his combined
carnivOrous and granivorous stomach.
and his contrariness. LAS contrary as
a hog" is a prOVerb. He has been
taught to read figures and letters and 10
DO other astonishing things. Hisftusks
are horns, not teeth. Fancy a row of
teeth, with a horn in their midst. Yet
1t IS horn, the same as if upon the top
Of his head, it has the pith of of a horn:
and a mOmen' S reflection must convince
even the skeptic that a tooth would not
answer the intended purpose. 1t wouId
break and he would be wOrsted in bat
tie. As he is, the wild boar is said to
have gOred the king of beasts. the lion.
to his vanquishment and death. His
greatest popularity is that he is not a
TumInent, in common with the split
hoofed genus and because he does not
chew his cud, the Jews rejected him as
unclean.
The dog species have very many De-
cullaTItie5. The hound. the coach. the
bull, shepherd. drOver. setter. the noble
Newfoundland and St. Bernard. and
others. My little terrier. or ratter. has
hair growing in curve over his ewes.
which hides their glare from the cum
ming rat, yet does not Obstruct his Wis
ion. This gives him great advantage,
like unto pussy cats sensitive 'smBllers'
Ihe dog never sweats or perspires, he
has to 'lOll" it out Of his mouth. Tho
he runs until he falls, his jacket is not
mOistened like other animals: and he
can plunge into the water at the end of
a heated race without injury. or the
rheumatic pains to which man and 9th
er animals are subjected. Yet. his skin
when tanned. is nearly as porus as that
of the deer. This fact would seem to
require an inner imperviOus skin. or film.
whlck alike estOps peTspiTatiOn and eX-
cludes water. The hounds keeuest sa-
gacity cannot scent the female fox. and
presumably, other of the lesser mann
mails, during their nursing season.
While she yields milk her paws have no
trace of smell. Their nurslings. in their
state of helplessnesS are lnercifully pro-
tected. The dog is the emblem of fidel-
ty, as the anchcr is of hope.
Pussy car watch her mortal foes with
out shutting her eyes or winking. 1
never c0ulG discover mss ,7o7e4e7,. n, --
the pupils of her eyes by moving a per
ceptible film over them, as do some birds.
theowl in particular Ne,rsJogs'A Appeal.