Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-04-26
2 OPULAR SCIENCE.
A VARIETY OF CURIOUS AND INTER.
ESTING FACTS.
characteristics OF Animal Life-The Spider
and Its Curious Ways-1he Quantity Of
Food We Eat Precious WoOds-History
IN n Pack of Playing Cards-Etc, Etci
by PROF. ]. F. ELSOM.
Characteristics of All Animal Like.


In the beginning the student of nat
ural history is taught that there are
srious ways of distinguishing the lower
forms of animal life from the vegeta-
BILE. In the struggle for existence, for
life itself, even, which is going on per-
Ietualiy throughout the whole Of ami
mate creation, as the rivers Of life
murmur ceaselessly of the stored past,
it is perfectly wonderful to notice the
phenomenal provisions made by nature
for the preservation of the weaker and
more helpless animals. In many cases
the color of the creature is adapted in
q wonderful way to its mode of living
md It's place Of concealment, contrib
uting very materially to It's safety. All
who live among the green fields, which,
by the way, is the way to live properly,
know how difficult it is to distinguish
the grasshopper from the leaf or blade
of vegetation upon which he is at rest,
until he betrays himself by moving.
Those birds which sing in the hedgerow
have feathers upon their backs which
harmonize with the color of the leaves
about and among which they fit, while
the white hue from the clouds above
them. The partridge can hardly be
di ,tinguished from the stubble where
it makes its nest, while in the more
northern countries the winter dress of
the hare and ptarmigan is white,
like the snow with which the land
scape is usually covered, and upon
which these animals are seen. Among
marine animals the same natural pro-
visions prevail, and go down, however
deep, into the water, animal life the
same color will be found. The frogs,
living i'll the stagnant pools and muddy
bitches by the roadside, are known to
. ory their color In order to harmonic
with the sand or mud in which they
live. The little tree frog, on the other
hand is green, and thus is with diff
Guilty distinguished from the tree to
which it adhcres. Fish, especially
those which inhabit fresh water, are
so like in color to the weeds and stones
among which they lie that it is often
very difficult to detect their presence.
One of the moet wonderful instances
Of natures care in providing for the
! DrOlecIlon Oh tne more ueleuSeleSS
creatures is found in the apparatus for
defense with which the cutie fish is
provided. The very instant its quick
eye catches n glimpse of an approach
ing enemy, knowing by instinct alone
1t Is absurd to speak of reason in con-
nettion with these low forms of animal
life the impo5sibility of seeking safety
by flight, and having no means of de-
tense whatever, it prepares at once to
seek safety in concealment. 70 this
end ii sinks downward rapidly, throw
ing out from u vessel with which it is
provided, and nature taught it to use, q
strenm of fluid with which the blacklist
paint Is light in comparison. This soon
colors the water far around, and effect
ually conceals the animal and at the
same time is very repulsive to all
forms of animal life feeding upon it;
! and, as it takes considerable time for
this to dispense and the water to clear
itself, the enemy is generally bat1ied.
| If, however, rs is sometimes the case, q
reasoning animal man-is in pursuit,
and the cuttle-fsh is still in danger, it
pours out another and larger flood of
ink, and remains perfectly quiet until
the danger is past, when it moves off in
circle, making larger and larger
turn uh ii outside the black water its
ink has made.