The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10

year. But this snake egg mine Is not half so
and am due up there when, that rock opens
up for business this spring"
| They Eat, and In what Curious Ways,
Tho way things eat has always been IN in
terestinG study to me-" said tho Professor
For instance. take the snail. People don't
know much about the snail. Folks eat them
in France and like them. Some folks eat them
IN this country and pretend they like them.
But 1t isn't as thing to eat that tho snail is a
| curiosity 80 much as 1t Is as q thing that eats.
| The snails mouth is one OF the most extraor-
binary objects in nature. Providence is kind
| to man in not arraying any beast of prey with
| O mouth like snnils. for thcre Is no living
| creature. even tho most terrible. but what
would DO something to be petted COM
| pared with one armed with the formidable
devouring apparatus with which tho sluggish
| and almost insensate snail is fitted You SEQ
| In your garden this clammy animal. or what.
| ever 1t may be. fixed on a leaf and feeding.
| but did you know that in its mouth we're
10000 teethp Don't start! Such is the
| fact. The snail would mako dentist
rich II 1t should give him an or
der for Just one set OF false teeth. but
| kind nature Is tho snairs dentist. and by the
| time It has worn out tho last one OF its 10000
| teeth q new set has been provided for it to
begin nll over again. without money and
without price. These teeth are all on tho
| snail $ tongue. and that. tongue is IN itself, n
snals mouth. The teeth stud ii like the keen
copper projections on the fullcr's card Tho
1Si oi te tn@a a is h9 hs Hs @ u
on which it would feed. and presses it UP
against the hard roof of its mouth. Only
small portion Of its tongue is uncocd. AS
tho blacksmith, rasps the horses hoof after
he has set the shoe. 50 the snail rasps tho leaf
moist filings back over its tongue into its
stomach. The minute teeth wear away under
ton, Of is tongue downward as YOU might
wind ribb9 nI around your inger and uncols
Then it releases the roll Of tongue It has
wound up The. ribbon coils once more in tho
begins its raid on the leaves Just the same as
before Curous1. think SO.
Then SEQ how the baby whale takes its din
ner; The whales are animals. you know They
sa hes to tbs S but s
wnT to psba ds The Mhs e doe
cialiy to the Greenland whales. leyiathans Of
the deep whose mouths; capaple Of taking in q
seek no greater prey than the minute ami
macun Of icy seas. This great marine beast
t is Born Those teeth are milk teeth, Just
ciP til liz t tSss
mammalian infants have These teeth in the
Greenland whale cub do not fall out with age.
and then the 6aIcen appears ,Baleen is tie
whalebone of commerce. by the way. The
ribs Of the whale and that all whales have it:
Mhalohone isn't bono at All but an ossliled
d S eaSea ,H nj s INV
side. Ike the Gills OF q mushroom; with WHICH.
when i els s, its it st.ns the
TSe speed 81 this Whale through tho ) water.
feeding as it goes. is faster than any ship that
sails. Tho whale bnby travels Just as fast as
its mother does. and its mother never slack
efs NoR bit to ws sS her be s
mpossibilty for tho young one to sucke and
keen w its speed ut tho samo time. and SO
as she has ' Tor esery " emersencv She has
given tho mother whale the power to eject.
amt hs o"Iy w nn s S Whs
speeds; through the water. her baby at her
side. Hunger overtakes the infant. She seeks
the aaan Of m ths ba6y
SPONTANEOUSLY into its stomach Ana the Iaby
whales stomach holds lu,st f9ur gallons ,,
oyster aats VIII t. GsaTa ai II beard Of t6o
It's palate. You and would not care to have
such combination in our beard. but the
friend who declares that even death is a pleas.
rs to the he. with s be-
ecstasy hope oG my friend rsht il he is.
will have given, mortuary. delight to dozen
Consider tho woodpecker Tap. tap. tap,
he says. cin9ing t. the stem Of the tree, Hist!
no says, turning his earto the bark and listen.
ms "a tie lis kat
ltatty-te-tap! R-r-r-r-r rap! R-r-r-r-r rap!
Like drum beating in II. the morning. Straight
the SPOT it is aimed at But tho straight sharp
It's eccentric ,tunnelline. 1t doesn't have to-
The woodpecker has a tongue, long. round
flexible sensitive and harbed Ike o Fijian's
fixed grub. morsel for the crimson-crowned
The lobster and the crab. rapacious but
always immediately see, something ose that
they want and can't wait until they have mas
Sey n Gon sSs tS @ s hs ny
manner Of means. Nature. humoring this
rapacious bent. has fitted ,np tho lobster and
they swallow their half mnstica;eI food and
finish the chewing process with their stom-
nrhs. while thry seizc, and chew tho other
crabs hnye no teeth in thoir mouths. They |
ch.w, with their claws and stomachs only.
t eeth"sharr horny teeth Ths bat n has
sa %osf wh fn nectar s n on tho n
flowers. Tho patient OK crops the grass all |
dny. hut never knows he has been eating until |
from his fourth stomach in tho shape OF tho |
familiar 'cud.' which he chews and chsws and |
chsws; standing in tho shade. bordering. and
We are queer creatures, all Of us. my boy;
but queerest when we eat |