Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-01
THE Skin OF ANIMALS.
In Some 1t Is 8 Defensive Arrnor nisdo of
Horn. and Ronc

In Some It Is 8 Defensive Arrnor nisdo of
Eerl. and Bone.
Osteologist Lucas Of tho National
museum is preparing new exhibit.
which is designed to show the various
notifications of the skin of animals.
To begin with, there will be queer
sort of alligator from South America,
called the "jacari." " It is quite different
from any alligator from North America,
belonging to peculiar genus that has
bony plates on the under side as we'll as
on the upper side Of the body. This is
distinguishing mark Of the tribe, such
alligators as are known elsewhere in the
world being thus armored only on their
backs. The armor plates of the alliga-
tors are of true bone-the same sort of
bone as that of the animals skeleton.
If you will examine the skin ON the
back of your hand, you will find that it
is corrugated and broken up with fine
lines in such way that you can easily
imagine its texture transformed by ex-
aggeration into scales. Now, you have
only to gaze upon an armadillo in order
to see such modification of the skin.
In Africa is found yet more curious
animal, called the ''Manis macrura,"
which is the most scaly of all scaly
beasts. From the tip Of it's nose to the
end of a very long tail it is clad in big
horny scales that overlap one another.
When alarmed, it curls itself up into
tight ball, and the scales being quite
sharp it is pretty safe against attack.
In this case also the scales are only
modified skin. 1t is worth mentioning,
by the way, that the Manis macrura
possesses a greater number of vertebr@
than any other mammal.
Mr.. Lucas will show, in the same
case with the jacari and the armadillo,
'scheltopusic - This is lizard from
Sicily. The casual observer would take
it for snake, its legs being rudimen-
tary and concealed beneath its skin. The
entire body Of the reptile is covered
with little plates of bone. As in the case
of the alligator, above described, the
bony plates of the lizard are merely
modified skin. The same is true of the
very remarkable "boxfish" of the West
Indies, which is clad in q complete
armor of six sided plates of bone. which
are fastened to the skull and to the
bases of the dorsal and anal fins. An
odd point about this fish is that it can
not bend its body at all, the vertebra,
save only three or four near the tail, be-
ing fused together. Thus the backbone
is a solid rod.
The scales of the armadillo are of
bone, covered with horn, the bone and
the horn corresponding respectively to
the true skin and the epidermis of
human being or other animal. Bony
plates and spines are notifications Of the
true skin. while horn is modified epider-
mis-. Human beings sometimes develop
horns, but they are abnormal growths.
Another queer fish that will be shown
in connection with this exhibit is the
''globeiish,' which is found IN waters
off the coast Of South Carolina. 1t is
clad in an armor of interlocked spines,
which are made to stand erect at the
will Of the animal thus rendering the
latter an unattraetive morsel to swal
low. In world like this, where every
living creature is THO prey aud food OF
others, animals are often obliged to put
on coats of mail if they would survive
Mr.. Lucas will make fur and feath-
ers a part of the exhibit. Feathers and
hair are the same thing, differently
modified, of course. A stuffed and fret
full porcupine will illustrate the fact
that mammals as well as birds have
quills. This is true of several species OF
mammals, notably the European hedge
hog, which is disagreeable creature to
handle without gloves. Awhile ago
there we're couple of poroupines in the
geological collection in the rear of the
Smithsonian institution. One of them
assailed an attendant and stuck about
80 of its quilts into his legs. He (the at
tendant, not the porcupine> told writer
for The Star that the quilts came out of
the porcupine much more easily than
they came out of his leg. Washington