The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-07-04
THE SKIN OF ANIMALS.

Osteologist Lucas, Of the National
museum, Is preparing q new exhibit,
which Is designed to show the various
notifications of the skin of animals.
To begin with, says the Washington
Star, there will be queer sort OF alli-
gator from South America, called the
"jacari." It is quite different from any
alligator Of North America, belonging
to a peculiar genus that has bony plates
ON the under side as well as on the up
per side of the body. This is distin-
gushing mark of the tribe, such alliga-
tors as are known elsewhere in the
world being thus ar1nored only on their
back. The armor plates of the alliga-
tor are of true bonc-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 ind 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 or
der to see such a modification of the
skin. In Africa is found yet more
curious animal, called the ''manis ma
crura," which is the most scaly of all
scaly beasts. From the tip Of his nose
to the end of q very long tail it Is clad
in big horny scales that overlap one an
other. When alarmed it curls itself up
into a tight little 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 q greater num-
Der Of vertebrae than any other man.
NAL.
Mr.. Lucas will show, in the same case
with the jacari and the armadillo, a
"scheltopusic. This is a 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 COW
cred with little plates of bone. AS in
the case of the alligator above de-
scribed, the bony plates OF the lizard
ore merely modified skin. The same is
true of the very remarkable "box fish"
of the West Indies, which is clad in a
complete armor Of six sided plates of
bone, which are fastened to the skull
and to the bases of the dorsal aud anal
fms. An odd point about this fish is
that it cannot bend its body at all, the
vertebrae, save only three or four near
the tail, being 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
a human being or other animal. Bony
plates and spincs are notifications Of
the true skin, while horn is modified
epidermis. Human beings sometimes
develop horns, but they are abnormal
growths. Another queer fish that will
be shown in connection with this exhib-
it is the "globe fish," which is found in
waters of 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 render
ing the latter an unattractive morsel
to swallow. In world like this, where
every living creature is the prey and
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 arc the same thing, diff
modified, Of course. A stuffed
and frctful porcupine will illustrate
the fact that mammals as we'll Us
birds have quills. This is true of
several species of mammals, notably
the European hedgehog, which is dis
agreeable creature to handle without
gloves Awhile ago there were a
couple Of porcupines in the geological
collection in the rear of the Smith
sonian institution. One Of them assailcd
an attendant, and stuck about thirty
of it's quilts into his legs. He-the at
tendant, not the porcupine-told
writer for the Star that tho quills came
out Of the porcupine much more easily
than they came out Of his leg.