The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-19
HUMAN MONSTERS.
Monstrosities In Animal Life Pro.
duced by Japanese Ingenuity.

duced by japanese Ingenuity.
Perhaps the most remarkable inter
ference with nature in animal life up
to date has been accomplished by the
japanese, who produce their freaks in
the way of goldfishes with two tails,
telescope eyes and abnormal fins by
practicing certain monkey tricks with
the eggs of the fishes. The eggs are
subjected to a process of shaking, the
result being to disorganize the germs
more or less and modify their cellular
development. AS a rule, the eggs thus
treated are destroyed-thati is to say,
the germs are killed in them. But
now and then one is Matched and yields
a finny monstrosity. Such freaks are
bred together, and thus are obtained
new and queer varieties. 1t is in this
way, indeed, that all of the double
tailed and telescopic-eyed goldfishes
have been originated.
The living germ of any animal be-
gins as q single cell, which grows by
splitting up and multiplying. Viewed
under the microscope, it is very sim
pie object, and the reason why it de-
velops in one case into a chicken and
in another case into lion is hidden
behind the veil which conceals from
human gaze the mystery of creation.
But if the germ is interfered with, so
it's cells, there will result monster,
supposing that the injury has not been
so great as to destroy the life. This
is said to have been accomplished arti-
ficially with the eggs of hens. 1t is
the cause, owing to natural accidents,
of all monstrous births among human
beings and animals. Some very Curl
Gus experiments have been made with
the eggs of sea urchins, which being
cut in half hatch out little sea urchins
that are perfect in all respects, but only
about half size.
The famous Siamese twins were mon
sters, in the sense here referred to.
Mile Christine, the two-headed night
ingale, was similar freak, but the join
ing of flesh was made larger. Some
human monsters born into this world
are much more extraordinary. No at
tempt will be made to discuss them be-
cause the subject is not pleasant. ABB
normal calves, with two heads, six
legs and various other dcformitics, are
familiar enough. Cows sometimes de-
,velop horns on their shoulders. Land
seer made studies of one or two such.
Horns, being merely modified epider-
mis-, are apt to occur where they do
not belong. Even human beings are
sometimes afflicted with growths of the
sort. In n recent number of Science
mention was made of cock that had
spurs on it's head.
During the last few years Prof. +.
+. l.. Beal, of the department of agri-
culture. has bred eats with view to
the multiplication of their toes. Pus-
sizes with six toes and even seven toes
on one or more of the feet are not rare,
OF course. The conclusion arrived at
by Prof. Beal, as the result of expert
ments, was that there was hardly any
limit to the number of toes that could
be cultivated on cat. Occasionally
human beings have extra digits. They
occur in various animals and in two
ways, i. G., either by splitting of the
digit into two from its base, or by
budding-off from a finger or toe. 1t
is n very curious deformity, and is to
some extent hereditary, Darwin
speaks of n siX-fingered family, in
which the popularity was transmitted
through generation after generation.
There is ii family of two-lcgged cats,
by the way, in Washington. Though
their hind legs are abortcd, they are
very active, running about on their
front legs.-Rene Bache, in Boston
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