The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-11

In America. and called the hay tedder."
The long legs OF this are modelled pre-
/ ciseiy after the hind legs OF the com
mon grasshopper
If you want to dig a dock or railway
( cutting, a steam navy or excavator -
used designed exactly after the shape
Of an acorn. with each fang on hinges A
somewhat similar machine only 1t gath
crs hay instead Of gravel and earth. is
modelled on the clutchinE claws Of the
crab.
Do you know what a pulsomcter isf A
form OF pump with a double Pipe and
I bail.shapcd valve which allernates from
side 70 side. thus supplying a constant
stream OF water. The heart Is a more
perfect pump than the human brain ever
devised unaidod While on the subject
OF the human frame q might be mem
toned that the idea OF ball bearings, such
as are used on bicycles. IS only a devel-
opmont borrowed from the joints Of our
body. Our knee and elbow joints arc per-
feet samples Of the ball and socket.
which has from carly times been the
simplest and most complete used By en-
gineors.
When man jumps Into the water he
puts hts hands over his head and takes
q header" But that is not natural A
does not fmmerse his head at all Man
undoubtedly borrowed the idea from the
water rat. one OF the few creatures VIII,
rcioicos I'm This head-fOremost style Of
taking 10 the water.
Another four-leeged creature taught "A
nation the science Of house-buildlng The
Indian name for his own wigwam is the
same as that he gives 20 the beavers
lodge" The beaver was once common
enough IN European and British rivers,
and 81 is not unlikely that 10 this crea-
ture we owe our whole science Of dams
and bodybuilding Certainly Master
Flattail could give points and a beating
% man of the Stone Age in the way OK
architecture.
The South Sea Islanders are experts at
canoe sailing and make long. open sea
voyages IN tiny craft They have tra-
dition-prODably a true one-that the first
of their fathers 10 build a sail boat copied
his sail from that Of the dainty nauti-
JUS a small shellGsh. which has the
power OF erecting "a delicate membrane
I'm the form Of a sail, ana so skimming
across the waves OF tropic seas.
Architects owe much 10 nature The
splendid columns. Corinthian and Ionic
we so much admire originate in the state
ly trunk Of the date palm, and the deli
cate ornamentati0n Of the capitals began
iu copying leaves and fruit OF various
kinds. Indeed. nearly all enumeration
.n architecture conventional and other
wise is taken more or less directly from
nature. The Creneiated ornament. for
instance. SIS derived from the dainty seal
Top shell, and the dogtooth moulding in
Norman arches betTays It's origin In It's
name.
Weights and measures owe their incep-
ton 10 natural beginnings Some Of them
still show this boy their names What is
O. foot but the average length OF the hu-
man understanding? The Jewish span
was the distance stretched between the
thumb and fOrehnger, and the cubit,
eighteen 90 twenty-five inches. the dis
lance from the elbow 10 the extremity
of tn middle finger The grain weight |
was originally O. grain OF wheat Dia-
mOnds and other precious stones are gtill |
measured by the carat which is the |
bean % an Abysslnian tree. the "cudra." /
10 weighs about the same as four grains !
without the telescope and microscope |
modern civilization would have hailed /
sadly These natural aids TO sight are |
nothing more Than artificial develop |
ments OF the crystal lens OF the eye d. /
self That was the first lensmakcrs !
model
in the early ages Of the world men liv-
ed In holes in the rocks and cliffs High |
on the edges OF "a precipice some enter
prlsing savage one day watched q sWal-
low gather clay and piece together bit by
bit, her snug and coy nest Gould DE
copy herr he wondered. and forthwith
SET to work, and eventually produced a
sort of hut Rough mdeed-nothing rear
so well finished as the model But It was
The direct ancestor of the palaces of to-
day.
TO another Of the bird tribe we are
doubtless indebted for the useful thatch
hat keeps our barns and ricks dry The
south African weaver bird. which ives
and nests in colonies, constructs a heavy
ainproOf thatch over its congregation Of !
rests. 1t is worthy of note that the ~
us kraal OF to-day Is rooted in an almost
precisely similar manner
Recently experiments have been made |
With "a view to driving ships not by "a
crew. but by jet OF water projected
rom the stern. This device was taken !
irect from the cuttledsh, which has no
ms, but swims i'm this way at great
peed without them.
Every flying machine inventor whose
INVENTIONS seem 10 promise any degree or
uccess has studied The soaring of hawks !
nd buzzards The successful flying ma-
hine OF the future viii almost undouot-
dly not be balloon. but depend for !
IS flying powers ON great aeroDanos san.
AR 10 the WIDENING expanses IF soaring
irds.
And so on an through the wide range
what we call applied mechanics Any
reat inventor OF philosopher from Eal-
On downward, viii chceruly acklcW-
1ge that II Is trom watching wild olcs-
ares IN their homes and in ihe cuen
GODS or fields That many of the best
nd greatest ideas have come TO h.1...-
.ondon Answers.