Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-12-10
A STUDY OF TAILS.

There In Great Variety In Them and
They Have Widely Different Uses.
For a year or more I've been making
study Of tails" said a naturalist.
"You would be surprised to know what
an absorbing. endless subject it is.
What interested me in tails? Why,
T had friend who had his tail cut off,"
your friend was a monkey" sug-
gested the listener.
"By no means; he was man and
lives in Florida today. I see you think
am joking. but If you will drop into
any hospital they will show you skel-
eton Of the genus homo that has a
tail. There have been instances where
the tail was quite long, say six inches,
and outside instead Of beneath the
skin.
1.-THE tail in apes Is a marvellous at
fair. It is really a fifth hand. By 1t
the monkey swings itself from tree to
tree. -"
IF you want to see wonderful tails
study the lizards. I have one that is
brown, but its tail. as long as the body,
is a beautiful turquoise blue. Some OF
these long tails are life savers.
Here is a lizard that when alarm
ed jerks of its tail, and the discon-
nected tip will bound about like a
snake for from five to eight minutes.
1t is so active that 1t easily attracts
the attention of an enemy while the
lizard escapes. Then comes the strang-
est part of 1t. Another tail grows on
the lizard, and sometimes two when the
vertebrae have been fractured.
1.-THE long. snakelike. tail Of the
iguana is it's weapon. The alligator
uses it's tail to knock food into Its
mouth.
Did you ever notice the tail Of
fish? Well. there is lot in 1t; 1t Is a
study of lifetime alone, marvellous
organ, a screw propeller.
Zone Of the sharks, the swivel-tail,
has a tail as long as the shark itself,
end with 1t the animal cuts down small
fry. But It is nothing to the tail Of the
whip-ray.
ats tail is exactly like long, slen-
der bone whip running down to fine
point. have seen mans foot cut 10
the bone by one lash Of the tail.
Another fish has a tail that looks
like the long black hair Of an Indian.
In others the tail goes down to point.
The most beautiful tail is that Of the
Japanese carp. It is beautiful veil
which floats about like lace. Some
fishes have one, some two and some
three tails; some horizontal.
"The most wonderful Of tails? The
beavers which Is used to make dams.
No hand could be DETER than this huge
paddle.
"Tails, as q rule, are Of use. They
are accessory limbs and are sometimes
armed with spears or javelins, as In the
scorpion. 1t has a long tall armed
with sting like the point Of needle.
"Some Of the wasps have tails whicn
are knives, and poisoned ones at that,
as effective in putting an enemy to
sleep as the syringe Of a physician
when loaded with morphine. They
don't kill, but merely stun; then the
wasp deposits its eggs in the animal.
Other insects have tails with which
they bore into wood, and can show
YOU one that breathes through its tall.
Gin all probability the most beauti-
full tails are seen among the birds, as
in the peacock. the argus pheasant. the
birds Of paradise and others. The ta1ls
of horses, cows and others, are fly
brushes. The ant eater has tall like
a brush that makes It's owner initiate a
bush.
1.-THE tail of a dog Is its accessory
tongue: II speaks with It and Is under
stood. The rattlesnake has musical
instrument on its tail.'-New York
Sun.