The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-06

vancing ship falls upon It II is prob
ably affected by the sensation OF dark
ness. but perhaps the pressure Of the
onrushing wave has something TO do
with t.
If we would see an eye which has ac-
t1ally been evolved from one like that
of amphioxus left us examine the head
Of a lizard. Disregard for a time his
two bright eyes, one on each side Of
his head and look directly down on
the center Of the skull between them.
Here we will find an oddly shaped
scale marked with little depression,
and this Is indeed, what is left OF our
Cyclopean eye In the tiny sand cfea-
ture. Lizards doubtless derive very
little benefit from t. as the nerve Lead
ing from Il Is very small. but IN some
Of their ancestors 1t must have been Of
great value IN detecting the presence
of enemies from above. In all creatures
above lizards this third median eye
called the pineal) Is found. although OF
no use whatever: this persistence. per-
haps, showing of what great impor-
lance Ii once was. In a chick In the
early stages Of incubation this eye is
very considerably developed. while yet
the paired eyes are but small struc-
lures. But suddenly nature seems to
realize that the old regime has. passed
that the little bird will need other
more modern eyes, and the two side
ayes begin to develop with wonderful
fapidity, and soon catch up with and
distance the Cycops eye, whose early
start ends only IN promise.
The Thira Eye.
A horse, a bat, mole, a monkey, a
seal, all have a trace Of this third
eye, and when we put finger on the
soft spot on the head Of a tiny baby
we realize the wonderful import of Il
that the softness Is due to a near
approach OF this same third eye TO the
surface striving as II has done IN 81
many lower creatures, to push Its poor,
imperfect lens TO where the light can
act upon t. But the old ways have
given place to new, and the child's
blue eyes look out at you and the world
and see all that is necessary for It's
life and needs.
we can hardly Imagine anything
more terrible than the loss Of our eye
sight. and yet there are many crea-
lures which have found life more pleas
ant In the darkness of caves and un-
derground tunnels or 10 roam only at
night, when their eyes are useless, and
by the lack of Use these organs have
degenerated to mere specks, and IN
some cases the skin has grown COM
pletely over them. Thus we find blind
fishes and lizards IN dark caves and
blind ants and moles all but blind In
their dark subterranean homes Ger
tain bats, too have but tiny dots for
eyes, and depend chiefly upon their
acute hearing and some sense by which
they can feel the vibrations In tile
air.
Snakes have but poor eyesight, and,
like fish, have no eyelids. Their eyes
are covered with a thin transparent
scale which Is ever open, in sun and
shade, AZ noon and midnight. III an
awful, never-wnking stare. We cam
not imagine how sleep can ever come
to such creatures.
Finally let us turn TO the most per-
feet eye nature has ever produced. We
can read and write and do many things
by the aid Of our eyes that are for
hidden to other creatures OF the earth,
but this is because Of the brain be-
hind directing the eyes We can look
closely at the stars and we can watch
the actions OF tiny dot Of life many
thousands Of times smaller than a
mote OF dust All this we can do by
means OF the two magic tubes" the
telescope and microscope. But when
the unaided eye is alone considered,
birds put US to shame observe an
eagle" writes a noted scientist, soar.
ing aloft until he seems 70 us but a
speck IN the blue expanse. He Is
far-sighted. and, scanning the earth
below, describes an object much smaller
than himself, which would be invisible
10 US al that distance. He prepares TO
pounce upon his quarry; In the moment
required for the deadly plunge he be-
comes near-slghted, seizes his victim
with unerring aim and sees well how
N rornulotn The bloodv work bnguu A
humming bird darts 50 quickly that our
eyes cannot follow him. yet instanta-
neously settles % light AZ feather
upon a tiny twiR How far or " was
when FIRST perceived we do not known,
but in the intervening fraction Of D.
second the twig has rushed into the
focus Of distinct vision from many