The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-02-10
NATURE A KIND MOTHER.
Some Of the Curious Methods by
Which She Mends Animal
Injuries.

Injuries.
How many weak and imid creatures
there are in the world, with neither teeth
and claws for their protection, armor
for their defense, nor speed with which
to escape their enemies! One can hard
ly understand why they have not all been
killed and eaten up long ago. Nature
Is, however, kinder to these poor ami
mails than she seems; for II she has
left them defenseless against attack, she
has given them marvellous power OF re-
coyery from injuries, says st. Nicholas.
When tiny lizard has to scamper for
his life in search OF crack in the rock,
he often has 80 close a CALI that his
pursuer snaps OF his tail just as he
whisks into safety. A loss like this
would kill most larger animals. but not
the little lizard. He simply waits round
quietly until a new tail grows, and
then is as well on as before. except that
the new tail has flexible rod of cartilage
where the old one had backbone.
= II an earthworm happens to be retir-
ing to his hole when robin Is out look
ing for breakfast. there is apt to be
lively tug OF war between the eater and
the breakfast Not infrequently the
bird gets the tail end OF the worm, while
the other half crawls away into safety.
Not even a lizard could survive such
treatment as this, but the earthworm is,
In ability to recover from injuries. al
most as much superior to the lizard as
the lizard is to US, He grows a new
half-body to replace the one which has
been deyoured, and seems to mind his
loss no more than boy minds having
his hair cut.
There are. besides. some snail-like wa
ter-worms which quite undo the earth
worm in bearing up against misfortune.
II one OF these chances 10 lose his en-
tire head, In a week or so--sometimes
in only four or 1--WE days-he grows
new one, brain. eyes. and all. and is
as well on as ever. Even If a hungry
fish gets two bites at him, so that be
loses both head and tail, the worm
can patch himself out with new mem
bers and go about his business as be-
fore. They have even beer known 10
get divided into two pieces about equal
In size. and each piece grow new half
body. so that there were two entire
worms in place OF one.
After this Il will easily be guessed
that ~ the head erd Of the worm hap
pens 10 be split half way down. he will
grow two new sides and become Y
shaped with two heads. Or II the tail
end Is split new sides grow and two
tailed worm Is made. Sometimes one
or two new heads develop close behind
the old one In the angle Of the Y. In
deed. the litle creature seems to have
a sort OF mania for making new heads
and tails whenever he finds a chance
II. therefore, the worm, after receiy-
ing several wounds, manages to escape
with his life from the cuts which
happen to open forward. little heads
grow out. and from those opening back
ward little tails-no doubt greatly his
embarrassment.
But what Of the cut-on heads and
tails? DO they make new bodies and
become whole animals again? Not
The severed head seems to be-
come confused. so that it does not know
what 10 do. II Il lives il Is more apt
to produce another head ike itself.
and change into two heads placed neck
to neck, 50 that they look in opposite d.
rections SO. too. the severed tail.
equally foolish. doubles itself and be-
comes two useless tails. growing end to
end
But isn't this really quite impossible?
A head or a tail or even a half-body
,annot get food. If It cannot eat, il can
not grow: and that Is all there is about
L. Well. it is true that a fragment can
not eat But stiIl It can make the new
part out Of its own tissue. So the animal
keeps getting smaller as it becomes more
nearly complete until. when the new
part IS finished. the whole body may be
no more than the tenth part OF its prop
sr size. The reconstructed animals are
therefore forced 10 begin life over again
like young worms In time. however.
they grow up 10 full size. When a head
end makes a new head instead of a tail.
or tail makes a new tail. instead OF
a head. the little creatures must neces-
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