Lower coast gazette., 1914-08-01
FEAR FEW ENEMIES
Animals Provided by Nature
With Means Of Defense.
Hedgehog and Porcupine Are Notable
Instances and Are Generally Re.
spected by Their Fellow crea'
tures-The ArmadAlo.

In these warlike times, a survey OF
the methods of attack and DEFENSE
adopted by some Of the lower orders
of creation affords a theme OF more
than ordinary interest. One meets
with some animals which simply invite
their nighbors to tread on their coat
tails. and those that accept the chal'
lenge are generally very sorry for
themselves afterward! Others have
the power of instantly converting
| themselves into a veritable Palace OF
Peace" though the walls thereof, In
some cases., may bristle with bayo'
nets.
The hedgehog and the %porcupine al
ford instances OF this kind. They are
feeble folk, dull witted. s~low-footed and
taciturn. Popular superstition would
have us believe that the hedgehog, at
any rate, Is a very devil of a fellow"
who will not only rob hen roosts, but
will levy a further tax on the far
mer by milking the COWS. Poor, ma
ligned. misunderstood hedgehog! It
is true that he is guilty of petty theft
on occasion, but crime he can never
rise to.
Being of a q%uakerlike disposition,
when danger threatens he simply re-
tires within himself, tucking his head
between his hind legs. Thus he auto
matically becomes a sort of animated
pin cusion-the business" end of the
pins outward. Nothing will induce him
to display further sign Of hostility.
The "fretful porcupine," when red
handed violence overtakes him, thrusts
his head between his forelegs and
turns his back on his enemy, as If un.
willing to witness the pain he is about
to inf1ict. For when in this position
he presents a most formidable and
dangerous armament Of spines as
sharp as needles and far stronger. But
the porcupine is burly, and often fat
Hence, to a hungry lion or tiger, eight
and twenty pounds Of toothsome meat,
which tastes like veal" Is worth q
few pin pricks; and he Is according
ingly slain. Often, however, the bitel
!, is indeed bitten, for lions have beer
found with %podcupine quilts stuck
! through their cheeks or driven wei
home into the foot. Dogs are otter
: blinded, or even killed, in making
: similar ventures.
: The spines, both Of the hedgehog
and the porcupine, are nothing more
A than excessively enlarged hairs, ant
. on the bodies of these animals ever!
graduation between hairs and spine
can be found. But in the two ami
mails now to be discussed the arma
ture is of a very different kind.
In the armadillo the body is In
vested in a coat of mail, formed by
bony backshield, hinged across tn
middle, and overlaid with horn
!. plates. The crown Of the head an
v the tail are similarly protected. Whe
: threatened during his walks abroad
- all this armored cruiser has to do !
70 to double itself up, so that his hea
: and tail come together and close th
i only aperture left by this acrobat
feat. The South American armadill
g has a cousin in Africa, the manis.
! this animal the body Is protected b
= a cuirass Of horny plates, formed {
q agglutinated hairs. His mode Of r
: polling unweicome advance is to ben
= himself double and enwrap himse
:. with his tail. Peaceful ~persuasio
: must be loag-sustained indeed befol
: 1t will prevail ii inducing him to u
{, fold.
But the manis has another methe
of escaping unwelcome attention. +
= will grip the bole Of q tree with b
" hind legs, and then, supported by b
tail, he will bend his body earthwal
till 1t makes a right angle with Il
tree4 Thus posed he will remain N
tionless for hours, and o for I
p world like the stump Of a brok'
branch!
The device Of the armadillo has
~ parallel in the tortoise. But here Z
IN under-surface Of the body is also pl
10 tected by q bony shield. It ID not I
cessary. therefore, to double up t
body; the only apertures are clos
OF BY the head and the fore legs and I
tail. whose surfaces are armored. 3
no in some Of the tortoises the ba
W shield is hinged, 30 that It q
ng drawn downward to close the fortrt
ISL against invaders. In other species I
q hinge is formed across the bre'
shield, but the effect Is the same