New-York tribune., 1919-03-23
1t Would Keep a Den
tlst Humping

IT HAT not all animals emulate mans
habits of wearing the "ivories" in
the jaws, but prefer locations more orig
inal Cf apparently less convenient from
the human standpoint), is one of the
many interesting things revealed on the
subject of teeth, through the medium
ship of George A. Pindar, chairman of
the public information committee of the
American Museum of Natural History.
Some animals" he observes in a recent
ly issued statement
ARE partial to the location of their teeth
on their legs, while others consider the
stomach the ideal situation. The horseshoe,
or king, crab wears his teeth on his legs,
at the first joints of which is series of
spines and sharp points. The food is torn
to bits on these teeth and worked into the
mouth opening. The lobster does his fletcher
izing with teeth which are to be found on
his fourth to ninth appendages Some of
these teeth adapted to seizng the food,
others to grinding it, etc. 1t is little known
fact that the beetle and worm boast teeth
useful and efficient as any. And even
among those animals which, he says, con-
slider that the tooth's sphere is the mouth,
there are differences of opinion as to lust
where teeth can be worn with propriety The
frog grows teeth only on his upper Jaw. The
animal known as Hoffman's sloth has teeth
only the hinder parts of both Jaws. The
gazelles teeth are permitted to grow on both
jaws, with the exception of the front of the
upper jaw
A formidable tooth arrangement, as
described by Mr.. Pindar, is that of the
Aristotle's Lantern of the sea-urchin,
consisting Of five pyramidal jaws, each
carrying q long slender tooth of continu-
Gus growth, which moves forward in the
jaws as it becomes worn away at the
point.
The shark, it appears, in common w ith
most reptiles and fishes, is not worried
by the fear of a toothless old age and
has supply of molars always on hand
IN case of emergency. AS Mr.. Pindar
puts it, "he has several rows of teeth one
behind the other, and as fast as the teeth
IN the outer row are lost, they are re-
placed by those just back of them
AS indicating that the form and
arrangement of the teeth of various
ANIMALS differ according to the various
circumstances, one notes that
the teeth {or saw of the sawiish, far re-
moved from the mouth, are designed for
wounding or killing the prey. The teeth of
the python are made for seizing and grasp
ing, and are long and recurved. so as to
hold the prey while the gulet is worked over
1t. The teeth of the ray which feeds on
shellfish, are adapted to crushing. The lions
teeth are shaped for cutting, rending and
killing. His posterior teeth act as scissors.
The teeth of the beaver are long, sharp and
chise shaped-requisite tools for his life's
work of gnawing. The fangs or front teeth
of the poisonous snake are really tubes
which serve as hypodermc syringes to in
iect the poison. An opening at the base of
the fang connects with the poison sac. Re-
serve fangs back of the ones in use soon
replace those lost, so that removing the fanrs
of a poisonous snake renders him onlv tenn,
porarly harmless. The elephant grinds his
food between teeth whose roughened surfaces
act like mllstones."
A new exhibit of teeth at the Amer
lean Museum Of Natural History, now
open to the public, contains not only all
the kinds of teeth referred to in this
article, but many more.