Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-09-03

0NuCtuTcS ana FUNCTIONS OF the
Human 6ody-Gathers Specimens in
out.otthe.Way Places.
There is a sting In the air that
sweeps down from the north over the
plains of Hanover and lOunging lizards
Turk and lecr In the light and learn.
ing Of Dnrtmouth's academic groves.
How and why one Of the Dartmouth
faculty brought more lizards 10 Han.
over and got more sting from the south
into his otherwise peaceful study than
either he or his wife intended has been
told by Prof William Patten. profes.
sor Of biology AZ Dartmouth
He has worked many years on the
evolution OF veriehrates and is recog.
nizcd throughout the biological world
as the leading authority on this sub.
iect. His work on fossils. fishes and
the entomology Of various living AMI.
mails has enabled him To reconstruct
In Il wholly new way the genealogical
tree Of the animal kingdom and To
NV NV 'NbibAlNu vi iiiHli 'ibMU W
the lowest Kind Of animals
Throws Light on Many Things.
This revolutionary work Is sure 10
WELD important results for II throws
much needed light on some very an.
Gent structures and functions ~ the
human body that have been very puz.
Zling 10 medical men Professor Pat
ten reconstructed a little known group
~ fossils called oStracodermS and he
discovered that this class formed a
new class of animals connecting the
lowest tish-like vertebrateS with the
Invertebrates
Professor Patten also showed that
the oStracoderms were near relatives
Of the giant sea scorpions. which We're
the kingpinS Of the animal world 30
eslopn years ago. more or less
TheS" wv" great classes proved TO
he the real missing links in evolu
ton for they filled In by far what was
the widest gap in mans ancestral his.
tory. The nearest living survivors Of
these very ancient animals are the
little land scorpions. found everN
where in III" tropics. and llmulus. the
familiar horseshoe crab 81 our At.
antlc sea shores.
For This reason the lImulnS have
nng been = favnrte study with Pro
leSSOr Pntten. for IL nov gives us the
heSt picture ~ high life aS II was
many millions Of wears age These
acts have been fully and clearly set
fnrth In his new book on The Evolu
ion ~ The Nertehrates and Their
Kin
This long and careful study Of thu
arger factors in evolution forms his
new book on The Grand Strategy OF
Evolution. which Is classed by lead
M biologists throughout the country
- one 81 the most significant and orig.
mi contributions TO biology that has
ippeared for years.
For these reasons Professor Patten,
accompanied by Mrs Patten. has made
numerous trips tu out-Of-the-way
rlac"S IN the world in order Ia collect
corrion> eggs and other unusual
hingS TO assist him In his study.
On his recent trip 10 Costa Rica
hs obtained all the scorpions he need
I'd for his work.
Collected Plenty Of Scorpions.
4 few pennies were sufficient TO In
luce native women. men and children
TO capture these much dreaded ami
mails aud Ia bring them alive To his
lmpr0viSed laboratory where the eggs
in all stages of development We're re-
moved. treated with special chemicals
aud preserved for further study.
Many other things of interest Ia bi.
ologistS were obtained such as birds
butterflies reptiles and Indian pottery
Living in the trectnpS Of the Central
American jungle j. peculiar species
~ large lizard called lguana possibly
The prototype nf the tabled hasilisk
and cockatrice. They have curious
it'll" eye in the middle Of he head
like that If the scorpions. A rudi
meni ~ such All eve Is still present
IN man. hut concealed in the brain
These extraordinary creatures form
a favorite food for the natives Pro
fcSsnr Patten shot -four Of them lust
before leaving Costa Rica and brought
them to Hanover an ice. He alse
brought back 10 Hanover some live
scorpions aud kept them for a while
in little glass dish an his study table
until one ia! most of them unfortu
uately escaped Al last accounts the.
were Stiil running about among tbs
professors books anxiously pursued h,
the professors wife. armed with q
pair ~ fOrcepS
But the professor assures his friend
that while the sting IT scorpion ma,
he painful for a short time and Away
somewhat disseminating II is moi
fatal. Mrs Patten was also great,
relieved to learn that they will not
/ live long or multiply rapidly. Dart
mouth undergraduates don't mind .
fe,v "lizardS" On the camntIs