dangerous than one from the tusks of a boar, as the old rhyme testifies : 'If thou be hurt with hart, it brings thee to thy bier, But barber's hand will boar's hurt heal, thereof thou needst not fear.' Sir Walter Scott. Why do antlers differ from horns? Because the antler is a real bone; it is formed in the same manner, and consists of the samne elements as other bones.-Notes to Blumenbach. Why is hartshorn jelly nutritious? Because the horn of the stag contains a large proportion of gelatine. Why is the deer poetically said to weep? Because, in the heads of deer and antelopes, there are cavities imbedded in a bony case, and believed by French naturalists to be receptacles for tears, of which the thinner part evaporating, a substance remains, called by them, larmes de cerf, or deer's tears, the receptacles themselves being called larmiers. Why is the deer as strong as he is fleet? Because of the peculiar hardness of the bone of his foot. Why is the fallow-deer often seen domesticated in stables? Because he manifests a sort of affection for the horse. Why were sheep formerly excluded from grazing on forests? Because being such close grazers, they would pick out all the finest grasses, and hinder the deer from thriving. G. White. In the Holt, where a full stock of fallow-deer has been kept up till lately, no sheep are admitted to this day. SWINE. Why do swine roll themselves in mire? Because they may protect themselves from flies, by the mud when dry; and not from any liking or inclination for uncleanness, particularly as no animal is more careful to have its bed clean and dry, than the pig. — Rennie. THE ELEPHANT. Why does the elephant move differently from the horse? Because, without reckoning the joint which unites the hoof, the horse has three bones in the leg - the elephant has two. Thus the horse moves with an elastic pace, while the elephant has a grave or stiff progression; and this want of elasticity renders it disagreeable to ride on him for any distance. The peculiarity of his movement is generally attributed to the weight of the elephant's body, which, in some instances, is upwards of 5000lbs. Why is the elephant one of the safest beasts of burden? Because its step is so sure that it never stumbles, even on the worst roads. Why is the elephant the natural inhabitant of rich plains, where vegetation attains its utmost luxuriance? Because of the simple construction of his stomach and intestines, which require frequent supplies; of the great quantity of food which he consumes for his ordinary support; of the waste which is necessarily produced by the weight and bulk of his body; and of the conformation by which he is fitted to move on level ground. Why are more cells filled with air in the skull of the elephant than in other animals? Because the surface may be increased for the attachment of those large muscles which belong to the lower jaw, proboscis, and neck of the elephant, and the mechanical power of these muscles, may be augmented by removing their attachments further from the centre of motion. These air-cells do not increase the weight of the head; a precaution especially necessary in this instance, as the head is more heavy and massy in this than in any other animal. — Lib. Ent. Knowledge. Why are the scent and hearing of the elephant remarkably acute? Because, living in troops, but often dispersed for food, they may gather together without difficulty. Elephants are known to discover a tiger-track by the smell. Why does not the elephant smell with his trunk? Because the passage of any liquid through the canals of the trunk would not accord with the delicacy of the lining of the nostrils in the head. Thus man is in pain when any liquid enters the nose; and, in like manner the sense of smell does not exist in the nostrils of those animals that are constantly using them as a passage for water, as the whale. The sense of smell in the elephant is confined to that part of the uostrils which is enclosed in the bones of the head. Cuvier. Why does the elephant throw up his trunk when attacked by the tiger? Because it may be as far as possible out of reach, and if the trunk be once scratched by the tiger, the elephant becomes ungovernable. Why does the trunk of the elephant seize upon large and small objects with equal certainty? Because the muscles of the trunk, which are nearly 40,000, have the power of distinct motion. - Cuvier. Why, in crossing rivers, is the elephant safe when his body is completely immersed in water? Because it is only necessary for him to bring the tip of his trunk to the surface, so as to breath the external air. Why are the elephant's tusks now brought to Europe, of smaller size than formerly? Because herds of elephants are scarce in the present day, and those which are found are unsparingly hunted for their ivory; so that probably few elephants live the natural term of their life. |