1029.Why are there so many bodily forms in the animal creation?
Because the various creatures which God has created have different modes of life, and the forms of their bodies will be found to presenta perfect adaptation to the lives allotted to them.
Because, also, the beauty of creationdepends upon the variety of objects of which it consists. And the greatness of the Creator's power is shownby the diversity of ends accomplished by different means.
1030.Why are birds covered with feathers?
Because they require a high degree ofwarmth, on account of the activity of their muscles; but in providing that warmth it was necessary that their coats should be of thelightest material, so as not to impair their powers of flight; and feathers combine thehighest warming power, with the least amount of weight.
1031.Why have ostriches small wings?
Because, having long legs, they do not require their wings for flight; they are merely usedto steady their bodies while running.
1032.Why are ostrich feathers soft and downy?
Because, as the feathers are not employed for flight, thestrength of the feather as constructed for flying is unnecessary, and the feathers therefore consist chiefly of a soft down.
1033.Why have water-birds feathers of a close and smooth texture?
Because such feathers keep the body of the bird warm and dry, by repelling the water from their surface. A bird could scarcely move through the water, with the downy feathers of the ostrich, because ofthe amount of water the down would absorb.
1034.Why is man born without a covering?
Becauseman is the only animal that can clothe itself. As inthe various pursuits of life he wanders to every part of the globe, he can adapt himselfto all climates and to any season.
"Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?"—Job xxxv.
1035.Why do the furs of animals become thicker in the winter than in the summer?
Because the creator has thus provided for the preservation of the warmth of the animals during the cold months of winter.
1036.Why does a black down grow under the feathers of birds as winter approaches?
Because the down is a non-conductor of heat, and black the warmest colour. It is therefore best adapted tokeep intheir bodily warmth during the cold of winter.
1037.Why has man no external appendage to his mouth?
Becausehis handsserve all the purposes of gathering food, andconveying it to the mouth. Man's mouth is simply anopening; in other animals it is aprojection.
1038.Why have dogs, and other carnivorous animals, long pointed teeth, projecting above the rest?
Because as they have not hands to seize and controul their food, the projecting teeth enable them tosnap and holdthe objects which they pursue for food.
1039.Why is the under jaw of the hog, shorter and smaller than the upper one?
Because the animal pierces the groundwith its long snout, and then the small under jawworks freely in the furrowthat has been opened, in quest of food.
1040.Why have birds hard beaks?
Because, having no teeth, the beak enables them toseize,hold, anddivide their food.
1041.Why are the beaks of birds generally long and sharp?
Because the greater number of birds live bypicking up smallobjects, such as worms, insects, seeds, &c. The sharp beak, therefore, serves as afine pincers, enabling them to take hold of their food conveniently.
"As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them."—Ecclesiastes ix.
1042.Why have snipes and woodcocks long tapering bills?
Because they live upon worms which they find in the soft mud of streams and marshy places; their long bills, therefore, enable them todig down into the mud after their prey.
1043.Why have woodcocks, snipes, &c., nerves running down to the extremities of their bills?
Because, as they dig for their prey in the soft sand and mud, they cannot see the worms upon which they live. Nerves are, therefore, distributed to the very point of their bills (where, in other birds, nerves are entirely absent)to enable them to prehend their food.
Fig. 67.—SPOONBILL.
Fig. 67.—SPOONBILL.
1044.Why have ducks and geese square-pointed bills?
Because they not only feed by dabbling in soft and muddy soil, but they consume a considerable quantity of green food, and their square bills enable them tocrop off the blades of grass.
"Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein."—Psalm lxix.
1045.Why has the spoon-bill a long expanded bill, lined internally with sharp muscular points?
Because the birdlives by suction, dipping its broad bill in search of aquatic worms, mollusks, insects and the roots of weeds. The bill formsa natural spoon, and the muscular points enable the bird tofilter the mud, and to retain the nourishment which it finds.
1046.Why has the spoon-bill long legs?
Because itwades in marshy placesto find its food. Its legs are therefore long, for the purpose of keeping its body out of the water, and above the smaller aquatic plants, while it searches for its prey.
1047.Why have the parrots, &c., crooked and hard bills?
Because they live upon nuts, the stones of fruit, and hard seeds. The shape of the bill, therefore, enables them tohold the nut or seed firmly, and the sharp point enables them tosplit or remove the husks.
1048.Why can a parrot move its upper as well as its lower bill?
Because by that means it is enabled to bring the nut or seed nearer the fulcrum, or joint of the jaw. It, therefore, acquires greater power, just as with a pair of nut-crackers we obtain increased power bysetting the nut near to the joint.
1049.Why have animals with long necks large throats?
Animals that graze, or feed from the ground, generally have a more powerful muscular formation of the throat than those which feed in other positions, because a greater effort is required toforce the food upward, than would be needed to convey it down.
1050.Why are the bones of birds hollow?
Because they are thereby renderedlighter, and do not interfere with the flight of the birdas they would do if they were solid. Greater strength is also obtained by thecylindrical form of the bone, and a larger surface afforded for theattachment of powerful muscles.
"And my hand hath found, as a nest, the riches of the people; and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the whip, or opened the mouth, or peeped."—Isaiah x.
1051.Why do all birds lay eggs?
Because, to bear their young in any other manner, wouldencumber the body, and materially interfere with their powers of flight.
As soon as an egg becomes large and heavy enough to be cumbersome to the bird, it is removed from the body. A shell, impervious to air, protects the germ of life within, until from two to twenty eggs have accumulated, and then, although laid at different intervals, their incubation commences together, and the young birds are hatched at the same time.
1052.Why have birds with long legs short tails?
Because the tails of birds are used to guide them through the air, by akind of steerage. When birds with long legs take to flight, they throw their legs behind, and they thenserve the same purpose as a tail.
Fig. 68.—PERCH.
Fig. 68.—PERCH.
1053.Why have fishes fins?
The fins of fishes are to them,what wings and tails are to birds, enabling them to rise in the fluid in which they live by thereaction of the motions of the fins upon its substance.
"Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this."—Job xii.
1054.Why are the fins of fishes proportionately so much smaller than the wings of birds?
Because there is less difference between thespecific gravityof the body of a fish, and the water in which it moves, than between the body of a bird, and the air on which it flies. The fish, thereforedoes not require such an expanded surface to elevate or guide it.
1055.Why have fishes scales?
Because scales, while they afford protection to the bodies of fish, are conveniently adapted to their motions; and as the scalespresent no surface to obstruct their passage through the water, as hair or feathers would do, they evidently form the best covering for the aquatic animal.
1056.Why do fishes float in streams (when they are not swimming) with their heads towards the stream?
Because theybreatheby the transmission of water over the surface of their gills, the water entering at the mouth, and passing over the gills behind. When, therefore, they lie motionless with their heads to the stream, they are inthat position which naturally assists their breathing process.
1057.Why have fishes air-bladders?
Because, as the density of water varies greatly at different depths, the enlargement or contraction of the bladder regulates the relation ofthe specific gravity of the body of the fish to that of the water in which it moves.
1058.Why have whales a very large development of oily matter about their heads?
Because their heads are thereby rendered the lighter part of their bodies, and a very slight exertion on the part of the animal will bring its head to the surfaceto breathe air, which it constantly requires.
1059.Why have birds that swim upon water web-feet?
Because the spreading out of the toes of the bird brings the membrane between the toes into the form of a fin, orwater-wing,by striking which against the water,the bird propels itself along.
"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head."—Matthew xiii.
1060.Why have birds that swim and dive short legs?
Because long legs would greatlyimpede their motions in the water, by becoming repeatedly entangled in the weeds, and by striking against the bottom.Waders, however, require long legs because they have to move about through thetall vegetation of marshy borders.
Fig. 69.—STILT-PLOVER AND DUCK.
Fig. 69.—STILT-PLOVER AND DUCK.
1061.Why have the feet of the heron, cormorant, &c., deep rough notches upon their under surface?
Because, as those birds live by catching fish, they are enabled by the notches in their feet, tohold the slippery creatures upon which they feed.
1062.Why have otters, seals, &c., web-feet?
Because, while the feet enable them towalk upon the land, they are equally effective in their action upon the water, and hence they areadapted to the amphibious nature of the animals to which they belong.
1063.Why do the external ears of animals of prey, such as cats, tigers, foxes, wolves, hyenas, &c., bend forward?
Because they collect the sounds that occurin the direction of thepursuit, and enable the animal totrack its preywith greater certainty.
"Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? "Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?"
1064.Why do the ears of animals of flight, such as hares, rabbits, deer, &c., turn backward?
Because they thereby catch the sounds that give themwarning of the approach of danger.
1065.Why has the stomach of the camel a number of distinct bags, like so many separate stomachs?
Because water is stored up in the separate chambers of the stomach, apart from the solid aliment, so that the animal canfeed, without consuming all its drink. It is therebyable to retain water to satisfy its thirst while travelling across hot deserts, where no water could be obtained.
1066.Why do woodpeckers "tap" at old trees?
Because by boring through the decayed wood, with the sharp and hard bills with which they are provided,they get at the haunts of the insects upon which they feed.
1067.Why are woodpeckers' tongues about three times longer than their bills?
Because, if their bills were long, they would not bore the trees so efficiently; and when the trees are bored, and the insects alarmed, they endeavour to retreat into the hollows of the wood;but the long thin tongue of the woodpecker fixes them on its sharp horny point, and draws them into the mouth of the bird.
1068.Why have the Indian hogs large horns growing from their nostrils and turning back towards their eyes?
Because the hornsserve as a defence to the eyeswhile the animal forces its way through the thick underwood in which it lives.
1069.Why have calves and lambs, and the young of horned cattle generally, no horns while they are young?
Because the presence of horns wouldinterfere with the sucklingof the young animal. When, however, it is able to feed itself by browsing,then the horns begin to grow.
"She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. "From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she."—Job xxxix.
1070.Why have infants no teeth?
Because the presence of teeth would interfere with their suckling, while the teeth would be of no service, until the childcould take food requiring mastication.
1071.Why cannot flesh-eating animals live upon vegetables?
Because the gastric juice of a flesh-eating animal, being adapted to the duty which it has to perform,will not dissolve vegetable matter.
1072.Why have birds gizzards?
Because, having no teeth, the tough and fibrous gizzards are employedto grind the food preparatory to digestion.
1073.Why are small particles of sand, stone, &c., found in the gizzards of birds?
Because, by the presence of those rough particles, which become embedded in the substance of the gizzard, the food of the bird is more effectively ground.
When our fowls are abundantly supplied with meat, they soon fill their craw, but it does not immediately pass thence into the gizzard; it always enters in small quantities, in proportion to the progress of trituration, in like manner, as in a mill, a receiver is fixed above the two large stones which serve for grinding the corn, which receiver, although the corn be put into it by bushels, allows the grain to dribble only in small quantities into the central hole in the upper mill-stone.—Paley.
1074.Why has the mole hard and flat feet, armed with sharp nails?
Because the animal is thereby enabled toburrow in the earth, in search for worms. Its feet are so manyshovels.
1075.Why is the mole's fur exceedingly glossy and smooth?
Because its smoothness enables it to work under groundwithoutthe soil sticking to its coat, by which its progress would be impeded. From soils of all kinds, the little worker emerges shining and clean.
"I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts are mine."—Psalm l.
What I have always most admired in the mole is itseyes. This animal occasionally visiting the surface, and wanting, for its safety and direction, to be informed when it does so, or when it approaches it, a perception of light was necessary. I do not know that the clearness of sight depends at all upon the size of the organ. What is gained by the largeness or prominence of the globe of the eye, is width in the field of vision. Such a capacity would be of no use to an animal which was to seek its food in the dark. The mole did not want to look about it; nor would a large advanced eye have been easily defended from the annoyance to which the life of the animal must constantly expose it. How indeed was the mole, working its way under ground, to guard its eyes at all? In order to meet this difficulty, the eyes are made scarcely larger than the head of a corking-pin; and these minute globules are sunk so deeply in the skull, and lie so sheltered within the velvet of its covering, as that any contraction of what may be called the eyebrows, not only closes up the apertures which lead to the eyes, but presents a cushion, as it were, to any sharp or protruding substance which might push against them. This aperture, even in its ordinary state, is like a pin-hole in a piece of velvet, scarcely pervious to loose particles of earth.—Paley.
Fig. 70.—ELEPHANTS DRINKING.
Fig. 70.—ELEPHANTS DRINKING.
1076.Why has the elephant a short unbending neck?
Because the elephant's head is so heavy, that it could not have been supported at the end of a long neck (or lever), withouta provision of immense muscular power.
"Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength."—Joel ii.
1077.Why has the elephant a trunk?
The trunk of an elephantserves as a substitute for a neck, enabling the animal to crop the branches of trees, or to raise water from the stream.
1078.Why do the hind legs of elephants bend forward?
Because the weight of the animal is so great, that when it lay down it wouldrise with great difficulty, if its legs bent outward, as do the legs of other animals. Being bentunder the body, they have a greater power of pushing directly upward, when the powerful muscles of the thighs straighten them.
According to Cuvier, the number of muscles, in an elephant's trunk, amounts toforty thousand, all of which are under the will, and it is to these that the proboscis of this animal owes its flexibility. It can be protruded or contracted at pleasure, raised up or turned to either side, coiled round on itself or twined around any object. With this instrument the elephant collects the herbage on which he feeds and puts it into his mouth; with this he strips the trees of their branches, or grasps his enemy and dashes him to the ground. But this admirable organ is not only adapted for seizing or holding substances of magnitude; it is also capable of plucking a single leaf, or of picking up a straw from the floor. The orifices of the canals of the extremity are encircled by a projecting margin, produced anteriorly into a finger-like process endowed with a high degree of sensibility and exceedingly flexible. It is at once a finger for grasping and a feeler: the division between the two nasal orifices or their elevated sides serves as a point against which to press; and thus it can pick up or hold a small coin, a bit of biscuit, or any trifling thing with the greatest ease.—Knight's Animal Kingdom.
1079.Why have bats hooked claws in their wings?
Because bats are almost destitute of legs and feet; at least those organs are included in their wings. If they alight upon the ground, they have great difficulty in again taking to the wing, as they cannot run or spring to bring their wings in action upon the air. At the angle of each wing there is placed, therefore, a bony hook, by which the bat attaches itself to the sides of rocks, caves, and buildings, laying hold of crevices, joinings, chinks, &c.; and when it takes its flight,it unhooks itself, and its wings are at once free to strike the air.
1080.Why does the bat fly by night?
Because it lives chiefly upon moths, which arenight-flying insects.
"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web."—Job viii.
1081.Why does the bat sleep during the winter?
Because, as the winter approaches, the moths and flying insects upon which it feeds, disappear.If, therefore, it did not sleep through the winter it must have starved.
Fig. 71.—BAT WITH HOOKED WINGS.
Fig. 71.—BAT WITH HOOKED WINGS.
1082.Why has the spider the power of spinning a web?
Because, as it lives upon flies, but isdeficient of the power of flying in pursuit of them, it has been endowed with an instinctto spread a snare to entrap them, and with the most wonderful machinery to give that instinct effect.
There are few things better suited to remove the disgust into which young people are betrayed on the view of some natural objects, than this of the spider. They will find that the most despised creature may become a subject of admiration, and be selected by the naturalist to exhibit the marvellous works of the creation. The terms given to these insects, lead us to expect interesting particulars concerning them, since they have been divided into vagrants, hunters, swimmers, and water spiders, sedentary, and mason-spiders; thus evincing a variety in their condition, activity, and mode of life; and we cannot be surprised to find them varying in the performance of their vital functions (as, for example, in their mode of breathing), as well as in their extremities and instruments. Of these instruments the most striking is the apparatus for spinning and weaving, by which they not only fabricate webs to entangle their prey, but form cells for their residence and concealment; sometimes living in the ground, sometimes under water, yet breathing the atmosphere. Corresponding with their very singular organisation are their instincts. We are familiar with the watchfulness and voracity of some spiders, when their prey is indicated by the vibration of the cords of their net-work. Others have the eye and disposition of the lynx or tiger, and after couching in concealment, leap upon their victims. Some conceal themselves under a silken hood or tube, six eyes only projecting. Some bore a hole in the earth, and line it as finely as if it were done with the trowel and mortar, and then hang it with delicate curtains. A very extraordinary degree of contrivance is exhibited in the trap-door spider. This door, from which it derives its name, has a frame and hinge on the mouth of the cell, and is so provided that the claw of the spider can lay hold of it, andwhether she enters or goes out, says Mr. Kirby, the door shuts of itself. But the water-spider has a domicile more curious still: it is under water, with an opening at the lower part for her exit and entrance; and although this cell be under water, it contains air like a diving-bell, so that the spider breathes the atmosphere. The air is renewed in the cell in a manner not easily explained. The spider comes to the surface; a bubble of air is attracted to its body; with this air she descends, and gets under her cell, when the air is disengaged and rises into the cell; and thus, though under water, she lives in the air. There must be some peculiar property of the surface of this creature by which she can move in the water surrounded with an atmosphere, and live under the water breathing the air.
"The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces."—Proverbs xxx.
Fig. 72.—WEB OF THE GEOMETRICAL SPIDER.
Fig. 72.—WEB OF THE GEOMETRICAL SPIDER.
The chief instrument by which the spider performs these wonders is the spinning apparatus. The matter from which the threads are spun is the liquid contained in cells; the ducts from these cells open upon little projecting teats, and the atmosphere has so immediate an effect upon this liquid, that upon exposure to it the secretion becomes a tough and strong thread. Twenty-four of these fine strands form together a thread of the thickness of that of the silk-worm. We are assured that there are three different sorts of material thus produced, which are indeed required for the various purposes to which theyare applied—as, for example, to mix up with the earth to form the cells; to line these cells as with fine cotton; to make light and floating threads by which they may be conveyed through the air, as well as those meshes which are so geometrically and correctly formed to entrap their prey.—Note by Lord Brougham to Paley's Natural Theology.
"For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."—Psalm l.
1083.Why have many insects a great number of eyes?
Because the orb of the eye is fixed; there is therefore placed over the eye a multiple-lens, which conducts light to the eye from every direction; so thatthe insect can see with a fixed eye as readily as it could have done with a movable one. As many as fourteen hundred eyes, or inlets of light, have been counted in the head of a drone-bee. The spider haseight eyes, mounted upon different parts of the head; two in front, two in the top of the head, and two on each side.
1084.Why have birds of prey no gizzards?
Because their fooddoes not require to be groundprior to digestion, as does the food of grain-eating birds.
1085.Why have earth worms no feet?
Because the undulatory motion of their muscles serves them for fill the purposes of progressionneeded by their mode of life.
1086.Why have mussels strong tendinous threads proceeding from their shells?
Because as they live in places that are beaten by the surf of the sea, theymoor their shellsby those threads to rocks and timbers.
1087.Why have cockles stiff muscular tongues?
Because, having no threads to moor themselves, as the mussels have, theydig out with their tongues a shelter for themselves in the sand.
1088.Why do oxen, sheep, deer, &c., ruminate?
Because they have no front teeth in the upper jaw, the place of which is occupied by a hardened gum. The first process, therefore, consists simply ofcroppingtheir food, which is passed into the paunch, tobe brought up again and ground by the back teethwhen the cropping process is over.
Because, in a wild state, they are constantly exposed to theattacks of carnivorous beasts, and as the mastication of the large amount of vegetable food required for their sustenance would take a considerable time, they are provided with stomachs, by which they are enabled to fill their paunches quickly, and then, retiring to a place of safety, they bring their food up again, and chew it at leisure.
"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."—Proverbs xii.
1089.Why can ruminating animals recover the food from their paunches?
Because they have avoluntary powerover the muscles of the throat, by which they can bring up the food at will.
1090.Why can they keep the unchewed food in the paunch, from the "cud" they have chewed for nourishment?
Because their stomachs are divided into three chambers: 1, thepaunch,where the unchewed food is stored; 2, thereticulum, where portions of the food are received from the paunch, and moistened and rolled into a "cud," to be sent up and chewed; and 3, thepsalterium, which receives the masticated food, and continues the process of digestion.
In quadrupeds the deficiency of teeth is usuallycompensatedby the faculty of rumination. The sheep, deer, and ox tribe, are without fore-teeth in the upper jaw. These ruminate. The horse and ass are furnished with teeth in the upper jaw, and do not ruminate. In the former class, the grass and hay descend into the stomachs nearly in the state in which they are cropped from the pasture, or gathered from the bundle. In the stomach, they are softened by the gastric juice, which in these animals is unusually copious. Thus softened and rendered tender, they are returned a second time to the action of the mouth, where the grinding teeth complete at their leisure the trituration which is necessary; but which was before left imperfect. I say, the trituration which is necessary; for it appears from experiments, that the gastric fluid of sheep, for example, has no effect in digesting plants, unless they have been previously masticated; that it only produces a slight maceration, nearly as common water would do in a like degree of heat; but that when once vegetables are reduced to pieces by mastication, the fluid then exerts upon them its specific operation. Its first effect is to soften them, and to destroy their natural consistency; it then goes on to dissolve them, not sparing even the toughest parts, such as the nerves of the leaves. I think it very probable, that the gratification also of the animal is renewed and prolonged by this faculty. Sheep, deer, and oxen, appear to be in a state of enjoyment whilst they are chewing the cud. It is then, perhaps, that they best relish their food.—Paley.
"I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top."—Psalm cii.
1091.Why do quadrupeds that are vegetable eaters feed so continually?
Because their food contains but asmall proportion of nutrition, so that it is necessary to digest alarge quantityto obtain sufficient nourishment.
1092.Why do flesh eating animals satisfy themselves with a rapid meal?
Because the food which they eat isrich in nutritious matter, and more readily digestible than vegetable food; it does not therefore, require the same amount ofgrinding with the teeth.
Fig. 73.—PELICAN WITH DILATED POUCH.
Fig. 73.—PELICAN WITH DILATED POUCH.
1093.Why has the pelican a large pouch under its bill?
Because it subsists upon fish, generally of the smaller kind, and uses its pouchas a netfor catching them; the pouch also serves asapaunch,in which the fish are stored, until the bird ceases from the exertion of fishing, and takes its meal at leisure.
"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."—Genesis i.
In their wild state they hover and wheel over the surface of the water, watching the shoals of fish beneath, and suddenly sweeping down, bury themselves in the foaming waves; rising immediately from the water by their own buoyancy, up they soar, the pouch laden with the fish scooped up during their momentary submersion. The number of fish the pouch of this species will contain may be easily imagined when we state that it is so dilatable as to be capable of containing two gallons of water; yet the bird has the power of contracting this membranous expansion, by wrinkling it up under the lower mandible, until it is scarcely to be seen. In shallow inlets, which the pelicans often frequent, it nets its prey with great adroitness.
The pelican chooses remote and solitary islands, isolated rocks in the sea, the borders of lakes and rivers, as its breeding place. The nest, placed on the ground, is made of coarse grasses, and the eggs, which are white, are two or three in number. While the female is incubating, the male brings fish to her in his pouch, and the young, when hatched, are assiduously attended by the parents, who feed them by pressing the pouch against the breast, so as to transfer the fish from the former into the throats of the young. This action has doubtless given origin to the old fable of the pelican feeding its young with blood drawn from its own breast.—Knight's Animal Kingdom.
1094.Why do the smaller animals breed more abundantly than the larger ones?
Because the smaller ones are designed to be the food of the larger ones, and are thereforecreated in numbers adapted to that end. An elephant produces but one calf; the whale but one young one; a butterfly lays six hundred eggs; silk-worms lay from 1,000 to 2,000 eggs; the wasp, 5,000; the ant, 4,000 to 5,000; the queen bee, 5,000 to 6,000, or 40,000 to 50,000 in a season; and a species of white ant (termes fatalis) produces 86,400 eggs in a day. Birds of prey seldom produce more than two eggs; the sparrow and duck tribe frequently sit upon a dozen; in rivers there prevail a thousand minnows for one pike; and in the sea, a million of herrings for a single shark; while of the animalcules upon which the whale subsists, there must exist hundreds of millions for one whale.
1095.Why has the whale feathery-like laminæ of whale-bone extending from its jaws?
Because these feathery bones, lying side by side, form asieve, or strainer, for the large volumes of water which the whale receives into its mouth, drawing off therefrom millions of small animals,which form a jelly-like mass upon which the whale feeds. A whale has been known to weigh as much as 249 tons, and its blubber yielded 4,000 gallons of oil. How many millions of living creatures must have gone to make up that enormous mass of animal matter!
"Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? * * He paveth the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men."—Job xxxix.
1096.Why have cats, and various other animals, whiskers?
The whiskers of cats, and of the cat tribe, are exceedingly sensitive, enabling them, when seizing their prey in the dark, tofeel its position most acutely. These hairs are supplied, through their roots, with branches of the same nerves that give sensibility to the lips, and that in insectssupply their "feelers."
1097.Why has the horse a smaller stomach proportionately than other animals?
Because the horse was created for speed. Had he the ruminating stomach of the ox, he would be quite unfitted for the labour which he now so admirably performs.
1098.Why has the horse no gall-bladder?
Because the rapid digestion of the horse, by which its fitness for speed is greatly increased,does not require the storing up of the bileas in other animals in which the digestive process is a slower operation.
1099.Why do certain butterflies lay their eggs upon cabbage leaves?
Because the cabbage leaves arethe food of the young caterpillars; and although the butterfly does not subsist herself upon the leaf, she knows by instinct that the leaf will afford food to her future young; she therefore lays her eggs where her young ones will find food.
This explanation applies to many insects that lay their eggs upon other plants.
1100.Why have insects long projections from their heads, like horns or feathers?
Because those organs (theantennæ), are those through which come insectshearand othersfeel; and the projecting of theseantennæfrom their bodies probably enables them to hear or feelmore acutely while their wings are in motion,without the interference of the vibrations of their wings.
"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honey-comb, which is sweet to thy taste."—Proverbs xxiv.
1101.Why have bees stings?
Because they gather and store up honey which would constantly attract other insects, and the bees would be robbed of their food but for the sting,which is given to them for protection.
1102.Why have flies fine hairs growing at the extremities of their legs?
Because they require to cleanse their bodies and wings, and to free them from particles of dust. And as they cannot turn their heads for this purpose, they have hairy feet, which serve as brushes, by which any part of their bodies can be reached and cleaned.
1103.Why when the perfume of flowers is unusually perceptible may wet weather be anticipated?
Because when the air is damp itconveys the odours of flowersmore effectively than it does when dry.
1104.Why when swallows fly low may wet weather be expected?
Because the insects which the swallows pursue in their flight are flying low,to escape the moisture of the upper regions of the atmosphere.
1105.Why do ducks and geese go to the water, and dash it over their backs on the approach of rain?
Because by wetting the outer coat of their feathers before the rain falls, by sudden dashes of water over the surface, theyprevent the drops of rain from penetrating to their bodies through the open and dry feathers.
1106.Why do horses and cattle stretch out their necks and snuff the air on the approach of rain?
Because they smell thefragrant perfumewhich is diffused in the air by its increasing moistness.
"I will remember the works of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old."—Psalm lxxvii.
1107.Why may change of weather be anticipated when domestic animals are restless?
Because their skins are exceedingly sensitive to atmospheric influences, and they are oppressed and irritated bythe changing condition of the atmosphere.
1108.Why may fine weather be expected when spiders are seen busily constructing their webs?
Because those insects are highly sensitive to the state of the atmosphere, and when it is setting fine they build their webs, because they know instinctivelythat flies will be abroad.
1109.Why is wet weather to be expected when spiders hide?
Because it shows that they are aware that the state of the atmosphere does notfavour the flight of insects.
1110.Why if gnats fly in large numbers may fine weather be expected?
Because it shows that they feel the state of the atmosphere to be favourable, which induces them all toleave their places of shelter.
1111.Why if owls scream during foul weather, will it change to fine?
Because the birds are pleasurably excited by a favourablechange in the atmosphere.
1112.Why is it said that the moping of the owl foretells death?
Because owls scream when the weather is on the change; and when a patient is lingering on a death bed, the alteration in the state of the atmosphere frequently induces death, because the faint and expiring flame of life has not strength enoughto adapt itself to the change.
1113.Why may wet weather be expected when spiders break off their webs, and remove them?
Because the insects, anticipating the approach of rain, remove their webs for preservation.
"There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate."—Isaiah xxxiv.
1114.Why may we expect a continuance of fine weather when bees wander far from their hives?
Because the bees feel instinctively that from the state of the atmosphere they may wander far in search of honey, without the danger of being overtaken by rain.
1115.Why if people feel their corns ache, and their bones rheumatic, may rain be expected?
Because the dampness of the atmosphere affects its pressure upon the body, and causes a temporary disturbance of the system. All general disturbances of the body,manifest themselves in those parts which are in a morbid state—as in a corn, a rheumatic bone, or a decayed tooth.
1116.Why if various flowers close may rain be expected?
Because plants are highly sensitive to atmospheric changes, andclose their petals to protect their stamens.
1117.Why when moles throw up their hills may rain be expected?
Because the moles know instinctively, that on the approach of wet, worms move in the ground; the moles therefore become active,and form their hills.
1118.Why is a magpie, when seen alone, said to foretell bad weather?
Because magpies generally fly in company; but on the approach of wet or cold, oneremains in the nest to take care of the young, while the other one wanders alone in search of food.
1119.Why do sea-gulls appear numerous in fine weather?
Because the fishes swim near to the surface of the sea, and the birdsassemble over the sea to catch the fish, instead of sitting on rocks, or wading on the shore.
1120.Why do sea-gulls fly over the land, on the approach of stormy weather?
Because in stormy weather they cannot catch fish; and theearth-worms come up on the landwhen the rain falls.
"And I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest."—Psalm lv.
1121.Why if birds cease to sing, may wet, and probably thunder, be expected.?
Because birds are depressed by an unfavourable change in the atmosphere, andlose those joyful spirits which give rise to their songs.
1122.Why if cattle run around in meadows, may thunder be expected?
Because the electrical state of the atmosphere has the effect of making them feel uneasy and irritable, andthey chase each other about to get rid of the irritability.
1123.Why if birds of passage arrive early, may severe weather be expected?
Because it shows that the indications of unfavourable weather have set in, in the latitudes from which the birds come, and that they havetaken an early flight to escape it.
1124.Why if the webs of the gossamer spider fly about in the autumn, may east winds be anticipated?
Because an east wind is a dry and dense wind, and suitable to the flight of the gossamer spider; the spider feeling instinctively the dryness of the air, throws out its web, and finds itmore than usually buoyant upon the dense air.
The observation of the changing phenomena which attend the various states of the weather is a very interesting study, though no general rules can be laid down that can be relied upon, because there are modifying circumstances which influence the weather in various localities and climates. To observe weather indications accurately, no phenomenon should be taken alone, but several should be regarded together. The character and the duration of the weather of the preceding days, the direction of the wind, the forms of the clouds, the indications of the barometer, the rise or fall of the thermometer, and the instinctive forewarnings of birds, beasts, insects, and flowers, should all be taken into account. Although no direct material advantages attend such a study, it induces a habit of observation, and develops the inductive faculty of the mind, which, when applied to more significant things, may trace important effects to their greater causes.
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."—Prov. vi.
1125.Why can gossamer spiders float through the air?
Because, having no wings, and being deficient in the active muscular powers of other spiders, they have been endowed with the power of spinning a web which is so light that it floats in the air, and bears the body of the gossamer spider from place to place. Each web acts as a balloon, and the spider attached thereto is a littleaeronaut.
1126.Why do crickets make a peculiar chirping sound?
Because they have hard wing cases, by the friction of the edges of which they cause their peculiar noise,to make known to each other where they are, in the dark crevices in which they hide.