Animal Life

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22193, 9 September 1937, Page 6 (Supplement)

Animal Life

fascinating book about animals, i hj. and fishes has been written Dr. F. H. Shoosmith. It is "Life | te Animal World," published for •

wWjfßSTrap and Company. T&erei HflMMny pictures and drawings ox I fPWWtar interest Jo iU Wfc© fl»* I

pleasure In the study of th» ways «JPH£ e ß a n rf y b c" P V "On Calling Names" the author tells the story

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hanimal nor a bird and must be a hinsekt." This, says Dr. Shoosmith, is not surprising, for a famous French naturalist of the old days was very much tempted to classify a crocodile as an insect, only that it was too big. So the author gives a brief account of the way in which various creatures from those of a single cell to man himself are classified in groups. Tricks of parasites and the cunning way's of achieving camouflage or protection are shown in chapters of humorous interest; and the habits of the various kinds of mothers and fathers show an astonishing variety. The picture shows a snake which hatches its eggs by coiling itself about them; this is the habit of the boa constrictors and pythons. But|

most reptiles and other cold-blooded creatures deposit their eggs in heaps in the earth or in decaying vegetable matter, and leave them there to hatch. The pythons and boas curl round them more to give them protection than to give them warmth. But it is a fact that the brooding snake is warmer in temperature than usual. Crocodiles are careful mothers; they put the eggs in mounds of sand or loose soil and then sleep on top until after three months the young creatures make sounds described as "hiccuping"; then the mother sets them free and leads them to the water. Readers of this book will find a great many very interesting items of information.