ANIMAL ARMOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 15

ANIMAL ARMOUR.

/...NatofevisMa.firet inyonto^T—the .greatest andj.mpst prolific just beginning 'to .'realisedto. h'bwi' great ari ; ox-' tontjhiiman, ■hithprto.deemed en-' : tirely hav-eS ;been Panticipatod; ■' by invention';"of;armour which made, /the; civilised:; ancient.. superior vtb' 'the/W^age-:,; and: chivalry,, was. devised "and :"perfepted'lbng; before man walked-, the'earth; : m .-her j founds need;bfrpncasing : .Bpme: of-her pets m'armour.. : . : The' r turtle'was ; 'given-. a' ; ,shield;ln front,and.:behind ) :and : the crabs and ■tokstersji; §uit jpfjmicb..complete-armour as no; .knight; ever,wore..:Vv;So : ;touKh:and .hard 'Ji?tJile:aseVM'puld ; . lobster's.;«oat.;-if.':JfaturV'h£id'-made" tlie ; - : crustacean, as>big .as'in'a'm; ,, ■■.vj.vv, , :. vC* ;<=' '■•■ : ■-S"\'.- : ':tM- things "^nsidered/: ! Kp\rever' : the remarkable:-and:' interesting ;.pf jiyature's 'in-i ;ventiohs:is;vthe electric battery;,'.Wh'en.'the ■ ■philosopher,:! was '.making; his : first experiments .with ■ what is vulgarly known as the .''mysterious .fluid,'l.:it, wpuld : ha,vev surprised!(him/ very : muph be had ,beerf)jp;ngvanticipaje.d:-,i4 : ,the,.field-(b^:a; ; fish; , yet-.rtsw ; Va\-|artrihatVstii , agpy.Wtt6rie"s''df , -ex- : collont,g:'?coiißtiUQti6h' : -and-'_a 6ffit^wy ";lia\;e^been; : in:! i existeiico a for thoiisarras, and: presumably, for millions -of .years'. ; .^The,sb-called;torpedoi ray; -"iiot .'distantly , relapted;.tp .the- cpnimonV-,skate; f : 'thbngK-■■'of'-' seventy-five ; is a ! familiar =spec>es; in ; some-,waters. frequently ca'ptured,:but fishernlfen ;ivre;.careful: ; how fthby' hand e.-themi :-knowirigX that , , they-are''liter- : v a - £ «j sn{ ] Ina? i ; *& ?s| t^. les -r la i'Se oval, inassesjioneoh- each; « °V • , ••^ ea "i'--composed;^ofArhbxagonal : c outfit, it i:directly,connectedJiwith* the 'brain, ; ;.n#- heen fomid^hat'ii; ; may y be' ;d 1S abled w by;;|atting:: : atu ß ;..;.H- i iPhys||pgists , ;S ay:Hhat;,.the4tte^e S : are;nio.dified;«scle;;structure v ! and-,that; the .energy.stored ot;thorn is' supplied: from :: the neryo fact, which; appears to con-.' firm.,th<3ijecentMprPinu]gated; theory' that 'all ;nerve enjergyji^cbtricftl. ■?■'■? ; '-' ■ S-.-Xf'■:■■.' T^ 1 ?;:' 8 '" h ? another; ; kind'' of ■■ ; fisl? ; ; «mil ft is-much-. mo're , powerful.; ■■-It risi^alled-tho 'electric• eel '-and : attairis;;a-:lehgth.;pf.eiEbt ; riessj-as =,great as th4t''.pfij c a .onan's thiih'' ' weighing; ; :fiftyi pounds- or/ morn... This creature .is a^livin^irfprag'o.batterjv' Inits tail which; length, are. -two' of ■.p'nsmrshap6d?.ce]lsj.",24o"of::thjni~.td the inch .- with: ■&: jdllyrlike :: 7snbstahce.;? : . ■ Tliesp .:•> are Leydengare, .and.;the .masses'.afo"a pair .of ;■ batteries: : . .Two more,' icohstituting 'an,.auxiliar'y,pair,,of similar.'structure, run'along tho sides at.the;base of'the anal fin. ;The whole ..apparatus is,:conijected by hundreds.;pf nerve ■ brahches ; ,:with; theVeontr'al : nervousisystpm, :and::.is:capabl6.;.pj} liberating; a flufflcioht amount'of eleetrfcityto 'parnl.Tso'a man. ' • ■ vThe inventor ~ofjiho;: y a|e lock "doubtless thought'ho had/hit'upbn.^bmetliing;original.,As a matter..'of fact, he was infringing.onp i. very;oonimon/!kind. of fish, v found :■. in'; the. Red ' , Soaj:and'kn'owh ip' sqiencp as-Mbnacantllus, ; which "employs; -for", its own. purposes exactly,: .the same: ,;-;-•' V- . ; ; . , 'Tho Arab .boys ' ; this i little;'fish',/ell. . It the-cbral.Tcefs;-'and, .'when .pursued,.; retreats intp;:a convenient holo, .thereupon .eloyatihg'a/spike-like back ".fin. If,'as" is , .usually i-tjio;. case, the '■, cavity.;' is ; small, the,fiiiriy-fugitiv'o cannot bo piilled out DDless.tho 'Bpjkp;is:ioiycred';'.and this can" be ■ : accdnip.lished' only''by;"pushing down a lesser epiko'behind- it. ■■'•'. ■:' : '- '-.'■>- , -- ■;■'.;: '■■ ; - h v

:'• lt : is a catch. mechanism,/ exactly like that of ti)e:rYa!e;loefeWßoth principle' ancV.opern- : ;';,)'^j'p;t}ic'samoi-.j , ;Natilro'invehtod it, ami, •'.r-llieJiad :.li€r : 'rights,..her priority in the, matter ■ would V be; acknowledged by'- the Jtt.>«)t Qffifle^ri'.'Scjence-Siftingß."- ..' . :