CHAPTER IV. 
SOME CURIOUS ANIMAL WEAPONS. 
STRICTLY speaking, the only weapons of vertebrates 
are teeth, claws, horns, and spurs. Horns belong 
only to the ruminants, and the spur is a rare 
weapon. There are also many animals in which 
teeth and claws are not suited to inflict injury, or 
in which the proper instincts and courage to use 
and develop them are wanted; and these would 
seem to be in a very defenceless condition. De- 
fenceless they are in one sense, but as a fact they 
are no worse off than the well-armed species, having 
either a protective colouring or a greater swiftness 
or cunning to assist them in escaping from their 
enemies. And there are also many of these prac- 
tically toothless and clawless species which have 
yet been provided with other organs and means 
of offence and defence out of Nature’s curious 
armoury, and concerning a few of these species I 
propose to speak in this place. 
Probably such distinctive weapons as_ horns, 
spurs, tusks and spines would be much more com- 
mon in nature if the conditions of life always re- 
mained the same. But these things are long in 
fashioning; meanwhile, conditions are changing ; 
climate, soil, vegetation vary; foes and rivals 
