342 



NATURE S TEACHINGS. 



On the right hand is depicted the once honoured Shaving- 

 brush, the terror of all stiff-bearded men on frosty mornings, 

 and yet clung to with a strange inconsistency. Many years 

 ago a military member of the House of Commons was sensible 

 enough to wear nis beard, and was, in consequence, the butt for 

 interminable jokes. At the present time, if the House were 

 counted, a great majority of the younger, and not a few of the 

 older, members will be found to wear either the beard or 

 moustache, or both. 



Perhaps some of my readers may object that many nations in 

 a state of very partial civilisation are accustomed to shaving. 

 So they are, but they do not use the shaving-brush. Most of 



FOOT OF FLY. 



BRUSH OF GLOW- 

 WORM LARVA. 



HAIR-BRUSHES. 



SHAVING-BRUSH. 



them content themselves with pulling out the hairs by the 

 roots, while others merely saturate the hair with hot water, and 

 so need no brush. 



Next to the shaving-brush is drawn a pair of ordinary Hair- 

 brushes, such as have been mentioned. 



PASSING to the left, we find an object which bears a curious 

 resemblance to the shaving-brush. This is an apparatus 

 belonging to the larva or grub of the Glow-worm. This 

 creature feeds upon snails, and, in consequence, gets itself 

 covered with the tenacious slime. In order to enable it to rid 

 itself of this inconvenience, the larva is furnished near the end 

 of its tail with the curious apparatus which is here shown. It 

 consists of some seven or eight soft white radii, arranged so as 

 to produce a brush-like outline, and being capable of extension 

 or withdrawal at will. 



