Popular Science Monthly 



507 



What a Life of Cap- 

 tivity Does to 

 the Lion 



SOME interesting facts 

 have been revealed 

 from a study showing the 

 differences between wild- 

 killed lions and those which 

 had died in the National 

 Zoological Park in Wash- 

 ington. It was found that 

 captivity changes the nor- 

 mal buff color of the lion 

 to a darker color, the color 

 deepening for each succes- 

 sive moult for five years 

 at least. Lions captured 

 young and reared in cap- 

 tivity had muscles little 

 developed, and as a result 

 their skulls showed a mark- 

 ed difference from those of 

 wild-killed lions. This was 

 due, say the investigators, 

 to the fact that the skulls 

 of lions are greatly influenced by 

 muscular activity. Using muscles 

 develops them; and disuse de- 

 strovs. 



nq pi 



Absorbent 

 material 



The centrifugal force generated by 

 the rotation of the shell spreads the 

 naming gasoline in all directions 



„ Cartridge 



Conical 

 recess en- 

 qaqes base 



A Stylish New Blanket-Coat for 

 the Baby Lamb 



THE greatest obstacle which stands in 

 the way of providing very young, or 

 new-born lambs with artificial coats or 

 blankets to protect them from sudden 

 changes in temperature or from storms 

 until their own coats are heavy 

 enough to serve the purpose, i 

 the fact that the covering 

 material is likely to de- 

 stroy the lamb odor by 

 which the mother recog- 

 nizes her offspring. 



The blanket shown 

 in the illustration 

 leaves enough of the 

 lamb's neck and body 

 exposed to satisfy the 

 mother as to the lamb's 

 identity, and at the same 

 time covers the vital por- 

 tions of the body snugly. 

 It is composed of a water- 

 proof outer canvas, with 

 a soft woolen lining. Four 

 elastic loops fasten it on. 



The blanket is made of waterproof outer 

 canvas lined with soft woolen material 



Firing Shells Charged 



with Gasoline Which 



Ignites on Impact 



IN their great attack upon Messines 

 Ridge, the British brought into 

 play a new weapon, the inflammable 

 shell. "We didn't use gas in the 

 attack," said one correspondent, 

 "but every known form of offensive 

 weapon I think we did supply, including a 

 new horror known in the army as 'oil cans,' 

 or 'boiling oil.' These on concussion 

 burst and scattered conflagration over a 

 wide area. We know from the prisoners 

 taken that they caused terror and did an 

 immense amount of harm." 



Light on the nature of these flaming 

 projectiles is given by an American 

 patent which was issued to 

 Henry Dean, of Michigan, 

 early in the war. A cham- 

 ber containing high-ex- 

 plosive powder is situ- 

 ated in back of the 

 solid nose of the shell 

 and right in front of 

 the firing torch. Sur- 

 rounding this highly- 

 inflammable torch is 

 the charge of gasoline 

 which takes up by far the 

 greatest portion of the 

 interior of the projectile. 

 Thus,when the nose of the 

 shell strikes against the 

 trench wall, the concussion 

 sets off the gunpowder. 



