264 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Par 



The Neutralisation of Party Idiosyncrasies. 



In the early life of political parties their colours and pecu- 

 liarities are most conspicuous. In the early life of religious 

 sects their particular and denoting specialties are sharp and 

 clear. As time advances the colours begin to blend with other 

 colours ; the peculiarities shrivel as the principles expand ; the 

 specialties are softened down into less harsh outlines. The vital 

 power in both cases becomes stronger and stronger with time, 

 though its accidents, badges, and accompaniments are less and 

 less observable. We see this same fading away of individual 

 distinction in the presence of healthy growth if we look at 

 Nature. It is worth notice that several varieties of the haw- 

 thorn, as well as of the lime and juniper, are very distinct in 

 their foliage and habit when young, but in the course of thirty 

 or forty years become extremely like each other, thus reminding 

 us of the well-known fact that the deodar, the cedar of Lebanon, 

 and that of the Atlas, are distinguished with the greatest ease 

 whilst young, but with difficulty when old. VA. 



Party Secession. 



By a rather curious structure of the muscles and bones of the 

 spine, the blind- worm is able to stiffen itself to such a degree 

 that on a slight pressure, or trifling blow, or even by the volun- 

 tary contraction of the body, the tail is snapped away from the 

 body, and on account of its proportionate length looks just as 

 if the creature had been broken in half. The object of this 

 curious property seems to be to insure the safety of the animal. 

 The severed tail retains, or rather acquires, an extraordinary 

 amount of irritability, and for several minutes after its amputa- 

 tion leaps and twists about with such violence that the atten- 

 tion of the foe is drawn to its singular vagaries, and the blind- 

 worm itself creeps quietly away to some place of shelter. Even 

 after the movements have ceased, they may again be excited by 

 touching the tail with a stick, or even with the finger, when it 

 will jump about with a vigour apparently undiminished. On 

 frequently repeating the process, however, the movements 

 become perceptibly less active, and after a while the only sign 



