176 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



Many creatures, such as the scorpion, jelly-fish, 

 bees and wasps, to which further reference will 

 be found in these pages, make use of their power 

 to sting as a means of offence and defence ; the 

 llama repels the attack of an enemy by biting, 

 spitting, and striking out with its fore-feet ; the 

 horned toad or ceratophrys blows out its body to 

 an enormous size in order to frighten away its 

 foes, as also does the puff adder, which accompanies 

 the action with much hissing ; while the kangaroo, 

 besides employing its powerful legs for kicking 

 at an adversary, has been known to grasp a dog 

 between its fore-paws and then hold it under water 

 until it was drowned. 



The armadillos are well provided with the means 

 of defence, for their bodies, except upon the under 

 surface, are encased in a horn-like covering which 

 is arranged in numerous transverse bands. Even 

 for offensive purposes the cuirass appears to be 

 of service, for Mr. Hudson tells us that during a 

 combat between one of these creatures and a 

 poisonous snake, the former, after rushing upon 

 its foe and pinning it to the ground, then com- 

 menced to lacerate the reptile's body by pressing 

 upon it, and sawing backwards and forwards with 

 the edge of its shell. 



Few animals, if any, are better provided with 

 the means of offence and defence than the octopus, 

 or devil fish as it is sometimes called. As its name 

 implies, the creature possesses eight tapering and 

 mobile arms, each of which is furnished with a 

 double row of suckers situated upon their inner 



