bill is so soft it does not interfere with 

 sucking, but it hardens after the animal 

 is weaned. The feet are curiously 

 adapted to both swimming- and digging. 

 When the Platypus digs, the web on the 

 fore feet folds back, so as not to interfere 

 with the process of digging." 



"I do not think there is a 'Q' animal," 

 said John. 



"The Quaggia is one. It resembles the 

 Zebra, and has its name from the cry, 

 which sounds like 'qua-cha.' It is some- 

 times harnessed and driven. It is so 

 brave and fearless that in South Africa 

 it is used to defend horses when turned 

 out to pasture at night, by being placed 

 in the same field. 



"The Ratel is a honey thief. Nature 

 has prepared it for its depredations by 

 giving it a thick fur on a loose skin, so 

 the angry bees cannot sting it very suc- 

 cessfully. 



"There are several kinds of Shrews, 

 but none of them especially remarkable 

 except for the fact that superstition has 

 endowed them with awesome attributes. 

 Formerly to be 'shrew-struck' was worse 

 than to be snake-bit, yet the little crea- 

 ture of the elongated nose is perfectly 

 harmless." • 



"I wonder if the women nicknamed 

 Shrews are not also maligned?" said 

 Alice. 



"Perhaps so; but it will be safer for 

 you to imitate the manners of the inno- 

 cent little animal. It never scolds. 



"The Tamanier and Tamandua are 

 both ant-eaters. They have long, pecul- 

 iar tongues, moistened with an adhesive 

 liquid, which they use to convey food to 

 their mouths. They have curious feet, 

 and are in every way adapted to their 

 vocation of checking the too great mul- 

 tiplication of ants in tropical countries." 



"I do wonder how ants taste," queried 

 Madge. 



"I know," cried John. "I bit one and 

 it was sour." 



"You horrid boy!" screamed the 

 girls. 



"O, it was an accident," explained 

 John. 



"The Urson, or Canadian Porcupine, 

 lives on a curious kind of food," Aunt 

 Jane proceeded. "It is the living bark of 

 trees which it strips clear from the 



branches, beginning at the top and work- 

 ing downward. It strips the trees in a 

 straight row, one after another, some- 

 times killing a hundred in one winter. 

 Another peculiarity of the Urson is that 

 its teeth are a bright orange. 



"The Vicugua is the animal which can 

 not be tamed in spite of the most patient 

 efforts to domesticate it. Its habits are 

 somewhat like the Chamois, and its home 

 near the perpetual snows. The Wombat, 

 according to the natives of Australia, per- 

 forms the curious feat of walking into a 

 river as deliberately as if on dry land and 

 not discomfited by the water, it walks 

 down the bed of the stream and emerges 

 on the opposite bank, calmly proceeding 

 on its way." 



"That sounds like a fish story," said 

 John. 



"The girls would admire the Yak, on 

 account of its beautiful, white tail, which 

 is used for many ornamental purposes. 

 Its long mane is also used to weave into 

 cloth or to make into rope. Unfortunately, 

 the Yak has a poor voice, and grunts like 

 a pig. 



"The Zebu is also an oxlike creature, 

 with heavy dewlaps, long ears, and a 

 hump on its neck. It is unusually intel- 

 ligent. One variety is the sacred bull of 

 Bramah. It is held in such veneration 

 in India that it is allowed to do exactly 

 as it pleases, and every whim is 

 humored." 



"I think, then," observed John, "that 

 when I transmigrate into an animal, I'll 

 be a Zebu." 



"I've been thinking," said Howard 



"Listen !" Edith cried, "Howard says 

 he has actually been thinking. We thought 

 Aunt Jane had talked him sound asleep, 

 he kept so still." 



"I've been thinking," continued How- 

 ard, "that as likely as not animals first 

 invented games. The Otter slides down 

 ice banks on his back again and again 

 for amusement. He was the first tobog- 

 ganer, I'm sure." 



"We will consider the games of ani- 

 mals some other time," Aunt Jane re- 

 plied; "but I'm glad our little talk has 

 set you thinking. Thought is the chief 

 thing which distinguishes man from and 

 places him at the head of all other ani- 

 mals. Belle Paxon Drury. 



227 



