TH]<; ANIMAL THEE 17 



if it did it would scratch my face ; but then it was full 

 of prickles when it was new, perhaps its backbone was 

 crumpled up ! " 



" I must try to make this Animal Kingdom and its 

 chief divisions more clear to you," said the Doctor, 

 pausing a minute as he looked across the pasture. "Do 

 you see that great chestnut tree yonder, with the thick 

 trunk and wide-spreading branches ? " 



" Yes, indeed," said Rap, " and it bears the fattest, 

 sweetest nuts of any tree hereabouts ; but it takes a 

 very hard frost to open them." 



" I remember how good the nuts used to be, but now 

 I want 30U all to notice the way in which the tree 

 grows. Above ground there is a thick straight part 

 which is called the trunk ; then this soon divides 

 into large branches. A little furtlier up these thick 

 branches separate into smaller branches yet, until they 

 end in little slender twigs. 



" The Animal Kingdom is like this tree in the way 

 in which the different members all are developed side 

 by side, interlacing and depending upon each other. It 

 is difficult to tell some of the lowest branches of the 

 animal tree from plants: as none of these animals of 

 the first branches have any backbones, they are called 

 Invertebrates, and their inside parts are held together 

 in a little tube." 



" Are birds on one of the high branches ? " asked 

 Dodo. 



" Yes, one of the very highest, next to the great 

 branch, where man himself sits, surrounded by all his 

 faithful four-footed friends, just as he is when he walks 

 about every day." 



