110 nature's teachings. 



driven over their own ranjows, and then the slaughter is 

 terrible. 



Some years ago a number of sketches were taken on the spot 

 from scenes in the Chinese war. Among them was one that 

 was absolutely terrible in its grotesqueness. It represented a 

 piece of ground thickly planted with ranjows, over which the 

 Chinese who had fixed them had been driven. They were 

 simply hung with human bodies in all imaginable and unima- 

 ginable attitudes, some transfixed on a single ranjow, and 

 others hanging on three or four, the body and limbs being 

 alike pierced by them. 



That ranjows were once used in Great Britain is evident from 

 a discovery made by Col. Lane Fox. He had been excavating 

 the soil around an old Irish fort, and deep beneath the bog he 

 found a vast quantity of ranjows still set as the ancient 

 warriors had left them. They were evidently used to defend 

 a passage leading to the fort, and all of them were carefully set 

 with their points outwards. Col. L. Fox was good enough to 

 present me with several of these ancient weapons, which are 

 now in my collection. 



On the left is seen a piece of ground strewed with Caltrops, 

 or Crow's-feet, as they are sometimes called. These very 

 unpleasant implements are made of iron, and have four sharp 

 points, all radiating from one centre, so that no matter how 

 they may be thrown, one point must be uppermost. They are 

 used chiefly for the purpose of impeding cavalry, but I should 

 think, judging from the specimens which I have seen, that 

 infantry would find them very awkward impediments. 



As for natural ranjows, they are so numerous that only a 

 very few examples can be given. 



The most perfect and most familiar example is, perhaps, the 

 common Hedgehog, which, when rolled up, displays an array 

 of sharp points so judiciously disposed, that it fears but very 

 few foes. The same may be said of the Australian Echidna, 

 or Porcupine Ant-eater, and the Porcupine itself. Whether the 

 radiating bristles of the larva of the Tiger-moth, commonly 

 called the "Woolly Bear, come under the same category, I can- 

 not say, but think it very likely. 



