John at the Zoo 



101 



a close resemblance to a centipede or larva. Query. — Is this 

 peculiarity in connection with the simulation by the body 

 colour of its surroundings made use of by the snake as a lure 

 for lizards or frogs ? 



Notes of a Visit with a Special Object. 



To-day let us look at the animals' noses. An animal's nose 

 is continuous with his upper lip. We will begin with the 

 Llamas. Take care that they don't bite you. Give a bit 

 of biscuit and note the movements of the upper lip. It 

 divides into two halves and opens in the middle. It is con- 

 structed like a divided skirt. The lower jaw and its teeth 

 project somewhat in front of the upper lip. We will next 

 go to the Giraffe's paddock. These friendly animals will put 

 over their heads and invite us to rub their noses and fore- 

 heads, and we can have a good look at them. The upper 

 lip is very different from that of the Llama. It is very large 

 and thick, and hangs over the mouth, everywhere concealing 

 the lip of the lower jaw. There is not a trace of any division. 

 It is quite whole. The nostrils are placed, as slits upon its 

 surface, four or five inches behind its front edge. The animal 

 can move this upper lip freely, and its size and projection are 

 such as to suggest a sort of trunk. There are plenty more of 

 these undivided upper lips to be seen in the gardens. The 

 Zebras, asses, indeed all relatives of the common horse, have 

 them. In the horse the upper lip is so large as to suggest 

 some use of it in gathering its food. It is obvious that the 

 Llama would be much hampered in using its cleft lip for 

 seizing things or for drawing grass, &c, into its mouth, a 

 horse, on the other hand, can do so easily. 



You will find many animals, the large deer for example, in 

 which it is difficult to say whether the upper lip is cleft or 

 not. It is partly cleft, and where the gap ends there begins 

 a black line which looks as if the two sides had been clumsily 

 joined together by a dark scar. It is not always easy to be 

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