THE LASSO -THRO WERS. 
young Gaucho learns to play with the 
almost as soon as he can walk, amuses him elf by 
catching young birds and Other animals ro 
father's hut, throwing out the long lash SO skilfully 
that the noose falls over their bodies and brin 
to his feet. As soon as he can ride he carries the 
sport farther, galloping wildly over the plains swing- 
ing the cord round his head and letting fly at the 
ostriches, the wild cattle, and horses, or when he is 
a man, even at the jaguar or the puma. Such is the 
lasso as man uses it, consisting of a long cord or 
thong thrown with exquisite skill. 
Now among animals, as we have already seen, any 
weapons they are to p. 
use must be such as 1 9 
grow upon the body, ; 
and we should little 
suspect thatasimple 
jelly-animal could be 
provided with a lasso 
ready grown within 
its flesh. Yet so it 
is. In that division 
of life's children, 
standing \\\ rank just 
above the sponges Tht fresh-water 1 
r , .- weed in 
we lmd a weapon 01 
..... . . 1. The lo 
this kind as Simple, | ma Hanimals caught ii 
S3 deadly, and fat armed hydra t tl 
more wonderful in ! 
its action than the lasSO Of the Ahum' 
In almost any wayside pond in Er 
