686 Marvels of the Universe 
and gradually fell away, allowing movements of the air to disperse the light spores and carry them 
far and wide. 
I have selected this Myxy—known as Brefeldia—because of its large size ; but most of the species 
differ from it in being small and stalked. The reason for considering the “‘ Myxies”’ as animals is 
based upon their movements and method of feeding as swarm-cells ; whilst the formation of the 
sporangia and production of a multitude of spores is more akin to the behaviour of plants. 
isle SIPIURAL SIPIBAIR Ol? Talla, INAIRWIEUAIL 
BY W. P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S. 
ALL the whales are marvellous, but there are some species which impress us as being more so than 
others, and the Narwhal is one of these. During its early years it might well be mistaken for an 
Photo by) [Doubleday, Page & Co. 
WARNING MARKINGS. 
The violent contrast of the black and white rings and the fine markings of the head tell their own tale of danger. 
unusually pale-coloured porpoise, and it is further remarkable for its toothless condition—such teeth 
as it had having disappeared soon after birth. But in due course a curious transformation takes place, 
at any rate, in the male—the upper lip becoming pierced by a tusk which eventually attains a 
length of some seven or eight feet—half the length of the entire animal. This tusk, like those of 
the elephant, answers to one of the incisors, the left, but it differs from all other known teeth in 
being spirally coiled; the spiral being left-handed. On rare occasions animals with two tusks of 
equal size are met with, but such occasions are very rare: usually the right remains within its 
socket, a mere shrivelled peg which never even cuts the gum. Where two tusks are present the 
spirals are usually both left-handed ; but specimens are on record where the right tusk has a right- 
handed spiral. 
