Four feet, wings, and fins

Part I. Four Feet

FOUR FEET, WINGS AND FINS.

CHAPTER I.

TIRED.

" O, I am tired — just as tired as ever I can be ! " exclaimed little May Ellerton, petulantly, as she flung off her sun-hat and threw herself upon the lounge.

" And I am ' tarder ' 'an I tan be, lisped little fiveyear old Rose, brushing back her, damp, dishevelled hair with both chubby hands.

" I do wish you'd be careful, May," snapped her brother Frank. " You have thrown your old hat right down upon my sail-boat."

TIRED.

" Take your old boat," cried May, snatching up her hat and giving it a fling in another direction.

" I don't see why you children couldn't have staid out until I had finished my story," came languidly from another quarter.

" Mamma, I think it is real hard for you to make us to go out every day with that stupid Miss Claxton. She just scolds us the whole time ; and to-day she went so far as to slap Rose."

"Yes, mamma, just 'betauth' my foots were hot and I wanted to dip 'em down in 'e brook," complained little Rose.

" And she won't talk one word about anything nice. When we ask her about things she tells us to ' not bother ' her," said Frank.

Here a young, girlish looking lady, sitting on a low chair by the window, spoke :

" Aunt Myra, you know Miss Claxton is to go on Saturday, why can't I teach the children after she leaves.

" You ! " exclaimed her aunt.

" I know you doubt my qualifications, since I was brought up in such a tiny Western village ; but you must not forget that my father was a teacher as well as a preacher."

TIRED.

" O, Cousin Grace, if you only would ! " exclaimed the children, clustering around her.

" I don't know as I care, if you really wish it," said Mrs. Ellerton, lost in her book again.

" You won't make us take any more stupid walks, will you ? " asked May, pleadingly.

" I expect our walks to be the most pleasant feature of my instructions," smiled their cousin.

" Oh-h ! " groaned the children in chorus.

" Why, you are not as wide awake as Pat Ryan," laughed Grace. "He had his pockets crammed with curiosities he had picked up yesterday coming just in to Sunday-school, and right in the midst of the lesson he put a stop to everything by exhibiting one of them, his face one broad grin."

" ' Well, what is it ? ' I asked ; for every eye in the class was turned from me to Pat.

" ' A hop-toad, ma'am,' he answered, boldly.

" ' Is it alive t ' I asked, stretching out my hand for it.

" ' You better believe,' said Pat.

" ' I wouldn't touch it. Miss. It'll make warts a) over your hands," spoke up the smallest boy in tl class.

TIRED.

" ' O, no, I guess not,' said I — and then I began telling the children all I knew about toads. They all gave attention ; but Pat amused me as he sat with open eyes and mouth drinking in every word."

" Why don't you tell us something about the toad,"

ked Frank.

" Wait until we find one some time in one of our ks. The history of toads is far more interesting the most exciting fairy tale ; besides being all

\s go take a walk now'' said May, eagerly.

TIRED.

" You forget you are tired and never want to take any more walks," laughed their mother.

" After the toad subject had been exhausted," continued Grace, " Pat dived into his pocket and brought out a poor little dead mouse.

" ' A ground-mouse — killed it with a stun',' he grinned.

" Then I talked about the mouse trying to interest him in such a way as to make him feel ashamed of his cruelty ; but whether I succeeded or not, I don't know. After the mouse, he drew out two live beetles and a dead musquito, carefully rolled in a leaf, saying : ' It's the feathers. Miss, he is afther wearing on top of his head that takes my eye. I never noticed 'em till to-day ; and the little fellow was waiting outside for me after Sunday-school and said he wanted to know su'thin' about that musquiter.' "

" I wondered Sunday what you walked along with that Pat Ryan for," said Frank.

" After becoming satisfied about the mosquito, Pat was full of other questions. During the short time I was with him he pointed out to me a bat, two spiders, a humming-bird, some ants and corn-weevils. Nothing seemed to escape his restless eyes."

TIRED.

" Isn't it strange, that as a general thing, poor children take so much more interest in the study of nature?" said Mrs. Ellerton.

" The fact is due, I think, to rich children being too well supplied with playthings. They get their minds directed more to the skill of man, and are not thrown so much on their own resources for entertainment. I know that in my short walk with Pat he furnished me with enough subjects to represent nearly every department of zoology.'

" What is zoology ? " asked Frank.

" If you'll get pencil and paper and note down what I shall tell you, it may be of use to you during our walks."

" I tan't write," pouted little Rose.

" Come and sit in mamma's lap and she'll print for you," said Mrs. Ellerton.

" Zoology^' said Grace, " as soon as they were all ready, "is that part of natural history which tells us how animals are classed, how they are made, what they do, and all about their homes. Think now that zoology will be interesting ? For instance, suppose we take Pat's toad. Wouldn't you like to be able to tell how he is formed, what he does, and where he lives.?"

A Humming-bird.

'* I never thought anything about toads anyway," said Frank, " but come to remember, I know they do do funny things, sometimes."

" Now write under your heading of zoology : ' The Animal kingdom embraces five sub-kingdoms, Vertebrates; Articulates; Mollusks ; Radiates; Protozoans'

" Vertebrates mean all animals that have brains and spinal cords; like men, horses, snakes and fishes.

" Articulates mean having the body and members jointed, like a beetle, a wasp, a crab.

" Mollusks mean having a soft body without joints, like snails and oysters."

" Always thought snails and oysters were hard," spoke up Frank.

" The house they live in, you mean. Take a snail or oyster out of his shell and he is very soft."

" O, yes ! O, yes ! " said Frank, coloring.

" Radiates mean animals which are something like flowers, having their inner organs as well as their outer, radiately arranged, that is, — tracing from a centre — their mouths are in or near this centre, and some of them seem to grow from a stem, like a flower. Radiates include corals, star-fishes and jelly-fishes.

TIRED.

'' Protozoa7is are animals that have no proper mouths nor members, yet they eat and digest."

" I don't see how anything can eat without a mouth ! " said Frank, with very wide-open eyes.

" There may be seen a depression or sHght falHng in of the surface when they are absorbing their food. You might call that a mouth, I suppose. The sponge with which you rub your slate is the skeleton of one

TIRED.

of these Protozoans. When found attached to rocks and shells under water, it is always covered with a soft, jelly-like skin."

" IVe dot a piece of sponge," said Rose. " He's dot lots and lots of mouths. He tan't eat, but he can drink lots of water."

" Good for you," laughed Frank.

And Rose shook her curls and looked as wise as a little owl.

" I know I shall remember what protozoans are, they are so awful odd," remarked Mary.

" I know about vertebrates^ for I had it in my physiology," said Frank.

" We had articulate in our reading lessons," added May, " but I didn't know it meant such things too ! "

Frank laughed.

" No need to laugh," said Grace, " our word articulates, and reader-word articulate, are the same words only used in a different sense. Articulate, in zoology, is a noun, and means having the body and members jointed. Articulate, in your reading lesson, is a verb, and means to utter distinctly — that is, to have the sounds well-jointed, connected, yet distinct.

" There are two divisions of Articulates in zoology

TIRED.

— a Land Division and a Water Division. The Land Division breathe through pores arranged along their sides ; the Water Division by means of their gills. Insects belong to the Land Division ; crabs and lobsters to the Water Division."

" Then I have vertebrates, artictdates ^.nd protozoans stowed away all right," said Frank, tapping his forehead with his pencil.

" I know mollusks, too," said May, " for the word seems like fnush somehow, and mush is always soft. When I want to remember that word, all I shall have to do is to think of mush. There are radiates, too, — radiates have stems like flowers, isn't that it, Cousin Grace ? "

" Most of them."

" Then, are they always stationary in one place fastened to something by their stem } " asked Frank.

" O, no, they can move about. Each ray of their

bodies is supplied with soft, fleshy tubes which they

can push out and draw in again. With these tiny

tubes they often attach themselves fast to the rocks

with such force that you might think that they were

stationary, but they are not. Suddenly they unclasp

and float away. I saw a star-fish once which my

TIRED.

uncle brought home with him. It was about the color of straw and as large as the bottom of a common inkbottle. It was a perfect star, and looked more like the work of art than nature. They are covered with a hard crust, and this crust defends them from the smaller animals. You see how God cares even for the least of his creatures."

Rose was looking with great earnestness upon the speaker.

" What does mamma's little sweet remember about it ? " asked her mother, hugging her up tight.

" I dess I 'members mushy, soft animals the best," said the child, with a little sigh.

" Wait until we come to watch and see what the animals do and go where they live and look at them — Rose will remember as much as anybody," said Grace, encouragingly.

" Tell us more," pleaded the children.

" Not this afternoon, your ideas will get mixed. ' Little by little,' you know. Come to me as soon as vou are dressed to-morrow morning, and we will take our first walk as Wonder-seekers."

19'

CHAPTER II. THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica

The next morning the children awoke to find it raining, and went down stairs with sour faces.

" I'm just as mad as I can be ! " exclaimed May, the moment she saw her mamma and cousin.

" And Tm just madder," said little Rose. " The naughty rain to tum when we was goin' to take a wonder-walk."

" Don't be discouraged," said Cousin Grace. " I think there are subjects on the premises for to-day.

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

" Yes, there is the old cat," laughed Mrs. Ellerton.

''My kitties," said Rose, smoothing down her little white apron.

" May has a hen, and I a dog," laughed Frank.

" Good," said Grace. " Why, we have enough to last us several mornings. Suppose we do begin with puss ? Where is she ? "

Rose trotted out into the kitchen and soon returned with the nice white mother and her three little, downy, snowy kittens.

" This is very nice," said Grace, appropriating the purring matron to herself, leaving a kitten for each one of the children. " And now, what do we want to find out about cats } "

" How they are classed, how formed, what they do, and about their homes," answered May, quickly, fearful lest Frank should be the first to reply.

" Well, to what sub-kingdom does our pussy belong } "

The children fell to studying their papers like little sages.

Cousin Grace rubbed her hand meaningly, straight down Pussy's back.

" O, I know," said Frank. " To the vertebrates, because she has a backbone."

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

" Of course," added May, quickly.

" Yes, puss is a vertebrate ; and now we must next consider into how many classes the vertebrates are divided. To your pencils and papers now. Vertebrates, classes, four : Mammals ; Birds ; Reptiles ; Fishes.

" That is easy," said May.

" Well, then, to w^hich class do cats belong 1 "

" Why — a cat isn't a bird, nor a reptile, nor a fish. A cat must be a mammal^' reasoned May.

" What is a mammal ? " asked Grace.

" It ' thoundth ' like mamma," said Little Rose, puckering up her forehead.

" Yes, so it does, little love, and both words come from the same source. Mammal means breast. All animals who feed their little ones from their own bosoms are m^am.m,als. Pussy is a mammal because she nurses her kitties."

*' I sawed her," said little Rose, " and May's hen wath in the nest, too, laying eggs, and there wath four kitties then. There's only ' free ' now."

Grace looked enquiringly from one to the other.

" O, she says that," May explained, " because the first time she ever saw her little kittens they were in

« There Wath Four Kitties Then. '

a great, big basket, which papa had fixed up for a hen's nest. Wasn't it funny. Cousin, that the cat should go in there with her kittens ? And the funniest of all, the old hen wasn't scared a bit, but would jump on her nest, beside the kittens, and lay an ^^^ every day."

" Why, that is as good as my cat and pigeon story," said Grace. " I had a pigeon once that used to nestle down in the straw every day beside the house cat and her kittens ; and the cat seemed to actually enjoy the bird's society. Now to your papers again :

" Mammals are divided principally into four sub-divisions: Arckonts, Megasthenes, Mecrosthe7zes, and Ooticoidsr

" Yow we're come to something hard," said May.

" Archonts refer to man alone. We will have nothing more to do with that word ; but, please remember the other three. Megasthenes include the larger and more powerful mammals ; Mecrosthenes^ the smaller ; and Ooticoids, mammals which have a pouch for carrying their young ; such as the opossum and kangaroo."

" I suppose we can write it down," said May, " but I don't believe we shall ^z^^r remember.

" Well, then, suppose we forget them all for the present except Megasthenes, for it is to this division of mammals that cats belong ; and what I am going to tell you next is easier. To your papers, again. The orders of the Megasthenes are : First, Quadrumanes, which means animals like the monkeys, that have four limbs terminating in hands."

" I shall remember that," said Frank, '" from the word quadru which means four, and manis, hands. Quadrumanes means four-handed, does it not 1 "

" You are right. Then the second order are Camiverousr

" Flesh-eating," spoke up Frank, quickly.

" Yes ; and they have four limbs furnished with strong claws, like the lions, dogs and bears."

"Then pussy is carniveroMs'\^2AA May, "because she feeds on mice, and she is very carniverous because she has very sharp claws."

Grace gave the little girl an approving smile, and continued :

" The third order are Herbiverous. Instead of having claws like carniverous animals, they have hoofs and trifurcating teeth, such as horses and cattle."

Strange Friends.

" What does trifurcating mean ? " asked Frank.

" The word comes from tri, three, and furca, fork. Teeth with three forks. The fourth and last order are, Mutilates, They have fins in place of feet, and live in the water, like the whale and dolphin."

" You don't mean to say that the whale and dolphin are mammals ? " cried Frank. " I thought they were fish."

" No, they are mammals just as much as cats are. Mamma-whale never has but one little one to nurse at a time ; but she is very, very tender of that one, nursing it until it is a year old."

The children were much excited over this piece of information, and pleaded for more on the same subject.

" You forget we are talking about cats," said Grace. " The last we learned about puss, was that she is carniverous. Now for something that is not so hard. Rosie, dear, look at kitty's eyes. Are they like mine ? "

" No, ma'am," said Rose. " You have a round o in your eyes, but kitty has a I."

The children laughed, but Grace replied : " That is a bright little girl. Kitty's eyes are not like ours.

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

It is the strong light which draws the " o " up into a figure one in kitty's eyes. At night the one expands into an o. Now you see why kitty can see better in the dark than in the strong hght."

" How funny ! " exclaimed the children.

" It is wisdom," said Grace, " for the retina of the cat's eye is so very sensitive that it would be irritated by the rays of light had it not the power of contracting. In darkness it expands so that as many rays may pass as possible ; therefore is it that kitty seeks her prey chiefly at night."

" How is it with the eyes of the more powerful of the cat tribe, such as the lion ? As he seeks his prey by night, I suppose the formation of his eyes are the same as in cats," said the children's mother.

" They possess the power of contracting and expanding, but the pupil is always circular. Cats and hares I believe, are the only animals whose pupils contract into an up and down line, though in horses, oxen and a few others it forms a transverse bar, that is, a bar across."

" I am going to notice the eyes of everything I find after this," said Frank.

" That is the best way to' be certain," said Grace.

" And now, Rose, what do you suppose kitty's whiskers are for ? "

Rose looked puzzled.

" Let me tell you ; when all of kitty's whiskers are extended, they equal, from point to point, the width of her body, and then when stealing through a hole or any kind of covert though the light may be ever so imperfect, these whiskers, through the nicest feeling, point out the slightest thing in the way. With her whiskers she is enabled to approach noiselessly upon her unsuspecting prey. But shave kitty and she would lose lier fine sense of feeling and tumble around as clumsy as the clumsiest. Now look at kitty's claws and tell me why she keeps them folded v/hen she walks ? "

" So her hooks won't stick fast in the carpet, I dess," said Rose.

" And so they won't grow dull," smiled Grace ; " for pussy needs to have them very sharp, as they are her principal weapons of defense."

" Cousin Grace," said Frank, " I have stroked a cat's back when fire came out. How was it ? "

" The fur of the cat is generally so clean and dry, that it readily throws out electric sparks when stroked

THE FIRST . SUBJECT — Felis-domesticd,

in a dark room. That is what is called Frictional Electricity, — you will know all about it some day when you study natural philosophy. Kitty is very particular to keep herself clean, using her tongue both as a bath, sponge and a towel. As she cannot reach the top of her head or her ears with her tongue, she just wets a paw and then rubs it on all places which can not be reached by her tongue."

" Are cats deceitful ? " asked Frank.

" They have such a name. It is said they can charm a bird as well as a snake can. I don't think they have so much attachment for our persons as do dogs. Still some who have owned pet cats deny this vehemently. But they do love the habitations of men. Their organ of locality seems more fully developed than that of any other animal. I remember that I owned a cat once that seemed remarkable for nothing but theft. She not only preyed upon us, but, also, upon our nearest neighbor. This neighbor became tired of the cat's depredations, and, one day, being about to go several miles on a visit, tied puss up in a stout canvass bag and carried her eight miles before untying the bag and giving her her liberty, and then it was in a dense growth of wood. Some

A Happy Family.

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

two weeks later, as I was sitting out on the back door-step, who should walk up but kitty, and rub her soft fur against my dress. I could scarcely believe my own eyes. Puss was a great pet for a long time after that. Then, again, she disappeared, and as the weeks and months flew by ^without one word as to kitty's whereabouts, we never expected to see her again. I do think she was away some four months, when, one day, we heard a sicratch at the door, and, on opening it, w^ho should we see but old puss, and with her, six kittens. And, if we weren't surprised then we never were again."

The children laughed heartily.

" Cats can always be trained to be kind and affectionate, too, but they must be well fed," spoke up Mrs. Ellerton. " And if they are taken soon enough they can be taught to make companions of even birds and mice. That seems very strange, does it not } But I went to visit a place once where I saw a cat, two white mice, a rat and several birds all together. The rat was making a cushion of pussy's back, and a bird singing away perched right on kitty's head."

" That was wonderful," said Grace.

" Is kitty a native of America } " asked Frank, thoughtfully.

" I am glad you asked that question. It proves I've waked you up. No ; pussy is originally from the forests of Europe. It is believed they were first domesticated in Egypt."

" You don't mean to say that all cats were wild once like the wild cat ? ',' exclaimed Frank.

" I most assuredly do."

" Do wild cats look just like our cats ? " asked May, looking down distrustfully upon the kitten in her lap as if thinking seriously of putting it down.

"In the wild state they have a flatter and larger head, stronger limbs, shorter tail. Taking them into our homes and domesticating them sort of refines them both mentally and physically, aud they grow more comely and graceful."

" Cousin Grace, Fanny Frost has a beautiful bluegrey cat that she calls a Maltese. It seems to be a different creature from my cat."

" Well ; there are a great many varieties of domestic cats. The Maltese comes from the island of Malta, or Melita. You remember that was the island on which the Apostle Paul was wrecked. Then there are the black, yellow and white cats, called the Tortoise-shell. This kind is of Spanish origin.

Old Puss and Her Six Kittens.

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

They were brought over to this country by some of our earhest settlers, perhaps on Columbus' ships. Then there is the Persian cat, with very long fur on its neck and tail. But, to my mind, the most beautiful of all the domestic cats is the Angora. She has long silken hair of silvery whiteness, and comes from Angora in Turkey of Asia Minor. The Apostle Paul was also connected with this place ; for here he preached to the Galatians.

" I once read a beautiful description of an Angora cat. A gentleman named M. Sonnini, while in Egypt, had an Angora cat in his possession for several years. This cat was entirely covered with long, silken hairs of dazzling whiteness, her tail forming a magnificent plume, which she could elevate at pleasure over her body. Her nose and lips were of a delicate rose color. Her eyes were large, round and sparkling, one of them being a light yellow in color and the other a fine light blue.

" This cat was lovely in its manners and graceful in its movements. She was so gentle as never to try to resent an injury. She was very much attached to M. Sonnini, following him in his walks, and often caressing him, no matter if he was too much engaged

THE FIRST SUBJECT — Felis-domestica.

to pay her any attention. When he was absent she would call for him continually until he returned. In her sickness M. Sonnini remained beside her all the time, and when she drew her last faint breath, M. Sonnini's heart was filled with sorrow."

Little Rose took her mamma's face between both little hands and looked her coaxingly in the eyes : " Mamma, won't you buyed me a 'gora cat."

" If I ever come across one, it certainly will be a. great temptation after what Cousin Grace has told us," said mamma.

" There are a number of large, powerful animals belonging to the cat tribe ; but I will not tell you their names now, for we shall probably take them all up in the course of our lessons, and I wish to see if you are not able to designate them yourselves. Now, suppose we run up what you have learned to-day."

Frank began eagerly :

" Cats are known in zoology as vertebrates, because they have a spinal cord ; of the class mammals because they nurse their young — " here Frank paused..

" Megastheiies',' quickly spoke up May, " because cats belong to the larger and stronger animals ; and carniverous because they are flesh-eating."

THE FIRST SUBJECT — FeUs-domestua.

Here, as both paused, Grace added, " and of the genus felis, the Latin word for cat ; species, Felis-domestica, domestic cat. Write the classifications down on your papers, and then we are done for to-day," and Grace smiled approvingly upon each one of her little pupils, for she was very well satisfied with the ability they had displayed in this their first lesson.

CHAPTER III, THE SECOND LESSON — Canis-famUiaris

" Did you ever ? " cried May Ellerton, as she came down the second morning. " It is raining yet ! "

" You don't look quite so blue about it as you did yesterday," said her mother.

" No, for I know Cousin Grace will make it all right."

" All here } " asked Grace.

" I is," said little Rose, stepping forward and holding up her lips to be kissed.

Dogs and Dogs.

THE SECOND LESSON — C anis-famiUaris ,

" And here comes Frank, Well, shall we talk about Frank's dog or May's hen ? "

" About biddy," said May.

" Then we'll have to go out in the rain," said Frank ; " for who ever heard of a old hen coming into the house ? Take Prince, he's splendid, and will mind every word we say to him. We can bring hi77t into the house."

" Let us have Prince up then," said Grace ; and Frank went out to return proudly with his especial property.

" He's just as smart as he can be, Cousin Grace," said Frank, patting the dog on his head who stood wagging his tail at his master's feet.

" I haven't a doubt of it," said Grace.

•* I guess you'd say so if you know what he did last summer. You know Prince was grandpa's dog, and when May and I were there last summer Prince made friends of us right away. The very first day we were there I ran about so much that my feet swelled so that I couldn't get my boots off.

" Prince sat on the carpet watching me, panting too ; but when I gave it up, off he trotted, and returned with the boot-jack, which he laid at my feet.

THE SECOND LESSON — Caiiis-famUiaris.

Wasn't that cunning ? I thought so much of him after that, and he was so fond of me, too, grandpa made me a present of him when I came away ; and he has been just as faithful to me ever since as lie can be."

" Well," said Grace, " let us compare him with pussy and discover in what ways they resemble each other and in what they are unlike."

" He has a backbone like the cat, so lie inust belong to the vertebj^'ates^' said Frank.