Category: Nature/Gardening/Animals
The Ostriches are a very ancient group of birds, and, judging from what we know of their anatomy, they must be regarded as representing the most primitive of living birds. With the exception of a single group, to be discussed presently, all have lost the power of flight. In so...
Insects are easily distinguished from the other jointed animals by many salient characters. They have one pair of antennæ, two large compound eyes, composed of a great number of...
49. CHAPTER VII.The Sponges are regarded as a group standing on the borderland between the Polyps and the lowly organisms which follow. The familiar BATH- and TOILET-SPONGES of commerce represe...
7. CHAPTER VII.The Storks, Herons, and Pelican Tribe form a group of closely allied but externally very unlike birds, distantly related to the Petrels on the one hand, and the Cranes and Hawk...
20. CHAPTER III.The Lizard Tribe or Sub-order is notable as containing a greater number of specific forms than any other of the Reptilian groups, no less than 1,700 distinct species being descr...
9. CHAPTER IX.At one time the boundaries of this group were much larger than now, for within them were included at least one form which has since proved to belong to the Crane Tribe: we allud...
2. CHAPTER II.It is not easy in a few words exactly to define a "game-bird." Anatomical details aside, the most characteristic features are the small head and moderately long neck, and a comp...
22. CHAPTER V.The characteristic contour of a snake's body is too familiar to need elaborate description; its leading features are, in fact, so nearly approximated by certain of the legless l...
1. CHAPTER I.The Ostriches are a very ancient group of birds, and, judging from what we know of their anatomy, they must be regarded as representing the most primitive of living birds. With...
15. CHAPTER XV.Such an enormous host are included under this head--nearly 6,000 out of the total of 13,000 known birds--and so great are the difficulties connected with their systematic arrang...
17. CHAPTER XVII.The Shrike Family are an exceedingly interesting group of birds, of world-wide distribution and of great diversity of appearance, varying in size from a bird as small as a titmo...
19. CHAPTER II.The order of the Chelonians, including the Tortoises, Turtles, and Terrapins, with their allies, constitutes one of the most distinct and readily defined groups of the Reptile C...
11. CHAPTER XI."The art of taming wild animals," writes Mr. Jenks in his "History of Politics," "and making them serve the purposes of man, is one of the greatest discoveries of the world." He...
41. CHAPTER I.This section of animals is often called a "sub-kingdom," and differs from back-boned animals in having the framework of the body outside. That is, instead of a skeleton, Crabs,...
23. CHAPTER VI.The Amphibian Class, through the Newts and Salamanders more especially, would appear at first sight to have much in common with and to be most closely allied to the Lizards, pre...
12. CHAPTER XII.Crow-like birds of brilliant coloration, the ROLLERS have earned their name from the habit of occasionally rolling or turning over in their flight, after the manner of tumbler-p...
43. CHAPTER I.The Molluscan Group or Sub-kingdom represents one, if not the most important, of the invertebrate sections of living animals with relation both to its numbers and variety and in...
8. CHAPTER VIII.Familiar as are most of our readers with all save the first mentioned of these birds, yet few probably suspect how great a wealth of forms this group displays. All are more or l...
4. CHAPTER IV.The GUILLEMOT is found all around Britain, and breeds wherever the sea is fringed by cliffs affording ledges for the reception of the eggs. It breeds in colonies often numbering...
28. CHAPTER IV.Of the family of HAIR-TAILS perhaps the most important members are the SCABBARD- or FROST-FISH and the SNOEK. The first is common in the Mediterranean and the warmer parts of th...
16. CHAPTER XVI.Confined almost entirely to the Old World, where they are represented by more than one hundred species, many of which have undergone considerable specialisation in the matter of...
45. CHAPTER III.The somewhat varied assemblage of marine animals familiarly known as STAR-FISHES, FEATHER-STARS, BRITTLE-STARS, SEA-URCHINS, and SEA-CUCUMBERS all agree structurally with one an...
6. CHAPTER VI.The Grebes and Divers are representatives of an exceedingly ancient type, and are in many ways besides very interesting. Both are common British birds. The greater part of their...
27. CHAPTER III.For quaintness of shape, combined with beauty of coloration, the family of Scaly-finned Fishes has no rivals. The name by which they are collectively known refers to the scaly c...
10. CHAPTER X.It is probable that the NIGHT-JARS are the nearest allies of the Owls. As pointed out in the last chapter, although the latter have acquired the habits of the Hawk and Eagle Tri...
14. CHAPTER XIV.Gaudy in plumage, and somewhat ungainly in appearance, it must nevertheless be admitted that the TOUCANS form an exceedingly interesting group of birds. On account of their huge...
18. CHAPTER I.The Reptile Class, as defined by modern scientific limitations, includes among the living animals of the world the several groups of the Crocodiles, the Tortoises and Turtles, t...
38. CHAPTER XIV."King herring," as the trade-paper of the fishing industry rightly calls it, is one of the chief commercial fishes of the British seas, and the enormous North Sea herring fisher...
29. CHAPTER V.Ugly in appearance and carnivorous in habits, the Sucker-fish Family are distinguished by the presence of a large round sucker on the belly, with which they adhere to rocks. Fur...
31. CHAPTER VII.The fishes described in the present chapter form two well-marked groups, known as the TUFT-GILLED and the COMB-GILLED FISHES, on account of the peculiar arrangement of the gills...
48. CHAPTER VI.With the Sea-anemones and Jelly-fishes almost the lowest organised group of living animals is reached. As typified by an ordinary sea-anemone, the body may be described as a sim...
24. CHAPTER VII.The Newts and Salamanders, or Tailed Amphibians, are distinguished from the preceding group of the Frogs and Toads by the retention of a tail throughout life. In this manner the...
40. CHAPTER XVI.Two prevalent errors with reference to sharks continually recur in England. The first is local, and has reference to the absence of "proper" sharks, whatever that may mean, from...
37. CHAPTER XIII.Although the Salmon Family occupies a low place in the classification of fishes, yet every member thereof is possessed of singular beauty of form and colour. The ATLANTIC SALMON...
34. CHAPTER X.Eels, like flat-fishes, show plainly, in the shape of their bodies, a remarkably perfect adaptation to their environment. They are burrowing fishes, passing much of their time b...
21. CHAPTER IV.The CHAMÆLEONS differ in so many important structural points from the ordinary lizards that they are usually regarded now by scientists as a distinct reptilian sub-order. The es...
13. CHAPTER XIII.In the present chapter we deal with a number of birds of singular beauty and gracefulness. In their coloration green predominates, thus recalling the Rollers, Parrots, Plantain-...
30. CHAPTER VI.The members of the four families noticed in this chapter are remarkable for their wonderful coloration. The species of the first family, from their peculiarly striking resemblan...
36. CHAPTER XII.The Pikes are strictly fresh-water fishes, which are extremely voracious, and grow to a large size. They are met with in most of the fresh-waters of Europe, Asia, and America; y...
33. CHAPTER IX.The subterranean fresh-water caves of Cuba furnish the most interesting and most remarkable members of the family in certain small fishes known as CAVE-FISHES. Living in complet...
3. CHAPTER III.Pigeons, as a rule, are birds of wonderful powers of flight. The young, which never exceed two in number, are hatched perfectly blind and helpless, and but sparsely clothed. The...
5. CHAPTER V.Of the Bustards, the most interesting and important species is the GREAT BUSTARD. About a hundred years ago this magnificent bird might have been seen any day in such favoured l...
47. CHAPTER V.The WORMS and their allies embrace a numerous assemblage of animals which exhibit a remarkable amount of variation both in structure and habits. A fundamental distinction which...
39. CHAPTER XV.The present chapter deals with the remaining forms belonging to that great assemblage of fishes known as the Bony-mouthed group, which includes all the members of the class save...
32. CHAPTER VIII.The large and important Cod Family belongs to the order of Spineless Fishes and the group in which both sides of the head are symmetrical. The Common Cod, the Whiting, the Haddo...
25. CHAPTER I.Though amongst the lowest of the backboned animals, the Fishes are nevertheless an exceedingly interesting group, distinguished from all others by the possession of fins, which...
35. CHAPTER XI.The Carp Family, like the Perch group, is one of the largest among fishes. It includes the Rudd, Roach, Tench, Bream, Minnow, etc., and is divided into many groups, which again...
26. CHAPTER II.The thick-set, golden-bronze, dark-barred, hog-backed fish known as the PERCH has many striking characteristics, and is remarkable, among other things, for the vast number of it...
44. CHAPTER II.A little group of double-shelled creatures, formerly regarded as near allies of the Oysters and Mussels, are the LAMP-SHELLS. Their scientific appellation, signifying "arm foote...
46. CHAPTER IV.A little group of animals whose relationship with the sub-divisions previously and hereafter described cannot be very definitely determined is that of the MOSS-ANIMALS, sometime...