Show IF on PCs ow AM ell 14 EMB LA N C 1 NAT URE ROMAH 10 4 0 TRACE in natural objects a resemblance either structural or pictorial to other objects with which they have no real connect tl ti ii a Is a diverting pastime moreover though at first thought it may seem somewhat puerile it can in tact fact be turned to good sc account as a means of 0 stimulating the imagination and inducing tho the mind to embark upon a course of 0 truly scientific investigation which may lead to important discoveries this aepli applies es in particular to the training of 0 the youthful student all those who have gained experience as teachers will readily admit the initial difficulty which exists in arousing the intelligent interest of a class in study in other words something Is needed to set the machinery ot of the mind in motion for example a flower or an insect as such may fall to evoke the desired response but it if we can point out some cv calous ious or grotesque likeness which it bears to EL a familiar creature or thing ace e are able from this starting point to lead on by carefully tare tully fully planned stages to such great questions as structure natural affinity and 4 adaptation to environment when nature is in one of her imitative moods the products of her workshop frequently bear all the earmarks ear car marks of 0 a deliberate take fake occasionally they seem to have been conceived and executed in a spirit of sportiveness As art an indication ot of this mood the remarkable taira calra crab of japan which has lately attracted the attention ot of science stands forth as a conspicuous example in japanese tradition there la Is a story to the effect that many years ago a great naval battle was wa 8 fought in the sea of japan between betres n a force of pirates and japanese resulting in the total destruction of the pirate fleet the story continues that since bince that day all of the crabs of a certain species found on that part of the coast have borne on their backs the face of a japanese warrior an examination of oneff these crabs reveals at a glance the somewhat startling visage the hu manlike man like face is not only there and typically oriental in appearance at that but actually resembles the face ot of a drowned man with ith open mouth and greatly swollen features whether the japanese capanes 6 idea that the taira era crab I 1 b offers good evidence ot of the transmigration of the souls of 0 dead bodle bodies s sill into the bodies of 0 lower animals be accepted or not the phenomenon described Is certainly 11 1 41 very interesting another curious thing about this crab Is the fact that it Is equipped on its back with four short supplementary zaah 29 legs which are shown in the accompanying photograph at the co corners eners ui me mouth of the face so BO that it if accidentally turned upside down it Is able to run quite a as 8 well in that fashion as aa in KB its ordinary position the advantages of such an equipment will readily be appreciated by those who have witnessed the awkward efforts of other species of crabs turtles and various kinds hinds of bugs to right or propel the themselves when lying on their backs another remarkable example of typical racial features Is found in the barbone of a finback whale which was picked up on a norway beach it has all the features of a face of low caste with rounded cheek bones flat nose bridge small upper lip and receding jaw in general appearance however the face Is more like a death mask than that of a living person that this was not a freak formation Is proved by an examination of the ear bones of other finback whales at the smithsonian institution in washington all of which have substantially the same sama form in the plant kingdom natures imitations are ara equally astonishing and much more numerous than in either the animal or vegetable kingdoms there are aie several species of orchids for instance bearing popular names which suggest the likeness of 0 the flower to some member of the animal kingdom among them being the man orchid the bee orchid the spider orchid the lizard orchid and the holy ghost orchid while it Is true that some of the supposed likenesses are more or less lesa imaginative others are wonderfully distinct and will bear close scrutiny this Is particularly true of the holy ghost orchid which contains within each of its blossoms a pigeon with halt half spread wings it la Is necessary to view the blossom from squarely in front as in the case of the lower blossom shown in the accompanying photograph to get the full effect of the tha resemblance when viewed from this position the bird Is so BO perfect that it looks as it if ready to take flight the plant which Is a native of the isthmus of panama Is very rare there being perhaps not more than halt half a dozen specimens in the united states including two in the greenhouses of the white house at washington it grows sturdily but in order to thrive has to be kept in a hothouse hot housa with the temperature of a turkish bath in all of the instances referred to above the resemblance Is mainly due to the lip or of the bloom now orchids rank admittedly among the most highly specialized flowers while their extraordinary modifications are the tha result largely it if not entirely of 0 insect interference many of these flowers depend entirely upon the visits of insects for pollination and without the tha aid of these winged emissaries of cupid they are quite unable to get seed the la Is the recognized alighting platform upon which the insect stands while it probes the recesses of the flower in search of nectar and as orchids are so closely associated with insects we must assume that the special shape of the in each instance Is more or less definitely related to the convenience 0 of the guests that are specially catered for by the flower cower in question in certain instances this Is actually known to be the case throughout the great orchid family the exhibits an almost endless variety of configuration and we are justified in the assumption that each form Is exactly to attract or uphold si a particular kind of insect e 0 zar 3 A e V I 1 n RA I 1 r A |