PARROTS.

plainly, "No, I didn't!" Sometimes, when she is inclined to be mischievous, the maid threatens to beat

her, and she often says, "No, you won't." She calls the cat very plainly, saying, " Puss, puss," and then answers, "Mew;" but the most amusing part is, that whenever I want to make her call it, and for that purpose say, "Puss, puss," myself, she always answers "Mew," till I begin mewing, and then she begins calling "Puss" as quick as possible. She imitates every kind of noise, and barks so naturally, that I have known her to set all the dogs on the parade at Hampton Court barking; and I dare say, if the truth were known, wondering what was barking at them; and the consternation I have seen her cause in a party of cocks and hens, by her crowing and clucking, has been the most ludicrous thing possible."

With regard to reptiles, as they, for the most part, must necessarily swallow their prey entire, organs of taste, as in the case of fishes, would be of little use. The tongue, therefore, is generally an instrument by which the food is seized, and conveyed into the mouth.

The tongue of the chameleon is cylindrical, wormlike, capable of being greatly lengthened, and ending in a fleshy tubercle, lubricated with a viscid saliva. It is the only part of the creature which moves with

TONGUE OF THE CHAMELEON.

quickness. With the exception of the tubercle, forming the tip, it consists of a hollow tube, so contractile that when withdrawn into the throat it is folded in upon itself, somewhat in the way in which a pocket telescope is shut up. When fully protruded, the tongue reaches to a distance, at the least equal to that of the animal's body. Its movements are invariably rapid. An insect on a leaf, apparently at a hopeless distance, or a drop

Tongue of the Chameleon.

of water on a twig, disappears, as if by magic, before the chameleon. So unerring, too, is its aim, that an acute observer, who had kept many of these animals, remarked, in the hearing of the writer: "I never knew a chameleon miss his mark but once, and then the fly was on the other side of the glass."

A very erroneous view is often taken of serpents, to which it may be well here to allude. It is not the

TONGUE OF A RATTLESNAKE.

tongue which conveys the venom with which some are supplied; neither can they be said to sting. The fact is, that in each branch of the upper jaw is a long, recurved, pointed tooth, traversed by a canal, leading from a large gland situated beneath the eye. Here the fluid is secreted which passes through the tube

Tongue and Sting (Fang) of a Rattlesnake.

into the bottom of the wound which the poison-fang inflicts. The fatal wound is therefore produced, not by a sting, but a bite. When the fangs are not used, they lie concealed in a fold of the gum. When about to bite, the creature raises them up, and in the act of biting compresses the poison glands, and so distils a few drops of venom into the puncture.

TONGUES OF INSECTS.

The tongue of insects frequently differs from that with which larger animals are supplied, but in the locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and dragon-flies, it is rounded and fleshy, somewhat resembling that of quadrupeds.

The dragon-flies have, besides, a sort of palate, formed of a square fleshy cushion, beset, like the upper surface of their tongue, with small black tasters, ending in a short bristle. Other insects have been observed to have a similar provision. The hairs are supposed to be mechanically useful in securing food.

Some organs of insects are adapted to pump up the juices from the cups of flowers. Accordingly, the tongue is of great length, to enable them to reach the store of the nectar. It has been described by

TONGUES OF INSECTS.

Were

Professor Jones as representing, when unfolded, a long double whip-lash. If carefully examined under the microscope, each division is found to be made up of innumerable rings. These are connected together and moved by a double layer of spiral fibres, that wind in opposite directions round its walls. Each of the two long pieces forming this trunk is tubular, and, when placed in contact, it is seen that their edges lock together by means of minute teeth, forming a central canal leading to the opening of the mouth. Through this tube it is that liquids are imbibed. When not in use, it is curled up, and lodged beneath the head. The taste of insects must often be very acute. any of us to taste the fox-tail grass, we should find little, if any, difference between this and many others; and yet the caterpillar of the antler-moth will not touch this one, though it will devour greedily a great variety of other herbs. Other instances of discrimination, preference, and dislike, have often been observed. It seems probable, however, that the sense of taste is the least perfect of those enjoyed by bees. Contrary to the received opinion, they display, according to Huber, little choice in collecting honey; nor are they very nice in the quality of their water, for corrupted marshes and ditches appear to be preferred to limpid streams, and