Quadrupeds: or, outlines of a popular history of the class mammalia; with a particular notice of those mentioned in Scripture.

  • Religious Tract Society
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Quadrupeds: or, outlines of a popular history of the class mammalia; with a particular notice of those mentioned in Scripture. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    73/176 (page 59)
    CARNIVORA.] onward through a long vista of years to the pro¬ mised Messiah, in whom all the nations should he blessed. The Lord Jesus Christ, as the I^ion of the tribe of Judah,” Rev. v. 5, is terrible to his enemies, and full of majesty and glory. Those who trust in him shall find that his Divine power is employed for their protection, and none shall prevail against him. ^ j i In an opposite point of view, we find the wicked, the unrighteous, and even the various evils and difficulties “ of the way,” compared to this animal. The apostle Peter compares Satan to a roaring lion: “ Be sober, be vigilant; be¬ cause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he ™ay de¬ vour : whom resist stedfast in the faith, 1 Pet. V. 8, 9. It is time, however, that we pass on to con¬ sider some of the mechanical contrivances in the structure of the organs of this animal, which dis¬ play the most admirable design and skill. The bones of the fore limbs of the Lion are remark¬ able for their strength and firmness, and the muscles for their denseness and extraordinary development; nor are those of the jaws and neck less poAverful. On stripping the skin from these parts, we have one of the finest displays of the beau ideal of muscular development which it is possible to conceive. The tongue is rough, with horny papillse, the sense of taste being pro¬ bably somewhat dull. .The hearing is highly acute; and the sight adapted for nocturnal vi- - sion. ’ But it is in the mechanism of the paws that we are presented with a most elaborate piece of work. Let it be borne in mind, that the Lion, as we have said, creeps silently towards his prey, and then bounds upon it with a twenty or thirty feet, hearing it to the earth with an ir¬ resistible impetus. Now, if we take one of the fore-paws and examine it, we find it softly cushion¬ ed below, no formidable talon visible, and the I. whole mass heavy, but sinewy flexible That a sinewy and flexible structure with great strength is needed by an animal wbich bounds upon its prey, and whose habits require a free and active foot, is at once apparent; but why, in addition, is the sole padded with a soft springy cushion of granular fat, two inches in thickness, with a similar but smaller one on the base of each toe? The design of these springy pads, (represented in the accompanying sketch, which we have taken expressly for the purpose,) is two¬ fold. First, to render the tread so noiseless, that no foot-fall may alarm the quick-eared prey ; and secondly, that the jar or concussion produced by the violence of the bound may be broken, so that neither the shoulder nor spine shall receive a shock from the forcible descent of so heavy a body propelled by powers so amazing. And why are not the talons visible ? These are drawn back into sheaths, so that the point of each only just peeps out, but hid beneath the fur, and ele¬ vated far above the ground by the pulpy pad be¬ low, in order that they may be unworn and un¬ blunted, so as ever to be ready for service: by a curious contrivance they can be sheathed and un¬ sheathed at pleasure. Thus the Lion, at play with his cubs or mate, uses an unarmed paw in his gambols, and only throws out these formid¬ able weapons when he strikes in anger. By a single blow he can rip up the side of a horse or buffalo. Our annexed sketch represents one of II. the toes, a, with the claw sheathed, the hair being a little thrown back, so as to leave the point visible, which would otherwise be quite covered ; the same toe, b, with the claw unsheath¬ ed, as in the act of striking, is here given. III. To understand the mechanical contrivance of these claws we must refer to the following sketches.