D. Fishes.
L. Beside fishes, there are other things; such as lobsters, crabs, oysters, clams, and many other creatures.
D. Yes; but these are fishes,—are they not, mother?
M. They are called shell-fish, but they are quite distinct from fishes, properly so called. The latter have no legs, and possess fins, by which they push themselves along in the water. They have a long skeleton, upon which the flesh is formed; whereas, in the shell-fish, there is no interior skeleton, but the flesh and muscles are attached to an exterior shell. Thus you see that the whole structure of the proper fishes and of the shell fish are very distinct.
D. That is very curious, indeed; but there are some creatures that live partly in water and partly on the land.
M. Yes; and these are called amphibious.
L. That puts me in mind of a story, mother. A traveller went once to the Tower of London, to see the wild animals. There was a man there who made it his business to show them and describe them. Well, there was a young alligator among the animals, and when the showman came to describe him, he said, “Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a halligator, which came from Merriky, in the state of Georgia; it was ketched in the great river Mississippi, which runs all the way up hill. This creature is amphibious, which means that he cannot live in the water and dies on the land; he is six feet and a ’alf from the tip of his tail to the tip of his nose, and seven feet ten inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. Like all Merrikens, the halligator is fond of young niggers, and the night afore he was ketched, he made his supper upon two of them!”
M. That story is absurd enough; though it is quite true that the showman at the Tower of London, does tell some queer stories. If he makes such mistakes and shows such prejudice, in respect to our country, as the story represents, he is certainly like many English travellers, who ought to know better. I think Mr. Dickens, who writes such nonsense about our country, should be employed to show the animals at the Tower. But let me now ask what class of animals live entirely on the land?
L. Quadrupeds, or four-footed beasts.
M. That is right; most quadrupeds spend their time wholly on the land; the only one of them that can fly, is the bat; and this creature is formed almost as much like a bird as a four-footed beast. Some of the amphibious animals, such as lizards, toads, frogs and tortoises, are quadrupeds; and though these creatures live a part of their time in the water, most of them still spend the greater portion of their time on the land.