NIMALS

_"The spectacle of Nature is always new, for she is always
renewing the spectators. Life is her most exquisite invention;
and death is her expert contrivance to get plenty of life."_

--GOETHE'S _Aphorisms_ (trans. by HUXLEY).

Civilised nations throughout the world at different times in their
country's history have protected their soldiers and warriors with coats
of armour or mail. This practice prevailed extensively during the Middle
Ages; but it has almost entirely disappeared. The German breastplates of
to-day are an attempted revival. The coats of mail of the ancient
warriors underwent an evolutionary process, until they were indeed
brought to a high pitch of perfection and beauty. It was at this period
that they were abandoned as too burdensome to be of practical value.

This protective form of armour has been used by animals since time
immemorial, and was copied by man from them; and among the various forms
of it are found examples of every kind of armour used in the human
world, from the rough leather shields of hide which the savages use, to
the ornamental suits of mail, like those used by the knights of the
fifteenth century. Indeed, some animals have carried the art of
protection to such an extent that they are veritable movable forts, or
"tanks!"

In the early part of the earth's history, animals needed greater
protection from powerful enemies than they do at present, and they
developed a coat of mail, exquisite in appearance and even more
efficient than that used by man. Yet, like mankind, they have found
newer and more efficient methods of protection, and as a result of
changed conditions and enemies, have discarded, at least most of them,
their coats of mail and armour. Most of those who have held to the
old-fashioned ways of fighting and facing the world, have, like
unprogressive peoples, perished; and to-day only a few armour-bearing
animals exist. These classes, however, have never been very large, and
consist of two small families; the pangolins and the armadillos. The
former live in southern Asia and Africa, while the latter are
inhabitants of South America.

These animals have a great advantage over man, for their armour grows
upon their bodies and is a part of them, while man must put his on and
take it off and continually replace the worn-out parts. Again, while
there are only three distinct kinds of human armour--the chain, scale
and plate armour--there are many kinds of