I know an old gentleman.seventy years of age who has just cut his third set of teeth, but this is an extremely rare occurrence. Every adult person has thirty-two teeth-four cutting teeth in front, six canine, three at each side, and six molar or grinders, three each side

on each jaw. I know an old lady who used to puzzle me very much when I was a child, by telling me that she had not a single tooth in her head, and never had The fact was, all her teeth were large and double-that is, with double roots or prongs; but I never

one.

16. What fact is mentioned respecting a man seventy years old? How many teeth has an adult person? What are they? Do all have both single and double teeth?

heard before of a similar instance, and think it must be very rare.

17. To preserve the beauty of our teeth, and to prevent their troubling us by aching, we must clean them thoroughly with gold water as often as once every day, particularly in the morning, and it would be better if this were done immediately after each meal. It was not intended by our Creator that we should lose our teeth at the age of twenty or thirty, and frequently before that time, or that art should take the place of nature by giving us artificial teeth.

18. Indians and negroes have, almost universally, beautifully white teeth; and they are made of the same materials; the same bone, the same lime forms them that is found in ours. Why then is there this difference? It must be either in the manner their food is prepared, as to heat or cold, or to the care they take of them.

19. Let us look at some of the teeth of different animals. I will first tell you that animals are called either carnivorous, herbivorous, or graminivorous. I will explain to you what these words mean, and then you can understand and always remember them. Those animals are called carnivorous which feed on flesh of other animals, as the lion, bear, tiger, etc. Those which live on grass, herbs, and vegetables, are called herbivorous, as the cow, sheep, etc. The grami

Did our Creator

17. How can the beauty of teeth be preserved? intend to give us teeth that would not last us through life? How does art take the place of nature? 18. What kind of teeth have negroes and Indians? Do their teeth differ from ours in quality? In what must the difference consist? 19. Into what three classes are animals divided? What animals are called carnivorous? What animals are called herbiv orous? What animals are called graminivorous?

nivorous are those which can feed either on herbs or flesh.

20. The carnivorous animals have sharp teeth, usually two on the upper jaw and two on the under, at the sides which project more than the rest, called tusks. The rodentia are those animals sometimes called gnawers, as the squirrel, chip-muck, beaver, etc. The beaver gnaws down large trees with its teeth to build its house. The mouse and rat, you all know, gnaw holes in boards whenever they can.

21. The bear and lion kill and tear in pieces their prey-the smaller animals on which they feed-and they therefore need stronger and sharper teeth than the cow and sheep, which live in peace with their neighbors, and never seek to take their life.

22. There is a small carnivorous animal, the mink, which has very little, but sharp teeth.

23. To see them, children, you might imagine that he must be a dear little creature to have such fine pretty teeth; but he has a very fierce and cruel disposition. A gentleman once set a trap to catch some musk-rats,

20. What kind of teeth have the carnivorous animals? What animals belong to the class called rodentia? What are some of the animals that belong to this class? 21. Why do the bear and lion require stronger teeth than the cow and sheep? 22. What is said of the mink's teeth? 23. What kind of an animal would some judge him to be from his teeth?

TEETH OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS.

37

and it was his custom to give them to his dog to devour when they were caught.

24. One day a little mink found its way into the trap, and as usual was consigned to the dog. As the dog opened his mouth to seize the mink, the little animal stuck his sharp teeth through his tongue, and in spite of all the beatings and endeavors of the boys and men to get him away, they were unable to do so till they killed him; and then they were obliged to pry open his teeth. The poor dog could do nothing but stand still, so sudden and unexpected was the attack of the mink.

25. Some animals have no teeth, as hens and fowls, but they have a gizzard where their food is ground after they have swallowed it, which answers the place of a stomach and teeth.

Those creatures called the ant-eaters are destitute of teeth, but have a long slender tongue, which they thrust into the habitations of ants, and then draw it back covered with these little animals, which adhere to it on account of the thick saliva with which it is covered.

26. Wood-peckers have a long straight beak, fitted for piercing and splitting open the barks of trees; also a long slender tongue, covered toward the end with sharp bristles, which are turned backward, and covered with thick saliva; by which means they are enabled to get worms on which to feed. Serpents have sharp teeth bent backward.

24. Relate an anecdote of a mink. 25. What animals have no teeth, and with what are they supplied? What is said of the ant-eaters? 26. What peculiarity is there in the wood-pecker? How are the teeth of serpents constructed?

27. Some are venomous and dangerous, and others do no injury, or scarcely ever bite at all. The venomous are armed with fangs, for infusing poison into wounds. These fangs are situated at the root of the teeth, in the upper jaw, and contain a little poisonous fluid, which is secreted by a gland under the eye, and which passes down to the fang by a little canal. When the tooth pierces the flesh, a portion of the fluid also enters the wound, and unless removed immediately, circulates by the blood throughout the system, and causes death.

28. When the fangs are broken or injured, they are renewed or grow again, and when not in use, are hidden from our sight by the gum. Those who tame snakes and play with them, generally remove the fangs, and keep them without water, which renders them comparatively harmless; yet they are dangerous playthings. If we had time, this would be a very interesting subject to pursue farther, but we must proceed to other bones of the body.

29. As we leave the teeth, the next principal bone which we see is the back-bone or spine. I have heard many ludicrous questions asked by larger children than any of you. Yes, even men and women have wished to know if they had some spine in their back-bone. This question showed their ignorance, for they should have known that the spine and the back-bone were the same thing.

30. The spine is not one straight bone, as many sup

27. With what are venomous serpents armed? Describe these fangs. 28. Are the fangs ever renewed? How are snakes tamed and rendered harmless? 29. What important bone will be next described? What mistake have persons frequently made in regard to the spine?