File:Scientific American Volume 75 Number 21 (November 1896) (1896) (14800724153).jpg

Identifier: scientific-american-1896-11-21 (find matches)
Title: Scientific American Volume 75 Number 21 (November 1896)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
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Subjects: scientific tbe american patent tion wild valve dogs scientific american munn cast iron building edition candle power coast defense rapid transit corn pith hunting dogs rapid fire american supplement
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wv ILLUSION OF THE DECAPITATED PRINCESS. but a larger and finer animal, known as the polar orglacier hare. The American form ranges from thenorth to the middle portions of the country, and inregions away from the extreme north changes onlyslightly or imperfectly. As the cold comes on, its darkcoat fades to a lighter hue, becoming pronounced insummer again. The protection afforded these animals in the farnorth is almost perfect, as it is almost impossible to dis-tinguish them from the snow. When they run theyseem to be swallowed up in the field of white. The principal four-footed enemy of the white hare isthe Arctic fox, that is endowed with a similar protec-tion. It is one of the smallest foxes known, and cer-tainly one of the most beautiful. In summer, whenthe ground is bare or covered with verdure, the little
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THE DECAPITATED PRINCESS-EXPLANATION OF ILLUSION, animal has a silky fur, bluish or brownish gray. Thislasts until the snow comes, when the coat graduallychanges. The hair becomes longer and thicker, especial-ly on the tail and feet, which are densely furred, andby midwinter, or before, it is pure white, without asuspicion of its summer hue.If the winter and summer pelage be contrasted, it will hardly seem possible that they represent the sameanimal. The fox is a very cunning and intelligentcreature, as all Arctic travelers have discovered. It isan inveterate thief, stealing for the pleasure of stealing,taking from the Vega explorers not only food, butknives, forks, ammunition, sacks, shoes and stockings.When the men slept they would crawl under the robesand nose them, and if those awakeheld their breath, pretending to bedead, the foxes would begin to nib-ble them, and when frightened offwould carry away a hat, mittens,or anything that came in the way.If followed, one of the foxes wou

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