Mel Lincoln Journal (undated)

Many reptiles are surprisingly slow in attaining maturity and live to an age attained by few other animals. Turtles live fully one hundred years and probably the same is true of the crocodile and aligators [alligators] and some of the larger snakes. There [Their] enemies are few therefore the most of them usually die a natural death.

Throughout life all reptiles periodicly [periodically] shed their skin; in the males and some of the lizards the skin of the lips loosens and the animal slips foreward [forward] out of its skin. The even hoofed animals walk on two digits, two smaller hoofed toes being often plainly visible a short distant [distance] up the leg as in the cow or pig. In the whales the hind limbs have completely disappeared.

The lowest mamals [mammals], the monotrems (ornathorhynchus) or duck-mole living in the Australian rivers. These are the only mamals [mammals] which lay eggs. It looks something like a muskrat, has a bill some what similar to that of a shovelar duck and a tail some what similar to that of a beaver. It not only lays eggs, but sits on them to hatch them out and later nurses the young.

The Opposems [opossums] and Kangaroos (Marsupialia) are a higher type; they do not any eggs, but alow [allow] the young to develop within the body for a very short time only. Hence the young when born are scarcely more than an inch in length and are blind, and

and perfectly helpless. At once they are placed by the mother in the pouch of skin or marsupian on the underside of her body. In this pouch the young are suckeled [suckled] and protected until they can take care of themselves.

The rodents or gnaws (gleares) are a large group of mamals [mammals] including such forms as the rats, mice, squirrels, gophers, and rabbits. They are distinguished by their clawed feet and their large curved incisors; unlike ordinary teeth they grow continually and owing to the restriction of the hard enamel to their front surfaces, they ware [wear] away behind faster than in front, thus producing a chisellike cutting edge.

The largest of our native rodents is the porcupine which sometimes attains a length of nearly two feet. They feed on leaves and grass and grain and are apt to be very destructive

Among the insect eating animals (insectivera) are the shrews and moles; the later [latter] make their burrows with their shovel like feet, devouring insects, which fall in their way. Their eyes are extremely small owing to their mode of living.

The bats, (Churoptra) are also insectiverous. The forearm and fingers of the fore limbs are greatly elongated, and are connected by a thin papery, membrance, which also includes the hind limbs and tail, and serves as an efficient organ of flight.

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The whales, porpoise, and dolphins, (Cete) are aqatic [aquatic] mamals [mammals] bearing near relation to fishes only external form; the tail terminates in a horizontaly [horizontally] placed fin. No external sign of hind limbs exist, while the fore arms are short and capable of being moved only as a whole. External ears are absent. The eyes are exceedingly small and are often placed at the corner of the mouth; the nasal openings, often known as blow holes, are situated on the forehead, and as the whale comes to the surface for air, afford an out let for a stream of breath and vapor often blown high in the air -- a process known as spouting. The larger whales with open mouth swim through the water until they collect a sufficient quantity of jelly fishes, snails, snails, and crustacia, then closing the mouth, strain out the water through the whale bone fringes and swallow the residue. The smaller whales are provided with teeth, for example porpoises and dolphins.

The animals of this order are all most wholly devoid of hair, but the heat of the body is retained by a thick layer of fat beneath the skin called "blubber." The whales bear one, rarely two off spring, which are attended by the mother