PREHISTORIC SURVIVALS.

Shannon News, 30 January 1923, Page 4

PREHISTORIC SURVIVALS.

Many of the prehistoric beasts and rep'tiles arc still with though.we do not always recognise them.

The common hedgehog was one of them. He Jived and flourished in the English Isles thousands of years ago, as the rocks tell us in their unerring way. He owes his survival mainly to his prickles, his comfortable disposition and careful habits; and, seeing he is a useful little beast, nobody is sorry that he outlived the dragons of old. 'The common shrew is literally "as,. old as the hills." His remains have been found as deep as men have ever dug, and .that means a very ancient his-tory-indeed. The shrew is the smallest animal on the globe, and, despite his size, he is the champion "fly-weight" of the He also has a frightful temper, especially when "he" is a "she."' Hence the term "shrewd' ]

Turtles and tortoises are old-timers, too. The huge Galapagos tortoises at the Zoo are real "prehistorians"; and, in fact, all'the tortoise tribe is very ancient.

The armadillo, that horny-backed creature which lives in South-America, owes its parentage to an era when time was young. And even our old friend the elephant belongs to an ancient race, as well as our own companion, the horse.

The last mentioned represents civilisation, for ho has steadily* improved as time has gone on, whereas! the other creatures mentioned have generally deteriorated, being small in comparison with their far-off progenitors.