Claw

“ Sometimes we find a simple pair of claws on each foot, in other cases each claw has a little spur, whilst spiders, which, by the way, are not insects, have comb-like claws. The foot of the house-fly is not only provided with a pair of claws, but also with a soft fleshy pad, by means of which it is enabled to climb window panes and similar smooth surfaces. If we are fortunate enough to obtain a specimen of a louse, human or otherwise, we must not fail to notice its strong grasping claw, used for taking a firm hold of the hair of the creature on which it lives. ”

“ We also observe that one of the pincers is much larger than the other, and the value of such an arrangement may be estimated when we see the animal at home. The smaller claw, together with the other appendages used for walking or prehension, can be retracted within the shell, but the large claw, which constitutes a formidable weapon of attack and defence, is not only in such a position as to be ready for immediate use; but, lying as it does in front of the body, with other portions hidden more or less behind it, it serves the purpose of a shield when the animal retires. ”

“ There were thirteen, but there are only twelve now, for one fell out of the window. We keep them in a pan, and they fight each other a great deal. A good many have some of their claws bitten off, and in the morning I find a stray claw floating on the top of the water. ”

“ In slip claw the bird is unable to grasp the perch normally because the back claw is bent forward between the front claws. Treat by binding the affected claw back against the shank of the leg with adhesive tape. ”

“ Birds of prey strike with the claw, not with the beak, as some artists would have us believe; hence the size of the claws of any particular bird of prey affords a safe index of the magnitude of its quarry. The more formidable the claw, the larger the prey. No matter how large a raptorial bird be, if its claws are small and feeble, it feeds either upon carrion or tiny creatures.
The shikra is said to live chiefly upon lizards; but it makes no bones about taking a sparrow or other small bird, a mouse, or even a rat. ”

“ In the young Nightjar at first the peculiarity in question is not observable, and Macgillivray remarked that in a fully-fledged young bird shot early in September, the middle claw had only half the number of serrations which are usually discernible in the adult. He says:—“All birds whose middle claw is serrated have that claw elongated, and furnished with a very thin edge. It therefore appears that the serration is produced by the splitting of the edge of the claw after the bird has used it, but whether in consequence of pressure caused by standing or grasping can only be conjectured.” ”

“ The bird has marvellous control of its flight, and has a way of poising itself in the air with the wings meeting above the back, like the wings of the dove in a Scripture-book picture. The serrated claw on the middle toe is probably used for catching prey, and for clearing away fragments that cling round the gaping mouth; while the long bristles that grow from the jaws entangle moths as in a net, as the bird flies with mouth wide open. ”

“ As soon as one claw goes, another takes its place, but it is some time before the new one gets as long and strong as the old one. You will notice quite a difference between the two large claws, or forceps. In one, the teeth are large and blunt (Fig. 17) , and in the other they are very sharp (Fig. 18) .
The blunt-toothed pincers the lobster uses as an anchor to moor himself, while with the other he attacks and seizes his prey. So much for the great claws, or chelaæ. The next three pair are called maxillipedes, or foot-jaws, because they act both as teeth and feet (Fig. 15) . ”

“ Falling off of the Claw.—There is another injury to which the claws of the dog are exposed, and the cause of which in no instance have I been able to trace. The toe becomes hot, swollen, and inflamed; the animal walks lame, or upon three legs. Whenever the particular claw in fault is touched, the cries of the dog sufficiently testify that the seat of the disease has been found. ”

“ The longer the otter studied that gray, prowling, shadowy shape, with the wide eyes, the powerful hunched hind-quarters, the long and ripping claws, the less certain he felt of his ability to handle it, the more surely did his fighting lust cool down. ”

“ They are therefore compelled to inhabit an empty shell, into which they thrust themselves, holding to the bottom of it by their tail, while a large claw guards the entrance. When the animal gets too big for his house he moves to another, leaving the old home for another hermit of the shore. ”

“ They are found in all warm countries, with the exception of New Zealand, and may easily be known by two facts. In the first place, in front of the legs they have a pair of great, strong claws, which look very much like those of a crab. And in the second place, the last five joints of the body are narrowed into a long, slender tail, at the end of which is a claw-like sting. ”

“ Moreover, we must assume that the char­ac­ter­is­tic form of the claw is a “function” of its magnitude; the knobbiness is a phenomenon coincident with growth, and we never, under any circumstances, find the smaller claw with big crushing teeth and the big claw with little serrated ones. There are many other somewhat similar cases where size and form are manifestly correlated, and we have already seen, to some extent, that the phenomenon of growth is accompanied by certain ratios of velocity that lead inevitably to changes of form. ”

“ Some writers have questioned the truth of the generally-received opinion that the new parts of the crab are derived from the old: that, for instance, a claw is regenerated within a claw, a limb within a limb, eyes within the eyes, and that on exuviation each is withdrawn from the pre-existing organ as from a sheath. ”

“ The comb-like divisions of the inner edge of the middle claw, which we find in all the Herons, have given rise to no little difference of opinion on the subject of their intended purpose. The structure is found in widely different birds, such as the Nightjar among the Fissirostral Passeres, and the Frigate-bird among the Pelecanidæ. From our own observation, we have no doubt of its object being the freeing of the plumage from insect—parasites. ”

“ During the night, also, they place sentinels on guard, each of which holds a little stone in its claw: if the bird should happen to fall asleep, the claw becomes relaxed, and the stone falls to the ground, and so convicts it of neglect. ”

“ Mayburn, "the Talegalla of the prince of ornithologists, Gould. The massy claw is a striking characteristic, so conformable to the habits and haunts of the bird, enabling it to run amongst the bush, or climb trees to escape its enemies, the chief of which is the Dingo, or native dog, which has been rather troublesome to us from its nocturnal yelping than from its appearance. Now, concluding this to be the Talegalla, we must endeavor to discover the remarkable nest of this bird, which, like the ostrich, leaves its eggs to be hatched by the sun. These eggs we are told are delicious ”

“ A remarkable feature connected with the tuft at the tip of the tail of the lion is the frequent presence of a horny spur or claw, the function of which is still unknown, although it is certain that it is not employed, as was once thought to be the case, to goad the animal into fury when the tail is lashed against the flanks. ”

“ A giant claw – sixteen feet high; with distended pincers gaping, it shoved out, to be followed by a body so vast that it completely filled the rim of the cavern. A hideous unbelievable body! A giant crab-creature, an evolutive development of normal tangible dimensions, tho its customary habitat probably extended into the upper rarefied veins of the satellite. ”

“ Claws very long, hind toe much shorter than its claw; upper parts very dark olivaceous-brown, with a slight tinge of red, which is more conspicuous on the rump and outer webs of the tail-feathers, and margins of the wings and quills; sides of the neck and body and feathers of legs similar, the rest white with dark brown triangular spots, lower tail-coverts brown, broadly margined with pale dull yellow. ”

“ A family distinguished by complete sexual dimorphism, the species of which are provided with tracheæ; the legs have five segments; the terminal segments of the front pair of legs of both sexes possess a claw; the terminal segment of the posterior pair of legs of the male likewise has a claw. In the female this pair of legs, like the second and third pairs of both sexes, is provided with two hooklets and a sucking disc. The cuticle of the body on the back is “annulated.” ”

“ The Crabs are carnivorous, and in general they are very active, wandering continually in search of prey, which they seize when observed with their claws. How is our little Broad-claw to live, clinging fast to his cranny, which he forsakes not from one month's end to another. ”

“ As Dunmore and I were strolling along a small lagoon overgrown with water-lilies, he pointed out to me a pretty graceful little bird, about the size of a jack-snipe, but with longer legs, and most extraordinary claws. I am ashamed to say I shot this poor little fellow, to examine him, and found that each toe measured at least three inches from the leg to the extremity of the claw. This is to enable the bird to run along safely over the floating leaves of the lotus, on which plant it seems to get its living. ”

“ The fleshy root of the thumb claw is smaller and more flexible than the others. The sole of the paw is hard, and the upper part is covered with the common hair, down to the roots of the claws which it overhangs. The hind legs are less strong and muscular than the fore; their length, to the sole, is five inches and five tenths; the distance between, seven inches and five tenths. ”

“ When disturbed they make a shrill noise like the faint chirping of a bird—by rubbing, it is said, the ridged surface of the last joint of the right great claw against the sharp edge of the second joint. ”

“ But nature found a way of overcoming the difficulty by incasing the claws in sheaths so that while the paw of the animal is still inside the carcass, the claw can be withdrawn into the sheath and the paw removed without hindrance. Perfection in nature extends even to such trifles as this. ”

“ In general, heavy claws are better for a heavy man, light for a light. Ten-point claws are better than eight for a large foot, and six-point claws are hardly worth their weight in carrying. A heavy claw, with long, sharp points, which suffer in contact with rock, is worth its extra weight if some big ice expedition is in prospect. ”

“ Günther, who had some young Nightjars for some time in confinement, tells me that the only use which he found the birds to make of this pectinated claw was to scratch the surface of a chair or sofa on which they were sitting. Thus it may be a useful appendage in scratching or distributing the earth for the purpose of seeking its food. ”

“ They are furnished with five strong feline claws on each hind foot, but not placed like fingers and thumb, all grasping or hooking the same way, each claw forming two-thirds of a circle. Except when flying, they roost on trees, always hanging by the hinder claws, the head downwards. ”

“ A claw, a shoulder-blade, a condyle, a leg or arm bone, or any other bone separately considered, enables us to discover the description of teeth to which they have belonged; so also reciprocally we may determine the form of the other bones from the teeth. Thus, commencing our investigation by a careful survey of any one bone by itself, a person who is sufficiently master of the laws of organic structure may, as it were, reconstruct the whole animal to which that bone had belonged. ”

“ She showed a tiny phial of gray jade wonderfully carven in the shape of a dragon and stoppered with a dragon's claw of gold that held a tiny ball of crystal. Within were some pellets of dull orange color.
"These are to be taken one every hour," she said, "dissolved in hot water. I have already taken one and I can feel a tingling in my numb finger." ”

“ As soon as the birds had again filled the grave with the earth, they flew away, and a short time after returned, holding in their beaks, one by the wing and the other by a claw, the criminal bird, who uttered dreadful screams, and made violent efforts to escape. ”

“ The terminal joint is commonly clavate, and bears either one or two claws at the tip; the latter number being by far the most general. These claws are simple, bifid, dentate on their under edge, or serrate. Between the claws we often perceive a smaller one, which is named the spurious claw (pseudonychia) , and in many families two small membranous cushions are present, which act like sucking cups, and enable the insect to support itself against gravity. Membranous lobes of a similar kind are frequently attached to the underside of the tarsal joints. ”

“ So, too, our earliest known bird, the archæopteryx, had three free claws on its fore-limb or undeveloped wing; and traces of such claws turn up in sundry unconnected birds even now, no doubt by reversion to the almost forgotten ancestral type. In all modern birds, one of the three fingers which make up the pinion still remains free; and in some species this finger supports an evident claw, sometimes used as a spur for the purpose of fighting. ”

“ If one examines the powerful pincers of a crab or lobster, a thin plate of considerable size will be seen to extend within from the movable ‘jaw’ to give attachment to the muscles by which it is moved, and it seems impossible that this can be removed with the cast skin without considerable injury to the new claw that is already formed, though as yet in a soft condition, within the old and hard one. ”