NPPF - Canto One and Two notes

[Mary Krimmel]

At 10:59 AM 7/29/03 -0400, Jasper Fidget wrote:

>Incidentally, juvenile cicadas are called "nymphs", and burrow underground
>for usually 13 or 17 years (depends on species, but always tends to be a
>primary number for some reason), then lives only 2-6 weeks as an adult.

You mean prime number, I think. I have read that the "survival of the 
fittest" evolution theories see 13,  17 etc. cycles as clear evidence of 
selection to confound enemies who are on more conventional cycles such as 2 
or 4 years. With no other theory in sight, this makes sense to me.

Re previous notes (Canto One):

Some one asked and I think that no one answered whether cod-liver oil 
tastes fishy. It does.

And I believe that someone misunderstood Aunt Maud's interest in the next 
babe's cry. To me the next babe's cry is evidence of the successful 
delivery of another healthy baby, a joyful occasion that can bring a thrill 
to a spinster as well as to a labor-spent mother (or father!).

The notes on this list are all interesting and helpful to me, a newcomer 
and first-time reader of Vineland.

Mary Krimmel