liin

ytfAavyaiH

.0$ ANGELA

^ nt rr1 5
0 d| I

^ i

so O

^ £) *<r
= i1-^

< i^T3»

•^OJITVJ-Ji

| §

§ ^

^lOS-ANCElf,r> ^-LIBRARY/?

~ & -*

BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

b

THE DRAUGHT HORSE.

BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

For human fellowship, as being void

Of sympathy, and therefore dead alike

To love and friendship both, that is not pleased

With sight of animals enjoying life,

Nor feels their happiness augments his own."

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON:
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY ;

Instituted 1799-

SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER ROW, AND 65,
ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD.

WIN.

CONTENTS.

THE STAG, OR RED DEER.

Page

Remarkable production of the Stag's horns — Their great strength — The
number of their ramifications more numerous formerly — The strength
of the Stag varies with different seasons — The chase in early times —
Treatment of Forest Deer — Their courage and strength when pursued —
Influence of music on these animals — Four Stags driven in a phaeton
instead of^horses — Their capacity of instruction — Parental feeling of the
hind 1

THE FALLOW DEER.

Growth of the horns of these animals — The merciful adaptation of these
creatures to their circumstances — Singular provision of two breathing
places at the corner of each eye — Tame state of Fallow Deer — Exten-
sive forests or chases once allotted to them — Ingenuity sometimes dis-
covered in obtaining food

THE ROEBUCK.

Pi

One of the most elegant of our native Deer — It abounds in Scotland —
Difference between it and the Stag and Fallow Deer — Its life is
shortened by domestic servitude — A considerable range, air, an exer-
cise, and a variety of food, necessary to its welfare — Singular cry of
these animals

THE SHEEP.

Early mention of this animal — Immense flocks in some parts of Pales-
tine— Simplicity of Sheep husbandry — Names given to Sheep — The
Shepherd's horn or pipe — Britain long possessed of Sheep — Variety of
breeds — Strength of the principle of imitation — Intelligence of Sheep
— Their foresight of storms — Attachment of wild breeds to the place in
which they were bred — Their courage — Strong affection of the Sheep
for its young 15

THE ASS

Wild Ass of the East— The domestic kind in that part of the earth far
superior to our own — To ride on one in the days of the Judges was no
common distinction— Employment of Asses in husbandry— Their use
in crossing the deserts of Asia — Their ability for labour — Remarkable
journey of one of these animals — Their dulness and stubbornness, the
consequence of ill-treatment — Singular sagacity of an Ass — Effect of
kindness 30

THE FOX.

Page

Qualities of this animal — Stratagems in pursuit of food — His sagacity in
the choice and structure of his abode — Instances of his subtlety in the
chase — Failure of his cunning on some occasions 37

THE HORSE.

Early domestication of this animal— The horses of Arabia— Attachment
of their owners to them — Remarkable instances — Use of Horses by the
Ancient Britons — The Cavalry Horse— Sublime description in the book
of Job — Effects of discipline — Universal Peace to be desired — The Road
Horse — Only means of conveyance in former times — Instances of saga-
city— The Coach Horse — Slow travelling comparatively recent — Speed
of mail and stage coaches — Breaking of Horses — Remarkable power of
a rustic — Horses like to be together — Strong attachment between ani-
mals of the same species — The Suffolk Punch — The Galloway — Speed
and power of these creatures — Amusing stories of some of them — A word
for those who cannot plead for themselves 41

THE CAT.

The Wild Cat — The Domestic Cat — Value of these creatures in former
days and now— "The Raphael of Cats"— Unjustifiable attachment to
these animals — Several proofs of their great sagacity— Care for their
young — Cats capable of gratitude — Remarkable fact— Singular affection
between a Cat and a Dog b'4

THE SQUIRREL.

Page

Pleasing appearance of this animal — Its ingenuity as apparent in its nest
— Its watchfulness and frugality — Blindness of the instinct of accumu-
lation— The Squirrel may be rendered very familiar — Amusing instance
of this — The Squirrel exposed to a considerable change of colour in the
northern regions 77

THE MOLE.

Commonness of this animal — It exhibits several varieties as to colour — Its
structure calculated to awaken admiration — Singular arrangement of its
dwelling — Provision made for the winter — Value of Moles to the farmer
— Curious instance of the swimming of these animals ....

THE OX.

Man greatly indebted to this creature — Jabal the father of such as have
cattle — Who taught man to bend the neck of the Ox to the yoke ? —
State of the Ancient Britons — Parent race of the Ox — Wild cattle at
Chillingham — Breeds of cattle now found in our country — Summer
pasturing in the Highlands— A mischievous Bull— Watchfulness and
honesty of one of these animals — Sympathy displayed by cattle towards
others of their kind — Qualities of the Devon Ox — Influence of simple
music— Sagacity of the Ox in South Africa — The Cow— The offering
of the red Heifer under the law— Usefulness of the Cow— Anecdotes

THE SHREW.

Page

The Common Shrew — The Water Shrew — Interesting account of its
habits . • 113

THE BADGER.

Description of the animal — Its favourite haunts — Its structure fitted
for its work— Modes of catching Badgers — When taken young, they
may be easily and completely tamed — Strong affection of one of
them 116

THE OTTER.

Structure of this creature — Its habitation — Superstition in reference to
a leader or king of these animals — Otters in the northern parts of Scot-
land frequent the sea— Dread of them by fishes— An Irish Otter— The
Otter may be tamed — Use of one of the Asiatic species— Affection of
Otters for their offspring — Pleasing sight in the Zoological Gardens,
Regent's Park 1

THE DOG.

The canine races probably derived from the Wolf — Story of one belong-
ing to M. F. Cuvier — Reference to the Dog in Scripture — Treatment
of this animal in the East — Its noble qualities in favourable circum-
stances— The Mastiff — Useful for domestic purposes — The Shepherd's
Dog — Its great value — Fidelity of one of these creatures — Sagacity of

X CONTENTS.

Page

another after a snow-storm — Singular service rendered to a child — The
thief detected by his Dog— Sin will find out the transgressor— The
Bloodhound — An instance of its power— The Pointer — Anecdotes —
Attachment of a Pointer to a China Goose — The Spaniel — Singular
proof of its memory and affection — Story of Dr. Walsh's Dog Quail —
Instances of strong attachment — The carnage of battle stopped by the
sight of a Dog— The Water Dog— Remarkable fact— The Terrier-
Anecdotes — The Newfoundland Dog — Deliverance from drowning and
fire by this animal — The power of one variously displayed — An intem-
perate man rescued from death by means of his Dog . . . .126

THE GOAT.

Its peculiar qualities— The Goats of Switzerland— These animals the
leaders of large flocks of Sheep from the plains of Aries towards the
Alps — Strong attachment of a Goat 1/0

THE BAT.

Admirable adaptation of the Bat for flight — Various uses of the flying
membrane— Analogies in other animals— Habits of the Bat— The long-
eared Bat— The Barbastelle —Unwarrantable prejudice against these
creatures • 1"5

THE HEDGEHOG.

Uncommon mode of defence — Wanton assaults on the Hedgehog con-
demned— Account of one — Familiarity of others 181

THE POLECAT.

PI

Destructiveness of this species— The fondness of the Polecat for Frogs
and Eels .... . ]

THE WEAZEL.

Great antipathy of this animal to Rats and Mice— Its tenacity as to its
prey — The ingenuity of an inferior enemy may outmatch violence and
rapine — A man attacked by a colony of Weazels — The Weazel may be
domesticated— Account of one kept by a lady 187

THE STOAT.

Benevolence of God in special provision for his creatures — Change in the
covering of the Stoat — The end designed by it 1Q5

THE FERRET.

Its antipathy to Rabbits — Mode of using Ferrets — Instance of singular
ferocity 198

THE MARTEN.

This animal is distinguished by its structure from the Weazel— The Com-
mon and the Pine Marten — Anecdotes — Value of the Marten's fur . . 201

THE HOG.

Pago

Use of the Hog in Minorca and Italy — The Swineherd and his colony in
the New Forest— Value of the Pig to the cottager— It readily adapts
itself to change — Its sympathy with its kind — Sagacity of several of
these creatures — The Pig capable of attachment to man — Abundance of
these animals in one of the South Sea Islands — Gratifying fact . . 204

THE RABBIT.

This animal differs from the Hare — Care of the Rabbit for her young —
Deference of a family of Rabbits for their first ancestor— Courage of
these creatures — Their value for food and for fur 213

THE HARE.

Enemies of this animal — It is capable of domestication — Cowper's account
of Puss, Tiney, and Bess— The Alpine Hare 218

THE DORMOUSE.
Habits of this animal— Account of one of them 228

THE MOUSE.

Strange repugnance to this delicate little creature — It is sometimes for-
midable from numbers — Ingenuity of a Mouse — Another devoid of fear
from a Cat — Sensibility of Mice to music — Anecdotes . . . .2

THE HARVEST MOUSE.

Page

The smallest of British quadrupeds — Structure of its nest — Taming of one
of them 236

THE RAT.

The black and the brown Rat — A Rat may be sociable with other creatures
—Austin's cage on the Southwark and Waterloo Bridges— Attachment
of animals of different species — Sagacity of a Rat — Conclusion — Limit-
ation of instinct — The faculties of the soul — The great end of life . . 242

LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.

The Draught Horse Frontispiece.

Page

The Red Deer 4

The Fallow Deer 10

The Sheep 22

The Ass 34

The Fox , 38

The Domestic Cat 66

The Squirrel 78

The Chillingham Bull 92

The Badger 116

The Otter 120

The Shepherd's Dog 132

The Bloodhound 140

XVI LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.

Page

The Water Dog 154

The Terrier 156

The Newfoundland Dog 160

The Goat 1/0

The Bat i;6

The Marten 202

The Hog 204

The Rabbit 214

The Hare 218

The Harvest Mouse 236

The Rat 242

BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

THE STAG OR RED DEER.

THE stag of the European forests is a fine animal,
with large branching horns, which are annually lost
and re-produced. This process is very remarkable,
since a stag's horn, weighing, perhaps, twenty-five
pounds, is completely formed in ten weeks. It grows
from the outer table of the skull, and has around it
a tender soft covering, full of vessels ; but when it
has acquired its full form and strength, this velvet
substance is destroyed in a very curious manner. At
the root of the horn, near the skull, a circle of tu-
bercles, called the burr, is found j the principal vessels
run between these tubercles, and, as they grow, they
close in on the ascending blood-vessels, and prevent

B

Z BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

their conveying blood to the horn ; the membrane
then becomes insensible and dead, and in time is
rubbed off.

The separation of this portion is called fraying ; and
the huntsman can judge of the size and strength of the
stag by the fraying-post, that is, the height of the tree
against which he has been butting and rubbing his
horns, to separate the outer covering. When this is
detached, the horns are perfect.

That the horns are of great strength, is evident
from the furious contests in which these animals en-
gage. In one of our museums there are two sets
of antlers, entangled and wedged together; they be-
longed to two stags, which had struck so fiercely
against each other, that they could not withdraw their
horns, and thus strangely locked together, they were
found dead.

It is a curious fact, not generally known, that at one
time the horns of stags grew into a much greater
number of ramifications than at the present day.
There is one in the museum of Hesse Cassel with
twenty-eight antlers. Baron Cuvier mentions another
with sixty-six, or thirty-three on each horn. It is
supposed by some, that the difference arose from the
greater abundance of food, and from the animal having

more repose before population became so dense, and
thus living to a greater age.

The strength of the stag varies with different seasons.
Sometimes he prefers for food the broom and heath, at
others he resorts to copses, springs, and corn-fields ;
and these changes in his herbage correspond with those
in his condition. For a time, he contends with his
fellows, but at length strife ceases, and he feeds at peace
with his former foes. Now absorption takes place at
the root of the horns, and they are shed. Sometimes
one is borne a considerable time after the other has
fallen; but the oldest and strongest stags shed their
antlers the soonest. It is also a remarkable circum-
stance, that from the absorption at the root of the horn
a slight shock will now detach it, though before it could
bear the united force of stags when engaged in
combat.

One of the most common avocations of the English
nobility, in early times, was the hunting of these ani-
mals. Among the higher orders of the Anglo-Saxons
it was a favourite pursuit ; and so fond was the Nor-
man Conqueror William of the chase, that he ordered
a large tract of land near Winchester, in Hampshire,
to be enclosed, and planted with forest trees. It con-
tained at this period many hamlets, thirty villages, farm-

4 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

houses, and cottages ; but their inhabitants were most
barbarously turned out, without any recompense ; and
the New Forest, as it was and is still called, remains,
a memorial of "William's great injustice and cruelty.
R«d deer are still found in this place, and in the forest
of Martindale, Cumberland, as well as in other parts
of England, and also among the mountains of Scotland
and Ireland.

The adult stag is from three feet six inches, to four
feet high at the shoulders, and the horns seldom reach
three feet in length. The male is sometimes called a
hart, the female is a hind, the young one is a fawn.
The ancients supposed the stag to be very long-lived,
but the latest observations allow him scarcely more than
twenty years, which is probably less than his average
life in those countries where he can feed and range
undisturbed by man. Yet even now, in some of the
deer-forests of Scotland, the stag occasionally attains a
great age. Mr. Scrope mentions some well-attested in-
stances in recent times, of deer, which it was ascer-
tained were more than a hundred years old.

Forest deer, though pasturing at large, seldom stray
far from their walk ; and the keeper, who wishes them
not to wander, encourages them to stay at home, by
giving them in summer the spray of ash, and in winter,

THE RED DEER.

THE STAG. 5

holly and other plants, of which they are fond. As he
comes forth to bestow his favours, he makes a noise,
which in calm summer evenings may be heard resound-
ing through the woods, to call his scattered family
together.

Retiring in the day to the shelter of the woods, they
feed generally at night, or in the morning ; reminding
us of the poet's words : —

" The day pours in apace,
And opens all the lawny prospect wide ;
The hazy woods, the mountain's misty top,
Swell in the sight; while o'er the forest glade
The wild deer trip ; and often turning, gaze
At early passengers."

Men without guns, horses, or carriages, excite the
curiosity of the stag more than his fears. In passing
through a forest in August or September, however, if
we see one of these animals at a distance, it will be best
to avoid him, by turning to the right or left. If we
do not approach, he will not pursue. The oldest
foresters, it is said, do not remember an instance of
voluntary mischief done at any time by a stag. He
is soon sensible, however, of the advance of foes.

" The an tiered monarch of the waste
Sprung from his heathery couch in haste ;

6 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

But, ere his fleet career he took,

The dew-drops from his flanks he shook ;

Like crested leader proud and high,

Tossed his beamed frontlet to the sky ;

A moment gazed, and down the dale

A moment snuffed the tainted gale ;

A moment listened to the cry,

That thickened as the chase drew nigh ;

Then, as the headmost foes appeared,

With one brave bound the copse he cleared."

Thus pursued, he will not stop to resist the dogs, or
stand at bay, until he is exhausted, or driven to the
water. With all his senses very acute, his courage is
determined; even at the last, he is sometimes capa-
ble of amazing effort. In the New Forest there is
a celebrated spot, called the Deer-leap, where a stag
was once shot, and in the agony of death, collecting all
his strength, he gave a bound, which astonished all who
saw it. It is marked out by two posts, fixed at the
extremities of the leap, and the space between them is
something more than fifty-four feet !

The stag, it appears, like some other creatures, feels
the influence of music. Playford tells us, that as he
once travelled near Royston, he met a herd of these
animals, amounting to about twenty, following a bag-
pipe and violin on the road ; while the music played,
they went forward, when it ceased, they all stood still,

and in this manner they were brought out of Yorkshire
to Hampton Court.

The late Lord Oxford did many eccentric things, and
among them was his driving four red-deer stags in a
phaeton, instead of horses. These he reduced to
perfect discipline, for his excursions and short journeys
on the road. Unhappily for him, however, on one
occasion, the ears of his singular steeds were saluted by
the cry of a pack of hounds, which soon after crossing
the road in the rear, caught scent of them, and
commenced a new kind of pursuit. In vain did his
lordship exert all his charioteering skill, and his
grooms endeavour to ride before the stags ; reins,
trammels, and the weight of the carriage were of no
eifect, for they went with amazing swiftness. They had
often been driven before to the Ram Inn, at New-
market, and it was well for them and their driver, that
this was now at hand. Into the yard they suddenly
bounded, to the great consternation of all the persons it
contained. Here they were overpowered, and the stags,
the phaeton, and his lordship, were instantaneously
huddled together in a barn, just as the hounds appeared
in full cry at the gate. We conclude that his lordship
did not again expose himself to a similar chase.

Delacroix leads us to suppose that the stag is capable

0 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

of much instruction. "When I was at Compeigne," he
says, " my friends took me to a German, who exhibited
a wonderful stag. As soon as we had taken our seats
in a large room, he was introduced. The stag was of
an elegant form and majestic structure, his aspect at
once animated and gentle. He first made a profound
obeisance to the company as he entered, by bowing his
head ; after which he paid his respects to each individual
of us in the same manner. He next carried about a
small stick in his mouth, to each end of which a small
taper was attached. He was then blindfolded, and, at
the beat of a drum, fell upon his knees, and laid his
head on the ground. When the word pardon was pro-
nounced, he instantly sprung upon his feet. Dice were
thrown on the head of a drum, and he told the numbers
that were cast up by bowing his head so many times.
He discharged a pistol, by drawing with his teeth a
string that was tied to the trigger. He fired a small
cannon by means of a match that was fastened to his
right foot, without showing any signs of fear. He
leaped several times, with the greatest agility, through a
hoop, which his master held at a man's height from the
ground. At length, the exhibition was closed by his
eating a handful of oats from the head of a drum, which
a person was beating the whole time with the utmost

violence. Almost everything was done with as much
steadiness, as it could have been accomplished by the
best trained dog."

The hind displays fully the parental feeling. Often
has she been found to suffer all the terrors of the chase,
in order to draw off the dogs from the hiding-place of
her offspring. She is exceedingly bold in their defence,
exhibiting the most determined courage, and frequently
obliging the dog, and even the wolf, to give way.

THE FALLOW DEER.

THIS animal is inferior in size to the common stag,
and may be seen in parks throughout England. The
male is horned ; it is called a buck, the female a doe, and
the young one a fawn.

The first year, no horns are to be seen on the fawn ;
the second, when it is styled a pricket, the horns are
simple dags, or processes ; the third, two branches
appear, and the palms begin to be visible; but it is
the fifth year before the animal is considered " a buck
of the first head ;" after this time the horns only in-
crease in volume.

The head of these animals is furnished with two
breathing places besides the nostrils. When thirsty,
they plunge their noses very deep under water, and
continue them there while drinking a considerable time.
But, to prevent inconvenience, they open these two
vents, one at the inner corner of each eye. These com-
municate with the nose, and doubtless afford the deer
a more free respiration when running very swiftly ; so

THE FALLOW DEER.

THE FALLOW DEER. 11

mercifully does the great Creator adapt his creatures
to their various circumstances.

The common fallow deer is generally to be met with
in a tame state. There are a few places where the en-
closures have in the course of time been broken down,
where they run at large, without food or shelter in win-
ter; and from thence they have occasionally strayed
into such neighbouring parts as are wild, extensive, and
wooded. On the continent, as in England, they are
generally kept in parks. In former times they were
royal property ; extensive forests or chases were allotted
to them alone, and property of all kinds was disre-
garded, to provide for their support and pursuit. As
civilization and agriculture advanced, their bounds were
curtailed, and, as always happens, the wild animals gave
way to culture.

These creatures are gregarious ; and in parks the herd
sometimes divides, and repeated battles ensue for the
possession of a favourite spot. They prefer elevated
countries and hills. When hunted, they do not flee in
a direct line, but in a circle, and take to the water, but
without venturing, as the stag does, to swim broad
rivers. As an article of food, their venison, at least in
England, is far superior to that of other deer. Besides
the spotted variety, there is one of a dark brown colour,

12 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

the fawns of which have not even the spots so common
to most others. It is reputed to have been introduced
by James the First, from Norway.

Ingenuity is sometimes discovered by these animals.
The berries on the thorn-trees are often beyond reach,
yet some of the old bucks in Bushy Park have been
observed to obtain them by simple yet effective means.
They raise themselves on their hind legs, give a spring,
entangle their horns in the lower branches of the trees,
shake them once or twice, thus causing some of the
berries to fall, and then they very quietly pick them
up.

THE ROEBUCK.

THE common roebuck is one of the most elegant of
our native deer, and appears as a beautiful and appro-
priate object in the woods and copses of the Scotch
highlands. In Scotland, north of the Firth, it is every-
where abundant, where rocks and trees abound \ so much
so, indeed, that in some places these animals are doomed
to death from the damage they do to the young wood.
The roebuck leaves places of sterner character to be
frequented by the red deer, delighting in the lower
coverts, and in scenes less solitary and wild. It differs
from the fallow deer in having round horns ; from the
stag, in the smallness of its size, and the proportionable
smallness of its antlers ; and from every animal of the
goat kind, in annually shedding its horns.

The roebuck grows faster than the stag, and his life is
shorter. It seldom continues more than twelve or fifteen
years ; and if in a state of domestic servitude, it is
diminished to seven or eight. As the constitution of
this animal is delicate, he requires a considerable range,

14 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

and a variety of food, as well as air and exercise. He
can be easily subdued, but never perfectly tamed. He
will scent a man a long way off, and hold his nose in
the air, like a pointer drawing on his game. The cry
of these creatures resembles the baa of a sheep, but it
sounds somewhat like a bark. At night especially, and
in still moonlight, it may be heard to a great dis-
tance, and roebucks are constantly answering each other
through nearly a whole night.

THE SHEER

MENTION is made of this animal shortly after the ex-
pulsion of Adam from Paradise. " Cain," it is said,
" brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto
the Lord ; and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of
his flock and of the fat thereof." Gen. iv. 3, 4. Thus
the latter, in the exercise of faith, presented the ap-
pointed type of " the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sins of the world," and through whom alone all who
believe in him, from the days of the patriarchs to the
end of time, shall be saved.

So numerous were the sheep as well as cattle of
Abraham and Lot, that there was not sufficient pasture
for their united possessions. The Scriptures often
speak of the immense flocks of sheep with which some
parts of Palestine abounded. They were, in patriarchal
times, the chief riches of the people. Sheep husbandry
was then exceedingly simple. It consisted in a con-
stant change of pasture, so far as it could be arranged,
towards the north from winter to summer, and towards

16 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

the south from summer to winter ; and also, in con-
triving to encamp for a time near some rivulet or well,
whence water might be readily obtained.

In keeping with the accounts of profane authors
some centuries afterwards, when the daughters of nobles
and princes are described as employed at home in weav-
ing garments for the household, or attending the sheep,
the driving of the flocks to and from the water, was the
business of the female part of the family ; to which was
sometimes added, their oversight during the day, that
they might not stray too far from the tents. The shep-
herd, however, who was either the head of the family, his
son, or some confidential servant, was at hand in cases
of difficulty and danger ; and when night came on, the
sheep were driven to the immediate neighbourhood of
the encampment, or enclosed in a fold, where he lay
down in the midst of them, either in a temporary hut,
or exposed to severe cold. Jacob alludes to his suffer-
ings in such circumstances, when he says, " In the day
the drought consumed me, and the frost by night ; anc
my sleep departed from, mine eyes ;" words, which may
well suggest to us the pains and sorrows of Him, who is
the great Shepherd of Israel, and who laid down his life
for his sheep.

In a wild and boundless desert, and without such a

THE SHEEP. 17

helper as the intelligent and faithful dog of a modern
shepherd, it was necessary that one of ancient times
should have command over them j and this he acquired
by being always among them, and by kindness of treat-
ment. Referring to his travels in Greece, Mr. Hartley
says, " I asked my man if it was customary to give
names to sheep. He informed me that it was, and that
the sheep obeyed the shepherd when he called them by
name. This morning I had the opportunity of verify-
ing his statement. Passing a flock of sheep, I asked
the shepherd the same question that I had put to my
servant, and he gave me the same answer. I then bade
him to call one of his sheep. He did so, and it in-
stantly left its pasture and .its companions, and ran up
to the hands of the shepherd with signs of pleasure, and
a prompt obedience, which I had never seen excelled in
any other animal. He told me, also, that many of his
sheep were still 'wild,' — that they had not yet learned
their names, — but that, by teaching, they would all
learn them. The others, which knew their names, he
called 'tame.'"

It is said that Jesus " calls his own sheep by name,"
and that " they know his voice." The multitude, alas !
heed it not ; they go on, loving sin and practising ini-
quity, as if he preserved a constant silence ; but it is not

c

18 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

so with those who are the special objects of his love and
care. He calls them away from the vanities of the
world, from sinful pleasures, from trust in man, and
from dependence on themselves, and they obey his word.
He invites them to " the green pastures " of his service
and ordinances ; and availing themselves of the proffered
privilege, they give proof that they know his voice.
May the language of every reader be : —

" Thy flock, with what a tender care,

Bless' d Jesus, dost thou keep !
Fain would my weak, my wandering soul
Be iiumber'd with thy sheep.

Gentle, and tractable, and plain,

My heart would ever be,
Averse to harm, prepense to help,

And faithful unto thee.

The gentle accents of thy voice
My listening soul would hear ;

And by the signals of thy will
Direct my whole career."

Various breeds of sheep are described by early writers
on agriculture, as existing in Spain ; they were of
different colours, black, red, and tawny ; and probably
imported from Italy. They were of a breed which had
gradually spread from the coast of Syria and the Black

THE SHEEP. 19

Sea, and had now reached the western extremity of
Europe. Some of them continued to exist as a distinct
race, and were the ancestors of the merinoes of the pre-
sent day. These wander not, like others, from the dis-
trict or the property on which they are bred, and amount
to about two millions.

As the pastures in ancient times consisted of immense
plains, or of abrupt alternations of hill and dale, with
many a tangled copse and forest, so that the sheep were
sometimes beyond the sight of the keeper, and even his
voice, he had a horn or pipe, the sounds of which the
leaders of the flock instantly obeyed. The same means
have been used in later days. Goldsmith says, " Before
I had seen the sheep trained in this manner, I had no
conception of those descriptions in the old pastoral
poets, of the shepherd leading his flock from one
country to another. As I had been used to see these
harmless creatures driven before their keepers, I sup-
posed that all the rest was pure invention j but in
many parts of the Alps, and even in some provinces of
France, the shepherd and his pipe are continued with
true antique simplicity. The flock is regularly penned
every evening, to preserve them from the wolf ; and the
shepherd returns homeward at sunset, with his sheep
following him, and seemingly pleased with the sound

20 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

of the pipe, which is blown with a reed, and resembles
the chanter of a bagpipe."

Britain has been for many ages possessed of sheep,
which were probably indigenous to our country. Csesar
describes the habits and manner of life of its early
inhabitants very circumstantially, but makes no mention
of these interesting animals, or the employment of its
wool for clothing ; and hence it has been supposed, that
the use of this material was little, if at all, known to the
Britons, who when clothed were usually dressed in
skins. But at that period the Gauls had the art of
making a kind of cloth or felt, without spinning or
weaving, sufficiently strong to resist the stroke of a
sword ; and from them some of our southern tribes
were supplied with woollen garments.

Engaged in war, the Britons painted their bodies to
terrify their foes ; but at peace at home, they were
clothed with the skins of beasts, and lived on milk and
flesh. Milk was one of the earliest articles of food in
every ancient and uncivilised tribe ; and the use of the
milk of sheep preceded, by many centuries, that obtained
from cattle, in all these hordes. It is probable, therefore,
that sheep existed in this island, in early times, in that
state of domestication in which they were found among
other nations, long before the subjugation of the ox.

THE SHEEP. 21

The breeds of sheep in this country are numerous and
various. Some are horned, and others hornless. Of
the former, the most ancient is the black-faced, still
met with in some heathy parts of Yorkshire, and the
adjacent northern counties ; the wool is coarse and
shaggy. The Norfolk and Suffolk sheep, also, have the
horns large and spiral, with the face black, but the
wool is short and fine. In the Dorset, the face is no
longer black, but both sexes are usually horned ; and as
this breed is remarkable for producing lambs at almost
every season, it is highly valuable for supplying the
London markets with house-lamb. The Wiltshire is a
much larger variety. The Hertfordshire is a fine
productive race, with short tails. The Exmoor, which
comes from Devonshire, is small, the wool long, and the
face and legs white. Scotland furnishes three breeds of
horned sheep, the Dun-faced, the Zetland, and the He-
bridean.

There are nine other breeds of the hornless race.
The Lincoln has long wool, and a white face. In the
Teeswater, the wool is shorter and lighter, and the legs
longer ; the Dishley is known by a clean head, and the
goodness of its flesh ; the Devonshire Nots, like the
three preceding, are long-woolled. Others are short-
woolled, as the Hereford ; the store sheep of this

22 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

country are called Ceilings, or Rylands. The South
Down, principally found on the chalky downs of Sussex,
have the face and legs gray, and are highly esteemed
for the table. The fleece of the Cheviot is very short
and fine. The Hardwicke, peculiar to the rocky dis-
tricts of Cumberland, is speckled on the face and legs.

In sheep, the principle of imitation is remarkably
strong, and though it is often very difficult to drive a
number of them into a narrow lane, yet if one be forced
into it, even by violence, the remainder will readily
follow. Dr. Anderson gives the following ludicrous
example of this : — " A butcher's boy was driving
some fat wethers through Liverpool, but they ran
down a street along which he did not want them to go.
He observed a scavenger at work with his broom, a
little way before him, and called out loudly to him to
stop the sheep. The man did accordingly what he
could, to turn them back, running from side to side,
always opposing himself to their passage, and brandish-
ing his broom with great dexterity ; but the sheep,
much agitated, pressed forward. At last one of them
came right up to the man, who, fearing that it was
about to jump right over his head while he was stooping,
grasped the short broomstick in both hands, and held
it over his head. He stood for a few seconds in this

THE SHEEP.

THE SHEEP. 23

position, when the sheep made a spring, and jumped
fairly over him, without touching the broom. The first
had no sooner cleared this impediment, than another
followed, and another, in such quick succession, that
the man, perfectly confounded, seemed to lose all
recollection, and stood in the same attitude till the
whole had jumped over him, not one of them attempting
to pass on either side, though the street was quite clear."
The sheep is commonly considered an animal of far
inferior power to others, as the horse, or the ox, when
employed in agriculture ; but it should be remembered,
that these animals have much training, while the former
is merely driven to and from his pasture, often at the
expense of fright and occasional injury. Instances
may, however, be easily collected, to show that the
sheep is a creature of considerable intelligence. In
the mountainous parts of Wales, for instance, where the
liberty enjoyed by the sheep is so great as to render
them very wild, they do not always collect into large
flocks, but sometimes graze in small parties of from
eight to twelve, of which one is stationed at a distance
from the rest, to give notice of approaching danger.
When the sentinel observes any one advancing at the
distance of two or three hundred yards, he turns his
face to the enemy, keeping a watchful eye on his

24 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

motions, and allowing his approach within a certain
distance. But when the suspected foe shows his in-
tention of coming nearer, the careful guard alarms his
companions by a loud hiss or whistle, twice or thrice
repeated, and the whole party instantly scour away
with great agility, always seeking the steepest and
most inaccessible parts of the mountains.

In Scotland, dreadful storms sometimes take place,
and of the approach of these, sheep have generally an
unerring foresight, or rather of the coming wind that
will drift ; and they will hurry away to some tried and
approved shelter, when the shepherd sees not a cloud,
and dreams not of the wind. One of these mountain
shepherds says : " I had left my sheep under their
accustomed shelter, and where I had never failed to find
them safe and comfortable in the morning, and I was
plodding my weary way homeward ; but before distance
and darkness closed them from my sight for the night,
I looked back to see if they had ceased to dig for food,
for there was snow on the ground, when I was surprised
to see them on their march down hill, towards a small
plantation, which would afford securer shelter, and to
which I had been accustomed to drive them, when I
feared the coming tempest. They had fallen into rows,
pacing one after the other until they reached the

THE SHEEP. 25

plantation ; and there was nothing to suggest to my
mind the return of a drift, but their movement and
their bleating. They passed through the plantation,
and took that side of it which would afford them a safe
shelter from the south-west hurricanes." In this in-
stance, as in many others, the sheep were right, for a
storm soon came.

Nor should it be forgotten, that the wild and abori-
ginal breeds are strongly attached to the place in which
they were bred. This disposition has been shown by
Welsh sheep. One of them, having a face streaked like
a badger's, was brought up among others into Hereford-
shire for sale, and bought by a farmer, who soon lost it. It
was afterwards proved that it returned home into Wales ;
it was brought up in a Welsh flock a second time, and
returned as before ; and on being brought up a third
time, it was clearly proved to be the same sheep.

The feeling thus manifest is still more so in the
wilder sheep of the black-faced and Highland breeds :
it seems indeed to be always a powerful principle with
them, but it prevails most at the time of yeaning. Of
this, the following is an_ interesting instance : — A black
ewe was missed from the farm of Harehope, in Tweed-
dale. A shepherd was despatched in pursuit of her,
who traced her many a mile, and then abandoned the

26 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

chase. He was told that she was several times stopped,
but she absolutely persisted in travelling on, regarding
neither sheep nor shepherd by the way. Her lamb was
often far behind, and she had often to urge it on by
impatient bleating. She arrived at Stirling on the
morning of a great annual fair, about the end of May ;
and judging it imprudent to venture through the crowd
with her lamb, she halted on the north side of the
town, lying close by the road-side during the whole of
the day ; but, next morning, when all became quiet, a
little after dawn, she was observed stealing quietly
through the town, in apparent terror of the dogs that
were prowling about the streets. The last time she was
seen on the road, was at a toll-bar. The man stopped
her, thinking she was a strayed animal, and that some
one would claim her \ she tried several times to break
through by force when he opened the gate, but he
always prevented her, and at length she turned patiently
back. She, however, found some means of eluding him,
for home she came at last, having been no less than
nine days on the road.

Sheep become courageous in proportion as they are
withdrawn from the protection and control of man.
This appears when they range on extensive mountains
of the north, as they do for months together, during

THE SHEEP. 27

which they are scarcely seen. A ram will then boldly
attack a dog, and generally prove the victor. Should
several dogs or foxes appear, the sheep form themselves
into a compact body, the males taking the foremost
ranks, keeping closely together, and presenting a deter-
mined front to the foe, while the females and the young
are placed behind. The rams advance in order on their
assailants ; and when these have come within a certain
distance, they rush forward, and generally destroy them.
A traveller in Scotland says : " I was one day
climbing the mountain of Belrinnis. On reaching the
top, I found myself in a cloud, whence I could not see
any object distinctly at the distance of more than a few
yards. As there was a fine breeze, I hoped that the
cloud would disperse ; and, although I felt exceedingly
cold and hungry, I resolved to remain there a little
while. While I was walking about to keep myself
warm, I perceived something of an uncommon appear-
ance at a little distance from me, and I approached it,
not indeed without fear. I found it to be a phalanx of
sheep, drawn up at the top of the hill, and ready to de-
fend themselves against attack. They were arranged
in a kind of wedge, presenting its blunt end foremost ;
in the middle of the line was a large ram with a black
forehead, and a tremendous pair of 'horns ; a number of

28 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

weaker ones were in the rear, not one of them eating,
but looking sternly at me. I was not at first afraid,
knowing them to be only sheep ; and yet I was not per-
fectly easy, for if any fox appeared, they might kill me
in chasing him. These sheep had been sent into the
mountain in April or May, when the owners seldom
look after them till October. When they gather them-
selves together at night, one of them is always placed
at a little distance as a sentinel. They never descend
into the valley at night, or rest in any low and sheltered
place, but even in the most stormy weather they are
on the top of the hill or on rising ground ; and if they
are attacked by foxes or dogs, their assailants rarely
fail to pay for their temerity with their lives. Seeing
them, however, in this warlike array, I began gradually
to feel a little alarm, and deeming discretion to be the
better part of valour, I slowly retired. As the distance
between us increased, their line was neither so straight
nor compact ; but I stopped, and again advanced a few
steps towards them ; they looked steadily at me, and
formed their line with greater precision and closeness ;
and had I attempted to attack them, I am convinced
that they would have resisted. I had once a great
mind to try, but I confess that my courage failed
me when I observed them seemingly bending their

THE SHEEP. 29

knees, in order to make one simultaneous rush upon
me."

To notice only one other quality of the sheep, it may
be remarked, that it discovers a strong affection for its
young. According to Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, "An
interesting provision of nature with regard to these
animals is, that the more inhospitable the land is on
which they feed, the greater will be their kindness and
attention to their lambs. I once herded," he says,
" two years on a wild and bare farm, called Willenslee,
on the border of Mid Lothian ; and of all the sheep I
ever saw, these were the kindest, and most affectionate
to their young. We had one very bad winter, so
that our sheep grew lean in the spring, and disease
came among them, and carried off many. Often have
I seen these poor victims, when fallen down to rise no
more, and even when unable to lift their heads from the
ground, holding up the leg to invite the starving lamb
to the miserable pittance that the udder could still
supply."

THE ASS.

THE wild ass, which was formerly well known in the
East, and which is frequently mentioned in Scripture,
is a much finer animal than the one with which we are
familiar. Roaming at liberty, in the desert or on the
mountains, and so swift as to weary every pursuer, it
appears as guided only by its own will. Hence " vain
man " is said to " be born like a wild ass's colt ;" and it is
by Divine power alone that the corruptions of his fallen
nature can be checked, and that he can be brought into
the path of God's commandments.

The domestic ass is so well known, as to require no
particular description. In the East it is, like the wild
ass, superior in all respects to our own ; and so highly is
it valued, as to be preferred to the horse for many
purposes. In the days of the Judges, to ride on an ass
seems to have been no common distinction. One of
them, Jair, the Gileadite, had thirty sons, who rode on
thirty asses' colts ; and they had thirty cities which are

THE ASS. 31

called Havoth-jair. Judges x. 3, 4. A similar instance
is also recorded, ch. xii. 13, 14. In several passages
a particular kind of the domestic ass is spoken of, whose
value appears greatly to have exceeded that of others.

The eastern husbandman was greatly indebted to
this animal. The ox and the ass laboured together
in the cultivation of the same field. Such is the refer-
ence of Isaiah, when he says, " The oxen likewise and
the young asses that ear " (or till) " the ground shall eat
clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the
shovel and with the fan." Isa. xxx. 24. He thus fore-
tells a season of great plenty, when the cattle shall be
fed with corn better in quality, and separated from the
chaif, so that it might be rendered more grateful to their
taste.

These animals have been, and are still, used in many
other services. From their being more hardy than
horses, they are preferred for journeys across the deserts
of Asia. Asses are used by most of the Mussulman
pilgrims in their long and laborious journeys to Mecca.
They stand in the principal streets of Cairo ready
saddled for hire, and answer the same purposes as
hackney coaches or cabriolets in London. The owner
accompanies the ass, and running behind, goads it on.

The ass has shown itself, in some instances, capable

32 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

of a greater amount of labour than is generally ex-
pected from that animal. One person worked a team
of four asses at plough, yoked two abreast, driven in
hand with reins by the ploughman, and proved that
their work was equal to that of two common farmers'
horses of a slight kind. The late Earl of Egremont also
formed a team, consisting of six asses, and for nine
months he found them of great service. They took a
chaldron and a quarter of coals twice a day, in a wagon,
from the canal to his lordship's house at Petworth,
which showed an unlooked-for degree of strength ; and
at the same time they were gentle and docile.

The following journey of one of these animals is not
a little remarkable. In March, 1816, an ass, the pro-
perty of Captain Dundas, R.N., then at Malta, was
shipped on board the Ister frigate, Captain Forest,
bound from Gibraltar for that island. The vessel
having struck in some sands off the Point de Gat, at
some distance from the shore, the ass was thrown over-
board, to give it a chance of swimming to land — a poor
one, indeed, for the sea was running so high, that a
boat which left the ship was lost.

A few days afterwards, however, when the gates of
Gibraltar were opened in the morning, the ass presented
himself for admission, and proceeded to the stable of

THE ASS. 33

Mr. Weeks, a merchant, which he had formerly occupied,
to the no small surprise of that gentleman, who ima-
gined that from some accident the animal had never
been shipped on board the Ister. On the return of
this vessel for repair, however, the mystery was ex-
plained ; and it turned out that Valiante (so the ass
was called) had not only swam safely to shore, but,
without guide, compass, or travelling map, had found
his way from Point de Gat to Gibraltar, a distance of
more than two hundred miles, which he had never
traversed before, through a mountainous and intricate
country, intersected by streams, and in so short a period
that he could not have made one false turn. His not
having been stopped on the road was attributed to the
circumstance of his having been formerly used to whip
criminals upon, which was indicated to the peasants,
who have a superstitious horror of such asses, by the
holes in his ears, to which the persons flogged were tied ;
they would, therefore, as it were instinctively, shrink
from taking hold of the animal.

The dulness and stubbornness of the ass, in Europe,
and in England, is the consequence of ill-treatment.
"We all talk of it," says a modern writer, "as the
stupidest of the browsers of the field ; yet if any one
shuts up a donkey in the same enclosure with half a

D

34 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

dozen horses of the finest blood, and the party escape,
it is infallibly the poor donkey that has led the way.
It is he alone that penetrates the secret of the bolt
and latch. Often have we stood at the other side of a
hedge, contemplating a whole troop of blood mares and
their offspring patiently waiting, while the donkey was
snuffing over a piece of work, to which all but he felt
themselves incompetent."

A friend of the writer's was well acquainted with the
habits of one of these sagacious animals. Robin was a
fine creature, and he discovered more than ordinary
intelligence. He carefully examined the water that
was offered him, and would not touch it, unless the ele-
ment, and even the vessel that contained it, were quite
agreeable. Like his race, he loved too to be dry-footed,
and would walk far round water sooner than pass
through it. If he found those who were with him
regaling themselves by his side, he sagaciously turned
round his head to ask for a share ; and though he did
not disdain an inferior gift, he was more than commonly
pleased with a piece of bun ; in the hope of which, or of
something equally acceptable, he regularly went down
some steps, to visit a neighbouring bakehouse.

Robin knew well how to open gates with his teeth,
and raise latches with his nose ; and there was more

THE ASS.

THE ASS. 35

than usual difficulty in the task if he left it undone. He
was accustomed to go through several of the villages of
Northamptonshire two or three times a week, at the rate
of from fifteen to twenty miles a day; and singularly
enough, he never offered to turn into any other path
than the right, not even into any one leading directly
to his home, but always entered a village by the pro-
per route, and stopped in regular succession at all the
houses, often more than a hundred, at which he was
accustomed to call. At one of these, those who were
with him regularly partook of some refreshment ; and
Robin as regularly went to a shed in the yard, where he
always found some provender.

This sagacious animal seemed to adapt himself fully
to any change of circumstances. When he had to carry
an invalid, which often happened, he passed steadily
onwards, without making any calls at the places he
commonly visited ; and on every sabbath day, when
bearing his mistress to her place of worship, he went
thither without stopping. Robin was about four years
old when he came to the parties now referred to ; and
he became so fond of his master, that he followed him in
the yard, the field, and the stable, like a dog. After
fourteen years' faithful service, he ran a thorn into one
of his feet, and died in consequence.

36 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

Let none, then, think hardly of the ass, a much
abused, yet valuable animal. If one should be pos-
sessed or occasionally used by a reader of this volume,
the writer would ask that these facts may obtain for it
kind treatment. The following should also lead to the
same result. An old man, who some years ago sold
vegetables in London, employed an ass to convey his
baskets from door to door. Frequently did he give the
industrious animal a handful of hay, or some pieces of
bread, or greens, by way of refreshment and reward. He
had no need of any goad, and seldom indeed was the
hand lifted to urge the ass onwards. One day the kind
treatment of the aged man was remarked, and he was
asked if his beast were apt to be stubborn 1 " Ah, mas-
ter," he replied, " it is. of no use to be cruel ; and as for
stubbornness I cannot complain, for he is ready to do
anything, or to go anywhere. I bred him myself. He
is sometimes skittish and playful, and once ran away
from me. You will hardly believe it, but there were
more than fifty people after him, attempting in vain
stop him ; yet he turned back of himself, and neve:
stopped till he ran his head kindly into my bosom."

THE FOX.

THE FOX is an inhabitant of almost every temperate
country on the face of the earth. His eye is remark-
able for its brilliancy and expression ; his colour is more
or less red, and the end of his tail is white. He is not
a little particular in the choice of his quarters, though
his race is spread from Sweden to Egypt. When he
purposes to settle in any spot, he narrowly examines the
neighbourhood, fathoms the depth of every hole, and
looks out for a convenient refuge in the hour of danger.
Naturally timid, and always guided by great caution, he
only lays himself down tranquilly to enjoy repose after
every provision has been made for his safety.

The fox passes the day at the bottom of his hiding-
place, and sallies forth in search of prey generally during
the obscurity of twilight, and the darkness of night.
Guided as certainly by smell as by sight, he glides along
the trenches of the field to surprise the partridge on her
nest, or the hare in her form. Sometimes he will lie

38 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

in ambush near the burrows of rabbits ; and at others, he
chases them with the cry of a dog in the open plains.
When these animals fail, he will subsist on field-mice,
frogs, snails, and grasshoppers. In cultivated and well-
inhabited countries, he has new resources in the refuse
of kitchens, and in devastating poultry-yards. He is
also very fond of grapes, and is often exceedingly de-
structive to the vineyards of France. In all cases he
conceals what he obtains and cannot devour.

The sagacity of this animal is often apparent. It
appears, for instance, in the choice and structure of his
abode, which is not unfrequently provided with more
than one outlet, by which he may escape. A fox has
been known to let himself drop from the edge of a
precipice, on a projecting piece of rock just below it,
and thus to enter his hole or den. He is also very
sagacious in digging young rabbits out of their burrows.
He does not try to enter the hole, for in this case he
would not only have to enlarge it, but to dig several
feet along the ground, under the surface of the earth : he
therefore follows the scent above, till he comes to the
spot over the place where they lie ; and then scratching
up the earth, descends immediately, and devours them.

His stratagems in the chase have often been noticed.
A fox frequently hunted in Leicestershire, was always

THE FOX. 39

lost at a particular place, where the hounds could never
recover the scent. Curiosity being excited by this cir-
cumstance, it was at last discovered that he jumped
upon and ran along a clipped hedge, at the end of which
was an old pollard oak tree, hollow in the middle. Into
this he crept, and there he lay concealed till the alarm
was over.

Another stratagem may be mentioned. Mr. Haw-
kins, of Pittsfield, in America, was accompanied by two
bloodhounds, in pursuit of foxes. The dogs found one,
which they pursued for nearly two hours, when suddenly
they appeared at fault. Mr. Hawkins came up with
them near a large log of wood lying on the ground, and
felt much surprise at their making a circuit of a few
roods without an object in view, every trace of reynard
seeming lost, while the dogs continued yelping. On
looking about, he discovered the fox stretched on the
log, apparently lifeless, and made several unsuccessful
efforts to direct the dogs towards the place. At length
he approached so near to the animal as distinctly to
observe him breathe. But even then he exhibited no
alarm ; and Mr. Hawkins seizing the branch of a tree
that lay close by, aimed a blow at him, which the fox
evaded by a leap from his singular lurking-place, having
for a time effectually eluded his enemies.

40 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

The cunning of this animal, however, cannot always
avail him. A farmer in Essex having suffered much
from the depredations of a fox, determined to lay wait
for the plunderer. Accordingly, on a fine moonlight
night, and well knowing the track of the thief, he took
his stand, and soon espied the fox padding along a
clover field, with a young goose which he had just
stolen slung across his neck. Just as the gun was
levelled, the fox observed a hare feeding a little on one
side, and nearer to the farmer. The goose was now
dropped, and the fox began playing many curious antics ;
rolling over and over on the ground, and jumping up in
the air, but still getting nearer to the hare, who was
quite unconscious of a foe. At length, at one enormous
spring, he made the hare his prisoner, but almost at the
same moment the farmer shot the fox, and then carried
home his double prize and the recaptured goose.

Cunning, it has been said, is not only met with in
brutes, but in persons who are but a few removes from
them. It is assuredly one mark of a degraded mind.
Its aims are always selfish, and it will employ any means
to accomplish its purposes. Against every approach to
it, therefore, it becomes us to guard, while it is our duty
and privilege constantly to seek the guidance of true
wisdom.

THE HORSE.

THIS most interesting and valuable animal has been
found varying greatly in form, size, and utility, in
various regions of the Old World. So early as 1650
years before Christ, it had been domesticated by the
Egyptians. On the remains of Jacob being borne from
Egypt to Canaan, there went up with Joseph both
chariots and horsemen ; and when Pharaoh pursued the
children of Israel, he did so with " six hundred chosen
chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt." About
two centuries later, the Olympic games were instituted
in Greece ; these included horse and chariot races : and
thus it appears that at a remote period, these noble
animals were employed for the pleasure of man, and for
securing the objects of his ambition.

The horses of Arabia are the most celebrated. There
is scarcely a native of that country, however poor, who
does not possess one, which he treats with the greatest
kindness. Having a tent as his only habitation, him-
self, his wife, and his children, with the mare and her
foal, rest peacefully together. His little ones are often

42 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

seen to climb fearlessly on the inoffensive creatures,
which permit them to play and caress them without
injury. An Arab never beats his horse ; he speaks to
him in the language of friendship. The faithful servant
evinces equal attachment to his master, and is so tract-
able, as readily to stop at his bidding, even in the
midst of his most rapid course.

One instance of the attachment of an Arab to his
mare has often been given, but it is worthy repetition.
This valuable animal was his whole stock ; and the
French consul offered to purchase her for his sovereign,
Louis xiv. The Arab would have rejected the pro-
posal at once, but he had no means of supplying his
most urgent wants ; he had scarcely a rag to cover
him, his wife and children were starving ; while the
sum offered was great, and would provide him and his
family with food for life. At length, with great re-
luctance, he consented to the purchase. He brought
the mare to the dwelling of the consul, — he dismounted,
— he stood leaning upon her, — he looked first at the
gold, and then at his favourite, — he sighed, — he wept.
" To whom is it," said he, " that I am going to yield
thee up 1 To Europeans, who will tie thee close, —
who will beat thee, — who will render thee miserable.
Return with me, my beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the

THE HORSE. 43

hearts of my children." As he pronounced the last
words, he sprang upon her back, his sense of poverty
was gone, and he was out of sight in an instant.

The following is another instance of attachment, but
of a different character. When an envoy was en-
camped near Bagdad, an Arab rode a mare of extra-
ordinary shape and beauty before his tent, until he
attracted his attention. On being asked if he would
sell her, the reply was, " What will you give me ? "
" That depends upon her age ; I suppose she is past
five1?" "Guess again," said he. "Is she four1?"
"Look at her mouth," said the Arab, with a smile.
On examination, she was found to be rising three j and
this, from her size and symmetry, greatly enhanced
her value. The envoy said, " I will give you fifty
tomans," — a coin nearly of the value of a pound sterling.
" A little more," said the Arab, apparently amused.
" Eighty." " A hundred." He shook his head, and
smiled. At last the offer came to two hundred tomans.
"Well," said the Arab, "you need not tempt me
further ; it is of no use ; you are a rich elchee,"
(meaning a nobleman,) "you have fine horses, camels,
and mules, and I am told you have loads of silver and
gold. Now," added he, " you want my mare, but you
shall not have her for all you have got."

44 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

Nor is strong attachment to this faithful animal
confined to the Arab. Our own countryman, the
enterprising traveller, Major Denham, thus refers to the
death of his favourite horse, in one of the most desert
spots of Central Africa. " There are a few situations in
a man's life, in which losses of this nature are felt most
keenly, and this was one of them. It was not grief,
but it was something nearly approaching to it ; and
though I felt ashamed of the degree of derangement I
suffered from it, yet it was several days before I could
get over the loss. Let it, however, be remembered,
that the poor animal had been my support and my
comfort ; nay, I may say, companion, through many a
dreary day and night ; had endured both hunger and
thirst in my service ; and was so docile, that he would
stand still for hours in the desert, while I slept between
his legs, his body affording me the only shelter that
could be obtained from the powerful influence of a
noon-day sun : he was the fleetest of the fleet, and ever
foremost in the chase."

Julius Caesar mentions these' animals, in his account
of the invasion of our native isle. Many war-chariots,
drawn by horses, were used in the army of the ancient
Britons. Scythes fastened to the end of the axle-trees,
swept down every thing before them, and spread

THE HORSE. 45

devastation and terror around ; while the horses appear
to have been managed with great dexterity. For a
long time oxen alone were used for the plough, but
towards the end of the tenth century, horses were
sometimes employed. The earliest' notice of their use
in field labour, is said to be on one of the pieces of
tapestry worked at Bayeux, in the year 1066 ; it has
the figure of a man driving a horse, to which a harrow
is attached. From that period to the present, this
animal has been treated with various degrees of
attention, until it has become fully and eminently
adapted to various and important purposes. Some
interesting particulars will now be given of different

THE CAY ALKY HORSE.

In adverting to the employment of the horse in war,
the mind at once recurs to the sublime passage in the
book of Job :

" Hast thou given the horse strength?
Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder ?
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper ?
The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

46 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength :

He goeth on to meet the armed men.

He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted;

Neither turneth he back from the sword.

The quiver rattleth against him,

The glittering spear and the shield.

He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage ;

Neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

He saith among the trumpets, Ha ! ha !

And he smelleth the battle afar off,

The thunder of the captains, and the shouting." — JOB xxxix. 19—25.

It was said in reference to the time when Israel
should have a king ; " He sjiall not multiply horses
to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to
the end that he should multiply horses," Deut. xvii. 16.
The reason of this prohibition was, that multiplying
horses for chariots of war or state, would increase the
splendour of the monarch, and form a ground of con-
fidence distinct from, and inconsistent with, confidence
in God. Egypt abounded in horses ; and the desire
of their increase would induce the prince to encou-
rage trade with that kingdom ; and this might lead
to the corruption or subjugation of the Israelites by
the Egyptians. Still further, they might be tempted
to extend their dominions by means of cavalry, and
so be scattered among the surrounding idolatrous na-
tions ; thus they would cease to be that distinct and
separate people which Jehovah intended they should be.

THE HORSE. 47

The military history of this and other lands is dis-
tressing to every benevolent mind, yet interesting facts
may be gleaned from it in reference to the horses
employed. The effect of discipline, for instance, is not a
little striking. Thus, in one of the insurrections of the
Tyrolese, about thirty years ago, they took fifteen Bava-
rian horses, and mounted them with their own men ;
but in a skirmish with a squadron of the same regiment,
the horses no sooner heard the sound of the trumpet,
and recognised the uniform of their old masters, than
they set off at full gallop, and carried their riders, not-
withstanding all their efforts, into the Bavarian ranks,
where they were made prisoners.

Some time ago there was a horse in the artillery
stud at Woolwich, which, while in the riding-school,
appeared a most docile and finely-trained animal. At
the word of command, he would lie down, and not rise
till he was ordered ; he would bow in the most dignified
manner to visitors ; and performed feats with unvarying
obedience. But the instant he was taken out of doors,
and found himself in the open air, or on the roads, he
became altogether unmanageable ; and when he could
not throw his rider, which he tried to do again and
again, he lay down and rolled about. It appears that
when first purchased, he proved extremely vicious, but

48 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

being a fine horse, pains were taken to break him in,
and as it seems successfully within the walls of the
riding-school, but out of doors discipline did not ope-
rate ; here he was unruly as before. How often is it
the case even with mankind, that circumstances of time
and place alone restrain an individual from showing the
natural inclinations of the heart ! These may be par-
tially subdued, but evil dispositions will continually
appear when opportunities occur, until there is " a new
heart and a right spirit."

The horses of the British army often arrest the at-
tention of visitors to London, and others by whom
they are occasionally seen ; they are indeed a noble race.
Soon may the need for employing them for war be
unknown, and the world be as familiar with the " peace-
able fruits of righteousness," as it has been for ages
with deeds of blood. To such a state some advance
is made, whenever corrupt feeling is subdued in the
human heart by the Almighty operation of the Holy
Spirit. May this take place in the bosom of every
reader ! Peace around must arise from peace with
God and peace within. " He that hateth his brother
is a murderer ;" but " love is the fulfilling of the law,"
and the preparative for the blessed society of " the all-
reconciling world."

THE HORSE. 49

THE ROAD HORSE.

This animal was for a long period used by travellers.
Our ancestors did not travel in carriages, or carry their
goods in carts ; their horses conveyed themselves and
their merchandize. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
some persons were robbed in open day, within the
hundred of Beyntesh, in Berkshire j and it is said, " they
were clothiers, and yet travailed not withe the great
trope of clothiers ; they also carried their money
openly e in wallets upon their saddles." Here we see
the common mode of conveyance at that time, and the
necessity for travelling in company.

On two persons making the journey from Glasgow to
London, on horseback, in 1739, they found no turnpike-
road till they came to Grantham, within one hundred
and ten miles of the metropolis. From time to time,
they met with strings of packhorses, from thirty to
forty in a gang ; still the common mode of transporting
goods from one part of the country to another. The
leading horse of the troop carried a bell, to give
warning to passengers coming in an opposite direction ;
and when these trains of horses came up with their packs,
the travellers were compelled, from the narrowness of

50 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

the causeway, to make way for them, and pass to the
road-side. For many years after this, the letter-bags
from the Post Office were intrusted to boys, who con-
veyed them on horseback.

The qualities of the horses now in use, are often very
pleasing. To mention one instance of sagacity ; the
writer was a short time ago visiting a gentleman who
had a horse, which had long been in his service.
Whenever his master's foot was heard approaching the
yard of his stable, he promptly advanced to put his
head over the gate, and by sounds of pleasure hailed his
coming. Hero had been a creature of no common
spirit and strength ; and in his early days, would allow
nothing to pass him on the road. Indeed the neighbours
of his owner foretold serious accidents, and even death,
as the result of his unusual speed and power. But
happily they were false prophets ; his master's voice
was a law which Hero did not break. The lady of his
owner, at the time referred to, was a great invalid, and
had to be lifted into, and out of the chaise. But he
seemed fully to understand what was doing. No one
was required to stand at his head, nor even to hold the
reins ; he stood perfectly still ; nor was he startled for
a second, by the passing of any vehicle. He waited
with remarkable patience till every arrangement was

THE HORSE. 51

complete, and only at the word of command, did he
proceed with his usual alacrity.

Another instance of sagacity is thus given by Cun-
ningham, in his account of New South Wales. " A
friend of mine, in the habit of riding a good deal, found
that whenever he approached a gully, his horse invariably
opposed his wishes to cross at the particular spot he had
been accustomed to, always endeavouring to lead off to
another part of the gully, where no passage was known
to exist by his rider. Resolving to see whither the
cunning rogue would go, he gave him the rein, and
soon found himself carried over the gully, by a route he
had never before followed. Still, however, thinking
that the former way was nearest, he was curious enough
to have both measured, when he found the horse's
judgment correct ; that way being nearest by several
hundred yards."

The exercise of memory is sometimes as remarkable
as this operation of judgment. " A friend of ours,"
says the author of a valuable volume, entitled " The
Horse," " rode thirty miles from home on a young
horse which he had bred, and which had never before
been in that part of the country. The road was difficult
to find, but by dint of inquiry, he at length reached the
place he sought. Two years passed over, and he had

52 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

again occasion to take the same journey. No one rode
this horse but himself, and he was perfectly assured that
the animal had not since been in that direction. Three
or four miles before he reached his journey's end, he
was benighted. He had to traverse moor and common,
and he could scarcely see his horse's head. The rain
began to pelt. ' Well,' thought he, ' here I am, far
from any house, and know not, nor can I see an inch of
my road. I have heard much of the memory of the
torse, — it is my only hope now, — so there,' throwing
the reins on his horse's neck, 'go on.' In half an
hour, he was safe at his friend's gate."

A statement not less singular will be found in another
interesting work, entitled " The Menageries." " We
knew a horse (and have witnessed the circumstance),
which, being accustomed to be employed once a week
on a journey with the newsman of a provincial paper,
always stopped at the houses of the several customers,
although they were sixty or seventy in number. But,
further, there were two persons on the route who took
one paper between them, and each claimed the privilege
of having it first on the alternate week. The horse
soon became accustomed to this regulation ; and although
the parties lived two miles distant, he stopped once a
fortnight at the door of the half-customer at Thorpe,

THE HORSE. 53

and once a fortnight at that of the other half-customer
at Chertsey ; and never did he forget this arrangement,
which lasted several years, or stop unnecessarily, when
he once thoroughly understood the rule."

THE COACH HORSE.

Familiar as this phrase is now, it is one of modern
date. It was not until the reign of Elizabeth, that
coaches were used ; but the fashion which then came in,
soon spread. These vehicles were, however, heavy and
unwieldy, and the rate of travelling was as slow as
might be supposed from their clumsiness and that of
the horses which drew them. When King George n.
died, in 1760, the Duke of Devonshire reached home
from Chatsworth in Derbyshire, in three days j but a
fourth, and even a fifth day passing, without the arrival
of the Duke of Rutland, who had not to travel so far
by thirty miles, the Speaker of the House of Commons
apologized for him by stating, that the former came at a
prodigious rate, — not less, he said, than fifty miles a
day !

54 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

At that time it was common to dine on the road to
Epsom, a distance of sixteen miles from London, the
journey taking nearly the whole day ; and it is stated,
that when the poet Cowley lived at Chertsey, which is
about two and twenty miles from town, he told a friend
whom he expected on a visit, that he might make a
comfortable journey by passing the night at Brentford,
which may now be reached in about an hour.

A few years ago the following statements were
made in reference to coach travelling : — The Edin-
burgh mail runs the distance, four hundred miles, in
forty hours ; and watches are often set by its arrival,
in many places. Stoppages included, this approaches
eleven miles in the hour ; and much the greater part
is done by lamp-light. An Exeter day-coach passes
over its ground, one hundred and seventy three miles,
in twenty hours ; the mail, before it was placed on the
railroad, went the distance in little more than seventeen
hours. Both are instances of remarkable travelling,
considering the natural unevenness of the country
through which the vehicles have to pass. And to men-
tion only one more fact of this kind, a nobleman is said
to have spoken in the House of Peers on one night, and
to have been at his own door in Durham, two hundred
and fifty miles off, the next, having travelled that dis-

THE HORSE. 55

tance in a chariot and four. Attempts to secure such
great speed have often been accompanied by much
severity and cruelty ; but the improved state of the roads,
the employment of a large number of horses in short
and well arranged stages, and the constant guarding
against all avoidable delays, have frequently gained the
desired end without these great evils. The introduction
of railroads has produced other changes, the results of
which cannot be calculated.

Horses require to be carefully broken, to answer the
purposes for which they are used. Various and con-
tinued means are commonly necessary, but James Sulli-
van, an ignorant awkward rustic, of the lowest class, and
a horsebreaker, obtained the name of " the whisperer"
from a most extraordinary art he possessed of con-
trolling, in a secret manner, and taming into the most
submissive and tractable disposition, any horse or mare
that was notoriously vicious and obstinate. He prac-
tised his skill in private, and without any apparently
forcible means. In the short space of half an hour,
his magical influence would bring into perfect submis-
sion and good temper even a colt that had never been
handled ; and the effect, though instantly produced,
was generally durable. When employed to tame an
outrageous animal, he directed the stable in which he

56 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

and the object of the experiment were placed to be
shut, with orders not to open the door until a signal was
given. After a tete-a-tete between him and the horse
for about half an hour, during which little or no bustle
was heard, the signal was made, and upon opening the
door, the horse was seen lying down, and the man by
his side playing familiarly with him, like a child with a
puppy dog. From that time he was found perfectly
willing to submit to any discipline, however repugnant
to his nature before.

The narrator of this account says, " I once saw his
skill on a horse which could never before be brought to
stand for a smith to shoe him. The day after Sullivan's
half-hour lecture, I went, not without some incredulity,
to the smith's shop, with many other curious spectators,
where we were eye-witnesses of the complete success of
his art. This, too, had been a troop-horse ; and it was
supposed, not without reason, that, after regimental
discipline had failed, no other would be found availing.
I observed that the animal appeared afraid whenever
Sullivan either spoke or looked at him. How that
extraordinary ascendancy could have been obtained, it
is difficult to conjecture ! He seemed to possess an
instinctive power of inspiring awe, the result perhaps of
a natural intrepidity, in which I believe a great part of

THE HORSE. 57

his art consisted, though the circumstance of the tete-
a-tete shows that upon particular occasions something
more must have been added to it."

It is stated that breathing into the nostrils of a horse
will be followed by a similar result. A mule, that
would suffer no person to handle it, was by this means
rendered so quiet before the operator left the stable,
that it would stand still and suffer itself to be nibbed.

Horses like to be together. Many which are per-
fectly quiet with company, will not remain by themselves
a minute in a field. " My neighbour's horse," says
Mr. White, of Selborne, "will not only not stay by
himself abroad, but he will not bear to be left alone in
a strange stable, without discovering the utmost im-
patience, and endeavouring to break the rack and
manger with his fore-feet. He has been known to leap
out of a stable window after company ; and yet, in
other respects, he is remarkably quiet."

One of the advantages of such society may often be
observed. There are parts of the body of a horse
which the animal cannot reach to rub when they itch ;
thus he can neither bite with his teeth, nor scratch with
his hindfoot, those which are about the shoulder. What
then is he to do ? He goes to another horse, and gently
bites the place on which he wants to be bitten, and

58 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

the kind office which is required is promptly performed
by his equally sagacious companion.

Sometimes the attachment frequently discovered to
subsist between animals of the same species, becomes
unusually strong. So it was with two Hanoverian
horses, which had long served together in the German
brigade of artillery, during the Peninsular war, drawing
the same gun, and being inseparable companions in
many battles. At last one of them was killed, and
after the engagement, the survivor was picqueted as
usual, and his food was brought to him j but he refused
to eat, constantly turning round his head in pursuit
of his friend, and sometimes neighing as if to call him.
All the care that could be bestowed on him was of no
avail ; he was surrounded by other horses, but he did
not notice them ; and he died shortly afterwards with-
out once tasting food. " A gentleman who witnessed
this circumstance assured me," says Mr. Jesse, " that
nothing could be more affecting than the whole demean-
our of this poor horse."

THE HORSE. 59

THE SUFFOLK PUNCH.

A sandy tract of land in the neighbourhood of
Woodbridge, has long been celebrated for producing
horses, which, though awkward in appearance, exceed
all others in draught. The Suffolk punches, or Suffolk
punch sorrels, as they are sometimes called, are of
various sizes, but the smaller ones are generally the
most serviceable. A single horse of this kind was
known to draw in a cart, ten sacks of flour, each
weighing twenty stone and a half, on a heavy road, for
five or six miles.

THE GALLOWAY.

To use the words of Dr. Anderson : " There was
once a breed of small elegant horses in Scotland,
similar to those of Iceland and Sweden, and which were
known by the name of galloways ; the best of which
sometimes reached the height of fourteen hands and a
half. One of this description I possessed, it having

60 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

been bought for my use when a boy. In point of
elegance and shape, it was a perfect picture ; and in
disposition was gentle and compliant. It moved almost
with a wish, and never tired. I rode this little
creature for twenty-five years ; and twice in that time, I
rode a hundred and fifty miles at a stretch, without
stopping, except to bait, and that for not above an hour
at a time. It came in at the last stage with as much
ease and alacrity as it travelled at first. I could have
undertaken to have performed on this beast, when it
was in its prime, sixty miles a-day for a twelvemonth,
without any extraordinary exertion."

Many of the galloways now in use, are brought
either from the New Forest, or Wales ; but they are
diminished in number, being scarcely sufficient to supply
even the neighbouring districts ; and they are far inferior
in form and value. The Welsh ponies are beautiful
little creatures ; they can live on any fare, and it is said
they cannot be tired out. On Dartmoor, there is a
very hardy and sure-footed race of ponies, well fitted
for the rough roads and dreary wilds of that mountainous
country. One of a smaller kind, the Exmoor ponies,
carried his owner, who rides fourteen stone, from Bristol
to South Molton, eighty-six miles, beating the coach
which goes the same road. The Shetland pony, an

THE HORSE. 61

inhabitant of the extremest northern Scottish isles, is a
very small, and often a beautiful animal ; it is remark-
ably strong for its size, and also exceedingly docile.

"A friend of ours," says a writer already quoted,
" was not long ago presented with one of these elegant
little animals. He was several miles from home, and
puzzled how to convey his newly acquired property.
The Shetlander was scarcely more than seven hands
high, and as docile as he was beautiful. l Can we not
carry him in our chaise V said his friend. The strange
experiment was tried. The Sheltie was placed in the
bottom of the gig, and covered up as well as could be
managed with the apron ; a few bits of bread kept him
quiet ; and thus he was safely conveyed away, and
exhibited the curious spectacle of a horse riding in
a gig."

The eminent naturalist, Mr. Bell, mentions another
case, which is equally amusing. Some time since he
was passing, rather late in the evening, through one of
the streets in the immediate neighbourhood of London,
when he observed two men walking briskly along, with
a beautiful little pony trotting by their side, without
either bridle or halter. Presently, one of the men, who
seemed on the best possible terms with his little steed,
passed his arm round its body, and lifting it with ease

62 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

from the ground, carried it for some distance ; then
setting it down, he threw one leg over its back, and half
rode, half walked, with his feet touching the ground on
either side. After a time he again carried the horse a
short distance ; and, at length, he took it up the steps of
a shop, and disappeared with it at the door.

It is truly lamentable that the horse, which is so
valuable to man, should often be treated with great
rigour and cruelty. Such objects should certainly not
be seen as that on which the poet's eye was fixed,
when he said :

" Will none befriend that poor dumb brute ?

Will no man rescue him ? —
With weaker effort, gasping, mute,
He strains in every limb.

" Spare him, O spare :— he feels, he feels !

Big tears roll from his eyes :

Another crushing blow ! — he reels,

Staggers, and falls, and dies.

" Shame that of all the living chain

That links creation's plan,
There is but one delights in pain,
The savage monarch, — man !"

One lesson of humanity may be derived from Busbe-
quius, who was ambassador at Constantinople in the
seventeenth century. "No creature," he says, "is so
gentle as a Turkish horse, nor more respectful to his

THE HORSE. 63

master, or the groom that dresses him. The reason is,
because they treat their horses with great lenity. I
myself saw, when I was in Pontus, how indulgent the
countrymen were to young colts, and how kindly they
used them. They would stroke them, bring them into
their houses, and almost to their tables, and use them
even like children. The grooms that dress them are as
indulgent as their masters ; they frequently sleek them
down with their hands, and never use a cudgel but in
cases of necessity. This makes their horses great lovers
of mankind ; and they are so far from kicking, wincing,
or growing untractable by this gentle usage, that you
will hardly find a masterless horse among them." The
treatment of the Turkish post-horses at the present day,
however, is very inhuman.

We know, too, who hath said, " A righteous man re-
gardeth the life of his beast ;" and again, " He shall have
judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy."
Inferior creatures should therefore be constantly treated
with kindness. " I would not keep a horse," said an
excellent man, " that did not love me ; " and well
he might, for he daily cared for the inmates of his
stables, in remembrance of Him to whose goodness he
felt himself constantly indebted.

THE WILD CAT.

THE common wild cat is the only animal of this
family that is found in the British Islands, and there it
is very seldom met with. In the south of England it
was formerly much more common than at the present
time ; but it has been forced to yield to the dominion of
man, and is now almost extinct. Though not nume-
rous, these creatures may still be found among the
woody mountainous districts of Cumberland and West-
moreland. In the wild parts of the north of Scotland,
and in Ireland, they are more abundant ; and in some
countries of the former, there are men who obtain a
livelihood by the hunting and destroying of wild cats
and other animals, which make considerable inroads on
both the flocks and the poultry. They are rather
smaller than domestic cats.

The lodgment of these animals is in hollow trees, in
the fissures of rocks, and in deep and narrow holes found
on the face of fearful precipices. From thence they
issue forth in pursuit of prey, but chiefly during the

THE CAT. 65

night. It consists of various kinds of birds and quad-
rupeds, among which are hares and rabbits. Wild cats
are caught or destroyed chiefly to prevent the ravages
they commit.

THE DOMESTIC CAT.

This animal is a variety of the wild species, and par-
takes, in some degree, of its native ferocity. In ancient
Egypt, the cat was held in sacred veneration. It was
considered a capital crime to kill one wilfully ; and to
kill one accidentally, exposed the individual to severe
punishment. A similar feeling has prevailed in other
countries. It is stated by Herodotus, the Greek histo-
rian, that " when a cat died, it was embalmed, and in-
terred with honour; and that the inhabitants of the
house shaved their eyebrows in token of sorrow." In
Turkey, cats are treated with a like regard.

It appears from an ancient law of one of the Welsh
princes, that in his time a cat was a rare and valuable
animal. A penny for a kitling before it could see,
which was doubled from that time till it caught a mouse,
and quadrupled for a mouser, was a very high price,

P ,

DO BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

considering the relative value of money at that time.
A person who had stolen the cat that guarded the
prince's granary, was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece,
and lamb ; or as much wheat as, when poured on the
cat while suspended by the tail, with the head touching
the floor, would form a heap high enough to cover the
tip of the former.

Cats, which have greatly multiplied since that time,
are very cleanly. In cold weather, they show their
fondness for warmth, by securing a place as near as
possible to the fire of the rooms into which they are
admitted. If noticed and caressed, they give many
proofs of pleasure, by their singular noise called " pur-
ring," as well as by various motions. An attack pro-
duces an opposite effect, and displeasure is equally mani-
fest. Cats sleep lightly, thus reminding us of the wild
state, in which heavy slumbers would be injurious to
them as creatures of prey.

The value of cats in destroying rats and mice is well
known. Their patience and perseverance at such times,
are not a little remarkable. Nor can the writer forget
the complacency and pleasure of one of these creatures
when bringing a rat or mouse to some one accustomed
to caress her, as if she wished for a few pats on the side,
or some gentle words, as a reward for her labour.

THE CAT. 67

Of attachment to these animals there are many in-
stances. An artist of Berne, named Gotfried Mind,
gave his chief and zealous attention to the painting
of cats and bears. The truth and excellence with which
he represented them were without precedent ; and his
drawings of the former especially were so admirable,
that he attained the honourable, though rather awkward
title, of " the Raphael of cats." Minette, his favourite,
was always near him when at work, and he seemed to
carry on a sort of conversation with her by gestures and
words. But a formidable trial came, of his cherished
feeling. Symptoms of madness having appeared among
the cats of Berne, in the year 1809, the magistrates gave
orders for their destruction. Mind showed the greatest
distress when he heard this mandate. He kept Minette
in secret ; but his sorrow for the death of eight hun-
dred cats was inexpressible. To sooth his regret, he
painted these animals with increased diligence ; and
amused himself during the long evenings of the ensuing
winter in cutting chestnuts into miniature figures of
bears and cats. These trifles were executed with such
great skill, that he was unable to supply the demand for
them. He died in 1814.

A strong attachment to cats was cherished by Mrs.
Griggs, of Southampton Row, London, whose decease

68 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

took place in the early part of 1792. Her executors
found in her house twenty-eight dead and eighty-six
living cats. She left her black servant 150Z. per annum
to maintain the survivors and himself. Such conduct
is, however, very reprehensible. Inferior creatures are
not intended to be pampered ; and those who pay them
excessive attention, diminish, instead of promoting, their
enjoyment. At the same time they degrade and injure
themselves, and incur fearful guilt by the neglect of
duties of the most solemn obligation, for the perform-
ance of which they are accountable to God.

Of the sagacity of the cat many instances might
be given. Thus, it is stated by Mr. Sharon Tur-
ner, that his cat, when she wished to be let into the
room, always rose up, and shook the handle of the door
outside, till she was admitted ; an act which she had
taught herself from seeing the family open it to let
themselves out and in.

Another case is more remarkable. In the early
part of May, 1832, when insects, in consequence of the
cold, flew low, and of course swallows were forced to
hawk for their prey by skimming the surface of the
ground, a wily cat gave a singular proof of her skill.
She stretched herself on the sunny grass-plot, with her
legs extended as if she were dead ; the flies collected

THE CAT. 69

about her, and the swallows, dreaming of no harm,
pounced down on the flies ; when puss, perceiving her
prey within reach, made a rapid spring, and at her
pleasure struck down with her paw a poor thoughtless
bird. The best marksman knows how difficult it is to
shoot a swallow on the wing ; yet the cat found her
patience, cunning, and activity rewarded by unfailing
success, whenever a swallow ventured within her reach.

The following almost incredible instance of saga-
city is related by De la Croix. " I once saw," he says,
" a lecturer upon experimental philosophy place a cat
under the receiver of an air-pump, for the purpose of
demonstrating the very certain fact, that life cannot be
supported without air and respiration. The lecturer
had already made several strokes with the piston, in
order to exhaust the receiver of its air, when the animal,
who began to feel herself very uncomfortable in the
rarified atmosphere, was fortunate enough to discover
the source from whence her uneasiness proceeded. She
placed her paw upon the hole through which the air
escaped, and thus prevented any more from passing out
of the receiver. All the exertions of the philosopher
were now unavailing : in vain he drew the piston,
the cat's paw effectually prevented its operation.
Hoping to effect his purpose, he let air again into the

70 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

receiver, which as soon as the cat perceived, she with-
drew her paw from the aperture ; but whenever he at-
tempted to exhaust the receiver, she applied her paw as
before. All the spectators clapped their hands in admi-
ration of the wonderful sagacity of the animal, and the
lecturer found himself under the necessity of liberating
her, and substituting in her place another." But surely
there could be no necessity for so cruel an experiment,
while the sagacity of the cat might have pleaded for
humanity to her race.

To the instances of sagacity now given, may be added
a few others. A gentleman was recently visiting a
friend, in whose house were a favourite cat and dog,
when one morning there was a tremendous storm of
thunder and lightning. Pincher was in the drawing-
room, not a little disturbed, when the cat, who lived
most amicably with him., walked in, mewing with all
her might. She invited him in the most expressive
way possible, and one which it was evident he under-
stood, to accompany her ; but as he continued to refuse,
she left the room. Soon afterwards she mewed so pite-
ously, that the observer could not resist the appeal, and
found her close to the open door of his sleeping apart-
ment. She ran to him, rubbed herself against him,
and then crept under the wardrobe which was in the

THE CAT. 71

room. Hearing two voices, lie discovered that she had
brought down one of her kittens from the garret, and
lodged it there for safety, of which she had evidently
wished Pincher to take charge. Having, however, con-
fided this little one to her new friend, she hastened up
stairs. He then followed her with the kitten, placed it
beside her, moved their little bed further from the
windows through which the lightning had flashed so
vividly as to occasion her alarm, and remained there till
the storm subsided, and all was calm.

On the following morning, much to his surprise, this
gentleman, who knew the cat was always in the habit of
going down to breakfast with the lady of the house,
found her waiting for him at the door of his apartment.
She had resisted all the caresses of her mistress to
induce her to leave it, accompanied him down stairs,
sat by him during breakfast with all the attention she
could display, and then returned to her family. What
could she have done more to express her feeling, — one
unhappily so rare among human kind — gratitude ?

Of the care of this animal for her young, the follow-
ing is another singular instance. A lady residing in
Glasgow, had a handsome cat sent to her from Edin-
burgh, conveyed in a close basket, placed in a carriage.
She was carefully watched for two months, but having

72 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

produced a pair of young ones at the end of that time,
she was left to herself, and soon disappeared with both
her kittens. The lady in Glasgow wrote to her friend
in Edinburgh deploring her loss ; but about a fortnight
after her disappearance, her well-known mew was heard
at the street door of her old mistress, for she was there
with both her kittens ; they in their best state, but she
was very thin. How much must she have done and suf-
fered to accomplish her object ! It is obvious she could
carry only one kitten at a time, and the distance from
Glasgow to Edinburgh is forty miles ; so that, if she
brought one kitten part of the way, and then went back
for the other, and thus conveyed them by turns, she must
have travelled at least one hundred and twenty miles.
Her sagacity must have also suggested, with many
other precautions, the necessity of journeying in the
night, for the safety of her young.

Cats have become the defenders of their master's pro-
perty. A man who was sentenced to be transported for
robbery, stated to a gentleman, that he and two others
broke into a house near Hampton Court ; in the act of
plundering it, a large black cat flew at one of the rob-
bers, and fixed her claws on each side of his face ; he
added, that he never saw any man so much frightened.

Another of these creatures is said to have watched by

THE CAT, 73

the couch of her dying master. When life was extinct,
she could scarcely be removed from the room where the
corpse remained ; and after the funeral, though often
driven and carried from the church-yard, she was sure to
return to the grave, on which, regardless of cold and
hunger, she would lie for hours. Such instances are
doubtless rare, but when a cat is treated kindly and
gently, she will commonly find many ways of expressing
her gratitude.

A remarkable circumstance may here be stated, which
the writer received on authority above all suspicion. In
a retired village in Devonshire, there was living very
lately a family in humble circumstances, the heads of
which were numbered among the pious poor. The
eldest daughter was taken ill, and long continued a suf-
ferer from disease. Her appetite was, in consequence,
very delicate, and at this her parents were much con-
cerned, as they had no means of ministering to her
wants. Living at the distance of seven or eight miles
from any town, they were beyond the range of the
benevolent visits often made in such neighbourhoods,
nor were there at hand any persons to whom in their
extremity they could apply for relief.

At this crisis, however, the gracious providence of
God provided for them by very singular means. A

74 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

favourite cat brought one day into the room of the in-
valid, a rabbit she had caught and killed, without at all
injuring it for food, and thus a grateful meal was pro-
vided. Never was she known to do so before, but now
she did so without variation from day to day, until the
sufferer was removed from the present world, and such
aid was no longer needed. The narrator of the fact
received it from the mother of the invalid, who told it
with many tears when he visited her cottage ; she
thought of one whom she tenderly loved, and for whom
relief was so singularly found.

To live like cat and dog, is a proverb for a life of
ceaseless conflict ; but one case at least may be men-
tioned of a very different state. " I had," says M.
Wenzel, " a cat and dog, which became so attached to
each other, that they would never willingly be asunder.
Whenever the dog got any choice morsel of food, he
was sure to divide it with his whiskered friendl They
always ate socially out of one plate, slept in the same
bed, and daily walked out together. Wishing to put
this apparently sincere friendship to the proof, I one
day took the cat by herself into my room, while I had
the dog guarded in another apartment.

" I entertained the cat in a most sumptuous manner,
being desirous to see what sort of a meal she would

THE CAT. 75

make without her friend, who had hitherto been her
constant table companion. The cat enjoyed the treat
with great glee, and seemed to have entirely forgotten
the dog. I had had a partridge for dinner, half of
which I intended to keep for supper. My wife covered
it with a plate, and put it into a cupboard, the door of
which she did not lock. The cat left the room, and I
walked out upon business. My wife, meanwhile, sat
at work in an adjoining apartment. When I returned
home she related to me the following circumstances : —
The cat, having hastily left the dining-room, went to
the dog, and mewed uncommonly loud, and in different
tones of voice j which he from time to time answered
with a short bark. They then went both to the door
of the room where the cat had dined, and waited till it
was opened. One of my children opened the door, and
the two friends entered the apartment. The mewing of
the cat excited my wife's attention. She rose from her
seat, and stepped softly up to the door which stood ajar,
to observe what was going on. The cat led the dog to
the cupboard which contained the partridge, pushed off
the plate which covered it, and taking out my intended
supper, laid it before her canine friend, who devoured
it greedily.

" Probably, the cat by her mewing had given the dog

76 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

to understand what an excellent meal she had made,
and how sorry she was that he had not participated in
it ; but, at the same time, had given him to understand
that something was left for him in the cupboard, and
persuaded him to follow her thither. Since that time,
I have paid particular attention to these animals, and
am perfectly convinced that they communicate to each
other whatever seems interesting to either.

THE SQUIRREL.

THIS light and lively little creature has often gratified
the sight of the visitor of the country, in his woodland
rambles. Its activity and agility, when favourably
situated, are truly surprising j and its sudden turns,
when moving with the greatest rapidity, are almost too
quick for the sight to follow. On the ground, the
squirrel has less opportunity of displaying its powers,
and though it advances rapidly, it is by means of jumps
or gallops.

If after admiring this lively little creature carrying its
tail on its back, shelling its nuts, sitting upright and
using its fore feet like hands, or leaping from branch to
branch with amazing agility, we wish to know some-
thing of its habits, these may be easily ascertained. It
chooses a tall tree for its abode, and prefers a natural
hollow, where the branches begin to fork into smaller
ones. Here, first making a level, it builds its nest, lines
it with wool or any other soft substance, leaves only one
opening just large enough for itself, defends this by a
cone which throws off the rain, and so protects the whole,

78 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

that the little dwelling is secure even amidst a storm.
So far its ingenuity is obvious. It is also vigilant ; at
the slightest appearance of danger bounding even from
tree to tree, and rarely venturing to stop until far distant
from the cause of its alarm. Nor should its frugality be
forgotten. Its food consists chiefly of nuts and acorns ;
these are, however, seldom found in the nest, but care-
fully laid up in the hollows of the tree, where the store
is only touched in cases of necessity. Thus it provides
for a time of want : this is one of the many lessons
which may be learned from going to animals, and " con-
sidering their ways."

The blindness of instinct, however, is often displayed
by a tame squirrel, for after having been captured in
the nest, and removed from the influence of instruction
and example, it is impelled to hoard, though to do so
is no longer necessary. If an inferior food be given it,
and another more agreeable to its palate be offered
shortly after, it will not carelessly drop the former, or
throw it hastily away, but will endeavour to conceal the
one before it receives the other. The regularity of its
action is remarkable in a state of captivity ; for if kept
in a circular moving cage, and allowed occasionally to
go out, it will frequently return of its own accord to
run round its wiry tread-mill.

THE SQUIRREL. 79

The squirrel, it appears, may be rendered very fami-
liar. A gentleman procured a common squirrel from a
nest, reared it, and rendered it very tame. It was kept
in a box nailed against the wall, about six feet from the
floor, wired in front, and having a small round aperture
at one end, to allow the animal to enter. Below this,
a rope was suspended to the end of the box, which
touched the ground, and by it the squirrel ascended
and descended to its abode.

It became extremely playful, familiar with every
one of the family, but especially attached to its master,
who generally carried it about with him in his coat
pocket, that on the right being made purposely on the
outside. It used to watch very narrowly all its master's
movements ; and whenever he was preparing to leave
home, it ran up his legs, and entered his pocket, from
whence it would peep at passengers as he walked along
the streets ; but it did not venture to get out. Yet no
sooner did he reach the outskirts of the city, than the
squirrel leaped on the ground, ran along the road,
climbed to the tops of trees with great rapidity, and
nibbled at the leaves and bark ; and if he walked on,
it would descend, scamper after him, and again enter
his pocket. In this manner, it would amuse itself
during walks of miles, which its master frequently took.

80 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

Whenever it heard a carriage or a cart, it became much
alarmed, and always hid itself till the object of its fears
had passed by. So familiar was it, that when its mas-
ter was in company with strangers, it would leave his
pocket, and run all over him.

This gentleman had a dog which was trained not to
touch the squirrel, but would never be quite friendly
with it, though the little creature made many efforts to
secure friendship. Whenever Filbert attempted to pass
over the body of Ponto, he always showed his displea-
sure by a growl. When the latter was asleep, the for-
mer used to take great delight in teasing him, by mak-
ing a rapid descent from his box, scampering over the
dog's body, and then quickly ascending the rope. Again
and again would it repeat this sport to the great annoy-
ance of Ponto, who sometimes at last became very
angry, when Filbert would end his gambols, and sit
peeping through the grating of his box.

This interesting little creature met with its death by
its master inadvertently leaning back in a chair while it
was in his pocket. On being squeezed, poor Filbert
gave a slight scream, and when taken out was found
lifeless.

The squirrel is exposed to a considerable change of
colour, and becomes grey in the northern regions. The

THE SQUIRREL. 81

inhabitants of the Lapland Alps, it is said, contrive, by
means of their wooden bows, to procure, in the course of
a winter, a considerable number of squirrels for the sake
of their skins. In spring and autumn some change
appears to take place in the colour of the fur in this
country. In the summer the fur is uniformly red,
and much coarser, and the pencils of the ears also are
lost; in the winter the sides of the body assume a
greyish tint, the pencils of the ears are long and full,
and the fur softer and thicker.

THE MOLE.

THIS animal is common in every part of Europe,
except Ireland and Greece, Orkney, and Shetland. It
is not met with in any of the Hebrides, excepting Bute ;
and is unknown, in some of the northern and western
districts of the Highlands of Scotland, but is distributed
over all the other parts of Britain, from the level of the
sea to the height, in some places, of a thousand feet or
more, although it is more abundant in the lower and
richer grounds.

It exhibits several varieties as to colour. In the
loamy parts of Richmond Park, the moles, which are
there most abundant, are invariably black ; but others
of a different hue, have been taken in the wetter
and more boggy places, where there is white sand be-
neath. In the same part, a white, or rather a cream-
coloured mole has been caught. Mr. Jesse saw a grey
one with an orange-coloured belly ; and was assured by
a mole-catcher, that he once caught a mole that was
perfectly orange, except the head. In former times

THE MOLE. 83

the skins of moles were much used, for the linings of
winter garments, for the trimmings of several kinds of
dress, and even for the coverlets of beds. The down
or fur, which is as soft as the finest velvet, has been
employed in the manufacture of hats j yet for these
animals there is little or no sale. In some countries
the flesh of the mole is eaten.

The aspect of this animal, on a hasty glance, is not
pleasing : its feet appear thick and clumsy, and its eyes
so very minute, that the ancients and some of the mo-
derns thought it was blind ; but when its structure is
compar^ \ with what it has to do, we are filled with
admiration. It lives, be it observed, almost wholly
beneath the surface of the ground, and feeds chiefly on
worms and insects.

As therefore it is intended to burrow with great
facility, its fore feet are beautifully adapted to this
purpose : they appear like a pickaxe and shovel united ;
the long and powerful nails breaking the earth, while the
broad sole of the foot pushes away that which is
loose. All the force of the animal is required for these
efforts ; and hence the muscles of the fore feet are
uncommonly large, while the hinder ones, not having
such labour to perform, are smaller and much weaker.

The mole is directed solely to its prey by smell and

84 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

sound ; the proper organs are therefore specially pre-
pared for its guidance. The tympanum of the ear is
indeed remarkably large j but as the outer appendage
so desirable to animals living above ground is here
unnecessary, it is not present. As moreover, organs of
vision are little needed by a creature dwelling in dark-
ness, these appear in two little specks ; and so well are
they defended by the soft downy hair of the face, that
no particle of earth can enter them to occasion distress.

The district to which a mole confines itself may be
termed its camp. Here, or hereabout, all its labours
are pursued. The camp consists of the habitation or
fortress, from which extends the high road by which
the animal reaches the opposite end of its district, and
of various galleries opening into the road, which it is
continually extending in search of food.

The main dwelling is formed under a large hillock,
which is always raised in a safe and defended situation j
under a bank, at the root of a tree, against the founda-
tion of a wall, or in some similar place. The earth,
of which the dome covering this curious habitation is
composed, is made strong and solid, by being pressed
and beaten in its formation. It contains a circular
gallery within the base, which communicates with a
smaller one above by four passages nearly equally dis-

THE MOLE. 85

tant. The chamber is placed within the lower, and
beneath the upper circular gallery, to which last it has
access by three similar passages. From the chamber
extends another road, the direction of which is at first
downwards for several inches • it then rises again to
open into the high road of the camp. From the outer
circular gallery there are about nine other passages, the
orifices of which are never found opposite to those
which connect the outer with the inner and upper gal-
lery ; these extend to a greater or less distance ; and
are saH to return, each taking an irregular route, and
opening into the high road at various distances from
the fortress. Nothing can be more admirably calcu-
lated to secure the safety or retreat of the inhabitant ;
while the structure thus formed may rival those of the
beaver, which have attained so much celebrity.

The principal road differs from all the other routes
and excavations, both in its construction and use. It
extends from the main dwelling to the end of the dis-
trict in nearly a direct line, forming, in fact, the passage
between the fortress and the different parts of the camp ;
and the alleys which lead to the spot where food is
pursued, open into it on each side. It is larger than
the body of the mole, but not large enough to allow of
two passing each other. The walls are beaten by the

86 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

frequent pressure of the animal's sides against them, un-
til they become very smooth and compact. In fact, this
road is chiefly formed by compressing the earth which
surrounds it, rather than actual excavation. In some
cases the same mole forms a second and even a third
road ; but this is generally done to extend its operations
to a new and more productive district.

That the mole swiftly traverses its domain by means
of this principal road, was satisfactorily proved by M.
Le Court. Having found out the exact direction of
the road, and that the animal was seeking its food on
the ground at the furthest extremity from the fortress,
he placed along its course at certain distances several
pieces of straw, one end of which penetrated within the
passage, while to the other was fixed a little flag of
paper. He also introduced into the passage near the
end, a horn, with the mouth-piece standing out of the
ground. Then waiting till he was sure of the mole's
presence at that part of the road, he blew into the horn ;
when, in a moment, the little flags were successively
thrown off, as the mole, in its rapid course towards its
fortress, came in contact with the inner ends of the
straws : and the spectators affirm, that the speed of the
frightened mole was equal to that of a horse at full
trot.

THE MOLE. 87

The alleys or galleries are opened from the sides of
the road, and generally incline a little downwards.
These are formed, as has been stated, by throwing out
the earth, while the high road is chiefly formed by its
pressure. When one is opened, if a plentiful supply
of food be found, the mole proceeds to form various
ramifications from its extremity, throwing up fresh mole-
hills as it advances in the pursuit of its prey ; but if
there be little, another is made at a different part of
the road.

In lands newly sown, the surface of which is light
and yielding after moderate rain, which has brought the
earth-worms to the surface, the mole follows them, and
pursues its chase along the outer layer of the soil,
digging a shallow trench, and advancing in its work
with great rapidity.

Prior to the setting in of winter, the mole is said to
form a basin in a bed of clay, which will hold about a
quart. Here, a great many worms are placed, and to
prevent their escape, they are mutilated in part, but not
killed. The worms are provision for the winter months.
In some years there are much fewer of these basins than
in others ; and from this, some who know the fact con-
clude, as they do when hedge-fruit, such as hips and haws,
are comparatively scanty, that the winter will be mild.

00 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

It was thought by James Hogg, well known as the
Ettrick Shepherd, that farmers ought not to destroy
moles ; for he considered them of great use in spread-
ing manure. He says, " If a hundred men and horses
were employed on a pasture farm, say of from 1500 to
2000 acres, in raising and driving manure for a top
dressing of that farm, they would not do it so neatly,
equally, or effectually, as the natural number of moles
on the farm would do it for themselves."

The Linnaean Transactions contain the following cu-
rious instance of the swimming of these animals : — " On
visiting the Loch of Clunie, which I often did," says
Mr. Arthur Bruce, " I observed in it a small island, at
the distance of one hundred and eighty yards from the
nearest land, measured to be so upon the ice. Upon the
island, the Earl of Airly, the proprietor, has a castle and
a small shrubbery. I remarked frequently the appear-
ance of fresh mole roosts or hills. I for some time took
them for those of the water mouse, and one day asked
the gardener if it was so. l No/ he said, ' it was the
mole, and that he had caught one or two lately.' Five
or six years before, he caught two in traps, and for
two years after this he had observed none. But
coming ashore one summer's evening in the dusk,
he and the Earl of Airly's butler saw at a short

THE MOLE. 89

distance upon the smooth water, some animal paddling
towards the island. They soon closed with this feeble
passenger, and found it to be the common mole, led by a
most astonishing instinct from the castle hill, the near-
est point of land, to take possession of this desert island.
It had been, at the time of my visit, for the space 01
two years quite free from any subterraneous inhabitant ;
but the mole has, for more than a year past, made its
appearance again, and its operations I have since been
witness to."

THE OX.

MAN is more indebted to the ox than to any other
animal. The general utility of this creature appears to
have been discovered at a very early period, and hence
we trace its domestication to a remote date. Jabal
lived before the flood, and he is described as " the
father of such as have cattle ;" and in every part of the
earth the ox has been held in high estimation.

The writers of Greece are eager to secure the honour
of training the ox, and yoking him to the plough, but
they ascribe the work to many gods and goddesses, he-
roes, and other great men. With the Bible in our
hands, we may trace it to the first descendants of our
common father, one of whom was "a tiller of the
ground." Even beyond them we must go, as not origi-
nal instructors, but taught from above. Isaiah bears
to us the charge and the inquiry, " Give ye ear, and
hear my voice ; hearken, and hear my speech. Doth
the ploughman plough all day to sow ? doth he open
and break the clods of his ground ? When he hath

THE OX. 91

made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the
fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the princi-
pal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in
their place 1 For his God doth instruct him to discre-
tion," Isaiah xxviii. 23 — 26. By direct aid from
heaven to Adam, or his son Cain, men were taught to
construct the plough, and to bend the neck of the ox to
the yoke.

Nor was this any ordinary benefit. " Deprived of the
aid of these useful animals," says Buffon, " the poor and
the rich would alike have great difficulty to subsist. The
earth in France would remain uncultivated ; the fields,
and even the gardens, would be dry and sterile. It is
on the ox that the work of the country falls ; he is the
most useful domestic that the farmer possesses j and he
performs all the labour of agriculture. In former ages
he constituted the chief riches of mankind ; and still he
is the basis of the riches of those nations which only
flourish and are supported by the cultivation of lands,
and the number of their cattle. It is in these that all
real wealth consists ; every other kind, even silver and
gold, are only arbitrary representations, which have no
value, but that which is conferred upon them by the
productions of the earth."

The earliest account we have of the ancient Britons

92 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

shows that they had great numbers of cattle, that they
did little in tillage, and lived on the flesh and milk of
these animals. Such a mode of life suited the existing
state of society. Divided, as the island was, into many
petty sovereignties, no fixed property was secure, and
that only was valuable which might be hurried away on
the approach of an invader.

In the roving and uncertain life so long led by our an-
cestors, their cattle would sometimes stray and be lost.
As the country was overgrown with forests, the beasts
betook themselves to their recesses, became wild, and
indeed ferocious. Sometimes, from their number, they
were dangerous to the inhabitants of the neighbouring
districts. As, however, civilisation advanced, these
animals were more rarely seen, and at length almost
disappeared.

The parent race of the ox is said to have been much
larger than any of the present varieties. The Urus, in
his wild state, at least, was an enormous and fierce ani-
mal. In almost every part of England, and of the Con-
tinent too, skulls have been found, far exceeding in bulk
any now known, evidently belonging to cattle.

In the Earl of Tankerville's park, at Chillingham, near
Berwick-upon-Tweed, there was lately a herd of wild
cattle ; these, with one or two other instances, afford

THE CHILLINGHAM BULL.

THE OX. 93

probably the only remains of the true and genuine breed
of that species, at present to be found in this kingdom.
The following description is given of them by his lord-
ship. " They have, in the first place, pre-eminently, all
the characteristics of wild animals, with some peculi-
arities that are sometimes very curious and amusing.
They hide their young, feed in the night, basking or
sleeping during the day ; they are fierce when pressed,
but, generally speaking, very timorous, moving off on
the appearance of any one, even at a great distance.
Yet, this varies very much in different seasons of the
year, according to the manner in which they are ap-
proached. In summer, I have been for several weeks at
a time without getting a sight of them ; they on the
slightest appearance of any one, retiring into a wood,
which serves them as a sanctuary. On the other hand,
in winter, when coming down for food into the inner
park, and being in contact with the people, they will let
you almost come among them, particularly if on horse-
back. But then they have also a thousand peculiarities.
They will be feeding sometimes quietly, when if any
one appear suddenly near them, particularly coming
down the wind, they will be struck with a sudden panic,
and gallop off, running one after another, and never
stopping till they get into their sanctuary.

94 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

" It is observable of them, as of red deer, that they
have a peculiar faculty of taking advantage of the irre-
gularities of the ground, so that on being disturbed they
may traverse the whole park, and yet you hardly get a
sight of them. Their usual mode of retreat is to get
up slowly, set off in a walk, then a trot, and seldom
begin to gallop till they have put the ground between
you and them in the manner that I have described. In
form, they are beautifully shaped, short legs, straight
black horns of a very fine texture, thin skin, so that
some of the bulls appear of a cream colour ; and they
have a peculiar cry, more like that of a wild beast than
that of ordinary cattle.

" When they come down into the lower part of the
park, which they do at stated hours, they move like a
regiment of cavalry in single files, the bulls leading the
van, as in retreat it is the bulls that bring up the rear.
Lord Ossulton was witness to a curious way in which
they took possession, as it were, of some new pasture
recently laid open to them. It was in the evening,
about sunset. They began by lining the front of a
small wood, which seemed quite alive with them, when
all of a sudden they made a dash forward altogether in
a line, and charging close by him across the plain, they
then spread out, and after a little time began feeding."

Mr. Cole, the keeper, adds the following statements
from his own observation. " There are about eighty in
the herd, comprising twenty-five bulls, forty cows, and
fifteen steers of various ages. The eyes, eye-lashes, and
tips of the horns alone are black. The muzzle is brown,
the inside of the ears are red and brown, and all the
rest of the animal white. Even the bulls have no manes,
but a little coarse hair on their neck. They fight for
supremacy until a few of the most powerful subdue the
others, and the mastery is no longer disputed. When
two bulls are separated by accident, they fight when
they meet, although friendly before, and do so till they
become friends again."

The late Mr. Bailey of Chillingham found a calf two
or three days old, very poor and weak. On stroking it,
it retired a few paces, and then bolted at him with all
its force, — a strong fact in support of the opinion of the
natural wildness of these animals ; — he stepped out of its
way, and it fell down, when the whole flock came to its
rescue, and forced him to retreat. These wild cattle do
not often die from disease, but they are seldom allowed
to live more than eight or nine years, at which period,
" they begin to go back." When slaughtered, they weigh
from thirty-eight to forty-two stones.

One was caught and kept, and became as tame as the

96 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

domestic ox, and thrived as well as any short-horned
steer could do ; and in its prime, was computed to
weigh sixty-five stones. They are shy in summer, but
tame in winter, and will eat from a fold, although they
will not taste turnips. When one of the herd becomes
weak or feeble, the rest sometimes set upon it, and gore
it to death. At the end of the last century, similar
cattle existed at Burton Constable, Yorkshire, and at
Dunlary in Dumfrieshire, but these are now extinct.
From the absence of all recent notice of these animals,
there appears to be little doubt but that they are genu-
ine descendants of the wild cattle of the ancient Caledo-
nian forests.

Britain, though surrounded by the ocean, has often
been overrun by ferocious invaders. As the people
retreated before their foes, they took with them, their
cattle, the chief part of their property. They did this
when they retired to the fortresses of North Devon and
Cornwall, or the mountains of Wales, or when they
sought shelter in the wealds of Sussex, and there they
were anxious to preserve these animals. The ancient
breed thus sustained, experienced some change, parti-
cularly in bulk, from difference of climate. In Devon,
Sussex, Wales, and Scotland, the cattle have been the
same from time immemorial ; while on the eastern coast,

THE OX. 97

and through every other district of Britain, they exhibit
a great variety, yet are generally conformed to the soil
and the climate.

The breeds of cattle, as they are now found in Great
Britain, have been classed according to the comparative
size of their horns. The long horns, originally, so far as
this country is concerned, from Lancashire, but much
improved in Leicestershire, appear through the greater
part of the midland counties. The short horns, originally
from East York, and improved in Durham, are mostly
found in Lincolnshire and the northern counties, and
many of them, wherever much attention is given to the
dairy. The middle horns are a distinct and valuable
breed, inhabiting principally the north of Devon, the
east of Sussex, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire :
The polled, or hornless cattle, prevail in Galloway,
whence they were first derived, and in Norfolk and
Suffolk ; and the little Alderney cow, with her crumpled
horn, is found in gentlemen's parks and pleasure-grounds
very generally.

The management of cattle sometimes calls for much
activity. Their summer pasturing in distant glens,
and on their enclosing mountains, is practised in
the Highlands of Scotland. Mrs. Grant describes this
" flitting" of the people with her usual animation. " This

H

98 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

changing of their residence so often as they did in sum-
mer, from one bothy (booth) or glen to another," she re-
marks, " gave a romantic peculiarity to their turn of
thought and language. Their manner of life, in fact,
wanted nothing but the shades of palm, the olives, the
vines, and the fervid sun of the East, to resemble the pa-
triarchal one. Yet, as they must carry their beds, food,
and utensils, the housewife who furnishes and divides
these matters, has enough to do, when her shepherd is
in one glen, and her dairy-maid in another, with her
milk cattle. Not to mention some of the children, who
are marched off to the glen, as a discipline, to inure
them early to hardiness and simplicity of life.

" As I find myself," continues the same writer, " in
the humour of journalizing and particularizing, I shall,
between fancy and memory, sketch out the diary of one
July Monday. I mention Monday, being the day that
all dwellers in the glens come down for the supplies.
Then, at four o'clock, Donald arrives with a horse
loaded with butter, cheese, and milk. The former
I must weigh instantly. He only asks an additional
blanket for the children, a covering for himself, two
milk-tubs, a cog, and another spoon, because little Peter
threw one of the set into the burn ; two stone of meal,
a quart of salt, and two pounds of flax for the spinners,

THE OX. 99

for the grass continues so good that they will stay a
week longer. He brings the intelligence of the old
sow's being the joyful mother of a dozen pigs, and re-
quests something to feed her with. All this must be
ready in an hour : before the conclusion of which, comes
Ronald from the high hills, where our sheep and young
horses are all summer, and only desires meal, salt, and
women with shears to clip the lambs, and tar to smear
them. He informs me that the black mare has a foal,
a very fine one ; but she is very low, and I must in-
stantly send one to bring her to the meadows, before
he departs. The tenants who do us services come ;
they are going to stay two days • in the oak wood, cut-
ting timber for our new byre, and must have a compe-
tent provision of bread, cheese, and ale for the time
they stay."

The bull is commonly considered a formidable ani-
mal, and it is necessary to be cautious when one comes
in our way. " Talking of a mischievous bull," says
Sir Walter Scott to a friend, " puts me in mind of a
case which I witnessed many years ago in Edin-
burgh. I was proceeding from the Old to the New
Town by the Earthen Mound, at the head of which
I was led for a few minutes to look at a bull that had got
into an enclosure there, after the unmerciful butcher-

100 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

lads had driven it fairly mad. The crowd that ga-
thered on the outside of the fence increased the brute's
fierceness. At last they began to cast ropes over its
horns, and around its neck, thereby to pull it to a strong-
hold, that it might be slain in the place where it was,
which drove it to its most desperate fury. Its eyes now
glared madness ; there were handfuls of foam flying
from its mouth ; with its fore-feet it pawed the ground,
throwing up lumps of earth as high as the adjoining
houses, and it bellowed so as to make one quake. It
was anything but an agreeable sight, so I moved away
homewards. But before I got to the foot of the Mound,
an alarming shout caused me to look back, when I per-
ceived the animal at no great distance behind me coming
on with all its rage. I had just time to' spring to the
top of the wall that lined the footpath, and to behold its
future progress.

" I shudder at this hour when I think of what imme-
diately I saw. Among the people that were near me
and in jeopardy, was a young lady, and she wore a red
mantle, which is a very offensive colour to many of the
brute creation. And as I did, she also made for the
wall, but had neither time nor strength to gain its top
ere the infuriated animal drove towards her. She turned
her back, however, to the inaccessible eminence, as if to see

THE OX. 101

the full extent of her fate, and then stood as nailed to it,
save only her arms, which she threw aloft in her despair,
which would have been as fragile in her defence as a
rotten reed. Her tender body would have been nothing
against a force that could have broken bars of brass,
and horns that might have transfixed an animal of its
own size. As I have said, directly towards the unpro-
tected young lady, the bull drove forward ; with in-
tentest eyes he came on, he mistook his mark not an
inch ; for as the multitude behind him yelled their
horror, he dashed with prodigious strength and mad-
ness against her." Most providential was her deliver-
ance, for, Sir Walter adds : " The dear young woman
escaped unhurt and untouched. The terrific animal
struck at her so accurately, that a horn smote the dead
wall on either side, thus embracing, but from their great
length shielding, her person from even the slightest dan-
ger. But the staunch wall stood the tremendous thrust,
and sent back with rebounding force to a great distance,
the huge and terrible brute, throwing him prostrate
never to rise agaio, for numberless destructive weapons
were plunged into him ere he had time to recover from
the recoil."

Sir Walter describes this madness to have been oc-
casioned by the wanton violence of its drivers and pur-

102 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

suers, a common cause of it ; and that these animals are
greatly affected by their ordinary treatment is beyond
dispute. Mr. Bakewell has obtained much celebrity
for his management of cattle, and he is always very
gentle. All his bulls, therefore, stand still in the field to
be examined j they are driven home, or from one field
to another by a little switch j he or his men walk by
their side, and guide them with the stick wherever they
please, and to this method they are accustomed from
being calves. A lad, with a stick three feet long, and
the size of his finger, will conduct a bull from other
bulls, and his cows from one end of the farm to the
other. The mischief often done by bulls is therefore
owing to total neglect, or contrary practices.

It appears, indeed, that cattle, like oftier animals, are
the creatures of circumstances. Nothing commonly
occurs to call forth and stimulate sagacity ; were it
otherwise, even this interesting quality would doubtless
be displayed. The conclusion is warranted by such
cases as the following : A gentleman near Laggan
had a bull which grazed with the cows in the open
meadows, and as fences are scarcely known in that part,
a boy was kept to watch, lest the cattle should trespass
on the neighbouring fields and destroy the corn. But
the boy was fat and drowsy ; he was often found asleep,

THE OX. 103

and was of course chastised whenever the cattle went
astray. This led him to keep a long switch, and to
avenge himself with an unsparing hand if any of them
crossed the boundary. The bull, too, seemed to have
observed with concern this consequence of wandering,
and setting them a good example by never straying,
he placed himself before the cows in a threatening
attitude whenever they approached the bounds, and as
he had no horns, he used to strike them with his large
forehead, and thus punish them severely if any of them
transgressed. At length, his watchfulness and honesty
were so apparent, that the boy was employed in other
business, without fear that the cattle would misbehave in
his absence.

Of the sympathy displayed by cattle towards others
of their kind in distress, the following is an interesting
proof, from Captain Cochrane's Travels in Columbia :
" I was suddenly aroused by a most terrific noise, a
mixture of loud roarings and of deep moans, which had
the most appalling effect at so late an hour. I immedi-
ately went out attended by the Indians, when I found
close to the rancha a large herd of bullocks collected
from the surrounding country ; they had encompassed
the spot where a bullock had been killed in the morn-
ing, and they appeared to be in the greatest state of

104 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

grief and rage ; they roared, they moaned, they tore the
ground with their feet, and bellowed the most hideous
chorus that can be imagined, and it was with the great-
est difficulty they could be driven away by men and
dogs. Since then, I have observed the same scene by
daylight, and seen large tears rolling down their cheeks.
Is it instinct merely ? or, does something nearer to
reason tell them by the blood, that one of their compa-
nions has been butchered ? I certainly never wish again
to view so painful a sight : they actually appeared to be
reproaching us."

The Devon ox is very good tempered and docile ; it
is also unusually active, and displays great strength and
perseverance. Four of them are despribed to be equal
in work to three horses, and will trot along up to six
miles an hour with empty wagons in harvest. Mr.
Youatt says : — " There is a peculiarity in driving the
ox team, which is very pleasing to the stranger, and the
remembrance of which, connected with his early days,
the native does not soon lose. A man and a boy attend
each team ; the boy chants that which can scarcely be
regarded as any distinct tune, but which is a very
pleasing succession of sounds, resembling the counter-
tenor in the service of a cathedral. He sings away
with unwearied lungs, as he trudges along almost from

THE OX. 105

morning to night, while every now and then the plough-
man, as he directs the movement of the team, puts in
his lower notes, but in perfect concord. When the tra-
veller stops in one of the Devonshire valleys, and hears
this simple music from the drivers of the ploughs on the
slope of the hill on either side, he experiences a pleasure
which this operation of husbandry could scarcely be sup-
posed to be capable of aiFording. This chanting is said
to animate the oxen somewhat in the same way as the
musical bells which are so prevalent in the same county.
Certainly, the oxen move along with an agility that
could scarcely be expected from cattle ; and the team
may be watched a long while without one harsh word
being heard, or the goad or the whip applied. The op-
ponents of ox-husbandry should visit the valleys of
North or South Devon, to see what this animal is capa-
ble of performing, and how he performs it."

In South Africa the ox displays no common intelli-
gence. The Hottentot and the Caffre well know his
sagacity. While the sheep enjoy their pastures, he
stands and gazes behind them ; yet, attentive to the
looks of his master, he flies round the field to keep those
who are straying within proper limits. Nor is this all ;
he shows no mercy to the plunderers of the flock, and is
even made to combat with the enemies of the people.

106 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

The backely, as he is called, has his reward. He lives
in the same hut as his master, and by long habit gains
an affection for him. When the animal dies, a new
one is chosen in his place. He is then joined with the
veterans of his own kind, from whom he learns his art,
becomes social and diligent, and is taken into human
protection and friendship for life.

THE COW.

\
Of all animals, except man, according to Buffon, the

cow appears to be most generally known. Abraham
brought a calf, tender and good, and milk for the angels,
under the oak at Mamre ; and numerous passages show
how generally acceptable and agreeable were such offer-
ings. When, too, Jehovah was about to make a cove-
nant with that patriarch, an heifer was one of the ap-
pointed victims.

In the services of the Israelites, there was one sacri-
fice which differed from all others. A red heifer was
slain, not in the court of the tabernacle, but without the
camp \ and all the fat, the greater part of the blood,

THE COW. 107

and the skin and carcass, were burned. A portion of
the blood was, however, to be sprinkled by the priest
directly before the tabernacle of the congregation, and
the ashes of the animal were to be laid up for " a water
of separation," " a purification for sin." How impres-
sive was this type ! It spoke of that pollution of which
we all partake ; it pointed to Christ, who bore our sins,
and suffered without Jerusalem by the hands of the
Romans ; and it announced that cleansing power which
we must experience if we would now engage accept-
ably in the service of God, and be prepared for His
everlasting kingdom. To this service, and to another of
a similar character, the Apostle alludes when he says,
" If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the puri-
fying of the flesh : how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered him-
self without spot to God, purge your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God T' Hebrews ix.
13, 14. Well then may we adopt the language of
Cowper : —

" Israel, in ancient days,

Not only had a view
Of Sinai in a blaze,

But had the Gospel too :
The types and shadows were a glass,
In which they saw a Saviour's face.

108 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

" Jesus, I love to trace

Throughout the sacred page,
The riches of thy grace,

The same in every age ;
Oh grant that I may faithful be,
To clearer light vouchsafed to me !"

The animal which has suggested these considerations,
has been for ages of great value to people in very dif-
ferent circumstances. Its nature seems equally capable
of the rigours of heat and cold ; it is an inhabitant of
the frozen fields of Iceland, as well as of the burning
deserts of Asia. " It seems," says Buffon, " an ancient
inmate in every climate ; domestic and tame in those
countries which have been 4 civilized j savage and wild in
the countries which are less peopled, but capable of
being made useful in all ; able to defend itself in a state
of nature against the most powerful enemy of the forest,
and only subordinate to man, whose force it has expe-
rienced, and whose aid it at last seems to require. How-
ever wild the calves are which are taken from the dam
in a savage state, either in Africa or Asia, they soon be-
come humble, patient, and familiar ; and man may be
considered, in these countries, as almost helpless with-
out their assistance."

To the milk of the cow we are generally indebted for a
most nutritious and wholesome aliment. In a Wiltshire

THE COW. 109

cheese-farm, by three o'clock on a summer's morning
the cows are in the yard, and the dairy-women at work.
The milkers are generally the wives and daughters of
the farm labourers, being hired for this special purpose.
The morning's milking over, these women retire to
their other occupations, many of them being employed
elsewhere in different labours ; and they do not return
till about four o'clock in the afternoon, that being, in
summer, the general hour for the evening's milking.

After milk has stood a few hours, cream rises to the
surface. This is skimmed off for several purposes, but
chiefly to be made into butter, which is done by beating
it in a vessel called a churn. This process requires to
be very carefully performed. When freed from the
remaining milk, it is called fresh butter, and to preserve
it sweet, it requires to be salted, which is usually done
with common salt. The best butter is that made during
the summer, but its appearance and flavour are given
to butter made in winter.

The dairies and buildings attached to them are larger
and more commodious in Wiltshire than in any other
county. Here no butter is sold : a portion of the milk
sufficient to produce butter for family use is taken and
set for cream ; but the skim milk is never added to
that from which the cheese is made.

110 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

Nearly all the cheese consumed in England is made
from the milk of cows, which is curdled by mixture with
a sweet acid called rennet j and the curd thus formed,
when cleared of the whey, or watery part of the milk, is
collected together, pressed, and dried for use.

Cheshire is famous for its cheese ; and much, of rich
and excellent quality, is made in Gloucestershire and
Wiltshire. The principal of all the English kinds,
is that called Stilton, which was first made, not at the
place so named, but at Wimondham in Leicestershire.
Mr. Paulet, who resided there, a relation of Cooper
Thornhill, who formerly faept the Bell Inn at Stilton in
Huntingdonshire, on what was called the great north
road, "had cream-cheese, which being of a very fine
quality was in great request," and was sold at the
cost of half-a-crown a pound. As the place of its
manufacture was not publicly known, it was called
Stilton cheese. At length, this was discovered ; the
art of producing it was learned by other persons, and
it was soon made at the rate of many tons in a year in
the country around.

On the various uses to which the flesh, skin, bones,
horns, and fat of oxen and cows are appropriated, we
cannot dwell, and will therefore only point out a few of
the qualities which the r latter discover. Cows have a

THE COW. Ill

very strong affection for their young. One of these
animals, whose calf was left at the kead keeper's yard
in Bushey Park, where King William iv. long lived
as Duke of Clarence, was driven from thence, and sold
in Smithfield market. Yet she made her way through
the intricacies and obstacles of London, and traversed
twelve miles of road to reach her calf, and was found at
the gate of the yard early the next morning. She
must also have watched when the park gates were
opened, and seized the opportunity to enter.

Cows are not wanting in sympathy for others when
in trouble. One, for instance, was observed some time
since, at which a dog was barking, when the others in
the same meadow turned round at his noise, and per-
ceiving the assailant, walked slowly up to the cow as if
to assist her. At another time, when a similar attack
was made, the cow bent her head to present her horns,
but the dog persisted and pursued her, while she, inti-
midated, retreated. The other cows at a distance first
raised their heads to listen, then turned to the sound,
and seeing their companion still distressed by the dog,
they became much excited. One went towards her, then
two others ; afterwards another galloped furiously up to
them, and six formed into a semicircle to protect her.
Still the dog renewed his attack, when one of the cows

112 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

left its place, and ran deliberately at him. Quitting
now the object of his first assault, and seeing that the
other continued to rush onwards, he seemed to think that
he was in danger, and moved away silently and slowly.
The excited cow, however, went after him, until, as he
quickened his pace, she galloped as fast as she could, as if
intent on his punishment ; but he outran her, and escaped.
" The following little anecdote," Mr. Jesse says, " will
show the gratitude and recollection of the kindness
shown to an animal. A young lady brought up a calf
whose mother had died soon after it was born. She
made a pet of it ; but, when it became an heifer, for
some reason, it was parted with, and she lost sight of it
for about two years. At the end of that time, as she
was walking with a friend in a lane, she met some
cows, when one of them left the herd and came up to
her, showing evident symptoms of pleasure in seeing
her. She immediately knew and patted her old ac-
quaintance, who, after being satisfied by these marks of
her favour that the recognition was mutual, quietly
turned away and joined her companions."

THE SHREW.

THE common shrew is like the weasel in colour, and
the mole in its head. It is sometimes called the shrew
mouse, from the little creature it also much resembles.
It frequents dry situations, feeding on insects and worms ;
in the pursuit of which, its snout enables it to grub
amongst the closest herbage, or under the surface of the
soil, for which it is well adapted by its form, and by its
soft, short, velvety coat. Its nest, which consists of
soft herbage, is made in any hole on the ground,
or in a bank : it is covered over at the top, and is
entered at the side. The shrill piercing cry of this
animal may frequently be heard in spring and sum-
mer, from the spots it loves to frequent. In autumn
numbers of them are found dead along the pathways
and by the sides of banks ; but the cause of so exten-
sive a mortality is not known. Shrews, with bats,
seals, and mice, are the groups in which many discove-
ries will yet most probably be made.

114 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

THE WATER-SHREW.

The water-shrew, while generally like the former
species, has certain peculiarities. The addition to the
sides of the toes, the greater breadth of the feet,
and the fringe of hairs on the upper surface of the
tail, show that it requires the use of oars and a rudder,
and that, while the food consists of insects, it is to be
obtained in the water.

The following very interesting account of its habits
is given by Mr. Dovaston. " On a delicious evening,
far in April, 1825, a little before sunset, strolling in my
orchard beside a pool, and looking into the clear water
for insects I expected about that time to come out, I
was surprised by seeing what I momentarily imagined
to be a Ditiscus marginalis, or some very large beetle,
dart with rapid motion, and suddenly disappear. Lay-
ing myself down cautiously and motionless on the
grass, I soon, to my delight and wonder, observed it
was a mouse. I repeatedly marked it glide from the
bank under water, and bury itself in the mass of leaves
at the bottom : — I mean the leaves that had fallen off
the trees in autumn, and which lay very thick over the
mud. It very shortly returned, and entered the bank,

THE SHREW. 115

occasionally putting its long sharp nose out of the water,
and paddling close to the edge. This it repeated at
frequent intervals, from place to place, seldom going
more than two yards from the side, and always returning
in about half a minute. I presume it sought and
obtained some insect or food among the rubbish and
Leaves, and retired to consume it. Sometimes it would
run a little on the surface, and sometimes timidly and
hastily come ashore, but with the greatest caution, and
instantly plunged in again. During the whole sweet
spring of that fine year, I constantly visited my new
acquaintance. When under water he looks grey, on
account of -the pearly cluster of minute air-bubbles that
adhere to his fur, and bespangle him all over. He
swims very rapidly, and, though he appears to dart, his
very nimble wriggle is clearly discernible."

THE BADGER.

THE common length of the badger is about three
feet. Its body and legs are thick ; the latter are very
short \ the claws of the fore feet are long, strong, and
straight, and fit for borrowing. The eyes are placed in
a black stripe of hair which begins behind the ears, and
runs tapering to the nose. The back, sides, and tail
are grey ; the lower parts and limbs entirely black.
This animal is found in several of the woody districts of
England, as well as in nearly all the temperate parts of
Europe.

The favourite haunts of this animal are obscure and
gloomy : it retires to the deepest recesses of woods, or
to thick coppices covering the sides of hills, and there
forms its abode. Its structure fits it for such work ;
and with its long and powerful claws it digs for itself a
deep and well-formed dwelling, consisting of more than
one apartment, and having only one entrance. Here
it sleeps during the greater part of the day, coming

THE BADGER,

THE BADGER. 117

abroad only for a short period in the evening or night
to seek its food, consisting indifferently of various roots,
earth-nuts, beech-mast, fruits, the eggs of birds, some
of the smaller quadrupeds, frogs, and insects.

The time for preparing to catch badgers is night,
when they are abroad in pursuit of food. For this pur-
pose, sacks are fastened into the mouth of their burrows
in the ground, and the animals are then hunted home
from the neighbouring fields by dogs. On entering
their usual places of retreat, hoping to escape from their
foes, they are instantly seized, and tied up in sacks by
the men, who are ready to do so. Steel traps .are
sometimes placed in the haunts of badgers, and by this
means also they are caught.

When taken young, the badger may be easily and
completely tamed. Of this, the eminent naturalist, Mr.
Bell, gives the following instance : — " I had one for a
considerable time, which was sent to me by my valued
old friend, James Buckland, Esq., of Shaftesbury, who
had obtained it from a cottager in the neighbourhood,
whose children Mr. Buckland accidentally saw playing
with the badger as familiarly as they would with a puppy.
He found that the animal had been taken when very
ypung, and had been brought up as the playmate of the
children : it had, however, become rather too rough in

118 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

its fondness, and the poor man was willing to part
with it. It thus came into my possession, and soon
became a great favourite, showing too, on its part, great
attachment to me and to the household. It followed
me like a dog, yelping and barking with a peculiar
sharp cry, when he found himself shut out of the room
in which I happened to be sitting. He was accustomed
to come into the dining-room during dinner, of which
he was generally permitted to partake, and he always
ate his morsels in a very orderly manner. He was, in
fact, an affectionate, gentle, good-tempered fellow, and
very cleanly withal."

As a proof of the strong affection of the badger, the
following circumstance was related by a gentleman re-
siding at Chateau de Vernours. Two persons were on
a journey, 'and passing through a hollow way, a dog
which was with them started a badger, which he attacked
and pursued till the animal took shelter in a burrow under
a tree. With some pains he was hunted out and killed.
Being a few miles from a village called Chapellatiere,
they agreed to drag him thither, as the commune gave
a reward for every one which was destroyed ; besides,
they proposed selling the skin, as badgers' hair furnishes
excellent hair for painters. Not having a rope, they
twisted some twigs, and drew him along the road by

THE BADGER. ,119

turns. They had not proceeded far, when they heard
the cry of an animal in seeming distress, and stopped to
listen whence it proceeded, when another badger ap-
proached them slowly. They at first threw stones at
it ; notwithstanding which, it drew near, came up to
the dead animal, began to lick it, and continued its
mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted from
offering any farther injury to it, and again drew the
dead one along as before ; when the living badger, de-
termined not to .quit its dead companion, lay down on
it, taking it gently by one ear, and in that manner was
drawn into the midst of the village, — nor could dogs,
boys, or men induce it to quit the situation by any
means; and to their shame, be it said, they had the
inhumanity to kill the poor animal, and afterwards to
burn it, declaring it could be no other than a witch !

THE OTTER.

THE body of this creature usually measures about
two feet, besides the tail, which is nearly sixteen inches
in length. The jegs are short, strong, and capable of
acting like fins. Each foot has five webbed toes, pro-
vided with strong sharp nails. The fur is of a deep
and blackish brown, with two small spots on each side
of the nose, and another under ,the chin. The eyes are
large, bright, and so placed in the head that the animal
can see any object that is above it.

The Otter does not excavate a habitation, as has fre-
quently been stated, but avails itself of any hollow,
preferring such as are beneath the overhanging roots of
trees which grow on the banks of rivers, or any other
secure and concealed hole near its fishing haunt. In
certain cases, however, it fixes its retreat at some dis-
tance from the water, and when driven by a scanty sup-
ply of fish, it has been known to resort far inland to
the neighbourhood of the farm-yard, that there it may
attack lambs, sucking-pigs, and poultry.

THE OTTER.

THE OTTER. 121

In Scotland, the opinion is entertained by some ig-
norant persons, that there is an otter of a larger size
than usual, and spotted with white, which is a leader or
king of these animals. They believe that it is never
killed without the sudden death of a man or of some
animal at the same instant, that its skin is endowed with
great virtue as an antidote against infection, preserves a
warrior from wounds, and ensures the mariner from all
disasters on the sea. Such remains of ignorance and
superstition are truly lamentable. They awfully degrade
and grievously enfeeble the mind, while they keep it
away from Him, with whom alone it is, to give peace or
trouble — to kill or make alive. The progress of sound
and scriptural knowledge is therefore to be ardently de-
sired,— the knowledge that can deliver man from the
thraldom of the worst evils, by leading him to the foot-
stool of the God of truth.

In the northern parts of Scotland, otters frequent the
sea, and extend their rambles to a considerable distance
from the shore. In the summer, and when the weather will
permit, this creature occupies a retired and quiet station
where the land stretches into the ocean. It swims low
in the water, and will go a mile or more after its prey.
Fishes seem to have an instinctive dread of it, for it has
been seen to collect into a shoal a vast number of trouts

122 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

in a river, and to drive them before it until the greater
part have thrown themselves on the bank.
Referring to these habits, Somerville says : —

" Seas have their sharks ;
Rivers and ponds enclose the ravenous pike ;
He in his turn, becomes a prey ; on him
The amphibious otter feasts. Just is his fate
Deserved ; but tyrants know no bounds ; nor spears,
That bristle on its back, defend the perch
From his wide greedy jaws ; nor burnished mail
The yellow carp ; nor all his arts can save
The insinuating eel, that hides his head
Beneath the slimy mud ; nor yet escapes
The crimson- spotted trout, the river's pride, and beauty of the stream."

There is an Irish otter which differs, in some respects,
from that which is common in England. It is to a con-
siderable extent a marine animal, being found chiefly
on the coast of the county of Antrim, living in hollows
and caverns formed by the scattered masses of the ba-
saltic columns of that coast, and constantly betaking
itself to the sea when alarmed or hunted. It feeds
principally on the salmon ; and as it is injurious to the
fishery, a reward is given for its destruction. There
are, therefore, many persons who are employed in hunt-
ing it, obtaining a livelihood by the premium offered,
and by the sale of its skin.

In reference to a young otter, Izaak Walton repre-

THE OTTER. 123

sents his angler as saying to a sportsman engaged in an
otter hunt, " I pray, sir, save me one, and I '11 try if I
can make her tame, as I know an ingenious gentleman
in Leicestershire, Mr. Nicholas Seagrave, has done ;
who hath not only made her tame, but to catch fish,
and do many other things of much pleasure." Such is
indeed far from being an uncommon instance. In one
case, an otter was known to take eight or ten salmon in
a day.

One of the Asiatic species, it appears, may be made
similarly useful. " We passed, to my surprise," says
Bishop Heber, " a row of no less than nine or ten large
and very beautiful otters, tethered with straw collars and
long strings to bamboo stakes, on the banks of the Matta
Colly. Some were swimming about at the full extent
of their strings, or lying half in and half out of the
water ; others were rolling themselves in the sun on the
sandy bank, uttering a shrill, whistling noise, as if in
play. I was told that most of the fishermen in this
neighbourhood kept one or more of these animals, who
were almost as tame as dogs, and of great use in fish-
ing ; sometimes driving the shoals into the nets, some-
times bringing out the larger fish with their teeth. I
was much pleased and interested with the sight. It has
always been a fancy of mine that the poor creatures

124 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

whom we waste and persecute to death, for no cause
but the gratification of our cruelty, might, by reason-
able treatment, be made the source of abundant amuse-
ment and advantage to us."

The affection of these animals for their offspring is
indisputable. Professor Steller says, " Often have I
spared the lives of the female otters, whose young
ones I took away. They expressed their sorrow by
crying like human beings, and followed me as I was
carrying off their young, while they called to them for
aid, with a tone of voice very much resembling the cry
of children. When I sat down in the snow, they came
quite close to me, and attempted to carry off their
young.

" On one occasion, when I had deprived an otter of
her progeny, I returned to the place eight days after,
and found the female sitting by the river, listless and
desponding; she suffered me to kill her on the spot,
without making any attempt to escape. On skinning
her, I found she had quite wasted away from sorrow
for the loss of her young.

" Another time, I saw at some distance from me an
old female otter sleeping by the side of a young one
about a year old. As soon as the mother perceived us,
she awoke the young one, and enticed him to betake

THE OTTER. 125

himself to the river ; but as he did not take the hint,
and seemed inclined to prolong his sleep, she took him
up in her fore paws, and plunged him into the water."

The sight of otters feeding, as they may be seen in
the Zoological Gardens in the Eegent's Park, is very
interesting ; the clear water allowing the movements of
the fish, and those of the pursuer, which gracefully dives
and glides along as if without effort, to be distinctly
traced.

THE DOG.

ALL the canine races are supposed to be derived from
the wolf. The structure of these animals is identical, or
nearly so. It is evident that the dog must have come
from a creature capable of the highest degree of domesti-
cation, and of great affection for mankind, which, says
Mr. Bell, has been abundantly proved of the wolf. Dogs
having returned to a wild state, and continued in that
condition through many generations, exhibit, moreover,
characters which approximate more and more to those of
the wolf, in proportion as the influence of domestication
ceases to act.

The eminent naturalist just mentioned refers, in
illustration of his views, to a wolf described by M.
Frederick Cuvier. This animal was brought up as a
young dog ; he became familiar with every person he
was in the habit of seeing, and, in particular, followed
his master everywhere, displaying evident chagrin at his
absence, obeying his voice, and showing a submission

THE DOG. 127

scarcely differing at all from that of a thoroughly do-
mesticated dog.

His master, being obliged to be absent for a time,
gave his pet to the royal menagerie, where the animal,
confined in a den, remained disconsolate, and would
scarcely take his food j but at length his health was
restored, he became attached to his keepers, and seemed
to have forgotten all his former affection. After eigh-
teen months, his master returned ; at the first word he
uttered, the wolf, who had not perceived him among
the crowd, recognized him, exhibited the most lively
joy, and, being set at liberty, lavished on his old friend
the most affectionate caresses, just as the most attached
dog would have done after the absence of a few days.

A second separation was followed by similar proofs
of sorrow, which, however, again yielded to time. Three
years had passed, and the wolf was living happily with
a dog which had been placed with him, when his mas-
ter again returned, and again the long lost but still
remembered voice was instantly replied to by the most
impatient cries, which were redoubled when he was at
liberty. Hushing to his master, he threw his fore-feet
on his shoulders, licking his face with every mark of
the most lively joy, and menacing his keepers who
offered to remove him, and towards whom, not a moment

128 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

before, lie had been showing every mark of fond-
ness.

A third separation, however, seemed to be too much
for this faithful animal's temper ; he became gloomy
and desponding, refused his food, and for a long time
his life appeared in danger. His health, however, re-
turned ; but he no longer suffered the caresses of any
but his keepers, and towards strangers was as savage as
the rest of hi* species. " Now if," adds Mr. Bell, " we
find that the mere education of a young wolf, taken
from its parents in a wild state, could so far change its
natural disposition, and render it so fond, so intelligent,
so grateful as this, what may we not expect from the
successive transmission of improvement by the culture
and training of a whole race for ages ?"

We have no means of deciding, however, when the
dog was first trained. It was said during the sojourn
of Israel in Egypt, that " against them a dog should
not move his tongue ;" from which it would appear, that
these animals were kept in a domesticated state in the
families of the Egyptians. This is the earliest refer-
ence we have to them. It may seem strange that the
dog should almost uniformly be spoken of in Scripture,
in such terms as to show that it was held in great con-
tempt among the Jewish people. But it is probable,

THE DOG. 129

that it appears to disadvantage under the law of Moses,
and, consequently, in the language and feelings of the
people, because it was conspicuous among the divinities
of ancient Egypt.

The Turks reckon the dog an unclean and filthy
creature, and drive him from their houses. Among
them, therefore, these animals commonly do not belong
to any particular owners, but range the streets and dis-
tricts, and do not guard particular houses. Such,
indeed, is their common treatment in the East ; even
in Egypt, they are now as much abhorred as they once
were venerated.

That the dog appears of a very different character
in such circumstances, is placed beyond dispute. Ac-
cording to Poiret, this animal loses in Barbary, as in
the East in general, the greater part, or all of his attrac-
tive qualities. Among the Arabs his appearance is
disagreeable, and his look savage. The Moors grant
him a corner in their tent, but that is all They never
caress him, or throw him any thing to eat. No wonder,
then, he is indifferent to his master. Often, indeed, he
has none, and his savageness is the natural consequence
of neglect.

If, however, it is apparent that dogs have been dis-
esteemed and ill-treated, there are proofs, even from

130 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

remote periods of antiquity, that the noble qualities of
these creatures, as displayed in more favourable cir-
cumstances, were sometimes appreciated. While most
other animals fear man as an enemy, here appears one
that regards him as a companion, and even after long-
continued absence remembers him as a friend. Nearly
three thousand years ago, Homer celebrated the attach-
ment of Argus, the dog of Ulysses. Aged, and left
neglected in the public ways, he recognized his master
after the lapse of twenty years, strove in vain to crawl
and kiss his feet, and died while gazing on the object
of his affection. From that time to the present, the
value of the dog has been very commonly acknowledged
by all ranks of the people. And no wonder, when in-
stances of canine sagacity and fidelity are so numerous.
They abound in all our books of Natural History ; but
some of them must now be given, as we consider dogs
of different species, avoiding those which are most likely
to be known to many of the readers of this volume.

THE MASTIFF.

This powerful dog is considered as belonging to a
truly English breed. The ground colour is generally a

THE DOG. 131

dirty white, with numerous dark hairs all over the body,
and transverse stripes of a darker hue. The mastiff is
a large animal, better fitted for training than the bull-
dog, and, consequently, for domestic purposes. He is
frequently known to protect his master's house and pro-
perty by menaces only ; even when a stranger is
within his power he is not excited to violence, unless
an imprudent perseverance should render it necessary.
In such cases, a mastiff has been known to pull a man
down, and to stand over him, without hurting him, a
considerable time, until the appearance of his master.

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG.

" In instinct and sagacity," says Bingley, " the shep-
herd's dog is, perhaps, superior to all others ; for while
the rest require great care and attention to train them
to labour, this animal applies himself without any dif-
ficulty to that to which he is usually appropriated.
His usefulness alone has been the recommendation to
preserve the species ; since no dog can go through a
more extensive variety of duty, nor does any one per-
form more services to his master, than this. In wild

132

BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

tracts of country, that are solely appropriated to the
feeding of sheep and cattle, immense flocks may be seen,
ranging over the wilds, apparently without control.

" One of these dogs is of more essential use to the
shepherd, than half-a-dozen boys would be ; is more
expeditious ; and is at all times ready to obey com-
mands. At a word from his keeper, he drives the
sheep in order and regularity to and from their pas-
ture, and will suffer no strangers from another flock to
intrude upon his. If any of the sheep attempt to stray,
he springs forward in an instant to stop their course.
On the side of one of the Welsh mountains, I have seen
a shepherd point out to his dog a straggling sheep, on
a height more than a mile distant. He gave the well-
known signal. The dog went off at full speed, and
soon returned with the animal to the flock.

" These dogs drive the sheep entirely by their voice,
never lacerating them with their teeth ; nor ever em-
ploying force, but for the preservation of peace and
good order. When awake, they are at all times alive
to their master's directions ; and, in repose, they lie
down by his wallet, and preserve it from plunder. If
the shepherd be about to absent himself from the flock,
he depends on his dog to keep the animals together ;
and if afterwards he is heard to give the command, this

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG.

THE DOG. 133

faithful servant conducts them to him with promptitude,
however great the distance. In countries infested by
wolves, he protects them from danger. His voice
generally alarms and drives off the enemy, and collects
the flock into a body, much better than the voice of the
shepherd."

An affecting instance of the fidelity of the shepherd's
dog is thus mentioned by the Rev. Thomas Young : — " I
rest upon the authority of a friend, who told it to me
as a facfe which he had reason to credit. It occurred
some years ago, in that part of Scotland which borders
upon England. A shepherd had driven part of his
flock to a neighbouring fair, leaving his dog to watch
the remainder during that day and the next night, ex-
pecting to revisit them the next morning. Unfor-
tunately, however, when at the fair, the shepherd forgot
both his dog and his sheep, and did not return home
till the morning of the third day. His first inquiry was,
whether the dog had been seen. The answer was,
' No.' ' Then he must be dead,' replied the shepherd,
with a tone and gesture of anguish, ' for I know he was
too faithful to desert his charge.' He instantly repaired
to the heath. The dog had just sufficient strength
remaining to crawl to his master's feet, and express his
joy at his return, and almost immediately expired."

134 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, has given some fearful
tales of storms in the Highlands of Scotland. After
referring to one of them, he says : — " When we came to
the ground where the sheep should have heen, there
was not one of them above the snow. Here and there,
at a great distance from each other, we could perceive
the heads or horns of stragglers appearing, and these
were easily got out ; but when we had collected these
few, we couM find no more. They had been lying all
abroad in a scattered state when the storm came on,
and were covered over just as they had been lying. It
was on a kind of sloping ground, that lay half beneath
the wind, and the snow was uniformly from six to eight
feet deep. Under this the animals were lying scattered
over at least one hundred acres of heathery ground. It
was a very ill-looking concern. We went about boring
with our long poles, and often did not find one sheep
in a quarter of an hour. But at length a white shaggy
colly, named Sparkie, that belonged to the cowherd
boy, seemed to have comprehended something of our
perplexity, for we observed him plying and scraping in
the snow with great violence, and always looking over
his shoulder to us. On going to the spot, we found
that he had marked straight above a sheep. From that
he flew to another, and so on to another, as fast as we

THE DOG. 135

could dig them out, and ten times faster, for he some-
times had twenty or thirty holes marked beforehand.

" We got out three hundred of that division before
night, and about half as many on the other parts of the
farm, in addition to those we had rescued the day be-
fore ; and the greatest part of these would have been
lost had it not been for the voluntary exertions of Spar-
kie. Before the snow went away (which lay only
eight days) we had got out every sheep on the farm,
either dead or alive, except four ; and that these were
not found was not Sparkie's fault, for, though they
were buried below a mountain of snow at least fifty feet
deep, he had again and again marked on the top of it
above them. The sheep were all living when we found
them ; but those that were buried in the snow to a cer-
tain depth, being, I suppose, in a warm, half-suffocated
state, though on being taken out they bounded away
like roes, were instantly after paralyzed by the sudden
change of atmosphere, and fell down, deprived of all
power in their limbs. We did not, however, lose
above sixty in all ; but I am certain Sparkie saved us
at least two hundred."

A shepherd's dog may render, however, a greater ser-
vice. Among the Grampian mountains, there are glens
chiefly inhabited by shepherds ; and the pastures over

136 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

which their flocks range, extend in every direction for
many miles. It is the daily business of the shepherd
to visit successively the different extremities of his pas-
tures, and to turn back any of the flock that may be
straying to those of his neighbours. It is a common
practice with the Highlanders to accustom even their
very young children to the rigours of the climate ; and,
on one occasion, a shepherd took with him an infant
of about three years old. To have a more extensive
view, he ascended a summit at some distance, and as
this was too fatiguing for the child, he left him at the
foot of the mountain, charging him not to stir till his
return.

But scarcely had he reached the top, when one of
the mists suddenly came on, which frequently fall so
rapidly on these mountains as in a few minutes al-
most to change day into night. He instantly hastened
back to find his child, but owing to the darkness and
his own agitation, he missed his way, searched in vain
among the morasses and cataracts of the mountains,
and was, at last, overtaken by night. At length, as
he wandered on, he came to the verge of the mist, and
found by the moonlight, that he was within a short
distance of his cottage. Further pursuit now appeared
fruitless and dangerous, and he returned home, having

THE DOG. 137

lost not only his child but his dog, who had faithfully
attended him for years.

At the break of day, the shepherd, accompanied by
several of his neighbours, went forth in quest of the
child, but without success. On returning to the cottage,
at the approach of night, he found that his dog had
been home, and had instantly left it on receiving a piece
of cake, and so it was for several following days. He
therefore determined to remain at home one day j and
on the dog departing, as usual, with his cake, he fol-
lowed him to ascertain the cause of so strange a procedure.
The dog now led the way to a cataract, the banks of
which, almost joined at the top, yet separated by an
abyss of immense depth, presented a spectacle at once
astonishing and appalling ; and down one of these rug-
ged and almost perpendicular descents he proceeded, and
at last entered a cave, the mouth of which was almost
on a level with the torrent. It was with difficulty that
the shepherd followed ; but on entering, he beheld, with
feelings that cannot be described, his child, eating the
cake the faithful dog had just brought.

It afterwards appeared, that the child had wandered
from the spot where he was left, to the brink of the
precipice, and then either fallen or scrambled down till
he reached the cave ; which he had not quitted from

138 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

fear of the torrent. Hither he had been traced by the
dog, "who had never quitted him either night or day,
except when it was necessary to go home for food, and
he was then always seen running at full speed to and
from the cottage.

To these stories we may now add another striking tale.
A young shepherd having resolved to steal some sheep,
selected the number one moonlight night, and set off with
them towards Edinburgh ; but before he had got them
quite off the farm, his conscience smote him, or a dread of
that which soon followed, and he quitted the sheep, let-
ting them go again to the hill. He called his dog from
them, and mounting his pony, rode away. At that
time his dog was capering and playing around him, as
if glad of having got free of a troublesome business ;
and he noticed him no more, till, after having rode
about three miles, he thought again and again that he
heard something coming up behind him. Halting, at
length, to ascertain what it was, in a few minutes his
dog came up with the stolen drove, driving them at a
furious rate to keep pace with his master. The sheep
were all smoking, and hanging out their tongues, and
their driver was fully as warm as they. The young man
was now exceedingly troubled ; for the sheep having
been brought so far from home, he dreaded there would

THE DOG. 139

be a pursuit, and he could not get them home again
before day. Resolving, at all events, to keep his
hands clear of them, he corrected his dog in great wrath,
left the sheep once more, and taking his dog with him,
rode off a second time.

He had not ridden above a mile, when he perceived
that his dog had again given him the slip ; and suspect-
ing for what purpose, he was terribly alarmed as well as
chagrined : for the daylight approached, and he durst
not make a noise calling on his dog, for fear of alarming
the neighbourhood, in a place where both he and his
dog were known. He resolved therefore to abandon
the animal to himself, and take a road across the coun-
try which he was sure his dog did not know, and could
not follow. He took that road ; but being on horse-
back, he could not get across the inclosed fields. He
at length came to a gate, which he closed behind him,
and went about half a mile farther, by a zig-zag course
to a farm-house, where both his sister and another per-
son with whom he was intimate lived ; and at that
place he remained until after breakfast-time.

The people of this house were all examined on the
trial, and no one had either seen sheep, or heard them
mentioned, save one man, who came up to the young
man as he was standing at the stable-door, and told

140 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

him that his dog had the sheep safe enough down at
the Crooked Yett, and he needed not hurry himself.
He answered, that the sheep were not his — they were
young Mr. Thomson's, who had left them to his charge ;
and he was in search of a man to drive them, which
made him come off his road. After this discovery, it was
impossible for the poor fellow to get quit of them ; so he
went down and took possession of the stolen property
once more, carried them on, and disposed of them ; and
finally, the transaction cost him his life. What an
illustration is thus afforded of the scriptural charge, " Be
sure your sin will find you out !" The transgressor
may be detected, as in this instance, by unlikely means.
He who would be safe, and peaceful, and happy, must
walk in the way of God's commandments.

THE BLOOD-HOUND.

This animal is larger than the common hound, and
is generally of a deep tan or reddish colour, with a black
spot over each eye. It is indebted for its name to the
power it has of tracing wounded animals by their
blood. In the early part of the sixteenth century, the

THE BLOOD HOUND.

THE DOG. 141

Spaniards employed these dogs in America, cruelly to
hunt the defenceless Indians, that they might compel
them to point out the gold mines.

One instance of the power of this hound may here
be given. About forty years ago, a person getting over
a stile into a field in the New Forest, remarked that
there was blood on it. It almost immediately occurred
to him that some deer had been slaughtered, and seve-
ral sheep stolen in the neighbourhood j and that this
might possibly be the blood of one of them killed the
night before. The man went, in consequence, to the
nearest lodge to give information j but the keeper being
absent, he was compelled to go to another, which was at
a considerable distance, and the under-keeper went with
him from thence, accompanied by a blood-hound. The
dog, being brought to the spot, was laid on the scent j
and after following for about a mile the track which the
depredator had taken, he came at last to a heap of
furze faggots belonging to the family of a cottager.
The woman of the house attempted to ' drive the dog
away, but was prevented j and on the faggots being
removed, a hole was discovered in the ground, which
contained the body of a sheep recently killed, and also
a considerable quantity of salted meat. This discovery
is rendered the more remarkable by the dog not being

142 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

brought to the scent until more than sixteen hours after
the man had carried away the sheep.

THE POINTER.

This dog, with its stout limbs, blunt muzzle, stunted
tail, and smooth hair, is the sportsman's companion.
It is taught to discover game, and it practises what it
has learned with great attention and steadiness. Its
smell being very acute, it gently approaches the spot
where the game lies, at length it stops, and fixes its
eyes steadily upon it, with one foot commonly raised a
little from the ground, and the tail extended in a straight
line. When the birds run, the dog observes their mo-
tions, steals cautiously after them, preserving the same
attitude, and when they stop, it is again steady.

Great sagacity has often been displayed by these ani-
mals. Thus a sportsman, on returning home, was accus-
tomed to discharge his piece at magpies and crows, when
the dog always kept behind at a little distance, that
he might not frighten the birds. On one occasion a
magpie, perched on the top of a large oak, escaped the
sportsman's notice ; but the dog was far more attentive.

THE DOG. 143

Peeping up to the tree, and descrying the party-coloured
bird, he ran to his master, who was some yards off, took
hold of his coat, and gave it a smart pull with his teeth.
The sportsman, in surprise, turned back to see what was
the matter, when the dog immediately trotted to the
tree, and showed him the bird.

The following extraordinary story was related to Mr.
Jesse, by Lord Stowell. Mr. Edward Cook, after living
for some time with his brother at Togsten, in North-
umberland, went to America, and took with him a
pointer dog, which he lost soon afterwards while shoot-
ing in the woods near Baltimore. Some time elapsed,
and Mr. and Mrs. Cook, the relatives of the gentleman
referred to, continuing to reside at Togsten, were
alarmed at hearing a dog in the night. On admitting
it into the house, they found it was the one taken to
America. The sagacious animal lived with them till
the return of his master from the western world, when
the recognition was mutual. It was never found by
what vessel the dog had left America, or in what part
of England it was landed.

Very remarkable cases have occurred of the strong
attachment of some animals to very different creatures,
among which is that mentioned by Colonel Montague,
as having subsisted between a China goose and a pointer

144 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

who had killed the male. The dog was most severely
punished for the misdemeanour, and had the dead bird
tied to his neck. The solitary goose became extremely
grieved for the loss of her partner, and only companion ;
and, probably having been attracted to the dog's kennel
by the sight of her dead mate, she seemed determined
to persecute the dog by her constant attendance and
continual vociferation ; but, after a little time, a strict
friendship took place between these incongruous animals.
They fed out of the same trough, lived under the same
roof, and in the same straw bed kept each other warm ;
and when the dog was taken to the field, the lamentations
of the goose were incessant.

THE SPANIEL.

This animal surpasses others of the canine species in
its affection, gratitude, and patience, and is therefore a
favoured inmate of many dwellings. Scarcely any thing
is now heard of hawking ; but when it was a fashionable
diversion in the country, spaniels were used to spring
the game. They are now sometimes employed in shoot-
ing water-fowl.

THE DOG. 145

In the summer of 1838, a person named Alloway
applied to the Lord Mayor (Cowan), at the Mansion
House, under the following circumstances. He had
lost a dog, which went by the name of Fan, from his
shop some months before ; and a few days prior to his
application, seeing it pass by with a man who was a
dog-fancier, he thought he had better seize the dog,
which knew him perfectly, and insist on detaining it as
his own property. The seizure was, however, at once
resisted, and hence the matter was ultimately referred
to the chief magistrate.

The Lord Mayor had, in consequence, to examine
several witnesses, who were brought forward by both
parties to prove the claim of each one, and the testimony
on both sides was equally decided. In the course,
however, of the long investigation, his lordship ex-
pressed an opinion, founded on several circumstances he
observed, that the complainant Alloway was the right-
ful owner. The chief clerk too, having noticed his
mentioning that he had received the dog from a gentle-
man named Newsom, and who had been a very kind
master to it, proposed that he should be sent for ; and
a messenger was accordingly despatched for the previous
owner of the animal.

Mr. Newsom, on arriving, looked at the dog, whose

L

146 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

back was towards him, and told the Lord Mayor he had
no doubt whatever upon the subject. He then described
the marks on Fan's breast, feet, and face, which fully
satisfied the chief magistrate of the correctness of his
opinion. At this moment, the defendant was fondling
Fan, who turned as before from one claimant to the other,
as if anxious to conciliate both, when the Lord Mayor
intimated that the dog would perhaps know Mr. New-
som ; but that gentleman replied, that he thought it
unlikely, as she was so young when he gave her to the
complainant, adding, " Besides, her name is changed ;
I used to call her Primrose."

The instant the little creature heard the name, she
started from the defendant, and springing towards Mr.
Newsom, flung her paws round his neck, licked his
face, and was full of joy. No doubt in reference to the
claim of Mr. Alloway could now exist, and to him the
dog was at once given up.

The late Dr. Edward Walsh has given a very inter-
esting account of his dog Quail, from which we extract
the following particulars : — " When young, the first pre-
paratory step was, to make her perfect in fetching and
carrying whatever she was sent for, both in and out of
the water, till both elements were alike to her ; and
this seemed the foundation of every thing else. She

THE DOG. 147

soon learned to distinguish what belonged to every per-
son, and to every part of the person ; if I lost my glove,
I showed my hand to Quail, and she set out on a quest,
searched every place in and near the house, and almost
always succeeded in finding it. This she soon improved
into finding, of herself, whatever was dropped, and con-
veying it to us. Many a pocket-handkerchief was saved
in this way, which we never thought of sending Quail
in search of.

" This faculty of recognising and carrying away
things that had heen touched by us, was used for
a bad purpose, and severely compromised her character.
There was an old woman who sold apples and oranges
at the corner of the next street. We had a servant-boy
who often set his eyes on them. One day he took up
an orange, and asked the price of it j but thinking it
too dear, the old woman snatched it out of his hand,
and bade him go ho,me. This was observed by Quail ;
and when he returned, she immediately ran back, snap-
ped up the orange, and brought it to him in triumph.

" When this quality was discovered, it was soon put
into requisition ; and all the fruit-women of the town
were laid under contribution. The appearance of Quail
in the market put every one on the alert ; and many a
severe blow she received in doing as she was bid. She

148 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

at last, however, became so sagacious, that she stole
quietly behind the stall, watching her opportunity, and
carried off the fruit without being perceived. When
we found it out, we severely prohibited the practice.

" Her talent in carrying things in this way was some-
times useful to the servants. We had a very old woman
who was fond of snuff, but not able to go for it herself.
The boy was not always willing, and he taught Quail
to be his substitute. When her box was empty, he put
a halfpenny into it, and gave it to Quail, who forth-
with carried it in her mouth to the snuff shop ; and
then, rising up to the counter with her fore-legs, she
shook her head, and rattled the halfpenny in the box.
This was soon understood by the shopman, who took
the money and filled the box, which Quail brought
safely back to our old woman.

" Within doors, her utility and sagacity were equally
in requisition. We sat, in the winter time, in a large
parlour, reading round the fire, with Quail between the
legs of one of us, her head resting on our knees, and
waiting for orders, either to ring the bell, or shut the
door, as occasion might require. On this latter duty
she was often sent, as it was usually left open by who-
ever came in, and the room was sometimes very cold.

" Her method was to lift up her right fore-paw (for

THE DOG. 149

she had actually a human preference for the use of the
right hand), and push the door forward till the lock
clicked.

" On one occasion, she could not move the door ;
and after sundry efforts she returned, whining in that
peculiar way by which she expressed embarrassment.
It appeared that the room was smoking, and the ser-
vant had opened the door to let the smoke out, and
placed a smoothing iron against it to keep it so. Quail
pondered for some time on the case, with her head on
one side ; when, as if the cause suddenly struck her, she
ran at the smoothing iron, and having dragged it away,
she pushed with both her feet against the door, shut it;
and returned to us rejoicing. We often placed similar
obstructions there, but Quail was never again embarrassed
to find out the cause : she always, however, barked at
it, and shook it after she had removed it, as if to express
her displeasure for the trouble it gave her.

" Her power of distinguishing persons was also very
great, and decided by means very different from the
mere instinct of smell. A circumstance of this kind
occurred, which highly gratified an eminent and very
sensible artist. Of all the inmates of our family, Quail
was most attached to my mother, who returned her
good-will, and was very kind to her. She had sat for

150 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

her picture, and afterwards gone on a visit to a friend
for a short time ; and Quail seemed very uneasy at
her absence. The picture, which was a strong likeness,
was sent home ; and before it was hung up, it stood on
the sofa where my mother used to sit. I could not
account one day for the boisterous joy of Quail in the
dining-room ; but, on looking in, I saw that she had
recognised the picture, and was wagging her tail and
frisking about, as she always did to express her joy,
frequently looking up and licking the face — a mark of
affection she tried to pay to those she was fond of.
When the picture was hung up, she never failed to
notice it when she entered the room, and lay before it
on the carpet for some time, gazing at it intently ; and
this practice she continued till my mother's return, and
the original diverted her from the representation. The
ingenious artist who drew it frequently declared that
he considered this recognition the highest compliment
that could be paid him.

" Quail was our constant companion wherever we
went ; and though alone, we never felt so when she
was with us. She was a model of kindness and
good temper ; she was never known to quarrel with
any animal, either of her own or our species, but seemed
to love everything, quadruped or biped ; even our irri-

THE DOG. 151

table fox-cat, that could agree with no one else, never
quarrelled with Quail, but often made a pillow of her
side to lie on. She was never heard to growl, and sel-
dom to bark, and that only to express her joy on recog-
nising some person, either man, or dog, of her acquaint-
ance ; and she was so gentle, that she never gnawed
or injured anything she took in her mouth to carry.
She would fetch an egg from any distance without
breaking it, and even meat and bread, which she would
not presume to eat unless she had leave. Of living
things she was particularly tender. Hunting ducks in
ponds was an amusement of which we were too fond.
When other dogs overtook the bird, they generally
killed, and always gnawed it ; but Quail took it by the
feathers with great tenderness, and laid it at our feet,
without doing it the smallest injury.

" Infirmity, at length, stole upon poor Quail, and she
died at an early age. We all regretted the loss of an
affectionate friend, whom we considered almost as one
of ourselves, and who had endeared herself to us by so
many fine and amiable qualities."

The fidelity and attachment of the spaniel have been
celebrated in all ages. Of these qualities, the following
is a gratifying instance : Old Daniel, the game-keeper
of a gentleman, had reared a spaniel, which from its

152 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

fondness, attended him both night and day. Wherever
he appeared, Dash was never far distant ; and in his
nightly excursions to detect poachers, the dog was of
great use.

During the last stage of a consumption which carried
his master to the grave, Dash unwearily attended the
foot of his bed ; and when his friend expired, the dog
would not quit the body, but lay on the bed by its side.
With great difficulty the faithful animal was tempted
to eat any food ; and although after the funeral he
was taken to the house of the gentleman by whom his
master had been employed, he took every opportunity
to steal back into the cottage where the game-keeper
breathed his last, and where he would remain for hours.
From thence, for fourteen days, he constantly visited the
grave ; and, though caressed with all the tenderness
which so fond an attachment naturally excited, he died
at the end of that time.

A similar fact may, perhaps, be recalled to the minds
of some readers. Some years ago, a dog was con-
stantly to be seen in St. Bride's Churchyard, Fleet
Street, which for two years refused to leave the place
where his master was buried. He did not appear miser-
able • he evidently recollected their old companionship,
and seemed to expect a renewal of their friendship. The

THE DOG. 153

inhabitants of the houses about the church daily fed the
affectionate creature, and the sexton built him a kennel.
But he would not quit the spot ; — and there he died.

One instance of the effect produced by observing the
attachment of a dog to its master, is worthy of record.
At the battle of Castiglione, when the ranks of the
Imperialists were broken, and the heat of pursuit was
great, Bonaparte reached the spot where a multitude of
French and Austrians had fallen, and amidst the pile of
corpses he observed a little Barbet dog. The faithful
animal stood with its fore-feet fixed on the breast of an
Austrian officer, and its eyes were riveted on those of
its dead master. Nothing occurred to divert his atten-
tion or alter his attitude. Bonaparte, struck with the
sight, stopped his horse, called his attendants around
him, and pointed it out to them.

" The dog," he said, " as if he had known my voice,
removed his eyes from his master, and throwing them
on me for a moment, resumed his former posture ; but
in that momentary look there was a mute eloquence
beyond the power of language ; it was a reproach, with
all the poignancy of bitterness." Bonaparte felt the
appeal ; he considered the upbraidings of the animal a
demand for mercy, and he gave orders for the carnage
to be instantly stayed.

154 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

THE WATER DOG.

The hair of this animal is long and curled, like the
fleece of sheep, and the feet are more webbed than those
of other dogs. Its qualities render it of great service
to those persons in the north of England and Scotland
who live principally by shooting water-fowl, in the
retrieving of which it displays great docility and hardi-
hood. Its accuracy in bringing back any articles which
have been lost or purposely mislaid, is truly surprising.
If, for instance, one be shown to a dog of this species,
and then concealed, he may be sent from a distance a
long time after, and he will search until he finds it, when
he will carry it to his master.

" A friend of mine," says Mr. Bell, " possessed a
bitch of nearly the same breed, which evinced a degree
of intelligence scarcely less than human. One instance
of her sagacity and faithfulness I cannot refuse myself
the pleasure of recording. My friend was travelling on the
continent, and his faithful dog was his companion. One
day, before he left his lodgings in the morning, with
the expectation of being absent until evening, he took
out his purse in his room, for the purpose of ascertain-
ing whether he had taken sufficient money for the day's

THE WATER DOG.

THE DOG. 155

occupation, and then went his way, leaving his dog
behind. Having dined at a coffee-house, he took out
his purse, and missing a louis-d'or, searched for it dili-
gently, but to no purpose. Returning home late in
the evening, his servant let him in with a face of much
sorrow, and told him that the poor dog was very ill, as
she had not eaten anything all the day ; and what ap-
peared very strange, she would not suffer him to take
away the food from before her, but had been lying with
her nose close to the vessel, without attempting to touch
it. On my friend's entering the room, she instantly
jumped upon him, then laid a louis-d'or at his feet, and
immediately began to devour her food with great vora-
city. The truth was now apparent : my friend had
dropped the money in the morning when leaving the
room, and the faithful creature finding it, had held it
in her mouth, until his return had enabled her to restore
it into his own hands \ even refusing to eat for a whole
day, lest it should be out of her custody. I knew the
dog well, and have witnessed many very curious tricks
of hers, showing extraordinary docility."

156 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

THE TERRIER.

With this dog every reader must be familiar. There
are two distinct varieties of it : the one smooth and
sleek, the other having rough hair, and not being so
pleasing in form ; the former, too, is of a bright black
colour, and the latter generally of a dirty white. The
terrier is strong, active, and courageous ; it is the enemy
of almost all kinds of vermin, and is therefore of great
use in freeing places from rats, polecats, and other
offensive animals. It is, also, a good house-dog.

Sir Walter Scott had among his dogs, with whose
peculiarities he was greatly amused, a little shamefaced
terrier, with large glassy eyes, and very sensitive to in-
dignity and insult. " If ever I whipped him," said Sir
Walter to a friend, " the little fellow would sneak and
hide himself from the light of the day in a lumber gar-
ret, from whence there was no drawing him forth, except
by the sound of the chopping- knife, as if chopping up
his victuals, when he would steal forth with humiliated
and downcast looks, but would slink away again if
any one regarded him."

The following story exhibits many different qualities.

THE TERRIER.

THE DOG. 157

A lady, residing near Wrexham, in Shropshire, had a
favourite terrier, who was much attached to her. As
she was going, on one occasion, to a house of great
formality at Chester, twelve miles from home, and in-
tended to pay many visits, she left her dog behind in
the care of the servants, who were strictly charged to
take care of him. On the day after her arrival, how-
ever, she had scarcely taken her seat with a dinner-party
of twenty, when it was found, from various growls, that
a dog was under the table. To all such animals the
lady of the house had a strong antipathy, and, as her
husband kicked at the intruder, there were furious bark-
ings and attempts to bite ; all became confusion, every-
body rose, and the servants with brushes and sticks
strove to drive out the dog. The lady referred to was,
however, especially annoyed j for, as it leaped into her
lap for shelter, it proved to be her own. It appeared
that the terrier had gnawn asunder the rope which
confined it, broke a pane of glass in the stable window,
and made its escape. It had never been a mile on the
Chester road, and yet it had traversed the whole dis-
tance to the house which its mistress was visiting. The
servants of it said, that the dog made its way into the
passage, ran up into her bed-room, and not finding her
there, had left it, and by some means or other gained

158 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

access to the parlour, where it had coiled itself up under
the table.

To Mr. Jesse, who authenticates the preceding story,
we are also indebted for the one which follows. W. Y.
Ottley, Esq., when a boy, passed a very pleasant day at
the house of a man of taste and fortune in Yorkshire.
As the party was seated in the arbour after dinner, he
observed that a little cur dog was much caressed by the
lady of the house, and remarked that it was no beauty,
when he heard that it had other and better claims to
regard. It had belonged to a poor cottager just by,
who, during the preceding winter, was returning from
the market-town some distance off, and perished in a
snow-storm by which she was overtaken. So deep
was the snow-drift, that her body was not discovered
till three days afterwards, when the dog was found lying
close to his mistress with her basket of eatables un-
touched. It was then remembered — unhappily too late
— that the faithful animal had been in the village on
the evening of the snow-storm, and, by whinings and
pullings at their clothes, had in vain endeavoured to
induce some of the poor woman's neighbours to afford
her relief.

159

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.

This general favourite was brought from the island
to which it owes its name. There it is employed as a
beast of draught, and brings loads of wood and provi-
sion over a rough and difficult country. It probably
surpasses, as a water-dog, every other kind. Landseer
has a fine picture, which he describes as " a distinguished
member of the Humane Society," — it is a portrait, most
admirably painted, of a Newfoundland dog, who has
been successful in the saving of life.

One of these animals, which was kept at the ferry-
house at Worcester, was the means of rescuing, at differ-
ent times, three persons from drowning. This faithful
creature was exceedingly fond of the water, and seemed
even to consider a disinclination for it by other dogs,
an insult on the species. Thus, were one left by its
master on the bank, and if it stood yelping at the bot-
tom of the steps, unwilling to follow the boat across
the river, he would go down to him, growl as if in
mockery at his fears, take him by the back of his neck,
and throw him into the stream.

A native of Germany, fond of travelling, was pursu-
ing his course through Holland, accompanied by a large

160 BRITISH QTJADBFPEDS.

Newfoundland dog, when he fell from a high bank into
a dyke or canal, from his foot slipping ; and, as he was
unable to swim, he soon became senseless. On recover-
ing his recollection, he found himself in a cottage on
the opposite side of the dyke from which he had fallen,
surrounded by peasants who had been using the means
so common in that country to restore animation. They
told him that one of them, returning from labour, ob-
served at a considerable distance a large dog in the
water, swimming and dragging, and sometimes pushing
something which he seemed to have great difficulty in
supporting, but which he at length succeeded in getting
into a small creek on the opposite side to that on which
the men were.

When the animal had pulled what he had hitherto
supported as far out of the water as he was able, the
peasant discovered that it was the body of a man. The
dog having shaken himself began industriously to lick
the hands and face of his master, while the peasant
hastened across ; and, having obtained assistance, the body
was removed to a neighbouring house, where the means
employed providentially proved effectual. Two very
considerable bruises, with the marks of teeth, appeared,
one on the shoulder, the other on the nape of the neck ;
whence it was presumed, that the faithful animal first

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.

THE DOG. 161

seized his master by the shoulder, and swam with him
in this manner for some time ; but that his sagacity-
prompted him to let go his hold, and shift his grasp to
the neck, by which he was able to support the head out
of the water. It was in the latter position that the pea-
sant observed the dog making his way along the dyke,
which it appeared he had done for nearly a quarter of a
mile.

Here was an extraordinary display of sagacity, as well
as faithfulness, and to this quality the master of the
noble animal appears to have been indebted instru-
mentally for his deliverance from death. The feelings
with which he regarded the companion of his journeys
would doubtless be strengthened by his merciful escape.
It is to be hoped, too, that he considered the claims of
his unseen Preserver ; while we may be reminded by the
narrative, of our dependence on God, and reproved for
our disregard of his favours. An interposition in our
behalf by a fellow-creature, or even a sagacious animal,
has often excited more gratitude to the instrument than
all the gifts so richly bestowed on us from our birth
have awakened to our heavenly Father.

The following is a remarkable deliverance in very
different circumstances. Lord Forbes was asleep in his
house at Castle Forbes, when he was awakened by a

M

162 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

sense of suffocation, which deprived him of the power of
stirring a limb, yet left him sensible that his house was
on fire. At this moment, and while his apartment was
in flames, his large dog jumped on the bed, seized him
by the shirt, and dragged him to the stair-case, where
the fresh air restored his powers of escape. " This is
very different," as Sir Walter Scott remarks, " from most
cases of the preservation of life by the canine race, when
the animal generally jumps into the water, in which ele-
ment he has force and skill. That of fire is as hostile to
him as to mankind."

Some Newfoundland dogs display their power in a great
variety of ways. According to Captain Brown, Mr. M'ln-
tyre, patent mangle manufacturer, Regent Bridge, Edin-
burgh, has a dog whose sagacious qualifications are truly
astonishing and almost incredible. As the animal con-
tinues daily to give the most striking proofs of his powers,
he is well known in the neighbourhood, and any person
may satisfy himself of the reality of those feats, many
of which the writer has himself had the pleasure to wit-
ness.

Some gentlemen being in company one evening, one
of them accidentally dropped a shilling on the floor,
which, after the most careful search, could not be found.
Mr. M. seeing his dog sitting in a corner, and looking as

THE DOG. 163

if quite unconscious of what was passing, said to him,
" Dandie, find us the shilling, and you shall have a bis-
cuit." The dog immediately jumped upon the table,
and laid down the shilling, which he had previously
picked up without having been perceived.

At another time, having been left in a room in the
house of Mrs. Thomas, High-street, he remained long
quiet ; but, as no one opened the door, he became im-
patient, and rang the bell ; and when the servant opened
the door, she was surprised to find the dog pulling the
bell-rope. Since that period, which was the first time
he was observed to do it, he pulls the bell whenever he
is desired ; and, what appears still more remarkable, if
there is no bell-rope in the room, he will examine the
table, and, if he finds a hand-bell, he takes it in his
mouth and rings it.

A number of gentlemen, well acquainted with Dandie,
are daily in the habit of giving him a penny, which he
takes to a baker's shop and purchases bread for himself.
One of these gentlemen, who lives in St. James's-square,
when passing some time ago, was accosted by Dandie,
in expectation of his usual present. Mr. T. then said
to him, " I have not a penny with me to-day, but I have
one at home." Having returned to his house some
time after, he heard a noise at the door, v.hich was

164 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

opened by the servant, when in sprang Dandle to re-
ceive his penny. In a frolic, Mr. T. gave him a bad
one, which he, as usual, carried to the baker, but was
refused his bread, as the money was bad. He immedi-
ately returned to Mr. T.'s, knocked at the door, and,
when the servant opened it, laid the penny down at her
feet, and walked off, seemingly with the greatest con-
tempt.

Although Dandie, in general, makes an immediate
purchase of bread with the money which he receives,
yet the following circumstance clearly demonstrates
that he possesses more prudent foresight than many
who are reckoned rational beings.

One Sunday, when it was very unlikely that he
could have received a present of money, Dandie was
observed to bring home a loaf. Mr. M. being some-
what surprised at this, desired the servant to search the
room, to see if any money could be found. While
she was engaged in this task, the dog seemed quite
unconcerned till she approached the bed, when he ran to
her, and gently drew her back from it. Mr. M. then se-
cured the dog, which kept struggling and growling,
while the servant went under the bed, where she found
sevenpence-halfpenny under a bit of cloth ; but from
that time he never could endure the girl, and was fre-

THE DOG. 165

quently observed to hide his money in a corner of a
saw-pit, under the dust.

When Mr. M. has company, if he desire the dog to
see any one of the gentlemen home, it will walk with
him till he reach his abode, and then return to his mas-
ter, how great soever the distance may be.

A gentleman living with Mr. M. going out to supper
one evening, locked the garden gate behind him, and
laid the key on the top of the wall, which is about
seven feet high. When he returned, expecting to let
himself in the same way, to his great surprise the key
could not be found, and he was obliged to go round to
the front door, which was a considerable distance about.
The next morning strict search was made for the key,
but still no trace of it could be discovered. At last,
perceiving that the dog followed him wherever he went,
he said to him, " Dandie, you have the key — go fetch
it." Dandie immediately went into the garden, and
scratched away the earth from the root of a cabbage,
and produced the key, which he himself had undoubt-
edly hid in that place.

If his master place him on a chair, and request him
to sing, he will instantly commence a howling, which he
gives high or low, as signs are made to him with the
finger.

166 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

A few years ago, a mangle was sent by a cart from
the warehouse, Regent Bridge, to Portobello, at which
time the dog was not present. Afterwards, Mr. M.
went to his own house, north back of the Canon-gate,
and took Dandie with him, to have the mangle de-
livered. When he had proceeded a little way, the dog
ran off, and he lost sight of him. He still walked for-
ward ; and in a little time he found the cart in which
the mangle was, turned towards Edinburgh, with Dan-
die holding fast by the reins, and the carter in the
greatest perplexity : he now stated that the dog had
overtaken him, jumped on his cart, examined the man-
gle, and then had seized the reins of the horse, and
turned him fairly round, and would not let go his hold,
although he had beaten him with a stick. On Mr. M.'s
arrival, however, the dog quietly allowed the carter to
proceed to his place of destination.

In passing from the consideration of the dog to that of
other animals, the reader will not regret the introduction
of another fact, as stated by Mr. Jesse, and exhibiting
very extraordinary sagacity. Mr. Henry Hawkes, a far-
mer, residing at Hailing, in Kent, was late one evening at
Maidstone market. On returning at night with his dog,
who was usually at his heels, he again stopped at Ayles-
ford, and, as is too frequently the case on such occasions,

THE DOG. 167

he drank immoderately, and left the place in a state of
intoxication. Having passed the village of Newheed in
safety, he took his way over Snodland Brook, which, in
the best season of the year, is a very dangerous road for
a drunken man. At this time, the whole face of the
country was covered with a deep snow, and the frost was
intense : he had, however, proceeded in safety till he
came to the Willow Walk, within half a mile of the
church, when, by a sudden stagger, he quitted the path,
and passed over a ditch on his right hand. Not appre-
hending he was going astray, he took towards the river ;
but having a high bank to mount, and being nearly
exhausted with wandering and the effect of the liquor,
he was providentially prevented from rising the mound,
or he certainly must have precipitated himself (as it was
near high-water) into the Medway.

At this moment, completely overcome, he fell amongst
the snow in one of the coldest nights ever known, turn-
ing upon his back. He was soon overpowered with
either sleep or cold ; when his faithful dependant, who
had closely attended to every step, scratched away the
snow so as to throw up a sort of protecting wall around
his helpless master, then mounting upon the exposed
body, rolled himself round, and lay upon his master's
bosom, for which his shaggy coat proved a most sea-

168 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

sonable covering and eventual protection during the
dreadful severity of the night, the snow falling all the
time. The following morning, a person who was out
with his gun, in expectation of finding some wild-fowl,
perceiving an appearance rather uncommon, ventured
to approach the spot. On his coming up, the dog got
off the body ; and, after repeatedly shaking himself to
get disentangled from the accumulated snow, encou-
raged the sportsman (a Mr. Finch) by actions of the
most significant nature to come near the side of his
master. On wiping away the icy incrustation from
the face, the countenance was immediately recollected j
but, the frame appearing lifeless, assistance was procured
to convey it to the first house upon the skirts of the vil-
lage, when, a pulsation being observed, every possible
means was instantly adopted to promote recovery.

After a short time, the farmer was sufficiently restored
to relate his own story, as already recited ; and, in
gratitude for his miraculous escape, ordered a silver collar
to be made for his friendly protector, as a perpetual
remembrance of the transaction. A gentleman of the
faculty in the neighbourhood hearing of the circum-
stance, and finding it so well authenticated, immediately
made him an offer of ten guineas for the dog, which
the farmer refused, exultingly adding, " That, so long

THE DOG. 169

as he had a bone to his meat, or a crust to his
bread, he would divide it with his faithful friend, who
had preserved his life :" and this he did with the perfect
conviction that the warmth of the dog, in covering the
most vital part of the body, had continued the circula-
tion, and prevented the entire stagnation of the blood
by the intense cold.

It is not stated that so remarkable a deliverance
from death was followed by the abandonment of intem-
perance ; yet such ought, assuredly, to have been one
of its results. The man who yields himself to the
dominion of this shameful and filthy vice, sinks far below
the level of the beasts that perish. No effort — no
sacrifice should therefore be refused for its prevention
or correction. The health — the character — all the
temporal and eternal interests of the deathless spirit,
raise their voice against it. Oh that it were heard by
all who are caught in the snare of intemperance, or in
danger of becoming so ; while it ought ever to be re-
membered that the grace of God is the only effectual
corrective of evil, and that he who would be temperate
in all things, must be truly pious !

THE GOAT.

" THE goat," says Goldsmith, " seems in every re-
spect more fitted for a life of savage liberty than the
sheep. It is naturally more lively, and more pos-
sessed with animal instinct. It easily attaches itself to
man, and seems sensible of his caresses. It is also
stronger and swifter, more courageous, and more play-
ful, lively, capricious, and vagrant ; it is not easily con-
fined to the flock, but chooses its own pastures, and
loves to stray remote from the rest. It chiefly delights
in climbing precipices ; in going to the very edge of
danger ; it is often seen suspended on an eminence,
hanging over the sea, upon a very little base, and even
sleeps there in security."

In Switzerland, at this day, most of the peasants in
a parish possess a few goats, which go out together in
the morning in a flock, to the number of perhaps two
hundred, and return in the evening. The eyes of the
people have long been familiar with these animals and
their regular movements, but to those of strangers the

THE GOAT.

THE GOAT. 171

sight is remarkable and interesting. Inanimate nature
has often its peculiar charms, but these are increased by
evidences of life j and the romantic and sublime scenes of
Switzerland may be gazed on with greater pleasure,
when troops of goats are passing towards the mountains,
where they love to graze, or returning with the closing
day from their usual pasturage.

In another part of Europe they render a singular
service. In the spring of the year the sheep are driven
in troops of from 10,000 to 40,000 from the plains of
Aries, and the Delta of the Rhone, towards the Alps,
which divide Provence and Dauphine from Italy. To
every thousand of these sheep there are three shepherds,
each of whom has his dog : a troop of asses carries the
provisions and baggage in the centre of the flock. One
shepherd is chosen by the rest to direct the march, and
to bear a common purse, from which its expenses are
to be defrayed. He travels in the centre, issues the
daily allowance of food, decides on the complaints of
any farmers on the road, if damage has been acci-
dentally or wilfully done, and punishes the shepherds if
convicted of offence.

The leaders of the sheep are goats, wearing bells
round their necks, and trained for their service. The
intelligence they display, and the discipline in which

172 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

they are kept, are alike great. At the direction of the
shepherd, they halt or proceed ; they advance to the
centre at the close of each day's march, and wait there
in the morning for the proper order, when they repair
to their station at the head of the troop with the greatest
regularity. When they come to a stream, they halt
until the word of command ; and as soon as it is given,
they plunge into the water, and are followed by the
rest of the flock. The journey usually lasts from twenty
to thirty days. On their arrival at the mountains, each
shepherd has his appointed boundary marked out, and
the proprietors of the land are paid a small sum for the
sheep's pasture during the summer. The shepherds
live almost entirely on bread and goat's milk.

The following is an instance of strong attachment as
displayed by one of these animals. A gentleman, who
had been actively employed in the rebellion of 1745,
escaped to the Western Highlands, where a female
relative afforded him an asylum after the battle of
Preston. That he might elude discovery, a cavern, in
a sequestered situation, not far from the house, was con-
sidered the best place he could have. A faithful servant
accordingly conducted him thither, with an ample store
of food.

The approach to this lonely abode was a small

THE GOAT. 173

aperture, through which the fugitive crept, and dragged
his provisions along with him. A little way from the
mouth it became much higher, and, indeed, was rather
lofty in the roof j but, on advancing, an obstacle impeded
his progress. He drew his dirk, but was unwilling to
strike, lest he might take away the life of a fellow-crea-
ture in seclusion ; and, stooping down, he discovered it
was a goat with her kid lying on the ground. He soon
found that the animal was in great pain, and, feeling her
body and limbs, ascertained that one of her legs had
been fractured. He bound it up with his garter, and
offered her some of his bread j but she refused to eat,
and stretched out her tongue, showing that her mouth
was parched with thirst. He then gave her water,
which she drank eagerly ; and after her thirst was allayed,
she partook of the bread.

At the dead hour of night he ventured from the cave,
and, after listening attentively, he pulled a quantity
of grass and the tender branches of trees, and carried
them to the sufferer, by whom they were received with
expressions of gratitude. The only thing which the
fugitive had to employ him in his drear abode, was
administering comfort to the goat, and even for the pre-
sence of this living creature he felt thankful. The goat
quickly recovered, and felt to him a strong attachment.

174 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

It happened that the servant who was intrusted with
the secret of his retreat fell sick, when it became neces-
sary to send another with provisions. On this occasion
the goat, happening to be lying near the mouth of the
cavern, opposed his entrance with all her might, butting
him furiously. The fugitive, hearing the disturbance,
went forward, and receiving the watch-word from his
new attendant, interposed, when the faithful animal per-
mitted him to pass. So resolute, however, was the goat,
that her benefactor was convinced she would have died
in his defence.

THE BAT.

THE common bat is about the size of a small mouse,
and measures nearly nine inches from the tip of one
wing to that of the other, when they are fully open.
The ears are short, and have a small inner valve. The
eyes are very small. The fur is of a reddish mouse
colour. The whole structure of the bat is admirably
adapted for flight. The fore part of its body, though
consisting essentially of the same parts as that of man,
has its different bones so modified as to afford the most
complete support to an extensive expansion of the skin,
which thus forms a perfect pair of wings. The differ-
ence principally consists in the extraordinary length-
ening of the fingers, on which the skin is stretched like
the silk on the rods of an umbrella. Of these fingers,
the thumb is the only one that is left free ; it is of mo-
derate length, and furnished with a hooked nail. The
hinder toes are short, of nearly equal length, and are
chiefly used as suspending organs, the bats hanging by

176 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

them from the trees or walls on which they rest, with
the head downwards.

The flying membrane is also frequently used as a
cloak or mantle, in which these little creatures do not
only shroud themselves, but the females hold and shel-
ter their young. It also answers other interesting pur-
poses, and among them one which deserves particular
attention. It was found by Spallanzani, by a course of
cruel experiments which cannot be mentioned without
censure, that bats, when deprived of sight, and so far as
possible of hearing and smelling, still flew about safely
and certainly, avoiding every obstacle, passing through
passages only just large enough to admit them, and
moving about places formerly unknown j and that when
he stretched threads in various directions across the
apartment, there was also the same result. Cuvier con-
sidered these experiments, therefore, as affording a proof
that the sense of touch was diffused over the whole sur-
face of the flying membrane.

This provision for the comfort of the bat has many
analogies in the circumstances of other animals. Those
which move about much in the dark, have commonly
hairs or whiskers projecting from the upper lip, which
guide them in their passage through narrow places and
holes. They serve as feelers, and are exactly of such a

THE BAT. 177

length that the body of the creature will pass through
any opening which these hairs do not touch on either
side. They are very sensitive ; and, if ever so lightly
touched, the animal is instantly aware of it, even while
asleep. Horses have strong hairs both on the upper
and lower lips, but they are probably designed to keep
flies and insects from annoying them by getting into
their nostrils while grazing. Sufficiently close for this
purpose, and moving as they do, while the horse is
feeding, they serve to brush away anything offensive.

To return now to the bat : the extremities afford the
means of walking on the ground, and of climbing easily
up perpendicular places, if there are sufficient inequalities
on the surface to allow of a firm hold by the little hooked
nail of the thumb. In walking, the wings are closed,
the long fingers being folded against the arm, and the
animal rests upon the wrist. The foot of one side is
then stretched forward, and the thumb-nail is hooked
into the ground ; the body is next raised by means of
the hinder foot, which has been placed partly under the
body, and thus thrown onward ; the other side is next
moved in the same manner, and by a succession of
these plunges the animal runs, — oddly, compared with
other animals, but in a manner sufficient for its wants.

During the day, bats sleep in the most retired places,

178 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

as, in the darkest retreats of forests, in the hollows of
trees, or suspended from the bark ; others in the roofs
of churches, the most inaccessible parts of ruins, or
in various places equally unfrequented. As soon as
twilight appears, they come abroad, pursuing those
insects which, like themselves, avoid the glare of
day, moving variously and rapidly, sometimes flying
swiftly over the surface of the water, then rising to
a considerable height in the air, and turning suddenly
from side to side, as their prey make efforts to escape.

The long-eared bat is one of the most common of
these creatures in our country. The extraordinary
size of the parts from which it derives its name, their
beautiful transparency, and the elegant curves into
which they are thrown at the will of the animal, render
it by far the most pleasing. It is also more readily
tamed than any other, and may soon be brought to con-
siderable familiarity with those who feed and caress it.
It is very playful, running over and against others, pre-
tending to bite, but never harming its companions of
the same species j and its gambols are not the less amus-
ing from their awkwardness.

These bats may be readily brought to eat from the
hand; and one which a gentleman recently had, when
at liberty in the parlour, would fly to any of the young

THE BAT. 179

people who held up a fly towards it, and, even pitching
on the hand, it would take the insect without hesitation.
If the fly were held between the lips, the bat would then
settle on the cheek, and take it very gently from the
niouth. Even when a humming noise was made, in
imitation of an insect, the bat would search about the
lips for the promised dainty.

Another kind of bat, a Barbastelle, was taken during
a very hard frost, in the latter end of December, from a
large chalk cavern, to which several species are found to
retreat, with some others of different kinds. When
brought into a warm room, they soon began to exhibit
signs of vivacity ; and the Barbastelle, with the rest,
fed readily on small bits of meat, and drank water. He
was a timid creature, and did not show the slightest
disposition to become acquainted with his host j but he
would take his food with his companions, and used to
rest with them in a cluster, at the top of the box in
which they were placed.

The Barbastelle became torpid more readily and
completely than any of the others j but, when awake, he
was very restless, and was constantly biting violently
against the wires of his box. When suffered to fly
about the room, he flew very low, and less actively than
the rest ; and was fond of lying before the fire on the

180 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

hearth-rug, where he appeared greatly to enjoy the
warmth. The long-eared bats showed great attachment
to each other, and became very familiar with their host;
but the Barbastelle remained sullen and apart. At length,
it appeared that he was persecuted by his companions,
one of whom was seen to give him a severe bite
on the back of the neck. This occasioned his im-
mediate removal to another box ; but it probably
hastened his death, which happened about a week after-
wards.

Bats have been long regarded with prejudice. The
poet and the painter have alike derived from them
images of terror. And yet, whatever feelings they may
awaken by predatory habits in other lands, it should be
remembered that in our own climate they are at once
innocent and amusing. Their time of appearance and
activity fully comport with the season that invites
to tranquillity ; and amid the calmness of a summer's
evening they are often regarded with considerable in-
terest. As, too, all the European species of bats feed
wholly on insects, which they catch during their flight,
they are doubtless of great use to mankind. They
devour numbers of night-flying moths, the caterpillars
of which would injure our fields, orchards, and gardens.

THE HEDGEHOG.

THIS animal commonly resides in hedgerows and
thickets. It lies concealed in its hole during the day,
and at night wanders abroad in search of food, which
consists of fruits, succulent roots, frogs, and snails.
The manner in which hedgehogs devour the roots of
plantain is very curious : with the upper jaw, which is
much longer than the lower, they bore under the plant,
and so eat the root upwards, leaving the tuft of leaves
untouched. " In this respect they are serviceable," says
Gilbert White, "as they destroy a very troublesome
weed ; but they deface the walks in some measure by
digging little round holes."

The mode in which the hedgehog defends itself from
the assaults of other animals is very uncommon.
Possessed of but little strength or agility, it neither
attempts to fly nor to attack its enemies, but erects its
bristles and rolls itself up like a ball ; exposing no
part of its body that is not covered with these sharp
weapons. It will not unfold itself unless thrown into

182 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

\vater ; and the more it is harassed or frightened, the
closer it shuts itself up. While in this state, most
dogs stand off and bark, not daring to seize it ; and if
they once attempt to make it a prey, their mouths
are so pricked with its bristles, that it is with diffi-
culty they can be made to repeat the attack. It has no
other means of protection, and consequently is easily
taken.

Mrs. Charlotte Smith, when she condemned all wan-
ton assaults on this animal, thus addressed a hedgehog,
observed in a frequented path ; but, as we have seen,
its food is more various than she has stated it to be.

Wherefore should man, or thoughtless boy,

Thy quiet, harmless life destroy,

Innoxious urchin ? — For thy food

Is but the beetle and the fly,

And all thy harmless luxury

The swarming insects of the wood.

Should man, to whom his God has given
Reason, the brightest ray of heaven,
Delight to hurt, in senseless mirth,
Inferior animals ? — and dare
To use his power in waging war
Against his brethren of the earth ?

Poor creature ! To the woods resort,
Lest, lingering here, inhuman sport
Should render vain thy thorny case ;
And whelming water, deep and cold,
Make thee thy spiny ball unfold,
And show thy simple negro face !

THE HEDGEHOG. 183

" In the month of June, 1782," says a correspondent
in the Gentleman's Magazine, " a full-grown hedgehog
was put into a small yard, in which was a border of
shrubs and annuals. In the course of a few days he
formed, beneath a small holly-tree, a hole in the earth,
sufficiently large to receive his body. After a while, a
small shed was built for him in the corner of the yard,
and filled with straw j but the animal would not quit its
former situation until it was covered with a stone. He
then took possession of the shed, and every morning
carried leaves from a distant part of the border, to stop
its mouth. His principal food was raw meat and mice.
Of the latter he would eat six at a time, but never more ;
and, although these were thrown to him dead, he bit
them all in the neck before he began to eat any. He
would also eat snails with their shells, but would leave
anything for milk, which he lapped exceedingly slow.
To this, even if set six or eight yards distant from his
shed, he would almost always come out half an hour
before his usual time. If the person who usually fed
him neglected to do so, he would follow him along the
yard ; and, if the door was open, he would go into the
house. If meat was put near the mouth of his shed in
the day-time, he would sometimes pull it in, and eat it.
As the weather became colder, he carried more leaves

184 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

into his shed ; and sometimes he would not come out
for two or three days successively. About the end of
November he died ; from want of food, as was supposed,
but most probably from the severity of the weather."

The hedgehog is fond of insects, and is sometimes
introduced into houses, for the sake of expelling cock-
roaches. The Calmuc Tartars, it is said, keep it some-
times instead of a cat, and in some respects it answers
the same purpose. The landlord of the Angel Inn at
Felton, Northumberland, kept a hedgehog some years
ago, which answered to the name of Tom, and did the
service of a turnspit dog. It was very docile, and ran
familiarly about the house. Another is described as
unfolding, and lying on the knees of its owner before
the fire j it suffers him also to rub the naked parts of
its face, from which it appears to derive great pleasure.

THE POLECAT.

THE fur of the common polecat is of two sorts : the
one long and shining, of a brown colour ; the other,
silky, short, and yellowish, or fulvous white. From the
habits of this species, it is extremely destructive, as
every animal it can conquer falls a victim to its appe-
tite. It is strong and active ; and by bringing all the
feet together, and drawing the back into an arch, it
springs with great force on its intended prey, which it
generally kills expeditiously, and with a single bite on
the head.

On a female polecat being pursued to its nest, which
is usually in woods or coppices, and near to farms,
there were found five young ones, comfortably embedded
in dry withered grass j and in a side hole forty large
frogs and two toads were picked out. They were all
alive, but merely so ; for the mother had contrived that
they should all be paralysed. They could only sprawl a
little, but not move away ; and, on the whole number
being examined, they were found to be bitten through

186 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

the brain. This fondness of the polecat for frogs has
often been observed, and it accords with the habits of
some of its congeners, or kindred animals.

According to Bewick, one of these animals was
traced in the snow from the side of a rivulet to its hole,
at some distance from it, during a severe storm. As it
was observed to have made frequent trips, and as other
marks were to be seen in the snow, which could not easily
be accounted for, it was thought a matter worthy of greater
attention. Its hole was therefore examined, the pole-
cat taken, and eleven fine eels were discovered to be the
fruit of its nightly exertions. The marks on the snow
were found to have been made by the motions of the
eels while in the creature's mouth.

THE WEAZEL.

THE usual colour of this active little creature is pale
reddish brown on the back, sides, and legs ; the throat
and belly are white. It has long whiskers, like a cat,
and its teeth are very sharp. It is well known to all
engaged in agriculture, in almost every part of Great
Britain, from its great antipathy to rats and mice. In
barns and granaries it is very useful ; and it can pursue
its prey through a wheat-rick, to which its power of
scent, as well as its great agility, fully adapt it. With
its head raised a little above the ground, it follows the
track of a rat or a mouse after it has disappeared. Three
bushels of mice are said to have been killed out of one
rick ; and the value of the weazel in preventing and
checking the depredations of creatures so numerous and
injurious to the farmer, has often been proved.

This animal does not easily give up the pursuit of its
prey. A man of much observation, who had set a com-
mon trap, finding that a mole was taken, took the trap
from the ground, and allowed the mole to be suspended

188 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

in it. While working in the neighbourhood, he chanced
to look at the trap, and observed a weazel actively
engaged in trying to detach the mole from the wires
that held it. The weazel ran up the stick which formed
the spring of the trap, and descended on the captive
which he seized ; he then tried by various movements
to disengage the mole from the trap, but was not able
to effect his purpose. Tired by his fruitless efforts, he
relinquished his hold, and dropped to the ground • there
he rested for some time, but afterwards he climbed the
stick again, and renewed his exertions with increased
ardour. The workman at length took the mole from
the trap, and threw it down as a reward for his per-
severance j but on seeing him the weazel made his es-
cape, and did not return while he remained.

The weazel is sometimes the prey of hawks, but the
ingenuity of an inferior enemy may outmatch violence
and rapine, though accompanied by superior strength.
As a gentleman was riding over his grounds in Dorset-
shire, he saw, at a short distance from him, a kite pounce
on some object on the ground, and rise with it in his
talons. In a few moments, however, the kite appeared to
be very uneasy, rising rapidly in the air, or as quickly
falling, and wheeling irregularly round, while it was
evidently endeavouring to force some obnoxious thing

THE WEAZEL. 189

from it with its feet. After a short but sharp contest,
the kite fell suddenly to the earth, when the gentleman,
who had intently observed what was occurring, rode up
to the spot. At this moment a weazel, apparently un-
hurt, ran away from the kite, leaving the bird dead.

The following is a fact of a different kind : — " One
fine summer evening," says Captain Brown, " my father
was returning from Gilmerton, near Edinburgh, by the
Dalkeith road. He observed on the high ground, at a
considerable distance betwixt him and Craigmillar
Castle, a man, who was leaping about, performing a
number of antic gestures, more like those of a madman
than of a sane person. After contemplating this appa-
rently absurd conduct, my father began to think it might
be some unfortunate maniac, and climbing over the
wall made directly towards him ; when he got pretty
near, he perceived that the man had been attacked, and
was defending himself against the assaults of a number
of small animals, which he at first took for rats, but
which, in fact, turned out, on getting closer, to be a
colony of from fifteen to twenty weazels, and which the
man was tearing from him, and endeavouring to keep
from his throat.

" My father joined in the combat, and, having a
stick, contrived to hit several of them, and laid them

190 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

lifeless. Seeing this, the animals became intimidated,
and speedily fled towards a rock hard by, and dis-
appeared in its fissures. The gentleman was nearly
overcome with fatigue and exhaustion, having been
engaged in his struggle with the weazels, as far as he
could guess, upwards of twenty minutes j and, but for the
timely assistance of my father, he said he must have
inevitably fallen a victim to their fury, as he found
himself quickly losing strength, from the violence of his
exertion. His chief attention was turned to keeping
them from his throat, to which they seemed instinct-
ively to direct their course. He was a powerful man ;
otherwise he must have sunk under their ferocity. He
had squeezed two to death, while tearing them from him.
His hands were much bitten, and were streaming with
blood from the wounds.

" The account he gave of the commencement of the
affray was, that he was walking slowly through the
park, when he happened to see a weazel ; he ran at it,
and made several unsuccessful attempts to strike it with
a small rattan he had in his hand ; on coming near the
rock above mentioned, he got betwixt it and the animal,
and thus cut off his retreat ; the weazel squeaked aloud,
when an instantaneous sortie was made by the whole
colony, and the attack commenced."

THE WEAZEL. 191

Although Buffon was of opinion that the weazel, so
formidable in this instance, is an animal incapable of
domestication, we have the following interesting account
of one in a letter of Mademoiselle de Laistre : — " If I
pour some milk into my hand, it will drink a good deal ;
but, if I do not pay it this compliment, it will scarcely
take a drop. When it is satisfied, it generally goes to
sleep. My chamber is the place of its residence ; and
I have found a method of dispelling its strong odours
by perfumes. During the day it sleeps inside a quilt,
entering by a place that is unsewed in its edge, which
it accidentally discovered. At night, I keep it in a wire
cage, which it always enters with much reluctance, but
leaves with joy. If the servant sets it at liberty before I
am up in the morning, after a thousand gambols, it comes
into my bed, and reposes in my hand, or on my bosom.
If I am up before it is let out, it will fly to me in rap-
ture, and spend half an hour in caressing me, playing
with my fingers, and nibbling at them with its teeth
like a little dog ; leaping on my head and on my neck,
and then running round my arm, with the softness and
elegance of a squirrel. Such is its agility, that it will
leap into my hands, although upwards of a yard distant,
if I present them to it. It exhibits much adroitness
and cunning to obtain any wished -for object ; and it is

192 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

so capricious at times, as to perform certain acts appa-
rently from contradiction. It seems at all times ex-
ceedingly desirous of being noticed, watching my eye
during all its little pranks, to see if I observe it. If I am
inattentive to its sports, it seems to have no pleasure in
them, immediately desists, and lays itself down to re-
pose. It is so lively, that the moment I awake it,
however sound its sleep may be, it instantly resumes
its gambols with as much spirit as before it slept. It
never is out of temper, except when much teazed, or
when under confinement, which it detests ; in which
case it displays its displeasure by a kind of low mur-
mur, quite opposed to the sound of its voice when
pleased.

" This little creature can distinguish my voice amid
twenty others, and springs over every one in the room
till it has found me. Nothing can exceed the lively
and pleasing way it caresses me with its two little
paws : it frequently pats me on the chin, in a manner
that expresses the utmost fondness. This, with a
thousand other kindnesses, convinces me of the since-
rity of its attachment. He is quite aware of my in-
tention, when dressed to go out, and then it is with
much difficulty I can rid myself of him. On these
occasions he will conceal himself behind a cabinet near

THE WEAZEL. 193

the door, and spring on me as I pass with astonishing
quickness.

" His vivacity, agility, and voice, with the manner
he utters it, have a strong similitude to those faculties in
a squirrel. In the summer season he runs about all
night, squeaking \ but, since the cold set in, he has
desisted from this practice, but has sometimes expressed
this particular sound when rolling on my bed in the
sunbeams.

" It seems exceedingly probable that the weasel sips
the dew, judging from the remarkable manner he drinks
milk from my hand. He will never drink water when
he can get milk, and then in such a small way, that he
appears to do it only to cool his tongue, for he evinced
fear on several occasions, when water was presented to
him. During the summer showers, I caught some
rain-water, and endeavoured to get him to enter it to
bathe himself, but this he would not do. I then dipped
a piece of linen cloth in it ; this seemed to afford him
much pleasure, by rolling himself over it, which he did
frequently.

" The curiosity of this little pet is unbounded, for it
is impossible to open a box or drawer, without his
roving through every part of them ; if even a piece of
paper or a book is looked at, he will also examine it

o

194 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

with attention. Every thing I take into my hand he
must run up to, and survey with an attentive scrutiny.
I have a young dog and a cat, with both of which he
is very familiar ; he will scamper over their necks,
backs, and legs, without their offering him the smallest
injury."

THE STOAT.

THIS animal, which is found in England, abounds in
Norway, Lapland, and other parts of the north. It is
a full third larger than the weasel.

One fact in reference to it suggests the benevolence of
God, in adapting his creatures to their circumstances.
In hot countries many animals have but little hair on
their bodies, and some are almost entirely destitute of
it. Of this the elephant will occur as an example.
In very cold countries the fur, as well as the hair, is, on
the contrary, unusually thick, and even the feet of some
birds are covered with feathers, not only for the sake of
protection, but to enable them to run more readily on
the snow.

For the stoat, however, another provision is made :
it undergoes in winter a remarkable change of colour.
The whole of the coloured parts of the far become of the
purest white, excepting the extremity of the tail, which
continues black, and the under parts retain a slight

196 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

tinge of yellow. It appears that the animal does not
actually lose its summer coat, for which a winter gar-
ment is substituted, but that there is an actual change
of colour in the existing fur. The transition from one
state of the coat to another does not take place, however,
through any gradation of shade in the general hue, but
by patches here and there of the winter colour, inter-
mixed with that of the summer, giving, says Mr. Bell, a
pied appearance to the animal.

In the Alpine districts of Scotland, and in northern
latitudes generally, this change is universal, but south-
ward it occurs occasionally, and even rarely. In North-
umberland, and other counties in the north of England,
it is very frequent ; in the midland counties it is some-
times seen, and it has been observed more than once in
Cornwall. This remarkable alteration of colour appears
to be primarily occasioned not by the mere advance of
the season, but by actual change of temperature. Even
in a mild winter, the stoat has been observed with its
garment changed; but as the hills were its dwelling place
or frequent haunt, the coldness of the atmosphere on so
elevated and bleak a spot as the moorland to which the
animal was seen making its way, satisfactorily accounts
for the whiteness of its fur.

The end designed by this transition is not beyond

THE STOAT. 197

our reach. • It is doubtless partly intended to provide
for the animal's safety, by an approach to the colour of
the earth's clothing in winter. But it is also evident
that the radiation, or passing off, of heat is much greater
from dark than light coloured surfaces, and therefore
that the animal heat from within is more fully retained
by a white than a dark covering. The temperature of
an animal having white fur, consequently continues
more equable than that of one clothed in darker colours,
though the latter will enjoy a greater degree of warmth
whilst exposed to the rays of the sun. How beautiful
then is the Divine arrangement, by which, when it is
cold enough to prove hurtful, if not fatal to the animal,
this very change of temperature is made to produce
such an alteration in its condition, as shall effectually
prevent the suffering of injury ! Here it is manifest, as
it is in other numberless instances, "that the Lord is
good, and his tender mercies are over all his works."

THE FERRET.

THE ferret is a native of Africa, and has been em-
ployed in Britain and other countries of Europe, chiefly
to reduce the number of rabbits, and to destroy rats. Its
fur is of a yellowish hue, and its eyes are red. During
the day it generally sleeps, and it feeds at night.

To the rabbit it has an instinctive antipathy. It is
said, if a dead one be shown to a young ferret which has
never before seen the animal, it seizes it ; and if a live
one be set before it, it displays still greater eagerness,
laying hold of its neck, and continuing to suck the blood
of its prey till completely satiated. When put into a
burrow, it is usual to tie a bell round the neck of the
ferret, to prevent its being lost, and to know where he
is. Small nets are also placed over all the holes which
are supposed to communicate with the one he has en-
tered. If half-grown rabbits are to be taken from holes
known to have few angles, and not to go far below the
surface, the ferret is sometimes left unmuzzled, with a

THE FERRET. 199

line round him, and as soon as he is thought to have
seized the rabbit, he is drawn gently back with his prey
in his mouth.

So intent are ferrets on their prey, that they have
been known to disengage themselves from their muz-
zles, to remain in the holes, and only to be got out
by digging for them, or smoking them. Both these
methods have even been resorted to without effect, and
the animal has kept its retreat good for the summer,
and lived by preying on the rabbits ; but when the
winter sets in, these creatures either perish from cold,
or leave the hole, and are then easily retaken.

Farmers, and other persons, frequently keep ferrets,
for the purpose of killing rats, which they pursue with
great activity and eagerness. Few of these creatures
can escape such foes. It is said, indeed, that a ferret,
even when young, will so tenaciously hold a rat he has
seized, as to suffer himself to be dragged a considerable
distance before he can kill his prey ; but this is gene-
rally done at last.

Although easily tamed, the ferret seldom shows any
attachment, and is very easily irritated. One instance
may be mentioned of its singular ferocity, when tempted
by opportunity, or excited by the smell or taste of blood.
A bargeman of the name of Isles, finding himself much

200 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

incommoded by the mischief done in his barge by rats,
procured a ferret to destroy them. The ferret remain-
ing away a considerable time, he thought it was devour-
ing some rats that it had killed, and went to sleep ; but
was awakened early next morning by the ferret, who
had commenced a regular attack upon him. The ani-
mal had seized him near his eye-brow ; and the man,
after endeavouring in vain to shake him off, at length
severed the body from the head with a knife, — the
teeth still sticking so fast, that the head was with diffi-
culty removed.

THE MARTEN.

THE structure of martens has been noticed, as appro-
priately distinguishing them from weazels. They creep
from branch to branch, silently pursuing their prey,
consisting of birds, squirrels, and other small animals,
and hence their sharp and long claws provide a firm and
secure hold of the bark, and their long and somewhat
bushy tails help them to keep their balance on the
boughs, while their large and open ears aid them in
chasing the objects of pursuit amidst the dense foliage
in which they love to be concealed. Weazels are designed
to pursue animals on the ground, in burrows, and in
similar places of retreat, while martens are as obviously
prepared for living in trees. The exceptions afforded by
the habits of particular individuals do not affect these
general remarks.

The common and the pine marten are, on the upper
parts, of a dark chestnut colour. The former is white
on the throat and breast ; the latter yellow. Their

202 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

general retreat is the hollow in the upper part of some
decayed tree. They prefer the place chosen for the
nest of a squirrel, and having killed the inhabitant, the
new tenant enlarges it, and lines it with softer mate-
rials. Though ferocious in disposition, these creatures
are easily tamed. Gesner kept a pine marten, which
used to go to the houses of the neighbours, but always
returned home when wanting food. It was very fond
of a dog with which it had been bred up, and would
play with it as cats do, lying on its back, and pretend-
ing to bite.

Buffon also had one which, though it had lost its fero-
city, did not discover any marks of attachment, and
continued so wild as to require being chained. It,
however, frequently escaped from its confinement. At
first, after being absent some hours, it returned, but
without seeming pleased ; the time of remaining away
gradually increased, and at last it took its final depar-
ture.

In some countries the marten is eagerly pursued,
from its skin being valued for the fur ; it is in
great request for lining and trimming the robes of
magistrates, as well as for other purposes. It is
particularly admired in Turkey, into which it is
imported, chiefly from Sicily and France. A large

THE MARTEN.

THE MARTEN. 203

number of these skins are also received in this coun-
try from Hudson's Bay and from Canada ; the most
valuable part being that which extends along the mid-
dle of the back.

THE HOG.

THE domestic hog is usually, as to colour, of a dirty
white, but some are pied, and others altogether black.
This animal, which is generally harmless and inoffen-
sive, lives chiefly on vegetables. It is descended from
a race still wild in the larger forests of Europe and Asia,
and the northern parts of Africa.

In Minorca, the hog is converted into a beast of
draught; a cow, a sow, and two young horses, have
been seen in that island yoked together ; and of the
four, the sow drew the best. The ass and the hog are
here common helpmates, and are frequently yoked to-
gether to plough the land. In some parts of Italy,
swine, according to Bayley, are used in hunting for
truffles, which grow some inches deep in the ground.
A cord being tied round the hind-leg of one of these
animals, the beast is driven into the pastures, and it is
said, that wherever it stops, and begins to root with its
nose, truffles are always to be found.

THE HOG. 205

In several counties of England great attention has
been given to breeding pigs, but the inland, north-west,
and north-east districts have generally had the largest
swine. The woods of the New Forest afford excellent
food for hogs, which are led in autumn into many parts
of the forest to fatten on mast. The method of treating
them at this season, and especially of reducing them to
order and obedience, is not a little curious. The swine-
herd first chooses some closely sheltered spot, having
water and plenty of oak or beech-mast, but the former,
if sufficiently abundant, he considers preferable ; and
then finds some spreading tree, round the bole of which
he wattles a slight circular fence, and covering it
roughly with boughs and sods, he fills it plentifully
with straw or fern.

He now collects his colony among the farmers,
which amounts perhaps to five or six hundred hogs ;
drives them to their habitation, gives them a plentiful
supper of acorns or beech-mast, which he had provided,
and sounds his horn during the repast. He then turns
them into the litter, where, after a long journey and a
hearty meal, they sleep soundly, The next morning
he lets them look a little about, shows them the pool or
the stream where they may occasionally drink, leaves
them to pick up the remains of the last night's meal,

206 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

and as evening advances, gives them another plentiful
repast under the neighbouring trees, at the sound of his
horn, and then sends them again to sleep.

He is, perhaps, at the trouble of procuring them
another meal, with music playing as usual, the following
day. He then leaves them a little more to themselves,
watching them, however, in their evening hours ; but as
they eat much, they seldom wander far from home, and
commonly return very orderly and early to bed. After
this he throws his sty open, leaves them to cater for
themselves, and usually has little more trouble with
them. Now and then, in calm weather, when mast falls
sparingly, he perhaps calls them together by his horn to
a gratuitous meal ; but generally they need little atten-
tion, returning regularly home at night, though they
often wander two or three miles from the sty.

The animals forming the herd are by this manage-
ment sent to their respective owners in such condition,
that they may be quickly and easily fattened. It is
observed, whatever is their number, that they generally
separate in their daily excursions, into such little parties
as have formerly been intimate ; and in these friendly
groups they range the forest, returning home at night
in different parties, some earlier, and others later, as
they have been more or less successful in the pursuit

THE HOG. 207

of food. " You see them," says Gilpin, " perfectly
happy, going about at their ease, and conversing with
each other in short, pithy, interrupted sentences, which
are no doubt expressive of their own enjoyments, and
of their social feelings."

To the cottager the pig is often, when properly
managed, a very valuable animal. Pork, of all meat,
is best adapted to curing and preservation with salt ;
and it is said that men will subsist longer upon it, with-
out desire of change, than upon any other flesh. In
many parts of the country, labourers rarely taste any
other, and generally eat it with great relish.

Pigs readily adapt themselves to change. Thus, if
the weather be hot, they cover themselves with mud,
probably that they may be freed from vermin, or that
flies may be kept off. When the weather is about to
alter, they may often be observed running at full speed
from a field where they had been before quietly feeding,
and making an outcry the whole way to their sties. Im-
patient of cold, they collect straw in their mouths, and
carry it under a shed in the yard, appearing to invite
their companions, who are not so employed, to assist in
the task, and towards night all will nestle together, after
a struggle for the warmest place.

Selfish and rapacious as the hog is often thought, no

208 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

animal has greater sympathy for those of his own kind.
" The moment one of them," says Bingley, " gives the
signal of distress, all within hearing rush to his assist-
ance. They have been known to gather round a dog
that teazed them, and kill him on the spot. Enclose a
male and female in a sty when young, and the female
will decline from the instant her companion is removed,
and will probably die of sorrow."

Nor are cases wanting in which there has been some
display of sagacity. The writer remembers a pig be-
longing to a family with which he is well acquainted.
It had a sty with a door having a latch, which was
sometimes thrown open ; but the sagacious quadruped
within did not choose to be limited to such occasions.
He might often be seen with his fore-feet on the
upper of two rails placed just within his abode, hav-
ing unlatched the door with his snout, and thrown
it back, that he might look about the garden before
his dwelling, and inhale at another opening its pleasant
air.

Captain Hall describes a pig as petted by the sailors ;
it was named Jean, and would come to those who called
it. He at first doubted the fact, but one day going on
deck, he called out, " Jean ! Jean !" and in a moment
the delighted pig came prancing along; and so eager

THE HOG. 209

was the animal, that she nearly overthrew an officer in
her passage.

Sharon Turner mentions his seeing a large pig at
Ross, which, at the word of command, could pick out
from an alphabet on the ground, and that without mis-
take, the name of any person present, and also the
figures for the hour of the day. It went round a paper
dial on the floor, and placed its snout first on the hour,
and then in another circuit on the minute. " There
was," says Mr. Turner, " no visible concert that I could
trace between it and its master, so that the assisting
tokens were the more intellectual. The owner men-
tioned that being more dull at learning than some, it
had taken him three months' close labour to teach him."
No doubt it was directed by some signs made by its
owner.

The writer has often visited a village in Wiltshire,
where a pig was made to answer the purposes of its
master in a different way. This man allowed the ani-
mal to get its living as it could, and consequently it fre-
quently did so at the cost of those who were near. On
one occasion, however, the depredator was caught in the
fact, and shut up in the pound. A short time after, a
busy neighbour went to the owner with the tidings ;
the answer he received was brief : " I know it, and I

p

210 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

will give her her supper presently." Soon after he
sallied forth, and did what he had promised himself, by
severely whipping the pig, and leaving it for the night
without food.

The next morning it was again stated that his pig
was in the pound, and he replied that he would soon go
and give her a breakfast ; but fulfilling his word in pre-
cisely the same manner as he had adopted on the former
night. Several hours now elapsed, and once more he
heard of the incarceration of his pig, when, with equal
coolness, he said she should speedily have her dinner,
which proved to be only a third castigation. He now,
however, paid the dues, and the animal was liberated.
The reader, perhaps, can predict the result ; from that
day forward the pig roamed about and fed wherever she
pleased, nor was it ever in the power of the villagers —
and the experiment was tried more than once — to put
her again into the pound. The crafty and dishonest
owner calculated on her power of recollection, and that
with the utmost effect.

It would seem, moreover, that this animal is sometimes
capable of strong attachment to man. Lockhart, the
biographer of Sir Walter Scott, describes a large party as
ready to set out from Abbotsford on horseback ; and
" the sociable," he says, " was just getting under weigh,"

THE HOG. 211

when one of the Miss Scotts broke from the line, and
laughing heartily, exclaimed, " Papa ! papa ! I knew
you would not think of going without your pet." Scott
looked round, when he perceived a little black pig frisk-
ing about his pony, and evidently intending to make one
of the party. His wish was, however, not gratified. The
fact was, that the pig had taken, nobody could tell how,
a strong attachment to Scott, and was constantly anxious
to join the greyhounds and terriers that accompanied
him in his rambles.

In one of the South Sea Islands, it was stated by the
late Mr. Williams, that pigs are very numerous, and
that the natives gave the names of these animals to
others when procured by him from an American ship.
The horse was called the great pig that carries the man,
the dog the barking pig, and the ass the noisy or the
long-eared pig.

A truly interesting fact, in connexion with this ani-
mal, is mentioned by the same missionary. During one
of his visits to the island of Aitutaki, he explained
to the people one evening the manner in which English
Christians raised money to send the Gospel to heathen
countries. On hearing this they expressed their regret
at not having money, that they might also enjoy the
privilege of " helping in the good work of causing the

212 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

word of God to grow." " I replied," he says, " ' If you
have no money, you have something to buy money
with.' This idea was quite new to them, and they
wished to know at once what they possessed which
would buy money. I said to them, ' The pigs I brought
to your island, on my first visit, have multiplied so
greatly, that all of you have an abundance ; and if
every family in the island were to set apart a pig " for
causing the word of God to grow," and when the ships
come, to sell them for money instead of cloth and axes,
a valuable contribution might be raised.' The idea de-
liglited them exceedingly, and early the next morning
the squeaking of the pigs, which were receiving a parti-
cular mark in the ear for this purpose, was heard from
one end of the settlement to the other. In the interim,
a ship had been there, the captain of which had pur-
chased their pigs, and paid for them most honourably ;
and now, to my utter astonishment, the native treasurer
put into my hands 103?., partly in bills, and partly in
cash. This was the first money they ever possessed,
and every farthing of it was dedicated to the cause of
Christ."

THE RABBIT.

THE keeping of rabbits is the frequent amusement of
children and young persons in this country. It is, at
least, an innocent one, and it may exert a beneficial
influence on the mind. So much cannot be said for
many employments of our early days, nor, unhappily, for
some of riper years. And yet, the character and effect
of all our occupations ought to be ascertained, with the
solicitude not only to obey the charge, " Cease to do
evil," but that which requires us also to abstain from its
" appearance."

The rabbit, though resembling the hare in some
respects, is easily distinguishable from it. It is dif-
ferent from that animal in habit, as well as in form.
Unequal to that rapid course for which the hare is
adapted, it digs deep holes for shelter and safety, and
enjoys the society of its fellows in spots where food is
provided. The ground of a warren, and sometimes to a
great extent, is pierced all about with deep holes. The

214 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

gambols of its little tenants, as they play in security, or
their rapid flight from any cause of alarm, are not a
little amusing. They commonly remain in their bur-
rows during the day, and come forth about twilight
to feed. In doing so, they are not unfrequently mis-
chievous, eating the bark of young trees, and the corn
when first springing up.

The care with which the rabbit provides for her
young is very remarkable. Not only does she make a
nest of the softest hay, from which she carefully removes
all the harder portions, but she actually strips the fur,
or down, from her own breast, that it may be made still
more agreeable. At first she covers up her young with
the same materials, in order to keep them warm : un-
covering them only when it is necessary. This provision
is, moreover, nicely adapted to the state of the weather,
and the strength of her progeny, and is gradually di-
minished as they become more robust.

A gentleman, who had amused himself with raising
rabbits for many years, says : — " I began with only one
male and one female, the former white, the latter grey ;
and of their produce, which was very numerous, the
greatest part were grey, a good number of them white,
and of a mixed colour, and some few black. These
animals seem to have a great respect for paternal

THE RABBIT.

THE RABBIT. 215

authority ; at least, I judge so, from the great deference
which all my rabbits showed for their first ancestor,
whom I can always easily distinguish by his whiteness,
and who, indeed, is the only male of that colour which
I have preserved. It was to no purpose the family
augmented ; those which, in their turn, became fathers,
were still subordinate to him. Whenever they fought,
whether on account of their females, or concerning their
food, their great progenitor would run to the place of
dispute with all speed, as soon as he heard the noise.
No sooner did they perceive him, than everything was
presently reduced to order : and if he surprised any one
of them actually assaulting another, he used to separate
him from the rest, and punish him on the spot. An-
other proof of his dominion over all his posterity is, that
they were accustomed to return at *a whistle, whenever
I gave the signal, how distant soever they might be ;
this old one immediately put himself at their head ;
and though he came first, yet he made them all file off,
and enter before him ; nor would he go in till the
last."

It appears that the rabbit can sometimes display
a high degree of courage. To quote the words of
Mr. Howitt : — " I was, on a fine summer's day, sitting
in the meadows opposite Tutbury Castle, in Stafford-

216 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

shire, contemplating the remains of that fabric, which
once imprisoned the Queen of Scots. On the slope
of the Castle-hill facing me, I observed a rabbit sitting
by its burrow. Suddenly, from a bush, at some dis-
tance, issued a large weazel, and darting on with the
rapidity of an arrow, attempted to make its way into
the burrow, in which, no doubt, were the rabbit's
young ones. The rabbit, with an air of the utmost
coolness, raising itself as the weazel approached, re-
ceived him with several smart thumps upon the head.
He fled back, but speedily renewed the attack, and
was received in the same style. The assault, battery,
and retreat were maintained for at least a quarter of an
hour, when the weazel crawled away, apparently ex-
hausted, and appeared no more. Such is the valour
infused by parental instinct into the most weak and
timid creatures."

The rabbit is valued as an article of food, and also
for its fur. For the sake of its covering, multitudes
of rabbits are bred in various parts of Europe, and
from these our country is supplied, as well as from
its own produce. In a domestic state these animals
lose, in some degree, their instinct of burrowing; yet
if several are kept together in a convenient place*
they will show that it is not altogether extinct. In

THE RABBIT. 217

one breed the ears droop so much, that they touch the
ground when the animal is feeding ; and among the
most esteemed varieties are the Half-lop, the Horn-lop,
the Oar-lop, and the Perfect-lop.

THE HARE.

THIS animal, whose form and hue are so well known,
has many enemies. Quadrupeds and birds of prey are
numbered among them, while man often amuses him-
self by the chase, which fills it with terror, and
terminates its life. True, indeed, are the well-known
words —

" Poor is the triumph o'er the timid hare !
Yet vain her best precaution, though she sits
Concealed, with folded ears, unsleeping eyes,
By nature raised to take the horizon in,
And head concealed betwixt her hairy feet,
In act to spring away."

We will not describe the cruel pastimes of hunting
or coursing the hare. Her danger is constant, though
she has eyes which are so prominent that they can see
all around ; ears which are moveable, and can catch a
distant sound, and feet endued with extraordinary swift-
ness. Still—

THE HARE. 219

"The scented dew

Betrays her early labyrinth : and deep
In scattered sullen openings, far behind,
With every breeze, she hears the coming storm ;
But nearer, and more frequent, as it loads
The sighing gale, she springs amazed, and all
The savage soul of game is up at once."

The hare is capable of domestication. One, it is
said, became so familiar as to feed from the hand, lie
under a chair in a common sitting-room, and appear in
every other respect as easy and comfortable as a lap-
dog. Now and then it went into the garden, but
after regaling itself always returned to the house as
its proper habitation. Its usual companions were a
grey-hound and a spaniel, both so fond of hare-hunt-
ing that they went out together, without the company
of any person. The tame hare spent its evenings
with these two dogs ; they always slept on the same
hearth, and very frequently it would rest itself upon
them.

The most interesting account, however, ever yet
penned, of domesticated hares, is the following, by our
eminent and Christian poet Cowper : — " I undertook,"
he says, " the care of three, which it is necessary that
I should here distinguish by the names I give them —
Puss, Tiney, and Bess. Notwithstanding the two femi-
nine appellatives, I must inform you that they were all

220 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

males. Immediately commencing carpenter, I built
them houses to sleep in ; each had a separate apartment,
so contrived that their ordure should pass through the
bottom of it; an earthen pan placed under each re-
ceived whatever fell, which being duly emptied and
washed, they were thus kept perfectly sweet and clean.
In the day time they had the range of a hall, and at
night retired each to his own bed, never intruding into
that of another.

" Puss grew presently familiar, would leap into my
lap, raise himself upon his hinder feet, and bite the hair
from my temples. He would suffer me to take him up,
and carry him about in my arms, and has more than
once fallen fast asleep upon my knee. He was ill
three days, during which time I nursed him, kept him
apart from his fellows, that they might not molest him,
(for, like many other wild animals, they persecute one
of their own species that is sick,) and by constant care,
and trying him with a variety of herbs, restored him to
perfect health. No creature could be more grateful
than my patient after his recovery ; a sentiment which
he most significantly expressed by licking my hand,
first the back of it, then the palm, then every finger
separately, as if anxious to leave no part of it unsa-
luted j a ceremony which he never performed but once

THE HARE. 221

again upon a similar occasion. Finding him extremely
tractable, I made it my custom to carry him always
after breakfast into my garden, where he hid himself
generally under the leaves of a cucumber vine, sleeping
or chewing the cud until evening ; in the leaves also of
that vine he found a favourite repast. I had not long
habituated him to this taste of liberty, before he began
to be impatient for the return of the time when he
might enjoy it. He would invite me to the garden by
drumming upon my knee, and by a look of such ex-
pression as it was not possible to misinterpret. If this
rhetoric did not immediately succeed, he would take the
skirt of my coat between his teeth, and pull at it with
all his force. Thus Puss might be said to be perfectly
tamed, the shyness of his nature was done away, and,
on the whole, it was visible by many symptoms which I
have not room to enumerate, that he was more happy
in human society than when shut up with his natural
companions.

" Not so Tiney j upon him the kindest treatment
had not the least effect. He, too, was sick, and in his
sickness had an equal share of my attention ; but if, after
his recovery, I took the liberty to stroke him, he would
grunt, strike with his fore-feet, spring forward, and bite.
He was, however, very entertaining in his way; even

222 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

his surliness was matter of mirth, and in his play he
preserved such an air of gravity, and performed his feats
with such a solemnity of manner, that in him too I had
an agreeable companion.

" Bess, who died soon after he was full grown, and
whose death was occasioned by his being turned into
his box, which had been washed, while it was yet damp,
was a hare of great humour and drollery. Puss was
tamed by gentle usage ; Tiney was not to be tamed at
all ; and Bess had a courage and confidence that made
him tame from the beginning. I always admitted them
into the parlour after supper, when the carpet affording
them a firm hold, they would frisk, and bound, and
play a thousand gambols, in which Bess, being remark-
ably strong and fearless, was always superior to the
rest, and proved himself the chief of the party. One
evening, the cat, being in the room, had the hardiness
to pat Bess on the cheek, an indignity which he resented
by drumming upon her back with such violence, that
the cat was happy to escape from under his paws, and
hide herself.

" I describe these animals as having each a character
of his own. Such they were in fact, and their counte-
nances were so expressive of that character, that, when
I looked only on the face of either, I immediately knew

THE HARE. 223

which it was. It is said that a shepherd, however nu-
merous his flock, soon becomes so familiar with their
features, that he can, by that indication only, distinguish
each from all the rest ; and yet to a common observer,
the difference is hardly perceptible. I doubt not that
the same discrimination in the cast of countenances
would be discernible in hares, and am persuaded that
among a thousand of them no two could be found
exactly similar j a circumstance little suspected by those
who have not an opportunity to observe it. These
creatures have a singular sagacity in discovering the
minutest alteration that is made in the place to which
they are accustomed, and instantly apply their nose to
the examination of a new object. A small hole being
burnt in the carpet, it was mended with a patch, and
that patch in a moment underwent the strictest scrutiny.
They seem to be very much directed by the smell in the
choice of their favourites : to some persons, though they
saw them daily, they could never be reconciled, and
would even scream when they attempted to touch them ;
but a miller coming in engaged their affections at once ;
his powdered coat had charms that were irresistible.
It is no wonder that my intimate acquaintance with these
specimens of the kind has taught me to hold the sports-
man's amusement in abhorrence ; he little knows what

224 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

amiable creatures he persecutes, of what gratitude they
are capable, how cheerful they are in their spirits, what
enjoyment they have of life, and that impressed as they
seem with a pieculiar dread of man, it is only because
man gives them peculiar cause for it.

" Bess, I have said, died young ; Tiney lived to be
nine years old, and died at last, I have reason to think,
of some hurt in his loins by a fall j Puss is still living,
and has just completed his tenth year, discovering no
signs of decay, nor even of age, except that he is grown
more discreet and less frolicksome than he was. I can-
not conclude without observing, that I have lately in-
troduced a dog to his acquaintance ; a spaniel that had
never seen a hare, to a hare that had never seen a
spaniel. I did it with great caution, but there was no
real need of it. Puss discovered no token of fear, nor
Marquis the least symptom of hostility. There is,
therefore, it should seem, no natural antipathy between
dog and hare ; but the pursuit of the one occasions the
flight of the other, and the dog pursues because he is
trained to it ; they eat bread at the same time out of
the same hand, and are, in all respects, sociable and
friendly. Puss died of old age, when she was within a
month of her twelfth year.

" I should not do complete justice to my subject, did

THE HARE. 225

I not add, that they have no ill scent belonging to
them ; that they are indefatigably nice in keeping them-
selves clean, for which purpose nature has furnished
them with a brush under each foot j and that they are
never infested by any vermin."

Some years ago there was seen in the streets of Lon-
don, a hare, which moved fearlessly about upon a table,
in the midst of the noise of a hand-organ, and of a mul-
titude around. It was taught to beat a tambourine
with great rapidity, to pull a trigger, and thus to dis-
charge a pistol. Its docility will appear remarkable,
when it is remembered that the hare is one of the most
timid of animals.

These creatures pass their days in solitude and
silence, but occasionally assemble by moonlight, and
sport together, when they think themselves safe from
annoyance. Yet a falling leaf will disturb them, and
cause them to scamper oif in different directions.

THE ALPINE HARE.

The Alpine hare makes no burrow like the rabbit,
but hides under stones, or in the clefts of rocks, and it

Q

226 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

has not the swiftness of the common species. As the
winter draws on, it leaves its high mountain residence,
and descends to a warmer and more genial climate. Its
fur now undergoes a change as complete as that of the
ermine ; it becomes gradually, and at length wholly,
white, only excepting the lips and the tips of the ears,
which always remain black.

There is no change of its coat in the autumn, but the
grey fur is whitened in patches, until it has altogether
undergone this alteration in colour. This continues
during the whole winter, and in the spring the white
fur is thrown off, and a new coat makes its appearance.

In Scotland the change thus proceeds. About the
middle of September the grey feet begin to be white ;
and before the month ends, all the four feet are white,
and the ears and muzzle of a brighter colour. The
white colour gradually ascends the legs and thighs, and
under the grey hairs whitish spots are observed, which
continue to increase till about the middle of October ;
but still the back continues of a grey colour, while the
eyebrows and ears are nearly white. From this period,
the change proceeds very rapidly ; and by the middle
of November, the whole fur, with the exception of the
tips of the ears, is of a shining white. The back be-
comes white within eight days. During the whole of

THE HARE. 227

this remarkable change in the far, no hair falls from
the animal ; hence it appears that the hair actually
changes its colour, and that there is no removal of it.
The fur retains its whiteness till the month of March,
or later, according to the temperature of the atmo-
sphere ; and by the middle of May it has again a grey
colour.

THE DORMOUSE.

ALL the species of dormice live in holes in the ground,
where they remain during the winter in a state of
torpor. Their food consists entirely of vegetables, and
they eat only in the night. In doing so they sit up-
right, and feed themselves like squirrels with their paws.
These animals collect little stores of nuts, acorns, and
other food for their winter provision. The nest is com-
monly formed in the hollow of some low tree, or near
the bottom of close shrubs, of interwoven grass, dead
leaves, and moss. It has a small opening near the top,
for the ingress and egress of the animal. Retiring to
their holes on the approach of the cold, and rolling
themselves up, dormice lie torpid nearly all the winter,
and therefore consume but little of the hoard which they
have diligently laid up. In a warm sunny day they
revive for a short time, take a little food, and soon re-
lapse into their former state.

In the third volume of the " Naturalist," Mr. Salmon
gives the following account of a dormouse which he

THE DORMOUSE. 229

happened to capture on the 16th of December, 1837 : —
" As I was pushing my way amidst the briers and
brambles, I chanced to stumble upon an interesting in-
cident, in the shape of a little ball of grass curiously
interwoven, lying on the ground. It was about eight
inches in circumference, and on taking it up I soon
ascertained, by the faint sound emitted from the in-
terior, on my handling it, that it contained a prisoner.
I bore my prize homeward for examination, and on
making a slight opening, immediately issued forth one
of those beautiful little creatures, the dormouse. The
heat of my hand, and the warmth of the room, had com-
pletely revived it from its torpor ; it appeared to enjoy
its transition by nimbly scaling every part of the furni-
ture in all directions. It experienced no difficulty in
either ascending or descending the polished backs of the
chairs ; and when I attempted to secure it, it leaped from
chair to chair with astonishing agility for so small a
creature. On taking it into my hand, it showed not the
least disposition to resent the liberty j on the contrary,
it was very docile. On being set at liberty, it sprang at
least two yards on to a table. I was much gratified on
witnessing its agile movements. In the evening I
placed my little stranger with its original domicile in a
box, of which, on the following morning, I found it had

230 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

taken possession, and again relapsed into a state of tor-
pidity, in which condition I transferred my unconscious
sleeper to a friend."

In the same volume, Mr. Pigot, Stoke Ferry, Norfolk,
states that it came to him from Sussex, on the 23rd of
December, "a distance of 140 miles, apparently but
little disturbed by the long and tedious ride. From
that time, till the 1st of April, 1838," he says, "it
slept in its snug dormitory, a deal box lined with wool,
when it awoke, and readily ate of apples and nuts. It
is easily alarmed, being more timid than tame, but
shows no signs of anger on being taken in the hand.
As it sleeps the greater part of the day, I cannot then
closely watch its habits ; but towards evening it wakes
up, and is very lively and frolicsome, running, on being
let out of its cage, up the bell-rope, where it will sit
for hours in the folds of the knot, timidly watching our
movements."

THE MOUSE.

How strange that any one should feel repugnance to
this delicate little creature ! Its natural timidity might
indeed plead for it ; not merely a glance at an object,
but even a slight sound will frequently cause its imme-
diate retreat. It is associated, however, in the mind
with domestic troublers ; and, in many cases, it would
be very difficult, or absolutely impossible, to awaken
another and a different state of feeling ; while the mouse
cannot be allowed to increase unmolested.

In some cases it becomes formidable from its num-
bers. Mr. Jesse states, that a few years ago, some new
plantations were made, by order of the Crown, in Dean
Forest, Gloucestershire, and in the New Forest, Hamp-
shire. Soon afterwards there was so sudden and rapid
an increase of mice, as to threaten destruction to the
whole of the young plants. As the mice eat through
the roots of five-year old oaks and chestnuts, generally
below the surface of the ground, vast numbers of them

23^ BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

were killed. Hollies, five or six feet high, were barked
round the bottom ; and, in some cases, the mice had
climbed the trees, and were seen feeding on the bark
of the upper branches. The roots were eaten through
wherever they obstructed the runs of the mice, but the
bark formed their food.

Traps were set, poison laid, and cats turned out, yet
their number appeared not lessened. In some of the
Dean Forest plantations holes were therefore made,
about twenty yards asunder, and as many inches deep ;
they were much wider at the bottom than at the top,
being hollowed under, so that the animal, when once
in, could not easily get out again. In these holes at
least 30,000 mice were caught in the course of three or
four months ; and it was also calculated, that a much
greater number than this were taken out of the holes
after being caught, by stoats, weazels, kites, hawks, and
other birds and quadrupeds.

Sometimes the mouse discovers no inconsiderable in-
genuity. A few years ago, for instance, the Rev. Mr.
North, the rector of Ashdon, in Essex, placed a pot of
liquid honey in a closet where there was plaster rub-
bish, it having been recently built. After some months,
he went to the closet for some honey, and was struck
with the appearance of a mound of rubbish, against the

THE MOUSE. 233

side, and nearly to the top of the pot. He delayed re-
moving it, till he had considered what could be its
cause, the closet having been locked up. On setting a
trap, he caught a mouse, which proved to be the cul-
prit. On examining the honey, it appeared to have
been raised to the top of the vessel by means of throw-
ing in rubbish of the same material as the mound, and
with which the pot was nearly filled.

The following circumstances lead to the conclusion,
that one mouse, at least, had no instinctive dread of a
cat. This creature, caught in the gallery of a coal-
mine, into which no cat had been admitted, was taken
home by the finder, who wished to observe its move-
ments. That it might regain its self-possession, after
being brought into the light of day, which, in all pro-
bability, it had never seen before, it was kept for a
few days confined in a glass lantern, where it soon be-
came so tame, that it would eat in the presence of its
host. That it might look more fully about, a piece of
stick, about nine inches long, was fixed into the socket
of the lantern, on which the mouse very soon mount-
ed; and after finishing its meals, it found amusement
on its perch, by licking all the accessible parts of its
body.

While thus engaged, on the fifth or sixth day of its

234 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

capture, a young cat was let into the room, and soon
discovering the lantern, which was placed on a table,
and also its captive, she dashed at it with the ferocity
of a tiger. But notwithstanding this furious attack,
the mouse continued its ablutions with the greatest
coolness. This experiment was repeated, and always
with the same result, when he was carried to the mine,
and restored to liberty.

The sensibility of mice to music is not a little remark-
able. Of this some of our readers may occasionally
have had proofs. As a member of the family has been
performing on the piano-forte, mice may have been ob-
served coming forth from the wainscoting of the room,
and showing great attention to the sound. In some
instances the effect produced by music on these animals
is very great. Thus, "on a rainy evening in 1817,"
says Dr. Archer of Norfolk, in the United States, " as I
was alone in my chamber, I took up my flute, and
commenced playing. In a few minutes, my attention
was directed to a mouse that I saw creeping from a hole,
and advancing to the chair in which I was sitting. I
ceased playing, and it ran precipitately back to its hole.
I began again shortly afterwards, and was much sur-
prised to see it reappear, and take its old position. The
appearance of the little animal was truly delightful ; it

THE MOUSE. 235

couched itself on the floor, shut its eyes, and appeared
in ecstacy. I ceased playing, and it instantly dis-
appeared again. This experiment I repeated fre-
quently with the same success, observing that it was
always differently affected, as the music varied from the
slow and plaintive to the brisk and lively. It finally
went off, and all my art could not entice it to return."

A similar occurrence may also be mentioned. As on
a winter's evening, at the close of 1817, a few officers
on board a British man-of-war in Portsmouth harbour,
were seated round the fire, one of them began to play a
plaintive air on the violin. He had scarcely done so
ten minutes, when a mouse, apparently frantic, made its
appearance in the centre of the floor. Its strange ges-
tures strongly excited the attention of the officers, who
resolved that it should continue its singular movements
unmolested. Its exertions now appeared greatly to in-
crease ; it shook its head, leaped about the table, and
showed signs of the highest delight. In proportion to
the gradation of the tones to the soft point, the feelings
of the animal were observed to increase, while they
declined when the contrary was the case. After per-
forming actions of which, at first sight, it would seem
incapable, the little creature suddenly paused, fell down,
and expired without showing any symptoms of pain.

THE HARVEST MOUSE.

THE harvest mouse is the smallest of British quadru-
peds. It measures two inches and a quarter from the
nose to the tail, and the tail two inches : two of them
put into a scale weighed only about the third of an
ounce avoirdupois.

This small species was first brought before the notice
of the British naturalist, by the Rev. Gilbert White, of
Selbourne, in Hampshire, whose interesting account is
as follows : — " These mice are much smaller and more
slender than the middle-sized domestic mouse of Bay,
and have more of the squirrel or dormouse colour. Their
belly is white. A straight line along their sides divides
the shades of their back and belly. They never enter
houses, are carried into ricks and barns with the sheaves,
they abound in harvest, and build their nests amidst the
straws of corn above ground, and sometimes in thistles.
They breed as many as eight in a litter, in a little
round nest, composed of the blades of grass or wheat.

THE HARVEST MOUSE.

THE HARVEST MOUSE. 237

" One of these nests I procured this autumn (1767),
most artificially platted, and composed of the blades of
wheat, perfectly round, and about the size of a cricket-
ball, with the aperture so ingeniously closed, that there
was no discovering to what part it belonged. It was
so compact and well filled, that it would roll across the
table without being discomposed, though it contained
eight little mice that were naked and blind. As this
nest was perfectly full, how could the dam come at her
litter respectively, so as to administer a teat to each ?
Perhaps she opens different places for that purpose, ad-
justing them again when the business is over j but she
could not possibly be contained herself in the ball with
her young, which, moreover, would be daily increasing
in bulk. This wonderful procreant cradle, an elegant
instance of the efforts of instinct, was found in a wheat-
field, suspended in the head of a thistle."

In winter, the harvest mouse burrows deep in the
earth, and makes a warm bed of grass ; but prefers con-
gregating in immense numbers under the roof of corn
or hay-stacks, when these are within its reach. The
following interesting account of the habits of a tame
mouse is by the Rev. W. Bingley, in his Memoirs of
British Quadrupeds : — " About the middle of Septem-
ber, 1804, I had a female harvest mouse given to me.

238 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

It was put into a dormouse cage immediately when
caught, and a few days afterwards produced eight young
ones. I entertained some hope that the little animal
would have nursed these, and brought them up ; but,
having been disturbed in her removal, about four miles
from the country, she began to destroy them, and I took
them from her. The young ones, at the time I took
them from her, were not more than two or three days
old, and must have been at least equal in weight to the
mother. After they were removed, she became recon-
ciled to her situation ; and, when there was no noise,
would venture to come out of her hiding-place at the
extremity of the cage, and climb about among the wires
of the open part before me. In doing this, I remarked
that her tail was prehensile, and that to render her hold
the more secure she generally coiled the extremity of
it round one of the wires. The toes of all the feet are
particularly long and flexile, and she could grasp the
wires very firmly with any of them. She frequently
rested on her hind feet, somewhat in the manner of the
jerboa, for the purpose of looking about her ; and, in
this attitude, could extend her body at such an angle as
greatly surprised me. She was a beautiful little animal,
and her various attitudes in cleaning her face, head, and
body with her paws, were particularly graceful and ele-

THE HARVEST MOUSE. 239

gant. For a few days after I received this mouse, I
neglected to give it any water ; but when I afterwards
put some in the cage, she lapped at it with great eager-
ness. After lapping, she always raised herself on her
hind feet, and cleansed her head with her paws. She
continued, even till the time of her death, exceedingly
shy and timid ; but whenever I put into the cage any
favourite food, such as grains of wheat or maize, she
would eat them before me. On the least noise or mo-
tion, however, she immediately ran off with the grains
in her mouth to her hiding place.

" One evening, as I was sitting at my writing-desk,
and the animal was playing about in the open part of
its cage, a large blue fly happened to buzz against the
wires ; the little creature, although at twice or thrice
the distance of her own length from it, sprang along
the wires with the greatest agility, and would certainly
have seized it, had the space between the wires been
sufficiently wide to have admitted her teeth or paws to
reach it. I was surprised at this occurrence, as I had
been led to believe that the harvest mouse was merely
a granivorous animal. I caught the fly, and made it
buzz in my fingers against the wires. The mouse,
though usually shy and timid, immediately came out of
her hiding-place, and, running to the spot, seized and

240 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

devoured it. From this time, I fed her with insects
whenever I could get them ; and she always preferred
them to any other kind of food I could offer her.

" When this mouse was first put into the cage, a
piece of fine flannel was folded up in the dark part of
it as a bed, and I put some grass and bran into the
large open part. In the course of a few days, all the
grass was removed ; and, on examining the cage, I found
it very neatly arranged between the folds of the flannel,
and rendered more soft by being mixed with the nap
of the flannel, which the animal had torn off in con-
siderable quantity for that purpose. The chief part of
this operation must have taken place in the night ; for
although the mouse was generally awake and active
during the day-time, yet I never once observed it em-
ployed in removing the grass.

" On opening its nest, about the latter end of Octo-
ber, 1804, I remarked that there were, among the
grass and wool at the bottom, about forty grains of
maize. These appeared to have been arranged with
some care and regularity, and every grain had the cir-
cular or growing part eaten out, the lobes only being
left. This seemed so much like an operation induced
by the instinctive propensity that some quadrupeds are
endowed with, for storing up food for support during the

THE HARVEST MOUSE. 241

winter months, that I soon afterwards put into the cage
about one hundred additional grains of maize. These
were all, in a short time, carried away ; and, on a se-
cond examination, I found them stored up in the man-
ner of the former. But, though the animal was well
supplied with other food, and particularly with bread,
which it seemed very fond of, and although it continued
perfectly active through the whole winter, on examin-
ing its nest a third time, about the end of November,
I observed that the food in its repository was all con-
sumed, except about half-a-dozen grains."

THE RAT.

IF a word may be said for the little sleek and timid
mouse, it must be confessed that the rat is an unpleasant
looking creature. The black rat was long the common
species in this country ; but the brown one, supposed to
have been introduced from the continent, but originally
from India or Persia, is now met with far more fre-
quently. There is a marked difference between these
creatures : the latter, or Norway rat, as it is usually
called, is fierce, and lives in little harmony even with
its own species, while the black rats are sociable in
their habits, and show kindness and friendship to each
other.

A rat, it appears, may be sociable also with other
creatures. A gentleman, for instance, travelling through
Mecklenburg, observed in a post-house a singular cir-
cumstance. After dinner, the landlord having placed
on the floor a large dish of soup, gave a loud whistle,
and immediately there came into the room a mastiff, a

THE HAT. 243

fine Angola cat, an old raven, and a remarkably large
rat with a bell about its neck. All four went to the
dish, and, without disturbing each other, fed together ;
after which the dog, cat, and rat lay before the fire,
while the raven hopped about the room. The landlord,
after accounting for the animal's being so familiar, said
that the rat was the most useful of the four j for the
noise he made had completely freed the house from the
rats and mice with which it was before infested.

Persons accustomed to pass over the Southwark and
Waterloo Bridges must have often observed a still more
remarkable association. A man, named Austin, has
exhibited there alternately, for many years past, a large
number of animals, among which are cats, mice, rats,
hawks, and sparrows, all living together in the most
amicable manner. He states that the cause of this
concord is in their being bred together ; and as they are
all so well fed, their predatory habits appear to be
counteracted.

As the writer stopped to look at this singular collec-
tion, and to converse with the owner a short time since,
he observed an instance of feline docility. Austin
opened the door, and called a fine large cat, who imme-
diately came out, and, at the word of command, took
her station on the top of the cage. On another charge

244 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

being given, she laid her head very quietly down on one
of its sides ; but, as she did not do this so completely as
she could, she put it quite down when again told to do
so. A small piece of meat was then given as the reward
of her obedience, and she entered her dwelling directly
she was told. This cat at one time suckled three rats.
Since the time now referred to, the attention of the
writer was directed to a cat in the same exhibition,
engaged with her kittens. A rat was at this time in a
small box a little above them, when Austin told him
he would find a warmer place among the kittens, and in
a moment he descended from his place, and tried the
experiment, without any of the party appearing in the
slightest degree disconcerted.

It would seem that there is, in the case of Austin's
animals, not only association, but attachment. The birds,
it is said, being set at liberty, soon return to their com-
panions, though among these appear the cat, the hawk,
and the owl ! But, it is a curious fact, that when
animals cannot associate with their own species, they
form companionships of a very singular character. The
author of " The Menageries," for instance, states the
following circumstance : — " We were lately visiting in
a house, where a very pleasing and singular portrait
attracted our observation : it was that of a young lady,

THE RAT. 245

represented with a partridge perched upon her shoulder,
and a dog with his feet on her arm. We recognised it
as a representation of the lady of the house, but were
at a loss to account for the odd association of her com-
panions. She observed our surprise, and at once gave
the history of the bird and the spaniel. They were
both, some years back, domesticated in her family. The
dog was an old parlour favourite, who went by the
name of Tom. The partridge was more recently intro-
duced from France, and answered to the equally fami-
liar name of Bill. It was rather a dangerous experi-
ment to place them together ; for Tom was a lively and
spirited creature, very apt to torment the cats, and to
bark at any object which roused his instinct. But the
experiment was tried ; and Bill, being very tame, did
not feel much alarm at his natural enemy. They were,
of course, shy at first, but this shyness gradually wore
off : the bird became less timid, and the dog less bold.
The most perfect friendship was, at length, established
between them. When the hour of dinner arrived, the
partridge invariably new on his mistress's shoulder,
calling with a shrill note which is well known ; and the
spaniel leaped about with equal ardour. One dish of
bread and milk was placed on the floor, out of which
the spaniel and bird fed together ; and, after their sound

246 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

meal, the dog would retire to a corner to sleep, while
the partridge would nestle between his legs, and never
stir till his favourite awoke. Whenever the dog ac-
companied his mistress out, the bird displayed the ut-
most disquietude till his return j and once, when the
partridge was shut up by accident during a whole day,
the dog searched about with a mournful cry, which indi-
cated the strength of his affection. The friendship of
Tom and Bill was, at length, fatally terminated. The
beautiful little dog was stolen ; and the bird from that
time refused all food, and died on the seventh day, a
victim to its grief."

To return to the rat : a singular instance of the saga-
city of one of these creatures is said to have occurred in
the neighbourhood of Haddington, during a dreadful
storm in September, 1829. At the time the river Tyne
was at its height, a number of people were standing on
its margin, watching the quantities of hay which it was
sweeping along. In the midst of the huge masses that
were observed, a swan appeared, sometimes struggling
for the land, and at others sailing majestically along
with the torrent. As this noble bird approached, a
black spot appeared on its snowy plumage, and much
surprise was excited on finding that this black spot
was a live rat. There was reason to think it had

THE RAT. 247

been borne from its dwelling in some hay-rick ; and,
observing the swan, had sought a refuge in its plumage.
No sooner had the latter reached the land, than the
rat leaped from its back, and scampered off ; but, though
spared by the tempest, it was speedily killed by a blow
from a staff.

It appears that there are circumstances which lead to
the occasional confidence of animals in others, generally
regarded as their natural enemies. Of this, the following
is a curious illustration. A gentleman, who lived some
years since in the village of Ickleton, in Cambridge-
shire, was accustomed, after his shooting excursions,
to feed his dogs in their kennels, the food being placed
in a long trough. On one occasion, when he had at-
tended to them personally, as usual, he looked into
the kennel through a hole in the door ; and was some-
what astonished, not at perceiving a number of rats
there, but at seeing them in the trough, quietly and
fearlessly partaking of bread and milk with the , dogs,
which seemed to pay no attention to them whatever.
He was determined to destroy the rats ; and, the next
day, placed the trough in such a position, that a gun
pointed through the hole would rake it from one end
to the other. At the usual hour, the food was placed
as a lure, and the dogs were kept out ; but the plan

248 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

did not succeed. The plotter against the rats could
observe the head of one of them, old and sagacious,
peering out at hole after hole, and from under the
manger, for the purpose of reconnoitring, but none of
them descended. Having waited half an hour to no
purpose, he let in the dogs, and in a few moments they
were again feeding in perfect harmony. Had he not
ascertained this, he might have supposed that altering
the position of the trough, or some other trifling altera-
tion, had aroused the suspicion of the rats ; but now
they seemed to be aware that their safety was connected
with the presence of the dogs.

The instances of animal sagacity, so freely inter-
spersed with the brief account of British Quadrupeds,
now reaching its conclusion, cannot have failed to
awaken in the bosoms of many readers, wonder, admi-
ration, and delight. It should, however, be remarked,
that a narrow limit, after all, has been assigned to in-
stinct \ while far beyond its range we can go, because
" there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the
Almighty giveth him understanding." How amazing
are the faculties of the human soul !< — all admirably
adapted to each other, so that each is essential to the
perfection of the rest. Were but one wanting, the
other powers could not discharge their functions ; dis-

THE RAT. 249

order, imperfection, and weakness would appear. And
hence all are present, and wondrously balanced, to se-
cure the ends which God contemplated when he breathed
into the nostrils of Adam the " breath of life, and man
became a living soul."

And what are these ends 1 They appear in knowing,
enjoying, and glorifying the great, all-wise, and bene-
volent Author of our being. The Gospel comes to us,
containing an ample revelation of his character and
designs, the offers of his mercy, and exceeding great
and precious promises to all who accept his invitations.
Here is the great instrument through which alone we
can become partakers of that knowledge which is life
eternal. When this is our character, we shall have
communion with the Father, and fellowship with his
Son Jesus Christ ; all our powers will be devoted to his
honour, and the service now rendered shall be the ear-
nest of that which is productive of unspeakable happi-
ness before the throne of God and of the Lamb. It
behoves us, therefore, while pursuing human knowledge,
to consider the knowledge that is divine and supremely
important, and that this can only be possessed as we
promptly and gratefully receive " the glorious gospel of
the blessed God."

" Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory

250 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS.

in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in
his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches :
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under-
standeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which
exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness,
in the earth : for in these things I delight, saith the
Lord," Jer. ix. 23, 24. And what is the language
of the Divine Redeemer ? " This is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent," John xvii. 3.

PUBLISHED BY

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

Containing a Description of Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibia,
Fishes, etc., mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.

Illustrated with numerous Engravings.
Royal 1 8mo., 3s. boards ; 4s. extra boards, gilt edges.

BRITISH BIRDS.

Embellished with superior Engravings.
16mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edge

THE HISTORY OF INSECTS.

Embellished with numerous Engravings.
1 6mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges.

SHELLS AND THEIR INMATES.

Illustrated with numerous Engravings and a Frontispiece in oil colours.
16mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges.

LIGHT ;
ITS PROPERTIES AND EFFECTS.

Embellished with numerous Engravings.
16mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges.

ELECTRICITY ;
ITS PHENOMENA, LAWS, AND RESULTS.

Illustrated with numerous Engravings.
16mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges'.

Published by the Religious Tract Society.

HEAT;

ITS SOURCES, INFLUENCES, AND RESULTS.

Illustrated with numerous Engravings.
16mo. square, 3s. 6d. elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges.

A POPULAR
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF BIRDS;

OR, THE ELEMENTS OF ORNITHOLOGY, ON SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLE
WITH A PARTICULAR NOTICE OF THE BIRDS MENTIONED
IN SCRIPTURE.

With Two Hundred superior Engravings.
Royal 18mo., 8s. boards; 10s. half-bound; 12s. calf extra.

A POPULAR
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF QUADRUPEDS;

OR, OF THE CLASS MAMMALIA, ON SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES ;
ADAPTED FOR YOUTH.

With a particular Notice of those mentioned in Scripture.

Illustrated with about One Hundred superior Engravings.

Royal 1 8mo., 6s. boards ; 8s. half-bound morocco ; 9s. 6d. calf extra.

A POPULAR
HISTORY OF REPTILES;

OR, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE CLASS REPTILIA.

Illustrated with numerous superior Engravings.

Royal 18mo. 6s. boards ; 8s. half-bound, morocco, gilt edges;

9s. 6d. calf extra.

Published by the Religious Tract Society.

BIRDS.

Containing The Nest, The Egg, The Feather, The Song-Bird,

Instinct of Birds.
16mo. square, 2s. cloth boards.

PLANTS.

Containing The Seed, The Leaf, The Flower, The Fruit, The Gn
16mo. square, 2s. cloth boards.

REMARKABLE INSECTS.

Containing The Honey Bee, The Fly, The Ant, The Spider,

The Gall Insect.
16mo. square, 2s. cloth boards.

THE SENSES.

Containing The Eye, The Tongue, The Hand, The Ear,

The Sense of Smell.
1 6mo. square, 2s. cloth boards.

WONDERS OF THE WATERS.

Containing The Animalcule, The Coral- Maker, The Sea-Star,

The Lobster, The Fish.
1 6mo. square, 2s. cloth boards.

Published by the Religious Tract Society.

MISSIONARY RECORDS.

INDIA.

2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound,

CHINA, BURMAH, CEYLON, ETC.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

NORTH AMERICA.
2«. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

NORTHERN COUNTRIES.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

SANDWICH ISLANDS.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

TAHITI AND THE SOCIETY ISLANDS.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. Qd. half-bound.

WEST AFRICA.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

WEST INDIES.

With a Map.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

MISSIONARY BOOK FOR THE YOUNG.

A First Book on Missions.

With Embellishments.
Is. cloth ; 2s. elegantly half-bound morocco, gilt edges.

PublisJied by the Religious Tract Society.

MEMOIR OF THE REV. HENRY MO WES,
Late Pastor of Altenhausen and Ivenrode, in Prussia.

Principally translated from the German.
With an Introduction by the Rev. John Davies, B.D., Rector of

Gateshead.
18mo., Is. 6d. cloth boards; 2s. half-bound.

LIVES OF THE BRITISH REFORMERS ;

FROM WICKLIFFE TO FOX.

18mo. Edition, 3s. boards; 4s. half- bound. Royal Edition, with
Twelve Portraits, 6s. boards ; 9s. calf.

LIFE OF THE REV. CHRISTIAN GOTTFRIED ASSMANN,
Successively Pastor of Dolzig, Gartz, and Hagen.

From the German.

Written by Himself; with a Preface by the Rev. C. B. Tayler, M.A.
Is. 6d. boards ; 2s. 6d. half-bound.

LIFE OF WILLIAM FAREL,

The Swiss Reformer.

From the German of the Rev. M. Kirchhofer, of Stein on the Rhine.
3s. boards ; 4s. half-bound.

LIFE OF THE REV. F. A. A. GONTHIER,

Minister of the Gospel at Nimes, and in Switzerland.

From the French of his Nephews, L. and C. Vulliemin.

With a Preface by the Rev. C. B. Tayler, M.A.

2s. 60?. boards ; 3s. 6d. half-bound.

LIFE OF CYPRIAN.
18mo., Is. cloth, gilt edges.

LIFE OF ORIGEN.
18mo., Is. cloth, gilt edges.

Published by the Religious Tract Society.

LIFE OF FELIX NEFF,

Pastor of the High Alps.
2s. boards ; 3s. half-bound, or silk, or roan ; 5s. calf.

MEMOIR OF HARLAN PAGE ;

or, The Power of Prayer and Personal Exertion for the Souls of

Individuals.

By the Rev. W. Hallock.
Is. 6d. boards ; 2s. half-bound ; 4s. calf.

MEMOIR OF THE ILLNESS AND DEATH OF WILLIAM
T. BUCHANAN, ESQ.,

Of Ilfracombe, Devon.

By the late W. Shepherd, Esq.

Is. 6d. boards; 2s. 6d. half- bound.

A MOTHER'S JOURNAL,

During the Last Illness of her Daughter, Sarah Chisman.

With a Preface by Jane Taylor.

Fifth Edition, royal 32mo., Is. 4rf. boards ; 2s. 6d. roan, or silk ;
3s. 6d. calf.

MEMOIR OF MARY MERCY ELLIS,

Wife of the Rev. William Ellis, Missionary to the South Seas.

18mo., Is. 6d. boards ; 2s. half-bound.

MEMOIR OF MRS. HARRIET WINSLOW;

Including a Sketch of the Ceylon Mission.
By Miron Winslow, one of the Missionaries.

With an Introduction bv James H. Evans.
2s. 6d. boards ; 3s. 6rf. haff-bound ; 5s. '6d . calf.

MEMOIR OF MRS. SARAH LANMAN SMITH,

Late of the American Mission in Syria.

By Edward W. Hooker, of Bennington, Vermont.

Is. 6d. boards ; 2s. half-bound ; 2s. 6d. silk, or roan ; 4s. calf.

This book is DUE on the last
date stamped below

a 000°