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HISTORY OF THE EARTH,

AMD

ANIMATED NATURE.

Illtti^tiratfti txAt^ ^tma>m»f

And a Portrait of the Author,

A NEW EDITION, WITH CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

BY OLIVER GOLDSMITH, M. B.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

LONDON:

WILLIAM CHARLTON WRIGHT,

65^ Paternoster Row*

1824.

/ 3

■^ ,

HISTORY

ANIMALS-

CHAPTER I.

ANIMALS OF THE DOG KIND.

The second class of carnivorous quadrupeds may be denominated
those of the Dog kind.^ This class is neither so numerous nor so
powerful as the former, and yet neither so treacherous, rapacious, or
cowardly. This class may be principally distinguished by their
claws, which have no sheath like those of the cat kind, but still con-
tinue at the point of each toe, without a capability of being stretched
forward or drawn back. The nose also, as well as the jaw, of all
the dog kind, is longer than in the cat; the body is, in proportion,
more strongly made, and covered with hair instead of fur. There
are many internal distinctions also; as in the intestines, which are
much longer in the dog kind than in those of the cat; the e^e is not
formed for night vision ; and the olfactory nerves are diffused in the
dog kinds, upon a very extensive membrane within the skull.

If we compare the natural habitudes of this class with the former,
we shall find that the dog kinds are not so solitary as those of the
cat, but love to hunt in company, and encourage each other with
their mutual cries. In this manner the dog and the jackal I pursue
their prey ; and the wolf and fox, which are of this kind, though
more solitary and silent among us, yet in countries where less per-
secuted, and where they can more fearlessly display their natural
inclinations, they are found to keep together in packs, and pursue
their game with alternate bowlings.

Animals of the dog kind want some of the advantages of the cat
kind, and yet are possessed of others in which the latter are deficient.
Upon observing their claws, it will easily be perceived that they
cannot, like cats, pursue their prey up the sides of a tree, and con-

* This class of quadrupeds have six, fore-teeth in the upper jaw, those ia
the sides being longer than the intermediate oaes, which are lobated ; in the
under jfiw there are likewise six fore-teeth, those on the sides being lobated.
They have six grinders in the upper, and seven in the lower jaw. The teeth
called dog-teeth are four, one on each side, both in the lower and upper jaw;
they are sharp-pointed, bent a Httie inward, atid stand at a distance irom
any of the rest.

VOL, II.— No. XX, A

ANIMALS OF the:

' tinue the chafe among the branches ; their unmanageable clawj

I cannot stick in the bark, and ihiig support the body up along the

I Irnnk, as we see the cut very fasily perform ; whenever, therefnre,

r prey flies up a iree from thern, they can only follow it with

^ their eyes, or watch its motions till hunger again brings it to tha

groimd. For this reason, the proper prey of the dog kind are unly

thuse animnN that like themselves are unfitted for climbing; the

hare, the rabbit, the gazelle, or the roebuck,

As they are, in this respect, inferior lo the cat, so Ihey exceed it
in the sense of smelling; by which alone they pursue their prey with
certainly of success, wind it through all its mazes, and tire it down
by perseverance. It often happens, however, in the savage state,
that their prey is either too much diminished, or too wary, lo serve
for a sufficient supply. In this case, when driven to an extremity,
alt the dog kinds can live for some time upon fruits and vegetables,
which, if they do not please the appetite, at least serve to appease
their hunger.

Of all this tribe, the dog has every reason to claim the preference,
being the moat intelligent of all known quadrupeds, and tlie acknow-
ledged friend of mankind. The dog,* independent of the beauty
of his form, his vivacity, force, and swinness, is possessed of all those
internal qualifications that can conciliate the affections of man, and
make the tyrant a protector. A natural share of courage, an angry
and ferocious disposition, renders the dog, in its savage state, a for-
midable enemy lo all other animals : but these readily give way to
very diflerent qualities in the domestic dog, whose only ambition
■eems the desire to please : he is seen to come crouching along, to
lay his force, his courage, and all his useful talents, at the feet of his
master ; he waits his orders, to which he pays implicit obedience ; be
consults his looks, and a single glance is sufficient lo put him in
motion ; he is mure faithful even than the most boasted among men ;
he is constant in his affections, friendly without interest, and grateful
Tor the slightest favours ; much more mindful of beneGts received
than injuries oflered; he is not driven off by unkindness; he still
continues humble, submissive, and imploring; his only hope to be
serviceable, his only terror to displease; he licks the hand that has
been just lifted to strike him, and at last disarms resentment by
■ubmissive perseverance.

More docile than man, more obedient than any other animal, he
ia not only instructed in a short time, but he olso conforms to the
disposiiitHis and the manners of those who command liim. He takes
bis tone from the house he inhabits ; like the rest of the domestics,
he is disdainful among the great, and churlish among clowns. Always
assiduous in serving his master, and only a, friend to his friends, lie
is indifferent to all the rest, and declares himself openly againstsuch
U seem to be dependent like himself. He knows a beggar by his

is taiLea from M. Buflan

DOG KIND. 3

[clothes, by his voice, or his gestures, und forbids his appraacli. When
St night the guard of the house is i-ommitted to liis care, he seems
proud of Ihe charge; he continues & watchful sentinel, he goes hii
rounds, scents strangers at a distance, and gives ihein warning of
his being upon duty. If they attempt lo break in upon his terri-
tories, he becomes more fierce, flies at them, threatens, fights, and
either conquers alone, or alarois those who have most interest in
coming to his sssiiitance : however, when he has conquered, ha
quietly reposes upon the spoil, and abstains from what he has de-
ierred others I'rom abusing ; giving thus at once a lesson of courage,
temperance, and fidelity.

From hence we see of what importance this animal is to us in a
slate of nature. Supposing, for a moment, that the species had not
existed, how could man, without the assistance of a dog, have been
able to conquer, tame, and reduce to servitude, every other animal T
How could ho discover, chase, and destroy, those that were noxious
to hira? In order to be secure, and to become master of all ani-
mated nature, it was necessary for him to begin by making a. friend
of a part of them; to attach suchof them to himself, by kindness and
etresses, as seemed fittest for obedience and active pursuit. Thus
the first art employed by man was in conciliating the favor of the
dog;; and the fruits of this art were, the conquest and peaceable
possession of the earth.

The generality of animals have greater agility, greater swidness,
and more formidable arms, from nature, than man ; their senses,
and particularly that of smelling, are far more perfect : the having
gained, therefore, a new assislant, particularly one whose scent is
so exquisite ais that of the dog, was the gaining a new sense, a new
laculty, which before was wanting. The machines and instruments
which we have imagined for perfecting the rest of the senses, do not
approach to that already prepared by nature, by which we are
mabled to dnd out every animal, (hough unseen, and ihu.s destroy
the noxious, and use the serviceable.

The dog, thus useful in himself, taken into a participation of
empire, exerts a degree of superiority over all animals that require
human protection. The flock and the herd obey his voice more
readily even than that of the shepherd or the herdsman; he conducts
them, guards them, keeps them from capriciously seeking danger,
and their enemies he considers as his own. Nor is ho less useful in
the pursuit ; when the sound of the horn, or the voice of the hunt».
■nao, calU him to the field, he testifies his pleasure by every littleart,
and pursues with perseverance those animals which, when taken, he
must not expect to divide. The desire of hunting is indeed natural
to him as well as to his master, since war and the chase are the only
employment of savages. All animals that live upon flesh hunt by

t nature; the lion and the tiger, whose force is so great thai they are ^^^
nire to conquer, hunt alone, and without art; the wolf, the fo;c, and ^^|
6ie wild dog, hunt in packs, assist each otiier, and partake the spoil. ^^H
put when ^ucation iias pei'fected this talent in ihe domestic ao&<.^^|

ANIMALS OF THE:

when he has been taught by roan lo repress his ardour,
faia motiong, and not to exhaust his force by too sudden
of it, he then hunts with method, and always with success.

"Although the wild dog, such as he was before he came under the
4)roteclion of mankind, is at present utterly unknown, no such ani-
mal being now lo be found in any part of the world, yet there are
many that, from a domestic slate, have turned savage, and entirely
pursue the dictates of nature." In those deserted and uncultivated
countries where tlie dog is found wild, they seem entirely lo partake
of the disposition of the wolf) they unite in large bodies, and attack
the most formidable animals of the forest, the couguar, the panther,
and (he bison. In America, where they were originally brought by
the Europeans, and abandoned by their ransters, they have multi-
plied to such a degree, that they spread in packs over the whole
country, attack all other animals, and even man himself does not
pass without insulL They are there treated in t!ie same manner as
&I1 other carnivorous animals, and killed wherever they happen to
come; however, they are easily tamed; when taken home, and
treated with kindness and lenity, they quickly become submissive
and familiar, and continue faithfully attached to their masters. Dif-
ferent in this from tlie wolf or the fox, who, though taken never so
young, are gentle only while cubs, and, as they grow older, give
themselves up to their natural appetites of rapine and cruelty. In
jhort, it may be asserted, that the dog is the only animal whose
£delity is unshaken ; the only one who knows his master, and the
friendti of the family ; the only one who instantly distinguishes a
stranger ; the only one who knows his name, and answers to the
domestic call ; the only one who seems to understand the nature of
subordination, and seeks assistance; the only one who, when he
misses his master, testifies his loss by his complaints ; the only one
who, ciirried to a distant place, can lind the way home; the only
one whose natural talents are evident, and whose education is always
success ful.

In the same manner, as the dog i« of the most complying dispo-

silion, so also i>< it the most susceptible of change in its form; the

Lrarieiies of this animal being too many for even the most careful

Edescriber to mention. The climate, the food, and the educnlioa, all

Knake ilrong impressions upon the animal, and pruduce allerationa

■ in its shape, its colour, its hair, its size, and in every thing but its

nature. The same dug, taken from one climate, and brought to

another, seems to become another animol ; but dilFereni breeds are

i«8 much separated, to all appearance, as any two animals the most dis.
'linct in nature, Nothing appears to continue constant with them,
kt their internal conformation ; dilTcrent in the Hgure of the body,
pi the length of the nose, in the shape of the head, in the length and
llliedirection of the ears and tail, in the colour, the quality, and th»
quantity of the hair; in short, different in every thing but that
make of the parts which serve to continue the species, and keep the
Bnimal distincl from all others. It is this peculiar vonformatioo.

BOO KINO. 5

.this power of producing an animal that can reproduce^ that marks
the kind, and approximates forms that at first sight seem never made
for coqjunction.

From this single consideration^ therefore, we may at once pro*
nounce all dogs to be of one kind ; but which of them is the original
of all the rest, which of them is the savage dog from whence such a
variety of descendants have come down, is no easy matter to deter-
mine. We may easily indeed observe, that all those animals which
are under the influence of man, are subject to great variations. Such
as have been sufficiently independent, so as to choose their own cli-
mate, their own nourishment, and to pursue their own habitudes,
preserve their original marks of nature without much deviation ; and
it is probable, that the first of these is even at this day very well
represented in their descendants. But such as man has subdued,
transported from one climate to another, controlled in their manner
of living and their food, have most probably been changed also in
their forms : particularly the dog has felt these alterations more
strongly than any other of the domestic kinds; for, living more like
man, he may be thus said to live more irregularly also, and, conse-
quently, must have felt all those changes that such variety would
naturally produce. Some other causes also maj^ be assigned for
this variety in the species of the dog : as he is perpetually under the
eye of his master, when accident has produced any singularity in its
productions, man uses all his art to continue this peculiarity un-
changed, either by breeding from such as had those singularities, or
by destroying such as happened to want them ; besides, as the dog
produces much more frequently than some other animals, and lives
a shorter time, so the chance for its varieties will be offered in greater
proportion.

But which is the original animal, and which the artificial or acci-
dental variety, is a question which, as was said, is not easily resolved.
If the internal structure of dogs of different sorts be compared with
each other, it will be found, except in point of size, that in this
respect they are exactly the same. This, therefore, affords no cri-
terion. If other animals be compared with the dog internally, the
wolf and the fox will be found to have the roost perfect resemblance ;
it is probable, therefore, that the dog which most nearly resembles
the wolf or the fox externally, is the original animal of its kind ; for
it is natural to suppose, that as the dog most nearly resembles them
internally, so he may be near them in external resemblance also,
except where art or accident has altered his form. This being sup-
posed, if we look among the number of varieties to be found in the
dog, we shall not find one so like the wolf or the fox, as that which
is called the Shepherd's Dog. This is that dog with long coarse hair
on all parts except the nose, pricked ears, and a long nose, which is
common enough among us, and receives his name from being prin-
cipally used in guarding and attending on sheep. This seems to be
the primitive animal of his kind; and we shall be the more confirmed
in thia opinion^ if we attend to the different characters which climate

ANIMALS OF THE

produces in the animal, and the di6erent races of dogs whJL-li are
propagated in every country. And, iu ttie Grst place, if we examine
those countries which are still s&vage, or but hulTciviliKed, where it
is most probable the dog, like his master, has received but few im-
pressions from art, ve shall find the shi;p!ierd's dog, or one very like
him, still prevailing amongst them. The dogs that have run wild
in America and in Congo, approach this form. The dog orSiberia,
Lapland, and Iceland, of the Cape of Good Hope, of Madagascar,
Madura, Calicut, and Malabar, bave all a long nose, pricked ears,
and resemble the shepherd's dog very nearly. In Guinea, the dog
very speedily lakes this form ; for, at the second or third generation,
the animal forgets to bark, his ears and his tail become pointed, and
his hair drops off, tihih a coarser, thinner kind comes in the place.
This sort of dog is also to be found in the temperate climates in
great abundance, particularly among those who, preferring useful-
ness to beauty, employ an animal that requires very little instruction
to be serviceable. Notwithstanding this creature's deformity, ha
melancholy and savage air, ho is superior to all the rest of his kind
in instinct; and, without any teaching, naturally takes to lending
flocks, with an assiduity and vigilance that at once astonishes, and
yet relieves his master, .

In more polished and civilized places, the dog seems to partake of I
the universal retinemont ; and, like the men, becomes more beao- 4
tifnl, more majestic, and more capable of assuming an education *
foreign to his nature. The dogs of Albania, of Greece, of Denmark,
and of Ireland, are larger and stronger than those of any other kind.
In France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, the dogs are of various kinds,
like the men ; and this variety seems fomied by crossing the breed
of such as are imported from various climates. I

The shepherd's dog may, therufore, be considered as the primitive I

t stock from whence these varieties are all derived. He makes Ihfr I
Btem of that genealogical tree Which has been branched out inta J
every part of the world. This animal still continues pretty neaHj I
in its original state among the poor in temperate climates; beinj*.
transported into the colder regions, he grows less and more
among the Lajdanders, but becomes more perfect in Iceland, Rt
and Siberia, where the climate is less rigorous, and the people
civilized. Whatever differences there may be among the do_
lliese countries, they are not very considerable, as they have
straight enrs, long and thick hair, a savage aspect, and do not bi
either so ollen or so loud as dogs of the more cultivated kind.
The shepherd's dog, transported into the temperate climates, t
among people entirely civilized, such as England, France, and Gepi^
many, will be divested of his savage air, his pricked ears, his rough* T
long, and thick hair, and, from Die single influence of chmate and J
foixl alone, will become either a Matin, a Mastiff, or a Hound.J
These three seem the immediate descendanis of the former; o
Crom them the other varieties are produced.
The Hound, the Harrier, and the Beagle, seem all of the sa

DOQ KINB. 7

IT altfaough the biicli ia covered but by one or (hem, yet in
1 are found puppies resembliag all the three. This animal,
transported into Spain or Garbarj, where the hair of all quadrupeds
becomes so(\ and long, will be there converted into the land spaniel,
and the water spaniel, and these of different sizes.

The Grey Matin Hound, which is in the second branch, trans-
ported to the North, becumes the Great Danish Dog; and this, sent
into the South, becomes the greyhound, of different iiizes. The
same trnuNported into Ireland, the Ukraine, Tartary, Epinis, and
Albania, becomes the great wolf-dog, known by the name of the
Irish wolf-dog.

The Mastiff, which is the third branch, and chiefly a native of
England, when transported into Denmark, becomes the little Danish
dog; and thislittle Danish dog, sent into the tropical and warm cli-
mates, becomes the animal called the Turkish dog, without liau-.
All these races, v/hh their varieties, are produced by the influence of
climate, joined to the different food, education, and shelter, which
they have received among mankind. All other kinds may be con-
Mdered as mongrel races, produced by the concurrence of these, and
found rather by crossing the breed than by attending to the indi-
vidual. " As these are extremely numerous, and very different in
different countries, it would be almost endless to mention the whole;
besides, nothing but experience can ascertain the reality of theite
conjectures, although they have so much the appearance of pro-
bability; and until that gives more certain information, we must be
escusEMi from entering more minutely into the subject.

"With regard to the dogs of our country in particular, the
varieties are very great, and the number everyday increasing. And
this must happen in a country so open by commerce to all others,
and where wealth is apt to produce capricious predilection. Here,
the ugliest and the most useless of their kinds will be entertained
merely for their singularity ; and, being imported only to be looked
St, they will lose even that small degree of sagacity which [hey
poaseised in their natural climates. Prom this importation of foreign
useteis dogs, our own native breed is, 1 am informed, greatly dege-
nerated; and the varieties now to be found in England much more
numerous than they were in the times of Queen Elizabeth, when
Dr. Caius attempted their natural history. Some of those he men-
tions are no longer to be found among us, although many have since
been introduced, by no means so serviceable as those which have
been suffered to decay.

"He divides the whole race into three kinds. The first is, the
generous kind, which consists of the terrier, the harrier, and the
blood-hound ; the gaze-hound, the greyhound, the leymmer, and the
tumbler; all these are used for hunting. Then the spaniel, the
•elter, and the water spaniel, or Under, were used for fowling; and
(he spaniel gentle, or lap-dog, for amusement. The second is the
farm kind, consisting of the shepherd's dog and the mastiff. And
the third is the mongrel kind; consisting of the wappe, thelurnapit.

8 ANIMALS OF TUB

and the dancer. To these varieliea wc ma.y add, at present, ih^ I
bull-dog, the Dutch mastiS*, the harlequin, the pointer, and the Dane,
wiUi a variety of lap-dogs, which, qs they are perfectly uaeleaa, maj
be considered as unworthy of a name.

" The Terrier is a small kind of hound," with rough hair, mm
use of to force the fos or the badger out of their holes ; or rather
give notice, by their barking, in what part of their kennel the fox
or badger resides, when the sportsmen intend to dig them out.

" The Harrier, as well as the beogle and the fox-hound, are used
for hunting; of all other animals, they have the qnickest and
most distinguishing sense of smelling. The properly breeding,
matching, and training these, make up the business of many men's

]iv

" The Blood-hound wi

escaped from the hunter,
forest, But it was slil
robbers by their fool-ati

a dog of great use, and in high esteem
smploy was to recover any game that had
- had been killed, and stolen out of i he
nore employed in hunting thieves and
At that time, when the country «

less peopled than at present, and when, consequently, the foolsteps
of one man were less crossed and obliterated by ihuse of others, tins
animal was very serviceable in such pursuits ; but at present, when
the country is every where peopled, this variety is quite worn out;
probably because it was found of less service than formerly,

" The Gaze-hound hunted, like our greyhounds, by the eye and

, not by the scent. It chased indiOerently the fox, hare, or buck.

lelect from the herd the fattest and fairest deer, pursue tt

by the eye, and if tost recover it again with amazing sagacity. This

species i% now |ost or unknown among us.

" The Greyhound U very well known at present, and was for.
merly held in such estimation, that it was the peculiar companion of
1 gentleman; who, in the limes of semi-barbarisin, was known by
lis horse, his hawk, and his greyhound. Persons under a certain

tail.

I late <
i it the

ame-laws, from keeping
belter, they cut of its

' unknown to vs. It hunted both

a leyme or thong, from whence It

" The Leymmer is
by scent and sight, a
received its name.

"The Tumbler was less Ihnn the hound, more scraggy, and had
pricked ears; so that by the description it seems to answer to thQ .
modern lurcher. This louk its prey by m re cunning, depending j
neither on the goodness of its nuse nor its swiflness. Ifit came into^l
:n, it neither barked nor run on the rabbits; but, seemingly '

inattentive, approached suffliciently near till it t
and then seized them by a sudden spring.

" The Land Spaniel, which probably had its
where it might have acquired the softness of its

3 within reach,. I

DOG KfND. V

kt present- There Dre two rarielies or this kind; namely, the Slater,
>Wed in hawking to Bpring the game, and the setter, tliat crouches ^^_
itmn when ii acenis the bird, till ihe net be drawn over them, i have ^^H
read somewliere that the fumoiis poet, Lord Surry, was the first who ^^H
taught dogs ta set i it being an amusement to this day only known ^^H
ID England. ^^^

" The Water Spaniel waa another gpecies u»ed in fowling This
aeems to be the most docile of all the dog kind ; and this dociUiy i«
particularly owing to his natural ailachment to man. Many other
kinds wilt not bear correction ; but lliis patient cre:iture, though very
fierce to utrangers, seemsunalterabte in his affections, and blows and
ill-usage seem only to iucrease his regard.
^^ "The Lap dog, at the time of Doctor Caius, was of Maltese ^^

^^^ breed; at present it comes from dilTerent countries: in general, ^^H
^^H the more awkward or estrsordinary these ore, the more they are ^^H
^^K prized. ^^H

^^V " The Shepherd's Dog has been already mentioned ; and as for ^^H
^^B the Mastifl', he is too common to require a description. Doctor CeJua ^^H
^^Hrtolla us, that three of these were reckoned a match for a bear, and ^^M
^^F four for a lion, However, we are told that three of them overCHma ^^H
^^^ ft lion in the time of King James the First ; two of them being dis- ^^H
abled in the combat, the third obliged the lion to seek fur safety by ^^^M
flight. ^^M

'f As to the last division, namely, of the Wappe, the Tumspif;^^^!
AoA the Dancer, thew were mongrels, of no certain shape, and made
nse of only to alarm the family, or, being taught a variety of tricks,
ire carried about as a show.

*< With regard to those of later importation, the Bull-dog, as ^^^
M. Buffoti supposes, is a breed between the small Dane and the ^^H
English mastitf. The large Dane is the tallest dog that is generally ^^H
bred in England. It is somewhat between a mastiff and a grey. ^^H
bound in ahape, being more slender than the one, and much stronger ^^^
tlian the other. They are chiefly used rather for show than service,
being neither good in the yard nor the field. The highest are most
esteemed ; and they generally cut ofl* their ears to improve their
figure, as some absurdly suppose. The Harlequin is not much unlike
the (mall Dane, being an useless animal, somewhat between an
lt«1ian greyhound and a Dutch m-isliff. To these several others
might be added, such as the pug-dog, tlie black breed, and the
pointer ; but, in fact, the varieties are so numerous, as to fatigue
even the most ardent curiosity."

[It is not certain whether the Newfoundland Dog be a distinct
breed ; most of Ihem are curs, with a cross of the mastiff; some ^^_
will, and others will not lake the water. They have always been ^^M
remarked for sagacity, and atlaehmenl to their masters.] ^^H

Of those of the foreign kinds, I shall mention only three, which are ^^|
more remarkable than any of the rest. The Lion Dog greatly re- ^^^
■embles thai animal, in miniature, from whence it takes the name.
The hair of the fore part of its body is extremely long, while that of
VOL. II.— No. XX. B

10 ANIMALS OF THE

the hioder pari is as shorl. The nose is short, the tail long, and tufled
at the point, to that in all these particulars it is entirely like the lion.
However, it differs very much from that fierce BDlmal in nature and
disposition, being one of the Bmallest animals of its kind, estremely
feeble, timid, and inactive. It comes originally from Malta, where
it is found ko small, that women carry it about in their sleeves.

That animal falsely called the Turkish Dog, differs greatly from
the rest of the kind, in being entirely without hair. The skin, which
is perfectly bare, is of a flesh colour, with brown spots; and their
figure at first view is rather disgusting. These seem to be of the
small Danish breed brought into a warm climaie, and there, by a
flucce^on of generations, divested of their hair. For this reason,
they are extremely chilly, and unable to endure the cold of our cli-
mate; and even in the midst of summer they continue to shiver as
we see men in a frosty day. Their spots are brown, as was said,
well marked, and easy distinguishable in summer, but in the cold of
winter they entirely disappear. They are called the Turkish breed,
although brought from a much warmer climate; for some of them
have been known (o come from the warmest parts of Africa and the
East Indies.

" The last variety, and the most wonderful of all that I shall men-
tion, is the Great Irish Wolf Dog, that may be considered as the
, first of the canine species. This animal, which ia very rare even in
' ihe only country in the world where it is to be found, is rather kept
for show than use, there being neither wolves nor any other formi-
dable beasts of prey in Ireland, that seem to require so powerful Ha
antagonist. The wolf dog is therefore bred up in the houses of the
great, or such gentlemen as chuse to keep him as a curiosity, being
neither good for hunting the hare, the fox, or the stag, and equally
unserviceable as a house dog. Nevertheless, he is estremely beau-
tiful and majestic to appearance, being the greatest of the dog kind
to be seen in the world. The largest of those I have seen, and I
have seen above a dozen, was about four feet high, or as tall as a
calf of a year old. He was made estremely like a greyhound, but
rather more robust, and inclining to the figure of the French matin,
.or the great Dane. His eye was mild, his colour white, and hia
nature seemed heavy end phlegmatic. This I ascribed to his having
been bred up to a size beyond his nature ; for we see in man, and
.all other animals, that such as are overgrown are neither so vigor-
ous nor alert as those of a more moderate stature. The greatest
pains have been taken with these to enlarge the breed, both by food
and matching. This end was effectually obtained, indeed, for the
siKe was enormous ; bnt, as it seemed to me, at the expense of the
animal's fierceness, vigilance, and sagacity. However, I was to*
formed otherwise; the gentleman who bred them assuring me, that
a maaUff would be nothing when opposed to one of them, who gene-
rally teized their antagonist by the back : he added, thai they would
worry the strongest bull-dogs, in a few mlaules, to death. But thio.
strength did not appear either in their figure or their inclination* ;

DOG KIND. 11

they seemed rather more Umid than the ordinary race of dog^ ; and
their skin was much thinner, and consequently less fitted for combats
Whether wilh these disadvantages they were capable, as I was told,
of singly coping with bears, others may determine; however, they
have but few opportunities, in their own country, of exerting their
strength, as all wild carnivorous animals there are only of the ver-
min kind. M. Buffbn seems to be of opinion that these are the true
Molossian dogs of the ancients ; he gives no reason for this opinion,
and I am apt to think it ill-grounded. Not to trouble the reader
with a tedious critical disquisition, which I have all along avoided,
it will be sufficient to observe, that Nemesianus, in giving directions
for the choice of a bitch, advises to have one of Spartan or Molos-
sian breed; and among several other perfections, he says that the
ears should be dependant, and fluctuate as she runs.^ This how-
ever, is by no means the case with the Irish wolf dog, whose ears
resemble those of the greyhound, and are far from fluctuating with
the animal's motions. But of whatever kinds these dogs may be,
whether known among the ancients, or whether produced by a later
mixture, they are now almost quite worn away, and are very rarely
to be met with even in Ireland. If carried to other countries, they
soon degenerate ; and even at home, unless great care be taken,
they quickly alter. They were once employed in clearing the island
of wolves, which infested it in great plenty ; but these being de-
stroyed, the dogs also are wearing away, as if nature meant to
blot out the species when they had no longer any services to per-
form.

'^ In this manner several kinds of animals fade from the face of
nature, that were once well known, but are now seen no longer.
The enormous elk of the same kingdom, that, by its horns, could not
have been less than eleven feet high, the wolf, and even the wolf
dog, are extinct, or only continued in such a manner as to prove
their former plenty and existence. From hence it is probable that
many of the nobler kinds of dogs, of which the ancients have given
us such beautiful descriptions, are now utterly unknown; since
among the whole breed we have not one that will venture to engage
the lion or the tiger in single combat. The English bull-dog is
perhaps the bravest of the kind ; but what are his most boasted ex-
ploits to those mentioned of the Epirotic dogs by Pliny, or the
Indian dogs by ^lian? The latter gives us a description of a
combat between a dog and a lion, which I will take leave to trans-
late.

*' When Alexander was pursuing (his conquests in India, one of
the principal men of that country was desirous of shewing him the
value of the dogs which his country produced. Bringing his dog

* Elige tunc cursu facilpm, facilemque recursu,
In Lacedsemonio natam sen rure Molosso —
Renibus ampla satis valiflis, diductaque cozas
Coiqne nimis moUes fluitent in carsibas aares.

Nemesun.

12 AN IMdLS OF THE

into ihe king's presence, he ordered a'stag to be let loose before him,
nhich the dog despisiDgas an unworthy enemy, remained quite re-
gardless of the animal, and never once stirred from his place. His
master then ordered a wild boar to be set out; but (he dog thought
even this a despicable foe, and remained calm and regardless as
before. He was next tried wiUi a bear; but still despising hia
enemy, he only waited for an object more worthy of bia courage and
his force. At last they brought forth a tremendous lion, and then
the dog acknowledged his antagonist, and prepared for combat, lie
instantly discovered a degree of ungovernable ardour: and, flying
at Ihe lion with fnry, seized him by the throat, and totally disabled
him from resistance. Upon this llie Indian, who was desirous of
aurprising the king, and knowing the constancy and bravery of his
dog, ordered his tail to be cut off; which was easily performed, as
the bold animal was employed in holding the lion. He next ordered
oneof his legs lobe broken i which, however, did not in the least
abate the dog's ardour, but he alill kept his hold as before. Ano-
ther leg was then broken ; but the dog, as if he had suffered no paiOr |
only pressed the lion still the more. In this cruel manner, all hiVj
legs were cut off, without abating his courage ; and at last, wheD'
even hia head was separated from his body, the jaws seemed to keep
their former hold. A sight so cruel did not fail to affect the king
with very strong emotions, at once pitying the dog's late, and ad-
miring his fortitude. Upon which the Indian, seeing him ihua
moved, presented him with four dogs of the same kind, which in
gome measure alleviated his uneasiness for the loss of the Tormer.

" The breed of dogs, however, in that country, is at present very
much inferior to whal this story seems to imply ; since in many
places, instead of dogs, they have animals of the cat kind for hunt-
ing. In other places also, this admirable and faithful animal, instead
of being applied to his natural uses, is only kept to be eaten. All
over China there are dog butchers, and shambles appointed for selling
their desh. In Canton, particularly, there is a street appointed for
that purpose ; and what is very eatraordinary, wherever a dog bud-
cher appears, all the dogs of the place are sure to bein fullcryafter
him; they know their enemy, and persecute him as far as they are
able." Along the coasts of Guinea, their flesh is esteemed a delicacy
by the Negroes ; and they will give one of their cows for a dog.
But, among this barbarous and brutal people, scarcely any thing that
has life comes amiss ; and they may well take up with a dog, since
they consider toads, lizards, and even the flesh of the tiger itself, aa
a dainty. It may perhaps happen that the flesh of this animal, which
is so indifferent in the temperate climates, may assume a better
quality in those which are more warm ; but it is more than probal '
that the diversity is rather in man than in the flesh of the dog ; si
in the cold countries the flesh is eaten with equal appetite by
savages, and they have their dog feasts in the same i
have otirs for venison.

In our climate, the wild animals that most approach Ihe dog ara

^tl«r ^^
thB^I

DOG KIND.

I thcif ii

Jhe wolf and the fox : lhe.ie in thcif internal conformation greatly
imble each other, and yet in IheJr natures are very distinct. The
:ients asserted thai ihcy bred logulher ; and I am assured by cre-
ile persons, that there are many animals in this country bred
itireen a dog and a fox. However, all the endeavours of M. Bnfibn
make llicm engender, as he assures us, were ineffectual. Fur this
purpose, he bred up a young wolf, taken in the woods al two monihs
old, with a matin dog of the same age. They were shut up to-
gether, without any oilier, in a large yard, where they had a shekel'
for retiring. They neiliier of them knew any other individual of !
their kind, nor even any other man but he who had the charge of I
feeding thetn. In this manner they were kept for three years ; still '
with the game attention, and without constraining or lying them i
During the iirst year the young animals played with each other ci
tinually, and seemed to love each other very much. In the sect
year they began to dispute about their victuals, although they were '
given more than they could use. The quarrel always began on the
wolPa side. They were brought their food, which consisted of flesh
and bones, upon a large wooden platter, which wns laid on the
ground. Just as it was put down, the wolf, instead of falling to the
meat, began by driving off the dog; and took the platter in its teeth
•o expertly, that it let nothing of what it contained fall upon the I
ground, and in this manner carried it off; but as the n-olf could not j
entirely escape, it was frequently seen to rim with the platter roimd I
the yard five or six times, still carrying it in a position that none of |
its contents could fall. In this manner it would continue running,
otily now and then stopping to take breath, until the dog coming
Ihe wolf would leave the victuals to attack him. The dog, how- J
ever, was the stronger of the two ; but as it was more gentle,
order to secure him from the wolf's attack, he had a collar put round I
his neck. In the third year, the quarrels of these ill-paired asso-
ciates were more vehement, and their combats more frequent : the I
wolf, therefore, had a collar put about its neck, as well as the dog,
who began to be more fierce and unmerciful. During the two Rrst
years, neither seemed to testify the least tendency towards engen-
dering; and it was not till the end of the third, that the wolf, which I
was the female, showed the natural desire, but without abating either j
in its fierceness or obstinacy. This appetite rather increased than J
repressed their mutual animosity; they became every day more
intractable and ferocious, and nothing was heard between them but
the sounds of rage and resentment. They both, in less than ihreo
weeks, became remarkably lean, without ever approaching each
other, but to combat. At length their quarrels became so desperate,
that the dog killed the wolf, who was become more weak and feeble;
and he was soon after himself obliged to be killed, for upon being j
ael at liberty he instantly flew upon every animal he met, fowls,
5dt^, and even men themselves, not escaping his savage fury,

The same experiment was tried upon foxes, taken young, but ]
■ith no belter success ; ihcy were never found to engender with J

dogs ; and o
natures are 1
howevei-, mu

sxperimenta t

ANIMALS OP THE

learned naturalist seems to be of opinion, that their

>□ opposite ever to pruvohe mutual desire. One thing,
It be remarked, that the animaU on which he tried his
r too old when taken, and had partly acquired
their natural savage appetites, before they came into his possession.
The wolf, as lie acknowledges, was two or three nionthi old before
it was caught, and the foxes were taken in traps. It may, therefore,
be easily supposed, that nothing could ever after thoroughly tame
those creatures, that had been suckled in the wild state, and had
caught all the habitudes of the dam. I have seen the«e animals,

I vhen taken earlier in the woods, become very taroe; and, indeed,
they rather were displeasing by being too familiar than too sliy. It
Tere to be wished that the esperiment were tried upon such as these ;
and it is more than probable that it would produce the desired success.
Nevertheless, these experiments are sufficient to prove that neither
the wolf nor the fox are of the same nature with the dog, but each of
a species perfectly distinct, and their joint produce most probably

I unfniitful.

[ The dog, when flrst whelped, is not s completely finished animal.

■ In this kind, as in all the rest which bring forth many at a time, the
young are not so perfect as in those which bring forth only one of
two. They are alivays produced with the eyes closed,tlie lids being,
held together, not by sticking, but by a kind of thin membranej
which is torn as soon as the upper eye-lid becomes strong enough to
raise it from the under. In general, their eyes are not opened It^

I ten or twelve days old. During that lime, the bones of the scull are
mpleted, the body is puffed up, the nose is short, and the whole
form but III sketched out. In less than a month, the puppy begins
, from thence, makes hasty advances lo ita
perfection. At the fourth month the dog loses some of his leeth, as
in other animaln, and these are renewed by such as never fail. The
number of these amount to forty-two, which is twelve more than is
found in any of t!ie cat kind, which are known never lo have above
thirty. The teeth of the dog, being his great and only weapon, are
formed in a manner much more serviceable than those of the former;
and there is scarce any quadruped that has a greater facihty in rendr
ing, cutting, or chewing its food. He cuts with his incisors or fore*
teeth, he holds with his four great canine teeth, and he cliews his meat

I with his grinders ; these are fourteen in number, and so placed, that
when the jaws are shut, there remains a (distance between them, so
that the dog, by opening his mouth ever so wide, does not lose the.
power of his Jaws, But it is otherwise in the cat kind, whose incison,
or cutting leeth are very small, and whose grinding teeth, when
hrought together, touch more closely than those of the dog, and coo.
«e<iuently have less power. Thus, for instance, 1 can squeeze any
fbing more forcibly between my thumb and fore-finger, where the
'distance is greater, than between any other two lingers, whose
Jl«

■ distance is greater, I
kjlislance from each other i

This animal is capable of reprudut

: ut the

of iwclva \

DOG KIND.

k Months,* gqea nine weeks with j

:, and lives to about the age of

^^ andii

young, t
twelve, tew qnadrupeda are less delicale i
ihore are many kinds of birds wliich the dog will not venture to
touch. He is even known, although in a savage state, to abstain
from injuring some which one might suppose he had every reaiton
lo oppose. The do^ and the vultures which live wild about Grand
Cairo in Egypt, (for the Mahometan law has expelled this useful
animal from human society), coutinue together in s very sociable
and friendly manner f Aa they are both useful in devouring such
carcBsNes as might otherwise putrefy, and thus infect the air, the in-
babitanti supply ihem witli provisions every day, in onler to keep
them near the city. Upon these occasions, the quadrupeds and birds
are oflen seen together tearing the same piece of flesh, without the
least enmity ; on the contrary, they are known to live together
with a kind of affection, and bring up their young in the same

Although the dog is a voracious animal, yet lie can bear hunger
for a very long time. We have an instance in the Memoirs of the
Academy of Sciences of this kind, in which a bitch thai had bee
fwgotten in a country-house, lived forty days, without any other
nourishmenl than the wool of a quilt which she had torn in pieces.
It should leetn that water is more neces:aary to the dog than food ;
he drinks often, though not abundantly; and it is commonly
believed, that when abridged in water, he runs mad. This dreadful
malady, the consequences of which are so well known, is the greatest
inconvenience that results from the keeping this faithful dumcBtic.
But it is a disorder by no means so frequent as the terrors of the
timoroDs would suppose: the dog has been oflen accused of mad-
ness, without a fair trial; and some persons have been supposed
to receive tiieir deaths from his bite, when either thei
ill-grouttded fears, or their natural disorders, were the true |

THE WOLF.

The Dog and the Wolf are so very much alike
expert anatomists can scarcely perceive
and it may be asserted also, that, externally, some di
resemble the wolf than ihey do each other. It was
litude that first led some naturalists to consider ll
animal, and lo look upon the wolf as the dog in its

I strong simi-

* To this dtscripliun I will beg
Llnanas, as I tind them in the orig
oaoat supra Ispideni. Album gree
■dlatua (this, huwevpr. nol till the ai
siBpe crnlies. Odorat anuin alterius
slroaas coit cum variis. Mnrdtt ilia

t Hasselquist, Iter Fsla^stiii. p. Si

" Vomit II a

' particulars from
1 gramiua purjcatur:
m aalistpticuin snmmum. Hin^t
iibI is Diac months old) cam bospi
ProciB riiantibus crudpJia. Me
.03. Cohsret copula junctcs. '

^t ^^

ANIMAtS OP THE

freedom: however, this opinion is entertained no longer; llie
natural nntipalliy those two animals bear to each other, llie longer
lime which (he wolf goes with young than the dog, the one going
over a hundred days, and the other not quite sixty ; the longei*
period of life in the former than the latter, the wolf living twenty
years, (he (log not fil\eeni all sufficiently point out c distinction, and
draw tt line that must for ever keep ihcm asunder.

The Wolf, from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail ia
about tliree feet seven inches long, and about two feet five inche*
high; which shows him to be larger than our great breed of mast iffiy
which are seldom found to be above three feet by two. His colou^
IB a mixture of black, brown, and grey, extremely rough and hardj
but mixed towords the roots with a kind of ash-coloured fur. IH
comparing him to any of our well known breed of dogs, the grea4
Dane, or mongrel greyhound, for instance, he will appear to hav*
the legs shorter, the head larger, the muzzle thicker, the eyelt
smaller, nnd more separated from each other, and the ears sitorter
and siraighter. He appears in every respect stronger than the dog!
and the length of his hair contributes still more to his robusli ap-
pearance The feature which principally distinguishes the visage
oftho wolf from ihot of the dog, is the eye, wliich opens slantingly
upwards, in tlie same direction with the nose; whereas, in the do| *
it opens more at right angles with the nose, as in man. The
also, in this animal, is long and bushy^ and he carries it rather mor^
between his hind-legs than the dog is seen to do. The colour of liw
eye-bntls in Ihe wolf is of a fiery green : this gives his visage a fierce
and formidable air, which his natural disposition does by no means
contradict.*

The wolf is one of those animals whose app^'litu for animal food
is the most vehement, and whose means of satisfying this appelilft
re the most various. Nature has furnished him with slrenglli, cun-
ing, agility, and all those requisites which lit an animal for pursu-
ig, overtaking, and conquering its prey; and ^et, with all these,
the wolf most frequently dies of hunger, for he is the declared enemy

I of man. Being long proscribed, and a reward olTercd for his head,
he is obliged to lly from human habitations, and to live in the forett,
where the few wild animals to be found there escape him either by
their swidness or iheir art ; or are supplied in too small a proportion
10 satisfy his rapacity. He is naturally dull and cowardly; bat
frequently disappointed, and as o<\en reduced to the verge of famine,
he becomes ingenious from want, and courageous from necessity.
When pressed with hunger, he braves danger, and comes to attack
those animals which are under the protection of man, particularly
such as he can readily carry away; lambs, sheep, or even dogs
themselves, for all animal fuCMJ becomes then equally agreeable.
<•
:

age

I
I

* The rcHt of this JiUlory of the wolf U taken rroin M. ButTcm;
louk upon it as a cninplcle moUpl tor uatursi history. If I add or differ,!

markitasuBual.

BOG KIND. 17

When this excunioo has succeeded, he oflen returns to the charge,
unlil having been wounded, or linn) pressed by the dogs or the sltep-
herds, he hides iiimseir by day in the thickest covens, and only
ventures out at night : he then sallies forth over the country, ketips
peering round the villages, carries off such aDimals as are not under
protedioD, attacks the sheepfolds, scratches up and undermines the
thresholds of doors where they are housed, enters furious, and de<
stroys all before he begins to Gx upon and carry off his prey. When
these saJlies do not succeed, )ie then returns to the thickest part of
the forest, content to pursue those smaller animals, whicli, even
when taken, afford him but a scanty supply. He there goes regu-
larly to woik, follows by the scent, opens to the view, still keeps
following, hopeless himself of overtaking the prey, but e.tpecting
that some other wolf will come in to his assistance, and then content
to share the spoil. At last, when his necessities are very urgent,
Le boldly faces certain destruction ; he attacks women and children,
and sometimes ventures even to fall upon men, becomes furious by
his continual agitations, and ends his life in madness.

The wolf, as well externally as internally, so nearly resembles the
dog, that he seems modelled upon the same plan; and yet he only
offersthe reverse of the model. If his form be like, his nature is so
different, that he only preserves the ill qualities of the dog, without
any of bis good ones. Indeed, they are so different in their dispo
sitions, that no two animals can ha.ve a more perfect antipathy to
each other. A young dog shudders at the sight of a wolf; he even
shuns his scent, which, though unknown, is so repugnant to his
nature, lliat be comes trembling to take protection near his master.
A dog who is stronger, and who knows his strength, bristles up at
the sight, testifies his animosity, attacks him with courage, endea-
vours to put him to flight, and does all in his power to rid himself
presence that is hateful to him. They never meet witlioul
flying or fighting : fighting for life and death, and without
ouHtherside. If the wolf is thestronger, he tears and devours
prey: the dog, on the contrary, is more generous, and contents

uelf with his victory ; he does not seem to think that iltt body of

dead enemy tmetlt laetl ; he leaves him where he falls, to serve as
Ibod for birds of prey, or for other wolves, since they devour each
other; and when tlie wolf happens to be desperately wounded,
the rest track him by his blocvd, and are sure to show him no
mercy.

The dog, even in his savage state, is not cruel ; he is easily lamed,
and continues firmly attached to his master. The wolf, when taken
young, becomes tame, but never has an attachment ; nature is
stronger in him tlian education ; he resumes, with age, his natural
dispositions, and returns, as soon as he can, to the woods from whence
he was taken. Dogs, even of the dullest kinds, seek the compony
animals ; they are naturally disposed to follow and accom-
other creatures besides lhen>selves ; and even by instinct, with-
education, take to the care of flocks and herds. Tlie wolf.
No. XX. C

^^^^ other B
^^B^y oth<
^^B|>.any &

ANISvIILS oy THE

on the coatrnry, is llie enemy of all society ; he does not even ke^' J
much company with those of his kind. When they are ieen in]
paclcs together, it is not to be conudered as apeacerul society, butftJ
combinaiion for war : they testify their hostile intentions by tbeJtfl
lOud bowlings, and by their fierceness discover a project for allacK ■
ing some great animal, such Us a slag or a bull, or to destroy some
moie redoubtable watch-dog. The instant their military expedition
is completed, their sMiety is nt an end ; tliey (hen part, and each
reiuriis in silence lo his solitary retreat. There is not even any
Strong attachment between the male andferaalu: they seek each
other only once a-year, and remain but a few days together : ih^ I
always couple in winter ; at which time several males are seen folloi^ M
ing one female, and (his iiss(>ciation is still more bloody than th«
foniier: they dispute most cruelly, growl, bsr)>, Oght, and tear each
other; and it sometimes happens that the majority kill the wulf
which has been chicQy preferred by the female. It is usual for the
abe-wolf to fly from lliem all with him she has chosen ; and abe
watc)ies this opportunity when the rest are asleep. m

The season for coupling does not continue above twelve or fifleea I
days; and usually commences among the oldest, those which art
young being later in ttieir desires. The males have no lixed time
for engendering ; they pass fVom one female lo the other, beginning
at the end of December, and ending at the latter end of February.
The lime of pregnancy is about three months and a half; and the
young wolves are found fro^ ihe latter end of April to i he beginning
of July. The long continuance of the wolfs pregnancy is sufficient
to make a distinction between it and the dog; did not also the fiery
fierceness of the eyes, the howl instead of barking, and the greater
duration of its life, leave no doubt of its being an animal of Its own
particular species. In other respects, however, they are entirely
alike ; the Wolf couples exactly like the dog, ihe pans are formed in
Ihe same mariner, and their separation hindered by the same cause.
"When the she-wolves are near their time of bringing forth, they
seek some very tufled spot, in the thickest part of the forest: in the
middle of this they make a small opening, cutting away the thorns
and briars with iheir teeth, and aflerwards carry thither a great
quaniity of moss, which they form into a bed for their young ones.
They generally bring forth live or six, and sometimes even lo nine
at a litter. The cubs are brought forth, like those of the bitch, with
the eyes closed ; the dam suckles them for some weeki, and leachet
them betimes to eat flesli, which she prepares for them by cli
it first herself. Some time after she brings iliem stronger
hares, partridges, and birds yet alive. The young wolves begin by J
playing with them, and end by killing Ihem. The dam then slril*.!
Iliem of their featlierM, tears them in pieces, and gives lo eaci
thera a share. They do not leave the den where tliey liave b
littered till they are six weeks or two months old. They then follalk
the old one, wjio leads them to drink lo ihe trunk of some
where Ihe water lias settled ur at some pool in ihe neighbourhoo

DOG KIND.

Ifahe apprehends any danger, siic inslantlj conceals lljem in the
first conTenient place, or brings thcnt buck to iheir former retreat.
Ill tliis manner they follow her for some months : when they t
attacked, she defends ihetn with all her strength, ami more than
usual ferocity. Although, at other limes, more timorous than the
male, at tliat season she becomes bold and fearless; willing perhaps
to leach the young ones future courage by her own example. It b
Qui till they are about ten or twelve months old, and until ihi-y have
shed their liret teeth, and completed the new, that she thinks then
in a. capacity lo shift for lliemselveB. Then, when they have ac
(\wted arms frum nature, and have learned indumry and coi^ruge
frodj her example, she declines all firiure care of them, being again
engaged in bringing up a new progeny.

The males and females are in a capacity to engender when two
years old. It is probable that the females of this species, as well h
ofinnst others, are sooner completed than tlie moles; hut this w
certain, that tliey never desire to copulate until their second winter;
from whence we may suppose that they live fifteen or twenty years;
fqr, allowing three years for their complete growth, this imdtiplied
by seven gives thema life of twenty-one ; most animals, as has been
observed, living about seven limes the number of years which they
lake tu come to perfection. Of this, however, there is as yet no
certainly, no more than of what huntstnen assert, that in all tlie litters
there are more males than females. From them qIko we learn, that
there are some of ihe males who attach themselves to the female,
who accompany her during her geslnlion, until the lime of bringing
forth, when she hides ilie place of her relreat from the male, lest he
should devour her cubs; but al\er this, when Ihey are brouglit forth,
lliat he then takes the same care of them as the female, carries (hem
provisions, and, if tlie dam should happen to be killed, rears them up
in her stead.

The wolf grows grey as he grows old, and his teeth wear, like
those of mosl other animals, by using; be sleeps when his belly ft
full, or when he is fatigued, rather by day than nighl; and always,
like the dog, is very easily waked. lie drinks frequently ; and, in
limes of drought, when there is no wotcr to be found in the trunks
of old trees, or In the pools about the forest, he comes often, in the
day, down to the brooks, or the lakes in the plain. Althougli very
voracious, he suppcrls hunger for a long time, and often lives four or
five days without food, provided he be supplied with water.

The wolf has great strength, particularly in his fore parts, in the
muscles of his neck and jaws. He carries oITa slieep in his mouth
without letting It touch (he ground, and runs with it much swifler
tjian the shepherds who pursue him ; so that nothing but the dogs can
overtake and obhge hi|n to (juit his prey. He bites cruelly, and
always with greater vehemence in proportion as he Is least resisted ;
for he uses precautions with such animals as attempt to stand" upon
the defensive, lie is eyer cowardly, and never figlits but when
underaneuessily of satisfying hunger, or making good lils retreat.

30 ANIMALS OP THE J

When he is wounded by a bullet, he is heard to cry oat ; And 7^'
vhen surrounded by ihe peasants, and attacked with clubs, he never
howls as the dog under correetiun, but defends himself in silence,
and dies as hard as he Hved.

His nature is, in fact, more savage than that of the dog ; he has
leas sen.sibility and greater etrenglh. He travels, runs, and keep*
plundering for whole days and nights together. He is in a manner
indefatigable; and perhaps, of all aninials, he is the most difficult to
be hunted down. The dog is good-natured and courageous; the
wolf, though savoge, rserer fearful. If he happens to be caught in
a pit-fall, he is for some time so frightened and astonished, that he
may be killed without offering to resist, or taken aKve without much
danger. At that instant, one may clap a collar round his neck,
muzzle him, and drag him along, without his ever giving the least
signs of anger or resentment. At all otiier times he has his senses
in great perfection ; his eye, his ear, and particularly his sense of
smelling, which is even superior to the two former. He smells a
carcass at more than n league's distance ; he also perceives living
animals a great way off, and follows them a long lime upon the ecent.
Whenever he leaves the wood, he always lakes care to go out
against the wind. When just come to its extremity, he stops to
examine, by his smell, on all sides, the emanations that may come
either from his enemy or his prey, which he very nicely distinguishes.
He prefers those animals which he bills himself to thorn; he finds
dead ; and yet he does not disdain these when no better are to be
had. He is particularly fond of human (Tesh ; and perhaps, if he
was sufficiently powerful, he would eat no other. Wolves have been
seen following armies, and arriving in numbers npon the Aeld of
battle, where they devoured such dead bodies as were led upon the
field, or but negligently interred. These, when onceaccnstomedto
human flesh, ever after seek particularly to attack mankind, and
^hoosetofall upon ihesheph^d rather than hisffock. We havehad
a late instance of two or three of these keeping a whole province, for
more than a month, in a continual alarm.

It sometimes happens that a whole country is called out to extirpate
these most dangerous invaders. The Itunting the wolf is a favourite
diversion among the great of some countries; and it must be con-
fessed it seenis to be the most useful of any. These anhnals are
distinguirfied by the huntsman into the young wolf, the ofd wolf,
and the^ear wolf. They are known by the prints of theirl^et; tba -m
older the wolf, the larger the track he leaves. That of the female I
is narrower and longer than that of Ihe male. It is necessary to hvn I
a very good starter to put up the wolf; and it is even convenient ta f
use every art to encourage him in his pursuit ; for all the dogs hara ■
a natural repugnance against this animal, and are but cold in their J
endeavours. When the wolf is once put up, it is then proper fa
have greyhounds to let Ay at him, in leashes, one afler the other. I
The first leash is sent after him in the beginning, seconded by » I
man on horseback; the second islet loose about halfa mile farther;

DOG KIMD. SI

d lh« third when Ihe tmi i'( ilio dogi come up with, and begin to
bnit him. He fctr a long time keeps them off, Rtands hii ground,
threatenii them on all Hides, and Dl\fn gets away; but usually the
hunters arriving come in aid of the dogs, and help to dispatch him
with their cutlasses. When the animal is killed, the doga testify no
appetite to enjoy their victory, but leave him where he falls, a fright-
fiil specticle, and even in death hideous.

The wolf is sometimes also hunted with harriers; biitas lieBlwa3's
goes straight forward, and often holds his speed for a whole day
leather, this kind of chase is tedious and disagreeable, at least if the
harriers are not assisted by greyhounds, who may harass him ot
every view. Several other arts have been also used to lake and
destroy this noxious animal, He is snrroimded and wounded by
nwa and large house-dogs; he is secured in traps; he is poisoned
by carcasses prepared and placed for that purpose, and is caught in
pit-falls. " Gesner tells us of a friar, a woman, and a wolf, being
taken in one of these, all in the same night. The woman lost her
senaes with the fright, the friar his reputation, and the wolf his life."
Alt these disaslers, however, do not prevent this animal's multiply-
ing in great numbers, particularly in countries where the woods are
I^enty. France, Spain, and Italy, ure greatly infested with them ;
but England, Ireland, and Scotland, are hnppily set free.

King Edgar is said to be the first who attempted to rid this king-
dom of such disagreeable inmates, by commuting the punishment
for certain crimes into the acceptance ofa number of wolvesUonguca
from each criminal.* However, some centuries ader, these animals
were again increased to such a degree, as to become (he object of
royal attention ; accordingly Eklwanl the First issued out his mandate
to one Peter Corbet to superintend and assist in the destruction of
Ihem. They are said to have infested Ireland long after they were
extirpated in England ; however, the oldest men in that country
remember nothing of these animals, and it is probable that there have
been none there for more than a century past, Scotland also ii
totally free.

The colour of this animal differs according to the different climates
where it is bred, and often changes even in the same country. Be-
side ihe common wolves, which are found in France and Germany,
there are others with thicker hair, inclining to yellow. These are
more savage and less noxious than the former, neither approaching
the flocks nor habitations, and living rather by the chase than rapine.
In the northern climates there are found some quite black, and some
white all over. The former are larger and stronger than those of
any other kinds.

The species is very much diffused in every part of tlie world,
being found in Asia, Africa, and in America, as well as Europe.
TTie wolves of Senegal resemble those of France, except that they

B larger and must fiercer than those of Europe. Those of Egypt

• Btilish Zoologv. p. (52.

are amatler than thost
}ip for a show, being

AtilH^^li OF THE

of Greece. In the Eaat, the wolfUtrahii^

ight lu JaDce and play tricks ; and
these thus educated orten sells Tor four or 6vb hundred crowns. " Jt
18 said that in Laple.nd the woIT will oever attack a rein-deer that is
seen haltered ; for this warj animal, being well acquainted with the
nature ofa (rap, Huspecls one whenever il perceives a rope. How-
ever, when he sees thi* deer entirely at liberty, he seldom fails tp
destroy it.

"The wolf of North America is blacker and much less than liumfi

in other parts of the world, and approaches nearer in form (9

the dog than those of the ordinary kind.* In fad, Ibf y were niado

use of OS such by the savages, till the Europeans introduced oihen;

and even now, on the remoter shores, or the more inlajid parts of tJie

country, thesavages still make use of these animals in hunting. Tlief

are very lame and gentle i and those of this kind that are wild sw

neither so large nor so fierce as an European wolf, nor do ihey evw

attack mankind. They go togetljer in large pecks by niglil to huqt

I the deer, which they do as well as any dogs in England; and it if

conlidently asserted that one of them is suflicieul to run down ji

deerf Whenever they are seen along the banks of those rival*

' jienr which the wandering natives pilch their huts, it is taken

granted thai the bison or the deer are not far off; and the savi

affirm that the wolves come with the tidings, in ordur tu have

garbuge after the animal has been killed by the hunters. CatesI

I .sddsu drctimstance relative to these animals, which, if true, inv^r^

[ lidates many of M. Buifon's observations in tlie foregoing histut^,

I Ue asserts, that these being the only dogs used by the AmoricaiH«

I before the arrival uf the Europeans among them, lliey have sinqs

engendered together, and that their breed has becunte proline; wliic^i

proves the dog and the wolf to be of the same fpecies. It were to

<be wished that ll<is fact were better ascertained; we should then

t jcaowlo acertainty in whatdegree the dog and wolfresemble eai^

I ..other, Qs welt in nature asin conformation; we might tlien, perbapi,.

I be enabled to improve the breed of our dogs, by bringing iheP'

I .back to their native furms and instincts; we might, by crossing the

[ •train, restore that race of those bold animaU which the aucieuts

f assure us were more than a match for the hon."

However this animal may be useful in North America, the wolf of
Europe is a very noxious animal, and scarcely any thing belo»gii;g
. to him is good, except his skin. Of this the furriers make
L'overing that is warm and durable, llioiigh coarse and unsigh
I His Hesh is very indifferent, and seems to budisllkeil by all
animals; no other creature being known to eai the wolf's flesh,
cept the woir himself He breathes a most feiid vapour from hi
jaws, as his food is indiscriminate, oflen putrid, and seldom cleanly.
In short, every way offensive, a .savage aspect, a frightful howl, an
insupportable odour, a perverse diHpositjoii, fierce habiu, be is liaU',
fill while living, and useless when dead.
* Broohe'i Nstural Hislofj, »ol. i. p. lOS.

:e 'f^^H

ue IS tuiu)~,^^_

VOG KIND.

The Fas very csactly resembles the wolf and the dog internally ;
snd, although he differs grently from both in tize and carnage, yet
when we come lo examine his shapes minntelyi thtTe will appear to
be very little difference in the deseriptiun. Were. Tor instance, a
painter to draw from a natural historian's exactest description, the
figure of a dog, a wolf, and a fox, without having ever seen either,
he would be very apt to confound all these animals together; or
rather, he would be unable to catch those peculiar oullinea that no
description can supply. Words will never give any person an exact
idea of farms any way irregular: for although they be extremely
just and precise, yet the numberless discriminations to be attended
to will confound each other, and we shall no more conceive the pre.
ciae form, than we should be able to tell when one pebble more was
added or taken away from a thousand. To conceive, therefore, how
the fos diSers in farm from the wolf or the dog, it is necessary to see
all three, or at least to supply the defects of description, by ex-
amining the diflerence in a print.

The fox is of a slenderer make than the wolf, and not near so
large; for as the former is above three fet-l and a half long, so the
other is not above two feet three inches. The tall of the fox also is
longer in proportion, and more bushy ; its nose is smaller, and ap-
~^' laching more nearly to that of the greylioitnd ; and its hair aoWet.
the other hand, it differs froifi the dog in having its eyes obliquely
ited, like those of the wolf; ita ears are directed also in the same
tho!ie of the wolf, and its head is equally large in propor-
tion to its size. It differs still more from the dog in its strong
offensive smell, which is peculiar to the species, and often the cause
of their death. However, seme are ignorunlly of opinion that it will
keep off infectious diseases, and they preserve this animal near their
habitations for that very purpose.

The fos has since the beginning been famous for his cunning and
liis arts, and he partly merits his reputation.* Without attempting
to oppose either the dogs or the shepherds, without attacking the
flock, or alarming the village, he linds an easier way to subsist, and
gains by his address what is denied to his strength or courage. Patient
and prudent, he waits the opportunity of depredation, and variea
his conduct with every occasion. His whole study is his preservation :
although nearly as indefatigable, and actually more swil\ than the
wolf, he does not entirely trust to either, but makes himself an
asylum, lo which he retires in case of necessity; where he sheltera
himself from danger, and brings up his young.

Ai among men those who lead a domestic life are more civihied,
~ more endued with wisdom, than tho.se who wander from place
lace, so, in the inferior ranks of animated nature, the tak*

^
^

- 24 ANTMAis or TnB

poMeHJon or a home Biipposea a degree of instinct which olhen are
without.* The choice of the situation for this domicil, the art of
making it convenient, of hiding its entrance, and securing it against
more powerful animals, are all so many marks of superior skill and
iitdusiry. The fox is furnished with both, and turns them to his
advantage. He generally keeps hia kennel at the edge of (he wood,
and yet within an easy journey of some neighbouring cottage. From
ihoDce he listens to the crowing of the cuck.and the cackling of (he
domestic fowls. He scents them at a distance ; he seizes his oppor-
tunity, conceals his approaches, creeps slighly along, makes the
attack, and seldom returns without his booty. If he be able to get
into the yard,*he begms by levelling all the poultry without remorse,
and carrying off a part of the spoil, hides it at some convenient dis-
tance, and again returns to the charge. Taking off another fowl in
the same manner, he hides that bIm), but not in the same place ; and
this he practises for several times together, until the approadi of day,
or the noise of the domestics, give him warning to retire. The same
arts are practised when he finds birds entangled in springes laid for
them by the fowler: the fox takes care to be beforehand, very ex-
pertly takes the bird out of the snare, hides it for three or four days,
and knows very exactly when and where to return to avail hitnselfof
the hidden treasure. He is equally alert in seizing the young hares
and rabbits, before they have strengti) enough to escape him ; and
when the old ones are wounded and fatigued, he is sure to come upon
(hem in their moments of distress, and to show them no mercy. In
the same manner he finds out birds^ nests, seizes the partridge and
the (juail while sitting, and destroys a largo quantity of game. The
wolf is most hurtful to the peasant, but the fox to the gentleman.
In short, nothing that can be eaten seems to come amiss; rats, mice^ ^^
serpents, toads, and lizards. EIo will, when urged by hunger, est ^^t
vegetables and insects ; and those that live near the sea-coasts will, ^^1
for want of other food, eat crabs, shrimps, and shell-Gsh. The
hedgehog in vain rolls itself up into a ball to oppose him. This
determined glutton teazes it until it is obliged to appear uncovered,
and tlien he devours it. The wasp and (lie wild bee are attacked
with equal success. Although at first they lly out upon the invader,
and actually oblige him to retire, this is but for a few minutes, imtil
he has rolled himself upon the ground, and thus crushed sitch as stick
to his skin ; he then returns to the charge, and at last, by perse-
verance, obliges them tu abandon their combs; which he greedily
devours, both wax and honey.

The chase of the fox requires less preparation than that of (he

wolf, and it is also more pleasant and amusing. As dogs have a

natural repugnance to pursue the wolf, so tliey are equally alert in

following the fox ; which they prefer even to the chase of the hare or

I the buck. The huntsmen, as upon other occasions, have their

^^H cant terms for every part of this chase. The fox the first year U ^^

BOG KIND. SS

d&eub; the second, a/or ; and the third, an o^<(/b,E; histail

p called the brmh or drai^, and his excrenienl the btUiling. He is

iMUally pursued by a large kind of harrier or hound, o&siated by
terriers, or a, smaller breed, tliat follow him into hb kennel, and
attack him there. The instant he perceive* himself pursued, he
mokes to his kennel, and takes refuge et the bottom of it, where for
a while he loses the cry of his enemies ; but the whole pack comiug
Id the mouth, redouble their vehemence and mge, and the little
terrier boldly ventures in. It often happens that the kennel is made
under a rock, or among the roots of old trees; and in such coses the
Ton cannot be dug out, nor is the terrier able to contend with him at
ibe bottom of his hole. By this contrivance he continues secure;
but when he can be dug out, the usual way is to carry him in a bag
to some open country, and there set him loose before the hounds.
The hounds and the men follow, barking and shouting wherever he
rous ; and the body being strongly employed, the mind has not time
to make any reflexion on the futility of the pursuit. What adds to
this mteruinmetil is the strong scent whicti the fox leaves, that always
. keeps up a full cry ; although as his scent is stronger than that of the
hare, it is much sooner evaporated. His shilXs to escape, when all
retreat is cut off to his kennel, are various and surprising. He al-
ways chooses the most woody country, and takes those paths tliat
are most embarrassed with thorns and briars. He does not double,
nor use the unavailing shifls of the hare ; but flies in a direct line
before the hounds, though at no very great dislacce; manages his
strength ; takes to the low and plashy grounds, where the scent will
be less apt to lie ; and at last, when overtaken, he defends him-
self with desperate obstinacy, and fights in silence to the very last
gasp.

The fox, though resembling the dog m many respects, is never-
Iheless very distinct in his nature, refusing to engender with it ; and
though not testifymg the antipatliy of the wolf, yet discovering
nothing more than indifference. This animal also brings forth fewer
at a time than the dog, and that but once a-ycar. Its litter is gene-
rally from four to six, and seldom less than three. The female goes
with young about six weeks, and seldom stirs out while pregnant,
but makes a bed for her young, and takes every precaution to pre-
pare for their production. When she finds the place of their retreat
discovered, and that her young have been disturbed during her
absence, she removes them one after the other in her mouth, and
endeavours to find them out a place of better security. A remark-
able instance of this animal's parental affection happened while I
was writing this history, jji the county of Vaaiex. A she-fo2 that
had, as it should seem, but one cub. was unkennelled by a gentle-
man's hounds near Chelmsford, and hotly pursued. In such a case,
when her own life was in imminent peril, one would think it was not
a time to consult the safety of her young ; however, the poor ani-
mal, braving every danger, rather than leave her cub behlrid
worried by the dogs, took it itp in her mouth, and ran with it i
TOL. 11.— No, XXI. D

I
I

'26 AWIMALS OF THE

manner for some miles. Ai last, taking her way through a farmer's
j'ard, she waa assaulted by a maaliff, and at last obliged to drop her
cub, which was taken up b; the farmer. ) whs not displeased to
hear that this faithful creature escaped the pursuit, and at last got
off in safety. The cubs of the fos are born blind, like those of the
dog; they are eighteen months or two years in coming to perfection,
and live aboiit twelve or fourteen years.

As the fox makeH war upon all animals, so all others seem to make
var upon him. The dog hunts him with peculiar acrimony ; the
wolfis still a greater and more necessitous enemy, who pursues him
to his very retreat. Some pretend to say, that, to keep the wolf
away, the fox lays at the mouth of its kennel a certain herb, to which
the wolf has a particular aversion. This, which no doubt is a fable,
at least shows that these two animals are as much enemies to each
other as to all the rest of animated nature. But the fox is not bunted
by quadrupeds alone; for the birds, who know him for their mortal
enemy, attend him in his excursions, and give each other warniug of
their approaching danger. The daw, the magpie, and the black-
bird, conduct him along, perching on the hedges as he creeps below,
and, with their cries and notes of hostility, apprize all other animals
to beware; a caution which they perfectly understand, and put into
practice. The hunters themselves are often informed by the birds
of the place of his retreat, and set the dogs into those thickets where
they see them particularly noisy and querulous. So that it is the
fate of this petty plunderer to be detested by every rank of
animals; all the weaker classes shun, and all tlie stronger pursue

The foK, of all wild animals, is most subject to the influence of
chmale ; and there are found as many varieties in this kind almost
as in any of the domestic animals.* The generality of foxes, as is
well known, are red ; but there are some, though not in England,
of a greyish cast; and M. Buffon asserts, that the tip of the tail in
all foxes is white, which, however, is not so in those of this country.
There are only three varieties of this animal in Great Britain, and
these are rather established upon a difference of size than of colour
or form. The greyhound fox is the largest, tallest, and boldest;
and will attack a grown sheep. The mnstilT fox is less, but more
strongly built. The cur fox is the least and most common; he
lurks about hedges and out-houses, and is the most pernicious of the
three to the peasant and the farmer.

In the colder countries round the pole, the foxes are of allculourai I
black, blue, grey, iron-grey, silver-grey, while, white with red leg!,'!
white with black heads, while with the tip of the tail black, red vntk
the throat and belly entirely while, and lastly, with a stripe of black
running along the back, and another crossing it at the shoulders.f
The common kind, however, is more universally diffused than any
of the former, being foimd in Europe, in the temperate climates of

Batlna, Renard.

* Ibid.

■I

DOG KIND. 27 ' '

I, and alio in America ; tliej are very rare in Africa, and ia t
i «Knitries lying under the torrid zone. Those travellers who talk of
having «een them at Calicut, and other parts orSoulhern India, have
mistaken thejackall for the fox. The fur of the while fux is held
in no great estimation, because the hair falls oS; the bUie (ox skins
are bought up with great avidity, from their scarceness; but the
black fox skin is of all others the most esteemed, a single skin ol\en
selling for forty or fifty crowns. The hair of these is so disposed,
that it is impossible to tell which way the grain lies ; far if we hold
the skin by the head, the hair hangs to the tail; and if wo hold it
by the tail, it hangs dotvn equally smooth and even to the head.
These are ofVen made into men's mulTs, and are at once very beau-
tiful and warm. In our temperate climate, howevei-, furs are of
very little service, there being scarcely any weather so severe in
England from which our ordinary clothes may not very well defend

^^B THE JACKALL,

The Jackall is one of the commonest wild animals in the East ;
and yet there is scarcely any less known in Europe, or more con-
fusedly described by natural historians. In general, we are assured
that it resembles the fox in figure and disposition, but we are still
ignorant of those nice distinctions by which it is known to be of a
different species. It is said to be of the size of a middling dog, re-
sembling the fox in the hinder parts, particularly the tail; and the
wolf in the fore-parU, especially the nose. Its legs are shorter than
those of the fox, and its colour is of a bright yellow, or sorrel, as we
express it in horses. This is the reason it has been called in Latin
the Golden iVolf; a name, however, which is entirely unknown in
the countries where they are most common.

The species of the jackall is diffused all over Asia, and is found
also in most parts of Africa, seeming to take up tlie place of the
wolf, which in those countries is not so common. There seem to bs
many varieties among them; those of the warmest climates appear
to be the largest, and their colour is rather of a reddish-brown than
of that beautiful yellow by which the smaller jackalls are chiefly
distinguished.

Although the species of the wolf approaches very near to that of
the dog, yet the jackall seems to be placed between them ; to the
savage fierceness of the wolf it adds the impudent familiarity of the
dog." Its cry is a howl, mixed with barking, and a lamentation
re.'embling that of human distress. It is more noisy in its pursuits
even than the dog, and more voracious than the wolf. The jackall
nevKf goes alone, but always in a pack of forty or fifty together.
^^^dhe.i^ unite regularly every day, to form a combination against the

• Buffon, vol.x

-L.

2%' ANIMALS OF THE

rest at the forest. Nothing tlicn can eseape them ; (hey are contenl
to take up with the smallest animals ; and yet, when thus united,
ihey have courage to face the largest. Tlieyseem very iitlle afraid
of maokiod ; but pursue their game to the very doors, without
leslifyiDg either &ltachment or apprehension. They enter insolently
into the sheep-folds, the yards, and the stables, and when tbey can
find nothing else, devour the leather harness, boots, and shoes, and
run off with what they have not time to swallow.

They not only attack the living but the dead. They scratch up
with their feel the new-made graves, and devour the corpse, how
putrid soever. In those countries therefore where they abound, they
are obliged to beat the earth over the grave, and mix it with thorns,
to prevent the jackalls from scraping it away. They always assist
each other as well in this employment of exhumation, as in that of
the chase. While they are at this dreary work, they exhort each
other by a most mournful cry, resembling that of children under
chastisement; and when they have thus dug up the body, they share
it amicably among them. These, like all other savage animals, when
they have once tasted of human flesh, can never after refrain from
pursuing mankind. They watch the burying-grounds, follow armies,
and keep in the rear of caravans. They may be considered as the
vulture of the quadruped kind 1 every thing that once had animal
life, seems equally agreeable to them ; the most putrid substances
are greedily devoured ; dried leather, and any thing that has been
rubbed with grease, how insipid soever in itself, is sufScient to make
the whole go down.

They hide themselves m holes by day, and seldom appaar abroad
till night-fall, when the jackall that has first hit upon the scent' of
some large beast, gives notice to the rest by a howl, which it repeats
as it runs ; while all the rest, that are within hearing, pack in lo its
assistance. The gazelle, or whatever other beast it may be, Ending
itself pursued, makes ofl* towards the houses and the towns; hoping,
fay that means, to deter its pursuers from following*, but hunger
gives the jackal I the same degree of boldness that fear gives the
gazelle, and il pursues even to the verge of the city, and often along
the streets. The gazelle, however, by this means most frequently
escapes; for the mhabilanU sallying out, oflen disturb the jackall
in the chase; and as it hunts by the scent, when once driven off, it
never recovers it again. In this manner, we see how experience
prompts the gazelle, which is naturally a very timid animal, and
particularly fearful of man, to lake refuge near him, considering
him as the least dangerous enemy, and often escaping by his assisU

But man is not the only intruder upon ihe jackall's industry and
pursuits. The lion, the tiger, and the panther, whose appetites are
superior to their swiftness, attend to its call, and follow in silence M
some distance behind.* The jackal) pursues the whole night

' LinnKi Sjsltms. p. ftO-

HOG KIND. 2&

(taceasmg ossiduiiy, keepiofj; up ibe cry, and witli great peraeveraace
at last tires down ils prey ; but just at the momeDl it supposes itself
going toihere the fruits of its labour, the liun or the leopard coRie»
ia, satiates himself upon the spoil, and his poor provider must be
oontent with the bare carcass he leaves behind. It is not to be wrm-
dercd at, therefore, if the jackall be Toracious, since it so seldom has
a Eufficiencj ; nor that it feeds on putrid substances, since it 'is not
permitted to feast on what it has newly killed. Besides these ene-
mies, the Jackall has another to cope with; for between him and the
dog there is an irreconcileable antipathy, and they never part with- ^H
out ao engagement. The Indian peasants often chase them as we ^^M
do foxes; and have learned, by experience, when they have got a ^^M
lion or a tiger in their rear. Upon such occasions they keep their ^^|
dogs close, as they woukl be no match for such formidable animals,
wid endeavour to put them to flight with their cries. When the lion
IB dismissed, they more easily cope with the jackatl, who is ns stupid
as it ia impudent, and seems much better Htted for pursuing than
retreating. It sometimes happens that one of them steals silently
into an ont-house, to seize the poultry, or devour tlie furniture, but

k hearing others in full cry at a distance, without tliought, it instantly
Mlswers the call, and thus betrays its own depredations. The ^^h
DeaBaDts sally out upon it, and the foolish animal finds, too late, thaf ^^|
ill instinct was too powerful for ita safety. ^^|

THE ISATI9. ^1

' As the jackall is a nort of intermediate species between the dog ^|

W' As the jackall is a sort of intermediate species

and the wolf,* so the Isatis may be considered as placed between
the dog and the fox. This animal has hitherto been supposed to be
only ft variety of the latter; but from the latest observations, there
it 00 doubt of their being perfectly distinct. The isatis is vwy com.
mon in all the northern countries bordering upon the Icy Sea ; and
if seldom found, except in the coldest countries. It extremely
reaemblea the fox in the form of its body and the length of its tail ;
«Dd a dc^, in the make of its head and the position of hs eyes. Tha
hair of these animals is softer than that of a common fox ; some are
blue, some are white at (»ie season, and at another of a. russet brown.
Although the whole of its hair be two inches long, thick, tulXed, and
glossy, yet the under jaw is entirely without any, and the skin
appears bare in that part.

This animal can bear only the coldest climates, and is chiefly seen
along the coasts of the Icy Sea, and upon the banks of the great
rivers that discharge themselves therein. It is chiefly fond of living
in the open country, and seldom seen in the forest, being mostly
found in the mountainous and naked regions of Norway, Siberia,
uid Lapland. It burrows like the fox; and when with young, the

Ku Lapland. It burrows like the fox; and when with young, the ^_
• In Hii.t 'IpSFTipli"!! I llHV? Mlxw^ri M. BuffOQ. ^H

ANIMALS OF THE

T kennel, in the same manner i

e bedded a'
sse. Its r
itnber of young, ar
jslly brings forth a

lal diflers from those

female ret in

do. These

many outlets, They are kept very clean, and

bollom with moss, Ibr (he animal to be more at ilt

ner of coupling, lime of gestation, ant

similar to what is found in the fox ; and i

end of May, or tlie beginning of June.

Such are the particulars in which thin
the dog kind, and in which it resembles t

peculiority remains still to be mentioned, namely, its changing il4
colour, and being seen at one time brown, and at another perfectly
white. As was already said, some arc nRliirally blue, and their
colour never changes ; but such as are to be while, are, when brought
forth, of a yellow hue, which, in the beginning of September, is
changed to while, all e.icept along the top of the back, along which
runs a stripe of brown, and another crossbg it down the shoulders,
at which lime the animal is called the crossed/ox: however, this
brown cross totally disappears before winter, and then the creature
is all over white, and its fur is two inches long; this, about the be<
ginning' of May, again begins to fall, and the moulting is completed
about the middle of July, when the isatis becomes brown onceniori
The fur of this animal is of nu value, unless it be killed

all

THE lIYiENA.

The Hyaena is the last animal J shall mention among those of'
dog kind, which it in many respects resembles, although loo strong!
marked to be strictly reduced to any type. The hy^na is nearly
the size of a wolf; and bus some similitndeto that animal inlheahag
of its head and body. The head, at lirst sight, does not appear
differ, except that the ears of the hyaena are longer, and
out hair ; bul, upon observing more closely, we shall find the h<
broader, the nose flatter, and not so pointed. The eye*
placed obliquely, but more like those of a dog. The legs, pari
cularly the hinder, are longer than those either of the dog or l'
wolf, and different from all other quadrupeds, in having but fc
toes, as well on the fore-feel as on the hinder. Its hair isof a di
greyish, marked wiili black, disposed in waves down its body,
tail is short, with pretty longhair; and immediately under it, above
the anus, there is an opening into a kind of glandular pouch, which
separates a substance of the consistence, but not of liie odour, of
civet. This opening might have given rise to the error of the
ancients, vrho asserted, that litis animal was every year, alternately,
male and female. Such are the most striking distinctions of the
hysonn, as given us by naliiralisls; which, nevertheless, convey but
of the peculiarity of its form. Its manner of,
as remarkable ; somewhat like a dog pui
be near the ground. The head being held

IB viiry confused idea
holding the head see
ths Buent, with the ii<

manner c^^
r pursuina^H
g lield tbu^^H

DOG

', the back appears elevated, like that of llie liO|

5ng briatly band of hair thai

air of that animal;

took its name, the word In

which signifies a»ow.

words can give b
rormity, and fierceness:
quadruped, it seems
Ly, for ever growling, except when
glisten, the bristles of its back

IS all along, gives it a good deal ihe

probable that from this similitude il
ina being Greek, and derived from huf,

adequate idea of this animal's figure,
more savage and untameable than any
' be for ever in a slate of rage or rapa-
ving its food. Its eyes then
ipriglit, its head hangs low,
and yet its teeth appear ; all which gives il a moel frightful aspect,
which a dreadful howl tends to heighten. This, which 1 have often
heard, is very peculiar: its beginning resembles the voice of a man
moaning, and its lalter part as if he were making a violent effort to
vomit. As it is loud and frequent, il might, perhaps, have been
sometimes mislaken for that of a human voice in distress, and have
given rise to the accounts of the ancients, who tell us, that the hyaena
makes ils moan to attract unwary travellers, and then to destroy
them : however this be, it seems the most untractable, and, for ils
size, the most terrible of all other quadrupeds; nor does its courage
fall short of its ferocity ; it defends itself against the lion, is a match
for the panther, attacks the ounce, and seldom fails to conquer.

Il is an obscene and solitary animal, to be found chielly in tlio
most desolate and uncultivated parts of the torrid zone, of which it
is a. native.* It resides in the caverns of mountains, in the clefts of
rocks, or in dens that it has formed for itself under the earth. Though
taken never so young, it cannot be tamed ; it lives by depredation,
like the wolf, but is much stronger, and more courageous- Itsome-
limes attacks man, carries off cattle, follows the tiock, breaks open
the sheep-cots by night, and ravages with insatiable voracity. Its
eyes shine by night ; and it is asserted, not without great appearance
of truth, thai it sees belter by night than by day. When destitute
of other provision, il scrapes up the graves and devours the dead
bodies, how putrid soever. To these dispositions, which are suHi-
ciently noxious and formidable, the ancients have added numberless
others, which are long since known to be fables ; as, fof instance, thai
thehyffina was male and female alternately; that having brought
forth and suckled its young, it then changed sexes for a year, and
became a male. This, as was mentioned above, could only proceed
from the opening under the tail, which all animals of this species
are found to have; and which is found in the same manner in no
other quadruped, except the badger. There is in the weazel kind,
indeed, an opening, but it is lower down, and not placed above tho
anus, as in the badger and the hyeena. Some have said that this
animal changes the colour ofits hair at will ; others that a stone was
found in itseye, which, put under a man's tongue, gave him the gift
if prophecy : some have said, that it has no joints in the neck, which.

ANIMATE OF THE

■

bowerer, all qtwirupeds are known to have ; and some, that (lie
shadow of the hytena keeps di^9 from barking-. These, amoog many
other afanurdities, have been asserted of this quadruped ; and which
I mention to show ihe n&tural dtHpoMtion of maolcind, to load those
that are already but too guilty, with accumulated reproach.

[Mr. PeuDant describes a variety of this species, which he calls
the spotted hyiFjia. It lias a Urge and flat head ; some long hairs
above each eye ; very long whiskers on each «de of the nose; a
short black mane ; hair on the body short and smooth; ears short,
and a little pointed, their outside black, inside cinereous; face and
tipper part of the head black ; body and limbs reddish-brown,
marked with distinct black round spots ; tlie hind legs witli black
IraosTerse bars ; the tail short, black, and full of hair. It inhabits
Guinea, Ethiopia, and the Cape; lives in holes in the earth, or cleCu
of the rocks; preys by night ; howb horribly ; breaks into the folds,
and kills two or three sheep ; devours as much as it can, and carries
away one for a future repast; will attack mankind, scrape open
graves, and devour the dead. Bosmao has given this creature the
name of jackall; by which Buffon being misled, makes it synony-
mous with the common jackall. This hyasna is called tlie tiger-itoif
by the colonists at the Cape, where it is a very common and formi-
dable beast of prey.

Of this animal, the following story is related by Dr. Sparmann,
in his Voyage to the Cape, for the truth of which, however, be does
not entirely vouch: —

" At a feast near the Cape, one night, a trumpeter, who had gal
his fill, was carried out of doors, in order that he might cool himself,
and get sober again. The scent of him soon drew thither a tiger-
wolf, which threw him on his back, and dragged him along with him
as a corpse, and consequently a fair prize, up towards Table-moun-
tain. During this, however, our drunken musician awaked, enough
in his senses to know the danger of his situation, and to sound the
alarm with his trumpet, which he carried fastened lo his side. The
wild beast, as may easily be supposed, was not less frightened in his
; and thus afforded the trumpeter an opportunity of making his
escape."]

WSA9SI. UNP. S9

CHAPTER 11.

OF ANIMA|L« OF THI^ WEASEL KINP.

Having described the bolder rank« of camiToroas animals, we now
come to a minuter and more feeble class, less formidable indeed
than any of the former, but far more numerous, and, in proportion
to their size, more active and enterprising. The weasel kind maj
be particularly distinguished from other carnivorous animals, by the
length and slendemess of their bodies, which are so fitted as to wind,
like worms, into very small openings, after their prev; and hence,
also/t)iey have received the name of vermin, fW)m their similitude to
the worm in this particular. These animals differ firom all of the
cat kind, in thQ formation and disposition of the claws, which, as in
the dog kind, they can neither draw in nor extend at pleasure, as
cats are known to do. They differ from the dog kind, in being
clothed rather with fbr than hair; and although some varieties of
the fox may resemble them ii| this particular, yet the coat of the
latter is lopger, stronger, and always resembling hair. Besides these
distinctions^ all animals of the weasel kind have glands placed near
the anus, that either open into, or beneath it, fiimishing a substance,
that, in some, has the most offensive smell in nature, in others, the
most pleasing perfume. All of this kind are still more marked by
their habituoes and dispositions than their external form; cruel,
voracious, and cowardly, they subsist only by theft, and find then*
chief protection in their minuteness. They are all, from the short-
ness of their legs, slow in pursuit; and therefore owe then* support
to their patience, assiduity, and cunning. As their prey is preca-
rious, they live a long time without food ; and if they happen to fall
in where it is in plenty, th^y instantly destroy all about them before
they begin to satisfy Uieir appetite, and suck the blood of every ani-
mal before they begin to touch its flesh.

These are the marks common to this kind, all the species of which
have a most striking resemblance to each other; and he thpit has
seen one, in some measure may be si^id to have seen all. The chief
distinction in this numerous class of animals, is to be taken from the
size, for no words can give the minute irregularities of that outline
by which one species is to be distinguished from that which is next
it. I will begin, therefore, with the least and the best known of this
kind, and, still marking the size, will proceed gradually to larger
and larger, until we come from the weasel to the glutton, which I
take to be the largest of all. The weasel will serve as a mode] for
all the rest; and, indeed, the points in which they differ from this
little. animal are but very inconsiderable.*

[* This class of quadrupeds have s!z euttlng teeth in each jaw ; those of
the upper jaw, erect, sharp pointed, and distinct ; of the lower jaw, l^litBter,
huddled together, and two plaeed within the line of the rest: the tongue is
smooth.]

VOL. II. — No, XXI. E

Bi AwntAvi or TWE

The WeoBet," oa was said, is the smallest of this numerous tribe ;
its length not exceeding seven inches, from the tip of the nose to
the insertion of the tail. This length, however, seems to be very
great, if we compare it with the height of the animal, which is not
above an inch and a half. In measuring the wolf, we Und him to
be not above once and a half as long as he is high ; in observing the
weasel, we find il near five times as long as it is high, which ahows
an amazing disproportion. The tail also, which is bushy, is two
inches and a. half long, and adds to the apparent length of iJiis little
animal's body. The colour of the weasel is of a reddish-brown on
the back and sides, but white under the throat and the belly. It
Las whiskers like a cat, and thirty -two teeth, which is two more than
any of the cat kind ; and these also seem better adapted for tearing
and chewing than those of the cat kind are. The eyes are little
and black; the ears short, broad, and roundish, and have a fold at
the lower part, which makes them look as if they were double.
Beneath the corners of the mouth, on each jaw, is a spot of brown.

This animal, though very diminutive to appearance, is neverlhe
less a very formidable enemy to quadrupeds a hundred limes its own
size. It is very common and well known in most parts of this coun-
try; but seems held in very different estimation in different parts of
it. Id those places where sheep or lambs are bred, the weasel is a
most noxious inmate, and every art is used to destroy it ; on the
contrary, In places where agriculture is cliiefly followed, the weasel
is considered as a friend that thins tlie number of such vermin bh
cbieHy live upon corn : however, in all places, il is one of the most
untameable and untractable animals in the world. f When kept in
a cage, either for the purposes of amusement or inspection, it will
not touch any part of its victuals while any body looks on. It keeps
in a continual agitation, and seems frighted so much at the sight of
mankind, that it will die if not permitted to hide itself from their
presence. For this purpose, it must be provided, in its cage, with a
sufficient quantity of woo! or hay, in which it may conceal itself,
and whore it may carry whatever it has got to eat ; which, however,
it will not touch until it begins to putrefy. In this stale il is seen to
pass three parts of the day in sleeping ; and reserves the night for its
time of exercise and eating.

In its wild state, the night is likewise the time during which it may
be properly said to live. At the approach of evening, it is seen
stealing from its hole, and creeping about the farmer's yard for its
prey. If it enters the place where poultry are kept, it never attacks
the cocks or the old hens, but immediately aims at the young ones.
It does not eat ils prey on the place, but, after killing it by a single
bite near the head, and with a wound so small that the place can
scarcely be perceived, it carries it off to its young, or ils retreat. It
also breaks and sucks the eggs, and sometimes kills the hen that
sltempts to defend them It is remarkably active; and, iji a con^

WEASEL KIND.

fioed place, scarcely any aoimal can escape it. It will run ap the
sidea afwalls with such facility, that no place is secure from it; and
its body is so sroBl], that there is scarcely any hole but what it can
wind through. During the summer its ezcuraions are more ex-
lenHiTe; but in winter it chieSy confines itself in barns and farm-
yards, where it remains till spring, and where it brings forth ita
young. All this season it makes war upon the rais and mice, with
slill greater success than the cat ; for being more active and slender,
il pursues iJiem into their holes, and, after a short resistance, destroys
them. It creeps also into pigeon-holes, destroys the young, catches
sparrows, and all kind of small birds ; and, if it has brought forth
its young, hunts with slill greater boldness and avidity. In sum-
mer, it ventures farther from the house; and particularly goes into
those places where the ral, its cliiofeNi prey, goes before it. Accord-
ingly it is found in the lower grounds, by the dde of waters,
near mills, and often is seen to hide its young in the hollow of a
tree.

The female takes every precaution to make an easy bed for her
little ones : she lines the bottom of her hole with grass, hay, leaves,
and moss, and generally brings forth from three to live at a time.
All animals of this, as well as those of the dog kind, bring forth their
young with closed eyesi but they very soon acquire strength sulfi-
cieni to fdlow the dam in her excurwons, and assist in her projects
of petty rapine. The weasel, like all others of its kind, does not run
on equably, but moves by bounding ; and when it climbs a tree, by
a single spring it geia a good way from the ground. It jumps in
the same manner upon its prey; and, having an extremely limber
body, evades the attempts of much stronger animals to seize it.

This animal, like all of its kind, has a very strong smell; and
that of the weasel is peculiarly felid. This scent is very distinguish-
able in those creatures when they void their excrement; for the
glands which furnish this fetid substance, which is of the consistence
of suet, open directly into the orifice of the anus, and taint the ex-
crement with the strong effluvia. The weasel smells more strongly
in summer than in winter; and more abominably when irritated or
pursued, than when at its case. It always preys in silence, and
never has aery except when struck, and then it has a rough kind of
squeaking, which at once expresses resentment and pain, lla appe-
tite for animal food never forsakes it; and it seems even to lake a
pleasure in the vicinity of purtefacUon, M. Bullon tells us of one
of them being found, with three young ones, in the carcass of a wolf
that was grown putrid, and that had been hung up by the hind legs
as a terror to others. Into this horrid retreat the weasel thought
proper to retire to bring forth her young : she had furnished the
cavity with hay, grass, and leaves; and the young were just brought
Ibrlh when they were discovered by a peasant passing that way.

anImau of t&e

THE ERMPtE. OB STOAT.
Next lo the weaze) in aze, stid perTectlj alike iii figure.
Ermine. The diflerence between (Jiii aod tbe rormer animal w4
•mall, thai many, and amonsr tbe reel LicHueu*, who giTea bul«
detcripticm «f both, have con roaiujed the iwi>kiad«M^ellier. How-
ever, their diflerencei are Bufficient lo induce later iMiuraliMs to w|k
poie the two Iciodi distiiKti and aa their lighla aeem prererable, we
choose to Mlow their descriptiMu.*

The itoat or ermine differe from the weasel in size, being inually
nine inches long, whereas the former is not much abo^e sii. The
tail of the ermine is alwaj« lipped with black, and is longer in pro-
portion to the body, and better furnished with hair. The edges of
the ears and the ends of the toes in tbis animal are of a yellowish
while ; and although il ii of the same colour with the weasel, beiag
of a lightish brown, and though both this animal as well as the
weaael, id the roost northern parts of Eurojie, changes its colour in
winter, and becomes white, yet even then the weasel may be easily
diitioguiahed from the ermine, by the tip of the tail, which in the
tatter is always black.

It is well known that the fur of the ermine is the most valuable of
any hJlheno known ; and it is in winter only that this little animal
baa it of the proper colour and consi»ience. In nunimur, ilie ermine,
as was said before, is brown, and it may at that lime more pri^rly
be called the sloaL There are few so unacquaitiled with quad-
rupeds Bs not to perceive Ibis change of colour in the hair, which in
some degree obtains in them all. The horse, the cow, and the goat,
all manifestly change colour in the beginning of summer, the old
long hair falling off, and a shorter coat of hair appearing in its
room, generally of a darker colour, and yet more glossy. What
obtains in our temperate climate, is seen to prevail still more sirongl
in those regions where (he winters are long and severe, ar '
summers ahart and yet generally hot in an extreme degree,
animal has strength enough, during that season, to throw off a
coat of fur, which would bat incommode it, and continues for
three months in a state somewhat resembling the ordinaiy quad'
rupods of the milder chmaies. At the approach of winter, however,
the cold increasing, the coat of hair seems lo Uiiclcen in proportion;
from being coarse ond short it lengthens and grows finer, while mul-
titudes of smaller hairs grow up between the longer, thicken the
coat, and give it all that warmth and soflness which arc ^^ so much
valued in the furs of the northern animals.

It is no easy matter to account for this remarkable warmth of the
furs of northern quadrupeds, or how ihey come I
such an abundant covering. It is easy enough,
nature lits them lluis for the climate ; and, like ai

What
■ongb^^^

1 be furnished with
ndeed, to say that
indulgent motbei^^^

UTUI

■HTEASET, KITSD.

when ^te exposes tlieiu to ihe rigour of an iniemperBte winter, wp-
pHM them with a covering agunst ils inclemeacy . Rnt this is onlj'
Oouriahing : it is not ea'y, I sev, to tell how nelure comes to furaish
them in this manner. A few particulars on this sabject are all that
we yet know. Ii is observable among qiiadrupeds, as well as even
among the hnman species itself, that a thin sparing diet is apt to
produce hair : children thai hove be?n ill fed, faniishod dogs and
horses, are more hairf than others whose food hat been more plen-
tiful. This may, therefore, be one cause that the animals of the

orth, in winter, are more hairy than those of the milder climates.

it that season, the whole country is covered with deep snow, and
_ le provisions which these creatures are able to procure can be b»t
precarious an<J scanty. Its becomifig finer tnay also proceed from
the severity of the cold, that contracts the pores of the skin, and the
hair consequently takes the shape of the aperture through which it
grows, as wires are made smaller by being drawn through a smaller
orifice. However this may be, bU the animals of the arctic climates
may be said to have their winter and summer garments, except very
far (0 the north, as in Greenland, where the cold is so continually
intense, and the food so scarce, that neither the bears nor foxes
change colour,*

The ermine, as was said, is remarkable among these for the soft-
ncM, the closeness, and the warmth of its fur. It is brown in sum-
mer, like the weasel, and changes colour before the winter is begun,
beconjing a beautiful cream colour, all except the tip of the tail, as
was said before, which still continues black. M. Daubenlon had
one of these brought him with its white winter fur, which he put into
a cage and kept, in order to observe the manner of moulting its
hair. He received it in ihe beginning of March ; in a very short
time it began to shed its coat, and a mixture of brown was seen to
prevail among tlie white, so that at the 9th of the same month
its head was nearly become of a reddish-brown, Day after day this
colour appeared to extend, aiRrst along the neck and down the back,
in the manner of a stripe of abont half an inch broad. The fore
part of the legs then assumed the same colour ; a part of the head,
the thighs, and the tail, were the last that changed ; but at the end
of the month there was no white remaining, except on those parts
which are always white in this species, particularly the throat and
the belly. However, he had not the pleasure of seeing this animal
resnme its former whiteness, although he kept it for above two years ;
which, without doubt, was owing to its imprisoned state ; this colour
being partly owing to its stinted food, and partly to the rigour of the
leason. During its state of confinement, this little animal always
continued very wild and tmtractable ; forever in a stale of violent
agitation, except when asleep, which it often continued for three
parts of the day. Except for its most disagreeable scent, it was an

IiMXtremely pretty creature, its eyes sprightly, its jAysiognomy ^_
I ■ (.■railll> Hislnrj of (irrprlHiH!. Tol. ,. p, 7!. ^H

88 AMIMAI-S OP THE

pleasant, oad its motioni so swif^ (Ijat ihe eye could icarcely attend
them. It was fed with eggs and Hesh, but it always let them putrefy
before it touched either. As some of this bind are known to be fond
of honey, it was tried to feed this animal with such food for a while :
after having for three or four days deprived it of other food, it ate of
this, and died shortly after ; a strong proof of its beiing a distinct
species from the polecat or the martin, who feed upon honey, but
otherwise pretty much resemble the ermine in their figure and dis-

rope and Siberia, their skins make a valuable
article of commerce, and they are found there much more frequently
than among us. In Sibeiia they burrow in the Gelds, and are taken
in traps baited with flesh. In Norway they are either shot with blunt
arrows, or taken in traps made of two flat stones; one being propped
with a slick, to which is fastened a baited airing, and when the ani-
mals attempt to pull this away, the stone drops and crushes them to
de^lh. This animal is sometimes found white in Great Britain, and
is then called a white weasel. Its furs, however, among us are of
no value, having neither the thickness, the closeness, nor the white-
ness of those which come from Siberia. The fur of the ermine, in
every country, changes by time ; fur, as much of its beautiful
whiteness is given it by certain arts known to tlie furriers, so its
natural colour returns, and lis former whiteness can never be restored
again.

THE FERRET, ^

The animal next in size to the ermine is the Ferret; which is a
kind of domestic in Europe, Uioiigh said lo be originally brought
from Africa into Spain, which being a country abounding in rabbits,
required an Animal of this kind, more than any other: however this
be, it is not to be found at present among us, except in its domes-
tic Slate ; and it is chiefly kept tame, for the purposes of the
warren.

The ferret is about one foot long, being nearly four inches longer
than llie weasel. It resembles that animal in the slendernesa of its
body, and the shurlness of its legs ; but its nose is sharper, and its
body more slender, in proportion to its length. The ferret is com-
monly of a cream colour; but they are also found of ell the colours
of the weasel kind; white, blackish, brown, and party-coloured.
Those that are of the whitish kind, have their eyes red, as is almost
general with all animals entirely of that colour. But its principal
distinction from the weasel is the length of the hair on its tail, which
is much longer in the ferret than the weasel. Words will not well
express the other distinctions; and what might take up a page ift
dull discrimination, a (tingle glance of the eye, when the
themselves are presented, can discover-

WEASEI. KIND.

As Ihi* aoimal is a native of ihe torrid zone,* so it caanot benr
the rigours of our climate witliout care and shelter, and it generally
repays the trouble of its keeping by its great agility in the warren.
It is naturally such an enemy ol'lhe rabbit kind, tliat if a dead rab-
bit be presented to a young ferret, although it has never seen one
before, it instantly atturks and bites it with an appcaranoe of rapa-
city. If the rabbit be living, the ferret is still more eager, seizes it
by the neck, winds itself round it, and continues to suck its blood till
it be satiated.

Their chief use in warrens, is to enter the holes, and drive the
rabbits into the nets that are prepared for them at the mouth. For
this purpose, the ferret is muzzled; otherwise, instead of driving
out the rabbit, it would content itself with killing and sucking its
blood at the bottom of the hole; but by this contrivance, being ren-
dered unable to seize its prey, the rabbit escapes from itn claws, and
instantly makes to the mouth of the hole will) sucli precipitation, that
it is inextricably entangled in the net placed there for its receplioii.
It often happens, however, that the ferret disengages itself of its
muzzle, and tlten it is most commonly lost, unless it be dug out ; for
finding all iu wants satisfied in the warren^ it never thinkii of relum-
ing to the owner, but continues to lead a rapacious solitary life whilu
the summer continues, and dies with the cold of tlie winter. In
order to bring tlie ferret from liia hole, the owners often burn straw
and other substances at the moutli ; they also beat above, to terrify
it : but this does not always succeed ; for as there are often several
issues to each hole, the ferret is affected neitlier by the noise nor the
■m<^e, but continues secure at the bottom, sleeping the greatest
part of the time, and waking only to satisfy the calls of hunger.

The female of this species t is sensibly less than the male, whom
Ae seeks with great ardour, and, it is said, often dies, without being
admitted. They are usually kept in boses, with wool, of which they
make themselves a warm bed, that serves to defend them from tlie
rigour of the climate. They sleep almost continually, and the instant
(hey awake, iliey seem eager for food. They are usually fed with
bread uid milk. They breed twice a year. Some of ihem devour
llieir young as soon as brought forth, and then become lit for the
male again. Their nomber is ttsually from five to six at a litter;
and this is said to consist of more females than males. Upon tlio
whole, this is an useful, but a disagreeable and otfensive animal ; its
scent is fetid, its nature voracious, it is tame without any atlachment,
and such is iis appetite for blood, that it has been known to attack
and kill childern in the cradle. It is very easy to be irritated ; and,
although at all times its smell is very offensive, it then is much more
go ; and its bile is very difficult of cure.

To the ferret kind we may add an animal which M. BulTon calls
the Vansire, the skin of which was sent him stuSed from Madagas-
car. It was thirteen inches IcHig, a good deal resembling the ferret

• Biiffon. + Ibid,

40 ANlMAtS or THE

in figure, bul diflering in the number of its grinding [eelh, whicli
arouunud to twelve, whereas in llie ferret there are but eigiit ; it dif-
fered also in colour, being of a dark brown, and exactly the s&me
on all parts of its body. Of this animal, so nearly resembling the
ferrei, we have no other history bul the mere deacriplion of its figure;
and in a cjiiadruped whose kind is so strongly marked, perhaps tbk
is sufficient lo satisfy curiosity. -. _

THE POLECAT.

The polecat ia larger than the weasel, the ermine, or the ferret,
being one foot five inches long; whereas the weasel is but six inches,
the ermine nine, and the ferret eleven inches. It so much resembles
the ferrei in form, that some have been of opinion they were one
and the same animal ; nevertheless, there nre a sufficient number of

» distinct ions between them : il is, in the first place, larger than the
ferret ; it ia not quite so slender, and has a blunter nose ; it difiere
also inlernally, having but fourteen ribs, whereas the ferret has fif-
teen ; and wants one of the breast bones, which is found in the fer-
ret: however, warreners assert, that the polecat will mix with the
ferret: and they are someliraes obliged to procure an intercourse
between these two animals, to improve the breed of the latter, which,
by long conHnemeni, is sometimes seen to abate of its rapa'::ious
disponitioD. M. Bufibn denies that the ferret will admit the polecat ;
yet gives a variety, under the name of both animals, which may
Tcry probably be a spurious race between the two.
^^^ However this be, the polecat seems by much the more pleasing

^^K animal of the two; for although the long slender shape of all these
^^^1 vermin tribes gives them a very disagreeable appearance, yet the
^^^H softness and colour of the hair in some of them atones fur tlie defect,
^^^1 and renders them, if not pretty, at least not frightful. The polecat,
^^^^ lor the mo.at part, is of a deep chocolate colour; it is white about the
^^^K mouth; the ears are short, rounded, and tipt with while; a little
^^V beyond the corners of the mouth a stripe begins, which runs back-
^^^ ward, partly white and partly yellow: its hair, like that of all this
class, IS of two sorts, the long and the furry ; but in this animal
the two kinds are of different colours; the longest is black, and the
[ shorter yellowish :* the throat, feet, end tail, are blacker than any

^^^V other parts of the body; the claws are white underneath, and brown
^^^B above; and the tail is above two inches long,
^^^p It is very destructive lo young game of nil kinds : t but the rabbit
^^H seems to be its favourite prey ; a single polecat is oflen sufficient to
I destroy a whole warren ; for, with that insatiable thirst for blood

vhich is natural to all the weasel kind, it kills much more than it can

I devour; and I have seen twenty rabbits si a lime laken out dead,
which they had destroyed, and that by a wound which wa» hardly _
■ Riy's Syiin|i9is. ^ Brilish Zoology, vol. i. p. 7S. ^H

TVEASEL KIND. 41

perceptible. Their *iie, honever, which in so mucli larger than the
wesae), renders their retreais near houses much more precarioiu;
although I have seen ihem burrow near » rillage, so as scarcely to
be estirpeled. But in general they reside in woods or thick brakes,
making holes under ground of about two yards deep, commonly
ending among the roots of large trees, for greater security. In win-
ter they frequent houses, and make a common practice of robbing
the hen-roost and the dairy.

The polecat is particularly dealructive among pigeons,* when it
gets into a dove-hoiise ; without making su much noise as the weasel,
k does a great deal more mischief; it dispatches each with a single
wound in the head, and, after killing a great number, and satiating
itself with their blood, it then begins to thinkof carrying them home.
This it carefully performs, going and returning, and bringing them
one by one to its hole ; but if it should happen that the opening by
which it got into the dove-honse, be not large enough for the body
of the pigeon to get through, this mischievous creature contents
itself with carrying away the heads, and makes a most delicious feast
upon the brains.

It b not less fond of honey, attacking the hives in winter, and
forcing the bees away. It does not remove far from houses in win-
ter, as its prey is not so easily found in the woods durmg that season.
The female brings forth her young in summer, to the number of five
or six at a time ; these she soon trains to her own rapacious habits,
supplying the want of milk, which no carnivorous quadruped has in
plenty, with the blood of such animals as she happens to seise, The
fur of this animal is considered as soft and warm ; yet it is in less
estimation then some of a much inferior kind, from its offensive smell,
which can never be wholly removeil or suppressed. The polecat
■eerai to be an inhabitant of the temperate climates,^ scarcely any
being found towards the north, and but very few in the warmer
latitudes. The species appear to be confined in Europe, from Poland
to Italy. It is certain that these animals are afraid of the cold, as
they are often seen to come into houses in winter, and as their tracks
are never found in the snow near their retreats. It is probable, also,
ibat they are afraid of beat, as they are but thinly scattered in the
■outhem climates.

THE MARTIN.

The Martin is a larger animal than any of the former, being
genendly eighteen inches long, and the tail ten more. It differs
from the polecat, in being about four or five inches longer; its tail
also is longer in proportion, and more bushy
Ratter; its cry is sharper and more piercing
el^ant ; and what still adds to their beauty.

I
I

t the end

its colours are more
ila scent, very unlike

tOL. 11. — No. XXI.

43 ANIH his OV THE

the former, iaalead of being ofleosive,
perfume. Tbe martin, in short, is
beasts of prey ; its head is small and elegantly formed ; its eyes
lively; its ears are broad, rounded and open; its back, its sides, and
tail, are covered with a fine thicL downy fur, witli longer hair ioter-
niixed ) the roota are ash-colour, the middle of a bright chesnut, the
poiuts black ; the head is brown, with a slight cast of red ; the legs,
and upper sides of the feet, are of a chocolate colour ; the palms, or
undereideg, are covered with a ttiick down, like that of the body ; the
feet are broad, the claws white, brge and sharp, well adapted for the
purposes of climbing, but, as in others of the weasel kind, incapable
of being sheathed or unsheathed at pleasure; the throat and breast
are white ; tho belly of the same colour with (he back, but rather
paler ; the hair on the tuU is very long, especially at tho end, where
it appears much thicker than near tbe insertion.

There is also a variety of this animal, called the Yelhw-breatted
Martin, which in no respect diifers from the former, except that
this has a yellow breast, whereas the other has a white one : the
colour of the body also is darker; and, as it lives more among trees
than tlio other martin, its fur is oiore valuable, beautiful, and glowy.
The former of these M. Biiffon calls the Fuuine ; the latter, simply
the Martin ; and he supposes them to be a distinct species : but a*
they differ only in colour, it is unnecessary to embarraH history bj^
a new distinctioi), where there is only so minute a difference.

Of all animals of the weasel khid,the martin is the most pleastng;^
all its motions show great grace, as well as agility; and there is
scarcely an animal in our woodstlial will venture to oppose it. Quad-
rupeds five times a^ big are easily vanquished ; the hare, the sheep,
and even the wild cat itself, though much stronger, is not a match
for the martin : and although carnivorous animals are not fond of
engaging each other, yet the wild cat and the martin seldom meet
without a combaL Gesner telU us of one of this kind that he kept
tame, which was extremely playful and pretty ; it went among the
houses of the neighbourhood, and always returned home when
hungrv: it was extremely fond uf a dog that had been bred up with
U, ana used to play with it as cats are seen to play, lying on its
back, and biting without anger or injury. That which was kept
tame by iM. Buffon, was not quite so social ; it was divested of its
ferocity, but continued without attachment; and was still so wild as
to be obliged to be held by a chain. Whenever a cat appeared, it
prepared for war; and if any of the poultry came within its reach,
it flew upon them with avidity. Though it was lied by the middle
of the body, it frequently escaped : at first, it returned after some
hours, but without seeming pleased, as if it only came to be fed;
the next time it continued abroad longer; and at last went away
without ever returning. It was a female, and was, when it went off,
a year and a half old; and M. Buffon supposes it to have gone in
quest of the male. It ate every thing that was given it, except sallad
or herbs; and it was remarkably fond of honey. It was remarked

WBASEL EIND. 43

tbat it dniDk oflen, and ofton alepl Tor two days together; and that,
in like manner, it was often two or three days without sleeping.
Before it went lo sleep, it drew itself up into a round, hid ita head,
and covered it with He tail. When awake it was in continual agi-
latiort, and was obliged to be tied up, not less lo prevent its attadc-
iag the poultry, than to hinder it (rora breaking whabiver it came
Dear, by the capricious wildness of its motions.

The yellow- breasted martin is much more common in France than
in England ; and yet even there this variety is much scarcer than
that with the white breast. The latter keeps nearer houses Bnd
villages, to make its petty ravages among the sheep and the poultry ;
tlje other keeps in the woods, and leads in every respect a savage
life, building its nest on the tops of trees, and living upon such ani-
mals as are entirely wild like itself. About nighufoll it usually
quits ita solitude to seek its prey, hunts after squirrels, rats, and
rabbits; destroys great numbers of birds and their young, lakes the
eggs from the nest, and ol^en removes them to its own without break-
ing.* The instant the martin finds itself pursued by dogs, for which
purpose there is a peculiar breed that seem fit for this chase only, it
immediately makes to its retreat, which is generally in the hollow of
some tree, towards the top, and which it is impossible lo come at
without cutting it down. The nest is generally the original tenement
of the squirrel, which that little animal bestowed great pains in
completing; but the martin having killed and dispossessed the little
architect, takes possession of it for its own use, enlarges its dimen-
sions, iinproTes the softness of the bed, and in that retreat brings
forth its young. Its litter is never above three or four nt a time :
they are brought forth with the eyes closed, as in all the rest of this
kind, and very soon come to a stale of perfection. The dam com-
pensates for her own deficiency of milk, by bringing them eggs and
live birds, accustoming them from the beginning tu a life of carnage
and rapine. When she leads them from the ne^t into lite woods,
the birds at once distinguish their enemies, and attend them, as we
before observed of the fox, with all the marks of alarm end ani-
mosity. Whei'ever Ihe martin conducts her young, a flock of small
birds are seen threatening and insulting her, alarming every thicket,
anil often directing the hunter in his pursuit.

The martin is more common in North America than in any pert
of Europe. These animals are found in all the northern parts of the
world, from Siberia to China and Canada. In every country they
are hunted for Iheir furs, which are very valuable, and chiefly so
wbeo taken in the beginning of winter. The most esleeiiied part of
the martin's skin is that part of it which is browner than the rest.
Mid stretches along the back-bone. Above twelve thousand of these
skins are annually imported into England from Hudson's Buy, and
Above thirty thousand from Canada.

* Brou>e's Natnral History.

ANIMALS OP THE

I
I

THE BABLE.

Most of the claasea of the weasel kind would have continnet}
utterly unknown and disregarded were it not for their furs, which are
finer, more glossy and soft, than those of any other quadruped.
Tlieir dispositions are fierce and untameable ; their scent generally
offensive; and their figure disproporiioned and unpleaaing. The
knowledge of one or two of ihem would, therefore, have BuSiced
curiosity ; and (he rest would probably have been confounded toge-
ther, under one common name, as things useless and uninteresting,
had not their skins been coveted by the vain, and considered as ca-
pable of adding to human magniQcence or beauty.

Of all these, however, the skin of the sable is the most coveted,
and held in the highest esteem. It is of a brownish-black, and the
darker it is, it becomes the more valuable. A single akin, though
not above four inches broad, is often valued at ten or fifteen pounds ; *
the fur differing from others in this, that it has no grain ; so that,
rub it which way you will, it is equally smooth and unresisting.
Nevertheless, though this little aniraal's robe was so much coveted
by the great, its history till of late was but very little known; and
we are obliged to M. Jonelin for the first accurate description of its
form and nature.*!' From him we learn that the sable resembles the
martin in form and size, and the weasel in the number of its teeth;
for it is to be observed, that whereas the martin has thirty-eight teeth,
the weasel has but thirty-four; in this respect, therefore, the sable
seems to make the shade between these two animals, being shaped
Uke the one, and furnished with teeth like the other. It is also fur-
nished with very large whiskers about the mouth; its feet are broad,
and, as in the rest of its kind, furnished with tive claws on each foot.
These are its constant marks ; but its fur, for which it is so much
valued, is not always the same. Some of this species are of a dark
brown over all the body, except the ears and the throat, where tlie
hair is rather yellow; others are more of a yellowish tincture, their
ears and throat being also much paler. These in both are (he colours
they have in winter, and which they are seen to change in the be-
ginning of the spring ; the former becoming of a yellow-brown, and
the latter of a pale yellow. In other respects they resemble their
kind, in vivacity, agility, and inquietude; in sleeping by day and
seeking their prey by night; in living npon smaller animals;
and in the disagreeable odour that chiefly characterizes their race.

They generally inhabit along the banks of rivers, in shady places,
and in the thickest woods. They leap with great ease from tree to
tree, and are said to be afraid of the sun, which tarnishes the lustre
of their robes. They are chiefly hunted in winter for their skins,
during which part of the year only they are in season. They are
mostly Ibund in Siberia, and but very few in any other country or

" Rpgnard.

• Buffoo, vol. ]

. Its.

WBASEL KIND.

1^.
K^

the world ; and thU icarcity it is which enhanues their Talue, The
hunting of the sable cbietly falls to the lot of the condemned crimi-
nals, who are sent from Kussia into these wild and extensive forests,
that for a great part of ihe year are covered with snow ; and in this
instance, as in many others, the luxuries and ornaments of the vain
are wrought out of the dangers and the miseries of the wretched.
These are obliged to furnish a certain number of skins every year,
and are punished if the proper quantity be not provided.

The sable is also killed by the Russian soldiers, who are sent into
those parts to that end. They are taxed a certain number of skina
yearly, like the former, and are obliged to shoot with only a single
ball, to avoid spoiling the skin, or else with a cross-bow and blunt
BiTows. As an encouragement to the hunters, they ore allowed to
^are among themselves the surplus of those skins which they thus
procure ; and this, in the course of six or seven years, amounts to a
TBiy considerable sum. A colonel during his seven years' stay,
about four thousand crowns for his share, and the common

in six or seven hundred each for theirs.

THE ICHNEUMON.

I 11 Ii

The Ichneumon, which some have injudiciously denominated ihe
if Pharoah, is one of tlie boldest and most useful animals of all
the weasel kind. In the kingdom of Egypt where it is chiefly bred,
it is used for the same purposes tlial rats are in Europe, and it is even
more serviceable, as being more expert in catching mice than they.
This animal is usually of the size of the martin, and greatly resem-
bles it in appearance, except that the hair, which is of a. grisly black,
is much rougher and less downy. The tail also is not so bushy at
the end ; and each hair in particular has three or four colours, which
are leen in different dispositions of its body. Under its rougher
hairs there is a soUer fur of a brownish colour, the rough hair being
about two inches long, but that of the muzzle extremely short, as
likewise that on the legs and paws. However, being long since
brought into a domestic state, there are many varieties in (his ani-
mal; some being much larger than the martin, others much less;
gome being of a lighter mixture of colours, and some being streaked
in the manner of a cat.

The ichneumon, with all the strength of a cat, has more instinct
uid agility; a more universal appetite for carnage, and a greater
Tariety of powers to procure it.'" Rats, mice, birds, serpents, lizards,
and insects, are all equally pursued; it attacks every living thing
iriiich it is able to overcome, and indiscriminately preys on flesh of
all kinds. Its courage is equal to the vehemence of its appetites.
It fears neither the force of the dog northe insidious malice of the

s eitracled from M. Buflbn, »XMpt vbe

I
I

46 ANIMALS OF THE

est; D«(her the daws of the vnlture nor the poison of ihe viper, ttiM
make* war opon all binds of serpents with great aridiiT, seizes ami
kitb them how venocaous soever they be ; and we are told that wh«i
it begins to perceive ihe effects of their rage, it has recoone to b
certain root, which the Indians call after its name, and assert to be
an antidote for tite bite of the asp or the viper.

But what this animal is partiiuiiarljr serviceable to the Egy^vm
for is, that it discovers aod destroys the eggs of ihe crocodile. U'
also kills the youDg ones that have not as yet been able to readi
the water; and, as fable usually goes hand in hand with truth, it U
said that the ichneiiroon sometimes enters ihe mouth of Che crocodili
when il is found sleeping on the shore, boldly attacks the enemy U
the inside, and at lengUi, when it bos eflectoally destroyed it, it eala
its way out again-

Tlie ichneumon when wild generally resides along the banks of
rivers ; and in times of inundation makes to the higher ground, often
approaching inhabited places in quest of prey. It goes forward
silently and cautiously, changing its manner of moving according to
its necesnties. Sometimes it carries the head high, shortens its body,
and rai^s itself upon its legs; sometimes it lengthens itself, sad
aeems to creep along the ground ; it is oi\en observed to sit upon its
hind legs, like a dog when taught to beg ; but more commonly it is
seen to dart like an arrow upon its prey, and seize it vnth inevitable
certainty. Its eyes are sprightly and full of fire, its physiognomy
setisible, its body nimble, it« tail long, and its hair rough and variotu.
Like all of its kind, it has glands that open behind, and furnish an
odorous substance. Its nose is too sharp and its mouth too small to
permit its seizing things Chat are large ; liowever, il makes up by its
courage and activity its want of arms ; it easily strangles a cat,
though stronger and larger than itself; and often fights wich dogs,
which, though never so bold, learn to dread the ichneumon as afoi-r
midable enemy. Il also takes ilie waler'like the otter, and, as w«
are told, will continue under it much longer.

This animal grows fast, and dies soon. It is found in great ni
bers in all the southern parts of Asia, from Egypt to Java: and il
also found in Africa, particularly at the Cape of Good Hope. It ii
domestic, aa was said, in Egypt ; but in our colder climate it is not
easy to breed or maintain them, as they are not able to support Ibe
rigour of our winters. Nevertheless they take every precaution that
instinct can dictate Co keep themselves warm ; they wrap themselves
up into a ball, hiding ttie head between the legs, and in this manner
continue to sleep all day long. " Seba had one sent him from the
inland of Ceylon, which he permitted to run for some months abottt
the house. It was heavy and slothful by day, and oflen could not
be awaked even with a blow; but it made up this indolence by its
nocturnal activity, smelling about without either being wholly lame
or wholly mischievous. It climbed up the walls and the trees with
very great ease, and appeared eslrcmely fond of spiders and worms,
which it preferred, probably from their resemblance to serpents, its

WBASBL KIND. 47

ntMt natural food. It was also particularlj eager to scratch up holes
in the graund ; and this, added to iu wildness and uncleaulinesB,
' obliged our Daturatisl to siuollier it in spirits in order to preserve it,
' iipd then added it tu the rest of his colleclion.

This animal was one of ihow formerly worahipped bj the Egyp.
r^uis,wha cuosidcred every thing that vas serviceable to lliem as an
L.finaDBtion of tite Deity, and worsldpped such as the best representa-
LliyesorGod below. Indeed, if we consider the number of eggs
I iriuch the crocodile lays in the sand at a time, which ollen amount^
L'to three or four hundred, we have reason to admire this Mule animat'ii
[ juefultiess, as well as industry, in destroying them, since otherwise
r^ crocodile might be produced in sufficient numbers to overrun the
I ^ole earth.

kind, :

THE STINKARDS.

Tbis is a name which our sailors give to one or two animals of the
' ksnd, which are chielly foufid in America. All the weasel
kind, as was already observed, have a very strong smell ; some of

im indeed approaching to a perfbme, but the greatest number
t insupportably fetid. But the smell of our weasels, and ermines,
polecats, is fragrance itself, when compared tu lliat of the Squash
the Skini, which have been called the polecats of America.
le two are found in different parts of America, both diScring in
colour and fur, but both obviously of the weasel kind, as appears
aot only from their figure and oduiu", but also from their disposition.
The squash is about the size of a polecat, its hair of a deep brown,
but principally diiTering from all this kind, in having only four toes
tta the feet before, whereas all other weasels have five. The skink,
which f take to be Catesby's Virginia Polecat, resembles a polecat
is shape and size, but particularly differs in the length of ils hair
and colour. The hair is above three inches and a half long, and
that at the end of the tail above four inches. The colour is partly
black and partly white, variously disposed over the body, very
glossy, long, and beautiful. There seem tu be two varieties more
of this animal, which M. Bufibn calls the Conepate and the Zofille,
He supposes each to be a distinct species ; but as they are both said
to resemble the polecat in form, and both to be clothed with long fur
of a black and white colour, it seems needless to make a distinction.
The conepate resembles the skink in all things, except in size, being
gmaller; and in the disposition of its colours, which are more exact,
faanng five while stripes upon a black ground, running longitudinally
from the head to the tail. The zorille resembles the skJnk, but' is
rather smaller, and more beautifully coloured, it^ streaks of black
and white being more distinct, and the colours of its tail being black
at its insertion, and white at the extremity, whereas in the skink (hey
are all of gne grey colour.

AS ANIMALS OP THE

But whatever differences there may be in the figure or colour nt
these little animals, they all agree in one common affeclion, that of
being intolerably fetid and loathsome. I have already obserred,
that all the weasel kind have glands furnishing on odorous matter,
near the anua, the conduits of which generally have their aperture
just at its opening. That substance which is stored op in these re-
ceptacles, is in some of this kind, such as in the martin, already metW
tioned, and also in the genette and the civet, to be described herai
afler, a most grateful perfume; but in the weasel, the ermine, ths
ferret, and the polecat, it is extremely fetid and oQensive. TheH
glands in the animals now under consideration, are much larger, and'
furnish a matter sublimed to a degree of putrescence that is trul^'
ama/ing. As to the perfumes of musk and civet, we know that «
single grain will diffuse itself over a whole house, and continue for
months to spread an agreeable odour, without diminution. However,
the perfume of the musk or the civet is nothing, either for strength
or duration, to the insupportable odour of these. It is usually voided
with their excrement; and if but a single drop happens to touch
any part of a man's garment, it is more than probable that he can
never wear any part of it more.

In describing the effects produced by the excrement of these aui-
mals, we often hear of its raising this diabolical smell by ' "

However, of this I am apt to doubt; and it should seem to
as all the weasel kind have their excrements so extremely fetid fr
the cause above mentioned, we may consider these also as being fetilf
from the same causes. Besides, they are not furnished with glands
to give their urine such a smell ; and the analogy between them and
the weasel kind being so strong in other respects, we may suppose
they resemble each other in this. It has also been said, tliBt they
take this method of ejecting their excrement to defend themselves
against their pursuers ; but it is much more probable, that this ejecl-
tioQ is the convulsive effect of terror, and that it serves as their
defence without (heir own concurrence. Certain it is, that they never
smell thus horridly except when enraged or affrighted, for they are
oflen kept tame about the houses of the planters of America without
being very offensive.

The habitudes of all these animals are the same, living like all
rest of the weasel kind, as they prey upon smaller animals and bii
eggs. The squash, for instance, burrows like the polecat in
clefts of rocks, where it brings forth its young. It often steals
farm-yards, and kills the poultry, ealing only their brains. N<
it safe to pursue or offend it, for then it calls up all its scents, which
are its most powerful protection. At that lime neither men, nor

aui-^^^

intrf^"

dogs will offer to approach it; the scent is so strong, (hat it reached^^H

furhalf a mile round, and more near at hand is almost stilling. I|^^|

the dogs continue to pursue, it does all in its power to escape, Iql^^H

^^^ getting up a tree, or by some such means ; but if driven to an el!^^^|

I: 1

afkaSel KJttn. 49

that a drop of this fetid discharge falls id the eye. the person run«
the risk of being blinded for ever*

The do^ themsel\-ea instantly abate of their ardour, when they
find this extraordinary battery played off against them i they
instantly turn tail, and leave the animal undisputed master of the
6eld, and no exhortations can ever bring them to rally. "In the
year 1749," says Ksim, " one of these animals came near the farm
where 1 lived. It was in wintertime, during the night; and the dogs
that were upon the watch pursued it for some lime, until it discharged
againat them. Although I was in my bed a good way off, I thought
I should have been suffocated ; and the cows and oxen, by their
lowings, showed how much iheywere affected by the stench. About
the end of the same year another of these animals crept into our
cellar, but did not exhale the smallest scent, because it was not dis-
turbed. A foolish woman, however, who perceived it at night by
the shining of its eyes, killed it, and at that moment its stench began
to spread. The whole cellar was filled with it to such a degree,
that the woman kept her bed for several days afler; and all the
bread, meat, and other provisions, that were kept there, were so
infected, that they were obliged to be thrown out of doors." Never-
theless, many of the planters, and the native Americans, keep this
animal tame about their houses, and seldom perceive any disagree-
able scents, except it is injured or frighted. They are also knovn
to eat its flesh, which some assert to be tolerable food ; howetftr,
they take care to deprive it of those glands which arc so horridly
oBkntive.

THE QENETTE,
From- the squaah, which is the most offensive animal in nature, we
cometotheGenette, which is one of the most beautiful and pleasing.
Instead of the horrid stench with which the former affects us, this
has a most grateful odour; more faint than civet, but to some, for
that reason, more agreeable. This animal is rather less than the
martin, though there are genettes of different sizes, and I have seen
one rather larger. It also differs somewhat in the form of its body.
It is not easy, in words, to give an idea of the distinction. It re>
sembles all those of the weasel kind, in its length, compared to its
height; it resembles them in having a soft beautiful fur, in having
its feet armed with claws that cannot be sheathed, and in its appe-
tite for petty carnage. But then it differs from them in having the
nose much smaller and longer, rather resembling that of a fox than
a weasel. The tail, also, instead of being bushy, tapers to a pmnt,
and b much longer ; its ears are larger, and its paws smaller. As
to its colours, and figure in general, the genette is spotted with black,
B ti ground mixed with red and grey. It has two sorts ofhair.

K I ti ground mixed with red and grey. It has two sorts ofhair, ^^^
t VoyBSR Ae Kalm. as quoted by H. Buffnn. <ol. iivii. p. 03. ^^H

oi„ iL—No. XXIi. G ^M

A14IMAt.8 OP THB

the one shorter and softer, the other longer and stronger, but not
ahave half an inch long on any part of its body, except the tail. Its
Bpota are distinct and separate upon the sides but unite towards the
back, and form black stripes, which run longitudinally from the neck
backwards. It has also along the back a kind of mane, or [ongish
hair, which forms a black streak from the head to the tail ; which
last is niarked with rings, alternately black and while, its whole

Thegenetle, like all the rest of the weasel kind, has glands that
separate a kind of perfume, resembling civel, but which soon Hies
off. These glands open differently from those of other animals of
this kind ; for, as the latter have their apertures Just at the opening
of the anus, these have their aperture immediately under it ; so that
the male seems, for this reason, to the superficial observer, to be of
two sexes.

It resembles the martin very much ii
except that it seems tamed much mors
that he has seen them in the houses >
cats; and thaithey were permitted to r
out doing the least mischief. For this n
the Cats of Voiisianlii'opU, although they have little else in ci
with that animal, except their skill in spying out and destroying
vermin. Naiuralisla pretend that it inhabits only the moister
grounds, and chiefly resides along the banks of rivers, having never
been found in mountains nor dry places. The species is not much
diffused: it is not lo be found in any part of Europe, except Spain
and Turkey; it requires a warm climate to subsist and multiply in;
and yet it is not to be found in the warmer regions either of India or
Africa. From such as have seen its uses at Constantinople, I learn,
thnt it is one of the most beautiful, cleanly, and industrious animals
in the world ; that it keeps whatever house it is in perfectly free
frum mice and rats, which cannot endure its smell. Add to this, its
nnlure is mild and gentle, its colour various and glossy, its fur
valuable; and, upon the whole, it seems lo be one of those animals
that, with proper care, might be propagated among us, and might
become one of the most serviceable of our domestics.

n its habils and dispositions,*

easily, Belonius assures us,

t Constantinople as tame as

n every-where about, wiih-

n they have been called

THE CrVET. ^

Proceeding from the smaller to the greater of this kind, we ctmie,
in the last place, to the Civet, which is much larger than any uf tlie
former; for as the martin is not above sixteen inches long, the civet
is found to he above thirty. M. Buffon distinguishes this species
inio two kinds; one of which he calls the Civet, and the other the
Zibet. The latter principally differs from the former in having ilie
body longer and more slender, the nose smaller, the ears longer and

" Button, vol. X

. p. 187.

WEASEL KIND. 51

r long hair niiiDing down ihe back in die latter ;

i (he tail m longer, and belter marked wilh rings of different
jbloiira, from one end to (he other. These are the differenceji which
! induced this great naluralin to auppoee ihemanimnis of dinltnct
'j^eciea, and to allot each a separate deBcnplion. How far future
experience may conlinn this conjecture, time muxt discover; but cer-
tain it is, that if such ;mall varieties mnke a separate class, there
maj be mnny other animals equally entitled to peculiar distinction
that now ore classed together. We shall therefore contentourselves
at present with considering, as former naturiilisls have done, these
two merely as varieties of the same animal, and only altered in
figure, by crirtiale, food, or education.

The civet resembles animals of the weasel kind, in the long slen-
derness of its body, the shortness of its legs, the odorous matter that
exudes from the glands bshind, the softness of its fur, the number of
its claws, and their incapacity of being sheathed. It differs from
them in being much larger than any hitherto described; in having
the nose lengthened, so aa to resemble that of the fox. the tail long,
and tapering to a point, and its ears airaight, like those of a cat.
The colour of the civet varies: it is commonly ash, spotted with
black : though it is whiter in the female, tending to yellow; and the
spots are much larger, like those of a panther. The colour on the
belly and under the throat is black, whereas the other parts of the
body are black or streaked with grey. This animal varies in its
colour, being sometimes streaked, as in our kind of cats called Tabbies.
It has whiskers, like the rest of its kind; and its eye is black and
beautiful.

The opening of the potich or bag which is the receptacle of the
civet, differs from that of the rest of the weasel kind, not opening
into, but under the anus. Besides this opening, which is Urge, there
it still another lower down ; but for what purposes designed, is not
known. The pouch itself is about two inches and a hall' broad, and
two long; its opening make.i a chink from the top downwards, that is
about two inches and a half long; and it is covered on the edges, and
within with short hair : when the two sides are drawn asunder, the
inward cavity may be seen, large enough to hold a small pullet's
egg ; all round this are small glands, opening and furnishing that
strong perfume which is so well known, and is found, in this pouch,
of the colour and consistence of pomatum. Those who make it their
business to breed these animals for their perfume, usually take it from
them twice or thrice a-week, and sometimes odener. The animal is
kept in a long sort of a bos, in which it cannot turn round. The
person, therefore, opens this box behind,dragslhe animal backwards
by the tail, keeps it in this position by a bar before, and with a wooden
spoon takes the civet from the pouch as carefully as he can ; then lets
the tail go, and shuts the box again. The perfume thus procured is
sel, which he takes care tn keep shut ; and when a
It quantity ia procured, it is sold to very great advantage

I tue tait go, ai

^^^npot into a vei
^^Hpifficient qua

58 ANlMAt-S OF THE

The civet,* although « native of the warmest climates, ia found yet
to live in temperate, and even cold countries, provided it be defended
carefully from the injuries of the air. Wherefore it is not only bred
among the Turks, the Indians, and Africans, but great numbers of
these animals are also bred in Holland, wliere this scraping people
make do small gain ofiti perfume. The perfume of AmsterdaiD is
reckoned the purest ofany; the people of other countrtea adulterating
it with gums, and otiier mailers, vhich diminish its value, but increase
its weight. The quantity which a single animal affords generally
depends upon its health and nourishment It gives more in proportion
as it is more delicately and abundantly fed. Ran flesh, hashed small,
eggs, rice, birds, young fowls, and particularly fish, are the kinds of
food the civet most delights in. These are to be changed and
altered, to suit and entice ila appetite, and continue its health. It
gets but very little water; and although it drinks but rarely, yet it
makes urine very frequently ; and upon auch occasions we cannot,
as in other animals, distinguish the male from the female.

The perfume of the civet is so strong, that it communicates itself
to all parts of the animnl's body ; the fur is impregnated thereby,
and theskin penetrated to such a degree, that it continues to preserve
the odour for a long time after it is stript off. If a. person be shut
up with one of them in a close room, he cannot support the perfume,
which is so copiously diffused. When the am*mal is irritated, as in
all the weasel kind, its scent is much more violeui than ordinary;
and if it be tormented so as to make it sweat, this also is a. strong
perfume, and serves tu adulterate ot increase what is otherwise
obtained from it. In general it is sold in Holland for about R(iy
shillings an ounce ; although, like all olljer commodities, its value
alters in proportion to the demand. Civet must be chosen new, of
B good consistence, a whitish colour, and a strong disagreeable
smell. There is still a very considerable traffic carried on from
Bussprah, Calicut, and other places in India, witere the animal that
produces it is bred ; from the Levant also, from Guinea, and espe*
cially from Brazil, in South America, although M. Buffon is of
opinion that the animal is a native only of the Old Continent, and
rot to be found wild in the New. The best civet, however, is fur-
nished, as was observed, by the Dutch, though not in such quan-
tities at present as some years past, when this perfume was more in
fashion. Civet is a much more grateful perfume then musk, to
which it has some resemblance, and was sOme years ago used for the
same purposes in medicine ; but at present it is quite discontinued
in prescription, and persons of taste or elegance seem to proscribe
it even from the toilet. Perfumes, like dress, have their vicissitudes ;
musk was in peculiar repute, until displaced by civet; both gave
ground, upon discovering the manner of preparing ambergrise ; and
even this is now disused, for the less powerful vegetable kinds of
fragrance, spirit* of lavender, or ottar of ri

Weasel kind. 53

s to die rest, the civet is said to be a wild fierce animali and

thoi^h BODielimes tamed, is never thoroughly familiar. Its teeth

Kitrong and cutting, although its claws be feeble and Qesible. It

■light and active, and lives by prey, as the reat of its kind, pur-

ing birds snd other unall animals that it is able to overcome.

lomelimes seen stealing into the yards and out-houses, to

upon the poultry ; their eyes shine in the night, and il is very

mble that they see better in the dark than by day. When Ihey

■il of animal food, they are found to subsist upon roots and fruits,

i very seldom drink ; for which reason they are never found near

it waters. They breed very fast in their native climates, where

e heat leemB to conduce to their propagation ; but in our temperate

ititudes, although they furnish their perfume in great quantities,

yet they are not found to multiply ; a proof that their perfume has

UD analogy with their appetite for generation.

THE GLUTTON.

ill add but one annual more to this numerous class of the weasel
namely,theGlutton, which, for several reasons, seems to belong
this tribe, and this only. We have hitherto had no precise de>
iptioQ of this quadruped ; some resembling it to a badger> some
afox, and some to ahyeena. Linneeus places it among the weasels,
imilitude of its teeth ;. it should seem to me to resemble
this animal still more, from the great length of its body, and the
shortness of its legs, from the softness of its fur, its disagreeable
asent, and its insatiable appetite for animal food. M. Klein, who
taw one of them which was brought alive from Siberia, assures us,
that it was about three feet long,* and about a foot and a half high.
Itve compare these dimensions with those of other animals, wo shall
And that they approach more nearly to the class we are at present
describing than any other; and that the glutton may very justly
be conceived under the form of a great overgrown weasel. Its nose,
its ears, its teeth, and its long bushy tail, are entirely similar ; and
n to what Is said of its being rather corpulent than slender, it is
most probable thai those who described il thus, saw it after eating,
«-wbich time its belly, we are assured, is most monstrously dis-
tended : however, suspending all certainty upon this subject, I will
take leave rather to follow Linneeus than BuSon in describing this
animal, and leave further experience to judge between them.

The Glutton, which is so called from its voracious appetite, is ftn
animal found as well in the north of Europe and Siberia, as in the
north parts of America, where it has the name of the Carcajou.
Amidst the variety of descriptions which have been given of it, no

rll pight iachi^a 1

I t

ANIMALS OP THE
be formed of its Ggure ; and

its Ggure ; and indeed »
ralisls, among wjjom was Ray, entirely doubled of its
From the best accounts, however, we have of it, the body is thick
and long, the legs short; it is black along the back, and of&reddish-
brown on the sides ; its fur is held in the highest estimation, for its
sodness and beautiful gloss; the tail is bushy, like that of the
weasel-, but rather tihorteri and its legs and claws are better Htled
for climbing Iree^, tlian for running along tlie ground. Thus far it
entirely resembles the, weasel ; end its manner of taking its prey is
also by surprise, and not by pursuit.

Scarcely any of the animals with short tegs and long bodies pur-
sue their prey ; but, knowing their own incapacity to overtake it by
swiftness, either creep upon it in its retreats, or wait in ambush,
and seize it with a bound. The glutton, from the make ofits legs,
and the length of its body, must be particularly slofr; and, conse-
quently, its only resource is in taking its prey by surprise. All the
rest of tho weasel kind, from the smallness of their size, are better
fitted for a life of insidious rapine than this; they can pursue their
prey into its retreats, they can lurk unseen among the branches of
trees, and hide tliemselves with ease under (lie leaves; but the
glutton is too large to follow small prey into their I'etreats; nor
would such, even if obtained, be sufficient to sustain it. For these
reasons, therefore, this animal seems naturally compelled to the life
foi' which it has long been remarkable. lis only resource is to climb
a tree, which it does with great ease, and thero it wails with palieiM
until some large animal passes underneath, upon which it dar
with unerring certainly, and destroys it.

[t is chiefly in North America that this voracious creaturt
lurking among the thick branches of trees, in order to surprise the
deer, with which the extensive forests of tliat part of the world
abound. Endued with a degree of patience equal to its rapticity,
the glutton singles nut such trees as it observes marked by the teeth
or the anileraur the deer ; and is known to remain there watching
for several days together. If it has fixed upon a wrong tree, and
finds that the deer have either left that part of the country, or cau-
tiously shun the pliice, it reluctantly descends, pursues the beaver
to its retreat, or even ventures into the water in pursuit of fishes.
But if it happens that, by long allentioo and keeping close, at last
the elk or the rein-deer happens to pass that way, it at once daria
down upon ihem, slicks ils clavrs between their shoulders, and re» i *
mains there unaKerably firm, ll is in vain that (he large fiightwIi^H
animal increases ils speed, or threatens with ils branclnng hornsJi^^H
the glutton having taken possession of its post, nothing can drive it . .>—
off: its enormous prey drives rapidly along amongst the thickest
wood, rubs itself against tlie largest trees, and tears down the
branches with its expanded horns; but still its insatiable foe sticks
behind, eating its neck, and digging its passage to the great blood.
that part. Travellers who wander through ihoi
pieces of tlie glutton's skin slicking to the tree%'1

thow'j^l

WEASET. KIND.

sgainBt which it nu rubbed by tiie deer. Gut the animBl'a voracUj
\a greater than its feelings, and it never seizes without bringing down
its prey. When, therefure, the deer, wounded and feeble with the
loss of blood, falU, the gUitton is seen to make up for its furmer
abstinence by its present voraeity. As it is not possessed of a feast
of this kind every day, it resolves to luy in a. store to serve it for &
good while to come. It is Indeed amazing how much one oftheae
animQla can eat ai a time I That which was seen by M. Klein, al-
though without exercise or air, although taken from its native cli-
mate, and enjoying but an Indilferenl stale of health, was yet seen
to eat thirteen pounds offiesh eVery day, and yet remain unsatisfied.
We may, therefore, easily conceive how much more it must devour
at once, after a long fast, of a food of its own procuring, and in the
climate most natural to its conBtiUition. We are tokl, accordingly,
that from being a lank thin animal, which it naturally is, it then
gorges in such <fuantilies, thai its belly is distended, and its whole
figure seems to alter. Thus voraciously it continues eating, till, in-
capable of any other animal function, it lies totally torpid by the
animal it has killed, and in this situation continues for two or three
days. In this loathsomeand helpless state it finds its chief protection
from its horrid smell, which few animals care to come near;* so that
it continues eating and sleeping till its prey be devoured, bonea and
sJl; and then it mounts a tree, in quest of another adventure.

The glutton, like many others of the weasel kind, seems to prefer
ihe most putrid flesh to that newly killed ; and such is the voracious*
ness of this hateful creature, that, if its swil^ness end strength were
equal to its rapacity, it would soon thin the forest of every other
living creature. Bui fortunately it is so slow, that there is scarcely
a quadruped that cannot escape it, except the beaver. This, there^
fore, it very frequently pursues upon land ; but the beaver generally
makes good its retreat by taking to the water, where the glutton has
so chance to succeed. This pursuit only happens in summer ; for
in winter all thai remains is to attack the beaver's house, as at that
time it never atirs from home. This attack, however, seldom suc-
ceeds; for the beaver has a covert way bored under the ice, and
the glutton has only the trouble and disappointment of sacking an
«npty town.

A life of necessity generally produces a good fertile invention,
The glutton, continually pressed by the call of appetite, end having
neither swiftness nor activity to satisfy it, is obliged to make up by
Btnitagem the defects of nature. It is often seen to examine the
trap) and the snares laid for other animals, in order to anticipate the
fowlera. It is said to practise a thousand arts to procure its prey;
to steal upon the retreats of the rein deer, the flesh of which animal
it loves in preference to all others ; to lie in wait for such animals as
bave been maimed by the hunters; to pursue the isatis while it is
ling for itself; and, when that animal has run down its prey, to

I
I

fchunti
L

■ LinnDi SfslPn

A6 ANIMALS OP TnE

come io and seize upon tbe whole, and sometimes to deyour even it«
poor provider ; when these pui'suits fail, even to dig up the ^ravex,
and fall upon the bodies interred there, devouring them, bones and
all. For these reasons, the natives of the countries where the glutton
inhabits hold it in utter detestation, and nsuallj term it the vulture
of quadrupeds. And yet it is extraordinary enough, thatbeingsa
very obnoxious to mart, it does not seem to fear him,* , We are
told by Gmelin of one of these coming up boldly and calmly where
there were several persons at work, without lestifying the smallest
apprehension, or attempting to run, until It had received several
blows that at last totally disabled it. In all probability it came
>ng them seeking its prey ; and having been used to attack a

ipenor t

^
k

mala of inferior strength, it had n
own. The glutton, like all the rest of its kind, is a s
and is never seen in company except with its female, with which it
couples in the midst of winter. The latter goes with young about
four months, and brings forth two or three at a ttme.-j- They burrow
in holes as the weasel ; and the male and female are generally found _
together, both equally resolute in defence of their young. Updii I
this occasion, the boldest dogs are afraid to approach them ; th^'B
fight obstinately, and bile most cruelly. However, as they are una-
ble to escape by flight, the hunters come to the assistance of the
dogs, and easily overpower them. Their flesh, it may readily be
supposed, is not Gt to be eaten ; but the skins amply recompense the
hunters for their toil and danger, The fur has the most beautiful
lustre that can be imagined, and is preferred before all others, ex-
cept that of the Siberian fox or the sable. Among other peculiari-
ties of this animal, Linmeus informs uB that it is very difficult to be
ridaned : but from what cause, whether its abominable stench,
the skin's letiacity to the flesh, he has not thought fit to infon
us.J

• Buffou, ^ t LiDDffii 8y.sti

[t A variety of this species id Norlh Araerico, called the Woftermw,!
found near Hudson's Bay, and In CanadH, as far an the Sirails of MichlSi
makinac. Tliis aaimal ie diatiDgulshad from the glutton by lis auperilM'
size and col ail r. It hasa black stiarp-polnted vinage ; ahorl rounded ears,
aliDDsi hid in ibe hairs ; the sides of a yollowiith-brown, which puses In
form of a band quite over the hind part of the hack, above liie tail ; the
leglmre very alroBg, thick, andahbrt, of a deep tJlack : the whole body Is
covered with very long and thick hair, which varies in colour accordfas^ta
tlieseason; but Ihe fur ofthe glulloo is much, finer, blackfr. and i«au_
glossy tTirin llml of Ihn wolverene. By modern nalnralisla Ihey are clBSteil J
asvariMles of the bear.]

"Vf^XSEli Kim).

^^^^K* [EL FtlNNEC.

A beBDtiful species of weaael, as it is universally considered bj
ibe Arabians, i» described by Mr. Bruce under ihe name of El Fenabc.
It is about ten inches long from Ibe anout to llie tail; the tail near
five inches and a quarter, and about half an inch of it black al (he
tip. From the point of the fore-shoulder lo the point of the fore-toe
il is two inches and aeven-ei^hths ; from the occiput to the point of
the nose, two inches and a half; and the ears are three inches and
tbf ee-eightha in length, and about an inch and a half in breadth, with
the cavities very large. They are doubled, and have a plait on the
outside ; the border of the inside is thick and covered with white soil
hair, the middle part being bare and of a rose or pink colour. The
pupil of the eye is Urge and binck, surrounded with a deep blue
iris; the mustaches are thick and strong: tlie tip of thenoseis very
sharp, black, and polished. There are four grinders on each side of
the mouth, six fore-teeth in each jaw, and the upper jaw projected
beyond the lower one. The canine teeth are large, long, end very
iharp-pointed ; the legs small, and the feet brood, with four toes
armed with short, black, sharp retractile claws ; those on the fore-feet
being sharper than those behind. The whole body of the animal is
of a dirty white, approaching to cream-colour: the hair of the belly
rather whiter, longer, and softer than the rest, with a number of papi
upon it.

Mr, Bruce obtained one of these animals by means of a Turkish
foot-soldier returned from Biscara, a southern district of Mauritania
Ceesariensis, now called the Province of Constantina. According
to his account, they are not uncommon in this district, though more
frequently to be met with in the neighbouring date territories of
Beni Mezab, and Werglab, the residence of the ancient Melano-
Gtetuli. In the Werglab, the animals are hunted for their skins,
which are sold at Mecca, and afterwards exported lo India.
Mr. Bruce kept this one for several months at his country-house near
Algiers, that he might learn its manners. Its favourite food, he tells
us, was dates or other sweet fruit, yet it was also very fond of eggs.
It devoured those ofpigeons and small birds with great avidity when
first brought to him ; but did not seem to know how to manage hen's
eggs, though, when they were broken to him, he ate the contents
with as great avidity as the others. When hungry, he would eat
bread, especially with honey or sugar. His attention was greatly
engrossed by the sight of any bird flying across the room where he
was, or confined in a cage near him, and could not be diverted from
viewing it by placing biscuit before him ; so that it seems probabli
that he preys upon them in his wild slate,
patient of having his ears touched, ao that
that they could be measured ; and, on a
il was found impOBsible to count the protuberances or paps
belly- He seemed very much frightened at the sight of a cat

VOL, n.— No. XXII.

was extremely im-
vitbmnch didiculty

of this impatience, ^^^
es or paps on hii ^^|
sight of a cat; and ^^H

ANIMAX^ OF TRE

endeavoiired to hide himseir, though he did not appear to meditata
any defence. On (his occa.iion alao be lowered his ears, which at
other times he kept erect. Notwithstanding his impatienca, he would
suffer hinige)r, though with difficulty, to be bandied ia the day-lime;
but ia the night he was extremely restless, always endeavouring to
make his escape ; and though he did not attempt the wire, yet with
his sharp teeth he would soon have made hia way through a wooden
cafe, SI two others which they attempted to bring along with him
actually did. These animals are very swifl of foot. They build
(heir nesLs in trees, particularly the palms, of which they eat the
fruit; feeding alio on locusts and other insects, and perhaps some-
times preying upon small birds. Its exact place in the zoological
System has not yet been ascertained, some natBraliite considering

I it as a species of dog.] Z!^l

CHAPTER III. ^H

ANIMALS OF THE HARB KIND. ^^H

Haviso described in the last chapter a tribe of minute, tierce,
rapacious Bnimals, I come now to a race of minute animals, of a more
harmless and gentle bind, that, without being enemies to any, are
preyed upon by all. As nature has fitted the former for hostility,
BO il has entirely formed the Utter for evasion ; and as the one bind
subsist by their courage and activity, so the other find safety from
their swiftness and their fears. The Hare is the swiftest animal in

■ the world for the time it continues ; and few quadrupeds can over-
take even the rabbit when it has but a short way to run. To this
class also we may add the squirrel, somewhat resembling the hare
and rabbit in its form and nature, and equally pretty, inoffensive,
and pleasing.

If we were^nelhodically to distinguish animals of the hare kind
from all others, we might say thai they have but two cutting teeth
above and two below, that they are covered with a soft downy fur,
and that they have a bushy tail.* The combination of these tnarks
might perhaps distinguish them tolerably well, whether from the rat,
the beaver, the otter, or any other most nearly approaching in form.
But as I have declined all method that rather tends to embarrass
bistory than enlighten it, I am contented to class these animals toge-
ther, for no very precise reaaun, but because I find a general re-
semblance between them in their natural habits, and In the shape of
their heads and body. I call a squirrel an animal of the hare kind,
because It is something like a hare. 1 call the Paca of the same
kind, merely because It is more like a rabbit than any other animal

^^^k [* This class of aniiaals bave two fore- toe th in each jaw; those in li^^|

^^^K upper jaw tue double, th< interior ones being imallest.] ^^^1

HARE KIND. 00

1 know of. fa riiort, it ii fit to erect some particular standard in
the imagination of the reader, to refer bim to game animal that be
knoWB, in order to direct him in conceiving tbe figure of audi as he
doei not know. Still, however, he should be apprized, that hia
knowledge will be defective without an examination of each parti-
cular species ; and that saying an animal is of this or that particular
kind, is but a very trifling part of its history.

Animals of the hare kind, like all uthero that feed entirely upon
vegelablea, are inoffensive and timorous. As nature furnishes them
with a most abundant supply, they have not that rapacity after food
remarkable in such as are olten stinted in their provision. They
are extremely active, and amazingly swift, lo which they chiefly owe
their protection ; for being the prey of every voracious animal, they
are incessantly pursued. The Imre the rabbit, nod the squirrel, are
placed by Pyerius, in his Treatise of Ruminating Animals, among
the number of those that chew the cud ; but how far this may be
true, I will not pretend to determine. Cei'tain it is that their lips
continually move whether sleeping or waking. Nevertheless, they
chew their meat very much before they swallow it, and for ibut
reason I should suppose that it does not wont a second mastication.
All these animals use their fore-paws like hands ; they are remark-
ably salacious, and are furnished by nature with more ample powers
than most others for the business of propagation. They are so very
prolific, that were they not tliinned by the constant depredations
made upon them by most other animals, they would quickly overrun
tbe earth.

behind

THE HARE,
all these, the Hare is the largest, the most persecuted, and the
timorous; all its muscles are formed for swilXness, and all its
senses seem only given to direct its flight. It has very large promi-
nent eyes, placed backwards in its head, so that it can almost see
behind as it runs. These are never wholly closed ; but as the ani-
ls continually upon the watch, it sleeps with them open. The
are still more remarkable for their size ; they are moveable, and
ible of being directed to every quarter ; so that the smallest
are readily received, and the animal's motions directed ac-
owdingly. The muscles of the body are very strong, and without
fat, so that it may be said to carry no superfluous burden of Hesh
about it ; the hinder feet are longer than the fore, which still adds to
the rapidity of Us motions; and almost all animals that are re-
markable for their speed, except the horse, are formed in the same

_.iimal so well formed for a life of escape, might be supposed

enjoy a slate of tolerable security ; but as every rapacious crea-

" is its enemy, it but very seldom lives out its natural term.

of all kinds pursue it by instinct, and follow the hare more

60 ANIMALS OP THE

eagerly Ihan any olher animal. The cat and ihe weasel kinds tire
cantinuallj lying in ambush, and practising all their little aria lo
leise it ; birds or prey are Klill more dangerous enemies, as against
them no swiflness can avail, nor retreat secure : bui man, au enemy
far more power ru I than all, prefers its flesh to that of other animals,
and destroys greater numbers than all the rest. Thus pursued and
persecuted on every side, the race wonid long since have been
totally extirpated, did it not lind a resource in its amazing Tertiliry.

The hare multiplies exceedingly ; it is in a state of engendering
at a few months old ; the females go with young but thirty days,
and generally bring forth three or four at a time.* As soon as they
have produced their young, they are again ready for conception, and
thus do not lose any time in continuing the breed. But they are in
another respect fitted in an extraordinary manner fnr multiplying
their bind; for the female, from the conformation of her womb, ii
often seen lo bring forth, and yet to continue pregnant at the same
lime; or, in other words, to have young ones of different ages in her
womb together. Other animals never receive the male when preg-
nant, but bring forth their young at once. But it is frequently
different with the hare; the female often, though already impreg-
nated, admitting the male, and thus receiving a second impregnation.
The reason of this extraordinary circumstance is, that the womb in
these animals is divided in such a manner that it may be considered
as a double organ, one side of which may be filled while (he other
remains empty. Thus these animals may be seen to couple al every
period of their pregnancy, and, even while they are bringing forth
young, laying the foundation of another brood.

The young of these animals are brought forth with (heir eyea
open, end the dam suckles them for twenty days, after which they
leave her, and seek out for themselves.t From this we observe,
that the education these animals receive is but trifling, and the family
connexion but of a short duration. In the rapacious binds the dam
leads her young forth for months together; teaches them ihearu of
rapine; and, although she wants milk to supply them, yet keeps
them under her care until they are able to hunt for themselves.
But a long connexion of this kind would be very unnecessary aa well
as dangerous to the timid animals wo are describing ; their food is-
easily procured; and their associations, instead of protection, would
only expose them to their pursuers. Theyseldom, however, separate
far from each other, or from the place where ihej were produced ;
but make each a form at some distance, having a predilection rather
for the place than each other's society. They feed during the night
rather than by day, choosing the most lender blades of grass, and
quenching their thirst with the dew. They live also upon roots,
leaves, fruits, and corn, and prefer such plants as are furnished with
a milky juice. They also strip the bark off trees during the winter,
there being scarcely any that ihey will not feed on, except the lin

• Bufftin, f.

t j^H

HARE EINI}. fll

or Ihe alder. They are particularly fond or bircli, pinkg, and parsley.
When Ihey are kept tame, ihey arc fed niih lettuce and other
garden herba; but the fleah of such as are thus brought up is always
iadiflereut.

They sleep or repose in iheir forms by day, and may be said to
live only by night.* It is then that ihey go forth to feed and couple.
Tbey do not pair, however, but in the rutting season, which begins
in February ; the male pursues and discovers the female by the
sagacity of its nose. They are then seen, by moon-light, playing,
skipping, and pursuing each other; bul Ihe leaBtmoiion,lheBlightest
breeze, the falling of a leaf, is sufficient lo disturb their revels; they
inslanlty fly off, and each takes a separate way. As their limbs are
made for running, they easily outstrip all other animals in the be-
ginning ; and could they preserve iheir speed, it would be impossible
to overtake them : but as Ihey exhaust their strength at their first
efforts, and double back to the place Ihey were started from, ihey
are more easily taken than the fox, which is a much slower animal
than they. As their hind-legs are longer than the fore, ihey always
choose lo turn up-hill, by which the speed of their pursuers is dimi-
nished, while theirs remains the same. Their motions are also with-
out any noise, as they have the sole of ihe foot furnished with hair ;
and they seem the only animals ihat have hair on (he inside of their
months.

They seldom live above seven or eight years at ihe utmost ; they
come to their full perfeclion in a year ; and this, multiplied by seven,
as in other animals, gives ihe extent of iheir lives.t It is said, how-
ever, ihat ihe females live longer than the males: of this M. Buffon
makes a doubt; but I am assured that it is so. They pass Iheir
lives, in our climate, in solitude and silence; and they seldom are
heard to cry, except when they are seized or wounded. Their voice
is not HO sharp as ilie note of some other animals, but more nearly ap-
proaching that of the squalling of a child. They are not so wild as
their dispositions and their habits seem to indicate; but are of a
complying nature, and easily susceptible of a kind of education.
They are easily lamed. They even become fond and caressing, but
Ihey are incapable of allachment to any particular person, and never
can be depended upon ; for though taken never so young, they re-
gain iheir native freedom at the first opportunity. As lliey have a
ronarkably good ear, end sit upon iheir hind-legs, and use iheir |

fore-paws as hands, they have been (aught (o beat ihe drum, to dance ^^^
to music, and go through the manual exercise. ^^^^

But their natural instincts for their preservation, are much more ^^^^
extraordinary than (hose artilicial (ricks that are (aught them. They ^^|
make themselves a form particularly io those places where the colour
of the grass most resembles that of their skin ; it is open to the south
in winter, and to the north in summer. The hare, when it hears the

tistance, flies for some time through a natural impulse, ^l
* BuffoR, Tol. xiiJ. p. IS. + Ibid. ^^H
id

Oi ASTX/Ll.8 OP THE

wilhout Di&Da^Qg iu strength, or coasulting anj other means but
speed for its safely. Having atiaJDed gome bill or rising ground,
and lefi the dogs ao for behind tbal it no longer hears iheir cries, it
Btopa, rears on its hinder legs, and at length looks back to see if it
has not lost its pursuers. Gut these, having once fallen upon (he
scent, pursue slowly, and with united skill; and the poor animal soon
again hears the fatal tidings of their approach. Sometimes, when
■ore hunted, it will start a fresh hare, and squat in the same form ;
sometimes it will creep under the door of a sheep-cot, and hide amcHig
the sheep; sometimes it will run among them, and no vigilance can
drive it from the flack; some will enter holes like the rabbit, which
the hunlerg call going to vault ; same will go tip one side of the
hedge, and come down the other ; and it has been known, that a
hare sorely hunted has got upon the top of a quickset hedge, and
run a good way thereon, by which it has eficctually evaded the
hounds. It is no unusual thing also for them to betake themselves
to furze bushes, and to leap from one to another, by which the dogs
are frequently misled. However, the firstdoubling a hare makes is
generally a key to all its future attempts of that kind, the latter
being exactly like the former. The young hares tread heavier, anil
leave a stronger scent than the old, because their limbs are weaker;
and the more this forlorn creature tires, the heavier it treads, and the
stronger is the scent it leaves. A buck, or male hare, is known by
its choosing to run upon hard highways, feeding farther from the
wood sides, and making its doublings of a greater compass than the
female. The male having made a turn or two about its form, fre-
quently leads the hounds Hve or six miles on a stretch ; but the
female keeps close by some covert side, turns, crosses, and winds
among the bushes tike a rabbit, and seldom runs directly forward.
In general, however, both male and female regulate their conduct
according to the weather. In a moist day they hold by the high-
ways more than at any other time, because the scent is then strongest
upon tlie grass. If they come to the side of a grave or spring, they
forbear to enter, but squat down by the side thereof, until the hounds
have overshot them ; and then, turning along their former path,
make to their old form, from which they vainly hope for pr<>>
teclion.

Hares areidlvided, by the hunters, into mountain and measled
hares. The former are more swift, vigorous, and hare their flesh
better tasted; the latter chiefly frequent the marshes, when hunted
keep among low grounds, and their flesh is moist, white, and flabby.
When the male and female keep one particular spot, they will not
aufier any strange hare In make its form in the same quarter ; so
that it is usually said, that the more you hunt, the more hares you
shall have ; for, having killed one hare, others come and lake pos-
session of its form. Many of these animab are found to live in
woods and thickets ; but they are naturally fonder of the open coun-
try, and are constrained only by fear to take shelter in places that
aUcrd them neither a warm sun, nor an agreeable pasture. They

HARE HIVD.

are, therefore, unialiy eeen stealing out of the edgei of the wctod, to
taste the gras§ that grows shorter aod iweeler in the open fields than
under Ihe shade of the trees; hoveTer, ibey seldom miss of being
pursued, and erery excursion is a new adventure. They are shot at
by poachers; traced by their footsteps in the snow; caught in
springes; dogs, birds, and caia, are all combined against them; ants,
snakes, and adders, drive them from their forms, especially in sum-
mer ; even fleas, from which most other animals are free, persecute
this poor creature ; and so various are its enemieg, that it is seldom
permitted to reach even that short term to which it is limited by

The soil and climate have their influence upon (hisanimal, aa well
BB on most others. In the countries bordering on llie north pole,
they become while in winter, and are often seen in great troops of
four or fife hundred, running along the banks of the river Irtish, or
the Jenlsea, and are white as llie snow they tread on. They are
caught in traps, for the sake of their skins, which, on the spot, are
sold for less than seven shillings a hundred. Theirfnris well known
to form a considerable article in the hat manufacture; and we
accordingly import vast quanlilies of it from those countries where
tile hare abounds in euch plenty. They are found also entirely
black, but these in much less quantities than the former ; * and even
some have been seen with horns, though these but rarely. +

The hares of the hot countries, particularly in Italy, Spain, and
Barbary, are smaller than ours : those bred iu the Milanese country
are said to be the best in Europe.^ There is scarcely a country
where this animal is not to be found, from the torrid zone lo the
neighbourhood of the polar circle. The natives of Guinea knock
them on the head as they come down to the sides of the rivers to
drink. They also surround the place where they are seen in num-
bers, and clattering a short stick, which every man carries, against
that which the person next him carrieii, they diminish their circle
gradually, till the hares are cooped up in the midst. They then all
together throw their sticks in among them, and with such deadly
force, that they seldom fail of killing great numbers at a time,|

The flesh of this animal has been esteemed as a delicacy among
some nations, and is held in detestation by others. The Jews, the
ancient Britons, and the Mahometans, all consider it as an unclean
animal, and religiously abstained from it. On the contrary, there
are scarcely any other people, however barbarous at present, that do
not consider it as the most agreeable food. Fashion seems lo pre-
Mde and govern ail the senses ; what mankind at one time consider

as beautiful, fragrant, or savoury, may al another time, or among

other nations, be regarded as deformed, disgustful, or ill tasted. ^H

■ Kleiu, Di9p. QuBdrup. p. 5tl. ^^H

Lt JohnstDn cIb QoBdnip. lib. ii. cap. 2. ^^H

t Dictionaalre RuBoniid, Litort. ^^^M

§ Hist. Gen. des Voyages, torn. iv. p. 171. ^^M

64 ANIMAI-S OP THE

Tbat flesh which the ancient rtamana so much admired bb (o call it
(he food of the wise, was, among ilie Jews and the Druids, thought
unlit to be eaten; and even the maderna, who, like the Romans,
consider the flesh of this animal as a delicacy, have very different
ideas as to dressing it. With us it is simply served up without much
seasoning; but Apicius shewa us the manner of dressing a
" ' ' parsley, rice, vinegar, i

ing seed, and

I
I

true Roman t
coriander.*

[The Varying Hare has soft hair, which in summer is grey, with
a slight mixture of black and tawny : the ears are shorter, and the
legs more slender, than those of the common hare ; the tail Is entirely
while, even in summer; and the feet are more closely and warmly
furred, iu winter, the whole animal changes to a snowy whiteness,
except the tips and edges of the ears, which remain black, as are the
soles of the feet, on which, in Siberia, the fur is doubly thick, and of
a yellow colour. It is less than the common species. — These animals
inhabit the highest Scottish Alps, Norway, Lapland, Russia, Siberia,
Kamtschatka, and the banks of the Wolga and Hudson's Bay. In
Scotland, they keep on the tops of the highest hills, and never
descend into the vales ; nor do they ever mix with the common hare,
though these abound In their neighbourhood. They do not run fast ;
and are apt to lake shelter in clefts of rocks. They are easily
tamed, and are full of frolic. This species changes its colour in
September; resumes its grey coat in April; and in the extreme cold
of Greenland only is always while. They collect together, and are
seen in troops of five or six hundred, migrating in spring, and return-
ing in autumn. They are compelled to this by the want of subsis-
tence ; quitting in the winter the lufiy hills, and seeking the plains
and wooded parts, where vegetables abound ; and in spring they
again seek the mountainous quarters.

The American Hare, or hedge-coney, has the ears tipt with grey ;
the upper part of the tail is black, the lower white; the neck and
body are miscd with cinereous, rust colour, and black ; the legs ere
of fl pale ferruginous colour; and the belly is white : the fore- 1 eg*
are shorter, and the hind-legs longer, in proportion, tlian those of
the common hare. In length it is eighteen inches ; and weighs
from three to four and a half pounds. This species inhabits all part»
of North America. In New Jersey, and the colonies south of that
province, it retains its colour the whole year. In New England,
Canada, and about Hudson's Bay, at the approach of winter, it
changes its short summer's fur for one very long, silky, and silvery,
even to the roots of the hair; the edges of the ears only preserving
their colour.

The Baikal Here has a tail longer than that of a rabbit; and the
ears are longer in the male in proportion than those of the varying
hare : the fur is of the colour of the common hare ; and the siie,
between that of the common and the varying hare. It inhabit! t he

Hinc KIND. 05

r beyond Lnke Baikal, and extends tlirough lljs QreatGobee,

i Thibet. It agrees with the common rabbit in colour of the
flesh ; but does not burrow, running instantly (without taking a ring
as lite common hare does), for shelter, when pursued, into holes of
rocks. The fur is bad, and of no use in commerce.

The Cape hare has long ears dilated in the middle ; the outsidea
naked, and of a rose colour, the inside and edges covered with short
grey hairs ; the crown and back are of a dusky colour, mised with
tawny ; the cheeks and sides cinereous : the breast, belly, and legs,
rust coloured; the tail is bushy, carried upwards, and of a pule
ferro^nous colour. The animal is about the size of a rabbit. It
inhabits the country three days north of the Cape of Good Hope,
where it is called the Mountain Hare, for it lives only in the rocky
mountains, and does not burrow. It is difScult to shoot it, as
it instantly, on the sight of any one, runs into the Ossurea of the

The Alpine Hare has short, broad, rounded ears; a long head,
and very long whiskers, with two very long hairs above each eye:
the colour of the fur at the bottom is dusky, towards the ends of a
bright ferruginous colour ; the tips while, "and intermixed with several
long dusky hairs, though on first inspection the whole seems of a
bright bay. The length of the animal is nine inches. This species
is first seen on the Altaic chain ; extends to Lake Baikal ; from
thence to Kamtschalka ; and, as is fiaid, is found in the newly dis-
covered Fox or AleulioQ Islands. They inhabit always i!ie middle
region of the snowy mountains, in the rudest places, wooded and
abounding with herbs and moisture. They sometimes form burrows
between the rocks, and oflener lodge in the crevices. They are
generally found in pairs) but in cloudy weather they collect toge-
ther, lie on the rocks, and give a keen whistle, so like that of a
sparrow as to deceive the hearer. By wonderful instinct they make
a provision against the rigorous season in their inclement seats. A
company of them, towards autumn, collect together vast heaps of
choice herbs and grasses, well dried, which they place either beneath
the over-hanging rocks, or between the chasms, or round the trunk
of some tree. The way to these heaps is marked by a wwn path.
In many places the herbs appear scattered, as if to be dried in the
mn, and harvested properly. The heaps are formed like round or
conoid ricks, and are of various sizes, according to the number of
the society employed in forming them. They are sometimes of a
man's height, and many feet in diameter, but usually about three
feet. Without this proviaion of winter's stock they must perish,
being prevented by the depth of snow from quitting their retreats in
quest of food. They select the best of vegetables, and crop them
wfaeD-in the fullest vigour, which they make into the be^t and greenest
h»y by the judicious manner in which they dry it. These ricks are
the origin of fertility amidst the rocks; for the retiques, mixed with
the dung of the animals, rot in the barren chasms, and create a soil
Thesa ricks are also of great service to
1

I
I
i

TO ANIMALS OF THE

those people who devote ihemselves to ihe laborious employmeat of
sable-liunling; for being obliged lo go far from home, their horses
would often perish for want if they had not the provision of these
little indiiBlrious snimala to Biipport them; which is easily to be dis-
covered by their height aqd form, even when covered with snow. It
is far ihia reason that this little creature has a name among every
Siberian and Tartarian oation, which otherwise would have been
overlooked and despised. The people of Jakutz are said to feed
both their horses and cattle with the reliquea of the winter stock of
these hares. The^e animals are neglected as a food by mankind,
but are the prey of sables and the Siberian weasel, which are joint
inhabitants of the mountains. They are likewise greatly infested by
a sort of gadfly, which lodges its egg in their skin in August and
September, and often proves destructive to them.

The Calling Hare has a long head, thickly covered with fur, even
lo the tip of the nose; numerous hairs in the whiskers; ears krga
and rounded; legsvery short,and thesoles furred beneath : ilswhole
coal is very soft, long, and smooth, with a thick, long, fine down
beneath, of a brownish lead-colour; the hairs areof thesemecoloufr
towards the ends of a light grey, and tipt with black : the tower part
of the body is hoary: thu sides and ends of the fur are yellowish.
The length of the animal is about six inches. This speeiei inhabits
the south-east parts of Russia, and about all the ridge of hills spread-
ing southward from the Uralhan chain ; also about the Irtish, and in
the west part of the Altaic chain ; but no where in the east beyond
theOby. Tfaey delight in the most sunny valleys andherby hills, ea-
|>ecially near the edges of woods, lo which they run on any alarm.
They live in so concealed a manner as very rarely to be seen ; but
are often taken in winter in the snares laid for the ermine, so are
well known to the hunters. They choose for Iheir habitations a dry
spot, amidst bushes covered with a firm sod, preferring the western
sides of the hills. In these they burrow, leaving a very small hole
for the entrance, and forming long galleries, in which they make
their nests. Those of the old ones and females are numerous and
intricate, so that their place would be scarcely known but for their
excrements, and even those they drop, by a wise instinct, under
some bush, lest their dwelling should be discovered by their enemies
among the animal creation. Their voice alone betrays their abode;
it is like the piping of a quail, but deeper, and so loud as to be heaid
at the distance of half a German mile.] _^h

THE RADB1T. ■■

The Hare and the Rabbit, though so very nearly resembling each
other in form and disposition, are yet distinct kinds, as they refuse
to mix with each other. M. Buffon bred up several of both kinds
in the same place; but from being at first indiflerenl, they soon be-
came enemies, and their combats were generally continued until oittt

HARB KIND. 67

oTthem was disabled or destroyed. However, though these expe-
riments were not attended with success, I am assured that nothing is
more frequent than an animal bred between these two, but which,
like the mule, is marked with sterility. Nay, it has been actually
known that the rabbit couples with animals of a much more distant
nature ; and there is at present, in the Museum at Brussels, a creature
covered with feathers and hair, and said to be bred between a rabbit
and a hen.

The fecundity of the rabbit is still greater than that of the hare ;
and if we should calculate the produce from a single pair, in one
year, the number would be amazing. They breed seven times a
year, and bring forth eight young ones each time. On a supposition,
therefore, that this happens regularly, at the end of four years a
couple of rabbits shall see a progeny of almost a million and a half.
From hence we might justly apprehend being overstocked by their
increase; but, happily for mankind, their enemies are numerous, and
their nature inoffensive; so that their destruction bears a near pro-
portion to their fertility.

But although their numbers be diminished by every beast and bird
of prey, and still more by man himself, yet there is no danger of their
extirpation. The hare is a poor defenceless animal, that has nothing
but its swiflness to depend on for safety : its numbers are, therefore,
every day decreasing; and in countries that are well peopled, the
species are so much kept under, that laws are made for their pre-
servation. Still, however, it is most likely that they will be at last
totally destroyed ; and like the wolf or the elk in some countries,
be only kept in remembrance. But it is otherwise with the rabbit,
its fecundity being greater, and its means of safety more certain.
The hare seems to have more various arts and instincts to escape its
pursuers, by doubling, squatting, and winding ; the rabbit has but
one art of defence alone, but in that one finds safety^ by making
itself a hole, where it continues a great part of the day, and breeds
up its young : there it continues secure from the fox, the hound, the
kite, and every other enemy.

Nevertheless, though this retreat be safe and convenient, the rabbit
does not seem to be naturally fond of keeping there. It loves the
sunny field, and the open pasture ; it seems to be a chilly animal,
and dislikes the coldness of its under-ground habitation. It is, there-
fore, continually out, when it does not fear disturbance , and the
female often brings forth her young at a distance from the warren, in
a hole not above a foot deep at the most. There she suckles them
for about a month ; covering them over with moss and grass when-
ever she goes to pasture, and scratching them up at her return. It
has been said, indeed, that this shallow hole without the warren is
made lest the ms^le should attack and destroy her young ; but I have
seen the male himself attend the young there, lead them out to feed,^
and conduct them back upon the seturn of the dam. This external
retreat seems a kind of country-house, at a distance from the general
habitation ; it is usually made near some spot df excellent pasture^

08 ANIMALS OP THS

or in the midst of k field of sprouting com. To this both male and
female often retire from the warren, lend ibeir young by night to the
food which lies eo conveaient, and, if not disturbed, continue there
till they are grown up. There they find a greater variety ofpasture
than near the warren, which is generally ealen bare ; and enjoy a
warmer sun, by covering themselves up in a shallower hole. When-
ever they are disturbed, they then forsake their retreat of pleasm-e
for one of safely ; they fly to the warren with their utmost speed,
and if the way be short, there is scarcely any dog, how swift soever,
that can overtake them.

Bnt it does not always happen that these animals are poosessed of
one of these external apartments ; they most usually bring forth
their yoimg in the warren, but always in a hole separate from the
male. On these occasions, the female digs herself a hole," different
from the ordinary one by being more intricate, at the bottom of
which she makes a more ample apanment. This done, she pulls ofiT
n'om her belly a good quantity of her hair, with which she makes a
kind of bed for her young. During the two first days she never
leaves them ; and does not stir out but to procure nourishment, which
she takes with the utmost dispatch ; in this manner suckling her
young for near six weeks, until they are strong, and able to go abroad
themselves. During all this time, the male seldom visits their sepa-
rate apartment ; but when they are grown up, so as to come to the
mouth of the hole, he then seems to acknowledge them as his off-
spring, takes them between his pawK, smooths their skin, and licks
their eyes : all of tliem, one afler the other, have an equal share in

Jn this manner the rabbit, when wild, consults its pleasure and its
safely; but those that ore bred up tame do not take the trouble of
digging a hole, conscious, of being already protected. It has also
been observedjt that when people, to make a warren, stock it with
tame rabbits, these animals, having been unaccustomed to the art of
scraping a hole, continue exposed to the weather, and every other
aucident, without ever burrowing. Their immediate ofispring, also,
are equally regardless of tlieir safely; and it is not till after two or
three generations that these animals begin to find the necessity and
convenience of an asylum, and practise an art which they could only
learn from nature.

Rabbits of the domestic breed, like all other animals that are under
the protection of man, are of various colours ; white, brown, black,
and mouse colour. The block are the must scarce; the brown,
white, and mouse colour, are in greater plenty. Most of the wild
rabbits are of a brown, and it is the colour which prevails among the
species ; for in every nest of rabbits, whether the parents be black
or while, there are some brown ones (bund of the number, But in
England there are many warrens stocked with ihe mouse coloured
kinds, which some say came originally from an island i

I the nv^^_

HARE KIMD.

whkh still cominue their uriginal c

I lumber, and n

number of successive generations. A gentleman*
rabbits for his amusement, gives tlie TollQwing account of their pro-
duction : " I began," says he, " by having but one raole and female
only i the male was entirely white, and the female brown ; but, in
their posterity, the number of the brown by far exceeded those of
any other colour : there were some white, some parly-coloured, atid
some black. It is surprising how much the descendants were obedient
and submisHve to their common parent ; he was easily dLslmguished
from the rest by his superior whiteness; and, however numerous the
other males were, this kepi them all in wibjection. Whenever they
quarrelled among each other, either for their females or provisions,
as soon as he heard the noise he ran up to them with all dispatch ;
and, upon his appearance, alt was instantly reduced to peace and
order. If he caught any of them ia the fact, be instantly punished
them, as an example to the rest. Another instance of hissuperio-
rity was, that having accustomed them to come to mc with the call
of a whistle, the instant the signal was given, I saw hira marshallipfr
them up, leading them the foremost, and then suffering them all lo
file off before him."

The rabbit,f though less ihan the hare, generally lives longer.
Ab these animals pass the greater part of their lives in their burrow,
where titey continue at ease and unmolested, they have nothing to
prevent the regularity of their health, or the due course of their nou-
nshment. They are, therefore, generally found fatter than the hare ;
but their Aesh is, notwithstanding, much less delicate. That of the
old ones, in particular, is hard, tough, and dry ; but it is said, that
in warmer countries they are better tasted. This may very well be,
u the rabbit, though so very plentiful in Great Britain and Ireland.
is nevertheless a native of the warmer climates, and has been origi-
nally imported into these kingdoms from Spain. In that country,
and in some of the islands in the Mediterranean, we are told that
they unce multiplied in such numbers as to prove the greatest
nuisance to the natives. They at first demanded military aid to de-
stroy them; but soon after they called in the assistance of ferrets,
which originally came from Africa, and these, with much more ease
and expedition, contrived to lessen the calamity. In fact, rabbiu are
found to love a warm climate, and to be incupable of bearing the
cold of the north ; so that in Sw^leu they are obliged to be littered
b the houses. It is otherwise in all the tropical climates, where
they are estremely common, and where they seldom burrow, as with
us. The English counties that are most noted for these animals,
are Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire. They delight it
grounds of a saudysoil, which are warmer than those of clay, ant
which also furnish a Kofter and jiner pasture.

The tame rabbits are larger than the wild ones, from their taking
more nourishment and using less exercise : but their flesh is not so

► M. Moil

> M. Bi>(Vi>n

ANIMALS OP THE

70'

good, being more insipid, and goRer. Jn order lo improvi

are chieli; fed upon bran, and are sLinted in their water; for,

indulged in too great a plenty ormoint food, they are apt, as the

feeders express it, to grow rotten. The hair or fur is a very useful

commodity, and is employed in England for several purposes, ns

well when the skin is dressed with it on. as when it is pulled oS*.

The skins, especially the white, are osued for lining clothes, and are

considered as a cheap imitation of ermine. The skin of the male is

usually preferred, as being ihe most lasting, but it

on Ihe belly in either sex, is the best and finest. Btit the chief am-

made of rabbits' fur, is in the manufacture ofhats; it is always mixi

in certain proportions, with the fur of the beaver

give the latter more strength and consistence.

The Syrian rabbit, like all other animals bred in that country, is
remarkable for the length of its hair : it falls along the sides in wavy-
wreaths, and is, in some places, curled at the end, like wool: it is
shed once a-year in large masses ; and it often happens that the rab-
bit, dragging a part of its robe on the ground, appears as if it had
got another leg, or a longer tail. There are no rabbits naturally
in America ; however, those that have been carried from Europe are
found to multiply in the West India islands in great abundance. In
other parts of thai continent they have animals that in some measure
resemble the rabbits of Europe: and which most European travellers
have often called hares or rabbits, as they happened to be large or
small. Their giving them even the name will be a sufficient excuse
for my placing them among animals of the hare kind ; although Ihey
may differ in many of tlie most essential particulars. But before we
go to the new continent, we will Urst examine such as beai
distant resemblance to the hare kind at home.

THE SQL'IHREL.

There are few readers that are not as well acquainted w
figure of a squirrel as that of the rabbit; but supposing it un
to any, we might give them some idea of its form, by comparit
a rabbit, with shorter ears, and a longer tail. The tail, indeea, is
alone siiflicienl to distinguish it from all others, as it is extremely
long, beautiful, and bushy, spreading like u fan, and which, when
thrown up behind, covers the whole body. This serves the little
animal for a double purpose ; when erecte<t, it serves, like an um-
brella, as a secure protection from the injuries of the heat and cold;
tand when extended, it is very instrumental in promoting those vast
leaps thai the squirrel takes from tree lo tree; nny, some assert that
it answers still a third purpose, and when the squirrel takes to the
water, which it sometimes does upon a piece of bark, thi " '" '""'
serves it instead ofa sail.*
: . :
\ ■ -ifc

it^^*

bark, that its tail

HARE KIND. 71

^There are few wild aniniBb in which there are so many varietiei
n ihe squirrel.* The common iquirrel ia ol' the size of s small
rabbit, and is rather of a more reddirfi- brown. The belly and breast
are white ; and the ears beautifully arnamented with long tufls of
hair, of a deeper colour than lliat on the body. The eyes are large,
black, and lively ; the legs are short and muscular, like those of the
rabbit ; but the loes longer, and the claws sharper, so as to fit it for
climbing. When it eais, or dresses itself, it sits erect, hbe the hare
or rabbit, making use of its fore-legs as hands; and chiefly resides
in trees. The g'ty Virgiuian sqtfirrel, which M. Butfon calls the
Petil Gris, is larger than a rabbit, and of a greyish colour, lu
body and limbs are thicker than those of the common squirrel ; and
ils ears are shorter, and without tufis at the point. The upper part
of the body, and external part of the legs, are of a fine whitish grey,
with a beautiful red sireak on each side lengthways. The tail is
covered with very long grey hair, variegated with black and white
towards the extremity. This variety seems to be common to both
continents, and in Sweden is seen to change colour in winter. The
Barbary squirrel, of which M. Buffon makes three varielies, is of a
mixed colour, between red and black. Along the sides there are
white and brown lines, which render this animal very beautiful ; but
what still adds to its elegance is, that Ihe belly is of a sky blue sur*
rounded with white. Some of these hold up the tail erect, and others
throw it forward over their body. The Siberian white xtjairrel is of
the size of a common squirrel. The Carolina black squirrel is
much bigger than the former, and sometimes lipt with white at all
the extremities. The Brasilian squirrf', which M. Buffon calls tlie
Co^ua/ZiR, is a beautiful animal of this kind, and very remarkable
^ r the variety of its colours. Its belly is of a bright yellow; ils
1 and body variegated with white, black, brown, and orange
It wanUi the tufis at the extremity of its ears ; and does not
es, as moBi of the kind are seen to do. To this list may
be added ihe Utile giound squirrel of Carolina, of a reddish colour,
and blackish stripes on each side ; and, like the former, not delight-
ing in trees. Lastly, the tqvirrel of Sexa Spain, which is of a deep
iron-grey colour, with seven longitudinal whitish streaks along the
sides of the male, and live along those of the female. As for the
flying squirrels, they are of a distinct kind, and shall be treated of
by themselves.

These, which 1 suppose to be but a few of the numerous varieties
of the squirrel, suSiciently serve to show how extensively this animal
is diffused over all parts of the world. U is not to be supposed,
however, that every variety is capable of sustaining every climate ;
for few animals are so tender, or so lillle able to endure a change of
abode, as this. Those bred in the tropical climates will only live
Dear a warm sun ; while, on the contrary, the squirrel of Siberia will

I
I

ill

79 ANIMALS OF THE

■carcely endure the temperature of ours. These varietieti dt) not
only dilTer in their constitutions and colour, but in their dispositions
also; for while some live on the lops of treee, others feed, like rab-
bilfi, on vegetables below. Whether any of these, so variously
coloured, and so diflerently disposed, would breed among each other,
we cannot lell ; and since, therefore, we are left in uncertainly upon
this point, we are at liberty cither to consider each as a distinct spec ies
by itself, or only a variety that accident might have originally pro-
duced, and that the climate or soil might have conllnned. For my
own part, as the original character of the squirrel is so strongly
marked upon them all, I cannot help considering (hem in the latter
point of view — rather as the common descendants of one parent, than
originally formed with such distinct similitudes.

The squirrel is a beautiful little animal,*' which is but half savage;
and which, from the gentleness and innocence of its manners,
deserves our protection. It is neither carnivorous Dor hurtful ; its
usual food is fruits, nuts, and Qcorna ; it is cleanly, nimble, active, and
industrious; its eyes arc sparkhng, and its physiognomy mariced
with meaniog. It generally, like the hare and rabbit, sits up on its
hinder legs, and uses the fore-paws as hands; these have five cla.w8
or toes, as they are called, and one of them is separated from the
rest like a thumb. This animal seems to approach the nature of
birds, from its lightness, and surprising agility on the tops of trees.
It seldom descends to the ground, except in case of storms, but
jumps from one branch to another; feeds, in spring, on the buds
and young shoots ; insummer, on the ripening fruits, and particularly'
the young cones of the pine tree. In autumn it has an extensive
variety to feast upon ; the acorn, the filbert, the chesnut, and the
wilding. This seaaon of plenty, however, is not spent in idle enjoy-
ment: the provident little animal gathers at that time its provisions
for the winter; and cautiously foresees the season when the forest
shall be stripped of its leaves and fruitage.

Ita nest is generally formed among the large branches of a great
tree, where they begin to fork off into small ones. After choosing
the place where the timber begins to decay, and a hollow may the
more easily be formed, the squirrel begins by making a kind of a
level between the forks; and then, bringing moss, twigs, and dry
leaves, it binds them together with great art, so as to resist the most
violent storm. This is covered up on all sides, and has but a single
opening at lop, which is just large enough to admit the little animal ;
and this opening is itself defended from the weather by a kind of
canopy, made in the fashion of a cone, so that it throws off the rain,
though never bo heavy. The neat thus formed, with a very little
opening above, is, nevertheless, very commodious and roomy below;
cu 11, well knit together, and every way convenient end warm. In
this retreat the little animal brings forth its young, shelters itself
from the scorching heat of the sun, which it seems to fear.snd fn)i

BufFun.

I ear, snd i[0^^_

HABB UNb. 7S

(he stditiM and inclemency of winter, which it i« still less capable of
supporting. Its provision of nuts and acorns is seldom in its nest,
hot in the hollows of the tree, laid up carefully together, and never
touched but in cases of necessity. Thus one single tree serves for a
retreat and a storehouse; and without leaving it during the winter,
the squirrel possesses all those enjoyments that its nature is capable
of receiving. But it sometimes happens that its little mansion is
attacked by a deadly and powerful foe. The martin goes oAen in
quest of a retreat for its young, which it is incapable of making for
itself: for this reason it fixes upon the nest of a squirrel, and, with
double injustice, destroys the tenant, and then takes po8ses9ion of
the mansion.

However, this is a calamity that but seldom happens; and, of all
other animals, the squirrel leads the most frolicsome playful life ;
being surrounded with abundance, and having few enemies to fear.
They are in heat early in the spring ; when, as a modern naturalist
says,* it is very diverting to see the female feigning an escape from
the pursuit of two or three males, and to observe the various proofs
which they give of their agility, which is then exerted in fdll force.
Nature seems to have been particular in her formation of these ani-
mals for propagation ; however, they seldom bring forth above four
or five young at a time, and that but once a year. The time of their
gestation seems' to be about six weeks ; they are pregnant in the
beginning of April, and bring forth about the middle of May.

Thq squirrel is never found in the open fields, nor yet in copses
or underwoods; it always keeps in the midst of the tallest trees, and,
as much as possible, shuns the habitations of men. It is extremely
watch All : if the tree in which it resides be but touched at the bottom,
the squirrel instantly takes the alarm, quits its nest, at once fiies off
to another tree, and thus travels, with great ease, along the tops of
the forest, until it finds itself perfectly out of danger. In this man-
ner it continues for some hours at a distance from home, until the
alarm be passed away ; and then it returns, by paths that to all
quadrupeds but itself are utterly impassable. Its usual way of
moving is by bounds : these it takes from one tree to another, at
forty feet distance ; and if at any time it is obliged to descend, it
mnsup the side of the next tree with amazing facilityr It has an
extremely sharp piercing note, which most usually expresses pain ;
it has another, more like the purring of a cat, which k'employs when
pleased ; at least it appeared so in that from whence I have taken
a part of this description.

In Lapland, and the extensive forests to the north; th^ squirrels
are observed to change their habitation, and to remove in vast num.
bers from one country to another. In these migrations they are
^nerally seen by thousands, travelling directly forward; while
neither rocks, forests, nor even the broaaest waters, can stop their
progress. What I am going to relate appears so extraordiuaryt that

♦ British Zoolo^.
VOL. II. — No. XXIII. K

ANIMALS OP THE

were it not attested by numbers of the most credible historiAiia, among
whom are Klein and Linnseus, it might be rejected with thai scorn
with which we treat imposture or credulity ; however, nothing can
be more true than ihat when these animals, in their progress, meet
with broad rivers, or esletisive lakes, which abound in Lapland, they
take a very extraordinary meihod of crossing them , Upon approach-
ing the banks, and perceiving the breadth of the water, they return,
as if by common consent, into the neighbouring forest, each in quest
of a piece of bark, which answers all the purposes of boats for waft-
ing [hem over. When the whole company are fitted in this manner,
they boldly commit their little fleet to the waves; every squirrel
sitting on its own piece of bark, and fanning the air with its tail, to
drive the vessel to its desired port. In this orderly manner they set
forward, and ol\en croits lakes several miles broad. But it too often
happens that the poor mariners are not aware of thedangersoftheir
navigation ; for although at the edge of the water it is generally
calm, in the midst it is always more turbulent. There the slightest
additional gust of wind oversets the little sailor and his vessel toge-
tiier. The whole navy, that but a few minutes before rode proudly
and securely along, is now overturned, and a shipwreck of two or
three tliousand sail ensues. This, which is so unfortunate for the
little animal, is generally the most lucky accident in the world for
the Laplander on the shore ; who gathers up the dead bodies as (hey
are thrown in by the waves, eats the flesh, and sells the skins for
about a shilling the dozen.*

The squirrel is easily tamed, and it is (hen a very familiar animal.
It loves to lie warm, and wilt often creep into a man's pocket or his
bosom. It is usually kept in a box, and fed with hazelnuts. Some find
amusement in observing with what ease it bites the nut open, and
eats the kernel. In short, it is a pleasing pretty little domestic ; and
its tricks and habitudes may serve to entertain a mind unequal to
itnmger operations.

THE FLYING BQUIHREL
Mr. Ray was justly of opinio
more properly be said to be of the
than in other squirrels, and its cole
former. However, as mankind ha
the squirrels, it is scarcely worth
favour. This little animal, whic

£ngland, is less than a common squirrel, and bigger tTian a field
mouse. Its skin is very soft, and elegantly adorned with a dark fur
io some places, and light grey in others. ll has large prominent
black and very sparkling eyes, small ears, and very sharp teeth,
with which il gnaws any thing quickly. When it does not leap, '

that the Flying Squirrel might
'. kind, because its fur is shorter
) also more nearly approach the
been content to class it among
aking a new distinction in ila
frequently brought over to

• O^utrMde Regnard.

Joes not leap, H^^^

HARB KTND. 75

tail, which Is pretty enough, lies close to ita back ; but when it lokei
iti spring, the tail is moved bacltwarda and forwards from side lo
side. It is said lo partake somewhat of the nature of the squirrel,
of the rat, and of the dormouse ; but that in which it is distinguished
front all other animals, is its peculiar conformation for taking those
leaps that almost look like flying. It is Indeed amaiing to see it,
at cue bound, dart above a hundred yards from one tree to another.
They are assisted in this spring by a very peculiar formation of the
skin that extends from the fore-feet to the hinder ; so that when the
animal stretches i's fore-legs forward, and its hind-legs backward,
ihis skin is spread out between them, somewhat like that between
the legs of a bat. The surface of the body being thus increased, the
little animal keeps buoyant in the air until the force of its first im-
pulsion is expired, and then it descends. This skin, when the
creature Is at rest, or walking, continues wrinkled up on its sides;
but when its limbs are extended, it forms a kind of web between
them of above an inch broad on eilher side, and gives the whole body
the appearance of a skin floating in the air. In this munner, lite
flying squirrel changes place, not like a bird, by repealed strukes of
iu wings, but rather like a paper kite, supported by the expansion
of ihe surface of its body; but with ihis difference, however, that
being naturally heavier than the air. Instead ofmounling it descends ;
and that jump which upon the ground would not be above forty
yards, when from a higher tree to a lower, may bo above a hundred.
This little animal is more common in America than in Europe, but
not very commonly to be seen in either. It is usually found, like
the squirrel, on the tops of trees ; but, though belter fitted for lenp-
ing, it is of a more torpid disposition, and is seldom seen to exert its
powers; so that it is of^en seized by the polecat and Ihe martin. It
is easily tamed, but apt to break away whenever it lindsan oppor-
tunity. It does not seem fond of nuts or almonds, like other squirrels,
but is chiefly pleased with the sprouts of the birch, and the cones of
the pine. It is fed in its tame slate with bread and fruits ; ll gene-
rally sleeps by day, and is always most active by niglil. Somo
naturalists gravely caution us not to let it get among our corn -field n,

I^ere they tell us it will do a great deal of damage, by cropping
flM com as soon as It begins to ear ! *

THE MARMOT.

From the description of the squirrel and its
to a different tribe ofanimals, no way indeed te
hut still aometliing like the rabbit and the har
these two animals still in view, as tlie centre o

varieties, we proceed
seuihling the squirrel,
;. We are to keep
four comparison; as

e may daaily be marie tanv
B in tile corn.(leld8, becaus,
— DaooKE's Nat. Hut.

apl 1.

7«

ANIMltS OP THE

objecU to obivh maoy others may bear some BJmilitude, tbough they
but little approach eath other. Among the hare kind U the Marmot,"
-which naturalists have placed either among the hare kind or the rat
kind, as it suited their respective systems. In fad, it bears no great
resemblance to either; but of the two, it approaclies much nearer the
hare, as well in the make of its head, as iu its size, in its bushy tail,
and particularly in its chewing the cud, which alone is sufficient to
determine our choice in giving it its present situation. Haw it ever
came to be degraded into the rat or mouse I cannot conceive, for it
no way resembles them in size, being nearly as big as a bare; or
in its disposition, since no animal is more tractable, nor more easily

The marmot is, as was said, almost as big as a hare, but it is more
corpulent than a cat, ond has shorter lega. Its head pretty nearly
resembles that of a hare, except that its ears are much shorter. It is
clothed all over with very long h3ir,and a shorter furbelow. These
are of diSen:nl colours, black and grey. The length of the hair
gives the body the appearance of greater corpulence than it really
has, and at Ihe same lime shortens the feet so that its belly seems
touching the ground. Its tail is tuf>ed and well furnished with hair,
and it is carried in a straight direction with its body. It has five
claws behind, and only four before. These it uses as the squirrel
doe.i, lo carry its food in its mouth; and it usually sits upon its
hinder parts to feed, in the manner of that little animal.

The marmot is cl lie Ry a native of the Alps; and when taken
young, is tamed more easily than any other wild animal, andalmott
as perfecdy as any of those that are domestic.f It is readily taugl.t
to dance, lo wield a cudgel, and lo obey the voice of its master.
Like the cat, it has an antipathy lo the dog ; and when it becomes
familiar to the family, and is sure of being supported by its master.
it atlacha and bites even the largest maslifT. From its squat muscu-
lar make, it has great strength joined to great agiliiy. It has four
large culling teeth, like all those of the hare kind ; but it uses them
to nmch more advantage, since In Ihis animal Ihey are very for-
midable weapons of defence. However, it is in general a very in-
olTensive animal; and, except its enmity lo dogs, seems to live in
friendship with every creature, unless when provoked. If not pre-
vented, it is very apt to gnaw the furniture of a house, and even lo
make holes through wooden parlilions ; from whence, perhaps, it has
been compared to ihe ral. As its legs are very short, and made
somewhat like those of a bear, il is often seen silling up, and even
ralking oniis hind-legs in like manner; but with the fore- paws, ns
was aaid, it uses to fet-d itself in the manner of a aquirrel. Like alJ

* Thli animal has two wed^e-like cutllDg leeth la each ji
are flvi' nbore, nud four btlovr, on eieb Bide ; and there ar
clea or cu liar- bones.

t Buffnn, frnm wh^ce the renuindFr of Ihls descri
N. 0. Hs tak«B It from Genir, vol, irii.

; clavi-

HARD KtNn.

of the hare kind, it runs much switler up-hill than dovrn ; it climbt
_trees with great ease, and nins up the clefU of rockg, or the con-
is walls of houses, with great facility. It is ludicrously wid that
lavoyards, wlio are the only chimney-sweepers of Paris,
jttre learned this art from the marmot, which is bred in the same

These animals eat indiscriminately of whalever i^ presented to
them ; flesh, bread, fruits, herbs, roots, pulse, and insects. But they
are particularly fond of milk and butter. Although lees inclined to
petty thefts than the cat, yet they always try to steal into the dairy,
where they lap up the milk like a cat, purring all the while like that
Animal, as an expression of their being pleased. As to the rest, milk
is the only liquor they like. They seldom drink water, and refuse
wine. When pleased or caressed, they often yelp like puppies;
but when irritated or frighted, they have a piercing note that hurls
the ear. They art; very cleanly animals, and, like the cat, retire
upon necessary occasions; but their bodies haveadisagreenblescent,
particularly in the heat of summer. This tinctures their flesh, which,
being very fat and Grm, would be very good, were not this flavour
always found to predominate.

We have hitherto been describing affections in this animal which
it has in common with many others ; but we now come to one which
pcrticularly distinguishes it from all others of this kind, and, indeed,
from every other quadruped, except the bat and the dormouse. This
is its sleeping during the winter. The marmot, though a native of
the highest mountains, and where the snow is never wholly melted,
nevertheless seems to feel the influence of the cold more than any
other, and in a, manner has all its faculties chilled up in winter. This
extraordinary suspension of life and motion for more than half the
year, deserves our wonder, and excites our allenlion lo consider the
manner of such a temporary death, and the subsequent revival.
Bot first to describe, before we allempt to discuss.

The marmut, usually at the end of September, or the beginning
of October, prepares to fit up its hubilation for the winter, from
which it is never seen to issue till about the beginning or the middle
of April. This arumal's little retreat is made with great precaution,
(tnd fltted up with art. It is a hole on the side of a mountain, ex-
tremely deep, with a spacious apartment at the bottom, which is
rather longer than It is broad. • In this several marmots can reside
at the seme time, without crowding each other, or injuring the ait
the; breathe. The feet and claws of this animal seem made for
<ligsing; and, iu fact, they burrow into the ground with amazing
facility, scraping up Ihe earth like a rabbit, and throwing back what
they have thus loosened behind them. But the form of their hole is
■till more wonderfnlj^ it resembles the letter Y; the two branches
being two openings which conduct into one channel, and this lermi-
^^_ Hales in their general apartment that lies at the bottom. As the
^^^L&ole is made on the declivity of a rnoimtain, thei'e is no part of it on
^^K'* level but th« apartment at the end. One of the brsnchei or

78 ANIMALS OP THB

opeDinga JmucsduI, sloping downwartls; and this KrvMssa kind uf
■ink or druin tu tite whole Tamily, wliere Lhey make their escrentents,
and where ihe tiioislure uf ilie plac« is drawn away. The oilier
branch, oa the contrary, slopes upwards, and this serves as (beir
door upon which to go out and in. The apartment at ibe end m
rery warmly stuccoed round with mois and hay, of both which ihcy
make an ample provision during the summer. As this is a work of
great labour, so it is undertaken in common; some cut the Jinest
grass, others gather it, and others take their turns to dragit into their
hole. Upon this occasion, as we are told, one of them lies on its bock,
permits the hay to be heupeil upon its biilly, keeps its paws upHght
to make greater room ; and in this manner, lying still upon its back,
it is dragged by the tail, hay and all, to their common relrieat. Tbia
also some give as a reason for the hair being geoerally worn away
on their backs, aa is usually the case ; however, a better reason fi>r
this may be asgigned, from their coDliaually rooting up holes, atid
passing through narrow openings. Bui, he this as it will, certain it
is that they all live togetlier, and work in common, to make their
liabitation as snug and convenient as possible. In it tliey pass Uiree
parts of their lives ; into it ihey retire when the storm is high i in it
they continue while it rains; there they remain when apprehensive
of danger, and never stir out except in line weatlier, never going far
from home even then. Whenever they venture abroad, one is
placed as a sentinel, silting upon a lofty rock, while tlie rest amuse
themselves in playing along the green fields, or aru employed in
cutting grass and making bay for their winter's convenience. Their
trusty sentinel, wlieo an enemy, a man, a dog, or a bird of prey
approaches, apprizes its companions with a whistle, upon whicli they
all make home, the sentinel himself bringing up the rear.

But it must not be supposed that this hay is desigued fur pro-
vision ; on the contrary, it is always found in as great plenty in
their holes at the end as at the beginning of winter ; it is only sought
for the convenience of their lodging, and the advantages of their
young. As to provision, ihey seem kindly apprized by nature that
during the winter ihey shall not want any, so that they make no
preparations for food, though so diligently employed in fitting up
their abode. At soon as they perceive the Srst approaches of the
winter, during which tlieir vital motions are to continue in some
measure suspended, lliey labour very diligently to close up the two
entrances of their habitation, which tliey eflect with such solidity,
that it is easier to dig up the earth any where else than where tliey
have closed it. At that lime they are very fat, and some of ihem
are found to weigh above twenty pounds ; they continue so for even
three months more ; but by degrees their flesh begins to waste, and
they are usually very lean by the end of winter. When their retreat
is opened, the whole family is then discovered, each rolled into a
ball, and covered up under the hay. In thisstate they seem entirely
lifeless; they may b<: taken away, and even killed, without their
teitifying any great pain ; and those who And them in this mantlet.

L>ed up tiie young, and eat the old
mith rtivivei them ; but ihey would
r the lire, or if their juiciia were too

HARE KINB. 79

caiTj them home, in order to
ones A gradual and gentle
die ir too suddeoly brought n
quickly liquefied.

Strictly speaking, says M. Buflon, theK animals cannot be said to
sleep during the winter i it may be called rather a torpor, n stag,
nation of all the faculties.* This torpor is produced by the cod.
gelation of their blood, which is naturally much colder than that of
all other quadrupeds. The usual heat of man, and other animals,
is about thirty degrees above congelation ; the heat of thctte is not
aboTe ten degrees. Their internal heat is seldom greater than that
of the teniperature of the air. This has been often tried by plung-
ing the ball of iho thermometer into the body of a living dormouse,
and it never rose beyond its usual pitch in air, and sometimes itsunk
above a degree. It is not surprising, therefore, that these animals,
whose blood is so cold naturally, should become torpid when tl;e ex<
lernal cold is too powerful for the small quantity of heat in their
bodies yet remaining; and this always happens when lliu thermo-
meter is not more than ten degrees above congelation. This cold-
ness M. lluSbn has experienced in the blood ofthe bat, the dormouse,
and the hedgehog, and with great Justice he extends the analogy to
the marniot, which like the rest is seen to sleep all the winter. This
torpid state cmtinues as long as the cause which produces it con-
tinues; and it is very probable that it might be lengthened out
beyond iLi usual term, by artiliciBlly prolonging the cold: if, for
instance, the animal were rolled op in wool, and placed in a cold
cellar, nearly approaching to, but nut quite so cold as an ice-house,
for that would kill them outright, it would remain perhaps a whole
year in its state of insensibility. However this be, if the heat of [lie
air be above ten degrees, these animals are seen to revive; and if it
be continued in that degree of temperature, they do not become
torpid, but eat and sleep at proper intervals, like all other quadrupeds
whatever.

From the above account, we may form some conception of the
stale in which these animals continue during the winter. As in
some disorders, where the circulation is extremely languid, the appe-
tite is diminished in proportion, so in these, the blond scarcely moving,
or only moving in the greater vessels, they want no nourishment to
repair what is worn away by its motions. They are seen, indeed,
by slow degrees to become leaner in proportion to the slow ntlrilion
of iheir fluids; but this is not perceptible except at the end of some
months. Man is oUgu known to gather nourishment from the am-
bient air; and these also may in some measure be supplied in the
same manner ; and having sufficient motion in their fluids to keep
them from putrefaction, and just sufiicient nourishment to supply the
waste of their languid circulation, they continue rather feebly alive

* Buflon, vol. ivi. Liiii

ANIMALS OF THE

These animals produc
but ihree or four at « time.
or their lives is not above ni
neiilier numerous nor very n
in ihe Alps, where ihey seem
Ihe lowest rang-es

e but once a year, and usually bring forth
They grow very fast, and the e.xtenl
ine or ten years ; so that the species is
luch difliised. They are chiefly found
11 to prefer the brow of the highest moun-
ind the aunny side to that in the shade.
The inhabitants of the country where they chiefly reside, when they
observe the hole, generally stay till winter before they think proper
to open it ; for if ibey begin too soon, the animal wakes, and, as it
has a surprising faculty ofdigglng, niBkes its hole deeper in propor-
tion as they follow. Such as kill it for food, use every art to im-
prove the Aesh, which is said to have a wild taste, and to cause
vomitings." They therefore (ate away the fal, which is in great
abundance, and salt the remainder, drying it somewhat in Ihe man-
ner of bacon, Still, however, it is said to be very indilferenl eating.
This animal is found in Poland under the denomination of the
Bobak, entirely resembling that of Ihe Alps, except that the latter
has a toe more upon its fore-foot than the former. It is found also
in Siberia under the name of the Jevraska, being rather smaller than
either of the other two. Lastly, it is found in Canada by the ap-
pellation of the IMonax, diflering only from the rest in haiing^^
blueiah snout, and a longer tail.

THE AGOUTI.

From the marmot, which differs from the hare so much in the
lengti) of its fur, we go lo the Agouti,t another species equally
diSi^ring in the shortness of its hair. 'I hese bear some rude resem-
blance to the hare and the rabbit in their form and manner of living,
but sufficiently differing to require a particular description. The
first of ihe^e, and that Ihe largest, as was hinted above, is ualled the
Agouti. This animal is found in great abundance in the souibern
pans of America, and has by some been called the rabbil of that
continent. Bui, though in many respects ii re><embles the rabbil,
yet still in many more it differs, and is, without all doubt, an animal
peculiar to the new world only. The agouti is about the size of a
rabbit, and has a head very much resembling it, except that the
ears are very short in comparison. It resembles the rahhil also in
Ihe arched form of ite back, in the hind-legs being longer than the
fore, and in having four greatcutiingleelh,lwo above and two below i
but then it differs in ihe nature ofils hair, which is not soil and downy

* Diclionnaire Ralsonne, vol. ii). p. 29.

[t The AgouU, PacB, A|ierpa, and I!
CDtlioglepth iu rich Jaw, and eight grlnili
fore-fefl um furnLahrd with four or five

four, or five each: Iha tail is diher very short or HilirHy iTBnllng;and
thfj hsti no claTiclo or collar-borfS.'

i-Pi?, have two wed^-lito

I each Bide in both jawa : Iha

tile Iliad- feel with three,

MARB KIND. 81

as in the rabbity but hard and. bristly like that of a sucking pig, and
of a reddish-brown colotir. It differs also in the tail, which is even
shorter than in the rabbit, and entirely destitute of hair.* Lastly, it
differs in the number of its toes, having but three on the hinder feet,
whereas the rabbit has Bie, All these distinctions, however, do not
countervail against its general form, which resembles that of a rabbit,
and most travellers have called it by that name.

As this animal differs in form, it differs still more in habitudes and
disposition. As it has the hair of a dog, so also it has its voracious-
ness.* It eats indiscriminately of all things, and when satiated,
hides the remainder, like the dog or the fox, for a future occasion.
It takes a pleasure in gnawing and spoiling every thing that it comes
near. When irritated, its hair stands erect along the back, and like
the rabbit it strikes the ground violently with its hind feet. It does
not dig a hole in the ground, but burrows in the hollows of trees.
Its ordinary food consists of the roots of the country, potatoes and
yamSy and such fruits as fall from the trees in Autumn. It unes its
Cbre-paws, like the squirrel, to carry its food to its mouth ; and as
its hind feet are longer than the fore, it runs very swiftly upon plain
ground or up a hill, but upon a descent it is in danger of falling. Its
sight is excellent, and its hearing equals that of any other animal ;
whenever it is whistled to, it stops to hearken. The flesh of such as
are fat and well fed is tolerable food, although it has a peculiar taste,
and is a little tough. The French dress it like a sucking pig, as we
learn from M. Buffon's account; but the English dress it with a
pudding in its belly, like a hare. It is hunted by dogs ; and lyhen-
ever it is got into a sugar ground, where the canes cover the place,
it is easily overtaken, for it is embarrassed every step it takes, so
that a man may easily come up with it without any other assistance.
When in the open country, it usually runs with great swiftness before
the dogs until it gains its retreat, within which it continues to hide,
and nothing but filling the hole with smoke can force it out. For
this purpose the hunter bums faggots or straw at the entrance, and
conducts the smoke in such a manner that it fills the whole cavity.
While this is doing, the poor little animal seems sensible of its
danger, and begs for quarter with a most plaintive cry, seldom quit-
ting its hole till the utmost extremity. At last, when half suffo-
cated, it issues out, and trusts once more to its speed for protection.
When still forced by the dogs, and incapable of making good a
retreat, it turns upon the hunters, and with its hair bristling like a
hog, and standing upon its hind feet, it defends itself very obstinately.
Sometimes it bites the legs of those that attempt to take it, and will
take out the piece wherever it fixes its teeth.f

Its cry when disturbed or provoked resembles that of a sucking
pig. If taken young, it is easily tamed, continues to play harmlessly
about the house, and goes out and returns of its own accord. In a
lavage state it usually continues in the woods, and the female gene-

• Buffon. t Ray*s Sfnop.

8) ANrMAt.S OF THE

TiMj chooses Ihe most obscure parts to bring forth her young. She
there prepares a bed o( leaves and dry grass, and generally brings
forth two at a time. She breeds twice or thrice a year, and carries
her young from one place to another, as convenience requires, in the
manner of a cat. She generally lodges them when three days old
in the hollow of a tree, suckling Ihem but for a very short lime, for
they soon come to perfection, and it should consequently fidlow tliat
Ihey soon grow old.

THE PACA.

The Paca is an animal also of South America, very much resem-
bling the former, and like it has received the name of (he American
rabbit, but with as little propriety- It is about the size of a hare, or
rather larger, and in figure somewhat like a sucking pig, which it
resembles in its grunting and its manntir of eating. It is, however,
most like ihe agouti, although it differs in several particulars. Like
the agouti, it is covered rather with coarse hair than a downy furi
but then it is beautifully marked along the sides with small ash-
coloured spots, under an amber-coloured ground; whereas theagouti
is pretty much of one reddish colour. The paca is rather more
thick and corpulent than the agouti ; its nose is shorter, and its
hind feet have live toes, whereas the agouti has but three, As to the
rest, this animal bears some distant resemblance to a rabbit; the
ears are naked of hair, and somewhat sharp, the lower jaw is some-
what longer than the upper ; the teeth, the shape of the head, and
the size of it, are like to those of a rabbit, ft has a sborl tail like-
wise, though not tufied, and its hinder legs are longer than the
fore. It also burrows in the ground like that animal, and from Ibis
sjmihtude alone travellers might have given it the name.

The paca does not make use of its fore-paws, like the squirrel or
the agouti, to carry its food to the mouth, but hunts for it on the
ground, and roots like a hog. It is generally seen along the banks
of rivers, and is only to be found in the moist and wartn countries
of South America. It is a very fat animal, and in this respect much
preferable to the agouti, which is most commonly found lean. It is
eaten, skin and all, like a young pig, and is considered as a great
delicacy. Like the former little animal, it defends itself to the last
^■^ extremity, and is very seldom taken alive. It is persecuted not.only

^^H by man, but by every beast and bird of prey, who all Watch its

^H^ motions, and, if it ventures at any distance from its hole, are sure to
^^V seize it. But although tlie race of these little animals is thus con*
^^1 tinually destroyed, it finds some refuge in its hole from the general

^^H combination ; and breeds in such numbers, Uiat the diminution is not
^^1 perceptible.

^^B To these animals may be added others, very similar both in form

^^H and disposition; each known by its particular name in its native

^^M country, but which travellers have been contented to call rabbit* or

^ r-i i-- B

UA.RE Elin). 83

hares, of which we ha?e but indistinct notice. The Tapeli, or the
Brazilian rabbit, is in shape like our English ones, but is much less,
being said to be not above twice the siiie of a dormauie. It is reddigli
oD the forehead, and a little whitish under the throat. It is remark-
able for having no tail; but it has long ears and whiskers, like our
rabbits, and black eyes. It does not burrow, like ours, but lives at
large, like the bare.

The Apehea is also called by some the Brazilian rabbit, being an
animal that seenia to partake of the nature of a rabbit and a rat.
The ears are like those of a rat, being short and round ; but the
other parts are like those of a rabbit, except that it has but three
toes on the hinder legs, like the agouti.

To these imperfect sketches of animals little known, others less
known might be added; for as nature becomes more diminutive, her
operations are less attentively regarded. I shall only, therefore,
add one animal more to this class, and that very well known, I mean
the Guinea- Pig, which Drisson places among those of Uie rabbit
kind ; and as 1 do not know any other set of animak with which
it can be so well compared, I will take leave to follow his example.

THE GUINEA-PIG.

!^e Guinea'Pig is a native of the warmer climates; but has been

■0 long rendered domestic, and so widely dilTijsed, that it ta novr
become common in every part of the world. I'here are few un-
acquainted with the figure of this tittle animal : in some places it is
considered as the principal favourite, and la ol\en found even to
displace the lap-dog. It is less than a rabbit, and its legs are shorter ;
tliey are scarcely seen, except when it moves; and the neck also is
«o short, that the head seems stuck upon the shoulderB. The ears
are short, thin, and transparent; the hair is like that of a sucking
pig, from whence it has taken tlie name; and it wants even the
vestiges of a tail. In other respects it has some similitude to the
rabbit. When it moves, its body lengthens like that animal ; and
when it is at rest, it gathers up in the same manner. Its nose is
formed with a rabbit lip, except that its nostrils are much farther
asunder. Like all other animals in a domestic Htate, its colours are
dilTerent; some are while, some are red, and others both red and
white. It diflers from the rabbit in the number of its toes, having
four toes on the feet before, and but three on those behind. It
strokes its head with tlie fore-rcet like the rabbit ; and, like it, sits
upon the hind-feet ; for which purpose, there is a naked callous ^in
on the back part of the legs and feet.

These animals are of all others the most helpless and inoffensive.*
They are scarcely possessed of courage sufficient lo defend them'

• Tiiii history U iiarlly lakpn

t AiDtcnituIti Acsden

I
I

84 ANIMALS OV TiFIB

selves against the meanest of all qondrupedB. a. mouse. Their only
animosity is exerted against each other ; for ihey will often fight very
obstinately, and the stronger is alien known to destroy the weaker.
But against all other sggresson, their only remedy is patience and
non-resistance. How, therefore, these animals, m a savage state,
could contrive to protect themselves, I have not been able to learn :
as they want strength, swiftness, and even the natural instinct so
common to almost every other creature.

An to their manner of living among us, they owe their lives en-
tirely to our unceasing protection. They must be constantly at<
tended, shielded from the e.tcessive colds of the winter, and s<»?ured
against all other domestic animals, which are apt to attack them,
from every motive, either of appetite, jealously, or experience of
their pusillanimous nature. Such indeed is their stupidity, that they
suffer themselves to be devoured by the cats without resintance ; and.
different from all other creatures, the female sees her young destroyed
without once attempting to protect them. Their usual food is bran,
parsley, or cabbage leaves; but there is scarcely a vegetable culti-
vated in our gardens that they will not gladly devour. The carrot*
top is a peculiar dainty, as also salind : and those who would pre*
serve their healths, would do right to vary their food ; for if they be
continued on a kind too succulent or too dry, the efTects are quickly
perceived upon their conatilulions. When fed upon recent vege-
tables, they seldom drink. But it often happens, thai, conducted by
nature, they seek drier food when the former disagrees with them.
They then gnaw clothes, paper, or whatever of this kind they meet
with; and, on these occasirais, they are seen to drink like most
other animals, which they do by lapping. They are chiefiy
fond of new milk: but in cose of necessity, are content with

They move pretty much in the manner of mbbiis. though not
near so swiftly ; and when confined in a roam, seldom cross the
floor, hut generally keep along the wall. The male usually drives
the female on before him, for they never move abreast together, but
constantly the one seems to tread in the footsteps of the preceding.
They chiefly seek for the darkest recesses, and the most intricate
retreats; where, if hay bespread as a bed for them, they continue to
sleep together, end seldom venture out but when they suppose all
interruption removed. On these occasions they act as rabbits; they
swiftly move forward from their bed, stop at the entrance, listen,
look round, and, if they perceive the slightest approach of danger,
tliey run back with precipitation. In very cold weather, how-
ever, they are more active, and run about to keep theinselves

They are a very cleanly animal, and very different from those
whose name they go by. If the young ones happen to fall into the
dirt, or be any other way discomposed, the female takes such an
aversion to them, that she never permits them to visit her more. In-
deed, her whole employment, ai well as that of the male, seems lo

RARE KIND. 85

caDBiit in smoothing (heir skins, in disposing: their heir, and impror-
ing iu gloss. The male and female take this office by turns ; and
when they have thus brushed up each other, they then bestow all
iheir concern upon their young, taking particular care to make (heir
hair lie smoolh, and biting them if they appear refractory. As they
are bo solicitous for elegance themselves, the place where ihey are
tepl must be regularly cleaned, and a new bed of hay provided for
them at least every week. Being natives of a warm climate, they
are naturally chilly in ours ; cleanliness, therefore, assials warmth,
and espels moisture. They may be thus reared nilhout the aid of
any artificial heat ; but in general there is no keeping them from
the lire in winter,if they be once permitted to approach it.

When they go to sleep, they lie flat on their bellies, pretty much
in their usual posture, except that they love to have their fore-feet
higher than their hinder. For this purpose, they turn ihemselves
several times round before they lie down, to find the most convenient
tituation. They sleep, like the hare, with their eyes half open ; and
continue extremely watchful if (hey suspect danger. The male ond
female are never seen both asleep at the same time; but while he
enjoys his repose, she remains upon the watch, silently continuing
to guard him, and her head turned towards the place where he lies.
When she supposes that he has had his turn, she (hen awakes him
with a kind of murmuring noise, goes to him, forces him from his
bed, and lies down in his place. He then performs the same good
(urn for her, and continues watchful till she also has done sleeping.

These animals are exceedingly salacious, and generally are capa-
ble of coupling at six weeks old. The female never goes with young
above five weeks, and usually brings forth from three to five at a
time ; and this not without pain. But what is very estraordinary,
(he female admits the male (he very day she has brought forth, and
becomes again pregnant; bo that their multiplication is astonishing.
She suckles her young but about twelve or fifteen days ; and during
that time does not seem to know her own ; for if the young of any
other be brought, though much older, she never drives them away,
but Buflers them even to drain her, to the disadvantage of her own
immediate offspring. They are produced with the eyes open, like
all others of the hare kind ; and, in about twelve hours, e((uai even
to the dam in agihty. Although the dam has but two teats, yet she
abundantly supplies them with milk; and they are also capable of
feeding upon vegetables almost from the very beginning. If the
young ones are permitted to continue together, the stronger, as in all
other societies, soon begins to govern the weak. Their conlentionj
are oflen long and obstinate, and their jealousies very apparent.
Their disputes are usually for the warmest place, or the mostagree-
able food. If one of them happens to be more fortunate in this
respect than the rest, the strongest generally comes to dispossess it
of its advantageous situation. Their manner of fighting, though
terrible to them, is ridiculous enough lo a spectator. One of them
uizM the hair on the nape of the other's neck with iw fore-leeth,

86 ANIMA-LS OP THE

sad atteiDpts to lonr it away ; the other, to retaliate, turns hn hinder
parts to the enemy, and kicks up behind like a horse, and wHh its
binder claws scratches the sides of its adversary; so that sometimes
they cover each other with blood. When they contend ii

nd this is orten a do-

ner, they gnash their teeth pretty loudly :
nunciation of mutual resentment.

These, though so formidable to each other
ous creatnres upon earth with resptxl to the
a fnlling leaf disturbs them, and every t
Hence they are diflicutlly tamed, and will
them, except the person by whom they ore
eating is something like that of the rabbit ; :
also to chew the cud. Although they sel
water every minute. They gnint somewha
have a more piercing note to express pain.

injury; but then, except the pi ensure they afford the spectator, ihey
are of very little benefit to mankind. Some, indeed, dress and eat
them ; but their flesh is indifferent food, and by no means a reward
for the trouble of rearing them. This, perhaps, might be improved,
by keeping them in a proper warren, and not suffering ihem to
become domestic : however, the advantages that would result from
this would be few, and the trouble great ; so thai it is likely they
wilt continue an useless, inoffensive dependant, rather propagated (o
■atiify caprice than to supply necessity.

est oft

inimaled nature ;

limnl ,

jvercomes them.

differ I

lone to approach

nd, like it, they appear

om dr

ink, they make

young pig; and

In ai

ford, they do no

CHAPTER IV.

ANIMALS OP THE RAT KIND.

Were it necessary to distinguish animals of the rat kind from
others, we might describe them as having two large cutting teeth,
like the hare kind, in each jaw ; as covered with hair; and as not
ruminating.* Thnsc distinctions might serve to guide us, had we
not too near an acquaintance with this noxious race to be mistaken
in their kind. Their numbers, their minuteness, their vicinity, their
vast multiplication, all sufficiently contribute to press them upon our
observation, and remind us oftheir existence, indeed, if we look
through the difie rent ranks ofanimals. from the largest to the smallest,
from the great elephant to the diminutive mouse, we shall lind that
we suffer greater injuries from the contemptible meanness of the one,
than the formidable invasions of the other. Against ihi' elephant,
the rhinoceros, or the lion, we can oppose united strength, and by
art Miake up the deficiencies of natural power: these we have driven

[•Tlieap animals havetlit! upper fore-teeth weilgp-shaptd ; three grini
■omelimcs (iliougli rarely) only two, on each »l<le of lUe jaws "
eollar-boiies complete.]

iree K"nM^^H

KAT KrND. 87

Into their native sotltuJea, and obliged to coniinnc at a disIOBce, in
the most mconvenicnl regions and unlieaUhful climaies. But it a
otheTwi<<e with the little teasing race I atn now describing: do
fmve can be e:(erted against their unresisting timidity ; no arts can
diminish their amnzing propagation; millions may be al once de-
stroyed, and yet the bresL'h be repaired in the space of a very few
■weelts ; and in proportion as nature has denied ihem force, it ha»
supplied the defect by their fecundity.

^^b THE GREAT RAT.

^^'ttie animal beat known at present, and in every respect tlie most
mischievous, is the Great Rat; wlitch, tiioiigh but a new comer iolo
this country, has lakcn too secure a possession lo be ever removed.
Thishsteful and rapacious creature, though sometimes called the
Ral of Xorwai/, is utterly unknown in all the northern countries,
and, by the best accounts 1 can learn, conies originally from the
Levant. Its Srst arrival, as t am auurcd, was upon the coasts of
Ireland, in those ships that traded in provisions to Gibraltar; and
perhaps we owe to a single pair of these animals the numerous
progeny that now infests the whoW extent of the British empire.

This animal, which is called by M. BuObn the Svrmalol, is in
length about nine inches ; its eyes are large and black ; the colour
of the head, and the whole upper part of the body, is of a light
brown, mixed with a tawny and ash colour. The end of the nose,
the throat, and belly, are of a dirty white, inchning to grey; the
feet and le^s are almost bare, and of a dirty pale flesh colour; the
tail is as long as the body, covered with minute dusky scales mixed
with a few hairs, and adds to the general deformity of its detestable
figure. It is chielly in the colour that this animal differs from the

Black Rat, or the Cor

oloi

This

uRat

arrival, found

posnens itself of their retreats.

new invader, i

called, but
a very few years
L the whole species, and

Its

s not against the black rat alone that its rapacity was
directed ; all other animals of inferior strength shared the same mis-
fortunes Theconlest with the black rat was of short continuance.
As it was unable to contend, and had no holes to fly to for retreat,
but where its voracious enemy could pursue, the whole race was
soon extinguished. The frog also was an animal equally incapable
of combat or defence. It had been designedly introduced into the
kingdom of Ireland some years before the Norway rat ; and it was
seen to multiply amazingly. The inhabitants were pleased with
the propagation of a harmless animal, that served to rid their fields
of insects ; and even the prejudices of the people were in its favour,
as they supposed that the frog contributed to render (heir waters
more wholesome. But the Norway rat soon put a stop lo their
increase : as these animals were of en amphibious nature, they pur-
TOL. u.— No. XXIV. L

■ued the frog ti

ANIHAXS

[3 lakes, and look it c

THE

ifea la Its oTvn Datiiral ele-
, therefore, auured, that the frog is once more almost
in that kingdom ; and that the Norway rat, having no more
i left there to destroy, is grown less numerous aUo.

We are not likely, therefore, to gain by the destruction of our
old domestics, since they are replaced by such mischievous suc-
cessors. The Norway rat has the same disposition to injure us, with
much greater power of mischief. It burrows in the banks of rivers,
ponds, and ditches; and is every year known to do incredible
damage to those mounds that are raised to conduct streams, or to
prevent rivers from overflowing. In these holes, which it forms
pretty near the edge of the water, it chiefly resides during the sum-
mer, where it lives upon small animals, Ush, and corn. At the ap-
proach of winter, it comes nearer the farm-liouses ; burrows in their
corn, eats much, and damages still more than it consumes. But
nothing that can be eaten seems to escape its voracity. It destroys
rabbits, poultry, and all kinds of game : and, like the polecat, kills
much more than it can carry away. It swims with great ease, dives
with great celerity, and easily thins the fish pond. In short, scarcely
any of the feebler animals escape its rapacity, except the mouse,
which shelters itself in its little hole, where the Norway rat is too big
to follow.

These animals frequently produce from twelve to eighteen at a
time,* and usually bring forth three times a year. This great
increase would quickly be found to overrun the whole country, and
render our assiduity to destroy them fruitless, were it not, happily
for us, that they cat and destroy each other. The same insatiable
appetite that impels tliem to indiscriminate carnage, also incites the
strongest to devour the weakest, even of their own kind. The large
male rat generally keeps in a hole by itself, and is dreaded by its
own species as the most formidable enemy. In tliis manner the
number of these vermin is kept within due bounds ; and when
Iheir increase becomes injurious to us, it is repressed by their own
rapacity.

But beside their own enmities among each other, all the stronger
carnivorous quadrupeds have natural antipathies against ihem. The
dog, though he detests their flesh, yet openly declares his alacrity
to pursue ihem, and attacks them with great animosity. Such as
are trained up to killing these vermin, dispatch them oden with a
single squeeze : but those dogs that show any hesitation, are sure to
come otf but inditferently; for the rat always takes the advantage
of a moment's delay, and, instead of waiting for the attack, becomes
the aggressor, seizing its pursuer by the tip, and inflicting a very
painful and dangerous wound. From the inflammation, and other
angry symptoms that attend this animal's bite, some have been led
to think that it was in some measure venomous ; but it is hkely that
the difficulty of tlje wound's healing arises merely from its b

• Buffon, vol. ]

i.p.2.

s b«iu^_

RAT KIWD.

deep, and lacerated hy the teeth, and Is rather a coniequenca of the
figure of the ia^trumentA that ioflict it, ihao any venom they may be
supposed to possess.

The eat is another formidable enemy of this kind ; and yet the
generality of our cats neither care to attack it, nor to feed upon it
when killed. The cat is a more prudent hunter than the dog, and
will not be at the pains to lake or combat with an enemy that is not
likely to repay her time and danger. Some cats, however, will
pursue and take the rat, though often not without an obstinate re-
sistance, if hungry, the cat will sometimes eat the head ; but, in
general, she is merely content with her victory.

A foe much more dangerous to these vermin is the weasel. This
animal pursues theTn with avidity ; and being pretty nearly of their
own siee, fallows them into their holes, where a desperate combat
ensues. The strength of each is pretty near equal ; but the armi
are very different. The rat, furnished with four long tusks at tho
extremity of its jaw, rather snaps than bites ; but the weasel, where
it once fastens, holds, and continuing also to suck the blood at the
same time, weakens its antagonist, and always obtains the victory.
Mankind have contrived several other methods of destroying these
noxious intruders — ferrets, traps, and particularly poison; butofall
other poisons, I am told that the nux vomica, ground and mixed with
meal, is the moat certain, as it is the least dangerous.

To this species I will subjoin as a variety, the Black Rat, men.
tioned above, greatly resembling ihe former in figure, but very
distinct in nature, as appears from their mutual antipathy. This
animal was formerly as mischievous qb it was common ; but at pre-
sent it is almost utterly extirpated b? the great rat, one malady
often espclling another. It is become so scarce, that I do not re>
member ever to have seen one. It is said to be possessed of all the
voracious and unnatural appetites of the former ; though as it is less,
they may probably be less noxious. lis length is about seven inches;
and the tail is near eight inches long. The colour of the body is of
B deep iron grey, bordering upon black, except the belly, which is
of a dirty cinereous hue. They have propagated in America in
great numbers, being originally introduced from Europe; and as
they seem to keep their ground wherever they get footing, they are
now become the most noxious animals in that part of the world.

To this also we may subjoin the Black Water Rat, about the
same size with the latter, with a larger head, a blunter nnse, less
eyes, and shorter ears, and the tip of its tail a little white. It waa
supposed by Ray to be web-footed ; but this has been fotind to be a
mistake, its toes pretty much resembling those of its kAid. It never
frequents houses, but is usually found on the banks o/" rivers, ditches,
ancf ponds, where it burrows and breeds. It feet^* on fisli, frogs, end
insects ; and in some countries it is eaten on fasting days.

THE MOUSE.

An animal equaUy mischievous, and equally well known nJth the
former, is the Mouse. Timid, cautious, and active, all itsdispositions
are similar to those of the ral, except with fewer powers of doing
mischief.* Fearful by nature, but familiar from necessity, it attends
upon mankind, and corner an unbidden guest to his most delioate
entertainnients. Fear and necessity seemtoregulateallilsmotionH;
it never leaves its hole but to seek provision, and seldom ventures
above a few paces from home. Different from the rat, it does not
go from one house to another, unless it be forced ; and, as it is more
easily satisfied, it does much less mischief.

Almost all animals are tamed mors difficultly in proportion to tlie
cowardice of their natures. The truly bold and courageous easily
become familiar, but those that are always fearful are ever suspi-
cious. The mouse being the most feeble, and consequently the most
li mid of all (juadrupeds, except iho guinea-pig, is never rendered
thoroughly familiar; and, even though fed in a cage, retains its
natural apprehensions. In fact, i( is to these alone that it owes its
security. t No animal has more enemies, and few so incapable of
resistance. The owl, the cat, the snake, the hawk, the weasel, Iho
rat itself, destroys this species by millions, and it only subsists by
its amazing fecundity.

The mouse brings forth at all seasons, and several limes !n the
year. lis usual number is from six to ten. These in less than a
fortnight are strong enough to run about and shifl fur themselves.
They are chiefly found in farHwrs' yards, and among tlieir com, but
are seldom in those ricks that are much infested with rats. They
generally cheese the south-west side of the rick, from whence most
rain is expected; and from thence they often, of an evening, venture
forth to drink the little drops either of rain or dew that hang at the
extremities of the straw.T Aristotle gives us an idea of their pro-
digious fecundity by assuring us, that having put a mouse with young
into a vessel of corn, in some lime aller he found a hundred and
twenty mice, all sprung from one original. The early growth of
this animal implies also the short duration of its life, which seldom
lasts above two or three years. This species is very much diffused,
being found in almost all parts of the ancient continent, and having
been exported to the new.§ They are animals that, while they fear
human society, closely attend it, and, although enemies to man, are
never fouid but near those places where he has fixed his habitation.
Numberless tays have been found for destroying them ; and Gesner
has minutely tisscribed the variety of traps by which they are taken.
Our Society for Uie Encouragement of Arts and ManiifaclureB prci-

• BoBbn, vol. XV. p. 140,

+ E Tolucribus hirundinpB atiM IndoeUes, r lerraalribus

t Buffan, vol. i». p. 147. § tislB's Husbsudry, vol. 11. p- 991

HAT KIND.

posed a retrard for the most ingenious contrivance for llial purpose;
and I observed almost every candidate passing off descriptions as
inventions ofhia own. I thought it was cruel to delect the plagiariBm,
or frustrate the humble ambition of those who would be thought
the inventors of a mouse-trap.

To this species, merely to avoid teasing the reader with a minute
description of animals very inconsiderable and very neurly alike) I
will add that of the Long-laited Field Mouse, which is larger than
the former, of a colour very nearly resembling the Norway rat, and
chiefly found in fields and gardens. They are extremely voracious,
and hurtful in gardens and young nurseries, where they are killed
in great numbers. However, their fecundity (quickly repairs tbo
destruction.

Nearly resembling the former, but larger, (for it is six inches
long), is the Short-tailed Field Mouse ; which, as ita name implies,
has the tail much shorter than the former, it being not above an inch
and a half long, and ending in a small tuft. Its colour is more
inclining to that ofthe domestic mous^, the upper part being blackish,
and the under of an ash colour. This, as well as the former, is
remarkable for laying up provision against winter; and M. Buflbn
assures us they sometimes have a store of above a bushel at a lime.

We may add also the SAreto Mouse to this species of minute ani-
mak, being about the size of the domestic mouse, but differing greatly
from it in the form of its nose, which is very long and slender. The
teeth also are of a very singular form, and twenty-eight in number,
whereas the common number in the rat kind is usually not above
sixteen. The two upper fore-teeth are very sharp, and on each side
of them there is a kind of wing or beard, like that of an arrow,
scarcely visible but on a close inspection. The other teeth are
placed close together, being very small, and seeming scarcely
separated ; so that with respect to this part of its formation, the
animal has some resemblance to the viper. However, it is a very
iiarmlesa little creature, doing scarcely any injury. On the contrary,
OS it lives chiefly in the Gelds, and feeds more upon insects than
corn, it may be considered rather as a friend than an enemy, it
has a strong disagreeable smell, so that the cat, when it is killed,
will refuse to eat it. It is said to bring four or five young at a
time.

■ THE DORMOUSE.

K/These animals may be distinguished into three kinds; ihe greater
dormouse, which M. Buffon calls the Loir; the middle, which he
calls the Lerol; the 'ejs, which he denominates the Muscardin. They
differ from each other in she, the largest being eqnni to a rat, the
least being no bigger than a mouse. They all differ from the rat,
in having the tail lulled with hair in the manner of a squirrel, except
that the squirrel's tail ia flat, resembling a fan, and theirs round.

9^ A3IM'%\S or T%E

ftjieahbug % iMDiik. Tilt lent £S« &tn d» Itnr. Ihf lan^v fvo

Ifadt apdU neur itn tjv : iV udrs^^ diK« t«^ faodi » tfie

bb cHr. Tha7 •«»« n tLeir ksng a^fiifriilfike lie aHsol dvifi^
dte wilder, »ui m lUir U«rd«ig np p<i, lijiw tt aenr Ach id caac

Titer ioL^^Ow ««(dt orrerfdodcEe^M^bcM^tbirtMarts
b Ow ImHmt oT aone (ne, ar men fka fceOOB «f ■ ck* Arab.
fc iiMft ly eoBfaat w3Bi ctntiniaQgait lhefaatla•^ aad t- i u MfiriB^
to spwt vmiog Uie brtnelitt. Ta— A A* i^pttrnk «f d» coM

tCMMl dwy £rm s Bule mssBBe oT mU, baoK. or aeona : aad,
lM«iiij>la«I ia itwr beard, riwt d>tntl*M ap wdi k f« tfe wioter.
JU tifja •« Tbe^ feel tbe Itst Klraoees of ibe ecld, ihey t» fcp *r e to
Imum ft* d&M, l>7 nJIoig dHinsrirtsap iBa baB,nd ibosexpcMRig
' e ia*all»( Mirfwe k> tbe veatber. B^ k oCua hap pen ttet Ibe
'' t * mtnar dar. or «ii icoAeaa} ^OBgt fm» cold to b»t,
r ttettij Ha^mnl lUiids, >i>d iber tevireL O) «cfa oc-
B]r bavi-dMJr pruTinoa«faidhT,aiM]ihe5 b^reoot ftrtsseek
t mtpport. In tliu onnner ihej eoBtinae ivaallT adeepi, but
K» miung'. fr^r aboil riTetnwiihs ki die jev.aeUon teirtor-
big fnin iheir retrcaii, aw! omMqiieolly bot rarelj- fewi. Their
MM* are Iin«d with incvxi, gru». art.:l dead learM : ther tstisliy
brin^ r»rfh ibrte or four young at a tifne, aitcl thai bet OMca-jeUt',
id lb* fpriD^. ^H

TIIE MfSK, BAT.

prtliMe animaU of ibe rat kind, bat iritti a imisliy smen. ib^i?
■re (ilau three diaticictiimi, as of ihe roTincr ; the Ondatra, ttie T>es-
mnn, Br>d the Pilori. The ondjlra is a native of Canada, thb des-
mitn of LitplMiil, and the pilori of the VTeal Tndia Itlands. Tbe
iindatra diffisra froin all others of ilj kind, m having the tail Sailed
and carr'uNi edgewayi. The desman has a loiig extended EDout like
the riinm moux;; and the piluti a sLort tail, as thick at one end as
Ihi! Oilier, they all re«emble each other in being fond of the water,
but particularly in that musky odour from whence ihey have laken
(heir name.

or thvw:, the Ondaira i) the most remarkable, nnd has been tlie
imM minultHy deacribed.* This animal is about ihe size of a sraall
rubbit, but has th« hnir, ihe colour, and llie tail of a rat, except that
it i« ItntKwl on the aides, as mentioned nbuve. Bui It Is atill more
cKraonliiiary upon other accounts, and diOcrenl froni all other ani-
tnalR whatuver. It ta so formed that it can conlraci and cnltirge its
bmly at plconure- It has a muscle like ihatof horses, by which they
iiiovi! their hides, lying imiuedialely under the skin, and that tlir-

■RAT KIND. t)

Ihed with such a power of contraction, together with roch i

UticKy in the false ribs, that this animal can creep into a hol«

e others, seemingly unich less, cannot follow. The female is

narkable also for two distinct Rperturea, one for urine, the other

jr propagation. The male is eqmlly observable for a peculiarity

if conformation; the musky smell is much stronger at one parti-

eason of the year than any other ; and the marks of the si

o appear and disappear in the some maraier.

ondatra in some measure resembles the beaver in it^ nature

sposiiion. They both liye in society during winter; they

fa form homes of two feet and a half wide, in nhich they reside,

^ral families together. In these they do not assemble to sleep as

not, but purely to shelter themselves from'the rigour of the

Mason. However, they do not lay up mngazines of provbion like

the beaver; they only form a kind of covert way to and round their

dwelling, from whence they issue to procure water and roots, upon

—.which they subHit. During winter their houses are covered under &

"* ipth of eight or ten feet of snow; bo that they must lead but a cold,

my, and necessitous life, during its continuance. During sum'

)r they separate two by two, and feed upon the variety of rooti

vegetables that theseanon offers. They then become extremely

kt, and are much sought after, as well for their flesh as their skim,

Aich are very valuable. ' They then also acquire a very strong

It of musk, so pleasing to an European, but which the savagea

if Canada cannot abide. What we admire as a perfume, they &

kder as a most abominable stencii, and call one of their rivers,

e banks of which this animni is seen to burrow in numbers, by the

of the slinkirt/f river, as well as the rat itself, which is deno*

piinated by Ihem the stinkard. This is a strange diversity among'

"Saitkind ; and perhaps may be escribed to the diHerent kinds i^

d among different nations. Such as chiefly feed upon rancid oils

i putrid flesh, will often mistake the nature of scents; and, having

a long used to ill smells, will by habit consider them as perfumes.

it will, although these nations of northern savages considet-

■at as intolerably fetid, they nevertheless regard it ns very

■i eating; and, indeed, in this they imitate the epicures of Europe

ery exactly, whose taste seldom relishes a dish till the nose give*

le strongest marks of disapprobation. As to the rest, this animal

k good deal resembles the beaver in itn habits, and disposition ; but ~

' ' :s instincts are less powerful, and Us economy less esact, I iriH

rye for the description of that animal a part of what may ba

Ipplicable to this.

THE CRICETUa.

The Cricetus, or German Rat,
greatly resembles the water rat

IS of its tail. It differs i

hich M. liuffon calls the Hamster,

its siic, small eyes, and the short-

lolour, being rather browner, like tbs

AKIHAIS OP THE

Norway rat, with the hetiy and leg* of a dirty yellow. Bui the
mariu by which it may be distinguished from all others are two
pouches, like those of a baboon, on each aide of iia jaw, under the
akin, into which it can cram a large quantity of provision. These
bags are oblong, and of the size, when filled, of a large walnut. They
open into the mouth, and fall back along the neck to the shoulder.
Into these the animal caD thrust the surplus of those fruits or grains
it gathers in the fields, such as wheal, peas, or acorns. When the
immediate calls of hunger are satisfied, it then falls to filling these ;
and thus, loaded with two great bunches on each side of Uie jaw, it
returns home to its hole to deposit ihe spoil as a store I'or the winter.
The size, the fecundity, and the voraciousness of this animal, render
it one of the grealest pesla in the countries where it is found, and
every method is made use of to destroy it.

But although this animal is very noxious with respect to man, yet,
considered with regard to those instincts which conduce to its own
support and convenience, it deserves our admiration.* Its hole

» offers a very curious object for contemplation, and shows a degree
of skill superior to the rest of the rat kind. It consists of a variety
of apartments fitted up for the different occasions of the little in-
habitant. It is generally made on an inclining ground, and always
has two entrances, one perpendicular, and the other oblique; thou^,
if there be more than one in a family, there are as many perpen-
dicular holes as there are individuals below. The perpendicular
hole is usually that through which they go in and out; the oblique
serves to give a thorough air to keep the retreat clean, and, in case
one hole is stopped, to give an exit at this. Within about a foot of
the perpendicular hole the animal makes two more, where are de-

1 posited the family's provisions. These aremuch more spacious than
the former, and are large in proportion to the quantity of the store.
Beside these, there is still another apartment warmly lined with grass
and straw, where the female brings forth her young : all these com-
municate with each other, and all together take up a space of ten or
twelve feet in diameter. These animals furnish their storehouses
with dry corn well cleaned ; they also lay in corn in the ear, and
beam and peas in the pod. These, when occasion requires, they
afterwards separate, carrying out the pods and empty ears by their
oblique passage. They usually begin to lay in at the latter end of
August ; and, as each magazine is filled, they carefully cover up the
mouth with earth, and that so neatly that it is no easy matter to dis-
cover where the earth has been removed. The only means of finding
out Iheir retreats are, therefore, to observe the oblique entrance,
which generally has a small quantity of earth before it; and this,
though otlen several yards from their perpendicular retreat, leads
those who are skilled in the search to make the discovery. Many
German peasants are known to make a livelihood by tinding out and
bringing off their hoards, which in a fruitful season often furnish twoi^
bushels of good grain in each aparlment.
• Butfon, vol. xxvi. p.

' tinding out and
jflen furnish iwa

RAT KIND. 9&

. Like most olbera of the ral kind, they produce twice or thrioe a
■ year, and bring live or six at a lime. Some years they appear iq ,
ming Dumbere, at other times they are not bo plentiful. The
It seasons axsist their propagation; and it often happens on such
ftijrearB that their devastations produce a famine all over the country.
K'fiappily, however, for mankind, these, like the rest of their kind*
K^^lroy each other ; and of two that M. Buffon kept in a cage, male
\tad female, the latter killed and devoured the former. As to the ■
est, their fur is considered as very valuable; the natives are invited
ffty rewards to destroy ihem ; and the weasel kiud seconds tlie wishes
f governmenL with great success. Although they are usually fuuud
own on the back and white on the belly, yet many of theoi aro .
served to be grey, which may probably arise from the differenca

THE LEMINQ.

Having considered various kinds of these no.xioua little animals .
'wt elude the indignation of mankind, and subsisl by their number, ,
K>t their strength, we come to a species more bold, more dangerous.
Band morenumerous than any of the former. The Leming, which (■
B native -of Scandinavia, is often seen to pour down in myriads from .
"ibe northern mountains, and, like a pestilence, destroys all the pro> .
luctions of the earth. It is described as being larger than a dormouse, '
I Sriih a bushy tail, though shorter. It is covered with thin hair of
■"^vrious colours. The extremity of the upper part of the head ia
\-falack, as are likewise the neck and shoulders, but the rest of the
Jl^ody is reddish, intermixed with small black spots of various figures,
Lm far as the tail, which is not above half an inch long. The
Kqrea are little and black, the ears round and inclining towards the
k'liack, the legs before are short, and those behind longer, which gives
Kt a great degree of swifLness. But what it is much more remarkable
fcfitr than its figure, are its amazing fecundity and extraordinary
riBiigrations.

In wet seasons all of the rat kind are known to propagate more _

than in ury ; but this species in particular is so assisted in multiply-

mg by the moisture of the weather, that the inhabitants of Lapland

nncerely believe that they drop from the clouds, and that the same

f jDBgazinea that furnish hail and snow pour the leming also upon

B^em. In fact, al\er long rain, these animals set forward from their

W.wtive niounlains, and several millions in a troop deluge the whole

C.l4ain with their numbers.* They move, for the most part, in ft

ftjquare, marching forward by night, and lying still by day. Thus,

W'$kB an animated torrent, they are often seen more than a mile broad

levering the ground, and that so thick that the hindmost touches ita

It is in vain that the pour inhabitant resisla oi attempts t9.t

• Phil. Traus. vol. ii. p. Hid.

AT^iytxts OF The

(top Ibelr progrcffi ; they still keep movbg rorward ; and, thoagh
thouaamls are destroyed, myriads are seen lo succeed, and make
their destruction impracticable. They generally move in lines,
vhich are about three feet from each other, and exactly paraltel.
Their march is always directed from the north-west to the south-east,
and regularly conducted from the beginning. Wherever their
motions are turned, nothing can stop them ; they go directly for-
ward, impelled by some strange power; and from the time they
first set out, they never once think of retreating. Tf a lAe or a
river happens to interrupt their progress, they all together take the
water, and swim over it ; a fire, a deep well, or a torrent, does not
turn them out of their straight-lined direction ; they boldly plunge
into the flames, or leap down the well, and are sometimes seen
climbing up on the other side. If they are interrupted by a boat
across a river while they are swimming, they never attempt to swim
round it, but mount directly up its sides ; and the boatmen, who
know how vain resistance in such a cose would be, calmly sufier the
living torrent to pass over, which it does without further damage,
ir they meet with a stack of hay or corn that interrupts their passage,
instead of going over it they gnaw their way through ; if they are
stopped by a house in Cheir course, if they cannot go through it, they
continue there till Ihey die. It is happy, however, for mankind,
that they eat nothing that is prepared for human subsistence ; they
never enter a house to destroy the provisions, but are contented with
eating every root and vegetable that they meet. If they happen to
pass through a meadow, they destroy it in a very short lime, and
give it an appearance of being burnt up and strewed with ashes. If
they are internipted in their course, end a man should imprudently
venture to attack one of them, the little animal is no way intimidated
by the disparity of strength, but furiously (lies up at its opponent,
and barking somewhat like a puppy, wherever it fastens does not
easily quit the hold. If at last the leader be forced out of its line,
'which it defends as long as it can, and be separated from the rest of
its kind, it selsnp a plaintive cry, different from that of anger, and,
as some pretend to say, gives itself a voluntary death, by hanging
itself on the fork of a tree.

An enemy so numerous and destructive would quickly render the
countries where they appear utterly uninhabitable, did it not for-
tunately happen that thesamerapacitylhalanimates them to destroy
the labours of mankind, at last impels them to destroy and devour
each other.* After committing incredible devastations, they are at
last seen to separate into two armies, opposed with deadly hatred,
along the coasts of the larger lakes and rivers. The Laplanders,
who observe tliem thus drawn up to fight, instead of considering
their mutual animosities as a happy riddance of the most dreadful
pest, form ominous prognostics from the manner of their arrange-
ment. They consider their combats as a presage of war, and expect

' Dictioaaaiu Raisunui', rul.

i. II. CIO.

RAT KIND. 97

p iDTOfiion from the Russieiaa or the Swedes, as the sitlea next ihom
IS happen to conquer. The two divisions, liowuver, continue
pieir engagements and animosity until one party overcomes the
;r. From that time tliey utterly disappear, nor is it well knowa
t becomes of either the conquerors or tiie conquered, Some
■ippose that they rush headlong into the sea ; others, that they kill
penueWes, aa some are found hanging on the forked branches of a
; and others still, that they are destroyed by the young spring
a^ But the most probable opinion is, that having devoured.
Be vegelable productions of the country, and having nothing more
lubeist on, they Uien fall to devouring each other ; and having
Situated themselves to that kind of food, continue it. However '
is be, they are of\en found dead by thousands, and their carca^aea i
e been known to infect the air for several miles round, so aa to '-

e very malignant disc/ders. They seem also to infect the
ints they have gnawed, for the cattle often die that afterwards feed
p.lhe places where they passed.

' ' '.he rest, the male is larger and more beautifully spotted tliaa .
e female. They are extremely prolific; and, what is extraordinary,
iieir breeding does not hinder their march ; for some of them have
n observed lo carry one young one in their mouth, and another
on their back. They are greatly preyed upon by the ermine, and,
as we are told, even by tlie rein-deer. The Swedes and Norwegians,
irho live by husbandry, consider an invasion from these vermin aft '
|a.t«Tible visitation; but it is very difftTODt with respect to the Lap- '
Riders, whi) lead avagrnnl life, and who, [ike the lemiugs themselvt
l^.theti' provisions be destroyed in one part of tlie country, can easily

o another. These are never so happy as when an army of ]
minga come down amongst them ; for then they feust upon their
ih, which, though horrid food, and which though even dogs and
s are known to detest, these little savages esteem very good eating,
d devour greedily. They are glad of their arrival also upon |
wtlier account, for they always expect a great plenty of gaiii,e
Bie year following, among those Helds which the Icniings have .
^Iroyed.

THB MOLE.

To these minute animals of the rat kind, a greater part of wboae \

s passed in holes under ground, I will subjoin one little animal i

DO way resembling the rat, except that its whole life is spent

As we have seen some quadrupeds formed to crop the surface j

|f the fields, and others to live upon the tups of trees, so the mole ia \

I live wholly under the earth, as if nature meant tliat no

PVilace should be left entirely untenanted. Were we from oUr own |

I sensations to pronounce upon the life of a (juadruped that wasn<

to appear above ground, but was always condemned to hunt for iti i

prey underneath i obliged, whenever it removed from one place to ^

I
I

88 ANIMAIS OP THE

KDolher, to bore its way tbrough a resisting body, we should be t
to auerl, tliat such an eKistence must be thu most frighirul and soK
tary in nature. However, in the present animal, though we find HI
condemned to all those' seeming inconveniencies, we shall discoref 1
no signs of wretchedness or distress. No quadruped is fatter, none I
IiOB a. more sleek or glossy skin ; and, though denied many advao- 1
tages that most animula enjoy, it is more hberally possessed ofothen^ ^
which they have in a more scanty proportion. , I

This animal, so well known in England, is however tUterly a 1
stranger in other places, and parucularly in Ireland. For such^ 1
therefore, as have never seen it, a short description will be necesr 1
sary.* And, in the first place, though somewhat of a size between 4
the rat and the mouse, it no way resembles either, being an animal J
entirely of a singular kind, and perfectly unhke any other
ruped whatever. It is bigger than a mouse, with a coat of line^fl
short, glossy, black hair. Its nose is long and pointed, resembling'^
that of a hog, but much longer. Its eyes are so small that it la '
'scarcely possible to discern them. Instead ufears, it bos only holes
in the place. Its neck is so short, that the head seems stuck upon
the shoulders. The body is thick and round, terminating by a very
small short tail ; and its legs also are so very short, that the animal
seems to lie flat on its belly. From under its belly, as it rests in
this position, the four feet appear just as if they immediately grew
out of the body. Thus the animal appears to us at first view as s
mass of flesh covered with a fine shining black skin, with a little
head, and scarce any legs, eyes, or tail. On a closer inspection,
.however, two little black points may be discerned, that are its eyes.
The ancients, and some of the moderns, were of opinion that the
animal was utterly blind; but Derham, by the help of a microscope,
'|dainly discovered all the parts of the eye that are known in o^er
'animals, such as the pupil, the vitreous, and crystalline humours.
The fore-legs appear very short and strong, and furnished with five
claws to each. These are turned outwards and backwards, as the
hands of a man when swimming. The hind-legs are longer and
weaker than the fore, being only used to assist its motions ; whereas,
the others are continually employed in digging. The teeth are like
those of a shrew mouse, and there are five on both sides of the upper
jaw, which stand out ; but those behind are divided into points. The
tongue is as Inrge as the mouth will hold.

Such is the extraordinary figure and formation of this animal;
•which if we compare with its manner of living, we shall find a mani-
fest attention in nature to adapt the one to the other.t As it is
•llotted a subterraneous abode, the seeming defects of lis formatioiifl
'vanish, or rather are turned to its advantage. The breadth, strengtlfff
and shortness of the fore-feet, which are inclined outwards, answer^

[* Themolr b» six anequal fare-teeth in the upjier jaw, and eight in
lower; one tusk on each aide in both jaws; seven ^riDdcrs on each >lda
above, and six below.] + British Zoology.

HAT KtNU- 99

the purposes of digging, serving lo ihrow back the eaitli with greater
ease, and to pursue the worma and insects which are its prey : had
they been longer, the falling in of the earth would have prevented
the quick repetition of its strokes in working; or have obliged it to
make a large hole, in order to give room for their exertion. The
form of the body is not less admirably contrived for its way of life.
The fore part is thick, and very muscular, giving great strength to
the action of the fore-feet, enabling it to dig its way with amazing
force and rapidity, either to pursue its prey, or elude the search of
the moat active enemy. By its power of boring the eorth, it quickly
gets below the surface; and 1 have seen it, when let loose in the
midst of a field, like the ghost on a theatre, instantly sink into the
earth ; and the most active labourer, with a spade, in vain allempied
to pursue.

The smallneas of its eyes, which induced the ancients lo think it
was blind, is, to this animal, a peculiar advantage. A small degree
of vision is sufficient for a creature that is ever destined to live in
darkness. A more extensive sight would only have served to show
the horrors of its prison, while nature had denied it the means of an
escape. Had this organ been larger, it would have been perpe-
tually liable to injuries, by the falling of the earth into it; but
nature, to prevent that inconvenience, has not only made them very
small, but very closely covered them with hair. Anatomists men-
tion, beside these advantages, another that contributes to their secu-
rity ; namely, a certain muscle, by which the animal can draw back
the eye whenever it is necessary, or in danger.

As the eye is thus perfectly fitted to the animal's situation, so also
are the senses of hearing and smelling. The first gives it notice of
the most distant appearance of danger; the other directs it, in the
midst of darkness, to its food. The wants ofa subterraneous animal
can be but few ; and these are sufficient to supply them : to eat, and
to produce its kind, are the whole employment of such a life ; and
for both these purposes it is wonderfully adapted by nature.*

Thus admirably is this animal filled for a life of darkness and
solitude; with no appetites but what it can eajjlly indulge, with no
enemies but what it can easily evade or conquer. As soon as it has
once buried itself in the earth, it seldom stirs out, unless forced by
violent rains in summer, or when, in pursuit of its prey, it happens
(o come too near the surface, and thus gels into the open air, which
may be considered as its unnatural element. Tn general it chuses
the looser softer grounds, beneath which it can travel with greater
ease; in such also it generally finds the greatest number of worms

' Testes habet maximos, parastatas BmiiliEsimas, tiavum corpus spminute
ab hia diveranm ac separaluni. Pi-nem etiam facile omnium, ni fallor, ani-
maiium loD^saimum, ex quibus colligcre ext maximani prv reliqnis omnibus
animalibus voluptateni in coitu, hoc abjeclum et vile BnimakulDni peroipere,
lit habeant quod Ipsi invideanl qui in hoc supremaa Title suie dplicios collo-
cant: Ray's Synops. Qundrup. p. S3S. Huic opinion! aaspntitar D. Buf-
fon, attnmen non mihi r ........ .. . . ...

1
I

animaxjS of the

upon whiuli it cbJefly preys. Ii b observed lo be mOft
and lo cast up most eartli, imraudiately bdfurc rait), aod in
befure a tfi^w : at those times the worms and iDsei;t8 begin to
b^ in.inotion, and approach the surface, ,wLilh«r this iodijslrious oni-
raal pursues them. Ou the cotitrary, in very dry weather the mole
seldom or never forms any liillocks ; for then it is obliged to pene-
Irale deeper after its pi'ey, wiiich at such seasons retire for ioto the
ground.

Ah the moli^s very seldom come above ground,* they have but
few enemiea; and very readily evade thepuvsuit of animal; stronger
agd swll^er than themselves. Their greatest calamity is an inun-
datioR ; which wlieuever it happens, they are seen in numbers at-
tempting lo snve themselves by swimming, and using every efibrt to
reach the higher grounds. The greatest pari, however, perish, as
well aa their young, which remain ia the holes behind. Were it nut
for such accidents, from their great fi-'cundiiy they would become
extremely Irgublesome ; and, as it \s, in some places they are con-
sidered by ihe farmer as his greatest pest. They couple towards
the .approach of spring ) and their young are ibupd about the begin-
ning of May, They generally have four or five at a time; and it is
e^y to distinguish among other mole-liilis, that in vrhich the female
has brought forth her young. These are made with i^uch greater
art than the rest, and are usually larger. Tlie female, in order to
form this retreat, begins by erecting the earth into a tolerably spa-
cious spartm en t, which is supported within by partitions, at i^oper
distances, that prevent the rouf from falliag. All round Ijiis st^
works, and beats the earth very firm, no as to make it capable of
keeping out tlie raio lei it be never so violent. As the hillock in
whicli this apartme&t is thus formed, is raised aboye grouted, the
4 itiporlment itself is coasequenlly above tlie level of the plain, and
therefore less subject to accidental slight inuudatiooS' The place
being tliua litted, she then procures grass and dry leaves, as a bed
for her youii^. There tltey lie secure fropi wet, and she continues
to make their retreat equally no from danger ; for (ill round thip hill
of her own raising, are holea running into the earth, that part frofli
the middle apartment, like rays from a centre, and extend about
/ifieen feet in every direction; these resemble so maijy walks or
ehapses, into which the eitimal makes her subterraneous excur^iQQi,
and supplies her young with such roots or insects as she can provide;
but they conlribule still more to the general safely ; for as the mole
is very quick of hearing, the instant slie perceives her little liabitation
Htlaokcd, slie lakes to her burrow, and unless the earth be dug
'away by several men at once, she and her young always make a
good retreat.

The mule is scarcely found except in cultivatiid countries: the
varietitis are but lew. That which is Ibund ui Virginia reseiitbles

lulo, except III colour, whicti is bluck, mixed ^ith a deei

idee^^

■. I :'

HEDGEHOG KIND. 101

. Tlwre are sometimes white moles seen, parlictikrly in

rolond, rather larger than the former. As iheir skin is so very ioft
«nd benuliful, it is odd that it has not been turned to any adra^iage.
Agricola tells us, that he sa* hala made from it, the finest and ihe
most beautiful that could be imagined.

CHAPTER V.

OF ANIMALS OP THE IIEDGEHOO, OR PRICKLY KIND.

Animals of the Hedgehog kind require but very little accuracy
to distinguish them from all others. That hair which serves the
generality of quadrupeds for warmth and ornament, is partly want-
ing in these, wlitle its place is supplied by sharp spines or prickles
that serve for their defence. Tliis general characteristic, therefore,
makes a much more obvious distinction than any that can be taken
from their teeth or their claws.* Nature, by this extraordinary
peculiarity, seems to have separated them in a very distinguished
manner; so that instead of classing the hedgehog among the moles,
or the porcupine with the hare, as some have done, it is much more
natural and obvious to place them, and others approaching them in
this strange peculiarity, in a class by themselves : nor let it be sup-
posed, that while 1 thus alter their arrangement, and separate them
from animals with which they have been formerly combined, that I
am destroying any secret affinities that exist in nature. It is natural,
indeed, for readers to suppose, when they see two such opposite ani-
mals as the hare and the porcupine assembled together in the same
group, that there must be some material reason, some secret con-
nesion, for thus joining animals so tittle resembling each other in
appearance. But the reasons for this union were very slight, and
merely arose from a simihlude in the foreteeth : no likeness in the
internal conformation ; no similitude in nature, in habitudes, or dis-
position ; in short, nothing to fasten the link that combines them, but
the similitude in the teeth ; this, therefore, may be easily dispensed
with ; and, as was said, it will be most proper to class them accord-
ing to their most striking similitudes.

The hedgehog, with an appearance the most formidable, is yet
one of the most harmless animals in the world : unable or unwiUing to
offend, all its precautions are only directed to its own security; and
it is armed with a thousand points, to keep off the enemy, but not to
invade him. While other creatures trust to (heir force, their cunning,
ur their swiftness, this animal, destitute of all, has but one espedient
for safety; and from this alone it often finds protection. As soon

1 the upper jaw, at a consiilcriibU. dU

in'ler jaw, less ilislanl; they hnvo

grinders in each jaw, and recnmbe

nt dog-teeth on each siJe.]

VOL. 11.— No. XXV.

I
J

109 ANIMAlS OP THE

88 it peteeivM ilaelf attacked, ii withdraws alt its Tulnerabb porli,
ToWa itself into a ball, and presents notliing but its defen«vc Ibonis
lo the enemy ; thus, while it attempta lo injure no other quadruped,
they are equally incapable of injuring it ; tike those knights we have
somewhere read of, who were armed in sucli a manner, that they
could neither conquer others, nor be themselves overcome.

This animal is of two kinds ; one with a nose like the snout of a
hog ; the other more short and blunt, like that of a dog. That with
the muzzle of a dog is the most common, being about six bches in
length from the tip of Uie nose to the insertion oftfae tail. The tail
IS little more than an inch long; and so concealed by the spines as
to be scarcely visible: the head, back, and sides, are covered with
prickles ; the nose, breast, and belly, are covered with fine soft hair ; •
the legs are short, of a dusky colour, and almost bare ; the toes on
each fool are five in number, long and separated ; the prickles are
about an inch in length, and very sharp pointed; their lower part in
white, the middle black, and the points white : the eyes are small,
and placed high in the head; the ears are round, pretty large, and
naked ; the mouth is small, but well furnished with teeth ; these,
however, it only uses in chewing its food, but neither in attacking
or defending itself against other animals. Its only reliance, in cases
of danger, is on itsspines: the instant it perceives en enemy, it puti«
itself into a posture of defence, and keeps upon its guard until it
supposes the danger over. On such occasions, it immediately alters
its whole appearance : from its usual form, somewhat resembling a
small animal with a bunch on its back, the animal begins to bend its
back, to lay its head upon its breast, to shut its eyes, to roll down the
skin of its sides towards the legs, to draw these up, and, lastly, tu
tuck them in on every side, by drawing the akin still closer. In tliia
form, which the hedgehog alu-ays puts on when disturbed, it no way
resembles an animal, but rather a roundish mass of prickles imper-
vious on every side. The shape of the animal thus rolled up, some-
what resembles a chesnut in the husk ; there beiug, on one side, n
kind of flat space, which is that on which the head and legs have
been tucked in.

Such is the usual appearance of the hedgehog upon the approach
of any danger. Thus rolled up in a lump, it patiently waits till its
enemy passes by, or is fatigued with fruitless attempts to annoy it.
Tlie cat, the weasel, the ferret, and the martin, quickly decline the
combat; and the dog himself generally spends iiis time in empty
menaces, rather than in elTectual efforts, Every increase of danger
only increases the animal's precautions to keep on its guard ; its
assailant vainly attempta lo bite, since he thus more frequently feels
than inllicts a wound ; ho stands enraged and barking, and rolls it
along with his paws; still, however, the hedgehog patiently submits
to every indignity, but continues secure ; and still more to disgust
its enemy with the contest, sheds its urine, the smell of which is alone
KKyat. 73. And of the remile he mlglil

HEDGEIIOn KIND.

103

suflicient tu send litem away. In Ihis mannE^i-, Uie dog, tiTusc Bark-
ing for some lime, leaves the liedgehog vheru he ibunJ liimj wlio,
perceiving the dang-ur post, tit length p«cps out Trom its ball, and, if
not interrupted, creeps slowly to iia relreal.

The hedgehog:, like moat other wild animaU, sleepi by diy, and
ventures out. by night. Il generally resides in small thickets, in
hedges, or in ditches covered with baches : there it makes a hole of
about six or eight inches deep, and lies well wrapped tip in moss,
grass, or leaves. Its food is roots, fruits, worms, and insecls. It is
also aaid to suck cattle, and hurt their udders ; birt the smallncss of
Kg mouth will serve to clear it from lliis reproach. It is said also to
ho very hurtful in gardens and orchards, where it will roll itself in a
heap of fruit, and so carry a large quantity away upon its prickles ;
but this imputation is as ill grounded os the former, since the spines
are so disposed that no fruit will stick upon tliem, even if we should
try to Bs theia on. It rather appears to be a very serviceable ani-
mal, in ridding our ffelds of insects and worms, wliich ore bo preju-
dicial to vegetation.

M. Bufion, who kept these animnls tame about his house, acquits
them of Uic reproach of being mischievous in the garden ; but then
he accuses them of tricks, of which, from the form and habits of this
animal, one would never be led to suspect them. " I hove often,"
says he, "had the female and her young brought me about the be-
ginning of June; ihey are generally from three to five in number;
they are while in the beginning, and only (he marks of their spines
appear. I was willing to reur some of them, and accordingly put
the dam and her young into a tub, with abundant provision beside
them; but the old animal, instead of suckling her young, devoured
lliem all, one after another. On another occasion, a hedgehog that
liad made its way into the kitchen, discovered a little pot, in which
there was meat prepared for boiling; the mischievous animal drew
out the meat, and left its escrcmenLs in the stead. I kept males and
females in the same nparlmenl, where they lived together, but never
coupled. I permitted several of them to go about my garden ; they
did very little damage, and it was scarcely perceivable that they
were there : tliey 1' d upon the fniils that fell from the trees; they
dug the earth n o shallow hoi s ; they eat caterpillars, beetles, and
worms; ibey we e also e y fond of flesh, which they devoured
bailed or raw

They couple n pnn ani bring forth about th6 beginning of
Bummcr. They teep d ng the winter; and what is said of their
laying up pro ons f ha eason is consequently false. They at
no time eat much, and can remain very long without any food wha*-
soever. Their blood is cold, like all other animals that sleep during
the winter. Their flesh is not good for food ; and iheir skins are
converted to scarcely any use, except to muzzle calves, to keep them

[

sucking.

ANIMALS OP THE

THE TANREC AND TENDRAC.

The Tanrec and Tendrac are Iwo litiie aaimals described by
M. G[iffun, of the hedgehog kind, bui yet sufficieotly different from
it lo constitute a diSerenC species. Like the hedgehog, they are
covered with prickles, though mixed in a greater proportion with
hair; but, unlike that animal, they do not defend themselves by
rolling up in a ball. Their wanting this last property is alone suffi-
cient to distinguish them from an anlmBl in which it makes Ihe most
striking peculiarity ; as also, that in the E^st Indies, where only they
are found, the hedgehog exists separately also — a manifest proof
that this animal is not a variety caused by the climate.

The Tanrec is much less than the hedgehog,* being about the size
of a mole, and covered with prickles, like that animal, except that
they are shorter and smaller. The Tendrac is still less than the
former, and is defended only with prickles upon the head, the neck,
and the shoulders, the rest being covered with a coarse hair, resem-
bling a hog's bristles. These little animals, whose legs are very
short, move but slowly. They gnint like a hog; and wallow, like
it, in the miro. They love to be near water, and spend more of their
time there than upon laud. They are chielly in creeks and harbours
of salt water. They multiply in great numbers, make themselves
holes in the ground, and sleep for several months. During this torpid
state, their hairs (and I should also suppose their prickles) fall, and
they are renewed upon their revival. They are usually very fat ;
and although their llesh be insipid, soft, and stringy, yet the Indians
find it lo their taste, and consider it as a very great delicacy.

TRE PORCUPIXE. -^H

Those arms which the hedgehog possesses in miniature, the Por>
cupine has in a more enlarged degree. The short p-ickles of ihe
hedgehog arc in this animal converted into shafts. In the one, the
spines are about an inch long; in iheotlier, a foot. The porcupine
is ahout two feet long, and fifteen inches high. Like the hedgehog,
it appears a mass of misshapen flesh, covered with quills, from ten to
fourteen inches long, resembling the barrel of a goose-quill in thick-
ness, but tapering and sharp at both enda.t These, whether con-
sidered separately or together, afford sufficient subject lo detain
curiosity. Each quill is thickest in the middle, and inserted into the
animal's skin, in the same manner as feathers are found to grow upon
birds.' It is within side spongy, like ihctop of agoose quill; and of

• Buffon, wtl. XXS. p. 354.

[+ This animal hns two fore-tGelh obliquely liWitlt'd both in the upper
and under jibs, besides eight grinders ; and Ihe body ia coi. rcil wilh quills
or prickles. II biy.fonr toes on the fore-feet, five on the hind-fuet, a
erestedhead, a.^horttail, and Ihenpperlip is diiided lUe thai of a hare.]

HEDGEHOO KIND.

J 05

6iflerent colours, bein^ whi

to Uie oliier. The h'tggesi

id black uliernatdy, from one end
jfien found fifteen inches long, and
a (juarier oi an inch m diameter; extremely sharp, and capable of
inflicting a mortal wound. They seem harder than common quills,
being difficult in be cut, and solid at that end which is not Used in
the skin. If we examine them in common, as ibey grow upon tlie
animal, they appear of two kinds; the one nich as J have already
described, the other long, flexible, and slender, growing here and
there among the former. There is still another sort of quills, thai
grow near the tail, while and transparent, like writing quills, and
that seem to be cut short at the end. All these (juills, of whatever
kind, incline backwards, like the brisiles of a hog ; but when tlie
animal is irritated, they rise and stand upright, as bristles are seen
to do.

Such is the formation of this quadruped in those parts in which

it di^rs from most others : as to the rest of its figure, the muzzle

g some resemblance to that of a hare, but black ; the legs are

short, and the feet have live toes, both before and behind ; and

:, as well as the belly, the head, and all other parts of the body,

:overed with'a sort of short hair, like prickles, there being no

. except the ears and the sole of the Ibot, iliat is free from llieni ;

the ears are thinly covered with very fine hair, and are in shape lika

those uf mankind; the eyes are amaU, like those of a hog, being

only utie-lhird of an inch from one corner to ttie other. After the

";m is taken off, there appears a kind of paps on ihuse pnrts of the

ly from whence ihe large quills proceed ; these are about the size

ill pea, each answering to as many holes which appear on

outward surface of the skin, and which are about half an inch

•p, like as many hollow pipes, wherein the quills are Gxed as in

many sheaths.

This animal seems to partake very much of the nature of the
Igehog, having this formidable apparatus of arms, rolher to defend
ilf than annoy the enetn^. There have been, indeed, many na-
lisls who supposed that il was capable of discharging ihem at lis
and killing at a great distance off. But this opinion has been
irely discredited of laie; and it is now universally believed that
quills remain firmly fixed in the skin, and are then only shed
I the animal moults them, as birds do their feathers. It is true
re told by Ellis, thai a wolf at Hudson's Bay was found dead,
the quills of a porcupine fi.ted within its mouth; which might
ive very well happened, from the voraciousness of the former, and
' the resentment of the latter. That rapacious creature, in the
of appetite, might have attempted to devour the porcupine,
I and all, and very probably paid the forfeit by its life. How-
this be, of all the porcupines that have been brought i
irope, not one was ever seen to launch their qoills ; and yet iba
italions they received were sufficient to have provoked their utmost
ignalion. Of all the porcupines that Dr. Shaw observed i
lltiea, and he saw numbers, not one ever attempted lo dart i

108

ANIMAXS OF THE

quiila; Uieir ueua) manner of dcfcncu biding to lie oa one «idi:, and
when the enemy approaches very Dear, by suddenly rising, lu wound
bim with the poinU on the other.

ft is probable, thererore, that the porcupine is seldom the aggressor,
and when attacked by the bolder animals, it only dirt-ciB it» (jnills
so aa to keep always pointing towards the enemy. These are an
ample proteGtiw) ; and, as we are assured by Kolben, at such times
even the lion himself will not venture to make an attack. From
such, thereroTo, thu porcupine can defend itself; and chiefly bonis
for serpents, and all other reptiles, for subsistence. Travellers
universally assure us, that between the serpent and the porcupine
Uierc esials an irreconcilcable enmity, and that they never meet
without a mortal engagement* The porcupine, on these occawons,
is said to roll itself upon tlie serpent, and thus destroy and devour it.
This may be true; while what we are informed by Monsieur Sarrasin,
of the porcupine of Canada chiefly subsisting on vegetables, may
bo equally so. Those which are brought to tli is country to be shown,
are usually fed on bread, milk, and fruits ; but they will not refuse
meat when it ta olTered them; aotl it is probable they prefer it in a
wild state, when it is to be had.t The poruupine is also known to
be extremely hurlful (□ gardens, and where it enters does incredible
damage.

Tho Americans, who hunt this animal, assure us that the porcu-
pine lives ftom twelve to fifteerj years. During the time of coupling,
which is in the month of September, the males become very lieree
and dangerous, and ofleo arc seen to destroy each other with their
Iceth, The fenwle goes with young seven months, and brings forth
but one at a time ; this she suckles but obout a month, and accustonia
it betimes to live, like herseW, upon vegetables and the bark of
trees: she is very fierce in its defence; but at other seasons she is
fvarful, timid, and harmless. The porcupine never attempts to
bite, nor any way to injure its pursuers : if bunted by a dog, or a
wolf, it instantly climbs up a tree, and continues there until it has
weoried out the patience of its adversary : the wolf knows by ex-
perience how fruitless it would be to wait; he therefore leaves tho
porcupine above, and seeks out for a new adventure.

The porcupine does not escape so well from the Indian hunter,
who eagerly pursues it, in order to make embroidery of its quills,
and to eat its itesh. This, as we are commonly told, is very tolerable
eating; however, wo may expect wretched provisions when the
savages are to be our caterers, for they eat every thing that has
life. But they are very ingenious with regnril to their entbroidery :
if I understand tho accounts rightly, they dye the quills of varioiia
colours, and then splitting them into slips, as we see in the making
of n cane chair, they embroider with these their belts, baskets, and
several other necessary pieces of furniture.

As td tbo rest, ther% arS many things related concerning this anr-^

Uuaniaa ; Smith; L. P. ; Vincent Mar

. 4, tZ

HEUIGEHOO' KIND. 107

1 that e.ra fabulgus ; tiut lliere are stilt many circums lances more

t yet reniain to be known. It were curious u> inquire whether
this animal moults its quills when vWd, for it is never sceo to shed
tbcni in a domestic state; whether it sleeps all iho winter, as wc are
(old by some naturalists, wliich we are sure it does not when brought
into our country ; and, lastly, whether its quills can be sent off with
a shake, for no less a naturalist than Reaumur was ortliat opinion.

All that Wo can learn of so animat exposed as a show, or even by
ils dissection, is but merely its conformation ; and that makes one of
tile least inlereslbg parts of its history. We are naturally M,
when presented with an extraordinary creature, to espect sonrietliing
extraordinary in its way of living, something uncommon, and corres-
ponding with its figure ; but of this animal we know little with nny
precision, except what it offers in a state of captivity. In such a
situation, that which I saw appeared to very little advantage; it was
extremely dull and torpid, though very wakeful; and extremely
voracious, though very capable of Bustaining hunger; as averse to
any attachment as to being tamed ; it was kept in an iron cage, and
the touching one of the bars was sufficient to excite itji resentment,
fur its quills were instantly erected ; and the poet was right in his
epithet o[ fretful, for it appeared to me the most irascible creatnru
upon earth.

The porcupines of America differ very much from that of the
ancient continent, which wo have been describing; and, strictly
speaking, may be considered as animals of a different species : how-
ever, from their being covered with quills, wo will only add them as
varieties of the former, since we know very little concerning them,
except their difference of figure. They are of two kinds: the one
called the Couando, and the other, lirst named by M . Duflbn, liie
Unon; the one a native of the northern parts of America, theolher
of the south; and both differing from the former in having long tails,
whereas that has a very short one.

The Couando is much less than the porcupine; its quills are four
limes shorter, its snout more unlike that of a hare; its tail is long
enough to catch by the branches of trees, end hold by them. It
may be easily tamed, and is to be found chieffy in the southern parts
of America, yet is not wanting also in tho northern.

The Urson, which M. Buffon calls after our countryman, Hudson.
is a native of Hudson's Bay. The niako of the body of this animal
is not so round as that of the two former, but somewhat resembling
the shape of a pig. It is covered with long bristly hair, with a shorter
hoir underneath, and under this the quills lie concealed very thick ;
they are white with a brown point, and bearded, and the longest do
not exceed four inches ; they stick to the hand when the animal is
stroked on the back ; and- likewise when the hand is taken away,
they stick so fast as to follow it. They make their nest imder tho
roots of great trees, sleep very much, and chiefly feed upon the bark*

Cper. In winter the snow sltvcs ihem for drink, and in ^_

108 aUADRUPEDB COVBHBD

ihe cwinlrj lying lo ihe east of Hudson's Bay ; and several of

Iho trading Aineticans depend on them for food at some r
of iho year.

CHAPTER VI.

OF QUADflCPEDS COVERED WITH SCALES OR 8I1ELLB ^
INSTEAD OF HAIR*

When we talk of a quadruped, the name seems to imply an animal
covered with hair; wlien we mention a bird, it is natural to conceive
a creature covered with feathers ; when we hear of a fish, its scales
are generally the first pai't that strikes our imagination. Nature,
however, owns none of our distinctions ; various in all her operations,
she mixes her plans, groups her pictures, and excites our wonder as
well by her general laws as by her deviations, duadrupeds, which
we have considered as making the first general class in animated
nature, and, next to man, the moat dignilied tenants of the earth,
arc yet In many respects related to the classes beneath them, antf
do not in every respect preserve tlieir usual distinctions. Their first
character, which consists in having four feet, is common to the lizard
kind as well as to them. The second prerogative, whicli is that of
bringing forth living young, is found in the cetaceous tribe of fishes,
and also in insects without number. Their third and last attribute,
which seems more general and constant than the furmer, that of
being covered with hair, is yet found in various other animals, and
is deficient in quadrupeds themselves. Thus we must be cautious of
Judging of the nature of animals from one single character, which is
always found incomplete ; for it often happens that three ur four of
the most general characters will not suffice. It must be by a general
enumeration of the parts, tliat we can determine precisely of the
works of the creation; and instead of deRnitions, learn to describe.
Had this method been followed, much of the disgust and the intricacy
of history might have been avoided, and that time which is now em*
ployed in combating error, laid out in the promoting of science.

Were we to Judge ofnature from definitions only, weshould never
be induced lo suppose that their existed races of viviparous quad,
rupeds destitute of hair, and furnished with scales and shells in their
Htead. However, nature, every way various, supplies us with many
instances of these extraordinary creatures; the old world has its
quadrupeds covered with scales, and the new with a shell. In both
Uiey resemble each other, as well in the strangeness of their appe<
tites as in their awkward conformation. Like animals but partially
made up, and partaking of different natures, they want those ir

till

WITH SCALES OR SHELLS.

which animals formed buL fur une elemeDt atone are fDund tc
The? seem to be a kind of strangers in oature, creatures taken from
some other element, and capriciously thrown to find a
subsistence upon land.

THE PANGOLIN,

The Pangolin,* wliicli has been usually called the Scah/ Lhard,
M. Buffon very judiciously restores lo that denomination by which
It is known in the countries where it is found. The calling it a
lizard, he justly observes, might be apt to produce error, and o
its being confounded with an animal which it resembles only in ila
general form, and in its heing covered with scales. The lizard may
be considered as a reptile produced from an egg ; the pangolin is a
quadruped, and brought forth alive, and perfectly formed. The
lizard is all over covered with the marks of scales ; the pangolin has
scales neither on the ihroal, the breast, nor the belly. The scales of
the lizard seem stuck upon the body even closer than those of tishes;
the scales of the pangolin are only fised at one end, and capable of
being erected, like those of the porcupine, at the will of the animal.
The lizard is a defenceless creature; the pangolin can roll itself into
a ball, like the hedgehog, and presents the points of its scales to the
enemy, which effectually defend it.

The pangolin, which is a natlvo of the torrid climates of the an-
cient continent, is of all other animals the best protected from ex-
ternal injury by nature. It is about three or four feel long, or,
taking in the tail, from six lo eight. Like the lizard, it has a small
head, a very long nose, a short thick neck, a long body, legs very
short, and a tail extremely long, thick at the insertion, and terminal'
ing in a point. It has no teeth, but is armed with live loes on each
foot, with long white claws. Gut what it is chiefly distinguished by
is its scaly covering, which in some measure liides all the proportions
ofits body. These scales defend the animal on all parts, except the
under part of the head and neck, under (he shoulders, the breast, the
belly, and the inner side of the legs; all which parts are covered with
a smooth soft skin, without hair. Between the shells of this animal,
at all the interstices, are seen hairs like bristles, brown at the extre-
mity, aod yellow towards the root. The scales ofthis estraordinary
creature are ofditrerent sizes and dlflerent forms, and stuck upon
the body somewhat like the leaves of an artichoke. The largest are
found near the tail, which is covered with them like the rest of the
These are above three inches broad, and about two inches
J, thick in tlie middle, and sharp at (he edges, and terminated in
Hindiili point. They are extremely hard, and their substance

■ This animal has no teeth lillier in tbe upppr or under jaw ; tliu
is long nnil cvlinrlrical; Ihe snnul, lung and nnrrov) and the
I covervd with hard scales.]

no QUADmUFBm COTEBKD

tl of born. TIk^ m« ciWTea *m tbe outnli:, aod a biike
c«iKa*e om Ibe inner; one edge aucls in ibe skin, wbilu ibe other
hip^ Of a that immwlialdy behind it. Tbnw thai <ot» the uilcon-
fefm to the shape of that part, being of a doidcj bro«D colour, and
>o hard, when ihe aninul baj acquired ita full growth, aa lo utra a

Tbaa armed, thii animal feari nothing from the eCorts of all other
creslores except man. The instant it perceires ilic approach of an
tnemy, it roUi itself up like tbe hedgehog, and presents no part but
tbe cutting' edges of its scales to the assailant. Its long tail, whicb,
at first view, might be thought easily separable, serves still more to
increase l)ie animal's security. This is lapped round the rest of the
Jbody, and, being defended with shells ecen more cutting than any
other part, tbe creature continues in perfect aecurtly. Its shells are
ao large, so thick, and so pointed, that they repel every animal uf
prey ; they make a coat of armour that wounds while it resists, and
at once protects and threatens. The most cruel, the most famished
i|iiadniped of the forest, the tiger, the panther, and the hyiena, make
vain allempts to force il. They tread upon, they roll it about, but
all to no purpose ; the pangolin remains »afe within, while its invader
almugl always feels the reward of its rashness. The fox often de-
stroys the hedgehog by pressing it with his weight, and thus obliges
it to put forth its nose, which he instantly seizes, and soon aAer the
i^holo body ; but the scales of the pangolin effectually support il
under any such weight, while nothing that the strongest animals are
capableof doing, can compel it to surrender. Man aloneaeems fur-
nished with amis to conquer its obstinacy. The Negroes of Africa,
when tlK'y find it, beat il to death with clubs, and consider its flesh
as a very great delicacy.

But although this animal be so formidable in its appearance, there
cannot be a more harmless inoGTensive creature when unmolested. It
is even nntjualiGed by nature to injure larger animals, if it had the
disposition, for il has no teclh. Il should seem that the bony matter
which goes in other animals to supply Uie teeth, is eshausled in this
in supplying the scales that go to the covering of its body. How-
ever this be, its life seems correspondent to its peculiar conformation.
Incapable of being carnivorous, since it has no teeth, nor of subsist-
ing on vegetables, which require much chewing, il lives entirely upon
insects, for which nature has filled it in a very eatraordinary manner.
As it has a long nose, so il may naturally he supposed to have a long
tongue i but, to increase ils length still more, it is doubled in the
munlh, so that when extended, it is shot out to above a quarter of a
yard beyond the tip of the nose. This longue is round, esireriiely
red, and covered with an unctuous and slimy liquor, which gives iln
shining hue. When the pangolin, therefore, approaches on ant-
hill, fur these are the insecls on which il chiefly feeds, it lies down
neurit, concealing as much aa possible the place of its rctroai, and
slretcliing out its long tongue nmong the ants, keens il for some time
quite immoveable. Tliese little animals, allured oy its apficarance.

WITH SCALES Olt- BHEI.LS. 11!

and llie unoLuous aubalance with which it is sracared, iiMtuitly
gather upoa it in great iiumbers; anil when the pangolin suppoBcs a,
sufficiency, it quickly withdraws the tongue, and swallows them at
once. This peculiar manner of hunting for its prey is lepeatcd
either till it be satiated, or till the ants, grown more cautious, will nut
be allured to their destruction no longer. It is against these noxious
insects, therefore, that its only force or cunning is exerted ; end were
th« Negroes but sufficiently sensible of its utility Jn destroying one of
the greatest pests to Iheir country, Ihey would not bo so eager lo
kill it. But it is the nature of savage men to pursue Uie immediate
good, without being solicitous about the more distant benefit they
remove. They, therefore, hunt this animal witli the utmost avidity
for its flesh; and, as it is stow and unable to escape in an open
place, they seldom fail of destroying it. However, it cljieOy keeps
in the most obscure parts of the forest, and digs itself a retreat in the
clefts of rocks, where it brings forth its young; so that it is but
rarely met wilh, and continues a solitary species, and on extraor-
dinary instance of the varying of nature.

Of this animal, there is a variety which is called the Phalagin,
much less than the former, being not above a foot long from the
head lo the tail, with shells differently formed, with its belly, breast,
and throat covered with hair, instead of a smooth skin as in the for-
mer; but ihst by whicli it is peculiarly distinguished is the esient
of its tail, which is above twice the length of its body. |}uih are
found in the warm latitudes of the East, as well as in Africa; and,
as liieir numbers ore but few, it is to be supposed their fecundity is
not great.

THE ARMADILLO, OH TATOU.

ivlng mentioned quadrupeds of the ancient continent tovered
scales, we come next to quadrupeds of the new continent
with shells. Il would seem that nature had reserved all the
wonders of her power for these remote and thinly inhabited coun-
tries, where the men are savage, and the quadrupeds various. It
would seem that she becomes more extraordinary in proportion as
she retires from human inspection. But the real fact is, that wherc-
ever mankind are polished, or thickly planted, they soon rid the
earth of these odd and half-formed productions, that in some measure
encumber the soil. They soon disappear in a cultivated country,
and continue lo exist only in those remote deserts where ihcy have
no enemies but such as they are enabled to oppose-

The .Armadillo is chieHy aninhabitant of South America ; a peace-
ful harmless creature, incapable of oflending any other ([uadruped,
and furnished with a peculiar covering for its own defence." The

[• These nnililBln hnVB ffriiiders, but
they Mu tovi'tcd with a hard bonj slitlJ, i
iDiJtB or betts.]

ili QDADRUPEBS COVEflEfi

pan^iin, described abuve, xeems an inactive helpless bejng,indebte(t
for BaTety more lo iis patience than ils power ; but the armndillo is
still more exposed and helpless. The paogolin is furnished wilh an
armour that wounds while it resists, and that is never attacked wilh
impunity ; but the arraadillo is obliged to submit to every insult,
without any power of repelling its enemy; it is attacked wilhoul
danger, and is conse<juently liable to more various persecutions.

This animal being covered, like u tortoise, with a shell, or rather
a number of shells, its other proportions are not easily discerned.
It appears, at (Irsl view, a round misshapen mass, with a long head,
and a very large tail sticking out at either end, as if not of a piece
witli the rest of the body. It is of diflerent sizes, from a foot to
three feet long, and covered with a shell divided into several pieces,
that lap over each other like the plates in a coat of armour, or in
the tail of a lobster. The diiference in the size of this animal, and
also the different disposition and number of its plates, have been
considered as constituting so many species, each marked with its
own particular name. In all, however, the animal ispartially covered
with this natural coal of mail; the conTorraation of which affords one
of the most striking curiosities in natural history. This shell, whicb
in every respect lesembles a bony substance, covers the head, the
neck, the back, the sides, the romp, and the tail to t)ie very point.
The only parts lo which it does not extend are, the throat, tlie breast,
and the belly, which are covered with a while soft akin, somewhat
resemblbg that of a fowl stripped of its feathers. If these naked
parts be observed with attention, they will be found covered with
the rudiments of shells, of the same substance with tliose which
cover the back. The skin, even in the parts that are softest, seems
lo have a tendency to ossify; but a complete ossification takes place
only on those parts which have the least friction, and are the most
esposed to the weather, The aliell, which covers the upper part of
the body, differs from that of the tortoise, in being composed of
more pieces than one, which lie in bands over the body, and, as in
ihe tail of the lobster, slide over each other, and are connected by a
yellow membrane in the same manner. By this means the animal
has a motion in its back, and the armour gives way to its necessary
inllexions. These bands are of various numbers and sizes, and from
them these animals have been distinguished into various kinds. In
general, however, there are two large pieces that cover, one the
shoulders, and the other the rump. In the buck, between these,
tlie bands are placed in different numbers ihat lap over each other,
and give play lo the whole. Besides their opening cross-ways.Uiey
also open down along the back, so that the animal can move in
every direction. In some there are but three of these bands between
the large pieces; in others there are si.^ ; in a thii'd kind there are
eight ; in a fourth kind nine ; in a Rhh kind twelve ; and, lastly, in
the sixth kind there is but one large piece which covers (heshoulders,
and the rest of the body ia covered wilh bands all down lo ilie tail.
These sliells ore diUerenlly coloured in diHerent kinds, but most

WITH SCALES OR SHEl.'LS. 118

usiia]|; ibe; are of a dirty grey. Tliis colour in all arues from
another peculiur circumstance in Iheir conformation, for the Bhell
itself is covered with a softish skin, which is smooth and transparent.
But although these sheila might easily defend this animal from a
feeble enemy, yet they could make but a slight resistance against a
more powerful antagonist; nature, therefore, has given the armadillo
the same method of protecting itself with the hedgehog or the pan-
golin. The instant it perceives itself attacked, it withdraws the
head under its shells, and lets nothing be seen but the tip of the
nose: if the danger increase, the animal's preciulions increase in
proportion; it then tucks up its feet under its belly, unites its two
extremities together, while the tail seems as a band to strengthen the
connexion ; and it thus becomes like a ball, a little llattish on each
side. In this position it continues obstinately fixed while the danger
is near, and often long after it is over. In this situation it is tossed
about at the pleasure of every other quadruped, and very little re-
sembling a creature endowed with life and motion. Whenever the
Indians take it, which is in this form, by laying it close to the fire
they soon oblige the poor animal to unfold itself, and to face a milder • '
death to escape a more severe.

This animal is a native only of America, for they were utterly un-
known before the discovery of that continent, it is an inoffensive
harmless creature, unless it finds the way into a garden, where it
does a great deal of mischief, by eating the melons, the potatoes, and
other vegetables. Although a native of the -varroest parts of Ame-
rica, yet it bears the cold of our climate without any inconvenience.
We have often seen them shown among other wild beasts, which is
a proof they are not difficult to be brought over. Their motion
seems to be a swift walk, but they can neither run, leap, nor climb
trees : so that if found in an open place, they have no method of Es-
caping from their pursuers. Their only resource in such an ex-
tremity is to make towards tlieir hole as fast as they can ; or, if this
be impracticable, to make a new hole before the enemy arrives. For
(his they require but a very few moments' advantage; the mole
. itself does not burrow swifter than ihey can. For this purpose they
e furnished with claws extremely large, strong, and crooked, and
Itielly four upon each foot. They are sometimes caught by the
fevl as they are making their way into the earth ; but such is their
Nistance, and so difficult is it to draw them backward, that they
e their lail in the hand of their pursuers, and are very well con-
ed to save tlieir lives with its loss. The pursuers, sensible of
. never drag the tail with ail thoir force, but hold it while another
a the ground about them ; and thus these animals are taken alive.
e instant the armadillo perceives itself in the power of its ene-
;s, it has but one last resource, to roll Itself up, and thus patiently
niit whatever tortures they think proper to inflict. The flesh of -
laller kinds is said to be delicti te eating, so that we may suppose
■eceive no mercy. For this reason they are pursued with un-
Mging industry; and, although they burrow very deep in the earth.

1M OVACRirpEUS COVERKD

there hav^ been many expedienU umH to foroo thera out. lite
hunters somelimea contrive to fill the hole with smoke, which is of)«n
SDcceMful ; they at other times force it by pouring in water. Thej
bIhu bring up a small kind of dc^s to the chase, that quickly over-
take them, if at any distance from their burrow, and oblige them to
roll themselves up in a ball, in which ligure the hunters carry them
home. If, however, the armadillo be near a precipice, it otlen es-
capes, by rolling itself up, and then tumbling down from rock to
rock, without the least danger or inconvenience. They are some-
times taken in snnrealaid for them by the sides of rivers and low
moist places, which they particularly frequent ; and this method, in
general, succeeds better than any of the former, 09 their burrows
are very deep, and they seldom slir out, except in the night. At
no time are they found at any great distance from their retreats,
so that it requires some patience and skill to intercept their retreat.

There are scarcely any of these that do not root the ground like
shog, in search of such roots as make a principal part of their food.
They live also upon melons and otlier succulent vegetables, and
all will eat flesh when they can get it- They frequent water and
watery places, where they feed upon worms, small fish, and water
insects. It is pretended there is a kind of friendship between them
and the rattle-snake, that they live peaceably and commodiously
together, and are frequently found in tlie same hole. This, however,
may be a friendship of necessity to the armadillo; the rattle-snnke
lakes possession of its retreats, which neither are willing to quit,
while each is incapable of injuring the other.

As to the rest, these animals, though (bey nil resemble each other
in the general character of being clothed with a shell, yet diifer a
good deal in their size, and in the parts into which their shell is
divided. The first of this kind, which has but three bands between
the two large pieces that cover the back, is called the 1'atu Apara.
I will not enter into an esact description of its figure, which, how
well written soever, no imagination could exactly concave, and the
reader would be more fatigued to understand than I to write it. The
tail is shorter in this than any other kind, being not more than two
inches long, while the shell, taking all the pieces together, is a foot
long, and eight inches broad. The second is the Talou of Ray, or
the Bncoubert ofBufTon : this is distinguished from llie rest by six
blinds across the back ; it is about the size of a pig of n month old,
with a small long head and a very long tail. The third is the
Tatuette, furnished with eight bands, and not by a great deal so
big as the former. Its tail is longer also, and its legs shorter in pro-
portion. Its body, from the nose to the insertion of the tail, is about
ten inches long, and the tail seven. The fourth is the Pig^ieaded
Armadillo, with nine bands. This is much larger than the former,
being about two feet long from the nose to the tail. The fifth is
Oie Kabassou, or Cataphractus, with twelve bands, and still bigger
than tha former, or any other of its kind, This is often found above
three feet long.butis nevcrcalen as the rest are. The sixth is the

WITH SCAI-tS OB SHBLLa

l\6

Weas^4ieaded; Armadillo, vcllli eighteen banda, wllh a large piece
before, and nothing but bands backward. This is ubove a foot long,
and the tail five inches. Of all these, tho Kabastou and the En.
coubert are the largest; ihe rest are of a much smaller kind. In
the larger kinds, the shell is much more solid than in the others, and
the flesh is much harder, and unfit for the table. These are gene-
rally seen to reside in dry upland grounds, while the small species
are always found in moist places, and in the neighbourhood of brooks
and rivers. They all roll themselves into a ball ; but those whosu
bands are fewest in number are least capable of covering themselveR
up compleli;ly. The Tatu Apara, for instance, when rolled up,
presents two great interstices between its bands, by which it is very
lily Tuhierable, cren by the feeblest of quadrupeds.

CHAPTEK VJI.

ANIMALS OP THE BAT KIND.

Hating in the last chapter described a race of animals that unite
the boundaries between quadrupeds and insectn, I come in this to a
very dilferent class, that serve tu fill up the chasm between quad-
rupeds and birds. Some naturalists, indeed, have found animals of
the bat kind so much partaking of the nature of both, that they have
been at a loss in whicli rank to place them, and have doubted, in
giving the history of the bat, whether it was a beast or a bird tliey
were dcscHbing. These doubts, however, no longer exist ; they
are now universally made to take their place among quadrupeds,
to which their bringing forth their young alive, their bair, their teetti,
OS well as the rest of their habitudes end coulbrmatiuD, evidently
entitle them.* Pliny, Gesner, and Aldrovandus, who placed them
among birds, did not consider that they wanted every character of
that order of animals, except the power of flying. Indeed, when this
animal is seen with an awkward and struggling motion, supporting'
itself in the air at the dusk of the evening, it presents in some mea-
sure the appearance of a bird ; but naturalists, whose business it is
to examine it more closely, to watch its habitudes, and inspect
into its formation, are inexcusable for concurring in the nii^-

The bat in scarcely any particular resembles the bird, except in
its power of sustaining itself in the air. It brings forth its youqg
alive; it suckles them; its mouth is furnished with teeth; its lungs
arc formed like those of quadrupeds ; its intestines, and its skeleton,

[* Id these animBls. nil Ihe teeth are erect, pojnlrd, and near
and the first four are equal. The fore-ftet have Iho toe
by H membrane, expanded into a kind of win^, by which they uto cnobli
tody,:

I
J

116

ANT3IAI,S OF THE

have n com[Jete resemblance, and even are, In some measure, seen
to resemble those or mankind."

The bal most common in England, is ahont the size of a mouse ;
or nearly two inches and a half long. The membranes that are
usually called wings, are, properly speaking, an extension of the
skin all roimd the body, except the head, which, when the animal
flies, is kept stretched on every side by the four interior toes of the
fore-feet, which are enormously long, and serve like masts that keep
the canvass of a sail spread, and regulate its motions.t The lirst
toe is quite loose, and serves as a heel when the bat walkn, or as a
hook, when it would adhere to any thing. The hind-feet are dis-
engaged from the surrounding skin, and divided into five toes, some-
what resembling those of a mouse. The skin by which it flies is of a
dusky colour. The body is covered with a short fur, of a mouse
colour, tinged with red. The eyes are very small; the cars like
those of a mouse.

This species of the bat is very common in England, It makes its
first appearance early in summer, and begins its flight in the dusk
of the evening. It principally frequents the sides of woods, glades,
and shady walks; and is frequently observed to skim along the
surface of pieces of water. It pursues gnats, moths, and nocturnal
insects of every kind. It feeds upon these ; but will not refuse meat,
wherever it can Und it. lis flight is a laborious, irregular movement';
and if it happens to be interrupted in its course, it cannot readily
prepare for a second elevation ; so that if it strikes against any
object, and falls to (he ground, it is usually taken. It oppears only
in the most pleasant evenings, when its prey is generally abroad,
and flies in pursuit with its mouth open. At other times it con-
tinues in its retreat, the chink of a ruined building, or the hallow of
a tree. Thus this little animal, even in summer, sleeps the greatest
part of its lime, never venturing out by day-light, nor in rainy
weather; never hunting in quest of prey but for a small part of the
night, and then returning to its hole. But its short life is still more
abridged, by continuing in a torpid state during llie winter. At the
approach of the cold season, Ihe bat prepares for its slate of lifeless
inaclivit;, and seems rather to choose a place where it may continue
safe from interruption, than where it may be warmly or conve-
niently lodged. For ihis reason it is usually seen hanging by its
hooked claws to the roofs of caves, regardless of the eternal damps
that surround it. The bat seems the only animal that will venture

remain in these frightful subterranean abodes, where it continues

a torpid slate, unalfected by every change of the weather. Such

of this kind as are not provident enough to procure themselves a

treat, where the cold and heat seldom vary, are sometimes

I to great inconveniencies, for the weatlier often becomes so

the midst of winter, as to warm them prematurely into life,

and to allure them from their holes in quest of food, whe

• Pcnii

prop™

t BiitUh Zoology.

BAT KIND,

117

ihe particular

(lu not provided a supply. Then, therefore, Imve si.'lilom strength
to return ; but, having exhausted themselves in a vain pursuit afli^r
Insects which are not to be found, are destroyed by the owl, or any
other animal that follows such petty prey.

The bat couples and brings forth in summer, generally from two
to Gve at a time : of this I am certain, that 1 have found five young
cues in a hole together ; but whether they were the issue of one
parent, I cannot tell. The female has but two nipples, and those
forward on the breast, as in the human kind. This was a suRicient
taotive for Linnatus to give it the title of a Primas, to rank it in (he
lame order with mankind, and to push this contemptible animal
among the chiefs of the creation. Such arbitrary associations pro-
duce rather ridicule than instruction, and render even method con-
temptible ; however, we are to forgive too strong an attachment ti
system in this able naturalist, since his application
history of the animal counterbalances the defect.*

Frotti Linnaeus we learn, that the female makes no nest for her
young, as moat birds and quadrupeds are known lo do. She is barely
content with the first hole «he meets, where, sticking herself by her
hooks against the sides of her apartment, she permits her young to
hang at the nipple, and in this manner to continue for the first or
second day. When, after some lime, the dam begins to grow
hungry, and Snds a necessity of stirring abroad, she takes her little
ones and sticks them lo the wall, in the manner she before hung
herself; there they immovably cling, and patiently wait till her

Thus far this animal seems closely allied to the quadruped race.
Its similitude to that of birds is less striking. As nature has fur-
nished birds with extremely strong pectoral muscles, to move the
wings, and direct their flight, so has it also furnished this animal.
As birds also have their legs weak, and unfit for the purposes of
motion,' the bat has its legs fasliioned in the same manner, and is
never seen to walk, or, more properly speaking, lo push itself for-
ward with its hind legs, bul in cases of extreme necessity. The toes
oflhe for&-legs, or, if we may use the expression, its extremely long
fingers, extend Lhe web like a membrane that lies between them ; and
this, which is extremely thin, serves to lift the little body into the air:
in this manner, by an unceasing percussion, much swifter tlian that of
birds, the animal continues, and directs its flight; however, the great •
labour required in flying soon fatigues it; for, unlike birds, which
continue for days together upon the wing, the bat is tired in less than
an hour, and then returns to its hole, salisfieJ wilh its supply, to
enjoy the darkness of its retreat.

If we consider the bat as it is seen in our own* country, we shall
lind it a harmless, inoffensive creature. U is true, that il now and
then steals into a larder, and, like a mouse, commits its petty thefts
a the fattest parts of the bacon But this happens seldom ; th^

118

AMMAt.S OF THR

^neral tenor or its industry is employed in pursuing insecta that an
much more noxious to us than itselfcan possibly be ; while ita even-
ing flight, and its unsteady wabbling motion, srause the imagj.
nation, and add one figure more to the pleasing group of animated
nature. The varieties of this animal, especially in our country, are
but few, and the diflercnces scarcely worth enumeration. Naturalists
mention the Long-eared Bat, much less than that generally seen, and
with much longer ears; the Horse-shoe Bat, with an odd protuber-
ance round its upper lip, somewhat in the form of a hone-shoe ; the
Rhinoceros Bat, with a horn growing from the nose, somewhat similar
to that animal from whence it has the name. These, with several
others, whose varieties are too numerous, and diSerences too minute
fore detail, are all inoflbnsive, minute, and contemptible; incapable,
from their size, of injuring mankind, and not sufficiently numerous
much to incommode him. But there is a larger race of bats, found
in the East and West Indies, that are truly formidable*, each of these
is singly a dangerous enemy ; but when they unite in flocks, they
then become dreadful. Were the inhabitants of the African coasts,*
says Des Marchais, to eat animals of the bat kind, as they da in the
East Indies, they would never want a supply of provisions. They
are there in such numbers, that when they fly they obscure the setting
sun. In the morning, at peep of day, they are seen slicking upon
the tops of the trees, and clinging to each other like bees when they
swarm, or like large clusters of cocoa. The Europeans often amuse
themselves with shooting among this huge mass of living creatures,
and observing their embarrassment when wounded. They some-
times enter the houses, and the Negroes are expert at killing them ;
but although these people seem for ever hungry, yet they regard
the bat with horror, and will not eat it though ready to starve.

Of foreign bats, the largest we have any certain accounts of is the
Rousette, or the Great Bat of Madagascar. This formidable creature
is near four feet broad, when the wings are extended ; and a foot
long, from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail. It re-
sembles our bat in the form of its wings, in its manner of flying, and
in its internal conformation. It differs from it in its enormous size;
in its colour, which is red, like that of a fox; in its head and nose
also, which resemble those of that animal, and which have induced
some to call it the flying fox; it differs also in the number of ks
teeth, and in having a claw on the fore-foot, which is wanting in
ours. This formidable creature is found only in the ancient conti-
nent; particularly in Madagascar, along the coasts of Africa and
Malabar, where it is usually seen about the size ofa large hen. When
they repose, they stick themselves to the tops of the tallest trees,
and hung with their heads downward. But when they are in motion.
nothing can be more formidable ; they are seen in clouds, darkening
the air, as well by day as by night, destroying the ripe fruits of the
country, and sometimes settling upon animals, and man himselfj.

• Dea MsrchHia, Tol. ii. p. 208.

BAT KIKD. IIS

diey devour, indiscrimlnalely. fruits, flesh, and InsacU, ant) drink
the juice orihe palm tree: they are lieard at night in llje foreitx at
more than two miles distance, with a horrible din, but at the approach
ofdaj, they usually begin to retire; nothing- is safe from their
depredations; they destroy Towls and domestic animals, unless pre-
served with the utmost care, and oflen fasten upon the inhabitants
themselves, attack them in the f«ce, and inflict very terrible wounds.
In short, as some have alretidy observed, the ancients seem to have
taken their ideas of harpies from these fierce and voracious creatures,
as they both concur in many parts of the description, being equally
deformed, greedy, uncleanly, ami cruel.

An animal not so formidable, but still more mischievous than these,
is the American Vampyre. This is still less than the former; biH
more deformed, and siill more numerous. It Is furnished with a
horn like the rhinoceros bat ; and its ears are extremely long. The
other kinds ^nerally resort to the forest, and the most deserted
places; but these come into towns and cities, and afler sun-set, when
they begin to fly, cover the streets like a canopy.* They are the
common pest both of men and animals; they effectually destroy the
one, and often distress the other. " They are," says Ulloa, " the
most expert blood-letters in the world. The inhabitants of those
warm latitudes being obliged, by the excessive heats, to leave open
the doors and windows of the chambers where they sleep, the vam-
pyres enter, and if they find any part of the body exposed, they
never fail to fasten upon it. There they continue to suck the blood ;
and it oAen happens that the person dies under the operation. Tbey
io.vnuate their tooth into a vein with all the art of the most es-
perienced surgeon, continuing to exhaust the body, until they are
satiated. I have been assured," continues he, " by persons of the
Btrictest veracity, that such an accident has happened to them ; and
that, had they not providentially awaked, their sleep would have
been their passage into eternity, — having lost so large a quantity of
blood as hardly to find strength to bind up the orifice. The reason
why the punctureis not felt ia, besides the great precaution with which
it is made, the gentle refreshing agitation of the bal'a wings, which
contribute to increase sleep, and soften the pain."

The purport of this account has been confirmed by various other
travellers; who all agree that this bat is possessed of a faculty of
drawing the blood from persons sleeping, and thus often destroying
them before they awake. But still a very strong difficulty remains
to be accounted for, the manner in which they inflict the wound.
Ulloe, as has been seen, supposes that it is done by a single tooth ;
but this we know to bu impossible, since the animal cannot inRx one
tooth without all the rest accotnpanying its motions ; the teeth of the
bat kind being pretty even, and the month bot small. M. Buffon
therefore supposes the wound to be tnllicied by the tongue; which,
however, appears to me too large (o inllict an un|>ainfiit wound, and'

190 AMPHIBIOUS QTTAbltUPEDS.

even leis qualified for that purpose than ihe teeth. Nor can the
tongue, an M. Buflon Beema to suppose, serve for the purposes of
suction, since Tor this it must be hollow, like a syringe, which it is
not found to be. I should therefore suppose, that the animal is en-
dowed with a strong power of suction; and that, without inflicting
any wound whaLtoever, by continuing to draw, it enlarges the pores
of the skin in such a manner that the blood at length passes, and
that more freely the longer the operation is continued ; so that, at
last, when the bat goes off, the blood continues to flow. In con-
firmation of this opinion we are told, that where beasts have a thick
skin, this animal cannot injure them; whereas, in horses, mules, and
asses, they are very liable to be thus destroyed. As to the rest,
these animals are considered as one of the great pests of South Ame-
rica, and often prevent the peopling of many parts of that con-
tinent, having destroyed at Barja, and several other places, such
cattle as were brought there by the missionaries in order to form a
settlement.

CHAPTER VIII.
OF AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS.

I
1

Thr gradations of nature from one cla» of beings to another atv
made by imperceptible deviations. As we saw in the foregoing
chapters quadrupeds almost degraded into the insect tribe, or mounted
among the inhabitants of the air, we are at present to observe their
approach to fishes, to trace the degrees by which they become more
uolike terrestrial animals, till the similitude of the Rsb prevails over
thatofthe quadruped.

As in opposite armies the two bodies are distinct and separated
from each other, while yet between them are various troops that
plunder on both sides, and are friends to neither, so between terres-
trial and aquatic animals there are tribes that can scarcely be referred
to any rank, but lead an amphibious life between them. Sometimes
in water, aometlmes on land, they seem fitted for each element, and
jet completely adapted to neither. Wanting the agility of quad-
rupeds upon land, and the perseverance of fishes in the deep, the
variety of their powers only seems to diminish their force ; and, though
possessed of two different methods of living, they are more incon-
veniently provided than such as have but one.

All quadrupeds of this kind, though covered with hair in the
usual manner, are furnished with membranes between the toes, which
assist their motion in the water. Their paws are broad, and their
legs short, by which tliey are more completely fitted for swimming,
for, taking short strokes at a time, they make them ol^ener and with
greater rapidity. Some, however, oftheseanimalsaremoreadaptcd

AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. r21

to live in the water ihan others ; but, as [heir power increases tu
live in the deep, their unQtneas for living upon land increases in the
same proportion. Some, like the otter, resemble (juadrupeds in
every thing escept in being in some measure web-footed ; others de-
part siill Turther, in being, like the beaver, not only web-footed, but
having the tail covered with scales, tike those of a fish. Others de-
part yet farther, as the seal and the morse, by having the hind>feei
stuck to the body like tins; and others, as the lamenlin, almost en-
tirely resemble fishes, by having no hind-feet whatsoever. Such arts
(he gradations of the amphibious tribe. They all, however, get
(heir living in tlie water, either by habit or conformation ; they all
continue a long time under water; they all consider that element as
their proper abode : whunever pressed by danger, they fly to tha
water for security ; and, when upon land, appear natchful, iimor
ous, and unwieldy.

FTHE OTTER..
In the first step of the progression from land to amphibiuiis ani*
mals we find the Otter, resembling those of the terrestrial bind in
shape, hair, and internal conformation; resembling the aquatic
tribes in its manner of living, and in having membranes between the
toes to assist it in swimming. From this peculiar make of its feet,
which are very short, it swims oven faster than it runs, and can
overtake fishes in their own element. The colour of this animal ia
brown ; and it is somewhat of the shape of an overgrown weasel,
being long, slender, and soft skinned. However, if we examine
figure in detail, we shall lind it unlike any other animal hitherto
described, and of such a shape as words can but weakly convey.*
Its usual lengtli is about two feet long from the tip of the nose to
the insertion of the tail : the head and nose are broad and fl^t; the
mouth bears some similitude to that of a fish ; the neck is shtirt, and
equal in thickness to the head ; the body long ; the tail broad at
insertion, but tapering off to a point at the end ; the eyes are very
■mall, and placed nearer the nose than usual in quadrupeds. The
legs are very short, but remarkably strong, broad, and muscular.
The joints are articulated so loosely, that the animal is capable of
turning them quite back, and bringing them on a line with the body,
so as to perform the office of fins. Each fool is furnished with five
toes, connected by strong broad webs like those of water-fowl ThuB
nature, in every part, has had attention to ihelifeofan animal whose
food is fish, and whusc haunts must necessiarily be about water.

This voracious animal is never found but at (he sides of
lakes and rivers, but particularly the former, as it is seldom fond ol

[• TheOllpr has sii eullinn teptli in tatli jaw ; these of tha upper jiw
rmct, sharp poinled, ntid dliilinct ; of iKp lovpr jnw, bluntpr, lindillci]
l<>gether, and two plnced within lh«lin« of the rest.]

I
I

^H reU

AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS.

fishing in & ranniog slream ; fur iht current of the water having
more power upon it than the imbea it pursues, if il hunts against ibe
stream it swims loo slow, and if with the stream it overshoots its prey.
However, when in rivers, it is always observed to swim against the
ctream, and to meet the lishes it preys upon, rather than to pursue
theiQ. Jn lakes it de^lroys much more than it devours, and is often
seen to spoil a pond in the space of a few nights. But the damage
they do by destroying lish is not so great as their tearing in pieces
the nets of the fishers, which they infallibly do whenever they happen
to be entangled. The instant they find themselves caught, they go
[o work with their teeth, and in a few minutes destroy nets of a
very considerable value.

The otter has two different methods of fishing : the ope by catch-
ing its prey from the bottom upward, the other by pursuing it into
some little creek, and seizing it there. In the former case, as this
animal has longer lungs then most other quadrupeds, upon taking in
n quantity of air it can remain for some minutes at the bottom ; and
whatever fish passes over at that time is cerlainly taken ; for, as
the eyes offish are placed so as not to see under them, the otter
attacks them off iheir guard frcra below, and, seizing them at once
by the belly, drags them on shore, where it often leaves tliem un-
touched, to continue the pursuit fur hours together. The other method
is chiefly practised in lakes and ponds, where there is no current ;
the fish thus taken are rather of the smaller kind, for the great ones
will never be driven out of deep water.

In this manner the otter usually lives during the summer, being
furnished with a supply much greater than its consumption ; killing
for its amusement, and infecting the edges ofthe lake with quantities
of dead Gsh, which il leav^ there as trophies rather of its victory
than its necessities. But in winter, when the lakes are frozen over,
and the rivers pour with a rapid torrent, the otter is often greatly
distressed for provisions, and is then obliged to live upon grass,
weeds, and even the bark of trees. It then comes upon land, and,
grown courageous from necessity, feeds upon terrestrial animals, rats,
insects, and even sheep themselves. Nature, however, has given it
the power of continuing a long time without food; and although
during that season it is not rendered quite torpid, like the marmot
or the dormouse, yet it keeps much more within its retreat, which
ii usually the hollow of a bank worn under by the water. There it
often forms a kind of gallery, running for several yards along the
edge of the water ; so that when attacked at one end, it Bies to the
other, and often evades the fowler by plunging into ihe water at
forty or fifty paces distance, while he expects to find it just before
him.

We learn from M. Buffon. that this animal, in France, couples ia
winter, and brings forth in the beginning of spring. But it is eer-
ily different with us, for its young are never found till the latter
end of summer; and 1 have frequently, when a boy, discovered their
retreats, and pursued them at that season. I am, therefore, mora

AMPHIBIOUS QUADRtrpEDS.

e Academy
t middle of
merftHy three
~ his other rem

^^■N th(

IHliaed to follow the account given us of thia animal by Mr. Lota>
Stockholm, who assures ub that it couples a.baut
and brings forth at the end uf nine weeks,
four at a lime. This, as weti as the generality
his subject, agree* so exactly with what I
■ember concerning it, that I will beg leave to take him for my
e ; assuring the reader, that however extraordinary the account
seem, I know it to be certainly true.

I the rivers and t)ie lakes frequented by the otter, the bottom it

y stony and uneven, with many trunks of trees, and long

etched underneath the water,'* The shore also is hollow

iped inward by the naves. These are the places the otter

ieily chaoses for its retreat ; end there is scarcely a stone which

does not bear the mark of its residence, as upon them its excrements

arc always made, ft is chiefly by this mark that its lurking places

are known, as well as by the quantity of dead fish that are found

ing here and there upon the banks of the wator. To take the old

easy task, as they are extremely strong, and there

few dogs that will dare to encounter them. They bite with great

iaeas, and never let go iheir hold when they have once fastened.

best way, therefore, is to shoot them at once, as they never will

thoroughly tamed ; and, if kept for the purposes of fi.ihing, are

lys apt to take the tirst opportunity of escaping. But the young

les may be more easily taken, and converted to very useful pur-

The otter brings forth its young generally uniler the hollow

upon a bed of rushes, flags, or such weeds as the place afford*

greatest quantities. 1 see in the British Zoology a description of

< habitation, where that naturalist observes, "that it burrows- under

gronnd, on the bnnksof some river or lake, and always makes the

tntrance of its hole under water, then works up to the surface of the

esith, and there nmkes a minute orilice (or the admission ofair ; and

(his little air-hole is often found in the middle of some thicket." In

some places this may be true, but I have never observed any such

contrivance; the retreat, indeed, was alivays at the edge ofths

water, but it was only sheltered by the impending bank, and the

otter itself seemed to have but a small share in its formation. But,

be this as it may, the young ones are always found at the edge of the

water; and, if under the protection of the dam, she teaches them

itutantly to plunge, like herself, into the deep, and escape among the

rashes or weeds that fringe the stream. At such times, therefore, it

\a T<ry. difficult to lake them ; for, though never so young, they swim

with great rapidity, nnd in such a manner that no part of them is

seen above water, except the tip of the nose. It is only when the

dam is absent that they can be taken ; and in some places there

dogs purposely trained for discovering their retreats. Whenevei

dog comes to the place, he soon, by his barking, shows that the otter

there; which, if there be an old oni?, instantly plunges into th6

angpr, JuLn

1, f. II,

134

AMPHIBIOUS

aUADRlTPEIK.

', and ihe young all follow. Bui if ihe dd one be absent, tb«y
e terrified, and will not venture forth but under her guidanee
and proleciion. In ihin manner tliey are eeciired and taken home
alive, where they are carefully fed with small fish and water. In
proportion, however, as they gather strength, they liave milk mixed
among their food, ihequantiiy of iheir fish provision is retrenched, and
thntof vegetables is increased, until at length they are fed wholly
upon bread, which perfectly agrees with their eonstitnlion. The
manner of training them up to hunt for fish requires not only assiduity
but patience ; however, their actirity and use, when taught, gteally
repays the trouble of teaching ; and perhaps no other animal is more
beneficial to its master. The usual way is, first to learn them to
fetch asdc^sare instructed ; but, as they have not the same docility, so
it requires more art and experience to teach them. It is usually
performed by accustoming them to take a truss stuffed with wool, of
the shape ofa fish, and made of leather, in their mouths, and to drop
it at the word of command : to run after it when thrown forward, and
to bring it to their master. From this they proceed to real fish, which
are thrown dead into the water, and which ihey are laught to fetch
from thence. From the dead they proceed to the live, until at last
the animal is perfectly instructed in the whole art of fishing. An
otter thus taugtit is a very valuable animal, and will catch fish enough
to sustain not only itself but a whole family. 1 have seen one of these
go to a gentleman's pond at the word of command, drive up the fish
into a corner, and seizing upon the largest ofthe whole, bring it off
iu its mouth to its master.

Otters are to be met with in most parts of the world, and rather
differ in size and colour from each other, than in habiuides or
conformation." Jn North America and Carolina they are usually
found white, inclining to yellow. The Brazilian otter is nwch larger
than ours, with a roundish head, almost like I
being but five inches long ; and the hair is sol
on the head, where it is of h dark brown, w
Ihe ihroal.

THE BE.WKR.

est. The tail is shorter,

, short, and black, eicepL^—

th a yellowish spotuntu^^^

iproved, the lower ranl^^l

'nail
are repressed and degraded. -f Either reduced to servitude, or treated
as rebels, all their societies are dissolved, and all their united talents
rendered ineffectual. Their feeble arts quickly disappear, and no-
thing remaitis but their solitary instincts, or those foreign habitudes
which they receive from human education. For this reason there
remain no traces of their Bocieni talents and industry, except in those
countries where man himself is a stranger; where, unvisited by his
eon trolling power, for a longsuccessiun of ages, their little tali

■ Hay.

* BiilTuii.

lon«^H

AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 135

have had time to come to iheir limited perrection, and their common
designs have been capable of being united.

The Beaver aeems to be now the only remaining monument of
brulfll society.* From the result of iu labours, which ere still to
be seen in the remote parU of America, we learn how far instinct can
be aided by imitation. We from thence perceive to what a degree
animals, without language or reason, can concur for their mutual
advantage, and attain by numbers those advantages which each, in
a state of solitude, seems nnGtted to possess.

If we examine the beaver merely as an individual, and uncon-
nected with others of its kind, we shall find many other quadrupeds
to esceed it in cunning, and almost all in the powers ofannoyancu
and defence. The beaver, when taken from its fellows, and kept
in a state of solitude or domestic tame n ess, appears to be a mild,
gentle cre-ature, familiar enough, but somewhat dull, and even melan^
choly; without any violent passions or vehement appetites, moving
but seldom, making no efforts to attain any good, except in gnawing
the wall of its prison, in order to regain its freedom; yet this, how-
ever, without anger or precipitation, but calm and indifferent to all
about it, without attachment or antipathies, neither seeking to offend
nor desiring to please. It appears inferior to the dog in those qualities
which render animals of service to man ; it seems made neither to
serve, to command, nor to have connexions with any other set of
beings, and is only adapted for living among its kind. Its talents
are entirely repressed in solitude, and are only brought out by
society. When alone, it has but little industry, few tricks, and
without cunning sufficient to guard it against the most obvious and
bungling snares laid for it by the hunter. Far from attacking any
other animal, it is scarcely possessed of the arts of defence. Pre-
ferring flight to combat, hkeall wild animals, it only resists when
driven to an extremity, and dghts only when its speed can no longer
avail.

But this animal is rather more remarkable for the singularity of
its conformation, than any intellectual superiorities it may be sup-
posed in a state of solitude to possess. The beaver is the only
creature among quadnipeds that has a flat broad tail, covered with
scales, which serves as a rudder to direct its motions in the water.
It is the sole quadruped that has membranes between the toes on
the hind'feet only, and none on the fore-feet, which supply the place
of hands as in the squirrel. In short, it is the only animal thai in its
fore parts entirely resembles a quadruped, and in its hinder parts
seems to approach the nature of fishes, by having a scaly tail. In
other respect!, it is about two feet long, and near one foot high; it
is somewhat shaped like a rat, except the tail, which, as has been
observed, is flat and scaly, somewhat resembling a neat's tongue at

[" Thisanim«l has the fore-teclli ot the upper jaw Iruucaled, and bolluwcd
in E Irsnsversp angular direction ; the Inps of the fort-teeth nT the loww
jaw lie in a transverse ■lirecliou ; it haseight grinders In eath jam ; and the
tail iE depressed.]

T2S AMPHtBIOUS QUADRUPEDS.

the point. Ita colour is of a light brown : the hair of two sorts ; the
one longer snd coariser ; the other, sod, line, short, and gillcy. The
teeth are like those of a rat or a siinirre], but longer and stronger,
and admirably adapted to cutting timber or stripping bark, to which
purposes they are constantly applied. One singularity more may
be mentioned in ita conformation, which is, that, like birds, it has but
one and the same vent for the emission of its excrements and its
urine ; a strange peculiarity, but which anatomiste leaves us no room
to doubt of.

The beavers begin to assemble about the months of June and
July, to form a society that is to continue for the greatest part of the
year. They arrive in numbers from every side, and generally foitn
a company of above tivo hundred. The place of meeting is com-
monly the place where they fix their abode, and this is nlways by
the side of some lake or river. If it be a lake in which the waters
are always upon a level, they dispense with building a dam ; but if
it be a running stream, which is subject to fioods and falls, they then
set about building a dam, or pier, that crosses the river, so that it
forms a dead water in that part which lies above and below. This
dam, or pier, is often fourscore or a hundred feet long, and ten or
twelve feet thick at the base. If we compare the greatness of the
work with the powers of the architect, it will appear enormous ; but
the solidity with which it is built is still more astonishing than its
siKe. The part of the river over which this dam is usually built, is
where it is most shallow, and where sotne great tree is found growing
by the side of the stream. This they pitch upon as proper for mak-
ing the principal part in their building; and although it is often
thicker than a man's body, they insiantly set about culling it down.
For this operation they have no oiher instrument but their teeth,
which soon lay it level, and that also on the side ihey wish it to fall,
which is always across the stream. They then fall about culling olT
the top branches, to make it lie close and even, and serve as the
principal beam of their fabric*

This dike, or causey, is somclimes ten, and sometimes twelve feet
thick at the foundation. It descends in a declivity or slope on that
side next the water, which gravitaies upon the work in proportion to
the lieighl, and presses it with a prodigious force towards the earth.
The opposite side is erected perpendicular, like our wails ; and that
declivity, which, at the bottom, or basis, is about twelve feet broad,
diminishes towards the lop, where it is no more than two teet broad,
or thereabouts. The materials whereof this mole consists, are wood
and clay. The beavers cut, with surprising ease, targe pieces of
wood, some as thick as one's arm or thigh, and about four, five, or
six feet in length, or somelitites more, according as the slope ascends.
They drive one end of these stakes into the ground, at a small dis-
tance one from the other, intermingling a few with ilii'm that are
smaller and more pliant. As the water, however, would find

in<l^_

AMPHIBIOUS OUADRUPEDS. 127

pasaege thrnugh the intervals or spaces between them, and leave [he
reservoir dry, they have recoiirBe to a clay, which they know where
to find," and with which they stop up all the cavilies bolh withia and
without, HD that the water la duly confined. They continue to raise
the dike in proportion to the elevation of the water, and the plenty
which they have of it. They are conscious likewise that the con-
veyance of their materials by land would not be so easily accom-
pliahed at by water ; and therefore they lake the advantage of its
increase, and swim with theJr mortar on their tails, and their slakes
between their teeth, to the placed where there is most occasion for
them. If their works are, either by tlie force of the water, or the
feet of the huntsmen who run over them, in the least damnified, the
breach is instantly made up ; every nook and comer of the habita-
tion is reviewed, and, with the utmost diligence and application, per-
fectly repaired. But when they find the huntsmen visit them too
often, they work only in the night'time, or else abandon their works
entirely, and seek out for some safer situation.

The dike or mole being thus completed, their next care is to erect
their several apartments, which are either round or oval, and divided
into (bree stories, one raised above the other ; the first below the
level of the causey, which is for the most part full of water; the other
two before it. This little fabric is built in a very firm and sub-
stantial manner on the edge of their reservoir, and always in such
divisions or apartments as above-mentioned ; that in case of the
water's increase, they may move up a story higher, and be no ways
incomnjoded. If they lind any little Island contiguous to their re-
servoir, they fix their mansion there, which is then more solid, and
not so frequently exposed to the overflowing of the water, in which
they are not able to continue for any length of time. In cose they
cannot pilch upon so commodious a situation, they drive piles into
the earth, in order to fence and fortify their habitation against the
wind as well as the water. They make two apertures, at the bottom,
to the stream ; one is a passage to their bagnio, which they always
keep neat and clean ; the other leads to that part of the building
where every thing is conveyed that will either soil or damage iheir
upper apartments. They have a third opening or door-way, much
higher, contrived for the prevention of their being shut up and con-
fined when the frost and snow has closed the apertures of the lower
floors. Sometimes they build their houses altogether upon dry
land ; but then they sink trenches five or six feet deep, in order to
descend into the water when they see convenient. They make use
of the same materials, and are equally industrious, in the erection of
their lodges as their dikes. Their walls are perpendicular, and about
two feel thick. As their teeth are more serviceable than saws, they
cut off all the wood that projects beyond tlie wall. After this, wheti
they have minted up some clay and dry grass together, they work it
into a kind of mortar, with wliich, by the help of tlieir tails, they
plaster all their works, both within and without.

The inside is vaulted, and is large enough for the reception of

I
J

15S AMPHFBIOUS QUADRUPEDS.

eight or ten beavers. In case it rises in an oval figure, it ii for the
generality above twelve feet long, and eight or ten feet broad. If
ifie number of inhabitants increase to fifteen, twenty, or thirty, the
edifice is enlarged in proportion. I have been credibly informed,
thnt four hundred beavers have been discovered to reside in one
large mansion.honse, divided into a vast number of apartments, that
had a free communication one with another.

All these works, more especially in the northern parts, are finished
in Aligust, or September at farthest ; at which time they begin to
lay in their stores. During the summer, they are perfect epicures,
and regale themselves every day on the choicest fruits and plants the
country affords. Their provisions, indeed, in the winter season,
principally consist of the wood of the birch, the plane, and some few
other trees, which they steep in water, from time to time, in such
quantities as are proportioned to the number of inhabitants. Tbey
cut down branches from three to ten feet in length. Those of the
largest dimensions are conveyed to their magazines by a whole body
of beavers: but the smallest by one only: each of them, however,
takes a different way, and has liis proper walk assigned him, in order
that no one labourer should interrupt another in the prosecution of
his work. Their wood-yards are larger or smaller in proportion to
the number in the family ; and, according to the observation of some
curious naturalists, the usual stock of limber, for the accommodation
of ten heavers, consists of about thirty feet in a square surface, and
ten in depth. These logs are not thrown up in one continued pile,
but laid one acrctss the other, with intervals or small spaces between
them, in order to take out, with the greater facility, but jusL such a
quantity as they shall want furtheir immediate consumption, and those
parcels only which lie at the bottom in the water, and have been
duly steeped. This timber is ctit again into small particles, and con-
veyed to one of their largest lodges, where the whole family meet, to
consume their respective dividends, which are made impartially, in
even and equal portions. Sometimes they traverse the woods, and
regale their young with a more novel and elegant entertainment.

Such as are used to hunt these animals, know perfectly well that
green wood is much more acceptable to them than that which it
old and dry ; for which reason they plant a considerable quantity of
it round their lodgements; and as they come out to partake of it,
they either catch them in snares or lake them by surprise. lu the
winter, when the frosts are very severe, they sometimes break a large
hole in the ice ; and when the beavers resort thither for the benelit
of a little fresh air, they either kill them with their hatchets, or cover
the hole with a large substantial net. After this, they undermine and
subvert the whole labric; whereupon the beavers, in hopes to make
their escape in the usual way, fly with the utmost precipitation to the
water, and plunging into the aperture, fall directly into the net, and
itably taken.

L AMFHIBIOrS QCA»HUPEDS. 1 29

I!!!;* THE SEAL.

Every step we prcveed in the description of amphibious quad-
nipeds, we make nearer advances lo liie tribe of fishes. We first
observed the otler with its feet webbed, and formed for an aquatic
life ; we next saw the beaver with the hinder parts covered with
scales, resembling those of fishes; and we now come to a class of
animals in which the shape and habitude of Gnhes stitl more appa-
rently prevail, and whose internal conformation attaches them very
closely to the water. The Seat, in general, resembles a quadruped
in some respects, and a fish in others.* The head is round, like that
of a man ; the nose broad, like that of the otter ; the teeth like those
ofadog; the eyes large and sparkling; no external ears, but holes
that serve for that purpose ; the neck is well proportioned, and of a
moderate length ; but the body thickest where the neck is joined to
it. From thence the animal tapers down Id the tail, growing all the
way smaller like a fish. The whole body is covered with a thick
brially shining hair, which looks as if it were entirely rubbed over
with oil ; and thus far the quadruped prevails over the aquatic. But
it is in the feet that this animal greatly difiers from all the rest of the
quadruped kind; for, though furnished with the same number of
bones with other cjuadrupeds, yet they are so stuck on the body, and
so covered with a membrane, that they more resemble fins than feet ;
and might be taken for such, did not the claws with which they are
pointed show their proper analogy. In the fore-feet, or ralherhands,
all the arm and the cubit are hid under the skin, and nothing appears
but the hand from the wri.<t downwards ; so that if we imagine a
child with its arms swathed down, and nothing appearing but its hands
at each side of the body, towards the breast, we may have some idea
of the formation ofihisaijimal in that part. These hands are covered
in a thick skin, which serves like a fin for swimming ; and are diilin-
guished by live claws, which are long, black, and piercing. .'
the hind -feet, they are stretched out on each side of the short tail,
covered with a hairy skin like the former, and both together almost
joining at the tail ; the whole looks like the broad flat tail of a ~ '
and, were it not for five claws which appear, might be considered hi
such. The dimensions of this animal arc various, being found from
four feel long lo nine. They differ also in their colours; some
being black, others spotted, some white, and many more yellow,
would, therefore, be almost endless lo mention the varieties of ihii
animal. Buffon describes three ; and Craniz mentions five, all dif-
ferent from those described by the other. I might, were I fond of
such honours, claim the merit of being a fir.tt describer myself;

There is but one dns-tonth o
Ifari!»-piiiDted grinders ; and the hind-f«et n
sfaBtp'slall.J

130 AMtHTBTOUS atlADRPPEDS.

in fact, the varieties in this animal are »o many, that, were ihey all
described, the catalugue would be aa extensive as it wuuJd be useless
and unentertaining. It is sufficient to observe, ihat they agree m
the general esternal characters already mentioned, and internally in
two or three more, which are ao remarkable as to deserve peculiar
, attention.

It has been often remarked, thai all animals are sagacious in pro-
portion to the size of their brain. It has, in support of this opinion,
been alleged, that man, with respect to hia bulk, has of all others the
largest. In pursuance of this assumption, some erroneous specU'
lations have been formed. But were the size of the brain to deter-
mine the quantity of the understanding, the seal would of all other
animals be the most sagadous ; for it has, in proportion, the largest
brain of any, even man himself not excepted. Ilowever, this an
mal ia possessed of but very few ad vantages over other qnsjlrupedi
and the size of its brain furnishes it with few powers that contrtbii)
to its wisdom or its preservation.

This animal differs also in the formation of its tongue from all oti

Juadrupeds. It is forked or slit at the end tike (hat of serpents
>T what purpose it is tlius singularly contrived we are at a lo
know. We are much better informed with respect lo a third sin-
gularity in its conformation, which is, that iheforamen ovale in the
heart is open. Those who are in llie least acquainted with anatomy
know, that the veins uniting bring their blood to the heart, winch
sends it into (he lungii, and from thence it returns to the heart agaii
to be distributed through the whole body. Animals, however, befo
they ere born, make no use of their lungs ; and therefore their bli
- without entering their lungs, takes a shorter passage through the
partition of the heart, from one of its chambers to the other, thua
passing from the veins directly into those vessels thatdrive it through
the whole frame. But the moment the animal is brought furlb, the
passage through the partition (wiiich passage is called tho/bri
oeale) closes up, and continues closed for ever^ for the blood
takes its longest course through the lungs to return to the ol
chamber of the heart again. Now the seal's heart resembles that
an infant in the womb, for ihe/oramen ovale never closes; and at^
though the blood of this animal commonly circulates through the
lungs, yet it can circulate without their assistance, as was observed
above, by a shorter way.* From hence, therefore, we see the man-
ner in which this animal is adapted for continuing imder water ; for,
being under no immediate necessity of breathing, the vital motioiu
are still carried on while it continues at the bottom ; so that it can
pursue its prey in that element, and yet enjoy ail the delights
advantages of ours.

•ther

bui^H

•I have foUowi^d the usual

r.bBP4-

vslions of naluralials with resppct lo

ira«*ii aoale In this Bnimal ; I

have

many reasons, however, lo ineliim

think thstthe/HMmeBiB not

pnTif

lynppn. But iMs is nol ihe plaM

AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 131

The water is tliB Beal's usual habiiaiiun, and whalevep fisb it can
catch its food. I'hougli not equal in instinct and cunning to some
terrestrial animals, it is greatly superior to the mute tei^ante of that
element in which it chiefly resides. Although it can continue for
several minutes under water, yet it is not able, hke Gnhes, to remain
there for any length of time; and a seal may be drowned like any
other terreBifiat animal. Thus i( seems superior in some respects to
the inhabitants of both elements, and inferior in many more. Al-
though furnished with legs, it is in some measure deprived of all the
advantages of them.* They are shut up within its body, while no-
thing appears but the extremities of them, and theae furnished with
very little motion, but to serve them as fins in the water. The hind-
feet, indeed, being turned backwards, are entirely useless upon land ;
so ihftt when the animal is obliged to move, it drags itself forward
like B reptile, and with an effort more painful. For this purpose it
is obliged to use its fore-feet, which, though very short, serve to give
it such a degree of swiftness, that a man cannot readily overtake it ;
and it runs towards the sea. As it is thus awkwardly formed for
going upon land, it is seldom found at any distance from the sea-
ahore, but continues to bask upon the rocks; and, when disturbed,
always plunges down at once to the bottom.

The seal is a social animal, and, wherever it frequents, numbers
are generally seen together. They are found in every climate, btit
in the north and icy seas they are particularly numerous. It is on
those shores, which are less inhabited than ours, and where the (i^
resort in greater abundance, that they are spen by thousands, like
docks of sheep, basking on the i-ocks, and suckling their young.
There they keep watch, like other gregarious animals ; and, if an
enemy appear, instantly plunge all together into the water. In line
weather they more usually employ their time in fishing, and generally
come on shore in tempests and storms. The seal seems the only
animal that takes delight in these tremendous conflicts of nature. In
the midst of Umnders and torrents, when every other creature takes
refuge from the fury of the elements, the seals are seen by thousands
sporting along the shore, and delighted with the universal disorder.
This, however, may arise from the sea being at that time too turbu-
lent for them lo reside in ; and they may then particularly come
upon land, when unable to resist the shock of their more usual
element.

As seals are gregarious, so they are also animals of passage, and
perhaps the only quadrupeds that migrate from one part of the world
to another. The generality of quadrupeds are contented with their
native plains and forests, and seldom stray, except when necessity
or fear impels them. But seals change their habitation, and are
seen in vast muhiludes directing their course from o»e continent to
another.t On the northern coasts of Greenland, they are seen lo
1 July, and to return again in September. This time, it is

i. p. 13B.

18J AVPHIBtOVS QrADRrPEDS.

Bupposei}, ihey go in pursuit of food. But tliey make a secooil
deparluri: in March to cast their young, and return in the beginning
of June, young and all, in a greal body together, obsemng in their
route a cerlnin fised time and track, like birds of passage. When
they go upon this expedition, they are seen in great droves, for many
days together, making towards the north, taking that part of the sea
most free from ice, and going still forward into those seas where man
cannot follow. In what manner they return, or by what passage, ii
utterly unknown; it is only observed, that when they leave the
coasts to go upon this expedition they are all extremely fat, but on
iheir return they come home escessiveiy lean.

The females in our climate bring forth in winter, and rear their
young upon some sand-bank, rock, or desolate island, at some dis-
tance from the continent, When they suckle their young, they sit
up on their hinder legs, while these, whicli are at lirst white with
vooly liair, cling to the teats, of which there are four in number,
near the navei.* In this manner the young continue in the place
where they are brought forth for twelve or fifteen days ; after which
the dam brings them down to the water, and accustoms them to swim,
and get their food by their own industry. As each litter never ex-
ceeds above three or four, so the animal's cares are not so much
divided, and the education of her little ones is soon completed. In
fact, the young arc particularly docile ; they understand (he mother's
voice among the numerous bleatings of the rest of the old ones ;
they mutually assist each other in danger, and arc perfectly obe'
dienl to her call. Thus early accustomed to subjection, they con-
tinue to live in society, hunt and breed together, and have a variety
of tones, by which they encourage to pursue, or warn each other of
danger. Some compare their voices to the bleating of a flock of
sheep, interrupted now and then by the barking of angry dogs, and
sometimes the shriller notes of a cat.f All along the shore, each
has its own peculiar rock, of which it takes possession, and where it
sleeps when fatigued with fishing, uninterrupted by any of the rest.
The only season when their social spirit seems to forsake them, is that
when they feel the influences of natural desire. They then fight most
desperately, and the male that is victorious keeps all the females to
himself. Theircombats on these occasions are managed with greal
obstinacy, and yet great justice: two are never seen to fall upon one
together ; but each has its antagonist, and all fight an equal battle,
till one alone becomes victorious

We are not certainly informed how long the females continue
pregnant ; but if we may judge from the time which intervenes be-
tween their departure from the Greenland coasts and their return,
they cannot go above seven or eight months at the farthest. How
long this animal lives is also anknown : a gentleman whom 1 knew
in Ireland, kept two ofthem, which he had taken very young, in his

I °^^"""^ I

AMPHIBIOUS aUADKUPBDS. 133

honse for ten years ; and ihey appeared lo have the marks of age at
the time I saw theni, for they were grown grey about the muzzle ;
and it is very probable they did not live many years longer. In
their natural state the old ones are seen very fnt and torpid, sepa-
rated from the rest, and. as it should aeem, incapnble of procreation.

As their chief food is lish, so they are very expert at pursuing
and catching it. In those places where the herrings are seen in
ehoals, the seals frequent, and destroy them by thousands. When
the herrings retire, the seal is tlien obliged to hunt after fish that are
stronger, and more capable of evading the pursuit : * however, they
are very swiH in deep waters, dive with great rapidity, and while the
spectator eyes the spot al which they disappear, they are seen to
emerge at above a hundred yards distance. The weaker fishes,
therefore, have no other means to escape their tyranny, but by
darling into the shallows. The seal has been seen to pursue a mullet,
which is a swift swimmer, and lo turn jt lo and fi'o, in deep water, as
a hound does a hare on land. The mullet has been seen trying
every art of evasion, and at last swimming into shallow water, in
hopes of escaping. There, however, the seal followed ; so that the
little animal had no other way left to escape, but to throw itself oi
one side, by which means it darted into shoaler water than it
could have swam in with the belly undermost; and thus at la
got free.

As they are thus the tyrants of the element in which they chiefly
reside, so they arc not very fearful upon land, except on those shores
which are thickly inhabited, and from whence they have been fre-
quently pursued. Along the desert coasts, where they are seldo
interrupted by man, they seem to be very bold and courageous :
attacked with stones, like dogs, they bite such as arc thrown against
them ; if encountered more closely, they make a desperate resist-
ance, and, while they have any life, attempt lo annoy their enemy.
Some have been known, even while they were skinning, to turn round
and seize their butchers ; but they are generally dispatched by a
stunning blow on the nose. They usually sleep soundly when not
frequently disturbed, and that is the lime when the hunters surprise
them. The Europeans who go into the Greenland seas upon the
whale-fishery, surround them with nets, and knock them on the
head ; but the Greeulanders, who are unprovided with so expensive
an apparatus, destroy them in a different manner. One of these
little men paddles away in his boat, and when he sees a seal asleep
on the side of a rock, darts his lance, and that with such unerring
aim, that it never fails to bury its point in the animal's side. The
seal feeling Itself wounded, instantly plunges from the top of the
rock, lance and all, into the sea, and dives to the bottom; but the
lance has a bladder tied to one end, which keeps buoyant, and n
sista the animal's descent ; so that every time the seal rises to llie
,Mp of the water, the Greenlander strikes it with his oar, until he at

• British Zoology, vol, i

Jo. xxvn.

184 AMPHlBrOUS QUADRUTBBS.

la.st dinpalchcs it. Bui io our clImaLe the senls arc mucli more wary,
and selJum suffer the hunter to uome near them. They are oflen
seen upon t)ie rocks of the Cornish coast, basking in ihe sud, or upon
the inaccessible elite left dry by the tide. There they continue,
eslremely watchful, and never sleep long without moving, soidom
longer than a minute; for then they raise their heads, and if they
see no danger, they lie down again, raising and reclining their heads
alternately at intervals of about a minute each. The only method,
therefore, thai can be taken, i& to shool ihem : if they clwDce to
escape, they hasten towards the deep, flinging stones and dirt be-
hind ihem as ihey scramble along, and at the same time expressing
their pain or their fears by the mosL distressful cry ; if ihey happen
to be overtaken, tliey make a vigorous resistance with their feet and
teeth till they are killed.

The seal is taken for the sake of its skin, and for the oil its fat
yields. Ti}e former sells for about four shillings; and, when
dressed, is very useful in covering trunks, making waistcoats, shot*
pouches, and several other conveniencies. The flesh of this animal
furiiierly found place at the tables of the great. At a feast pro.
vided by Archbishop Neville for Edward the Fourth, there were
twelve seals and porpoises provided, among other e.itraordinary

As a variety of this animal, we may mention the Sea Lion, de-
scribed in Anson's Voyages. This is much larger than any of the
former; being from eleven to eighteen feet long. It is so lat, that
when the skin is taken ofiT, the blubber lies a foot thick all round the
body. It soems to differ from the ordinary seal, not only In its size,
but also in its food ; for it is often seen to graze along the shore,
and to feed upon the long grass that grows up along the edges of
brooks. Its cry is very various, sometimes resembling the neighing
of a horse, anil aomelimes the grunting of the hog. It may be re-
garded as the largest of the seal family. ^^

THE MORSE. -■

The Morse is an animal of the seal kind ; bnt differing from the
rest in a very particular formation of the teeth, having two large
tusks growing from the upper jaw, shaped like those of an elephant,
but directed downwards, whereas in ibe elephant they grow upright,
like horns; ilalso wants the cutting teeth both above and below:*
as to the rest, it pretty much resembles a seal, except that ii in much
larger, being from twelve to sixteen feel long. The morses are also

[• Tlih animal has no fote-terth v/hen full jtro
In the uppir jaw, which point downwiinl! ; a '
■ I, wilier ■ ' "

^m Ian

I a:

^^^B JBWR, which are cumpoai'd of furrowt^d bones. The body

^^^1 are doubled ; and the hiud-lpg's are stretched backwards, and,

^^H bound tu|;ether, funnlDg a Itlnd of tail Qtted fur swimming.

AMPltlBIOTJS OtTABRTTPEBS.

135

generally Been to frequent the same places that seals nm known to
reside in ; they have liie same hnbiliiclea, the same advantHgex, and
the same imperfections. There are, however, fewer varieiies of ihe
morse than the seal ; and tliey are rarely found, except in the frozen
regions near the pole. They were formerly more numerous than at
present; and the savage natives of the coasts of Greenland destroyed
ihem in much greater quanCities before those seas were visited by
European ships upon tlie whale 'fishery, than now. Whether these
aninyilH have been since acLunlly thinned by the fishers, or have
removed to some more distant and unfrequented shores, is not
knowri ; bnt certain it is, that the Greenlanders, who once had plenty,
are now obliged to toil more assiduously for subsistence ; and as the
quantity of their provisions decrease, for they live mostly upon
seals, the numbers of that poor people are every day diminishing.
As to the leetb, they are generally from two to three feet long ; and
the ivory is much more esteemed than that of the elephant, being
whiter and harder. The fishers have been known formerly to kill
three or four hundred at once ; and along those shores where they
chiefly frequented, (heir bones are still seen lying in prodigious
quantities. In this mannerasupply of provisions, which would have
supported the Greenland nation for ages, has been, in a few years,
sacriliced to those who did not use them, but who sought Ihem for
the purposes of avarice and luxury !

[These animals inhabit the coast of Spitsbergen, Nova Zembis,
Hudson's Bay, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Icy Sea, as far as
Cape Tschuktschi. They are gregeriou.t; in some places appear-
ing in herds of hundreds. They are shy animals, and avoid places
which are much haunted by mankind. If wounded in the water,
they attempt to sink the boat, either by rising under it, or by strik-
ing their great teeth into its sides : they roar very loud, and will
follow the boat till it gets out of sight. Numbers of them are oden
seen sleeping on an island of ice, some being always upon the watch ;
if awaked, they (ling themselves with great impetuosity into the sea ;
et which time it is dangerous to approach the ice, lest they should
tumble into the boat and overset it. At particular times they land
in amazing numbers : the moment the first gets on shore, so as to lie
dry, it will not stir till another comes and forces it forward by beat-
ing it with its great teeth ; this is served in the same manner by the
nest, and so in succession till the whole is landed, continuing tum-
bling over one another, and forcing the foremost, for the sake of
quiet, to remove farther up.

In Cook's Voyages we have the following aflfecting account of their
parental attachment to their young. " On ihe approach of Ihe boats
towards the ice, they look their young ones under their lins, ,
templed to escape with them into the sea. Some, whose en
killed or wounded, and left floating upon the surface of thi
e again, and carried them down, sometimes just as our m.
' e point of taking them into the boat; imd coidd be traced bearing
a considerable distance through the water, which was stained

^^ppwe again
^Knthepoii

'ing V
ucd ■

t30 AaCPHlBfOV9 QVABBVPSBS.

with iheir blood. They ven aricmnli objerred bringing ihem,
at intertak, abote (be surface, as if for sir, and again plunging under
it, triih a horrid bellowing. Tbe female, in panicular, wbose young
ooe had been killed, and laken into the boat, became so furious, ibaL
■be even struck ber luaks through tbe bottom of the cutter."]

THE MANATI.

We coDK, in the last place, to ha animal that teraunatea UiB
boundary between quadrupeds and fishes. Instead of a crealnra .
preying among tbe deeps, and retiring upon land for repose orr»-
freshmeni, we have here an animal that never leaves the water, and
ia enabled to li»e only there. It cannot be called a quadruped, aa
it has but two legs only -, nor can it be called a fish, as it is covered
with hair. In short, it forms the link that unites those two great
tribes to each other ; and may be iodiscriroinately called tbe last of
beasts, or the first of fishes.

We have seen the seal approaching nearly to the aquatic tribe^
by having its hind-legs thrown back on each side of the tail, and
forming something (hat resembled the tail of a fish; but upon ex-
amining the skeleton of that animal, its title lo Ihe rank of a quad-
ruped was observed plainly lo appear, having all the bones of the
binder legs and feet as complete as any other animal whatsoever.

But we are now come lo a creature ihal not only wants the ex-
ternal appearance of hinder legs, but, when esamined internally,
will be found to want ihem altogether. The manali is soniewlial
shaped in the head and the body like a seal ; it has also the fore-
legs or hands pretty much in tiie same manner, short and webbed,
but with four claws only; these also are shorter in proportion than
in the former animal, and placed nearer the bend, bo that they can
scarcely assist its motions upon land. But it is in the hinder parls
that it chiefly diOers from all others of the seal kind ; for Ibe tail is
perfectly that of a fish, being spread out broad Uke a fan, and want-
ing even the vestiges of those bones which make the legs and feet in
others of its kind. The largest of these are about twenty-ais feet in
length; the skin is blackish, very tough and hard; when cut, as
black as ebony ; and there are a few hairs scattered, like bristles, of
about an inch long. The eyes are very small in proportion to the
animal's head ; and the ear-holes, for it has no eslernni ears, are $o
narrow as scarcely to admit a pin's head. The tongue is so short,
that some have pretended it has none at all ; and the teeth are com-
posed only of Iwo solid white bones, running Ihe whole length of
both jaws, and formed merely for chewing, and not tearing its vege-
table food. The female has breasts placed forward, like those of a
woman ; and she brings forth but one at a time ; this she hokls with
her paws to her bosom ; there it slicks, and accompanies her wherev^
■he goes.

This animal can scarcely be called ampliibious, as it never entire

AMPHTBIOUS arADRUPEBS. 137

leaves Uie water, only advancing the head out of the stream, to reach
the grass on the river sides. Its food is entirely vegetables; and
therefore it is never found far in the open sea, but chiefly in the
large rivers of South America, and often above two thousand miles
from the ocean. It is also found in the aeas near Kamlschalka, and
feeds upon the weeds that grow near the shore. Tliere are likewise
level greens at the bottom of some of the Indian bays, and there the
manatis are harmlessly seen grazing among turtles and other crus-
taceous fishes, neither giving nor fearing any disturbance. These
animals, when unmolested, keep together in large companies, and
surround their young ones,* They bring forth moat commonly in
autumn ; and it is supposed they go with young eighteen months,
for the time of generation is in spring.

The manati has no voice nor cry, for the only noise it makes is by
fetching its breath. Its internal parts somewhat resemble those of a
horse; its intestines being longer, in proportion, than those of any
other creature, the horse only excepted.

The fat of the manati, which lies under the skin, when exposed to
the sun, han a fine smell and taste, and far exceeds the fat of any
sea animal ; it has this peculiar property, that the heat of the sun
will not spoil it, nor make it grow rancid ; its taste is like the oil of
sweet almonds, and it will serve very well, in all cases, instead of
butter : any quantity may be taken inwardly with safety, for it has
no other effect than keeping the body open. The fat of the tail is
of a harder consistence, and, when boiled, is more delicate than the
former. The lean is like beef, but more red, and may be kept a
long while, in the hottest days, without tainting. It takes up a long
lime in boiling ; and, when done, eats like beef. Thefalofthe
young one is like pork ; the lean is like veal ;. and upon the *hole,
it is very probable that this animal's flesh somewhat resembles that
of the turtle, since they are fed in the same element, and upon the
very same food. The turtle is a delicacy well known among us :
our luxuries are not as yet sufficiently heightened to introduce the
manati; which, if it could be brought over, might singly suffice for
a whole corporation.

CHAPTER IX.

ANIMALS OF THE MONKEY KIND.

"fluADRUPBiM may be considered as anumerous group, terminated
on every side by some that but in part deserve the name. On one
quarter we see a tribe covered with quills, or furnished with wings,
that lift them among the inhabitants of the air: on another, we be-
,lfio]d a diversity t^loihed with scales and shells, to rank with insects;

^^ma

136 ANIMALS OP THE

and still, on n third, we sec thoni descending into the wateri, to li»c
among ihe mute tenanta of that element, We now come to »
oiimcrous tribe, that, leaving the brute creation, seem to make aj^
proachcs even to humanity : that bear an awkward resemblance of
the human form, and discover some faint efforts at intellectual sa>
gacity.

AnimaU of the monkey class are furnished with hands instead of
paws; their ears, eyes, eye-lids, lips, and breasts, are like those of
mankind ; their interaal conformation also bears some distant liksr
ness; and the whole offers a picture that may well mortify the prid»
of such as make their persons alone the principal object of tlieii
admiration.*

These approaches, however, are gradual ; and some bear the marks
of this our boasted form more strongly than others.

In tlio Ape kind wessoo the whole external machine strongly im-
pressed with the human likeness, and capable of the same exertions :
these walk upright^ want a tail, have llesliy posteriors, have calves
to their legs, and feet nearly like ours.

In the Baboon kind we perceive a nioro distant approach to Ihe
ifcuninn form, the quadruped mixing in every part of the animal's
'Sgure : these generally go upon all-lours ; but some, when upright,
3re as tall as a man; they liave short tails, lung snouts, and are
possessed of brutal fierceness.

The Monkey kind are removed a step further : these are mucli
less than the former, with tails as long, or longer, than their bodioi,
and flattish faces.

Lastly, the Maki and Opossum kind seem to lose all reserablaiMO
of the human ligure, except in having hands : their noses are lengltit
ened out, like those of quadrupeds, and every part of thojr bodies
(otall; different from the human; however, as they grasp their food
or other objects, with one hand, which q^iodrupeds cannot do, this
ifiogle similitude gives them an air of sagacity, to which they have
Vcarcely any otlier pretensions.

I -. From this slight survey it may be easily seen, that one genera)

iidescription will not serve for animals so very different from each

lAther: nevertheless, it would be fatiguing to the last degree, as their

kvarielies are so numerous, and their differences so small, to go

nhrough a particular description of each. In this case it will be best

giveahistory of the foremost in each class, at the same time mark-

ig the distinctions in every species. By this we shall avoid a

lions repetition of similar cliaracters, and consider the manners and

oddities of this fantastic tribe in general poinU of view ; where

shall perceive how nearly they approach to the human figurii,

) how little they benefit by the approximaiiun.

[• ThU numernus lilbehave fo

te^th an each side Id bi<tli jaws,

• what nitnatK from Ihum; and tliu

liks hanilB. g«ni-rally with flat j

havi- four flavors and a thumb.

whici

■et fore-teetli in oach jaw; canine
■e longnr than Ihi" rtst, and sutne-
are obtuse. The frpi arc formed
i, oxficpl in a Jtw instancM. they

F^r-,

MONKEY KHTD.

THE OURANO OXJTANG.

TheToremost of the Ape kind is the Ourang Outang, or Wild
Man of the Woods. This n&rae seems to have been g-iven tu various
animals, agreeing' in one common clinracter at walking upright, but
coming from different countries, and of very different pruportions
and powers. The Troglodyte of Bontius, the Drill of Purchas, and
the Pigmy of Tyson, have all received this general name, and have
been ranked by some naturalists under one general description. If
ne read the accounts of many remote travellers, under this name
we are presented with a formidable animal, from six to eight feet
high; if we examine the books of such as have described it nearer
home, we find it a pigmy not above three. In this diversity we must
be content to blend Iheir various descriptions into one general ac-
count; observing, at the same time, that we have no reason to
doubt any of their relations, although wo are puzzled which to
follow.

The onrang outang, which of all other animals most neariy ap-
proaches to the human rnce, is seen of different sizes, from three to
seven feet high. In general, however, its stature is less than that of
a man, but its strength and agility much greater. Travellers who
have seen various kinds of these animals in their native solitudes,
give us surprising relations of their force, their swiftness, their address,
and tlieir ferocity. Naturalists who have observed their form and
manners at home, have been as much struck with their patient, pliant,
imitative dispositions; with their appearance and conformation so
nearly human. Of the smallest sort of these animals we have had
several, at different times, brought into this country, all nearly alike ;
but that observed by Dr. Tyson is the beat known, having been
described with the greatest exactness.

The animal which was described by that learned physician, was
brought from Angola in Africa, whore it had been taken in the in-
ternal parts of the country, in company with a female of the same
kind, that died by the way. The body was covered with hair, which
was of a coal-black colour, more resembling human hair than that of
brutes. It bore a slill stronger similitude in its different lengths; fur
in those places where it is longest on the human species, it was also
longest in this; as on the head, the upper lip, the chin, and the pubes.
The face was like that of a man, the forehead larger, and the head
round. The upper and lower jaw wei'e not so prominent as in
monkeys, but Hat, like those of a man. The ears were like those of
a man in most respects ; and the teetlrhad more resemblance to the
human than those of any other creature. The bendings of the arms
and legs were just the same as in a man ; and, in short, the animal,
at lirst view, presented a figure entirely human.

In order to discover its differences, it was necessary to make a
closer survey; and then llie imperfections of its form began to
appear. The fu-st obvious difference was in the flatness of the nose ;

I
I
I

ANfMAtS OF THE

the nest, in the li
e of the chii
eyes too close to
moutii too great,
too short, and the arms too
the pnlni of the hand too

of the forehead, and the wanting the promi-

Tlie ears were proportion abl; too large ; the

:h other ; and the iDierval between the nose and

The body and Umbs differed, in the thighs being

\ the thumb being too hltle, and

The feet also were rather more

e longer

inial and
rely and

^K >pir
^H as t

liko hands than feet ; and the animal, if we may judge from the
figure, bent too much upon its haunches.

When this creature was examined anatomically, a surprising simi-
litude was seen to prevail in its internal conformation. It differed
from man in the number of its ribs, having thirteen ; whereas in man
there are but twelve. The vertebrs of the neck also were shorter,
the bones of the pelvis narrower, the orbits of the eyes were deeper,
the kidneys were rounder, the urinary and gall bladders we
and smaller, and the ureters of a different figure. Such
principal dislincliona between the internal parts of this at
those of man ; in almost ever; thing else they were entl
exactly the same, and discovered an astonishing congniity.
many parts were so much alike in conformation, that it might hai
excited wonder how they were productive of such few advantagi
The tongue, and all the organs of the voice were the same, and yi
the animal was dumb ; the brain was formed in the same manner
with that of man, and yet the creature wanted reason : an evident
proof (as M, Buflbn finely observes) that no disposition of matter
will give mind ; and that the body, how nicely soever formed]
formed in vain, when there is not infused a soul to direct its
rations.

Having thus taken a comparative view of (his creature with
what follows may be necessary to complete the genei'al descripti
This animal was very hairy all behind, from the head downwoi
and the hair so thick, that it covered the skin almost from being
but in all parts before, the hair was much thinner, the skiri e
where appeared, and in some places it was almost bare. Wheiil
went on all fours, as it w*8 sometimes seen to do, it appeared
hairy; when it went erect, it appeared before less hairy, and
like a man. Its hair, which i n this particular animal was black,
more resembled that of men than the fur of brutes ; for, in the latt
besides their long hair, there is usually a finer and shorter ii
mixed: but in the uurang outang it was all of a kind ; only a<
the pubes the hair was gi-eyish, seemed longer, and somewhat di
entl as also on the upperlipand chin, where it wasgreyish, like ll
hair of a beard. The face, hands, and soles of the feet, were
hair, and so was most part of the forehead ; but down the sides
the face the hair was thick, it being there about an inch and n
long, which exceeded that on any other part of the body. Ii
palms uf its hands were remarkable those lines which are us i

palmistry; and, at the tips ofthe lingers, th«
ipiral lines ubserved in man. The palms of the hands were as h
as the solci of ihe fee[, and the toes upon these wcris aa long at

hav^H
I ye*^^

MONKET KIWTJ. Hi

liDgen; the middle toe was the longest of all, and the whole foo'
differed from the human. The hinder feel being' ihua formed as
banda, the animal often used them as such ; and, on the contrary,
now and then made uiie of its hands instead of feet. The breasts
appeared small and shrivelled, but exactly like those of a man: the
navel also appeared very fair, and in exact disposition, being neither
harder nor more prominent than what is usually seen in children.
Such is the description of this extraordinary creature; to which Utile
bas been added by succeeding observers, except that the colour of
the hair is often found to vary : in that described by Edwards it was
of a reddish-brown.

From a picture so like that of the human species, we are naturally
led to expect a corresponding mind; and it is certain that such of
these animals as have been shown in Europe, have discovered a
degree of imitation beyond what any quadruped can arrive at.

That of Tyson was a gentle, fond, harmless creature. In its
passage to England, those that it knew on abip.board it would em-
brace with the greatest tenderness, opening their bosoms, and clasp-
ing its hands about them. Monkeys of a lower species it held in
utter aversion; it would always avoid the place where thej were
kept in the same vessel, and seemed to consider itself as a creature
of higher extraction. After it was taken, and a htUe used to wear
clothes, it grew very fond of them ; a part it would put on without
any help, and the real it would carry in its hands to some of the
company for their assistance. It would lie in a bed, place its
head on the pillow, and pull the clothes upwards, as a man would do.
That which was seen by Edwards, and described by UuffoD,
showed even a superior degree of sagacity. It walked like all of its
kind upon two legs, even though it carried burdens. Its air was
melancholy, and its deportment grave. Unlike the baboon or
monkey, whose motions are violent, and appetites capricious, who
Sire fond of mischief, and obedient only from fear, this animal was
slow in its motions, and a look was sufficient to keep it in awe. I
have seen it, says AI. BufTon, give its hand to show the company to
the door: I have seen it sit at table, unfold its napkin, wipe its lips,
make use of the spoon and the fork to carry the victuals to its mouth,
pour out its drink into a glass, touch glasses when invited, take a
cnp and saucer and lay them on the table, put in sugar, pour out its
tea, leave it to cool before drinking; and all this without any other
instigation llian the signs or the command of its master, and often of
its own accord. It was gentle and inuffensive; it even approached
slrangers with respect, and came rather to receive caresses than to
offer injuries. It was particularly fond of sugared comfits, which
every body was ready to give it; and, as it had a defluxion upon
the breast, so niuch sugar contributed to increase the disorder, and
shorten its life. It continued at Paris but one summer, and died in
London. It ale indiscriminately of all things, but it preferred dry
nnd ripe fruits to all other aliments. It would drink wine but in small
'juantilies, and gladly left it fur milk, tea, or any other sweet liquor.

iiH ANIMALS OF THI!

Siich these animals appeared when brought into Europe. How-
ever, mnny oftheir extraordinary habits were probably the result of
education, and we are not told how long the instructions (hey re-
ceived for this purpose were continued. But we learn {rom another
account, that they take but a verj short lime to come to a great
degree of imitative perfection. M. Le Brosse bought two young
ones, that were but a year old, from aNe^ro; and these at that
early age discovered an astonishing power of imitation.* They even
then sat at the table like men, ateof every thing without distinction,
made use of their knife, spoon, and fork, both (a eat their meat and
help themselves. They drank wine and other liquors. When
carried on ship-board, they bad signs for the cabin boys expressive
of their wants; and whenever these neglected attending upon them
OB they desired, they instantly flew into a passion, seized them by
the arm, bit them, and kept them down. The mate was sea-sick,
and required attendance like a human creature ; he was even twice
bled in the arm ; and every time afterwards, when he found himself
out oforder, he sliowed his arm, as desirous of being relieved by

Pyrard relates, that in the province of Sierra Leone, in Africa,
there are a kind of apes, called Baris, which are strong and muscu-
lar, and which, if properly instructed when young, serve as very
useful domestics. They usually walk upright; they pound at a
mortar; they go to the river to fetch water; this they carryback in n
little pitcher, on their heads; but if care be not taken to receive Uie
pitcher at their return, they let it fall to the ground, and then, seeing
It broken, they begin to lament and cry for their loss. Le Compte's
account is much to the same purpose, of an ape which he saw in the
Straits of Molucca. " It walked upon its two hind-feet, which it bent
a little, like a dc^ that had been taught to dance. It made use
of its hands and arms as we do. Its visage was not much more d»-
agreeable than that of a Hottentot; but Ihe body was all over
covered with a woolly hair of different colours. As to the rest, it
cried like n child ; all its outward actions were so like the human.
and the passions so lively and significant, timt dumb men could
scarcely better express their concepiions and desires. It had also
that expression of passion or joy which we often gee in children,
stamping with its feet and striking tlie<n against the ground, to show
its spite, or when refused any thing it passionately longed for. Al-
though these animals," continues he, " are very hig, for thnt I saw
was four feet high, their nimblencss is incredible. It is a pleasure
beyond eapression to see them run up the tackling of a ship, where
tliey sometimes play as if they had 'a knack of vaulting peculiar to
themselves, or as if they had been paid, like our rope-dancers, lu
divert the company. Sometimes, suspended by one arm, they poi.«e
themselves, and then turn all of a sudden round about a rope, witli
as much quickness as o wheel, or a sling put into motion, "

' As nimlm; by Buffon, vol, xxvili. |,. 77.

Soai^^

MONKEY KIND. 143

timea holding the rope successively willi ilieir long Hngers, and letting
tlieir whole body fall inici (he air, lUey run full speed from one end
lu the other, and come back again with the same BwiCtno&s. There
is no posture but the; imitate, nor motion but they perform. Bend-
ing themselves like a. how, rolling hke a bowl, hanging by the hands,
ftel, and teeth, according to the different funclea wiUi wiich their
capricious imagination supphes iJiem. But what is still more amax-
ing than all is, their agility to fling themselves from one rope to
another, though at thirty, forty, and fifty feet distance."

Such are the habitudes and the powers of the smaller class of
these extraordinary creatures; but we are presented with a very
di&erenl picture in those of a larger stature and more muscular form.
The little animals we have been describing, which are seldom found
above four feet high, seem to partake of the nature of dwarfs among
the human species, being gentle, assiduous, and playful, rather filled
to amuse than terrify. But the gigantic races of the ourang ouiang,
seen and described by travellers, are truly formidable; and in tlie
gloomy forests where they are only found, seem to hold undisputed
dominion. Many of these are as tall or taller than a man ; active,
strung, and inirepJd, cunning, lascivious, and cruel. This redoubt-
able rival of mankind is found in muny parts of Africa, in the East
Indies, in Madagascar, and in Borneo.* In the last of these places,
the people of quality course him as we do the stag; and this sort of
hunting is one of the favourite amusements of the king himself. This
creature is extremely swift of foot, endowed with extraordinary
strength, 8iid runs with prodigious celerity. His skin is all hairy,
liis eyes sunk in his head, his countenance stern, his face tanned,
and all his lineaments, though exactly human, harsh and black^ied
by the sun. In Africa this creature is even still more formidable,
liattel calls him ihe Pongo, and assures us that in all liis proportions
he resembles a man, except thai he is much larger, even to a gigan-
tic state. His face resembles that of a man, the eyes deep si
the head, the hair on each side extremely lung, the visage naked and
without hair, as also the ears and the hands. The body is lightly
covered, and scarcely differing from that of a man, except Ujai thei
are no calves to tlie legs. Still, however, the animal is seen to
walk upon its hinder legs, and in an erect posture. Ije sleeps under
trees, and builds himself a hut,-wli)ch serves to protect him against
the sun and the rains of the tropical climates, of which he is a na-
tive. He lives only upon fruits, and is no way c '
cannot speak, although furnished with a greater instinct
otiier afiimal of the brute creation. Wiien the Negroes n
in the woods, this animal comes near and warms himself by the
blaze. However, he has nul skill enough to keep the liar
by feeding it with fuel. 1 hey go together in companies
they happen to iiicel one of llic human species, remote from t

show him uo mercy. Tliey even attack the elephant, which

'sllislciry of Chilli

144 ANIMALS OF THE

^ley beat witli their clubs, and oblige lo leave (liat part of the forest
wtiKh thej' claim as their own. It is impossible Eo lake atij of these
dreadful creatures alive, for they are so strong thai ten men wotiltt
not be a match for but one of them. None of this kind, therefore,
are taken except when very young, and these but rarely, when the
female happens to leave them behind; for in general ihey keep
clung lo the breast, and adhere both with tegs and arms. From the
eame traveller we learn, that when one of these animals dies, the
rest cover the body with a quantity of leaves and branches. They
sometimes also show mercy to ihe human kind. A Negro boy, that
was taken by one of these, and carried into the woods, continued
there a whole year without receiving any injury,* From another
traveller we learn, that these animals often attempt to surprise the
female Negroes as they go into ihe woods, and frequently keep them
against their wills for the pleasure of their company ; feeding them
very plenlifully all the time. He assures ub that he knew a woman
of Loango that had lived among these animals for three years. They
grow from six to seven feet high, and are of unequalled strength.
They build sheds, and make use of clubs for their defence. Their
faces are broad, their noses Hat, their ears without a tip, their skins
are more bright than that of a Mulatio, and they are covered on
many parts of the body with long and tawny-coloured hair. Their
belly is large, their heels flat, and yet rising behind. They some-
times walk upright, and sometimes upon all-fours, when they are
fantastically disposed.

From this description of the ourang oulang, we perceive at what
a distance the Ural animal of the brute creation is placed from the
very lowest of the human species. Even in countries peopled with
savages, this creature is considered as a beast ; and in those very
places where we might suppose the smallest diiTerenco between them
and mankind, the inhabitants hold it in the greatest contempt and
detestation. In Borneo, where this animal has been said lo come to
its greatest perfection, the natives hunt it In the same manner as
they pursue the elephant or the lion, while its resemblance to the
human form procures it neither pity nor protection. The gradations
of nature in the other parts of nature are minute and insensible ; in
the passage from quadrupeds to fishes we can scarcely tell where the
quadruped ends, and the fish begins; in the descent from beasts to
insects we can hardly distinguish the steps of Ihe progression : but
in the ascent from brutes to man, the line is strongly drawn, well
marked and unpassable. It is in vain that the ourang oulang re-
sembles man in form, or imilaies many of his actions ; he still con-
tinues a wretched, helpless creature, pent up in the most gloomy
part of the forest, and, with regard lo the provision for his own hap-
piness, inferior even to the elephant or the beaver in sagacity. To
us, indeed, this animal seems much wiser than it really is. As we
have long been used to measure the sagacity of all actions by t

mlerlby TJiifTm, Ti

>y th^^

HONKBY KINO. 14S

similitude to our own, and not their fiiness to the animal's way of
living, we are pleased with the imitations of the ape, even thougli
we know they are far from contributing to the convenience of its
siluatioa. An ape, or a quadruped, when under the t ram m els of
human education, may be an admirable object for human curiosity,
but is very little advanced by all its learning in the road to its own
felicity. On the contrary, I have never seen any of these long
instructed animals that did not, by their melancholy air, appear sen-
sible of the wretchedness of their situation. Its marks of seeming
sagacity were merely relative to us, and not to the animal ; and all
its boasted wisdom was merely of our own making.

There is, in fact, another circumstance relative to this animal,
which ought not to be concealed. I have many reasons to believe
that the most perfect of the kind are prone, like the rest of the
quadruped creation, and only owe their erect attitude to human
education. Almost all the travellers who speak of them, mention
their going sometimes upon all-fours, and sometimes erect. As their
chief residence is among trees, they are without doubt usually seen
erect while they are climbing ; but it is probable that their efforts to
escape upon the ground are by running upon the hands and feet
together. Schouten, who mentions their education, tells us that they
are taken in traps, and taught in the beginning to walk upon their
hind legs, which certainly implies that in a state of nature they run
upon all-fours. Add to this, that when we examine the palmi
their hands and the soles of their feet, we find both equally callous
and beaten; a certain proof that both have been equally used. In
those hot countries where the apes are known to reside, the soles of
the Negroes' feet, who go barefoot, are covered with a skin above
an inch thick ; while their hands are as soft as those of an European.
Did the apes walk in the same manner, the same exercise would have
furnislied them with similar advantages, which is not the case,
sides all this, I have been assured by a very credible traveller, that
these animals naturally run in the woods upon all-fours; and when
they are taken, (heir liands are tied behind them, to teach them ti
walk upright. This attitude they learn after some time ; and thus
instructed, they are sent into Europe to astonish the speculative'
their near approaches to humanity, while it is never considered how
much is natural, and how much has been acquired in the savage
schools of Benin and Angola.

The animal next to these, and to be placed in the same class, i
the Ape, properly so called, or the Pilhekos of the ancients. Thi
ii much less than the former, being not above a foot and a half high,
but walks erect, is without a tail, and is easily tamed.

Of this kind also is the Gibbon, so called by Butfbn, or the Long-
armed Ape, which is a very extraordmary and remarkable creature.
It is of different sizes, being from two feet to four feet high. It walks
erect, is without a tail, has a face resembling that of a man, with a
«ircle of bushy hair all round the visage; its eyes are large, and
tiunk in its head ; its face tanned, and its ears exactly proportioned.

146 AlUMMA Ctr TUB

But ihat in wliiuh it chiefly dilFers from all olhern u( the monkey
tribe is the estrnordin&ry length of its arms, trhtch, when the animal
standa erect, are long enough to reach the ground ; so that it can
walk upon alUroura, and yet keep its erect posture at the same time.
This animal, next to the ourang outang and the ape, most neariy
resembles inaDkind, not only in form, but in genlle manners and
tractable disposition. It is a native or the East Indies, and parti-
cularly found along the coasts orCoi'omandel.

The last of the ape kind is t^e Cynocephalus, or tlie Magot of
BufluD. This animal wants a tail, tike the former, although ihero
is a small protuberance at that part, which yet is rather funnei) by
the akin than the bone. It differs also in hating a large callous red
rump. The face is prominent, and approaches more to that of
quadnip>!ds than of man. The body is covered with a brownish
iiair, and yellow on the belly. It is about three feet and a half, or
four feet high, and is a native of most parts of Africa and the Baal.
As it recedes from miin in its form, so also it appears dillerent in iU
dispositions, being sullen, vicious, and un tractable.* H^H

THE BABOON.

Descending from the more perfect of the monkey kinds, we come
to the Baboon and its varieties ; a large, tierce, ami formidable race,
that, mixing the figure of the man and the quadruped in their con-
formation, seems to possess only the defects of both; the petulance
of the one, and the ferocity of the other. These animals have &
short tail, a prominent face, with canine teeth larger than those of
men, and callosities on the rump.t In man, the physiognomy may
deceive, and the IJgure of the body does not always lead to the
qualities of the mind ; but in animals we may alwaysjudge of their
dispositions by their looks, and form a just cunjectare of their internal
habits trom their external form. If we compare the nature of the
ape and the baboon by this easy rule, we shall at once be led to
pronounce that they greatly differ in their dispositions, and that the
latter are infinitely more fierce, savage, and malicious, than the
former. The ourang oulang, that so nearly resembles man in its
figure, approaches also nearest in the gentleness of its manners and
the pliancy ofits temper. The cynocephalus, that of all uther apes
is moat unlike man in form, and approaches nearer the dog in
face, resembles also the brute in nature, being wild, restless, and
impelled by a frightful impetuosity. But the baboon, who is
still more remote, and resembles man only in having hands, who,
from having a tail, a prominent face, and sharp claws, approaches
more nearly to the savage tribe, is every way Rerce, malicious,
ignorant, and uniractable.

• Oimii'S femclliE hujusce et [irt
'rum, lapiiKttiiRll pailimliir Hiixu si
t Buflbn, *ul. i«vili. p. 1(13.

t furnsfqucntium .l^^^H

MONKEy KTND

The baboon, properly so called, is from three to four feet high,
very strong built, with a thick body and limbs, and canine leetb,
much longer than those of men. It haa large callosiiieg behind,
whidvare quite naked and red. lis Inil is crooked and thick, and
about seven or eight inches long- . Its snout, for it c»n hardly be
c&lled e. face, is long and thick, and on eacli side of its cheeks it has
•jKMMh, into which, when satiated with eating, it puts the remainder
'« its provisions. It is covered with long thick hair ofa reddish-
fitomi colour, and pretty uniform over the whole body. It walks
B^re commonly upon all-fours than upright, and its hands as well as
ite Teet are armed with long sharp claws, instead of (he broad round
nails of the npe kind.

Ah ajiimal thus made for strength, and furnished with dangerous
veapons, is found in fact to be one of the most formidable of the
■arage race, in those countries where it is bred. It appears, in its
native voods, to be impelled by two opposite passions ; a hatred for
(be m&lei of the human species, and a desire for women. Were we
assured of these strange oppositions in its disposition from one
testimony alone, the account might appear doubtful ; but as it comes
from a variety of the most credible witnesses, we cannot refuse our
assent. From them, therefore, we learn, that these animals will
often assail women in a body, and force them into the wood<i, where
they keep them against their will, and kill them when refractory.
From the Chevalier Forbin we learn, that in Siam whole troops of
these will often sally forth from theii ' ' • ■■ •

when they know the men
are on such occasions actuated a

not only plunder the houses of whatever provisions they can find,
but endeavour to force the women. These, however, as the Che-
valier humorously relates, not at all liking either the manners or the
figureof their paltry gallants, boldly stand on their defence, and with
clubs, or whatever other arms they can provide, instead ofanswering
tlieir caresses, obhgo their ugly suitors to retreat; not, however,
before they have damaged or plundered every thing eatable (hey
can lay their hands on.

At the Cape of Good Hope they are 1
best of their power equally mischievous,
sort of natural discipline, and go about

with surprising dtill and regularity. When ihey set about robbing
an orchard or a vineyard, for they are extrejnely fond of grapes,
apples, and ripe fruit, they do not go singly to work, but in large
companies, and with preconcerted deliberation. On these occasions,
a part of them enter the enclosure, while one is set to watch. The
rest stand without the fence, and form a line, reaching all the way
from their fellows within to their rendezvous without, which is gene*
rally in some craggy mountain. Every thing being thus disposed,
the plunderers within tlie orchard throiv tJie fruit to those that are
withnut as fast as they can gather it; or, if the wall or hedge be
high, to those that sit on the top, and these hand the plunder to thoae

28. — VOL. II. P

forests, and attack a village,
their rice harvesL Thty
M by desire as by hunger; and

4S formidable, but to. the
They are there under a
r they undertake

148 ANIMALS OF THB

next them on the oilier side. Thus the fruii ia pitched Trom one to
another all alon^ the line, till it is safely deposited at their head-
quarters. They catch it aa readily as the most skilful tennis player
can a ball ; and while the bu§ines!i is going forward, which ihey con-
duct with great expedition, a most profound silence is observed among
iheni. Their sentiael, during the whole time, continues upon the
watch, extremely anxious and attentive ; but if he perceives any one
coming, he instantly seU up a loud cry, and at this signal the whole
company scamper off. Nor yet are they at any time willing to leave
the place empty-handed ; for if they be plundering a bed of melons,
for instance, they go off with one in their mouths, one in their hands,
and one under their arm. If the pursuit is hot, they drop Grst that
from under their arm, and then that from their hand; and, if it be
continued, they at last let fall that which they had hitherto kept in
■ Iheir mouths.

The natives of the Cape often take the young of these animals,
and feeding them with sheep and goats' milk, accustom them to
guard their houses, which duty they perform with great punctuality.
Those, however, that have been brought into Europe are headstrong,
rude, and untraclable. Dogs and cats, when they have done any
thing wrong, will run off, but these seem careless, and insensible of
the mischief they do ; and I have seen one of them break a whole
table of china, as it should seem by design, without appearing in the
least conscious of having done amiss. It was not, however, in any
respect so formidable as that described by M. Buffon, of which he
gives the following description : " It was not," says he, " extremely
ugly, and yet it e.'icited horror. It continually appeared in a state
of savage ferocity, gnashing its teeth, flying at the spectators, and
furiously restless. It was obliged to be conHned in an iron cage, the
bars of which it so forcibly attempted to break, that the spectators
were struck with apprehension. It was a sturdy bold animal, whose
short limbs and powerful exertions showed vast strength and agility.
The long hair with which it was covered seemed to add to its ap~
parent abilities; which, however, were in reality so great, that it
could easily overcome a single man, unless armed. As to the rest,
it for ever appeared excited by that passion which renders the mildest
animals at intervals furious. Its lasciviousness was constant, and its
satisfactions particular. Some others also of the monkey kind
showed the same degree of impudence, and particularly in the pre-
sence of women ; but, as they were less In she, their petulance was
less obvious, and their insolence more easily corrected.

But, however violent the desires of these animals may be, Ihey
are not found to breed in our climate. The female brings forth
usually but one at a time, which she carries in her arms, and in a
(leculiar manner clinging to her breast. As to the rest, these ani-
mals are not at all carnivorous; they principally feed upon fruits,
roots, and corn, and generally keep together in companies. The
internal parts are more unlike those of man than of quadrupeds,
ticularly the hver, which it like that of a dog, divided ii

lixlob^H

MONKEY KINU. 149

The lungs are more divided, the guls in general are Bhorter, and
the kidneys rounder and flatter.

The largest of the baboon kind is the Mandril ; an ugly disgust-
ing animal, with a tail shorter than the former, though of a much
larger stature, being from four to five feel high. The muzzle is still
longer than that of the preceding ; it is of a bluish colour, and
strongly marked with wrinkles, which give it a frightful appearance.
But what renders it truly loathsome is, that from the nose there ia
always seen issuing a snot, lAfhich the animal fakes care at intervals
to lick offwith its tongue, and swallow. It is a native of the Gold
Coast : it is said to walk more frequently erect than upon all-fours ;
and when displeased, to weep like a child. There was one of them
shown in England some years ago. It seemed lame, but stupid ;
and had a method of opening its mouth, and blowing at such as came'

The Wanderow is a baboon rather less than the former, with the
body less compact and muscular, and the hinder parts seemingly
more feeble. The tail is from seven to eight inches long; the muzzle
19 prominent as in the rest of this kind ; but what particularly dis-
tinguishes it is a large long white head of hair, together with a mon-
Blroua white beard, coarse, rough, and descending; the colour of the
rest of the body being brown or black. As to the rest, in its savage
slate it is equally fierce with Ihe others; but with a proper education
it seems more tractable than most of its kind, and is chiefly seen in
the woods of Ceylon and Malabar,

The Maimon of Buflon, which Edwards calls the Pigtail, is the
last of the baboons, and in size rather approaches the monkey, being
no larger than a cat. Its chief distinction, besides its prominent
muzzle, like a baboon, is in the tail, which is about five or six inches
long, and curled up like that of a hog; from which circumstance,
peculiar to this animal, our English naturalist gave it the name, tt
is a native of Sumatra, and does not well endure the rigours of our
climate. Edwards, however, kept one of ihem a year in London ;
and another of them happening at the same time to be exposed in a
show of beasts, he brought the two exiles together, to see if they
would claim or acknowledge their kindred. The moment they came
into each other's presence, they testified their mutual satisfaction,
and seemed quite transported at the interview.

THE MONKEY.
The varieties in the larger tribes of the Monkey kind are but few;
in the Ape we have seen but four, and in the Baboon about as many.
But when we come to the smaller class, the differences among them
seem too tedious for enumeration. These, as was observed in the
beginning, are all small in stature, and with long tails, by which they
are distinguished from the preceding that entirely want the tail, or
arc large and have but a short one. The varieties in thu form and

}S0 ANTHAL8 OF THE

colour of dogs, or squirrels, is nothing- to what are founil among
moDkeys of ihe smaller kind. Bosnian rienllons above fifty sorts
on the Oold Coa.it alone, and Smith confirms the account. Condamine
asaerW that ii would take np a volume lo describe the diflerence* of
these to be found along the river Amazons ; and we are sure thai
every one of these is very different from those on the African coast.
Naturalists, however, have imdertaken to make a catalogue of their
numbers : and they either transmit their descriptions from one to
another, or only ennmerate those few that have foimd their way to
Europe, and have fallen within the narrow circle of their own obser-
vation. But, though it may be proper enough to describe such ss
fall under notice, it is certainly wrong to offer a scanty catalogue as
complete, and to induce the reader to suppose he sees a picture of
the whole group of these animals, when he is only presented with a
small part of the number. Such, therefore, as are fond of the repu-
tation of adding new descriptions to the stock of natural history, have
here a wide, thoiigh surely a barren field to enlarge in ; and they
will find it no difficult matter, by observing the various animals of
this kind that are from lime lo time brought from their native coasts
lo this country, to indulge in description, and to ring the changes
upon all the technical terms with which this most plea.sing science is
obscured and rendered disgusting. For my own part, I will sjxire
the reader and myself the trouble of entering into an ehiborate de-
scription of each ; content with observing once more, that their num-
bers are very great, and their differences very trifling. There is
scarcely a country in the tropical climates that does not swarm with
them, and scarcely a forest that is not inhabited by a race of
monkeys distinct from all others. Every different wood along the
coast of Africa may be considered as a separate colony of monkeys,
differing from 'those of the next district in colour, in size, and mali-
ciuus mischief. It is indeed remarkable tlial the monheys of two
cantons are never found to mis with each other, but rigorously to
observe a separation ; each forest produces only its own ; and these
guard their limits from the intrusion of all strangers of a different
race from themselves. In this tliey somewhat resemble the human
inhabitants of the savage nations among whom they are found,
where the petty kingdoms are mimerous, and their manners opposite.
There, in the extentofafewmiles, the traveller is presented with men
speaking different languages, professingdifferent religions, governed
by different laws, and only resembling each other in their mutual
animosity,

In general, monkeys of all kinds, being less than the baboon, are
endued with less powers of doing mischief. Indeed, the ferocity of
their nature seems to diminish with their size; and when taken wild
in the woods, they are sooner tamed, and more easily (aught to imitate
man, than the former. More gentle than the baboon, and less grave
andanllen than the ape, they soon begin to exert ajl their sportive
Tnimicries, and are easily restrained by correction. But it must be
confessed thai ihey will do nothing they are desired without beating;

MONKET KIND.

for, if iheir fears be entirely removed, lliey are the m
beadstrong animalB in nature.

In their native woods they are nol lens the pests of man than of
other animals. The monkeys, cays a iraveller,* are in possession of
every forest where they reside, and may be considered as Ih
of the place. Neither the tiger, nor the lion itself, will v
dispute the dominion, since these, from the tops of trees, continually
carry on an oETensive war, and by their agility escape all possibility
of pursuit. Nor have the birds less to fear from their continual de-
predations ; for, as these harmless inhabitants of the wood usually
build upon trees, the monkeys are for ever on the watch to find out
and rob their nests; and such is their petulant delight in mischief,
that they will fling their eggs against the ground when they want
appetite or inclination to devour them.

There is but one animal in all the forest that ventures to oppose the
monkey, and that is the serpent. The larger snakes are often seen
winding up the trees where the monkeys reside, and, when they
happen to surprise them sleeping, swallow them whole, before the
little animals have time to make a defence. In this manner, the two
most mischievous kinds in all nature keep the whole forest between
thera; both equally formidable to each other, and for ever employed
in mutual hostilities. The monkeys in general inhabit the tops of
the trees, and the serpents cling to the branches nearer the bottom ;
and in this manner Lliey are for ever seen near each other, like en^
mies in the same field of battle. Some travellers, indeed, have sup.
posed that their vicinity rather argued their mutual friendship, and
that they united in this manner to form an offensive league against
all the rest of animated nature. f " I have seen these monkeys,"
says Labat, " playing their gambols upon those very branches on
which the snakes were reposing, and jumping over them without
receiving any injury, although the serpents of that country were
naturally vindictive, and always ready to bite whatever disturbed
These gambols, however, were probably nothing more than
e insults of an enemy that was conscious of its own safety ; and
t monkeys might have provoked the snake in the same manner
e often see sparrows twitter at a cat. However this be, the
t is generally divided between them ; and these woods, which
Mture seems to have embellished with her richest magnificence,
pkther inspire terror than delight, and chieQy serve as retreats for
'ief and malignity,
e enmity of these animals to mankind, is partly ridiculous, and
y formidable. They seem, says Le Compte and others, to have
ir instinct In discovering their foes; and are perfectly skilled,
t attacked, in mutually defending and assisting each other.
Tien a traveller enters among these woods, they consider him aa
I invader upon their dominions, and join all to repel the intrusion.

* Description Historiqne du Mi^agar, p. 51.
+ Lnbat, Rclat, de 1 "Afriq. Occidfnl, p. 817.

lAt AMIU&XB Of TBK

At Sral ifaey survey him with a kiDd of insolent curiosity. They
jump from branch to branch, pursue hira es he goes aking, and
make a loiid chattering, to call the rest of their companions together.
Tliej then begin their hostilities by grinning, threatening, and
flinging down the withered branches at him, which they break from
the trees : they even lake their excrements in their hands, and throw
them at his head. Thus Ihey attend him wherever he goes; jump-
ing from tree to tree with such amazing swiftness, that the eye can
scarcely attend their motions. Although i hey take the most des-
perate leaps, yet they are seldom seen to come to the ground, for
they easily fasten upon the branches that break their fall, and stick,
either by their hands, feel, or tail, wherever ihey touch, Ifono of
them happens to be wounded, the rest assemble round, and clap
their fingers into the wound, as if they were desirous of sounding its
depth. If the blood flows in any quantity, some of them keep it
abut up, while others get leaves, which they chew, and thrust into
the opening : however extraordinary this mny appear, it is asserted
to be often seen, and to be strictly true. In this manner they wage
a petulant, unequal war ; and are often killed in numbers before
they think proper to make a retreat. This they effect with the same
precipitation with which they at first come together. In this retreat
the young ore seen clinging to the back of the female, with which
she jumps away, seemingly unembarrassed by the burden.

The curiosity of the Europeans has, in some measure, induced the
natives of the places where these animals reside, to catch or lake them
alive by every art they are able. The usual way in such case ia to
shoot the female as she carries her yonng, and then boLli, of course,
tumble to the ground. But even this is not easily performed ; for
if the animal be not killed outright, it will not fall, but clinging to
some branch, continues, even when dead, its former grasp, and re-
mains on the tree where it was shot, until it drops offby putrefaction.
In this manner it is totally lost to the pursuer ; for to attempt climb-
ing the tree to bring either tl or the young one down, would probably
be fatal, from the number of serpents that are hid among the
branches. For this reason the sportsman always lakes care to aim
at the head; which, ifhc hits, the monkey falls directly to ihc ground,
and the young one comes down al the same time, clinging to its
dead parent.

The Europeans along the coasts ofGuinea often go into the woods
lo shoot monkeys; and nothing pleases iho Negroes more than to
see these animals drop, against which they have the greatest ani-
mositv. They consider them, and not without reason, as the most
mischievous and tormenting creatures in the world ; and are happy
to see their numbers destroyed, upon a double account, as welf
because they dread their devastations, as because they love their
flesh. The monkey, which is always skinned before it is eaten, when
served up at a Negro feast, looks so like a child, that an European
* I shocked at the very sight. The nalives, hoi

knice, devour it ax one of tta highest delicacies, and assiduouafj^H

UONKET KIND. IdS

altead our sportamen to profit by the spoil. But what they
chiefly astonished at, is to see our trnvellora careruliy taking the
young ones alive, while ihey leave tliem the old onea, that are
certainly the most fit to be eaten. They cannot compreliend what
advantage can arise to us from educating or keeping a little animal,
that, by experience, they know to be equally fraught witi) tricks and
mischief: some of them have even been led to suppose, that, with a
kind of perverse affection, we love only creatures of the moat mis-
chievous kinds ; and having seen us of^en buy young and tame
monkeys, they have taken eqiial care to bring ruts to our factors,
offering them for sale, and greatly disappointed at finding no pur*
chasers for so hopeful a commodity.*

The Negroes consider these animals as their greatest plague; and,
indeed, they do incredible damage, when they come in companies
to lay waste a field of Indian corn or rice, or a plantation of sugar-
canes. They carry off as much as they are able ; and they destroy
ten limes more than they bear away. Their maoner of plundering
is pretty much like that of the baboons, already mentioned, in a
garden. One of them stands sentinel upon a tree while the rest are
plundering, carefully and cautiously turning on every side, but par-
ticularly to that on which there is the greatest danger ; in the mean
time, the rest of the spoilers pursue their work with great silence and
assiduity. They are not contented with the first blade of com, or
the first cane that they happen to lay their hands on ; they first pull
up such as appear most alluring to the eye; they turn it round,
examine, compare it wilh others, and if they find it to their mind,
stick it under one of their shoulders. When in this manner they
have got their load, they begin to think of retreating: but if it should
happen that the owners of the field appear to interrupt their depre-
dations, their faithful sentinel instantly gives notice, by crying out,
Houp, houp, houp ! which the rest perfectly understand, and all at
once throwing down the corn they hold in their left hands, scamper
off upon three legs, corrying the remainder in the right. If they
are still hotly pursued, they then are content to throw down their
whole burden, and to lake refuge among their woods, on the top of
which they remain in perfect security.

Were we to give faith to what some Irarellers a^isure us, of the
government, policies, and subordination of these animals, we might
perhaps be taxed with credulity ; but we have no reason to doubt
that ibey are under a kind of discipline, which they esercise among
each other. They ai'e generally seea to keep together in companies,
to march in exact order, and to obey the voice of some particular
chieftain, remarkable for his size and gravity. One species of these,
which M. BufTon calls the Ouarine, and which are remarkable for
the loudness and the distinctness of their voice, are stiil more so for
the use to which they convert it. " I have frequently been a wit-
tiCsB," says Margrave, " of their assemblies and deliberations.

ANfM'AI.9 OP TJlE

Every day, both morning and evening, the
woods to receive instructions. .When all come together, one among
the number takes the highest place on a tree, and makes a signal
with hia hand to the rest to sit round, in order to heathen. As soon
as he aees ihem placed, he begins his discourse with so loud a voice,
and yet in a manner so precipitate, that, to hear him at a distance,
one would think the whole company were crying outal the same
time: however, during that time, one only is speaking, and all the
rest observe the most profound silence. When lhi« has done, he
makes a sign with the hand for the rest to reply ; and at that inataot
they raise iheir voices together, until by another signal of the hand
they are enjoined silence. This they as readily obey ; till, at last,
the whole assembly breaks up, afler hearing a repetition of the same
preachment."

The chief food of the monkey tribe is fruits, the buds of trees, or
succulent roots and plants. They all, like man, seem fond of sweets;
and particularly the pleasant juice of the palm-tree and the sugar-
cane. With these the fertile regions in which they are bred seldom
fail to supply them ; but when it happens that these foil, or that
more nourishing food becomes more agreeable, they eat insects and
worms ; and sometimes, if near the coasts, descend lo the sea-shore,
where they eat oysters, crabs, and shell-tish. Their manner of
managing an oyster Is extraordinary enough ; but it is loo well
attested to fail of our assent. As the oysters in the tropical climates
are generally larger than with us, the monkeys, when they go to the
sea-side, pick up a stone, and clap it between the opening shells;
this prevents them from closing, and tne monkey then eats the GsR
at his ease. They otlen also draw crabs from the water, by putting
their tail to the hole where that animal takes refuge, and the crab
fastening upon it, they withdraw it with a jerk, and thus pull their
prey upon shore. This habit of laying traps for other animals,
makes them very cautious of being entrapped themselves ; and 1
am assured, by many persons of credit, that no snare, how nicely
baited soever, will take the monkey of the West India islands; for
having been accustomed to the cunning of man, it opposes its
natural distrust to human artifice.

The monkey generally brings forth one at a time, and sometimes
two. They are rarely found to breed when brought over into
Europe ; but of those that do, they exhibit a very striking picture of
parental alfection. The male and female are never tired of fondling
their young one. They instruct it with no little assiduity ; and
often severely correct it, if stubborn, or disinclined lo profit by their
example : they hand it from one to the other, and when the male has
done showing his regard, the female takes her turn. When wild in
the woods, the female, if she happens to have two, carries one on
her back, and the other in her aims : that on her back clings very
closely, clasping its hands round her neck, and its feet about her
middle; when she wants to suckle it, she then altera their position,
and that which has been fed gives place to the other, which she takes

^^ inoi

MONKEY KIND.

in her arnu, It oflea happens ihat she is unable to leap froni one
tree to another, when ihuB Iciaded; and upon auch occasions, their
dexterity \3 very surprising. The whole family form a kind of
chain, locking tail in tail, or hand in hand, and one of them holding
the branch above, the rest swing down, balancing to and fro, like a
pendulum, until the undermost is enabled to catch hold of the lower
branches of some neighbouring tree. When the hold is fixed below,
the monkey lets go that which was above, and thus comes undermost
in turn ; but, creeping up along the chain, attains the next branches
like the rest ; and thus they all take possession of the tree, without
ever coming to the ground.

When in a state of domestic tameness, those animals are very
amusing, and oflen fill up a vacant hour when other entertainment is
wanting. There are few that are not acquainted with their varioua
mimicries, and their capricious feats of activity. But it is generally
in company with other animals of a more simple disposition that
their tricks and superior instincts are sliown ; they seem to take s
delight in tormenting them, and I have seen one of them amusing
itself for hours together, in imposing upon the gravity of a cat. ,
Erasmus tells us of a large monkey, kept by Sir Thomas More,
ibfkt, one day diverting itself in his garden, where some tame rabbits
ere kept, played several of his usual pranks among them, while the
ibbits scarcely well knew what to make of their new acquaintance;
the mean time, a weasel, that came for very different purposes
those of entertainment, was seen peering about the place in
lich the rabbits were fed, and endeavouring to make its way, by
loving a board that closed their hutch. While the monkey saw
danger, it continued a calm spectator of the enem}''s efforts ; but
just when, by long labour, the weasel had effected its purpose, and
had removed the board, the monkey stept in, and, with the utmost
dexterity, fastened it again in its place, and the disappointed weasel
was too much fatigued to renew its operations. To this I will only
add what Father Carli, in his history of Angola, assures us to be
true. In that horrid country, where he went to convert the savage
natives to Christianity, and met with nothing but distress and dis-
fippointmeDt ; while his health was totally impaired by the raging
ats of the climate, his patience exhausted by the obstinacy of the
ipid natives, and his little provisions daily plundered, without re-
ess; in such an exigency he found more faithful services from the
monkeys than the men : these he had taught to attend him, to guard
him while sleeping against thieves and rats, to comb h*
fetch his water ; and he asserts, that they were even more tradable
than the human inhabitants of the place. It is indeed remarkable,
th&t in those countries where the men are most barbarous and stupid,
iirutes are most active and sagacious. It is iti the to
ihabited by Barbarians, that such various animals are I
instincts so nearly approaching reason. The savages both of Africa
and AmericBi accordingly suppose monkeys to be men; idle, sloth-

i56

ANIMATES OP T«E

fill, rational beings; capable of speech and conversation; but oba
nalely dumb, for fear of being compelled lo labour.

As of all savages those of Africa are the most brutal,
countries, the monkeys of Africa are the most expert and e
iog. The monkeys of America are, in general, neither so sagaciot
nor so tractable, nor is their form so nearly approaching that of m
The monkeys of the new continent may be very easily distinguidhefl
from those of the old, b)* three marks. Those of the a
tinent ere universally found to have a naked callous substance b
hind, upon which they sit, which those of America are entirely w
out; thoso also of the ancient continent have the nostrils different!]
formed, more resembling those of men, the holes opening downwa
whereas the American monkeys have them opening on each sii
those of the ancient world have pouches on each side of the jaw, i:
which they put their provisions, which those of America are wi
out; lastly, none of the monkeys of the ancient continent hang b
the tail, which many of the American sorts are known to do. ~
these marks the monkeys of either continent may be readily d
guished from each other, and prized accordingly. The Africa
monkey, as I am assured, requires a longer educatio
correction, than that of America ; but it is at last foimd capable c
more various powers of imitation, and shows a greater degree t
cunning and activity.

M. Buflbn, who has examined this race of imitative beings t
greater accuracy than any other naturalist before him, makes
nine species of monkeys belonging to the ancient continent,
eleven belonging lo the new. To all these he gives the names wl
they go by in their respective countries; which undoubtedly is tl
method least liable to error, and the most proper for ir

Of the monkeys of the ancient continent, the first he describes is
the Mocaguo ; somewhat resembling a baboon in size, strength of
body, and a hideous wrinkled visoger it differs, however, in having
a very long toll, which is covered with tufted hair. It is a natiTB i
of Congo. V

The second is the Patas, which is about the same size with th^
former, but differs in having a longer body, and a face less hideous t %
it is particularly remarkable for the colour of its hair, which is of a
red so brilliant that the animal looks as if it were actually painted.
It is usually brought from Senegal ; and by some called the Red
African Monkey.

The third of the ancient continent is the Malbrouk; of which facjj
nipposes the monkey which he calls the Bonnet Chinois to be a vnlM
riety. The one is remarkable for a long tail, and long beard ;
other for a cap of hair that covers the crown of the head, fromwhenoif
it takes the name. Both are natives of the Bast Indies;
Bramlns, who extend their charily lo all the brute i
have hospitals for such of them as happen lo be sick, ur,otheni

^^1 diMbled.

MONKEY KIND. 157

The fourth of this kind is the Mangnbey: this may be diitiu'
guished from all others by its eyelids, which are naked, and of a
striking whiteness. It b a Dative of Madagaicar.

The Jirth is the Mona, or the Cephus of the ancients ; it is dis-
tinpiished by its colour, which is variegated with black and red ; and
its tail is of an ash colour, with two white spots on each side at its
insertion It is a native of the northern pans of Africa.

The sixth is the Calhtrix, or Green Monkey ofSt. lago; distin-
guished by its beautiful green colour on the bock, its white breast
and belly, and its black face.

The seventh is the Mousloc, or White Nose; distinguished by
the whiteness of its lips, from whence it has received its name, tlie
rest of the face being of a deep blue. It is a native of the Gold
Coast, and a very beautiful tittle animal.

The eighth is the Tolapoin ; and may be distinguished as well
by its beautiful variety of green, white, and yellow hair, as by that
under the eyes being of a greater length than the rest. It is sup-
posed to be a native of Africa and the East.

The ninth and last of the monkeys of the ancient continent, is the
Douc, so called in Cochin-China, of which country it is a native.
The douc seems to unite the characters of all the former together:
with a long tail, like the monkey; of a size as large as the baboon;
and with a flat face, like the ape : it even resembles the American
monkeys, in having no callosity on its posteriors. Thus it seems to
form the shade by which the monkeys of one continent are linked
with ttiosB of the other.

Nest come the monkeys of the new continent, which, as hath been
said, dilfer from those of the old, in tlie make of their nostrils, in
their having no callosity on their posteriors, and in their having no
poudies on each side cff the jaw. They diBer also from each other,
a part of them making no use of their tails to hang by ; while others
of them have the tail very strong and muscular, and serving by way
of a fifth hand to hold by. Those with muscular holding tails are
called Sapajous; those with feeble useless tails are called Sagoins.
Of the sapajous there are five sorts ; of the sagoins there are six.

The Hrst of the sapajous is the warine, or the Brazilian. Guariba.
This monkey is as large as a fox, with black long hair, and remark-
able for the loudness of its voice. It is tlie largest of the monkey
kind to be found in America.

The second is the Coaiti ; which may be distinguished from the
rest by having no thumb, and consequently but four fingers on the
two fore pawB. The tail, however, supplies the defects of the hand ;
and with this the animal flings itself from one tree to another with
surprising rapidity.

The third is the Sajou ; distinguished from the rest of the sapajous
by its yellowish, flesh-coloured face.

The fourth is the Sai. It is somewhat larger than the sajou, ond
has a broader muzzle. It is called also the Be>i'ailer, from its pecu-
liar manner of lamenting, when either threatened or beaten.

158 ANfM-At-S OP THK

The fifth and last or the sapajou kind, or nionkcys that hold by
the tail, is the Saimiri, or Aurora, which is the smallest and mo«
beautirulof all. It is of a line orange colour, with two circles of
flesh round the eyes. It is a very tender, delicate animal, and held
in high price.

Of the sagoins with feeble tails, there are six kinds. The first and
the la.rgest is the Saki, or Cagui ; so remarkable for the length of
the hair on its tail, that it has been often termed the Fo.i-tailed
Monkey. It is of different sizes; some being twice as large as
others.

The second of this kind is the Tamain ; which is usually black,
with the feei yellow. Some, however, are found all OTer brown,
spotted with yellow.

The third is the Wististi; remarkable for the large tufts of hair
upon its face, and its annulated tail.

The fourth is the Marikma; with a mane round the neck, and a
bunch of hair at the end of the tail, like a lion.

The fifth is called the Pinch ; with the face of a beautiful black,
and white hair that descends on each side of the face, like that of a

The last, leant, and most beautiful of all, is the Mice, an animal
too curiously adorned, not to demand a particular description ; which
is thus given of it by M. Condamine. " That," says he, "which
the governor of Para made me a present of, was the only one of iu
kind that was seen in the country. The hair on its body was of a
beauuful silver colour, brighter than that of the most venerable
human hair; while the tail was of a deep brown, inclining to black-
ness. It had another siDgularily, more remarkable than the former;
its ears, its cheeks, and lips, were tinctured with so bright a ver-
raillioD, that one could scarcely be led to suppose that it was natural,
I kept it a year ; and it was still alive when [ made this description
of it, almost within sight of the coasts of France : ell I could then
do, was to preserve it in spirits of wine, which miglit serve to keep
it in such a state as to show that I did not in the least exaggerate in
my description."

OF THE MAKI. ^M

The last of the monkey kind are the Makies; which have no'*

other pretentions to be placed in this class, except that of having

hands like the former, and making use of them to climb trees, or to

pluck their food. Animals of the hare kind, indeed, are often seen

feed themselves with their fore-paws, but they can hold nothing

one of them -singly, and are obliged to take up whatever the; eat

both at once : but it is otherwise with the mnki ; as well as the

monkey kinds, they seize their food with one hand, pretty much like

a man, and grasp it with great ease and firmness. The maki, there*

fore, from this conformation in its hands, both before and behind,

MONKEY KIND. 159

approaches neail; to the monkey kiad ; but in oilier reepecta, such
ai the make of the snout, the form of the eara, and the parts that
diitin^iah the sexes, it entirely differs from them. There are many
different kinds of these animals; all varying from each other in
colour or size, but agreeing in the human-like figure of tlieir hands
and feet, and in their long nose, which somewhat resembles that ofa
dog.* As most of these are bred in the depths of the forest, wo
know little more concerning them than their figure. Their way of
living, their power of pursuit and escape, can only be supposed,
from the analogy of their conformation, somewhat to resemble those
of the monkey.

The Srst of this ISnd is the Mococo ; a beautiful animal, about the
ttze of a common cat, but the body and limbs slenderer, and of a
longer make. It has a very long tail, at least double the length of
its body ; it is covered with fur, and marked alternately with broad
rings of black and white. But what it is chiefly remarkable for,
beiidee the form of its hands and feet, is the largeness of its eyes,
■ffbicb are surrounded with a broad black space ; and the length of
the hinder legs, which by far exceed those before. When it sleeps,
it brings its nose to its belly, and its tail over its head. When it
plays, it uses a sort of galloping, with its tail raised over its back,
which keeps continually in motion. The head is covered with dark
oph-coloured hair; the back and sides with a red ash-colour, and not
so dark as on the head ; and the -whole glossy, soft, and delicate,
smooth to the touch, and standing almost upright, like the pile of
velvet. It is Oi native of Madagascar; appears to be a harmless
gentle animal; and though it resembles the monkey in many
respects, yet it has neither its malice nor its mischief: nevertheless,
like the monkey, it seems to be always in motion, and moves, like all
fbur-handed animals, in an oblique direction.

A second of this kind, which is also a native of Madagascar, is
the Mongooz, which is less than the former, with a soft, glossy robe,
but a litle curled. The nose also is thicker than that of the mococo;
the eyes are black, with orange-coloured circles round the pupil;
and the tail is of one uniform colour. As to the rest, it is found of
various colours ; some being black, others brown ; and its actions
somewhat resemble those of a monkey.

The Vari is much larger than either of the former ; its hair is much
longer, and it has a kind of ruff round the neck, consisting of very
long hair, by which it may be easily distinguished from the rest. It
differs also in its disposition, which is fierce and savage ; as also in
the loudness of its voice, which somewhat resembles the roaring of
the lion. This also is a native of Madagascar.

[* Thia tribe of quadrupeds have Tour rore-teelh in the upper jaw, the
iatermediale onca being remote ; and Eii long, compressed, purallel Icetb
in tbe under jaw ; th« dog-teeth are solitary, and Ihe grinders aome-
whal lobited. Thoy differ so much, in shape and laanaers, frnm the
monkey kind, that Ihey are now generally diEiinguished by the name of

leo

A^'IMALS OF THE

Tu this tribe wu may reftir a little four-handed animal, of tlie
island of Ceylon, which M. Bitfion calls Ihe Lori, very remarkable
for the singularity of its figure. Ttiis is, of all other animala, the
longeal in proportion to its size, having nine vertebrae in the loins,
whereas other quadrupeds have only seven ; * the body appeon
still the longer, by having no tail. In other respects it resembles
those of the maki kind, as well in its hands and feet, as in its snout,
and in the glossy qualities of its hair. It is about the size of a
squirrel, and appears to be u tame, liarmless, little animal.

OF THE OPOSSUM, AND ITS KINDS. 4

To these four-handed animals of the ancieot continent, we may
add the four-handed animals of the new, that use their hands like
the former, as well as their tails, and that fill up the chasm between
the monkey tribe and the lower orders of the forest. As the maki
kind in some measure seem to unite the fox and the monkey in their
figure and size, so these seem to unite th^ monkey and the rat.
They are all leas than the former; they have long tails, almost bare
of hair ; and their fur, as well as their shape, seems to place them
near the rat kind. Some have aecui'dingly ranked them in that class;
but their being four-handed is a sufficient reason for placing them in
the rear of the monkeys.

The lirst and most remarkable of this tribe h the Opossum,t on
animal found both in North and South America, of the size of a
small cat. The head resembles thatofafos; it has fifty teeth in
all, but two great ones in the midst, like those of a rat. The eye^
are little, round, clear, lively, and placed upright ; the i
broad, and transparent, like thoiie of the rat kind ; ii
creases the similitude, being round, long, a little hairy
ning, but quite naked towards the end. The fore-legs are shi
being about three inches long, while those behind are about foi
The feet are like hands, each having live toes or lingers, wit
crooked nails, and rather longer behind than before. But it _ _
ticubr in this animal, iliat the thumb on the binder legs wantr
a nail; whereas the fingers are furnishud with clawed nails as

But that which distinguishes this animal from all others, and what
has excited the wonder of mankind for more than twocenturies, is the
extraordinary conformation of its belly, as it is found to have a fabe
womb, into which the young, when brought forth in the usual man-
ner, creep, and continue for some days longer to lodge and suckle

• BulTon, vol. ixvi.'p. 871.

[t This animnl has ten fore-leetli In the up]
under one ; Ibe do^-teeth are laii^i : the taiigue
they hiTB a pouc'i formed by a dupllcalure of ihe
"" tests are coiicesW, Bad their younic secnred.

and eight in tH^^^H
aunicwhat ciliated ; in^^^^H
III of iTir belly. In whici^^H

MONKEY KIND. 161

iBcurely. This bag, if we may so call il, being one orihe most
extraordinary things in natural hialory, requires a more minute
description. Under the belly of the female is a kind of slit or open-
ing, <^ai>out three inches long: this opening is composed of a skin,
which makes a bag inlernnlly, covered on the inside with hair. In
this bag are the teats of the female; and into it Itie young, when
brought fiirth, retire, either lo suckle or to escape from danger.
This bag has a power of opening and shutting, at the will of the
animal; and this is performed by means of several muscles, and two
bones, that are litted for this purpo.'ie, aad that are peculiar to this
animal only. These two bones are placed before the os pubis, to
which they are joined at the base ; they are about two inches long,
and grow smaller and smaller to their estremilies. These support
(he muscles that serve to open the bag, and give them a fixture.
To these muscles there are antagonisW, that serve, in the same man-
ner, to shut the bag ; and this they perform so exactly, that in the
living animal the opening can scarcely be discerned, except when
the sides are forcibly drawn asunder. The inside of this bag is fur-
nished wiili glands, that exude a musky substance, which communi-
cates to the flesh of the animal, and renders it unlit to be eaten. It
is not to be supposed that this is the place where the young are con
ceived, as some have been led lo imagine: for the opossum has
another womb, like that of the generality of animals, in which gene-
ration is performed in the ordinary manner. The bag we have been
describing may rather be considered as a supplemental womb. In
the real womb, the little animal is partly brought to perfection ; in
^e ordinary one, it receives a kind of additional incubation, and
acquires, at last, strength enough to follow the dam wherever she
goes. We have many reasons to suppose that the young of this
animal are all brought forth prematurely, or before they have
acquired that degree of perfection which is common in other quadru-
peds. The little ones, when lirst produced, are in a manner but
half completed ; and some travellers assert, that they are, at that
lime, not much larger than flies. We are assured also, that imme-
diately on quilling the real womb, they creep into the false one;
where they continue fixed to the teat, until they have strength suffi-
cient to venture once more into the open air, and share the fatigues
of the parent. Ulloa assures us, that he has found live of these little
creatures hidden in the belly of the dam three days al^er she was
dead, still alive, and all clinging to the teat with great avidity. It is
probable, therefore, that upon their first entering the false womb
they seldom stir out from thence ; but when more advanced, they
venture forth several times in the day, and at last seldom make use
of their retreat, except in cases of necessity or danger. Travellers
are not agreed in their accounts of the time which these animals take
10 continue in the false womb ; some assure us they remain there for
several weeks, and others, more precisely, mention a monlb. During
this period of strange gestation, there is no difficulty in opening the
bag in which they are concealed ; they may be reckoned, examined,
29. — VOL. II. G

and handled, without much iDconTeaience ; Tor tbej keep fixed U>
the teat, and cling there as firm as if they made a part of the body
of the animal that bears them. When ihey are grown atroager,
they drop from the teat into the bag to which they are contained,
and at last find their way out, in search of more copious subsistence.
Still, however, the false belly serves them for a retreat, either when
they want to sleep or to suckle, or when they are pursued by an
en»nj. The dam, on such occasions, opt>ns her bag to receive them,
which they eater,

Pars rormldina tnrpi

Scandimt mrsus fquDin et doIb condantar In alio.

The opoeaum, when on the ground, b a slow bdf^ess animal; the
fortnation of its hands is alone sufficient to show its incapacity of
ruDtiing witli any degree of swi^ness ; but to counterbalance this
inconvenience, it climbs txeea with great ease and expedition.* It
chicBy subsists upon birds, and hides among the leaves of the trees
lo seixe ihem by surprize. It oAen also hangs by the tail, which ii
long and muscular ; and in this Hiuation, for hours together, with the
bead downwards, it keeps watdiing fur its prey. If any lesser ani-

■ mal, which it is able to overcome, passes undemesth, it drops upon

it with deadly aim, and <(U>ckly devours it. By means of its tail,
the opossum also slings from one tree to another, hunts insects,
escapes its purstiers, and provides for its safely. It seems lo be a
creature that lives upon vegetablea n well as animal substances,
roots, sugar-canes, the bark, and even (be leaves of trees. It is
easily tamed, but it is a disagreeable domestic, as well from its stu-
pidity and ligure, as its scent, whicfa, however fragrant in small quan-
tities, &3b not to be ungrateful when ct^aooslr supplied.

An MhomI greatly resembling the funuer|- is the MaitnOie, whicli
■■ (baad in the same continent. It seems only to dilTer in size, being
leat; ^li, instead of a bag to receive its young, has only two
kagkadiDal fuUs near the (highs, within which the young, which are
pnaatorely brought Ibrtfa. as in the last instance, continue lo suckle.
no JWH^ of these, ^leu firs! produced, are no! above the size of

IB beut; bat continue sticking to the teat nnlil they have arrived at
greater maturity.
The Cayopolin is somewbal larger than the former, and a good
deal resembting it in habits and Sgure, except that its snout is more
pointed, its tail ia longer in ptoportiuB, ami its colour is different,
bemg of an uh, somewhat inclining to yeUuw : however, I ibould
suppose it to be only a variety- of the former.
Tothianomfaervreotayadd the Pbalanser. so called by M. Bofibn;
a good deal resembling- the former, but disbogoisiied by ibe ttahion
of its hinder hands : tlie thumb and tore- finger being joia^ together,
except at the estremities. This animal is about the stse of a nt ;
and has, accordingly, by some, been catlwl the Rat at SmamBu

^B • lamra. m). nJ. p. IT*. tVwL f. tIS. -^^|

MONKEY KIND. 163

The last animal of this class is called by M. Bulfon, the Tarsier.
This estraordinary Utile animal resembles the former, in having four
hands, and a long tail, but ii differs very much in theextremelength
of its hinder legs, which are longer than the rest of its whole body.
The bones of that part of the foot called the tanui are likewise so
very long, that from thence the animal has received its name: the
tail is naked in the middle, and hairy only at both extremities; ils
hair is woolly, sofl, and of a deep ash colour. As to the rest, it is
unknown from what country this animal was brought; but the natu-
ralist from whom we have this description, supposes it to be a native
of America.

From this general description of foiir-handed animals, we perceive
what few advantages the brute creation derive from those organs
that, in man, are employed to so many great and useful purposes.
The being able to pluck their food from the trees, the capacity of
clinging among the branches, and at must of converting one of those
branches into a weapon of defence, are the highest stretches of their
sagacity, and the otjy use their hands have hitherto been employed
in : and yet some superficial men have asserted, that the hands alone
are sufficient to vindicate the dominion of mankind over other ani-
mals ; and that much of his boasted reason, is nothing more than the
result of his happier conformation : however, were this so, an ape or
a monkey would in some instances be more rational than we ; their
fingers are smaller, and, in some of them, more finely formed tiian
ours. To what a variety of purposes might they not be employed,
if their powers were properly exerted ! Those works which we,
from the largeness of our fingers, are obliged to go clumsily about,
one of these could very easily perform with the utmost exactness;
and if the fineness of the hand assisted reason, an ape would be one
of the most reasonable beings in the creation. But these admirably
formed machines are almost useless both to mankind and themselves ;
and contribute little more to the happiness of animal life, than the
paws of the lowest quadruped. They are supplied, indeed, with the
organs, but they want the mind to put them into action : it is that
reasoning principle alone, with which man has been endowed, that
can adapt seemingly opposite causes to concur in the same general
design; and even where the organs are deGcient, that can supply
tlieir place by the intervention of assisting instruments. Where
reason prevails, we find that it scarcely matters what the organs are
that give it the direction ; the being furnished with that principle,
still goes forward, steadily and uniformly successful ; breaks through
every obstacle, and becomes master of every enterprize. 1 have
seen a man, without hands or legs, convert, by practice, his very
stumps to the most convenient purposes; and with these clumsy
instruments perform the most astonishing feats of dexterity. We
may therefore conclude, that it is the mind alone that gives a master
to the creation i and that, if a bear or a horse were endowed wiih
intellects that h»ve been given to man, the hard-

I
I

^■^e same intellects that hiive been given to man, the hard- ^H

104 IHK ELEPHANT.

neat of a hoof, or iho awkwardness of a paw,

obstacle lo their advancement in tlie arm of dominion, or oi_

social felicity.

CHAPTER X.
OF THE ELEPHANT.

Having gone through the description of those quadrupeds that,
by resembling each other in some striking particular, admit of being
grouped together, and considered under one point of view, we now
come (o thoac insulated sorts, that bear no similitude with the rest,
and that, to be distinctly described, must be separately considered.

The foremost of these, and in every respect the noblest quad-
ruped in nature, is the Elephant, not less remarkable for it* size
than its docility and underiitanding.* AIMiistorians concuringiving
it the character of the moat sagacious animal nest to man ; and yet,
vers we to take our idea of its capacity from its outward appearance,
we should be led to conceive very meanly of its abiiides. The
elephant, at first view, presents the spectator with an enormous mass
of flesh, that seems scarcely animated. Its huge body, covered with
a callous hide, without hairj its large misshapen legs, that seem
scarcely formed for motion ; its little eyes, largeears, and longtrunk,
all give it an air of extreme stupidity. But our prejudices will soon
subside when we come to esaniine its history; ihey will even serve
lo increase our surprise, when we consider the various advantages it
derives from so clumsy a conformation.

The elephant is seen from seven to no less than fifteen feet high.
Whatever care we take to imagine a large animal beforehand, yet
the first sight of this huge creature never fails to strike us witli
astonishment, and in some measure to exceed our idea. Having
been used to smaller animals, we have scarcely any conception of its
magnitude ; for a moving column of flesh, fourteen feet high, is an
object so utterly diflereni from those we are constantly presented
with, that to be conceived it must be actually seen. Such, I own,
were the suggestions that naturally arose to me when I first saw this
animal, and yet for the sight of which I had taken care lo prepare
my imagination. I found my ideas fall as short of its real size as
they did of its real figure ; neither the pictures I had seen, nor the
descriptions I had read, giving me adequate conceptions of either.

It would, therefore, be impossible to give an idea of this animal's
figure by a description, which, even assisted by the art of the en-
graver, will but confusedly represent the original. In general it

[* Thld animal has no rore-leelli in t-Utitr Jaw ; Very Inag

L[* Thld animal has no rore-leelli in t-iltitr Jaw ; Very Inag tuska ip lbB|^H
upper jaw; the pmhoacii, or trunk, ifl Iniij, and capable of Isyina; hold gl^l
any subslante, however minute ; and tbe body la nearly nibrd.] ^^H

THE KLBPHANT.

may be observed, that the forehead ia very high and rising, the ears
ver; large and dependant, the eyes extremely small, the proboscii,
or trunk, long, the body round and full, the back rising in an arch,
and the whole animal short in proportion to its height. The feet are
round at the bottom ; on each foot there are five flat horny risings,
nhich seem to be the extremities of the toes, but do not appear out-
wardly. The hide is without hair, full of scratches and scars, which
it receives in its passage through thick woods and thorny places. At
the end of the tail there is a tua of hair> a foot andahalflong. The
female is less than the male, and the udder ia between the forelegs.
But a more accurate, as well as a more entertaining description of
the parts, will naturally occur in the history of their uses.

Of all quadrupeds the elephant is the strongest, as well as the
largest ; and yet, in a state of nature, it is neither flerce nor formid-
able.* Mild, peaceful, and brave, it never abuses its power or its
strength, and only uses its force for its own protection, or that of its
community. In its native deserts the elephant ia seldom seen alone,
but appears to be a social friendly creature. The oldest of the
company conducts the band; that which is next in seniority brings
up the rear. The young, the weak, and the sickly, fall into the
centre; while the females carry their young, and keep ihent from
falling by means of their trunks. They maintain this order only in
dangerous marches, or when they desire to feed in cultivated grounds ;
they move with less precaution in the forests and solitudes; but
without ever separating, or removing so far asunder as to be incapa-
ble of lending each other any requisite assistance. Nothing can be
more formidable than a drove of elephants as they appear at a dis-
tance in an African landscape; wherever they march, the forests
seem to fall before them ; in their passage, they bear c'
branches upon which they feed ; and, if they enter into an enclosure,
they destroy all the labours of the husbandman in a very short time.
Their invasions are the more disagreeable, as there is no means of
repelling them, since it would require a small army to attack the
whole drove when united. It now and then happens (hat one or two
is found lingering behind the rest, and it is against these that the art
and force of the hunters are united ; but an attempt to molest the
whole body would certainly be fatal. They go forward directly
against him who offers the insult, strike him with their tusks,
him with their trunks, fling him into the air, and then trample him to
pieces imder their feet. Bui they are thus dreadful only when
offended, and do no manner of personal injury when suffered lo feed
without interruption, it is even said that they are mindful of injui
received, and when once molested by man, seek all occasions for' the
future to be revenged ; they smell him with their long trunks at a
distance; follow him wiih all their speed upon the scent; and, thougb

■ 1 have txlrHclfd Ihe gre.itcil jiarl of lliis deioriplinn from M. Bnlfon.

lOS THE ELEPHANT.

slow to appearance, they are soon able to coine up willi and destroy
him.

In their natural state, thej delight to live along the sides or rivera,
to keep in the deepest vales, to refresh themselves in the most shadj
forests and watery places. They cannot live far from the water,
and they always disturb it before they drink. They often fill their
trunk with it, either tn cool that organ, or to divert themselves by
spurting it out like a fountain. They are equally distressed by the
extremes of heat and cokl ; and, to avoid the former, they frequently
take shelter in the most obscure recesses of the forest, or often plunge
into the water, and even swim from the continent into idands some
leagues distant from the shore.

Their chief food is of -ilie vegetable kind, for they loathe all kind
of animal diet. When one among their number happens to light
upon a spot of good pasture, he calls the rest, and invites them lo
■hare in the entertainment; but it must be a very copious pasture
indeed that can supply the necessities of the whole band. As with
their broad and heavy feet they sink deep wherever they go, they
destroy much more than they devour ; so that they are frequently
obliged to change their quarters, and to migrate from one country
to another. The Indians and Negroes, who are often incommod^
by such visitants, do all they can to keep them away, making loud
noises, and largeSres round their cultivated grounds; but these pre-
cautions do not always succeed ; the elephants often break through
their fences, destroy their whole harvest, and overturn their little
habitations. When they have satisfied themselves, and trod down
or devoured whatever lay in their way, they then retreat into the
woods in the same orderly manner in which they made their
irruption.

Such are the habits of this animal, considered in a social light ;
and, if we regard it OS an individual, we shall find its powers still
more extraordinary. Witii a very awkward appearance, it possesses
all the senses in great fterfection, and is capable of applying them
to more useful purposes than any other quadruped. The elephant,
nn we observed, has very small eyes when compared to the enormous
bulk of its body. But though their minuteness may at first sight
appear deformed, yet, when we come to examine them, they are
seen to exhibit a variety of expression, and to discover the various
sensations with which it is moved. It turns them with otlention and
friendship to its master ; it seems to reflect and deliberate ; and as
its passions slowly succeed each other, their various workings are
distinctly seen.

The elephant is not less remarkable for the excellence of its hear-
ing. Its ears are extremely large, and greater in proportion than
even those oF an ass. They are usually dependent; but itcan
readily raise and move them. They serve also lo wipe its eyes,
and to protect them against tlie dust and Hies thtit might otherwise
incommode them. Jt appears delighted with music, and veryn

yread^iH

THB eluphant.

learns to beat lime, to move in measure, and even to join its voice
to the sound of the drum and the trumpet.

This animal's sense of smelling is not onlj exquisite, but it is in a
great measure pleased with the same odours that delight mankind.
The elephant gathers flowers with great pleasure and attention ; it
picks them up one by one, unites them iuto a nusegay, and seems
charmed with the perfume. The oraDge-floirer seems to be parti-
cularly grateful boUi to its sense of taste and smelling; it strips the
tree of all its verdure, and eats every part of it, even to the branches
themselves. It seeks in the meadows the most odoriferous plants
to feed upon, and in the woods it prefers the cocoa, the banana, the
palm, and the sago tree, to all others. As the shoots of these are
tender, and filled with pith, it cats not only the leayes and the fruits,
but even the branches, the trunk, and the whole plant to the very
roots.

But it is in the sense of touching that tliis animal excels all others
of the brute creation, and perhaps even man himself. The organ
of Uiis sense lies wholly in the trunk, which is an instrument peculiar
lo this animal, and that serves it for all the purposes of n hand. The
trunk is, properly speaking, only the snout lengthened out to a great
extent, hollow like a pipe, and ending in two openings, or nostrils,
like those of a hog. An elephant of fourteen feet high ^a^ the trunk
about eight feet long, and live feet and a half in circumference at
the mouth, where it is thickest, It is hollow all along, but with a
partition running from one end of it to the other ; so that though
outwardly it appears like a single pipe, it is inwardly divided into
two. This fleshy tube is composed of nerves and muscles, covered
with a proper skin of a blackish colour, like that of the rest of the
body. It is capable of being moved in every direction, of being
lengthened and shortened, of being bent or straightened, so pliant as
to embrace any body it is applied to, and yet so strong that nothing
can be lorn from the gripe. To aid the force of this grasp, there
are several litlle eminences, like a caterpillar's feet, on the imder side
of this instrument, which without doubt contribute to the sensibility
of the touch, OS well as to the firmness of the hold, Through this
trunk the animal breathes, drinks, and smells, as through a tube ;
and at the very point of it, just above the nostrils, there is an ex-
tension of the skin, obout live inches long, in the form of a linger,
and which in fact answers all the purposes of one; for, with the rest
of the extremity of the tmnk, it is capable of assuming different form^
at will, and consequently, of being adapted to the minutest objects.
By means of this, the elephant can take a pin from the ground,
untie the knots of a rope, unlock a door, and even write with a pen.
" I have myself seen," says ^lian, " an elephant \vriting Latin clia-
racters on a board, in a very orderly manner, his keeper only show-
ing him the figure of each letter. While thus employed, the eyes
might be observed studiously cast down upon the writing, and
hibiting an appearance of great skill and erudition.'^
happens that Ihs object is too large for (he trunk lo grasp

I
J

THE ELKPHANT,

a case the elephant makes use of anotber expedieat as admirable *
Boy of the former- It applies the extremity of the Irank lo tb
surface of the object, and, sucking up its breath, lifls and sustain
such a weight as the air in that case is capable ofkeeping suspended
In this mauDer this instrument is useful ia most of the purposes n
life; il is an organ of smelling, of touching, and of s '
only provides for the animal's necessities and comforts, but it also
serves for its ornament and defence.

But, though the elephant be thus admirably supplied by its trunk,
yet, with respect to the rest of its conformation, it is unwieldy aod"
belplefls. The neck is so short, that it can scarcely turn the heada
and must wheel round in order to discover an enemy from behind
The hunters that attack it upon thai quarter, generally thus escapt
the effects of its indignation ; and find time to renew their assaulia^
while the elephant is turning to face ihem. The legs are, indeed]]
not so inllexible as the neck, yet they are very stiff, and bend d
without difficulty. Those before seem ti ' "
but, upon being measured, are found ti
joints by which (hey bend are nearly ii
a man ; and the great bulk which the3' t
flexure ungainly. While the elephar
to lie down or to rise; but when it gro
performed without human assistanc
I inconvenient, that the animal chooses tc

o be longer than the hinder
' e something shorter.
n the middle, like the kn(

support makes tb^
It is young, it bends the 1^
ws old, or sickly, this is
Lud it becomes, consequent!^
o sleep standing. The fM
upon which these masay columns are supported, form a base scarce!;
broader than the legs they sustain. They are divided into five toes,
which are covered beneath the skin, and none of which appear to
the eye ; a kind of protuberance like claws are only observed, whidi
vary in number from three lo five. The apparent claws vary
internal toes are constantly the same. The sole of the foot ii
nished with a skin as thick and hard as horn, and which complete)
covers the whole under part of the foot.

To the rest of the elephant's encumbrances, may be added
enormous tusks, which are unserviceable for chewing, and are onl
weapons of defence. These, as the animal grows old, become
heavy, that it is sometimes obliged to make holes in the walls of
stall lo rest them in, and ease itself of the fatigue of their support.
It is well known to what an amozing size these tusks grow ; they are
two in number, proceeding from the upper jaw, and are sometimes
found above six feet long. Some have supposed them to be rather
the horns than ihe teeth of this animal ; but, besides their greater
similitude lo bone than to horn, they have been indisputably found
to grow from Ihe upper jaw, and not from the frontal bones, as qome
have thought proper to assert.* Some also have asserted, that these
tusks are shed in the same manner as the slag sheds his horns; but
it is very probable, from their solid consistence, and from their acci-
ilal defects, which olten appeni-s to be the elfecl of a slow decay.

rto
ikii

foF^^H

•! M. tJaii

TjpliO

III of llils iDirual.

THE EfEPHANT.

that thej are as fised as the leelh of other aninmln are generally
found to be. Certain it is, that the elephant never sheda Ihem in a
domeBtic state, but keeps them till they become inconvenient and
cumbersome to the last degree. An account of the uses to which
these teeth are applied, and the manner of choosing the best ivory,
belongs rather lo a history of the arts than of nature.

This animal is equally singular in other parts of its conformation :
the lips and the tongue in other creatures serve to suck up and direct
their drink or their food ; but in the elephant they are totally incon-
venient for such purposes; and it not only gathers its food with its
trunk, but supplies itxelf with water by the same means. When it
eats hay, as I have seen It frequently, it takes up a small wisp of it
with the trunk, turns and shapes it with that instrument for some time,
and then directs it into the mouth, where it is chewed by the great
grinding teelh, that are large in proportion to the bulk of the animal.
This packet, when chewed, is swallowed, and never ruminated
again, as in cows or sheep, the stomach and intestines of this creature
more resembling those of ahorse. Its manner of drinking is equally
extraordinary. For this purpose, the elephant dips the end of its
trunk into the water, and sucks up just as much as Hlls that great
fleshy tube completely. U then lifts up its head with the trunk full,
and turning the point into its mouth, as if it intended to swallow
trunk and all, it drives the point below the opening of the wind-
pipe. The trunk being in this position, and still full of water, the
elej^ant then blows strongly into it at the other end, which forces
(he water it contains into the throat ; down which it is heard to pour
with a loud gurgling noise, which continues till the whole is blown
down. From this manner of drinking, some have been led into an
opinion that the young elephant sticks with its trunk, and not with
ils mouth ; this, however, is a fact which no traveller has hitherto
hod an opportunity of seeing, and it must be referred to some future
accident to determine.

The hide of the elephant is as remarkable as any other pari, li
is not covered over with hair, as in the generality of quadrupeds, but
is nearly bare. Here and there, indeed, a few bristles are seen
growing in the scars and wrinkles of the body, and very thinly
scattered over the rest of the skin ; but in general the head is dry,
rough, and wrinkled, and resembling more the bark of an old tree
than the skin of an animal. This grows thicker every year; and,
by a constant addition of substance, it at lengtli contracts that dis-
order well known by the name of ihe elephautiasis, or Arabian
leprosy; a disease to which man, as well as the elephant, is oflcn
subject. In order to prevent this, the Indians rub llie elephant with
oil, and frequently bathe it lo preserve its pliancy. To the incon-
veniencies of this disorder is added another, arising from the great
sensibility of those parts that are not callous. Upon these the flies
settle in great abundance, and torment this animal unceasingly; to
remedy which the elepliant tries all its arts, using not only '
and trunk in the natural manner to keep ihem olf, but

170 TH

Ihe brancti of k tree, or » buodLe of t»y, to ithke them off m
Wben ibv faib, k ofiea gaihen up the dun whli iu tnink, and tho^
coren •!] ihe leneibk places. In tftii Banner, ii has been Men to
Aim iUelf WTeral times a daj, and paitkntari; opon leaving ibe
bath.

Water it a» necemuj to ihia animal as food itwlf. Wlien in a
Mate of nature, tbe dephaot renelv cjuiis tbe banks of the river, and
often stand* in water up to the belljr. In a Mate of servitude, the
lodian* lake equal care to provide a proper supply ; they wash it
with great address; they give it all the convenieocies for lending
asHstance to itself; they smooth the skin with a pumice-stoiie, and
then nib it over with oils, essences, and odours.

It is not to be wondered at that an animal furnished with so many
various advantages, both of strength, sagacity, and obedience, should
be taken into Ihe service of man. We accordingly find thai the
elephant, from time immemorial, has been employed either for liie
purposes of labour, of war, or of ostentation ; to increase the grandeur
of eastern princes, or lo extend their dominions. We have hitherto
been describing thjs animal in its natural state ; ne now come to
consider it in a different view, as taken frmn tbe forest and reduced
to human obedience. We are now (o behold this brave harmless
creatare as learning a lesson from mankind, and insirucled by hitn
in all the arts of war, massacre, and devastation. We are now to
behold this half- reasoning animal led into the field of battle, and won-
dering at those tumults and that madness which be is cunpelled to
increase. The elephant is a native of Africa and Asia, being found
neither in Europe nor America. In Africa he still retains bis natural
liberty. The savage inhabitants of that part of the world, instead
of attempting to subdue this powerful creature to their necesMties,
are happy in being able to protect themselves from his fury. For-
merly, indeed, during the splendour of the Carthaginian empire,
dephants were used in tfaeir wars ; but this was only a transilory
gleam of human power in that part of the globe; the natives of
Africa have long since degenerated, and the elephant is only known
among them from his devastations. However, there are no elephants
in tbe northern parts of Africa at present, there being none found
nn this side of Mount Atlas. It is beyond the river Senegal that
they are to be met with in great numbers, and so down to the Cape
of Good Hope, as well as in the heart of the country. In this ex-
tensive region they appear to be more numerous than in any other
part of the world. They are there less fearful of man ; less retired
into the heart of the furests, they seem tobesennble of his impotence
and ignorance ; and often come down to ravage his little labours.
They treat him with the same haughty disdain which they show to
other animals, and cunsider him as a mischievous little being, that
fears to oppose them openly.

Itiit, although these animals are most plentiful in Africa, it is (in\y
in Asia that the greatest elephants are Ibund, and rendered subsef'
vieni to human comninnd. In Africa, the lar^^cst do not extend

THB ELEPHANT.

feet hi^; in Asia ihey are found from ten to lilleen.
increases in proporlion U> their size ; and when they exceed a cer-
tain bulk, like jewels, their value then rises as the fancy is pleased
to estimate.

The largest are entirely kept for the service of pi-inces, and are
maintained with the utraoai magnidceoce, and at the greatest ex<
pense. The usual colour of the elephant is a dusky black, but some
ire said to be white, and the price of one of these is ioesttmable.
Such a one is peculiarly appropriated for the monarch's own riding ;
he is kept in a palace, attended by the nobles, and almost adored
by the people.* Some have said that these white elephants are
larger than the rest ; t others assert that they are less; and still
others entirely doubt their eaistence.

As the art of war is but very little improved in Asia, there are
few princes of the East who do not procure and maintain as many
elephants as they are able, and place great confidence on their
assistance in an engagement. For this purpose, they are obliged to
take them wild in their native forests, and tame them ; for the ele-
phant never breeds in a state of servitude. It is one of the most
striking peculiarities in this extraordinary creature, that his gene-
rative powers totally fail when he comes under thedoniinion of man;
as if he seemed unwilling to propagate a race of staves, to increase
the pride of his conqueror. There is, perhaps, no other quadruped
that will not breed in its own native climates, if indulged with a
moderate share of freedom, and we know that many of them will
copulate in every climate. The elephant alone has never been seen
to breed, and though he has been reduced under the obedience of
man for ages, llie duration of pregnancy in the female * still remains
a secret. Aristotle, indeed, asserts, that she goes two years with
young ; that she continues to suckle her young for three years, and
that she brings forth but one nl a time; but he does not inform us
of the manner in which hvia» possible forhim tohave his information.
From aulhoritiea equally doubtful we learn, that the little one is
about as large as a wild boar the instant it is brought forth ; that its
tusks do not yet appear, hut that all the rest of its teeth are ap-
parent ; that at the age of six months it is as large as an ox, and its
tuska preliy well grown ; and that it continues in this manner, for
near thirty years, advancing to maturity, All this is doubtful ; but
it is certain that, in order to recruit the numbers which are consumed
in war, the princes of the E^st are every year obliged to send into
the forests, and to use various methods to procure a fresh supply.
Of all these numerous bands, there is not one that has not been ori-
ginally' wikl, nor one that has not been forced into a state of sub-

^|V • p. VincpniMarie. +P. Tnchanl. H

^^Vt Multis perauasum est elephnnlem non brnlorum seel homiaum mora H

^^■itre. Quod retro roinKit noa dubllalur. Sfd Ipse vidi amrem hujuseu ^H

^^^beiei, in nostri regis slabulls, super tamsllain Indem inctusam quailmpe- ^M

t 'J

174 THB i:i:.kphant.

dependence or the general was upon the number and the exportneiu
of his elephants ; but of late, since war has been contented to adopt
fatal, instead of formidable arts, the elephant is little used, except
for drawing caonou, or transporting provisions. The prineei of the
country are pleased to k^ep a few for ornament, or for the purposes
of retmoving their seraglios ; but they are seldom led into a Held of
battle, where they arc unable to withstand the discharge of lire-arras,
and have ol^en been found to turn upon their employers. Stilt,
however, they are used in war, in the more remote parts of the East ;
in Siam, in Couhin-China, in Tonquin, and Pegu. In all these
places, they not only serve tu swell the pomp of state, being adorned
with all the barbarian splendour that those countries can bestow, but
they flre actually led into the Held of battle, armed before with coats
of mail, and loaded on the back each with a square tower, containing
from five combatants to seven. Upon its neck sits the conductor,
who goads the animal into the thiclcest ranks, and encourages it to
increase the devastation : wherever it goes, nothing can withstand
its fury ; it leveb the rankx with its immense bulk, flings such as
oppose it into the air, or crushes them to death under its feet. In
the mean time, those who are placed upon its back combat as from
an eminence, and fling down their weapons with doobte force, their
weight being added to their velocity. Nothing, therefore, can be
more dreadful, or mure irresistible, than such a moving machine, to
men unacquainted with the modern arts of war; the elephant, thus
armed and conducted, raging in the raidst of a field of battle, inspires
more terror than even those machines that destroy at a distance,
and are ol\en most fatal when mast unseen. But this method of coni-
bating is rather formidable than eflectual : polished nations have
ever been victorious over thoee seini- barbarous troops, that have
called in the elephant to their assistance, or attempted to gain a vic-
tory by merely astonishing their opposcrs. The Romans quickly
learned the art of opening their ranks to admit the elephant ; and
thus separating it from assistance, quickly compelled its conductors
to calm the animal's fury, and to submit. Il sometimes also hap-
pened that the elephant became impatient of controul; and, instead
of obeying its conductor, turned upon those forces it waa employed

■ to assist. In either case, there was a great deal of preparation to
very little effect : for a single elephant is known to consume as much
as forty men in a day.
At present, therefore, they are chiefly employed in carrying or
drawing burdens throughout the whole peninsula of India; and no
animal can he more fitted by nature for this employment. The
strength of an elephant is equal to its bulk, for it can with great

tease draw a load that six horses could not move ; it can readily
carry upon its back three or four thousand weight: upon it tusk)
alone it can support near a thousand. Its force may also be esti-
mated from tho velocity of its motion, compared to the m:
body. It can go, in its ordinary pace, as fast as a horse at
trot; and, when pushed, it can -move as swiftly as a horse

esii-
fiu

•THE eli:pha.nt,

full gallop. It can travel with case fifty or sixty miles a day, and
wheQ hard pressed, almost double that distance. It may be heard
trotting on at a great distance: it is easy also to follow it by the
track, which is deeply impressed on the ground, and from QfWn to
eighteen inches in diameter.

In India they are also put to other very disagreeable officei ; for
in HOuie courts of the more barbarous princes, they are used as
executioners ; and this horrid task they perform with great dexterity :
with their trunks they are seen to break every limb of the criminal
at the word of command ; they sometimes trample him to death, and
sometimes impale bim on their enormous tusks, as directed. In thii
the elephant is rather the servant of a cruel master, than a voluntary
tyrant, siace no other animal of the forest is so naturally benevolent
and gentle : equally mindful of benelils as sensible of neglect, he
contracts a friendship for his keeper, and obeys him even beyond hi*
capacity.

In India, where they were at one time employed in lannching
ships, a particular elephant was directed to force a very large vessel
into the water: the work proved superior to its strength, but not to
its endeavours ; which, however, the keejier aflL'cted to despise-
" Take away/' says he, "that lazy beast, and bring another better
fitted for service." The poor animal instantly upon this redoubled
its eflbrts, fractured its skull, and died upon the spot.

In Delhi, an elephant passing along the streets put his trunk into
a tailor's shop, where several people were at work. One of the per-
.sons of the stop, desirous of some amusement, pricked the Bnimal's
trunk with his needle, and seemed highly delighted with this slight
puniaboient. The elephant, however, passed on without any imme-
diate aignsof resentment; but coming to a puddle filled with dirty
water, he filled his trunk, returned to t!ie shop, and spurted the
contents over all the finery upon which the tailors were ijien em-
ployed.

An elej^ant in Adsmeer, which often passed through the bazir
or market, as he went by a certain herb-woman always received from
her a mouthful of greens. Being one day seized with a periodical
fit of madness, he broke his fetters, and running through the marketi
put the crowd to flight, and among others this woman, who in her
haste forgot a little child at her stall. The elephant, recollecting
the spot where his benefactress was accustomed to sit, took up the
infant gently in his trunk, and conveyed it to a place of safety.

At the Cape of Good Hope it is customary to hunt those animals
for the sake of their teeth. Three horsemen, well mounted, and
armed with lances, attack the elephant alternately, each relieving the
other, as they see their companion pressed, till the beast is subdued.
Three Dutchmen, brothers, who had made large fortunes by this
business, determined to retire to Europe, and enjoy the fruits of their
labours ; but they resolved, one day before they went, to have a
last chase by way of amusement: they met with their game, and
began their attack in the usual mannen but unfortunately, one of

30. — VOL. II. It

176 THE ELRPHANT.

their hones Tailing, happened to ding his rider : the enraged elephant
instantlj seized the unhappy huntsman with his trunk, flung him up
to a vast height Ja the air, and received him upon one of his tuslcj as
he fell i and then turning towards the other two brothers, as if it
were with an aspect of revenge and insult, held out to them the im-
paled wretch, writhing in the agonies of death.

The teeih of the elephant are what produce the great enraity
between him and mankind ; but whether they are shed like the horns
of the deer, or whether the animal be killed to obtain them, is not jet
perfectly known. All we have as yet certain is, that the natives o{
Africa, from whence almost all our ivory comes, assure us, that they
find the greatest part of it in their forests; nor would, say Ihay, the
teeth of an elephant recompense them for their trouble and dangerin
killbg it. Notwithstanding, the elephants which are tamed by man
are never known to shed their tusks; and, from the hardness of their
substance, they seem no way analogous to deer's horns.

The teeth of the elephant are very often found in a fossil stale.
Some years ago, two great grinding teeth, and part of the tusk of an
elephant, were discovered, at the depth of forty-two yards, in a lead-
mine in Flintshire.*

The tusks of the Mammoth, so often found fossil in Siberia, and
which are converted to the purposesnf ivory, are generally supposed
lo belong to the elephant; however, the animal must have been
much larger in that country than it is found at present, as those
liisks are oflen known to weigh four hundred pounds, while those
that come from Africa 'seldom exceed twohundred and fifty. These
enormous tusks are found lodged in the sandy banlis of the Siberian
rivers; and the natives pretend that they belong to an animal which
is fonr times as large as the elephant.

There have lately been discovered several enormous skeletons,

five or sis-feet beneath the surface, on the banks of the Ohio, not

remote from the river Miume, in America, seven hundred miles from

the sea-coast. Some of the tusks are near seven feet long, one foot

les in circumference at the base, and one foot near the point ;

e cavity at the root or base, nineteen inches deep. Besides their

ce, there are yet other differences ; the tusks of the true elephant

tve sometimes a very slight lateral bend, these have a larger Iwisi,

' spiral curve, towards the smaller end : but the great and specific

flerence consists in the shape of the grinding teeth, which in these

!wly found are fashioned like the teeth of a carnivorous animal ;

not Hal and ribbed transversely on their surface like those of the

modem elephant, but furnished with a double row of high and conic

processes, as if intended to masticate, not to grind their food. A third

difference is in the thigh-bone, which is of a great disproporlionable

thickness lo that of the elephant, and has also some other anatomical

variations. These fossil bones have been also found in Peru and the

Brazils; and when cut and polished by the workers in ivory, appear

• Pennant's Synopsis, p. 00.

RHINOCEROS.

177

Id every respect similar. It is ihe opinioD of Dr. Hunter that ihey
must have belonged to s larger animal than the elephant, and difler-
\ng from il in being camivoroii!!. But as yet this formidable creature
has evaded our learch; and if, indeed, such an animal exists, it is
happy for man that it beeps at a distance; xince what mvage might
not be expected frtHn a creature endued with more than the strength
of the elephant, and all the rapacity of the tiger .'

CHAPTER XI.
OF THE RHINOCEROS.

Next to the elephant, the Ktiinoeros i^ the most powerful of ani<
mals. It is usually found twelve feet long from the tip of the nose
to the insertion of the tail ; from six to seven feet high ; and the cir-
cumference of its body is nearly equal to its length. It is, therefore,
equal to the elephant in bulk ; and if it nppcars much smaller to the
eye, the reason if, that ils legs arc much shorter. Words can con-
vey but a very condised idea of this aninial's shape, and yet there
are few so remarkably formed. Its head is furnished with a horn,
growing from the snout, sometimes three feet and a half long ; and
but for this, that part would have the appearance of the head of a
hog; the upper lip, however, is much longer in proportion, ends ia
a point, ia very pliable, serves to collect its food, and deliver it into
the mouth : the ears are large, erect, and pointed ; the eyes are small
and piercing ; the skin is naked, rough, knotty, and lying upon the
body in folds, after a very peculiar fashion : there are two folds very
remarkable, one above the shoulders, and another over the rump:
the skin, which is of a dirty brown colour, is so (hick as to turn the
edgeof a scimitar, and to resist a musket-ball : the belly hangs low;
the legs are short, strong, and thick ; and the hoofa divided into three
parts, each pointing forward.

Such is the general outline of an animal that appears chiefly for-
midable from the horn growing from its snout, and Tormed rather for
war than with a propensity to engage. This horn is sometimes
found from three to three feet and a half long, growing from the
solid bone, and so disposed as to be managed to the greatest advan-
tage. It is composed of the most solid substance, and pointed so as
to inflict the most fatal wounds. The elephant, the boar, or the
buffalo, are obliged to strike transversely with their weapons, but the
rhinoceros employs all his force with every blow ; so that the tiger
will more willingly attack any other animal of the forest, than one
whose strength is so justly einployed. Indeed, there is no force which
this terrible animal has to apprehend ; defended on every side by a
thick horny hide, which the claws of the lion or the tiger are unable
to pierce, and armed before with a weapon that even the elephant
docs not choose to oppose. The missionaries assure us, that the

1*8 THE llHINbCEROS.

etephaot it often found dead in the foresls, pierced with the hom of
a rtiinocerca ; and though it looks like wisdom to doubt whatever
iliey tell us, yet I cannot help giving credit lo what they relate on
this occasion; particularly when confirmed by Pliny. The combat
between these two, the most formidable animatsof the foresC, mast
be very dreadful. Emanuel, king of Porlugal, witling to try their
strength, aclually opposed them to each other, and the elephant waa
defeated.

But though the rhinoceros is thus formidable by nature, yet ima-
gination has not failed to esert itself, in adding to its terrors. The
scent is said to be moat exquisite; and it ta affirmed, that it consorta
with the tiger. It is reported also, that when it has overturned a
man, or any other animal, it continues to lick the flesh quite from
the bone with its tongue, which is said to be extremely rough. All
this, however, is fabulous : the scent, if we may judge from the ex-
pansion of the olfactory nerves, is not greater than that of a hog,
which we know to be indifferent; it keeps company with the tiger,
only because they both frequent watery places in the burning cli-
mates where they are bred ; and as to its rough tongue, that is so
far from the truth, that no animal of near its size has so soft a one.
" I have often felt it myself," says Ladvocat, in his description of
this animal ; " it is smooth, soft, and small, like that of a dog ; and
to the feel it appears as if one passed the hand over velvet. I have
often seen it lick a young man's face who kept it; and both seemed
pleased with the action."

The rhinoceros which was shown at London in 1739, and described
by Dr. Parsons, had been sent from Bengal. Though it was very
young, not being above two years old, yet the charge of its carriage
and food from India cost near a thousand pounds. It was fed with
rice, sugar, and hay : it was daily supplied with seven |>cunds of
rice, mixed with three of sugar, divided into three portions ; it was
given great quantities of hay and grass, which it chiefly preferred ;
its drink was water, which it look in great quantities. It was of a
gentle disposition, and permitted itself lo be touched and handled by
all visitors, never attempting mischief, except when abused, or when
hungry ; in such a case there was no method of appeasing its fury,
but by giving it something to eat. When angry, it would jump up
against the walls of its room vith great violence, and make many
efforts to escape ; but seldom attempted to attack its keeper, and was
always submissive to his threats. It had a peculiar cry, somewhat
a mixture between the grunting of a hog and the bellowing of a
calf.

The age of these animals is not well known : it Is said by some
that they bring forth at three years old, and if we may reason from
analogy, it is probable they seldom live till above twenty. That
which was shown in London, was said, by its keeper, to be eighteen
years old, and even at that age he pretended lo consider it as a young
one ; however, it died shortly after, and that probably in the course

THE RHINOGRROS.

The rhinoceroB is a native or the deserls or Asia and Africti, and
is usually found in those extensive forests tliat are frequented by the
elephant and the lion. As it subsists entirely upon vegetable food,
it is peaceful and harmless among its fellows of the brute creation ;
but, though it never provokes to combat, it equally disdains to Sy.
It is every way fitted for war, but rests content in the conscioiisness
of its security. It is particularly fond of the prickly branches of
trees, and is seen to feed upon such thorny shrubs bs would be dr.i-
gerous to other animals, either to gather or to swallow. The prickly
points of these, hotvever, may only serve to give a poigniint relish
to this animal's palate, and may answer the same grateful ends in
seasoning its banquet, that spices do in heightening ours.

In some parts of the continent of Asia, where the natives are more
desirous of appearing warlike than showing themselves brave, these
animals are tamed, and led into the field to strike terror Into the
enemy ; but they are always unmanageable and restive animals, and
propably more dangerous to the employers, than those whom they
are brought to oppose.

The method of taking them is chiefly watching them, till they are
found in some moist or marshy place, where, like hogs, they are fond
of sleeping and wallowing. They then destroy the old one with
fire>arms ; for no weapons, that are thrown by the force of man, are
capable of entering this animal's hide. Jf, when the old one is de-
stroyed, there happens to be a cub, ihey seize and tame it : these
animals are sometimes taken in pit-falls, covered with green branches,
laid in those paths which the rhinoceros makes in going from the
forest to the nver side.

There are some varieties in this animal, as in most others : some of
them are found in Africa with a double horn, one growing above the
other. This weapon, if considered in itself, is one of the strongest,
and most dangerous, that nature furnishes to any part of the animal
creation. The horn is entirely solid, formed of the hardest bony
substance, growing from the upper maxillary bone, by so strong an
apophyse as seemingly to make but one part with it. Many are the
metlicinal virtues that are ascribed to this horn, when taken in
powder; but these qualities have been attributed to it without any
real foundation, and make only a small part of the many fables which
this extraordinary animal has given rise to.

I
I

THE HIPPOPOTASITTS.

CHAPTER XH. i"

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

Tub Hippopotamus is an aoimal u large, aod oot less rormid-
able, iliBii the rhinoceros: its legs are shorter, and iu head rather
more bulky than ibat of ihe animal last described. We have had
bul few opportunilieit in Europe of examiniDg this formidable crea-
ture minutely ; ita dimensions, however, have been pretty well
ascertained by a description given us by Zerenghi, an Italian
surgeon, who procured one of them to be killed on the banks of the
river Nile. By his account it appears, that this terrible animal, which
chiefly resides in the waters of that river, is above seventeen feet
long, from the extremity of tlie snout to the insertion of the tail;
above sixteen feet in circumference round the body, and above leven
feet high ; the head is near four feet long, and above nine feet in
circumference. Tho jaws open about two feet wide, and the
cutting teeth, of which ii hath four in each jaw, are above a fool
long.*

Its feet in some measure resemble those of the elephant, and are
divided into four parts. The Lail ia short. Hat, and pointed ; tho hide
is amazingly thick, and though not capable of turning a musket-ball,
is impenetrable to the blow of a sabre; (he body is covered over
witli a few scattered hairs, of a whitish colour. The whole tigure of
the animal is something between that of an o\ and a hog, and its cry
something between the bellowing of the one and the grunting of the
other.

This anima), however, though so terribly furnished lor war, seems
no way disposed to make use of its prodigious strength against an
equal enemy : it chieSy resides at the bottom of the great rivers and
lakes of Africa, the Nile, the Niger, and the Zara: there it leads
nn indolent kind of life, and seems seldom disposed for action, except
when excited by tlie calls of hunger. Upon such occasions, three or
four of them are ollen seen at the bottom of a river, near some
cataract, forming a kind of line, and seizing upon such fish aa are
forced down by the violence of the stream. In that clement thej
pursue. their prey with great awiftness and perseverance; they iwim
with much force, and remain at the bolloni for thirty or forty minutea
without rising to take breath. They traverse ilie bottom of the
stream, as if walking upon land, and make a terrible devastation
where they find plenty of prey. But it often happens that this ani-
mal's fishy food is not supplied in sullicient abundance ; it is then

[* Thn Iiippopotain(i9 bus four fDrc-tceth in ihe iipper jnw, disposed
in p&ira et a dialance fVoin csch othtr, and four prommral Tore-teeLh in
the unrler jaw. Ihc intBriite'diale ones hting longi-st. T hire are two luits
in pach jaw, those of Ihe iimli'r on? hein^ very \naf(. mid obliquely Irun-
e«lrd ; in bolh they iland jolilary, and src rrcurvalcri : iKe Ted are hoofrd

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

le marrio ^^

forced to come upon land, where it id an awkward aod
sinmgvr: il moves but slowly, and, as it tieldom foraakes the margin
of the river, it sinks at every step it takes; sometimes, however, it is
forced by famine up into llie higher grounds, where it commits dread-
ful havoc among the plantations of the helpless natives, who see their
possessions destroyed without daring to resist their invader. Their
chief method is, by lighting lires, striking drums, and raising a cry,
to frighten it back to its favourite element; and as it is estremely
timorous upon land, they generally succeed in their endeavours. But
ifthey happen to wound, or otherways irritate it too closely, it then
becomes formidable to all that oppose it ; it overturns whatever it
meets, and exerts all its strength, which it seemed not to have dis-
covered before that dangerous occasion. It possesses the same in-
offensive disposition in its favourite element, that it is found to have
upon land : it is never found to attack the mariners in their boats as .
they go up or dowD the stream ; but should they inadvertently strike
against it, or otherwise disturb its repose, there is much danger of its
sending them at once to the bottom. " I have seen," says a
mariner, as we find it in Dampier, " one of these animals open its
jaws, and seizing a boat between his teeth, at once bite and sink it
to the bottom. I have seen it, upon another occasion, place iuelf
under one of our boats, and rising under it, overset it with' six men
who were in it ; who, however, happily received no other injury."
Such is the great strength of this animal ; and from hence, probably,
Itae imagination has been willing to match it in combat against others
fierce, and equally formidable. The crocodile and shark have
said to engage with it, and yield an easy victory; but as the
. is only found at sea, and the hippopotamus never ventures
beyond the mouth of fresh water rivers, it is most probable that these
engagements neveV occurred : it sometimes happens, indeed, that the
princes of Africa amuse themselves with combats, on their fresh water
lakes, between this and other formidable animals; but whether the
rhinoceros or the crocodile arc of this number, we have not been par-
licularly inforaied. If this animal be attacked on land, and finding
itself incapable of vengeance from the swiftness of its enemy, it im-
mediately returns to the river, where it plunges in head foremost, and
'' " r a short time rises to the surface, loudly bellowing, either to in-
w intimidate the enemy : but though the Negroes will venture
attack theshark.or thecTocodile, in their natural element, and there
deatroy them, they are too well apprized of the force of thehippo-
potamtu to engage it; this animal, therefore, continues the uncon-
trolled master of the river, and all others fly from its approach, or
become an easy prey.

As the hippopotamus lives upon fish and vegetables, so it is probable
^e flesh of terrestrial animals may be equally grateful: the natives
of Africa assert, that it has often been found to devour children and
other creatures that it was able to surprise upon land : yet as it moves
but slowly, almost every creature, endued with a common share of
swiftness, is able to escape it ; and this animal, therefore, seldc»n

the: camelopard.

ventures from the river side, but when pressed by the necessities of
hunger, or of bringing forth its young.

The female always comes upon land to brbg forth, and it is sup-
posed that she gpldom produces above one at a time. Upon thia
occasion lliese animals are particularly timorous, and dread the ap-
proach of a terrestrial enemy; the instant the parent hears the
slightest noise, it dashes into the stream, and the young one is seen to
follow it with equal alacrity.

The young ones are said (o be excellent eating ; but the Negroest
to whom nothing that has life comes amiss, Dnd an equal delicacy in
the old. Dr. Pococke has seen ihoir ficih sold in the shambles,
like beef; and it is said that their breast, in particular, is as
delicate ealing as veal. As for the rest, these animals are found
in great numbers ; and as they produce very fast, their flesh might
supply the countries where they are found, could those barbarous
regions j^'oduce more expert huntimen. It may be remarked, how-
ever, that this creature, which was once in such plenty at the mouth
of the Nile, is now wholly unknown in Lower Egypt, and is nowhere
to be fount! in that river, except above the c

CHAPTER XIII. ^M

THE CAMELOPARD.

Were we to be told of an animal so tall, that a man on horseback
could with ease ride under its belly without stooping, we should
hardly give credit to the relation ; yet of this extraordinary size is
the camelopard, an animal that inhabits the deserts of Africa, and
the accounts of which are so well ascertained, that we cannot deny
our assent to their authority. It is no easy matter to form an ade*
quate idea of this creature's size, and the oddity of its formation. It
exhibits somewhat the slender shape of the deer, or the camel, but
destitute of their symmetry, or their easy power of motion. The
head somewhat resembles that of the deer, with two round horns,
near a foot long, and which, it is probable, it sheds as deer are found
to do ; its neck resembles that of a horse ; its legs and feet those of
the deer; but with this extraordinary difference, that the fore-legs
«re nearly twic« as long as the hinder.* As these creatures have
been found eighteen feet high, and ten from the ground to the top
of the shoulder, so, allowing three feet for the depth of the body,

[■ It is now known that the fore-Ugs uf the csinelopard arc not alioi's
Inches longer than its hind-legs ; bultheshunlders arpuf a vast Irnglh.

'hich B[ve» the dlapropoTlionalr height between the fore and hind pi
BX eight rnrr-tcflh in the nniler jaw, but none in the upper; and 111.. _.
.X grinders (in ea<:h sidei' both jn^c^. The fi-ct are alovtn, and Ihey but
n heel.]

bstH

THE CAMELOPARD.

, which is high enough to adm

183 ^M
. much lower, ^^

I Kven feet ri

■itipoii a middle sized horse. The hinder part, however, is much lower,

Iso that when the animal appears standing, and at rest, it has some-

■ irliat the appearance of a dog sitting ; and this formation of its legs

rgivea it an awkward and a laborious motion, which, though awitl,

it yet be tiiesome. For this reason, the caraelopard is an animal

f rarely found, and only finds refuge in the most internal desert

_ ions of Africa. The dimensions of a young one, as they were

Accurately taken by a person who examined its skin, that was brought

1 the Cape of Good Hope, were found to be as follow : — The

_th of the head was one fool eight inches; the height of the fore-

)g, from the ground to the top of (he shoulder, was ten feet; from

lie shoulder to the top of the head was seven; the height of the

[ lund-leg was eight feet five inches ; and from the top of the shoulder

to ibe insertion of the tail, was just seven feet long.
' No animal, either from its disposition or its formation, seems less
I •Stted for a slate of natural hostility : lis horns are blunt, and even
I fobbed at the ends; its teeth are made entirely for vegetable pas-
1 ture; its akin is beautifully speckled with dark spots, upon a whitish
I ^ound. It is timorous and harmless, and notwithstanding its great .
I ssize, rather flies from than resists the slightest enemy : it partake* |
1 Tcry much of the nature of the camel, which it so nearly resembles ;
V it lives entirely upon vegetables, and when grazing is obliged to
1 qiread its fore-legs very wide, in order to reach its pasture i ilamotioD •'

a kind of pace, two legs on each side moving at the same time,
^,«hereas in other animals they move transversely. It oden lies down
(^Ivith iu belly to the earth, and, like the camel, has a callous sub- '
pitance upon its breast, which, when reposed, defends it from injury.
■.This animal was known lo the ancients, but has been very rarely
[.seen in Europe, One of them was sent from the East to the emperor
I of Germany, in the year 1559; but they have often been seen tame
fat Grand Cairo, in Egypt; and I am told there are two there at pre-
When ancient Rome was in its splendour. Pom pey exhibited,
r«t one lime, no less than ten upon the theatre. It was the barbarous ,
L pleasure of the people at thai time, to see the most terrible, and the
I .most extraordinary animals produced in combat against each other.
L The lion, the lynx, the tiger, the elepant, ihe hippopotamus, were J
I «ll lei loose promiscuously, and were seen to inflict indiscriminate |
I destruction.

184 THE CAJlEt

CHAPTER XIV.

THE CAMEL, AND THE DROMEDARY.

Thebk names do not make two distinct kinds, but are only given"
to a TarieLy or the same animal, which has, however, subsisted time
immemorial. The principal, and perhaps the only sensible difference
by which those two races are distinguished, consists in this, that tlie
camel has two bunches npon his bock, whereas the dromednry has
but one ; the latter also, is neither so large nor so strong as the camel.
These two races, however, produce with each other, and the mised
breed formed between them is considered the best, the most patient,
and the most indefatigable of all the kind.*'

Of the two varieties, the dromedary is by far the most numerous;
the camel being scarcely found except in Turkey and the countries
of the Levant, while the other is found spread over all the deserts of
Arabia, the southern parts of Africa, Persia, Tartary, and a great
part of the Eastern Indies. Thus the one inhabits an immense tract
of country, the other, in comparison, is confined to a province; the
one inhabits (he sultry countries of the torrid zone, the other deliglits
in a warm, but not a burning climate; neither, however, can subsist
or propagate in the variable climates towards the north : they seem
formed for those countries, where shrubs are plenty, and water scarce ;
where they can travel along the sandy desert without being impeded
by rivers, and liud food at expected distances: such a country is
Arabia, and this, of all others, seems the most adapted to the support
and production of this animal.

The camel is the most temperate of all animals, and it can continue
to travel several days without drinking, In those vast deserts, where
the earth is every-where dry and sandy, where there are neither birds
nor beasts, neither insects nor vegetables, where nothing is to be
seen but hills of sand and heaps of bones, there the camel travels,
posting forward, without requiring either drink or pasture, and is
often found six or seven days without any sustenance whatsoever.
Its feet are formed for travelling upon sand, and utterly unfit for
moist or marshy places ; the inhabitants, therefore, find a most nse-
ful assistant in this animal where no other could subsist, and by its
means cross those deserts with safety, which would be impassable
by any other method of conveyance.

An animal thus formed for a sandy and desert region, cannot be
propagated in one of a different nature. Many vain efforts have
been tried to propagate the camel in Spain ; they have been trans-
ported into America, but have multiplied in neither. ' * ^

[• These animBla hnvr no homis. They have ali fore-leeth id tht-
w ; the cminF treth are wide apl, IhreL' in the upper, md two in thr lol
» ; Rnd there is g llaiure in the uppci Ijp, resemltling the clifl in the
a hare.]

]

AND DROMEDARY. 186

indeed, that they may be brought into these countries, nnd may,
purhaps, be found to produce there ; but tlie care of keeping them
IB so great, and the accidents to whicli they ere exposed, from the
change ableness of the climate, are so many, that they cannot answer
the care of keeping. In a few years also they are seen to degenerate,
their strength and their palience forsake them; and instead of mak-
ing the riches, they become the burden of iheir keepers.

But it is very different in Arabia, and those countries where the
camel is turned to useful purposes. It is there considered as a sacred
animal, without whose help the natives could neither subsist, traffic,
nor travel; its milk makes a part of their nourishment; they feed
upon its flesh, particularly when young; they clothe themselves wilh
its hair, which it is seen to moult regularly once a-year ; and if they
fear an invading enemy, their camels serve them in flight, and in a
single day they are known to travel above a hundred miles. Thus,
by means of the camel, an Arabian finds safety in Jiis deserts : all
the armies upon eartli might be lost in tlie pursuit of a dying squadron
uf this country, mounted upon tjieir camels, and taking refuge in
solitudes where nothing inter|)oses to stop their flight, or to force ilieni
to wait the invader. Nothing can be more dreary than llie aspect of
these sandy plains, ihat seem entirely forsaken of life and vegetation :
wherever the eye turns, nothing is presented but a sterile and dusty
soil, sometimes torn up by the winds, and moving in great waves
along, which, when viewed from an eminence, resemble less the earth
than the ocean. Here and there a few shrubs appear, that only
teach us (o wish for the grove, that remind us of the shade in these
BDllry climates, without affording its refreshment : the return of
morning, which in other places carries an idea of cheerfulness, here
serves only to enlighten the endless and dreary waste, nnd to pre-
sent the traveller with an uulinislied prospect of his forlorn situation;
yet in this chasm of nature, by the help of the camel, the Arabian
finds safety and subsistence. There are here and there found spots
of verdure, which, though remote from each other, are, in a manner,
approximated by the labour and industry of the camel. Thus these
deserts, which present the stranger with nothing but objects of danger
and sterility, afford the inhabitant protection, food, and liberty. The
Arabian lives independent and tranquil in the midst uf his solitudes ;
and, instead of considering the vast solitudes spread round him as a
restraint upon his happiness, he is, by experience, taught to regard
them as tlie ramparts of hi^ freedom.

The camel is easily instrucled in the metliods of taking up and
supporting his burden : their legs, a few days after they are pro-
duced, are bent under their belly ; they are in this manner loaded,
and taught tu rise; their burden is every day thus increase, by
insensible degrees, till the animal is capable of supporting a weight
adequate to its force. The same care is taken in making them
patient of hunger and thirst : while other animals receive their food
at stated times, the camel is restrained for days together, and these
intervals of famine are increased in proportion as the animal seems

186

THE CAUEI.

capable or sualaining lliem. By thin method of educalioD, the; live
five or six days without food or water; and their stomach is formed
most admirably by nature to fit them for long abstinence : besides
the four stomachs which all animals have that chew the cud, (and
the -camel is one of the number), it has a fifth stomach, which serves
as a reservoir) to hold a greater quantity of water than the animal
has an immediate occasion for. It is of a sufficient capacity to conw
tain a large quantity of water, where the fluid remains without c
rupting, or without being adulterated by the other aliments.
the camel finds itself pressed with thirst, it has here an easy resourg
for quenching it ; it throws up a. quantity of this water, by a si
contraction of the muscles, into the other stomachs, and this si
to macerate its dry and simple food : in this manner, as it drinks bi
seldom, it takes in a large quantity at a time; and travellers, wh^
straitened for water, have been often known to kill their cameli (j
that which they especled to find within them.

In Turkey, Persia, Arabia, Barbary, and Egypt, their whole «
merce ii carried on by means of camels : no carriage is more speei ,
and none less expensive in these countries. Merchants and travellq
unite tiieroselves into a body, furnished with camels, to seciire
selves from the insults of the robbers that infest the countries in
they live. This assemblage is called a caravan, in which the n
bers are sometimes known to amount to above ten thousand, and tl
number of camels is often greater than those of the men : each a
these animals is loaded according to his strength, and he is so e
bleof it himself, that when his burden is too great, he remain,
upon his belly, the posture in which he is loaden, refusing ti
till his burden be lessened or taken away. In general, the taij
camels are capable of carrying a thousand weight, and sometimf
twelve hundred; the dromedary, from six to seven. ItitHeKtradiQ
journeys they travel but slowly, their stages are generally regulal
and they seldom go above thirty, or at most about five-and-thirl^
miles a-day. Every evening when they arrive at a stage, which. |i
usually some spot of verdure where water and shrubs are in plentjd
they are permitted to feed at liberty : they are then' seen to eat ^r^
tnuch in an houj' as will supply them for twenty-four : they seem M
prefer the coarsest weeds to the softest pasture; (he thistle,
nettle, the cassia, and other prickly vegetables, are their favourij^
food ; but their drivers take care to supply them with a kind ofpi
composition, which serves as a more permanent nourishment,
these animals have often gone the same track, they are said to kDO<
their way precisely, and to pursue their passage when theii
are utterly astray: when they come within a few miles of their ba^wl
ing-place, in the evening, they sagaciousily scent it at a
and, increasing their speed, are often seen to trot with vivacity U
their stage,

The patience of this animal is most extraordinary ; and it is proail
faable that its sufferings are great, for when it is loaded, it sends forn]
most lamentable cries, but never offers to resist the tyrant tin

AT4D OROMSDABT. 187

A( the slightest sign it bends iis kneea and lies upon
111 Deny, uinering iiaelf to be loaded in thiii poailion ; by this prac-
tice Uie burden is more easily laid upon il than if lifted up while
standing : at another sign it I'isea with its load, and the driver getting
upon its back, between the two panniers, which like hampers are
placed upon each side, he encourages the camel to proceed with his
voice and with a song. In this manner the creature proceeds con-
tentedly forward, with a slow uneasy walk, of about four miles an
hour, and when it comes to its stage, lies down to bo unloaded as
before.

M. Buflbn seems to consider the camel to be the most domesticated
of all other creatures, and to have more marks of the tyranny of man
imprinted on its form. He is of opinion, that this animal is not now
to be found in a stale of nature ; that the humps on its back, the
csllosities upon its breast and its legs, and even the great reservoir
for water, are all marks of long servitude and domestic constraint.
The deformities he supposes to be perpetuated by generation, and
what at Grsl was accident et last becomes nature. However this be,
' the humps upon the back grow large in proportion as the animal is
well fed, and if examined, they will be found composed of a substance
not unlike the udder of a cow.

The Arabs generally leave but one male to wait on ten females ;
the rest they castrate; and though they thus become weaker, they
are more manageable and patient. The female receives the male in
the same position as when these animals are loaded ; she goes with
young for about a year, and, like all other great animals, produces
but one al a time. The camel's milk is abundant and nourishing,
and, mixed with water, makes a principal part of the beverage of
the Arabians. These animals begin to engender at three years of
age, and they ordinarily live from forty to fifty years. The genital
part of the male resembles that of the bull, but is placed pointing
backwards, so that its iirine seems to be ejected in the manner of the
female. This, as well as the dung, and almost every part of tliis
animal, is converted to some useful purpose by the keepers. Of the
urine, sal ammoniac is made ; of the dung, litter for the horses, and
fire for the purpose of dressing their victuals. Thus this animal
alone seems to comprise within itself a variety of qualities, any one
of which serves to render other quadrupeds absolutely necessary for
(he welfare of man : like the elephant, it is manageable and tame ;
like the horse, it gives the rider security ; it carries greater burdens
than the ox or the mule ; and its milk is furnished in as great abun-
dance as that of the cow ; the fiesh of the young ones is supposed to
be as delicate as veal; their hair is more beautiful, and more in
request than wool ; while even of its very excrements no part is

I
I

CHAPTER XV.
THE LAMA.

As almost all the qnadrupedis of America are smaller tlian tSI
resembling ones of the ancient continent, so llie Lama, which raaj
be considered as the camel of the new world, is every way less than
thnt of ihe old. This animal, like that described in the former
chapter, stands high upon its legs, has a long neck, h small head,
and resembles the camel, not only in its natural mildness, but its
aptitude for servitude, its moderation and its patience. The Ame-
ricans early found out its useful qualitiM, and availed themselves of
its labours: like the camel, it server to carry goodn over places
inaccessible to other beasts of burden ; like thai, it is obedient to its
driver, and often dies under, but never resists his cruelly.

Of Iheae animals some are while, olhera black, but they are mostly
brown ; its face resembles that of the camel, and its height is about
equal to that of an ass. They are not found in the ancient conti-
nent, but entirely belong to the netv ; nor are they spread over all
America, but ere found chiefly upon those mountains that stretch
from New Spain to the Straiu of Magellan, They inhabit the
highest regions of the globe, and seem to require purer ajr than ani-
mals of a lower situation are fotmd to enjoy. Peru seems to be tlie
place where they are found in greatest plenty. In Mexico they are
introduced rather as curiosities than beasts of burden; but in Potosi,
and other provinces of Peru, they make the chief riches of the Indians
and Spaniards who rear them : their flesh is excellent food ; their
hair, or rather wool, may be spun into beautiful clothing ; and they
are capable, in the moat rugged and dangerous ways, of carrying
burdens not exceeding a hundred weight, with the greatest safety.
It is friie, indeed that they go but slowly, and seldom above Rfleen
miles a-d ay ; their tread is heavy, but sure; they descend precipices,
and find footing among the most craggy rock s, where even men can
scarcely accompany them ; I bey are, however, but feeble animals;
and after four or live days' labour, they are obliged to repose for a
day or two. They are chiefly used in carrying the riches of the
mines of Potosi ; and we are told that there are above three hundred
thousand of these animals in actual employ.

This animal, as was said before, is above three feet high, and the
neck is three feet long; the head is small and well proportioned, the
eyes large, the nose long, the lips thick, the upper divided, and the
lower a little depending; like all those animals that feed upon grasi,
it wants the upper cutting teeth ; the ears are four inches long, and
move with great agility ; the tail is but five inches long — it is small,
straight, and a little turned up at the end; it is cloven fooled, like
the ox, but has a kind of speai^like appendage behind, which assists
■ precipices and nigged ways; the wool on I

it in moving over precipices and nigged ways ; the wool on l^^^_

I back is short, but long on the sides and the belly ; it resembles t|^^|

THE l^UA. ISfi

camel in the TorinQtion of ihe genilal parts in die male, so that it
Diakes urine backwards; it couples also in the same manner, and
though it finds much difficulty in the action, it is said to be much
iDclined to venery. A whole day is often passed before this neces-
sary business can be completed, which is spent in growling, quarrel-
ling, and spitting at each other ; they seldom produce above one at
a time, and their age never extends above ten or twelve yeans at
farthest.

Though the lania is no way comparable to the camel, either for
size, strength, or perseverance, yet the Americans find a substitute
in it, with which they seem perfectly contented. It appears formed
for that indolent race of masters which it is obliged to serve; it re-
quires no care, nor no expense in the attending or providing for its
sustenance; it is supplied with a warm covering, and therefore docs
not require to be housed ; satisfied with vegetables and grass, it
wants neither corn nor hay to subsist it; it is not less moderate in
what it drinks, and exceeds even the camel in temperance. Indeed,
of all other creatures, it seems to require water least, as it issupplietl
by nature with saliva in such large quantities, that it apils it out oil
every occasion : this saliva seems to be the only ofiensive weapon
that the liarniless creature has to testify its resentracDt. When over-
loaded or fatigued, and driven on by all the torturing acts of its
keeper, it falls on its belly, and poura out againjt him a quantity of
tiiis fluid, which, though probably no way hurtful, the Indians are
much afraid of. They say, that wherever it falls, it is of such an
acrimonious nature, thai, it will either burn the skin, or cause very
dangerous eruptions.

Such are these animals in their domestic stale; but as iliey ere
found wild in very great numbers, they exhibit marks of great force
and agility in their slate of nnliire. The stag is scarcely more swift,
or the goat or the chamois a better climber. All its shapes are more
delicate and strong : its colour is tawny, and its wool is but short.
In their native forests they are gregarious animals, and are often seen
in flocks of two or three hundred at a time. When they perceive a
stranger, they regard him at first with astonisliment, without marking
any fear or lurpriae; but sliortly, as if by common consent, they
snuff up the air, somewhat like horses, and at once, by a common
flight, take refuge on the tops of the mountains. They are fonder
of the northern than the southern side of the Andes; they often
climb above the snowy tracts of the mountain, and seem vigorous in
proportion to the coldness of their situation. The natives hunt the
wild lama for the sake of its fleece. If the dogs surprise one upon
the plain, they are generally successful ; but If once the lama obtains
the rocky precipice of the mountain, the hunters are obliged to desi.tt
in Iheu- pursuit.

The lama seems to be tlie largest of the camel kind in America :
there are others, which are called Guanaeoes and Pacos, that are
smaller and weaker, but endued with the same nature, and formed
pretty much in the same manner. They seem to bear the same

190 THE NTL-OHAU.

proportionH to each other that the horee does to the ata, aoi are
employed with the same degree of subordinatitm. The woo), how-
ever, of the paco aeems to be the most valuable; and it is formed
into stuffs not inferior to silL, either in price or beauty. The natural
colour of the paco is that of a dried rose-teaf; the iDBnufacturers
Beldom give its wool any other dye, but tmm it into quilts and
carpetf, which exceed ihoee from the Levant. This manufacture forms
a very considerable branch of commerce in South America; and
probably too, might be extended to Europe, were the beauty bdJ
ilie durability of what is thus wrought up sufficienlly known.

CHAPTER XV!.
THE NYL-GHAU.

This animal, the name of which is pronounced Nylgaw, is a na-
tive of India, and has but lately been imported into Europe ; it seems
to be a middle nature, between the cow and the deer, and carries
the appearance of both in its form. In its size, it is as much smaller
than the one, a« it is larger than the other ; its body, horns, and tail,
are not unlike those of a bull; and thohead, neck, and legs, are very
like those of a deer. The colour, in general, is ash or grey, from a
miKtureof black hairs and while ; all along the ridge or edge of the
neck, the hair is blacker, larger, and mure erect, making a short,
thin, and upright mane. Its horns are seven inches long; they are
six inches round at the root : growing smaller by degrees, they ter-
minate in a blunt point. The bluntneas of these, together with the
form of its head and neck, might incline us to suppose it was of the
deer kind ; but, as ii never sheds its horns, it has a greater affinity
to the cow.»

From the disposition of that brought over to this country, which
has been very accurately and minutely described by Dr. Hunter,
their manners are harmless and gentle. Although in its native wild-
nessit is said to be fierce and .vicious, this seemed pleased with every
kind of familiarity, and always licked the hand that stroked or gave
It bread, and never once attempted to use its horns offensively: it
seemed to have much dependance on its organs of smell, and soufied
keenly, and willi noise, whenever any person came within sight ; it
did so Mkewise when any food or drink was brought to it ; and was
so easily offended with smells, or so cautious, that it would not taste
the bread which was offered when the hand happened to smell strong

[* This auljoal, ininelinie) called the White-fonted AnlPlop^, is jn height
four feet onn inch to the top of the shoulJcra, and four feet loag tmai iHr
bottom of the neck to the li&se uf the till. Its ears are Iieautiful, abi
Inchrs In length, aoil of a conslderahle brendlh ; they are white on
■nd on the inside, except whero two black bands mark the hollow of the
with a lebra-like larirty. The feet are barrsd with black and while.]

The bbab. 191

of turpentine. lis manner of fighting is very parliciilar. It was
observed at Lord Clive's, where two males were put into a little en-
closure, that, while thej were at a cousidcrable distance from each
other, they prepared for the attack by falling upon their fore-knees;
then Ihey shitflled towards each other with a quick pace, keeping atill
upon their fore-knees ; and when they were come within some yards,
they made a spring, and darted against each other. The intrepidity
and force with which Ihey dart against any object, appeared by the
strength with which oiie of ihem attempted to overturn a pooc
labourer, who unthinkingly stood on the outside of the palea of its
enclosure. The nyl-ghau, with the quickness of lightning, darted
against the wood-work with such violence, that he broke it to pieces,
and broke off one of his horns close lo the root, which occasioned the
animarBdeaih. Atalllhe places in India where we have aeitlements,
[(ley are considered as rarities, and brought from the distant interior
parts of the cDuniry. The emperor sometimes kills them in such
numbers, as to distribute quarters of them lo all his omrahs ; which
shows that they are internally wild and in plenty, and esteemed good
ajid delicious food. The nyUghaus which have been brought to
England, have been most, if not all of them, received from Sural or
Bombay, and they seem to be less uncommon in that pari of India
than in Bengal ; which gives room for a conjecture, thai they may
be indigenous, perhaps, in the province of Guzarat, one of the moat
western and the most considerable of the Hindostan empire, lying to
northward of Sural, and stretching away (o the Indian Ocean.

CHAPTER XVIL

THE BEAR.

Of (he Bear there are ihree diflerent kinds; ihe brown beer of
the Alps, the black bear of North America, which is smaller, and the
great Greenland, or white bear.* These, though different in iheir
forms, are no doubt of the same original, and owe their chief varia-
tions to food and climate. They have all the same habitudes, being
equally carnivorous, treacherous, and cruel. It has been said, in-
deed, that the black bear of America rejects animal food ; bul of the
contrary I am certain, as I have often seen the young ones which
are brought over to hondon, prefer flesh to every kind of vegetable
aliment.

The brown bear is properly an inhabitant of the temperate cli-
mates ; the black linds subsistence in Iho northern regions of Europe
and America; while the great white bear takes refuge in the most

[* The Bear. Badger, and Racoon, have six foru-teelh in the upper jaw,
Hltemalely hollow on the inside ; and sii in the under jaw, Ihe two lateral
oRps being iobnled. The do^l-teeth are eoUlary and mimical ; [be efes are
furmsbcd with a nictilating membrane ; and the tongue is imaoth.]

Ib iIm a

die wiiw, k k cUimUj fat, Imi^ *B—Jrf fctr«<i^
jmet torOnowetk tot b-edt m ' '
>*^ lA iti fldfa ■
fbeyltn ■

batthebrnte ofgcststkn vitfa the CnMleb Mill ■
'ftawle uke* ^reai tare lo pmile a pn^er retnat Cor Iw
_; ri>e aecorea them m the boHowof areric, wui ftiijdm whid
of haj in the wannest pan of iter 6en i the bHn^ fenh ■ ■!««•.
and ifie yoanf ones b«^ii to follow her in spmg. The wait and
female bj no loeanB inhabit the «ame deo ; (her hn« cm^ th«r
tifpante retreat, and Kldom are seen together batnpoa ihe MKcan
uf genial desire.

The Toice of tiie bear t» a kind of growt, inlemtpted widi rage,
wliich IB often capriciotuly exerted ; and thoogfa ilin aBinal wcav
gentle ai»d |^cid to ila maner wfaen tamed, yel it is ttill to be ilis-
trufted, and managed with cauiioo, as it is often trcachenui and
re*entful without a cause.

This animal Is capable of some degree of insirucliuo. There ai
few but hare seen it dance in awkn-aid measares upon it
to the voice or the inslnimeDt of its leader ; and it must bi
that ibe dancer is often found to be the best performer of the iwi
am told, that it is first taught to perform in this manner, by »
it upon hot plates of iron, and then jriaying to it while in this ui

The bear, when come to maiuriiv, can never be tamed : ii
conliniiea in its native fierceness, and, though taged, stJl fonnidal
impotent, at the approach of its keeper flieii to meet him. Bat n
witliatanding the fierceness of this aoinial, llie natives in thoaa e
tries where it is found, hunt it with great perseveranee and alacri^
The least dangerous method of taking it, is by intoxicating it, h,
throwing brandy upon honey, which it seems to be chiefly fond 4
and seeks for in the hollow of tree*. In Canada, where the blai
bears are very common, and where their dens are made in trees t)

THE BEAR. 193

are hollow luwards (he top. they are taken bj ietting (Ire to their
retreats, which are often above thirty feet from the ground. The
old one is generally seen first to issue from her den, and is shot by
the hunters. The youDg ones, as they descend, are caught in a
nooae, and are either kept or killed for provigion. Their paws are
said to be a great delicacy, and their hams are well enough known
at the tables of the luxurious here. Their fat also, which still pre-
serves a certain degree of lluidity, is supposed to be an efficacious
remedy in white or indolent tumours, though probably very little
superior to hog's.lard.

The white Greenland beardiffers greatly, both in Hgure ajid dimen-
sions, from those already described; and though it preserves in
general the external form of its more soulhem kindred, yet it grow^
to above three times the size. The brown bear is seldom above six
feet long; the white bear Is often known from twelve to thirteen.
The brown bearismnde rather stronger and sturdy, like the mastiff;
the Greenland bear, though covered with very long hoir, and appa-
rently bulky, is naverlhelesi more slender, both as lo the head, neck,
and body, and more inclining to (he shape of the greyhound, in
short, all the variations of its figure and its colour seem to proceed
from the coldness of the climate where it resides, and the nature of
the food It is supplied with.

The white bear seems the only animal that, by being placed in
the coldest climate, grows larger than those that live in the temperate
zones. All other species of animated nature diminish as they ap<
proach the poles, and seem contracted In their size by the rigours of
tbe ambient atmosphere; but the bear, being unmolested in these
desolate climates, and meeting no animal but what he can easily
conquer, finding also a sufficient supply of fishy provisions, he grows
10 an enormous size; and as the lion is the tyrant of an African
forest, so the bear remains undisputed master of the icy mountains
in Spitzbergen and Greenland. When our mariners land upon those
shcves, in such parts as have not been I'requented before, the while
bears uome down to view them with an awkward curiosity : they ap-
proach slowly, seeming undetermined whether to atlvance or retreat ;
and being naturally a timorous animal, Ihey are only urged on by
the conscious experience of their former victories; however, when
they are shot at, or wounded, they endeavour to fly, or, finding that
impracticable, they make a fierce and desperate reastancc till ihey
die. As they live upon Gsli and seals, their flesh is too strong for
food, and the captors have nothing but the skin to reward them for
the dangers incurred In the engagement.

The number of these animals thul are found about the north pole,
if we consider the scarcity there of all other terrestrial creatures, is
very amazing. They are not only aeon at land, but often on ice-floats
several leagues at sea. They are oRen transported in this manner
to the very shores of Iceland, where they no sooner land but all the
natives are in arms to receive them. It often happens, that when a
Greenlander and his wife are paddling out at sea, by coming loo

1*4 TRV BADGE&.

near tm tce-Qeat, a white bear unexpectedly junipB into their boat,
attd if he does not orersei it, aits calmly where he fint came dowD,
and like a pucenger, luffbra himself to be rowed along, (t is pro-
bable the poor liiile Greenlander ia not *ery fond of his new guest;
however, be makes a virtue of tiecessity, and ho3pit^»l7 rows him
to shore.

As tfati animal lives cbieQy upon 6ah, *ea)s, and dead whales, it
seldom removes far from the shore. When forced by hunger, it often
Tentiires into the deep, swims aAer seals, and devours whalers it
can Keiie ; it is however but a bad swimmer, and it is oft«) bunted
in this manner by boots, till it is fatigued, aad at last destroyed. Tt
often happens that a battle ensues between a bear and a morse, or a
whale ; but as the latter are more expert in their own element, they
generally prove vicUtrious. However, when the bear can Sai
young whale, it repays him for the danger he incurs of meeting %
the parent.

CHAPTER XVIli.
THE BADCER.

Thb Badger'fl legs are so short, that its belly seerns tu touch
ground ; this however is but a deceitful appearance, as it is caused
by the length of the hair, which is very long all over the body, and
makes it seem much more bulky than it really is, It is a solitary
stupid animal, that finds refuge remote from man, and digs itself a
deep hole witli great assiduity. It seems to avoid Uie light, and
seldom quits its retreat by day, only stealing out at night to find sub-
sistence. It burrows in the ground very quickly, its legs being short
and strong, and its claws stiH'and homy. As it continues to bury
itself, it throws the earth behind it to a great distance, and thus forms
to itself a winding hgle, at the bottom of which it remains in safety.
As the fox is not so expert at digging into the earth, it often takoi
possession of that which has been quitted by the badger, and some
say, forces it from its retreat, by laying its escrements at the mouth
of the badger*a hole.

This animal, however, is not long in making itself a new habita-
tion, from which it seldom ventures far, as it flies but slowly, and can
find safety onl^ in the strength of its retreat. When it is surprised
by the dogs at some distance from its hole, it then combats with des-
perate reaolulion; it falls upon its back, defend.i itself on every side,,
and seldom dies iinrevenged in the midst of its enemies.

The badger, like the fox, is a carnivorous animal, and
that has life can come amiss to it. It sleeps the greatest part of-j
tiine,aiidthu8 without beinga voracious feeder, it still keeps fat pail
cutarlyin winter. They alwayskeeptheirbole very clean; and wh«l
the female bring* rorib, she makes a comfortable warm bed of hay at

THE TAFIB.

195

ihe bottom of her hole, for the reception of her youDg. She brings
forth in summer, generally to the number of three or four, which she
feeds at firal with her milk, and afterwanlB with such petty prey 8S
she can surprise. She seizes the young rabbits in their warren, robs
birds' nests, fmds out where the wild bees have laid up their honey,
and brings all to her expecting brood.

The young ones when token are easily tamed, but the old still
continue savage and incorrigible: the former, after a short time,
play with the dogs, follow their masters about the house, but seem
of all other animals the most fond of the fire. They oflen approach
it so closely, that they bum themselves in a dangerous manner. They
are sometimes also subject to the mange, and have a gland under
their tail which scents pretty strongly. The poor of some countries
eat their flesh, which, though fat, is at best but rank and ill tasted.

CHAPTER 5UX.
THE TAPIR.

There seems to be a rude, but inferior resemblance between
many animals of the old and the new world. The couguar of Ame-
rica resembles the tiger in natural ferocity, though far inferior in its
dimensions. The lama bears some affinity to the camel, but is far
behind it in strength and utility. The Tapir * may bo considered
as the hippopotamus of the new continent, but degraded both as to
its siie and ferocity.

This animal bears some distant resemblance in its form to a mule.
It 4iaa a long snout, which it lengthens or contracts at pleasure. Its
ears are small, long, and pendant. Its neck and tail are short, and
its claws strong and firm, of which it has four upon each fooL lis

rered with brown hair, and the natives make

nnot be pierced by an arrow.

in some measure bo termed amphibious, as it
water. It differs however from all others of

intirely upon vegetables, and not meiking this
element the place of its depredations. It feeds up<m the pastures by
the riverside, and as it is very timorous, the instant it hears the least
noise, it plunges into the stream. They are greatly sought after by
the natives, as their flesh is considered as a delicacy, and thought by
some not inferior to beef.

{* Thia aoimal hal ten cullins teeth, and ten grmdcra in each jaw ■ be-
tween ihe cutting teeth and grinders there is a vscant apace. Its Ipg» are
short, and the liaofs BmBll, blaek, and hollow; the Torc'lioors are divided
ialit four, and (he hind-hoofs iota thrive parts.]

is thick, and co

shields of it, which ci

This animal may

chiefly resides in thi

this kind, in feedl

1
I

THE RACOON.

CHAPTER XX.

THE RACOON.

The Rncoon, which some authors have called the Jamaica ra(,nl
about the size of a smnll badger; its body is short and bulky : tlsft
is &ae, long, and thick, blackish at the surface, and grey towards the
bottom; the nose Is rather shorter, and more pointed than that of a
fos ; the eyes large and yellow, the teeth reaombling those of a dog,
the tail thick, but tapering towards a point, regularly marked wjtli
rings of black, and at least as long as the body; the fore-feet are
much shorter than the hinder, both armed with five sharp claws, with
which, and his teeth, the animal makes a vigorous resistance, Like
the squirrel, it makes use of its paws to hold its food while eating',
but it differs from the monkey kind, which use but one hand on those
occasions, whereas the racoon and the squirrel use both, as, wanting
the thumb, tfaeir paws singly are unfit for grasping or holding.
Though this animal be short and bulky, it is however very active ;
its pointed claws enable it to climb trees with great facility; it runs
on the trunk with the same swiftness that it moves upon the plain,
and sports among the most extreme branches with great agility, se-
curity, and esse: it moves forward chiefly by bounding, and though
it pvvceeds in an oblique direction, it has speed enough most fre-
quently to escape its pursuers.

This animal ias native of the southern parts of America, nor have
any travellers mentioned its being found in llie ancient coniinent.
But in the climates of whicli it is a native, it is found in noxious
abundance, particularly in Jamaica, where it keeps in the mountains,
and where it oflen descends to feed upon the plantations of sugar-
cane. The planters of titese climates coa«der these aoimals as one
of their greatest miseries ; they have contrived various methods of
destroying them, yet still they propagate in such numbers that
neither traps nor fire-arms can set them free ; so that a swarm of
these famished creatures are found to do more injury in a tingle
night, than the labours of a month can repair.

But though, when wild, they are thus troublesome, in a state of
tamenesB no animal is more harmless, or amusing; they are capable
of being instructed in various little atnasing tricks. The racoon is
playful, and cleanly, and is very easily supported ; it eats of every
thing that is given it, and if led to itself, no cat can be a better pro-
vider: it examines every corner, eats of all fiesh, either boiled or
raw, eggs, fruits, or corn ; insects themselves cannot escape it ; and
if left at liberty in a garden, tl will feed upon snails, worms, and
beetles: but it has a particular fondness for sweets of every kmd,
and to be possessed of these in its wild state, it incurs every clanger.
Though It will eat its provisions dry, it will for choice dip them id
water if it happens to be in the way. It has one peculiarity « ' ' '
few other ammals have been found to possess, it drinks ;
lapping like the dog, as by sucking like the horse.

i'uii^

THE COATlMOMm. 197

CHAPTER XXI.

THE COATIMONDt.
Tub first peculiarity with which this sDimal strikes ihe spectator,
the extreme length of its snout, which in some meaiiire resembles
that of the hog, but elongated to a aiiqirising degree. It baarg some
distant resemblance to the animal last described, except that Ihe
neck aod the body are longer, the fur shorter, and the eyes smaller;
principal distinction, as was said before, coiiaists in the ^ape
of its nose, the upper jaw being an inch longer than the lower, and
the snout, which is moveable in every division, tnrningupBtthpend.
Like the racoon, it sits up on the hinder legs with great ease, and in
this position, with both paws, carries the food to its mouth.

This animal is very subject to eat its own tail, which is rather
longer than its body ; but this strange appetite is not peculiar to the
' alone; the mococo, and some of the monkey kinds, do the
, and seem to feel no pain in wounding n part of the body so
remote from the centre of circulation.

It seems possessed of the same playful qualities, and indiscriminate
appetites, with the animal described in the last chapter. If left at
liberty in a stale of tameness, it will pursue the poultry, and destroy
every living thing that it has strength to conquer : though it is play-
ful with ilB keeper, yet it seems obstinately bent against receiving
any instruction, and neither threats nor caresses can induce it to
practise any arts to which it is not naturally inclined. When it
ileeps, it rolls itself up in a lump, and in that position often continues
fourteen or fifteen hours together.

^wfoon

CHAPTER XXII.

THE ANT-BEAR.

_Sbere are many animals that live upon ants in Africa and Ame-
im; the pangolin, or scaly lizard of Guinea, may be considered
among this number; but there are a greater variety b America,
wbicb make those minute insects their only subsistence. Though
thay arc of different figures and uzea, yet in general they go under
one common name of the Ant-Bear ; the peculiar length and alender-
nesa of their snout, their singular appetites, and their manner uftak-
iag their prey, striking us too strongly to attend to the minute
diflereoces of tlieir size or form.

Tbey have been classed by M. Buffou into the larger Tamandua,
the snuiler Tamandua, and the Ant-eater. The largest of this kind
ii four feel long, from the lip of the snout to the insertion of the lail ;
their legs are short, and armed with four strong claws ; their tail is
loDg and lulled, and the animal often throws it on its back like the
squirrel. The second of this kind is not above eighteen inches long ;

108 THB ANT-BEAR.

thu tail is without hair, and it sweeps the ground as the animal moves.
The ant-eater, which is the third variety, is slill smaller than either
of the former, as it is not above seven inches from the tip of the snout
to the insertion of the (ail. The two former are of a brown dusky
colour, but this is of a beautiful reddish, mixed with yellow ; though
they differ in figure, they all resemble each other in one peculiarity,
which is [he extreme slenderness of their snoul, and the amazing
length of their tongue.

The snout is produced in so disproportionate a manner, that the
toqgth of it makes near a fourth part of the whole (igure. A hone
has one of the longest heads of any animal we know, and yet the
ant-bear has one above twice as long in proportion to its body. The
snout of this animal is almost round and cylindrical ; it is extremely
slender, and is scarce thicker near the eyes than at its extremity.
The mouth is very small, the nostrils are very close to each other,
the eyes are little in proportion to the length of tite nose, the neck is
short, and the tongue is extremely long, slender, and Halted oa both
sides; this it keeps generally doubled up in tlie mouth, and is the
only instrument by which it finds subsistence ; for the whole of this
tribe are entirely without teeth, and find safety only in the remote-
ness and security of their retreat.

If we examine through the various regions of the earth, we shall
find (hat all the most active, sprightly, and useful quadrupeds have
been gathered round man, and either served his pleasures, or still
maintained their independence by their vigilance, their cunning, or
their industry. It is in the remote solitudes that we are to look for
the helpless, the deformed, and the monstrous births of nature. These
wretched animals being incapable of defending themselves, either by
their agility or their natural arms, fall a prey to every creature that
attacks them ; they therefore retire for safety into the darkest
forests, or the most desert mountains, where none of the bolder or
swifter animals choose to reside.

It may well be supposed that an animal so helpless as the ant-bear
is, with legs too short to fit it for (light, and unprovided with teeth to
give it a power of resistance, is neither numerous, nor often seen :
its retreats are in the most barren and uncultivated parts of South
America. It is a native only of the new continent, and entirely un-
known to the old. It lives chiefly in the woods, and hides itself under
the fallen leaves. It seldom ventures from its retreat ; and the industry
of an hour supplies it with sufficient food for several days logeUier.
lU manner of procuring its prey is one of the most singular in all
natural history : as its name implies, it lives entirely upon ants and
insects; these, in the countries where it is bred, are found in the
greatest abundance, and often build themselves hills five or sis feet
high, where they live in community. When this animal approaches
an ant-hill, it creeps slowly forward on its belly, taking every pre-
caution tokeepitself concealed, till it comes within a proper distance '
of the place where it intends to make its banquet ; there lying closely
along at its lengdi, it tlirusls forth its round rod tongue, whidi h

THE PI-AT-rPUS. 199

often two feet long, acrosa tlm jaDi of iheae busy insects, and there
lets it lie motionieSB for Beveral rainulea tt^ether. The ants of that
country, some of which are half an inch long, considering it as a
piece of flesh accidentally thrown before them, come forth and swarm
upon it in great numbers; but wherever they touch they slick ; for
this inalrument is covered with a sllniy fluid, which, like bird-lime,
entangles every creature that lights upon it. When therefore the
ant'bear has found a sufficient number for one morsel, it instancy
draws in the tongue, and devours them all in o. moment, af\er whidli
it still continues in its position, practising the same arts until its
hunger ii entirely appeased : it then retires to its hiding-place once
more, where it continues in indolent existence till again excited by
the calls of liunger.

' Such is the luxurious life of a creature, tliot seems of all others the
most helpless and deformed. It finds safety in its hiding-places
from lis enemies, and an ample supply in some neighbouring ant-
hill for all its appetites. As it only tries to avoid its pursuers, it is
seldom discovered by them ; yet helpless as this animal is, when
driven to an extremity, though without teeih, it will fight with its
clawi with great obstinacy. With these arras alone it has often
been found to oppose the dog, and even the jaguar. It throws itself
upon its back, fastens upon its enemy wiih all its clavvs, slicks
with great strength and perseverance, and even after killing its in-
vader, which is sometimes the case, does not quit its hold, but re
!Red upon it with vindictive desperation.

[THE PLATYPUS.

The Duck-billed Platypus was first noticed by Dr. Shaw, in his
Naturalist's Miscellany ; but as the animal there described was the
only one which had at that time been seen, it was difficult to preserve
the mind from entertaining some doubts as to its genuine nature,
and from surmising that some arts of deception in its structure might
have been practised. These susfHcions however arc now satisfactorily
removed; other specimens having been sent by Governor Hunter
from New Holland, (of which it is a native), to Sir Joseph Banks.

* " Of all the mammalia yet known, this seems the most extraor-
dinary in its conformation, exhibiting the perfect resemblance of the
beak of a duck engralWI on the heed of a quadruped. So accurate
is the similitude, that at first view it naturally excites tlie idea of
Home deceptive preparation by artificial means ; the very epidermis,
proportion, serratures, manner of opening, and other particulars of
the beak of a shoveller, or other broad-billed species of duck, pre.
■enting themselves to the view ; nor is it without the most minute
and rigid examination, that we can persuade ourselves of its being
*''e real beak or snout of a quadruped.

* Shaw's Zoology.

I
I

SOO TBS PE.ATVPCS.

" The body is depressed, and has sunie reaemblanca to thai of ait
otler in miniiiture ; it is covered with a very thick, aoll, and beaver-
like fur, and is of a, moderately dark brswn above, and of a sub-
ferruginous white beneath. The head is Aattish, and rather small
(han large ; the moutli or anout, as before observed, so exactly re-
sembles that of some broad-billed species of duck, that it might be
iniBtaken for such ; round ihe base is a flat circular membrane, some-
what deeper or wiJer below; viz. below, near the Hllh of an inch,
and above, about an eighth. The tail is flat, furry like the body,
rather short and obtuse, with an almost biRd termination; it is
broader st the base, and gradually lessens to the tip, and is about
three inches in length ; its colour issimilartothat of the body. The
length of the whole animal, from the tip of the beak lo that of the
tail, is thirteen inches ) of the beub, an inch and half The legs are
very short, terminating in a broad web, which on the fore-feet ex-
tends to a considerable distance beyond the claws, but on the luod-
feat reaches no fartlier than the roots of the claws. On the fore-feet
are five claws, straight, strong, and sharp- pointed ; the two exterior
ones somewhat shorter than the three middle ones. On the hind-feei
are six ulaws, longer, and more inclining to a curved form than those
on the fore-feel; the exterior loe and claw are considerably shorter
than the four middle ones; the interior or sixth is seated much higher
up than the rest, and resembles a strong sliarp spur- All the legs
are hairy above ; the fore-feet are naked both above and below ;
but the hind-feet are hairy above, and naked below> The internal
edges of the under mandible, (which is narrower than the upper),
are serrated or channelled with numerous stfiffi, as in a duck's bill.
The nostrils are small and round, and are situated about a quarter of
an inch from the lip of the bill, and are about the eighth of an inch
distant from each other. There is no appearance of (eeih ; the palate
is removed, but seems to have resembled that of a duck ; the tongue
also is wanting in the specimen. The ears, or auditory foramina,
are placed about an inch beyond the eyes; they appear like a pair
of oval holes, of the eighth of an inch in diameter, there being no
externaJ ear. On the upper part of the head, on each side, a little
beyond the beak, are situated two smallish oval wliite spots, in ilie
lower part of each of which ere imbedded the eyes, tx at least the
parts allotted to the animal for some kind of vision ; for, froni the
thickness of the fur, and the smallness of the organs, they seem to
have been but obscurely calculated for distinct vision ; and are pro-
bably like those of moles, and some other animals of thai tribe, or
perhaps even subcutaneous, the whole apparent diameter of the
cavity in which (hey were placed not exceeding the tenth of an

" When we consider the general form of this animal, and particu-
larly its bill and webbed feel, we shall readily perceive that it mu»t
be a resident in watery situations; that it has ihehabit of digging or
burrowing in the banks of rivers, or under ground ; and that its food
consists of aquatic plants and animals. This is all that can si

THE SLOTH. 301

present be reasonably giiesseil at; fuluro obiervfitioiis, made in ils
native regions, vrill, it is hoped, aflbrd us more ample information, and
will make us Tully acquabled with the natural history of an animal
which ditTers so widely from all other quedrupeds, and which verifies
in a most striking manner the observation of BufTon, viz. " (hat
whatever was possible for nature to produce, has actually been
produced."

On a minute examination of the platypus it was discovered, that
the beak is not the moulli of the Hnimal, but merely a projection of
Uie bones of the nose and palate, serving it instead of fore-teetli ;
that the mouth is seated behind this projection ; and that the longue,
which is about half an inch long, can be drawn entirely into the
mouth. On laying open the parts beyond the base of the bill, it
appeared that the platypus, like the ant-bear, is furnished with small
long processes, resembling grinding teeth, imbedded in tlie gum, but
not rooted in the jaw ; and of these processes tlicre are two on each
' ■ I, boUi of the upper and under jaw.*]

CHAPTER XXIII.

OF THE SLOTd.

'r the Sloth there are two different kitjds, distinguished from each
other by their clans ; the one, which in ils native country is called
(he Unen, having only two claws upon each foot, and being without
a tail; the other, which is called the Ai, having a tail, and three
claws upon each foot. The unan has the snout longer, the ears more
apparent, and the fur very different from the other. It differs also
in the number of its ribs, this having forty-six, while the ai has but
twenty-eight. These differences, however, though very apparent,
have been but little regarded in the description of two animals which
BO strongly resemble each other in the general outlines of their figure.
In their appetites, and their helpless formation.

They are both, therefore, described under the common appellation
of the Sloth, and their habitudes well deserve our wonder and
curiosity.1' Nature seems cramped and constrained in their formation :
other animals are oflen indolent from choice, these are stow from
necessity. The ai, from which I shall take my description, and from
which the other differs only in the slight particulars above-mentioned,
and in being rather more active, is of about the size of a badger.
Its fur is coarse and staring, somewhat resembling dried grass; (he
tail very short, and scarce appearing ; the mouth extending from

• Phil. Ttana. vol. xc.

(t The sloth hua no fore-leelh in <>itln'r jaw ; the tiog-Ieelli are blunl.
itHrj, anil longpr than the sHpdcrs ; and Hierc are live griddirs on racii
>idc. The fure-1<igs are considt^rably lungpr thun the hind ones, and ttip
claws are Ion; and very strong.]

303 THE SLOTH.

ear U> ear ; the eye dull and heavj ; tlie feet armed with three clam
eacli, and made bo short, and set on so awkwardly, that a few paces
b often the journey of a week ; but though the feet are short, they
8re still longer than its legs, and these proceed from the body in
such an oblique direction, that the sole of the foot seldom touches the
ground. When the animal, therefore, is compelled to make a step
forward, it scrapes on the back of the nails along the surface, and
wheeling the limba circularly about, yet still touching the ^ound, it
at length places its foot in a progressive position ; the other three
limbs are all brought about with the sanie dtfGculty; and thus it it
seen to move not above three feet in an hour. In fact, this poor
creature seldom changes place hut by constraint, and when impelled
by the severest stings of hunger.

The sloth seems to be the meanest and nwst ill-formed ufalt those
animals that chew the cud ; it lives entirely upon vegetable food, on
the leaves, the fruit, and the flowers of trees, and often even on the
very bark, when nothing else is tell on the tree fur its subsialence. .
Like all other ruminant animals, it has four stomachs i and these
retjuiring a large share of provision to supply them, it generally
strips a tree of all its verdure in less than a. fortnight. Still however
it keeps aloft, unwilling to descend while any thing remains that can
serve it for food ; it therefore falls to devouring the bark, and thus in
a short time kills the tree upon which it found its support. Thu»
destitute of provisions above, and crawling slowly from branch to
branch, in hopes of finding something still left, it is at last obliged to
encounter all the dangers tliat attend it below. Though it is formed
by nature for climbing a tree with great pain and difficulty, yet it ts
utterly unable to descend ; it therefore is obliged to drop from the
branches to the ground, and as it is incapable of exerting itself to
break (he violence of its descent, it drop like a shapeless, heavy
mass, and feels no small shuck in the fall. There, after remaining
some time torpid, it prepares for a Journey to some neighbourbg
tree ; but this, of all migrations, is the most tedious, dangerous, and
painful ; it often takes a week in crawling to a tree not 6l\y yards
distant i it moves with imperceptible slowness, and often baits by the
way. All motions seem to torture it ; every step it takes, it .sets forth
a most plaintive melancholy cry, which from some distant similitude
to the human voice, esciles a kind of disgust, mixed with pity. This
plaintive sound seems its chief defence ; few quadrupeds appear
willing to interrupt its progress, either that the flesh is oflensive, or
that they are terrified at its cries, When at length they rearli their
destined tree, they mount it with much greater ease than when they
moved upon the plain. They fall to with famished appetite, and, ai
before, destroy the very source that supplies them.

Mow far these may be considered as the unfinished productions of
nature, I will not take upon me to determine: if we measure their
happiness by our sensations, nothing, it is certain, can be more
miserable ; but it is probable, considered with regard to themselves,
they may have some stores of comfort unknown to us, which may

^ • .'.

. %

. .-'•■■■:■■'
l- • - s .

■t ■

. ^ •■-■*'* ' ' ' ^ N.

A.-

^ X

■.f« •.■

THE JERBOA. 303

set them upon a level wilh some oilier inferior ranks of the creation :
if a part of their life be exposed to pain and labour, it is compensated
by a larger porlion of plenty, indolence, and safety. In fact, they
are formed very differenily from all other quadrupeds, and it is pro-
bable they have different enjoyments. Like birds, Ihey have but
one common vent for the purposes of propagation, eptcrement, and
urine. Like the tortoise, which they resemble in the slowness of their
motion, they continue to live some time after their nobler parts are
wounded, or even taken away. They bear the marks of ail those
homely-formed animals, that, like rude machines, are not easily dig-
its note,* accordiiiE to Kircher, is an ascending and descending
hesachord, which it utters only by night ; its look ia so piteous as to
move compassion ; it is also accompanied with tears, that dissuade
every body from injuring so wretched a being. Its abstinence from
food is remarkably powerful ; one that hod fastened itself by its feet
to a pole, and was so suspended across two beams, remained forty
days without meat, drink, or sleep; the strength of its feet is so great,
that whatsoever it seizes on cannot possibly be freed from its claws.
A dog was let loose at the above-mentioned animal, taken from the
pole ; after some time the sloth laid hold of the dog with its feet, and
held him four days, till he perished with hunger.

CHAPTER XXIV.

TnG JERBOA.

This animal as little resembles a quadruped as iliat which has
been described in a former chapter. If wo should suppose a bird
divested of its feathers, and walking upon its legs, it might give us
Bome idea of its figure. It has four feet, indeed, but in running or
resUng it never makes use of any but the hinder. The number of
legs, however, do not much contribute to any animal's speed ; and
the Jerboa, though, properly speaking, furnished but with two, is one
of the swiftest creatures in the world.

The jerboa is not above the size of a large rat, and its head is
sloped somewhat in the manner of a rabbit ; the teeth also are formed
like those of the rat kind, there being two culling teeth in each jaw ;
it has a very long tail tufted at the end i the head, the back, and
ndea, are covered with long ash-coloured soft hair, the breast and
belly is whitish : but what most deserves our attention in the forma-
tion of this little animal, is ihe legs ; the fore-legs are not an inch
long, with four claws and a thumb upon each, while the binder legs
are two inches and a quarter, and exactly re.semble those of a bird,
there being but three toes, the middlemost of which is longest.

• Pnnnsnt'.i Synopsis.
VOL. II. T

I
I

304 THE KANGUBOO.

The jerboa ia found in Egypt, Barbary, PalestiDe, and the ddserls
between Buieorah and Aleppo; iu hind4ega, as was said before, are
only used in running, while the fore-paws, like ihoae of a squirrel,
grasp its food, and in some measure perform ttie office of hands. It
is often Been by travellers as they pass along the deserts, crossing
their way, and jumping six or eight feet at every bound, and going
so Bwiflly, that scarcely any other cjuadruped is able to overtake
them. They are a lively, harmless race of animals, living entirely
upon vegetables, and burrowing like rabbits in the ground. Mr. Pen-
nant tells us of two that were lately brought to London, that bur~
rowed almost through the brick wall of the room where they were
kept; they came out of their hole at night for food, and when caught
were much fatter and sleeker than when confined to their biirrows.
A variety of this animal is found also in Siberia and Circassia, and
IB, most probably, common enough over all Asia. They are mure
expert diggers than even the rabbit itself; and when pursued for a
long time, if they cannot escape by their swiflness, they try to make
a hole instantly in the ground, in which they oflen bury themselves
deep enough to find security before their pursuers come up. Their
burrows, in some places, are so thick as to be dangerous to travellers,
the horses perpetually falling in them, ft is a provident little ani-
mal, and lays up for the winter. It cuts grass m heaps of a foot
square, which, when dried, it carries into its burrow, therewith to
serve it for food, and to keep its young warm during the rigours of
the winter. ^^B

[THE KANGUROO. ^"

The Kanguroo was Oral discovered in the year 17T0, by the late
Sir Joseph Banks, during one of the voyages of our celebrated navi-
gator Captain Cook. Although it has been classed with the Jerboa,
On account of its hind-legs being so much longer than tlie fore, and
also of its moving in the same bounding manner, it is now considered
as more nearly allied to the opossum, in having a pouch for the
security of its young. ,

This animal is about the size of a sheep ; it has a small head,
neck, and shoulders; the body increasing in thickness to the rump.
The head is oblong, tapering from the eyes to the nose; the end of
the nose naked, and black ; the upper lip divided ; the nostrils are
wide and open ; the lower jaw is shorterthan the upper; the mouth
small ; the eyes are large ; the ears erect. There are no caniae
teeth, but six broad cutting teeth in the upper jaw, two lung lan-
ceolated teeth in the lower, pointing forward, and four grinding teelli
in each jaw, remote from the others. The belly is convex and great-
Tlie fore-legs are very short, scarcely reaching to the nose, and use-
less for walking ; the hind-legs are almost as long as tho body, and
the thighs are very thick t on the fore-feet arc five toes, with long
conio and strong claws ; on the hind-feet only three ; the middle toe

THE KANGUBOO. 905

is very long and thick, like tliat of an ostrich, thu two others are
placed very distinct from it, and are fiinall ; the clatva are short,
thick, and blunt; the bottom of the feet and hind part, black, naked,
and tuberculated, as the animal rests often on them, The tail is very
long, extending as far as the ears ; thick at the base, tapering to a
point. Within the pouch of the female are two breasts, each of them
rurnished with two teats ; and it is believed she brings forth but one
at a time. When lirst born, the young kanguroo hardly exceeds an
inch in length ; and till it becomes able to ahifl for itself, resides en-
tirely within the pouch of the dam, occasionally leaving it for exercise
or amusemenL The hair on the whole animal b soft, and of an ash
colour; lightest on the lower parts.

This animal inhabits the western side of New Holland, and has as
yet been discovered in no other part of the world. It lurks among
the grass, and feeds on vegetables; it goes entirely on its hind-legs,
making use of the fore-feet only for digging, or bringing its food to
its mouth. It is very timid ; at the sight of men it flies from them
by amazing leaps, springing over bushes seven or eight feet high,
and going progressively from rock to rock. It carries its tail
(juite at riglit angles with its body when it is in motion, and when it
alights ollen looks back. They have been seen feeding in herds of
about thir^ or forty, and one is always observed to be apparently
on the watch, at a distance from the rest. Young kanguroos which
have been taken, have in a few days grown very tame, but none have
lived more than two or three weeks. Yel it is still possible that,
when their proper food shall be better known, they may be domes-
ticated. The tail of the kanguroo, which is very largo, is found to
be used as a wea[>on of offence, and has given such severe blows to
dogs, as to oblige them to desist from pursuit. Its flesh is coarse and
lean ; nor would it probably be used for food where there was not a
scarcity of fresh provisions. The pouch of the female, hitherto es-
teemed peculiar to the opossum genus, has been found both in tha
rat and the squirrel kind in New Holland.

The Kanguroo Rat is described as similar, both in the general
shape of the body and the conformation oflhelegs, to the kanguroo;
but the visage having a strong resemblance to that of the rat, and
the colour of the whole not ill resembling that animal, it has obtained
the name of the kanguroo rat. It also is an inhabitant of New Hol-
land. This species has two cutting teeth in front of the upper jaw,
with three others on each side of them; and at a distance one false
grinder, sharp at the edge, and fluted on the sides ; and close to
these, two true grinders : in the lower jaw there are two long cutting
teeth, formed like tliose of the squirrel, with three grinders corres-
ponding with those in the upper jaw> It is about the lizeofa
rabbit.]

With these last described and last discovered animals, I shall
conclude the history of quadrupeds, which, of all parts of natural
knowledge, seems to have been described tlte moat accurately. A>

306 CONCLUSION.

these, from iheir Agu», ai well b> Iheir aagaciiy, bear the nearest
resemblance to man, and from their uses or eDmiues are the most
respectable parU of the inrerior crealion, to it was his interest, and
his pleasure, to make hiraseir acquainted with their history- It is
probable, therefore, that time, which enlarges thesphere of our know-
ledge in other parts of learning, can add but very little to this. The
addition of a new quadruped to the catalogue already known, is of
DO small consequence, and happens but seldom ; for the number of
all is so few, that wherever a new one is fonnd, it becomes an object
worthy our best attentitHi. It may take refuge in its native deserts
from our pursuits, but not from our curiosity.

But it is very diflerent with the inferior ranks of the creation ; the
classes of birds, of Sshes, and of insects, are all much more numer-
ous, and more incompletely known. The quadruped is possessed of
no arts of escnping which we are not able to overcome ; but the
bird removes itself by its swiftness, the lishes (ind protection in their
native element, and insects are secured in their minuteness, numbers,
and variety. Of all these, therefore, we have but a very inadequate
catalogue, and though the list be already very large, yet every hour
is adding to its extent.

In fact, all knowledge is pleasant only as the object of it contri-
butes to render man happy ; and the services of ijuadrupeds being
so very necessary to him in every situation, he is particularly is.
terested intheir history. Without their aid, what a wretched and
forlorn creaiuro would he have been 1 The principal part of his food,
his clothing, and his amusements, are derived wholly from them, and
he may be considered as a great lord, sometimes cherishbg his humble
dependants, and sometimes terrifying the refractory, to contribute to
his delight and conveniencies.

The horse and the ass, the elephant, the camel, the lama, and the
ri'in-deer, contribute to ease his fatigues, and to give him that swift-
ness which he wants from nature. By their assistance he changes
place without labour; he attains health without weariness ; his pride
is enlarged by the elegance of equipage; and other animals are pur-
sued with a certainly of success. It were happy indeed for man, if,
while converting these quadrupeds to his own benefit, he had not
turned them to the destruction of his fellow-creatures: he has cm-
ployed some of them for the purposes of war, and they have con-
formed to his noxious ambition witli but too fatal an obedience.

The cow, the slieep, the deer, and all their varieties, are necessary
to him, though in a different manner. Their flesh makes the princi-
pal luxuries of his table, and their wool or skins the chief ornament
of his person. Even those nations that are forbid to touch any thing
that has lift), cannot wholly dispense with their assistance. The milk
of these animals makes a principal part of the food in every country,
and often repairs those constitutions that have been broken by disease
or intemperance.

The dog, the cat, and the ferret, may be considered as having
deserted from their fellow-quadrupeds to list themselves under the

CONCLUSION. J07

conduct and protection of man. At bia command they exert all
their services against auch animals as they are capable of destroying,
and follow them into places where he himself wants abilities to pur-

As there is thus a numerous tribe that he has taken into protection,
and that iupplies his necessities and amusements, so there is also a
still more numerous one that wages an unequal combat against him,
and thus calls forth his courage and his industry. Were it not for
the lion, ihe tiger, the panther, the rhinoceros, and the bear, he
would scarcely know his own powers, and the superiority of human
art over brutal fierceness. These serve to escite and put his nobler
passions into motion. He attacks them in their retreat, faces them
with resolution, and seldom fails of coming off with a victory. He
thus becomes hardier and bell«r in the struggle, and learns to know
and to value his own superiority.

As the last mentioned animals are called forth by his boldest efforts,
so the numerous tribe of the smaller vermin kind excite his continual
vigilance and caution ; his various arts and powers have been no
where more manifest, than in the extirpation of those that multiply
with such prodigious fecundity. Neither their agility nor their
minuteness can secure them from his pursuits, and though they may
infest, they are seldom found materially to injure him.

In this manner we see, that not only human want is supplied, but
that human wit is sharpened by the humbler partners of man in iha
creation. By this we see, that not only their benefits, but their
depredations are useful, and that it has wisely pleased Providence
to place us like victors in a subdued country, where we have all the
benefit of conquest, without being so secure as to run mto the sloth
and excesses of a certain and undisturbed possession. It appears,
therefore, that those writers who are continually finding immediate
benefit in every production, see but half way into the general system
of nature. Esperience must every hour inform us, that all animals
are not formed for our use; but we may be equally well assured,
that those conveniencies which we want from their friendship, are
well repaid by that vigilance which we procure from their enmity.

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HISTORY OF BIRDS.

PART I.
OF BIRDS IN GENERAL.

INTRODUCTION.

We are now conic to a beautiful and loijuacious race of animals,
tital embellish our forests, amuse our walks, and exclude solitude
from our most shady retirements. From these man has nothing to
fear : their pleasures, their desires, and even their animosities, only
servo to enliven the general picture of nature, and give harmony to
meditatioD.

No part of nature appears destitute of inhabitants. The-woodsi
the waters, the depths of the earth, have their respective tenants ;
while the yiddiug air, and those tracts of seeming space where man
never can ascend, are also passed through by multitudes of the most
beautiful beings of the creation.

Every order and rank of animals seems fitted for its situation in
life, but none more apparently than birds; they share, in common
with the stronger race of quadrupeds, the vegetable spoils of the
earth, are supplied with swiftness, to compensate for their want of
force, and have a faculty of ascending into the air, to avoid that
power which they cannot oppose.

The . bird seems formed enUrely for a life of escape i and every
part of the anatomy of the animal seema calculated for swiftness.
Aa it is designed to rise upon air, all its parts are proportionably
light, and e^ipand a large surface without solidity.

In a comparative view with man, their formation seems much
ruder, and more imperfect j and they are in general found incapable
of the docility even of quadrupeds. Indeed, what great degree of
sagacity can be expected in animals whose eyes are almost as large
as their brain 1 However, though they full below quadrupeds in the
scale of nature, and are less imitative of human endowments, yet
they hold the next rank, and far surpass fishes and insects, both in
the structure of their bodies and in their sagacity.

As in mechanics the njost curious instruments are generally the
most complicated, so it ie in anatomy. The body of man presents

210

HISTORY OF

the greatest variety upon dissection; quadrupeds, lesa perfectl^J
formed, discover their defects in the simplicity of their conformalioa;
the mechBuism of birds is still less complex ; fishes are furnished with
fewer organs still ; while insects, more imperfect than all, seem to
fill up the chasm that separates animal from vegetable nature. Of
man, the most perfect animal, there are but three or four species; of
quadrupeds the kinds are more numerous ; birds a
still ; tishes yet more ; but insects afford so very great a variety, I
they elude tlie search of the most inquisitive pursui

Quadrupeds, as was said, have some distant resemblanee in their
internal structure with man, but that of birds is entirely diseimilar.
As they seem chiefly formed to inhabit the empty regions of air, all
their parts are adapted to their destined situation. It will be proper,
therefore, before I give a general history of birds, to enter into a
slight detail of their anatomy and conformation.

As to their external parts, they seem surprisingly adapted for
swiftness of motion. The shape of their body is sharp before, to
pierce and make way through the air; it then rises by a gentle
swelling to its bulk, and falls olT in an expansive tail, that helps to
keep it buoyant, while the fore-parts are cleaving the air by their
sharpness. From this conformation, they have oflen been compared
to a ship making its way through water; the trunk of the body
answers to the hold, the head to the prow, the tail to the rudder, and
the wings to the oars; from whence the poets have adopted the
metaphor of remigium alarum, when they describe the wavy motion
6f a bird in flight.

What we are called upon next to admire in the external formation
of birds is, the neat position of the feathers, lying all one way,
answering at once ihe purposes of warmth, speed, and security.
They mostly lend backward, and are laid over one another in an
exact and regular order, ormed with warm and soft down next the
body, end more strongly fortified and curiously closed externally,
to fence off the injuries of the weather. But, lest the feathers should
spoil by their violent attrition against the air, or imbibe the moisture
of the atmosphere, the animal is furnished with a gland behind,
containing a proper quantity of oil, which can be pressed out by tiie
bird's bill, and laid smoothly over every feather that wants to be
dressed for the occasion. This gland is situated on the rump, and
furnished with an opening or excretory duct; about which grows a
small tuft of feathers, somewhat like a painter's pencil. When,
therefore, the feathers are shattered or rumpled, the bird, turning its
head backwards, with the bill catches hold of the gland, and, pressing
it, forces out the oily substance, with which it anoints the duyMnled
parts of the feathers ; and, drawing them out with great assiduity,
recomposes and places them in due order, by which they anite more
closely together. Such poultry, however, as live for the most part
under cover, are not furnished with so large a stock of this fluid as
those birds that reside in the open air. The ftathers of a hen, for
mstance, are pervious to every shower ; on the contrary, swans,

BIRDS IN G&NEUAL. 311

geese, ducks, and all such as nature has directed to live upon (he
water, have their feathers dressed with oil from the very (ir^t day of
their leaving the shell. Thus their stock, of Quid is equal to the
necessity of its consumption. Their very Qe^ contracts a flavour
from it, which renders it In some very rancid, so as to make it utterly
unfit for food ; however, though it injures the lleah, it improves the
feathers for all the domestic purposes to which they are usually
converted.

Nor are the feathers with which birds are covered less an object
of admiration. The sli aft of every feather is made proportion ably
strong; but hollow below, for strength and lightness, and above
filled with a pilh, to feed the growth of the vane or beard that springs
from the shaft of the feather on either side. All these feathers are
placed generally according to their length and strength, so that the
largest and strongest feathers in flight have the greatest share of
duty. The vane, or beard of the feather, is formed with equal con-
trivance and care. It consists not of one continued membrane,
because if this were broken, it could not easily be repaired ; but it
is composed of many layers, each somewhat in itaelf resembling a
feather, and lying against each other in close conjunction. Towards
the shaft of the feather, these layers are broad, and of a simicircular
form, to serve fur strength, and for the closer grafting them one
against another when in action. Towards the outer part of the vane,
these layers grow slender and taper, to be more light. On their
under side they are thin and smooth, but their upper outer edge is
parted into two hairy edges, each side having a different sort of hairs,
broad at bottom, and slender and bearded above. By this mecha-
nism the hooked beards of one layer always lie next the straight
beards of the nest, and by that means lock and hold each other.

The nest object that comes under consideration in contemplating
an animal that Hies, is the wing, the instrument by which this won-
derful progression is performed. In such birds as fly, they are
usually placed at that part of the body which serves to poise the
whole, and support it in a fluid that at first seems so much lighter
than itaelf. They answer to the fore-legs in quadrupeds, and at the
extremity of this they have a certain finger-like appendix, which is
usually called the basiard-wiag. This instrument of flight is fur-
nished with quills, which differ from the common feathers only in
their size, being larger, and also from their springing from the deeper
part of the skin, their shaftslying almost close- to the bone. The
beards of these quills are broad on one side, and more narrow on
the other, both which contribute to the progressive niotion of the
bird and the closeness of the wing. The manner in which most
birds avail themselves of these, is first thus : they quit the earth with
a bound, in order to have room for flapping with the wing ; when
they have room for this, they strike the body of air beneath the wing
with a violent motion, and with the whole under surface of the same ;
but then, to avoid striking the air with equal violence on the upper
side as they rise, the wing is instantly contracted; so that the ani-

212 HISTORY OP

ma] rises by the impulse till it spreads the wing for a second blow,
For this reeson, we always sec birds choose to rise against tho wiod,
because tliey have tliux a greater body of air on the under than the
upper side of the wing. For these reasons also, large fowls do not
rise easily, both because they }iave not sufficient room at first for the
motion of their wings, and because the body of air does not lie so
directly under the wing as they rise.

In order to move the wings, all birds are furnished with two very
strong pectoral muscles, which lie on each side of the breast-bone.
The pectoral muscles of (quadrupeds are triHing in comparison to
those of birds. In quadrupeds, as well as in man, the muscles which
move the thighs and hinder parts of the body are by far the strong-
est, while those of the arms ore feeble; but in birds, winch make
use of their wings, the contrary obtains; the pectoral muscles that
move the wings or arras are of enormous strength, while those of the
thigh are weak and slender. By means of these, a bird can move
its wings with a degree of strength which, when compared to the
animal's size, is almost incredible. The flap of a swan's wing would
break a man's leg; and a similar blow from an eagle has been
known to lay a man dead in an instant. Such, consequently, is the
force of the whig, and such its lightness, as to be inimitable by art.
No machines tliat human skill can contrive are capable of giving
such force to so light an apparatus. The art of flying, therefore,
that has so often and so fruitlessly been sought after, must, it is
feared, for ever be unattainable; since as man increases the force
of his flying machine, he must be obliged to increase its weight also.
' In all birds, except nocturnal ones, tlie head is smaller, and bears
less proportion to the body than in quadrupeds, that it may more
readily divide the air in flying, and make way for the body, so as to
render its passage more easy. Their eyes also are more flat and
depressed than in quadrupeds; a circle of small platcsof bones, placed
scalewise, under the outer coat of the organ, encompasses the pupil
on each, to strengthen and defend it from injuries. Beside this, bu^s
have a kind of skin, called the nictitating membrane, with which,
like a veil, they can at pleasure cover their eyes, though their eye-
lids continue open. This membrane takes its rise from the greater
or more obtuse comer of the eye, and serves to wipe, cleanse, and
probably to moisten its surface. The eyes, though they outwardly
appear but sniall, yet, separately, each almost equals the braio;
whereas in man the brain is more than twenty times larger than '*""
orbit of the eye. Nor is this organ in birds less adapted for vii
by a particular expansion of the optic nerve, which renders the
pressions of exlemal objects more vivid and distinct.

Prom this conformation of the eye it follows, that the
seeing in birds is infmitely superior to that of other animals. Indi
this piercing sight seems necessary to the creature's support
safety. Were this organ blunter, from the rapidity of the bird't
motion it would be apt to strike against every object in its way ;
and it could scarcely find subsistence unless possessed of a power to

BIRDS IN GENEBAI.. 213

diBccrn ita food Trom above with BBtonishing sagacity. A hawk. Tor
instance, perceives a lark at a distance which neither men nor dogs
could spy ; a kite, from an almost imperceptible height in the douda,
darts down on iU prey with the most unerring aim. The sight of
birds, therefore, exceeds what we know in most other animals, and
excels them both in strength and precision.

All birds want the external ear standing out from the head; they
are only furnished with holes that convey sounds to the auditory
canal. It is true, indeed, that the homed owl, and one or two more
birds, seem to have external ears; but what bears that resemblance
are only feathers sticking out on each side of the head, hut no way
necessary to the sense of hearing. It is probable, however, that the
feadiers encompassing the ear-holes in birds supply the defect of the
exterior ear, and collect sounds to be transmitted to the internal
sensory. The extreme delicacy of this organ is easily proved by the
readiness with which birds learn tunes, or repeat words, and the
great exactness of ilieir pronunciation.

The sense of smelling seems not less vivid in the generality of
birds. Many of them wind (heir prey at an immense distance,
while others are equally protected by this sense against their inndi-
ouB pursuers. In decoys, where ducks are caught, the men who
attend them universally keep a piece of turf burning near their
mouths, upon which they breathe, lest the fowl should smell them,
and consequently lly away. The universality of this practice puts
the necessity of it beyond a doubl, and proves the extreme delicacy
of the sense of smelling, at least in this species of the feathered
creation.

Next lo the parts for flight, let us view the legs and feet minister-
ing to motion. They are both made light, for the easier trans-
portation through the air. The toes in some are webbed, to fit them
for the waters ; in others they are separate, for the belter holding
objects, or clinging to Irce-s for safety. Such as have long legs have
also long necks, as otherwise they would be incapable of gathering up
their food, either by land or water. But it does not hold, however,
that those which have long necks should have long legs, since we see
that swans and geese, whose necks are extremely long, have very
short legs, and these chiefly employed in swimming.

Thus every external part hitherto noticed appears adapted to the
life and situation of the animal ; nor are the inward parts, though
less immediately appropriated to flight, less necessary to safety. The
bones of every part of the body are extremely light and thin ; and
all the muscles, except that immediately moving the wings, extremely
slight and feehle. The lad, which is composed of quill feathers,
serves to counterbalance the head and neck; it guides the animal's
flight like a rudder, and greatly assists it either in its ament or when
descending.

If we go on to examine birds internally, we shall And the same
wonderful conformation fitting them for a life in air, and increasing
the surface by diminishing the solidity. In the lirst place, their lungs.

214 HISTORY OP m

which are ooimnonly called the »ole, itick fast to the sides of the rib#'J
and back, and can be very little dilaled or contracted. But to malHpfl
up for this, which might impede- their breathing, the ends of UWl
branches of the windpipe open into them, while these hare openinwfl
into the cavity of the belly, and convey the air drawn in by breattf^H
ing into certain receptacles like bladders, running along the lengtlJEfl
of the whole body. Nor are these openings obscure or difficult ta'm
be discerned ; for a probe thrust into the lungs of a fowl will easilj^fl
find a passage into the belly; and air blown into the wind-pipe wiSfl
be seen to distend the animal's body like a bladder. In cjiiadnipeMl
this passage is stopped by the midriff; but in fowls the commuflyM
CBlion is obvious ; and consequently they have a much greater facilHg^^
of takmg a long and large inspiration. It is sometimes also seen th4^|
the windpipe makes many convolutions within the body of the bii4|^|
and it is then called the lahyiinth; but of what use these convol^H
tions are, or why the windpipe should make so many turnings wilM^|
the body of some birds, is a difficulty for which no naturalist b4H
been able to account. ^H

This difference of the windpipe oflen obtains in animals that to «l^|
appearance are of the same species. Thus in the tame swan, la^|
windpipe makes but a straight passage into the lungs ; while in tHJH
wild swan, which to all external appearance seems the same aninil^H
the windpipe pierces through the breast bone, and there has seven^|
turnings before it comes out again and goes to enter the lungs. 'NH
is not to form the voice thai these turnings are found, since the fowS^
that are without them are vocal, and those, particularly the bird just
now mentioned, that have them, are silent. Whence, therefore, some
birds derive that loud and various modulation in their warblings, is
not easily to be accounted for; at least, the knife of the anatomist
goes but a short way in the investigation. All we are certain of is,
that birds have much louder voices, in respect to their bulk, than
animals of any other kind ; for the bellowing of an ox is not louder
than the scream of a peacock.

In these particulars birds pretty much resemble each other in their
internal conformation ; but there are some varieties which we should
more attentively observe. All birds have, properly speaking, but
one stomach : but this is very diiferent in different kinds. In all the
rapacious kinds that live upon animal food, as well as in some of the
fish-feeding tribe, the stomach is peculiarly formed- The (esophagus,
or gullet, in them is found replete wiih glandulous bodies, which
serve to dilate and macerate the food as it passes into the stomach,
which is always very large in proportion to the size of the bird, and
generally wrapped round with fat, in order to increase its warmth
and powers of digestion.

Granivorous birds, or such as ll^e upon fruits, corn, and other
vegetables, have their intestines differently formed from those of the
rapacious kind. Their gullet dilates just above the breast-bone, and
forms itself into a pouch or bag, called the crop. This is replete
with salivary glands, which serve to moisten and soften the grain

BTRDS IN GENERAl.. 315

and other food which it contains. These glands are very numerous,
with longitudinal openinga, which emit a whitish and a viscous sub<
stance. After the dry food of the bird has been macerated for a
convenient lime, it then passes into tlie belly, wbere, instead of a
soft moist stomach, as in the rapacious kind, it is ground between
two pair of muscles, commonly called the gizzard, covered on the
inside with a stony ridgy coat, and almost cartilagiuoug. These
coats rubbing against each other, are capable of bruising and at-
tenuating the hardest substances, their action being oflen compared
to that of the grinding teeth in man and other animals. Thus the
organs of digestion are in a manner reversed in birds. Beasts grind
their food with their teeth, and then it passes into the stomach, where
it is softened and digested. On the contrary, birds of tbis sort lirst
macerate and soften it in the crop, and then it is ground and commi*
nuted in the stomach or gizzard. Birds are also careful to picic up
sand, gravel, and other hard substances, not to grind their food, as
has been supposed, but to prevent the too violent action of the coats
of the stomach against each other.

Most birds have two appendices, or blind guts, which in quadra-
peds are always found single. Among such birds as are thus sup-
plied, all carnivorous fowl, and all birds of the sparrow kind, have
very small and short ones ; water-fowl and birds of the poultry kind,
the longest of all. There is still another appendix observable in the
intestines of birds, resembling a little worm, which is nothing more
than the remainder of that passage by which the yolk was conveyed
into the guts of the young chicken while yet in the egg and under
incubation.

The outlet of that duct which conveys the bile into the intestines
is, in most birds, a great way distant from the stomach; which may
arise from the danger there would be of the bile regurgitating into
the stomach in their various rapid motions, as we see in men at sea ;
wherefore their biliary duct is so contrived, that this regurgitation
cannot take place.

All birds, though they want a bladder for urine, have large kidneys
and ureters, by which this secretion is made, and carried away fay
one common canal. " Birds," says Harvey, " as well as serpents,
which have spongy lungs, make but little water, because they drink
but little. They, therefore, have no need of a bladder; but their
urine dislils down into the common canal, designed for receiving the
other excrements of the body. The urine of birds difiers Oom that
of other animals ; for as there is usually in urine two parts, one more
serous and licjuid, the other more thick and gross, which subsides to
the bottom; in birds the last part is most abundant, and is distin-
guished from the rest by its white or silver colour. This port is found
not only in the whole intestinal canal, but is seen also in the whole
channel of the ureters, which may be distinguished from the coats of
the kidneys by their whiteness. This milky substance they have in
greater plenty than the more tliin and serous part ; and it is of a
middle consistence, between limpid urine and the grosser parts of the

I
I

810 HISTORY OP

feces. In [Mseing through (lie ureters, it resembles mill ciirdffd or
lig'hity condensed ; nnd being cast forth enMly, congeali into A chalky
cruHt."

From tbiB simple conformalion of ihe animal, it sbmld
birda are subject to Tew diseajea ; and in fact they have but Tel
There is one, however, which they are subject to, from which qui
rupeds are ill a great measure exempt; this is the annual raouiti
If hich they suffer ; fur all birds whatsoever obtain a new covering
fealhersonceaycar, and cast the old. During the moulting
they ever appear disordered ; those most remarkable for their i
then lose all their Berceness, and such as are of a weakly constitutii
often expire under thia natural operation. No feeding can mainidl
their strength ; . they all cease to breed at this season ; that nourii"
ment which goes to the production of the young, is wholly absoi
by the demand required for supplying the nascent plumage.

This moulting time, however, may be artificially acccleratiM],.fti
those who have the management of singmg birds frequently put th(
secret in practice. They enclose the bird In a dark cage, where ih
keep it e.icessively warm, and throw the poor little animal into
artiScial fever: this produces the moult; his old feathers fall befc
their time, and a new set lake place, more brilliant and beatitil
than the former. They add, that it mends the bird'^ singing, and
increases its vivacity ; but it must not be concealed, that scarcely
one bird in three survives the operation.

The manner in which nature performs this operation of moultii
is thus : the quill or feather, when first protruded from the skin oi
come to its full size, grows harder as it grows older, and receivea^j
kind of periosteum or skin round the aliafl, by which it
(ached to the animal. In proportion as the quill gjoWs older,
sides, or the bony pen part thicken, but its whole diameter shrii
and decreases. Thus, by the thickening of its sides, all nourishmi ,
from the body becomes more sparing; and, by the decrease of it_
diameter, it becomes more loosely fixed in its socket, till at len^ft
falls out. In the mean time, the rudiments of an incipient quill are
beginning below. The skin forms itself into a little bug, which H
fed from the body by a small vein and artery, and which every- dny'
increases in size till it is protruded. While the one end vegetates
into (he beard or vane of the feather, ihat ^art attached to the skin
a still soft, and receives a constant supply of nourishment, which i*
diffused through the body of (he quill by that Ultle light Substance
which we always find within when we make a pen. This substance,
which as yet has received no name that 1 know of, serves the growing
quill as the umbilical artery does an infant in the womb, by supply-
ing it with nourishment, and diffunng that nourishment over the wimle
frame. When, however, the quill is come to its full growth, and
requires no further nourishment, the vein and artery become less
and leas, till at last the little opening by which Ihey communicai

with the quill becomes wholly obliterated ; and the quill (hda
prlved continues in its socket for some mnnlhs, tilt m the ~"

licftt ^d'

niRDS IN GRNKRAL. 217

stirinkii, and leaven room for a repj-lilion of the same proeew of nature
as before.

The moulting season commonly obLaina from the end of summer
to tlie middle of autumn. Tlie bird continues to struggle with this
matadj during the winter; and nature has kindly provided, that
when there are the fewest provisions, that then the animal's appe-
tite shall be leaal craving. At the beginning of upring, when food
beginN again to be plentiful, the animal's strength and vigour return.
I[ is then that the abundance of provisions, aided by the mildness of
the season, incite it to love, and all nature seems teeming with life,
and disposed to continue it.

CHAPTER II.

^I^Trk return of spring is the beginning of pleasure. Those vital
spirits which seemed locked up during the winter, then begin lo
expnnd ; vegetables and insects supply abundance of food ; and [he
binl having more than a sufficiency for its own subsistence, is im-
pelled to transfuse life as well as to maintain it. Those warblings
which had been hushed during the colder seasons, now begin to
animate the fields ; every grove and bush resounds with the challenge
of anger, or the call of allurement. This delightful concert of the
grove, which is so much admired by man, is no way studied for his
amusement ; it is usually the call of the male to the female, his eflbrls
to soothe her during the times of incubation ; or it is a challenge
between two males for the alfections of some common favourite.

It is by this call that birds begin to pair at the approach of spring,
and provide for the support of a future progeny. The loudest notes
are usually from the male ; while the hen seldom ctpresses her con-
sent, but in a short interrupted twittering. This compact, at least
for the season, holds with unbroken faith; many birds live with
inviolable Udelity together for a constancy; and when one dies, the
other is always seen to share the same fate soon after. We must
not take our idea of the conjugal fidelity of birds from observing the
poultry in our yards, whose freedom is abridged, and wha<c man-
ners are totally corrupted by slavery. We must look for it in our
fields and our forests, where nature continues in unadulterated sim-
plicity, where the number of males is generally equal to that of
females, and where every little animal seems prouder of his progeny
than pleased with his mate. Were it possible to compare sensations,
the male of all wild birds seems as happy in the young brood as the
female ; and all his former caresses, all his soothing melodies, seem
only aimed at that important occasion when they are both to become
parents, and to educate a progeny of their own producing. The

TOL. II. O

ais

HISTORY OP

pleasures of love appear dull in their effects, when compared to the
interral immediately afler the exclusion of their young. They bolh
seem, at that seasMi, traosported with pleasure ; every action testifies
their pride, their importance, and tender solicitude.

When the business of fecundation is performed, the female then
begins to lay. Such eggs as have been impregnated by the cock
are proline ; and such as have not (for she lays otleti without any
eongreas wliatsoever), continue barren, and are only addled by in-
ctibation. Previous, however, ta laying, the work ofnestling becomes
the common care; and this is performed willi no small di^ree of
assiduity and apparent design. It has been asserted, that birds of
one kind always make their nests in the same manner, and of the
same materials ; but the truth is, that they vary this as the materials,
places, or climates happen to difler. The red'breast, in some parts
of England, makes its nest with oak leaves, where they are in great-
est plenty, in ottier parts with moss and hair. Some birds that with
us make a very warm nest, are less solicitous in the tropical climates,
where the heat of the weather promotes the business of incubation.
In general, however, every species of birds has a peculiar archi-
tecture of its own; and this adapted to the number of eggs, (he
temperature of the climate, or the respective heat of the little ani-
mal's own body. Where the eggs are numerous, it is then incumbent
to make the nest wami, that the animal heat may be equally diflused
(o them all. Thus the wren, and all the small birds, make the nest
very warm ; for having many eggs it is requisite to distribute warmth
to them in common : on the contrary, the plover, that has but two
egg4, the eagle, and the crow, are not so solicitous in this respect,
as their bodies are capable of being applied to the small number
upon which they sit. With regard to climate, water-fowl, that with
IIS make l)Ut a very slovenly nest, are much more exact in this par-
ticular in the colder regions of the north. They there take every
precaution to make it warm ; and some kinds strip the down from
their breasts to line ft with greater security.

In general, however, every bird resorts to hatch in those climates
or places where its food is found in greatest plenty, and always at
that season when provisions are in the greatest abundance. The
large birds, and those of tlio aquatic kinds, choose places as remote
from man as possible, as their food is in general different from that
which is cultivated by human labour. Some birds, which have only
tlic serpent to fear, btiild their nests depending from the end of a
small bough, and form the entrance from below, being thus secured'
either from the serpent or the monkey tribes. But all the tittle birds
which live upon fruits and corn, and that are too often unwelcome
intruders upon the fruits of human industry, in making their nests
use every precaution to conceal them from man. On the other hand,
the great birds, remote from human society, use every precautioatO'
render theirs inaccessible to wild beasts or vermin.

Nothing can exceed the patience of birds while hatching ;
the calls of hunger, nor the near approach of danger, <

ing; neitli^^^l
n drive th^^^f

BIRDS IN QENBRAL. 219

from llie nost. They are often fat upon beginning lu sil, jral before
incubation is over ihe female is usnally vaated to nkin and bone.
Kaverls and crows, while the females are silling, take care to pro-
vide theni with food, and this in great abundance. But il is different
with most of the smalter kinds : during the whole time, the male sits
near his mate upon some tree, and soothes her by his Hinging ; and
often when she is tired takes her place, and' patiently coniinues upon
the nest tilt she returns. Sometimes, however, the eggs acquire a
degree ofheat too much for the purposes of hatching ; in such eases
the hen leaves ihem to cool a little, and then returns to ait with her
usual perseverance and pleasure.

So great is the power of instinct in animals of this class, that they
seem driven from one appetite to another, and continue almost passive
under its influence. Reason we cannot call it, since the first dictates
of that principle would be sett- preservation : " Take a brute," says
Addison, " oul of his instinct, and you find him wholly deprived of
understanding. With what caution," continues he, " does the hen
provide herself a nest in places unfrequented, and free from noise
and disturbance! When she has laid her eggs in such a manner
that she can cover them, what care does she take in turning tfiera
frequently, that all parts may partake of the vital warmth ! When
she leaves them, to provide for her necessary sustenance, how punc-
tually does she return before they have lime to cool, and become
incapable of producing an animal ! In the summer you see her giving
herself greater freedoms, and quitting her care for above two hours
together; but in winter, when the rigour of the season would chill
the principles of life, and destroy the young one, she grows more
ajuiduDusin her attendance, and stays away but half the lime. When
the birth approaches, with how much nicety and attention does she
help tlio chick to break the prison I not to take notice of her cover-
ing it from the injuries of the weather, providing il with proper
nourishment, and teaching il to help iteelf; nor to mention her for-
saking the nest, if, afler the usual time of reckoning, the young one
does nol make its appearance. A chemical operation cOuld not be
followed with greater art or diligence than is seen in tiatching a.
chick, though there are many birds that show an infinitely greater
sagacity ; yet at the same time the hen, that has all this seeming
ingenuity, which is indeed absolntely necessary for the propagation
of the species, considered in other respects, is without the least glim-
merings of thought or common sense : she mistakes a piece of chalk
for an egg, and sits upon it in the same manner; she is insensible
of any increase or diminution in the number of those she lays; she
does not distinguish between her own and those of another species ;
and when the birth appears of never so diflercnt a bird, will clierish
it for her own. A hen, followed by a brood of ducks, shall stand
affrighted at the edge of a pond, trembling for Ihe fate of her young,
which she sees venturing into so dangeroita an element. As the'
diflerent princijtlQ which ucts in these diiTerenl animals cannot be
termed reason, so, when we call it instinct, we mean something we

220

HISTORT OF

II appeaa lu me llie immediate direclloo of

bttatA

en ifl^Hj

hive no knuwItN^t

I'rovkleiiuii ; aixJ *uch an nperation uf Ihe Supreme Being as that

wliiv)i determines all the portions of matter to their proper centies."

TIte production of the young, aa was said, seems lo be the great
ura uf a bird'i happineu. Nothing can at that time exceed its spirit
and industry ; the most timid becomes courageous in the defence of
its yiiuog._ Birds of the rapacious kind, at this season, become more
than uiually fierce and active. They carry their prey, yet throbbing
with life, U> the nest, and early accustom their young to habits of
•laughter and cruelty. Nor are those of milder natures lesa bui "
rtiipluyed ; the little birds then discontinue their »nging, taken
witii rnuro important pursuits of common subsistence.

While the young are yet unfledged, and continue in the nest,
old ones toko care tu provide them with a regular supply ; and, lest
Olio should tako all nouriabmcnl from the rest, they feed each of the
young in llioir turn. If they perceive that man has been busy with
their ihirI, or has handled the little ones, they abandon the plaM bj,
night, and provide their brood a more secure, though less cm
dious retreat. When the whole foTiiily is completely plumed,
capable of avoiding danger by flight, they are then led forth
iIh) wvalher is lino, and taught the paternal art of providing for
Hiibsiilunuc. They are led to the places where their food lies ;
aru shown the metliud of discovering or carrying it away, and
led back to tlio nost fur a day or two longer. At length, when
urv completuljr qualiGud to stiid fur themselves, the old
iImtu abrgad, and lending ihem to the uccusiumed place
thuiii fur the last lime, and all future connexion is fur ever at
vmi.

Tliuou birds whicli are hatched and xent out earliest ir
iiru ilie most strung and vigorous; tliose, on llw other hand,
liuvin beeii dt'lay ed till the midst uf summer, are more feeble and t
di'r, HDd uMiieliiuvs iuca[wble of sustaining the rigours uf the e
winit-T. liinls tlwmsclves seem sensible uf this diflerence, and (|_
dvavour (o (vtwIiKu early in ibe spring. If, however, their eflbid
an otiMrucli.<d by having their nests robbed, or some simitar accidei
ttqy Mill pcrwrerc in tlieir ellurta lor ■ progeny ; and it often hig
. JW^* "'■f" w« <tMis retardMl till tbe nikUt of winter. Wk^
■Mar of f£|p auy bird owi lajr in ibe course of a sea
flKtabcd ; bui ikn is true, thai such a> vooM hare h
ittwtm at lite BMMt, if their moIb be robbed, or their tfgt u
Mil kjr •ban ten ur lorelTe. A o
will Uy obtH* a hnadred bwa ib« b

BIRDS IN GENERAL.

221

each other, are Beldom scared away from Iheir usual hautiU. Al-
though they be so perfectly forined for a wandering life, sod are
supplied with powers to satisfy at! their appetites, though never so
remote from the object, though they are so well fitted for changing
place with ease and rapidity, yet the greatest number renio in con-
tented in the districts where they have been bred, and by no means
exert their desires in jvoportion to their endowments. The rook,
ifundisturbed, never desires to leave his native grove; the black^bird
still frequents its accustomed hedge ; and the red-breast, though
seemingly mild, claims a certain district, from whence he seldom
moves, but drives out every one of the same species from thence
without pity. They are excited to migration by no other motives
but those of fear, climate, or hunger. It must be from one of these
powerfbl motives that tlie birds, which are called birds of passage,
every year forsake us for some time, and make their regular and
expected return.

Nothing has more employed the curiosity of mankind than these
annual emigrations, and yet few subjects continue so much involved
in darkness. It is generally believed, that the cause of their retreat
from these parts of Europe is either a scarcity of food at certain
seasons, or the want of a secure asylum from the persecution of
man during the time of courtship and bringing up their young. Thus
the starling, in Sweden, at the approach of winter, finding subsist-
ence no longer in that kingdom, descends every year into Germany ;
and the hen chaffinches of the same country are seen every year to
fly through Holland in large flocks, to pass their winter in a milder
climate. Others, with a more daring spirit, prepare for journeys
that might intimidate even 'human perseverance. Thus the quails la
spring forsake the burning heals of Africa for the milder sun of
Europe; and, when they have passed the summer with us, steer
their flight back to enjoy in Egypt the temperate air, which then
begins to be delightful. This with them seems a preconcerted un-
dertaking. They unite together in some open place for some days
before their departure, and, by an odd kind of chattering, seem to
debate on the method toproceei. When their plan is resolved upon,
they all take flight t^^ther, and oAen appear in such numbers, that,
to mariners at sea, ihey seem like a cloud that rests upon the horizon.
The boldest, strongest, and by far the greatest number, make good
their intention ; but many there are who, not well apprized of their
own force for the undertaking, grow weary in the way, and, quite
spent by the fatigues of their flight, drop down into the sea, and
sometimes upon deck, thus becoming an easy prey to the mariner.

Of the vast quantity of water-fowl that frequent our shores, it U
amazing to reSect how few are known to breed hero. The cause
that principally urges them to leave this country seems to be, not
merely the want of food, but the desire of a secure retreat, Our
country is too populous for birds so shy and timid as the greatest
number of these are. When great part of our island was a mere
waste, aD uncultivated tract of woods and maishes, many species of

223

HISTORY OF

birds wiiich oow migraXe remaiacd wltli us througbout the year. Tb|
great heron and llie craoe, ihat havo now forsaken this country, j
former times bred familiarly in our marshes, and seemed to anima^
our fens. Their nests, like tboae of most cloven-footed water-fovl
were built on llie ground, and exposed to every invader. But a
rural economy increased, these animals were more and more i^
lurbed, Befuro ihey bad litde to fear, as tlic surrounding mand
defended them from all the carnivorous quadrupeds, and their oil)
strength from birds of prey ; but upon the intrusion of man, and n
a long series of alarms, they have at length been obliged to seal
during the summer, some lonely habitation at a sale distanoe frojj
every destroyer. ,

Of the numerous tribes of the duck kind vie know of no more thuj
Gve that breed here; tlie lanie swan, the tame goose, the sheldrake
the eider duck, and a few of the wild ducks. The rest contribute t|
form that amazing multitude of water-fowl which annually repair]^
Use dreary lakes and deserts of Lapland from tlie more soulbcii
countries of Europe. In those extensive and solitary retfeats thq
perform the duties of incubation and nutrition in full security. Thaq
are few of this kind (hat may not bo traced to the northern desertifc
to countries of lakes, rivers, swamps, and mountains, coTered wsH
thick and gloomy forests, that aCTord shelter during s
timid animals who live there in undisturbed security.
regions, from the thickness of the forests, the ground rem
and penetrable during the summer season; the woodcock, the snin
and other slender-billed birds, can there feed at ease; while Oh
web'footed birds find more than sufficient plenty of food from tU
number of insects which swarm there to an incredible degree. Tb
days there are long, and the beautiful meleorous uights afford ibca
opportunities of collecting so minute a food, which is probably ofu
^ .f others the most grateful. We are not to be astonished, iherefom
at the amazing numbers of fowl that descend from these regions j
the approach of winter; numbers, to which the army ef Xerxes va|
but trifling in comparison, and which Linnwus has observed for eig^
whole days and nights to cover the surface of the river Calix. ,

This migration from the north usually begins in September, whd
they quittbeir retreats, and disperse themselves over all the southen
parts of Europe. It is not unpleasing to observe the order of tliQJ
flight ; tbey generally range themselves in a long line, « they Hina
times make llieir march angularly, two lines uniting in the centtt
like the letter V reversed. The bird which leads at the point leaqi
to cleave tbo air, to facilitate the passage for those which are li
follow. When fatigued wjtii ibis laborious station, it falls boc^ it44
^^g one of the wings of the file, while another takes its place. With U
^^H they make their appearance about the beginning of October, c^
^^H cutale first round our shores, aud when compelled by severe fraiiL
^^H betake themselves to our lakes and rivers. Some, indeed, of t^
^^H web-footed fowl, of hardier constitutions (ban the rest, aplde j^
^^H rigours of the northern climate the whole winter ; but wlieu the cqH

BIRDS IN GENERA.L.

rel^na there with more lliao usual severity, ibey &re obliged to sk^
for more soulhera skies : they ihen rep&ir wiih the rest fur shelter
to these kingdoms; so thai the diver, the wild swan, and the swallow-
tailed sheldrake, visit our coasts but seldom, and (hat only A«heii
compelled by the severity of their winters at home.

It has been often a subject of astonishmeot, how animals to all
appearance so dull and irrational should perform such long juurneys;
should know whither to steer, and when to set out upon such n great .
undertaking. It ia probable that the same instinct which governs
all iheir other actions, operates also here. They rather follow tlie
weather than the country ; (hey steer oa\y from colder or warmer
climates into those of aa opposite nature; and finding the variations
of the air as they proceed in their favour, go on till they find land to
repose on. It cannot be supposed that they haTo any memory of
the country where they might have spent a former winter ; it cannot
be supposed that they see the country to which they travel frtmi their
height in the air, since, though they moimted for miles, the convejtity
of the globe would intercept their view ; it must therefore only he,
(hat they go on as they continue to perceive the atmosphere more
suitable to their present wants and dispositions.

All this seems to be pretty plain ; but there is a circumstance at-
■ tending the migration of swallows which wraps this subject in great
obscurity. It is agreed on all hands, that they are seen migrating
into warmer climates, and that in amazing numbers, at the approach
of (he European winter; their return into Europe is also as well
attested about the begiiming of summer. But we have another
account, which serves to prove that numbers of ihem continue torpid
here during the winter, and, like bats, make their retreat into old
walls, the hollows of trees, oi even sink into the deepest lakes, and
find security for the winter season by remaining there in clusters at
the bottom. However this latter circumstance may be, their retreat .
into old wails is loo well authenticated to remain a doubt at present.
The difficulty, therefore, is to account for this difference in these
animals thus variously preparing to encounter the winter. It was
supposed that in some of them the blood might lose its motion by the
cold, and that thus they were rendered torpid by the severity of the
season ; but M . Buffon having placed many of this tribe in an Ice-
house, found that the same cold by which their blood was congealed
was fatal to the animal : it remains, therefore, a doubt to this hour,
whether there may not be a species of swallows, to all external ap-
pearance like the rest, but diflercntly formed within, so as to fit them
for a state of msensibility during the winter here. It was suggested,
indeed, that the swallows found thus torpid were such only as were
(oo weak to undertake the migration, or were bfttched loo late to Jmn
the general convoy ; but it was upon these that M. BufTon tried his
experiment ; it was these that died under the operation.

Thus there are some birds which by migr.iiing make a habitation
of every part of the earth; but in general every climate has birds
peculiar tu itself. The feathered inhabitbuLs of the temperate Kone

234

niSTOKY OP

■re btil litlle remarkable for tlie beauty of their plumage ; but iheiT I
tlie smaller kinds make up for this defect by the melody of iheit'i I
voices. The birds of the torrid zone are very bright and vivid in' 1
their colours, but tbej have screaming voices, or are totally silenty J
The frigid zone, on the other hand, where the seas abound with lish,' I
are stocked with birds of tlie aquatic kind in much greater plenty 1
than in Europe ; and these are generally clothed with a warmer coat I
of feathers, or they have largo quantities of fat lying underneath! 1
the akin, which aerves to defend them from the rigours of the clf''^ I
mate. J

In all countries, however, birds are a more long-lived class of anU I
mats than tite quadrupeds or insects of the same climate. The life of I
man himself is but short when compared to what some of lh<;m enjoy.* I
It is said that swans have been known to lire three hundred yeara^ I
geese are ohea seen to live fourscore; while linnets, and other Ihtle' I
birds, though imprisoned in cages, are often found to reach fourteen' I
or iifleen. How birds, whose age of perfection is much more early- I
than that of quadrupeds, should yet live comparatively so much' I
longer, is not easily to be accounted for ; perhaps, as their bones ara' I
slighter and more porous than those of quadrupeds, there are fewer* 1
obstructions in the animal machine ; and nature thus finding more I
room for the operations of life, it is carried on to a greater extent. ' 1

All birds in general are less than quadrupeds; thatis, tbegreaietf I
of one class far surpass the greatest of the other in magnitude, TM J
ostrich, which is the g^eates^ of birds, bears no proportion to ths' I
elephant ; and the smallest humming-bird, which is the least of the* ■
class, is still far more minute than the mouse. In these the extremi-'- J
ties of nature are plainly discernible ; and in forming them she ap-^ I
pears to have been doubtful in her operations : the ostrich, seemingly' I
covered with hair, and incapable of flight, making near approucTies- I
to the quadruped class; while the humming-bird, of the size of an I
humble-bee, and with a lluttering motion, seems nearly allied to the* I

These estremilies of this class are rather objects ofhumtui curiosity I
than utility — it is die middle order of birds which man has taken care* d
to propagate and maintain. Of those which he has taken under hi»* I
protection, and which administer to his pleasures or necessities, the*4
greatest number seem creatures of his formation. The variety of I
climate to which he consigns them, the food with which he suppHef-^
them, and the purposes for which he employs them, produce amazing
varieties, both in their colours, shape, magnitude, and llie taste of
their 0esh. Wild birds are, for the most part, of the same magni-
tude and shape ; (hey still keep the prints of primeval nature strong
upon them; except in a few they generally maintain their very'
colour : but it is otherwise with domestic animals ; they change a.t^
the will of man — of the lame pigeon, for instance, it is said thatlhey^l
— n be bred to a feather. '

As we are thus capable of influencing their form and colon
lotail frequent to see equal instances of our influencing (heir: 4

DR. GOLDSMITH'S NATURAL IliSTORV.

GIOANTIC CRANE.

BIRDS IN GRNBHAL.

habiUides, appetites, and passiuna. The cock, for ii
Rcially formed intu that courage and activity whidi lie is si
posaesBi and many birds testify a strong attachment to the hand
thai feeds them : how far tliey are capable of instruction, is nianifejil
to thoae who have the care of hawka. But a still more surprising
instance of this was seen some time ago in London : a, canary bird
was (aught to pick up the letters of tho alphabet at the v/ocd of a.
mand, so as to spell any person's name in company ; and this the
little animal did by motions from ita master, which were impef-
ceplible to every other spectator. Upon the whole, however, they
are inferior to quadrupeds in docility, and seem more mechanically
impelled by all the power of instinct.

CHAPTER m.
OF THB DIVIBION OP BlltDU.

-Though birds arc fitted for sporting in air, yet as Uiey find iheir
wad upon the surface of the earth, there seems a variety iiqual to
the different aliments willi which it tends to supply them. The flat
and burning desert, the rocky clilT, the extensive fen, the stormy
ocean, as well as the pleasing landscape, have all their peculiar in-
habitants. The most obvious distioctioD therefore of birds, is into
those that live by land, and those that live by water; or, in other
words, into landbiriU, and icateT'Jowi,

It is DO dilficult matter to distinguish land from water-fowl by the
legs and toei. All land birds have their toes divided, without any
membrane or web between them ; and their legs and feet serve them
for the purposes of running, grasping, or climbing. On the other
hand, water-fowl have their legs and feet formed for the purposes of
wading in water, or swimming on its surface. In those that wade,
the tegs are usually long and naked ; in those that swim, the toes are
webbed together as we see in the feet of a goose, which serve, like
oars, to drive them forward with greater velocity. The formation,
therefore, of land and water-fowl is as distinct as (heir habits i ond
nature herself seems to offer us this obvious distribution, in methodiz-
ing aoimals of the feathered creation.

However, a distinctiffli siycomprehensive goes but a short way !n
illustrating the different tribes of so numerous a class. Tho number
of birds already known amounts to above eight hundred ; and every
person who turns his mind to these kind of pursuits, is every day
adding to the catalogue. It is not enough, therefore, to be able to
distinguish a land from a water-fowl ; much more is still required —
(o be able tu distinguish the different kinds of birds from each other,
and even the varieties in the same kind, when (liey happen to offer.
This certainly is a work of great difficulty, and perhaps the attain-
ment will not repay the labour. The sen^iible part uf mankind will

I
I

390 HISTORY OP

not withdraw ati their attention froin more important punutlai^
give it entirely up to what promises to repay lliem only with at'
confined species of amusement. In my distribittiun of birds, there-
ibre, 1 will follow Linnteus in the lirsl sketch of liissjslem; and then
leave him to follow the most natural distinctions, in enumerating the
different kinds that admit ofa history, or require adescription.

LinmeiiB divides all birds into six classes : namely, into birds of
the rapacioui kind, birds of the pie kind, birds of the poultry kindy
birds of the iparroic kind, birds of the duck kind, and birds of the
crane kind. The four first comprehend ttjo various kinds of land
birds; the two last, those that belong to the water.

Birds of the rapacions kind constitute that class of caj'nivorous
fowl that live by rapine. He distinguishes tliem by their beak, which
is hooked, strong, and notched at the point ; by their legs, which are
short and muscular, and made for the purposes of tearing; by tlieir
toos, which are strong and knobbed ; and their talons, which are
sharp and crooked ; by the make of U)eir body, which is muscular ;
and their flesh, which is impure : nor are they less known by their
food, which consists entirely of flesh ; their stomach, which is mem-
branous; and their manners, which are flerce and cruel.

Birds of the pie kind have the bill differing from tlie former : as
in those it resembled a hook, destined for tearing to pieces, in these
it resembles a wedge, fitted for the purpose of cleaving. Their legs
are formed short and strong for walking ; their body is slender and
impure, and tlieir food miscellaneous. They nestle in trees, and the
male feeds the female during the time of incubation.

Birds of the ponltry kind have the bill a little convex, for the
purposses of gathering their food. The upper chap hangs over the
lower; their bodies are fat and muscular, and their flesh white and
pure. They live upon grain, which is moistened in the crop. They .
make their nest on the ground, without art; they lay many eggs;
and use promiscuous venery.

Birds uf the tparrow kind comprehend all that beautiful and
vocal class thai adorn our fields and groves, and gratify every sense
in its turn. Their bills may be compared to a forceps that catches
hold; their legs are formed for hopping along; their bodies aru ten.
der; pure in such as feed upon grain, impure in such as live upon
insects. They hve chiefly in trees; their nests arc artificially made,
and their amours are observed with connubial fidelity.

Birds of the duck kind use their bills as a' kind of strainer to their
food; it is smooth, covered with a skin, and nervous at the point,
Their legs are short, and their feet formed for swimming, the toes
being webbed together. Their body is fat, inclining to rancidity.
Thoy live in waters, and chiefly build their nests upon land.

With respect to the order of birds that belong to the waters, iliose
of tlie crane kind have the bill formed for the purposes of searching
and examining the bottom of pools : their legs are long and formed
for wading; their toes arc not webhed ; their thighs are half nskedi
th«r body is slender, and covered with a thin skin ; their tail is short,

BTRD3 IN GENESAL.

&ad their desh savoury. They live in lakee upon aniniaU, and they
chiefly build their nesta upon tike ground.

Such is the division of LiDiueui with respect to this dera or oni-
mah, and at first sight it appears natural and comprehensive. But
we must not be deceived by appearances: the student who should
imagine he was making a progress in the history of nature, while he
waa only thus making arbitrury distributions, wotild be very mucli
mistaken. Should lie come to enter deeper into this naturalist's
plan, be would find birds Uie most unlike in nature thrown together
into the same class ; and Gad animaU joined that entirely differ in
climate, in habitudes, in manners, in sliape, colouring, and siie. In
such a distribution, for instance, he would find the humming-bird and
the raven, the rail and the ostrich, Joined in the same family. If
when he asked what sort of a creature was the humming-bird, he
were (old that it was in the same class with iho carrion crow, would
he not think himself imposed upon? In such a case, the only way
to form any idea of the animal whose history he desires to know, is
to see it, and that curiosity very few have an opportunity of gratify-
ing. The number of birds is so great, that it might exhaust the
patience not only of the writer, but the reader, to examine them all :
in the present confined undertaking it would certainly be impossible.
I will therefore now attach myself to a more natural method ; and
still keeping the general division of Linne°us before me, enter ir
some description of the most noted, or the most worth knowing.

Under one or other class, as I shall treat them, the reader will
probably And all the species, and all the varieties that demand hia
curiosity. When the leader of any tribe is described, and its his-
tory known, it will give a very tolerable idea of all the species con-
tained under it. It is true, the reader will not thns have his know-
ledge ranged under such precise distinctions; nor can he bo able to
■ay, with such fluency, that (he rail ig of the ostrich class ; hut, what
ifl much more material, he will have a tolerable history of the bird
he desires to know, or at least of that which most resembles it in
nature.

However, it may be proper to apprize the reader, that he will not
here find his curiosity satisfied, as in the former volumes, where we
often todc M. Buflbn for our guide. Those who have hitherto writ-
ten the natural history of birds, have in general been contented with
telling their names, or describing their toes or their plumage, ft
must often therefore happen, that instead of giving the history of a
bird, we must be content to entertain the reader with merely iU
description. I will tlierefore divide the following history of birds,
with Linnsus, into six parts : in the first of which I will give such
as Brisson has ranged among the rapacious birds ; next, those of the
pie kind ; and thus go on through the succeeding classes, till I finish
with those of the duck kind. But before I enter upon a syRiemalic
detail, I will beg leave to give the history of three or four birds that
do not well range in any system, These, from their great size, are
sufficiently distinguishable from the rest ; and from their incapacity

228 THE OSTRICH.

otRj'iag, lew) a life a good deal dilTering from the rest of the (!
thered creation.' Tlie birds I mean are the Ostriih. tlie C
tlie Emu, the Dodo, and the Solitaire.

CHAPTER IV.
THE OSTRICH.

In beginning with the feathered tribe, llie first animal that offers
sceniH to units the class of quadrupeds and of birds in itself. While
it has the general outline and properties of a bird, yet it retains
many of the marks of the quadruped. In appearance the ostrich
resembles the camel, and is almost as tall ; it is covered with a plu-
mage lliat resembles hair mucli moro nearly than feathers, and its
iniernnl parts hear as near a Mmililudc to those of tlie quadruped as
of the bird creation. It may be considered, therefore, as an animal
made to fill up that chasm in nature which separates one class of
beings from another.

The ostrich is the largest of all birds. Travellers affirm that they
are seen as tall as a man on horseback ; and even some of those
that have been brought into England were above seven feel high-
The head and bill somewhat resemble those of a duck ; and ihe neck
may be likened to that of a swan, but that it is much longer ; the
legs and thighs resemble those of a hen ; though the whole appear-
ance bi^rs a strong resemblance to that of a camel. Dut to be more
particular : it is usually seven feet high from the top of the head to
the ground ; but from the back it is only four : so that the head and
neck are above three feel Itmg. From the top of the head to the
rump, when the neck is stretched out in a right line, it is sis feet
long, and the tail is about a foot more. Otie of the wings, without
the feathers, is a foot and a half; and being stretched out with the
feathers, is three feet.

The plumage is much alike in all ; that is, generally black and
white, though some of them are said to be grey. The greatest feathers
are at the extremities of the wings and tail, and the largest are gene-
rally white. The next row is black and white ; end of the small
feathers on the back and belly, some ore while and others black.
There are no feathers on the sides, nor yet on the thighs, nor under
the wings. The lower part of the neck, about half way, is covered
with still smaller feathers than tliose on the belly and back ; and
those, like the former, also are of different colours.

All tliese fealhersareof the same kind, and peculiar to the ostrich ;
for other birds have several sorts, some of which are soft and downy,
and others hard and strong. Ostrich feathers are almost all as soil as
down, being utterly unfit to serve ihe animal for flying, and still less
adapted to be a properdefence againiit c.\Lenial injury. The feaihcrs
of other birds have the webs breriHcr on c:ic sido than the other, but

l)I{. GOLDSMITH'* NATUUAL (IFSTORY

THE OSTRTCn.

those of the ostrich have theirshaft exactly in ihe middle. The upper
part of the head and neck are covered wiih a very fine dear white
liair, that shines Mb e the bristles of a hog ; and in some placet there
are small tufls of it, consisting of above twelve hairs, which grow
from a single shad about the tliickneas ofa pin.

At the end of each wing there is a kind of spur almost like the
quill of a porcupine. It is an inch long, being hollow and of a homy
substance. There are two of these on each wing, the largest of
which is at the exlremity of the bone of the wing, and the other a
foot lower. The neck seems to be more slender in proportion to
that of other birds, from its not being furnished with feathers. The
skin in this port is of a livid flesh colour, which some improperly
would have to be blue. The bill is shortand pointed, and two inches
and a half at the beginning. The external fwm of the eye is like
that of a man, the upper eye-lid being adorned with eyelashes,
which are longer than those on the lid below. The tongue is small,
very short, and composed of cartilages, ligaments, and membranes,
intermixed with fleshy fibres. In Bome it is about an inch long, and
very thick at the bottom. In others it is but half an inch, being a
httle forked at the end.

The thighs are very fleshy and large, being covered with a white
skin, inclining to redness, and wrinkled in the manner of a net, whose
meshes will admit tile end of a finger. Some have very small feathers
here and there on the thighs ; and others again have neither feathers
nor wrinkles. What are called the legs of birds, in this are covered
before with large scales. The end of the foot is cloven, and has two
very large toes, which, like the leg, are covered with scales. These
toes are of unequal sizes. The largest, which is on the inside, is
seven inches long, including the claw, which is near three fourths of
an inch in length, and almost as broad. The other toe is but four
inches long, and is without a claw.

Theinternal parts of this animal are formed with no less surprising
peculiarity. At the top of tho breast, under the skin, the fat is two
inches thick, and on (he fore part of the belly it is as hard as suel,
and about two inches and a half thick in some places. It has two
distinct stomachs. The flrst, which is lowermost, in its natural
situation somewhat resembles the crop in otlicr birds ; but it is con-
siderably larger than the other stomach, and is furnished with strong
muscular fibres, as well circular as longitudinal. The second stomach,
or gizzard, has outwardly the shape of the stomach of a man ; and
upon opening is always foimd filled with a variety of discordant
substances — hay, grass, barley beans, bones, and stones, some of
which exceed in size a pullet's egg. The kidneys are eight inches
long and two broad, and differ from those of other birds in not being
divided into lobe«. The heart and lungs are separated by a midrifr,
as in quadrupeds ; and the parts of generation also bear a very
strong resemblance and analogy.
~ 'i Such is the Blructure of this animal, forming the shade that unites
's and quadrupeds; and from this structure its habitx and man-

fiSO

Kero axe entirely peculiar. It is a native only of the torrid regicm
of Africa, and has long been celebrated by those who have had
occasion to mention the animals of that region. lis llesh is proseribedj
in Scripture as un6t to be eaten ; and nicut of the a *
describe it as well known in tlieir times. Like the race of the e
phant, it is transmitted down without mixture, and has never b
known to breed out of tiiftt country which lirst produced it. ft
formed to live among the sandy and burning deserts of the
zone; BndaslnsomeffleaBureitowesilatHrlh to their genial influenu
so it seldom migrates bto tracts more mild or more fertile.
is the peculiar country of the elephant, the rhinoceros, and camet,i
it may readily be supposed capable of sfTording a retreat to (
ostrich. They inhabit fVom preference the most solitary and hor
deserts, where there are few vegetables to clothe the surface of It
earth, and where the rain never comes to refresh it. The Ars
assert that the ostrich never drinks, and the place of its habitatit
seems to conlirm the assertion. In these furmidable regions, a
are seen in large flocks, which la [he distant spectator appear liln
regiment of cavalry, and liave ol^n alarmed a whole caravM
There is no desert, how barren soever, but what is capable of a
plying these animals with provision ; they eat almost every tbitij
and these barren tracts are IIjus doubly grateful, as they atTord b
food and security. The ostrich is of all other animals the n
voracious. It will devour leather, glass, hair, iron, stones, or a:
thing that is given, Nor are its powers of digestioc
things as are digestible. Those substances which the coats of d
stomach cannot soften, pass whole; so that ^lAss, stones, or i
arc excluded in the form in which they were devoureH All metai
indeed, which are swallowed bj* any animal, Ir rt of tJ

weight, and ol\en tlic ezlremitie* of their figure, "' '' action^
the juices of the stomach upon tlieir surface. A ijuarler pistql
whieh was swallowed by a duck, lost seven grains of its Weight i
the gizzard before it was voided; and it is probable that a i~'
greater diminution of weight would happen in the stomach of
ostrich: considered in this light, therefore, this animal may be t
to digest iron; but such substances seldom remain long enough I
the stomach of any animal to undergo so tedious a dtssoluthil
However this be, the ostrich swallows almost every thing presenM
to It. Whether this be from the necessity which smaller birds a
under, of picking up gravel to keep the coals of their stomach a
der, or whether it be from a want of distinguishing by the taste v
substances are fit and what incapable of digestion, certain it is, I
in the ostrich dissected by Ranby there appeared such a quantity H
heterogeneous substances, that it was wonderful how any a
could digest sucli an uverchargo of nourishment. Valisnii
found the iirsl stomach lillcd with a quantity of incongruous si
ces ; grass, nuts, cords, stones, glass, brass, copper, iron, tin, lej
and wiiud ; a piece ef stone was found among the rest that w
more than a pound. He saw one of these anitnals, that was kTU

THE OSTRICH. 231

by devouring n quantity of quicklime. It would seem ihnt the ostricli
is obliged to HII up the great capacity of its stomacN'ih order to be
St ease;^ut that nutritious substances not occut^tif^, it pours in
whatever offers to supply the void.

In their native deserta, however, it is probable they live chiefly
upon vegetables, where they lead an inoffensive and social life ; the
male, as Thevenot assures us, assorting with the female with connu-
bial lidelity. They are said to be very much inclined to venery ;
and the make of the parts in both sexes seems to confirm the report.
Il is probable also they copulatCi like other birds, by compression ;
and they lay very large eggs, some of them being above Rvo inches
in diameter, and weighing above fideen pounds. These eggs have
a very hard shell, somewhat resembling those of the crocodile, except
that those of the latter are less and rounder.

The season for laying depends on the climate where the animal is
bred. In the northern parts of Africa, this season is about the begin-
ning of July ; in the south, il is about the latter end of December.
These birds are very prolific, and lay generally from forty to fifty
eggs at one clutch, It has been commonly reported that the female
deposits them in the sand, and, covering them up, leaves them to be
batched by the beat of the climate, and then permits the young to
shift for themselves. Very little of this however is true : no bird has
a stronger affection for her young than the ostrich, nor none watches
her eggs with greater assiduity. It happens, indeed, in those hot
climates, that there is lexs necessity for the continual incubation of
ihe female, and she more frequently leaves her eggs, which are in no
risk of being chilled by the weather: but though she sometimes for-
sakes their^^ ^y, she always carefully broods over ihem by night ;
and Kolb(''>, who has seen great numbers of them at the Cape of
Good Ho^ie, afiirms that they sit on their eggn like other birds, and
that the male and female take this office by turns, as he had frequent
opportunities of observing. Nor is it more trrw what is said of llieir
forsaking tlieir young after they are excluded the shell. On the
contrary, the young ones are not even able to walk for several days
after they are hatched. During this time the old ones are very assi-
duous in supplying Ihem with grass, and very careful to defend them
from danger ; nay, they encounter every danger in their defence.
It was a way of taking them among the ancients, to plant a number
of sharp stakes round the ostrich's nest in her absence, upon which
she pierced herself at her return. The young, when brought forth,
are of an ash colour the first year, and are covered with feathers all
over. But in time these feathers drop, and those parts which are
covered assume a different and more becoming plumage.

The beauty of a part of this plumage, particularly the long feathers
that compose the wings and tail, is the i^ief reason that inan has
been so active in pursuing this harmless bird to its deserts, and hunt'
ing it with no small degree of expense and labour. The uucients
used these plumes in their helmets ; the ladies of the East make them
an ornament in their dress ; and among us, our undertakers and our

VOL. II. X

■B too

$33 THE OSTBICH.

fine gentlemea still make use ofthera to decorate ibeir heanes and
their hat«. Xt|W leathers which are plucked from the animal while
alive are iDuct|,)fipre valued than those taken when dead^^he latter
being drji light, and subject to be worm-^aten.

Besides the value of their plumage, some of the savage naltoDS of
Africa hunt them also for their ilesh, which the; consider as a dainty.
They sometimes also breed these birds tame, to eat the young ones,
of which ihe female is said to be the greatest delicacy. Some nations
have obtained the name of Strulkophagi, or oalrich eaters, from their
peculiar fondncBs for this food ; and even the Romans themselves
were not averse to it. Apiciua gives us a receipt for making sauce
for the ostrich; and Heliogabalus is noted for having dre»ed the
brains of six hundred ostriches in one disli; for it was his custom
never to eat but of one dish in a day, but that was an expensive
one. Even among the Europeans now, the eggs of the ostrich are
said to be well tasted, and extremely nourishing ; but they are too
scarce to be fed upon, although a single egg be a sufficient
tninment for eight men.

As the spoils of the oslricli are thus valuable, it is not to bi
dered at that man has become their most assiduous pursuer.
this purpose the Arabians train up their best and fleetest horses,
hunt the ostrich still in view. Perhaps of all other varieties of the
chase, this, though the most laborious, is yet the most entertaining.
'As soon as the hunter comes within sight of his prey, he puts on hit
horse with a gentle gallop, so as lu keep the ostrich still in sight, yet
not so as to terrify him from the plain into the mountains. Of ail
known animals that make use of their legs in running, Ihe ostrid) is
by far the swiftest; upon observing himself therefore pursued at a
distance, he begins to run at first but gently, either insensible of his
danger, or sure of escaping. In this situation he somewhat resem-
bles a man at full speed ; his wings, like two arms, keep working
with a motion correspondent to that of his legs ; and his speed wou|d
very soon snatch lum from the view of his pursuers, but, unfor-
tunately for the silly creature, instead of going offin a direct line,
he takes his course in circles ; while the hunters still make a small
course within, relieve each other, meet bim at unexpected turns, and
keep him thus still employed, still followed, fur two or three days
together. At last, spent with fatigue and lainine, and dnding all
power of escape impossible, he endeavours to hide himself from thoae
enemies he cannot avoid, and covers his head in the sand, or thetirst
thicket he meets. Sometimes, however, he attempts to face his pur-
suers; and, though in general the most gentle animal in nature,
^^^ when driven to desperation, he defends himself with his beak,
^^L wings, and his feet. Such is the force of his motion, that
^^B would be utterly unable to withstand him in the shock.
^^1 The Struthophagi have another method of taking this bird

^^H cover themselves with an ostrich's skin, and passing up a,
^^1 through the neck, thus counterfeit all the motions of this animal.
^^^L this artilice they approach the ostrich, which becomes an easy prej

THE OSTKICH.

233

also taken by dogs and nets; but the moil usual
way is that mentioned above,

Wherf the Arabians have thus taken an ostrich, ihey cut iu throat,
and making a ligature below the opening, they shako the bird, as
one would rinse a barrel ; then taking off the ligature, there runs
out from the wotmd in the throat a considerable quantity of blood,
mixed with the fat of the animal, and this is considered as one of the
greatest dainties. They nejl flay the bird ; and of the skin, which
is strong and thick, sometimes make a kind of veat, which answers
the purposes of a cuirass and a buckler.

There are others who, more compassionate or more provident, do
not kill their captive, but enileavour to tame it, for the purpose of
supplying those f^ath^ which are in bo great request. The inha-
faitanti of Dara ahd Libya breed up whole flocks of them, and the;
are tamed with very little trouble. But it is not for their feathers
alone that they are prized in this domestic state; they are often
ridden upon, and used as horses. Moore assures us, that at Joar he
saw a man travelling upon an oxtrich ; and Adnnson asserts, that at
the factory of Podore, he had two which were then young, the
strongest, of which ran swifter than the bast English racer, although
he carried two Negroes on his back. As soon as the animal per-
ceived that it was thus loaded, it set off running with all its force,
and made several circuits round the village, till at length the people
w*re obliged to stop it by barring up the way. How far this strength
and swiftness may be useful to mankind, even in -a polished state,
is a matter that perhaps deserves inquiry. Posterity may avail
themselves of this creature's abilities; and riding upon an ostrich
may one day become the favourite, as it most certainly i> the
swiftest mode of conveyance.

The parts of this animal are said to be convertible to many salu-
tary purposes in medicine. The fat is said to be emollient and
relaxing; that while it relaxes the tendons, it fortiRes the nervous
system ; and being applied to the region of the loins, it abates the
pains of the atone in the kidneys. The shell of the egg powdered,
and given in proper quantities, is said to bo useful in promoting
urine, and dissolving the stone in the bladder. The substance of the
egg itself is thought to be peculiarly nourishing; however, Galen,
in mentioning this asserts, that the eggs of hens and pheasants are
go4x] to be eaten ; those of geese and ostriches are the worst of all.

THli BMU.

Of this bird, wlucli many call the American Ostrich,but little n cer.
tatnly known. It is an inhabilant of the New Continent; and the tra-
vellers who have mentioned it seem to have been more solicitous in
proving its affinity to the ostrich, than in describing those peculiari-
ties which distinguish it from all others of the feathered creation.

It is chiefly found in Guiana, along the banks of the Oroonoko, in
the inland provlaces of Brasil and Chili, and the vast forests that
border on the mouth of the river Plata. Many other parts of South
Amcriea w^re known to liave them ; but as meu multiplied, these
large and timorous birda either fell beneath their superior power, or
fled from their vicinity.

The Emu, though not so large as the ostrich, is only second to it
in magnitude. It ia by much the largest bird in the NewConlinent;
and i) generally found lo be six feet high, measuring from iu head
to the ground, lis legs are three feet long; and its thigh is near as
thick BK that of a man. The toes differ from those of the ostrich;
as there are three in the American bird, and but two in the former.
Its neck is long, its head small, and the bill flatted, like that of the
ostrich ; but, in all other respects, it more resembles a cassowary, a
large bird to be described hereafter. The form of the body appears
round, the wings are short, and unfitted for flying, and it entirely
wants a tail. It is covered from the back and rump with long
feathers, which fall backward, and cover the anus ; these feathers
are grey upon the back, and white on the belly. It goes very
swiftly, and seems assisted in its motion by a kind of tubercle be-
hind, like a heel, upon which, on plain ground, it treads very
Hecurely : in its course it uses a very odd kind of action, lifling up
one wing, which it keeps elevated for a lime, till, letting it drop, it
litis up the other. What the bird's intention may be in thus keep-
ing only one wing up, is not easy to discover ; whether it makes use
of this as a sail to catch the wind, or whether as a rudder to turn its
course, in order to avoid the arrows of the Indians, yet remains to
be ascertained : however this be, the emu runs with such swidness
that the fleetest dogs are thrown out in the pursuit. One of (hem,
finding itself surrounded by the hunters, darted among the dogs with
such fury that they made way lo avoid its rage, and it escaped by
its amazing velocity, in safety to the mountains.

As this bird is but little known, so travellers have given a loose lo
iheir imaginations in describing some of its actions, which they were
conscious could not. be easily contradicted. This animal, says
Nierenberg, is very peculiar in the hatching of its young. The male
compels twenty or thirty of the females to lay their eggs in one nest ;
be then, when Ihey have done laying, chases them away, and places
himself upon ibe eggs ; however, lie lakes the singular precaution

THE CASSOWARY. 233

of laying two of the number aside, which he does not sit upon. When
the young ones come forth, these two eggs are addled ; which the
male having foreseen, breaks one and then the other, upon which
muUitudes of flies are fonnd to settle ; and these supply the young
brood with a sulBciency of provisions till they are able to sbifl for
themselves.

On the other hand. Wafer asserts, that he has seen great quan-
tilies of this animal's eggs on the desert shores, nortli of the river
Plata, where they were buried in the sand, in order to be hatched by
the heat of the climate. Both this, as well as the preceding account,
may be doubted ; and it is more probable that il was the crocodile's
eggs which Wafer had seen, which are undoubtedly hatched in that
manner.

When the young ones are hatched, they are familiar, and follow
the first person they meet. I have been followed myself, says Wafer,
by many of these yoimg ostriches, which at first are estremely harm-
Igm and simple ; but as they grow older, tliey become more cunning
and distrustful, and run so swill that a greyhound can scarcely over-
lake them. Their flesh, in general is good to be eaten, especially
if they be youn^. It would be no difficult matter to rear up flocks
of these animals tame, particularly as they are naturally so familiar;
and they might be found to answer domestic purposes, like the hen
w the turkey. Their maintenance could not be espensive, if, aa
Narborough says, they live entirely upon grass.

CHAPTER VI.
THE CA8BOWABT.

T^MSOwary is a bird which was flnt brought into Europe by
the Dutch, from Java, in the East Indies, in which part of the world
it is only to be found. Next to the preceding, it is the largest and
heaviest of the feathered species.

The cassowary, though not so large as the former, yet appears
more bulky to the eye; its body being nearly equal, and its neck
and legs much thicker and stronger in proportion : this conformation
gives it an air of strength and force, which the fierceness and singu-
larity of its countenance conspire to render formidable. It is Ave
feet and a half long, from the point of the bill to the extremity of the
claws. The legs are two feet and a half high, from the belly to the
end of the claws. The head and neck together are a foot and a
half; and the largest toe, including the claw, is five inches long. The
claw alone of the least toe is three inches and a half in length. The
wing is so small that it does not appear; it being hid under the
feathers of the back. In other birds, a part of the feathers serve for
flight, and are different from those that serve merely for covning;
but in the cassowary, all the feathers are of the same kind, and out-

■

fi56 THE CASSOW-LHY.

wanRjorUMume colour. They aru generally donWe ; having two
long-shafts, which grow out of & short one, which ia fixed. in theikin,
Those that are double are always of an unequal length ; for mdh
are fourteen inches long, particularly on the rump, while olhers are
not above three. The beards that adorn tlie Bteni or shaft arc, from
about half way to the end, very long, and as thick as a horse-hair,
iviihout being subdivided into fibres. The item or shaA is Hal,
shining-, black, and knotted below, and from each knot there pro-
ceeds a beard; likewise the beards at (he end of the large feathen
are perfectly black, and towards the root of a grey tawny colour;
shorter, more soft, and throwing out tine fibres, like ,down ; so that
nothing appears except the ends, which are hard and black, because
the oll)er part, composed of down, is quite covered. There are
feathers on the head and neck, but they are so short and thinly sown,
thai the bird's skin appears naked, except towards the binder part of
the head, where tliey are a little longer. The feathers which adorn
the rump arc extremely thick, but do not differ in other respects from
the rest, excepting thnr being longer. The wings, when they are
deprived of their feathers, are but three inches long, and the feathers
are like tliose on Other parts of the body. The ends of the wings
are adorned with five prickles of different lengths and thickness,
which bend like a bow : these are hoHow from the roots to the very
points, having only that slight substance within, which all quills are
known to have. The longest of these prickles is eleven inches ; and
it is a quarter of an inch in diameter at the root, being thicker there
than towards the extremity ; thepetnt aeemftfaroken off.

The part, however, which most distinguishes this animal is the
head; this, though small like that of an ostrich, does not fail to
inspire some degree of terror. It is bare of feathers, and is in a
manner armed witli a heUnet of horny substance, that covers it from
the root of the bill to near half the head backwards. This helmet is
black before and yellow behind. Its substance is very hard, being
formed by the elevation of the bone of the skull ; and it consisla of
several plates, one over another, like the horn of an ox. Some have
supposed that this was shed every year with the feathers; but the
most probable opinion is, that it only exfoliates slowly like the beak.
To the peculiar oddity of this natural armour may be added the
colour of the eye in this animal, which is a bright yellow, and the
globe being above an inch and a half in diameter, gives it aa air
equally fierce and extraordinary. At the bottom of the upper eye-
lid there is a row of small hairs, over which there is another row of
black hair, which looks pretty much like an eje-brow. The lower
eye-lkl, which is the largest of the two, is furnished also with plenty
of black hair. The hole of the ear is very large and open, being
only covered with small black feathers. The sides of the bead,
about the eye and ear, being destitute of any covering, are blue,
except the middle of the lower eye-lid, which is wUite. The part of
the bill which answers to the upper jaw in other animals, is very hard
t the edges above, and the extremity of it like that of a turkey-cock.

THE CASSOWARY. S37

The end of the lower mandible i.^ stighlljr notched ; and the M^iole
H of a greyish-brown, except a green spot on each side. As the
beak admits a very wide opening, this contribales not a little to the
btrd'g menacing Appearance. The neok is of a tiolet colour, in-
clining to tliat of iiate; and it is red behind in several plncei, but
ditelly in the middle. About the middle of the neck before, at tlie
EiBe of the larga feathers, there are twoprocesici formed by ihegkin,
*4iid) resemble somewhat the gitis of a cock, bnt that they are blue,
n well as red. The ikin which covers the fore part of the breast,
ea which this bird leans and rests, is hard, callous, and without
fektbers. The thighs and legs are covered with feathers, and are
wciremely thick, atrong, straight, and covered with scales of several
■faftpes; but the legs are thicker a little above the foot than in any
other place. The toos are likewise covered with scales, and are but
three in number t for that which should bo behind is wanting. The
cbwa are of a hard solid nuhstance, black without, and white within.
The internal parts are equally remarkable. The cassowary unites,
with the dnuble stomach of animals that live upon vegetables, the
short intestines of those that live upon flesh. The intestines of the
cas-sowary are lliirteen times shorter than those of the ostrich. The
heart is very small, being but an inch and a half long, and an inch
broad at the base. Upon the whole, it has the head of a warrior,
the eye of a lion, the defence of a porcupine, and the swilXness of b

Thus formed for a life of hostility, for terrifying others, and for
its own defence, it might be expected that the cassowary was one of
the most fierce and terrible animals of the creation. But nothing is
so opposite to its natural chnrncter, nothing so different from the life
it is contented to lead. It never attacks others ; and Instead of the
bill, when attacked, it rather makes use of its legs, and kicks like a
horse, or runs against its pursuer, beats him down, and treads him to
the ground.

The manner of going of this animal is not less extraordinary than
its appearance. Instead of going directly forward, it seems to kick
up behind with one leg, and then making a bound onward with the
other, it goes wilh sucli prodigious velocity that the swiftest racer
would be led far behind.

The same degree of voraciousness which we perceive in the
ostrich, obtains as strongly here. The cassowary swallows every
thing that comes within the capacity of its gullet. The Dutch aasert
that it can devour not only glass, iron, and stones, but even live
and burning coals, without testifying the smallest fear, or feeling
the feast injury. It is said that the passage of the food through its
gullet is performed so speedily, that even the very eggs which it has
swallowed whole pass through it unbroken, in the same form they
went down. In fact, the alimentary canal of this animal, as was
observed above, is extremely short ; and it may happen that many
kinds of food are indigestible in its stomach, as wheat or currants
are lo man, when swallowed whole.

238

TBE DOBO,

Tbe caisoffary's eggs are of a grey ash colour, inclining lo grM
They are nolso large nor so round as Uiose of the ostrich. Tbeyn
marked with a number of liltle lubercies of a deep green, and f
shell is nol very thick. The largest of iheae is found to be fifh
inches round one way, and about twelve the other.

The southern parts of the most eaHtern Indies ieem to be the
natural climate of the cassowary. His domain, if we may no call it,
begins where that of the oslrich terminates. The latter tias never
been found beyond the Ganges, while the cassowary ts never seen
nearer than the Islands of Banda, Sumatra, Java, the Molucca
Islands, and the corresponding parts of the continent. Yet even
here this animal seems not to have multiplied in any considerable
degree, as we lind one of the kings of Java making a present of one
of these birds to the captain of a Dutch ship, considering it hs r very
great rarity. Tlie ostrich, that has kept in the dmert and unpeopled
regions of Africa, is sull numerous, and the uivivallad tenant of iu
own inhospitable climate ; but the cassowary, that is the inhabilant
of a more peopled and polished region, is growing scarcer every day.
It is thus that in proportion as man multiplies, all the savage and
noxious animals fly before him : at his approach they quit their
ancient habitations, how adapted soever they may be to their
natures, and seek a more peaceable tliough barren retreat; where
they willingly exchange plenty for freedom, and encounter all the
dangers of famine, lo avoid the oppressions of au unrelenting de-

CHAPTER VII.

THE DODO.

^L de
^H pe

Mavkikd have generally made swiftness the attribute of birds;
but the Dodo has no title to this distinction. Instead of exciting the
idea of swidness by its appearance, it seems to strike the imagination
as a thing the most unwieldy and inactive of all nature. Its bod
is massive, almost round, and covered with grey feathers;
barely supported upon two short thick legs, like pillars, while ^
head and neck rise from it in a manner truly grotesque. The d
thick and pursy, is joined to the head, which consists of two g
chaps, that open far behind the eyes, which are large, black, i
prominent ; so that the animal when it gapes seems to be all mov
The bill therefore is of an extraordinary length, not flat and bro
but thick, and of a bluish-wbile, sharp at the end, and each chap
crooked in opposite directions. They resemble two pointed spoons
that are bid together by the backs. From all this resulu a siiipid
and voracious physiognomy ; whicli is still more increased by a bor-
dering of feathers round the root of the beak, which gives the ap-
pearance of a houd or cuwl, and finishes this picture of stupid

THE DOJOO. 249

deformity. Bulk, wliich id oiliur nmmals implies Mrungth, in tliis
only contributes to iimclivity. The ostrich, or tlie cassowary, are
no more able to By than the animal berore us; but then tliey supply
that defect by their speed in running. The dodo seems weighed
down by its own heaviness, and has scarcely strength to urge itaelf
forward. It seems among birds what the sloth is among (juadrupeds,
ao unresisting thing, equally incapable of flight or defence. It is
furnished with wings, covered with sod ash-coloiired feathers, but
they are too short to assist it in flying. It is furuished with a tail,
with a few small curled feathers; but this tail is disproportioned and
displaced. Its legs are too short for running, and its body loo fat
to be strong. One would lake it for a tortoise that had supplied
itself with the feathers of a bird ; and, that, thus dressed out with the
uiRtruments of flight, it was only still the more unwieldy.

This bird is a native of the Isle of France; and the Dulch, who
first discovered it there, called it in their language the nauseous bird,
aa well from its disgusting ligurc, as from the bad taste of its flesh.
However, succeedingobservera contradict this first report, and assert
that its flesh is good and wholesome eating. It is a silly simple
Wrd, as may very well be supposed from its figure, and is very
easily taken. Three or four dudos are enough to dine a hundred

Whether the dodo be llio same bird with that which some travel-
lers have described under the Bird of Nazareth, yet remains tm-
certain. The country from whence they both came is the same;
their incapacity of flying is the same ; the form of the wings and
body in both are similar; but the chief diiferenco given is in the
colour of the feathers, which in the female of the bird of Nazareth
are said to be extremely beautiful ; anil in tlie length of their legs,
which in the dodo are short, in the other are described as long. Time
and future observation must clear up these doubts; and the testi-
mony of a single witness, who shall hare seen both, will throw more
light OQ the subject than the reasonings of a hundred philosophers.

f CHAPTER Vin.

OF RAPACIOUS BIRDS IN GENERAL.

There seems to obtam a general resemblance in all the classes
of nature. Aa among quadrupeds, a part were seen to live upon the
vegetable productions of the earth, and another part upon the flesh
of each other; so among birds, some live upon vegetable food, and
ethers by rapine, destroying all such as want force or swiftness to
procure their safety. By thus peopling the woods with aaimala of
different dispositions, nature has wisely provided for the multipli-
cation of life; since, could we suppose that there were as many
animals produced as there were vegetables supplied to sustain them.

240 HISTORY or

yel Iheie migtii Htill be nnuther class of animnts rormed, which could
find a sufficient auslennnce by feeding opon such of ihe vegetabfe
/bedera as happened to Tall by the course of nature. By ihia con-
trivance, a greater number will bo sustained upon the whole ; for
the numbers would be but very thin, were every creature a candidate
for the same food. Thus by supplying a variety of appetites, nature
has also multiplied life in her productions.

In thus varying their appetites, nature has also varied the form of
the animal ; and while she has given some an instinctive pnssiun for
animal food, she has also furnished them with poivers to obtain it-
Ail land birds of the rapacious kinds are furnished with a large head,
and a Strong crooked beak, notclied at the end, for the purpose oF
tearing their prey. They have strong short legs and sharp croaked
talons for the purpose of seizing it. Their bodies are formed for
War, being fibrous and muscnlar; and their wings for swiftness of
fiig hi, being well feathered and expansive. The sight of such as
prey by day is astonishingly quick ; and such as ravage by night,
have their sight so fitted as to see objects in darkness with extreme
precision.

Their internal parts arc equally formed for the food they seek
for. Their stomach is simple and membranous, and wrapped in fat
to increase the powers of digestion ; and their intestines are short and
glandular. As their food is succulent and juicy, they want no length
of intestinal tube to form it into proper nourishment. Their food is
flesh, which does not require a slow digestion to be converted into a
Similitude of substance to their own.

Thus formed (br war, they lead a life of solitude and rapacity.
They inhabit, by choice, the moat lonely plates, and the most desert
mountains. They make their nests in the clefts of rocks, and on the
highest and most inaccessible trees of the forest. Whenever they
appear in the cultivated plain, or the \Varbling grove, it is only for
the purposes of depredation, and are gloomy intruders on the general
joy of the landscape. They spread terror wherever they approach ;
all that variety of music, which but a moment before enlivened the
grove, at their appearing is instantly at an end ; every order of
lesser birds seek for safety, either by concealment or flight; and
some are even driven to take protection with man, to avoid their less
merciful pursuers.

Tt would indeed be fatal to all the smaller race of birds, if, as they
are weaker than all, they were also pursued by all ; but it is con-
trived wisely for their safely, that every order of carnivorous birds
seek only for such as are of the size most approaching their own.
The eagle flies at the bustard or the pheasant ; the sparrow.hawk
pursues the thru.ih and the linnet. Nature has provided that ea(4i
species should make war only on such as are furnished with adequate
meaDs of escape. The smallest birds avoid their pursuers by the
extreme agility, rather than the swiftncsS of their flight ; for every
order would soon ba at on end, if the oagje, lo its own swiflneN of
wing, added the versalilily of the sparrow.

RAPACIOUS B1RJ>S.

Another circumstance which tends tu render the tjranny of d
animata more supporlsblc is, that they are less fruitful than otiier
birds, breeding but few at a time. Those of the larger kind seldom
produce above four eggs, olten but two; those of the smaller kiodi;,
never above six or seven. The pigeon, it is true, which is their prey,
never breeds above two at a time ; but then she breeds every month
in the year. The carnivorous kinds only breed anuually, and of
consequence, their fecundity is small in comparison.

As they are tierce by nature, and are difficult to be taniec), sothis
fierceness extends even lo their young, which they force frum the
nert sooner tliau birds of the gentler kind, Otiier birds seldom for-
sake their young till able, completely, lo provide for themselves ;
the rapacious kinds expel them from the nest at a time when they
still should protect and support them. This severity to their young
proceeds from the necessity of providing for themselves. All ani-
mals tlial, by the conformation of their stomach and tnlesiinas, are
obliged lo live upon flesh, and support themselves by prey, though
they may be m^ld when young, soon become fierce and mischievnus
by the very habit of using those arms with which they are supplied
by nature. As it ia only by the destruction of other animals thai
they can subsist, (hey become more furious every day ; and even the
parental feelings are overpowered in their general habits uf cruelly.
If the power of obtaining a supply be difficult, the old ones soon
drive their brood from the nest to sliift for themselves, and often de-
stroy them in a fit of fury caused by hunger.

Another effect of this natural and acquired severity is, that almoA
all birds of prey are unsociable. It has long been observed by
Aristotle, that all birds with crooked beaks and talons aresolitsry:
like quadrupeds of the cat kind, they lead a lonely wandering life,
and are united only in pairs, by that instinct which overpowers their
rapacious habits of enmity will) all other animals. As the male and
female are often necessary to each other in thetr pursuits, so they
aometimes live together, but, except at certain seasons, they most
usually prowl alone, and, like robbers, enjoy in solitude the fruits of
their plunder.

All birds of prey are remarkable for one singularity, fur which it
is not easy to account. All the males of these birds are about a
third less, and weaker than the females ; contrary lo what obtains
among quadrupeds, among whicli the males are always the largest
and the boldest : from thence the male is called by falconers, a
tercel; that is, a tierce or third less than the other. The reason of
this diRerenoe cannot proceed from the necessity of a larger body in
the female for the purposes of breeding, and that her volume is thus
increased by the quantity of her eggs ; for in other birds, that breed
much faster, and that lay in much greater proportion, such as the
hen, the duck, or the pheasant, the male is by much the latest of
the two. Whatever be the cause, certain it is that the females, as
Willougbby expresses i(, are of greater size, more beautiful and
lovely for shape and colours, stronger, more fierce and generous than

343

HISTORY OF

the males; whether it may b

that

8 neceMnry for the femalfill

:iimbent upon her to provide,
hereeir, but her young ones also.

These birds, like ({iiadrupedB of the carnivoroux kind, are all lean
and meagre. Their flenh la stringy and ill tasted, soon corrupting,
and tinctured with the flavour of that animal food upon which ihey
subsist. Nevertheless, Belonius asserts, that many people admire
the flesh of the vulture and falcon, and dress tbetn for eating, when
they meet with any accident that unfits them for the chase. He
asserts that the oaprey, a species of Uie eagle, when young, is ex-
cellent food; but he contents faimselfwiih advising us, to breed these
birds up Tor our pleasure rather in the field than for the table.

Of land birds of a rapacious nature, there are five kinds. The
iagle kind, the hawk kind, the vulture kind, the homed, and the
^screech owl kind. The distinctive marks of this class are taken from
their claws and beak : their toes are separated ; their legs are
feathered to the heel ; their toes are four in number, three before,
one behind; their beak is short, thick, and crooked.

The eagle kind is distinguished from the rcstby his beak, which
a straight, till towards the end, when it begins to hook downwards.

The vulture kind is distinguished by the head and neck ; hej)
without feathers.

The hawk kind by the beak ; being hooked from the very rooL

The horned owl by the feathers at the base of the bill standii _^^
forwards ; and by some feathers on the head, that stand out, resem*^
J>ltog horns,

The screech owl by the feathers at tlie base of the bill standing
forward, and being without horns. A description of one in each kind
will serve for all the rest.

oL^^H

CHAPTER IX.

THE EAGLE AND ITS AFFINITIES,

The Golden Eagle is tlie largest and the noblest of all those birds
that have received the name of Eagle. It weighs above twelve
pounds. Its length is three feet; the estent of its wiugs seven feet
four inches; the bill is three inches long, and of a deep blue colour;
and the eye of a hazel colour. The sight and sense of smelling are
very acute. The head and neck are clothed with narrow sharp
painted feathers, and of a deep brown colour, bordered with tawny ;
but those on the crown of the head, in very old birds, turn grey.
The whole body, above as well as beneath, is of a dark brown, and
the feathers of the buck are finely clouded with a deeper shade of the
same. The wings when clothed reach to the end of the tail. Tte
quill feathers are of a chocolate colour, the shales while. The Uil^!
of a deep brown, irregularly barred and blotched wiili an obsci

IMF —

THE EAGLG. 243

ash colour, and usually while at the roots of the feathers. The legs
are yellow, short, and very strong', being three inches in circum-
ference, and feathered to the very feet. The toes are covered with
large scales, and armed with the most formidable claws, the middle
of which are two inches long.

In the rear of tliis terrible bird follow the ring-tailed eagle, the
comtaim eagle, the bald eagle, the while eagle, the rottgh-fooled
eagle, the eme, the black eagle, the osprey, the tea eagle, and the
croumed eagle. These, and otliers that might be added, form dif-
ferent shades in this lierce family ; but have all the same rapacity,
the same general form, the same habits, and the same manner of
bringing up their young.

In general, these birds are found in mountainous and ill-peopled
countries, and breed among the loftiest cliUk. They choose those
places which are remotest from man, upon whoso possessions they
but seldom make their depredations, being contented ratlier to follow
the wild game in the forest, than to risk their safety to satisfy their
hunger.

This fierce animal may be considered among birds as the lion
among quadrupeds; and in many respects they have a strong simi-
litude to each other. They are both possessed of force, and an
empire over their fellows of the forest. Equally magnanimous, they
disdain smaller plunder, and only pursue animals worthy the con-
quest. It is not till after having been long provoked by the crlei
of the rook or the magpie, that this generous bird thinks fit to punisli
them with death ; the esgle also disdains to share the plunder of
another bird ; and will take up with no other prey but that which he
has acquired by his own pursuits. How hungry soever he may bo,
he never stoops to carrion ; and when satiated, he never returns to
the same carcass, but leaves it forotheranimals, more rapacious and
less delicate than he. Solitary, like the lion, ho keeps the desert to
himself atone; it is as extraordinary to see two pair of eagles In (he
same mountain, as two lions in the same forest. They keep separate
to Gnd a more ample supply, and consider the quantity of their
game as the best proof of their dominion. Nor does the similitude
of these animals stop here : they have both sparkling eyes, and
□early of the same colour; their claws are of the same form, their
breath equally strong, and their cry equally loud and terrifying.
Bred both for war, they are enemies of all society; alike fierce,
K proud, and incapable of being easily lamed. It requires great
l^^tience and much art to lame an eagle; and even though taken
Hjroung, and brought under by long assiduity, yet still it is a dan-
(.igerous domestic, and often turns its force against Its master. Wlien
brought into the field for the purposes of fowling, the falconer Is
never sure of Its attachment : thai innate pride, and love of liberty,
still prompt it to regain its native solitudes; and the Riomenl the
falconer sees it, when let loose, first stoop towards the ground, and
then rise perpendicularly into the clouds, he gives up all his former
labour for lost, quite sure of never beholding his late prisoner more.

244

THB EAGLE.

Sometimes, liowefer, ihey are brought to have an stUchtnent
their feeder ; lUey are then highly serviceable, and liberall j prorith'
Ibr his pleasures and support. When the falconer letti them go
Ih>i» hix hand, they play about and hovttr round him till their game
presents, which they see at an immense distance, and pursue with
certain destraclion.

Of all animals tlie eagle flies highest; and from thence tlie
ancients have given him the epithet of the bird of Heaven, Of all
others also, he has the (quickest eye; but his sense of smelling is
far inferior to that of the vulture. He never pursues, therefore, but
ill sight ; and when he has seized his prey, he stoops from his hei^t,
as if to examine its weight, always laying it on the ground before
he carries it off. As his wing is very powerful, yet as he has bul
little suppleness in the joints of the leg, he llnds it difficult to rise
when down ; however, if not instantly pursued, he finds no difficulty
in carrying off geese and cranes. He also carries away hares, lambs,
and kids ; and often destroys fawns and calves, to drink their blood,
and carries a part of their flesh to his retreat. Infants themselves,
when left unattended, have been destroyed by these rapacious crea^
tures; which probably gave rise to the fable of Ganymede's b^ing
snatched up by an eagle to heaven.

An instance is recorded in Scotland of two children being carried
off by eagles; but fortunately they received no hurt by the way,
and the eagles being pursued, the children were restored unhurt 'otH
of the nests to the affrighted parents.

The eagle is thus at all times a formidable neighbour, but

cutariy when bringing up its young, (t is then that the female,

well as the male, exert all their force and industry to supply tb0f^l
young. Smith, in his History of Kerry, relates, that a poor man ih
that country got a comfortable subsistence for his family, during «
summer of famine, out of an eagle's nest, by robbing the eaglets of
food, which wos plentifully supplied by the old ones. He protracted
their assiduity beyond the usual lime, by clipping the wings, and
retarding the flight of the young, and very probably also, as I have
known myself, by so tying them as to increase their cries, which is
always found lo increase the parent's dispatch to procure them pro-
vision. It was lucky, however, that the old eagles did nut surprise
the countryman as he was thus employed, as their resentment might
have been dangerous.

It happened some time ago, in the same country, that a peasant
resolved to rob the nest of an eagle that had built in a amaU istani)
in the beautiful lake of Killarney. He accordingly stripped, and
swam in upon the island while the old ones were away ; and, rebbilig
the nest of its yoimg, he was preparing to swim baek, with (he
eaglets tied in a string; but while he was yet up lo his ohin in the
Water, the old eagles relumed, and missing their young, quiddy (fell
upon the plunderer, and, in spite of all his resistance, dispatched hitn-i
with their beaks and talons.

In order to extirpate these pernicious birds, there is a- law' in

]

THE EAGLG.

245

Orkney-islandii wliicb entitles any person ihat kills an eagle to a
hen out of every houHeiu ihe parish in which the plunderer is killed

The neat of the eagle is usually built in the most inaccessible cliff
of the rock, and oden shielded from the weather by some jutting^
crag that hangs over it. Sometimes, however, it is wholly exposed
to the winds, as well sideways ss above ; for the nest is flat, though
built with great labour. It is said that the same nest serves the eagle
during life ; and indeed the pains bestowed in forming it seems to
argue as much. One uf these was found in the Peak of Derbyshire ;
which Willoughby ihus describes. " ft was made of great sticks,
resting one end on the edge of a rock, tlie other on two birch tree.s.
Upon these was a layer of rushes, and over them a layer of heath,
and upon the healh rushes ngain ; upon which lay one young one
and an addle egg, and by them a lamb, a hare, and three heath-
pouts. The nest was about two yards square, and had no hollow in
it. Tha young eagle was of the shape of a gosshawk, of almost the
weight of a goose, rough-footed, or feathered down to the foot, hav-
ing a white ring about the tail." Such is the place where, the
female eagle deposits her eggs, which seldom exceed two at a timg
in the larger species, and not above three in the smallest. It is said
that she hatches them for thirty days ; but frequently, even of this
small number of eggs, a part is addled, and it is extremely rare to
find three eaglets in the same nesL It is asserted, that as soon as
(he young ones are somewhat grown, the mother kills the most
feeble or the most voracious. If this happens, it must proceed only
from ihe necessities of the parent, who is incapable of providing for
their support, and is content to sacrifice a part to the welfare of all.

The plumage of the eaglets is not so strongly marked as when
they come to be adult. They are at first while, then inclining ti
yellow, and at last of a light brown. Age, hunger, long captivity,
and diseases, make them whiter. It is said they Uve above a hun-
dred years; and that they at last die, not of old age, but from the
beaks turning inward upon the under mondible, and thus preventing
their taking any food. They are equally remarkable, says Mr.
Pennant, for their longevity and for Iheir power of sustaining a long
abstinence from food. One of these species, which has now been
nine years in the possession of Mr. Owen Holland, of Conway, lived
thirty- two years with the gentleman who made him a present of it
but what its age was when the latter received it from Ireland, i
unknown. The same bird also furnishes a proof of the tralh of the
other remark ; having once, through the neglect of servants, endured
hunger for twenty-one days without any sustenance whatever.

Those eagles which are kept tame are fed with every kind of
flesh, whether fresh or corrupting ; and when there it a deliciency of
that, bread or any uther provision will suffice. It is very dangerous
approaching them if nut quite tame ; and they sometimes send forth
a loud piercing lamentable cry, which renders Ihem still more for-
midable. The eagle drinks but seldom; and perhaps, when a*
iberty, not at all, as ihe blood ofila prey serves to quench ila thirst.
3fi.— VOL. II. V

346 HISTORY OF

The eagle's excremenls are always sof\ and moist, and tinged with
that vhitish substance which, as wbb said before, mixes in birds with
the urine.

Such are the general characteristics and habitudes of the eagle ;
however, in some these habitudes differ, as the Sea Eagle and the
Osprey live chiefly upon fish, and consequently build their nests on
the sea-shore, and by the sides of rivers, on ihe ground among reeds ;
and often lay three or four eggs, rather less than those of a hen, of a
white elliptical form. They catch their prey, which is chiefly lish,
by darting down upon them from above. The Italians compare the
violent descent of these birds on their prey (o the fall of lead into
water, and call them Aquila Piombioa or the Leaden Eagle.

Nor is the Bald Eagle, which is an inhabitant of North Carolina,
less remarkable for habits peculiar to itself. These birds breed in
that country all the year round. When the eaglets are Just covered
with down, and a sort of white woolly feathers, the leinale eagle
lays again. These eggs are left to be hatched by the warmth of
the young ones that continue in the nest ; so that the flight of one
brood makes room for the next, that are but just hatched. These
birds fly very heavily ; so that they cannot overtalie their prey, like
others of the same denomination. To remedy this, they often attend
t> sort of fishing-hawk, which they pursue, and strip the plunderer of
its prey. This is the more remarkable, as this hawk flies swifter
than they. These eagles also generally attend upon fowlers in the
winter; and when any birds are wounded, they are sure to be seized
by the eagle, though they may fly from the fowler. This bird will
ollen also steal young pigs, and carry them alive to the nest, which
is composed of twigs, sticks, and rubbish : it is large enough to fill
the body of a cart; and is commonly full of bones half eaten, atid
putrid flesh, the stench of which is intolerable,

The distinctive marks of each species are as follow.

The golden eagle: of a tawny iron colour; the head and neck
of a reddish iron ; the tail feathers of a dirty white, marked wilh cross
bai)ds of tawny iron ; the legs covered with lawny iron feathers.

TUo common tagle : of a brown colour ; the head and upper part
of (he neck inchning to red ; the tail feathers white, blackeniog at
the ends; the outer ones on each side of an ash colour; the legs
covered with feathers of a reddish -brown.

The bald eagle : brown; the head, neck, and tail featherswbite;
the feathers of the upper part of the leg brown.

The white eagle : the whole while.

The rough-fooled eagle : of a dirty brown ; spotted under the
wings, and on the legs, with white ; the feathers of the tail white at
the beginning and the point; the leg feathers dirty brown, spotted
with white.

The te/iile-tailed eagle : dirty brown ; head white ; the stem* of
the feathers black ; the rump inclining to black ; the tail feathers,
the first half black, the end halfwhite; legs naked.

Xb> erne: a dirty iron colour above, an iron mixed with Wack

THE BAOLE. 247

below; the head and neck ush, imxcd wUb ehesnut; the poials of
the vinga blackish ; the tail feathers white; the legs naked.

The black eai;U : blackish ; the head and upper neck mixed with
red ; the tail feathera, the first half white, speckled with black, the
other half blackish ; the leg feathers dirty white.

The iea eagte : inclining to while, mixed with iron-brown ; belly
white, with iron-coloured spots; the covert feathers of the tail whitish;
the tail feathers black at the eztrennily; the upper part of the leg
feathers of an iron-brown

The osprey : brown above; white below; the hack of the head
white ; the outward tail feathers, on the inner side, streaked with
white ; legs naked.

The jVoB le bJanc : above, brownish grey ; below, white, spotted
with tawny brown ; the tail feathers on llie outside and at the ex-
tremity brown; on the inside, while, streaked with brown; legs

The eagle of Brazil: blackish brown; ash colour, mised in the
wings; tail feathers white; legs naked.

The Oroonoio ea^le : with a topping above, black ish-brown ;
below, white, spotted with black ; upper neck yellow ; lail feathers
brown, with while circles ; leg feathers while, spotted with black.

The crowned African eagle: with a topping ; the lail of an ash
colour, streaked on the upper side with black.

The eagle of PonrUcherry : ehesnut colour; the six outward tail
feathers black one half.

[Many other species have been distinguished by ornithologists,
but one observed by Mr. Bruce on the mountain Lamalmon, in
Abyaainia, deserves particularly notice, as being not only ihe largest
of the eagle kind, but, in hia opinion, the largest bird that flies. He
calls it the golden eagle; by the natives it is vulgarly called abon
duchn, or father long-beard. It is not an object of any chase, nor
stood in need of any stratagem to bring it within reach. Upon the
highest (op of the mountain Lamalmon, while Mr. Bruce's servants
were refreshing themselves from that toilsome rugged ascent, and
enjoying the pleasure of a most delightful dima.te, eating their dinner
in the outer air with several large disiies of boiled goals flesh before
them, this eagle suddenly made its appearance : he did not stoop
rapidly from a height, but came llying slowly along the ground, and
sat down close to the meat within the ring, the men had made round
it. A great shout, or rather cry of distreaa, which they raised, made
the bird stand for a minute aa if to recollect himself, while the aer-
vanta ran for their lances and shields. His attention was fully Used
upon the fleab. He put his foot into the pan where was a large
piece in water prepared for boiling ; but finding the smart which he
had not expected, iio withdrew it, and forsook the piece which he
held. There were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder, lying upon
a wooden platter ; into these he trussed both his claws and carried
them off, dcimming slowly along the ground as he had come, till he
disappeared behind a cliff, But being observed at Ills departure to
y2

248 HISTORY OF

liH^ wistfully at the large piece wliicli remained in the warm water,
it was concluded that he would soon reliim, in expectation or whieh
Mr. Bruce loaded a rifle gun with ball, and sat down close to the
platter by the meat. It was not man; minutes before he came, and
a prodigious shout was raised by the attendants, " He is coming, he
is coming ! " enough to have discouraged a less courageous animal.
Whether it was not quite so hungry as at the first visit, or suspected
something from Mr. Bruce's appearance, it made a small turn, and
sat down about ten yards from him, the pan with the meat being
between them. In this situation Mr. Bruce llred, and shot him with
the ball through the middle of his body, about two inches below the
wing, so thai he lay down upon the grass without a single flutter.
Upon laying hold of his monstrous carcass, Mr. Bruce was not a little
surprised at seeing his hands covered and tinged with yellow powder
or dust. Upon turning hira upon his belly, and examining the
feathers of his back, they produced a brown dust, the colour of the
feathers there, This dust was not in small quantities ; for upon
striking his breast, the yellow powder flew in fully greater qiiantily
than from a hair-dresser's powder puff. The feathers of the belly
and breast, which were of a gold colour, did not appear to have any
thing extraordinary in their formation ; but the large feathers In the
ihoulder and wings seemed apparently to be line tubes, which upon
pressure scattered this dust upon the finer part of the feather, but
this was brown, the colour of the feathers of the back. Upon the
side of the wing, the ribs, or hard part of the feather, seemed lo be
bare as if worn, or, in Mr. Bruce's opinion, were rather renewing
themselves, having before failed in their function. What is the
reason of this extraordinary provision of nature, he doea not pretend
to determine. But as it is an unusual one, it is probably meant, lie
thinks, for a defence against the climate in favour of those birds,
which live in the almost inaccessible heights of a country doomed
even in its lower parts to several months of excessive rain. Accord-
ing to Mr. Bruee's description, this bird, from wing to wing, was
eight feet four inches ; from the tip of his tail to the point of his beak
when dead, four feel seven inches. He was remarkably short in the
legs, being only four inches from the Joining of the foot to where the
leg joins the thigh, and from the joint of the thigh lo the joining of
his body six inches. The thickness of his thigh was little less than
four inches; it was extremely muscular, and covered with flesli. His
middle claw was about two inches and a half long, not very sliarp at
the point, but extremely strong. From the root of the bill to the
point was three inches and a quarter, and one inch and three quarters
in breadth at the root. A forked brush of strong hair, divided at the
point into two, proceeded from the cavity of his lower jaw at the
beginning of his throat. His eye was remarkably small in propor-
tion to his bulk, the aperture being scarcely half an inch. Ttw
k crown of his head was bare or bald, as was aUn the front where I^^h
bill and skull joined ] ^^^H

THK CONDOB.

^■^ THE CONDOR OF AMERICA.

W - ' Wb might now come to speak of the vulture kind, as they hold
the neit rank to the eagle; but we are interrupted in our method,
by the consideration of an enormous bird, whose ploca is not yet
ascenained, as naturalists are in doubt whether to refer it to the eagle
tribe or to that of the vulture. Its great strength, force, and vivacity,
might plead for ils place among the former; the baldness of its head
Bud nock might be thought lo degrade it among the latter. In this
uDcertainty, it will be enough to describe the bird by the lights we
have, and leave future historians to settle ils rank in the feathered
creation. Indeed, if size and strength, combined with rapidity of
flight and rapacity, deserve pre-eminence, no bird can be [lut in
competition with it.

The Condor possesses, in a higher degree than the eagle, all the
equalities that render it formidable, not only to the feathered kind,
but lo beasts, and even to man himself. Acosta, Garcilasso, and
Desmarchais, assert, that it is eighteen feet across, the wings ex-
tended. The beak is so strong as to pierce the body of a cow ; and
two of them are able to devour it. They do not even abstain from
man himself: but fortunately there are but few of the species; for
if they had been plenty, every order of animals most have carried
on an unsuccessful war against th^m. The Indians assert, that they
will carry off a deer, or a young calf, in their talons, as eagles would
a hare or a rabbit; that their sight ia piercing, and their air terrible;
that they seldom frequent the forests, as they require a large space
for the display of their wingv, but that tiiey are found on the sea-
shore, and the banks of rivers, whither they descend from the heights
of the mountains. By later accounts we learn, that they come down
to the sea-shore only at certain seasons, when their prey happetis to
fail them upon land ; that they then feed upon deed fish, and such
other nutritious substances as the sea throws up on the shore. We
are assured, however, that their countenance is not so terrible as the
old writers have represented it, but that they appear of a milder
nature than either the eagle ur the vulture.

Condamine has frequently seen them in several parts of the moun-
tains of Quito, and observed them hovering over a flock of sheep;
and he thinks they would at a certain time have attempted to carry
one off, had they not been scared away by the shepherds. Labat
acquaints ua, that those who have seen this animal declare, that the
body is as large as that of a sheep, and that the Hesh ia tough, and
as disagreeable as carrion. The Spaniards Ihemseivea seem lo dread
its depredations : and there have been many insiancea of ils carrying
cff their children.
^■^r. Strong, the master of a ahip, as he was sailing along the

3£0 HISTORY OP

coasts of Chili, in the thirCy-ihird decree of south latitude, observed
a bird sitting upon a high cliff near the shore, which some of the
ship's company shot with a leaden bullet, and killed. They were
greatly surprised when they beheld its magnitude; for when the
wings were extended they measured thirteen feet from one tip to the
other. One of the quills was two feet four inches long; and the
barrel, or hollow part, was sis inches and three quarters, and an inch
and a halfin circumference.

We have a still more circumstantial account of thb amazing bird,
by P. Feuillee, the only traveller who has accurately described if.
"In the valley of lllo in Peru, I discovered a condor, perched on a
high rock before me: 1 approached within gun-shot, and fired; but
as my piece was only charged with swan-shot, the lead was not able
sufficiently to pierce the birds feathers. I perceived, however, by its
manner of flying, that it was wounded ; and it was with a good deal
of difficulty that it flew to another rock, about five hundred yards
distant, on the sea-shore. I therefore charged again with ball, and
hit the bird under the throat, which made it mine. I accordingly
ran up to seize it ; but even in death it was terrible, and defended
itself upon its back, wilh its claws extended against me, so that I
scarcely knew how to lay hold of it. Had it not been mortally
wounded, Ishould have found it no easy matter to take it; but 1 ai
last dragged it down from the rock, and with the assistance of one
of the seamen, I carried it to my lent, to make a coloured drawing.

" The wings of ihis bird, which I measured very exactly, were
twelve feet three inches (English) from tip to tip. The great feathers
that were of a beautiful shining black, were two feet four inches long.
The thickness of the beak was proportionable to the rest of the body ;
the length about four inches ; the point hooked downwards, and white
at its extremity ; and the other part was of a jet black, A short
down, of a brown colour, covered the head ; the eyes were black,
and surrounded with a circle of red dish- brown. The feathers on the
breast, neck, and wings, were of a light brown ; those on the back
were rather darker. Its thighs were covered wilh brown feathers to
the knee. The thigh-bone was ten inches long, the leg five inches ;
the toes were three before; and one behind ; that behind was an inch
and a half, and the claw with which it was armed was black, and
three quarters of an inch. The other claws were in the same pro-
portion ; and the leg wait covered with black scales, as also (he toes ;
but in these the scales were larger.

'' These birds usually keep in the mountains, where they find their
prey; they never descend to the sea-shore but in the rainy season;
for as they are very sensible of cold, ihey go there for greater
warmth. Though these mountains are situated in the torrid zone,
ihe cold is often very severe; for a great part of the year they are
covered with snow, but particularly in winter.

" The little nourishment which these birds find on (he sea-coait,
except when the tempest drives in eomf. great fish, obliges

THB VUIiTORE. 651

i lo continue tliere but a short time. They u.<ually come to the ooaat
at the approach of evenlog ; stay there all night, and fly back in the
morning."

It is doubted wlietber thia animal be proper to America only, or
tohether it may not have been described by the naUiralisla of other
countries. It is supposed that the great bird called the Rock, de-
L acnbed by Arabian writers, and bo much exaggerated by fable, ii
I ibot a species of the condor. The great bird of Tarnassar, in the
"tHt Indies, that is larger than the eagle, as well as the vulture of
juegal that carries off children, are probably no other than the bird
e have been describing. Russia, Lapland, and even Switzerland
d Germany, are said lo have known this animal. A bird of this
id was shot in France, that weighed eighteen pounds, and wa«
' 'said to be eighteen feet across the wings : however, one of tlje quills
was described only as being larger than that of a swan, so that pro-
bably the breadth of the wings may have been exaggerated, since a
bird so. large would have (he quills more than twice as big as Ibose
of a swan. However this be, we are not to regret that it is scarcely
ever seen in Europe, as it appears to be one of the most formidable
Enemies of mankind. In the deserts of Pachomac, where it is chiefly
■eeo, men seldom venture to travel. Those wild I'egions are very
snf&cieot of themselves to inspire a secret horror; broken preci^Hces
—prowling panthers — forests only vocal with the hissing of ser-
pents — and mountains rendered still more terrible by the condor,
~'ie only bird that ventures to make its resklence in those deserted
tualions.

CHAPTER XI.

OF THE VULTURE, AND ITS AFFINITIES.

Tub first rank in the description of birds has been given to (he
igle, not because it is stronger or larger than the vulture, but be-
is more generous and bold. The eagle, unless pressed by
famine, will not stoop to carrion ; and never devours but what he
has earned by his own pursuit. The vulture, on the contrary, is
indelicately voracious, and seldom attacks living animals when it
can be supplied with the dead. The eagle meets and singly opposes
his enemy ; the vulture, if it expects resistance, calls in the aid of
its kind, and basely overpowers its prey by a cowardly combination.
Putrefaction and stench, instead of deterring, also serve lo allure
yfbeia. The vulture seems among birds what the jackall and hytcna
B among quadrupeds, who prey upon carcasses, and root up the

Vultures may be easily distinguished from all those of the eagle
id, by the nakedness of their heads and necks, which are without
ilhera, and only covered with a very slight down, or a few

46i HISTOHY OI'

Bcattered hairs. Their eyes are more prominent, those of the eagle
being buried more in the socket. Their claws are shorter and less
hooked. The inside of the wing is covered with a thick down, which
is different in them from nil other birds of prey. Their attitude is
not 90 upright as thai of the eagle, and their flight moredillicult and

In this tribe we may range the golden, the ash-coloured, and the
brown vulture, which are inhabitants of Europe ; the spotted and the
black vulture of Egypt ; the bearded vulture, the Brazihan vulture,
and the king of the vultures, of South America. They all agree
in their nature, being equally indolent, yet rapacious, and unclean.

The Golden Vulture seems to be the foremost of the kind, and ia
in many things like the golden eagle, but larger in every proportion.
Prom the end of the beak to that of the tail, it is four feet and r
half; and to the claws' end, forty-five inches. The length of the
upper mandible is almost seven inches ; and the tail twenty-seven
in length. The lower part of the neck, breast, and belly, are of «
' red colour; but on Ihetail it is more faint, anddeeper neartbe head.
The feathers are black on the back, and on the wings and tail of a
yellowish -brown. Others of the kind differ from this in colour and
dimensions : but they are all strongly marked by their naked headu,^
and beak straight in the beginning, but hooking at the point, ^2

They are still more strongly marked by their nature, which, ifl
has been observed, is cruel, unclean, and indolent. Their sense 4^|
smelling, however, is amazingly great ; and nature, for this purpoW^
has given them two Inrge apertures or nostrils without, and an ex-
tensive olfactory membrane within. Their intestines are formed
differently from those of the eagle kind; for they partake more of
the formation of such birds as live upon grain. They have both a
crop and a stomach, which may be regarded as a kind of giizard,
from the extreme thickness of the muscles of which it is composed.
In fact, they seem adapted inwardly, not only for being carni-
vorous, but to eat corn, or whatsoever of that kind comes in Iheir
way.

This bird) which is common in many parts of Europe, and but too
well known on the western continent, istotally unknown in England.
In Egypt, Arabia, and many other kingdoms of Africa and Asia,
vultures are found in great abundance. The inside down of their
wing is converted into a very warm and comfortable kind of fur, and
is commonly sold in the Asiatic markets.

Indeed, in Egypt this bird seems to be of singular service. There
are great flocks of them in the neighbourhood of Grand Cairo, which
no person is perniilled to destroy. The service ihey render the m-
habiiants, is the devouring all the carrion and lillh of that great city,
which might otherwise tend to cornipt and putrefy the air. Ttiejr
are commonly seen in company with the wild dogs of the country,
tearing a carcass very deliberately together, This odd associaliq;;

I tearing a carcass very deliberately together, i his odd associalic^^^^^
produces no quarrels; the birds and quadrupeds seem to live ^IV^^^H
3

THE TULTTTRE. 253

der is alill llie greater, bb both are extremely rapacious, and both
lean and bony to a very great decree ; probably having no great
plenty even o( the wretched food on which they subsist.

In America tliey lead a. life somewhat similar. Wherever the
hunters, who there only pursue beasts for the skins, are found to go,
these birds are seen to pursue them. They still keep hovering at a
little distance; and when they see the beast flayed and abandoned,
they call out to each other, pour down upon the carcass, and in an
instant pick its bones as bare and clean as if they had been scraped
by a knife.

At the Cape of Good Hope, in Africa, they seem to discover a
still greater share of dexterity in their methods of carving. "1 have,"
says Kolben, " been often a spectator of the manner in which they
have anatomized a dead body : I say anatomized, for no artist in the
world could have done it more cleanly. They have a wonderful
method of separating the Itesh from the bones, and yet leaving the
akin quite entire. Upon coming near the carcass, one would not
suppose it thus deprived of its internal substance, till he began to
examine It more closely ; he then finds it, literally speaking, nothing
but skin and bone. Their manner of performing the operation is
this : they lirst make an opening in the belly of the animal, from
whence they pluck out and greedily devour the entrails; then enter-
ing into the hollow which they have made, they separate the flesh
from tlie bones, without ever touching the skin. It often happens
that an ox returning home alone to its stall from the plough lies
down by the way; it is then, if the vultures perceive it, that they
fall with fury down, and inevitably devour the unfortunate animal.
They sometimes attempt them grazing in the fields ; and then, ti
the number of a hundred or more, make their attack all at once ant
together."

"They are attracted by carrion," says Catesby, " from a very
great distance. It is pleasant to behold them when they are thus
eating, and disputing for their prey. An eagle generally presides
at these entertainments, and makes them all keep their distance till
hehasdone. They then fall to with an excellenteppelite; and their
sense of smelling is so exquisite, that the instant a carcass drops, i
may see the vultures floating in the air from all qunrters, and coi
sousing on their prey." Jt issirpposed by some, that Ihey eat nothing
that has life ; but this is only when they are not able ; for when they
can come at lambs they show no mercy ; and serpents are their ordi-
nary food. The manner of those birds is to perch themselves, several
together, on the old pine and cypress trees, where they continue all
the morning, for several hours, with their wings unfolded ; nor
they fearful of danger, but suffer people to approach them very near,
particularly when they are eating.

Tiie sloth, the filth, and the voraciousness of these birds, almost
exceed credibility. Jn the Brazils, where ihcy are found in great
abundance, when they light upon a carcass which ihey liave liberty
to tear at their ease, they so gorge themselves thiit they are unable

264 BISTORT OP

to Uy, but keep hopping along when they are piirHued. At all times
they are a bird of slow flight, and enable readily to raise themselves
from the ground ; but when they have over-fed, ihej are then utterly
helpless; but they soon get rid of their burden, for they have a
method of vomiting up wiiat they have eaten, and then they fly off
with greater facility.

It is pleasant, however, to be a spectator of the hostilities between
animals that are thus hateful or noxious. Of all creatures, the two
most at enmity are the vulture of Brazil and the crocodile. The
female of this terrible amphibious creature, which'in the rivers of
that part of the world grows to the size of twenty-seven feet, lays
its eggs, to the number of one or two hundred, in the sands, on the
side of the river, where they are hatched by the heat of the climate.
For this purpose she takes every precaution to hide from all other
animals the place where she deposits her biirden : in the mean time,
a number of vultures, or galinassos as the Spaniards call them, sit
silent and unseen, in tlie branches of some neighbouring forest, and
view the crocodile's operaiions, with the pleasing expectation of
succeeding plunder. They patiently wait till the crocodile has laid
the whole number of her eggs, till she has covered them carefully
under the sand, and until she is retired from them to a, convenient
distance. Then, all together, encouraging each other with cries, they
pour down upon the nest, hook up the sand in a moment, lay the eggs
bare, and devour the whole brood without remorse. Wretched as
is the flesh of these animals, yet men perhaps, when pressed by
hunger, have been templed to taste it. Nothing can be more lean,
stringy, nauseous, and unsavoury. It is in vain that, when killed,
the rump has been cut off; in vain tlie body has been waslied, and
spices used to overpower its prevailing odour; it still smells and
tastes of the carrion by which it was nourished, and sends forth a
stench that is insupportable.

These biixls, at least those of Europe, usually lay two eggs at a
time, and produce but once a year. They make their nests in in-
accessible clifls, and in places so remote that it is rare to find them.
Those in our part of the world chiefly reside in the pieces where they
breed, and seldom come down into the plains, except when the snow
and ice in their native retreats has banished all living animals but
themselves; they then come from their heights, and brave the perils
they must encounter in a more cultivated region. As carrion ia not
found at those seasons in sufficient quautily, or sufficiently remote
from man to sustain them, they prey upon rabbits, hares, serpents,
and whatever small game they can overtake or overpower.

Such are the manners of this bird in general ; but there is one of
the kind, called the King of the Vultures, which from its extraordi-
nary figure deserves a separate description. This bird is a native
of America, and nut of the East Indies, as those who make a trade
of showing birds would induce us to believe. This bird is larger than
ft turkey-cock: but ia chiefly remarkable for the odd formation of
the skin uf the head und neck, which is bare. This skin arises from

THE FAUDDN kind. 3d5

the base of ihe bill, and is of an orange colour ; from whence it
stretches on each siiie of the head ; froin thence it proceeds, like an
indented comb, and falls on either side, according to the motion of
the-head. The eyes are etirrounded by a red akin, of a scarlet
colour; and the iris has the colour and lustre of pearl. The head
and neck are without feathers, covered with a flesh-coloured skin on
the upper part, a fine scarlet behind the bead, and adiiskier coloured
skin before; farther down behind the head arises a little tufl of black
down, from whence issues and extends beneath the th^at, on each
side, a wrinkled skin, of a brownish colour, mixed with blue, and
reddish behind ; below, upon the naked part of the neck, is a collat
formed by soft longlsh feathers, of a deep ash-4wlour, which Burround
the neck, and cover the breast before. Into this collar the bird
sometimes withdraws its whole neck, and sinnelinies a part of its
bead, so that it looks as if it had withdrawn the neck into the body.
Those marks are sufficient to distinguish this bird from all others of
the vulture kind ; and it cannot be doubted but that it is the most
beautiful of all this deformed family : however, neither its habits nor
instincts vary from the rest of the tribe ; being, like them, a slow
cowardly bird, living chiefly upon rats, lizards, and serpents, and
, ^on carrion or excrement, when it happens to be in the way. 'I'ho
esh is so bad, that even savages themselves cannot abide it.

CHAPTER Xir.

OF THE FALCON KIND, AND ITS APFiNlTIIiS.

I EvBRY creature becomes more important in the history of nature
n proportion as it is connected with man. In this view, the smallest
egetable, or the most seemingly contemptible insect, is a subject
I <inore deserving attention than the most flourishing tree or the
most beautiful of the feathered creation. In this view, the Fakon
isamoreioiportant animal than the eagle or the vulture ; and though
80 very diminutive in the comparison, is notwithstanding, from ill
r'connexion with our pleasures, a much more interesting object of

The amusement of hawking, indeed, is now pretty much given
n this kingdom ; for, as every country refines, as its enclosures
come higher and closer, those rural sports must consequently de-
'n which the game is to be pursued over a long extent of
Bounlry, and where, while every thing retards the pursuer below,
Fmthing can stop the object of his pursuit above.

Falconry, that is now so much disused among ua, was the principal
amusement of our ancestors. A person of rank scarcely stirred out
without his hawk on bis hand, which in old paintings is the criterion
of nobility. Harold, afterwards king of England, when he went on
B most important embassy into Normandy, is drawn in an old bns-
relief, as embarking with a bird on his list and a dog under his arm.
In those days it it as thought sufficient foi' noblemen's sons to wind

•fiSfl

HISTORY OP

the horD, and to carry their hawk fair, and leave study and learning
to the children of meaner people. IndeiKJ, this diversion was i
high esteem among the great all over Europe, that Frederic,
the emperors of Germany, thought it not benealh him lo write j4
treatise upon hawking.

The expense which attended this sport was very great ; amon|
the old Welsh princes, the king's falconer was the fourth officer '
the state; but, notwithstanding all his honours, he was forbid
tatie more than three draughts of beer from his horn, lest he shuu
get dnink and neglect his duty. In the reign of James the Fii
Sir Thomas Monson is said to have given a thousand pounds for
cast of hawks; and such was their value in general, ihat i
made felony in the reign of Edward the Third to steal a hawk,
take its eggs, even in a person's own ground, was punishablt
imprisonraenE for a year and a day, together with a line at the kinj
pleasure. In the reign of Elizabeth, the imprisonment was redui
to three months; but the ofiender was to lie in prison till he g(
■ecurity for his good behaviour for seven years farther. In
earlier times, the art of gunning was but tittle practised, and
hawk was then valuable, not only for its affording diversion, but fc
its procuring delicacies for the table thai could seldom bo obtaini
any other way.

Of many of the ancient falcons used for this purpose, we at th
time know only the names, as the exact species are so ill described,^
that one may be very easily mistaken for another. Of those in
at })resent, both here and in other countries, are the gyr-falcon, the
falcon, the lanner, the sacre, the hobby, the keslril, and the merlin.
These are called the long-winged hawks, to distinguish them from
the goss-hawk, the sparrow-hawk, the kite, and the buzzard, that
Are of shorter wing, and either too slow, too cowardly, too indolenlt'
Ar loo obstinate, to be serviceable in contributing to the pleasures t^\
Tbe field.

' The generous tribe of hawks, as was said, are distinguished frt
die rest by the peculiar length of their wJngs, which reach nearly

i low as the tail. In these, the first quill of the wing is nearly as loi
'fat the second; it terminates in a point, which begins to ditnini

I from about an inch of its extremity. This sufficiently distinguishi

t the generous breed from that of tlie baser race of kites, sparroi

rliawks, and buzzards, in whom ihe tail is longer than the wings, bt.
the first feather of the witig is rounded at the extremity. They dtl
fer also in the latter havmg ihe fourih feather of the wing il
Jongesl; in ihe. generous race it is always the second.

The generous race, which have been taken inlo the service of manj
■re endowed with natural powers that the other kinds are not pos-
' Sessed of. From the length of their wings, they are swifter to pursue
their game; from a confidence in this swidness, they are bolder to
attack il; and from an innate generosity, they have an attachment

\ to their feeder, and consequently a docility which the baser bird:

t fllrangera lo.

^1 The gyr- falcon leads In Ihiii bold train, tie exceeds ell othi

THE PAtCON RfNO. 257

falcons in the largeness ot liis she, for he approaches nearly to tha
magnitude of the eagle. The top of ^le head is flat, and of on ash
colour, with a strong, thick, short, and blue beak. The feathers of
the back and wings are marked with black spots, in the shape of a
heart: he is a courageous and Gerce bird, nor fears even the eagle
. bjmself; but he chiefly flies at the stork, the heron, and the crane.
s mostly found in the colder regions of the north, but lose*
p^ither his strength nor his courage when brought into the milder

Mtes.

The falcon, properly s

:alled.

ond in magnitude atul
n this bird : but there seem to be
inly two that claim distinction, the falcon-gentil and the |>eregrine>
; both are much less than the gyr, and somewhat about the
e of a raven. They differ but slightly, and perhaps only from the
ifierent states they were in when brought into captivity. Those
ifferences are easier known by experience than taught by descrip.
The falcon-gentil moults in March, and ol\en sooner; the
peregrine -falcon does not moult till the middle of August. The
peregrine is stronger in the shoulder, has a larger eye, and yet mora
sunk in the head ; his beak is stronger, his legs longer, and the toes
belter divided.

Next in size to these is the lanner, a bird very little known in

Europe; then follows the ascre, the legs of which are of a bluish

colour, and serve to distinguish that bird; to them succeeds the

hobby, used for smaller game", for daring larks, and stooping at

quails. The kestril was trained fur the same purposes; and lastly,

the merlin, which, though the smallest of all the hawk or falcon kind,

and not much larger than a thrush, yel displays a degree of courage

^Khat renders him formidable, even to birds ten times his size. He

IS often been known to kill a partridge or a quail at a single pounce

B-from above.

Some of the other species of sluggish birds were now and then
rained to this sport, but it was when no better could be obtained ;
t these Just described were only considered as birds of the nobler
Their courage in general was such, that no bird, not very
^ much above their own size, could terrify them ; their swiftness so
great, that scarcely any bird could escape them ; and their docility
■o remarkable, that they obeyed not only the commands but the
signs of their master. They remained quietly perched upon hishand
till their game was flushed, or else kept hovering round ha head,
~tirithout ever leaving him but when he gave permission. The com.
a falcon is a bird of such spirit, that, like a conqueror in a coun-
ty, he keeps all birds in awe and in subjection to his prowess. When
( ia seen flying wild, as I often had an opportunity of observing,
e birds of every kind, that seemed entirely to disregard the kite or
e sparrow-hawk, fly with screams at his must distant appearance.
hiAiOng before I could see the falcon, 1 have seen them, with the ut-
UiDst signs of terror, endeavouring to avoid him; and, like the
peasants of a country before a victorious army, every one of them

358

HISTORT OF

attempling (o ahifl for hinjEelf. Even the young TalconB, thoii
their gpirits be depressed by captivity, will, when brought
tbe iitild, venture to fly at barnacles and wild geese, till bein^ sound!
brushed and beaten by those strong birds, they learn their error]
and desist from meddling with such unwie!dy game fur the futurt

' To train up the hawk to this kind of obedience, so as to hunt
hw master, and bring him the game he shall kill, requires no
degree of skill and assiduity. Numberless treatises have beenwrill
upon this subject, which are now, with the sport itself, almost ottei
forgotten ; indeed, except to a lew, they seem utterly unin(elllgibl<
for the falconers had a language peculiar to themselves, in wl '
they conversed and wrote, and took a kind of professional pidi
using no other. A modern reader, 1 suppose, would be little edifit
by one of tlie instructions for instance, which we find in Willougbbj
when he bids us draw our falcon out of llie mew twenty days beft
%oe etiseam her. If she truif and carry, the remedy is, cosie
talons, her poJMC, and petty single.

But, as il certainly makes a part of natural history to show I
much the nature of birds can be wrought upon by harah or kii
treatment, I will just take leave (o give a short account of the mai
ner of training a hawk, divested uflhose cant words with which mi
of art have thought proper to obscure their profession.

In order to train up a falcon, the master begins by clappia^
•tmps upon his legs, which are ca]|cd-,;'e.(>M, to which there is iastei
a ring with the owner's name, by which, in case he should' be km?'
the finder may know where to bring him back. To these also are
added little bell<i, which serve to mark the place where be ia, if loit
in the chase, (le is always carried on the fist, and is obliged lo keep
without sleeping. If he be stubborn, and attempt to bit«, his hi
U plunged into water. Thus by hunger, wal«Mng, and fatigue,
is constrained to submit to having his head covered by a hood
cowl, which covers his eyes. This troublesome employment contimiotj
ollen for three days and nights without ceasing. It rarely happeni
but at the end of this his necessities, and the privation of light, make
him lose all idea of liberty, and bring down his natural wildnecs.
'His master judges of his being tamed when he permits his head to
be covered without resistance, and, when uncovered, he seises the
meat before him contentedly. The repetition of these lesson* bj
degrees ensures success. His wantb being the chief principle of bn
dependence, it is endeavoured lo increase his appetite, by giving
4iim lilLle balls of llannel, whjch he greedily swallaivs, Having thue

>< excited the appetite, care is taken to satisfy it ; and thus gratitude
Attaches the bird to the man who but just before had been his (orv
.mentor.

When the first lessons have succeeded, and the bird shows signs

I -of docility, he is carried out upon some green, the head is unco-
vered, and, by flattering him with food nl different times, he k
taught to Jump on the list, and to continuo tht-re. Wlien confinn«l

I in this habit, it is then thought time to make bint acquainted with the

eep

'.IS

THE FAI,CON KIND. 259

lure. This lure U only a thing stufied like the bird the falcon ia
designed to pursue, such as a heron, a pigeon, or a quail, and on
this lure they always take care to give him his food. It ia quite
necessary that the bird should not only be acquainted with this, but
fond of it, and delicate in his food when shown it. When the fal-
con has flown upon this, and tasted the first morsel, some falconers
then take it away ; but by this there is a danger of daunting the
bird, and the surest method is when he flies to seize it, to let him
feed nt large, and this serves as a recompense for his docility. The
use of this lure is to flatter him back when he has flown in the air,
which it sometimes fails to do ; and it is always requisite to assist it
by the voice and the signs of the master. When these lessons have
been long repeated, it is then necessary to study the character of
the bird ; to speak frequently to him if he be inattentive to the voice ;
to stint in his food such as do not come kindly or readily to tlie lure ;
to keep waking him if he be not sufliciently familiar ; and to cover
him frequently with the hood if he fears darkness. When the fami-
liarity and the docility of the bird are sufficiently condrmed on the
green, he is then carried into the open fields, but still kept fast by a
string which is about twenty yards long. He is then uncovered as
before ; and the falconer calling him at some paces distance, shows
him the lure. When he flies upon it, he is permitted to take a large
morsel of the food which is tied to it. The next day the lure is shown
bim at a greater distance, till he comes at last to fly to it at the ut-
most length of his string. He is then to be shown the game itself
alive, but disabled or tame, which he is designed to pursue. After
having seized this several times with his string, he is then letl entirely
at liberty, and carried into the field for the purpose of pursuing that
which is wild. At that he flies with avidity; and when he has seized
it, or killed it, he is brought back by the voice and the lure.

By this method of instruction, a hawk may be taught to fly at any
game whatsoever ; but falconers have chiefly confined their pursuit
only to such animals as yield them profit by the capture, or pleasure
in the pursuit. The hare, the partridge, and the quail, repay the
trouble of taking them; but the most delightful sport is the falcon's
pursuit of Ihe heron, the liite, or the woodlark. Instead of flying
directly forward, as some other birds do, these, when they see them-
aelvea threatened by the approach of the hawk, immediately take to
the skies. They fly almost peVpendicularly upward, while their
ardent pursuer keeps pace with their flight, and tries to rise above
them. Thus both diminish by degrees from the gazing spectator
below, till they are quite lost in the clouds; but they are soon seen
descending, struggling together, and using every eSurt on both sides,
the one ofrnpacious insult, the other of desperate defence. The
unequal combat is soon at an end : the falcon comes off victorious,-
ond the other, killed or disabled, is made a prey either to the bird or
the sportsman.

As for other birds, they are not so much pursued, as they gene-
rally fly straight forward, by which the sportsman loses sight of the

2rtO HISTORY OP

chase, and nlial in atill worse, run.f a chance of losing hi* falcq
also.

The pursuit of the lark by a couple of merlins is considered, |
him only who reganls the sagncity of the chose, as one of the re
delighlful spectacles ihis exercise can aflbrd. The amusement is
■ee one of Ihe merlins climbing to get the ascendant of the lai
while the other, lying low for the bent advantage,
of its companion's efforts ; thus while the one stoops to strike i|
prey, the other seizes it at its coming down. ,

Such are the natural and acquired habits of these birds, which a
all others have the greatest strength and courage relative to i'
sise. While the kite or the goss-hawk approach their prey ■
ways, these dart perpendicularly, in their wild state, upon 1
game, and devour it on the spot, or carry it off, if not too large
their power of flying. They are sometimes seen descending p
pendicularly from the cl6uds, from an amazing height, and dsrtJBI
down on their prey with inevitable swiflness and deslruclion.

The more ignoble race of birds make up by cunning and aosidui
what these claim by force anil celerity. Being less courageous, ,l1
are more patient ; and having less swidness, they are belief skiltj
a( taking their prey by surprise. The kite, that may be distj|
guished from all the rest of Ihis tribe by his forky tail and his i '
floaliug motion, seems almost for ever upon the wing.

n of Ihe

o make the ai

raself upon the boa
' est effort in flying. Ho lives only upon accidental earnBge,,j
almost every bird in the air is able to make good its retreat Sgatf
him. He may be therefore considered as an insidioua thief, i
only prowls about, and when he finds a small bird wounded, (
young chicken strayed too far from the mother, instantly s«
hour of calamity, and, like a famished glutton, is sure to show no
mercy. His hunger, indeed, often urges him to acts of seeming des-
peration. I have seen one of them Ay round and round for a while
to mark a clutch of chickens, and then on a sudden dart like lig'
ning upon the unresisting little animal, and carry it off, the hen ■
vain crying out, and the boys hooting and casting stones to s(
from his plunder. For this reason, of all birds the kite is the got
housewife's greatest tormentor and aversion. i

Of all obscene birds, the kite is the best known ; but thp buzsM
among lis is the most plenty. He is a sluggish inactive bird,
often remains perched whole days together upon the same boufll
He is rather an assassin ihan a pursuer ; and lives more upon fra
mice, and insects, which he can easily seize, than upon birds
he is obliged lo follow. He lives in summer by robbing the im
other birds, and sucking their eggs, and more resembles the owl kiillT
in his countenance than any other rapacious bird of day. His ligure
implies the stupidity of his disposition ; and so little is he capable of
instruclion from man, that It is common <o a proverb to call one who
cannot be taught, or continues obstinately ignorant, a buztard, '
honey-buzzard, the moor-buzEard, and the hen harrier, ar« allafli

THE BUTCHER-BIRD. S61

fllupid tribe, and difler chiefly in tiieir size, growing lesa in the order
I have named thetn. The goss-hawk ond sparrow-hawk are what
Mr. Willougliby callsBliort-winged birds, apd consequently unfit for
training, however injurious they may be to the pigeon-house or the
sportsman. They have been indeed taught to fly at game ; but little
is to be obtained from their eflbrts, being difficult of instruction, and
capricious iu tlieir obedience. It has been lately asserted, however,
by one whose authority is respectable, that the sparrow-hank is the
boldest and the best of all others Ibr the pleasure of the chase.

[Tlie Secretary is a most singular species of the falcon, being
particularly remarkable for the great length of its legs. Tliis bird,
when standing erect, is full three feet from the top of the head to the
ground. The bill is black, sharp, and crooked, like that of an eagle;
the head, neck, breast, and upper parts of the body, are of a
bluish ash colour; the legs are very long, stouter than those of a
beroa, and of a brown colour; claws shortish, but crooked, not very
sharp, and of a black colour. From the bind-head springe a num-
ber of long feathers, which hang loose behind like a pendent crest :
these feathers arise by pairs, and ore longer as they are lower down
on the neck. This crest the bird can erect at pleasure ; it is of a
dark colour, almost block ; the webs are equal on both sides, and
rather curled ; and the feathers, when erected, somewhat incline
towards the neck ; the two middle feathers of the tail are twice as
long as any of the resL

This curipua bird inhabits the internal parts of Africa, and is fre-
quently seen at the Cape of Good Hope ; it is also met with in the
Philippine islands. It principally feeds on rats, lizards, and snakes,
and as it is easily domesticated, it might thus be rendered useful.
At the Cape of Good Hope it is called the snakc-caier. Dr. Solander
has seen one of these birds take up a snake or small tortoise in its
claws, when dashing it from thence against the ground with great
violence, if tlie victim was not killed at first, it repeated the opera-
tion till that end was answered ; after which it ate it up quietly.]

CHAPTER XIII.
THE BUTCHER-BIRO.

Before I conclude this short history of rapacious birds that prey
by day, I must take leave to describe a tribe of smaller birds, that
seem from their size rather to be classed with the harmless order of
the sparrow kind, but that from their crooked beak, courage, and
appetite for slaughter, certainly deserve a place here. The leaser
Butcher-Bird is not much above the sixe of a lark ; that of the
smalleat species is not so big as a sparrow ; yet, diminutive as thete
little animals are, they maket hemselves formidable to birds of four
times their dimensions.

VOL. II. Z

263 BrSTORT O'B'

The greater Butclier'Hird is about as large as a ttirush; Its bill u
black, an inch long, and hooked at the end. This mark, togelhei
wilh its carnivorous appetites, ranks it among llie rapacious birdi :
at the same lime that its legs and feet, which are slender, and its
toes, formed somewhat differently from the former, would seem
make it the shade between such birds as live wholly upon flesh, ai
such as Jive chiefly upon itisecls and grain.

Indeed, its habits seem enth^ly to correspond
tjon, as it Is found [o live as well upon flesh as upon insects, and
to partake in some measure of a double nature. However, its a_ _
tite for flesli is the most prevalent, and it never lakes up with ihe
former when it can obtain the latter. This bird, therefore, leads a
life of continual combat and opposition. As from its size it does not
much terrify the smaller birds of the forest, so it very frequently
meets birds willing to try its strength, and it never declines the en-
gagement.

It is wonderful to sec wilh what intrepidity this little creature goes
Id war with the pie, the crow, and the kestril, all above four times
bigger than itself, and that sometimes prey upon flesh in the same
manner. It not only Hghts upon the defensive, but ollen comes to
the attack, and always with advantage, particularly when the male
and female unite to protect their young, and to drive away the more
powerful birds of rapine. At that season they do not wait the ap-
proach of their-invader, it is sufficient that they see him preparing
for the assault at a distance. It is then that they sally forth " "
loud cries, wound him on every side, and drive him olTwilh si
fury, that he seldom ventures to return to the charge. In these kli
of disputes they generally come off with the victory, though it
times hsppens that they fall to the ground with the bird they ha^
so fiercely fixed upon, and the combat ends with the destruction'
the assailant as well as the defender.

For this reason the most redoubtable birds of prey respect
while the kite, the buzzard, and tiie crow, seem rather to fearti
seek the engagement. Nothing in natui-e belter displays the
paid to tlie claims of courage, than to see this lillle bird, apparei
so contemptible, fly in company with the lanner, the falcon, and
the tyrants of the air, wjthoul fearing their power, or avoiding tl
resentment.

lS for small birds, they are its usual food. It seizes them by

lat, and strangles them in an instant. When it has thus kill
the bird or insect, it is asserted by the beat authority, that it
them upon some neighbouring ihorn, and when thus spitted,
them to pieces with its bill. U is supposed that as nature has' ni
given this bird strength sufficient to tear its prey to
feet, as the hawks do, it is obliged to have recourse to this est
dinary expedient.

During summer such of them as constantly reside here, (fo

- smaller red butcher-bird migrates), remain among the mountain

parts of the country; but in winter they descend into the plaitu.

) with I

THE BUTCHER-BIRD. 363

nearer human habitations. The larger kind make (heir nesls on the
highest tree«, while the lesser build in bushes in the lielda and hedge-
rows. They both lay about six eggs, of a white colour, but encircled
al the bigger end with a ring of brownish-red. The neat on the
outside is composed of white moss inierwoven with long grass ; within
it is well lined with wool, and is usually fixed among the forking
branches of a tree. The female feeds her young with caterpillars and
other insects while very young; but soon after accustoms them to
flesh, which the male procures with surprising industry. Their nature
also is very diflerent from otiier birds of prey in their parentol care ;
for, so far from driving out their young from the nest to sliiH for
thi^iselves, they keep them with care ; and even when adult they
do nut forsake them, but the whole brood live in one family together.
Each family lives opart, and is generally composed of the male,
female, and five or six young ones : these all maintain peace and
subordination among each other, and hunt in concert. Upon the
returning season of courtship this union is at an end.; the family
parts for ever, each to establish a little household of its otrn. It is
easy to distinguish these birds at a distance, not only from their
going in companies, but also from their manner of ilying, which is
always up and down, seldom direct or side-ways.

or these birds there are three or four different kinds ; but the
greater ash-coloured butcher-bird is the least known among us. The
red-backed butcher-bird migrates Iti autumn, and does not return
till spring. The wood-chat resembles the former, except in the colour
of its back, which is brown, and not red as in the other. There is
still another, less than cither of tlie farmer, found in the marshes near
London, This too is a bird of prey, although not much bigger than
a titmouse ; an evident proof that an animal's courage or rapacity
does not depend upon its size. Of foreign birds of this kind there
are several ; but as we know little of their manner of living, we will
not, instead of historj', substitute mere description. In fact, the
colours of a bird, which is all we know of them, would afford a reader
but small entertainment in the enunieralion. Nothing can be njore
«asy than to 611 volumes with the diflorent shades of a bird's plumage:
but these accounts are written with mure pleasure than Ibey
and a single glance of a good plate or a pi(;tura imprints a
idea than a volume could convey.

:y are read, ^^M
i more just |^^|

HISTORY OF

attended v
^^b most ungu

CHAPTER XIV.

op RAPACIOUS BIRDS OF THE, OWL KIND. THAT
PREY BY NIGHT.

IIiTHGHTo we have been describing a tribe of aDimaU, who,
llioogh plunderers among their fellows of tlie air, yet wage war
boldly in the face of day. We now come to a race equally cruel
and rapaoiom, but who add to their savage disposition the further
reproach of treachery, and carry on all their depredations by night.

Ai\ birds of the owl kind may be considered as nocturnal robbers,
who, un^tted for taking their prey while it is light, surprise it at
those hours of rest when the tribes of nature are in the least ex-
pectation of an enemy. Thus there seems no link in nature's chain
broken; no where a dead inactive repose; but every place, every
season, every hour of the day end night, is bustling with life, anil
furnishing instances of industry, self-defence, and invasiwi.

All birds of the owl kind have one common mark, by which they
are dislingulsiied from others ; their eyes are formed for seeing better
in the dusk than in the broad glare of sunshine. As in the eyes of
tigers and cats, that are formed for a life of nocturnal depredation,
there is a quality in the retina that takes in the rays of light so
copiously as to permit their seeing in places almost quite dark ; so
in these birds there is the same conformation of that organ ; and
though, like us, they cannot see in a total exclusion of light, yet they
are sufficiently quick-sighted at times when we remain in total ob-
scurity, fn the eyes of all animals nature hath made a complete
provision, either to shut out too much light, or to admit a sufficiency,
by the contraction and dilatation of the pupil. In these birds the
pupil is capable of opening very wide, or shutting very close : by
contracting the pupil, tlia brighter light of the day, which would act
loo powerfully upon the sensibility of the retina, is excluded ; by
dilating the pupil, the animal takes in the more faint rays of the
night, and thereby is enabled to spy its prey, and catch it with greater
facility in the dark. Beside this, there is an irradiation on the back
of the eye, and the very iris itself has a faculty of reflecting the rays
of light, so as to assist vision in the gloomy places where these binls
are found to frequent.

But though owls are dazzled by too bright a day-light, yet ihey
do not see best in the darkest nights, as some have been apt to
imagine. It is in the dusk of the evening, or the grey of the morn-
ing, that they are best fitted for seeing — at those seasons when there
is neither too much light, oor too little. It is than that they issue
from their retreats to hunt or to surprise their prey, which is usually
'ith great success ; it is then that they find all otiier birdb
preparing for repose, and they have only
most unguarded.

THE OWL KTND. 265

The nights when the moon ehinea are Ihe times of llieir most suc-
cessful pluader ; for when it is wholly dark, they ore less qiiniified
for seeing and pursuing their prey : except, therefore, by moonlight,
they contract the hours of their chase; and if they come out at the
approach of dusk in the evening, they return before ft is totally
darit, and then rise by twilight the next morning, to pursue their
game, and to return, in like manner, before the broad daylight be-
gins to dazzle them with its splendour.

Yei the faculty of seeing in the night, or of being entirely dazzled
^y day, is not alike in every species of these nocturnal birds : some
see by night better than others; and some are so little dazzled by
daylight, that they perceive their enemies and avoid them. The
common White or Barn Owl, for instance, sees with such ex(]uisita
aculencss in the dark, that though the barn has been shut at night,
and the light thus totally excluded, yet it perceives the smallest mouse
that peeps from its hole: on the contrary, the Brown Horn Owl is
often seen to prowl along the hedges by day, like the sparrow-hawk ;
and sometimes with good success.

All birds of the owl kind may be divided into two sorts; those
thai have horns, and those without. These horns are nothing more
than two or three feathers that aland up on each side of the head
over Ihe ear, and give this animal a kind of horned appearance. Of
the homed kind is the Great Horned Owl, which at first view ap-
pears as large as an eagle. When he cornea to be observed more
closely, however, he will be found much less. His legs, body, wingSi
and tail, are shorter; his head much larger and thicker; his horns
are composed of feathers that rise above two inches and a half high,
and whicli he can erect or depress at pleaNitre; his eyes are large
and transparent, encircled with an orange-coloured Iria ; his ears are
large and deep, and it would appear that no animal is possessed with
a more exquisite sense of hearing; his plumage is ofa reddish-brown,
marked on the back with black and yellow spots, and yellow only
upon the belly.

Next to this is the Common Horned Owl, of a much smaller size
than the former, and with horns much shorter. As the great owl
was five feet from the tip of one wing to the other, his is but three.
The horns are but about an inch long, and consist of six feathers,
variegated with black and yellow.

There Is still a smaller kind of the horned owl, which Is not much
larger than a blackbird ; and whose horns are remarkably short,
being composed but of one feather, and that not above half an inch
high.

To these succeeds the tribe without horns. The Howlet, which
is the largest of this kind, with dusky plumes, and black eyes; lite
Screech Owl, of a smaller size, with blue eyes, and plumage of an
iron-grey; the While O wl, aboui as large as the former, with yellow
eyes, and whitish plumage ; the Great Brown Owl, less than the
former, wilh brown plumage, and a brown beak ; and lastly, the
Little Brown Owl, with yellowish-coloured eyes, and an orange-

I
I

see HISTORY OF

coloured bill. To this catalogue might b« added others of Toreign
denomiuutiuiu, which differ but littlu frotn our own, if we excapt the
Harfang, or Great Hudson's Bay Owl of Edwards, which ii the
largest of all the nocturnal tribe, aod as white as the snowa of the
country of which he is a native.

■ All this tribe of aninials, however they may differ in their size and

plumage, agree in their general chsracteristica of preying by nig^it,
and having their eyea formed for nocturnal vision. Their bodie*
aro strong and muscular ; their feet and claws made for tearing their
prey ; and their stomachs for digesting it. It must be remarked,
however, that the digestioD of all birds that live upon mice, lizards,
or such like food, is not very perfect ; for though they swallow them
whole, yet they are always seen some time afler to disgorge the
skin, and bones, rolled up in a pellet, as being indigestible.

In proportion as each of these animals bears tlie daylight best,
he sets forward earlier in the evening in pursuit of his prey. The
great horned owl is the foremost in leaving his retreat, and ventures
into the woods and thickets very soon in the evening. The homed
and the brown owl are later in their excursions ; but the barn owl
■eems to see best in profound darkness, and seldom leaves his hiding-

k place till midnight.
As they arc incapable of supporting the light of the day, or at
least of then seeing and readily avoiding iheir danger, they keep all
this time concealed in some obscure relroat, suited to their gloomy
appetites, and there continue in solitude and silence. The cavern
of a rock, the darkest part of a hollow tree, the battlemenEa of a
rumcd and unfrequented castle, some obscure hole in a farmer's out-
house, are tho places where they are usually found : if they be seen
out of these retreats in the day-lime, they may be considered as having
lost their way, as having by some accident been thrown into the
midst of their enemies, and surrounded with danger.

• Having spent the day in their retreat, at the approach of evening

they sally forth, and skim rapidly up and down along the hedges.
The bam owl, indeed, who lives chiefly upon mice, is contented to
be more stationary : he takes his residence upon some sliock of corn,
or the point of some old house, and there watches in the dark, wiih
the utmost perspicacity and perseverance.

Nor are these birds by any means ullent; they all have a hideous
note, which, while pursuing their prey, is seldom heard, but may he

» considered rather as a call- to courtship. There is something always
terrifying in this call, which is often heard in the silence of mid-
night, and breaks the general pause with a horrid variation. It n
different in all, but in each it is alarming and disagreeable. Father
Kircher, who has set (he voices of birds to music, has given all the
tones of the owl note, which makes a most tremendous melody. In-
deed, the prejudices of mankind are united with their Bensations to
I make the cry of the owl disagreeable. The screech owl's voice w«*^^™
always considered among the people as a presage of some siul cajn^^l
pity that was soon to ensue. ^^^|

THE OWL KIND. 2ft7

They seldom, however, are heard while Ihey are preying; thai
important pursuit is always attended with silence, aa it is by no means
their intention to disturb or forewarn Ihuae little animals they wbh
to surprise. When their pursuit has been successful, they soon re-
tarn to their sohtude, or lo their young, if that be the season. If,
however, they find but little game, ihey continue their quest still
longer ; and it sometimes happens, that, obeying the dictates of ap-
petite rather than of prudence, they pursue so long that broad day
breaks in upon them, and leaves them dazzled, bewildered, and at a
distance from home.

In this distress, they are obliged lo take shelter in the first tree or
hed^ that offers, there lo continue concealed all day, till the re-
turning darkness once more supplies them with a better plan of the
country. But it too often happens, that, with all their precaution to
conceal themselves, Ihey are spied out by the other birds of the
place, and are sure to rcceiie no mercy. The blackbird, the thrush,
the jay, the bunting, and the red-breast, all come in lile, and employ
their little arts of insult and abuse. The smallest, the feeblest, and
the most contemptible of this unfortunate bird^s enemies are then
the foremost to injure and torment him. They increase their cries
and turbulence round him, flap him with their wings, and are ready
to show their courage to be great, as they are sensible that their
danger is but small. The unfortunate owl, not knowing where to
attack or where to fly, patiently sits and suffers all iheir insults.
Astonished and dizzy, he only replies to their mockeries by awk-
ward and ridiculous gestures, by turning his head, and rolling his
eyes with an air of stupidity. It is enough that an owl appears by
day to set the whole grove into a kind of uproar. Either the aver-
sion all the smull birds have to this animal, or the consciousness of
their own security, makes them pursue him without ceasing, while ~
they encoitruge each other by their mutual cries to lend assistance
in this laudable undertaking.

It sometimes happens, however, that the little birds pursue their
insults with the same imprudent zeal with which the owl himself had
pursued his depredations. They bunt him the whole day until even-
ing returns, which restoring him his faculties of sight once more, he
makes the foremost of his pursuers pay dear for their former sport.
Nor is qian always an unconcerned spectator here. The bird-catchers
have got an art of counterfeiting the cry of the owl exactly; knd,
having before limed the branches of a hedge, they sit unseen and
give the call. At this, all the little birds (lock to the place where
they expect to find their well-known enemy; but instead of finding
their stupid antagonist, they are stuck fast to the hedge themselves.
This sport must be put in practice an hour before nightfall, in order
lo be successful ; forifitis put off till later, those birds which but a
few minutes sooner came to provoke their enemy, will then fly from
him with as much terror as they just before showed insolence.

It is not unpleasant to see one stupid bird made in somjj sort a
decoy to deceive another. The great horned owl is sometimes made

^r of hii

268 HISTORY OF

U8e of for ihis purpose to luru the kite, whenlalconersdesire to calch
him for llie purposes of training the falcon. Upou this occasion tliey
clap the tail of a fox to the great owl, to render his figure extraor-
dinary; in which trim he sails slowly along, dying low, which is his
usual manner. The kite, either curious to observe this odd kind of
animal, or perhaps inquisitive to see whether it may not be proper
for food, flies after, and comes nearer and nearer. In this manner
lie continues to hover, and sometimes to i^escend, till the falconer
setting a strong- winged hawk against him, seizes him for the purpose
of training his young ones at home.

The usual place where the great horned owl breeds is in the
cavern of a rock, the hollow of a tree, or tlie turret of some ruined
castle. Its nest is near three feet in diameter, and composed of
sticks, bound together by the fibrous roots of trees, and lined with
leaves on the inside. It lays about three eggs, which are larger than
those of a hen, and of a colour somewhat resembling the bird itself.
The young ones are very voracious, and the parents not less expert
at satisfying the call of hunger. The lesser owl of this kind never
makes a. neat for itself, but always takes Up with the old nest of some
other bird, which it has often been forced to abandon, ft lays four
or five eggs ; and the young are all while at first, but change colour
in about a fortnight. The other owls in general build near the place
where they chiefly prey ; that which feeds upon birds, in Home neigli-
bouring grove ; that which preys chiefly upon mice, near some
farmer's yard, where the proprietor of the place takes care to give
it perfect security. In fact, whatever mischief one species of owl
may do in the woods, the bam owl makes a auflicient recompense
for, by being equally active in destroying mice nearer home ; >o thai
a single owl is said to be more serviceable than half a dozen cats id
ridding the barn of its domestic vermin. " In the year 1580," says
an old writer, " at Hallontide, an army of mice so overrun the
marshes near Southminstcr, that they eat up the grass [o the very
roots. But at length a great number of strange painted owls came
and devoured all the mice. The like happened again in Essex about
sixty years after."

To conclude our account of these birds, they are all very shy of
man, and extremely indocile and difHcult to be tamed. The while
owl in particular, as M. Buflbn asserts, cannot be made ti> live in
capjivily; I suppose he means if it be taken when old. "They
live," says he, " ten or twelve days in the aviary where they are
shut up ; but they refuse all kind of nourishment, and at last die of
hunger. By day they remain without moving from the floor of the
aviary : in the evening they mount on the highest perch, where they
continue to make a noise like a man snoring with his mouth open.
This seems designed as a call for their old companions without ; and
in fact I have seen several others come to the call, and perch
upon the roof of the aviary, where they made the same kind
of hissing, and soon afler permitted themselves to be taken in

THE POULTRY KIND.

PART II.

OF BIRDS OF THE POULTRY KIND.

CHAPTER I.
OF BIRDS OF THE POULTRY KIND IN GENERAL.

From the most rapacious snd noxious tribe of birds, we make a
transition to those which of all others are the most hannlesa and tbe
most serviceable to man. He may force the rapacious tribes tu assist
his pleasures in the field, or induce the smaller warblers to delight
him with tiieir singing; but it is from the poultry kind that he de-
rives the most solid advantages, as they not only make a considerable
addition to the necessaries of life, but furnish out the greatest deli-
cacii^ to every entertainment.

Almost, if not all the domestic birds of the poultry kind that tve
maintain in our yards are of foreign extraction ; but there are others
to be ranked in this class that are a^ yet in a slate of nature, and
perhaps only wait till they become sufliciently scarce to be taken
under the care of man to multiply their propagation. It will appear
remarkableenough, if we consider how much the lame poultry which
we have imported from distant climates has increased, and how much
those wild birds of the poultry kind that have never yet been taken
into keeping have been diminished and destroyed. They are all
thinned ; and many of the species, especially in the more cultivated
and populous parts of the kingdom, are utterly unseen.

Under birds of the ponltry kind I rank alt those that have white
flesh, and, comparatively to their head and limbs, have bulky bodies.
They are furnished with short strong bills for picking up grain, which
is their chief and often their only sustenance. Their wings are short
and concave, for which reason they are not able to fly far. They
lay a great many eggs ; and as they lead their young abroad the very
day they ere hatched in quest of food, which they are shown by the
mother, and which they pick up for themselves, they generally make
their nests on the ground. The toes of all these are united by a
membrane as far as the first articulation, and then are divided as in
those of the former class.

Under this class we may therefore rank the common cock, the pea-
cock, the turkey, the pintada or Guinea-hen, the pheasant, the bus-
lard, the grouse, the partridge, and the quail. These all bear a
strong similitude to each other, being etjually granivorous, fleshy,
and delicate to the palate. These are among birds what beasts of
pasture are among quadrupeds, peaceable tenants of the field, and
shunning tbe thicker part of the forest, that abounds with n
animals who carry on unceasing hostilities against them.

iio

H16TOBT OP

A) nature has formed the

i clnu fur war, m she m

pacioua

equally to have litted these for peace, real, and society. Th^f^
wings are but short, so that they are ill formed for nandering from
one region to another; their bills are also short, and incapable of
annoying tlieJr opposers : their legs are strong indeed, but their toes
are made for scratehing up their food, aod not for holding or tearing
it. These are stilTicient indicaljons of their harmless nature; while
their bodies, which are fat and fleshy, render them unwieldy travel'
lers, and incapable of straying far from each other.

Accordingly we lind them chiefly in society : they live together;
and though they may have their disputes, like all other animals, upon
some occasions, yet, when kept in the same district, or fed iu ifie
same yard, they learn the arts of subordination, and, in proportion
as each knows his strength, he seldom tries a second time the combat
where he has once been worsted.

In this manner, all of this kind seem to lead an indoleut volup-
tuouB life; as they are furnished internally with a very strong
stomach, commonly called a giztard, so their voraciousness scarcely
knows any bounds. If kepi in close captivity, and separated from
all iheir former companions, they still have the pleasure of eating
left ; and ihey soon grow fat and unwieldy in their prison. To soy
this more simply, many of the wilder species of birds, when cooped
or caged, pine away, grow gloomy, and some refuse all sustenance
whatever; none, except those of the poultry kind, grow fat, wlio
seem to lose all remembrance of their former liberty, satisfied witli
indolence and plenty.

The poultry kind may be considered as sensual epicures, solely
governed by their appetites. The indulgence of these seems lu
influence llieir other habits, and destroys among them that connubial
fidelity for which most other kinds are remarkable. The eagle and
tlie falcon, how fierce soever to other animals, are yet gentle and
true to each other : their connexions when once formed continue till
death ; and the male and female in every exigence and every doty
lend faithful assistance to each other. They assist each otlier in ilie
production of their young, in providing for them when produced,
and even then, though they drive them forth to fight their own bat-
tles, yet the old ones still retain their former afiectiou to each other,
and seldom part far asunder.

But it is very different with this luxurious class I am now describ-
ing. Their courtship is but short, and their congress fortuitous. The
male takes no heed of his offspring, and, satisfied with the pleasure
ofgeltiDg, leaves to the female all the care of providing fur pos-
terity. Wild and irregular in his appetites, he ranges from one to
another, and claims every female which be is strong enough to keep
from his fellows. Though timorous when opposed to birds of prey,
yet he is incredibly bold among those of his own kind, and but to
see a male of his own species U suDicienl to produce a cottibal.
his desires extend to aJl, every creature becomeH lita enemy tbu
(ends tobii his rival

THB POTTLTRT KIND. 271

The female, equally without fidelity or attachment, yieMs to the
most powerful. She stands by, a quiet meretricious spectator of their
Tury, ready to reward the conqueror with every compliance. She
takes upon herself all the labour of hatching and bringing up her
young, aod chooses a place for hatching as remote as possible from
the cock. Indeed, she gives herself very little trouble in making a
ne»t, as her young ones are to forsake it the instant they part from
the shell.

She ia equally unassisted in providing for her young, which are
not fed with meat put into their mouths, as in other classes of the
feathered kind, but peck their food, and, forsaking their nests, run
here and there, following the parent wherever it ia to be found. She
leads them forward where they are likely to have the greatest quan-
tity of grain, and takes care to show, by pecking, the sort proper
for them to seek for. Though at other limes voracious, she is then
abstemious to an extreme degree ; and, intent only on providing for
and showing her young clutch their food, she scarcely takes any
nourishment herself. Her parental pride seems to overpower every
other appetite ; but that decreases in proportion as her young ones ,
are more able to provide for themselves, and then all her voracious
habits return.

Among the other habits peculiar to this class of birds, is that of
dusting themselves. They lie Hat in some dusty place, and with
their wings and feel raise and scatter the dust over their whole body.
What may be their reason for thus doing, it is not easy to explain.
Perhaps the heat of their bodies is such, that they require this powder
to be interposed between their feathers to keep them from lying too
close together, and thus increasing that heat with which they are
incommoded.

OF THE COCK.

Att birds taken under the protection of man lose a portofthefr
natural figure, and are altered not only in their habits, but their very
form. Climate, food, and captivity, are three very powerful agents
in producing these alterations ; and those birds that have longest felt
their influence under human direction, are the most likely to have
the greatest variety in their figures, their plumage, and their dis-
positions.

or all other birds, the cock seems to be the oldest companion of
mankind, to have been first reclaimed from the forest, and taken to
supply the accidental failure of the luxuries or the necessaries of life.
As he is thus longest under the care of man, so of ail others perhaps
he exhibits the greatest number of varieties, there being scarce two
biffls of this species that exactly resemble each other in plumage and

2^3 HISTORY OP

rorm. The tail, which makes such a beaiitinil figure in the generalily
of these bii^s, isyei found entirely wanting in others; and not only
the tail, but the rump also. The toes, which are uHually four in nil
animals of the poultry kind, yet in a species of the cock are found
to amount to five. The feathers, which lie so sleek and in such
beautiful order in most of those we are acquainted with, are in a
peculiar breed all inverted, and stand staring the wrong way. Nay,
there is a species that comes from Japan, which instead of feathers
seems to be covered over with hair. These and many other varieties
are to be found in this animal, which seem [o be the marks this early
prisoner bears of his long captivity.

It is not well ascertained when the cock was Rrst made domestic
in Europe, but it is generally agreed that we first had him in oiir
western world from the kingdom of Persia. Aristophanes calls the
cock the Persian bird, and tells la he enjoyed that kingdom before
some of its earliest monarcha. This animal was in fact known so
early, even in the most savage parts of Europe, that we are told
the cock was one of Iho forbidden foods among the ancient Britons.
Indeed, the domestic fowl seenia tohavebanished the wild one. Persia
itself, that first introduced it to our acquaintance, seems no longer to
know it in its natural form ; and if we did not find it wild in some of
the woodsof India, as welt as those of the islands in the Indian Ocean,
we might begin to doubt, as we do with regard to the sheep, in what
form it first existed in a slate of nature.

But those doubts no longer exist : tlie cock is found in the island
of Tinion, in many others of (he Indian Ocean, and in the woods on
the coast of Malabar, in his ancient state of independence. In his
wild condition, his plumage is black and yellow, and his comb and
wattles yellow and purple. There Is another peculiarity also in those
of the Indian woods; their bones, which when boiled with us are
white, as every body knows, in those are as black as ebony. Whe-
ther this tincture proceeds from their food, as the bones arc tinctured
red by feeding upon madder, I leave to the discussion of others:
satisfied with the fact, let us decline speculation.

In their first propagation in Europe, there were distinctions then
that now subsist no longer. Tho ancients esteemed those fowls whose
plumage was reddish as invaluable; but as for the white, it was con-
sidered as utterly unfit for domestic purposes. These they regarded
as subject to become a prey to rapacious birds; and Aristotle thinks
them less fruitful than the former. Indeed, his division of those birds
seems to be taken from their cuhnary uses; the onesort he calls
generous and noble, being remarkable for fecundity ; the other sort,
ignoble and useless, from their sterility. These distinctions differ
widely from our modern notions of generosity in this animal ; Hint
which we call the game-cock being by no means so fruitful as the
ungenerous dunghill-cock, which we treat with contempt. The
Athenians had their cock matches as well as we; but it is probable
they did not enter into our refinement of choosing out ihe most barren
of the species for the purposes of combat.

THE POULTRY KIND. 273

However tliis be, no animal in the world has greEif^K»)urage than
the cock when opposed to one of bis own species ; and in every part
of the world where relinoment and potished manners hove not en-
tirel; taken place, cock-fighting is a piincipal diversion. In China,
India, the Philippine Islands, and all over the East, cock-fighting is
the sport and amusement even of kings and prince;. With'us it is
declining every day ; and it is lo be hoped it will in lime become
only the pastime of the lowest vulgar. It is the opinion of many,
that we have a bolder and more valiant breed than is to be found
elsewhere ; and some, indeed, have entered into a serious discussion
upon the cause of so flattering a singularity. But the truth is, lliey
have cocki in China as bold, if not bolder than ours; and, what
would still be considered as valuable among cockers here, they have
more strength with less weight. Indeed, I have oden wondered why
men who lay two or three hundred pounds upon the prowess of a
single cock, have not taken every method to improve the breed.
Nothing, it is probable, could do this more effectually than by crossing
the strain, as it ia called, by a foreign mixture ; and whether having
recourse even to the wild cock in the forests of India would not be
useful, I leave to their consideration. However, it is a mean and
ungenerous amusement] nor would I wish much to promote it. The
(nith is, I could give such instructions with regard to cock-fighting,
uid could so arm one of these animals against the other, that it would
be almost impossible for the adversary's cock to survive the first or
second blow ; but, as Boerhaave has said upon a former occasion,
when he was treating upon poisons, " to teach tlie arts of wuelty is
equivalent to committing them."

This extraordinary courage in the cock is thought to proceed from
his being the most salacious of alt other birds whatsoever. A single
cock suffices for ten or a dozen hens ; and it is said of him, that he
is the only animal whose spirits are not abated by indulgence. But
thea he soon grows old ; the radical moisture is exhausted ; and in
thfee or four years he becomes utterly unfit for the purposes of im-
pregnation. " ilens also," to use ^e words of Willoughby, " as
they for the greatest part of the year daily lay eggs, cannot suffice
for so many births, but for the most part after three years become
effete and barren ; for when they have eshnusted all their seed-eggs,
of which they had but a certain quantity from the be^nning, they
must necessarily cease to lay, there being no new ones generated
wittiin."

- The hen seldom clutches a brood of chickens above once a season,
though instances have been known in which they produced two. The
number of eggs a domestic hen will lay in a year are above two
hundred, provided she be welt fed, and supplied with water and
liberty. It matters not much whether she be trodden by the cock or
no; she will continue to lay, although all the eggs of this kind can
never by hatching be brought to produce a living animal. Her nest
is made without any care, if left to herself; a hole scratched into the
ground, among a few bushes, h tiie only preparation she makes for

I
I

274

HISTORY or

thiiaeasoii ofH^llent expectation. Nature, almost exhausted bjriu
own fecundity, geems to inform her of the proper time for hatching,
which she herself testifies by a chicking note, and by discontinuing
to lay. The good housewives, who ofien get more by their heiw
laying than by their chickens, artificially protract this clucking season,
and sometimes entirely remove it. A» soon as their hen begins to
cluck, they stint her in her provisions; if that &ilB, they plunge her
into cold water : this, for the lime, effectually puis back her hatching,
but then it oflen kills the poor bird, who takes cold and dies under
the operation.

If left entirely lo herself, the hen would seldom lay above twenty
eggs in the snme nest, without atleinpiing to hatch them ; but in pro-
portion as she lays, her eggs are removed; and she continues to
lay, vainly hoping to increase the number. In the wild state, the
hen seldom lays above fifteen eggs; but then her provision is more
difficultly obtained, and she is perhaps sensible of the difficulty of
maintaining too numerous a family.

When the hen begins to sit, nothing can exceed her perseverance
and patience; she continues for some days immoveable, and when
forced away by the importunities of hunger, she quickly returns
Sometlrnes also her eggs become too hot for her to bear, espe.
cially if she be furnished with too warm a nest within doors, for then
she is obliged to leave them to cool a little : thus the warmth of the
nest only retards incubation, and often puts the brood a day or two
back in the shell. While the hen sils, she carefully turns her eggs,
and even removes them to different situations; till at length in
about three weeks, the young brood begin to give signs of a desire
1o burst their confinement. When by the repeated efforts of their
bill, which serves like a pioneer on this occasion, tbcy have broke
themselves a passage through the shell, the hen still continues to sit
till ell are excluded. The strongest and best chickens generally
are the first candidates for liberty ; the weakest come behind, and
soma even die in the shell. When all are produced, she then leads
them forth to provide for themselves. Her affection and her pride
seem tlien to alter her very nature, and correct her imperfectiotis.
No longer voracious or cowardly, she abstains from all food that her
young can swallow, and flies boldly at every creature that she thinks
is likely to do them mischief. Whatever the invading animal be,
she boldly attacks him ; the h(»-se, the hog, or the mastiff, Wlien
marching at the head of her little troop, she acts tlie commander,
and has a variety of notes to call her numerous train to their food, or
to warn them of approaching danger. Upon one of these occanons,
I have seen the whole brood run for security into the thickest part of
a hedge, when the hen herself ventured boldly forth, and faced a
fox that came for plunder. With a good mastiff, however, we soon
sent the invader back to his retreat ; but not before he had wounded
the ben in several places.

Ten or twelve chickens are the greatest number that a good hen
can rear and clutch at a time; but as this bears no proportion to the

THB TOULTKf KIND. "275

number of her eggs. Hchemes have been imagined lo clutch all the
eggs of a hen, and thus turn her produce to the greatest advantage.
By these cunirivances it has been obtained, that a hen that ordinarily
produces but twelve chickens in the year, b found to produce or
many chickens as eggs, and consequently oHen above two hundred.
The contrivance I mean is the artificial method of hatching chickens
in stoves, as is practised at Grand Cairo ; or in a chemical elabora-
toiy properly graduated, sa has been effected by M. Reaumur. At
Gnnd Cairo ihey thus produce six or seven thousand chickens at a
time ; where, as they are brought forth in their mild spring, which is
warmer than our summer, the young ones thrive without clutching.
But it is otherwise in our colder and unequal climate ; the little ani-
mals may, without much difficulty, be hatched from the ahetl, but
they almost all perish when excluded. To remedy this, Reaumur
has made use of a woollen hen, as he calls it; which was nothing
more than putting the young ones in a warm basket, and clapping
overthem a thick woollen canopy. I ahould tliink a much belter Bub-
^stitute might be found, and this from among the species thennelvea.
Capons may very easily be taught to clutch a fresh brood of chickens
throughout the year ; so that when one little colony is thus reared,
another may be brought to succeed it. Nothing is more common
than lo see capons thus employed ; and the manner of teaching ihem
iathis: — first, the capon is made very tame, so as to feed from one's
hand ; then, about evening, they pluck the feathers off his breast,
and rub the bare skin with nellies; they then put Ihe chickens to
him, which presently run under his breast and belly, and probably
rubbing his bare skin gently with their hends, allay the stinging pain
whtdi the nettles had just produced. This is repeated for two or three
nights, till the animal takes an affection to the chickens thai have
thus givn him relief, and continues lo give them the protection ihey
seek for: perhaps also the querulous voice of the chickens may be
pleasant to him in misery, and invite him lo succour the distressed.
He from that time brings up a brood of chickens like a hen, clutching
them, feeding Ihem, clucking, and performing all the functions of the
teoderest parent. A capon once accustomed to this service, will not
give over ; but when one brood is grown up, he may have another
nearly hatched put under him, which he 'will treat with the same
tenderness he did the former.

The code, from his salaciousness, is allowed to be a short-lived
animal ; but how long these birds live, if left to themselves, is not
yet well ascertained by any historian. As they are kept only for
profit, and in a few years become unfit for generation, there are few
that, from mere motives of curiosity, will make the tedious experi-
ment of maintaining a proper number till they die. Aldrovandus
hints their age to be ten years ; and il is probable that this may be
ris extent. They are subject to some disorders, which it is not our
business to describe ; and as for poisans, besides nux vomica, which is
fatal to most animals except man, they arc injured, as Linmeus
asserts, by elder-berries, of which they are not a little fond.

VOL. II. A A

I
I

HISTORY OF

CHAPTER ni.

OF THE PEACOCK

people of Italy, is said lo have fl
e of a devil, and the guts of a tbief.

Tub Peacock, by
plumage of an angel, the

In fact, each of these qualities mark pretty well the nature of ihia
extraordinary bird. When it appears with its tail expanded, there

snone of the feathered creation can vie with it for beauty; yet the
horrid scream of ita voice serves to abate the pleasure we find front
viewing it ; and still more, its insatiable gluttony and spirit of de-
predation make it one of the most noxious domestics that man has
taken under his protection.

Our first peacocks were brought from the East Indies ; and we
are assured, that they are still found in vast flocks, in a wild state,
in the islands of Java and Ceylon. So beautiful a bird, and one
esteemed such a delicacy at the tables of the luxurious, could not be
permitted to continue long at liberty in its distant retreats. So early
as the days of Solomon, we find in his navies, among the articles \m-
ported from the East, apes and peacocks, ^ian relates, that they
were brought into Greece from some barbarous country, and were
held in such high esteem among them, that a male and female were
valued at above thirty pounds of our money. We are told also,
that when Alexander was in India, he found them flying wild in vast
numbers on the banks of the river Hyarotis, and was so struck with
titeir beauty that he laid a severe fine and punishment on all who
should kill or disturb them. Nor are we to be surprised at this, as
the Greeks were so much struck with the beauty of this bird, when
first brought among them, that every person paid a fixed price fur
seeing it; and several people came lo Athens, from Lacedaemon and
Thessaly, purely lo satisfy their curiosity.

It was probably first introduced into the West merely on account
of its beauty ; but mankind, from contemplating its figure, soon came
to think of serving it up for a different entertainment. Aufidius
llurco stands charged by Pliny willi being the first who fatted up
the peacock for the feasts of the luxurious. VVhatever there may be
of delicacy in the flesh of a young peacock, it is certain an old one
is very indifierent eating ; nevertheless, there is no mention made of
choosing the youngest; it is probable they were killed indiscrimi-
nately, the beauty of the feathers in some measure stimulating tlie
appetite. Hortensius, the orator, was the first who served them up at
an entertainment at Rome; and from that time lliey were considered
i of the greatest ornaments of every feast. Whether the

Roman method of cookery,
not have rendered them mc
I cannot tell j but certain ii
first of viands.

Its fame for delicacy, ho

rhich was much highei
palatable than we find them
i, they talk of the peacock a

at present,

I being Ife^^^

long ; ^^^1

THK POULTBT KIND.

VB find, in Uie times uf Froncu ihe First, that tt was a oiulcxn lo Mf ve
up peacocks to the tables or the ^real, with an intentioD not to be
eaten, but only to be aeen. Their manner was to strip off the skin,
and then prepnrinp the body with the warmest Bpice«, they covered
it up s^in in its former skin, with all its pliiinage in full display,
and no way Injured by the preparation. The bird thus prepared,
was often preserved for many years without corrupting ! and it is
asserted of the peacock's desh, that it keeps longer unputrefied than
that of any other animal. To give a higher zest to these entertain-
ments, on weddings particularly, they filled the bird's beak and
throat with cotton and camphire, which they set on fire to amuse and
delight the company. I do not know that the peacock is much used
at our entertainments at present, except now and then at ap alder-
man's dinner or a common council feast, when our citizens resolve
to be splendid ; and even then it is never served with its cotton and
camphire.

Like other birds of the poultry kin^, the peacock feeds upon corn,
bat lis chief predilection in for barley. But as it is a very proud
and fickle bird, there is scarcely any food that it will not at times
covet and pursue. Insects and tender plants are often eagerly soug'ht
at a time that it has a sufficiency of its natural food provided more
nearly. In the indulgence of these capricious pursuits, walls cannot
easily confine it ; it strips the tops of houses of their tiles or (liatch,
it lays wante the labours of the gardener, roots up his choicest seeds,
and nips his favourite flowers in the bud. Thus its beauty but ill
recompenses for the mischief it occasions; and many of the more
homely looking fowls are very deservedly preferred before it.

Nor is the pea«ock less a debauchee in Its affections than a glutton
in its appetites. He is still more salacious than even the cock ; and
though not possessed of the same vigour, yet burns with more im-
tnoderate desire. He requires five females at least to attend him :
and if there be not a sufficient number, he will even run upon and
tread the sitting hen. For this reason the pea-hen endeavours, as
much as ^e can, to hide her nest from the male, aa he would other-
wise disturb her sitting, and break her eggs.

The pea-hen seldom lays above five or six eggs in this climate
before she sits. Aristotle describes her aa laying twelve ; and it is
probable, in her native climate, she may be thus prolific ; for it is
certain, that in the forests where they breed naturally, they are
numerous beyond expression. This bird lives about twenty years;
and not till its third year has it that beautiful variegated plumage
that adorns its tail.

" In the kingdom of Cambaya," says Taverner, " near the city
of Baroch, whole flocks of them are seen in the fields. They are very
shy, however, and it is impossible to come near them. They run ofT
swifter than the partridge, and bide themselves in thickets, where it
is impossible to find them. They perch by night upon trees ; and
the fowler often approaches them at that season with a kind of
banner, on which a peacock is painted V the life, on either side. A

278 HISTORY OP

lighted tort* is flxud on the top of ihia decoy ; and the peacock,
wtien dUtui-bed, flies lo wiiat il lakes for another, and Is thus caught
in a noose prepared for thai purpoae,"

There are varieties of this bird, some of which are white, others
crested: that which is called the Peacock of Thibet, is the most
beautiful of the feathered creation, containing in iu plumage all the
most vivid colours, red, blue, yellow, and green, disposed in an al-
most artificial order, as if merely to please the eye of the beholder.

CHAPTER IV. ^M

THE TURKEY.

Tub natal place of the cock and peacock is pretty well ascertained,
but there are stronger doubts concerning the Turkey ; some contend-
ing that it has been brought into Europe from the East Indies many
centuries ago, while others assert that il is wholly unknown in thai
part of the world, that it is a native of the New Continent, and that
it was not brought into Europe till the discovery of that part of tike
world.

Those who contend for the latter opinion very truly observe, tlmt
among all the descriptions we have of Eastern birds, thai of the
turkey is not to be found ; while, on the contrary, it is very welt
known in the New Continent, where il runs wild about the woods.
It is said by them to have been Urst seen in France in the reign of
Francis the First, and in England in that of Henry the Eighth ;
which is about the lime that Mexico was first conquered by Spain.
On the other hand it is asserted, that the turkey, ho far froni being
unknown in Europe before that time, was known even tu the an-
cients, and that ^lian has given a pretty just description of it. They
allege, that its very name implies its having been brought from some
part of the East ; and that it is found, among other dainties, served
up to the tables of the great, before ilial tltne, among ourselves. But
what they pretend to be the strongest proof is, that though the wild
turkey be so very common in America, yet the natives cannot con-
trive to tame it ; and though hatched in the ordinary manner, nothing
uun render il domestic. In this diversity of opinions, perhaps, it b
best to suspend assent till more lights are thrown on the subject;
however, I am inclined to concur with the former opinion.

With us, when young, it is one of the tenderest of all birds; yet,
in its wild statu, it is found in great plenty in the forests of Canada,
that are covered with snow above three parts of the year. In their
natural woods, they are found much larger than in their state of
domestic captivity. They are much more beautiful also, their
feathers being of a dark grey bordered at the edges with a bright
gold colour. These the savages of the country weave into cloaks
to adorn their persons, and fashion into fans and umbrellas, but

THE POULTRY KIRD. 279

never once think of taking ioto IteepiDg Bnimats that the vrooda fur-
nish them with in sufficient abundance. Savage man seems to find
a delight in precarious poitsession. A great part of the pleasure of
the chase lies in the uncertainty of the pursuit, and he is unwilhng
to abridge himself in any accidental success tliat may attend his
fatigues. The hunting the turkey, therefore, makes une of his prin-
cipal diversions, as its flesh contributes chieSy to the support of his
family. When he has discovered the place of their retreat, which in
general is near Gelds of nettles, or where there is plenty of any kind
of grain, he takes his dog with him, which is trained to the sport
(a faithful rough creature, supposed to be originally reclaimed from
the wolf), and he sends him into the midst of the flock. The turkeys
no sooner perceive their enemy than they set off running at full
speed, and with such swiftness, that they leave the dog far behind
them ; he follows, nevertheless, and sensible they must soon be
tired, as they cannot go full speed for any length of time, he at last
forces them to take shelter in a tree, where they sit, quite spent and
fatigued, till the hunter comes up, and with a long pole knocks them
down one after the other.

This manner of suffering themselves lo be destroyed, argues no
great instinct in the animal ; and indeed, in their captive state, they
do not appear to be possessed of much. They seem a stupid, vain,
querulous tribe, apt enough to quarrel among themselves, yet with-
out any weapons to do each other an injury. Every body knows
the strange antipathy the turkey-cock has to a red colour, how he
bristles, and with his pecuhar gobbling sound, flies to attack it. But
there is another method of increasing the animosity of these birds
against each other, which is often practised by boys when they have
a mind for a battle. This is no more than to smear over the head
of one of the turkeys with dirt, and the rest run to attack it with all
ihe speed of impotent animosity ; nay, two of them, thus disguised,
will fight each other till they are almost suffocated with fatigue and

But though BO furious among themselves, Ihey are weak and
cowardly against other animals, though far less powerful than they.
The cock often makes the turkey keep at a distance ; and they
seldom venture to attack him but with united force, when they rather
oppress him by their weight than annoy him by their arms. There
is no animal, how contemptible soever, that will venture bfJdIy to
face the turkey-cock, that he will not fly from. On the contrary,
with the insolence of a bully, he pursues any thing that seems to
fear him, particularly lap dogs and children, against both which he
seems to have a peculiar aversion. On such occasions, after he has
made them scamper, he returns to his female train, displays his
plumage around, struts about the yard, and gobbles out a note of
self, approbation.

The female seems of a milder, gentler disposition. Rather
querulous than bold, she hunts about in quest of grain, and in pur-
suit of insects, being particularly delighted with the eggs of ants

280

HISTORY OP

9 nd -caterpillar. She lays eigrhteen or twenty eggs, lai^er ihaa
those of a hen, whilish, but marked with spots resembling the freckles
of the face. Her young are extremely lender al first, and must be
carefully fed nith curd chopped with dock leaves ; but 03 they grow
older, ihey become more hardy, and follow the mother to consider-
able distances, io pursuit of insect food, which they prefer to any
other. On these occasious, however, the female, though so large,
and as it would seem so powerful a bird, gives them bnt very little
protection against the attacks of any ropacious animal that comes
m her way. She rather warna her young to shift for themselves,
•than prepares to defend them. " 1 have heard," says the Abbe U
Pluche, " a turkey-hen, when at the head of her brood, send forth
the most hideous scream, without knowing as yet the cause; how-
ever, her young, immediately when the warning was given, skulked
under the bushes, the grass, or whatever else offered for shelter or
protection. They even stretched themselves at their full length
upon the ground, and continued lying as motionless as if they were
dead. In the mean time, the mother, with her eyes directed up-
wards, continued her cries and screaming as before. Upon looking
up to where she seemed to gaze, 1 discovered a black spot Just
under the clouds, but was unable at Grst to determine what it was;
however, it soon appeared to be a bird uf prey, though at first at
too great a distance to be distinguished, I have seen one of these
animals continue in this violent agitated state, and her whole
brood pinned down as it were lo the ground, for four hours toge-
ther; whilst their formidable foe has taken his circuits, has mounted
and hovered directly over their beads: at last, upon disappearing,
the parent began to change her note, and send forth auoltier cry,
which in an instant gave life to the whole trembling tribe, and they
all flocked round her with expressions of pleasure, as if conscious ot
their happy escape from danger."

When once grown up, turkeys are very hard birds, and feed
themselves at very little expense to the farmer. Those of Norfolk
are said to be the largest of this kingdom, weighing from twenty lo
thirty pounds. There are places, however, in the East Indies, where
they are known only in their domestic stale, in which Ihey grow tf
the weight of sixty pounds.

THE POULTUT KIND.
CHAPTER V.

THE PHEASANT.

It would surprise a sporlaman to be lold, ibat tlie Photuant,
which he finds wild in the woods, in the remotest parts of the king-
dom, and in forests which can scarcely be laid to have an owner, is
a foreign bird, and was at first artilicially propagated amongst us.
They were brought into Europe from the banks of the Phasis, a
river of Colchis in Asia Minor, from whence they slill retain thetr

Next to the peacock, they are the most beautiful of birds, as well
for the vivid colour of their plumes, as for their happy mixtures
and variety. It is far beyond the power of the pencil to draw any
thing BO glossy, so bright, or points so finely blending into each
other. We are lold that when CriEsus, king of Lydia, was seated
on his throne, adorned with royal magntRcence, and all the bar-
barous pomp of eastern splendour, he asked Solon if he had ever
beheld any thing so line 1 The Greek philosopher, no way moved
by the objects before him, or taking a pride in his native simplicity,
replied, that after having seen the beautiful plumage of the pheasant
he could be astonished at no other tinery.

Id fact, nothing can satisfy the eye with a greater variety and
richness of ornament than this beautiful creature. The iris of the
eye is yellow ; and the eyes themselves are surrounded with a scarlet
colour, sprinkled with small specks of black. On the fore-part of
the head there are blackish feathers mixed with a shining purple.
The top of the head and upper part of the neck are tinged with a
darkish green that shines like silk. In some the top of the head is
of a shining blue, and the head itself, as well as the upper part of
the neck, appears somotimes blue and sometimes green, as it is
differently placed to the eye of the spectator. The feathers of the
breast, the shoulders, the middle of the back, and the sides under
the wings, have a blackish ground, with edges tinged of an exquisite
colour, which appears sometimes black and sometimes purple, ac-
cording to the different lights it is placed in; under the purple there
is a transverse streak of gold colour. The tail, from the middle
feathers to the root, is about eighteen inches long ; tiie legs, the
feet, and the toes, are of the colour of horn. There are black spurs
on the legs, shorter than those of a cock ; there is a membrane that
connects two of tlie toes together; and the male is much more
beautiful than the female.

This bird, though so beautiful to tlie eye, is not legs delicate when

~ rved up to the tabic. Its flesh is considered as the greatest dainty ;

id when the old physicians spoke of (he whoiesomeness of any

||iands, they made their comparison with the flesh of the pheasant.

ever, notwithstanding all these perfections to tempt the curiosity

e palate, the pheasant has multiplied in iis wild stale ; and, as

■

HISTORY OP

if disdaining the protection of man, he has lefl him to take ahetter 11
the thickest vooJs and the remotest forests. All others of' the
mestic kind, the cock, the turkey, or the pinlada, when once re-
claimed, have still continued in their domestic slate, and persevered
in the habits and appetites of wilMng slavery. But the pheasant,
though taken from its native warm retreats, where the woods supply
variety of food, and the warm aun suits its tender constitution, has
still continued its attachmeut to native freedom ; and, now wild
among us, makes the most envied ornament of our parka and forests,
where he feeds upon acorns and berries, and the scanty produce of
our chilling climate.

This spirit of independence seems to attend the pheasant even in
captivity. In the woods the hen pheasant lays from eighteen to twenty
eg^ in a season ; but in a domestic state she seldom lays above ten.
In tlie same manner, when wild, she hatches and leads up her brood
with patience, vigilance, and courage ; but when kept tame, she
never sits well, so that a hen is generally her substitute upon such
occasions : and as for leading her young to their food, she is utterly
ignorant of where it is to be, found, and the young birds starve if
lefl solely to her protection. The pheasant, therefore, on every
account, seems better left at large in the woods than reclaimed ti^
pristine captivity. Its fecundity when wild is nnfficienl to slock
forest; its beautiful plumage adorns it; and its flesh retains a hij
flavour from its unlimited freedom.

However, it has been the aim of late to take these birds
more from the woods, and to keep them in places fitted for their
reception. Like all others of the poultry kind, they have no great
sagacity, and sufler themselves easily to be taken. At night they
roost upon the highest trees of the wood ; and by day they come
down into the lower brakes and buslies, where their food is chiefly
found. They generally make a kind of flapping noise when they
are with the females, and this o[\en apprizes the sportsman of their
retreats. At other times he tracks them in the snow, and frequently
takes thetn in springes. But of all birds they are shot most easily,
as they always make a whirring noise when they rise, by which they
alarm the gunner, and being a large mark, and flying very sh
there is scarcely any missing them.

nd t^^H

His

pun)ip

Lt DuDca wilh gold?

When these birds are taken young into keeping, they b
familiar as chickens ; and when they are designed for breedild
they are put together in a yard, five hens to a cock ; for this b'
like all of the poultry kind, is very salacious. In her natural si
the female makes her nest of dry grass and leaves ; the same radj
be laid for her in the pheasantry, and she herself will sometini
f^operly dispose them. If she refuse to hatch her eggs, ih^

hen n

THE I'OULTllY KTND. 283

e got to supply her place, which task she will

perform with perseverance and success. The young ones ar« yery
difficult lo be reared ; and they must be supplied with ants' eggs,
which is the food the old one leads them to gather when wild in the
woods. To make these go the farther, they are to be chopped up
with curds or oilier meat ; and the young ones are to be fed with
great exacloess, both as to the quantity and the time of their supply.
This food is sometimes also to be varied ; and wood lice, ear-wigs,
and other inaecla, are lo make a variety. The place where they are
reared must be kept extremely clean; their water must be changed
twice or thrice a day ; they must not be exposed till the dew is off
the ground in the mornings and they should always be taken in
before aun-set. When they become adult, they very well can shift
for themselves, but they are particularly fond of oats and barley.

In order to increase the breed, and make it still more valuable,
Longolius teaches us a method that appears very peculiar. The
pheasant is a very bold bird when first brought into the yard among
other poultry, nut sparing the peacock, nor even such young cocks
and hens as it can master; but after a time it will live tamely among
them, and will at last be brought to couple with a common hen.
The breed thus produced takes much stronger after the pheasant
than the hen ; and in a few successions, if they be let to breed with
the cock- pheasant, for the mixture is not barren, there will be pro>
duced a species more tame, stronger, and more proline ; so that he
adds, that it u strange why most of our pheasantries are not stocked
with birds produced in this manner.

The pheasant, when full grown, seems to feed indifTerently upui
every thing that ofiers. It is said by a French writer, that one of
the king's sportsmen shooting at a parcel of crows that were gathered
round a dead carcass, to his great surprise upon coming up, found
that he had killed as many pheasants as crows. It is even asserted
by some, that such is the carnivorous disposition of this bird, that
when several of them are put together in the same yard, if one of
them happens to fall sick, or seems to be pining, that all the rest
will fall upon, kill, and devour it. Such is the language of books ;
those who have frequent opportunities of esamijiing the manners
of the bird itself, know what credit ought to be given to such an

Of the pheasant, as of all other domestic fowl, there are many
varieties. There are white pheasants, crested pheasants, spotted
pheasants ; but of all others, the golden pheasant of China is t'
most boamiful, It is a doubt whether the peacock itself can b(
the comparison. However, the natives of China would not have
consider it as their most beautiful bird, though covered all over w;
eyes, resembling in miniature those of the peacock. By their t
counts it is far exceeded by the Fotiffiehang, an imaginary bird
which they give a most fantastic description. It is thus that the
people of every country, though possessed of the greatest
tages, have still others that ihfy would persuade strangers they
^oy> which have existence only in the imagination-

S84 HJfiTOBY or

CHAPTER VI.

[THE TRUMPETER.

TuiB curious bird \a found in varloHs parts of South Ami
but in greatest plenty in the Amazons country. It is about the size
of a large fowl, and lays eggs of a blue-green colour. The plomage
b black, excepting the head and breast, which are of a smooth
shining green. The bill is moderately long; the upper mandible is
convex ; the nostrils are obtong, sunk, and pervious ; the tongue is
cartilaginous, flat, and fringed at the end; and the legs are n^ed
a little above the knees, with three toes before, and one behind.

The Trumpeter is also met with in the Carribee Islands, where it
is called a plUtuanl, and its flesh is reckoned as good as that of the
pheasant. The most characteristic and remarkable property of these
birds consists in the wonderful noise they make, which some have
supposed to proceed from the anus, and others from the belly. It
is now certain, however, that this sound proceeds from the lungs.
This bird is easily rendered familiar, and ^ows a strong attachment
to those who feed ii. It follows its master every-where like a dog;
and it is also remarkable that it will follow people through the
streets, and out of town, and these too even perfect strangers. It is
difficult to get rid of them ; for if you enter a house they will wait
your return, and again join you, though often after an interval of
three hours. " I have sometimes," says M. de la Borde, " betaken
myself to my heels ; but they ran faster, and always got before me ;
and when I stopped, they stopped also. — I know one," continues he,
•"which invariably follows all the strangers who enter its master's
house, accompanies them into the garden, takes as many turns as
they do, and attends them back again." In their wild stale, they
associate in large flocks, and run with surprising swiftness.]

CHAPTER VII.

THE PINTAD.1, OR GUINEA-HEN.

This is a very remarkable bird, and in some measure unites the
characteristics of the pheasant and the turkey. It has the fine deli-
cate shape of the one, and the bare head of the other. To be more
particular, it is about the size of a common hen ; but as it is sup-
ported on longer legs, it looks much larger. It has a round back,
with a tail turned downwards like a partridge. The head is covered
with a kind of casque ; and the whole plumage is blat& or dark
grey, speckled with while spots. It has wattles under the bill,
which do not proceed from the lower chap as in cocks, but from the
upper, which gives it a very peculiar air, while its restless gait and

THE POULTBT KIND.

odd ohudcling sound distinguish it sufflciently ttom all other birds
whatever.

It is well known all over Europe, and even better than with ub,
as the nations thai border on the Mediterranean probably had it
before us from those pnrts of Africa which lay nearest. Accordingly
we find it in ditlerent countries called by diSerent names, from the
place whence they had il. They are by some called the Barbary
hen ; by others, the Tamis bird ; and by others, the bird of Numidia.
We have given it the name of that part of Africa from whence pro>
bably il was first brought.

In many parts of their native country ihey are seen in vast docks
together, feeding their young, and leading them in quest of food.
All their habila are like those of the poultry kind, and they agree in
every other respect, except that tlia male and female are so much
alike, that they can hardly be distinguished asunder. The only dif-
ference lies in the wattles described above, which in the cock are of
a bluish cast, in the hen they are more inclining to red. Their eggs,
like their bodies, are speckled ; in our climate they lay but five or
six in a season, but they are far more prolific in their sultry regions
at home. They are kepi among us rather for show than use, as
their flesh is not much esteemed, and as they give a good deal of
trouble in the rearing.

^^F THE BUSTARD. ^1

The Bustard is the largest land bird that is a native of Britain.
It was once much more numerous than il is at present; but the in-
creased cultivation of the country, and the extreme delicacy of iia
flesh, has greatly thinned the species, so that a time may come when
il may be doubted whedier ever so large a iMrd was bred among us.
Il is probable that long before this the bustard would have been
extirpated, but for its peculiar manner of feeding. Had il conti-
nued to seek shelter among our woods, in proportion as they were
cut down it must have been destroyed. If in the forest, the fowler
might approach it without being seen ; and the bird, from its size,
would be too great a mark to be easily missed. Bui it inhabits
only the open and extensive plain, where its food lies in abundance,
and where every invader may be seen at a distance.

The bustard is much larger than the turkey ; the male generally
weighing from twenty-live to twenly-seven pounds. The neck is a
foot long, and the legs a foot and a half. The wings are not. pro-
porlionabje to the rest of the body, being but four feet from the tip
of the one to tlie other; for which reason the bird flies with great
didicully. The head and neck of the male are ash-coloured; the
back is barred transversely with black, bright, and rust colour. The

28ft

peater quill

vhrch con.iUU

^^ It would 8

^H bird as thia a

^^B but the wond

^^H countries, wl'

^^H disco vered.

^H the extensive

^^M Lothian in Si

^^M woods to sere

^^H tarda enjoy

^^r berries that ;

■ftlSTORT OP

greater quill feathers are black; the belly white; and the tail,
which conniets of twenty feathers, is marked with broad black ban.

odd, as was hinted before, how so large a
bird as this could lind shelter in so cultivated a country as Englaod
but the wonder will cease when we find it only in the most o
countries, where there is scarcely any approaching without T
discovered. They are frequently seen in flocks of fifty or niore,l
e downs of Salisbury Plain, in the heaths of Sussex w
Cambridgeshire, the Dorsetshire uplands, and so on as far as i
Lothian in Scotland. In those extensive plains, where there a
woods to screen the sportsman, nor hedges to creep along, the b
tards enjoy an indolent security. Their food is composed of tl
berries that grow among the heath, and the large earth-wor
appear in great quantities on the downs before sun-rising in s
It is in vain that the fowler creeps forward to approach them ;
have always sentinels placed at proper eminences, which ai
^^^ the watch, and warn the flock of the smallest appearance of daoj
^^L All therefore that is left the sportsman, is the comfortless vj
^^H their distant security. He may wish, bm they are in safety.
^^P It sometimes happens that these birdi, though they are seldo4

^~ shot by the gun, are often run down by greyhounds. As they n
voracious and greedy, they often sacrifice their safety to their
tite, and feed themselves so very fat, that they are unable to ■
without great preparation. When the greyhound, therefore, com
within a certain distance, the bustard runs off Happing its wings, t
endeavouring to gather air enough under them to rise; in the im _
lime the enemy approaches nearer and nearer, till it is too late t
the bird even to think of obtaining safety by flight ; forjtuta
, rise there is always time lost, and of this the bird is sensible ; it con-

tinues, therefore, on the foot until it has got a sufficient way before
the dog for flight, or until it is taken.

As there are few places where they can at once find proper food
and security, so they generally continue near their old haunts, seldom
wandering above twenty or thirty mites from home. As their food
is replete with moisture, it enables them to live upon these dry

I plains, where there are scarcely any springs of water, a long time
without drinking. Besides this, nature has given the males an ad-
mirable magazine for their security against thirst. This is a pouch,
the entrance of which lies immediately under the tongue, and capa-
ble of holding near seven quarts of water. This is probably filll "
upon proper occasions, to supply the hen when sitting, or the yoiq
before tliey can fly.
Like all other birds of the poultry kind, they change their n
at the season of incubation, which is about the latter end of summ
They separate in pairs if there be a sufficiency of females for l|
log
the

males ; but when this happens id be otherwise, the males flght u

e of them falls. In France, they often find some of those victia
to gallantry dead in the fields, and no doubt are not displeasedJ
" e occasion.

THE POUtTBY KIND. 287

They make their nosts upon the ground, only jusl scraping a hole
in the earth, and sometimes lining it with a little long grass or straw.
There they lay two eggs only, almost of the size of a goose egg, ofa
pale olive brown, marked with spots of a darker colour. They hatch
for about five weeks, and the young ones run about as soon as they
are out of the shell.

The bustards assemble in flocks in the month of October, and
keep together till April. In winter, as their food becomes more
scarce, they support themselves indiscriminately by feeding on
moles, mice, and even little birds, when they can seize them. For
want of other food, tliey are contented to live upon turnip leaves and
such like succulent vegetables. !n some parts of Switzerland they
are found frozen in the fields in severe weather : but when taken to
a warm place they again recover. They usually live fifteen years,
and are incapable of being propagated in a domestic state, as tliey
probably want that food which best agrees with their appetite.

CHAPTER IX.

THE GROUSE, AND ITS AFFINITIES.

Tub Cock of the Wood, the Black Cock, the Grouse, and the
Ptarmigan, — these are all birds of a similar nature, and chiefly found
in heathy mountains and piny foresli, at a distance from mankind.
They might once indeed have been common enough all over Eng-
land, when a great part of the country was covered with heath ; but
at present their numbers are thinned : the two first of this kind are
utterly unknown in the South, and have taken refuge in the northern
parts of Scotland, where the extensive heaths afford them security,
and the forests shelter.

The cock of the wood is sometimes of the size of a turkey, and
often weighs near fourteen pounds; the block cock, of which the
male is all over black, though the female is of the colour of a
partridge, is about the size of a hen, and, like the former, is only
found with us in the Highlands of Scotland ; the grouse is about
half as large again as a partridge, and its colour much like that of
a woodcock, but redder; the ptarmigan is still somewhat less, and
of a pale brown or ash colour. They are all distinguishable from
other birds of the poultry kind, by a naked skin, of a scarlet colour,
above the eyes, in the place and of the figure of eye-brows.

It seems to be something extraordinary, that all the larger wild
animals of every species choose the darkest and the inmost recesses
of the woods for their residence, while the smaller kinds come more
into the open and cultivated parts, where there is more food and
more danger. It is thus with the birds I am describing : while the
cock of the wood is seldom seen, except on the inaccessible parts of
heathy mountains, or in the midst of piny forests, the grouse is found

288 HISTOH'S' OF

in great numbers in Ihe neighbourhooj of com fields, where there
ig heath to afibrd retreat and shelter. Their food too somewhat
differs; while the smaller kind lives upon heath blossoms, craU'
berries, and corn, the larger feeds upon the cones of the pine tree,
and will somelimea entirely strip one iree, before it oSers to touch
those of another, though just beside him. In other respects, the
manners of these birds are the same, being both equally simple in
their diet, and licentious in their amours.

The Cock of the Wood, for it b from him we will take our de-
scription, is, as was said, chiefly fond of a mountainous and woody
situation. In winter he resides in the darkest and inmost part of
the woods ; in summer he ventures down from his retreats, to make
short depredations on the farmer's com. The delicacy of bis flash
in some measure sets a hig'h price upon his head ; and as he is
greatly sought after, so he conlinties, when he comes down from the
hills, always on his guard. Upttn these occasions he is seldom sur-
prised ; and those who would lake him must venture up to find him
in his native retreats.

The cock of the wood, when in the forest, attaches himself prin-
cipally to the oak and the pine tree ; the cones of the latter serving
for his food, and the thick boughs for a habitation. He even makes
a choice of what cones he shall feed upon; for he somelimes will
strip one tree bare before he will deign to touch the cones of another.
He feeds also upon anls' eggs, which seem a high delicacy to all
birds of the poultry kind ; cranberries are likewise often found in
his crop; and his gizzard, like that of domestic fowls, containsa
quantity of gravel, for the piirpose of assisting his powers of di-
gestion.

At the earliest return of spring this bird begins to feel the genial
' influence of the season : during the month of March, the approaches
of courtship are continued, and do not desist till the trees have all
their leaves, and the forest is in full bloom. During this whole season
the cock of the wood is seen, at Hun-rise and sun-setting, extremely
active upon une of the largest branches of the pine tree. With his
tail raised and expanded like a fan, and llio wings drooping, he is
seen walking backward and forward, his neck stretched out, his head
swoln and red, and making a thousand ridiculous postures : his cry,
upon that occasion, is a kind of loud explosion, which is instaolly
followed by a noise like the whetting of a scythe, which ceases and
commences alternately for about an hour, and is then terminated by
the same explosion.

During the time this singular cry continues, the bird seems entirely
deaf, and insensible of every danger: whatever noise may be made
near him, or even though flred at, he still continues his call ; artd
this is the lime that sportsmen generally take to shoot him. Upon
all other occasions he is the most timorous and watchful bird in
nature; but now he seems entirely absorbed by his insiincis, and
seldom leaves the place where he first begins to feel the accesses of
desire. This extraordinary cry, which is dcconipanted by a clap-

THE POULTRY KIND.

ping of the tvings, U no aoonet finished, than ihe female hearing it
replies, approaches, and places herself under the tree, from whence
the cock descends to impregnate her. The number of females that
on this occasion resort to his call, is uncertain ; but one male gene-
rally suffices for alt-

The female js much less than her male, and entirely unlike him
in plumage, so lliat she might be mistaken for a bird of another
species: she seldom lays more than six or seven eggs, which are
white, and marked with yellow, of the size of a common hen's egg ;
she geneially lays them in a dry place, and a mossy ground, and
hatches them without the company of the cock. When she is
obliged, during the time of incubation, to leave her eggs in quest of
food, she covers them up so artfully with moss or dry leaves, that it
is extremely difficult to discover ihem. On this occasion she is ex-
tremely tame and tranquil, however wild and timorous in ordinary.
She often keeps to her nest, though strangers attempt to drag her

As soon as the young ones are hatched, they are seen running
with extreme agility after the mother, though sometimes they are
not entirely disengaged from the shell. The hen leads them for-
ward, for the first time, into the woods, Shows them anis' eggs, and
the wild mountain berries, which, while young, are their oiily food.
As they grow older, their appetites grow stronger, and they then
feed vpon the tops of heather, and the cones of the pine tree. In
this manner, they soon come tq perfection; they are a hardy bird,
their food lies every-where before them, and it might therefore be
expected that they should be found in great abundance. But this
is not the case; their numbers are thinned by rapacious birds and
beasts of every kind, and still more by their own salacious contests.

As soon as (he clutching is over, whieh the female performs in
the manner of a hen, the whole brood follows the mother for about
a. month or two ; at the end of which tlie young males entirely for-
sake her, and keep in great harmony together till the beginning of
spring. At this season they begin, for the first time, to feci the
genial access ; and then adieu to all their former friendships ! They
begin to consider each other as rivals ; and the rage of concupiscence
quite extinguishes the spirit of society. They light each other like
game-cocks ; and at that time are so inattentive to their own safety,
that it often happens that two or three of them are killed at a shot.
It is probable, that in these contests ttie bird which comes off victo-
rious takes possession of the female seraglio, as it is certain they
have no faithful attachments.*

• This account of the Cock of tlu' Wood il taken from tho Journal CEeo-

9W- nisTO^T or

CHAPTER X.
OF THE PARTRIDGE, AND ITS VARIETIES.

Thb partridge may be particularly considered as belongings
the sporlsman. It is a bird which even our laws have laken under
protection, and, like a peacock or a hen, may be ranked as a pri-
vate property. The only difference now is, that we feed one in our
farma, the other in our yards; that these are contented captivei,
those servants that have it in their power (o change their master, by
changing Iheir habitation.

" These birds," says Willoughby, " hold l!ie principal place in
the feasts and entertainments of princes, without which their feasts
are esteemed ignoble, vulgar, &nd of no account. The Frenchmen
do BO bighly value, and are so fond of the partridge, that if they be
wanting, they utterly slight and despise the best spread tables ; as
if there could be no feast without them." But however this might
be in the times of our historian, the partridge is now too common
in France to be considered as a delicacy ; and this, as well as every
other simple dish, is exploded for luxuries of a more compound in-
Tenlion.

In England, where tlie partridge is much scarcer, and a great deal
dearer, it is still a favourite delicacy at the tables of the rich ; and
the desire of keeping it to themselves has induced tliem to make
laws for its preservation, no way harmoniring with the general spirit
of the English legislation. What can be more arbitrary than to talk
of preserving the game; which, when defined, means no more than
that the poor shall abstain from what the rich have taken a fancy to
keep to themselves } If these birds could, like a cock or a hen, be
made legal property; could they be taught to keep within certain
districts, and only feed on those grounds that belong to the man
whose entertainments they improve, it (hen might, with some show
of justice, be admitted, that as a man fed ihem, so he might claim
llicm, But this is not the case ; nor is it in any man's power lo lay
a restraint upon the liberty of these birds, that, when let loose', put
no limits to their excursions. They feed every-where, upon every
man's ground ; and no man can say. These birds are f«l only by
me. Those birds which are nourished hy all, belong lo all ; nor can
any one man, or any set of men, lay claim to them, when still con-
tinuing in a state of nature.

1 never walked out about the environs of Paris, that I did not
consider the immense quantity of game that was running almost
tame on every side of me, as a badge of the slavery of the people :
and what they wished me lo observe as an object of triumph, I
always regarded with a kind of secret compassion : yet this people
have no game laws for the remoter parts of the kingdom ; the game
>a only preserved in a few places for the king, and is free in most
places else. In England the prohibition is general; and the peuant

THE POULTRY KIWB

n slaves.

591

lie is taught to coll ihem. are

hae not a right ts what e^
found to possess.

Of partridg-es there are two kiods, the grey and the red. The
rtd partridge is tlie largest of tlie two, and often perches upon trees ;
the grey, with which we are best acquainted in England, is most
prolific, and always keeps on the ground.

The partridge seems to be a bird well known all over the world,
ax it is found in every country, and in every climate ; as well in the
frozen regions about the pole, as the torrid tracts under the equator.
It even seems to adapt itself to the nature of the climate where it
resfdes. In Greenland, the partridge, which is brown in summer, as
soon as the icy winter sets in, begins to take a covering suited to
the season ; it is then clothed with a warm down beneath, and its
oulvrard plumage assumes the colour of the snows amongst which it
seeks its food. Thus it is doubly fitted for the place, by the warmth
and the colour of its plumage ; the one to defend it from the cold,
the other to prevent its being noticed by the enemy. Those of
Barakonda, on the other hand, are longer legged, much swifter of
foot, and choose the highest rocks and precipices to reside in.

They all, however, agree in one character, of being immoderately
addicted to venery, and, as some writers affirm, often to an unnatural
degree. It is certain the male will pursue the hen even to her nest,
and will break her eggs rather than not indulge his inclinations.
Though the young ones have kept together in flocks during the
winter, when they begin to pair in .spring their society disperses,
and combats, very terrible with respect ta each other, ensue. Their
manners, in other circumstances, re-^emble all those of poultry in
general ; but their cunning and instincts seem superior to those of
the larger kinds. Perhaps, as they live in the very ntiighbourhood
of their enemies, they have more frequent occasion to put their little
arts in practice, and learn by habit the means of evasion or safety.
Wlienever, therefore, a dog, or other fofmidable animal approaches
their nest, the female uses every means to draw him away. She
keeps just before him, pretends to be incapable of flying, just hops
up and then falls down betbre him, but never goes off so far as to
discourage her pursuer. At length, when she has drawn him entirely
away from her secret (veasiire, she at once takes wing, and fairly
leaves him to gaze after her in despair.

AJler the danger is over, and the dog withdrawn, she then calls
her young, who assemble at once at her cry, and follow where she
leads them. There are generally from ten lo (ifleen in a covey ;
and, if unmolested, they live from fifteen to seventeen years.

There are several methods of taking them, as is well known ; that
by which they are taken in a net, with a setting dog, is llie most
pleasant, as well as the most secure. The dog, as every body
knows, is trained to this exercise by a long course of education : by
blows and caresses he is taught tb lie down at the word of command ;
a partridge is shown him, and he is then ordered to lie down ; he is
brought into (lie field, and when the sportsman perceives where the

393

HKTORT OP

core; lies, he ordors his dog to crouch ; al length the dog, from
habit, crouches whenever he approaches a covey ; and this is the
signal which the sportsman receives for unfolding and covering the
birds with bis net. A covey thus caught, is sometimes fed in a place
proper for their reception ; but they can never be thoroughly tamed,
like the n»t of our domestic poultry. -^^

CHAPTER XI. ^

THE QUAiL.

The last of the poultry kind (hat I shall mention is the Quail ; a
bird much smaller than any of the former, being not above half the
size of a partridge. The feathers of tlie head are black, edged wilh
rusty brown ; the breast is of a pale yellowish red, spotted with
black ; the feathers on the back are marked with lines of a pale
yellow, and (he legs are of a pale hue. Except in the colours thus
described, and the size, it every way resembles a partridge in shape,
and, except that it is a bird of passage, all others of the poultry kind
in its habits and nature.

The quail is by all known to be a bird of passage ; and yet, if
we consider its heavy manner of flying, and its dearth of plumage
with respect to its corpulence, we shall be Hurpriged how a bird so
apparently ill qualified for migration, should take such extensive
journeys. Nothing however is more certain ; " When we sailed
from Rhodes to Alexandria," says Bellonius, " about autumn, many
quails, flying from the north to the south, were taken in our ship i
and sailing at spring-time the contrary way, from the south to the
north, I observed them on their return, when many of them were
taken in the same manner." This account is confirmed by many
others ; who aver, that they choose a north wind for these adven-
tures ; the south wind being very unfavourable, as it retards their
flight by moistening their plumage. They then llj two by two,
continuing, when the way lies over land, to go faster by night than
by day, and to fly very high, to avoid being surprised or set upon
by birds of prey. However, it still remains a doubt whether quails
take such long journeys as Bellonius has made them perform. It is
now asserted by some, that the quail only migrates from one pro-
vince of a country to another. For instance, in England they fly
from the inland counties to those bordering on the sea, and continue
there all the winter. If frost or snow drive them out of the stubble
fields or marshes, they then retreat to the sea-side, shelter themselves
among the weeds, and live upon wliat is thrown up from the sea
upon whore. Particularly in Essex, the time of their appearance
upon the coasts of that country exactly coincides with their disap-
pearance from the more internal parts of the kingdom ; so ih ' '
has been said of their long flights, is probably not so well fi
as ii generally suppoied.

; soihatwha^^—
founiU^H

THE PIK KIND. 298

, Them birds aro much less prolific than the partridge, leldoin lay.
IDg more than sis or Bcven wliitish eggs, marked with ragged rusl-
coliHired spots. But their ardour in courtship yields scarcely lu any
olher bird, as Ihey are fierce and cruel at that season to eadi other,
figliling most desperately, and (a punishment they richly deserve)
bebg at that lime very easily taken. Quail-Gghting was a favourite
amusement among the Athenians: they abstained from the desh of
this bird, deeming it unwholesome, supposing that it fed ujjon the
white hellebore ; but they reared great numbers of them for the
pleasure of seeing them fight, and staked sums of money, as m& do
with regard to cocks, upon the success of the combat. Fashion, how-
ever, has at present changed with regard to this bird ; we take no
pleasure in its courage, but its flesh is considered as a very great
delicacy.

Quails are easily caught by a call : the fowler, early in the mora-
ing, haying spread his net, bides himself under it among the corn :
he then imitates the voice of the female with his quail-pipe, which
the cock hearing, approaches with the utmost assiduity ; when he has
got under the net, the fowler then discovers himself, and territiea
the quail, who, attempting to get away, entangles himself the more
in the net, and is taken. The quail may thus very well serve to
illustrate the old adage, That every passion, carried to an inordi-
nate excess, will at last lead to ruin.

PART III.

OF BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND.

CHAPTER 1.
OF BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND IN GENERAL.

H^P In marshalling our army of the feathered creation, wo have placed
^^ in ttie van a race of birds long bred to war, and whose passion h
slaughter; in the centre we have placed the slow and heavy laden,
that are usually brought into the field to be destroyed ; we now
come to a kind of light infantry, that partake something of the spirit
of th« two former, and yet belonging to neither. In this class we ^^1
must be content to marshal a numerous irregular tribe, variously ^^M
armed, with difierent pursuits, appetites, and manners; not formida- ^^M
blv formed for war, and yet generally delighting in mischief; not ^^M

Kwly and usefully obedient, and yet without any professed enmity, ^^M
the rest of their fellow-ten an Is of air. ^H

^^P 1[iT4 HISTOnT OF

^^H To speak wilhoul metaphor, under ihia clau of birds we may

^^H arrange all ihat noiaj, restless, chattering', teasing tribe, that lie«

^^B between the hen and the thrush, thai, from the size of the raven

^^H duwn to (hat of the woodpecker, flutter round our habitations, and,

^^B TBtlier with the spirit of pilferers than of robbers, make free with the

^^H fruits of human industry.

^^H Of all the other classes, this seems to be that which the least con-

^^H tributes to furnish out the pleasures or supply the necessities of man.

^^H The falcon hunts for him; the poultry tribe supply him with luxuri-

^^H ous food ; and the little sparrow race delight him with the melody of

^^H their warblings. The crane kind make a studied variety in his

^^H entertainments ; and the cIhss of ducks are not only many of them

^^H delicate in their flesh, but extremely useful for their feathers. But

^^H in the class of the pie kind there are few except the pigeon that are

^^H any way useful. They serve rather to lease man than to assist or

^^H amuse him. Like faithless servants, they are fond of his neighbour-

^^H hood, because they mostly live by his labonr; but their chief study

^^H is what they can plunder in his absence, while their deaths make no

^^H atonement for their depredations.

^^H But though, with respect to man, this whole class is rather noxi-

^^B ous than beneRcial ; though he may consider them in this light, as

^^B false, noisy, troublesome neighbours, yet, with respect to each other,

^^H no class of birds are so ingenious, so active, or so well fitted for

^^H society. Could we suppose a kind of morality among birds, we

^^H should lind that these are by far the most industrious, the most faith-

^^H ful, the most constant, and the most connubial. The rapacious kinds

^^H drive out their young before they are lit to struggle with adversity;

^^f but the pie kind cherish their young to the last. The poultry dais

ere faithless and promiscuous in their courtship; but these live in

pairs, and their attachments are wholly confined to each other. The

sparrow kind frequently overleap the bounds of nature, and make

^ ilh'cit varieties; but these never. They (ive in harmony with each

Q^ other ; every species is true to its kind, and transmits an unpolluted

^^B race to posterity.

^^P As other binds butld in rocks or upon the ground, the chief place

^^K where these build is in trees or bushes ; the male takes his share in

^^1 the labours of building the nest, and oAen relieves his mate in the

^^1 duties of incubation. Both take this office by turns ; and when the

^^1 young are excluded, both are equally active in making them an

^H ample provision.

^^M They sometimes live in societies ; and in these there are general

^^P' laws observed, and a kind of republican form of guyemment esta-

^^^ Wished among them. They watch not only for the general safety,
but for that of every other bird of the grove. How often have wo
seen a fowler, stealing in upon a (lock of ducks or wild geese, dis-
turbed by the alarming note of a crow or a magpie 1 its single voice

^^^ gave (he whole thoughtless tribe warning, and taught them in gwu^^^

^^^ lime to look to tiieir safety. ^^^|

^^H^ Nor are these birds less remarkable for their instincts than t^*^^^|

THE PIB KIND.

30,5

r arohnesa

qnpocitj for toalrucLion. There is an apparent cunning o
in the look of the whole tribe; and I have seeD crows and ravens
taught to fetch and carry with the docility of b. spaniel Indeed it
is often an exercise that, without leaching, all this tribe are but too
fond of. Every body knows what a passion they have for shining
substances, and such toys as some of us put a value upon. A whole
family has been alarmed at the lossofariog; every servant has
been accused, and every creature in the house, conscious of their
own innocence, suspected each other, when, to the utter surprise of
all, it has been found in the nest of a tame magpie or a jackdaw thai
nobody had ever thought of.

However, as this class is very numerous, it is not to be stipposed
thai the manners are alike in all. Some, such as the pigeon, are
gentle and serviceable to man ; others are noxious, capricious, and
noisy. In a few general characters they all agree ; namely, in having
hoarse voices, slight active bodies, and a. facility of flight that baffles
even the boldest of the rapacioas kinds in the pursuit. I will begin
with those birds which most properly may be said to belong to this
class, and go on till I finish with the pigeon, a harmless bird, that
resembles this tribe in little else except their size, and that seems to
be the shade uniting tlie pie and the sparrow kind into one general

It is not to be expected that in this sketch of the great magazine
of nature we can stop singly to contemplate every object. To de-
scribe the number that offers would be tedious, and the similitude
that one bears another would make the history disgusting. As an
historian, in relating the actions of some noble people, does not stop
to give the character of every private man in the army, but only of
such as have been distinguished by their conduct, courage, or trea-
chery, so should the historian of nature only seize upon the most
striking objects before him, and, having given one common account
of the most remarkable, refer the peculiarities of iho rest to their
general description.

OP THE RAVEN, THE CRttW, AND THEIR AFFINITIES.

The Raven, the Carrion-Crow, and the Rook, are birds so well
known, that a long description would but obscure our ideas of them.
The raven is the largest of the three, and distinguished from the
rest not only by his size, but by his bill being somewhat more hooked
than that of the rest. As for the carrion-crow and the rook, they
so strongly resemble each other, both in make and size, that thoy
are not easily distinguished asunder. The chief difference to be
found between them lies in the bill of the rook ; which, by being
frequently thrust into the ground to fetch out grubs and earlh-worma

396 HISTORY OP

H bare of leathers as far as the eyes, and appears of a whitish colour.
It differs also in the purple splendour or gloss of its feathers, which
in the carrioD'Crow are of a more dirty black. Nor is it amiss to
mske these distinctions, as the rook has but too frequently suffered
for its similitude to the carrion - cro w ; and thus a harmless bird,
that feeds only upon insects and corn, has been destroyed for an-
other that feeds upon carrion, and is of\en destructive among young
poultry.

The manners of the raven and the carrion-crow are exactly simi-
lar: they both feed upon carrion; they fly only in pairs; and will
destroy other birds, if they can take them by surprise. But it is
Tery different with the rook, the daw, and the Cornish chough, which
may be all ranked in this order. They are sociable and harmless ;
they live only upon insects and grain ; and wherever they are, in-
stead of injuring other birds, they seem sentinels for the whole
feathered creation. It will be proper, therefore, to describe these
two sorts according to their respective appetites, as they have no-
thing in common but the very strong similitude they bear to each
other in their colour and conformation.

The raven is a bird found in every region of the world ; strong
and hardy, he is uninfluenced by the changes of the weather; and
when other birds seem numbed with cold, or pining with famine,
the raven is active and healthy, busily employed in prowling for
prey, or apDrting In the coldest atmosphere. As the heats at the
Line do not oppress him, so he bears the cold of the polar countries
with equal indifference. He is sometimes indeed seen milk-white,
and this may probably be the effect of the rigorous climates of the
north. It is most likely that this change is wrought upon him as
upon most other animals in that part of the world, where their robes
particularly in winter, assume the colour of, the country which Ihej
inhabit. As in old age, when the natural heat decays, the hair grows
grey, and at last white, so among these animals the cold of the cli-
mate may produce a similar languiahmenl of colour, and may shut
up those pores that conveyed the tincturing fluids to the extremest
parts of the body.

However this may be, white ravens are often sliown among us which
I have heard some say are rendered thus by art ; and this we could
readily suppose if they were as easily changed in their colour as
they are altered in their habits and dispositions. A raven may be
reclaimed to almost every purpose to which birds can be converted.
He may be trained up for fowling like a hawk ; he may be tanght
to fetch and carry like a spaniel ; he may be taught to speak like a
parrot; but the most extraordinary of all is, that he can be taught
to sing like a man. I have heard a raven sing the Black Joke with
great distinctness, truth, and humour.

Indeed, when the raven is taken as a domestic, he baa many
qualities that render him extremely amusing. Busy, inquisitive, and
impudent, he goes every-where, affronts and drives off the dogs,
plays his pranks on the poultry, and is particularly assiduous in

THR PIE KIND. 297

cuhiTadng the good-will of the cook-maid, who seems to be the
favourite of the family. Bui then, with the emusing qualilies of a -
favourite, he often also has the vices and defects. He is a glutton
by nature, and a ih'iof by habit. He does not confine himself to
petty depredations on the pantry or the larder; he soars at more
magnificent plunder, at spoils that he can neither exhibit nor enjoy,
but which, like a miser, he rests satisfied with having the satisfaction
of lometinies visiting and contemplating in secret. A piece of
money, a tea-spoon, or a ring, are always tempting baits to hia
Rvarice ; these he will alily seize upon, and if not watched, will carry
■lo bis favourite hole.

g. In hia wild stale the raven is an active and greedy plunderer.
Nothing comes amiss to him ; whether his prey be living or long
dead, it is ail the same, he falls to with a voracious appetite ; and
when he has gorged himself, (lies to acquaint his fellows, that they
may participate of the spoil. If the carcass be already In the pos-
session of some more powerful animal, a wolf, a fox, or a dog, the
raven sits at a little distance, content to continue a humble spectator
till they have done. If in his flights he perceives no hopes of carrion^
(and bis scent is so exquisite that he can smell it at a vast distance)
be then contents himself with more unsavoury food, fruits, insects,
ind the accidental desert of a dunghill.
This bird chiefly builds its nests in trees, and lays five or sis eggs
r'of a pale green colour, marked with small brownish spots. They live
■ometimea in pairs, and sometimes they frequent in great numbers
the neighbourhood of populous cities, where they are useful in de-
vouring those carcasses that would otherwise putrefy and infect the
air. They build in high trees or old towers, in the beginning of
March with us in England, and sometimes sooner, as the spring is
more or less advanced for the season. But it is not always near towns
that ihey fijt their retreats; they often build in unfrequented places,
and drive all other birds from their vicinity. They will not permit
~«Ten their young to keep in the same district, but drive them off
■when they are sufficiently able to shift for themselves. Martin, in
*his description of the Western Isles, avers, that there are three _
' little islands among the number, which are occupied by a pair of
ravens each, that drive off all other birds with great cries and
impetuosity.

Notwithstanding the injury these birds do in picking out the eyes '

L of sheep and lambs, when Ihey find them sick and helpless, a vulgar
etpect is paid them, as being the birds that fed the prophet Elijah
vildemess. This prepossession in favour of the raven is ofa
icient date, as the Romans ihemselvei, who thought the bird
ominous, paid it, from motives of fear, the most profound veneration.
One of these that had been kept in tlie temple of Castor, as Pliny
informs us, flew down into the shop of a tailor, who took much

t delight in the visits of his new acquaintance. He taught the bird
weveral tricks, but particularly to pronounce the name of the empe-
«or Tiberius and the whole royal family. The tailor was beginning
L J

^^ofa

^_ and
^^^«Ten
^Bwhei

^ little

rave

N.
^H ofsh

^■oD th

296

HISTORT OF

■

to grow rich bj (hose who came to see (his wonderf\il raven, till a
envious neighbour, displeased at the tailor's success, killed (he bin),,,
and deprived the tailor of his future hopes of fortune. The Romar
however, took the poor tailor's part ; (hey punished the n
offered tlie injury, and gave tlie raven all the honours of a magni
cent interment.

Birds in general live longer than quadrupeds, and the
■aid to be one of the most long-lived of (he number. Hesiod
that a raven will lire nine (imes as Iod;,' as a man ; but though tj
is fabuloua, it is certain lltat some of them have been known to li
near a hundred years. This animal seems possessed of thos
ties that generally produce longevity, a good appetite, and grei
exercise. In clear weather, the ravens fly in pairs to a great heigi
making a deep loud noise, different from that of their i
croaking.

The Carrion-crow resembles the raven in its appetites, its laying
and manner of bringing up its young. It only dtflers in being Im
bold, less docile, and less favoured by mankind.

The Rook leads the way in another but a more harmles
that have no carnivorous appetites, but only feed upon insects ai
corn. The Etoyston crow is about the size of the two former. *"
breast, belly, back, and upper part of the neck, being ofa pale aah
colour ; the head and wings glossed over with a fine blue. He is a
bird of passage, visiting this kingdom in the beginning of winter, and
leaving it in the spring. He breeds, however, in different parts i *
■ the British dominions, and his nest is common enough in trees il
Ireland, The Jackdaw is black like all the former, but ash-colou
on the breast and belly. He is not above the size ofa pigeon.
is docile and loquacious; hi» head being large for the siae of b
body, which, as has been remarked, argues him ingenious and c
It builds in steeples, old castles, and high rocks, laying five i
eggs in a season. The Cornish Chough is like a jackdaw, but bi^4
ger, and almost the size of a crow, The feet and legs are long like
those of a Jackdaw, but of a red colour, and the plumoge is black
all over. It frequents rocks, old castles, and churches, by the sea-
side, like the daw, and with the same noisy assiduity. It is only
seen along the western coasts of England. These are birds very
■iniilar in iheir manners, feeding on grain and insects, hving in soci-
ety, and often suffering genera) castigalion from the Hock for the
good of (he community.

The rook, as is well known, builds in woods and forests in the
neighbourhood of man, and sometimes makes choice of groves in
the very midst of cities for the place of its retreat and security. In
these it establishes H kind of legal constitution, by which allintruden
are excluded from coming (o live among them, and none suffered to
build but acknowledged natives of the place. I have often amused
myself with observing their plan of policy frum my window inll
Temple, that looks upon a grove where they have made a colo
in the midst of the city. At the commencement of spring, I

,de a colonB^^H

THE PIB KIITD.

rookefj,. wbiuh during ilie continuance of winter seemed lo have
been deserted, or only guarded by about five or six, like old soldiers
in a garrison, now begins to be once more frei^uented; and in a
short lime all the bustle aud hurry of business is fairty commenced.
Where these numbers resided during tbe winter is not easy to guess ;
perhaps in the trees of hedge-rows to be nearer their food. In spring,
however, they cultivate their native trees; and in the places where
they were themselves hatched, ihey prepare to propagate a future
progeny.

They keep together in pairs, and when the offices of courtship are
over, they prepare for making their nests and laying. The old
inhabitants of the place are all ready provided; the nest which
served them for years before, with a little trimming and dressing,
will serve very well again ; the difficulty of nestling lies only upon
the young ones who have no nest, and must therefore get up one as
well as they can. But not only the materials are wanting, but also
the place in which to 6x it. Every part of a tree will not do for
this purpose, as some branches may not be sufficiently forked, others
may not be siifficiently strong.and still others may be too much ex-
posed to the rockings of the wind. The male and female upon this
occasion are, for some days, seen examining all the trees of the grove
very attentively ; and when ihey have 6sed upon a branch that
seems &l for their purpose, they continue lo sit upon and observe it
very sedulously for two or three days longer. The place being thus
determined upon, ihey begin to gatlier the materials for their nest,
iuch as slicks and fibrous roots, which they regularly dispose in the
most substantial manner. But here a new and unexpected obstacle
arises. It oAen happens that the young couple having made choice
of a place too near the mansion of an older pair, who do not choose
to be incoinmoded by such troublesome neighbours. A quarrel
therefore instantly ensues, in which tlie old ones are always vic-
torious.

The young couple thus expelled, are obliged again to go through
the fatigues of deliberating, examining, and choosing ; and having
taken care to keep their due distance, the nest begins again, and
their indu.iCry deserves commendation. But their alacrity it
too great in the beginning ; they soon grow weary of bringing the
materials of their nest from distant places ; and they very t
perceive that sticks may be provided nearer home, with less honesty
indeed, but some degree of address. Away they go, therefore, lo
pilfer as fast as they can ; and wherever they see a nest unguarded,
they take care to rob it of the very choicest sticks of which it is com-
posed. But these thelis never go unpunished ; and probably upon
complaint being made, there is a general punishment inflicted. I
have seen eight or ten rooks come upon such occasions, and setting
upon the new nest of the young couple all at once, tear it ii

At length, therefore, the young pair find the necessity of going
noi'e regularly and honestly to work. While one flies to fetch the

300

HISTORT OF

materlaU, the other dta upon the tree [o guard It ; and thus in the
space of three or four days, with a skirmish now and then between,
the pair have fitted up a commodious nest, composed of sticks with-
out, and of fibrous roots and long grass within. From the instant
the female begins to lay, alt hostilities arc at an end ; not one of the
whole grove, that a little before treated her,go rudely, will now ven-
ture to molest her; so that she brings forth her brood with patient
tranquillity. Such is the seventy with which even native rooks are
treated by each other; but if a foreign rook should alicmpt to ro^e
himself a denizen of their society, he would meet with no favour ;
the whole grove would at once be up in arms against him, and ex-
pel him without mercy.

In some countries these birds are considered as a benefit, in olhen
as a nuisance : their chief food is the worm of the dorbeetle, and
corn ; thus they may be said to do as much service by destroying
that noxious insect, as they do injury by consuming the produce of
the husbandman's industry.

To this tribe of the crow kind, some foreign sorts might be added :
I will take notice only of one, which, from the extraordinary sixe
end fashion of its bill, must not be passed in silence. This is the
Caiao, or homed Indian raven, which exceeds the common raven in
size and habits of depredation. But what he diOers in from all other
birds is the beak which, by its length and curvature hi the
end, appears designed for rapine; but then it has a kind of horn
standing out from tho top, which looks somewhat like a second bill,
and gives this bird, otherwise fierce and ugly, a very formidable
appearance. The horn springs out of the forehead, and grown to
the upper pert of the bill, being of great bulk ; so that near the
forehead it is four inches broad, not unlike the born of the rhinoceros,
e crooked at the tip. Were the body of the bird answerable
in size to the head, the calao would exceed in magnitude even (he
vulture or the eagle. But the head and beak are out of all propor-
tion, the body being not much larger than that of a hen. Yet even
here there are varieties ; for in such of those birds as come from dif-
ferent parts of Africa, the body is proportionable to the beak ; in
such as come from the Molucca Islands, the beak bears no propor-
tion to the body. Of what use this extraordinary excrescence is (o
the bird, is not easy to determine ; it lives, like others of its kind,
upon carrion, and seldom has a living enemy to cope with : nature
s to sport in the production of many animals, as if she were
willing to exhibit instances as well of variety as economy in their
formation.

THE PTB KIVD. 301

CHAPTER HI.
OF THE MAGPIE, AND ITS AFFINITIES.

Therb aresuch a variety of birds that may be distributed under
this head, that we must not expect very precise ideas of any. To
have a straight strong bill, legs formed for hopping, a body of about
the size ofa magpie, and party-coloured plumage, are the only marks
by which I must be contented to distinguish this numerous fantastic
tribe, that add to the beauty, though not to the harmony of our land-
acapes. In fact, their chattering evcry-where disturbs the melody
of the lesser warblers, and their noisy courtship not a little damps
the song of the linnet and the nightingale.

However, we have very few of tiiis kind in our woods, compared
to those in the neighbourhood of the Line. There they not only
paint the scene with the beauty and the variety of their plumage, but
stun the ear with tlieir vociferation. Tn those luxuriant forests, the
singing-birds are scarcely ever heard, but a hundred varieties of the
pie, the-Jay, the roller, the chatterer, and the toucan, are continually
in motion, and with their illusive mockeries disturb or divert the
spectator, as he happens to be disposed.

The Magpie is the chief of this kind with us, and is too well
known to need a description. Indeed, were its other accomplish-
ments equal to its beauty, few birds could be put in competition. Its
black, its white, its green and purple, with the rich and gilded com-
bination of the glosses on its tail, are as line as any that adorn the
most beautiful of the feathered tribe. But it has too many of the
qualities of a beau to depreciate these natural perfections : vain,
restless, loud, and quarrelsome, it ia an unwelcome intruder every-
where ; and never misses an opportunity, when it finds one, of doing
mischief.

The magpie bears a great reaemblnnce to the butcher-bird in its
bill, which has a sharp process near tlie end of the upper chap, as
well as in the shortness of its wings, and the form of the tall, each
feather shortening from the two middlemost. But it agrees still more
in its food, living not only upon worms and insects, but also upon
small birds when they can bo seized. A wounded lark, or a young
chicken separated from the hen, are sure plunder; and the magpie
will even sometimes set upon and strike a blackbird.

The same insolence prompts it to lease the largest animals when
its insults can be offered with security. They oflen are seen perched
upon the back of an os or a sheep, pecking up the insects to be found
there, chattering and tormenting the poor animal at the se
and stretching out their necks for combat, if the beast turns its head
backward to reprehend them. They seek out also ihe nests of birds,
and, if the parent escapes, the eggs make up for the deficiency

I
J

903

HtSTORT OP

e blackbird are but loo frequently robbed b
ia in gonie measure causes their scarcity.

No food seems to come amins to (his bird ; it sharea witli ravens
in their carrion, wilh rooks in their grain, and with the cnckoo in
birds' eggs: but it seems possessed of a providence seldom nsua I
wilh gluttons; for when it is satisfied for the present, it lays up the
remainder of the feast for another occasion. It will even in a '
state hide its food- when it has Hone eating, and after a time n
to the secret hoard with renewed appetite and vociferation.

In all its habile it discovers a degree of instinct nnnsual to
birds. Its nest is not less remarkable for the manner in which it]
composed than for the place the magpie takes to build il
nest is usually placed, conspicuous enough, either in the raiddlaii|
some hawthorn bush, or on (he top of some high tree. The plaa
however, is always fonnd difficult of access; for the tree pilcbl
upon usually grows in some thick hedge-row, fenced by braiubletfa
the root; or sonielimes one of the higher bushes is lised upon i
the purpose. Whf n the place is thus chosen as inaccessible a:
sible to men, the next care is to fence the nest above, so as I
fend it from all the various enemies of air. The kil«, the crov
the sparrow-hawk, are to be guarded against: as their nests h^
been sometimes plundered by the magpie, so it is reasonably feai
that they will lake ihe first opportunity In retaliate. To |
vent this, ihe magpie's nesl is built wilh surprising labour and i
genuity.

"' i body of the nest is composed of hawthorn branches, the

'ard, but well united together by their mutual

«ilh librous roots, wool, and long

jnd with mud and clay,"^

thorns atickin^

insertions. Within i

grass, and then nicely plastered a

body of the nest being thus made lirm and commodious, the n
work is to make the canopy wjiidi is to defend it above
composed of ihe sharpest thorns, wove together in such a
to deny all entrance except at the door, which is just large enov
to permit egress and regress to the owners. In this fortress the mi%
and female hatch and bring up their brood wilh security, shelte
from all attacks hut those of the climbing school-boy, who often &
his torn and bloo-ly hands too dear a price for the eggs or the yoBi
ones. The magpie lays sis or seven eggs, of a pale green coloc
spotted wilh brown.

This bird, in its domestic state, preserves its natural chara
with strict propriety. The same noisy, mischievous habits atle
to the cage that marked it in ihe woods ; end being mor
so it is also a more docile bird than any olher taken into keepin
Those who are desirous of leaching' il to speak, have'a foolish C
tom of cutting its tongue, which only puts the poor anini
without improving its speech in the smallest degree. Its speakingj
wmetimes very distinct; but its sounds are too thin and sharp to ^
an exact imitation of the human voice, which the hoarse raven ai
, parrot can counterfeil more exactly.

THB PIB KIHD. 303

To ihifl triba we maj refer the Jaj, which is one of the tnotl beau-
tiful of the British birds. The forehead is white, alreaked with
black; the head is covered with very long feathers, which it can
erect into a crest at pleasure; the whole neck, back, breast, and
belly, are of a faint purple, dashed with grey ; the wings are most
beautifully barred with a lovely blue, black, and white; the tail is
black, and the feet of a pale brown. Like the magpie, it feeda
upon fruila, will kill small birds, and !s extremely docile.

The Chatterer also, which is a native of Germany, may be placed
in this rank ; and is somewhat less than the former. It is variegated
wilh a beautiful mixture of colours ; red, ash colour, chesnut, and
yellow : but whet distinguishes it from all other birds, are the horny
appendages from the tips of seven of the lesser quill feathers, which
stand bare of beards, and have tbe colour and gloss of the best red
sealing-wax.

The Roller is not less beautiful than any of the former. The
breast and belly are blue; the head green ; and the wings variega-
ted with blue, black, and while. But it may be distinguished from
all others hy a sort of naked tubercles or warts near the eyes, which
still farther contribute to increase its beauty.

To this class may be added a numerous list from all the tropical
forests of the East and West; where the birds are remarkable for
discordant voices and brilliant plumage. I will dx only upon one,
which is the most singular of all the feathered creation. This is the
Toucan, a bird of the pie kind, whose bill is nearly as large as the
rest of its whole body.

Of this extraordinary bird there are four or dve varieties. I will
only describe the rcd-beaked toucan ; and as the figure of this bird
makes the principal part of its history, I will follow Edwards through
all the minutiee of its singular conformation. It is about the size
of and shaped hke a Jackdaw, wilh a large head to support its mon-
strous bill ; this bill, from the angles of the mouth to its point, is
six inches and a half, and its breadth in the thickest part is a little
. more than two. Its thickness near tbe head is one inch and a quar-
ter, and it is a little rounded along the lop of the upper chap, the
under side being round also ; tlie whole of the bill extremely slight,
and a little thicker than parchment. The upper chap is of a bright
yellow, except on each side, which is of a fine scarlet colour ; as is
also the lower chap, except at the base, which is purple. Between
the head and the bill there is a black line of separation all round the
base of the bill, in the upper part of which the nostrils are placed,
and are almost covered with feathers, which has occasioned some
writers to say that the toucan has no nostrils. Round the eyes, on
each side of the head, is a space of bluish skin, void of feathers,
above which the head is black, except a white spot on each aide
joining to the base of the upper chop. The hinder part ofthe neck,
the back, wings, tail, belly, and thighs, are black. The under aide
of tbe head, throat, and the beginning of the breast, are white. Be-
tween the white on the breast, and the black on the belly, is a space

904

HISTOHT OP

of red feathers, in the form of a new moon with its horns upwards.
The legs, feet, and ctaws, are of an ash colour; and the toes stand
like those of the parrot, two before, and two behind.

It is reported by travellers, that this bird, though furnished with
so formidable a beak, is harmless and gentle, being bo easily made
tame as to sit and hatch its young in houses. It feeds chiefly upon
pepper, which it devours very greedily, gorging itself in such a rottn-
ner that it voids it crude and unconcocted. This, however, is no
objection to the natives from using it again ; they even prefer it
before that pepper which is fresh gathered from the tree, and seem
persuaded that the strength end heat of the pepper is qualified by
the bird, ajid that all its noxious qualities are thus exhausted.

Whatever be the truth of this report, nothing is more certain than
that the toucan lives only upon a vegetable diet ; and in a domestic
state, to which it ia frequently brought in the warm countries where
it is bred, it is seen to prefer such food to all other. Pozzo, who
bred one tame, asiierts, that it leaped up and down, wagged the tall,
and cried with a voice resembling that of a magpie. It fed upon the
same things that parrots do ; but was most greedy of grapes, which
being plucked off one by one, and thrown into the air, it would most
dexterously catch before they fell to the ground. Its bill, he adds,
wag hollow, and upon that account very light, so that it had but
little strength in so apparently formidable weapon, nor could it peck
or strike smartly therewith. But its tongue seemed to assist the
eSoHs of this unwieldy machine : it was long, thin, and flat, not
unlike one of the feathers on the neck of a dunghill cock ; thus it
moved up and down, and ohea extended five or six inches from the
bill. It was of a deshcolour, and very remarkably fringed on each
side with very small filaments, exactly resembling a feather.

It is probable that this long tongue has greater strength than the
thin hollow beak that contains it. It is likely that the beak is only
a kind of sheath for thi's peculiar instrument, used by the toucan,
not only in making itself a nest, but also in obtaining its provision.
Nothing is more certain than that this bird builds its nest in holes of
trees, which have been previously scooped out for this purpose; and
it is not very likely that so feeble a bill could be very serviceable in
working upon eucli hard materials.

Be this as it will, there is no bird secures its young better from
external injury than the toucan. It has not only birds, men, and
serpents to guard against, but a numerous tribe of monkeys, still
e prying, mischievous, and hungry, than all the rest. The toucan.
however, scoops out its nest in the hollow of si»ne tree, leaving only
a hole large enough to go in and out at. There It sits with its great
beak, guarding the entrance ; and if the monkey ventures to offer
a visit of curiosity, the toucan gives him such a welcome, that he
presently thinks proper to pack off, and is glad to escape with
safety.

This bird is only found in the warm climates of South America,
where it is in great request both for the delicacy of its flesh, which is

'•*

^ •

. f

DR. GOLDSMITH'. NATURAL HISTORY.

PROMEROPS.

THE PIE KIND.

30r>

teh'd^^d IniMirlitliihg', and for the beautj of iu plumage, parlicu-

Jarly the fealbers of the breast. The skin of >hia part llie Indians
bliickoff', iind when dry, glue to their cheeks; aod thia they consider
as an irreaiBtible addition to their beauty.

OF THE WOODPECKER, AND ITS AFFINITIES.

' We now come to the numerous tribe of Woodpeckers — a clasa
eiiily distinguished from all others, bolh by their peculiar formation,
their method of ^oeuring food, and their manner Of providing &.
place of Safety for their ytinng. Indeed, no other class Df birds Beems|
more immediately formed for the method of life they pgrsue, being
fitted by nature at all points for the peculiarity of their condition.
Thfey live chiefly upon the insects' contained ia the body of trees;
and for this [iurpose are furnished with a straight,, hari^, strong,
angular and sharp bjlj, made for piercing and boring. ' They have
a tongue of a very great length, round, coding in a sharp, stiff,
bony tliorn, deniaied on each side, to strike ants and insects when
dislodged from (heir cells. Their legs are short aiid itrong, for the
purposes- of climhing. ' Their toes stand two forward and two back-
waiTl, which is parti cul arty serviceable in holding by the branches of
trees. They have hard stiff tails to lean upon when climbing. They
feed only upon insects, and want that intestine which naturalists call
the cascum, & circumstance peculiar tothis tribe only.

Of this bird there are many kipds, and many varieties in each
kind. They form large colonies in the forests of every part of the
world. They differ in size, colour, and appearance; and agree
only in the marks above mentioned, or in those habits which result
from so peculiar a conformation. Instead, therefore, of descending
into a minute discriminaton of every species, let us lake one for a
pattern, to which all the rest will be found to bear the strongest affi-
nity. Words can but feebly describe the plumage of a bird ; but
it is the province of history to enter into a detail of every animal's
puijsuita and occupations.

The Green Woodspite, or Woodpecker, is called the Rain-Fowl
in some parts of the country, because, when it makes a greater noise
than ordinary, it Is supposed to foretell rain. It is about the size of
ajay; the throat, breast, and belly, ai'e of a pale greenish colour;
and the back, neck, and covert feathers of the wings, are'green.
But the tongue oP this little animal makes its most distinguished cha-
racteristic, as it serves for its support and defence. As was said
above, the woodpecker feeds upon insects : and particularly on thosti'
which are lodg«l in the body of hollow or of rolling trees. ' The
tongue is its instrument for killing and procuring this food, which
cannot be found in great plenty- This is round, ending in a stiff,

VOL. 11. C C

506 niSTORY OF

sharp, bon; (ip, dealntod on both sides, like (he beard of an arrow ;
and this it can dart out three or four inchca from ihe bill, and draw
in again at pleasure. Its pre^ is thus (ranaGxed and drawn into the
bill, which, when swallowed, the dart is again launched at fresh
game. Nothing has employed the attention of the curious in this
part of anatomy, more than tbe contrivance by which the tongue of
this bird performs its functions with such great celerity. The tongue
is drawn back into the bill by ihe help of two small round cartilages,
fastened into the forementioned bony lip, and running along the
length of the tongue. These cartilages, from tbe root of the tongue,
take a circuit beyond the ears, and being rertecled backwards to the
crown of (he head, make a large bow. The muscular spongy flesh
of tlie tongue encloses these cartilages like a sheath, and is so made
that it may be extended or contracted like a worm. The cartilages,
indeed, have muscles accotnpanjing them along their whole lengtli
backwards. But there is still another contrivance; for there is a
broad muscle joining the cartilages to the bones of the skull, which
by contracting or dilating, forces the cartilages forward through the
tongue, and then forces the tongue and all through the bill, to be
employed for the anlmal'B preservation in piercing its prey.

Such is the instrument with which this bird is provided, and tl)is
the manner in which this instrument is employed. When a wood-
pecker, by its natural sagacity, finds out a rotten hollow tree, where
there are worms, ants' eggs, or insects, it immediately prepares for
its operatioas. [testing by its strong claws, and leaning on the thick
feathers of its tail, it begins to bore with its sharp strong beak, ijntil
it discloses tlie whole internal habitation. Upon this, either through
pleasure at the sight of its prey, or with a desire to alarm the insect
colony, it sends for^h a loud cry, which tlirows terror and coufiftipn
into the whole insect tribe. Tbey creep hither and thither, seeking
for safety, while the bird luxuriously feasts upon them at leiaoniv
darting its tongue with unerring certainty, and devouring the v '

The woodpecker, however, does not ^online its depredatij
solely tolrces, but sometimes lights upon the ground, to
tune at an ant-hill. It is not so secure of prey there as

■ case, although the numbers are much greater. They,
generally too deep for the bird to come at them, and it is ebligs
make up by stratagem the defects of power. The woodpecker
goes (o their hills, which it pecks, in order to call ihera abroaid

n thrusts out its long red tongue, which being like a wornii
resembling their usual prey, the anls come out to settle up
great numbers; however, the bird, watching the pruperest
tuniiy, withdraws its tongue at a jerk, and devours the devoui
TJiis stratagem it continues till it has alarmed their fears, or till
quite satisfied.

Ab the woodpecker is obliged to make holes in trees lo procuRi'
food, so is it also to make cavities still larger to form its nest and to
lay in. This is performed, as usual, with the bill; although sonw

THE PIE KIMD. 307

have affimiMl' that the sniin»l uses lu tongue, as a ^mblet, to bore
irith. But' ili!^ Is a mistake; and those that are curiuus may ol\cn
hear the noise of the bill making its wa; in large woods and ToreHU.
The woodpecker chooses, however, for this purpose, trees lliat are
decayed, or wood that is sott, like beech, elm, and poplar. In these.
With very little trouble, it can make holes as exactly round as a
mathematician could with compasses. One of these holes the bird
generally chooses for iti owh use, to nestle and bring up its yuung
in ; but as they are easily made, it is delicate in Its choice, and often
makes twenty before one is found fit to give entire satlsfaciion. Of
ihose wt^icii it has made and deserted, other birds, not so good
borers, ond less delicate in Uielr choice, take possession. The jay
and the starling lay their eggs in these holes ; and bats ere now and
then found in peaceable possession. Boys sometimes have thrust
in their hands with certain hopes of plucking out a bird's egg, but,
to their great mortification, have had their fingers bitten by a bat at
the bottom.

The woodpecker takes no care to line its nest with fealhera qi
straw; its eggs are deposited in the hole, without any thing'to
keep them warm, except the heat of the parent's body- Their num-
ber is generally live or ax ; always white, oblong, and of a middle
size. When the young are excluded, and before ihey leave the
nest, they are adorned with a scarlet plumage under the throat,
nhich adds to their beauty.

In onr climate, this bird is contented with such a wainscot habita-
tion as has been described for its young; but in the warmer regions
of Guinea and Brazil, they take a very difierent method to protect
and hatch their nascent progeny. A traveller who walks into the
forests of those countries, among the first strange objects thai excite
curiosity, is stnick with the multitude of birds* nests hanging at the
extreniity of almost every branch. Many other kinds of birds
build in this manner, but the chief of them are of the woodpecker
kind ; and indeed there is not, in the whole history of nature, a
more singular instance of the sagacity of those little animals in pro-
tecting themselves against such enemies as they have most oi
to fear. In cultivated countries, a great port of the cai
feathered tribe Is lo hide or defend their nests from the
man, as he is their most dreaded enemy. But in the depth of those
remote and solitary forests, where man is but seldom seen, the httle
bird has nothing lo apprehend from man. The parent is careless
how much the nest is exposed to general notice, satisfied if it be out
of the reach of those rapacious creatures that live by robbery and
surprUe. If the monkey or the snake can be guarded against, the
bird has no other enemies lo fear; for this purpose, its nest is built
upon the depending points of the most outward branches uf a tall
tree, such as the banana or the plantain. On one of those Immense
trees is seen the most various, and the most inimical assemblage of
creatures that can be imagined. The top is inhabited by monkeys
of some panic lit ar tribe, that drive off all others; lower down twlna

308

HISTORY OF

ree; thenbuild-
i those already

nboul the great trunk numbers of the larger Riiftkcs,, p alien lljr wnil.
I'ng till some unwary animal conies within the sphere of Iheir acti-
vity; and allheedgesorthe tree hang these artificial nests, in great
abundance, inhabited by birds of the most deligbtfu! plumage.

The nest is usually formed fn this manner ; — When the time of
incubation approaches, (hey, fly. busily about, in quest of a kind of
moss, called by the Engliglj inhabitants of those coimtries old tuaJi'i
benrd. It is a fibrou; siibstance, and not very imlike hair, which
beers being moulded into any form, and suners being glued toge-
ther. This, therefore, the liiile woodpecker, called by the natives
of Brazil, the Guiralemga, Grst glues by some viscous substance,
gathered in the forest, to the ejttremest branch of a
ing downward^ and still adding fresh materials
procured, a nest is formed tliat depends, like a pouch, from the
poipt of the branch ; the hole to enter at is on the side ; and all the
interior parts ore lined with Uie &ner fibres of the same substances
which compose the whole.

Such is the general contrivance of these hanging nests, which
made by some other birds with stiil superior art. A little bird of
the Gros-beak kind, in (he Philippine Islands, mokes its nest in such
a manner that (here is no opening but from the bottom-
bottom the bird enters, and goes up through a funnel like a cbimi
till it comes to the real door of the neat, which lies on oi
only opens into this funnel.

Some birds glue their nest to the leaf of the I^anatiB tree, whii
makes (wo sides of (heir littfe habitation, while the other two are
artificially composed by their own indoslry. But ,(}ieae, and all of
the kind, are built with the same precautions to guard the young
against the depredations of monkeys and serpents, which abound in
every tree. The nesl hangs there, before the spoilers, a tempting
object, which ^hey can only gaze upon, while the bird Ities in aid
out, without danger or molestation from so formidable a vicinity.

[The Sociable Gros-beak was discovered by Mf. Tuterson it
interior of Africa. These birds live together lu large societies,
their mode ofnidification is extremely uncommon. They build v
species of mimosa which grows to an unco
(hey seem to have selected for that purpose, as well on nccouqi''
its ample head, niid the great strength of its branches, calculate^,
admi( and to support the extensive buildmgs which they have.

erect, OS for the tallness and smeotln

great enemies, (he serpent (fibe,

in which the nusls (hemselves e

the one described by Mr. Paierson, there could be

he says, (han from eight hundred to one thousand n

some roof. Ho calls it ft roof, because i( perfectly resembles I

of a tha(ched house; and the ridge forms an angle so acute ai

smooth, projecting over the entrance of the nest belp'

impossible for any reptile to approach them. "The industry of

these birds seems almost equal (sayi our author) to that of the bee:

trunk, which their
unable to climb. The method
fabricated is highly curious. In
iiunil
ig^und.

such

throughout the Any they appear to ba busily employed tn ourylng
a fine species of grass, which is the principal material they employ
for the purpose of erecting Ihis extraordinary work, as well as for
additions and repairs. Thoug'h my short stay in the country was
not sufficient to siilisry me, by ocitlnr proof, that they added to their
nest as they annually increased in numbers, still from the many trees
which I have seen borne down with the weight, ajid others which 1
have observed with their boughs completely covered over, it would
appear that this is really the case. When the tree which is the
support of this aerial city is obliged to give way to the increase of
weight, it is obvious that they are no' longer protected, and are
under the necessity of rehuilding in otlier trees. One of these de-
serted nests I had the curiosity to break down, so as to inform my-
self of the internal structure of it, and found it equally ingenious
with that of the external. There are many entrances, each of which
forms a regular street, with nests on bo^ sides, nt about two inches
distance from each other. The grass with which they build is called
the Doshman's grass ; and 1 beUeve the seed of it to be their prm-
cipal food, though, on examining their nests, I found the wings and
legs of diiferent insects. Prom every appearance, the nest which I
dissected had been inhabited for many years; and some parts of it
Were nmch mora complete than others: this therefore 1 conceive
nearly to amount to a proof, that the animals added to it at different
times, as they found it necessary, from the increase of the family,
or rather of the nation or community."]

Wr*- OP THE BIRD OF PARADISE, AND ITS VARlETIEa.

There are few birds that have more deceived and puzzled tha
learned than this. Some have described it as an inhabitant uf the
air, living only upon the dew of heaven, and never resting below ;
others have acquiesced in the latter part of its history, but have
given it Hying insects to feed on. Some have asserted (hat it was
without feet, and others have ranked it among ihe birds of prey.

The great beauty of this bird's plumage, and the deformity of its
legs, seem to have given rise to most of these erroneous reports.
The native savages uf the Molucca Islands, of which it is an inha-
bitant, were very little studious of natural history ; and perceiving
the inclination the Europeans had fur this beautiful bird, carefully
cut offits legs before liiey brought it to market-, thus concealing it*
greatest deformity, they considered themselves entitled to rise
their demands when they olTered it for sale. One deceit led or
another ; the buyer, finding the bird without legs, naturally inquired
after them, and the seller as naturally began to assert that it had
none. Thu^ far the European was imposed upon by oihers; in

310

HISTORY

inpoaetl upon liinigflf. Seeing ii

Uie rest he iropoaetl upon liinigflf. Seeing to beaulifu) a bird with*
out legs, he concluded ihat it could live only in air, where legs wen
unneceuary. Tha extraordinary gplendaur of it$ plumage Bkuieted
ihia deception ; and as it had heavenly beauty, so it was asserted to
have a heavenly residence. Prom thence ita uame and all the false
reports that have been propagated concerning it.

Error, however, is short-lived ; and titne has di«covered that this
bird Dut only has legs, bat very large strong ones for its siae. Cre*
dulily, when undeceived, runs into the opposite extreme; and, soon
afier, this harmless bird was branded vith the character of being
rapacious, of destroying oil those of smaller siie, and, from the
amazing rapidity of its dight, as i^ualiGed peculiarly for extensive
rapine. I'he real history of this pretty animal is at present
tolerably well kDomj, and it is fonnd to be as harmless as it is
beautiful.

There are two kinds of the Bird of Paradise; one about the sisce
of a pigeoa, which is ntore common ; the other not much larger thoQ
a lark, which has been described more imperfectly. They are both
sufficiently distinguished from all others, not oaly by the superior
rivacily of their tints, but by the feathers of the tail, there being
two long slender filaments growing from the upper part of the rump;
these are longer than the bird's body, and bearded only at the end.
By this mark the bird of paradise may be easily known, but still
more easily by its gaudy livery, whiuh being so very brilliant, de-
mands to be minutely described.

This bird appears to the eye as large as a pigeon, though in reality
the body is not much greater than that of a thrush. The tail, which
is about sis inches, is as lung as the body; the wings are large,
compared with the bird's otlier dimepaions. The head, the throat,
and the neck, are of a pale gold colour. The base of the bill is
surrounded by black feathers, as also the side of the head and throat,
as sofl as velvet, ^nd changeable like those on the neck of a mallard.
The hinder part of the head is of a shining green, mixed with gold.
The body and wing* are chiefly covered witli beautiful browit, pur-
ple, and gold feathers. The uppermost part of the (ail featherd ore
of a pale yellow, and those under them white, and longer than the
former ; for which reason the binder part of the tail appears to be
all white. But what chiefly excites curiosity are tlie two jotig naked
feathers above mentioned, which spring from the upper part of the
rump above the tail, and which are usually about three feet long.
These are bearded only at the beginning and the end ; the whols
shaft for above two feet nine inches being of a deep black, while
the feathered extremity is of a changeable colour like the mallard's
neck.

Thb bird, which for beauty exceeds all others of the pie kiod, ii
a native of the Molucca Islands, but found in greatest nutnben in
that of Aro. There in the delightful and spicy woods of the country,
do these beautiful creatures Ily iu large flocks; .so that the grove*
which produce the richest spices produce the finest birds also. 7^

THB PIB KIMD. 311

inhcibitatits themselves are noi insensible of the [de&surc these afford,
and give them the name of God's biids, as t«ing superior to all
others that he has made. They live in lar^e flocks, end at night
generally perch upon the same tree. They are called by some the
Sivallouis of TtTaate, from their rapid flight, and from their being
continually on the wing in pursuit of insects, their usual prey.

Ah the country where they are bred has its tempestuous season,
when rains and thunders continually disturb the atmosphere, these
birds are then but seldom seen. It is thought that they then fly to
other countries, where their food appears in greater abundance,
for, like swallows, they have their stated times of return, In the
beginning of the month of August, they are seen in great numbers
flying tt^ether, and, as the inhabitants would have us believe, fol-
lowing their king, who is distinguished from the rest by tlie lustre of
his plumage, and that respect and veneration which is paid him. In
the evening they perch upon the highest trees of the fwest, particu-
larly one which bears a red berry, upon which they sometimes feed
when other food fails thorn. In what manner they breed, or what
may be the number of their young, as yet remains for discovery.

The natives, who make a trade of killing end selling these bh^s
to the European!, generally conceal themselves in the trees where
they resort, and having covered themselves up fromsighl in a bower
made of the branches, they shoot at the birds with reedy arrows,
and, as they assert, if they happen to kill the king, they then have
a good chance fot killing the greatest part of the flock. The chief
iDBrk by which they know the king is by the ends of the feathers in
his tail, which have eyes like those of a peacock. When they have
taken a number of these birds, their usual method is to gut them and
cut off their legs; they then run a hot iron into the body, which
dries up the internal muistttre, and tilling the cavity with •salts and
apices, they sell them to the Europeans for a perfect trifle.

CHAPTER VI.

THE CUCKOO, AND ITS VARIETIES.

_jiffltOM a bird of which maoy fables have been reported,
to another that has not given less scope to fabulous invention. I he
note of ihe Cuckoo is known to all the world ; iho history and nature
of the bird itself still remains in great obscurity. That it devours
its parent, that it changes its nature with the season, and becomes a
sparrow-hawk, were fables invented of this bird, and are now suffi-
ciently refuted. But where it resides in winter, or how it provides
for its supply during that season, still continues undiscovered.

This singular bird, which is somewhat less than a pigeon, shaped
like a magpie, and of a greyish colour, is distinguished from all
other birds by its round prominent nostrils. Having disappeared

312 , HISTORY OP

all the \rinler. it ducovers itself in our country eariy In the spring
hy ita well known call, he note is heard earlier or later, as the sea.
Iiin st^emi to be more or less forward, and the weather more or leM
inviting. From the clieerrul voice ofathis bird the farmer may be
insLrticied in the teal advancement of tlie year. The fHllibility of
human calendars U but too well known ; but from this bird's note
the husbandman may be taught when to sow his most uiteful seeds
and to do audi work ns depends upon a certaih temperature of the
air. These feathered guides coma (o us lieaven taught, and point
out the true commencement of die season.

The cuckoo, that was silent some time aHcr i(s appearance, be>fiDs
at first feebly, and at very distant intervals, to give iis call, which,
as the summer advances, improves both in its frequency and loud-
new. This is an invitation to courtship, and used only. by the tnatei
who sits generally perched upon sobiq dead tree, or bare bough,
and repeats his song, which he loses as soon as the ^nial season is
Over. His note is pleasant though uniforin ; and, from an associa-
tion of ideas, seldom occurs to the memory without reminding us of
the sweets of sumiaer. Custom too has affixed a more ludicroua
association to this note ; which, however, we that are bachelors need
be in no pain about. This reproach seems to arise fron this bird's
making use of the bed or neat of another to deposit its own brood ir

However this
female makes r

, nothing is more certain tbnn that the
She repairs for that purpose to
the nest of some other bird, generally the water-wagtail t>r the
hedge-sparrow, and having devoured the eggs of the owner, fays her
own in their place. She usually lays but one, which is speckled,
and of the size of a blackbird's. This the fond foolish bird hatches
with great assiduity, and when exchided finds no difference in the
great ill-looking changeling from her own. To supply this voracious
creature, the credulous nurse toils with unususMabour, no way sen-
sible that she is feeding up an enemy to her roce, and one of the
most destructive robbers of her future progeny.

It was once doubted whether these birds were carnivorous; but
Reaumur was at the pains of breeding up several, and found that
they would not feed upon bread and corn, but llesh and insects were
their favourite nourishment. He found it a very difTicult task to
teach them to peck ; for he was obliged to feed them for a full month
after they were grown as big as the mother. Insects, however,
seemed to be their peculiar food when young ; for they devoured
Heih by a kind of constraint, as it was always put into their mouths ;
but meal-worm insects they ilew to, and swallowed of th^r own re-
cord most greedily. Indeed, their gluttony is not to
at when we consider the capacity of iheir stomach which is ei
and reaches from the breast-bone to the rent. Itisparllyi)
branoua, partly muscular, and of a prodigious capacity ; yet<v
they are not to be supposed aa birds of prey, for they have neiAer
the strength nor the courage. On the contrary, they are naiurslty
weak and fearful, a^ appears by tlieJr flying Iron) small birds, which

THE PIB KTN.D. 0|^

fixety-TiiheK pursuR them. The young birds are broivn Mixed, with
bJaii: ; and In tlial state the^ have been descrit>ed by some aui|iors
as old ones.

The cqckoo when fledged and fitted for flight, fallows its supposed
parent but for a little time; its appetites for insect Tood increasing.
as it flnds no great chance for a supply in imjtaOog its little opa-
ductor, il> parts good friends, the step^chiM seMoni oflering apy
violence to its nurse. Neverlhelesi, all the lillje birds of the grove
seem to consider the young cuckoo as an enemy, and , revenge the
cause of their kind by their repeated insults. They pursu;e it
w)iereverit flies, and oblige it to take shelter in the thickest branches
of some neighbouring tree. .All the smaller birils forin the lrai« of
its pursuers; but the, wry-neck, in particular, is fotjad the. most
active in the chase; and from thence it ha^ been palled by, many.
the cuckoo's attendant and proyidei;^ But it is very far from folloffr
ing with a friendly intention; it only pursues as an. inBuiterj.orft
spy, to warn all its little companionsofthe cuckoo's depredations-, >

[In the Philosophical Tratisactipns for 1TS8, there is a very
curious paper on the natural history of liiia bird, by the celebr&led
Dr. Jenner- " The cuckoo makes its, first appearance in. England
abotit the piiddle of April. Like other migrating birds,, the female
does not begin to lay till some weeks after her arrival ; but, unlike
all other birds, she provides ijo nest, and dt^ ..not hatch h^i*; own
eggs- The hedge-sparrow, the water- wagtail, the, titlark, the red"
bresst, the yellow-liamtner, the greeu'linnet, or the whin-diat, is
geaeffllly the nurse of the young cuckoo. The three, first sr" often
selected, but a greater partiality is shown for the nest of the hedge-
sparrow. This last commonly takes up foiir or five days in laying
her eggs. Do ring this iime(,generally after she has laid oneortwoy
the cuckoo contrives to deposit her egg among the rest, leaving the
future care of it entirely to the hedge^parrow. When this bvd has,
sat her usual time, and disengaged the young cuckoo atid some of
her own oflspring from the sh^ll, her own young ones, and any gf
her eggs that remain unhatched, are soon turned out, the young
cuckoo remaining possessor of the nest, and. sole object of her future
care. The young birds are not. previously killed,. Bot are the eggs
demolished ; but all are left to perish together, eitl|er entangled
about (lio bush which contains the nest, or lying on the ground
under it.

*' The early (ate of the young hedge-sparrows," Dr. Jenner con-,
tinues, '^ is a circumstance that has been noticed by others, but at-
tributed to wrong causes. A variety of conjectures have bccnfornied
upon it, Some have supposed the parent cuckoo the author of their
destruction ; while others, as erroneously, have pronounced tl^em:
smothered by the disproportionate size of their fellow-nestling.

" I examined the nest of a hedge-sparrow,, on the ISlJi of Jupe,
1787, which then contained a cuckoo's and three hedge-sparrow's
eggs. On inspecting it the day following, I found the bird had
hatched, bnl that tlie nest now contained unly.a young cuckoo and

314

HISTORY OP

one young hedge-sparrow. The nest was placed ao near the extre.
mitj or a hedge, llial I could distinctly see what vias going forvrard
in it ; and, to my asionislimeni, saw the young cuckoo, [hough to
newly hatched, in the act of (uming out the young hedge-sparrow.
The mode of accomplishing this was very curious : — The little ani-
mal, with the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived (o ^et the
bird upon its back, and making o lodgement for ihe burden by ele-
vating its elbows, clambered backward with it up the side of the nest
till it reached the top, where, resting for a moment, it threw oiT its
load with a jerk, and quite dtsengaged it from the nest. U remained
in thfa situation a short time, feeling about with the exlretntties pf
its wings, as if to be conrinced whether the business was properly
executed, and then dropped into the nest again: With these (the
extremities of its wing*) I have often seen it examine, as it were,
an egg and nestling before it began its operations; and the nice
sensibility which these parts appeared to possess, seemed sufficiently
to compensate the want of sight, which as yet it was destitute of. I
aflerwards put in an egg; and'lhis, by a similar process, was con-
veyed to the edge of the nest, and thrown out. These esperimenu
1 have since repeated several limes in diScrent nests, and have al-
ways found the young cuckoo disposed to act in the same manner.
In climbing up the nest it sometimes drop its burden, and thus la
foiled in its endeavours; but, after a little respite, the work is re-
sumed, and goes on almost incessantly itll it is effected. It is woo-
derlbl to see the extraordinary exertions oflhe young cuckoo, when
it is two or three days old, if a bird be put into the nest with it that
is too weighty for il to lift out. In this state it seems ever restless
and uneasy. But this disposition for turning out its companions
begins to decline, from the time it is two or three, till il is about
twelve days old, when, as far ss T hnve hitherto seen, it ceases. In-
deed, the disposition for throwing out the «gg eppears to cease a
few days sooner : for I have frequently seen the young cuckoo,
after i( had been hatched nine or ten days, remove a nestling that
had been placed in the nest with i(, when it suffered an egg, put
there at the same time, to remain unmolested. The singularity of
its shape is well adapted to these purposes; for, different from other
newly hatched birds, its back, from the acapulee downwards, is verv
broad, with a considerable depression in the middle. This depresnon
seems formed by nature for the design of giving a more secure
lodgement to Ihe egg of the hedge -sparrow or its yomig one, wheu
the young cuckoo is employed in removing either of them from the
nest. When il is about twelve days old this cavity is aiiite filled
up, and then the back assumes the shape of nestling birds in ge-
neral."

It appears a little extraordinary that two cuckoos' eggs should
ever be deposited in the same nest, as the young one produced from
one of them most inevitably perish : yet two instances of this kind
fell under Ur. Jenner's observation, one of which he thus relates; —
" June 27, 1787. Two cuckoos and a hedge-sparrow were hatched

THE PIE KIND.

315

in the same nett this njorningi on? hedgo-Hparroiv'g egg rentainsd
uohatched. la a few hours aller, a contesl began between the
cuckoos for the possession of the nest, which continued undetermined
till the next afternoon, when one of them, which was somewhat
superior in e'lze, turned out the other, together with the young hedge-
sparrow and the unhatched egg. This contest was very remarkable.
The combatants alternately appeared to have the advantage, as
each carried the other several limes nearly to the top of the nest,
and then sunk down again, oppressed by the weight of its burden ;
till at length, after various efforts, the strongest prevailed, and was
afterwards brought up by the hedge-sparrow.

In considering to what causes the singularities of the cuokoo may
be attributed, the Doctor suggests tlie following as the inoitt proba-
ble : " The short residence this bird is allowed to malte in the country
where it is destined to propagate its species, and the call that nature
has upon it, during that short residence, (o produce a numerous
progeny. The cuckoo's lirst appearance here is about the middle
of April, commonly on the 17lh. Its egg it not ready for incuba-
tion till some weeks afler its arrival, seldom before the middle of
Maj*. A fortnight is taken up by the sitting-bird in hatching the
sgg' TliB young bird generally continues three weeks in the nest
before it flies, and tlie foster-parents feed it more than five weeLs
after this period; so that if a cuckoo should be ready with an egg
tnuch sooner than the time pointed out, not a single nestling, even
one of the earliest, would be fit to provide for itself before iu parent
would be instinctively directed to seek a new residence,, and be thus
compelled 16 abandon its young one; for old cuckoos lake tlieir
final leave of this country the first week in July."]

Such are the manners of this bird while it continues to reside, or
to be seen amongst us, But early, at the approach of winter, it.
totally disappears, and its passage can be traced Kt no other coun-
try. Some suppose that it lies hid in hollow trees, and others that
it passes into warmer climates. Which of these opinions is true is
very uncertain, as there are no facts related on either side that can
be totally relied on. To support the opinion that they remain tor-
pid during the winter at home, Willoughby introduces the following
story, which he delivers upon the credit of another. " The servants
of a gentleman In the country, having stocked up, in one of their
meadows, some old dry rotten willows, thought proper, on a certain
occasion, to carry them home. In heating a stove, two logs of this
limber were put into the furnace beneath, and fire apphed as usual.
But soon, to the great surprise of the family, was heard the voice of
a cuckoo, singing three times from under the stove. Wondering at
so extraordinary a cry in winter time, the servants ran and drew the
willow logs from the furnace, and in the midst of one of theni saw
something move ; wherefore, taking an axe, they opened the hole,
and thrusting in their hands, first they plucked out nothing but fea-
thers ; afterwards they got hold of a living animal, and this was the
cuckoo that had waked so very opportunely for its own safety. It

31B

HisroRY" Off'

ma, iBileed," continues our histbrian, " brisk and lively, but ^iM^H
naked and bare of feathers, and wiihoul any winter prorisKin Jm^
hole. This cuckoo the boys kept iwo years anerwards ahve in the
stove ; but whether it repaid ihetn with a second song, the autfaor of
ihe tale has not thought fit to inform us."

The most probable opinion on this subjiH:! is, that as quails and
vroodcocks shift their habitations in winter, so also does the cuckoo:
birt to what country it retires, or whether it has been ever seen on
its joorney, are questions that I am u-holly iitcapable of resolving.

or this bird there are many kinds in various parts of the world,
not only dilfering in Ibeir colour but tlieir si7e. Brisson makes not
less Ihsn twenty-eight sorts of ihem; but vrhat niiatogy they bear to
the English cuckoo, I will not talte upon me to deterthine. He talks
of one particularly, of Brazil, as makinfj a most horrible noise in the
forests; which, us it should seem, must be » very diflerent note from
that by which our bird is ttistinguiflhed athom^.

[The following description of the Indicator, or Honey..Gui(le,
(sometime» called the Moroc) is given by Dr; Sparrman in the Phi-
Iosoplitc«t TransaettonB for J7T7. " Thiscurioos species of cnckoo
is Ibimd at a considerable distance from the' Cape of Good Hope,
in the interior parts of .Africa. Its colour has nothing striking or
beautiful, lis size i» considerably smaller than that ofourcuckoo in
Europe ; but in return, the instinct whicli prompts it to seek ila food
in a singular manner, is truly admirable. Not only the Dutch and
Hottentots, bui likewise a species of quadruped named raUl, (pro*
bably a species of badger) are frequently conducted to wild bee-
hives by this bird, which, as it were, pilots them to the very spot.
The honey being its favourite food, its own interest promptsit (<
initrumental in robbing the hive, as somewraps are commonly-^
for its support, The morning and evening are its limes of fee "
and it is then beard calling in a shrill tone, cAerr, cherr; whiclyf^
I loney- hunters carefully attend to as the summons 1
From time to time they'enswer with a noR whistle, which the binT
hearing, always continues its note. Aft soon as tliey are in sight of
each other, (he bird gradually flutters towardu the place where thV'
liive is situated, continually repenting Its fortner call of cAerr,«'
nay, if it should happen to have gained a conaderabte way beM
the men, (who may uasiiy be hindered In the pursuit by I
rivers, or the like), it returns to them again, and redoubles h
as il were to reproach them with their inactivity. At last the binJ ii '
bserved to hover for a few moments over a certain spot, and then
ilenily rethnng to a neighbouring bush or resting-place, ihb- hunters
re sure of finding the bees' nest In that identical spot, whether it be
1 a tree, or In the crevice of a rocJ<, or (as is most commonly the
ase) in the earth. Whilst the hunters are busy in taking the
Imney, the bird is seen looking on attentively to what is going for-

ird, and waiting for Its share of the Bpoll. The bee-hunters never
fair to leave a small portion for tlieir conductor; but commonly
take care not to leave so much at would satisfy Its hunger. The

■ery spot,
tsit Ut4/^^
noaly-^^^H
ffeed^^H
whiclyl^^H
he chii^^^

THE PIE KIND. 817

bird's appetite being whelted by tliig parsimony, it is oblig^ to
commit a secoad ireasiHi, by discovering another bees* nest, in'hopes
of B better salary. It Is further observed, that tiie nearer the bird
approaches the hidden hive, the more frequently it repeats its call,
and aeenis the more itnpalient. I have had frequent opportunities
of seeing this bird, and have been witness lo the desiruclion of
several republics of bees by means of its treachery. I had, however,
but two opportunities of shooting it, which I did lo the great in-
dignnlion of my Hottentots. These were about seven inches in
length, and of a rusty brown colour on the bock, willi wliile breast
and beliy."]

^; CHAPTER VU.

' • OF THE PARROT, AND ITS AFFINITIES.

The Parrot is the best known among iis of all foreign birds, m
it unites the greatest beutity with the greatest docility. Its vi^cc
also is more lilte a man's than that of any other; the raven is too
hoarse, and the jay and magpie too shrill, to resemble the trttth ;
the parrot's note is of the true pitch, and capable of a. number of
modtilalions that even some of our orators miglit wish in vain to
imitate.

The ease with which this bird is taught to speak, and the great
number of words which it is capable of repeating, are no less sur.
prinng. We are assured by a grave writer, that one of these was
tBHght to repeat a whole sonnet from Petrarch ; and, that I may
not be waiKing in my instance, I have seen a parrot,- belonging to a>
distiller, who had suflered pretty largely In his circumstances from
an informer who lived opposite him, very ridiculously employed.
This bird was taught to pronounce the ninth commandment, 'I'/ttnt
shah not b:ar false wilneM against thy neighbour,, with a very
clear, loud, articulate voice. The bird was generally placed in its
cage over-Hgainst the informer's house, and delighted the whole
neiglibourhoud with its persevering exhortations.

Willoughby tells a story of a parrot, which is not so dull as those
usually brought'Up when the bird's facility of talking happens to be
the subject. " A parrot belonging to King Ilenry the Sevenll), who
then resided at Westminster, in his palace by the river Tharaes, had:
learned to talk many words from thu passengers as they happened
to take water One day, sporting on its perch, the poor bird fell
into the water, at the same time crying out as loud aa be could,
A bond IweJtiif pounds fur a boail A waterman who happened
to be near, hearing the cry, made to the place where the parrot was
floating, and taking him up, restored hhn to the king. As it seems
the bird was a favourite, the man insisted that be ouglil lo have a
reward ralber equal to his services tlian his trouble ; and as the par-

318 BISTORT OP ^H

rot had cried twentj poutxls, ha said the king veu bound jyr faaiii^H
to grant it. The king ftt last agreed to lenre it to the.|mrrot^s cm^B
determiaalion, which the bird hearing, cried out, Giwe tlie.knave a

The parrot, which is so common as a foreign bird with us, i«
equally so as an indigenous bird in the ciimales where it is produced.
The forests swarm witti them ; and t)ie rook is not better knotrn
with us tlian the parrot in almost every part of the Eut and West
Indies. It is in vain that our naturalists have attempted to nrr&uge
the various species of this bird ; new varieties daily offer to pusxle
the system-maker, or to demonstrate the narrowness of his cata<
logues. LiuHKus makes the number of its varieties amonnt to forty-
seven ; while Brisson doubles the number, and extends his catalogue
to ninety-five. Perhaps even this Lsl might be increased, were
every accidental change of colour to be considered as constituting a
new species. Bnt, in fact, natural history gains little by these dis-
coveries ; and as its dominions are extended, it becomes more barren.
It is asserted by sensible travellers, that the natives of Brazil can
change the colour of a parrot's plumage by art. If this bo true,
and I am apt to believe the information, they can make new species
nt pleasure, and thus cut out endless work for oUr nomonclators al
home.

Those who usually bring iliese birds over, are content to make
three or foor distinctions, to which tliey give names ; and with ^ese
distinctions 1 will content myself also. The large kind, which are
of the size of a raven, are called Maccaws; the next sine are simply
called Parrots; those which are enlirely white are called Lorie«;
and the lesser size of all are called Parakeets. The difference
between even these is rather in the size than in any other peculiar
conformation, as they ere all formed alike, having toes, two befofc
and two behind, for climbing and holding ; strong hooked bills for
breaking open nuts, and other hard substances, on which they feed ;
and loud harsh voices, by which they fill their native woods with
clamour.

But there ore further peculiarities in their conformation ; and
first, their toes are contrived in a singular manner, which appears
when they walk or climb, and when they are eating. For the first
purpose they Biretch two of their toes forward and two backward ;
but when they take their meat, and bring it to their mouths with
their foot, they dexterously and nimbly turn the greater hind toe
forward, go as to take a firmer grasp of the nut or the fruit they are
going to feed on, standing all the while upon the other leg. Not
even do they present their food in the usual manner; for
animals turn their meat inwards to the mouth, but tliesa,
seemingly awkward position, turn their meat outwards, and
hold the hardest nuts, as if HI one hand, till with lh«ir bills
break the shell, and extract the kernel.

The bill is fashioned with still greater peculiarities ; for the u|
chap, as well as the lower, are both moveable. In most other

die lipper tl^ji iscoiinei-i^i, a^d makfes birt une piece wilti Iht^ skufT ;
'liiit iH theii^, find in one|'oi- liro' gpefhi of th^'featfrert^' tHbe
more, tli6 upper i^hs pis connwted'tortie boYieiof the head by a^tjcln^
nwmbrane placed on each sid^.that ItRs add (lepressesJllat plen-
iiire. By this contrivance they tan open thefr bills the wMef ; wKItli
'is pot a little uKeflil, ns the Up)>er' chnp is 'so h^ohed Bh9 so aier-
hanging, thai' iflhe lowei' chnp oniyhiid mdliDh^ theytoidd acbfcfitV
gape dulScienity to take any I hi n^ in Tor their linnrishrttent. ' ■ '
, Sweh tireiheiiseaorihe beak aiid the toes when ai^ separaieiy,
but they are often employed both together when (he bird ja ejter-
Iei*^ in climbing. As these birds cannot readrly hop froni bongh
io' hough, their Igm riot being adapted Tor Ihal purpose, they'tise
liofh (he beak and the Teet: first catching huld ^Ith ih^ b^nk.'Wit if
inih a hook, 'and drawing up the' logs and Rislenin^ them; ifAir'ad-
'Vaiicing the head and beak again, and so pittting' forward (tifefclfldir
ifi'iJ the feet allernalely, (ill ihey attain thti hel*:ht they aspir4-'ta. '

The tongue of this bird somewhat resembles (hnl of a matt ;"fljr
which reason some pretend (hat it'is well qualified to tmitHt^ the
human speech ; but the organs by which these sounds a>C ailTcilttitiefl
.lie farther down in the throat, being performed by the groat' nfotibh
which the 04 kt/oidci has in these birtis above oiiicrg. '' ' ' '

' The parrol, though common' enough in Europe, will not, howe^'ei',
t^i^ed here. The climate is too colrl for its warm onstilnilrth \ '01)8
'Ujoogh it beare our winter when arrived at maturity, yet it dlwilyB
ieems sensible of its rigour, and loses both il-i spirit and appetite
diirihg the colder part of the iieason, Tt then becomes torpid and
inactive, atid seems quit6 changed from that bustling loquacioris
alnimal whicli it appeared in its native forests, where it is almost
ever uport (he wing.- Notwithstanding, the parrot lives even with
us a considerable lime, if i( be properly aitended to; and, indeed,
t( must be owned, (hat it employs but too great n par( of ^me
people's attention.

The extreme sagacity and docility of the bird may plead as (he
best excuse for (hose who spend whole hours in teaching their pnrr6(H
to speak ; and, indeed, the bird, on those occasions, seems the wisest
animal of the two. It at first obstinately resists all in8(riic(ion ; but
seems to be won by perseverance, makes a few attempt* to iinitaie
the firs( sounds, and when it has got one word distinct, all the suc-
ceeding come with greater facility. The bird' generally l^ms most
in those families where the master or mistress haveihe least to do;
and becomes more expert in proportion as its instniclors are idly
assiduous. In going through (he towns of France some time since,
1 could not help observing how much plainer their parrots spoke
than ours, and how very distinctly I lindrrslond their parrots speak
French, when 1 could not understand our own, though they spo'e
my native language. I was at first for Bseribing' it to the diRerent

aualitiesof the two languages, and was for entering intn an elaborate
iscussion on (he vowels and cohM)nan(s ; but a frrpnd thnt was with

e solved (he. difficulty a( once, hy assuring me lha[ Ihu Fredch

40— VOL. II. D D

.390

iHBTOHrY OF

women ncarct^ly did any iliing else the nliolc day than sit a,nd ii\-
filruct their Teaihered pupils : and thai the birds were thus disdnct in
their lessonB in conBe<)uence of conlinual schooling.

The parroU of Franco arp certninly very expert, but nothing to
those of the Brazils, wliere the education of a parrot is considered as
a very serious affair. The history of Prince Maurice's parrot, given
us by Mr Locke, is too well known to be repeated here; but
Ctusius assures us, that the parrots of that country are ihc n^ost seo-
aible and cunning of all animals not endued with reason. The great
parrot, called the Aicuroui, the head of which is adorned will) yel-
low, red, and violet, the body green, the ends of the wings red, the
feathers of the tail long and yellow ; this bird, he asserts, which is
seldom brought into Europe, is a prodigy of understanding. " A
certain Brazilian woman, lliat lived in a village two miles distant
from the island on which we resided, had a parrotof this kind which
was the wonder of the place. It seemed endued with such tender-
standing as to discern and compreliend whatever she said Ip i(. Aa
we sometimes used to jiass by that woman's house, she used to call
Uptoi us to stop, promising, if we gave her a comh, or a looking-
glass, that she would make her parrot sing and dance to entertain
us. If we agreed to her request, as soon as she I'ad pronounced
some words lo the bird, it began not only to leap and skip on the
perch oD which it stood, but also to talk and to whistle, and imitate
the shonlings and enclamationa of the Brazilians when ihey prepare
for battle. In brief, wlien it came into the woman's head to bid it
sing, it sang ; to dance, it danced. But if, contrary to our promise,
we refused to give the wo^nan the little present agreed on, the parrot
seemed to sympathize in her resenunenli and was silent and lip-
nioveat^e; neither could wc, by any means, provoke jt to move
either foot or tongue."

This sagacity which parrots show in a domestic state, seems also
natural to them in their nativo residence among the woods. They
live together in flocks, and mutually assist each other against other
animals, eitlier by their courage or their notes of warning. They
generally breed in hollow trees, where they make a round hole, and
do not line their nests within. If they iind any part of a tree -be-
ginnmg to rot from the breaking off of a branch, or any such acci-
dent, this tliey take care to scoop, and to make the hole sufficiently
wide am) convenient ; but it sometimes happens that they are con-
tent with the hole which a woodpecker has wrought out 'with greater
ease before them; and in this they prepare to hatch and bring up
their young.

They lay two or tliree eggs; and probably the smaller kind may
lay more; for it is a rule that universally holds through nature, that
the smallest animals are always the most prolific; for being, from
their natural weakness, more subject to devastation, nature linds ii
necessary to replenish the species by superior fecundity. Ingeneral,
however, the number of their eggs is stinted lo two, like those of
the pigeon, and they are about the same size. Tliey are alway

THB Pt«"iatH).

a*i

marked with iittle -ipocks, like tliose or a partridge ; and some Ira-
vellera assure us, that they arc always found in the trunks c( the
talleit, siraightest, and the largest trees. The natives of these
countries, who liave little else to do, are very asaiducnis in spying
out the places where the pairot is seen to nestle, and generally come
with great joy tO inform the Europeans, if there be any, of the dis-
covery. As those birds have always the greatest docility that are
taken young, such a nest is odea considered as worth taking' some
trouble to be possessed of; and for this purpose the usual method of
coming at the young is by cutting down the tree, In the fall of tiio
Ireo it often happens that tlie young parrots are killed : but if one
of them survives the shock, it is considered as a suflicient recom^
pense.

: Such is the avidity will) which these birds are sought when yOung;
for it is known they always speak best when their ear has not been
anticipated by the hM«h notes of the wild ones. But as the natrres
are not able upon all occasions to supply the demand for young
ones, they are contented to take the old ; and for that purpose shoot
them in the woods with heavy arrows, headed with cotton, which
knock down the bird without killmg it. The parrots thus stunned
are carried home: some die, but others recover, and, by kind
usage and plentiful food, become talkative and noisy.

But it is not for the sake of their conversation alone that the par-
rot is sought afler among the savages ; for though some of them erti
but tough and ill-tasted, yet there are other sorts, particularly of the
small parakeet tribes that are very delicate food. In general it
obtains, that whatever fruit or grain these birds mostly feed npon,
titcir flesh partakes of the flavour, and becomes good or ill-tasted
according to the quality of that particular diet. When the guava
is ripe, they are at that season fat and tender ; if they feed upon the
aeed of the acajou, their flesh ccMitracts an agreeable flavour «f gar-
lic ; if they feed upon seed of the spicy trees, their llesh then tastes
of cloves and cinnamon ; while, on the contrary, it is insupportably
bitter if the berries they foed on are of that quality. The seed of
the cotton tree intosioates them in the same manner that wine does
man ; and even wine itself is drunk by parrots, as Aristotle assures
us, by which they are thus rendered more talkative and amusing.
But of all food, they are fondeat of the carthamus or bastard saflVon ;
which, though strongly purgative to man, agrees perfectly with their
constitution, and fattens them in a very short time.

Of the parakeet kind in Brazil, Labut assures us, that Ihey are the
most beautiful in their plumage, and the most talkative birds in
nature. They are very tame, and appear fond of mankind; they
seem pleased with holding parley with him ; Ihey never have done ;
but while ha continues to talk, anstver him, and appear resolved to
have the last word : but lliey are possessed. of another quality which
is sufficient to put an end to this associalioh ; their flesli is the most
delicate imaginable, and liighly esteemed by those who are fonder
of indulging their appetites than their ears. The fowler walks into
D D 2

322 Hisrosv or

tiiS; woods, W:)iero ibeyikiKp in abundance; but as ihey are green,
and exactly (ho colour uf tlie leaves among which they pit, he only'
lioars; ihtijr pr^ltlci williout being able to see a single bird : he looks
round liim, ttenaible that I lis game ia wjlliin gun-ahot in abundance,
buL is iiiorliGed to ihe last degree thai it is impossible to see them.
Uofortunately Tor these llllje Bnlmnla, they are restless and ever on
tlji! wiog, ao that in Bytng froukone tree to another he has but too
Jr^^ienlApj^rtunitieaordt^Lroying them : for as soon aa they have
stripped the tree on which they sale uf all ila berries, some one of
iliem fliesioff tQ'unutlier ; audi il tbat be found lit for the purpose,
it gives a, loud call, whieli all the resl report to. That is the op-
portimity the fowler has .lung, been waiting foe ;. lie fires in among
tlie flock while they are yet on the wing, and lie seldom faila o^
bringing down a part of them. But it is singular ooongh to see them
v^hen iliey dndtlmir companions fallen. Theyiaotup a loud outcry,'
as if they were chiding iheirdestroyer, atid donwt cease till ihqy see
him preparing for a sepoiid: charge. 'I ' . ,i ..

Sut tliOMgh (here are so tiibny motives for destroying ilnse beMl-
tiful birds, tliey &re in very great plenty ; and in soma couninesion
l}ie,uuasl of Guinea, limy are ct>asidereJ by the Negroes da their^
greatest loriHeniors, "Ehe flocks of parrots persecute ilheia with
their unceasing acreai'iing. Mid. devour whatever Inuls they attem^D
tu produce by art in tliuir lilile gardens. In other places they^are
not fo deilruclive, but sufljciontly common,; and indued therein
scarcely a country of the tropical climates thHt has nut many lof the
common kind, a" well as some peculiarly its owu. Travellers hate
equaled more than a hundred dilTereDt kinds on the continent of
ilfrlcB only: there is one iSuunLry in particular, north of the Cape
uf Cltwd Hope, which takes its name Irom the mukiliide of parrots
which are seen in ii^ woods. There are while parrots seen inthe
burning regions of ititliiopin; in llm East Indies, they are of the-
largt^lsize; in South America, tliey ore docile and talkative] inj™
the islands uf the P.aciflu Sea uDd< the Indian Ocean, they swarntj
great variety and- abundance, and add to the splendi
woods which nature haa dressed in eternal green.

So generally are these birds known at preeenl, and ad gr»B
their variety, that, nothing seems more extraordinary than. that tht
was but one aori of them known among the ancients, and that
timewheH they pretended to be masters uf the __

flae could serve to showtlie vanity of a Roman's boast, the parrot
tribe might be an instance, of which there are a hundred kinds now
known, not one of which naturally breeds in the countrJea thai ac-
knowledged the Roinaii power. Tlie green parakeet, ^riih a red
neck, was the flrst of liiis kind that was brought into Europe, and
the (inly one that was known to the anctenis from the time of Alej^
under the Great to l)ie age of Nero. This was brought from IndiAi
and when afterwards the Komons began to seek and rum)
through all their dominiond fur nuw and unheard-of

Dtlie
' the

and rumnun^^H
f luxaries, t^i^^^l

KIND.

in island ofBtliiopia, wiiich

THE PI

At'faM foiinil niit oiljers in Gagnnda,
lUiey I considered as an extraordinary di

Parrots have usually Ihc same diaorders willi other birds; and
rihey hove one or two peculiar to their kind. They are sometime.i
-atracli by a' Wind of apoplectic blow, by which ihey tall n-nm their
•ficfcheH, and' for a while seem ready tp expire. The lUhcr is the
■gtowing of itie beak, which beooines^so' veryi much hooked as to
■deprive them of the powet of eating, 'These intinniiies, Itowevee,
tin ndt hinder them from being long lived ; for BpaT;rol, well kepi,
iwtttlliTe five DrsKc^nd'tnenty years, . i .

ii'i ' CHAPTER VIII.

TDK PIGEON, AND ITB VAIttETIKH.

I This is one of the birds whichi from its great fecundity, weh*ve,
in some measure, mJaimed from a stale uf nature, and Uiightio
'live in habits of independence. Indeed, ila fecundity seems to bs
increased by human cultivation, BiUce those pigeons that live in a
wild sinle, in the woods, are by no means so fruitful as those in our
pigeon-houses. nearer home. The power of increase in most bird.s
depends upon the quantity of their food ; and it is seen, in more
thnnone instanf^e.that man, by suppljringlood in plenty, Und allow-
ing ihe animal ai the same time a proper' share of freedom, hiw
^br<]ughl some of those kinds which are known to lay but once n
.jtelr.'ta become much more prolilic,
i I The tame pigeon, and all its beauiifnl varieties, derive their origin
from one species^ the Stock-Dove onl)'.; the English oaAie, iraply-
ring its being ibe. slock or stem from whence the other dumeslic kinds
have been propagated, . This bird, in its noturtil stale, is of a. deep
bluish ash oolour; Uie breast dashed with a line changeable gr^n
iSlid purple 1 its wings marked with two black bars; tlie back while,
and the lail barred near the en<l with black. These are the colonrs
of the pigeon in a stale ctf nature; and from: (hese simple tiols has
.(gian by art propagRled a variety t but words cannot describe, nor
.even fancy suggest. . However, nature still perseveres in her great
. outline', and though iho form, colour, and even the fecundity of
Ihese birds may. :be altered by arc, yet their natural manner
inclinations continue still the same.

The' sloeliFdove, in its naiive woods^ diflera from the ringidi
bird that has never been recliumed, by its breeding in the holes of
rocks and the hollows of trees. All other birds of the pigeon kind
build; like rooks, in the topmost branches of the forest, and choose
their habitation ns remote as possible from man. But this species
soon takes to build in arlificial cavities ; and from the temptation df
a ready provision and numerous aocieiy. easily submjia to ihe ty-
ranny of manj Still, however, it peecerves its native, colour for

:j54 axsToiiv o*

several generations, and becomei more variegated only in propor-
tion ns it removes from' the original simplicity of Sis colouring
the woods.

The dove.house pigeon, as is well known, breeds every mt
bnt then it is necessary to supply it with food when the weattier-^
severe, or the fields ai^e covered with snow. Upon other
it may be led to provide for itself; and il generally repays the
owner for his protectbn. The pigeon lays two white e^s, which
most usually produce young ones of different sexes. For the laying
of each egg, it is necessary to have a particular congress with the
male; and the ^g is usually deposited in the afternoon. When
the eggs are thus laid, the female, in the space of fifteen days, not
including the three days during which she is employed in laying,
continues to hatch, relieved at intervals by the male. The turns
are usually regulated with great exactness. From three or four
o'clock in the evening, till nine the next day, the female continues
to sit; she is then relieved by the male, who takes his place from
ten till three, while his male is feeding abroad. In this manner Ihey
sit alternately (ill the youngai^ excluded. If,during this term, the
female delays' to return at the expected time, the male followa and
drives her to the nest ; and should he in his turn be dilatory, she
retaliates with equal Reveriiy.

The young ones when hatched require no food for the three first
days, only wanting to be kept warm, which is an employmew tJie
female takes entirely upon herself. During this period she never
stirs out, except Ibr a few minutes to take a little food. FroUi this
they are fed for eight or ten days, willi com or grain of difieretit
kinds, which the old ones gather in the fields, and keep treasured:
in their crops, from whence they throw it tip again into the m^"'
of their young ones, who very greedily demand it.

As this method of feeding the young from the crop is diSerei
birds of the pigeon bind from all others, it dcinands a more deti
explanation. Of all birdN, for its site, iWe pigeon has the lai
crop, which is also made in a manner quite peculiar to the kind,
two of these that were dissected by a member of the R<^al Acadi
of Sciences, it was found, that if the aRstomisls blew air i
windpipe, it distended the trop or gullet to a prodigious siee. This
was the more extraordinary, as there seemed to be no communication
whatever between these two receptacles; as the conduit by whif
we breathe, as every one knows, leads to a very different rece[
from that where we j>iit our I'ood. By what apertures lira air b)
into the lungs of the pigeon makes its way intotheciop, isunkni
but nothing is more certain Ihan that these birds have a powi
filling the crop with air; and some of them, which are called
pers, distend il in such a manner that the bird's breast
than its body. The peculiar mechanism of this part is
known, but the necessity I'Or it in these animals is pretty obvj
The pigeon, as we all know, lives entirely upon grain and wa
these are mixed together in the crop, and in the ordinary wayi

feretit

THE PIE TtllffD. 835

dig'esled in proporlioii us the bird lays in iu provbiun. But to feed
its young, whicli are very voracious, it is tiecessary ici lay in a store
greater ihaa ordinary, and to give the food a kind ofhalf maceration
to suit their tender appetites. The heat of the bitd's body, agalsted
by air, and numerous glands separating a milky fluid, are tlie most
iiecsssary inalniments for lljis operation t but, in proportion as Uie
food macerates, it begins to swell also, atjd the crop must of conse-
quence be considerably dilated. Still, however, ibe air which is
contained in it gives the bird a power of contracting it at pleasure;
for if it were filled with more solid substances, the bird could have
no power to conrpreaa it. But this is not the cage ; the bird can
compress its crop at pleasure, and driving out Iho air, can thus drive
out the foikj also, which is lurced up the gullet like a pellet from a
pop-gun. The young ones open-mouthed receive this tribute of
aflection, and are ihtia fed three times a day; In feeding, the male
usually supplies the young female, while the old female supplies the
young of the opposite se\. The food with which they are supplied
is more macerated in the beginning i but as they grow older, the
parents give it less preparation, and at last drive them out lo s' '"
for themselves. When well fed, however, the old ones do not v
for the total dismission of their young ; but in the same nest are
be found young ones, almost fit for flight, and eggs hatching at the
sknie lime.

The fidelity of the turtle-dove is proverbial, and makes the miial
comparison of such poets as are content to repeat what others have
said before them ; but the pigeon of the duve-house is not so failh-
fuh and, having been subjected to man, it puts on licentiousness
among its other domestic habits. Two males are oflen seen quar-
relling fur tlio same mislress; and when the female admits the ad-
dresses of a new gallant, her old companion seems to bear the i^on-
tempt with some marks of displeasure, abstaining from her company,
or, if he approaches, it is only to chastise her. TheFe have been
instances when two males, being displeased with their resp43clive
mates, have thought proper to make an eschapge, and have.Ilved in
great harmony with (heir new companions.

So great is the produce of this bird in its domestic state, that near
fifteen thousand may, in the space of four years, be produced from
a single pair. But the stock-dove seldom breeds above twice a
year; for, when the winter months come, the whole employment of
the fond couple is rather for self-preservation than transmitting a
posterity. They seem, however, to have a stronger attachment to
their young thau tliose who are found to breed so often ; whether it
be that instinct acts mure powerfully upon them in their stale of
nature, or Uiat their affeciious are leas divided by llic multiplicity' of
claims, is doubtful.

It is from a species of these, therefore, that those pigeons whicb
are called Carriers, and are used to convey letters, are produced.
These are easily dislinguislied from all others by their eyes, which
are rompassed about with n broad circle of naked white skin, i

% bcirigtir a dark' blue or bkckisli cbloor. li is from iheir fttladt-
metit lulliRirinatire place, and padicularly where ihey havebrou^i
(ip tlieir j'citing', ihat these birds are employed in several countries
iiM iheiricMt expediiluu» carriers. They are first brought IVom the
plafu where they <were bred, and wfailher it is intended iii secid ihem
bii;lr vritk' infi:«TOtniiini Thu letter is lied under ttie bird's wing,
iiiid it Is then let loose to return. The liule nnimal no sootier 6nds
itsHf at liberty, than i(a passion Tor iu native spot directs all it*
tnMKins. It is seen, upon these occasions, flying directly into the
eto«ds l» an amazing height; aiid then, with the greatest cer la iuty
ntwl eXBCtii^is, directing itself by some surprising inslioct towards
honie. nhich lier someiimes at many miles distance, bringing iu
messBge io those to whom rt is directed. By what marks they dis-
envev the pince, by what chart they are guided in the right way, is
ta Its utterly unknown; certain it is, that, in the space of an hour
and- a 'half they perform a Journey of forty miles, which ie a degree
ofdispeich three times greater than the fleetest quadruped can pei>
form. Those birds are nut brought up at present with so much care
tts foriheHy; when they were sent from governura in a besieged city
to generals that were coming to relieve it without; when they were
sent from princes to their subjects witli the tidings of isome fortimaie
ereM, -or from lovers to their mistresses witli expressions of (heir
passion. The only use we now see made of ihem, is to be let lly
at Tybiirn when the cart is drawn away; pretty much as, when
afmie ancient hero was to be interred, an eagle was lot uff froca the
funeral pile, to complete his a|M>theosis.

The varieties uC the tarae pigeon are so nnmerous that it would
bcavain attempt to mention them : so much is^e figure and colour
of this bird under human controul, the pigeon-fanciers, by coupling
a male and female of different sorts, can breed them, as they expreu
it, to a feather. From hence we- hare the various namee of Crop-
pers, Carriers, Jacobines, Powters, Runts, and Turbils; all birds
that at lirsL might have accidentally variefj from the siock-dove; and
then, by having these varieties still heightened by food, clitnate,
»nd pairing, diflerent species haye been produced. But there are
innny species of the wild pig«on which, though bearing a strong
iiffinity to the stock-dove, arei nevertheleu, suAiciently dilFerent
from it to deserve a distinct description. The Ring-dove is of lliis
number ; a good deal larger than the former, and building its nest
with a few dry sticks in the boughs of trees. I'his seems a bird
much fonder of its native freedom than the former, and attempts
have been fre<]iiently made to render it domestic, but they have
hitherto proved fruitless : for, though their eggs have been hatched
by the tame pigeon in a dove-house, yet, as soon as they could fly,
they always betook themselves to the woods where they were flrst
I produced. In the beginning of winter these assemble in great flcKks

^^_ in the woods, and leave otT cooing i nor do they resume this U'^^Mt^^H
^^^L courtship till the beginning of Alaruh, when the genial seasoR^^I^^H
^^^B supplying iheni with food, renews their desires. a^^^f

THE SPARROW IXIND.

82i7

Tlie turlie-dove ii a smnlter, but a much shyer bird ihon BOf of
the former. It many eaiily be dialinguisbed from ihe reU/ by^tite
iris of the> eye, nhich ii of a fine yellow, tnd by a beButifiil crimaoQ
circle that encompauex the eye>lidi. The fideiily of these binds ii
noted ; and & pair being put in a edge, if one dies, the ollieriwill
not survive it. The turilefdove is a bird of pamgei and'Tew^'O^
none remoin in our northern climates in winter. They fly ioiHiickp
when they come to breed here in siimnier, inA delight in'opbn,
motintainous^ «andy countries. But tbey build< their nests in<'the
nnditi of woods; and choose the moel retired aitiialiona for incubation:
They feed .upon all sorts of grain, but are fondest of millet seed..

To this short list might be added a long catalt^ue Of foir^ign
pigeons, of which we know tittle more than the plumage find the
namesi indeed, the variety of their plumage is an beautiful as the
names by which they are known are hkrsh and digsonant j ' . Tba
OcoltimUcan, for instance, is one of the most splendid tenBnl»!of
the Mexican forests ; but few, 1 believe, would desire to learn tb*
name, oidy to be informed that it is covered with purple^ greciH'vnd
yellow plumage- To describe such birds, the: bistorian's-pen ia^liat
Italfeuch a useful implement as the painter's pencils .1

VJiBJlt IV.

OF BIRDSi OP THB SPARROW KIND.

. "CHAPTER 1.

O^ BIRDS Ot>' THE SPARROW KIN» IN GBNERAI/J

liSTiLt descending. from tlieilarger to the smsllef, we cotmiotp
') of the sparrow kind; up that class of beuuuful liUle Bniiimfc
that, being less tlian the pigeon, go on diminishing till we arrive At
the bumming- bird, the smallest of the feathered creation.

The birds which compose this class chiefly live in the neighbour-
hood of man, and are his greatest favourites. The falcon may' be
more esteemed, and the turkey more useful; but these he considers
as servants, .not as friends; as animals reclaimed merely tu aufipiy
him with some of the convenicnoies ofillfe; but llieie little ^ttiiitbd
songsters have his aflbctiuns, as. well from their beg[uty'a* >beir
melody ; it is this delightful class that iills his groves witib' hnrmeny.
and lil\ his heart to sympathise witti their raptures. All the other
classes are either mule or screaming; It is this diminutive tribe only
that ha»e voices equal to the beauty of their figures; equally
adapted to rejoice man, and delight each other.

838

■ BISTORT OF

' Aa tliey arc the favourites of mau, so they are chiefly seen neat
him. All the great birds dread his vicinity, aiid keep to the ihtokeit
darkaess of the forest, or the bro» of the mogt craggy precipice ;
but these seldom resort to the thicker parts of the wood ; they keep
near its hedges, in the neighbourhood qf cultivated tiekis ; in Uie
hedge-rows of farm grounds l and even in the yard, mixing with the
poultry.

It must be owned, indeed, that their^ living near man is not &
society of aiTectton on their part, aa [hay approach inhnbiled ground*
merely because their diief provision is to be found there. In'the
depth of the desert, or the gloom of the forest^ Ihere is no grain to
be picked up; none of those tender buds that are so' grateiul to
tiieir appetites: insects themselves, tliat make so great a part (^
their food, are not found there in abundance, their natures being
unluited to the moisture of the place. As we enl«r, therefore, deeper
into uncullivBted woods, the silence becomes more profound, every
thbg carries the look of awful stillness; thore are none of those
warblingB, none of those murmurs that awaken allenlion, as near the
habitations of men; there is nothing of thai confused fauiz, formed
by the united though distant voices of ijuadrupeds and birds, but
all is profoundly dead and solemn, Now and ihen, indeed, tlic
traveller may be roused from this lethargy of life, by the voice of a
heron, or the scream of an eagle ; but his sweet little friends llie
warblers have totally forsaken him.

There is still another reftson for these little birds avoiding' the
depths of the forest, which is, that their most formidable enemies
usually reside there. The greater birds, like robbers^ choose the
moat dreary solitudes for their retreats; and if they do not find,
they make a desert all around them. The small birds fly from their
tyranny, and take protection in the vicinity of man, where they
know their more unmerciful foes. wilt not venture to pursue them.

All birds, even those of passage, seem content with a certain dis-
trict to provide food and centre iD.' The red-breast, or the wren,
seldom leaves the fleld where it has been brought up, or where its
young hare been excluded ; even though hunted, it Si6» along the
hedge, and seems fond of die place with an imprudent perseverancC-
The fact is, all these small birds mark out a territory to themselves,
which they witi permit none of their own species to remain in ; they
guard their dominions with the most watchful resentment;' and we
seldom fmd two male tenants in the same hedge ti^ether.

Thus, though litted by nature for the most wandering life, these
little animsls do not make suoh distant excursions, during the sesison
of their stay, as the slag or the leT«ret. ■ Food seems to be the only
object that puts them in motion, and when thU m provide for them
in sufficient plenty, they never wander. Bot as that is seldom per-
manent through the year, almost every binJisthen obliged to change
ilfl abode. Some are called birds of passage, because they are «bttg«d
to take long Journeys for this purpose ; but, strictly speaking, al-
most every other kind are birds of pesssgc, though their mtgrniii^n

THE SPAKHOW KIND. 320

may not be lo places so remote. At some particulnr aesaon «f the
year, all small birds migrate eitlier from one country to another, or
from the more inland provinces toivards the shore.

Tliere are several persons who get a livdiliood by wfttohlng the
seasons when uur small birds begin lo migrate from Oiic country to
another, and by taking them with nets in theii' passages. The birds
^re found lo fiif, as thebird>4:alchers term it, cJiiefly during Ihemonth
oTOctober, and part of September and Nflrember. There is «Ibo
another Ittglit in March, which is much less considerable than in
autumn. Nor is it less remarkable, that aeveral of these species of
flight-birds make theirappcaranceinregjlarsuecession. T'hepipet,
for instance, begins its flight every year about Michaelmas, when they
ate oaugh^ in greatest number. To this the woodtark aiicceeds, and
continoea its flight till towards the middle of October) other birds
follow, but are not so punctually periodical; ihe greenfinch does not
begin till Ihe frost obliges it toseek for a change. These birds, during
tltose moRlhs, lly from day-break till twdve at nbon;':and there is
aderwards a small flight from two till night; Such are the seasons
of the migra^on of the birds which have been tisnally considered as
stationary, and on these occasions they are caught rn great abnndanco
as they are on their journey. But the same arts used t<y allure them
upon other occasions would be utterly fruitless, as they avoid the nets
with the most prudent circumspection, The autumnal flight probably
consists of the parents conducting thoir new-fledged young to those
places where there is suflicient provision, and a proper teftiperament
ofthe air dbring the winter seoaon : and iheir return in spring is
obviously from an attachment to the place wiiich was Mnd so
convenient before for the porposeiof nestling and iiicubation.

Autumn is the principal season when the birTi-<:atchercmploy4hIi
art toca(«h these wanderers. His nets are a most ingenious piec^cf
mechanism, being generally twelve yards and' a half long, and two
yards'and a half widci and so contrived as from a flat position to
rise on each side, and clap over the birds that are decoyed to come
between them. The bird« in their passage are always observed to
fly agamst the wind ; hence there is a great contention among the
bird-catchers which shall gain Rewind: for example, if it is Westerly,
the bird-calcher who lays his nets most to the east, iS sure of Jthe
most plentiful sport, if his oall-birds are good. For this purpose, he
generally carries five or six linnets, two goldfinches, two greens
finches, one woodlark, one redpoll, and perhaps a bullfinch, a
yellow-hamTner, a titlark, and an aberdavlnc: these are placed' al
small distances from the nets, in little cages. He has besides witat
he calls his flur birds, which are placed upon a moveable peitii,
which thebiid-catoher can raiseat pleasure by mearrs of a string';
and these he always lilts gently up and down as the wild bird' ap-
proaches. But this is: not enough to allure the wild bird down; it
must be called by one of the call-birds in the cages; and these, by
being made to moult prematurely in a warm cage, call louder and
better than those that are wild and at freedom. There even appears

830 ! . MI8T0UV- or ;li ,

a tnkUcioiw jay In (hete cnll-bird^ to bring llie wiM anei into the
tftine aWlD of capuviiy, .while nt the same lime Iheit* call is louder
and Ihcir plumti^e, brighter ihsn in n stnte ornniure. Norialheir
aight or hearing less exquisite, far oxceetting ihot of the bird-caU^lier ;
lor tba instant the wild birds are perceived, notice Is given bj one
tbiUis rast of the call -birds, who. alf unite in the same lumultooui
«aita3y of pleasure. The call-birds do not »ing upon, those occBsioni
afl« bird does in a chamber, but incite the wjkl ones by short jerkH,
j^hich, when the birds arc good, may be heard at a great distttnce.
^he nliurement of this call ii so great, that the wild bird heitrtag it
jaslof^ii in ilfl ntost ra^ (light; and, if not already ecquaintcil
(uilh Uie Debt, lights, boldly within twenty yards perhaps of Ibo hirdf
catcher, and on a spot which it would otherwise have quite disre-
ganled. This is the opporlntiity wished for, wid the bird-catcher
pulling a string, ihu oela on each side rise in an uislsnt, and dip
directly down on the poor little unsuspecting visitant. Nay, it Srt'
iftienlly happens ihni if half a flock only are caught* the remaiAiog
Jinlf will imrnediately afterwards light between the Deta, ami share
the fate of their companions. Sboitld onl|y one bird escape, tbn
unhappy* survivor will also venture into daDger.lilI.it is caught;—
flitch a fascinating power have the ckllbirda.

Indeediit is not easy (oaccoiuil for the nature of this call, uJieth^r
it be a challenge to eombai, on invitation to food, or » preloik in
courtaliip. As the call-birdi arc all males,, and as the wild birds that
la^ttcntt to (heir voice are imoRt fret] uwtly nialai a]»»>,Jl dtteAnotBi^ii?
that love can have any influence in their assidiuiy. Pet^inptlhe
,wild fe^iales, in these flights, attend to and obey the call below, tod
the maje companions of Uieir flight come down to bear them coiu>
^ny. .Ifthis be the case, and that the females have urifsithlblly
ied their mates into (he nets, they are the first that arfl punished for
thoir in^delily ;. the tnalea are only raade captives for singing, while
the females are indiscriminately killed, and sold to be served op to
the tables of the delicate.

Whatever be the motives that thus arrest t flotk of birds in their
flight, whether they be those of gallantry or of war, it is certain tbit
the small birds are equally remarkable for both. It is, perhapif
genial desire that inspires the courage of most animals; and '
being greatest in the males, given lliem a greater degree of vi
than the females. Small birds, being extremely Bmopousf. atv.Jl
markably brave., flowever conieitiplible these little warriors afa'
larger creatures, they ape often buC too forrrudable to each ott
and sometimes fight till one of ttietn yields up his life with litem
tury. BuL their conCeQlionsarofomeliines of,a gentler nature ."
male birds sliall strive in song, till, .aA«r a long struggle, tbe Icm ,
shall entirely silence lli« other. During these ■iDnt«nliQns,'tlie-f«itt|
sits an attentive silent auditor, and' often rewards the lulidcatac
with hqr company during the season. I

Singing among birds is nimost universatly the prerogative of At
male. With them il is the reverse of what occurs in the homan

THE SPABBOvr KIND. 33ff'

kind. ' Among the feathered tribe, the heavieit c&res of lift faU t6'
the iQtiof the femalu.' Her's is the fatigue oFincubatiotii aj^ to her-
devolvea the prmcipal fatigue of nursing the helplen brood.' To
alleviate these fatig-uei, and to sapporL her under them, nature has'
given the soiig to the mule. This serves as a nute of blandishment
at firsL to attrttct her alFections ; it serve* as a note lo clelight her
during the time of her incubation ; but it serves still (W'tlwr as a
note of xecurily, to assure her that no danger threatens to tnolesf
her. The male, while his mate is hatching, sits upon gikme nei^i-
btiu ring tree, continuingat once to iratch tuidto^ng. While his'
voice is heard, the female rests in eonfidenl Becurity; and, as the'
poet expresses it, appears ihoxI bletied, when most mitefn ; but if
any appearance of danger ofiers to intrude, the male, ihat'b moment'
before was bo loud and sporiife, stops all of d sudden; and ihij Is a
most certain lig-nal to his mate 'to provide for her oWB security. '

7'he neMof tiule birds seems to be of a more delicti le con trti(anC6'
than that of the larger, kinds. . Ai* the volume of their bodiesiis
smaller, the msiehals of which their nests ai'e composed are gene^
rally warmer. . Jt is easy to conceive thai small thingii keep heai a
shorter lime thiin thise that are large. The eggs, thereforej of'Small
birds, require a place of more constant v^rmth than Ihoseof gretiC
ones, as being liable to cool more quickly; Qud aceot^lngly, dioir'
nests are built warmer and deeper, lined on the innde with aol\er
substances, and guarded above with a better covering. Bnlit somel'
limes happens that the little aruliitecis are disturbed in thetr opera-
tions, and then they are obliged to nialcu a neit, not such aa tiley
wish, biit sucii as they can. The bird whofe nest has been robbed
several times, biiilds up, her lastiii a very slovenly manner, conscious
that, from the near approach of winter, she must nottske lime tu
give her habitation every possible advantage it is capable of receiv-
ing. When the nest is finishefl, nothing can exdeed the: cunning
which the male and female employ to' conceal it: ' If il is built ih'
bushes, die pliant branches areso disposed as l& hide it enitrcly
from the view; if it be built among moss, notlting outn*an)ly ap.^
pearsto'show that there is an habitation 'within. It is alnaysbuiFE
near (Ibose places where food is found in greatest abundance; and
they take care never tu go in or out while there is any one in sight;
The greater birds continue from their nest for some lime, as their
eggs take no damage in their absence; but the little birds are assi-
duous while they sit, and ihe nest is always occupied by the male
when the female is obliged to seek for sustenance.

The first food of all birds of the sparrow kind is worms and in-
sects. Even the sparrow and the goldfinch, that when adult feed
only upon grain, have bolh been fed upon insects whije in'the uesl.
Tiie young ones, for some time after their exclusion from the shell,
require no food ; but the parent soon finds by their chirping and
gaping that they begin to feel the approaches of hunger, and flies
to provide them a plentiful supply. In her absence, they continue
to lie close together, and cherish eacli other by their mutual warmth .

3BS

■ Rismmrr *f

DgtO

During' Uiis inurval aUi) ihey preierrc a perfecl silence, Uttering
nut tlie slightest note till the psrent retumn. Her tvri val i» alitfa^
announced by ft chirrup, wliitji they petfecUy imderrtand, and whicli
lliey answer all together, tadt petitioning Ibr its portion. The
parent dislributts a supply to. each by turiis, cautiously avotdiDg
gorge tbeDa, but to give ihem often, though little at a ttnse. ~
wrtn will in tliis manner feed seventeen or eigbttieo youckg
without passing over one of ihemi

Such isibe.manDer- in which these birds bdng forth, and)
their young: but it yet remains to usher them from the nes
life, and this they very assiduouiily perform. When they aee full
fledged, and tilled for aburt flighu, the old ones, if the neiather be
fair, lead them a few yards from the nest, and then compel them Id
return. For Iwo or three succeeding days they are led out in the
same rosiuner, but each day to anek more disUutl adrentures. Wfaen
it is perceived that ibcy caii fly, and shil^ for tliemselvcs, then the
parents forsake litem: for. evei^, and p^ them no more ationtioo: than
they do to other birds in the same flock. Indeed it would seem,
antong these little animaU, Ulat from the moment thtir young sreset
outi all future connexion ceases between the male and female ; ifaey
go septuulo ways, each to proridefor ilself during therigoursoC*
ter, at)d, at tlie approach of spring, each seeks tor a i
, la general, birds, when they come to pair in spring,
those of their own age and place of abode. Their strengtb
rage is generally in proportion to their ag;e: the oldest females
feel the accesses of desire,, and the oldest males ore ibe boldest
drive off all younger prelondera. Those next in courage and desire
become pretenders, till they are almost all provided in tnm- The
youngest come last, as, in fact, tiicy are the latest in their inclina-
tions. But still there are several, both males and females, that re-
main unprovided for, either not happening to meet with, each otber^
or at least not during the genial interval. Whether these mix
small birds of a diSerent species, isa doubt which naturalists
been able thorou^^ily to resolve. Addison .in some beautiful t
itueried in the Spectator, is lenlimly of apinlon that birds.
Strict cliastUy of manners, and never admit carresses of i
tribe. ,

Chuto are Ihtdr insUacis, fsiUiful is tlicir, Tire,
No foreign henuty tempts to false desjre j
Tlie snnw-wliile veature and the (;)ltleriiLg ctowi\.
The simple plumage, or the g\oa%j down.
Prompt not their love. The potriat bird iHirsaea
His well ncq,uainled tints, Dud kl^ijfcd huep: . ,
Hence through their tribes n" mil d ppUnleil'flanip,
No monster-breed lo iimrk the grota wlrti alinm* 1
But the chaste bUckMfd, to its pamier trae, >
Thinks black atone ii braulv's favourite hue;
The oighlingale, with.mut"al paaaioo bli-'sl, ■
Sings to Its male, ftnd nishtiv eliarmn the nest;'
While thedarkowllocourtliispsrrnerflirs, ' '
And owns his ofisprlag in their yellow dyes. '

igou rs oC W&^^_

aasocMte^^^H
engtb ("'■■'l^^l
: females S^^^

THE SPARBOIT'KIND. 889

But whatever m«y be tlie poet's opinion, the [trobability is against
this fidelity among the smaller tenants of tite grove. The great
birds are much niore true to their species than these ; and of comie-
quence, the varieties among Uiem are more few. OC the oatricb, the
cassowary, and the eaglet there are but few species ; and no arts
thai man can use could probably induce them to mix with each

But it is otherwise with the small birds we are describing; it ire-
quires very little trouble to make, a species between Agi>ldGi)ch«Qd«
canary-bird, between a linnet and a laj-k. They breed frequently
together; and produce a race, not like the muleBamongquadnipE^i,
incapable of breeding again, for this motley mixture are as fruitful
as their parents. What is so easily done by art, very probably
odea happens in a stale of nature; and when the male cannot find
a mate of his owu spedes, he Dies to one of another, that, like him,
has been lefl out in pairing. This, some historians think, may have
given rise to the great variety of small birds that are seen among
us ; some uncommon mixture might first have formed a new species,
and this might have been continued down by birds of Ihis species
choosing to breed together.

Whether the great variety of oi^r small birds may have arisen
from this source, cannot now be ascertained : but certain it is, thai
they resemble each other very strongly, not ordy in their form, and
plumage, but also in their appetites and manner of living. The
goldfinch, the linnet, and the yellow-hammer, though obviously of
difiereni species, yet lead a very similar life; being equally an ac-
tive, lively, salacious tribe, that subsist by petty thefts upon the
labours of mankind, and repay them with a song. Their nests bear
a similitude; and iheyi are about the same time in batching their
young, whicii is usually fifteen days. Were 1,. therefore, to describe
the mannera of these with the same minuteness that [ have done the
greater birds, I should only present the reader wilh a repetition of
the same accounts, animated neither by novelty nor information.
Instead, therefore, of specifying each sort, I will throw them ihio
groupes; uniting those together that practise the same manoers, or
that are remarkable for similar qualifications.

Willoughby has divided all the smaller birds into lliose that have
slender hills, and those that have short and thick bills. Those with
slender bills chtefiy live upon insects; those with. short, strong bills,
live mostly upon fruits and grain. J^moDg slender-billed birds he
enumerates tlie thnmh, the blackbin), the fieldfare, the slarling, the
lai4t, ihe titmouse, the water- wag tail, the nightingale, the red-slarl,
the robin red-brcasl, the bcccaligo, the stoQe-chatier, the whin-chat,
tlie white-throat, the hedge-sparrow, the pettichaps, Uie golden-
crowned wren, the wren, the hummbg-bird, and several other
small birds of the sparrow kind, unknown lu this pari of ihe
^_ ,«arld.

^^^u All these, as was said, live fur the most part upon insects, aai are
^^^pgnseq neatly of particular benefit to man. By these are his grounds

884 '^'l*i#W*»"*W"""

cleared of the pe^niduus swarms of Vermin chat devour the budding
leaves vd6 fli)W«n, and' that even aicacW the root ibielf, belWe' ever
tlie Tegetable tan ebitie lo innturity. These seek fbr nhd' destroy
the eggs of insedt^ (list would otiienriss propng«te in'tiumbers b«.
yond tjie arts of mttn tOe^ttirpBte; they knuwbettei' (hntiman where
lo seek Ibr them : and thus m once' s'atiary iheir own appelttes, and
render him the moat essential services.

0ot this is not the only merit of tti'is' tribe: in it we have the
BWeeteit sOng^sters of the grove; their ndies are sofler, and tbeir
manner rtiorc musically soothing than those of hard-billed birds.
The foremost in musical fame nre, the nightingale, the tlirnsh,
the blackbird, the lark, the red-breast, the black -cap, and. the

Birds of the sparrow kind, with thick and short bills, are the
grosbeak, the greenfinch, the biilllinch, the crbss-^bilK the hou^e-
sparraw, the chaffinoh, the bramblihg, the goldfinch, the linnet, the
siskw, the bunting, the' yelloW'hammer,' (he ortolan, the wheal-^f,
andsevefal other tbrcign birds, of which weknow rathec the names
tlmn the liisiuryi These chiefly feed upon friiils, grain, and com.
They are often troublesome lo man, as ihe^ are a numerous tribe;
the harvest often suffers from their depredations ; and whili^ they are
driven i^fron) onc'end of the field, (hey fly round, and come in at
the other. But Ihetiealso have their uses^ they are freqtiendy the
distributors of 'Seeds int» different districts; those grain it' which thej
swallow, are someiinwa not wholly digested; and these, laid upon
a soil ciingcniul to them, embellish the face of nature with that
sgreeuble variety which art btit vainly altempls to imitate. The
mislleltio p^t, which we ollen sec growing on the tops of elm and
ether trees, has been thougtii to be propagated in this manner;- yet,
as itis oflen seen growing on the under side of the branch, and
sometimes on a perpendicular shoot, it seems extraordinary how a
seed could be deposited in that situation. However this be, there
are many plants propagated from the depositions of birds ; and some
seeds are thought to thrive the better, for first having undergfone a
kind of maceration in the stomach of the little animal, before it h
voided on the ground.

There are some agreeable songsters in this tribe also ;
who like a loud piercing pipe, endued with great variety a
verance, will be pleased most with their singing. The songsiertt
this class are the canary-bird, the linnet, the chaflinclr, the goldGnl
the greenfinch, the bullfinch, the braihbling, the siskin, and j
yellow-hammer. The note of these in not so generally pleasing^
that of the sort-billed birds, but it usually holds longer; and t
cage, these birds are more easily fed, and hardy.

This class of small birds, like all the greater, has its wandenil
that leave us for a season, and then return, lo propagate, U
to embellish the landscape here. Some of this smaller kind, indM
are called birds of passage, ihai do not properly come under the
denomination ; for though they disappear in one place, they never

in Norway, and other cold coun-
mild winters, and lo those various
I, and make iheir principal food.
unceriain vinilAnCs, end have no

of every spec iea disappear at

THE SBARItOWKIND. S35

leave the kin^nm, bnl are seen lomewhere else. Bui there are
many among them that lake longer flights, and go to a region colder
or wanner, as it suits Iheir constitutions. The field-fare and the
red-wing breed pass their summers
tries, and are lertipiiid hither to oui
berries which then abound with ii
The hawfinch and the crossbill are
stated times or migration. Swalli

the approach of winter. The nightingale, the black-cap, the fly.
catcher, the willow-wren, the wheat-ear, the whin>chat and theslone-
chalter, leave us long before the approach of winter; while the
siskin and tlie linnet only forsake us when our winters are mor«' than
usually severe. All the rest of the smaller tribe never quit this
connlry, but support the severest rigours of ihe climate.

Yet it must not be supposed that the manners of our little birds
prevail in all other countries, and that such kinds as are stationary
with us never wander in other parts of Europe ; on the contrary, it
happens, that many of those kinda which are birds of passage in
England, are seen in other places never to depart, but to make one
country their fixed residence the whole year round. It is also fre-
quent, that some birds, whtoh with us are faithful residents, in other
kingdoms put on the nature of birds of passage, and disappear for
a season.

The swallow, that with us is particularly remarked for being a
bird of pawage, in Upper Egypt, and in the island of Java, breeds
and continues the whole year, without ever disappearing. Larks,
that remain with us the year throughout, are birds of passage in
Sweden, end forsake that climate in winter, to return again with the
returning spring. The chaffinch, (hat with us is stationary, appears
during the winter in Carolina and Virginia, but disappears imally
in summer, to breed in the more northern regions. In Sweden also,
these little birds are seen returning, at the approach of spring, from
the warmer climates, to propagate; which being accomplished by
the latter end of autumn, the males and females separate ; the males
to cmlinue among their native snows, tlie females to seek a warmer
and gentler winter. On this occasion, ihey are seen in flocks Chat
darken all the air, without a single male among them, making their
way into the more southern regions of Denmark, Germany, and
Holland. In this Amazon-like retreat, thousands fall by the way ;
some by fatigue, some by want ; but the greatest number by the
nets of the fowler, the taking them being one of the chief amuse-
ments among the gentry where they pass. In short, the change of

, cotintry with all this little tribe, is rather a pilgrimage than a journey,

^S migration rather of necessity than of choice.

*' Having thus given a general idea of the birds of this class tt will
B proper to give soma account of the most remarkable among

I
I
I

1I*9T<»»Y OP ■

CHAFTER II.
OF THE TURUSH AND ITS AFFINITIES.

WiTK ibe Thnish we may rank tlie red-wing, ihe Hold-fare, the
blackbird, the ring-ouEsI, md the water-ouzel.

These are. the largest of the sparrow kind, and maj be disiin>
-guiihtid fpuin all ather» of this cJass, as well by ihsic eize, which it
wellkncuvn, aaby iheir bills, which are a little bending al the poiiilj,
a small notch near the end of the upper chap, and the oDtntoat lo«
ittdliecing as far as the firat juint of the middle toe. To Uiis tribe ^m^
be also added the stare or starling, which, though with a flat bill, |
much re«;mbles Ihege blrdit Id be .placed any wliere.ebe- .

The Miasel-thruah is distinguished from all of the kind 'byii
superior size, being much larger than any of them. It dilKira sobn
ip any other respect from the throstle, except that the spots on ,tbe
breast are larger. It builda its nest in buahes, or on ihe side ofsooie
-tree, as all of this kind aie found to du, and lay^ fiiur or Hveegga
in a season. Its sung is vefd' fiimi which it (legiiis in apriog, i
on the flummit of a high tree; It is tlie largest bird of allj|
feathered tribe that has music in its voice; the note of all g
.birds being cither screaming, chattering., or oroaking. It fee
insecUt, holly and mistletoe berries ; and someiunes sends foHJ
very disagreeable scream when frighted or disturbed.

The Blackbird, which in cokl countries, and particularly :Up«ni||
Alpa, is sometimes seen all over white, is a. beautiful and o
bird, whistling all the spring and. summer lime with a note *
lance the most pleasing of all the grove. It is, the deepest Ae|
warbler of ihe woods.; but it is rather unpleasant in a c^ee^. I '
,loud and deafening. It lays four or five bluish eggs, in a n
built at the stump of some old ha^tliorn, well plastered on tbein^l
it-ith clay, straw, and liair.

Pleasing, however, a» this bird may be, tfie |BlueTbird,.i
'by Uelloniui, is in every respect far superior.. Thisbeaiilkul juiifli
entirely resembles a blackbird in all but its blue .calom;..
tin the highest purls of the Alps, and even .ihere «hDO«es.llie ■
oraggy rocks and the most frightful precipices for its.r^iidenw.i,
.it lis rarely caught, it is in high estimation even iu the countries w
it breeds, but still more valuable when carried frum horo&
''Only whistles in the twi.st delightful manner, but speaks wilhrfui«
oulate distinct voice. It is so docile, and ubierves all tbi^gi^
auch diligence, that though waked at midnight by any of theJiUHL
it will speak and whistle at the word of command. Its colour, a^
tlie beginning of winter, from blue becomes black, which a
to its original hue on the Qrst approaches of spring. It niaku^
nest in deep holes, in very high and inaccessible solitudes, and re-
moves it not only from the accesses of man, but also hides it with

THE SPARROW KIND. 83?

prbing wnntng . from the chatnow,, whI other vvllcl bewts tbo^
^hiaaiiojr ils young.

cTliQ inaaDen.of laking thia beauliful bird iS'Said (o.be liiis': Tb^
'iwlers, uiiher hy chance, ur by lying, in wait,, liaving found, out Eha
rheru it builds, laiia nilh ibent asirjong.atMl or at^ke, such as
eaiimbera ofcbcksmalce uge of ta a«isl. tliem in (heir, de»ceni,
B(iU) the atwsiBOce.of iJiis, (hey mount v/heta an indiiT^renl- Bpecta-
itild thiilli it iuii)>iU8ibts> to auiend„cov«ring.t))eir' be^dn at thp
time, to nudiofTany daDgecaf the fitljing of j^ebblea or (tones
frnoji above., All length,, with exLmme ipil aqd danger, havbg
arrived at tite nest,. Lhej^ draw it up from Uje.hoileio which.it is ifsut
s41y buried, and eherJsti tbi; young, with an aesiduity equal. to the
[MiDg they look to obtain them. It produces for the most part Qva
youngk and. never more; it suhlom de^enils into the plain ci>unLry.j
riie> awifter than abkuikbird, and utea the: same food.

The Field-fert) and the Itcd-wing make but a short stay in this
eouDtty. With w, they are insipid tuneless birds, ilying in tifKHti
and exceeaively nalobful to preserve the gjsneral safely. AU Oteic
season of music and pleasure is employed in the more northern cli-
mates, where they sing most delightfully, perched among the forests
of maples, with which those countries abound. They build their
nests in hedges: and lay six bluish-green eggs spotted with black.

The Stare, distinguishable from the cesL of this tribe by the glossy
green of its feathers in some ligh'ts, and the purple in others, breeds
in hollow, trees, eaves of liousea,. to^versi ruins, cliiTs, and often in
high rocks over the sea. Tt lays four or dve eggs of a pate greenish
ash colour, and makes its nest of straw, small Gbres of roots, and
suchlike. Its voice is rougher than the rest of this kind; but what
it wantH.in the melody of its note, it compensates by the facility
w.iih which h is taught to speak, in winter these birda assebble m
vast docks, and feed upon worms and insects. At ihfr a^iproacli ^f
sming they assemble in lields, as. if in consuUalion log^tlier, and Toi;
ifaree or four days seem, to la^ce no nourishraenl : the i;reater pari
leave the country, the rest breed here and bring up their young.

To this tribe might be added above a hundred other birds of
■learly the llirusli size, and. living like them upon fruit and berries^
Words coidd not alTord variety enough to describe aiU the beautirul
tints that adorn the foreign bij-ds of the ilu;uah kind. The brilliant
gret^n of tlie emerald, the QaJtiing. red of the ruby, the purple of the
amethyst, or iho bright blue of ilie sapphire, could out, by the most
awful combination, show any thing so truly lively or delighfful to
the sight as the feathers of the Chilcoqui or the Tautotul. Passing,
therefore, over lhe«e beautiful, but little kuqwn. birdsi I will only
mention the AinerKan Mock-bird, the favourite songster of a regionj
whsre the birds e.\cel rather in the beauty of their plumage tliitn thq
sweetness of tiieii; notest ,

This valuable bird does nut seem to vie with the feathered in|i[L-
s o'l that cfjuntry in the besi^lyof Its plumage, content^ with
^liGuations tliat endear it to mankind oiiicli more. l'tis,buttt

plain bird to the trye, about the size uf a thrush, or a whila and grej
culour, and a reddish Itiil. It in possessed not only of its own nauu
ral notes, which are musical and solemn, but it can awinne tlie
of every oiher animal in the wood, from ilie wolf to the raven.
seems even to sport itself in Jeading them astray. It will at
lime allure the lesser birds with the call of their males, and ihi
rify them when (hey have come near wiih the screams of the eagle.
There is no bird in the forest birt it can mimic, and there is none
that it haa not at iimeit deceived by its call. But not Uke such aa
we usually see lamed for mimicking with us, and wlio have t>
ticular merit of [{jetr own, Uie mock-bird is ever surest U> plea
It itself. At those limes it usually frequents ihe hood
n planters ; and, silting- all night on the chimney-li
pours forth Ibe sweetest and the most various notes «f any b
whatever. It would seem, if accounts be (rue, that ihe deficiency^l
most other song-birds in that country is made up by this bird alba
They ol^en build their nesis in the fruit trees about houses,
upati berries and other fruits, and are easily rendered domestic.

oflbeAi

ClUPTEK in.

Thb Nightingale is not only famotis among the moderns for %
singing, but almait e^ ery one of the anciehu who undertook lo d
scribe beautiful nature, haa contributed to raise its repuistroi
tiighlingole," saj's Pliny, " that, for fifteen jhys and nighu hidH

■ the thickest shades, coniinues her' uote wiihonl iDlermissioD, dese
our attention and wonder. How surprising, that so great s v
can reside in so small a body ! soch perseverance in so nrinute ■
knimal I With what a musical propriety are the sounds it produc
modulated ! The nole at one time drawn out with a long brealH
now stealing oifinto a different cadence, now interrupted by a bre
then changing into a new nole by an unexpected transition; r
seeming to renew the same (rain, then deceiving expeclation !
someiinies seems to murmur within herself; full, deep, sharp, awifll
drawling, trembling ; now at the lop, the middle, and the boltom if
tjie scale I In short, in that little bill seems to reside sU the
^^^ which man has vainly laboured lo bring from a variely of n
^^^ instruments. Some even seem to be possessed of a different » _
^^H from the rest, and contend with each other with great ardour. Tbtf^
^^H bird overcome is then seen only to discontinue its song wii
^B life."

■ :^

It famous of the feathered tribe visits England in I
l^nning of April, and leaves us in August. Ii is found but ii

THE SPARROW KIND.

orUie smithem parts of the country^ beinp; totally iinknovrn in Sbot-
Innd, Ireland, or North Wales. They frequent thick hedges and
\ow coppbeH, and generally keep in the middle of the bitsht so that

' ihey Br« rarely seen. They begin their nong in the evening, and
generally cohtinue it for the whole night. For weeka together, if
undisturbed, they sit upon the same tree; and Shakspeare rightly

'd^cribes the nig4itingale sitting nigbtly in the same plctce, whichil

'hEive frequently observed she seldom de parti from.
' From Pliny's deacription «e should be led to believe, this bird
poMebsed ofa persevering strain ; b<it though it is in fact so with the
nighlingalein Italy, yel in oin- hedges in England the little songalress
is by no meani so liberal of her music. Her note is soft, various,
and interrupted ; the seldom holds it without a pause above the lime
timt one can count twenty. The nightingale's pausing song would
be the proper epithet for this bird's music wiih us, which is mure
pleasing than the warbling of any other bird, because it is heard at
a time when' all the rest are silent.
' In (hebeginning of May the nightingale prepares to make its

.nest, which is formed of the leaves of trees, straw, and moss, The
itetrl being very eagerly sought afler, is as cunningly secreted ;-so
that but very few of them are found by the boys when they gblupon
these pursuits.' It is built at the bottom of hedges, where the bushes
nre thickest, and best covered. While the female conliraies sitting,
the male, at a good distance, but always within hearing, cheers the
patient hour with his voice, and, by the short interraplion of his
song, ofVen gives her warning of approaching danger. She lays
folir or Rve eggs, of which but a part, in our cold climate, come to
maliirity.

The delicacy, or rather the fame, of this bird's music, has induced
mfiny lo abridge its liberty, to be secured of its song. Indeed, the
greatest part of what has been written concerning it in our country,
consists in directions how to manage it for domestic singing; while
t^e history of th^ bird is confined to dry receipts for fitting it for tha
cage. Its song, however, in captivity, is not so very alluring; and
the tyranny of taking it from those hedges where only it is most
pleasing, still more depreciates its imprisoned efforts. Gesner as-
sirres us, that it is not only the most agreeable songster in a cage,
but that it is possessed of a most admirable faculty of talking. He
telU the following story in proof of his assertion, which he says was
comifiunicaled to him by a friend. " Whilst 1 was at Rktisbon,"
says his correspondent, " I put up at an inn, the sign of the Golden
Crown, where my host had three nightingales. What I am going
to repeat is wonderful, almost incredible, and yet is true. The
nightingales were placed separately, so that each was shnt up by
itself in a dark cage. It happened at that time, being the spring 6{
the year, when those birds are wont to sing indefaligably, that I
was so afflicted with the stone, that I could sleep but very little all
night. It was usual then about midnight, when there was no noise
in the house, but all still, to hear the two nightingales Jang I in

'340 nisTORT- OP-

IftHdn^ fftth etab atlier, and {llau^ imitMifiK nien!i diacoursM.
mj pan, 1 was almoBl aatoniahcd will) wonder ; Tor al tha I
when all was quiel else, they tmld oonfcrence together, and repetwoi
whaterer tbey had heard among their guesU by day. Those two
of them that were most notable, and masters of ihU art, were soaroe
ten feet distaiiL from one another. The thirdi liung more remote, m>
that I could not lo weU heaf it b» I lay a bed. But it \a wonderfUl
to tell how those two provoked each ather, and by aiuwering, invited
and drew one another lo speak. Yet did they not confound their
wArds, or talk both together, but ruhcr utter thetn alternatety and
of course. BtsideB the daily discourse of. lh« gifesla, ihey cliaunted
fMt two stories, which generally held them from midnight till morn-
ing; and that witii such modulations and inlkdions that no man
ooold have taken to come from such< creatures. When I asked llie
Itostif they had been taugtil, ot wJietlier he observed their talking
in the nighl, ho answeiied tia; thaaanie said the whole family. But
J, who could not sleep fur nights together, was perDxtly senaiUa of
^eir discourse. One of their atoriea was eonceming the lapater and
his wife, who. refined (o follow hini'to lh« wara as he desired hew;
for the husband endeavoured lo pervoade his wife, a« far as I under-
■tood by the' birds, thai lie would leave his service in thatinn^aiidgD
to the wars in hopea of plunder. But she refused to follow him,
resolving to stay eiliier at Raiisbon, or go to Nuremberg, fhere
■was a long and earnest contention belween them; und all ihie
iogue the birds lepemted. They even repeated the-unseemJy woi
which were cast out between them, and. which ought rathef tQ ~
lieen suppressed and kept a. secret. But the birds, not knowing,
litlference between modest, immodest, honest, and lilthy words,
but ^illi theni. The iMiiet story was caneerning the war which iha
£mperar was then thresteniog egsiaRt . the ^olestani«; wliioh,ihe
birds probably, beard from some of tjic generala ihat had confTsrenoea
in the housei These tilings did they repeal. inithe iiight;B|ier tuvelve
•'«lock, when there was a deep aiienw. BuLiA the dayAkne, fbr
the most pari, tbey were silent, find seemed to do npthing but raedir
tate and revolve with tliemaulves upon what the guests conferced
together as they Sat &l table,. or in their wsilki, I veri)|y had never
believed our Pliny writing so many wtwderful- ihiegs. concerning
tbese tittle creatures, hnd I. not myself seen' with my eyes, . and lieeni
Ihem with my ears, uttering such things ad I have reJated. Neiiiwr
yet can iofa luddAn Writd aH, of call to remambrainae every poi
cular that I have heard." i

Snch is the sagacity. ascribcdtu tl)e nitjhlingialc i, it is but to hi
hig4i repitation. t'or any one qualitiy, and tlie' world is ready enopj^
to' give m:fiuiiB forothenlito which we have v^j^ Hmall pneienaioMt
But there is a litlJe birdi, rather nelebrated for its eiTeation Ia tMiH
kilul thftft its singii^. whic>i. ihowever, in uih" diniate> lia* theewaeteal
Note of ajl others. n The reader already pereeives^ that t mean llie
Red-bresst, tlie well-ktiown friend, of man. thai is found in every
hedge, and makes it vijcal. The note of irther birds is louder, and

>ditr-

THB SP*BR(»W -KIND. fl*tl

iheir inflectisiM'i'iore capricious; but tliia' bird's voice is seA, tender,
and well siipiporled ; and the ninre to be. vaJiied an wn enjojq il. ilie
grealest part of the winler- It the nighling ale's song has been
compsred to ibe fiddle, llie red-breHsl's voice has aJI tlw diclieacy rf
ttie flute.

The red-breast, during the spring, hauat* the wood, Uje grotft,
and the garden : it retires talh&lhickesi and sIlAdiafiL h^ge-row» to
breed in. Biitin wiater it seettistobecDntemora domestic,, and (lAen
to claim protection from mm- Most oC itis oof t-bi lied bk^s tbe
lughlingale, the swaUow and the titmoi^ei luave us in the winlar when
their insect Tood h no longer offered in plenty; but the red-brsHgt
coDlinues with us the year round, and ejideavours to suppciFt the
famine of winter bychirpirrg round tlie trsim habitatiutts pf manMadv
by coming into those shelters whece the r^our of ilte season is arlilii-
cially espellei), and where insects themselves are' fuund in greater
numbers, attracted by llie same causes

This bird breeds differently in dillttrent places: in saiaa cowtrii^*
it* nest, is usually found in thC'Crevice of some mossy bank^.or ftt the
foot of a liawtborn in hcdgft>ro^ ; in otl>«rsi„ il chooses the thickest
corerts, and hides ila nest with oak leaves. The eggs are fFOWii four
to five, of a dull white, with r«ddi8h stneaks.

The Lark, whether the skyrlark, the wood lark, of tlie tit-lark, beiat^
^1 distinguishable from other little birds by the It^^Ui of their i)cd«
are louder in their song than ciltier of the former, biA itot so pleaji-
ingi Indeed, the music of ever}- bird in captivity produces no very
pleasing sensations — it is but the mirth of a Uule animal ioswsible
uf its unfortunate situation : it is the landscape, the grove, the gni)dea
breok of day, the contest upon the hawthorn, the fluttering from
branch, to branch) the soaring- in the air, and the aasworing of its
young, that gives the bird's song its true relish. These uiu(Qd,< im>
prove each other, and raise the. niind to a state of tl>e highest, yet
most harmJess exultation. NuLhing can, in this siluatioa of tnind.be
more pleasing than to see the lark warbling upon (he wing ; raising
its notes as it soars, until it seemg lost in tlie immense heights iaboT»
us, the note continuing, the bird itself unseen; to see it then descend-
ing with a swell as it comes from the clouds, yet sinking by degrees
as it approaches its nest, the spot where allils.aSeclionsarecentfiie^L
the spot that has prompted' all this joy.

Tiie lEirk builds its nest upon tlie ground, beneath some turf that
serves to hide and shells it, The female lays four or five eggs, of
a dusky hue in colour, somewhat like those of a pkrver. It is wlule
she is sitting tltat the male thus usually entertains her with his. sing
ing ; and while he is. risen to an imperceptible height, yet he stiU has
bis loved partner in his eye, nor once loses sight of the ne^ either
while he ascends or is descending. This harmony continues several
months, beginning early in the spring on pairing. . In winter lliey
assemble in. flocks, when their song forsakes them, and the bird-
catchers destroy tliem in great numbers for the lablfs of the lusu-
rious.

' tllSTOKV 'OP

TheBlack'i^ap and the Wren, tiiough bo very diminiitive, are jei
pmed by some for iheir singing. The former is called by some the
mock nightingale; and the lall«r is admired for the londness oT'Jts
note, compared to the little body from whence it issues. It mcut tw
confeased, that this disproportion between the voice of a bird and ili
flize, in some measifre demanda our wonder. Qnsdnipeds in this
reiipeet may be considered rr mutes to them. The peacock is louder
than ihe lion, and the rabbit is not so loud aa the wren. But it mUst
be considered that birds are very differently formed ; their lungs,
in some measure, are extended through their *hole body, while 'm
quadrupeds they lie only in the breast. In birds there are a variety
of cells which take in the air, and thus pour forth their' contents at
the little enimal's command. The black-cap and the wrfen, th ere^
fore, are as respectable for their voices, as they might be rfee ''^~
inconmderable for their size.

All these solY-billed birds, thus prized for their smging, i
dered domestic, and brought up with assiduity by such as a
of theifToicesin a cage. The same method of treatment serVetfi*
all, as theb food and their habits are nearly the same. The man-
ner of taking and treating them, particularly the nightingale, h this.
A nightingale's nest may be found by observing the place wltere the
male sings, and then by sticking two or three meal-worms (a httid
of maggot found in flour) on some neighbouring thorn, 'which wlien
he sees htt will infallibly bear away to his young. By listening, he
then may be heard with the female chirping to theycun^ ones while
they are feeding. When the nept is fmind, if the young are not'
fledged ertougli to be taken, ihey must not be touched whh the
hands,'ror then the old ones will percMve it, and entice them away.
They should not be taken till thcyare almost as full'of feAtbers as
the old ones; and, though they refuse their meat, yet hy' opening
Iheir bills, you may give them two or three small bits at a time,
which will make them soon grow tame, when they wilt feed them-
selves. They should be put, nest and all, into a little basket, which
should be covered up warm ; and they should be fed every t*o
hours. TheirTood should be sheep hearts,' or aiWof raw fle*h n
chopped very One, and all the strings, skins, iit)d fat, taken aW
But it should always be mi.xed with hen'eggs, boiled haril,
which they will feed and thrive abundantly.

They should then be put into cages like the nigliitngale**'
cage, with a little straw or dry niosa at the bottom ; but w+ien 'fl
are grown large, they should have ants' mold. They should be H
very clean, as indeed should be all singing birds what
otherwise they will have the cramp, and perhaps the claws wilt 4
off. In autumn they will sometimes abstain from their. fbod^
fortnight, unless two or three meal-worms be given them twi^
thrice a.week, or two or three spiders in a day; they must liki
have a little saffron in their water. Figs chopped small among tl
meat will help them to recover their flesh. When their legs t
cramped, they should be anointed ujih fresh butler, or cRpou's f

THB SPARBOW- KIND.

849

three or four dnyB together. If ilmy grow melancholy, put whKe
su§;ar-candy into tlieir water, and kod them wiili sheep^arlH, giv-
ing ihem three or (out meal-worms in a day, and a few ants with
their egfs. They should also have salfron in their water.

With regard to aduli birds, those that are laben before the twenty-
third of April are accounted the best, because af\er that they begin
to pair. They usually haunt wooda, coppices, and quick set.liedges,
where they may be taken in trap-cages baited wilb meal-wormt.
They should be placed as near the spot where the bird sings as.po*.
aible; aild before you liit the trap, turn up the earth twice the
breadth of the cage, because they will tliere look for food. They
are also taken with lime twigs, placing Ihera upon die hedge wher»
ifaej usually sing ; and there should be meal-Worma stuck at proper
places lo draw them into the snare. After they are taken, their
wings should be gently tied with thread to prevent their beating
themselves against the cage. This should be first hung in a private
place, that the bird may not be disturbed^ and it should be fed
every two hours, at farthest, with sheep-heart and egg minced very
£ne, mixing it with meal-worms. However the first food must, bu
\V0rm9, anlB, caterpillars, and flies. You must, lo feed the bird,
take it in your hand, and open the bill with a stick made thick at
one end, giving it the insects, or four or five bits of food as big as
peas, to entice it to eat. Its common food should be :mixed;with
anis, so that when the bird goes to pick up the ants, it may pi^kj up
■ouHof that also. The nightingale, when caged, begins lo sing
about the latter end of November, and cuniinues its song till Jun^. ,

CHAPTEtt IV.

Thb Canary-bnd is now so common, and has continued an long
in a domestic state, that its native habits, as well as its native coun-
try, seem almost forgotten. Though, by the name, It appears lliat
theae birds came originally from the Canary Islands, yet wo have it
only from Germany, where they are bred up in great numbers, and
sold into different parts of Europe. At what period they were
brought into Europe, is not well known ; but it is certain that about
a century ago they were sold at very high prices, and kept onJy for
the amusement of the great. They have since been multiplied in
great abundance, and their price a diminished in proportion to their

In its natiTe islands, a region equally noted for the beauty of itt
landscapes and the harmony of its groves, the canary-bird is of a
dusky grey colour, and so different from those usually seen in Eu-
rope, that some hav« even doubled whether it be of the same species.

ism

i ni8VOBv^ -set i

With UK. ihey )i»v« that varRtj' oT eolourtng^ ususJ in sit dtini«rilic
fowls ; fiiime white, sonic motiled, aome bcmtifully sliadcd wiih
green ; but they are mure' esteemed for their note then lh«'ir besiuy,
having a high piercing pipe, as indeed all iljose of (he finch tribe
hove, conlinoing- for some time in one breath without intcrmisaion,
than raining it higller and higher by degrses, with great variety.
' It ii this that has rendered llie canary-bird, nusi lo the nightin-
gale, the most ct;Iebra[«d' songster ; and as it is<mcire<eimly poanxi
thftn any of the RulVbtMed birdu, and continue* il^son); tiirotigbont
the year, it ia rather the tnoHt common in'eurliDUio». Kules, tbcvi*-
fore, ha*e been laid down, nnd copiouB insttiioiJoits givan, fot
breeding the«e Hirds in a domesliii state ; wbioh^ an a port of them
may coi)diK« towards the natural history of the bird, 1 will take
l«BTe to transcribe.

Ih choosing the canary-Jtird, those are best that appear wilii lifo
and boldness, standing upright upon tho perch like:aaparrow>lNiw(u
and not apt lobe rrightcn at every thing that ittiri, limits eyestaok
cheerfDl, and notdrowgy, it is a sign of health ; but, on the conimy,
if it hides its bead unitertbe wing, and gailiers its body up, ihesa art
i^raptoms of its being out of order. In cbooging tliem, the raslody
of the song should also be minded *. narne will' open with tha nute* of
the nightingale, and, running through it variety df modulations, end
like the tit-lark ; others will begin like' the sky^larlD, andt by. a-mtfl
melodious torn, t^ll into- the notes of the nightingale- Those are
lessons taught ibis bird in iUdomMie itute, and generally, tauglii it
by others; but its native note is loud, shrill, [Meiving, and eneughto
deafen the bearers. There are persons who admire each of these
songs, bot the second is in the most general estimation.

Canary-birds sometimes breed all the year round; but lliey mo$t
nsually begin to pair in .April, and. to breed in June and August.
Those are said to be the best breeders that are produced between
the Bnglishand the Freacb.

Towards the latter end of March, a code and hen should be put
together in a umall cage, SFhere they will peck at each other in the
beginning, but will soon beeomo thoroughly leccoMiled. The rocni
wtfere ihcy are kepi to breod ithoiild be sesitualed afltftlet the biriii
have the hentifU of tbo morning sun, and tlra windtiWM' should lii: uf
wire, not glass, that they may enjoy tho benefit of the air. Thu
flnorof the room should be kept dean, and ■omeiinea there should
be dry gravel or sand sifted upon it. There sliouldalso> be iwa frirf
dows, one at each end, and several p«rcbos. at proper diHtancea fut
the birds to settle on, as they fly bach wards 'And forwards. A tree
in the middl« of the room would be the most cunveninnt lu divuft
the birds, and soinuiiines t» servo for building l^in iiesU upon.

In Germany they prepare a large room, and build it in tlm man-
ner of'a barn, being much longer than bcoad,.wilh'a square plane at
each end, and neveral holes to go into ihuae square* places. liLliuMC
eutleis they plant several sorts of trees, in wlkinh iba birds U)(egM«i
delight If} sing and breed, The buiiom of ike place tliey slr«w witk

THE '^WAMMTIT' KIND.

rand, aiu] upon it ooit rape-Beed, ctMclc-ivted, and groundaAi which
the-eld birds feed upon while breeding, in die .body of -ihe liouie
thej putall MflB of stuff for building the nest, end broams, one imder
the other, ioiall the comem, for (he birds to build in. These they
Gepemte by partilions from each other, to prevent those above Hying
dotro upon, or otherwise incommoding such as breed belom'. l^he
light also ig excluded, for no bird is fond ofhavitig l^htcoineto its

With us the apparatus for breeding -ta -tetis expensive; a little
breeding-cage sometimes suffices, but seldom any thing more exten-
sive than a small room. While the birds are pairing it is usual to
feed them with aofl meat; that is, bread, maw-seed, a little scalded
rape-seed, and near a tbird part of an egg, Tlie room should be
fumiiihed with stuff for making their nests, such as fine hay, wool,
cotton, and hair. These maierials nbould be thoroughly dry, and
then misediand 'lied !logelher, in such a manner that ihe'birdi) may
readily pull out what I hey want. This shonld be hung in a proper
-port of the room, and llie male will take hia tum in building ihe neei,
sitting upon the eggs, and feeding the young. They are generally
«wo or three days in building their nestS : the hen commonly lays
five eggs; and in t lie space of fourteen days the young *»ill be en-
duded. So prohfic are these birds sometimes, that the female will
be ready to haloha second brood before the first are able to'quit'tlie
tIcsL On these occasions she 'leaves the neet and the youug, to pro-
vide herself with aiKMher to lay her new brood in. fn the mean
'time the male, more 'faithful to the duties of his trust, breed»up thb
young left behind, and fits them for a state of independence.

iWhen the young' ones are excluded, 'the old ones should be-mp-
'plied with a'suffieiency ofsoft food every day, with likewise fresh
greens, such as cnbbage, lettuce, and chick-weed — in June Shep-
herd's tpurse, and in July and August plantain. They erenever
loliave groundsil after tl« young are excluded. With these' differ-
ent delicncies the old ones will take particular care to feed and bring
up their young; but it is usual, wheu they' can feed themselves, to
be taken from the nest and put into cages. T^eir meat (hen is Ihe
yollcof an egg boiled hard, with an equal quantity of fine bread,
and a little scalded rape-seed : this munt be bruised till it becomes
'fine, and then it may be mixed with a little ma-w-seed; after
which, blend all together, whic'h is to be supplied them fresh every
do,.

The canary-bird, by being kept in company with the linnet orthe
goldfinch, pairs and. produces a niised breed, more like the canary-
bird, and resembling it chiefly in ils song, Indeed, all this'lribie
with strong bills and piercing noteB,'and, feeding upongrain, fiBTe
9t strong s'miililude to each other, and 'may justly be Hiippote'd.
as M. It I iffon imagines, to come from the same original. They all
about the same time; they frequent the same vegetables;
they build in the same hedges and trees; and are brought up for
: cage with the same food and precautions. The liime(, the

346 ■ HISTOUT -np ■■'

biilllinch, aiMl the gold/inch, wben wcknow tbo hiiloryofthefiSinarr-
binl, have scarcely any peculiariiJeH that c&d attract our ctiHoatty,
or icquira our «ar«. The only art neceassry with all those thst have
no very fine note, is to breed iheni up under tome more pI«Ming
barmoniat. The goldlinch kams a line Min^ from the nig'litinfale ;
and the linnet and buURnch may be taught, Tor^etting the wild notei
of nature, lo' whistle a loog ant) regular tune.

CHAPTER V.
OF TIIK SWALLOW, AND ITS AFPIWITIES.

An idea of eny one bird in the former claues will give ua aoRM
tolerable coiii:eption of tht: rest. Ity knowing the linnet or iIm
canary-bird, we hare aome notion of the manners of the goldfitMb;
by exhibiibg the history of the nightingale, ve see also that of ihe
blsQk-cB|i or the titniou.te. But the swallow tribe seems to be entirely
diflerent from all the former; different in their form, different in
Jheir babiu, and unlike in all the parliculam of their history.

In this tribe i» to be found the (joat-auclier, which niay be aLyM
it nocturnal awallow ; it is the largest of this kind, and is known hf
M tail, which is not forked like that of Ihe common swallow, k
begins its diglit at evening, and makes a loud singular noise, lik«
the w^rr of a spinning-wheel. To this also belongs the Hoom
SwbHuw, which is loo well known lo need a description '. the MartiiK
inferior in size to the former, and (he tail much less forked ; it difieis
also in its De§t, which is covered at top, while that of the bouse
iwaLlow is open; and the Swifl, rather larger than the houaeswallow,
with all [he toes standing forward, in which it dilTers from the
of its kind. All thi^ge resemble each other so strongly, that '
without difficulty the smaller kinds are known asunder.

These are all known by their very large mouths, which wb
fly are always kept, open ; they are not less remarkable for
abort slender feel, which scarce are able to siipporl the weig
their bodies; their wings are of immoderate extent for their bnik:
their phimage is gloesed with a rich purple : and their note is a. slight
twittering, which they seldom exert but upon the wing.

This peculiar conformation seems attended with a similar pecu-
liarity of manners. Their food is insects, which they always pursue
dying. For this reason, during fine weather, when the insects are
most.hkely to be abroad, the swallows are for ever upon the wing,
and seem pursuing their prey with amBEing swinness and agility.
All smaller animal«, in some measure, find safely by winding sod
turning, when they endeavour to avoid the greater; ihe lark thus
evades the pursuit of the hawk, and man tfje crocodile. In Ihi»
manner, insects upon the wing endeavour to avoid the swbUow:
but this bird is admirably iiited by nature to pursue them ihrottgli

THR SPARROW KIND.

347

their shortest tuminga. Betildea n great length of wtng, it is aho
provided with b long tail, wliich, tike a rudder, turdii itiin :iu< most
rapid motions; and tlius, while it is possessed of the greatest awifl-
nsM, K is aUo possessed of the most extreme agilityi

Early, tlierefore, in the spring, when the returning sun begins to
rouae the insect tribe from their annual stale of torpidiiy ; when the
gnat and the beetle put off their earthly robes and venture into air,
the BwalloH" then is seen returnuig from its long migration be3nond
the oceB.D, and niaking its way feebly to the shore. At first, with
the timidity of a strangeri it appears but seldom, and flies but slowly
and heavily along. As the weather grows warmer,, and its insect
saj^ly increases, it then gathers greater strength and activity. But
it BODiolimes happens that a. rainy season, by repelling tlie insects.
stints the swallow in its food ; the poor bird is then seen slowly
akimming along the surface of the ground, and often resting after a
Right of a few minutes. In general, however, it keeps on the wing,
and moving with a rapidity that nothing can escape. When the
weather promisee to be fair, the insect tribe feel the genial influence,
and make bolder Higlits ; at that time the swallow follows them in
(heir aerial journeys, and oi\en rises to imperceptible heights iti the
pursuit. When the weather is likely to be foul, the insects feel tlie
first notices of it; and from the swallow's following low, we are often
apprized of the approaching change.

When summer is fairly begun, and more than a siiflicient supply
for sustaining the wants of nature every-where offers, IhO'swallow
then begins to think oj' forming a progeny. The neat is built with
great industry and art, particularly by the common swallow, which
builds it on the tops of chimneys. The martin sticks it'to the eaves
of houses. The goat'SUoker, as we are told, builds it on Uie bare
ground.' This tiest is built with mud from some neighbouring brook,
well tempered with' the bill, mdstened with water for Ihe better ad-
hesion, and still farther kept firm by long grass and fibres ; within,
it is lined wiili goose feathers, which are ever the wannest and tlie
neatest. The martin covers its nest at top, and has a door to enter
«t{ the swallow leaves her's quite open. But our European nests
are' nothing to be compared with those the swallow builds on .the
coasts of China and Coromandel : the description, of which 'I will
give in the plain honest plirase of Willooghby. "On the sea coast
of the kingdom of China," says he," a sort of parly-coloured birds,
of the shape of swallowa, at a certain season of the year, which is
their breeding time, come out of the midland country to the rocks,
and from the foam or froth of the sea-water dashing against the
bottom of the rocks, gather a certain clammy, glutinous matter, per-
chance the spawn of whales or other young ftslies, of which they
build their ne^^ts, wherein they lay their eggs and hatch their young.
These nesU the Chinese pluck from the rocks, and bring them in great
numbers into the Eastlndies to sell. They are esteemedby gluttons
as great delicacies, who, dissolving them in chicken or mutton broth,
are very fond of them ; far betbre oysters, muihrooms, or other

348 ■• ' 'HiSToaw *w '111

(lainij and lidcerish i morsels." . Wtial a ^itylliii luiMrf <hubinot
bisca inlroducod'aiiiiing'iii'; aati Ihen otir gcest leastem nn^hi be
ttnabted to mt a lillle murel

The swallow uiuaHj laifiiroin Gve io'iiK eggs, ef lawbiw ooleur,
speckled <with red ; 'Bud sutniAimefl breeds twice o-fcar. "Wtwnthe
joong brood ore eacJuded, lb« swailou' supplies them very pleUi-
fully, the firn farood pottioutarly, ivben die iiDiJs henelf capable -vt
ptodinung two brood* io a^car. This bappem when the pBFend
Qume «arly, whEMi the seaion Ji penulitu^lyirald, and wben ibey begin
tu pair soon. Some^meB ikie^ ifiud a diflimilby ia raaring- even a
lingle nest, particiiUrly when the .weather bos been sevare, or tfaeit
naits bitvG ibeen robbed in the lipginnin^of ths leaaon. J3y Lb«se
accidenlj, tbix importonit laskiseinnQtlDiesidetei'red.'to the middle of
September.

At the latter 'end ofiSepleniber they leave ma; andifor a few day*
previotw to their depacuire, BMemblo iii vast flodcs oa houae tops, as
if dalibei'atingQnitheffatJguiiieJ*"''"ey thai lay borore tbem. TJm
ia no slighl undertaking, ai dieir Digliiia dinectt^dtoConga, .Senegal,
and along the whole Morocco shore. I'heFe arc some, Jiowefer,
left 'behind in thii ,genecal 'expedition, thai do. not part 611 ^ht or
ten days atier the Tent. These are cliicdy tfae'latLer wealdy. broods,
which are not yel in a condition to sut oat. They aeo soEnetireei
even too feeble to venture till the setting in of winter, while their
parents vainlyexhorl (hem to efToris wbicli instinct assures thera.tliey
are incapable cf psirrumiing. Thns it often happens thai Uw
wretched 'little families, being compelLed 'to:stay, perish :the fif«io«ld
weather that comes ; while tlw lender parents labore tltc fate of'tbeir
offtpnng, and die with their new-Hedged brood.

Those tliat migrate are .first observed to arrive in Africa, as
M. Adonion assures us,about the beginning iff October. Tfaey uv
thought to liave performed 'their fatiguing journey 'in .the .sfiace irf
seven days. They ore someiimea seen, when rinterrupted by «on-
trary winds, iwavering io their course far off at sea, and lighting
npon 'whatever ship tliey find in their .passage. They then aeeui
spent with faeiine and fatigue ; yet slIU (hey boldly venture, when
refreshed by a few hours rest, to renew their flight, nod £ontimie
the course whiohthey had been steering before.

These are fatts proved by tnconteslable authority; yet it is a
doubt whether all js wallows migrate in this muiDei', or whelbcr liiere
flia.y.not be some species of this animal tiial,ithDugb externally alilio,
are so inlernally diHerunt, as. to bevery ditferetUly affectMl.by the
approacli of winter. We are assured from many, and these nat
contemptible witnesses, ithat swallowshide themselves in holes under
ground, joined close togetber, bill against bill, and feel against £eet,
Some informs us, (hat they have seen them itakeu out of the vaiur,
and even from under the iac, in bunches, wfiere (hey are asserted lo
pass the winter without motion. Ki;auuiuI', who particularly ilole-
rested himself in this inquiry, received several accounts of bundles
of Bvallows being tIniS'ftiund in quarries andrunder the water. Theie

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE HUMMINQ-BIHD, AND ITS VARIETIES.

THK SPARROW KIND. A4!)

men, therefore, have a riglit to some degree of assent, and are not
to lose all credit from our ignorance of what they aver.

Ail, however, that we have hitherto dissected, are formed witbin
like other birds, and seem to offer no observable variety. Indeed,
that they do not hide themselves under water, has been preily well
proved by the noted experiment of Frisch, who tied several chreads
died in water-colours, round the legs of a great number of swallows
that were preparing for tfaeir departure: these upon their return the
Nisuing summer, brought their threads back with them, no way da-
maged in their colour; which they most certainly would, if, during
the winter, they had been steeped in water. Yet still this is a sub-
ject on which we must suspend our assent, as Klein, the naturalisl,
has brought such a number of proofs in defence of his opinion that
swallows are torpid in winter, as even the most incredulous must
allow to have some degree of probability.

able birds of which accounts can be obtained, I might now go to a
very extensive tribe, retnarkable for the splendour and the variety
of their plumage : but the description of the colours of a beautiful
bird heis nothing in it that can inform or entertain ; it rather escites
a longing, which it is impossible for words to satisfy. Naturalists,
indeed, have endeavoured to satisfy this desire by coloured prints;
but, beside that these at best give only a faint resemblance of nature,
and are a very indifferent kind of painting, the bird itself has a
thousand beauties, tliat the most exquisite artist is incapable of imi-
tating. They, for instance, who imagine they have a complete idea
of the beauty of the liule tribe of Manikin birds, from ilie pictures
we have of them, will find themselves deceived when they compare
their draughts with nature. The shining greens, the changeable
purples, and the glossy reds, are beyond the rbach of the pencil ;
and very far beyond the coloured print, which is but a poor sub-
stitute to painting. I have therefore declined entering into a minute
description of foreign birds of the sparrow kind, as sounds would
never convey an ade^juate idea of colours.

There is one species, however, that I will conclude the history of
this class with ; as, though tlie lea&t, it will certainly be allowed the
most beautiful of all others. In quadrupeds, the smallest animals
are noxious, ugly, and loathsome : the smallest of birds are the
most beautiful, innocent, and sportive. Of all those that flutter in
the garden, or paint the landscape, the Humming-bird is the taost
deJightful to Jook upon, and the most inoffensive.

VOL. II. F r

350 . HiSTOHY or

Of (iiU ohonniiig little aotmftl Uiere are «ix or seven riirieties,
from the size of a small wriin, down to thaL of a bumble-bee. An
European could never have supposed a bird esisling bo very small,
and jet completely (iirnuhed out wiili a billi feathers, vi'lng-s, and
intestines, exactly resembling those of the largest kind. A bini not
so big as the end of one's little linger, would probably be supposed
but a creature of imagination, were it not seen in inBnite numbers,
and as frequent as bulterdies in a summer's day, sporting, in the
fields of America, from flower to Sower, and extracting their sweets
with its little bill.

The smallest humming-bird is about the size of a hazel mil. The
feathers on its wings and tail are black : but those on its body, and
under its wings, are of a greenish -brown, with a fme red cast or
gl<«s, which DO «lk or velvet . can imitate, ll has a small crest on
its head, green at the bottom, and as it were gilded at the top, and
which sparkles in the sun like a little star in the middle of its fore-
head. The bill is black, straight, slender, and of llie length of a
small pin. The larger humming-bird is near half as big as the com-
mon wren, and without a crest on its head ; but lo make amends,
it is covered, from the throat half way down Ihe belly, with change-
able crimson-coloured feathers, that in different lights change lo a
varii^ty of beautiful colours, much like an opal, Ttio heads of bolh
are small, with very little round eyes as black as Jet.

It is inconceivable how much lliese add to the high iinislling and
beauty of a rich luxunous western landscape. As soon as the sun is
risen, the humming^iriis of different kinds are seen tltiltenng abotti
the flowers, witiiout «vei< lighting, opon them. Their wings are in
such rapid' molio^Vlhaiil is impossible to discern Iheir colours, except
by their glittering. They are never stilly but continually in motion,
visiting flower after flower, and extracting its honey as if with s
kiss. For this purpose they are furnished with a forky tongue, thsl
enters the cup of ihe flower, and extracts Hs neclaj'ed tribute. Upon
this alone they subsist. The rapid motion of their wings brings oui
a humming sound, fmm whence they have their name : for whatever
divides the air swiftly must thus produce a murmur:

The nests of these birds are not leis curious than the rest : thev
are suspended in the air, at the point of the twigs of an orange, a
pomegranate, or a citron tree; sometimes even in houses,' if they
find a small and convenient twig for the purpose. The female is the
Architect, while the male goes in (juest of muu-rials : such as cotton,
line moss, and the fibres of vegetables. Of these nMiterials a nesl
is composed, of abuut the size of a hen's egg cot in two, admirably
contrived, and warmly lined with cotton. Tliey Jay two eggs ai n
time, and never more, about the size of small peas, and as while a^
snow, with here and there a yellow speck. The male and the ft^malt'
sit upon the nest by turns : but tlie female takes to herself the gretl-
est share. She seldom quits the nest, except a few minaiefl in tbs
monmg and evening, when lite dew is upon the fliiwem, andtlnlr
honey in perfection. During this short interval the male' tfcka^

THB SPARROVr E1KD.

96t

plAee; far, as (he e^g is so smivll, the exposing it ever so short a
time to the weather would be apt to injuri; its contents, the Burfaoe
exposed beings so great in comparison to the bulk. 'I'lie time of
incubation continues twelve days; at the end of which the young
oiies appear, much about the size of a blue-boltle Uy. They are at
first bare; by degrees they arc covered with down; and at last
feathers succeed, but less beaQtiTul at lirat than those o( tlie old

" Father Labat's comp&moQS in the mission to America, fguud
the^sf ofn humming-bird in a shed diat w&s near the dwelling-house,
i(nd took it in at a: time wh^n the young ones were about fifteen or
t*eniy days old; he then placed tliem iii a cage at his chamber
window; to be artiised by'their sportive flutterings; but he was soon
surprised tosee'the old ones, thai came and fed their brood regu-
larly every hour in the day. By these means ihey themselves soon
grew so tame that they' seldom ijiiitted the chamber, but. nilhout
any coneljraint, came to live with their young ones. All four have
fretjuently come to perch upon iheir master's hand, cliirmping as if
they had been at liberty abroad. He fed them with a very fine
clear paste, made of wine, biscuit, and sugar. They tlimst Eheir
tongues into this paste, (III they were saiislied, and (hen fluttered
and chirruped about the room. I never belield any thing more
agreeable," continues he, "than thb lovely little family, that had
taken possession of my companion's cliamber, and that flew out and
in just as they thought proper, but were ever attentive to the voice
of their master when he called them. In this manner they lived with
him for above six months ; but, at a time when he expected to see a
new colony formed, he unfortunately forgot to tie up their cage to
the ceiling at night, to preserve them from tlie rats, and he found
they were devoured in the morning."

These birds, on the continent of America, continue to flutter llie
year round, as their food, whicli is the honey of flowers, never for-
sakes them in those warm latitiides where they are found. But it is
otherwise in (he islands oF (he Airtillea, where, when the winter
season approaches, they retire, and, as some 8ay, continue in a tor-
pid slate during the severity of that season. At Surinam and
Jamaica, where they conslanily have flowers, these beautiful birds
are ne

Itia

singing. All travellers agree, that beside ihe humming noise pro-
duced by their wings, they have a little interrupted chirrup; but
Labat asserts that they have a most pleasing melancholy melody in
their voices, though small and proportioned to the organs which
produce it. It is vtry probable that, in different plades, their notes
are also different ; and as there are some that continue torpid all the
winter, there may likewise be some with agreeable voices, though
the rest may in general be silent.

The Indians formerly made great use of this pretty bird's
plumage, in adorning Iheir bells arid head-dress. The children

3.^9 HfSTORT or

laka them In the fieldi upon rings smeered with bird lime; Ibey ap-
proach the place ivliero the birda are flying, and twirling their rings
in the air, no allure them, either by the colour or the sound, lliat the
simple hille creature conies to rest u^n the ring, and is seized. They
are then instnntiy killed and gutted, and hung up in [he i^liimnej to
dry. Those who take greater care, dry them in a stove, which is
not 80 likely to injure the plumage as the foregoing tnethod. Their
beeutiful feathers were once the ornament of the highest rank of
savage nobility; but at present they take the bird rather for the
purpose of selling it as a curiosity to the Europeans, than that of
ornament fur themselves. All the taste for savage finery is wearing
out fast, even among the Americans. They now begin to adopt, if
not the dresses of Europe, at least the materials of which they ars
composed. The wandering warrior is far from thinking himseir4[
Bt present with his how and his feathered crown ; his ambitioD Tt
to higher ornaments, a gun, a blue shirt, and a blanket.

PART V.
OF BIRDS OF THE CRANE KIND.

OF BIRDS OF THE CRANE KIND IN GENERAL.

Tub progressions in nature from one class of beings to ai

are always by slow and almost imperceptible degrees. She hu
peopled the woods and the fields with a variety of the must beautiful
birds : and, to leave no part of her extensive territories untenanted)
phe has stocked the waters with its feathered inhabitants also i \
has taken the same care in providing for the wants of her animal||
this element, as she has done with respect to those of the other :.J
has used as much precaution to render water fowl fit for swimaw
OS she did in forming land fowl for flight: she has defended tl
feathers with a natural oil, and united their toes by a webbed m
brane ; by which contrivances (hey have at once security and H
t'on. But between the classes of land birds that shun the water, d
of water fowl thai are made for swimming and hving on it, shefl
fljrmed a very numerous tribe of birds, that seem to partake q
middle nature ; that, with divided toes, seemingly fitted to live i^
land, are at the same time furnished with appetites that chielly attt
them to the waters. These can properly be called neither land birds
nor wolur fowl, as they provide all their sustenance from watery

THB CBAKB KIND.

places, and jet are unqualified to seek it in thoae depths vhera
often found in greatest plenty.

This cIei^ of birds, of the crane kind, are to be distinguished from
otbers rather by their appetites than their conformation. Yel even
in this respect ihey seem to be sufficiently discriminated by nature :
as they are to live among the waters, yet are incapable of flwimming
in them, most of them have long legs, fitted for wading in gballow
waters, or long bills proper for groping in them.

Every bird of this kind habituated to marshy places, may fee'
known, if not by the length of its legs, at least by the scaly surface
of them. Those who have observed the legs of a snipe or a wood-
cock will easily perceive my meaning ; and how different the surface
of the skin that covers them is from that of the pigeon or the part-
ridge. Most birds of this kind also, are bare of feathers half way
up the thigh ; at least, in all of them, above the knee. Their long
habits of wading in the waters, and having their legs continually in
moisture, prevents the growth of feathers on those parts ; so that
there is a surprising difference between the log of a crane, naked of
feathers almost up to the body, and the falcon, booted almost to the
very toes.

The bill also is very distinguishable in most of this class. It is,
in general, longer than that of other birds, and in some finely fluted
on every side ; while at the point it is possessed of extreme sensi-
bility, and furnished with nerves for the better feeling their food at
the bottom of marshes, where it cannot be seen. Some bji-ds of (his
class are thus fitted with every convenience ; they have long legs
for wading, long necks for stooping, long bills for searching, and
nervous points for feeling. Others are not so amply provided for;
as some have long bills, but legs of no great length ; and others
have long necks, but very short legs. It is a rule which universally
holds, that where the bird's legs are long, the neak is also long in
proportion. It would indeed be an incurable defect in the bird's
conformation, to be lifted upon stilts above its food, without being
furnished with an instrument to reach it.

If we consider the natural power of this class, in a comparative
view, they will seem rather inferior to those of every other tribe.
Their nests are more simple than those of the sparrow ; and their
methods of obtaining food less ingenious than those of the falcon -.
the pie exceeds them in cunning ; and though they have all the
voraciousness of the poultry tribe, they want tlieir fecundity. None
of this kind, therefore, have been taken into man's society, or under
his protection : they are neither caged like the nigfitingale, nor kept
tame like the turkey, but lead a Jife of precarious liberty, in fens
and marshes, at the edges of lakes, and along the sea-shore. They
all live upon fish or insects, one or two only excepted : even those
that are called Mad-suckers, such as the snipe and the woodcock, it
is more than probable, grope the bottom of marshy places only fur
such insects as are deposited there by their kind, and live in a ver-

SSI"

"HftTfttlV bi?'''

niicuUr State In pools aad plashes, till they take tring, end become
flying insecls.

All this cIelss, therefore, that are fed upon insects, their food being
easily digestible, are good lo be ealen ; white those who live entirely
upon fish abounding in oil, acquire in their (lesh the rancidity of their
diet, and are in general unfit Tor our tables. To savages, indeed,
&nd sailors on a long voyage, every thing that has life seems good
to be eaten, and we often find them recommending those animals as
dainties, which they themselves would spurn at after a courae of
gpod living. Nothing, is more common in their journals than such
accounts as these;—" This day we shot a fox — pretty good eating;
this day we shot a heron — pretty good eating ; and this day we
killed a turtle — which Ihey ranl< with the heron and the fox as pretty
good eating." Their accounts, therefore, of the Oesh of these birds
are not to be depended upon; and when they cry up the heron or
ibo stork of other countries as lu:(ur)ous food, wemust always attend
to the slate of their appetites who give the character.

In treating of this class of birds, it will be best to observe
simplest method possible ; neither to load the memory with niii
oiis distinctions, nor yet confuse the imagination by a total wai
arrangement. 1 will therefore .describe some of the larger sorli.
parately, as, in a history of birds, each of these dei
distinction. The Crane, the Stork, the Balearic Crane, the Hi

the Bittern, with some others, may require a separate history.

particular tribes may next offer, thai may very naturally be classed
together ; and as for all the smaller and least remarkable sorts, they
may be grouped into one general description.

CHAPTER II.
THE CR.4NE.

Thbrb is something extraordinary in the different accounts
have of this bird's size and dimensions. Willoughby and Pennai
make the crane from Jive to six feet long from the tip to the tail.
Other accounts say, that it is above five feet high ; and others, that
it is as tall as a man. From the many which I myself had seeo, t
own this imputed magnitude surprised me, as from memory I
convinced they could neither be so long nor so tall. Indeed a bird,
body of which is not larger than that of a turtey-hen, and acknt
ledged on all hands not to weigh above ten pounds, cannot easily
supposed to be almost as long as an ostrich. Brisson, however,
to give this bird its real dimensions, when he describes it as
thing leas than the brown stork, about three feet high, and ai
four from the tip to the tail. Still, however, the nun
monies of its superior size are not to be totally rejected; and

attend

■ sseT

they

lai^^^

t frotfi ivhich Brissoa took his dimensiona \

d33

15 one of the

bapa that

Rmallent of the kind.

The crane, taking its dimensions from hirOf is exactly three feet
fonr inches from the lip to the tail, and four feet from the head to'
the toe. It is a tall, sltinder bird, nith a long neck and long legist
The top of the head is coteml With black bfistlM, and the back of
it is bald and rod. Which sviflicienHy dktiiigiiL'theB this bird A-oni'lhe.
Btork, lo wliich it is \ery nenrly' aHied in' sit* and figure. ' Tfie
plumage, in general, is'Bsh-fcoIbOt-ed;' ftrtd there are two large tufls
of feathers that spring from tire pinion of eatJh wing. These bear a
resemblance to hair, and are finely curled at the ends, which the bird
has a power of erecting and depressing at pleasure. Goanersai's
that these feathers, in his time, used to be set in gold, and worn as
ornaments in caps.

Such »re the dimensions of a bird, concerning which, not lo'mfin^'
tion modern times, there havfe bfieri ihore fables propagated than 6r
any other. It is a bird with which all the arfeienf Wi-iters are AtmU'
liar, and in describing it ihBy have nof ftiiled ' to mix rmaginaticAi
with history. From the policy of the crane*, thfty say, we ate li>
look fOr an ideii of thfembsf perfect republic amongst ourselTe*;'
from their tenderness to their decrepit parents, which they take care'
to nourish, lo cherish, and' sttpport when ffying, we are- toiearti
lessons of Blial piety ; but particularly from their conduct in fig'htin^
with the pigmies of Ethiopia, we are to'receive orir maxima in the
art of war. In early times the history of nature fell to the !ot tjf
poets only, and certainly none could describe it so well : btiC it is a
part of their province lo embellish also; and when this agreeable
science was claimed by a more sober class of people, they were
obliged to lake the accounts of things as they found them; aiid
in the' present instance, fable ran down, blended with truth, to
posterity.

In these accounts, therefore, there is some fonndalion of truth, yet
much more has been added by fancy. The crane is certainly a very
social bird, and they are seldom seen alone. Their usual method of
flying or sitting is in flocks, of fifty or sixty together; and while's
part feed, the rest stand like sentinels upon duty. The fable of
their supporting their aged parents may hdve arisen from their strict
connubial affection; and as Ibr Iheir lighting with the pigmiesj it
may not be improbable but that they have boldly withstood the
invasions of monkeys coming to rob their nests; for, in this case, as
the crane lives upon vegetables, it is not probable that it would be
the first aggressor.

However Ehis be, the crane is a wandering, sociable bird, that for
the most part subsists upon vegetables, and is known in every coun-'
try of Europe except our own, Their is no part of tlje world, sSya'
Bellonius, where the fields are cultivaii^, that the crane does bbi
come in with the husbandman for a share in (he harvest. As they
are birds of passage, they are seen to depart and return regularly
at those seasons when their provision invites or repels them. They

HISTORY OP

generally leave Europe about the latter end of autumn, and return
in the beginning of summer. In the inland parts of the continent
they are seen crossing the country in flocks of fifty or a hui " *"
making from the Dorthern regions towards the sou
migrations, however, they are not so resolutely bent upon g<
forward, but thai if a field of corn offers in their vray they will
a while to regale upon it : on such occasions they di
damage, chiefly in the night ; and the husbandman, who liea di
in joyful expectation, rises in the morning ta see his fields laid
tirely waste, by an enemy whose march is too swifL for his vengei
to overtake.

Our own country is free from their visits; not but that they
formerly known in this iaiand, and held in great estimation for the
delicacy of their flesh; there was even a penally upon such as de-
stroyed their eggs ; but at present ihey never go so far out of their
way. Cultivation and populouaness go hand iu hand ; and though
our Gelds may ofTer them great plenty, yet it is so guarded, that the
birds find the venture greater than the enjoyment, and probably we
are much better off by their absence than their company. Whatever
their flesh might once have been, when, as Plutarch tetis us, cranes
were blinded and kept in coops, to be fattened for the tables of the
great in Rome ; or, as they were brought up, stuffed with mint and
rue, to the tables of our nobles at home; at presant they are consi-
dered all over Europe as wretched eating. Their Hesb is fibrous and
dry, requiring much preparation to make it palatable ; and even
after every art, it is Rl only for the stomachs of strong and labouring
people.

The cold arctic region seems to be this bird's favourite abode.
They come down into the more aouttiern parts of Europe rather as
visitants than inhabitants ; yet it is not well known in what manner
they portion out their time to the different parts of the world. The
tiugrations of the field-fare, or thrush, a^e obvious and well known:
they go northward or southward, in one simple track ; when their
food fails them here, they have but one region to go to. But it ii
otherwise with the crane: he changes place, like a wanderer;. lie
spends the autumn in Europe ; he then flies off, probably to
more southern climate, to enjoy a part of the winter ; . returi
Europe in the spring; crosses up to the north in summer;
those lakes thai are never dry ; and then comesdown again to
depredations upon our cultivated grounds in autumn. Thus Gi
assures us, that the cranes usually begin to quit Germany from
ibout the eleventh of September to the seventeenth of October;
from thence they were seen (lying southward by thousands ; and
Redi tells us tliey arrive in Tuscany a short time after. There they
tear up the fields, newly sown, for the grain just committed tu the
ground, and do great mischief. It is to be supposed, that in the
severity of winter they go southward, still nearer the Line. ""
again appear in the fields of Pisa regularly about the iwenlii
February, to anticipate the spring.

r;.iie
ri^^^^l

iokj^B

TRB CRAHB KIND. 367

Tn theje journey* it is amazing to conceive the heights to which
they ascend when ihey fly. Their note is the loudest of all oUier
birds; and that is otien heard in the clouds, when the bird itseir is
entirely unseen. As it is light for its size, and spreads a large ex-
panse of wing, it is capable of floating al the greatest height, where
the air is lightest; and as it secures its safbty, and is entirely out of
the reach of man, it flies in tracts which would be Loo fatiguing for
any other birds to move forward in.

fn these aerial journeys, though unseen themselves, they have the
diatinctest vision of every object below They govern and direct,
their flight by their cries; and exhort each other to proceed or to,
descend, when a fit opportunity offers for depredation. Their voice,
it was observed, Is (he loudest of all the leathered tribe ; and its
peculiar clangour arises from the very extraordinary length and
contortion of the windpipe. In quadrupeds the windpipe is short,
and the glottis, or cartilages, that form the voice, are at (hat end of it
which is next the mouth ; in water fowl the windpipe is longer, but
the cartilages that forni the voice are at the other end, which lies
down in iheir belly- By this means they have much louder voices,
in proportion to their size, than any other animals whatever ; for the
note, when formed below, is reverberated through allthe rings of the
windpipe till it reaches the air. But the voice of the duck or the
goose is nothing to be compared lo that of the crane, whose windpipe
is not only made in the same manner with theirs, but is above twenty
times BR long. Nature seems to have bestowed much pains in length-
ening out this organ. From the outside it enters through the flesh
into the breast-bone, which hath a great cavity within to receive it.
There, being thrice reflected, it goes out again at the same hole, and
so turns down to the lungs ; and thus enters the body a second time.
The loud clangorous sound which the bird is thus enabled to pro-
duce, is, when near, almost deafening ; however, it is particularly
Krviceable to the animal itself, either during its migraiions or iu
stay : by il the flock is encouraged in their journeys; and if, wh"
they are feeding, which is usually performed in profound alien
they are invaded on any side, the bird that flrst perceives the dan-
ger, is sure to sound the alarm, and all are speedily upon the wing.

As they rise but heavily, they are very shy birds, and seldom let
the fowler approach them. Their depredations are usually made iii
the darkest nights; at which time they enter a Geld of corn, an('
trample it down, as if it had been crossed over by a regiment o
soldiers. On other occasions they choose some extensive solitary
marsh, where they range themselves all day, as if they were in deli-
beration ; and not having that grain which is most lo their appetites,
wade the marshes for insects, and other food, which they can pro-
cure with less danger.

Corn is their favourite food ; but there is scarcely any other that
comes amiss to them. Redi, who opened several, found the stomach
of one full of the herb called dandelion; that of another was tilled
with beans i a third had a great quantity of clover in its stomach ;

while that of two o(h^ was filled with eBrlli-worms and beetles: in
some he foiiod lizards andsealjsh; in olliers, m^ih, grasn, and
pebbles ; swallowed perhaps, for medical purposes, It seems, there-
fore, that these birds are eas'Jy supplied, aod (hat they are noxious
lu corn fields but on some particular occasions.

In general It is a. peaceful bird, both iii its own society, and with
respect lo those of the forest. Though' so large in appearance, a
little falcon piinmes, and often disables it. The itiethod is with those
who are fond of hawting, to fly geveraj hawks together against it,
which the crane endeavotirs to avoid, by flying up perpendicularly,
tin the air becomes too thin tp support it any higher. TGp hawk,
however, still bears it Company ; and (hough less titled for lloaimg
in so thin a medium, yet, poks^^sed of greater rapidity, it still gains
the ascendency. They both often rise out of sight,; faul soon the
spectator, who keeps his eye fixed above, perceives them, like two
specks, beginning to appear; they gather ori his eye for a little
space, and shortly after come tuniblingperpendicularly'togelheri
with great animosity on the side of the hawk, and a loud screaming
on that of the crand. ' Thus dnVen to exiremity, and unable to fly,
the poor animal throws .itself upon its back, and in that situation
makes a most desperate defence, lill the sportsman coming up, ge-
nerally puts an end to the contest with Its life.

It was once the barbarous custom to breed up cranes to be thus
bailed, and young ones were taken' from the nest to be' IraiDed up
for this cruel diversion. It is an animal easily tamed ; atid, if we
can believe Albertus IMagnus, has a particular affection for man.
Tliis quality however, was not sufficient to guard it from being made
(he victim of his fierce amusements. The female, which is easily
distinguished from the male, by not being bald behind 'as he is,
never lays above two eggs at a time, being lilie those of a goose,
but of a bluish colour, The young ones are soon lit to fly, tind then
the parents forsake ihem to shift for themselves; biit, before this
time, they are led forth to the places where their food is raOsi easily
found. Though yet unfledged, they mn with such swiftness thai a
man cannot easily overtake lliem. Wa are told, that as ihey grow
old their plumage becomes darker; and, as a proof of their laq{^
vity, AldrovanduB assures us, that a friend of his kept one taoiel
above forty years. , ■

Whatever may have been the disposition of the great, the vQIbJ
of every country, to this day, bear the crane a compassionate regi^_
It is possible the ancient prejudices in its lavour, which, once liav&^
been planted, are eradicated but slowly, may siill continue tu dpB^
rate. In some countries it is considered as a heinous oflence to kill
a crane; and though (he legislature declines to punish, yet the peo-
ple do not fail to re.sent the Injury. The cratie Ihey in sumo mea-
sure consider as the prophet of the seasiu) : upon its approach or
delay they regulate the periods of their rural et.onomy. If their
favourite bird comes early in the season, ihey expect a pluiitiliil
summer; ifhe is slow in his visits, they then prepare fur an unfa-

THC CIIA.NE KIND. 339

vourable eprin^. Wliatever wisdoin th^re maj be in despising iho
prejudices of ibe vulgar, there is but !itlle in condemning ^ em.
They have generally had iheir origin lu good motives ; and it should
never be our endeavours to Buppress any lopder emotions of friend-
ship or pity, in those hard breasts ibat are in. general unsusceptible
'either.

CHAPTER III.
THE STORK.

,. If . we regard the Stork externally only, we simli be very apt to
confound it with the crane. It is of the, same size ; it has the same
fornintion as to the bi|l, neck, legs, and body, except that it is some-
thing more corpulent. Its diiferencea arq but very Blight; sucli as
the colour, which in the crajie is ash and black, but in the stork is
white and brown. The nails of the tqes of the stork aiao are Tory
peculiar, not being clawed like those of other birds, but flat like ihe

These, however, are but very slig'hl djderences ; and its true dis-
linctions are to be taken rather from its manners than its form. The
crane has a loud piercing voice: the stork is silent, and produces no
other noise than the clacking of its under chap against the upper :
the crane has a strange convolution of the wii>dpipe througi) the
breast-bone; the stork's is formed in ihe usual maoner: the crano
feeds mostly upon vegetables ar^^ gr^n ; the storkpreys entirely
upon frogs, fishes, birds, and serpents : the crane avoids towns and
populous places; the stork lives always in f>r pear them ; the crane
lays but two eggs, and the storlf generally four. These are. distinc-
tions fully Huflicient to mark the species, notwithstnodinj; (he simtli-
tude of their form. , i

Storks are birds of passage, like the former; bpt it is hard to say
whence they coma, or whither they go, When they withdraw from
Europe, they all. assemble oaa pariicolar day, and never' Wve otie
of their company behind them. They take their flight in the night,
which is the reason the way ihey go has never been observed- They
generally return into Europe in the middle of March, and make their
nests on the tops of chimnies and bouses, as well as of high trees.
The female lays from two to four eggs, of the size and colour of those
of geese, and the male and female sit upon them by turns. They
are a month in hatching ; and when their young are excluded, they
are particularly solicitous for their safety.

As the food of these birds consists in a great measure of frogs and
serpents, it is not'to be wondered at that dilFerent nations have paid •
them a particular veneration. The Dutch are very solicitous for
the preservation of the stork in every part of the republic. T\ '
bird seems to have taken refuge among their towns, and builds

360

HISTOHT Off"

the tope of their hmuea wlthuil any molestatioa lliere It b seen
reating familiarly in the ilreets, and prolecled oa well by the laws
SB the prejudice!! of the people. They have even got an opinion
that it will only live in a republic ; and that story of its filial piety,
first falsely propagated of the crane, has in part been ascribed to the
stork. But it is not in republics alone that the stork is seen to re-
side, as there are few (owns on the continent, in low marshy situa-
tions, but have the stork as an inmate among them ; as well the
despotic princes of Germany, as the litile republics of Italy.

The stork seems a general favourite even among the modems;
but wiLh the ancient Egyptians their regard was carried even to ado-
ralion. This enlightened people, who worshipped the Deity in his
creatures, paid divine honours to [he Ibis, as is universally known.
It has been ustially supposed that the ancient ibis is the same with
that which goes at present by the same name : a bird of the slori
kind, of about the size of a curlew, all over black, with a bill very
thick in the beginning, but ending in a point for the belter aeixing
its prey, which is caterpillars, locusts, and serpents. But however
useful the modem ibis may be in ridding Egypt, where it resides, of
the vermin and venomous animals that infest it, yet it is much
doubted whether this be the same ibis to which the ancients paid
their adoration. Maillet, the French consul at Cairo, observes, that
it is very hard to detennine what bird the ancient ibis certainly was,
because there are cranes, storks, hawks, kites, and falcons, that are
all equal enemies to serpents, and devour a vast number. He far-
ther adds, that in the month of May, when the winds begin to blow
from the internal parts cf Africa, there are several sorts of birds that
come down from Upper Egypt, from whence they are driven by the
rains, in search of a better habitation, and that it is then they do tlits
country such signal services. Nor does the figure of this bird
hieroglyphic a My represented on their pillars, mark it lulTicieDtly to
make the distinction. Besides, the modem ibis is not peculiar to
Egypt, as it is to be seen but at certain seasons of the year; whereas
we ere informed by Pliny, that this bird was seen no where else- It
is thought, therefore, that the true ibis ia a bird of the vulture kind,
described above, and called by some the Capon of Pharaoh, whJcb
not only is a devourer of serpents, but will follow the caravans that
go to Mecca, to feed upon the offal of the animals thai are killed on
the journey.

THE CRATTE KIND.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE BALEARIC, AND OTHER POHEIGV CRANES.

Having ended [he tasl chapter with doubU concerning the ibisi
we Bhall begin this with doubts concerning the Balearic Crane. Pliny
has described a bird of the crane kind with a topping resembling that
of the green woodpecker. This bird for a long time continued un-
known, till we became acquainted with birds of the tropical climates,
when one of the. crane kind, with a topping, was brought into
Europe, and described by Aldrovandus as Pliny's Balearic Crane.
Hence these birds, which have since been brought from Africa uid
the East in numbers, have received the name of Balearic Cranes,
but without any just foundation. The real Balearic Crane of Pliny
seeraa to be the lesser ash-coloured heron, with a lopping of narrow
white feathers, or perhaps the egret, with two long feathers that fall
back from the sides of the head. The bird that we are about to
describe under the name of the Balearic Crane, was unknown tothe
ancient! ; and the heron or egret ought to be reinstated in their just
title to that name.

When we see a very extraordinary animal, we ore naturally
led to suppose, that there must be somelliing also remarkable in
its history to correspond with the singularity of its figure, But
it oden happens that history fails on those occasions where
we most desire information, In the present instance, in parti'
cular, no bird presents to the eye a more whimsical figure than
this, which we must be content to call the Balearic Crane- It
is pretty nearly of the shape and size of the ordinary crane, with
long legs and a long neck, like oihere of the kind ; but the bill is
shorter, and the colour of the feathers of a dark greenish-grey. The
head and throat form the most striking part of this bird's figure. On
the head is seen standing up a thick round crest, made of bristles,
spreading every way, and resembling rays standing out in different
directions. The longest of these rays are about three inches and a
half; and they are all topped with a kind of black tassels, which
give them a beautiful appearance. The sides of the head and cheeks
are bare, whitish, and edged with red, while underneath the throat
hangs a kind of bag, or wattle, like that of a cock, but not divided
into two. To give this odd composition a higher finishing, theeye
is large and staring ; the pupil black and big, surrounded witli a
gold-coloured iris that completes the bird's very singular appear-

From such a peculiar figure, we might be led to wish for a minute
history of its manners; but of these we can give but shght informa-
tion. This bird comes from the coast of Africa and the Cape de
Verde Islands. As it runs, it stretches out iu wings, and goes very
swiftly, otherwise its usual motion is very slow. In their domestic

302 -HfaTORT OP

state, they walk very deliberately among other poultry, and sufTer
themselves to be approached (at least it was so willi that I <aw) by
every spectator. They never roost irt houses; but about nigiil.
when they are disposed lo ^o to rest, they search out some high wall,
on whuth they pertib In (he maoner of a peacock. Indeed, they so
much resemble that bird in manners and disposition, that some hare
described ihem by the Dame of tlie. Sen. .Peacock ; and Ray has been
inclined to rank them in <lie sams fanuiy., ' Bul^ though their vaiu
and roosting ba siniil^, their, food, which 1« entirely upon greens,
vegetables, and barley, seems io make soiae difference.

In this chapter of foreil^i) birds Of the crane kind, it will be proper
toimentionthe JabiriiatKldie Jabiru GuacU. both aalive* of BrasU.*
Oftheseigreat birds of the crane hind we know but Iktte, escept the
general outline of their figure, and the enormous bjlls which we oAeo
see preserved in llie cabinets of the curious. The bill of the latter
is red, and thirteen iddles long ; the bill of the former is black, aod
is found to be eleven. Neither of them, however, ure of a size pro-
portioned to their immoderaie length, of ibilL ' The jabiru guacu is
not above the «ize of a <otDrson stork, while the J8.biru with ih«
srtollest bill eMceeds the. size of a'swan. They are both corered
wuh white fdathen, except the head and.neek, that are naked ;. «nt!
their principal diiTerence is in the size of the body,, and the make of
thb bill, the lower chap of the Jabirq guacu being broad, &Dd bend-
ing' upwards.

A bird still more extraordinary may be added lo this class, called
the Anhinia, and, like the >lwo former, a native of Brazil. This is t
water fowl of the rapacious kind, and bigger than a swan. The
head, which ia smE^I for, the siie of the body, bears a black bill.
which is not above two inches longj but ^ha( distiug-uishes it in par-
ticular is a horn growing from the forehead afl long as the bill, and
bending forward like that of the fabulpus unicom of the ancienid.
This hora is not much thicker than acrow-qnill, oa round «a if it
fftre turned in iB.lathei and of at] ivory aolour. i But this la not the
only. instrument of battle this formidable bird cairiesj it aeetns to
be armed atoll points; for at the .for^ pant of each .wing, at the
aooond joint, spring two straight triatl^ujar spurs, about as thick w

■ [■ The J&biru is «bimt t.he >iza of a larkcy, Tlie bill iB.lon;. stont, sml
lofablsclt loloiui Ihe whole plum nice is wliiir, except theliesd. ondnboiii
. twp-^hir^s "t IbE neck, whicli are, l>ari> oS Ceathfis unci at a, blackish colour ;
Ihe remaillder is al'o bare, and of a fine roa.; on the hin'd-heail area f«w
gr(!ylsh featherK; the Vega are strung, nf a jreal leiiglh, on d covert^ wilh
bifrck scales ; wfUgs and tail even at ihe end. This bird Is round In all the
savannaa.of Oayanna, GuiSQii. isd'I' ptbar parlp of.Sovth America. Uitni-
gratory and grefrarious. It makes ila nesl in great tri-es, which grow qd tf|e
■tanks of rivcri, lays two ugga, anribrinss up the young In Ihe nest till thi!i7
cnii descenxl' to the 'ground. Thecoltiur «f Ihe young birds is grey } the
sadWdyettrilclwageRtorosB-coliHir; and the IhM to two white. fRiaj
Hre.vOT:r wild and. vqffti^ns, .and Jbefr fond l» feh,,"*!^ tjjey d»"vnur,w
MMf^quwlitigs. TboJlj»hpni)eyaM^ff.iiird5iS9ajajoliflg*>o,frilii^,l.gl
nial of ilfcoui iS hara anp eny.j *. . .

TH*> chatth-kind. 363

one'* little finger; ihe roremost of these goads or spun, ii above an
inch long, the hinder is shorler, and both of a dusky colour. The
' bla'ws a)«o are long and sharp ; the colour ii black and white ; and
they Cry terribly loiid^ioiindingsoinelhing like vyhoovyhoo. They
' ere nevOT found atone, but always in pairs ; the cock and hen prowl
together ; and their fidelity is said lo be such, that nlien one dies,
ihe other never departs from the carcass, but dies with iu companion.
It makes its nest of clay, near the bodies of irees, upon the ground,
of (he shape of an oven.

One bird more may be subjoined lo this class, not for the oddity
of its figure, bot the peculiarity of its manners. It is vulgarly called
by our soilors, the Buifoon Bird, and by the French the Demoiselle,
or Lady. The same qualities have procured it these different appel'
lations from two nations, who, on more occasions than this, look
upon the same objects in very different lights. The peculiar ges-
tures and contortions of this bird, the proper name of which is the
Nutnidian Crane, are extremely singular; and the French, who are
skilled in the arts of elegant gesticulation, consider all its motions as
lady-like and graceful. Our English sailors, however, wlio have not
entered so deeply into the dancing art, think, that while thus in
moiion the bird cuts but a very ridiculous figure. It stoops, rises,
HUs one wing, then another, turns round, sails forward, then back
again ; all which highly diverts our seamen, not imagining perhaps,
that all these contortions are but the awkward expression, not of the
poor animal's pleasures, but its fears.

It is a very scarce bird : the plumage is of a leaden grey; but it
is distinguished byline nbitefeathers, consisting of long fibres, which
fall from the back of the head, about four inches long; while the
fore-part of the neck is adorned with black feathers, composed of
very fine, sofl, and long 6bres, that hang down upon tho stomach,
and give the bird a very graceful appearance, The ancients have
described a buifoon bird, but there are many reasons to believe that
theirs is not the Numidian crane. It comes from that country from
whence it has taken iia name.

OP THE HERON, AND ITS VARIETIES.

Birds of the Crane, the Stork, and the Heron kind, bear a very
strong affinity to each other ; and there differences are not easily
discernible. As for the crane and the stork, they differ rather in
their nature and internal conformation, than In their external Hgure;
but still they may be known asunder, as well by their colour as by
the stork's claws, which are very peculiar, and more resembling a
man's nails than the claws of a bird. The Heron may be distin-
guished from both, as well by its size, which is much less, as by its

43— VOL. 11. Go

.^64 '--msTeRir . oe>

bill, which in proponion \» loncb longer ; but parlioultkriy, by the
middle claw on eadi Tool, which u iwlbed like a sayr, (at the better
wlzing dnd holding its slippery prey. Should other luarks fail,
however, (hero is an anatomical diatinction, in which beroua differ
from all other birds, which is, thai they have but one cfeeuuii and alt
other birds have two.

OCthii trib^, BrisBon has enumerated noL less than forty-sev^
torts, elldiSering; is their size, fif ure, and plumage ; and with taleuls
adapted to their place of residence, or their peculiar pursuits. But,
Itow varioui soever tlie heron kind may be in their colours or dieir
bills, thoy all aeenl possessed of the same mannenj, uid .have but one
.character, of cowardice and rapacity, indolence, yet insoLiable hun-
ger. Other birds are found to groi? fat by an abundant supply of
iood ; but these, though excessively destriwlive and voraraous, ace
everfound to have lean land csirrion bodies, aa if not evea -pjealy
were aufficieat for theirsupport.

Tha ccnmoa heron is remarkably light in proportioQ to lU bulk,
scarcely weighing three pound and a h&ir, yet it expands a breadth
of irtng which ia Sve feet l>om tip to tip< Its bill is very long, being
fiveiinches fromtlic point to the base; itsclawSiore long, aliorp,
■fld.llie middfeniDBl toothed like a saw. . Yet, ihusaimed.aft it ap-
paata for war, it id iadolEaUrand cowardly, and even Hies at the ap-
proach p( a sparrbw-hewk. It was oiice the amusenKDt of the great
toi pursue this timprouecreaiure.itith. the falcon; aadheron hawking
was so favourite a diversion oiuoog our. ancestors, that laws weie
enacted for tho preservation of (lie species; and tlie person who
destroyed theii egg« were liable to a penalty of twenty shillings lur
each olfeirce. :

^t present, however, the defects of the ill-judged policy of our
sncestors is felt by their posterity; for.Bs the. amusement of hawk-
ing hosigiven plabe to tho niore^tiseful.inethodofeUocktiDg fish-ponds,
the heron is now became a most IbrnudaNe enemy. Of all. other
birds, this ccminits ihe greats devasialion inil^esh' watars;. and
there is scarcely a fish, though never so i«fge, that he will not strike
at and wound, though unable to carry it away. But the smaller fry
Bra his chief subsistence; these, pursued by their larger fellows of
the deep, are obliged to take refuge in shallow waters, where they
Bnd the heron a still morb &tmidabl8 enemy. His method is to
wade as far as he can go into the water, and titere patiently wait the
approach of his prey, which when it come* within »ughl, he dans
u[)on with inevitable aim. In this manner he is found to destroy
raorein a week than an otter in Uiree months. " I baveseon aheroc,"
says Willoughby, " that had been shot, that hod seventeen carps
in his belly at once, wjiich he will digest in six or seven hours, and
then to fishing again. I have seen a carp," continues he, " taken
out of a heron's belly, nine indies and a half long. Several «tiQ-
tlemen who kept tame heron«, to try what quantity one uf iheiii
would eat in a dey,.}iave put several small roach andilneeina
-tub; and they have found him eat filly in a day, one diiy witli

THife'cRAWi!' klNft. H'dS

anoihef/' ttt'lHismhNnera single heron will destfdy fifteen Ihougand
cffrp'M'onB half-year.

' 'So gi*at'aK! the di^stJTc powetsof this fresli water tyrant, and
BO delHiDErntal to those who xtock [Wnds with (iaii. In general, ho is
seen taking his gloomy stand by the lake side, as if meditating mis-
chier, motionless and gorged with pUmder. His usual altitude on
this ocCBflion ts to sink his long neck between his shoulders, and keep
his head turned on one side, as If eyeing the pool mofe intently.
When the call of hunger returns, tlie toil of an hour or two is gene-
rally sufficient to fill his capacious stomach ; and he retires long
bpfot^ night to his retreat in tile woods. Earlj* in the morning,
however, ho is seed iasaiduoiis at his usual occupation.

But though in Beasoiis of fine weather the heron can always End a
plentiful suppl)'. In told or stormy seasons his prey is no longer
within reach: the Bsh that before came into the shallow water now
keep in the deep, as they find it to be the warmest siiuatlon. Frogs
and liiards also seldom venture from their luriung-places; and the
heron is obliged to suppMt himself upon his long habits of patience,
arid even to take op with the weeds that grow upon the water. At
those times he contracts a coMumptive disposition, which succeeding
plenty is not able to remove; so that the meagre glutton spends his
time between want and riot, and feels alternately the extremes of
famine and excess. Hence, notwithstanding the care with which he
takes his prey, and the amazing quantity he devours, the heron is
always lean and emaciated ; and though his crop be usually foiind
full, yet his flesh is scarcely sufficient to cover his bones.

The heron usually lakes his prey by wading into the water, yet it
must not be supposed that he does not also take it upon the wing.
In fact, nmch of his fishing is performed in this manner; but he
neverhoversoverdeep waters, as there his prey Is enabled to escape
him by sinking to the bottom. In shallow places he darts with more
certainty; for though the fish at sight of Its enemy initautty descends,
J'M the heron, with his long bill and legs, instantly pins It to the bot-
Unn, and thus seizes it securely. In this manner, afler having been
seen with his long neck for above a minute under water, he rises
Epon the wing, with a trout or an eel Struggling In his bill to get
ifi». The greedy bird, however, flies to the shore, scarcely gives
it lime to expire, but swallows it whole, and then returns to fishing
ii before.

• 'As this bird does incredible mischief to ponds newly stocked,
WilhHighby has given a receipt fbr taking it. " Having fout^d his
IiMnt, get three or four small roach or dace, aild having provided a
Mrong hook with a wire lo it, this is drawn just within-side the skin
of ihe fish, beginning without-side the gills, and running it to the
tait^ty which the fish will not be killed, but continue for five or six
days alive'. Then having 'a strong line made of silk and wire, about
two yards and a half long, it is tied to a stone at one end, the,lish
with the hook being sulfered to swim about at tha other. TIlis being
properly disposed in shallow water, llie heron will seize upon the tish

30«

HISTORY OP

From this method we may learn that the4

to its own deslniction,

must be alive, otherwiae the heron will not touch them; sndlb
this bird, as well as all those that feed upon fish, must be its own
caterer; for they will not prey upon such as die naturally, or are
killed by others before them."

Though [his bird lives chiefly among pools and marshes, yet its
nest i» built on the tops of the highest trees, and somelimeson cli6s
hanging over the sea. They are never in flocks when they fiib,
committing their depredations in solitude and silence ; but in making
their nests they love each other's society, and they are seen, like
rooks, building in company with flocks of their kind. Their nests
are made of sticks, and lined with wool, and the female lays four
large eggs, of a pale green colour. The observable indolence of
theit nature, however, is not less seen in their nestling tlian in their
habits of depredation. Nothing is more certain, and I have seen it a
hundred times, than that they will not be at the trouble of building
a nest when they can get one made by the rook, or deserted by llie
owl, already provided for them. This they usually enlarge and line
within, driving ofl* the original possessors, should ihey happen to
renew their fruitless claims.

The French seem to have availed themselves of the iudolence of
this bird in making its nest, and they actually provide a place with
materials litted for their nestliog, which they call Heronries. The
heron, which with us is totally unlit for the table, is more sought for
in France, where the flesh of the young ones is in particular eati-
matibn. To obtain this, the natives raise up high sheds along some
fishy stream; and furnishing them with materials for the herons to
nestle with, these birds build and bi'eed there in great abundance.
As sooii as the young ones are supposed lo be fit, the owner of the
heronry comes, as we do into e, pigeon-house, and carries otT such
as are proper for eating ; and these are sold for a very good price
to the neighbouring gentry. " These are a delicacy which," oft
author says, " the French are very fond of, but which ttrai^
have not yel beetj taught to relish as they ought." Neverthalei.
was formerly much esteemed as food in England, and made Sjfl
vourite dish at great tables. It was then said that the flesh of a hi
was a dish for a king ; at present, noliiing about the house will tt
it but a cat.

With us, therefore, as the heron, both old and young, is thoi
detestable eating, we seldom trouble these animals in their beigj
which are for the most part sufficiently inaccessible. Th^r.i .
are often found iu great numbers in the middle of large tocett3,t^
in some graves nearer home, where the owners have a predilt
for the bird, and do not choose to drive it from its accustomed h
taitions. It is certain that by their cries, their espaosive
bulk, and wavy motion, they add no small solemnity to
and give a pleasing variety to a finished improvemenl.

When the young are excluded, as they are numerous, voraci^
and importunate, the old ones are for ever upon the wing Ic

THE CRANE KTND. 3SY

Ihem with abundance. The quanUly of fiah ihey lake upon this
occasion is amazing, and tlieir size, is not leas to be wondered at. I
remember a heron's nest that was buUt near a scliool-house ; the
boys, with their usual appetite for mischief, climbed up, took down
the young ones, sowed up their vents, and laid them in the nest as '
before. The pain the poor little animals fell from the operation in' ■
creased their cries; and this but served to increase the diligence of
the old ones in enlarging their supply. Thus they lieaped the nest
with various sorta of lish, and the best of their kind ; and as their
young screamed, they flew off for more. The boys gathered up the
fish, which the young ones were incapable of eating, till the old ones
at last quitted their nest, and gave up their brood, whose appetites
they found it impatsible to satisfy.

The heron is said to be a very long-lived bird ; by Mr. Keysler's
account, it may exceed sixty years ; and by a recent instance of one
that was taken in Holland, by a hank belonging to the Stadtholder,
its longevity is again conHrmed, the bird hav'mg a silver ptate
fastened to one leg, with an inscription, importing that it bad b^rt\
struck by the elector of Cologne's hawks thirty-five years beforeY ' '

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE BITTERN oa MIBE DRUM- |

Tmobe who have walked in aneveningby the sedgjr sides of unfr^'
que nted. rivers, must remember a variety of notes from diffu rent wat^i'..'
(bwl; the loud scream of the wild goose, the croaking of the mallard, Ibe'
whining of the lapwing, and the tremulous neighing of the jdck-shipe,
But of all those sounds, there is none so dismally hollow as the boom- 1
ing of the bittern. It is impossible for words to give tHosq who have
not heard this evening call an adequate idea of Its solemnity. It'is
like the interrupted bellowing of a bull, but hollower and toiider,
and is heard at a mile's distance, as if issuing froAi sonie formidable,
being that resided at the bottom of the waters!

The bird, however, that produced this terrifying sound is not so ^
big as a heron, with a weaker bill, and not above four inches| long.
It differs from the lieron chiefly in its colour, which, is in general of a
palish yellow, spotted and barred with black. Itl windpipe is fitted
tp produce the sound for which it is reniarkat>le ; the lower part of
it dividing into the lungs, is supplied with a thin loose niembraHe,
that can be filled with a large body of air, and exploded at pleasore.'
Th^se bellowing explosions are chiefly heard from the beginnip^'of
spring to the end of autumn ; and however awful they may seeifitb
us, are the calls to courtship, or of connubial felicity.

From the loudness and solemnity of the note, many have been led
to suppose that the bird made use of external instruments to produce
it, and tliat so small a body could never eject sunh a quantity oftone.

3A& jusTO&y.. OB., .

Th« cDmmaD peopluare of opinion, thnt it Uinisteiu bill, into a reed,
ihal serves as a pipe for swelling the not^ above its naturitl pltcl)^.
while olhefs, and in this number we find Tlionisoti the poet, imag*
that the bitteru puU ita head under water, a^d then viuWnlly b|i
ing produces its honmiogsj The fact is, that the bird is sufficient)
provided, bj nature for this call,; and it is often heard where
are neither reeds nor waters to assist its sonorous invitations.

It hides in the sedges by day, and begins its call in the evening,
booming qtx or eight times, .and then discontinuing for ten or twentjr
miouies to renew the same sound. This is a call it never gives bi
when )in^Isturbed and at liberty. When its retreats among
sedges are invaded, when tt dreads or expects the approach of
enemy, it is then perfectly silent. This call it has never been I^i
to utter when taken or brought up in domestic captivity; it coi^l
nues under the controul of man a mute forlorn bird, eaually incaj
bl^ of attachment or instruction. But, though ita boominga l.
always performed in solitude, it has a scream which is general!
heard (ipon the seiiing its prey, and which is sometime:
by fear.

This bird, though of the heron k ind, is yet neither bo destructii
nor so voracious. It is a retired, timorous atiimal, concealing
in the midst of reedi end marshy places, and living upon frogs, in-
sects, and vegetables ; and though so nearly resembling the heron in
figure, yet diflering much in manners and appetites. As the heron
builds on the tops of the highest trees, the bittern lays ita nest
■edgy margin, or amidst a tuft of rushes. The heron builds
slicks and wool ; the bittern composes its simpler habitatioa
sedges, the leaves of water plants, and dr,y rushes. The Iierpi
four eggs ; the bittern generally seven or eight, of an ash-gri
colour. The heron feeds its young for many days ; the bittern
three days leads its little ones to their food, [n short, the heroi)
lean and cadaverous, subsisting chiefly upon animal food ; the
tern is plump and deghy, as it feeds upon vegetables vhen an
nourishing food is Wanting,

Tt cannot be, therefore, from its voracious appetites, but its hotli

■ boom, (hat the bittern is held in such detestation by the vulgar,
remember in the place where I was a boy, with what iterror
bird's note affected the whole village ; they considered it a:
sage of some sari event, and generally found or made one ti
it. I do not speatc ludicrousJy ; but if any person in the m
hood died, they supposed it could not be otherwise, for the nighi
raven had foretold it; but if nobody happened lo die, the death
a cow or a sheep gave completion t-o the prophecy-
^^m Whatever terror it may inspire among the simple, its flesh

^^b greatly in esteem among the luxurious. For this reason U is
^^H eagerly sought after by the fowler as it is shunned by the peasasf
^^H and as it is a heavy rising, slow-winged, bii-d, it does not often
^^H hitn. Indeed, it seldom rises but when almost (rod upon; Hnase<
^^^ to BejB^ protection' rsther from concealment than Righu At

4/«

THB • CKAWXi HIVD.

latter cndoEiBBiumn, however, in the evanitig, i

S6».

s w^iiUed iodolrace'
appeDraborfbnakeil. It is then seen' rising in b apirAl oBceiU lill-it
is i({tiite lust Trent (hb view, making at Uia same time a fiin'guiar noise
veiy. different from ka former boomings. Thiia the sam^ aniraal is
often seen t» assume dil^rent desires ; and while the Latins haive'
^vea the bitterai th^ name of tlie star-reaching bird (or lite fttllarif)/
tfaeiGreuks.laking iu character from its more conslaiH habitorbavei
givebliiritKe title oftheoKVQf, or thol&zy.

,.■!..

>;{.„'

I. :'J.Tn(.J» t.«fl . »b,-.. I CHAPTER Vrt. '.lal-b nWio,tH „rr

:.*!-,■ -C.TV.I. fr.l) .■";. ji ' ,,■> .'' ■'■.■h-':...;ii,„, .,l-,i,|v

i!.i .r. , .Ol^'lltlfi SPOONBILL OR BUaVBLtlR. ' .:,ii,,„

i^swe proceed in our description of the craoe kind) bitd* or.Rftrt
tadiarfbtma offer, not entirely lilce the crane, and yet not;s|),fff;
diffeneat.aa to nnk more properly with aqy other class, Wbi^relh^
long neck and still-like legs of the crane are found, ithey malt^.loQj
striking a resemblance not luadmJL such birds of tbe Bopiber^.iqDd
thot^h the bill,. i)r even the toes, should entirely differ, yeC.U)o quIti
lineiS of the'ligurB,'aQd the natural habits and dispositions beipgitlie,
same, theea are.aufGcieat to mtrk their place in the general groupi
uf nilture:

The Spoonbill is oneof those birds which differ^ a gaod;dfial'lroiii:
the crane, yet «.ppn>achea this class more tban any oilier. The, body
i* raure tiuLky for its height, and the bill is very d^erenlly formed
frorathatof any other bird whatever. Vet still it is a t^oo) para lively
tall bird; it te^a amtkDg waters) its toes are divided ; and it sueni»;
to possesallie fiaiiirol dispositions of the crane. The European'
Bpoonbill is of about (lie t/ulk of a crane ; but as, the oiie is above
four feet high, the other is not more tlian tliree feet three inches.
The common colour of those of Europe is a dirty white;, but thoee
of Atncriea sre of a. beautiful rose coloiv, or a. detighlful crimson.
Beauty of phuuage seems to .be tbe prerogative of a)l the birds of
thatcontinent i and we here see the most gplandid lints, .bcstou^d. on,
a bird, whose DgtirD i?- sufficient Ho destroy the effects of its cok>i^r-
ing; for its bill is so oddly fashioned, and its eyes so stupidlj; staring,
that its line feathers only tend to add splendour to deformity. The
bill, which in this bird is so very particular, is about seven inches
limg, and running out broad at the end, &s its name justly serves to
denote, it is there about an inch and a half wide. This strangely
fashioned instrument in some is black, in others of a light grey, and
in those of America it is of a red colour, like the rest of the body.
AH round the upper chap lliere runs a kind of rim, with which it
covers that beneath ; and as for the rest, its cheeks and its throat
are without feathers, and covered with a black skin.

A bird so oddly fashioned might be expected to possess some
very peruliar appetites; but the spoonbill seems to lead a life

370 .^'iiMToav^ OVM

entirely reaembling all those of ihe crnne kind ; and nature, when
ahe made the bill of thia bird so very broad, seems rather to hare
sported with it* form, than to aim at any final cause for which to
adapt it. In fact, it is but a poor pbilosopliy to ascribe every capri-
cious variety in nalure to some salutary purpose; in such sofuiioos
we only impose upon each other, and often vilfully contradict oar
own belief. There must be imperfeclions in every being, as well u
capacities of enjoyment. Between both, the animal leads a life of
moderate felicity; in part making use of its many natural advan-
tages, and in part necessarily conforming to the imperfection of its
figure.

The Shoveler chiefly feeds upon frogs, toads, and serpcnta; of
which, particularly at the Cape of Good Hope, they destroy great
numbers. The inhabitants of that country hold them in as much
esteem as the ancient Egyptians did their bird ibis : the shoveler runi
tamely about ih^ir houses; and they are content with its society, bb
an useful though a homely companion. They are never killed ;
and indeed they are good fur nothing when they are dead, for the
flesh is unfit to be eaten.

This bird breeds in Europe, in company with the heron, in high
trees, and in a nest formed of the same materials. Willoughby lells
us, that in a certain grove at a village called Seven Huys, near
Leyden, they build and breed yearly in great numbers. In Ibis
grove, also, the heron, the bittern, the cormorant, and the shag,
have taken up their residence, and annually bring forth their young
together. Here the crane kind seem to have formed their general
rendezvous; and, as the inhabitants say, every sun of bird has its
several quarter, where none but their own tribe are permitted to
reside. Of this grove the peasants of the country make good profit.
When the young ones are ripe, those that farm the grove, with a
hook at the end of a long pole, catch hold of the bough on which the
nest is built, and shake out the young ones ; but ;jomeiinies the nest
and all tumble down together.

The shbvelM lays from three to five eggs, white and powdered
with a few sanguine or pale spots. We sometimes see in the cabi-

a of the curious the bills of American shovelers, twice as big and
as long as those of the common kind among us ; but these birds have
not yet made their way into Europe.

CHAPTER Vlll.
THE PLAMINQO.

The Flamingo hu the justest right to be placed among cranea ;
and though it happens to be web-rooted, like birds of the goose kind,
yet ita height, Ggure and appelilea, entirety remove it from that
groveling class of animals. With a longer neck and legs than any
other of the crane kind, it seeks its food by wading among waters,
and only differs from all of this tribe in the manner of seizing its
prey ; for as the heron makes use of its claws, the flamingo uses
only its bill, which is strong and thick for the purpose, the claws
being useless, as they are feeble, and webbed like those of water
fowl.

The flamingo is the most remarkable of all the crane kind, the
tallest, bulkiest, and the most beautiful. The body, which U of a
beautiful scarlet, is no bigger thnn that of a swan ; but its legs and
neck are of such an extraordinary length, that when it stands erect
it is six feet six inches hig^. Its wings extended, are live feet six
inches from tip to tip ; and it is four feet eight inches from tip to
tail. The head is round and small, with a large bill, seven inches
long, partly red, partly black, and crooked like a bow. The legs
and thighs, which are not much thicker than a mao's Hnger, are about
two feet eight inches high, and its neck near three feet long. The
feet are not furnished with sharp claws, as in others ofthe crane kind,

but feeble, and united by membranes as in those of the goose. Of

what use these membrarnes are does not appear, as the bird is never ^H
seen swimming, its legs and thighs being sufficient for bearing it iaio' ^H
those deptlis where it seeks for prey. ' ' ^H

This extraordinary bird is now chiefly found in America, but it ^H
was once known on all the coasts of Europe. Its beauty, its size, ^H
and the peculiar delicacy of its flesh, have been such temptations to ^^M
destroy or take it, that it has long since deserted the shores fre- ^H
quented by man, and taken refuge in countries that are as yet but ^H
thinly peopled. In those desert regions the flamingos live in a stat«> ^^M
of society, and under a better polity than any other of the feathered ^^M
creation. ' ' ^^M

When the Europeans flrst came to America, and coasted down
along the African shores, they found the flamingos on several shores
on either continent, gentle, and no way distrustful of mankind.*
They had long been used to security In the extensive solitudes they ^^
had chosen, and knew no enemies, but those they could very well ^H
evade or oppose. The Negroes and the native Americans were ^H
possessed but of few destructive arts for killing them at a distance, ^^M
and when the bird perceived the arrow, it well knew how to a,Void ^^H

K^^ ■ fl

^■k ■ A\b\a\ .New Historv of Birds. .1 vu.ll ^H

L I

a7«

f DISTORT- OP •

it. But il v/ae otherwise nlien the Kuropeans first came among
them : the Hilora, not considering that tlie dread of lire arms was
totally uolcQown in that p&ft of thewodd, gave the flaming-o the
character ofa I'uolish bird, that suffered itselTto be approached and
shot at. When the fowler had killed oae^ the rest of the Docli, far
from attempting to fly, only regarded the fall of their companioo in
a kind of fixed agUwishraeat ; another and aiiolher ahol waa du
charged; and thus the fotf ler aflen levelled Uie whole flodt. bafon
QOeof Ihem.began to think of escaping.

But at presenl it is very di^rent in that pont.ef: ibei no|Jd;> a
llieflaniiugo.ianol only one of the scarcest) bul.aflhe.thycat birdafej
llie world, and the most difiicult of approach. iTltey ohiody Jica
near the mosl deserled and iohoapitableahores; Lnea«.&att waterlalH^
and Bwnnipy islands. They oonacdown to thei banks of idimirs'bj''
day ;and often retire to the inland mountainous parts ofthe oountry
at the approach of night. When seen by mariners in the day, Ihc^
always appear drawn up in a lung cluse line of two orthtee hundred
together; and, as Dam{»er tells us, pregeitt, at tlie distanceoflmira
mile, the exact repreeeniation of a long brick, wall. Thdrirank,
however, is broken when they seek for. food;. but they. olwaysLoppant
one of the number as a watcbj whose only employment ia to obseme
and givie notice of danger, while tlierest are feeding.' jAs soon as
this trusty sentinel perceives the remotest a|>pearaBce of danger, he
gives a loud ftCEeam, with a voice as slinll as a trumpet, and; instantly
the whole cohort are upon the wing. They foed in Nlenccbutupon
this occasion all. the flock are in one choruSi and fill the air witli in-
tolerable screamiDgs.

From this it appears that the flamingos are very diflioult to be
approached at present, and that they avoid mankind with the raoEt
cautious, timidity; however, it is not from any antipathy to man that
they shun his society, for in some villages, as we are assured by
Labat, . along Iho eoftsL of A&Ica, the flamingos come in great num-
bers tOimake. their residence among the natives. There.they osaom-
ble by. I thousands, perched on the trees within and about the village;
and> are so very clamorous, that the sound is heard at near a -mile's
distance. The Negroes are fond of their company, And'CbBBidn
their soqiely as a gill of Heaven, as a protection from ftccJdenlal
<}vils. The French, who ore admitted to this f^rt of the coast, cannot
without some degree of discontent see such a quantity of gaoMJ Uft-
touclied, and .rendered useless by the superstition of the naiives :
they now and Uien privately shoot some of thera, when at a copve-
nient distogce from the village, and hide Ihem in the long graas, if
they perceive any of the Negroes approaching; for they would pru-
bsibly stand .a chancu of being ill treated, if the blocks ducuveced
their sacred birds thus unmercJUilly desttoyod.

Sometimes, in (heir wild state, they are shot by i
their young, which run excessively fast, are oflen taken,
frequently taken ihum with nets properly extended round the
they breed in. When their long legs are entangled in the ■:

Labat Im^^^
le mesh^^^H

THB. CBANE1-,K||)D.

tliey.are then imqualilied to n^akci llieir e^ape; biK ihey slillcoi^-.
tinue to combat with iHeir destroyer, and the old'ones, though aeizeti^
b; the head, wiJI acraich with their claws ;^ q,nd these, ^hougli 3^;n-
inglj inoSensive, very often tlo mischier. "When they ar^, fairly
diaengBged from the net, the^ nevertheless preserve their (lalui^l,
ferocity; Uiey refuse. all nouriiihm^ntj (hey peck ^nd coin bat witi)
their claws at every opportunity. TJie fowler is therefore uniJer; ibp.
necessity. of destroying them when tpken, os they' .would ptily.pine,
and die, ifleft to themselves in captivity. .The flesh of the o|d one*,
is black and hard, thougli Dampier says, well' tasted; ih^'t of ,th,e
yotibg ones is still better. Btit, ^f all other delicaci^, the flamingo's
tongue is the most celebrated, A dish of Oainilfgos' tongues, says
oiir author, is a feast for an emperor., In fact, the Ronian emperors
GOtiudered tliem as the highest luxury; and we have an account, of'
one of them, who procured fifteen hundred flamingos' tongues to \fe,
ienred up in a single dish. ' The tongue of thjs bird, which^ ^
much sought after, is a good dcaj larger' than that of any other bird
whatever. The bill of the flamingo is like a large black bos, of, an
irregular ligurc, and Slled with a tongue which is black and gri»tjy i,
but "what peculiar flavour it may possess, I leave to be determine^
by such as understand good eating better than 1 do. It i^ proba^j^,.
that the beauty and scarcity of the bird might be the first intjgpe-,
ments to studious gluttony to fix upon its tongue as i^i^t'for'^e.
table. What Dampier says of the goodness of its flesh ca^npt ^
BO. wdl relied on ; for Dampier was often hungry, and tbciugtjt ,^i|yi
thing good that could be eaten: he avers, inde^, with Lab^l, th^t,
the flesh is black, tough, and flshy ; so that we can hardly give binii
credit when he asserts, tliat its flesh can be formed into a luxurioiis
entertainment. ' ^^ ..

These birds, as was sai3, always go in flocks togethe;', and thgj^,
move in ranks in the manner of cranes. They are sometjnies aeef^n
at the break of day, flying down in great numbers from th^ nioup^.
tains, and conducting each oibor with a trumpet cry, that ijouiujs,
like the word lococo, from whence the savages of Canada haye
given them the name. In their flight they appear to great advan,^
tage; fur, they then seem of as bright a red as a burning coal. Wfi^.
they dispose themselves to feed, their cry ceases, and then (J)^j,
disperse over a whole marsh in silence and assiduity. Their manner
of feeding is very singular; the bird thrusts down its head, so that
the upper convex side of the bill shall only touch the ground ; and
in this position the animal appears, as it were, standing upon its
head. In this manner It paddles and moves the bill about, and seizes
whatever fish or Insect happens to ofler. For this purpose the upper
chap is notched at the edges, so as to hold its prey with the greater
security. Catesby, however, gives a different account of their feed-
ing. According to him, they thus place the upper chap undermost,
and so work about, in order to pick up a seed from the bottom of
the water, that resembles millet; but as in picking up this they ne-
cessarily also suck in a large quantity of mud, their bill is toothed at

374 ' TIISTORT OF '

dm edgn, in lUch a manner a» (o let out the mud, while they «t*allon
the gniti.

Their time of breeding is according to the climate in which they re-
side : in North America they breed in our summer ; on the other
Me the Line they take the most favourable season of the year.
They build their nesls in extensive marshes, and wliere they are in
no danger of a surprise. The nest is not less curious than the ani-
mal that builds it : it is raised from the surface of the pool about a
foot and a half, formed of mud scraped ip together, and hsrdeaed
by the sun, or the heat of the bird's body : it resembles a truncated
cone, or one of the pots which we see placed on chimnies ; on the
top it is hollowed out to the shape oflhe bird, and in that cavity the
female lays her eggs, without any lining but the well cemented mud
that forms the aides of the building. She always Inys two eggs and
no more ; and, as her legs are immoderately long, she straddles
on the nest, while her legs hang down, one on each side, into the

The young ones are a long while before they are able to fly ; but
they run with amazing 8wtftnes<i. They are sometimes caught ;
and, very different from the old ones, suffer themselves to be carried
home, and are tamed very easily. In five or six days they become
familiar, eat out of the hand, and drink a surprising (Quantity of sea
water. But though they are easily rendered domestic, they are not
reared without the greatest dilGculty ; for they generally pine away
for want of their natural supplies, and die In a short time. While
they are yet young, their colours are very different from those lively
tints they acquire with age. In their first year they are covered with
plumage of a while colour, mixed with grey ; in the second year the
whole body is white, with here and there a slight tint of scarlet, and
the great covert feathers of the wings are black ; the third year (he
bird acquires all its beauty, the plumage of tlie whole body i^
scarlet, excijbl some of the feathers in the wings, that still re^'
iheir sable ntie. Of these beautiful plumes the savages inake V
ous ornaments; and the bird is sometimes skinned by tlie F
peans to make mulTs. But these have diminished in their ]
since we haye obtained the art of dying fealliers of (he brighi

THK CRAWB IHND. 976

CHAPTER IX.

Thb extraordinary shape of the Avosetta'g bill might incline us
to wish for its history ; and yet in that we are not able to indulge
the reader. Natural historians have hitherto, like aaibitioai mo-
narchs, shown a greater fondness for eatending their dominions than
cultivating what they possess. While they have been labouring to
add new varieties to their catalogues, they have neglected to study
the history of animals ah-eady known.

The avosetta is chiefly found in Italy, and now aad then comes
over into England.* It is about the size of a pigeon, isa pretty up-
right bird, and has extremely long legs for its size, Bui the miMt
extraordinary part of its figure, and that by which it may be distin.
guished from all others of the feathered tribe, is the bill, which turns
up like a hook, in an opposite direction to that of the hawk or the
parrot. This extraordinary bill is black, flat, sharp, and flexible at
the end, and about three inches and a half long. From its being
bare a long way above the knee, it appears that it lives and wades
in the waters. It has a chirping, pert note, as we are told ; but with
its other habits we are entirely unacquainted. I have placed it,
from its slender figure, among the cranes, although it is web-footed
like the duck. It is one of those birds of whose history we are yet
in expectation.

To this bird of the crane kind so Utile known, I will add another
still less known — the Corrira, or Runner of Aldrovandus. All we
are told of it is, that it has the longest legs of all the web-footed
fowls, except the flamingo and avosetta; that the tf^l is straight,
yellow and black'at the ends; that the pupils of the eyes are siir-
rounded with two circles, one of which is bay, and tlie other white ;
below, near the belly, it is whitish; the tail, with two white feathers,
black at the extremities; and that the upper part of the body is of
the colour of rusty iron. Il is thus that we are obliged to substitute
dry description for instructive history, and employ words to express
those shadings of colour which the pencil alone can convey.

[• This bird ia taricgaled with blsck and white. Il is rreqiiently sefiD.
during the wiater, on the eastern shori^s of Great lirilaln. and it also rre-
quents the Serern, aad the pools of Shropshire. It occesidnally visitx the
coast of Picardy, ia France, but does not appear to wander farther soiilh la
Europe than Italy. These birda feed on worme and insect^, which they
scoop QUI of the sand with their bill) : but although their feet are webbed,
they have neTer been observed to loka the water. They lay two eggs,
white, with a greenish hue, about the site of those of the pigeon. Whether
. from timidity or address, the arosetta ibuag aaares and is not eaiily taJHn.]

I
J

flW

'I'^WIs-WtW 'o»"i

'd¥sii/ii.t BiftDS' of the chane kind wiTff the**

TBiaiia PARTLY BARE OF FEATHERS.

Ail haVetalsen my dislinciions rather from the general forraii
m^'^rs or birds, than from (heir minuler, though, perhaps i'
{bi'^cjs^ di^criminaticms, it will not be expected that 1 should h^
enter into a particular history of a numerous tribe of birds, whose
manners and forms are so' very much alike. Of many of Ihem we
have scarcely any account in our his tori ans, but tedious ilescrip^nij
of their dimensions, and the colour of [heir plumage; ao^ of the
rest, (he history of one is so much that of all, that it is but the same
account repeciicd to a most disgusting reiteration. I will lliertifori
group them into one general draught; !n which the more enii'
nent, or the most whimsical, will naturally stand forward on tf'
canVas^; ■ '

'In this group we Gad'ati extensive tribe of native birds, with tl
varieties and afimilies; and we, might add a hundred olliera,
taliC cltniates, of which we know little more than the colour and ^
name, tn this'list is exliibited the Curlew, a bird of aboUt the i
of a duck, with a bill four inches long : the Woodcock, about'd
size of a pigeon, with a bill three inches lotig : ilie Godwit, of
game size, the bill four inches : the Green Shank, longer legged, ibe
bill two inches and a half: the Red Shank, differing in the
colour of its feet from the former ; the Snipe, less by half, with ft
bill three inches. Then with shorter bills — The Ruff, with a cilllar
of feathers round the neck of the male; the Knot, the Sandpiper,
the Sanderling, the Dunlin, the Purre, and the Stint. To conclud^
with bills very short — the Lapwing, the Green Plover, the prt
Plover, the Dottrel, the Turnstone, and the Sea-lark. These, * *
their affinities, are properly natives or visitants of this country, I
are dispersed along our shores, rivers, and watery grounds. Talr
in the birds of this kind belonging to other countries, the list n
be very widely extended ; and the w|iOle of this class, as deK'iBl
by BrissoQ, would amount to near a hundred.

All these birds possess many marks in common, though some Km
peculiarities that deserve regard. All these birds are bare of featb
above, the knee, or above the heel, as some naturalists clioos^^
express it. In fact, tliat part whicli I call the knee, if compared «'
the legs of mankind, is analt^ons to the heel ; but, as it is comn '
.conceived otherwise, I have cOnfornied to the general appreliet
I say, therefore, that all these birds are bare of feathers, abovei]|
knee, and in some they are wanting half-way up the llt^.
nudity in that part is partly natural, and pai'tly produced by all b
of this kind habitually wading in water. The older the bird, tha
barer are its thighs; yet even ilie young ones have not the same

THn • CKJtWE ' KIND. S??

downy covering reaching ao low as liic birds of any othef cloM.
Such a CO v«rit>g^ there would rather' be prejadjcialj as being' conti-
nually liable to get wet in the water.

As these birds are usuallj employed rather in running than in
dying, and as their food Yws entirely upon the ground, and not on
trees, or in the air, so they run with great swiftness for their size,
and the length of their legs assists iheir vieloeity; But aB,'ih seek-
ing iheir food, they are often obliged to change their Stalion,'8o also
ere ti>ey equally swift of 'wing, and traverse immense tr^ctt of coUri-
Uy without much'fatigue.

It hag been thought by some that K part of this class lived Uikiftan
oily slime, found in the bottoms of ditches and of weedy pooU; they
were thence termed by Willoughby, Mud-suckers. But later dis-
coveries have shown, that in these places tbey hum for the ci^ter-
pillars and worms of iivsecls. From hence, therefore; we may gene-
rally assert, that all, birds of this class live up<ln animals of one kind
or another. The long- billed birds suck up Worms and intRiets from
the bottom ; those furnished with shorter bills pick up such insects
as lie nearer the surface of the meadow, or among the sands oQ'tht
sea-shore I

Tims the curlew, the woodcock, and the snipe, are evef i>eetl' in
plashy brakes, and under covered hedges; asstduotisly ernployed in
seeking out insects in their worm state ; and it se^ms, from theirfat-
nera«' that they lind a plentiful supply. Nature, indeed, has fiir-
nishedlhem with very convenient instruments for procuring their
food'. Their bills are made suSicietitly long for searching'; but
still more, they are endowed wilji an exquisite sensibility at the
point for feeling their provision. They are l^iruished "with 'no less
than Hiree pair of nerves, equal almost to l^e optic nervcs'in thick-
ness, which pass froin thereof of tite mouth, and run along the upper
chap to the point.

Nor are tliose birds with shorter bills, and destitute of such con-
venient instruments, without a proper provision made Ibr their sub-
sistence. The lapwing, the sandpiper, and the red-shankj'nin wfth
surpriskig rapidity along the surface of the marshj «■ the sea^shore,
quarter their ground with great, dexterity, and leave nothing of the
inseot kind lliat happens lo lie on the surfacei These huweVer, a
neither so fat nor so delicate as the former: as they are obliged'
toil more fora siibslatenoe, they are easily saiisUed with whatever
offers; and their flesh often contracts a rehsh from what has been
their latest or their principsl food.

■ Most of the birds formerly described hove stated seosona for feed-
ing and rest — the eagle kind prowl by day, smd at evening reposi;
tlie owl by night, and keeps unseen in- the day^iine. Bui ilhese
birds of the crane kind seem at all hours' employed ; they Kre seUinn
at rest by day, and during the whole "night season every meadow
and marsh resounds with their different calls to courtship or to food.
This seems tobe the time when they least fear inierniplian' ft'om
mnn: and though they flq^atall limes, yet at this season they appear

ntiup-

8?8 • JII9TOKT OP '

more aasiduously employed, botli in providing for IheJr present lup-
port, and continuing ihat of patiterity. This is usually the aei
when the insidious Ibwler steals in upon their occupations, and
the whole meadow with terror and destruction.

. At all of this kind live entirely in waters, and Bmon^ wi
places, they seem provided by nature with a warmth of conatiti
10 6t them for that cold element. They reside, by choice, in the
coldest climates; and as other birds migrate here in our summer,
their migrations hither are mostly in the winter. Even those that
reside among us the whole season,, retire in summer to the tops of
our bleakest mountains, where ihey breed, and bring down tlieir
young when the cold weather sets in.

Most of them, however, migrate, and retire to the polar regions;
as those that remain behind in the mountains, and keep with us dur-
ing summer, bear no proportion to the quantity which in winter
haunt our marshes and low grounds. The snipe sometimes builds
here, and the neat of the curlew is sometimes found in the plashes.
our hills; but the number of these is very small, and it is
bable that they are trnly some stragglers, who, not hiving sli
or courage sufficient for the gerieral voyage, lake up from ni
their habitatiiHi here.

In general, during the summer this whole class either choose,
coldest ccmlries to retire to, or the coldest and the motstost _
ours to breed in. The curlew, the woodcock, the snipe, the godi
the grey plover, the green, and the long-legged plover, the ki
and the turostone, are rather the guests than Die natives of this island.
Th^ visit us in the beginning of winter, and forsake us in the spring.
They then retire to the mounlBins ol' Sweden, Poland, Prussia, ai^
Lapland, to breed. Our country, during the s
becomes uninhabitable to them. The ground parched up byi
heat, the springs dried away, and the vermiculBr insects ah
upon the wing, they have no means of subsisting. Their weak
delicately pointed bills are unfit to dig into a resisting soil, atid
prey is departed though they were able to reach its retreats,
that season when nature is said to teem with life, and to put on
gayest liveries, is to them an interval of sterility and famine. '
coldest mountains of the north are tlien a preferable habitation;
marshes there are never totally dried up, and the insects are in
abundance, that, both above ground and underneath, the couJ
swarms with them. In such retreats, therefore, these birds v
continue always, but that the frosts, when they set in, hare tlie
eifect upon the face of the landscape as tlie heats of summer.
Every brook is stiffened into ice, all the earth is congealed into one
solid mass, and the birds are obliged to forsake a region where they
can no longer lind subsistence.

Such are our visitants. With reganl to those which keep with us
continually, and breed here, they are neither so delicate in thMr food,
nor perhaps so warm in their constitutions. The lapwing, the rttf,
the red-shank, ihs sandpiper, the eca-[ue, the Norfolk plover, and

THE CRAWE KIND. 37fl

the sea-lark, breed in tUn cuuntry, ood for iho most port reeidc
here. Iq Bummer they frequent such niarshes as ere not dried up
in any part of the year, ihe Essex hundreds, and (he fens of Lin-
colnshire. There, in solitudes formed by surrounding mBisheK, they
breed and bring up their young. In winter they come down from
their retreats, rendered uninhobitable by the flooding of the waters,
and seek their food about our ditches and marshy meadow grounds.
Yet even of this class all are wanderers upon some occasions, and
take wing lo the northern climates to breed and find subsistence.
This happens when our summers are peculiarly dry, and when the
funny countries are not sufficiently watered lo defend their retreali.

But (hough this be the usual course of nature with respect to (hese
' birds, (hey oflen break through the general habilii of their kind ;
and as the lapwing, (he ruif, and the sandpiper, are sometimes seen
lo alter their manners, and le migrate from hence instead of conti-
nuing to breed here, so we often Hud the woodcock, the snipe, and
the curlew, reside with us during the whole season, and breed ihcir
young in diOorent parts of Uie country. In Casewood, about Iwo
miles from Tunbridge, as Mr. Pennant assures us, some woodcocks
are seen to breed annually. The young have been shot there in the
beginning of August, and were as healthy and vigorous as they were
with us in winter, though nol so well lasted. On Ihe Alps and other
high mOKUlaina, says Willoughby, the woodcocks continue all sum-
Dier. I myself have flushed tliem on the (op of Mount Jura in June
and July. The eggs are long, of a pale red colour, and stained
with deeper spots and clouds. The nests of (he curlew and (he
snipe are fre<{uently found ; and some of these, perhaps, never en-
tirely leave this island.

It is thus that the same habits are, in some measure, common to
all; but in nestling and bringing up their young, one method takes
place universally. As they all run and feed upon the ground, so
they are all found to nestle there. The number of eggs generally
lo be seen in every nest, is from two to lour ; never under, and very
seldom exceeding. The nest is made without any art ; but the eggs
are either laid in some little depression of the earth, or on a few
bents and long grass, that scarcely preserve them from the moisture
below. Yet such is [he heat of the body of these birds, that their
time of incubation is shorter than with ajiy others of the same size.
The magpie, for instance, takes twenty -one days to hatch its young;
the lapwing takes but fourteen. Whether the animal oil. with which
these birds abound, gives them this superior warmth, I cajinot (ell ;
but there is no doubt of their qiJick inciibolion.

In their seasons of courtship they pair as other birds, but not with-
out violent contests between the males for (he choice of the female.
The lapwing and the plover are ollen seen to Uglit anioag them-
selves; but there is one little bird of this tribe, called the Ruff, that
has got the epithet of tin fighter, merely from its great perseverance
and animosity on these occasions. In the beginning of spring, when
these birds arrive among our marshes, they are observed to engage

44 — VOL. 11^ H H

'SSo

MtisroRY Of

witlr desperalB fury ogainit endi otiier: it is then that the Towlen.
seeing' tltoVn intent on niuiual deatraction, spread tlietr aeU over
them, and lake t!)em in great numbets. Yet even in captivity timir
animosity still continues : tlie people that fatten them up fur sale

' are obliged to shut lliem up in ckwo daric rooms; for if they lei
e*cr so little light in amonrg them, the turbulent prisoners instantly
fall to lighting with each other, and never ceasa till each has killed

' ilit antagonist, especially, say* Willonghby, if any body stands by.
A afrailar animosity, though in a less degree, prompts all this tribe;
but when they have paired and begun to lay, their contentions are
then over.

The place these birds chiefly choose to breed in is in some island
Biirroiinded with sedgy moors, where men seldom resort ; and in

' such situations I hftVeollen leon the ground so strewed with eggs and
iiest^, that one could scarcely take a step without treading apoosome
of them. As sooti as a stranger intrudes upon these retrejxts, the
whole colony is up, and a hundred different screams are heard from
evei-j' quarter. The arts of the lapwing to allure raeo or dogs from
her nest ore perfectly nmUsing. When she perceives the enetH)'
approaching, she never waits till they arrive at her nest, but boldl;
runs to meet (hem '■ when »\ie has come as near them as stie dares la
venture, she then rises with a loud screaming before ihem, seeming
as if she was jmt flushed (Vom hatching, while she in then probably
a hundred yards from the nest. Thus she fTies, with great. clamour
and anxiety, w'hining Qud Hcreaming round the invaders, striking oi
them with her wings, and lluttoring as if she were wounded. To
add to tlie deceit, she Brppears'Aill mtu'e clamorous as more remote
from the nest. If she sees them very near, she then seems. to be
quite unconcerned, and her cries cease, while ber terrors are really
niigmeniing. If there be dogs, 'she ilies heavily at a liule distance
before tliem, as if maimed; xiiJI vociferous and still bold, bat never
offering to move towards the quarter where her treasure is deposited
The dog pursues in hopes every moment of seiEing the parent, and
by this means aclnally loses the young ; for the cunning bird, when
she has thus drawn Itim off to a nroper distance, then piits forth her
fidwers, and leaves her nstonishvlJ pursuer to goze at the rapidily of
her 'flight. The eggs of all these birds are highly valued by the
InxUrioDs : they are boiled hard, nnd thus served up without aiy
further preparation.

I As the young of this class ere soon hatched, so, when excluded,
ihey quickly arrive at maturity. They run about nftep ibe mother
as soon as they leave the egg. and being covered with a thick down,
wamt very little of that clutching which aJI birds of the poultry kiad
that follow tiie mother, indispensably reqnire. They come to tbeir
adult state long before winter, and then dock together till the btvcd-
ing season returns, which for a while dissolves their society.
As the Aefh of almost all these birds is in high estimation, to
itiBny methods have been contrived for taking them. That used in

THE CRA'MB K(ND. ZHl

HPJsA.tv.dtuKFibe it. Tl|e RulT, which is the oarae of tt^ PifkJe, tbtf
BeeVe, Ahat gf lli« female, is tajcen in nets about forty yards I^flg,
toi ^vea or figUl feet high. These birds are chiefly fuund in
Lincolnshire and the Isle of Ely, where tliey come about the latter
find of April, and disappear about Micba^Dnaa The male of this
iHid, whicji is known from all others of the Ifind by the great length
pf.the feathera round his neck, is yet so various in his plumage, lliat
it is iSaid no two rulfs were ever seen totally of the same colour, f be
g^ls in which these are taken are supported \>y stii:ti8, pt ai) angle
of near forty-five degrees, and plaped pithf i" on dry ground, c^r, ,19
urery shallow water, not remote frpm reeds; among these tlie fowler
^ceals himieir, liil the birds, enticed by a stale or stuffed bird,
(»me under the nets : he then, by pulling a stri(ig, lets them .falf,
ftnd tliey are taken; as are god wits, knots, and grey-plover, also,i^
(he .same manner. When these birds are broiigiit from lender {|ie
mt, they are not killed immediately, but fattened for the table ^ilf)
luread and milk, hemp-seed, and sometimes boiled wheat; but if
ej^pedilion be wanted, sugar is added, which will make ttiem a Imnp
of. fat in a fortnight's lime. They are kept, as observed before, i(i
Ikdark roam : and Judgment is reijuired in taking (he proper tiifie
for killing Uiem, wlieii they are at the highest pilch of fatness ; for
if thai is neglected, the birds are apt to fall away. They are
reckoned a very great delicacy : Uieyseli for two ahillings, or Iii^If
a crown a piece; and are served up to the table with iho irqiri,.,like
woodcocks, where we will leave ihepi.

^•. CHAPTER XI.

K OF THE WATER-HEN AND THE COOT.

Hbforg we enter upon water fowls, properly so called, two or
.three birds claim our attention, which seem to form the shade be-
tween the fveb-fooled tribe and those of the crane kind. These
pnrlake rather of the form than the habits of the t^onc ; and though
fumislfed with long legs and necks, rather swim than wade. Thej'
cannot properly be called webfooled; nor yet are they entirely
destitute of membranes, which fringe thyif toes on each side, and
adapt them for swimming. The birds, in question are, iKe Water
Hen, and the Bald Coot.

Those birds have loo near an affinity not to be ranked in the same
description. They are shaped entirely alike, their legs are long'.
and their thighs partly bare; (heir ijecks are proportionable, their
wings short, ibcir bills short and weak, their colour black, their fore-
heads bald and without feathers, and. their habits are entirely tlie
same. , These, however, naturalists have tliought proper to rauge in
.diff^reritiilasses, from vi^ry alight, distinctioiip in their figure. Thp
water-hen weighs but Sfleen ounces; the coot twenty-fo^r. ,^9

S8-2 HI8TOHT OF ^M

bald pan of the forehead in the coot is black ; in the water -lieitl|^H
ii of a beBiitiful pink colour. The toes of tlie water-lten are «dgl|^H
with a ilraigbl membrane; those of ihe coot have it scolloped i^^^l
broader. '!^|

The differences in the figure are but slight, and those id tMj^H
manner of living still leSs. The history of the one will serve M^H
both. As birds of the crane kind ore furnished with long wiiig|^H
and easily change place, the water-hen, whose wings are shorty j^^|
obliged to reside entirely near those places where her food lies : i|^^|
Cftnnot take those long journeys that most of the crane kind are SM^^|
to perform ; compelled by her natural imperfections, as well perh*|^^|
as by inclination, she never leaves (he side of the pond or the riM^H
in which she seeks for provision. Where the stream is selvaga^H
with sedges, or the pond edged with shrubby trees, the water-henfi^^l
generally a resident there: she seeks her food along the graifl^H
banks, and often along llm surface of the water. With Shakspeai<rf^^|
Edgar, she drinks the green mantle of the standing pool, or at lei^^|
seems to prefer ihtne places wiiere it is seen. Whether she mH)i^^|
pond-weed her food, or huntJi among it for water insects, wtiich aj^H
found there in great abundance, is not certain. I have seeik thl^^|
when pond-weed was taken out of their stomach. - She builds IM^H
neat upon low trees und shhibs, of sticks dnd 6brea, by the wbd^H
side. Her egg* are ahul-pat'olie end, white, With a linciiwe of giM^f
spotted with red. She Wfi twice or tliHce in a summer ; her yovaig^^
ones swim the moment they leave the egg, ptirsue their parent, vni
imitate all her manners. She rears, in this manner, two or three
broods in a season; and when the young are grown up, she drives
them off to shifi for themselves.

As the cool is a larger bird, it is always seen in larger streams,
and ntore remote from mankind. The water-hen seems to prefer
inhabited situations; she keeps near ponds, moals, and pools of water
near gentlemen's houses ; but the cool keeps in rivers, and among
rushy margined lakei. It there makes a nest of such weeds as the
stream supplies, and lays them among the reeds, doaUng on (he
surface, and rising and falling with the water. The reeds among
which it is bnill keep it fast; so that it is seldom washed into the
middle of (he stream. Gut if this happens, which is sometimes the
case, the bird sits in her nest, like a mariner in his boat, and steers
with lier legs her cargo into the nearest harbour: there, having at-
tained her port, she continues to set in great tranquillity, reganlles)
of the impetuosity of the current ; and though the water penetrates
lier nest, she 'hatches her eggs in that wet condition.

The water-hen never wanders; but the coot sometimes swim^
down the current, till it even reaches the sea. In this voyage them
birds encounter a thousand dangers : as they cannot fly far, they
are hunted by dogs and men ; as they never leave ihe stream, (hey
are attacked and destroyed by Otters; they are preyed upon by
kites and falcons; and IJiey are taken, in still greater nambera, in
weirs made for catching llsh ; fur these birds are led into Ihe nets

»H, GOLDSMITH'* NATURAL HISTORY

'-'

■■'^:*

■'.^ '

• * '.

« ■

•■■■•; .'.

-s • •

*..
v..

THB CR&NEt KIND.

383

tlie Grebe.

to those

ik it among

while pursuing gniailjfish and insecti, which Bre their principal food.

I Thus animated nature aflbrds a picture of universal invasion I Man

I (leslroys the otter, the otter defltroys the coot, the cool

I fitb, and Rsh are universally the tyrants of each other I

To these birds, with long legs and finny toes, I wi

species more, with short legs and finny toes —

The entire resemblance of this bird's appetites and n

of the web-footed class, might justly induce me to ri

them ; but as it resembles those above described in the peculia

of its loes, and bears some similitude in its manners also, I m

once sacrilice method to brevity. ' The grebe is much larger than

either of the former, and its plumage white and black ; it differs alao

entirely in the shortness of its legs, which are made for swimming,

and not walking : in fact, they are from the knee upward hid in the

belly of the bird, and have consequently very little motion. By

this mark, and by the scolloped fringe of the loes, may this bird be

easily distinguished from all others.

As they are thus, from llie shortness of thw wings, ill formed for
Hying, and from the uncommon shortness of their legs utterly lutGu
led for walking, they seldom leave the water, and chiefly frequent
those broad shallow pools where their faculty of swimming can be
turned to the greatest advantage in fishing and seeking their prey.

They are chiefly, in this country, seen to frequent the meres of
Shropshire and Cheshire ; where they breed among reeds and flags,
in a floating nest, kept steady by the weeds of the margin. The
female is said to be a careful nurse of its young, being observed to
feed them most assiduously with small eels; and when the little brood
is tired, the mother will carry them, either on her back or under her
wings. This bird preys upon fish, and ia almoal perpetually diving.
It does not showmuch more than the head above water; and is
very dtJlicult to be shot, hb it darts down on the appearance of the
•least danger. It is never seen on land; and, though disturbed ever
'so oden, will not leave' that lake, where alone, by diving and swim-
liiing, it Cdn find food and security. It is chiefiy sought for the skin
of its breast, the plumage of which is of a most beautiful silvery
while, and as glossy as satin. This part is made into tippets, hut
the skins are out of season about February, losing their bright
colour ; and in breeding lime their breosls are entirely bare.

ifj*r 'v ' - ■

'^" PART VI.

or WATER FOWL.

I
I

,,„, :] ;; .CHAPTJER X
Or WATER FOWL IN QENERAT..

In Hetlling the diBlinctions among the other classes of birdx, i
was some difficully ; one iHbe eBcroached so nearly upon the aaUJ|
and habiliides of another, ihnl it waanot easy to draw the linew"
Itept them asunder; but in water fowl nature has marked them S
u« by a variety or indelible characters i bo that it would b^ ain)
as unlikely to mbtake a land fowl for ono adapted for living t
swimming' among Uie waters, as a Bah for a bird.

The lirst great distinction in this class appears ii
are webbed together for swimming. Those who have remarked II
feet or toes of a duck, will easily conceive how admirably ihey.M
formed for making way in the water. When men swim, they I
nUt open the Angers, so sb to let the fluid pass through them ; t
closing them together, present one broad surface to beat back |
water, and thus push their bodies along. What man performs b
art, nature has supplied to water fo«l, and by broad skins has web-
bed their toes together, so that they expand two broad o6rs to the
water; and thus, moving them alternately, with the greatest e
paddle along. We must observe also, that tbe toes are so contrived
that, as they strike backward, their broadest hollow surface beaUitf
water; but as they gather them in again for a second blow, i'
fiSsfit surface contracts, and doee not impede the biitl's progres
Vnotion.

As their toes are wrfibed in the moat convenient manner, i

their legs also made most fitly for swill progression in tbe '

The legs of all are short, except the three birds described in a Taf

Wr chapter; namely, the flamingo, the avosetta, and the corrirs;

all which, for that reason, 1 have thought proper to rank among the

crane kind, a* they make little use of their toes in swimming. Ei-

cept these, all web-footed birds have very short legs; and these

strike, while they swim, with great facility. Were the leg long, it

lid act like a lever whose prop is plaued to a disadvantage; its

lid be slow, and the labour of moving it considerable.

IIS reason, the very few birds whose webbed feet are long,

make use of them in swimming ; the web at the bottom seems

only o/ service as a. broad base, to prevent them from sinking while

^jTATEB Fq;^f . 385

l|j«y walk hf tf^e Dtud; ^l|L i| otljeTwUe rather ]^tai:da tt)an adyances
iheir niQtloT^, i , ', ,i '

The (hprtn^M rf tlie legs in tlie wdiifbotaj kinds,' renders them as
unfit for walking ugon land, ofi it qualifies them for swimming- in
their niiiural element. Their stay, iherefore, upon land is but short
and transitory; ^nd ihey seldom venEiire to breed nirfrDm the'^jdes
of those walepi wtiere tliej usually remain. In' iheir breeding sea-
son?, their young are brought up by the water side ; and th«y are
covered with a warm down, in fit [hem for the toldni'ss of their sitiia-
tiqn. The old ones also have a closer, warmer plumage, than birds
of any other cljisa. It 1$ of their feathers thai our beds are cnmposed,
33 Jhey neither jn^tncr inribibe humjdity, but are furnished with an
antnial oil, that glazes their surface,' and keeps each separate. In
Home, however, this animal oil is in too great abtindance, and is aS
oifensive from it)i .smell ■fip it is serviceable for the purposes of hog.se-
hnld economy. The feathers, therefore, of all the penguin kind, are
to.ljjiy useless for ^omeiftic purposes, as neither boiling nor bleach-
ing can divest them of their oily rancidity. Indeed, the rancidity of
all new ieathers, of whatever water fowl they be, is so disgiistipg^
that our upholsterers give near double the price for old feathers that
they afford far new: to be free from amell, they niuU all be lairl
upon fur some time ; and their usual method is lo mix the new and
the old together.

This quantity of oil, with which most water fowl are suppliedi
contributes also lo their warmth in the moist element where Ihey re-
side. Their skin is generally lined with fat'; so that, with the warmth
of the feathers externally, and th'a natural lining more iniernaHy.'
they are beitt^r defended against the changes or the inclemencies of
the weather than any other class whatever.

As among land birds there are some found fitted entirely for de-
predation, and others for a harmless method of subsisting upon ve-
getables, so also among these birds there are tribes of plunderers that
prey not only upon fish, but sometimes upon water fowl themselves.
There are likewise more inoffensive tribes, that live upon insects
and vegetables only. Some water fowl? subsist by making sudden
atoups from above, to seize whatever iish comes netir the 'sufface ;
others, a^ain, not furnished with wings long enough 'to fit tl^em for
flight, lake their prey by diving after it lo the bottom.

Ffom hence all water fowl naturally fall into three distirfctions.'
Those of llie gull kind that, with long legs and round bills, fly along
the surrape,to. seize their prey : those oflhe penguin kitid, that, with
round bills, Ij^gs hid in. the abdomen, and short wings, dive allcr
ll;eJi' prey ; and thirdly, those of Uie goose kind, with flat broad
bills, ihat lead harmless lives, and chiefly subsist upon insects ^ud
v^gelablcB.

These are nut specutalivc distinctions, made up for the arrange-'
ifient of a system, bul tliey are strongly and evidently m'arked by
nature. The gull kind are active aiid rapacious, cqnslantly, except'
when they breed, keeping upon the wing, fitted fur a life of rapini

f^im

mstoRv OP

' wilh iharp itraight bills for piercing, or hooked at the end for tiold-

' jing their fishy prey. In this class we may rank the Albatross, the

Cormorant, the Gannel, or Soland Goose, the Shag, the Frigale-

bird, the Great Brown Gull, and all the lesser tribe of gulls and sea

^wallows.

The Penguin kind, with appetites as voracious, bills as sharp, aod

?|nally eager for prey, are yet unqualified to obtain it by flight.
heir wings are short, and their bodies large and heavy, so that
'they can neither run nor lly. But tliey are rormed for diving in a
very peculiar manner. Their feet are placed so far backward, and
their legs so hid in the abdomen, that the slightest stroke sends them
pead foremost lo the bottom of the water. To this class we may
I fefer the Penguin, the Auk, the Skout, the Sea-turlle, the Bottle-
lose, and the Loun.
The Goose kind are easily distinguishable by tlieir flat broad bills,
I epvered with a skin ; and their manner of feeding, which is mostly
upon vegetables. In this class we may place the Swan, the Goose,
t^e Duck, the Teal, the Widgeon, and all their numerous varieties.
i' In describing the birds of these three classes, I will put the most
f ^markable of each cl,assat the beginning of their respective tribes,
[ ud give their separate history; then, after having described the
chiefs of the tribe, Che more ordinary sorts will naturally fall in a
body, and come under a general description behind ihnr leaders,
I But before I ofltir to pursue this methodical arrangement I must
I ^To the history of a bird, that, from the singularity of its confor-
KlpBtioti, seems allied to no species, and sliould therefore ba sepa-
■ ihtlely described — I mean the Pelican.

OF THE PELICAN.

The Pelican v( Africa is much larger in the body than a swan,
and somewhat of the same shape and colour. Its four toea are all
webbed together, and its neck in some measure resembles that of a
swan : but that singularity in which it diflers from all other birds is
in the bill, and (he great pouch underneath, which are wonderful,
and demand a distinct description. This enormous bill is fifteen
inches from the point lo the opening of the mouth, which is a good
way back behind the eyes. A t the base the bill is somewhat green-
ish, but varies towards the end, being of a reddish-blue. It is very
thick in the beginning, but tapers oiT lo the end, where it hoolcs
downwards. The under chap is still more extraordinary ; for to
the lower edges of it hangs a bag, reaching the whole length of the
bill to the neck, which is said to be capable of containing Sneen
(luai'ts of waler. This bag the bird has a power of wrinkling up into
ifie hollow uf the under chap; but by opening the bill, and putting

WATER FOWt,

387

one's haDtl down into the bag, it may be distended at pleaeura. The
akin of which it is formed will then be seen of a bluish ash-colour,
with many fibres and veins running over iU surface. It is not
covered with feathers, but a short downy substance as smooth and
as soft as satin, and is attached ail along the under edges of the
chap, to be dxed backward to the neck of the bird by proper liga-
ments, and reaches near half way down. When this bug is empty
it is not seen ; but when the bird has fished with success, it is then
incredible to what an extent it is often seen dilated, For the lirst
thing the pelican does in fishing, is to fill up the bag, and then it
returns to digest its burden at leisure. When the bill is opened to
its widest extent, a person may run his head into the bird's mouth,
and conceal it in this monstrous pouoh, thus adapted for very sin-
gular purposes. Yet this is nothing to what Kuysch asaurea u«,
who avers that a man has been seen to hide his whole leg, boot and
all, in the monstrous jaws of one of these animals. At first appear-
ance this would seem impossible, as the sides of the under chap,
from which the bag depends, are not above an inch asunder when
the bird's bill is first opened : but then they are capable of great
separation; and it must necessarily be so, as the bird preys upon
the largest fishes, and hides them by dozens in its pouch. Terlre
affirms that it will hide as many fish as will serve si.ity hungry men
for a meal.

. Sudh is the formation of this extraordinary bird, which isa native
of Africa and America. The pelican was once also known in Europe,
particularly in Russia ; but it seems to have deserted our coasts.
This is the bird of which so many fabulous accounts have been pro-
pagated ; such as its feeding its young with its own blood, and its
carrying a provision of water lor them in its great reservoir in the
desert. But the absurdity of the first account answers itself; and
as for the latter, the pelican uses its bag for very dijferent purpose*
than that of filling it with water.

Its amazing pouch may be considered as analogous to the crop
in other birds, with this difference, that ns theirs lies at the bMtohi
of the gullet, so this is placed at the topi Thus, as pigeons and
other birds macerate their food for their young in their crops,, and
then supply them, so the pelican supplies its young by a more
ready contrivance, and macerates their food in its bill, or stores it
for its own particular sustenance.

The ancients were particularly fond of giving this bird admirable
qualities and parental affections. Struck, perhaps, with its exli»-
ordinary figure, they were willing to supply it with as extraordinary
appetites ; and having found it with a large reservoir, they were
pleased with turning it to the most tender and parental uses- But
the truth is, the pelican is a very heavy, sluggish, voracious bird,
and very ill fitted to lake those (lights, or to make those cautious
provisions for a distant lime, which we have been told it does.
Father Labat, wlio seems to have studied their manners with great

388 . TIISTOUY OF

exftctness, has 'given us a minute liiBtory of thia birJ, as founil if
Amerim; and fton» him 1 will hortdw mine.

The ptiicao, »ys Labsi, hua strong wingi, (urniilied with thick
{tlumage of an ufa-colotir, as are the rest of the feBtlieiii dver (tie
whole body. Its «jes are very small, when comparuJ lo the lixe of
ilB head i ihpm !■ a eadness in its countenance, and its wliole 0*
mekiKbol; ; it is as dull and reluctant in iU motions a.ttlie flamirq
is spriglitly and active. It if slow of flight ; and »ltm it rises t
performs il with difficulty and .labour. Nothing, as ii *i>dd 1
but Uie spur uf neeessitj', could make thesij birds cltnuge tlieir 1
tioil^ or induce them to ascend into the air; but they muti 1
starve or fly.

They are torpid and inactive to the last degree, sit lliat na
can exceed their indolence but their gUttony ; it . is only frofn t
atimulatioQS of hunger that lliey are^axciled to laifamir, fur oUMrwi
they would continue always in Gsed repose. When they have n
themselves about thirty or forty feel Abav,e the aiicface of the h
they tnra their {lead with one eyiB downward^, and continue U> fly in
that poBliire. As soon tts they perceive a 6sh sufficiently near: the
surliice, they dart down upon it with the swifioe^a ofao arrow, le^
it with utterring certainty, and store it up imtheir pouch. Tfaey t)
rise again, tlimigh not without great labour, and continue hovcriill
and fishing, with their head on one side as before.

This work ihey Continue with great effort and industry iUl.it
bag is full, and then they fly to land, to devour and digest at leiiuinl
the fruits of their industry. This, however, it woul '
are not long in performing; for towards night they have aaoll
hungry call, and they again reluctantly go to labour. At ntghtt
ulien their fishing is over, and the toil of the day crowned with suc-
cess, these lazy buds (retire <a litU£ way from the shore ; and though
With the^ webbed feet and clumsy HguFe of a goose, they will be con-
tented lo perch no where but upon trees, among the light and airy
tenants of the forvsl, Tliere they take their re^xMe ifor the night, and
often Bpeod agreai port of the day, except such lime^ asthey are
&hing, silling in disaial solemnity, and asit would seeing halCasloepi
Their «ttilude is, with the head resting upon their great bag, and
that resting t^on their breast There they remain 1 with out motion,
or once changing their situation, till tiie calls of hunger break their
repose, and till they find it indispensably necessary to fill Uieir
magneine for a fresh meal. Thus their life is spent between sleep-
ing and eating; apd oar author adds, that tlioy are as foul-aaiUwy
are voracious, as they are every momonl voiding excrements in lieaps
s large as one's. list,

The.satncindoten.t habits seem lu. attend themievea in prupocii^
(or incubstiont and defending ihoir young when excluded,
femake' makM no preparation fiH* her nest, nor seems to cbome 4
place in preference to lay in, but drops bur eggs on the bare g
) the number of live or six, and ihere continues \a liatoh.U

WATEIt FOWL.

a89

taclied to the place, without any desire of defending her eggs or her
young, she lamely eits and sufTere ihem to be taken Trom under her.
Now and then she jiisl vcnttlres lo peck, or to cry out when a perron
offers to beat her off.

She feeds her yoiing willi fish macerated for some time in her bAg '
and when they cry, flies off for a new siipply. I^abai (ells us that
he took two of iheae when very young, and tied them by the' leg lo
a post stlick into the ground, where he hail the pleasureof seeiog Ih'e
old one for several days come to feed them, remaining with themllie
greatest part of the day, and spending the night on the branch of a.
tree that hung over them. By these means they were all three be-
come so familiar, that thev suffered themselves, io be hatidtcd; and
the young ones very kindly' accepted whatever ilsh be offered (liem,
These they always pot first into their bag, and (hen sWallbw'ed &i
their leisure.

It seemsj howoTer, that Ihey are but disagreeable' and useless do-
'meslics; tljeir gluttony cah scarcely, be satisfied : iheir fleih smel)'^
very rancid, aijd tastes a thousand times worse ihan it'^mells. The
ttative Americans kill vast mimbers, not to eat, foi' they arc Ji6t 111
even for the banquet of a savage, but to convert Ih^ir large' bogs
into purses and tobacco poiiches. They bestow no small' pa^ns in
dressing the skin with salt and a'sheS, rubbing it well with oil, and
then forming it to their purpose. It thus becomes so soft and pliant
that the Spanish women sometimes adorn it with gold and'tm-
brofdery to make work-bags of.

Yet, with all the seeming hebetude of this bird, it is not entirely
incapable of inslruclioii in a domestic slate. Father Haymond assured
us, that he has seen oiie Bo tame and well educated amohg' the na-
tive Americans, that it would go off in the, morning at the w6rd of
command, and return before night to ilit master, vhh its great po'u'cli
distended with plunder ; a part of which the savages would nia!ke 'it
disgorge, and a part they would permit it lo reserve for itself.

" The pelican,"' as Faber relates, " is not destitute of other quali'
fications. One of those which was brought alive lo the Duke of
Bavaria's court, where it lived forty years, ' seemed to be possessed
of very uncommon sensations. It was much delighted in the com-
pany and conversation ofinen, and in milsic both vocal and instru-
mental ; for it would willingly stand," sayS lie, " by those that sung
or sounded the trumpet; and stretching out its head, and lurnihg its
ear to the music, listened very ntlentively to ita harmony, though
its own voibe was little pleosanter than the braying of an ass." ' Gts-
ner lells iis, that ihe Emperor Maximilian had a tame pelican wiiich
jived for ab&ve eighty years, and that always attended his army ort
tlieir march. It was one of the largest of the kind, and bad a daily
allowance by the emperor's orders. As another proof of the great
age to which the pelican lives, Aldrovandus malies mention of one
of these birds that was kept several yeiirsat Mechlin, and was tetiW
believed to be fifty years old.— 'We often see these birds at ,0OT
shows about town.

HISTORY or

I , CHAPTER III.

■ OF THE ALBATBOSS, THE FIRST OF THE OULL KtMD.

W Though this ia one of the largesl and most rurinidable birda uf
FAfrica and America, yet we have but few accounts to enlighten as
FU) hs htBtory, The figure of the bird is thus described by Edwards:
y'The body is rattier larger than that of the pelican; and its wings.
Bwhen extended, ten fe^t Troni tip to lip. Tlie bill, wliich is six inches
Mtmg, is yellowish, and terminates in a crooked point. The lop of
P&e head is of a bright brown ; the back is of a dirty deep spotted
I ^rown ; and the belly and under the wing is white ; the to^is, which

■ ftre webbed, are of a flesh colour."

I Such are the principal traits in this bird's Ilgure ; but these load
I iu a very short way in its history, and our natuiahsts have thought
I4it to say nothing more. However I am apt to believe tliii bird to
I lie the same with that described by Wicquefort, under the title of
rffie Alcatraz; its size, its colours, and its prey, incline me to think
Pio. He describes it as a kind of great gull, as large in the body as
I • goose, of a brown colour, with a long bill, and living upon fish, of
L%hich they kill great numbers.

I Xhis bird is an inhabitant of the tropical climates, and also beyond
I 0)em as far as the Straits of Magellan in the South Seas. It is
K^e of the most Rerce and formidable of the ai^iiatic tribe, not only
KjBTiog upon fish, but also such small water fowl as it can t&ke by
vSurprise. It preys, as all the gull kind do, upon the wing; and chieflj^
I ^'^"^B ^'^^ flying'lish, that are forced from the se^ by the dolphins.
I The ocean in that partof tlic world presents a very different appear-
I ance from the seas with which we are surrounded. In our seas we
KSee notliing but a dreary expansie, rufHed by winds, and seemingly
Kforsaken by ^very class of animated nature. BuLUie tropical seas,
Bfitid the^di^nt south latitudes beyoi^ them, are all alive with birds
[ted fishes, pursuing and pursued. Every various species of Ihe gull
W Kind are thei'e seen hovering on the wing, at a thousand miles dis-
iwpce from the shore. The flying-fish are every morii en t rising to
I escape from their pursuers of the deep, only to encounter equal dan-
P.feers in tlie air. Just as they rise, the dolphin is seen (odarl afler
F ueni, but generally in vain ; the gull has more frequent ■ucces:',
I llnd often takes them atlheir rise; while the albatross pursues the
^lil, aiid obliges it to relinquish its prey : so that the whole horizon
I Dresenis bnt one living plcltire of rapacity and evasion.
[ ,, So much is certain ; but how far we are to credit Wicqueforl in
I ivhat he adds concerning ibis bird, the reader is left to determine.
I y As these birds, except when Ihey breed, live entirely remote IVoni
L juid, so they are odeti seen, as it should seem, sleeping in the air.
jit night, when lliey are pressed by slumber, they rise into the clouds
>f high as they can ; there, pulling their licad under one wing, they
^ heat tb» air with the ulher, and seem to take their ease. Atler &

DR. GOLDSMITH'. NATURAL HISTORY.

WATKB POTTL. 391

lime, however, the weight of iheir bodies, only thus half aupporied,
brings them down, and they are seen descending, with a pretty
rapid motion, to the eurface of ihe sea. Upon this they again put
forth their eflbris to rise: and thus alternately ascend and descend at
their eaie. But it Bomelimes happens," says my author, " that in
these sliimbering flights, they are off their guard, and fall upon deck,
where they are taken."

What truth there may be in this account 1 will not take it upon
me to deterntine ; but certain it is, that few birds float upon the air
with more ease than the albatross, or support tliemselves a longer
time in that element. They seem never to feel the accesses of fa-
tigue; but night and day upon the wing, are always prowling, yet
always emaciated and hungry.

But though this bird be one of the most formidable tyrants of the
deep, there are some unions which even tyrants thetnwlves form, to
which they are induced either by caprice or necessity. The alba-
tross seems to have a peculiar affection for the penguin, and a plea-
sure in its society, "Hiey are always seen to choose the same places
for breeding — some distant, uninhabited island, where the ground
rianls to the sea, as the penguin is not formed either for flying or
climbing. In such places their nests are seen together, as if they
stood in need of Mutual assistance and protection. Captain Hunt,
who for some time commanded al our settlement upon Falbland
Islands, assures me, that he was oflen amazed at the union preserved
between these birds, and the regularity with whichthey build toge-
ther, f n that bleak and desolate spot, where the birds had long con-
tinued undisturbed possessors, and no way dreaded the encroachment
of men, they seemed to make their abode as comfortable as they
especied it to be lasting. Thoy were seen to build with an amazing
degree of uniformity, their nests covering fields by thonsands, and
resembling a regular plantation. In the middle, on high, the alba-
tross raised its nest on heath, sticks, and long grass, about two feet
above the surface ; round this the penguins made their lower settle-
ments, rather in holes in the ground, and most usually eight penguins
to one albatross. Nothing Is a stronger proof of M. Buffon's fine ob-
servation, that the presence of man not only destroys the society of
meaner animals, but their instincts also. These nests are now, 1 am
told, totally destroyed ; the society is broke up; and the albatross
and penguin have gone to breed upon more desert shores, in greater
'security.

irrsTORT'lOwr

vii,,,'. CHAPTER IV. ;..,-. .„,.■,]. .i.'.d.-^',i«

THE CORMORANT. *^B

.i> Tub Cormorant is about the s'tze of a large MiisoOVy duck, Al^|
iMy'liediitin^uiilKd from all olhec birJ» of (hit kigd, byUa Svj^^
toea being: united by inembraneg tr>gellicr, and bj Uie iniddl«,l)^|
being loollied or DDtdied, like a saw, lo agaUt it inilitfldin^ ile Af^l
prc^j." Tiie head tknd neck or llus bird are of a sooty blacknq^H
and the body thick: and heavy, more inclining in tigure (o l^batii^f
llie gooea than the gull The bill is straight till near the end, wbi^H
ibe upper chap beildsinto a book. J^l

))ut notwitlistanding llie seeming heaviness of its nijakfi, there 4|(H
few birds more poimfully predaceoua. As (oon as the *^i*^H
appi'oacliea, thej ate «een dispersed along the iea-«hoFe, and ascefldH
ing up the mooiha of fresh water riven, carrying dealruction t«>)l^|
-tb^ Giinf tribe. Ttfey are most remarkably vorttciouB, 4pd bawi^f
rmost sitdden digestion. Their appetite is for ^ver craving, M^l
tae^er satiafied. Tbia gnawing . sensation may probably be incrtiaiMa
by the graet quantiliy of small worms tht^t iill their inteatinea, Al^l
vhich their unceasing gluttony contributes to engender. ,,,1^- fl

Thus formed with grossest appetites, this unclean bird bMillwn
moat rank and disagreeable stnelJ, and is more fetid than even Clt'l
Hon, when in its most healthful stale, ha form, aaya ap ingenimfM
4»odern, is disagreeable; its voice is hoarse and croaking ; aod i/fM
4U qualities obscene. No wonder then that Milton should tbt^fl
Satan personate this bird, when he sent him upon the basest purpff-J
■es, to survey with pain the beauties of Paradise, and to sit devisPlfV
:tJeath on the tree of life.* It has been remarked, ho wgver, of INM
Ipoet, that the making a waterfowl p«ffoh upon,ft tree, ia>pli»d m^fl
great acquaintance with the history of nature. In vindicatiuB4G|
'Milton, Anatoile cipressly sajs, that the. cormorant is the only wal«r "
-fotrl that Bits.on trees. We Jiav« already seen the pelican of this
number; and the cormorant's toea seem as fit for perching upon
trees aa for svrimniing ; eo tliat our epic bard seems to have been as
:deeply versed in nmiiral history as in critKism.
< Indeed, this bitd seems to beofa multiform nature, ftud wherever
.fish are to be found, watches their migrations. It js seen as. well by
land as:sea; it 6shegin fresh water lakes, aa well as in the deptlis of
the ocean; it builds in (he cliffs of rocks, as well as on trees i and
preys not only in the daytime, but by night.

Its indefatigable nature, and its great power in catching' lish, were
probably the motives that induced some nations to breed this bird
up lame, for the purposes of flshing; and Willoughby assures us it
was once used in England for that purpose. The description of ibeir
manner of fishing is thus delivered by Faber : " When they carry
them out of the rooms where they are kept to the Gsh-pooU,
hoodwink tnem, that they may not be flighted by the way.
• Villi Pennant's Znolnjy, p. 477.

r"i^

W^ATER FOWL. '393

t&ey ora come to the rivers, they take off tlieir iioods ; and having
tied a leather thong round the lower part of their iieckB.ltint they
•may not swallow down the 6»h they calch, ihey throw them into the
river. They presenllj dive under wsier, and there, for a longtime,
with nonderlnl swidness, pursue the Gsh ; and when they have canghl
them, rtBc to the top of tlic water, and preasing the fish lightly with
their bills, swallow ^eiB, till each bird hath, after this manner, de-
voured live or sin 6shcs. Then their keepers call them to the liM, to
which they readily fly : and, one after another, vomit up all their
(ish, a little bruised with the first nip given in catching them. When
they have done Ushing, setting the birds on some high place, they
loose the string from their necks,, leaving the passage lo the stomach
free and open ; and, for their r^ffatd, they throw ihem part of their
prey ; to each, one or two fishes, which they will calcli most dexte-
rously as they are falling in the air."

At present, the cormorant is trained up in every part of China for
ihe same purpose, where there are many lakes and canals. " To
this end," says Le Compte, "they are educated as men rear up
spaniels or hawks ; and one man can easily manage a hundred. The
fisher carries them out into the lake, peivhed on the gunnel of bin
boat, where they continue tranquil, and expecting his orders with
patience. When arrived at a proper place, at the lirst signal given
loach flies a different way, to fulfil the task assigned it. It is very
.pleasant, on this. occasion, to behold with what sagacity they porlidn
<t«t the lake or tlie conal where they are upon duly. ' Th»y hunt
i4iMu(, they plunge, they rise a hundred limes to the nurface, until
)lhey have at last found. tWr prey. They th«i seiie' it with their
beak by the middle, and carry it without fail to their master. When
the fish is too large, they (hen give each other mulualainislance ; one
amzea it by the head, the other by the tail, and in this manner can-y
it to the boat together. There the boatman stnaidiea out one of his
long oars, on which they perob, and being delivered of their burden,
ihey fly off lo pursue their sport. When they are wearied, he lets
them rest for a while ; but they are never fed till tlieir work is over.
In (his manner they supply a very plentiful table; but still their na-
tural gliiUony cannot be reclaimed even by education. They have
always, while they fish, the same string fastened round their throats,
to prevent them from devouring their prey, as otherwise they would
at once satiate (heniselves, nod discontinue their pursuit the mometit
Ihey had filled their bellies,"

As for tlie rest, the carmorant is tlie best fislier of all birds ; and
though fat and heavy with the quantity it devours, isi never dicless
generally upon the wing, The great activity with which it puraues,
. ftnd from a va»t heigln. drop! down lo dive after its prey, otibrs otie
' of tlie moBl amusing spectacles to those who stand upon aidiff An
theihwe. This large bird is seldom seen m the' air, but where there
are fisli below : btil then ihey nwAt be near the surface befone '

BUB8 upon them. If they nre at a depth -beyond whot
; impetus of ill flight makes thc^ cormorant onpaU? t'f diving to,

■394 HISTORY tjr

they certainty escApc him ; for tliis bin! cannot move aa fast nai
water, as the Sah can swim. It seldom, however, mattes i
cessful dip, and is often seen rising heavily, with a fish larger thu
can readily devour. It Bometimes also happens, that the c
lias caught the Qsh by the tail, and consequently the lins prevent 9
, being easily swallowed in that position. In this cose, the bird %
seen to toss its prey above its head, and very dexterously to catch 8|
when descending, by the proper end, and so swallow it with e

CHAPTER V.

OF THE GANNET, OR SOLANO GOOSE.

Thb Gannet is of the siK« of a tame goose, but its wings mudi U

■ gee, being six feet over. The bill is six inches long, slratgfat slin
to the point, where it inclines down, and the sides are irregulW
jagged, that it may hold its prey with greater seen nty. It differs frtl

I'the cormorant in size, being larger ; and its colatr, which is chiefl
, white ; and by its having no nostrils, but in their place a long fui^
.row, that reaches almost lo the end of the bill. From the corner of
> the mouth is a narrow slip of bluck bare skin, that extends to tiie

■ hind part of the head ; beneath the skin is another, that, like the
! pouch of the pelican, is dilatable, and of size sufficient to contain
.five or six entire herrings, which io the breeding season it carries at
I onoo to ibi male or iig young.

These birds, which subsist entirely upon Hsh, chiefly resort to those
^uninhabited, islands where there food is found in plenty, and men

f seldom come lo disturb them. The islands to the north of Scotland,
(he Skelig Islands olTlliecoasU off Kerry, in Ireland, and those that

) lie in the North Sea, olf Norway, abound with ihem. But it is on the
Bass Island, in the Firth of Edinburgh, where they are raen in the
greatest abundance. " There is a small island," say.s the celebratJ^

. ijarvey, "called the Bass, not more than a mile in circumference.
The surface is almost wholly covered during the months of May

. and June with their nests, their eggs, and young. It is scarcely pot*
Bible lo walk without treading on ihem: the flocks of birds upon the
wing are sonumerousastodarkentheairlike acloud; and their noise
is such, that one cannot, without difficulty, be heard by the person
next to him. When one looks downjupon the sea from the precipice,
its whole surface seems covered with infinite numbers of birds nf dif-
ferent kind s,',swi mm ing and pursuing theirprey. If, in sailing round
the island, one surveys its hanging ctifK, in every crag or fissure of

' the broken rocks may be seen innumerable birds, of various sorts and
sizes, more than the stars of heaven when viewed in a serene night.
Iflhey are viewed ata distance, eitlier receding, or in their approach
lotheisiand,they8eemlikeonevasl swarm of bees."

WATKtt^OWL. 393

They are not test froqueni upon iKe rocki of 9t. KHda. Martia
assores ui, that ihc inhabkanis of that small island consume va-
niraJly near iwenty-tliree tKousand young birdii of this species, beside
«n amazing quantity of their eggs. On these they principally sub*
sist througlinut the year ; and, Trom ihe number of these visitants,
make an estimate of their plenty for the season. They preserve
both the eggs and fowls in small pyramidal stone buildings, cover-
ing them with turf-ashes, to prevent the evaporatioti of their mois-
ture.

The gannet is a bird of passage. In winter, it seeks the more
■outhern coasts of Cornwall, hovering over the shoals of herrings
Knd pilchards that then come down from the northern seas. Its first
•ppearance in the northern islatids is in the beginning of spring;
and it continues to breed till the end of summer. But, in general,
its motions are determined by the migrations of the immense shoals
of herrings that come pouring down at that season throiigli the British
Channel, and supply all Europe, as well as this bird, with their
'spoil. The gannet assiduously attends the shoal in their passage,
Iteeps with them in .their whole circuit round our island, and shares
with our Rshermen this exhaustless banquet. As it is strong of wing,
it never comes near the land, but is constant to its prey. Where-
eyer the gannet is seen, it is sure to announce to the fishermen the
orrival of the finny tribe : they then prepare their nets, and take tho
herrings by millions at a draught; while the gannet, who came to
give the first information, comes, though an unbidden guest, and
often snatches its prey from the fisherman even in his boat. While
the lishing season continues, the gannets are busily employed ; but
when the pilchards disappear from our coasta, (he gannet takes its
leave to keep them company.

The cormoi^nt has been remarked for the quickness of his sight ;
yet in this* the gannet seems to exceed him. It is possessed of a
transparent membrane under the eye-lid, with which it covers the
whole eye at pleasure, without obscuring the sight in the smallest
degree. This seems a necessary provision for the secuiity of the
eyes of so weighty a creature, whose method of taking prey, like
that of the cormorant, is by darting headlong down from a height of
B hundred feet and more into the water to seize it. These birdy
are sometimes taken at sea, by fasinninga pilchard to a board, whicb ■
they leave floating, The gannet instantly pounces down from above
upon the board, and is killed or maimed by the shock of a body
where it expected no resistance.

These birds breed hut once a-year, and lay but one egg, which
being taken away, they lay another; If that is also taken, then a
third, but never more for that season. Their egg is white, and rather
less than that of the common goose ; and their nest large, composed
of such substances as are found doaung on the surface of the sea.
The young birds, during the first year, differ greatly in colour from
the old Ones ; being of a dusky hue, speckled with numerous triangular

VOL. II. I I

I
I

890 HISTORY OF

white spoU, and at Uiat time resembling the cohHirs or the b

The. Bass laland, where they chiefly breed, belongs to o
prielor; «ci thai care is taken never to fright away the birds when
laying, or to shoot them upon the wing. By that means, they are
so conlident as to alight and feed their yonng ones close beside you.
They feed only upon Gih, as was observed; yet (he young gannei
is counted a great dainty by the Soots, and sold very dear ; so thsl
the lord of the islet makes a considerable annual profit by the u

CHAPTER VI.

OF BMALLEH OULLS AND PETBELS.

HAftNO described the manners of the great ones of thi
those of the smaller kinds may be easily inferred. They resembls
the more powerful in their appetites fur prey, but have not such
certain methods of obtaining it. Id general, therefore, the industry
of this tribe and their audacity increase in proportion to their im-
becility : the great gulls live at the must remote distance from niao :
the smaller are obliged to reside wherever they can take their prey,
and to come into the most populous places when solitude can no
longer grant them a supply. In this class wo may place the Gull,
properly so called, of which there are above twenty difierent kiudi;
the Petrel, of which there are three ; and the Sea Swallow, of whidi
there are as many. The gulls may be distinguished by an ftnguUr
knob on (he lower chap; the petrels by their wanting this knob;
and the sea swallows by their bills, which are straight, slender, snd
sharp pointed. They all, however, agree in their appetite, and
their places of abode.

The gull, and all its varieties, is very well known in every pari
of the kingdom. It is seen with a slow sailing flight hovering over
rivers to prey upon ilie smaller kinds of 6sh ; it is seen following the
ploughman in fallow fielcls to pick up insects ; and when living aoi-
mal food does not ofler, it has even been known to eat carrion, aul
whatever else of the kind that offers. Gulls are found in great plenty
in every place ; but it is chiefly round our boldest rockiest shores
that they are seen in the greatest abundance : — It is there that tbe
gull breeds and brings up its young; it is there that millions uf
them are heard screaming with discordant notes for months to-
gether.

Those who have been much upon our coasts, know that tJiere an

o diflTerent kinds of shores — that which slants down to the valet

(h a gentle declivity, and that which rises with a precifxtale bold*

nesB, that seems set as a bulwark to repel the force of the iovadia;

deeps. It is to such shores as these t)iat the whole tribe of the gull

W^ATBR FOWL. 897

kind resort, as the rocks otTer them b retreat for their young, and the
sea a sufficient supply. It is in the caviiiea of these rocks, of which
the shore is composed, that the vast variety of sea fowls retire to
breed in safety. The waves beneath, that continunlly beat at the
base, often wear the shore into an impending boldness, so that it
seems to jut out over the water, while the raging of the sea makes
the place inaccessible from below. These are the situaUons to
which sea fowl chiefly resort, and bring up their young in undis-
turbed security.

Those who have never observed our boldest coasts, have no idea
of their tremendous sublimity. The boasted works of art, the highest
towers, and the noblest domes, are but ant-hills when put in com-
parison ; the single cavity of a rock often exhibits a coping higher
than thecielingof a Gothic cathedral. The face of the shore offers
to the view a wall of massive stone tea times higher than our tallest
steeples. What should we think of a precipice three quarters of b
mile in height T and yet the rocks of St. Kilda are still higher I
What must be our awe to approach the edge of that impending
height, and to look down on the unfathomable vacuity below I To
ponder on the terrors of falling lo the bottom, where the waves that
swell like mountains are scarcely seen to curl on tlie surface, and
the roar of an ocean a thousand leagues broad appears softer than
the murmur of a brook I It is in these formidable mansions that
myriads of sea fowls are for ever seen sporting, flying in security
down the depth, half a mile beneath the I'eet of the spectator. The
crow and the chough avoid those frightful precipices ; they choose
smaller heights, where they are less exposed to the tempest: it is
the cormorant, the gannet, the tarrock, and the terne, that venture
to these dreadful retreats, and claim an undisturbed possession. To
the spectator from above, those birds, though some of them are
above the siie of an eagle, seem scarcely as large as a swallow ; and
their loudest screaming is scarcely perceptible.

But the generality of our shores are not so formidable. Though
they may rise two hundred fathoms above the surface, yet it often
happens that the water forsakes the shore at the departure of the
tide, and leaves a noble and delightful walk for curiosity gn the
beach. Not to mention the variety of shells with which the sand is
strewed, the lofty rocks that hang over the spectator's head, and that
seem but just kept from falling, produce in him no unplea.'<ing
gloom. Ifto this be added the fluttering, the screaming, and the
pursuits of myriads of water birds, all either intent on tite duties of
incubation, or roused at the presence of a stranger, nothing can com-
pose a scene of more peculiar solemnity- To walk along the shore
when the tide is departed, or lo sit in the hollow of a rock when it
is come in, attentive to the various sounds that gather on every side,
above and below, may raise the mind to its highest and noblest
exertions. The solemn roar of the waves swelling into end subsid-
ing from the vast caverns beneath, the piercing note of the gull, the
frequent chatter of the guillemot, the loud note of the auk, the scream

I
1

998 HISTORY OP

of the heron, and the hoarse deep periodica) croaking of the cor-
nioraut, all unite to furnish out the grandeur of the scene, and (utQ
the mind to Him nho ia the essence of all subhinity.

Yet It of\en happens that the contemplation of a lea-sbore pro-
duces ideas of a humbler kind, yet still not unpleasing. The various
arts of these birds to seize their prey, and sometimes to elude their
pursuers, their society among each other, and their tendernesa and
eare of their young, produce gentler sensations. It is ridiculous also
now and then to see their various ways of iniposiog upon each other.
It is common enough, for instance, with the arctic gull, to pursue the
lesser gulls so long, that they drop their excrements through fear,
which the hungry hunter quickly gobbles up before it ever reaches
the valer. In breeding too (hey have fretjuent contests : one bird,
vrho ha* no nest of her own, attempts to dispossesa another, and put
herself in the place. This often happens among all the gull kind :
and I have seen the poor bird, thus displaced by her more powerrul
invader, sit near (he nest in pensive discontent, while the other seemed
quite comfortable in her i^ew habitation. Vet this place of pre-
eminence is not easily obtained ; for the instant the invader goes to
snatch a momentary sustenance, the other enters upon her own, and
always ventures another battle before she relinquishes the justness
of her claim. The contemplatioD of a cliffthus covered with hatching
birds, affords a very agreeable entertailiment ; and as they sit upon
the ledges of the rocks, one above another, with their white breasts
forward, the whole group has not unaptly been compared to an
apothecary's shop.

These birds, like ell others of the rapacious kind, lay but few
eggs; and hence, in many places, their number is daily seen to di-
minish- The lessening of so many rapacious birds may, at Grai sight,
appear a beneGl to mankind ; but when we consider how many of
the natives of our islands are sustained by their flesh, either fresh or
salted, we shall find no satufaction in thinking that these poor peo-
ple may in time lose iheir chief support. The gull in general, as
was said, builds on the ledges of rocks, and lays from one egg to
three, in a nest formed of long grass and sea-weed. Most of the
kind are lishy tasted, with black stringy flesh ; yet the young ones
are better foiid ; and of these, with several other birds of the penguin
kind, the poor inhabitants of our northern islands make their wretched
banquets. They have been long used to no other food; and even
salted gull can be relished by those who know no better. Almost
all delicacy is a relative thing; and the man who repines at thelus*
uries of a well-served table, starves not fur want, but from compa-
rison. The luxuries of the poor are indeed coarse to us, yet still
they are luxuries to those ignorant of better ; and it ia probable
enough that a Kilda or a Feroe man may be found to exist, outdoing
Apicius himself in consulting the pleasures of the table. Indeed, if
i that such meat as is the most dangerously earned is the
no Aian can dine so luxuriously as these, as none venture
ID hardily in the pursuit of a dinner. In Jacobaon*s History of the

WATER POWI..

800

which thoK birds

Feroe Islandi, we have an account of the method i
are taken ; and I vill dehver it in liis own gimpli

" It cannot be expressed with what paina and danger they take
these birds in those high sleep clifia, whereof many are two hundred
fathoms high. But there are men apt by nature, and lit for the
work, who take them usually in two manners ; they either climb
froni below into these high promontories, that are as steep aa a wall,
or they let themselves down with a rope from above. When they
climb from below, they luve a pole five or six ells lon^, with an iron
hook at the end, which they that are below in the boat, or on the
cliff, fasten to the man's girdle, helping him up thus to the highest
place where he can get fooling; afterwards they also help up an-
other man ; and thus several climb up as high as possibly they can ;
and where they find difficulty, they help each other up, by thrusting
one another up with their poles. When the first hath taken fooling,
he draws tlie other up to him, by the rope fastened to his waist : and
so they proceed, till they come to the place where the birds build.
They there go about as well as they can, in those dangerous places ;
the one holding the rope at one end, and fixing himself to ihe rock,
the other going at the other end from place to place. If it should
happen that he chancelh lo fall, the other that stands firm keeps hint
up, and helps him up again. But if he pasaeth safe, he likewise
fastens himself till the other has passed the same dangerous places
also. Thus they go about the cliffs afler birds as they please. It
often happenetb, however, the more is the pity, that when one doth
not stand fast enough, or is not sufliciently strong to hold up the
other in his fall, that they both fall down and are killed. In this
manner some do perish every year."

Mr. Peter Clanson, in his description of Norway, writelh, that there
was anciently a law in that country, that whosoever climbed so on
the cliffs that he fell down and died, if the body was found, before
burial his next kinsman should go the same way ; but if he durst
not, or could not do it, the dead body was not then to be buried in
sanctified earth, as the person was too full of temerity, and his own
destroyer.

"When the fowlers are come, in themanner aforesaid, lotbebirda
within the cliffs, where people seldom come, the birds are so tame
that they take them with their hands ; for they will not readily leave
their young. But when they are wild, they cast a net, with which
they are provided, over them, and entangle them therein. In the
mean time, there lieth a boat beneath in the sea, wherein they cast
the birds killed; and in this manner they can, in a short time, fill a
boat with fowl. When it is pretty fair weather, and there is good
fowling, the fowlers stay in tlie cliffs seven or eight days together ;
for there are here and there holes in the rocks, where they can safely
rest, and they have meat let down to them with a line from the top
of the mountain. In the mean time some go every day to them, to
fetch home what they have taken.

" Some rocks are so difficult that they can in no manner get nnto

^^K sforeaaid

40O HISTORT OP

iliem frcmi beloiv ; wberefure they seek to coroe dovn ttiereunlo ttcta
above, For tliia purpose they have a rope, eighty ot a hundred
falhoma long, made of hemp, nnd three TiDgers thick. The fonler
maketb the end dI' this fast about his waist, and between his leg«,
ao that be can Mt llKreon ; and is thus lei down, with the fowliog-
ttaffin liishoad. Sis men hold by the rope, and let him easily
down, laying a large piece of wo«d on tlie brink of the rock, upon
wliich the rope glideth,. that il may not be worn to pieces by the hard
And rough edge of the stone. I'hey have, besides, another aaiall
Lne, that is fastened to (he fowler's body ; on which he pulleth, to
give ihem notice how ihey should let down the great rope, either
lower or higher ; or to hold still, that he may stay in the place wbera-
wilo tie is come. Here tlie man is in great danger, because of tie
Btunes that are loosened from the cliff by the swinging of the rope,
and he cannot aroid them. To remedy thii in some measure, he
haih usually «n his head a seaman's thick and shaggy cap. which
defends him from the blows of the stones if Ihey be not too big, and
then il coMeth him his life ; nevertheless, they continually put theio-
eelvea in that danger, fur the wretched body's food sake, hoping in
God's mercy and proleelion, urilo which the greatest part of Ihem
dg devoutly recommend (heoue)ves when they go to work ; other-
wise, they say, there is no other great danger in it, eicept that it is
a loilsome and artificial labour ; for he t|iat hath not learned to be
BO let down, and is not used thereto, is turned ahoul with the rope,
10 that he soon groweth giddy, and can do nothing ; but be Ihal
hath learned the art, considers il as a sport, swings himself on ihe
rope, sets his feet against the rock, casts hiipselfgome fathoms from
thence, and shootn himself to what . place he will : he knows where
ihe birds are, he understands how to sit on the line in the air, and
how to hold the fowling-HlafT in his hand, etj-iking therewith the birds
that come or fly away ; and when there are holes in the rocks, and
it slretchea itself oul, making underneath as a deling under which
the birds are, he know«th how to shoot himself in among them, and
there take firm footing. There, when he is in these holes, he makelh
himself loose of the rope, which he fastens to a crag of tlie rock, that
it may not slip from him to the outside of the cliff. He ihen goes
about in the rock, taking the fowl, either with his hands or the fowl-
ing-^tefT. Thus, when he hath killed as many birds as he thinks 6t,
he lies them in a bundle, and fastens ihem to a little rope, giving a
sign, by pulling, that they should draw them up. Wljen he has
wrought thus the whole day, and desires to get up again, lie aittetti
once more upon Ihe great rope, giving a new sign thai they should
pull liirn up, Or else he workelh himself up, climbing along the rope,
with his girdle full of birds. It is also usual, where there are not
folks enough to hold the great rope, for the fowler to drive a post
sloping' iittn the eartlt, and to make a rope fast ihereto, by which be
let* himself doKn without any body's help, to work in tlie maiuiei
aforesaid. Some rocks are so formed that the perwn can go inie
■ by land,

WATER FOWX. 401

" Th^e manners are rxjtu terrible and dangeroua to see titan to
describe; eHpecially if one considers the steepness and height of the
roclu, it geeming impouible for a man to approach thero,.niuch leas
to climb or descend. In some places the fowlers are seen climbing
where they can only faiten the ends oflheir toes sod lingers, not shun-
ning such places, though there be an hundred fathom belweeD them
and the sea, It is a dear meal far these poor people, for which they
must venture their lives : and many, after long venturing, do at last
perish therein.

',' When the fowl Is brought home, a part thereof is eaten frerfi ;
another part, when there is much taken, being hung up for winter
provision. The feathers are gathered to make merchandise of, for
other expenses. The inhabitants get a great many of these fowls,
as God giveth his blessing and fit weather. When it is dark and
hazy, they lake most, for then the birds stay in the rocks ( but io
clear weather, and hot sunshine, they seek the sea. When they
prepare to depart for the season, they keep themselves moat there,
sitting on the cllfls , towards the sea-side, where people get at tliem
sometimes with boats, and take thtm with fowling-staves."

Such is the account of this historian ; but wq are not to suppose
that all the birds caught in this manner arc of the gull kind : on the
contrary, numbers of them are of the penguin kind: auks, puffins,
and guillemots. These nil come, once a season, to breed ia these.
recesses; and retire in winter to lish in more southern climates.

CHAPTER VII.

The gulls are long-winged swift flyers, that hover over the most
extensive seas, and dart down upon such fish as approach too near
the surface. The penguin kind are but ill fitted for flight, and still
less for walking. Every body must have seen the awkward manner
IQ which a duck, either wild or tame, attempts (o change place ; they
must recollect with what softness and ease a gull or a kite waves its
pinions, and with what a coil and flutter the duck attempts to move
them ; how many strokes it is obliged to give, in order to gather a
little air; and even when it is thus raised, how soon it is fatigued
with the force of its esertions, and oblig<!<f to take rest again. E
the duck is not, in its natural slate, half so unwieldy an animal
the whole tribe of the penguin kind. Their wings are much shorter,
more scantily furnished with quills, and the whole pinion placed too
forward to be usefully employed. For this reason, the largest of the
penguin kind, that have a thick heavy body to raise, cannot fly
all. Their wings serve them rather as paddles to help them forward,

at ■

40t

ntSTOHT OF

^^L mow

wbeo tliej' attempt lo mov« ■vinij- ; and in a manner walk aloog
the turfaco ot the water. Even the imatler kind seldam ij by
choice; they flutter their wingi with the swirtesl eflbrt* without n " ^
in^ way ; and though they have but a sroall weight of body ta a
lain, yet they aeldom remnre to qoit the water where they are p
Tided with food and protection.

Ai the wings of (he penguin tribe are unlhled for flight, their U
are still more awkwardly adapted for walking. This whole It'
have all above the knee hid within the belly ; and nothing appc
but two short legs or feet as some would call ihem, that seem sttidc ii
der the nimp and upon whichihe animal is very awkwardly « ,,
They seem, when sitting or attempting to walk, like a dog that b
been taught to sit up, or to move a minuet. Their shon legs drifl
the body in progreuion from side to side : and were they not s
aisled by their wings, they could scarcely move faster ihan^

This awkward position of the legs, which so nnqualifies them
living upon land, adapts them admirably for a residence in the wal
In thai, the lege placed behind the moving body, pu^es it fc
with great velocity >. and these birds, like Indian canoes, are
swiftest in the water, by having their paddles in the rear,
sailors, for this reason, give these birds the very homely, but es-
presiive name of arse-feet.

Nor are they less qualified for diving than swimming. By ever
■o little inclining their bodies forward, they lose their centre of gra-
vity ; and every stroke from their feet only tendi to sink them the
faster. In this manner they can either dive at once lo the bottom,
or swim between two waters; where they continue lishing for some
minutes, and then ascending, catch an instantaneous breath, to de-
scend once more to renew their operations. Hence it is, thai these
birds, which are so defenceless, and so easily taken by land, are im-
pregnable by water. If they perceive themselves pursued in the
least, they instantly sink and show nothing more than their bills, till
the enemy is withdrawn. Their very internal conrormalion assists
their power of keeping long under water. Their hings are fitted
with numerous vacuities, by which they can take in a very large ii
Bpiration ; and this probably serves ihetn for a length of time

As they never visit land, except when they come to breed,
feathers take a colour from their situation. That psrt oftbem whi
has been continually bathed in the water, is white; while their bi
and wings are of difTerent colours, according to the different species.
They are also covered more warmly all over the body with feathen
than any other bird whatever; so that the sea seems entirely their
element ; and but for the necessary duties of propagating their
species, we should scarcely have the smallest opportunity of seeing
them, and should be utterly unacquainted mth their history. -''

Of all this tribe, the Magellanic Penguin is the largest, anB the
remarkable. In size it approaches near thai oflhe lame guose.
ver flies, as ita wings are very short, and covered with stiff hard

htted
lacu

WATBR FOWL. 403

feathers, and are alw&js seen expanded, and hanging uselessly dovrn
by the bird's sides. The npper part of the head, back, and rump,
are covered with sliiT, black feaihera ; while ihe belly and breast, as
ia common with all of this kind, are of a snowy whiteness, escopl a
line of black that is seen to cross the crop. The bill, which from
the base to about half way is covered with wrinkles, is black, bnt
marked crosswise with a stripe of jellow. They walk erect with
their heads on high, their lin-like wings hanging down like arms; so
that to see them at a distance, they look like ho many children with
white aprons. Prom hence they are said lo unite in themselves the
qualities of men, fowls, and fishes. Like men, they are upright;
like fowls, they are feathered; and like fishes, they have Gn like
instruments, that beat the water before, and serve for all tlie pur-
poses of swimming rather than flying-

They feed upon fish, and seldom come ashoreexcept in the breeding
season. As the seas in that partof the world abound with a variety,
they seldom want food ; and their extreme fatness seems a proof of
the plenty in which they live. They dive with great rapidity, and
are voracious to a great degree. One of them, described by Clu-
elus, though but very young, would swallow an entire herring at a
mouthful, and often three successively before it was appeased. In
consequence of this gluttonous appetite, their llesh is rank and lishy;
though our sailors say, that i( is pretty good eating. In some the
flesh ii so tough, and the feathers so thick, that they stand the blow
of a scimitar without injury.

They are a bird of society; and especially when they come on
shore, ihey are seen drawn up in rank and die, upon the ledge of a
rock, standing together with the albatross, as if in consultation. This
is previous to their laying, which generally begins in that part of the
woc(d in the month of November. Their preparations for laying
ere attended with no great trouble, as a small depression in the earth,
without any other nest, serves for this purpose. The wannth of
their feathers and the heat of their bodies is such, that the progress
of incubation is carried on very rapidly.

But there is a difference in the manner of this bird's nestling in
other countries, which I can only ascribe to the frequent disturban-
ces it has received from man or Irom quadrupeds in its recesses. In
some places, instead of contenting itself with a superficial depression
in the earth, the penguin is found to burrow two or three yardsdeep;
in other places it is seen lo forsake the level, and to clamber up the
ledge of a rock, where it lays its egg, and hatches in that bleak,
exposed situation. These precautions may probably have been
taken in consequenceof dear-bought experience. In those countries
where the bird fears for her own safety, or that of her young,
may providentially provide against danger, by digging, or even by
climbing ; for both which she is but ill adapted by nature. In those
places, however, where the penguin has had but few visits from
tnan, her nest is made, with the most confident security, in the mid-
dle of some large plain, where they are seen by thousands. In that

404 HrSTORY OF

unguarded situation, neither f^npecting nor fearing a powerful enemy,
they continue to sit brooding ; and even when man comes ami
them, hare at first no apprehension of their danger. Some of
tribe have been called, by oor seamen, the Boohif, from the
ioaenHbility vhich they ihow when they are sought to their des
lion. But it is not considered that these birds have never
(aught lo know the dangers of a human enemy ; it is against the
or the vulture that they have learned to defend ihemaelveH ;
ihej have no idea of injury from a being so very unlike their nati
opposers. The penguins, therefore, when oar seamen first ci
among them, tamely auflered themselves to be knocked or
without even attempting an escape. They have stood to be shot
in flocks, without offering to move, in silent wonder, till every oaSS
of their number has been destroyed. Their alladimcnt to their neatii
was still more powerful ; for the females tamely suffered the men le
approach and take their eggs without any resistance. But the enpe-
rience of a few of those unfriendly visits, has long since taught them
to be more upon their guard in choosing their situations, or
those retreats where they were so little able lo oppose their invadi
The penguin lays but one egg; and, in )Ve((uented shores,
found to burrow like a rabbit : sometimes three oc four take puss
sion of one hole, and hatch their young together. In the holes
the rocks where nature has made them a retreat, several of this tril
as Linnaeus assures us, are seen together. There the females
llieir single egg in a common nest, and sit upon this, iheir gem
possession, by turns ; while one is placed as a sentinel, to give wai
ing of approaching danger. The egg of the penguin, as Well as
all this tribe, is very large for the size of the bird, being general^^
found bigger than that of a goose. But as there are many varieties
of the penguin, and as ihey differ in size, from that of a Muscovy
duck to a swan, the eggs differ in the same proportion.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of a size far inferior to the penguin, but -with nearly the
form, and exactly of the same appetites^and manners, there is a very
numerous tribe. The»e frequent our shores, and, like the penguin,
have their legs placed behind. They have short wings, which are
Hot totally incapable of flight ; witli round bills for seizing their
prey, which is fish. They live upon the water, in which they are
continually seen diving; and seldom venture upon land, escept for
the purposes of boniinuing their kind.

The flrst of this smaller tribe is the Great Northern Diver,
nearlj^the «ie of a goose*, it is beautifully variegated all

, which i^H
ever *'il^^^|

WATEB FOWL. 405

many atripex, and differs from the penguin, in being much slenderer
and more elegantly formed. The Grey Speckled Diver does not
exceed the size of a Muscovy duck ; and, except in uze, greatly
resembles the former. The Auk, which breeds on the islands of
St. Kilda, and chiefly differs from the penguin in size and colour, it
is smaller than a duck; and the whole of the breast and belly, as
far as the middle of the throat, is white. The Gnillemot is about
the same siee; it differs from the auk in having a longer, a slen-
derer, and a straighler bill. The Scarlet- throated Diver may be
distinguished by its name ; and the Pullin, or Coullerneb, is one of
the most remarkable birds we know.

Words cannot easily describe the form of the bill of the Pirfffn,
which differs BO greatly from that of any other bird. Thoao who
have seen the coulter of a plough, may form some idea of the beak
of this odd-looking ^nimal. The bill is flat; but, very different
from that of the duck, its edge is upwards. It is of a triangular
Jigure, and ending in a sharp point; the upper chap bent a little
downward, where it is joined to the head ; and a certain callous
substance encompassing its base, as in parrots. It is of two colours;
ash-coloured near the base, and red towards the. point. It has three
furrows or grooves impressed in it, one in the livid part, two in the
red. The eyes are fenced with a protuberant skin of a livid colour,
and they are grey or ash-coloured. These are marks suflicient to
distinguish this bird by ; but its value to those in whose vicinity it
breeds, renders it still more an object of curiosity.

The puffin, like all the rest of this kind, has its legs thrown so far
back, that it can hardly movewithout tumbling. This makes it rise
with difficulty, and subject to many falls before it gels upon the
wing ; but as it is a small bird, not much bigger than a pigeon, when
it once rises, it can continue its flight with great celerity.

Both this and all the former build no nest, but lay their eggs wther
in the crevices uf rocks, or in holes under ground near the shore:
They chiefly choose the latter situation ; for the puffin, the auk, the
guillemot, and the rest, cannot easily rise to the nest when in a lofty
situation. Many are the attempts these birds are seen to make to
lly up to those nests which are so high above the surface. In ren-
dering them inaccessible to mankind, they oflen render them almost
inaccessible to themselves, They are frequently obliged to make
three or four efforts before they can come at the place of incubation. -
For this reason the auk and guillemot, when they have once laid
their single egg, which is extremely large for the size, seldom forsnke
it until it is excluded. The male, who is better furnished for digfit,
feeds the female during this interval ; and so bare is the place where
she sits, that the egg would often roll down from the rock, did
the body of the bird support it.

But the puflin seldom chooses these inaccessible nnd troublesome
heights for its situation. Relying on its courage, and the strength of
its bill, with which it biles most terribly, it either makes oi; Unds a
hole in the ground, where to lay and bring forth its young. All the

406

TITSTORT OV

winter the.ie birds, like the rest, are absent, viaiting regions loo
remote for discovery. At the latter end of March, or the b^innin^
of April, come OTer a ironp of their spies or harbingers, (hat stay
Iwo or three days, a» it were to view and search oiil for their former
situations, and >ee wlieiher all he well. This done, they once more
depart; and, about l)ie beginning of May, return again with the
whole army of their companions. Bui if the season happens to be
■lormy and tempestuous, and llie sea troubled, the unfortunate
voy^era undergo incredible hardships; and ihey are found, by
hundreds, cast away upon the shores, lean, and perished with fa-
mine.* It is most probable, therefore, that this voyage is performed
more on the water than in the air ; and as they cannot fish in stormy
weather, their strength is exhausted before they can arrive at their
wished-for harbeur-

The puffin, when it prepares for breeding, which always hapj
a few days after its arrival, begins to scrape up a hole '
not far from the sliore; and when it has some way penetrated
earth', it then throws itself upon its back, and with bill and claws
thus burrows inward, till it hasdug a liole with several windings and
tiimings, from eight lo ten feet deep. It pa rlictilarly seeks lo dig
under a stone, w)iere it expects the greatest security. In this fortified
retreat it lays one egg, which, though the bird be not much bigger
llian a pigeon, is of the size of a hen's.

When the young one is excluded, the parent's industry and cou-
rnge are incredible. Few birds or beasts will venture lo attack then
in their retreats. When the great sea raven, as Jacobson informs
us, comes to take away thmr young, the puffins boldly oppose him.
Their meeting aHbrds a most singular combat. As soon as the raven
approaches, the pttffin catches him under the throat willi its beak,
and slicks i^ claws into his breast, which makes ihe raven with aloud
■creaming, attempt to gel away ; but the little bird still holds fast to
the invader, nor lets him go till ihey both come to the sea, where they
drop down together, and the raven is drowned : yet the raven is but
too alien successful : and invading the puffin at the bottom of its
hole, devours both the parent and its family.

Bui were a punishment to be inRicled for immorality in irrational
animals, the puffin is justly a sufferer from invasion, as it is often
itself one of the most terrible invaders. Near the Isle of Anglesey,
in an islet called Priesholm, their Docks may be compared, for mul-
titude, to swarms of bees. In another islet, called the Calf of Mi
a bird of this kind, but of a different species, is seen in great abi
dance, In both places, numbers of rabbits are found to breed
the puffin, unwilling to be at the trouble of making a hole,
there is one already made, dispossesses the rabbits, and, it is not
unhkely, destroys their young. It is in these unju^itly acquired re-
treats that the young puffins are found in great numbers, and'
a very valuable acquisition to the natives of the pli

sey,

• WiUoughby's Oimiih. p. 3M.

place. The ol^^

WATSR FOWL. 407

oDefi (I am now speaking of llm Manks pufBn), early in the mom-
iag, al break of day, leave llioir nesU and young, and even ihe
island, nor do tliey relurn lill ni^liufall. All this time ihey are dili<
gently employed in Bshing for their young ; so that their retreats on
land, which in the morning were loud and clamorous, are now still
and quiet, with not a wing stirring till the approach of dusk, when
their screams once more announce their return. Whatever fiah, or
other Tood, they have procured in the day, by night begins to mifTer
a kind of half digestion, and is reduced to an oily matter, which ih
ejected from tlje stomach of the old onss into the mouth of the young.
By this they are nourished, and become fat to an amazing degree.
When they are arrived to their full growth, they who ere intrusted
by the lord of the island, draw them from their holes : nnd, that they
may more readily keep an account of the number they lake, cut off
one foot as a token. Their flesh is said to be excessively rank, as
they feed upon fish, especially sprats, and sea-weed ; however, when
they are pickled and preserved with spices, they are admired by
those who are fond of high eating. We are told, that formerly their
flesh was allowed by the church on Lenten days. They were, at that
time, also taken by ferrets, as we do rabbits. At present, they are
either dug out, or drawn out from their burrows with a hooked slick.
They bite extremely hard, and keep such fast hold of whatever they
seize upon, as not to be easily disengaged. Their noise when taken
is very disagreeable, being like the eHbrts of a dumb person attempt-
ing to speak.

The constant depredation which these birds annually suffer, does
not in tlie least seem to intimidate them, or drive them away; on
thecontrsry, as the people say, the nest must be robbed, or the old
ones will breed there no longer. All birds of this kind lay but one
egg ; yet if that be taken away, they will lay another, and so on to
a third ; which seems to imply, that robbing their nests does not
much intimidate them from laying again. Those, however, whose
nests have been thus destroyed, are oflen too late in bringing up
their young, who, if tliey be not fledged and prepared for migration
when all the rest depart, are left at land to shift for themselves. In
August the whole tribe is seen to take leave of iheir summer resi-
dence, nor arc they observed any more till the return of the ensuing
spring. It is probable that they sail sway to more southern regions,
as our mariners frequently see myriads of water fowl upon their
return, and steering usually to the north. Indeed, the coldest coun-
tries seem to be their most favoured retreats; and the number of
water fowl is much greater in those colder climates, tiian in the
warmer regions near the Line. The quantity of oil which abounds
in their bodies, serves as a defence against cold, and preserves them
in vigour against its severity ; but the same provision of oil is rather
detrimental in warm countries, as it turns rancid, and many of them
die of disorders which arise from its putrefaction. In general, how-
ever, water fortl can be properly said to be of no climate, the ele-
ment upon which ibey live being their proper residence. They

HI9TORT OP

noe«a>arily apend n few montha of Biimmer upon land, to brfai^'ttll
"atm

It of their 1

e is probably consritned it
n coasts, where their provisioD of

their young; but the r<
migrations, or Dear 8
(Uh is found in great ai

Before I go to the third general divisiun of ivater fowl, it may not
be improper to observe, that there u one species of round- billed
water fowl, that does not properly lie within any of the former dis-
tributions. This is the Gooseander; n bird with the body and win^
shaped like those of the penguin kind, but with legs not hid in the
belly. It may be distinguished from all others by its bill, which is
round, hooked at the paint, and toothed, both upper and under chap,
like a saw. Its colours are various and beautiful) however, its man-
ners and appetites entirely resemble those of the Diver. It feeds
upon iish, for which it dives ; and is said to build its nest upon trees,
like the heron and the connurant. It seems to form the shade
between the penguin and the goose kind ; having a round bill, like
the one; and unembarrassed legs, like the other. In the shape of
the head, neck, and body, it resembles them both.

CHAPTER IX.

OF BIRDS OF THE GOOSE KIND. PKOPERI-T SO CALLED.

Tub Swan, the Goose, and the Duck, arc leaders of a numerous,
iis^ul, and beautiful tribe of bii-ds, thai we have reclaimed from a
slate of nature, and have taught to live in dependence about us. To
describe any of these, would be as superfluous as deHnilions usually
are when given of things with which we are already well acquainted-
There are few that have not had opportunities of seeing tl>eni, and
whose ideas would not anticipate our description. But, though
nothing be so easy as to distinguish dieae in general from each other,
yet the largest of the duck kind approach the goose so nearly, that
it may be proper to mark the distinctions.

The markn of the goose ere, a bigger body, large wings, a
longer neck, a white ring about the rump, -a bill thicker at the base,
slenderer towards the tip, with shorter legs placed forward on the
body. They both have a waddling walk ; but the duck, from tlie
position of its legs, has it in a greats degree. By these marks,
these similar tribes may be known asunder; and though tlie duck
should be found to ei{ual the goose in size, which sometimes hap-
pens, yet there are still other siiflicient distinctions.

But they all agree in many particulars, and have a nearer affinity
to each other llian the neighbouring kinds in any other department.
Their having been tamed has prodnced alterations in each, by which
they differ as much from the wild ones of their respective kinds, as
they do among themselves. There is neariy as much difference
bstween the wild and the tame duck, as between iom» sorts of tiM

DB. GOLDSMITH-B NATURAL HISTORY.

WATER FOWL.

diirk and the gooac ; but slill, the characteii«tica of the kind are
strongly marked and obvioun, and thia tribe can never be miataken.

The bill is the li rat great ubvious distinction of the gooae kind
from all of the feathered tribe. In other birds it is round and wedge-
like, or crooked at the end. In all (he goose kind it is Hat and
broad, made for tlie purpose of skimming ponds and lakes of the
maniling weeds that stand on the surface. The bills of other birds
are made of a horny substance throughout; these have their in-
otFensive bills sheathed with a skin wbich covers them all over. The
bill of every other bird seems in some measure formed for piercing
or tearing : theirs are only tHted for shoveling up their food, which
is chiefly of the vegetable kind.

Though these birds do not reject animal food when offered them, .
yet they can contentedly subsist upon vegetables, and seldom seek
any other. They are easily provided for; wherever there is water
there seems to be plenty. All the other web-footed tribes are con-
tinually voracious, continually preying. These lead more harmless
lives; the weeds on the surface of the water, or the insects at the
bottom, the grass by the bank, or the fruits and corn in cultivated
grounds, are sufficient to satisfy their easy appetites ; yet ibese, like
every other animal, will not reject flesh, if properly prepared fur
them; it is sufficient praise to them that they donol eagerly pursue it.

As their food is chiefly vegetables, so their fecundity is in pro-
portion. We have had fre<juent opportunities to observe thatall tlie
predatory tribes, whether of birds or qiiadmpedsi are barren and
unfruitful. We have seen the lion with Ks two cubs, the eagle witli
the same number, and the penguin with etea but one. Nature, that
has supplied them with powers of destruction, has denied tliem fer-
tility. But it is otherwise with these harmless animals I am describ-
ing. They seem formed (o lill up the chasms in animated nature,
caused by the voraciousness of others. They breed in great abun-
dance, and lead their young to the pool the instant they are excluded.

As their food is simple, so their flesh is notfrishing and wholesome.
The swan was considered as a high delicacy among the ancients :
the goose was abstained from as totally indigestible. Modem man-
ners have inverted tastes; the goose is now become the favourite,
and the swan is seldom brought to table, unless for the purposes of
ostentation. But at all times the flesh of the duck was in high es-
teem ; the ancients thought even more highly of il than we do. We
are contented to eat il as a delicacy, tlicy also considered it as a me*
dkine; and Plutarch assures us, that Cato kepi his whole family in
health, by feeding Uietn with duck whenever tliey threatened to be
out of order.

These qualities of great fecundity, easy sustenance, and whole-
some nourishment, have been found so considerable as to induce man
to take these birds from a slate of nature, and render them domestic.
How long ihey have been thus dep^idanis upon his pleasures, is not
known ; for from the earliest accounts, they were considered as
, familiars about him. Tbe time mnst have been very remote ; for
tbeie have been many changes wrought in their colonn, Uuut&gw^ict.
» 47— VOL. u K K

4*0 RI8TOBT «Hf

ftaJ CTen (heir inleraal |»rU, bjr hunwi eolliraiMn. Tha dii
kinda of UiMe binls, in a wild itate, are simple in cbeir colouri
when une hu teen a wild gooae or a wild dude, » dcacripUoa of ill
plumage will, to a feather, exactly correapood with Uutt of id;
uitier. But in the tame kind* no two of say tpeaem are exMtlj
alike. DilTerent iti their *ize, their coloura, and frequently in their
general form, (hey leeni the mere creature* of art ; and, having been
•o lung dcperidani upon man for support, they team to aasunw foniB
entirely luiied (u liti [Measures or DecejaiUes.

I CHAPTER X. ^^M

DP TUB SWAN, TAME AND WILD. '^^H

No bird make* a more indifferent figure opon land, or a ■R^^'

% more indifferent figure opon land,
beaii(iful one in (he water, than the Swan. When it aacend* tma
ill favDiii^U; element, its moiions are awkward, end its neck it
stretched forward wild an air of stupidity; but when it is seen
nmouihly lailing along the water, commanding a thousand graceful
aliiiiideti, rooting at pleasure without (he suiallesi effort, when ii
" proudly rows its stale," as Milton has it, " with arched neck, be-
tween ilM white wings mantling," tliere is not a more beautiful ligure
in all nature, fn the exhibition of its form, there are no broken or
harsh hoes, no conatrained or catching moiions, but tlie rouodeii
contour*, and (he easiest transitions ; the eye wanders over erery
part with insatiable pteaiiure, and every part takes a new grace wiiii
new motion- '

This fine bird has long bt^ii rendered domestic ; and it is noir s
iloubt whether there be any of the tame kind in a state uf nature.
The wild swan, though so strongly resembling this in colour and
form, is yel a different bird ; for il is very differently formed wtUus-
The wild swan is less than the lome by almost a fourth ; for aif llw
one weighs twenty pounds, the other only weighs sixteen poandi
and three quarters. The colour of the tame swan is all over whiltf;
that of (he wild bird is, along the back and the tips of the wings, of
an ash-colour. Rut these are slight differences compared to what '
are found upon dJBseclion In thu tame swan, the windpipe sinks
diiwn into the lungs in the ordinary manner ; but in the wild, after
u strange and wonderful conlurlion, like what we have seen in the
crane, il enters through a hole formed in the breast-bone ; and being
reflected therein, returns by the same aperture; and being con-
tracted into a narrow compass by a broad and bony cartilage, it is
dirided into two branches, which, before ihey ente^ the lungs, are
dilated, and as it were swoln out into two cavities.

Such is the extraordinary difference between these two animaK
which externally aewm to be of one species. Whether it is in the
power of long continued captivity and domestication to produce thii
gtnnge variety iMlween bwds oltiem ise the same, I will not take u

WATER POWX. 411

me to determine i but certain it js. that our tame swan in no nhcre
to be found, at least in Europe, in n state of nnturo.

As it is not easy to account for ihia dlBurence of conformation, so
it is Htifl more diliicnll to reconcile the accounts of the encienls with
tl)e experience of the moderns, concerning the vocal powers of this
bird. The tame swan is one of tlie most silent of all birds; and
the wild otje has a note extremely loud and disagreeably. It is pro-
bable, the conrolulions of the windpipe may contribute to increase
the clangour of it; for such is the harshness of its voice, thai the
bird from thence has been called the Hooper. In neither is there
the smallest degree of melody ; nor hare they, for above this cen-
tury, been said to give specimens of the smallest musical abilities :
yet, not with standing this, it was the general opinion of antiquity,
that the swan was a most melodious bird, and that even to its death,
its voice went on improving. It would show no learning to produce
what they have said upon the music of the swan : it has already
been collected by Aldrovandus; and still more professedly by the
AbbeGedoyn, in the Transactions of the Academy of Belles Leitres.
From these accounts it appears, that while Plato, Aristotle, and
Diodorus Siculus, believed the vocality of the swan, Pliny and
Virgil seem to doubt that received opinion. In thin equipoise of
nutbority, Aldrovandiis seems to have determined in favour of the
Greek philosophers : and the form of the windpipe in the wild swan,
so much resembling a musical instrument, inchncd his belief still
more strongly. In aid of this also came the testimony of Pendasins,
who affirmed, that he had oAen heard swans sweetly singing in the
lake of Mantua, as he was rowed up and down in a biiat ; as also
of Olaus Wormius, who professed that many of his friends and
scholars had heard them singing. " There was," say« he, " io my
family, a very honest young man, John Rostorph, a student in di-
vinity, and a Norwegian by natbn. This man did, upon his credit,
and with the interposition of an oath, solemnly affirm, that once in
the territory of Dronten, as he was standing on the sea-shore early
in the morning, he heard an unusual and sweet murmur, composed
of the most pleasant whistlings and sounds; he knew not at first
whence tliey came, or how they were made, for he saw notnan near
to produce ihem ; but looking round about him. and climbing to
the top of a certain promontory, he there espied an infinite number
uf swans gathered together in a bay, and making the most delightful
harmony ; a sweeter in alt his lifetime he had never heard." These
were accounts sufficient at least to keep opinion in .suspense, though
in contradiction to our own experience; but Aldrovandus, to put,
as he supposed, the question past all doubt, gives us [lie tesiiinony
of a countryman of our own, from whom he had tlia relation. This
honest man's name was Mr. George Braun, who assured him, that
notliing was more common in Englentl than to hear swans sing ; that
they were bred in great numbers in the tea, nt«r London'; and that
every Heet of ships that returned from their voyagui from distant
countries, were met by swans, that came joyfully out lo welcome
tlieir return, and aalule them with a loud and cheerful singing I it

4t9 HISTOKT OF

was m Uiis inannn* that Aldrovandiis, that great and good man,
1FBS frequently imi>09ed upon by llie designing and the needy : his
iiDbounded curiosity drew round him people of every kind, and hi»
generosity was as ready to reward falsehood as truth. — PoorAldro-
vandus I aller having spent a vast forLune, for l!ie purposes of en-
lightening mankind; alter having collected more imtii and more
fabehood than any maa ever did before him, he lillle thought of
being reduced at last to want bread, to feel the ingratitude of hii
GouDtry, and to die a beggar in Et public hospital I

Thus it appears that our modern authorities, in favour of the
singing of swani, are rather suspicious, since they are reduced to ihii
Mr. Geor^ Graun, and John Koatorph, the native of a coiiulry re-
markable for ignorance and credulity. It is probable the sncieols
had some mythological meaning in ascribing melody to the swan;
and as for the moderns, they scarcely deserve our regard. The swan,
therefore, must be content with that share of fame which it pouewea
on the score of its beauty ; since the melody of its vwce, without
better testimony, will scarcely be admitted by even the credulous.

This beautiful bird is as delicate in its appetites as elegant in il«
form. Its chief food is corn, bread, herbs growing in the water, anil
roots and seeds, which are found near the margin. It prepares n
nest in some retired part of the bank, and chiefly where there is an
islet m the stream. This is composed of water plants, long grass,
and sticks ; and the male and female assist in forming it with greal
assiduity. The nwan lays seven or eight eggs, white, much larger
tlian those of a goose, with a hard, and sometimes a tuberous shell
It sits near two months before its young are excluded, which are
ash-coloured when tliey lirst leave the shell, and for some montlit
after. It is tiot a little dangerous to approach the old ones when their
little family arc feeding round them. Their fears, as well as their
pride, seem to lake the alarm ; and they have sometimes been koowo
to give a blow with their pinion, that has broke a man's leg or arm.

It is not till they area twelvemonth old that the young swam
change their colour with their plumage. All the stages of this bird'i
approach to maturity are slow, and seem to mark its longevity. It is
two months hatching ; and a year in growing to its proper size. Some
say that it hves three hundred years; and WUloughby, who is in
general diSident enough, seems to believe the report. A goose, as
he Justly observes, hag been known to live a hundred; and tiie
swan, from its superior size, and from its harder firmer fle^ tmJ
iialurally be supposed to live still longer.

Swans were formerly held in such great esteem in Englandi thiti
by an act of Edward the Fourth, none except a son of the king wsi
permitted to keep a swan, unless possessed of Ave marks a year. By
a subsequent act, the punishment for taking their eggs was imprison-
ment for a year and a day, and a fine at the kiflg's will. At present
they are but little valued for the delicacy of their flesh, but nwnjr
are still preserved far their beauty, We see multitude OD ibr
Thames and Trent; but no where greater numbers than on the «!>
water inlet of the aea near MAwAaWt^ to Dorsetshire.

^^^^V WATBR FO^V'L. 413

H^^K* CHAPTER XI.

B*"' 0¥ THE GOOSE AND IT8 VARIETIES.

■d - Thb Goose, in iln domestic slate, exiiibils a variety uf coluurs.
"Hie wild goose always retains Ihe same mBrka: tlie whole upper
part is Bsh-coluured ; the breuHl and bellyaro ofa dirly white; the
bill is narrow nt ihe base, and at the lip it is black ; tlie legs ore of
a saSron colour, and the claws black. These marks are seldom
found ill the tame, whose bill is entirely red, and whose legs are en-
tirely brown. The wild goose is rather less than the lame ; but both
invariably retain a white ring round their tail, which shows thai they
are both descended from the same original.

The wild goose is supposed to breed in the northern parts of
Europe, and in the beginning of winter to descend into more tein-
perate regions. They are often seen flying at very great heights,
in docks from filly to a hundred, and seldom resting by day. Their
cry is frequently heard when they are at an imperceptible distance
above us ; and this seema bandied from one to the other, as among
hounds in the pursuit. Whether this be the note of mutual encourage-
ment, or the necessary consequence of respiration, is doubtful; but
they seldom esert it when they alight in these journeys.

Upon their coming to the ground by day, they range thethselves
in a line, like cranes; and seem rather to have descended for rest
than for other refreshment. When they have sate in this manner
for an hour or two, I have heard one of ihem, with a loud lo^^ note,
sound a kind of charge, to which the rest punctually attended, and
ihey pursued their journey with renewed alacrity. Their flight is
very regularly arranged ; they either go in a line abreast, or in two
tines, joining in an angle in the middle. I doubt whether the form
of their flight be thus arranged to cut the air with greater ease, ai
is commonly believed ; I atu more apt to think it is to present a
smaller mark to fowlers from below. A bullet might tiaaily reach
them if huddled together in a flock, and the same discharge might
destroy several at once ; but by tlieir manner of flying no shot from
below can affect above ojie of them ; and from the height at which
they Ay, this is not easy to be hit.

The Barnacle differs in some respects from both these ; being less
than either, with a black bill, much sliorter than either of the pre-
ceding. It is scarcely necessary to combat the idle error uf this bird's
being bred from a shell sticking to ships' bottoms ; it is well known
to be hatched from an egg la the ordiiwry manner, and to differ in
very few particulars from all the rest ofila kind.

The Brent goose is still less than the former, and not bigger than
a Muscovy duck, except that the body is longer. The head, neck,
and upper part of the breast, are black ; about the middle of the
neck, on each side, are twosmall spots or lines of white, which lege-
ther appear like a ring.
These and many other varieties, are found in this kiud ; wbich

414

R1STORY OF

agree in one common character of feedtng^ upon vegetables, and
being remarkable for their recnndiiy. Of these, howerer, the tame
goose is the most fruitful. Having less to fear from its eneiuief,
leading a securer and a more plentiful life, iu proline pKiwers increase
ia proportion to its ease; and though the wild goose seldom lav«
above eight eggs, the tame gooM is often seen to lay above twent;.
The female hatcJies her egg* with great assiduity ; while the gander
visits her twice or ihrice a day, and sometimes drives her off to lahc
her place, where he sits with great stale and composure.

But beyond tliat of all animals is his pride when Ihe young are
excluded: he seems then to consider himself as a champion nut only
obliged 10 defend his young, but also to keep off the suspicioo of
danger; he pursues dogs and men that never attempt to nioleM him;
and though the most harmless tiling alive, is then the most pctulam
and provoking. Wlien, in this manner, lie has pursued the calfor
the RiaslitT, to whose contempt alone he is indebted for safety, he
returns to his female and her brood in triumph, clapping his wing),
screaming, anddiowing all the marks of conscious superiority. It is
probable, however, these arts succeed in raising his Importance
among the tribe where they are displayed ; and it is probable there
is not a more respectable animal on earth to a goose than a gander!

A young goose is generally reckoned very good eating ; yet the
feathers of this bird still farther increase its value. I feci my obli-
gations to this animal every word I write; for, however deficient s
man's head may be, his pen is nimble enough upi'n every occasioa;
it is happy indeed for us, that it re<)uires no great effort to put it Id
motion. But the feathers of this bird are still ai valuable in anotliH
capacity, as they make the softest and the wariiiesL beds to sleep on*

or goose feathers mo«t of our bedii in Europe arc ctunposed ; in
the countries bordering on the Levant, and in all Asia, tJie use of
Ihem is utterly unknown. They there use mattresses, stuffed with
wool, or camel's hair, or cotton ; and the warmth of their climate
may perhaps make tliem dispense with cushions of a aofler kind.
But how it happens that the ancients had not the use of feather-bed*,
is to me surprising : Pliny (ells us, indeed, that they made bolsters
of feathers to lay their heads on; and lliis serves as a proof that
Ihey turned feathers to no other uses.

As feathers are a very valuable commodity, great numbers of
gees«t are kept tame in the fens in Lincolnshire, which are plucked
once or twice a year. These make a considerable article oreom-
nierce. The feathers of Sonieraetshire are most in esteem ; those of
Ireland are reckoned the worst. Hudson's Bay also furnishes very
line feathers, supposed lo be of the goose kind. The down of the
swan is brought from Danizic. The same place also sends ns great
(juaniiiies of the feathers of the cock and hen : but Greealand, Ice-
land, and Norway, furnish the best feathers of all ; and in this num-
ber we may reckon the Eider down of which we shall tyke notice in
its place. The best method of curing feathers, is to lay tliem in*
room in an open exposure to the sun ; and, when dried, lo put tboi
Jiito bagi, and beal tbeoi well wttAi ^les lo get the duM off. " '

CHAPTER XII.
OF THE DLCK AND ITS VARIETIES.

WATER POWT« 415

afler all, nolhin^ will prevent, fur a time, the heavy sniell which
ariBea from the piilreraction of the oil tionlaineJ in every feather ; no
exposure will draw this off, how long soever it be continued ; tliey
must be lain upon, which is the only remedy; and, for this reason
old feathers are much more valuable than nev^.

^V Tub Inline Duck is the most eonily reared of alt oitr domestic
" animals. Tlie very instincts of the young ones direct them to their
favourite element; and though Ihey are conducted by a hen, yet
they despise the admonitions of their loader.

This nerves as an incontestable proof, that all birds have their
manners rather from natnre than education. A falcon pursues the
pnriridge, not because it is taught by the old one, but becau.se its
appetites make their importunate call for animal food; the cuckoo
follows a very different trade from that which its nurse endeavoured
to leach it, and if we may credit PUny, in time destroys its instructor!
animals of the duck kind also fallow their appetites, not their tutor,
and come to all their various perfections wiilioul any guide, AM the
arts possessed by mun, are the result of accumulated experience; all
the arts of inferior animals are self-taught, and scarce one acquired
by imitation.

It is usual with the good women to lay duck-eggs under a hen,
bi^cause she hatches them better than the original parent would have
dune. The duck seems to be a heedless, inaltentiTe mother; she
frequently leaves her eggs till they spoil, and even seems to forget
that she is intrusted with the charge: she is equally regardless of
them when excluded : she leads them to the pond, and thinks she
has sufficiently provided for her offspring when she has shown them
the water. Whatever advantages may be procured by coming near
the house, or attending in the yard, she declines them all ; and often
lets the vermin, who haunt the waters, dentroy them, rather than
bring them to take shelter nearer home. The hen is a nurse of a
very opposite character ; she broods tvilh the utmost assiduity, and
generally brings forth ayuung one from every egg committed to her
charge: she does not lead her yoimglings to the water indeed, but
she watchfully guards them, when there, by standing at the brink.
Should the rat or the weasel attempt to seize them, the hen can give
them protection ; she leads them to the house when tired with pad-
dling, and rears up the suppositious brood, without ever suspecting
that they belong to anollier '

The wild duck differs in many resipects from the tame; and in
them there is still greater variety than among the domestic kinds.
Of the tame duck there are not less than ten different sorts; and of
the wild) lirisson reckons above twenty. The most obvious dis.

I tinclkn between wild nml tame (liicka is in the colour of their feel;
I tbose of the tame duck being yellow, tlioie of the wild duck black,
r The difierence between wild ducks among each other, arises at well
I from their size u the nature of the place they feed in. Sea ducks,
I which feed in the salt waters, and dive much, have a broad bilt^
I bending upwnrds, a large hind toe, and a long blunt tail. Pond
m ducks, which feed in plashes, have a straight and narrow bill, a smalt
L faind toe, and a sharp pointed train. The former are called, by our
■• decoy-men, foreign ducks ; the tatter are supposed to be natives of

■ England. It would be tedious to enter into the minute varieliin of
P Mich a nQmber of birds, all agreeing in the same general figure, the
U- aame habits and mode of living, and difiering in little mure than their
M aize and tlie colours of their plumage- In this tribe we may rank,
W9M natives of our own European dominiuna, the Eider Duck, which

■ b double the size of a common dtick, with a black bill ; the Velvet
I Duck, not Kt large, and with a yellow bill ; the Scoter, with a knob
I M the base of a yellow bill; ^e Tufted Duck, adorned with a thick
K crest ; the Scaup Duck, less than the common duck, with a bill of a

■ jreyish-blue colour; the Golden Eye, with a large white spot at the
K comers of the month, resembling an eye/, the Sheldrake, with a bill
ft of a bright red, and swelling into a knob ; the Mallard, which is

■ the slock IVom whence our tame breed has probably been produced ;
fttfae Pintail, with the two middle feathers of the tail three inches longer

■ Aan the rest: the Pochard, with the head and neck of a bright bay;
WUhe Widgeon, with a lead-coloured bill, and the plumage of the back

■ Eaarked with narrow black and while undulated lines, but best known
K bv its whistling sound ; lastly, the Teal, which is the smallest of tlii<

■ kind, with the bill black, the head and upper part uf the neck of a
I bright bay. These are the most common birds of the duck kind
B lunong ourselves ; but who can describe the amazing variety of this
B tribe, if he extends his view to the dlBerent quarters of the world 1

■ The most noted of the foreign tribe are, tlie Muscovy Duck, or, more
■properly speaking, the Musk Duck, so called from a supposed
I'misky smell, with naked skin round the eyes, and which is a native
kor Africa. The Brazilian Duck, that is of die size of a goose, all

■ Dver black, except the tips of the wings. The American Wood
ft Duck, with a variety of beautiful colours, and a plume of feathers
ft that falls from the back of the head hke a friar's cowl. The«e, and
K twenty others might be added, were Increasing the number of {lamea
B tile way to enlarge the sphere ot our comprehension.

I ' All these live in the manner of our domestic ducks, keeping to-

■ eether in (locks in the winter, and Hying in pairs in summer, bring-
p jng up their young by the water side, and leading tliem to their food
I as soon as out of the shell. Tht-ir nests are usually built among
I bealh or rusliea, not far from the water, and they lay twelve, four-
I teen, or more eggs, before they sit; yet this is not always their
I dieihod ; the dangers they continually encounter from their ground
I ^tuation sometim<:s obliges them to change their manner of building,
I dnd their awkward nesls are often seen exalted on the tops of trees.
L^^ iDuaL be a very great Ivbout to perform, as the duck's bSl iv

W^ATEh VOVTL. 417

but )M fbnnmt for building a nest, nnd giving the materiali of whicil
it is compciHed a siifGcient elabilily to eland the weather. The neat,
whether high or low, is generally composed of singular malcriala.
The longest grass, intsed with heath, and lined with iho bird's own
reathere, usually go to the composition : however, in proportion as
the climate is colder, the nest is more artificially made, and more
wormty lined. In the Arctic regions nothing can exceed the great
care all of this kind take to protect their eggs ftam the intenseness of
the weather. While the gull and the penguin kind seem to disre*
gard the severest cold, the duck in those regions forms ilselfa hole
to lay in, shelters the approach, lines it with a layer of long grass
and clay, within thai another of muss, and lastly, a warm coat of
feathers or down. The eider duck is particularly remarkable for
the warmth of its nest. This bird, which, as was said, is about twice
as large as the common duck, and resides in the colder climates, lays
from six to eight eggs, making her neat among the rocks, or the
plants along the sea-shore. The external malerials of the nest are
such as are in common with the rest of the kind ; but the inside
lining, on which the eggs are immediately deposited, is at once the
softest, warmest, and the (iglitest substance with which we arc ac-
quainted. This is no other than the inside down which covers the
breast of the bird in the breeding season. This the female plucks olf
with her bill, and furnishes the inside of her nest with a tapestry
more valuable than the most skilful artists can produce. The natives
watch the place where she begins lo build, and suffering her to lay,
take away both the eggs and the nest. I'he duck, however, not dis-
couraged by the first disappointment, builds and lays in the sntne
place a second time ; and this they in the same manner take away ;
the third time she builds; 'but the drake must supply the down from
his breast to line the nest with ; and if this be robbed, they both for-
sake the place, and breed there no more. This down the natives
take care to separate from the dirt and moss with which it is mixed ;
and though no people stand in more need of a warm covering than
themselves, yet their necessities compel them tp sell it to the morein-
dolent and luxuriousinhabilantsoftlie south, for brandy and tobacco.

As they possess (he faculties of (lying and swimming, so lliey aro
in general birds of passage, and it is moat probable perform their
journeys across the ocean as weM on the water as in the air. Those
that migrate lo this country' on the approach of winter, are seldom
found so well tasled or so fat as the fowls that continue with us the
year round : their flesh is often lean, and still oflener Bshy ; whfch
flavour it has probably contracted in the journey, as their food in
the lakes of Lapland, from whence Ihcy descend, is generally of iho
insect kind.

As soon as they arrive among us, they are usually seen flying i
flocks to make a survey of those lakes where they intend to take up
their residence for the winter, In ihe choice of these they have two
objects in view — to be near their food, and yet remote from inter-
ruption. Their chief aim is to choose sumo lake in the neighbour,
hood of a iiiarsb, where there is at the same time a cover of woods.

4T8 BISTOHT, OP

nnd where insects are found in greatest abundance, hnkea, ihei_
fore, with a marsh un one side, and a wood on the other, are seldui
without vast qiianlilies of wild fowl ; and where n couple are seen M
any time, that is a sufficient iuducement to bring hundreds of othen
The ducks Qjing in the air are often lured down from their heigt '
by the loud voice of the mallard from below. Nature seems to hai|j
furnished this bird with very particular facullieB for calling,
windpipe, where it begins to enter the lung!i, opens into a kind nf/M
bony cavity, where the sound a reflected as in n musical ioslrumenti'V
and is heard a great way off. To this call all the stragglers resorlv .
and in a week or a fortnight's lime a lake that before was niMtlO, 1
naked is black with water fowl, thai have lel\ their i.aplnnd retreV% f
to keep company with oiir ducks who never stirred from home.

They generally choose that part of the lake where ihey are inac-
'cessible to the approach of the fowler, in which they ell appear hud-
dled together, extremely busy and very loud. What it is can em-
ploy them all the day, is not eaxy to guess. There is do food fur
them at the place where they sit and cabal thus, as they choose the
middle of the lake ; and as for courtship, the season for that is not
yet come; so that it is wonderful .what can so busily keep them oc-
cupied. Not one of them seems a moment at rest. Now pursuing
one nnother.now screaming, then all up at once, then down again —
llie whole seems one strange scene of bustle willi nothing lo do.

They frequently go off in a more private manner by niglit to feed
in the adjacent meadows and ditches, which they dare not ventnre
to approach by day. In these nocturnal adventures tliey are often
taken ; for though a timorous bird, yet they are easily deceived, and
every springe seems to succeed in talcing them. Gut the greatest
quantities are taken in decoys, which, : though well known near
London, are yet untried in the remoter parts of ilie country. The
' manner of making and managing a decoy is as follows : —

A place is to be chosen fur this purpose far remote from tbe com-
mon highway, and all noise of people. A decoy is best where there
is a large pond surrounded by a wood, and beyond tlist a marshy
and uncultivated country. When the piece i> chosen, the pool if
possible is to be planted round with willows, unless a wood answers
the purpose of shading it on every side. On the south and north
sides of this pool are two, three, or four ditches at clmnnels, made
broad towards the pool, and growing narrower till ihey end in a
point. These channels are to be covered over with nets, supported
by hooped stieks bending from one side to the others so that ihey
fonn a vanlt or arch, growing narrower and narrower to the point,
where it is terminated by a funnel-nei, like that in which fish are
caught in weirs. Along the banks of these channels so netted over,
whicli are called pipes, many hedges are made of reeds slanting to
the edge of the channel, the acute aogles to the side next the pool.
The whole apparatus also is to be hidden from the pool by a hedge
of reeds along lite margin, behind which the fowler manages his
operations. The place being litted in this manner, the fowler la lo
provide himself with a number of wild ducks made tame, whlcb are

WATER FOWL.

These are nlways Lo be fed a

410

f ealled decojs. These are nlways Lo be fed al the moulh or eiilriiuce
p of the pipe, and to be accustomed lo come at a whistle.

3 the evening is set in, the decoij rises, as they term it,
I and the wild fowl feed during the night. If the evening be still, the
L'soise of their wings during their fli^t is heard at a very gre^tdia*
t tance, and produces no unpleasing sensation, The fowler, when he
[ finds a fit opportunity, and sees his decoy covered with liiwl, walks
I'about the pool, and observes into what pipe the birds gathered in
r Ibe pool may be enticed or driven. Then casting hemp seed, or
E Hme such seed as will float on the surface of the water, at the en-
F trance and up along the pipe, he whistles to his decoy ducks, who
\ instantly obey the summons, and come Id the entrance of the pipe,
[ in hopes of being fed as usual. Thither also they are followed by a
f whole flock of wild ones, who little suspect the danger preparing
L ftgainat them. Their sense of gmelling, however, is very esquisile,
[ «nd they would soon discover their enemy, but that the fowler al-

it hif nose, against which he
of his person from reaching

r j»ays keeps a piece of turf bi
k breathes, and this prevents the efflu'

I their exquisite senses. The wild ducks, therefore, pursuing t)ie
■ decoy ducks, are led into the broad mouth of the channel or pipe,
\ not have the least suspicion of the man. who keeps hidden behind
► one of the hedges. When Ihey have got up the pipe, however,
L finding it grow more end more narrow, they begin to suspect danger,
uld return back ; but they are now prevented by the man,
I trho shows himself at the broad end below. Thither, therefore, they
l-4>re not return : and rise they may not, as they are kept by the HlI
1 vbuve from ascending. The only way left them, therefure, ia the
I twrrow funnelled net at the boltum ; into this Ihey tly, and tl>ere
I they are taken.

often happens, however, that the wild fowl are in such a slate
\ ot sleepiness or dozing that they will not follow the decoy ducks.
I Use is then generally made of a dog, who is Uught his lesson. He
I passes backward and forward between the reed hedges, in which
I there are little holes, both for the decoy-man to see. and for the little
I dog to pass through. This attracts the eye of the wild fowl, who,
^prompted by curiosity, advance towards this little animal, while hs
I all the time keeps playing among the reeds,
I'liinnel, till they follow him loo far lo recede. Sometimes the dug
I will not attract their attention tilt a red ha ndkercliief, or something very
■angular, be put about him. The decoy ducks never enter the fun-

lel net with the rest, being taught to dive under water

he rest are driven in.
The general season for catching fowl in decoys is from Uie latter
I' end of Uctuber till February. The taking them earlier is prohibited
I by an act of George the Second, which imposes a penalry of Cve
J riiilllngs for every bird destroyed at any other season.

The Lincolnshire decoys are commonly let at a certain annual |
, from five pounds lo twenty pounds a-year, and some even.]

inount lo thirty. These principally contribute to supply the mar-
sof London with wild ft>wl. The number of ducks, widgeon.

ill STORY' OT

I ind teal that are sent thither is amazing. Above ihirty thotnaHit ]

e been sent u|) in one season from ton decojs in the neJgphboiir'
\ hood of Waintlijct. This quantity makes them so cheap on the spot,

that it is asserted the several decoy-men would be glad to contract
i. for years to deliver iheir duclts al the next town for lunpence the
I couple.

I To this manner of taking the wild fowl in England, 1 wilt subjoin
1 Another still more eximonlinary, frequently jiractii^ed in China,
t Whenever the fowler sees a number of diiclis settled in any particu-
I ]cr plash of water, he sends otT two or three gourds to float among
I fhem. These gom-da resemble our pompions; but being made hoi
I low, they swim on the surface of the water, and on om pofl there
T may sometimes be seen twenty or thirty of these gbiimi floating
t together. The fowl at first arc a little shy of coming near ihem'i
\ but by degrees they come nearer ; and as all birds at last grow fano^^
I liar with a scare-crow, the ducks gather about these,- and amua#
^ dtemselves by whetting theJr bills against tliem. When the binlli
H familiar with the gourds as the fowler could wish, he then preJ
1 pares lo deceive them in good earnest. He hollows out ene uf thoB^
I ffourds large enough to put hU head in; and making holi
I breathe and see through, he claps it on his head. Thus accoutred;
I he wades slowly into the water, keeping his body under, and
I nothing but his head in the gourd above the surface; and in thai
I manner moves imperceptibly towards the fowls, who suspect no
I danger. At last, however, ho fairly gets in among them; while
f they, having been long used to see gourds, lake not the least fright
I vhile the enemy is in the very midst of them : and an insidious
F enemy ha is ; for ever as he approaches a fowl, he seizes it by the
I legs, and draws it in a jerk under water. There he fsHtens it under
"is girdle, and goes to Uie nest, till he has thus loaded himself with
I as many as he can carry away. When he lias gel his quantity, with-
I out ever attempting to disturb the rest of the fowls on the pool, be
I slowly moves off again ; and in this manner pays t^e Hock three or
( four visits in a day. Of all the various artitices for catching fow],
us likely to be attended with the greatest success, as it is the
I ihosl practised in China,

' ['i;he Eider Duck is double the size of the common duck.
I « tylindrical bill, and the wax is divided behind, and wrinkled. Tb<
I {batliers, which are very s
I'fiun. . The male is white above, but black beli
I fbmsle is greenish. This species is found
I Scotland, particularly " "

fall offdi

id behind ; the
the Western Isles of
iiid [leisker, and

ion the Farn Isles; but in greater numbers in Norway, Iceland, i
pGrecnland, from whence a vast quantity of the down known by t
Iname of eider ur eiider, which these birds furnish, is annually ii

Sorted. Its remarkably light, elastic, and warm qualities, mske ^
igbly esteemed as a stuffing for coverlets, by sirch whom age d)
[•fiifirmilieB render unable to support the weight cf common blaaketil
I This down, as was noticed above, is produced from the breast of tl
IfrA m the breeding acaLKin.

WATHR FOWL. 421

Theee birds are not numerouB on the isles; anO it U observed that
the drakes keep op ihose most remole from the sitting places. The
ducks con linue on their nests till you come almost close to iheni.anij
when they rise are very iilow fliers. The number of eggs in eaci)
nest are from three to five, warmly bedded in the down; of a pale
olive colour, and very large, glossy, and smooth. They now aqq
then, however, lay so many as eight; for Van Troil informs us, tha^
no less than sixteen have been found in one neat, with two females,
who agree remarkably well together. In America this bird is found
as far south as New York, and breeds on the desert isles of Ne^
£ngland ; but most common every-where to the north. They ar?
■aid to be constant to the same breeding places, and that a pair haf •
been observed to occupy the same nest for twenty years together.
They take their young on their backs Instantly to sea ; then dive,
to shake them ofl^ and teach them to shiA for themselves. It is said,
tiiat the males are five years old before they come to their full I
colour; that they live to a great age, and will at length grow quit^ <
grey. They are very numerous in the Esquimaux lands, where atu} '
in Greenland they are called mettek. The natives kill them on the '
water with darts, striking them the moment they appear aller diving; /
Bind know tlie place from their being preceded by the rising of bub- '1
bles. The flesh is much valued.]

CHAPTER XIII.
OF THE KING-FISHER.

1 WILL conclude this History of Birds wi^ one thai seems Ip 1
unite in itself somewhat of every class preceding. It seems at oncp I
.possessed of appetites for prey like the rapacious kinds, with an i
tachment (o water like the birds of that element. It exhibits in
form the beautiful plumage of (he peacock, the shadings of the liuiib< I
ming bird, the bill of the ciane, and the short legs of the swalloff, f
The bird I mean is the King-Fisher, of which many extraordinary I
falsehoods have been propagated, and yet of which many e
dinary things remain to be said that are actually true.

The king-flsher is not much larger than a swallow : its shape u
clumsy; the legs disproporlionably small, and the bill dispropoi;--
tionably long — it is two indies from the base to the tip ; the upp^^l
chap black, and the lower yellow; but the colours of this bird aiaafsf
for its iD^leganl form ; the crown of the head, and the coTerIa (ffT
tlie wings, are of a deep blackish grey, spotted with bright aaur^r^
the back and tail are of the most resplendent azure ; the whole:!
nnder-side of the body is orange-coloured; a^ broad marf
the same passes from the bill beyond the eyes; beyond that
large white spot; the tail is short, and consists of twelve feathers c
a rich deep blue; the feet are of a reddish yellow, and the thr^al
joints of tlie outmost toe adhere to the middle toe, while the inowl
toe adheres «nly by one.

44e nisTonv op

Prom the dimiDutivG size, the aletidi-T thari legi, and the be^tiliful
colours of this bird, no pursoii would be teJ to suppose i( one of the
most rapacious litiie animals that skims the deep. Yet it u for ever
on Uie wing, and feeds on fish, which it takes in surprising quan-
tititM, when we consider its size and figure. It chiefly frequents the
banks of rivers, and takes its prey af\er the manner of the osprey,
balancing itself at a certain dialanue above the water for a consi-
derable space, then dailing into the deep, and seizing the 6sh with
inevitable certainly. While it remains suspended in tlie air, in a
bright day, the plumnge exhibits a beautiful variety of the most
dazzhng and brilliant colours. It might have been this extraordinary
beauty that has given rise to fable ; fur wherever there is any thing
uncommon, fancy is always willing lo increase the wonder.

Of this bird it has been said ihnt she built her nest on the water,
and thus in a few days hatched and produced her young ; but, not
lo be interrupted in this task, she wns sittd lo be possessed of a cliarm
lo allny the fury of the waves, and during this period the mariner
might sail with the greatest security. The ancient poets an M\ of
these feblesi their historiens are not exempt from them. Cicero
has written a long poem in praise of the halcyon, of which there
remains but two lines. Even the emperor Gordian has written d
poem on this siibject, of which we have nothing remaining. These
fables have been adopted each by one of the earliest fathers of the
church. " Behold," says St, Ambrose, " the little bird, which in
the midst of the winter lays her eggs on the sand by the shore. From
that moment the winds are hushed, the sea becomes smooth, and
the calm continues for fomteen days. This is the time she requires;
seven days to hatch, and seven ilays to foster her young. Their
Creator has taught these tittle animals to make their nest in the
midst'of the most stormy season, only to manifest his kindness by
granting them a lasting calm. The seamen are not ignorant of this
blessing ; they call this interval of fair weather their halcyon dai/g;
and they are particularly careful to seize the opportunity, aa then
they need fear no interruption." This, and a hundred other in-
stances might be given of the credulity of mankind with respect to
this bird : they entered into speculations concerning the manner of
her calming the deep, the formation of her nest, and her peculiar
sagacity; at present we do not speculate, because we know, witli
respect to our king-lisher, the most of the facts are false. It mfty
be alleged, indeed, with some show of reason, that the halcyon of
the ancients was a difierent bird from our king-fisher; it may be
urged, that many birds, especially on the Indian Ocean, build &
floating nest upon the sea ; but still the history ofllje ancient hnlcyim
is clogged with endless fable ; and it is but an indifferent method
to vindicate falsehood by showing that a part of the atory
true.

The king-fisher with which we are acquainted at present, has
none of those powers of allaying the storm, or building upon the
ffi^ves; it i» conieuted to make its nest on the banks of rivers, in
Mucb xilualiona u noT to be nfiec^ed N>^ v\\« \'m\% of the streBm.

as I

WATEIl FOWL. 493

When it lias found a place for iu purpose, it hotlowB oiit with its
bill a hole abciiit a jarJ deep; or if it, finds the deserted hole of ft
rat, or one caused by the ruut of a tree decaying, it takes quiet pos-
session. This hole il enlarges at the boLiom to a good size ; and lining
it with the down of the willow, lays its eggs there without any furtljer
preparation.

lis nesl, or rather hole, is very difll-rcnt from that described by
tlie ancients, by vvhoiii il is said to be made in ihe shape of a long-
necked gourd of the bones of the sea-needle. The bones, indeed,
are found there in great quaniilics, as well as the scales offices;
but these are the remains of die bird's food, and by no means brought
there for the purposes of warmth or convenience. The king- fisher,
as Bellonius says, fteds upon fish, but is incapable of digesting the
bones and scales, which lie throws up again, as eagles and owls are
seen to do a part of their prey. These fill the bird's nest of course;
and although they seem as if designedly placed there, are only a
kind of nuisance.

In these holes, which, from the remains of fbh brought there, are
very fetid, llie king-fisher is often found with from five eggs to nine.
There the female continues to hatch even though disturbed; and
though the nesl be robbed, she will again return and lay there. " I
have had one of those females brought me," says Reaumur, "which
was taken from her neat about three leagues from my house. After
admiring the beauty of her colours, I let her lly again, when the
fond creature wns instantly seen to return back to the nest where
slie had just before been made a captive. There joining the male,
she again began to [ay, though it was for the third time, and though
the season was very far advanced. At each time she had seven eggs.
The older the nest is, the greater quantity of fish-bones and scales
it contain : these are disposed without any order, and sometimes

take

up a

i deal of r>

The female begins to lay early in the season, and excludes her
fii-st brood about the beginning of April. The male, whose fidelity
exceeds even that of the turtle, brings her Urge provisions of fish
while she is thus employed; and she, contrary to most other birds,
is found'plump and fat at that season. The male, that used to twit-
ter before this, now enters the nest as quietly and as privately as
possible. The young ones are batched at the expiration of twenty
days; but are seen to differ as well in their size as in their
beauty.

As the ancients hi
have the modern vulgi

them, that the flesh of the king-fi^her will not corrupt, and that it
will even banish all vermin. This has no tjetier foundation than
that which is said of its always pointing, when hung up dead, with
its breast to the north. The only truth which can be nlhrmed of this
bird when killed is, that its llcsh is utterly unfit to be eaten ; wbih
its beautiful blumage preserves its lustre longer than that of any
other bird we know.

had their fables concerning this bird, so
n opinion generally received among

424 ttl8TORT» Slc.

• Haying tfaiM given a sliort iiistory of birda, I own I cannot lake
leave of this most beantiful part of the ereation without reluctance.
These splendid inhabitants of air possess all those qualities that can
sooth tlie heart and cheer the fancy : the brightest colours, the
roundest forms, the most active manners, and the sweetest music.
In sending the imagination in pursuit of these, in following them to
the chirping grove, the screaming predpice, or the glassy deep,, the
-mind naturally lost the sense of its own situation, and, attentive to
their little sports, almost forgot the task of describing them. Inno-
cently to amuse the imagination in thb dream of life is wisdom ; and
nothing is useless that, by furnishing mental employment, keeps us
for a while in oblivion of those stronger appetites that lead to evil.
But every rank and state of mankind may find something to imitate
in those delightful songsters^ and we may not only employ the time,
but mend our lives by the contemplation. From their courage in
defence of their young, and their assiduity in incubation, the coward
may learn to be brave, and the rash to be patient. The inviolable
attachment of some to their companions may g^ve lessons of fidelity ;
and the connubial tenderness of others, be a monitor to the inconti-
nent Even those that are tyrants by nature never spread capri-
cious destruction, and, anGke man, never inflict a pain but when
urged by necessity.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

Printed by J. Millt, Shoe-lane, London.

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