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THE CAT TRIBE.

The beautiful and terrible animals known as the Cat Tribe stand out as
a distinct family. They are all noted for their grace and beauty and won-
derful strength. They are flesh-eaters, destructive in their mode of obtaining
food, and in habits stealthy, silent of foot, quick of ear, and swift of attack.
Members of this group are found in every part of the world, and vary in size
from the mighty lion and tiger to the domestic cat.

THE LION.

First comes the Lion, the king of the beasts. The only remaining
stronghold of this largest animal of the cat species is in Central Africa. The
time was when it wandered through Persia, Syria, and India, but owing to
strong persecution it has almost vanished out of Asia.

The lion is an open-country hunter. It is to be found, as a rule, in the
lon<j grass and bush-lands, or on the outskirts of the deserts. Its color is a
beautiful yellowish-brown, which matches its surroundings so perfectly that it
is enabled to steal upon its prey unseen. A favorite trick 01 the lion is to lie
in wait upon some rock near a path where deer and antelope pass on their
way to drink. Its color here again serves to keep it concealed, for it lies so
still that even the timid deer are deceived, and do not see their enemy crouch-
ing in ambush. As the deer pass by, the lion springs among them and drags
a victim down.

The lion has earned his regal title from his strength. It is said that a
full-grown male will attack and pull down a buffalo. It easily drags the
body of the largest horse over the roughest ground. When a lion makes an
attack it springs upon its victim's neck, and at the same time deals a fearful
blow with its paw.

Many are the stories told showing this trait, and one of the most inter-
esting comes from the late Dr. Livingstone:

A number of natives had found a lion concealed in a long grass swamp.
Forming a circle, they closed slowly in, beating tom-toms all the while. As
the circle became very narrow, the lion suddenly broke cover with a roar, and

THE LION.

A LIONESS AND CUBS.

made off for the nearest shelter. The natives scattered right and left, but
one man, unable to get away quickly enough, was knocked down by the
lion. When the hunt was over .the doctor returned expecting to find the
man only stunned, when, to his surprise, he found his shoulder broken and
his skull crushed like an e^sr-shell from the blow he had received.

The lion is not a sneak like the tiger, for instead of seeking cover it
comes boldly out into the open, and it is killed that much easier. An instance
of the nature of the lion is here shown in the following story :

A hunter camping in Abvssinia was one evening surprised when a native
told him that a few minutes before he had passed quite close to a full-grown
lion. " You were not afraid ? " asked the hunter. " No," replied the native.
" Why should I be ? The lion never attacks us unless he is very hungry or
annoved."

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This last story shows an odd trait in the lion's character. The lion has

SENEGAL LIONS.

THE LION.

no desire to interfere with man ; in fact, one never hears of a man-eating lion.
Why this should be nobody has ever yet been able to say for certain. Many
hunters claim that should a man fall into a lion's clutches and be killed, the
body will not be eaten, although the lion may have fearfully mangled it in its
rage. The natives say that the white man's flesh' is distasteful to the lion.

With regard to the lion not being a sneak, there are always exceptions to
prove the rule, for while it does not hesitate to boldly raid a cattle corral in
broad daylight, there are times when it prefers to sneak upon its prey. A
story showing this comes from a young man who had recently taken service
in South Africa :

He left his camp, one fine evening about dusk, for a stroll, and, passing
near a small pond, he sat down on the edge. Suddenly looking across, he
saw three pairs of green eyes on the other side watching him. Being new to
the country, he did not at once realize his danger. The eyes belonged to
lions who had come there to drink, who, on seeing him, divided, coming
round the pond slowly, and creeping toward him. The young fellow, who
was smoking, placed his pipe beside him on the rock, and as he turned to
watch the eyes he upset it into some dry grass, which took fire at once. The
lions, thus exposed to view, glared at him, and then turned tail and made off,
like great skulking cats. Needless to say that was the last evening stroll the
young man took while in those parts.

The lions set a bad example to the rest of the animal kingdom, for they
are very quarrelsome. Two or three lions will combine to attack a rhinoce-
ros or buffalo, but afterward they will always fight over the division of the
spoil, and not infrequently one of the lions that has helped to gain the victory
will be driven off without getting a share. A hunter once wounded a giraffe,
but before he could fire a second shot the giraffe rushed off over a hill-side.
The hunter followed as fast as he could, and to his astonishment he found the
giraffe in a deadly combat with some lions. After making frantic efforts to get
away, the bullet took effect and the giraffe fell dead. The lions, thinking
that they had gained an easy victory, had a grand battle between themselves
for the possession of the carcass.

Great authorities on Africa are of the opinion that the lion will become
extinct within the next hundred years, unless it is strictly protected. In spite
of the fact that the lioness gives birth to six or seven cubs at a time, these
animals are steadily vanishing before the advance of man. For the hunters
of big game it will be a pity when this mighty beast no longer roams the
desert, or breaks the stillness of the tropic night with its deafening roar.

BARBARY LION.

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THE TIGER.

The Tiger hunt is the royal sport of India, because it is attended with
greater danger than any other kind of hunting in the world. Books could be
filled with stories of the tigers ferocity and recklessness, its wild charges upon
elephants and horses of the hunting-party and its violent struggles to get away,
once it has been cornered by its foes. There is an old saying which runs :
" You are never sure of a tiger until he is dead, and not always then." The
striped skin of the tiger is of great use to him as a protection, just as much as
the brown fur of the lion helps it to hide among the sand-hills and rocks.
The tiger haunts the thickest jungle, and its brilliant yellow and black striped
skin harmonizes splendidly with the reeds and grasses in the fierce lights and
shadows of the Indian day.

Much is written of the man-eating tiger by people who do not realize that
it is only the lame or aged beast, unable any longer to pull down a buck,
that attacks man. When the tiger has once tasted human blood it becomes

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BENGAL TIGER.

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THE TIGER.

a confirmed man-hunter, and holds the country round in terror. The women
no longer dare go into the fields along, and even the men travel from place to
place in well-armed parties of three and four.

Nothing is more wonderful about the tiger than its ability, in spite of its
enormous size, to move quietly over twigs and leaves. A good illustration
of this, and its sneaking habits, is the following story :

A hunter decided to watch the ford of a stream where a tiger had been in
the habit of coming down to drink. He posted an armed native on the oppo-
site side, and then hid himself. After several hours of watching, during which
time he saw nothing of the tiger, he called to his companion. The man did
not answer and the hunter became alarmed. There was an uncanny stillness
in the air. He hastened across, and there he saw the footprints of a huge
tiger just behind where the man had been standing. He followed up the
tiger's trail, and about one hundred and fifty yards away he fell over the
native's bod}'. He was quite dead, with a clawed and broken neck. Al-
though the hunter was only a short distance off, he had heard nothing of
the tiger's approach.

Two ladies left their bungalow one evening, and walked to the top of a
hill to view the sunset. While they were returning, a full-grown tiger
stepped out into the road. One lady, in her terror, suddenly opened her red
sun-shade. The unusual sight startled the tiger, who bounded into the jungle
once more.

This story only goes to show that the fiercest animals in the world can be
frightened by simple objects which they do not understand. All the cat tribe
are cautious, and will never approach anything that looks to them suspicious.

Another story is told of an Indian officer, who had to pass through a
lonely piece of road near a jungle, while going to visit some friends. He was
riding a bicycle. Suddenly a large tiger sprang out behind him, and followed
him with much the same gait that a cat uses when crossing the street. Strain
as hard as he could, the rider was unable to increase his lead on the tiger,
who seemed not to be making the least effort. Near the end of the road a
number of officers were waiting for the expected guest, and were astonished
at the speed he was making. When they saw the tiger behind him they
rushed for their guns. At the same time the tiger seemed to think that he
had come far enough, and, uttering a loud roar, gave three huge springs,
which brought him up with his victim, and down went tiger, bicycle, and rider,
in a heap. A lucky shot finished the tiger, and the officer escaped with a
torn scalp and a broken arm.

THE LEOPARD.

It is about as hard to catch a Lkopard asleep as to sprinkle salt on the
tail of a bird. The beautiful spotted creature is the most cunning and daring,
of the cat tribe. Although much inferior in strength and size to the tiger, it
will attempt deeds that the latter would shun as too dangerous.

An Indian story runs that a dead sheep was hung up near a sentry's box,
and in a short time it was missing. On the ground directly beneath where
the sheep had hung were footprints of a leopard, and yet the soldier on
guard had not heard a sound. After that he kept a better watch, and an-
other sheep was hung up. Suddenly, with a roar, up sprang a leopard, from
nowhere it seemed, and seizing the sheep it made off, after viciously laying
about it with its paws, wounding several natives, and leaving the soldier
half dead.

Leopards do not hesitate to attack in broad daylight, and will carry
small animals off from under their keeper's very nose. On one occasion a
leopard sprang into the middle of a camp at midnight, and dragged off a pair
of wolf-hounds that were fastened together. After carrying them some hun-
dred yards or so, it was forced to drop its prey. One dog was dead, with its
skull smashed in, and the other was so badly injured that it had to be shot.

Leopards have a fondness for eating the flesh of dogs, and resort to many
clever tricks to gratify their taste.

The pariah dogs, which swarm about every Indian village, on hearing the
leopard growling, will rush toward the spot with loud barkings. The leopard
lets them approach, and then suddenly springs out on the nearest dog and
bounds off with it.

Another clever device they resort to is in catching antelopes. A great
failing of all the antelope tribe is curiosity. This the leopard well knows, so
he hides in a small clump of grass near a herd of the swift-footed animals,
and slowly moves his body back and forth sb as to make the grass wave.
This attracts the attention of the antelopes, who come forward to see what it
is, their curiosity leading them to swift death.

If a leopard is chased by dogs it will take to a tree. In fact a large
part of its life is passed off the ground, preying upon the birds and monkeys
that live in the upper branches. Leopards are seldom or never found in for-
ests where there is no undergrowth. They climb a tree and lie out on the
larger limbs, and from there leap upon anything that passes below.

One of the most wonderful stories of a leopard comes from India. A
native woman, who was working among the corn, had left her baby asleep
beneath a large tree. When she had finished her work she went to get her

LEOPARD AND CUBS.

THE LEOPARD.

ALWAYS WARY.

child and found that it had vanished. On the ground round about were the
footprints of a large leopard. She followed these up and found that they led
to a jungle near by. After a long search she came to a sheltered rock, under
which she found her baby sound asleep among three leopard cubs, which were
playing together. The woman seized her child and rushed off, but she had
not gone far when she heard something bounding after her. In her terror she
rushed for an open space where there was a small fire left by some wood-
choppers. She threw some leaves on it so that it blazed up ; at the same
instant the leopard appeared. It stopped, looked at the fire, and lowered its
eyes. At last it turned tail and went off. The woman waited until help
came from a village hunter, who had seen the smoke of the fire rising above
the trees. It is impossible to say why the leopard had not killed the child,
but the fact remains that it was none the worse for its adventure.

Considering the fact that the child had been carried some distance by the
leopard shows that it must have been handled as carefully as if it had been
one of her own cubs.

The leopard is regarded everywhere as a pest, and in India especially is
it troublesome. Many people are of the opinion that a large part of the black
deeds charged to the tiger are really the work of the sly, cunning leopard.

THE JAGUAR.

The Jaguar takes the place of the tiger in the South American tropics.
In habits, however, it is more like the Eastern leopard. It is not as large
as the tiger, but it is much heavier and more powerful than the panther.

There are many instances on record where jaguars have been tamed. A
captain in the British navy had a two-year-old jaguar that would eat from his
hand, and was allowed to roam the ship at large. In spite of its size, it was
as playful as a kitten, and was never better pleased than to find someone
with whom to have a game of romps As time wore on, the romps became
rather dangerous, owing to the jaguar not understanding what a frail playfel-
low a man was. This animal afterward lived many years in England.

The jaguar roams through the jungles from Paraguay to the Equator, and
nothing seems too large or too powerful for it to attack. It will kill any-
thing from a horse down to a lizard.

Jaguars swim well, and are very fond of fish. They lie on a branch over-
hanging a stream, and watch till a luckless fish swims within reach of their
deadly paws. The favorite food of the jaguar is the flesh of the monkeys that
swarm in the forests. The easiest time to catch monkeys is at night. The
jaguar climbs into the trees and stealthily prowls among the branches. Sud-
denly, the stillness of the night is broken by the fierce roar of the jaguar and
the terrified yells of the monkeys, showing that it has found a sleeping colony.
When the jaguar attacks a large animal, such as a deer, it springs upon its
back and grasping the head with its powerful paw, dislocates its neck with a
single wrench.

When the jaguar wishes to cross a river it resorts to a very clever trick to
get the alligators out of its way. It takes up a position on the bank and begins
to howl. The alligators hearing the noise come swimming up to listen.
When the jaguar sees that they have arrived, he sneaks off and swims the
river lower down in safety. This trick is played over and over again and yet
the alligators never seem to understand it.

The jaguar is a very suspicious and cautious animal, and will never make
an open attack on man or beast. Should a party of hunters travel through the
forest, it will follow their steps for days together, in the hopes of picking up a
straggler.

In the early days of settling countries inhabited by the jaguar, it was
found almost impossible to keep anything alive in the way of stock. Now the
hunter is making slow but sure progress, and the jaguar is being forced back
into the dense, trackless forest.

JAGUAR.

THE PUMA.

AMERICAN PUMA.

The Puma (sometimes spoken of as the mountain lion, panther, and cou-
gar) is the largest cat of North America. It is also found far down in South
America. Its head is small for its body, and it does not look as formidable
a beast as it really is. It does not hesitate to attack man, if it can do so sud-
denly, without being seen.

One day some hunters in California were creeping toward a small herd of
deer, when they saw a puma doing the same thing. So intent was the animal
on its prey that it did not notice the hunters being near. Suddenly the deer
became alarmed, and at once the puma sprang and brought down a young
doe. One of the hunters fired, but missed, and the puma, seizing its prey in
its mouth, made off across the loose scree with amazing rapidity.

The puma causes great havoc among the small live-stock, and should a
bullock get stuck in the mud the puma will attack it. It is not dangerous if
you can keep it in sight, and you can even prevent it springing by gazing
at it steadily. It will turn its head from side to side trying to avoid the look.

THE MARBLED CAT AND THE OCELOT.

I

MARBLED CAT (>s Natural Size).

The Marbled Cat is an inhabitant of Malacca. It is like the ocelot,
though much smaller in size.

The Ocelot is found throughout the whole of tropical America. It is
hunted a great deal - for its beautiful fur, which is in exeat demand.

OCELOT (>/,„ Natural Size).

THE EGYPTIAN CAT.

EGYPTIAN CAT (</6 Natural Size).

The Egyptian Cat might easily be mistaken for the ordinary cat, both in
size and looks. It is claimed that this is the species that received so much
veneration from the ancient Egyptians. A story is told that the Egyptians
once refused to attack an invading army because they carried these sacred
cats with them. It is also supposed that the punishment for maiming or
injuring one of these cats was death.

Recent explorations have revealed mummies of cats, some that had been
buried with great pomp, proving that great respect was shown even to the
dead. In Egypt privileges were given to cats that were denied to workmen.

THE WILD CAT.

Perhaps the best known of all the felines is the Wild Cat. It is quite a
common mistake to confuse the domestic cat that has run wild with the true
wild cat. The latter is found all over the world. It is very rare in the British
Islands, on account of its having been killed by the preservers of game, and it

WILD CAT.

WILD CAT (7,0 Natural Size).

is astounding what damage one of these creatures will do, for when they enter
a preserve, they leave a bloody trail of victims in their wake. A wild cat was
once caught in a trap that had been set in a rain-storm drain, and when the
keeper found it, he had to shoot the poor beast before he could go near, so
fierce was its resistance. The young stay with the parents until full grown.

Many stories are told showing the fierce temper of the wild cat, and one
of the most interesting of them relates how one was cornered in a hen-house,
and, when disturbed, set upon the man so that he had to beat a hasty retreat.

A gentleman was taking a walk in a lonely canon in one of the coast val-
leys of California, and on looking up saw, on a dead tree-stump, some eight
feet above him, a huge wild cat. They both eyed each other suspiciously,
while the former drew near and moved his hand very slowly toward his hip-
pocket, which contained a .38-calibre revolver. He drew the weapon out care-
fully, and still the cat did not move. But the instant he took aim, the cat
crouched, and, as the trigger was pulled, it sprang. The bullet smashed one
of its front paws and broke its spring, or the result might have been serious,
for it is doubtful if a cheap .38-calibre revolver is a good enough weapon to
tackle a wild cat with.

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THE CAT.

When one sees a sleek, lazy, contented Cat stretched out asleep in front
of the fire, it is hard to believe that she is first cousin to the tiger. If you
want proof of the cat's relationship to the tiger, watch her stalking sparrows in
the roadway. She creeps nearer and nearer her prey, taking advantage of any
shelter, while her eyes blaze with excitement, and ever)- muscle stands out
rigid and ready for the fatal spring. Again, look at the infinite patience of the
cat watching a mouse-hole. It sticks to its post for days together, until the
poor mouse is caught.

Pussy is one of the most affectionate of animals. As far back as history
goes she has always been a household pet. In Egypt cats were worshipped.

Hundreds of instances might be given of the cleverness of cats and kit-
tens. Cats will learn to open latched doors, to pull knockers, and ring spring
bells. They will pick up odd friendships with puppies and dogs, and have
been known to befriend canaries, rats, pigeons, chickens, guinea-pigs, frogs,
and other strangers.

There is a well-known story in France of a cat who, after sitting in its
sick mistress's room until she died, visited the grave and was found lying
dead there, apparently of grief.

Cats are very fond of their young, and watch over them just as human
beings do over their babies. An interesting story of a cat's bravery is the fol-
lowing :

Some kittens belonging to a farmer's pet cat were playing in the yard,
when a sparrow-hawk swooped down and carried one off. Without an in-
stant's pause, puss flew off to the fir-wood, where she knew the hawk's nest
was. She came to the tree and scrambled up it, and in the large nest at the
top she found her kitten unharmed, nestling down among the young hawks.
She seized it in her mouth and carried it home. When the hawk appeared
again the cat was on the watch, caught the thief, and, in spite of the claws and
beak of the hawk, rolled it about on the ground until it was glad to make
its escape and let the kittens alone.

The domestic cats are of many colors and sizes, and are found all over
the world. In America, the Chinese look upon the cat as an emblem of luck.
Cats are excellent hunters, and are much used to keep rats and mice away
from houses. They are nocturnal in their habits, like the rest of their tribe,
only instead of roaming the jungles, they parade the roofs of houses, and keep
people awake with their mournful cries.

KITTENS.

THE LYNX.

EUROPEAN LYNX.

The European Lynx is a beautiful animal, much sought after for its fur,
which is finest in the depths of winter, for it is fuller and richer then. The lynx
is famous for its quickness of sight, which has indeed become proverbial, like
the hearing of the blind mole. Sheep often fall victims to the lynx, but it
find its chief food among hares, rabbits, and other small animals. It is also an
excellent climber of trees, and chases its prey among the branches with ease
and success. Should one of these animals be suddenly surprised, it endeavors
to sneak off, although it is formidable enough when brought to bay.

The Caracal belongs to the tribe of lynxes, and is one of the surliest
and most untamable of all animals. Although powerfully built, and capable of
pulling down anything of its size, it does not hesitate to feed upon the re-
mains of a carcass slain by a larger animal.

The Southern Lynx is another beautiful specimen of the species which
inhabits the warmer countries, such as Spain and Portugal. From the leopard-
like spots with which its ruddy chestnut fur is covered, it derives the name of
Pardine or Spotted Lynx.

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CARACAL.

SOUTHERN LYNX.

HUNTING WITH CHEETAHS.

THE CHEETAH.

A PAIR OF CHEETAHS.

The Cheetah or hunting leopard is a magnificent-looking creature, stand-
ing higher than a leopard, but without the latter's enormous strength. The
head is small for the body, and the limbs are long and slender. The cheetah
is found in Asia and Africa, and in the former is regarded with favor. It was
noticed in India that whenever the creature caught a deer, it commenced at
once to suck its blood. Hence the idea to use them in hunting.

The cheetah is blindfolded and carried in a native cart until some game is
sighted. Then the bandages are removed, and the animal usually spies the
game at once. The cheetah moves forth with a swift, stealthy motion, never
risking showing itself until it is quite close. Then it gives one powerful
spring, and seldom misses. The keepers hurry up and entice it away with
some favorite food, or the blood of the deer. The cheetah is then rehooded
and taken back to the cart until more game is found.

THE HYENA.

LAUGHING HYENAS.

The Spotted or Laughing Hyena is the most famous of its kind This
animal is the kino- of scavengers, and in hot countries, where carcasses are
allowed to rot in the sun, it is of immense use. The name laughing hyena
arises from the idiotic, hysterical laugh which it pours forth, accompanying it
with the wildest gestures of body and limbs, howling and dancing about on
its hind legs in the greatest excitement. As long as the hyenas confine them-
selves to scavenger-work they are looked upon as a blessing ; but when they
become too numerous they do fearful damage among the flocks and herds.
In spite of the fact that they are armed with jaws of surpassing strength, they
never attack an animal in front. A good illustration of this is the following
story :

A Boer farmer noticed a spotted hyena sneaking about his cattle-corral
shortly after he had railed it up for the night. The hyena passed by a cow,
who, too weak to escape, stood at bay, and attacked a large bull, which had
turned to run away. After the fashion of hyenas, the brute did not spring, but
fixed its teeth in the flank of its victim. The Boer ended the matter with a shot.

APES AND MONKEYS.

THE GORILLA.

The largest and most formidable of the ape tribe is the Gorilla. The
animal is black, with dark gray eyes with a wicked lustre in them. For many
years the reports of these terrible beasts had reached Europe, giving the im-
pression that it was a myth or legend of the slave-traders. Travellers who
returned to Europe brought news of a gigantic race of hairy savages living on
the west coast of Africa. Then Paul Du Chaillu, the great explorer, brought
home a true account of the huge ape, which evidently the ignorant natives had
taken to be a race of men; but even then the truth was doubted. At last
Du Chaillu brought home the skin and skeleton of a gorilla. This set all
doubts at rest. The specimen was found to stand nearly six feet high, with
shoulders three feet wide, and arms that reached almost to the ground ; but,
above all things, stood out the unsurpassed strength of these apes.

In the hunting-ground Dr. Chaillu was surprised to find complete silence
over everything. Calling to mind the sayings of the natives, that nothing
could live near the gorilla, he found no birds in the forest, and even the noisy
tree-frogs were silent. The hunters assured him that these signs meant that
the game must be near. After walking in single file through the forest for
awhile, they stopped to consult, and noticed that the gun-carrier, who was the
last man of the party, was missing. Before any questions could be asked, the
man's dead body suddenly fell from the branches far above them. They had
passed right under where a gorilla was sitting, and with its hind foot it had
gripped up the last man and killed him. This proved to be a favorite trick
that the gorilla plays on the natives, who always held that the great ape was
more to be feared than the lion.

The gorilla in this instance broke cover with a roar, and made off through
the branches with astonishing speed, in spite of its great bulk and weight.

A female and young one were found, and a great battle began. One
hunter had his gun snatched from him by the brute, and Du Chaillu was as-
tounded to see it bent and twisted in the creature's hand like a cane. The
female showed an immense store of vitality, for after being shot several times
she still fought. When at last she could not rise, the young one threw itself
upon its mother's breast with a strangely human cry. This baby gorilla was

AN ANGRY GORILLA.

THE CHIMPANZEE.

brought to England and caged with a bull terrier, with whom it made great
friends ; but in spite of all the care and attention it died.

Another illustration of the enormous strength of the gorilla is the escape
of a specimen which had been shipped to England, and placed in the Zoologi-
cal Gardens. The keeper had closed up for the night, never doubting but that
his charge was safe. The next morning he was astonished to find that the
extra strong steel-bars of the cage had been wrenched apart, and the occupant
was nowhere to be seen. When the news leaked out a panic ensued in the
Garden ; but the gorilla was found in the tunnel under the roadway. The
strong cage that it had been brought in was still handy, and the huge beast
was coaxed mto it once more.

THE CHIMPANZEE.

The Chimpanzee is also an inhabitant of the west coast of Africa, being
fairly numerous in the Gaboon country. It was supposed at one time to be a
young gorilla, but it has since been clearly placed in a class by itself. The
chimpanzee has the most intelligent face of all the ape tribes, using its lips
to show hate, pleasure, or rage. It is not able to stand erect, but moves along
resting its hands knuckles down, instead of on the palms. It has been proved
that the chimpanzee has one singular habit in common with the orang-utan
of Sumatra, namely, that of building a sort of hammock-nest. Only the female
and young occupy this nest, while the male stations himself on top. Chim-
panzees are really ground apes, preferring rocky, broken country to the forest.
Their food consists entirely of vegetable matter, and it is impossible to raise
any crops near one of their colonies.

Many travellers have claimed that the chimpanzees carry clubs, and there
seems to be no reason to doubt it. They may have copied the natives they
have seen, for their imitative ability is well known, but as it has been proved
that they cannot stand erect, it is almost impossible for them to use clubs to
fight with. They have enormous strength in the arms, but greatest in the
hands. A chimpanzee is able easily to' snap a branch that would be far be-
yond the strength of a couple of men.

Another curious thing about these apes is that they live in social bands,
and at sundown may be heard barking and yelling before they settle down for
the night. Though a chimpanzee would not risk a fight alone with a panther
or other large animal, yet even an elephant will turn aside rather than face an
angry crowd of these apes. Chimpanzees seldom travel alone, and if one is

CHIMPANZEE.

THE ORANG-UTAN.

attacked it raises a shrill cry, and at once all the chimpanzees near by flock to
the rescue. When a band of these apes is engaged in feeding, they set a sen-
tinel to guard, who, on the slightest sign of an alarm, utters a loud cry, which
is said to resemble a human being in agony. It is promptly answered by
loud barks and yells, which are increased as the alarm spreads. They flock to
battle, for they are very ferocious, or else decamp rapidly.

A fine specimen of a chimpanzee, better known now as the late lamented
" Sally," lived for many years at the Zoo, in London, where, from the fact that
it was so intensely human, being able to do almost everything but talk, it was
very popular.

THE ORANG-UTAN.

The Orang-Utan, or Mias, is a native of Sumatra and Borneo. It is
quite large, standing often five feet high, with arms that reach the ground, and
its body covered with long, coarse, reddish-brown hair. Perhaps of all the
great apes it is the most unsociable and indolent. The orang-utan is able to
weave a nest of branches with amazing rapidity, and likes to sleep in it un-
til disturbed, or hunger compels it to move. In spite of its indolent nature, it
is a frightful antagonist when roused. Its strength surpasses that of the great-
est animals in its own country, while it is possessed of terrible dog-like teeth,
which, as it is only a vegetable-eater, are only used for purposes of attack or
defence.

Russell, the great naturalist, was one of the first men to call attention to
the orang-utan, and he is said to have captured the first of these live ani-
mals which was seen in England. Owing to the ape's resistance, it is
often fatally wounded before it can be captured. When young, the orang-
utan display great affection, but become morose and sullen as they grow
older. A young orang-utan was brought to England on a ship from Su-
matra, and was very fond of annoying the other monkeys on board. Owing
to its strength it held sway, and the sailors had often to prevent it from throw-
ing a youngster overboard.

One day a sailor left a large pot of white paint unguarded on the deck.
The orang-utan saw it, and, seizing the brush, fell like a thunder-bolt among
the astonished monkeys, and scattered the paint right and left. The whole
thing took only a few seconds, but hardly a monkey escaped a daubing, while
the orang-utan scrambled up the mast to a safe distance and surveyed the
scene, shaking and chattering with excitement.

AN ORAXG AND YOUNG.

THE GIBBON.

GIBBONS (/s Natural Size).

The Gibbons are the fairy-
monkeys of the trees, spending al-
most as much time in the air as
among the branches. The gibbon
forms a link between the great apes,
the baboons, and lesser monkeys.
Like the other apes, they are tail-
less, and have an enormous devel-
opment of arm-power. The gigan-
tic gorilla and chimpanzee are both
cree-dwellers, but neither of them would attempt feats like the gibbon,
which is able to spring through space in travelling from tree to tree. Ow-
ing to this wonderful power, ;t has been given by the naturalists the name ot
" hylobate," meaning " tree traverser."

The Silvery Gibbon derives its name from the silver-gray color of its fur.

THE ENTELLUS MONKEY.

On some parts of the body there
is a trace of brown, while the
hands are dark - colored. The
eyes of all the gibbon family are
large and deeply sunk in the
', head. The gibbon's size is about
i thirty inches. The Malaccas are
the home of the gibbons, where
they live their gay life amid the
high trees and cane-fields.

THE ENTELLUS MONKEY.

The Entellus Monkey is
a native of India. It is not small,
by any means, measuring nearly
thirty-six inches in length, not
counting the tail. They belong
to the family of Indian monkeys
that is sacred. This fact makes
them very bold and impudent.
They enter villages, sit in the
porches and sills (preferably
those of the pastry - cook and
corn - sellers), and from there
steal when the master's back is
turned, while the poor pastry-
cook is not allowed to revenge himself, but simply sighs and keeps a better
watch.

The origin of this monkey-reverence is said to lie in the fact that its skel-
eton bears some resemblance to man, and the natives believe that the souls of
the departed come back, and are reincarnated in the monkeys. To molest
one would rouse the whole village to fury, and there are many instances on
record where hunters have come to grief by doing so.

Though these monkeys live a secluded life under human protection,
there is always one deadly enemy on the watch, the snake, which crawls
stealthily after them among the branches. The monkey, grown careless
through life with man, falls an easy victim to the snake's fangs. When a
snake is discovered, the wThole neighborhood boils with excitement, and the

GIBBON (',.,„ Natural Size)

THE ENTELLUS MONKEY.

yelling band pelts and :y!^$M^:M/^^^^^:^\^V harasses the invader, al-
ways keeping well out ' :J^^^''^^^^^'-}^ of its way, however.
Occasionally the tables '' -t^" /a';'^ f^ are turned, for if a mon-

key finds a snake asleep o^i.^pTOiii -: Gn a high tree, it creeps

down to assure itself ,M '-- that it is no trick. Then

it will do one of two things, either push the snake off suddenly from its perch,
hoping that the fall will injure it, or, boldly seizing it behind the head, scam-
per with it to the ground. There it will dash its head against a, wall or among

THE GREEN MONKEY.

stones, pausing every once in awhile to see how the work is progressing.
Once the fangs are crushed, so as to be harmless, the poor reptile is thrown
among the young monkeys, who torment it still further, until it is dead.
When the entellus monkey is not living near a village, it carries on its
raids in much the same manner among the jungle-folk. Should a tiger ap-
pear, the monkey climbs to the highest branches, and from there insults the
royal beast below.

The long tail of the species does not seem to be of much benefit to the
owner, unless, perhaps, for balancing purposes ; but as a fifth arm it is never
used. The general color of this monkey is a dark grayish-brown, although
when young it is several shades lighter. The hands and feet are black, and
there is also some black around the head.

GREEN MONKEY.

The Green Monkeys are natives of Senegal, on the west coast of Africa.
They are often seen in Europe and America, owing to their being well
adapted to our rigorous climate. They are famous for the beauty of their
silky fur. They are not liked by the natives, owing to their thieving habits.
One green monkey is not a serious thing, but a number will work fearful
havoc in a very short time. They destroy ruthlessly, tearing clown more than
they can eat or carry away.

DIANA MONKEY.

Who has visited any zoological collection and failed to see the beautiful
white-bearded Diana Monkey ? This spotless, fussy little creature is the
most beautiful of all the monkey tribes. Although the diana monkey is a
tropical animal, it lives well in captivity, and, from the cleanliness of its habits,
makes a good pet. A proof of its fussy habits is shown in the following :

A diana monkey was once given a peach through the bars of its cage, and
on account of the angry mutterings of the monkeys around it, the little creat-
ure feared it would be stolen from it. After the peach was eaten, the stone had
been cracked and the kernel extracted and finished, the white beard under its
chin was stained with peach-juice. The monkey was much disturbed, and
went to work and cleaned it until every speck of dirt and stain had gone, and
its fur stood out as fluffy as before.

■ - - ■ "'

A BAND OF GREEN MONKEYS LOOTING A GARDEN.

THE MACAQUE.

The Macaques are a larqe

— o

family of monkeys that dwell in
Asia. They are found all over
India and Ceylon, where they are
protected as sacred beings. Their
name macaque comes from the
word macaco, which, on the coast
of Guinea, means the same as our
English word monkey. They are
bright, active, and insolent in the
extreme. The natives regard
them as sacred, therefore the
white man does not dare interfere
or beat them off, for fear of rais-
ins; the anger of the natives.

These monkeys delight in
gathering in large bands, and
then seeking out some being to
torment. A poor old, sleepy
crocodile offers fair sport, and
they shout and yell at him. This

DIANA MONKEY (# Natural Size). he pUtS Up with patiently, bllt

when the insolent monkeys begin to hurl cocoa-nuts, mud, stones — anything
they can lay their hands to — he returns grunting to a quieter part of the river.
It has been said that the macaques will hustle dogs away, although a fox-ter-
rier would easily out-match a single macaque.

RHESUS MONKEY.

The Rhesus Monkey — the monkey made famous by Kipling in his
Jungle Stories — is the true Bander of the Hindoos. They have a restless,
quarrelsome disposition, and appear to lead aimless lives. As they are an-
other branch of the sacred monkeys of India, they feel at liberty to plunder
the stores and gardens of their protectors without showing the slightest fear.
It has been agreed on all sides that for cunning and insolence they have no
equal.

A district magistrate in Bengal had a number of fine peach-trees, the fruit
of which he was very proud, and therefore anxious to save. Now the local

MACAQUES TEASING A CROCODILE.

THI RHESUS MONKEY.

Rhesus monkeys had also taken a fancy to these same peaches, and forthwith a
war began between the man and the beasts. First of all, a Hindoo was put
on guard, but the monkeys cared little or nothing for him, well knowing that
his caste and religion forbade him injuring them. Now the white man in In-
dia does not care an atom for the monkey, for he has no scruples about their
sanctity, and if they steal from him, he punishes them as much as he dares
without offending the natives. So a white man mounted guard over the peach-
trees. The monkeys came into the orchard boldly enough, but the man
chased them off, using his stick freely. The marauders, astonished beyond

RHESUS MONKEYS ('4 Natural Size).

measure, retired to the top of the high trees to consult. For a long time they
coughed, chattered, pulled tails, and shook the branches with excitement and
rage until they agreed upon a plan. They divided into bands. First one
would pretend to enter the orchard, and when the guard flew at them another
band would swarm over the bamboo fence and scramble up the trees, shaking
the branches and causing a shower of ripe, golden peaches. Meanwhile others
would scamper round on the ground, grabbing up what they could, and then

BARDARY APES.

once more retire, chattering with delight, to the safety of the high trees. The
sun being hot and the man out of breath, he naturally lost his temper and
went for a gun. This did not trouble the monkeys, for they had seen weapons
pointed at them before, but never fired. The man rushed to the fence upon
which a number of monkeys were still perched, and, picking out one offender,
he fired. The poor creature set up a howl of pain as it fell, and then, to the
amazement of the man, held out to him its bloody, shattered, little hand. In
a moment or two it toppled over dead, and, regardless of the danger, the
other monkeys scrambled over the fence and bore the body away. The result
was that the monkeys retired from that spot, and the magistrate gathered his
peaches in peace ; but the man never after raised a gun to a monkey.

v^^$N\\

BARBARY APES.

BARBARY APES.

The Barbary Apes, or Magots, are inhabitants of Northern Africa,
fhey also have the only ape foothold in Europe, on the Rock of Gibraltar

THE BARBARY APE.

There is a very fine legend among the Arabs to the effect that these apes
crossed from Africa to Gibraltar by climbing to the top of a peak on the Afri-
can side, and taking hold of tails until a long chain was formed, and then
swinging back and forth until the end monkey caught hold of the Rock of Gib-
raltar. The others passed over on the bridge thus formed, and the apes on
the African side let go. This is an excellent story ; but the Straits of Gibral-
tar are nearly twenty miles wide, and the Barbary apes have no tails. It is
believed that these apes were brought to Gibraltar by the Moors.

The size of this ape is about twen-
ty-eight inches, and its general color is of
a grayish -brown. They are fairly com-
mon in a domestic state in Europe, fre-
quently being seen in an undignified
position on top of an Italian barrel-or-
gan. While young, these apes are very
gentle, but as they grow older they be-
come morose and fierce. In captivity
they frequently lose their natural intelli-
gence and liveliness, and relapse intc
utter stupidity. Like many other species,
the Barbary apes swarm with parasites,
and it is an odd sight to see them care-
fully examining each other's fur. They
are never so pleased, when in captivity,
as to be allowed to over-haul a dog, or
other animal, every now and then chuck-
ling as they find something. The climb-
ing cats stir things up among the apes
of Gibraltar, and though it is difficult to
approach near enough to watch their
actual doings, a strong glass brings them within observation range.

A wild cat was stealthily making its way toward a group of apes, when it
was discovered, and a shrill yell from one of the apes threw the whole colony
into the wildest excitement, the old males first hurried the females off, who
carried the young with them, and then lined up in formidable array. The cat
looked disgusted, and tried to assume a different air, as if it had stumbled upon
them quite by accident. The apes, chattering loudly, advanced a step or two.
and thereupon the cat, with a fierce snarl, retired. After awhile matters

WAXDEROO (V,o Natural Size).

THE TEE-TEE.

quieted down, but within an hour that same cat sprang in among a group of
apes, seized one, and before .the chattering mob could recover from its surprise,
the marauder had fled. The night-time is when the wild cat commits the most
havoc among the apes. The apes live on the Mediterranean side of Gibraltar.
They are tolerably secure there, as hardly anyone would venture out upon the
terrible precipices.

The military authorities have done their best to protect the apes. They
are not of any use, but as they are the only members of the ape family in
Europe, they think it would be a pity to allow them to be shot.

THE WANDEROO.

The Wanderoo lives in Ceylon, and is famous for the curious growth of
hair around the face, which gives it
a venerable appearance. It has a
curious custom of always filling its
pouches with food before satisfying
its hunger. In captivity it is ex-
ceedingly treacherous and ill-tem-
pered.

THE TEE-TEE.

The Tee-Tee is a tiny little
creature that lives in Brazil. It is
one of the most intelligent of all
the monkey tribes, and therefore
makes a delightful pet. There is
one serious drawback, however,
and that is that the tee-tee is very
delicate, and unless it is carefully
watched it will die. Even when
kept about a Brazilian house, the
tee-tee must not be placed near
draughts, or anything damp. It is
seldom seen in this country.

TEE-TEE (}j Natural Size).

ANGRY BABOONS.

THE BABOON.

BABOON.

We now come to another famous branch of the monkey tribes, the
Baboons, whose chief home is in Abyssinia and Nubia. They live among
rocks and cliffs, but at the same time are excellent tree-climbers. These dog-
faced creatures are considered one of the greatest curiosities living. They
are worth watching when in captivity, for they sit with an almost comically
grave expression on their faces, or else walk around with a curious swagger-
ing gait. The baboons have a mane, more or less developed in various spe-
cies, which gives them a most evil appearance when wild. They live in large
colonies, and absolutely rule the country around them. They walk on all
fours, very much like a dog, and when disturbed break into a swift gallop.

•

GELADA (' ia Natural Size).

Baboons, great and small, arc armed with terrible teeth, both from a point
of strength and sharpness. Many explorers testify to the tricks which these
creatures will play on their enemies. When hunted, baboons always try to
run off, but should they be cornered, they turn on the hunter, grip him by the
throat, and then tear themselves away, causing a terrible wound, which is al-
most immediately fatal. The Gelada of this family is specially famous for its
strength and length of mane. Like all the rest of the baboons, it is very
quarrelsome, and always ready to attack an enemv. The mothers carry the
young ones on their back until they are strong enough to go alone.

THE MANDRILL.

The Mandrill is the mightiest of the baboons. There is hardly any
other creature in the animal kingdom that is so extraordinarily marked, for on
either side of the snout (which, by the way, is colored a fiery red) are broad
bands of purple, blue, and scarlet. The effect is hideous, showing an animal
utterly brutal and ferocious. So terrible is the mandrill that it drives every-
thing away, including the elephant, while lions have been known to succumb
to an onslaught from these beasts.

They live in the forests, and from there frequently descend upon the vil-
lages. They care little about the natives, plunder everything in sight, and
carry their booty away to the woods.

When caged the mandrill shows a marked preference for female visitors,
and may be approached bv them when men would not dare to venture. It is
exceedingly jealous, and, curiously enough, displays fierce anger if attentions
are shown to any of its lady favorites. It is absolutely untamable, and if in-
jured will go off into the wildest gusts of passion, which have been known to
end in death. It will nurse a revenge for months, and even feign mildness,
stealthily waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.

THE HOWLERS.

The Howling Monkeys of South America have earned a bad name for
themselves. Owing to a curious formation of bones in the throat they are able
to utter a loud cry with great force. These monkeys collect in vast numbers,
and, unlike the Asiatic and African monkeys of similar habits which cry singly,
they howl in chorus, apparently under a leader, and the effect on a still night
can be imagined. They are good imitators, frequently mocking the jaguar.
Hour after hour they keep up the concert, which can be easily heard a mile
away.

The natives of Brazil have a curious way of catching these monkeys.
They fasten an empty cocoa-nut shell to the ground, fill it with rice that the
monkeys love, and which can only be gotten out through a hole just the size
of the monkey's hand. The natives retire and watch, and down comes the

THE SAI MONKEY.

inquisitive monkey. As soon as it discovers the hole it pushes its hand in and
grasps a fist full of rice, and, of course, it cannot draw the hand out. The na-
tives run up, and the monkey is actually too stupid or greedy to let the rice
go, and so is easily captured.

SAI MONKEYS.

SAI MONKEY.

The Sai Monkeys belong to the Capucin family, and are famous for their
bright, active ways, and gentle dispositions. All of this family of monkeys is
found in great numbers in Brazil. The Sais' tails are very strong, and, as in
the case of a great many South American monkeys, they use them to swing
by. These little fellows prefer vegetable matter to eat, but will not refuse
insects and eggs. In all the forests near the Equator, when you hear a great
uproar among the colonies of nesting birds, it generally means an invasion
from a snake or a prowling sai. They are clever and intelligent, and are fre-
quently seen in this country in a tame state.

NIGHT MONKEY.

The curious owl-eyed little animal
in the picture, called the Night Mon-
key, is an inhabitant of the South Amer-
ican forests. During the heat of the
noon-day sun it sleeps in a hollow tree ;
then at twilight it stretches itself, and
comes out, and from that time to day-
light the forest has no more bright, act-
ive little hunter. Hence the name,
" night monkey." Its voice is very loud
considering its size. It also emits a
kind of a roar, not unlike the jaguar,
which causes great excitement among
the other monkeys. The night monkey
can mew like a cat, and, which is most
wonderful of all, can accurately imitate a

^9'K

NIGHT MONKEY (■+ Natural Size).

snake's hiss. When the night
monkey is angry or excited it
breaks into a loud, chattering
bark. They do not live in colo-
nies, but keep in pairs, except
when the little ones are born.

SLENDER LORIS.

The Slender Loris is a
quaint little creature hailing from
Madagascar, Ceylon, and the
Malayan Islands. The loris is
barely nine inches high, and its
limbs are slightly built, hence
arises its surname, " slender." It
is a Q-ood hunter in its own ior-
ests, moving through the trees
with marvellous swiftness and

SLENDER LORIS.

precision.

THE AYE-AYE.

Sonnerat, the trav-
eller, while in Mada-
gascar, captured a little
animal that he had
never seen before. He
showed it to the na-
tives, who were greatly
surprised, and clapped
their hands with cries of
astonishment, and from
that the Aye- Aye got
its name. The little
creature is brown, with
black feet, large eyes
and ears, is almost des-
titute of hair, and has
claws of great length
and delicacy. In ap-
pearance it is rather
like a rat, with a large
bushy tail and slender
claws. It differs from
all other species. The
naturalists now believe
it to be the missing
link between the mon-
key and the gnawing
animals. It is very shy
and very rare, being
only found over a small
part of Madagascar, and
considering its strictly
nocturnal habits, it is
not so wonderful that the natives had never discovered it. One great point
where the aye-aye differs from the rest of the four-handed animals, is that the
latter suckle their young from the breast, but the aye-aye never does this, its
milk-giving organs being in the lower part of the abdomen. Its Latin name
means " mouse-handed."

AYE-AYES (</3 Natural Size).

THE GAL AGO.

The Galago is another nocturnal little
creature living near the Limpopo River in
South Africa. It leaps, monkey - fashion,
from tree to tree, with great accuracy.

THE COLUGO.

The Colugos, popularly known as the
" flying foxes," seem to come between the
four-footed animals and the wing-handed
animals. A hunter who pursued one of
these little creatures chased it into a tree,
when, to his surprise, it took a flying leap
into the air and landed into another tree, a

GALAGO

Natural Size).

COLUGO (% Natural Size).

distance which, on measurement,
proved to be eighty yards away.
He managed to shoot the colugo,
however, and found that its front
and hind feet were joined by a
fur-covered natural skin, similar to
the bat's, instead of a membrane,
as he believed. In walking, this
skin is so closely wrapped to the
body that it hardly attracts atten-
tion. The colugo flies like a kite,
always starting for a point lower
than its starting-place.

The Vampire Bat is a native
of South America. It is very fond
of the blood of human beings
and animals. At one time it was
believed that people died from
wounds given by them. Chickens,
cats, and dogs die from such attacks,
but nothing larger. The vampire
alights on the toe of a sleeping

BATS.

THE BAT

VAMPIRE BAT (% Natural Size).

man, makes a tiny puncture with its sharp tooth, and proceeds to draw the
blood, but in the cases of horses and cattle it selects the shoulders and flanks
to operate upon. After all, the main diet of the bat species is insects. It is
interesting" to examine the ground near where bats are resting and see the
marvellous collection of beautiful insect wings scattered around. Bats make
their homes in church-steeples, barns, and out-houses, where they lay quietly
all day, hanging head down, after the fashion of their kind. Then as the sun
goes down they come out in thousands. In the country they fly over the rich
meadows and edges of the woods, while in cities they buzz around the electric
lights, which attract vast numbers of insects. Bats have always been a source
of much superstition and dread. In many parts of England a bat flying in at
a window is supposed to foretell a death, or if one should alight upon a
horse or cow the owner will expect some bad luck. The scientific name of
the bat means " wing-handed."

CIVETS AND ICHNEUMONS.

The true home of the Civet is in Abyssinia, although it is found over the
whole of Northern Africa. This curious creature carries a. scent-pouch, under
the abdomen and near the tail, from which is obtained a precious secretion,
which is much prized on account of its perfume. At one time the civets were
killed, and the secretion extracted ; but it proved too expensive, for the quan-
titv was very small. A much better plan was put into operation ; namely, that
of keeping the animal carefully caged, and removing the perfume as it was
produced. This latter operation is no easy task, for a civet is so built as to
be able to turn any way, and use its claws and teeth with dangerous effect.
On attempting to handle one of these animals it backs away with angry
growls, and fights desperately. It is said that the secretion is extracted now
by placing the civet in a narrow box, where it cannot turn and bite back.
Naturalists have never determined yet to what use the secretion was put, for
when the civet is in its wild state it forms into a mass about the size of a nut,
and the secretion is periodically discharged.

In habits the civet is nocturnal, and is very hard to rouse during the day-
time. If poked up with a stick it only settles again, and if the persecution is
continued it growls, but will not bestir itself.

The length of the civet is usually three feet. It is beautifully marked
in black and white, while its eyes are of a dark shade of brown.

CIVETS AND ICHNEUMONS.

The Ichneumon plays much the same part in Egypt that trie moongus.
does in India. It is a veritable reptile-destroyer, and also turns its attention
to rats, mice, lizards, and other pests. In Egypt one of the most dreaded of
creatures is the crocodile, and odd as it may seem, the ichneumon is its most
deadly enemy. These clever little creatures watch where the crocodiles hide
their eggs, and then directly they are left unguarded they creep down to the
place and dig them up and eat them, with the result that each year hundreds
of young crocodiles are thus destroyed.

The ichneumon is regarded with much favor, and does not hesitate to ap-
proach human habitations. The ichneumon is capable of moving about very
quietly. A man might be in the same room with one, yet he would not hear
it running to and fro across the floor.

Rats and mice, which, by the way, have excellent smell and hearing, never
seem to notice the approach of their stealthy enemy until it is upon them,
therefore the people of Egypt like to let the ichneumon wander about in their
graneries and storehouses to drive the vermin out. It is also capable of pro-
ducing a scented secretion, like the civet, although it does not seem to be of
any great value. An ichneumon was seen to chase a rat among some rocks,
and when it dived down into a small crevice, the ichneumon followed, thus
showing that in spite of its apparent size it is capable of squeezing into a
ridiculously small opening. It captures a great deal of its prey in this man-
ner, the victim believing itself safe in a small burrow or other hiding-place.
The color of the ichneumon is brown, with considerable gray mixed.

A MOONGUS ATTACKING A COBRA.

THE MOONGUS.

Around every Anglo-Indian home you will see a long-bodied, short-
legged, perky little creature bristling with importance, and busy prying into
all sorts of odd corners. It is the Moongus. Indian gardens become the
abode of numberless reptiles which would soon be uninhabitable but for this
little creature.

In ways it bears some resemblance to the cat, being cleanly and well
disposed to human beings. The moongus is consumed with curiosity ; it
will pry into everything, and often thereby gets itself into the most laughable
situations.

A Civil Service Judge in Bengal allowed a pet moongus to wander at
will all over his house. One day the moongus climbed onto the Judge's desk
to see what it could find. It pushed its nose into the ink-pot, and found the
ink nasty to drink. Then wherever it put its nose after that it left an inky
stain. The moongus could not understand where* the black marks came
from. At last it upset a large pot of gum, and got its feet and tail into the
mess so that papers began to stick all over its body. With that the moongus
rushed off in a fright, and rolled itself about in the dust in the garden. It
was several days before its fur got back into order and neatness.

In India the little animal is much prized and protected on account of the
unceasing warfare it wages against all manner of snakes. Every shaded nook
and drain-pipe affords a lurking-place for the dreaded cobra, and the one ani-
mal that faces this reptile without fear is the moongus. The lightning rapidity
with which the little creature moves, and the curious swaying motion of its
body, enabling it to spring equally well on either side, makes it very difficult to
say in which direction it will go, and this is its great safeguard in dealing with
reptiles like the cobra. The moongus endeavors to catch the snake just be-
hind the head, where it cannot bite back, nor lash with its tail. They roll on
the ground together until either the snake is killed, or succeeds in shaking its
enemy off, which very seldom happens. The object of the moongus is to
reach the snake's back-bone with its sharp teeth, and thus paralyze it. If the
snake attacks first, the moongus receives its enemy in front, and avoids the
lightning strikes by springing in the air. Quick as the snake is, it cannot turn
before the moongus has followed up its miss with a furious attack.

The moongus does the snakes great harm in other ways besides fighting

THE MOONGUS.

with them. When a cobra lays its eggs it generally does so in some warm
corner and then, after covering them with earth, leaves the heat of the sun
to do the hatching. The moongus hunts for these eggs, digs them up and
eats them. It is on these occasions that the fiercest battles take place, for
the cunning snake is always on the lookout for enemies. She tries to sneak
up behind the moongus, but the chances are a hundred to one that it will
hear her.

The moongus is a good hunter, for it fears nothing. Should a mole or
any other subterranean animal appear, the moongus flies at it, and if it seeks
refuge in its burrow in the ground, will follow it in, and later is seen backing
out of the excavation, dragging the luckless mole too.

The only time that the moongus shows an irritable nature toward human
beings is when it is feeding, being liable to use its sharp little teeth freely; but
this is not common, because they usually drag their food to secluded spots,
where they will not be disturbed. When the moongus is angry it spreads its
tail out like a bottle-brush, and utters a low, quick, chattering noise.

Its general body-color is gray, with dark hairs intermingled.

It was claimed at one time that the poison of a cobra was not fatal to the
moongus, but this is untrue, for should it be unlucky enough to get bitten, the
consequences would be just as fatal as in the case of any other animal. The
moongus matches its quickness of foot and eye against the snake's strike.

One of these interesting creatures was brought to England and allowed
to run about its owner's house. Of course, it immediately went on a tour of
inspection, and ran up against the cats, who took it for an extra-sized rat, but
they quickly discovered their mistake, for the sturdy little animal flew at them
so fiercely that they were actually driven from the house. This little moongus
waged a great war on the roaches in the kitchen until they were all extermi-
nated. One night by accident it was shut out from its warm quarters, and was
found dead the next morning. Although there was not a trace of frost in the
air, the cold had been sufficient to cause the death of the little inhabitant of
the tropics.

In spite of its sharp teeth, Indian children like to make a pet of the moon-
gus, for it is fond of a game. It is good-tempered, as a rule, but can be teased
until it becomes dangerous. There is one thing which always rouses the
moongus's wrath, and that is to pull its tail. It will snap angrily at anyone's
finger after that. There have been many attempts to introduce the moongus
into other snake-infested countries, but with very little success, for it does not
thrive well out of the tropics.

DOG FAMILY.

This large and important group of animals embrace not only wild and
domesticated dogs, but also the wolves, foxes, and the jackals.

The dog is found all over the world, and everywhere is the friend of man.
Let us first look at an interesting animal of the wild dogs.

THE DHOLE.

The Dhole is found in the western portion of the Indian Empire. It is a
mysterious animal. Even in localities which are favored by its presence, the
dhole is seldom seen, and by many Indian residents it has been thought to be
a fable of the natives.

The most wonderful thing about the dhole is its fondness for hunting.
There is nothing peculiar in the fact that dholes should unite in great packs
and run down big game, for many of the dog tribe have that habit, especially
the wolves. But the dhole is the only animal who, though inferior in strength
and size, has sufficient pluck to hunt the terrible tiger and destroy it.

It seems that no animal in India can face the dhole except the elephant
and rhinoceros. Even the boar is easily killed. The leopard saves itself by
taking to the trees. In their attacks upon such animals as the tiger and the
boar, the pack is greatly thinned out by the crashing blows of the tigers' paws
or the stabs of the boars' tusks, but, nevertheless, the remainder doggedly keep
up the fight until one or the other wins. The dholes do not increase at any
great rate, the reason being that these continual battles thin their ranks down
so. The dhole is very swift-footed. Some naturalists believe that it can out-
run its cousin, the wolf. The dhole does not assault men unless it is attacked.
It is of a rich brown color, while its eye is bright and its face very intelligent.

THE GREYHOUND.

The first of the domesticated dogs is the Grevhound. This graceful
creature is formed entirely for speed and endurance. It has long, slender legs,
a deep chest, and a sharp-pointed nose.

The chief use to which the greyhound is put is in "coursing." A pair of

DOG FAMILY.

greyhounds race after a hare to see which can kill it first. The speed of the
greyhound is much greater than that of the hare, but the latter, owing to its
short front legs, is able to dodge and turn more quickly.

There are several varieties of greyhounds, such as the Irish greyhound,
the Scotch greyhound, the Russian greyhound, the Persian greyhound, and,
last of all, the smallest and most beautiful of all, the Italian greyhound.

NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.

This magnificent beast gets its name from the country to which it belongs.
It is a wonderful swimmer. There are hundreds of cases on record where people
have been saved from drowning by one of these plucky dogs. The attachment
which this magnificent creature feels toward mankind is almost unaccountable,
for it has been known to go out into snow-drifts and rescue someone it has
never seen before.

The people of. Newfoundland utilize the strength of this dog by making it
draw sleighs of wood and stone, and it is sad to relate that the treatment the
dog receives is brutal in the extreme. It is nearly always seen at its best in
England or Canada where its fur is cared for.

ESQUIMAUX DOG.

This dog belongs to the Arctic regions. It is powerfully built and well
adapted for travelling over the ice. The Esquimaux use these dogs to draw
their sleighs. All Arctic explorers have carried them on their expeditions.
At times a kind of plague will break out among them, so that a whole pack
will die in a few hours.

•SPANIEL.

The Spaniel is largely used as a sporting dog. It is fond of water and,
in consequence, is much favored by duck-hunters. It is intelligent and plucky,
and will seldom retreat before any foe. A spaniel has been known to beat off
a puma which had tried to steal her puppies. While hunting, the spaniel has
a habit of wagging its long, hairy tail, and when it runs its tail goes from side
to side, keeping time with its feet. It is a large dog, often weighing between
thirty and forty pounds.

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DOG FAMILY.

ST. BERNARD.

This magnificent dog gains its name from a famous monastery in Switzer-
land, where it has been taught to rescue people lost in the snow, and thereby
earned for itself world-wide fame. Whenever a snow-storm occurs the monks
in the monastery send their dogs out to look for belated travellers. When the
dog finds anyone it bays loudly, all the while scraping the snow from the
frozen traveller. The monks then set out to the rescue.

In the United States the St. Bernard thrives very well, and some magnifi-
cent dogs can be seen about the streets. Its temper is a little uncertain.

BLOODHOUND.

The Bloodhound gains its name from the wonderful sense of smell it
possesses, which enables it to scent a person's trail for miles over any country.
The trail is often slight, but the bloodhound's instinct is unerring.

FOXHOUND.

This dog is short, strongly built, and smooth-skinned. It has been so care-
fully bred that it has nearly reached the height of perfection. In England it
lives in packs and is kept in beautiful kennels, and looked after carefully. The
height of the foxhound is abort twenty to twenty-five inches.

POINTER, SETTER, AND RETRIEVER.

These are the three famous shooting dogs. The Pointer is a rather large,
muscular, smooth-skinned animal. It gets its name from a curious habit it has
of" pointing " when out hunting. If it finds a covey of quail it stands perfectly
still, with its nose in exact line where the birds are hiding. The hunter there-
fore keeps his gun pointed readv in that direction.

The Setter is another favorite hunting doe. It is a beautiful, long-haired
creature. A curious fact about the setter is its fondness for water. While hunt-
ing, it will not go on with its work unless it can wet its coat periodically. II
there is no water nearby it pants and puffs with heat and exertion. The set-
ter is better tempered than the pointer, but it has an annoying habit of forget-
ting all it has ever learned. There is nothing to do but for the hunter to go
over its lessons again. The ruddy-brown Gordon setter is the most beautiful
and valuable of this species.

, -

DINNER TIME.

DOG FAMILY.

The Retriever Dog is
so called on account of its
value in recovering or " re-
trieving" game that has fallen
out of the reach of the sports-
men. There are two breeds
of retrievers; one obtained
by crossing a Newfoundland
and a setter, and the other
by crossing a terrier and a spaniel. The latter is naturally the smaller of the
two. To train a retriever for hunting purposes is rather a difficult task, de-
manding great patience. The greatest obstacle is to break the dog of its habit
of barking when it is excited.

BULL DOG.

This dog is an example of combined brute strength and good temper.
Its extraordinary courage is well-known; it may be said that there is hardly

TERRIER PUPPIES.

DOG FAMILY.

any breed of sporting dog which does not owe its pluck to an infusion of bull-
dog blood. The instinct of fight is strong in the bull dog, for there seems to
be no animal that it will not attack.

On the other hand, the bull dog is gentle and will permit itself to be
roughly hauled about by children. The bull terrier is a cross between the true
terrier and the bull dog.

FOX TERRIER.

The Fox Terrier has been termed the "gentleman" among the dogs.
It is an animal combining all the good qualities of the canine family, being
graceful, strong, saucy, affectionate, dignified and playful. The terrier is com-
mon all over the United States and England, where it has been carefully bred.
A great many inferior curs that have a trace of terrier in them are to be seen
sneaking about the streets, but they only bring discredit upon the family.

PUG DOCx.

This little dog has become a great household favorite. Its face is fierce-
looking, showing unmistakable signs of having descended from the bull dog,
but in reality it is mild and harmless. The pug is a pet, and useless for any
other purpose. It is cheerful and amusing in its ways and shows great affection,
but it is also jealous in disposition and will frequently snap at strangers.

POODLE DOG.

The Poodle is another pet dog. It is in great vogue in France, where
they shave the back and cut the hair off its tail, so as to leave rings and tufts.

The poodle, therefore, is placed lower down in the scale of " good " dogs
than it ought to be.

It is really an exceedingly bright and clever dog, and can be taught to
perform endless tricks. It is affectionate and docile.

THE DINGO.

The Dixgos of Australia are one of the many forms of life which make that
continent mysterious. These animals, half dog, half fox, live in great numbers
near the sheep ranches, where they thrive marvellously, in spite of the unceas-
ing warfare waged against them by man. They steal sheep and lambs to an

DOG FAMILY

alarming extent, and so far no means has been found to check their ravages.
When they become very numerous in one locality, they divide up into bands,
each one covering certain ground. They are very swift-footed, and always
prefer flight to giving battle ; but still, if cornered, they make a fierce resist-
ance. At night they surround the sheep-corrals and bay at the moon like any
dog. Perhaps their most remarkable trait is their store of vitality.

A hunter on one occasion discovered a dingo caught in a trap ; he struck it
heavily with the butt-end of his gun, and then, lifting the body out of the trap,
left it for dead, as he thought, and walked away. By chance he happened to
look back, when he saw the creature rise up, shake itself, and limp off.

The dingos are very expert thieves and will carry off common articles,
such as harness, boots, rugs, clothes, etc., from under their owner's very nose,
and will return the next day to repeat the outrage. The Australian ranchmen
very justly believe that the dingos, like the cats, have nine lives.

The color of the dingo is a reddish brown, which .matches wonderfully
with its natural surroundings in the bush.

THE JACKAL

Jackals are the first of the true hunting dogs to be considered. These
animals are natives of Africa, but are very common in India and Ceylon.
They are scavengers, and will eat anything they can get. One of their curious
habits is that of dogging the steps of larger animals, like the lion and tiger, to
feed on the remains of their feast. They will sit down at a respectful dis-
tance, and hungrily watch the hunter devour its prey. Then when it is
gorged it moves off, and the jackals swoop down upon the remains, quarrel-
ing furiously among themselves,
or with the hungry kites and vul-
tures attracted to the scene. Sir
Samuel Baker mentions having
found jackals in Africa with their
paws bitten off, and the natives
declare that it is done by the lion
as a punishment for daring to in-
terfere with its feast. The jackal
is an expert thief, as the following
_ _ storv will snow :

A sentinel, on duty in the
fortress at Agra, observed one of
3H these creatures on the prowl. He
took no notice of it at the time,
but soon after was surprised to
see the intruder crawl off with a
j|jt pair of little puppies in its mouth.
Under an arch-way a bitch was
asleep with her litter, and the
bold thief had cleverly taken two of her young ones from beside her without
making anv noise.

When very young the jackal may be tamed like a dog, and, curiously
enough, it loses the strong, offensive smell it has when wild. The natives
look upon the jackal with contempt, on account of its sneaking habits. As far
as human beings are concerned, the jackal is harmless, but among small live-
stock they are terrible pests, being as cunning as bold, and, like the cat, pos-
sessed of nine lives. They hunt in bands, and often come to a comrade's
rescue when it is pressed by an enemy.

WOLVES HUNTING.

THE WOLF.

The day of the Wolf is past in Europe. When France, and even
England, were overrun with this terrible creature a price was put upon its
head, with the result that it was all but exterminated. In Russia, occasionally,
some lonely, outlying village is attacked by wolves, who, ravenously hungry,
are driven there by the severe winter.

The wolf's jaws are of marvellous strength, and are used in a different
manner to other great animals; like the lion, for instance. Instead of closing
the jaws tightly, they snap them, tearing dreadful wounds. The wolf is cruel
and unsparing, even among its fellows, turning and hurting a wounded member
of its own pack. Its power of endurance has been handed down in legend,
until it has become proverbial. The long, tireless, shambling gallop of the
wolf will run any living creature down. A horse may run swiftly and start off
at a much greater rate of speed than the wolf, but presently it will show signs
of distress; then it will pluck up courage and take a new lease of life, but the
dogged foe behind will sooner or later win the race.

The most disconcerting thing is to display before a wolf something it is
unused to. Suspicion is their watch-word, and a piece of red or white cloth
tied to any dead game is sufficient to keep the band off; for, unless they are
perfectly sure that there is nothing harmful in that piece of cloth, they will not
go near it.

A notable instance showing the suspicious nature of the wolf is told by a
Russian gentleman who was driving a two-horse sleigh, when his beasts sud-
denly snorted with terror and broke into a wild gallop. The traveller knew
well enough that they had scented wolves, and presently he heard a faint howl
far away. Ere long the cruel green eyes of the leader appeared behind, and
just at that instant the sleigh collided with a tree-stump that was covered with
snow. In an instant the traveller was thrown out, and the horses, freeing
themselves, rushed madly on. The man, nearly frantic with terror, waved a
piece of red rag which he gripped in his hand, and, to his intense astonishment,
the wolves stopped, dropped their tails, and eyed him suspiciously. Slowly,
the man backed to a tree and sprang to the lower limbs, just in time to save
his skin. The pack then divided; one half started after the horses, while the
remainder, with hungry eyes and tongues lolling out, settled down under the
tree, knowing that the frost would soon do its work. At daylight some men
found the sleigh with broken harness attached, and around it the marks of a
great battle. A strong force of men went up the road and rescued the
benighted traveller just in the nick of time.

THE WOLF.

Each pack of wolves runs under a leader, whose maxim is, " He who takes
it, keeps it." The chief wolf's authority lies solely in its jaws, and woe to the
poor creature when accident or age begins to tax its strength. At the first
chance it is set upon and torn to pieces by its followers, while confusion and
unending battles take place, until another wolf, by sheer strength and pluck,
fights its way to the front rank; then obedience reigns once more. In time this
leader is deposed, too, and so on. These fierce battles among the rivals in the
pack keep the wolves from becoming very numerous. When wolves are kept
in captivity, they often form close friendships with their natural enemy, the dog,
and not infrequently breed. The young of such a union are sly and ferocious,
combining the evil qualities of both animals.

The Indian Wolf is built a good deal like the Russian and American
wolf, except that its fur is a good deal thinner. It is very fierce, only one does
not hear so much of it as there are so many other terrible animals in India,
such as the tiger, elephant, and rhinoceros. The Indian wolf hunts in a well-
organized pack, which is under the direct command of a leader. The wolf is
found more in the open country, near the jungle, than in the jungle itself.

INDIAN WOLF.

THE COYOTE.

«i

Everyone who has crossed the Western plains of America must have seen
the Coyote, the gray wolf of the West, which sits upon a knoll and looks
impudently at the passing train, well knowing that it has no time to stop and
interfere with him. Campers in Arizona, New Mexico, and California wake
suddenly in the night and grip their rifles when they hear the most long-drawn-
out, unearthly yell imaginable. It is merely a coyote serenading the moon.
This animal is plentiful enough, in spite of the way it is hunted down. It is a
typical wolf, keen of eye and swift of foot, besides being the king of thieves.
The coyote will quietly pull the blanket off you as you sleep, and at the first
sign of waking, with a whisk of its tail, it vanishes. They are clever ventrilo-
quists, and use their power in many curious ways. For instance, two coyotes
howling together make you think that there must be a band of twenty in full
swing. If two coyotes wish to rob a chicken-ranch which is guarded by dogs,
one of them stations itself at the gate and sets up a howl. Out rush all the
dogs, and away goes the serenader, quietly keeping the lead of the hounds in
full cry behind. Then the second coyote rushes into the ranch and steals the

THE FOX.

chickens. When the first coyote thinks that it has run far enough it doubles
and trebles its speed, and the dogs are left far behind to make their way home.
The two thieves then meet and divide the spoils. All Westerners testify to the
insolence and cunning of this creature. A coyote was seen about eight o'clock
one morning to kill a cat on a private lawn, within four miles of Los Angeles,
California. If one crosses your path it will let you come comparatively near,
but should you attempt to use a weapon it vanishes like magic. If a coyote is
suddenly cornered, it will feign death, and often carries out this trick so cleverly
that hunters of the greatest experience are deceived. Sometimes a coyote,
when feigning death, will lie in the same position for hours, until it is sure
that you are not looking. During this time its body will assume a wonderfully
lifeless look.

Young coyotes are quaint-looking little creatures, seeming to be mainly
composed of a mouth and two

absurdly big ears. When captured ^^^\;^^%^^'^^^

very young, coyotes can be tamed *^«3fe

and chained to a kennel. They
often become affectionate and docile
when they get over their natural
shyness. But remember, their teeth
are always sharp !

THE FOX

The Fox has managed to make
an immense reputation for itself in
the world. The old legends have
always shown Master Reynard as
the spirit of mischief and cunning,
and not without good ground, for
there are few animals that it cannot
outwit. When put to the test it will
display a sound sense of judgment,
mixed with an audacity that is
amazing. In England the fox is protected by law for hunting purposes. It is
a great pest to the farmers, but the hunting landlord prefers to pay the damage
rather than have the game destroyed.

The fox has a strong, unpleasant odor, which is exuded from glands near

3d, $sjife;

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DIVIDED — FOX AND RABBITS.

THE FOX.

FOX AND CUBS.

the tail. It is so pungent that a barn will retain the smell for weeks after a
fox has been there. Milk left standing near will be ruined, while as long as
the smell remains dogs, horses, and cats become very restless. It is this curious
scent that is followed by the hounds in the hunt, and the fox will display great
ingenuity in throwing its pursuers off its trail, such as going up the bed of a
stream, or doubling back on its tracks; then giving a powerful leap to one side
to break the connection of the run. It has often been known to sneak through
herds of cattle, hoping to gain a little headway by the confusion which must
follow when the eager pack comes rushing up.

In a distant part of Pembrokeshire, in Wales, a pack of hounds had fol-
lowed the same fox for several hunts. The cunning old fellow seemed to
enjoy the fun, and when it had had enough, it made for the sea-coast and van-

THE FOX.

ished over the cliffs. The ground was examined and the cliff proved to be
one hundred and fifty feet high, so if it had jumped down to the beach it must
surely be killed. The huntsmen determined to press closer the next time the
fox appeared. Again the hunt came off, and, as usual, Mister Fox made for
the coast and went over the cliff like a flash, the pack following close behind,
with the result that about half of them were killed. It was afterward seen that
the cunning rascal used to slide quickly down the cliff on all fours for about
fifty feet, until it was checked by the stump of a bush, and neatly concealed by
this was the entrance to its hole.

Another instance worthy of notice is that of a fox which, when almost run
down by a pack in full cry, came to a railway just as a freight train was coming
along at full speed. Without hesitating, the desperate creature sprang on to a
flat-car and soon left the hunt far behind.

On one occasion a hungry fox passed by an open farm-house door just as
the family were about to sit down to dinner. It gave one hasty look around to
see that there were no dogs likely to catch it, and then it sprang boldy across
the room and right onto the dinner-table, and, seizing the joint of meat, it
scrambled safely out of the door again before anyone could prevent it. This
is only one of the many instances which show that the fox is capable of carry-
ing out the most daring schemes.

The foxes dig holes called earths, generally among the roots of large trees,
and here they bring up large families of bushy-tailed, snubby-nosed little cubs.

When the cubs are about half-grown they are hunted ; this is called " cub-
hunting."

THE ARCTIC FOX.

The Arctic Fox stands a little apart from its numerous family. It is
found in the most northern part of America, Greenland, and the great Arctic
islands. It is especially famous for its fur. During the late fall it is a beauti-
ful gray color, which makes it valuable in the market. In the depth of winter
it is very heavy and silky and turns to a pure white, but at other times of the
year it changes its coat very rapidly, assuming unsightly colors. Explorers
and naturalists who have visited the Arctic regions at various times have
described it as the " pied " fox, others as the "sooty" fox, and others as the
"blue" fox; but it has since been proved that they are one and the same
animal seen at different times of the year.

They are over-bold, being easy to approach within gun-shot, and they do
not display the clever tricks for keeping out of traps like their brethren. They
live in burrows, like the red fox, and in size are slightly smaller, measuring
about three feet, including the tail.

Owing to persecution, the Arctic fox is not nearly as plentiful as it was; in
fact, it has already vanished from some localities, where it used to live in great
numbers. If the demand for its fur continues, it will probably be exterminated.

THE HYENA-DOG.

The Hyena-Dog, or Hunting Dog, forms a connecting link between the
canine family and the hyenas. It has many of the traits of the dog, but in
appearance and habits it is like the hyena. It is something of a scavenger, and
loves to roam about the country in bands; hence the Boer settlers near the
Cape of Good Hope have nicknamed it the "hunting dog." It is smaller than
the true hyena, and is much inferior in strength. It will steal when it gets a
chance, but will never attack a man.

While the speed of the hyena-dog is nothing like as great as the wolf, still
it is able to run down many animals, such as the slower deer and antelope.
When on a chase, it relies on numbers to terrorize the prey, for a pack of hyena-
dogs look very formidable when they are in full cry. The white settlers of South
Africa consider the animal a coward, and, therefore, treat it with contempt.

The hyena-dog is about the size of a large spaniel, but it weighs a good
deal more. Its color is a dirty gray, with white and black patches. Its ears
and the extremities of its paws are also black.

WEASELS, SKUNKS, AND BADGERS.

Next in order come the Weasels, Skunks, and Badgers. Members of
these different families are found in every part of the globe. They have snake-
like habits, long, flexible bodies, capable of being twisted and turned into any
shape, short legs, and immense strength for their size.

Two well-known members of the weasel family are the martens.

PINE-MARTEN.

The Pine-Martem is a beautiful creature, living, as its name denotes, deep
in the heart of the great pine forests of Northern Europe and the wilder parts
of America. It is very shy and wary, never showing itself if it can possibly
help it, and is, therefore, considered much rarer than it really is. It lives almost
entirely among the trees, travelling from branch to branch rather than going
over the ground. In pursuit of its food it is sly and silent. Birds, squirrels,
rats, and mice fall easy victims to its powerful claws.

STONE MARTEN AND OWL.

THE STONE-MARTEN.

A hunter, passing near a large tree, was attracted by the excited shrieks of
a colony of birds that had built their nests among the upper branches. The
cause of the trouble proved to be a pine-marten. As soon as the man and
beast saw each other, they stopped and silently eyed one another. The marten
was contemplating a dash for safety, while the hunter, who was only armed
with a shot-gun, was wondering if he could get within range before his prey
could try to escape. They both made up their minds at the same instant, for
the hunter made a dash forward and the marten scurried down the tree with
amazing rapidity. Below this tree was a deep gully which would cut off all
chance of pursuit, so the hunter stopped running and fired both barrels, while
the marten, which was evidently
hurt, gave a superb spring and
dropped forty feet into the tree-
tops below. The small branches
swayed and creaked as it made
off, and the poor creature was
found dead the next day, about
three miles away. It measured
thirty inches in length, including
the tail.

THE STONE-MARTEN.

The Beech, or Stone-Mar-
ten, is another member of this
family. It is not as shy as the
pine-marten, and is much more
numerous. Owing to its not be-
ing afraid of man, it is a great
nuisance, silently killing and car-
rying off large numbers of chick-
ens. The beech-marten can be
tamed and even become affec-
tionate, but never quite loses its
thirst for blood. It is cruel and
fierce when wild, often falling stone-marten (Vl. Natural size).

upon a weaker animal that has obtained prey, seizing it and killing the victim.
The beech-marten will kill an animal and be so gorged from a previous meal

THE SABLE.

that it will leave its victim without touching a drop of its blood. But it is just
as ready to kill the next animal it meets. The beech and pine marten are very
much alike, except that the white fur is more marked in the former.

THE SABLE.

SABLE (' „ Natural Size).

The Sable is famous for its fur. It is not a common animal, even where
it is best known. It is found all through the most northerly part of Canada,
and again in Europe and Russia Hunters have lost their lives in seeking it,
for its fur is only valuable during the cold winter months, when the snow begins
to cover the great forests of Siberia, and the danger is Qreat. The awtul snow-
storms cover up the tracks in a very short time, and the violent winds pile up
huge drifts until it is impossible to move along. The forests are dark, and
once the hunter loses his way he is lost. Nevertheless, quite a number of
sable-skins come to this country each year, showing that brave men still go
out, in spite of all the risks. The sable's feet are large in proportion to the
rest of its body, and in consequence it leaves a foot-print in the snow which
might be easily mistaken for a small bear. The sable can be tamed, but it
makes a poor pet. Its fur always looks untidy, for all the gloss, which makes
it so beautiful, disappears.

POLE-CAT.

One never hears of the Pole-Cat without thinking of something horrid.
Its utter wanton cruelty and ferocity have made its name famous wherever it
has lived. Although it is not a large animal (coming in size between the
marten and the true weasel), it does not hesitate to wage war on birds, etc.,
several times its own size, such as turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, and num-
berless hares and rabbits. With regard to rabbits, it is doubtful if they have
a more terrible enemy.

The pole-cat is very scarce in England ; it is destroyed because of the
havoc it makes among the wild birds and animals that are being preserved for
game shooting. But when a pole-cat does visit any game preserve, it leaves
a fearful trail behind to mark its progress. It always kills everything it can catch
and will only suck the blood of its victim. Often hares and rabbits are found
lying dead that would make a meal for twenty pole-cats.

The animal is small and therefore does not worry man seriously, except
by killing his chickens; but if the creature was the size of a tiger, just imagine
the scourge it would be. There is only one thing the pole-cat is afraid of, and
that is the gun. It only lives on sufferance, and has hard work to keep its
race from being utterly destroyed.

When a pole-cat has almost run an animal down it is so intent on the chase
that it may be easily approached. This is common among all the weasels.
The pole-cat has a brownish-yellow fur, varying to black on the paws and tail.

POACHERS.

THE FERRET.

-..

■■■ ;w\ i

The Ferrets are the best known of all the weasel family. Cruelty is the
birthright of these curious creatures. They destroy wantonly and viciously,
and yet ferrets prove that, when properly handled, they can be tamed, and are
capable of great affection. The ferrets are best recognized by their lithe,
creamy-white bodies, pointed noses, and fierce little pink eyes. At one time it
was thought that the ferret and pole-cat were the same animal, but now it is
well known that they are not. The pole-cat lives in the North, while the ferret

originally came from Africa. When living
fegltg ' ■'■■ in captivity, these little creatures must be
;"' .-"pj % " kept very warm, for if by chance they get
shut out of doors and the weather turns
cold they will die. Set a thief to catch a
thief holds good with the ferret, for it is
counted as vermin itself, and yet it is used
to kill rats. A large rat is nearly a match
for the ferret, and it has been said that after
a ferret has been mauled by one it will
never face a stand-up fight again.

There are really two kinds of ferrets,
the one a beautiful creamy-white creature,
the other larger, fiercer, and with a good
deal of black in its coat. This last one is
a cross between a true ferret and a pole-
cat, and is often used in rat-catching, while
the smaller species only in rabbit-hunting.
H§ The game-keeper carries the ferret to the
rabbit-warren in a small bag in his out-
side pocket, and when taken out it is muz-
zled. It would never do to let the ferret
run loose down in the burrows, for it would
kill the first rabbit it came across, and could
not be coaxed out until it had had a meal. For this reason they are taken into
the field hungry, so as to keep them active. In rabbit-hunting the burrow
holes are covered with a slack net, and when the ferret is turned into the
ground it begins at once to chase the inhabitants through all the wind-
ings and twistings, until the bunnies, in terror, fly out of their holes only to
get tangled up in the net. When the ferret comes out it is put back in the
bag.

THE MINK.

A ferret that did not return from one of the burrows was given up for lost
by its owner. A week later a servant of the manor house (which, by the way,
was a mile and a half from the field) found the little ferret on the kitchen door-
step, very cold and hungry, patiently waiting to be let in.

THE MINK.

The Mink is another little animal which is famous for its fur. It lives
near lakes and rivers, and was once thought to belong to the otter family; but
it is really a weasel In many places
it is spoken of as the water pole-cat.
It swims well and readily. It is
found throughout Northern Europe
and America, near the rivers in the
spring and the lakes in the fall.
Like the rest of its family, it is a
fierce fighter and a might)- hunter
Everything of its size in the forest
flees before it. The color of the
mink is dark brown, but it often va-
ries many shades lighter.

Hunters tell many curious sto-
ries showing the cleverness of the
mink. In one district where the
mink had been hunted to such an
extent that it had almost disap-
peared, a hunter was very anxious
to catch one that was larger and
fiercer than anv he had seen before,
and had so far defied all attempts
to kill it.

The hunter put up a spring gun
with a bait attached to a wire and
trigger, which would fire off the MINK (' ' Natural 3,ze)'

minute it was moved. The mink smelled the bait, but when it saw the wire it
became cautious at once. After watchinq- the bait for awhile it be^an to die
the earth out from underneath the bait, which soon fell into the hole, and the
gun exploded harmlessly. The mink then trotted off with its prize

WEASELS AND SHRIKES.

THE WEASEL.

The Weasel is the smallest, commonest, and most dangerous member
of its family. Its length, including the tail, is less than a foot. It is a great
hunter, attacking even as large an animal as the hare. Weasels often hunt in
couples, or bands, and when thus engaged, they become so absorbed that they
can be easily approached. On one occasion a man noticed a rabbit rush across
a meadow-path, evidently in terror of something following it, when suddenly
a weasel appeared so close that it almost ran over the foot of the watcher. At
about fifty yards the weasel caught up with

the rabbit, leaped upon its neck and in a ; ^".^■■5^ . ■.:. M'/'-^ ' j./\ '
second or two it was dead. The man now
came up, and the weasel sat upon its haun-
ches and looked impudently at him. It
seemed very loath to be driven from its
prey, and the instant it was left alone it
speedily dragged the rabbit under a bush.
This last fact shows the strength of the
weasel, for a rabbit weighs two or three
times what a weasel does.

This little creature seems to have a
knowledge of human ways, for the manner
in which it will approach a man seems
very rash; but on second thought one
sees that they have a great deal of shrewd-
ness. Owing to the weasel's fondness for
young birds and eggs, the farmers kill it
whenever they get a chance. But, on the
other hand, the weasel proves very useful
in destroying vermin, and the good it does
exceeds its evil deeds. In summer the
weasel hunts in the long hay and growing
corn for rats and mice, but in winter it visits the barns, where they have gone
for warmth and shelter.

Where the weasel is most dreaded is in the game preserve, for it is so
cunning that it is next to impossible to shoot it down. The usual way of kill-
ing the weasel in the woods is by the steel trap. They love to frequent the
storm ditches, probably because they can move along the bottom of them and
approach the game without being seen. So the game-keeper leaves a baited
trap right in the path, and after many provoking failures, Master. Weasel gets

THE WEASEL.

caught. Now a weasel fights hard
for its life, and it plays a number
of tricks, such as shamming death.

On one occasion a keeper came
across a weasel which was, as he
thought, lying dead in a trap, and
to make sure he struck it several
times with the butt of his gun. He
loosened the spring of the trap, and
taking the body out, threw it to one
side, and walked away without giv-
ing the matter a second thought.
Half an hour later, when he passed
that way again, he noticed that the
weasel had gone, and wondered
who could have taken it. However*
about six weeks later he caught
another weasel which looked re-
markably like the first. He served
it as he had served the one before,
and threw it on the ground. This
time he did not leave, but hid be-
hind a bush. As nothing happened
for some time he was just on the point of going home when he saw the weasel
move, then sit up, sneeze, and calmly begin to put its fur in order, and then
trot leisurely off. The blows that the keeper had struck it would have crushed
many a larger animal.

Again a little weasel was caught by its front foot in a trap, and in its fran-
tic struggle to get away it tore its foot off altogether. Although so badly
maimed, that three-legged weasel became the scourge of the woods. Every day
a partridge's nest was destroyed or a pheasant dragged down, and do what
they could, the keepers failed to trap the little beast. When the snow came
they saw its curious three-foot prints everywhere, but never a sight of the
weasel. At last, nearly eighteen months later, it was found fighting with a tame
cat that had run wild, over a dead rabbit. A charge of shot laid both the fight-
ers out, but the damage had been done by that time. For a year and a half
that weasel had defied every scheme to catch it. There is an old saying
which runs, " Never leave a weasel till you have nailed it to the barn door."

WEASEL AT BAY.

THE STOAT.

The much-hated, thieving Stoat
and the beautiful Ermine are one and
the same animal. In summer the
stoat's fur on its back is brown, while
underneath it shades to a beautiful
lemon color ; but when the frosty
weather comes it turns to a creamy
white, except the end of the tail, which
remains black. Of course it is at this
time that it is most valuable. People
used to think that the whiteness in a
stoat was caused by its dark summer
coat comin"- out and the white fur
growing, but it has been proven that
the darker fur simply turns white.

The stoat is a great deal larger
than the weasel, but very much like it
in its habits. Wherever there is game
around the stoat is sure to be found,
for it dearly loves to eat pheasants
and rabbits. On one occasion a stoat came upon a hare, and the latter, in-
stead of dashing off, as it would in case it met a man, merely hobbled about
slowly, with the stoat following close behind. After awhile the hare settled
down on the ground, while its enemy crept closer and closer, until it sprang on
its victim's neck, killing it with a single bite. The hare is by no means a cow-
ard, often fighting fiercely against animals larger than itself, but with the stoat it
seems unable to help itself. The effect that the stoat has on birds, hares, and
rabbits is a kind of fascination like that of a snake.

STOAT.

THE SKUNK.

Everyone knows the Skunk, with its beautiful black and white fur, and
the terrible name it has for the smell which issues from its body. The glands
which contain this disagreeable liquid in many cases have been removed,
leaving the skunk, which is naturally good-tempered, a jolly little playfellow.
The skunk is easily tamed, and will live contentedly about a garden.

THE SKUNK.

■ iSiii

In a Western double-framed house a family of skunks lived between the
outer and inner shells of the wall, and as night came on they were to be heard
running over the beams after prey. They destroyed every living thing, from
rats down to blackbeetles, and were never offensive to the household unless
suddenly disturbed by one of the cats. As a matter of fact, the skunks had
their own way, and the cats, with great wisdom, kept at a distance. Neverthe-
less, there was a collision at times, and the skunk made the neighborhood
aware of it. Baby skunks are the prettiest of little things, looking very innocent
as they frisk about. Except for color they look like young squirrels.

Skunks are strictly American animals, and are known all over the country.
In some places they reach as great a total length as eighteen inches, but the
average is much smaller than
this. They have strong bur-
rowing claws, and when wild
live in holes that they dig out
for themselves. They sleep
all day and come out at night
to hunt' for food. If suddenly
met by a man they show little
concern, and will often look
at the intruder impudently.
Their lack of fear comes from
their knowing that no one will
interfere with them. When
they become too numerous
they are best cleared out with
a gun, but the hunter must be
skilful at his work, for they
must be shot dead. If only
wounded they will crawl un-
der a house or barn and make
it impossible for anyone to
come near them. Their pe-
culiar odor is very strong,
clinging for months together
to horses, cattle, dogs, cats,
and garments that have come

in Contact with it. SKUNK (/ Natural Size),

THE BADGER.

c

On a warm summer e\'ening, if you go to some quiet spot where no one
passes, and there are lots of trees, you may see a Badger, whose beautiful
black and white coat glides in and out among the grass like a will-o'-the-wisp.
Although harmless and good-natured, the badger is a great fighter when
aroused. In olden times it used to be matched against several dogs at once,
and often gave a good account of itself. It has short, stubby legs and a dog-
like snout. Its teeth are vety strong and sharp. A badger mother rears her
young in a burrow, generally among the roots of trees. This is dug out by
the male badger, and serves for a living-place and store-house. When the
badger is busy burrowing you can come quite close to it, for it is so intent
upon its work that it does not notice anything around it. Many people imag-
ine that the badger is stupid, but in reality it is very clever, and anyone who
has attempted to trap one will agree in this. It is easily tamed, and becomes
quite affectionate. The badger is not as rare as many people think. Its habits
are quiet, and it moves along so stealthily that you might be within a few
yards of one andnot know it. It is more often betrayed by its strong smell
than by any sound it will make.

THE WOLVERINE.

The Wolverine, or Gluttom, is found over the coldest parts of America,
Northern Europe, and Siberia, and is everywhere considered a curse and a

WOLVERINE AND STAG.

THE HONEY RATEL.

scourge. It is cruel and ferocious, killing many more animals than it can
possibly eat. It is hated among the trappers of North America, because it
slinks after their trails and tears to pieces victims already caught in the traps.
All the summer long the glutton wages war upon the beavers, stealthily gliding
in upon them or dashing suddenly among a colony. But in winter the terrible
cold freezes the beaver's hut so hard that even the glutton cannot get into it.
Its paws are very large, and make a footprint in the snow that is often mis-
taken for a bear. Sometimes the glutton lies upon an overhanging branch un-
til some poor deer comes along, when it springs upon its victim's neck and
hangs there, in spite of all its struggles, until the quarry is brought down.

Should a hunter be unlucky enough to corner a glutton it will offer a
fierce resistance. It is said that the glutton is the most difficult animal of its
size to capture. Traps are almost useless to destroy it, and the only sure
method is to watch with infinite patience and shoot it down.

THE HONEY RATEL.

HONEY RATEL ('6 Natural Size).

The Honey Ratel lives on the honeycombs of wild bees. It is cov-
ered with a thick skin which serves as a protection against the stings of the
bees. The honey ratel has strong digging claws, and it can bury itself in a few
minutes. This is the way it escapes from the angry bees.

THE BEAR FAMILY.

The Bear has withstood the attacks of man better than any of the large
animals, and this is probably because its habits are so quiet. Its real food con-
sists of roots, berries, and young leaves, and flesh, only when it finds it freshly
killed.

THE SLOTH BEAR.

One of the bear species has been foolishly named the Sloth bear, but it
is the most active of all. It inhabits the tropics, therefore it never has to sleep
throughout the winter, and what is more, it has to work very hard, digging up
ants' nests, to get its daily food. Curiously enough, it is about the only bear
that goes out of its way to attack man. Hunters state that the sloth bear is so
full of life that when anything comes in sight which it believes it can safely
tackle, it rushes in to attack at once. When caught young and tamed, the
sloth bear makes an excellent pet.

SLOTH BEAR.

THE GRIZZLY BEAR.

There are several kinds of bears to be found in America, but the most
famous is the Grizzly. Through some parts of the States hunters call all
bears grizzlies, but it seems now that the only true grizzly is found in the Si-
erra Nevada Mountains of California.

All summer long the bear is busy eating until it gets very fat, and then
when winter comes it makes a burrow in the ground, very cunningly hid-
den, and quietly goes to sleep from November to April. When it gets up it
looks very miserable and thin from having had nothing to eat, and all the gloss
has gone off its fur. At this time it is very fierce indeed. The bear hunts for
food, and in a short time it begins to grow fat again, and the skin no longer
looks several sizes too large for its owner.

The spring is a bad time for bear-hunting, firstly because its fur is not
in good condition, and secondly because it is too dangerous an antagonist.
Should a grizzly's anger become aroused by a wound, it will attack men and
horses without discrimination. It lays about itself with its huge paws, while its
claws will smash through almost any substance, as if they were made of steel.
So tenacious of life is the grizzly bear that, unless it is wounded in some vital
spot it will fight on, although its body may be riddled with bullets.

All California hunters fear the grizzly, and with good reason, for no other
animal on the American Continent matches it for size and strength.

Men who have travelled all over the world believe that a grizzly is more
than a match for either a lion or a tiger, in spite of their superior agility.

A full-grown male grizzly frequently weighs as much as fourteen hundred
pounds, but the female weighs a good deal less.

THE BROWN BEAR.

The Brown Bear is fairly common in Europe and Asia. In a wild state
it grows to a very large size, but directly it is confined in a cage it ceases to
develop and remains comparatively small all its life.

The brown bear lives mainly upon roots, leaves, and honey, consequently,
it does not make many inroads on the farmers' cattle.

The brown bear is easily tamed and becomes verv affectionate, and will
follow its owner about like a dog. It is frequently seen with shows and cir-
cuses, where it is made to dance upon its hind legs.

GRIZZLY BEAR AND CUBS.

A BEAR ATTACKING A BULL.

THE BLACK BEAR.

BROWN BEAR.

THE BLACK BEAR.

The Black Bear is found all over America. There was a time when
this bear was hunted for its flesh, which was considered a great delicacy.

A curious habit of the black bear is that if it is very fat, about November,
it will not hibernate at all, but spend the winter above ground.

The track which the black bear leaves in the snow is very large. It also
has a habit of passing over the same tracks many times, and the hunter is fre-
quently led to believe that he is on the trail of some larger animal.

THE POLAR BEAR.

In the Arctic regions lives the Polar Bear. This mighty animal is as
large as any of the bears found in warmer countries. It lives entirely on

POLAR BEARS.

THE POLAR BEAR.

AMERICAN BLACK BEAR.

flesh and fish, its chief food being seals, which it has a very clever way of
catching. Finding a number of seals asleep on a piece of floating ice, the
bear quietly swims toward them, and then suddenly appears right under their
noses. If the frightened seals leap into the water the bear will have them
before they can get away, while if they try to escape over the ice, their swift-
footed enemy quickly climbs out of the water and catches them before they can
reach a place of safety. This trick is played over and over again.

The polar bear can stay under water for quite a long time. Its swimming
powers are greater than those of any other animal except, of course, the whale,
dolphin, and seal. A polar bear has been known to swim from one island to
another, a distance of over fifty miles. Moreover, it is very expert in the
water, and can catch the largest and swiftest fish with ease.

The polar bear makes a dangerous enemy, for its temper is uncertain, and
it will attack man without any reason. Its jaws are of great strength, while its
claws will tear their way through the hardest wood. Its fur is enormously thick,
right down to the extremities of its feet, and consequently it is well protected
from the Arctic cold and from the sharp pieces of ice that it walks over. Its
color varies from a pure white to a pale yellowish tint.

THE OTTER.

O TTER (', , Natural Size).

Sometimes toward evening, when you are walking near a river, you will
be surprised to see a large salmon floating by, with a small part of the flesh on
its h^ck torn away. It is sure to be the work of the Otter. This great fish-
hunter inhabits the river-banks of many countries, and is usually much hated
for the damage it does to the river-folk. In England otter-hunting is a
national sport. A pack of wire-haired shaggy hounds swim or wade in the
stream, while terriers run along the bank to start the game. Hunters with
long poles follow on foot, and the poor beast is chased until it is brought to
bay.

The otter is cunning and brave, fighting desperately for its life or cubs.
Its body is long and very supple, and its fur is of a fine texture. On land it
makes a good stand against its enemies, but in the water it is a match for any-
thing its size. The otter, if taken while young, is easily tamed.

Some years ago a Scottish gentleman owned an otter, which he taught to
catch fish at his command. The otter would take not only salmon from the
river, but it would take cod out of the sea, swimming bravely through the
waves in search of prey. When it got tired, nothing would induce it to go
into the water again. It was always given part of the fish as a reward, and

THE OTTER.

SEA OTTER.

then it would fall down asleep, and have to be carried home. This ani-
mal became so tame that if it was frightened it would rush to its master for
safety.

An otter in the London Zoo had two little cubs, which had fallen into a
tank full of water. Although they could swim splendidly, there was danger of
their being drowned when they got tired. The mother otter made an attempt
to get them out by reaching down from the top. At last, however, she got
into the tank herself, and making a natural bridge of her back and fore-
paws, the youngsters were able to scramble up in safety.

The river otter is not very rare, and anyone who is willing to spend an
hour or so sitting perfectly still near a shaded woodland stream, may see the
cunning creature busily searching for prey. The length of the otter's body is
about two feet, and, including the tail, nearly three feet.

The Sea Otter is nearly twice the size of the land otter. It lives on the
Northern Pacific coast, and is very rare, feeding entirely on sea fish and what
it can pick up on the shore. Its fur is very valuable.

The Coaiti is a curious
little South American ani-
mal, that loves to roam
about in the night search-
ing for eggs and sleeping
birds. Its snout is long
and flexible, and is used
for digging up worms and
insects. In drinking it
laps like a dog, keeping its
snout up out of the liquid.
The coaiti always comes
down a tree head first,
holding on by its sharp
curved claws.

THE RACCOON.

Have you ever seen a Raccoon? Perhaps you would understand better
if you were asked, have you ever seen a coon? This curious animal is a liv-
ing lesson to all boys and girls. It is the cleanest little animal known. It
keeps its fur speckless, and carefully washes every bit of food before eating it.
It has no table to come to with dirty hands, but, nevertheless, takes pride in
keeping itself, oh, so clean ! Its paws are hand-shaped, which gives it a strong
grip on anything it wishes to hold, and this is very useful to Master Coon
when he is busily washing a piece of meat back and forth in the water.

If the coon is treated kindly, it will become very tame. A gentleman kept
one in his yard with a number of other wild animals, and the coon was by far
the tamest, being allowed to run about; but, at the same time, all the chickens
had to be kept out of its way, for it had a habit of killing them wholesale. It
is said that the raccoon is rather a spiteful animal, and will store up a grudge
against anyone who has in-
sulted it.

The raccoon roams over
the sea-shore at night in search
of shell-fish and oysters. It is
quite clever at opening the
latter. Sometimes it is un-
lucky enough to get a foot
caught by an oyster, and then
it is drowned in the rising tide.

The colored people in the
Southern States think a coon-
hunt great fun. They walk
quietly through the woods un-
til a coon is located in a tree.
Then one of the party climbs
up into the branches and
shakes the poor little creature
off its perch. As it falls to the
ground it is set upon by the
men and dogs, who soon kill
it. The flesh of the raccoon is
considered very good to eat,
while its skin makes beautiful

rUSS- RACCOON {% Natural Size).

THE MOLE.

The Molp: is the first of the true insect-eating animals living almost en-
tirely under the ground. Its fur is very fine, and, as the hair has no grain,
none of the particles of soil through which it passes sticks to it. Its eyes are
very poor, — in fact, unless you know where to look for them you would fancy
it did not have any. However, if you sprinkle a little cold water on its head,
it will show two small, black, beady eyes. Its muscles are very strong and its
diggers large for its size. The mole is able to bore through the earth with
amazing rapidity. It feeds largely on worms, and herein is seen its wonderful
skill. Its strong diggers enable it to chase the worms through all their wind-
ings in and out, following them by smell and sound. The hearing of the mole
is proverbial, while its sense of smell is delicate. It uses its nose to find the
softest earth to burrow through, and often does some of the work too like a
pioneer.

The mole is fierce and quarrelsome. The males far outnumber the
females in this family, so when the pairing season comes round there are fierce
battles' between the males. On one occasion a hunter noticed some grass
moving in an odd way, and going
up to see what was the cause of it
he found two moles in mortal combat.
They were so absorbed in their fight
that they did not notice the stranger,
and indeed they came within an
inch of his toes during the struggle.

After awhile one of the moles began
to beat a hasty retreat. The other
followed it, and with every show of fe-
rocity began to tear it to pieces. The
mole makes a bad pet, as it never
displays any liveliness except at
meal-times, and then, having gorged
itself, it goes to sleep again. It does
a great deal of damage to lawns and
gardens by tunneling under the top
soil. These tunnels are often hun-
dreds of feet in length. At the same
time many people believe that the
earth is all the better for having been
stirred up, and turned over.

MOLE (*/2 Natural Size).

ELEPHANT SHREW {'4 Natural Size).

THE ELEPHANT SHREW.

The Elephant Shrew, so called
for its trunk-like nose, lives in South
Africa. It is famous for its speed, for
when alarmed it hurries to safety with
wonderful swiftness. Its burrow is
generally placed in some shady place,
difficult to find. It feeds on insects,
and in the day-time, too.

THE AGOUTA.

The Agouta lives in Hayti, in
the West Indies. It has the head
and tail of the opossum. The length
of the agouta is about eighteen
inches, including the tail. This ani-
mal, when running, might be mis-
taken for a huge barn-rat. It is one
of the insect-eating family.

The agouta is very silent and

wary. Should it hear anyone approaching the spot where it is feeding, it will
listen to ascertain from which direction the noise comes, and then sneak qui-
etly off the opposite way. Its front claws are long and slightly curled, and
are used for digging up roots, etc., and holding its prey.

AGOUTA ('/4 Natural Size).

THE HEDGEHOG.

If you have a garden you should keep a Hedgehog, for there is no ani-
mal that destroys so many slugs, caterpillars, and beetles. Next to'the porcu-
pine, the hedgehog has the most wonderful skin of spikes in the world, and if
you make it angry, or set a terrier at it, it simply rolls itself up into a ball, and
you cannot get at it anywhere. The hedgehog uses its spikes in more ways
than one. Of course they are most important in keeping off its enemies, and
are also used in getting down from high places. Many people have seen a
hedgehog come to the top of a wall, in some cases as high as twelve feet, and,
after peering down cautiously, roll itself into a ball and fall over. The shock
of striking the ground is broken by its spikes. Then the hedgehog quietly
unrolls itself and trots off about its business. In England gypsies have a curi-
ous way of cooking the hedgehog. They cover it all over with clay like a ball,
and then bake it in a fire. When the hedgehog is cooked they break the clay
ball into two parts, the spikes stick to the clay, and the flesh can then be
eaten. The hedgehog is usually about six inches lon<

»g-

FLYING

Natural Size).

FLYING SOUIRRLL.

This animal is called the
Sugar, or Flying Squirrel.
It has a curious growth of skin
between its limbs which, when
spread out, acts as a kite, and
enables it to leap from one
tree to another.

AUSTRALIAN BEAR.

Although the Australian
Bear belongs to the kangaroo
family, it lives in the trees.
It seems to be a very gentle
creature and can be captured
without any difficulty ; but,
like all gentle animals, it oc-
casionally goes off into gusts
of passion. It is about the
size of a bull-terrier.

,d2^^&^Jglf!k^^td

KANGAROOS.

THE KANGAROO.

The Kangaroo lives in Aus-
tralia. It is usually found in small
companies, and always in charge of
a leader. The kangaroo was first
discovered by Captain Cook, in New
South Wales, in 1770, and it is said
that when the sailors asked the na-
tives the name of the strange animal
they replied, " Kangaroo," which, as a
matter of fact, meant in their lan-
guage, "What do you say?" How-
ever, this name has remained un-
changed ever since.

The skin of the kangaroo makes
very fine leather, and its flesh is good
to eat. The native Australians say
that it affords the best hunting on

the continent. The men ride on

horse-back, while a pack of large,

fierce hounds follow the kangaroo,

which goes over the ground at a

curious gait, consisting of a series of immense leaps. Its hind legs are of

great size and strength, and when brought to bay the creature defends itself

with kicks. The front legs are very small, and do not seem to be of much use

except to convey food to the mouth. When a kangaroo is chased by hunters,

it has an odd habit of looking back over its shoulder, and instances have been

known where it has collided with a tree, and thus brought itself to an untimely

end.

Perhaps the most wonderful part of the kangaroo is the pouch in which it
carries its young. The baby kangaroo, when first born, is not much over an
inch or two in length, and for about eight months it lives in this pouch, until it
is strong enougfi to hop about beside its mother. The doe kangaroo is very
watchful of her young, for at the least suspicion of danger, the youngster
scrambles into the pouch, and away goes the mother in gigantic leaps. The
kangaroo thrives well in England. Quite a number have been brought from
Australia, and are now to be seen in some of the parks, hopping about quite
comfortably. They breed freely, too, and appear to stand the damp climate
very well. When Captain Cook first discovered the kangaroo, they roamed

A KANGAROO HUNT.

THE TREE KANGAROO.

everywhere in great numbers from
little ones, the size of a rabbit, to
the old fellows, as tall as a man ;
but now they are becoming very
rare, and it looks as though many
species might become extinct.

At present the kangaroo is lim-
ited to the less frequented bush
lands, far from the towns.

The kangaroo can be taught to
box with boxing-gloves. This is
sometimes seen in a circus, but the
show is always attended with some
little danger, for the instant the kan-
garoo thinks it is getting the worst
of it, it will kick, and a kick from
a full-grown kangaroo means great
injury, if not death outright.

THE TREE KANGAROO.

In New Guinea is found the

Tree Kangaroo. It seems odd

to think that one of this curious

tribe of animals should be able to

climb trees, but nevertheless it is a fact. The tree kangaroo scales the trees

with great ease in its search for leaves and wild fruit, on which it lives.

The natives of New Guinea always try to avoid killing the tree kangaroo.
Any native who should be unlucky enough to kill one by accident is imme-
diately sent away into the< forest by his companions, for fear of his bringing bad
luck to the tribe, and no one is allowed to go near him, or take him any food.
As venomous snakes and dangerous wild animals abound in the jungles the
native exile seldom comes back again.

But little is known of this animal in its wild state, beyond the fact that it
is very sly and silent. Its fur is beautiful, and of a rich dark color. There is
also another climbing kangaroo which lives among the rocks, and by its ex-
traordinary power of leaping from one bowlder to another, defies all pursuit.
This is its way of escaping when chased by a pack of dingo dogs.

THE WOMBAT.

WOMBAT (' , Natural Size).

JPS

The Wombat,
much like a beaver,
natives for its flesh.

although it belongs to the kangaroo family, looks very
It is common all over Australia, where it is killed by the
As a rule, the wombat will not fight when it is caught,
and if treated well becomes very tame indeed. An Australian ranchman kept
a wombat around his house instead of a cat. It would sit upon its hind legs to
get its master to take it on his knee. When there it would curl itself up and
go to sleep. This creature at times would become very angry, and use its
sharp claws and chisel-like teeth.

The wombat is not particular as to what it eats, but prefers lettuce and
cabbage to anything else. When wild it lives in burrows of immense depth,
which it digs out. They are bad animals to have near roads and walls, for in
a short time they will honeycomb the earth so thoroughly as to make it very
dangerous to walk upon. The natives of Australia say that when a wombat
comes to a river and wishes to get across, it does not appear to be the least
put out, but walks right into the water and so reaches the other side, and con-
tinues its journey as if nothing had happened. It is easily able to defend
itself from the snakes which abound in the bush, but it never seeks a quarrel
with a snake or other animal. In New Holland naturalists have found the
fossil of a gigantic wombat which must have been nearly as large as a
rhinoceros when alive.

TASMANIAN WOLF.

as

TASMANIAN WOLF (>/„ Natural Size).

The Tasmanian Wolf is found in the island trom which it takes its name.
It is not exactly like the wolf of India, America, and Europe, but, neverthe-
less, it fills its place. It is not as fierce as the true wolf, but at the same time
it becomes a very formidable animal when urged by hunger or danger.

As soon as civilized inhabitants took up their abode in Tasmania the wolf
made great inroads upon their sheep-flocks, until the colonists, in self-defence,
were forced to begin a war of extermination. By degrees the Tasmanian wolf
was driven back from its former haunts, where it once reigned supreme, and it
is seldom seen now outside the copses and jungles.

Curiously enough, the Tasmanian wolf is found in the mountains as high
up as six thousand feet, for it does not seem to suffer from cold. The home
of the Tasmanian wolf is always made among rocks, where the mother-wolf is
comparatively safe, while the cubs can sleep all day until nightfall makes it
safe for them to go out. The wolf's total length is about four feet, of which
the tail takes up about fifteen inches,

/

TASMANIAN DEVIL KILLING CHICKENS.

TASMANIAN DEVIL.

No animal in the world has so richly deserved its name as the .
Devil. The ferocity of this creature can hardly be conceived except by
who have come in contact with it. Even in captivity its sullen and purpose,
anger is easily excited. It is absolutely untamable. Should anyone approacu
its cage, it will tear at the bars with its teeth and claws in its frantic efforts to
get out, all the while keeping up loud screams of rage.

In the early days of Tasmania the devil caused great losses to the farmers
through its wholesale destruction of sheep, pigs, and fowls. Many a man has
been nearly torn to pieces trying to defend his live-stock from one of these
animals. A curious thing about the Tasmanian devil is that it does not know
what fear means. When beaten off by an enemy stronger than itself, it returns
to the attack until it is killed, or at least maimed. No animal in that country
will face it. The strength of jaw in the Tasmanian devil is so great that it can
easily crush bones that would defy many a larger animal.

The Tasmanian devil is nocturnal in its habits. If brought into a strong
light it blinks stupidly and always seeks the darkest corner of its cage. When
wild it digs for itself a deep burrow in the ground, in which it lives the year
round. Its hind feet are formed something like those of a bear, so that it is
able to sit up on its haunches and eat with its fore paws. Its color is black,
with large white patches.

TASMANIAN DEVIL ('/, Natural Size).

THE OPOSSUM.

- -- ->.

If every youngster does not
know the Opossum, most of
them know what " playing 'pos-
sum " means. When an opos-
sum is suddenly cornered, it
will feign death so cleverly as
to deceive many old hunters.
The opossum is always hungry,
and never seems to have had

enough to eat.

As long as the

woods afford }oung leaves and
birds, and eggs, and the lakes
are filled with young frogs, it
keeps out of man's way; but
when winter comes and the
supply in the forest runs short,
Master Opossum has to turn to
villages to get a meal. The
easiest thing for it to attack is
the hen-roost. As the opossum is one of the best climbers in the world, it is
useless to build walls and fences to keep it out, and the only thing that will
protect the hens is a tightly closed door. At night one often hears a scream
from the fowl-house, and investigation shows the nest-eggs sucked and the
setter dragged off to the woods.

In the Southern States the 'possum hunt is considered fine sport by the
colored folk. Dogs chase the opossum, which, by the way, is not a swift ani-
mal, and force it to take to a tree. Then one of the party climbs while the
opossum goes to the topmost branch in its endeavor to escape its enemies.
At last it loosens its hold and is shaken from the tree to the ground, where it
is quickly killed.

The little opossums when first born are very delicate indeed. For many
days they are both blind and deaf, but as they grow stronger thev are carried
around on the mother's back, holding on with their little tails tightly coiled
around her tail, and thus they are taken through the trees and taught to hunt.
The mother opossum watches over her young very tenderly, and will resort to
many clever tricks when pressed by danger. The nest of the opossum is usu-
ally built in a hollow tree-stump.

THE SEALS.

Now we come to the Seal. This animal breathes air, and yet lives in the
water. The structure of the skeleton of a seal is something between a mam-
mal and a whale. Its body is long and tapers to the end. It has four
imperfectly formed feet called "flippers," with which it swims. Seals are
found in almost every part of the world, but mostly in the Arctic regions.
Seals have a very fine fur, which is much sought after in the market to make
jackets. As a matter of fact, the fur is double, and when the seal swims it is
pressed close against its skin, the two coats thus keeping the water away. To
make the fur waterproof an oily substance is secreted in the body, which covers
the roots of the fur. The seal has a thick layer of fat which protects it from
the cold when swimming in the Arctic seas. Its brain is large, which accounts
for it being a very intelligent creature. It is docile and affectionate, and can
be taught to do numberless tricks. It is in the water that the seal is most at
home. It swims almost entirely with its hind flippers, and pursues the swift-
est fish with great success, for its curious pointed teeth, firmly imbedded in

\ GROUP OF WALRUS.

THE WALRUS.

SEA ELEPHANT.

the jaw, make it almost impossible for anything to get away once it is fairly
gripped.

THE WALRUS.

The Walrus is the mightiest specimen of the seal family. It measures
between fourteen and twenty feet long and weighs several tons. All Arctic
explorers agree that the walrus is a dangerous animal. On land its move-
ments are slow and clumsy, but in the water nothing will attack the walrus if
there is a way of escape. On either side of the walrus's jaw are two large tusks
of ivory. With these the walrus drags itself out of the water onto the ice, but
when cornered it uses them as weapons of defence.

On one occasion a party of hunters spied a number or walrus lying op an
ice-floe. On attacking them most of the creatures escaped into the water; but

THE SEA-LION.

one old bull faced around and, in spite of its lance-wounds, fought its enemies.
At last it slid into the water and began to swim away. The hunters hastily
launched a boat and prepared to follow, when the old fellow suddenly turned
on them and with his tusks fairly ripped the side out of the boat, throwing" all
the men into the water. When a man gets into difficulty with a walrus, such
as having a boat upset, all the other walruses round about come up to help and
make short work of the victim. The walrus lives to a «;ood old aefe with his
mate, and is an affectionate parent.

THE SEA-ELEPHANT.

The most grotesque of all the seal family are the huge Sea-Elephants,
so called not only on account of their curious, trunk-like nose, but also on
account of their size. Some specimens of the sea-elephant have been capt-
ured which were over twenty-five feet in length and as much as fifteen feet
in circumference.

The sea-elephants are found over a large area of water south of the equator.
Like the seals, these animals migrate to the south as summer approaches, and
northward when the cold weather sets in. They are easily tamed when capt-
ured very young, and show great affection toward their owners. They are
much shyer and rarer than the common seals.

THE SEA-LION.

The Sea-Lion is another well-known member of the seal-folk. If you
ever visit San Francisco you will be sure to see the seal-rocks where the sea-
lion lives. As a matter of fact, the sea-lion is common in many parts of the
world, and especially so on the coast of Southern and Lower California. As
its skin is not used for fur, nor its flesh good to eat, it has never been per-
secuted by the seal-hunter. Anyone who has visited a great rookery of sea-
lions can never forget it.

Off the coast of California, about one hundred and fifty miles out to sea,
there is a mysterious island called St. Nicholas. It is low, sandy, and almost
bare of vegetation and water. There, among vast numbers of pelicans, loons,
and gulls, lives the sea-lion in its undisturbed glory. Throughout the night
its loud roars are heard above the boom of the mighty ocean breakers or
the whistle of the wind. The confusion of animal and bird noise gives one a
bewildering impression of the island when reached by night. Once an explor-
ing party went ashore and walked toward the rocks on which the large

THE SEA-LION.

SEA-LION ('/so Natural Size).

rookery stands. Immediately all was confusion. The old bulls stood their
ground while they hurried the youngsters and females into the water. Find-
ing that no harm was intended, they quieted down and did not seem to mind
people walking among them. However, one bull charged without the slight-
est warning, and received four bullets before he was checked. This specimen
measured over nine feet from nose to tail, while its teeth, including the part
buried in the jaw, were about four and one-half inches long. A little while
later one of the party found a baby sea-lion not much bigger than a good-
sized kitten. It was carried down to the boat, when the mother was seen
following close astern. The poor creature kept right alongside, and after
the boat had reached the ship she kept swimming around and around, with
her eyes always turned toward the deck, where her baby was being admired.
The mother sea-lion continued watching and crying until the little young-
ster was put back into the -water, when she promptly lead it off toward the
rookery.

THE CRESTED SEAL.

Sea-lions sometimes leave the herds and travel in twos and threes, or
even singly. Their advent to the coast can always be seen by anyone with a
sharp pair of eyes. The small seals, which usually feed upon the shallow-
water fish, depart hastily, and before the fish have fairly noticed that they are
being left alone, they find themselves pursued by a fiercer and hungrier foe.

THE CRESTED SEAL.

The Crested Seals are curious animals, being chiefly remarkable for the
odd structure which they have on their heads. The real object of these crests
has never been discovered. The onset of a herd of enraged seals is much
to be dreaded, for they are very fierce when their anger is aroused. Their
strength is great, while their teeth are strong and sharp.

As spring comes around there are fierce battles among the old bulls for
the possession of the females. The rookeries on the coast of Greenland, which
are strictly inhabitated by these animals, show traces, such as skeletons with

The length of the

crushed skulls, of fearful conflicts having taken place
crested seal is about ten feet. Its fur is not of any great value. It has never
been much persecuted by man. The Esquimaux hunt the crested seals with
harpoons having a line and air-bladder which will float attached that they may
always locate their prey.

THE WHALES.

Did you know that the Whale was an animal, in spite of its living in the
sea, and not a fish ? A fish can stay under water for any length of time, but a
whale must breathe, and if it were prevented from doing so, it would be
drowned just the same as a man.

From the skin or blubber of the whale is obtained a splendid oil, and from
its jaw comes whalebone. In fact, almost every part of the whale is of some use
to man. The whalebone forms a screen on each side of the mouth, and after
the whale has taken in a mouthful of little fishes out of a shoal, it strains the
water out and the whalebone keeps the fishes in. Sometimes when you go
to sea you must keep a sharp look-out for whales, and you will generally find
where they are by watching for the animal's spouts rising in the air.

AN ANGRY SPERM-WHALE.

IN THE CROWS NEST, ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHALES.

THE SPERM-WHALE.

There are many whales in all parts of the world, but the most valuable is
the Sperm-Whale. Every year ships put out from Scotland through the
Antarctic Ocean, while from Japan the ships search the North and South
Pacific, and from the New England coast the whalers go up toward Greenland.
The method of hunting the whale is very simple. A man is kept at the mast-
head of the ship to watch, and when he spies a whale, he yells, " There she
blows ! " Instantly all is bustle ; a couple of boats are launched hastily, but
quietly, and rowed toward the unsuspecting whale. These boats are very strong
and built double-ended, so that they can be backed as easily as sent forward.
In the bow stands the harpooner with his weapon in hand; then come four or
five rowers and the steersman, and the barrels containing the carefully coiled
rope which has been attached to the harpoon. The rowers spread their feet
far apart to allow the rope to run between them. The rope is so tied that as
soon as one barrel runs out another begins, and it must be remembered that
each boat contains about three thousand feet of rope. Terrible accidents take
place every now artd then,' when some poor fellow gets his foot caught in a
loop of rope and is whirled overboard. Before any help can be given, he has
been carried hundreds of feet below the surface. In case the rope in the whale-
boat shows signs of being entirely exhausted, the officer in command calls up
another boat and makes his end of the rope fast to theirs, thus doubling its
length.

The whale is probably asleep, so the men have to row quietly for fear of
waking it. As the boat approaches within a few yards, the harpooner throws
his barb-headed weapon into the whale's side, and at the same time shouts,
"Back water!" The whale, feeling the pain, dives like lightning. Then the
skill of the steersman is seen, for if the whale should turn the least to either
side, over will go the boat and be instantly destroyed. Presently the whale
gets tired, runs short of wind, and slowly rises to the surface to breathe. The
boat immediately begins to take in the slack rope, and the second boat has its
turn. Rowing up like its companion, a second harpoon is thrown, and away
goes the whale again, with two boats fast to it now. Sometimes a whale keeps
on the surface instead of diving, and tows the boat behind it at a great speed.
This is very dangerous, especially if the sea is running against the boat.

The rowers sit balancing the boat and watching the steersman, for it is on
his nerve and accuracy that every life depends. After the whale has been
attacked in this manner several times, it begins to grow feeble from loss of
blood. So the boats row up alongside, and thrust lances into its vitals until
it is killed. Sometimes the whale will turn on its enemies and charge them

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THE GREENLAND WHALE.

with open jaws. This is always a time of great peril, for should the steers-
man's nerve fail him for one instant, the frail boat would be crushed to pieces
in the monster's jaws. The whale usually makes one gigantic effort called a
" flurry," to free itself before it finally gives up the fight.

The look-out on the ship keeps a sharp eye on the boats, and directly it
is seen that a " kill " has been made, the ship sails toward the spot with all
possible speed. But, as is often the
case, the weather is dead calm, and
there is nothing for the men in the
boats to do but to make a rope fast
to the carcass and tow it to the ship.
This is, perhaps, the worse part of
the job, for a whale tows like a dead harpoon (»/„ Natural size),

weight, and the fight with the monster has left the men all but exhausted.
When the whale is brought up alongside of the ship, it is made fast by huge
chains round its neck and tail. Then the head is cut off and hoisted on deck.
This is a work of great labor, as the head is frequently twenty feet long anl.
weighs as much as ten tons. From the inside is taken a large quantity of
valuable oil, and from the jaws, the whalebone. When there is nothing of
value left the fastenings are cut loose, and the motion of the ship rolls the
head overboard. Then the body is attended to. A platform is rigged over the
side, upon which men stand with sharp knives in their hands. They cut down
in the skin, or "blubber," as it is called, until they get a part of it loose. To this
they make fast a block and tackle, and as the strain is put on the blubber is
loosened from the body with knives. The blubber is frequently taken off in large
pieces, sometimes twenty feet square. This is promptly sliced up and put to boil
in large pots to extract the oil. When all the blubber has been stripped off
the whale, the body is cut loose and allowed to float off, where it is rapidly torn
to pieces by thousands of sharks that have been patiently waiting for it.

It requires several days to take all the oil from the whale and get the ship in
working order again. The oil is stowed away in large " tuns " down in the hold.
The ship's carpenter examines the boats for strains and leaks, the harpooners
test the ropes and lances, while the crew clear the mass of filth and flesh off the
decks. Then the ship's course is shaped again and another whale hunted for.

The Greenland Whale is not hunted for by the whalers chiefly because
it has nothing of value about it, and, moreover, it is fierce and shows battle.
Should a boat attempt to go near it, it is almost certain to be destroyed by a
mighty sweep of the huge black monster's tail.

m

GREENLAND WHALK.

THE RORQUAL WHALE.

The Hump-backed Whale is found in great numbers in the Arctic seas.
It is a large animal, often reaching a length of seventy-five feet. It has a
curious depression in the middle of its back which makes it appear to be
hump-backed. This whale yields a great quantity of oil, which is almost as
fine as sperm-oil. Nevertheless, the whalers avoid the hump-back as much as
possible. Once it has been wounded it pursues a boat until it has destroyed
it. It is seldom that the harpooner can kill the hump-back outright, even
with an explosive bomb-lance, and if he misses his stroke altogether, the boat
is certain to be destroyed with a sweep of the huge creature's tail.

RORQUAL WHALE.

The Rorqual is the giant among the whales, for it is larger than either
the sperm or Greenland whale. It is seldom found far from the Arctic regions.
As it is not a valuable whale, it is not hunted. The rorqual will go out of
its way to attack man, and its onslaught is so terrific that it will dash a boat to
pieces almost before its occupants are aware that their enemy is nearby.

THE NARWHAL.

The Narwhal, or Sea Unicorn, as it is sometimes called, gets its name
from the extraordinary ivory horn which springs from the middle of its fore-
head. It is a large animal, growing as long as thirty feet, and is found chiefly
near the Arctic circle. It seems to be agreed that the narwhal uses this horn
to fight with its fellows and not for spearing the fish upon which it feeds, as
was at first believed. Many travellers report having seen shoals of these ani-
mals playing together, crossing horns like men fencing. The ivory of the
narwhal's horn is of a very fine character. It retains its pure whiteness
after the elephant's ivory has turned yellow. The hardness of the ivory is
well illustrated by the fact that a narwhal drove its horn through the ten-
inch oak keel of a schooner. The horn snapped off and was found embedded
in the wood when the ship was dry-docked.

It has been asserted that the narwhals will mob the Greenland whale by
swimming on each side of it and beneath it, thus preventing it from turning out
of its course or diving. A whale has often been seen swimming rapidly upon
the surface, when the most natural thing for it to do would be to dive to escape
from its enemies. The food of this animal consists of the larger fish, such as
the cod and halibut, which abound in the Arctic seas.

THE PORPOISE.

Everyone who has been to the sea-shore must have seen a Porpoise, ior
this peculiar animal seldom goes far from the coast. It follows or goes ahead
of ocean-going ships to catch the fish started up by them, and you get a good
chance to watch them jumping in and out of the water. If you stand up in the
bow of a vessel you will soon see that, no matter how fast the ship may be
going, the porpoise keeps a few feet ahead, and goes on with tireless energy
from hour to hour, seldom leaving its post except to dart at an unwary fish.

There are places all over the world which are famous for the porpoise, but
perhaps the best known is the Gut of Gibraltar. As the Mediterranean is full
of porpoises, which come from the Atlantic, they are bound to go back and
forth through the Straits of Gibraltar. It is a common sight to see thousands
of them together, from the youngsters of two feet up to the old fellows eight
and nine feet long. The shoals race for dear life, jumping, gambolling, and
twisting in every possible shape, and hardly have you a good sight of them
when they vanish.

The porpoise is hated by all fishermen because it kills the fish, as it is ail-
ways hungry ; it is continually on the move, looking for food. It pursues the
shoals of herring up to the shore-line, and drives the terrified fish into the shal-
low waters. Not content with this, the porpoise goes off and watches until the
little fishes have recovered from their fright and formed themselves into shoals
again ; then it suddenly appears among them and the race for life begins once

THE GRAMPUS.

more. When the fishes in a locality have been utterly destroyed, the porpoise
departs in search of other hunting-grounds. It often happens that the shoals
of fish are driven out of the water up onto the beach in their frantic haste to
get away, and sometimes the porpoise follows them. The porpoises flop
about helplessly, and fall an easy prey to the fishermen. The hide of the
porpoise, when tanned, makes a tough leather, while the coating of fat under
the skin, when melted, makes a fine delicate oil.

THE GRAMPUS.

The Grampus belongs to this same family, although it is a very different
creature. In the first place, it is much larger than the porpoise, often meas-
uring twenty-five to thirty feet in length. What the porpoise is to the small
fish of our shores, the grampus is to the large ones of the Arctic regions, pur-
suing them with an appetite which never seems satisfied. On several occasions
young dolphins and porpoises, as well as cod, skate, and halibut, have been
found in the grampus's stomach. One of their favorite amusements is mob-
bing the huge Greenland whale. They spring out of the water and catch the
whale with blows of their tails. It is said that the sword-fish also joins in
the fun and prevents the whale from diving by threatening it with its sword.
This cannot be proved, but it has been noticed that the whale takes a series

THE DOLPHIN.

of little dives and rises quickly to the surface, which shows that something
below keeps it from sinking to a depth where the grampus could not follow.

THE DOLPHIN.

The Dolphin has been called the poet of the sea. Shakespeare wrote
about the " mermaid on a dolphin's back, uttering such dulcet and harmonious
breath, that the rude sea grew civil at her song." As a matter of fact, there is
nothing poetical about the dolphin. It is a great big hungry beast, always
racing up and down the ocean like the rest of its family, in search of some-
thing to eat. Its swimming is very graceful, and when it comes alongside a
ship one cannot help admiring its magnificent sweeping motion. The fear-
lessness of the dolphin often gets it into trouble, for sailors are very fond of
harpooning them with a steel trident. The dolphin swims quite close to the
ship when it is satisfied that no harm is intended, and then suddenly it is har-
pooned from the bows and hauled kicking on deck, where it is quickly killed.

Men frequently amuse themselves at sea by shooting with revolvers at a
dolphin. The bullets never do any harm, for they cannot pierce its tough,
leathery skin.

The brain of the dolphin is very large, and it has shown great intelligence
in captivity. The eyes of the dolphin are small and are covered with eyelids;
the pupil is heart-shaped.

THE MANATEE.

lt§tf'^-^i

The Manatee is a curious-looking creature. At first sight one might
imagine that it was a mixture of the hippopotamus and the seal. There are
several kinds of manatee, one of which is found on. the west coast of Africa;
the others live in America. They are generally found at the mouths of large
rivers, such as the Amazon and the Orinoco in South America. They feed on
the grass and herbs that grow so abundantly in the tropics. The skin of the
manatee is very valuable, and when tanned it is thick and flexible like cow-
hide, and can be cut into long strips. One of the most extraordinary features
of the manatee is the fleshy disk at the end of its nose. It is said that as the
manatee feeds entirely on grass and herbs, this disk protects its nostrils from
getting filled up. There was a time when the manatee was quite plentiful
around the coast of Florida, and especially at Tampa Bay, but it has almost
entirely disappeared, and it looks now as if it would become extinct. The
Seminole Indians used to hunt the manatee a great deal, and it was they who
started the war which has all but driven the poor creature out of existence.

The Indians near the mouth of the Orinoco River harpoon the manatee.
They build a platform in the water near the grasses where the manatee feeds.
The creature, when it approaches, can easily be seen by the Indians, who hurl
their weapous, which have bladders attached. These float upon the water and
show where, the quarry lies.

THE DUGONG.

The main difference between the manatee and the Dugong is in its tail.
The manatee's tail is rounded, while the tail of the dugong is sharp like a fish.
The dugong lives in Ceylon, and is said to be the cause of the many Indian
mermaid stories. This animal has a curious way of sitting upright in the
water, and during the breeding-season clasping its young to its breast like a
woman holding a child. If alarmed it instantly dives, throwing up its fish-like
tail. Many hunters admit that the likeness of the animal to a human being,
when seen at a distance, is very startling. It is huge in size, and one speci-
men has been killed reaching twenty-six feet in length.

The dugongs are of an affectionate disposition. Should a female dugong
be shot, the male will remain near the body and cannot be frightened away.
Whenever hunters find dugongs in pairs, they try to kill the female first.

There was a great specimen of the dugong family discovered on an island
in the Behring Strait in the year 1741, and shipwrecked sailors found these ani-
mals good for food and without weapons of defence. The news soon spread,
and other vessels stopped at the island and killed the animals mercilessly.
The result was that when the Russian authorities examined into the condition
of the animals in 1768, twenty-seven years later, they found that every speci-
men had been killed.

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS.

THE RAT

The Rat is the first member of the gnawing animals we come to. They
are a very much larger family than you would suppose, for nearly one-third of
all the animals in the world belong to the rodents, or gnawing animals. The
origin of the name "rodent" comes from the fact that animals classed under
this head have sharp, chisel-like teeth. Of course, the habit of gnawing is
always wearing the teeth down, and to prevent the animal being left without
anv teeth at all, a substance is formed in the jaw which helps to grow very
quickly. Lots of cases have been known where the upper tooth in a rat's jaw
has become broken. There is nothing to prevent the lower tooth from grow-
ing as fast as it likes. The result is that the teeth take the most wonderful
shapes, such as a circle, or like a boar's tusk, and its poor owner, not being
able to use its mouth, dies of starvation. Rats gnaw wood ; so do mice,
squirrels, beavers, and porcupines ; therefore, they are rodents.

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BLACK RAT.

BROWN RAT (h Natural Sue/.

MICE.

The rat is the strongest and fiercest of the family for its size. It is a
match for almost any animal, while its fellows have wonderful ideas of com-
bination. Quite a number of rats will attack a dog or a man who is pushing
one rat too hard, yet should the same rat be unlucky enough to fall into a
steel trap, its fellows immediately pounce upon it and tear it to pieces instead
of helping it out.

The female rat is loving to her young and very watchful, for the male rat
is always on the lookout for a chance to eat up its young ones. Rats multi-
ply quickly, for they often have three broods of young in a year, and as many
as twelve and sixteen at a time.

There are many crimes for which rats are hated. They live in drains
and bring disease into houses. On the other hand, though, rats sometimes act
as a warning to the householder, for should he discover rats running about
in his cellars, it is generally safe to say that they come from the drains, prov-
ing thereby that there is a leak. Their voracious appetites cause them to
make inroads into stores, granaries, and warehouses, where they commit great
damage. A hay-rick often becomes honey-combed by rats without the slight-
est outward sign of it. There is nothing for the farmer to do but to pull his
rick to pieces and rebuild it on piles surrounded by water. The farmer need
not take the trouble to shake the rats out of the hay, because, being very thirsty
animals, they will jump down to the ground to obtain water, and be unable
to get back again.

Rats are intelligent creatures and easily tamed. They will follow their
master about and do lots of tricks, such as pulling a little toy-cart. Boys have
carried rats to school, and they have laid so snugly and quietly in their sleeves
that they have escaped the teacher's eye. Tamed rats can be caged together,
but every now and, then their instinct gets the upper hand, and they have fierce
battles among themselves, in which one or more are frequently killed.

MICE.

The Mice, like their cousins, the rats, live in both town and country. In
the cities the mice do a great deal of damage, but in the country they are
harmless. They are bold and playful, as anyone can witness who has
watched them running about a room. They are just as curious as cats, and
will always examine strange objects or new furniture in a room. They run
squeaking and shuffling in their playful way through the walls and plaster
just as if they owned the whole place. Mice are very easy to tame, and if

MICE.

:d, will run about everywhere with the utmost confidence. The
they are kept should be clean, as mice, in spite of public opinion,
animals.

p people quarrel very much about the "singing mice." There is
no doubt that mice can make a chirping noise. The Rev. J. G. Wood tells a
story of a family of mice that lived
in his kitchen. Instead of killing
them, they were allowed to run
about, and merrily they took ad-
vantage of the permission. In the
same kitchen lived a singing canary,
and he noticed that by degrees the
chirp of the mice changed to an exact
imitation of the canary's song. One
mouse was much cleverer than the
others at it. The result was very
pleasing, for while the canary's notes
were stronger and sweeter, that of
the mice was softer and more deli-
cate. The imitation was so complete
that guests at night, when the mice
were out, would look toward the
canary's cage, saying, " Is the bird
singing: ? " when it would be sitting
with its head tucked under its wing-.

Mice have countless enemies.
While they stay in the barns, there is
always the danger of being trapped; in the houses there are the cats; in the
yards, the dogs ; while out in the open fields the hawks and snakes and
weasels are forever watching for them. In the winter-time numbers of mice
die from cold, or for want of food, but in spite of all these troubles, they seem
to thrive and prosper.

There are many varieties of mice which boys make pets of; for instance,
the white mice. But they become a great nuisance if they get out of control.
A boy once allowed a pair of white mice to escape, and in a short time the
house was overrun with numbers of the little creatures. These mice kept on
rapidly increasing, in spite of cats and traps, and even spread to the garden,
where they were seen running over the rocks and flower-beds.

MICE (Natural Size).

THE LEMMING.

The tiny Lemming is one of the most mysterious little creatures in the
world. The Norwegians and Laps believe that these animals' come from
the clouds, because they are only seen in periods of from four to fifteen
years, when they come in millions and sweep over the land like an invading
army. Nobody seems quite to know where they come from. The damage
they do is fearful, for they march in a straight line, allowing nothing to check
their course. Should a man or beast
be unlucky enough to cross their path,
they rush into the attack at once.
They make the land look as though a
plague of locusts had visited it. The
small animals, such as the rats and
mice, fly before the army. Although
a rat is more than a match for a single
lemming, the numbers of the latter
are so great that the rat is left no
alternative except flight.

Even fire will hardly check the
lemming. It has been proved that
cows and reindeer will not eat the
grass that a lemming has walked
over. The reason of these wonderful
migrations has been a puzzle to nat-
uralists for many years. Some claim
it is hunger, and that an overwhelm-
ing instinct drives the lemming on-
ward. These little animals arc readily
devoured by scores of kites and crows
which follow their movements, while the fish make fearful havoc in their ranks
when they cross the lakes and rivers. These marches generally end in the
sea, where the few that have survived the perils of the journey are drowned.
The lencrth of the lemming is about six inches and its tail half an inch.

It is strange that there always seem to be enough lemmings left to save
the species from extinction, and in a few years they are as plentiful as ever.

There is a species of lemming found in America up around the Hudson
Bay country; in fact, it is sometimes called the Hudson Bay lemming. In the
winter its fur, which is light brown during the summer months, turns to a
snowy white. It is very valuable then.

LEMMING (H Natural Size).

THE HAMSTER.

The Hamster is an animal something like the lemming, but there is a
big difference in their sizes, for the hamster reaches a length of fifteen inches.
This animal is a great pest in Northern Europe. It systematically collects
grain and corn from the fields for a winter store. The way it does it is to pull
down a stalk to get the fruit, and stuff its pouch as full as it can, and then go
to its burrow, empty it, and return for more. When occupied in this way the
hamster becomes so absorbed that anyone can walk up quite close to it and
watch its actions, provided no noise or sudden movement is made.

As the hamster's skin is of some value, many hunters are employed to rid
the farmer of the pest, and also to supply the market with the fur. The dam-
age that the hamster does to the farmer can be realized by the fact that when
a burrow has been dug out, as much as sixty pounds of corn and one hundred
pounds of beans have been found. It is quite a common thing for the farmer
to dig out the burrows to recover stolen wares.

The hamster is dull and ferocious. It will fight anything without respect
to size or strength. When one has been crushed by awheel or stone, it will
turn and bite it. The hamster will worry the end of a stick as if it were a liv-
ing animal. When startled by any noise, the hamster has a curious habit of
sitting up on its haunches like a rabbit, and staring in the direction from which
the sound came.

BEAVERS AT WORK, (i/io Natural Size.)

THE BEAVER.

The Beaver has one of the most beautiful skins in the world. Its fur has
become famous in Europe and America. The beaver is also noted for its
skill as an engineer. As a rule, the beaver lives on the banks of small creeks
and rivers, and to prevent the supply of water from running short, it makes
wonderful dams. When an engineer wishes to dam up a stream, he usually
begins by pile-driving; but this little animal-engineer goes at it another way.
It lays the logs (which are from six to fifteen inches thick, and from two to six
feet long) flat on the bed of the stream, and then heaps stones and mud upon
them to keep them down. Gradually a dam rises out of the water. So clever
are the beavers that they make the wall of the dam round if the current is very
swift, so that the water cannot bear too much strain on one spot. If the water
is sluggish, the dam is built straight across the stream. The skilful engineer-
ing of the beaver is displayed best when a large dam is built, one as large as
two hundred and fifty or three hundred and fifty yards in length. The bark
of the logs is stripped off and stored away for the winter's food.

The beavers themselves live in curious little houses called " lodges."
They look for all the world like Esquimau huts. The walls are composed
of moss, branches, and mud. While the house-building is going on in the
spring, the beaver is open to attacks from its enemies, especially the wolver-
ine, which is ever on the watch for the unwary ones. But when winter has
set in, the beaver is safe. The fearful cold of the North turns the damp moss
and mud of the lodge into a solid wall, which even the wolverine's strong
claws cannot break through. As many as half a dozen beavers live in a lodge,
each having a separate bed. The young are born early in the spring, and as
soon as the ice breaks up they come out and accompany their parents.

One often hears of beaver canals and wonders what they are for. Should
a number of large trees, that the beaver needs, grow some distance from the
dam, it digs a canal up to the place. It has very sharp teeth, which enable it
to gnaw through the trees needed for its building purposes. These it cleverly
fells so that they fall near the right spot; then it saws them with its teeth into
proper lengths and floats them down to the dam. These canals are often
over six hundred feet in length. This work can only be done when the
ground is perfectly level.

Toward spring, when the frost allows the beavers to come out once
more, they look very thin and scraggy, but in a month they grow just as fat
and plump as ever. The length of the beaver is from three to four feet. Its
legs are short and it is a clumsy walker, and will never travel by land if it can
go where it wants to by water.

BEAVERS CONSTRUCTING A DAM.

MUSK-RAT and RACOONDA.

MUSK-RAT ('/, Natural Size).

The Musk-rat is a native of North America and makes its home near
the large rivers. It is a bright, playful, gentle little creature, but as its fur is

RACOONDA {% Natural Size).

PORCUPINE.

of a fine grade, it is persecuted by the trappers. The musk-rat is a clumsy
walker, and is seldom seen more than a few yards from water. It is an expert
swimmer, but does not use its powers to prey upon fish. It feeds upon vege-
table matter.

The Racoonda takes the place of the musk-rat in South America. It is
easily tamed, but when angry is more than a match for a small dog.

The teeth of the racoonda are very sharp, and are used to gnaw through
branches of trees. The bark of the trees is stored away for food.

PORCUPINE.

One always thinks of the Porcupine as living entirely in the tropics. As
a matter of fact, it is found from the equator to Southern Europe. As it never
comes out in daylight, it is thought to be much rarer than it is.

The teeth of the porcupine are chisel-like and very sharp, capable of cut-
ting' the hardest wood ; yet it seldom uses them when defending itself against
its enemies. The nose of the porcupine is very sensitive, and the creature can
be easily stunned by a blow on it; hence its first instinct is to protect its head.
Like the hedge-hog, the porcupine curls itself up into a ball when it scents an
enemy, and, sticking out all its quills, it presents a formidable front. The ends
of the quills are barbed. They separate from the porcupine's body very easily
and if stuck into the flesh, work their way in. Large animals, like the leopard,
have been killed in India and found to contain the ends of quills, showing
that, after all, the leopard is no match for the porcupine.

The porcupine lives in burrows in the earth. It is quite a common sport
in India to hunt them with dogs. Having found one end of the porcupine's
burrow, the hunter stuffs it up with straw and sets fire to it. The porcupine
growls angrily, but is soon smoked out and makes a rush from its hole at the
other end. Immediately it falls into the clutches of the terriers watching for it.
But quicker than a flash the porcupine tucks its head in, puts out its quills and
rolls among the dogs, who bound away with yelps of pain. Frequently the
battle ends in favor of the porcupine, whose patience outlasts the thirst for
blood of the terriers. The beast cannot be lifted up, as it is quite heavy and
its quills come out of the skin so easily. The only thing to do is to roll it
with a stick to the nearest water, where it will be compelled to swim and
expose itself to attack or be drowned. It is a curious fact that in a battle of
this kind the porcupine seldom uses its teeth, which certainly would afford it
as great a protection as its quills. It seems to rely wholly on the latter.

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PORCUPINE, (i/io Natural Size.)

JAGUAR STALKING CAPYBARAS.

THE CAPYBARA.

The Capybara is the largest of the rodents. Its size is equal to a iuige
pig. This eurious creature is found all over Central and South America.

A capybara can stay under water nearly ten minutes, and when it does
come to the surface it only pushes the end of its nose out. It is quite safe in
diving, except from animals as expert as itself, and these are few indeed. A
hunter relates his experience with a herd of these animals.

They were all feeding near a deep and broad stream when something
alarmed them. Instantly a large male, which seemed to be the leader, gave a
cry, something between the bark of a dog and a grunt, and away the herd flew
into the water. The enemy proved to be a huge anaconda snake, which glided
into the water like lightning after the capybaras. The herd scattered at once
and then the hunter was able to see their marvellous diving habits. The
hunter noticed that the huge snake landed on the other river-bank and made
off quietly. In a moment or two first one and then another capybara popped
its head up, and then all swam to the shore and began eating. Shortly
afterward, they became uneasy again, and without the slightest warning, a
jaguar sprang among the group and pulled down one poor beast. Just as the

<><m

AGOUTI.

jaguar had gripped its victim in its jaws to carry it off, it came face to face
with the hunter. Astonishment gave place to anger, and it dropped its prey
with a snarl. At the same instant the hunter raised his rifle and fired.

AGOUTI.

The Agouti lives in the West Indian Islands and South America. It is
a great pest in gardens, for it will devour every kind of vegetable that comes
in its way. It is a little smaller than a hare, and when running might be mis-
taken for the latter. Although it is easy to tame the agouti, it will never
become popular, for its teeth are too sharp. It will gnaw its way through an
ordinary oak door with ease; and, moreover, has a habit of trying its teeth
upon everything that comes within
its reach, such as tables, chairs,
trees, etc. While light and active
when wild, it becomes utterly
stupid when caged, never taking
much notice, whether it is kindly
or cruelly treated.

HARE.

The common Hare is a
beautiful, graceful creature, well
known all over Europe and
America. Although the family is
a large one, there is a strong like-
ness between them all. The
name "timidus" has been at-
tached to the hare, but it is not j|
exactly just. In fact, with a rea- J
sonable chance, the hare is quite «
brave. Should a young hare be agouti (»/, Natural size).

capered, the parents will sometimes go to the rescue, even if it is in the hands
of a man. Among themselves the hares have fierce battles, during which thev
become so absorbed that they may be approached without the slightest notice
being taken of the intruder. The hind legs of the hare are very long and
possess great strength. When running, the hare sometimes takes a series of

THE HARE.

THE HARE ('/« Natural Size).

immense leaps, and so great is the spring that they often lose their balance in
alighting, and roll quite a distance before they can recover themselves. Many
people believe that the hare is cleverer than the fox. Whether this is true or
not, the hare certainly does a number of tricks which entitle it to some repu-
tation.

Hares are hunted in England (much in the same way as foxes) with hounds,
called "harriers." Under these circumstances, the hare is forced to show all its
shrewdness. Although it is swift on its feet and capable of a long chase, the
dogged persistence of the harriers often bring them closer to Master Hare than
he likes. When the hare is hunted, it chooses its ground carefully and will
cross a ploughed field, leaping lightly oyer the furrows, which will not bear the
weight of the dogs and horses. Of course, its idea is to gain time. Another
favorite trick is to double back for a couple of hundred yards on its track and
then leap aside near some bushes. After awhile the dogs come up and are
thrown into a state of wild confusion by finding the scented track checked.
In the meantime, the hare leaps back on its trail and flies off in an opposite

THE ALPINE HARE.

direction. Hares can swim, and quite a long distance, too, if neqessary, but
they hardly ever enter the water, unless it is to try a bold escape.

They do not burrow like the rabbit, but live entirely upon the ground.
They make what are called "forms," just a few twigs and leaves pulled
together, which are so marvellously like their own color that you might pass
within a yard of a hare sitting in a form without noticing it. That explains
the mvsterious way in which the hare seems to rise from the ground at your
very feet, and before you can collect your wits half a dozen wild bounds carry
it out of sight. In winter, when the ground is covered with snow, the hare is

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generally found in some dark spot near the roots of trees, and always on the
sheltered side.

ALPINE HARE.

ALPINE HARE ('/„ Natural Size).

The Alpine Hark is famous for its coat, which turns white in the winter.
It is found in the colder parts of North America. Its white coat serves as a
great protection, for it cannot be distinguished from the snow upon the ground.
In size it is a little larger than the common hare. The Alpine hares are killed
in large numbers each year and shipped to the markets.

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THE RABBIT.

The Rabbit is one of the best-known animals in the world. It is easily
tamed and has therefore become a great pet. There is hardly any boy who has
not, at some time or other, kept rabbits in a cracker-box hutch. In its wild
state the rabbit is a bright, clever little creature. They live in great colo-
nies, where the earth is honey-combed with hundreds of burrows, called " war-
rens," and in the early morning or just at sunset it is a great sight to watch
them running about. They hop in and out of their holes, while some sit up.
listening intently. Then, without an instant's warning, the whole party will
dash off and pull up again before
they have gone any distance. They
fight among themselves and chase
each other madly through the twist-
ings and turnings of the burrows.
Rabbits have very sharp ears and
for a short distance can run swiftly,
and upon these two talents they are
mainly dependent for their safety.
They have countless enemies, for
men, dogs, cats, foxes, stoats, wea-
sels, hedgehogs, crows, hawks, rats,
snakes, and owls all murder the
rabbit, one half by day, the other
half by night; so there is not much
peace for the poor bunny. On the
other hand, the rabbit multiplies at
a great rate if it is not kept down.
For instance, the rabbit was intro-
duced into Australia and allowed
to run wild in the bush. As the
climate of Australia is very mild and enemies are few in number, it soon
overran the land, and it has already cost the British Government millions to
exterminate it.

In parts of California the rabbit is a great nuisance, and the people have
adopted a curious method for keeping down their number. Twice a year
hundreds of men from Fresno County meet together for a rabbit-drive. An
enclosure, about one hundred yards square, is made, with an entrance to it
ten yards wide. From this entrance the fence-work then spreads outwards in
a huge V. At a certain signal, the men form a line at the wide end of the V

THE RABBIT.

and proceed, yelling and shouting, to drive all the rabbits down to the corral at
the bottom. Numbers of rabbits try to break through the line and are instantly
killed. At last the frightened creatures are driven into the corral, where they
are easily killed. Some idea of the size of these drives may be gained from the
fact that between twenty and thirty thousand rabbits are killed in a single day.

The favorite method of killing rabbits in England is by shooting them
In winter they are hunted with ferrets, which are turned into the warrens,
while terriers watch the holes. Poachers catch rabbits by attaching loops of
brass wire to the mouth of the burrow. Once a rabbit gets its head into a
loose wire noose it does not know enough to draw back, but pushes on, strug-
gling frantically, until it chokes itself.

The tame rabbits are quite distinct from the wild rabbits. They have
been so carefully bred that there are a number of fine species. Their ears,
which stick up so straight when they are wild, soon begin to lop or hang
down when they have been confined in hutches, free from the danger of prowl-
ing foxes and cats. Rabbits do a great deal of damage to property. They
gnaw the bark off trees, and at times completely girdle them.

They steal all sorts of garden stuff, and destroy acres and acres of grain
which happen to be near their warrens. But, after all is said and done, it
would seem that the rabbit is more sinned against than sinning. Writers of
all countries have loved to endow the rabbit with great shrewdness and
sagacity. Uncle Remus in this country gives the rabbit a great reputation
at the expense of that shrewd rascal, the fox.

Mr. Mounteney Jephson, who crossed the Dark Continent with Stanley on
his last expedition, found that the Uncle Remus rabbit-stories were known by
the curious little race of pigmy people he met, who had never been visited by
white men before. It is perfectly true that the rabbit is clever. One has only
to watch it march from the woods some frosty morning. Out it comes with a
hop, but never does its vigilance forsake it for an instant. You will notice
that it will always keep its path open back to cover along the thin, hard snow,
so there is no danger of its slipping or losing its way, and yet it keeps far
enough away to prevent a lurking fox from springing upon it.

There is one animal the rabbit is in constant terror of, and that is the
weasel. Directly a rabbit knows that a weasel is upon its track, it gives a little
scream of terror and dashes off. Now if the rabbit was to keep on running it
would soon leave the weasel far behind, but this it does not do. It runs back
and forth in a state of panic and dives into the burrows, from which the other
bunnies drive it out. The weasel doggedly follows everywhere, until the rabbit

THE ALPINE HARE.

direction. Hares can swim, and quite a long distance, too, if necessary, but
they hardly ever enter the water, unless it is to try a bold escape.

They do not burrow like the rabbit, but live entirely upon the ground.
They make what are called "forms," just a few twigs and leaves pulled
together, which are so marvellously like their own color that you might pass
within a yard of a hare sitting in a form without noticing it. That explains
the mysterious way in which the hare seems to rise from the ground at your
very feet, and before you can collect your wits half a dozen wild bounds carry
it out of sight. In winter, when the ground is covered with snow, the hare is
generally found in some dark spot near the roots of trees, and always on the
sheltered side.

ALPINE HARE.

Ifc:

ALPINE HARE ('A Natural Size).

The Alpine Hark is famous for its coat, which turns white in the winter.
It is found in the colder parts of North America. Its white coat serves as a
great protection, for it cannot be distinguished from the snow upon the ground.
In size it is a little larger than the common hare. The Alpine hares are killed
in large numbers each year and shipped to the markets.

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THE RABBIT.

The Rabbit is one of the best-known animals in the world. It is easily
tamed and has therefore become a great pet. There is hardly any boy who has
not, at some time or other, kept rabbits in a cracker-box hutch. In its wild
state the rabbit is a bright, clever little creature. They live in great colo-
nies, where the earth is honey-combed with hundreds of burrows, called " war-
rens," and in the early morning or just at sunset it is a great sight to watch
them running about. They hop in and out of their holes, while some sit up,
listening intently. Then, without an instant's warning, the whole party will
dash off and pull up again before
they have gone any distance. They
fight among themselves and chase
each other madly through the twist-
ing^ and turnings of the burrows.
Rabbits have very sharp ears and
for a short distance can run swiftly,
and upon these two talents they are
mainly dependent for their safety.
They have countless enemies, for
men, dogs, cats, foxes, stoats, wea-
sels, hedgehogs, crows, hawks, rats,
snakes, and owls all murder the
rabbit, one half by day, the other
half by night; so there is not much
peace for the poor bunny. On the
other hand, the rabbit multiplies at
a great rate if it is not kept down.
For instance, the rabbit was intro-
duced into Australia and allowed
to run wild in the bush. As the
climate of Australia is very mild and enemies are few in number, it soon
overran the land, and it has already cost the British Government millions to
exterminate it.

In parts of California the rabbit is a great nuisance, and the people have
adopted a curious method for keeping down their number. Twice a year
hundreds of men from Fresno County meet together for a rabbit-drive. An
enclosure, about one hundred yards square, is made, with an entrance to it
ten yards wide. From this entrance the fence-work then spreads outwards in
a huge V. At a certain signal, the men form a line at the wide end of the V

THE RABBIT.

and proceed, yelling and shouting, to drive all the rabbits down to the corral at
the bottom. Numbers of rabbits try to break through the line and are instantly
killed. At last the frightened creatures are driven into the corral, where they
are easily killed. Some idea of the size of these drives may be gained from the
fact that between twenty and thirty thousand rabbits are killed in a single day.

The favorite method of killing rabbits in England is by shooting them
In winter they are hunted with ferrets, which are turned into the warrens,
while terriers watch the holes. Poachers catch rabbits by attaching loops of
brass wire to the mouth of the burrow. Once a rabbit gets its head into a
loose wire noose it does not know enough to draw back, but pushes on, strug-
gling frantically, until it chokes itself.

The tame rabbits are quite distinct from the wild rabbits. They have
been so carefully bred that there are a number of fine species. Their ears,
which stick up so straight when they are wild, soon begin to lop or hang
down when they have been confined in hutches, free from the danger of prowl-
ing foxes and cats. Rabbits do a great deal of damage to property. They
gnaw the bark off trees, and at times completely girdle them.

They steal all sorts of garden stuff, and destroy acres and acres of grain
which happen to be near their warrens. But, after all is said and done, it
would seem that the rabbit is more sinned against than sinning. Writers of
all countries have loved to endow the rabbit with great shrewdness and
sagacity. Uncle Remus in this country gives the rabbit a great reputation
at the expense of that shrewd rascal, the fox.

Mr. Mounteney Jephson, who crossed the Dark Continent with Stanley on
his last expedition, found that the Uncle Remus rabbit-stories were known by
the curious little race of pigmy people he met, who had never been visited by
white men before. It is perfectly true that the rabbit is clever. One has only
to watch it march from the woods some frosty morning. Out it comes with a
hop, but never does its vigilance forsake it for an instant. You will notice
that it will always keep its path open back to cover along the thin, hard snow,
so there is no danger of its slipping or losing its way, and yet it keeps far
enough away to prevent a lurking fox from springing upon it.

There is one animal the rabbit is in constant terror of, and that is the
weasel. Directly a rabbit knows that a weasel is upon its track, it gives a little
scream of terror and dashes off. Now if the rabbit was to keep on running it
would soon leave the weasel far behind, but this it does not do. It runs back
and forth in a state of panic and dives into the burrows, from which the other
bunnies drive it out. The weasel doggedly follows everywhere, until the rabbit

THE RABBIT.

The Rabbit is one of the best-known animals in the world. It is easily
tamed and has therefore become a great pet. There is hardly any boy who has
not, at some time or other, kept rabbits in a cracker-box hutch. In its wild
state the rabbit is a bright, clever little creature. They live in great colo-
nies, where the earth is honey-combed with hundreds of burrows, called " war-
rens," and in the early morning or just at sunset it is a great sight to watch
them running about. They hop in and out of their holes, while some sit up,
listening intently. Then, without an instant's warning, the whole party will
dash off and pull up again before ,; ^,r . ~> — --- ;_■■-..

they have gone any distance. They
fight amonor themselves and chase
each other madly through the twist-
ings and turnings of the burrows.
Rabbits have very sharp ears and
for a short distance can run swiftly,
and upon these two talents they are
mainly dependent for their safety.
They have countless enemies, for
men, dogs, cats, foxes, stoats, wea-
sels, hedgehogs, crows, hawks, rats,
snakes, and owls all murder the
rabbit, one half by day, the other
half by night; so there is not much
peace for the poor bunny. On the
other hand, the rabbit multiplies at
a great rate if it is not kept down.
For instance, the rabbit was intro-
duced into Australia and allowed
to run wild in the bush. As the
climate of Australia is very mild and enemies are few in number, it soon
overran the land, and it has already cost the British Government millions to
exterminate it.

In parts of California the rabbit is a great nuisance, and the people have
adopted a curious method for keeping down their number. Twice a year
hundreds of men from Fresno County meet together for a rabbit-drive. An
enclosure, about one hundred yards square, is made, writh an entrance to it
ten yards wide. From this entrance the fence-work then spreads outwards in
a huge V. At a certain signal, the men form a line at the wide end of the V

THE RABBIT.

and proceed, yelling and shouting, to drive all the rabbits down to the corral at
the bottom. Numbers of rabbits try to break through the line and are instantly
killed. At last the frightened creatures are driven into the corral, where they
are easily killed. Some idea of the size of these drives may be gained from the
fact that between twenty and thirty thousand rabbits are killed in a single day.

The favorite method of killing rabbits in England is by shooting them
In winter they are hunted with ferrets, which are turned into the warrens,
while terriers watch the holes. Poachers catch rabbits by attaching loops of
brass wire to the mouth of the burrow. Once a rabbit gets its head into a
loose wire noose it does not know enough to draw back, but pushes on, strug-
gling frantically, until it chokes itself.

The tame rabbits are quite distinct from the wild rabbits. They have
been so carefully bred that there are a number of fine species. Their ears,
which stick up so straight when they are wild, soon begin to lop or hang
down when they have been confined in hutches, free from the danger of prowl-
ing foxes and cats. Rabbits do a great deal of damage to property. They
gnaw the bark off trees, and at times completely girdle them.

They steal all sorts of garden stuff, and destroy acres and acres of grain
which happen to be near their warrens. But, after all is said and done, it
would seem that the rabbit is more sinned against than sinning. Writers of
all countries have loved to endow the rabbit with great shrewdness and
sagacity. Uncle Remus in this country gives the rabbit a great reputation
at the expense of that shrewd rascal, the fox.

Mr. Mounteneyjephson, who crossed the Dark Continent with Stanley on
his last expedition, found that the Uncle Remus rabbit-stories were known by
the curious little race of pigmy people he met, who had never been visited by
white men before. It is perfectly true that the rabbit is clever. One has only
to watch it march from the woods some frosty morning. Out it comes with a
hop, but never does its vigilance forsake it for an instant. You will notice
that it will always keep its path open back to cover along the thin, hard snow,
so there is no danger of its slipping or losing its way, and yet it keeps far
enough away to prevent a lurking fox from springing upon it.

There is one animal the rabbit is in constant terror of, and that is the
weasel. Directly a rabbit knows that a weasel is upon its track, it gives a little
scream of terror and dashes off. Now if the rabbit was to keep on running it
would soon leave the weasel far behind, but this it does not do. It runs back
and forth in a state of panic and dives into the burrows, from which the other
bunnies drive it out. The weasel doggedly follows everywhere, until the rabbit

THE GUINEA PIG.

becomes paralyzed with fear and allows its enemy to catch up. It is a
curious fact that when a weasel has singled out a rabbit to chase, it will not
touch the others, although it brushes quite close to them in the passages
of the burrows.

Many people have wondered of what use to the rabbit is the little white
fur which has given rise to the name "cotton-tail." The most likely reason for
its existence is that at the sign of danger the parents dash off, and the white
is a guide for the little ones. Everyone who has shot rabbits knows that it
serves as a mark to aim at.

THE GUINEA-PIG.

Why the Guinea-pig should have been so called is a puzzle, for it is not
a pig at all, nor does it come from Guinea, but from South America. It is
very brightly and irregularly col-
ored, and very often has large dabs
of orange, black, and white upon it.

The guinea-pig breeds freely,
but the young are very delicate for
the first few days after they are born.
This little animal is clean and doc-
ile, but stupid, and its intelligence
is far below that of the rabbit. On
the whole, the guinea-pig may be
said to be practically of no use to
man, as its flesh is too coarse for
food, and its skin, owing to the
slight manner in which the hair
is attached, is of no value to the
furrier.

The guinea-pig has always been
a popular pet with children. It re-
quires but little attention and will
eat any kind of vegetable food.

The guinea - pig sometimes
shows a spark of courage, if a cat or dog should come too near its young
ones, but as its teeth are not sharp, it is practically unable to defend itself
from enemies of any size.

mm

GUINEA-PIG (H Natural Size).

THE GERBOA.

THE CHINCHILLA.

The Chinchilla lives in the
high mountain ranges of South
America. Its fur is of a very fine
quality, and has a beautiful shade
of gray over it. They live in large
colonies, which, however, are not
stationary, like the rabbit's, for
sometimes a whole band will for-
sake a certain locality where they
have lived for years.

THE GERBOA.

The Gerboa is a little animal
about the size of a rat. It lives in
Northern Africa and is chiefly fa-
mous for its long legs and tail.

JtRj?-*

CHINCHILLA (•{ Natural Size)

GLKUUH (,>j Natural Size).

The gerboa is capable of making im-
mense springs utterly out of propor-
tion to its size and strength ; in fact,
it is so agile that it can out-distance
a greyhound when once it is fairly
started. It is a burrowing animal,
and usually prefers a sandy bank
j\ facing the sun. Gerboas live in col-
li! onies, and are very sociable, playing
jt together, and toward sundown may
i|||^j|g be seen jumping about in a start-
ling yet graceful manner. Although
^WR; the gerboa comes out in the day-
time, it does not feed until nightfall.
Its food consists strictly of herbs
and grain. Its teeth are very sharp,
and will even cut through a thin
layer of stone.

THE DORMOUSE.

The Dormouse is fairly common all through England and the Continent.
It is one of the prettiest of the rodents, for its fur is brown on the back, while
underneath it is a yellowish white. Its head is large and its eyes are bright
and beady. The dormouse sleeps all day long, so soundly that you could
pick one up without disturbing it. Don't you remember the dormouse in
" Alice in Wonderland," which kept falling asleep ? At night the dormice
come out to hunt for food. Go to any quiet, wooded country lane, keep very
still, and you will get a good chance to watch them. By and by you will
hear their funny little squeak and then
a rustling among the leaves, and if you
do not move they will almost run over
your very feet.

The nest of this little animal is a
compact and beautiful affair. It is like
a ball of platted grass, with just one lit-
tle hole at the top, and is usually built
several feet from the ground amon^
the corn - stalks. When you come
across one dormouse's nest, you will
be sure to find others near-by, for they
like to live together. It is a lively lit-
tle creature, leaping lightly from twig
to twig as it goes in search of acorns,
nuts, and haws.

The dormouse hibernates through-
out the winterjust like the bear, sleep-
ing in its nest. It collects a lot of food
toward autumn and grows exceed-
ingly fat, which enables it to stand dormice (Natural size).
the months of fasting. When a mild spell of weather comes in the middle of
winter, the dormouse wakes up, nibbles some food, and then goes to sleep
again. It does not use much of its larder until spring. The dormouse is
awake long before the nuts and berries are ripe, so, you see, the little animal
wisely keeps a store on hand, or else it would soon starve to death. It can
carry food in its mouth, is able to sit upright, and can also hang by its feet,
and may often be seen comfortably munching nuts in this position.

The dormouse makes an excellent pet. It is a good-tempered, affection-
ate and cleanly little animal, and if treated kindly becomes very tame. It will
eat almost any food except meat.

THE SQUIRRELS.

The Red Squirrel is a splendid little creature, typifying wild, careless
gayety and absurd shrewdness and gravity. It is common all over Southern
Europe and especially so in England. It lives in small numbers in the beech
and fir woods, or near the great oaks. Its size is about that of an overgrown
kitten. Its eyes are bright and black, while its ears, which are large and
upright, have a tuft of hair on the ends.
Its tail is large and bushy and is usu-
ally carried curled over its back. Like
the dormouse, it sits upright when eating
or playing sentinel.

The squirrel builds a nest which at
a distance looks like a crow's. In fact,
it sometimes uses an old crow's nest
instead of building one of its own. The
nest is carefully lined with moss and
leaves, and here the young squirrels are
born and brought up. They are the
prettiest little creatures, very gentle, and
make excellent pets, but are hard to raise
in cages. In the early morning, the squir-
rel comes down from the trees to feed
on the wind-blown chestnuts and acorns.
Then, as the sun gets higher, it goes
back to the trees. The squirrel rarely
comes to the ground except to feed. If
alarmed, it races along the ground with
a jumping v "
the trees

springs from branch to branch with as-
tounding leaps. If, by any chance, it
misses its footing, it spreads out its bushy tail and comes sailing down as
light as a feather.

The squirrel has many enemies. The game-keeper shoots it for gnaw-
ing the bark from the young trees. Then the weasel and stoat are ever on
the watch to pounce upon it while feeding, and up in the branches there
is always a danger of being swooped down upon by the sparrow-hawk. Last
of all is the persistent small boy. Throughout all parts of rural England it
is considered great sport to hunt the squirrel. The usual method is to wait

&allop, but when it reaches
nothing can follow it. It

THE SQUIRRELS.

Until a squirrel comes down to feed, and then slyly get between it and the
woods and bo contrive to drive it to an isolated tree. Then one of the boys
climbs up into the tree while the others form a circle around the trunk. The
squirrel mounts higher and higher into the thin branches, chattering with rage
all the while. At last it is shaken from its perch and leaps wildly into the air.

Immediately, caps, sticks, and stones ....„._ _._ ..._. ,

are thrown at it, and often after the
confusion is over Master Squirrel is
seen scampering back to the high
trees. The squirrel's chance of get-
ting away is good ; but sometimes
the boys are accompanied by a half-
dozen curs, and then the little creat-
ure has a hard time to keep from
being worried by them.

■

THE GRAY SQUIRREL.

The Gray Squirrel is found
in the warmer parts of the United
States. Eor instance, it is very
common throughout California. It
is a bright, playful little creature,
and very active. The gray squir-
rels live in small colonies, choosing
by preference rocky ground. They
dig the earth away from between
the rocks, so as to make sheltered
burrows, and then well-cleared paths are made leading to the burrow-holes.

These squirrels, although they will take up their abode within a stone's
throw of a house, are very cautious and hard to approach. They always post
one of their number on high ground to act as sentinel, and the moment it
sees anything it does not understand it gives a shrill bark and all the squirrels
rush off to their burrows, chattering shrilly. This happened times out of num-
ber at a certain ranch-house where a number of squirrels had made a burrow
in the rocks at the rear. Several times a day the dogs woidd rush up and try
to take the squirrels by surprise, but every time the latter proved too nimble.
In fact, the dogs were never known to catch a single squirrel.

RED SQUIRREL (% Natural Size).

THE CHIPMUNK.

The bright little Chipmunk is
another burrowing rodent. It is very
common near the woods, where it can
be seen scampering along through
the undergrowth, making the curious,
chirping noise from which it gets its
name. It is almost defenceless, while
its coat is so bright and pretty, just
the sort to attract prowling enemies.
All the summer long it is busy stor-
ing up food in the shape of nuts and
haws for the winter. The chipmunk
nearly always carries four nuts in its
mouth at a time, which, considering
the size of the animal, is a huge load.
When out looking for food it must
leave its shelter, and is thus laid open
to attacks from the polecat and hawk.
Nevertheless, there is hardly any little animal which, to human eyes,, seems so
completely happy. It is never seen except it is whisking its tail about in the
liveliest manner.

THE PRAIRIE-DOG.

Now we come to a distinctly American animal, the Prairie-dog. These
strange creatures live together in vast colonies, or dog-towns, which are gen-
erally situated where the soil is soft and sandy. Its name, prairie-dog, comes
from two sources : first, because it lives on the prairies, and second, because,
when alarmed, it gives a tiny bark like a dog. The dog-towns are often very
large and present an odd appearance. Outside the burrow is a mound which
has been thrown up in digging. While the prairie-dog is busy burrowing its
tunnel and throwing the earth out, another prairie-dog will rush up, fill its paws
writh earth, and ram it into the hole upon the digger and then scamper off.
After awhile, the other prairie-dog comes scratching out of its burrow snorting
with anger, goes in search of its enemy, and then there is a fight. Wherever
there are prairie-dogs, there are always rattlesnakes and owls. It was thought
at one time that the animal, snake, and bird lived peaceably together, but that
is not true. The owl and rattlesnake live with the prairie-dog simply because

THE MARMOT.

THE PRAIRIE-DOG (X Natural Size).

the latter is not strong enough to put them out. They use its burrow, kill its
young, and often slay the owner. The prairie-dogs are very cautious. They
always have a sentinel on watch, and when it sees anything it does not under-
stand it gives its bark, and the dogs disappear into the burrows. It would
seem as if the place was utterly deserted. After awhile the dogs poke their
noses out of their holes, and if they think the enemy has gone, they soon come
out of hiding once more.

THE MARMOT.

The Marmot is a sort of European cousin to the prairie-dog. It is found
all over the northern part of Finland, Norway, and Russia. It is another of
the animals which goes to sleep in the winter and wakes up in the summer.
It is dull and stupid in spite of its timidity, but has a keen sense of hearing.
It lives in a burrow which it digs out itself. Its tunnel is about eight feet long,
and branches off into two parts. The one forms a storehouse and the other
the living part. This storehouse is filled with grain and nuts, which it has
been busv collecting all the summer. As soon as the marmot is ready to take
its long winter sleep it stuffs up the burrow with sticks and earth, so that the
cold may not creep in.

A FAMILY OF MARMOTS.

THE KING OF THE PRAIRIE.

THE BUFFALO.

The Buffalo, or Bison, has been called the " King of the Prairies," but,
alas ! it is king no longer. The march of man across the plains has driven the
buffalo out of existence. It is a dull and stupid animal, which accounts for
allowing itself to be so easily tracked ; but, on the other hand, it has immense
strength and great speed. The Indian found that the buffalo supplied him
with almost everything he needed : hide, wool, fat, and meat. Armed only
with a bow and arrow, he killed but few of the vast herds which roamed the
plains north of the Platte River. Then came the white man with the rifle, and
the result is that the buffalo has vanished. Not a single wild specimen lives
to-day. In a few shows, notably Buffalo Bill's, in private collections both in
this country and in England, and in the Yellowstone Park, the buffalo still
lives, guarded jealously from harm. Thirty years ago it was a common sight
to see countless thousands of these mighty creatures together. The huge col-
lection of skulls and bones testify to what their numbers must have been.
Many methods were used to kill the buffalo wholesale, and one was to take
advantage of the large ravines through which the western rivers run. The
herds were surrounded on three sides, leaving the only avenue of escape over
the precipice. At a given signal, all the men would rush in, yelling and
waving hats. The herd would promptly rush off. As soon as the leaders
reached the edge of the precipice, they would try to back away, but the num-
bers behind would force them on, and thus it was an easy matter to wipe out
a whole herd.

The white man usually hunted the buffalo from horseback. This method
is much more successful. It takes pluck to enter a herd and separate a mem-
ber and shoot it down while going at full speed. In spite of its timid nature,
the buffalo is a terrible foe when brought to bay.

M JmmQ <%w&M&W

THE AUROCHS.

OXEN.

THE AUROCHS.

The Aurochs is the buffalo of Europe, but like its relative it is scarce. It
is claimed that outside of a few which are still wild, the only herd left is in
Russia, where the Czar keeps them under his special protection. Owing to
there being hardly any females born in captivity, the herd is slowly vanishing.

OXEN.

There are several curious things about the animals which come under the
head of Oxen. They have divided hoofs instead of claws ; they also have
horns which grow out of their foreheads, and, last of ail, they are able to bring
back food from the stomach to the mouth, which is called " chewing the cud."

In many parts of the world, such as Palestine, America, and Europe, oxen
are used to plough the land and draw the carts. In Spain, oxen are usually
harnessed in pairs to unwieldy wine carts having solid wheels. The owners
decorate their beasts with bells and ribbons, and they move along the country
road at a solemn pace, the wheels creaking loudly.

The domestic cattle have been bred to a wonderful state of perfection.
The bulls are large and solidly built, possessing all the strength and courage
of their wild relatives. The chief use of the cow is its supplying men with
milk. As a rule, a farmer keeps a number of cows, so that he may supply the
nearest city or village with milk. Every morning and evening the cows are
milked and then turned out again to graze in the fields.

In Spain there lives a small, long-horned, fierce bull, which is bred for the
sole use of bull-fighting. When the people are all assembled in the arena, the
gayly dressed bull fighters and a number of men called " capeadors " take their
stand around the ring, and at a given signal the door is unlocked and the bull
rushes into the ring. The animal is bewildered at first, but the instant it gets
used to the glare of the sunlight, it charges the nearest capeador. He waves a
red cloak in front of the brute and steps nimbly aside. In a few moments, by
throwing darts and lances, with fireworks attached, into the bull's shoulders,
they have it lashed into a pitch of fury. Then the fighters, or picadors, come
in mounted on poor, miserable horses, which are blind in one eye, so they
cannot see the bull when it charges. Often as many as fifteen horses are
killed by one bull, while the men are seldom hurt. When the bull becomes
weak from loss of blood, the matador, armed only with a sword, pierces it
between the shoulders and kills it. A team of mules drag the body of the
bull out of the ring and the fight begins over again with a fresh animal.

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THE BUFFALO.

The Buffalo of Asia, Africa, and India is a magnificent animal. The
horns of the Indian variety frequently measure as much as twelve feet from
tip to tip. The strength of the animal is enormous, and its thick-set limbs
are capable of great endurance. Its speed for its size and build is almost
incredible. The buffaloes love water, and can always be found near swampy
ground, where they roll themselves in the mud until their skin is thoroughly
caked. This serves to keep off flies and mosquitoes. The temper of the buf-
falo is uncertain, as may be gathered from looking into its face, which always
shows the same scowling ferocity. The hunting of this animal is very diffi-
cult, as its skin, which looks at a distance like rubber, is so tough that it will
almost turn a bullet away. To kill a buffalo with a single shot is nearly
impossible. Should the brute be only wounded, it will charge at once. When
fairly roused its fury is frightful to behold. It tears up the ground with its
horns and wreaks its vengeance upon the nearest thing at hand. Whether
the buffalo is dealing with man or beast, it never leaves its victim until it has
trampled every trace of life out of it. The great hunter, Sir Samuel Baker,
mentions having seen a buffalo beat off a pair of lions which had attacked it.
On another occasion he saw a buffalo pulled down by four lions, but only after
a battle which lasted a couple of hours.

In the spring the old bulls have great battles among themselves for the
possession of the females. They become so absorbed in the fight that one can

THE BaNTENGE.

come easily near them; but should they happen to catch sight of the intruder,
they are liable to both drop their quarrel and charge together. Unless a tree
is handy, and a thick one at that, the result is unpleasant. When a bull has
defeated its rival and driven it off the field of glory, the old rascal sets out to
look for another one to fight. On one occasion a victorious buffalo was seen
to drive its long horns into the flanks of its foe and kill it.

THE BANTENGE.

The Bantenge is a native of Java. It takes the place of the buffalo in
that country. It is exceedingly shy, living in the thick jungles near the water.
The small bands place a sentinel to keep watch for any enemy. The natives
of Java have managed to catch the bantenge and tame it until it has become
quite a useful animal. The work of ploughing the heavy, sodden rice-fields
could hardly be done by any other creature.

THE ZEBU

The Zebu is one of the famous sacred animals of India. It is also found
in parts of Southern Asia and even in Madagascar, though its true home is in
India. It is rather a pretty and intelligent animal, about the size of a Jersey
cow. It has a hump on its shoulders and short horns. English people who
live in India look upon the zebu as a great nuisance, but owing to its being
sacred they dare not interfere with it. The zebu is allowed to run wild
wherever it pleases. It is quite a common sight to see one of these animals
going through the village streets with a comical air of dignity. It will pause
to examine anything that will catch its eye or help itself to fruit from a Hindoo
vendor's stand, and no one will raise a protest. If it wants anything it demands
it with a grunt, and if not attended to quickly it is apt to use its horns. Some-
times the zebu falls asleep in a narrow roadway so as to completely block it
up, and nothing can pass along until the beast awakes. Therefore the English
people dislike the animal, but the Hindoos still hold it in awe.

The zebu is not blessed with a good temper. If it sees any man or woman
doing anything that it does not like, or wearing clothes of a red color, it will
charge them without warning, and all the natives can do is to fly until they
reach a tree or wall upon which they can climb. The Hindoos which crowd
the streets will not attempt to turn the zebu from its victims, but simply draw
away to one side and let it pass on.

WOLVES PURSUING A YAK AND HER CALF.

THE YAK.

The Yak, or grunting ox, gets its name from the peculiar noise it makes.
This magnificent creature lives in the Pamirs, or high country between the
Himalayas, Russia, and China. These vast plains reach for many miles, and
are more elevated than the European snow-line. That is why the Pamirs are
called the roof of the world. Over the immense tracks of Thibet the yak wan-
ders, either in small companies or just by itself. It feeds upon the grasses
which are found in summer, and in winter digs them up out of the snow. Its
nose is strongly built, so that it can push away the snow which covers its food.
Its sense of smell is also very keen, and enables it not only to detect its food
when covered, but also to scent enemies at a great distance.

In the early spring the female gives birth to a single calf, which, when
young, is said to resemble a Newfoundland dog. At this early age the calf is
in great danger from the hungry packs of wolves, which would not hesitate to
attack the old bull yaks themselves. The people of Thibet have managed to
tame this great creature and turn it into a beast of burden. For the country it
lives in it is very useful, but it is doubtful if the white man would put up with
its whims and temper. Its skin is beautiful, the fur growing to a great length
on the sides, while its bushy white tail is largely sought after for cap decora-

THE MUSK-OX.

tions and fans for the Chinese. There is a species called the "plough" yak,
which is not as line an animal as the true yak. It is a poor, ill-used beast, and
is generally without a tail, which its cruel master has cut off and sold.

THE MUSK-OX.

■

The Musk-ox is a peculiar animal which lives in the tip-top of North
America. It is not nearly as large as one might suppose from the picture, for
it is covered all over with a shaggy coat of hair. It is rather a dangerous ani-
mal to hunt, for it often leads its pursuers over rocky ground, and then turns
upon them when it has them at a disadvantage. It is very agile and has excel-
lent smell and hearing, but in spite of this it is a dull animal. Hunters say
that the report of a rifle will not frighten it, provided it does not smell the gun-
powder. It also is very curious and will come up to examine a white flag or
any other wavy object that it has not seen before. Hunters frequently take
advantage of this habit to lure it within gun-shot. The flesh is good eating,
except for a short time of the year, when it has a peculiar musky smell. Hence
the name, musk-ox.

THE ANTELOPE FAMILY.

GROUP OF ANTELOPES.

The Antelopes represent a large and important group of animals which
are more or less common in all tropical parts of the earth. The antelope
comes nearest to the goat.

Perhaps the best-known member of this family is the pretty and graceful
Gazelle. The gazelle relies wholly for its safety upon its great speed. They
are usually found in large bands, protecting each other from the attacks of
hyenas and jackals, and the smaller animals. Against the lion, the leopard,
and man, their three greatest enemies, they are almost helpless. In spite of
the wary sentinel, which always keeps watch, the cunning lion works its way
toward the gazelles until it can spring upon one or. at any rate, reach it with
a couple of bounds. The lion knows perfectly well that it must creep up within
striking distance, for should it be seen, the gazelles will gallop oft" at" a pace
which the great cat could not keep up for fifty yards.

THE ORYX.

In parts of Syria and Araoia a species called the "aerial" gazelle is held
in great favor as a household pet. It is a pretty little creature, with large, lus-
trous eyes, docile and good-tempered.

THE ORYX.

The Oryx is famous for its beautiful horns. These weapons have a grace-
ful curl to them and are often three feet long. They are covered with rings,
while the ends are smooth and very sharp. It is fairly common all over South
Africa, living, like the gazelle, in bands. It is not nearly so timid as the former,
and when wounded shows considerable spirit. It is apt to lie quite still until
the hunter comes near, then suddenly charges with lowered head and horns
well out. These wounds usually prove fatal.

In the early days of South Africa the oryx used to wander over the land
in huge herds. So many thousands travelled together that everything green
was eaten till the country looked as though it had been swept by locusts.

A GROUP OF CHAMOIS.

THE CHAMOIS.

The Chamois is
perhaps the most famous
member of the antelope
family. It is quite wrong
to class this little animal
among- the goats, al-
though it is like them in
appearance. The home
of the chamois is in the
highest Alps, where it
feeds upon the grass that
grows near the snow-
line. Everyone has
heard of the speed and jumping power of the chamois, and
last, but not least, its wonderful sense of smell. It will scent
a man at a distance which one would hardly believe possible.
When the wary creature is alarmed, it will stand like a statue
and stare in the direction in which it smells danger. The
instant it sees anything move, it rushes up the mountain-side.
The rate at which it disappears is something astonishing. The
chamois is just as clever at getting down hill as it is going up.
Hunters sometimes chase the animal until they think they
have it cornered, and then it will escape being caught by
sliding down what seems to be a perpendicular precipice.

The affection of the doe chamois for her young is well

shown by the story of a hunter who chased a chamois and her

J ' young toward the end of a rock which was separated from its

v: surroundings by a deep chasm. The hunter wanted, of course,

A to catch the young ones alive. To his surprise, he saw the

mother spread her legs across the chasm between the two

rocks, and then make a sign to the young ones to climb on her back. The

youngsters soon made a bridge of their mother, and were quickly out of

harm's way.

The chamois, like all antelopes, are found in small bands, which are always
guarded by a sentinel. Its height is about two feet, and its skin is a brownish
black, streaked with white around the face. Its horns, which are about six or
eight inches long, are turned back in two sharp hooks. They are jet black and
beautifully polished. In the spring-time there are sharp battles among the

%

THE SPRING-BUCK.

chamois before they pair off for the season, but once summer comes they all
live happily together. There have been many attempts to tame the chamois,
but they have only been partly successful. It is so shy that it will not allow
anyone to touch it; but, on the other hand, like a true antelope, it is con-
sumed with curiosity, peeping and prying into everything.

THE SPRING-BUCK.

AMERICAN SPRING-BUCK.

The American Spring-buck is an antelope which is found on the prairies
of the Western States. They move about in great herds, which are sometimes
seen in one district, then they vanish and appear in an entirely new locality.

The African Spring-bok is still found in great numbers throughout the
Transvaal and Orange Free State. As late as 1891 the spring-boks made a
migration north toward the Zambesi River. They took several days to pass an
up-country station, and the sheep-herders, who are accustomed to accurately
guess the numbers of herds of animals, estimated that there must have been
over half a million spring-boks on the move. These migrations are not regu-
lar, but generally take place when the food in the plains gives out.

A HERD OF GNUS.

THE GNU.

Is^MISMi

Here is an animal called the Gnu, which seems to be made up of odds
and ends — the legs of an antelope, the body of a horse, the tail of a mule, and
the head of a bull. The early Dutch settlers in South Africa called the animal
"wildebeest," and they had good reason for it. This strange animal's way of
living is almost as odd as its appearance. Like most antelopes, it is very
curious, and all a hunter has to do when he wants to get a shot at one is to
lie down in the grass and wave a red handkerchief. The startled creatures at
once gallop off as if they never meant to stop, then suddenly they all pull up
and look at each other as if trying to find out who said " run " first. Before
they can make up their minds, some of the males will begin fighting, and the
band will look on as though there was not a waving red handkerchief within
miles. Then the whole band will begin whisking their tails and kicking up
their heels like colts and dash off again. Now this is where the curiosity
comes in. Apparently they have forgotten all about the red handkerchief, but
they have not. The band will come back to where they started from and gal-
lop furiously round and round the concealed hunter, always narrowing the cir-
cle until they come within easy gunshot. Sometimes they come too close and
one old fellow will charge furiously. The hunter has to look out for himself
then, for the temper and strength of the gnu are not to be tampered with.

THE HARTEBEEST.

The gnu is often found in the company of other animals. In fact, it is a com-
mon sight to see them rushing over the veldt in the midst of zebras, antelopes,
and ostriches. They appear to live peaceably together.

THE HARTEBEEST.

The Hartebeest is another South African antelope. It is chiefly famous
for its horns, which, you will notice, turn straight back like a hook. It is not
nearly so swift as the other antelopes, but, nevertheless, it shows considerable
speed when pressed. The only danger in hunting the hartebeest is that when
wounded it is apt to turn upon its enemy and charge with lowered head. Of
course, the sharp-pointed horns become terrible weapons, being used to rip
upward like the boar's tusks. It is a large animal, standing as high as five feet
at the shoulder, while its head is held erect.

The hartebeest is usually to be found in large bands, which roam over the
veldt. These bands move slowly from place to place, always being guided by
the search for food.

KOODOOS.

THE ELAND.

THE KOODOO.

The Koodoo is the most imposing" of all the antelopes. It is a large and
thick-set animal, which is not usual with this light and graceful family. The
koodoo's sides are striped in a striking manner, while along the top of its back
runs a ridge of black hair. The horns of the koodoo are very beautiful, being
strong and highly polished, branching out in two large corkscrew turns over
the top of the forehead.

As the koodoo is not a very swift animal, it is hunted by white men in a
curious manner. One man starts out with a relay of horses in pursuit of the
game. As soon as one horse is tired he mounts another, and in a very short
time the poor koodoo gives in and allows its enemy to come up. To hunt the
koodoo in this fashion, it is necessary to have a large, open track of country, for
it has most wonderful springing powers. It will easily leap over a fence eight
feet high. Therefore, when pursued, it always tries to find rocks and bushes
where it can be safe from danger.

The koodoo is frequently seen in zoological collections, but it never looks
as fine as it does in its native country. The beautiful gloss of its skin van-
ishes when it is kept in captivity.

THE ELAND.

The Elavd is even larger than the koodoo. It is said to weigh as much
as an ox. It is by far the largest of the antelopes. It is hunted for its flesh,
which is tender if used directly it is killed. This is a great luxury, as nearly all
the meat found in the eland country is dry and tasteless.

The natives of South Africa chase the animal on horseback until it is all
but tired out, and then drive it toward their camp before they kill it. In this
way they save themselves the trouble of bringing the carcass home.

It is a curious fact that the eland can live for months without water. It
has been known to spend a large part of the year on the sandy, rainless wastes
of the Transvaal near the Zambesi River, where it could not have found water
if it had wanted it, and yet it did not seem to suffer. Specimens killed during
this time were found to have a little water in their stomachs.

The eland might be easily tamed and made useful to man if it was not for
its large appetite, for what it lacks in water it makes up in food. It will eat
huge quantities of dry grass. In fact, no one has ever known an eland to get
enough to eat. As fodder is often scarce in South Africa, owing to the uncer-
tain rainy season, it would never pay to keep an eland.

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ELANDS.

DOMESTIC SHEEP.

GOATS AND SHEEP.

The Goats and Sheep are closely allied to each other. The general rule
among goats is that their horns are erect or curve slightly backward or outward,
having a ridge on the edge. The males are larger than the females and more
pugnacious. They have bearded chins ; there is also a rank odor about them.

The sheep, on the other hand, are not as restless in disposition as the
goats, and are not so strongly built. The horns of the rams form a sharp
spiral curve on the forehead.

SHEEP.

The domestic Sheep have been so interbred and divided into so many
varieties that the original forms are entirely lost. The sheep are as good
climbers as the goats, and it is a common sight to see a whole flock pass over
a steep mountain-side upon which a man could not get a foothold.

Sheep are generally believed to be cowards, but this is not so. If a flock
of mountain sheep is disturbed they suddenly form themselves into a com-
pact mass and present a bold front to the intruder. The rams will charge if
the enemy comes too close. Even a single ram is no mean fighter when he
is thoroughly angry, and his charge is sometimes fatal. Goats always fight by
rearing up on their hind legs and butting sideways. Sheep never do this, but
always charge head downward.

Sheep will follow a leader, and no matter where the leader goes they will
follow. If the leader swerves as it runs along the path, each sheep will also
swerve when it reaches that spot. If a sheep suddenly comes across a snake
it will jump over the snake, and, although the snake glides off into the grass
and is not seen by the rest of the flock, each one will leap over the spot as
their leader did. Shepherds take advantage of this habit of following a leader
and always make a pet of one sheep, teaching it to follow at their heels. Then
they know that wherever they go the pet will follow them and the rest will
obediently trot on behind.

The chief use of the sheep is in providing man with wool. Vast territories
of country, such as the Western United States, South America, and Southern
Europe, are entirely given up to wool raising. There is no animal in the
world that is of so much use to man. Every part of the sheep is turned to
account. The flesh is eaten, the wool is spun into cloth, while from its skin is
made the beautiful Russia leather.

ANGORA GOAT and ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.

ROCKY .MOUNTAIN GOAT.

THE AOUDAD.

THE ANGORA GOAT.

The Angora Goat is chiefly noted for its beautiful wool, from which the
nnest material is made. This animal is a native of Arabia, where it has been
carefully preserved for hundreds of years for the sake of its wool. There have
been many attempts made to introduce it into the countries of Southern Europe
but so far none of them has been successful. Directly the Angora is taken out
of Arabia the quality of its wool deteriorates. Its horns are very fine, being
marked with rings and curling gracefully over its head.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT.

The Rocky Mountain Goat is hunted in the Western mountains of the
United States. It is a wonderfully agile animal, and prefers to live on the
precipices near the snow-line. Its wool is of a very fine texture and nearly
pure white, while its skin is made into valuable leather. Its head, which
appears small for its body, is surmounted by two little horns which curl back-
ward. Its sight is excellent, and its power of scent is very keen.

THE ARGALI.

The Argali is the king of the goat family and lives in Siberia It fre-
quently measures four feet in height at the shoulders, and is proportionately
large all over. In fact, it is built more like a small ox than a goat. Its horns
measured on the curve, are about two feet long. The argali is found chiefly in
the southern mountains of Siberia and as far west as the Caucasus Mountains.

THE AOUDAD.

The Aoudad is closely allied to the argali. In fact, it is often spoken of
as the bearded argali, although it is not as large an animal. The aoudad has
a curious growth of hair like a mane, stretching from the chin down between
the forelegs.

The aoudad is found in Tunis, Algeria, and Morocco, but its greatest
stronghold is in the Atlas Mountains. Like the argali, the aoudad is remark-
ably active, and is only caught in its native mountains with the greatest diffi-
. culty. Curiously enough, when kept in captivity, the aoudad does not become
sullen as so many of its family do, but remains active and playful It is full
of curiosity, has a gentle disposition, and is capable of affection. It is a laro-e
animal, often measuring three feet in height at the shoulders.

ARGALI and AOUDAD.

THE ARGALI.

"■"■y "'■:■■ -v,-' ■'

THE AOUDAD.

THE IBEX.

It is generally be- jjjjg
iieved among naturalists
that all the goats have
sprung from the Ibex.

Many years ago this
beautiful creature was
common in the Alps and
the Pyrenees Mountains,
but it has now vanished,
except where it is pro-
tected by law. Its true
stronghold is in the
Himalaya Mountains of
India. The ibex is fa-
mous for its horns, the
use of which is doubtful.
It was thought at one
time that when the ibex
used to make its gigan-
tic leaps, it broke the
shock of the fall by land-
ing upon its horns, and
no one has yet proved
otherwise. Ibex- shoot-
ing is one of the great
sports of India. Only
strong men can attempt
it, for they have to go
fourteen thousand feet
hi<jh to reach the erame.
Then the ibex is as cautious and wary as the chamois and exceedingly difficult
to approach. They are usually found in small bands, which are led by an old
male who keeps an eagle eye upon his charges. At the first sign of alarm they
always dash up toward the snow-line.

The ibex lives quite comfortably in captivity. Some years ago one was
kept in London and became as tame as a nanny-goat. It would follow its
keeper around and was trained to draw a small cart. This animal had been
captured in India when it was quite young, its mother having been shot.

GOAT AND KID.

THE MOUFFLON.

The Moufflon is found in the mountains of Sardinia. It is a fine-looking
creature, having two thick, three-sided horns curling back toward the shoulders
with a graceful sweep, and, although a true sheep, is much larger than any
of the family that are
tame. Although large-
ly hunted, it is by no
means extinct.

Its sight, hearing,
and smell are all good,
and one has only to at-
tempt to shoot a mouf-
flon to find this out.
The slightest odor of
man in the wind or the
gleam of a gun-barrel
is enough to ruin the
shooting; for the rest
of the day. Once the
leader of the flock has
sighted an enemy, he
not only runs away,
but keeps his eye open
to prevent a second
attack being made.

On one occasion a
hunter fired at a flock of
moufflons and brought
one down. He spent
the rest of the day,
from early morning to
sunset, trying to catch
up with them again.
But every time he came
to any high ground the
old leader was watching for him and promptly gave the alarm to the flock, who
immediately dashed off among the rocks. Although the hunter followed the
moufflons for three days he never got a second successful shot. The moufflon
shows considerable courage if it is cornered or its young ones injured.

SUNBEARS AND WILD SHEEP.

THE BIGHORN.

The Bighorn is found both in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Moun-
tains It is much sought after by hunters. Like all the rest of the family, it is
found at very high altitudes.

A close variety of the bighorn lives on the islands off the coast of
Southern California. The Catalina goats (named after the island upon which
they are found) are rapidly becoming famous. They are slightly smaller than
those found in the Rocky Mountains. They live on the very highest parts of
the mountains, never caring to take the risk of coming down to the valleys.
They feed upon the grasses which are found upon the ledges of the precipices.
When a flock of these goats are seen feeding far up the mountain-side, it often
puzzles the hunter to know how they could have got there. And yet if he fires
his rifle the goats will rush off and leave not a trace of their presence behind,
except a cloud of dust and loose stones rattling down the face of the precipice.
When these goats were first discovered they were bold and fearless, coming
up to examine anyone who approached them; but now they have learned
what a rifle means.

It often happens that if a bighorn has been shot it will scramble swiftly
away and die on some rocky ledge, where the hunter cannot reach it.

GIRAFFES.

THE GIRAFFE.

The Giraffe is the tallest of all animals, not excepting the elephant
This is chiefly due to its wonderful neck. A full-grown giraffe often exceeds
twenty feet. On the top of its head are two curious bones. They are an out-
growth from the skull and not horns, as you might think. Also, farther down
on its forehead is another bone growth, somewhat like the small horn of the
unicorn. Its white skin is oddly marked with brown patches, which really
serve as a protection, for when standing near a tree-trunk the colors match so
well that it is hard to see a giraffe. The skin is also very thick, and tough
enough to turn a rifle-bullet, unless it is well aimed. The Zulus make their
war-shields from the hide of the giraffe. The tongue is long and thin, and as
its owner feeds upon leaves it is of the greatest use to pick out just those that
it wants. Its eye is of a dark brown color, and is mild and pleasing. The
giraffe, like the kangaroo, is silent, never uttering a sound, even after it has
been badly wounded. In spite of its long legs it is not a swift runner, but at
the same time it defends itself and keeps off the hyena, jackal, and other small
animals by kicking all around with lightning speed. When one thinks of the
range of a giraffe's heels, it is clear that they might become formidable.

A hunter on one occasion watched a lion creeping toward a fine old bull
giraffe, but just as it was about to spring its victim must have caught sight of
it, and like a flash the giraffe sprang round and kicked furiously. One blow
caught the lion full in the chest, and to the hunter's surprise, the " king of
beasts " beat a hasty retreat. This giraffe had a fearful wound in its flank,
where the claws of the lion had struck it, but, on the whole, it seemed well
pleased with its work.

On another occasion three lions were seen to steal toward a small herd
of giraffes, and singling out one bull, they all attacked it together. One lion
sprang on its flank and was immediately kicked off, but before the giraffe could
gain any advantage another lion sprang on its back. The giraffe made a
frantic struggle to reach the forest, but before it could get far the third lion
sprang upon its neck, and the first lion, which had been kicked off, hung on
its flank again. By their combined weight they managed to pull their victim
down. Few animals could have withstood the attack of three lions for such
a length of time.

The giraffe causes much fun in the zoological gardens by stealing the
artificial flowers from the tops of the ladies' hats. The visitors stand near the
enclosure thinking they are safe, but forget that the creature's long neck
enables it to reach clean over the railings. The giraffe is good-tempered, and
soon gets to know its keepers.

MOOSE.

DEER FAMILY.

THE MOOSE.

The Moose or Elk is the largest of the deer family. In America it is
called the moose, in Europe the elk. It is justly famous for its horns. When
young the large growth of the horns is not so noticeable, for they do not really
assume their magnificent branching stage until the owner is about twelve
years old. The moose moves over the ground with a swinging, ungainly
trot. At first it would appear that its pace is not very great, but when the
length of the stride is measured it is found to be enormous. Clumsy as the
great creature is, it can out-race a hunter, especially over broken ground.

On one occasion two hunters followed a moose which had taken flight,
with the hope of bringing it to bay. They thought they had it cornered when
they saw it deliberately make for a large open space covered with fallen trees.
To their surprise, the moose did not alter its pace, but trotted over the tree-
trunks as though it was on level ground. Of course, the hunters were left far
behind, with nothing to do but to wonder and measure the trunks. Some of
the latter proved to be nearly six feet in diameter.

When the snow begins to melt and the frozen crust will no longer stand
the great creature's weight, it is then at the mercy of the hunter, who can skim
over the frozen plains on snow-shoes, while the moose plunges through to its
shoulders at every step. When running, the moose makes a curious, snapping
noise which is caused by its divided hoofs coming together. The scent and hear-
ing of the moose are both good, and on the slightest suspicion it will run off.

In places where man never goes the moose has adopted a curious method
for defending itself from the attacks of other animals. A number of the great
creatures collect together and trample the snow down over a large area, and
thus construct what is known as an " elk yard." The trees and grass inside
give them food, and they are safe, for no other animal will willingly provoke an
open quarrel with them. Packs of wolves hang around, snarling and watching,
but not daring to attack the monarch of the forest ; but should one of them
venture out into the soft snow the hungry wolves soon tear it to pieces.
Although the moose does not attack man of its own accord, it becomes a terri-
ble opponent if wounded. Should its mad stampede be arrested by a bullet,
it turns at once and charges again and again as long as its enemy is in sight.
Its horns are used against everything in its utter blind fury.

MOOSE RUN DOWN BY INDIANS.

THE REINDEER.

The Reindeer is found in Northern Europe. The people of Lapland
have succeeded in taming the reindeer and making it take the place of the
horse in their country. It is not a majestic creature, as one might think, but
on the contrary, suffers itself to be handled and bullied in a way that no horse
would put up with. In the summer it suffers severely from flies and other
insects. As winter approaches its fur turns to a grayish brown, and grows
long and thick and, if it is cared for, handsome.

In a wild state the reindeer makes annual migrations. In summer the
herds, which often number several thousand, go upon the mountains to feed,
and when the first heavy fall of snow comes, return to the plains.

Whenever it is necessary to travel over ice or snow fields the reindeer is
most useful. It moves along with a clumsy, shambling trot, but it really gets
over the ground very quickly.

The reindeer is bad-tempered. It will try to bite any other animal which
is kept near, and also it uses its horns, which are very dangerous weapons.

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THE CARIBOU.

. •*•.

The Caribou is the American variety of reindeer. Unlike its European
cousin, it has never been tamed and made to serve man.

The caribou has been chased by hunters for a week together and then,
after all, escapes. A favorite trick of this animal when hard pressed is to
make for a frozen lake. The hunter always gives in, for, in spite of its clumsy
movements, nothing can overtake the caribou once it starts across the ice-fields.

The caribou is persecuted by the red and white men for its valuable skin.
The little Esquimaux have a novel method of catching several of these creat-
ures at once. They dig a pit and arrange a slab of ice over it, so that when
the caribou passes that way it will be tilted into the pit below. As the slab
is pivoted it returns to its original position, to be ready for the next victim.

The horns of the caribou are very heavy. In the spring the males have
fierce battles among themselves. Sometimes the horns break off, and then the
poor caribou, being defenceless, is speedily killed.

RED DEER AND DOE.

THE RED DEER.

Almost everyone knows the general appearance of the Red Deer, with
its strong, though slender, limbs, its full, dark eye, and its noble head, with
branching horns. The splendid antlers are rounded and bear three branches
(or tines, as they are called) and a crown consisting of three or 'more points.
These points increase in number with the age of the animal, and when the
number is twelve the deer is then known as a royal stag.

This deer is an inhabitant of many temperate countries. It was once
quite common all over England, being protected by severe forest laws, its
life being regarded as more valuable than that of a man. Now, however, it
has almost disappeared from there, except in a few private parks. But it still
roams among the wilder parts of the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles,
the finest specimens being found in the forests of Sutherlandshire.

During the month of August the stag begins to mate, and is then very
cross. The battles over the female often result in the death or maiming of
one of the combatants. Although the stag is easily tamed, this fighting
instinct comes out strongly in captivity, causing it to turn against those it
most cares for. Nearly every year at this time one or more serious accidents
happen through people disturbing the stag, from ignorance of its habits.

The red deer is shy and wary, with a very keen sense of smell. This
renders the pursuit of deer-stalking very difficult ; the hunters have to study
carefully the direction in which the wind blows, lest the deer should scent the
approach of his enemies. Though he flies from his pursuers, if possible, still,
when brought to bay, he will fight the dogs with desperation ; and these ani-
mals are trained to annoy and perplex him as much as possible, while keep-
ing out of his reach and giving the hunters a chance to catch up.

The female is very timid, and is a careful mother to her graceful little
fawn, which (while young and feeble) she likes to hide from the male for fear
of his killing it. The red deer go in flocks, herds of females and half-grown
males being often seen under the leadership of one stag, who is the master
over them all.

FALLOW DEER.

Fallow Deer are often seen in private parks. They become very tame
and will allow strangers to approach them. The herd is always under the
command of a leader, who holds his place by means of hard fighting. When
the leader gets old there is a contest among the young bucks as to who shall
succeed, which lasts until one deer is found which is more powerful than any
of its fellows.

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FALLOW DEER

THE AXIS DEER.

The Axis Deer is found in India and Ceylon. It moves about mostly
in the night, hence, not being seen so much, it is believed to be rarer than it
really is. Although a pretty little creature, it is not as active or intelligent
as the fallow deer. It can run very fast, but is not able to keep it up for any
great distance. The axis deer is constantly hunted by tigers, because they
find it much easier to pull down than to fight a full-grown buffalo.

THE ROEBUCK.

Another beautiful little deer is the Roebuck. Although easy to tame, it
makes a bad pet, as it is apt to use its horns upon anyone it does not like.
When wounded it never offers any resistance, which is contrary to its family
instinct. The roebucks live in large herds and pair off in couples. In con-
trast to the fallow deer, the roebuck is found in the mountains and never in
the plains. It is an intelligent creature and rapidly adapts itself to change.
It is another of the deer family that is used ornamentally in parks.

ROEBUCK,

DEER COMING OUT INTO THE OPEN.

THE CAMEL.

The Camel has been called the " ship of the desert," and for a very good
reason. The mighty sandy wastes of Africa and Asia would be untravelled
but for this useful creature.

Its stomach, upon which the life of the camel depends during its long
journeys, is constructed in a wonderful fashion. It contains a number of cells
which carry a great quantity of water. When drinking, the camel takes in suf-
ficient to fill all these cells, which is enough for a six or seven days' journey,
and when the camel gets thirsty it draws upon this supply. It is thus able to
live a week while crossing the blinding, sandy wastes without stopping for
water. Some naturalists have claimed that the camel has never been wild, for
as far back as history can trace it has always been in the service of man.

In parts of Arabia, on the great steppes of Russia, and the plateaux of
Central Asia, camels are sometimes seen in a wild state, but they have prob-
ably escaped from some of the tame herds. An attempt was once made to
introduce the camel into the United States. The animals were taken out to
Arizona and New Mexico. The plan was a failure and the herd rapidly
diminished by decease. A few of the beasts escaped and for years afterward
were seen from time to time in various parts of Arizona.

The Arabian camel has a single hump, while the Bactrian, or camel of
Asia, has two humps. These humps are formed of fat. The Arabs can tell
the condition of a camel by its hump. After a long journey it becomes flabby
and sometimes disappears altogether, while the hump of a camel in good
health should be firm and solid. The feet of the camel are splendidly built
for the work it has to do, as most of its journeys are over small, loose rocks
and shifting sand. Its toes are wide apart and well padded beneath, so that it
has a firm foot-hold. It has always been the custom to load the camel kneel-
ing, hence it has developed a hard, leathery surface over its knees, which
serve as a protection against sore places being formed. The camel has been
credited with greater speed than it really has. There is one species called
the " heirie," which can trot at the rate of ten miles an hour and keep it up
from sunrise to sunset, but the common camel's stride is seven feet, and
taking them on the average of thirty-six to the minute makes its speed about
three miles an hour.

It would be hard to find a creature with a more morose and ugly disposi-
tion. It is great fun to watch a camel being loaded, for its temper is worst 'at
this time. The Arab comes in front of his beast, taking care to keep out of the
way of its teeth, and coaxes and begs the animal to get down on its knees. If
this has no effect, he gets a big stick and whacks and pokes it until it obeys.

CAMELS.

THE BACTRIAN CAMEL.

He must tie it down by the muzzle or it will rise the minute his back is
turned. Then the patient Arab piles his boxes on top of a saddle and straps
them there, while the camel keeps up a gurgling and grunting, all the time
trying to bite its master's legs. When the loading is finished, the camel rises
to its feet. If it is in an extra bad temper, it will buck the load off its back.

The camel lives to a great age, and in some parts of the world is held in
great veneration. Sometimes a white camel is born. These animals are always
very highly prized. The dervish warrior, the Madhi of the Soudan, rode upon
a white camel. The beast is said to have been a magnificent specimen, being
larger than any of the commoner species. It was afterward killed in battle.
In the deserts they take the place of regular cavalry.

THE BACTRIAN CAMEL.

The Bactrian is the two-humped camel of Asia. Although it is larger
than its Arabian brother, it is not as enduring an animal. It can tightly close
its nostrils and so prevent being suffocated in the dust-storms. These camels
are killed by the Tartars for their skin and flesh, but as they are very wild and
wary, they still survive in some numbers.

LLAMA and ALPACA.

The Llama and Alpaca are natives of South America. From their wool,
which is valuable, is spun various cloths, among which is the famous alpaca.

Both these animals are gentle in
temper and disposition and are used
as beasts of burden. It is said that
they can carry as heavy a weight as
one hundred pounds.

When the Spaniards conquered
South America they found that the
Indians had already succeeded in
taming the llama. The Spaniards
used the creature to carry the treas-
ures of silver and gold from the
mountains down to the coast. These
| animals are quite large, frequently
standing six feet hi^h.

THE HORSE FAMILY.

The Horse, as far back as history goes, has always been in the service oi
man. It is believed that the forefathers of the horse came from Central Asia,
and from there spread all over the world. In Tartary the horse is not only
ridden, but is kept for its milk and killed for its flesh.

THE MUSTANG.

North and South America are the home of the wild Mustang. These
horses are found in herds of many thousands in number. Each herd is in
direct control of a leader, and the leader keeps his place by right of battle.
The young males are not allowed to enter the herd, but have to live solitary
lives until a sufficient number of them get together and form another herd.
In some extraordinary manner the leader horse is able to instantly convey his
commands to his companions. At any rate, it is well known that the whole
herd will take alarm simultaneously and wheel or pull up suddenly in a com-
pact mass without the slightest confusion.

The usual method of capturing the mustang in North America is with the
rawhide lasso. The mustang is pursued until the rider gets close to it, when
he throws the loop of the lasso over its neck and draws it tight. The rider's
horse pulls up and the rider takes a couple of turns of the rope around the
horn of the saddle. The result is that the strain on the rope throws the mus-
tang head over heels, and before it can recover itself it is safely secured.

In South America the mustang is captured with a bolas. The bolas is
made of rawhide, like the lasso; but instead of having a loop at the end, it has
two short pieces of rope attached, which have small stones fastened at the ends.
When the bolas is thrown and comes in contact with the mustang's legs, the
stones naturally wind round and round until the beast is so tangled up that it
cannot move.

THE ARAB HORSE.

Throughout the East the horses are all descended from the famous Arab
Horses. These creatures are noted for their beauty and good temper. The
Arabs are very proud of their horses and take great pains to keep them up to

AN ARAB HORSE.

PONIES.

the standard of perfection. The stock has been crossed with other species,
which has resulted in giving us many of our most famous race-horses.

RACE-HORSES.

The Race-horse and the Trotting-horse are the finest examples of the
perfection to which animals can be brought by good training and breeding.
The training of the race-horse is a special business which requires great
knowledge and patience. The horse has to run a certain distance on a certain
day at a given time. Consequently the horse must be in. perfect condition
at that hour; it must have just the right amount of rest and food, or else it
will not win the race. It must be remembered that the race-horse will have
to contend with other horses which are its equal in speed and training.

The trotting-horse is trained in much the same way as the race-horse.
Some idea of the perfection to which the trotter has been brought can be
gained from the fact that a good horse can run a mile in a little over two
minutes. This is half the speed of the fastest express trains.

THE HUNTER.

The Hunter is a thoroughbred horse especially adapted for running
across country, jumping hedges, stone walls, and gates. The hunter is more
strongly built than the race-horse and can therefore stand a greater strain.
The idea of the race-horse is to get out of it a short burst of speed, while that
of the hunter is to obtain endurance.

THE CART-HORSE.

The Cart-horse is a splendid creature. It is large, broad-chested, and
of great weight, while its strength is enormous. It is an intelligent animal, as
anyone knows who has ever seen its behavior in a crowded street, or watched
it struggling to get a heavy load up a hill.

PONIES.

Every boy loves to ride the Shetland Pony. This little creature runs
wild in the islands off the north of Scotland, from which it takes its name.
Anyone who can catch a Shetland pony on its native hills has the right to
keep it. They are hardy and live well when brought South.

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'ASSES.

The Wild Asses all over the world hold a place of honor. There is
hardly any other animal that is so much prized in the East. Its greatest use
lies in its speed, for a greyhound or a thoroughbred Arabian horse cannot
overtake the wild ass in a fair chase. It is also very sure-footed, so that it

can travel among rocks and places where a
horse would be unable to tread.

The common ass or donkey is a good old
friend to every boy and girl. In Europe and
America it has been made stupid by ill-treat-
ment and its intelligence blunted by brutality.
It is exceedingly clever, obedient, and willing,
and possesses greater endurance and strength
than the horse. In the East, where the ass has
had good treatment, its development has been
wonderful. There the bright-eyed, sleek, clean-
cut creature is
quite a con-
trast to the
poor, unkempt
little animal of
England. The
donkeys would
have vanished
if they were not
endowed with
such wonderful
strength. They
learn clever
tricks, and can
be taught not
to go outside a
given bounda-
ry ; and if they
do trespass on
the sly, they
make every en-
deavor to cover
their tracks,

Assr.s.

DOMESTIC ASS AND YOUNG.

and will hide things, steal
when they can, open doors,
and work pump - handles
to obtain water. Donkeys
have been known to drown
dogs which have worried
them, while, on more than
one occasion, they have
beaten off a full-grown
leopard by nimbly using
their heels.

Anyone who has vis-
ited Cairo or Constanti-
nople must have noticed
the little donkeys. Di-
rectly you land, the loud-
mouthed driver-boys shriek their beasts' praises until you are deafened and
bewildered ; and you make a bargain in true Eastern fashion, paying about
one-fifth of the sum asked. After climbing into the saddle you are off. The
donkey trots along through the narrow alley-ways, nearly killing you or some-
body else every few feet,, first by brushing against a wall, or knocking down a
fat Arab, or going under a low arch-way, while the driver behind plies his stick
vigorously, all the while shrieking, " Room for my lord ! " " Boy, get out of the
way! " At the end of your journey you find yourself warm and jolted, but, on
the whole, well pleased. It is impossible to walk around an Eastern bazaar
without being nearly run over, and as everyone rides you may as well take a
donkey too. After awhile, instead of looking at the animal as a simple ass and
your enemy, you will find that he is a shrewd little rascal and capable of play-
ing you many a trick unawares.

In Arizona, where the ass is called the burro, it is still used by the Span-
ish-Indian folk. It was found most useful in the early days, when the roads
were nothing but stony and sandy trails.

The Wild Ass of India is a large, beautiful animal, very cautious and
timid, and like all timid animals it is also extremely curious. If it sees an
object that it does not understand it will at first run away, but on seeing that
the object does not move it will return and walk round and round it in ever-
narrowing circles until it comes quite close, and then it will sniff at it. If
there should be any peculiar smell about the object it will take fright and

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ASSES.

gallop away. It is thought great sport to shoot the wild ass, and to accom-
plish this the sportsman must start off to the plains long before daylight
and find some place to conceal himself from view. As the hour of dawn
approaches he hears the wild asses calling one another with a curious, short

bray. When it is light enough to see, the herds begin to move, and unless
there is no food near they do not hurry. If the hunter has good luck they
may come toward him and all he has to do is to lie very still until they get
within ran^e. Sometimes the herd will take fright and will rush over the
spot where the hunter lies concealed. Even if a rifle is fired close to them
it will not turn them once they are started, and the hunter will be trampled
to death. If, on the other hand, the herds move away from the hunter, he
must creep after them, taking great care to expose himself as little as pos-
sible. If he succeeds in bringing an ass down he is content, for he knows
he is not likely to get another shot that day, for the herds have rushed
off in great panic, from which they will not get over for some hours. The
leaders of the herd never allow themselves to be taken by surprise a
second time.

The speed of the wild ass is very great. It can outrun a swift horse. In
fact, it relies on its swiftness for its safety. Its skin is made into valuable
leather and its flesh is good to eat.

ZEBRAS.

/

THE ZEBRA.

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s^PiHf

The Zebra is by far the handsomest of the ass tribe. This curious ani-
mal is a native of Southern Africa. The home of the zebra is on the high
land among the rocky hillside, but it is often found in the plains. Its color is
a creamy white, marked with black velvety stripes. The disposition of the
zebra is bad, being both obstinate and ill-tempered. There have been many
attempts among the colonists of Southern Africa to tame it like the horse,
but so far it has been with poor success. In some cases the zebras have been
broken to harness and driven two abreast, or six in a team. But it is danger-
ous work, as the animal is uncertain and liable at any instant to forget all its
training and to dash off at break-neck speed. In spite of all its fierceness the
zebra is a timid animal. Should anything approach that it does not fully
understand, it kicks up its heels and dashes off for shelter.

Sometimes vast herds of antelopes, hartebeest, zebras, and ostriches are
often found together, fire or drought having driven them out in search of water.
In the early spring, the male zebras fight fiercely together for their mates.

The zebra in size is between the donkey and the horse. The young are
striped like the parents, and when born are smaller than a horse's foal.

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A FIGHT BETWEEN CROCODILES.

KING VULTURES FEASTING.

INDIAN ELEPHANT AND YOUNG.

THE ELEPHANT.

The Elephant has a greater hold upon the friendship of the world than
any other animal. Story-books are full of instances of its wonderful intelli-
gence and strength. Then again, its huge size makes it so imposing that one
cannot possibly behold it without awe. Its friendship and fidelity to man
are well known, also its wonderful memory, recognizing friends sometimes
after years of separation. The question is often asked if the elephant is more
sagacious than the dog, and Sir Samuel Baker has given a good answer :
" The dog is a man's friend, the elephant is his slave." It is very doubtful
if an elephant would save its master from attacks of an enemy such as a dog
has been known to do. The elephant moves to orders obediently enough,
but never will do anything of its own accord.

The two great branches of the elephant tribe are the Indian and African
species. Their habits are much the same, though they differ greatly in build.
The African elephant is the larger of the
two, the tusks are longer, the ears are
immense, and from the crown of the head
to the tail a continuous slope downward,
the body, if anything, being highest right
at the point of the shoulder. Now in the
Indian variety the head is lower than the
shoulder and the higl
of the body is the ba
have examples of ho
Indian elephants may becom
but the African eleph
been hardly more than
mented with. The c
seems to lie in the _
lack of facilities for
obtaining the huge
creatures in quan-
tities. The instinct
of the natives is to
kill, and for the
sake of an ivory
tusk they will de-
stroy a beast which

might become of

THE ELEPHANT.

so much use to them. The only marvel is that the white settlers in Africa have
so far not turned their attention to elephant taming.

Although elephants arc strictly tropical animals, they suffer greatly from
heat. Directly an elephant is released from duty it will make for the nearest
shade, or if on a long march will strip a large tree-branch to shade itself and
brush away the flies. The dark color of the elephant, together with its huge
size, absorbs a great amount of the sun's rays, and the creature resorts to a
curious way of keeping itself cool. By inserting its trunk in its mouth it draws
up a large quantity of water from its stomach, and squirts it over itself. Oddly
enough this water is perfectly sweet, haying no odor at all. The elephant has
no strong smell, such as the lion or the horse. You can rub its skin with your
hand and not be able to detect any odor.

These huge creatures are exceedingly fond of water, being able to swim
the widest rivers. It is a grand sight to see a herd of them sporting together.
The leader bowls into the water first and the rest follow, and then the fun be-
gins in earnest. One would suppose that the native drivers (called mahouts)
must surely get drowned, for sometimes they stand ankle deep on their ele-
phants' backs, the elephant being entirely under the water, except for the tip of
his trunk, which he leaves out for breathing purposes. The elephant's dislike
for heat and love of water naturally go together, and nothing is so enjoyable to
it as its morning bath, which is more liberal than is generally supposed. In
spite of the great thickness of the elephant's skin, it is exceedingly sensitive,
and can only be kept healthy by constant attention. The order of the bath is
as follows : The mahout goes over the elephant with a soft brick and carefully
cleanses all the corners, the patient enjoying the operation immensely, and
adapting itself to its attendant by obediently turning from side to side. Then,
that part finished, the elephant rises and squirts buckets of water with its trunk
on its back and sides. It now appears a beautiful black, but spoils the whole
thing by pouring dust all over itself. It is curious to note that the elephant
uses dust to cure all its troubles. Should a part of its head become tender
or a sore appear on its back, it promptly covers the place with dust, which
hardens and forms a solid protection against the onslaught of flies and insects.

The capture of elephants is very exciting, although it is more of a business
than a sport. Imagine a "round-up" of elephants similar to one of steers in
the West. Once it is apparent that more elephants are needed, a regular drive
is decided upon. A huge V-shaped corral is built, which at the point opens
into a circular enclosure made of huge baulks of timber. A decoy elephant,
which is used to attract the game, sets out on a tramp through the jungle and

THE DEATH OF A GIANT.

THE ELEPHANT.

the wild elephants begin to follow in its wake. The leader goes steadily for-
ward while the huge herd trails behind. When enough are gathered, the leader
quietly makes for the V-shaped corral, the ends of which are carefully concealed
by trees. The first elephant soon gets suspicious, but the crowd behind push it
forward. Then the leader goes right down to the tip of the V and enters the

second corral, and the herd follows. When
all are in, the gigantic gates are shut and
the great beasts realize that they are caught.
ifg^ A scene of wildest excitement ensues, for
the great concourse of people which natu-
rally gathers for such a fete, yell and beat
tom-toms until the noise is deafening. The
flaring of torches, the rattling of chains, the
shrill shrieks of children, mixed with the
shouts of men, and the wild trumpeting
of the elephants make a wonderful scene.
The terrified prisoners rush madly round,

THE ELEPHANT CORRAL.

seeking an exit, and here is illustrated
a curious fact: elephants seem to have
no idea of combining. Strong as the
stockades are built, they would go down
like match-wood before a charge of the
maddened beasts, and yet this is an

THE ELEPHANT.

exceedingly rare occurrence. Then the task of securing the likeliest specimens
now begins. Tame elephants, with men on their backs, armed with long ropes
and chains, enter the corral, and the elephants huddle at the other end. The
mahout promptly singles out a large animal for his own use and then
urges it forward to prod out one of its brethren with its tusks till it is separ-
ated from its companions. Then, with infinite skill, one of the men slips
a nooss over a hind foot while the other end is made fast. The elephant
does not notice this at first until it tries to rejoin the herd, and then comes a
period of frantic pulls and struggles, with much squealing, but all of no use.
Its other feet are shackled and it finds itself bound, a helpless prisoner. While
this is going on the elephant sometimes exhibits great violence, especially
when a mother is trying to get to her squealing youngster, or an old bull ele-
phant, in its blind, dumb fury, is lashing out in all directions with its trunk.
When discretion gets the better part of bad temper and the captive gives in,
which is generally after being tied up for many hours without food, it is
chained between two tame elephants and led off to be broken to harness and
taught its other duties in life. The finest elephants having been selected from
the catch, the others are turned loose, to be recaptured in a year or two, when
their ivory is in a more perfect condition.

What are the uses of the elephant? A great many and various. The
most magnificent creatures are purchased by the Rajahs to be used on
great state occasions. The government employs others in the great teak
forests, while more become hunting elephants. The Indian rulers take great
pride in their elephants, and adorn their harness with elegant silks and gold
trappings. Then a large number are used by the British Government in the
artillery. A mounted battery drawn by two elephants is a fine sight, but, after
all, the elephant is not always to be relied upon, because it is liable to stam-
pede at any instant when the firing begins At pulling and hauling the ele-
phant has no equal. A traveller watched a number of tuskers at work in a
teak forest in Burmah. One old fellow was particularly interesting. It would
hoist a gigantic baulk of timber nicely balanced on its tusks, keeping it there
with its trunk, and then carry it to the pile. After laying the burden down in
place, the old fellow would cock his eye along the stack to see that it was
straight, pushing and butting the timber with its head into place until it was
satisfied.

The elephant is in great request for tiger-shooting; why, it is hard to
understand, unless because of its great size and strength, but surely not on
account of its pluck, for it is a wretched coward. The trunk of the elephant is

THE ELEPHANT.

the most sensitive and delicate
part of its body, and any injury
thereto causes it intense agony.
Should a tiger spring on a hunt-
ing-elephant, as it is very apt to
do, the trunk naturally bears the
brunt of the attack. It is well
known that it is never safe to
take into the field an elephant
that has been once badly clawed
by a tiger, for at the first sign of
the enemy it will turn tail and
rush off in a disgraceful panic.
As an elephant can easily run
from fifteen to eighteen miles an
hour, and is very tall besides,
while the branches of the trees
are low, the hunters naturally
fare badly. But a tiger will
hardly ever face a line of ele-
phants. When a part of the jun-
gle is to be beaten, the elephants
are placed ten feet apart and
moved forward in a steady line,
before which every living creat-
ure must fly or be crushed to
death. Gradually the space to be
covered grows smaller and the
elephants, in the wildest excite-
ment, press forward, till the tiger breaks cover with a roar. Then is the time
to witness the skill of the mahouts in keeping their huge, quaking charges in
line. The hunters are on the lookout, and a bullet should end the sport.

A traveller speaks of a case where a tiger sprang upon the head of an
elephant which succeeded in shaking it oft". As the tiger bounded away a
bullet in the shoulder brought it down. As soon as the elephant recovered
from its first fright and saw its enemy lying helpless, it became unmanage-
able with fury and charged down upon the tiger, crushing every spark of
life out and then literally performed a wrar-dance on the body. The hunters

ELEPHANT CHARGING A WOUNDED TIGER.

THE ELEPHANT.

SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT.

were flung off right and left from the elephant's back, so violent were its
actions. Directly the elephant sniffs danger it curls up its trunk to keep it
out of harm's way.

It is generally estimated that an elephant lives about one hundred and
fifty years, but does not attain its full growth of size and ivory until about its
fortieth year. Its weight often reaches six or seven tons, while its tusks turn
the scales at six hundred pounds. When in captivity the regular allowance
of food for an elephant is six hundred pounds a day, and it has four teeth
with which to grind it. When wild, it is exceedingly capricious in its tastes,
and will destroy acres of forest, apparently out of deviltry. Being nocturnal
in its habits, it must find its food by touch and smell alone. It will eat only

THE ELEPHANT.

FULL-GROWN INDIAN ELEPHANT.

the bark of some trees, while it will carefully strip the bark off others, throw it
away, and select the wood inside.

Like our domestic deer, there is a period of about three months in the
year when it is not safe to go near the elephant. It is called the "must"
time. During his temporary madness all signs of affection leave the beast
and he is alternately sullen and treacherous, liable to break forth into awful
fits of anger. Many instances are on record where a " must " elephant has
broken loose, destroyed life and property, and then reverted to its old state
again. It is then that it is more dangerous, for having a knowledge of the
ways of man, it descends upon unprotected villages, carrying death and
destruction in its wake. To show that this side of its nature is only tem-
porary, elephants that have escaped during the " must " time, after being
recaptured, have become peaceable and trustworthy servants once more. So
we have seen that the quiet, solemn, clucking elephant can be terrible at
times. All elephants have a dread of insecure ground and will not cross a
bridge until they have first tested its strength. If urged forward they become
sulky, when simply nothing can move them, or else they lash out with their
trunks or feet. It is an astonishing fact that an elephant can kick with light-
ning swiftness, both back and front, often reaching as high as a man's head.

THE TAPIR

AMERICAN TAPIR.

The Tapir forms a link between the elephant, rhinoceros, and the swine.
It has a trunk much smaller than that of the elephant, and yet larger than the
hog's. Its body is heavy, its skin is thick and hairless, while its tail is stumpy.

The American tapir inhabits the tropical countries south of the equator,
where it lives in great numbers in the densely wooded region near the rivers.
It swims and dives well, being able to walk on the river-bed. In spite of its
large size and weight, the tapir has no strong weapon of defence, and, there-
fore, frequently succumbs before the onslaught of animals like the jaguar. On
these occasions, when a jaguar springs upon its back, the tapir rushes to the
nearest river and rolls over and over until its enemy is forced to loose its
hold or be drowned. But in many cases the jaguar has finished its work
before its victim can reach a stream. The tapir has a gentle disposition and
will not attack human beings unless brought to bay, and then it uses its teeth
fiercely. The tapir is a silent animal, seldom uttering its curious shrill
whistle. Its hearing, sight, and scent are equally good. During the daytime

THE MALAYAN TAPIR.

it hides in the deep brush-wood, but at sundown it goes out in search of food.
A curious fact, is that this strange animal makes long journeys at night and
always travels in a straight line, climbing banks, going through forests, or
swimming rivers. Its neck is covered with a short, black mane, while its
general color is of a sombre brown, which does not change with the seasons.
The young, however, are beautifully marked with yellowish fawn spots and
stripes upon a coat of rich, brown-black color.

THE MALAYAN TAPIR.

The Malayan Tapir inhabits Java and Sumatra. The broad, white band
on its flanks is its most conspicuous feature. In size it is rather larger, if any-
thing, than its American brother, while in habits the two are exactly alike. The
Malayan tapir does not swim as much as the American species, but, neverthe-
less, among the natives it is known as the river-horse, a term also applied to
the hippopotamus of Africa.

The natives usually catch the tapir in pit-falls, for their bows and arrows
are not strong enough to penetrate its skin.

3 >;'.;"■'■ i

MALAYAN TA1TR.

HERD OF WILD BOARS.

SWINE.

Pigs are omnivorous — that is, they will eat anything ; their teeth are
accordingly designed for procuring many kinds of food, and at the same time
to act as weapons of offence and defence. On the whole, pigs are affectionate
toward their young and each other, living peaceably in herds. On the other
hand, pigs fight fiercely when angered. They possess great strength, keen
noses, sharp ears, but are not noted for good eyesight. The family is large, •
having members scattered in every portion of the world.

THE WILD BOAR.

The Wild Boar is the king of the pigs. It is honored all over the world,
from Germany to India. It is a curious fact that few large animals will attack
man; the lion, dignity and all, turns aside, and so does the tiger; but not so
the boar. This mighty pig fights for the very love of it. The size of the
enemy seems to matter very little, for it has been known to put a tiger to
flight. The boar is armed with two tusks about ten inches long; five inches
of the tusks are firmly set in the jaw, while the other five appear for work.
Although these tusks seem a poor sort of weapon, it is astounding what dam-
age they are capable of doing. The boar's neck is short and thick-set, and
when cornered, it has a habit of jerking its head upward and sideways, the
tusks ripping through everything they encounter.

Pig-sticking is a favorite sport in India. A hunter mounts a fleet horse
and arms himself with a strong bamboo pole having a steel spear-head at the
end ; then he rides into " pig country " and puts up his quarry. The pig
breaks cover and the race for life begins. At first sight you would not sup-
pose that the pig was making any great headway, but when the horse tries to
run it down the mistake is found out. The short, stubby legs of the boar can
carry it over the ground at a great rate, but unless it can reach cover at a
reasonable distance its pace begins to flag and the hunter gets his chance.
Riding up alongside the fleeing animal, he plunges his spear between the
boar's shoulders and kills it at once.

Sir Samuel Baker says : " There is an immense amount of character in a
pig.'' The boar is thoughtful and clever, and, moreover, it knows its own
mind and acts like a flash. Sometimes when the native Hindoos are out

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THE PECCARY.

beating up a tiger, they will disturb a boar. The old rascal sniffs the air and
makes up its mind which way it will go. If it is forward, away it dashes. But
sometimes it awaits events and quietly sneaks into a piece of dense jungle.
When the beaters come quite close, the pig charges, and immediately there
are shrieks and yells and a wild scrambling to right and left. Then stones are
seen to fly, and with a few angry grunts the pig vanishes.

Ceylon is the true home of the pig, for it grows larger and fiercer there
than anywhere else in the world. Everyone has heard of " learned pigs." As
a matter of fact, the domestic swine show great intelligence and are quite
clever. Their hearing is good, and their sense of smell is very delicate, while
they are capable of great affection. Pigs run swiftly and can leap several feet in
the air. A wild hog has been known, when pressed, to clear a nine-foot fence.

THE PECCARY.

The Peccary is one of the famous animals of the world. It is so fierce
that no man can withstand its attacks. It is not much larger than an ordi-
nary pig, but, nevertheless, wherever it lives it rules over everything.

The peccary is found in Brazil, and there it is sometimes shot for its flesh.

-^a^aiwa^^^^^; On one occasion a jaguar

-^ :"Jr^X -., jfe? 1 sprang upon a peccary, whose

angry grunt soon brought its
friends to the rescue, and be-
fore the jaguar was aware of it,
it was set upon by the fierce
little herd, who simply tore it
to pieces. Many a hunter has
been forced to take to a tree,
and has been kept a prisoner
there by angry peccaries. They
are obstinate, ignorant, and
stupid, for, while they fight

,_._ „.,„ . . bravely, they learn no wisdom
from their victories and defeats
beyond that of keeping together and always attacking the common foe.

The home of the peccary is usually in the hollow of some tree. The
natives of Brazil take advantage of this fact and lie hidden nearby, and shoot
the peccaries as they come home. The peccaries always back into their hollow,
first one, then another likewise, the last one keeping watch at the opening

RABYROUSSA AT HOME.

THE BABYROUSSA.

The Babyroussa lives in the Celebes Islands. Besides two ordinary
tusks, like the boar, it has two extra ones above its nose which grow backward.
It is a powerful animal, very fierce, and grows as large as a small donkey. It
is a good swimmer, often staying hours in the water just for pleasure.

On one occasion a party of hunters were crossing a stream at a spot
where the shadows were very dark, when they suddenly found themselves
face to face with a huge babyroussa. The animal stared at them in astonish-
ment for a moment or two and then, with a fierce grunt, charged. The party
scrambled right and left, but one hunter, who was standing knee-deep in the
stream, fell over just as the babyroussa reached him. The creature made a
sharp lunge with its tusks, but missed a vital spot and ripped open the
hunter's thigh instead. The beast then turned and tried to trample the man
to complete his work, when another hunter put his rifle just in front of the
animal's ear and killed it. The native hunters who were with 'the party were
much surprised to see how easily the great pig put the white man to rout.

On another occasion a babyroussa charged into a camp just as some
hunters were about to eat their evening meal. The men rushed for their rifles,
but before they could get a single shot the beast had vanished. As it did not

THE BUSH-HOG.

return to the attack, the hunters thought that it must have been frightened
with the clatter which the tin dishes made in being knocked about in the wild
scramble.

Throughout the Celebes group the natives have a great fear of the baby-
roussa. It is not a common animal, and is but seldom seen because its home
is in the thickest part of the forest. Owing to its peculiar color, it is a very
difficult animal to see when standing near tree-trunks or rocks.

THE BUSH-HOG.

The Bush-hog belongs to South Africa. It is usually found in the
thickest forests, where it lives in holes which it makes for itself. The bush-
hog often visits outlying stations and does immense damage in a single
night. It will root up young trees, eat all the vegetables it can find, while it
tears its way through gates and fences to get at what it wants. Although a
large and powerful animal, it is not as fierce as the babyroussa, nor as clever
as the true boar. The bush-hog can best be distinguished by the broad, white
band upon it, starting from the top of its head and reaching down to the tail.
It is sometimes shot for its flesh, which is considered good eating.

THE VLACKE-VAR'K.

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The Vlacke-vark is another of the swine family belonging to Africa.
In spite of its fierce looks it can be easily tamed. The keepers in the London
Zoo drive them about like pigs. In Abyssinia the vlacke-vark lives in bur-
rows, which resemble a huge rabbit-warren. If its home is invaded, it will
charge from one of the openings, and woe to anyone who is near.

The usual method of hunting the vlacke-vark is for one man to take up a
commanding position near the mouth of one of the burrows, and then watch
while a native throws a lighted ball of oily cotton into the mouth. When the
smoke becomes very thick inside, the vlacke-vark comes out snorting with
rage. Now is the hunter's time, and he must be very cool-headed and a good
shot, for the vlacke-vark will surely come at him, even if he is perched up
among the rocks. The bones of the beast's skull are very heavy, and unless
a rifle-bullet is placed in exactly the right spot, it will only wound the animal,
increasing its fury without stopping its charge; hence, there is great danger in
hunting this mighty pig. The vlacke-vark is a very swift animal and can
easily outrun a horse if the ground is at all rough. It is frequently spoken
of as the Abyssinian wart-hog.

GOLDEN EAGLES FIGHTING.

RHINOCEROS.

THE RHINOCEROS.

INDIAN RHINOCEROS.

It is sometimes thought that the Rhinoceros must have been the animal
which the ancients called the unicorn. This famjly is quite numerous, having
members in India, Java, Sumatra, and Africa. The Indian variety is famous
for the wrinkled folds of skin which cover the shoulder and leg joints, and give
good protection to the owner. The skin of the rhinoceros is so tough that a
lead bullet will not pierce it, while the bones of its skull are the thickest of
any animal. The African variety has a smooth, tough skin without any shoul-
der-folds. Throughout Abyssinia the rhinoceros's skin is largely used for
war-shields. When rubbed down and oiled it becomes semi-transparent, like
dull amber. The horn of the rhinoceros is formed of countless hairs growing
together in a compact mass. This horn is quite independent of the skull, for
a few days after death it will drop off. It is much sought for to make sword
and axe handles, as it is one of the toughest things in the world.

All the rhinoceros family are bad-tempered. Without any reason they
will attack a beast or dead object, whichever is nearest. The rhinoceros has
been seen to caper about, squealing with rage, and attack a bush, tearing it up
and trampling it to pieces. The furious beast will drive its horn into the
ground and then rush along until the earth looks as though a huge plough
had been over it. Sometimes a lion, or tiger, or a leopard is foolish enough to
attack a rhinoceros, but the battle generally ends with the victory to the latter.

ANGRY RHINOCEROS.

THE RHINOCEROS.

The elephant and rhinoceros stand somewhat in awe of each other. The ele-
phant is nervous and excited when the rhinoceros is near, and even this black,
quarrelsome beast will turn aside if it hears an elephant coming, though the
rhinoceros will often attack an elephant. The size, weight, and length of tusk
of its opponent makes it too risky to fight in a fair battle, but, instead, the
crafty rhinoceros lies in wait and rushes upon the elephant unawares, and rips
it open with its powerful horn. The elephant cannot see sideways very well,
and the rhinoceros, knowing this, lies in wait for its victim until it turns its
body to the right angle. But if, by any chance, the rhinoceros misses its
strike, a terrific battle takes place, which generally ends in a victory for the
elephant.

The African natives have a curious way of killing the rhinoceros. They
place a strong looped rope in a shallow pit near the feeding-ground. The rhi-
noceros, in walking along, puts its foot into the loop and, becoming alarmed,
rushes off. At the end of the rope a huge baulk of timber is fastened. It soon
gets tired of dragging this weight after it, and often gets it wedged between
two trees. The log leaves a clear trail which the natives follow the next day
until they find their victim. They then kill it with spears. Sometimes the
rope by which the beast is caught breaks, and then things become exciting.

FOLLOWING A NOOSED RHINOCEROS.

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HIPPOPOTAMUS.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

The Hippopotamus
lives in Africa. , It is to be
found in the great lakes
and on the banks of the
Zambesi and the Nile
rivers. A few years ago
the hippo was found many
miles north of Khartoum,
but it has vanished before
civilization. It is the next
largest animal to the ele-
phant. Sir Samuel Baker
tells of having killed a bull
hippo nearly fifteen feet
long. Its body is so dense
and he,avy that the instant it is shot it sinks. The beast feeds upon the water-
plants which grow so profusely in the tropics, and when searching for food it
is able to run on the bottom of the river.

Its feet have four toea, each having a sharp nail, which enables the huge
creature to easily drag its body up the slippery mud-banks. Its jaws, which
are larger than those of any other animal, contain huge teeth. The ivory is in
great demand for dentists' work and for making delicate instruments. While
the hippo is a sulky beast and rather stupid, it has gleams of sense once in
a while. When it has been wounded it suddenly dives under the water, and
on coming up to breathe it only allows the tip of its nose to stick out. The
brain of this mighty animal is no larger than a man's hand. The hippo is ill-
tempered and quarrelsome. It will attack boats without reason, rushing at
them with open jaws and smashing the frail wood-work in pieces. Should the
hippo be surprised asleep upon a bank, it will run headlong for the water.
They have been seen to jump down a bank sixteen feet high, and one can
imagine what a splash there was.

It seems that there is never any war between me crocodile and the
hippo, as the latter's skin is too tough for the reptile's teeth. Often a croco-
dile, or even a lion or a leopard, will carry off a baby hippo, but not without
great danger, for the mother fights fiercely for her young.

The Arabs have m2,ny ways for catching the hippo, but the best known is
with the harpoon. Two swimmers go out toward the hippo and throw their
harpoons, which are attached to a rope. The hippo dives at once and the

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THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

AN ATTACK ON A WOUNDED HIFPOPOTAMUS.

swimmers make for the shore. Directly the creature rises it sees the strange
float by its side, dives once more, and rushes up and down on the river-bed
trying to rid itself of the harpoons. In the meanwhile, a canoe puts out from
shore and fastens ropes to the float, and then the fun begins. Sometimes the
hippopotamus deliberately leaves the water and charges its enemies. The
wily Arabs throw sand in its eyes so that it cannot see and thus force it to
take to the water again. It does not take long to kill the beast once it is
brought into shallow water.

The various expeditions up the River Nile have been seriously hampered
by the hippo, which would swim out under the light, shallow-draught boats and
either upset them or crush their bottoms in. Before the late war in the Sou-
dan, the hippo used to be seen feeding far down the Nile, but now it has van-
ished, except in the parts of the river above Khartoum. Now that Khartoum
is in the hands of civilized people the hippo will probably be driven back
altogether to the great lakes. It seems that at one time the hippo lived
as far north as Cairo, until it was exterminated by man. Livingstone men-
tioned having seen immense numbers of hippos feeding along the shores of
the Albert and Victoria Nyanza. The method of killing the hippo used by
the natives living near the lakes was so crude that the vast number of the
creatures never seemed to be reduced.

A PAIR OF TOUCANS EATING BANANAS.

THE CUCKOO, (yi Natural Size.)

SHARKS ATTACKING A DIVER.

THE ARMADILLO.

The Armadillo is found in Paraguay, where it is quite common. This
creature is covered with a suit of armor which protects it from its enemies. It

PICHICIAGO ('/. Natural Size;.

ARMADTLLO ('A Natural Size).

runs very swiftly, and easily beats off any
animal that attacks it. A jaguar has been
seen to roll an armadillo over and over
many times without being able to get any
grip for its teeth. It is easily tamed and
will run about a house without fear.

THE PICHICIAGO.

Here is a little animal called the Pichi-
ciago, which seems to be a cross between a
mole and an armadillo. Its back is covered
with a thick, horny skin, which is exceedingly
tough.

The claws of this animal are long and
powerful, which enable if to burrow through
the hardest soil with great rapidity. Like
all the rest of its family, it lives on the
ground and is nocturnal in its habits. Its
length is about twelve inches.

A PIKE SEIZING A MOOR-HEN.

THE AARDVARK.

The Aardvark is a true ant-eater and lives in South Africa. This ani-
mal is not often seen, for it rarely comes out before nightfall. Its claws are
very powerful, and are used in digging up ants, upon which it feeds, also in
making the huge burrow in which it lives.

Many writers have given accounts of this strange creature, but much of
the information must be fiction. Although the aardvark is quite large, it has
no means of defending itself except with its claws. These, of course, are
very dangerous, but, owing to the animal's short reach, they can only be used
when the enemy is close to it. The aardvark depends mainly for safety upon
its ears. Directly it hears a suspicious noise it slinks quietly away. It is a
curious fact that the aardvark moves very silently for so large an animal. It
is said that one of these creatures will pass quite close to a man without his
being aware of it. Its nose is very sensitive, and when attacked its first
instinct is to tuck its head in between its fore-legs, so as to protect that organ.
The eye of the aardvark is large and lustrous, and of a dark hue. Its fur is
thick and matted, which protects it from the attacks of the ants. The top of
its skull and ears have curious wrinkles in them, and are perfectly bare.

GREAT ANT-EATER.

THE ANT-EATER.

The Great Ant-eater belongs to
South America. It differs from the
aardvark in that it has much smaller
ears and a huge, bushy tail nearly
three feet long. The coloring of this
tail is so odd that when the animal is
seen asleep it looks like a bundle of
hay loosely thrown down. The

and

great
has

LITTLE ANT-EATER.

creature is seven feet lon^
earned its name from its habit of feed-
ing on ants.

A gentleman who was returning
from an orchid hunt in Brazil had a fine
chance to watch one. The sun had
already gone down and darkness set in
quickly, as it does in the tropics, and the
moon had risen, so there was enough
light to see by. The hunter walked
some distance until his eyes met a
strange - looking clump of grass, as he
believed. Suddenly he realized that it
was an ant-eater. The creature awoke, stretched itself, and rose to its feet.
The ant-eater always walks on the sides of its feet, for its claws are too long
to stretch out like a man's toes. This ant-eater hobbled off toward a gigantic
ants' nest, and standing on its hind legs, dug its claws into the top and crum-
bled the wall down. Immediately the ants came pouring out in all directions.
The ant-eater's tongue then swept them into its mouth. This tongue is long
and thin, and is covered with a slimy substance to which the ants stick. It
twists and turns this tongue about so swiftly that one might imagine it was a
wricfsfling snake. When the ant-eater had eaten all the ants in this nest it
moved off to another, where the same thing happened as before. Many of the
ants swarmed over their enemy, but it did not seem to mind them at all, although
thay were large and powerful, and in a short time would have finished off a large
carcass. The hunter, in watching the ant-eater having its supper, suddenly
remembered his own, and went on his way, leaving his friend in peace.

The Lesser Ant-eater, while differing from his relative in looks, has
much the same habits. This creature can climb trees and will boldly attack a
wasp's nest, and in spite of the stings of the insects, will speedily eat up all the

FAMILY OF SLOTHS.

SLOTHS.

grubs. None of this family have any teeth, so they must rely wholly on the tongue.
Although such a large animal, it' is helpless against the attacks of the jaguar,
which is its greatest enemy. The eyes of the ant-eater are a beady black and
have a very cunning expression. When an ant-eater chooses to look anyone
straight in the face you feel at once that it might be a very treacherous creature,
but really it is quite innocent.

LITTLE ANT-EATER.

The Little Ant-eater
seems to be the link between
the sloth and the true ant-eater.
These little creatures inhabit
the trees and feed upon the
ants which are always travel-
ling up and down the tree-
trunks.

SLOTHS.

Sloths are found in me
West India Islands and South
America. They live in the trees,
hanging from the branches by
their curiously shaped toes. Al-
though they are called sloths
(which in English means lazy
people), they are very active.
On the ground they can hardly
walk, but in the trees they run
from branch to branch like
monkeys. They travel best in
windy weather, for the trees are
then blown together, which en-
ables them to get from one to another. The worst enemies of the sloths are
the harpy eagles, which fly at them and knock them to the ground, where they
are helpless.

Some species of sloth have two toes, notably those in the West Indies,
while those found in Central and South America have three toes.

TWO-TOED SLOTH.

THE DUCK-BILL.

From North Australia comes one of the strangest creatures in the world,
called the Duck-bill. It is twenty inches long, and has a loose, furry skin
like the beaver, and webbed feet and a duck's bill.

THE ECHIDNA.

The Echidna is
another North Austra-
lian animal. At first
sight it looks some-
thing like a hedge-hog.
It is covered with long
hair and rolls itself in-
to a ball when alarmed.
For its size it is one of
the strongest animals
known. Its muscles
are large and its feet
have strong digging
claws. But the most
wonderful thine about

'infill!'! y

the echidna is that it is the only egg-laying animal known to exist. It lays
three eggs about an inch long, containing a yolk like a bantam's egg.

IGUANA. (1/16 Natural Size.)

^

CONDORS MOBBING A PUMA

CARRIER PIGEONS IN FLIGHT.

CROWS MOBBING SPARROW HAWKS.

A MEETING UNDER THE SEA.

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