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ANMAL
NINA

VOL. I.

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“YNYWNYAYNO | ALYTd

NVLNO- INVYO VIIeO9 S4AZNVdWIHO Nogals WOOINH

ji lsls Novae

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Based upon the Writings of the Eminent Naturalists,

AUDUBON, WALLACE, BREHM, WOOD, AND OTHERS

Beis ioiPcited DY ielelele

HUGH CRAIG, M. A.,
Trinity College, Cambridge.

WITH.

SIXTY-FOUR FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

Accurately and Beautifully Executed in

EIGHT COLORS AND TINTS.

VOLUME ONE.

NEW YORK:
ihr _ JOHNSON & BAILEY,

114 and 116 Nassau Street.

WEED-PARSONS PRINTING CO.,,
PRINTERS, ELECTROTYPERS AND BINDERS,
ALBANY, N. Ye

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HE work which the publisher now offers to. the public
is intended to be instructive as well as entertaining,
accurate as well as popular. A knowledge of zoology
can be imparted without the use of technical language;
in fact, the conventional vocabulary must be in great
part discarded by any one who seeks to address the
general public rather than a select band of scientific

students. And it is to the general public, to our clergymen, our

men of business, our workingmen, and especially to our young
people, that this Natural History is dedicated. In a work with such
an aim, a formal inventory and technical description of the manifold
forms of animal existence would be evidently out of place; instead of
investigations of the lifeless organism there must be accounts of the
living creature ; instead of scientific terminology there must be language
plain, clear, and direct; the information which the volume seeks to
impart must be conveyed in a manner easy to comprehend, easy to
remember, and generally attractive. To the attractiveness of this work
the numerous beautifully-colored plates with which it is illustrated con-

tribute in no ordinary degree. The designs are original and have been
prepared at unusual expense. They represent in a more vivid and
striking way than mere words can depict, the shape, the habits and the
habitations of the animals, as well as the colors with which Nature has
adorned them and the attitudes which most distinctiy characterize them.

JOHNSON’S HOUSEHOLD Book OF NATURE aims, as has been said, to
be interesting. It is hoped, however, that it will be more than a mere
readable book of entertainment, and that it will not allay, but stimulate

vi PREFACE.

cariosity, and invite to a deeper and further study of the wondrous works
of Nature. In this hope there have been added the technical names of
each order, genus and species.

It does not require to be pointed out how fascinating a study
Natural History in all its branches must ever be, or what a perpetual
source of interest can be found in observing the forms and habits of the
living creatures which meet our view whatever portion of the world we
visit. Still more interesting and more instructive must be a knowledge of
that class of Animated Nature to which man himself belongs, and which
contains such friends of man as the dog that guards him, the horse that
labors for him, the ox that supplies him food, and the sheep that furnishes
him with clothing; till man had brought these under his dominion, how
inconceivably helpless he must have been! No less instructive is it to
note how the lower animals differ from or resemble Man, the crown
of Nature’s work; how admirably each species is adapted for the loca-
tion in which its lot is cast, and for the uses it has to fulfil in the
economy of the world; how marvellously they are endowed with power
and grace and beauty.

Especially in the present day is a knowledge of the elements of
Natural History a necessary part of our education. This work claims
to minister to the educational wants of all classes, and therefore carefully
avoids discussion of unsettled points, and states nothing but incontro-
vertible facts.

The order in which the various genera of the Mammalia is placed
has been adopted in accordance with the most eminent authorities.

The first two chapters are devoted to an account of the system of
classification of the Animal Kingdom, and therefore may prove less
interesting to many readers than the following chapters, in which the
different genera and species are described, and in which there is more
of living interest and entertaining narrative.

HuGH CRAIG.

Sp aed 2 a 1D eal
: 7

CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE.

MAMMALIA.
CHAPTER I.

Inanimate and Animated Nature (1)—The Mineral (1), Vegetable (2), and Animal (3) King
doms—Classification of Animals (4)—The Vertebrates (4)—Classes of Vertebrates (5).

CHAPTER II.
The Class Mammalia (6)—General Characteristics (7)—The “ Dental Formula” (8)—Divi
sion into Orders (13).

QUADRUMANA.

CHAPTER III.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

The General Characteristics of Quadrumana (17)—Their Habits in their Native Haunts 18)
—Their Gregarious Disposition (20)—Division of the Quadrumana (22).

CHAPTER IV.
THE ANTHROPOID APES.

The African Division (23)—The Genus Troglodytes (23)—The Gorilla (23)—The Chimpanzee
(27)—The Asiatic Division (32)—The Genus Simia (32)—Orang-Outan (32)—The Genus Hylo-
bates or Gibbon (35).

CHAPTER V.
THE OLD WORLD MONKEYS,

The Long-tailed Monkeys (41)—The Genus Semnopithecus (41)—The Proboscis Monkey
(44)—The Douc (45)—The Genus Colobus (45)—The Guereza (45).

CHAPTER VI.
BABOONS AND MACAQUES.

The Family Cynopithecide (47)—The Genus Myiopithecus or Talapoin (47)—The Genus
Cercopithecus (47)—The Guenons (51)—The Genus Cercocebus or Mangabeys (52)—The Genus
Theropithecus or Gelada (53)—The Genus Cynocephalus or Baboon (54)—The Baboon Proper
(56)—The Chacma (58)—Its Use in Finding Water (58)—The Sphinx (60)—The Hamadryad (61)
—Its Pugnacious Disposition (61)—Disgusting Character of the Mandrill and Drill (62).

———————— oe

viii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.
BABOONS AND MACAQUES.—Continued.

Genus Macacus (63)—The Common Macaque (65)—The Bonnet Ape (67)—The Rhesus or
Bunder (68)—The Lapander (103)—The Wanderoo (71)—The Magots (72)—The Gibraltar Mon-

‘ keys (72)—Genus Cynopithecus (74)—The Black Baboon-ape or Celebes (74).

CHAPTER VIII.
THE NEW WORLD MONKEYS.

The American Monkeys or Cebidx (75)—The Genus Cebus or Sapajou (77)—The Genus
Lagothrix (80)—The Spider Monkeys (81)—The Genera Ateles and Eriodes (87)—The Howling
Monkeys (85)—The Sakis (89)—The Night Monkeys (g2)—The Tee-tees (94).

CHAPTER IX.
THE MARMOSETS,

The Marmosets or Ouistitis (95)—The Family Hapalide (97)—The Genus Hapale (97)—
The Silky Marmoset (98)—The Pinche (98)—The Dwarf Marmoset (98)—The Genus Midas (99)
The Sagouins (99).

CHAPTER X.
THE LEMUROIDEA,

The Indris (102)—The Lemurs (104)—The Ruffed Lemur (105)—The Cat Lemur (106)—The
Hapalemur (107)—The Cheirogaleus (108)—The Loris (110)—The Tarsier Spectre (114)—The
Aye-aye (115).

CHEIROPTERA.

CHAPTER I.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

The Order Cheiroptera (121)—Superstitious Dread of Bats (122)—Their Usefulness (122)
—Their Flying Apparatus (124)—Their General Characteristics and Habits (124)—The Genera
of the Order (127).

CHAPTER II.
THE VAMPIRES

The Fruit-eating Bats or Flying Foxes (t29)—The Kalongs (129)—The Leaf-nosed Bats or
Vampires (130)—The Horseshoe Bats (134)—The Rhinopoma (136).

CHAPTER III.
THE TRUE BATS.

The Common Bat (137)—The Taphozous (138)—The Pipistrelle (138)—The Barbastelle (139)
—The California Bat (140)—The Great Bat of Britain (140)—The New York Bat (t41)—The
Carolina Bat (141)—The Hoary Bat (142)—The Long-eared Bat (142)—The Big-eared Bat (142)—
The Noctilionida (143)—The Genus Nycticeius (143)—The Genus Nyctinomus (144)—The Genus
Noctilio (144).

isc a diva Ore nh .

CONTENTS. ix

ENSECTIVORA.

CHAPTER I.
THE FLYING LEMURS, ELEPHANT SHREWS AND PENTAIL.

Characteristics of the Order (147)—Its Division into Nine Families (148)—The Galeopithe.
cide (149)—The Flying Lemurs (149)—The Macroscelidide or Elephant Shrews (151)—The
Genus Rhynchocyon (152)—The Genus Petrodromus (153)—The Tupaiadz (153)—The Bangsring
(154)}—The Press (154)—The Genus Hylomys (155)—The Genus Ptilocereus (155)—The Pen-
tail (155) .

CHAPTER II.
THE HEDGEHOGS, MOLES, AND SHREWS.

The Erinaceide (157)—The Hedgehogs (158)—The Genus Gymnura (159)—The Centetide
(159)—The Tenrec and Tendrac (161)—The Genus Solenodon (161)—Thne Agouti (161)—The
Potamogalidz (162)—The Chrysochloridez or Golden Moles (163)—The Talpide (163)—The
Moles (163)—The Genus Talpa (163)—Genus Condylura (164)—The Star-nosed Moles (165)—
The Genus Scalops or American Mole (165)—The Genus Mygale (166)—The Desmans (166)—
The Urotrichus (167)—The Soricide or Shrews (168).

CARNIVORA.

CHAPTER I.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER.

The Carnivora or Flesh-eaters (173)—General Characteristics of the Order (173)—Its Func-
tion in the Economy of Nature (174)—Its Geographical Distribution (175)—Its Division into
Families (175).

CHAPTER II.
THE LION.

The Lion (178)—Their Size and Strength (179)—Their Roar (180)—Their Habits (180)—
Different Opinions of their Character (181)—Modes of Destroying (182)—The African Lion, the
Cape Lion. the Gambia Lion, the Lion of North Africa (183)—The Asiatic Lion, the Maneless
Lion (183)—Tame Lions (186)—Dangerous Pets (187).

CHAPTER IIT:
THE TIGER.

The Tiger (188)—Its Favorite Haunts (188)—Its Destructiveness (189)—Tiger Hunting (191)
—Modes of Killing the Tiger (192)—Tame Tigers (194)—The Tiger in Ancient Times (195).

CHAPTER: IV.
PANTHERS AND LEOPARDS.

The Cougar or American Panther (196)—The Jaguar (198)—Its Destructiveness (199)—A
Tame Jaguar (200)—The African Leopard (201)—The Asiatic Leopard or Panther (202)—The
Japanese Panther (202)—The Black Panther (203).

" Fa a enn TN ei kia

x CONTENTS.

CHAPTER. V.
THE OCELOTS AND THE CATS.

The Marbled Cat (205)—The Tiger Cats (205)—The Common Ocelot (205)—The Painted
Ocelot (206)—The Syra (207)—The Chati (207)—The Long-tailed Cat (207)—The Pampas Cat
(207)—The Clouded Tiger (208)—The Colocolo (208)—The European Wildcat (209)—The Manui
(211)—The Malay Cat (211)—The Dwarf Cat (211)—The Egyptian Cat (212)—Letting the Cat
out of the Bag (212)—The Common Cat (214)—The Marten Cat (215)—The Serval (215).

CHAPTER VI.
THE LYNXES AND CHEETAHS.
The Genus Lynx (217)—The Persian Lynx (217)—The Caracal (218)—The European Lynx
(219)—The Booted Lynx (220)—The Canadian Lynx (220)—The American Wild-Cats (222)—The
Genus Cynzlurus (223)—The Cheetah or Hunting Leopard (224).

CHAPTER VII.
THE CIVET CATS.

The Cryptoproctide (226)—The Galet (226)—The Viverride (227)—The Civet (228)—The
Zibeth \(228)—The Genets (230)—The Pale Genet (231)—The Linsang (230)—The Hemigale
(230)—The Binturong (231)—The Nandinia (231)—The Pougoune (231)}—The Musang (231)—
The Masked Paguma (232)—The Mampalon (233)—The Ichneumons (233)—The Mungos or
) Mangouste (234)—The Egyptian Ichneumon (235)—The Crab-eating Mangouste (237)—The
Zebra Mangouste (237)—The Meerkat (238)—The Zenick (238)—The Mangue (239)—The Banded
.. Mungos (239).

CHAPTER VIII

THE AARD-WOLF AND THE HYASNAS.
The Family Protelide (240)—The Aard-wolf (240)—The Family Hywnide (241)—Fables and

Superstitions about the Hyzena (241)—The Striped Hyena (242)—Two Tame Ones (243)—The
Brown Hyzna (243)—The Spotted Hyzna or Tiger-Wolf (244)—Rapacity of this Species (244)—
Its Horrid Laughter (245).

: CHAPTER IX.

‘ THE WOLVES.

General Description of the Genus Canis (246)—The Common European Wolf (247)—The
Jackal Wolf (250)—The Kaberoo (250)—The Striped Wolf (250}—The American Wolves (251)—
The Gray Wolf (251)—The Red Wolf (252)—The Coyote (253)—The South American Wolves
(253)—The Crab-eating Wolf (254)—The Aguarachay (253).

CHAPTER X.
THE JACKALS AND FOXES.

The Jackal (255)—fhe Landjak (256)—The Common Fox (256)—The Racoon Dog (259)—
The Corsac (260)—The Caama (260)—The Fennek (260)—The American Foxes (261)—The Red
Fox (261)—The Silver or Black Fox (261)—The Cross Fox (261)—The Kid Fox (262)—The Gray
Fox (262)—The Arctic Fox (262)—The Blue Fox (263)—The Large-eared Fox (264)—The Hunt
ing Dog (264).

Pee rele
eG | : é ¥

CONTENTS. xi

CHAPTER XI.
THE DOG.

The Wild Dogs (265)—The Dhole (265)—The Alpine Wolf (266)—The Domesticated Dog
(266)—Regard in which the Dog is Held (267)—Abhorrence of the Dog by the Orientals (267)—
The Dogs of the East (267)—The Dog in Antiquity (268)—The Mental Qualities of the Dog (268)
—Its Moral Sense (269)—Its Affection for its Master (270)—Rabies or Hydrophobia (270).

CHAPTER XII.
THE SPORTING DOGS,

Modes of Classification (273)—Sporting Dogs (273)—The Scotch Greyhound (273)—The
Irish Greyhound (274)—The African Greyhound (274)—The Common Greyhound (275)—The
Hare Indian Dog (276)—The Italian Greyhound (276)—The Stag Hound (277)—Fox Hound (277)
Harrier (277)—Beagle (277)—The Otter Hound (277)—The Dachs Hund and Turnspit (278)—
The Bloodhound (278)—The Pointers and Setters (279)—The Spaniels (280)—Springers (280)—
Cockers (280)—Water Spaniel (280)—Chesapeake Bay Dog (281)—Retriever (281).

CHAPTER XIII.
SHEPHERD'S DOGS AND HOUSE DOGS.

The Shepherd's Dog (282)—The Colley (282)—The Spitz (283)—The Esquimaux Dog (283)—
The St. Bernard (284)—The Mastiff (284)—The Thibet Dog (285)—The Bulldog (285)—The New-
foundland Dog (285)—The Black and Tan Terrier (288)—The Scotch Terrier (288)—The Skye
Terrier (288)—The Yorkshire Terrier (288)—The Bull-Terrier (288)—The Fox Terrier (289)—
The Coach-Dogs (289)—The Pug (289)—The Poodle (289)—King Charles (290)—Blenheim (290)
The Mexican Mopsey (291)—The Dingo, or the Dog Relapsed into Barbarism (201).

CHAPTER XIV.
THE WEASELS, OTTERS AND SKUNKS.

The Martens (293)—The Sable (294)—The American Sable (295)—The Black Cat (295)—
The Polecat (29*}—The Ermine (296)—The Ferrets (296)—The New York Ermine (297)—The
Mink (297)—The Weasels (298)—The Wolverene (299)—The Otters (300)—The Canada Otter
(301)—The California Otter (302)—The Sea Otter (302)—The Brazilian Otter (303)—The Chinese
Otter (303)—The Badgers (303)—The American Badger (304)—The Teledu (305)—The Ratel
(306)—The Skunks (307)—The Zorilla (307)—The Suriho (308)—The Common Skunk (308)—
The Nyentek (310).

CHAPTER XV.
THE RACOONS AND PANDAS.

The Common Racoon (311)—The Crab-eating Racoon (313)—The California Coon (313)—
The Coati (313)—The Red Coati (314)—The White Coati (314)—The Kinkajou (315)—The
American Civet or Mountain Cat (316)—The Panda or Wah (316).

CHAPTER XVI.

THE BEARS.

The Bears (318)—The Polar Bear (318)—The Brown Bear (320)—The Syrian Bear (321)—
fhe American Bears (322)—The Black Bear (322)—The Grizzly Bear (323)—The Bornean Sun
Bear (325)—The Sloth or Lipped Bear (326)—The South American or Spectacled Bear (327).

xi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVII.
THE EARED SEALS AND WALRUSES.

The Eared-Seals (328)—The Fur Seals and Hair Seals (328)—The Sea-Lion (329)—The Sea-
Bear (329)—Value of its Fur (330)—The Fur Seals (331)—The California Hair Seal (331)—The
California or Northern Sea Lion (332)—Manner of Capturing it Aliye (333)—The Walrus (334)

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE TRUE SEALS.

The Common Seals (337)—Their Wide Distribution (337)—Their Habits (338)—Their Love
of Music (338)—Robbin’s Reef (339)—The Caspian Seal (340)—The Hoe-Rat (340)—The Harp-
Seal (340)—Richard’s Seal (341)—The Bearded Seal (341)—The Gray Seal (342)—The White-
bellied Seal (342)}—The Sea Leopard (342)—The Crab-eating Seal (342)—The False Sea Leopard
(343)—The Large-eyed Seal (343)—The Sea Elephant (344)—The Crested Seal (345)—The West
Indian Seal (346). ~

CETACEA.

CHAPTER I.
THE RIGHT WHALES.

The Cetacea (349)—The Family Balzenidz (350)—The Greenland Whale (350)—Its Mode of
Respiration (351)—Its Blubber (351)—Whalebone (352)—The Young Whale (353)—Enemies of
the Whale (354)—The Whale Fishery (355)—American Whalers (355)—Mode of Hunting the
Whale (356}—The Harpoon and Bomb-lance (357)—Australian Right Whale (358)—Scrag Whale
(358)—Biscay Whale (358)—Genus Eubalzna (358)}—Genera Hunterius, Caperia, Macleayus (359).

CHAPTER II.
THE FINNER WHALES AND RORQUALS.

The Humpback or Bunched Whales (369)—The Rorquals or Big Finners (362)—Difficulty
of Taking them (363)—The Northern Finner (364)—The Sulphur-bottom (364)—Adventure of the
Ship ‘‘ Plymouth” (364)—The Great Indian Rorqual (365)—Ancient Accounts of it (365)—The
Pike Whale (366)—The Southern Rorqual (367)—The California Gray Whale (367).

CHAPTER III.
THE SPERM WHALES AND BLACK FISH.

The Family Catodontide (368)—The Sperm Whales (368)—The Spermaceti (369)—Their
Speed (370)—Their Fury when Provoked (370)—The Story of the Ship ‘Essex (371)—Other
Ships Destroyed by this Whale (371)—Ambergris (372)—Speculations as to its Origin (372)—
Food of the Sperm Whale (372)—Black Fish (373)—The Genus Cogia (374). _

CHAPTER IV.
THE BEAKED WHALES AND THE NARWHALS.

The Family Hyperoodontide (375)—The Beaked Whales (375)—The Bottle-nosed Whale
(375)—The Xiphius (376)—The Family Monodontide (377)—The Narwhal (377)—The Extra-

CONTENTS. xiii

ordinary Horn (378)—Conjectures as to its Use (378)—Fables Respecting it (379)—Medicinal
Properties attributed to it (379)—Value of the Narwhal to the Greenlanders (380)—Ships Struck

by it (380).
CHAPTER V.
THE DOLPHINS.

The Delphinidz (381)—The Soosook or Dolphin of the Ganges (382)—The Inia (383)—The
Lorelei of the Amazon River (383)—The Tucuxi (384)—The Dolphins Proper (385)—Legends—
Symbols (385)—The Common Dolphin (386)—The White-beaked Dolphin (387)—The Bottle-
nosed Dolphin (387).

CHAPTER VI.
THE PORPOISES AND. WHITE WHALES.

The Common Porpoise (388)—The Grampus, or Gladiator Dolphin (390)—Its Destructive-
ness (391)—Its Name “The Thresher” (391)—The Pilot Whale, or Caaing Whale, or Grind
(392)—Mode of Capturing (392)—The White Whale (393)—Specimens Exhibited in Shows (394).

XXII

XXIII

XXIV....

XXV
XXVI

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XXVIII....
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aS i OE nn To

GIN Ne lS:

MAMMALIA,

CHAPTER I.

Inanimate and Animated Nature (1)—The Mineral (1), Vegetable (2), and Animal (3) King
doms—Classification of Animals (4)—The Vertebrates (4)—Classes of Vertebrates (5).

CHAPTER II.

The Class Mammalia (6)—General Characteristics (7)—The “ Dental Formula” (8)—Divi
sion into Orders (13).

QUADRUMANA.

CHAPTER III.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

The General Characteristics of Quadrumana (17)—Their Habits in their Native Haunts ’13)
—Their Gregarious Disposition (20)—Division of the Quadrumana (22).

CHAPTER IV.
THE ANTHROPOID APES.

CHAPTER V.
THE OLD WORLD MONKEYS.

The Long-tailed Monkeys (41)—The Genus Semnopithecus (41)—The Proboscis Monkey
(44)—The Douc (45)—The Genus Colobus (45)—The Guereza (45).

CHAPTER VI.
BABOONS AND MACAQUES.

ii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VII.
BABOONS AND MACAQUES,.—Continued,

Genus Macacus (63)—The Common Macaque (65)—The Bonnet Ape (67)—The Rhesus or
Bunder (68)—The Lapander (103)—The Wanderoo (71)—The Magots (72)—The Gibraltar Mon-
keys (72)—Genus Cynopithecus (74)—The Black Baboon-ape or Celebes (74).

CHAPTER VIII.
THE NEW WORLD MONKEYS.

The American Monkeys or Cebidz (75)—The Genus Cebus or Sapajou (77)—The Genus
Lagothrix (80)—The Spider Monkeys (8t)—The Genera Ateles and Eriodes (87)—The Howling
Monkeys (85)—The Sakis (89)—The Night Monkeys (92)—The Tee-tees (94).

CHAPTER IX.
THE MARMOSETS.

The Marmosets or Ouistitis (95)—The Family Hapalide (97)—The Genus Hapale (97)—
The Silky Marmoset (98)—The Pinche (98)—The Dwarf Marmoset (98)—The Genus Midas (99)
The Sagouins (99).

CHAPTER X.
THE LEMUROIDEA.

The Indris (102)—The Lemurs (104)—The Ruffed Lemur (105)—The Cat Lemur (106)—The
Hapalemur (107)—The Cheirogaleus (108)—The Loris (110)—The Tarsier Spectre (114)—The
Aye-aye (115).

CHD GR TE REA:

CHAPTER I.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

CHAPTER II.
THE VAMPIRES.

The Fruit-eating Bats or Flying Foxes (129)—The Kalongs (129)—The Leaf-nosed Bats or
Vampires (130)—The Horseshoe Bats (134)—The Rhinopoma (136).

CHAPTER III.
THE TRUE BATS.

The Common Bat (137)—The Taphozous (138)—The Pipistrelle (138)—The Barbastelle (139)
—The California Bat (t40)—The Great Bat of Britain (140)—The New York Bat (t41)—The
Carolina Bat (141)—The Hoary Bat (142)—The Long-eared Bat (142)—The Big-eared Bat (142)—
The Noctilionidz (143)—The Genus Nycticeius (143)—The Genus Nyctinomus (144)—The Genus
Noctilio (144).

CONTENTS. iil

INSECTIVORA.

CHAPTER I.
THE FLYING LEMURS, ELEPHANT SHREWS AND PENTAIL.

Characteristics of the Order (147)—Its Division into Nine Families (148)—The Galeopithe-
cidz (149)—The Flying Lemurs (149)—The Macroscelidide or Elephant Shrews (151)—The
Genus Rhynchocyon (152)—The Genus Petrodromus (153)—The Tupaiadz (153)—The Bangsring
_ (154)—The Press (154)—The Genus Hylomys (155)—The Genus Ptilocereus (155)—The Pen-
tail (155)

CHAPTER II.
THE HEDGEHOGS, MOLES, AND SHREWS.

The Erinaceidz (157)—The Hedgehogs (158)—The Genus Gymnura (159)—The Centetide
(159)—The Tenrec and Tendrac (161)—The Genus Solenodon (161)—The Agouti (161)—The
Potamogalide (162)—The Chrysochloride or Golden Moles (163)—The Talpide (163)—The
Moles (163)—The Genus Talpa (163)—Genus Condylura (164)—The Star-nosed Moles (165)—
The Genus Scalops or American Mole (165)—The Genus Mygale (166)—The Desmans (166)—
The Urotrichus (167)—The Soricidz or Shrews (168).

CALRNIV ORA.

CHAPTER I.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER.

CHAPTER II.
THE LION.

CHAPTER III.
THE TIGER.

The Tiger (188)—Its Favorite Haunts (188)—Its Destructiveness (189)—Tiger Hunting (191)
—Modes of Killing the Tiger (192)—Tame Tigers (194)—The Tiger in Ancient Times (195).

CHAPTER LV.
PANTHERS AND LEOPARDS.

‘SP SRE Or) ee ee
. Ls ny d

iv CONTENTS.

CHAPTER, V.
THE OCELOTS AND THE CATS.

The Marbled Cat (205)—The Tiger Cats (205)—The Common Ocelot (205)—The Painted
Ocelot (206)—The Syra (207)—The Chati (207)—The Long-tailed Cat (207)—The Pampas Cat
(207)—The Clouded Tiger (208)—The Colocolo (208)—The European Wildcat (209)—The Manu!
(211)—The Malay Cat (211)—The Dwarf Cat (211)—The Egyptian Cat (212)—Letting the Cat
out of the Bag (212)—The Common Cat (214)—The Marten Cat (215)—The Serval (215).

CHAPTER VI-
THE LYNXES AND CHEETAHS.
The Genus Lynx (217)—The Persian Lynx (217)—The Caracal (218)—The European Lynx
(219)—The Booted Lynx (220)—The Canadian Lynx (220)—The American Wild-Cats (222)—The
Genus Cynzlurus (223)—The Cheetah or Hunting Leopard (224).

CHAPTER VII.
THE CIVET CATS.

The Cryptoproctide (226)—The Galet (226)—The Viverride (227)—The Civet (228)—The
Zibeth (228)—The Genets (230)—The Pale Genet (231)—The Linsang (230)—The Hemigale
(230)—The Binturong (231)—The Nandinia (231)—The Pougoune (231}—The Musang (231)—
The Masked Paguma (232)—The Mampalon (233)}—The Ichneumons (233)—The Mungos or
Mangouste (234)—The Egyptian Ichneumon (235)—The Crab-eating Mangouste (237)—The
Zebra Mangouste (237)—The Meerkat (238)—The Zenick (238)—The Mangue (239)—The Banded
Mungos (239).

CHAPTER VIII.
THE AARD-WOLF AND THE HYANAS.

The Family Protelidz (240)—The Aard-wolf (240)—The Family Hyzenide (241)—Fables and
Superstitions about the Hyzna (241)—The Striped Hyzna (242)—Two Tame Ones (243)—The
Brown Hyzna (243)—The Spotted Hyzena or Tiger-Wolf (244)—Rapacity of this Species (244)—
Its Horrid Laughter (245).

CHAPTER IX.
THE WOLVES.

General Description of the Genus Canis (246)—The Common European Wolf (247)—The
Jackal Wolf (250)—The Kaberoo (250)—The Striped Wolf (250)—The American Wolves (251)—
The Gray Wolf (251)—The Red Wolf (252)—The Coyote (253)—The South American Wolves
(253)—The Crab-eating Wolf (254)—The Aguarachay (253).

CHAPTER X.
THE JACKALS AND FOXES.

The Jackal (255)—The Landjak (256)—The Common Fox (256)—The Racoon Dog (259)—
The Corsac (260)—The Caama (260)—The Fennek (260)—The American Foxes (261)—The Red
Fox (261)—The Silver or Black Fox (261)—The Cross Fox (261)—The Kid Fox (262)—The Gray
Fox (262)—The Arctic Fox (262)—The Blue Fox (263)—The Large-eared Fox (264)—The Hunt
ing Dog (264).

CONTENTS. Vv

CHAPTER XI.
THE DOG.

The Wild Dogs (265)—The Dhole (265)—The Alpine Wolf (266)—The Domesticated Dog
(266)—Regard in which the Dog is Held (267)—Abhorrence of the Dog by the Orientals (267)—
The Dogs of the East (267)—The Dog in Antiquity (268)—The Mental Qualities of the Dog (268)
~—Its Moral Sense (269)—Its Affection for its Master (270)—Rabies or Hydrophobia (270).

CHAPTER XII.
THE SPORTING DOGS.

CHAPTER XIII.
SHEPHERD’S DOGS AND HOUSE DOGS.

The Shepherd's Dog (282)—The Colley (282)—The Spitz (283)—The Esquimaux Dog (283)—
The St. Bernard (284)—The Mastiff (284)—The Thibet Dog (285)—The Bulldog (285}—The New-
foundland Dog (285)—The Black and Tan Terrier (288)—The Scotch Terrier (288)—The Skye
Terrier (288)—The Yorkshire Terrier (288)—The Bull-Terrier (288)—The Fox Terrier (289)—
The Coach-Dogs (289)—The Pug (289)—The Poodle (289)—King Charles (290)—Blenheim (290)
The Mexican Mopsey (291)—The Dingo, or the Dog Relapsed into Barbarism (291).

CHAPTER XIV.
THE WEASELS, OTTERS AND SKUNKS.

The Martens (293)—The Sable (294)—The American Sable (295)—The Black Cat (295)—
The Polecat (2o¢)—The Ermine (296)—The Ferrets (296)—The New York Ermine (297)—The
Mink (297)—The Weasels (298)—The Wolverene (299)—The Otters (300)—The Canada Otter
(301)—The California Otter (302)—The Sea Otter (302)—The Brazilian Otter (303)—The Chinese
Otter (303)—The Badgers (303)—The American Badger (304)—The Teledu (305)—The Ratel
(306)—The Skunks (307)—The Zorilla (307)—The Suriho (308)—The Common Skunk (308)—

The Nyentek (310).
CHAPTER XV.

THE RACOONS AND PANDAS.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE BEARS.

vi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVII.
THE EARED SEALS AND WALRUSES.

: CHAPTER XVIII.
THE TRUE SEALS.

The Common Seals (337)—Their Wide Distribution (337)—Their Habits (338)—Their Love
of Music (338)—Robbin’s Reef (339)—The Caspian Seal (340)—The Hoe-Rat (340)—The Harp-
Seal (340)—Richard’s Seal (341)—The Bearded Seal (341)—The Gray Seal (342)—The White-
bellied Seal (342)—The Sea Leopard (342)—The Crab-eating Seal (342)—The False Sea Leopard
(343)—The Large-eyed Seal (343)—The Sea Elephant (344)—The Crested Seal (345)—The West
Indian Seal (346).

CETACEA.

CHAPTER I.
THE RIGHT WHALES.

The Cetacea (349)—The Family Balzenidz (350)—The Greenland Whale (350)—Its Mode of
Respiration (351)—Its Blubber (351)—Whalebone (352)—The Young Whale (353)—Enemies of
the Whale (354)—The Whale Fishery (355)—American Whalers (355)—Mode of Hunting the
Whale (356)}—The Harpoon and Bomb-lance (357)—Australian Right Whale (358)—Scrag Whale
(358)—Biscay Whale (358)—Genus Eubalzena (358)}—Genera Hunterius, Caperia, Macleayus (359).

CHAPTER If.
THE FINNER WHALES AND RORQUALS.

The Humpback or Bunched Whales (360)—The Rorquals or Big Finners (362)—Difficulty
of Taking them (363)—The Northern Finner (364)—The Sulphur-bottom (364)—Adventure of the
Ship “ Plymouth” (364)—The Great Indian Rorqual (365)—Ancient Accounts of it (365)—The
Pike Whale (366)—The Southern Rorqual (367)—The California Gray Whale (367).

CHAPTER III.
THE SPERM WHALES AND BLACK FISH.

The Family Catodontidze (368)—The Sperm Whales (368)—The Spermaceti (369)—Their
Speed (370)—Their Fury when Provoked (370)—The Story of the Ship ‘“ Essex (371)—Other
Ships Destroyed by this Whale (371)—Ambergris (372)—Speculations as to its Origin (372)—
Food of the Sperm Whale (372)—Black Fish (373)—The Genus Cogia (374).

CHAPTER IV.
THE BEAKED WHALES AND THE NARWHALS.

The Family Hyperoodontidz (375)—The Beaked Whales (375)—The Bottle-nosed Whale
(375)—The Xiphius (376)—The Family Monodontide (377)—The Narwhal (377)—The Extra-

ih ithe) sy Bare

CONTENTS. vil

ordinary Horn (378)—Conjectures as to its Use (378)—Fables Respecting it (379)—Medicinal
Properties attributed to it (379)—Value of the Narwhal to the Greenlanders (380)—Ships Struck

by it (380).

CHAPTER V.
THE DOLPHINS.

CHAPTER Wi.
THE PORPOISES AND WHITE WHALES.
The Common Porpoise (388)—The Grampus, or Gladiator Dolphin (390)—Its Destructive-
ness (391)—Its Name “The Thresher” (391)—The Pilot Whale, or Caaing Whale, or Grind
(392)—Mode of Capturing (392)—The White Whale (393)—Specimens Exhibited in Shows (394).

SIRENIA.

THE SEA COWS.

The Order Sirenia (397)—Mermaids (397)—The Family Manatidz (398)—The Manatees of
America (399)—Their Voracity and Laziness (399)—Modes of Capture (399)—Tame Specimens
(399)—The Florida Manatee (400)—The African Lamantin (400)—The Eastern Dugong (400)—
The Australian Dugong (401)—The Northern Sea Cows (401)—Steller’s Description (401)—
Extinct since 1768 (403).

UNGULATA.

CEAR IER Ral:
HOOFED ANIMALS.

The Order Ungulata (407)—The Numerous Families (407)—The Ruminants (407)—Their
Peculiar Stomach (408)—Horns (408)—Antlers (408)—Extinct Species (408)—The Original Horse
Protohippus (409)—Gradual Development (409)—The Family Equidz ((409)—The Genus Equus
(409)—The Horse (410)—The Tarpan or Wild Horse of Tartary (410)—The Mustang or Wild
Horse of America (411).

CHAPTER IL.
THE ARAB AND THE BARB.

Early Domestication of the Horse (416)—The Horse in Egypt (416)—Assyria—Judza (416)—
Greece—Persia (417)—Bits and Stirrups (417)—Chariot Races (417)—The Arab Horse (418)—
Exaggerated Pedigrees (419)—The Best Arabs (419)—Their Training (419)—Attachment of the
Arab for his Mare (420)—Speed and Endurance (421)—The Barb (422)—The Same Horse as the
Arab (422)—Abd-el-Kader on the Horse (422).

vili CONTENTS.

CHAPTER III.
THE RACE-HORSE AND TROTTING HORSE.

The Race-Horse (425)—The English Turf (426)—The American Turf (427)—Imported Horses
(427)—The Trotting-Horse (428)—Flora Temple (431)—Steve Maxwell (432)—St, Julien and
Maud S (432)—The Narragansett Pacers (432)—Pocahontas (432).

CHARTER IRV.
EUROPEAN HORSES.

The Hunter (434)—The Hackney (434}—The Russian Horse (436)—The Austrian Horse (437)
—The Holstein Horse (438)—The French Horse (438)—The Italian Horse (440)—The Races at
Rome (440)—The Spanish Horse (440)—The Shetland Pony (441)—The Carriage Horse (443)—
The Cart Horse (443)—The Percheron Horse (443),

CHAPTER V.
THE WILD AND THE COMMON ASS.

The Wild Asses (445)—The Kulan or Dziggetai (445)—Their Speed (446)—Domestication
(446)—The Wild Ass of the Bible (447)—The African Wild Ass (448)—The Common Ass (448)
—Its Patience—Its Intelligence (449)—The Egyptian Ass (450).

CHAPTER VI.
THE ZEBRAS.
The Zebras or Tiger-Horses (452)—The Quagga (452)—The Dauw, or Burchell’s Zebra (453)—
Harris’s Description of it (454)—The Zebra Proper (454)—Hunting the Zebra (455)—Cross-
Breeds (456)—The Mule (456)—The Hinny (456)—Instances of their Fertility (457)—Darwinism

(457).
CHAPRTBR Vill:

THE TAPIRS.

The Family Tapiride (458)—The American Tapir (458)—Its Trunk (459)—Its Habits (459)—
The Tapir as a Domestic Auimal (460)—A Tapir Hunt (461)—Peculiar Marks of the Young
Tapir (461)—The Malay Tapir (462)—Its Trunk (462)—Its Color (462)—Discovery of the Animal
(462)—Chinese Account (463)—The Pinchaque (463)—Baird’s Tapir (463).

CHAPTER VIII.
THE RHINOCEROS.

The Family Rhinocerotide (464)—General Description (464)—The Horn—Peculiar Struc-
ture of the Horn (465)—Known to the Ancients (466)—Wood-cut by Albert Durer (406)—Arab
Superstitions (466)—Haunts of the Rhinoceros (466)—A Nocturnal Animal (467)—Its Food—
Its Habits (467)—1ts Senses (468)—Its Fits of Rage (468)—Maternal Affection (469)—Its Friends
the Small Birds (469)}—Captive Rhinoceroses (470)—Uses of its Hide (470).

CHAPTER IX.
THE ASIATIC RHINOCEROSES.

The One-horned Rhinoceroses (470)—The Indian Rhinoceros (470)—Its Thick Hide (470)—
Mode of Hunting (473)—The Wara or Javanese Rhinoceros (473)—The Emperor Baber (474)—

eee ah ek eT wy a
a ‘
P .
v 2

CONTENTS. ix

The Two-horned Rhinoceros or Badak of Sumatra (474)—The Fire-eating Rhinoceros (476)—The
Rough-eared Rhinoceros (476).

CHAPTER X.
THE AFRICAN RHINOCEROS,

The Borele or Little Black Rhinoceros (477)—The Sword-Hunters of Abyssinia (479)—The
Keitloa (479)—Their Fierceness (480)—The Mohogoo or White Rhinoceros (481)—Hunting
Adventure of Mr. Oswell (482)—The Kobaoba (484)—Probability of its Extinction (484).

CHAPTER XI.
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

The Hippopotamus or River Horse (485)—Description (486)—Habits (486)—Favorite Haunts
(487)—Food (487)—Violence when Provoked (488)—Maternal Affection (488)—Modes of Hunt-
ing (489)—Pitfalls and Downfalls (489)—Harpooning (489)—The Hippopotamus in Captivity
(491)—The Small or Liberian Hippopotamus (492).

CHAPTER XII.
THE PECCARIES.
The Swine Family (493)—General Characteristics (493)—The Peccaries (494)—The Collared

Peccary (494)—Its Courage and Fierceness (495)—The White-lipped Peccary (495)—Its Habits
(495)—Methods of Hunting the Peccary (496)—Flesh of the Peccary (497).

CHAPTER XIII.
THE TRUE SWINE.

The Genus Sus (498)—Religious Prohibitions (498)—The Boar of Valhalla (499)—The Boar’s
Head (499)—The Wild Boar of Europe (499)—Hunting the Wild Boar (500)—The Wild Hog of
India (501)—The Domestic Hog (502)—Anecdotes of the Hog (502)—Breeds of Hogs (504)—The
Berkshire (504)—Trichiniasis (504).

CHAPTER XIV.
THE RIVER-HOGS, BABYROUSSA, AND WART-HOGS.

The River Hogs (506)—The Pencilled Hog (506)—The Bush Hog, or Bosch Vark (507)—
Edwards’ River-Hog (508)—The Babyroussa (508)—Its Peculiar Tusks (508)—The Wart-Hogs
(509)—Hideous Appearance (510)—The African Wart-Hog, or Vlacke Vark (510)—The Wart-
Hog of #lian or Engallo (511).

CHAPTER XV.
THE CAMEL.

The Ruminants (512)—The Camelide (512)—The Camels of the Old World (513)—The
Arabian Camel, or Dromedary (514)—The Camel in the Bible (515)—The Camel in Europe (515)
—The Camel in Africa (515)—Its Food (516)—Its Powers of Resisting Thirst (516)—Its speed
(517)—Mode of Riding (517)—Its Behavior when Loading (518)—Its Vices (519)—Anecdote of
Latif Pacha (520)—Its Value (521)—The Two-humped Camel of Bactria (522).

re US ae oe eee ee.

x CONTENTS,

CHAPTER XVI.
THE LLAMAS.

The American Camelidz (524)—The Genus Auchenia (524)—The Guanaco (525)—Its Habits
(526)—The Llama (527)—Its Use as a Beast of Burden (527)—The Alpaca or Paco (528)—Its
Wool (528)—The Vicuna (529)—Indian Hunts (530).

CHAPTER XVII.
THE MOUSE DEER.

The Tragulide or Hornless deer (532)—Disputes of Naturalists (532)—The Kanchil (532)—
Its Appearance and Habits (§33)—Attempts to introduce it to Europe (534).

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE DEER.

The Cervide (535)—Their Antlers (535)—The Process of Growth of the Antler (§36)—The
Shedding of the Velvet (536)—Habits of the Cervide (538)—The Various Genera (538)—The
Elk of the Old World or the Moose of the New World (539)—The Elk of Sweden (539)—The
Moose of Canada (541)—Habits—Modes of Hunting (541).

CHAPTER XIX.
THE REINDEER AND THE CARIBOU.

The Reindeer (544)—Its Life in Northern Europe (545)—Its Life in Siberia (546)—Its Life
when Domesticated (547)—Its Value (547)—The Caribou (548)—Modes of Hunting it (548).

CHAPTER XX.
THE TRUE DEER.

The True Deer (550)—The Wapiti (550)—The Red Deer of Europe (552)—The Virginian
Deer or Carcajou (554)—The Persian Deer (556)—The Indian Species (556)—The Barasinga
(556)—The Axis Deer (557)—The Sambur (557)—The Maned Stag (557)—The Hog Deer (558)—
The South American Species (558)—The Pampas Deer (558)—The Red Deer or Guasupita (559).

CHAPTER XXI.
THE FALLOW DEER, ROE DEER, AND MUSK DEER.

The Genus Dama (560)—Fallow Deer (560)—Genus Capreolus (562)—Roe Deer (562)—
Genus Cervulus (564)—Muntjak or Kidang (564}—Genus Moschus (565)—Musk Deer (565)—
Its Abode—Habits—The Musk (566).

CHAPTER XXII.
THE GIRAFFE.
The Camelopardalide or Giraffes (568)—Its Size and Appearance (569)—Its Habitat (570)—
Its adaptation to its Location (570)—Its Movements (570)—Its Food (571)—Its Senses (572)
—Giraffes in London and Paris (572)—Modes of Hunting (572)—Meaning of the Word
“ Giraffe” (573).

CONTENTS. xi

CHAPTER XXIII.
THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS.

The Bovidz (574)—The Thirteen Sub-families (574)—The Bovine (575)—The Genus Bos
(575)—The Domestic Ox (575)—The Wild Cattle (576)—The Cattle of the Pampas (577)—
Cattle of Africa (578)—Domestic Cattle (579)—The Highland Cattle (582)—The Durham (582)——
The Alderney (582).

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE BISONS.

The Bonassus or European Bison (584)—Called also the Aurochs (584)—The Real Aurochs
Extinct (584)—The Forest or Bialowicz (584)—Description of the Bonassus (585)—The Bison of
the Caucasus (586)——The American Bison or Buffalo (586)—Enormous Numbers (586)—Terrible
Destruction (587)—Estimate of Numbers Killed (588)—The Mountain Buffalo (589)—Death of a
Bull (590). ;

CHAPTER XXV.
EASTERN CATTLE.

The Domestic Cattle of India (591)—The Zebu (59t)—The Wild Cattle of India (592)—Genus
Bibos (593)—The Gayal (593)—The Gaur (594)—The Banteng (595)—Genus Poephagos (595)—
The Yak (595)}—The Plough Yak (596)—Hunting the Yak (597)—Genus Anoa (597)—The
Chamois Buffalo or Celebes (597)—Its Fierceness (598).

CHAPTER XXVI.
THE BUFFALOES.

The Genus Bubalus (599)—The Cape Buffalo (599)—Drayson’s Account (600)—Buffalo
Shooting (602)—The Indian Buffalo (602)—Buffalo and Tiger Fights (603)—Williamson’s
Account (604)—The Kerabau (605)—The Domesticated Buffalo (605)—Its Habits—Its Uses (606).

CHAPTER XXVII.
THE ANTELOPES.

The Antelopes (607)—The Eland (607)—The Koodoo (609)}—The Bosch-bok (610)—The
Nylghau (611)—The Passan (613)—-The Beisa (614)—The Sabre Antelope (614)—The Addax
(614)—The Sable Antelope (615)—The Blau Bok (616).

CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE GAZELLES.

The Gazelle (617)—Its Beauty and Grace (617)—The Ariel Gazelle (618)—The Jairou (619)—
The Spring-Bok (620)—Its Immense Numbers (620)—The Dseren (622)—The Sasin (623)—The
Pallah (624)—The Saiga (624)—The Sub-family Antilocaprine (625)—The Prong Horn (62s).

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE LESSER ANTELOPES.

The Ourebi (627)—The Klippspringer (628)—The Water Buck (628)—The Blue Buck (630)
—The Musk Antelope 629)—The Duyker Bok (630)—The Rhoode Bok (631)—The Chickara

Mw TOPS NE AN a4.

xil CONTENTS.

(631)—The Hartebeest (632)—The Sassaby (632)—The Gnu (633)—The Chamois (633)—The Goral
(635)—The Mountain Goat of the Rocky Mountains (638).

CHAPTER XXX.
GOATS AND IBEXES.

The Genus Capra (637)—The Goats (637)—The Bezoar Goat or Paseng (639)—The Cash-
mere Goat (639)—The Angora Goat (640)—The Mamber Goat (641)—The Markhor and Tahir
(641)—The Egyptian Goat (641)—The Ibexes (642)—The Alpine Ibex (642)—The Pyrenean Ibex
(643)—The Arabian Ibex (644).

CHAPTER XXXI.
THE SHEEP AND THE MUSK-OX.

The Aoudad (646)—The Moufflon (647)—The Argali (647)—The Katshkar (648)—The Big
Horn (648)—Its Habits (649)—Fat-tailed Sheep (649)—The Cretan Sheep (650)—The Southdown
(651)—The Leicester (651)—The Merino (652)—The Highland Sheep (653)—The Genus Ovibos
(653)—The Musk-ox of North America (654).

PROBOSCIDEA,

CHAPTER I.
ELEPHANTS IN GENERAL.

The Order Proboscidea—Derivation of Name (657)—The Family Elephantide (657)—Fossil
Elephants—The Mammoth (657)—The Mastodon (658)—The Elephant (659)—Its Trunk—Its
Tusks (660)—The Elephant in History (661)—In the East—In Rome—In Modern Times (603).

CHAPTER II.
THE ASIATIC ELEPHANT.

The Asiatic Elephant (665)—Its Use (666)—Mode of Capture in Ceylon (666)—Points of a
Good Elephant (669)—White Elephants (670)—Funeral of a White Elephant (670)—The Dwarf
Elephant (671).

CHAPTER III.
THE ELEPHANT.

The African Elephant—Difference from the Indian Elephant (672)—Hunting the Elephant
(672)—Delegorgue (672)—Gordon Cumming (673)—The Abyssinian ‘“ Hock-cutters” (674)—
Captive Elephants (676)—Baby Elephants (676)—Anecdotes of Elephants (677).

BLY AR ACC Oo Dinas.

THE ROCK RABBITS.
The Order Hyracoidea (681)—The Genus Hyrax (681)—Its Characteristics (682).

CONTENTS. xii

ODEN TTA:

CHAPTER I.
RATS AND MICE.

The Order Rodentia (687)—The Family Muridz (688)—Rats and Mice (688)—The Black
Rat (688)—The Brown Rat (688)—The Mouse (68g)—The Harvest Mouse (689)—The Barbary
Mouse (690)—The Hamster (690)—The Musk Rat (692)—The Water Rat (693)—The Field Mouse
(693)—Wilson’s Meadow Mouse (694)—Le Conte’s Mouse (691)—The Cotton Rat (692)—The

Lemming (695).
CHAPTER II.

MOLE RATS, POUCH RATS, AND BEAVERS.
The Mole Rat (696)—The Jerboa (697)—The Alactaga (697)—The Cape Leaping Hare (697)
—The Hudson Bay Jumping Mouse (698)—The Fat Dormouse (698)—The Common Dormouse
(699)—The Pouched Rats (699)—The Beavers (7or)—The American Beaver (702)—The European

bars CHAPTER III

THE SQUIRRELS AND MARMOTS.

The Family Sciuride (707)—The European Squirrel (707)—The Javanese Squirrel (708)—
The Hare Squirrel (708)—The Black Squirrel (708)—The Gray Squirrel (708)—The Northern
Gray Squirrel (709)—The Red Squirrel (70o9}—The Long-haired Squirrel (710)—The Flying
Squirrel (710)—The American Flying Squirrel (711)—The Taguan (711)—The Chipmuck (712)—
The Leopard Marmot (713)—The Marmot (714)—The Babac (715)—The Woodchuck (715)—The

Prairie Dog (716).
‘CHAPTER IV.

THE SEWELLELS, PORCUPINES, AND CAVIES.

The Family Haploodontide (718)—The Family Chinchillide (718)—The Chinchillas and
Visachas (719)—The Octodontidz (720)—The Hutia Conga (720)—The Degu (721)—The Tuko-
tugo (722)—The Gundy (722)—The Coypu (723—The Ground Pig (723)—The Canadian Porcu-
pine (724)—The Tufted-tailed Porcupines (726)—The Agouti (726)—The Sooty Paca (727)—The
Capybara (727)—The Guinea Pig (728)—The Mara (728)—The Pikas (729).

CHAPTER V.
HARES AND RABBITS.

The Family Leporidz (730)—The American Hares (730)—The Polar Hare (730)—The North-
ern Hare (731)—The Wood Hare (731)—The Jackass Rabbit (731)—The African Hares (731)—
The Sand Hare (732)—The Common Hare (732)—The Alpine Hare (733)—The Rabbit (733)—
The Wild Rabbit (734)—The Domestic Rabbit (734).

ED EON TAT A.

CHAPTER I.
THE SLOTHS AND ARMADILLOS.

The Edentata (737)—The Sloths (737)—The Two-toed Sloth (738)—The Ai or Three-toed
Sloth (738)—The Spotted Sloth (739)—The Scaly Ant-eaters (739)—The Phatagin (739)—The

XiV CONTENTS.

Pangolin (740)—The Tatouhon (740)—The Giant Armadillo (740)—The Tatouay (741)—The
Armadillo (741)—The Apar (741)—The Picheogo (742).

CHAPTER II.
THE AARD VARK AND ANT-EATERS.

The Aard Vark of the Cape (743)—The Great Ant-eater or Tamanoir (744)—The Tamandua
(745)—The Little Ant-eater (746).

MARSUPIALIA.

CHAPTER I.
THE OPOSSUMS AND BANDICOOTS.

The Marsupials (749)—The True Opossum (749)—The Virginia Opossum (750)}—Merrian’s
Opossum (750)—The Crab-eating Opossum (750)—The Yapock (750)—The Pouched Mouse (751)
The Tasmanian Devil (751)—The Native Cat (751)—The Zebra Wolf (752)—The Native Ant-
eater (752)—The Striped Bandicoot (752)—The Chzropus (753).

CHAPTER II.
THE KANGAROOS, PHALANGERS, AND WOMBATS.

The Kangaroo (754)—The Woolly Kangaroo (755)—The Wallabee (755}—The Rock Kan-
garoo (755)—The Tree Kangaroo (756)—The Kangaroo Hare (756)—The Jerboa Kangaroo (756)
=The Potoroo (757)—The Koala (757}—The Sooty Phalangist (757)—The Valpine Phalangist
(758)—The Cuscus (758)—The Taguan (758)—The Great Flying Phalanger (759)—The Sugar
Squirrel (759)—Opossum Mouse (759)—The Wombat (760).

MONOTREMATA.

THE DUCK MOLE AND AUSTRALIAN HEDGEHOG.

The Monotremata (763)—The Family Ornithorhynchide (763)—The Duck Mole (763)—The
Family Echidnide (765)—The Native Hedgehog (766)—The Tasmanian Species (766)—Con-
clusion,

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‘to 1

CHAPTER I.

INANIMATE AND ANIMATED NATURE—THE MINERAL, VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS—
CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS—THE VERTEBRATES—CLASSES OF VERTEBRATES,

HE first and simplest division which an observer must make in
the infinite variety of natural objects by which he is surrounded
is a division between things living or ANIMATED and things

lifeless or INANIMATE. He sees the corn springing up from the seed,
increasing to maturity, then withering ; he sees the tree shooting heaven-
ward, towering higher and spreading wider year after year till a pause
comes to its development, and then he sees its branches decay and its
trunk moulder, and knows that the giant of the forest, like the grass of
the field, will fade and die. He knows, too, that the beasts of the earth,
the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, all the thousand tribes of
creatures which people the globe, will pass, like the tree or plant, from
the seed to maturity, from maturity to death. He knows that man him-
self is no exception to this law of change; that he grows to manhood and
declines into old age; that from the cradle to the grave he changes surely
and uninterruptedly day by day, and year by year. But the cliffs which
lift their heads to the clouds, the rocks which crop out from the hill-
side, the stones he treads on, present no such phenomena of growth or
decay. Man may shatter them, earthquakes may rend them, frost may
disintegrate them, rain may wash them, but the alterations thus effected
are merely physical results of physical causes acting from without, not
the results of an indwelling force in rock or stone: even when, as in the
case of crystals, an increase of size takes place, this increase is not a
growth from within but an augmentation by the addition of particles
from the outside. The MINERAL KinGDom is a kingdom of the dead.
If we examine the bodies comprehended in the MINERAL KINGDOM
more closely, we find that, in addition to the entire absence of any
tendency to periodic change, they are characterized by possessing a
very simple chemical composition; they often consist of only one ele-

2 INANIMATE AND ANIMATED NATURE.

ment, or if they are composite, they are simple compounds of two or
three elements. We find, too, that mineral bodies are either of indefinite
shape or crystalline, and that they are composed of similar particles
which do not stand in any definite relation to each other. In technical
language they are amorphous and homogeneous bodies.

Every substance which has yet been examined is found to consist
of one or more elements. These elements, sixty-three in number, are
divided into forty-nine metals and fourteen non-metals; in the latter
class are placed those substances which at ordinary temperatures are
gaseous in form, such as oxygen, hydrogen and_ the like, as well as some
solid bodies, such as sulphur, phosphorus and carbon. All the known
elements occur variously dispersed in the solid mass of the earth, only
four in the air, but thirty in the sea. Among the compounds of these
elements there is a very peculiar class which form a characteristic and
essential portion of the bodies of animals. These compounds are of very
complicated constitution; they do not crystallize, but exist in a jelly-like
form. They all contain sulphur, and most of them phosphorus, in addition
to carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. To a substance closel¥ allied
to these albuminous compounds, the name of “protoplasm” has been
given, and apparently no other form of matter can manifest what we call
vital phenomena.

Leaving INANIMATE NATURE to be discussed and described in trea,
tises of Geology, Mineralogy, Chemistry or Physics, let us cast a further
look on the division to which we have attributed LIFE.

We observe that these bodies pass through sundry periodic changes,
that they grow and decay, and that although subject to the universal
physical and chemical laws, they possess a something which enables them
to resist or check these laws. We see they increase, not by the mere
external addition of particles from outside, but by the assimilation of
foreign substances which they take into their interior ; and if we continue
our observation of them for a sufficient length of time, we discover that
they can produce germs which, circumstances favoring, will develop into
the likeness of their parent. In other words, we see that they possess
organs of nutrition and reproduction. If we examine further these
bodies which possess life, we find that the chemical elements of which
they are composed form complex organic compounds which differ funda-
mentally from any inorganic compound by exhibiting an organised
structure. Such an organized structure is seen in the simple cell, the

THE MINERAL, VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS. 3

germ of living organisms; it cannot be prepared artificially from its
elementary constituents, but is the sole and direct product of life. All
bodies possessing life consist essentially of cells, minute solid particles
and fibres.

Again, in these living bodies the ordinary spectator perceives at once
a great and striking difference. The grass indeed waves in the wind,
the trees bow to the tempest, the flower turns to the light, the sensitive
plant shrinks from the touch. But the snake creeps through the grass,
the birds fly from tree to tree, the bee or the butterfly hovers over the
flower, the seas and rivers are filled with creatures that swim through
the waters. Such bodies not merely live, but live and move. The tree
seems not to feel a pang when the woodman’s axe cuts into its tissues,
the grass does not apparently feel the scythe, but the moving creatures
are susceptible of pain and pleasure. They not merely live, but live and
move and feel.

Linnzus, the father of Natural History, said that “Plants grow,
animals grow and move,” and his definition will suffice for the higher
classes of animals and plants; but modern microscopic investigations
show that it will not do for the lower classes. Many of the plants possess
powers of locomotion, many of the animals are rooted to solid objects
and destitute of any nervous organization. Perhaps the most reliable
test which enables us to distinguish between the animal and the plant
is the nature of their food, although even this test is not of universal
application.

We may distinguish, then, between the VEGETABLE and ANIMAL
KINGDOMS by saying that the plant lives on wnxorganized materials, espe-
cially carbonic acid, water, ammonia and salts, organizing them and
evolving oxygen, while the animal lives upon organized materials taking
up oxygen and evolving carbonic acid. The animal cannot produce the
complicated chemical compounds it needs for its structure, the plant can
do so. Without sunlight the plant cannot grow or assimilate carbon and
eliminate oxygen; without vegetables the animal cannot live. Thus, in
literal truth as well as in ancient fable, we are the children of the sun.

Abandoning the VEGETABLE KINGDOM with all its marvels and beau-
ties to the BOTANIST, let us confine ourselves to the ANIMAL KINGDOM,
to creatures which live and move and feel.

It is at once obvious that the number of living beings which swarm
on the earth, in the air, in the water, is so vast and enormous that some

4 INANIMATE AND ANIMATED NATURE.

classification is absolutely necessary if we wish to acquire a clear
knowledge of the Animal Kingdom as a whole. The simplest system
of classification is that named morphological (from the Greek words morphe
form, and /ogos science), by which animals that are constructed on the
same plan are placed in the same group. The first grand division we
make is between animals that have a backbone, the VERTEBRATA, and
animals that have no backbone, the INVERTEBRATA.

THE INVERTEBRATA are divided into five sub-kingdoms: PROTOZOA,
structureless jelly-like creatures of minute size; CGi:LENTERATA, animals
without a heart or nervous system, such as the ordinary “Sea Nettle”;
ANNULOIDA, a class which contains the “ Star-fishes”’ and “ Tape-worms”;
ANNULOSA, animals composed of different segments arranged one behind
the other; to this sub-kingdom belong forms so widely different to the
eyes of the superficial observer as “ Earth-worms,” “ Lobsters,” “ Spiders,”
“Bees”? and “ Butterflies.” Lastly, the Mou.Lusca, of which the best
known are the “ Oyster” and the “ Snail.”

The VERTEBRATA are so-called from the Latin word vertebra (joint
of the backbone), and possess a backbone made of many parts joined
together. Each joint consists of a central portion which helps to give
rigidity to the body and support to the limbs. On the upper part of this
central portion are certain projections, called in technical language
processes, that form a protection to the spinal cord; on the lower part
are similar processes which cover the great descending artery. The
joints of this backbone from the top of the neck to the end of the tail
are made up of similar parts. In the neck we do not find ribs, but
the rudiments of ribs. In the back the lower bony processes are elon-
gated into ribs; in the loins the processes again degenerate; in the
haunches they become confluent with bones that form a cylndzical
covering for the softer vessels, and offer a strong fulcrum for the lower
limbs. Nay more, the skull is made up of parts corresponding to four
vertebre.

The nervous system of the Vertebrates consist of the évazz, enclosed
in the bony cavity of the skull, and the spzxa/ cord, whence spring at inter-
vals symmetrical pairs of nerves distributed to the voluntary muscles.
The organs of sense become more perfect, the eyes are invariably two in
number, and sagacity is developed in proportion as the nervous centres
expand. The blood is red, and the temperature of the body higher than
that of the surrounding medium. But this temperature differs so much

CLASSES OF VERTEBRATES. 5

in the various classes of Vertebrates, that they are sometimes distin-
guished into COLD-BLOODED and Hor-BLOODED Vertebrate.

To the COLD-BLOODED Vertebrata belong the countless race of
PIsCEs, or FISHES. They breathe by gills; the heart is usually of two
chambers; the limbs when present become fins. The AMPHIBIA have
gills and a two-chambered heart when young; when old, lungs and a
heart of three chambers; the limbs never become fins. The REPTILES
have lungs, not gills, a three-chambered heart, and the skin covered with
plates or scales.

The HoT-BLOODED Vertebrata contain two classes: AVES, or birds,
and MAMMALIA. In the birds the lungs are connected with air recep-
tacles in various parts of the body; the heart consists of four chambers;
the skin is covered with feathers; the forearms become wings. Like
fishes and reptiles, birds are ovdparous or egg-layers. The MAMMALIA
form the subject of this volume.

The subjoined table will show the method of division or classification
that we have adopted in order to narrow our field of view from the
world at large down to that portion of its inhabitants to which we our-
selves belong. CLASSES are divided again into Orders; ORDERS sub-
divided into Genera, and GErNUS into Species. SPECIES may be so
_modified by accidental external circumstances as to give rise to Varieties,
and VARIETIES embrace more or fewer INDIVIDUALS.

Kingdoms, Sub-Kingdoms. Classes.
MINERAL
VEGETABLE é
{ INVERTEBRATE | I. Fishes.
ANIMAL........ Cold-blooded...... II. Amphibia.
i ee III. Reptiles.
fot-blooded. ...... IV. Birds.
V. Mammalia,

INOS
33a eS —

Ee PSEA SSDS

CRAP TER LE

THE CLASS MAMMALIA—GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS—THE “‘DENTAL FORMULA”—
DIVISION INTO ORDERS.

HE name MAMMALIA is derived from the Latin word mamma,

“a teat,” and signifies animals that have teats. The possession

of these organs constitutes the most apparent and decisive dis-
tinction between the Mammalia and the other classes of animals. They
alone bring forth their young alive and suckle them with their milk.
The fishes cast their spawn upon the waters, careless of their future off-
spring. The reptile leaves its eggs to be hatched by the sun’s ray, and
so far exercises some degree of forethought for its posterity. The bird
sits patiently on her nest till her fledglings appear from the egg, and then
tenderly watches over them, feeds them, and gathers them under her
wings. But the mammal brings forth her young alive, and nourishes
them at the living fountain of her breast.

While all mammals possess teats, the number and position of them
vary. Some, like the cow, have them on the belly ; some, like man, have
them on the breast; some, like the sow, have them on both. In general,
the number of these teats corresponds to the number of young each
animal bears at a birth.

The Mammalia vary greatly in size. How enormous is the difference
in this respect between the elephant and the mouse, or between the
whale and the bat, between the giraffe and the mole. Yet all are con-
structed on the same plan. In all the vertebrates, as we have said, the
skull consists of modifications and developments of parts corresponding
to four vertebrz ; in all the mammalia the number of the neck vertebrze
are the same. Seven vertebre form the neck of the giraffe as well as
that of the seemingly neckless whale. In birds, on the contrary, the
number of vertebrze increase with the length of the neck. The vertebrze
in the back vary in number from ten to twenty-three, the commonest
number being thirteen; man, however, has only twelve. The vertebrz

wee

THE SKELETON AND LIMBS. Y/

in the loins are commonly seven; man possesses five, but some animals
have as many as nine or as few astwo. The sacral vertebrz are amal-
gamated in most cases into a single bone, and the vertebrz of the tail
vary from four to forty-six in number, and are usually freely movable
on each other. The number of ribs varies with the number of the dorsal
or back vertebre.

The limbs are the members in which the greatest differences are seen.
The regular number is four, and hence this class, the mammalia, are
sometimes called Quadrupeds, or four-footed things. We must remem-
ber, however, that many reptiles walk on four legs, and that in some
genera of mammalia the hind limbs are either wanting or entirely rudi-
mentary. The fore-limbs also exhibit striking differences in the various
classes; the hand in the ape becomes in the cat a paw, and in the horse a
single hoof; the fingers in one animal are five in number, in another
only one is found.

This skeleton, this bony framework, is moved by muscles which lie
close to the bones and move them in diverse directions. To describe
the muscular or other tissues is the function of the anatomists, and who-
ever desires to have a perfect knowledge of their wonderful constitution
must consult some treatise on Anatomy. Such descriptions are out of
place here; it is sufficient for us to remark that the muscles stand in the
strictest harmony with the peculiarities of the skeleton and the animal's
mode of life, which mode of life both influences and is influenced by the
figure of the animal. In some, one muscle is wanting, in others, another ;
the whales, for example, have no neck muscles, the apes have them
developed as in men. Animals that climb, or burrow, or fly, or prey,
have immense muscles to the upper arm; those that run have immense
muscles of the rump and shoulder. In brief, each creature is provided
as befits its mode of life, or its mode of life has developed the fitting
provision.

A like variation is seen in the organs of nutrition. The mouth with
fleshy, sensitive lips is a characteristic feature of all except the small
order of the Monotremata. The teeth vary remarkably both in number
and shape. Like the hoof or foot, the teeth are admirably adapted
in the case of each species to enable it to support its existence; and
hence these two features form a convenient basis for classification. Teeth
indeed are wanting in the scaly and great ant-eaters, and are found in
the whale only before it is born, but the great majority of mammals

8 MAMMALIA.

possess teeth invariably planted in distinct sockets in the jaw; in most
cases the young animal has m7/é ¢eeti, which are ultimately succeeded by
permanent teeth. In man the teeth may be divided into four groups: the
incisors or Cutting teeth in front, the canine or eye-teeth, the false molars,
and the back teeth or mo/ars. The number of teeth in any animal is
usually expressed by what is called the “ Dental Formula.” We know
that in each half of each jaw there is a like number of teeth; hence we
have in man the “ dental formula” as follows:

fee i Se PS =

2—2 I—1 2—2 3-3
where I. denotes zzczsors ; C., canine; F.M., false molars ; M., true molars ;
the figures above the line the number of teeth in the upper jaw ; those in
the lower line, in the lower jaw; the first numbers in each group, the
teeth in the left; the second ones, the teeth in the right jaw ; the final
figures, the total number of teeth inthe mouth. The same dental formula
is given for the chimpanzee, but what a difference it presents to that of
the ruminant or cud-chewing animal! The dental formula of the sheep,
for example, is

ie oe: Fs Me 28 iy oS eae

, > = iat ho —
Sian 3 ae Shae Siem

Thus we see at a glance that while the sheep has as many teeth as our.
selves, they are widely different from ours in position. In the upper jaw
the incisors and canines are wanting; the false molars are three in each
side, while we have but two; the molars in both jaws are as numeroug
as our own; in the lower jaw there are three incisors on each side
against our two, and the same number of canines as we possess.

In the Carnivora, or flesh-eating animals, the molars assume a cutting
character, while in those that feed on herbage, the Herbivora, the molar
structure prevails. In the Rodentia, or gnawing animals, such as rats or
squirrels, the incisors project forward and are continually growing; in
the e/ephant there are no lower incisors, but the upper incisors, two in
number, grow into enormous tusks. In the adult whale, the teeth are
replaced by the whalebone plates.

The digestive organs of the Mammalia do not differ to any great
extent. They possess one stomach with the exception of the Rum¢nantia,
or cud-chewers, which have four, the first three of which are so arranged

THE HEART AND RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 9

as to allow the food to be returned with ease into the mouth. The intes-
tines vary in length considerably. In the Carnzvora, or flesh-eaters, their
length is only three or four times the length of the animal’s body ; in the
Herbivora, or grass-eaters, they are from twelve to twenty-eight times
their length. It is worthy of notice, as indicating how a change in struc-

~ ture may be developed by change of food and habits, that the intestines
- of the common cat whom domestic life has accustomed to a less carniv-

orous diet, are longer than those of its wild and bloody kindred.

The heart of the Mammalia is a double heart, consisting of two
auricles and two ventricles, which are provided with valves so arranged
that the blood can flow from the auricle into the ventricle, but not from
the ventricle to the auricle. The course of the blood through this organ
may be briefly described. The venous blood that has become impure
in the tissues is returned by them to the right auricle, and is then dis-
charged into the right ventricle. The powerful muscles of the heart
thence propel it to the lungs, where it meets the air taken in by respira-
tion and is changed into arterial blood. From the lungs it is drawn back
into the left auricle, passes into the left ventricle, and is thence forced
through the arteries to all parts of the body, and then by means of the
exceedingly fine vessels called capillaries, passes again once more into
the veins.

Venous blood is changed into arterial blood in the lungs, where it
absorbs the oxygen of the air. The /ungs are two in number, one on
each side of the chest, and communicate by the bronchial tubes and the
trachea, or windpipe, with the outer air. The windpipe we can all feel
in the front of our necks; it divides in the chest into the two bronchial
tubes, and they are subdivided into an infinite number of little rootlets
that enter into the substance of the lung.

The air is taken into and discharged from the lungs by the operation
of breathing; and breathing is effected by the elevation and depression
of the ribs and the contraction and relaxation of the flat, powerful mus-
cular partition which separates the cavity containing the stomach and
the intestines from the chest, which contains the heart and lungs. The
air we inhale enters the lungs laden with oxygen; the air we exhale
leaves them laden with carbonic acid gas.

The d/o0d, which the lungs renew and the heart distributes, is of a
light red color. It is the substance which animates the whole being, and
from which all the complex structures of the body are formed. Blood

10 MAMMALIA.

when freshly-drawn is of a uniform appearance; if it is allowed to stand,
a dark red mass called the clot rises to the surface, the fluid below,
named serum, becomes colorless. This process of coagulation occupies
about twenty minutes, and during it a peculiar odor is emitted. The
upper part of the clot is covered with a film of fibrous matter called
fibrin; the remainder consists of myriads of small, round bodies called
corpuscles, which can be readily seen by examining a drop of blood under
the microscope. These blood corpuscles are circu/ar in the Mammalia,
while in the other Vertebrates they are elliptical, and even in the class
of Mammalia the distinction between the blood of the various orders is
so marked as to .enable a practised eye to indicate the kind of animal
from which it has been taken.

Under the microscope the blood corpuscles are seen to consist of two
classes, red and colorless corpuscles; and Huxley writes, “The inverte-
brate animals which have true blood corpuscles, possess only such as
resemble the colorless corpuscles of man. The lowest vertebrate ani-
mals possess only colorless corpuscles. Vertebrate animals, the young
of which are born from eggs, have two kinds of corpuscles, colorless ones
and red ones, oval in shape and possessing a nucleus. All the animals
which suckle the young (the Mammalia) have, like man, two kinds of
corpuscles, colorless ones and small colored corpuscles, the latter being
always flattened and devoid of any nucleus. They are usually circular,
but in the camel tribe they are elliptical. In the vertebrate series the
colorless corpuscles differ much less from one another in size and form
than the colored. The latter are smallest in the little musk deer, in which
animal they are about a quarter as large as those of a man. On the
other hand, the red corpuscles are largest in the Amphibia, in some of
which animals they are ten times as long asin man.” The blood is the
product not of one organ, but of all; and it is profoundly affected by the
circumstance that every part of the body takes something from the blood
and pours something into it. “The blood may be compared to a river,
the nature of which is determined by that of the head-waters, and by
that of the animals which swim in it, but which is also much affected by
the soil over which it flows, by the water-weeds which cover its banks,
and by affluents from distant regions, by irrigation works which are sup-
plied from it, and by drain-pipes which flow into it.”

We have gone somewhat fully into detail respecting the blood,
because “the Blood is the Life.”

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. II

The teats or mamme from which this class derives its technical name,
are supplied with the milk which supports the young by glands con-
sisting of bunches of tiny cells. These by means of very small tubes pour
their secretions into larger vessels, which unite into five or six principal
vessels, that are capable of enlargement according to the amount of
milk which they are called upon to hold. These reservoirs become
smaller towards the mamma or teat, and serve as tubes for the convey-
ance of the milk into the mouth of the young.

As regards the organs of sense, that of sight is perhaps more highly
developed in birds than in any other class of animals, but the others are
generally most highly developed in the Mammalia. Especially is this the
case with the sense of touch, which reaches its highest delicacy in the
human hand. The sense of taste varies according as the animal is
HERBIVOROUS, CARNIVOROUS, or INSECTIVOROUS.

These various senses convey intelligence of the external world to the
brain, and from the brain the voluntary muscles receive their orders to
exercise their various functions. The brain which receives this inteili-
gence and issues these directions, together with the multitudinous chan-
nels through which they are conveyed, belongs to the Mervous System.
From the great nerve mass, the drain, protected by the bony armor of the
skull, there runs the great cord of nervous matter, the spinal cord, which,
defended by the vertebrae, extends along the back, giving out branches
of various sizes. These nerves are composed of fibres, and those fibres
which form the anterior root of a nerve give rise to motion, and those
which form the posterior root give rise to sensation. This nervous sys-
tem, then, not only enables us to move our bodies and to know what
is going on in the external world, but enables us to discriminate nutri-
tious from innutritious matters, tells us when food is needed, gives us
the power to seize and kill, guides the hand to the mouth or the mouth
to the food, and governs all the movements of the jaws and of the
alimentary canal—it rules the vital actions.

The drain varies considerably in size ; in some Mammalia it resembles
the brain of birds, but as we rise in the scale it quickly changes from the
less to the more perfect, and displays convolutions which in number and
extent are proportionate to the intelligence of the animal.

The intelligence of man and the intelligence of the brute creation
have been distinguished by the names of Reason and Justinct respectively.
A distinction like this is convenient, and unobjectionable if we remem-

12 MAMMALIA.

ber that it implies only difference in the degree, not in the kind of intel-
ligence. Animals possess memory, can distinguish objects, have per-
ceptions of time, place, color and sound; can learn, apprehend, judge
and conclude. Like man, they learn by experience, they perceive danger
and devise means to avoid it, they like and dislike, love their friends and
benefactors, hate their enemies and ill-doers; they exhibit gratitude,
loyalty, respect and contempt, anger and gentleness, cunning and saga-
city, deceitfulness and honesty; some think before they act, some stake
life and liberty to gratify their impulses. Animals comprehend the
benefits of association, and sacrifice themselves for the good of their
society ; they tend their sick, support the weak, divide their food with
the hungry; they can subdue their desires and passions, and have an
independent will. They can recall the past, and forecast the future, for
which they save and provide. In character, too, animals differ widely.
They are daring or timid, bold or cowardly, open or sly, proud or hum-
ble, trusting or suspicious, docile or stupid, servile and tyrannous, lovers
of peace or lovers of strife, merry or sad, joyous or melancholy, fond
of or averse to society, friends to each other or foes of all the world.

Their characters are altered and their faculties developed by educa-
tion. The horse, the dog, the ox, the elephant display, when tamed and
trained by man, powers which their wild kindred never exhibit.

The Geographical distribution of animals has attracted much attention,
but any detailed classification of animals according to their location
would, we think, be needless in this work. We may remark generally,
that the Quadrumana inhabit the Tropics, but the families in the Western
Hemisphere are different from those that dwell in the Eastern; the
Marsupials are most abundant in Australia, with some genera in America.
There are no £dentata in Europe, nor any native Rumzinantia in Aus-
tralia. The Chetroptera, Carnivora, Rodentia, and Cetacea are citizens of
the world.

We have not yet spoken of the external covering of most tribes of
Mammalia. Their coats vary both in color and thickness according to
the dwelling-places and habits of the wearer; from the stripes of the
tiger to the white fur of the polar bear. This external coat consists of
hair, which in the sheep becomes wool, in the swine bristles, in the
hedgehog prickles, in the porcupine quills; the scales, nails and horns
which some orders possess are formed by the close contact of the roots
of the hair, whose horny filaments join firmly together and compose solid

CLASSIFICATION, 13

flakes. Asa general rule, the coat falls off in spring or autumn and is
replaced by new hair.

In one very striking point, ¢e voice, the Mammalia are far inferior to
the birds. Man, indeed, possesses a voice that can produce articulate and
melodious sounds, but his fellow mammals are a tuneless and songless
race, and their tones have no charm for us. The voice of most of them
is disagreeable, and becomes more so when the animal is excited. Love,
which bids the bird warble its melodious lays, only makes the voice of
the mammal more unpleasing. Compare the notes of our feathered
denizens of the air and the amatory serenades of the domestic cat. We
admire indeed the poet’s verse that tells us how

“The lowing herd winds slowly o’er the lea,”

but we admire it as a picture of evening; it is not the “lowing,” but the
idea of return from labor that please us. “Lowing”’ in itself is as inhar-
monious as the bleating of sheep, the grunting of swine, the braying of
the ass. The voice of all mammals, excepting man, is rough, dissonant,
devoid of flexibility, and not susceptible of cultivation.

We must now proceed to enumerate the orders into which all the
animals comprehended in the class MAMMALIA are divided. Without
such a further classification we should be in a labyrinth “in endless
mazes lost.” We will, however, first give as briefly as possible a defini-
tion of the class.

“The MAMMALIA form a class of VERTEBRATE animals. They bring
forth their young alive and nourish them with milk. They breathe by
means of lungs; their heart is four-chambered; the appendages to the
skin take the form of hair.”

The basis of classification of the Mammalia has been a subject of
frequent discussion. The first and most obvious division is into PLa-
CENTAL and NoNn-PLACENTAL Mammals; in the former the unborn
young are nourished by means of the f/acenta, and are not born till
they are able to obtain their natural food, milk, by their own exertions.
In the latter, the young are born before there is any necessity for a pla-
centa to supply them with the nutrient materials of the mother's blood ;
they are born so helpless that they cannot suck, but the milk is forced
into their mouths by a muscle surrounding the mammary gland. But
these grand divisions are too large, for the class of placental mammals
embraces animals so diverse as man and whales, bats and elephants,

14 MAMMALIA.

sheep and tigers. Commencing, then, with the creatures most like man,
we arrange Our ORDERS in a descending scale. The technical Latin
names will be explained at the beginning of our account of each order.

CLASS MAMMALIA.

PLACENTAL DIVISION.

OrpER I—QUADRUMANA., ORDER VII.—UNGULATA.
IIl.—CHEIROPTERA. VIII.—PROBOSCIDEA.
IIIL—INSECTIVORA, IX.—HYRACOIDEA.
IV.—CARNIVORA. X.—RODENTIA.
V.—CETACEA. XIL—EDENTATA.
VI—SIRENIA.

NON-PLACENTAL DIVISION.

OrpEer XII.—MARSUPIALIA. Orper XII]—MONOTREMATA,

The above arrangement is in accordance with the conclusions of the
most eminent naturalists of the present day, and is undoubtedly the most
convenient for a popular exposition of the Natural History of the Mam-
malia. We may mention, however, that many scientific writers separate
the Ruminantia from the Ungulata, that some form Ruminantia, Ungulata
and Proboscidea, and some only the two latter, into an order called
PACHYDERMATA.

OR DER, 1:

OUA DK UM ANA.

QUADRUMANA OR PRIMATES.

I1.—ANTHROPOIDEA.

> SIMIAD AD 22) = 9-4-0 = TANTHROROID PARES,

. SEMNOPITHECID - - - OLD WorRLD MONKEYS.

. CYNOPITHECIDA - - - BABOONS AND MACAQUES.
CEBIDA “=. 27, = 72) NEw Worep MoNKnys:
. HAPALIDA = = = = = = MARMOSETS:

IL—LEMUROIDEA.

EE MUIR DAS ae ban =) =e MUIRS:
DARSTED A ato e a eon cowie ARSIERS,
. CHEIROMYIDAD “= —-) = = -AvE=AVES:

CREE Pr. Ti. 7S

THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF QUADRUMANA—THEIR HABITS IN THEIR NATIVE HAUNTS—
THEIR GREGARIOUS DISPOSITION—DIVISION OF THE QUADRUMANA.,

HE word Quadrumana is formed from two Latin words, guattuor,

“four,” and szanus, “a hand,” and means, therefore, “ four-

handed.” To this order belong all the monkey tribes; and a
comparison of the foot of a monkey with that of a man will indicate
the reason why they are called “ four-handed,” while man is called in
scientific language a dzmanous (from the Latin dznus, “two,” and manus,
a ‘“‘hand”’), or two-handed animal. In man the upper limbs terminate
in a hand consisting of four fingers and a thumb, which thumb is capable
of being ““opposed”’ to each of the fingers. By “opposed” is meant
that the thumb is so adjusted as to grasp objects between itself and the
fingers. This arrangement is extended in the Quadrumana to the hind
limbs; the inner or great toe is opposable to the other toes, the hind
feet become hands and can grasp objects as easily and firmly as the
human hand does. Such a construction enables the animals possess-
ing it to climb with ease, and hence we find that the favorite home of
this order is in the woods and forests of the warmer regions of the two
hemispheres.

From the very earliest ages the extraordinary resemblance of the
monkey tribes to man has attracted the curiosity of mankind. The
ancient Egyptians sculptured their forms on their granite monuments,
and reverenced some species as gods. The modern Arabs regard them
as the progeny of the evil one, for whom nothing is sacred, nothing
venerable, who have been cursed since the day when God changed them
from man into apes, and who still bear in strange combination the form
of the devil and of man. We of the present day look upon them with
mixed feelings. The caricature of the human form and human faculties
which they exhibit is tolerable to us in the smaller, playful species,

18 QUADRUMANA.

abhorrent in the larger, wilder kinds. They are at once too like and too
unlike ourselves. Like man, they can stand upright; like man, they
have hands, a hairless face, and eyes looking directly forward. Yet even
these hands, so like ours to the ordinary eye, are not the admirable
instrument possessed by man; the thumb is shorter and more widely
separated from the fingers, and the fingers cannot act separately like a
man’s. The haggard, hairy body, the long arms, the thin, calfless legs,
the small, receding skull, and the thin, in-drawn lips, are all character-
istics of the ape, the very opposite of those found in man.

Morally as well as physically, the apes eonstitute the “seamy side’
of man. They are malicious, cunning, sensual, greedy, thievish, easily
provoked to rage, and have human vices and defects. But they are not
without what we name virtues. They are sagacious, cheerful, social,
devotedly fond of their offspring, and display striking compassion towards
the sick and weak. Intellectually they are neither so much higher than
other animals, nor so much lower than man, as is commonly maintained.
The possession of a hand gives them great advantages over the rest of
the animal kingdom, they have a strong tendency for imitating, and are
easily taught actions which no other animals can perform. And if we
compare the mental qualities of the ape with those of the dog, to the
disadvantage of the former, we must remember that man has been for
thousands of years training and educating the dog, while the ape has had
no opportunity of enjoying the elevating society of mankind. Taking
this circumstance into account, we must recognize the ape as the most
sagacious of beasts. Yet he is deceived and out-tricked with ease: his
passions conquer his prudence. The Malays make a small hole in a

’

gourd, and then place in the interior sugar or some fruits that apes
love. The ape inserts its hand through the narrow opening, grasps a
handful, and finds that it cannot be withdrawn again; it allows itself to
be captured rather than lose its grasp on the dainties it has seized.

The apes are the most agile and active of the Mammalia. When on
a raid for food they are not at rest fora moment. They devour every
species of food—tfruits, roots, bulbs, corn, nuts and leaves—and insects,
eggs, and young birds form the delicacies of their repasts. In search of
provender their bands spread through the forests; even the elephant
dares not invade the spots where the ape is foraging. But while jealous
of guarding what they consider their own right, the rogues care not for
the rights of others. ‘“ We sow, the apes reap,” is a proverb in the

THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER. 19

Soudan. Fields and gardens especially suffer; neither lock nor bolt,
neither hedge nor wall can keep out the plunderers, who destroy much
more than they consume. To an unconcerned spectator, the sight of an
incursion of apes is an amusing spectacle. They run, they leap, they
climb, they swim, they perform in the branches of the trees astounding
feats of agility and acrobatic skill. Some seem to fly from bough to
bough; a space of six or seven yards across is a mere trifle; they will
drop ten feet or more perpendicularly toa branch; it bends with the
weight, and as it springs back again, the ape lets go and is shot off by
the recoil like an arrow from the bow. Every climbing plant is a ladder,
every tree is a high-road. Head foremost, tail foremost, up and down
they go as if on solid ground. If a branch breaks, they lay hold of
another; if their hands fail, their hand-like feet succeed, or if both fail
to grasp, the apes of this continent hold on by their tails. The American
monkeys make the tail a fifth hand, or rather their first, most-used hand ;
they hang by it, they rock themselves by it, they swing by it; their tail
is their hammock when they take their noon-day sleep.

This agility and grace of motion are confined to their actions when
climbing; their walk is awkward; even the largest manlike apes can
scarcely be said to walk; some put down the whole soles of their fect,
others support themselves on the knuckles of the hand and swing the
body forward in such a fashion that the feet come between the hands.
This incapacity of attaining to a walk such as man has, arises partly from
the fact that in the ape the orifice by which the spinal cord enters the
skull is set very far back, thus overbalancing the body, partly from the
conformation of the hind feet. These, as we have said, are like hands,
and the outstretched, separate thumb cannot furnish such a firm support
for the body as the great toe does, especially as the creature usually
walks on the outside of its foot. The Gorilla goes upright most easily,
and the Tschego shares this faculty. Many other species can maintain
an upright position for a time, but they sink down, when no longer able
to balance themselves, on their fore-limbs; when pursued by the hunter,
or pursuing their own foes, they move on all-fours.

Some tribes of apes swim excellently, others sink like lead; the latter
have a great dread of water. Many travelers describe how the Brazilian
monkeys form an ingenious bridge over rivers. A number of them climb
to a high branch on a tree on the bank of the river they wish to cross.
One monkey grasps the branch with his tail, and seizes with his hands

20 QUADRUMANA.

his neighbor’s tail; the second monkey seizes the tail of a third, and so
on till a chain of monkeys from the branch to the ground is formed.
This chain is then set swinging by the lowest monkey ; at every oscilla-
tion a fresh impulse is given it, and higher and higher does the end
monkey swing, till at last he grasps a branch on the opposite bank of the
stream. Across this primitive suspension-bridge the young and old
members of the band pass; when all have crossed, the first monkey
uncurls his tail, and the chain swings from the last monkey to the land
on the other bank. It is a pity that there is no truth in this fable.

Apes are social animals; very few are solitary; they usually gather
into bands. Each band has its own home, a spot of greater or less
extent, and fixes its home where food is most easily procured. When
they have settled on their location, they organize themselves. The
strongest, or oldest, or most capable of the males becomes their leader.
The dignity is conferred not by the suffrage of the people, but by victory
in a series of conflicts with every other male. The strongest arm and
the longest teeth decide better than an Electoral Commission. The
leader enforces implicit obedience and enjoys great privileges; he claims
and exacts the love of all the female members of his band, and woe to
maid or matron who dares to flirt with any young monkey. No chival-
rous respect for the fair sex restrains the despot from letting his erring
spouse feel the weight of his hand; the gallant comes off still worse, for
no trifling is permitted in love affairs. The leader is literally the “father
of his people.” When the band becomes too numerous for its home,
some bold youth becomes the leader of a secession, and fights his way,
in a new location, to supremacy in power and monopoly in love. Natu-
rally, not a day passes that is not signalized by some conflict for some
attractive dame, or by some assertion of his power by the leader.

The leader discharges his office nobly. Secure in his position, he
enjoys the esteem and flattery of his subjects: the ladies vie with each
other in delicate attentions, and in scratching and cleaning his hairy
skin, an operation he submits to with the air of a pasha amid the slaves
of his harem.

The sounds of which the ape is capable are well marked and numer-
ous. The cry of terror, which is a warning for flight, is peculiariy
remarkable. It is difficult to describe or imitate; it consists of a series
of short, abrupt, tremulous tones, and when it is heard, the whole troop
takes flight; the mothers call together their little ones, which cling fast

THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER. 21

to her, and hurry with their burdens to the nearest tree or rock. The
leader marches in front and indicates the path to be taken; not till he
announces that all danger is over, does the herd gather again and return
to resume their foraging. P

All apes do not fly from their enemies; the larger ones face the most
savage beasts of prey, and man himself. They fight with hands and
teeth in most cases, but have been known to employ as weapons broken
limbs of trees, and to hurl stones and fruit at their foes. Even to a man
armed with a musket the Gorilla is a dangerous opponent.

In captivity, almost all kinds of apes live in harmony together, but
they form for themselves a government resembling that of their days of
freedom—the strongest rules.

The females bear one or two young ones. This is regularly a small,
hideous creature; its limbs are longer in proportion than those of the
adult; its face, with its folds and wrinkles, is more like that of an old
man than a child. But its mother loves and tends it with touching care ;
the whole attitude and manner of the mother and child are strikingly
human as she presses her offspring fondly to her breast, while it flings
its arms about her neck, as she dandles it up and down in both hands,
or rocks it to sleep on her bosom. As soon as it can go alone, it is
allowed to play with other monkey infants, but the mother keeps her
eye on it, follows every step, every movement, and at the first symptom
of danger rushes towards it uttering her cry of warning and recall. If it
disobeys her she boxes its ears ; but this punishment is seldom required,
for the monkey child is an example to the human child, and rarely
requires speaking to twice. She divides her food with it, and instances
have been known where she has died of grief at its loss. If a mother
dies, some female of the band adopts the orphan and displays towards it
a tenderness equal to that with which she treats her own offspring.

It is not ascertained how long, on the average, apes are in arriving
at maturity. In accordance with all analogy, the larger are slower in
growth than the lesser. The American species probably attain their full
growth in three or four years; the baboons in eight to twelve years;
the anthropoid or manlike apes, such as the Gorilla, Chimpanzee and
Orang-outan, much later, as they shed their teeth at about the same
age as children. We know nothing of the sicknesses from which they
suffer when at liberty, nor how long they live; in all probability the
manlike apes live as long as man. In captivity, the climate of Europ>

22 QUADRU MANA.

seems fatal to most species, and the poor beast dies of consumption. A
sick ape is a sight to move the hardest heart. All his merry tricks are
gone; he sits sad and sorrowful, looking piteously at the faces of his
sympathizing visitors. The nearer he approaches his end the gentler he
becomes. All the brute seems to leave him; a higher spirit seems to
shine out. He is grateful for every attention, soon recognizes the physi-
cian as his benefactor, takes his medicine willingly, and without reluc-
tance submits to surgical operations.

In their native country the apes are more destructive than useful.
Some tribes of savages eat their flesh and make their skins into leather,
but they do not minister in any other way to the wants of man.

The above general description is drawn, of course, from observation
of the best known species, and due allowance must be made in many
cases for the exaggeration of travelers, and in many cases for our
ignorance.

The QUADRUMANA are divided by many writers into three sections,
which are separated from each other by their geographical position
and their anatomical peculiarities. The basis of this classification is the
animal's face, or rather its nose. The first section contains the Catarrhini
or “the straight-nosed,” the second the Platyrrhini or “ flat-nosed”’ apes,
the third the Strepsirrhini or “ twisted-nosed’’ Lemuridz.

The CATARRHINI have the same dental formula (see p. 8) as man, have
either no tail or a non-prehensile one, and the thumbs of all the feet are
truly opposable. They all belong, with one trifling exception, to Asia
and Africa, and include the ANTHROPOID or “ man-like” apes.

yw SEN

Cra er. Ns
THE ANTHROPOID APES.

THE AFRICAN DIVISION—THE GENUS TROGLODYTES—THE GORILLA—THE CHIMPANZEE—THE ASIATIC
DIVISION—THE GENUS SIMIA—ORANG-OUTAN—THE GENUS HYLOBATES OR GIBBON.

adopted, the Anthropoid apes are less widely separated from

man than from the lower races of apes. The body is strik-
ingly like the human form, the front limbs being longer, the hinder ones
shorter than ours; the position of the eyes and ears is the same as in
man; the body is covered thinly with hair, except the face and the
inside of the feet, which parts are bare; they have no tail. Among
the man-like apes, the first place must be assigned to the huge and
terrible inhabitant of Western Africa, the Gorilla.

| [ stove remarks that whatever system of classification is

I1—GENUS TROGLODYTES.

The GorRILLA, 7roglodytes Gorilla, (Piate I1.)—More than two thousand
,wo hundred years ago, a Carthaginian fleet set sail from the Mediter-
ranean to explore the coast of Africa. The commander of the fleet,
Hanno, left an account of his voyage, and we possess a Greek transla-
tion of his work. He describes how he passed the present district of
Sierra Leone, and then continues: “On the third day, when we had
sailed thence and passed the fire-stream, we came to the South horn.
In the bottom of the bay formed by this promontory was an island,
with a lake in which was an island where we found some wild men.
The mejority were females with hairy bodies, and our interpreter called
them Gorillas. We could not catch any males; they escaped easily by
clambering up and down the precipices, and defended themselveg by
hurling fragments of rock. We caught three females, but could not

24 QUADRUMANA.

bring them away because they bit and scratched. We were forced to
kill them, but we flayed the bodies and sent the skins to Carthage.”
To this account, Pliny adds that the skins were preserved in the temple
of Juno.

It is clear from the above extract from Hanno’s log-book, that he had
seen Anthropoid apes, and the name he uses is conveniently applied to
the species we are describing.

Tne Gorilla, called by the present natives Njina, represents a
distinct species. It is shorter but far broader than even a stout
man. <A full-grown male attains the height of about five feet five
inches, and measures from shoulder to shoulder nearly thirty-eight
inches. The length and strength of the fore-limbs, the dispropor-
tionate size of the hands and feet, and the connection by a skin of
the middle fingers and toes, are the most marked characteristics.

The neck of this animal is so short that its head appears to be buried
between its shoulders. The forehead is retreating. The ears are small,
and nearly on a line with the eyes. The nose is flat, but a little more
salient than in the other monkeys. The chest and shoulders are ex-
tremely wide. The abdomen is round and prominent. There is no
swell in the upper arm muscles, the lower limbs have no calves; the
hands are massive and thick, and the fingers short and stumpy. The
back of the hands is hairy; the finger-nails are black, thick, and strong.
The foot is proportioned like the hand of a giant, and is well adapted for
maintaining the body in a vertical position. The huge body is covered
with iron-gray hairs, each ringed with alternate bands of black and gray.
On the arms the hair is darker and longer, and sometimes exceeds two
inches in length. The head is covered with a crown of short, reddish
hair descending to the neck. The hair of the female is black with a red
tint, and is not streaked like that of the male; neither has the female the
red-colored crown until she is aged. The young Gorilla is of a jet-black
color. The eyes are buried beneath prominent and shaggy eyebrows, an
arrangement which gives the face a cruel look. The jaws are enormous,
and furnished with large canine teeth.

It is not yet ascertained how large a tract of country the Gorilla in-
habits; the interior of that part of Africa is not yet thoroughly explored,
but we may safely say that the Gorilla is found between the equator and
the fifth degree of north latitude, and that the forests traversed by the
rivers Gaboon Moonee and Fernando Vaz form its abode.

HABITS OF THE GORILLA. 25

Battell, towards the end of the sixteenth century, describes two mon-
strous apes, which he names the Pongo and the Ensego. Another tray-
eler calls by the name Impungoo “this monstrous production of Nature,
which grows to the height of from seven to nine feet.” {n 1846, we began
to receive more authentic accounts of this gigantic ape. The Reverend
Mr. Leighton Wilson of New York, a missionary at the Gaboons, saw a
dead Gorilla and obtained a skull, which he forwarded to Dr. Savage.
The same missionary procured another skull and part of a skeleton,
which he presented to the Natural History Society of Boston, Mass.
In 1852, Ford gave accounts agreeing in all points with those of the
gentlemen just mentioned; and finally, in 1867, Du Chaillu’s great
book, “ Equatorial Africa,” appeared. He tells how the king of the
African forests stood suddenly before him, with his powerful chest, his
mighty arms, his glittering eyes, and a countenance with a truly hellish
expression. He stood and beat his breast with his huge hands till it
echoed like a drum, while he uttered terrible roars. The eyes of the
creature grew fiercer, his hair began to bristle, he showed his savage
teeth and repeated his thundering roar. He came within ten steps of
the intrepid traveler, and roared; he came nearer, and again drummed
on his echoing breast. When he was six paces distant Du Chaillu fired,
and the creature, with a groan awfully human and yet thoroughly brutal,
fell dead on his face. The limbs quivered for a few minutes, then all
was still. Whatever suspicion Du Chaillu’s passion for fine writing may
have at first aroused, it is now agreed that his account of the Gorilla is
trustworthy. He agrees with the celebrated English philosopher, Owen,
in placing it in the scale of animals next to man, and adds that, in hunting
the Gorilla, “I have never been able to maintain the indifference, much
less experience the triumphant joy of a hunter. It always seemed as if
a fellow-creature, a monstrous one it is true, but still having about it
something human, was my victim. It was a delusion; I knew it, but yet
the feeling was stronger than myself.”

The Gorilla lives in the loneliest and darkest spots of the dense
African forest, preferring for his residence deep valleys, or rugged and
rocky heights in the neighborhood of water. It is a restless animal,
seldom two days together in the same place. This wandering is ren-
dered necessary by the difficulty of procuring food; for although the
Gorilla has enormous canines and is said to hunt the lion, it really is
exclusively a feeder on plants. Its favorite food is fruit, nuts, banana

26 QUADRU MANA.

leaves; and when it has laid waste an extensive space in satisfying its
enormous appetite, it goes elsewhere to seek a supply. It knows when
certain regions are fruitful, owing to the changes of the seasons, and
periodically visits them. It does not live in trees, and its huge size pre-
vents it from leaping like the lesser monkeys from bough to bough; it
only climbs to get food. Its favorite food is the wild sugar-cane, and
a nut of exceeding hardness, which it crushes in its iron jaws. The
young Gorilla, Du Chaillu thinks, sleep in trees, the older ones on the
ground with their backs leaning against a trunk. The Gorilla is not
social; they are found most often in pairs. If a solitary male is met
he is vicious and dangerous. Young Gorillas associate in fours and
fives. They run on all fours, and owing to their acuteness of hearing
it is difficult to get near them. There is no evidence to prove that
they ever build for themselves huts or shelter. The adult Gorilla is
very wary, and the hunter may spend a whole day without seeing one.
“When I have surprised a couple of Gorillas,” says Du Chaillu, “the
male has usually been seated on a rock or against a tree in the darkest
corner of the jungle. The female sat eating beside him, and, what was
very singular, it was nearly always she who gave alarm by taking to
flight, uttering at the same time piercing cries. But the male remained
seated for a moment, and knitting together his savage countenance,
slowly stood upright. Throwing a malicious glance at the invaders of
his retreat, he then commenced to beat his breast, to elevate his great
head, and to utter his formidable roars. The hideous aspect of the
animal at this moment it is impossible to describe. Looking at him, I
forgave my brave native hunters for being full of superstitious fears, and
I ceased to be astonished at the strange and marvellous stories current
among them with regard to the Gorillas.”

The Gorilla does not make use of a stick as a weapon; it only uses
in its assaults its arms, feet, and teeth. ‘With a single blow of its foot,
armed as it is with short, curved nails, it disembowels a man or frac.
tures his skull. In attacking this ferocious animal, experienced hunters
always reserve their shot until the last moment, for the report of frearms
irritates the terrible beast, and if the wound is not fatal, the Gorilla flings
itself with incredible violence on its aggressor, crushing at the same
moment both weapon and hunter.

When it is attacked, it utters a short, jerking, and acute bark, like
that of an angry dog; to this succeeds a low growling like distant thun-

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHIMPANZEE. 27

der, which appears to come from the spacious cavities of the chest and
abdomen rather than from the throat. The cry of the female and of the
young is shrill and piercing.

The Gorilla dies as easily as man; a ball well-directed produces
instant death.

The female does not attack the hunter; she flies with her little one,
which clings around her neck with its legs encircling her body. The
affection of these creatures for their young is so touching, so human,
that white men have not the heart to kill them. The natives have no
such scruples, and Du Chaillu saw some young Gorillas whose mothers
had been slain. He himself had in his possession a young male about
two to three years old and two feet anda half high. It was violent,
fierce and quite untamable. It repeatedly broke out of its cage; neither
hunger nor other means could conquer its obstinate love of liberty, and
when it was at last secured by chains it died suddenly of a broken
heart. A young female which was brought to him was a suckling, and
died from want of milk. Winwood Reade states that he saw in cap-
tivity a young Gorilla and a young Chimpanzee, and that they were
equally docile. He heard, too, a report that the Gorilla frequently pur-
sued women who went any distance from a village, and saw a woman
who affirmed that she had suffered from thé violence of a Gorilla, and
with difficulty escaped. He considers, however, that stories of captured
women living with apes in the forests to which they had been dragged,
are not deserving of implicit belief. Such stories are common in various
places, and have this basis in fact that the larger male apes will undoubt-
edly assault women.

Specimens more or less imperfect exist in the Natural History col-
lections at Boston and Philadelphia; no living Gorilla has ever been
brought to America, and only one to Europe. The latter unfortunate
animal died lately at Berlin from the effects of the climate.

THE CHIMPANZEE.

Wallace and others, differing from Owen and Du Chaillu, assign
the highest rank among the apes to the CHIMPANZEE, T7roglodytes niger,
(Plate I.)—Its appearance is certainly not so bestial as that of the
Gorilla or the Ourang-outan. The arms are shorter, the hands and
feet are better formed, and it can more easily assume a vertical atti-

28 QUADRUMANA.

tude; the legs show a slight development of calf. It is smaller than
the Gorilla, with a much shorter body; the head is proportionately
large, the face broad and flat, the brow less receding than the Gorilla’s ;
the nose is small, the mouth large with wrinkled lips. It has a pretty
thick coat of moderately long hair, which becomes longer on the cheeks
and the back of the head. The bare portions of the face are grayish-
brown, the hands and feet like brown leather, the lips a dull red. The
eyes are mild and soft, with a light-brown iris.

The Chimpanzee is found not only in the forests of Upper and Lower
Guinea, but far in the interior of Africa. It usually lives in pairs and
families; sometimes five are seen together; seldom more than ten, unless
on some festive occasion, when as many as fifty assemble and amuse
themselves by screaming and drumming on the old tree trunks. They
build nests in the trees, and provide these nests with roofs to turn the
rain. Rarely more than two of such nests are found together. The
Chimpanzee is not a social ape.

When at rest the Chimpanzee assumes a sitting position; usually
when discovered it is standing erect, but as soon as it perceives itself
observed it drops on all fours and runs away, differing in this respect
from the Gorilla which boldly faces the intruder on his privacy. It is an
excellent climber and leaps from tree to tree with astonishing activity.
A family group is often seen; the parents sit beneath the shade of a tree,
eating and chattering, the little ones sport around and swing from bough
to bough. Their food is usually fruits, nuts, leaves, or the bananas which
the negroes plant in their cornfields.

Of all the man-like apes, the Chimpanzee is the best known and the
most docile. Grandpret saw one that had been taught to attend to a
cooking-stove, and call the cook when it was hot enough. The same
ape worked with great intelligence on board ship, and hauled on, cast
loose or made fast the ropes with all the skill of a sailor. Brosse brought
a pair to Europe that ate at table, used a knife and fork, drank wine and
spirits, called the waiter when they wanted anything, and grew angry at
being neglected. The male had during a fit of sickness been bled by a
surgeon; and ever afterwards when it felt indisposed, it held out its arm
for the lancet. Lieutenant Sayers had a young one which was human
enough to attempt suicide. On its master refusing to give it its favorite
food, bananas, it rushed with its head against the wail so violently that
it fell backwards; it then mounted on a chest, extended its arms with a

THE CHIMPANZEE IN CAPTIVITY. 29

gesture of despair, and flung itself headlong down. The Lieutenant,
fearing to lose it, gave way, and the creature gave lively testimony to its
delight at its victory.

Buffon gives some interesting details regarding a young Chimpanzee
which was brought to Paris in 1740. This animal offered its hand to
lead people about who came to visit it; it promenaded with them in the
gravest manner as if keeping them company; it sat at table, spread out
its napkin, wiped its lips with it, and used its spoon and fork to carry
food to its mouth; it poured out its drink into a glass by itself, hob-
nobbed when invited to do so; it would take a cup and saucer, put them
on the table, put sugar in the cup, and pour tea over it, leave it to cool
before drinking it, and all this without any other instigation than the
signs or words of its master, and often even without this.

The Chimpanzee, writes Brehm, displays in all its actions so much
that is human that we almost cease to regard it as a beast. Its intellect
seems nearly on a par with that of the uneducated savage. It imitates
whatever it sees just as a child does; it fails because its hand has not the
capacity of the human hand, but its attempts are made consciously and
with reflection. It knows its position, and cordially regards itself as
higher than the other animals. It distinguishes between grown people
and children, respecting the former, loving the latter, provided always
they do not tease it. It expresses its feelings like men. It cannot laugh
indeed, but it wrinkles up its face and assumes an unmistakable expres-
sion of pleasure. It proclaims its sorrows not only by gestures but by
cries and wailing sounds that are intelligible to every one.

Of the many specimens which have been brought from their native
homes, most have perished by disease of the lungs. Dr. Martini describes
his visit to a sick Chimpanzee. “Covered up in its bed, it lay quite
still with a deep expression of suffering on its countenance, shaken by
paroxysms of coughing and at times turning its eyes upwards with sighs
of pain. It was shy at first, but I soon gained its confidence. It was
suffering from inflammation of the left lung accompanied with change
of tissue in both lungs and a swelling of the lymphatic glands on both
sides of the neck; a deep abscess pressed together the windpipe and the
throat. I resolved to open the abscess. The state of the lungs forbade
the use of chloroform; chloral hydrate produced a drowsiness, but not
anesthesia. He resisted all attempts at force by men. To my surprise,
when my assistants retired he voluntarily submitted to an examination

30 QUADRUMANA.

of the abscess. I resolved to perform the operation. Seated on the knees
of his keeper, the ape bent his head backwards and kept it quietly in that
position. The incision was quickly made; the creature neither shrunk
nor cried. Some thin purulent matter was pressed out, and his breathing
was reheved. An unmistakable expression of pleasure and comfort
spread over his face; he stretched out his hand to mine, and warmly
embraced his keeper. The wound in the neck soon healed, but the
inflammation of the lungs increased. He willingly and obediently took
all the medicines prescribed for him, and displayed great gentleness and
patience during his last hours. He died as a man dies.”

A couple of Chimpanzees which were kept at the Jardin d’Acclimata-
tion of Paris excited great attention. The following account of the
behavior of the survivor is by an eye-witness :

“T have had an ‘interview’ with the most interesting widower that
it has been my lot to meet in Paris. His poignant sorrow for his departed
spouse and his deep affection for the baby she left behind called forth my
warmest sympathy. This broken-hearted widower is a captive. His
prison is an iron cage. He seems resigned to his lot, and seeks consola-
tion in rendering kind offices to his little one, and in caressing it. The
widower is a powerfully-built individual, eight feet high, and has most
formidable fists, which he shuts like a prize-fighter. I do not exaggerate
when I say that a comparison between his forehead and the foreheads
of those who come to stare at him is not to their advantage. His cranium
is nobly developed, being well arched at the top, and full in the anterior
region.. But the nose is flat, and the mouth and chin are prognate. You
have already divined that I am speaking about the Chimpanzee at the
Jardin d’Acclimatation and his bereaved baby, which sleeps with its
head on the papa’s arm, and keeps its own arm round his neck when
it is awake. The senior animal, who has the advantage over his
masters of having thumbs on his feet, has a trick of doubling the
blanket which has been given him, and tucking it under the poor
orphan. When weary of playing with a silky monkey, which has
been turned into the cage to amuse the babe, it lies down to slumber.
The father’s eyes fill with tears as he watches the young thing, who
seems to understand his unhappy position and to be in close sym-
pathy with him. The female died eight days after the infant’s birth.

fer husband grew violent from despair when her corpse was thrown
overboard, and he was placed upon low diet to weaken the prodigious

THE BALD CHIMPANZEE. 31

strength of his fists. Physically low as he now is, he can still bend
up like a cane an iron rod an inch in diameter. I thought of Carac-
tacus as I watched him in his prison. There is much dignity in his
silent woe and resignation, and I fervently hope that he will never get
into the hands of vivisectors.”

THE BALD CHIMPANZEE.

The TscHEGO or Nschiego Mbouve, TZvoglodytes calvus, of Du
Chaillu differs in many respects from the Chimpanzee. A female
five years old in the Zoological Gardens at Dresden, is remarkable
for a head much smaller in proportion than the Chimpanzee’s; the body
is longer, the shoulders broader, the loins finer, the chest rounder,
the stomach less prominent than the corresponding parts of the Gorilla
or Chimpanzee. The arms are long, but the hands very narrow and
thin; the thumb is long and weak, the two middle fingers very strong ;
the legs are longer than those of the other manlike apes, the feet well
formed. The eyebrows are shaggy and prominent; the eyes small,
brown, lively, surrounded with wrinkles. The nose is flattened; the lips,
very mobile, are more protruding than the Chimpanzee. The face and a
great part of the fore part of the head are bare of hair, and Du Chaillu
therefore proposes for this ape the name of Zvoglodytes calvus, or the
bald Chimpanzee. Du Chaillu says that the Nschiego Mbouvé builds its
leafy nest in the boughs of the highest trees. The nest is composed of
small interlaced branches well thatched with feaves and impenetrable to
water; fixed by firmly tied bands, it is generally six to eight feet across
and dome-formed. The male and female join in building the nest, but they
live on different trees. These retreats are seldom used for more than ten
days, by which time the animal has ravaged the district around its habi-
tation and is compelled to move elsewhere in quest of food. Du Chaillu
killed a female Nschiego carrying her young one in her arms. He took
the little creature home, and in a few days it was so completely tamed
that he could allow it to wander at liberty without fear of it running
away. He could not move a step without being foilowed by the
youngster; neither could he sit down without having the animal climb.
ing on his knees, or hiding its head in his bosom. The poor little thing
found extreme pleasure in being caressed and nursed.

It was possessed of great intelligence, and showed wonderful cun

32 QUADRU MANA.

ning in its modes of pilfering, for “Tommy” soon acquired the art of
stealing.

“Tf I opened my eyes,” adds Du Chaillu, “while it was in the act
of committing theft, it all at once assumed an honest air and came to
caress me; but I could readily detect it darting furtive glances towards
the bananas.

“My cabin had no door, but was closed by a mat. Nothing could be
more comical than to see Tommy quietly raising a corner of this mat to
see if I was asleep. Sometimes I| feigned to be so, and moved just at the
moment when it was carrying off the object of its covetousness, when it
let it drop, and ran off in the greatest confusion.”

“Tommy” did not like sleeping alone; he watched until everybody
was asleep to creep furtively beside some negro friend; and there would
sleep without stirring until daybreak, when he usually decamped before
found out. Several times he was caught in the act and beaten, but he
persevered.

I1.—GENUS SIMIA.

The ORANG-OUTAN, Szmza Satyrus, (Plate I..}—The huge man-like
apes hitherto described are natives of Africa. But Asia produces
animals as large and fierce as any of the Western Peninsula. The
representative of the Asiatic anthropoids is the redoubtable ORANG-
OUTAN. The body, in which the abdomen is very prominent, is broad
at the hips, the arms are long, the neck short, with a large pouch
which can be inflated. The hands and fingers are long, the lips are
swollen and protruding, the nose flat, the eyes and ears small and like
man’s. In its terrible jaws the canines are prominent; the lower jaw is
longer than the upper jaw. The hair is thin on the back and breast,
but hangs long on the sides of the body; on the face it grows like a
beard; on the back of the head and the fore-arm it is directed upwards,
elsewhere downwards. The color of the hair is a rusty red, sometimes
a brownish red, darker on the back and chest, lighter in the beard. The
skin, where visible, is a bluish grey.

For our knowledge of the habits of this ape in his home, we are
indebted to the intrepid Wallace. The ORANG-OUTAN, called also the
Meias, appears to be confined to Borneo and Sumatra, where it dwells
in low swampy woodlands. An extent of unbroken lofty forest is a

ANECDOTES OF THE ORANG-OUTAN. 33

necessity for this ape. It traverses them with the utmost ease, passing
from tree to tree without touching the soil. “It is a strange sight to
see the MEIAS taking his way through the woods. He advances along
a huge bough, in a half upright attitude; he seems to select trees which
touch their neighbors. When he is near enough he puts out his long
arms, seizes the branch and pulls it to test its strength; if it stands the
test he swings himself into it, and thus proceeds; he never springs or
leaps, and never seems to hurry, although he goes as fast as a man can
run through the forest.”

His long arms are seen to be of the utmost value; they enable him to
climb easily, to reach the fruits on the highest, thinnest twigs, and to
collect leaves and sprigs to form his nest. How he builds this nest
Wallace relates. The Meias that he wounded, climbed higher up the
tree and began to break off branches and lay them across. With extra-
ordinary rapidity he seized with his still uninjured arm, boughs in
every direction, and in a few minutes had formed a close mass of leafage
which hid him from my view. A like nest is used for sleeping in, but
it is placed nearer the ground at a height of from eight to fifteen yards.
The natives say that when it rains the Meias covers his nest with leaves.
The Orang-outan does not leave his nest till the dew is dry on the
leaves. He feeds throughout the day exclusively on fruit, buds and
young shoots; he prefers unripe to ripe fruit, and eats them when
strongly bitter; he usually eats only part of each fruit plucked. It is
very rarely that the Orang-outan descends to earth; he does so only
when compelled to seek for water or food in the dry season. They
often stand upright, but never walk in that attitude unless they have
hold of a branch above them; representations of them walking by the
aid of sticks are purely imaginary.

The Dayak natives affirm that no animal is strong enough to injure
the Meias, and the only creature with which he fights is the crocodile,
which often attempts to seize him when plucking the young shoots
near the water. The Meias flies at this foe, beats him with his feet
and hands, tears his jaws open and slays him. The Meias seldom fights
with man.

In its native woods the Orang-outan seems to be an unsocial animal,
and leads a hermit-like existence, sitting in its nest till hunger impels it
to move. Like other apes it exhibits an objection to captivity, has great
cunning and great docility, together with great attachment to all that

34 QUADRUMANA.

treat it kindly; a grave and melancholy expression is usually seen on
its face.

Numerous living specimens have been brought to Europe. One at
Paris is described by Cuvier, who gives an anecdote of its intelligence.
“It was once shut up in a place in the vicinity of a saloon where it was
usual for persons to assemble. After a time solitude made it impatient,
and it endeavored to open the door in order to get in. But the bolt
was high and beyond its reach. Ultimately it dragged a chair to the
door, climbed up on it, and having drawn back the catch, triumphantly
entered.”

Another was brought to England by Dr. Abel Clarke; it was as
docile as affectionate. It took a fancy for two kittens and patiently
endured their scratches rather than lose their company. It was, how-
ever, observed trying to pull out their claws with its fingers. He adds:
“Since its arrival in Great Britain, it acquired, to my knowledge, two
habits which it certainly never practised on board ship, where its educa-
tion, I ought to say, had been very much neglected. One of these was
walking erect, or at least on its hind feet, without resting on its hands;
the second was to kiss its keeper. Some writers assert that the Orang-
outan gives real kisses, and they suppose that this is a natural act of the
animal. I believe that they are wrong: it is acquired from imitation,
and even then it does not altogether give a kiss like Man, by advancing
the lips.”

The Orang-outan is the very opposite in disposition to the Chim-
panzee. While the latter is lively and playful, the former is quiet, solemn,
and grave, his motions are slow and measured, and the expression of his
brown eyes inconceivably sad.

We have mentioned above that this animal possesses a throat-pouch.
This strange appendage is not a mere hollow sack, but is shaped like a
badly-made glove; it is larger in the male than the female. A careful
investigator, Mr. Vrolik, is of opinion that this throat-pouch has nothing
to do with the voice, but is “ intended to assist it in climbing and leaping.”
It is a pity that he did not show how it accomplishes this object. The
sac is connected by a passage with the windpipe, and can be inflated at
pleasure.

There seems to be in Borneo another species of SIMIA called by the
natives Meias Kassar. It is much smaller, than the Orang-outan, or
Meias Pappan, and has often been regarded as the young of the latter.

SPECIES OF GIBBONS. 35

iM GENUS HY LOBATES:

The Gipspons.—The third genus of the man-like apes is that of the
long-armed apes which are commonly called Gibbons. The scientific
name HyYLOBATES, or “forest walkers,” from the Greek yle “a wood,”
and éaino “to walk,’ was given them from the fact that they are chiefly
found in the dense forests of India and the Eastern Archipelago. For
life in the forest they are admirably adapted by the length of their fore-
arms.

The Gibbons are divided into Seven Species, some of which attain a
considerable size, although not exceeding three feet and a half. They
are the only Anthropoid apes possessing gluteal callosities. The body,
although the breast is well rounded, seems slender, owing to the thinness
of the flanks; the hinder limbs are much shorter than the fore limbs, and
in some species the long hand is characterized by a growing together
of the index and middle finger. The head is small and egg-shaped,
the face human-like, the tail is not visible externally. <A silk fur
covers their bodies, the colors being principally brown, brownish-gray,
or straw-color.

THE HULOCK.

The HuLock, Aylobates hulock, (Plate 1), bears clearly the marks of
the genus. It has no air-sack and the fingers do not grow together.
Its hair is coal-black except a white line across the forehead; in the
young it is dark-brown, and ash-gray on the back. The HuLock
inhabits Farther India and Bengal, especially the woody banks of the
Brahmapootra river.

THE LAR, UNKO AND WAUWAU.

These species are natives of Malacca and Siam. The Lar, Hylobates
far, is almost as large as the Hulock. The prevailing color is a dark-
gray, the hands are of a whitish-gray on the upper, but black on the
lower surface.

The Unko, Hylobates raffiesit, is distinguished from the Hulock
anatomically by the possession of fourteen pairs of ribs. Its face
and coat are black, inclining to reddish-brown on the back; the

36 QUADRUMANA.

eyebrows, cheeks and chin are white in the males, but dark-gray in
the females.

The Wauwau or Agile Gibbon, Hy/obates agiles, has a bare, blue-
black face, inclining in the female to brown, long hair of a dark-brown
color on the head, stomach, and inside the arms; on the shoulders and
behind the neck the hair becomes lighter, and in the females is light-
brown, while on the hinder parts down to the knees, it is of mixed white
and reddish hues. The hands and feet are dark-brown. The female is
lighter colored than the male; the hair on the cheeks is shorter, but still
long enough to make the face seem broader than it is long. The young
are of a yellowish-white color.

Doctor Franklin, speaking of the Agile Gibbon, says: “Some years
ago a female of this species was exhibited in London. The cries it
emitted when going through its performances, naturalists decided to be
most musical. This individual was timid and gentle. It preferred the
society of women to that of men. It was thought that this circumstance
was due to the bad treatment it had received at the hands of the stronger
sex. It was intelligent and observant: its piercing eyes seemed to be
always on the gu?z vive, scrutinizing every one, and missing nothing of
what passed around. When any one gained its confidence, it consented
after several invitations to descend from its perch and shake hands.”

The Gibbons, as we have observed, are admirably adapted for
climbing. The round chest gives room to the lungs, the strong hind
legs give great propelling power, the long fore arms enable them to
grasp securely the branch which is to be their next starting-point. An
easy comparison will show how disproportionately long their limbs are.
A man can barely touch his knee when standing erect, the GtgBoNs can
touch their ankles. Nothing can present a greater contrast than a
Gibbon in a forest, and a Gibbon on the ground. In the former they
fly like birds from bough to bough, their agility is boundless and grace-
ful; on the ground they seem out of their element, they move slowly,
they totter on their hind feet, and can only maintain their equilibrium
by the aid of their long arms. If the Gorilla is the Hercules, the Gibbon
is the Mercury of the ape world. The name Zar of one species is derived
from a naiad Lara whom Mercury loved.

The HuLock can only balance itself upright by raising its hands
above its head, and then it waddles rather than walks. If urged to
greater speed, it uses its long fore-arms. They hop rather than leap,

HABITS OF THE GIBBONS. 37

and when they use their arms they resemble cripples on uutches.
The WAuwau is the most agile. He ascends the smooth stems of the
bamboo, swings the tall cane backwards and forwards till he gathers
the required impetus, then flies over a space of thirteen or fourteen
yards, grasps another twig, a third, a fourth, and so on, till he seems
to shoot like an arrow. He is proud of his agility and is fond of dis-
playing it when there is no occasion. A female Wauwau in London
was kept in a large enclosure where trees were planted at a distance of
seven or eight yards apart. All spectators were struck with wonder at
its performances. It sprung from one tree to another without any pre-
paratory efforts, and never failed in its leap. It would continue this
performance for a considerable time, seeming scarcely to touch the
boughs. No less remarkable was the sureness of its hand and eye. If
an apple was flung at it during its flight, it caught it without a pause in
its course. In the midst of its swiftest career it could in a twinkling
change the direction of its flight, or come suddenly to a sitting position,
in which it seemed as if it had never been in motion.

If a young one in captivity could display such astonishing feats of
agility, it is needless to say that the adult Gibbon in its native forests
moves like a swallow through the air.

The Hutocks form bands of a hundred or a hundred and fifty
members, and are usually seen in the tops of very high trees, occa-
sionally descending to disport themselves in the clearings of the
forest. Owen relates that in riding through the jungle he came upon
a powerful band; the trees were full of them; they screamed and
grimaced at the intruder, and some of the bolder spirits followed him
as if with the intention to attack. Such attacks on travelers are said
to be not uncommon. Owen’s account, however, is at variance with
all other observers, who agree in describing the Gibbon as running
away from the sight of man.

At sunrise and sunset the Gibbons assemble and unite their voices in
a clamor that can be heard a full mile away. This cry is very peculiar.
Bennett says it begins with the fundamental note E and goes up through
the chromatic scale to the E an octave higher. As it runs up the scale,
the semitones come out slower and slower; as it descends, the notes
increase in rapidity till the end is a yelling scream. The regularity,
swiftness and precision with which these animals run up the scale is
astonishing. The Wauwau derives its name from its cry. It begins

38 QUADRUMANA.

ua, ua, ua, then the a becomes longer, the u shorter, till it sounds like
wa, and then the whole band join in the chorus.

The long-armed apes soon become tame. Harlan possessed a Hulock
that, like the large apes already described, could sit at table, and learned
to drink from a cup like a man. It preferred a vegetable diet, but some-
times ate a bit of fish or chicken. ‘When I paid him my morning visit,
he greeted me with a loud Wau, wau, wau! repeated till he was quite
out of breath. He liked to be combed and brushed, and stretched out
first one arm, then another. He knew my voice and replied when I
called to him from a distance.”

The Gibbons are seldom found in captivity, even in their native
country. They cannot bear the loss of freedom; they pine away in
regret for their forest home and woodland sports, and become gradually
quieter and quieter, sadder and sadder, till death sets them free.

IV.—GENUS SIAMANGA.

The SIAMANG, Stamanga syndactyla, differs in some considerable
respects from the preceding genus, and one of the most striking of
these is indicated by its name syndactyla (Greek syn “together,” dactylos
“a finger”). The iore and middle fingers of the posterior limbs are
united by a membrane, and its arms are shorter than those of the other
species. The low forehead presses down upon the eyebrows, the eyes
are deep-set, the nose flat, the nostrils large, the mouth enormous.
The air-sack, formed by loose folds of skin, consists of a double
pouch at the throat; it protrudes like a bird’s crop, and swells when
the creature cries. A thick soft coat of deep black hair covers the
body; the eyebrows, however, are of a reddish-brown, The hair
of the fore arm points upwards, that of the upper arm downwards,
just as in Man. The height of a full grown Siamang is about forty
inches, but it can span twice that length. It is a native of the thick
forests of Sumatra.

According to Duveaucel, the Siamangs collect in numerous troops,
under the leadership of an experienced chief, and greet the sun, at its
rising and setting, with cries which are heard for several miles around.
They are not very nimble, but their sense of hearing is extremely acute ;
the moment they notice the slightest sound, they decamp without delay.

HABITS OF THE SIAMANG, 39

But if they are on the ground, and they have not time to reach trees,
they are easily overtaken. The troop, however numerous, abandons
one of their members who is wounded unless the victim be a young
one; then maternal love bids the mother fly to the protection of her
offspring, and with inflated air-sack and outstretched arms she faces the
enemy. Otherwise, too, this maternal instinct is touchingly evinced.
The mother bears her little one to the river, bathes it in spite of its
cries, and carefully rubs it dry. The Malays affirm that the male parent
carries the male young ones, while the mother bears the females, and
travelers assert that this report is true.

One of these animals was for some time an inmate of a ship, where it
became quite companionable, and gained the affections of passengers and
crew. So far from exhibiting the sullen and sluggish demeanor which
has been attributed to this ape, the Siamang displayed great activity and
quickness, skipping about the ropes, and given to harmless tricks. It
took a fancy to a little Papuan girl who was on board, and would sit
with its arms round her neck, eating biscuit with her. It was of an
inquisitive nature, running up the rigging, and watching from its elevated
position a passing vessel, and remaining there until the ship was out
of sight. In temper it was rather uncertain, and apt to fly into a passion
if opposed in any wish.

When thus excited, it would fling itself down, just like a naughty,
spoiled child, roll about the deck with great contortion of limbs and face,
strike at everything which came in its way, and scream incessantly, with
a sound like “ Ra! ra! ra!”

It had a strange predilection for ink, and in order to procure this
remarkable dainty, would drain the ink-bottle whenever there was an
opportunity of so doing, or suck the pens in default of the liquid itself.
Being itself destitute of a tail, and feeling no fear of reprisals in that direc-
tion, the Siamang used to make very free with the tails of some monkeys
that lived on board of the same vessel. Catching an unfortunate monkey
by its caudal appendage, away went Ungka, as the ape was named,
dragging the monkey after him along the deck, until the wretched
animal writhed itself free from its tormentor. At another time, Ungka
would carry the monkey by the tail up the rigging, in spite of its squeaks
and struggles, and then quietly let it drop.

It was sensitive to ridicule; and when its feelings were hurt, it used
to inflate its throat until it resembled a huge wen, and looked seriously

40 QUADRUMANA.

at the offenders, uttering hollow barks at intervals. This sound seemed
to be used for the purpose of expressing irritation. Anger was expressed
by the shrieking “Ra! ra!” and pleasure by a kind of mixture between
a squeak and a chirp.

Wallace had a Siamang that used to play with his native servant.
Hence we may conclude that this genus does not deserve the character
given it by some authors who describe it as a dull and stupid animal,
that does not care to distinguish between friend and foes, that will not
move till forced to do so, hardly even taking the trouble to put its food
into its mouth.

Mr. Bennett the English naturalist confirms Wallace’s account of the
gentleness of this species. He writes: “Going into the courtyard where
Ungka was tied up one morning, I was sorry to see it occupied in trying
to get rid of its waist-belt and rope, while at the same time it uttered a
sharp, plaintive cry. When unfastened, it went towards a group of
Malays, and after catching hold of the legs of some of them, it ap-
proached one who was lying down, jumped on him, and closely embraced
him with an expression of recognition. I learned that this man in whose
arms the Monkey showed so much pleasure, was its first master.”

Mr. Bennett adds that Ungka preferred vegetables, such as rice and
onions, to flesh. She drank tea, coffee, and chocolate, but never wine or
spirituous liquors.

CEA Pa ERG ov.
THE OLD WORLD MONKEYS.

THE LONG-TAILED MONKEYS—THE GENUS SEMNOPITHECUS—THE PROBOSCIS MONKEY—THE DOUC—
THE GENUS COLOBUS—THE GUEREZA.

consider. the remaining apes of the Old World. The old world

monkeys differ from the anthropoid apes by the shortness of
their arm, the presence of tails and gluteal callosities, and, in many
instances, of cheek pouches. The “gluteal callosities’’ are those bare
and hard plates which are seen on the posterior parts of these animals,
and on which they rest when sitting. The cheek pouches are sacks,
more or less capacious, between the cheeks and the jaws, in which they
place their food when they wish to reserve it. Like the tailless apes,
the tailed monkeys of the Old World have the same “ dental formula” as
we ourselves possess; and their tails are not prehensile or able to lay
hold of anything. As a rule they are sagacious, but mischievous and
ungraceful, and very destructive. Hence some nations regard them
with fear and abhorrence, others regard them as sacred or divine.

The apes described in this chapter differ, as we have said, from the
anthropoid apes by the possession of a tail; they differ also from those
which will be hereafter described in the length of this appendage and
in the use they make of it. The tail in these genera is usually very long ;
it is habitually raised, and serves as a balance.

They are divided into two families, of which the first or SEMNO-
PITHECID& are distinguished by the absence of cheek pouches.

| EAVING the anthropoid or tailless apes, we now proceed to

I1—GENUS SEMNOPITHECUS.

The genus SEMNOPITHECUS (from the Greek words semuos, grave,
and fpithecus, ape) is found in Asia. They are slender, with long limbs,

42 ; QUADRUMANA.

a long tail, a small head, a hairless face, a short muzzle, and very
slight callosities. T77zwenty-nine Spectes are known.

The hands have long fingers, but the thumb on the fore limbs is very
short, and of no use for grasping. Their hair is fine, and often very long
on the head. The conformation of the stomach is peculiar, and distantly
resembles that of the Kangaroo. All species possess an air-sack.

They are natives of the mainland of Southern Asia and the islands
of the Indian archipelago. They live in troops in the forests, usually
near running water, and near villages and cultivated ground. Wallace
gives a very vivid description of them in their native haunts. The
traveler generally finds them in companies of twenty or thirty, busily
engaged in seeking food. They seldom are seen on the ground, unless
when picking up some fallen fruit. They pay no attention to the natives,
but avoid Europeans. When alarmed they hide in the trees, or fly with
extraordinary rapidity, springing from bough to bough. It is amusing
to witness the attempts the less agile make to follow their leader ; very
often some of the last of the company hesitate about taking a daring leap,
till the roremost are almost out of sight; then they are filled with despair
at the prospect of being left, jump wildly into the air, and often fall to
the ground. Their usual food consists of fruits of all sorts, buds and
leaves; they seem to prefer the buds of the red Hibiscus even to bananas.

THE HULMAN.

This species, the HULMAN or Huneman of the Hindoos, Semmnopithecus
entellus, is the Sacred Ape of India. As it is carefully protected by the
natives, it is very common in lower India. The tail is usually about
three feet long, the body about two. The hair is of a yellowish white,
the hairless parts dark violet. The face, hands and feet, as far as they
are hairy, and a stiff rim of hair projecting over the eyes, are black; the
short beard is yellow.

The Hulman or Huneman monkey occupies a high place among the
thirty millicn deities of the Hindoos, and has enjoyed this honor for
countless ages. Huneman is said in their mythology to have liberated
Sita, the wife of Rama, from the giant Ravan, and to have brought from
the garden of the giant the luscious Mango. For the theft of the Mango
he was condemned to be burnt at the stake, but Huneman extinguished
the fire, burning thereby his face and hands, which have remained black

THE SACRED MONKEY OF INDIA. 43

among his descendants. A ruling family of Indian princes claim to be
descendants of Huneman, and proudly claim the title of “the tailed
Rama.” High is the honor still paid to this sacred ape. Death is the
punishment of any violence offered to him; and the Hindoos allow him
to rob their gardens or steal from their houses with impunity. In
Benares the streets are full, the houses covered with these holy animals,
and any injury provokes a tumult. Hiigel relates that a fakir called
some of these apes to him, and then gave them nothing to eat; three
of the oldest attacked him, he drove them off with his staff; the populace
at once took the side of the apes, and gave the man a good beating.
Bishop Heber relates that two English officers, who shot an ape near
Bindrabund, were driven into the River Jumna and drowned by a fanatic
mob of Brahmins and devotees. Great commotion was excited at Kish-
nagur when, in compliance with a petition of the reforming party in
India, the government destroyed five hundred of these larcenous deities.

Apart from their thievish propensities these apes are attractive crea-
tures. A crowd of them will assemble, disperse with magical celerity,
and ina couple of minutes reassemble. They mount with incredible speed
to the tops of the trees, descend with equal swiftness, leap from tree to
tree, and in a few minutes traverse the whole garden backwards and
forwards without touching the ground. In youth their head is round,
and they are easily tamed; but as the shape of the skull alters, their dis-
position alters. The skull becomes flatter, the ape more brutal; he
becomes dull instead of bright, violent instead of cunning, and has
scarcely anything in common with his youth.

In the forests they form numerous bands under the leadership of an
old male, under whose guidance they rob and plunder the neighborhood,
or undertake distant expeditions. Strange tales are told of their wander-
ings; they are said to visit at regular intervals of many years certain
holy groves, stay there a few days, and then mysteriously return to their
distant home. Wherever they appear they become an object of solicitude
to the pious Hindoo. The sacred fig-tree is their favorite dwelling, and
snakes their chief aversion. They are said to watch till the reptile is
asleep, then seize it behind the head, and dash its brains out against a
stone.

Like all the apes the Huneman is devoted to its young. Duvancel
shot one that had its young in its arms. The dying mother collected all
her strength, took the little one and placed it on a bough. “I could

44 QUADRUMANA.

not,” he adds, “master my feeling of repentance for having killed a crea-
ture which even in death manifested the noblest and purest feelings.”

THE BUDENG.

The BUDENG, Semnopithecus maurus, called also the Negro Monkey,
furnishes the furs which were so fashionable with ladies a few years
ago. His hair is glossy black, on the hands and face like satin, on the
back like silk. The head is covered with a peculiar cap of hair which
falls over the forehead and grows down both cheeks. The length of the
Budeng is about three feet, fully one-half being tail.

The Budeng is found in Java in troops of from forty to fifty. At the
approach of man they raise a loud cry and spring madly into the trees,
and hurl on the intruder broken branches. But they soon lose their
fear. The sacred fountain of Progo has from time immemorial been fre-
quented by a tribe of half-tame Budengs, never exceeding fifteen in num-
ber, which come down from the trees on the approach of visitors, and
surround them with an air of confident familiarity. At Amsterdam there
were two Budengs which usually sat curled up together side by side, the
hands crossed over the breast. Their grave appearance was enhanced
by the thick mass of hair falling over the face. They came slowly to
receive their food, but took it quietly and thoughtfully; their expression
was sagacious, but not lively. They were terribly annoyed by two mon-
keys of the genus Cynocephalus. These latter delighted in teasing the
solemn Budengs, who at the sight of their tormentors embraced each
other closely. The foes seemed to take a malicious pleasure in loosening
this close embrace; they jumped on the Budengs, rode on their backs,
pulled their tails and hair, and climbed over them as if they had been part
of a tree; their cruel sport became more cruel when their hapless victims
screamed out. A Budeng at Antwerp showed a similar timidity in the
presence of the little Macacus, which kicked and cuffed him at its pleasure.

THE KAHAU.

The Prososcis MONKEY, or Kahau, Semmnopithecus nasica, (Plate. 11),
is so called from his nose. This organ hangs down over the upper
lip, and is a caricature of the human feature; it has the peculiarity
of being very movable. The Kahau has callosities, and the tail is

THE ABYSSINIAN GUEREZA. 45

long. Its color presents a curious variety of hues. The hairs on the
skull are short and thick, on the back of the head and on the sides of the
face they are longer, and form a kind of collar round the neck. On these
parts they are of a bright brownish red, on the back a brownish yellow,
on the breast a light reddish yellow, on the extremities and tail, ash-gray,
The Proboscis Monkeys live in Borneo, where, morning and evening,
they assemble on the river banks, uttering howls which resemble in
sound the word Kahau; they leap and climb with great agility. They
are said to be difficult to tame, mischievous and savage, defending them-
selves fiercely when attacked. The natives of Borneo affirm that when
they leap they keep one of their hands before the nose, to save that
prominent feature from injury. This of course is a mere fancy, but
argues a belief in the animal’s sagacity. The natives furthermore believe
that the Kahau is a man who has taken to the woods to avoid paying his
taxes, and consequently they admire and envy him.

THE DOUC,

This monkey, Semnopithecus nemeus, is distinguished by the bright
tints of his coat. The back, flanks, top of the head, and arms are gray,
speckled with black; the thighs and the digits are black; the legs ana
tarsi a bright red; the fore-arms, the lower parts of the legs, the but-
tocks, and the tail are a pure white; and the throat is white, encircled
with a ring of bright red, and the face is adorned with white whiskers.
It is a native of Cochin China, and attains the height of four feet, but
we know little of its habits in its state of freedom.

Il—GENUS COLOBUS.

The Colobus is an African representative of the Semnepithecus, and
it obtains its name Colobus, or “ maimed,” from the fact that it possesses
. only four fingers on the fore-arms. The body is slender, the muzzle
short, the tail very long; and the species has no cheek pouches. Many
of them are remarkable for the color and growth of their hair.

THE GUEREZA,

The GUEREZA, Colobus guereza, is, in the judgment of some ob-
servers, the most beautiful of all the monkeys. Jt is a native of Abys-
sinia, and presumably of other regions of Central Africa. On the body

46 QUADRUMANA.

the hair is like satin, and deep black in color; but a band across the
forehead, the temples, the side of the neck, the chin, throat, a mane-like
girdle extending from the shoulders across the loins, and the bushy tip
of its tail, are white. Each hair is ringed with slender brown bands, is
very soft and fine and of considerable length. The mane, if mane it can
be called, running down both sides of the body, hangs like a silver mantle,
and is an ornament of indescribable beauty, as the jet-black hair of the
body is seen darkly gleaming through its silvery fringe, which is very
long over the back of thighs. The length of the body is about two feet,
that of the tail without the tuft a little longer.

The Guereza is found everywhere in Abyssinia south of North Lati-
tude 13°, in a chain of highlands six to seven thousand feet above the
sea level. It lives in bands of from ten to fifteen in lofty trees near
the clear-flowing mountain-streams, and loves the neighborhood of the
churches, which usually stand under the shadow of consecrated trees.
The Juniper (¥uniperus procera) which grows there to a height that
dwarts our pines or hemlocks, is a favorite abode. The Guereza is very
agile, and, till he has experienced the violence of man, anything but shy;
he creeps like a cat towards the disturber of his peace. When in flight
he presents a spectacle of grace and beauty as he leaps from bough to
bough, with his white mantle floating around him like the white burnous
of an Arab chief over his charger. In contradistinction to other apes he
is regarded by the natives as harmless, for he seldom injures the crops.
The skin is much prized as an ornament of the shields of the native
warriors; a skin is said to be worth six fat sheep.

Two species, Colobus ursinus and the Colobus satanas, need little men-
tion. The former has a white tail, but the rest of the body is covered
with hair of a dirty yellow mixed with black. The latter is entirely
black, and is perhaps only a variety. Both these species are found in
Western Africa.

[eX

CHAPTER, Vi.
BABOONS AND MACAQUES.

THE FAMILY CYNOPITHECIDA:—THE GENUS MYIOPITHECUS OR TALAPOIN—THE GENUS CERCO-
PITHECUS—THE GUENONS—THE GENUS CERCOCEBUS OR MANGABEYS—THE GENUS MERO-
PITHECUS OR GELADA—THE GENUS CYNOCEPHALUS OR BABOON—THE BABOON PROPER—THE
CHACMA—ITS USE IN FINDING WATER—THE SPHINX—THE HAMADRYAD—ITS PUGNACIOUS
DISPOSITION—DISGUSTING CHARACTER OF THE MANDRILL AND DRILL.

with cheek pouches, and the baboons. The scientific name

signifies “dog-apes,’”” but only some of them, the Cynocephali,
have much resemblance to our domestic favorite. The genera of this
family amount to Sever, which will be treated in this and the succeeding
chapter.

“[« family of CYNOPITHECID& comprehends all the monkeys

I—GENUS MYIOPITHECUS.

This genus differs from the following genera by the development of
the brain, the shortness of the muzzle, and the structure of one of the
molar teeth. Inthe large ears and short face with an internasal septum
it somewhat resembles the American monkey. There is only ove species.

The TALAPOIN, JZyiopithecus talapoin, is the smallest of the Old
World monkeys; the fur is of a greenish hue, forming on the forehead
a sort of tuft; the face is flesh-colored, the nose black, the whiskers
yellowish. It is a very gentle creature, and exhibits in captivity intelli-
gence and liveliness. It is a native of West Africa.

II1—GENUS CERCOPITHECUS.

To this genus belong many of the monkeys seen in zoological
gardens or menageries, here and in Europe. Their generic characteris-

48 QUADRUMANA,

tics are a slender form and limbs, a depressed cranium, delicate short
hands with long thumbs, a long tuftless tail, large cheek pouches, and
large gluteal callosities. These are generally vivid, in some species very
varied. About ¢wenty-four species are known, all natives of the tropical
regions of Africa. They all choose for their abode woods near rivers;
by preference in the vicinity of cultivated land. It is worthy of remark
that this genus of monkey and parrots correspond not merely in form
and manner of life, but in geographical distribution. Wherever in
Africa these apes are found, parrots may be looked for; wherever there
are parrots there Cercopithect are found. Between the two continual war
is waged, the cause of strife being the tail feathers of the parrot.

The motives that incite the monkeys to pluck out these feathery
trophies are twofold, each of them dear to the very soul of the mischiev-
ous creature. The first and most obvious motive is that of sheer mis-
chief, but the second is of rather a more complex character. When an
immature feather is recently drawn from a bird, its quill portion is gen-
erally soft, and filled with the material by which the feather is supplied
with nourishment. The monkeys take great delight in sucking these
soft feathers; and in order to procure a supply of this curious dainty,
chase the poor parrots, even to the tops of the trees. At first sight, it
would appear that the legs and arms of the monkey would have little
chance of winning a prize defended by the beak and wings of the parrots,
which sit exultantly screaming on twigs that bear their weight easily
enough, but are too slender even for the monkeys to venture upon. But
the restless vigilance and quick hand of the monkey often win the day;
and while the parrot is shrieking defiance to an enemy in front, it is
suddenly startled from its fancied security by the loss of its tail, which
has been snatched away by a stealthy foe from behind. The deafening
din which is occasioned by the joint voices of parrots and monkeys, may
be easier imagined than described.

They are the most social and active of all apes. They live in large
bands; they form a state of their own, and acknowledge no chief but the
strongest of their fellows; they make themselves at home everywhere,
and seem to pass their lives without fear of hunger, and in continual
cheerfulness. Infinite frivolity and a ridiculous seriousness unite in all
their actions. No object is too remote, no tree-top too high, no treasure
secure enough, no property respected, when these apes appear. The
traveler hears the calls of the ape leader, and soon his ears detect the

HABITS OF THE MONKEYS. 49

rush of the band through the leafy forest; he ther sees them running,
clambering, playing, cleaning themselves, fighting; they never try to
conceal themselves. A foray of these apes is a remarkable sight to an
uninterested spectator. Under the lead of an experienced patriarch they
make their approach to the cornfields; the females carry their young,
who cling to their breasts, and at the same time take a turn with their
tail round the tail of their mother. At first they are cautious. The
patriarch goes first; the others follow step by step, and mount not only
the same tree but the same branch as he does.

The leader sometimes climbs to the very topmost spray to get a good
view of the neighborhood; if the prospect is favorable, a low gurgling
note tells the good tidings to his subjects; if unfavorable, he utters a
cry of warning. They alight from a tree near the field, and then with
vigorous leaps advance into their paradise. Then their activity is pro-
digious. Heads of corn, ears of millet are plucked, the grains picked
out and placed in their cheek pouches; when these capacious receptacles
are full, the band relaxes a little from its labors and becomes more fas-
tidious in what it steals. They carefully smell the ears they pick, and
if the odor is not satisfactory, reject them; of ten heads of corn only one
is really eaten. Asa rule they take merely a couple of grains from each
head and then the rest is flung away; they are fond of eggs and partial
to honey.

When the troop thinks itself in perfect security in the cornfield, the
mothers put down their little ones to play, but keep a sharp eye on
them. All are careless except the leader. He, even in the daintiest
repast, stops, stands erect, and looks around at short intervals. After
each observation he utters his note of safety if nothing displeasing is
seen, or an indescribable quavering note of warning if an enemy is in
sight. When this last tone is heard, the band at once reassembles, the
mothers call back their children, all are ready for flight, and hurriedly
grasp as much food as they can carry off. If the danger presses they
gradually unload, but do not part with the last of their burden till both
hands and feet are necessary. Wide intervals from tree to tree, dense
hedges, prickly thorns, are all unable to check their march. Their leaps
are astonishing; in mid-flight they can change their direction by means
of their long rudder of a tail; they leap from a tree-top to the earth, fly
over the ditclres and with lightning-like speed up another tree. Their
leader conducts them through all their operations with his voice, now bid-

5G QUADRU MANA.

ding them to increase, now to diminish their speed. With all this bustle
there is no symptom of alarm or cowardice, but a constant display of per-
fect presence of mind. Danger does not exist for them till man appears.

When the leader has satisfied himself by examination that his troop
are once more in a sate spot, he utters his note of security. Then again
his followers are busy; this time with ridding each other of thorns or
splinters which have run into them during their flight. A monkey lays
himself out at full length on a bough, another examines him carefully
and thoroughly, every tangle is loosened, every thorn extracted, any
vermin hunted out and eaten. These surgical performances over, the
troop returns without delay to the field whence it has just been
driven. Thus the natives can never leave their crops unwatched. No
means are left untried to keep off their terrible enemies, but human
resources and even charms or amulets are all in vain. ‘The apes,” said
a venerable Sheik of the Soudan, “are godless and respect not the
words of the apostle of God. Other creatures of the Lord respect his
prophet, the apes scorn him. If you hang an amulet in your field, the
elephant will not touch it. He is a just creature; the ape is a being
changed by God's wrath from a man into a horror; a son, grandson,
great-grandson of the evil one.”

The natives take them in nets; and it is easy to shoot them for one
who has the heart. Brehm writes: “I shot one straight in the face; it
fell from the tree, then sat up and without a cry or groan wiped away
the blood trickling from its wounds in such a human fashion and with
such noble, calm resignation, that I hastened to end its misery with my
hunting-knife. From that day forward I have never shot an ape; the
image of the dying creature haunts me; I felt as if 1 had murdered a
man.”

These apes are too active for most beasts of prey; the leopard alone
at times catches some unwary youngster. Birds of prey they repel by
combined action. A hooded eagle (Spizaetos occipitalis) was seen to seize
a young monkey. The little one held on to the branch with legs and
arms, screaming. At once there was an uproar; the eagle was sur-
rounded by ten big fellows who attacked with angry visages and fearful
yeuls. The eagle soon dropped his prey, to struggle for his own safety;
tne tail feathers and back feathers that began to fly were proofs that he
found some difficulty in escaping. Birds’ nests the monkeys rob without
mercy; but in searching for nests in hollow trees they display great

THE GREEN APES. 51

circumspection, lest a snake be in it; for snakes are an abomination to
them. As to moral qualities, no two are alike; some are quarrelsome,
some quiet, some morose, some sly, some cheerful, others malicious—all,
however, love to guard, tend and cherish smaller animals.

THE GUENONS.

The GREEN APE, Cercopithecus sabaus, (Plate I1), attains a length of
about forty inches, fully one-half being tail. The hair on the back is
grayish-green, ringed and tipped with black ; that of the arms, legs and
tail ash-gray, the short whiskers whitish; the nose and eyebrows are
black, the face light-brown.

Another species called DIANA or Bearded monkey, Cercopithecus
diana, is a small slender animal, conspicuous by its long beard on
cheek and chin, and a white crescent on its brow. The color is
mainly gray, the back a purplish brown, the beard and under side
of the body white. The species cailed the Nun, Cercopithecus mona,
resembles the apes just described with the exception of wanting the
pointed beard. From this name Mona it is probable that our word
“Monkey ”’ is derived.

THE WHITE-NOSE AND THE RED APBS.

The WHITE-NOSED MONKEY, Cercopithecus petaurista, is an inhabitant
of Western Africa. It is a curious little creature, with an air of quaint
conceit, for which it is indebted to the fringe of white hairs that sur-
rounds its face, and the conspicuous white spot on the nose, which
has earned for it the title of White-nose. As is so often the case in
these animals, the under-side of the body and inside of the limbs is of
a much lighter tint than the upper portions. This distinction is pecu-
liarly well marked in the long tail, which is nearly black above, and
beneath takes a grayish hue.

The Rep APE, Cercopithecus ruber.—This species, commonly called
the Hussar, is by no means so amiable as those we have just men-
tioned. It is nearly one-half as large again as the other species, the
face is black, the nose whitish, the cheek whiskers white, the head is
marked with a dark-red spot; the rest of the body is of a shining golden
red color on the upper surface, but white on the inside of the limbs.

Re QUADRUMANA.

The Hussar ape extends from the West Coast of Africa to Abyssinia,
but is much rarer than the Green apes. It is found in low thickets or
tall grass, with which the color of its coat harmonizes. In character it
is the very opposite of the Green apes. Its countenance is morose and
unfriendly, and its actions do not belie its looks. Especially as it grows
older, does its temper become more irritable; it never enters into
friendly relations with other animals, not even with other apes; every-
thing seems to annoy and provoke it; a look excites anger; laughter
arouses rage and fury. Then it displays its immense teeth, and, if
opportunity Serves, makes use of them on the observer. Kindness is
thrown away, severity makes the creature worse. An adult Hussar ape
has never been seen tame.

II—GENUS CERCOCEBUS.

This genus forms the transition between the Cercopithecus and the
Macacus, and the name of MANGABEY is usually given to the animals
embraced in it. They are almost the same size, and have nearly the
same gait as the Guenons; but they are not so nimble. Their tail is
long, and they usually carry it raised above their backs. Their habits
differ but little from those of the majority of the Macacus, and they
scarcely offer anything more distinctive in their character. All that can
be positively asserted is that they are more gentle and familiar.

THE MANGABEYS.

The Moor Are or Common Mangabey, Cercocebus fuliginosus, is the
best known representative of this genus. It attains a considerable size,
a little over four feet, including two feet of tail. The color on the back
is a dull black, on the stomach and the inside of the limbs a dirty gray.
The face and hands are black, and a peculiar look is given by the con-
trast of the upper eyelids, which are pure white.

The species Cercocebus collaris differs from the above by having
the top of the head of a dark chestnut hue, the cheeks snow-white, the
rest of the body a dull black. Both species come from the West Coast
of Africa.

Among the peculiar habits which distinguish the Mangabeys, we may

THE ABYSSINIAN GELADA, 53

especially notice the action of their lips, and the mode in which they
carry the tail. They have a strange way of writhing their faces into a
kind of quaint grin, in which they raise the lips, and exhibit the teeth
almost as if they were laughing. When walking, they have a fashion
of turning their tails over their backs, and carrying them reversed, in a
line almost parallel with the direction of the spine.

Few monkeys can assume more owtré attitudes than the Mangabeys,
which seem to be, among monkeys, almost the analogues of the acrobats
among mankind, and twist themselves into such strange contortions,
that they seem to be able to dispense with the bones and joints with
which other animals are furnished. They seem to be quite aware of their
own accomplishments, and soon learn that their display will briaz in a
supply of nuts, cakes, and fruit to their exchequer. So they keep a
vigilant eye on their visitors, and when they conceive that they have
drawn attention to themselves, they execute a series of agile gambols, in
the hope of meeting the reward which sweetens labor.

The apes which we are now about to give an account of, are dis-

' tinguished from those already mentioned by possessing short tails, which

instead of being raised and carried over the back are usually pendent,
and do not assist in the movements of the animal.

The name MAKAQUE or MACACO is given on the west coast of Africa
to all sorts of apes; scientifically it is restricted to a numerous group
of apes, distributed between Africa and Southeastern Asia, which forms
Genus VL., in the following chapter.

IV.—GENUS THEROPITHECUS.

The GELADA, Cynocephalus gelada.—This genus is distinguished by
receding nostrils, a bare spot on the neck and breast, a rich mantle, and
a long tuft to the tail. It is a giant, and attains the height of a man.
Its rich fur is dark-brown on the back of the head and back; the mantle
and tail-tuft are yellowish-brown; the breast is a brownish-black; the
face is black. The two bare spots on the neck and chest are triangular,
the points turned to each other. The callosities are small and dark-
gray.

A variety of this ape, called the Zokur Sinjero, is found in the same

54 QUADRU MANA,

regions of Abyssinia from which the Gelada comes. It differs in some
slight respects from the latter, and is found only in bands of thirty or
forty, while the Gelada lives in enormous companies, two hundred being
only a very small troop. The Gelada sometimes comes down from the
lofty mountain ranges, ten thousand feet above the sea-level, to seek his
food in the low country. He then comes into contact with the Hama-
dryad and a regular battle takes place, both parties using stones. They
usually go on all-fours, but sometimes erect themselves, using the tail as
a support. They never climb high trees.

V—GENUS CYNOCEPHALUS.

We now approach a class of apes, very remarkable but exceedingly
disgusting, both in their appearance and their habits. They are the
most repulsive and degraded variety of the Quadrumana; all grace of
motion or form has vanished, all nobler qualities sunk into abominable
and loathsome lasciviousness.

They derive their name of CYNOCEPHALI, or Dog-heads, from the
position of the nostrils at the extremity of the muzzle, and the formation
of the head and jaws. Unfortunately they do not possess the amiability
and intelligence of the dog as well as the shape of his head. Next to
the anthropoid apes, they are the largest members of the order. Their
frames are square, their muscular force immense. The limbs are short
and thick; the gluteal callosities attain a repulsive size and are of an
intensely bright color.

They are distributed through Africa and parts of Asia, but the former
continent seems their native home. They live in rocks, and avoid trees,
which they only climb when compelled to do so. Their food consists of
roots and fruits that grow on the ground, insects, birds’ eggs, snails, and
the like. They do great damage to plantations and vineyards, and carry
off the fruit to some inaccessible spot where they store it up for future
use. They are said, in plundering a garden, to form a chain and pass
the spoil from hand to hand. This is perhaps an exaggeration, but it is
certain that they appoint sentinels to give warning of the approach of
man; and these sentinels, if neglectful of their duty, are flogged to death
by their comrades.

The distinguishing title of this genus is formed from two Greek

EY
SAPAJOU

ONK

SPIDER M

THE BABOONS. 55

words, kyon, kynos, “a dog,” and kephale, “a head.’ They are large-
sized animals, ungainly in shape, and possessed of great vigor. These
various advantages, joined to their naturally brutal and ferocious dis-
position, make them dangerous to man, especially when full-grown.
They have the supra-orbital arch largely developed, deep cheek pouches,
and all the limbs nearly of the same length. Their hands are well formed,
and all four provided with an opposable thumb. In general the coat is
long and woolly, principally on the upper parts of the body. The cal-
losities, as well as their face, are often tinted with the most brilliant
colors. Their senses are highly developed; that of smell is particularly
delicate.

As they approach maturity of existence, their primitive qualities, their
relative gentleness and intelligence, are changed into savageness and
brutality. In all their desires they then evince an incredible degree of
violence and impetuousness, manifesting their appetites by the most
revolting acts and gestures. At this period of their life, they are really
formidable ; for their upper canine teeth become transformed into long
sharp tusks, which they use with such adroitness as to produce with
them serious wounds. The dread they inspire in the countries they
inhabit is such, that the natives will often permit their gardens to be
ravaged by them in preference to running the danger of a conflict.

The Cynocephalus Monkeys almost exclusively inhabit Africa, a
single species only being found in Asia. They live either in forests or
low mountainous rocky localities, and subsist on fruits and insects. In
captivity they are almost omnivorous.

The Cynocephali are sometimes found in innumerable bands in Sen-
egal. A traveler in that country writes: “ We found every landing-place
literally covered with monkeys, in parts crowded one against another;
and as we passed, they saluted us with incredible gambols and furious
barkings. In stating that this meeting-place did not contain less than
six thousand Cynocephali, I believe I am not exaggerating.”

The Cynocephali proper are distinguished from the Mormon or Man-
drill by the length of their tails.

There is a wild Arab legend told about them which is given in the
Herat el Heiwan, or “ Life of Animals,” by Kemaledeen Demiri. ‘“ Once
on a time there stood on the banks of the Red Sea a city, the name
whereof was Aila. Its people were Jews. But these Jews violated the
sabbath regularly by catching fish on that day. Pious men remonstrated

56 QUADRUMANA.

in vain, and when their words were unheeded, veiled their faces and left
the godless town. Three days afterward they returned. They found
the gates shut, but clambered over the walls, when they found them-
selves surrounded by baboons, some of which came to them with sad
looks, and fawned upon them with a piteous and imploring expression
of countenance. The returned natives thought that these baboons,
which seemed to recognize them, might be some of their kinsfolk; and
when they asked, ‘ Baboon, tell me, are you Abraham, my brother's son,
or my cousin Moses or Achmed?’ the creatures sadly nodded an affirm-
ative reply.”

The first species, Cynocephalus babuin, (Plate II) possesses the name of
BABOON far excellence, and presents characteristics that are typical of the
entire race. There is great uncertainty about the precise differences
between the several species, as travelers too often use the term Baboon
to designate not only this species, but also the CHACMA and the SPHINX.
All of them have very similar modes of action and habits. The baboon
has smooth, even, short hair, of an olive-green, each hair tinged alter-
nately with black and yellow, lighter in color on the belly, and a whitish-
yellow on the cheeks. The face and ears are bluish-gray, the upper
eyelids whitish, the hands gray, the eyes light-brown, They grow to the
height of two feet, or two and a half measured from the shoulder to the
ground, and a total length, including one-third tail, of nearly five feet.

The baboon abounds in Africa, and annoys the natives, especially the
women, who go to get water. In their rocky fastnesses their chief foe is
the leopard, of whom they are in great dread. Yet this animal never
attacks either a band of baboons or even an adult, but confines its
exertions to slyly stealing the young ones.

Bold as are these monkeys, they will not dare to follow a leopard into
its den; so that, if their dreaded foe succeeds in once getting clear of
their outposts, it may carry off its prey with impunity. The constant
dread which the leopard seems to excite in a baboon’s mind appears to
be occasioned by the stealthy craft and the persevering aggression of
the animal, rather than by its physical powers alone. He is easily tamed,
and becomes accustomed to man and most devoted to his master, soon
recognizing any name given to him. He readily drinks wine or brandy,
but rejects spirituous liquors.

A very quaint story is told of the same animal, which, if true, exhibits
the strangest combination of cunning, simplicity, and ready wit, that

ANECDOTE OF A BABOON. 57

ever entered the brain of living creature. At all events, if it be not
true, it deserves to be so.

It appears that the baboon was so tame, and had proved so apt a
pupil, that its master had taught it to watch the pot in which he pre-
pared his dinner, and was accustomed to leave it in charge of the culi-
‘nary department while he was engaged in other business. One day, he
had prepared a fowl for his dinner, and after putting it into the pot and
the pot on the fire, went away for a time, leaving the baboon in charge,
as usual.

For a time all went well, and the animal kept a quiet watch over the
fire. After a while, it was seized with a desire to see what might be in
the pot, and so, taking off the lid, peeped in. The odor that issued from
the boiled fowl was gratifying to the animal's nostrils, and induced it,
after a brief mental struggle, to pick just a little bit from the fowl, and
to put the bird back again. This was done accordingly, but the experi-
ment was so very successful that it was speedily repeated. Again and
again was a morsel pinched from the fowl, until the natural consumma-
tion followed—the fowl was picked quite clean, and nothing left but the
bones.

Now came remorse and sudden fear, causing the wretched animal to
chatter with terror at the thought of the scarifying which was sure to
follow so grievous an offence.

What was the poor thing to do? Time was passing, and the master
must soon return for his dinner. At last a brilliant thought flashed
through the animal’s brain, and it immediately acted upon the idea.

Now, in order to understand the depth of the craft which was em-
ployed, it must be remembered that the baboons are furnished, in com-
mon with very many monkeys, with two callosities on the hinder quar-
ters, which serve them for seats, and which are, in these animals, of a
bright red color.

Rolling itself over and over in the dust, it covered its body with an
uniformly sombre coating, and then, gathering itself well together, and
putting its head and knees on the ground, it presented an appearance
marvellously resembling a rough block of stone with two pieces of raw
meat laid on its top. In those climates the birds of prey absolutely
swarm, and, being encouraged by their well-earned impunity, crowd
round every place where cooking is going on, and whcre they may have
a chance of securing a portion, either by lawful gift’ or lawless rapine.

58 QUADRUMANA.

Several of these birds, among which meee some kites, being attracted by
the scent of the boiling meat, came to the spot, and seeing, as they
thought, some nice raw meat temptingly laid out for them, swept upon
their fancied prize.

In a moment the baboon had sprung to its feet, and, with a rapid
clutch, seized one of the kites. The cover was again taken off the pot,
and the shrieking and struggling prisoner thrust into the boiling water
in spite of its beak and claws. The lid was then replaced, and the
baboon resumed its position of attention as if it had committed no
offence.

THE CHACMA,

The CHAcMA, Cynocephalus porcarius, sometimes called the Ursine
Baboon, but more commonly the Chacma, is a native of South Africa.
It is considerably bigger than the common baboon, and is more power-
tully built, while its color is darker. It is most frequently met with on
Table Mountain, in the neighborhood of Capetown, and on the Draaken-
berg range. Troops of from twenty to thirty individuals frequent the
ravines and often enter cultivated grounds, where they commit the
greatest ravages.

It is an accomplished robber, and baffles alike dogs and men. When
young it is docile, and it can be taught to find roots or water, to blow
the fire of a forge, or drive a pair of oxen. It possesses so acute a power
of smell that it is almost impossible to destroy it by poison.

When the water begins to run short, and the known fountains have
failed, as is too often the sad hap of these desert wells, fortunate is the
man who owns a tame Chacma, or ‘“ Bavian,” as it is called. The animal
is first deprived of water for a whole day, until it is furious with thirst,
which is increased by giving it salt provisions, or putting salt into its
mouth. This apparent cruelty is, however, an act of true mercy, as on
the Chacma may depend the existence of itself and the whole party.

A long rope is now tied to the baboon’s collar, and it is suffered to
run about wherever it chooses, the rope being merely used as a means to
prevent the animal from getting out of sight. The baboon now assumes
the leadership of the band, and becomes the most important personage
of the party.

First it runs forward a little, then stops; get on its hind feet, and

A FAMILY SCENE. 59

.niffs up the air, especially taking notice of the wind and its direction.
It will then, perhaps, change the direction of its course; and after
running for some distance take another observation. Presently it will
spy out a blade of grass, or similar object, pluck it up, turn it on all
sides, smell it, and then go forward again. And thus the animal proceeds
until it leads the party to water; guided by some mysterious instinct
which appears to be totally independent of reasoning, and which loses its
powers in proportion as reason gains dominion.

Captain Drayson, an English artillery officer, gives some interesting
accounts of the Chacma.

“During the shooting trip with the Boers, I awoke before daybreak,
and as I felt very cold and not inclined to sleep, I got up, and taking my
gun, walked to a little ravine, out of which a clear, murmuring stream
flashed in the moonlight, and ran close past our outspan. A little dis-
tance up this kloof, the fog was dense and thick; the blue and pink
streaks of the morning light were beginning to illuminate the peaks of
the Draakensberg, but all immediately around us still acknowledged the
supremacy of the pale moonlight. I wanted to see the sun rise in this
lonely region, and watch the changing effects which its arrival would
produce on the mountains and plains around.

“Suddenly I heard a hoarse cough, and on turning, saw indistinctly
in the fog a queer little old man standing near, and looking at me. I
instinctively cocked my gun, as the idea of bushmen and poisoned arrows
flashed across my mind. The old man instantly dropped on his hands;
giving another hoarse cough, that evidently told a tale of consumptive
lungs; he snatched up something beside him, which seemed to leap on
his shoulders, and then he scampered off up the ravine on all-fours.
Before half this performance was completed, I saw that the little old
man was an Ursine baboon with an infant ditto.

“A large party of the old gentleman’s family were sitting up the
ravine, and were evidently holding a debate as to the cause of my intru-
sion. I watched them through my glass, and was much amused at their
grotesque and almost human movements. Some of the old ladies had
their olive branches in their laps, and appeared to be ‘doing their hair,’
while a patriarchal old fellow paced backwards and forwards with a
fussy sort of look; he was evidently on sentry, and seemed to think
himself of no small importance.

“This estimate of his dignity did not appear to be universally ac-

60 QUADRUMANA.

knowledged ; as two or three young baboons sat close behind him watch-
ing his proceedings; sometimes with the most grotesque movements and
expressions they would stand directly in his path, and hobble away only
at the last moment. One daring youngster followed close on the heels
of the patriarch during the whole length of his beat, and gave a sharp
tug at his tail as he was about to turn. The old fellow seemed to treat
it with the greatest indifference, scarcely turning round at the insult.
Master Impudence was about repeating the performance, when the pater,
showing that he was not such a fool as he looked, suddenly sprang round,
and catching the young one before he could escape, gave him two or
three such cuffs that I could hear the screams that resulted therefrom.
The venerable gentleman then chucked the delinquent o~ =r his shoulder,
and continued his promenade with the greatest coolness; this old baboon
was evidently acquainted with the practical details of Solomon's proverb.

“A crowd gathered round the naughty child, who child-like, seeing
commiseration, shrieked all the louder. I even fancied I could see the
angry glances of the mamma, as she took her dear little pet in her arms
and removed it from a repetition of such brutal treatment.”

THE SPHIN&X.

The species, Cynocephalus sphinx, is less brutal-looking than the
Chacma. It is smaller even than the baboon proper, but more power-
fully built, its muzzle is shorter, and it is remarkable for a peculiar
thickening on the cheek bones. Its hair is dark-gray and reddish-brown,
or chestnut; the paws are darker than the rest of the body. In the
prime of existence its colors are the lightest, but as years begin to lay
their burden on the animal, the hairs begin to be flecked with a shght
grizzle, and, in process of time, the snows of age descend liberally, and
whiten the whole fur with hoary hairs.

THE HAMADRYAD.

The HamapryaD, Cynocephalus hamadryas—This baboon is remark-
able for its form, its intelligence and its unamiable qualities; and from
the peculiar length of its hair it has attained the name of Mantle Baboon.
Like the common baboon it is frequently represented on the ancient
monuments of Egypt, and was regarded as a symbol of the moon. Many

ANECDOTES OF THE HAMADRYAD. 61

little imag2s of the Hamadryad are to be seen in collections of Egyptian
antiquities. The moon was supposed to have a powerful effect on this
ape, which was said to hide itself and refuse all food during the dark
phase of the moon. It is not now an inhabitant of Egypt, and perhaps
even in the days of the Pharaohs was imported.

The Hamadryad inhabits the mountain ranges of Abyssinia and South
Nubia as far north as the rains extend; water is a necessity for it. The
troops at times descend into the foot-hills on the coast, but the bulk
remains in the loftier mountains. Here each band occupies a territory
of about two miles in diameter. Sometimes herds of fifteen to twenty
are seen, but usually they reach the number of one hundred and fifty.
Of these there will be ten to fifteen full grown males—monsters of great
size with jaws that surpass in strength and length of teeth the jaws of
the leopard—and about twice as many adult females. The face is a
dull flesh-color, the gluteal callosities fiery red. The hair has the color
of dry grass more than anything else. The old males have the mantle
very long; a specimen, shot by Brehm, had hair measuring ten inches in
length. This long hair is parted in the middle of the head, rises in bold
sweeps to each side and stands out at right angles to the face, an arrange-
ment which seems to have been adopted by many negro tribes. The tail
is long, and ends in a tuft. Their dwelling-place is some inaccessible
rock where caverns or holes afford good shelter, but they make con-
siderable excursions in search of food. When undisturbed they keep
silence; the approach of man provokes a cry of attention like the baying
of a hound. If the approaching intruder seems dangerous, another cry
is raised, more like the grunting of a herd of swine, through which the
bellowing of a bull is heard. All the males fit for battle advance to the
edge of the cliff and look to see what is coming. They have no fear of
the natives, but are suspicious of white men.

Brehm relates: “ When the troop first caught sight of us, a repeated
monotonous bellow was heard; the old ones turned their heads toward
us, but the young ones still played about. Our dogs, however, replied
to the bellow by giving tongue, and the apes took flight. To our aston-
ishment we discovered them again at the next turn of the valley, cling-
ing in some inconceivable fashion to a wall of perpendicular rock. We
fired at them; a terrible uproar, bellowing, howling, roaring and scream-
ing ensued, and the whole troop ascended the cliff as easily as if they
had been on level ground. The dogs came upon them as they were

62 QUADRUMANA.

crossing the valley; as they ran up, the old males came down to meet
them with grinning jaws, threatening claws, and flashing eyes. The
dogs, courageous animals, accustomed to chase the hyena and to fight
the wolf, were too glad to fly back to their masters. One young ape,
half a year old, was cut off from his family ; the dogs had cornered him
we were flattering ourselves that he would be caught. But a tall, pow-
erful male appeared ; he advanced without noticing us or betraying any
haste, proudly and with dignity walked straight up to the dogs, gave
them a look of which they understood the meaning, and slowly reached
the little one, which he carried off right past the dogs, who were glad
enough to let him and his frvoteg¢ escape.” On another occasion, the same
traveler and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and his party had a battle with
these baboons. The aggressors had to change their position, as the apes
hurled stones at them with dangerous accuracy. One old male was seen
to climb a tree with a big stone in his hand, to get a better shot at the
Germans. The valley was impassable during the fight, as the stones
hurled down were larger than a man’s head. They will attack without
hesitation opponents not armed with muskets, as Riippell athrms.

THE MANDRILL AND DRILL.

These animals are perhaps the most disgusting creatures of the whole
animal world. They are distinguished physically from the other species
of this genus by a very short tail, and both belong to Western Africa.

The MANDRILL, Cynocephalus maimon, is remarkable for the deep
anakles, brilliantly colored, on each side of the nose. The surfaces of
two unprepossessing projections are deeply grooved, and are of a deep
blue tint, through which lines of scarlet and deep purple run. The end
of the nose is fiery red. The gluteal callosities are of a vivid scarlet and
blue, and are displayed conspicuously by the exact manner in which the
beast carries his apology for a tail. The chin is decorated with a small
yellow beard; the muzzle resembles a hog’s snout. Only the male man-
drill possesses these hideous additions to his face. What is more remark-
able is that these diverse colorations are not permanent, but disappear
after or even during disease. They seem to result from a particular
vascular injection, which acquires its maximum of energy when the
animal is under the influence of violent feelings.

The Mandrill, when old, is vindictive and malicious. Even when

DISGUSTING CHARACTER OF THE MANDRILL. 63

taken young, and supposed to be tame, it should never be trusted, more
especially in the vicinity of females. Captivity does not tone down in
any way the violence of its character.

In its native country the Mandrill is hated and feared, and, unless in
large numbers and well armed, the negroes hesitate about attacking
them. Like other baboons, they assault human females, and even in cap-
tivity the male baboons always make a great distinction between their
visitors of either sex. Sometimes they are so jealous in their disposition
that they throw themselves into a transport of rage if any attentions be
paid to a lady within their sight.

This curious propensity was once made the means of recapturing a
large baboon that had escaped from its cage in the Jardin des Plantes, in
Paris.

It had already baffled many attempts to entice it to its home, and
when force was tried, repelled the assailants, severely wounding several
of the keepers. At last a ready-witted keeper hit upon a plan which
proved eminently successful.

There was a little windew at the back of the cage, and when the
keeper saw the baboon in front of the open door, he brought a young
lady to the window and pretended to kiss her. The sight of this pro-
ceeding was too much for the jealous feeling of the baboon, which flew
into the cage for the purpose of exterminating the offending keeper.
Another keeper was stationed in ambush near the cage, and the moment
the infuriated animal entered the den, he shut and fastened the door.

Cuvier observes of a Mandrill that he studied: “It recognized cer-
tain women in a crowd, and called them by voice and gesture, and there
can be no doubt that, if it had been at liberty, it would have done them
harm.”

Among these animals, there are some which preserve their docility
for a long time. We have an instance of this in the one which was
exhibited some time ago in London, and which in consequence of its
intelligence acquired considerable reputation. This monkey, named
Happy Jerry, seated himself with an air of hauteur in a carriage, drank
porter out of a pewter-pot, and smoked a pipe with all becoming
gravity. :

The DRILL, Mormon leucopheus, is smaller than the Mandrill, his
hair olive-brown, the whiskers dirty-white, the face black, the hands and
feet copper-colored, the callosities bright red. It was once thought to

64 QUADRUMANA.

be a young Mandrill, but its right to be a distinct species has been satis-
factorily proved.

Of both these species we may truly say with Wood: “So odiously
disgusting are the habits in which these animals continually indulge, that,
as a general rule, their presence is offensive in the extreme, and excepting
‘or purposes of scientific investigation, it is better to shun the cage that
nolds any specimen of these creatures.

“There are now and then exceptional cases, but they are few and far
between; and it is hardly possible to watch an adult baboon for many
minutes without incurring a risk of some shock to the nerves. Even
their exceeding cunning, and the crafty wiles which are hatched in their
fertile brains, cannot atone for their habitual offences against decorum,

GEAR TE VoL.

GENUS MACACUS—THE COMMON MACAQUE—THE BONNET APE—THE RHESUS OR BUNDER—THE
LAPUNDER—THE WANDEROO—THE MAGOTS—THE GIBRALTAR MONKEYS—=GENUS CYNOPITHE-
CUS—THE BLACK BABOON-APE OF THE: CELEBES.

VI—GENUS MACACUS.

HE general characteristics of this genus may be briefly sum-
marized. A square body, the limbs moderately long and very

powerful. A muzzle as protruding as that of the Cercopithect, a
facial angle of forty to fifty degrees, the nose prominent, the thumb short,
the fingers long; the former on both the fore and hind limbs have flat
nails; the latter strongly curved nails. The gluteal callosities are con-
spicuous. The tail is of considerable length and strength; in some spe-
cies it attains the length of the body, in others is very short. The hair
of the head is in some species parted in the middle, in others falls down
from the almost bald cranium like a peruke; in some the beard is want-
ing, in others it is enormously developed.

In ancient times the Macaques extended over a great part of Europe
At present the short-tailed varieties inhabit the North of Africa, China.
and Japan; the long-tailed ones, the continent and islands of Southern
Asia. In habits they occupy a middle position between the Cercopithect
and the Cynocephali; like the former they are found in forests, like the
latter in rocks; they are as amiable as the former in youth, as morose as
the latter in advanced age. They readily endure captivity, and have
brought forth young in zoological gardens.

THE MACAQUE.

The MACAQUE or Javanese Ape, Macacus cynomolgus, (Plate IT), is the
best known representative of the genus. It has a body longer than the
other species, a long thin tail, and hair parted or wig-like. It is most

66 QUADRUMANA.

near to the Guenons. It attains a length of four feet, including nearly
two feet of tail. The beard or whisker is very short; in the male the
hair lies flat, in the female it forms a kind of comb. The hair on the back
is of a brownish olive-green, mixed with black, on the belly of a whitish-
gray. Hands, feet, and tail are black, the face a bluish-gray, white
between the eyes, of which the iris is brown. The ears are black.

The common Macaque is found in all Eastern Asia, and in very great
numbers. These apes are very common in menageries, as nearly every
ship from India brings some back with it. The Macaque in his native
abode is social, living in bands of ten to fifteen members. They live
chiefly on fruits, but have been often met on the sea-shore collecting
crabs and muscles. A traveler in Java describes a scene he witnessed:
“Chairs were placed for us in a grove which seemed to be the remnant
of a forest. A hollow cane of bamboo was struck; this was the drum
for the apes. The sound had scarcely ceased, when we heard a rustling
in the trees, and more than a hundred gray apes sprang out. Great and
small, old bearded patriarchs, lively young ones, mothers with their suck-
lings at their breast, came out and played around us like old acquaint-
ances. They were so free from all fear that they took from our hands
the rice and provisions we had brought. Two splendid males opened
the baskets our attendants were carrying, and helped themselves as
it pleased them. They stalked about among the crowd of apes like
haughty cavaliers, and were regarded by their fellows with great respect.
Nor did they hesitate to enforce the respect due to them. If the crowd
pressed on them, they laid about them lustily, and kept the rest at a
distance till they had satisfied their kingly appetites. To each other
they were studiously courteous. When we departed, the apes again
dispersed into the wood.” The Macaque is not quite so agile as the
Guenons, but in other respects resembles them. There is the same liveli-
ness and cheerfulness, the same tenderness to the helpless, the same
changeableness of temper. He is grateful for good treatment, and be-
comes attached to his keeper or master. He is naturally very modest in
his appetites—a piece of bread, a handful of corn, a branch with green
leaves are devoured with satisfaction; he soon learns to eat fish. But
when accustomed to the luxuries of the table he proves himself an epicure
in his tastes, and soon learns to prefer spirituous liquors to any other
beverage. They breed freely in captivity and are passionately fond of
their young. On one occasion it was found necessary to clear a cage

ANECDOTE OF A BONNET APE. 67

full of apes, among which was a young Macaque that had been separated
from its mother for several months. ‘he mother was in a cage whence
she could see the other. When the keepers began to drive the apes out,
she exhibited great anxiety, and uttered doleful cries when any one
came near her little one. It was caught and returned to her; she at
once embraced it and tenderly caressed it. They evidently had not for-
gotten each other.

As a performing monkey the Macaque plays many roles, but is least
often exhibited as a rider. He is easily taught; not so easily as the
Sphinx, but more easily than the Magot; but he is of too volatile a dis-
position to remember his lessons long without constant repetition.

THE BONNET APES.

The BONNET APES, JZacacus sinicus, the Mungas of the Indians, are
less frequently seen. They are considerably smaller than their kindred,
the body is slender, the muzzle is prominent, the hair on the head stands
out like ravs from the centre of the head, the brow is bare, the coat
pretty short, the color a greenish-gray, the green effect being produced
by the black and yellow rings with which each of the hairs is marked.
The hands and ears are black.

The Munga has a happy life in his native home in the woods of Mala-
bar. The natives regard him as holy, and allow him the run of their
fields and gardens ; nay, temples are built and orchards are planted to
testify their respect.

The peculiar arrangement of the hair on the head from which this
species derives its name of Bonnet Ape, gives it a very unique appear-
ance, of which the animal is quite aware, and which it seems to love to
increase by the frequent grimaces in which it indulges. A variety found
in the island of Ceylon (Macacus pileatus) is a general favorite and pet
of both the natives and Europeans. The serpent-charmers teach them
to dance, and earn their living by exhibiting their tricks and antics,
including in their attainments that of smoking tobacco. Most apes are
passionately fond of inhaling this vapor.

Sir Richard Schomburgk tells in connection with a Bonnet ape a
curious anecdote illustrative of the reasoning powers of the Macaque.
A Bonnet ape had bitten his keeper, and was solemnly condemned’ to
death. Next morning the keeper proceeded to the monkey-house with

68 QUADRUMANA.

his gun. The animals were all quite familiar with the sight of the
weapon, which had often been used to kill rats and vermin near their
house, and no alarm was created by its appearance in the keeper's hands,
except in the breast of the criminal. The other monkeys sat still, but he
hid himself in his sleeping-box, from which he refused to stir. When he
was, after two or three fruitless attempts, tempted out by the offer of
food, and the door of the box shut behind, he fully realized his position.
He rushed to and fro, examined every corner of the cage to find a loop-
hole of escape, and then flung himself on the ground to await the fate
which he saw coming. His comrades showed no emotion, and watched
with astonishment the terrified behavior of the condemned prisoner.

THE BUNDER.

The BUNDER, Macacus rhesus, is another sacred creature, exceedingly
reverenced in India. It is of a powerful square figure, thickly haired on
the back. His hide forms deep folds about his neck and breast; its color
is greenish with yellow or reddish flocks on the buttocks, white on the
belly; the tail is greenish on the upper, gray on the lower surface. The
face, hands, and ears are copper-colored, the gluteal callosities bright
red.

The natives of India pay the Bunder as much respect as is shown to
the Hulman or Huneman already mentioned (p. 42). Captain Johnson
gives an account of his own experience with them, which is here sub-
joined :

‘At Bindrabun (which name, I imagine, was originally Baunder-
bund, literally signifying a jungle of monkeys), a town only a few miles
distant from the holy city of Muttra, more than a hundred gardens are
well cultivated with all kinds of fruit, solely for the support of these
animals, which are kept up and maintained by religious endowments
from rich natives.

“When I was passing through a street in Bindrabun, an old monkey
came down to the lower branches of a tree we were going under, and
pulled off my Harcarrah’s turban, as he was running in front of the
palanquin, decamped with it over some houses where it was impossible
to follow him, and was not again seen.

“T once resided a month in that town, occupying a large house on
the banks of the river, belonging to a rich native; it had no doors, and

RESPECT PAID TO THE SACRED APES. 69

the monkeys frequently came into the room where we were sitting,
carrying off bread and other things from the breakfast-table. If we were
sleeping or sitting in a corner of the room, they would ransack every
other part.

“T often feigned sleep, to observe their manoeuvres, and the caution
with which they proceeded to examine everything. I was much amused
to see their sagacity and alertness. They would often spring twelve or
fifteen feet from the house to another, with one, sometimes two young
ones under their bellies, carrying with them also, a loaf of bread, some
sugar, or other article; and to have seen the care they always took of
their young would have been a good lesson to many mothers.

“T was one of a party at Teekarry, in the Bahar district; our tents
were pitched in a large mango garden, and our horses were picketed
in the same garden at a little distance off. When we were at dinner, a
Syce came to us, complaining that some of the horses had broken loose,
in consequence of being frightened by monkeys on the trees; that, with
their chattering and breaking off the dry branches in leaping about, the
rest would also get loose, if they were not driven away.

‘As soon as dinner was over, | went out with my gun to drive them
off, and I fired with small shot at one of them, which instantly ran down
to the lowest branch of the tree, as if he were going to fly at me, stopped
suddenly, and coolly put its paw to the part wounded, covered with
blood, and held it out for me to see: I was so much hurt at the time,
that it has left an impression never to be effaced, and I have never since
fired a gun at any of the tribe.

“Almost immediately on my return to the party, before I had fully
described what had passed, a Syce came to inform us that the monkey
was dead; we ordered the Syce to bring it to us, but by the time he
returned, the other monkeys had carried the dead one off, and none of
them could anywhere be seen.

“JT have been informed by a gentleman of great respectability, on
whose veracity I can rely (as he is not the least given to relating wonder-
ful stories), that in the district of Cooch-Bahar, a very large tract of land
is actually considered by the inhabitants to belong to a tribe of monkeys
inhabiting the hills near it; and when the natives cut their different kinds
of grain, they always leave about a tenth part piled in heaps for the
monkeys. And as soon as their portion is marked out, they come down
from the hills in a large body, and carry all that is allotted for them to

7O QUADRU MANA.

the hills, storing it under and between rocks, in such a manner as to
prevent vermin from destroying it.

“On this grain they chiefly live ; and the natives assert, that if they
were not to have their due proportion, in another year they would not
allow a single grain to become ripe, but would destroy it when green.
In this account, perhaps superstition has its full influence.”

Of course Europeans do not acquiesc: in the ravages of these apes
with the equanimity or kindliness of the Flindoos. It is almost impossible
to keep a garden when these divinities are about. To shoot them would
provoke a riot and lead to murder as it often has done; to set a guard is
useless, for the apes driven off on one side return on the other; fires,
scarecrows and the like do not in the least intimidate them.

One Englishman succeeded in keeping the monkeys away from his
plantation for more than two years, without using any violence, or
offending the prejudices of the natives.

He had planted a patch of sugar-canes, and preserved his growing
crops from elephants, swine, deer, and other animals by means of a deep
trench surrounding the cane-patch, and a strong palisading of bamboos
just within the ditch. But the monkeys cared nothing for moat or
wall, and carried off whole canes in their hands, eating them com-
placently as they proceeded to the shelter of the trees.

For a long time this state of things continued, and the planter was
doomed to see the ripening canes devoured in his very presence, and
the chewed fragments spit in his face by the robbers. This last insult
proved too great a strain for his patience to endure, and after some
thought, he hit upon a stratagem which answered even beyond his
expectation.

He chased a flock of the monkeys into a tree, which he then felled ;
and by the help of his assistants, captured a number of the young, which
he conveyed home. He then mixed some treacle with as much tartar-
emetic as could be spared from the store, and after painting all the young
monkeys with this treacherous mixture set them at liberty. The parents
ran to embrace their returned offspring, and carried them off to a place
of safety. There the first care of the elders was to clean the soiled coats
of the little ones, by licking off the mixture with which they were
smeared. The treacle delighted them, and grunts of satisfaction testified
to the pleasure they felt. But only for a time; the tartar-emetic soon
began to work, and reduced the apes to a piteous condition. After this

THE WANDEROO. 7)

bitter experience they never came near the spot again, and left the Eng-
lishman’s garden henceforth untouched.

The Bunder extends over a great part of the Indian continent, and
is especially abundant in the valley of the Ganges. It is found too in
the sheltered valleys of the Himalayas, and has been seen near Simla
even in midwinter. But it prefers the thickets of bamboo which line the
banks of streams. It swims well, and never hesitates, when pursued,
about plunging into water and diving some distance. Its temper is
irritable and furious, and grows worse with age; his courage, when
roused, indomitable. Yet in spite of these bad qualities the Bunder is a
favorite with tamers and jugglers; he learns easily, while the shortness
of his tail admits of his appearing in ordinary pantaloons. They breed
in captivity.

Many observers confuse with the Bunder a kindred species, Macacus
erythricus, which is more slender, but taller, with limbs nearly twice as
long as the Bunder’s. The two species are both Indian and resemble
each other in color and habits.

THE LAPUNDER AND NELBANDER OR WANDEROO.

The LAPUNDER, Macacus nemestrinus, is commonly called the Swine-
tailed ape from its short, thin tail. It is remarkable for the length of its
hind legs. Its color is olive-brown; the face, ears, hands and callosities
are of a dull flesh color. It is a native of Sumatra and the Malay Pen-
insula, and it is said to be tamed by the natives, who train it to gather
cocoanuts—a task it performs with great skill, selecting only those that
are ripe. It breeds in captivity. The Zoological Gardens of Berlin
possessed a young ape, the offspring of this species and the common
Macaque.

The NELBANDAR, Macacus silenus, or Wanderoo of the Hindoos, is
commonly known as the Bearded Ape. It is characterized by a rich full
beard surrounding the whole face, and a moderate tail ending in a tuft.
Its long hair is bright black, while the mane-like beard is white. It
attains the length of three feet including ten inches of tail. It is a native
of Malabar, not of Ceylon, and is very destructive to the gardens. The
natives, however, value it highly, and train it to perform sundry tricks.
It is good-tempered and possesses a good deal of sense. The Wanderoo,
with his long white beard, is not unlike an old Hindoo. It is dignified,

@
— Mike a

72 QUADRUMANA.

thoughtful, and careful, knows when it has done wrong, and expresses
its sorrow with tears. Other apes exhibit the greatest deference to the
solemn Wanderoo, and always behave well when in his company.

THE MAGOTS AND GIBRALTAR MONKEYS.

Another species, Macacus inuus, is in some respects the most inter-
esting of the Macaques. It is the only one found in Europe, and the
absence of a tail has led some naturalists to form it into a genus by itself.
The name usually given to it is the Macor or Barbary Ape.

Known to the ancient Greeks and Romans under the name of Pithecus,
it seems to have been the first monkey brought into Europe; Pliny
speaks of one that could play draughts, and perform other human actions,
and Galen is supposed to have based his anatomy on dissection of the
Magot.

As the name Barbary Ape implies, they are natives of Algeria and
Morocco. They live in numerous bands on the wooded mountains which
intersect these countries, and make frequent incursions into the gardens
of the unfortunate natives, pillaging the orange trees and the fig trees,
as well as the melon and tomato beds. These depredations are carried
on with much intelligence and great precaution. They dispose them-
selves in échelon from the wall of the inclosure to a certain part of the
garden, passing the plunder from one to another, as soon as collected by
the most venturous. Two or three videttes, placed on an elevated spot,
keep a lookout in the neighborhood. At the least sign of danger they
give a cry of alarm, when the whole band quickly decamp.

When at liberty in its native lands, the Magot has a great predilection
for hunting scorpions, insects, and similar creatures, and devouring them
on the spot. It displays peculiar aptitude for discovering and pouncing
upon its prey.

Scorpions and beetles are found in profusion under stones, logs, or in
similar sheltering places, and are there secure from any ordinary foe.
But the quick senses of the Magot detect them in their concealment, and
the ready hands sweep away the shelter and make the insect prisoner
before it recovers the sudden surprise of its violated roof.

To any ordinary animal the scorpion would be rather a dangerous
prey, and would probably avenge its death most fully by a stroke of
its torture-giving and swiftly-lashing tail. The Magot, however, has

THE GIBRALTAR MONKEYS. 73

hands which can overmatch even the scorpion’s tail, and no sooner
is one of these baneful creatures brought to light, than the monkey
pounces upon it, twitches off the poison-joints of the tail, and then,
grasping the disarmed scorpion, eats it as composedly as if it were
a carrot.

The enemies which these creatures hold in greatest dread are the
climbing felidae; and on the approach of one of these animals, the colony
is instantly ina turmoil. The leaders yell their cry of alarm and give
the signal for retreat, the mothers snatch up their little ones, the power-
ful males range themselves in battle array, and the whole body seeks a
place of refuge.

The color of the Magot is a clear gray. The head is strong and
heavy, the eyes deeply set, the neck short and powerful, the teeth sharp,
the nails strong ; the face is always old-looking. It is not often seen in
zoological gardens, but it displays in captivity a strong attachment to its
master, and a fondness for nursing other animals, especially if they are
young and helpless. It carries them in its arms, keeps their coats clean
and free from vermin, and is jealous if interfered with.

Gibraltar is the spot in Europe where the Magots have been since
time immemorial. Some writers suppose that they have been on the
rock since the time when the Straits did not exist; the Moors assert that
there is an underground passage between the Spanish and African shores
which the Magots traverse. Most probably they were introduced by the
Moorish invaders of the Peninsula. They live on the summit of the rock,
and move about from place to place to escape the wind. Great care has
been taken of them by the English authorities, and their numbers are
reported to the Quartermaster of the garrison. In spite of all care,
however, their numbers had dwindled down to ten in 1856, and ina few
years had fallen to four, all of the same sex, and finally to three.
Alarmed by this report, Brehm wrote to the English governor of the
fortress, and had his fears removed by the following answer: “The num-
ber of apes which at present inhabit the Rock amounts to eleven. As it
has been found that they can easily find sufficient food on the rock, they
are not fed, but left to themselves. The signal-man looks after them, and
prevents them from being chased or disturbed. He keeps an account of
them, and, as they are always together, is well informed concerning them
and their movements.

“When and how they came to the Rock nobody knows, but the most

74. QUADRUMANA.

opposite views are held. Six or seven years ago they were reduced to
three; but Sir William Codrington, fearing that they would entirely
perish, brought over three or four from Tangiers, and since then they
have increased to the number above stated.”

Europe, therefore, has not yet lost her apes.

VII—GENUS CYNOPITHECUS.

This genus has one species, Cynopithecus niger, which is assigned by
many writers to the genus MJacacus: it resembles the Macaques, and
also has several characteristics of the Cynzocephali, and many naturalists
follow Cuvier in classing it with the latter. Recent investigations, how-
ever, have led most naturalists to make a separate genus of it as above.

It differs from the Dog-heads proper by possessing a very rudimentary
tail, and in its muzzle, which is broad, flat, and, unlike that of the species in
the genus Cyzocephali, does not overhang the upper lip. The face and
callosities are bare, the body covered with long woolly black hair, which
on the head grows pretty long, and forms a kind of crest, which curves
backward over the neck like the crest of a cockatoo. The Budeng
(p. 44) also possesses a crest, but it curves forward.

It attains the length of two feet, and is abundant in the Celebes,
Philippine and Molucca Islands. Its habits in its native abodes are little
known; in captivity it shows itself domineering and tyrannical toward
the Guenons, pretty kind toward the Macaques, and quite friendly to a
young female baboon.

CIA Pek ERO V EIT.
THE NEW WORLD MONKEYS.

THE AMERICAN MONKEYS OR CEBID4[-—THE GENUS CEBUS OR SAPAJOU—THE GENUS LAGOTHRIX—
THE SPIDER MONKEYS—THE GENERA ATELES AND ERIODES—THE HOWLING MONKEYS—THE
SAKIS—THE NIGHT MONKEYS—THE TEE-TEES.

HE difference between the animals of the OLD and NEw WorLps
is most strikingly seen in those of the torrid zone. In America
the land between the tropics forms a world of its own. Soil and

climate, light and air, plants and animals all bear a peculiar stamp, only
here or there calling up reminiscences of the Eastern Hemisphere. And
this is to a great extent the case with reference to the animals we are
now about to describe. The CEBIDA are PLATYRRHINI, or “ flat-nosed ”’
monkeys; they are more inoffensive, good tempered and melancholy
than the apes of the old world; they are distinguished from their
brethren in the Eastern Hemisphere by the conformation of their bodies
and limbs, and by their teeth. The nostrils are very different from those
of the monkeys which have already been described, as they open at the
sides instead of underneath, and are separated from each other by a
wide piece of cartilage. The body is slender, the limbs long, the tail is
never absent, and in most genera is supplied powerful muscles
which enable the creature to seize anything by it. The thumb of the
fore hands is not so truly “opposable’’ as in the feet. The nails are
flat. The number of molars is increased by one on each side of each jaw ;
that is, the ‘dental formula’’ becomes
2—2 I—I 6 —6

c. 5 . > = 36.
Ay ois Ga &

They have no cheek pouches or callosities. One member of the family
alone attains any considerable size. Their colors are not so varied as
those of Asia and Africa.

76 QUADRUMANA.

The CEBID& are confined to South America. Their northern limit
is the Caribbean Sea, but they are not found in any of the Islands, nor do
they pass the Isthmus of Panama. To the West they are limited by the
chain of the Andes, on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, and South by the
twenty-fifth degree of latitude.

The Apres OF AMERICA are exclusively arboreal, and the primeval
forest is their natural home. They prefer well-watered regions. They
never descend to the earth except in extrerue need; evén when they drink
they climb on some bending branch which droops into a stream. Some
of these apes can traverse hundreds of miles and never set foot on
ground. The forest gives them all they want, buds and fruits, insects
and birds’ eggs, young birds and honey.

Most species are active by day, some are genuine night-animals.
They all are timid and shy and cannot distinguish with the sagacity of
O_p Wor.LpD APEs between real and imaginary danger. Hence they
flee from everything unusual. They are weak, and only able to defend
themselves from small beasts of prey.

In captivity they are docile and affectionate in youth, cunning and
malicious in old age. Maternal affection is very strong in the females.
They bear one or two young ones, and nurse, tend and guard them with
that care and devotedness which always excite our admiration and
esteem.

They do little damage to mankind; their home is usually remote trom
the operations of man, and those which do levy toll on the plantations are
merciful in their exactions. Men hunt them for the sake of their flesh
and their skin; the natives slay them by hundreds, using bows and
arrows, or the blowpipe, by which they can project their poisoned darts
that kill with a scratch, over a hundred feet. With the same weapon the
Indians capture them. “Ifthe Arecunas,” writes Schomburgk, “ wish to
tame an old obstinate ape, they dip their dart in weakened Wurari
poison. When the creature falls down, the wound is sucked, the animal
buried in the earth up to the neck, and a strong solution of some salt-
petre-bearing earth or of sugarcane-juice is poured over him. When the
patient shows signs of revival he is taken out and wrapped like a child
in swaddling-clothes. In this straight-jacket his drink for some days is
cane-juice and his food is seasoned with Cayenne pepper, and boiled in
saltpetre water. If this heroic treatment does not answer, he is hung up
in the smoke. His temper then improves, his eyes become beseeching,

THE SAPAJOUS. 77

he asks for mercy. He is set free, and the most violent ape seems to
forget that he has ever been a denizen of the forest.”

The CEBID# are divided into four sub-families which bear the names
of CEBIN@, MYCETIN@, PITHECIN&, and NYCTAPITHECINA, and contain
zen genera in all.

The sub-family of CEBIN&% contains four genera, the first being the
richest in species of all the American monkeys, and ranges from Costa
Rica to Paraguay.

I—GENUS CEBUS.

The SAPAJOUS are small, rather slim creatures. They live in bands in
the forests of Colombia, Peru, Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay, usually
keeping to the highest branches of the trees. They feed on truits, insects,
worms, molluscs, eggs, and even small birds. Several species of Car-
nivora and serpents persecute them incessantly; the latter more par-
ticularly inspire them with terrible fear.

The Sapajous possess an unequalled amount of agility and petulance,
and are capricious to excess. At the same time they are very intelligent,
very gentle, and very familiar, and disposed to be affectionate towards
those who take an interest in them. Thus it is that they are in demand
in all civilized countries; in the hands of mountebanks and wandering
musicians they become objects of amusement to the multitude. They are
trained to a great number of tricks, which they execute with great cool-
ness and imperturbable gravity. They may be called the Green Mon-
keys of the New World. They are sometimes styled the WEEPER
Monkeys, from the low whining sounds they often utter. Plaintive and
mournful as are these cries, they are expressions of satisfaction and good
temper. The slightest emotion produces a screaming and screeching
painful to listen to. They are also called Musk Apes from a musky odor
which some of them exhale.

It is very difficult to ascertain the number of species in this family.
Schomburgk writes: “ No genus of apes shows in size, color and growth
of hair more differences than these do, and hence a crowd of species is
created which are mere varieties arising from a cross between the Capu-
cin and the Apella.” But the number of observations that have been
made of these creatures in captivity lead us to prefer more numerous
divisions than the two to which apparently the intrepid traveler would
restrict us. We follow Wallace in regarding the genus as divided into
ecightcen species.

78 QUADRUMANA.

THE CAPUCIN MONKEY.

The CaPuciIN monkey, Cebus capucinus (Plate I1., Sapajou), bears in its
own home—the southern portion of Brazil—the name of Cat or SAt,a
word which is said to mean in the language of the Guarani Indians, “a
dweller in the forest.” It is one of the larger varieties of the group, and
has attained in some instances a length of eighteen inches in the body and
fourteen inches in the tail. It is distinguished by its bare, wrinkled, flesh-
colored forehead. A brown, more or less deep, is the predominant color,
the thinly covered temples, side-whiskers, throat and chest are somewhat
lighter.

The Cebus hypoleucus resembles the Capucin in size, and differs only
slightly in color. But the brow is hairy, and the color on the cheeks,
throat and other parts are of a bright yellow color, contrasting strongly
with the dark-brown hide.

A variety, Cebus oltvaceus, is somewhat larger than those just men-
tioned; the body measures two feet in length, the tail twenty inches.
The face and forehead are thickly covered with hair, a broad dark-brown
stripe crosses the brow, and from it a gradually widening triangular
patch of like color extends to the back of the head. The back is brown
in color; the cheeks, shoulders and fore-limbs a pale olive-brown.

A thick growth of hair above the eyebrows covers as with a wig the
head of Cebus leucogenys, a Brazilian species. Its long silky hair is of a
grayish-black hue; the hair on the cheeks changes from bright yellow to
yellowish-white.

These species differ little from each other. They are found every-
where in the torrid zone, from Bahia to Colombia and across the Andes.
They pass their life in trees and are careful to avoid the observation of
travelers. Usually they occur in bands of five to ten, most of which are
females.

In their habits, too, all the species are very similar, so that the descrip-
tion of one will serve equally for any other. In consequence of their
sportive manners they are frequently kept in a domesticated state, both
by the native Indians and by European settlers. Like several other small
monkeys, the Capucin often strikes up a friendship for tame animals that
may happen to live in or near its home, the cat being one of the most
favored of their allies. Sometimes it carries its familiarity so far as to

THE CAPUCINS. 79

turn the cat into a steed for the nonce, and, seated upon her back, to
perambulate the premises. More unpromising subjects for equestrian
exercise have been pressed into the service by the Capucin. Humboldt
mentions one of these creatures which was accustomed to catch a pig
every morning, and mounting upon its back, to retain its seat during the
day. Even while the pig was feeding in the savannahs its rider remained
firm, and bestrode its victim with as much pertinacity as Sinbad’s old
man of the sea.

Their food is chiefly of a vegetable nature, but they are fond of
various insects, sometimes rising to higher prey, as was once rather
unexpectedly proved. A linnet was placed, by way of experiment, in a
cage containing two Capucin monkeys, who pounced upon their winged
visitor, caught it, and the stronger of the two devoured it with such
avidity that it would not even wait to pluck off the feathers. Eggs are
also thought'to form part of the Capucin’s food.

The Cebus apella. This species is the representative of the Capucin
monkey in Guiana. It varies much in color; the hair over the brow and
on each side of the head swells up into a tuft, and on the face is pro-
longed to form a beard. It is found in large troops of several hundreds ;
Schomburgk saw one consisting of four or five hundred members. The
Indians shoot them with their blowpipes as articles of food, and keep
numbers of tame ones about their buts.

It is this ape which we usually see accompanying the barrel-organ
of our peripatetic musicians, and which climbs up our piazzas and spouts
to reach the nursery windows, and collect the children’s cents. Its
health does not seem to suffer much in captivity, but it is dirty and
melancholy and continually pulling frightful faces.

The species commonly called the HORNED Sapajou or MIKO, Cebus
fatuellus, is found on the East Coast of Brazil, and is remarkable for the
peculiar growth of the hair on its head. It attains the size of a large
cat, has strong muscular limbs, a round head and face, a tail longer than
its body and thickly covered with hair. The cheeks and sides of the
temples are decked with fine whitish-yellow hair, while the face is sur-
rounded with a ring of bright black hair; on the head there grows a thick
tuft divided into two bunches. Between the bunches the hair is short
and black, on the neck it is brown, beneath the chin dark-brown, on the
throat, breast, neck, and sides yellowish-brown, on the rest of the body
black-brown, almost black. The hairless face has a dirty flesh-colored

80 QUADRUMANA.

hue, the hands and feet are brown, and the fingers are clothed with light-
brown hairs. The peculiar growth of hair on the head does not appear
till middle age, when it is found in both sexes, but more developed in the
males. It is exceedingly active and sagacious, travels in bands of thirty or
forty, and plunders remorselessly the plantations of settlers near the forest.

The other species require no mention in a work of a popular char-
acter.

Il—GENUS LAGOTHRIX.

This genus is distinguished from the preceding one by its squarer
figure, some peculiarities in the skeleton and teeth, and the woolly hair,
from which latter characteristic it derives its name Lagothrix. It is found
in the districts on the headwaters of the Amazon and Orinoco, and lives
in groups in trees. All the kinds described by travelers are regarded by
naturalists as capable of being embraced in five species. We give the
best known and attested species.

The BarrIGUDO, Lagothrix Humboldtit, is when fully grown little less
than the Howling Monkeys. Its soft woolly hair grows long on the tail,
the thighs, and the upper arm, and becomes a regular mane on the breast;
the head looks as if cropped. The face, and the hands, both palm and
back, the bare spot on the tail, and the tongue are negro-black; the eyes
dark-brown, the coat dull-black on the head, somewhat lighter on the
back; on the further end of the tail a dark brownish-yellow. ‘

Tschudi describes the BARRIGUDO—as the natives name them—as
malicious and daring, often following for a long distance the Indians who
carry the productions of remote plantations to market in the upper
valleys. The apes pelt them with twigs and branches. They are bad
climbers, and all their movements are slow and deliberate. When
brought to bay, they put their backs against a tree and fight till death.
The Indians hunt it for its flesh. In captivity it is a gentle creature, but
seldom survives removal from its home; even the change to Para is
usually fatal. One in the Zoological Gardens of London is described as
amiable and attractive; in all its actions it equally avoided haste and
sluggishness, and displayed grace and precision; a solemn attitude seems
natural to it, and suits well. In distinction from the Spider apes and
Cebidz, which are always whimpering or whining, the Barragudo utters
only oxe cry like a sharp “ Tsha” not repeated.

THE COAITA AND MARIMONDA. 81

- We now proceed to a genus the members of which may be described
as the Gibbons of the New World. They have not, however, the light-
ning-like spring and activity of those acrobats of the Eastern Hemisphere.

THE SPIDER-MONKEYS.

This appellation, bestowed by early naturalists on the following
genera, well expresses their leading features, which suggest the com-
parison to every observer.

III—GENUS ATELES.

The various species of this genus inhabit South America as far as
twenty degrees of South latitude. Their name Aée/es is a Greek word
signifying “imperfect,” and is bestowed on them because the thumbs on
their fore-limbs are useless. They are usually found in small bodies of
ten or twelve. The fourteen species do not present much difference to
each other.

THE COAITA AND THE MARIMONDA.

The Coalta, Ateles paniscus, is one of the larger apes of the genus; it
attains the length of four feet, more than one half being tail. The hair
is long on the shoulders, and forms a crest on the head; it is deep black,
except on the face, where it is red. A pair of lively brown eyes give
a pleasing expression to its visage. It is averse to the intrusion of
strangers, and large bands assault the stranger by pelting him with
sticks. It is a native of Guiana.

The MARIMONDA, A‘¢eles Beelzebub, is a species which has been found
in Guiana, and, according to Humboldt, chiefly in the Spanish prov-
nasty

In captivity, the Marimonda is a gentle and affectionate animal,
attaching itself strongly to those persons to whom it takes a fancy, and
playing many fantastic gambols to attract their attention. Its angry
feelings, although perhaps easily roused, do not partake of the petulant
malignity which is found in the baboons. Very seldom does it attempt
to bite, and even when such an event does take place, it is rather the
«ect of sudden terror than of deliberate malice.

82 QUADRUMANA.

On account of its amiable nature it is often brought into a do.
mesticated state, and, if we may give credence to many a traveler,
is trained to become not only an amusing companion, but a useful ser-
vant.

The color of this animal varies much according to the age of the
individual.

When adult, the leading color is of a uniform dull black, devoid of
the glossy lustre which throws back the sunbeams from the Coaita’s furry
mantle. On the back, the top of the head, and along the spine, the hair
is of a dense, dead black, which seems to have earned for the animal the
very inapposite name with which its nomenclators have thought fit to
decorate the mild and amiable Marimonda.

The throat, breast, inside of the limbs, and the under side of the tail
are much lighter in tint, while in some individuals a large, bright chest-
nut patch appears on each side.

It seems to be of rather a listless character, delighting to bask in the
sun’s rays, and lying in the strangest attitudes for hours without moving.
One of the postures it best loves is achieved by throwing the head back
with the eyes turned up, and its hands behind its head.

THE CHAMECK.

The CHAMECK, Ateles pentadactylos, is the representative of the genus
in Peru and parts of Brazil. It bears the epithet of Penxtadactylos or five-
fingered (Greek, fente five, daktylos finger), because the thumb is slightly
projecting; it has, however, only a single joint, and is not furnished with
a nail, justifying its other designation of ate/es. The body measures
about twenty inches; its tail is over two feet in length, and is the most
conspicuous member of the animal. For the greater part of its length it
is thickly covered with long drooping fur, but the last seven or eight
inches are nearly denuded of hair on the upper surface, and entirely so
on the lower.

The color of the Chameck is nearly black, and of a uniform tint over
the head, body, and limbs. Its hair is ratner long and thick, in some
parts taking a slight curl. The head is very small in proportion to the
rest of the body. The face is of a deep brown color, as are the ears,
cheeks, and chin, on which some long black hairs are scattered at dis-
tant intervals.

ANECDOTES OF SPIDER—MONKEYS. 83

THE GOLD-BROWED APE.

BARTLETT’S MONKEY, AZeles bartlettz, is the prettiest of all the spider-
monkeys. Its hair is long, of a deep black color on the back, and
brownish-yellow on the belly; its whiskers are white, and across the
brow runs a golden-yellow band. From this remarkable feature it de-
rives an additional name to that given it in honor of its discoverer, and
is styled the Gold-browed Ape.

IV.—GENUS ERIODES.

This genus, containing only ¢hree species, is intermediate between the
two previous genera, and is confined to the Eastern parts of Brazil, South
of the Equator.

THE MIRIKI.

The MiIrRIK1, Ertodes hypoxanthus (Plate II, Spider Monkey), inhabits
vfie interior of Brazil, and is the largest of the Brazilian monkeys. It is
strongly built, small-headed, short-necked, long-limbed, and thickly-haired.
Its hair yellowish; the face in middle age flesh-colored, in old age gray.
The hair of this species is very thick, short, and furry, of a tolerably uni-
form brown tint over the head, body, and limbs, the paws being much
darker than the rest of the animal. There is a slight moustache formed
by a continuation of the long black hairs which are scantily planted on
the chin and face. On account of the thick coating of fur with which
the skin of this animal is covered, water has but little effect upon it.
Knowing this wet-repellent property, the hunters of Brazil are accus-
tomed to make the skin of the Miriki into cases wherewith to cover the
locks of their guns on rainy days.

This species is easily distinguishable from its companions by the
presence of a better developed thumb on the fore-paws than falls to the
lot of spider-monkeys generally.

The characteristics of these species are in the main the same. They
are all climbers, and endowed with the same faculty of using the tail as a
fifth hand. The story told by the old travelers, Dacosta and Dampierre,
of their forming a bridge across rivers, has been doubted by later ob-

84 QUADRUMANA.

servers. In captivity they are gentle, but the following story of a Spi-
der Monkey possessed by a British officer, shows that they are some-
times prone to human frailties :

At Belize, Sally was permitted to range the town at large for some
days. One morning, as her master was passing along the streets, he
heard high above his head a little croaking sound, which struck him as
being very like the voice of his monkey; and on looking up, there was
Sally herself, perched on a balcony, croaking in pleased recognition of
her friend below.

Once, and once only, poor Sally got into a sad scrape. Her master
was going into his cabin, and found Sally sitting all bundled together on
the door-mat. He spoke to her, and the creature just lifted up her head,
looked him in the face, and sank down again in her former listless
posture.

‘“Come here, Sally,” said the captain.

But Sally would not move.

The order was repeated once or twice, and without the accustomed
obedience.

Surprised at so unusual a circumstance, her master lifted her by the
arms, and then made the shocking discovery that poor Sally was quite
tipsy. She was long past the jovial stage of intoxication, and had only
just sense enough left to recognize her master. Very ill was Sally that
night, and very penitent next day.

The reason for such a catastrophe was as follows:

The officers of the ship had got together a little dinner-party, and
being very fond of the monkey, had given her such a feed of almonds
and raisins, fruits of various kinds, biscuits and olives, as she had not
enjoyed for many a day. Now of olives in particular, Sally is very fond,
and having eaten largely of these dainties, the salt juice naturally pro-
duced an intense thirst. So, when the brandy and water began to make
its appearance, Sally pushed her lips into a tumbler, and to the amuse-
ment of the officers, drank nearly the whole of its cool but potent con-
tents.

Her master remonstrated with the officers for permitting the animal
to drink this strong liquid; but there was no necessity for expostulating
with the victim. So entirely disgusted was the poor monkey, that she
never afterward could endure the taste or even the smell of brandy.
She was so thoroughly out of conceit with the liquid that had wrought

THE HOWLING MONKEYS. 85

her such woe, that even when cherry-brandy was offered to her, the
cherries thereof being her special luxury, she would shoot out her
tongue, and with just its tip taste the liquid that covered the dainty
fruits beneath, but would not venture further.

She seemed to bear the cold weather tolerably well, and was supplied
with plenty of warm clothing, which stood her in good stead even off the
icy coasts of Newfoundland, where, however, she expressed her dislike
of the temperature by constant shivering. In order to guard herself
against the excessive cold, she hit upon an ingenious device. There
were on board two Newfoundland dogs. They were quite young, and
the two used to occupy a domicile which was furnished with plenty of
straw. Into this refuge Sally would creep, and putting an arm round each
of the puppies and wrapping her tail about them, was happy and warm.

She was fond of almost all kinds of animals, especially if they were
small; but these two puppies were her particular pets. Her affection for
them was so great that she was quite jealous of them; and if any of the
men or boys passed nearer the spot than she considered proper, she
would come flying out of the little house, and shake her arms at the
intruders with a menacing gesture as if she meant to annihilate them.

THE HOWLING MONKEYS.

The next sub-family, the MyceTIN.&, contains only one genus, My-
CETES, which, however, is subdivided into ten species. They range from
Guatemala to Paraguay.

V.—GENUS MYCETES.

Oken’s dictum that the largest animals of each family is also the
most perfect, is true in the case of these monkeys, which are better
known by their English name of the HowLinc Monkeys. They attain
a length of three feet in the body, with a tail still longer. Their form is
slender but compact, the limbs well proportioned, the hands five-fingered,
the head large, the chin provided with a beard. They derive their com-
mon name from the howling with which they fill the forest, and which
can be heard for miles.

The instrument by means of which the Howlers make night dismal
with their wailings, is the “ hyoid bone,” a portion of the frame which is

86 QUADRUMANA.

developed largely in these monkeys. In man, the bone in question gives
support to the tongue and is attached to numerous muscles of the neck.
In the Howling Monkeys it takes a wider range of duty, and, by a
curious modification of structure, forms a bony drum which communi-
cates with the windpipe and gives to the voice its powerful resonance.

The larynx has six sacks connected with it, in which the voice is
received; two of these are of considerable size, and resemble the crop
of birds. The tail is long, bare at the extremity, nervous and muscular.

The How ters inhabit almost all the countries of South America;
even those elevated regions where heavy frosts occur in winter, and do
not suffer from the cold rains. Cattle perish, but the first bright day
brings out the voice of the HOWLERs, and they may be seen climbing to
the tops of the trees to dry themselves in the warm sunbeams.

THE RED AND BLACK HOWLERS.

The ALUATE, or RED HOWLER, MZycetes seniculus, has a reddish-brown
fur, inclining to yellow on the back; the hair is short, stiff, and uniform.
The female is smaller and darker. It inhabits the whole East of South
America.

The BLack How ter, Mycetes Caraya (Plate III), is a native of Para-
guay. The hair is long and black, inclining to red at the sides; in the
female, yellowish on the belly. It is rather less than the Red Howler.

HABITS OF THE HOWLING MONKEYS.

The habits of the two species are so much alike that the descriptions
of travelers apply equally to both. Schomburgk gives a lively account
of his observations of a herd of Howlers. ‘I followed the sound, and
after great exertions got within view of the troop without being per-
ceived. They sat before me on a high tree and performed the most
frightful concert that can be imagined, every beast of the forest seemed
engaged in deadly strife; at times the tones were like the grunting of a
pig, the next moment the roar of the jaguar as he springs on his prey,
then the low, awful growling of that beast of prey when, surrounded on
all sides, he recognizes the presence of danger. The performers would
stop suddenly, as if a signal had been given, and then quite unexpectedly
a singer would raise up his inharmonious voice, and the howling recom-

HABITS OF THE HOWLERs. 87

menced. The throat-drum which gives the voice its strength could be
seen moving up and down during their yells. Yet this concert had its
laughable aspect ; the most misanthropic of mankind must have smiled
had he seen the solemn gravity and earnestness with which the bearded

performers looked at each other. The natives say that each band has a °

leader, distinguished by the shrillness of his voice and the gracefulness
of his figure. The shrillness was evident; the gracefulness | looked for
in vain. I saw, however, two apes that were silent, and whom I sup-
posed to be sentinels.”

Hensel writes: “ The Howling monkeys live in little troops of five to
ten members, and seldom quit the same spot. An old male appears to
lead them.’”’” Humboldt, however, has seen as many as forty together,
and reckoned that there might be as many as two thousand in a quarter
of a mile square. He remarks the strange uniformity of the actions of
all the members of a band. What one does, all do. When the leader
quits a branch, all the family quit it. If the leader suspends himself by
the tail and swings himself to and fro to reach a neighboring bough, the
whole band assume the same attitude and perform the same motions.
They do not, like the old world monkeys, spring from tree to tree; they
never quit one branch with their tail till they have got good hold with
their hands, and never let go their hands till their tails have a firm grasp.
The muscles of the tail are like a watch-spring and coil up the end of
that appendage when at liberty; the creature can hang by its tail till it
is quite dead, and it possesses a tenacity of life unexampled except in
some of the Carnivora.

The same writer, Hensel, describes the difficulty of dispatching one.
The first shot broke a hind leg and injured the tail; a second, went
through the belly, causing such a gaping wound that the entrails pro-
truded; a third, through the chest; a fourth, through the throat, carry-
ing away part of the underjaw and destroying the howling apparatus,
and a fifth was necessary to put the miserable creature out of its anguish.
To the last it hung by its wounded tail. As we have said, the under
surface of the tail is devoid of hair and has a velvety surface, and when
two turns of the tail are cast about a branch the animal remains suspended
even in death. Hence Europeans are not very successful in procuring
specimens of these apes. A musket-ball seldom hits a part so vital that
consciousness is immediately destroyed, and as long as consciousness
remains the ape instinctively grasps some limb with his tail; the poisoned

88 * QUADRUMANA.

arrows of the Indians, on the other hand, produce an instantaneous loss
of consciousness, and the insensible victim falls helpless to the ground.
They are sometimes caught by an ingenious stratagem. A certain
plant, the ‘ Lecythis,” produces a kind of nut, which, when emptied of
its contents, becomes a hollow vessel with a small mouth. Into one of
these hollowed nuts a quantity of sugar is placed, the nut left in some
locality where the monkey is likely to find it, and the monkey-catchers
retreat to some spot whence they can watch unseen the effect of their trap.
So tempting an object cannot lie on the ground for any length of time
without being investigated by the inquisitive monkeys. One of them
soon finds out the sweet treasure of the nut, and squeezes his hand
through the narrow opening for the purpose of emptying the contents.
Grasping a handful of sugar, he tries to pull it out, but cannot do so
because the orifice is not large enough to permit the passage of the
closed hand with its prize. Certainly, he could extricate his hand by
leaving the sugar and drawing out his hand empty, but his acquisitive
nature will not suffer him to do so. At this juncture, the ambushed
hunters issue forth and give chase to the monkey. At all times, these
monkeys are clumsy enough on a level surface, but when encumbered
with the heavy burden, which is often as big as the monkey’s own head,
and deprived of one of its hands, it falls an easy victim to the pursuers.
Young ones are often captured by the cruel device of shooting a
nursing mother, who even when dying clasps her loved little one to her
bleeding breast. At times, indeed, she rises to the tragic grandeur of
sacrificing her maternal instincts, and dying without the consolations of
her offspring’s embraces in order that it may have a chance of liberty.
Spix relates that he had mortally wounded a female, who carried her
progeny on her back. The poor parent fell from branch to branch, and
the young one would undoubtedly have perished with her, had not she,
collecting all her strength, and desperate in her anxiety and tenderness,
thrown it with a fast-failing arm, on to a high branch, and in this way
succeeded in preserving it from the unhappy fate which befell herself.
By a strange, or rather by the natural injustice of human judgment,
this action is often alleged as a proof that the female of the Mycetes is
devoid of maternal affection.
In Paraguay these monkeys are regularly hunted for their skins and
flesh. Francia, the dictator, had his grenadiers’ caps made of skins from
the Black Howler, and the natives use them for shabracques, saddle-bags

THE SAKIS. 89

and the like. Travelers are sometimes compelled to eat the flesh, to
their disgust at first. ‘“ Nothing can be more repugnant than the sight
of such a repast,” writes Schomburgk; “it looks as if one was a guest at
a cannibal banquet where a child was the chief dish.” They are spitted
and roasted whole.

THE SAKIS.

The sub-family Pithecinze is the next division of the American Apes,
and embraces those genera in which the tail is covered with hair and
is incapable of grasping anything, or coiling round a branch.

The apes of this sub-family, or Sakis, have a compact figure which
appears thicker than it really is, owing to the long and dense covering
of hair; the limbs are strong, the tail bushy and usually with very long
hair down tothe end. The hair on the top of the head is thick and parted
in the middle; that on the cheeks and chin grows into a strong beard of
less or greater length. They are distinguished by the dental structure:
the three-cornered canine teeth are separated from the incisors, which
are pressed closely together, fine at the points, and inclined towards
each other.

The habitat of the few members of this group is confined to the
northern part of South America. They dwell in high, dry woods free
from brush, and avoid other species of apes. They are called by Tschudi
twilight animals, whose active life begins at sundown and continues to
sunrise. Schomburgk, however, states that his personal observations con-
tradict this account of their nocturnal habits. ‘ Wherever the foliage
was thick I found herds of apes, in which the P:¢/ecta formed the greatest
number; their long, graceful hair, the dignified beard, and the bushy
fox-tail give these creatures a pleasant, but laughable appearance.”

VI—GENUS PITHECIA.

The name SAkI, often applied to all the apes of the sub-family, be-
longs more properly to the second species described below.

The animals of the genus /2thecta bear much resemblance to the
Cebine; they live on fruits and insects, and are very partial to honey,
being always on the lookout for the hives of wild bees. The Sapajous,

go QUADRUMANA.

who are aware of this weakness, follow them at a distance, watching
for an opportunity to rob them of their booty. As soon as the Sakis sit
down to eat the honey they have discovered, the Sapajous, profiting by
their physical superiority, spring upon them, and put them to flight;
after which they enjoy the booty they have obtained so easily.

The Sakis are generally gentle, but excessively timid, and for this
reason are difficult to tame, though they are not destitute of intelligence.
They manifest great solicitude for their young, and both male and female
carefully occupy themselves in rearing them. But after a certain time
they chase them away, and compel them to provide for themselves.
The whole genus is often named, from their bushy tails, “ The Fox-tailed
Monkeys.”” The number of species is seven.

The SATAN APE or CUXI0, Pithecta satanas, the most common repre-
sentative of the genus, is found on the upper Amazon and Orinoco
rivers: It measures sixteen inches in length, and its tail is nearly as
long. The quite round head is covered with a kind of cap of long, thick
hair, which seems to radiate from a central pivot on the occiput, parting

in front. The cheeks and chin are covered with a long black beard.:

The back is thickly haired, the tail very bushy. The adults are of a
black color, inclining on the back to brown; the young are of a grayish-
brown tint. Varieties are numerous.

This species has been named by the Europeans the Satan Ape; the
Indians call it the Cuxio. It is said to be very careful of its beard, and
will not put its face down to drink for fear of wetting it. It scoops
up the fluid in the palm of its hand when it is living in freedom,
but in captivity it drinks like other apes. It is fierce in temper, and
easily provoked; when angry, it rubs the end of its beard and dashes on
its foe. Its teeth are so strong that it can drive them into a stout
plank.

The WHITE-HEADED Saki or BLACK YARKE, Pithecia leucocephala,
(Plate III), presents very different appearances at different ages, and
hence has obtained many different names. It is elegant in form, and
more varied in color than the Cuxio. The head is surrounded with a
thick fringe of white hair; the top of the head is deep black. It is a
remarkable fact that the white hair round the face is short in the male,
but long and drooping in the female.

The so-called SHAGGY APE, Pithecta hirsuta, or Paranam, attains the
length of forty inches, of which half consists of the tail; the body is cov-

THE BLACK-HEADED SAKI. gI

ered with hair nearly four inches long, the points of which turn for-
ward; the hair hangs over the brow, partly hiding the face. Spix dis-
covered this species near the Rio Negro, and describes it as nocturnal
in its habits.

VIL—GENUS BRACHYURUS.

This genus is characterized by the short rudimentary tail (hence its
name from the Greek, évachys short, and oura tail) and the slight beard,
the egg-shaped head and the flat face. The teeth are peculiar. In the
upper jaw the central incisors are twice as long and broad as the exterior
ones ; in the lower jaw they are shorter. The canine teeth are short and
strong. Its short tail contains fourteen to seventeen joints. It embraces
jive species.

The BLACK-HEADED Saki or CAcajAo, Brachyurus melanocephalus,
measures about two feet, including six inches of tail. Its shaggy coat
is yellow-brown, brighter on the breast and stomach, but black on the
head and tail and fore-feet ; the ears are hairless and very large. Little
is known of its habits when wild; in captivity it is docile and sluggish.
Fruit is its chief food, and when eating it bends over its food in a pecu-

1 liar manner, and is awkward in using its fingers. It is not common even
in its native abodes on the Rio Negro. ,

Many names have been given it, the most common being the one we
have mentioned ; it is also called Chucato, Chucazo, Carniri, and Mono-
feo, which is, by interpretation, ‘‘ The Hideous Ape.”

The species named the SCARLET-FACED SAKI, Brachyurus calvus, has a
tail still shorter than the Cacajao; it is nearly a pear-shaped stump.
The dull-yellow of his coat inclines to dull-white on the back, and to
bright-yellow on the belly. In old specimens the color is almost white,
from which the face stands out conspicuously; it is scarlet-red, with
bushy yellow eyebrows and reddish-yellow eyes; the hair on the head
looks as if it had been closely cropped, in marked contrast to the long
hair on the back. From its appearance it has received the name given
above; the native name is UaKARI.

It is found in a small district near the mouth of the Japura river, and
can with great difficulty be removed from its home. The natives repre-
sent its motions as active, and capture it by means of the blowpipe and
weak!y-poisoned darts. It is hard to tame, and repulses all efforts to

92 QUADRUMANA.

caress it. After a few days or weeks of captivity, it becomes indifferent
to everything, refuses food, and slowly pines away. Many of them die
of inflammation of the lungs. During sickness the bright scarlet of the
face becomes duller, but the red tint does not entirely disappear till about
two hours after death. Deville saw one in captivity which was kindly
disposed to white men, but could not endure Indians. It lived on fruits,
and drank from a cup which it held in both hands. Although quite
tame, it exhibited a great longing for freedom, and made every effort to
escape. —

The sub-family Nyctipithecinz contains ¢#rce genera of small and
elegant monkeys, with long hairy non-prehensile tails.

VIII—GENUS NYCTIPITHECUS.

These night monkeys have large eyes, nocturnal habits, and are rather
lemurine in appearance. /7zve species have been described; the best
known is

THE DOUROUCOULI.

The DOUROUCOULI, Wyctipithecus trivirgatus. The word Nyctipithe-
cus or Night Ape, which is used as the generic title of the Douroucouli,
refers to its habits, which are more strictly nocturnal than those of the
animals heretofore mentioned. The eyes of this little creature are so
sensitive to light that it cannot endure the glare of day, and only awakes
to activity and energy when the shades of night throw their welcome
veil over the face of nature.

In its wild state, it seeks the shelter of some hollow tree or other
darkened place of refuge, and there abides during the hours of daylight,
buried in a slumber so deep that it can with difficulty be aroused, even
though the rough hand of its captor drag it from its concealment.
During sleep, it gathers all its four feet closely together, and drops its
head between its fore-paws. It seems to be one of the owls of the mon-
key race.

The food of this Douroucouli is mostly of an animal nature; and
consists chiefly of insects and small birds, which it hunts and captures in
the night season. After dark the Douroucouli awakes from the torpid

THE SQUIRREL MCNKEYS. 93

lethargy in which it has spent the day, and shaking off its drowsiness,
becomes filled with life and spirit. The large dull eyes, that shrank
from the dazzling rays of the sun, light up with eager animation at
eventide; the listless languor is discarded, and it commences its nightly
chase.

The general color of the Douroucouli is a grayish-white, over which
a silvery lustre plays in certain lights. The spine is marked with a
brown line, and the breast, abdomen, and inside of the limbs are marked
with a very light chestnut, almost amounting to orange. The face is
remarkable for three very distinct black lines, which radiate from each
other, and which have earned for the animal the title of trivirgatus,
or “three-striped.” There are but very slight external indications of
ears, and in order to expose the organs of hearing, it is necessary to draw
aside the fur of the head. On account of this peculiarity, Humboldt
separated the Douroucouli from its neighbors, and formed it into a dis-
tinct family, which he named “ AGtes,” or “ Earless.”

It is rather uncommon, a fact which some writers attribute to its
living in a state of virtuous monogamy; they affirm that a pair may be
found snugly sleeping in one bed, but never greater numbers, unless
there be a little family. But Bates, a very careful observer, denies this,
and asserts that larger troops are not rare. It has a loud cry, and can
hiss, spit, and mew like a cat.

IX.—GENUS SAIMIRIS.

The Sarmirt or SQUIRREL MONKEYS are little quick-moving animals
with a sprightly countenance, and not unlike the squirrels in character
and size, as their name implies. They have the brain well developed,
and are remarkably intelligent. Nocturnal, like the preceding, they live
nearly in the same fashion, loving to seclude themselves in coppices and
in well-wooded localities ; they even occasionally inhabit holes in rocks,
They are carnivorous, for they eagerly pursue not only small birds, but
also certain species of Mammals. Guiana and Brazil are their native
countries.

“Its physiognomy is that of a child; it has the same expression of
innocence, sometimes the same sly smile, and always the same rapidity
of transition from joy to sorrow; it feels disappointment very acutely,

94 QUADRU MANA.

and testifies it by crying. Its eyes become bedewed with tears when it
is vexed or frightened. It is prized by the natives for its beauty, its
amiable manners, and the gentleness of its disposition. Its activity is
astonishing, though its movements are always full of grace. It is inces-
santly occupied in play, jumping, and catching insects, especially spiders,
which it prefers to all kinds of food.”

Humboldt informs us that the Saimiri listens with the greatest atten-
tion to people who ask it questions, and that it even stretches out its
hands toward their lips, as if to catch the words that escape from them.

How many species there are is still disputed by naturalists. Wallace
mentions ¢hree.

The DEaTH’s Heap Ape as it is called, Satmiris sciureus, has a slender
form and beautiful colors. It lives in Guiana, in large companies like
the Capucins, and is widely diffused. All its habits are graceful; it
climbs with great activity, balancing or steering itself by its tail. Its
hair is a reddish-black, sprinkled with gray on the limbs; in some
varieties the head is coal-black, the body a greenish-yellow, and the
limbs golden-yellow. It must have derived its name “ Death's Head”
from some very superficial observer, although the gray face, with its
large eyes and jet-black muzzle, is startling enough.

X—GENUS CALLITHRIX.

A slender body, slender limbs, a very long thin tail, a round head
with a beardless face and short muzzle, bright eyes, large ears, and five-
fingered hands and feet characterize the pretty creatures which form this
genus. The generic title is derived from two Greek words, ca//os beauty,
and ¢hrix hair, and is expressive of the beauty of their fur. The common
name for the animal is Tee-tee. The number of species is eleven.

They live in small bands in the South American forests, and are
noticeable for their loud voice, which almost equals that of the Howlers
in carrying power. They are shy and timid in freedom, while in cap-
tivity they are engaging, intelligent, and affectionate.

The TEE-TEE, Callithrix personata, (Plate III, Squirrel Monkey.)
This species is of a brownish-black color from the breast upward to the
middle of the skull; the back of the head and of the neck are yellowish-
white, the rest of the body of a pale dull gray-brown. The hands and

THE TEE-TEES. 95

feet are black, the tail of a reddish-brown. In the female these colors
are fainter, and the white tint on the neck is wanting. The whole
length of the animal, including the tail, is about thirty inches.

The COLLARED TEE-TEE, Callithrix lugens or torquata, is a beautiful
little creature distinguished by much brighter colors. It has fine, shining,
beautiful black hair; the face is nearly white, the ear small, well-shaped
and almost hairless. In front of the neck is a white collar, nearly as
broad as one’s hand; the feet are black, the hands white on the upper
surface. Its temper is most amiable, its eyes are bright and lively, and
all its actions are graceful and tender. It never seems to allow its evil
passions to rise, except when it sees a small bird, on which it then
pounces like a cat. It is a native of the right bank of the Orinoco and
is called by the missionaries the Widow Ape.

CHAPTER | TX

THE MAR MOS ies:

THE MARMOSETS OR OUISTITIS—THE FAMILY HAPALID42—THE GENUS HAPALE—THE MARIKIVA—
THE GENUS MIDAS OR THE TAMARINS—THE PINCHE—THE SILKY MARMOSET—THE SAGOUIN
—THE DWARF MARMOSET.

HE Hapatip#& or MARMOSETS are very small monkeys, which

differ from the true CEBID& as well as from the Old World

z Monkeys. The thumb is not at all opposable, and all the

fingers are armed with sharp claws. The great toe is very small, the

tail long and not prehensile. The two genera, HAPALE containing n7ne

species, and MIDAS, ¢wenty-four species, are pronounced by Wallace as

of doubtful value. They are both confined to the tropical forests of
South America, near the equator.

Some naturalists regard these animals as mere genera of the pre-
ceding division; others refuse them a place in the tribe of monkeys;
it is, however, most convenient to treat them as a family of the Quad-
rumana, and as constituting an intermediate link between the Apes and
the Lemurs.

The distinctions between the families previously described and the
present are striking and important. A Greek name, signifying “ Bear
Apes,” is sometimes given to the Marmosets, not because they resemble
bears, but because they have claws in the place of nails, thus approxi-
mating to the Carnivora. They differ from the other apes of the New
World in their dental formula, for they possess a set of thirty-two teeth,
the canines being very large and strong. The head is round, the face
flat, the brow flat and broad. The eyes are small, the ears large and
often tufted, the body slender, the limbs short. They are chiefiy found
in Brazil, Guiana, and Peru; two species occur in Mexico.

jx —
fe R a eS
te, ET are
1

SPECTRUM TARSIER SLOW LEMUR
SAKI HOWLING MONKEY
MARMOSET SQUIRREL MONKEY

PLATE Ill. QUADRUMANA.

HABITS OF THE MARMOSETS. 97

They prefer to live in the densest parts of the forests, where they run
up and down the trees and along the branches more like squirrels than
apes, often suspending themselves by their claws. Their food is insects,
fruits, eggs, and small birds. Their chief enemies are the birds of prey.
When disturbed they utter a feeble cry from which they derive their
name of OUISTITIS.

“ Audouin,” writes Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, “has assured
himself, by experiments several times repeated, that these monkeys were
well able to recognize in a picture not only their own likeness, but that
of another animal. Thus, the drawing of a cat, and, what is yet still
more remarkable, that of a wasp, caused them manifest dread; while at
the sight of any other insect, such as a grasshopper or a May-bug, they
threw themselves on the picture as if to seize the object represented.

“Audouin has also remarked that the Ouistitis were very curious ;
that they had acute vision; that they perfectly recognized the people
who looked after them; and, lastly, that their cries varied considerably,
according to the passions that animated them.”

Another observer writes: “Their graceful tricks were always amus-
ing, as they never were mischievous. With my cats and parrots they
were on terms of the greatest intimacy, sharing, of their own accord,
their food with the latter. They soon learned to drink wine, and, after
a short experience, exhibited so marked a liking for the juice of the
grape, that, if permitted, they would indulge till perfectly intoxicated.
Nothing alarmed them so much as the appearance of a snake, and several
times, for the sake of experiment, I had one brought into my residence to
observe the effect. On seeing their enemy, instantaneously they became
powerless, and the woe-begone expression of their countenance for the
time being was the perfect personification of utter helplessness; and even
after the object of their dread had been removed, it required the lapse
of many hours before they recovered their vivacity.”

At present, about thirty-three species of Marmosets are known,
grouped into two genera, on very slight foundations.

I—GENUS HAPALE.

This genus has the face and ears bare, a tail as long as the body, thin
and tufted at the end, and a mane of greater or less length. The number
of species is nine.

98 QUADRUMANA.

The Leonciro MARMOSET, Hapale leonina, was discovered by the
great traveler Humboldt on the warm plains which border the eastern
slopes of the Cordilleras. He says: “It is one of the most beautiful
creatures I ever saw—lively, merry, and playful, but like all little animals
passionate and spiteful. When angry the neck swells, the mane bristles
up and it looks like a lion in miniature.” Bates saw a very tame one on
the upper Amazon and relates: “It ran to my chair, climbed up to my
shoulder, turned about to look into my face, showing its little teeth, and
squeaking as if asking my will.” This species attains a length of eight
inches in the body, and about the same in the tail.

The next species differs from the others by having tufts of hair more
or less developed before and above the ears.

The MARMOSET, OUISTITI, or SAGOUIN, Hapale Tacchus (Plate III),
the commonest member of this group, has a body nine to ten inches long,
and a tail twelve to fourteen inches. The color of its long silky fur is
black, white, and reddish-yellow. The tail is black, with about twenty
small white rings around it and a white tip.

The PINCHE, Hapale Gdipus, has long hair on the top of its head,
which hangs down over the forehead and neck, but the sides are bare.
Specimens have been found to measure twenty-eight inches, including
sixteen inches of tail.

The Pinche is remarkable for the tuft of white and long hair which it
bears on its head, and which is so distinctly marked that the little creature
almost seems to be wearing an artificial head of hair. The throat, chest,
abdomen, and arms, are also white, and the edges of the thighs are
touched with the same tint. On each shoulder there is a patch of
reddish-chestnut, fading imperceptibly into the white fur of the chest,
and the grayish-brown hair that covers the remainder of the body. Its
eyes are quite black.

The tail of the animal is long and moderately full; its color slightly
changes from chestnut-brown to brownish-black. Its voice is like the
twittering of birds. Unfortunately this pretty creature cannot endure
captivity, and soon dies.

To the same group belongs the smallest of all the apes, a little crea-
ture which measures at the utmost only twelve inches, including fully
six inches of tail. Its fur is yellow and black, its paws reddish-yellow.
Dark bands run from the back over the sides and thighs. The tail has
slight rings. Spix discovered this dwarf species at Tabatinga, on the

iui tine iat

THE MARIKINA, SAGOUIN, AND TAMARIN. 99

banks of the Solimoen river, in Brazil; Bates saw it near San Pablo, and
remarks that on his return to England he was surprised to see a specimen
in the British Museum, described as coming from Mexico. The scientific
name of this specimen is HAPALE PYGMA.

IIl—GENUS MIDAS.

The members of this genus are distinguished from the genus Hafale
by the circumstance that the mane is less developed, and that the tail is
longer. The number of species is ¢wenty-four.

The Marikina, MJdas rosalia, is larger than the animals just de-
scribed ; the face is bare and brown; the ear large and fringed with dark-
brown hair; on the cheeks and on the pointed brow fine, short, yellowish
hair stands out; the long hair of the head, divided in the middle by a
streak of short brown hair, falls down like a mane, and has a dark-brown
color, while the rest of the head, the throat, the breast, and the arms are
dark orange-brown; the remainder of the body is covered with a reddish-
yellow fur which glistens like gold. This fur is smooth and silky to the
touch, and the creature is hence sometimes designated as the “ SILKY
MONKEY.” It is very fastidious about having its beautiful coat kept
carefully clean, and soon dies if neglected. It is very timid, has a soft
and gentle voice when pleased, but hisses when angry. It is described
by Buffon under the name of “ Marikina.”

The SILVER SAGOUIN, Widas argentatus, is one of the rarest of the
American apes, and, according to Bates, is found only in Cameta, a
province of Brazil. It is the most beautiful of all; the long silky hair
is silver-white, the tail dull-black, the almost bare face flesh-colored. It
reaches the length of oaly eighteen inches, including ten inches of tail.
Many naturalists regard it merely as a variety of the common Midas.

The TAMARIN, JZidas ursulus, has a pleasing expression, and a face
of considerable intelligence. It is black, but the hinder part is mottled
with grayish-white. Bates says it never congregates into large flocks,
seldom more than three or four being seen together. Like the squirrel
it confines itself to the large boughs of trees, whence it peers down on
the traveler. It seems, however, to have no fear of man.

The Marmosets do not seem to be possessed of a very large share of
intelligence, but yet are engaging little creatures if kindly treated.

100 QUADRUMANA.,

They are very fond of flies and other insects, and will often take a fly
from the hand of the visitor. One of these animals with whom Wood
struck up an acquaintance, took great pleasure in making him catch flies
for its use, and taking them daintily out of his hand. When it saw his
hand sweep over a doomed fly, the bright eyes sparkled with eager
anticipation; and when he approached the cage, the little creature thrust
its paw through the bars as far as the wires would permit, and opened
and closed the tiny fingers with restless impatience. It then insinuated
its hand among his closed fingers, and never failed to find and to capture
the imprisoned fly.

The Marmoset has a strange liking for hair, and is fond of playing
with the locks of its owner. One of these little creatures, which was
the property of a gentleman adorned with a large bushy beard, was
wont to creep to its master’s face, and to nestle among the thick masses
of beard which decorated his chin. Another Marmoset, which belonged
to a lady, and which was liable to the little petulances of its race, used
to vent its anger by nibbling the end of her ringlets. If the hair were
bound round her head, the curious little animal would draw a tress down
and bite its extremity, as if it were trying to eat the hair by degrees.
The same individual was possessed of an accomplishment which is
almost unknown among these little monkeys, namely, standing on its
head.

Another chapter will complete our account of the Quairumanous
animals, with a description of the half-apes or LEMURs.

CHAPTER X.

ebioe eevee @ol Dk TA.

THE INDRIS—THE LEMURS—THE RUFFED LEMUR—THE CAT LEMUR—THE HAPALEMUR—THE
CHEIROGALEUS—THE LORIS—THE TARSIER SPECTRE—THE AYE-AYE,

E now have arrived at the second division of the order Quad-
\ \ / rumana, and have to describe the very peculiar animals to
which Linnzeus, the father of Natural History, gave the
name of Lemur. The Romans called by this appellation the spirits of
the departed, and the restless ghosts that wandered about during the
still hours of the night, and the naturalist applied it to these nocturnal
animals, which seem indeed to be the ghosts of departed creations. They
are the last surviving remains of a race which was once widely diffused ;
fossil specimens of numerous forms of LEMUROIDEA occur in various
parts of Europe and North America, but the living specimens are found
in Madagascar, Ceylon, and the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, the Philip-
pines, and Celebes, with some scattered genera in the African continent.
To explain the occurrence of these strange animals at points so remote,
Mr. Sclater has supposed that a continent, now submerged, once extended
from Madagascar to Ceylon and Sumatra, in which the Lemuroid type of
animals was developed. To this hypothetical continent he gave the
name of Lemuria, and it probably represents a zoological region in some
long past geological epoch.

Older writers have classed the Lemurs with the Apes, and called
them Prosimii, “ Half-apes” or ‘False Apes,’ but their structure is
different from that of the true Simians, and their dental arrangements
peculiarly so. It is advisable therefore to keep them apart in a sub-
order.

The Lemuroidea live in forest lands where fruit and insects furnish
them with food; they are nocturnal in their habits, and during the day
retire to the darkest part of the forests where they coil themselves up

102 QUADRU MANA.

and sleep; they are dead in the day, their life begins with the twilight.
They are divided into three families, the first of which, the Lemuride,
contains e/even genera, the others only ove genus each.

THE LEMURIDA:.

The animals of this family are characterized by an elongated head,
analogous to that of certain carnivorous animals, from whence the name
of Fox-headed Monkeys which some of the species have received; by
opposable thumbs on the four extremities, and especially by the nail on
the index finger of the hind-feet, which is long, compressed, and sharp, and
singularly contrasts with those on the other digits. Although their brain
is but little developed, they have considerable intelligence, and are sus-
ceptible of training. They are in general of small size, and furnished
with a short or long tail, though some species are deprived of that
appendage. Their eyes are very salient, as befits their nocturnal mode
of life.

At the approach of twilight they rouse themselves, smooth their fur,
utter their unpleasant cries and begin their nightly quest for food. The
cry of some of the species is alarming, as it resembles the roar of a beast
of prey. In hunting for food, they equal or even surpass the apes in
agility in climbing; they seem to have wings, so powerful are their
springs from bough to bough, so swift their ascent or descent of the tree-
trunks, so restless their ever-changing motions. They eat much, they
destroy more.

I—GENUS INDRIS.

INDRIS is the name given to this genus by the traveler Sonnerat,
and the word is said to be in the Malagasay language not the
name of an animal, but an exclamation “See here! Look!” which the
stranger misapprehended. The natives of Madagascar call the Indris
the “ Man of the Woods,” because of its resemblance, though slight, to
ourselves. It is the most highly developed of the family. The head is
small, the fore-limbs not much shorter than the hind-ones, and its power-
ful thumbs, perfectly opposable on all feet to the remaining fingers, are
admirable instruments for climbing. The tail is short, the eyes small,
the ears hidden in the fur. This fur—thick, almost woolly—covers the

NATIVE STORIES OF THE BABAKOTO. 103

whole body, even the fingers and toes down to the nails. Its dental
formula is

2—2 I—1I 2—
BASS Pp.
I— 1 2

—

2 Siieaiss ines
= Me (0)

The genus contains /ve species, all natives of Madagascar,

THE BABAKOTO.

The BaBakoTOo, Jndris brevicaudatus, was for a long time the only
known species. It attains a length of nearly three feet, including eight
and a half inches of tail. Its almost hairless face is of a brownish-black
color. The head, including the ears, shoulders, arms and hands, are
black, the back is brown, the forehead, temples, throat, breast, tail and
flanks are white. The creature is so little known that it is not yet ascer-
tained whether these colors change at various ages, or whether they
belong to both sexes.

The CROWNED INDRIS, /udris mitratus,—perhaps merely a variety
—is somewhat smaller; the hair is more silky and the coloring of extra-
ordinary beauty. The naked black muzzle and the cheeks thinly covered
with gray hairs are set in a broad, gray, black-bordered frame which run-
ning down each side of the face unites at the throat, and joins a spot of
dazzling white which dies away on the neck into grayish-white streaks.
The ears, shoulders, upper part of the back, and the breast are black; a
triangular patch, beginning at the lower part of the back and gradually
broadening to the rump, is white; the tail is a reddish cream-color, the
feet are light gray.

Sonnerat describes the Babakoto as active and a good leaper; it eats
like a squirrel, holding its foot up to its mouth. Vinson, during his pas-
sage through the great Alanamasoatrao forest, was almost deafened by
its cries, and inferred that it must collect into large bands. The natives
reverence it as a holy animal, and believe the souls of their ancestors pass
into it at death; hence they consider that the trees on which the Baba-
koto lives is an infallible cure for all diseases, and use its leaves as a
remedy in dangerous cases. They say too that it is dangerous to hurl
a lance at it, as the Indris can catch the spear in its flight and hurl it back
on the aggressor, and that the mother after birth throws her young one
to the male who throws it back again, and when this has been repeated

104 QUADRU MANA.

a dozen times without accident, the iittle one is taken up and carefully
nursed. If, however, it fall to the ground it is left lying.

Pollen says that in certain parts of Madagascar it is trained to catch
birds. But these seem “ travelers’ tales’’; the latter seems especially im-
probable, for if the Indris had been thus tamed, living specimens could
have been procured.

Il—GENUS LEMUR.

The name Maki by which the natives of Madagascar designate this
genus is said to be an imitation of the cry it utters. These animals are,
of all the Lemuridz, those whose heads are the most tapering ; and there-
fore it is to them that the denomination of Fox-headed Monkeys is appli-
cable. Buffon called them False-Monkeys. They stand somewhat high
on their feet, and take rank, for size, between the Marten and the Fox.
Their fur is soft and thick, and their tail long and bushy. They live in
forests, and feed chiefly on fruits. Their movements are light and grace-
ful; their voice is a low or a loud growl, according to the nature of their
emotions. The female has only one at a birth, and testifies the greatest
tenderness for it, keeping it concealed beneath her body, buried in her
thick fur, until the period when its hair, having acquired a sufficient
length, may efficaciously protect it against external vicissitudes. It is
suckled for six months, after which it is left to its own resources.

These animals are sociable, and often collect into numerous bands.
They select almost inaccessible places to sleep in; are readily tarned, and
even reproduce in captivity. Their dental formula is

fe Gea ee pes 2a
ae) Ai
The number of species is fifteen.

Pollen gives a description of the habits of one species, the MAYOTTE,
which will serve for them all. They live in bands of six to twelve, and
travel about in search of their favorite food, the fruit of the Date palm;
they are seen by day descending from trees to pick up fallen frui.. No
sooner has the sun set than the whole band set up their lameniable cry.
When chased by dogs they take refuge in a tree, where they remain with
their eyes fixed on their enemy, moving their tails to and fro, and growl-
ing. If wounded they defend themselves stoutly, leaping on the dog’s

THE LEMURS. 105

back and biting the ears and neck. The flesh, somewhat resembling that
of a rabbit in taste, is considered a great delicacy by the natives.

They endure captivity well. Buffon had a male Maki which was
quite tame and a great thief. It used to lick his hand; but if its tongue,
rough like a cat’s, drew blood, it bit savagely. Another specimen lived
in Paris a long time. it was very fond of warmth, and used to go so
near the flame as to singe its whiskers; it was cleanly, and careful not to
soil its fur, and was very curious and greedy, but kindly to all comers.
Every evening it hopped or danced for about half an hour, and then lay
down to sleep.

THE RUFFED AND THE BLACK-FRONTED LEMURS.

The RuFFED LEMUR, Lemur varius, is one of the largest species of the
family, equaling in size a moderately grown cat.

The texture of the fur is extremely fine, and its color presents bold
contrasts between pure white and a jetty blackness, the line of demar-
cation being strongly defined. The visage is black, and a fringe of long
white hairs stands out like a ruff round the face, giving to the creature
its very appropriate title. Its voice is a deep sepulchral roar, peculiarly
loud considering the size of the animal, which can be heard at a great
distance.

The ATUMBA or BLACK-FRONTED LEMUR, Lemur macaco, and the
WHITE-FRONTED LEMUR, Lemur leucomystax, are sometimes classed as
different species, but Brehm, who has studied them both in captivity,
asserts they belong to one and the same species. He says that all the
Black-fronted Lemurs he has seen are males, all the White-fronted are
females, and that reports from the zoological gardens in London, Cologne,
and Rotterdam, and from friends in Zanzibar, state that their experience
is the same. A female under his charge brought forth a young one,
which showed no sign of blending of color, such as hybrids usually do.

It is a gentle and engaging creature, and not at all shy, even to
strangers, unless they alarm it by loud voices or hasty gestures. It is
possessed of great agility, climbing trees, and running among the
branches with perfect ease, and capable of springing through a space
of several yards. So gently does it alight on the ground after its leaps,
that the sound of its feet can scarcely be heard, nor can the eye follow
its motions. When pursued, it displays incredible activity; it will

106 QUADRUMANA.

suddenly drop from the top of a tree to the underwood and run away
before the hunter can realize the fact.

THE MONGOOSE AND THE RING-TAILED LEMUR.

The MONGOOSE, Lemur mongoz, is one of the commonest varieties; it
measures about three feet, including a foot and a half of tail. The color,
dark ash-gray on the back, becomes a grayish-black on the head; a white
streak runs from beneath the neck up to the ears; the lower part of the
back is light-brown.

The RING-TAILED or CAT LEMuR, Lemur catta, is not as large as the
Ruffed Lemur, measuring only a foot from nose to tail, the tail being eight
inches in length. The grace of its form, the beauty of its color, its large
eyes, and its long ringed tail, render it one of the most beautiful of the
species. It is found only in the Southwest of Madagascar, and lives
like its congeners. Its cry, however, is not loud, but resembles the mew-
ing of our “harmless, necessary cat.’ In confinement it becomes familiar,
and when it chooses to exhibit its powers, is very amusing with its merry
wanks. If several individuals are confined in the same cage, they are
fond of huddling together, and involving themselves in such a strange
entanglement of tails, limbs, and heads, that until they separate, it is
almost impossible to decide upon the number of the animals that form
the variegated mass.

The quartermaster of a French corvette possessed one which recog:
nized its master among all the crew; it loved to play with the boys and
the ship’s dog. It nursed a little monkey as if it had been its own child,
and amused itself by pulling the tails of the chickens till they screamed.

The Rep Lemur, Lemur ruber, possesses a fur which has somewhat
of a woolly aspect, the hair separating into tufts, each of which is slightly
curled. It is a beautifully decorated animal, displaying considerable
contrast of coloring. The body, head, and the greater portion of the
limbs, are of a fine chestnut, with the exception of a large white patch
covering the back of the head and nape of the neck, and a smaller one
in the midst of each foot. The face, the tail, and paws, are black, as
is all the under side of the body. This latter circumstance is most
remarkable, as it is almost a general rule that the under parts of animals
are lighter in tint than the upper. Around the sides of the face the hair
is of a paler chestnut than that which covers the body.

THE DWARF MAKIS. 107

In habits it is similar to the Lemurs which have already been de-
scribed. Being naturally a nocturnal animal, it passes the day in a
drowsy somnolence, its head pushed between its legs, and the long,
bushy tail wrapped round its body, as if to exclude the light and retain
the heat. Should it be accustomed to be fed during the daytime, it
shakes off its slumber for the purpose of satisfying the calls of hunger ;
but even though urged by so strong an inducement, it awakes with lin-
gering reluctance, and sinks to sleep again as soon as the demands of its
appetite are satisfied. Its entire length is nearly three feet, of which the
tail occupies about twenty inches. Its height is about a foot.

III—GENUS HAPALEMUR.

This genus, containing ‘wo species, is distinguished by a slender body
and short limbs, but a tail as long as itself. The head is round and sharp-
muzzled, the eyes small, the ears broad and short and hidden in the fur.

The Gray LEMuR, Hapalemur griseus, called by the natives of the
Northwest of Madagascar the BOKAMBUL, chooses for its abode thickets
of bamboo. During the day it sleeps on the highest shoots, with its
head between its legs and its tail over its back. Like all the tribe, it is
lazy during the daytime but busy at night; its cry is like that of a pig
grunting. Pollen had a captive which differed in no wise from other
Lemurs; he remarks that, like some apes, it acquired the bad habit of
gnawing its own tail.

IV.— GENUS MICROCEBUS.

The Dwarr MAkis have a compact form, a short head, a roundish
muzzle, a tail longer than the body, and the hind limbs not longer than
the fore ones. The eyes are large, the ears moderate, thinly covered
externally with fine hair, pretty hands and feet, with short fingers but
long ¢arst. The dental formula is

Of the four species into which the genus is divided, the best known
is the Microcebus myoxinus, which attains a length of six to eight inches

108 QUADRUMANA.

inthe body. The back is a reddish yellowish-gray, with a golden lustre;
the lower surface is white. We know very little of it, as its diminutive
size and nocturnal habits enable it easily to escape observation. It lives
in almost impassable forests, hiding itself during the day in a nest which
it builds of straw and dry leaves; at night it roams like its fellows in
quest of food, chiefly insects.

V—GENUS CHEIROGALEUS.

This genus, like the preceding one, is remarkable for the greater
roundness of the head, the shortness of the muzzle, and the great size
of its eyes; the latter peculiarity indicating more decided nocturnal
habits. It contains five species. The best known is the Cherrogaleus
Jfilit, which measures nearly fourteen inches exclusive of the tail; the
fur is tawny on the upper surface of the body, but white beneath. Its
legs are very short when compared with the ordinary Lemur. A speci-
men in captivity made a nest for itself out of hay, in which it slept
during the daytime. During the night its movements were ceaseless ; it
could leap a height of six or eight feet.

One of the species, the Chetrogaleus murinus or MADAGASCAR Rat, is
the smallest of all the Lemuride, its body measuring only six inches in
length.

VI—GENUS LEPILEMUR.

Only ¢wo species are known. It has a slender body, a small, long,
sharp-snouted head, short fore-limbs, moderately long hinder-limbs, and
a tail longer than the body. The eyes are of moderate size, the ears
large and bare; the white fur which thinly covers the face and hands,
and is largely developed on the tail, is rather woolly.

THE WALAWY.

The WALAWY, Lepilemur furcifer, is nearly as large as the Hapalemur.
A brownish-gray is the dominant tint on the back, a sharply marked-off
light-gray on the belly; the head and neck incline to red, black stripes
beginning on the cheeks, inclosing the eyes, and leaving a blaze on the
forehead, unite on the head, and run down the spine to the tail; this

THE SLOW LEMURS. 109

appendage, gray at the roots, is black at the tip. The eyes have the iris

‘black.

Both species are found on the West side of Madagascar. The ani-
mals prefer as their abodes hollow trees with two openings, especially 1f
also inhabited by bees. They are much more active than the ordinary
Lemur, and their cry is a “ kaka kaka ka.”

The curious animal, which is known by the name of the DIADEM

Lemur, belongs rather to the Indris than to the Lemurs, but it has been

placed by Mr. Bennett in a separate genus, which he names PROPITHECUS.
The shoulders and upper part of the back are of a sooty tint, the head
darker, the hindquarters pale-brown, the belly nearly white, the paws
almost black, the tail nearly white at the tip. The thumbs of the hind-
limbs are disproportionately developed, and the face is not so long as in
the true Lemurs; the round, tipped ears are hidden in bushy hair, which
surrounds the head. The species described is called the Propithecus
diadema, and seems to be the same as the /xdris (or Lechanotus) mitratus.

The species of the Lemuride already mentioned belong exclusively to
that strange African Island, Madagascar. The next sub-family, the Vyc¢z-
cebing, have a more extensive range.

VII—GENUS NYCTICEBUS.

The SLow Lemurs (Plate III) are found from East Bengal to China,
Borneo, and Java. Z/ree species are known. These rare denizens of the
forests have not been much observed in their life of freedom, but they have
been repeatedly brought to Europe. They creep very slowly, and sel-
dom take more than two steps erect; even in climbing, their slowness is
remarkable. By day their eyes lose their lustre, but they see admirably
by night. Their hearing is very acute; the slightest motion of a beetle
wakens them from their sleep.

THE KAKANG.

The SLOW-PACED LEMUR, Nycticebus tardigradus, called by the natives
the KAKANG, has a fur of a woolly texture, and of a chestnut tinge. A
dark stripe surrounds the eyes, ears, and back of the head, reaching to
the corners of the mouth, and running thence along the entire length

110 QUADRUMANA.

of the spine. The color of this dark band is a deep chestnut. The
animal is a little more than a foot in length.

In the formation of these creatures some very curious structures are
found, among which is the singular grouping of arteries and veins in the
limbs.

Instead of the usual tree-like mode in which the limbs of most ani-
mals are supplied with blood—one large trunk-vessel entering the limb,
and then branching off into numerous subdivisions—the limbs are fur-
nished with blood upon a strangely modified system. The arteries and
veins, as they enter and leave the limb, are suddenly divided into a great
number of cylindrical vessels, lying close to each other for some dis-
tance, and giving off their tubes to the different parts of the limb. It is
possible that to this formation may be owing the power of silent move-
ment and slow patience which has been mentioned as the property of
these lemurs, for a very similar structure is found to exist in the sloth.

The tongue is aided in its task by a plate of cartilage, by which it
1s supported, and which is, indeed, an enlargement of the tendinous band
that is found under the root of the tongue. It is much thicker at its base
than at the extremity, which is so deeply notched that it seems to have
been slit with a knife. It is so conspicuous an organ that it has been
often described as a second tongue. The throat and vocal organs seem
to be but little developed, as is consistent with the habits of an animal
whose very subsistence depends upon its silence. Excepting when irri-
tated, it seldom or never utters a sound; and even then, its vocal powers
seem to be limited to a little monotonous plaintive cry.

All its motions are exceedingly slow, but it possesses one skillful
faculty which no other animal exhibits: it can climb slowly step by
step backward up a pole placed nearly perpendicularly.

VIUI.—GENUS LORIS.

There is only oxe species of this small, tailless, nocturnal Lemur,
which inhabits Madras, Malabar, and Ceylon. It is called the BENGAL
Lori, Lorts gracilis. In Ceylon the natives call it Teivangu, or “the
creeper.’ The best account of it is given in Tennant’s work on Ceylon.
“T possessed a living Teivangu which lived for some time; it ate rice,
fruits, and leaves, but preferred ants and insects. It was very greedy for

rane

Brees.

THE LORIS. Iit

milk and the flesh of birds. It can catch birds more easily than one
would suppose from its appearance. The natives affirm that at night it
will attack peacocks, choke them, and then suck the brains of its prey.
My prisoner slept all day in a most peculiar attitude. He seized his perch
with all his hands, gathered himself up into a hairy ball, and hid his head
between his legs. The large and brilliant eyes of the Loris have attracted
the attention of the Cingalese ; they make amulets and love-charms from
them, and hold the poor creature in the fire till its eyeballs burst.”

The Loris is a small animal, measuring only nine inches in length; its
limbs are very slender, the muzzle is abruptly sharp and pointed, the
color is a rusty-gray, somewhat darker round the eyes, and a white
streak runs down the nose. The absence of a tail is strikingly noticeable.

Wood gives an animated description of the mode in which it captures
its prey. “The color of its fur is such that the dark back is invisible in
the obscurity of night, and the white breast simulates the falling of a
broken moonbeam on the bark of a branch. Its movements are so slow
and silent that not a sound falls on the ear.

“Alas for the doomed bird that has attracted the fiery eyes of the
Loris! No Indian on his war-path moves with stealthier step or more
deadly purpose than the Loris on its progress toward its sleeping prey.
With movements as imperceptible and as silent as the shadow on the
dial, paw after paw is lifted from its hold, advanced a step and placed
again on the bough, until the destroyer stands by the side of the uncon-
scious victim. Then, the hand is raised with equal silence, until the
fingers overhang the bird and nearly touch it. Suddenly the slow cau-
tion is exchanged for lightning speed, and with a movement so rapid that
the eye can hardly follow it, the bird is torn from its perch, and almost
before its eyes are opened from slumber, they are closed forever in death.”

IX—GENUS PERODICTICUS.

This is another genus containing only oze species, the PoTTo, Pero-
dicticus Potto, a small Lemur with almost rudimentary forefinger found at
Sierra Leone on the West Coast of Africa. The Potto has a slender
body, roundish head, projecting muzzle, moderately large eyes and small
ears; the arms and legs are nearly of the same length, the hands and feet
large. The short fur is of a reddish-gray mixed with black, redder on

112 QUADRUMANA.

the head and limbs, mouse-color on the shoulders, and a grayish-red on
the tail; its total length is about fourteen inches, the tail being about
three inches.

Mr. Sclater writes of two specimens in the Zoological Gardens in
London: “Our Pottos never voluntarily appear by daylight, but come
out early in the evening for their food; they are then very active and leap
about the perches of their cage all night long. Their food is ripe fruit
of all kinds, cooked rice, milk and bread sweetened, and cooked meat
chopped fine. They catch very cleverly little birds that are put in their
cage, and tear them to pieces at once; they seem to be delighted with
such a change of diet.”

X.—GENUS ARCTOCEBUS.

The ANGWANTIBO, Arctocebus Calabarensis, the only species, is a native
of Old Calabar. It is remarkable for the total absence of the forefinger,
for the possession of a long claw on the first toe, and for an almost rudi-
mentary tail. A thick and long woolly fur—somewhat shorter on the
face and the backs of the paws—covers the body. It is of a brownish-
gray on the back, but on the lower surface of the body and on the inner
side of the limbs it is dark-brown.

Although the Angwantibo has been known since the year 1680, little
has been ascertained respecting its habits.

XI—GENUS GALAGO.

This solitary genus of the sub-family GALAGIN&% comprehends fourteen
species, all found in Africa from Senegal to Zanzibar and Natal. While
the Lemuride hitherto described are remarkable for the development
of the power of sight, the Galagos are distinguished by the acuteness of
their hearing. The body is slender, but looks stouter from its possession
of a thick fur; the comparatively large head is remarkable for the largely
developed naked ears, and by the close-placed large eyes. The limbs
are of moderate length, the forefinger, the second toe, and in some
species the middle finger and toe as well, are furnished with claw-like
nails. The tarsus is elongated, the tail bushy. The dental formula is

22 = ee 6—6
[22 eG SSP a ee
3-3 1-1 2-2 3-3

THE GALAGOS. 113

The Galagos are strictly nocturnal animals, creatures whose sun is
the moon; during the day they lie rolled up in a shady corner, and if
by chance they are prevented from finding a spot obscure enough, they
hide their head from the hated sunlight, and contract their ears to deaden
every sound. If violently awakened from their sleep they stare dreamily
about them, and exhibit signs of annoyance at having been disturbed. As
soon as twilight spreads over the forest they rouse themselves, open their
eyes, unroll their huge ears, and leave their lurking-places. Their life is
that of a beast of prey with an insatiable thirst for blood, and a love for
slaughter unexampled in the Quadrumana, Endowed with eyes as sharp
as the lynx, ears as acute as the bat, with powers of scent like the fox,
and the agility of the monkey, they are persevering in their attacks, and
a terrible foe to smaller creatures.

THE MOHOLI AND THE KOMBA.,

This species—Galago Moholi, (or Otolicnus)—attains a length of eight
inches in the body and ten inches in the tail. Its short, thick, silky fur
is dull gray, with a faint tinge of red on the head and back; the belly
and inside of the limbs is yellowish-white, and the same color appears on
the cheeks and a stripe running down between the eyes to the end of the
nose. It has been found in Senegal and eastward in Kordofan. The
natives call it Zendj, and say that it is an ape transformed to a lower
shape on account of its sleepiness. It is usually found in pairs, and lives
in the forests of mimosa. Startled by the traveler the creatures climb
quickly up the trees but do not take flight; they remain there quietly
watching and listening. They make long springs from bough to bough
and seem not to regard the stiff prickles of the tree. By night their eyes
gleam like burning coals. In captivity they display great liveliness.
When they go to sleep the ears wrinkle and contract, and then the point
turns over and in, till the whole ear is almost invisible. They can con-
tract the face into strange grimaces like some of the apes.

The Galago agisymbanus is somewhat larger, attaining a length of from
eight to twelve inches. The prevailing color is yellowish-gray, darker
on the muzzle and the hands, becoming a grayish-white on the chin and
cheeks. The tail, a brownish-red at the roots, is dark-brown at the tip.

The natives of Senegal capture these animals by taking advantage
of their fondness of palm-wine; its sweetness attracts them, the spirit in

114 QUADRU MANA.

it intoxicates them, and the little lemur falls down from the tree and
lies in a drunken sleep, to awake a prisoner. It is not difficult to
tame, and soon learns to eat bread and milk, and to appreciate tea
and coffee, well sweetened. But flesh is always its favorite food, and
it displays immense energy in hunting mice. If its master visit it at
night, it shows great attachment, and allows himself to be handled and
stroked.

THE GIANT GALAGO.

The Galago crassicaudatus is the largest species, being nearly the size
ofa rabbit. Its hair is thick and woolly, its tail bushy. The top of the
head is reddish-brown, the back grayish-russet, the belly gray or
yellowish-white, the tail a brownish-red.

It extends over a large part of Southern Africa on the Mozambique
coast. Its habits differ in no respect from those of its kindred. It sleeps
all day, and is active all night. It sleeps rolled up with its head between
its fore-legs, its bushy tail is then brought forward and kept in its posi-
tion by the hind-legs, which are stretched out as far to the front as they
will extend. The head is thus entirely covered. On waking it cleans its
coat, and then begins to climb. Its movements are slow and careful, its
steps quite inaudible, the fingers are spread out widely, the tail trails on
the ground. It casts hungry glances at living birds, but in captivity will
eat bread or fruits, which it sometimes takes squirrel-fashion in its hands.
It is good-tempered and has a sagacious look in its pretty brown eyes.

THE TARSIID@.

This family is represented by only oe genus which contains but
one species. It derives its name from the great length of the hinder
feet, in which the tarsus is elongated. The tail is very long and pos-
sesses a tuft at the tip. Its dental formula is that of the genus Lemur,
but the lower incisors are oblique.

THE SPECTRE TARSIER.

This most extraordinary-looking animal, the Zarsius spectrum, (Plate
IIT) is a native of Borneo, the Celebes, the Philippine Islands and Banca.
The head would be round if a short muzzle did not protrude; the face is

THE SPECTRE TARSIER. I15

uncommonly broad, the mouth opens as far back as the eyes, and the
lips are thick. The eyes are immense owl-like eyes, quite out of propor-
tion to the size of the animal. They literally occupy the greatest part
of the face and are close together. The ears are no less peculiar; they are
like large broad spoons. The neck is scarcely to be distinguished, the
shoulders are high, the breast narrower than the back. The fore-legs
are remarkable for their shortness, the hinder ones for their length. The
hands are very long in proportion to the arms, the middle finger is
almost thrice the length of the thumb, which again is less than the little
finger, and the tips of all the fingers have large cushions like balls. The
thighs are powerful and thick, the lower leg thin, the tarsi dried up and
fleshless. The color is a yellowish-gray, flecked with reddish-brown, the
tuft on the tail is yellow, a stripe of deeper hue surrounds the back of the
head, and the face and forehead have a warmer tint than the body. It
lives in trees and skips about with short leaps like a frog.

The natives regard the Spectre tarsier as an enchanted animal, and
affirm that it was once as large as a lion; they fly at once from their
fields when one of these creatures is seen on a neighboring tree. In
captivity it is cleanly, particularly in its food; it never tastes anything
half-eaten, or drinks twice from the same water. Propped up on its
thin legs and bare tail, with its enormous yellow eyes, it looks like a
dark-lantern on a tripod.

THE CHEIROMYIDA.

This family consists of a species which must be considered the most
extraordinary which is known to naturalists. [t is a specialized form of
the Lemuroid type, and like the Lemurs belongs to that isle of won-
ders—Madagascar.

THE AYE-AYE.

The AvE-AYE, Cheiromys Madagascariensis, (Plate III) was first seen
about one hundred years ago. It was unknown at that period to the
people of Madagascar, and the name of Aye-Aye given to it by Sonnerat,
was due to the exclamation of the natives of that island when this traveler
showed it to them for the first time.

For a long time it was undecided what place to assign to the Aye-Aye
among the Mammalia. This indecision arose from ambiguous organic

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QUADRUMANA. a a

116

characteristics in this quadruped, some of which pertain to Rodents and _ :

others to the Makis. Att first sight, the Aye-Aye shows some striking _
points of resemblance to the Squirrels: it has their general form, the
long bushy tail, and especially their dentition. It has, in fact, no canine
teeth, but possesses, in front of its jaws, a pair of strong incisors,
isolated from the molars by a vacant space, similar to the gap occur-
ring in the Squirrels and all animals belonging to the Order of Ro-
dentia. But, on the other hand, the large size and rounded form of
its head, indicative of a voluminous brain, the conformation of its imbs,
the length of the digits, and the opposable thumb in the posterior mem-
bers, the complete state of the bony circle of the orbit, as in the majority
of Quadrumana, the existence of only two mammz in the female, are
characteristics which assimilate the Aye-Aye to the Makis, and ought
definitively to cause it to be ranked in the Quadrumana.

But it may be observed as a marked difference between this animal
and all the other Quadrumana, that in the Aye-Aye the milk-giving organs
are placed on the lower portion of the abdomen, and thus a great distinc-
tion is at once made between this creature and the true Quadrumana.
Indeed, there are so many points of discrepancy in this strange being,
that it is dithcult to make it agree with the systematic laws which have
hitherto been laid down, and naturalists have placed it in one order or
another, according to the stress which they laid on different points of its
organization.

After its discovery in 1782, so little was heard of the Aye-Aye that
many writers described it as extinct. But further news of it was
heard in 1844. when De Castelle forwarded the skeleton and hide of
one to Paris. This remained the only specimen in Europe, till 1362,
when the Zoological Society of London received one alive. Since then
several of them have been sent to various collections in Europe. From
the time of Cuvier down to Giebel in 1859, most writers classed it among
the Xedentzz, but Owens and Peters have clearly established its nght to
the rank of a family ; according to them its dental formula is

L. -——, ct 2S ee
—2 o-oo 2—2

mI e a

2—2 o—o Sane
L >, c >, pw. M.S =2

THE AYE-ATE. 4157

The Aye-Aye is characterized by the following marks: The head is
large, the neck short, the body powerful, the tail as long as the body.
The limbs are of the same length The eyes ae snail m oompariscn
with the head, the ears very large. The clongated fingers and tocs are
remarkable. The thumb is strong and short. the index-finger weaker,
the third finger as thick as the thumb, the little finger very strong, while
the long middle-finger seems dried up. The tarsus is moderately long,
the big-toe like the thumb, the other tocs all of the same length The
face is of a reddish-gray with dark rings round the eyes and 2 light
patch over them; the gray color continucs on the checks and throat:
Asewhere the color is 2 brownish-bDlack sprinkled with winte and with
gray reflections. The adults reach the length of twenty-seven inches,
of which more than half belongs to the tail

Pollen in 1863 published an account of the creature's habits. ~This
* semarkable beast lives in the bamboo forests of the interior of the island
The natives szy if is so rare as to be seen only by accident; it Eves alone
Of in pairs, never in bands, is scen only at night and sleeps by day m the
densest thickets. It feeds on the sap of the bamboo and sugarcane. 2s
well as on beetles and larvze. To get its food. tt gnaws, with its strong
incisors, an opening into the stem of the plant. and through i mserts as
attenuated middle-Snger, and brings out the insects of the liquid. At
sunset st comes out and searches every opening. cicit of hollow im the
trees, but at the approach of dawn hides itself m the thickest recesses.
Its cry, 2 loud grunting. is often beard im the night ~

The extraordimary character of the whole of the Lemurida, and ther
confinement to the island of Madagascar, has cacited much aticntion
Geologists inform us that remains of Lemuroids have been found m the
Eocene deposits in France, while in North America Mr. Marsh recognizes
no less than twelve gencza of extinct Lemurcids. The European forms
are most allied to the West African group, the American to the Mar-
mosets. Hence even in the Tettiary deposits we have not yet got
far enough back to find the primeval type fom which af the Primates
spring. ;

Mr. Wallace considers that there is evidence for belief that m carly
Testiary times 2 continuous sea from the Bay of Bengal to the Brith
Islands isolated Southern and Central Africa. which continent extended
types of Mammalia were absent, and semurs, edientzta, and imsectivora

-
a

— =

i. Hi);
4

QUADRUMANA. et i

took their place. He adds that while there is every reason to negative
a union between Africa and America, yet a moderate extension of their
shores to each other is not improbable, and this with large islands in the
piace of the Cape Verd group, St. Pauls Rocks, and Fernando Noronha, |
would suffice to explain the amount of similarity that actually exists.

GRDER If.

Cree hee-P TE R A,

{—FRUGIVORA.

9. PTEROPID - - - - FRUITY-EATING BatTs.

Il—INSECTIVORA.

10. PHYLLOSTOMID LEAF-NOSED BaTs.
11. RHINOLOPHIDE HOoRSE-SHOE BATs.
: VESPERTILIONID& < =< =" TRUE Baus:
. NOCTILIONIDE Doc-HEADED BATS.

CHAP T ER...

THE ORDER OF CHEIROPTERA—SUPERSTITIOUS DREAD OF BATS—THEIR USEFULNESS—THEIR FLY-
ING APPARATUS—THEIR GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HABITS—THE GENERA OF THE
ORDER.

E have hitherto been describing strange creatures which are
not native to our country, and of which living specimens are
seen by us only as prisoners in the cages of menageries, or

as beggars accompanying some itinerant organ-grinder. The order of
which we are now about to treat is one of which some of the members
are well known to all our readers. In the summer days, as the sun
declines, the bats begin to come out from the recesses where they have
hidden themselves from the garish light of the sun. As the darkness
deepens their numbers increase, and when night has come they are all
busy, wheeling in their strange intermittent flight, as they pursue their
insect prey. They seem to be half birds and half mammals, and to form
a link between these classes. For a long time, indeed, they were re-
garded as birds. Moses describes them as “ fowls that creep, going upon
all fours,” and adds that they are to be “an abomination.” Aristotle
defines bats to be birds with wings of skin, and his authority gave cur-
rency to this view of their relationship till comparatively modern times.
The bats, however, have no other resemblance to birds than that they
ean fly.

But while philosophers agreed in calling the bats birds, the unedu-
cated classes, who knew nothing of theory and were guided by their own
observations, seem everywhere in Europe to have regarded them in their
true light, as a form of mammal. The French name them “the bald
shrew mouse”’; the Spaniards, the “blind mouse”; to the German they
are “fledermiiuse”; to the English peasant, the “flittermouse,” or the
mouse that flits or flutters.

122 CHEIROPTERA.

The dark dwellings of the bats, the strange, mouse-like body, the
leathern wing, the melancholy squeak, the repulsive look, give to them
a mysterious character. While good spirits appear with the wings of a
dove, evil demons are, in popular superstition, provided with the wings
of the bat; and fabulous creatures like dragons or griffons are supposed
to bear themselves through the air on bat-like wings. Such views,
instilled in childhood on uneducated people, have produced a hatred
against a set of creatures which have claims for our protection, and
which certainly do more good than harm, by continuing in the twilight
the work of the swallow and keeping down the crowd of insect pests.

The wild superstitions connected with the name of Vampire deserve
a longer notice. An eloquent writer has remarked: “Of all the crea-
tions of superstition a Vampire is perhaps the most horrible. You are
lying in your bed at night, thinking of nothing but sleep, when you see
by the faint light that is in your chamber, a shape entering at the door
and gliding toward you. The thing moves along the air as if by the
mere act of volition; it has a human visage and figure. The eyes stare
wildly from the head; the hair is bristling; the flesh is livid; the mouth
is bloody.

“When you awake in the morning you think it 1s all a dream, until
you perceive a small, blue, deadly-looking spot on your chest near the
heart. You say nothing of the matter, but you know you are a doomed
man. Every night the shape returns, and, with a face horrified at itself,
sucks your life-blood in your sleep. You pine and droop and languish
till you die. When dead you yourself become a Vampire and create
fresh victims, who, dying in turn, add to the phantom stock.”

This belief that the dead body is sometimes animated by a demon
who caused it to rise from the grave and behave like a musquito, is very
prevalent in the Southeast of Europe. Greece seems to have been its
cradle, but it is still widely spread and firmly held in the countries
bordering on Greece.

From about the year 1727 to 1735 there was an epidemic of Vam-
pirism in Seryia and Hungary. People died by hundreds under the
belief that they were killed by phantoms. Commissions were appointed
to investigate the matter, and the graves of alleged Vampires opened ;
the bodies were found undecomposed, with fresh skin and nails growing,
with florid complexions, and blood in the chest. Voltaire tells us that
“Vampires can be brought to reason only by being burnt when they

THE BLOOD-SUCKING VAMPIRE. 123

are caught; but the precaution must be taken not to resort to this
measure till the heart has been torn out.” An old German writer
describes the execution of a Vampire: “ When they opened his grave,
after he had been long buried, his face was found with a color, and his
features made natural movements as if the dead man smiled. He even
opened his mouth as if he would inhale air. They held a crucifix before
him and called, ‘See, this is Jesus Christ, who redeemed your soul from
hell.’ Upon this tears began to flow from the dead man’s eyes. Finally,
when they proceeded to hack off his head, the corpse uttered a screech
and turned and rolled just as if it had been alive.” In fact the super-
stition caused the murder of a sufferer from trance.
Allusions to the belief are common in Byron:

But first on earth as Vampire sent,
Thy corse shall from its tomb be rent,
Then ghastly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race,
Yet loathe the banquet, which perforce
Must feed thy livid, living corse.

He refers for further particulars to Southey’s notes on “ Thalaba,” and
adds that the stories told in Hungary and Greece of these foul feeders
are most incredibly attested.

Undoubtedly the application of this name Vampire to the blood-
sucking bats of South America has increased the aversion with which
all the order is regarded.

The Cheiroptera increase both in number and variety as we approach
the tropics. In the torrid zone they come out by thousands. In Central
and South America they people the twilight of the primeval forests,
they live in hollow trees and in rocks, and wage relentless war on the
tribes of insects. The traveler sees them by daylight hanging from the
trees, by night they are found in the midst of the forests as well as on the
banks of the rivers. In Southern Asia the swarms of bats literally darken
the sky when evening comes. “The bats,’ writes Tennant, “form a
decided feature in the evening landscape in Ceylon. They are found in
crowds in every hollow, in every underground passage, in the galleries
of fortresses, under the roofs of houses, in the ruins of every temple.
When night has come and the lamps are lit they appear, flutter around
the table, and catch their prey by lamp-light.” Nor are they much less

124 CHEIROPTERA.

numerous in the South of Europe, where the ruined edifices which abound
in Italy, Greece, and Spain, send forth whole armies. They are quite as_
numerous occasionally in our own country. In a building in Maryland
nine thousand six hundred and forty bats by actual count were destroyed
by new tenants who entered the house after it had remained for some
time unoccupied.

The scientific name given to this peculiar order of creatures is CHEI-
ROPTERA; a word compounded of the Greek word cheiy “a hand,” and
pteron “a wing,” and expressive of the fact that they are mammals with
winged hands.

This winged hand deserves our careful notice. All the fingers of the
hand, with the exception of the thumb, which is short, has a nail, and is
quite free, are immoderately long, and united by means of a transparent
membrane, which is without hair. This membrane covers also the arm
and fore-arm, and is nothing else than a prolongation of the skin of the
flanks. It is composed of two very thin layers, one a continuation of the
integuments of the back, the other that of the abdomen. It also extends
between the posterior limbs, where it is more or less developed, accord-
ing to the species, and there takes the name of the interfemoral mem-
brane; but it never reaches the toes of the feet, which are short, and
have nails.

It is owing to this membranous sail that Bats direct their course
through the air in the same manner as Birds. When they are at rest,
they fold their wings around them, enveloping their bodies as if in a
mantle, just as we close an umbrella. The short, free thumb takes no
part in extending the leathern wings, but it has to supply the place of
fore-limbs when the bat is climbing or clinging. The foot has one strik-
ing peculiarity; it has a bone which is confined to the Cheiroptera. This
spur-bone springs from the heel, and serves to stretch the membrane
between the leg and the tail.

The nose in all varieties of the Cheiroptera is highly organized. Not
merely are the nostrils well opened, and capable of being closed or dis-
tended by peculiar muscles, but many families have in addition most
extraordinary nasal appendages.

The ear too is equally complex; it consists of a very large cochlea,
which is susceptible of very easy motion. There exists too a large,
movable, variously formed flap, the ¢vagus or ear-cover, which serves to
close the auditory canal and exclude sounds which the bat cannot endure,

SENSES OF THE BATS. 125

or enables it to hear the lightest rustle. In fact bats hear the insects flying
past them at a considerable distance, and this sense of hearing guides
them in their course. Cruel experiments have been made to demonstrate
this fact, and it has been found that the bat’s flight becomes wild and
uncertain when the ear or tragus is removed.

Their powers of sight and taste are less developed. But it is toa
very exceptional delicacy of touch that must be attributed the ease with
which bats fly about in their dark retreats without striking against the
angles, rocky projections, or other objects. Spallanzani instituted experi-
ments which were decisive in this respect. The celebrated physiologist
destroyed the vision of several specimens, and on leaving them alone he
saw them fly around the room without betraying the slightest hesitation,
or without striking their heads against the furniture or the ceiling; ina
word, without the deprivation of sight having changed in the slightest
degree their condition of existence.

This fact induced Spallanzani to declare that bats are endowed with
a sixth sense, which informs them of the proximity of solid bodies. But
such an explanation is unnecessary. When we are aware of the prodi-
gious sensibility of the tactile organs in these animals, we may admit that
they are affected by certain movements of the air which are imperceptible
to us, and that bats can thus be rendered conscious of the proximity of
a body by the obstruction to the eddies and currents of air displaced by
them in their flight.

The hair with which the bat tribe is furnished, is of a very peculiar
character; and although closely resembling the fur of a rat or mouse
when seen by the unaided eye, is so unique in aspect when seen under
a microscope, that a bat’s hair can be detected almost at a glance. Each
hair is covered with very minute scales, which are arranged in various
modes around a central shaft.

As might be expected from their structure, most of the bats walk very
badly, all slowly and clumsily. Its mode of progression is as follows:
The bat thrusts forward one of the fore-legs or “ wings,” and either hooks
the claw at its extremity over any convenient projection, or buries it in
the ground. By means of this hold, which it thus gains, the animal
draws itself forward, raises its body partly off the earth, and advances the
hind leg, making at the same time a kind of tumble forward. The process
is then repeated on the opposite side, and thus the creature proceeds in
a strange and unearthly fashion, tumbling and staggering along as if its

126 CHEIROPTERA.

brain were reeling from the effects of disease. It steers a very deviating
course, falling first to one side and then to the other, as it employs the
limbs of either side.

In their general form the Cheiroptera resemble the Quadrumana, and
like the latter the female has two teats. Their internal structure is pecu-
liar, the skeleton is sightly but strongly built, the bones never have air-
cavities as birds have, the vertebra are broad and short, the ribs long,
the legs very slender, the collar-bone and shoulder-blades thick and
strong. The extraordinary development of the skin makes these crea-
tures look larger than they really are, and in some species its immense
growth in the nose and ears gives them their peculiarly repulsive look.

All the Cheiroptera sleep by day. They suspend themselves head
downwards by the hind feet, frequently clinging to each other in compact
masses.

In cold and temperate regions bats hibernate. They are then abso-
tutely insensible, and may be handled, shaken, and even thrown in the
air, without betraying the least movement. But if they are held for
some time in the hands, or near a fire, under the influence of the heat
they rapidly show signs of animation.

During the period of torpidity the vital functions are executed
feebly, but they are not altogether abolished. They cannot dispense
with nourishment during this portion of their existence, but as they
are incapable of taking food, they devour their own substance, the fat
that has accumulated in their bodies during the period of activity. In
this way is explained their emaciation at the termination of their winter
sleep.

Professor Owen writes: “The preservation of life in this passive
state is due to the irritable property of the fibre of the heart, which is
excited to contract by the blood in its carbonized state. The slow cir-
culation of venous blood is the only recognizable vital act during hiber-
nation, and the material conveyed by the absorbents is sufficient to
counterbalance the slight waste. The bat is thus independent of sup-
plies from without, but it purchases that independence by a temporary
abrogation of its vital functions. Cold, senseless, motionless and asphyxi-
ated, its entry into death’s chamber is prevented only by its being
brought to his very door.”

Bats usually have only one offspring at a time. As soon as brought
forth, the mother carefully cleans it, envelops it in her wings as in a

FAMILIES OF CHEIROPTERA. 127

cradle, and holds it pressed against her breast to receive its first nourish-
ment. After some days, the youngster can hang by the claws of its hind
feet to the fur of the mother, and it is not rare to see her flying about
with this strange burden. When, exceptionally, the progeny are double,
then the winged nurse carries both in her aerial voyages.

The bats are a very difficult study, and it is quite uncertain how
many distinct species are really known. The genera too are exceedingly
numerous, and are in a very unsettled state, while the synonymy is
exceedingly confused. We shall commence by dividing them into five
families, the PTEROPID&, or fruit-eating bats; the PHYLLOSTOMIDA, or
leaf-nosed bats, among which the blood-sucking Vampire is found; the
RHINOLOPHID&, or horse-shoe bats; the VESPERTILIONID&, or common
bats, and the NocTILIONID&, or short-headed bats. We will mention
their range of distribution under each family.

CHAP arin: iis

THE FRUIT-EATING BATS OR FLYING FOXES—THE KALONGS—THE LEAF-NOSED BATS OR VAMPIRES
—ORIENTAL SUPERSTITIONS—THE HORSESHOE BATS—THE RHINOPOMA,

I= HE Fruit-eating Bats or FLYING FOXxEs, Pteropide, are pretty
evenly distributed over the tropical regions of the Old World
and Australia. They range over all Africa and the East of

Asia northward to China and the South of Japan. They are found also

in Australia and Tasmania, and in the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa;

but do not occur in New Zealand or the Sandwich Islands.

Naturalists have divided the Pteropide into zve genera and sixty-five
species, but an account of them all would be wearisome. We shall
therefore confine our notice to a few species of the most characteristic
genus, the PTEROPUS, from which the family derives its name.

THE KALONG.

This species, the FLYING Fox or KALonG of English travelers, Prero-
pus edulis, is the largest member of the order, and sometimes attains the
size of a squirrel, with wings measuring four feet across. It has a muz-
zle somewhat like a dog's, pretty large, naked and pointed ears, and a
highly developed flying membrane, which, however, between the hind
legs is reduced to a narrow strip. It has no tail. Its dental formula is
I—I

Po
see G eat M. Wee us

The color of the back is a deep brownish-black, that of the belly reddish-
black, the head and neck of a reddish-brown.

It is found chiefly in the islands of the East Indian seas, and frequents
the numerous orchards which surround the native villages, especially
preferring the trees of the Durian, a fruit which Wallace says it is worth
a voyage to the East to gat, so exquisite is its flavor. By day the Kalongs

COM

MON BAT

VAMPIRE BAT HOR
COMMON BAT
DOG HEADED BAT

meal CHELROPTERA

SESHOE BAT FRUIT EATING

THE FLYING FOXES. 129

hang on the branches by hundreds and thousands and millions. By night
they fly in bands so large that hours are required for the whole body to
pass an observer.

Their food is fruit, chiefly the various kinds of figs and the mangoes;
but occasionally they have been seen to eat little fishes, which they catch
when they leap out of the water. The damage these enormous troops
of creatures do is incalculable; but the natives pursue them less to re-
strain their depredations than to obtain a dainty for their kitchens. “ At
Batchian,” Wallace writes, “these ugly creatures are considered a great
delicacy and are much sought after. At about the beginning of the year
they come in large flocks to eat fruit, and congregate during the day on
some small islands in the bay, hanging by thousands on the trees, espe-
cially on the dead ones. They can be easily caught or knocked down
with sticks, and are brought home by basketfuls. They require to be
carefully prepared, as the skin and fur have a rank and powerful foxy
odor. They are generally cooked with abundance of spices and condi-
ments, and are really very good eating—something like hare.”

The Kalongs are not the redoubtable animals represented by early
travelers, who had the privilege of becoming first acquainted with them.
These explorers allowed themselves to be imposed upon by their extra-
ordinary dimensions, and their descriptions of them are ridiculous exag-
gerations. The truth is that the Kalongs never attack any animal, even
the feeblest. They may, it is true, in the absence of their ordinary ali-
ment, eat insects, but this is a rare exception; and they are only to be
dreaded by man for the injury they do his gardens. Divers artifices are
therefore resorted to, to prevent such destruction. For this purpose, in
Java the fruit-trees are covered with network or wickerwork made with
bamboo slips. ;

Another species, the Preropus Edwards?, is found in India and Mada-
gascar. It is much less than the Kalong, and differs from it slightly in
color, having on the back a broad stripe of yellowish-gray. It has been
often brought to Europe, and Brehm has given an account of the be-
havior of a pair of them in captivity. They seemed to live in perfect
harmony, and allowed themselves to be handled and stroked by those
they knew; strangers they did not like, even of their own species,
The Berlin Thiergarten was the scene of deadly combats between
the flying foxes; difference of sex made no difference in the ferocity
of the combats, in which one or both usually died from the bites

130 CHEIROPTERA.

inflicted by the enemy. Even with the utmost care they rarely
live long in confinement. Flight seems a necessity of their well-being,
and, when kept prisoners, they contract ulcers on the wings and soon
perish. Yet some specimens lived and produced young in the London
Zoological Gardens, and Brehm’s couple lived over two years in a
cage.

The bats which belong to this genus are remarkable for the fact that
they possess fewer vertebra than any other known mammalian animal.
In the entire spinal column, there are but twenty-four of these bones;
this paucity of number being caused by the entire absence of a tail.

THE LEAF-NOSED BATS.

The PHYLLOSTOMID&, or simple leaf-nosed bats, are found from Mex-
ico and the Antilles to the southern limits of the forests east of the Andes
and in Chili. One species, closely allied to the Mexican form, is found
in California; and the Vampires, of which such terrible tales are told,
belong to this family. The family has been divided by various naturalists
into five groups; it is sufficient for us to say that it embraces ¢hirty-one
genera and szxty species. We will mention only the genera Phyllostoma,
Desmodus, and Macrotus.

The members of this family are chiefly characterized by two nasal
leaves, one in the form of a horseshoe, situated above the upper lip; the
other disposed in the shape of a lance, and placed above the first. They
have the mouth widely cleft, the tongue studded with horny papillz, and
in each jaw a pair of strong canine teeth, which project beyond the lips.
They are of medium size, their hair is short and lustrous, and their inter-
femoral membrane is more or less developed, according to the genera ;
the tail varies in length, or is altogether absent, as the species differ.

It is probable that all the leaf-nosed bats are blood-suckers, but
only under certain circumstances. Hence we have very conflicting
accounts.

The naturalist Azara, who observed a large number of these American
bats, has afforded us valuable information concerning their habits. It is
usually on the croup, shoulders, or neck, that they bite beasts of burden,
because there they find a secure resting-place. The wounds they inflict
are neither extensive nor deep, but are small incisions made by the horny
papillz with which their tongue is armed; and which only puncture the

—

ATTACKS OF VAMPIRES. 131

skin. The blood, therefore, with which they gorge themselves comes,
not from the veins or arteries, but from the capillary vessels of the skin.
They sometimes attack sleeping poultry, and bite them on the crest or
the other appendages which decorate their heads. Most frequently
gangrene of the wound supervenes in these subjects, and death follows.

Azara fully confirms their sanguinary proclivities with regard to man,
having himself on several occasions experienced their effects. At four
different times this naturalist had his toes bitten when he was obliged to
sleep in the open air. But the sensation was so painless that he did not
awake, and knew nothing of his mishap until morning. He suffered from
the effects of these wounds for some days, although he did not think it
necessary to pay any attention to them.

The same traveler adds that they do not live on blood except when
insects are scarce. He also gives an opinion, but without mentioning
it as his own, or expressing his belief in it, but which is credited by the
natives, that in order to lessen the sensation of pain in their victims, these
animals fan with their wings the part they are about to wound.

Humboldt writes: “ During the cool long night the cattle and horses
cannot rest; for monstrous bats suck their blood while they sleep, or
fasten themselves to their backs, causing suppurating wounds in which
flies and insects settle. The bats which bit our dogs had long tails like
the Molossi, but I believe they were the leaf-nosed varieties which
possess a tongue that is a real sucking machine. The wounds were small
and round; the dog howled from fear rather than pain. Still I have slept
many a night under the open sky without being bitten. The bite is not
dangerous, and the pain so slight that the bat is off and away before the
sleeper awakes.” Rengger states “that the wounds are a quarter of an
inch in diameter and about two lines deep, never reaching the muscles,
and showing no traces of teeth. The loss of blood is about three ounces
from each wound.” Burmeister, however, says that the loss of blood is
very slight, and that he never knew of any man being attacked, or any
animal dying of the wound. Hensel tells us that in Rio de Janeiro the
stables require to be furnished with lamps and punkas to keep the bats
from the horses. He does not attribute blood-sucking propensities to all
the leaf-nosed bats. “Most of them have teeth like Carnivora, and pro-
duce wounds resembling those inflicted by beasts of prey; but the wounds
caused by the blood-suckers are quite different; they seem to be produced
by raising up the skin and then severing it by a horizontal cut. Hence

132 CHETROPTERA,

numerous capillary vessels of the skin are divided, and an abundant, long-
continued bleeding results. Such wounds can only be effected by pecu-
liar organs such as the genera Desmodus and Diphylla are endowed
with.”

Waterton, in his travels in South America, writes: “In the morning |
heard my friend Tarbot swearing in his hammock. ‘What's the matter?’
I asked; ‘Anything wrong?’ ‘The matter!’ he replied; ‘the bats have
sucked me to death.’ I found on examination that the bats had attacked
his great toe; the wound was less than the bite of a leech. I conjecture
that my friend lost twelve ounces of blood.”

Bates, who lived eleven years in Brazil, was once bitten. His narra-
tive of a night in a South American forest is not very cheering: “ To-
wards midnight I was awakened by the rustling sound produced by bats
flying to and fro. They had put out my lamp, and when I had relit it
I noticed that the whole room was black with them. I laid about me
with a stick and they disappeared through the roof; next morning I
found a wound, evidently inflicted by bats, on my hip. The negroes
assert that the Vampire is the only species which attacks man.”

GENUS PHYLLOSTOMA,

The Vampire, Phyllostoma spectrum (Plate Il), is the largest of the
South American blood-suckers. The head is thick; the snout project-
ing; the ears large; the nose-leaf small for the size of the animal; the
tongue is flat, elongated and extensile, covered with papillae so as to
form a kind of sucking organ; the upper lip smooth, the lower lip coy-
ered with two large, bare, warty excrescences; the soft fur is chestnut-
brown on the back, yellowish-brown on the belly.

Nothing is more hideous than the front view of this creature. The
great, leathern, projecting ears, the protruding spear-like nose, the
sparkling black eyes, form a whole which calls up the goblins of legend,
and fits well with the Vampire's bloodthirsty reputation. Our intro-
ductory remarks will have shown that there is considerable doubt
whether the Spectre Vampire deserves its character as a sucker of blood.
Bates expressly states that it is well known to the natives of Brazil for
its harmlessness. Still there is no wonder that a superstitious race
should find its monstrous appearance an index to its disposition. Both

THE CALIFORNIA VAMPIRE, 133

Bates and Waterton affirm that it is mainly frugivorous. The former
opened the stomach of several specimens and found that they contained
various kinds of seeds mixed with the remains of insects; the guava fruit
is an especial object of their attack. The latter observed these bats in
a moonlit night fluttering round the tree-tops evidently eating the buds.
It is difficult to discover in many cases what species a traveler describes
under the name of Vampire, and in ordinary language it designates all
the bats that suck blood.

GENUS DESMODUS.

This genus possesses nasal leaves in the form of the letter V, large
ears that stand wide apart, no tail, and a mere strip of femoral membrane.
The crowns of the molars form a long cutting-edge. The “tragus,” or
inner ear, is long and pointed.

The species Desmodus rufus, which is usually regarded as the represen-
tative of the genus, is russet-brown on the back, but silver-gray on the
under surface. The nasal leaf, ears, arms, and legs are thinly clothed
and appear flesh-colored; its length is about two inches and a half, its
spread of wing twelve inches. It is abundant in Brazil. Hensel states:
“In capturing these animals, I have often seen the wounds they inflicted
on the noses of my dogs and on my own hands; they bite with lightning
speed; even when they appear only to touch the skin, a part is soon felt
to be removed. They do not hold on with their teeth like other varic-
ties.”

GENUS MACROTUS.

The CALIFORNIAN VAMPIRE, Macrotus Californicus, although a quite
distinct species, is nearly related to some of the West Indian bats. It
has a long head and a face covered with hair, which grows somewhat
thinly on the large oblong ears, while the neck behind them is almost
bare. The fur is white and fawn-colored, each hair being tipped with
white, but that on the face is somewhat inclined to brown. Its dental
formula is

| ae ae RY eS

’ a le
2—2 I—I

667

134 CHEIROPTERA,

THE HORSESHOE BATS.

The family Rhinolophide, which embraces seven genera and seventy
species, derives its scientific name from a curious crest-like membrane
on the nose. They are found most abundant and varied in Eastern
Asia, where twelve species are found. Africa and Australia possess
five, Europe one genus only.

The nasal appendage consists of three portions—the horseshoe, the
longitudinal comb, and the lancet. The former begins at the end of the
snout, and surrounds the nostrils with a deep fold of skin. The comb
rises up inside the horseshoe behind the nostrils. The lancet rises up
between the eyes under the posterior end of the horseshoe, and contains
three cellular cavities. The ears are simple, without an inner ear; the
flying membrane short, and the flight clumsy. The tail is short, and
the interfemoral membrane entirely embraces it. At the flanks two
glands are found which have the appearance of mammze, and secrete an
odoriferous substance. The Rhinolophidz differ but little in size from
the Vespertilionide ; they have a long, abundant fur, generally of a light
shade, which is sometimes remarkably handsome.

These Cheiroptera are widely spread in the Old World, in Europe,
Africa, Asia, and the islands of Sunda; no species are found in America.
They live in numerous bands during the greater part of the year. When
the females are with young, they separate themselves from the males, to
bring forth and rear their progeny. The following genus contains the
“Horseshoe Bats” proper:

GENUS RHINOLOPHUS:

The LEsseR HORSESHOE Bat, Rhinolophus hipposideros, is not uncom-
mon in Europe. During its winter sleep it folds itself so closely in its
wings that it seems a fungus rather than an animal. Its chief food is soft-
bodied insects, like flies or moths, but it is said to be a blood-sucker, on
very inconclusive observations. It attains the size of only two inches,
with a spread of eight inches in the wings, and is distinguished from the
following species by an additional appendage to the nose, placed in front
of the ordinary lancet.

THE HORSESHOE BATS. 135

The GREAT HorRSESHOE BAT, Rhinolophus ferrum equinum (Plate II).
is much larger, sometimes measuring eighteen inches across the wings.

The NosBLE HorsESHOE BAT, Rhinolophus nobilis, is the largest of the
genus, measuring four inches in length, and twenty inches from tip to tip
of the wings. It is a native of Java, and has very fine and long hair, the
color being brownish on the back and grayish beneath. The nasal ap-
pendage is a broad membrane, stretching transversely across the nose
like a shelf. The sides are bounded by parallel folds, and the inferior
portion is semicircular, with an obtuse point in the middle.

GENUS MEGADERMA.

The Arrican LEAF Bat, Megaderma frons, is more properly a mem-
ber of the Horseshoe family than of the Vespertilionidz, with which
some writers class it. The nose has three leaflets—one horizontal, one
vertical, and one of the horseshoe form. The ears are very large, fur-
nished with a tragus, and united over the forehead so as to give a heart-
shaped appearance to the head. They are blood-suckers.

Of the four or five species known, the most important are the Leaf-
nosed Megadermes, which inhabit Madagascar, and the Lyre Mega-
dermes, found in Senegal. The latter measures fourteen inches across
the wings.

GENUS NYCTERIS.

This genus, with ¢hree species, is found in the Moluccas and Africa.
The nose is pierced by a cavity in which the nasal-leaf is concealed ; the
tail is of medium size, and supports the interfemoral membrane through-
out its length. They measure from eight to ten inches across the wings,
and possess a contrivance by which they can increase their size without
augmenting their weight. Two very small openings afford a communi-
cation between the mouth and the space between the skin and flesh,
which are only tied to each other by a few membranous threads at each
side of the neck and on the sides of the thumb; when, therefore, the bat
desires to inflate its body, it closes its mouth and forces the air through
the cheek-passages into the empty space between the skin and flesh.
The result of this operation is that the skin is puffed out, so that the

136 CHEIROPTERA.

creature looks like a little ball of fur to which the head and limbs had
been artificially attached.

GENUS RHINOPOMA.

This curious Indian genus, which is sometimes classed with the Noc-
tilionide, has a long tail, a narrow femoral membrane, and a peculiar den-
tal formula,

trea ag Oke NTS ease ee

Te a Cs
2—2 I—I 5—5

The best known species, Rhinopoma microphyllum, is found in Bengal
and Egypt. It is a small, long-haired, light-gray bat, about two inches
long. The tail is remarkable for its length, and contains eleven vertebre.
It is found in great numbers in the old ruins on the Nile, and hangs in
masses that quite hide the roof. In the evening they are seen skimming
across the waters, especially during the inundation, in quest of insects.

Char TER LUT,

AP all Ab Age Oe isHy ISjwey Jats

THE COMMON BAT—THE TAPHOZOUS—THE PIPISTRELLE—THE BARBASTELLB—THE NEW YORK
BAT—THE CAROLINA BAT—THE HOARY BAT—THE CALIFORNIA BAT—THE GREAT BAT OF
BRITAIN—THE SHORT-EARED BAT—THE LONG-EARED BAT—THE BIG-EARED BAT—THE NOC-
TILIONID4Z—YTHE GENUS NYCTICEIUS—THE GENUS NYCTINOMUS—THE GENUS NOCTILIO.

F the numerous recognized species of bats, nearly ¢wo hun-

dred belong to this family, the VESPERTILIONIDZ. They are

placed under ezghteen genera, all agreeing in the following
characteristics: the nose is simple, with leafy appendages, the ear has
always a tragus or cover, the pointed molar teeth have an edge some-
what in the shape of a W. The dental arrangements are very varied,
and on them the division into genera is founded. The incisors, which
are pointed, are two, four, six, or more in the upper jaw; usually four,
rarely six, exceptionally two, in the lower. The canines and false molars
vary from one to three above, and from two to three below, while the
molars are three on each side. Thus the number of teeth varies from
twenty-eight to thirty-eight.

Equally various are the sizes of these bats. Some measure five inches
in the body and two feet across the wings; others attain only a length
of one inch and a half and seven inches of wing-spread. They are most
numerous in America, but are found everywhere outside of the polar
circles. They prefer to live in trees, on the branches, rather than in
holes or caverns. Some live in large bands, some are solitary, or at most
form very small societies. They live almost exclusively on insects, at
times on small animals, but it is not ascertained whether any of them eat
fruit. They may be described with justice as the most useful of the
Mammalia. Their flight is abrupt and full of sudden turns, thus baffling
birds of prey. They climb and run very well; their sense of hearing
is highly developed. We will notice only the principal genera of this
family.

138 CHEIROPTERA.

GENUS TAPHOZOUS.

The animals belonging to this genus are natives of Africa and the hot
parts of Asia. They are characterized by a hollow forehead and a some-
what short tail, which is detached and projects downward. Their wings
generally have a span of from eight to twelve inches. It contains ¢ex
species.

GENUS VESPERUGO.

This genus is distinguished by short, thick, fleshy ears, set wide
apart and rounded in front, the tragus or cover of the ear projects,
the wings are pretty long with a thick membrane, and the tail is as long
as the body.

The NorTHERN Bat, or Vesperugo Nilsonii, attains a length of about
ten inches. Its color on the upper surface is dark-brown, on the lower
somewhat lighter. It is found in the north of Sweden and Norway,
probably extending to the Arctic circle, and in Russia. It does not sus-
pend itself by the hind feet during its period of hibernation, but hides
in crevices from which only its snout projects. It migrates southwards
in the summer, because in the far north the days of June and July are too
long to suit nocturnal animals.

GENUS VESPERTILIO.

This genus is found over the whole of the Northern Hemisphere, and
contains many species. The wings are slender and capable of quick
movement and great endurance; the covering of the ear is directed
inwards, and the tail is included in the flying membrane.

THE PIPISTRELLE.

The PIPISTRELLE, Vespertilio pipistrellus (Piate IV), is the smallest
European bat. It is only two inches and a half long, of which length
full one inch is taken up by the tail. The fur is a yellowish red-brown
above, inclining below more to yellow. The thick ears and membrane
are brownish-black.

THE COMMON BAT. 139

It inhabits almost all Europe and North and Central Asia, and extends
from Spain to Japan, It is exceedingly common in Germany, where no
town, no village, no farm does not harbor them. It is the COMMON BaT
of Great Britain.

Its flight is marked by great adroitness. In the bright evenings it is
seen sometimes skimming over the surface of small pools, but oftener
flitting to and fro between the stems of the trees. In villages it seldom
rises higher than the second story, and never flies far in the centre of
the street, but keeps near the houses. It is fond of entering lighted
rooms, but avoids low and small chambers.

They can be tamed to a certain extent, and soon become familiar with
the people whom the relations of every day have taught them to recog-
nize. Dr. Franklin says that he has seen, in several farms in England,
bats which were perfectly tame. These little creatures lived in the same
room with the farmer’s family. If any one, holding an insect between
his lips, imitated the buzzing of a fly, they perched upon his shoulder,
sought for the insect around his mouth, and even seized it from between
his lips.

Its mode of eating is peculiar. According to White’s “ History of
Selborne,” if you give it anything to eat, it brings its wings round before
the mouth, hiding its head. It is capable of running on the ground, and
is an agile climber.

They are exposed to many enemies; hawks attack them in summer,
weasels and mice invade their hiding-places in winter, but it finds its
bitterest enemy in man.

The SEROTINE, Vespertzlio serotinus, has the ears pretty large, the fur
long and soft, the color reddish-brown passing into dull-yellow beneath
the body. Its flight is slow, and it is generally found solitary or in pairs.

The MousE-cOLoRED Bat, Vespertilio murinus, measures three inches
and a half from the snout to the root of the tail. The head is narrow in
front and elongated, the eyes conspicuous, the ears sharply pointed. It
is described as a very pugnacious animal.

THE BARBASTELLE.

The BARBASTELLE or BULLDOG Bat, Vespertilio barbastellus, (Plate
IV), measures three and a half inches, and has a spread of wing of ten
inches. The color is blackish-brown, inclining to gray beneath. The

140 CHEIROPTERA.

ear is tolerably large and wrinkled, with a sharp-pointed tragus. Ij ts
found all through Europe, and has been often observed in captivity. It
is of more gentle disposition than most bats, and soon recognizes its
keeper; a couple of days render it comparatively tame. It is not very
active, and one kept by Bell, the naturalist, preferred lying on the
hearth-rug to using its wings; it fed on meat.

During hibernation, they hang by their hind legs usually at the
entrance of caverns, where they sometimes have been seen perfectly
enclosed in icicles.

THE CALIFORNIA BAT.

The CALIFORNIA Bat, Vespertilio nitidus, is to be carefully distin-
guished from the previously-described California Vampire. The body
is small, its spread of wing seven inches, the head and face hairy, the
ears longer than the head, the foot small, the tail usually embraced in the
interfemoral membrane. The fur is silky, of a brownish tint, becoming
lighter in front. As far as known, it has never been found to the east of
the Rocky Mountains.

THE NOCTULE.

The NocTUuULE, Vespertilio noctula, is one of the largest species. Its
length is sometimes four inches, including one inch of tail. When its
wings are expanded they measure fourteen inches.

It is found over a great part of the Old World, preferring lowlands
and valleys. During the summer days it sleeps in clefts of trees, but
during their winter-sleep hundreds are found clinging to each other in
old ruins. Its flight is strong and high, and it turns with such dexterity
as to escape almost all attacks from birds of prey. The Noctule is com-
monly called in Great Britain the GREAT BaT, but it possesses a more
popular appellation derived from its sharp and piercing cry, that of the
“ Jacky Screamer.” It does not make its appearance till the end of April;
it emits an offensive odor.

THE SHORT-EARED BAT.

DAUBENTON’S Bat, Vespertilio (or Brachyotus) Daubentonit, has ears
which, when pressed down, scarcely reach the top of the nose. It
measures an inch and a half in the body, and about one inch in the tail.

THE NEW YORK BAT. 141

It is easily distinguished from bats of the same size by its short ears and
the absence of wing-claws. In Germany it is called the WATER Bat,
as it loves well-watered regions, where it is found occasionally in extra-
ordinary numbers. It seems to prefer chalk quarries for the scenes of
its hibernation, and it lives in societies.

Ponds near houses and gardens are their favorite haunts, and they
skim within a hand’s-breadth of the surface; if a bridge comes in their
course they always pass under the arches. By day they hang in clusters
on branches over the water.

The LitTLE Brown Bats, Vespertilio subulatus, common throughout
the Middle States, and the BLUNT-NOSED Bat, Vespertilio lucifugus, ex-
tending throughout the United States as far as Mexico, call for no
remarks.

GENUS SCOTOPHILUS.

The CAROLINA BAT, Scotophilus Carolinensis, has oblong ears as
long as the head and rather velvety. The projecting portion of the
ear is heart-shaped. The fur is chestnut-brown above and yellowish
below.

The GEORGIAN Bat, Scotophilus Georgianus, is of a dark-brown color
on the back, brighter in front, and the fur is thick, soft, and long; the
head is somewhat flat, and the point of the tail is not involved in the
membranous wings.

GENUS LASIURUS.

The NEw York Bat, Lasturus noveboracensis, has short and broad
ears, and a rather pointed, short nose. The fur is soft and thick, and
there is a white spot at the origin of the wings. It is sometimes called
the RED Bat, and is found in New York, Pennsylvania, and on the
Missouri.

““Godman’s Natural History” relates: “In June, 1823, a son of the
keeper of a city park in Philadelphia brought home the young one of
one of these bats. Three hours afterward its mother made her appear-
ance and followed the boy two blocks, finally alighting on his breast.
Both were brought to the museum, the young one firmly adhering to the
mother’s teat.”

142 CHEIROPTERA.

The Hoary Bat, Lasiurus cinereus, is common in the Rocky Moun-
tains. The ear is large, but shorter than the head; the tragus obtuse
and bow-shaped. The nostrils are wide apart, the canine teeth large,
and there is only one incisor on each side. Its fur is long and of a
black-brown at the base, then of a brownish-yellow, then blackish, then
white, and from the mixture of these tints is derived its name. It is
nearly four and a half inches long—that is, it is nearly twice the size
of the New York Bat, with which it has much affinity.

GENUS PLECOTUS.

The LONG-EARED Bat, Plecotus auritus, derives its name from its
highly developed ears. These appendages are nearly as long as the
whole body, and are remarkable for their transparency. The wearer
has the strange power of contracting and expanding his ears, producing
sometimes graceful folds and festoons, at other times a feathery appear-
ance. When flying they usually curve them backward, so that merely
the long, pointed tragus stands up. When it hangs itself up to sleep, it
covers its ears with the arms.

The Long-eared Bat bears captivity better than most of his fellows,
can be easily tamed, and exhibits a very amiable disposition. The pris-
oners soon become bold and familiar; they are very cleanly, not only
cleaning themselves after their meals, but occasionally assisting each
other. They are playful and pretend to bite one another, but they never
harm their companions of the same species.

GENUS SYNOTUS.

This closely allied genus is one of the genera peculiar to the South~
eastern and Central States. It is characterized by very large ears, the
inner border of which continues as a nasal excrescence, and has no
tongue-shaped development, as in the genus P/ecotus.

The BIG-EARED BAT, Synotus macrotis, is found in the South Atlantic
States. It measures ten inches from wing-tip to wing-tip; the hair is
long and fine, of a blackish-brown color. A very similar species, the
Synotus Townsendit, is found on the Upper Missouri.

a
ae

THE DOG-HEADED BATS. 143

GENUS ANTROZOUS.

This genus possesses a large head, high tapering nose, slender trun-
cated snout, large eyes, and ears longer than the head.

The PALE BAT, Antrozous pallidus, is found in the Pacific States and
Texas, and exhibits two varieties—one fawn-colored, the other yellowish-
brown; in the latter the interfemoral membrane is bare.

THE NOCTILIONIDA.

The DOG-HEADED Bats are very unequally distributed. Their head-
quarters are in the tropical regions of America, where most of the
genera into which the family is divided are to be found. They range
from Mexico to Chili on the West Coast, and Buenos Ayres on the
East, and one species occurs in California. New Zealand and Norfolk
Island each possess one species. The New Zealand species, J/ystacina
tuberculata, seems to form a connecting link between the Noctilionida
and the Phyllostomide.

The Noctilionide have the ears aoe joined, the lips are pendu-
lous, the nose sharp, the tragus is broad and square. The tail extends
beyond the interfemoral membrane, and the great toes are fringed on
the outside. Various classifications of this family have been made;
some authorities include in it the R/inopoma, which we have placed
with the Rhinolophidz, and the Zaphozous, which we class with the
Vespertilionidz.

The genera are fourtecn in number, but their differences are only
interesting to the professed student of natural history.

GENUS NYCTICEIUS.

This North American genus contains only ove species. The head and
ears resemble those of the Vesperugo.

The CREEK Bat, Wycticetus crepuscalons, is found from New York to
the Rocky Mountains, and southward to New Orleans. The fur is
rather short, and brown, with yellow tips to the hair.

144 CHEIROPTERA.,

GENUS NYCTINOMUS.

This genus has pointed ears, thick hanging lips, and a sharp nose.
The great toes are separated from the others and fringed on the outside.

The Vyctinomus nasutus, called likewise Molossus or Dysopes nasutus, is
found in South Carolina, but most extensively in South America. As
befits its name of xasutus, the nose is well defined; the head is large, the
lips pendulous ; the ears are as broad as they are long, and almost join at
the base. The fur is soft and thick, of a yellowish- brown, tipped with
white, and covers the lower part of the ears. The tail projects some dis-
tance beyond the interfemoral membrane, and the toes are supplied with
long hairs.

Another species, the Wyctznomus obscurus, is nearly the size of the Bar-
bastelle, and measures three inches. The head is short, the muzzle
swollen, the ears large.

GENUS NOCTILIO:

The DoG-HEADED Bat, Noctilio Americanus or leporinus, is the best
known of the ¢wo species of this genus. The ear is short, narrow, and
pointed; the muzzle conical, the nose overhanging the lips; the upper
canines very long. The fur is of a reddish-yellow, and does not extend
to the flying membrane. The second species, Voctzlio albiventer, is much
smaller, and the fur on the belly is yellowish-white.

The bats are a very difficult study, and it is quite uncertain how
many species are known; the most probable estimate is that of Mr.
Murray, who gives a list of four hundred species. For American Bats,
the reader who desires to pursue the subject is referred to the exkaustive
monograph of Dr. Allen, in the Transactions of the Smithsonian Institute.
For the Cheiroptera in general Mr. Dobson’s elaborate Catalogue is the
latest authority.

ORDER ‘Tit.

ee Sewer li © R

. TUPAIADA

. ERINACEID
. CENTETIDA -

. POTAMOGALIDZ:

. CHRYSOCHLORIDZ:
- FALPIDAS -
. SORICID

. GALEOPITHECIDZ:
. MACROSCELIDID

FLYING LEMURS.
ELEPHANT SHREWS.
SQUIRREL SHREWS,
HEDGEHOGS.
TENRECS.

OTTER SHREW.
GOLDEN MOLES.
MOLES.

SHREWS.

Pll allt a

Zz LES AVA

CEA PAGER i.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER—ITS DIVISION INTO NINE FAMILIES—THE GALEOPITHECID4—
THE FLYING LEMURS—~THE MACROSCELIDIDZ OR ELEPHANT SHREWS—THE GENUS RHYN-
CHOCYON—THE GENUS PETRODROMUS—THE TUPAIAD-E—THE BANGSRING—THE PRESS—THE
GENUS BYLOMYS—THE GENUS PTILOCERCUS—THE PENTAIL.

HE third order of Mammalia, the INSECTIVORA (from /zsecta “ in-
sect,” and voro “to devour”), embraces numerous animals which,
like many of the Cheiroptera, feed on insects, for the consumption

of which they are specially adapted by the formation of their teeth.

The distribution of the INSECTIVORA over the habitable globe is
remarkable; they are completely absent from South America and
Australia; some genera only found in Madagascar have allies in the
West Indian islands; the hedgehogs, so common in Europe, are un-
known in North America, and the majority of the species of the order
belong to one genus, Sorex. From these facts it is evident that they are
the detached fragments of a much more extensive group of animals
which are gradually diminishing in number and which are now almost
extinct. In the terrible struggle for existence which has gone on since
life first made its appearance on the globe, the INSECTIVORA have not
held their ground, except in special localities or by the favor of special
circumstances. Some have been saved from the severe competition with
other mammals by their isolation in regions like Madagascar; the MOLEs
have escaped extermination by their habits; the HEDGEHOGs by their
prickly armor; and others, like the ELEPHANT SHREWS and SQUIRREL
SHREWS, owe their safety to the likeness they present to dominant
groups in their own districts. It is only under special conditions ‘hat
they can maintain themselves against more highly organized forms.

148 INSECTIVORA.

The animals of this order exhibit remarkable deficiencies and remark-
able developments of particular parts. The body as a rule is compact,
the head long, the nose prolonged into a snout; the limbs, with the
exception of the tail, and, in some species, of the hind-leg, are shortened
excessively ; the clothing of the body varies from the velvety skin of the
mole to the sharp, stiff, erectile spines which defend the hedgehog.
Their limbs are adapted for walking, swimming, and digging. They are
all plantigrade, that is, in walking they apply the whole sole of the foot
to the ground.

Their intelligence is very slight; they are dull, shy, and distrustful,
loving solitude, yet of violent tempers. Most of them live a subterranean
life, but some frequent the waters, some the trees. Their astonishing
energy is an essential check on the increase of worms and insects, and
even of the smaller rodents.

A look at the jaws of an insectivorous animal immediately con-
vinces us that the creature is carnivorous to a greater degree than such
Carnivora as cats or dogs. The jaws bristle with pointed teeth.
daggerlike spears take the place of canines, and sharp pyramids resem-
bling a double saw complete their dentition. The whole structure is
formed to seize and hold fast even hard-shelled insects like cock-
chafers. The jaws of a shrew-mouse enlarged to the size of a lion’s,
would be far more terrible and appalling in the ferocity of their appear-
ance.

In spite of the benefits conferred on us by these creatures in destroy-
ing our insect pests, the prejudice of man accuses them of divers imag-
inary crimes. In England the shrew is considered venomous, and every
village has a mole-catcher.

Many of the INsEcTIVORA hibernate. As cold approaches thousands
upon thousands of the victims destined to feed the members of this
order, are removed from their clutches. Hence, as the INSECTIVORA
cannot, like the birds, migrate in quest of food, they are providentially
given the faculty of hibernation. Of course, those that prey on crea-
tures which do not disappear in winter, have no need to pass the
cold season in torpid slumber.

We follow the latest authorities in classing the animals of this order
in zine families, and commence with the family of the FLyinG LEMURs or
Coxtucos, which present a striking resemblance to the “Flying Foxes,”
and seem to form an intermediate link of transition.

THE FLIGHT OF THE COLUGO. 149

THE FLYING LEMURS.

The family GALEOPITHECID contains only ove genus, which again
contains oniy two species. For a long time the CoLUuGo, Galcopithecus
volans, (Plate V) was placed among the Lemuroidea. Its food seems to
be entirely vegetable, and its flying membrane shows some relationship
to the Cheiroptera. Its dental formation settles its place among the In-
sectivora, but the fact that the young are born very small, blind and naked,
and are closely attached to the wrinkled skin of the mother, indicates
some affinity to the Marsupialia. This animal indeed seems to be a
lateral offshoot of some low form which has survived during the process
of development of the Insectivora, Lemuroidea and Marsupialia from an
ancestral type.

The Fiy1nc Lemur is as large as a cat, with a slender body and
limbs of moderate length. Attached to the extremities of these limbs is
a membrane which envelops the animal: from the neck to the extremity
of the tail, and which permits it to sustain itself in the air. The fingers
of all the feet have retractile claws and the thumbs are not opposable.
The head is small, the muzzle prominent, the eyes moderately large, the
hairy ears small. The membrane between the limbs is merely a para-
chute. When the Colugo desires to make a leap it spreads its limbs
so that the membrane may present as large a surface as possible. The
membrane is not used as a wing, and the Colugo cannot rise. At every
leap the spot it aims at must be lower than that from which it starts;
hence after a few aerial voyages it is compelled to climb a tall tree
and begin afresh. At rest the membrane folds so closely as to be
almost indistinguishable. The Colugo has two mammz. The lower
incisors are set pointing forward, and are notched like the teeth of
a saw, and the molars are studded with points like those of all the
Insectivora.

The Galeopitheci are essentially nocturnal. They are seen at night
moving actively through the trees. On the ground they run with agility.
Their flight is noiseless. Insects constitute the staple of their food, but
they are fond of fruit, and even devour small birds.

In order to rest, these animals suspend themselves by their hind
paws to the branches of trees, like bats. The people of the regions
they inhabit choose this opportunity for capturing them; and not-

150 INSECTIVORA.

withstanding the disagreeable odor their flesh exhales, eat them with-
out repugnance.

The Colugo attains a length of two feet, including the tail; the back
is thickly covered with hair of a brownish-red color, becoming darker
on the under surface. It is found in Sumatra, the Moluccas, and the
Philippine Islands.

It is difficult to obtain any satisfactory account of the habits of the
Colugo in its native forests, as many travelers have, beyond all doubt,
confused it with the Flying Fox (Pteropus edulis). Nearly all the infor-
mation we possess is given by Wallace: “This creature has a broad
membrane, extending all round its body to the extremities of the toes
and to the point of the rather long tail. This enables it to pass obliquely
from one tree to another. It is sluggish in its motions, at least by day,
going up a tree by short runs of a few feet, and then stopping a moment
as if the action were difficult. It rests during the day clinging to the
trunks of trees, where its olive or brown fur, mottled with irregular
whitish spots and blotches, resembles closely the color of mottled bark,
and helps to protect it. Once in a bright twilight I saw one of these
animals run up a trunk ina rather open space, and then glide obliquely
through the air to another tree, on which it alighted near the base and
immediately began to ascend. I paced the distance from one tree to
another and found it to be seventy yards, and the amount of descent I
estimated at not more than thirty-five or forty feet, or less than one in
five. This, I think, proves that the animal has some power of guiding
itself through the air. The Galeopithecus feeds chiefly on leaves, and
possesses a very voluminous stomach and long convoluted intestines.
The brain is very small, and the animal possesses such tenacity of life
that it is exceedingly difficult to kill it by ordinary means. The tail is
prehensile, and is probably made use of as an additional support while
feeding. It is said to have only a single young one at a time; and my
own observation confirms this statement, for I once shot a female with a
very small, blind, and naked creature clinging closely to its,breast, which
was quite bare and much wrinkled. On the back and over the limbs and
membrane the fur of these animals is short but exquisitely soft, resem-
bling the chinchilla.”

A German traveler writes: “ We heard a shriek so peculiar and pain-
ful that we seemed to hear the cry of a child or the scream of some
sufferer. Weird and disagreeable, it echoed from time to time through

SQUIRREL SHREW

STAR NOSE MOLE
ELEPHANT SHREW

INSECTIVORA.

Ce
[1]
Fara
<
—
an

PEN TAILSHREW

THE ELEPHANT SHREWS. I5L

the still night; the natives drew up around our fires; fear of spirits
silenced their merry chatter. But the secret was soon betrayed: the
spirit whose voice resembled a distant cry of pain came in sight and
hovered slowly over our heads. It was a Flying Lemur.”

A female that lived for some time in captivity is described as a harm-
less, stupid creature. “It lay on its stomach with all its legs stretched
out, and then slowly and awkwardly hopped to the wall of the room,
which it tried to ascend. As the wood was planed it could not take
good hold of the surface, and after climbing a few feet it fell down again,
but the fall was always broken by the expanded membrane with which
nature has provided it.” We do not possess much further knowledge
respecting the Flying Lemur.

THE ELEPHANT SHREWS.

The animals of the family MACROSCELIDID are extraordinary little
creatures, and are called “elephant” on account of their trunk-like snout,
and “long-legged”’ because their hind-legs resemble somewhat those of
the Kangaroo. They are almost confined to South Africa, and extend
up the East Coast as far as the Zambezi and Mozambique. They are
divided in ¢hree genera and fen species; but two of the genera, PETRO-
DROMUS and RHYNCHOCYON, are each represented by a single species.

The ELEPHANT SHREWS are essentially leaping animals; the hind-
legs are enormously elongated, and they possess usually five, sometimes
four short toes, with short, weak claws. The thin, short-haired tail is a
little shorter than the body; the fur is thick and soft; the teeth number
forty ; the long, proboscis-like nose is perforated at its extremity by the
nostrils which are placed obliquely, and it doubtless aids the animal in its
search for food, while the enormous length of its hinder-limbs enables it
to catch its prey with wonderful agility.

I—GENUS MACROSCELIDES.

The typical ELEPHANT SHREW, Macroscelides proboscideus (Plate V),
attains a length of nine inches, of which four and a half belong to the
tail. The snout is nearly an inch in length, and reddish-black at the end.
The coat is a reddish-brown or mouse-gray, more or less bright, with
shades of white on the lower surface of the body; the ears are white

152 INSECTIVORA.

inside. They frequent stony mountains; and under stones, in deep and
almost inaccessible recesses, in clefts of the rock, and holes of the earth,
they find refuge from danger. They love the sunlight, and are most
active during the scorching hours of noon; their food consists mainly
of insects, which their long legs enable them to catch or their long snout
to find in rifts and clefts. They are very timid, and the slightest motion
sends them into their hiding-places ; after some time, one after another
sallies out, hops about, looking and listening on every side; then they
begin to snuffle at the stones or catch, at a spring, some passing insect.
Their habitations are made below the surface of the ground, and consist
of a deep and tortuous burrow, the entrance to which is a perpen-
dicularly sunk shaft of some little depth.

The rapidity of their movements and the speed with which they take
flight render it a difficult task to capture them; but when captured they
endure confinement pretty well, are gentle and graceful and soon gain
the sympathy of man.

Seven of the species are found in Southern Africa; ove, the TRUNKED
Rat, Macroscelides Rozetti, has been found in Algeria. It is said that some
ingenious soldiers of the French army, quartered there, have at times
been induced to meet the demand for specimens by a manufactured
supply. An erudite naturalist was delighted at purchasing from a
Zouave a magnificent specimen of the Trunked Rat, till closer examina-
tion showed him that it was a common rat with an inch of its own tail
grafted by a little incision on the end of its nose.

Il—GENUS RHYNCHOCYON.

The RHYNcHOcyONs are also leaping animals, consequently have the
hind quarters more elevated than the fore ones, but their bodies are
more slim, and they are altogether larger than the Macroscelides.
Besides this, they are ‘“tetradactylous”—that is, their limbs are ter-
minated by only four toes.

The only species known, the Rhynchocyon cirnet, was discovered in
Mozambique by the traveler and naturalist Peters. Its muzzle is pro-
longed into a very conspicuous proboscis; the eyes are large, the ears
moderate, while the tail is considerably developed. The outer toe is
widely separated from the others in the fore-feet. It possesses thirty-six
teeth.

THE TUPAIAS. 153

The third genus—/etrodromus—is represented by one species which
inhabits Mozambique. It has the general characteristics of the family,
and, as its name implies, is most frequently found in rocky neighbor-
hoods.

THE SQUIRREL SHREWS.

The family TUPAIAD& embraces ¢/ree genera divided into ¢ex species.
They are often called Squirrels, and have a superficial likeness to
these denizens of our forest. They are all natives of the Indian Archi-
pelago and the adjoining continent. The head is pointed and ends in
a snout usually bare at its blunt extremity, the body is slender, the
tail long—sometimes very long and bushy, having two rows of hair
hanging equally on each side; the fur is thick and soft. They have
from thirty-eight to forty-four teeth, which are remarkable from the fact
that the canines are shorter than the incisors. The eyes are large, the
ears rounded, the limbs regular, the feet have bare soles, and the five
toes are separated and armed with short, curved claws. The female has
four teats.

The development of the eye indicates their diurnal habits, and the
curved claws, that they can climb.

I—GENUS TUPAIA.

The TuPaIA TANA, 7ufaia Tana, is the largest of the seven species
of this genus. Jt has a bushy tail with the hair hanging evenly down
on each side, large prominent eyes with a bony ring closing in the orbit
behind, and thirty-eight teeth. It is distinguished from other species by
the great length of its tail, and it wears a dark-brown blackish fur which
displays on the underside a ruddy tinge and appears mixed with gray on
the head and muzzle. A gray stripe crosses the back of the head, and
a dark-brown line runs down the back. Each hair consists of gray
and dark-brown rings alternately. It is very nearly the size of the
common squirrel. We know tittle of its wild habits. It is described
as an agile, active, merry creature, which uses its crooked claws excel-
lently, and climbs with ail the skill of an ape. It is not strictly insec-
tivorous—it sometimes eats fruits which it picks from the branches or
off the ground.

154 INSECTIVORA,

THE PRESS.

The Press, or SQUIRREL SHREW, 7upaia ferruginea (Plate V), is a
very pretty creature so like the squirrei that, as it runs about, it can be
distinguished only by the elongated outline of the head. It measures
about thirteen inches, including five inches of tail; the length of the head
being twoinches. Its height, as it stands or .ll-fours, is about three inches.

The coloring of its fur is a brownish-maroon, which in some parts,
as the spine, is deepened into a rich brownish-black, and in others, as the
ribs and flanks, is warmed into a reddish tint. Hence the epithet of
ferruginea or “rusty” has been applied to the animal. This change
of color is caused by the mode in which the hairs are marked in alter-
nate rings of black and maroon. Those which run along the back are
black, with a fawn-colored ring in the middle, but those which grow
upon the ribs are fawn, with a black ring in the middle. The ears are
black. Upon the under surface of the body the fur is of a whitish-
yellow, fading into gray. The long and bushy hairs which decorate the
tail are so dotted with white that they give a grayish-brown effect.

Although the teeth of all the Tupaias are evidently of an insectivorous
description, the Press, as well as its congeners, feeds chiefly on coleopter-
ous insects, but varies its diet with certain fruits. It is affirmed that the
Press partakes so far of the carnivorous propensities of the mole, that
it will sometimes pounce upon small birds as they are hopping among
the branches, and make a meal upon their bodies. One of these animals
that was tamed, and accustomed to roam about the house at will, was
very fond of milk and fruits, and used to attend at every meal for the
purpose of obtaining these coveted luxuries.

THE BANGSRING.

The BANGSRING, 7upata Favanica, abounds in the dense forests of
Java. It differs from the preceding species by the length of its tail,
which is fully as long as its body, of a uniform thickness and clothed
with hairs that spread out like those on the squirrel’s tail. The fur is
close and fine, with a few longer and darker hairs interspersed in its
prevailing hue of grayish-brown. It is easily tamed. Sir Stamford
Raffles describes one which behaved like a pet spaniel, and ate fruits
and milk at the table of its owner.

THE PENTAIL. 155

Il.—GENUS HYLOMYS.

This genus is characterized by the shortness and bareness of its tail,
and by the absence of the bony ring around the orbit of the eye, which
is such a peculiar feature in the genus 7upaia. Two species only are
known.

The HyLomys, Hylomys suillus, is a small species which is found in
Sumatra and Java, where it lives on the hills, two thousand feet above
the sea-level. It is by no means common. The muzzle is developed
into a movable proboscis, turning in a downward curve at the tip,
where the nostrils are placed lateraily. The eyes are not prominent or
large, but the ears are of considerable size. It possesses forty-four teeth;
the three central toes in the feet are longer than the rest.

111—GENUS PTILOCERCUS.

This genus is known only by one species, a specimen of which is
preserved in the British Museum.

THE PENTAIL.

The PENTAIL, Pti/ocercus Lowit (Plate V), is an extraordinary crea-
ture which was first described by Mr. Low, who captured one of them
in the house of Sir James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. It derives its
name from the resemblance borne by its tail to the old quill pen of our
ancestors. It is about the size of a rat, but appears to be of greater
dimensions, on account of its extremely Jong tail with the remarkable
appendage at its extremity. As represented in the plate, the tail is of
extraordinary length when compared with the size of the body, and is
devoii of hair, except at its extremity, where it is furnished with a
double row of stiff hairs on each side, which stand boldly out, like the
barbs of an arrow. The remainder of the tail is covered with scales,
which are square in their form, like those of the long-tailed rats, and
of considerable size. The color of the tail is black, and the bristly
barbs white, so that this member presents a peculiarly quaint aspect.

The fur which covers the body of the Pentail is extremely soft in
texture, and is of a blackish-brown tint above, fading into a yellowish-

156 INSECTIVORA.

gray beneath. As the tips of the hairs are tinged with a yellow hue, the
precise tint of the fur is rather indeterminate, and is changeable, accord-
ing to the position of the hairs which are exposed to view.

It is presumed that the long tail of the Pentail is used for the pur-
pose of balancing itself in its progress among the branches of trees; but
this conjecture is only problematical, as the habits of the animal are not
yet known.

The Tupaiade are an interesting fartiy of Insectivora in a scientific
point of view on account of the presence of several well marked anatomi-
cal peculiarities. As already stated the most iniportant of these is the
osseous ring that completes the posterior part of the orbit of the cye.
In all other specimens of the order Insectivora a communication exists
between the orbits and the spaces occupied by the temporal muscles
which act upon the lower jaw. in this peculiar conformation of the
Tupaiadz, therefore, we observe an approach to the structure of the
insectivorous monkeys. The eyes project suffiviently to enable the ani-
mal to see backward almost ina straight line. The small but sharp nails
that arm the five toes of the plantigrade feet are sufficiently elevated
to be spared from friction against the ground. The name Tupaia is given
by the natives cf Sumatra both to the members of this family and to the
squirrels which they so strongly resemble. The fossil remains of the
Omomys have been found in the Pliocene deposits of the United States.

CHAPTER | Fi.

THE HEDGEHOGS, MOLES AND SHREWS.

THE ERINACEIDA:—THE HEDGEHOGS—THE GENUS GYMNURA—THE CENTETID&—THE TENKEC AND
TENDRAC—THE GENUS SOLENODON--THE AGOUTA—THE POTAMOGALIDA!—THE CHK YSOCHLO-
RIDA OR GOLDEN MOLES—THE TALPIDA[—THE MOLES—THE GENUS TALPA—GENUS CONDY
LURA—THE STAR-NOSED MOLES—THE GENUS SCALOPS OR AMERICAN MOLE—THE GENUS
MYOGALE—THE DESMANS—THE UROTRICHUS—THE SORICID& OR THE SHREWS.

HE family ERINACEIDZ is not represented on the American
Continent. It consists of ¢wo genera—one comprising the
Hedgehogs proper, the other the Gymnura.

I—GENUS ERINACEUS.

The HEDGEHOGS are scattered somewhat capriciously over the East-
ern Hemisphere. Their most remarkable feature is the coat of stiff
pointed spines covering the back; another is the power of rolling them-
selves up into a ball, by placing the head on the breast, drawing up the
legs, and curling the body round them. When thus rolled up the crea-
ture is almost invulnerabie, and can with difficulty be unrolled; an
enormously developed muscle with a thick margin spreads over the
back and sides, and contracts with an immense force, capable of resist-
ing the efforts of its enemies while the spines inflict severe wounds. The
only method readily available for making the creature unroil, is to fling
it into water.

The spines, which the animal can erect at will, are confined to the
back; the other parts of the body are either, like the face and feet, hair-
less, or covered with hair of a more or less dense character, according to
the species. The food of the Hedgehogs consists of insects, worms,
snails, and the like.

158 INSECTIVORA.

The LONG-EARED HEDGEHOG, /rinaceus auritus, is found in Siberia
and the East of Asiatic Russia, and has also been discovered in Egypt.
It is smaller than the common European Hedgehog; the limbs are longer
and more slender, the hair on the lower surface of the body is extremely
fine. The spines on the back do not extend so far as in the European
species, and are of peculiar color—the .base being white, the centre
brown, the tip yellow. The species derives its name from the large size
of its ears, which project in such a manner as to produce a very pig
like look.

The HEDGEHOG or URCHIN, -rinaceus Europeus (Plate V), is found in
every part of Europe, where it is often kept in gardens to.kill snails and
insects, and in houses to kill cockroaches.

The under surface of the body, together with the limbs, is covered
with long bristles and undulating soft hair, which passes rather abruptly
into the stiff quills that defend the back, and is so long that it almost
conceals the limbs when the animal is walking. The quills cover the
entire back and top of the head, and are of a grayish-white color, diver-
sified with a blackish-brown ring near the middle. In the young animal
the spines are few in number, soft in texture, and nearly white, so that
the little creatures look like balls of white hair or young birds. The
young are born not only with the eyes, but with the ears closed also—a
fact said to be quite unique. The nest in which they are produced and
nurtured is most ingenious in its structure, being so admirably woven
of moss and similar substances, and so well thatched with leaves, that it
will resist the effects of violent showers.

The Hedgehog is very fond of milk, and is accused by thé ignorant
peasantry of sucking cows. But it does not despise strong liquor.
There is a widespread belief that the easiest way of taming it is by
making it drunk; and Dr. Ball, who tried the experiment, found it per-
fectly successful. He gave seme sweetened whiskey to one, and writes
of the result: “He did not go far before his potation produced all its
effects; he tottered, then fell on his side—he was drunk in the full sense
of the word, for he could not even hold by the ground. We could then
pull him about, open his mouth, twitch his whiskers, etc.; he was un-
resisting. There was a strange expression in his face, of that self-
confidence which we see in cowards when inspired by drinking.

“We put him away, and in some twelve hours afterward found him
running about, and, as was predicted, quite tame, his spines lying so

THE MADAGASCAR HEDGEIHMOGS. 159

smoothly and regularly tnat he could be stroked down the back and
handled freely. We turned him into the kitchen to kili cockroaches,
and know nothing further of him.”

The Hedgehog is the only animal which can eat Cantharides flies
without inconvenience, and it is quite impervious to most kinds of poi-
sen, including that of venomous snakes.

Il.—GENUS GYMNURA.

This genus is represented by only ove specics, the BULAU or TIKUS,
Gymnura Raffles, found in Sumatra, and somewhat like our own opos-
sum. All the feet have five toes, the three middle toes being longer than
the others. The muzzle is lengthened, but is cut off abruptly at its ter-
mination. The eyes are small, and the ears small, rounded, and devoid
of hairy covering.

One peculiarity of the animal is, that the fur on the body and head
is pierced by a number of very long, bristling hairs, which are much
longer on the neck and shoulders. The color is a mixture of black and
white, as follows: the greater part.of the body, the upper portion of the
legs, and the beginning of the tail, are black; while the head, the neck,
and flanks, and the remainder of the tail, are white. There is also a black
stripe over each eye, which forms a bold contrast with the white fur of
the head. It emits a musky odor. Nothing is known of its habits.

THE TENRECS.

The family CENTETID contains a number of small animals, many of
which have a spiny covering. Of the sx genera into which it is divided,
ali but one inhabit Madagascar, and the animals are often called MApa-
GASCAR HeEDGEHOGS. In general they may be described as having a
long head and pretty long muzzle, small eyes, moderate ears, short legs,
with five toes and strong claws, while their coat is like that of the
Gymnura—half hair, half bristles. The tail is either almost or entirely
wanting in five of the genera, while the two species embraced in the
genus Solenodon are endowed with a very long, bare, and scaly caudal
appendage.

160 INSECTIVORA,

I—GENUS CENTETES.

This genus is subdivided into ‘we species, which differ very slightly.
The TENREC, Centetes ecaudatus (Plate V), has a slender body, and a
tong head taking up nearly one-third of the animal's whole length. The
ears are short, the eyes small, the neck short and thinner than the body ;
the hind-legs are slightly longer than the fore-legs. The body is cov-
ered with spines, bristles and hairs, which clearly show, by the pro-
gressive changes in their structure, that the spines are merely hairs
transformed. At the back of the head real spines, not very hard and
bending, grow to the length of nearly half an inch. Down the flanks
these spines become longer, thinner, softer, and more pliant; and on the
back, bristles predominate. The under side of the body is covered with
hair, and long, sharp hairs project from the muzzle. The spines, bristles
or hairs are of a yellowish color; the former are tipped with black. The
Tenrec is not adorned with a tail. It attains a length of eight to ter.
inches. It cannot coil up into a ball like the hedgehog.

The Tenrec has been carried from Madagascar to the Mauritius and
neighboring islands. It is shy and timid, and only comes out at sun.
down, but never ventures far from its burrow. There is some doubt as
to its becoming torpid at certain seasons; the best evidence is to the
effect that during the dry season the Tenrec retires to the deepest part
of its burrow, and there sleeps from April to November.

Although this creature exhales a musky odor very offensive to most
nostrils, the natives regard it as a great delicacy, and the markets o.
feast days display numbers of Tenrecs in all stages, alive, slaughtered or
ready for the spit.

The BANDED TENREC, Centetes vartegatus, 1s also a native of Madagas-
car, and has derived its title of Banded, or Varied, from the bold coloring
of the quills and hair.

The color of the back is a blackish-brown, diversified with three bold
stripes of yellowish-white. The centre one of these stripes extends along
the entire length of the animal, and the two others commence by the ear
and terminate by the flank. The hair that covers the under portion of
the body is of a yellowish-white color. The generic name, Centetes, is
of Greek origin, and signifies “thorny,” in allusion to the short and
thorn-like spines with which the body is covered.

“ THE TENDRACS.

IlI—GENUS HEMICENTETES.

The TENDRAC, Hemicentetes speciosus, is smaller than the Tenrec,
attaining a length of little more than five or six inches. The color of this
animal is rather rich and varied, owing to the deep tinting of the quills
and the soft hues of the long and flexible hairs which stud the body
intermixed with the quills. The hair is of pale yellow, and the quills are
of a deep red or mahogany tint toward their points, and white toward
their bases. The long coarse hairs which cover the abdomen and the
legs are annulated. This animal is generally found in the neighborhood
of water, whether fresh or salt, and makes deep burrows near the bank.
The natives esteem it highly as an article of food.

The genera III. Ertcaus, IV. Ecutnors, and V. ORYZORYCTES, are
based on very slight distinctions, and call for no remarks.

VI—GENUS SOLENODON.

This genus is found only in the Antilles, one species occurring in
Cuba, the other in Hayti. We have thus in this genus as compared
with the preceding genera, a most remarkable case of discontinuous
distribution, two portions of the same family being separated from cach
other by an extensive continent as well as by a deep ocean.

THE AGOUTA.

The Acouta, Solenodon cubanus, is one of the few indigenous mam-
mals of the West Indian Islands. Its length of body is about twelve
inches, of tail about eight inches. The head, neck, and stomach are of
a dirty yellow-ochre color, the tail blue-black, the rest of the coat, black.

This animal is nocturnal and sleeps during the day. Peters accuses
it of being guilty of the piece of folly which is usually attributed to the
ostrich. When pursued it hides its head, and then stays so quietly that
the hunter can seize it by the tail. In captivity it does not refuse food,
but requires its meat cut up fine; perfect cleanliness is indispensable
for its existence; it seems to take pleasure in plunging into water. Its
voice is a grunt, or a scream. When angry its hair stands up. It

162 INSECTIVORA.

catches little animals that come within its reach, and tears them to
pieces with its powerful claws just as a hawk tears his victim with his
talons.

THE ALMIQUI.

The ALMIQUI, Solenodon paradoxus, is peculiar to Hayti. The fur of
the Almiqui is long, harsh, and coarse, and its color is an undecided red,
tinged with yellow. The nose is elongated, and strengthened at its base
by a slender bone, so that it appears to be intended for digging in the
earth. The nostrils are placed at the extremity, and divided by a
furrow. The cheeks and lips have hairs of very great length; the eyes
are small; the ears are moderate, rounded, and almost devoid of hair.
The feet are terminated with five toes, and the long claws are curved,
and evidently fitted for scraping at the soil.

The tail is moderately long, measuring about nine inches in length,
and is rounded throughout, the head and body being rather more than
a foot long. The tail is not covered with hair, but is rather naked, and
for the greater part of its length is scaly. The lower jaw is somewhat
shorter than the upper. The teeth are very peculiar, The two middle
incisors of the lower jaw are small and narrow, placed between two long
conical ones, which are hollowed on the inside by a deep groove; there
are no true canines.

THE OTTER SHREW.

The family POTAMOGALID& consists of exe genus and one species, and
is founded on a curious otterlike animal from West Africa, discovered by
Du Chaillu at the Gaboon; it has affinities with several groups of Insec-
tivora, but is sufficiently peculiar to require a distinct family for its
reception.

The OTTER SHREW, Potamogale velox, 1s thus described: “The head
is long and very flat, the nose sharp, eyes very small, ears small and
sparingly covered with hair; whiskers stiff, and white-colored, neck
thick, body stout, extremities small, feet five-toed, plantigrade behind,
tail stout, compressed laterally. Fur short, dense and soft, with coarser
hair mixed with the fine fur on the upper part of the body; three-
fourths of the tail is covered with very short, bristly and closely applied
hairs forming a crest along the upper edge. Color dark-brown on back,

THE GOLDEN MOLES, 163

pale-yellow below, almost white on the throat. Length of body fifteen
inches; of tail, nine inches.

It is found along the water-courses of clear streams, and hides under
rocks waiting for fish. It swims very fast. The great motive-power
of the animal seems to be in its tail.”

THE GOLDEN MOLES.

The family CHRYSOCHLORID is divided into ¢wo genera of very
remarkable mole-like animals with a beautiful silky fur o!f a metallic
lustre and changeable golden tints. Their dentition ciearly distinguishes
them from the true moles. The teeth are separated from each other by
an interval equal to their thickness, so that when the jaws are shut, the
teeth of one jaw fall into the interstices between the teeth in the other.
This is the only known example of such an arrangement. The skele-
ton, too, has nineteen pairs of ribs. The fore-feet have four toes; the
fourth is small, the other three have powerful claws fitted for digging,
while the claw of the middle toe is of formidable dimensions. The
hind feet are small and five-toed. The eye is invisible, being covered
with skin. The limbs are very short, the tail rudimentary, and the snout
abruptly truncated. These moles are found in South Africa. The two
genera differ chiefly in the lustre of their fur. The first, Chrysochlorts,
has a golden reflection; the second, Calchoch/loris, has a more coppery
tinge. The ¢Aree species come from the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, and
Mozambique.

The CHANGEABLE MOLE, Chrysochloris holosericea, is the most common
species, and is distinguished by the long silky texture of its fur.

THE TALPIDA OR MOLES.

We now come to a family which comprises many extraordinary forms
of small mammalia, especially characteristic of the temperate regions of
the Eastern Hemisphere. It is divided into eight genera.

I1—GENUS TALPA.

This genus is quite unknown in America, but is exceedingly common
in Europe. It forms seven species.

164 INSECTIVORA.

The Mole is a burrowing animal, and passes its life underground.
Digging with head and paws, it makes a system of communicating pas-
sages, which can be traced on the surface of the ground by a slight
elevation of soil. These passages radiate from a central dome, which is
marked by the mole-hill; to reach it, the animal enters a circular gallery
on the same level as the numerous radiating passages; then it passes into
one of five conduits, which ascend obliquely toward another circular gal-
lery of a smaller circumference than the first, and placed a little higher ;
lastly, it enters its dwelling by a passage which opens into the latter
gallery. From the floor of this chamber a tunnel runs and connects
with some of the radiating galleries.

The body of the Mole is a cylinder terminating in a cone; there is no
neck, and the nose is a boring instrument. The eyes are nearly imper-
ceptible. The sense of hearing is very acute; there is no external ear,
but the internal ear is highly developed. Its powers of smell, too,
are excellent. The tail is very short, the coat black, thick, and silky.
Their food is chiefly insects and earth-worms, and the dead bodies of
small mammals or birds. The Mole is essentially carnivorous; it does
not experience a mere sense of hunger like other animals, but a craving
of the most powerful description—a kind of frenzy.

The ComMMoN MOLE of Europe, 7adpa Europea, is, as its name implies,
found everywhere in that continent, and is the type of the genus. A
species called the BLIND MOLE, 7a/pa ceca, occurs in Italy, and in it
the eye is quite invisible, and the snout is somewhat longer than in the
common species.

IIl.—GENUS SCAPTOCHEIRUS.

This genus is represented by oe species, a recent discovery in North-
ern China, and calls for no remark.

III—GENUS CONDYLURA.

This genus consists of only oz? species, which inhabits the Eastern
States from Nova Scotia to Pennsylvania. Its most striking character-
istic is a peculiar membranous appendage to the snout, which has a star-
shaped termination.

wy,

THE STAR-NOSED MOLES. 165

The STAR-NOSED MOLE, Condylura cristata, (Plate V) is of a dark-
brown or blackish color; the tail is long and hairless, and nearly as
long as the body without the head.

The most remarkable point in this animal is the muzzle, which is pro-
duced into a long, slender proboscis, round the extremity of which are
arranged a number of soft, fleshy rays, of a bright rose-color, radiating
like the petals of a daisy or the tentacles of a sea-anemone. These
curious rays, or “ caruncles,”’ as they are more scientifically termed, can
be spread or closed at pleasure, and present a strange spectacle when in
movement. Their probable object is that they may serve as a delicate
organ of touch, to aid the animal in its search for food. The number of
these caruncles is about twenty, and the openings of the nostrils are
placed in the centre of the star.

IV.—GENUS SCAPANUS.

The zo species of this genus extend from New York to San Fran-
cisco, and are mere varieties of the Scalops.

V.—GENUS SCALOPS.

This genus, which seems to form a link between the MOLEs and the
SHREWS, is peculiar to North America. East of the Rocky Mountains,
it ranges from the Great Lakes to Mexico; but on the Pacific slope it is
found only to the north of Oregon.

Its characteristics are an elongated nose, invisible eyes, five toes,
armed with large claws and somewhat webbed, and a naked tail. The
number of species well defined is ¢Arec, but varieties are numerous.

The CoMMON MOLE, Scalops aquaticus, (Plate V) has thirty-six teeth,
approaching in some points to those of the Rodentia. The eyes are very
small, but not covered with skin. The naked tail and webbed feet are
white. The body is shapeless; the claws immensely large and strong.
The hinder feet and legs are much smaller than the fore ones. The Mole
passes the greater portion of its existence below the surface of the
ground, and finds a subsistence among the worms and other creatures
which it captures during its subterraneous meanderings. The muzzle

166 INSECTIVORA,

of the American is even more remarkable than that of the European
Mole, being much longer in proportion to the size of the animal, and is
cartilaginous at its extremity. The length of the animal is about seven
inches. They come to the surface daily at the hour of noon, and can
then be caught by thrusting a spade underneath them. Mr. Peale had
a tame one which followed his hand by the scent, and fed freely on fresh
meat. It would burrow for amusement tu loose earth, and after mak-
ing a small circle, return to its keeper.

The PRAIRIE MOLE, Scalops argentatus, is very similar to the Com-
mon Mole, but it is rather larger, and its fur is lead-colored.

The Hatry-TAILED MOLE, Scalops Brewerit, differs by possessing a
tail densely covered with hair, a membranous covering over the eye, and
large ear openings. In color it resembles the Prairie Mole. Other
varieties are the OREGON MOLE, Scalops Townsend, and the BROAD-
HANDED MOLE, Scalops latimanus.

VI.—GENUS MYOGALE.

The ¢zwo species of this genus are widely separated, one being found
in the Pyrenees, the other in Southeast Russia. The animals compre-
hended in them are specially organized for an aquatic existence. The
hind-paws are palmated, and their tail is flattened at a certain portion of
its length, in such a manner as to play the part of an oar. Their eyes
are very small, and their ears scarcely visible. The body is elongated
and covered with silky hair of an iridescent hue, At the base of the tail
are numerous glands, which exhale an excessively penetrating odor. The
nose is terminated by a small, compressed trunk; the paws are formed of
five toes, and are furnished with strong claws.

The PYRENEAN DesMAN, JZyogale pyrenea, which the Spaniards call
Almizilero, or the “ Musky Rat,” attains a length of ten inches, of which
one-half belongs to the tail. It is chestnut-brown above, brownish-gray
on the sides, silver-gray on the belly, white on the snout, the tail dark-
brown, with some white hairs. This creature has been found not only
in the Pyrenees, but in the Sierra de Gredos, and is probably common
to all North Spain.

The Russian DESMAN, JZyogale .moschata, (Plate V) is nearly twice
as long as its Spanish congener. The eyes are small, the auditory

= Pe

THE DESMANS. 167

passages thickly covered with hair, the nose is elongated into a pro-
boscis and the nasal aperture can be closed with a small flap.

On account of its aquatic propensities, and the peculiar aspect of its
incisor teeth, the Desman was formerly thought to be a rodent animal,
and allied to the beavers, among which creatures it was classed under
the name of Castor moschatus, or Musky Beaver. Its fur is much esteemed
on account of its ricr color, long silky texture, and warm character. The
color of the Russian Desman is brown on the upper portions of the body,
becoming darker on the flanks, and fading suddenly into silvery-white on
the abdomen. The peculiar warmth of the fur is owing to a thick, inner
coating of fine hair beneath the long, silken hairs of the exterior.

The tail of this animal is shorter than the body, and very remarkable
in its shape, for at its base it is compressed, but rapidly becomes rounded
and swells with such abruptness that it may almost deserve the term of
bulbous. It then decreases in size as rapidly as it had increased, and, in
proportion as it becomes smaller, it becomes vertically compressed. The
entire member is, like that of the beaver, thickly set with scales, through
the intervals of which protrude a number of short and bristly isolated
hairs.

VIIL—GENUS NECTOGALE.

Some specimens of Desman-like animals found in Thibet, have been
described by the eminent French naturalist Milne-Edwards, and raised
to the dignity of a separate genus, to which he has given the name of
Nectogale. They are closely allied to the members of the genus Myo-
gale. The remoteness of the locality in which they were discovered
seems to have had some influence in suggesting the creation of a new
genus, just as the wide separation of the two Desmans has led to the
division into two species.

VUI—GENUS UROTRICHUS.

This genus is represented by a shrew-like mole, which was discovered
about twenty years ago in Japan, and a species more recently found in
Washington Territory. It seems to form a link, through the Condylura,
between the Shrews and the Moles.

The JAPANESE MOLE, Urotrichus talpoides, has a muzzle prolonged

168 INSECTIVORA.

into a tube which terminates in a naked bulb. The eyes and ears are
concealed. The tail is long and hairy; all the feet covered with small
plates; the fur is brown.

Gress’ MOLE, Urotrichus Gibébsit, is the name given to the species found
near the White River, Cascade Mountains. It is of a sooty color, and
smaller than the Japanese variety. The skull is broader, and narrows
anteriorly more abruptly than in Scalops; but the specimen examined by
Professor Baird was injured and not quite mature, so that he could not
make out many of its characteristics.

THE SORICID4 OR SHREWS.

This family contains ove genus, and sixty-five species. We content
ourselves with a description of the more important species, especially
those belonging to our own country.

GENUS SOREX.

The SHREWS offer examples of the smallest animals in the class Mam-
malia, some species being much smaller than the mouse. Like Moles, they
have defective vision; the hair is silky, thick, and varying in color be-
tween a gray and a brown; they feed on worms and insects, leading a
solitary life in holes, which they seldom leave during the day. They are
furnished with glands in the flank which secrete a musky odor. Their
bite was for a long time considered poisonous ; and our ancestors gave
the name to a scolding woman, whom, on account of the venom of her
tongue, they called a shrew.

The SHREW MOUSE, Sorex vudgarts, has a long head and a long and
flexible snout; the incisors are extremely long, the lower ones projecting
almost horizontally. It is common in all parts of England. A Natural
History published in 1658 gives the following quaint account of it:

“It is a ravening beast, feigning itself gentle and tame, but, being
touched, it biteth deep, and poysoneth deadly. It beareth a cruel minde,
desiring to hurt anything, neither is there any creature that it loveth, or
that loveth him, because it is feared of all. The cats, as we have said, do
hunt it, and kill it, but they eat not them, for if they do, they consume
away and die. They annoy vines, and are seldom taken, except in cold;

THE SHREW MOUSE. 169

they frequent ox-dung, and in the winter time repair to houses, gardens,
and stables, where they are taken and killed.

“Tf they fall into a cart-road, they die, and cannot get forth again, as
Marcellus, Nicander, and Pliny athrm. And the reason is given by Philes,
for being in the same, it is so amazed, and trembleth, as if it were in bands.
And for this cause some of the ancients have prescribed the earth of a
cart-road to be laid to the biting of this mouse as a remedy thereof.
They go very slowly; they are fraudulent, and take their prey by deceit
Many times they gnaw the oxes hoofs in the stable.

“They love the rotten flesh of ravens; and therefore in France, when
they have killed a raven, they keep it till it stinketh, and then cast it in
the places where the Shrew-mice haunt, whereunto they gather in so
great a number, that you may kill them with shovels. The Lgyftzans,
upon the former opinion of holiness, do bury them when they die. And
thus mucn for the description of this beast.”

The WATER SHREW, Sorex fodiens (or Amphisorex Linneanus), is, as
its name implies, found near the banks of streams. It is a good diver,
and its ears are admirably adapted to protect it under water, as they
are so constructed that the pressure of the water completely closes
them.

The ETRUSCAN SHREW, Sorex Etruscus, is the smallest of all known
mammals. It measures only an inch and a half in length. Its habitat is
Italy, but it is said to have been found in Algeria.

The HOUSE SHREW, Sorex araneus, is common in Central Europe, but
is not found in England. It frequents barns and often enters houses.

THE AMERICAN SHREWS.

FORSTER’S SHREW, Sorex Forsteri, is a very well-known species, found
in all the Eastern States and quite common in New York. De Kay
describes it in the following terms: “ Body slender, more elongated and
divided at the tip, whiskers long, fur short but fine, feet slender, with five
toes; tail four-sided, with a small pencil of hair at the tip, and nearly as
long as the body. The color is dark-gray tipped with brown. Length
four inches.”

The THICK-TAILED SHREW, Sorex pachyurus, is found in the North-
western States. Its fur is longer than that of most Shrews, and gives
the creature a stout appearance. The feet and claws are iarge, the tail

170 INSECTIVORA.

very thick, and all the teeth are chestnut-colored at the tips, like those
of a confirmed tobacco-chewer.

The BROAD-NOSED SHREW, Sorex platyrrhinus, is one of the smallest
quadrupeds on this continent. It is found in the Northeastern States,
and a specimen has been captured in Rockland County, N.Y. The
ears are large, the tail is almost bare, the color is dark-brown on the
back and gray below. Length two inches.

The MASKED SHREW, Sorex personatus, allied to the preceding species,
is the one called by Audubon Sorex longirostris. It is smaller even than
the Broad-nosed species.

THOMPSON'S SHREW, Sorex Thompsont, is, however, the smallest
Shrew yet described. Professor Baird has seen a specimen weighing
less than twenty-two grains. Its color is a dark olive-brown, the ears
are large, the incisors fewer than usual.

The NAVIGATOR SHREW, Sorex navigator, is characterized by the
length of the tail, which is one haif longer than the body. The fur, too,
is long and very soft and thick; the color is a grayish-brown.

The CAROLINA SHREW, Sorex talpoides, is a large species, measuring
nearly four inches, with a tail not half an inch in length. The nose and
feet are flesh-colored ; the rest of the body covered with bright gray fur.
It is found in all the Northern States, and as far south as Georgia, being
the commonest of all the North American Shrews.

The SHORT-TAILED SHREW, Sorex brevicaudus, is the largest of all
our Shrews; its fur is leaden in hue, with a slight shade or gloss of pur-
ple. The head is broad and obtuse. The tail is about half an inch in
length.

CAROLINA SHREW, Sorex Carolinensis. This species, though usually
known by the same name, is smaller than the species just described as
Sorex talpoides, and its color is darker; the fore-feet are broader than
the hind-feet, and have much longer claws. It is common in the South.

BERLANDIER’S SHREW, Sorex Berlandier?, is the most southern spe-
cies, not passing the Rio Grande. It is small, with a stout body and
small ears. Its fur is soft and thick, resembling long-piled velvet.

ASS SHEQNOS

ORDER, ©1V:

Cee Rene VO R A.

FA Masse

. FELIDZ - - -

. MUSTELIDZ -
. PROCYONID

. ZLURIDA - -
. URSIDZ - =| -
. OTARIID - -
. TRICHECID -
- PHOCIDA, - =

. CRYPTOPROCTIDA
. VIVERRIDZ -
. PROTELIDA -
. HYANIDA - -
. CANIDZ - - -

Cats, LIONS, ETC.
CRYPTOPROCTA.
CIVETs.
AARDWOLF.
HyYANAS.

Docs, FOXES, ETC.
WEASELS.
RACCOONS.
PANDAS.

BEARS.

EARED SEALS,
WALRUS.

SEALS.

GE AE LER ik.

THE CARNIVORA OR FLESH-EATERS—GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORDER—ITS FUNCTION
IN THE ECONOMY OF NATURE—ITS GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION—ITS DIVISION INTO
FAMILIES.

O division of the Animal Kingdom presents such a variety of
forms as the order at which we have now arrived; it embraces
the lordly lon and the stealthy weasel, the domestic cat and

the faithful dog, the ponderous bear and the unwieldly walrus. Yet
these creatures that seem to differ so widely, some of which are fitted to
live on the ground, some on trees, some in the waters, are most closely
akin.

The title CARNIVORA is derived from two Latin words, caro, carnis,
“flesh,” and voro, “to devour,’ and indicates the most striking char-
acteristic of the order. Strictly speaking, no doubt the epithet is appli-
cable to many of the animals which we have described in preceding
chapters: but the diet of the bats and shrews is confined to small ani-
mals, such as worms and insects, while the CARNIVORA not only possess
the appetite for blood, but the strength to gratify it in larger victims.
The Carnivorous Quadrupeds are distinguished by the possession of four
large and long canine teeth, which can seize and hold fast their struggling
prey, and the cheek teeth are either entirely constructed for tearing and
cutting or have their crowns more or less blunted; behind the false
molars is a large tooth denominated the “lacerator,” and it may be
remarked that those genera which have the fewest false molars have the
shortest, and consequently the most vise-like iaw.

With the exception of the human race and a few of our domestic
pets, no animal in a state of nature arrives at old age; that is, at such
age as permits decline and feebleness to take the place of strength and
vigor. Throughout the whole creation violent death awaits alike all

174 CARNIVORA.

living things. Do the feebler animals betray a lack of cunning or a
want of speed? The destroyer is at hand; the executioner stands ready.
Does the tyrant fail in strength or courage to pursue its prey? The foe
awaits it and its doom is fixed. No maudlin pity interferes with this
dread duty; no decay, no disease, decline or decrepitude are allowed to
sully Nature’s works. The agents appointed in the general struggle for
existence to destroy and live upon the flesh of their fellow-creatures are
the most highly gifted and intelligent of the brute creation, the CAR-
NIVORA; their special function seems to be that of limiting the multipli-
cation of the herbivorous species, and their disappearance from the earth
might lead to serious inconvenience.

The Carnivora combine in a very high degree strength and agility ;
and their appearance, while it may strike terror, does not awaken
those feelings of repugnance which many other animals excite. They
are usually handsome and graceful, and we find in the order very
few of those strange forms which meet us, for example, in the Chei-
roptera. They live in all parts of the glcbe, in mountain and plain,
in field and forest, in the North as well as the South, and many of
them are nocturnal animals, seeking their prey by night as well as by
day. Hence, even if we exclude from our present consideration the
marine families of the order, it is difficult to give anything but a very
general sketch of their structure.

Their limbs are well-proportioned, and their toes, which are entirely
separated from each other, are terminated by stout and strong claws,
more or less sharp according to their habits of life; these, with the
teeth, constitute their means of attack and defence. In all the members
of the cat tribe the claws are retractile, that is, they may be withdrawn
into the interior of the paw at the will of the animal. This faculty is
owing to the peculiar arrangement of the claws, and the action of a
special muscle.

The Carnivora vary very much in their mode of placing their feet on
the ground. Some, such as bears and badgers, tread upon the whole
surface of the foot, and are remarkable for their thick-set forms,—these
are called Plantigrades; others, as cats and dogs, only touch the
ground with their toes, and have a more slender body and a more agile
gait,—these are called Digitigrades. Between these well-marked typet
are ranked various species, which more or less partake of both char
acteristics.

THE CATS. 175

The intelligence of the Carnivora does not contradict their bodily
structure; it is the intelligence of beasts of prey, in which cunning and
perseverance are combined. The feeling of their strength gives them
courage and confidence such as no other creatures possess, but these quali-
ties are accompanied by bad ones ; the Carnivora too often display cruelty
as well as courage, and some seem to be possessed by a thirst, for blood

One of the most marked features presented by the group of the
terrestrial Carnivora is its comparative scarcity in South America, only
four families being represented there, not counting the Andean species
of the Ursidee, and both genera and species are few in number. We may
therefore, from these considerations alone, conclude that the Carnivora
are a development of the Northern Hemisphere. North America is
distinguished from Northern Europe and Asia by its possession of at least
six species of skunks and the racoons. Another marked feature is the
total absence of bears in Southern Africa. The great mass of the generic
forms of the Carnivora are found in Asia and Africa.

The marine Carnivora form three families; the terrestrial, ten—the
most important of the latter being the Felidz or cats, the Canidz or
dogs, and the Ursidz or bears. Between the two former is placed the
family of the Viverridz or civets, connected with the cats by the single
genus of the Cryptoproctidz, and with the dogs by the single genus of
the Hyznidz. Next to the dogs are the Mustelidz or weasels, which
are linked to the Ursida by the Procyonide or racoons and the
fEluride. The Ursidz are followed by the sea-bears or Otariidz, and
then we pass through the walruses or Trichecide, to the seals or Pho-
cide. The modification of form is not very great, and the occurrence
of several families, consisting of but one species, is an indication of a
great amount of recent extinction.

THE CATS.

We commence our description of the Carnivora with the family of
Cats or FELIDA. They are not only the most perfect beasts of prey,
but perhaps, with the exception of man, the most perfect of all animais.
The common cat may be taken as a type of the family, for in no other
family is the fundamental form preserved so closely by all its members;
the Lion with his mane, and the Lynx with his tufted ears, are as cat-
hke as the Leopard; the Cheetah, or Hunting Leopard, alone presents

176 CARNIVORA.

any important variation, and seems to form a link between the Felidz
and Canide. The Cats present a wonderful combinatioa of suppleness,
agility, and strength; the head is round, the neck and jaws powerful,
and the limbs muscular. The canine and lacerator teeth are large
and strong; compared with them the incisors are insignificant, and
even the molar teeth, which have ceased to be grinders, appear weak
and inconsiderable. The tongue is thick and fleshy, and armed with
spines that curve backward. But the teeth are not the only weapons
of attack possessed by the cats; they possess in their claws a terrible
weapon wherewith to seize their prey or hold the struggling victim
while the pointed teeth are doing their work. The foot appears short,
because the last joint is curved upwards so that it does not touch the
ground, an arrangement whick ensures perfect safety to the curved and
pointed claws. These claws have an additional safeguard in being
retractile, or capable of being withdrawn into a sheath. A little obser-
vation of the foot-prints of a cat in comparison with that of a dog will
show how complete a protection Nature affords to these powerful and
delicate instruments. The cats walk well, but slowly, cautiously, and
silently, they can run rapidly, and make springs ten or fifteen times the
length of their body. The larger species are too heavy to be good
climbers, but the majority are expert in the art. Although they have
a repugnance to water, they can swim well, and are exceedingly difficult
to drown. The tenacity of life in all species is proverbial.

Their senses of hearing and sight are highly developed; it is the
former which guides them on their hunting expeditions. They hear at
great distances the lightest footfall, or the gentlest rustle. Their sight,
though less developed, is excellent ; they probably cannot see far, but see
well all that is in their range. In the smaller species the eyeball is con-
tractile; in the bright light of day the aperture of the iris contracts into
a mere slit, at night it dilates to a full circle. The whiskers which pro-
ject on each side of the face seem to be instruments of touch. The cats
all seem remarkably sensitive to all external influences, and are very
careful to keep their fur clean. Their senses of taste and smell do not
seem highly developed; the latter, indeed, is quite subordinate, if we
may judge from the delight they exhibit in strong smelling plants, such
as Valerian.

The Felidz are found in all parts of the Old and New Worlds, with
the exception of Australia and Madagascar. They live in the most

DIVISION OF THE CAT FAMILY. 177

varied localities. Some are found at great heights in mountain regions,
others roam over plains or deserts, some haunt the reedy banks of rivers;
the most, however, are denizens of the forest, in which the trees afford
them a shelter and a vantage ground. They usually avoid the dwellings
of man, unless hunger compels them. Then they commence at nightfall
to prowl about, or lie in wait near frequented paths for animals or for
men. By day they seldom attack. Their food is not confined to any
one species of animal; some of them prefer birds, a few eat reptiles,
others even catch fish. Asa rule they do not disturb the Invertebrata,
and prefer prey that they have killed themselves.

Ali the species of Felidae attack in the same manner. With silent,
cautious tread they creep along, listening and looking in every direc-
tion; a rustle attracts their attention, they crouch low and advance up
the wind, till they are near enough for a spring. One or two bounds
carry them to their victim, a blow on the neck from their frightful paw
hurls it to the ground, and the sharp teeth are buried in its throat.
Most of the Felidae have the habit of tormenting their victims, letting
them go, then catching them again, and repeating this cruel proceeding
till they die from their wounds. It is probable that by a marvellous
provision of Nature the sense of pain is driven out of the victim as soon
as it is seized or struck by its destroyer. Dr. Livingstone had personal
experience of this fact. He writes: “The lion caught my shoulder as
he sprang; growling horribly he shook me as a dog shakes a rat. The
shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a
mouse after the first shake by a cat. It causes a sort of dreaminess in
which there was no sense of pain or terror, though I was quite conscious
of all that was happening. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no
sense of horror in looking round at the beast.”

The family has been made by some naturalists identical with the
genus Felis, others again divide it into seventeen generic groups. The
most convenient arrangement is to regard it as embracing ¢iree genera,
the Cats, the LynxeEs, and the HUNTING LEOPARDS

eo o RE

CHAPTER II,

THE LION.

THE AFRICAN LION—THE CAPE LION—THE GAMBIA LION—THE LION OF NORTH AFRICA—THE
ASIATIC LION—THE MANBLESS LION—THEIR SIZE AND STRENGTH—THEIR ROAR—THEIR
HABITS—DIFFERENT OPINIONS OF THEIR CHARACTER—MODES OF DESTROYING—TAME LIONS
—DANGEROUS PETS.

E may premise with regard to the three genera into which
the FELID& are divided that the third is distinguished from
the first two by having non-retractile claws, and the second

from the first by the shortness of its tail, and the possession of pencils of
hairs which tuft its ears.

I—GENUS FELIS.

The true cats are the most beautiful and terrible of animals, and at
their head stands that magnificent creature which has been styled from
time immemorial the “ King of Beasts.”

THE LION.

The Lron fully justifies by his appearance the royal title which he
has received. He carries his head high and walks with an air of
stately gravity, his visage is calm and dignified, and bespeaks a con-
fidence in his strength. But his most striking feature is the bushy mane
which, in most varieties, overshadows his head and neck, and gives to
his remarkable appearance an air of grandeur which commands awe.
From the mane alone the home of the lion can be discovered; in the
Persian lion it is long and consists of brown and black hair mixed, in
the lion of Guzerat it is thin and short; it is most developed in the
proudest and most royal variety, the African lion. With the excep-

> 2

r) rapes
at.

fe a FRE LION, 179
tion of the mane and a tuft at the end of the tail, the coat of the
lion is entirely smooth, and in adult life of a uniform tawny color,
while in the cubs it is faintly marked like a tiger or our domestic cat.
Owing to this uniform tawny color, the lion is hardly distinguishable
from surrounding objects even by daylight, and at night he walks
secure. Even skilled hunters, who have heard him lapping water at
twenty yards distance, have been unable to make out his form. The
female never acquires a mane, and the male does not possess it in its
full glory till he is three years old. Some naturalists regard the Cape
lion and the Gambia lion as different species, but they do not rise
higher than the dignity of varieties. It is amusing to see how national
pride influences even the philosophic minds of natural historians. The
English regard the specimen of the lion which comes from the British
possessions as the type of the heraldic supporter which holds the shield
of England, and is famous in our nurseries as having fought with the
unicorn. The French writers, on the other hand, sing the praises of the
“ Monarch of Mount Atlas,” and accept with exemplary faith the stories
of Jules Gerard. Perhaps no African lion can justly claim to be the
old original lion of fable, for there is no doubt that the species was once

4
7
«
4
x

Le ATi ee ee

eS much more widely distributed than at present, and was not unfrequent
in the Southeast of Europe. But as man advanced the lion has receded;
* when pastoral life succeeded nomad life, flocks and herds were no longer

left unguarded to become the prey of any nocturnal prowler, and the
lion was driven to seek his sustenance elsewhere or lose his life in the
attempt. At present even in Africa the lion is not commonly seen, and
in a few generations, as civilization extends over the now unknown ;
interior of that vast continent, it is probable that the lion will be as 5
extinct as the Dodo or the Mammoth, and known only by description. :
Herodotus tells us that lions attacked the baggage-train of Xerxes in
Macedonia, and Aristotle distinctly says that lions are not found in
Europe beyond the Achelous, the present Aspropotamo. The Bible

3 mentions the lion as ravaging the herds of Palestine, and it was once
as common in Egypt as it is now in Algiers or Morocco.

Some lions have attained the length of ten feet from the muzzle to the
root of the tail, and measure four feet in height from the ground to the
shoulder. Their strength is prodigious, and witha single blow of the
paw they will break the back of a horse; they can leap a space of thirty
feet, and can carry off a bullock in their jaws. Nothing can be more

as i)

180 CARNIVORA.

dreadful than the lion preparing for combat; he lashes himself with his
tail, his mane becomes erect, and envelops the whole head, his enormous
eyebrows half conceal his flashing eyes, while he protrudes claws as long
asaman’s finger. It has often been doubted whether the end of the lion’s
tail was armed with a claw as Aristotle described it; but the existence
of a strange appendage is demonstrated by Mr. Bennett, who exhibited a
claw-like formation taken from the tail of a specimen living in the Lon-
don Zoological Gardens: it was about a third of an inch in length, solid
for the most part, sharp at the apex, and hollowed out at the base.

The roar of the lion has passed into a proverb; when heard within
a distance of a mile or two during the silence of the night, it awes all
living creatures. Not knowing whence the sound proceeds, they leave
their lairs, and in the confusion one or two will probably pass within
reach of his spring. Livingstone, however, affirms that the roar of the
lion may be mistaken for the cry of the ostrich, and that the voice of the
ystrich has never frightened anything. Both Europeans and natives
told him that the sounds were indistinguishable, and that the only differ-
ence is that one is heard by day, the other by night. Figuier suggests
that the lion of the British possessions may roar “like a sucking-dove,”
but that the lion of the French colony has a much more powerful voice.

The lioness produces from two to five cubs at a birth, and is a devoted
mother, defending them from all aggressors, among whom their majestic
father is numbered, for the “ King of Beasts,” like the Tom cat of our
homes, devours his helpless offspring as soon as they come into the
world. :

As a rule the necessity of procuring food prevents lions from assem-
bling in large numbers, but Livingstone asserts that troops of six or eight
have been seen. These were probably two lionesses with their cubs.
Delegorgue relates that in winter twenty to thirty lions have been seen
to assemble and drive their prey into narrow passes. Five have been
seen in the chase of one giraffe, two pulling the victim down, the others
waiting close by. These also were probably two females with their
families.

Generally the lion does not hunt during the day; not that his eyes
are unfitted for diurnal vision, but indolence and prudence keep him at
home till evening. When the first shadows of twilight appear, he enters
upon his campaign. If there is a pool in the vicinity of his haunt, he
places himself in ambush on the edge of it, with the hope of securing a

CHARACTER OF THE LION, I8I

victim among the antelopes, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, etc.,
which are led thither to slake their thirst. These animals, well aware
of this habit of their enemy, will not approach a pond without extreme
caution. If one, however, places itself within reach of their terrible foe,
its fate is generally sealed. One enormous bound enables the lion to
spring on its back, and one blow with his paw breaks its spine. If the
lion misses his aim, he does not endeavor to continue a useless pursuit,
well knowing that he cannot compete in speed with the children of the
plains. He therefore skulks back into his hiding-place, to lie in ambush
until some more fortunate chance presents itself, or complete nightfall
shuts out all hope of success.

The audacity of the lion increases in proportion to his requirements.
When he has exhausted all means of procuring subsistence, and when he
can no longer put off the cravings of hunger, he sets no limit to his
aggressions, and will brave every danger rather than perish by famine.
In open day he will then proceed to where herds of oxen and sheep
pasture, entirely disregarding shepherds and dogs. At such times he
has been known to carry his rashness so far as to attack a drove of
buffaloes, but the latter can repel him; the bulls forming a ring around
the cows and calves, and keeping him off with their horns. Unlike most
felines the lion will eat carrion, contrary to the usual opinion that “ ’tis the
royal disposition of the beast, to prey on nothing that doth seem as dead.”

The “ King of Beasts” seems, like other kings, to have fallen on evil
times; not only is he sedulously shot down, but even his character is
taken from him. Buffon ascribed to him courage, magnanimity, gene-
rosity, nobility, gratitude, and sensibility, and adds that he is so gallant
as never to eat till the lioness has satisfied her hunger. More recent
observers, however, seem to have arrived at the conclusion that “the
lion is a very fox for his valor, and a goose for his discretion.” He is
not an open foe, he creeps stealthily on his victim, and never attacks °
large animals. He is accused of indolence, and to this indolence these
learned men attribute a bad habit he sometimes acquires of becoming a
man-eater. Unarmed, they say, man is weaker of limb, slower of foot,
and less vigilant of sense than any wild animal, and is therefore an easy
victim. From the moment the lion becomes a man-eater, he is a scourge
to the neighborhood, paying, night after night, visits to the village,
instead of as usual flying from the presence of man. The lion is exceed-
ingly distrustful; they have been known to surround an escaped horse,

182 CARNIVORA.

and to prowl round it for two entire days, not daring to attack so appar-
ently defenceless a prey, simply because its bridle was dangling from
its neck, and made the creatures suspicious, even though the rein had
accidentally been hitched over a stump. On another occasion a lion
crept close to a haltered ox, saw the halter, and did not like it, crept
away again until he reached a little hillock about three hundred yards
away, and there stood and roared all night.

The hunters take advantage of this extreme caution to preserve the
game which they have killed. A simple white streamer tied to a stick,
is amply sufficient to prevent the lion from approaching. Sometimes,
when no streamer can be manufactured, a kind of clapper is substituted,
which shakes in the wind, and by the unaccustomed sound, very much
alarms the brute. It does truly seem absurd, that so terrible a beast as
the lion should be frightened by the fluttering of a white handkerchief,
or the clattering of two sticks—devices which would be laughed to scorn
by a tomtit of ordinary capacity.

Various means are adopted to destroy lions. The negroes dig a pit,
which they roof over with branches that give way at the slightest
pressure, on which they place a lamb as a bait. When he has fallen into
the pit, his enemies destroy him at leisure. The Arabs adopt a similar
device, but sometimes prefer an opposite method; three or four men
hide themselves in a hole about three feet deep on the margin of a path
frequented by their prey. ‘he roof is covered with heavy stones and
earth; narrow openings are made in the sides, in order to see what may
be passing without, and on which to rest their fire-arms; lastly, a lure is
placed in front of this sanctuary to induce the lion to stop, and when he
does a volley of bullets is his welcome. It is rare that he falls dead im-
mediately, he springs towards the ambush, hoping to find the foe; but
the construction is too strong to permit him to enter, and he staggers
. off, probably to die in his den.

At other times, the hunters conceal themselves in a tree, to which
they even add more branches in order to make a safe hiding-place.
From this post they operate in precisely the same manner as in the sub-
terranean plan.

In South Africa the lion is hunted by dogs, and shot down when he
is driven from his hiding-places into the plain. There is another method
recommended by Jules Gérard. You must study the lion’s habits and
movements, and discover his favorite haunts; then you go alone on some

AFRICAN LION ASIATICG LION

Beebe e vi, CARNIVORA,

HUNTING THE LION. 183

fine night, attack him and kill. This is very easy to say; but it seems
to be quite as easy to do, at least for French sportsmen; for M. Chassaing
by this method killed fourteen lions in ninety-six hours, four of them
falling in one night.

The AFrRIcaNn Lion, Felis leo, var. Barbarus (Plate V1), is a native of the
ranges of the Atlas. He is the type of the species, and the Carr Lion
and the GAMBIA LION are merely varieties ; the former being remarkable
for his size and dark mane. One or other of these varieties is found
from Algiers to the Cape of Good Hope, and from Senegal to Abyssinia.

As far as is known the Astatic Lion, Felis leo, var. Persicus (Plate
VI) is very similar in habits to that which inhabits Africa. One variety
only, the MANELEsS LION, or Felis leo, var. Goojratensis, deserves special
mention; it derives its English name from the scanty nature of its mane.

When first this animal was brought before the notice of naturalists,
it was supposed to be merely a young male, whose mane had not yet
reached its full development. It is now, however, allowed to be either
a distinct species, or a permanent variety. The mane is not altogether
absent, as the popular name might give cause to suppose, but is very
trifling in comparison with the luxuriant mass of hair which droops
over the shoulders of the African lion. The limbs do not appear to be
quite so long in proportion as those of the last-named animal, and the
tail is shorter, with a more conspicuous tuft. This tuft, by the way,
is the readiest point of distinction which separates the lion from the
other cats.

We have selected two accounts of a single combat with a lion; the
first is from the Cape of Good Hope, the actor a Dutch Boer.

“The Boer had penetrated scarcely fifty yards into the bush when he
had reason to suspect that he was close upon the lair of the lion. After
remaining silent for several minutes, he saw an indistinctly outlined
object moving behind some large, broad-leaved plants. This was the
lion, whose head only was clearly visible. The lion was evidently
aware that some person had approached, but, after a careful inspection,
appeared to be satisfied and laid down behind the shrubs. The Dutch-
man cocked his rifle, and turned the muzzle slowly round to cover the
lion. But even this slight movement was perceived by the lion, who
rose to his feet. The Boer fired at a spot between the eyes; the-bullet
st uck high, but the lion fell over on its back, rising again immediately,
a d uttering a fierce roar. As he regained his feet, the Boer sent a

184 CARNIVORA.

second bullet into its shoulder. The lion bounded off through the
bush, and the Dutchman went home and sent his servants and dogs to
look for the wounded animal, which he concluded would be found dead.
Before sunset the hide of the lion was pegged down outside the Boer’s
house.”

It is amusing to contrast this plain narrative, and the Dutchman s
prudence in retiring from the field when he knew his enemy was mortally
wounded, with the highly-spiced relation of Jules Gérard, who winds up
with a hand-to-hand combat.

“The wood, in the middle of which I found myself, was so dense that
it was impossible to see for more than eighteen or twenty feet around.
I had taken the precaution to assure myself, by the spoor, of the direction
the lion had taken when retiring, so as to face that point. Afterward I
relieved myself of my turban, the better to hear the slightest noise. At
sunset all the animal life in my vicinity was on the move, so that I was
often falsely alarmed—at one time by a lynx, at another by a jackal, and
sometimes by creatures of less importance. For each alarm I experi-
enced as many fancies; and I may truly say that, in the space of half an
hour, I felt as many as would satisfy the most fastidious adventure-
hunter. Toward eight o'clock in the evening, at the moment when the
new moon half lighted up the edges of the black scud overhead, I heard
a branch snap. This time there could be no mistake; only the weight
of a large animal could make such a noise. Shortly after, a hollow, sup-
pressed roar re-echoed through the forest. Then I could distinguish a
slow heavy tread. With my rifle to my shoulder, elbow on knee, and
finger on trigger, I waited the moment when his head would appear.
But I could not perceive the foe until he had reached the bull, on which
he began to ply his enormous tongue. J aimed at his forehead and fired.
The lion fell roaring, then sprang up on his hind-legs, as a horse when
rearing. I had also risen, and taking a step to the front fired a second
shot at close quarters. This brought him head over heels, as if struck
by a thunderbolt. I then withdrew in order to reload; which having
done, and seeing that the animal still moved, I advanced on him, dagger
in hand. Certain of the spot where his heart was situated, I raised my
hand and struck. But at the same moment the fore-arm of the tawny
savage made a backward movement, and the blade of my dagger broke
in his side. My presence had renewed his vitality. He raised his enor-
mous head. I retired two paces, and administered a final shot. My first

STORIES OF LIONS. 185

bullet entered about an inch above the left eye and came out behind the
neck, but was inefficient to produce death.”

The lion, on his part, refuses sometimes to be hunted. One traveler
relates that he and his companions one day saw, at two or three hundred
yards distance, two large lions, which fled away as soon as they per-
ceived the hunters. The latter pursued them on horseback, shouting
loudly; but the lions doubled their pace, and plunged into a wood,
where they disappeared.

A wealthy farmer was walking over his land, armed with his gun.
Suddenly he sawa lion. Making certain of killing it, he aimed. The
gun, however, hung fire; the man, alarmed, turned to the right-about
and scampered off with all his might, pursued by the lion. A little
mound of stones presented itself, and on this he jumped, wheeling round
to face the brute, and threatening it with the butt-end of his gun. In
turn the animal halted, and withdrew some paces, looking very com-
posed, but the farmer did not venture to descend. At last, after nearly
half an hour had passed, it slunk slowly away as if it had been stealing ;
and as soon as it got a short distance off, took to rapid flight.

One more lion story and we have done:

“ A Boer, a very humorous fellow, told me that he was returning to
fis wagons one evening when he was far in the interior; at the time he
had with him only the single charge of powder with which his gun was
loaded, as he had been out buck-shooting all day.

“Straight in his path he disturbed a lion, which jumped up and
turned to look at him. Very naturally his first impulse was to fire, but
remembering that he had but that one charge in his gun, he changed his
tactics.

“The Dutchmen usually wear large broad-brimmed felt hats, around
which several ostrich feathers are fastened. The Boer jumped from his
horse and pulled off his hat, which he held with his teeth by the brim, so
that the upper part only of his face could be seen above the conglomera-
tion of feathers. He then dropped upon his hands and knees, and com-
menced crawling toward the lion. Such a strange animal had never
before been seen by the astonished Leeuw, which turned and fled without
a moment’s hesitation.”

Few animals have been the subject of such fables as the lion from
time immemorial. The ancient Egyptians knew both the African and
Asiatic lion, and knew how to tame them; but it is to the Greeks and

186 CARNIVORA.

Romans that we owe our stories of the magnanimous nature of the brute,
how “the lion knows the true prince,” or how

The lion will turn and flee
From a maid in the pride of her purity ;

and how an ointment made of a cock and garlic is a certain protection
against his attacks. The Romans must have known the lion well from
his frequent appearance in the circus. The first fight of lions was
exhibited by the Edile Scevola. Sulla exhibited one hundred lions,
Pompey six hundred, Julius Cesar four hundred, which fought either
with each other or with the gladiators. M. Antony had tame lions; and
he and his mistress Cytheris rode the streets in a chariot drawn by a
pair. Hanno, the Carthaginian, employed lions to carry his baggage;
and tame lions are still sometimes seen in the East.

In 1825 there were, in the menagerie in the Tower of London, two
young lions, a male and female; they had been obtained in India, where
they were captured when only a few days old, and a goat had been
employed to suckle them during the early months of their existence
So docile were they, that they were allowed to wander about the court.
yard, and visitors caressed and played with them with impunity. At a
later period it was deemed proper to shut them up, to prevent accidents;
but this more rigorous captivity did not alter the character of the male.
With regard to the female, she became intractable when suckling—a
circumstance perfectly explained when we know the violent affection
this creature displays toward its progeny.

In menageries, the keepers who look after these ferocious beasts
perform every day as great feats as the professional trainers, for they
enter the cages and are received by the occupants with much affec-
tion—a truly curious interchange of greetings between the man and
beast.

There is still preserved the remembrance of a deep friendship which
arose between two lions, male and female, brought to the Jardin des
Plantes in 1799, and a man named Felix, the keeper at that period of the
menagerie. When he became unwell, and it was necessary to replace
him, the male lion persistently refused to have anything to do with the
stranger, and would not even allow him to approach the place of confine-
ment. When Felix reappeared, the lion, accompanied by the lioness,
re shed to meet him. They roared with pleasure while licking his face

A PET LION-CUB. 187

and hands, and in all their movements demonstrated the greatest joy at
seeing him once more.

A lioness has been exhibited in England which would allow her
keeper to get upon her back, and, with a still greater degree of familiarity,
drag her about by the tail, or even place his head between her teeth.

The following story, however, is a warning to those who intend to
indulge in such dangerous pets. A gentleman had a lion cub which
was very fond of its master and would play with him like a kitten. One
day the gentleman fell asleep, leaving one of his hands hanging over the
side of his couch. His pet lion came up to the couch when its master
was slumbering, and by way of showing its affection, began to lick the
exposed hand. In a very short time the rough, file-like tongue cut
through the delicate skin of the hand, and caused some little pain and
a slight effusion of blood, which was eagerly licked off by the animal.
The pain which was caused by the too affectionate creature awoke its
master, who naturally began to withdraw his hand from the caresses of
the lion. But at the first movement the lion uttered a short, deep
growl, which was repeated in a menacing manner at each attempt to
remove the hand from its dangerous and painful position. Seeing that
the lion cub had become suddenly transformed from a domestic pet to a
wild beast, which had for the first time lapped blood and thirsted for
more, its owner quietly slipped his other hand under his pillow, where
he kept a ready-loaded pistol, and shot the poor lion through the head.
It was an act that went sorely against his will, but was the only course
which he could have adopted in such an extremity, when there was no
time for reflection, and when the hesitation of a moment might have cost
a life.

CHAP TER iit

TEE TiGER:

THE TIGER—ITS FAVORITE HAUNTS—ITS DESTRUCTIVENESS—TIGER HUNTING—MODES OF KILLING
THE TIGER—TAME TIGERS—THE TIGER IN ANCIENT TIMES,

F in Africa the lion reigns supreme, in Asia his claims to empire
are disputed by an animal which equals him in size, and exceeds
him in beauty of fur.

The RovAL TIGER, /e/is tigris (Plate VII), stands as high as the lion,
but is more slender and lighter built, while the absence of a mane gives
it more of the typical cat-look. It is peculiar to Asia, and inhabits Java,
Sumatra, a great part of Hindostan, China, and Southern Siberia as far
north as the banks of the river Obi; it approaches sometimes the con-
fines of Europe, one having been killed near Tiflis in 1853.

In its color the tiger presents a most beautiful arrangement of mark-
ings and contrast of tints. On a bright tawny yellow ground, sundry
dark stripes are placed, arranged, as may be seen by the engraving,
nearly at right angles with the body or limbs. Some of these stripes are
double, but the greater number are single dark streaks. The under parts
of the body, the chest, throat, and the long hair which tufts each side of
the face, are almost white, and upon these parts the stripes become very
obscure. The tail is of a whiter hue than the upper portions of the
body, and is decorated with dark rings.

The bright hues of the tiger harmonize admirably with the dusky
jungle grass and dark stems of the Eastern forests in which he dwells,
and enable him to approach his victims without being perceived, while
even skilled hunters have overlooked him when close at their feet. The
tiger is met not only in the grassy thickets of the jungle, but also in
large, heavily timbered forest lands; but his favorite haunts are the reedy
banks of rivers, the impervious bush of bamboos, and such like cane-
brakes; he loves above all spots, however, those where the shady

BENGAL

Rea i:

CARNIVORA.

Pele al.

HABITS OF THE TIGER. 189

“korinda” tree grows; the branches of this tree are not merely closely
intertwined, but hang on all sides down nearly to the ground, and thus
furnish him with concealment from his foes and shelter from the sun.
Here he reposes during the heat of the day, and hence he sallies out or
springs upon his prey. In the steppes of Siberia he hides in corners of
the rocks, or scratches away the snow between the clumps of grass.

The tiger is not exclusively nocturnal in his habits; he is often seen
by day, but prefers the twilight hours. In the southern parts of his
domain he lies in wait near roads, forest paths, or rivers where he knows
that both men and beasts come to drink. In India the holy rivers, to
which crowds of votaries go to perform the ceremonies of their religion,
supply him with many a victim. In Siberia he is found near the salt-
licks, for he knows as well as the hunters do that the game he seeks
for can be found there. In Java, where the wild swine are a plague,
he keeps their numbers down, but repays himself for any benefit he con-
fers on man by levying contributions on his horses or dogs. He is, in
that island, generally found in the same thickets as the peacock. ‘“ When
the peacocks cry, the tiger is nigh,” is a saying of the Dutch colonists ;
the Javanese natives say the peacock tells the dwellers in the wilderness
that the tiger is leaving his lair. The tiger’s mode of attack is like that
of the lion; the wounds he inflicts are extremely dangerous, for even
when they are comparatively slight, lockjaw is apt to supervene; as in the
case of wounds from the lion, they are said to open again periodically.

Anecdotes of the monster’s strength and audacity are numerous.
One attacked a regimental baggage camel and broke its skull with one
blow, another is said to have pulled down an elephant. Horses become
paralyzed with fear and quiver in every limb when the dreaded foe
appears; the very scent of a tiger’s presence, or the sight of a dried
skin, is sufficient to set them plunging and kicking in their attempts to
escape from the dreaded propinquity. One horse, which had been terri-
fied by a tiger, could not afterward endure the sight of any brindled
animal whatever, and was only restored to ordinary courage by the
ingenious device of his master, who kept a brindled dog in the same
stable with the horse until the poor beast became reconciled to the
abhorred striped fur.

The buffalo, however, faces him and often slays him. A tiger had
sprung on to the neck of a buffalo; the latter rushed with such violence
against a tree that the aggressor was hurled to the ground, and before

190 CARNIVORA.

he recovered consciousness the courageous ruminant had hurled him
repeatedly in the air. According to the Tungusians the bear and tiger
often fight, and then the latter usually comes off second best. In Hin-
dostan, where many sects of natives reverence the tiger as an incarnation
of the destructive powers of Nature, the roads would be impassable in
many regions unless for the creature’s extraordinary dread of fire; yet
hunger drives it to contemn even fire, and an English officer was carried
off by one when he was sitting with his companions by the camp-fire.
The sentries of troops in the field are often victims. Forbes knew of
three well-armed soldiers killed in one night. At the great fair of Hurd-
war, where hundreds of thousands of natives assemble, a tiger sprang
into the crowd from a thicket and struck a native who was peacefully
preparing curry. Another sprang upon an elephant, tore the English
sportsman out of the howdah, and plunged with him into the jungle; the
man had been rendered senseless by the fall and shock, but was revived
by the scratches he received from thorns as the brute carried him away ;
with great presence of mind he remembered he had a brace of pistols;
he drew one, but it missed fire, and the tiger only bit the deeper. A
second shot just behind the shoulder-blade was lucky enough to reach
the heart; the officer recovered, but was lame for life. The postal ser-
vice in India is rendered very dangerous by the attacks of these Car-
nivora; at one ford across the Goomea in Guzerat a letter-carrier was
carried off every day for fourteen days, and at Cutcam Sands a tigress
stopped all postal communication for several months. But the island of
Singapore seems the spot where men are most frequently attacked.
Wallace states that there are always tigers near the town, and they kill
a Chinaman every day. Another traveler puts the number of Chinese
killed annually at four hundred. The Dutch government returned the
loss of life by tigers in Java in 1862 at three hundred.

It is a remarkable fact that the tiger is quite a new arrival in Singa-
pore. During the early years of its occupation the beast was never
heard of; at present, in spite of all the efforts of the English government,
they increase instead of diminishing. New immigrants come from the
mainland, and in doing so have to swim a strait fully an English mile
wide. The tiger is an admirable swimmer, and never hesitates to pursue
its prey in water. A sportsman on Saugor Island came upon a tiger and
immediately fled into the river; the tiger followed, and gained rapidly
till the man dived and swam some distance under water. When he

= ae) ow ee

Pantie

TIGER HUNTS. Ig!

reached the surface again the tiger had turned back. Another swam out
from the land to a boat and climbed into it; the crew partly jumped over-
board, partly locked themselves in the cabin; the tiger sat quietly on the
forecastle till he was convinced that his prey had escaped him, when he
plunged into the river, reached the bank, shook his coat dry, and dis-
appeared in the jungle. Like the lion, the tiger, when he has once tasted
human flesh, becomes a confirmed man-eater ; he usually eats only a small
portion of his victims; as the Singapore journal remarks: “ If he would
only eat more, there would be a great saving of human life.”

While Europeans regard the tiger as a plague to be extirpated, the
Hindoos, as already remarked, regard it as a divinity. Very similar
sentiments are held even by the tribes of Eastern Siberia. They call the
tiger the “ Man-beast,” or the “ Lord-beast”; they do not like to speak
about him, and never mention his proper name. The tribes on the Amoor
River designate him by the word they use for God. In the Chinese
mountains, hunters who find the tracks of a tiger leave half of their game
on the spot to propitiate him; the Tungusians believe whoever kills a
tiger will be eaten by one. In Sumatra the natives believe him to be the
form assumed by some dead man, and therefore will not hurt him. In
addition to the superstitions which thus preserve the tiger, we must
remark that in some parts of India he is carefully preserved as game by
the princes and rajahs, in spite of the hundreds of lives his maintenance
may cost. The English authorities tyrannically interfere with this style
of game preserving. In Candeish alone they procured the destruction
of one thousand in four years.

In the East the chase of the tiger is an affair of state and conducted
with all the elaborate care of a campaign. The Emperor of China some-
times sends thousands of men to the hunt; the King of Oude used to go
hunting with more pomp than Louis XIV used to display in making
war. He went afield with cavalry, infantry, and artillery, thousands of
elephants, an immense train of carts, camels, and beasts of burden. His
women accompanied him in covered cars; bayaderes, singing women,
jugglers, peddlers, hunting-leopards, hawks, fighting-cocks, doves, and
nightingales were carried in the grand procession. With all this prepa-
ration only one tiger was slain on the occasion described.

The Indian princes also take their royal game in nets. A series of
strong bamboo poles are placed about five or six yards apart, and a strong

‘net stretched between them. The line of nets extends in a circular form

192 CARNIVORA.

for a considerable distance; the beaters then drive the game into the
circle toward a platform where the shooters are stationed. All means
imaginable are employed to drive the animals in the proper direction—
guns are fired, drums beaten, fires lit; sometimes even the grass is set on
fire. The flames, as they hiss and roar, fill the tiger with terror, and soon
he is seen stealthily creeping away. He sees the nets; they are too high
to leap over, too strong to burst through, the bamboo poles too weak for
him to climb up. He is compelled to advance inside the net till he comes
within range of the guns of the sportsmen.

The English officials give tiger-hunts on a grand scale. Sometimes
as many as forty or fifty elephants are employed. Some bear the sports-
men, some are used to drive the game; an infallible sign of the neighbor-
hood of a tiger is given by the elephant elevating his trunk and trumpet-
ing. The tiger has often been known to pull the hunters from their seats
on the elephant.

A very ingenious mode of tiger-killing is employed by the natives of
Oude.

They gather a number of the broad leaves of the prauss tree, which
much resembles the sycamore, and having besmeared them with a kind
of bird-lime, they strew them in the animal’s way. Let a tiger but put
his paw on one of these innocent looking leaves, and his fate is settled.
Finding the leaf stick to his paw, he shakes it in order to rid him-
self of the nuisance; and finding that plan unsuccessful, he endeavors to
attain his object by rubbing it against his face, thereby smearing the
bird-lime over his nose and eyes, and gluing the eyelids together; then
he rolls on the ground, and rubs his head and face on the earth in his
efforts to get free. By so doing he only adds fresh bird-lime to his head,
body, and limbs, agglutinates his sleek fur together in unsightly tufts,
and finishes by hoodwinking himself so thoroughly with leaves and
bird-lime, that he lies floundering on the ground, tearing up the earth
with his claws, uttering howls of rage and dismay, and exhausted by
the impotent struggles in which he has been so long engaged. These
cries are a signal to the authors of his misery, who run to the spot
armed with guns, bows, and spears, and find no difficulty in dispatch-
ing their blind and wearied foe.

Those who have hunted the tiger in a genuinely sportsmanlike
manner assert that it is a very cunning animal, and the color of the
sportsmen’s dress is a matter of some importance. Experience shows

SHOOTING TIGERS. 193

that there is no tint so admirably suited for the purpose as that warm
reddish-brown which is assumed by dried leaves.

If a tiger be fairly traced to its ordinary lair, the sportsmen prefer to
lie in wait at some convenient point, and either to await the voluntary
egress of the quarry, or to send in the beaters and cause the animal to be
driven out in the proper direction. When this mode is adopted, it is
found best to have, besides those which are held in hand, a whole battery
of guns, eight or ten in number, which are iaid on the ground, ready
loaded and cocked, their muzzles all pointing toward the spot where the
tiger is expected to make its appearance. It is so usual an occurrence for
two tigers to make their sudden appearance where only one was expectec
to lie, that the precaution is an absolutely necessary one.

Contrary to the habits of most animals, which take the utmost care
of their young, and in their defence will expose themselves to the direst
peril, the mother tiger is in the habit of making her young family her
pioneers, and when she suspects anything wrong, of sending them for-
ward to clear the way. Knowing this curious propensity, the experi-
enced hunter will not fire upon a cub that shows itself, for the mother
will, in most cases, be waiting to see the result of her child’s venture.
Therefore they permit the cub or cubs to pass with impunity, and reserve
their ammunition for the benefit of the mother as she follows her off-
spring.

Should the tiger not fall to the shot, but bound away, the hunters
know whether the wound is a mortal one by inspecting the marks made
in the ground by the feet of the retreating animal. It is a curious fact
that, however hard a tiger may be hit, yet, if the wound be not a rapidly
mortal one, the claws are kept retracted and the foot-prints show no
mark of the talons. But should the injury be one which will shortly
cause death, the tiger flings out its limbs with the paws spread to their
utmost, and at every leap tears up the ground with the protruded talons.
A very slight wound causes the death of a tiger; the wound soon
becomes inflamed and covered with flies, and the poor beast dies of a
swarm of devouring maggots. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether
a tiger has been wounded; the loose and movable skin covers the
wound as the creature moves away, and checks the effusion of blood.
The dead body of the tiger very soon decays, and if the hunters wish to
preserve the hide in all its beauty, it must be immediately covered
from the sun’s rays.

194 CARNIVORA.

The tigress gives birth to two or three cubs, choosing some sheltered
spot for her home. During the first weeks of their existence she never
leaves them except when hunger compels; as soon as they are larger she
takes them abroad, and then is doubly dangerous and destructive ; noth-
ing, however, can exceed her care and loving-kindness for her offspring
while they are at the breast.

Tigers, like lions, have been often tamed; we have all seen circus per-
formers enter the cages where they are confined, but in all cases great
caution must be exercised in dealing with a creature so treacherous. In
the East they have been used for the purposes of the chase. “The Khan
of Tartary,” writes Marco Polo, “keeps in his city of Cambolu many lions
greater than those of Babylon, having beautiful hair and beautiful colors,
namely, white, black and red stripes, which he uses to catch wild boars,
bears, deers, and other beasts.” Some of the Indian fakirs have been
seen accompanied by a tiger which followed them like a dog; they are
careful to give their favorite no animal food, but feed them on boiled rice
and butter.

The Indian princes usually keep tigers for their wild beast fights. A
fight in Siam is thus described: “ Three elephants, whose heads were
defended by a species of armor, were brought into the arena; the tiger
was there already, held by two ropes; at the sight of the elephants he
tried to escape and crouched down, but received two or three blows
from their trunks, which knocked him over. He was then let go; with
a terrible roar he sprang at the elephant’s head, but it received him on
its tusks and flung him high into the air. The tiger fled and tried to
clamber over the paling of the circus; failing in his attempt, he laid down
and let the elephants beat him with their trunks till the fight was put a
stop to.”

When he wants to fight, however, the tiger shows vigor and courage
enough. One menagerie was the scene of a deadly combat between a
lion and a tiger. The two creatures had been put into one large cage
or box, which was divided by a partition in the centre, so as to separate
the two animals. While the attendants were at their breakfast the tiger
battered down the too frail barrier, and leaping into the lion’s chamber,
entered into fierce combat. Not even the keepers dared interfere to
stop the battle, which raged until it was terminated by the slaughter
of the lion. The poor beast never had a chance from the beginning,
for it was weakened by three years’ captivity, and had lost the swift

BLAKE'S LINES ON THE TIGER. 195

activity of its wild nature. Its heavy mane defended its head and neck
so well that the tiger could not inflict any severe injury on those
portions, and the fatal wounds under which it sank were all upon the
flanks and abdomen, which were torn open by the tiger’s claws. It was
a serious loss to the proprietor, for the lion had cost three hundred,
and the tiger, which, although the victor, did not escape unscathed,
four hundred pounds. The lion was six or seven years of age at the
time.

The tiger was not known in Europe so early as the lion. He is not
mentioned in the Bible. Nearchus, the famous admiral of Alexander the
Great, had seen a tiger-skin, but not the animal itself. A tame tiger was
exhibited at Rome about 24 8.c. The Emperor Claudius had four; the
Emperor Heliogabalus had four tigers yoked to his chariot to represent
Bacchus. Avitus had five killed in the amphitheatre. Nero had a tame
tigress named Pheebe, which he used to set at those of his guests who had
displeased him.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forest of the night !

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the ardor of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire—
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand formed thy dread feet?

What the hammer, what the chain,

In what furnace was thy brain?

Did God smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make Thee?

CHAPTER’ LV.

PANTHERS AND LEOPARDS.

THE COUGAR OR AMERICAN PANTHER—THE JAGUAR—ITS DESTRUCTIVENESS—A TAME JAGUAR—
THE AFRICAN LEOPARD—THE ASIATIC LEOPARD OR PANTHER—THE JAPANESE PANTHEh—
THE BLACK PANTHER—

ET us pass from the Old World to the New, from the havoc and
splendor of the East to the forest of America. We owe an
apology to the animal we are now to describe for not placing

him next the lion in our series of Carnivora. Many naturalists place him
in a sub-genus, for the small, maneless head, the slender body, the ab-
sence of stripes or spots, and the round eyeball, are characteristics
marked enough to justify a separate division.

THE AMERICAN PANTHER.

The CouGar or PuMaA, felis concolor (Plate 1X), bears many names;
the Guarani Indians call it Guazara, the Chilians Popi, the Mexicans
Mitzli; our hunters and frontiersmen style it the Panther, or more ver-
nacularly the PAINTER. It has the general appearance of a lioness, and
attains the length of about four feet and a half on the average. It
inhabits Paraguay, Brazil, Guiana, Mexico, and the United States, and is
found even in Canada.

The thick, short, and soft fur appears somewhat richer on the belly
than on the back, and is of a very dark fawn-color, because the hairs are
tipped with black. There is some difference of color between the natives
of different regions, those from South America being lighter than those
from the United States. The cougar generally prefers thick woods to
the open fields, but he is found constantly on the Pampas of Buenos
Ayres. His mode of ascending trees differs from that of the jaguar—

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THE COUGAR. 197

the latter climbs like a cat, the cougar leaps at one spring into the
branches. All his movements are light and powerful; he can easily
clear a distance of six yards. His eyes are large and tranquil, without
any expression of wildness; and although he can see better by night
than by day, the sunlight does not dazzle him. His sense of hearing is
very sharp, and when hunger calls, his courage is great. All the weaker
quadrupeds dread his attacks; even the agile monkeys fall victims to his
appetite. He steals, cat-like, up to his prey, and then makes his spring ;
if he fails, he, unlike the cats, pursues it by long leaps for some distance.
A traveler observed one engaged in the chase of a monkey. While he
was waiting to get a shot at a Capucin monkey, the whole tribe of apes
suddenly set up a terrible scream and took to flight, swinging from bough
to bough and tree to tree, betraying at the same time every mark of the
wildest terror. A cougar was after them; he took leaps of nearly seven
yards from tree to tree, and crept with incredible skill through the climb-
ing plants and intertwined boughs of the Brazilian forest.

When his prey is caught, the cougar bites the throat and sucks the
blood, and then eats a portion of the victim, burying the rest in the sand
or under leaves. He is very destructive, and hence is everywhere pur-
sued with vigor. The Guachos of the Pampas are expert in destroying
him by the lasso or the bolas. One of our own sportsmen said that he
always ran away from a grizzly, but that painters were of no account.
If the traveler faces round on the animal and looks it steadily in the face,
it always retreats. Although the cougar or painter is not an object of
personal dread to the settler, he is a pestilent neighbor to the farmer,
committing sad havoc among his flocks and herds, and acting with such
consummate craft, that it can seldom be arrested in the act of destruction
or precluded from achieving it. No less than fifty sheep have fallen vic-
tims to the panther in a single night. It is not, however, the lot of every

uma to reside in the neighborhood of such easy prey as pigs, sheep, and
poultry, and the greater number of these animals are forced to depend
for their subsistence on their own success in chasing or surprising the
various animals on which they feed. As‘is the case with the jaguar, the
cougar is specially fond of the capybara and the peccary, and makes a
meal on many smaller deer than even the latter animal.

The cougar is a good swimmer, and can cross from the mainland to
Terra del Fuego, and was seen swimming out to one of the Florida Keys.
In Florida, authentic reports tell that children have been carried off by

198 CARNIVORA.

the rapacious brute from the very fields where their parents were work-
ing. It is by no means uncommon in the Adirondacks, and De Kay
writes that he remembered the appearance of one of these animals in
Westchester County, New York State. It is occasionally seen in the
Catskills, and has been shot in Vermont and Massachusetts.

The YAGUARUNDI, Fel?s Yaguarundi, resembles the American panther
in being of a uniform color; it isa much smaller animal—not much larger
indeed than a cat, but with a more weasel-like body. It extends from
Paraguay as far north as Matamoras.

THE LEOPARDS.

The most beautiful members of the whole cat tribe are the graceful
an 1 mottled species which are usually grouped together under the name
of leopards. They are moderately large creatures, with short, glossy fur
murked with spots, but without mane or tail-tuft, with short ears and
beautiful, large, round-pupilled, brilliant eyes. They are to be found in
both the Old and New Worlds, and their habits and conditions of life are
pretty uniform wherever they are found. Most of them possess a talent
unknown to either lion or tiger—they can climb trees, not mounting by
a bound, but by the aid of their claws, like the common cat. The noblest,
the largest, and the most dreaded of all the leopard tribe is the species
found in the New World, and with it we will commence our descrip-
tion.

THE JAGUAR.

The JAGUAR, Fe/?s onca (Plate [X), has been celebrated by all travelers
in South America, and as the cougar has been called the American lion,
he has been styled the American tiger. Indeed, as regards size he is not
much inferior to the lord of the Indian jungles, and surpasses all the
other members of the cat tribe excepting the lion. He is somewhat
heavily built, the body is not so long as that of the tiger, and his legs are
shorter in proportion; but he, when full grown, measures on an average
about five feet from the muzzle to the root of the tail, ana stands about
three feet high. Humboldt, however, says that he saw jaguars “ which
in length surpassed all the Indian tigers he had seen in European collec-
tions.” The tail of the jaguar is comparatively short, averaging a little
less than three feet in length. The color of the fur is not quite the same

THE JAGUAR. 199

in all specimens. In general it is of a bright tawny hue; across the
breast run two or three bold black streaks; the rest of the body is
covered with spots somewhat angular in form, and increasing in size
from the head to the tail. These spots have a yellowish-red and black
border, and the centre of each displays one or two black points. Along
the back runs a line of black spots which in the last third of the tail form
rings. A black variety is sometimes found, the spots being still visible,
like the pattern in damask.

The jaguar is found from Buenos Ayres and Paraguay through all
South America as far as Mexico, and has been seen in the United States
as far as the Red River in Texas. It is gradually becoming scarcer. It
haunts the wooded banks of streams, the edge of woods, and the bottom
lands where the tall grasses grow. During the daytime he sleeps in the
shade of the forest or in the long grass of the pampas. The morning
and evening twilight is the hour of his exertions, and then no animal
comes amiss to him. His strength equals that ot the lion or tiger, his
eye is sharp and flashing, his hearing excellent, his sense of smell, as in
all the cat tribe, only slightly developed. He attacks horses, deer, and
tapirs; he has been known to swim across a wide river, to kill a horse,
drag it sixty yards to the water-side, then swim across the river with his
prey, drag it out of the water, and finally carry it off into a neighboring
wood. The natives assert that he has been known to kill one of two
horses that were fastened together, and drag off with the dead one the
living horse also, in spite of all its struggles.

His powers of climbing like a cat make him a deadly foe to all the
monkey race, whom he usually tries to surprise when sleeping; a few
sweeps of his paw knock the unfortunate quadrumana from their perch
to the ground, whither he then descends to banquet at his leisure. The
peccary is seldom attacked openly; this courageous, sharp-tusked crea-
ture never hesitates to charge the powerful jaguar, and a herd of pec-
caries would soon make him repent of his rashness.

It is said that the jaguar kills horses and larger animals in an ingenious
manner, which reflects great credit on his understanding. Leaping on
the shoulders of the doomed animal, he places one paw on the back of
the head, another on the muzzle, and then, by a tremendous wrench, dis-
locates the neck: His most remarkable feat, however, is the way in
which he catches and kills the large turtles. Humboldt relates: ‘ The
jaguar follows the turtle to the shore where she lays her eggs; he

200 CARNIVORA.

attacks her on the sand, and turns her on her back to be devoured at
his leisure. The shells are often found quite emptied apparently by the
claws, with very little injury to the carapace. We cannot sufficiently
admire. the power of the jaguar’s foot, which clears out the double shells
as if tue muscular bands had been loosened by a surgical instrument.”
Hamilton tells a traveler’s tale about him: “ The jaguar and the ailigator
are deadly foes; when the jaguar perceives one of these enemies sleeping
on a warm sand-bank, he catches him by the under part of the tail, where
the soft and most vulnerable parts lie. Usually the alligator is too much
astonished to resist or fly ; sometimes, however, he drags his aggressor
into the water, drowns him, and eats him up.” The jaguar can also catch
fish. Rengger saw one plunge his paw into the water and bring out a
good-sized “dorado.” Unlike the cats in general, the jaguar has no dread
of fire; he has been known to scare the Indians from their meal, and heip
himself to the meat on the embers.

Rengger, who landed in Asuncion in Paraguay in 1819, and spent
several years there, states that the jaguar is sometimes driven by inun-
dations to enter the cities. He was told when he arrived during the
floods at Santa Fé, in 1824, that a few days before a Franciscan monk,
who was going to sing morning mass, had been eaten by a jaguar at the
door of the sacristy. This story is developed by the “ Report of the
Mexican Boundary Survey ” into a thrilling narrative with four victims,
and the scene in Santa Fé of New Mexico.

When the jaguar once tastes human flesh he becomes a confirmed
man-eater. It is a comfort to know that he prefers negroes and Indians
to white folk; hence a white sportsman has always to provide himself
with a negro attendant, if he is going to sleep in the bush.

The jaguar is easily tamed, and young ones are often seen in the
houses in Paraguay, where they play with the cats and dogs. Captain
Inglefield, of the British navy, had on board his ship a jaguar so tame
that he could use its body asa pillow. He never gave it raw meat.

When “ Doctor,” as it was called, received his daily food, he used to
clutch and growl over it like a cat over a mouse, but was sufficiently
gentle to permit the meat to be abstracted. It was a very playful animal,
and was as mischievous in its sport as any kitten, delighting to find
any one who would join in a game of romps, and acting just as a kitten
would under similar circumstances. As the animal increased in size and
strength, its play began to be rather too rough to be agreeable. and

THE LEOPARD. 201

was, moreover, productive of rather unpleasant consequences to its
fellow voyagers. For, as is the custom with all the cat tribe, he de-
lighted in sticking his claws into the clothes of his human acquaintances.
This jaguar remembered Captain Inglefield after an absence of two years.

THE LEOPARD AND THE PANTHER.

From the time of Aristotle, the founder of the science of natural his.
tory, down to the present day, there have been disputes as to the identity
or distinction of the panther and the leopard. From this uncertainty
great confusion has arisen, and nothing but the examination of the living
animals has enabled modern investigators to finally establish the distinc-
tion between the two species. The leopard has a brighter coat than the
panther, the spots being further apart and the centre darker, and its tail
has only twenty-two vertebra, while that of the panther has twenty-eight.
They have also different habitats; the true panther is found in India and
the Indian islands; the leopard is found in Africa. Hence the title
“ African Panther” is a misnomer in one direction, and “ Japan Leopard”
in the other.

The LeoparD, Felis pardus (Plate VIII), resembles the jaguar in figure.
His total length is over seven feet, including one-third of that length in
the tail. The head is large and round, the muzzle slightly prominent, the
neck very short, the body powerful, the limbs of moderate length, the
paws very large. The ground of his beautiful coat is of a reddish-golden
hue, darker on the back, and becoming a light yellow on the throat and
belly. Perpendicularly over the upper lip broad black stripes are seen,
as well as a large oval spot at the corner of the mouth, and a smaller one
over each eye. The rest of his body is covered with black, round or
roundish spots, about the size of a walnut. Some of these spots on the
shoulders and all those of the back consist of a dark centre surrounded
by two crescent-shaped lines, which usually coalesce; on the flanks, where
the spots are arranged rather transversely than longitudinally, the centres
are surrounded by three or four semicircles.

The leopard is a terrible animal, and will make a bound of forty feet
with surprising ease. It keeps by preference in places covered with
brushwood, and near streams or arms of the sea. The leopard, perhaps,
does not climb on trees; but every day, before commencing his search
for prey, he sharpens his claws on a tree, just as our cats do in the carpet

202 CARNIVORA.

or elsewhere. He never hunts in the middle of the day, but his nocturnal
depredations make him as destructive as the lion.

When attacked, the leopard will generally endeavor to slink away,
and to escape the observation of its pursuers; but if it 1s wounded, and
‘ands no mode of eluding its foes, it becomes furious and charges at them
vith such determinate rage that, uniess it falls a victim to a well-aimed
shot, it may do fearful damage before it yields up its life. In consequence
of the ferocity and courage of the leopard, the native African races make
much of those warriors who have been fortunate enough to kill one of
these beasts, and the fortunate hunter is permitted to decorate his person
with the trophies of his skill and courage. The teeth of the leopard
are curiously strung, with beads and wire, into a necklace, and hung
about the throat of the warrior, where they contrast finely with their
polished whiteness against the dusky hue of the native’s brawny chest.
The claws are put to similar uses, and the skin is reserved for the pur-
pose of being dressed and made into a cloak, or “kaross,” as this article
of apparel is popularly termed.

The PANTHER or ASIATIC LEOPARD, Felis leopardus (Plate VIII), has
>qual ferocity, but not the same amount of strength as the African
leopard. The spots of the panther differ from those of the leopard by
their considerable size, and are formed of five or six black patches
grouped around a centre somewhat brighter than the ground color of
the coat, and are very appropriately called “ rosettes.”

The panther ascends trees with agility; into which it pursues mon-
keys and other climbing animals. It is a ferocious and untamable animal,
and inhabits only the wildest forests; not even the tiger is more uncon-
querable, and its pursuit is proportionably dangerous. It rarely attacks
man without being provoked; but it is irritated at the merest trifle,
and its anger is manifested by the lightning rapidity of its onset, which
invariably results in the speedy death of the imprudent being who has
aroused its fury. Its power, nimbleness, and stealth surpass anything
that can be imagined.

The JAPANESE PANTHER, Felis Faponicus (Plate IX), is merely a variety
of the common panther ; it differs in having a thicker fur and a bushier
tail.

The SuNDA PANTHER, Felis variegatus, sometimes called the ASIATIC
LEOPARD (Plate VIII), has a small, long head, longish neck, short legs,
and a very different coat. The spots are much smaller, darker, and

THE PANTHER. 203

thicker; the hide thus obtains a black-blue lustre; the ground is dark
loam-yellow, so thickly set with dotted spots as to appear almost black.

The BLACK PANTHER, els melas, which has been sometimes described
as a separate species, seems to be merely a variety of the Sunda panther,
and is often produced in the same litter as the lighter varieties.

The strength of the panther is marvelous when compared with its
size. One of these animals crept by night into the very midst of a cara-
van, seized two wolf-greyhounds that were fastened to one of the tent
pegs, tore up the peg to which they were tethered, and although both
the dogs were linked together, and were of that powerful breed which is
used for the pursuit of wolves and other fierce game, the panther dragged
them clean out of the camp, and carried them for some three hundred
yards through dense, thorny underwood.

The panther has a distaste for trees around which there is no under-
wood ; the long grass jungle, which is so favored by the tiger, is in no
way suited to the habits of the panther; so that if the hunter seeks for
tigers, his best chance of success is by directing his steps to the grass
jungles, while, if panthers are the objects of his expedition, he is nearly
sure to find them among wooded places where the trees are planted
among underwood reaching some seven or eight feet in height.

When a panther is driven to take refuge in a tree, it displays great
skill in selecting a spot where it shall be concealed so far as possible
from the gazers below, and even when detected, covers its body so
well behind the branches, that it is no easy matter to obtain a clear
ulm at a fatal spot. Its favorite arboreal resting-places are at the junc-
tion of the iarger limbs with the trunk, or where a large bough gives off
several smaller branches. The panther does not take to water so readily
as the tiger, and appears to avoid entering a stream unless pressed by
hunger or driven into the water by his pursuers. When fairly in the
water, however, the panther is a very tolerable swimmer, and can cross
even a wide river without difficulty.

The panther has often been tamed, and, indeed, almost domesticated,
being permitted to range the house at will, greatly to the consternation
of strange visitors.

The OuNCE, Felis uncta (Plate VIII), which was once thought to be
but a longer-haired variety of the leopard, is now known to be truly a
separate species.

In general appearance it bears a very close resemblance to the leopard,

204 CARNIVORA.

but may be distinguished from that animal by the greater fulness and
roughness of its fur, as well as by some variations in the markings with
which it is decorated. From the thickness of its furry garment it is sup-
posed to be an inhabitant of more mountainous and colder districts than
the leopard. The rosette-like spots which appear on its body are not sa
sharply defined as those of the leopard ; there is a large black spot behind
the ears. The spots exhibit a certain tendency to form stripes, and the
tail is exceedingly bushy when compared with that of a leopard of equal

size. The general color of the body is rather paler than that of the |

leopard, being a grayish-white, in which a slight yellow tinge is per-
ceptible, and, as is usual with most animals, the upper parts of the body
are darker than the lower. In size it is intermediate between the leopard
and the panther.

The ounce is an inhabitant of some parts of Asia, and specimens of
this fine animal have been brought from the shores of the Persian Gulf.
Its home, however, seems to be the central plateau of Thibet, and it
occurs not rarely in West Siberia and the Altai range, but is very un-
common in the region of Lake Baikal. The ounce has seldom been seen
in captivity. Two living ones were in the Zoological Gardens of Mos-
cow in 1871, but like the other animals in that establishment, they died
from neglect.

“CELUNP TER Vv.

THE OCELOTS AND THE CATS.

THE MARBLED CAT—THE TIGER CATS—THE COMMON OCELOT—THE PAINTED OCELOT—-THE EGRA
—THE CHATI—THE LONG-TAILED CAT—THE PAMPAS CAT—THE CLOUDED TIGER—THE COLO-
COTS—THE EUROPEAN WILDCAT—THE MANOL—THE DWARF CAT—THE EGYPTIAN CAT-——
LETTING THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG—THE COMMON CAT—THE MALAY CAT—THE WEASEL
CAT—THE SERVAL.

E now have arrived at the smaller members of the genus,

\ N which are usually grouped together under the title of

OcELoTs or TIGER Cats. They are all most beautiful

creatures, their fur being diversified with brilliant contrasts of a dark

spot, streak or dash upon a lighter ground, and their movements grace-

ful and elegant. The link between the panthers and the cats is perhaps
to be found in the Marbled Cat.

The MarsBLeD Cat, Felis marmoratus, is about three feet in length,
including a foot and a half of tail. The color of its fur is yellow, with a
light red shade marked with dark spots. On the forehead and over the
top of the head two black stripes run and unite to form one longitudinal
band along the spine, which, however, again divides before reaching the
tail. Other dark stripes run obliquely from the back of the neck down-
ward; the shoulders are covered with horseshoe-shaped spots, and the
limbs are covered thickly with black dots. The ears are short and
rounded, externally of a silver-gray color with a black border. The
bushy tail is yellowish and ringed.

The Marbled Cat inhabits the mountains of Southeastern Asia, in-
cluding Borneo and Sumatra. Nothing is known of its habits when
wild; in captivity its conduct resembled that of the Ocelot.

THE TIGER CATS.

The OcELot, Felis pardalis (Plate 1X), is common in the tropical
regions of America, and is found in Texas as far north as the Red River.

206 CARNIVORA.

In length it rather exceeds four feet, including the tail. Its height aver-
ages eighteen inches. The ground color of the fur is a very light
grayish-fawn, on which are drawn broken bands of a deep fawn-color,
edged with black, running along the line of the body. The band that
extends along the spine is unbroken. On the head, neck, and the inside
of the limbs the bands are broken up into spots and dashes, which are
entirely black, the fawn tint in their centre being merged in the deeper
hue; the ears are black, with the exception of a white spot upon the
back and near the base of each ear. Owing to the beauty of the fur, the
Ocelot skin is in great request, and is extensively employed in the manu-
facture of various fancy articles of dress or luxury.

In its habits the Ocelot is quick, active, and powerful, proving itself
at all points a miniature leopard. It is a good climber; not equal, how-
ever, in this respect, to the jaguar; and a good swimmer, but only takes
water in the direst extremity. It rarely approaches the settlements of
mankind; at the utmost its courage only reaches to the robbing of a hen-
roost. It is very shy, and takes to the trees when the dogs come near,
but defends itself savagely when brought to bay. In captivity it is lazy
and lifeless, learns to play with the domestic cats and dogs, and purrs
when stroked.

Of the numerous varieties of these pretty and agile animals, we men-
tion only the most conspicuous.

The Gray OCELOT, Fel?s griseus, has comparatively light-colored fur,
with few, not very distinct spots, and the whole throat an unbroken gray.

The PAINTED OCELOT, Felis pictus, is, as befits its name, much more
richly varied than the common Ocelot. The black markings of the tail
are very deep in color, and the throat has one or two bold black streaks
extending toward the shoulders. The spots on the spine are of a deep,
velvety black.

The MARQUAY, Felis tigrinus, 1s about the size of the domestic cat. Its
soft and beautiful coat is of a fawn-yellow color, with two stripes running
along the cheeks, and two others from the corners of the eyes to the
neck. Between these, two other stripes make their appearance, and six
may be counted on the neck. A long line runs along the back, and on
each side are spots either solid or with a bright centre. The ears are
black; the tail bushier at the end than at the root.

Waterson had a pet one which had been captured when a kitten; it
followed him about, and waged continual war on the rats.

“ee

a Bin, aie A
OIGE LOT

PANESE PANTHER CALC RAGR
Be COUGAR

PLATE IX CARNIVORA

THE PAMPAS CAT. 207

The Syra, Felis syra, resembles the lion and the cougar in being
uniform in color. !ts body is so long, and its limbs comparatively so
short, that it seems to be a link between the cats and the weasels; and it
indeed displays the agility of one family and the cruelty of the other.
No member of the cat tribe can carry off its booty with greater rapidity
than this little marauder. It has never beentamed. Berlandier obtained
one at Matamoras, but it seems, like the Yaguarundi, to belong properly
to Guiana and Brazil.

The CHAti or MARACAYA, Felis chati, is more like the jaguar than
the ocelot. It measures about three feet in length of body, and resem-
bles the leopard in the color of its skin, but the spots are disposed
irregularly and are of irregular shape. Some are round, some oblong;
in places they are in lines, in others scattered without any order. Two
black streaks appear on the cheeks and a brown one on the throat; the
latter half of the tail has black rings.

It is a courageous beast, and attacks pretty large animals, such as
small deer. But like the rest of its kin, it prefers to devastate a well-
filled hen-roost, and usually chooses a very dark and stormy night for its
visit.

It is easily tamed, and becomes amiable and attached to its owner,
but nothing can eradicate its propensity to catch and kill chickens. In
Brazil the Indians and negroes eat its flesh, but it is said to have a very
unpleasant odor.

The LOnG-TAILED CAT or KUICHUA, Felis macrouros, is about the size
ofalarge cat. It is distinguished from the Chati by a longer tail, a small
head, large eyes. pointed ears, and the great curvature of its claws. Its
color is reddish-gray, flecked with grayish-brown or black-brown. The
back is marked with five longitudinal stripes; on the crown there are two
dark stripes with a black spot between them.

It is found nearly everywhere in Brazil, and is hunted for its skin. It
is one of the most beautiful of the whole cat group, and is much more
agile than the Chati.

The Pampas Cat, Felis pajeros, resembles the ordinary Wild-cat, but
it stands higher, its head is smaller, its tail longer, and its hair stiffer and
longer. The color of its coat is silver-gray, on which brownish-red
streaks are visible, running obliquely backward aad downward from
the shoulder, but forming a girdle round the chest, and appearing as rings
on the limbs ; the tail has four to six dark rings, and is short and bushy.

208 CARNIVORA.

The male attains the length of three feet. As its name indicates, it is
found in the plains of South America, its food being the small rodents
that abound there. It is a harmless creature.

The CLOUDED TIGER or RIMAU-DAHAN, Felis macrocelis, is marked
very irregularly—some spots are oval, some angular; some open, some
solid. It has stripes like the tiger, spots like the jaguar, rosettes like the
leopard, and black-edged spots like the ocelots. Its color is gray, and it
always has two bold, uninterrupted bands of velvety-black running the
whole length of its back. The hair is long and very fine, and thus its
tail is peculiarly capable of that curious expansion which is familiar to
us in the domestic cat. When full grown its body measures about forty
inches, its tail about twenty-five.

In spite of its size it is a gentle creature. Two specimens, possessed
by Sir Stamford Raffles, were very playful, rolling over on their backs
the better to enjoy the caresses of those who would pat or stroke their
beautiful soft fur. Nor did they confine their sportful propensities to
human companions. One of them, while on board ship, struck up a great
friendship for a little dog that was its co-voyager, and used to gambol
with its diminutive playfellow in the most considerate manner, taking
great care to do no damage through its superior strength and size.
While on board, it was fed chiefly on fowls, and generally used to extract
a little amusement out of its dinner before it proceeded to the meal.
When it received the fowl, it was accustomed to pounce upon the dead
bird just as if it had been a living one, and tear it to suck the blood. It
would then toss the bird about for hours, just as a cat tosses a mouse,
tumbling over it, and jumping about it.

The natives of Sumatra, where it is found, assert that it is by no
means a savage animal, and that it generally restricts its depredations to
the smaller deer and to birds, including domesticated poultry. The
curious name which is given to this animal is of native formation,
and has been assigned on account of its arboreal propensities. It
spends much of its time upon the tree branches, and lies in wait for its
prey, crawling along a bough, with its head resting in the fork of the
branches. The word “ Dahan,” or “ Dayan,” signifies the forked portion
of a bough.

The CoLocoLo, Felts ferox, is a small savage creature. Its color is
gray, with the exception of the under parts of the body, the throat, and
inside of the limbs, which are white. Black streaks, occasionally diversi-

eae vi o>

THE WILD-CATS. 209

fied with a deep tawny hue, are drawn at intervals over the body and
limbs; the legs are of a darker gray than the rest of the body, and the
tail is covered with a series of partial black rings, which extend only
half way round that member. These black stripes are almost invariably
edged with a deep tawny hue, and, on the shoulders, flanks, and thighs,
they are entirely tawny. The legs themselves are darker than the rest
of the body, being of a very deep gray. In size, the Colocolo equals or
surpasses the ocelots, and, to judge from collateral evidence, is a terrible
enemy to the animals among which it lives.

A specimen of this creature was shot on the banks of a river in
Guiana by an officer of rifles, who stuffed it, and placed the skin to dry
on the awning of his boat. As the vessel dropped down the river it
passed beneath some trees on which monkeys were perched. Monkeys
usually never hesitate to indulge their curiosity, and venture as near as
they can to passing boats, but the stuffed skin of the Colocolo was too
much for them and they fled in dismay.

THE WILD-CATS.

We must warn our readers that they must go on and consult our next
chapter if they wish to learn anything about our native Wild-Cats.
Neither the so-called “ American Wild-Cat, nor the “Texan Wild-Cat,”
nor the “ Red Cat,” are cats at all, but lynxes: such is the perversity
of scientific classification. By the true cats, we mean the domestic cat
with its varieties, and two wild species from either of which our domestic
cat may be a descendant.

The EvuRopEAN WILD-CaT, Felis catus, has for a long time been
regarded as the original form of our household pussy, and this view has
still some defenders. But some very striking differences, not to be ex-
plained by domestication, exist ; one very apparent one is the different
shape of the tail. In the domestic cat this appendage is long, slender

‘and tapering; in the wild-cat it is shorter, truncated at the end and

bushy. The wild-cat is one-third larger and much stronger than the
domestic cat. The hair is stronger, the whiskers more ample, and the
teeth stouter and sharper. The color of the creature is pretty uniform,
the ground tint of the fur being yellowish or sandy-gray, marked with
streaks like the tiger at right angles to the spine. A dark row of spots
runs along the back; the tail has numerous black rings and a black tip.

210 CARNIVORA,

The fur in the colder regions, such as North Germany and parts of
Russia, becomes very long and thick.

The wild-cat is not found in Denmark, Sweden or Norway, nor in
Northern Russia, where the lynx takes its place. In Germany it in-
habits all the well-wooded central mountain regions, such as the Harz,
the Thuringian, Bohemian and Black Forests, and the mountains of
Upper Hesse. From these head-quarters the wild-cats pass from wood
to wood in the plains, and it is probable that they might be found in
such localities much oftener than one fancies. In England it is almost
extinct, but it still lingers in the North of Scotland and in Ireland, in
which last country it bears the name of the “ Hunting Cat.” It is very
common in Southeastern Europe, from the Alps to the Black Sea and
the frontiers of Asia. But it does not pass the limits of Europe, and
has never been caught south of the Caucasus. It loves dense and
lonely forests, especially selecting rocky localities, as the crags and
boulders furnish it with sate shelter; it often occupies hollow trees, and
does not despise to take up its abode in the hole of the badger or the
den of the fox.

At night the wild-cat sallies out on his foray, and any one who has ob-
served the sly, stealthy, silent way in which the common cat hunts birds,
can form a good notion of its actions, and judge how it climbs into the
nests of the birds, pounces on the hare on its form or the rabbit sporting
near its burrow. But it attacks even young fawns, and kills them, leap-
ing on their back and biting the veins of the neck; while it is most de-
structive to dovecots and hen-roosts, where it kills many more than it
can eat. When driven to extremity or wounded the wild-cat is a
dangerous foe for dog or man. A German forester tracked one into a
hollow tree, and struck the trunk to start it out again. While he was
hammering away the cat appeared; before he could raise his gun it was
on his back, tore off his thick leathern cap with its claws, and bit
through his neckerchief. His cries brought his son to his assistance, but
the cat held on to its victim till its head was broken in. In spite of every
care the forester died in great agony. An English sportsman who
attacked a wild-cat in Scotland, writes: “As soon as I was within six
or seven feet of the place, she sprang straight at my face, over the dogs’
heads. Had I not struck her in mid-air as she leaped at me, [ should
probably have got some severe wound. As it was, she fell with her back
half broken amongst the dogs, who, with my assistance, dispatched her.

—— CU

pela Bee

THE DOMESTIC CAT. 211

I never saw an animal fight so desperately, or one which was so difficult
to kill. Ifa tame cat has nine lives, a wild-cat must have a dozen.”

The MANUL, /elis manul, is a Siberian wild-cat, somewhat lower than
the European one in stature, and clad in a very thick coat of yellowish
and dark-brown hair growing out of a close gray fell. It is found on
the North of the mountainous border of Central Asia, exclusively on the
steppes. It is mentioned here because some naturalists perhaps justly
regard it as the original of the Angora cat.

THE MALAY CAT.

The Maray Cat or Kuwuk, Felis Favanensis (Plate XI), is of a
grayish-brown color with dark black bands. During the day it hides in
hollow trees, sallying out to plunder by night. The natives describe it
as very sagacious, but fierce and untamable; they affirm that, in order to
approach fowls unsuspected, it imitates their voices.

The CHINESE Cat, Felis undatus (Plate X1), is a dwarf variety, reach-
ing a length of barely two feet, ivcluding tail. Its color is a brownish-
gray, and four longitudinal stripes, two over the eyes, two on each side
of the nose are very conspicuous. The stripes from the eyes turn
toward the shoulders; those from the nose run along the back on each
side of a row of oblong spots: the flanks are covered with small round
spots which extend also over the tail.

This dwarf cat is found in India, the Sunda islands and Japan, and in

.China is the representative of the wild-cat. It is one of the wildest and
bloodiest species of the family, and resists all attempts at taming.

THE DOMESTIC CAT.

There seems to be little doubt that we must regard as the ancestor
of our household cat, the Nubian Cat, which, in the hoariest antiquity,
all Egypt reverenced, worshipped and embalmed. While other animals
were worshipped locally, the cats were deemed holy everywhere. If a
house took fire, the cat was the first thing saved; if a cat died, the
Egyptians went into mourning; whoever purposely or accidentally killed
one was put to death; not even the name of a Roman citizen could save
the offender. The bodies of the cats were carefully embalmed and
placed in the tomb, and they are still the most common mummies found
in the sepulchres.

212 CARNIVORA.

The Goddess Pacht or Bast who is represented with a cat’s head,
had her shrine at Bubastis in the Delta, and there most of the cats were
taken to be buried. Pacht seems to have been the goddess who presided
over birth and infancy, and to have represented some of the attributes
of the Phoenician Astarte.

In German mythology the cat appears as the beast of the goddess
Freia who drove about drawn by a team of cats; hence when the religion
of our fathers gave way to Christianity the cat became the associate of
witches in popular superstition, and lingering reminiscences of its sacred
character have given rise to the belief still held by most of us, that “ who
ever drowns a cat will be unlucky for seven years.” The cruel practice
of throwing from the church tower cats with bladders tied to their feet
is said to have arisen at Ypres, and was regarded as a sign that the
people had thrown off heathenism; it was a mockery of Freia’s team.
The proverb of “letting the cat out of the bag” has a curious history.
According to tradition the Ring of the Nibelungs had the power of
always replenishing a hoarded treasure: of course such a ring was a
most desirable acquisition, and if the ring could not be procured, was
there any substitute? The substitute was called the ‘ Broodpenny,” and
was a coin which could be procured in this fashion; on the longest night
of the year take a black cat and put it in a bag, and tie the bag tight with
ninety and nine knots; then go to the church and walk three times round
the church, taking care every time you pass the door to put your mouth
to the key-hole, and call for the sexton. On the third summons the
appears; you ask him if he would like to

sexton—of course old Nick
buy a hare; he offers and you accept a dollar for your bag and its con-
tents. You must then do your very best running, while the purchaser
is untying the ninety and nine knots, for when they are all untied, the
cat is out of the bag, and there is the very devil to pay.

The cat was undoubtedly first tamed by the Egyptians; the Greeks
and Romans make very slight mention of them. In the tenth century
the laws of the Welsh prince Howell Da, fixed the prices of cats of all
ages, and it was decreed that whosoever killed the king’s cat should pay
as a fine such an amount of wheat as was necessary to cover the cat
entirely when held by the tail with its nose on the ground.

The EGypTIaAn Cat, Felis maniculatus, was found by Ruppell on the
west side of the Nile, in a district where rocks and bush alternate; it has
since been seen in Abyssinia, the Soudan and the interior of Africa. Its

CHINESE CAT
MALAY CAT
COMMON CAT WITH KITTENS

ie AR NIV OR A,

THE DOMESTIC CAT. 213

length is about twenty inches, its tail about ten. Its color is a dull-
yellow or gray, reddish on the head and back, lighter on the sides, the
hind-legs are marked with stripes, and some narrow lines appear on the
forehead. Brehm in vain sought to tame a grown up one, but two young
ones in the Zoological Gardens of London seemed peacefully inclined, and
the eminent traveler Schweinfurth found that among the Njam-njams
of Central Africa, the Felis maniculatus did the mouse-catching of their
households. There can be little doubt, then, that this is the species which
the ancient Egyptians undertook to tame. The mummies of cats from
the earliest monuments of that extraordinary people prove that very
little change has been effected in the animal by domestication.

The descendants of the Egyptian cat are found as household pets in
all countries of Europe, in India, Japan and China, in which last empire
it is used to tell the time of day by the size of the pupil of its eyes. In
Modern Egypt it is still regarded with affection as the favorite animal of
Mohammed, and funds exist the interest of which is devoted to feeding
cats. In South America it is not found in the Andes, as it cannot endure
the cold and thin air of the mountains; in New Zealand it has relapsed
into a wild state, and is hunted by the settlers as zealously as they hunt
its wild congeners. In the North of Asia it is an article of commerce,
the Mantchoos do a large trade in it, selling kittens for sable skins
to the neighboring tribes, but it is not found among the Nomad
tribes of Eastern Siberia. Whenever the population quits a roving
for a settled life the cat makes its appearance; it was introduced into
the regions at the mouth of the Amoor in 1853, and by 1857 had
reached the settlements half-way up that stream. The Danish ladies
carried cats with them to Greenland. In North America it is in every
household.

The cat is thus a living witness of the progress of mankind, of settled
life and incipient civilization. Yet under all circumstances the cat asserts
its independence, and submits to man only as far as it chooses. If cared
for, it becomes attached to the family ; if neglected, it becomes attached
to the house. We are too frequently in the habit of ascribing to the cat
treachery and want of affection, as well as of undervaluing its intelligence;
we apply to it the same epithets that a dominant race always applies
to a weaker one when it obstinately refuses to resign its independence,
and sink into contented slavery. The cat refuses to be our slave or lick
the hand that flogs it; and it will not place its qualities unreservedly at

eet eS a

214 CARNIVORA.

our disposal. As far as mere brain power is concerned it is higher than
the dog. Gratiolet, who has classed all the mammalia in groups accord-
ing to the development of the brain, places the cats in the class above
that to which he assigns the dog.

The Domestic Cat, Felts domesticus (Plate XI), appears in various
colors. We have them white, black, almost always with a white spot
on the breast, yellow, bluish-gray, gray with dark stripes, and the so-
called tortciseshell cats in whose coats three colors combine. We may
remark as a curious fact that all white cats with blue eyes are deaf, and
that all tortoiseshell cats are females.

There are few varieties of the cat; two only deserve mention here.

The ANGOLA Cat, Felis domesticus angolensis, is distinguished by its
size, its long silky hair, and its flesh-colored lips and soles. Pallas regards
it as descended from the Manul (p. 211). It is generally of a uniform
color, and is a very handsome creature. It is very lazy, and prefers
being supported for its beauty to working for a living

The Manx Cat, Felis domesticus ecaudatus, has the hind-legs dis-
proportionately developed, and is remarkable for the want of a tail,
the absence of which member is only indicated by a rather wide pro-
tuberance. This want of the usual caudal appendage is most con-
spicuous when the animal, after the manner of domestic cats, clambers
on the tops of houses, and walks along the parapets. How this singular
variation of form came to be perpetuated is extremely doubtful, and at
present is an enigma to which a correct answer has yet to be given. It
is by no means a pretty animal, for it has an unpleasant weird-like aspect
about it, and by reason of its tailless condition is wanting in that undulat-
ing grace of movement which is so fascinating in the feline race. A
black Manx cat, with its glaring eyes and its stump of a tail, is a most
unearthly apparition.

We need not burden our pages with anecdotes of cats, nor endeavor
to refute the ignorant belief that they can perform the impossible feat
of sucking an infant’s breath. We may, however, add a few lines on two
points.

The extraordinary electrical character of the Cat is well known. On
a cold, bright day, if a cat be stroked, the hairs of the fur bristle up, and
electrical sparks issue therefrom, accompanied with a slight crackling.

It appears, too, that the animal may be so surcharged with electricity
that it will give a severe shock to the holder. In order to obtain this

THE SERVAL. 215

result, the cat should be placed on the knees, and one hand applied to its
breast while the other is employed in stroking its fur. Cracklings and
sparkles soon make their appearance, and in a short time, if the party
continues to stroke the animal, he will receive a sharp electrical shock
that may be felt above the wrists. The cat seems to suffer as much as
the experimenter, for on giving forth the shock she springs to the ground
in terror, and seldom will permit a repetition of the same process.

The other point is the ‘“ homeing”’ power of the cat. No difficulties or
dangers seem to prevent it from finding its way home, even from a con-
siderable distance and under circumstances which would cause any other
animal to fail. Eighteen cats, belonging to different persons, were put in
baskets and carried by night to a distance of three miles, when they were
set at liberty at a given moment. A wager was laid upon them, and the
cat that got home first was to be the winner. One of the animals arrived
at its residence within an hour, and carried off the prize. Three only
delayea their arrival until the next morning.

Whether the cat can ever be used, like the carrier-pigeon, to carry
intelligence in time of war through the enemy’s lines, remains to be seen,

THE MARTEN CAT AND SERVAL.

Before we pass to the next genera two other species of cats must be
mentioned, one a link between the cats and civets, the other between the
cats and lynxes.

The MarTEN Cat, Felis viverrinus, attains the length of three feet, ten
inches of which must be reckoned to the tail. It is longer and lower
than the ordinary cat, and has a smaller head. It is found in the East
Indies and the adjacent islands as far as Formosa.

The SERVAL, Felis serval, is commonly called by the Dutch colo-
nists of the Cape the “Bush cat.” It is a very pretty animal, and on
account of the bold variegations of its fur, its skin is in great request,
and finds a ready sale among furriers, who know it by the name of the
Tiger-cat.

The ground color of the Serval’s fur is of a bright golden tint, sobered
with a wash of gray. The under portions of the body and the inside of
the limbs are nearly white. Upon this ground are placed numerous dark
spots, which occasionally coalesce and form stripes. In number and size
they are very variable. The ears are black, with a broad white band

216 CARNIVORA.

across them, and from their width at the base, they give the animal a
very quaint aspect when it stands with its head erect.

In disposition, the Serval appears to be singularly docile, and even
more playful than the generality of the sportive tribe of cats. It is not
a very large animal, measuring about eighteen inches in height, and two
feet in length, exclusive of the tail, which is ten inches long, and covered
with thick, bushy fur; the body is slender, but stands high, the head is
long, the ears remarkably large, the eye small and placed obliquely.

According to Mr. Anderson some of the African tribes believe that
the real Tiger exists in their country, but they evidently refer to the
Serval. When attacked the Serval displays great ferocity ; the traveler
just mentioned had one of his best and strongest dogs nearly killed
by a Serval. On being discovered the beast took refuge in a tree, and
was not dispatched before it had received sixteen wounds, some of the
arrows employed for the purpose having been poisoned.

CHAPTER VI.

THE LYNXES AND CHEETAHS.

THE GENUS LYNX—THE PERSIAN LYNX—IHE CARACAL—THE EUROPEAN LYNX-—THE BOOTED
LYNX—THE CANADIAN LYNX—THE AMERICAN WILD-CATS—THE GENUS GEPARDUS—THE
CHEETAH OR HUNTING LEOPARD.

the cats proper, although in common parlance many lynxes are
called cats. In our family of the Felidae the Lynxes form the
second genus.

a LMOST all naturalists now place the lynx in a separate genus from

Ii.—GENUS LYNX.

The Lynxes are characterized by a large head with tufted ears, a
powerful body on long legs, and usually a short tail. All quarters of the
globe, except Australia, are blest with Lynxes. They haunt dense, almost
impassable forests and thickets, but are found also in steppes and deserts ;
they may be regarded as highly developed cats, and are as rapacious as
any leopard, and must be classed among the creatures which do more
harm than good. Dr. Gray classes together as a genus two small lynxes
in which the ear tufts are not developed and the tail hangs down to the
heel. One of them is an African, the other an Indian animal, which we
prefer to regard as species only.

THE PERSIAN LYNX.

The PERSIAN or MARSH Lynx, Lynx chaus (Plate X), our first ex-
ample ot the Lyncine group, is not unlike the lion in the general tawny
hue of its fur, but is extremely variable both in the depth of tint and in
certain indistinct markings which prevail upon the body, limbs, and tail.
The fur, however, is always more grizzled than that of the lion, and there
seem to be in almost every individual certain faint stripes upon the legs

218 CARNIVORA,

and tail, together with a few obscure stripes or dashes of a darker color
upon the body.

Along the back, the hue is deeper than on the sides, and on the under
parts of the body the fur is of a very pale tint. The extremity of the teil
is black. The markings which are found on this animal are caused by
the black extremities of some of the hairs. When these black-tipped
hairs are scattered, they produce the grizzly aspect which has been
mentioned as belonging to this animal, but when they occur in close
proximity to each other, they produce either spots, streaks, or dashes,
according to their number and arrangement. On the tail, however,
they always seem to gather into rings, and on the legs into stripes.
There is an undercoating of soft woolly hair through which the longer
hairs stick up,

The Chaus is found in Eastern and Southern Africa, Persia and India,
It frequents, as its name indicates, marshy ground; its food consists
chiefly of the smaller quadrupeds and birds, but it is also fond of fish,
which it catches very adroitly by a sweep of its paw.

The Chaus was known to the ancient Egyptians, who embalmed and
entombed it as they did the cat, and some authorities even incline to
regard it as the ancestor of the cat.

THE CARACAL,

The Caracal, Lynx melanotis (Plate X), is distinguished by a slender
body, long legs, narrow pointed ears with black tufts. Both its common
and its scientific titles, the Turkish cera-ca/, and the Greek me/an-otis,
mean * black-eared,’ It is widely extended, being found in Afriéa, Asia
Minor, and India; it avoids woodlands, and prefers the steppes and
deserts, where it lives usually on small birds and animals; sometimes,
however, it attacks the lesser kinds of antelopes. Its color is pale-brown,
warmed with a tinge of red, varying slightly in different individuals
The under parts of the body are paler than the upper, and slightly be
sprinkled with spots. The color of these spots is very variable, for in
some individuals they are nearly black, while in others they are a reddish-
chestnut. The lower lip, the tip of the upper lip, and the chin are quite
white, The tail is very short. [t is not a very large animal, being about
equal to a rather large bull-terrier dog in size, but very much more
active,

us eee)

THE LYNXES. 219

It is a peculiarly ferocious and surly animal, wearing a perpetual
expression of malevolence, and always appearing to be, as it truly is,
ready for a snarl and a bite.

It is said to hunt in packs occasionally like wolves or wild dogs, and
it possesses very great strength in comparison to its size, being capable
at the same time of making surprising springs and of climbing trees.

THE EUROPEAN LYNX.

The Common Lynx, Lynx vulgaris, has a strong beard and a short
rudimentary tail. A full-grown lynx attains the length of three feet, or
even three and a half feet, the tail measuring six to eight inches. The
animal has a very powerful, compact figure, strong limbs, paws resem-
bling those of the leopard, long ears ending in black hairs an inch and a
quarter long. The fur is thick and soft, forming on the face a white
beard which hangs down in two pcints; its color is usually reddish-gray
and grayish-brown mixed, and marked on the head, neck and back with
darker spots; the inside of the ear is white. The tail is thickly covered
with hair, and the latter half is black. Its coat is shorter in summer and
reddish in hue, but becomes longer and whiter in winter. The varieties
of color are very numerous; indeed, scarcely two individuals are pre-
cisely alike.

However common this animal may have been in the Middle Ages, it
is now comparatively rare; and Brehm states that the last lynx in Ger-
many was killed in 1846. It is found, however, in Hungary and Russia,
and is represented by a kindred species in the South of Europe.

The lynx was known to the ancients; the Greeks consecrated it to
Bacchus, and Pliny has placed to its credit several absurd stories.
Among others, he endows it with the faculty of seeing through walls;
hence the expression Lynz-cyed, which is adopted in our language to
designate very keen vision.

This animal resembles the caracal in its habits and mode of obtaining
prey. Sheep often fall victims to the lynx, but it finds its chief nourish-
ment among hares, rabbits, and other small animals. Like the caracal it
is an excellent climber of trees, and chases its prey among the branches
with ease and success.

The fur of the lynx is valuable for the purposes to which the feline
skin is usually destined, and commands a fair price inthe market. Those

220 CARNIVORA.

who hunt the lynx for the purpose of obtaining its fur, choose the winter
months for the time of their operations, as during the cold season the
lynx possesses a richer and a warmer fur than is found upon it during
the warm summer months,

The SOUTHERN Lynx, Lynx pardinus, is a smaller but more beautiful
animal, found in Spain and Portugal. Its fur is of a ruddy chestnut color,
with black spots and stripes, and from these leopard-like markings it
derives its scientific appellation. Its flesh is regarded in Spain as a
great delicacy; it is beautifully white and tastes like veal. Madrid
receives yearly about three hundred lynx-skins, which are made into
caps much admired by gipsies, stableboys, and bull-fighters. The name
of “ Loup-cervier,” sometimes given to it, probably originated from its
howling like a wolf during the night. It nimbly climbs trees in pursuit
of prey. Martens, ermines, hares, and rabbits also enter into its ali-
mentation. It does not, however, eat the flesh of large victims, unless
its hunger is extreme; but generally is satisfied by sucking out the
brain.

Taken young, it becomes accustomed to captivity, and is fond of being
caressed ; but it will return to its wild life if opportunity offers, so really
never becomes attached to its master. It is an extremely cleanly animal,
and like the cat, passes a large portion of its time in washing and cleansing
its fur.

THE (BOORE DEINE,

The BooTeD Lynx, Lynx caligatus, derives its name from the appear-
ance of its hind-legs, which are covered with black hair. The general
tint of the fur is gray, plentifully besprinkled with black hairs. It is
found in the southern parts of India and the greater part of Africa, from
Egypt and Morocco to the Cape. It is very probable that the Booted
Lynx is not a species, but only a variety of the Persian Lynx.

THE CANADIAN LYNX.

The POLAR or CANADIAN LyNx, Lynx Canadensis (Plate X), is called
by the French Canadians Le Chat or Peeshoo. It is the largest of the
American lynxes, and sometimes attains the length of four feet, including
the tail. It is one of the most important fur-bearing animals of the con-
tinent; the hair is longer and thicker than in the European lynxes, the

THE CANADIAN LYNX. 221

beard and ear-tufts are more developed, and each hair is of two colors.
A brownish silver-gray is the prevailing hue, marked on the flanks very
indistinctly with spots; in some specimens the fur takes a slight chest-
nut tinge. The ears are edged with white. But it is probable that con-
siderable changes of the coat take place according to the season of the
year.

When running at speed it presents a singular appearance, as it pro-
gresses by a series of bounds, with the back arched and all the feet
coming to the ground nearly at the same time. It is a good swimmer,
being able to cross the water for a distance of two miles or more.
Powerful though it be, it is easily killed by a blow on the back, a slight
stick being sufficient weapon wherewith to destroy the animal. The
nesh of the Peeshoo is eaten by the natives, and is said, though devoid
uf flavor, to be agreeably tender. It is not so prolific as the generality
of the feline tribe, as the number of its young seldom exceeds two, and
.t only breeds once in the year. The range of this animal is as far south
as the Great Lakes and eastward to the Rocky Mountains, but it is not
uncommon in Northern New York. It frequents wooded regions, and
in its manner of life differs in no respect from the other lynxes. Some
authors describe it as a timid animal easy to destroy, but Audubon calls
it a strong, bold creature, which can take good care of its hide. Audu-
bon writes ; ‘“‘The Canada lynx is more retired in its habits than our
common wild-cat, keeping far from the habitations of settlers. Its fine,
long fur enables it to withstand the cold of our northern latitudes. When
alarmed, it leaps or bounds rapidly in a straight direction, and if hard
pressed, takes to the trees, which it climbs by the aid of its powerful
fore-legs and claws. It swims well, and will cross the arm of a lake two
miles wide.” He adds: “ The stories told of the great cunning of this
species in throwing mosses from the trees m order to entice the deer to
feed on them, and then dropping on their backs, may be omitted as
requiring no refutation.” He evidently discredits the common belief
to which we have referred above that this lynx “is easily destroyed by a
blow on the back with a slender stick.”

The food of the Canada lynx consists of grouse and cther birds,
hares, rabbits, squirrels, the Arctic fox, and the lemming. It is said to
pounce on the wild goose at its breeding-places, and Audubon heard
with skepticism an account of its having killed a deer, but confirms the
statement that it kills young fawns.

is)
to
to

CARNIVORA,

THE AMERICAN WILD-CATS.

The so-called wild-cats consist of three small species of lynxes which
are somewhat difficult to distinguish. Baird writes: “In the study of
the North American lynxes i have found it very difficult to come to
satisfactory conclusions, owing to the imperfect condition of some speci-
mens and the uncertainty as to date of collecting others. Northern skins
of wild-cats have generally longer and softer hair the year through than
the southern, while, as in the deer, the hair will have a reddish or bay
tinge, which is replaced by grayish in winter. As a general rule, the
further south we go the smaller the species. There appear to be at least
the Common
Bay Lynx, which reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific throughout
nearly the whole latitude of the United States, but is replaced in Texas
and Southern California by the Lynx maculatus (Texas Wiid-cat), and in
Northern Oregon and Washington Territory by the Lvza jfasctatus (Red
Cat). The precise limit of the last mentioned species, other than as

three species of smaller American lynxes in North America

indicated, has not been ascertained.”
Audubon regards the two latter species as merely varieties of the
common wild-cat.

THE WILD-CAT OR BAY LYNX.

The WiLp-caT or Bay Lynx, Lynx rufus (Plate X), is described as
follows: “ The fur moderately full and soft, above and on the sides pale
rufous overlaid with grayish—the latter color most prevalent in winter—
a few obsolete dark spots on the sides, and indistinct longitudinal lines
along the middle of the back; color on the throat like the sides but much
paler; beneath, white spotted; inside of the legs, banded; tail, with a
black patch at the end with indistinct subterminal half-rings ;
face of ear with a white patch.”” Length of head and body twenty-seven
inches ; tail, seven inches; height at shoulder, fifteen inches. The Bay

inner sur-

Lynx is fond of swampy situations, and is abundant in the cane-brakes
of the Southern States, where at times they have become a great nui.
sance by the havoc they make among the poultry. It is generally cow-
ardly when attacked, and always flies from its pursuers; and Audubon
says that he always found it very timid, and unwilling to attack anything
larger than a hare or a young pig. Dr. Coleman witnessed a fight be-

THE WILD-CATS. 223

tween an eagle and a wild-cat. After a fierce struggle, in which the
eagle was so badly wounded that he could not fly, the cat, badly scratched
and having one eye gouged out, was found lying dead.

In parts where their destruction is necessary, the wild-cats are hunted
by dogs or caught in traps, and if a cat is “treed,” the hunters shake it
off as they would a racoon. These cats hunt just like common cats, and
mew and purr in the same way. They are not good swimmers, but are
not averse to taking to water.

Audubon tried to domesticate 2 young wild-cat ; it showed, however,
no disposition to improve its habits and manners, but became daily more
wild and vicious.

THE TEXAS WILD-CAT.

The Texas WILD-cCAT, Lynx maculatus. We quote again from Baird:
“Fur short and rather coarse, color light reddish-brown overlaid with
gray in winter, quite distinct darker spots on back and sides; color on
throat paler than on sides; beneath, white spotted; inside of legs,
banded; black patch at end of tail; inner surface of ear black, with a
white patch; an obscure dark line runs on each side of the neck, with
two round, black spots between their extremities; the ears large and
pointed.” Length from nose to root of tail, three feet; tail, six and a
half inches. This variety is found in Mexico, Texas, and California.

THE RED CAT.

The Rep Cat, Lynx fasciatus. Fur very full and soft; back, chestnut-
brown, a little paler on sides and throat ; no spots or bands on the back ;
dusky spots beneath. Ears black inside, with slight grayish patch. Last
third of tail black on upper side. Size same as the common wild-cat.

This variety was first described by Lewis and Clark in 1814 as the
“'Ticer Cat.”

IIlL—GENUS CYNALURUS.

This genus, CYN4LURUS, which is by interpretation ‘ Dog-cat,” con-
tains only ove species. The animals thus described well deserve their
name, for they indeed seem half-dog and half-cat. Catlike is the head
and long tail; but the rest of the body is doglike, especially the long

224 CARNIVORA.

limbs, the claws of which are only imperfectly retractile ; the muscles for
shooting out and drawing back the claws are there, but they are so weak
and powerless that the claws always protrude and consequently are worn
blunt. The teeth, on the other hand, are unmistakably those of a member
of the family of Felidae, but the tail is curled over on itself at the extremity
like the tail of a dog. Not only in external appearance are the members
of this genus intermediate between the feline and the canine families, but
they also display the qualities of both; they have the sharp eye and the
cunning of the cat combined with the docility, mildness, and attachment
of the dog.

THE CHEETAH.

The CHEETAH, Cyne/urus judatus (Plate VIITD, is popularly called the
“ Hunting Leopard,” but it can lay no claim to be considered a leopard,
and has been so called on account of its spotted hide. Its scientific name
Jjubatus, or “maned,” has been assigned to it because a quantity of long
hair grows on the back of the head and neck. Some writers needlessly
distinguish between the African and Asiatic varieties, but the animals are
essentially the same.

The Cheetah, with its slender, narrow body, stands higher than the
cats proper; the head is small and somewhat rounded like a dog’s, the
ear is broad and short, the eye has a round pupil, the hide is rough and
of a yellowish-gray color, marked with black and brown spots, arranged
close together on the back and partly extending along the tail, which is
ringed with black toward the end. The body measures about three feet,
the tail about two. The African variety, called in Arabic Fashad, has
no mane, the predominant color of the fur is orange-yellow, and the tip
of the tail is white.

The Cheetah is found in all Southwestern Asia, and is a genuine beast
of the plains, depending for its food on its speed and activity. It can
creep on the ground, but does so more like a wolf or fox than like a cat;
when it quickens its pace it runs with the long leap of the greyhound.
It is quite unable to climb. It purrs like a cat, but in a deeper and
rougher tone, and at times utters a very peculiar cry, so like the word
Cheetah that we are justified in supposing that it derives its name from it.
Its usual food consists of small ruminants; its speed alone would not
enable it to take an antelope, but its catlike cunning comes to its aid.
When its prey is visible, it creeps snakelike along the ground till it comes

a : ‘ THE CHEETAH.
7
_ within twenty or twenty-five yards, when a few of its long leaps places
it on its victim’s back, and it buries its teeth in the throat.
Being docile as a dog, the Cheetah has allowed these natural gifts to
___ be developed and trained by man, and in the East it is as much a part of
_ a hunting establishment as a falcon or a pack of hounds. It is usually
the female that is thus used; and when it is taken out to hunt, it is
hooded and placed on a light car in company with its keepers.

The places which gazelles frequent are sought out. As soon as one
is perceived, the huaters stop, the Cheetah is unfastened and its eyes
unbandaged, and the game is pointed out to it. Immediately, under
cover of the high vegetation and brushwood, the beast glides off in pur-
suit, taking advantage, with unequalled tact, of the slightest breaks in
the ground to conceai its movements. When it considers that it is suf-
ficiently near its victim it suddenly shows itself, dashes on with terrible
impetuosity, springs on the prey after a succession of prodigious bounds,
and immediately pulls it to the ground.

Its master, who has followed the events of the chase, then enters upon
the scene. To detach it from its victim he throws it a piece of flesh,
speaks gently to it, and caresses it; after which he again covers its eyes,
and replaces it on the saddle or in its conveyance, while the assistants
carry off the quarry.

This amusement is greatly in vogue in Mongolia, and a well-trained
hunting-leopard attains an extraordinary price among the inhabitants.
In Persia this method of hunting is not conducted in quite the same
way. Men and dogs beat the woods and drive the game toward the
hunters, who let the Cheetahs loose as the quarry passes them.

The Cheetah can be tamed perfectly, so that it can be allowed to
ramble about like a dog; it knows its master’s voice and comes when
called, nor does it betray any objection to the caresses of strangers. A
Cheetah at Paris had a most excellent temper, and after a considerable
lapse of time, recognized a negro who had traveled on board the same
ship from Senegal.

225

¥
a

ae? a

CHAPTER. Vuk

Abst (G.I NW/ 1a, 2b (GNM SS):

THE CRYPTOPROCTID2—THE GALET—THE VIVERRID‘E—THE CIVET—THE ZIBETH—THE GENETS
—THE PALE GENET—THE LINSANG—THE HEMIGALE—THE BINTURONG—THE NANDINIA—THE
POUGOUNE—THE MUSANG—THE MASKED PAGUMA—THE MAMPALON—THE ICHNEUMONS—THE
MUNGOS OR MANGOUSTE—THE EGYPTIAN ICHNEUMON—THE CRAB-EATING MANGOUSTE—THE
ZEBRA MANGOUSTE—THE MEERKAT—THE ZENICK—THE MANGUE—THE BANDED MUNGOS,

HE family CRyPTOPROCTID& forms a link between the Cats or

Felidz and the Civets or Viverridz, and contains only ove genus

and that genus but ove species. In figure this animal resembles

the Yaguarundi, in color the Cougar; it has the build, the appearance

and dentition of the felines, the long body, short legs, short ears, long

whiskers and naked soles of the Civets, as well as the remarkable inguinal
glands that characterize the latter.

THE GALET.

The GALET, Cryptoprocta ferox (Plate XII), attains the length of nearly
three feet in the body with a tail about two feet and three quarters. Its
fur is short, thick and stiff, and seems shorn on the head and feet; the
color is a reddish-yellow, darker on the back; its eyes are like those of
the common cat.

The Galet or the Ferret Cat, as the Germans have named it, comes
from Madagascar, where it is dreaded to a laughable extent. It attacks
the Lemurs, and is a foe to domestic fowl, and occasionally to swine. Its
flesh is highly prized as a delicacy by the Malagaseys.

Pollens, the traveler, relates that his native huntsman one day came
face to face with a Galet. The creature was surprised and began to spit
at him. The huntsman in terror flung away his gun, climbed up a tree
and stayed there, trembling in every limb, till the animal had disappeared
in the thickets.

CIVET CATS. 227

Gentle and quiet as the creature appears, it is one of the fiercest
known; it is very muscular and active, and is inflamed with an insatiable
thirst for blood.

The name of Cryptoprocta is given it on account of the manner in
which the hind-quarters taper down into the tail. The word is Greek,
the first two syllables signifying “hidden,” the second two “hind-
quarters.”

DAE CiIveET CATS.

The family of the VIVERRID& comprises a number of small and mod-
erate-sized carnivorous animals known as Civets, Genets and Ichneumons,
which differ from the Carnivora hitherto mentioned, by their slender,
elongated, round body, their short legs, their long, slender neck and
elongated head, as well as by their long, usually pendent tail. The eyes
are small, the ears of various sizes; some species have four toes, some
five, and many possess retractile claws. But the most remarkable
peculiarity about them is the presence near the tail of two or more
glands and receptacles, which secrete and store up a fluid of a peculiar,
sometimes agreeable odor. While the Viverride in many respects re-
semble the Martens and Skunks, in many others they resemble the Felidz
and seem to connect the two groups. They are found in the southern
regions of the Old World, chiefly in Africa and Asia; for the so-called
American Civet, Bassaris astuta, finds its proper place in the family of
the Procyonide or Racoons. Throughout the family we find great variety
of form, and equally great variety in their haunts; many live in wastes
and steppes, or the scanty thickets of the driest portions of Africa and
Asia, others prefer fruitful lowlands and the banks of rivers, some
approach the settlements of man, others shyly retire into the darkness
of the forests, some frequent trees, some never leave the earth.

The Viverridz are mostly nocturnal in their habits, active and lively,
but many prowl about during the day. Their movements are char-
acterized by suppleness and grace; and no animals equal these in the
serpentine manner in which they glide over the ground, and few in the
rapidity with which they spring upon their prey, a rapidity in striking
contrast with their usually deliberate gait. Some species have been quite
domesticated, the Ichneumons and Mangoustes being used to keep the
houses in Eastern countries free from serpents and other animal pests.
Their sense of smell is very acute; their powers of sight vary according

228 CARNIVORA,

to the habits, nocturnal or diurnal, of the animal; their sense of hearing
is less developed.

All species of this family are intelligent and docile, and express by
their movements gratitude for kindness; even the wildest varieties soon
become tame, and learn to answer to their name.

The great variety of form in the Viverride has led to numerous
systems of classification; older writers are content with eight genera,
but Gray, who has made an exhaustive study of the family, subdivides it
into ¢Airty-three genera, and one hundred species. Of these we shall men-
tion only the most important.

GENUS VIVERRA.

Tbe members of this genus have a long slender body, a long drooping
tail, pretty long legs, feet of five toes with half retractile claws, and hairy
soles; short broad ears, moderately large eyes with a round pupil and a
pointed snout and nose; the soft fur and the highly developed odorifer-
ous glands complete the characteristics of the genus. It is distributed
over North and Tropical Africa, and Southern Asia, as far as the Molucca
Islands. According to Gray’s classification it contains ¢/ree species.

THE CIVET AND THE ZIBETRE.

The CIvet, Viverra civetta, and the ZIBETH, Viverra sibetha (Plate
XII), are remarkably alike. The Civet has transverse bands upon a gray
ground, narrow and parallel with each other on the shoulders, larger on
the body and the thighs, while the Zibeth has the body covered with
small round black spots upon a gray ground, sometimes tinted with
brown. The tail of the Zibeth has eight or ten rings of a blackish-brown
with about two inches of black fur at the tip; that of the Civet has only
four or five rings with six inches of black tip. The Zibeth has four black
bands on a white ground on the neck, the Civet in the same place, only
three; the Zibeth has a white spot under the eye and a gray muzzle, the
Civet has no spot under the eye, and the head is entirely black except
the upper lip, which is white; in general the Zibeth has more brown than
the Civet, whose tints are pure white, while the Civet has a rougher coat
than the Zibeth. The words Civet and Zibeth are both European pro-

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THE CIVET AND ZIBETH. 229

nunciations of one and the same Arabic word. The former is a native
of Africa, the latter of Asia.

The TANGALUNG, Viverra tangarunga, has rather more distinct mark-
ings than the preceding species, the three black bands on the throat
being very conspicuous. The body has a thick downy covering of soft
hair next the skin, which gives the tail a cylindrical aspect. The Tanga-
lung is a native of Sumatra.

The Civets in their natural wild state are rather nocturnal than diur-
nal creatures, and live on small birds and animals. Numbers are kept in
captivity for the sake of obtaining the odoriferous substance they pro-
duce. Civet was long a favorite perfume. ‘He rubbeth himself with
civet, a sign that the sweet youth is in love,” and “ An ounce of civet,
good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination,” are well known quotations
from Shakespeare, who describes it correctly as the “ most unclean flux
of a cat.” This substance is contained in two glands, each of which
will hold about the size of an almond; as the civet is formed it is pressed
through small orifices into the pouch, which the animal can compress at
will. When at liberty it discharges the substance in pieces about the
size of a nut every fourteen or twenty days; when captive it is deprived
of the secretion by means of a spoon, care being taken to secure the
creature so that it cannot bite. Usually the civet is removed twice a
week, to the quantity of a drachm each time. When fresh it is white in
color, but turns brown. To prepare the civet of commerce, the sub-
stance is carefully freed from hairs, washed with water and lemon-juice,
and finally dried in the sun. The best kind comes from the Moluccas.
When civet was the scent in fashion, large numbers of the animals were
kept in Italy and Holland as well as by the traders in Abyssinia.

GENUS VIVERRICULA.

The Rasse, Viverricula malacensis, the only species of the genus, is
the Javanese Civet. Its head is wedge-shaped and the ears close to-
gether, the fur is rigid, coarse and scanty, and is marked along the back
with eight parallel lines. It is found usually in forests slightly elevated
above the sea-level; it preys on small birds and animals, and has the
sanguinary appetite of the family in a high degree. It preserves, unlike
the Zibeth, the natural ferocity of its disposition in captivity. Its per-
fume is highly valuca by the Javanese.

CARNIVORA,.

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i)

GENUS GENETTA.

This genus differs from the preceding by the fact that the pouch is
reduced to a slight hollow formed by the projection of the glands, and
that there is no sensible secretion although there is a most manifest odor.
It embraces five species.

The body is slender and elongated, the muzzle pointed, the limbs
short, the whole appearance, indeed, that of the marten. The Genets
live in low grounds and are easily tamed. The eye resembles that of
the common cat, and the claws are retractile; like the Civets they live
on a mixture of animal and vegetable food.

THE GENETS.

The COMMON GENET, Genetta vulgaris, is found in Africa, and even in
the South of France. It is a very beautiful and graceful animal, of a
gray color mixed with yellow, on which dark patches are lavishly scat-
tered, and the full bushy tail is covered with alternate bands of black and
white. The muzzle is black except a white patch on the upper lip.

The PALE GENET, Genetta Senegalensis (Plate XII), has a whiter fur
and different markings; the spots having a tendency to form stripes, and
the hinder legs are quite black at the ankle-joint.

GENUS LINSANG.

This genus contains ‘wo species found in Malacca and Java, and
differs very little from the general characteristics of the Genet group.
The head is pointed, the body uncommonly elongated, the legs short,
the tail as long as the body, the fur smooth and close.

The LINSANG, Linsang gracilis (or Prionodon gracilis), is of a gray
or yellowish-white color with black-brown spots and bands; the tat
exhibits seven broad dark rings and has a white tip.

GENUS HEMIGALE.

This genus from Malacca and Borneo is represented by only one
species, the Hemigale Hardwickii (Plate XII). The color of its fur is

THE BINTURONG. 231

grayish brown, with six or seven bold stripes across the back; these
bands are broad on the back but narrow to a point on the flank, and are
unconnected with each other. The latter half of the tail is black.

GENUS ARCTITIS.

The BINTURONG, Arctitis binturong, is of a dead black color, with
fong coarse dull hair; the head is gray and each ear is furnished with a
long tuft of black hair, the tail is longer than the body and covered with
exceedingly bushy hair. The muzzle is short and sharp, rather turned
up at the extremity and covered with long brown hairs which radiate
round the face.

The Binturong is a good climber of trees, being assisted by its thick
and powerful tail, which is prehensile at the end.

The only species known extends from Nepaul to Java and Sumatra.

GENUS NANDINIA.

This is another genus that contains only one species, the Nandinia
bznotata, which some writers have classed with the Civets, some with the
Ichneumons. It derives its epithet 4zotata from the double row of spots
on the body. The general color of the fur is a rich dark brown, and
the tail is marked with obscurely defined blackish rings.

GENUS PARADOXU RUS.

This genus has the dentition and general characteristics of the Genets,
but the walk is almost plantigrade, and its tail coils spirally although it
is not prehensile. It contains mine species.

The PouGOUNE, Paradoxurus typus, comes from the East Indies, and
is of a brownish-yellow color with some browner markings; the feet,
muzzle and part of the tail are black; on each side of the spine there are
three rows of elongated spots, which, when viewed in certain lights, are
merged into lines.

The MUSANG, Paradoxurus fasciatus, is a native of Java, Borneo and
Siam, and is commonly called the “Java Cat.” It is smaller than the

232 CARNIVORA.

Pougouné, and has a coarser and shorter fur, which presents great varie-
ties of color in different specimens.

The MusAnG is, although a destroyer of rats and mice, a great pest
to the coffee-plantations, which it ravages in such a manner as to have
earned the additional title of the ‘Coffee Rat.” It feeds largely upon
the berries of the coffee-shrub, and it is a remarkable fact that the berries
thus eaten appear to undergo no change by the process of digestion, so
that the natives, who are free from over-scrupulous prejudices, collect
the rejected berries, and are thus saved the trouble of picking and clear-
ing them from the husk. However, the injury which this creature does
to the coffee-berries is more than compensated by its very great useful-
ness as a coffee-planter. For, as these berries are uninjured in their pas-
sage through the body of the animal, and are in their ripest state, they
take root where they le, and in due course of time spring up and form
new coffee-plantations, sometimes in localities where they are not ex-
pected. The Musang is not content with coffee-berries and other vege-
table food, although it seems to prefer a vegetable to an animal diet.
When pressed by hunger, it seeks eagerly after various small quadrupeds
and birds, and is often a pertinacious robber of the hen-roosts-

GENUS PAGUMA.

This genus containing ‘ree species is found in Nepaul, China and
Borneo, and Singapore.

The MASKED PAGUMA, Paguma larvata, used to be placed among the
weasels, and called the Masked Glutton. The name Larvata or Masked,
is given to it on account of the white streak down the forehead and nose,
and the white circle round the eyes, which gives the creature an aspect
as if it was endued with an artificial mask. There is a pale olive-gray
band extending from the back of each ear and meeting under the throat,
and the general color of the fur is an olive-brown, sprinkled with gray.
In China it bears the name of Yu-min-mao. It is a good climber of
trees and is nocturnal in its habits. The other species are the WHITE
WHISKERED PAGUMA and the WOOLLY PaGuMa.

The genera we have hitherto described have been formed by Gray
into the sub-family of the VIVERRINZ; we now proceed to his second
sub-family, that of the HERPESTINA.

—-

THE ICHNEUMONS. 233

GENUS CYNOGALE.

Another genus of only ove species.

The MAMPALON, Cynogale Bennettiz, has a thick compact body, a long
head, pointed muzzle, very short tail and legs, and is remarkable for a
strong beard of long yellowish-white bristles, behind and above which
there are brown bristles, while the cheeks are adorned with two bundles
of long, strong, whitish hairs. The animal is plantigrade, but can climb
trees. It is a native of Borneo and Sumatra, and lives on fish, birds and
fruits.

GENUS GALIDICTIS.

Madagascar furnishes the ¢wo species which constitute this genus.
Little is known of either, except the account furnished by Dr. Gray in
the Zoological Transactions of London.

The Galidictis Vittata is gray, with eight black-brown streaks on the
back and sides, and attains the length of fourteen inches, with a tail of
twelve inches. This animal is remarkably agile, keeping its long bushy
tail erect as it runs about, and uttering a chirp like a rat. One that was
kept on board ship for six months soon became tame, and preferred raw
eggs for food. Its method of breaking them was amusing: it would roll
one toward a projecting timber, then lying down on its side, it grasped
the egg with all its feet and threw it with a sudden jerk, repeating the
process till the contents were obtained.

THE ICHNEUMONS.

Under the popular name of Ichneumon, numerous genera are em-
braced. The word Ichneumon is Greek, and signifies the “tracker,”
from the fact that the best representatives of the group display remark-
able patience and skill in tracking their prey to its hiding-place.

GENUS HERPESTES.

This is a well-defined genus containing twenty-two species, of which
we need mention only two or three. In this genus the pouch is velu-
minous, and single instead of double.

234 CARNIVORA.

The GARANGANG, Herfestes Favanicus, abounds in the teak forests of
Java; it attacks and kills serpents with great boldness; and it is said by
the natives that, when the snake has coiled itself round the Garangang,
the latter inflates its body to a considerable extent, and when the reptile
‘s about to bite contracts again, slips from between the folds and seizes
the snake by the neck. It burrows in the ground, and is expert in pur-
suing rats. It is easily tamed and becomes very docile, following its
master like a dog.

THE MUNGUS.

The MunGus or MANGOUSTE, Herfestes griseus, is a native of the East
Indies; it measures about a foot, and its tail is about the same length;
but it is dificult to ascertain its exact size, as it can contract or elongate
its body several inches.

Its color is a dirty-gray; the circumference of the eye, the ear, and
the muzzle are naked and violaceous; the tail is the same color as the
body, very thick at the root, and terminating in a yellowish point, and
the hairs bristle up like the cat’s when the animal is irritated.

The NYuLA, Herpestes Nyu/a, has its fur marked in a singularly beau-
tiful manner, the pattern resembling fine basket-work; on the back the
pattern is tolerably large, but it becomes smaller on the head, and on
the nose is microscopically fine, although as perfect and uniform as on
the body. The paws are dark.

The MELONCILLO, Herfestes Widdringtonii, deserves notice as the only
European Ichneumon. It was long known to Spanish sportsmen, who
hunted it for the hairs of its tail, which were used to form paint-brushes.
It is probable that it occurs also in Africa.

It lives in river bottoms, chiefly in the provinces of Estremadura and
Andalusia, where the Esparto grass abounds. It measures, including a
tail of twenty inches, about three feet and a half. The fur is short on the
body, the lower surface being almost bare, but becomes longer on the
spine and tail; a dark-gray is the prevailing color, but the tip of the tail
is black.

The Mungus proper is a cleanly, lively, good-tempered creature, and
keeps the house of its owner free from rats and mice, and such creatures,
as well as from those horrible nuisances in all tropical countries—snakes
and scorpions. It is from its combats with the latter that it obtains its
fame. The name it bears has been given it because, according to native

THE MUNGUS. 235

reports, when it is bitten by a poisonous serpent, it digs up a very bitter
root named the Mungo-root, which it eats, and then with renewed vigor
resumes its combat with its foe. European observers who have watched
the animal when it leaves the field of battle, say it eats either grass or
any other herb in the neighborhood. An eye-witness writes: “The
snake—a Spectacled Snake—was a yard and a half long; the Mungus
attacked it immediately, and a terrible struggle ensued. At the end of
five minutes the snake struck the Mungus with its poison-fang. The
animal fell, lay for some time like a dead thing, and foamed at the mouth;
then suddenly rose and rushed into the jungle. In twenty minutes it
returned and renewed the attack with greater spirit than ever, and killed
the snake within six minutes.”

In 1871 the governor of one of the West India Islands consulted the
Zoological Society of London how to get rid of the terrible Lance-snakes.
Mr. Sciater recommended the Mungus, and sent two living ones to Santa
Lucia. On their arrival Governor Des Vceux resolved to try their
powers. A snake was brought in in a glass bottle; the Mungus at once
displayed great animation, and tried to open the glass bottle by pulling
out the rags which served as a stopper. He succeeded; the snake came
out, the Mungus sprang at it, the snake drew back quickly, then struck like
lightning, and the Mungus leaped into the air screaming. But it at once
rushed afresh to the attack, ana after a few minutes dragged the serpent
to its cage, where it devoured its captive at leisure. After the lapse of an
Lour nothing but the tip of the reptile’s tail was left, and the Mungus was
as well as ever. He suffered no inconvenience from the poison.

The ICHNEUMON, /erpestes Ichneumon (Plate XII), has been famous for
ages. Herodotus relates that the Ichneumons were embalmed and en-
tombed in the shrines of every city of old Egypt. Strabo affirms that it
never attacks its foes—the serpents—without calling its companions to its
aid. lian maintains that, before going into the battle, it rolls itself in the
mud, and then dries this coating in the sun till it can resist the serpent’s
fangs. Pliny asserts that the crocodile sleeps with its ponderous jaws
wide open, and that the Ichneumon seizes this opportunity to jump into
its mouth, eat its way to the heart, and then out of the monster's belly.
The Roman writer adds that the Ichneumon creeps about till it finds
the hidden eggs of the crocodile and eats them all, thus deserving the
gratitude of mankind. All these pretty stories unfortunately are devoid
all foundation in fact.

236 CARNIVORA.

The Ichneumon, when fully grown, is as large or larger than our
domestic cat, but seems smaller owing to its short legs. The body is
slender, but by no means so graceful as that of the Genet ; the feet have
naked soles, and are partially webbed. The long tail appears, in conse-
quence of its long hair, to be very thick at the root. The eyes are promi
nent, the ears short, broad and rounded. The fur consists of a thick,
woolly, russet-colored felt, covered with long hair marked with black and
yellowish rings, and having a dull yellow tip.

The Ichneumon, or Pharaoh’s Rat, extends over all North Africa and
Northwestern Asia, and is always found near the habitations of man, fre-
quenting the reedy banks of rivers or the hedges which surround the
fields; through these reed-beds it forms narrow roads which lead to its
nest, where the female brings forth her young. Brehm describes the
Ichneumon as strictly diurnai in its habits, and as timid and suspicious,
possessing the evil odor and bloodthirstiness of the marten. It eats
everything—snakes, worms, lizards, mice, reed-birds; its plunder of the
nests of hens and pigeons renders it hateful to the fellaheen. At present
it does not come into contact with crocodiles, the latter being nearly
exterminated in Lower Egypt. Its mode of progression is very serpent-
like; it seems to glide over the ground without using its legs. In the
summer, when the young ones have been born, the whole family may be
seen together, following each other in Indian file so closely that they seem
to be one snake-like creature. The sense of smell is highly developed,
and is the means by which the Ichneumon tracks his prey.

The Ichneumon was, in the land of the Pharaohs, an emblem of the
Deity as the destroyer of evil; in the Egypt of Turkish Pachas and
Greek traders it is considered a charitable action to kill it. When a
report spreads that some traveler is going to kill a Nims, as the Arabs
call the beast, young and old rejoice; the peasant drops his hoe, the
weaver quits his loom, the waterwheels stop, and all the population
flock to witness the destruction of the murderous little thief.

The sportsman must use a strong charge of powder and fire at a
short range if he wishes to kill, for the Ichneumon possesses incredible
tenacity of life, and will certainly escape if only wounded. The Ich-
neumon is easily tamed and is as playful as a cat, but it is not of much
use to its master.

Like other illusions of our youth, belief in the virtues of the Ich.
neumon is torn from us by modern philosophers.

“—_
:

THE MANGOUSTES. 237

GENUS URVA.

The only species of this Eastern genus is the CRAB-EATING MAN-
GOUSTE, Urva cancrivora. It seems to occupy a position between the
Mangoustes proper and the Gluttons. It is easily distinguished by the
narrow stripe of long white hairs that runs from the mouth to the shoul-
ders, and the bushy base of the tail. It was discovered in the swampy
jungles of Nepaul, but beyond its passion for crustaceous food nothing
is known respecting its habits.

GENUS ARIELA.

The ZEBRA MANGOUSTE, Area tarniata, is again the only species of the
genus. It is one of the smaller members of the family, and does not
much exceed a foot and a quarter in length. The fur is rich, of a fawn-
gray color; on the head and neck the hairs end in black or brown and
white; on the back, in dark and fawn-colored tips; thus producing nine
to ten pairs of regular dark and light transverse bands.

The Zebra Mangouste is found in all Eastern Africa, from the Cape of
Good Hope to Abyssinia. It can be easily tamed, and soon becomes
attached to its masters. It is said to attract some small birds within its
reach by imitating their cries.

Brehm describes two Mangoustes which he had in his possession:
“ As soon as [| let them out of the cage they rambled through the whole
house, and in a few minutes had explored it all. They first visited the
milk-bowl, lifting the lid up with the snout: they then collected all the
bones they could find, preferring marruw-bones; they extracted the mar-
row as far as possible with their claws, but when they could reach no
further they took the bone in their fore-paws, stood up on their hind-legs,
and threw it between their hind-legs against the wall with violence suf-
ficient to dislodge the marrow.”

GENUS CYNICTIS.

This genus, comprising ¢/ree species, is closely allied to the Ichneu-
mon, but differs in the formation of the feet—the animals comprehended

238 CARNIVORA,

in it possessing five toes on the front and four on the hinder legs, and the
soles of the feet are partly covered with hair. The body is slender, the
ear short and round, the hair long on the sides of the tail.

The MEERKAT, Cynictis Levaillantit, attains a length of two feet and a
half; its fur is smooth, its tail bushy; its color is reddish, whence it is
called sometimes the Ruddy Ichneumon; the tail is sprinkled with silver-
gray and has a white tip; long black hairs project over the eyes and on
the lips.

It is found from the Cape of Good Hope northward in the lowlands
and plains of South Africa, living on mice, birds, and insects ; it is savage,
cunning, and agile.

Its specific title has been given it in compliment to the well-known
African traveler Le Vaillant.

The following genera belong to Gray's third sub-family, the Rhino-
galide:

GENUS SURICATA.

This remarkable genus resembles the Herpestes in the color and
markings of its fur, but it is distinguished from them and all the Car-
nivora hitherto mentioned by possessing only four toes on each foot, and
these are covered with a fine skin like the human hand. The odoriferous
glands are not developed into a pouch with separate external apertures.
Only exe species is known.

The ZENICK, Surtcata senick (Plate XID, ts of a dull-brown color,
crossed transversely by slight bands; the tail is brown, and the length
of the body from the tail to the muzzle is about a foot. It moves quickly
with the body arched, not low like the Mangoustes ; it is plantigrade, and
can stand up on its hind-legs and carry food to its mouth with its fore-
paws. The Zenick is easily tamed, and acquires a cat-like affection for the
house it inhabits. It is a native of Africa.

The Zenicks are less carnivorous than the rest of the Viverridz, and
seem to form an intervening link between the Mangoustes and the family
of the Mustelidz or Martens.

A specimen lived for some time in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, but
nothing is known of the animal's habits in its wild state.

THE MUNGOS. 239

GENUS CROSSARCHUS.

‘The animals of this genus have the teeth, the muzzle, the pouch, the
gait of the Zenicks, but the toes and other organs of the Mangouste.
Only one species is known.

The MANGUE, Crossarchus obscurus, is a native of Sierra Leone. The
body is compact, the head round with a pointed muzzle, the tail of me-
dium length, the legs moderately long, all the feet have five toes, the ears
are small, the eye has a round pupil with a third undeveloped lid, the
tongue is long. The color of the animal is a ruddy-brown, which in cer-
tain lights presents a yellowish tinge, owing to the alternate rings of
white and brown with which each hair is marked.

GENUS MUNGOS.

This African Genus contains three species, of which we need mention
only the most typical.

The BANDED MunGos, Mungos fasciatus, is a small animal not much
larger than a water-rat. The color is a blackish-grizzle with a chestnut
tinge on the hind-quarters and a row of darker lines across the back.
It is very lively in its movements, and utters continuously a curious
sound like a frog’s croak; when excited it spits like a cat and bites
furiously at its companions. The fore-paws are armed with long claws,
and it is an admirable climber.

CHAP TE: vik

THE AARD-WOLF AND THE HY ANAS.

THE FAMILY PROJELIDZE—THE AARD-WOLF—THE FAMILY HYA2NIDA2—FABLES AND SUPERSTITIONS
ABOUT THE HY/2NA—THE STRIPED HYANA—TWO TAME ONES—THE BROWN HY4NA—THS
SPOTTED HY“&2NA OR TIGER—~WOLF—RAPACITY OF THIS SPECIES—ITS HORRID LAUGHTER.

HE family PROTELID# is limited to oxe genus and one species,
which is found only in South Africa.

The AARD-WOLF, Prote/es cristatus (Plate XIII), is a highly
modified form of the hyzena, and seems to form a link between that family
and the civet-cats. Some naturalists, indeed, have called it the Civet-hyzna,
but it is usually known by the appellation bestowed upon it by the Dutch
colonists of the Cape of Good Hope. It is much smaller than the hyzenas,
and larger than the civets; in appearance it bears a striking resemblance
to the striped-hyzena, possessing the same powerful and well developed
fore-quarters with the low sloping hind-quarters, and coarse rough fur;
the tail is very large in proportion to the animal’s body, and covered
with thick bushy hair which is black at the tip of the tail; like the hyzena
it has a thick bristling mane on the back of the neck and shoulders, and
it can erect this hirsute appendage when excited. Its ears, however, are
larger than those of the hyzena, and its fore-feet are armed with powerful
claws, the thumb being, as in dogs, very slightly developed. The Aard-
wolf attains the length of about three feet and a half, including the tail,
which measures about one foot. The fur consists of a soft woolly coat-
ing, through which the stiff rough hairs grow, and it is marked with black
vertical stripes on a dull yellow ground; the head is chiefly black, the
mane is black and yellow mixed. ;

The Aard-wolf is nocturnal in its habits, and passes the day in a
burrow which it digs skillfully with its powerful claws. From this prac
tice of burrowing it derives its Dutcs name, which means Earth-wolf,

THE HYANAS. 241

‘These burrows differ from those of the fox and other animals, in being
the habitations of several individuals. Several deep tunnels are dug
which converge to one small chamber where three or four Aard-wolves
take up their residence. Verreaux, the companion of Lalande, who first
described the animal, drove some from their abode; he remarked that
one in place of running away began to burrow in a new spot with remark-
able dexterity. The same observer states tnat the favorite food of the
Aard-wolf consists of lambs, but that at times it kills a sheep, of which,
however, it devours only the tail; carrion seems to form its staple article
of diet ; it sometimes makes a meal of the white ants.

It is probable that the Aard-wolf is more widely distributed than is
commonly assumed. A traveler in Nubia reports that he found there
a civet-hyzena, wnich had been killed by some natives, and which seemed
to resemble perfectly the Aard-wolf of the Cape.

THE HYANAS.

The HY4&NID& constitute another small family of oxe genus and three
species, of which one only is found out of Africa.

The Hyzena is one of the animals which the showmen of menageries
love to dilate upon; blood-thirstiness, rapacity and cunning are the
least crimes laid to its charge; it is accused of beguiling travelers
by imitating the laughter of human revellers, and then falling upon
them and devouring them; and represented as digging human corpses
out of their graves to gratify its loathsome hunger. Some ancient
authors give the hyzna three rows of teeth like the shark (des Meeres
Ffydne), and prickly darts at the end of its tail; some affirm that its
eyes become stone after death. The Arabs regard the animal as a
disguised magician who, by day, assumes a human form, but, by
night, appears as the hyzena, and they warn travelers from shooting
them. “These bewitched men,” said an Arab, “who are cursed by
God, the most High, can, by the mere glance of their evil eye, stop the
blood in the veins of the righteous and make his heart cease to beat.
Our Lord, Kurshid Pacha—may God be gracious to him!—burned
several villages in which these magicians dwelt, but he died suddenly—
the glance of the evil eye slew him. Listen to their cries! are those the
cries of a beast? Assuredly not; they are the lamentations of a human
being, or rather this voice is the laughter of the devil. I knew a young

242 CARNIVORA.

man who killed a hyzena—next morning he had become a gitl; I knew
another whose leg withered after he had slain one of these magicians.
Refrain, O my brother,” he continued, addressing the traveler; ‘“ point
not thy musket at what thou deemest a beast; for it is a son of the
accursed one.”

The appearance of the hyzenas justifies the dislike of mankind; they
resemble dogs, and yet are repulsively dissimilar. The fore-legs which
are used for digging are powerful, the hind-legs short; the disproporuon
between the limbs gives them a shambling, slouching gait, and the slop-
ing line of the back has a sneaking, cowardly look. The teeth and jaws
are remarkably strong, and crash through the thigh bones of an ox with
savage force; the muzzle is short, the tongue rough like a tigers; the
feet have four claws.

The hyena is nocturnal, and usually avoids populous neighborhoods.
It is in darkness and solitude that the traveler hears the peculiar cry of
the prowling troop that makes night hideous till the dawn is breaking,
A piece of stinking carrion attracts them in numbers, but they seldom
attack powerful animals; and never unless the latter take to flight.
Thus they often destroy healthy cattle that can run away, but are afraid
to touch the sickly or maimed ones which are forced to stand at bay.
Schweinfurth the African traveler, however, says that in the country of
the Njam-njams they pursue and run down the antelope as wolves run
down their prey. But this must be quite an exception. The voracity
of the hyena is frightful to witness, and the noise made by a pack over
their favorite carrion, scarcely to be described. The screams, the growls,
the piercing shrieks of laughter easily suggest to the natives that hell
has broken loose. They are useful as scavengers by removing decay-
ing animal matter, especially in the interior of Africa where the corpses
are simply flung outside the villages. Further to the South in the
Hottentot country, they dig up the remains of the dead which are
interred in shallow graves. They everywhere follow the caravans
that cross the deserts, as they know some victim will fall into their
clutches.

THE STRIPED HYANA.
The STRIPED Hy&NA, Hyena striata (Plate XIII), is distinguished by

its peculiar stripes. The general color is grayish-brown with blackish
stripes running along the ribs; a large black patch covers the front of

VUOAINGYVO Tx alv id

VNSAH ddillOds VNSAH NMOUG
JIOM AHVYV
i, fe.

pha ;

’ = MS ~ Ree 2 ier Dad

THE STRIPED AND BROWN HYAENAS. 243

the throat, and black hairs are sprinkled abundantly over the whole fur;
the mane on the crest and shoulders has hairs with black tips. The
length of this species is about three feet and a quarter, in the body.

The Striped Hyzena extends from Sierra Leone in Africa as far east
as the Altai Mountains in Asia. It is the least injurious of its kind, and
the abundance of carrion and bones it finds everywhere, saves it from
being driven to attack living things. Its cowardice is incredible, although
they will prowl close to a village or camp. It can be easily tamed.
Brehm had a pair which behaved just like dogs—leaping up and gambol-
ing around him. During the sail down the Nile they were fed every
third day, but on one occasion had to fast eight days. Some of the wild
Eastern dogs were shot for them. When the carcasses were brought,
the hyzenas laughed aloud and rushed like mad creatures on the food.
A few bites tore away the covering on the breast, and then they plunged
their black muzzles into the entrails till their heads were all besmeared
aud clotted with gore.

The hyzena always eats rapidly and in large mouthfuls, and has been
seen to swallow a bone nine inches long ; a wise instinct ; food thus swal-
lowed takes a longer time to digest, and hence hunger recurs less soon.
It lives in holes or in clefts of the rock; its smell is so offensive that no
other animal will come near its carcass, and dogs, when they come across
the trail of a living one, exhibit every mark of fear and keep as close as
they conveniently can to their master’s heels.

THE BROWN HYAZNA.

The Brown Hyana, Hyena brunnea (Plate XIII), is distinguished
from the other species by a long, rough mane hanging down on both sides.
The color is uniformly dark-brown, with a few white lights on the legs;
the hair of the mane has a whitish-gray ground, the rest being blackish-
brown. It is about the size of the Striped Hyzna.

The Brown Hyena inhabits the South of Africa, usually in the vicinity
of the sea. It is less common than the striped species, but resembles the
latter in its habits ; it feeds chiefly on carrion cast up by the waves, and
hence is sometimes called the Strand Wolf. It does not possess the hor-
rible laughter-like cry of its congeners.

Some specimens have been seen in which the brown fur has a warm
chestnut tinge.

244 CARNIVORA.

THE SPOTTED HYAINA:

The SpotTeD Hy-£NA, Hyena crocuta (Plate XIII), is the largest of the
tribe, and is distinguished by its powerful frame and spotted fur. The
latter consists of a whitish-gray ground, inclining more or less to fawne
color, with brown spots on the sides and limbs. The head is brown, the
cheeks reddish, the tail ringed with brown, and tipped with black. Some
trifling varieties of these colors are found, some specimens being lighter,
some darker. The animal attains a length of over four feet, and stands
nearly three feet high.

The Spotted Hyzena inhabits Southern and Eastern Africa, from the
Cape of Good Hope to the 17th degree North Latitude. It is common
in the Soudan and Abyssinia, and when it is found in large numbers it
drives away the Striped Hyzna. Its size and strength render it much
more an object of dread than the latter, and many observers agree in
stating that it will aitack men, especially if they are asleep or weary,
and that, when hunger conquers its native cowardice, it will enter villages
even in the daytime, and carry off children or the sheep returning from
the pasture to the folds or enclosures.

The title Tiger Wolf was given it by the farmers of the Cape of Good
Hope, where it is very common, and where every farm-house has a trap
set for this prowling marauder. One method of killing it is to fix a
loaded musket on a couple of posts about thirty inches from the ground.
A string is then carried from the trigger through a ring at the butt, and
then forward to the muzzle, where it is attached to a piece of meat. The
hyzena scents the meat, seizes it between his teeth, and thus draws the
trigger and lodges the bullet in his brain. The natives regard it with
dread, and justly. Strodtmann relates that in a few months he heard
of forty deaths of children caused by the Tiger Wolf; these hungry
hyzenas enter the kraals of the Kaffirs, venture even near the blazing fire
where the family is sleeping, and carry off a child from under its mother’s
cloak before they can be intercepted.

It is this species which is the subject of the fables we have already
mentioned, and which deserves to be called “The Laughing Hyzna.”
Of all the Carnivora it is the most repulsive and voracious : it is stupid,
malicious, and only capable of being tamed to a certain degree by the
whip. In captivity it lies for hours like a log, then leaps up, rubs itself

THE TIGER WOLF. 245

against the bars, and utters its horrid peais of laughter, which seem ta
be an expression of a pleasurable sensation. It accompanies this mani-
acal, mirthless, hysterical laugh with most absurd gestures—dancing
about in a state of frantic excitement, running backward and forward,
spinning round on its hind-legs, and nodding its head to the ground.

This Hyzena usually lives in holes, or amongst rocks in retired locali
ties, and when the sun has set he comes forth and searches for food. He
then utters a long melancholy howl, which finishes with a sort of bark,
and occasionally that fiend-like laugh which, when heard in the desert,
amid scenes of the wildest description, calls up in the imagination of the
solitary traveler the forms of some spectral ghouls searching for their
unnatural feast.

One of these animals was discovered in a state of sad laceration.
The two fore-paws were gone, and the legs themselves had been fright-
fully torn, evidently by some powerful beast of prey. The natives said
that it had been thus punished by the lion for interfering with his arrange-
ments, and stated, moreover, that the lion frequently corrected the for-
ward conduct of the Hyzena by biting off every one of its paws. This
statement, curious as it may seem, was corroborated by several experi-
enced hunters.

It has already been mentioned that the Hyzena is in no wise fastidious
in its diet, and that it will habitually consume the most indigestible of
substances. Yet there seems to be something capricious about the func-
tion of assimilating food, which is subject to remarkable fluctuations.
To one of these animals, after a fast of thirty-six hours, a dead rat was
given, which, as might be expected, it immediately swallowed. In fifteen
minutes the creature rejected the skin and bones of the rat, though the
same animal would have eaten with impunity the heavy bones or tough
hide of a veteran ox, or even would have made a satisfactory meal on a
few yards of leathern strap.

But enough respecting these repulsive creatures—these hideous cari.
catures of the nobler Canidz.

CHAFTER TX

THE WOLVES.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GSNUS CANIS-——“HE COMMON EUROPEAN WOLEB—THB JACKAB
WOLF--THE KABREROO—THE STRIPED WOLF--THE AMERICAN WOLVES—THE GRAY WOLF
THE COYOTE——THE RED WOLF—THE SOUTH AMERICAN WOLVES-——THE CRARB-BATING WOLF—
YHE AGUARACHAY,

HE family of the CANntp.2, comprising the animals commonly

known as dogs, wolves, and foxes, has an almost universal range

over the earth, being only absent from the island sub-regions
of Madagascar, the Antilles, Austro-Malaya, New Zealand, and the
.slands of the Pacific. With the exception of the Hyena Doc and the
GREAT-EARED FOX, all the species are usually placed in the genus CANIs.
The family is pretty clearly defined, but in its structure does not differ
from the Felidz so widely as is commonly supposec. As a whole, the
animals embraced in it do nut attain the size of the large species of the
cat family, and are far inferior to the latter in cruelty and love of slaughter.
They are nearly equal to them in agility; their blunt claws, indeed, de.
not permit them to climb, nor can they perform the enormous leaps which
she cats execute; but they are excellent runners, and their wonderful per-
severance far exceeds anything of the kind displayed by the Felidae. They
are all swimmers, and some of them are masters in the art, and love to be
in water. Their senses are all highly developed, that of smell in par-
ticular attaining a wonderful degree of acuteness.

Ail the species of the CANID.£ exhibit great intelligence ; the lower
ones betray remarkable cunning and slyness, sometimes at the sacrifice
of courage ; but the higher varieties, especially those which have been
‘ong associated with mankind, prove that their faculties have been
cultivated to an extent which no other animal has reached. The tame
dog and the untamed fox act with reason and deliberation, and execute
caretully-prepared plans, the result of which they have foreseen. The

THE WOLF. | 247

very wildest species exhibit this quality of foresight, and act with cir-
cumspection only the most violent pangs of hunger ever changes this
characteristic.

Their food usually consists of mammals and birds, but all the species
have a preference for carrion; nor do any members of the family refuse
to make a meal of reptiles, fish, or molluscs. In addition they will eat
honey, fruit, roots, buds, grass, and moss. The females usually bring
forth four to nine at a birth, and are always most devoted mothers.

The family is divided into t#ree genera and fifty-four species.

I1.—GENUS CANIS.

This genus contains fifty-two species ; and the one with which we sha.
begin our account is that which plays so important a part in our nursery
tales and in the mythology of many nations, the Wolf.

THE WOLF.

The Greek and Roman writers speak of the wolf with a kind of super-
stitious awe, on account of the supernatural qualities they attributed to
it. In Greece the wolf was especially connected with the worship of
Apollo, and near the great altar at Delphi, the chief seat of the worship
of that divinity, there stood an iron wolf. In Rome the wolf was re-
garded as the nurse of the founders of the city ; and the brazen she-wolf,
with Romulus and Remus sucking her, is still one of the ornaments of
Rome. In the mythology of our ancestors the wolf occupies a distin-
guished place as the favorite animal of Woden. Two wolves sit before
his feet, and when the end of all things is at hand, one of them shall
devour the sun, the other the moon. Then comes the “ Twilight of the
Gods.” The wolf Fenris breaks loose; his lower jaw reaches to the
earth, the upper one to heaven; he swallows up Woden himself, and fire
and flame spread over the earth and the whole universe is consumed.
Christianity modified these stories. Woden and his wolves became the
Wild Huntsman and his dogs; and the wolf became, in popular supersti-
tion, one of the forms assumed by magicians and witches, or imposed by
them on their victims. Gervase of Tilbury writes: “ We have often seen
in England men changed a‘ the full moon into wolves, which kind of men

‘
ee oy

248 CARNIVORA.

the English cail werewolves.” In the great beast-epic of the Middle
Ages, ‘“‘ Reynard the Fox,” the wolf appears as Isengrim; and the wolf in
“Little Red Riding Hood ”’ is still a terror to countless children.

The WOLF, Canis /upus, as it is found in Europe, may be taken as a
type of the group. It possesses the form of a large, long-legged, thin
dog, and carries its tail drooping; the head is thick, the muzzle pointed,
the eyes oblique, the ears always erect. The fur varies according to
climate, both in thickness and color: in northern countries it is long,
rough, and dense, bushy on the tail, erect on the neck; in southern
regions it becomes shorter and rougher. The color is usually gray,
with a tinge of fawn color, but mixed with a great deal of black. This
color becomes somewhat reddish in summer; in winter more vellowish.
In the north, the lighter tints are predominant; in the south, the darker.
Wolves that live in mountainous districts are generally large and strong;
those that live in plains are smaller and weaker, but equally rapacious
and audacious.

The wolf is still widely diffused in Europe, with the exception of the
British Isles and Northern Germany. In England it was extirpated,
according to some accounts, by. the Saxon king Edgar, and in Scotland
during the seventeenth century, while in the Prussian provinces it is now
rare. In Russia, Southern Austria, Hungary, and the Slavonic princi-
palities, as well as in the three Scandinavian kingdoms, it still ravages to
a terrible extent. In France, regular wolf-hunts are legally ordered to
take place every three months. The prefect of the department issues
directions to the mayors of each commune, who name the inhabitants
who are to take part in them; a fine of sixteen to one hundred francs is
imposed on all who shirk this duty, and a bounty is paid of six francs for
a whelp, twelve for a male wolf, fifteen for a female wolf not in young,
and fifty for a female if pregnant. M. d’Houdetot gives the number
of wolves annually destroyed in France as twelve hundred. Under the
old regime an office of Grand Louvetier or Grand Wolf-hunter existed,
while each province had a subordinate Jouvetier, who levied a tax on each
inhabitant residing within a radius of two miles of the place in which
a wolf was killed.

In spring and summer the wolf is found alone or in pairs; in autumn
he appears with his young family; in winter he unites with his neigh-
bors into packs. The members of these packs work in company, range
the country in every direction, and become a terrible scourge.

oer!

THE EUROPEAN WOLF. 249

In those plains of Siberia that are infested by wolves a sledge journey
is far from agreeable, for frequently a band of these ferocious brutes per-
sistently follows travelers. If the sledge stops for only a second, the men
and horses are lost; safety exists only in flight. The struggle on such
occasions is fearful. The horses, mad with terror, seem to have wings.
The wolves follow on their track, their eyes flashing with fire. It is a
terrible situation to be placed in, to behold these black spectres tearing
across the surface of the white shroud of snow, thirsting for your blood.
From time to time a report is heard; a wolf falls. More audacious than
the others, the victim had tried to climb the sledge, and one of the trav
elers has shot it. This incident gives some advantage to the fugitives ;
for the carnivorous troop halt for a few seconds to devour the body of
their companion. But the end is nigh: the village or castle appears
against the gray sky, and the wolves are deprived of their anticipated
prey. At other times the adventure terminates in a tragical manner :
after a pursuit of some hours, the team, exhausted and incapable of pro-
gressing farther, is overtaken; the sledge is surrounded and carried by
assault ; the rest may be imagined!

Certain wolves—fortunately they are rare—show a marked preference
for human flesh. Such was the notorious animal which desolated Gé-
vaudan, in the second half of the eighteenth century, and whose evil
reputation yet survives. This animal was of enormous size (measuring
about six feet from the point of the nose to the tip of the tail), and for
several years defied all efforts made for its destruction. In India, where
wolves are classed among sacred animals, they levy tribute on mankind,
carrying off every year numbers of children.

Bold as the wolf usually is, it is exceedingly suspicious; a stick and
a piece of rag will keep it at a distance from the carcass of a deer, and
a piece of rope trailed from a carriage is always an object of much fear.

All methods are justifiable for the destruction of the wolf: snares,
traps, even poison. It is said that a trapped wolf will permit itself to be
handled without attempting to resist, and will even lie passively by the
hunter’s side till he resets his trap. The bite of the wolf is peculiar;
it is a short, fierce snap delivered with such energy that when it misses
its mark the jaws clash like a closing steel trap.

The wolf can be tamed; Cuvier relates the history of a wolf that lived
in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, which, after being reared
by a person who had to leave to proceed abroad, displayed more pay

250 CARNIVORA.

sionate affection for its master than the most devoted dog could have
shown. And this is not a single isolated example, for they have been
trained to hunt like dogs.

THE STRIPED WOLF,

The STRIPED WOLF, Cans adustus, is a link between the wolf and the
jackal; the body is long, the head is fox-like, the eyes are placed ob-
liquely and have rather clongated pupils; the ears are wide apart; the ©
legs remarkably long and slender; the tail touches the ground. The
color is a brownish-gray; a dark stripe runs from the mouth to the ear,
a black band crosses the breast, a ftawn-colored stripe with a black border
traverses the sides longitudinally, the tail is fawn-colored at the root,
black in the centre, but pure white at the tip.

The Striped Wolf extends from the Cape of Good Hope to Zanzibar
on the East, and the Gaboons on the West Coast of Africa. It is prob-
ably the Mboyo of Du Chaillu.

THE KABEROO.

The KABEROO, Canis simenis, is a native of Abyssinia, very slender
and very like a greyhound. But it is neither a domestic dog gone wild,
nor a variety of jackal, but a real species of wolf. The Kaberoo is
widely dispersed in the interior of Africa, where it does enormous
damage to the shepherds. The natives of Cordofan call it the dog of the
wilderness, and regard it as more destructive than the hyzena dog itself.

THE JACKAL WOLF.

The JACKAL WOLF, Canis lupaster, is found in the whole North,
North-east, and North-west of Africa. It is smaller than the common
wolf, which it resembles more closely than it does the jackal. It usually
confines itself to a limited range of country, in which it chases hares,
mice, wild-fowl and the like, as well as devours fruit of all sorts; during
the rainy season it forms considerable packs, and attacks herds of sheep
and goats. In the plains of Central Africa it is hunted by greyhounds
which, in spite of the wolf's energetic defence, pull it down, or keep it at
bay till the huntsman has the courage to come up and give the marauder
the finishing stroke with his spear.

THE GRAY AND BLACK WOLVES. 251

THE AMERICAN WOLF.

The Gray WOLF, Canis occidentalis (Plate XVII), is covered with long
and fine fur; its form is more robust than the European, its muzzle thicker
and more obtuse, its head larger and rounder, its forehead more arched,
its ears shorter and wider. In the European Wolf the fur is coarser, with
less of soft wool under the long hair, and its tail is more thinly clothed
with fur.

The body of the Gray American Wolf is long and gaunt, muzzle
elongated, head thick, nose long, ears erect and conical, the eyes oblique.
the pupil circular, the tail straight and bushy.

In Gray’s classification it represents the genus Urocyon.

The Logo, Canis occidentalis, var. gigas, is regarded by Audubon as
identical with the Common Gray Wolf. He relates that some hunters
with a pack of half a dozen fox-hounds struck the trail of a Giant Wolf
near Fort Gibson. He dashed boldly into the prairie, making a straight
course for the hills on the other side, a distance of three miles. Here he
took cover, and when dislodged again took to the plain. In this way he
made bold dashes from cover to cover, till at the end of five hours he
was brought to bay

A desperate fight then ensued, dog after dog recoiled more or less
injured till, when all the combatants were exhausted, and the hunters
could at last distinguish in the crowd which was dog and which was
wolf, the latter was knocked on the head with a heavy club.

Col. McCall says the striking marks of distinction in this variety are
the size and breadth of the head, and the smallness of the tail; the former
forms nearly an equilateral triangle, the latter is short and scant of hair.

The BLack WOLF, Canis occidentalis, var. ater (Plate XVII), is found
chiefly in Florida at present ; but Audubon saw it in considerable num-
bers during his residence in Kentucky. At one time he was with a
planter who had taken three wolves in a pit, and was astonished to see
his friend coolly jump down and hamstring the beasts, which were then
dragged out and given to the dogs. On another occasion he saw a
beautiful black wolf following its owner, who assured the naturalist that
no dog couid trail deer better. He tells, however, a story of an attack
by black wolves on negroes. Both fought bravely, but soon one of the
negroes ceased to move, and the other, despairing of aiding his comrade,

252 CARNIVORA.

took refuge in a tree. In the morning he found the bones of his friend
scattered on the snow, which was stained with his blood.

Audubon considers the dusky woif and the black wolf the same.

The WHITE WOLF, Canis occidentalis, var. albus (Plate XVII), used to
be exceedingly common on the plains, consorting in large bands wit
the Coyote, and is large, stout, and compactly built.

This variety of wolf is found as far north in the Arctic regions as they
have been traversed by man.: A white wolf was kilied in Erie county,
N. Y., at the beginning of this century, but they do not appear on the
Atlantic coast. A very considerable degree of cold seems necessary to
produce wolves of the white variety.

Audubon remarks that the wolves in the North are mostly w shite, in
the Middle States and on the Atlantic Coast gray, in the South and Florida,
black, in Texas and the Southwest, red. ‘It is difficult,’ he adds, “on
any principle of science to account for this remarkable peculiarity.”

The RED WOLF OF TEXAS, Canis occidentalis, var. rufus (Plate XVII),
in shape resembles the common gray wolf, but is more siender and
lighter than the white wolf, with a more cunning fox-like look. The hair
on the body is not woolly, but lies smooth and flat. The coior is reddish-
brown mixed with irregular patches of black, there is a brown stripe on
the fore-legs extending from the shoulders to the paws; the end of the
tail is black for about three inches.

It is by no means the only variety found in Texas, but it does not
inhabit the northern prairies, or even the lower Mississippi bottoms. Its
habits are nearly similar to those of the black and the white wolf.

It is said that when visiting the battlefields of Mexico, the wolves
preferred the Americans to the Mexicans, and only ate the bodies of the
latter from dire necessity, as, owing to the quantity of pepper used by
the Mexicans in their food, their flesh is impregnated with that powerful
stimulant. No corpse of wounded straggler, or of unfortunate traveler
butchered by the Comanches is ever neglected by the prowling wolf.

THE PRAIRIE WOLF.

The PRAIRIE WOLF, Canis datrans (Plate XVII), has a full, bushy tail
like a wolf, and a sharp muzzle like a fox. The neck is short and power-
ful, the head thin; the eye is light-brown witha round pupil. The color
is a dirty-gray, passing into a blacker tint on the back; the tail is

THE PRAIRIE WOLF. 253

deep black at the tip. Full-grown, it measures about four feet and a
half. This wolf is found on the plains of the West, where it is
erroneously called the Coyote.

The Prairie Wolf digs its burrow upon the prairies or some slight
elevation, to prevent them from being filled with water. These dens
have several entrances, like those of the Red Fox. Their howl resem-
bles so closely the bark of a dog, that they deserve their alias of ‘‘ Bark-
ing Wolves.” They display considerable intelligence, and no sooner is
the report of a gun heard than they all assemble around the hunter in
anticipation of a meal. They are always found on the outskirts of the
herds of buffaloes, and pick up a subsistence by assailing the weak or
wounded members of the herd. In captivity the animal displays all the
qualities of the common dog; it knows its master, wags its tail, and leaps
up in joy at his approach; like a dog, it shows a quick understanding of
different sounds and words—shrinking when spoken roughly to, and
being moved to lamentable howls if addressed in a melancholy tone:

THE COYOTE.

The Coyote, Canis ochropus (Plate XVII), is seldom seen except in
Texas and Mexico. It is a miserable little cur of an animal, scarcely
larger than a fox, and is sometimes called the “Indian Fox.” It has a
wolfish head, large eyes, small sharp ears, a long, black, slender muzzle,
and a very rough, thick tail.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN WOLVES.

The AGUARACHAY, Canis Azar@, is a real link between the jackal and
the fox. This species is found from the Equator to Patagonia, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. It is said to follow the jaguar as the jackal fol-
lows the lion, and to devour what the more powerful animal has lett.
When hunting by itself it shows great cunning, making long circuits till
it comes near an unsuspecting victim, and prowling around the farm-
yards even by day; it causes great damage, not only to the poultry but
to the sugar-canes, which it bites off close to the root—the place which,
its experience tells it, contains most sugar.

It is, when caught young, easily tamed, learning to know its master
and answer to its name, and assisting him in the chase, in which it ex-
hibits great keenness of smell and remarkable perseverance.

254 CARNIVORA.

THE CRAB-EATING WOLF.

The CRAB-EATING WOLF, Canis cancrivorus, or MAIKONG, is a slender,
long-legged, jackal-like animal, with a short, broad, blunt-nosed head.
rounded ears of moderate size, placed wide apart, oblique eyes with
oblong pupils, and a tail nearly touching the ground. It attains the
tength of two feet in the body, with a tail of nearly one foot. The coat
consists of moderately long rough hairs, which cover completely the
woolly under-coating ; the color is a fawn-gray, darkened on the back
and shoulders by black-tipped hairs, and becoming nearly pure white
below.

The Spaniards are said to have found this creature domesticated
among the natives when they landed on the Antilles; it is no longer
found in the islands, but is common in the woody plains that border the
rivers of Guiana, where it lives and hunts in large bands.

The Maikong, in its habits and behavior, completely corresponds to
the jackal of the Old World, and in captivity soon becomes tame.

The epithet “ Crab-eating ”’ is as old as Buffon and Linnzus, but is
somewhat misleading, as the animal by no means confines itself to a crus-
~tacean diet. Schomburgk describes it as preying on the smaller rodents,
and as being a terrible plunderer of the hen-roosts of the settlers. It is
often crossed with the dog by the Indians, and the breed thus produced
is highly prized.

THE RED WOLF.

The RED or MANED WOLF, Canis jubatus, is less powerfully built than
the common wolf, and has longer legs, a narrower muzzle, and a shorter
tail. Its color is a clear reddish-brown. This wolf is found in most
parts of South America, and is particularly frequent in Brazil, Paraguay,
and the Argentine Republic. It is very timid and avoids settled dis-
tricts, and hence is little known. Its long legs give to it the power of
making very long leaps, by which it overtakes its prey. When walking
it has the swinging gait of a Newfoundland dog, and is a good swimmer.

Gray forms the Red Wolf and Coyote into a separate genus which
he calls by the name of Chrysocyon.

CRA EER OX.
THE JACKALS AND FOXES.

THE JACKAL—THE LANDJAK—THE COMMON FOX—THE RACOON DOG—THE CORSAC—THE CAAMA
—THE FENNEC—THE AMERICAN FOXES—THE RED FOX—THE SILVER OR BLACK FOX—THE
CROSS FOX—THE KID FOX—THE GRAY FOX—THE ARCTIC FOX—THE BLUE FOX—THE LARGE=-
EARED FOX—THE HUNTING DOG.

Foxes which we shall soon treat of, stands the Jackal; it differs
to such an extent from both, that Gray has placed it in a sepa-
rate genus, Dieba, so called from its Arabic name, Dzeé “ the howler.”

B toes the Wolves which we have just described, and the

THE JACKAL,

The JACKAL, Cants aureus (Plate XVII), is known everywhere in Asia,
where it is regarded very much as the fox in our fairy tales, and is found
also in Greece and Dalmatia. It is rather larger than the fox, and its
coat is of a grayish-yellow color, the tail being tipped with black.

The jackals resemble the fox more nearly than they do the wolf. They
conceal themselves by day, but roam at night, usually in large packs. To
keep together they are constantly howling, and their voice is sad, loud,
and unmusical. Their voracity and audacity are unparalleled. They
enter habitations, when opportunity presents itself, and sweep off every-
thing eatable they can reach; devouring even boots, horse-harness, and
other articles made of leather. In the desert they follow the caravans,
prowl all night around the encampment, and endeavor to carry off any-
thing chance may throw in their way. Like the hyznas, they disinter
the dead, and the natives of the districts in which they are found are
obliged to protect the graves from their outrages by covering them with
heavy stones and prickly bushes.

The jackals hunt the antelope, gazelle, and other small animals, and
in large packs will attack oxen and horses. They fear man, and the

256 CARNIVORA.

stories of women and children having been devoured by them are mere
fables. Equally fabulous is the notion that assigns to the jackal the duties
of being the lion’s purveyor; it is rather the lion’s parasite, and follows
the nobler creature in order to get the remains of his meal. The story
that the jackal gave the lion notice of prey, was taken by Aristotle from
an Indian fable, and was borrowed from him by later writers.

When taken young the jackal is easily tamed, and becomes more
domesticated than the fox, exhibiting most of the characteristics of the
dog. Like the dog, it 1s subject to rabies.

The LANDJAK, Canis pallipes, is a species found in Nepaul and North-
ern India, resembling in its habits the common jackal.

The BLACK-BANDED JACKAL, Canis mesomelas, is by some writers
classed with the foxes. It is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, and is
sometimes called the CAPE JACKAL. It is distinguished from the com-
mon jackal by the black and white mottlings of its fur.

The traveler Burton remarks that among the Somali the morning cry
of this jackal is used as an omen of good or evil, according to its direc-
tion and its tone. He also mentions that it is in the habit of attacking
the peculiar fat-tailed sheep which inhabit that country, and carrying
off their lambs. The fat-burdened tail forms an article of diet which
seems to be greatly to the jackal’s taste, and which he procures by leap-
ing suddenly upon the poor sheep, and then making a fierce bite at its
tail. The terrified sheep starts off at best speed, and leaves a large
mouthful of its tail between the aggressor’s teeth. Kids and other small
animals fall victims to this insatiate devourer.

THE FOX.

The foxes are distinguished from the wild dogs, wolves, and jackals
by their long bodies, sharp-pointed heads, and by the possession of oblong
pupils to their eyes; the tail is very bushy, and most of the species exhale
an unpleasant odor.

The COMMON Fox, Canis vulpes (Plate XVIII), is found throughout
Europe, where it enjoys an immense reputation for cunning, which he
displays equally in prosecuting his robberies on the poultry-yard of the
farmer and in his endeavors to throw his pursuers on a false track. Like
some of tlhe wolves, he will feign death when surprised by the hunters
and there is no hope of safety in flight.

TOOAING YS TAX ALY Td

ATOM MOV18 ATOM JIYIVed IWHMSOVEP
ATOM SLIHM 4ATOM G3H SaLOAOD

FOX-HUNTING. 257

Vhe fox is unsocial, and never hunts in packs; he therefore never
attacks powerful animals. Birds, hares, or rabbits form his customary
diet, but he does not dislike certain fruits; for grapes it exhibits a great
fondness.

In the north of the continent of Europe and in England the color of
the fox is red; but as we proceed southward we find both gray and black
foxes, till in Spain he becomes small and fawn-colored. The fox resides
in burrows, which it scoops out of the earth by the aid of its paws, wind-
ing its way among the roots of large trees or between heavy stones.
Here the vixen, or female fox, produces and nurtures her cubs, which
she educates with great care.

In England fox-hunting is the favorite sport of the wealthier classes,
and its headquarters are in the county of Leicester. The soil being for
the most part good, is highly favorable for scent; there is an immense
proportion of grazing land in comparison with arable, and the enclosures
are large, the fields running up to one hundred acres each. Large woods
are scarce, while natural covers of gorse abound. In addition to these,
artificial covers are sometimes made with stakes set a certain height from
the ground for the grass to grow over them; but these are far inferior to
those of natural brushwood. Usually from twenty to twenty-five couples
of hounds are taken out, and it is the custom, quite necessary in these
days, for each sportsman to have two horses, the second one being ridden
by a groom well acquainted with the country, who rides his horse slowly
and carefully, not following the hounds, but seeking to meet his master
at some favorable point and give him an opportunity to change horses.

A meet of Fox-hounds is a very pretty sight; the numerous carriages
that bring the sportsmen to the field, the magnificent horses that are being
walked about till the sport begins, the scarlet coats of the riders, the
strong yet graceful forms of the hounds, form a scene almost impossible
to describe.

Let us indulge ourselves with a fine morning in the first week of
February, and at least two hundred well-mounted men by the cover's
side. Time being called—say a quarter past eleven, nearly our great-
grandfathers’ dinner-hour—the hounds approach the furze-brake, or the
gorse, as it is called in that region. A cheer and a wave of the master’s
cap sends the dogs into the cover. In a very short time the gorse
appears shaken in various parts of the cover—apparently from an un-
known cause, not a single hound being for some minutes visible. Pres-

258 CARNIVORA.

ently one or two appear, leaping over some old furze which they cannot
pusk through, and exhibit to the field their glossy skins. Two minutes
more elapse; another hound slips out of cover, and takes a short turn
outside, with his nose to the ground and his stern lashing his side—
thinking, no doubt, he might touch on a drag, should Reynard have been
abroad in the night. Hounds have no business to think ; a crack of the
whipper-in’s thong sends the too enthusiastic animal back to its work.
Soon the cover shakes more than ever. Every stem appears alive, and
it reminds us of a corn-field waving in the wind. In two minutes the
sterns of some more hounds are seen “flourishing” above the gorse. In
an instant a hound challenges—and another—and another. The fox
breaks out; ‘“ Tally-ho,” cries some countryman, and the chase has com-
menced. The whole pack, the whole crowd of horsemen is after him.
If the hounds are pressed too hard by the riders, they are apt to overrun
the scent and come toa fault. It is now the duty of the huntsmen to
recall them. At one blast of his horn they are back at the place where
the scent failed; it is again taken up, and all that are left of the field are
again dashing forward; but the number of men up with the hounds soon
diminishes, not only are many of the horses unable to keep up with the
speed of the leaders, but many of the riders have not the nerve to face
the fences, brooks, or posts and rails which have to be surmounted with-

out a pause.

The pencil of a painter is now wanting ; and unless the painter should
be a sportsman, even his pencil would be worth little. What a country
is before him !—what a panorama does it represent! Nota field of less
than forty—some a hundred acres—and no more signs of the plough than
in the wilds of Siberia. See the hounds in a body that might be covered
by a damask table-cloth—every stern down, and every head up, for there
is no need of stooping, the scent lying breast-high. But the crash !—the
music !—how to describe these? Reader, there is no crash now, and not
much music. It is the tinker that makes great noise over a little work;
but at the pace these hounds are going there is no time for babbling.
Perchance one hound in five may throw his tongue as he goes, to inform
his comrades, as it were, that the villain is before them. The fox shows
signs of distress; his coat becomes darker, his pace slower; the dogs run
into him, and all is over.

The maintenance of a pack of Fox-hounds is an affair involving con-
siderable expense. The master of one, hunting four days a week, must

RS beg)

THE RACOON DOG. 259

spend on his hounds and stable not less than $20,000 a year. To this
must be added the cost of maintaining covers for the foxes, and a stock
of game and rabbits for their food, as well as the cost of earth-stopping,
an operation which has to be performed on the evening before the
chase.

The fox is susceptible of being tamed to a certain extent, but it seems
impossible to eradicate entirely its instincts for plunder. Its cunning is
no doubt great, but has been very much exaggerated by popular imag-
ination, in which there still linger reminiscences of the astuteness ascribed
to him in the great beast-epic of “ Reynard the Fox,” which had unex-
ampled popularity in the Middle Ages, and which Goethe did not disdain
to modernize for our age. The subjoined story evinces the possession
of considerable intelligence. .

Two foxes, located in a neighborhood where hares abounded, adopted
an ingenious stratagem for capturing them. One of them lay in ambush
on the side of a road; the other started the quarry and pursued it with
ardor, with the object of driving the game into the road guarded by his
associate. From time to time, by an occasional bark, the associate in am-
bush was notified how the chase was succeeding. When a hare was driven
into the raad, it was immediately pounced on, and both foxes devoured
it in thorough good-fellowship. Nevertheless, it sometimes happened
that the fox who kept watch miscalculated his spring, and the hare
escaped ; then, as though puzzled at his want of skill, he resumed his
post, jumped on to the road, and several times repeated the movement.
His comrade arriving in the middle of this exercise, was not s:ow to
comprehend its meaning, and irritated at being fatigued to no purpose,
chastised his clumsy associate; but a tussle of a few minutes sufficed
to expend the bad humor, and the entente cordiale was quickly re-
established.

THE RACOON DOG.

The Racoon Doc, Canis procyonides, is very like a weasel in shape,
but has no near allies. The long body rests on short, weak legs; tte
head is short, narrow, and pointed; the tail very short and bushy; the
color is dark-brown ; the under fur is very thick, but the long hair is as
rough as the coat of a badger.

This species is found in Japan and China, and is not rare on the tricu-
taries of the Upper Amoor River. It is shy and timid by day, but by

260 CARNIVORA.

night will boldly face a dog. It does not run well, nor can it leap like
the fox; its voice is a kind of mewing. It is quite omnivorous, eating
flesh, fowl, and fish, and vegetables of every kind. Gray places it in a
genus /Vyctereutes.

THE CORSAC.

The Corsac, Canis corsac, 1s an Asiatic species of fox, considerably
less than the ordinary fox, found from Mongolia to the Caspian Sea,
exclusively in the steppes, never in woods or hills. It is pursued for the
sake of its winter fur, in which a large trade is done with China. The
Tartars employ not only dogs to capture the Corsac, but hawks of various
kinds, from which winged enemies it has no chance of escaping. The
color of the fur in summer is red; in winter more of a fawn-color.

THE CAAMA.

The CAAMA, Cants caama, is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, where
it is in great request for its fur, which is highly esteemed by the natives
for the purpose of making “ karosses,” or mantles. As the Caama is one
of the smallest of the foxes, a great number of skins are needed to form
a single mantle, and the manufactured article is therefore held in high
value by its possessor. Indeed, so valuable is its fur, that it tempts many
of the Bechuana tribes to make its chase the business of their lives, and
to expend their whole energies in capturing the animal from whose body
the much-prized fur is taken.

THE FENNEC.

The FENNEC, Canis zerdo (Plate XVIII), is the most graceful of the
foxes. Its face is refined and sly, and embellished by a pair of unusually
large eyes, and by large, wide ears. Its legs are very fine, and support a
slender, supple body terminating in a bushy tail; everything about it indi-
cates activity, intelligence, and acuteness of sense. Nothing escapes its
notice; grasshoppers, lizards, small birds are betrayed by their slightest
motions or softest notes. The Fennec is the smallest of all the foxes. It
measures, including the tail, about two feet; the head is very pointed:
the large eyes have round pupils; the ears are nearly as long as the head.
It inhabits the whole north of Africa.

AMERICAN FOXES. 261

The Fennec burrows in the earth, forming a den with many passages,
in which it sleeps by day, rolled up with its head under its tail. At sun-
set it leaves its home and seeks some spring, where it drinks eagerly
before proceeding on its nocturnal chase. Small birds are its favorite
food, but it is also very fond of fruit, especially that of the date-palm,
which it is said to possess the capability of climbing.

THE AMERICAN FOXES.

The RED Fox, Canis fulvus, is very plentiful in the Northern fur
countries; it has long, fine fur, and has a much finer brush than the
European animal. The coat is of a bright ferruginous color on the head,
back, and sides; the throat and neck a dark-gray; the tail is not tipped
with white.

In summer it burrows, in winter it shelters under a fallen tree; it
preys on the smaller animals of the rat family and is fond of fish, but
rejects no animal food it can find. It runs for about a hundred yards
with great swiftness, but is easily overtaken by a wolf or a mounted
man.

THE SILVER FOX AND THE CROSS FOX.

The SILVER or BLACK Fox, Canis fulvus, var. argentatus (Plate XVIII),
supplies one of the most valuable furs of the world, surpassing in
richness and beauty those of the beaver or sea-otter. The outer hair,
which is in some places two inches longer than the under fur, is soft,
glossy, and fine; the under fur is unusually long and dense, feeling to the
hand as soft as sea-island cotton, and the separate hairs exhibit a crimped
or wavy appearance. This under-fur is uniformly blackish-brown; the
long hairs are brown at the roots, then silver-gray, and then tipped with
black ; the tail is brownish-black to near the extremity, where it is broadly
tipped with white.

The Silver Fox is by no means abundant, and presents considerable
variations in color. Some skins are brilliant black, with the exception of
the white tip to the tail; others are bluish-gray. This white tip of the
tail is a characteristic of the variety.

The Cross Fox, Canis fulvus, var. decussatus, is considered by Rich-
ardson a mere variety of the Red Fox. Its fur is nearly six times more
valuable than that of the latter; the front of the head is gray, the ears

262 CARNIVORA.

covered with soft black fur behind; the back ferruginous, with dark
stripes, one running from the head longitudinally, the other at right
angles over the shoulders; the rest of the back is gray, the sides a pale
rusty-red, the legs and belly black. The fur is thick and long.

THE KIT FOX AND THE) GRAYS HOxX:

The Keir Fox, Canis velox of Audubon, the Canjs ctnereo-argentatus
of Richardson, is very like the Red Fox in shape, but approaches the
Gray Fox in color; its form is slight and slender; the tail long, bushy,
and tapering. It is the smallest of the American foxes; the back is of a
grizzled color, the flanks of a dull reddish-orange, the beily is white. It
is found on the plains of the Columbia River valley, and on the plains
east of the Rocky Mountains; it does not appear to be an inhabitant
of New Mexico, Texas, or California.

The Gray Fox, Canis Virginianus or griseus, has a shorter and
broader head than the Red Fox. The long hairs which give the general
color to the body are white at the roots, then for more than a third of
their length black, then white, with a broad black tip. This color varies
somewhat, specimens from New York State being more fulvous than
those from South Carolina.

The Gray Fox is in the South what the Red Fox is in the North—the
detestation of farmers. Audubon asserts that the former is by no means
rapacious; that he is shy and cowardly, and only preys on creatures
much weaker than himself. He hunts quail or partridges just as a
pointer dog will do, and runs down rabbits, and it is very fond of
making raids on the nests of the wild turkey.

Till within a couple of years fox-hunting in America was exclusively
a Southern sport, extending from Maryland to Florida and westward to
Louisiana. It is now, however, being taken up in different sections of
the Northern States. The hounds are put on the fox’s trail near some
cover, but it requires good dogs to follow him, as he does not leave so
strong a scent as the Red Fox and possesses more cunning.

THE ARCTIC FOX AND THE BLUE FOX.

The Arctic Fox, Canis lagopus (Plate XVIII), is of a pure white
color when in its winter dress, except at the tip of the tail, where a few

COMMON FOX BLUE FOX
RENE ARCTIC FOX SILVER FOX

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THE ARCTIC FOX AND THE BLUE FOX. 263

black hairs are sprinkled. The fur before the eyes is short and sleek;
on the neck it is as long as the ears, and is intermixed with soft wool;
on the rest of the body it is very long. In most specimens the fur has a
bluish-gray color at the roots, the proportion of the length of the fur so
colored varying according to the season; at all times the under fur is
of a dark brownish-gray color for half its length. In summer the long
white fur falls off, and is replaced by shorter hair more or less colored,
although individuals may at times be found so eccentric in their tastes as
to preserve their winter suit till the dog-days; this is the kakkortak of the
Greenlanders. In form the Arctic Fox resembles the common fox; the
brush is full and large, covering the nose and feet like a muff when the
animal sleeps. The eyes are hazel-colored and bright, the legs are long
and strong, the feet large and armed with strong claws, and the animal
can make powerful leaps.

The Arctic Fox is very cleanly, and does not exude an unpleasant
odor; it is very difficult to come upon unawares, as it seems to sleep
with both eyes open; its bark is so modulated that the hearer thinks the
animal at a distance when it is close before his feet. It is very impatient
of confinement. It inhabits North America above latitude 50°, and is
numerous on the shores of Hudson Bay. The fur is of small value; the
flesh is eatable.

The BLUE Fox, Canis lagopus, var. fuliginosus (Plate XVIII), is a mere
variety of the Arctic Fox, and is to be distinguished from the Black or
Silver Fox by its round ears and poor fur, which differs from the ordinary
winter or summer states of the Arctic Fox in being entirely of a uniform
blackish-brown color. It is called by the Greenlanders keknektak, and
is very numerous in Iceland. Audubon observed two Blue Foxes which
came to the place where he had been cooking; they carried off the scraps
of meat and buried each piece in a separate place. The Arctic Fox has
the same habit; and the domestic dog, as we all know, still retains these
primitive uneducated instincts.

Il.— GENUS MEGALOTIS.

The animals hitherto described are so essentially similar that we have
followed those authorities who place them all in one genus. We now
proceed to consider others which display such marked differences as
entitle them to be placed in separate genera.

264 CARNIVORA.

The LARGE-EARED Fox, Megalotis Lalandii, has a slender figure, long
legs and tail, large oval ears, and forty-eight teeth; it attains the length
of three feet, of which one-third is tail, and externally bears a strong
resemblance to the Fennec. The predominant color is a dull-gray,
except on the tail, where it has long black hair. It is'a native of South
and Eastern Africa, hunts in packs, and succeeds in pulling down ante-
lopes or even wild cattle.

III—GENUS LYCAON.

We now come to a link between the Canide and the Hyenide—the
remarkable animal which has been, indeed, placed by some naturalists
among the hyzenas, as, like the latter, it possesses only four toes on its
feet. The genus contains only ove species.

The Hy4na or HuNTING Doc, Lycaon pictus, derives its former title
from its hyzenine aspect, the latter from the fair and sportsmanlike man-
ner in which it hunts its game. The general color is a reddish or
yellowish-brown, marked at wide intervals with large patches of black
and white. The nose and muzzle are black, and the central line of the
head is marked with a well-defined black stripe, which reaches to the
back of the head. The ears are extremely large, and are covered on both
their surfaces with rather short black hairs. From their inside edge rises
a large tuft of long white hair, which spreads over and nearly fills the
cavity of the ear. The tail is covered with long bushy hair.

Although very fond of putrid flesh, these dogs do not make it their
exclusive aliment ; for they also feed on living prey, such as gazelles and
antelopes. To pursue and capture these they collect in troops, which
are sometimes very numerous, and under the direction of a chief, when
they hunt with a unanimity and cleverness unsurpassed by the best pack
of hounds. When the game is taken they divide it equally; but if any
of the larger Carnivora approach to take a share in the feast, all unite
against the intruder. This often happens with respect to the leopard,
and even the lion.

GEEAIE LER ocr.

Wells, IDXOleE

THE WILD DOGS—THE DHOLE—THE ALPINE WOLF—THE DOMESTICATED DOG—REGARD IN WHICH
THE DOG IS HELD—ABHORRENCE OF THE DOG BY THE ORIENTALS—THE DOGS OF THE EAST—
THE DOG IN ANTIQUITY—THE MENTAL QUALITIES OF THE DOG—ITS MORAL SENSE—ITS AFFEC-
TION FOR ITS MASTER—RABIES OR HYDROPHOBIA.

words respecting the dogs which still live a free, independent

life. In them we see what the dog was before he devoted him-
self to the human race. They represent the original, the Domestic the
modified, or, we may say, the humanized animal.

Gray forms the following species into a genus which he calls Cuon,
the members of which possess forty teeth. They are dog-like wolves.
The head is broad, the muzzle short, the ear erect and high, the eyeball
round, the body powerful, the flanks thin, the tail bushy and drooping.
They are all animals fond of the chase and skillful in hunting.

B ve we describe the Domesticated Dog, we must say a few

THE DHOLE.

The DHOLE, Canis Dukhunensis (Plate XIV), sometimes called the
KHOLSAM, inhabits the western parts of India; it is a very shy animal,
and avoids man and his dwelling-places. The Dhole is remarkable, not
merely for hunting in packs—as many of the Canidze do—but for the
possession by the pack of such confidence in its own powers that it will
give chase to the tiger. The boar falls a victim in spite of its tusks,
the antelope in spite of its swiftness, and the panther finds its only safety
in taking refuge in a tree.

The color of the Dhole is a rich bay, and it stands as high as a small
greyhound. It hunts mute, and has a very intelligent face.

266 CARNIVORA.

The BUANSUAH, Canis Primevus, is found in Nepaul and Cashmere,
and resembles the Dhole in almost all points. He gives tongue during
the chase; his note is peculiar—quite different from that of a dog, and
equally remote from the long howl of the wolf or jackal.

The ADJAG, Cants Sumatrensis, is found in the East Indian Islands and
Japan. In the former they attack the turtles on their nocturnal visits to
the land, and travelers have seen on the sand remains of hundreds of
these crustacea. They neither bark nor howl, but yelp.

The ALPINE WOLF, Canis Adpinus, is a fourth claimant for being the
progenitor of the dog. It is found in the mountain regions of Eastern
and Central Asia, and is very similar to the Buansuah. The hair is long
and stiff, the tail bushy, the color a dull russet.

Near the Amoor River the hunters stand in great dread of this wild
dog, and take refuge in a tree when a pack of them appears. In the
chase they utter a kind of whining note, and display great speed and
cunning, the pack being led by a powerful old dog. A specimen in
Berlin is very like a large sheep-dog.

THE DOMESTICATED DOG.

To give the history of the dog would be little less than to trace man-
kind back to their original state of simplicity and freedom, to mark the
progress of civilization through the var‘ous changes of the world, and
to follow attentively the gradual advancement of that order which placed
man at the head of the animal world, and gave him a manifest superiority
over every part of the brute creation.

If we consider for a moment the state of man without the aid of this
useful domestic, with what arts shall he oppose the numerous hosts
of foes that surround him on all sides, seeking every opportunity to
encroach upon his possessions, to destroy his labors, or endanger his
personal safety ? or how shall he bring into subjection such as are neces-
sary for his well-being? His utmost vigilance will not be sufficient to
secure him from the rapacity of the one, nor his greatest exertions
enable him to overcome the speed of the other. To maintain his inde-
pendence, to insure his safety, and to provide for his support, it was
necessary that some one among the animals should be brought over to
his assistance, whose zeal and fidelity might be depended on. And
where, amidst all the various orders of animated being, could one be

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HISTORY OF THE DOG. 267

found so entirely adapted to this purpose? where could one be found so
bold, so tractable, and so obedient as the dog? Without his assistance
how could man have conquered, tamed, and reduced other animals into
slavery ? how could he have hunted down and destroyed those noxious
animals from whose rapacity his life was in continual danger? To con-
firm the truth of these observations, we need only turn our attention to
the present condition of those nations which are not yet emerged froia
a state of barbarism, where the uses of the dog are but little known or
attended to, and we will find that they lead a precarious and wretched
life of perpetual warfare with the still more savage inhabitants of the
forest, with which they are obliged to dispute the possession of their
uncultivated fields and divide with them the fruits of their labors.

“Through the intelligence of the dog the world exists”; so says the
Vendidad, the oldest portion of one of the oldest books of the world—
the Zend-Avesta. “The dog,” writes Fréderic Cuvier, ‘is the most re-
markable, complete, and useful conquest which man has ever made. The
whole species is become our property; each individual belongs wholly
to his master, learns his habits, knows and defends his property, and
remains devoted unto death. And all this springs not from necessity or
fear, but from pure love and attachment. The speed and the sense of
smell possessed by the dog have made it one of man’s most powerful
auxiliaries, and perhaps it is necessary for the maintenance of human
society. The dog is the only animal which has followed man over all
the world.” Toussenel goes further, and, regarding the dog as an inte-
gral part of mankind, exclaims: “ The best part of man is the dog.”

In marked contrast to these views is the remarkable loathing with
which some of the Semitic nations regard the dog. All through the
Jewish Scriptures the dog is always mentioned in terms of abhorrence
and contempt, although we know that dogs were domesticated among
the Jews, and used to guard the sheep-folds (Job, ch. xxx, v. 1) and to
watch the house (Isaiah, ch. lvi, v. 10). This feeling is still felt by most
of those who profess the religion of Mohammed. As, however, the
Moslemin of Persia on the one side, and of North Africa on the other,
are as fond and proud of their dogs as we are, the dislike seems to
have its foundation in race rather than in religious feeling. As a con-
sequence of this abhorrence the dog is, in most parts of the East, in a
very miserable condition; he is left, uncared for, to wander gaunt,
hungry, and savage—to wander through the streets without a master

2608 CARNIVORA.

and without a home, cut off from all companionship with man. But
even in this neglected state they exhibit a great capacity for organiza-
tion; they divide the town into districts, and no dog can be tempted to
trespass on a district to which he does not belong ; each troop seems to
be under the command of a leader, whose position is recognized by all
the rest. Pierotti describes the dogs in Palestine to-day as ill-favored,
ill-scented, ill-conditioned beasts, but ready to respond to the slightest
advance and grateful for any kindness, exhibiting, under circumstances
of great social degradation, the true canine yearning after human society.
These outcast dogs, of course, have to get their living by devouring the
offal of the street.

The question has been raised, “Is the dog a separate, independent
species, like the wolf, the jackal, or the fox?’ Darwin discusses the
matter at considerable length, and comes to the conclusion that the
origin of the dog is to be looked for in the taming and crossing of various
species of Canidz in various regions. Each race of mankind would train
and preserve the animals most suited to his wants, and this process of
selection continued for ages would account for all the varieties we
know.

The oldest traditions, the most ancient monuments, show us the dog
already tamed. The records of the twelfth Egyptian dynasty, B. C. 3400,
exhibit several kinds of dogs, several of them resembiing greyhounds,
or the Arabian boar-hound. The Assyrian monuments, B.C. 640, repre-
sent huge mastiffs. Homer describes Odysseus weeping over his old dog
Argus, that recognized him after twenty years of absence, when wife and
child and friend knew him not; and in all European literature, from that
day to this, the dog holds an honored place. Socrates used to swear
“By the dog!” Alexander the Great built a temple over the remains
of his favorite ; at Corinth a dog, Soter by name, was presented by the
city with a silver collar inscribed with the words, ‘Corinth’s defender
and deliverer.” A dog is one of the dramatis persone in a play of Aris-
tophanes; and who does not remember Launce and his dog Crab in
Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona”? A still more important
role is played by the dog in the melodrama “ The Dog of Montargis,”
where he appears as a party in a Wager of Battle, and procures the
punishment of his master’s murderer.

Volumes have been written respecting the mental and moral qualities
of the dog. All dogs have good memories for time and place; they

THE MORAL SENSE OF THE DOG. 266

remember the dinner-hour, and distinguish Sunday from week-days; and
in places where they are in the habit of going to church with their mas-
ters, they soon learn to behave themselves and sleep like good Christians.
They vary, like the rest of us, in their capacities for acquiring knowledge,
and each variety has its special gift. It is still an open question as to
how far the dog possesses the faculty of reasoning. it is said that a dog
tracking his master has been seen, when he came to where three roads
met, to examine two of them carefully, and then at once run along the
third ; that is, the dog reasoned, “He must have gone by A, B or C;
but he has not gone by A or B, therefore he has gone by C.” A dog,
however, if offered a large and a small piece of meat, does not as a’ mat-
ter of course choose the large piece; from which fact it is assumed that
he does not know the axiom “that the whole is greater than its part.”
It is more probable that he takes the small piece first, as easiest to dis-
pose of, reserving the large piece to occupy his leisure time.

That the dog has a moral sense we all see; but his moral sense is one
suitable to his condition and to promote the chief end of dog, which, to
borrow the words of Professor Wilson, is to love man and keep his com-
mandments. A dog taught to steal will become as mean and slouching
as his master, and will hate to be detected; but his wicked conscience
does not smite him. A dog virtuously brought up feels keen remorse
when he has transgressed the moral code. Dr. Calderwood, in his work
“ The Relations of Mind and Brain,” relates the following story: “ A dog
belonging to a United Presbyterian minister killed the fowls while the
family were at church and buried them in the garden. The bodies were
found. The dog was taken to the garden and immediately confessed his
guilt. His master took him to his library, and having shut the door,
began a reprimand after this fashion: ‘ What a wicked thing you have
done in murdering the hens! You are a minister’s dog, and should have
been an example to other dogs instead of doing such a thing as this.
Then, this is the Sabbath day, and the deed is all the worse on account
of the day on which it has been done.’ Thus admonished, the dog was
put out of the room and the door shut. Next morning he was found
dead, A veterinary surgeon was consulted, and declared that the dog
had died of a broken heart.”

Of course, duty ignorantly performed sometimes perpetrates injustice.
A dog in Haverhill, Massachusetts, met the newsboy every morning at
the gate and took his master’s paper. When the subscription was

270 CARNIVORA.

stopped and the boy attempted to pass the house, the dog threw the boy
down, and seizing a copy took it to his home.

The affection and devotion of the dog is proverbial, but the extent to
which these qualities are developed depends as much on the master as on
the dog. They are seen most plainly in those animals which have been
not the mere toys or playthings, but the fellow-workers and constant
companions of their “guide, philosopher, and friend.” There is more
than one well authenticated instance of a shepherd’s dog accompanying
the coffin of its departed friend to the grave and remaining there till its
death, either dying of hunger or leaving the spot only long enough to
get some food.

Suicides by dogs are not unknown. An old collie in Caithness,
troubled with the infirmities of age, including deafness and the loss of
teeth, committed suicide by drowning. A Newfoundland dog had his
feelings wounded by being scolded. Soon after he was found alive, but
with his head partly submerged ina ditch. He was dragged out; but
he refused to eat or drink, and before long he was found in the same ditch
dead.

Numerous instances are known of dogs calling on their friends to
assist them or avenge them. ‘“Liege’’ was the favorite of his owner, Dr.
Van Tuyl, of Dayton, Ohio. One day he tackled a large yellow dog.
With ears torn and bleeding, and smarting from defeat, he ran through
the house and jumped a fence into an adjoining yard where another dog
was quartered. They held some sort of a council, and half a minute
later they both cleared the fence and ran into the street, and there, while
Liege looked on, his friend gave the yellow dog a wholesome defeat.

We conclude this chapter with a few remarks on that most terrible
of all diseases, rabies or hydrophobia. The first symptom of this com-
plaint is an entire change of manner in the animal. The affectionate,
caressing dog becomes suddenly cross, shy, and snappish; retreating
from the touch of the friendly hand as if it were the hand of a stranger.
His appetite becomes depraved, and forsaking his ordinary food, he
eagerly swallows pieces of stick, straws, or any other innutritious sub-
stances that may lie in his way. He is restless, unable to remain in the
same position for two seconds together, and snaps at imaginary objects;
and he ever and anon starts up and listens eagerly to imaginary sounds.
Generally he utters at intervals a wild howl, but in some cases the dog

vmains pertectly silent during the whole of his illness, and is then said

HYDROPHOBIA. 271

to be afflicted with the dumb madness. In most instances the dog is
silent during the later stages of the illness.

Before the disease has developed itself to any extent the poor crea-
ture becomes thoughtful and anxious, and looks with wistful eyes upon
his friends, as if beseeching them to aid him in the unknown evil that
hangs so heavily upon him. He then retires to his usual resting-place,
and sluggishly lies upon his bed, strangely uneasy, and continually shift-
ing his posture. Fortunately the disposition to bite does not make its
appearance until the disease has made considerable progress.

In these stages of the malady the dog is often seen to fight with his
paws at the corner of his mouth, as if endeavoring to rid himself of a
bone that had become fixed among his teeth. This symptom may, how-
ever, be readily distinguished by the fact that the dog is able to close his
mouth between the paroxysms of his ailment, which he is unable to do
when he is affected by the presence of a bone or other extraneous sub-
stance in his throat.

An unquenchable thirst soon fastens upon the afflicted dog, and drives
him to the nearest spot where he can obtain any liquid that may cool his
burning throat.

In the earlier stages of the complaint he laps without ceasing, but
when the disease has destroyed the powers of his tongue and throat, he
plunges his head into the water as far as the depth of the vessel will per-
mit, in hope of bringing his throat in contact with the cooling fluid. It
is generally supposed that a mad dog will not touch water, and for this
reason the malady was termed hydrophobia, or “dread of water”; but it
is now ascertained that the animal is so anxious to drink that he often
spills the fluid in his eagerness, and so defeats his own object.

In the last stage of this terrible disease the dog is seized with an
uncontrollable propensity to raz. He seems not to care where he goes,
but runs for the most part in a straight line, seldom turning out of his
way, and rarely attempting to bite unless he be obstructed in his course ;
and then he turns savagely upon his real or fancied assailant, and
furiously snaps and bites without fear or reason.

The average time of the appearance of this disease after the bite is
from three weeks to six months, its duration is four or five days, and no
remedy has been as yet discovered.

With regard to people bitten by rabid animals, the wound ought to
be immediately cauterized, either with lunar caustic or by a red-hot iron,

272 CARNIVORA.

such as a steel fork or knitting-needle. Many persons assert that hydro-
phobia in man is purely a disease of the imagination ; this is not the case,
as Hertwig has produced the genuine canine rabies in dogs by inoculating
them with the virus from a man suffering from hydrophobia. But it is

beyond doubt that very many people fall victims to their own terrors ;~

and therefore everything which tends to excite alarm ought to be care-
fully avoided when the sufferer is nervous or excitable. Do NOT &ill the

dog on suspicion, keep it carefully till tts condition its clearly ascertained, by -

destroying it at once we are left in a state of uncertainty as to whether tt ts
mad or no, and the nervous sufferer will always adopt the worst alternative ;
by preserving it we shall be able to give the most positive assurances tn most
cases that the animal ts not mad.

The number of puppies which the dog produces at a single litter is
very large, varying from three or four to fifteen, or even a still greater
number. They are born, as is the case with kittens and several other
young animals, with closed eyes, and do not open their eyelids for the
space of several days. As it is manifestly impossible for the mother to
rear the whole of a very large family their number must be reduced,
either by destroying several of the little ones, which of course ought to
be the weakest and smallest specimens, or by removing the supernu-
merary offspring and placing them under the care of another dog which
has lately taken upon herself the maternal duties. In this case it needs
not that the wet-nurse should be of the same kind with her charge, as it
is found that health of constitution and a liberal supply of milk are the
only necessary qualifications for that responsible office.

Crear TER XIT.

Lint Ss -ORTING, DOGS:

MODES OF CLASSIFICATION—SPORTING DOGS—THE SCOTCH GREYHOUND—THE IRISH GREYHOUND
—THE AFRICAN GREYHOUND—THE COMMON GREYHOUND—THE HARE INDIAN DOG—THE
ITALIAN GREYHOUND—THE STAG HOUND—FOX HOUND—HARRIER—BEAGLE—THE OTTER
HOUND—THE DACHSART AND TURNSPIT—THE BLOODHOUND—THE POINTERS AND SETTERS
—THE SPANIELS—SPRINGERS—COCKERS—WATER SPANIEL—CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG—RETRIEVER.

have been proposed. Some have grouped them into “dogs

that hunt by sight,’ of which the Greyhound is the type;
“dogs that hunt by scent,” of which the Fox-hound or Bloodhound is
the type; “Shepherd Dogs,” “House Dogs,’ and “Toy Dogs”—a
division based on habits impressed on the animal by education or the
use to which man has put them, and not on any natural characteristic.
Cuvier groups them according to the shape of the head, and forms them
into three large classes: the J/atius, including the Great Danish Dog,
the different varieties of Greyhound, the Shepherd’s Dog, and the St.
Bernard; the Spanze/s, comprising the Esquimaux Dog, the Common
Spaniels, Hounds, Pointers and Setters, with the Turnspit and the New-
foundland Dog ; and thirdly, the Masz7ffs, including the English Mastiff,
the Thibet Dog, the Pug, the Bulldog, the Terrier, and Bull Terrier.
This arrangement, however, is somewhat confusing. We shall therefore
make no pretence to a scientific classification, but describe the most note-
worthy varieties in the order which seems to be most simple for the
ordinary reader.

VV eve te classifications of the numerous varieties of the dog

THE GREYHOUNDS.

The RouGH ScoTtcH GREYHOUND. There is but one breed of the
Scotch Greyhound, although some families are termed Deerhounds, and
others are only called Greyhounds. Each, however, from being con-
stantly employed in the chase of either deer or hare, becomes gradually

274 CARNIVORA.

fitted for the pursuit of its special quarry, and contracts certain habits
which render it comparatively useless when set to chase the wrong
animal. The Scotch Deerhound is possessed of better powers of scent
than the Greyhound, and in chasing its game depends as much on its
nose as on its eyes. Although it makes use of its olfactory powers when
running, it holds its head higher from the ground than the Greyhound,
which only uses its eyes, because this attitude is the best in waiting to
pull down his game. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to procure
this Deerhound thoroughbred ; even the celebrated one, “ Maida,’ pos-
sessed by Sir Walter Scott, was a cross with the Bloodhound.

The IRISH GREYHOUND (Plate XIV) is a magnificent animal, much
larger than the Scotch Deerhound, many of them being nearly four feet
high, but it resembles that variety in shape; it is usually of a fawn-color,
with a rough coat and pendant ears. “Stonehenge” writes that the
genuine breed is extinct. They were formerly used for hunting the
wolf, which animal was exterminated in Ireland during the | st century.

The RussIAN GREYHOUND is also gifted with the power of running
by scent, and is employed at the present day for the same purposes which
Irish Greyhounds subserved in former times.

Many Russian forests are infested with wild boars, wolves, and bears,
and this powerful and swift dog is found of great use in the destruction
of these quadrupedal pests. In size it is about equal to the Scotch Grey-
hound. It is not exclusively used for the chase of the large and savage
beasts, but is also employed in catching deer, hares, and other animals
which come under the ordinary category of “game.’’ The fur of this
dog is thick, but does not run to any length.

The PERSIAN GREYHOUND is slender in make; its ears are pendulous
and feathered like a Setter’s, the body is smooth, the tail is like that of a
silky-coated Setter. It is used for coursing the hare and antelope in the
plains, and hunting the wild ass in the rocky hill country.

For the antelope the Greyhound would be no match, and is therefore
assisted by the falcon, which is trained to settle on the head of the flying
animal, and, by flapping its wings in the poor creature’s eyes, to prevent
it from following a direct course, and thus to make it an easier prey to
the Greyhound which 1s following in the track. Of this curious mixture
of falconry and hunting the Persian nobles are passionately fond.

The AFRICAN GREYHOUND has a silky coat of a cream color, and is
highly valued by the Arabs. In the Sahara rich and poor regard him as

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THE COMMON GREYHOUND. 275

an inseparable companion—the very apple of their eyes; they feed him
carefully, and bestow as much care on the purity of his race as on that
of their horses. An Arab will go any distance to get a good mate for
his dog, and the whelps are attended to affectionately ; in fact, General
Daumas says the women sometimes suckle them. When he is broken in,
he passes the day by his master’s side and the night in his bed; he is
clothed to protect him from the cold, and is adorned with rich collars
hung with amulets to keep off the “evil eye.” When the dog dies the
women and children lament him like a member of the family; often,
indeed, he has been the main support of the family. A dog that can run
down a gazelle is valued at the price of a camel; one that can capture a
larger antelope is as valuable as a good horse.

THE COMMON GREYHOUND.

It is hardly possible to conceive an animal which is more entirely
formed for speed and endurance than a well-bred Greyhound. Its long
slender legs, with their whipcord-like muscles, denote extreme length
of stride and rapidity of movement; its deep, broad chest, affording
plenty of space for the play of large lungs, shows that it is capable of
long-continued exertion ; while its sharply-pointed nose, snake-like neck,
and slender, tapering tail are so formed as to afford the least possible
resistance to the air, through which the creature passes with such ex-
ceeding speed.

In England great attention has for years been paid to the breeding
and training of the Greyhound, where it is used for coursing the hare,
chiefly in matches.

In actual speed the Greyhound far surpasses the hare, so that, if the
frightened chase were to run ina straight line, she would be soon snapped
up by the swifter hounds. But the hare is a much smaller and lighter
animal than her pursuer, and, being furnished with very short forelegs,
is enabled to turn at an angle to her course without a check, while the
heavier and longer-limbed Greyhounds are carried far beyond their prey
by their own impetus, before they can alter their course and again make
after the hare. On this principle the whole of coursing depends; the
hare making short, quick turns, and the Greyhounds making a large
circuit every time that the hare changes her line. The sport is con-
ducted in this wise: A couple of dogs are held in what is called a pair

276 CARNIVORA.,

of slips by a functionary called the slipper, whose duty it is to let them
go at the same moment when a hare is started. The judge, who is the
only person allowed to be mounted, rides after the dogs and awards the
victory to the one that performs the best, which is by no means the one
that kills the hare, but the one which gains most points, such as “first
turn,” and the like.

The Common Greyhound has varied little in the course of centuries.
An old rhyme, which can be traced back to 1496, says this hound should
have

The head of a snake,
The neck of a drake,
A back like a beam,
A side like a bream,
The tail of a rat,

And the foot of a cat,

And these are still excellent points. The coat is smooth, firm, and glossy ;
the favorite colors black, red, or fawn, with black muzzles.

The Hare INDIAN DoG is used by sportsmen on the Mackenzie River
to hunt reindeer and moose. Its hair is long and straight, the tail bushy
and slightly curved, the color grayish-black. It is remarkable for pos-
sessing feet that spread out on the snow, thus preventing the animal from
sinking into it. Its height is about two feet.

The ITALIAN GREYHOUND is prized in inverse proportion to its size.
Many specimens only weigh six or seven pounds. One of the most per-
fect dogs of the present day weighs eight and three-quarter pounds,
and is fourteen and a quarter inches in height. His color is uniformly
black.

Attempts have been made to employ the Italian Greyhound in the
chase of rabbits, but its power of jaw and endurance of character are so
disproportioned to its speed that all such endeavors have failed. A
mixed breed between the Italian Greyhound and the Terrier is useful
enough, combining endurance with speed, and perfectly capable ot
chasing and holding a rabbit.

In this country it is only used as a petted companion, and takes rank
among the “toy-dogs,” being subject to certain arbitrary rules of color
and form, which may render a dog worthless for one year through the
very same qualities which would make it a paragon of perfection in
another. If of a uniform color, it must be free from the least spot of

THE HOUNDS. 27

white ; the favorite color is a golden fawn. It is a pretty little creature,
very active and graceful, and by no means devoid of affection, It is
chiefly bred in Spain and ftaly.

THE HOUNDS.

The ENGLISH STAG HOUND is extremely rare. It was a cross between
the Bloodhound and the Greyhound with a dash of the Fox-hound, but
the dog now used in England is simply a large breed of Fox-hound,

The Fox Hounp (Plate XV) is the result of two centuries of careful
breeding, conducted regardless of expense and under the guidance of
great judgment, Beckford describes the perfect Hlound thus: “ Let his
legs be straight, his feet round and not too large, his breast wide, his
chest deep, his back broad, his head small, neck thin, tail thick and
bushy”; to which ought to be added, “the thigh long, the back ribs
deep.” Tis height varies from twenty to twenty-five inches, and a larger
or smatler breed is chosen according to the quality of the country in
which it is employed. The Mox-hound has excellent scent, is swift of
foot, and persevering in character, In a trial at New Market, a Fox-
hound ran four miles, one furlong, and one hundred and thirty-two
yards in eight minutes and a few seconds.

The Harrier, so called because it is employed in hunting the hare,
is nothing else than a small Pox-hound, standing about cighteen inches
high. fle requires a more delicate scent than the Mox-hound in order
to follow the doubles of the hare, and is possessed of a more musical note.
Both the Fox-hound and the Harrier must be looked on not as indi-
viduals, but as component parts of a pack; and hence an animal invaluable
in one, will be inadmissible in another pack.

The BEAGLE is smaller than the Harrier, standing about fourteen
inches high, with a body comparatively stouter. The Beagle has no
great speed, and is followed on foot; hence his chief point is his highly
developed powers of scent and sagacity in tracking the hare. A dwarf
variety is used for hunting rabbits ; these Beagles are sometimes so small
that a whole pack can be carried in hampers on a horse. The Rouar
BEAGLE is a cross with the Terrier, and has lost the Beagle’s tongue.

The OTTER HOUND or WELSH HARRIER is a Harrier which, by careful
selection, has been adapted to hunt the hard-biting otter. He is hardy,
courageous, and unusually savage. When he bites he does not retain

278 CARNIVORA.

his hold, but tears his teeth away with great force. His coat is rough
and long, with a short, woolly undercoat, which keeps it warm even when
immersed for a long time. °

The DACHSHUND is one of the most ancient forms of the dog. The
well-bred specimens weigh about sixteen pounds, have a long body with
a curved back, short crooked forelegs, large head with hanging ears; the
tail is thick at the root, but tapers off and is carried to one side; the hair
is short, smooth, and stiff; the usual color is black or black-and-tan ; the
bark is very loud and deep. As their German name implies, they are
chiefly used for attacking badgers in their hole.

The TURNSPIT seems a variety of the Dachs which has been con-
demned to menial labor. At one extremity of the spit was fastened a
large circular box, or hollow wheel, something like the wire wheels
which are so often appended to squirrel-cages ; and in this wheel the dog
was accustomed to perform its daily task, by keeping it continually work-
ing. As the labor would be too great for a single dog, it was usual to
keep at least two animals for the purpose, and to make them relieve each
other at regular intervals. The dogs were quite able to appreciate the
lapse of time, and if not relieved from their toils at the proper hour,
would leap out of the wheel without orders, and force their companions
to take their place and complete their portion of the daily toil. The
thoroughbred Turnspit is very rare, although spits are said by travelers
to be still turned by canine labor in some parts of France.

The BLOODHOUND (Plate XV) derives his name from his power of
scenting biood, and his proper use is to single out a wounded deer from
the herd, and to keep steadily on the trail; when thus engaged he utters
a long, loud, and deep bay. His talents were very soon employed to
trace human beings, but at present he is used in England only for hunting
fallow-deer. A pretty pure breed of Bloodhounds can still be found in
some of the Southern States. He is extremely irascible, and therefore
not fitted to be a companion. He stands about two feet high; the ears
measure eight to ten inches; the forehead is long and narrow; the lips
foose and hanging; color black-tan or a reddish-fawn; the tail long and
sweeping.

The Bloodhound, when once laid on the scent, will follow the trail
through a hundred crossing footsteps, and can be baffled only by water
or blood. The latter, if spilt on the track, kiils the weaker scent of the
fugitive’s footsteps, and the former holds no scent.

a in = ie
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FOWLING DOGS. 279

THE POINTERS AND SETTERS.

The POINTER (Plate XV) has a moderately large head, a high fore-
head, broad square muzzle, a long neck, strong loins, and wide hips;
the tail is strong at the root, then suddenly diminishes, and within two
inches of the tip goes off into a point. The shape of the taii is an index
of pure breeding.

The Pointer possesses considerable speed, and this quality is specially
useful because it permits the sportsman to walk forward at a moderate
pace, while his dogs are beating over the field to his right and left. The
sagacious animals are so obedient to the voice and gesture of their mas-
ter, and are so well trained to act with each other, that at a wave of the
hand they will separate, one going to the right and the other to the left,
and so traverse the entire field in a series of “ tacks,” to speak nautically,
crossing each other regularly in front of the sportsman as he walks for-
ward. When either of them scents a bird he stops suddenly, arresting
even his foot as it is raised in the air, his head thrust forward, his body
and limbs fixed, and his tail stretched straight out behind him. This
attitude is termed a “point,” and on account of this peculiar mode of
indicating game, the animal is termed the “ Pointer.”

The SETTER (Plate XVI). As the Pointers derive their name from
their habits of standing still and pointing at any game which they may
discover, so the Setters have earned their title from their custom of
“setting ’ or crouching when they perceive their game. In the olden
days of sporting the Setter used always to drop as soon as it found the
game, but at the present day the animal is in so far the imitator of the
Pointer that it remains erect while marking down its game.

The ENGLISH SETTER is thus described : “ A moderately heavy head,
but not so much so as in the Pointer; the muzzle not so broad nor so
square in profile, the lower angle being rounded off, but the upper being
still nearly a right angle. The eye is similar to that of the Pointer, but
not so soit, being more sparkting and full of spirit. The ear long, but
thin, and covered with soft, silky hair, slightly waved. The neck is long,
but straighter than that of the Pointer, being also lighter and very flexible.
The back and loins are hardly so strong as those of the Pointer, the latter
also being rather longer; the hips also are more ragged, and the ribs not
so round and barrel-like. The taii or ‘flag’ is usually set on a little lower,

280 CARNIVORA.

is furnished with a fan-like brush of long hair, and is slightly curled up-
ward toward the tip; but it should never be carried over the back or
raised above the level of its root, excepting while standing, and then a
slight elevation is admired, every hair standing down with a stiff and
regular appearance. The elbow, when in perfection, is placed so low as
to be fully an inch below the brisket, making the fore-arm appear very
short. The hind-feet and legs are clothed with hair, or ‘feathered,’ as it
is called, in the same way as the fore-legs, and the amount of this beautiful
provision is taken into consideration in selecting the dog for his points.”

The IRISH SETTER has lately come into deserved favor. There are
two strains—the Red, and the White and Red—the former being the
more fashionable. This dog stands higher than the English Setter, and
his head is longer and narrower. He is fast and enduring, and works
beautifully, but is unreliable.

THE SPANIELS.

The SPANIELS are divided into two classes—the Field and the Water
Spaniels; and the Field Spaniels are again divided, according to their
work, into Springers ana Cockers.

The SPRINGERS are heavy and slow dogs, and the favorite breed at
present is the Clumber. This animal weighs about thirty pounds, and
stands twenty inches high, with a heavy head and broad, square muzzle,
long ears, very long body, with a good barrel; the tail is bushy, the
legs well feathered. The Clumber hunts mute, while the Sussex Spaniels
give tongue when questing.

The COcKER SPANIEL (Plate XV). This class includes all the other
Field Spaniels, and is the original of the Toy Spaniels. The name is
given to it because this breed is used for woodcock shooting. The varie-
ties are very numerous; generally speaking, the Cocker is a light dog,
of about fourteen pounds in weight. Like the Springer, he keeps his
tail down when questing, but moves it to and fro more rapidly. The
coat is thick and wavy; the color is plain liver or black, white and black,
liver and white, and lemon and white, or nearly all red.

The WATER SPANIEL has great powers of swimming and diving, and
is very docile, and is one of the best of outdoor companions.

Much of its endurance in the water is owing to the abundance of
natural oil with which its coat is supplied, and which prevents it from

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG. 281

becoming really wet. A reali Water Spaniel gives himself a good shake
as soon as he leaves the river, and is dry ina very short time. This oil,
although useful to the dog, gives forth an odor very unpieasant to human
nostrils, and therefore debars the Water Spaniel from enjoying the fire-
side society of its human friends.

Some people fancy that the Water Spaniel possesses webbed feet, and
that its aquatic prowess is due to this formation. Such, however, is not
the case. All dogs have their toes connected with each other by a strong
membrane, and when the foot is wide and the membrane rather loosely
hung, as is the case with the Water Spaniel, a large surface is presented
to the water.

The Water Spaniel is of moderate size, measuring about twenty-two
inches in height at the shouiders, and proportionately stout in make.
The ears are long, measuring from point to point rather more than the
animal’s height.

The CHESAPEAKE Bay Doe is very much prized by the duck-shooters
of Maryland. There are three breeds—the Otter, with very short hair
of a tawny color; the Red, with long hair; the Curly, with curly hair
of a reddish-brown hue. The average height is about twenty-five
inches.

The RETRIEVER (Plate XVI). In America all shooting-dogs are
broken to retrieve ; in England this duty is assigned on land to a cross
between the Newfoundland and the Setter, or between the Water Spaniel
and the Terrier.

VAY Y
mip) Soe <<

CHAPTER XIII. .

SHEPHERD’S DOGS AND HOUSE DOGS. :

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG—THE COLLEY—-THE SPITZ—THE ESQUIMAUX DOG—THE ST. BERNARD—
THE MASTIFF—THE THIBET DOG—THE BULLDOG—-THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG—THE BLACK
AND TAN TERRIER—THE SCOTCH TERRIER—THE SKYE TERRIER—THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER—
THE BULL-TERRIER—THE FOX TERRIER—THE COACH-DOGS—THE PUG—THE POODLE—KING
CHARLES—BLENHEIM—THE MEXICAN MOPSEY—THE DINGO, OR THE DOG RELAPSED INTO
BARBARISM.

7 E now come to the classes of dogs not used for sporting,
and commence with the most useful of them.

THE SHEPHERD’S DOGS.

[he SHEPHERD’S Doc (Plate XVI) is divided into numerous breeds,
all possessing the same general characteristics. It is rather large and
powerful, with a thick closely set fur; the muzzle is sharp, the head of
moderate size, the eyes intelligent; the shape that of a short, strong
greyhound, and there are usually two dew claws on each hind leg.

The ScorcH SHEEPDOG or COLLEY has a sharp nose, a bright and
mild eye, and most sagacious aspect. The body is heavily covered with
long and woolly hair, which stands boldly out from its sides. The tail is
exceedingly bushy, and curves upwards towards the end, so as to carry
the long hairs free from the ground. The color of the fur is always dark,
and is sometimes variegated with a very little white. The most approved
tint is black and tan; but it sometimes happens that the entire coat is of
one ot these colors, and in that case the dog is not so highly valued.

It is hardly possible to overrate the marvellous intelligence of a well-
taught sheep-dog; for if the shepherd were deprived of the help of his
dog his office would be almost impracticable. It has been forcibly said
by a competent authority that, if the work of the dog were to be per-
formed by men, their maintenance would more than swallow up the

—

ESQUIMAUX DOG, 283

entire profits of the flock. The Colley is untiring in the discharge of
any useful task, but will not display his talents for the idle gratification
of spectators,

The Spritz Doc is one of the commonest house-dogs we see. In its
native country Pomerania it discharges the duty of a sheev-dog, and it
is fit for nothing else. Its intelligence is of a low order, and its courage
is conspicuous by its absence. It has a pointed fox-like head, short legs,
and a long tail tightly curled up, and is clad in a thick woolly coat
usually of a white color, It has the merit of being a good watch-dog,
and with this ends all its good qualities. It is irritable and snappish and
therefore unfit to be a playmate for children, Most cases of hydrophobia
can be traced to the bite of a Spitz; not that he is more subject to the
disease, but that he is more addicted to biting than other dogs.

THE ESQUIMAUX DOG,

The EsQuIMAUX Doc (Plate XIV) is a wolfish-looking creature with
oblique eyes, bushy tail and elongated muzzle; its color is a deep dun
with obscure bars and patches; its height about twenty-two inches, Ir
winter it is used entirely for drawing sleds and sleighs, but is usually
turned loose in the summer, The team of dogs is harnessed to the sleigh
by leathern straps, and directed by the voice or the crack of the whip of
the driver. The old and experienced animal which leads the team will
dash forward, slacken speed, halt, or turn to right and left at the word of
command, and the actual stroke of the whip is used as little as possible,
for when a dog feels the sting of the biting lash, he turns round and
attacks the dog nearest to him, The others immediately join in the fight,
and the whole team is thrown into confusion, the traces being entangled
with each other, and the sledge in all likelihood upset. When such a
rupture occurs, the driver is generally forced to dismount, and to
harness the dogs afresh, Usually, the leading dog is permitted to run
his own course, for he is able to foliow the right path with marvellous
accuracy, and to scent it out, even when the thickly-falling snow-
flakes have covered the surface of the ground with an uniform
white carpet.

These dogs are able to travel for very great distances over the snow-
clad regions of the north, and have been known to make daily journeys
of sixty miles for several days in succession.

284 CARNIVORA.

THE SAINT BERWARD AND MASTIFF.

The SAINT BERNARD Doc (Plate XV). These splendid dogs, which
belong to the group of Spaniels, are among the largest of the canine
race, being equal in size to a large mastiff. The good work which is done
by them is so well known that it is only necessary to give a passing
reference. Bred among the coldest regions of the Alps, and accus-
tomed from its birth to the deep snows which everlastingly cover the
mountain-top, the St. Bernard Dog is a most useful animal in discover-
ing any unfortunate traveler who has been overtaken by a sudden storm
and lost the path, or who has fallen upon the cold ground, worn out by
fatigue and hardship, and sunk into the death-sleep which is the result
of severe cold. Whenever a snow-storm occurs, the monks beionging
to the monastery of St. Bernard send forth their dogs on their errand
of mercy. Taught by the wonderful instinct with which they are
endowed, they traverse the dangerous paths, and seldom fail to discover
the frozen sufferer, even though he be buried under a deep snow-drift.
When the dog has made such a discovery, it gives notice by its deep
and powerful bay of the perilous state of the sufferer, and endeavors to
clear away the snow that covers the lifeless form.

The monks, hearing the voice of the dog, immediately set off to the
aid of the perishing traveler, and in many cases have thus preserved
lives that must have perished without their timely assistance. In order
to afford every possible help to the sufferer, a small flask of spirits is
generally tied to the dog’s neck.

There are two varieties, the rough and smooth haired, the former
of a tawny brindle color, the latter red and white with a broad white
collar.

The MastirF (Plate XVI) is a noble-looking dog, and when pure
bred is remarkably good-natured, and seems to delight in affording
\protection to the weak, either of men or dogs.

The head of the Mastiff bears a certain similitude to that of the blood-
hound and the bulldog, possessing the pendent lips and squared muzzle
of the former, with the heavy muscular development of the latter.
The under-iaw sometimes protrudes a little, but the teeth are not left
uncovered by the upper lip, as is the case with the latter animal. The
fur of the Mastiff is always smooth, and its color varies between a uni-

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THE THIBET DOG. 235

form reddish-fawn and different brindiings and patches of dark and
white. The voice is peculiarly deep and mellow. The height of this
animal is generally from, twenty-five to twenty-eight inches, but some-
times exceeds these dimensions. One of these dogs was no less than
thirty-three inches 1n height at the shoulder, measured fifty inches round
his body, and weighed a hundred and seventy-five pounds.

The TurseT Doc (Plate XIV) is an enormous animal employed
by the inhabitants of Thibet to guard their houses and flocks: The men
journey as far as Calcutta, for the purpose of selling their merchandise,
and while thus engaged, they leave their dogs at home, as guardians to
the women and children. The courage of these huge dogs is not so
great as their size and strength would seem to indicate, for, excepting on
their own special territories, they are little to be feared, and even then
can be held at bay by a quiet, determined demeanor. Their color is
generally a deep black, with a slight clouding on the sides, and a patch
of tawny over each eye. The hanging lips of the Thibet dog give it a
very curious aspect, which is heightened by the generally loose mode in
which the skin seems to hang on the body.

The BuLipoc (Plate XVI) shares with the gamecock the reputa-
tion of being the most courageous animal in the world. His origina!
vocation was bull-baiting, but at present he is kept either for fighting or
breeding. Nearly all sporting dogs owe a good deai of their courage to
some Bulldog ancestor. “Stonehenge” thinks the Bulldog is naturally
sagacious and intelligent, and derives his evil habits from his human
companions. He bites before he barks, and will attack anything; when
he has once got hold he cannot be dislodged unless by choking. His
repulsive appearance is chiefly due to his underhung jaw; in other
respects he is a remarkably neat and compact animal.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND.

The NEWFOUNDLAND Doc (Plate XIV) is so called from its native
country. It belongs to the group of Spaniels and is remarkably intelli-
gent. It loves to be in water, and is famous for the numerous instances
in which it has rescued drowning persons; it swims with great speed,
owing to its large feet andlegs. There are three kinds of this dog—
the TRUE NEWFOUNDLAND, the LABRADOR Doc, and the St. JOHN’s
Doe.

286 CARNIVORA.

The true Newfoundland is a magnificent and _benevolent-looking
animal, and an admirable companion; it stands twenty-five to thirty
inches high, and has a long, shaggy coat; the favorite coior is black, or
black and white. Anecdotes of him are innumerable.

The story of the big dog that dropped the little dog into the water
and then rescued it from drowning, is weil known. But another dog
benaved in a less generous manner.» Being provoked beyond all
endurance by the continued annoyance of a small dog, it took the little
tormentor in its mouth, swam well out to sea, dropped it in the water,
and swam back again. Another of these animals, belonging to a work-
man, was attacked by a small and pugnacious bulldog, which sprang
upon the unoffending canine giant, ana, after the manner of bulldogs,
“pinned” him by the nose, and there hung, in spite of all endeavors to
shake it off. However, the big dog happened to be a clever one, and
spying a pailful of boiling tar, he bolted toward it, and deliberately
lowered his foe into the hot and viscous material. The bulldog had not
calculated on such a reception, and made its escape as fast as it could
run, bearing with it a scalding memento of the occasion.

The attachment which these magnificent dogs feel toward mankind is
almost unaccountable, for they have been often known to undergo the
greatest hardships in order to bring succor to a person whom they had
never seen before. A Newfoundland dog has been known to discover
a poor man perishing in the snow from cold and inanition, to dash off,
procure assistance, telling by certain doggish language of its own of the
need for help, and then to gallop back again to the sufferer, lying upon
him as if to atford vital heat from his own body, and there to wait until
the desired assistance arrived.

One day a Newfoundland dog and a mastiff had a sharp quarrel over
a bone. They were fighting on a bridge, and over they went into the
water. The banks were so high that they were forced to swim some dis-
tance before they came to a landing-place. It was very easy for the
Newfoundland; he was as much at home in the water asaseal. But
not so poor Bruce the mastiff; he struggled and tried his best to swim,
but made little headway. The Newfoundland dog quickly reached the
land, and then turned to look at his old enemy. He saw plainly that his
strength was fast failing, and that he was likely to drown. So what did
the noble fellow do but plunge in, seize him gently by the collar, and
keeping his nose above water, tow him safely into port! It was funny to

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 287

see these dogs look at each other as they shook their coats. Their glance
said as plainly as words, “‘ We'll never quarrel any mcre.”

Another incident exhibits the intelligence of the Newfoundland. A
large, heavy wagon, which was, notwithstanding its encrmous weight,
dragged along at a smart trot by a vigorous horse, was passing lately
through the Rue de la Chapelle, at Paris. An infant of three years of
age having ventured on the public road, unconscious of the danger it
was running, was just about to be crushed beneath the wheels of the
huge vehicle. Quicker than thought. a magnificent Newfoundland dog,
which was sitting on the pavement, darted forth with one immense
bound, snapped up the little being, passed like an arrow beneath the
wagon between the four wheels, and deposited the poor child safe and
sound upon the opposite pavement.

The second. variety is the LARGE LABRADOR Doc, which is never
entirely black, and has a longer and more curly coat than the true New-
foundland. The third breed is the St. JOHN’s Doc, which seldom
exceeds twenty-five inches.

It is a popular mistake to suppose that, to secure a good specimen
of these noble animals, it is necessary to send to the country from which
they are named. In point of fact, the pure breed is almost extinct in
Newfoundland, and there are to be found there now in their stead a race
of mean-iooking, shabby, cowardly, thievish mongrels, the degenerate
descendants of a once noble race, and as different from them as the
modern Greeks from the heroic Greeks of Homer. Neglect, ill-usage,
starvation, and hard work have wrought the change. Rather more than
two years ago an effort was made to introduce another breed, the cele-
brated Leonberg dog, the finest in the world—a development of, and a
decided improvement on, the original Newfoundiand. The breeder of
this race is Count Esseg of Leonberg, Wurtemberg, and hitherte his
endeavors have been crowned with success.

THE TERRIER.

The TERRIER, so named froin the Latin serve “the earth,” was origi-
nally used to drive foxes or vermin from drains or burrows in the ground.
He is a small, strong, and courageous dog, with a very good srent. As
a rule, all terriers have a strain of bulldog in them, to which they owe
their determination and endurance. In England, before the present style

288 CARNIVORA.

of fox-hunting arose, Terriers were attached to every pack of fox-hounds ;
but the old fox-terrier has now become the assistant of the rat-catcher
and game-keeper, or the faithful house-dog.

The BLACK-AND-TAN TERRIER (Plate XVI) is the old English Ter-
rier. It is a smooth-haired dog, with a long, tapering nose, high fore-
head, and overhung jaw; the tail ought to be fine and rather drooping.
The colors ought to be well contrasted without any speck of white. The
mouth is always black. It is a lively, affectionate deg, a good ratter, but
unequal to attack larger vermin.

The ScotcH TERRIER resembles the English dog except in his coat,
which is rougher and more mixed with gray. A cross between this dog
and the otter-hound has produced the DanpIE DiINMontTs, of which
there are two varieties—the “ Mustard,” of a reddish-brown color, and
the “ Pepper,” of a gray or blue-gray color. The legs are short, the
body long, the ears large, the tail erect with a curve over the back, and
the hair on the forehead is silky.

The SKYE TERRIER (Plate XVI) has a long body and short legs,
and ought to measure from nose to tail three times its height. The tail
1s long and straight; the fore-legs are slightly bandy, and dew-claws are
entirely absent. The hair is long, straight, and parted along the back;
it hangs straight down nearly to the ground, and falls well over the eyes.
The Skye is a good dog for vermin, but is now chiefly prized as a com-
panion.

There are two kinds of pure Skyes—one small with soft hair, another
larger with wiry hair. The Toy Skyes, with a black, silky coat, are pro-
duced by crossing with the Spaniel.

The YORKSHIRE TERRIER is a cross between a mongrel Skye and a
Black-and-Tan Terrier. The coat is very long and silky, and abundant
over the whole body, head, legs, and tail; its color is a silvery blue, the
ears and legs are of a dark tan shade, and the long beard is of a golden
tan, the top of the head almost fawn-colored, This dog is a modern
invention and is only fit for a toy.

The BULL-TERRIER is a cross between the bulldog and the terrier;
generally, however, the terrier cross is continued till the bulldog head
disappears ; the dog retains the courage of its ancestor and acquires
more docility, and is the best of ratters; the first generation is an
admirable fighting dog and will face anything. Mr. Andersson relates
that, during his travels in Africa, his bull-terrier caught a rhinoceros by

THE COACH DOGS. 289

the lower lip, and did not relinquish its hold till the beast was shot.
The same dog attacked and killed jackals. A bull-terrier, which was
celebrated in the sporting world under the title of “ Tiny,’ weighed only
five pounds and a half, and yet was known to destroy fifty rats in twenty-
eight minutes and five seconds. It is estimated that this dog must have
killed more than five thousand rats, the aggregate weight of which nearly
equals a ton and a half. He could not be daunted by size or numbers, and
was repeatedly matched against the largest rats that could be procured.

The Fox TERRIER is well represented at most dog-shows. The head
is flat, jaw powerful, eyes small, ears set rather back, neck light, chest
full, thighs well bent, legs strong. The color is white, with black or
black-and-tan markings; coat fine, but hard. At present they are the
favorite dog in England, and about the most numerous. These dogs are
gay and lively in appearance. The best are white, and weigh about six-
teen pounds.

LE COACH “DOGS:

The GREAT DANISH Doc (Plate XIV) is a large, noble animal, with
slender limbs and a smooth tail, short ears and large eyes, and is a cross
between the mastiff and greyhound. His color is white, with brown,
mouse-colored, or black patches. He used to be employed to hunt red
deer; at present the name Danish Dog is given to a variety which is
usually seen running with carriages.

The CoacH Doc or DALMaTIAN Doc (Plate XVI) is a handsome
variety of pointer; his color is white, thickly spotted with black spots
of a uniform size, about an inch in diameter. In England he runs with
his master’s carriage, his proper place being just in front of the horses.
In his native country he works as a pointer.

TOY DOGS.

The Puc Doc (Plate XVI) is low and thick-set, of a fawn-color, with
a black mask extending to the eyes and clearly defined. The coat is
short, thick and silky, the head round, the nose short, tail short and
curling closely to the side.

The POODLE is a very obedient, intelligent dog, and soon learns all
kinds of tricks. He is a favorite in France and Germany, where he is

290 CARNIVORA.

generally seen shaven, all but a ruff round the neck and legs and a tuft
at the end of the tail. He is good-natured, playful and sociable, and
makes a good watch-dog. He fetches and carries readily, and swims
well; but, although possessed of keen scent, he has no sporting tastes.

The KivG CHARLES SPANIEL (Plate XV) is a very small animal, as a
really fine specimen ought not to exceed six or seven pounds in weight.
Some of the most valuable King Charles Spaniels weigh as little as five
pounds, or even less. These little creatures have been trained to search
for and put up game after the manner of the springers and cockers; but
they cannot endure severe exercise or long continued exertion, and
ought only to be employed on very limited territory.

When rightly managed the King Charles is a most amusing com-
panion, and picks up accomplishments with great readiness. It can be
trained to perform many pretty tricks, and sometimes is so appreciative
of its human playfellows that it will join their games.

The BLENHEIM SPANIEL is even smaller than the King Charles, and
resembles it closely in its general characteristics. Both these animals
have very short muzzles, long silky hair without any curl, extremely long
and silky ears, falling close to the head and sweeping the ground. The
legs are covered with long silky hair to the very toes, and the tail is well
“feathered.” The eyes of these little dogs are extremely moist, having
always a slight lachrymal rivulet trickling from the corner of each eye.

A very celebrated but extremely rare “toy’’ dog is the MALTESE
Doa, the prettiest and most lovable of all the little pet dogs.

The hair of this tiny creature is very long, extremely silky, and almost
unique in its glossy sheen, so beautifully fine as to resemble spun glass.
In proportion to the size of the animal, the fur is so long that, when it is
in rapid movement, the real shape is altogether lost in the streaming mass
of flossy hair. One of these animals, which barely exceeds three pounds
in weight, measures no less than fifteen inches in length of hair across
the shoulders. The tail of the Maltese dog curls strongly over the back,
and adds its wealth of silken fur to the already superfluous torrent of
glistening tresses. It is a lively and very good-tempered little creature,
endearing itself by sundry curious little ways to those with whom it is
brought in contact.

The Indians possessed two kinds of dogs before the Spanish discovery,
both called by the generic name Aéco. Buffon gives as the native names
of the two species, Yrscuinte potzotli, a short-necked, silky-haired dog ;

PON as Ae
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TOY DOGS. 291

and Zechichi, a melancholy dog; the former is the Peruvian or Mexican
lapdog, the latter the forest dog of Guiana. The best known variety
is the much-prized MEXICAN Mopsey, which has fine woolly—nct silky
—hair. This is the tiniest of the dog family, and is precisely like the
woollen dogs of the toy-shops.

The CHINESE DoG is remarkable only for the entire absence of hair
on all parts of its body. In form it seems a modification of the grey-
hound, the body being long and narrow, the neck moderately long but
thin, the head and muzzle pretty long, the legs thin without dew-claws
on the hinder pair.

It is called Chinese because it does not come from China, but is prob-
ably a native of Africa, where it is said to be used to hunt the antelope.
It is very light, swift, and persevering, and is reported to be indefatigable
in tracking its game. These exploits of the hairless dog, however,
require confirmation, and dates and places. With us the unfortunate
creature is a mere monster, kept as a curiosity to gratify a perverted
taste, and it must suffer severely from the changes of our climate. One
possessed by the writer was good-natured and playful, and was a good
watch-dog, but was excessively afraid of other dogs.

THE DINGO.

The DINGO, Canis dingo (Plate XIV), is not a noble savage who has
never known civilization, but a civilized dog run wild. It is the only
carnivorous animal found in Australia, consequently is not a marsupial,
and therefore is not indigenous to the island. It has all the look of a
domestic dog. It is about as large as a sheep-dog, and is of a reddish-
brown color, sprinkled with black. It crosses freely with the tame dog.

Large packs of these wild dogs ravage the localities in which they
have taken up their residence, and have attained to so high a degree of
organization that each pack will only hunt over its own district, and will
neither intrude upon the territory which has been allotted to a neighbor-
ing pack of Dingoes, nor permit any intrusion upon its own soil. For
this reason their raids upon the flocks and herds are so dangerous that
the colonists have been obliged to call meetings in order to arrange pro-
ceedings against the common foe. Before the sheep-owners had learned
to take effectual measures to check the inroads of these marauders, they
lost their flocks in such numbers that they counted their missing sheep

as "on

202 CARNIVORA,

by the hundred, From one colony no less than twelve hundred sheep
and lambs were stolen in three months.

The Dingo is cowardly, and will rather run away than fight; but
when hard pressed, and it finds that its legs are of no use, it turns to bay
with savage ferocity, and dashes at its opponents with the furious energy
of despair, It carries these uncivilized customs into domesticated life ;
and even when its restless limbs are subjected to the torpifying thraldom
of chain and collar, and its wild, wolfish nature allayed by regular meals
and restricted exercise, it is ever ready to make a sudden and unpro-
voked attack upon man or beast, provided always that its treacherous
onset can be made unseen, After the attack it always retreats into the
farthest recesses of its habitation, and there crouches in fear and silence,
whether it has failed or succeeded in its cowardly malice,

Thus we see that if the dog is necessary for man, man is no less
necessary for the dog, Without human society, human guidance, and
human rule, the dog, in a few generations, displays all the vices of his
wollish progenitors.

Wich.

beicaiel iii

CHAPTER AlLV.

THE WEASELS, OTTERS AND SKUNKS.

THE MARTENS—THE SABLE—THE AMERICAN SABLE-—TIT BLACK CAT—THE POLNCAT—THR
ERMINE—-THE NEW YORK ERMINE-THE FERRETS——THE MINK--THE WEASELS=-THE WOL-
VERENE—-THE OTTERS—THE CANADA OTTER—-THE CALIFORNIA OTTEReTHE SEA OTTER ReTHE
BRAZILIAN OTTER—=-THE CHINESE OTTERe-THE BADGERS=THE AMERICAN BADGER TIE
TELEDU--THE RATEL--THE SKUNKS--THE ZORILLATHE SURILHO--THIE COMMON SKUNK
THE NYENTEK,

HE family of the MusTELiIpA# may be divided conveniently into
three sub-families, the MUSTELIN®, containing the Weasels and
Gluttons, the LUTRIN«, containing the Otters, and the Mr.t

NIN4@, containing the Badgers and Skunks. The family comprises
twenty-eight genera and ninety-two species, of which we shall mentior
the most interesting.

THE MARTENS.

The highest position in this sub-family is held by the Martens, slen.
der, short-legged animals with a pointed head, round ears, and moderate
size. By many writers the genera Martes and Mustela are united into one,

GENUS MARTES.

This genus, comprising the Martens proper, is distinguished by pos-
sessing thirty-eight teeth. The two species found in the "United States
are placed by Baird in the Mustela.

The PINE MARTEN, Martes abietum (Plate XIX), is a very pretty
active creature, with a body measuring eighteen inches to two feet, and
a tail about one foot in length. In Europe it is found in Scandinavia,
Russia, England, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain; and in Asia, as far
as the Altai Mountains. The largest specimens dwell in Sweden, and

204 CARNIVORA.

their fur is of extraordinary thickness. The color does not vary essen-
tially, being generally brown, with a yellowish tinge in Spain and Italy,
and a gray hue in Sweden.

The Pine Marten is so called because it is generally found in those
localities where the pine-trees abound. It is a shy and wary animal, and
although fierce when brought to bay, naturally shuns collision with an
enemy. It traverses the trunks and branches with wonderful address and
activity, being enabled by its rapid and silent movements to steal un-
noticed on many an unfortunate bird, and to seize it in its deadly gripe
before the victim can take flight. It is very fond of appropriating to its
own use the nests of crows and other birds, and sometimes occupies the
habitation of'a squirrel which it has previously killed. Its fur is valuable,
and little inferior to that of the Sable.

The BEECH MARTEN, JJartes foina, is distinguished by the white tint
of the fur on the throat and breast, and by its habit of prowling about
human habitations. It is more easily domesticated than the Pine
Marten, which in other respects it closely resembles.

The odor secreted by the inguinal glands of these two species is of a
musky, not offensive, odor, and hence they are called in England Sweet-
martens, to distinguish them from the Foul-martens or Polecats.

The SABLE, JWartes sibellina (Plate XIX), has large ears, long legs,
and a brilliant, silky fur, and is found from the Ural Mountains to
Behring Straits. It lives near the banks of rivers in burrows among
the roots of trees, or in hollow trees; its food in summer consists of
hares and small animals, in winter it is said to feed on wild berries.

The value of its fur has induced a constant pursuit of the Sable, and
as it is most valuable when the animal is captured in winter, the hard-
ships to be undergone by the hunter are very great. The Sables are
taken in various modes. Sometimes they are captured in traps, which
are formed in order to secure the animal without damaging its fur.
Sometimes they are fairly hunted down by means of the tracks which
their little feet leave in the white snow, and are traced to their domicile.
A net is then placed over the orifice, and by means of a certain pungent
smoke which is thrown into the cavity, the inhabitant is forced to rush
into the open air, and is entangled in the net. The hunters are forced to
support themselves on the soft yielding surface of the snow by wearing
““ snow-shoes,” or they would be lost in the deep drifts which are per-
fectly capable of supporting so light and active an animal as that they

PINE MARTIN

SABLE

ERMINE

SKUNK

RATEL

CARNIV

WEASEL

Pic Aa : XolX

THE POLECATS., 205

are following. The Sable measures about eighteen inches in length, and
an ordinary skin is worth thirty to thirty-five dollars; one of the very
best quality, however, will bring sixty to seventy-five dollars.

The AMERICAN SABLE, Martes Americana, varies a good deal in color,
but is usually of a dull grayish-brown, which becomes darker in winter.
It is shy, cruel, cunning and active, but does not approach the habitations
of man. It is found in the wooded districts of the northern parts of
America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the 68th to the goth degree
of latitude. It is considered by Audubon identical with the European
Pine Marten.

The BLack CaT or FISHER, Martes Pennantit, has long canine teeth,
and indeed its bead resembles that of a dog more than that of a cat; the
fur is chestnut-brown, with whitish hairs interspersed, which mixture of
tints produces a hoary appearance. It is rare in the Northern and East-
ern States, but is still met in the thinly settled portions. It obtains its
name of “Fisher” from its singular fondness for the fish used to bait
traps; it is a formidable enemy to the raccoon and the squirrel, and often
pursues the American Sable. When attacked by dogs it makes a more
desperate resistance than either the gray or the red fox. It is the
largest of the Martens.

The Woopcuucx, Vartes Canadensis, is of some value on account of
its fur, which is of a grayish-brown color. It lives in burrows on the
banks of streams, its food consisting of fish and animals which live near
water.

GENUS PUTORIUS.

This genus comprises the Foumarts or Polecats, and they differ from
the Martens not only by giving out an offensive odor, but by possessing
only thirty-four teeth.

The POLEcAT, Putorius fetidus (Plate XIX), is bold and blood-
thirsty, destroying remorsely everything it can; it sucks the blood of its
victims and eats their brains, leaving the body untouched. Its fur is
often fraudulently sold for sable, but is most valued for the manufacture
of artists’ brushes which are made from the long, sharp, brown hairs
which protrude through the creature’s woolly coat.

It is a determined foe to game, ravages poultry-yards, and attacks
even frogs, newts, and fish; large stores of eels have been found in the

296 CARNIVORA.

larder of the Polecat, and the nests of the wild bees are not safe from the
intrusions of this daring plunderer.

The FERRET, Putorius furo (Plate XIX), is an African polecat, and
requires, in England, where it is used in rabbit-hunting, to be preserved
carefully from cold or frost. One variety is of a creamy white color, with
bright pink eyes, another, produced by crossing with the Polecat, is
darker and fiercer.

When used for hunting rabbits, it is usually muzzled before it is sent
into the burrow, for if its teeth were at liberty, it would kill the first
rabbit it met, and remain sucking its blood. It is a very fierce animal,
and apt to turn on its owner. A tame one has been known to attack a
child in the cradle, mangling it terribly.

The ERMINE or STOAT, Putorius ermineus (Plate XIX), is larger than
the Weasel. It is a determined hunter, and tolerably swift, possessing
good powers of scent, and singular endurance. It has, however, obtained
its fame from the beauty of its fur. In summer its coat is of a reddish-
brown, not quite so ruddy as that of the weasel, but in winter it becomes
entirely white, with the exception of the tail, two-thirds of which remain
black. Two explanations of this change of cclor have been given. One
is that new and white hairs are produced in autumn to supply the place
of the falling brown ones. The other, which is now generally accepted,
is that the summer hairs become blanched.

The hairs are not entirely white, even in their most completely
blanched state, but partake of a very delicate cream-yellow, especially
upon the under portions, while the slightly bushy tip of the tail remains
in its original black tinting, and presents a singular contrast to the
remainder of the fur. In temperate latitudes, the Stoat is never suf-
ficiently blanched to render its fur of any commercial value, and the hair
appears to be longer, thicker, and whiter in proportion to the degree of
latitude in which the animal has been taken. As may be supposed, from
the extreme delicacy of the skin in its wintry whiteness, the capture of
the Stoat for the purpose of obtaining its fur is a matter of no small dif-
ficulty. The traps which are used for the purpose of destroying the
Stoat are formed so as to kill the animal by a sudden blow, without
wounding the skin; and many of the beautiful little creatures are taken
in ordinary snares.

The Ermine is extensively diffused over the northern regions of the
Old World; the colder the climate is, the more valuable the fur becomes,

THE ERMINE. 2907

and hence the most valuable specimens come from Siberia, whence about
400,000 pelts are annually sent to market.

The NEw YorK ERMINE, Putorius Noveboracensis, is called also the
White, and the Common Weasel. It is found as far south as Pennsylvania.
It differs from the European Ermine, the tail not being so long, but the
hair very long and bushy. It does not change the color of its coat in
winter.

KANE’S ERMINE, Putortus Kaneii, was so named by Baird in honor of
the Arctic explorer, Dr. Kane. Its length to the tail is about eight
inches, the tail vertebra about one-sixth of this length. In summer it is
brown, in winter, white. It is smaller than the European Ermine, but
has a longer tail, and the black color in place of occupying two-thirds,
takes up only one-half of that appendage.

The LitTLE NIMBLE WEASEL, Putorius agilis, is light, slender, and
graceful; it is smaller than the Ermine, but stands higher in proportion,
and has more prominent ears. In summer the color of the fur on the
upper portion is light-brown, on the belly and throat white; in winter,
the whole body is pure white, except an inch and three-quarters of black
at the tip of the tail. The specimen described by Audubon was obtained
in the northern part of New York; its burrow was situated on a
high ridge of pine-land, and had a very narrow entrance. It feeds
upon the meadow mouse, the little chipping squirrel, and other small
animals.

The TAwWNY WEASEL, Putorius fuscus, is more robust than the Euro-
pean Weasel, and is of a uniform tawny brown color. It does not
change color in winter. It is found in the States of New York, Ohio,
and Michigan.

The MINK, Putorius vison, is of a brown color, with some white
about the jaws; but both the color and the size vary considerably. It
lives by the banks of ponds or marshes, and its food is chiefly aquatic.
In shape it assumes something of the Otter aspect. Its fur is excellent
in quality, and as it bears a great resemblance to the sable, it is often
substituted for that article.

The SMALL WEASEL, Putorius pusillus, is the smallest of our native
species; it has a very short tail, without the black tip common to other
species. It is very like the common weasel, but smaller.

The YELLOW-CHEEKED WEASEL, Putorius xanthogenys, is found only
in California; it derives its specific name from three yellow patches on

298 CARNIVORA.

the cheeks. The back and sides are brown, the abdomen slightly duller
in tint.

The SMALL BROWN WEASEL, Putorius cicognanti, is common in New
England. It is brown above, and white beneath, the tail has a black tip,
and is one-fifth the length of the body.

RICHARDSON’S WEASEL, Putortus Richardsonii, has smaller feet, higher
ears, and a longer tail than the preceding species. Its summer coat is
dark-brown; its winter raiment white. The hair on the tail does not
form a brush.

The BrIDLED WEASEL, Putorius frenatus, is found in Texas, and per-
haps extends into Mexico. It has a yellowish patch on its forehead, and
another just in front of each ear.

The BLACK-FOOTED FERRET, Putorius Nigripes, is, according to
Audubon, the size of the Marten; the tail is one-third of the length of
the body; the feet, tip of tail, and forehead are black.

GENUS MUSTELA.

The WEASEL, JZustela vulgaris (Plate XIX), does not exceed ten
inches in length over all; the color is a reddish-brown on the upper part
of the body, but the under portions are pure white. It is one of the
most audacious of animals, and will attack anything, however superior
in size; it is a terrible foe to rats and mice, and in this respect makes
some atonement for the chickens it occasionally kills. It hunts by scent
and will even cross water in the chase. When it reaches its prey, it fixes
its teeth in the back of the neck and drives them into the brain.

Weasels will unite their forces, and act in concert to repel a foe. It
is reported that a powerful man was so worn out with his exertions in
keeping off his assailants, that he would soon have sunk under their
united attacks had he not been rescued by the timely assistance of a
horseman who happened to pass near the spot, and wko came to the
rescue with his whip. Urged by their bloodthirsty instinct, the Weasels
all directed their efforts to the throat, and made their attacks in such
rapid succession that their opponent was solely occupied in tearing
away the active little creatures and flinging them on the ground, with-
out being permitted the necessary leisure for killing or maiming Lis per-
tinacious and undaunted antagonists.

THE WOLVERENE. 299

GENUS GULO.

This genus is represented by ove species, which keeps to the cold
regions of Europe and Asia, and on this continent comes as far south as
the Great Lakes.

The WOLVERENE, Gulo luscus (Plate XX), has a strong compact
body, a short tail, which is very bushy, a thick short neck, large head
and short legs. Sometimes it attains the length of three feet. Old
naturalists gave this animal the name of GLUTTON, and told marvellous
stories respecting its voracity; in fact it has been known in captivity
to eat thirteen pounds of meat in a day.

The general aspect of this animal is not unlike that of a young bear,
and probably on that account it was placed by Linnzus among the bears
under the title of Ursus Luscus. The general color of the Wolverene is
a brownish-black ; the muzzle is black as far as the eyebrows, the space
between the eyes of a brownish hue. In some specimens, a few white
spots are scattered upon the under jaw. The sides of the body are
washed with a tint of a warmer color. The paws are quite black, and
the contrast between the jetty fur of the feet and the almost ivory white-
ness of the claws is extremely curious. These white claws are much
esteemed among the natives of Siberia for use in manufacturing certain
feminine adornments.

The Wolverene is specially obnoxious to hunters, as it takes the bait
from their traps, and discovers the stores of provisions that they have
cached or hidden as they advanced, and on which they depend for suste-
nance on their return.

GENUS GALICTIS.

The ‘wo species of this genus are confined to tropical America, and
differ very little in their habits or modes of life.

The Grison or HuRON, Galictis vittata, is found in Brazil and Para-
guay. Its color is peculiar, being lighter on the back than on the belly
the latter being of a dullish black color, the former covered with a gray
fur. The ears of this species are very small, and the tongue is rough.
The hairs which give the distinctive coloring to the upper parts of the
Grison are longer than those which cover the remaining portions of the

300 CARNIVORA.

body and the limbs. In total length it measures about two feet, the tail
being rather more than six inches in length; the neck is very long and
snake-like. All its movements are brisk and cheerful.

The odor which proceeds from the scent-glands of the Grison is
peculiarly disgusting, and offends human nostrils even more than that of
the stoat and polecat.

The Tavera, Galictis barbara, is of a uniform black color, with the
exception of a large white patch on the throat and chest. It is often
called the Great Weasel, and is nearly the size of the Common Marten.

THE OTTERS:

The next sub-family, the Zw¢rzve, is divided by some authorities into
ten genera, by others only into ¢/ree. All are characterized by a long
body, small prominent eyes, short round ears, and webbed feet, and all
inhabit rivers and lakes, or seas. They are all excellent swimmers, and
can remain a long time under water.

GENUS, EUREVA:

The Common OTTER, Lutra vulgaris, is found in all parts of Europe
and Northern Asia. In India and China it is represented by allied genera.

This aquatic weasel is a terrible foe to fish, being quite as destructive
in the water as any polecat or stoat is on the land.

For the pursuit of its finny prey the Otter is admirably adapted by
nature. The body is lithe and serpentine; the feet are furnished with a
broad web that connects the toes and is of infinite service in propelling
the animal through the water; the tail is long, broad, and flat, proving a
powerful and effectual rudder by which its movements are directed; and
the short, powerful legs are so loosely jointed that the animal can turn
them in almost any direction. The hair which covers the body and
limbs is of two kinds, the one a close, fine, and soft fur, which lies next
the skin and serves to protect the animal from the extremes of heat and
cold, and the other composed of long, shining, and coarser hairs, which
permit the animal to glide easily through the water. The teeth are
sharp and strong, and are admirably adapted for preventing the slippery
prey from escaping.

The color of the Otter varies slightly according to the light in which

THE OTTERS 301

it is viewed, but is generally of a rich brown tint, intermixed with
whitish-gray. This color is lighter along the back and the outside of
the legs than on the other parts of the body, which are of a paler grayish
hue. Its habitation is made in the bank of the river which it frequents,
and is rather inartificial in its character, as the creature is fonder of
occupying some natural crevice or deserted excavation than of digging
a burrow for itself. The nest of the Otter is composed of dry rushes,
flags, or other aquatic plants, and is purposely placed as near the water
as possible, without danger of being inundated.

The Otter can be easily trained to hunt for its master. In the East
Indies tame otters are nearly as common as tame dogs with us; and in
Germany and England many tame otters have been described.

The mode of instruction which is followed in the education of the
Otter is sufficiently simple. The creature is by degrees weaned from its
usual fish diet, and taught to live almost wholly on bread and milk; the
only fish-like article which it is permitted to see being a leathern cari-
cature of the finny race, with which the young Otter is habituated to
play, as a kitten plays with a crumpled paper or a cork, which does tem-
porary duty for a mouse. When the animal has accustomed itself to
chase and catch the artificial fish, and to give it into the hand of its
master, the teacher extends his instructions by drawing the leathern
image smartly into the water by means of a string, and encouraging his
pupil to plunge into the stream after the lure and bring it ashore. As
soon as the young Otter yields the leathern prey, it is rewarded by some
dainty morsel which its teacher is careful to keep at hand, and soon
learns to connect the two circumstances together.

The NortH AMERICAN OTTER, Lutra Canadensis (Plate XX), differs
from the European Otter by the large size of the naked muzzle and by
the skull. It is now exceedingly scarce, and is hunted for its highly
prized fur. There are two kinds of this fur, an under coat, very fine and
soft, and an outer one, long, coarse, and shining. Audubon tamed sev-
eral Otters that had the run of his library, and used to climb into his lap.

It is very shy, building its dwelling close to the banks of a running
stream. It has a most remarkable habit of “ coasting.’’ In winter it
selects a high bank of snow, and slides down it head-foremost ; in summer
it indulges in the same game on a steep river bank ending in deep water.
Audubon saw two Otters make twenty-two descents in succession on
one of these slides without intermission.

302 CARNIVORA.

The CALIFORNIA OTTER, Lutra Californica, differs from the Canadian,
by possessing a shorter muzzle. It is about four and a half feet long; the
color above is liver-brown, the under surface of the throat a dirty-white.
The ears are small, pointed and high, and the hind feet rather larger than
the fore feet. Its habits are the same as those of other otters.

GENUS ENE YDRIS:

The SEA OTTER, or KALAN, Enhydris marina (Plate XX), the only
species of the genus, prefers sea-water to fresh for the greater part of the
year. It is very much larger than its fresh-water relations, being rather
more than twice the size of the common Otter, and weighing as much as
seventy or eighty pounds. During the colder months of the year, the
Kalan dwells by the sea-shores, and is found upon the coasts of the
Northern Pacific, where it is active in the capture of marine fish. When
the warmer months begin, the Sea Otter leaves the coasts, and in com-
pany with its mate proceeds up the rivers until it reaches the fresh-
water lakes. There it remains until the lessening warmth gives warning
for it to make its retreat seawards before the frosts seal up the waters.

It is a scarce animal, and is not prolific. The fur of the Kalan is
extremely beautiful, shining with a glossy velvet-like sheen, and very
warm in character. It is, in consequence, valued at a very high price.
The color of the fur is rather variable, but its general hue is a rich black,
slightly tinged with brown on the upper portions of the body, while the
under portions of the body and the limbs are of a lighter hue. In some
specimens the head is nearly white, and in one or two instances the white
tinge extends as far as the neck. Indeed, the proportions of dark and
white fur differ in almost every individual.

All the Otters are long-bodied and short-limbed, but in the Kalan
this peculiarity is very conspicuous on account of the comparative short-
ness of the tail, which is barely seven inches in length: while the body
measures three feet on the average.

GENUS) LONTRAS

This genus contains ¢hree species, of which we mention the most
characteristic.

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THE SAND BEAR. 303

The ARRIANHA, Lonxtra Brasiliensis, differs from the Common Otter
very slightly, but is considerably larger; the head is rounder and the tail
is sharply flattened vertically. It fishes in bands of considerable num-
bers. Although it prefers a fish diet, yet it has been known to kill
geese when swimming in a pond. It betrays a determined hostility to
dogs, and attacks any that straggle from the hunter’s camp.

According to Azara, “this species lives in troops, which rising to the
surface of the water, bark like dogs. Each family possesses a separate
domain, and spends as much time on the water as it does on land. Its
motions are slow, and it drags its belly along the ground.” It is found
in the Amazon and other rivers of Brazil.

GENUS AONYX.

The five species of the genus are from Africa and Eastern Asia.

The CHINESE or JAVANESE OTTER, Aonyx leptonyx, is somewhat
small, measuring only about three feet. Its color is tawny rather than
brown, and the whiskers are strongly developed. When wild it is very
ferocious, but when taken young is gentle and tractable, and in China
and Java is kept in many houses. Its voice is said to resemble that of a
person crying in pain or grief.

THE BADGERS.

Our third sub-family, the Melinine, comprises the Badgers, Ratels,
and the unsavory and dreaded Skunks.

GENUS ARCTONYX.

The SAnD BEAR, Arctonyx collaris, the only species, has longer legs,
and a more hog-like snout than the common Badger. Its color is of a
yellowish-white, marked with two black bands that run on each side of
the head, uniting at the muzzle; the toes are united for their entire
length, and are armed with powerful claws. It is a fierce animal, and
when attacked stands up like a bear, and fights with its fore limbs. It is
found in the East Indies, and is sometimes called the Indian Badger.
The native name is Balisaur, or “ Sand Hog.”

304 CARNIVORA.

GENUS MELES.

The four species of this genus are found from the Atlantic Ocean to
Japan, and as far south as Hong Kong in China. ’

The BADGER, Meles taxus (Plate XX), is a quiet inoffensive crea-
ture, slow and clumsy in its movements, and awkward in its gait. Its
colors are gray, black and white; the head is white with a broad black
line on each side, the body is gray, the chest and abdomen, legs and feet
are of a deep blackish-brown. Its average length is two feet six.

It lives in a long and tortuous burrow, which it digs with great
rapidity, using its nose to push aside the earth, which is then flung back-
ward by its paws. It has long and sharp teeth, and a peculiar arrange-
ment of the jaws by which they lock and remain closed without farther
effort; its bite is therefore very severe. The word “ Badger” is old
English for a corn-dealer, and the animal has got this title because it is
accused by ignorant persons of injuring the crops of wheat and oats;
but far from causing injury, it is benefiting the farmer by its pursuit of
mice and the larve of insects. It is said to be bolder and fiercer in the
steppes of Asia, where it ventures to attack calves and sheep. At the
end of autumn the Badger retires to his burrow, makes a thick, warm
bed, and rolls himself up for his winter sleep. This is not continuous ;
he awakens at any spell of fine weather, and leaves his den to get a
drink. In Germany the Dachshund is used to drive him from his hole,
in which operation the dog often suffers severely, owing to the fierce
bite of the inhabitant. A Badger will receive without injury the most
violent blows on the body, but one stroke on the nose kills him.

GENUS TAXIDEA.

The two species of this genus are both North American. They have
short, low bodies, short tails, large claws, and pointed skulls.

The MEXICAN BADGER, Jaxidea Berlandiert, differs slightly from the
following species, the most noticeable variation being in the continuation
of the white line on the head to the root of the tail.

The AMERICAN BabDGER, Zaxidea Labradoria, has one tooth less on
each side in the lower jaw than the European Badger. The body is

THE TELEDU. 305

thick, heavy, flat and broad, and is covered in winter with a dense fur
three inches long, of a hoary-gray appearance; in summer the hairs be-
come shorter and approach to yellowish-brown; the coat in summer
may be best described as hairy, but in winter, as woolly.

This Badger may be distinguished from that of Europe by its hairy
muzzle, stout fore-limbs, strong claws, and conical head. It attains a
length of about two feet and a half.

GENUS MYDAUS.

This Asiatic genus is represented by oe species, which is nearly as
offensive as our native Skunk.

The TELEDU, AZydaus meliceps, is a native of Java, and is confined to
the mountainous districts where the earth is light, and hunting for
underground insects proportionately easy. Horsfield writes:

“The Mydaus forms its dwelling at a slight depth beneath the sur-
face, in the black mould, with considerable ingenuity. Having selected
a spot defended above by the roots of a large tree, it constructs a cell or
chamber of a globular form, having a diameter of several feet, the sides
of which it makes perfectly smooth and regular; this it provides with a
subterraneous conduit or avenue, about six feet in length, the external
entrance to which it conceals with twigs and dry leaves. During the
day it remains concealed, like a badger in its hole; at night it proceeds
in search of its food, which consists of insects and other larve, and of
worms of every kind. It is particularly fond of the common lumbrici, or
earthworms, which abound in the fertile mould. These animals, agree-
ably to the information of the natives, live in pairs, and the female pro
duces two or three young at a birth.

“The motions of the Mydaus are slow, and it is easily taken by the
natives, who by no means fear it. During my abode on the Mountain
Prahu, I engaged them to procure me individuals for preparation; and
as they received a desirable reward, they brought them to me daily in
greater numbers than I could employ. Whenever the natives surprise
them suddenly, they prepare them for food; the flesh is then scarcely
impregnated with the offensive odor, and is described as very delicious.
The animals are generally in excellent condition, as their food is found
in abundance in the fertile mould of the country.

306 CARNIVORA.

Like the skunk, it can eject a most offensive fluid. “On the Moun-
tain Prahu, the natives, who were most active in supplying me with
specimens of the Mydaus, assured me that it could only propel it to the
distance of about two feet. The fetid matter itself is of a viscid nature:
its effects depend on its great volatility, and they spread through a great
extent. The entire neighborhood is infected by the odor of an irritated
Teledu, and in the immediate vicinity of the discharge it will produce
syncope.

“The color of the Teledu is a blackish-brown, with the exception of
the fur upon the top of the head, a stripe along the back, and the tip of
the short tail, which is a yellowish-white. The under surface of the
body is of a lighter hue. The fur is long and of a silken texture at the
base, and closely set together, so as to afford to the animal the warm
covering which is needed in the elevated spots where it dwells. The
hair is especially long on the sides of the neck, and curls slightly up-
wards and backwards, and on the top of the head there is a small trans-
verse crest. The feet are large, and the claws of the fore limbs are
nearly twice as long as those of the hinder paws. In the whole aspect of
the Teledu there is a great resemblance to the badger, and, indeed, the
animal looks very like a miniature badger, of rather eccentric colors.”

GENUS MELLIVORA.

The ¢hree species of this genus inhabit tropical and South Africa and
India to the foot of the Himalayas. The animals contained in them have
short noses, short tails, and broad backs, and only thirty-two teeth.

The RATEL, Mellivora capensis (Plate XIX), loves to feed on the
combs and young of the honey-bee. As it is exposed to the attacks of
these infuriated insects, it has received from nature a thick, coarse, and
rough fur, which is impenetrable to their stings. It digs with great skill
and sinks into the ground in a few minutes.

The color of the Ratel is black upon the muzzle, the limbs, and the
whole of the under portions of the body; but upon the upper part of the
head, neck, back, ribs, and tail, the animal is furnished ,with a thick
covering of long hairs, which are of an ashy-gray color. A bright gray
stripe, about an inch in width, runs along each side, and serves as a line
of demarcation between the light and the dark portions of the fur. The

THE SKUNKS. 307

ears of the Ratel are extremely short. The lighter fur of the back is
variously tinted in different individuals, some being of the whitish-gray
which has been already mentioned, and others remarkable for a decided
tinge of red. The length of the Cape Ratel is rather more than three
feet, inclusive of the tail, which is about eight inches in length.

In captivity the Ratel is very lively and amusing. The writer has
often watched one in the Zoological Gardens in London, and can con-
firm the account given by Wood in his Natural History.

“In the enclosure that has been allotted to this animal, the Ratel has,
by dint of constantly running in the same direction, made for itself an
oval path among the straw that is laid upon the ground. It proceeds
over the course which it has worked out, in a quick active trot, and every
time that it reaches either end of the course, it puts its head on the
ground, turns a complete summersault, and resumes its course. At in-
tervals, it walks into its bath, rolls about in the water for a second or
two, and then addresses itself with renewed vigor to its curious
antics.”

GENUS ICTONYX.

The ¢wo species which have been formed into this genus are natives
of Africa, and have a remarkable dentition, while in skeleton they seem
to be midway between the Martens and the Skunks proper.

The ZoRILLA, /ctonyx capensis, or Zorilla striata, is found throughout
Africa, and even in Asia Minor. The Dutch of the Cape style it the
muishund or “ mousedog,” an honorable title given it, because it destroys
so many of those little rodents. It is somewhat inactive, and avoids
water whenever it can, although it is an excellent swimmer when forced
to take to the water.

The color of specimens of this animal vary considerably, but they all
have the same marks. In some, a broad white transverse band crosses
the back of the head, from it four longitudinal bands run down the back,
separated by three black stripes; the two outer white stripes are pro-
longed on the tail. In others, the whole back is white, with the three
black longitudinal stripes.

The Zorilla emits an obnoxious odor which it uses like the skunk, and
drives dogs and hunters to ignominious flight. The very touch of a dead
Zorilla leaves a permanent odor on whatever has been in contact with it.

308 CARNIVORA.

GENUS MEPHITIS.

We cannot affirm that any member of the Mustelidz is truly sweet-
smelling ; we have described the Foumart and Polecat, the Teledu and
the Zorilla, but what are they beside our native Skunk? The animals
forming the /we/ve species of this genus are exclusively American, and
are found from Canada to the Straits of Magellan. They are distin-
guished from their nearest relations, the Badgers, by a slenderer body,
a long bushy tail, a black ground color, with white marks. The head is
small, the nose hairless and thick, the eyes small and sharp, the ears
short and round, the legs are short, the feet large, with five toes pro-
vided with long weak claws. The number of teeth is thirty-two. Each
of the mephitic glands contains a space the size of a nut, and is provided
with a strong muscle. This space is filled with an oil-like fluid, which
by contracting the muscle can be ejected in a narrow stream which is
gradually resolved into spray. The odor is stronger when the animals
are old, especially with the male sex.

The SuRILHO, Mephitis suffocans, inhabits Brazil, and attains a length
of sixteen inches in the body. The hair is thick, long, and abundant; ‘t
is short on the snout, but gradually grows longer till it attains a length
of nearly three inches on the tail. Two white stripes run from a point
on the forehead to the root of the tail, at times widening so that the
space between them is reduced to a mere line; the tail has a white tip.

The Surilho lives in the plains, and avoids the thick primeval forest,
haunting the clumps of trees that are found in the campos. Its presence
can be discovered by a small funnel-shaped hole which it makes in the
ground. It is a nocturnal animal, and lives on insects.

THE SKUNK.

The COMMON SKUNK, Mephitis mephitica (Plate XIX), has a broad
fleshy body, with a small head and short legs. This species varies so
much in color, that there is some difficulty in finding two specimens
alike, but, speaking generally, we may say that there is a narrow white
stripe commencing on the nose and running to a point on the top of the
head; a patch of white, two inches in length, covers the upper part of

THE SKUNK. 309

the neck; on each side of the vertebra of the tail there is a white
longitudinal stripe, and the tail is broadly tipped with white; on every
other part of the body the color is blackish-brown,

The Skunk is neither shy nor timid, and walks slowly as if conscious
that nothing dare molest it. When surprised, it quickly makes use of
its natural weapon of defence, and generally to the discomfiture of its
enemy.

“It happened in our early school-boy days,” writes Audubon, “ that
we observed in our path a pretty little animal, playful as a kitten, throw-
ing up its bushy tail, and seemingly desirous to keep company with us.
It makes no effort to escape, we run towards it, it waits for us, and raises
its tail as if inviting us to take hold of its brush. We seize it instanter,
and grasp it with the energy of a miser clutching a box of diamonds, a
short struggle ensues, when—faugh! we are suffocated, our eyes, nose,
and face are suddenly bespattered with the most horribly fetid fluid!”
The offensive odor often produces sickness and vomiting, and is of an
acrid character. Dr. Richardson states that he knew several Indians
who lost their eyesight in consequence of the inflammation produced by
it. A dog, when he has received the discharge, seems half distracted,
plunging his nose into the earth and rolling in every direction, and the
eyes have been swollen and inflamed for a week afterward. The Skunk

’

can eject this nauseous fluid with unerring aim to a distance of upwards
of fourteen feet; it is a thin transparent fluid scarcely visible by day, but
at night resembles an attenuated stream of phosphoric light. Every-
thing on which it falls is tainted for a considerable time, if not forever ;
clothes that nave once been infected will, after every effort has been
made to purify them, give out the sickening effluvium if the wearer in-
cautiously comes near the fire. It has been sometimes used as a medicine
in cases of asthma, but the verdict of the patient generally is, that the
remedy is worse than the disease.

The Skunk has a bad character among the farmers, and destroys
sarge numbers of eggs, but he is too clumsy to do much damage.

The burrows of the Skunk are found on a flat surface, and seldom
possess more than one entrance; the gallery runs about seven or eight
feet in a straight line, about two feet beneath the surface, and ends in a
large excavation containing an immense nest of leaves. During winter,
five to fifteen individuals may be found in these burrows ready io defend
themselves by the means with which Nature has provided them.

310 CARNIVORA.

The Skunk in the Northern States retires to its burrow about
December, and remains there till February; during this period of
inaction he is dull and sluggish, but certainly not asleep. In the South
he prowls actively about, “stealing, and giving odor.”

When taken young, and the glands removed early, the Skunk is
easily tamed, and becomes an interesting pet, keeping its fur exceed-
ingly clean and smooth.

The LARGE-TAILED SKUNK, Mephitis macroura differs from the com-
mon Skunk in the length of its tail, and in its markings. It is the size
of the common cat, of a brownish-black color, with a white stripe on
each side of the back, and on the forehead ; and the tail is longer than
the body. This species is very common in Texas, where its tail is used
by the country-folk as a plume or feather in their hats.

This species exists on the western ranges of the mountains in Mexico,
in New Mexico, and the western parts of Texas.

The CALIFORNIA SKUNK, Mephitis occidentalis, has an oval spot of white
on the forehead, and a large spot on each temple, with four interrupted
white stripes on the sides and back, the tail being tipped with white.

The TEXAN SKUNK, Mephitis mesoleuca, is distinguished from the
Common Skunk by having the nose naked for about three-fourths of an
inch above the snout. The whole back from the forehead to the tail, and
the tail, is white, the whole of the under surface of the body is black.

This species is not met in any portion of the United States north of
Texas, but seems to represent in that State the common Skunk.

GENUS HELICTIS.

The four species of this genus are found in Eastern Asia, from Nepaul
to Java, Formosa and Shanghai.

The NYENTEK, Hedictis Nepaulensis, has been described by Horsfield.
The body is about sixteen inches in length, the tail about six; the color
is a grayish-brown, with white markings, the ears are large, and the eyes
prominent. Little is known of the habits of this creature, but Horsfield
supposes they resemble those of the Ratel.

Cheap ER XV.
THE RACOONS AND PANDAS.

THE COMMON RACOON—THE CRAB-EATING RACOON—THE CALIFORNIA COON—THE COATI—THE
RED COATI—THE WHITE COATI—THE KINKAJOU—THE AMERICAN CIVET OR MOUNTAIN CAT—
THE PANDA OR WAH.

bear-like quadrupeds, ranging from British Columbia to Para-
guay and the tropical forests to the south thereof. It embraces
four genera, all peculiar to the New World.

7 “HE family PROCYONID# are a small but interesting family of

I1—GENUS PROCYON.

This genus is usually considered to be represented by only one
species, but at least the varieties inhabiting South America are so well
defined as to deserve the dignity of species. The animals in this genus
are characterized by the following marks. The body is compact, the
head very broad posteriorly, the muzzle short, the eyes large and close
together, the ears large and on the side of the head, the legs high and
thin, the soles of the feet naked with moderately long toes and strong
claws; the tail is long, the fur rich, long and smooth.

The Racoon, Procyon lotor (Plate XXI), derives its specific title of
“Lotor” or “Washer” from its habit of immersing its food before eating;
it grasps the morsel in both fore-paws, and shakes it violently backward
and forward in the water.

The general tint of the body and limbs is an undecided blackish-gray,
the gray or black predominating according to the position of the ob-
server and the arrangement of the fur. The hairs that form tke coat of
the Racoon are of two kinds. the one of a soft and woolly character,
lying next to the skin, and the other composed of long and rather stiff

312 CARNIVORA,

hairs that project through the wool for some distance. The woolly fur
is of a uniform gray, while the longer hairs are alternately marked with
black and grayish-white. Upon the top of the head and across the eyes
the fur is of a very dark blackish-brown; and upon the knee-joint of each
leg the fur is of a darker tint than on the rest of the body. The tail is
rather short and bushy in character, and is marked with five or six
blackish rings on a dark gray ground. It is nocturnal in its habits, and
when standing is plantigrade, that is, it stands on the soles of its feet, but
it runs on the tips of its toes. It hibernates in winter.

It eats anything, fruit, chestnuts, grapes, corn, and birds, and is very
skilful in sucking eggs; it devours fish, crabs, and oysters, as well as in-
sects. In captivity it shows a propensity for intoxicating liquors.
Lawson, the surveyor-general of Carolina, in 1784, says, “It is the
drunkenest creature living, if he can get any liquor that is sweet and
strong.”

In size the Racoon equals a small fox, and it is usually hunted by the
aid of dogs till it takes refuge in a tree, from which it is dislodged either
by an expert climber, or by felling the tree. Audubon gives the follow-
ing account of a Coon hunt. ‘“ The boys had got up with the dogs, which
were baying at a Racoon in a small puddle. We soon joined them with
a light. ‘Now, stranger, watch and see!’ The Racoon was all but
swimming, and yet had hold of the bottom of the pool with his feet. The
glare of the lighted torch was doubtless distressing to him; his coat was
ruffled, and his rounded tail seemed thrice its ordinary size, his eyes
shone like emeralds; with foaming jaws he watched the dogs, ready to
seize each by the snout if it came within reach. They kept him busy for
several minutes; the water became thick with mud; his coat now hung
dripping and his draggled tail lay floating on the surface. His guttural
growlings, in place of intimidating his assailants, excited them the more,
and they closed upon him. One seized him by the rump, but was soon
forced to iet go; another stuck to his side, but Coon made him yelp
pitifully. The Racoon would not let go, but in the meantime the other
dogs seized him and worried him to death. To the last he held on to his
antagonist’s snout. Knocked on the head by an axe, he lay gasping, the
heaving of his chest being painful to see. The hunters stood gazing at
him in the pool, while all around was, by the flare of the torch, rendered
doubly dark and dismal. It was a scene for a painter.”

The Coon is easily tamed, but can never be trusted near poultry.

PANDA OR WAH
COAITI
RACCOON

KINKAJOU

UARA

PLATE XXI CARNIVORA

. Rima vi i" "
oe fe vy a
"_ aay Why ke mA Man See nme

THE COAITI. ce)

The AGouaRA Procyon cancrivorus (Plate XX1), as the South American
variety is called, is styled “ Cancrivorus”’ or ‘‘ Crab-eater,” as he is even
fonder than his Northern kindred of all kinds of crustacea and mollusca.
It is larger than our racoon, and its fur has a tinge of yellow, darker or
lighter on different parts of the body. The tail is short, and has six
black rings on a blackish-yellow ground.

The BLACK-FOOTED RAcooN, Procyon Hernandezti, is larger than the
common coon, the tail is longer and thinner, and the black rings narrower
and better defined. It is found on the Pacific coast and in Mexico.

The CALIFORNIA COON, Procyon psora, 1s, according to Prof. Baird, a
mere variety of the above. It was found in the same neighborhood, and
Gray, who described and named it as a separate species, never saw any-
thing but a most imperfect specimen.

IIl.—GENUS NASUA.

The number of species comprised in this genus is still far from settled.
Wallace expresses doubt as to the five species which he gives in his
“ Distribution of Animals.” The Prince of Wied describes two Brazilian
species, but Hensel conclusively shows that they are identical. Tschudi
seems to have established /wo species for the Southwest of America.

The animals of this genus have a slender, marten-like body, short
neck, and long pointed head; a bushy tail as long as the body, and short,
powerful, bare-soled legs. Their conspicuous feature is their nose,
which is prolonged over the mouth so as to form a miniature proboscis,
which they are in the habit of turning up when they drink to keep it from
being wetted more than necessary.

The Coat, Nasua nasica (Plate XXI), comes from East Brazil, and
is about forty inches in length, of which eighteen belong to the tail. Its
thick and pretty long fur consists of stiff bright bristles protruding from
a soft, short, woolly coat. The color on the back varies from red to gray-
ish-brown; on the belly it passes into a yellowish shade. The tail has
seven rings of dark-brown, and seven of brownish-yellow. The forehead
is yellowish-gray, the lips white, the ears yellowish in front, black
behind; a round white mark stands over each eye, and a white stripe
runs from below the eye down the nose. A curious set of tubercules
is found on their feet. The narrow head terminates in a salient, mobile
muzzle, and the tongue is soft and extensible.

314 CARNIVORA.

When wild it resembles the racoon in its habits, and climbs trees
with great agility, descending head foremost. It is a nocturnal animal,
and a merciless robber of birds’ nests. In captivity it is a very amusing
and lively creature, very inquisitive and distrustful. One which was in

confinement for some time was very tame to its friends, but any stranger ~

who ventured to approach the animal was repelled with open mouth and
threatening cries, unless he propitiated the creature by offering it some

delicacy of which it was fond. It would then lay aside its suspicious -

demeanor, and become suddenly confidential, returning the caresses of
its newly-found friend, and searching eagerly for a further supply of
food. It proved to be quite a useful inhabitant of the house when it was
domesticated, for it was accustomed to roam over the premises in chase
of mice and rats, which it pursued unrelentingly through house, hay-loft,
and stables. It was also accustomed to pay visits into the garden, where
it spent much of its time in catching snails and slugs, and in digging
after worms—a task for which its powerful claws are eminently calcu-
lated to adapt it. When it was supplied with meat, it was accustomed
to tear its food to pieces with its claws before carrying it to the mouth;
and in the act of feeding, it always supplied itself by hitching one of its
claws in the morsel which it was about to carry to its mouth. It struck
up a friendship with a little dog, and would permit its four-footed friend
to occupy the same bed, but would never endure the society of any other
animal. When attacked by men or dogs, the Coaiti fights desperately,
inflicting dangerous wounds with its double-edged teeth.

The Rep Coati, Wasua rufa, differs from the preceding species in its
color, which is of a reddish-chestnut tinge, interrupted only by black ears
and feet, and maroon-colored bands on the tail.

The WHITE Coati, Nasua leucorhyncha, is somewhat lighter colored,
having a good deal of fawn color; the snout is yellowish-white.

We need not mention other species; the “Social” and “Solitary ”

Nasu of the Prince of Wied, are identical, the latter being old males -

which have been expelled from the troop.

IIl—GENUS CERCOLEPTES.

This genus contains ove species of small animals with a long prehen-
sile tail, short toes, and claws more or less retractile. It has caused sys-
tematic naturalists great perplexity. At first it was put down as a

THE KINKAJOU. 315

Lemur, and called Lemur flavus ; then it was placed among the Civets, as
Viverra caudivolvula ; at present it possesses a genus to itself, and seems to
be intermediate between the Martens and the Bears.

The KinKkaJou, Cercoleptes caudivolvulus (Plate XXI), comes from
Northern Brazil, and when full grown, attains the size of a cat; but it is
much more powerful. Its soft, silky coat is yellowish-gray with a red
shade running through it, and marked with indistinct dark bands which
can only be seen in certain lights.

The prehensile tail which the Kinkajou possesses renders it a fearless
climber ; it swings itself from bough to bough with such agility that even
a naturalist like Bates mistook it at first sight for a Mirikina (Vyctipithe-
cus trivirgatus). It is endowed with a very long, flexible tongue, which it
can protrude to a marvellous extent and insinuate into the smallest crev-
ices or the cells of the honeycomb, or can use like an elephant’s trunk
to seize and draw things towards its mouth. Being a nocturnal animal,
its eyes are contractile, and sunlight seems to annoy it very much.
During the day it lies buried in deep slumber; at night it becomes
extremely lively, and exhibits considerable activity of limb and playful-
ness of character, running up and down the branches with great skill,
uttering at intervals a low, bleating kind of sound, and descending every
now and then to drink. In descending it makes use of its hinder claws,
turning the feet outward and backward so as to clasp the branch or
trunk of the tree, and proceeding head-downward. In its native state
its food is of a mixed nature, consisting of fruits, insects, honey, small
birds, eggs, and other similar substances. It is easily tamed, and when
domesticated is of a sportful nature, delighting to play with those per-
sons whom it knows and trusts, and making pretence to bite, after the
manner of puppies and kittens. It is very susceptible to kindness, and
is fond of the caresses which are offered by its friends. In its wild state,
however, it is a rather fierce animal, and when assaulted, offers such a
spirited resistance even to human foes, that it will beat off any but a
determined man, supposing him to be unarmed and unassisted.

GENUS BASSARIS.

The animals constituting the ‘wo species of this genus have been often
placed among either the Viverride or the Mustelide, but they are now

316 CARNIVORA.

found to agree in all important respects with the family we are now
describing. They are both confined to America.

The AMERICAN CIVET, Bassarts astuta, is thus described in the U.S.
Pacific R.R. Report: “ This beautiful animal, which was formerly sup-
posed to be peculiar to Mexico and Texas, has since been found abun-
dantly in California. The miner calls it the Mountain Cat. It frequently
enters his tent and plunders his bag of provisions. When caught, as it
often is, it becomes so familiar and amusing, and does so much to relieve
the monotony of the miner’s life, that it is highly valued, and commands
a high price. It is equally efficient as a mouser with the common cat, is
much more playful, and to a large number of the members of every
community who are cat-haters, might be a desirable substitute.” It is
abundant in the city of Mexico, frequenting barns and out-buildings,
and, like the cat, ravaging pigeon-houses. The Mexican name is Caca-
mixtli. Prof. Baird says it looks like a mixture of the Racoon and the
Fox, having the tail of the former, the head of the latter; its fur is soft,
and as long as a fox’s, the head pointed, the eyes large, the muzzle long
and hairless. The color isa dark brownish-gray, with indistinct marks
on the neck and leg; the tail is white, with eight black rings. It is shy
and retiring, and seldom goes far from the tree which holds its nest.

A second species has recently been described by Professor Peters
from Coban in Guatemala, where it had also been observed by Salvin.

THE PANDAS.

The family of the AZELURID& contains ¢wo genera, of ove species each,
and the animals comprised in it seem to have their nearest allies in the
Coatis and the Bears.

The Panna, 4lurus fulgens (Plate XXI), appears stouter than it
really is, from its thick and soft fur; the head is short and cat-like, the
long tail is very bushy, the ears small; the short legs have hairy soles,
and short toes with semi-retractile claws. The fur is thick, soft, smooth,
and very long; on the upper surface of the body it is of a vivid and
brilliant chestnut-brown, deepening into a brilliant black on the belly
and legs; on the cheeks, muzzle, and chin the hair is white, on the fore-
head ruddy yellow, the head fawn color, and a chestnut-brown mark
runs from the eye to the corner of the mouth, separating the white

THE PANDA. 317

muzzle and cheeks; the ears are externally black-red, internally pro-
vided with long white hair. The fur is not only handsome in appear-
ance, but is very thick, fine, and warm in texture, being composed of a
double set of hairs, the one forming a thick, woolly covering to the skin,
and the other composed of long glistening hairs that pierce through the
wool, and give an exquisitely rich coloring to the surface of the coat.
The hair on the soles of the feet is often snowy-white, contrasting
strangely with the black paws.

The Panda or Wah, so named from its cry, is a native of Nepaul,
where it lives in the mountains on trees near the Alpine streams, two to
three thousand feet above the sea level. The Panda resembles in its
habits the common racoon; when angry, it sits up like a bear, and utters
a very peculiar snorting noise, although its ordinary voice is like the
twittering of a bird. Its food is chiefly vegetable. Simpson, who
brought one to London, never saw it eat animal food, and Bartlett
says it refused raw and cooked chicken and rabbit, but loved to eat
young rose-leaves and buds. The latter took great care of the Panda,
and 1estored it to health, but it never betrayed any gratitude for his
2xertions. It continued as irritable as ever, assumed a hostile attitude
at his approach, and struck about with its fore-paws like a cat. As com-
pared with the other members of the family, the Panda is most like the
Kinkajou, in its movements and manner of eating, but the Kinkajou far
surpasses it in activity and, to all appearance, in intelligence.

An allied genus, 4iLUROPUS, has been recently described by Milne-
Edwards, from the mountains of Thibet; it is larger than the Panda, and
its color is nearly all white.

MiB

CHAPTER XVI.
THE BEARS.

THE BEARS—TSE POLAR BEAR—THE BROWN BEAR—TIEHE SYRIAN BEAR-—TIHE ANERICAN EEARS—
THE BLACK BEAR—TISE GRIZZLY BEAR—THE BORNEAN SUN BEAR—THE SLOTH OR LIPPED BEAR—
THE SOUTH AMERICAN OR SPECTACLED BEAR

HE family Ursip&, comprising the Bears, has a tolerably wide
distribution ; they are absent from Australia and Southern and
Tropical Africa, and only one species is found in South America.

They are the largest and most powerful of American and European
Carnivora. Considerable uncertainty still prevails respecting the
generic classification of the bears; we shall follow Wallace, who divides
them into five genera or sub-genera, and fifteen species.

A glance at the teeth of the members of this family shows that they
are omnivorous, and more inclined to a vegetable than to ananimal diet;
hence it is probable that their ferocity is exaggerated, for although they
exhibit desperate courage in defending themselves, they seldom seem
aggressive. The brain of the bear is highly developed, and they are
consequently possessed of considerable intelligence, and soon learn all
kinds of accomphshments. Their walk is plantigrade, that is, they place
the whole sole of the foot on the ground ; they progress at a rapid rate,
and soon overtake a man; they can climb and swim excellently; their
sense of smell is very acute. When attacked they stand upright, and
strike with their forepaws, which carry long and sharp claws, they parry
neatly. and are remarkably dangerous from the fearful energy they dis-
play in the very last moments of hfe.

L—GENUS THALASSARCTOS.
The Potar BEaR, Thalassarctes maritimus (Plate XXID, is the only

representative of the genus. It is almost entirely carnivorous, its food
ae

+. &

VOOAINGYVOD IIXX FLV14

HVikl HV | Oe

Sai Sle re Ves ni :

THE POLAR BEAR. 319

consisting of fishes and seals, which it captures skilfully. It can swim
long distances, and has been seen swimming steadily across a strait forty
miles wide. Its fur is of a silvery white, tinged with a yellow hue rather
variable in different specimens; the claws are black, the neck is very
long in proportion to the body, and the head is small, sharp, and almost
snake-like. The foot is equivalent in length to one-sixth of the entire
length of the body, and the sole is covered with thick fur.

The Polar Bear has a most acute sense of smell, which enables it to
detect the breathing holes which the seals make through the ice, even
when the snow is lying thickly over them. After its repast it lies down
to sleep, and is often carried off to sea on the moving ice-fields; one was
observed two hundred miles from land, and as fish are not easily caught
at sea, it doubtless had a hard time. Sometimes whole herds of Polar
Bears have been carried by drift-ice to civilized shores, where they prey
on sheep and cattle, to the dismay of their unwilling hosts, and are said
not to hesitate to attack man. Instances have been known where they
have pursued hunters back to their ships, and tried to make their way
into the cabins through the port-holes.

The Polar Bear dreads heat, and in a climate like ours requires to
have daily poured over it, winter and summer, sixty to eighty pails of
water. It always remains wild and savage, and even when caught
young, can be only very slightly tamed.

Its flesh is very good, and the animal is hunted for it by the natives as
well as by all whale-fishers and Arctic explorers; but the liver must be
avoided; Kane, for an experiment, tasted the liver of a newly killed
animal, and became seriously sick in consequence.

It is said that the female of this genus hibernates, but that the male
continues in the active exercise of all his faculties. The Polar Bear
sometimes attains the length of nine feet, and the average is over eight
feet. Ross weighed one which had lost thirty pounds of blood, and it
tipped the scale at 1131 lbs., while Lyon saw one that weighed sixteen
hundred pounds.

II—GENUS URSUS.

The ¢welve species which constitute this genus are found in all the
northern regions of the globe from the arctic circle to Mount Atlas and
the Gulf of Mexico, and present a striking similarity over this extensive
region.

320 CARNIVORA,

The Brown BEAR, Ursus Aretos (Plate XXIIJ), is found in the old
world from Spain to Kamtschatka, and from Lapland to Mount Atlas,
and is only absent from Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, and
Holland. It requires for its dwelling large unfrequented forest lands
rich in fruits and berries, for it seldom attacks cattle. Ants are a
favorite food; it scrapes their nests up with its powerful claws, and
devours them and their eggs, and, as is well known, it is especially
fond of honey: these, however, are but luxuries, its staple food consists
of cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, and the like. But when it is
unable to find vegetable sustenance, it exhibits a taste for flesh, and will
attack sheep and goats, or devour carcasses that fall in its way. When
rendered desperate by the pangs of hunger, it will assail the benighted
traveler; even when he seeks to protect himself by a ring of fire, the
bear dips himself in the nearest stream, then returns with his thick fur
well saturated with water, and rolls over the burning embers, extinguish-
ing them effectually. This curious fact is well known to the natives of
Siberia, so that they have good ground for the respect in which they
hold the bear's intelligence.

During the autumn the bear becomes fat, and makes preparations for
hibernating. A curious phenomenon now takes place in the animal's
digestive organs, which gives it the capability of remaining through the
entire winter in a state of lethargy, without food, and yet without losing
condition. As the stomach is no longer supplied with nourishment, it
soon becomes quite empty, and, together with the intestines, is contracted
into a very small space. No food can now pass through the system, for a
mechanical obstruction—technically called the “ tappen’’—blocks up the
passage, and remains in its position until the spring. The “tappen” is
almost entirely composed of pine-leaves, and the various substances which
the bear scratches out of the ants’ nests.

It remains in its den till the middle of April, and is said to emerge
as fat as when it entered, unless it has lost the “tappen” too soon.
During the winter, the bear gains a.new skin on the balls of the feet, and
Mr. Lloyd, who has studied their habits carefully, suggests that the
curious habit of sucking the paws, to which bears are so prone, is in
order to facilitate the growth of the new integument.

In old days, bear-baiting was a favorite amusement of royalty.
Queen Elizabeth was a constant patron of the sport, and in the last cen-
tury, Augustus the Strong, the king of Poland, was ardently devoted to

THE BROWN BEAR. 321

it. But the improvement of manners has abolished this cruel amuse-
ment, and the bear is only called upon to display his talents by dancing
and going through the platoon exercise.

Bears are seen in all Zoological Gardens, and the Swiss city of Berne
keeps several in honor of its name. The bear in captivity is usually
gentle, and takes cakes and food from visitors. The bear's name in
“ Reynard the Fox” is “Bruin,” but in Paris all bears at the Jardin des
Plantes are called “ Martin.” They derive this name from a celebrated
fellow-captive. He was unrivaled at begging and catching in his mouth
the pieces thrown to him. He earned his glorious fame by killing a
soldier. This man saw something shining in Martin’s den, and mistook
it for a piece of gold. He foolishly went down to pick it up, but it only
turned out to be a brass button; Martin attacked and killed him, and
from that day became a prominent character in the Jardin des Plantes.

The Syrian Bear, Ursus Isabcllinus (Plate XXIV), is possessed of a

> coat which in youth is a grayish-brown, but in mature years, white.
The hair is long and curled, and hides a thick woolly fur, while at the
neck and shoulders it projects like a mane.

To this species belonged an animal which enjoyed a high reputation
at Oxford and elsewhere, on account of his singularly gentle and amusing
manners. The bear, which was generally known by the name of “ Tig,”
being an abbreviation of the somewhat lengthy name of Tiglath-Pileser,
a was for some time a noted celebrity in Oxford, whither he was brought
in his early boyhood. High-spirited and rather tetchy in temper, he
‘ was very affectionate to those who treated him with consideration, and

was perfectly amenable to proper discipline; he was accustomed to don
a a regulation cap and gown, and under this learned shade to perambulate
the college, and partake of the hospitality of its members.

On one occasion he contrived to escape from bondage, and made at

4 once for a candy-store. The owner took to flight at his entrance, and
when his pursuers entered they found Mr. Tig seated upon the counter,
helping himself to brown sugar with a liberal paw, and displaying such
an appreciation of his good fortune that it was not without much trouble
that he was removed trom the scene of his repast. He was rather pecu-
liar in his tastes, and had attained to a highly civilized state of epicurean-
ism. for his chief delicacies were not, as might be supposed, the produce
of the garden or the field, but the more sophisticated dainties of hot
muffins and cold ices. He was a most social animal. and if left

a a ee ee. ©

322 CARNIVORA.

alone, even for a short time, would cry and lament in the most pitiful

of tones.
The fur of this animal is valuable for its warmth and beauty, and the

“ Bear's Grease’ was for a long time considered a specific for various
injuries; but at present it is only heard of in hair-dressers’ shops.

THE AMERICAN BEAR.

The BLack BEar, Ursus Americanus (Plate XXIII), had formerly a
great range of country, and was once so common in New York State,
that the city had a bear-market. It is a very inoffensive animal, and lives
chiefly on fruit, insects, and small animals. Audubon says, contrary to
the usual opinion, that it will prefer flesh to fruit any day, and confirms
the statement that it is fond of fish. The Black Bear is small and of a
uniform black or brown color, and is hunted for its fur and fat, which
have a commercial value, as well as for its flesh, which is smoked before
it is sent to market. Its weight rarely exceeds three hundred pounds.
It is chiefly found in mountains and thickets, or in the cane-brakes of the
South, and gives good sport when hunted with dogs, as it runs pretty
quick, and then takes toa tree. It is really no more dangerous to the
hunter than a hog of the same size would be.

As a general rule, they will never fight a man unless forced into it.
When they have cubs, and are followed closely, they will keep them
ahead and follow close in the rear to protect them. If pushed closely,
they will make a great show of fight, growl, and tear the bark from the
trees with much fuss and noise, and do their utmost to frighten off the
enemy; and, if there is no help for it, they will fight fiercely when
brought to bay. Bears when known to be with young are left alone,
unless the hunters are well armed for a fight. Experienced dogs greatly
assist the hunter, and do much toward checking the speed of the bear.
Now and then they nab Bruin by a hind-leg, which worries him greatly.
After a dog has tackled a bear once, however, he knows enough to keep
out of the reach of his paws, and, being nimbler than Bruin, he has little
trouble in avoiding his grasp.

It is said that instead of becoming extinct among the Catskills, bears
are more numerous now than ever before. A well-known trapper gives
as his reason for this that a number of years ago, when the mountains

BROWN BEAR BLACK BEAR
GRIZZLY BEAR

PkAIE XXII]. CARNIVORA.

THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 323

were well timbered, the bears could scarcely find anything to eat, ana
had to live on roots, bark, and whatever game they could lay their paws
on. Since the wood has been cleared off, shrubs and bushes have grown
thickly, intermingled with briers and trailing vines, which furnish berries
and other food, capable of sustaining considerable numbers.

Although the white hunters chase and kill the bear without any
remorse of conscience, the copper-colored races are so impressed with
the intellectual powers of this cunning and dangerous animal, that they
endeavor to appease the manes of a slaughtered bear, or Musquaw, as
they call it, with various singular and time-honored ceremonies. The
head of the slain animal is decorated with every procurable trinket, and
is deposited ceremoniously upon a new blanket. Tobacco-smoke is then
solemnly blown into the nostrils of the severed head by the successful
hunter, and a deprecatory speech is made, in which the orator extols the
courage of the defeated animal, pays a few supplementary compliments
to its still living relations, regrets the necessity for its destruction, and
expresses his hopes that his conduct has been, on the whole, satisfactory
to the dead Musquaw and its relations.

This curious custom is the more remarkable, as it bears a close analogy
to the belief of the Scandinavians, who are little less fastidious in their
conduct towards the bear. No true Norwegian will ever speak of a
bear as a bear, but prefers to mention it as “the old man with the fur
cloak ;”” or, more tersely and poetically, the “ Disturber.”

The CINNAMON BEAR, Ursus cinnamoneus, is a variety of the Black
Bear ; its hair is rather longer and softer, and its color a dark chestnut
with purple shades.

THE GRIZZLY BEAR.

The GrizzLy BEAR, Ursus ferox (Plate XXIII), is the most terrible
animal on this continent, the largest of American Carnivora. It is found
over all North-western America, most abundantly on the slopes of the
Rocky Mountains. In the fall it comes down from its usual dwelling
in the mountains, and hunts for berries, grapes, and wild fruit in the
plains. General Dodge says the Grizzly is very shy, and takes to cover
at the slightest suspicious circumstance, always running away if it can,
and never attacking except when cornered or wounded. In that case
its assault is furious, and quite regardless of the number of its foes, and

324 CARNIVORA.

then its size and strength, its immense teeth and claws, its tenacity of
life and ferocious determination render it a terrible antagonist to the
bravest and coolest sportsmen.

The Grizzly Bear varies in color; some specimens are of a dull
brown, flecked with gray, while others are of a steely-gray; but the
grizzled hairs are always conspicuous. The length of a full-grown male
is about eight feet and a half, and the girth the same, while the weight is
about eight hundred pounds. The fore-limbs are very powerful, the
feet measuring eighteen inches, and the claws five inches; these claws
are very sharp, and cut like chisels; the head is large, the tail very shert
and quite hidden in the fur. The gait of the Grizzly is awkward and
ro'ling; when young it can climb trees; fortunately, however, as it in-
creases in size and weight, it loses this power, its claws being unable to
sustain its unwieldy bulk.

The Grizzly is the king of all our animals, and can destroy by blows
from his armed paws even the powerful bison of the plains; wolves will
not even touch the carcass of this dreaded monster, and, it is said, stand
in such awe, that they refrain from molesting deer that he has slain.
Horses also require careful training before they can be taught to allow
ts hide to be placed on their backs.

Terrible stories are told of encounters with Grizzlies. General Dodge
.ays one of the most complete wrecks of humanity he ever witnessed
was a huntsman for a party of California miners. He suddenly, one day,
came face to face with a Grizzly ; the bear stood up on its hind-legs, the
man presented his rifle, and stood waiting the attack. The bear ad-
vanced, and took the muzzle of the rifle in its mouth, the man fired, and
before he had time to think was in the bear’s clutches. “It was all over
in a secoad,” the narrator stated; “J didn't feel any pain, and I didn’t
know nothing more till I come to next day.” His companions found the
man and the bear together, the latter dead with a bullet in the brain;
the man had received only one stroke from each paw. One fore-paw
had passed over the shoulder, and a claw had hooked under the shoulder-
blade and torn it out entirely; the other fore-paw tore all the flesh from
the left-side; a hind-claw had torn open the abdomen, letting out the
bowels, while the remaining hind-paw had torn away the muscle of the
right-leg fron. groin to knee. The man recovered, and when he
described the fight to the General, added, “ Anybody can fight bear
that wants to: I’ve had enough grizzly.”

THE SUN BEAR. 325

The same officer tells of a remarkable escape. A she-grizzly overtook
a sportsman and knocked him senseless with one blow; she then smelt
him carefully, and being satisfied that he was dead, retired. His friends,
who had remained at some distance, were just about to proceed to
recover his remains, when the body sprang to its feet and made the best
possible time to the top of the hill where they were standing. This man
was not injured, his clothes only having been torn off; he reported that
he came to his senses while the bear was smelling him.

Dr. Parker Gillmore had a regular duel with a Grizzly. The bear
was standing up behind a tree; as it peeped round the trunk the sports-
man fjred, but the bullet only smashed a paw. The bear fell, but rose
again in an instant, and went for the aggressor; he fired again, but the
result was only a momentary recoil, the gun was sent flying, and he was
prostrated. Two or three stabs from his sheath-knife settled the mon-
ster. Fortunately, before Gillmore came to close quarters, the bear had
one fore-paw smashed, and his lower jaw splintered.

IlI—GENUS HELARCTOS.

This genus comprises only oxe species, which is called the “ Sun-
bear,” because it has the very unbearlike habit of basking in the sun.
The generic name, Helarctos, is compounded of the Greek words He/ios
“the sun” and avctos “ bear.” The Sun-bears are found in the mountains
of Nepaul,.and in the Malay archipelago.

The BORNEAN SUN-BEAR, Helarctos Malayanus (Plate XXIV), is nota
large animal, measuring when full grown about four feet and a half; but
it is powerful for its size, and is armed with very long claws. The head
is thick, and the neck remarkably developed in comparison with the
head: the eyes are small and lively, but the ears are large. The fur is
very fine and glossy, of a deep black color, with the exception of a
crescent-shaped patch of white on the breast, which, in some varieties,
is of a fulvous yellow hue. It feeds chiefly on vegetables and honey,
and is very destructive to the young cocoa-trees. It is called in Java the
“ Bruang.”

It is easily tamed. Sir Stamford Raffles, who possessed one of these
bears, permitted it to live in the nursery, and never was obliged to chain,
chastise, or otherwise punish the good-tempered animal. Being some-

326 CARNIVORA.

thing of an epicure, and often admitted to his master’s table, the Bruang
would refuse to eat any fruit except mangosteens, or to drink any wine
except champagne. It may seem remarkable that a bear should display
any predilection for fermented liquids, and more so that it should be so
fastidious as to select champagne as the wine which it honored with its
preference. Such, however, was the case, and the animal was so fondly
attached to the champagne-bottle, that the absence of his favorite liquid
was the only circumstance that would make him lose his temper. His
affectionate disposition led him to extend his friendship to various of his
acquaintances, and he was on such excellent terms with the entire house-
hold, that he would meet on equal footing the cat, the dog, and a small
Lory, or Blue-mountain bird, and amicably feed with these domestic
favorites from the same dish.

One of these bears that was successfully domesticated was able to
eat animal as well as vegetable food, but was fed exclusively on bread
and milk, of which it consumed rather more than ten pounds per diem.
It is possessed of much flexibility of body, and is very fond of sitting on
its hind legs, thrusting out its long tongue to an extraordinary distance,
and ever and anon withdrawing it into the mouth with a peculiar snap-
ping sound. While thus engaged, it makes the most grotesque and
singular gestures with the fore-limbs, and rolls its body from side to side
with unceasing assiduity.

IV.—GENUS PROCHILUS.

The one species of this genus is found from the Ganges to Ceylon, and
is Characterized by a short thick body, short limbs, and large feet armed
with enormous sickle-shaped claws. it is usually found in the mountains,
and is equally dreaded and admired by the natives.

The SLoTH BEAR, Prochilus (or Melursus) labiatus (Plate XXIV), is
aearly five feet long. Its flat. low-browed head is prolonged into a nar-
row-pointed proboscis-like snout of very peculiar construction, and the
nostrils and lips are very mobile; the latter can be so protruded and
contracted that they form a kind of pipe nearly as useful as a trunk.
Through this lip-pipe the long, thin, flat tongue is constantly shot out, so
that the animal can draw things near it, and then suck them up. The
hair is very long, of a deep black color with some brownish hairs, and a

SYRIAN BEAR BORNEAN SUN BEAR
SLOTH BEAR

Peale XA CARNIVORA

Me ee ee
ip a

THE SPECTACLED BEAR. 327

forked patch of white on the breast. When it walks, its fore-legs cross
each other; its feet are remarkably sensitive, and soon blister.

This bear is liable to lose its incisor teeth, a peculiarity which led
earlier writers to class it among the Edentata, and style ita Sloth. It is
called indifferently the Sloth Bear, the Jungle Bear, the Lipped Bear, or
the Honey Bear. The Hindoo name is Aswail. It is very sensitive to
heat, and remains in its den during the noontide glow; its diet is chiefly
vegetable, the exceptions being honey and oats. Its flesh is in much
favor, and is said to be very good.

When captured young, it is easily tamed, and can be taught to per-
form many curious antics at the bid of its master. For this purpose it is
often caught by the native mountebanks, who earn an easy subsistence
by leading their shaggy pupil through the country, and demanding small
sums of money for the exhibition of its qualities. On account of its asso-
ciation with these wandering exhibitors, it has been called by the French
naturalists “Ours Jongleur.” Whether owing to the natural docility of
the animal, or to the superior powers of its instructor, it performs feats
which are more curious and remarkable than the ordinary run of per-
formances that are achieved by the Learned Bears of our streets.

V.—GENUS TREMARCTOS.

The solitary species of this genus is isolated in the Andes of Chili
aad Peru, and is commonly known as the Ursus ornatus.

The SPECTACLED Bear, 7remarctos ornatus, is black, with the excep-
tion of two yellow marks above the eyes; as these are of a semicircular
shape, they suggest the common name. Little is known of its habits in
its wild state, and it has not been domesticated.

One curious detail in the physiology of all the bears is the extraordi-
nary smallness of the young at birth, compared with the bulk of the
parents, for thev are not larger than cats. The mother has, like the cat,
the habit of licking her cubs with her tongue to clean them, and she per-
forms this highly necessary operation so assiduously that a legend has
arisen that “she licks them into shape.”

CH A PE Roe le
THE EARED SEALS AND WALRUSES.

THE EARED-SEALS—THE FUR SEALS AND HAIR SEALS-—-THE SEA-LION—THE SEA-BEAR—VALUE OF
ITS FUR—THE FUR SEALS—THE CALIFORNIA HAIR SEAL—THE CALIFORNIA OR NORTHERN
SEA LION—MANNER OF CAPTURING IT ALIVE—THE WALRUS.

eared-seals. These animals are divided by Wallace into four

genera, but Mr. Allen, in his paper in the “Bulletin of the
Harvard Museum,” arranges them into five. They are confined to the
cold and temperate shores of the North Pacific and similar regions in
the Southern Hemisphere.

The Eared Seals, as the OTARIAD are commonly called, form a dis-
tinct family from the Earless Seals, or Phocide ; they can walk on their
limbs with the body raised from the ground, and they rest with their
hind-legs bent forward; they cannot swallow under water, and come to
the surface during the process of mastication; the pupil of the eye
dilates and contracts to an enormous extent. Mr. Allen divides the
Eared Seals into two sub-families, the 7richophocine or Hair Seals, and
Oulophocine or Fur Seals; but Dr. Gray objects to this classification as
overlooking the fact that the abundance of the under-fur depends on the
season of the year, and the age of the animal. In ordinary parlance the
distinction between Hair and Fur Seals is common; the latter are hunted
for fur as well as their oil, as they furnish the seal-skin jackets of fashion.
These furs differ much in appearance; in most species the hairs aie
much longer than the under-fur; in others, they only slightly overtop
the soft woolly fur, which is very dense, forming a soft, elastic coat.
Their habits resemble those of the Earless Seals. The young are
brought forth far inland, and are taught to swim very gradually, their
dams devoting much time to this duty. They are naturally quiet and
peaceable animals, and have no dread of mankind.

[os family OTARIADA comprises the sea-bears, sea-lions, and

THE SEA LION AND SEA BEAR. 320

I—GENUS OTARIA.

This southern representative of the Sea Lions is found on the coasts
of South America, and the islands southward as far as Graham’s Land.
It is very abundant in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. It
seems to perform annual journeys of considerable length to reach its
breeding-places, where the females bring forth and nurse their young for
some time before leading them into the water. There is only ove species
of this genus, which is the Phocarctus of Gray.

The SEA LION, Otaria jubata (Plate X XV), attains the length of about
nine feet; its fur generally lies flat, but on the neck and shoulders is
developed into a short mane, which gives the creature a leonine aspect.
The head is of a yellowish-brown color, the muzzle black, the back
yellowish-gray, the hairless paddles look black. The female has a darker
color, and is without a mane.

The Otariz are not pursued so zealously as the rest of the family,
their skin being comparatively worthless, and their oil scarcely repaying
the cost incurred in taking them.

Il—GENUS CALLORHINUS.

The only species of this genus is an animal found on the coasts of
Kamtschatka and Behring Straits and California in the North, and of
Patagonia in the South, having thus a very wide distribution. It is
characterized by an elongate skull, round forehead, and small, narrow
fore-flippers. It is a Fur Seal.

The NORTHERN SEA BEAR, Callorhinus ursinus (Plate XXV), is the
Otaria ursina of Peters, and the Arctocephalus Californianus of Gray. It
attains the size of eight to nine feet, the females, however, being only half
that length. The head is long, the neck short but clearly distinguished
from the body, the tail short, the mouth small, the eye large, dark and
lively. The coat consists of somewhat stiff hairs, with very soft, delicate
silky fur thickly covering the skin. The ground color is a dark brown,
sprinkled with white-tipped hairs on the head and neck. The fur is of a
reddish tint. Old females are of a silver-gray color, and the young of
both sexes have a silvery coat.

330 CARNIVORA,

The Sea Bears, like the Otariz, are migratory, but it is not known
where they pass the winter; they return in spring, each family to the
same spot for years in succession; an Indian chief in Alaska observed a
male that had lost one of its flippers come back to the identical rock for
seventeen years. Steller writes that each male has eight to fifteen
females, whom he watches jealously, and, although on the coasts where
they were observed these seals were lying in thousands, yet each family
kept distinct ; such a family, consisting of an old male, his wives, his sons
and daughters, and yearlings which had not yet paired, amounts often to
one hundred andtwenty. The females bring forth usually two cubs, which
are covered with very fine brilliant black wool, and which play about
like young dogs, wnile the father looks placidly on, only interfering when
a quarrel takes place, in which case he always.caresses the conqueror.
The males also fight among themselves for the possession of the females,
or a resting-place on the shore; old defeated males are often found lead-
ing a solitary life, and they are bad-tempered and vicious. Their cries
are of three-sorts; when unoccupied, and on land, they low like cows
that have lost their calves; when fighting, they growl like bears; when
victorious, they utter repeatedly a loud scream which Steller compares
to the note of a house-cricket; when wounded they spit like cats. The
maies kiss the females, according to the same observer, and wag their
hind-flippers as a dog does his tail. They are very active, and swim ten
to twelve knots an hour. They are very tenacious of life, and will stand
before dying two hundred knocks on the head.

The Sea Bear is especially hunted for his fur, and, fortunately, any
number of these seals can be obtained. On St. Paul’s Island there were
twelve miles of coast occupied by these creatures with an average width
of fifteen rods. Allowing twenty seals to the square rod, we have the
number of breeding seals as 1,152,000: deducting one-tenth for males,
there remains 1,037,800 females. The Russian Fur Company used to pay
to the fishers ten cents a skin, the skin when salted being worth three
dollars. This price fluctuates with the fashions of the day. When
Alaska was transferred to us the price of seal-skins rose to seven dollars,
but in 1871 it fell again to three dollars. In 1873, it is estimated that
145,000 were taken, and the net value of the fishery is put down at
$1,175,000 per annum. Besides the skin, each seal yields a gallon and a
half of oil. The chief time for hunting is from June to September. The
skins of the young are much prized for clothing.

THE FUR SEAL. 3

Ww
_

IIL—GENUS ARCTOCEPHALUS.

The seals of this genus are usually divided into ¢hree species, but
there is considerable difference of opinion as to how far subdivision
should go. The name Arctocephalus is formed from two Greek words,
and means “ Bear-head.” All the species are Fur Seals, and of great
commercial value.

The Cape Fur SEAL, Arctocephalus Antarcticus, is found near the Cape
of Good Hope. Gray gives the following descriptions in his “ British
Museum Hand-book”: “(1.) Adult male, slight mane, called ‘Large wig ;’
fur whitish, under-fur reddish. (2.) Adult without mane, called ‘ Mid-
dling ;’ fur reddish-white, under-fur reddish. (3.) Young, called ‘ Black-
pup;’ fur black and polished, under-fur brown and very thin.”

The SOUTHERN FuR SEAL, Arctocephalus nigrescens, is found at the
Falkland Islands. It is the Arctocephalus Falklandicus of Allen, and is
peculiar to America.

The AUSTRALIAN FUR SEAL, Arctocephalus cinereus, is black, with an
abundant reddish-brown under-fur.

The chief distinction on which classifiers rely for this distribution
into species, is the position of the fifth grinder in the upper jaw. The
Southern Fur Seal is the only one of importance in a commercial point
of view. It is remarkable for the closeness and elasticity of its short
and even fur, which can be worn without removing the long hairs.
When these, however, have to be removed, it is done by shaving the
fleshy side of the skin till the deep roots of the long hairs are severed,
when the hairs fall out.

IV.—GENUS ZALOPHUS.

The chief representative of this genus, of which ‘wo species are
known, is

The CALIFORNIA HAIR SEAL, Zalophus Gillespit, which is found in the
North Pacific and on the coasts of Japan and California. The under-fur
is very thin. Gray communicates the interesting fact that a line drawn
across the palate at the front edge of the zygomatic arch leaves one-third
of the palate behind the line.

332 CARNIVORA.

The AUSTRALIAN HAIR SEAL, Zalophus lobatus, has very little under-
fur, and small toe-flaps. Its upper grinders are all single-rooted, and
the sixth molar is absent.

We add to these species of Hair Seals one which is still waiting for
classification. The specimen on which Gray labored had no head, and
therefore he 1s unable to give us his usual charming details about molars
and zygomatic arches.

The Cape Hair SEAL, Arctocephalus ? nivosus, has very black, short
fur with small white spots. It differs from Arctocephalus Antarcticus in the
length of the hair, and by having no under-fur.

V.—GENUS EUMETOPIAS.

The one species is found in Behring Straits and on the coast of Cali-
fornia. It has no under-fur, and the flap of the toes is very short.

The NORTHERN SEA LION, Eumetopias Steller?, was called by Steller
himself Leo marinus. The jaw is much more elongated than in the Otarza
jubata. This is the SEA LION OF CALIFORNIA. It reaches the enormous
size of fifteen feet, and weighs sixteen hundred pounds; the eye is large
and expressive; the limbs, which discharge the duties of legs, feet, and
fins, are covered with a rough, horny skin, while the rest of the body is
hidden in a short, hard, brilliant coat of hair. The males are of different
colors, the females are usually light brown, and only half as large as their
partners, while the lordly male has around its neck a heavy mass of stiff
curly hair, which gives it a lion-like look. During the autumn, great
numbers are found at Behring’s Island, and in July it comes down the
American coast. The male confines himself to three or four females.

They are very ferocious in aspect, but in disposition very peaceable or
even sluggish, and fall an easy prey to the hunter, great numbers being
slain by the natives by means of harpoons and poisoned arrows, when
they come ashore to breed. Their sojourn on shore lasts about four
months on the California coast, and a few years ago thousands of barrels
were annually filled with their oil. In consequence of the visible dimi-
nution of their numbers, at present only males are killed. South of
Santa Barbara, there rises a rocky ledge accessible on one side; here,
when the sun goes down, fifty to a hundred males will congregate till
morning. If a boat approaches, they glide into the water, and wait

nee

WALRUS HARP SEAL
TRUE SEAL CRESTED SEAL

PLATE XXV CARNIVORA

THE CALIFORNIA SEA LION. 333

there till the human foe has departed. One day, however, a landing was
successfully effected by pulling against the wind, and the poor brutes
were massacred, for a seal-hunt is a mere butchery of unresisting victims.
At present the authorities of California carefully preserve the Seal Rock,
which has become one of the natural curiosities of San Francisco.

Sea Lions are in demand for menageries and aquariums all over the
world. Captain Mullett, who supplies this demand, gives an interesting
account of the method of capture.

“Our field of operations is on the lower or Mexican coast of Califor-
nia, as we are not allowed to catch the lions in American waters. We
are therefore compelled to operate off San Diego, which is the dividing
line of California and Mexico. Our method of capturing the lions is
this: They go in rookeries of one hundred or more, and we watch the
shore to see where they will go into camp. This we can determine from
the fact that they carry their young on shore, leave them, and go back
to the water, returning at break of day. When we find a camp, we dig
trenches in the sand to hide in, or if there are rocks convenient, we hide
behind them. The vessels are anchored some distance off the shore, and
we bring from them in small boats cages made of six-inch fencing-boards.
When the herd comes ashore, the lassoers watch their opportunity, and
lasso one of the lions around the neck. Another lasso is then fastened to
one of the hind-flippers, and the lion is forced into one of the cages.
This must be done within a short time, or the animal will not live. I give
orders that if twenty minutes elapse from the time the animal is lassoed
until he is in the cage, the men must let him go. This is necessary, from
the fact that if kept longer, they struggle and strain themselves so that
they die within a few days afterwards. After the lion is captured, a
shot, to which a long rope is attached, is fired from a bomb-gun on the
shore over the vessel; the other end of the rope is attached to one of the
cages, and it is pushed into the breakers and hauled out to the vessel.
On board the vessel the lions are not put in water, but are kept wet with
a sprinkler. They are then taken to San Francisco, where they are
placed in cars built for the purpose, and transported across the conti-
nent, each car containing twelve lions.”

THE WALRUS.

The family of the TRICHECHID& comprises only oze genus and one
species, the well-known Walrus or Morse. It is a very characteristic

334 CARNIVORA.

animal of the North Polar Regions, and is seldom found straying south
of the Arctic Circle, except on the coasts of North America, where it
sometimes reaches latitude 60°. It is most abundant on the shores of
Spitzbergen, but it is not found between longitude 80° and 160° east, or
between 100° to 15° west of Greenwich.

The WALRUS, 77ichechus Rosmarus (Plate XXVI1), which is also con-
monly called the Sea Horse, is truly a monster of the deep. When fully
grown, it has been known to reach a length of from twenty to twenty-
four feet, and weighs two thousand to three thousand pounds, but is usu-
ally rather smaller. Its huge body is thickest in the middle, but does
not taper down to the tail so finely as in the seals; the powerful limbs
project outwards and downwards to such an extent that the elbow and °
knee-joints are plainly to be seen; the feet have all five fingers, with short
blunt claws which do not reach the end of the fingers; the tail is a mere
flap of skin. The head is small, the muzzle short, the upper-lip fleshy,
the under-lip swollen, on both sides of the muzzle is a considerable num-
ber of round, stiff bristles, and in front there protrude two enormous tusks
two feet and upwards in length, growing downwards from the upper-
jaw. The skin is nearly devoid of hair, and of a liver-brown color.

The Walrus has been long known, and has formed the subject of
countless fables. Albertus Magnus says that in the North Sea is a whale-
elephant that climbs up rocks with its tusks. The fishermen come up to
it when it is asleep, raise the hide near the tail from the blubber, and
make it fast with a rope to the rocks. They then pelt the creature with
stones; upon which it drops out of its skin and falls into the sea, where it
is helpless. Olaus Magnus adds his quota of legend. A few centuries ago,
the Walrus was found much farther to the south than it is now; Hector
Boece describes it as being a regular visitor of the Scotch coasts, and
stray ones have been seen on the shores of the Orkney islands and the
Lewis as late as 1857. The swimming powers of the Walrus would
enable it easily to accomplish such a journey, but it is, more than all
other animals of its kind, restricted by the necessity of procuring food ta
certain regions. It avoids the deep sea, and sailors know that the sight
of one is an indication of land in the neighborhood, for experience has
told them that it seldom leaves the pack-ice round the islands. There
vast herds are found, as many as seven thousand having been seen in a
single herd, clambering in endless succession on to the shore. A single
ice-floe often has twenty walruses sleeping on it. When the herd is

THE WALRUS. 51a)

reposing, one of them remains on guard, and at the first sign of danger
wakens his comrades with his terrible roar, and then the whole party
either take to flight or prepare for war; and they are no cowardly foes!

Scoresby writes: “ The Walrus is a dauntless creature; he examines
an approaching boat with curiosity, not with dread; an attack on one is
resented by all the herd; they gather round the boat, dash their tusks
through its sides, or suspend themselves by them on the gunwales.” “I
was once,” Brown relates, “in a boat where a walrus was harpooned ; it
dived at once, but rose again immediately, and in spite of our lances,
axes, and muskets, sent its tusks through the sides of our boat, so that we
were glad to cut the harpoon-line, and escape to the ice-floe which the
walrus had left.” Another whale-fisher was pursued by a herd, and
when he landed, was regularly besieged. In all cases it is dangerous to
meddle with this monster while he is in the water, while its vigilance
renders it a difficult task to reach it on land.

A Walrus is a valuable animal, for its skin, teeth, and oil are in much
request, while among the Esquimaux its body furnishes them with almost
every article in common use. Among civilized men, the skin of the
Walrus is employed for harness and other similar purposes where a thick
and tough hide is required. The tooth furnishes very good ivory, of a
beautiful texture, and possessing the advantage of retaining the white
hue longer than ivory which is made from the elephant-tusk. The tusks
are sometimes two feet in length, and seven inches in circumference,
weighing ten pounds each, but usually attain only half this size. The oil
is delicate, but there is very little to be obtained from each Walrus, the
layer of fatty matter being scarcely more than a hand’s-breadth in thick-
ness. Fish-hooks are made from its tusks, its intestines are twisted into
nets, its oil and flesh is eaten, and its bones and skin are also turned to
account by the rude but ingenious Esquimaux.

The food of the Walrus consists chiefly of various kinds of mollusca,
and it seems probable that the chief use of its formidable tusks is to
scrape these shell-fish from the rocks. The Walrus has other than
human foes: the Esquimaux speak of its terrible combats with the
Polar Bear, and say that when the latter has seized one, the Walrus
throws itself and its enemy together into the sea, and drowns him.

The number of young which the Walrus produces at a litter is seldom
if ever more than one, and when newly born, the little animal is about
the size of a yearling pig. Winter is the usual time of year for the

330 CARNIVORA.

appearance of the young, and the mother always repairs to the shore or
to the ice-fields for the purpose of nourishing her family. The maternal
Walrus is very attentive to her charge, and while in the water is very
solicitous about its welfare, carrying it about under her fore-limbs, and
defending it from any danger that may arise, regardless of her own safety -
in watching over that of her offspring. When a mother Walrus is sur-
prised upon the shore, she places her young one upon her back, and
hurries away to the sea, bearing her precious burden.

The English name of this strange creature, Wadrus, means “ strange
horse,”’ the specific title Rosmarus is a Latinized form from the Nor-
wegian name Xosmar or “Sea-horse’’; the appellation “ Morse” seems
derived from the Lapp name “ Morsk.”

A very full account of the Walrus is given by Dr. Kane in his
“ Arctic Explorations,” to which we refer our readers who desire further
information.

CEVA Lik: Xx V ITT.

EERO EN SEATS:

THE COMMON SEALS—THEIR WIDE DISTRIBUTION—THEIR HABITS—THEIR LOVE OF MUSIC—ROBBIN’S
KEEF-—THE CASPIAN SEAL—THE HOE-RAT—THE HARP-SEAL—RICHARD’S SEAL—THE BEARDED
SEAL—THE GRAY SEAL—THE WHITE-BELLIED SEAL—THE SEA LEOPARD—THE CRAB-EATING
SEAL—THE FALSE SEA LEOPARD—THE LARGE-EYED SEAL—THE SEA ELEPHANT—THE CRESTED
SEAL—THE WEST INDIAN SEAL.

between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, frequent-
ing almost exclusively the cold and temperate regions. The
absence of an external ear, the short limbs which seem stuck into the
body, the hairy flippers, and the teeth, distinguish the animals of this
family from the Eared Seals already described.
They are usually divided into ¢hzrteen genera, and Gray groups these
genera into five sub-families, the first of which (the sub-family of the
PHOCIN), contains five genera.

[ie family, PHoctD&, or True Seals, is pretty equaily divided

I—GENUS CALLOCEPHALUS.

The three species of this genus are distributed over the coasts of
Greenland, the North Sea, and the Caspian Sea, and also in Lakes Aral
and Baikal, and the occurrence of seals in these inland waters is a fact
of peculiar interest. In the case of the Caspian and Lake Aral, it is
remarked by Wallace, that as they are connected with the Northern
Seas by extensive plains of low elevation, a depression of less than five
hundred feet would open a communication with the ocean. At a com-
paratively recent epoch, a gulf of the Arctic Sea must have extended to
the Caspian till the elevation of the Kirghiz steppes cut off the passage.

Lake Baikal offers greater difficulties, for it is a fresh-water lake
situated in a mountain district two thousand feet above the sea-level,

338 CARNIVORA.

and separated from the plains by several hundred miles of high land.
Mr. Wallace adds: “We are accustomed to look at seals as animals
which exclusively inhabit salt water, but there seems no reason why
fresh water should not suit them, provided they find in it a sufficiency of
food, facilities for rearing their young, and freedom from the attacks of
enemies. Mr. Belt’s ingenious hypothesis that during the Glacial epoch
the northern ice-cap dammed up the waters of the northward flowing
Asiatic rivers, and thus formed a vast fresh-water lake which might have
risen as high as Lake Baikal, seems to offer the best solution of the
curious problem.”

The true seals keep closer to the coast than the eared-seals, and are
rarely seen over thirty nautical miles from land. On land their move-
ments are awkward—they cannot walk like the eared-seals, but only
shuffle along; in the water they are perfectly at home, working their
fore-flippers as a means of propulsion, while the hind one seems more
used to steer by, and swimming with great speed. They are often seen
sporting in the sea, leaping in and out of the water, racing in circles,
and so occupied with their pursuits that a fisher can approach them
unperceived. When alarmed, they dive, but do not stay very long
under water, coming to the surface to breathe once a minute, on the
average, and perhaps never remaining more than six minutes under
water. Wallace observes that the seal has the curious habit of sleeping
for three minutes, and then waking for three minutes.

The voice of the seal is usually like that of a calf, but when angry it
utters a growling bark. The eye is very peculiar, the pupil is neither
round nor oblong, but four-rayed; the eye is very expressive, and the
seal when wounded or alarmed sheds tears. In spite of the absence of
an external ear, the sense of hearing is good, and the creature is very
susceptible to music, listening with great complacency to the sound of
bells. The seals will raise their heads above water and listen to the
song of the sailors weighing the anchor; at Iboy in the Orkneys, the
church stands on the shore, and when the bell rings for divine service,
the seals are observed swimming shoreward straight to the spot whence
the sound proceeds, and then listening with rapture as long as the bells
are ringing out their summons to all good Christians.

They are easily tamed, learn their names, and come when called for,
and it is said that some have been trained to fish. The females are
devoted to their young, playing with them and defending them at all

THE COMMON SEAL. 339

risks; when hard pressed, they take their offspring in their fore-paws,
press it to the breast, and fling themselves into the water; if flight is
difficult, the mother never deserts her child, but remains to share its
fate, whether it be captivity or death.

The food of the seal is almost exclusively fish, and they work sad
havoc in salmon fisheries, as they occupy the mouths of the rivers and
catch the ascending fish. In some regions, therefore, they are hunted as
destroyers; in others, they are hunted as the most valuable of animals.
The Greenlanders use every part of the seal, civilized men prize its
water-proof skin and its oil. The seal-fishery is a mere slaughter, espe-
cially as carried on by the professional seal-fishers. Another enemy is
the species of dolphin, Orcinus orca, which the Greenlanders call the
“Seal’s Master”; and the terror of this foe makes the seals lay aside all
their fear of man, and they will come up on shore and crowd like dogs
around the fishermen, as if hoping to find protection. The Polar Bear,
too, is assiduous in capturing them.

The COMMON SEAL, Cadlocephalus vitulinus (Plate XXVI), is found
on our northern and eastern shores, and is the common seal of Europe.
It is not, however, very numerous south of Hudson’s Bay; a small
colony is said to have existed at Nahant, but usually only individuals
are seen in our waters. It is probable, however, that they were once
common in New York harbor, as the reef named Robbin’s Reef derives
its name from the Dutch word for seal, ‘“ Robbe.”

This seal attains the length of five or six feet, and the female is larger
than the male. The head is round, the eye large and with a sagacious
expression, the ear marked only by a slight elevation, the neck short, the
body tapering from the shoulders to the tail, the fore-feet short, the hind-
feet broad. The hide is covered with stiff shining bristles over a thin
undercoat, the color is gray, with brown and black spots.

It is found all through the North Atlantic, on the coasts of Spain,
France, England, Scandinavia and Iceland, in the Baltic, in the Sound
and Belt, as well as in the Gulf of Bothnia and Finland, in the Mediter-
ranean Sea, in the White Sea, and on all our Northern Coast. It has
been seen 1n the Gulf of Mexico, and even on the north coast of South
America.

To the Esquimaux this seal is indispensable; his food consists of its
flesh, his hut is lighted with its oil, its blood is formed into soup, its
sinews are used for fishing-lines and in countless other ways, its finer

340 CARNIVORA.

membranes are dried, and, as they are transparent, are used to cover the
windows of the hut. Each seal furnishes about half a barrel of oil.

The CASPIAN SEAL, Cadlicephalus Caspicus, seems to be a mere strag-
gler from the great army of Common Seals, and to possess no very
characteristic marks, distinguishing it from its fellows.

Il.—GENUS PAGOMYS.

This genus embraces /wo species, and is distinguished from the pre-
ceding genus by the greater depression of the skull.

The HoeE-rat, Pagomys fetidus, is the smallest of the northern seals,
and obtains its specific title fwtzdus or “stinking” from the vile odor
emitted by the old males.

IlIl—GENUS PAGOPHILUS.

The seals contained in the ¢wo species of this genus have a longer and
narrower head than the common seal, a flatter forehead, a longer muzzle,
a shorter hand, the second finger being the longest.

The Harp SEAL, or ATAK, Pagophilus Greenlandicus (Plate XX V1), may
be taken as the representative of the genus. It is also called the Saddle-
back Seal, and derives its name from its remarkable coloring. Its coat
is a whitish-gray, on which two broad semicircular bands of deep black
are drawn, extending from the shoulders to the tail; the muzzle and fore-
part of the head are also black. This marking is not conspicuous till the
animal attains its fifth year.

The Harp Seal is generally about seven feet in length, and is found
in great numbers on the coasts of Greenland, where it congregates in
large herds. It prefers to take up its abode upon floating ice-islands.
The oil it supplies is said to be purer than that from other seals, and it is
furnished with an extraordinary amount ot blubber. In its habits it
resembles the Common Seal, and like it, it is easily tamed.

Two of these animals which were placed in the zoological collection
at the Jardin des Plantes, were at their first arrival extremely shy, and
would avoid the person of man with every mark of terror. Yet ina
very short time they became quite tame, and would voluntarily seek the
caresses of those who had behaved kindly toward them. They also

THE HARP SEAL. 341

struck up a great friendship with two little dogs, and would allow their
little playfellows to take all kinds of liberties with them, permitting the
dogs to sit on their backs and bark, and not even resenting an occasional
bite. They would even permit the dogs to take their food from their
mouths; but if any of the seal-tribe attempted to act in like manner, a
sharp combat immediately took place, the weaker being forced ulti-
mately to succumb to superior might. In cold weather, dogs and seals
were accustomed to huddle closely together for the sake of warmth, and
when the dogs made their way out of the entrance, the seals did their
best to follow their little playfellows, caring nothing for the rough
ground over which they were forced to pass. This Seal stands in great
dread of other species of Seal, such as the Sea Lion and Sea Bear, and
according to many accounts holds the spermaceti whale in awe, being
chased by that formidable creature into the shallow waters of the shore.
Twice in the year the Harp Seal indulges in a migration similar to that
of the Sea Leopard. The young of this species are sometimes two in
number, although the maternal Seal is often forced to content herself
with a single child.

I1V.—GENUS HALICYON.

The ¢wo species mentioned by Gray are probably identical, and we
may regard them as the sole representative of the genus.

RICHARD’S SEAL, Halicyon Richardsii, the best known species, is found
on the Californian and Oregon coasts.

V.—GENUS PHOCA.

Of the ¢Zree species of this genus we need mention only one.

The BEARDED SEAL, Phoca barbata, is so called from its long mus-
taches; from its size, it has also obtained the name of the Great Seal.
It attains a length of about fifteen feet, is of a dark-brown color, with
short stiff hair, and frequents lonely and sequestered places. The Esqui-
maux say its blubber has a very delicate taste, and its skin is used for
their harpoon lines.

The other species are found in the North Pacific, and in Japanese
waters.

Gray’s sub-family HALICH&RINA contains only one genus, of one
species.

42 CARNIVORA.

WwW

VI.—GENUS HALICHAERUS.

The Gray SEAL, Halicherus gryphus, is common on the Swedish
and Scotch coasts. The muzzle is broad and rounded, the skull high in
front, the nostril very large. In many respects it resembles anatomically
the walrus, and like the latter, has a small brain, and consequently little
intelligence.

The next sub-family is called by Gray MONACHINA, and the genus
Monachus. We prefer Wallace’s nomenclature.

VII—GENUS PELAGIUS.

The ocean near the island of Madeira, and the Black and Mediter-
ranean seas are the homes of the ‘wo species of this genus.

The WHITE-BELLIED SEAL, Pelagius albiventer, is found in the Medi-
terranean, especially on the borders of the Adriatic Sea. It varies in
size from seven feet to over ten feet. It is one of the most intelligent
of the family. M. Boitard says that he saw one which had been in
captivity for two years, and which, let loose in ponds and even in large
rivers, came to its master when called.

The sub-family STENORHYNCINA contains four genera.

VII—GENUS STENORHYNCUS.

The solitary species of the genus inhabits the Antarctic Ocean,
extending northward to the Falkland Islands, New South Wales, and
New Zealand. It is named by Gray the SEA LEOPARD, Stenorhyncus
leptonyx ; the hinder feet are nearly clawless, and resemble somewhat
the tail-fin of a fish.

IX.—GENUS LOBODON.

This also is represented by ove species.

The CRAB-EATING SEAL, Lododon carcinophoca, has a pale-olive color
on the head and back, and hind-feet; the fore-feet, sides of face, and
belly are yellowish-white, and the whiskers white. Like the preceding
genus, it is found in the Antarctic Seas.

THE LEOPARD SEAL. 343

X.—GENUS LEPTONYX.

The FALSE SEA LEOPARD, or LEOPARD SEAL, Leptonyx Weddelliz, the
only species yet discovered, is distinguishable from the other Seals by
means of its slender neck, and the wider gape of its mouth, which
opens further backward than is generally the case. The body is
rather curiously formed, being largest toward the middle, from whence
it tapers rapidly to the short and inconspicuous tail.

The fore-paws are without any projecting membrane, and are largest
at the thumb-joint, diminishing gradually to the last joint. The claws
are sharp and curved, and rather deeply grooved; their color is black.
The hind-feet are devoid of claws and projecting membrane, and bear
some resemblance to the tail-fin of a fish. The color of this Seal is gen-
erally a pale gray, relieved with a number of pale grayish-white spots,
which have earned for the animal the name of Leopard Seal. The exter-
nal ears are wanting. ;

Very little is known of the habits of this Seal. Captain Weddell,
who first noticed this species, speaks of it casually as a well-known
animal, merely mentioning that his men caught so many Leopard Seals,
or that they secured so many Seal skins and so many Leopard Seal skins
in the course of their hunt.

It is not a very large animal, as the average length of the largest
specimens is scarcely ten feet. Around the largest part of the body the
circumference measures nearly six feet and a half, round the root of the
tail about two feet three inches, and round the neck barely two feet. It
was recorded by Captain Weddell to have been seen off the South Ork-
neys. Some specimens in the British Museum were taken off the eastern
coast of Polynesia. As far as is yet known, these animals are only found
in the Southern hemisphere.

XI.—GENUS OMMATOPHOCA.

This genus is distinguished by a short, broad muzzle, and very large
orbits of the eyes. Its habitation is the Antarctic Ocean. It contains
only one species.

Ross’s LARGE-EYED SEAL, Ommatophoca Rossii, has a greenish-yellow
fur, with oblique yellow stripes on the side.

344 CARNIVORA,

Gray’s last sub-family is that of the CysTOPHORINA or Crested Seals,
and comprises wo genera.

XII—GENUS MORUNGA.

The ¢wo species of this genus are found in California, the Falkland
Islands, and in general the temperate regions of the Southern Ocean.

The SEA ELEPHANT, Morunga elephantina (Plate XXVI). This
enormous animal, when fully grown, has a length of twenty-five feet,
and a circumference of sixteen feet. It has a prominent proboscis,
which, as well as its great size, justifies its name. When fully developed
this feature attains in the male a length of about four feet. It has the
power of drawing in or extending it at will. The color of the male is a
dark grayish-blue or brown, and that of the female a dark olive-brown
above, and a yellowish-brown below. It has four fingers and a short
thumb on the fore-limbs, with perfect nails, but the hind-toes are nailless.
The hair is rather coarse, but the thick skin was formerly in much
request for harness. The blubber yields an odorless oil, which burns
without smoke. Sea-elephants were formerly found in shoals in the
Antarctic seas, but have been almost entirely exterminated. One of the
Falkland Islands was called Elephant Island, from the number of these
creatures that frequented it; but when Lecomte was there, he found the
place deserted. Their food is chiefly cuttle-fish and sea-weed.

It is a migrating animal, moving southward as the summer comes on,
and northward when the cold weather of the winter months would make
its more southern retreats unendurable. Their first migration is gen-
erally made in the middle of June, when the females become mothers,
and remain in charge of their nurseries for nearly two months. During
this time the males are said to form a cordon between their mates and the
sea, in order to prevent them from deserting their young charges. At
the expiration of this time, the males relax their supervision, and the
whole family luxuriates together in the sea, where the mothers soon
regain their health and strength. They then seek the shore afresh,
and occupy themselves in settling their matrimonial alliances, which
are understood on the principle that the strongest shall make his
choice among the opposite sex, and that the weakest may take
those that are rejected by his conquerors, or none at all, as the case
may be. None but the brave obtain the fair.

\ \\

a
LS ae :
SEA BEAR SEA LION
SEA ELEPHANT

PLATE XXVI.CARNIVORA

THE CRESTED SEAL. 345

During the season of courtship the males fight desperately with each
other, inflicting fearful wounds with their tusk-like teeth, while the
females remain aloof, as quiet spectators of the combat. They are
polygamous animals, each male being lord over a considerable number
of females, whom he rules with despotic sway. When the victorious
combatants have chosen their mates, they are very careful about their
safety, and refuse to quit them if they should be in any danger. Know-
ing this fact, the seal-hunters always direct their attacks upon the
females, being sure to capture the male afterward. If they were to kill
the male at first, his harem would immediately disperse and fly in terror,
but as long as he lives they will continue to crowd round him.

Although these animals are of so great dimensions and _ bodily
strength, and are furnished with a very formidable set of teeth, they are
not nearly such dangerous antagonists as the walrus, and are most
apathetic in their habits. When roused, they never use their teeth, but
waddle away toward the water, their huge bodies shaking like jelly. So
plentifully are they supplied with blubber, that one male will furnish
seventy gallons of oil.

The extraordinary proboscis is not very conspicuous till the animal
is excited; then it protrudes it, blows violently through it, and has a
most formidable appearance. The female is entirely destitute of this
extraordinary and inexplicable appendage.

At present the Sea Elephant is found chiefly near the Crozet Islands
and Kerguelen’s Land, but it seems possible that in a few years it will be
as extinct as the Mammoth.

XIMI—GENUS CYSTOPHORA.

The preceding genus has the nose developed into a trunk; this one
has it provided with a hood. The head is broad, and the muzzle very
short, and over the head stands a cartilaginous crest, six or seven inches
in height, supporting a hood-like development of the septum of the
nares, which is covered with short brown hair, and can be inflated
at will. This extraordinary head-gear is peculiar to the adult male.
The genus contains ¢wo species.

The CRESTED SEAL, Cystophora cristata (Plate XXVI) is found spread
over the coasts of Southern Greenland, and is in the habit of reposing
much upon ice-islands, caring comparatively little for ordinary land. It

340 CARNIVORA.

also frequents the shores of Northern America. From September to
March it is found in Davis’ Straits, but leaves that locality for the purpose
of producing and rearing its young, and returns again in June, together
with its offspring, in a very bare and poor condition. About July it
takes another excursion, and employs its time in recovering the health
and strength which it had lost during the period of its former absence,
so that in September it is very fat, and altogether in excellent con-
dition for the fisher who values it for its oil.

The Crested Seal attains the size of ten to twelve feet when fully
grown, and then it is of a dark blue-black color on the back, fading away
to a yellowish-white below: a number of gray patches, each with a dark
spot, are scattered over the body; the head, tail, and feet are black. It is
the lion of the Northern Seas, and shares with the walrus the empire of
the Pole. The onset of an enraged Crested Seal is much to be dreaded,
for the creature is marvellously fierce when its anger is roused, and its
strength is very considerable. The teeth, too, are formidably powerful,
and can inflict very dangerous wounds. In fighting, they can use their
claws as well as their teeth. The males are always pugnacious animals,
and during the season when they choose their mates are in the habit of
fighting desperately among each other for the possession of some
attractive female, and in these combats inflict severe lacerations.
During these conflicts the two combatants express their mutual rage
by emitting a torrent of loud, passionate, yelling screams, which are
audible at a considerable distance. Various speculations have been
made regarding the use of the crest, or rather, nasal bladder. It
probably is useful by protecting that very vulnerable spot, the nose.

The WEsT INDIAN CRESTED SEAL, Cystophora Antillarum, has a gray-
brown color. In the Report of the U.S. Exploring Expedition to the
Antarctic Seas, Dr. Pickering states that he saw one a hundred and thirty-
Sve miles from land, swimming entirely by its pectoral fins.

Ae 5

Sub-Order—I. 36.

MYSTACBETI.

38.

Sub-Order—II.
ODONTOCETI.

4l.

37:

39:
40.

BALANIDZ.
BALZNOPTERID.

CATODONTIDZ.
HYPEROODONTID 4
MONODONTID,
DELPHINIDE,

STEAM ES CONTRI SSI ITE

CAPT ER. 1,
THE RIGHT WHALES.

THE CETACEA—THE FAMILY BALA NID&—THE GREENLAND WHALE—ITS MODE OF RESPIRATION—
ITS BLUBBER—WHALEBONE—THE YOUNG WHALE—ENEMIES OF THE WHALE—THE WHALE
FISHERY—AMERICAN WHALERS—MODE OF HUNTING THE WHALE—THE HARPOON AND BOMB-
LANCE—AUSTRALIAN RIGHT WHALE—SCRAG WHALE—BISCAY WHALE—GENUS EUBALA:SNA—
GENERA HUNTERIUS, CAPERIA, MACLEAYIUS.

HE order at which we have now arrived contains some of the

largest animals of the world. In land animals, whose weight

has to be supported by limbs, there is evidently a limit to their
size; while aquatic animals, buoyed up by the dense medium of water
on every side, and surrounded by an inexhaustible supply of food, attain
to enormous dimensions.

The CETACEA are mammals deprived entirely of hinder limbs. The
trunk of the body is prolonged into a thick tail terminated by a broad fin
which resembles in its general shape that of a fish, but is entirely com-
posed of an expansion of the skin, supported by a tough cartilaginous
substance. This tail, instead of being placed vertically, is horizontal,
thus enabling the animals to plunge into the depths of the ocean, and
rise again to the surface. The head is joined to the body without any
apparent neck, and the fore-limbs are so flattened and hidden in the skin
that they may easily be mistaken for pectoral fins. Dissection, however,
shows that they present, under a modified shape, bones and fingers cor-
responding to those met with in the lion and the bat. Constructed
entirely for swimming, the Cetacea are strictly confined to the waters;
nevertheless they breathe air by means of lungs, and are therefore per-
petually compelled to come to the surface for the purpose of respiration.
Their blood is hot; they bring forth living young which they feed with
their own milk, and thus, in all details of their structure, differ from the
cold-blooded, gill-breathing, oviparous fishes. As the Cetacea often dive

350 CETACEA.

to considerable depths, where the pressure of water is enormous, they
are provided with a covering of great elasticity. Their skin is thick-
ened, and made up of a texture of interwoven fibres enclosing an im-
mense quantity of oil or blubber, which is admirably adapted to resist
compression. This thick integument of fat retains the animal heat, and
thus enables the Cetaceans to inhabit the coldest regions of the ocean,
and as oil is lighter than water, it contributes greatly to the buoyancy
of these unwieldy animals. A dead whale floats, but the carcass, when
stripped of blubber, sinks immediately.

The order CETACEA is divided into two sub-orders; MYSTACETI, or
true whales, which have the mouth provided with baleen or whalebone,
and ODONTOCETI, sperm-whales, blackfish, porpoises, and the like, which
have tecth in one or both jaws. The first sub-order contains ¢zo families,
the second, four.

THE RIGHT WHALES.

The family BALANID& is divided into sir genera and fourteen species,
but most of the latter are imperfectly known, and their classification is
by no means settled; it comprises the “right” whales, of which the
Greenland whale is the most important.

GENUS BALAINA.

Into this genus ¢/rce species are admitted without controversy; but a
fourth, the so-called “ Scrag Whale of Dudley,” has been the subject of
great doubt, as it is not known to whalers now-a-days, and is supposed
by Cuvier to be a mutilated Rorqual.

The GREENLAND or RIGHT WHALE, Salena Mystacetus (Plate
XXVII), inhabits the Northern seas, and when full-grown, attains a
length of sixty to seventy feet, with about thirty to forty feet in girth.
Its color is velvety black upon the upper part of the body, gray at the
junction of the tail and at the base of the fins, and white on the abdomen.
The head is remarkably large, being about one-third of the length of the
entire bulk. The jaws open very far back, and average sixteen feet in
length, seven feet wide, and ten or twelve feet in height, affording space
for a jolly-boat and her crew to float in. The tail is enormously power-
ful, enabling the largest whales, measuring eighty feet in length, to leap

THE WHALE. 351

clear out of the water, like a trout after a fly. This movement is techni
cally called “ breaching,” and the splash of the creature as it falls back
into the water may be heard for miles. The length of the tail in the
larger whales is about five or six feet, but it is often more than twenty
feet in breadth. The skin of the whale is devoid of hair, and is of very
peculiar structure. The true skin constitutes the blubber, which is never
less than two inches in depth, and in some places is nearly two feet
thick; it is as elastic as caoutchouc, and in a large specimen will weigh
thirty tons.

The whales are compelled to rise to the surface to breathe; their
respirations are technically called “spoutings,” because a column of
vapor is ejected from the “ blow-holes”’ or nostrils, and spouts up to the
height of about twenty feet. These blow-holes are on the upper part of
the head, so that very little of the carcass need be exposed during the
operation ; in fact, only the upper portion of the head and part of the
back are visible. The ‘“spoutings” can be heard for a considerable
distance, and indicate to the fisher the presence of their victim. These
“spoutings’’ at intervals would not be of any avail to oxygenize the
blood unless the organs of respiration had been modified to meet the
peculiar circumstances in which the whales are placed: the whales
therefore are furnished with a large reservoir of arterial blood, which is
contained in a mass of vessels lining the interior of the chest and the
adjacent parts, and which are capable of holding a sufficient quantity of
fresh blood to support life for a considerable period.

The spout is not formed of any liquid water; it is composed at one
and the same time of hot air issuing from the chest, of a certain quantity
of vapor of water, mixed with this air, and of greasy particles. So,
when the temperature is rather high, the sea calm, and, above all, when
the sun is near the zenith, this blowing, or spouting, is invisible. When
the vapor from this blow-spout is disseminated into the air, it dissolves—
all disappears; there falls nothing but a few little drops of greasy matter.
These drops, diffused over the surface of the water, and joined to the
exhalations of the skin, leave on the surface of the sea long trails of oily
spots, which show the way by which the whale has passed. Of course
there is always a certain quantity of water, which has penetrated into
the aérial canal terminated by the blow-hole, and this water is mixed in
a state of minute subdivision or particles, with the respired air, and dis-
seminates itself in the atmosphere, like the pulmonary moisture.

352 CETACEA.

The whales descend to depths so profound, that if a piece of dry
wood be sunk to an equal depth, it will become saturated, and cease to
Hloat ; their ears and nostrils require special adaptations to prevent the
water from penetrating into these cavities; they are consequently pro-
vided with an ingenious valvular structure which closes the external
orifices in proportion to the depth to which the animal dives.

The substance called “whalebone” is a very remarkable feature in
the jaws of the Right Whales. This whalebone, or baleen, is found
in a series of plates, thick and solid at the insertion into the jaw, and
splitting at the extremity into a multitude of hair-like fringes. On each
side of the jaw there are more than three hundred of these plates. The
weight of baleen which is furnished by a large whale is about one ton.
This substance does not take its origin directly from the gum, but from
a peculiar vascular formation which rests upon it. These masses of
baleen are placed along the sides of the mouth for the purpose of aiding
the whale in procuring its food and separating it from the water.

The mode of feeding which is adopted by the whale is as follows:
The animal frequents those parts of the ocean which are the best sup-
plied with the various creatures on which it feeds, and which are all of
very small size, as is needful from the size of its gullet, which is not
quite two inches in diameter. Small shrimps, crabs, and _ lobsters,
together with various molluscs and medusz, form the diet on which the
vast bulk of the Greenland Whale is sustained. Driving with open
mouth through the congregated shoals of these little creatures, the
whale engulphs them by millions in its enormous jaws, and continues its
destructive course until it has sufficiently charged its mouth with prey.
Closing its jaws and driving out through the interstices of the whale-
bone the water which it has taken together with its prey, it retains the
captured animals which are entangled in the whalebone, and swallows
them at its ease. The multitude of these little creatures that must
hourly perish is so enormous, that the prolific powers of nature would
seem inadequate to keep up a supply of food for the herds of whales that
inhabit the Northern seas. Yet the supply is more tnan equal to the
demand, for the sea is absolutely reddened for miles by the countless
millions of medusz that swarm in its waters.

The enormous mouth contains an immense tongue, which sometimes
measures as much as twenty-five feet in length and twelve feet in
breadth. This organ is very soft, and produces five to six barrels of oil.

THE WHALE. 353

The eye is placed immediately above the junction of the lips, very near
the shoulder, and thus either eye can see only the objects on its own
side; it is very small, and often difficult to discover; the eyelids are
destitute of lashes, and so swollen by the grease which occupies their
interior, that they are almost incapable of being moved. The structure
of the eye is admirably adapted for aquatic media.

The Greenland Whale, as its name indicates, inhabits the Arctic seas
without having, however, any fixed dwelling-place. Its coming and
going depends on the state of the ice, and it immediately leaves a neigh-
borhood when the ice is melted. According to some observers, the old
whales never come south of 65° north latitude, nor the younger ones
south of 64°. Between the 66° and 69° both young and old are seen
regularly in December and January. In March, numbers are seen in the
bays and near the islands of the coast of Greenland, but after that month
they retire to the north, and in summer may be found in the latitude of
71° to 75° north, resuming their journey to the south in the end of Sep-
tember.

According to the observations of Scoresby and Brown, the whales
pair about June or July, and bring forth their young (never more
than one at a birth) in ten months. No one has yet seen how the
little one is taught to suck. Other marine mammals are either born
on land, or if born in the water, as is the case with the Sirenia,
are clasped by the mother to her breast and raised above the sur-
face. The whales, from their bodily structure, must, from the first
moment of their lives, perform the same motions as the parent. Scam-
mon states that the mother reclines on one side on the surface of the
water in order to give suck. The young whale sucks for nearly a year,
during which time the mother displays the utmost affection and solici-
tude, exposing herself to all dangers, and never leaving it as long as she
1s alive.

The movements of the whale are by no means so slow as we might
imagine, if we regarded only the unwieldy shape of the carcass. A
whale wounded at Scoresby Sound on the east coast of Greenland, was
found dead next day on the west coast at Omenak; it must therefore
have swum round Cape Farewell, and traversed a distance of nearly
three hundred miles. Considerable difference of opinion exists as to the
length of time the whale can remain under water. Under ordinary cir-
cumstances it seldom exceeds half an hour, although one instance is

354 CETACEA.

recorded where a wounded old whale remained an hour and twenty
minutes without rising. When it did appear, it was terribly exhausted.

The whale possesses numerous enemies, the chief being the Gladiator
Dolphin, the most savage of all Cetacea. The Thresher and Greenland
Shark do not attack it while alive. A very circumstantial account,
given by many writers, of a combat between the sword-fish and the
whale, originated in a misconception, the name sword-fish being applied
by many sailors to the above-mentioned Gladiator Dolphin. Each kind
of whale has its own peculiar kind of parasite, one has the Coronzla,
another the Diadema, a third the Tudicinilla. They are all sunk beneath
the surface of the skin, with the aperture for the free valve exposed, and
as they grow in size, they sink deeper into the skin. Birds have often
been observed alighting on the backs of whales for the purpose of pick-
ing up these cirripeds, but the operation does not seem to be acceptable
to the marine monster, which usually dives with the utmost speed when
it feels the first dig of the bird’s beak.

The whale is an animal of great importance to civilized and to savage
men. The oil which is procured in great quantities from its blubber and
other portions of its structure is almost invaluable to us, while the bones
and baleen find their use in every civilized land. To the natives of the
polar regions, however, the whale is of still greater value, as they pro-
cure many necessaries of life from various parts of its body, eat the flesh,
and drink the oil. Repulsive as such a diet may appear to us who live
in a warm region, it is an absolute necessity in these ice-bound lands,
such oleaginous diet being needful in order to keep up the heat of the
body by a bountiful supply of carbon. But the best part of the whale is
one that would hardly be expected to form an article of diet, namely the
portion of the gums in which the roots of the baleen are still imbedded.
The Tuskis call this substance their sugar, though its flavor is very like
that of cream-cheese. One traveler who had been obliged, through
motives of politeness, to take part in a native banquet, and who had been
more than disgusted by the very remarkable dishes which were brought
to table, became quite enthusiastic on the merits of whale’s skin and
gum, acknowledging himself to be agreeably surprised by the former,
and calling the latter article of diet “ perfectly delicious.” On the shores
of the Polar Sea whalebone is used for building purposes, and the dwell-
ings thus constructed are described as better and more solid than most
of the Siberian huts on that bleak coast.

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WHALE FISHING. 355

THE WHALE FISHERY.

The chase of the whale has been long practised, and has furnished
material for countless stories of adventures. The figure copied from
‘““Scoresby’s Account of the Arctic Regions” of a whale tossing a boat
and its crew far into the air is an artistic exaggeration; at the utmost, a
whale has been known to toss a boat nearly three feet into the air. The
occupation has enough of excitement and danger to dispense with any
imaginary feats. The Basques are the people to whom belongs the
honor of first fitting vessels for hunting the whale. Like other nations,
these bold sailors at first contented themselves with attacking the
rorquals that visited their native coasts, but as early as 1372 they ven-
tured into the Northern seas. But the civil war of 1633 which ended in
a success for the Spaniards, destroyed the whale-fishing enterprise of the
Basques, many of whom leit their country, and took with them a
knowledge of the art. .Hull, in England, sent out a whaling-ship in 1598,
and the merchants of Amsterdam formed a company in 1611 to prose-
cute the fishing near Spitzbergen. The business speedily developed.
Between 1676 and 1722 the Dutch had sent out 5,886 ships from their
harbors, and captured 32,907 whales. In 1732 England offered a bounty
to whalers, and even doubled the amount in 1749: the result was that
soon afterward she had over two hundred ships engaged in the pursuit.
At present the Americans are the most active. Scammon states that
between 1835 and 1872 nearly 20,000 vessels had been occupied in the
trade, and brought back a little over three and a half million barrels of
spermaceti, and six and a half million barrels of train oil; worth, alto-
gether, two hundred and seventy-two millions of dollars. This state-
ment leads to the conclusion that 3,865 sperm whales, and 2,875 right
whales were killed annually. The year 1854 shows the largest figures,
668 ships, 73,696 barrels sperm, and 319,837 barrels train oil: while, in
1872, the numbers had fallen to 218 ships, 44,880 barrels sperm, and
31,395 barrels train oil, and in 1876, to 169 ships of all sizes.

Whale-fishing is not only a very dangerous and laborious pursuit, but
it is also exceedingly precarious. Sometimes a complete cargo of oil
and whalebone is taken in a sbort time, but it also happens that after a
long cruise not a single whale is caught.

The Greenland whale-fishery was at first confined to the seas between
Spitzbergen and Greenland, but at present the whalers seek the higher

356 CETACEA.

latitudes of Baffin’s Bay, sometimes entering Lancaster Sound and Bar-
row’s Straits.

The ships leave their harbors for the Arctic fishing-grounds in spring,
and when they reach the fishing-grounds, either cruise to and fro, or lie
at anchor in a favorable spot. Men are placed at the mast-head to look
out. The cry, ‘There she blows,” brings all the crew on deck, the
boats are at once manned with six or eight rowers, a helmsman and a
harpooner, and row with all speed toward the unsuspecting whale. The
harpoon is a long, lance-like weapon, provided with a strong barb, and
made fast to a very long, very flexibie rope which is rolled on a reel with
the utmost care, as any kink in it as it runs out would imperil the boat.
The boat approaches as near the whale as possible, the harpooner rises
and poises his weapon. He flings it with all his strength, and the rowers
immediately back-water to get away from the wounded animal. Usu-
ally it dives at once, and with such speed that the line runs from the
reel with such violence that it has to be kept cool by pouring water over
it. It often, indeed, happens that the boat is dragged for hours by the
wounded creature in its headlong flight. The whale appears at the sur-
face in about a quarter of an hour, in order to breathe; the boat from
which it has been struck and other boats from the ship apprceach a
second weapon is plunged inio the body. The fish rolls froi side to
side, leaps out of the water, dives furiously, leaving a whirlpovl behind
it; rises once more, only to meet a new lance. Blood is driven out from
the blow-holes, and the sea is dyed red; a vain expenditure oi strength
makes the ocean boil, then comes a final quiver, and the whale sinks on
one side, a plaything for the waves; while, in the Southern seas, thou-
sands of birds, chiefly petrels and albatrosses, are flying around waiting
to make a meal of the dead monster.

When the whale is dead, it is made fast alongside of the ship, belly
upward, its tail forward, and its nose level with the stern of the vessel.
It is not without great difficulty that this enormous mass, which just
now traversed the sea with such facility, can be towed so as to be
landed on the shore.

In olden times the fishermen of the north of Europe used to cut up
the whale by going upon its carcass, provided with boots furnished
with cramp-irons. They thus stripped off bands of blubber along the
whole length of the animal, from head to tail. But this way of cutting
up the whale was long, difficult, and even dangerous.

THE SCRAG WHALE. 357

The whalers in the Southern Ocean have a better way of proceeding:
this consists in cutting out, along the whole length of the animal’s body,
a broad continuous band shaped like a screw, beginning at the head and
only finishing at the tail, very nearly in the same way ‘in which children
proceed when they are taking off the peel of an orange.

The head is drawn up by pullies, and they then detach, by means of
sharp spades, one side of the under-lip, and take it away; they then
detach the tongue, which weighs many thousands of pounds; then the
other half of the lip; next the upper jaw, with its whalebone-plates,
which are becoming more and more sought after in commerce every
day. Then they begin to cut a thick band of grease and skin, which
they keep on detaching, hauling up on board, and stowing away. It is
thus that they unwind, as we may sav, the whale, making its body turn
round on itself. The blubber is then melted; a single Right Whale will
yield twenty tons of oil.

The harpoon, however, has been superseded by the domb-lance. This
weapon contains about one hundred grains of powder, and can be
thrown by a heavy gun a distance of over twenty fathoms. When the
gun is fired, the projectile penetrates into the fleshy parts of the animal,
the fuse which had been kindled by the explosion of the gun, sets fire
to the powder in the bomb, the bomb explodes and throws out
barbs. If the explosion of the charge takes place in the lung, death is
nearly always instantaneous.

The Greenland fishers estimate the size of the fish by the size of the
whalebone, and when this is six feet long, the whale is called a size-fish.
The flakes of whalebone are from ten to fourteen feet in length in full-
grown specimens, the breadth of the largest at the thick end is about a
foot. As regards the color of the whalebone, it is variable. In the
young, the laminz are frequently striped green and black, but on the old
animal they are occasionally altogether black; often some of the laminz
are striped with alternate streaks of black and white, whilst others want
this variegation. Whalebone is said to be occasionally found white,
without the animal differing in the slightest degree; and, accordingly,
this character loses its supposed importance as being a peculiarity of the
exceedingly dubious Scrag Whale indicated by Dudley. With regard to
the nature of whalebone Dr. Gray writes: “ The baleen has generally
been considered as the teeth of the whale, but this is a mistake. The
teeth in the da/ena never cut the gum, but are reabsorbed, while the

358 CETACEA.

integumentary system furnishes the baleen, which is evidently a modified
form of hair and cuticle.”’

We need not do more than mention the other species of the genus, as
they do not differ in any important particular from the Greenland
Whale, which we have just described.

The WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RIGHT WHALE, Balena marginata, is
remarkable for the length and slenderness of its whalebone, and is un-
doubtedly a very distinct species.

The ScraG WHALE, Balena gibbosa, we have already mentioned.
Its describer Dudley writes in the year 1725, ‘“ Nearly akin to the Fin-
back, but instead of a fin upon its back, the ridge of the after-part of its
back is scragged with half-a-dozen knobs or knuckles. He is nearest the
Right Whale (2. mysticetus) in figure and quantity of oil. His bone
(whalebone) is white, but will not split.” Mr. Brown says, “ What
whale this is, I cannot imagine.”

The Biscay WHALE, Salena Biscayensis, is the name given by Dr.
Eschricht to a second species of Right Whale found in the Greenland
seas, which is much smaller and more active than the Balena mysticetus,
and which belongs to the temperate North Atlantic.

GENUS EUBALAINA.

The CarE WHALE, £uébalena Australis, is the only species that can
be certainly referred to this genus; a female measuring sixty-eight feet in
length has been caught, and we may remark that in the Greenland Right
Whale, and probably in all other Belenide, the female is the larger.
The Japanese Whale (£. Sieda/dit of Gray), according to that naturalist,
“is only described and figured from a model made in porcelain clay by a
Japanese under the inspection of a Japanese whaler and of Dr. Siebold;
but no remains of the animal were brought to Europe; so that we do not
know whether it is a Eudalena or a Hunterius, or if it may not be an
entirely new form.” Mr. Bennett observes that “the Right Whale, so
abundant and so little molested in the northernmost waters of the Pacific,
especially off the north-west coast of America, is probably identical with
the Greenland species ;’’ but Dr. Gray remarks that its baleen, which is
very inferior in quality to that of B. mysticetus, “shows that it is more
allied to the Cape species, but apparently distinct from it.”

THE SOUTHERN WHALE. 359

4 GENERA HUNTERIUS, CAPERIA, MACLEAYIUS.

These three Southern genera are only beginning to be understood.
In one or more of them a curious horny substance is commonly observed
upon the fore-part of the head, which the whalers denominate the crea-
ture’s “ bonnet.’’ One in the British Museum, obtained at the Sandwich
Islands, is oblong in shape, eleven inches long and eight inches wide,
with a very rough, pitted surface. The whole substance seems to be
formed of irregular horny layers placed one over the other, the lowest
layer being the last one formed; and each of these layers is more or less
crumpled and plicated on the surface, giving the irregular appearance to
the mass. “I do not recollect observing any account of this ‘ bonnet,’”
writes Dr. Gray, ‘‘ or giant corn, or rudimentary frontal horn, as it may be
regarded, in any account of the Right Whale, nor in that of the Cacha-
lot. I have especially searched for it in works by persons who have
seen these whales alive, but without success. It has been suggested by
Mr. Holdsworth, that the ‘bonnet’ may be a natural development, and
possibly characteristic of the species bearing it.”

Our knowledge of the Cetaceans is still very incomplete; they dwell
in the most inaccessible parts of the ocean, and the swiftness of their
movements rarely allows more than a transient view of their external
form. Doubtless many species are still unknown, and doubtless, too, one
and the same species has often been described under different names.

CHAPTER: hie

THE FINNER WHALES AND RORQUALS.

THE HUMPBACK OR BUNCHED WHALES—THE RORQUALS OR BIG FINNERS—DIFFICULTY OF
TAKING THEM—THE NORTHERN FINNER—THE SULPHUR-BOTTOM—ADVENTURE OF THE
SHIP ‘‘PLYMOUTH”—THE GREAT INDIAN RORQUAL—ANCIENT ACCOUNTS OF IT—THE
PIKE WHALE—THE SOUTHERN RORQUAL—THE CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALE.

HE second family, BALZNOPTERID&, comprises the Finner’

Whales and Rorquals, which are characterized by possessing

a dorsal fin, and by having the baleen, or whalebone, less
developed. The head is moderate in size, the body elongate, the belly
usually marked with longitudinal plaits. They are abundant in all the
Northern seas, occasionally found in the Tropical seas, and reappear in
the Southern hemisphere in less numbers than in the Northern. The
family is divided into xzze genera, containing twenty-two species. We
describe the most typical.

GENUS MEGAPTERA.

The animals of this genus are distinguished by having the flippers
elongated, and the dorsal fin placed very low, the flippers attaining to
one-fifth, or even one-fourth of the total length of the animal. From
this extraordinary development the genus derives its name MEGAPTERA,
from the Greek words megas “great” and pteron a “wing or fin.”
When the integument is removed these flippers are seen to be provided
with only four fingers. The whalebone is of little value, being short,
not splitting kindly, and becoming twisted when dry.

THE HUMPBACK WHALE.

The HUMPBACK or BUNCHED WHALE, Megaptera longimana, may
be taken as the representative of the genus. It is found in all parts of

THE HUMpP-BACK WHALE. 361

the ocean, and attains a length of sixty to eighty feet, with fins measuring
from twelve to twenty feet. The body is thick and clumsy, the front
part, especially on the lower surface—for the peculiarity is not so
noticeable on the back—being extraordinarily protuberant, the hinder
part at the tail being remarkably contracted. The under jaw is longer
and broader than the upper. On the last quarter of the body is found,
with various modifications and developments, a mass of blubber forming
a hump,a foot or so in height, and about the size of a man’s head.
From the under-jaw there run along the throat and breast as far as the
pectoral fin. broad folds varying in number from eighteen to twenty-six,
which are supposed to enable the creature to dilate its maw at pleasure.
The skin is smooth, and is usually of a more or less uniform black on the
back, while the under surface of the body and the pectoral fins are of a

_whitish color: some specimens are simply black above and white below,

others all black, others black above, white below, with the pectoral and
tail fins of a dark ash-gray hue.

The Humpback or Bunched Whale is very ommon, and seems to
migrate annually from the Poles to the South, c»ming southward about
September. and returning to the Arctic seas in spring. Off the coast of
Upper California they are seen rarely between April and December, but
on the coast of Greenland they are found only in summer. On the west
coast of America they are seen all the year, but not every month at the
same places. The movements of this whale are very irregular ; it seldom
swims any great distance in one direction; it stops here and there for
longer or shorter intervals,and changes its course. At times the Hump-
backs appear in numerous companies which cover the sea as far as the
eye can reach, at other times they appear solitary, yet in this latter case
they indulge in all the play, and all the attitudes of the tribe, as if they
were surrounded by hundreds of their fellows. Even when swimming
under water, they rock themselves from side to side. When they
breathe, they blow in quick succession six to twenty times, sending up
spvuts of various degrees of strength from six to eighteen feet in height.
Their food consists exclusively of small fishes and molluscs.

The Humpwhales are almost entirely neglected by the fishers, as their
blubber furnishes much less oil than the Greenland or Sperm Whales.
Of like quantities of blubber taken from Humpback and Greenland
Whales respectively, the former will give eighteen, the latter sixty
barrels of oil. Hence they are never chased when anything better can

362 CETACEA.

be procured. Since our acquisition of Alaska, the capture of this species
of whale has been carried on, while the older hunting-grounds, the Bays
of Monterey, Magdalena, and Balenas are neglected.

The AMERICAN HumpBack, Megaptera Americana, is found in the
neighborhood of Bermuda, and attains a length of fifty to sixty feet.

GENUS PHYSAEUS:

The general characteristics of this genus—which contains /our
species—are as follows; the head forms one-fourth of the total length,
the dorsal fin rises in the last quarter of the body, the pectoral fins close
behind the head; the tail is deeply cut in the middle, forming two more
or less clearly divided ftaps.

THE RORQUAL.

The RoRQUAL, Physalus antiquorum (Plate XXVIII), is called also
the “Gibbar,” the “ Razorback,” or the “ Big Finner.” It is the most
slender of all cetaceans, and the longest of all known animals, measuring
in some cases upwards of one hundred feet. The pectoral fins possess a
length of one-tenth of the creature’s length, and a breadth of one-fifteenth.
The body attains its greatest thickness just behind the pectoral fins, but
towards the tail becomes so compressed that its vertical section is con-
siderably greater than its horizontal diameter. With the exception of 4
few hairs, or rather of some horny filaments split at the extremity into
very fine threads, which are found on the upper jaw, the body is per-
fectly smooth, of a black color above, and pure white below. The deep
furrows which run from the lower jaw down to the navel, are of a
bluish-black. These furrows resemble cuts made with a knife. The
toothless jaws bear three hundred to three hundred and fifty plates of
baleen on each side, but this substance is short, coarse, and valueless for
ordinary manufacturing purposes.

The Rorqual frequents the northern portions of the Atlantic Ocean
and the Arctic seas, and is especially abundant near Barendt’s Island,
Nova Zembla, and Spitzbergen. When autumn begins, the Rorquals
migrate to southern waters, and are found during the winter in the seas
of the Temperate and Torrid Zones.

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THE RORQUAL. 363

As befits its slender figure, the Rorqual is a swift and active animal,
and when going at full speed, can pass a steamship. Its course is right
ahead, and it rises on an average every ninety seconds to breathe. Less
timid than other members of the family, it often appears near sailing
ships, swimming round them or following them for hours; it displays
extraordinary courage, and when provoked is the most mischievous of
all whales: it possesses social instincts, and in case of danger seeks with
all its power to defend its fellows.

It requires more nourishing food than the Right Whale, and has a
much larger gullet. In the stomach of a single Rorqual six hundred
codfish have been found, as well as a quantity of pilchards. It is in pur-
suit of the shoals of these fishes that the Rorqual proceeds southward,
hovering around the fishing-ground and swallowing whole boat-loads of
herrings and pilchards. It eats also immense quantities of sea-weed,
and is said by observant fishermen to leave a neighborhood when the
sea-weed is all consumed.

The Rorqual being almost valueless for commercial purposes, is
seldom attacked by whale-fishers, and it is so active and fearless that the
aggressors have often to repent their temerity. On one such occasion
the Rorqual when harpooned started off in a direct line, and at such a
rate that the men in the boat lost their presence of mind, and forgot to
cut the rope. The whale made straight for a neighboring ice-field, shot
beneath it, and dragged the boat and its crew beneath the ice. Scoresby
endeavored to secure some Rorquals by using short lines with a buoy at
the end, hoping the resistance offered by the buoy would tire out the
whale. Two Rorquals were struck; the first dived with such speed and
force that the line snapped away from the buoy; the second got loose by
the rope being cut by the dorsal fin. A third that was harpooned by
mistake, carried out three thousand feet of line in about a minute, and
escaped by snapping the rope.

While neglected by the regular whalers, the Rorqual is eagerly
chased by the inhabitants of the coasts which it visits. The chase
is dangerous, not merely from the strength of the animal attacked,
but from the fact that the other whales in the vicinity come to
assist their comrade in his hour of need.

The Laplanders, who find the bones and other portions of this animal
to be of great service to them, unite in its chase, and employ a very
simple mode of action. To harpoon such a being would be useless, so

364 CETACEA.

they content themselves with inflicting as many wounds as possible, and
leaving it to die. After the lapse of a few days the huge carcass is
generally found dead upon the strand, and becomes the property of all
those who have wounded it and can prove their claims by the weapons
which are found in its body. The person who finds the stranded carcass
is by law entitled to one-third of the value.

The NORTHERN FINNER WHALE, Physalus Gibbaldii, has been taken
by Gray as the representative of a separate genus which he calls Gzdéa/-
dius. \t attains a length of one hundred fcet, and has pectoral fins twelve
feet in length. Little is known about this species, as it is usually con-
founded with the Rorqual.

THE SULPHUR-BOTTOM FINNER.

The SULPHUR-BOTTOM WHALE, Physalus sulphureus, is found on our
North-west Coast. It is, perhaps, the largest of the whales frequenting
the Pacific Ocean. It is found on the coast of California at all times of
the year, but appears from May to September in numerous bands which
approach the coast fearlessly, and swim round ships at anchor, or accom-
pany them on their voyage. In the year 1850 the ship “ Plymouth”
passed through a school of these whales. One of them left its com-
panions and followed the ship for twenty-four days. The crew, not
admiring this dangerous companion, tried all means to get rid of it. As
whales have a great horror of bilge-water, they set their pumps to work,
but in vain. They pelted the whale with bottles, pieces of spars, and
other missiles, and fired ball after ball into it. But the Sulphur-bottom
paid no heed to their attentions, and kept close to the ship, occupying
exactly the same position with regard to the vessel, whether she was
sailing free before the wind, tossing about in a gale, or lying becalmed.
At the end of November, the “ Plymouth” met the bark “ Kirkwood ;”
as the ships approached to each other within speaking distance, the
whale left the “Plymouth” and took its station at the “ Kirkwood,” but
when they parted, it returned to its old ship. The sailors gradually
grew accustomed to the creature’s presence, and called it ‘“ Blowhard,”
affirming that it knew its name, and would come nearer when summoned
by this appellation. The Sulphur-bottom seemed to be anxious when
the “ Plymouth” drew near the coast, and finally left the ship when she
came into soundings.

THE GREAT RORQUAL. 365

THE INDIAN RORQUAL.

The GREAT INDIAN RORQUAL, Physalus Indicus, was seen by Near-
chus, who commanded the Indian fleet of Alexander the Great, B.C. 327.

Arrian informs us that when, in the morning, Nearchus was off Kyiza
or Guttar, his people were surprised by observing the sea thrown up to
a great height in the air, as if it were carried up by a whirlwind. The
people were alarmed, and inquired of their pilot what might be the
cause of the phenomenon; he informed them that it proceeded from the
blowing of the whale, and that it was the practice of the creature as he
sported in the sea. His report by no means quieted their alarm; they
stopped rowing from astonishment, and the oars fell from their hands.
Nearchus encouraged them, and recalled them to their duty, ordering
the heads of the vessels to be pointed at the several creatures as they
approached, and to attack them as they would the vessels of an enemy
in battle: the fleet immediately formed as if going to engage, and
advanced by a signal given; when, shouting altogether, and dashing
the water with their oars, with the trumpets sounding at the same
time, they had the satisfaction to see the enemy give way ; for upon the
approach of the vessels, the monsters ahead sunk before them, and rose
again astern, where they continued their blowing without exciting an7
further alarm. All the credit of the victory fell to the share of Nearchvs,
and the acclamations of the people expressed their acknowledgment, both
to his judgment and fortitude, employed in their unexpected delivery.

The great Indian Rorqual is, indeed, very common still in the seas
where it was observed by Nearchus and his companions, off the coasts
of Arabia and of Mekran, Sindh, the peninsula of Cutch, and again
further southward, off the Malabar coast. One cast up dead upon Am-
herst Islet, near Ramri Island, on the Arakan coast, in the Bay of Bengal,
during the rainy season of 1851, measured eighty-four feet in length, of
which the rami of the lower jaw were twenty-one feet, or exactly one
quarter of the total length. Another, stated to be ninety feet long, and
about forty-two feet in circumference, was cast upon the Chittagong
coast in 1842, in about lat. 21° N. It appears that early on the 15th
August, the attention of the inhabitants of that coast were attracted by
something in appearance like the capsized hull of a large vessel, floating
on the surface of the sea, and coming towards the mouth of the Muskal

306 CETACEA.

River. When it approached near the land, they perceived that it was a
living creature, by its continually spouting up water into the air, and by
the middle of the day it cast itself on the shore of Muskal Island. By
the assistance of the flood and the surf of the sea, it was brought com-
pletely on shore, where, as soon as it was landed, it appeared to be in
great distress, for it roared very loudly, like an elephant.

GENUS BALANOPTERA.

This genus, to which Gray allows only ¢wo species, comprises the
smallest and most gracefully built creatures of the whole family. They
possess moderately long pectoral fins, and a sickle-shaped dorsal fin on
the latter third of the body.

THE PIKE “WHALES:

The PIKE WHALE, Salenoptera rostrata, is the best known species of
this genus. It seldom exceeds thirty feet in length, and is more com-
monly about twenty-five. It is furnished with baleen, but the plates are
comparatively short, and of a slight pinkish hue. The mouth is devel-
oped into a kind of huge pouch, which is capable of containing a very
large volume of water and marine animals. The tongue is not tied down
as in the Greenland Whale, but is free toward the apex, and almost as
capable of movement as that of man. The Pike Whale is a native of the
seas that wash the coasts of Greenland, and is sometimes seen near Ice-
land and Norway, descending but rarely into warmer latitudes. The
flesh of this animal is in some repute for its delicacy, and is therefore
much coveted by the natives of these northern regions. They do not,
however, attempt to harpoon the creature, on account of its great
activity, but content themselves with inflicting severe wounds with their
darts and spears, in the hope that the wounded animal may die, and
may in time be stranded on their coasts. The oil which it furnishes is
said to be particularly delicate.

The Pike Whale feeds not only on the little creatures that form the
food of the Greenland Whale, but chases and kills the active salmon and
other fish. In the stomach of one of these animals have been found the
remains of various fish, those of the dog-fish being the most prevalent.

aes
TAs

THE GRAY WHALE. 307

The head of this species is elongated and rather flattened, and the throat
and chest are furnished with very deep longitudinal folds, which are
capable of dilatation to a great extent.

At the extremity of the snout there are eight distinct bristles, arranged
in perpendicular rows on the top of each jaw. It has been called by a
great number of names by different writers, and is mentioned by various
authors under no less than seventeen distinct titles. The color of this
animal is black upon the upper parts of the body, and white on the
abdomen, tinged with a reddish hue. The pectoral fin is almost entirely
dark, but changes into white on its upper surface, near its base.

On the American coasts the Pike Whale is never made a regular
object of pursuit. It is often, however, attacked when it comes near the
coast ; all the fishing-boats of the neighborhood put out to sea, surround
the bewildered animal and drive it into shallow water, where it can be
dispatched at leisure.

The SOUTHERN RORQUAL, Balenoptera Australis, has a long dorsal fin
placed not far backward as usual, but just over the flippers. It is some-
times seen at the Cape of Good Hope, but is never pursued.

THE CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALE.

The classification of all these cetaceans is still very unsettled. Cap-
tain Scammon remarks: “ We have experienced the greatest difficulty in
finding any two of these strange animals alike, or possessing any marked
generic or specific differences. If the differences pointed out as consti-
tuting different species are maintained, we conclude there must be a great
number.” One of the sufferers by modern systems of classification is the
CALIFORNIA GRAY’ WHALE, for which Professor Cope has formed a
separate genus, Rhachianectes. This species differs from the Southern
Rorqual by the color of its baleen, and the number of its vertebrze, and
from the Right Whale by its short head. It has no dorsal fin.

eSES=°

CCAP Wines tile
THE SPERM WHALES AND BLACK FISH.

THE FAMILY CATODONTID-E—THE SPERM WHALES—SPERMACETI—THEIR SPEED—THEIR FURY
WHEN PROVOKED—THE STORY OF THE SHIP “‘FSSEX”’”—OTHER SHIPS DESTROYED BY THIS
WHALE—AMBERGRIS—SPECULATIONS AS TO ITS ORIGIN—FOOD OF THE SPERM WHALE—BLACK
FISH—-THE GENUS COGIA,.

HE family CATODONTID&, comprising the Cachalots or Sperm

whales and the Black-fish, are distinguished from the true whales

by having teeth in the lower jaw, and by being destitute of
whalebone. While the two preceding families are dwellers in the Arctic
and Antarctic regions, the toothed whales prefer the Tropical seas. The
general characteristics of the family are as follows: The head is very
large, and truncated in front; the blow-holes are separate, and situated
in the front of the head; the pectoral fins are short and broad; in the
upper jaw the teeth are only rudimentary. The numerous teeth in the
lower jaw fit into holes in the gums of the upper. The family comprises
four genera.

GENUS CATODON.

The skull of the animals of this genus occupies nearly one-third of the
entire length of the body, Gray assigns to it two species, but expe-
rienced fishermen affirm that there is only ove species, which is pro-
foundly modified in form and size by location and abundance of food.

THE SPERM WHALES.

The SPERM WHALE, Catodon macrocephalus (Plate X XIX) is called
“Cachalot’”’ by the French, and “ Pottfish” by the Dutch, and attains a
considerable size. An adult male measures from sixty to seventy feet in
length, a female about thirty to forty feet. The long, abruptly trun-

THE SPERM WHALE. 369

cated neaa is as thick as the body, and passes into it without any exter-
nal marks of separation. The pectoral fins are close behind the eye, and
are marked on the upper surface by folds which indicate the five fingers ;
the tail is deeply indented. The blow-hole, an aperture almost in the
shape of a capital S, is placed at the extremity of the snout, and occupies,
therefore, the position of the nostrils in terrestrial animals. The mouth
is huge, the jaw opening back almost to the eye. The under-jaw is
narrow, and shorter than the upper, and possesses heavy and strong
teeth which vary considerably in number in the specimens that have
been examined; the average in the adults is about fifty-two. In the
upper-jaw we find a series of conical cavities in which the teeth of the
lower-jaw fit, and near them, or sometimes even in these depressions, a
series of rudimentary teeth is detected. The teeth of the Sperm Whale
are, for us, merely curiosities, but in the South Sea Islands they are
articles of the highest value, being thought worthy of dedication to the
idol deities, or at least placed as rare ornaments in the king’s house. So
great is the conventional value of these teeth, that several wars have
arisen from the possession of a whale’s tooth by an inferior and unfortu-
nate chief who had discovered the rarity and meant to keep it.

The partly-hidden teeth of the upper-jaw are about three inches in
length, but they hardly project more than half an inch through the soft
parts in which they are imbedded. In preparing the skuil of the Sper-
maceti Whale these teeth are apt to fall out together with the softer
parts, as their attachment to the jawbone is very slight. Eight of these
teeth have been found on each side of the jaw.

The enormous head is divided by a perpendicular wall into two
chambers, which connect by several openings. The whole space is full
of a liquid, oily substance, the so-called “spermaceti,” which is also
found in a canal running from the head to the tail, and in many small
cavities scattered in the blubber, the bulk, however, being in the head.
When the whale is killed, the head is cut off, a large hole cut in the top
of it, and the liquid is baled out in buckets. it is then clear and oily,
but after a few hours exposure to the air the spermaceti begins to sepa-
rate, and is soon firm enough to be removed, and put in a different
vessel. To prepare it for commercial purposes, a long process is
required ; it is melted several times, treated with a solution of potassa,
and boiled in alcohol. It is then deposited in laminated crystals of a
pearly-white hue. The amount of this substance obtained from a single

370 CETACEA.

whale is sometimes very large: from a moderate-sized one twenty-four
barrels of spermaceti and one hundred barrels of oil were procured. It
is used in medicine, and in the preparation of candles.

The Sperm Whale in its movements resembles the Dolphins more
than the Right Whales, and in speed nearly equals the Rorquals. When
swimming quietly, it glides at the rate of three or four miles an hour
under the surface of the water, but when excited, it rushes through the
sea with violence, the strokes of its powerful tail sending the water in
waves on every side. It is remarkable for assuming at times a perpen-
dicular position, the head or tail just projecting above the water. When
alarmed, it sinks straight to the bottom; when sporting, it raises first
one, then the other pectoral fin above the surface, and leaps clear out of
the sea, falling again with a splash that sends the foam mast-high, and
can be seen for ten miles. These movements are usually attributed to
the attacks of parasites; but this seems an erronéous supposition, as the
Sperm Whale suffers less than others from such enemies. The members
of a troop of Sperm Whales usually arrange themselves in a long line,
dive and rise simultaneously, spout at the same moment, and at the same
instant disappear beneath the water. When they are sleeping, they lie
motionless, rocked by the swell, or keep the head out of water, so that to
the spectator it seems the end of a huge timber, or the neck of an enor-
mous bottle bobbing up and down. They breathe at very regular
intervals, the spouting is directed forward, and is on an average only
three feet high. Scammon pursued a sperm whale for five hours, and
noticed that it regularly blew fifty-five times at intervals of ten seconds
at each appearance, and then remained fifty-five minutes under water,
going at the rate of three miles an hour. The sense of hearing of the
sperm whales is dull, that of sight pretty good, that of touch or feeling
excellent, as the skin seems provided with nerves which convey the
slightest impression.

The sperm whales, very unlike the dolphins, avoid the neighborhood
of vessels, and it often happens that when surprised, they are almost
paralyzed with terror, and remain motionless. This is especially the
case when a female is the first to be wounded, whereas if an old male is
struck, the whole herd at once take flight.

Sometimes, however, a “large whale” will become belligerent, and is
then a most fearful antagonist, using its tail and its huge jaws with equal
effect. One of these animals has been known to drive its lower jaw

tO ONN WS ed S

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SPA

FATE OF THE SHIP “ESSEX.” 371

entirely through the plankings of a stout whaling-boat, and another well-
known individual destroyed nine boats in rapid succession. This for-
midable animal was at last killed, and in its carcass were found a whole
armory of harpoons and spears belonging to different ships. Not only
boats, but even ships have been sunk by the attacks of an infuriated
“old bull,” as the adult male is styled.

An American ship, the “ Essex,” was thus destroyed by the vengeful
fury of asperm whale. The story of the disaster is as follows: “The
‘Essex,’ Captain Pollard, sailed from Nantucket in August, 1819. Late
in the fall, in latitude 40° of the South Pacific, a school of sperm whales
was discovered, and three boats were manned and sent in pursuit. The
mate’s boat was struck by one of them, and he was obliged to return to
the ship to repair damages. While he was thus engaged, a sperm whale,
judged to be eighty-five feet long, broke water about twenty rods from
the ship on her weather-bow. He was going at the rate of about three
knots an hour, and the ship at nearly the same rate, when he struck the
bows, just forward of the chains. The ship shook like a leaf; the whale
dived and passed under the ship, grazing her keel, and then appeared at
about the distance of a ship’s length, lashing the sea with fins and tail as
if suffering the most horrible agony. He was evidently hurt by the
collision, and frantic with rage. Ina few minutes he seemed to recover
himself, and started with great speed directly across the vessel’s course
to windward. Meanwhile the hands on board discovered the ship to be
gradually settling at the bows, and the pumps were rigged. While
working at them, one of the men cried out, ‘God have mercy! here he
comes again!’ The whale had turned at about one hundred rods from
the ship, and was making for her with double his former speed, his path-
way white with foam. Rushing head on, he struck her again at the bow,
and the tremendous blow stove her in. The whale dived again and dis-
appeared, the ship filled and fell over on her broadside in ten minutes
from the first collision. After incredible sufferings, the survivors reached
Ducie’s Island, where three of the crew resolved to remain. The
remainder, in three boats, made for Juan Fernandez; the mate’s boat
was taken up by the ‘Indian’ of London, ninety-three days after the
catastrophe, with only three survivors. The captain’s boat was fallen in
with five days afterward by the ‘ Dauphin’ of Nantucket, with only two
survivors. Thus, out of a crew of twenty, only five survived to tell the
sad tale.”

372 CETACEA.

Another American ship, the “Ann Alexander,” was similarly de-
stroyed, and two months after the sinking of the unfortunate vessel, the
“ Rebecca’ captured a huge sperm whale which surprised the fishermen
by offering no resistance. They found embedded in its carcass two har-
poons marked “ Ann Alexander,” and discovered severe injuries in its
head from a terrible wound in which fragments of ship’s planking were
projecting. A British ship, “ Waterloo,” was another victim to the fury
of the sperm whale, and Scammon expresses his belief that many a ship
which goes to the fishing and never returns, has been sunk by the animal
it was engaged in pursuing to the death. ;

We bave not yet mentioned one of the most curious products of the
sperm whale, the strange substance called Ambergris. It is a light wax-
like material of various colors, and greasy to the touch; it possesses a
very agreeable smell, and ‘becomes soft when heat is applied, boiling
water reducing it to an oily fluid. It is used by perfumers for mixing
with sundry oils and soaps. In ancient times, and down to the last cen-
tury, it was employed in medicine as an anodyne and antispasmodic, but
modern science rejects it from our pharmacopzeia.

The origin of this substance for a long time baffled all inquirers;
some imagined it to be the excrement of a bird, which, being melted by
the heat of the sun and washed off by the waves, was then swallowed by
whales, who returned it in the condition we find it. Others took it for a
kind of wax or gum which distils from trees, and congeals in the sea.
Many of the Orientals say it springs out of the sea; others, that it is a
vegetable production issuing from the roots of trees; others, that it is
made from honeycombs which had fallen from the rocks into the sea,
and witnesses were brought forward to depose that they had found
pieces half-ambergris, half-honeycomb, and even had taken honey from
a piece, when it had been broken. As it was usually found on the shore,
it obtained the name of amber, and to distinguish it from the genuine
amber of the Baltic coast, it received the epithet of g7zs or “gray.”
Ambergris, therefore, means “gray amber.” Amber, however, is a
resinous substance, and we now know that ambergris is a morbid
secretion found in the intestines of the sperm whale, a mass weighing
fifty pounds having been discovered in a single whale. The value of
this article is very variable, but is always costly, averaging five dollars
the ounce.

The food of the sperm whale is mostly furnished by squids or cuttle-

THE BLACK-FISH. 373

fish, but when it approaches land it devours any small fish. The manner
in which it feeds is, however, not ascertained. It is supposed that it drops
its lower-jaw till it makes nearly a right-angle with the upper one, and
then swims slowly along, its sharp teeth transfixing whatever comes in
its way. The stories that it can devour seals or dolphins are unworthy
of credence. It will take vegetable diet, and has been seen to swallow
fruit drifting on the waves.

The Sperm Whale never passes the Cape of Good Hope, but does
pass round Cape Horn.

THE BLACK-FISH.

The Black-Fish has been separated from the genus Catodon because,
although it possesses the huge head and heavily-toothed jaw of the
sperm whales, the spout-holes are removed from the extremity of the
snout, and placed upon the middle of the top of the head. These spout-
holes are separate, and covered with a common flap. The pectoral fins
are moderate in size and triangular in form; the dorsal fin is long and
sickle-shaped ; the head exceeds one-fourth of the entire bulk.

GENUS PELYSE TER.

The Biack-Fisu, Physeter tursio (Plate XXVII) the only species of
the genus, is, when fully grown, of considerable dimensions, often
measuring fifty to sixty feet in length.

The dimensions of one of these animals have been very accurately
given by Sibbald.

In total length it measured between fifty-two and fifty-three feet, its
girth at the largest part of the body was rather more than thirty-two
feet, and as it lay on the ground the height of its back was twelve feet
The lower jaw was ten feet in length, and was furnished with forty-two
teeth, twenty-one on each side. Each tooth was slightly sickle-shaped,
and curved towards the throat. An equal number of cartilaginous
sockets are placed in the upper jaw into which the conical teeth are
received when the mouth is closed. The teeth in the middle of the jaw
are larger and heavier than those of the front or base; some of them
exceed nine inches in length, and weigh more than eighteen ounces
when perfectly dried. The root of each tooth is hollow in the centre to

374 CETACEA.

the depth of several inches, and is so deeply buried in the jaw, that the
projecting portion of the largest tooth rarely exceeds three inches. The
teeth range from seven to nine inches in length. These teeth are very
white and polished, are conical in their shape, tolerably sharp while the
animal is young, but become blunt as the creature increases in years and
dimensions.

In Sibbald’s specimen, from the tip of the snout to the eyes was a
distance of twelve feet, and the upper part of the snout projected nearly
five feet beyond the tip of the lower jaw. The eyes were remarkably
small, about the size of those of the common haddock. As may be
supposed from the popular name of this animal, the color of its skin is
almost uniformly black. The throat is larger, in proportion, than that
of other whales. One of these animals is said to have been thrown
ashore at Nice, in the month of November, 1736; when the head was
opened, it was found to contain spermaceti, which lay in a mass two
feet in thickness in the usual locality.

This species is frequently seen on the coast of the Shetland Islands in
summer.

GENUS) COGIAS

The ¢wo species of this genus are both inhabitants of the Southern
seas. They are considerably smaller than the rest of the family, and as
in the dimensions of the head.they resemble the dolphins, they are com-
monly known as the “ Short-headed”” Whales.

The methods of taking the Sperm Whales are identical with those
already described as employed in the capture of the other whales, and
the ships engaged are principally from the United States and Australia.

=
Ny

Gr APa ER. rv.

THE BEAKED WHALES AND THE NARWHALS.

THE FAMILY HYPEKOODONTIDA2—THE BEAKED WHALES—THE BOTTLE-NOSED WHALE—THE
XIPHIUS—THE FAMILY MONODONTID/E—THE NARWHAL—ITS EXTRAORDINARY HORN—CON-
JECTURES AS TO ITS USE—FABLES RESPECTING IT—MEDICINAL PROPERTIES ATTRIBUTED TO
IT—VALUE OF THE NARWHAL TO THE GREENLANDERS—SHIPS STRUCK BY IT.

which have no permanent teeth in the upper jaw. It is divided

into zzze genera or sub-genera, containing ¢we/ve species, nearly
equally distributed between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Most of the genera consist of only one species.

“[ family HyPEROODONTID& consists of the Beaked Whales,

GENUS HYPEROODON.

The ¢wo species embraced under this genus both inhabit the North
Seas. The best known representative is

The BOTTLE-NOSED WHALE, Hyfperoodon bidens, a powerfully-built
creature of twenty to twenty-six feet in length. The head is like that of
the dolphin, but the animal is longer, the body being thicker for the first
half of its length, narrow towards the tail. The eye is small, and just
behind the corner of the mouth; the ear is scarcely noticeable behind
the eye; the spout-hole lies between the eyes, and is crescent-shaped ;
the fore-part of the muzzle is prolonged so as to form a beak, the pec-
toral fins, springing from the anterior third of the body, are narrow and
abruptly rounded, the dorsal fin is small, low, and sickle-shaped, the tail
is divided into two pointed flaps. From the centre of the under-jaw
runs a short, deep fold of skin, the rest of the hide is smooth and shining,
and of a dark color, becoming black on the back.

The Bottle-nosed Whales are confined to the Northern Arctic and

376 CETACEA.

Northern Atlantic Oceans, but they occasionally migrate into more
southern regions, and are, every year, found in the neighborhood of the
Faroe Islands, and sometimes on the Scotch coasts, even entering the
mouths of rivers. They are rare in the Greenland waters, but fre-
quent at the entrance of Davis Straits. Their habits are little known,
owing to their being so often confounded with the dolphins. When they
blow, they send out a thin low spout four or five times in succession.
Cuttle-fish and squids form their chief food.

The Bottle-nosed Whale is often stranded on the coasts of Europe.
The earliest account of it we have is a description of one taken near
Harwich in England, in 1717, and measuring fourteen feet. Hunter
describes one caught above London Bridge in 1783, which was twenty-
one feet in length, and he mentions the skull of one which must have
been thirty feet in length.

GENUS XIPHIUS:

The solitary species of this genus is found in the Northern Atlantic.

The XIPHIUS, X7phius Sowerbiensis, is so named after the well-known
naturalist Sowerby, who figured and described the animal in the British
Miscellany. His description was founded upon a specimen that was cast
ashore upon the estate of Mr. J. Brodie, in Elginshire. The skull of this
individual was preserved by Mr. Sowerby in his museum, and after his
death it was placed by Dr. Buckland in the Anatomical Museum at
Oxford. As it is so valuable a specimen, it has been industriously multi-
plied by means of plaster-casts, which have been distributed to various
scientific institutions.

The length of the creature was sixteen feet, and its girth at the
largest part of the body was eleven feet. The head is small, narrow,
and pointed, and the lower-jaw is longer, blunter, and wider than the
upper-jaw, so that when the mouth 1s closed, the lower-jaw receives the
upper. In the upper-jaw there are two depressions corresponding with
the teeth, and permitting the perfect closing of the mouth. The color
of the animal is black on the upper surface and gray below, and is
remarkable for the pellucid and satin-like character of the skin, which
reflects the rays of the sun toa considerable distance. The body is
marked like watered silk; this effect is produced by a vast number of

THE NARWHAL. 377
¢
white streaks immediately below the skin, which are drawn irregularly
over the whole body, and at a little distance appear as if they were
made by means of some sharp instrument. Nothing is known of the
habits of this curious animal, which is unknown to science, except by
means of the specimen above-mentioned.

We may dismiss the remaining genera of the family with the remark
that PETRORHYNCUS and NEOXIPHIUS are found in the Mediterranean
Sea, that BERARDIUS has been seen near New Zealand, and DOLICHODON
at the Cape of Good Hope. The genus DIOPLOODON in the Indian
Ocean is a very remarkable creature, judging from its solitary species,
Dioploodon Schellensis. The skvll has two horn-like processes projecting
from the snout; the vertebra are enormous in comparison with the ribs,
which are slender and short. The genus LAGONOCETUS inhabits the
North Seas, and EPIODON the South American waters.

THE NARWHAL.

The family MONODONTID& comprises oze genus of only one species,
but this is so remarkable and so peculiar as to fully justify the creation
of a family for it. ;

GENUS MONODON.

The NARWHAL or SEA UNICORN, Wonodon monoceros (Plate XX VIII),
is distinguished from all other whales by the possession in the upper-jaw
of two powerful teeth. As a rule, the tooth on the right-hand side is
rudimentary, while the other attains a length of seven to nine feet. This
curious weapon is placed perpendicularly in the jaw, is hollow within,
and twisted spirally from right to left. In the females it is only slightly
developed. The skull, too, is likewise unsymmetrical. The upper-arm
and fore-arm are joined so as to preclude motion, the flipper consists of
five fingers of four or three ioints. The round head occupies one-seventh
of the total length of the creature, the eyes are deep set, a little higher
than the point of the snout, the ear is very small, the crescent-shaped
blow-hole is between the eyes, in the centre of the forehead. From the
blow-holes a tube leads to two large air-chambers. The dorsal fin is
wanting, and only indicated by a fold of skin, the pectoral fins are short
and oval, the tail forms two distinct flaps. The skin is soft, brilliant, and

378 CETACEA.

like satin, and in the male it is marked in numerous irregularly shaped
but usually long spots of a dark brown color, the rest of the skin being
white or yellowish. These dark spots are densest on the back. Speci-
mens, however, have been seen of a uniform white or gray color. The
length of the Narwhal is on an average twelve to sixteen feet, but some
have been found which measured nearly twenty feet.

The extraordinary weapon with which the Narwhal is armed, soon
attracted attention, and provoked numerous speculations as to its use.
The celebrated Albertus Magnus describes this animal as a fish which
has a horn on its forehead by which it can pierce fishes, or even ships,
but that the mercy of the Creator has made it so sluggish that escape
from it is easy. Rochefort relates that the horn is used for attacks on
other whales, and for boring through the ice. Fabricius conjectures that
the Narwhal spits fish on this weapon, which it then holds up till the prey
slips down within reach of its tongue. Scoresby agrees with those who
regard the horn as an instrument for making breathing-holes in the ice.
It is evident, however, that an apparatus necessary to enable the animal
2ither to procure food or get fresh air would not be restricted to one sex.
There can be no doubt that this horn, which is a distinguishing mark of
sex, 1s, like the tusk of the boar, a weapon of offence.

In some rare instances the right tusk has been developed instead of
the left, and it is supposed that if the developed tooth should be broken,
the right tusk becomes vivified, and supplies the place of the damaged
weapon. One remarkable case is known where both tusks were almost
equally developed, being rather more than ten inches in length; and
another example is recorded of a Narwhal which possessed two long
tusks, the one being seven feet five inches in length, and the other seven
feet. These tusks diverge slightly from each other, as their tips are
thirteen inches asunder, though there is only an interval of two inches
between their bases. Both these specimens were females. Sometimes
the female Narwhal possesses a spear like her mate, but this is probably
the effect of age, which in so many creatures, such as the domestic fowl,
gives to the aged female the characteristics of the male. As both these
double-tusked Narwhals were females, it may be probable that they
owed their unusual weapons to some peculiarity in their structure,
which prevented them from becoming mothers, and forced the innate
energies to expend themselves in the development of tusks instead of
the formation of offspring. The tusks of male swine and other animals,

THE NARWHAL’S HORN. 379

the horns of male deer, the mane of male lions, and other similar struc-
tures, appear to be safety-valves to the vital energies, which in the one
sex are occupied in the continual formation of successive offspring, and
in the other find an outlet in the development of tooth, horn, and hair,
according to the character of the animal. In all probability, the health
of the animal would greatly suffer if the calcareous and other particles
which are deposited in the tusk were forced to remain in the system in-
stead of being harmlessly removed from it and placed upon its exterior.
The ivory of the Narwhal’s tusk is remarkably good in quality, being
hard and solid, capable of receiving a high polish, and possessing the
property of retaining its whiteness for a very long period, so that a
large Narwhal horn is of no inconsiderable commercial value. The
throne of the kings of Denmark was made of this ivory; kings and
emperors had their sceptres, and bishops their croziers fashioned from
it. But the Narwhal’s tusk in older days had a still greater renown for
its medicinal virtues ; it was regarded as the horn of the unicorn, capable
of disarming all poisons. This antidotal potency was thought to be of
vital service to the unicorn, which resides in the wilderness, among
all kinds of loathsome beasts and poisonous reptiles, whose touch was
death, and whose look was contamination. The springs and pools at
which such monsters quenched their thirst were saturated with poison
by their contact, and would pour a fiery death through the veins of any
animal that partook of the same water. But the unicorn, by dipping the
tip of his horn into the pool, neutralized the venom, and rendered the
deadly waters harmless. This admirable quality of the unicorn-horn was
a great recommendation in days when the poisoned chalice crept too
frequently upon the festive board; and a king could receive no worthier
present than a goblet formed from such valuable material. Charles the
IX of France was very careful to put into his cup a piece of the Sea
Unicorn’s tooth. The Margraves of Baireuth kept one in their treasury,
but reserved its benefits for members of their princely house alone.
Under the influence of such a belief the most exaggerated price was set
on a Narwhal’s horn. One in the Elector of Saxony’s possession in
Dresden was valued in the sixteenth century at 100,000 dollars. As
navigation became more general, the horn lost its value, and when in the
beginning of the eighteenth century the “Greenland Company” sent
several Narwhal horns to Moscow with a view to selling them to the
Czar, the emperor’s physician refused to buy them, as they were merely

380 CETACEA.

fishes’ teeth, not the horns of the unicorn. At present the only believers
in the medicinal properties of the horn are the Chinese and Japanese.

The native Greenlanders hold the Narwhal in high estimation; for,
independently of its value, it is welcomed on each succeeding year as the
harbinger of the Greenland whale. It is, moreover, of the greatest
service to the Greenlanders, for its long ivory tusk is admirably adapted
for the manufacture of various household implements and of spear-
heads, so that it is the sad fate of many a Narwhal to perish by means
of the tooth that has been extracted from its near kinsman. It is easily
killed, as it possesses no very great power of diving, and is soon tired
out by means of inflated buoys which are attached to the harpoon, and
offer a great resistance to the water. It seldom descends above two
hundred fathoms below the surface, and when it again rises, is so
fatigued that it is readily killed by a sharp spear. The oil which is
extracted from the blubber is very delicate, but is not present in very
great amount, as the coating of fatty substance is seldom more than
three inches in depth. About half a ton of oil is obtained from a large
specimen. The flesh is much prized by the natives, and is not only
eaten in its fresh state, but is carefully dried and prepared over the fire.

The stories of the Narwhal destroying ships have some foundation in
the experience of later navigators. The force of the tusk is terrific when
urged with the impetus of the creature driving through the water at full
speed, for the whole combined power of the weight and velocity of the
animal is directed along the line of the tusk. A Narwhal has been
known to strike a ship on the quarter, and to drive its tusk through the
sheathing, and deeply into the timbers. The shock was probably fatal
to the assailant, for the tooth was snapped by the sudden blow, remain~
ing in the hole which it had made, and acting as a plug that effectually
prevented the water from gaining admission into the vessel. This the
author can verify from personal observation.

CELA PAnER OV.

ie DOEPEMINS:

THE DELPHINiID#—THE SOOSOOK OR DOLPHIN OF THE GANGES—THE INIA OF THE AMAZON
RIVER—THE TUCUXI—THE DOLPHINS PROPER—LEGENDS—SYMBOLS—THE COMMON DOLPHIN—
THe WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN—THE BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN.

HE family DELPHINID& comprehends the Porpoises, Dolphins,

and White Whales, all of which may be described as small fish-

shaped whales with teeth in both jaws. The two breathing-

holes are, as a rule, united together so as to form a single crescent-shaped

aperture set transversely on the crown of the head: the body is usually

elongated, the head small, the snout prominent and often pointed; a
dorsal fin is usually present.

Members of the Dolphin family are found in all seas, and are the only
Cetaceans which ascend high into rivers, or pass the greater part of their
lives in them and the lakes which are connected with them. They are
all social in a very high degree; many species indeed form very large
bands, which traverse the seas in company for days and weeks together.
The smaller species often form troops in alliance with some one or more
of their kindred species, and pursue their quest for food in common.
The liveliness of all members of the family, their sportiveness, and the
absence of all dread of mankind have rendered them in all ages favorites
of sailors and poets.

Nearly all the Delphinidz swim with extraordinary skill and rapidity,
and are thus well qualified to catch fish. They are the most terrible of
sea-robbers, attacking even the huge whale and mastering it by their
persevering courage. Their food usually consists of cephalopods, mol-
lusca, crustacea, or radiata, but some feed on sea-weed, and will even eat
fruit, which they pluck from the boughs which overhang rivers. They
are all rapacious, greedy, and cruel. They consume whatever can be
eaten; even the young of their own or allied species fall victims to their

382 CETACEA.

gluttony ; when one of a band is slain, the others at once fall on the body
and tear it to pieces. During the pairing season the males fight des-
perately, and the slain rival is at once devoured. The females, after a
pregnancy of ten months, bring forth one or two young ones, which they
suckle for a long time, cherish with the utmost care, and defend against
all dangers. It is conjectured that they grow slowly, and live long.

The Delphinidz are less pursued by man than other Cetacea ; their
chief enemies are those of their own kindred. Their own impulsiveness
leads to their destruction very frequently; they follow their prey with
such fury, that they rush blindfold into shallow water, or on to the
treacherous strand, where the fishers sometimes find them by dozens.
When wounded to death thev utter lamentable groans and sighs, which
are usually accompanied by floods of tears.

As all members of the family exhibit the greatest uniformity in their
habits and modes of life, we confine ourselves to a description of the
most important genera. The family is divided by Carus into four sub-
families and eight genera, but Dr. Gray distributes it into twenty-four
genera and one hundred species.

GENUS) REATAINTS iA.

The name PLATANISTA is given by Pliny to a dolphin which he
describes as living in the Ganges, and measuring twenty-three feet in
length. The actual animal is much smaller, being only six feet long.

The Soosook, Platanista Gangetica, has a slender body, remarkable
for the curious shape of its beak, which is long, slender, compressed at
the sides, and larger at the extremity than at the middle. It possesses
one hundred and twenty teeth. It is a swift and powerful but sluggish
animal, never caring to exert itself except in pursuit of its prey. Its
color is grayish-black upon the back, white on the abdomen; the eye is
extraordinarily small, being about one-eighth of an inch in diameter.
The dorsal fin is indicated by a projection of the skin.

As far as is known, this remarkable dolphin is found only in the
Ganges and its various arms. It often goes far up the country, but is
usually found near the mouth. It is as social as the other dolphins, lives
on fishes and aquatic animals, and is said to pluck the ears of rice or the
fruits which bend over the stream. The natives pursue it for the sake of

= ee ee
ers

THE INIA OF THE AMAZON. 383

its fat, which they regard as a sovereign cure for rheumatism and other
diseases of like nature. Its flesh is used only as bait for other fishes.

GENUS INIA.

In 1819, Humboldt published his observations on a dolphin which
frequents the fresh-water streams of South America, but we owe to the
French naturalist, D’Orbigny, the first accurate description. This trav-
eler was astonished to hear that there existed five hundred miles from
the Atlantic Ocean a “ fish”’ which he was compelled to recognize as a
dolphin; he had considerable difficulty in procuring a specimen, but
finaily obtained one at Principe Dobeira, the frontier port of Brazil.

The Inta, Juta Amazonica, is called “ Bufes” by the Spaniards,
“Bonto”’ by the Brazilians, and “Inia” by the Indians. The breathing
apparatus is placed far back on a line with the pectoral fin, the dorsal fin
is very small, the mouth is cleft far back, the snout is prolonged into a
narrow, round beak covered with stiff bristles, each jaw possesses about
sixty-six teeth. The length of the body is from six to nine feet, the
female being only half as large. The color of the back is a dull blue,
passing into a rosy red beneath. There are considerable variations in
color, and specimens have been seen entirely red, and entirely black.

As far as is known, the Inia is found in all the streams of South
America between 10° and 17° south. It is common in the Orinoco and
the Amazon and its tributaries. It differs from the Sea-Dolphins in its
movements, which are slower and less lively; it comes more often to
the surface to breathe, and usually forms only small societies. Schom-
burgk observed dolphins which he considered identical with the Inia in
the rivers of Guiana; they were especially numerous during and just
after the rainy season. “ Very often six or eight of them appeared,
keeping together,in pairs, or swimming swift as an arrow just under the
surface, or at other times diving up and down incessantly, thus display-
ing not only their pointed snout, but the greatest part of their body
above the water. As soon as the head was above the surface, they
snorted like horses, the water ejected from the blow-holes looked like
fine rain, and gave a remarkable charm to the quiet landscape.”

Bates, the explorer of the Amazons, asserts that there are three
species of this genus. “From its mouth, for fifteen hundred miles
upward, we heard continually, especially by night, one or other of these

384 CETACEA. ~

varieties blowing or snorting, and the sounds contributed in no small
degree to creating a feeling of sea-like extent.”

The Inia always keeps near the surface, often projecting its beak-like
snout for the purpose of swallowing its food. This food consists chiefly
of small fishes, and of fruits that drop into the stream. The Inias are to
be found most abundantly in the clear deep bays of the river, or where
streams flow into it, these spots being the best for catching fish. They
often annoy travelers on the banks by approaching when a fire is kin-
dled; the crowds of dolphins blowing and snorting is often so great, that
the stranger, if he desires to sleep, must put his light out.

The native Indians do not chase the Inia, less because they can make
little or no use of it, than from peculiar views respecting its nature and
being. Mysterious tales respecting the Inia pass from mouth to mouth.
It is a seductive nymph who has the power of appearing in the form of a
maiden of wondrous beauty and flowing locks to beguile young men
from the paths of virtue. She walks by night through the streets of the
village, and many a youth foliows the siren to the banks of the stream.
Enraptured he sinks into her arms, when with a yell of triumph she
plunges with the lover whom she is clasping to her bosom into the fatal
waters. The Inia is the Lorelei of the Amazons—no Indian kills it, no
one uses its oil for his lamp, for the light cast by such oil causes blind-
ness. Bates had great difficulty in overcoming the scruples of an
Indian fisherman who procured a specimen for him. The poor man
declared afterward that from the moment he killed the Inia, all good
fortune had deserted him, and that his peace of mind had been destroyed
forever by his yielding to the importunities of the naturalist.

GENUS STENO.

The Tucuxt, Steno Tucuxi, shares with the Inia the lower waters of
the Amazon River. It can be distinguished from the latter by its
method of rising and sinking in the water. It ascends to the surface in
a horizontal position, so that its dorsal fin is the part first seen; it
then breathes and sinks back, head foremost, into the water very gently,
while the Inia rolls like a porpoise, displaying first its head, then respir-
ing, and immediately plunging its head down so that by degrees the
whole external line of its curved back and its dorsal fin become visible.
Apart from its peculiar mode of respiring, the Tucuxi differs from the
Inia by not keeping in pairs.

‘

FABLES RESPECTING THE DOLPHIN. 385

Lae DPOLPHENS:

No whale occupied the attention of ancient naturalists more than the
Dolphin, no marine animal inspired the poets with brighter descriptions
or more marvellous fables. According to them, it was a mild, familiar
animal, sensible to music. Philautes, after being shipwrecked on the
coast of Italy, had been saved by a dolphin. Arion, threatened with
death by the sailors of the ship of which he was on board, having thrown
himself into the sea, was picked up by a dolphin attracted by the sweet
notes of his lyre, and conveyed safely into harbor on the animal's back.
Apollo took the form of a dolphin when he conducted his colony to the
Delphian shores. Neptune changed himself into a dolphin when he
carried off Melanthus. And so this marvellous creature was, among
the ancients, the object of religious worship. Neptune was adored at
Sunium, under the form of the Cetacean dear to his friend; and the
Delphian Apollo, honored at Delphi, had dolphins as his symbol. Pliny
tells a pretty story of a boy who gained the affection of a dolphin by
feeding it with bread: the grateful creature used to save the lad a
long walk every day, by carrying him on his back to and from school,
across the Lucrine Lake. When the boy died, the dolphin appeared at
the accustomed spot, and when the lad never came, pined away and
died. Pliny also affirms that a young dolphin never goes abroad with-
out an older companion, and that dolphins have been seen carrying off
a dead dolphin to save it from other fishes. The old German writer,
Gessner, calls the dolphin “the king and regent of the seas and waters,”
adding that for this reason the heir to the throne of France is called the
Dauphin, an erroneous but favorite explanation of the origin of the title.

The fables inherited from antiquity still exist near the borders of the
Mediterranean Sea, and from these fables are derived many of our
current symbols. Twisted round a trident the dolphin represents the
liberty of commerce; placed round a tripod, it signified the college of
fifteen priests who performed service at Rome in the Temple of Apollo;
caressed by Neptune, it was the sign of a calm sea and the safety of
sailors; arranged round an anchor, or placed above an ox with a human
face, it indicated that mixture of quickness and slowness which is
expressed by prudence. Modern artists still represent the dolphin in
the manner adopted by the earliest Greek sculptors, the tail elevated,
the head large, the mouth enormous.

386 CETACEA.

The species of dolphins are very numerous. Gray enumerates tex
species in the genus: they inhabit all the oceans, and possess the
same general traits.

We must remember that in common language the name “ dolphin” is
applied to the Scomberoid fish Coryphena, and this must not be con-
founded with any species of the De/phinus of the naturalists.

GENUS DEELPHINUS:

The general characteristics of the genus may be summed up as
follows: the head is small in proportion, and is prolonged into a beak-
like snout equal in length to the rest of the head, the jaws are armed
with an extraordinary number of teeth, the pectoral fins are lateral, the
dorsal fin rises from the centre of the back, the tail is very large, and
forms almost a complete crescent.

The DOLPHIN, Delphinus Delphis (Plate XXVII), attains on the
average a length of six feet. The number of its teeth vary considerably ;
specimens have been found with the astonishing number of two hundred
and twelve; these teeth are so arranged that those of the lower-jaw fit
into the interstices of those in the upper-jaw ; and are all sharply pointed
and curved backward, thus enabling the dolphin to hold securely its
slippery prey. All the seas of the Northern Hemisphere are inhabited
by this Cetacean, and it is everywhere a favorite of the sailors. It loves
to follow vessels, and however swift their speed is, it gambols around
their bows as if they were stationary. Dolphins are seen in troops
numbering from ten up to many hundred members, their companionship
arising chiefly from community of interest in obtaining food. This
consists of small fishes, such as herrings or sardines, and they chase
with great eagerness the flying-fish. In fact, it is the attack of the
dolphin that makes the bonito leap from its native element.

In old cays, the flesh of the Dolphin was considered a luxury; and as
the creature, in common with all the Cetaceans, was considered as
belonging to the fishes, its flesh was a permitted diet upon fast-days,
and was served at table with a sauce composed of bread-crumbs,
vinegar, and sugar; now-a-days, however, the flesh of the dolphin has
fallen entirely into disrepute as an article of diet. The formation of the
Dolphin’s brain is of such a nature that it indicates great intelligence on

THE BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN. 387

the part of its possessor, and goes far toward confirming some of the
current reports on this subject. It is said that dolphins have been
tamed and taught to feed from the hand of their instructor, besides
performing sundry feats at his bidding. Sailors still believe in its pos-
sessing a taste for music, and when they desire to harpoon one, are
reported to whistle in concert, with a view of keeping the dolphin still
till the iron can be thrown.

The Dolphin produces only one young one at a birth, and is a very
tender and careful parent.

GENUS DELPHINAPTERUS.

The WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHIN, Delphinapterus Peronit, bears also the
names of the RIGHT-WHALE PORPOISE and PERON’S DOLPHIN. It is
the only species known, and can be distinguished by the white beak,
abdomen, and pectoral fins, the rest of the body being black. It is
a Southern variety, and confined to the Atlantic Ocean, between the
opposite coasts of Africa and Brazil.

GENUS, LURSIO:

This genus contains sevex species, one of which has been found in
Philadelphia harbor. They are all rarer than the ordinary dolphin.

The BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN, TJursio erebennus, usually measures
seven or eight feet in length; its back is deeply tinged with purple, but
the abdomen is grayish-white. It is distinguished from the common
dolphin by the projection of the lower jaw beyond the upper; the teeth
never exceed one hundred in number. This species is sometimes called
the “ Blunt-toothed Dolphin,” but the shape of the teeth which led to
this appellation has been proved to be not the normal one; as skulls
exist in which the teeth are as sharp as in the ordinary dolphin.

(Grlmly yell) Jae ey! Ike
THE PORPOISES AND WHITE WHALES.

4 aE COMMON PORPOISE—THE GRAMPUS, OR GLADIATOR DOLPHIN--ITS DESTRUCTIVENESS—ITS
NAME “THE THRESHER’’—THE PILOT WHALE, OR CAAING WHALE, OR GRIND—MODE OF CAP-
TURING—THE WHITE WHALE—SPECIMENS EXHIBITED IN SHOWS.

OME of the Cetacea which form the subject of this chapter are
better and more widely known than any other, as many speci-
mens are seen in every inlet or bay of our sea coast.

GENUS PHOCAINA.

The members of this genus, which comprises /wo species, are distin-
guished from the dolphins by having the muzzle short and uniformly
rounded, instead of ending like a beak. Their size varies from six to
eight feet, the head is small, the body round and full anteriorly, but
compressed toward the tail; the color is a black-brown, or black with a
greenish or violet reflection, with pure white on the abdomen. The
jaws are armed with about one hundred teeth.

The Porpotse, Phocena communis (Plate XX VII), is the most familiar
of all the Dolphin fraternity. The name is a corruption from the
French Porcpoisson, or “ Swine-fish,” and it is curious to observe that
while we borrow a name from the French language, the French fisher-
men adopt a name of German or Scandinavian origin, and style the
animal Marsouin, or “ Sea-swine.”

The true home of the Porpoise is the northern portion of the Atlantic
Ocean, from Greenland to North Africa, the Baltic and the Mediter-
ranean Seas included. In the Pacific it extends down to the latitude of
the Japan Islands. It seems to undertake regular migrations, proceed-
ing northward when summer comes, and seeking the south on the

THE PORPOISE. 389

approach of winter. The porpoises live in numerous troops, and attract
attention by their merry gambols among the waves. The mackerel, the
herring, and the salmon flee before these turbulent troops, which are
sometimes so numerous that, at the moment when the individual crea-
tures composing them come to the surface to breathe, they darken the
surface of the ocean. One then sees their oily, blackish bodies shining
on all sides. They may often be seen shooting over the surface of the
sea in Indian file.

As might be presumed from the formidable array of sharp teeth
with which the jaws are studded, and which are so arranged that the
upper and lower sets interlock when the animal closes its mouth, the
food of the Porpoise consists entirely of animal substances ; its voracity
is proverbial; and it is a declared enemy to the fisherman, as it seems to
prefer to devour the most marketable kinds of fish. Alone of the Cetacea
it prefers the waters near the coast to the high seas, and pursues its prey
into shallow water, and up rivers. Even the salmon, with its enormous
power of leaping, cannot escape. The Porpoise prefers places where
the water is discolored. It swims not far below the surface, comes up
for an instant to breathe, and then dives again, curving its body so
sharply, that it seems to form a ball. It is very active before a storm,
and gambols about as if it were delighted at the coming tempest. It
was much easier to watch these creatures before our rivers and coasts
were so frequented by steam vessels, for the porpoises will not approach
them so nearly as they approach sailing vessels.

The female produces one or two young ones at a birth, and the new-
born offspring are remarkable for their very great size, measuring nearly
one-half the length of the parent. The mother has large quantities of
milk of a saltish, fishy taste.

The skin of the Porpoise is well suited for tanning, and makes
valuable leather. Beneath the skin is a layer of fat about an inch deep,
which can be melted into a very fine and delicate oil. Its flesh was
formerly highly valued, and was cooked with bread-crumbs and vinegar ;
but it is unpleasing to the eye, and is said to be coarse to the taste.
although it graced the royal banquets of Queen Elizabeth. The Por-
poise has often been caught and kept for some time in captivity. When
alarmed, it utters continuous cries of a very distressing and plaintive
kind, and sheds tears in profusion. It is not known how long it would
live in a state of nature if unmolested.

390 CETACEA.

GENUS GRAMPUS.

The characteristics of this genus are a rounded head, a convex fore-
head, conical teeth, and ovate pectoral fins. It contains ¢/ree species, of
which none are found in our American waters.

CuvIER’s GRAMPUS, Grampus Cuvierit, is of a bluish-black color
above, dirty white below. It loses its upper teeth at an early period,
and preserves only a few of its lower ones. It is distinguished from the
Orca gladiator—the Grampus of English sailors—by the lower position of
the dorsal fin.

GENUS ORCA.

Of the four species assigned to this genus, we need only mention
two, both of which are commonly called Grampus, a word corrupted
from the French grand poisson, ‘‘ great fish.”

The KILLER or GRAMPUS, Orca gladiator, is also called the ‘“ Gladi-
ator Dolphin,” and has obtained in the Northern seas the somewhat
misleading name of “Sword-fish” from its large sabre-like dorsal fin,
which it is erroneously supposed to use as a weapon. If attains a
length of eighteen to twenty feet. It possesses forty-four teeth, strongly
made and slightly curved. It is black on the upper part of the body,
white on the abdomen and sides, with a white patch above and behind
the eye.

Although it sometimes wanders into more southern regions, its
favored home is near the coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen, where it
congregates in small herds. It is a very wolf in its constant hunger, and
commits great havoc among the larger fish, such as the cod, the skate,
and the halibut: at times it is said to make systematic attacks on seals,
by startling them from their slumber as they le sunning themselves on
the rocks or ice, and seizing them as they plunge half-asleep into the sea.
Even the smaller porpoises and dolphins fall victims to the Grampus, as
has been proved by the discovery of their remains in the dissected
stomach cf one of these animals.

In ancient times the Grampus seems to have been seen in the Medi-
terranean Sea, as Pliny mentions a whale which had white streaks on
the head; but at present it does not seem to penetrate the Straits of
Gibraltar, although very common on the English and French coasts. A

THE GRAMPUS. 391

Grampus was captured nearly opposite Greenwich Hospital in 1772,and
was so swift and powerful, that after it had been struck with three har-
poons, and covered with lance wounds, it twice dragged the boat from
Blackwall to Greenwich, and once ran as far as Deptford, going at a
rate of eight miles per hour against the tide. The struggles of the
wounded animal were so formidable, that none of the boats could
approach it. Several other specimens of this animal have been caught
in the same river at different times, one being twenty-four feet in length,
and another measuring more than thirty feet.

The Killer is not only the largest, but the boldest, most rapacious
and voracious, most blood-thirsty and dreaded of all the Delphinidz. It
deserves the title bestowed on it by Linnzus of “ The Tyrant of the
Whales,” and exceeds even the shark in the devastation it creates
wherever it appears. Its extraordinary voracity compels it to approach
the coasts, but its favorite hunting-grounds are where the white whale
is found. These robbers of the seas are also fond of amusing themselves
by mobbing the Greenland whale, just as the little birds mob owls
when they venture forth in the daytime, and they persecute it by leaping
out of the water and striking it sharply with their tails as they descend.
The Americans, in consequence, have called it by the name of Thresher,
or Killer. Captain Scott relates that he has often seen the Thresher
engaged in this strange combat. Scammon writes: “The attack of
these wolves of the ocean on their gigantic prey was like that of a pack of
dogs on a deer. Some hung on to the head of the whale, others attacked
it from below, others seized it by the lips, and if it opened its mouth,
tore its tongue. In 1858 I was eye-witness of a combat between three
grampuses and a whale and her calf; the calf was three times the size of
the largest grampus. The latter charged the whales alternately, and
slew the young whale after a combat of an hour’s duration. During the
course of the struggle the strength of the mother was nearly exhausted,
and she had received several severe wounds in the breast and on the
lips.” Even harpooned whales are attacked by this sea~murderer and
dragged under water, in spite of all the fishermen can do to prevent it.

The CaPe KILLER, Orca Capensis, called also the “ South Sea Gram-
pus,” is frequently noticed in the Pacific Ocean. They occur in herds,
and their appearance is supposed to indicate the resorts of the sperm
whales. They are less in size, but similar in other respects to the
common grampus.

‘

392 CETACEA.

GENUS GLOBIOCEPHALUS.

The fourteen species comprehended under this genus are all distin.
guished by the globular aspect of the head, the sickle-formed pectoral
fins, and the dorsal fin rising from the centre of the body. To the
inhabitants of the Faroe and Orkney Islands, and to the dwellers in
remote Iceland, the sea yields no more precious product than the
animals we are about to describe.

The PILOT WHALE, Glodiocephalus deductor, is known by many names.
The one we have used is that of the British Museum Catalogue; but
the names ROUND-HEADED PORPOISE, BOTTLE-HEAD, SOCIAL WHALE,
HowLinG WHALE, and BLAcK WHALE are given to it by English
writers. The Scotch call it the CAAING WHALE. In Iceland and the
Faroe Islands it is called GRIND. This species has long pectoral flip-
pers and a black skin, the belly and throat being white; the teeth
seldom exceed fifty in number. The males attain the size of eighteen to
twenty feet, the former being perhaps more common.

More social than others of its kindred, the Pilot Whale is always
found in troops varying in number from ten up to thousands, and led by
some old experienced male whom the rest follow with the same docility
or senselessness with which sheep follow their leader. On the appear-
ance of a shoal, the sailors endeavor to get to seaward of their victims, and
gradually closing upon them, drive them onwards by shouts and missiles
to the shore. When one of them—the leader—is forced upon the beach,
a curious scene of self-immolation is acted by.the whole herd. They are
then attacked by the whole assembled population of the neighborhood,
who dispatch them by various means; the cries and struggles of the
poor animals—some in, some out of the water—the shouts of the men, the
bloody sea, combine to form a scene of no trifling interest. By such
methods an entire shoal of seven hundred and eighty were captured at
once at Sumburgh in Shetland; while there came ashore at Hvalfiord
in Iceland no less than one thousand one hundred and ten, all of which
were taken. Cuvier relates that some fishermen drove a cub-whale
ashore on the coast of Brittany; its cries attracted the rest of the herd,
all of which, seventy in number, were soon lying on the strand. The
herd consisted of seven males and twelve young ones, all the others
being adult females, many of which had their udders full of milk. They
lived for some time; one old male did not die till the fifth day.

THE WHITE WHALE. 393

To the inhabitants of all the Northern islands this dolphin is in-
valuable; on the average, each one yields a barrel of oil; the flesh is
eaten both salted and fresh; it is said to resemble coarse corned-beef:
the fat has no taste; the skin is used for straps and rudder-lines, the ribs
to fence in the fields, and the bladder as a receptacle for oil.

GENUS BELUGA.

The most remarkable characteristic of this genus, which contains szr
species, is the entire absence of a dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are oval,
and placed in the first quarter of the total length of the body ; the round
head falls perpendicularly to the broad, short truncated muzzle; the
jaws are provided with a few teeth, which fall out in age.

The WHITE WHALE, Beluga Catodon (Plate XXVIII), is an animal
nearly akin to the Narwhal, but it is not provided with a tusk, and it has
situated in the front-half only of the jaws some teeth which are conical,
oblique, often truncated from attrition, and in the upper jaw not unfre-
quently disappearing. These teeth vary in number, but there is usually
a row of nine above and eight below, occasionally one more or less.
The color of the Beluga is wholly white, but the young are black. In
length it rarely exceeds fifteen feet. According to Mr. R. Brown, this
animal is, beyond all comparison, so far as its importance to the
Greenlander and Eskimo are concerned, ¢#e Whale of Greenland.
Like the Narwhal, it is indigenous; but it is only seen on the coast of
Danish Greenland during the winter months, leaving the coast south of
72° north latitude in June, and roaming about at the head of Baffin Bay
and the western shore of Davis Strait during the summer. In October
it is seen to go west, not south; but in winter it can be observed, in
company with the Narwhal, at the broken places in the ice. Its range
may be said to be the same as that of the Narwhals; and during the
summer months corresponds with that of the Right Whale, of which it
is considered the precursor. It, however, wanders farther south than
the Narwhal, being found as a regular denizen as far south as 63° north
latitude, on the European coast, though on the opposite or American
side of the Atlantic it reaches much farther south, being quite common
in the St. Lawrence River. The Greenlanders, during the summer, kill
great numbers of them, and preserve their oil and dry their flesh for
winter use. Of this animal and the Narwhal, about five hundred are

304 CETACEA.

yearly caught by the Greenlanders; but the majority of this number are
Belugas. It feeds on crustaceans, fishes, and cuttles, and in the stomach
is generally found sand. The Greenlanders often jocularly remark, in
reference to this, that the Ae/e//uak takes in ballast. Great numbers are
captured by means of nets at the entrance of fiords and inlets, or in the
sounds between islands. The young are darker colored than. the adult,
and can at once be distinguished among the herds of the adults, which
are of a pinky-white color. They are rarely seen far from land. The
males and females go together in the herd, and do not separate. Their
blast is not unmusical; and, when under the water, they emit a pecu-
liar whistling sound, which might be mistaken for the call of a bird; on
this account the seamen often term them “ Sea-canaries.” It is rarely
that the regular whalers kill a Beluga, their swiftness and activity
giving the fishers more trouble than the oil is worth.

A White Whale was exhibited for some time at Barnum’s Museum,
New York. It was sufficiently well-trained to recognize its keeper, and
would put its head out of the water to take its food. Since then numer-
ous specimens have been seen in captivity both in New York and
Boston. There was one at Coney Island in 1877, where it had the
benefit of having a tank supplied with fresh sea-water.

The name Beluga Canadensis has been given to the White Whales
which are taken at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, but Gray con-
siders them identical with Beluga catodon.

Most of the species of whales are as yet imperfectly known. Some
idea of the number of the species may be formed from part of the
evidence of Professor Owen given before a Parliamentary Commission.
He said that in order to display his specimens of whales properly, the
British Museum ought to have fourteen galleries, each one mile in length.

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Full text of "The animal kingdom; based upon the writings of the eminent naturalists, Audubon, Wallace, Brehm, Wood and others"

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