THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
PRESENTED BY
PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID
LOUDON'S
NATURAL HISTORY.
POPULAR DESCRIPTIONS, TALES, AND
ANECDOTES
OF MORE THAN
FIVE HUNDRED ANIMALS.
A NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.
BY
W. S. DALLAS, F.L.S.
LONDON : GEORGE BELL AND SONS, YORK STREET,
COVENT GARDEN.
1889.
LONDON :
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED^
3TAMFUKD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
8/0 IOC(\J
INTRODUCTION.
ZOOLOGY is that branch of Natural History which treats of animals,
and embraces not only their structure and functions, their habits, in-
stincts, and utility, but their names and systematic arrangement.
Various systems have been proposed by different naturalists for the
scientific arrangement of the animal kingdom, but that of Cuvier, with
some modifications, is now thought the best, and a sketch of it will be
found under the head of the Modern System in this Introduction. . \.s,
however, the System of Linnaeus was formerly in general use, and is
still often referred to, it has been thought advisable to give a sketch of
it first; that the reader may be aware of the difference between the
old system and the new one.
LINN^AN SYSTEM.
According to the system of Linnaeus, the objects comprehended within
the animal kingdom were divided into six classes : Mammalia or Mam-
miferous Animals, Birds, Amphibia or Amphibious Animals, Fishes,
Insects, and Worms, which were thus distinguished :
CLASSES.
f Viviparous I. MAMMALIA.
w-rt, t* ( HotBlood 1 0viparous II. BIRDS.
With vertebiaj < , With j m AMPHIBIAt
j I Cold red Blood .i Withgill * IV. FISH FS.
* 1 Without vertebra,. .Cold white Blood { g^ * ; $S
ORDERS OF MAMMALIA.
The first class, or Mammalia, consists of such animals as produce
living offspring, and nourish their young ones with milk supplied
from their own bodies ; and it comprises both the quadrupeds and the
cetacea.
This class was divided by Linnaeus into seven Orders : viz. primates,
bruta, ferae, glires^ pecora, belluce, and cetacea (this order was calle'd
Cete by Linnaeus) or whales. The characteristics of these were
founded, for the most part, on the number and arrangement of the
Introduction.
OKDEKS OF FISHES.
Fishes constituted Linnseus's fourth class of animals. They are all
inhabitants of the water, in which they move by certain organs called
fins. Those situated on the back are called dorsal fins ; those on the
sides, behind the gills, pectoral fins ; those below the body, near the
head, are ventral ; those behind the vent are anal ; and that which
forms the tail is called the caudal fin. Fishes breathe by gills, which,
in most species, are situated at the sides of the head. Fishes rise and
sink in the water, generally by a kind of bladder in the interior of the
body, called an air-bladder. Some of them do not possess this organ,
and consequently are seldom found but at the bottom of the sea, from
which they can only rise by an effort. The bodies of these animals
are usually covered with scales, which keep them from injury by the
contact of the water.
The fishes were divided by Linnaeus into four Orders :
I. APODAL. Having no ventral fins, as the eel.
II. JUGULAR. Having the ventral fins situated in front of the pectoral
fins, as the cod, haddock, and whiting.
III. THORACIC. Having the ventral fins situated directly under the
pectoral fins, as the perch and mackerel.
IV. ABDOMINAL. Having the ventral fins on the lower part of the
body below the pectoral fins, as the salmon, herring, and carp.
ORDERS OF INSECTS.
The fifth class of Linnaeus comprised the Insects ; and the branch of
Zoology which treats of them is calledEntomology. Nearly all insects
go through certain great changes at different periods of their existence.
From the egg is hatched the larva, which is a grub or caterpillar, and
destitute of wings; this afterwards changes to a pupa, or chrysalis,
wholly covered with a hard shell, or strong skin, from which the perfect
or winged insect bursts forth. Spiders and their allies, which were
included by Linnaeus in the insects, issue from the egg in nearly a
perfect state.
Linnaeus divided his class of insects into seven Orders :
I. COLEOPTEROUS. Having elytra, or crustaceous cases covering the
wings ; and which, when closed, meet in a straight line along
the middle of the back, as the cockchafer.
II. HEMIPTEROUS. Having four wings, the upper ones partly crusta-
ceous, and partly membranous ; not divided straight down the
middle of the back, but crossed, or incumbent on each other, as
the cockroach.
III. LEPIDOPTEROUS. Having four wings covered with fine scales
almost like powder, as the butterflies and moths.
IV. NEUROPTEROUS. Having four membranous and semi-transparent
wings, veined like network ; and the tail without a sting, as
the dragon-fly and ephemera.
Introduction. xi
V. HYMENOPTEROUS. Having four membranous and semi-trans-
parent wings, veined like network ; and the tail armed with a
sting, as the wasp and bee.
VI. DIPTEROUS. Having only two wings, as the common house-flies.
VII. APTEROUS. Having no wings, as the spiders.
ORDERS OF VERMES, OR WORMS.
The sixth and last Linnsean class consisted of Worms, or Vermes.
These are slow of motion, and have soft and fleshy bodies. Some ot
them have hard internal parts, and others have crustaceous coverings.
In some of the species, eyes and ears are very perceptible, whilst
others appear to enjoy only the senses of taste and touch. Many have
no distinct head, and most of them are destitute of feet. They are, in
general, so tenacious of life, that parts which have been destroyed will
be reproduced. These animals are principally distinguished from
those of the other classes by having tentacula, or feelers, and are
divided by Linnaeus into five Orders :
I. INTESTINA. Are simple and naked, without limbs 5 some of them
live within other animals, as the ascarides and tape-worms;
others in water, as the leeches ; and a few in the earth, as the
earth-worm.
II. MOLLUSCA. Are simple animals, without shells, and furnished
with limbs, as the cuttle-fish, medusa, star-fish, and sea-urchin.
III. TESTACEA. Are animals similar to the last, but covered with
shells, as oysters, cockles, snails, and limpets.
IV. LITHOPHYTA. Are composite Polyps, dwelling in cells in a cal-
careous base which they produce, as corals and madrepores.
V. ZOOPHYTA. Are usually composite animals, but do not reside in
stony cells. The coral, sponge, and polyps are instances of this
order, which also includes the Infusorial Animalcules.
MODERN SYSTEM.
It will be found by reading the following sketch of the Modern System
that the greatest change has taken place in the latter two classes.
The others remain nearly the same in efiect, though their distinctions
are different, and the classes are not arranged in the same order.
According to Cuvier, all animals are arranged in four great divi-
sions, which are subdivided into classes and orders, as follows :
Divisions Classes No. of Orders
T xr \ 1. Mammalia Nine.
I VERTEBRATA. 2 Ayeg six>
Four Classes. Iwenty- 3. Repti i ia .... Four,
seven Orders. 4 pi es Ei nt .
xii Introduction.
Divisions
Classes
No. of Orders
II.
MOLLUSC A.
1. Cephalopoda . . .
. One.
2. Pteropoda ....
. One.
Six Classes. Fifteen
3. Gasteropoda .
. Nine.
Orders.
4. Acephala
. . Two.
5. Brachiopoda . . .
. One.
6. Cirrhopoda ....
. One.
III.
ARTICULATA.
1. Annelides ....
. . Three.
2. Crustacea ...
. Seven.
Four Classes. Twenty-
3. Arachnida ....
. . Two.
four Orders.
4. I nsccta
. Twelve.
IV.
RADIATA.
!1. Echinodermata . .
2. Entozoa
. Two.
. Two.
Five Classes. Eleven
Orders.
3. Acalephge . .
4. Polypi
5. Infusoria .
. Two.
. Three.
Two.
THE VERTEBRATED ANIMALS
Have a backbone divided into vertebrae or joints, whence they take
their name. They have also separate senses for hearing, seeing, tast-
ing, smelling, and feeling ; a distinct head, with a mouth opening by
two horizontal jaws; a muscular heart, and red blood. The four
classes of Vertebra ta and their orders are as follow :
I. THE MAMMALIA are all furnished with mammae, or teats, through
which they give milk to their young, which they bring forth
alive. They have warm blood, which all circulates from the
heart through the lungs, and returns to the heart before it
passes through the body. Their skins are naked, or covered
with wool or hair, and their mouths are generally furnished
with teeth. There are eleven orders, which are thus distin-
guished :
SECTION I. Ungulculated Animals, or Mammalia having Nails or Claws.
I. Bimana, or two-handed. This order contains only the human
species.
II. Quadrumana, or four-handed. This order contains the apes,
baboons, and monkeys, and the lemurs.
III. Cheiroptera, the bat family.
IV. Carnivora, or beasts of prey. This order is divided into the
following three tribes :
1 . The Insectivora, consisting of those animals which live upon insects,
as the hedgehog, the shrew, and the mole.
2. The Carnivora proper, consisting chiefly of the cat family, including
lions, tigers, and their allies ; the bear family, including the
badger, the coati-mondi, the racoon, &c. ; the dog family, in-
cluding the wolf and the fox ; the weasel family ; the civet-cats ;
and the hyaena.
3. The Amphibia, consisting of the seals, and other allied animals.
Introduction. xiii
V. Marsupial/a, including the opossums and the kangaroos.
VI. Monothrema, containing the Echidna and Ornithorhynchus of
Australia.
VII. Rodentia, or gnawing animals. The principal of these are the
squirrel family, mice and rats, hares and rabbits, the beaver,
the porcupine, and the guinea-pig.
VJII. Edentata, or toothless animals, that is, without front teeth. The
principal of these are the sloths, the armadillos, and the
ant-eaters.
SECTION II. Ungulaied or Hoofed Mammalia.
IX. Pachydermata, or thick-skinned animals. The principal of these
are the elephant, the hippopotamus, the rhinoceros; the
horse family, including the ass, the mule, the zebra, and
the quagga ; the wild boar family, and the tapir.
X. Ruminantia, or ruminating animals, the principal of which are
the camel family, the deer family, the giraffe, the antelope
family, the goat family, the sheep family, and the ox family.
SECTION III. Aquatic Mammalia, having no Hind Limbs, and the Fore
Limbs converted into Fins.
XI. Cetacea, or sea mammalia, the principal of which are the whale
family, the dolphin family, the manati, the porpoise family,
and the narwhal, or sea-unicorn.
THE AVES, OE BIKDS,
Lay eggs from which their young are hatched by what is called incu-
bation. Their skins are covered with feathers ; and their jaws are
horny, without teeth. Their blood is warm, and circulates like that of
the mammalia. The six orders of Aves are as follow :
1. Raptores, or birds of prey. These birds are distinguished by a very
strong and sharp bill more or less curved, but always hooked at
the extremity of the upper mandible, which is covered at the
base with a kind of skin called the cere. The nostrils are
usually open. The legs are very strong, the feet are large, and
the toes, which are four in number, are armed with very strong,
sharp, curved claws. The principal raptorial birds are the
vultures, including the condor; the falcon family, including the
eagles, hawks, kites, and buzzards ; and the owls.
2. Insessoresj or perching birds. These birds have all feet formed for
perching, the hind toe springing from the same place as the
other toes, which gives them great power of grasping. Their
legs are of moderate length, and their claws not sharply curved.
This order includes the thrushes, nightingales, and all the finest
songsters of our groves, with the robin-redbreast, the sparrow,
and other birds seen about dwellings, the swallows, the larks,
the crow family, the kingfishers, the birds of paradise, and the
humming birds.
xiv Introduction.
3. Scansores, or climbers. These birds have two toes before and two
behind. This construction gives them such great power of
climbing, that they can ascend the perpendicular trunk of a tree.
The principal birds in this order are the parrots, the cuckoos,
and the woodpeckers.
4. Rasores, or gallinaceous birds. These birds have the head small in
proportion to the body. The bill is generally short, with the upper
mandible somewhat curved. The nostrils have usually a pro-
tecting fleshy membrane. The tarsus, or lower part of the leg, is
long and bare, and there are four toes, those in front being united
by a slight membrane, while that behind is generally higher up
the leg, and smaller than the others. This order comprises most
of the birds used as food, and includes the peacock, the turkey,
the common cock and hen, the partridge, the pheasant, and the
pigeon family.
5. Giallatores, or Waders. These birds are characterised by their
long and slender legs, and by the thighs being more or less bare.
There are three anterior toes, more or less united at the base by
a membrane, or rudimentary web. The hind toe is wanting in
some members of the order. This order contains the ostrich
family, the bustards and plovers ; the cranes, herons, and storks ;
and the snipes and woodcocks.
6. Palmipedes, or web-footed birds. These birds have the legs and
feet short, and placed behind, with their fore toes united by a
thick and strong membrane. The neck is much longer than the
legs, and their bodies are covered with a dense layer of down
beneath the outer plumage, which is close, and imbued with an
oily fluid that repels the water. The principal birds in this
order are the grebes, the auks and penguins, the petrels, the
pelican and cormorant, and the swans, ducks, and geese.
By many ornithologists the pigeons and ostriches are con-
sidered to form distinct orders, called respectively Columla and
Cursores.
THE KEPTILIA,
Or Reptiles, have neither hair, wool, nor feathers, and their bodies are
either naked, or covered with scales. Some lay eggs, and some bring
forth their young alive. Some have gills, and others lungs, but the
latter have only a portion of the blood passing through them ; and
thus the blood of reptiles is cold, as it is respiration which gives the
blood heat. The senses of reptiles are dull, and their movements are
either slow or laborious. The following are the four orders into which
this class is divided :
1. Chelonian Reptiles. These animals have four legs. The body is
enclosed in an upper buckler, called the carapace, and an under
one, called the plastron. They have lungs which are much ex-
panded ; but they have no teeth, though they have hard horny
jaws. The females lay eggs covered with a hard shell. The
principal animals belonging to this division are the tortoises,
which live on land or in fresh waters, and the turtles, which
inhabit the sea.
Introduction.
XV
2. The Saurian Reptiles. These animals have also expanded lungs,
and generally four legs, but some have only two. Their bodies
are covered with scales, and their mouths filled with teeth.
This order includes all the crocodiles and lizards. The croco-
diles have broad flat tongues, attached throughout to the jaws,
and the lizards have long narrow tongues, which many of them
can extend to a great distance from the mouth.
3. The Ophidian Reptiles are the snakes and serpents. The body is
covered with scales, but it is destitute of feet. The lungs are
generally well developed, only on one side. Serpents are fre-
quently furnished with poison-bags at the base of some of their
teeth.
4. The Batrachian Reptiles include the frogs and toads. The body is
naked. The greater part of these reptiles undergo a transition
from a fish-like tadpole furnished with gills to a four-legged
animal \vith lungs. Others never lose their gills, though they
acquire lungs, and of tkis kind are the siren and the proteus.
THE PISCES,
Or Fishes, are defined by Cuvier to be vertebrated animals with red
blood, breathing through the medium of water by means of their
branchiae or gills. To this definition may be added, that fishes have
no neck, and that the body generally tapers from the head to the tail;
that most of the species are furnished with air-bladders which enable
them to swim ; and that their bodies are generally covered with scales.
The heart has only one auricle, and the blood is cold. The gills re-
quire to be kept moist to enable the fish to breathe, and as soon as
they become dry, the fish dies. Thus fishes with large gill openings
die almost as soon as they are taken out of the water; while those
with very small openings, like the eel, live a long time. Fishes have
no feet, but are furnished with fins. The scientific knowledge of
Fishes is called Ichthyology. Fishes are first divided into two great
series, viz. the Bony Fishes, and the Cartilaginous Fishes, and these
are again subdivided into nine orders, as follows :
OSSEOUS OR BONY FISHES.
1. Acanthopterygii, or fishes with hard fins.
2. Malacopterygii abdominales, or soft-finned fishes, with the ventral fins
on the abdomen behind the pectorals.
3. Malacopterygii sub-brachiati, or soft-finned fishes, with the ventral
fins under the gills.
4. Malacopterygii apodes, or soft-finned fishes, without ventral fins.
5. Lophobranchii, or fishes with tufted gills.
6. Plectognathii, or fishes with the upper jaw fixed.
CHONDROPTERYGII, OR CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
7. Ct/clostomi, or fishes with jaws fixed in an immovable ring, and with
holes for the gills.
8. Selachii, or fishes with movable jaws and holes for the gills.
9. Sturiones, with the branchiae in the usual form.
xvi Introduction.
Of the bony fishes the Acanthopterygii, or fishes with hard spiny fins,
are divided into fifteen families, the principal of which are the perch
family, the mailed cheek fishes, including the gurnards, the flying fish
of the Mediterranean, and the sticklebacks, or jack banticles; the
mackerel family, including the tunny, bonito, and sword-fish; the
pilot-fish, the dolphin of the Mediterranean, so celebrated for the
beauty of its dying tints, and the John Dory. Among the Malacop-
terygii abdominales, or soft-finned fishes, that have their ventral fins
suspended from the abdomen, the most interesting are the carp family,
the pike family, the flying-fish of the ocean, the salmon family, and
the herring family, including the sprat, pilchard, and anchovy.
Tlie Malacopterygii sub-brachiati are soft-finned fishes, with the
ventral fins beneath the pectorals ; the principal of which are the cod
family, including the haddock, whiting, and ling ; the flat-fish family,
including soles, turbots, plaice, and flounders; and the suckers or
lump-fish. ,
The Malacopterygii apodes are confined to the eel family.
Tke Lophobranchii include the pipe-fish, and other fishes of similar
form.
The Plectognathi comprise the very singular forms of the balloon-
fish, the sun-fish, and other similar fishes.
Tke Chondropteryg ii, or Cartilaginous fishes, are divided into three
orders, viz. the Sturiones, or sturgeon family; the Selachi, or sharks
and rays, including the torpedo ; and the Cyclostomi, or lamprey family.
The last two orders were included by Cuvier in a single one.
THE MOLLUSCOUS ANIMALS
Have no bones except their shells. Their sense of feeling appears to
be very acute, but the organs for the other senses are either wanting or
very imperfect. The blood is cold and white, and the heart often con-
sists of only one ventricle; a few of them have imperfect lungs, but
the greater number breathe through gills. They have all the power of
remaining a long time in a state of rest, and their movements are
either slow or violently laborious. Some of them appear incapable of
locomotion. They produce their young from eggs, but some lay their
eggs on a part of their own body, where the young are hatched. The
following are Cuvier's six classes:
1. Cephalopoda, or Head-footed Mollusca. These animals are furnished
with long fleshy arms or feet, proceeding from the head, which
is not distinct from the body, and on which they crawl. There
is only one order, which includes the cuttle-fish, nautilus, and
belemnites.
2. Pteropoda, or Wing-footed Mollusca. These animals have two
membranous feet or arms, like wings, proceeding from the
neck. There is only one order, which contains six genera, the
best known of which is the Hyalaea, the shell of which is com-
monly called Venus's chariot.
3. Gasteropoda, or Body-footed Mollusca. All these animals crawl with
the flat part of the body, which acts as a kind of sucker. There
are nine orders in Cuvier's system. The common snail will give
an idea of the habits 01' the class.
Introduction. xvii
4. Acephala, or Headless Mollusca. These animals have no apparent
head, and breathe by means of branchiae, which are generally
ribbon-shaped. Most of them are enclosed in a bivalve shell,
but some are naked ; the former are the Testacea of Cuvier, and
the Conchifera of Lamarck ; the latter are the Tunicata of
Lamarck. They form two orders.
5. Brachiopoda, or Arm-footed Mollusca, These animals also have a
bivalve shell ; but they have no true branchiae, and their respi-
ration is effected by the agency of the mantle. They have two
spiral arms.
6. Cirrhopoda, or Curled-footed Mollusca. These are generally attached,
and enclosed in a shell of several pieces ; they are furnished
with a mouth, armed with jaws, and with several pairs of jointed
and fringed organs, called cirri, by the protrusion and retraction
of which they capture their prey. Examples of this class are
the Barnacles and Acorn shells. These animals have long
ceased to be regarded as Mollusca, the investigations of modern
naturalists having proved them to be true articulated animals
most nearly related to the Crustacea.
THE AKTICULATED ANIMALS
Have no back-bone. The covering of the body is sometimes hard and
sometimes soft, but it is always divided into segments by a number of
transverse incisions. The limbs, when the body is provided with any,
are jointed ; and they can be separated from the body without any
serious injury being sustained by the animal, new limbs being shortly
after formed to replace them. The senses of tasting and seeing are
more perfect than those of the Mollusca, though that of feeling seems
much less acute. In other respects the four classes differ considerably
from each other.
[ The Entozoa, or Intestinal Worms, placed by Cuvier and others
among the Radiata, are now arranged amongst the lowest forms of
articulated animals, as are also those animalcules known as Botifera.~]
\. The Annelida, or Red-Hooded Worms, have no heart, properly so
called, but have sometimes one or more fleshy ventricles. They
breathe through branchiae. Their bodies are soft, and more or
less elongated, being divided into numerous rings or segments.
The head, which is at one extremity of the body, can scarcely
be distinguished from the tail, except by having a mouth. These
animals have no feet, properly so called, but they are furnished
with little fleshy projections, bearing tufts of hairs or bristles,
which enable them to move. They are generally of carnivorous
habits. They lay eggs, but the young are frequently hatched
before exclusion, and hence these creatures are said to be ovo-
viviparous. Their study is called Helminthology. As examples
of the three orders of this class may be mentioned the serpulee
or worm-like animals, often found on shells, the common earth-
worm, and the leech family.
II. Tlie Crustacea comprise the shell-fish commonly called crabs,
lobsters, shrimps, and prawns. They have a distinct head, fur-
nished with antenrice, eyes, and mouth ; and their bodies are
xx Introduction.
7. Strepsiptera or Rhipiptera, with twisted wings. These creatures re
semble the ichneumon, in laying their eggs in the bodies ol
other insects, though they generally attack wasps and bees.
The principal genera are Xenos and Sty lops. They are generally
considered to be closely allied to the Beetles.
8. Diptera, or two-winged insects, including the flies. The mouth
is furnished with a proboscis, and there are two small wings
called halteres placed behind the true wings, which act as
balancers.
9. Sucioria, or sucking insects, such as the flea, which have no wings,
but are furnished with an apparatus for sucking blood.
SECTION II. Insects not undergoing Metamorphosis.
10. Thysanoura, or spring-tail insects. These creatures are of small
size, and without wings ; they are found in crevices of wood-
work, or under stones. The principal genera are Lepisma and
Podura.
11. Parasita, or parasitical insects, such as the louse. They are also
without wings.
12. Myriapoda. This order is made a separate class by many natural-
ists, as the creatures contained in it are distinguished from the
true insects by the great number of their feet ; by the want of
distinct divisions into thorax and abdomen ; and by the great
number of segments into which the body is divided. The prin-
cipal insects in this order are included in the Linnsean genera
Julus and Scolopendra, commonly called centipedes.
The term larva is applied to the younjr of all insects, included in the
first nine orders, when first hatched. The different kinds have, how-
ever, other names ; that is to say, the larva of a butterfly, or moth, is
called a caterpillar; that of a beetle, a grub; and that of a fly, a
maggot. The larva changes its skin several times, and at last goes
into the pupa state, when it is called a chrysalis, an aurelia, or a
nymph. Sometimes the pupa is wrapped up in a loose outer covering
called a cocoon. From the pupa in time bursts forth the imago, or
perfect insect. The Apterous, or wingless true insects, and the Myria-
poda, which are also without wings, do not undergo any metamor-
phosis.
THE EADIATED ANIMALS
Are so called because their organs of locomotion, and even their inter-
nal viscera, are generally arranged in a circle round a centre, so as to
give a radiated appearance to the whole body. The animals included
in this class are the very lowest in the scale ; they have scarcely any
external senses ; their movements are slow, and almost their only sign
of life is a craving for food. Some of them, however, have a distinct
mouth and alimentary canal, with an anal orifice ; others have a bag-
like stomach with a kind of mouth, through which they both take their
food and reject their excrements ; while others have no mouth, and
appear only to absorb nourishment through pores. In the like manner,
though some are oviparous, others may be propagated by division into
plants. Of these Cuvier makes five classes :
Introduction. xxi
I. Echinodermata, or sea-urchins. These animals have a leathery or
crustaceous skin or shell, commonly covered with numerous
tubercles. The mouth is generally in the centre of the animal,
and is often armed with five or more pieces of bone, which serve
as teeth ; the stomach is a loose bag ; the organs for respiration
are vascular ; and the animals are oviparous. They are fur-
nished with tentacular tubes, which serve as arms or feet, and
which they can push out and draw back at pleasure ; and they
have yellowish or orange-coloured blood, which appears to cir-
culate. Cuvier divides this class into those with feet, and those
without; but Lamarck, whose arrangement has been more
generally followed, divides them into three orders ; viz. :
1. The Fistuloides, or Holothurida, which have cylindrical bodies,
leathery skins, and mouths surrounded by tentacula. These
creatures live in the sea, or in the sands on the sea-shore ; the
trepang, or eatable worm of the Chinese, is one of them.
2. 77(e Echinides. These are the sea-urchins, properly so called, and
the shells, when the animals are out of them, are called sea-
eggs. The Echinides live in the sea. They lay eggs, and the
roe, or imperfect eggs, occupy a large portion of the space
within the shell when the animal is still alive.
3. The Stellerides, or Asterias, are the star-fish. The mouth in these
creatures is in the middle of the lower surface, and it has a
membranous lip, capable of great dilation, but furnished with
angular projections for capturing its prey. The skin is soft, but
leathery, and it is covered on the back with spongeous tubercles,
or scales. The rays are hollow beneath, and furnished with ten-
tacula, by the aid of which the star-fish manages to crawl back-
wards, forwards, or sideways, as the case may be, any of the
rays serving as a leader. These animals are found on the sea-
shore, forming large beds, which are washed over by the sea.
The Crinoidea, or stone-lilies, of which such curious fossil spe-
cimens have been found, are nearly allied to the star-fish.
II. The Intestina, or Entozoa. The intestinal worms were divided into
two kinds by Cuvier, viz. the Cavitaires, including the worms
of children, and other cylindrical worms ; and the Parenchyma-
teux, or flat worms ; such as the fluke in sheep and the tape-
worm in human beings. The Entozoa are now universally re-
garded as belonging to the Articulated or Annulose division of
the animal kingdom.
III. Acalephce, or Sea-Jellies. These creatures are of a soft and jelly-
like substance, with a thin skin, and an unarmed mouth. The
Medusides are very numerous, and produce that beautiful phos-
phorescent light noticed by voyagers in the Australian seas.
The most interesting of the Acalephes is the Portuguese man-
of-war, or Physalia.
IV. Polyps, or Anthozoa, according to Cuvier, were divided into
three orders ; namely :
1. Fleshy Polyps (Sea anemones) ;
2. Gelatinous Polyps (Hydra) ; and
3. Polyps with Polyparies, the latter including all the various com-
pound zoophytes, with the Sponges. Of these the Flustrce, or
Sea Mats, and numerous allied species, have since been recog-
xxii Introduction.
nised as belonging rather to the Mollusca, and the Sponges to a
distinct and lower group of animals than the Kadiata ; the re-
mainder have generally been divided into the following three
orders :
1. Helianthoida. This order includes the actinia, or sea-anemone ; and
the madrepores, sea-mushrooms, and brainstones, which live in
communities, and possess the power of secreting calcareous
matters, which they emit to form these stony substances.
2. Asteroida. Some of the animals belonging to this division are
called sea-pens, and others form some of the different kinds of
coral, particularly that used for necklaces, &c.
3. Hydroida. This order includes the fresh-water polypi, which, it is
well known, by the experiments that have been tried, may be
cut in pieces and even turned inside out without destroying
life. It must be observed that the contents of this group in
Cuvier's system consisted of all those forms of animals which he
could not, in accordance with the knowledge possessed in his
day, conveniently place anywhere else. Within the last few
years, however, great progress has been made in the arrange-
ment of the animals placed in this group by Cuvier. One of the
most important changes has been the establishment of a fifth
group of animals for the Infusoria and Sponges, together with
certain other creatures of very low organisation. To these the
name of PROTOZOA has been given. The Entozoa have been
removed amongst the articulate animals, and there is a growing
conviction that the Echinodermata will have to be transferred
to the same section. There remain, consequently, the Acalephae
and Polyps of Cuvier, which form a group characterised by
their soft and generally gelatinous texture ; by the existence of
peculiar cells, called thread cells, in the skin ; and by their pos-
session of an alimentary cavity with only a single orifice. To
these the name of CCELENTERATA has been given. They are
divided into two classes : I. The ANTHOZOA, or Polyps, in-
cluding the orders Helianthoida and Asteroida ; and II. The
HYDIIOZOA, composed of the Hydroid Polyps and Acalephae,
the connection between which, as indicated in the text (p. 609),
is very intimate.
V. Tlie Infusoria, or Animalcula, are so small as to be invisible to the
naked eye, and they are all inhabitants of liquids. Cuvier ar-
ranged them in two orders, one of which he called Les Rotifcres,
and the other Les Infusories homogenes,l>Mt the first of these divi-
sions is now included among the Articulata. The remainder of
the Infusoria of Cuvier, with the exception of some which are
now known to be of vegetable nature, are arranged, with the
Sponges and some other animals, in a separate division, called
Protozoa, the classification of which is still in a somewhat un-
certain state. The three principal classes are those of the Infu-
soria, the Sponge*, and the Rhizopoda ; but there are other forms
which will not admit of being brought under any of these deno-
minations. Nearly all the Protozoa are microscopic, except
when, as in the case of the Sponges, they form an aggregation
of individuals. They are very numerous, and, although ex-
ceedingly simple in their structure, their history often possesses
much interest.
EXPLANATION
TERMS USED IN NATURAL HISTORY.
Abdomen. The part of the body containing the organs of diges-
tion.
Abdominal. Pertaining to the abdomen.
Amphibious. Capable of living both on the land and in the water.
Animalcules. Small animals, visible only with the assistance of the
microscope.
Annulated. Marked with rings.
Antennae. The horns or feelers of insects.
Apex. The top or summit of anything.
Apical. Situated at, or belonging to, the apex.
Apodal. Footless.
Apterous. Wingless.
Aquatic. Living or growing in the water.
Bicuspid. Having two points.
Bifid. Divided into two parts.
Bifurcated. Divided into two prongs.
Bisulcous. Cloven-hoofed.
Bivalve. With two shells.
Bronchia. Gills, or organs for aquatic respiration.
Buccal. Pertaining to the mouth.
Byssus. A tuft of silky filaments produced by some Molluscs.
Callosity. A hard lump, an excrescence.
Campanulate. Bell-shaped.
Canine. Of the dog kind.
Carinated. Keeled.
Carnivorous. Feeding on flesh.
Caudal. Pertaining to the tail.
Cere. A skin over the base of the bill of birds.
XXIV
Explanation of Terms.
Cervical. Belonging to the neck.
Cetaceous. Of the whale kind.
Cilia. Microscopic filaments, which, by their constant vibra-
tion, either cause currents in the water, or move
the animals possessing them.
Cinereous. Of the colour of ashes.
Clavate. Clubbed.
Cordiform. Heart-shaped.
Coriaceous. Leathery.
Corneous. Horny.
Crustaceous. Covered with a shell or crust ; as lobsters, crabs, &c.
Dentate. Toothed like a saw.
.Dorsal Belonging to the back.
Elytra. The wing-cases of insects of the beetle tribe.
Emarginate. Notched.
Entomology. A description of insects.
Exsanguineous. Without red blood, as worms.
Feline. Belonging to the cat kind.
Ferruginous. Of an iron or rust colour.
Filiform. Thread-like.
Foliaceous. Leaf-like.
Frugivorous. Feeding on fruits.
Furcated. Forked.
Fusiform. Spindle-shaped.
Gallinaceous. Belonging to the hen kind.
Gelatinous. Like jelly.
Gemmiparom. Capable of propagating by buds.
Geniculate. Bent like a knee.
Gestation. The time of going with young.
Granivorous. Feeding on grain.
Gregarious. Associating together.
Hastate. Formed like an arrow-head.
Haustellate. Insects with a mouth adapted for suction.
Herbivorous. Feeding on grass.
Hexapod. Having six legs.
Hyaline. Glassy.
Ichthyology. A description of fishes.
Imbricated. Tiled, or lying over each other.
Incubation. The act of hatching eggs.
Insectivorous. Feeding on insects.
Intestinal. Pertaining to the digestive organs.
Laminated. Covered with or divided into plates or scales.
Larva. The young of insects.
Lateral. Belonging to the side, placed sideways.
Loricated. Covered with hard scales or plates like armour.
Explanation of Terms.
XXV
Lunate. Crescent-shaped.
Mandibles. Upper and lower, the two divisions of a bird's beak,
or the projecting jaws of an insect.
Migratory. Coming and going at certain seasons.
Multivalve. With many shells or openings.
Nacreous. Resembling mother-of-pearl.
Nictitating. Winking ; applied to a membrane with which birds
cover their eyes at pleasure.
Olfactory. Relating to smell.
Operculum. A shield or cover.
Ornithology. A description of birds.
Oviparous. That lays eggs.
Palmated. Webbed.
Parasitic. Attached to and dependent on some other living body.
Parturition. The act of bringing forth young.
Passerine. Belonging to the sparrow tribe.
Pectinate. Resembling a comb.
Pectoral. Belonging to the breast.
Pendulous. Hanging down.
Piscivorous. Feeding on fishes.
Plicate. Folded.
Predaceous. Formed to pursue prey.
Prehensile. Capable of grasping.
Quadrifid. Divided into four parts.
Quadruped. Four-footed.
Ramose. Branching.
Reptiles. Animals of the serpent tribe, with legs.
Rudimentary. Small ; imperfectly developed.
Ruminating. Chewing the cud.
Scabrous. Rough.
Scapulars. Shoulders.
Semilunar. In the form of a half-moon.
Serrated. Notched like a saw.
Sessile. Attached without the intervention of a stalk.
Setaceous. Having bristles or strong hairs.
Spiral. Winding like a screw
Squamose. Scaly.
Striated. Streaked or striped.
Subulated. Formed like an awl.
Sulcated. Furrowed.
Suture. The line of junction of two hind parts.
Tentacula. The feelers of snails and other mollusca.
Testaceous. Covered with a shell, as oysters.
7'rlfurcated. Three-forked.
Truncated. Appearing as if cut off;
xxvi Explanation of Terms.
Tubicolar. Inhabiting a tube.
Univalve. With one shell or opening.
Ventral. Belonging to the belly.
Vertebrated. Having a jointed spine-bone.
Viscera. The organs contained in the cavities of the body.
Viviparous. Bringing forth the young alive.
Webbed. Connected by a membrane, as the toes of aquatic
birds.
Xylophagous. Wood-eating.
Zoologists. Writers on animated nature.
Zoology. The history of animated nature.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
BOOK I.
QUADRUPEDS, OR FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.
POPULAR AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF THE ANIMALS DESCRIBED.
*^* Where no synonyme is given, the Linnsean name is the only one in
use ; and when the synonymes are seldom used, they are marked thus * .
When no Linnaean name is given, the animal was not described by Linnaeus
SECTION I. CARNIVOROUS, OR FLESH-EATING ANIMALS.
English Name
Linnsean Name
Synonymes
Page
LION .
Felis Leo
. *Leo vulgaris. Leach
1
LIONESS
Ibid. .
.
7
TIGER
Felis Tigris .
9
LEOPARD
Felis Leopardus
,
12
PANTHER
Felis Pardus
13
OUNCE
.
. Felis Uncia. Schreb.
14
OCELOT
Felis Pardalis
14
H UNTINGLEOPARD
or CHEETAH .
JAGUAR
'VFelisjubata .
' Felis Onca .
. Cynailurus jubatus. Wag.
15
16
C Felis Puma. Trail .")
PUMA
Felis concolor
. -J *Leo Americanus. Her. . >
( *Puma concolor. Jard. . J
18
COMMON LYNX .
Felis Lynx .
*Lyncus vulgaris. Gray
19
CANADIAN LYNX
CARACAL .
.
J Felis Canadensis.- Geoff.
' l *Lyncus Canadensis. Gray
Felis Caracal. Schreb. .
20
DOMESTIC CAT .
Felis domestica
20
WILD CAT.
Felis Catus .
22
DOGS
ICanisfamiliarisand/
I var. . . . C
23
SHEPHERD'S DOG
.
23
BLOODHOUND
.
25
FOXHOUND .
* % .
27
POINTER .
28
MASTDTF .
29
BULLDOG .
.
30
TERRIER .
31
XXV111
Contents.
English Name Linnaean Name
Synonymes
Page
32
WATER SPANIEL ....
NEWFOUNDLAND )
DOG ..$:'
GREYHOUND
Fox . . . CanisVulpes
ARCTIC Fox . Canis lagopus
WOLF . . Canis Lupus
Vulpes vulgaris. Briss. .
Vulpes lagopus
*Lupus vulgaris
33
34
36
37
39
40
42
STRIPED HY.ENA Canis Hyaena
SPOTTED HYAENA ....
BLACK BEAR . Ursus Americanus
GRISLY BEAR
BROWN BEAR TJrsus Arctos
Hysena striata. Zimm. .
Hyaena Crocuta
Ursus ferox
43
44
45
46
46
MALAYAN SUN t
BEAR . . '
POLAR BEAR
RACOON . . Ursus Lotor .
BADGER . . Ursus Meles .
COATI-MONDI . Viverra Nasua
CIVET
GENET . . Viverra Genetta .
ORIENTAL CIVET Viverra Zibetha
Ursus Malayanus .
Ursus maritimus. GmeL
Procyon Lotor. Cuv.
Meles Taxus. Slum,
Nasua narica. F. Cuv, .
Viverra Civetta. Schreb.
Genetta vulgaris. Cuv. .
48
50
51
53
53
54
55
56
ICHNEUMON, or "J
EGYPTIAN MAN- > Viverra Ichneumon
GOUSTE . . '
WEASEL . Mustela vulgaris
Herpestes Ichneumon
56
58
FERRET . . Mustela furo .
POLECAT . . Mustela putorius .
ERMINE Mustela erminea .
* Viverra furo. Shaw
Putorius vulgaris. Cuv. .
60
61
62
SKUNK
SABLE
MARTEN
OTTER
SEA OTTER.
(Mustela or Martes
' I Zibellina .
. Mustela Martes
. Mustela Lutra
. Mustela Lutris
SEAL .
. Phoca vitulina
WALRUS
( Trichechus Rosma-
Mustela or Mephitis Ame-
ricana .
Martes foina. Gray.
Lutra vulgaris. Krxl.
Enhydra Lutris. Gray .
* Phoca variegata. Niel.
Calocephalus vitulinus.
Cuv
SECTION II. INSECT-EATING ANIMALS.
HEDGEHOG 5 Erinaceus Euro- )
I paeus . . \
MOLE . . Talpa Europaea . Talpa vulgaris. Briss. .
SHREW . . Sorex araneus . .....
WATER SHREW . Sorex fodiens
SECTION HI. CHE1ROPTEROUS ANIMALS.
BAT . . . Vespertilio noctula . .
PIPISTRELLE Vespertilio Pipistrellus .
LONG-EARED BAT Vespertilio auritus. Plecotus auritus. Gray .
63
64
65
66
68
69
72
74
76
78
79
80
81
81
Contents.
xxix
English Name Linnaean Name Synonymes Page
P ^/ *P ectrum -[ 82
BAT Pteropus edulis. Pe'ron. 83
SECTION IV. MARSUPIALIA, OR POUCH-BEARING ANIMALS.
(Macropus giganteus. ^
J * and Ow. *Haln-! fid
< turns. -J%. and*Kan-f
I gurus. Desm. . . I
OPOSSUM . . ;f '86
PHALANGER Phalangista vulpina. Desm. 87
SECTION V. RODENTIA, OR GNAWING ANIMALS.
BEAVER . . Castor Fiber . ..... 88
(Fiber zibethicus. Des. )
MUSK RAT ...... < Ondatra zibethica. > 90
(^ Lacep. . . .)
HARE . . Lepus timidus . ..... 91
RABBIT (Wild) . Lepus cuniculus . ..... 93
RABBIT (Domestic) .... ..... 94
SQUIRREL . . Sciurus vulgaris . ..... 95
DORMOUSE. . Mus avellanarius . M musoardinus. " 98
Al :[ Musmarmotta - '-; 97
C Cavia cobay a. Pall Cavia ~|
GUINEA-PIG . Mus porcellus .< &perea,.Erxl. Hydro- V 98
( choerus aperea. F.Cuv.)
MOUSE . . Mus musculus
RAT . . . Mus decumanus . ..... 100
/ Mus aquaticus. Briss. \
I *Lemmus aquaticus. F. I
WATER RAT . Mus amphibius J Cuv, Arvicola amphi- \ 102
1 bia. Desm. and Jenyns. I
I Arvicola aquatica.-1'Ve/n. J
LEMMING . . Mus Lemmus . Myodes Lemmus. Pall. . 103
T \Dipus Jerboa. Gmel. 1 lft ,
JERBOA ...... \ Mus 8agitta.-PaH. . \ l
CHINCHILLA ..... Chinchilla lanigera . . 105
PORCUPINE . Hystrix cristata . ..... 106
COUENDOU . . Hystrix prehensilis Synetheres prehensilis.^ (7r.l06
SECTION VI. EDENTATA, OR TOOTHLESS ANIMALS.
SLOTH . . j
ARMADILLO . Dasypus sexcinctus
ANT-EATER . eC paga U ..... 110
DUCK-BILLED
PLATYPUS
rOrnithorhynchus para-}
f I doxug ._^/ ttm . Platypus V 111
.J \ anati nus.-SA>. . J
XXX
Contents.
SECTION VII. PACHYDERMATA, OR THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS.
English Name
ELEPHANT .
HIPPOPOTAMUS, i
or RIVER HORSE J
RHINOCEROS
Hoo (Domestic) .
WILD BOAR
BABIROUSSA
PECCARY .
TAPIR
HORSE
Liniuean Name
Elephas Indicus .
Hippopotamus am-
phibius
Rhinoceros unicor-
nis .
Sus scrota
Sus scrofa
Sus Babyrussa
Synonymes
MULE
KlANG
ZEBRA
BULL
Cow .
WILD BULL
Equus caballus
Equus Asinus
Equus Zebra
Sus aper. Briss. .
Babirussa Alfurus. Less.
Dicotyles labiatus. Cuv.
Tapirus Americanus.-Sc/re6,
Asinus vulgaris. Gray .
Equus Hemionus. Pall. .
SECTION VIII. -RUMINATING ANIMALS.
\ Bos Taurus, var. 1
' I domesticus. , \
BUFFALO .
BISON
BRAHMIN BULL, \
or ZEBU . . \
SHEEP
RAM .
WALLACHIAN RAM
ARGALI, or WILD )
SHEEP OF ASIA $
GOAT.
IBEX, or BOQUETIN
ANTELOPE .
GAZELLE .
CHAMOIS .
Bos Taurus,
Scoticus
Bos Bubalus .
Bos Bonasus .
Bos Taurus,
Indicus
Ovis Aries
Bubalus Caffer
Bison Bonasus
Capra ovis. Slum.
Ovis Ammon
Capra Hircus
Capra Ibex .
Capra Cervicapra
Capra Dorcas
Capra rupicapra
GNU .
STAG .
WAPITI
Cervus Elaphus
Antilope Cervicapra. Pall.
Antilope Dorcas. Pall. .
Antilope rupicapra. Pall.
Antilope picta. Pall.
Antilope Gnu. Gmel.
f Cervius Canadensis.-G/we/. )
< *Cervus strongyloceros. >
Schres . . . ,J
Page
113
116
117
118
120
122
122
123
124
127
130
131
132
134
136
137
139
141
143
144
146
146
147
J47
148
149
150
151
152
154
155
157
ROEBUCK .
FALLOW DEER
ELK .
REINDEER .
Axis .
Cervus capreolus .
. Cervus Dama
Cervus Alces
.
158
159
160
161
163
163
161
. Cervus Tarandus .
1
\ *Cervus Rangifer. Ray. t
I Rangifer Tarandus .
Cervus axis .
I
|
1 Camelopardalis Giraffa. )
' Gmel . . ,\
MUSK DEER
GIRAFFE .
I Moschus moschi- j
' 1 ferus . . . j
\Cervus Camelopar-J
' \ dalis . . j
Contents.
XXXI
English Name Linnaean Name Synonymes Page
CAMEL . . Camelus Bactrianus 168
DROMEDARY . Camelus Dromedarius ..... 170
LLAMA . . Camelus glama . Auchenia glama. Illig. . 172
SECTION IX. QUADRUMANA, OR FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.
OURANG OUTAN .
CHIMPANZEE
GORILLA .
BARBAKY APE .
BABOON
PROBOSCIS MON-
KEY
DIANA MONKEY .
CAPUCHIN MON-
KEY
SPIDER MONKEY .
OUISTIT orMAR-
MOZET
MARIKINA
LEMUR
MONGOOS
Simla satyrus
Simla inuus
Simia Diana .
Simia Capucina
Simia Paniscus
" 1 Simia Jacchus
. Simia Rosalia
Lemur Macaco
Troglodytes niger. Geoff.
Troglodytes Gorilla
Inuus sylvanus. Cuv
\ Cynocephalus porcarius.
I Desm. and Cuv. .
Nasalis larvatus. Geoff. .
\ Cercopithecus Diana.
i Geoff. ....
Cebus capucinus. Des. .
Ateles Paniscus. Geoff. .
Jacchus vulgaris. Geoff.
Jacchus Rosalia
Lemur albifrons. Geoff.
173
174
176
177
174
180
180
182
182
183
183
184
184
BOOK II.
INHABITANTS OF THE AIR.
SECTION I. RAPTORES. DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY.
GOLDEN EAGLE .
SEA EAGLE
BALD EAGLE
OSPREY, or FISH-
ING HAWK
BLACK EAGLE
VULTURE .
CONDOR
BUZZARD .
HONEY BUZZARD.
GOSHAWK .
SPARROW-HAWK .
Falco chrysaetos .
Falco albicilla
Falco leucocephalus
Falco haliaetus
Falco melanaetos .
Vultur Papa .
Vultur Gryphus .
Falco Buteo .
Falco apivorus
Falco palumbarius
Falco Nisus .
KITE . . . Falco Milvus
JER FALCON . Falco Gyrfalco
PEREGRINE FALCONFalco peregrinus
MERLIN . Falco eesulon .
Sarcorhampus Papa. Dum.
\ Sarcorhampus Gryphus.
\ Dum
Buteo vulgaris. Bech. .
Pernis apivorus. Cuv. .
Astur palumbarius. Bech.
{ Accipiter Nisus. Pall. )
I Nisus communis Cuv. }
Milvus regalis. Cuv.
Falco islandicus
189
Aquila chrysaetos . . 185
Halieeetus albicilla. Saw. 188
Haliaeetus leucocephalus. ?
-Sav. . . .\
Pandion haliaetus. Cuv. 191
194
195
Hypotriorchis
-Gray .
ffisalon.
196
197
199
200
202
203
204
205
208
XXX11
Contents.
English Name
KESTREL .
Linruean Name
Falco Tinnunculus
Synouymea
Tinnunculus alaudarius,
Gray. .. . .
Segentarius reptilivorus.
Circus cyaneus Sole .
SECRETARY BIRD
HEN HARRIER . Falco cyaneus
SECTION II. NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY.
HORNED OWL . Strix Bubo . . Bubo maximus. Flem.
H SNOWY > 'O\VL ( Strix n y ctei Surnia Nyctea -Selby
BARN OWL . . Strix fiammea
SECTION III. 1NSESSORES, OR PERCHING BIRDS.
"S ED '.|l^.cu Mto r-
> Sturnus Cinclus
Turdus Merula
Turdus viscivorus
Turdus iliacus
Turdus pilaris
Turdus torquatus
WATER
or DIPPER
BLACKBIRD
MISSEL THRUSH
REDWING .
FIELDFARE
RING OUZEL
MOCKING BIRD
TTurdus Cinclus. Lath.
I Merula aquatica. Briss.
(.Cinclus aquaticus. Bech.
REDBREAST
NIGHTINGALE
BLACKCAP
Turdus polyglottus
Motacillarubecula. < ,-,- .,
I Erythacus rubecula
f Sylvia luscinia. Lath.
Motacilla luscinia . < Curruca luscinia -Bech
(.Philomela luscinia
Motacilla atrica- J Sylvia. Lath, and Cur-
pilla . . . ] ruca atricapilla. Bech.
' Sylvia. Lath.
Page
21C
211
213
214
215
216
217
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
228
231
WREN
{ Motacilla Troglo-J
I dytes. . .1
dytes Europaeus. Cuv. 1
Troglodytes vulgaris. (
Flem. . . ,}
232
WILLOW WREN .
Motacilla trochilus 5
Regulus trochilus. Cuv. \
233
GOLDEN-CRESTED
WREN .
Motacilla Regulus .
Regulus cristatus. Will.
235
GREY ^^ATER
\
WAGTAIL
^ .
Motacilla boarula .
236
RED WAGTAILS
907
SWALLOW .
Hirundo rustica .
<u/
238
MARTIN
Hirundo urbica
241
SWIFT
GOATSUCKER
Hirundo apus
5 Caprimulgus Euro-)
1 paeus . . .
Cypselus apus
243
244
SKYLARK .
Alauda arvensis
245
WOODLARK
Alauda arborea
247
TITMOUSE .
Parus coeruleus
*
94.S
LONG-TAILED TIT
Parus caudatus
*
.0
248
YELLOW HAMMER
Emberiza citrinella
.
249
WHEATEAR
Motacilla GEnanthe \ Silvia CE nan the.- a/A. >
I Saxicola (Enanthe.-ec/t. \
250
Contents.
XXXlll
English Name
Linnsean Name
Synonyrnes
Page
WHINCHAT
Motacilla Rubetra.
Saxicola rubetra. Bech.
250
SPARROW .
Fringilla domestica
} *Pyrgita domestica.- Car. )
I Passer domesticus.-Tfery. C
252
LINNET
Fringilla cannabina
\ Fringilla Linota. Gmel. /
I Linaria Linota. Cuv. .}
253
CANARY BIRD .
Fringilla Canaria .
Carduelis canaria .
254
CHAFFINCH
Fringilla coelebs
256
BULLFINCH.
Loxia pyrrhula
Pyrrhula vulgaris.- Tern.
258
{Carduelis cornmunis. *|
GOLDFINCH
Fringilla carduelis .
Cuv. ; Carduelis ele- >
259
gans. Steph. . .)
CROSSBILL
Loxia curvirostra .
261
STARLING .
Sturnus vulgaris
262
f Ptilonorhynchus Holose-)
SATIN BOWER ?
1 riceus. KuhL Kitta. I
Q/O
BIRD
s
| Lesson. Graucalus. |
ZOO
I Cuv. . }
RAVEN
Corvus corax
....
265
CROW
Corvus corone
268
ROOK
Corvus frugilegus .
.
269
JACKDAW .
Corvus monedula .
271
MAGPIE
Corvus pica .
Pica caudata .
272
CHOUGH
Corvus graculus .
^ Pyrrhocorax graculus. \
1 Tern V
274
JAY .
Corvus glandarius .
\ Garrulus glandarius. /
\ Briss. and Cuv. . . )
275
ROLLER
Coracias garrula .
276
KINGFISHER
Alcedo ispida
.
277
13iRD OF PARADISIC
T^orarHcAn nnrtflii.
279
NUTHATCH . Sitta Europaea . . . . .
281
CREEPER .
Certhia familiaris .
281
WALL CREEPEH .
Tichodroma muraria .....
283
IjVKE BIRD
Menura superba
284
HUMMING" J5lRD
Trochilus colut)ris
287
HOOPOE
Upupa epops
. -
288
SECTION IV. SCANSORES, OR CLIMBERS.
CUCKOO
Cuculus canorus
290
WOODPECKER
Picus viridis
.
294
WRYNECK .
Yunx torquilla
.
296
TOUCAN
5 Ramphastos tuca-
l nus .
(;;
297
GREY PARROT .
Psittacus erythactis
298
GREEN PARROT .
{ Psittacus Amazoni-
( CUS .
|
300
BLUE and YEL-
LOW MACAW
RING PAROQUET .
Psittacus aracanga
Psittacus Alexandri
{ Macrocereus aracanga. /
) Viell. . . \
V Palaeornis Alexandri. \
i Vig \
300
301
WARBLING GRASS ?
Melopsittacus undulatus .
302
PAROQUET
COCKATOO .
Psittacus galeritus
Plyctolopb-us galeritus
302
XXXIV
Contents.
SECTION V.-GALLINACEOUS BIRDS.
English Name
PEACOCK .
TURKEY .
GUINEA FOWL
MOITND BIRD
PHEASANT .
RED-LEGGED
PARTRIDGE
PARTRIDGE
Linnasan Name
Pavo cristatus
\ Meleagris Gallo- j
I Pavo. . .!
Numida Meleagris
Phasianus Colchicus
I Tetrao Rufus
Tetrao Perdix
Synonymes
QUAIL
. Tetrao Coturnix .
AMERICAN QUAIL
GROUSE, or MOOR /
FOWL . . \
PTARMIGAN
BLACK COCK
CAPERCAILZIE
COCK.
Tetrao Lagopus
Tetrao Tetrix
Tetrao Urogallus
Phasianus Gallus
BANKIVA, JAGO, ^
SPANISH, and > . . .
BANTAM CocKsJ
DODO . . Didus ineptus
RINGDOVE . Columba palumbus
STOCKDOVE . Columba CEnas
ROCK DOVE . Columba livia
TURTLEDOVE . Columba turtur
Megapodius tumulus
Perdix rufus .
Perdix cinerea. Lath.
Coturnix major. JSriss.
Coturnix vulgaris.
Flem. Coturnix Euro-
pseus. W Us. Perdix
Coturnix. Lath. Co-
turnix dactylisonans.
Gould
Ortyx Virginianus .
Lagopus Scoticus. Lath.
*Bonasa Scotica. Briss.
Lagopus vulgaris.- WUs.
Tetrao rupestris. Gmel.
*Uriogallis minor. Ray.
Gallus domesticus.- WUs.
Gallus Sonnerati .
Page
304
306
308
310
313
315
316
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
326
328
330
331
332
335
SECTION VI. GRALLATORES, OR WADERS.
OSTRICH . . Struthio Camelus
RHEA . . Struthio Rhea . Rhea Americana
CASSOWARY . Struthio Casuarius . Casuarius galeatus. Viel.
C Dromaius ater. Viel. . "i
EMEU . . < Dromaius Novae Hollan- >
I dine .
AFTER YX Apteryx Australis. Shaw
BUSTARD
CRANE
Otis tarda
Ardea Grus
Grus cinerea. Bech.
TAnthropoides pavonina.-
-J Viel. Balearica pavo
(^ nina. Vig-
Ciconia alba. Cuv.
BALEARIC CRANE Ardea pavonina
STORK . . Ardea Ciconia
ADJUTANT Leptoptilus argala
HERON , . Ardea ciuerea
BITTERN . . Ardea stellaris
SPOONBILL. . Platalea leucorodia
Botaurus stellaris. Steph
}
337
340
341
343
344
345
347
349
350
352
354
356
358
Contents.
XXXV
English Name
IBIS .
CURLEW
REDSHANK .
GODWIT
RUFF and REEVE
SNIPE
WOODCOCK.
KNOT
GREY PLOVER .
GOLDEN PLOVEP
DOTTREL .
LAPWING, or PEE-
WIT
WATER HEN
CORNCRAKE, or
LAND RAIL
COOT .
SECTION VII.-
PELICAN . . J
COP.MORANT
CRESTED CORMO- )
RANT . .
Linnsean Name
Scolopax arquata
Scolopax calidris
Scolopax
phala.
segoce
Tringa pugnax
Scolopax Gallinago
Scolopax rusticola .
Tringa Canutus
Tringa squatarola
and T. helvetica
Synonymes
Ibis religiosa. Sat).
Numenius arquatus. Lath.
Totanus calidris. Beck. .
1 Limosa melanura. Tern. )
$ Limosa aegocephala . \
Machetes pugnax .
Charadrius Mori
nellus
Tringa vanellus
Fulica chloropus
Rallus crcx .
Fulica atra .
Tringa cinerea. GmeL .
? Squatarola helvetica.- Cuv.
$ Squatarola cinerea .
Charadrius pluvialis
Vanellus cristatus. Mey.
Gallinula chloropus
( Crex pratensis. Beck. . t
I Ortygometra crex . .
SOLAN GOOSE, or
GANNET .
TAME SWAN
WILD SWAN
GOOSE
DUCK
EIDER DUCK
WIDGEON .
TEAL
COMMON GULL
-PALMIPEDES, OR WEB-FOOTED BIRDS.
Pelicanus onocro- ?
talus . . * . I
rCarbo Cormoranus.
Pelicanus Carbo . < Phalacrocorax Carbo.
I Cuv
Pelicanus graculus | Phakcrocorax graculus-
f Pelicanus maeulatus.
ir bo. t
Pelicanus Bassanus
Anas olor
Anas Cygnus.
Anas anser
Anas Boschas
Anas mollissima .
Anas Penelope
Anas Crecca .
Laruscanus .
I GmeL Anser bassanus.
\ Ray. Sula alba. Mey.
\ Sula bassana. Brls. .
Cygnus olor. Ray.
Cygnus ferus. Ray.
{Anser palustris. Flem.
Anser ferus.
ser sylvestris
Anas fera. Briss.
( Somateria mollissima. t
7 Leach. . . . (
( Mareca fistularis. Steph. 1
| Anatra Mangiana. Stor. \
Querquedula Crecca. Steph.
. jnuy.
ris. Flem. . ~)
s.-Wi/s. An-V
ris. Briss. .)
Page
359
360
361
362
363
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
373
374
376
377
379
381
383
384
386
388
391
392
STORMY PETREL Procellaria pelagica j Thatawidroma pelagica.- 1 3g3
FULMAR
ALBATROSS
GREAT N ORTHERN
DIVER .
PUFFIN
GREAT AUK
PENGUIN
Procellaria glacialis
Diomedea exulans .
Colymbus glacialis
Alca arctica .
Alca impennis
Fratercula &Tctica,.-Leach .
395
396
397
398
399
400
xxxv
Contents.
BOOK III.
INHABITANTS OF THE WATER.
SECTION I. CETACEA, OR SEA MAMMALIA.
English Name
Linnaean Name
Synonymes
Page
COMMON WHALE .
Balaena mysticetus
401
RORQUAL .
Balsena Boops . <
i Balsenoptera Boops. [
407
SPERMACETI
? Physeter macroce- /
An?
WHALE .
\ phalus . . j
4U/
DOLPHIN .
Delphinus Delphis
409
Beluga leucas. Gray.\
WHITE WHALE .
Beluga arctica. Less, f
Delphinapterus Beluga, j
Lacep. )
410
PORPOISE .
Delphinus Phocsena
Phocsena vulgaris .
412
SEA UNICORN
Monodon monoceros
414
MANATEE .
Manatus Australis. Tiles.
415
SECTION II. CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
STURGEON .
Acipenser sturio .
.
416
SHARK
Squalus Carcharias
Carcharias vulgaris. -Cuv.
417
GREENLAND
SHARK .
1 ; ; ; ;
Salachus maximus
420
DOG-FISH .
420
HAMMER-HEADED
SHARK .
| . . - -
Zygoma malleus
421
THORNBACK .
Raia clavata .
422
SKATE, or MAID
Raia batis
.
424
TORPEDO .
Raia Torpedo
Torpedo Narke. Risso .
425
MONK FISH, or
ANGEL FISH .
> Squalus squatina .
Squatina Angelus. Dum.
426
SAW FISH .
Squalus Pristis
Pristis antiquorum.-Z/^/t.
427
LAMPREY .
5 Petromyzon mari- )
1 nus . . . \
427
HAG-FISH .
Myxine glutinosa .
Gastrobranchus csecus. SI.
428
SECTION III. BONY FISHES.
PILOT FISH
Gasterosteus ductor
Naucrates ductor. Cuv.
429
REMOR A, or SUCK-
> Echeneis Remora .
SEA WOLF .
Anarrhiohas lupus
431
HORNED SILURE .
FATHER LASHER
Silurus militaris .
Cottus scorpius
Ageneiosis milit. Lacep.
432
433
SWORD FISH
Xiphias gladius
433
FLYING SCORPION
. j
SC pt P ro:!s voli tans' "'Cuf'l
435
LUMP-SUCKER
OCELLATED-
Cyclopterus lumpus
Lepadogaster cornubicus. )
436
407
SUCKKH .
1 ' ' * ' 1
-Cuv. . . .(
TtO/
ANGLER .
Lophius piscatorius
438
Contents.
XXXVll
English Name
Linnaean Name Synonymea Page
FOUR -HORNED ^Ostracion quadri- J Ann
TRUNK FISH . }
cornis . . $
GLOBE FISH
SUN FISH .
Tetraodon Mola . Orthagariscus Mola. Schn. 441
SEAHORSE 5 Syngnathus Hippo- ) Hippocampus brevirostris. I 442
i
campus . . } i^uv. . . . )
FLYING FISH
Exocaetus volitans 443
GURNARD .
Trigla cuculus 444
JOHN DORY
Zeus faber . 446
BLEPHARIS
. Blepharis ciliaris. Bl. . 447
FH or . KlNG i
. Lampris guttatus. Retz. 447
COD FISH .
Gadus Morrhua . Morrhua vulgaris. Cuv. 448
HADDOCK .
Gadus JEglefinus . Morrhua jEglefinus.-CWv. 449
WHITING .
Gadus Merlangus . Merlangus vulgaris.- Cuv. 451
("Lota molva. Cuv. AselO
LING .
Gadus molva. J lus. Will. Molva vul- V 451
( garis. Flem. . .}
MACKEREL
Scomber Scomber . l^b^SSS;!^. [ 453
GARFISH .
Esox Belone . . Belone vulgaris. Cuv. . 454
HERRING .
Clupea Harengus . ..... 455
SPRAT
Clupea Sprattus 456
PILCHARD .
Clupea pilchardus 457
WHITEBAIT
. Clupea alba. Yarrell . 458
("Engraulis encrasicolus. 1
ANCHOVY .
Clupea encrasicolus-c Flem. Engraulis vul- > 458
(^ garis. Cuv. . .j
TURBOT
P1 fmus neCteS maX " i RhomDUS maximus.- Cuv. 459
PLAICE
Pleuronectes pla-) pi atessa vulgaris. Flem.. 460
' C Platessa flesus. -- Flem.}
FLOUNDER .
Pleuronectes flesus -( Pleuronectes fluviatilis. V 461
(. Will. . . J
SOLE .
Pleuronectes solea . Sotea vulgaris. Cuv. . 461
SALMON PINK
. . . 462
SALMON
Salmo salar . 463
SALMON TBJDUT .
Salmo trutta 465
TROUT
Salmo fario 466
CHAR
GRAYLING .
SMELT
Salmo salvelinus . Salmo alpoinus. Pen. . 469
Salmo thymallus . Thymallus vulgaris.- Cuv. 470
TOsmerus eperlanus. Flem.}
Salmo eperlanus .< Eperlanus Rondeletii. >471
1 Will. . . J
PIKE
Esox lucius . 472
PERCH .
Perca fluviatilis 474
POPE, or RUFFE .
Perca cernua . Acerina cernua. Cuv. . 474
BASSE
Perca labrax . Labrax lupus. Cuv. . 475
CARP
TENCH
Cyprinus carpio 477
Cyprinus tinea . Tinea vulgaris. Cuv. . 478
GOLD FISH
GUDGEON .
CHUB
Cyprinus auratus . . . . 479
Cyprinus gobio . Gobio fluviatilis. Will. 480
Cyprinus cephalus . Leuciscus cephalus. Flem. 481
xxxvm
Contents.
English Name
BARBEL
DACE
ROACH
BLEAK
BREAM
MINNOW
LOACH
BULLHEAD
STICKLEBACK
ELECTRICAL EEL
EEL .
CONGER EEL
Linnaean Name
Cyprinus barbus .
Cyprinus leuciscus
Cyprinus rutilus .
Cyprinus alburnus
Cyprinus brama .
Cyprinus phoxinus
Cobitis barbatula .
Cottus Gobio
\ Gasterosteus acu-
l liatus
V Gynmotus electri-
l cus
Mursena Anguilla .
Muraena conger
Synonymes
Barbus vulgaris. Cuv. .
Leuciscus vulgaris. Cuv.
Leuciscus rutilus. Cuv.
Leuciscus alburnus.- Cuv.
Abramis brama. Cuv. .
Leuciscus phoxinus. Cuv.
Anguilla vulgaris. Thun.
Conger vulgaris. Cuv. .
Page
482
482
483
483
484
485
486
486
487
488
490
492
BOOK IV.
REPTILES.
SECTION I.-SERPENTS, OR OPHIDIAN REPTILES.
Vipera Berus. Daud. .
Pelias Berus. Merr. .
Vipera cerastes. Cerastes
Hasselquistii . .
Na.ja Haje. Groff.
Naja tripudians. Merr. .
Natrix torquata. Ray. .
VIPER, or ADDER Coluber Berus
HORNED VIPER . Coluber cerastes
RATTLE SNAKE . Crotalus horridus
HAJE . . Coluber Haje
COBRA ni CAPELLO Coluber Naja
SNAKE . . Coluber natrix
BOA . . . Boa constrictor
AMPHISB*NA J A m.P hisb * n a fal
I ginosa .
SECTION II. BATRACHIAN REPTILES.
FROG . . Rana temporaria
TOAD . . Rana Bufo .
SURINAM TOAD . Rana Pipa
NEWT
GREAT NEWT
LIZARD
Lacerta aquatica
Bufo vulgaris. Lanr.
Pipa Americana. Lu-ur.
Triton aquaticus
Triton balustris
SECTION III. SAURIAN REPTILES.
Lacerta vivipara
IGUANA
FLYING LIZARD
CHAMELEON
CROCODILE
ALLIGATOR, c
CAYMAN .
Lacerta Iguana
Draco volatis
. Lacerta Chamaeleon
. Lacerta Crocodilus
' r Lacerta Alligator .
495
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
505
507
509
510
511
\ Lacerta agilis. Briss. .1 p.,
Zootoca vivipara. Wag. \ "
Iguana tuberculata. Laur. 513
514
Chamaeleo vulgaris. Cuv. 515
Crocodilus vulgaris. Cuv. 517
Alligator Lucius. Cuv . 518
Contents.
SECTION IV. CHELONIAN REPTILES.
XXXIX
English Name
Linnaean Name Synonymes
Page
TORTOISE .
Testudo Graeca
520
TURTLE
Testudo raidas . Chelonia midas. Briss.
521
HAWK'S BILL )
TURTLE . .
Testudo imbricata Chelonia imbricata. Briss.
523
LEATHERY /
TURTLE .
Testudo coriacea . Sphargis coriacea .
524
BOOK V.
MOLLUSCOUS ANIMALS.
SECTION I. -BIVALVES, OR THOSE HAVING TWO SHELLS.
PEARL OYSTER . }
Mytilus Margari- ? Avicula margaritifera. )
tiferus . . Lam
525
OYSTER
526
COCKLE
Cardium edule . Cardiura fimbria
527
PHOLAS
Pholas dactylus . .....
528
MUSSEL
Mytilus edulis
530
SECTION II. UNIVALVES.
ADMIRAL .
Conus ammiralis
530
TIGER COWRY
Cypraea Tigris . .....
531
WHELK
Buccinum undatum . .
531
SNIPE SHELL
Murex haustellus .
532
PERIWINKLE
Littorina littorea . . . .
532
LIMPET
Patella vulgata . .....
532
SNAIL
Helix aspersa . .
533
CUTTLEFISH
POULPE
ARGONAUT .
NAUTILUS .
Sepia officinalis
Sepia octopodia . Octopus vulgaris. Lam.
Argonauta argo
Nautilus Pompilius
535
537
537
538
BOOK VI.
ARTICULATED ANIMALS.
SECTION I
.-ANNELIDA, OR RINGED ANIMALS.
EARTHWORMS . \
Lumbricus terres- 1
tris . . .
539
LEECH
Hirudo medicinalis Sanguisuga officinalis
540
LOBSTER
SECTION II.-CRUSTACEA.
Cancer gammarus . Astacus marinus. Leach.
542
xl
Contents.
English Name
Linnagan Name
Synonymes
Page
CKAYFISH .
~ ^ Astacus fluviatilis. Dc.s. /
Cancer astacus . ] PoiaTao})ius ._ Leac/t . . {
543
GRAB
Cancer Pagurus .
.
543
LAND CRAB
. .
.
544
SOLDIER CRAB .
SHRIMP
Pagurus Bempardus
Cancer crangon
Crangon vulgaris. Fab. .
545
546
Paloemon serratus. Leach.
546
SECTION III. ARACHNIDA.
GARDEN SPIDER
TARANTULA
Aranea diadema .
Aranea Tarantula .
Epeira diadema. Walck.
Lycosa tarantula. Lot. .
548
550
CHEESE MITE
Acarus siro .
552
SECTION IV. INSECTS.
ORDER I. COLEOPTERA, OR BEETLES.
COCKCHAFER
j Scarabseus Melo-
1 lontha
Melolontha vulgaris. Fab.
554
DOR BEETLE
\ Scarabaeus sterco-
l rarius
1 Geotrupes stercorarius. 1
\ Lat \
555
STAG BEETLE
Lucanus Cervus .
556
ELEPHANT
BEETLE .
Scarabaeus elephas.
Dynastes elephas
557
MUSK BEETLE, or
GOAT CHAFFER
{ Cerambyx moscha-
i tus .
Aromia moschata. Serv.
558
GROUND BEETLE
Carabus clathratus
.
558
GLOWWORM
Lampyris uoctiluca
.
559
DEATH WATCH .
Ptinus pertinax
Anobium pertinax Fab. .
560
SPANISH FLY
I Cantharis vesica-
l toria
561
CORN WEEVIL .
Curculio granarius
Calandra granaria. (
Clairv. . . . \
561
LADY BIRD
jCoccinella septem-
562
l punctata
ORDER II. ORTHOPTERA.
EARWIG
{ Forficula auricu-
i laria .
563
LEAF MANTIS
WALKING LEAF .
Mantis gongylodes
Mantis siccifolia .
Empusa gongylodes III.
Phyllium siccifolium. III.
564
565
GKASSHOFPER
. . . .
Locusta flavipes
566
LOCUST
Gryllus migratorius
Locusta migratoria .
567
MOLE CRICKET .
CRICKET .
Gryllus Gryllotalpa
Gryllus domesticus
Gryllotalpa vulgaris. Lat .
Acheta domestica .
569
570
ORDER III. HEMIPTERA.
LANTERN FLY .
Fulgora lanternaria
571
COCHINEAL IN-
SECT
> Coccus cacti .
571
GREEN FLY
572
Contents.
xli
ORDER IV. NEUROPTERA.
English Name Llnnaean Name Synonymes
ANT-LION .
DRAGON FLY
( Myrmeleon formi- )
t carium . . $
Libellula grandis . ^Eshna grandis. Fab.
ORDER V. HYMENOPTERA
BEE
ICHNEUMON
ANT .
ORDER
EMPEROR MOTH,
with its CHRY-
SALIS and CA-
TERPILLAR
TORTOISE-SHELL
BUTTERFLY
CABBAGE BUT-
TERFLY .
MAGPIE MOTH .
WINTER MOTH .
SILKWORM .
CLOTHES MOTH .
HOUSE FLY
GNAT
FLEA
Apis mellifica
Vespa vulgaris
Formica rufa
Pimpla persuasoria
VI. LEPIDOPTERA, MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES.
Saturnia. Schaank.
Phaloena
Pavonia minor
Papilio urticae
Vanessa urticae. Fab.
Papilio Brassicae .
Phalsena grossulari-
ata .
Phalaena brumata .
Bom by x mori
Tinea pellionella .
ORDER VII. DIPTERA.
Musca domestica .
Culex pipiens
ORDER VII. SUCTORIA.
Pulex irritans
Pieris Brassicae. .Lot. .
Pontia Brassicse. Fab. .
Abraxas grossulariata.
Leach.
Hibernia brumata. Lot.
Page
574
576
577
579
581
582
583
585
586
587
588
589
590
592
592
594
BOOK VIL
EADIATA.
STAR FISH . Asterias rubens . TJraster rubens
SEA-URCHIN Echinus miliaris
RED CORAL . Isis nobilis . . Gorgonia nobilis
STONY CORALS . . .
SPONGE
POLYPS ...... ...
SEA ANEMONES
JELLY FISH ... ...
APPENDIX. FABULOUS ANIMALS
595
596
597
600
603
604
607
611
NATUEAL HISTOEY.
BOOK I.
I. QUADEUPEDS, OE FOUE-FOOTED BEASTS.
I. Carnivorous, or Flesh-eating Animals.
THE LION. (Mb Leo.)
THE LION- is called the king of beasts, not only from his
grave and majestic appearance, but from his prodigious
strength. Zoologists describe him as an animal of the
cat kind, distinguished from the other species of the
2 Quadrupeds.
genus by the uniformity of his colour, the mane which
decorates the male, and a tuft of hair at the tip of the
tail, which conceals a small prickle or claw.
Lions were formerly found in all the hot and warmer
temperate parts of the whole world ; but they are now
confined to Africa, and some parts of Asia. The African
Lion stands four or five feet high, and his body is from
seven to nine feet long. The mane is thick, and some-
what curly ; and the colour varies in different parts of
Africa, but it is generally of a clear dark brown, deepen-
ing in some cases almost iiito black. The Asiatic Lions
are smaller than those of Africa, and their colour paler.
The Bengal Lion is of a light brown, with a long flow-
ing mane ; the Persian Lion is of a sort of cream-colour,
with a short thick mane; and the Lion of Guzerat is
of a reddish brown, without any mane. These varie-
ties have been considered as distinct species by some
naturalists.
All the varieties agree in their habits ; they lie hid in
jungles in the long grass, and when aroused either walk
quietly and majestically away, or turn and look steadily
at their pursuers. Their roar is terrific ; and in a wild
state, the animal generally roars with his' mouth close
to the ground, which produces a low rumbling noise,
like that of an earthquake. The effect is described by
those who have heard it, as making the stoutest heart
quail ; and the feebler animals, when they hear it, fly in
dismay, often in their terror falling in the way of their
enemy, instead of avoiding him. Serpents, and some of
the larger animals, will, however, fight with Lions, and
occasionally kill them ; and Lions, when pursued by man,
are sometimes hunted with dogs, but are oftener shot, or
speared. Those which are exhibited in menageries have
generally been caught in pits. The pit is dug where
traces have been discovered of a Lion's path ; and it
is then covered with sticks and turf. He is deceived by
the appearance of solidity presented by the turf, and
attempts to walk over it ; but the moment he sets his
foot upon the covering of the trap, it breaks beneath his
weight, and he falls into the pit. He is then kept with-
out food for several days, shaking the ground with his
The Lion. 3
roaring, and fatiguing himself by vainly attempting to
escape ; till, at last, he becomes exhausted, and so tame
as to permit his captors to put ropes round him, and
drag him out. He is then put into a cage, and removed
in a kind of waggon, wherever his captors may wish to
take him.
The generosity of the Lion has been much extolled ;
but the tales related of it appear to have had no other
foundation than the fact, that, like many other beasts,
when gorged with food he will not attack a man. A
great amount of courage has also been so generally
ascribed to him that the expression " as brave as a
Lion," has become proverbial, and he has been regarded
as a sort of symbol of that quality. For this respectable
character, the Lion is no doubt mainly indebted to his
possession of a mane, and to the boldness of appearance
produced by his carrying his head elevated ; for in all
other respects he is a genuine cat, with neither more
nor less courage than belongs to the cats in general. As
the Lion belongs to the cat tribe, his eyes are incapable
of bearing a strong light; it is therefore generally in
the night that he prowls about for prey, and when the
sun shines in his face, he becomes confused and almost
blinded. Lion hunters are aware of this fact. In the
day-time they always consider themselves safe, so long
as they have the sun on their backs. In the night,
a fire has nearly the same effect; and travellers in
Africa and the deserts of Arabia can generally protect
themselves from Lions and Tigers by making a large
fire near their sleeping-place. The strength of the
African species is so great that he has been known to
carry away a young heifer, and leap a ditch with it in
his mouth. The power that man may acquire over this
animal has been often shown in the exhibitions of Van
Amburgh, Carter, and others ; but the attachment which
Lions sometimes form for their keepers, was never more
strongly exemplified than in the following anecdote.
M. Felix, the keeper of the animals in Paris, some
years ago, brought two Lions, a male and female, to the
national menagerie. About the beginning of the follow-
ing June he was taken ill, and could no longer attend
4 Quadrupeds.
them; and another person was under the necessity oi
performing this duty. The male, sad and solitary, re-
mained from that moment constantly seated at the end
of his cage, and refused to take food from the stranger,
whose presence was hateful to him, and whom he often
menaced by bellowing. The company even of the female
seemed now to displease him, and he paid no attention to
her. The uneasiness of the animal led to a belief that
he was really ill ; but no one dared to approach him. At
length Felix recovered, and, with an intention to sur-
prise the Lion, crawled softly to the cage, and showed
his face between the bars : the Lion, in a moment, made
a bound, leaped against the bars, patted him with his
paws, licked his hands and face, and trembled with plea-
sure. The female also ran to him ; but the Lion drove
her back, and seemed angry, and fearful lest she should
snatch any favours from Felix ; a quarrel was about to
take place, but Felix entered the cage to pacify them.
He caressed them by turns ; and was afterwards fre-
quently seen between them. He had so great a com-
mand over these animals, that, whenever he wished
them to separate and retire to their cages, he had only
to give the order : when he wished them to lie down,
and show strangers their paws or throats, they would
throw themselves on their backs on the least sign, hold
up their paws one after another, open their jaws, and, as
a recompense, obtain the favour of licking his hand.
The Lion, like all animals of the cat kind, does not
devour his prey the moment he has seized it. When
those in cages are fed, they generally hide their food
under them for a minute or two, before they eat it.
Thus an instance is known of a man, who was struck
down by a Lion, having time to draw his hunting-knife
and stab the ferocious beast, who was growling over
him, to the heart, before it had seriously injured him.
The Lion also resembles a cat in his mode of stealing
after, and watching his prey, a long time before seiz-
ing it.
Dr. Sparrman mentions a singular instance of the
animal's habits in this respect. A Hottentot perceiving
that he was followed by a Lion, and concluding that
The Lion. 5
the creature only waited the approach of night to make
him his prey, began to consider what was the best mode
of providing for his safety, and at length adopted the
following : Observing a piece of broken ground with a
precipitate descent on one side, he sat down by the edge
of it; and found, to his great joy, that the Lion also
made a halt, and kept at a distance behind him. As
soon as it grew dark, the man, sliding gently forward,
let himself down a little below the edge of the steep,
and held up his cloak and hat on his stick, at the same
time gently moving them backward and forward. The
Lion, after a while, came creeping towards the object ;
and mistaking the cloak for the man himself, made a
spring at it, and fell headlong down the precipice.
Many interesting anecdotes of Lions and Lion-hunt-
ing may be found in the accounts of their travels
published by Gordon Gumming, Andersson, and Dr.
Livingstone. From the latter we may extract the fol-
lowing account of an escape literally from the very jaws
of death: "Being about thirty yards off," says the
doctor, " I took a good aim at his body through the
bush, and fired both barrels into it. The men then
called out, ' He is shot, he is shot !' Others cried, * He
has been shot by another man too ; let us go to him !'
] did not see any one else shoot at him, but I saw the
Lion's tail erected in anger behind the bush, and turn-
ing to the people, said, * Stop a little till I load again.'
When in the act of ramming down the bullets I heard a
shout. Starting and looking half round, I saw the Lion
just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a
little height ; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and
we both came to the ground below together. Growling
horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier-dog
does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to
that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first
shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in
which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror,
though quite conscious of all that was happening. It
was like what patients partially under the influence of
chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel
not the knife. This singular condition was not the
6 Quadrupeds.
result of any mental process. The shake annihilated
fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at
the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in
all animals killed by the carnivora ; and if so, is a mer-
ciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening
the pain of death. Turning round to relieve myself of
the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head,
I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, who was trying to
shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His
gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels ; the Lion
immediately left me, and, attacking Mebalwe, bit his
thigh. Another man, whose life 1 had saved before,
after he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted to spear
the Lion while he was biting Mebalwe. Pie left Me-
balwe, and caught this man by the shoulder ; but at
that moment the bullets he had received took effect, and
he fell down dead. The whole was the work of a few
moments, and must have been his parox} 7 sm of dying
rage." The interesting nature of this narrative of a
most hair-breadth escape must be our excuse for its
length.
Lions have been sometimes known to attain a great
age ; thus Pompey, a large male Lion that died, in
1760, in the Tower of London, was upwards of seventy
years old. The usual period, however, seldom exceeds
twenty years. The Lion is generally represented as
the companion of Britannia, as a national symbol of
strength, courage, and generosity. In ancient gems,
paintings, and statuary, his skin is the attribute of
Hercules. In Scriptural compositions, he is painted at
the side of the evangelist St. Mark ; and holds the fifth
place among the signs of the zodiac, answering to the
months of July and August.
In the various sculptured Lions discovered by Mr.
Layard at Nineveh in 1848, the claw in the Lion's tail
is distinctly marked, and is represented as being of
large size. It is, however, really a very small, dark,
horny prickle at the tip of the fleshy part of the tail,
and entirely hidden by the hair.
The Lioness.
THE LIONESS AND CUBS.
THE LIONESS is in all her dimensions about one-third
less than the male, and has no mane. She has gene-
rally from two to four cubs at a time, which are born
blind, like kittens, which they greatly resemble, though
they are as large as a pug-dog, when born. When quite
young they are striped and spotted, but these marks
soon disappear ; they also at first mew like a cat, and
do not begin to roar till they are about eighteen months
old. About the same time the mane begins to appear
on the males, and soon after the tuft of hair on the tail,
though the animal is generally five or six years before
it attains its full size.
The Lioness, though naturally less strong, less cou-
rageous, and less mischievous than the Lion, becomes
terrible as soon as she has young ones to provide for.
The ferocity of her disposition then appears with ten-
fold vigour; and woe be to the wretched intruder,
fc Quadrupeds.
whether man or beast, who should unwarily approach
the precincts of her sanctuary. She makes incursions
for food for her young with even more intrepidity than
the Lion himself; throws herself indiscriminately
among men and other animals; destroys without dis-
tinction; loads herself with the spoil, and brings it
home reeking to her cubs. She usually brings forth
her'young in the most retired and inaccessible places ;
and when she fears the discovery of her retreat, often
hides her track, by running back over the ground, 01
by brushing it out with her tail. She sometimes also,
when her apprehensions are great, transports her young
from one place to another, like a cat ; and if obstructed,
defends them with determined courage, and fights to
the last.
Mr. Fennel, in his History of Quadrupeds, relates an
interesting anecdote of a Lioness kept at the Tower in
1773. This creature had become " greatly attached to a
little dog, which was her constant companion. When
the Lioness was about to whelp, the dog was removed ;
but shortly after her accouchement had taken place, the
dog contrived to enter the den, and approached the
Lioness with his usual fondness. She, alarmed for her
cubs, immediately seized him, and seemed about to kill
him ; but, as if suddenly recollecting their former friend-
ship, she carried him to the door of her den, and allowed
him to escape unhurt." Mr. Fennel also tells us, that the
first Lioness ever brought to England, died in the Tower
in 1773, after having attained a great age.
Another Lioness, which was kept at the Tower in
1806, became extremely attached to a little dog, and
whenever he attempted to pass through the bars of the
den, would draw him back by the hinder parts, and
place her paw gently upon his body, as if entreating
him not to leave her.
The Tiger.
THE TIGER. (Fells Tigris.)
THOUGH very inferior to the lion in majesty of appearance
and deportment, this ferocious animal nearly equals him
in size and strength. The Tiger is another of the feline
species, and may be compared to an enormous cat, the
whiskers and the tail being exactly similar; and both
the Tiger and the lion resemble the cat in the form of
their feet, and the power they possess of drawing in
their claws. The Tiger, however, bears the strongest
resemblance, and when pleased, purrs and curves up his
back as he rubs himself against the nearest object. When
enraged, he growls rather than roars ; and springs up to
a great height before he pounces on his prey.
The Tiger has a smaller and rounder head than the
lion ; he has no mane ; his tail is without any tuft at the
extremity, and his body much more slender and flexible.
His
white
5 colour is yellowish on the back and sides, becoming
ite beneath, with numerous lines of a very dark ricn
brown, or glossy black, sloping from the centre of the
back down the sides, and over the head, and continued
.1 Quadrupeds.
down the tail in the form of rings. Tigers are only
found wild in Asia; but they are very abundant and
very destructive in the East Indies, as from their enor-
mous strength they can carry off a bullock with the
greatest ease.
The attack of one of these animals upon Mr. Monro,
son of Sir Hector Monro, was attended with the most
tragical consequences. u We went," says an eye-witness,
" on shore on Sawgar Island, to shoot deer, of which we
saw innumerable tracks, as well as of Tigers. We con-
tinued our diversion till near three o'clock, when sitting
down by the side of a jungle to refresh ourselves, a roar
like thunder was heard, and an immense Tiger seized
our unfortunate friend, and rushed again into the jungle,
dragging him through the thickest bushes and trees,
everything giving way to his monstrous strength. All
we could do was to fire on the Tiger ; and our shots took
effect, as in a few moments our unfortunate friend came
up to us bathed in blood. Every medical assistance was
vain, and he expired in the space of twenty-four hours,
having received such deep wounds from the teeth and
claws of the animal as rendered his recovery hopeless.
A large fire, consisting of ten or twelve whole trees, was
blazing near us at the time this accident took place ; and
ten or more of the natives were with us. The human
mind can scarcely form any idea of this scene of horror."
Tiger-hunting, though very dangerous, is a very fa-
vourite sport in India. The hunters are mounted in
carriages called howdahs, on the backs of elephants, well
armed. The first indication is generally given by the
elephants, who scent their enemy at some distance, and
commencing a peculiar kind of snorting, become greatly
agitated. As soon as the motion of the Tiger through
the jungle is perceived, the nearest elephant is halted,
and the hunter fires instantly. Should the Tiger be
wounded, he will, in all probability, spring up with a
hideous roar, and rush at the nearest elephant, his mouth
open, his tail erect, or lashing his sides, and his whole
fur bristled up. Sometimes, however, he endeavours to
sneak away, artfully diminishing his size by drawing in
his breath and creeping along the ground, and often with
The Tiger. 11
such success as to enable him to escape to ravines where
it would be madness to attempt pursuit.
The Tiger is, however, such a formidable neighbour,
that, apart from the excitement of hunting him, the
natives of the countries which he inhabits have recourse
to various modes of killing him. In Persia a large and
strong wooden cage is often fastened firmly down to the
ground, in the vicinity of the Tiger's haunts, and in this
a man, accompanied by a dog or goat, to warn him of the
approach of the Tiger, takes up his quarters at night.
He is provided with a few strong spears, and when the
Tiger comes, and in endeavouring to reach the enclosed
prey rears himself against the cage, the man takes the
opportunity of stabbing him in a mortal part. In Oude
the peasants sometimes strew leaves smeared with bird-
lime in the Tiger's path, in order that as the animal
walks on them they may adhere to his feet; in his
efforts to disengage himself from these encumbrances ho
usually smears face and eyes with the sticky material,
or rolls himself among the treacherous leaves, until
finally becoming blinded and very uncomfortable he
gives vent to his dissatisfaction in the most dismal
howlings, which speedily bring his enemies about him,
when taking advantage of his helpless condition they
dispatch him without difficulty. The destruction of a
Tiger is handsomely rewarded by the Indian govern-
ments, and many of the people make a regular trade of
shooting them.
Quadrupeds.
THE LEOPARD, (Fells Leopardus,)
DIFFERS from the tiger in being smaller, and in having
the skin spotted instead of striped. His length from
nose to tail is about four feet, the colour of the body is a
lively yellow, and the spots of his skin are composed of
four or five black dots arranged in a circle, and not im-
perfectly representing the print left by the animal's foot
upon the sand. It is found in the southern parts of
Asia, and almost all over Africa. The panther is a
variety of the Leopard.
Like all animals of the cat tribe, Leopards are a com-
pound of ferocity and cunning ; they prey upon the
smaller animals, such as antelopes, sheep, and monkeys ;
and are enabled to secure their food with great success,
from the extraordinary flexibility of their bodies. Kol-
ben informs us that, in the year 1708, two of these
animals, a male and female, with three young ones, broke
into a sheepfold at the Cape of Good Hope. They killed
nearly a hundred isheep, and regaled themselves with the
The Panther.
13
blood ; after which they tore a carcass into three pieces,
one of which they gave to each of their offspring ; they
then took each a whole sheep, and, thus laden, began to
retire ; but having been observed, they were waylaid
on their return, and the female and young ones killed,
while the male effected his escape. They appear afraid
of man, and never attack him unless driven by hunger,
when they spring upon him from behind. The Leopard
is sometimes called the Tree-tiger from the ease with
which he climbs trees.
THE PANTHER. (Felis pardus.)
ALTHOUGH the Panther is generally savage, and always
very uncertain in its disposition, instances have been
known of its exhibiting a certain amount^ of gentleness
and even playfulness in confinement. This was the case
with a specimen which Mrs. Bowditch brought over
with her from Africa. This animal was called Sai.
One day, at Cape Coast Castle, he found the servant
appointed to attend on hhn. sitting asleep,- resting -his
14
Quadrupeds.
back against a door; Sai instantly lifted tip his paw,
and gave the sleeper a tap on the side of the cheek,
which knocked him over, and when the man awaked, he
found Sai wagging his tail, and seeming to enjoy the fun.
Another day, when a woman was scrubbing the floor, he
jumped on her back ; and when the woman screamed
with fright, he sprang off, and began rolling over and
over like a kitten. When put on board ship, he was
first confined in a cage; and the greatest pleasure he
had was when Mrs. Bowditch gave him a little twisted
cup or cornet of stiff paper with some lavender-water in
it, and with this he was so delighted, that he would roll
himself over and over, and rub his paws against his face.
At first he used to put his claws out when he attempted
to snatch anything ; but as Mrs. Bowditch would never
give him any lavender-water when this was the case, he
soon learnt to keep his claws in. This Panther died
soon after it reached England,
THE OUNCE. (FeKa Uncia).
THE OUNCE is a species of cat very nearly related to the
Leopard, with which it agrees in size and in its general
habits. It differs principally in the thickness of its fur,
its greyish colour, the irregular form of the spots, and
The Ocelot.
15
the great length of its tail, which, from being clothed
with a long thick fur, corresponding with that of the
body, appears to be also of great thickness. This thick
and somewhat woolly-looking coat is rendered necessary
by the Boldness of the districts inhabited by the Ounce,
which is found in Thibet and other mountainous regions
of Asia.
THE OCELOT. ( Felis pardalis).
THIS species, which is often called the Tiger Cat, is de-
scribed by Buffon as the most beautiful of the animals of
its tribe, and it must be confessed that the great French
naturalist had some reason for so speaking of it. It
measures about three feet in length, exclusive of the tail ;
the colour of the upper parts and sides is a tawny grey,
beautifully marked with irregular streaks and spots of
black, and the whole lower parts are nearly white. The
Ocelot is a native of the forests of tropical America,
where it climbs the trees with great agility in pursuit of
monkeys and birds.
16 Quadrupeds.
THE CHEETAH, OR HUNTING LEOPARD.
( Felis julata.)
THE HUNTING LEOPARD seems to form the connecting link
between the cat and the dog tribes ; as it has the long
tail and flexible body of the cat, with the sharp nose and
elongated limbs of the dog. Its claws also are not capa-
ble of being so completely drawn back into the toes as
they can in other animals of the cat kind. The Cheetah
is easily tamed, and Cuvier describes one which was
accustomed to go at large in a park, and associated with
the children and domestic animals, purring like a cat
when pleased, and mewing when he wished to call
attention to his wants. In the East the Cheetah is
used in hunting, and is carried in a carriage, or
chained on a pad behind the saddle of a horseman, with
a hood over his eyes : when a herd of antelopes is found,
the hood is taken off the Cheetah, who is let loose, and
as soon as he sees the antelopes, steals cautiously along,
till he comes within reach, when he springs suddenly
upon them; making several bounds with the greatest
rapidity, till he has killed his victim, when he begins
instantly to suck its blood. The keeper then approaches,
and throwing the Cheetah some pieces of raw meat, con-
trives to hoodwink and chain him again to his pad behind
the saddle, on which he crouches like a dog. If the
Cheetah is not successful in catching an antelope before
the herd takes flight, he never pursues them, but returns
to his keeper with a discontented and sullen air.
17
THE JAGUAK. (Fells Onca.)
THE JAGUAR is a native of the New World, and is some-
times called the American Tiger. He is generally
larger and stronger than the leopard, which he re-
sembles in colour ; but the black ring-like marks have
always a spot in the centre, which is not the case with
those of the leopard. The tail is also shorter, and the
head larger and rounder. The Jaguar has great strength,
and will kill a horse or an antelope, and carry it off.
He is, however, a cowardly animal, always springing
upon his prey from behind, and attacking in preference
the hindmost of a herd. He fastens upon its neck,
placing one paw upon the head, which he twists round
with the other, and thus instantly deprives it of life.
His principal haunt is the long grass on the banks of a
river, where he often feeds upon turtles ; turning them
on their backs, and then insinuating his paw between
the shells so as to scoop out the flesh. He climbs trees
and swims with great facility.
18 Quadrupeds.
THE PUMA. (Felis concolor.)
THE PUMA, or American Lion, is smaller than the
jaguar, and has a shrill hissing cry, very different from
that of other animals of the cat kind. The fur is of a
silvery fawn-colour, nearly white below, but becoming
black at the head ; the animal has no mane, and its tail
is without any tuft at the tip. The cubs are spotted
when young. The habits of the Puma are somewhat
peculiar ; when attacked, he climbs the nearest tree for
safety, and there is generally shot by his hunters.
When hunted with dogs, however, and cut off from all
retreat, he stands at bay and fights furiously. The
flesh is eaten by the Indians, and is said to be much
prized by them. The Puma flies from the sight of man,
and seldom attacks any animal larger than a sheep ; but
when he can surprise a flock of sheep, he kills as many
us he can, only sucking the blood of each. He never
devours the whole of his prey at once, carefully cover-
ing with leaves what he cannot eat : but if these should
be removed, he will not touch the food again. In
former times the Puma inhabited nearly the whole
American continent, from Canada to Patagonia, but it
is now extirpated in many places, especially in North
The Common Lynx. 19
America. It was formerly supposed that the Puma
could not be tamed ; but this is incorrect, as the late
Edmund Kean, the tragedian, had one which followed
him about like a dog, and was often permitted to come,
at perfect liberty, into the drawing-room when it was
full of company.
THE COMMON LYNX. (Fells Lynx.)
THERE are several species of Cats to which the common
name of Lynxes is applied ; they have short tails and
small tufts or pencils of hairs at the tips of the ears.
The Common Lynx is found in various parts of Europe
and also in the north of Asia. It is about three feet
long without the tail, which is six inches in length.
The colour is reddish grey above, nearly white beneath.
A very similar species, the CANADIAN LYNX (FeUs
Canadensis), is found in North America, and its skin is
exported in great quantities from the Hudson's Bay
territories. The habits of both these species are very
much alike ; they swim and climb well, and prey upon
small quadrupeds, such as hares, and upon birds.
20 Quadrupeds.
THE CAKACAL. (Fells Caracal.)
THE CARACAL is generally supposed to be the Lynx of
the ancients, which was so celebrated for the keenness
of its sight. The name of Caracal is derived from two
Turkish words, signifying black-ears, and the animal is,
in fact, remarkable for the blackness of the tips of its
ears. He is somewhat larger and stronger than the
fox; his body of a reddish brown, becoming white
below, and the tail rather short, being only about eight
or nine inches in length. The Caracal is both irritable
and sulky in confinement, and is very seldom tamed ;
indeed, on the slightest irritation, it expresses its anger
l)y a sort of snarl, like what is called swearing in a cat,
but much louder, and sometimes ending in a scream. ,
When left to its own resources for support, it preys
upon hares, rabbits, and birds; and will pursue the
latter, of which it is immoderately fond, with remark-
able activity, to the tops of the tallest trees. It is a
native of Asia and Africa.
THE CAT. (Felis domestica.)
" Grimalkin, to domestic vermin sworn
An everlasting foe, with watchful eye
Lies nightly brooding o'er a chinkey gap,
Protending her fell claws, to thoughtless mice
Sure ruin."
JOHN PHILIPS.
IT was formerly supposed that the common domestic
Cat was nothing more than the wild Cat of the woods,
Tlie Cat 21
rendered tame by education. This opinion is, however
now doubted, on the ground that the tail of the wild
Cat is thick and bushy, like that of a fox, while that of
the domestic Cat tapers to the point. The Cat of the
Egyptians, of which so many mummies have been
found, differed still more in this respect, as its tail was
long and slender, ending in a kind of tuft. There are
four or five distinct varieties of the domestic Cat : the
tabby, the tortoise-shell, the Chartreuse, and the
Angora. Of these the tabby bears most resemblance to
the wild Cat, and the black Cats are from this breed :
the tortoise-shell is said to have been brought from
Spain, the females of this race being generally of a pure
tortoise-shell, and the males buff', with stripes of a
darker hue. All the white and whitish Cats are de-
scended from the Chartreuse breed; they have all a
blue tinge in their fur, and reddish eyelids : the tailless
Cats of Cornwall and the Isle of Man belong to this
race. The Angoras are quite distinct, and are well
known by their long silky hair. Cats are fond of
warmth, and are generally affected by changes in the
weather. They are very affectionate, purring at the
sight of those who are kind to them ; and will curve up
their backs and rub themselves against a door when it
is opened for them, as if to thank the kind friend who
has done them this service, before they take advantage
of it. The female Cat has generally five or six kittens
at a time, which she carries about in her mouth, and
hides, when she thinks them in danger. When a Cat is
enraged, its hair stands erect, and its tail swells to an
enormous size. Cats fight savagely, and often tear the
skin off each other's necks : when two are about to fight,
they stand for some time looking at each other, growl-
ing, and then dart at each other with the greatest fury,
yelling with rage.
Most Cats are good mousers, and some bring every-
thing they kill to their master or mistress, displaying
their mice and rats with as much pride as a sportsman
would his game. They are very fond of catmint and
valerian, rolling themselves in a kind of ecstacy when
they smell the latter plant. They are very cleanly,
22
Quadrupeds.
often sitting stroking their faces with their paws, as if
washing themselves.
In the eye of the Cat, the pupil is perpendicularly
oval, extending from above downwards, and when con-
tracted appears like a straight line. This conformation
is suited to the habits of these animals, for they are not
content with prowling along the ground, but occasion-
ally spring to great heights, their heads being directed
upwards, and their eyes placed in front and more nearly
parallel. This structure of the eyes occurs in all the
Cat tribe.
THE WILD CAT. (Felis CatusJ
THE WILD CAT is a native of the forests of Europe, and
was formerly abundant in Britain, but is now confined
to some of the wilder parts of this country. It is a
stouter and more powerful animal than the domestic
Cat, and is of a greyish colour with black stripes, some-
thing like an ordinary tabby. It is a fierce creature,
and is very destructive to birds and small quadrupeds.
The Shepherd's Dog. 23
THE DOG. (Canis familiaris.)
To no animal is mankind so much indebted for its ser-
vices and affection as to the Dog. Among all the various
orders of brute creatures, none have hitherto been found
so entirely adapted to our use, and even to our protection,
as this. There are many countries, both of the old and
new continent, in which, if man were deprived of this
faithful ally, he would unsuccessfully resist the foes that
surround him, seeking opportunities to encroach upon his
property, destroy his labour, and attack his person. His
own vigilance, in many situations, could not secure him,
on the one hand, against their rapacity, nor, on the other,
against their speed. The Dog, more tractable than any
other animal, conforms himself to the movements and
habits of his master. His diligence, his ardour, and his
obedience are inexhaustible; and his disposition is so
friendly, that, unlike every other animal, he seems to
remember only the benefits he receives : he soon forgets
our blows ; and instead of discovering resentment while
we chastise him, exposes himself to torture, and even
licks the hand from which it proceeds.
Dogs, even of the dullest kind, seek the company of
other animals ; and by instinct take to the care of flocks
and herds.
THE SHEPHEKD'S DOG.
THE SHEPHERD'S DOG has been considered the primitive
stock, from whence all others are derived. This animal
still continues nearly in its original state among the
poor in temperate climates : being transported into the
colder regions, it becomes smaller, and covered with a
shaggy coat. Whatever differences there may be among
the Dogs of these cold countries, they are not very con-
siderable, as they all have straight ears, long and thick
hair, a savage aspect, and do not bark either so often or
so loud as Dogs of the more cultivated kind. The Shep-
herd's Dog, transported into temperate climates, and
among people entirely civilized, such as into England,
24 Quadrupeds.
France, and Germany, will be divested of his savage air,
his pricked ears, his rough, long, and thick hair; though
he will still retain his large skull, abundant brain, and
consequent great sagacity.
Many interesting anecdotes are told of the shepherd's
tyke or colley, as this kind of Dog is frequently called,
particularly of its sagacity in rescuing sheep from snow-
drifts. When sheep are missing in a snow-storm, as is
frequently the case in Scotland and the North of England,
the shepherd arms himself with a spade, and watching
the motions of his faithful Dog, digs into the snow
wherever the Dog begins to scratch it away, and is thus
sure to find his lost sheep.
This valuable boon to the shepherd is the least vora-
cious of his kind, and endures fatigue and hunger with
patience.
[Chasseur and Cuba Bloodhounds.]
THE BLOODHOUND.
" Conscious of the recent stains, his heart
Beats quick; his snuffling nose, his active tail,
Attest his joy : then with deep opening mouth,
That makes the welkin tremhle, he proclaims
Th f audacious felon. "
THE BLOODHOUND is taller than the old English hound,
most beautifully formed, and superior to every other
kind in activity, speed, and sagacity. It is commonly
of a reddish or brown colour, with long ears. It seldom
barks, except in the chase : and never leaves its game
until it has caught and killed it.
26 Quadrupeds.
Bloodhounds were formerly used in certain districts
lying between England and Scotland, which were much
infested by robbers and murderers; and a tax was laid
upon the inhabitants for keeping and maintaining a cer-
tain number of them. But as the arm of justice is now
extended over every part of the county, and there are
no secret recesses where villany may lie concealed,
these services are no longer necessary. In former times
these Dogs were used to hunt runaway negroes and
others in the Spanish West Indies, and many surprising
anecdotes are told of their wonderful sagacity and power
of scent.
In Dallas's " History of the Maroons," an anecdote is
given of the extent of their accomplishments in this
way, which seems truly marvellous. A ship, attached
to a fleet under convoy to England, was manned chiefly
by Spanish sailors, who, as they passed Cuba, took the
opportunity of running the vessel on shore, when they
murdered the officers, and other Englishmen on board,
and carried off all the available plunder into the moun-
tains of the interior. The place was wild and unfre-
quented, and they fully expected to elude all pursuit.
The moment, however, the news reached Havanna, a
detachment of twelve chasseurs, with their Dogs, was
sent off. The result was, that in a few days the whole
of the murderers were brought in and executed, not a
man having been injured by the Dogs in the capture.
The old English Hound, the original stock of this
island, and used by the ancient Britous in the chase, is
a most valuable Dog; though the breed has been gradu-
ally declining, and the size studiously diminished by a
mixture of other kinds, in order to increase their speed.
[t seems to have been accurately described by Shak-
speare in the following lines :
" My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flew'd, so sanded ; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew ;
Crook-kneed and dew-lapped, like Thessalian bulls;
Slow in pursuit ; but match'd in mouth like bells
Each under each."
THE FOXHOUND.
THIS most valuable of all the Dogs of the chase, is
smaller than the staghound, its average height being
from twenty to twenty- two inches. No country in Eu-
rope can boast of Foxhounds equal in fleetness, strength,
and perseverance to those of Britain, where the utmost
attention is paid to their breeding, education, and food.
The climate also seems congenial to their nature, for
when taken to France or Spain, and other southern
countries of Europe, they quickly degenerate, and lose
all the admirable qualities they possess in this country.
Our predilection for fox-hunting appears to have
descended from our forefathers, and to have gone on
increasing in ardour. Certainly, no other country can
boast of such splendid establishments for this valuable
breed : the Duke of Eichmond's Kennel at Goodwood,
cost no less than 19,000.
28
Quadrupeds.
THE POINTER
Is docile in its disposition, and when trained, is of the
greatest service to the sportsman who delights in shoot-
ing. It is astonishing to see to what a degree of obe-
dience these animals may be brought. Their sight is
equally acute with their scent, and they are enabled to
perceive at a distance the smallest sign from their
master. So admirably have they been trained, that
their acquired propensities seem as inherent as a
natural instinct, and appear to be transmitted from
parent to progeny. When they scent their game, they
fix themselves like statues, in the very attitude in
which they happen to be at the moment. If one of
their fore feet is not on the ground when they first
scent, it remains suspended, lest, by putting it to the
ground, the game might be too soon alarmed by the
noise. In this position they remain, until the sports-
man comes near enough, and is prepared to take his
shot ; when he gives the word, and the dog immediately
springs the game. This attitude has often been selected
by the artist,
The Mastiff.
29
THE MASTIFF
Is the largest of the whole species : he is a strong and
fierce animal, with short pendent ears and a large head,
large and thick lips hanging on each side, and a noble
countenance ; he is a faithful guardian, and a powerful
defender of the house.
A curious account is given by Stow, of an engagement
between three Mastiffs and a lion, in the presence of
James the First. *' One of the Dogs being put into the
den, was soon disabled by the lion, which took him by
the head and neck, and dragged him about : another Dog
was then let loose, and served in the same manner : but
the third, being put in, immediately seized the lion by
the lip, and held him for a considerable time ; till, being
severely torn by his claws, the Dog was obliged to quit
his hold ; and the lion, greatly exhausted in the conflict,
refused to renew the engagement ; but, taking a sudden
leap over the Dogs, fled into the interior part of the den.
Two of the Dogs soon died of their wounds ; the last
survived, and was taken great care of by the king's son,
; vvho said, * lie that had fought with the king of the
30 Quadrupeds.
beasts, should never after fight with any inferior crea-
ture.' "
The following anecdote will show that the Mastiff,
conscious of its superior strength, knows how to chastise
the impertinence of an inferior: A large Dog of this
kind, belonging to a gentleman near Newcastle, being
frequently molested by a mongrel, and teased by its con-
tinual barking, at last took it up in his mouth, by the
back, and, with great composure, dropped it over the
quay into the river, without doing any further injury to
an enemy so much its inferior.
THE BULLDOG
Is much less than the mastiff, but the fiercest of all the
Dog kind, and is probably the most courageous creature
in the world. His short neck adds to his strength.
Those of a brindled colour are accounted the best of the
kind : they will run at and seize the fiercest bull with-
out barking, making directly at his head, sometimes
catch hold of his nose, pin the animal to the ground, and
make him roar in a most tremendous manner, nor can
they without difficulty, be made to quit their hold.
Whenever a Bull-dog attacks in any of the extremities
of the body, it is invariably considered a mark of his
degeneracy from the original purity of blood.
Some years since, at a bull -baiting in the north of
England, when this barbarous custom was very common,
a young man, confident of the spirit of his Dog, laid
a wager that he would, at separate times, cut off all the
The Terrier.
31
animal's feet, and that he would continue to attack the
bull after each amputation. The experiment was tried,
and the brutal wretch won his wager.
THE TERRIER.
THE TERRIER is a small variety of the Dog, but is of
high value, from the pertinacity and courage with which
he attacks rats and other vermin. His name of Terrier
is evidently given to him on account of his habit of dig-
ging into the earth, which he does with great rapidity
when in pursuit of any animal. The English Terrier is
a smooth-haired dog, and the best are of a black colour,
with tan-coloured legs, and spots on the eyebrows ; the
Scotch Terrier is covered with rough, wiry hair, which
in the Skye Terriers becomes very long.
Quadrupeds.
THE SPANIEL.
OF this elegant animal, said to be of Spanish extraction,
there are several varieties in this country ; but it is more
than probable that the English Spaniel, the most common
and useful breed, is indigenous. It has received from
nature a very keen smell, good understanding, and un-
common docility, and is employed in setting for par-
tridges, pheasants, quails, &c. His steadiness in the
field, his caution in approaching game, his patience in
keeping the bird at bay till the fowler discharges his
piece, are objects worthy of admiration. Many sportsmen
prefer him to the pointer; and if water is plentiful he is
more useful, for his feet are much better defended against
the sharp cutting of the heath than those of the pointer,
as he has a great deal of hair growing between the toes
and round the ball of the feet, of which the pointer is
almost destitute. He also ranges much faster, and can
endure more fatigue.
" When milder autumn summer's neat succeeds,
And in the new-shorn field the partridge feeds,
Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds ;
Panting with hope, he tries the furrow'd grounds ;
But when the tainted gales the game betray,
Couch'd close he lies and meditates the prey ;
Secure they trust th' unfaithful field beset,
Till hovering o'er them sweeps the swelling net."
POPE'S WINDSOR
The Water-Spaniel 33
THE WATEK-SPANIEL
Is excellent for hunting otters, wild ducks and other
game whose retreat is among the rushes and reeds which
cover the banks of rivers, the fens, and the ponds. He is
very sagacious, and perhaps the most docile and tractable
of all the canine tribe.
The Water-Spaniel will fetch and carry whatever he is
bid, and often dives to the bottom of deep water in search
of a piece of money, which he brings up in his mouth,
and lays at the feet of whoever sent him. The best breed
has black curly hair and long ears.
The beautiful breed of Spaniels known as King
Charles's, are highly prized for their diminutive size
and length of ears. They are found of all colours, but
those which are black, with tanned cheeks and legs,
are considered the purest breed.
They derive their name from King Charles the Second,
who, as Evelyn tells us, u took great delight in having
a number of little spaniels follow him and lie in his
bedchamber."
Quadrupeds.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.
THIS animal was originally brought into Europe from
Newfoundland, whence it derives its name, arid where
it is extremely useful to the settlers, almost supplying
the place of a horse. There are several varieties, differ-
ing slightly in size and appearance, but the full size is
about six feet and a half from the nose to the tip of the
tail, the length of which is two feet. He is noble in
appearance, and covered with long shaggy hair of a
black and white colour, in which the latter generally
predominates.
The Newfoundland Dog is affectionate, sagacious, and
docile beyond all others ; and being web-footed is excel-
lently adapted for the water ; and there are innumerable
instances of his rescuing man from a watery grave.
The anecdotes which illustrate the affection and
sagacity of this animal would fill a volume, but we
select one relating to the water, as that appears his
noblest scene of action.
Some time ago a young woman was nursing an infant
TJie Newfoundland Dog. 35
on one of the quays on the Liffey, when it made a sud-
den spring from her arms, and fell into the water. The
screaming nurse and anxious spectators saw the child
sink, as they thought, to rise no more; when at the
very instant a Newfoundland Dog, which was accident-
ally passing, rushed to the spot, and at the sight of the
child, who at that moment re-appeared, sprang into the
water. The child again sunk, and the faithful animal
was seen anxiously swimming round the spot. Once
more the child rose, and the Dog gently, but firmly,
seized him and bore him to land. Meanwhile a gentle-
man arrived who appeared to take much interest in the
affair, and on the person who had the child turning to
show it him, he recognised the well-known features of
his own son. A mixed sensation of horror, joy, and
surprise struck him mute. When he recovered himself
he lavished a thousand caresses on the faithful animal,
and offered his master five hundred guineas for him ;
but the latter felt too much affection for the noble
animal to part with him. on any consideration whatever.
We also subjoin another equally interesting.
A native of Germany, fond of travelling, was pursu-
ing his course through Holland, accompanied by a large
Newfoundland Dog. Walking one evening on a high
bank, which formed one side of a dike, or canal, so com-
mon in that country, his foot slipped, and he was pre-
cipitated into the water, and being unable to swim he
soon became senseless. When he recovered his recol-
lection he found himself in a cottage on the other side
of the dike, surrounded by peasants, who had been using
means to restore suspended animation. The account
given by them was, that one of them, returning home
from his labour, observed at a considerable distance a
large Dog in the water swimming, and dragging the
body of a man into a small creek on the opposite side to
which the men were.
The Dog having shaken himself, began industriously
to lick the hands and face of his master, while the rustic
hastened across; and, having obtained assistance, the
body was conveyed to a neighbouring house, where the
usual means of resuscitation soon restored him to sense
36
Quadrupeds.
and recollection. Two very considerable bruises, with
the marks of teeth, appeared, one on his shoulder and
the other on the nape of his neck ; whence it was pre-
sumed that the faithful animal first seized his master by
the shoulder, and swam with him in this manner some
time ; but that his sagacity had prompted him to let go
this hold, and shift his grasp to the neck, by which he
had been enabled to support the head out of water. It
was in the latter position that the peasant observed the
Dog making his way along the dike, which it appeared he
had done for the distance of nearly a quarter of a mile.
THE GKEYHOUND
Is well known, and was formerly held in such estima-
tion, that he was the especial companion of a gentleman,
who, in ancient times, was distinguished by his horse,
his hawk, and his Greyhound, and it was penal for any
person of inferior rank to keep one. He is the fleetest
of all Dogs, and can outrun every animal of the chase.
He has a long body, and is of an elegant shape ; his
head is neat and sharp, with a full eye, a good mouth,
The Fox.
37
sharp and very white teeth; his tail is long, and curls
round above his hind part. There are several varieties ;
as the Italian Greyhound, the Oriental Greyhound, and
the Irish Greyhound, or Wolf-dog. They are used for
coursing; that is, hunting by sight instead of scent;
and are principally employed in chasing hares. Daniel,
in his Rural Sports, tells us, that a brace of Greyhounds
have been known to course a hare four miles in twelve
minutes ; turning it several times, till the poor creature
dropped at last quite dead from fatigue.
THE FOX. (Cania Vulpes.)
THIS well-known animal, which is found in most coun-
tries of Europe, is of a reddish-brown colour, with the
tip of his bushy tail white. His abode is generally on
the skirt of a wood, as near a farm-yard as possible, in a
hole, of which some other animal has been dispossessed
or which it has voluntarily deserted. Thence he issues at
night, and cautiously approaching the poultry, kills all
that he can find, conveying them one by one to different
38 Quadrupeds.
hiding places, which he visits when hungry. He will
continue his depredations till day-break, or until he is
alarmed, often depopulating a whole poultry-yard in one
night. When, however, his choice food, the chicken, is
not accessible', he devours animal food of every descrip-
tion ; and if his habitation be near the water he will even
content himself with shell-fish. In France and Italy he
does much damage to the vineyards, being very fond
of grapes, and spoiling many for the sake of one bunch.
His name has passed into a proverb for cunning and
deceitfulness ; and, unlike the dog tribe to which he
belongs, he is totally unsusceptible of any sentiment of
gratitude.
His bite is tenacious and dangerous, as the severest
blows cannot make him quit his hold; his eye is most
significant, and expressive of almost every passion. He
generally lives about twelve or fifteen years.
The female produces but once a year, and seldom has
more than four or five cubs at a litter. The first year
the young is called a Cub, the second year a Fox, and the
third year an Old Fox. The tail is very bushy, and is
called the brush.
In this country he is hunted with horses and hounds,
and no animal affords greater diversion and occupation to
the sportsman. When pursued he usually makes for his
hole ; but should his retreat be cut off, his stratagems and
shifts to escape are singularly acute. He seeks woody
TJie Arctie Fox. 39
and uneven parts of the country, preferring the path,
the most embarrassed by thorns and briars, and running
in a straight line before the hounds, at no great distance
from them; and, when overtaken, he turns on his
assailants, and fighting with obstinate despair, dies in
silence.
THE ARCTIC FOX, (Canis lagopus,)
Is a smaller species than the common Fox, and has a
much longer fur to fit him for the severe cold which he
necessarily experiences in the Polar regions which he
inhabits. The colour of the fur is frequently a bluish
leaden gray, from which circumstance it is sometimes
called the Blue Fox; some specimens are brownish,
others nearly black. The fur becomes pure white in the
whiter, and in this state the Arctic Fox is an exceedingly
pretty animal. This species is captured for the sake of
its skin, the bluish specimens being preferred. He is
usually taken in pitfalls or traps, of which he is not
nearly so suspicious as his sly English relative. The
flesh of the young is said to be very good.
40
Quadrupeds.
THE WOLF, (Canis Lupus,)
WHEN hungry, is an undaunted and most ferocious inha-
bitant of the woods, but a coward when the stimulus of
appetite is no longer in action. He delights to roam in
mountainous countries, and is a great enemy to sheep and
goats ; the watchfulness of dogs can hardly prevent his
depredations, and he often dares to visit the haunts of
men, howling at the gates of cities and towns. His head
and neck are of a cinereous colour, and the rest of a pale
yellowish brown. He commonly lives to the age of
fifteen or twenty years. He possesses a most exquisite
power of smelling his prey at a great distance. Wolves
are found nearly everywhere, except in the British islands,
where this noxious race has been entirely extirpated.
King Edgar first attempted to effect this by remitting the
punishment of certain crimes on producing a number of
Wolves' tongues; and in Wales, the tax of gold and
silver was commuted for an annual tribute of Wolves'
heads. In the reign of Athelstan, Wolves abounded so
The Wolf. 41
much in Yorkshire, that a retreat was built at Flixton,
to defend passengers from their attacks. They infested
Ireland many centuries after their extinction in Eng-
land : the last presentment for killing Wolves was made
in the county of Cork about the year 1710. They abound
in the immense forests of Germany, and they are also
found in considerable numbers in the South of France.
Everywhere that they are wild, so great is the general
detestation of this destructive creature, that all other
animals endeavour to avoid it. In a state of captivity,
however, the Wolf is remarkably anxious to attract the
attention of man, and rubs itself against the bars of its
cage when noticed. Indeed, the Wolf is by no means so
untractable as is frequently supposed ; but his temper is
rather uncertain, and his destructive habits render him
a dangerous pet. A curious instance of combined doci-
lity and destructiveness is related by Mr. Lloyd, which,
as it also illustrates the cunning of this animal, we
adduce here. Mr. Lloyd says " I once had serious
thoughts of training a fine female Wolf in my possession
as a pointer ; but was deterred, owing to the penchant
she exhibited for the neighbours' pigs. She was chained
in a little enclosure, just in front of my window, into
which those animals, when the gate happened to be left
open, ordinarily found their way. The devices the
Wolf employed to get them in her power, were very
amusing. When she saw a pig in the vicinity of her
kennel, she, evidently with the purpose of putting him
off his guard, would throw herself on her side or back,
wag her tail most lovingly, and look innocence personi-
fied. And this amiable demeanour would continue
until the grunter was beguiled within the length of her
tether, when, in the twinkling of an eye, the prey was
clutched." The Wolf is sometimes affected with mad-
ness, in symptoms and consequences exactly similar to
that which affects the dog ; but this disease, as it gene-
rally happens in the depth of winter, cannot be attri-
buted to the great heat of the dog-days. In the northern
parts of the world, wolves are said, frequently, in the
spring, to get upon the fields of ice adjoining the sea, for
the purpose of preying upon the young seals, which
42
Quadrupeds.
they there find asleep ; but vast pieces of the ice occa-
sionally detaching themselves from the mass, they are
carried with them to a great distance from the land,
where they perish amidst the most hideous and dreadful
howling. The language of the poet is beautifully
descriptive of this creature's insatiable fury :
" By wintry famine roused, from all the tract
Of horrid mountains, which the shining Alps,
And wavy Apennitie, and Pyrenees,
Branch out, stupendous, into distant lands,
Cruel as death ! and hungry as the grave !
Burning for blood ! bony, and gaunt, and grim !
Assembling Wolves, in raging troops, descend;
And, pouring o'er the country, bear along,
Keen as the north wind sweeps the glossy snow :
All is their prize."
THE JACKAL, (Cams Aureus,)
COMMONLY called the lion's provider, is not much larger
than the fox, which he resembles in the appearance of
the fore part of his body. His skin is of a bright yel-
lowish colour. The Jackals often unite to attack their
prey, and make a most hideous noise, which, rousing the
king of the forest from his slumbers, brings him to the
place of food and plunder: at his arrival, the petty
The Striped Hytena.
43
thieves, awed by the greater strength of their new mess-
mate, retire to a distance ; and hence the fabulous story
of their attendance on the lion, to provide for his food.
These animals are always seen in large flocks of forty
or fifty ; and hunt, like hounds in full cry, from evening
till morning. In the absence of other food they drag
the dead out of their tombs, and feed greedily on putrid
corpses; but, notwithstanding their natural ferocity, it
is said that, when taken young, they may be easily
tamed, and, like dogs, they love to be fondled, wag
their tails, and show a considerable degree of attachment
to their masters. They are common in many parts
of the East : and as they act as scavengers, the people
do not annoy them in their nocturnal visits.
THE STRIPED HYAENA. (Hycena Striata.)
THIS animal was long supposed to be the _ most savage
and untractable of all quadrupeds : but it is now found
that he may be tamed. He is covered with long, coarse,
and rough ash- coloured hair, marked with long black
stripes, from the back downwards; the tail is very
hairy. His teeth and jaws are so constructed as to
44
Quadrupeds.
enable him to crush the largest bones with ease; and
his tongue is as rough as a coarse file. Like the jackal,
he attacks the flocks and herds, caring little for the
watchfulness or strength of dogs, and when pressed with
hunger, comes and howls at the gates of towns, and vio-
lates the repositories of the dead, tearing up the bodies
from the graves, and devouring them. He is now only
found wild in Asia and Africa, but is supposed to have
formerly inhabited Europe. When receiving his food,
the eyes of this fierce animal glisten, the bristles of his
back stand erect, he grins fearfully, and utters a snarling
growl.
THE SPOTTED HYAENA. (Hycena Croatia.).
THIS is another species which is common in Southern
Africa ; it is known amongst the colonists at the Cape
of Good Hope, as the Tiger-Wolf. He has none of the
mane-like hair on his back, which distinguishes the
Striped Hya3na, and his skin is marked with spots
instead of stripes. He is a ferocious beast, and is ex-
ceedingly destructive to sheep and cattle ; and also fre-
quently attacks and carries' off children from the huts of
the natives, sometimes even stealing them from their
sleeping mothers,
American Black Bear.
45
AMEEICAN BLACK BEAE. (TJrsus Americanus.)
THIS animal inhabits the Northern districts of America,
where it is found in considerable numbers. It is some-
what smaller than the Brown or European Bear ; its
colour of an uniform and glossy black. Its food consists
chiefly of fruits, the young shoots, and roots of vege-
tables and grain. In quest of these it occasionally emi-
grates from the northern to the more southern regions.
Their retreats, during the period of gestation, are so
impenetrable, that althongh immense numbers of Bears
are annually killed in America, a female is rarely found
among them. In autumn, when they are become exceed-
ingly fat by feeding on acorns and other similar food,
their flesh is extremely delicate, the hams in particular
are highly esteemed, and the fat is remarkably white
and sweet. At this time and during the winter, they
are hunted, and killed in great numbers by the Ameri-
can Indians.
Quadrupeds.
THE GEISLY BEAR, (Ursus Ferox,)
WHICH is also an inhabitant of North America, is a crea-
ture of enormous size and strength ; a specimen has
been measured and found to be nine feet in length ; and
it is capable of carrying the carcass of a bison, weighing
probably about a thousand pounds. His ferocity corre-
sponds with his powers of destruction; and he is alto-
gether one of the most formidable of quadrupeds.
THE BROWN EUROPEAN BEAR, (Ursus Aretes,)
Is a native of the North of Europe, and also of the
mountainous parts of the South of that continent. He
is a great sleeper, and passes the whole winter in his
The Brown European Bear. 47
den, without any particular food : but if we consider M *
being at rest, losing little by perspiration, and never re-
tiring to his winter quarters before he is properly fat-
tened, his abstinence will cease to be wonderful. When
tamed, this animal appears mild, and obedient to his
master ; he may be taught to wait" upright, to dance, to
lay hold of a pole with his paws, and perform various
tricks to entertain the multitude, who are highly
pleased to see the awkward movements of this rugged
creature, which it seems to suit to the sound of an
instrument, or to the voice of its leader. The discipline
Bears undergo in teaching them to dance is so severe,
that they never forget it ; and an amusing story is told
of a gentleman who was pursued by a Bear, and who,
when in despair he turned and raised his stick against
his assailant, was astonished to see the Bear rear itself
on its hind legs, and begin to dance. It had escaped
from captivity, and had been taught to dance when a
stick was held up by its keeper. But to give the Bear
this kind of education, it must be taken when young,
and accustomed early to restraint and discipline, as
an old Bear will not suffer constraint without discover-
ing the most furious resentment: neither the voice
nor the menaces of his keeper have any effect upon
him ; he growls equally at the hand that is held out to
feed, and that which is raised to correct him. The
female Bears bring forth two or three young, and are
very careful of their offspring. The fat of the Bear is
reckoned very useful in rheumatic complaints, and for
anointing the hair : his fur affords comfort to the inha-
bitants of cold climates, and ornaments to those of
warm. It was anciently supposed, that the young Bear,
when first brought forth, was merely an unformed mass,
till its mother licked it into shape; and hence the
expression, " he wants licking into shape," was fre-
quently employed by the old dramatists, when speaking
of an awkward, clownish man.
The Brown Bear was at one time common in the
British islands. " Many years ago it has been swept
away so completely, that we find it imported for bait-
ing, a sport in which our nobility, as well as the com-
48
Quadrupeds.
monalty, of the olden time nay, even royalty itself
delighted. A bear-bait was one of the recreations
offered to Elizabeth at Kenil worth, and in the Earl of
Northumberland's Household Book we read of twenty
shillings for his bearward. In Southwark there was a
regular bear-garden, that disputed popularity with the
Globe and Swan theatres, on the same side of the
water. Now, however, so much do tastes alter, (in this
instance certainly for the better) such barbarous sports
are banished from the metropolis."
The Bear is a flat-footed animal, and can stand easily
upon its broad hind feet, but is extremely awkward and
sluggish in its movements. He possesses, however, the
faculty of climbing to an extraordinary degree ; and, in
his native country frequently ascends lofty trees in pur-
suit of honey, of which he is excessively fond. Bears
swim well, and will cross not only broad rivers, but
sometimes even an arm of the sea.
THE MALAYAN SUN-BEAK. (Ursus Malayanus.)
IN this Bear the hair is short and black, except on the
The Malayan Sun-Bear.
49
breast, where there is a large triangular or heart-shaped
spot of white or tawny. He is very easily tamed when
taken young, and becomes rather an amusing pet. An
individual in Sir Stamford Baffles' possession, was so
tame, that he would play with children, and could be
admitted to the dinner-table, when he gave proof of the
soundness of his judgment as an epicure, by refusing to
eat any fruit but mangosteens, or to drink any wine but
champagne. The only time that he was known to
be out of humour was, when there was no champagne
for him. In a wild state, this Bear feeds on vegetables
and honey. It is a native of Malacca and the eastern
islands.
50
Quadrupeds
THE POLAE, OR GREAT WHITE BEAR
(Ursus maritimus.)}
THE POLAR BEAR is generally from six to eight feet long.
The fur is long and white, with a tinge of yellow, which
becomes darker as the animal advances in age ; the ears
are small and round, and the head long. It inhabits the
Arctic shores of both hemispheres. It walks heavily,
and is very clumsy in all its motions ; its senses of hear-
ing and seeing appear very dull, but its smell is very
acute ; and it does not appear destitute of some degree of
understanding, or at least of cunning. Captain King,
who visited the shores of the Arctic Ocean in 1835,
relates a curious instance of the cunning of this animal :
" On one occasion a Polar bear was seen to swim cau-
tiously to a large piece of ice, on which two female
walruses were lying asleep with their cubs. The Bear
crept up some hummocks behind them, and with his fore
feet loosened a large block of ice, which, with the help
of his nose and paws, he rolled and carried till it was
immediately over the heads of the sleepers, when he let
it fall on one of the old animals, which was instantly
killed. The other walrus, with its cubs, rolled into the
water, but the young one of the murdered female re-
mained by its dam, and on this helpless creature tho
Bear rushed, thus killing two animals a t once."
The Eacoon. 51
The ferocity of this kind of Bear is equal to its cun-
ning. A few years since, the crew of a boat belonging
to a ship in the whale-fishery, shot at a Bear at a short
distance and wounded it. The animal immediately set
up the most dreadful yells, and ran along the ice towards
the boat. Before it reached it, a second shot was fired,
and hit it. This served to increase its fury. It presently
swam to the boat ; and in attempting to get on board,
placed its fore foot upon the gunwale ; but one of the
crew having a hatchet, cut it oif. The animal still, how-
ever, continued to swim after them till they arrived at
the ship, and several shots were fired at it, which also
took effect; but on reaching the ship it immediately
ascended the deck, and the crew having fled into the
shrouds, it was pursuing them thither, when a shot from
one of them laid it dead on the deck.
THE EACOON. (Procyon lotor.)
THIS animal is a native of America, of the bear tribe :
in Jamaica they are very numerous, and do incredible
mischief to the plantations of sugar-cane and Indian corn,
especially to the latter while it is young. The Eacoon
is less than the fox hi size, and has a sharp-pointed nose.
His fore legs are shorter than the others. The colour of
his body is grey, with two broad rings of black round
the eyes, and a dusky line running down the middle of
the face. In the wild state the Eacoon is savage and
sanguinary, committing great destruction among both
wild and domesticated birds, without consuming any part
of them except the head, or the blood which flows from
52 Quadrtipeds.
their wounds. It is a good climber, the form of it*
claws enabling it to adhere to the branches of trees with
great tenacity. Racoons are easily domesticated, and
then become very amusing animals. They are as mis-
chievous as a monkey, seldom at rest, and extremely
sensible of ill treatment, which they never forgive. They
have great antipathy to sharp and harsh sounds, such as
the bark of a dog, and the cry of a child. They eat of
everything that is given them, and, like the cat, are
good providers, hunting after eggs, fruit, corn, insects,
snails, and worms ; and generally dip their food in water
before devouring it. A peculiarity which few other
animals are found to possess is, that they drink as well
by lapping like the dog, as by sucking like the horse.
These animals are hunted for the sake of their fur, which
is used by the hatters, and is considered next in value to
that of the beaver ; it is used also in linings for garments.
The skins, when properly dressed, are made into gloves
and upper-leathers for shoes. The negroes frequently
eat the flesh of the Racoon, and are very fond of it,
though it has a very disagreeable and rank smell. The
American hunters pique themselves on their skill in
shooting Racoons ; which from the extraordinary vigi-
lance and cunning of the animals, is by no means an
easy task.
When eating they support themselves on their hind
feet, and carry their food to the mouth with their fore
paws. Some of them are very fond of oysters and other
shell-fish, and show great dexterity in keeping the shells
open, while they extract the contents. Their most re-
markable peculiarity, however, is that already mentioned,
of dipping their food in water when there is any within
their reach ; though when there is not, they seem quite
contented to eat it dry.
The Coati-Nondi.
53
THE BADGER. (Meles Taxus.)
THIS animal inhabits most parts of Europe and Asia.
The length of the body is about two feet six inches from
the nose to the insertion of the tail, which is short, and
black like the throat, breast, and belly ; the hair of the
other part of the body is long and rough, of a yellowish
white at the roots, black in the middle, and greyish at
the point : the toes are much enveloped in the skin, and
the long claws of the fore feet enable the animal to dig
with great effect : under the tail there is a receptacle, in
which is secreted a white fetid substance, that constantly
exudes through the orifice, and thus gives the body a
most unpleasant smell. Being a solitary animal, it digs
a hole for itself, at the bottom of which it remains in
perfect security : it feeds upon young rabbits, birds and
their eggs, and honey. The female has generally three
or four young ones at a time.
THE COATI-MONDI. (Nasua Narica.)
THIS creature is a native of South America, not unlike
the Racoon in the general form of the body, and, like
that animal, frequently sits up on the hinder legs, and
54 Quadrupeds.
in this position, with both paws carries its food to its
mouth. Even in a state of tameness, it will pursue
poultry, and destroy every living thing that it has
strength to conquer. "When it sleeps it rolls itself into
a ball, and remains immovable for fifteen hours to-
gether. Its eyes are small, but full of life ; and, when
domesticated, it is very playful and amusing. A great
peculiarity belonging to this animal is the length of its
snout, which is movable in every direction. The ears
are round, and like those of a rat; the fore feet have
five toes each. The hair on the back is short and rough
and of a blackish hue ; the tail marked with rings of
black, like the wild cat ; the rest of the body is a mix-
ture of black and red. This animal is very apt to eat
its own tail, which is very long ; but this strange appe-
tite is not peculiar to the Coati alone ; the mococo and
some of the monkey tribe do the same, and seem to feel
no pain in wounding a part of the body so remote from
the centre of circulation.
THE CIVET, (Viverra Civetta,)
Is found in Northern Africa and Guinea, and is famous
for producing the perfume called civet. He is kept for
The Genet. 55
the sake of this perfume, and fed with a kind of soup
made of millet, or rice, with a little fish or flesh boiled
with it in water. The civet is found in a large double
glandular receptacle, situated at a little distance be-
neath the tail. When a sufficient time for the secretion
has been allowed, one of these animals is put into a long
wooden cage, so narrow that it cannot turn itself round.
The cage being opened by a door behind, a small spoon
is introduced through the orifice of the pouch, which is
carefully scraped ; this is done twice or thrice a week,
and the animal is said always to produce the most civet
after being irritated. The Civet, although a native of
the warmest climates, is yet found to live in temperate,
and even cold countries, provided it be defended care-
fully from the injuries of the air. In a wild state, the
Civet lives entirely on birds and small quadrupeds ; and
at any time a small quantity of salt is said to poison it.
THE GENET. (Viverm Genetta.)
THIS animal is about the size of a small cat. The skin
is spotted and beautiful, of a reddish grey colour. The
spots on the sides are round and distinct, those on the
back almost close; its tail is long, and marked with
seven or eight rings of black. From an orifice beneath
its tail it yields a kind of perfume, which smells faintly
of musk. This little animal is meek and gentle, except
when provoked, and is easily domesticated. In Con-
stantinople it strays from house to house like our cat,
and keeps whatever house it is in perfectly free from
mice and rats, which cannot endure its smell. It is
found wild in various parts of the south of Europe, and
also throughout the continent of Africa. Its fur is
56
Quadrupeds.
beautiful and soft, and valuable as an article of com-
merce. The eyes of the Genet contract when exposed
to the light, like those of the cat; and it can draw
in its claws in nearly the same manner.
THE ORIENTAL CIVET, (Viverra Z'ibetlia,)
Is an inhabitant of the south of Asia and of the islands
of the Indian Archipelago. It is rather smaller than
the African Civet, but is very sanguinary in its habits,
causing a great destruction of poultry and even ot lambs
and young pigs. The perfume furnished by this species
is highly esteemed by the natives of eastern countries.
THE ICHNEUMON, OR EGYPTIAN MANGOUSTE,
OR PHAEAOH'S RAT. (Eerpestes Ichneumon.)
THIS animal bears a close resemblance to the weasel
tribe, both in form and habits. From the tip of the
nose to the root of the tail, it is about eighteen inches
in length. At the base, the tail is very thick, tapering
gradually towards the point, which is slightly tufted.
It has a long, active body, short legs, lively and piercing
The Ichneumon. 57
eves, and a pointed nose; the hair is rough and bristly,
of a pale reddish grey.
The Ichneumon is celebrated in the mythology of
ancient Egypt, where it has long been domesticated,
and where it was ranked amongst the divinities, on
account of its great utility in destroying serpents,
snakes, rats, mice, and other vermin : it is also fond of
crocodiles' eggs, which it digs out of the sand where
they have been deposited. It is a very fierce, though
small animal, and will fight with dogs, foxes, and even
jackals, with great fury. It will not breed in confine-
ment, but may be easily tamed when taken young.
The following particulars are related by M. D'Obson-
ville, in his Essays on the Nature of various foreign
Animals : *' I had an Ichneumon very young, which I
brought up. I fed it at first with milk, and afterward
with baked meut mixed with rice. It soon became even
tamer than a cat ; for it came when called, and followed
me, though at liberty, in the country. One day I
brought this animal a small water-serpent alive, being
desirous to know how far his instinct would carry him
against a being with which he was as yet totally un-
acquainted. His first emotion seemed to be astonish-
ment mixed with anger, for his hair became erect ; but
in an instant he slipped behind the reptile, and with
remarkable swiftness and agility leaped upon its head,
seized it, and crushed it between his teeth. This essay,
and new food, seemed to have awakened in him his in-
nate and destructive voracity, which till then had given
way to the gentleness he had acquired from education.
I had about my house several curious kinds of fowls,
among which he had been brought up, and which, till
then, he had suffered to go and come unmolested and
unregarded : but a few days after, when he found him-
self alone, he strangled them everyone, ate a little, and,
as it appeared, drank the blood of two."
The MOONGUS (Herpestes griseus) and the GARANGAN
(Herpestes Javanicus) are eastern species of Ichneumons ;
the former inhabits India, and the latter the island of
Java. Like the Egyptian Ichneumon, they are great
3nemies of snakes and other reptiles, and also destroy
58
Quadrupeds.
rats, but unfortunately they often commit great havoc
among poultry.
The mode in which the Ichneumon seizes a serpent is
thus described by Lucan in his Pharsalia :
" Thus oft the Ichneumon, on the banks of Nile,
Invades the deadly aspic by a wile ;
While artfully his slender tail is played,
The serpent darts upon the dancing shade,
Then turning on the foe with swift surprise,
Full on the throat the nimble traitor flies,
And in his grasp the panting serpent dies."
THE WEASEL. (Mustela vulgaris.)
THE animals belonging to this genus, notwithstanding
their small size, are all carnivorous, and from their slen-
der and lengthened bodies, short legs, and the very free
motion in every direction, permitted by the loose articu-
lations of the spine, are well formed for pursuing their
prey into the deepest recesses. Constituted by nature
to subsist on animals, many of which have great strength
and courage, they possess an undaunted and ferocious
disposition. The Weasel has a long and thin body ; its
length, with its tail, is ten inches, and its height not
more than an inch and a half. In the northern parts of
The Weasel 59
Europe they are very numerous. Mice of every descrip-
tion, the field and the water-vole, rats, moles, and small
birds, are their ordinary food, and occasionally rabbits
and partridges. When driven by hunger, it will boldly
attack the poultry-yard. The Weasel, when it enters a
hen roost, never meddles with the cocks or old hens, but
makes choice of the pullets and young chickens ; these
it kills with a single stroke on the head, and carries
away one after the other. It sucks the eggs with
avidity, making a small hole at one end, through which
it draws out the yolk. In winter it resides in granaries
and hay-lofts, and in summer chooses the low lands
about the mills and streams, where it hides among the
bushes, and in the hollows of old trees.
It was formerly supposed that the Weasel was un-
tamable ; but Buifon, in a supplementary volume, cor-
rects this error, and from a letter of a female correspond-
ent, shows that it may be rendered as familiar as a cat
or a lapdog. It frequently eat from his correspondent's
hand, and seemed fonder of milk and fresh meat than of
any other food. "If I present my hands," says this
lady, " at the distance of three feet, it jumps into them
without ever missing. It shows a great deal of address
and cunning, in order to accomplish its ends, and seems
to disobey certain prohibitions merely through caprice.
During all its actions it seems solicitous to divert and
be noticed, looking at every jump and at every turn to
see whether it be observed or not. If no notice be
taken of its gambols, it ceases them immediately, and
betakes itself to sleep; and when awaked from the
soundest sleep, it instantly resumes its gaiety, and frolics
about in as sprightly a manner as before. It never
shows any ill humour, unless when confined or too much
teased, in which case it expresses its displeasure by a
sort of murmur, very different from that which it utters
when pleased."
Weasels and ferrets are used by rat-catchers to drive
the rats out of their holes ; and they kill a great many,
the habit of the Weasel being to kill its prey by biting
the head, so that the teeth penetrate the brain, and then
to throw the body aside, or hide it till a future period.
60
Quadrupeds.
^M^^^f^ L -'
> v ^ =-
THE FERRET, (Mustela /two,)
Is a small, yet bold animal, and an enemy to all others
but those of his own kind. He closely resembles the
Polecat, and is considered by many naturalists, to be
merely a domesticated variety of that animal. His eyes
are remarkably fiery. He is much used to drive rabbits
from, their holes, and for this purpose is always muzzled,
as otherwise he would feast upon the blood of the first
rabbit he met with, and then quietly lay himself down
in the burrow to sleep. He is such an inveterate enemy
to the rabbit, that if a dead one be presented to a young
Ferret, he instantly bites it with an appearance of rapa-
city ; or, if it be living, the Ferret seizes it by the neck,
winds himself round it, and continues to suck its blood
till he be satiated ; indeed, his appetite for blood is
so strong, that he has been known to attack and kill
children in the cradle. He is very soon irritated ; and
his bite is very difficult to be cured.
Our figure is full large, as the length of the animal is
usually about thirteen inches, exclusive of the tail,
which is about five.
The Polecat. 61
THE POLECAT. ( Mustela putorius.)
THE strong and disagreeable smell of this animal is pro-
verbial; its skin is stiff, hard, and rugged, and when
well prepared, is very desirable as clothing. It is about
seventeen inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which
is about six inches. The breast, tail, and legs are of
a blackish colour, but the belly and sides yellowish* It
sometimes conceals itself in secret corners about houses,
and is then a disastrous pest to the poultry -yard. These
animals usually frequent the woods and destroy a great
quantity of game; and some, forsaking the haunts of
man, retire to the rocks and crevices of the cliffs on the
sea shore, preferring a meagre and scanty diet with
security, to the daintiness of chicken-flesh and eggs,
attended with trouble and fear. Rabbits seem to be
their favourite prey, and a single Polecat is often suffi-
cient to destroy a whole warren ; for with that insa-
tiable thirst for blood which is natural to all the weasel
tribe, it kills much more than it can devour; and
twenty rabbits have been found dead, which one Pole-
cat had destroyed by a wound hardly perceptible. The
Polecat is the same with the Fitchet or Foumart, the hair
of which is made into fine brushes and pencils for
the use of painters. This small animal is fierce and
bold. When attacked by a dog, it will defend itself
with great spirit, attack him in turn, fastening upon
the nose of its enemy with so keen a bite, as frequently
to oblige him to desist. When heated or enraged, the
smell it emits is absolutely intolerable.
62
Quadrupeds.
THE EKMINE. (Mustela erminea.')
THIS, which is also called the STOAT, is a smaller species
than the Polecat, and is less common in England than
the latter, although in Scotland it is tolerably abun-
dant. Its colour in summer, is reddish brown on the
back and white underneath; but in winter the whole
of the fur becomes pure white, except on the tail, which
is always black, and it is in this state that the fur of the
Ermine is so highly esteemed. In the North of Europe,
Siberia, and the most northern parts of America, Er-
mines are found in immense numbers, and great quan-
tities of them are killed for the sake of their skins,
of which several hundred thousand are annually ex-
ported from those inclement northern regions, to serve
for the adornment of ladies dress, and of the state robes
of peers and other high dignitaries, in more civilized
countries. The pure white skin adorned with the jet
black tails of the little animals, is indeed one of the
most elegant of all furs ; but from the immense quantities
in which the skins are imported, they have become so
cheap that ermine can no longer be regarded as a fashion-
able fur, and it is chiefly employed for those purposes to
which custom has, in a manner, consecrated its use.
Like the Polecat, and others of its kind, the Ermine
The Skftmk.
63
is a bloodthirsty little creature, and so bold that it will
attack animals much larger than itself. It is very
destructive to poultry and game, and even pursues
hares with success ; those animals, although so fleet of
foot appearing to be so fascinated by the approach of
their little enemy, that they do not betake themselves
to flight, but hop slowly along, until the fangs of the
destroyer are fixed in the throat of its victim, when all
efforts to shake him off are unavailing. The Ermine is
also one of the great enemies of the water-rat, which it
will follow into the water. The dwelling-place of the
Ermine is a narrow burrow, usually in the midst of a
thicket, or furze-bush ; it sometimes takes up its abode
in a rabbit burrow. In this country the female produces
four or five young at a birth ; but in North America
the litter is said to consist of ten or twelve little ones.
THE SKUNK, (Mustela, or Mephitis Americana,)
WHICH is found in most parts of North America, is curi-
ously marked with a pair of white stripes running
t& Quadrupeds.
down the sides of the back. It feeds upon mice and
other small quadrupeds, and also in summer upon frogs.
The Skunk is of a stout and rather heavy form, and
runs but slowly, so that when pursued it would have
but a small chance of making its escape, but for a sin-
gular provision with which it has been endowed by
nature. This consists of a yellow fluid of the most hor-
rible odour, contained in a small bag or pouch under
the root of the tail ; which the creature is enabled
to discharge to a distance of more than four feet, so that
even if the noisome discharge does not actually reach
and smother the animal's pursuers, it forms between
them and their intended victim, a sort of invisible bar-
rier, which few noses are able to pass. The smell is so
strong that it has been known to produce sickness at
a distance of a hundred yards, and so persistent, that
the spot where a Skunk has been killed, will retain the
taint for many days. The flesh of this animal is, how-
ever, considered excellent food by the Indians.
THE SABLE. (Mustela, or Martes Zibellina.)
THIS animal is a native of Siberia, Kamtschatka, and
Asiatic Eussia, and it frequents the banks of rivers,
and the thickest parts of the woods. It lives in holes
under the ground, and especially under the roots of
trees ; but sometimes makes its nest, like the squirrel,
in the hollows of trees. The skin of the Sable is more
valuable than that of any other animal of equal size.
One of these skins, not more than four inches broad,
has sometimes been valued at as high a rate as fifteen
pounds ; but the general price is from one to ten pounds,
according to the quality. The Sable's fur is different
The Salle.
65
from all others, its peculiarity being, that the hair turns
with equal ease either way; on which account fur
dealers sometimes blow the fur of any article they may
be selling, to show that it is really Sable. The tails are
sold by the hundred, at from four to eight pounds.
The AMERICAN SABLE (M. leucopus) is considered to
be a distinct species.
The common, or BEECH MARTEN, (Mustela Martes or
Martes foina,~) like the Sable, boasts the honour of adorn-
ing with his fur the rich and the beautiful ; as princes,
ladies, and opulent people of all nations, pride them-;
selves in wearing his spoils. He is about as big as
a cat, but his body is much longer proportionately, and'
the legs shorter. His skin is of a light brown, with
white under the throat. The fur of the Marten fetches
a good price, and is much used in European countries,
though very far inferior to that of the Sable : the best,
which is called Stone Marten fur by the furriers, is
imported from Sweden and Kussia.
66
The Pine, or YELLOW-BREASTED MARTEN (M. Abietum),
is another species, the fur of which is nearly equal to
that of the Sable, though it is much cheaper.
THE OTTER. (Latra vulgaris.}
" Forth from his den the Otter drew,
Grayling and trout their tyrant knew,
As between reed and sedge lie peers,
With fierce round snout and sharpened ears,
Or, prowling by the moonbeam cool,
Watches the stream or swims the pool."
SCOTT.
As the Otter lives principally on fish, the formation
of his body is such as will enable him to swim with the
greatest facility. His body is flattened horizontally;
his tail is flat and broad ; his legs are short, and his toes
webbed. His teeth are very strong and sharp ; and his
body, besides its fur, has an outer covering of coarse
shining hair. The Otter is a perfect epicure in his food ;
he seldom eats an entire fish, but beginning at the head,
eats that, and about half the body, always rejecting the
tail. When the rivers and ponds are frozen so that the
Otter can get no fish, he will visit the neighbouring
The Offer. 67
farm-yards, where he will attack the poultry, sucking-
pigs, and even lambs. An Otter may be tamed, and
taught to catch fish enough to sustain not only himself,,
but a whole family. Goldsmith states, that he saw
an Otter go to a gentleman's pond at the word of com-
mand, drive the fish into a corner, and seize upon the
largest of the whole, bring it off, and give it to his
master.
Bewick, in his History of Quadrupeds, states, that a
person of the name of Collins, who lived at Kilmerston,
near Wooler, in Northumberland, had a tamo Otter,
which followed him wherever he went. He frequently
took it to fish in the river ; and, when satiated, it never
failed to return to him. One day, in the absence of
Collins, the Otter, being taken out to fish by his son, in-
stead of returning as usual, refused to come at the accus-
tomed call, and was lost. The father tried every means
in his power to recover the animal ; and, after several
days' search, being near the place where his son had
lost it, and calling it by name, to his inexpressible joy
it came creeping to his feet, and showed many marks of
affection and attachment.
The female Otter produces four or five young ones at
a birth, and these in the spring of the year. WherQ
there have been ponds near a gentleman's house, in->
stances have occurred of their littering in cellars or
68
Quadrupeds.
drains. The male utters no noise when taken, but the
females sometimes emit a shrill squeak.
Otters are generally caught in traps placed near their
landing-places, and carefully concealed in the sand.
When hunted by dogs, the old ones defend themselves
with great obstinacy. They bite severely, and do not
readily quit their hold. Otter-hunting is a favourite
sport in many parts of Great Britain-, particularly in
the midland counties of England, and in Wales.
THE SEA OTTEE. (Lutra or Enhdymlutris.}
THE common Otter sometimes takes to the sea ; but, on
the eastern coasts of Northern Asia and the opposite
shores of North America, true Sea Otters are met with,
chiefly about the numerous rocky islands which fringe
those coasts. The Sea Otter in its habits resembles the
seals more than the common species ; it is about three
feet long without the tail, and is covered with a thick,
rich, dark brown, or nearly black fur, which is so highly
prized that single fine skins have been known to sell for
a sum equivalent to twenty pounds, and the animals
have, in consequence, been pursued with sack avidity,
that their numbers are greatly reduced.
The Common Seal.
69
THE COMMON SEAL. (PJioca vitulina.)
THE amphibious flesh-eating animals, though nearly
allied to the otter in their habits, are very different in
the construction of their bodies. Their feet are so short
and so enveloped in skin, that they are of scarcely any use
in assisting the animal on dry land ; so that the Seal's
progress on solid ground is only effected by a sort of half
tumbling, jumping, and shuffling motion, excessively
ridiculous to a looker-on. The feet, however, which are
furnished with strong claws, are of use in enabling the
animal to climb out of the water over a rocky shore.
For swimming, the Seal is admirably adapted ; its long
flexible body is shaped like that of a fish, tapering to tho
tail ; and it is furnished with strong webs between the
toes, so as to make the fore feet act as oars, and the hind
feet, which the animal generally drags behind it like a
tail, to serve as a rudder. The Common Seal lives
generally in the water, and feeds entirely on fish ; only
coming to shore occasionally to bask on the sands, and to
lie there to suckle its young. The usual length of a
Seal is four or five feet. The head is large and round ;
the neck small and short ; and on each side of the mouth
70 Quadrupeds.
there are several strong bristles. From the shoulders
the body tapers to the tail, which is very short. The
eyes are large : there are mo external ears ; and the
tongue is cleft or forked at the end. The body is covered
with short thick-set hair, which in the common species
is generally grey, but sometimes brown or blackish.
There are, however, several species; and one of them,
which is called the sea-leopard, has the fur spotted with
white or yellow.
Seals are hunted by the Greenlanders for the sake of
their oil, and also for their skins, which are used for
making waistcoats and other articles of clothing, and are
much prized by the fishermen for their great warmth.
The oil, of which a full grown specimen yields four or
five gallons, is very clear and transparent, and destitute
of the unpleasant odour and taste of whale-oil. When
attacked, they fight with great fury ; but when taken
young, are capable of being tamed ; they will follow
their master like a dog, and come to him when called by
the name given to them. Some years ago a young Seal
was thus domesticated. It was taken at a little distance
from the sea, and was generally kept in a vessel full of
salt water : but sometimes it was allowed to crawl about
the house, and even to approach the fire. Its natural
food was regularly procured for it ; and it was carried to
the sea every day, and thrown in from a boat. It used
to swim after the boat, and always allowed itself to
be taken back. It lived thus for several weeks, and
probably would have lived much longer, had it not
been sometimes too roughly handled. The females in
this climate bring forth in winter, and rear their
young upon some sand-bank, rock, or desolate island,
at some distance from the main land. When they
suckle their young, they sit up on their hinder legs,
while the little Seals, which are at first white, with
woolly hair, cling to the teats, which are four in num-
ber. In this manner the young continue in the place
where they are brought forth for twelve or fifteen
days ; after which the dam brings them down to the
water, and accustoms them to swim and get their food
by their own industry.
The Common Seal 71
In Newfoundland the Seal-fishery forms an important
source of wealth, and numerous ships are sent out every
season among the ice in search of Seals. One ship has
been known to catch five thousand Seals, but about half
that number is the usual quantity taken. As soon as the
Seal is killed, it is skinned, and the pelt, as the skin and
blubber together is called, being preserved, the body of
the Seal is either eaten by the sailors, or left on the ice
for the polar bears.
The aboriginal inhabitants of the northern regions
have several strange superstitions about Seals. They
believe that Seals delight in thunder-storms; and say,
that during these times they will sit on the rocks, and
contemplate, with apparent pleasure and gratification,
the convulsion of the elements. The Icelanders, in par-
ticular, are said to believe that these animals are the
offspring of Pharaoh and his host, who were converted
into Seals when they were overwhelmed in the Bed Sea.
Several species of Seals are distinguished by curious
appendages to the head, sometimes in the form of a
hood, sometimes in that of a projection from the nose.
One of the most singular is the Sea Elephant (Morunga
proboscidea^ an inhabitant of the shores of the numerous
islands scattered over the great Southern Ocean. In this
curious animal, which often measures twenty-four feet
in length, the nose of the male forms a proboscis about a
foot long and capable of considerable distension. The
female has no such appendage. The young of the Sea
Elephant, when just born, is said to be as large as a full
grown seal of the common species. The skin in the old
animals is very thick, and forms an excellent leather for
harness.
72 Quadrupeds.
THE WALBUS, MOESE, OE SEA-COW.
(Tnchechus JRosmarus.)
THIS very curious animal is nearly allied to the Seal, bu1
is of much greater size, being frequently eighteen feet
in length, and from ten to twelve feet in girth. The
head is round, the eyes are small and brilliant, and the
upper lip, which is enormously thick, is covered with
pellucid bristles, as large as a straw. The nostrils are
very large, and there are no external ears. The most
remarkable part of the Walrus is, however, his two large
tusks in the upper jaw ; they are inverted, the points
nearly uniting, and sometimes exceed twenty-four inches
in length ! the use which the animal makes of them is
not easily explained, unless they help him to climb up
the rocks and mountains of ice among which he takes up
his abode, as the parrot employs his beak to get upon his
perch. The tusks of the Walrus are superior in dura-
bility and whiteness to those of the elephant, and, as
they keep their colour much longer, are preferred by
dentists to any other substance for making artificial
teeth.
The Walrus is common in some of the northern seas,
and will sometimes attack a boat full of men. They are
gregarious animals, usually found in herds of from fifty
to one hundred or more, sleeping and snoring on the
icy shores ; but when alarmed they precipitate them-
selves into the water with great bustle and trepidation,
The Walrus.
73
and swim with such rapidity, that it is difficult to over*
take them with a boat. One of their number always
keeps watch while the others sleep. They feed on shell-
fish and sea-weeds, and yield an oil equal in goodness to
that of the whale. The white bear is their greatest
enemy. In the combats between these animals, the
Walrus is said to be generally victorious, on account of
the desperate wounds it inflicts with its tusks. The
females have only one young one at a time, which, when
born, resembles a good sized-pig.
74 Quadrupeds.
IT. Insectivorous, or Insect-eating Animals.
THE HEDGEHOG. (Erinaceus Europeans.)
THIS animal is something like a porcupine in miniature,
and is covered all over with strong and sharp spines or
prickles, which he erects when irritated. His common
food consists of worms, slugs, and snails ; and thus, far
from being a noxious animal in a garden, he is a very
useful one, as he feeds upon all the insects he can find.
Hedgehogs inhabit most parts of Europe. Notwith-
standing its formidable appearance, it is one of the most
harmless animals in the world. While other creatures
trust to their force, their cunning, or their swiftness,
this quadruped, destitute of all, has but one expedient
for safety, and from this alone it generally finds protec-
tion. The instant it perceives an enemy, it withdraws
all its vulnerable parts, rolls itself into a ball, and pre-
sents nothing to view but a round mass of spines, im-
pervious on every side. When the Hedgehog is thus
rolled up, the cat, the weasel, the ferret, and the marten,
after wounding themselves with the prickles, quickly
decline the combat ; and the dog himself generally
spends his time in empty menaces rather than in effec-
tual efforts, while the little animal waits patiently till its
enemy, by retiring, affords an opportunity for retreat.
The female produces from two to four young ones at a
birth. When first born they are blind, and their spines
white and soft, but they become hard in a few days.
The Hedgehog. 75
The Hedgehog is said to suck the milk from cows ; but
this is impossible, as the mouth of the Hedgehog would
not admit the teat of the cow. The Hedgehog, how-
ever, sometimes destroys eggs, and has been known to
attack frogs, mice, and even toads, when pressed by
hunger ; it will also occasionally eat the tuberous roots
of plants, boring under the root, so as to devour it, and
yet leave the stem and leaves untouched. The Hedge-
hog makes himself a nest of leaves and soft wool for the
winter, in the hollow trunk of an old tree, or in a hole
in a rock or bank ; and here, having coiled himself up,
he passes the winter in one long unbroken sleep.
Hedgehogs may easily be tamed, and are sometimes kept
in the kitchens in London houses to destroy the black-
beetles. The flesh of the Hedgehog iB sometimes eaten ;
especially by gipsies, who appear to consider it a delicacy.
It is said to be well-tasted, and to have abundance of
yellow fat.
In times when insect food is scarce he will also regale
himself upon apples and pears which have fallen from the
trees, but a glance at the structure of the creature ought
to be sufficient to convince any one that the charges often
brought against him of climbing trees to detach the
fruit which he is said afterwards to carry off by the
ingenious expedient of throwing himself down upon it
from the branches so as to attach it to his spines, are
totally without foundation.
76
Quadrupeds.
THE MOLE. (Talpa Europcea.)
THE MOLE is a curious, awkwardly-shaped animal, with
a long flexible snout, very small eyes, and hand-like fore
feet, armed with very strong claws, with which it scrapes
its way through the ground, when it is forming the sub-
terranean passages in which it takes up its abode. The
Mole, though it is supposed not to possess the advantage
of sight, has the senses of hearing and feeling in great
perfection ; and its fur, which is short and thick, is set
erect from its skin, so as not to impede its progress
whether it goes forward or backwards along its runs.
These runs are very curiously constructed : they cross
each other at different points, but all lead to a nest in
the centre, which the Mole makes his castle, or place
of abode. The passages are made by the Mole in his
search after the earth-worms and grubs, on which he
lives; and the molehills are formed by the earth he
scrapes out of his runs. These molehills do a great deal
of mischief to grass lands, as they render the ground
very difficult to mow ; and on this account mole-catchers
are employed to fix traps in the ground, so that when the
mole is running through one of his passages, he passes
through the trap, which instantly springs up out of
The Mole. 77
the ground with the poor Mole in it. The female Mole
makes her nest at a distance from the male's castle.
She has young only once a year, but she has four or five
at a time.
The following curious fact respecting a Mole is related
by Mr. Bruce. " In visiting the Loch of Clunie, I ob-
served in it a small island, at the distance of a hundred
and eighty yards from the land. Upon this island Lord
Airlie, the proprietor, had a castle and small shrubbery.
I observed frequently the appearance of fresh molehills ;
but for some time took it to be the water mouse, and one
day I asked the gardener if it was so. He replied it
was the Mole, and that he had caught one or two lately ;
but that five or six years ago he had caught two in
traps, and for two years after this he had observed none.
But about four years since, coming ashore one summer's
evening in the dusk, he and Lord Airlie's butler saw, at a
small distance upon the smooth water, an animal pad-
dling to and not far distant from the island ; they soon
closed with the feeble passenger, and found it to be the
Common Mole, led by a most astonishing instinct from the
nearest point of land, (the castle-hill,) to take possession
of this island. It was at this time, for about the space
of two years, quite free from any subterraneous inhabi-
tant ; but the Mole has, for more than a year past, made
its appearance again."
The Mole is very pugnacious, and sometimes two of
the males will fight furiously till one of them is killed.
78 Quadrupeds.
THE SHEEW. (Sorex araneus.)
THIS curious little animal closely resembles a mouse, ex-
cept in its snout, which is long and pointed, to enable it
to grub in the ground for its food, which consists of
earthworms, and the grubs of beetles. The Shrew, like
the mole, is very fond of fighting ; and when two are
seen together, they are generally engaged in a furious
battle. Like the hedgehog, it has been much scanda-
lized by false reports, as will be seen by the following
extract from that most amusing and interesting work,
White's Selborne : " At the south corner of the area, near
the church, there stood, about twenty years ago, a very
old, grotesque, hollow pollard-ash, which for ages had
been looked upon with no small veneration as a shrew-
ash. Now a shrew-ash is an ash whose twigs and
branches, when applied to the limbs of cattle, will im-
mediately relieve the pains which a beast suffers from
the running of a Shrew-mouse over the part affected ; for
it is supposed that a Shrew-mouse is of so baneful and
deleterious a nature, that whenever it creeps over a
beast, be it a horse, or cow, or sheep, the suffering
animal is afflicted with cruel anguish, and threatened
with the loss of the use of the limb. Against this acci-
The Shrew. 79
dent, to which they were continually liable, our provi-
dent forefathers always kept a shrew-ash at hand, which,
when once medicated, would maintain its virtue for ever.
A shrew-ash was made thus : into the body of the
tree a deep hole was bored with an auger, and a poor
devoted Shrew-mouse was thrust in alive, and plugged
in." The cruelty of this, and many other practices of
our ancestors, ought to make us thankful that we live in
more enlightened days.
The body of the Shrew exhales a rank musky odour,
which renders the animal so offensive to cats, that though
they will readily kill them, they will not eat their flesh.
This noisome odour probably gave rise to the notion that
the Shrew-mouse is a venomous animal, and its bite
dangerous to cattle, particularly horses. It is, however,
neither venomous nor capable of biting, as its mouth
is not sufficiently wide to seize the double thickness
of the skin, which is absolutely necessary in order to
bite.
The female Shrew makes her nest in a bank, or if on
the ground, she covers it at the top, always entering on
the side ; and she has generally from five to seven young
ones at a time.
The Water Shrew (Sorex fodiens,) is a beautiful little
creature, with somewhat differently formed feet and tail,
to enable it to paddle through the water, in which it
dives and swims with great agility. When floating "on
the calm surface of a quiet brook," or diving after its
food, its black velvety coat becomes silvered over with
the innumerable bubbles of air that cover it when sub-
merged ; though when it rises again, the fur is observed
to be perfectly dry, repelling the water as completely as
the feathers of a water-fowl.
80
Quadrupeds.
III. Cheiropterous Animals.
THE BAT. (Vespertilio Noctula.)
THE BAT has the body of a mouse, and the wings of 3
bird. It has an enormous mouth, and large ears, which
are of a kind of membrane, thin and almost transparent.
The pinions of its wings are furnished with hooks, by
which it hangs to trees or the crevices in old walls
during the day, a great number of them together, as
they only fly at night. The wings of the Bat are very
large ; those of the Great Bat measuring fifteen inches
across. It feeds on insects of various kinds, particu-
larly on cockchafers and other winged beetles, part of
which, however, it always throws away. A female Bat
that was caught, and kept in a cage, ate meat when it
was given to her in little bits, and lapped water like a
cat. She was very particular in keeping herself clean,
using her hind feet like a comb, and parting her fur so
as to make a straight line down the back. Her wings
she cleaned by thrusting her nose into the folds, and
shaking them. She had a young one bom in the cage.
It was blind, and quite destitute of hair, and its mother
wrapped it in the membrane of her wing, pressing it so
closely to her breast, that no one could see her suckle it.
The next day the poor mother died, and the little one
was found alive, hanging to her breast. It was fed with
milk from a sponge, but only lived about a week.
The Long-Eared Bat.
81
THE PIPISTEELLE. ( Vespertilio Pipistrellus.)
THIS little creature, which is only an inch and a half in
length, appears to be the commonest of all Bats in most
parts cf Britain. It usually resides in cracks and cavi-
ties in old brick walls and in sheltered corners about
houses, and at the approach of evening quits its retreat,
and flies about capturing the gnats and other small
twilight-loving insects on which it feeds
THE LONG-EAKED BAT.
(Vespertilio or Plecotus auritus.)
THE LONG-EARED BAT, which is not uncommon in many
82 Quadrupeds.
parts of our country, is remarkable for the large size of
its ears, which are nearly as long as its little mouse-like
body, and composed of a membrane so delicate as to be
almost transparent. In front of the concave part of each
of these enormous ears there is a slender, pointed mem-
brane, which gives the little creature a most singular
appearance when reposing; for the great membranous
ears are then folded up, and carefully stowed away
under the wings, whilst these pointed lobes, being of a
stronger substance, still project from the head, and look
like a pair of little horns. The Long-eared Bat seems
to be one of the most interesting and amiable species of
its tribe ; it may be easily tamed, and, indeed, exhibits
great confidence from the first moment of its capture.
When several are kept together they will play in an
awkward manner, which is very diverting, and will
soon learn to take their insect food not only from the
hand, but even from the lips of their owner.
THE VAMPYRE BAT. (Pliyllostoma Spectrum.)
THE VAMPYRE BAT, which is a large species, is notorious
for its very bad habit of sucking the blood of men and
cattle. In making its attacks on man it exercises the
greatest caution, alighting close to the feet of its in-
tended victim during his slumbers, and fanning him
with its broad wings to keep him cool and comfortable
during the subsequent operations. Having made the
proper arrangements, the Vampyre proceeds to bite a
little piece out of the great toe of the slumberer, and
although the wound thus caused is so small that it
would not receive the head of a pin, it is deep enough
The Kalong Bat. 83
to cause a free flow of blood, which the Vampyre sucks
until it can suck no longer. Cattle are generally bitten
in the ear. Although there seems to be some exaggera-
tion in many of the accounts given by travellers of the
ferocity and sanguinary disposition of the Vampyre,
there would appear to be little doubt that the loss of
blood caused by its bite may occasionally prove fatal, the
sucking being continued, as Captain Stedman says, until
the sufferer sleeps " from time into eternity "
THE KALONG BAT. (Pteropus edulis.)
THIS Bat, which is also called the Flying Fox, is a native
of the Indian Islands. It is a large species, measuring
nearly two feet in length, whilst its large leathery
wings, resembling those seen in tho popular representa-
tions of flying demons, extend from tip to tip about five
feet. During the day the Kalongs indulge in sleep, for
which purpose they prefer an attitude which to our
notions would seem very uncomfortable ; they suspend
themselves by their hind feet to the branches of trees,
and thus hang with their heads downwards. They asso-
ciate in large numbers, and when seen sleeping in the
position above described, they look so little like animals
that Dr. Horsfield tells us they " are readily mistaken
84
Quadrupeds.
for a part of the tree, or for a fruit of uncommon size
suspended from its branches." At the approach of even-
ing, however, a very different scene presents itself. One
by one these supposed fruits are seen to quit their hold
upon the branches, and sail away to the plantations
of various kinds, to which they do incalculable mischief
by devouring every fruit that comes in their way.
IV. The Marsupialia, or Pouch-bearing Animals.
THE KANGAROO. (Macropus giganteus.)
THIS remarkable animal was first discovered by the cele-
brated Captain Cook, in New /lolland ; and as it was
the only quadruped discovered on the island by the first
settlers, they attempted to hunt it with greyhounds.
The astonishing leaps it took, however, quite puzzled the
colonists, who found it extremely difficult to catch. At
first it was supposed that there was only one kind of
Kangaroo, but now many species have been discovered,
some of them not larger than a rat, and others as big as
a calf. Kangaroos live in herds ; one, older and larger
than the rest, appearing to act as a kind of king. The
ears of the Kangaroo are large; and in almost constant
motion it has a hare-lip, and a very small head. The
The Kangaroo. 85
fore legs, or rather paws, are short and weak, with five
toes, each ending in a strong curved claw. The hind
legs, on the contrary, are very large and strong, but the
feet have only four toes, and much weaker claws. The
tail is very long and tapering ; but is so thick and strong
near the body, that it forms a kind of third hind leg, and
wonderfully assists the animal in supporting itself in its
ordinary upright position. Its leaps are of extraordinary
extent, being often from twenty to thirty feet in length,
and six or eight feet high. When the animal is attacked,
it uses its tail as a powerful instrument of defence, and
also scratches violently with its hind feet. It generally
sits upright, but brings its fore feet to the ground when
it is grazing. It lives entirely on vegetable substances.
The most curious part of the Kangaroo is the pouch
which the female has in front for carrying her young.
It is just below her breast, and the young ones sit there
to suck ; and even when they are old enough to leave
the pouch, take refuge in it whenever they are alarmed.
The Kangaroo is easily tamed, and there are many in
a tame state in England. In Australia, Kangaroo beef,
as it is called, is eaten, and found very nourishing ; but
it is hard and coarse. The female has generally two
young ones at a time, which do not attain their full
growth until they are a year old.
When a large Kangaroo is pursued by dogs, it generally
takes refuge in a pond, where, from the great length of
its hind legs and tail, it can stand with its body half out
of the water, while the dogs are obliged to swim. Thus
the Kangaroo has a decided advantage ; for, as each dog
approaches him, he seizes it with his fore paws, and
holds it under water, shaking it furiously till the dog is
almost suffocated, and very glad to sneak off as soon as
the Kangaroo lets him go.
The female, when pursued and hard-pressed by the
dogs, will, while making her bounds, put her fore paws
into her pouch, take a young one from it, and throw it
as far out of sight as she possibly can. But for this
manoeuvre, her own life and that of her young one
would be sacrificed ; whereas, she frequently contrives to
escape, and returns afterwards to seek for her offspring.
86 Quadrupeds.
THE VIKGINIAN OPOSSUM.
(Didelphis mrgmiana.)
THIS creature, which is a native of North America, is
about the size of a cat, and its fur is of a dingy white,
except the legs, which are brown, and the nose and ears,
which are yellowish. There is also a brownish circle
round each eye, and the ears are nearly black at the
The Opossum generally lives in trees, suspending itself
by the tail, by means of which it swings from branch
to branch. In this manner it catches the insects and
small birds, on which it generally feeds ; but sometimes
it descends from the tree, and invades poultry-yards,
where it devours the eggs, and sometimes the young
fowls. It resembles the kangaroo in its pouch for carry-
ing its young, but in no other particular, as it walks on
four feet, and its legs are uniform in length ; and it has
a long flexible tail, which is of no use to it either in
leaping, or as a weapon of defence. The tail is, how-
ever, of singular use to the young, as when they get too
large to be carried in the pouch, they fly to their mother
when alarmed, and twisting their long slender tails
round hers, leap upon her back. The female Opossum
may be sometimes seen thus carrying four or five at
once.
The Phalanger.
87
The Opossum may be easily tamed, but is an unplea-
sant inmate, from its awkward figure and stupidity, and
its very disagreeable smell. The American Indians spin
its hair and dye it red, and then weave it into girdles
and other articles of clothing. The flesh of these
animals is white and well tasted, and is preferred by the
Indians to pork : that of the young ones eats very much
like the sucking-pig.
THE PHALANGEK. (PMangista vulpina.)
THIS animal, which is very common in Australia, has
some resemblance in its aspect and colour to a fox; but
is much smaller. It has a long, furred tail, very dif-
ferent from that of the opossum. The Phalanger lives
amongst the branches of the trees, on which it climbs
about at night with great agility; its food consists
partly of fruits and partly of small birds, which it easily
captures during its nocturnal excursions. It is called
the Opossum by the colonists of Australia. There are
88
Quadrupeds.
several kinds of Plialangers, some of which are known
as Flying Phalangers, from their having a broad loose
fold of skin along each side, which, when stretched
out by means of the legs, serves to support the little
creature for a time in the air, and enables it to leap
to great distances.
V. Rodentia, or Gnawing Animals.
THE BEAVEK. (Castor Fiber.)
THE BEAVER is about the size of the badger; his head
short, his ears round and small, his fore teeth long, sharp,
and strong, and well calculated for the part which
Nature has allotted him: the tail is of an oval form,
and covered with a scaly skin.
Beavers are natives of North America, and more par-
ticularly the north of Canada. They are also found
in Europe, and were formerly abundant in many places.
Their houses are constructed with earth, stones, and
sticks, neatly arranged and worked together by their
paws. The walls are about two feet thick, and are sur-
mounted by a kind of dome, which generally rises about
four feet above them. The entrance is on one side,
always at least three feet below the surface of the water,
so as to prevent it being frozen up. The number of
The Beav&r. 89
Beavers in each house is from two to four old ones,
and about twice as many young. When Beavers form a
new settlement, they build their houses in the summer ;
and then lay in their winter provisions, which consist
principally of bark and the tender branches of trees, cut
into certain lengths, and piled in heaps on the outside
of their habitation, and always under the water ; though
sometimes the heap is so large as to rise above the
surface. One of these heaps will occasionally contain
more than a cart-load of bark, young wood, and the
roots of the water-lily.
Beavers are hunted for the sake of their skins, which
are covered with long hairs, and a short thick fur be-
neath, which is used in making hats, after the long hairs
have been destroyed.
A great many stories have long been believed respect-
ing the Beaver, on the authority of a French gentleman
who had resided a long time in North America; but
it is now ascertained that the greater part of them are
false. The house of the Beaver is not divided into
rooms, but consists of only one apartment; and the
animals do not use their tails either as a trowel or a
sledge, but only as an assistance in swimming. Some
years ago a Beaver was brought to this country from
America, that had been quite tamed by the sailors, and
was called Bunney. When he arrived in England, he
was made quite a pet of, and used to lie on the hearth-
rug in his master's library. One day he found out the
housemaid's closet, and his building propensities began
immediately to display themselves. He seized a large
sweeping brush, and dragged it along with his teeth to
a room where he found the door open: he afterwards
laid hold of a warming-pan in the same manner ; and
having laid the handles across, he filled up the walls of
the angle made by the brushes with the wall, with
hand-brushes, baskets, boots, books, towels, and any-
thing he could lay hold of. As his walls grew high, he
would often sit propped up by his tail (with which
he supported himself admirably), to lojk at what he
had done ; and if the disposition of any of his building
materials did not satisfy him, he would pull part of his
90 Quadrupeds.
work down, and lay it again more evenly. It was asto.
nishing how well he managed to arrange the incon^
gruous materials he had chosen, and how cleverly he
contrived io remove them, sometimes .carrying them
between his right lore-paw and his chin, sometimes
dragging them with his teeth, and sometimes pushing
them along with his chin. When he had built his walls,
he made himself a nest in the centre, and sat up in it,
combing his hair with the nails of his hind feet.
THE MUSK EAT, (Fiber ZibetMcus,)
Is a native of Canada, and resembles the beaver in many
of his habits. He has a fine musky scent, and makes
his holes in marshes and by the waterside, with two or
three ways to get in or go out, and several distinct
apartments : he is said to contrive one entrance to his
hole always below the water, that he may not be frozen
out by the ice. This animal is called the Musquash in
America, and its fur is used, like that of the beaver, in
the manufacture of hats, four or five hundred thousand
skins being said to be sent to Europe every year for
that purpose. Musk Rats are always seen in pairs ; and
though watchful, are not timid, as they will often
approach quite close to a boat or other vessel. In
spring they feed on pieces of wood, which they peel
carefully ; and they are particularly fond of the roots of
the sweet flag ( Acorus Calamus). In Canada this animal
is called the Ondatra.
TJie Hare.
91
THE HAKE. (Lepus timidus.)
THIS small quadruped is well known at our tables as
affording a favourite food, notwithstanding the dark
colour of its flesh. Its swiftness cannot save it from the
search of its enemies, among whom man is the most in-
veterate. Unarmed and fearful, the Hare appears almost
to sleep with open eyes, so easily is it alarmed. Its hind
legs are longer than its fore ones, to enable it to run up
hills ; its eyes are so prominently placed, that they can
encompass at once the whole horizon of the plain where
it has chosen its form, for so its seat or bed is called ;
and its ears so long, that the least noise cannot escape it.
It seldom outlives its seventh year, and breeds plen-
tifully. Naturally wild and timorous, the Hare may,
however, be occasionally tamed. The following is from
the entertaining account given by Cowper, of three
Hares that he brought up tame in his house ; the names
he gave them were Puss, Tiney, and Bess. Tiney was a
reserved and surly Hare; Bess, who was a Hare of
great humour and drollery, died young. " Puss grew
presently familiar, would leap into my lap, raise him-
self upon his hinder feet, and bite the hair from my
temples. He would suffer me to take him up and carry
him about in my arms, and has more than once fallen
fast asleep upon my knee. He was ill three days,
92 Quadrupeds.
during which time I nursed him, kept him apart from
his fellows that they might not molest him, (for, like
many other wild animals, they persecute one of their
own species that is sick,) and by constant care, and try-
ing him with a variety of herbs, restored him to perfect
health. No creature could be more grateful than my
patient after his recovery, a sentiment which he most
significantly expressed by licking my hand, first the
back of it, then the palm, then every finger separately,
then between all the fingers, as if anxious to leave
no part of it unsaluted; a ceremony which he never
performed but once again upon a similar occasion.
" Finding him extremely tractable, I made it my
custom to carry him always after breakfast into the
garden, where he hid himself generally under the leaves
of a cucumber vine, sleeping or chewing the cud, till
evening ; in the leaves also of that vine he found a
favourite repast. I had not long habituated him to this
taste of liberty, before he began to be impatient for the
return of the time when he might enjoy it. He would
invite me to the garden by drumming upon my knee,
and by a look of such expression as it was not possible
to misinterpret. If this rhetoric did not immediately
succeed, he would take the skirt of my coat between his
teeth, and pull at it with all his force. Thus Puss
might be said to be perfectly tamed, the shyness of his
nature was done away, and, on the whole, it was visible,
by many symptoms, which I have not room to enume-
rate, that he was happier in human society than when
shut up with his natural companions."
Hares are included in the list of animals called game,
and are hunted with greyhounds, which is called cours-
ing; and also by packs of dogs called harriers and
beagles. There are white Hares in the northern
regions, the change in colour being the effect of cold.
The EdbUL 93
THE BABBIT. (Lepus cuniculus.)
THIS animal, in a wild state, resembles the hare in all its
principal characters, but is distinguished from it by its
smaller size, the comparative shortness of the head and
hinder legs, the grey colour of the body, the absence of
the black tip to the ears, and the brown colour of the
upper part of the tail. Its habits, however, are very
different, as being from its organization unable to out-
strip its enemies in the chase, it seeks its safety and
shelter by burrowing in the ground ; and instead of lead-
ing a solitary life, its manners are eminently social. Its
flesh is white and good, though not so much prized as
that of the hare.
The female begins to breed when she is about twelve
months old, and bears at least seven times a year, gene-
rally eight at each time ; now supposing this to happen
regularly,, a couple of Babbits at the end of four years
might see a progeny of almost a million and a half!
Fortunately their destruction by various enemies is in
proportion to their fecundity, or we might justly appre-
hend being overstocked by them. The young are born
blind, and almost destitute of hair ; while those of the
hare can see, and are covered with hair.
94
Quadrupeds.
THE DOMESTIC BABBIT.
THE DOMESTIC RABBIT is larger than the wild species,
owing to its taking more nourishment and less exercise
(our example, however, is drawn disproportionately
large). Like pigeons, they have their regular fanciers,
and are bred of various colours grey, reddish brown,
black more or less mixed with white, or perfectly white.
The ears are considered to constitute a principal feature
of their beauty, and the animal is most valued when
both ears hang down by the side of the head ; the ani-
mal is then called a double lop; when only one ear
drops, it is called a single or horn lop, and when both
stretch out horizontally, an oar-lop.
The Squirrel 95
THE SQUIRREL. (Sciurus vulgaris.)
ELEGANCE of shape, spiritedness, and agility to leap from
bough to bough in the forest, are the principal character-
istics of this pretty animal. The Squirrel is of a deep
reddish brown colour, his breast and belly white. He
is lively, sagacious, docile, and nimble : he lives upon
nuts, and has been seen so tame as to dive into the
pocket of his mistress, and search after an almond or a
lump of sugar. In the woods he leaps from tree to tree
with surprising agility, living a most frolicsome life,
surrounded with abundance, and having but few ene-
mies. His time, however, is not entirely devoted to
idle enjoyment, for in the luxuriant season of autumn
he gathers provisions for the approaching winter, as if
conscious that the forest would then be stripped of its
fruits and foliage. His tail serves him as a parasol to
defend him from the rays of the sun, as a parachute to
secure him from dangerous falls when leaping from tree
to tree, and, some say, as a sail in crossing the water,
which he sometimes does in Lapland on a bit of ice or
bark inverted in the manner of a boat.
The American Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volucella)
has a large membrane proceeding from the fore feet to
the hind legs, which answers the same purpose as the
Squirrel's tail, and enables him to give surprising leaps
that almost resemble flying. In the act of leaping, the
loose skin is stretched out by the feet, whereby the sur-
face of the body is augmented, its fall is retarded, and it
96 Quadrupeds.
appears to sail or fly from one place to another. Where
numbers of them are seen at a time leaping, they appear
like leaves blown off by the wind. There are many
other kinds of Squirrels in various parts of the world ;
most of the Flying Squirrels are found in the eastern
islands.
THE DORMOUSE, OR SLEEPEE.
(Myoxus avellanarius.)
THESE animals build their nests either in the hollow
parts of trees, or near the bottom of thick shrubs, and
line them most industriously with moss, soft lichens,
and dead leaves. Conscious of the length of time they
have to pass in their solitary cells, Dormice are very
particular in the choice of the materials they employ to
build and furnish them ; and generally lay up a store of
food, consisting of nuts, beans, and acorns ; and on the
approach of cold weather roll themselves in balls, their
tail curled up over their head between the ears, and in
a state of apparent lethargy pass the greatest part of the
winter, till the warmth of the sun, pervading the whole
atmosphere, kindles their congealed blood, and calls
them back again to the enjoyment of life. Except in
the time of breeding and bringing up its young, the
Dormouse is generally found alone in its cell. This
animal is remarkable for the very small degree of heat
its body possesses during its torpid state, when it
appears actually frozen with the cold, and it may be
tossed or rolled about without being roused, though it
may be quickly revived by the application of gentle
heat, such as that of the hands. If a torpid Dormouse,
however, be placed before a large fire, the sudden
change will kill it.
The Marmot. 97
THE AMERICAN DORMOUSE, or GROUND SQUIRREL, is a
very beautiful animal, striped down the back, and re-
sembling the squirrel in its habits, except that instead of
living in trees it burrows in the ground.
THE MARMOT, OK ALPINE RAT.
(Arctomys Marmotta.)
THIS is a harmless, inoffensive animal, and seems to
bear enmity to no creature but the dog. He is caught
in Savoy, and carried about in several countries for the
amusement of the mob. When taken young, he is easily
tamed, and possesses great muscular power and agility.
He will often walk on his hinder legs, and uses his fore
paws to feed himself, like the squirrel. The Marmot
makes his hole very deep, and in the form of the letter
Y, one of the branches serving as an avenue to the
innermost apartment, and the other sloping downwards,
as a kind of sink or drain ; in this safe retreat he sleeps
throughout the winter, and if discovered may be killed
without appearing to undergo any great pain. These
animals produce but once a year, and bring forth three
or four at a time. They grow very fast, and the extent
of their lives is not above nine or ten years. They are
about the size of a rabbit, but much more corpulent.
When a number of Marmots are feeding together, one of
them stands sentinel upon an elevated position ; and on
the first appearance of a man, a dog, an eagle, or any
dangerous animal, utters a loud and shrill cry, as a sig-
nal for immediate retreat. The Marmot inhabits the
highest regions of the Alps ; other species are found in
Poland, Russia, Siberia, and Canada.
H
98 Quadrupeds.
THE GUINEAPIG. (Cavia Colaya.)
THIS animal is generally white, variegated with red and
black. It is a native of the Brazils, but now domesti-
cated in most parts of Europe, and is about the size of a
large rat, though more stoutly made, and without any
tail ; and its legs and neck are so short, that the former
are scarcely seen, and the latter seems stuck upon its
shoulders. Guineapigs, though they have a disagree-
able smell, are extremely cleanly, and the male and
female may be often seen alternately employed in
smoothing each other's skins, disposing their hair, and
improving its gloss. They sleep like the hare with
their eyes half open, and continue watchful if they
apprehend any danger. They are very fond of dark
retreats ; previously to their quitting which, they look
round, and seem to listen attentively ; then, if the road
be clear, they sally forth in quest of food, but run back
on the slightest alarm. They utter a sound like the
snore of a young pig. The female begins to produce
young when only two months old, and as she does so
every two or three months, and has sometimes as many
as twelve at a time, a thousand might be raised from a
single pair in the course of a year. They are naturally
gentle and tame ; as incapable of mischief as they seem
to be of good, although rats are said to avoid their
locality. The upper lip is only half divided; it has
two cutting teeth in each jaw, and large and broad ears,
They feed on bread, grain, and vegetables.
/r,
The Mouse. 99
n*.
THE MOUSE. (Mm musculus.)
THIS is a lively, active animal, and the most timid in na-
ture, except the hare, and a few other defenceless species.
Although timid, he eats in the trap as soon as he is
caught ; yet he never can be thoroughly tamed, nor does
he hetray any affection for his assiduous keeper. He is
beset by a number of enemies, among which are the cat,
the hawk, and owl, the snake, and weasel, and the rat
himself, though not unlike the mouse in his habits and
shape. The mouse is one of the most prolific of animals,
sometimes producing seventeen at a birth ; but it is sup-
posed that the life of this small inmate of our habitations
does not extend much further than three years. This
creature is known all over the world, and breeds wher-
ever it finds food and tranquillity. There are Mice of
various colours, but the most common kind is of a dark,
cinereous hue : white mice are not uncommon, particu-
larly in Savoy and some parts of France.
A remarkable instance of sagacity in a long-tailed
Field Mouse (Mus sijlvaticus) occurred to the Rev. Mr.
White, as his people were pulling off the lining of a hot-
bed, in order to add some fresh dung. From the side of
this bed something leaped with great agility, that made
a most grotesque appearance, and was not caught with-
out much difficulty. It proved to be a large Field Mouse,
with three or four young ones clinging to her teats by
their mouths and feet. It was amazing that the various
100 Quadrupeds.
and rapid motions of the dam did not oblige her litter to
quit their hold, especially when it appeared that they
were so young as to be both naked and blind. Mr. White
appears to be the first to describe and accurately examine
that diminutive creature the Harvest Mouse (Mm mes-
sorius], the least of all the British quadrupeds. He
measured some of them, and found that from the nose to
the tail they were two inches and a quarter long. Two
of them in a scale only weighed down one copper half-
penny, about the third of an ounce avoirdupoise ! Their
nest is a great curiosity, being made in the form of a
ball, and either suspended between the stems of rushes
and other tall slender plants, or placed amongst the
leaves of some large thistle.
THE RAT. (Mus decumanus.)
THE EAT is about four times as large as the mouse, but of
a dusky colour, with white under the body ; his head is
longer, his neck shorter, and his eyes comparatively
larger. These animals are so attached to our dwellings,
TJie Eat 101
that it is almost impossible to destroy the breed, when
they have once taken a liking to any particular place.
Their produce is enormous, as they have from ten to
twenty young ones at a litter, and this thrice a year.
Thus their increase is such, that it is possible for a single
pair (supposing food to be sufficiently plentiful, and that
they had no enemies to lessen their numbers) to amount
at the end of two years to upwards of a million ; but an
insatiable appetite impels them to destroy each other ;
the weaker always fall a prey to the stronger ; and the
large male Eat, which usually lives by itself, is dreaded
by those of its own species as their most formidable
enemy. The Rat is a bold and fierce little animal, and
when closely pursued, will turn and fasten on its assailant.
Its bite is keen, and the wound it inflicts is painful and
difficult to heal, owing to the form of its teeth, which
are long, sharp, and of an irregular form.
It digs with great facility and vigour, making its way
with rapidity beneath the floors of our houses, between
the stones and bricks of walls, and often excavating the
foundations of a dwelling to a dangerous extent. There
are many instances of their totally undermining the most
solid mason-work, or burrowing through dams which
had for ages served to confine the waters of rivers and
canals.
A gentleman, some time ago, travelling through Meck-
lenburgh, was witness to a very singular circumstance
respecting one of these animals, in the post-house at New
Hargarel. After dinner, the landlord placed on the floor
a large dish of soup, and gave a loud whistle. Imme-
diately there came into the room a mas tin , an Angora
cat, an old raven, and a large Rat with a bell about its
neck. They all four went to the dish, and without
disturbing each other, fed together ; after which, the dog,
cat, and Rat lay before the fire, while the raven hopped
about the room. The landlord, after accounting for the
familiarity which existed among these animals, informed
his guest that the Rat was the most useful of the four ;
for that the noise he made had completely freed the
house from the Rats and mice with which it had been
before infested.
102
Quadrupeds.
THE WATER BAT, (Arvicola amphibia,)
INHABITS the banks of rivers and ponds, where he digs
holes, always above the water-mark, and feeds on roots
and aquatic plants.
This animal is nearly as large as the brown Eat, but
has a larger head, a blunter nose, and smaller eyes ; its
ears are very short, and almost hidden in the fur, and
the tip of its tail is whitish ; the cutting- teeth are of a
deep yellow colour in front, very strong, and much
resembling those of the beaver. Its head and back are
covered with long black hair, and its belly with iron
gray. Tail more than half the length of the body,
covered with hairs. Fur thick and shining ; of a rich
reddish brown, mixed with gray above, yellowish gray
beneath. The female produces a brood of five or six
young ones once (and sometimes twice) a year.
The Lemming The Short-tailed Field-Mouse. 103
THE LEMMING, (Myodes Lemmus,)
WHICH is a near relation of the water-rat, and of about
the same size, is covered with fur of a yellowish colour
variegated with black. This animal resides in the moun-
tains of Norway and Sweden, and is remarkable for
performing extraordinary migrations in vast bodies at
the approach of a severe winter, and making their
appearance so suddenly and unexpectedly that people
formerly asserted they had fallen from the clouds. Not-
withstanding their supposed celestial origin, they are,
however, very unwelcome visitors, as they devour every-
thing eatable that comes in their way, and commit de-
vastations almost as serious as those of the locusts.
THE SHORT-TAILED FIELD-MOUSE,
OR FIELD-VOLE.
THIS little animal has most wonderful powers of repro-
duction, and, as it is extremely voracious, it often causes
an amount of destruction quite out of proportion to its
size and insignificant appearance. It burrows in the
ground, like the lemming and water-rat ; and as it gnaws
through the roots of trees that lie in its way, it has been
known to cause very serious loss of property. In the
year 1813 such immense numbers of these creatures were
collected in some of the forests of the South of England,
that it was feared all the young trees would be de-
stroyed, and it was found necessary to organise a war
of extermination against the invaders. It is said tbat
in New Forest alone not less than eighty or a hundred
thousand mice were killed in one season, and the
slaughter in other places was quite as great.
The Field- Vole's favourite food is the bark of trees and
roots, but, if pressed by hunger, it will attack and devour
its own kind.
104 Quadrupeds.
THE JERBOA. (Dipus cegyptius.)
THE principal peculiarity of this animal consists in its
having very short fore legs, and very long hinder ones :
a bird divested ot its feathers and wings, and jumping
upon its legs, would give us the nearest resemblance to
the figure of a Jerboa when pursued. It uses, however,
all its four feet upon ordinary occasions, and it is only
when pursued that it presses its fore feet close to its
body, and leaps on its hind ones. The ancients called
it the two-footed rat. This creature is about the size of
a rat ; the head resembles that of a rabbit, with long
whiskers ; the tail is ten inches long, and terminated by
a tuft of black hair. The fur of the body is tawny,
except the breast and throat, and part of the belly,
which are white. The Jerboa is very active and lively,
and jumps and springs, when pursued, six or seven feet
from the ground, with the assistance of its tail ; but if
this useful member be in any manner injured, the
activity of the Jerboa is proportionately diminished ;
and one which had been accidentally deprived of its tail,
was found unable to leap at all. It burrows like the
rabbit, and feeds like the squirrel: it is a native of
Egypt and the adjacent countries, and is also found in
eastern Europe.
The Chinchilla. 105
THE CHINCHILLA. (Chinchilla lanigera.)
THE CHINCHILLA is a native of America, and its coat pro-
duces the beautiful fur known by its name. The length
of the body of this little animal is about nine inches,
and its tail nearly five ; its limbs are comparatively
short, the hind legs being much the longest. The fur
is of a remarkably close and fine texture, somewhat
crisped, and entangled together; of a grayish or ash
colour above, and paler beneath. It is used for muffs,
tippets, and linings of cloaks, and is perhaps prettier
than the Sable, although less durable, and less valuable
in commerce, excepting when fashion rules. The form
of the head resembles that of the rabbit ; the eyes are
full, large, and black ; and the ears broad, naked, round
at the tips, and nearly as long as the head. The
whiskers are plentiful and strong, the longest being
twice as long as the head, some of them black, others
white. Four short toes, with an appearance of a thumb,
terminate the fore feet ; the hinder have the same num-
ber of toes, but have less the appearance of hands : on
all the claws are short, and nearly hidden by tufts of
bristly hairs. The tail is about half the length of the
body, of equal thickness throughout, and covered with
long bushy hairs. It resembles in some degree the jer-
boa, and takes its food, like that animal, in its fore paws,
sitting on its haunches. The temper of the Chinchilla is
mild and tractable. It dwells in burrows under ground,
and produces young twice a year, bringing forth five or
six at a time. It feeds upon the roots of bulbous plants.
106 Quadrupeds.
THE POKCUPINE. (Eystrix cristata.)
WHEN full grown this animal measures about two feet
in length, and his body is covered with hair and sharp
quills, from ten to fourteen inches long, and bent back-
wards. When he is irritated, they stand erect ; but the
stoiy that the Porcupine can shoot them at his enemies,
is only one of the many fables formerly related as facts
in Natural History. The female has only one young one
at a time. It is reported to live from twelve to fifteen
years. The Porcupine is dull, fretful, and inoffensive ;
it feeds upon fruits, roots, and vegetables ; and inhabits
the south of Europe, and almost every part of Africa,
particularly Barbary.
THE COUENDOU, (Hystrix, or Synetheres prehensilis,)
WHICH is also called the Brazilian Porcupine, is chiefly
found in Guiana, and differs from the common Porcu-
pine, not only in the shortness of its spines, but also in
the great length of its tail. This organ, which is a mere
stump in the common species, and only of use to him by
producing a rattling of its spines when shaken, in which
he seems to take great delight, is nearly as long as the
body in the Couendou, and as its extremity is nearly
naked, and can be curled up very tightly, the animal
makes use of it to cling to the branches of trees, amongst
which he is fond of climbing.
The Sloth.
107
VI. Edentata, or Toothless Animals.
THE SLOTH. (Bradypus tridadylus.)
THIS animal, which is sometimes also called the Ai, in
reference to a noise it makes when caught, and fre-
quently when moving through the forest, is most cu-
riously formed. The arms or fore legs are nearly twice
as long as the hind legs : the claws also are larger than
the foot, and bent inwardly, so as to prevent the animal
from placing the ball of its foot on the ground. From
these peculiarities in its construction the progress of the
Sloth on land is extremely slow and laborious, for being
incapable of supporting himself on his feet, he is com-
pelled to take advantage of every little inequality in the
round to drag himself along ; but he is not intended to
3 a terrestrial animal. He lives in trees, always hang-
ing below the branch, with its back to the ground; and
for a life of this kind, its long arms and hooked claws
are admirably adapted. Mr. Waterton, whose long
residence in the wilds of South America, and whose
habits of close observation, render him an excellent
authority, observes, that when the Sloth travels from
branch to branch of the tree which it inhabits, particu-
108 Quadrupeds.
larly in windy weather, it moves with such rapidity as
to make it quite a misnomer to call it a Sloth. " The
Sloth," says Mr. Waterton, " in its wild state, spends its
whole life in the trees, and never leaves them, but
through force or accident; and what is more extra-
ordinary, not upon the branches, like the squirrel and
monkey, but under them. He moves suspended from the
branch, he rests suspended from the branch, and he
sleeps suspended from the branch. Hence his seem-
ingly bungled composition is at once accounted for ; and
in lieu of the Sloth leading a painful life, and entailing
a melancholy existence upon its progeny, it is but fair
to conclude, that it enjoys life just as much as any other
animal, and that its extraordinary formation and singu-
lar habits are but further proofs to engage us to admire
the wonderful works of Omnipotence."
The common Sloth has always three toes ; but there
is another kind, called the Unau, which has only two
toes, and much shorter fore legs.
The female Sloth has only one young one at a time,
which hangs to her breast, and makes a kind of cradle of
her body, during her journeys from branch to branch ;
in fact, it appears never to quit her, till it is able to pro-
vide for itself. When hanging from the branch, she
hides her young one in her thick, matted hair, which
resembles in texture and appearance dry withered grass,
and, indeed, is so like the rough bark and moss on old
trees, as to render the animal scarcely distinguishable.
It was formerly asserted, when the Sloth has got posses-
sion of a tree, it will not descend while a leaf or bud is
remaining; and, that in order to obviate the necessity
of a slow and laborious descent, it suffers itself to fall to
the ground ; the toughness of its skin and the thickness
of its hair securing it from any unpleasant consequences.
This, however, like many other statements regarding
this much maligned animal, is erroneous ; in the dense
tropical forests which he inhabits the Sloth has rarely
any occasion to descend to the earth ; but he takes ad-
vantage of a windy night, when the branches of the
trees become interlaced, to make his way with great ease
from one place to another.
Tlie Armadillo.
109
THE ARMADILLO. (Dasypus sexcinctus.)
NATURE seems to have been singularly careful in the
preservation of this animal, for she has surrounded it
with a strong coat of armour to protect it from its ene-
mies. When closely pursued, it assumes the shape of a
ball; and, if near a precipice, rolls from one rock to
another, and escapes without receiving any injury. The
shell, which covers the whole of the body, is composed
of numerous bony plates, very hard, and of a square
shape, united by a kind of cartilaginous substance,
which gives flexibility to the whole. The Armadillo
lives principally on roots, carrion, and ants ; and in a
wild state resides in subterranean burrows, like the
rabbit. It is a native of South America. There are
several species differing chiefly in the number of their
bands. When naturalists wish to obtain a specimen of
the Armadillo in its native country, they are obliged to
employ an Indian to dig one out of its hole ; and as the
holes are almost innumerable, only a few of them con-
taining Armadillos, the Indians try them first by put-
ting a stick down, when, if a number of musquitos rise,
the Indians know the hole contains an Armadillo, as, if
there were none, there would be no musquitos.
110 Quadrupeds.
THE GREAT ANT-EATER. (Myrmecopliaga julata.)
THE body of the Great Ant-eater is covered with ex-
ceedingly coarse and shaggy hair. Its head is very long
and slender, and the mouth but just large enough to ad-
mit its tongue, which is cylindrical, nearly two feet in
length, and lies folded double within it. The tail is of
enormous size, and covered with long black hair, some-
what like the tail of a horse. The whole length of the
animal, from the end of the snout to the tip of the tail,
is sometimes seven or eight feet. Its food consists prin-
cipally of ants, which it obtains in the following man-
ner : When it comes to an ant-hill, it scratches it up
with its long claws, and then unfolds its slender tongue,
which much resembles an enormously long worm. This
being covered with a glutinous matter or saliva, the ants
adhere to it in great numbers : these it swallows alive,
repeating the operation till no more are to be caught.
He also tears up the nests of wood-lice, which it in
like manner discovers ; but should it meet with little
success in its pursuit of food, it is able to fast for a con-
siderable time without inconvenience. The motions of
the Ant-eater are in general very slow. It swims, how-
ever, over great rivers with ease ; and, on these occa-
sions, its tail is always thrown over its back. With
this extraordinary member, when asleep, or during
heavy showers of rain, the animal is also said to cover
its back ; but at other times he carries it extended
behind him. The Ant-eater is a native of South
America.
The Duck-Billed Platypus.
Ill
THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS, OK WATER
MOLE. (Ornitliorliynchus paradoxus.)
THIS extraordinary creature has the bill and webbed feet
of a duck, united to the body of a mole. It is a native
of Australia, where it is found on the banks of rivers, in
the sides of which it burrows and forms its nest. It
feeds on aquatic insects and small molluscous animals,
always, however, rejecting the shells of the latter, after
crushing them in its mouth, so as to extract the body.
A number of these animals are always found together ;
but it is very difficult to watch their habits, as their
sense of hearing is so acute, that they disappear at the
slightest noise, plunging into the water, in which they
swim so low, that they only look like a mass of weeds
floating on the surface.
When the animal feeds, he plunges his beak into the
mud, just like a duck; and appears to be equally at
home on land and in water. Two young ones that were
kept for some time at Sydney, by Mr. Bennet, were
very fond of rolling themselves up like a hedgehog,
in the form of balls. They often slept in this position,
and " awful little growls " issued from them when dis-
] 12 Quadrupeds.
turbed. They were fed with worms, and bread and
milk ; but captivity did not seem to agree with them,
and they soon died. They dressed their fur by comb-
ing it with their feet, and pecking at it with their
beaks, seeming to take great delight in keeping it
smooth and clean.
The shape of this animal is so extraordinary, that
when a specimen was first sent to Europe, it was sup-
posed to have been manufactured, by fixing the beak of
a duck into the head of some small quadruped, with
the intention to deceive. Subsequent experience has
proved, beyond the possibility of a doubt, the existence
of the animal, without in the smallest degree diminish-
ing the wonder excited by its first appearance, as it
seems to partake, in almost equal parts, of the nature of
quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles.
The Australian Hedgehog (Echidna hystrix), has a
long and very slender muzzle, at the end of which is a
very small mouth, containing a long tongue, which the
creature can extend at pleasure. The body is short, and
rounded : it is covered with strong sharp spines mixed
with hair; and its tail is so short that it was at first
doubted whether it had one. The male has a spur upon
each hind leg, which was long supposed, but it seems
erroneously, to possess venomous properties. Both the
Platypus and the Australian Hedgehog, although ar-
ranged here with the toothless quadrupeds, are gene-
rally considered by zoologists to be most closely related
to the Marsupials, or Pouched Mammalia.
The Elephant.
113
VII.Pachijdermata, or Thick-skinned Animals.
THE ELEPHANT. (Elephas indicus.)
PROVIDENCE, always impartial in the distribution of its
gifts, has given this bulky quadruped a quick instinct
nearly approaching to reason, in compensation for the
uncouthness of his body. The Ceylon Elephant is
about ten or twelve feet high, and is much the largest
of all living quadrupeds. His skin is in general a
mouse colour, but is sometimes white and sometimes
black. His eyes are rather small for the size of his
head, and his ears, which are very expanded and of a
peculiar shape, have the flaps hanging down, instead of
standing up, as in most quadrupeds. The Elephant is a
gregarious animal in his wild state, and when domesti-
cated is susceptible of attachment and gratitude, as well
as of anger and revenge. Several anecdotes are related
114 Quadrupeds.
of his quick apprehension, and particularly of his vin-
dictive treatment of those who have either scoffed at or
abused him. To disappoint him is dangerous, as he
seldom fails to be revenged. The following instance is
given as a fact, and deserves to be recorded : An
Elephant, disappointed of his reward, out of revenge,
killed his governor. The poor man's wife, who beheld
the dreadful scene, took her two children and thrust
them towards the enraged animal, saying, " Since you
have slain my husband, take my life also, as well as
those of my children !" The Elephant instantly stopped,
relented, and, as if stung with remorse, took the eldest
boy in his trunk, placed him on his neck, adopted him
for his governor, and would never afterwards allow any
other person to mount him.
The Elephant's mouth is armed with broad and strong
grinding teeth, and two large tusks, which measure some-
times nine or ten feet, and from which the finest ivory
is produced. The ivory from the tusks of the female is
thought the best, as the tooth, being smaller, admits less
porosity in the cellular part of the mass.
Becoming tame under the mild treatment of a good
master, the Elephant is not only a most useful servant,
for the purposes of state or war, but is also of great
assistance in taming the wild ones that have been
recently caught. Indian superstition has paid great
honours to the white race of this quadruped ; and the
island of Ceylon is supposed to breed the finest of the
kind. This immense beast, by the wisdom of Providence,
has not been placed among the carnivorous animals : and
vegetable food being much more abundant than animal,
he is destined to live on grass and the tender shoots of
trees. This noble creature bears in state on his back the
potentates of the East, and seems to delight in pompous
pageantry : in war he carries a tower filled with archers ;
and in peace lends his assistance in domestic operations.
The female is said to go a year with young, and to bring
forth one at a time. The Elephant lives a hundred and
twenty or a hundred and thirty years, though they have
been known to live to the great age of four hundred.
When Alexander the Great had conquered Porus, King
The Elephant. 115
of India, lie took a large Elephant which had fought very
valiantly for the king, and naming him Ajax, dedicated
him to the sun, and then let him loose with this inscrip-
tion : " Alexander, the son of Jupiter, hath dedicated
Ajax to the sun." This Elephant was found with this
inscription 350 years after.
The greatest wonder the Elephant presents to the
admiration of the intelligent observer of nature is his
proboscis, or trunk, which attains a length of six or eight
feet, and is so flexible that he uses it almost as dexterously
as a man does his hand. It was erroneously said, that
the Elephant could receive nourishment through his
trunk; this sort of pipe is nothing but a prolongation of
the snout, for the purpose of breathing, into which the
animal can by the strength of his lungs draw up a great
quantity of water or other liquid, which he spouts out
again, or brings back to his mouth by inverting and
shortening his proboscis for this purpose.
Captain Marry at, in his very entertaining work called
Masterman Beady, relates a curious instance of the saga-
city of an Elephant in India, which had fallen into a
deep tank. The tank was so deep that it was impossible
to hoist the Elephant up, but when the people threw
down several bundles of faggots, the sagacious animal
laid one bundle above another, always standing on each
tier as he arranged it, till at last he raised the pile high
enough to allow him to walk out of the tank. But
instances of the sagacity of this noble creature might be
cited ad infinitum. In the East, where they are made
available in the service of man, they will load a boat
with singular dexterity, carefully keeping every article
dry, and disposing and balancing the cargo with the
utmost precision.
Its strength is proportionate to its bulk : it will carry
three or four thousand pounds weight on its back, and
upwards of a thousand pounds on its tusks.
The African Elephant is a distinct species (JE. africanus)
readily distinguished from his Asiatic brother, by the
enormous size of his flapping ears. He is abundant in
the southern part of Africa and is killed annually in
great numbers for the sake of his tusks.
116
Quadrupeds.
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS, OE RIVER-HORSE.
(Hippopotamus amphibius.)
THIS animal lives as well on land as in water, and yields
in size to none but the elephant : he weighs sometimes
more than fifteen hundred pounds. His skin is naked,
and of a blackish brown colour, tinged with red about
the muzzle and on the lower surface of the body. The
head is flattish on the top, about four feet long and nine
in circumference ; the lips are large, the jaws open
about two feet wide, and the cutting- teeth, of which it
has four in each jaw, are nearly a foot long ; he has
broad ears, and large eyes, a thick neck, and a short tail,
tapering like that of a hog. He grazes and eats the
leaves and young branches of trees on shore, but retires
to the water if pursued, and will sink down to the bot-
tom, where he can remain five or six minutes at a time.
When he rises to the surface and remains with his head
out of the water, he makes a bellowing noise which may
be heard at a great distance. The female brings forth
her young upon land, and it is supposed that she seldom
produces more than one at- a time. The calf at the
The Indian Rhinoceros.
117
instant that it comes into the world, flies to the water
for shelter, if pursued ; a circumstance which has been
noticed as a remarkable instance of pure instinct. Fine
specimens of this remarkable animal are to be seen in
the Zoological Gardens in London ; and in Paris they
have been known to breed twice, but on both occasions
the mother destroyed her offspring, either intentionally
or by accident. The Hippopotamus is supposed to be
the Behemoth of the Scripture. See Job, chap. xl.
THE INDIAN EHINOCEROS, (Rhinoceros um'cornis,')
So called because of the horn on his nose, is bred in
India, is of a dark slate-colour, and nearly as large
as the elephant, as he measures about twelve feet in
length, but has short legs. His skin, which is not pene-
trable by any ordinary weapon, is folded upon his body,
in the manner represented in the figure above ; his eyes
are small and half closed, and the horn on his nose is
attached to the skin only. In confinement he often
wears it to a mere stump, by rubbing it against his crib.
He is perfectly indocile and untractable ; a natural
118
Quadrupeds.
enemy to the elephant, to whom he often gives battle,
and is said never to go out of his way, but to endeavour
to destroy whatever obstacles present themselves, rather
than turn about. He lives on the coarsest vegetables,
and frequents the banks of rivers, and marshy grounds ;
his hoofs are divided into four, and he grunts like a hog,
which he resembles in many other particulars. The
female produces but one at a time, and during the first
month her young are not bigger than a large dog. . The
Rhinoceros is supposed by some to be the Unicorn of
holy writ, and possesses all the properties ascribed to that
animal, rage, untamableness, great swiftness, and im-
mense strength. It was known to the Romans in very
early times. Augustus introduced one into the shows, on
his triumph over Cleopatra. Some Rhinoceroses have
two horns.
THE COMMON OR DOMESTIC HOG, (Sus scrofa,)
DIFFERS chiefly from the wild animal in having smaller
tusks, and large and pendant ears. Of all domestic
The Domestic Hog.
119
quadrupeds this is the most filthy and impure. Its form
is clumsy and unsightly, and its appetite gluttonous and
excessive. Nature, however, has fitted its stomach to
receive nutriment from a variety of things that would be
otherwise wasted, as the refuse of the field, the garden,
and the kitchen, afford it a luxurious repast. The Hog
is naturally stupid, inactive, and drowsy ; much inclined
to increase in fat, which is disposed in a different manner
from that of other animals, forming a thick, distinct, and
regular layer between the flesh and skin. Their flesh,
Linnasus observes, is a wholesome food for those that use
much exercise, but improper for such as lead a sedentary
life. It is of great importance to this country, as a
naval and commercial nation, for it salts better than
any other flesh, and is capable of being longer pre-
served.
The domestic Sow brings forth twice a year, producing
from ten to twenty at a litter. She goes four months
with young, and brings forth in the fifth. At that time
she must be carefully watched, to prevent her from de-
vouring her young. Still greater attention is necessary
to keep off the male, as he would destroy the whole
litter. Jews and Mahommetans not only abstain from
the flesh of swine from a religious principle, but consider
themselves defiled by even touching it.
120 Quadrupeds.
THE WILD BOAR, (Sus scrofa,)
INHABITS, for the most part, marshes and woods, and is
of a black or brown colour : his flesh is very tender and
good for food. The Wild Boar has tusks, which are
sometimes nearly a foot in length, and have often proved
dangerous to men, as well as to dogs in the chase. His
life is confined to about thirty years ; his food consists of
vegetables; but when pressed by hunger, he devours
animal flesh. This creature is strong and fierce, and un-
dauntedly turns against his pursuers. To hunt him is
one of the principal amusements of the grandees in those
countries where he is to be found. The dogs provided
for this sport are of the slow, heavy kind. Those used for
hunting the stag, or the roebuck, would be very impro-
per, as they would too soon come up with their prey,
and, instead of a chase, would only furnish an engage-
ment. Small mastiffs are therefore chosen ; nor do the
hunters much regard the goodness of their nose, as the
Wild Boar leaves so strong a scent that it is impossible
for them to mistake his course. They never hunt any
but the largest and the oldest, which are known by
their tusks. When the boar is reared, as is the expres-
sion for driving him from his covert, he goes slowly and
sullenly forward, without any indication of fear, not
very far before his pursuers. At the end of every half-
mile, or thereabouts, he turns round, stops till the
hounds come up, and offers to attack them. These, on
the other hand, knowing their danger, keep off and bay
him at a distance. After they have for a while gazed
upon each other, with mutual animosity, the Boar again
The Wild Boar.
121
slowly goes on his course, and the dogs renew the pur-
suit. In this manner the charge is sustained, and the
chase continues, till the Boar is quite tired, and refuses to
go any further. The dogs then attempt to close in upon
him from behind ; those which are young, fierce, and un-
accustomed to the chase, are generally the foremost, and
often lose their lives by their ardour. Those which are
older, and better trained, are content to wait until the
hunters come up, who despatch him with their spears.
In former times, the Wild Boar was a native of
Britain, as appears from the laws ot the Welsh prince,
Howell the Good, who permitted his grand huntsman to
chase that animal from the middle of November to the
beginning of December ; and in the reign of William
the Conqueror, those who were convicted of killing the
Wild Boars, in any of the royal forests, were punished
with the loss of their eyes. Our domestic pigs are
descended from the wild race ; but the tame Boar has
two tusks, smaller than those of the wild ones, and the
sow has none. ?
122
Quadrupeds.
THE BABIEOUSSA, (Babirussa alfurus,*)
Is a singular species of hog, which dwells in many
of the islands of the eastern Archipelago. His four
tusks are of enormous size, especially those of the upper
jaw, which are turned completely upwards and bent
back, like horns, towards the forehead, which they
sometimes even touch. These singular tusks are only
found in the male ; they do not seem, from their con-
struction, to be of much use to him as weapons ; and it
was formerly supposed that he employed them as hooks
to hang himself up to the branch of a tree for his night's
rest.
THE PECCARY. (Dicotyles lahiatus.)
THIS is a little species of pig, of a brown colour, with
pale lips, which is found in great troops in the forests
of South America. These bands of Peccaries are said to
travel from place to place under the guidance of a sort
of chief, who places himself at the head of his troop and
marches forward in a direct line, swimming boldly over
the rivers, and often devastating the plantations. When
one of these troops meets with any unusual object, they
all stop to examine it, making a dreadful clattering with
their teeth, which they are quite ready to use in their
own defence, and will soon tear an assailant to pieces,
unless he can succeed in climbing up into a tree.
The Tapir. 123
THE TAPIR. (Tapinis americanus.)
THIS animal bears considerable resemblance to the wild
boar, but is without tusks, and has its snout prolonged
into a small fleshy proboscis, or trunk. This trunk,
however, has not the flexibility of that of the elephant,
and is incapable of holding anything. The colour of the
Tapir is of a deep brown, and the male has a small
mane on the upper part of his neck. It stands about
three feet and a half high, and measures nearly six feet
in length. It lies in thickets, the thorny branches
of which cannot affect it from the thickness of its skin,
while they lacerate the skins of its pursuers. Its
favourite food is the water-melon. It is generally found
alone, and always roams in search of food at night ;
and it is easily tamed if taken young. It possesses the
same power of remaining under water as the hippo-
potamus, and when it enters a pond, can descend to the
bottom, and remain there five or six minutes.
The Malayan Tapir ( T. malayanus), is very similar to
the American species in form ; but is larger and has no
mane. It is very remarkable for the distribution of its
colours, the anterior part and the legs being deep black,
and the rump, back, and sides, white. This animal is
found chiefly in Sumatra and Borneo.
-W'F-/
THE HOKSE. (Equus caballus.)
THE noblest conquest that man ever made over the
brute creation was the taming of the Horse, and adapt-
ing him to his service. He lessens the labours of man
and adds to his pleasures : shares, with equal docility
and cheerfulness, the fatigues of hunting or the dangers
of war ; and draws with appropriate strength, rapidity,
or grace, the heavy ploughs and carts of the husband-
man, the light vehicles of the fashionable, and the
stately carriages of the aristocratic.
The Horse is now bred in most parts of the world :
those of Arabia, Turkey, and Persia are accounted better
proportioned than many others ; but the English Race-
Horse may justly claim the precedence over all the
other European breeds, and is not inferior to any in
strength and symmetry.
The beautiful Horses produced in Arabia are in
general of a brown colour ; their mane and tail are very
short, with the hair black and tufted. The Arabs, for
the most part, use the Mares in their ordinary excur-
sions ; experience having taught them that they are less
vicious than the males, and more capable of sustaining
abstinence and fatigue. As the Arabs have no other
The Horse. 125
residence than a tent, this also serves for a stable ; the
husband, the wife, the child, the mare, and the foal, lie
together indiscriminately, and the younger branches of
the family may be often seen embracing the neck, or
reposing on the body of the Mare, without any idea of
fear or danger.
Of the remarkable attachment which the Arabs have
to these animals, St. Pierre has given an affecting in-
stance in his Studies of Nature. " The whole stock of
a poor Arabian of the desert consisted of a beautiful
Mare : this the French consul at Said offered to pur-
chase, with an intention to send her to Louis XIV.
The Arab, pressed by want, hesitated a long time, but
at length consented, on condition of receiving a very
considerable sum of money, which he named. The
consul wrote to France for permission to close the
bargain ; and having obtained it, sent the information
to the Arab. The man, so indigent as to possess only
a miserable covering for his body, arrived with his
magnificent courser : he dismounted, and first looking
at the gold, then steadfastly at his Mare, heaved a sigh,
* To whom is it,' exclaimed he, ' that I am going to yield
thee up ? To Europeans ? who will tie thee close, who
will beat thee, who will render thee miserable I Keturn
with me, my beauty, my jewel ! and rejoice the hearts of
my children :' as he pronounced the last words, he sprung
upon her back, and was out of sight almost in a moment."
The intelligence of the Horse is next to that of the
elephant, and he obeys his rider with so much punctuality
and understanding, that the Americans, who had never
seen a man on horseback, thought, at first, that the
Spaniards were a kind of centaurs, half men and half
horses. The Horse, in a domestic state seldom lives
longer than twenty years ; but it is supposed that in a
wild state he attains a much greater age. The Mare is
as elegant in her shape as the Horse ; and her young is
called a foal. The age of the Horse is known from
his teeth ; and his colour, which varies from black to
white, and from the darkest brown to a light hazel tint,
has been reckoned a criterion by which to judge of his
strength.
126
Quadrupeds.
The Horse feeds upon grass, either fresh or dry, and
corn : he is liable to many diseases, and often dies sud-
denly. In the state of nature he is a gregarious animal,
and even when domesticated, his debased situation of
slavery has not entirely destroyed his love of society and
friendship ; for Horses have been known to pine at the
loss of their masters, their stable fellows, and even at
the death of a dog which had been bred near the manger.
Virgil, in his beautiful description of this noble animal,
seems to have imitated Job :
" The fiery courser, when he hears from far
The sprightly trumpets, and the shouts of war,
Pricks up his ears, and trembling with delight,
Shifts place, and paws, and hopes the promised fight.
On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined,
Buffies at speed, and dances in the wind.
His horny hoofs are jetty black and round,
His chine is double ; starting with a bound,
He turns the turf and shakes the solid ground.
Fire from his eyes, clouds from his nostrils flow ;
He bears his rider headlong on the foe."
The Ass.
127
THE ASS. (Equus Asinus.)
THE Ass is a beast of burden, and extremely serviceable
to man. Of greater strength than most animals of his
size, he bears fatigue with patience, and hunger with
apparent cheerfulness. A bundle of dried herbs, or a
thistle on the road, is sufficient for his daily meal, and
he is content with the clear and pure water of a neigh-
bouring brook (in the choice of which he is particularly
nice) in the absence of better fare. It is probable that
the Ass was originally a native of Arabia, and other
parts of the East : the deserts of Libya and Numidia,
and many parts of the Archipelago, contain vast herds
of wild Asses, which run with such amazing swiftness,
that even the fleetest horses of ihe country can hardly
overtake them. At present, perhaps, the best breed in
Europe is the Spanish ; and very valuable Asses are still
to be had in the southern continent of America, where,
during the existence of the Spanish dominion, the breed
128 Quadrupeds.
was very carefully attended to. In the time of Elizabeth,
we are informed, there were no Asses in this country.
Our treatment of this very useful animal is both wanton
and cruel, and most ungrateful, considering the great
services he renders us at so little expense. The ears
of the Ass are of an uncommon length; and he is
of a greyish or dun colour, with a black cross on his
back and shoulders. When very young, the Ass is
sprightly, and even tolerably handsome; but he soon
loses these qualifications, either by age or ill-treatment,
and becomes slow, sullen, and headstrong. The female
is passionately fond of her young one ; and it is said she
will even cross fire and water to protect or rejoin it.
The Ass is also sometimes greatly attached to its owner,
whom he scents at a distance, and plainly distinguishes
from others in a crowd.
The female goes with young eleven months, and
seldom produces more than one foal at a time : the teeth
follow the same order of appearance and renewal as
those of the horse. Asses' milk has long been cele-
brated for its sanative qualities ; invalids suffering
from debility of the digestive and assimilative functions
make use of it with great advantage; and to those
also who are consumptive it is very generally recom-
mended.
An old man who, a few years ago, sold vegetables in
London, used in his employment an Ass, which conveyed
his baskets from door to door. Frequently he gave the
poor industrious creature a handful of hay, or some
pieces of bread, or greens, by way of refreshment or
reward. The old man had no need of any goad for the
animal, and seldom, indeed, had he to lift up his hand
to drive it on. His kind treatment was one day re-
marked to him, and he was asked if his beast was apt to
be stubborn ? " Ah ! master," replied he, " it is of no use
to be cruel, and as for stubbornness, I cannot complain ;
for he is ready to do anything and go anywhere. I bred
him myself. He is sometimes skittish and playful, and
once ran away from me ; you will hardly believe it, but
there were more than fifty people after him, attempting
in vain to stop him ; yet he turned back of himself,
The Ass.
129
and he never stopped till lie ran his head kindly into
nay bosom."
The ancients had a great regard for this animal. The
Eomans had a breed which they held in such high esti-
mation, that Pliny mentions one of the males selling for
a price greater than three thousand pounds of our money ;
and he says that in Celtiberia, a province in Spain, a she
Ass had colts that were bought for nearly the same sum.
The Ass lives nearly to the same age as the horse. . From
the general resemblance between the Ass and the horse,
it might naturally be supposed that they were closely
allied, and that one had degenerated, they are, however,
perfectly distinct. There is that inseparable barrier
placed between them which nature provides for the
protection and preservation of her productions ; their
mutual offspring, the mule, being incapable of repro-
ducing its kind.
130
Quadrupeds.
THE MULE.
THIS useful and hardy animal is the offspring of the
horse and the ass, and partakes of the good qualities of
both. The common Mule is very healthy, and will live
ahove thirty years. The size and strength of our breed
have been much improved by the importation of Spanish
male asses ; and it is much to be wished that the useful
qualities of this animal were more attended to ; for, by
proper care in its breaking, its natural obstinacy would
in a great measure be corrected ; and it might be formed
with success for the saddle, the draught, or the burden.
People of the first quality are drawn by Mules in Spain,
where fifty and sixty guineas is no uncommon price for
them ; nor is it surprising, when we consider how far
they excel the horse in travelling in a mountainous
country, the Mule being able to tread securely where
the former can hardly stand. It is much less dainty in
its food than the horse, and not so liable to disease ;
and has been known to go a distance of eighty or a
hundred miles in one day, with a heavy weight on its
back, without much fatigue.
The Kiang.
131
THE KIANGL (Equus Eemionus.)
THE Kiang, which is also called the Djiggetai, is a kind
of wild ass, found in small herds on the great plains of
Central Asia. It is a good deal larger than the common
ass, and its fur is of a peculiar pale reddish chestnut
tint, except on the legs and muzzle, which are nearly
white. The ears are not so long as in the ass, and there
is a black streak down the middle of the back.
132
Quadrupeds.
THE ZEBEA. (Equus Zebra.)
THIS is one of the most elegantly marked quadrupeds in
nature. He is striped all over with the most pleasing
regularity ; in size he resembles the mule, being smaller
than the horse, and larger than the ass. The hair of his
skin is uncommonly smooth, and he looks at a distance
like an animal that some fanciful hand has surrounded
with ribbons of white or buff, and jet black. He is a
native of Southern Africa chiefly of the Cape of Good
Hope, where he resides amongst the mountains. In
these solitudes the Zebra has nothing to restrain his
liberty. He is too shy to be caught in traps, and there-
fore seldom taken alive. Were the Zebra inured to our
climate, there is little doubt but he might be soon
domesticated. The black cross which the. ass bears
on his back and shoulders indicates the affinity between
these two animals. The Zebra feeds in the same man-
i er as the horse, ass, and rnule ; arid seems to delight
The Zelra. 133
in having clean straw and dried leaves to sleep upon.
His voice can hardly be described ; it is thought by
some persons to have a distinct resemblance to the sound
of a post-horn, and is more frequently exerted when the
animal is alone than at other times. In former times,
Zebras were often sent as presents to the oriental princes.
A governor of Batavia is said to have given one to the
emperor of Japan, for which he received as an equivalent
a present to the value of sixty thousand crowns ; and
Teller informs us, that the Great Mogul gave two thou-
sand ducats for one of these animals. It is usual with
the African ambassadors to the court of Constantinople
to bring Zebras with them as presents for the Grand
Seignior. In a wild state they live in herds, and can
only be tamed when taken young, or bred in captivity.
Another kind of Zebra (Equus Burchellii) inhabits the
plains of Southern Africa ; it is known as the Zebra of
the plains, and is also called Burch ell's Zebra, after
the distinguished African traveller. This Zebra is less
beautifully marked than the mountain species.
Instinct having taught these beautiful animals that in
union consists their strength, they combine in a compact
body when menaced by an attack either from man or
beast; and if overtaken by the foe, they unite for
mutual defence, with their heads together in a close
circular band, presenting their heels to the enemy, and
dealing out kicks in equal force and abundance. Beset
on all sides, or partially crippled, they rear on their
hinder legs, fly at their adversary with jaws distended,
and use both teeth and heels with the greatest freedom.
The Quagga is also a native of Southern Africa. It is
more wild than the Zebra, and less beautifully marked ;
the stripes, indeed, do not extend over the whole body,
but only over the head and neck. The colour is a reddish
brown above and white beneath. The Quagga is less
than the Zebra, and not so elegantly formed, the hind
quarters being higher than the shoulders. The ears are
also much shorter. The Quagga bears the reputation of
being naturally vicious, and so treacherous that it is
said that, like a cat, it will bite the hand that feeds and
caresses it.
134 Quadrupeds.
VIII. Ruminating Animals.
THE BULL. (Bos Taurus.)
THERE are, perhaps, no animals more generally useful to
mankind than the race of oxen, in all their states of
existence. They are called ruminating animals ; that is,
after they have eaten their food they possess the power
of returning it from the first stomach into the mouth, to
be again masticated before it is finally digested. This
is called chewing the cud; and as the animal generally
lies down, and looks very thoughtful while the operation
is performing, it is said to be ruminating.
The Bull is a very fierce creature, and when enraged,
runs about, tossing up his tail, and roaring most fear-
fully. When attacked by men or dogs, he tears up the
ground with his feet, and then gal lops after his assailants,
endeavouring to toss them with his horns; and very
often pursues in this manner any one he sees, parti-
cularly if they appear frightened. When in danger of
being attacked by a Bull, the best course is to stand
still, and open an umbrella, or flap a shawl, or something
of that kind, in the Bull's face ; as with all his fierceness
he is a great coward, and only pursues those who fly
from him.
The Ox, or Bullock, is used in some parts of the
The Butt.
135
country for drawing carts and waggons, and ploughing ;
and its flesh is called beef. The skin is tanned and
made into leather ; the hair is mixed with mortar ; the
bones are used for knife-handles, chess-men, counters,
and other things, as a substitute for ivory ; from its
horns are made combs, and various other articles ; the
fat is used in making candles; the blood in refining
sugar : and, in short, every part has some important
use.
The common charge of stupidity urged against the Ox
is wholly unfounded, as the folio wing anecdote, recorded
by Mr. Bell, will show. A cow, feeding in a pasture,
the gate of which was open, was much annoyed by a
mischievous boy, who amused himself by throwing stones
at her. The peaceful animal, after enduring this
patiently for some time, went up to him, and hooking
the end of her horn into his clothes, carried him out of
the field and laid him clown in the road. She then re-
turned calmly to her pasture, leaving him quit for a
severe fright and a torn garment
136 Quadrupeds.
THE COW.
THE Cow is the female of the ox tribe, and her young
is called a calf. A young Cow, when under two years
old, is called a heifer. The Cow is as useful to mankind
as the ox, except in ploughing and drawing ; but to make
amends, she supplies us with milk, from which butter and
cheese are made. The Cow gives from six to twenty
quarts of milk in a day ; and the faculty of giving it in
such abundance, and with so much ease, is a striking
peculiarity, for this animal differs in this part of its
organization from most others, having a large udder, and
longer and thicker teats, than the largest animal we know
of ; it has likewise four teats, whilst all other animals of
the same nature have but two ; it also yields the milk
freely to the hand, whilst all other animals, at least those
that do not ruminate in the same manner, refuse it, unless
their young, or some adopted animal, be allowed to
partake it. The age of the Cow is known by her horns ;
at four a ring is formed at their roots, and every succeed-
ing year another ring is added. Thus, by allowing three
years before their appearance, and then reckoning the
number of rings, the creature's age may be exactly
known.
Calves, when quite young, are helpless creatures, from
the great length and weakness of their legs. Sometimes
they are killed when young, and their flesh is then called
The Wild Bull
137
veal. The stomach of the calf, when it is killed, is taken
out, and cleaned and salted ; it is then hung up to dry,
and is called rennet. In making cheese, a bit of rennet
is soaked in water, which when poured into milk, turns
it to curd. The curd is then separated from the whey,
and put into a press, when it becomes cheese.
THE WILD BULL.
[N the Duke of Hamilton's park in Scotland, Lord
Fankerville's at Chillingham, in Northumberland, and
some other places, there is a breed of wild cattle, pos-
sibly the last remains of those which at one period over-
ran this island. The colour is white, with muzzle and
ears black, or very dark red.
At the first appearance of any person near them, these
animals set off at full gallop ; and at the distance of two
or three hundred yards wheel round and come boldly
up again, tossing their heads in a menacing manner. On
a sudden they make a full stop at the distance of forty or
fifty yards, and look wildly at the object of their sur-
prise ; but on the least motion they all turn round, and
gallop off again with equal speed, but not to the same
distance, forming a smaller circle ; and again returning,
with a bolder and more threatening aspect than before,
138 Quadrupeds.
they approach much nearer, when they make another
stand, and again gallop off. This they do several times,
shortening their distance, and advancing nearer till they
come within a few yards, when most persons consider it
prudent to leave them, not choosing to provoke them
further, as it is probable that in a few turns more they
would make an attack.
The mode of killing these animals, as was practised a
few years ago, was the only remnant of the ancient mode
of hunting that existed in this country. On notice being
given that a Wild Bull would be killed on a certain day,
the inhabitants of the neighbourhood assembled, some-
times to the number of a hundred horsemen, and four or
five hundred foot, all armed with guns or other weapons.
Those on foot stood upon the walls, or climbed into trees,
while the horsemen separated a Bull from the rest of the
herd, and chased him until he stood at bay, when they
dismounted and fired. At some of these huntings,
twenty or thirty shots have been discharged before the
animal was subdued. On such occasions the bleeding
victim grew desperately furious from the smarting of
his wounds, and the shouts of savage joy echoing from
every side.
When the Cows calve, they hide their young ones for
a week or ten days in some sequestered retreat, and go to
suckle them two or three times in a day. If any person
comes near one of the calves it crouches close upon the
ground, and endeavours to hide itself, a proof of the
native wildness of the animals. In one instance where
a calf was disturbed, it pawed the ground like an old
Bull, and attempted to butt with its head, till it fell from
weakness. It had done enough, how r ever, to raise an
alarm, and the whole herd came to its rescue, compelling
the intruder to decamp ; for the dams will allow no one
to touch their young without attacking him with impe-
tuosity. In the Duke of Hamilton's park, in the summer
of 1841, a calf, which was disturbed by the passing of
a carriage near it, bellowed so fearfully as to rouse the
whole herd, though they were at a considerable distance.
The African Buffalo.
139
THE AFEiCAN BUFFALO. (Bulalus Ca/er.)
Is its general form the Buffalo has a great resemblance
to the ox ; but it differs from that animal in its horns,
and in some particulars of its internal structure. It is
larger than the ox ; the head is also bigger in proportion,
the forehead higher, and the muzzle longer. The horns
are large, and of a compressed form, with the exterior
edge sharp ; they are straight for a considerable length
from their base, and then bend slightly upward. The
general colour of the animal is blackish, except the fore-
head and the tip of the tail, which are of a dusky white.
The hunch is not, as many have supposed it, a large
fleshy lump, but is occasioned by the bones that form the
withers being continued to a greater length than in most
other animals. Buffaloes are found in most parts of the
torrid zone, and of almost all warm climates ; always
dwelling in moist and marshy places, where they delight
to roll in the mire. In a wild state, the Buffalo is ex-
ceedingly fierce ; but in some of the tropical countries he
140 Quadrupeds.
is perfectly domestic, and very useful for many purposes,
being an animal of patience and great strength. When
employed in the labours of agriculture, he has a brass ring
put through his nose, by which means he is led at pleasure.
Buffaloes are common in the Pontine Marshes near Kome,
where they were brought from India in the sixth century.
In India they constitute the riches and food of the poor,
who employ them in their fields, and make butter and
cheese from their milk. They are much valued for their
hides ; of which, in several countries, and especially in
England, military belts, boots, and other implements of
war are made. There are various species of Buffaloes,
of which the Cape Buffalo, from South Africa, is the best
known, and most valuable.
Buffaloes, in their native country, fight so fiercely with
each other, that African travellers have remarked that
they are seldom found without torn ears, and scars of
various kinds on the neck and body. And they are no
less treacherous than ferocious, lurking among the trees
in concealment until some unfortunate passenger passes.
The animal will then suddenly rush upon him, and there
is little chance of the victim escaping unless a tree be at
hand. The furious beast, not contented with throwing
him down and killing him, stands over him for a long
time, trampling on and tearing the body to pieces ; he
then strips off the skin with his rough and prickly tongue.
Even after all this he repeatedly returns to the body to
gratify afresh his savage disposition.
The Bison.
141
THE BISON. (Bos or Bison Bonasus.)
THERE are two kinds of Bison ; one a native of Europe,
and the other of America. The European Bison, or
Bonasus, is as large as a bull or ox; maned about the
back and neck like a lion ; and his hair hanging down
under his chin, or nether jaw, like a large beard. The
fore parts of his body are thick and strong, but the
hinder parts are comparatively slender. He has a little
ridge along his face from his forehead down to his nose,
which is very hairy; his horns are large, very sharp, and
turning towards his back, like those of a wild goat.
The American Bison (B. Americanus), attains a size far
superior to that of the largest breeds of our common
>xen, and is met with throughout nearly the whole of
the uninhabited parts of North America, from Hudson's
lay to Louisiana and the frontiers of Mexico. Captains
jewis and Clarke, and Dr. James, bear frequent testi-
lony to the almost incredible numbers in which these
dmals assemble on the banks of the Missouri. " Such
/as their multitude," say the first-named travellers,
that, although the river, including an island over
142
Quadrupeds.
which, they passed, was a mile in breadth, the herd
stretched, as thick as they could swim, completely from
one side to the other." And again they say : " If it bo
not impossible to calculate the moving multitude which
darkened the whole plains, we are convinced that
twenty thousand would be no exaggerated number."
Dr. James tells us that, " in the middle of the day
countless thousands of them were seen coming in from
every quarter to the stagnant pools ;" their paths, as he
informs us elsewhere, being " as frequent, and almost as
conspicuous, as the roads in the most populous parts of
the United States."
These wild cattle defend themselves from the wolves
in the most admirable manner. When they hear their
savage enemies approaching they form themselves
adroitly into a circle. The weakest are left in the
middle, whilst the strongest are on the outside, and
present to their foes an impenetrable phalanx of horns.
The vignette is an illustration of this subject.
Exciting stories of the buffalo hunt, both American
and African, will be seen in Catlin's North American
Indians, and Harris's Wild Animals and Sports of
Southern Africa.
TJie Zebu. 143
THE ZEBU, OR BRAHMIN BULL. (Bos Indicus.)
PENNANT describes the Zebu, or Indian Ox, as sometimes
surpassing in size the largest of the European breeds,
and the hunch on his shoulders as weighing frequently
fifty pounds. There are many varieties, with and without
horns, differing in size from that above-named, down to
the dimensions of an ordinary hog. They are spread
over the whole of Southern Asia, and also in Africa. In
all these countries the Zebu supplies the place of the
Ox, both as a beast of burden and as an article of food.
By the Hindoos they are treated with great veneration,
and it is held sinful to deprive them of life, or eat their
flesh. A select number are exempted from all labour,
and allowed to wander about, and subsist on the volun-
tary and pious contributions of the devotees of their
faith.
Emboldened by the toleration they experience, they
make free with every vegetable to which they take a
fancy, no one daring to resist or drive them away ; often
they lie down in the street ; no one must disturb them :
every one must give place to the sacred Ox of Brahma ;
thus they are frequently nuisances, which superstition
alone would endure.
144 Quadrupeds.
THE SHEEP. (Oms Aries.}
THE Sheep has been so long subjected to the empire of
man that it is not known with certainty from what race
our domestic species has been derived. It is supposed,
however, to be from the Mouflon, or Musmon, of Sar-
dinia and Crete. This animal is one of the most useful
ever bestowed on us by a bountiful Providence ; and in
patriarchal times the number of Sheep constituted the
riches of kings and princes. It is universally known,
its flesh being one of the chief kinds of human food, and
its wool being of great use for clothing. Although of a
moderate size, and well covered, it does not live more
than nine or ten years. The Ewe has one or two young
at a time, and the young one, which is called a lamb,
has always been an emblem of innocence.
In its domestic state it is too well known to require a
detail of its peculiar habits, or of the methods which
have been adopted to improve the breed. No country
produces finer Sheep than England, either with larger
fleeces or better adapted for the business of clothing.
Those of Spain have confessedly finer wool, some of
which we generally require to work up with our own ;
but the weight of a Spanish fleece is much inferior to
one of Lincoln or Tees Water. Merino, or Spanish
Sheep, have of late years been introduced with some
The Sheep.
145
success into onr English pastures, and the wool of the
hybrids, raised between the Merino Sheep and the South
Down Sheep, is thought nearly equal to that of Spain.
In stormy weather, these animals generally hide
themselves in caves from the fury of the elements ; but
if such retreats are not to be found, they collect them-
selves together, and, during a fall of snow, place their
heads near each other, with their muzzles inclined to
the ground. In this situation they sometimes remain
till hunger compels them to gnaw each other's wool,
which forms into hard balls in the stomach and destroys
them. But in general they are sought out and extri-
cated soon after the storm has subsided.
" The Sheep," Mr. Bell observes, " is one of the most
interesting of all animals as regards its historical rela-
tions with man. It was the subject of the first sacrifices,
and was used in its typical character as an offering of
atonement ; and the relation which existed between the
patriarchal shepherds and their flock was of so intimate
and even affectionate a nature as to have afforded the
subject of many beautiful passages in the Holy Scrip-
tures."
146
Quadrupeds.
THE KAM
Is the male Sheep, and is so strong and fierce that he
will boldly attack a dog, and often comes off victorious :
he has even been known, regardless of danger, to engage
a bull ; and his forehead being much harder than that
of any other animal, he seldom fails to conquer. He
overcomes the bull, who, by lowering his head, receives
the stroke of the Earn between his eyes, which usually
brings him to the ground.
THE WALLACHIAN RAM.
THE singular conformation of the horns, which adorn
the head of this breed of Sheep, has induced us to insert
a figure of the animal in this work, though it is only a
The Goat. 147
variety of the common species. The horns of the Ewe
are twisted also, but not so much as those of the Ram,
which form, near the head, a spiral line. The wool is
much longer than that of the common Sheep, and
resembles the hair of the goat. A fine Earn of this
species was presented some years since to the Zoological
Gardens in the Regent's park, by Dr. Bowring. It is
there called the Parnassian Sheep, having been brought
from Mount Parnassus.
THE ARGALI, OR WILD SHEEP OF ASIA,
in figure somewhat resembles a ram, but his wool is
rather like the hair of a goat. His horns are large and
bent backwards, and his tail is short. He is of the size
of a small deer, active, swift, wild, and found in flocks in
the rocky, dry deserts of Asia. His flesh and fat are
delicious. He is called also the Siberian Sheep or Goat,
and is considered by some to be the parent stock of the
domestic Sheep.
THE GOAT. (Capra hircus.)
THE Goat, next to the cow and the sheep, has been al-
ways reckoned, especially in ancient and patriarchal
times, the most useful domestic animal. Its milk is
sweet, nourishing, and medicinal, and better adapted for
persons of weak digestion than that of the cow, as it is
not so apt to curdle on the stomach. The female has
generally two young ones at a time, which are called
kids. This animal is admirably adapted for living in
148
Quadrupeds.
wild places ; it delights in climbing precipices, and is
often seen reposing in peaceful security on rocks over-
hanging the sea. Nature indeed has in some measure
fitted it for traversing these eminences ; the hoof being
hollow underneath, with sharp edges, so that it can walk
as securely on the ridge of a house as on the level
ground. The flesh of the goat is seldom eaten ; but that
of the kid is esteemed a very delicate food, and is fre-
quently eaten on the Continent. In the East, the long
soft hair of the goat is used in making the beautiful
Cashmere shawls; and from the skin is manufactured
morocco leather. The skin of the kid is well known
for its use in making gloves.
THE IBEX, OK BOQUETIN, (Capra Ilex,)
Is a Wild Goat, which inhabits the Pyrenean moun-:
tains, the Alps, and the highest mountains of Greece.
He is of an admirable swiftness ; his head is armed with
two long, knotted horns, inclining backwards ; his hair
is rough, and of a deep brown colour. The male only
The Antelope.
149
has a beard, and the female is less than the male. This
animal skips from rock to rock, and often, when pursued,
leaps down enormous precipices, and is said to bend his
head between his fore legs while springing, so as to
break his fall, by alighting partly on his horns. The
Ibex has been known to turn on the incautious hunts-
man, and tumble him down the precipice, unless he has
time to lie down, and let the animal pass over him.
THE ANTELOPE. (Antilope cervic'apra.)
THESE beautiful inhabitants of the temperate regions of
Africa, and southern Asia, possess swiftness and ele-
gance of shape in an eminent degree. They are timid,
inoffensive, and gregarious. The males have horns like
those of the goat, and never shed them ; they are smooth,
long, twisted spirally, and annulated. The general
colour of the hair is brown, and, in some species, a beau-
tiful yellow. The eyes are exceedingly bright, and have
often been compared to those of a beautiful nymph by
Persian and other poets. Enjoying perfect IT rty, they
150
Quadrupeds.
range in herds through the deserts of Arabia, and bound
from rock to rock with wonderful agility. Their long
and slender legs are peculiarly suited to their habits and
manners of life, and are, in some of the species, so slen-
der and brittle as to snap with a very trifling blow.
The Arabs, taking advantage of this circumstance, catch
them by throwing sticks at them, "by which their legs
are broken.
THE GAZELLE. (Antilope Dorcas.)
" The wild Gazelle, on Judah's Lills,
Exulting yet may bound,
And drink from all the living rills
That gush on holy ground.
Its airy step and glorious eye
May glance in tameless transport by." BYRON.
THE Gazelle is the most elegant of antelopes. The Ara-
bian poets have applied their choicest epithets to the
beauty of this animal, and their descriptions have been
adopted into our own poetry. Byron, in speaking of
the dark eyes of an eastern beauty, says :
" Go look on those of the Gazelle/'^
The Chamois.
151
"When the Persian describes his mistress, she is " an an-
telope in beauty," ** his Gazelle employs all his soul ;"
and thus, in their figurative language, perfect beauty
and Gazelle beauty are synonymous. These animals
are spread, in innumerable herds, from Arabia to the
river Senegal in Africa. Lions and panthers feed upon
them ; and man chases them with the dog, the cheetah,
and the falcon. The height of the Gazelle is about
twenty inches, the skin beautifully sleek, its body ex-
tremely graceful, its head unusually light, its ears flexi-
ble, its eyes most brilliant and glancing, and its legs as
slender as a reed.
THE CHAMOIS. (Antilope Eupicapm.)
THE Chamois is about three feet in length and two in
height ; its horns six or seven inches long, its ears small,
and its head resembling that of the goat. The body is
covered with long brown hair, the hue of which varies
with the sea-son,
152
(Quadrupeds.
The flesh is considered a savoury food, and the skin is
wrought into a soft pliable leather, well known in do-
mestic economy.
The Chamois is found only in the mountainous regions
of Europe, where they herd together on lofty and almost
inaccessible cliffs and precipices. They are so acute
and shy, that it is only by the greatest patience and skill
that the hunter can approach near enough to shoot them ;
and they are so swift, and leap with such extraordinary
sureness of foot, that to overtake them is impossible.
But beasts have reason too,
And that we know, we men that hunt the Chamois,
They never turn to feed sagacious creatures
Till they have placed a sentinel a-head,
Who pricks his ears whenever we approach,
And gives alarm with clear and piercing pipe."
SCHILLER'S WILLIAM TELL.
THE NYL GHAU, OR BLUE OX. (Antilope pida.)
THIS is a large kind of antelope, found in India. In the
The Nyl Gliau. 153
wild state these animals are very ferocious, but they
may be domesticated, and in that condition give fre-
quent tokens of familiarity, and even of gratitude, to
those under whose care they are placed. The female,
or doe, is much smaller than the male, and of a yellowish
colour, by which she is easily distinguished from the
buck, who is of a grey tint.
Its manner of righting is very peculiar, and is thus
described : Two of the males, at Lord Olive's, being
put into an enclosure, were observed, while they were
at some distance from each other, to prepare for the
attack, by falling down upon their knees; they then
shuffled towards each other, still keeping upon their
knees ; and, at the distance of a few yards, they made a
spring, and darted against each other with great force.
The following anecdote will serve to show that these
animals are sometimes fierce and vicious, and not to be
depended upon : A labouring man, without knowing
that the animal was near him, went up to the outside of
the enclosure; the Nyl Ghau, with the quickness of
lightning, darted against the woodwork with such vio-
lence that he dashed it to pieces, and broke one of his
horns close to the root. The death of the animal soon
after was supposed to be owing to the injury he sustained
by the blow.
The Nyl Ghau usually keeps closely concealed in the
jungle, but in the night or early morning it sometimes
passes into the open ground, to feed in the cornfields
belonging to the neighbouring villages. This is the
moment chosen by the natives to attack it. A platform
is erected near the spot the Nyl Ghau is known to
frequent, from which the hunters can take aim with
precision and safety.
154
Quadrupeds.
THE GNU. (Antilope Gnu.)
THIS very singular animal is sometimes called a horned
horse ; as it has the shape and mane of a horse, with the
addition of a formidable pair of horns, a kind of beard
below the chin, and a fringe of hair below the body,
along the breastbone. The Gnus live together in herds,
and when alarmed, fling up their heels, and plunge and
rear, tossing their heads and tails, before they gallop off;
which they do, the whole herd following their leader
singly, like a troop of soldiers. The Gnu inhabits the
sandy deserts of South Africa ; and its flesh, which is
said to resemble beef, is sometimes eaten by the colonists
near the Cape of Good Hope. When caught young the
Gnu may be tamed, but its disposition is always uncer-
tain, and when offended it throws itself on its knees,
like the njl ghau, and then springing up, butts furiously
with its horns.
The Stag.
155
THE STAG. (Cervus Elaplius.)
THIS animal is the male of the red Deer, and is gene-
rally famed for long life, though upon no certain
authority. Naturalists agree, however, upon this point,
that his life may exceed forty years : but that his exist-
ence, as it has been asserted, reaches to three centuries,
is too absurd to be believed. His horns are at first very
small, but gradually increase in size, as they are yearly
shed and renewed, till the stag has completed his fifth
year, when they become very large and branching, and
156 Quadrupeds.
remain so during the remainder of his life. The Stag is
one of the tallest of the deer kind, and is called a Hart
after he has completed his fifth year ; the female, called
the Hind, is without horns. Every year, in the month of
April, when the Stag has lost his horns, he appears con-
scious of his temporary weakness, and hides himself till
his new ones have grown and are hardened. This is
generally in about ten weeks, even when the Stag is full
grown ; his horns at this age weigh between twenty and
thirty pounds. Little need be said of the pleasure taken
in hunting the Stag, the Hart, and the Roebuck, it being
a matter well known in this country, and in all parts of
Europe. The following fact, recorded in history, will
serve to show that the Stag is possessed of an extraordi-
nary share of courage, when his personal safety is con-
cerned : In the reign of George the Second, William,
Duke of Cumberland, caused a tiger and a Stag to be
enclosed in the same area ; and the Stag made so bold a
defence, that the tiger was at length obliged to give up.
The flesh of the Stag is accounted excellent food, and his
horns are useful to cutlers ; even their shavings are used
to make ammonia, so much esteemed in medicine under
the name of hartshorn. The swiftness of the Stag has
become proverbial, and the diversion of hunting this
creature has, for ages, been looked upon as a royal
amusement. In the time of William Eufus and Henry
the First, it was less criminal to destroy a human being
than a full-grown Stag. This animal, when fatigued in
the chase, often throws himself into a pond of water, or
crosses a river; and, when caught, sheds tears like a
child.
" To the which place a poor sequestered Stag,
That from the hunter's aim had ta'en a hurt,
Did come to languish ; and indeed, my lord,
The wretched animal heaved forth such groans
That their discharge did stretch his leathern coat
Almost to bursting ; and the big round tears
Coursed one another down his innocent nose
In piteous chase."
SHAKESPEARE.
The Wapiti. 157
THE WAPITI, (Cervus CanadensisJ
Is a native of Canada and other northern parts of
America, and is one of the most gigantic of the Deer
tribe, growing to the height of our tallest oxen, and
uniting great activity to strength of body and limbs.
His horns, which he sheds annually, are very large,
branching in serpentine curves, and measuring from tip
to tip upwards of six feet. These animals make a shrill
noise, resembling the braying of an ass, and are supposed
to be the most stupid of the Deer kind. The flesh is
coarse, and little esteemed, but the hide, when made
into leather, is said not to become hard in drying after
being wetted, a quality which entitles it to a preference
over almost every other kind. There are several of
these splendid animals in the collection of the Zoological
Society, in the Eegent's Park, where they continue to:
form objects of singular interest and attraction. The
male is, however, very fierce, always endeavouring to
attack those who approach him; and on one occasion
Seriously injured one of the visitors to the gardens.
158
Quadrupeds.
B.SLY
THE EOEBUCK, (Germs capreolus,)
Is one of the least of the Deer kind known in these
climates, being not above three feet in length, and two
in height, and seldom lives more than fifteen years. His
horns are about nine inches long, round, and divided into
three small branches, and his colour is of a brown shade
on the back, his face partly black and partly ash-colour,
the chest and belly yellow, and the rump white ; his tail
is short. The Eoebuck is more graceful, more active,
more cunning, and comparatively swifter than the stag ;
his flesh is much esteemed. He is very delicate in the
choice of his food, and requires a larger tract of country,
suited to the wildness of his nature, which can never
be thoroughly subdued. No arts can teach him to be
familiar with his keeper, nor in any degree attached to
him. These animals are easily terrified ; and in their
attempts to escape will run with such force against the
walls of their enclosure, as sometimes to disable them-
selves : they are also subject to capricious fits of fierce-
ness ; and, on these occasions, will strike furiously with
their horns and feet at the object of their dislike. The
only parts of Great Britain where they are now found
are the Highlands of Scotland.
The Fallow Deer. 159
THE FALLOW DEER. (Germs dama.)
THESE are the Deer now usually kept in our parks. The
beautifully spotted kind are said to have been brought
from Bengal, and the very deep brown from Norway by
King James I. Their horns are broad and flat ; the male
is called a buck, the female a doe, and the young one a
fawn. The buck casts his horns every spring, and they
increase in size annually till he has attained his fifth
year. The venison of this Deer is very far superior to
that of the red deer, which is coarse and tough. The
buck-skin and doe-skin are well known, as furnishing a
peculiarly soft and warm leather, which is used for
gloves, gaiters, &c. The horns are used for the handles
of knives, &c., like those of the stag ; and the refuse is,
in the like manner, used in the manufacture of ammonia.
The buck stands about three feet high, and measures
about five feet in length ; the doe is somewhat smaller.
The tail is much longer than either that of the stag or
the roebuck, being nearly seven inches and a half long.
160 Quadrupeds.
Aft
THE ELK, (Cervus Akes,)
Is the largest of all the Deer kind. The antlers, at first
simple, and then divided into narrow slips, assume in the
fifth year the form of a triangular blade, dentated on the
external edge and very thick at the base ; they increase
with age, till they weigh fifty or sixty pounds, and have
fourteen branches to each horn. The Elk lives in forests,
feeding upon branches and sprouts of trees, and inhabits
Europe, Asia, and America ; in the last-named country
he is known by the name of the Moose Deer. There is
very little difference between the European Elk and the
American Moose Deer, though they are larger in the New
World than with us, owing perhaps to the extensive
forests in which they range. In all places, however,
they are timorous and gentle ; content with their pasture,
and never willing to disturb any other animal. The pace
of the Elk is a high, shambling trot, but it runs with
great swiftness. Formerly these animals were made use
of in Sweden to draw sledges, but their swiftness gave
criminals such means of escape, that this employment of
them was prohibited under great penalties. The female
is less than the male, and has no horns.
The Rein- deer.
161
THE REIN -DEER, (Cervus Tarandus, or Bangifer
Tarandus,)
Is found in most of the northern regions of Europe, Asia,
and America, and its general height is about four feet and
a half. The colour is brown above and white beneath ;
but as the animal advances in age, it often becomes of a
greyish white. The hoofs are long, large, and black.
Both sexes are furnished with horns, but those of the
male are much the largest. To the Laplanders this
animal supplies the place of the horse, the cow, the goat,
and the sheep , it is their only wealth. The milk affords
them cheese; the flesh, food; the skin, clothing; of the
tendons they make bowstrings, and when split, thread ;
of the horns, glue ; and of the bones, spoons. During
the winter, the Reindeer supplies the want of a horse,
and draws sledges with amazing swiftness over the
frozen lakes and rivers, or over the snow, which at that
time covers the whole country. Innumerable are the
uses, the comforts, and advantages which the poor in-
habitants of this dreary climate derive from this animal.
We cannot sum them up better than in the beautiful
language of the poet :
" Their Rein-deer form their riches. These their tents,
Their robes, their beds, and all their homely wealth
162 Quadrupeds.
Supply, their wholesome fare, and cheerful cups :
Obsequious at their call, the docile tribe
Yield to the sled their necks, and whirl them swift
O'er hill and dale, heaped into one expanse
Of marbled snow, as far as eye can sweep,
With a blue crest of ice unbounded glazed."
The mode of hunting the wild Rein-deer by the Lap-
landers, the Esquimaux, and the Indians of North
America, has been accurately described by late tra-
vellers. Captain Franklin gives the following interest-
ing account of the mode practised by the Dog-rib
Indians, to kill these animals. " The hunters go in
pairs, the foremost man carrying in one hand the horns
and part of the skin of the head of a Deer, and in the
other a small bundle of twigs, against which he, from
time to time, rubs the horns, imitating the gestures
peculiar to the animal. His comrade follows, treading
exactly in his footsteps, and holding the guns of both in
a horizontal position, so that the muzzles project under
the arms of him who carries the head. Both hunters
have a fillet of white skin round their foreheads, and
the foremost has a strip of the same round his wrists.
They approach the herd by degrees, raising their legs
very slowly, but setting them down somewhat suddenly,
after the manner of a Deer, and always taking care to
lift their right or left feet simultaneously. If any of the
herd leave off feeding to gaze upon this extraordinary
phenomenon, it instantly stops, and the head begins to
play its part, by licking its shoulders, and performing
other necessary movements. In this way the hunters
attain the very centre of the herd without exciting sus-
picion, and have leisure to single out the fattest. The
hindmost man then pushes forward his comrade's gun,
the head is dropped, and they both fire nearly at the
same instant. The Deer scamper off, the hunters trot
after them ; in a short time the poor animals halt, to
ascertain the cause of their terror ; their foes stop at the
same moment, and having loaded as they ran, greet the
gazers with a second fatal discharge. The consternation
of the Deer increases ; they run to and fro in the utmost
confusion; and sometimes a great part of the herd is
destroyed within the space of a few hundred yards."
The Axis.
163
THE AXIS. (Cervus Axis.)
A VERY beautiful species of the Deer is found in the East
Indies, of a light red colour, though some of the kind
are of a deeper red. It is about the size of a fallow
deer, and often variegated with beautiful spots of bright
white. The horns are slender and triple-forked. The
Axis is a timid and harmless creature, more ornamental
to the landscape, where it skips and plays in a wild
state, than useful to man. It is extremely docile, and
possesses the sense of smelling to an exquisite degree.
Though it is a native of the banks of the Ganges, it
appears to bear the climates of Europe without injury.
THE MUSK DEER. (Moschus moschiferus.)
THIS is a small species of Deer, quite destitute of horns,
which lives 011 the vast plains of Central Asia. It is
distinguished by possessing a pair of canine teeth or
tusks in the upper jaw ; and these teeth, which are not
found in the ruminant animals generally, are so long in
the Musk Deer that they project from the sides of the
164
Quadrupeds.
mouth and descend below the chin. The Musk Deer is
exceedingly active, and leaps to an astonishing height.
The male is remarkable for possessing a pouch about the
size of an egg, near the navel ; this contains a brown,
oily matter, of a most powerful odour, which is the well-
known perfume called musk, so highly esteemed amongst
Eastern nations.
THE GIKAFFE, OE CAMELOPAKD.
(Camelopardalis Giraffa.)
THIS most remarkable ruminant, which in its general
structure nearly approaches the Deer, has points of affi-
nity also with the antelopes and camels, besides very
striking peculiarities of its own.
The Giraffe. 165
The head is the most beautiful part of the animal : it
is small, and the eyes are large, brilliant, and very full.
Between the eyes, and above the nose, is a swelling very
prominent and well-defined. This prominence is not a
fleshy excrescence, but an enlargement of the bony sub-
stance ; and it seems to be similar to the two little lumps,
or horns, with which the top of the head is armed, and
which, being several inches in length, spring on each
side of the head, just above the ears, and are terminated
by a thick tuft of stiff upright hairs. The neck is re-
markably elongated, and it is furnished with a very
short, stiff mane, which stands out erect from the skin.
The height of a full-grown Giraffe in a wild state is said
to be seventeen or eighteen feet, measuring from the
hoofs to the tip of the ears ; but none of those in England
exceed fourteen feet. At first sight, the fore legs appear
much longer than the hind ones ; but the fact is, that '
the legs are of the same length, and it is only the height
of the withers that occasions the apparent disproportion.
Le Vaillant was the first well-informed naturalist who
studied the habits of the Giraffe in its wild state. '* If,"
he says, " among the known quadrupeds, precedency be
allowed to height, the Giraffe without doubt must hold
the first rank. A male which I have in my collection
measured, after I killed it, sixteen feet four inches from
the hoof to the extremity of its horns. I use this ex-
pression in order to be understood ; for the Giraffe has
no real horns ; but between its ears, at the upper ex-
tremity of the head, arise in a perpendicular and
parallel direction two excrescences from the cranium,
which without any joint stretch to the height of eight or
nine inches, terminating in a convex knob, and are sur-
rounded by a row of strong straight hair, which over-
tops them by several lines. The female is generally
lower than the male In consequence of the
number of these animals which I killed, or had an op-
portunity of seeing, I may establish as a certain rule
that the males are generally fifteen or sixteen feet in
height, and the females from thirteen to fourteen feet."
The colour of the Giraffe is a light fawn, marked with
spots only a few shades darker. The legs are very
166 Quadrupeds.
slender ; and, notwithstanding the length of the neck,
it manifests great difficulty in taking anything from the
ground. To do this, it puts out first one foot, and then
the other ; repeating the same process several times ; and
it is only after several of these experiments that it at
length bends down its neck, and applies its lips and
tongue to the object in question. In fact, the neck of
the Giraffe, although so enormousty long, is not very
flexible, as it contains only the same number of vertebrae
or joints (seven) that is found in other quadrupeds with
a much shorter neck ; it is admirably adapted for
enabling the animal to browse upon the branches of
trees, but is not intended to fit it for grazing. It
willingly accepts fruit and branches of a tree when
offered to it ; and seizes the foliage in a most singular
manner, thrusting forth a long, reddish, and very nar-
row tongue, which it rolls round whatever it wishes to
secure. Indeed, the tongue is a most remarkable organ
in this animal, and we have been witness of some amus-
ing exploits with it. In the Zoological Gardens at
Regent's Park, many a fair lady has been robbed of the
artificial flowers which have adorned her bonnet, by
the nimble, filching tongue of the rare object of her
admiration.
The Giraffe is a native of Africa; and it was for a
long time known only by the descriptions of travellers.
It was first sent to Europe in 1829 ; but since that time
many have been introduced, and several young ones
have been born in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's
Park.
Le Vaillant, in his entertaining Travels in Africa, gives
an animated account of a Giraffe hunt : " After several
hours' fatigue, we discovered, at the turn of a hill, seven
Giraffes, which my pack instantly pursued. Six of them
went off together ; but the seventh, cut off by my dogs,
took another way. I followed it at full speed, but, in
spite of the efforts of my horse, she got so much ahead
of me that, in turning a little hill, I lost sight of her
altogether. My dogs, however, were not so easily put
out. They were soon so close upon her, that she was
obliged to stop to defend herself. From the place where
The Giraffe. 167
I was, I heard them give tongue with all their might ;
and, as their voices appeared all to come from the same
spot, I conjectured that they had got the animal in a
corner, and I again pushed forward. I had scarcely got
round the hill, when I perceived her surrounded by the
dogs, and endeavouring to drive them away by heavy
kicks. In a moment I was on my feet, and a shot from
my carbine brought her to the earth. Enchanted with
my victory, I returned to call my people about me, that
they might assist in skinning and cutting up the animal.
On my return I found her standing under a large ebony-
tree, assailed by my dogs. She had staggered to this
place, and fell dead at the moment I was about to take a
second shot."
The horns of the Giraffe, small as they are, and muf-
fled with skin and hair, are by no means the insignificant
weapons they seem. We have seen them wielded by the
males against each other with fearful and reckless force ;
and we know that they are the natural arms of the
Giraffe, most dreaded by the keeper of the present living
Giraffes in the Zoological Gardens, because they are
most commonly and suddenly put in use. The Giraffe
does not butt by depressing and suddenly elevating the
head, like the deer, ox, or sheep ; but strikes the callous
obtuse extremities of the horns against the object of his
attack, with a sidelong sweep of the neck.
The Giraffe has a peculiarly awkward manner of trot-
ting, as it moves both the legs on one side at the same
time. In galloping, the Giraffe separates its hind legs
widely, and at each stride brings them far forward on
each side of the fore feet ; in this way the animal makes
rapid progress, although its appearance is rather extra-
ordinary, and the stones cast backwards by the force of
the hind feet not unfrequently assist in protecting it
when closely pursued. The female Giraffe in the
Regent's Park was a very bad mother to her first young
one, as she would not let it suck, and beat it away
whenever it approached. The poor thing was fed with
cow's milk, but it soon died. Later young ones have
been more kindly treated, and have in consequence
thriven well.
1G8
Quadrupeds.
THE BACTKIAN CAMEL. (Camelus Badrianus.)
" In silent horror, o'er the boundless wasle,
The driver Hassan with his Camels passed :
One cruse of water on his back lie bore,
And his light scrip contained a scanty store :
A fan of painted feathers in his hand,
To guard his shaded face from scorching sand ;
The sultry sun had gained the middle sky,
And not a tree, and not a herb was nigh :
The beasts with pain their dusty way pursue,
Shrill roar'd the winds, and dreary was the view !"
COLLINS.
THE BACTRIAN CAMEL is a native of the deserts of Asia,
and is generally of a brown or ash colour. His height
is about six feet. He is one of the most useful quadru-
peds in oriental countries; his docility and strength, his
endurance of hunger and thirst, and his swiftness, make
him a most valuable acquisition to the inhabitants of those
pesert places. The principal characteristics of the Camel
The Badrian Camel. 169
are these : He has two large and hard bunches on his
back, and is destitute of horns ; the upper lip is divided
like that of the hare ; and the hoofs small and placed
at the end of two long toes, which are united below by
a pad-like sole. But the peculiar and distinguishing
characteristic of the Camel is its faculty of abstaining
from water for a greater length of time than any other
animal ; for which nature has made a wonderful provi-
sion, by adapting the surface of one of the four stomachs,
which it has in common with all ruminating animals, to
serve as a reservoir for water, where it remains without
corrupting or mixing with the other aliments. By this sin-
gular structure it can take a prodigious quantity of water
at one draught, and is enabled to pass as much as fifteen
days without drinking again. But besides this reservoir
of water the animal is said in cases of emergency to draw
sustenance from the humps on his back, which are of a
fatty substance : thus, after long privation, they become
absorbed. A large Camel is capable of carrying ten or
even twelve hundredweight, and, like the elephant, is
tame and tractable ; but, like him, he has his periodical
fits of rage, and at these times has been known to take
up a man in his teeth, throw him on the ground, and
trample him under his feet. Like the horse, he gives
security to his rider ; and, like the cow, he furnishes his
owner with meat for his table, and the female with milk
for his drink. The flesh of the young Camel is esteemed
a delicacy, and the milk of the female, diluted in water,
is the common drink of the Arabians. The hair or fleece,
which falls off entirely in the spring, is superior to that
of any other domestic animal, and is made into very fine
stuffs, for clothes, coverings, tents, and other furniture.
The female goes one year with young, and produces but
one at a time. The Camel kneels to receive his burthen,
and it is said that he refuses to rise if his master imposes
upon him a weight above his strength. He has callosities
m his knees and on his breast, which prevent him from
being hurt by kneeling to take up his load ; and sleeps
with his knees bent under him, and his breast on the
ground. He arrives at maturity in about five years, and
the duration of his life is from forty to fii'ty years.
170
Quadrupeds.
THE ARABIAN CAMEL, OE DROMEDARY.
(Camelus Dromedarius.)
ANOTHER species of Camel, of less stature than the former,
but much swifter, and having but one hard bunch on nis
back, is domesticated throughout Africa, as well as in
Asia. It is said that a Dromedary can travel one hundred
miles a day, and carry fifteen hundredweight. Attempts
have been made to introduce the Camel and Dromedary
into our West India islands, but they have not succeeded ;
they have, however, been comparatively naturalized near
Pisa in Italy. The Camels used as beasts of burden in
Egypt are all Dromedaries; and the first experiment
which an European makes in bestriding one is generally
a service of gome little danger, from the peculiarity of
the animal's movement in rising. Denon, the French
traveller, has described this with his usual vivacity :
" During the French invasion of Egypt, a part of
Dessaix's division," to which the scientific traveller was
The Dromedary. 171
attached, " was sent with Camels to a distant post across
the desert. The Camel, slow as he generally is in his
actions, lifts up his hind legs very briskly at the instant
the rider is in the saddle ; the man is thus thrown for-
ward ; a similar movement of the fore legs throws him
backward ; each motion is repeated ; and it is not till the
fourth movement, when the Dromedary is fairly on his
feet, that the rider can recover his balance. None of us
could resist the first impulse, and thus nobody could laugh
at his companions." Macfarlane, in his work on Con-
stantinople, tells us that upon his first Camel adventure
he was so unprepared for the probable effect of the crea-
ture's ris.ing behind, that he was thrown over his head,
to the infinite amusement of the Turks, who laughed
heartily at his inexperience.
Though the name of Dromedary is very generally
applied to all the one-humped camels, both in common
parlance and books on Natural History, it is said that
the true Dromedary (El Herie) is merely a peculiarly
swift camel. The name of Dromedary, indeed, appears
to be applied in the East to all the higher bred camels,
the genealogy of which is kept by the Arabs as carefully
as that of their horses.
Possessing strength and activity surpassing that of
most beasts of burthen, docile, patient of hunger and
thirst, and contented with small quantities of the coarsest
provender, the camel is one of the most valuable gifts of
Providence. There is nothing, however, in the exterior
appearance of the animal to indicate the existence of any
of its excellent qualities. In form and proportions it is
very opposite to our usual ideas of perfection and beauty.
A stout body, having the back disfigured by a great
hump ; limbs long, slender, and seemingly too weak to
support the trunk; a long, thin, crooked neck, sur-
mounted by a heavily-proportioned head, are all ill-suited
to produce favourable impressions. Nevertheless, there
is no creature more excellently adapted to its situation,
nor is there one in which more of creative wisdom is
displayed in the peculiarities of its organization. To
the Arabs, and other wanderers of the desert, the Camel
is at once wealth, subsistence, and protection.
172 Quadrupeds.
THE LLAMA, OK CAMEL OF AMERICA,
(AucJienia glama,}
Is a mild, timorous creature, not above four feet and a
half in height, and usually of a brown colour. It bears
in form a general resemblance to the Camel ; but, instead
of a protuberance on the back, it has one on the breast.
Llamas are used as beasts of burden by the South Ame-
ricans, and are so capriciously vindictive, that, if their
drivers strike them, they immediately squat down, and
nothing but caresses can induce them to rise again.
They have been known to kill themselves by striking
their heads against the ground in their rage, when by
blows they have been urged forward against their will.
They express their anger by spitting at their adversary.
The Alpacas are much smaller than the Llamas, and of
different colours in a domestic state. They are used for
the same purposes, and differ little in habits and nature.
The wool of both these animals is made use of for several
purposes, and is a principal ingredient in the compo-
sition of hats in several parts of the new and old con-
tinent ; and the flesh of the young Llamas is, in their
native country, considered a great delicacy, and is as
good as that of the fat sheep of Castile. In Peru, where
the animals are found, there are public shambles for the
sale of their flesh.
The Ourang Outan. 173
IX. Quadrumana, or Four-handed Animals.
THE OURANG OUTAN. (Simia satyrus.)
ANIMALS of the Monkey tribe are furnished with hands
instead of paws ; their ears, eyes, eyelids, lips, and breasts
resemble those of the human species. For greater facility
of description, the animals of this extensive tribe are
usually arranged in the three divisions of Apes, Baboons,
and Monkeys. Apes are destitute of tails, and the chief
of this kind is the Ourang Outan, or Wild Man of the
Woods : he is found in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra.
He is a solitary animal, and avoids mankind. The largest
are said to be six feet high, very active, strong, and in-
trepid, capable of overcoming the strongest man : they
are likewise exceedingly swift, and cannot easily be
taken alive. When young, however, the Ourang Outan
is capable of being tamed: one of them, shown in
London some years ago, was taught to sit at table, make
use of a spoon or fork in eating, and drink wine out of a
glass. It was mild and affectionate, much attached to its
keeper, and obedient to his commands.
174
Quadrupeds.
THE CHIMPANZEE.
(Simia Troglodytes, or Troglodytes niger.)
THIS Ape, which is an inhabitant of the great forests of
Western Africa, is generally considered to be that which
approaches nearest to the human species in its conforma-
tion. When full-grown, he measures about five feet in
height, standing erect, but this is a posture which he
does not naturally prefer, and when on the ground he
usually walks upon all fours, applying the outside of his
hinder feet and the knuckles of his fore limbs to the
The Chimpanzee. 175
earth. His skin is clothed with long coarse black or
dark-brown hair, which becomes scanty on the lower
surface of the body and on the limbs ; the face is naked
and of a flesh colour, and at each side there hangs down
a great bush of long hair like a whisker. The Chim-
panzee lives in the trees, upon the branches of which he
is very active, and he has intelligence enough to build
himself a sort of hut of branches, usually about thirty or
forty feet from the ground. His food consists chiefly of
fruits, and he is said to fly from the presence of man.
Young Chimpanzees have frequently been brought to
this and other European countries, and several of them
have been exhibited in our Zoological Gardens. They
are generally gentle and rather melancholy in their
deportment, and often show much affection for those
who have the charge of them. Of a specimen exhibited
in France in his time, Buffon gives the following interest-
ing account : " T have seen this animal," he says, " present
its hand to lead out its visitors, or walk about with them
gravely as if it belonged to the company. I have seen it
seat itself at table, unfold its napkin and wipe its lips,
use its spoon and fork to carry its food to its mouth, pour
its drink into a glass, and touch glasses when invited ;
fetch a cup and saucer to the table, put in sugar, pour
out its tea, and leave it to cool before drinking it ; and all
this without any other instigation than the signs and
words of its master, and often of its own accord." Buffon
adds that it had a taste which, no doubt, some of our
young readers partake : "It was excessively fond of
sugar-plums."
176
Quadrupeds.
THE GORILLA. (Troglodytes Gorilla.)
THIS wonderful Ape, which has lately been discovered in
the same region inhabited by the Chimpanzee, is thought,
in some respects, to possess even a greater resemblance to
our own species. He is said to attain a height of seven
feet, but the largest specimens hitherto obtained have
been rather less than six feet high. By some travellers
the Gorilla is said <-o walk upright, with his hands rest-
ing on the nape of his neck, but the state of his knuckles
shows that he usually goes, like the Chimpanzee, on all
fours. His skin is covered with short grizzled hair, and
the naked skin of his face and hands is black. The
Gorilla is much dreaded by the negroes who have to
pass through the forests frequented by him when
engaged in hunting the Elephant ; this is not on account
of his teeth, although they are sufficiently formidable,
but of the enormous strength of his hands, with which
he can strangle a man in a moment, and it is even said
that the old males never miss an opportunity of perform-
ing this operation, It is even said, that as a party of
hunters is passing through the forest, one of their
number will sometimes disappear suddenly, being caught
up by a Gorilla lurking upon the low branches of a tree ;
the monster speedily strangles his victim and then lets
the body fall.
The Barlary Ape. Ill
THE MAGOT, OK BARBARY APE, (Innus sylmnus,}
Is a species of Monkey quite destitute of a tail, which
inhabits the northern parts of Africa, and is also found
on the Rock of Gibraltar. Caubasson relates a laughable
anecdote of one of these animals, which he brought up
tanae, and which became so attached to him as to be
desirous of accompanying him wherever he went : when,
therefore, he had to perform divine service, he was under
the necessity of shutting him up. One day, however,
the animal escaped, and followed the father to church,
where, silently mounting on the top of the sounding-
board, above the pulpit, he lay perfectly quiet till the
sermon began. He then crept to the edge, and, overlook-
ing the preacher, imitated his gestures in so grotesque a
manner, that the whole congregation were convulsed
with laughter. Caubasson, surprised and displeased at
this ill-timed levity, reproved his auditors for their in-
attention; and on the obvious failure of his reproof, he,
in the warmth of zeal, redoubled his gesticulations and
his vociferations. These the Ape so exactly imitated that
all respect for their pastor was swallowed up in the
scene before them, and they burst into a loud and con-
tinued roar of laughter. A friend of the preacher at
length stepped up to him; and on perceiving the cause of
this hilarity, it was with the utmost difficulty he could
command a serious countenance while he ordered the
Ape to be taken away.
N
178 Quadrupeds.
THE BABOON. (Cynoceplmlus.)
A GENUS of Quadrumana, which comprises a large, fierce,
and formidable race of animals, who, though they in a
slight degree partake of the human conformation, like
the Ourang Outan, &c., are in their dispositions and
habits the very reverse of gentleness and docility.
The Baboons are the ugliest of all the Quadrumana.
Their eyes are small, and sunk underneath their eye-
brows. Their forehead is low, and the development
of the snout and face is enormously disproportioned
to the size of the skull. Their great strength and fierce
disposition make them very much dreaded in the coun-
tries they inhabit. Baboons differ from the apes on the
one hand, and the monkeys on the other, by having short
tails.
The Common Baboon is of a sandy colour, with a red-
dish shade on the shoulders, head, and back. It is
playful and good-tempered when young, but becomes
morose and savage with age. Buffon thus describes a
full-grown specimen he saw: "It was not altogether
hideous, and yet it excited horror. It seemed to be
always in a state of savage ferocity, grinding its teeth,
perpetually restless, and agitated by unprovoked fury.
It was a stout-built animal, whose nervous limbs and
compressed form indicated great force and agility ; and,
The Baboon. 179
though the length and thickness of its shaggy coat made
it appear much larger than it really was, it was so
strong and active that it might easily have repelled the
attacks of several unarmed men."
The Cape Baboon, or Chacura (Cynocephalus porcarius),
is as big as a large mastiff, covered with hair of an olive-
black colour on the back, and with paler hair beneath.
He has a canine face ; the snout resembles that of a hog,
and the nails are flat, but sharp and very strong. It is
said that he follows goats and sheep in order to drink
their milk ; he partakes of human dexterity in getting
the kernels out of nuts, and loves to be covered with
garments ; he stands upright, and imitates with ease
many human actions. The cunning of these animals is
well exemplified in their mode of plunder. They form
long lines, extending from their retreat to the object in
view, and then pitch the produce of their theft from hand
to hand till it is secure.
The Mandrill is the largest kind of Baboon, being
nearly five feet high when it stands upright. It is
distinguished from other Baboons by having a large
protuberance on either cheek, which is marked with
numerous red, blue, and purple stripes.
" Those which have been observed in a domestic state
are generally remarked to have had a strong taste for
fermented and spirituous liquors. A remarkably fine
individual which was long kept at Exeter Change, and
afterwards at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, drank his
pot of porter daily, and evidently enjoyed it ; it was a
most amusing sight to see him seated in his little arm-
chair with his quart pot beside him, and smoking his
short pipe with all the gravity and perseverance of a
Dutchman. In a state of nature his great strength and
malicious character render the Mandrill a truly formid-
able animal. As they generally march in large bands
they prove more than a match for the other inhabitants
of the forest. The inhabitants themselves are afraid to
pass through the woods unless in large companies and
well armed."
180 Quadrupeds.
THE PROBOSCIS. THE DIANA MONKEY.
(Nasalis larvatus.) (Cercopitliecus Diana*)
THE PROBOSCIS MONKEY is so called from its long project-
ing and disproportionate nose ; it is an inhabitant of the
island of Borneo, where it lives in troops on trees in
the vicinity of its rivers. It is of a savage disposition.
The Diana Monkey is called after the goddess of that
name, from the crescent of white hair which ornaments
its brow. It is very playful, and one of the most grace-
ful of the tribe ; it is found in the hottest parts of Africa.
Monkeys are less in stature, and more numerous, than the
apes and baboons. They live almost entirely in trees.
Their natural food is vegetable fruit of all sorts, corn,
and even grass ; but when domesticated, they learn to eat
almost anything that is served on our tables.
There are few persons that are not acquainted with
the various mimicries of these animals, and their ca-
pricious feats of activity. Anecdotes of this kind are
very numerous ; we shall content ourselves by giving
the following : Captain Stedman, while hunting among
the woods of Surinam for provisions, says, that he shot
at two of these animals, but that the destruction to one
of them was attended with such circumstances as to
ever afterwards deter him from going monkey hunting.
" Seeing me nearly on the bank of the river, in the
Monkeys. 181
canoe," says he, " the creature made a halt from skipping
after his companions, and, being perched on a branch
that overhung the water, examined me with the strongest
marks of curiosity; while he chattered prodigiously,
and kept shaking the boughs on which he rested, with
incredible strength and agility. At this time I laid my
piece to my shoulder and brought him down from the
tree : but may I never again be witness to such a scene !
The miserable animal was not dead, but mortally
wounded. I seized him by the tail, and taking him in
both my hands, to end his torment swung him round,
and hit his head against the side of the canoe ; but the
poor creature still continued to live, and looked at me
in the most affecting manner that can be conceived. I
therefore knew no other means of ending his murder
than to hold him under water till he was drowned : but
even in doing this, my heart sickened ; for his little
dying eyes still continued to follow me with seeming
reproach, till their light gradually forsook them, and the
wretched animal expired."
The manner in which some of the Monkey tribe cap-
ture shell-fish is remarkably indicative of their cunning
and ingenuity. The oysters of the tropical climates,
being larger than ours, the Monkeys, when they reach
the sea-side, pick up stones, and thrust them between the
opening shells, which being thus prevented from closing,
the cunning animals eat the fish at their ease. In order
to attract crabs, they put their tails before the holes in
which they have taken refuge ; and when the creatures
have fastened on the lure, the Monkeys suddenly with-
draw their tails, and thus drag their prey on shore.
The Monkey generally brings forth one at a time, and
sometimes two. They are rarely found to breed when
brought over into Europe ; but those that do exhibit a
very striking picture of parental affection. The male
and female are never tired of fondling their young one.
They instruct it with no little assiduity; and often
severely correct it, if stubborn, or disinclined to profit
by their example. They hand it from one to the other,
and when the male has done showing his regard the
female takes her turn in the work of affection.
182 Quadrupeds.
THE CAPUCHIN AND SPIDER MONKEYS,
(Cebus Capucinv.s and Ateles paniscus^
ARE both natives of South America ; they live in large
troops, feeding on roots, fruits, and insects, and are much
more gentle than those of the old world. Of the Capuchin
there are many species, differing from each other in
colour only ; they are very lively, active, and amusing,
and about a foot long. The Spider Monkey, like the
Capuchin, has a long prehensile tail, which it uses like
a fifth hand. Nature seems by this addition to have
more than recompensed them for the want of a thumb,
for by it, when they are unable to leap from one tree to
another, on account of the distance, they form a kind of
chain, with their young upon their backs, hanging down
by each other's tails. One of them holds the branch
above, and the rest swing to and fro like a pendulum,
until the undermost is enabled to catch hold ; the first
then lets go his hold, and thus oomes undermost in his
turn ; in this way they can travel a great distance with-
out ever touching the ground. Curious illustrations of
this are daily seen at the Zoological Gardens, where
there are several of these Monkeys.
Monkeys. 183
THE OUTSTITI AND MARIKINA MONKEYS.
(Jacchus vulgaris and Rosalia.)
THE OOISTITI, or MARMOZET, inhabits the Brazils, and is
of small size, not measuring more than seven inches,
though his tail is near eleven ; he weighs about six
ounces, and, like others of his kind, lives not only on
vegetables, but also upon insects, the eggs of birds, and
even small birds. His face is almost naked , of a swarthy
fle^h colour, with a white spot above the nose : the tail
is full of hair, and annulated with ash-coloured and black
rings alternately ; his nails are sharp, and his fingers
like those of a squirrel.
The MARIKINA is a beautiful little animal, not above
nine inches long, and is sometimes called the Lion Mon-
key ; his hair is long, soft, and glossy ; his head is round,
his face brown, and his ears hid under the long hairs
which surround his face, and which are of a bright red,
while those on his body and tail are of a beautiful pale
3*ellow, or gold colour. He is very playful, and of a
seemingly robust temperament, for we have seen one
which lived five or six years in Paris, without any other
particular care than keeping it during the winter in a
chamber in which there was a fire every day.
184 Quadrupeds.
THE LEMUK AND THE MONGOOS,
(Lemur macaco and Lemur albifrons,)
MAY be considered as the connecting link between the
Monkeys and the genuine quadruped. Their habits are
nocturnal, whence they have been called Lemurs, or
ghosts. They pass a considerable portion of the day in
sleep, rolled up like a ball, with the large tail passed
between the hind legs, and twisted round the neck. They
live in troops, more or less numerous, like the apes and
monkeys, on trees, and climb with great quickness, and
leap with so much force as frequently to rise ten feet at
a single bound. They feed on fruits, roots, &c. } and
carry their food to their mouth with their hands, like
the apes ; their voice, when not alarmed, is a quick
grunt. Their nocturnal and unobtrusive habits may
probably account in some degree for the rarity of their
appearance. They are all inhabitants of Madagascar,
but allied species are also found in Bengal, and other
parts of Hindostan, in Ceylon, and Java. The above
specimens are from the Zoological Gardens, and are the
White-fronted and the Black and White Lemurs.
BOOK II.
INHABITANTS OF THE AIR.
I. EAPTORES. Diurnal Birds of Prey.
THE GOLDEN EAGLE. (Aquila chrysaetos.)
" But who the various nations can declare,
That plough with busy wing the peopled air ?
These cleave the crumbling bark for insect food,
Those dip the crooked beak in kindred blood :
Some haunt the rushy moor, the lonely woods ;
Some bathe their silver plumage in the floods ;
Some fly to man, his household gods implore,
And gather round his hospitable door,
Wait the known call, and find protection there
From all the lesser tyrants of the air.
The tawny Eagle seats his callow brood
High on the cliff, and feasts his young with blood."
BARBAULD.
THE GOLDEN EAGLE is one of the largest and most power-
ful of all those birds that have received the name of
Eagle. It weighs above twelve pounds. Its length,
from the point of the beak to tho end of the tail, is
186 Birds.
about three feet ; the breadth, when the wings are ex-
tended, is seven or eight feet. The beak is horny,
crooked, and very strong. The feathers of the neck are
of a rusty colour, and the rest dark brown. The feet
are feathered down to the claws, which have a wonder-
ful grasp ; the toes are yellow, and the four talons are
crooked and strong. As in all birds of prey, the female
is the larger, and more powerful.
Eagles are remarkable for their longevity, and their
faculty of sustaining a long abstinence from food. Of
all birds the Eagle flies highest ; and from thence the
ancients have given it the epithet of the Bird of Heaven :
"Bird of the broad and sweeping wing,
Thy home is high in heaven,
Where wide the storms their banners fling,
And the tempest's clouds are driven.
Thy throne is on the mountain top,
Thy fields the boundless air ;
And hoary peaks, that proudly prop
The skies, thy dwellings are."
This formidable bird may be considered among its own
species what the lion is among quadrupeds ; and in many
respects they have a strong similitude to each other.
Solitary, like the lion, he keeps the wilds to himself
alone ; it is as extraordinary to see two pairs of Eagles
in the same mountain, as two lions in the same plain.
The Eagle is found in Great Britain and Ireland, in
Germany, and nearly all parts of Europe. It is carni-
vorous, and, when unable to obtain the flesh of larger
animals, feeds on serpents and lizards. The story of
the Eagle, brought to the ground after a severe conflict
with a cat, which it had seized and taken up into the air
with its talons, is very remarkable ; Mr. Barlow, who
was an eye-witness of the fact, made a drawing of it,
which he afterwards engraved. Two instances are said
to have occurred in Scotland of the Eagle having flown
away with infants to its nest ; but in both cases it is
added that the children were recovered, without being
materially injured. This bird has been often tamed, but
in this situation it still preserves an innate love of
liberty. The nest of the Eagle is composed of strong
The Golden Eagle. 187
sticks, and generally built on the point of an inacces-
sible rock, whence it darts upon its prey with the rapi-
dity of lightning. The period of incubation is said to
be thirty days ; and when the young are hatched, both
the male and female exert all their industry to provide
for their wants. In the county of Kerry a peasant is
said once to have formed the resolution of plundering an
Eagle's nest built upon a small island in the beautiful
lake of Killarney. He accordingly swam to the island
while the parents were away ; and, after robbing the
nest of the young, was preparing to swim back with the
Eaglets tied in a string ; but while he was yet up to the
chin in the water, the old Eagles returned, and, missing
their family, fell upon the invader with such fury, that,
in spite of all his resistance, they despatched him with
their beaks and talons.
Another native of Kerry was more fortunate in his
dealings with the Eagles. During a season of scarcity
he obtained sustenance for himself and his family by
plundering an Eagle's nest of the food brought in by the
parents for their young ones : and he was so artful as to
prolong the supply by cutting the wings of the Eaglets
so as to prevent their flying, and thus compelled the old
birds to continue their attention to their progeny.
188
Birds.
THE SEA EAGLE. (Haliaetus atbitilla.}
THIS bird, known also as the White-tailed Eagle, from
the inside feathers of its tail being white, differs from
the golden eagle in the greater length of its beak, in its
sluggish and cowardly habits, and in its coarser taste. It
is a native of Great Britain, where it inhabits the high
rocks and cliffs that overhang the sea, and whence it
pounces on the birds, fish, or seals that it can procure for
its prey. It is smaller than the golden eagle, rarely
reaching three feet in length ; and in young birds the
tail feathers are brown.
The White-headed Eagle.
189
THE WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE.
(Haliaetus leucoccphalus.)
THIS bird is about three feet long, and seven feet broad,
measuring to the tips of the extended wings. The bill
resembles that of the golden eagle, and from the chin
hang some small hairy feathers like a beard. As it is
found alike in the frigid and the torrid zone, it is pro-
vided for enduring rapid changes of temperature, and
its whole body is clothed under the feathers with a kind
of down, white and soft like that of the swan. This bird
builds its nest on lofty cliffs by the sea-shore, and on
the banks of rivers or lakes, and feeds almost entirely
upon fish.
It is generally regarded by the Anglo-Americans with
peculiar respect, as the chosen emblem of their native
land. The great cataract of Niagara is mentioned as one
of its favourite places of resort, not merely as a fishing
station, where it is enabled to satiate its hunger upon
its most congenial food, but also in consequence of the
vast quantity of four-footed beasts, which, unwarily
venturing into the stream above, are borne away by
190 Birds:
the torrent, and precipitated down those tremendous
falls :
" High o'er the watery uproar silent seen,
Sailing sedate in majesty serene,
Now 'midst the pillar 'd spray sublimely lost,
And now emerging, down the rapids toss'd,
Glides the Bald Eagle, gazing calm and slow
O'er all the horrors of the scene below ;
Intent alone to sate himself with blood,
From the torn victim of the raging flood."
The number of birds of prey of various kinds, which
assemble at the foot of the rocks to glut themselves upon
the banquet thus provided for them, is said to be incredi-
bly great, but they are all compelled to give place to the
Eagle when he deigns to feed on dead animals ; and the
crow and the vulture submit without a struggle to the
exercise of that tyranny, which they know it would be
in vain to resist. " We have ourselves," says Wilson,
" seen the Bald Eagle, while seated on the dead carcase
of a horse, keep a whole flock of vultures at a respectful
distance, until he had fully sated his own appetite : "
and he adds another instance, in which many thousands
of tree squirrels having been drowned, in one of their
migrations, in attempting to pass the Ohio, and having
furnished for some length of time a rich banquet to the
vultures, the sudden appearance among them of the
Bald Eagle at once put a stop to their festivities, and
drove them to a distance from their prey, of which the
Eagle kept sole possession for several successive days.
These Eagles sometimes hunt in pairs in a manner
which shows their great sagacity. Aware that water-fowl
have the power of eluding their grasp by diving, they
hover at a distance from each other over their prey. One
of them then darts towards it with great swiftness, but
the water-fowl easily avoids the first attack by diving.
The pursuer then rises into the air, and his mate resumes
the attack just as the fowl is emerging to breathe, and
compels it to plunge again. The Eagles continue alter-
nately to proceed in this manner till their victim is so
exhausted that it falls an easy prey.
This Eagle also frequently attacks the Osprey or
Fish Hawk, when he is returning from a successful
The Osprey.
191
excursion loaded with a large fish, and compels him to
drop his prey ; the Eagle then descends with wonderful
rapidity, and generally succeeds in seizing the fish
before it reaches the water.
THE OSPBEY, OK FISHING HAWK.
(Pandion lialiaetus.)
" True to the season, o'er our sea-beat shore
The sailing Osprey high is seen to soar
With broad unmoving wing ; and circling slow,
Marks each loose straggler in the deep below ;
Sweeps down like lightning, plunges with a roar,
And bears its struggling victim to the shore."
THIS bird is always found on the sea-shore, or near
rivers or lakes, as it feeds entirely on fish. It is com-
mon in Great Britain, and also in America, where large
colonies of it are found, the birds living together like
rooks. " When looking out for its prey," says Dr.
Richardson, " it sails with great ease and elegance, in
undulating and curved lines, at a considerable height
above the water, till it perceives its prey, when it
pounces down upon it. It seizes the fish with its claws,
sometimes scarcely appearing to dip its feet in the
192
Birds.
water, and at others plunging entirely under the surface
with force sufficient to throw up a considerable spray.
It emerges again, however, so speedily, as to render it
evident that it does not attack fish swimming at any
great depth." The toes are armed beneath with nume-
rous sharp points, evidently intended to assist the bird
in getting a firm hold of its slippery prey.
The Osprey builds a large nest either on trees or
rocks, and lays two or three eggs, which have a reddish
tinge, and are spotted with brown at the larger end.
The old birds feed the young ones even after they have
left the nest, and only rear one brood in the year.
THE BLACK EAGLE.
SOME ornithologists suppose this to be merely the golden
The Black Eagle. 193
eagle in its young state, but others make it a distinct
species. It is about twice as large as the raven. The
parts about the beak and the eye are bare of feathers,
and somewhat reddish; the head, neck, and breast
black ; in the middle of the back, between the shoulders,
there is a large white spot, dashed with red ; a black
streak sweeps along the feathers, and is followed by a
white one ; the remaining part of the wing to tke tip
is of a dark ash-colour. This bird has beautiful hazel
eyes, full of animation : his legs are feathered down a
little below the tarsal joint, the naked part being red ;
his talons are very long. He is found in France, Ger-
many, Poland, and delights in Alpine mountains, where
he makes the vales and woods resound with his incessant
screamings when in search of prey.
The Abbe Spallanzani had an eagle of this species,
so powerful as to be able to kill dogs that were much
larger than itself. When a dog was placed before it,
the bird would ruffle up the feathers on its head and
neck, cast a dreadful look at its victim, take a short
flight, and immediately alight on its back. It held the
head firmly with one foot, and thus secured the dog from
biting, and with the other grasped one of his flanks, at
the same time driving its talons into the body ; and in
this attitude it continued, till the dog expired with
fruitless outcries and efforts.
The eyes of eagles are celebrated for their brilliancy
and strength, which has given rise to the popular opinion
that they can gaze on the sun without shrinking :
though this, from the overhanging eyebrow of the
Eagle, would be an extremely difficult feat for the bird
to perform. The eyes of all birds are curiously con-
structed, so as to enable them to see both distant objects
and near ones with equal facility ; and for this purpose
they are furnished with a membrane placed near the
edge of the crystalline lens of the eye, by which it can
be moved at pleasure. The orbit of the eye is formed
of about twelve or sixteen bony plates, which slide over
each other when necessary. Birds are also furnished
with an additional eyelid, of extremely thin texture,
with which they occasionally appear to shade their eyes.
194 Birds.
THE VULTUEE. ( Vultur Monachus.)
THE first rank in the description of birds has been given
to the eagle, not on account of its size, but because it is
nobler in its habits and more delicate in its appetites.
But it belongs to the falcon tribe, and should be placed
after the Vultures. The eagle, unless pressed by famine,
will not stoop to carrion ; and generally devours only
what he has earned by his own pursuit. The Vulture,
on the contrary, is disgustingly voracious ; and seldom
attacks living animals when it can be supplied with
dead. The eagle meets and singly opposes his enemy :
the Vulture, if he expects resistance, calls in the aid of
its kind, and overpowers its prey by combination. Putre-
faction, instead of deterring, only serves to allure it.
The Vulture seems among birds what the jackal and
hyaana are among quadrupeds, who prey upon carcases,
and root up the dead.
Vultures may be easily distinguished from eagles by
the nakedness of their heads and necks, which are with-
out feathers, and only covered with a very slight down,
or a few scattered hairs; their eyes are more promi-
nent ; those of the eagle being buried more in the socket,
and shaded by an overhanging eyebrow. Their claws
are shorter and less hooked. The inside of the wing is
covered with a thick down, which is different in them
from all other birds of prey. Their attitude is not so
upright as that of the eagle, and their flight is more diffi-
cult and heavy.
In this description we may include the Golden, the
Ash-coloured, and the Brown Vulture, which are inhabi-
tants of Europe ; the Spotted and the Black Vulture of
Egypt ; the Bearded Vulture, the Brazilian Vulture and
the King of the Vultures, of South America. They all
agree in their nature, being equally indolent, rapacious,
and unclean. The Condor also belongs to the Vulture
tribe.
The Vulture. 195
THE KING VULTUEE. (Vultur, or Sarcorltampluu
papa.)
THE KING VULTURE, or King of the Vultures, is so called,
because when he makes his appearance amongst a whole
company of other birds of his kind engaged in a feast
upon a dead carcase, they all retire before him and wait
respectfully at a little distance until this monarch has
eaten his fill. He is an inhabitant of South America.
The head and neck of this bird are without feathers ;
the body above, reddish buff, beneath, yellowish white :
quills greenish black; tail black; craw pendulous, and
orange-coloured. It is about the size of a turkey; and
is chiefly remarkable for the odd formation of the skin
of the head and neck ; this skin, which is of an orange
colour, arises from the base of the bill, whence it
stretches on each side of the head; the eyes are sur-
rounded by a red skin, and the iris has the colour and
lustre of pearl. Upon the naked part of the neck is a
collar formed by soft longish feathers. Into this collar
the bird sometimes withdraws his whole neck, and some-
times a part of its head, so that it looks as if it had
hidden its neck in its body.
196
Birds.
THE CONDOR, (Vultur gryphus.)
THIS bird measures three or four feet long, and its wings,
when expanded, from ten to twelve feet. Its bill and
talons are exceedingly large and strong ; and its courage
is equal to its strength. The throat is naked, and of a
red colour. The upper parts in some individuals (for
they differ greatly in colour) are variegated with black,
gray, and white, and the body is scarlet. Bound the
neck it has a white ruff of loose hairy feathers. The
feathers on the back are generally quite black, and
perfectly bright. These enormous birds, which are in-
habitants of South America, breed among the highest
and most inaccessible rocks. The female makes no
nest, but lays two white eggs, somewhat bigger than
those of a turkey, on the bare rock. Some writers have
affirmed that a Condor can carry off a sheep in its claws,
and others that it has carried off children in the same
manner ; but these tales are manifestly absurd, as the
The Buzzard. 197
Condor's feet and talons are not fitted for carrying any
great weight. Both the talons and the bill are indeed
of extraordinary strength, but they are intended for
tearing objects to pieces ; and consequently we find that
the Condor feeds chiefly on dead or dying cattle, or
horses, which he tears to pieces and devours where they
lie. When the Condor is gorged the hunters attack
him, but his strength and fierceness are so great, that
one of Sir Francis Head's companions, who attempted
to seize a gorged Condor, said he never had " such a
battle in his life ;" though he had been a Cornish miner,
and was reckoned an excellent wrestler in his own
country.
THE BUZZARD. (Falco Buteo, or Buteo vulgaris.)
11 The noble Buzzard ever pleased me best ;
Of small renown, 't is true ; for, not to lie,
We call him but a Hawk by courtesy."
HIND AND PANTHEB.
THIS is a rapacious bird, of the hawk kind, and the
most common of all in England. It is of a sluggish,
indolent nature, often remaining perched on the same
bough for the greater part of the day : as if, indifferent
either to the allurements of food or of pleasure, it were
doomed, like some of the human species, to pass its
allotted span of life in passive contemplation. It feeds
198
on mice, rabbits, frogs, and often on all sorts of carrion,
Too idle to build itself a nest, it frequently seizes upon
the old habitation of a crow, which it lines afresh with
wool and other soft materials. In general this bird,
whose colour varies considerably, is brown varied with
yellow specks ; at a certain age its head becomes entirely
gray. The female generally lays two or three eggs,
which are mostly white, though sometimes spotted with
yellow. Its length is usually twenty-two inches, and
its breadth upwards of fifty.
The following anecdote, related by Buffon, will show
that the Buzzard may be so far tamed as to be rendered
a faithful domestic. A Buzzard, which had been caught
in a snare, was brought to a gentleman, who undertook
to tame it. It was at first wild and ferocious, but by
depriving it of food he succeeded in constraining it to
come and eat out of his hand. By pursuing this plan
he brought it to be very familiar ; and, after having shut
it up about six weeks, he began to allow it a little
liberty, taking the precaution, however, to tie both
pinions of its wings. In this condition it walked out
into his garden, and returned when called to be fed ;
after some time, thinking he might trust to its fidelity,
he removed the ligatures, and fastened a small bell above
its talon, and also attached to its breast a bit of copper
with his name engraved on it. He then gave it entire
liberty, which it soon abused ; for it took wing and flew
into the forest of Belesme. The bird was given up for
lost; but four hours afterwards, it rushed into the
gentleman's hall, pursued by five other Buzzards, which
had driven it into its former asylum. After this ad-
venture it preserved its fidelity, coming every night
to sleep under the window. It soon became familiar,
attended constantly at dinner, sat on a corner of the
table, and often caressed its master with its head and
bill, emitting a weak, sharp cry, which, however, it
sometimes softened. It had a singular propensity of
seizing from the head and flying away with the red caps
of the peasants ; and so alert was it in whipping them
off, that they found their heads bare without knowing
what was become of their caps ; it even treated the wigs
TJie Honey-Buzzard. 109
of the old men in the same way, hiding its booty in the
tallest trees.
Wilson says that one he shot in the wing lived with
him several weeks : but refused to eat. It amused
itself by hopping from one end of the room to the other,
and sitting for hours at the window, looking down on
the passengers below. At first, he put himself in an
attitude of defence when approached ; but after some
time became quite familiar, permitting himself to be
handled. Though he lived so long without food, his
stomach was found on dissection to be enveloped in
solid fat of nearlv an inch in thickness.
THE HONEY-BUZZAKD. (Fako t or Pernis apworus.)
THIS Buzzard eats lizards, frogs, and snails. It also
feeds upon the larvae of bees and wasps, which form the
chief food of the young birds. Buffon says that in
winter, when fat, it is good eating, a very rare circum-
stance with birds of this genus. It seldom flies, ex-
cepting from one bush to another ; but, when on the
ground, it runs with great rapidity, like a domestic fowl.
Willoughby observes that it builds its nest with twigs,
200 Birds.
on which it lays wool to receive its eggs. He saw one
that took possession of an old kite's nest to breed in,
and that fed its young with the larvse of wasps, for in
the nest were found the combs of wasps' nests, and, in
the stomachs of the young, fragments of wasp-maggots.
In the nest were two young ones, covered with white
down, spotted with black. In the crop of one of them
were two lizards entire, with their heads lying towards
the mouth, as if they sought to creep out.
It would be highly interesting could we discover the
manner in which this bird conducts its attack on a
wasps' nest. The close feathering round the base of the
bill, is, no doubt, a protection against the stings of the
insects which they attack.
THE GOSHAWK, (Fako, or Astwr palumbarim,)
BREEDS in lofty trees in Scotland, and destroys a great
quantity of small game, which he seizes with his sharp
and crooked talons, and carries to his nest. He is of the
hawk tribe, and somewhat larger than the common
buzzard ; his bill is blue, and he has a white stripe
over each eye, and also a large white spot on each side
of the neck. The general colour of the plumage is deep
brown ; the breast and belly white, transversely streaked
with black ; and the legs yellow. Buffon, who brought
up two young Goshawks, a male and a female, makes
The Goshawk. 201
the following observations : " The Goshawk, before it
has shed its feathers, that is, in the first year, is marked
on the breast and belly with longitudinal brown spots ;
but after it has had two moultings they disappear, and
their place is occupied by transverse bars, which con-
tinue during the rest of its life." He further observes
that, " though the male was much smaller than the
female, it was fiercer and more vicious." The Goshawk
is found in France and Germany ; it is not common in
England, but is more so in Scotland. In former times
the custom of carrying a Hawk or Falcon on the hand
was confined to men of high distinction ; so that it was
a saying among the Welsh, " You may know a gentle-
man by his Hawk, horse, and greyhound." Even the
ladies in those times were partakers of this gallant sport,
and have been represented in pictures with Hawks on
their hands. At present hawking is almost entirely laid
aside in this country, as the expense which attended it,
being very considerable, confined it to princes and men
of the highest rank. In the time of James the First,
Sir Thomas Monson is said to have given a thousand
pounds for a cast of Hawks. In the reign of Edward
the Third it was made felony to steal a Hawk; to
take its eggs, even in a person's own grounds, was
punishable with imprisonment for a year and a day,
together with a fine at the king's pleasure. Such was
the delight our ancestors took in this royal sport, and
such were the means by which they endeavoured to
secure it. The Falcons, or Hawks, chiefly used in these
kingdoms were the Goshawk, the Peregrine Falcon,
Iceland Falcon, and the Ger Falcon. The game usually
pursued were cranes, wild geese, pheasants, and par-
tridges. The Duke of St. Albans is still hereditary
grand falconer of England, but the office is not now
exercised, except for the Duke's own amusement.
202
Birds.
THE SPARROWHA WK. (Falco, or Accipiter nisus.)
THE SPARROWHAWK is a bold-spirited bird ; the length of
the male is twelve inches, that of the female fifteen ; the
beak is short, crooked, and of a bluish tint, but very
black towards the tip; the tongue black, and a little
cleft ; the eyes of a middling size. The crown of the
head is of a dark brown ; above the eyes, in the hinder
part of the head, there are sometimes white feathers ;
the roots of the feathers of the head and neck are white,
the rest of the upper side, back, shoulders, wings, and
neck of a dark brown. The wings, when closed, scarcely
reach to the middle of the tail ; the thighs are strong
and fleshy, the legs long, slender, and yellow ; the toes
also long, and the talons black. The female lays about
five eggs, spotted near the blunt end with brown specks.
"When wild they feed only upon birds, and possess a
boldness and courage above their size; but in a domestic
state they do not refuse raw flesh and mice. They can
be made obedient and docile, and readily trained to hunt
quails and partridges.
TJie Kite.
203
THE KITE. (Fako Milvus, or Milvus regalis.)
THIS bird, though it belongs to the falcon tribe, is called
ignoble, because it is never used in hawking. It is
easily distinguished from other birds of prey by its
forked tail, and the slow and circular eddies it describes
in the air whenever it spies from the regions of the
clouds a young duck or a chicken which has strayed too
far from the brood. When this is the case, the Kite,
pouncing on it with the rapidity of a dart, seizes it in
its talons, and carries it off to its nest. It is, however,
a great coward, and if the hen flies at it, which she
always does if she sees it, it will drop the chicken and
fly off. It is larger than the common buzzard ; and
though it weighs somewhat less than three pounds, the
extent of its wings is more than five feet. The head
and neck are of a pale ash colour, varied with longi-
tudinal lines across the shafts of the feathers ; the back
is reddish ; the lesser rows of the wing feathers are
party-coloured, of black, red, and white ; the feathers
Birds.
covering the inside of the wings are red, with black
spots in the middle. The eyes are large, the legs and
feet yellow, the talons black. It is a handsome bird,
and seems almost always on the wing. It rests itself
on the air, and does not appear to make the smallest
effort in flying, but rather to glide along with the
gentlest breeze.
THE FALCON.
THE FALCON is a predaceous bird, of which there are
several species. Of these the Gerfalcon (Falco Gyrfalco)
is the largest, and is found in the northern parts of
Europe ; and, next to the eagle, is the most formidable,
active, and intrepid of all voracious birds, and the most
esteemed for falconry. The bill is crooked and bluish ;
the irides of the eye dusky ; and the whole plumage of
a whitish hue, marked with dark lines on the breast, and
dusky spots on the back.
TJie Falcon.
205
THE PEREGKINE FALCON. (Falco peregrinas.)
THE PEREGRINE FALCON, which is the most common kind,
is from fifteen to eighteen inches in length. The bill is
blue at the base, and black at the point ; the head, back,
scapulars, and coverts of the wing are barred with deep
black and blue ; the throat, neck, and upper part of the
breast are white, tinged with yellow ; the bottom of the
breast, belly, and thighs are of a grayish white ; and the
tail is black and blue. Wilson enumerates no less than
ten varieties, dependent chiefly upon age, sex, and
206 Birds.
country. It is found, more or less abundantly, through
out the whole of Europe, principally in the mountain
districts in North and South America, dwelling in the
clefts of rocks, especially such as are exposed to the mid-
day sun. It breeds upon the cliffs in several parts of
England, but appears to be more common in Scotland
and Wales. Its food consists principally of small birds ;
but it scruples not to attack the larger species, and some-
times gives battle even to the kite. Falcons rarely take
their prey upon the ground, like the more ignoble birds
of the class to which they belong ; but pounce upon it
from aloft, in a directly perpendicular descent as it flies
through the air, bear it downwards by the united im-
pulse of the strength and rapidity of their attack, and
sticking their talons into its flesh, carry it off in triumph
to the place of their retreat. Like most predatory
animals, they are stimulated to action by the pressure of
hunger alone, and remain inactive and almost motionless
while the process of digestion is going on, until the re-
newed cravings of their appetite stimulate them to fur-
ther exertion. In different stages of its growth, the Pere-
grine Falcon has been known by various English names.
Its proper appellation among falconers is the Slight-
Falcon, the term Falcon Gentle being equally applicable
to all the species when rendered manageable. In the im-
mature state, this Falcon is also called a Eed Hawk, from
the prevailing colour of its plumage. The male is called
a Tiercel, to distinguish it from the female, which, in the
Falcon tribe, is commonly one-third larger than the male.
In China there is said to be a variety, which is mottled
with brown and yellow, and used by the emperor of China
in his sporting excursions, when he is usually attended
by his great falconer, and a thousand of inferior rank.
Every bird has a silver plate fastened to its foot, with
the name of the falconer who has the charge of it, that,
in case it should be lost, it may be restored to the proper
person ; but if it should not be found, the name is deli-
vered to another officer, called the guardian of lost birds,
who, to make his situation known, erects his standard in
a conspicuous place among the army of hunters.
In Syria there is a species of Falcon, which the in-
The Falcon. 207
habitants call Shaheen (Falco peregrinator\ and which is
of so fierce and courageous a disposition, that it will
attack any bird, however large or powerful, which pre-
sents itself. " Were there not," says Dr. Russel, in his
Account of Aleppo, " several gentlemen now in Eng-
land to bear witness to the fact, I should hardly venture
to assert that, with this bird, which is about the size of a
pigeon, the inhabitants sometimes take large eagles. This
Hawk was in former times taught to seize the eagle
under the pinion, and thus depriving him of the use of
one wing, both birds fell to the ground together ; but
the present mode is to teach the Hawk to fix on the
back, between the wings, which has the same effect,
only, that as the bird tumbles down more slowly, the
falconer has more time to come to his Hawk's assistance ;
but in either case, if he be not very expeditious, the
falcon is inevitably destroyed. I never saw the Shaheen
fly at eagles, that sport having been disused before my
time ; but I have often seen him take herons and storks.
The Hawk, when thrown off, flies for some time in a
horizontal line, not six feet from the ground ; then
mounting perpendicularly, with astonishing swiftness,
he seizes his prey under the wing, and both together
come tumbling to the ground."
208
Birds.
THE MERLIN, (Fako cesalon,)
Is the smallest British species of the Falcon tribe, and,
as its name implies, is not very different in size from the
blackbird ; the word Merlin signifying in French a
small merle, or blackbird. Though small the Merlin is
not inferior in courage to any of the other Hawks ; it is
noted for its boldness and spirit, often attacking and
killing at one stroke a full-grown partridge or a quail ;
but it differs from the Falcons and all the other rapacious
kinds, in the male and female being of equal size. The
back of this bird is party-coloured, of dark blue and
brown ; the quill feathers of the wings black, with
The Merlin. 209
rusty spots ; the tail is about five inches long, of a dark
brown or blackish colour, with transverse white bars :
the breast is of a yellowish white, with streaks of rusty
brown pointing downwards ; the legs are long, slender,
and yellow ; the talons black. The head is encircled
with a row of yellowish feathers, not unlike a coronet.
In the male the feathers on the rump, next the tail, are
bluer ; a mark by which the falconers easily discern the
sex of the bird. The Merlin does not breed here, but
visits us in October : it flies low, and with great celerity
and ease. In the days of falconry, the Merlin was con-
sidere /1 the lady's hawk.
In ancient days in ancient days,
When ladies took a strange delight
In hawks and hounds and sporting ways,
A Merlin was a pleasant sight.
" T was gentle when, in trappings gay,
Upon its lady's wrist it stood ;
Till its hood was raised and it saw its prey,
When its eye betrayed the bird of blood."
210
Birds.
THE KESTKEL, (Falco tinnunculus,)
Is the commonest of all the British Hawks, and may be
seen in almost all parts of the country hovering over
the fields in search of mice and other small animals.
His flight is very peculiar. He advances only for a
short distance at a time, and then suspends himself in
the air by very short but quick movements of his wings.
If no prey make its appearance beneath him, he then
goes on a little further, and again remains stationary,
but the moment a mouse or other small quadruped stirs
amongst the grass, his wings close, and he descends with
the greatest velocity. The Kestrel will also feed upon
small birds and insects.
The Kestrel is a handsome little Hawk, from twelve
to fifteen inches in length, with a blue beak and yellow
cere and feet. Its plumage is reddish brown or fawn
colour, elegantly marked with black spots and bars. Its
nest is built among rocks, or in the holes and corners of
The Secretary Bird. 211
old buildings and church towers, and the female lays
four or five eggs, which are reddish white, with brown
spots.
THE SECRETARY BIRD. (Serpentarius reptilivorus.)
THIS singular bird, which is a native of Southern Africa,
differs from all the other predaceous birds in the great
length of its legs, which are so long that some naturalists
have placed it among the Wading Birds. It stands be-
212 Birds.
tween three and four feet high when erect, and is of a
bluish ash colour on the back and nearly white beneath ;
its tail is long, and has the two middle feathers much
longer than the others and nearly reaching to the ground ;
and the back of the head is adorned with a tuft of black
feathers, which the bird can raise at pleasure. It is
from this tuft that the bird has obtained his name ; the
Dutch colonists of the Cape of Good Hope fancied they
saw some resemblance in it to the pen of a clerk stuck
behind his ear, and accordingly called him the Secretary
Bird. Clerks and secretaries are no doubt useful per-
sonages in their way, and the Secretary Bird, although
he cannot take his pen from behind his ear, finds abund-
ance of work to do, although of a kind very different
from the peaceful labours of his namesakes. He is the
great destroyer of the snakes and other reptiles which
swarm in many parts of Southern Africa, and which, but
for him, would increase in numbers so as to become a
positive nuisance. And here we may call our young
readers to admire the wonderful manner in which the
structure of a hawk has been modified by the hand of
the Creator to suit it for a particular mode of life. As
the bird advances to attack a snake his long legs, pro-
tected by hard horny scales, elevate his body to a con-
siderable height above the ground, thus giving him an
advantageous position, and at the same time enabling it
to move with great speed. One of the large and power-
ful wings, armed at the end with a strong spur, is
raised a little from the body and held forward like a
shield, but constantly shaken, as if to distract the atten-
tion of the foe, and thus, like a skilful boxer sparring up
to his antagonist,' the Secretary makes his way towards
his intended prey. As he approaches he watches for
the moment when the snake is about to spring upon
him ; a single blow from the spurred wing is usually
sufficient to lay the reptile writhing in the ground in a
helpless state ; it is then soon despatched and as speedily
swallowed. Some idea of the quantity of reptiles de-
stroyed by this bird may be gained from Le Vaillant's
statement, that the crop of one of them examined by
him contained eleven lizards, three snakes as long as a
The Hen Harrier.
213
man's arm, and eleven small tortoises, together with a
good many insects. The inhabitants of the Cape Colony
are quite aware of the services rendered to them by the
Secretary Bird, and sometimes keep him among their
poultry to protect them from injurious animals ; he is
said to behave with great propriety under these circum-
stances, rarely doing any mischief to his companions,
unless his supply of food has been neglected.
THE HEN HARRIER, (Circus cyaneus,)
Is seen about forests, heaths, and other retired places,
especially in the neighbourhood of marshy grounds,
where it destroys vast numbers of snipes, woodcocks,
and wild ducks. It is about seventeen inches long, and
three feet wide ; its bill is black, and cere yellow. The
upper part of its body is of a bluish gray ; and the back
of the head, breast, belly, and thighs are white. The
legs are long, slender, and yellow ; and the claws black.
214
Birds.
II. Nocturnal Birds of Prey.
THE HOENED OWL, (Bubo maximus,)
Is one of the largest of the Owls, and has two long tufts
growing from the top of its head, above its ears, and
composed of six feathers, which it can raise or lay down
at pleasure. Its eyes are large, and encircled with an
orange-coloured iris ; the ears are large and deep, and
the beak black ; the breast, belly, and thighs, are of a
dull yellow, marked with brown streaks; the back,
coverts of the wings, and quill feathers, are brown and
yellow ; and the tail is marked with dusky and red bars.
It inhabits the north and west of England, and Wales.
The conformation of the organ of sight in the Owl is so
The Harfang, or Great Snowy Owl.
peculiar, and so much in its nature resembling that of
the feline kind, that it can see much better at dusk than
by daylight. The Barn Owl sees in a greater degree
of darkness than the others ; and, on the contrary, the
Horned Owl is enabled to pursue his prey by day, though
with difficulty. Owls are sometimes tamed by persons
in the country, who carefully rear them in a domestic
state, from their propensity to chase and devour mice
and other vermin, of which they clear the houses with
as much address as cats. The Owl is a solitary bird, and
is said to retire into holes in towers and old walls in the
winter, and pass that season in sleep.
" The solitary bird of night,
Through the pale shade now wings his flight,
And quits the time-shook tower ;
Where, shelter'd from the blaze of day,
In philosophic gloom he lay,
Beneath his ivy bower.'' CARTER.
THE HAKFANG, OK GKEAT SNOWY OWL.
THE HARFANG, or GREAT SNOWY OWL, (Surnia nyctea,) is
another species which takes its prey occasionally by day-
216
Birds.
Jight. It is seldom seen in England, but frequently visits
North Britain, particularly the Orkney and Shetland
Islands. It is one of the few Owls that feed on fish,
into, which it strikes its talons while in the water, and
carries them off to its nest. These Owls are very com-
mon in the northern parts of North America, and are
eaten not only by the Indians, but by the Europeans
engaged in the fur trade.
THE WHITE, BAKN, OR SCEEECH OWL.
(Srix flammea.)
from yonder ivy -mantled tower,
The moping Owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign." GRAY.
THIS bird is about the size of a large pigeon. Its beak,
The Butcher-Bird, or Shrike. 217
hooked at the end, is more than an inch and a half long.
There is a circle or wreath of white, soft, and downy
feathers, encompassed with yellow ones, beginning from
the nostrils on each side, passing round the eye and
under the chin, somewhat resembling the hood that
women used to wear ; so that the eyes appear to be sunk
in the middle of the feathers, and only the tip of the
beak projects from them. The breast and feathers of
the inside of the wings are white, and marked with a
few dark spots ; the upper parts of the body are of a fine
pale yellow colour, variegated with black and white spots.
The legs are covered with a thick down to the feet, but
the toes have only thin-set hairs around them.
In ancient mythology, another common species, the
Brown Owl (Syrnium aluco), was consecrated to Minerva,
the goddess of wisdom ; in allusion to the lucubrations
of wise men, who study in retirement and during the
night.
" Now the Hermit Owlet peeps
From the barn, or twisted brake ;
And the blue mist slowly creeps,
Curling on the silver lake."
III. Insessores, or Perching Birds.
THE BUTCHER-BIRD, OB SHRIKE.
(Lanius excubitor.)
THE GREAT BUTCHER-BIRD, or SHRIKE, is about as large as
a thrush ; its bill is black, an inch long, and hooked at the
218 Birds.
end. It is only an occasional visitor to this country,
where it is generally found between autumn and spring.
" The Shrike," says Mr. Yarrell, " feeds on mice, shrews,
small birds, frogs, lizards, and large insects. After having
killed its prey, it fixes the body in a forked branch, or
upon a sharp thorn, the more readily to tear off small
pieces from it. It is from their habit of killing and
hanging up their meat, that the Shrikes are called
Butcher-birds." The head, back, and rump are ash-
coloured ; the chin and lower part of the body white ;
the breast and throat varied with dark lines crossing each
other ; the tips of the feathers of the wings are, for the
most part, white ; it has a black spot by the eye ; the
outermost tail feathers of the male are all over white ;
the two middlemost have only their tips white, the rest
of the feathers being black, as well as the legs and feet.
It builds its nest among thorny shrubs and dwarf trees,
and furnishes it with moss, wool, and downy herbs,
where the female lays five or six eggs. A peculiarity
belonging to the birds of this kind is, that they do not,
like most other birds, expel the young ones from the
nest as soon as they can provide for themselves, but the
whole brood live together in one family. The Butcher-
bird will chase all the small birds upon the wing, and
will sometimes venture to attack partridges, and even
young hares. Thrushes and blackbirds are frequently
their prey : the Shrike fixes on them with its talons,
splits the skull with its bill, and feeds on them at leisure.
On this account Linnaeus classed the Shrikes with the
birds of prey ; but modern naturalists have placed them
with the insect-eaters, as insects are their principal food.
It is easy to distinguish these birds at a distance, not
only from their going in companies, but also from their
manner of flying, which is always up and down, seldom
in a direct line, or obliquely.
The Little Butcher-bird (Lanius collurio'), called in York-
shire, Flusher, is about the size of a lark, with a large
head. About the nostrils and corners of the mouth it
has black hairs or bristles ; and round the eyes a large
black longitudinal spot ; the back and upper side of the
wings are of a rusty colour ; the head and rump cine-
The Water Ouzel, or Dipper. 21 9
reous ; the throat and breast white, spotted with red.
It builds its nest of the stalks of plants, and the female
lays six eggs, nearly all white, except at the blunt end,
which is encircled with brown or dark red marks. The
female is somewhat larger than the male ; the head is of
a rust colour, mixed with gray ; the breast, belly, and
sides of a dirty white ; the tail deep brown ; the ex-
terior web of the outer feathers white. Its manners are
similar to those of the large Butcher-bird. It frequently
preys on young birds, which it takes in the nest; it
likewise feeds on grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects.
During the period of incubation, the female soon dis-
covers herself at the approach of any person by her loud
and violent outcries.
THE WATER OUZEL, OR DIPPER,
(Cinclus aquations,)
Js found in most parts of this island, and is about the
size of the common blackbird. It feeds upon aquatic
insects and small fish. The head and upper side of the
neck are of a kind of umber colour, and sometimes black
with a shade of red ; the back and coverings of the
wings are a mixture of black and ash-colour, the throat
and breast perfectly white.
The Dipper is said to walk along the bottom of a lake
or river as easily as on land ; but this is far from being
the case, as, though it readily plunges into the water, it
appears to tumble about in a very extraordinary manner,
220
Birds.
with itg head downwards. Even on land the bird walks
awkwardly, as its feet are best adapted for the slippery
stones on which it passes the greater part of its life,
watching for the insects which it picks up on the edge
of the water. Its movements under water are really
performed by means of the wings, the bird positively
flying through the water. When disturbed, it usually
flirts up its tail, and makes a chirping noise. Its song
in spring is said to be very pretty. In some places this
bird is supposed to be migratory.
THE BLACKBIRD. (Turdus Merula.)
" The smiling morn, the breathing spring,
Invite the tuneful birds to sing ;
Arid, while they warble from each spray,
Love melts the universal lay."
MALLET.
THIS well-known songster does not soar up to the clouds,
like the lark, to make his voice resound through the air ;
but keeps to the shady groves, which he fills with his
melodious notes. Early at dawn, and late at dusk, he
continues his pleasing melody ; and when incarcerated
in the narrow space of a cage, still cheerful and merry,
he strives to repay the kindness of his keeper by singing
to him his natural strains; and beguiles his irksome
hours of captivity by studying and imitating his mas-
ter's whistle. Blackbirds build their nests with great
art, making the outside of moss and slender twigs,
The Missel Thrush. 221
cemented together and lined with clay, and covering
the clay with soft materials, as hair, wool, and fine
grass. The female lays four or five eggs, of a bluish
green colour, spotted all over with brown. The bill is
yellow, but in the female the upper part and point are
blackish ; the inside of the mouth, and the circum-
ference of the eyelids are yellow. The name of this
bird is sufficiently expressive of the general colour of
his body. He feeds on berries, fruit, insects, &c.
THE MISSEL THEUSH. (Turdus viadvorus.)
THE MISSEL THRUSH, so called from its feeding on the
berries of the misletoe, differs but little from the Song
Thrush, except in size. He is larger than the fieldfare,
while the Throstle is smaller. The female lays five or
six bluish eggs, with a tint of green, and marked with
dusky spots.
The Song Thrush or Tlirostle, (Turdus musicus,) is one of
the best songsters of the evening hymn in the grove.
His voice is loud and sweet ; the melody of his song is
222 Birds.
varied, and, although not so deep in the general diapa-
son of the woodland concert as that of the blackbird,
yet it fills up agreeably, and bursts through the inferior
warblings of smaller performers. His breast is of a
yellowish white, spotted with black or brown dashes,
like ermine spots.
The term Merle for the Blackbird, and Mavis for the
Thrush, are used chiefly by the poets.
"Merry is it in the good green wood,
When the Mavis and Merle are singing,
When the deer sweeps by, and the hounds are in cry,
And the hunter's horn is ringing."
SCOTT.
" Take thy delight in yonder goodly tree,
Where the sweet Merle and warbling Mavis be."
DRAYTON.
THE BED WING, (Turdus iliacus,}
Is rather less than the song thrush ; but the upper part
of the body is of the same colour ; the breast not so
much spotted ; the coverings of the feathers of the under
side of the wings, which in the thrush are yellow, are
of orange colour in this bird ; by which marks it is
generally distinguished. The body is white, the throat
and breast yellowish, marked with dusky spots. It is
migratory in this island, builds its nest in hedges, and
lays six bluish eggs. Like the fieldfare, it leaves us in
spring, for which reason its song is quite unknown to
The Fieldfare. 223
us ; but it is said to be very pleasing. It is delicate
eating ; and the Komans held it in such estimation, that
they kept thousands of them together in aviaries, and
fed them on a sort of paste made of bruised figs and
flour, to improve the delicacy and flavour of their flesh.
Under this management these birds fattened, to the
great profit of their proprietors, who sold them to
Koman epicures for three denarii, or about two shillings
sterling each, which at that early period was a large
price.
THE FiELDFAKE, (Turdus Claris,)
Is a well-known bird in this country. Fieldfares fly in
flocks, together with the redwing and starling, and
change their haunts according to the season of the year.
They abide with us in winter, and disappear in spring,
so punctually, that after that time not one is to be seen.
The flesh is esteemed a great delicacy, and is highly
prized in Germany, where it is known as the Kramms-
vogel, and is sold in the markets of Westphalia by the
dozen. Their favourite food is the juniper-berry,
whence its German name. The head is ash-coloured,
and spotted with black : the back and coverts of the
wings of deep chesnut colour ; the rump cinereous ; and
the tail black, except the lower part of the two middle
feathers, which are ash-coloured, and the upper sides of
the exterior feathers, which are white. They collect in
large flocks ; and it is supposed they keep watch, like
224
Birds.
the crow, to mark and announce the approach of danger.
On any person approaching a tree that is covered with
them, they continue fearless, till one at the extremity of
the bush, rising on its wings, gives a loud and peculiar
note of alarm. They then all fly away, except one,
which continues till the person approaches still nearer,
to certify, as it were, the reality of the danger,- and
afterwards he also flies off, repeating the note of alarm.
Mr. Knapp, in his " Journal of a Naturalist," says,
that in the county of Gloucestershire the extensive
low-lands of the river Severn, in open weather, are
visited by prodigious flocks of these birds
THE KING OUZEL. (Turdus torquatus.}
THE RING OUZEL differs from the fieldfare and redwing,
to which it is nearly allied, in being a summer visitor
to the British islands, instead of a winter one. It is
found only in the wildest and most mountainous dis-
tricts ; particularly among the Welsh mountains and on
Dartmoor, in Devonshire, where it has been known to
breed. %
The Mocltiny Bird.
225
THE MOCKING BIED, (Turdus polyglottus,)
WHICH is also a species, is found in both North and
South America, and in the West Indian islands. He
has a beautiful song, which he varies by imitating the
notes of almost all other birds, so that a person passing
by his haunt is regaled with a complete ornithological
concert, all by a single performer. Unfortunately, the
Mocking Bird's taste is not equal to his musical powers.
His talent for imitation is so great that he mimics every
sound he hears, and as he introduces all his imitations
freely into his songs, he often interrupts the most de-
lightful melody with the scream of a hawk, the bark
of a dog, the squalling of a cat, or similar discordant
noises.
226
Birds.
THE ROBIN, OB REDBREAST.
(Erythacus rubecula.)
The Redbreast oft, at evening hours,
Shall kindly lend his little aid,
With hoary moss, and gathering flowers,
To deck the ground where thou art laid."
COLLINS.
THE REDBREAST, or Robin, as he is popularly called,
seems always to have enjoyed the protection of man,
more than any other bird. The prettiness of his shape,
the beauty of his plumage, the quickness of his motions,
his familiarity with us in winter, and, above all, the
melody and sweetness of his voice, claim our admira-
tion, and have insured him that security which he
enjoys among us ; though the aid of fable has also been
called in, to guard him from the assaults of thoughtless
boys.
" Little bird with bosom red,
Welcome to my humble shed !
Courtly domes of high degree
Have no room for thee and me ;
Pride and pleasure's fickle throng
Nothing mind an idle song.
Daily near my table steal,
While I pick my scanty meal ;
Doubt not, little though there be,
But I'll cast a crumb for thee ;
Tlie Robin, or Redbreast. 227
Well rewarded if I spy
Pleasure in thy glancing eye ;
And see thee, when thou'st eat thy fill,
Plume thy breast, and wipe thy bill."
LANGHORNE.
In the winter season, impelled by the potent stimulus
of hunger, the Redbreast frequents our barns, gardens,
and houses, and often alights, on a sudden, on the rustic
floor ; where, with his broad eye incessantly open, and
looking askew upon the company, he picks up eagerly
the crumbs of bread that fall from the table, and then
flies off to the neighbouring bush, where, by his war-
bling strains, he expresses his gratitude for the liberty
he has been allowed. He is found in most parts of
Europe, but nowhere so commonly as in Great Britain.
His bill is dusky ; his forehead, chin, throat, and breast
are of a deep orange-colour, inclining to vermilion ; the
back of his head, neck, back, and tail are of a pale olive-
brown colour ; the wings are somewhat darker, the edges
inclining to yellow; the legs and feet are the colour of
the bill. The female generally builds her nest in the
crevice of some mossy bank, near places which human
beings frequent, or in some part of a human dwelling.
Robins have been known to build in a sawpit where
men worked every day, and in various other equally
extraordinary places. When the Crystal Palace at
Sydenham was being fitted up, several Robins built their
nests in holes of the large roots used to raise the flower
beds within the building. So little fear did they exhibit
that their bright eyes might be seen glancing from holes
close to which men were passing every moment. The
elegant poet of The Seasons gives us a very exact and
animated description of this bird in the following lines :
Half afraid, he first
Against the window beats : then, brisk alights
On the warm hearth ; then, hoppiog on the floor,
Eyes all the smiling family askance,
And pecks, and starts, and wonders where he is,
Till, more familiar grown, the table-crumbs
Attract his slender feet."
An old Latin proverb tells us that two Robin Red-
228 Birds.
breasts will not feed on the same tree ; it is certain that
the Kedbreast is a most pugnacious bird, and that he
does not live in much harmony and friendship with
those of his own kind arid sex. The male may be known
from the female by the colour of his legs, which are
blacker.
The [Redbreast attends the gardener when digging his
borders ; and will, with great familiarity and tameness,
pick out the worms almost close to his spade.
THE NIGHTINGALE. (Philomela luscinia.)
" Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,
Most musical, most melancholy !
Thee, chantress, oft, the woods among,
I woo to hear thy even song."
MILTON.
THE NIGHTINGALE has little to boast of in respect to
plumage, which is of a pale tawny colour on the head
and back, dashed with a slight shade of olive ; the breast
and upper part of the belly incline to a grayish tint, and
the lower part of the belly is almost white ; the exterior
web of the quill feathers is of a reddish brown ; the tail
of a dull red ; the legs and feet ash-coloured ; the irides
hazel ; and the eyes large, bright, and staring. But it is
hardly possible to give an idea of the extraordinary power
which this small bird possesses in its throat, as to the ex-
tension of sound, sweetness of tone, and versatility of notes.
Tlie Nightingale. 229
Its song is composed of several musical passages, each of
which does not continue more than the third part of a
minute ; but they are so varied, the passing from one tone
to another is so fanciful and so rapid, and the melody
so sweet and so mellow, that the most consummate
musician is pleasingly led to a deep sense of admiration
on hearing it. Sometimes, joyful and merry, it runs
down the diapason with the velocity of lightning, touch-
ing the treble and the base nearly at the same instant ;
at other times, mournful and plaintive, the unfortunate
Philomela draws heavily her lengthened notes, and
breathes a delightful melancholy around. These have
the appearance of sorrowful sighs ; the other modula-
tions resemble the laughter of the happy. Solitary on
the twig of a small tree, and cautiously at a certain
distance from the nest, where the pledges of his love are
treasured under the fostering breast of his mate, the
male fills constantly the silent woods with his harmo-
nious strains, and during the whole night entertains
and repays his female for the irksome duties of incu-
bation. The Nightingale not only sings at intervals
during the day, but waits till the blackbird and the
thrush have uttered their evening call, even till the
stock and ringdoves have, by their soft murmurings,
lulled each other to rest, and then pours forth his full
tide of melody :
Listening Philomela deigns
To let them joy, and purposes, in thought
Elate, to make her night excel their day."
THOMSON.
It is a great subject of astonishment that so small a
bird should be endowed with such potent lungs. If the
evening is calm, it is supposed that its song may be
heard above half-a-mile. This bird, the ornament and
charm of our spring and early summer evenings, as it
arrives in April, and continues singing till June, dis-
appears on a sudden about September or October, when
it leaves us to pass the winter in the North of Africa and
Syria. Its visits to this country are limited to certain
counties, mostly in the south and east ; as, though it is
230 Birds.
plentiful in the neighbourhood of London, and along
the south coast in Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorsetshire,
it is not found in either Cornwall or Wales. As soon as
the young are hatched, the song of the male bird ceases,
and he only utters a harsh croak, by way of giving
alarm when any one approaches the nest. Nightingales
are sometimes reared up, and doomed to the prison of a
cage ; in this state they sing ten months in the year,
though in their wild life they sing only as many weeks.
Bingley says that a caged Nightingale sings much more
sweetly than those which we hear abroad in the spring.
The Nightingale is the most celebrated of all the
feathered race for its song. The poets have in all ages
made it the theme of their verses; some of these we
cannot resist giving :
" The Nightingale, as soon as April bringeth
Unto her rested sense a perfect waking,
Which late bare earth, proud of new clothing, spiingeth,
Sings out her woes ."
SIR PHILIP SIDNEY.
Beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests,
Were slunk ; all but the wakeful Nightingale ;
She all night long her amorous descant sung."
MILTON.
" And in the violet-embroidered vale,
Where the lovelorn Nightingale
Nightly to thee her sad song mourneth well."
MILTON.
" O Nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray
Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still,
Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost fill,
While the jolly hours lead on propitious May,
Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day,
First heard before the shallow cuckoo's bill,
Portend success in love. Oh, if Jove's will
Have linked that amorous power to thy soft lay,
Now timely sing, ere the rude bird of hate
Foretell my hopeless doom in some grove nigh ;
As thou from year to year hast sung too late
For my relief, yet hadst no reason why :
Whether the muse, or love, call thee his mate,
Both them I serve, and of their train am I."
MILTON.
The Black-Cap.
231
" Now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the silent, save where silence yields,
To the night-warbling bird, that, now awake,
Tunes sweetest his love-laboured song."
MILTON.
" How all things listen while thy muse complains,
Such silence waits on Philomela's strains,
In some still evening, when the whispering breeze
Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees."
POPE.
There's a bower of roses by Bendemeer's slream,
And the Nightingale sings round it all the year long ;
In the days of my childhood, 't was like a sweet dream
To sit in the roses, and hear the bird's song.
That bower and its music I never forget,
But oft when alone, in the bloom of the year,
I think, Is the Nightingale singing there yet?
Are the roses still bright by the calm Bendemeer?"
MOORE.
THE BLACK-CAP, (Curruca atricapilla,)
Is a very small warbler, not weighing above half-an-
ounce. The top of the head is black, whence he takes
his name; the neck ash-coloured, the back an ashy-brown,
the wings of a dusky colour, the tail nearly the same ;
the nether part of the neck, throat, and upper part of
the breast of a pale ash colour ; the lower part of the
belly white.
The Black-cap visits us about the middle of April,
and retires in September; it frequents gardens, and
builds its nest near the ground. The female lays five
232 Birds.
eggs of a pale reddish-brown, sprinkled with, spots of
a darker colour. This bird sings sweetly, and so like
the nightingale, that in Norfolk it is called the mock
nightingale. White observes, that it has usually a full,
sweet, deep, loud, and wild pipe, yet the strain is of
short continuance, and its motions desultory ; but when
it sits calmly, and earnestly engages in song, it pours
forth very sweet but inward melody ; and expresses a
great variety of modulations, superior perhaps to any
of our warblers, the nightingale excepted. While it
sings, its throat is greatly distended.
THE WEEN. (Troglodytes vulgaris.)
" Fast by my couch, congenial guest,
The Wren has wove her mossy nest ;
From busy scenes and brighter skies
To lurk with innocence she flies ;
Her hopes in safe repose to dwell,
Nor aught suspects the sylvan cell."
T. WABTON.
THE WEEN is a very small bird ; but, as if nature had
intended to compensate the want of size and bulk in
the individuals, by multiplying them to a greater extent,
this little bird is one of the most prolific of the feathered
tribe, its nest containing often upwards of eighteen eggs,
of a whitish colour, and not much bigger than a pea.
The male and female enter by a hole contrived in the
middle of the nest, and which, by its situation and size,
is accessible only to themselves. The Wren weighs no
more than three drachms. Its notes are very sweet, and
rival those of the robin redbreast, in the middle of
winter, when the coldness of the weather has condemned
The Willow Wren.
233
the other songsters to silence. Like the redbreast, it
frequently approaches the habitation of man, enlivening
the rustic garden with its song during the greater part
of the year. It begins to make a nest early in the
spring, but frequently deserts it before it is lined, and
searches for a % more secure place. The Wren does not,
as is usual with most other birds, begin to build the
bottom of the nest first. When against a tree, its pri-
mary operation is to trace upon the bark the outline, and
ihus to fasten it with equal strength to all parts. It then,
in succession, closes the sides and top, leaving only a
small hole for entrance.
THE WILLOW WREN. (Sylvia trocMlus.)
THE WILLOW WREN is somewhat larger than the common
Wren. The upper parts of the body are of a pale olive-
234 Birds.
green ; the under parts are pale yellow, and a streak of
yellow passes over the eyes. The wings and tail are
brown, edged with yellowish green ; and the legs are
inclined to yellow. This bird is migratory, visiting us
usually about the middle of April, and taking its depar-
ture towards the end of September. The female con-
structs her nest in holes at the roots of trees, in hollows
of dry banks, and other similar places. It is round, and
not unlike the nest of the Wren. The eggs are dusky
white, marked with reddish spots, and are five in num-
ber. A Willow Wren had built in a bank of one of the
fields of Mr. White, near Selborne. This bird, a friend
and himself observed as she sat in her nest, but were par-
ticularly careful not to disturb her, though she eyed them
with some degree of jealousy. Some days afterwards, as
they passed the same way, they were desirous of remark-
ing how the brood went on; but no nest could be found,
till Mr. White happened to take up a large bundle of
long green moss, which had been thrown, as it were, care-
lessly over the nest, in order to mislead the eye of any
impertinent intruder.
Mr. White distinguished no fewer than three varieties
of the Willow Wren. "I have now," he writes, "past
dispute, made out three distinct species of the Willow
Wrens, which constantly and invariably use distinct
notes." " I have specimens of the three sorts now
lying before me, and can discern that there are three
gradations of sizes, and that the least has black legs, and
the other two, flesh-coloured ones. The yellowest 'bird
is considerably the largest, and has its quill feathers and
secondary feathers tipped with white, which the others
have not. The last haunts only the tops of trees and
high beechen woods, and makes a sibilous grasshopper-
like noise, now and then, at short intervals, shivering a
little with its wings when it sings." Mr. Markwich,
however, declared that he was totally unable to discover
more than one species.
The Golden-Crested Wren
235
THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WKEN, (Regulus cristatus,)
Is the smallest of British birds, measuring only three
inches and a half in length. It is of an olive colour,
with a beautiful crest of golden yellow feathers on its
head. This charming little bird is generally found in
fir woods ; it feeds on insects, and has a soft and pleasing
song.
236
Birds.
THE GREY WATEE WAGTAIL. (Motacilla boarula.j
THERE is not a brook purling along two flowery banks,
not a rivulet winding through the green meadow, which
is not frequented by this beautifully coloured and eles
gantly shaped little creature. We even see them in the
streets of country towns, following with quick pace the
half-drowned fly or moth, which the road-side streamlet
carries away. Next to the robin redbreast and the
sparrow, they are the boldest in approaching our habita-
tions. The Wagtails are much in motion ; seldom perch,
and perpetually flirt their long and slender tails, (whence
they derive their name,) principally after picking up
some food from the ground, as if that tail were a kind of
lever, or counterpoise, used to balance the body on the
legs. They are observed to frequent, more commonly,
those streams where women come to wash their linen ;
probably not ignorant that the soap, the froth of which
floats upon the water, attracts those insects which are
most acceptable to them.
Pied Wagtails.
237
PIED WAGTAILS.
THERE are two common species of Wagtails, the Grey
kind and the Pied Wagtail. The Grey Wagtail is retir-
ing in its habits, and much slower in its motions ; its
breast is yellow, and its wings grayish, but the Pied
Wagtail, which is a very lively little bird, and seems
always in a bustle, is black, softening into ash-colour
and white ; it is also bold, and will take the food thrown
to it with as much confidence as a robin redbreast.
The Yellow Shepherdess (Budytes flava) is another
species of Wagtail. The male is olive-green on the
back, and yellow on the lower part of the body, but the
238
Birds.
breast of the female is nearly white. These birds do not
frequent the banks of rivers, but are generally found
walking among the grass of meadows, and following
sheep. They are summer visitors to England.
White says, that " while the cows are feeding in the
moist, low pastures, broods of Wagtails, white and grey,
run round them, close up to their noses, and under their
very bellies, availing themselves of the flies that settle on
their legs, and probably finding worms and Iarva3 that are
roused by the trampling of their feet. Nature is such
an economist that the most incongruous animals can avail
themselves of each other."
" Interest makes strange friendships ! "
THE SWALLOW. (Eirundo rustica.)
" From the low-roof d cottage ridge
See the chattering Swallow spring ;
Darting through the one-arch 'd bridge,
Quick she dips her dappled wing."
CUNNINGHAM.
SWALLOWS are easily distinguished from all other birds,
not only by their general structure, but by their twitter-
The Sivalloiv.
ing note and mode of flying, or rather darting from place
to place.
They appear in Britain in April, and build in some
outhouse, or, in part of a human dwelling, where they
lay their eggs and hatch their young. About August
they disappear, and do not return till the following
spring. Swallows kept in a cage moult about Christmas,
and seldom live till spring.
There are several species of the Swallow : the general
characters of which are a small beak, but large, wide
mouth, for the purpose of swallowing flying insects, their
natural food ; and long forked tail and extensive wings,
to enable them to pursue their prey. The common Swal-
low builds under the eaves of houses, or in chimneys, near
their top ; it is frequently called the Chimney Swallow
from its preference for the last-mentioned rather sin-
gular situation-; the Martin also builds under eaves, and
most commonly against the upper corner or side of our
very windows, and seems not afraid at the sight of man,
yet it cannot be tamed, or even kept long in a cage.
The nature of the Swallow's nest is worthy of close
observation : how the mud is extracted from the sea-
shores, rivers, or other watery places ; how masoned and
formed into a solid building, strong enough to support a
whole family, and to face the " pelting storm," are won-
ders which ought to raise our mind to Him who bestowed
that instinct upon them.
It is related that a pair of Swallows built their nest
for two successive years on the handle of a pair of garden
shears, that were stuck up against the boards of an out-
house ; and, therefore, must have had their nest spoiled
whenever the implement was wanted. And what is still
more strange, a bird of the same species built its nest 011
the wings and body of an owl that happened to hang dead
and dry from the rafter of a barn, and so loose as to be
moved by every gust of wind. This owl, with the nest
on its wings, and with eggs in the nest, was taken to the
museum of Sir Ashton Leaver as a curiosity. That gen-
tleman, struck with the singularity of the sight, furnished
the person who brought it with a large shell, desiring
him to fix it just where the owl had hung. The man
240 Birds.
did so ; and in the following year a pair of Swallows,
probably the same, built their nest in the shell and laid
Modern poets have not been unmindful of the Swal-
lows ; and our immortal Shakspeare mentions the Martin,
in Macbeth, in the following manner :
" This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting Martlet, does approve,
By his loved mansionry, that the Heaven's
Breath smells wooingly here. No jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coigne of 'vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,
The air is delicate."
" The Swallow," writes Sir Humphry Davy, " is one
of my favourite birds, and a rival of the nightingale, for
he cheers my sense of seeing as much as the other does
my sense of hearing. He is the glad prophet of the year,
the harbinger of the best season he lives a life of enjoy-
ment amongst the liveliest forms of nature winter is
unknown to him ; and he leaves the green meadows of
England in autumn for the myrrh and orange groves of
Italy, and for the palms of Africa ; he has always objects
of pursuit, and his success is secure. Even the beings
selected for his prey are poetical, beautiful, and transient.
The ephemerae are saved by his means from a slow and
lingering death in the evening, and killed in a moment
when they have known nothing but pleasure. He is the
constant destroyer of insects, the friend of man, and may
be regarded as a sacred bird. His instinct, which gives
him his appointed season, and teaches him when and
where to move, may be regarded as flowing from a divine
source ; and he belongs to the oracles of nature, which
speak the awful and intelligible language of a present
Deity."
The Chimney Swallow is, on the head, neck, back, and
rump, of a shining black colour, with purple gloss and
sometimes with a blue shade ; the throat and neck are of
the same colour; the breast and belly are white, with a dash
of red. The tail is forked, and consists of twelve feathers.
The House Martin, or Window Sivaflow. 241
The wings are of the same colour with the back. Swal-
lows feed upon flies and f other insects ; and generally
hunt their prey on the wing :
"Away! away! thou summer bird ;
For Autumn's moaning voice is hearrl,
In cadence wild, and deepening swell,
Of winter's stern approach to tell."
HOUSE MARTIN, OR WINDOW SWALLOW-
(Hirundo urbica.*)
THE MARTIN is something less than the swallow, with a
comparatively large head, and a wide mouth ; the colour
of the upper parts a bluish black, the rump and all the
under parts of the body white, the bill black ; the legs
covered with short white down.
These birds begin to appear about the middle of April,
and for some time pay no attention to the business of
nidification, but sport and play about as if to recruit
themselves from the fatigue of the journey.
Should the weather prove favourable, it begins to build
early in May, placing its nest generally beneath the eaves
242 Birds.
of a house, often against a perpendicular wall : without
any projecting ledge to support any part of the nest, its
utmost efforts are necessary to get the first foundation
firmly fixed, so as to carry the superstructure safely. On
this occasion, it not only clings with its claws, but partly
supports itself by strongly inclining its tail against the
wall, making that a fulcrum ; and thus fixed, it plasters
the materials into the face of the brick or stone. But
lhat this work may not, while soft, sink by its own weight,
the provident architect has the prudence and forbear-
ance not to proceed too fast ; but by building only in the
morning, and dedicating the rest of the day to food and
amusement, he gives it sufficient time to dry and harden.
By this method, in about ten days, the nest is formed,
strong, compact, and warm, and perfectly fitted for all
the purposes for which it is intended. But nothing is
more common than for the house-sparrow, as soon as
the shell is finished, to seize on it, eject the owner, and
line it according to its own peculiar manner. Sometimes,
however, the Martins prove too clever for the sparrow ;
when the intruder obstinately retained possession of the
nest, the Martins have been known to collect from all
parts of the neighbourhood, each bringing a pellet of
mud, with which the orifice of the nest was soon securely
closed, and the unfortunate sparrow was then left to die
of starvation. The Martin will return for several seasons
to the same nest, where it happens to be well sheltered
and secured from the injuries of the weather. They
breed the latest of all our swallows, often having un-
fledged young ones even so late as Michaelmas.
The first hatch consists of five eggs, which are white,
inclining to dusky at the thicker end ; the second, of three
or four ; and of a third, of only two or three. While the
young birds are confined to the nest the parents feed
them, adhering by the claws to the outside ; but as soon
as they are able to fly they receive their nourishment
on the wing, by a quick and almost imperceptible motion.
" Welcome, welcome, feathered stranger,
Now the sun bids Nature smile ;
Safe arrived and free from danger,
Welcome to our blooming isle." FRANKLIN.
The Swift.
THE SWIFT, (Cypselus apus,)
WHICH is sometimes called the Black Martin, arrives in
England later, and takes its departure earlier than any
of our swallows. The Swift is the largest of the swallow
tribe, and the most rapid in its flight, Its nest, which is
generally built in the crevices of old towers and steeples,
is constructed of dried grass, feathers, thread, and similar
materials, glued together by a sort of spittle, with which
the bird is provided. The bird collects them whilst on
the wing, picking them up with great dexterity. They
seldom alight upon the ground, and if by accident they
fall upon a level surface, they recover themselves with
difficulty, owing to the shortness of their legs, and the
length of their wings. During the heat of the day they
remain within their holes, and at morning and evening
sally out in quest of food. They may then be seen in
flocks, whirling round some lofty edifice, or describing
in mid-air an endless series of circles upon circles. Swifts
fly higher, and wheel with bolder wing than the swal-
lows, with whom they never intermingle.
THE GOATSUCKER. (Caprimulgus Europceus.)
THIS curious bird, called also the Nightjar, and the Fern
Owl, comes to this country from Africa about the middle
of May and usually leaves by the end of August. These
birds are generally found in low bushes, or amongst tufts
of large ferns, and generally fly at night : hence their
name of Fern Owl. The beak is furnished with bristles,
and the middle toe of each foot has a claw toothed like
a comb. The female lays her eggs upon the ground,
without any nest, and lays only two. The name of Goat-
sucker originated in an absurd idea that this bird sucked
the goat's milk, from its habit of lying on the ground
near cows or she goats, and catching the flies that tor-
ment them by fixing on their udders. Mr. Waterton,
who is certainly the closest observer of nature who ever
wrote on Natural History, states, in one of his very in-
teresting works, that he has frequently seen the Goat-
suckers catching insects in this manner, and thus prov.
ing themselves the best of friends to the animals they
are accused of annoying.
The Skylark 245
THE SKYLARK. (Alauda arvensis.)
" Go, tuneful bird, that gladd'st the skies,
To Daphne's window speed thy way ;
And there on quivering pinions rise,
And there thy vocal art display."
SHENSTONE.
THE SKYLARK is distinguished from most other birds by
the long spur on the back toe, the earthy colour of his
feathers, and by singing as he mounts in the air. These
birds generally make their nest in meadows among the
high grass, and the tint of their plumage resembles so
much that of the ground, that the body of the bird is
hardly distinguishable as it runs along.
The daisied lea he loves, where tufts of grass
Luxuriant crown the ridge : there, with his mate,
He founds their lonely house, of withered herbs,
And coarsest spear-grass ; next the inner work,
With finer, and still finer fibres lays,
Rounding it curious with his speckled breast."
GKAHAME.
Larks breed twice a year, in May and July, rearing
their young in a short space of time. They are caught
in great quantities in winter, and are considered choice
and delicate food. It is a melancholy observation, that
man should feed upon, and indulge his sense of taste
with those very birds which have so often delighted his
sense of hearing with their songs, when they usher to
246 Birds.
the gladdened creation the return of their best friend,
the sun. The instinctive warmth of attachment which
the female Skylark bears towards her own species, even
when not her nestling, is remarkable. "In the month
of May," says Buffon, " a young hen bird was brought
to me, which was not able to feed without assistance. I
caused her to be reared ; and she was hardly fledged,
when I received from another place a nest of three or
four unfledged larks. She took a strong liking to these
newcomers, which were but little younger than herself;
she tended them night and day, cherished them beneath
her w r ings, and fed them with her bill. Nothing could
interrupt her tender offices. If the young ones were torn
from her she flew to them as soon as they were liberated,
and would not think of effecting her own escape, which
she might have done a hundred times. Her affection
grew upon her; she neglected food and drink; she at
length required the same support as her adopted offspring,
and .expired at last, consumed with maternal solicitude.
None of the young ones long survived her. They died
one after another; so essential were her cares, which
were equally tender and judicious."
The Lark mounts almost perpendicularly, and by suc-
cessive springs, into the air, where it hovers at a vast
height. Its descent is in an oblique direction, unless
threatened by some ravenous bird of prey, or attracted
by its mate, when it drops to the ground like a stone.
On its first leaving the earth, its notes are feeble and in-
terrupted ; but, as it rises, they gradually swell to their
full tone. As the Lark's flight is always at sun-rise, there
is something in the scenery that renders its song pecu-
liarly delightful : the opening morning, the landscape just
gilded by the rays of the returning sun, and the beauty
of the surrounding objects, all contribute to heighten
our relish for its pleasing melody.
Up springs the Lark,
Shrill-voiced and loud, the messenger of morn,
Ere yet the shadows fly, he, mounted, sings
Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts
Calls up the tuneful nations."
THOMSON.
, The WoodlarL 247
Alas ! it's no thy neebor sweet,
The bonnie Lark, companion meet !
Bending thee 'mang the dewy weet !
Wi' speckled breast,
When upward springing, blythe to greet
The purpling east."
BURNS.
" Early, cheerful, mounting Lark,
Light's gentle usher, morning's clerk,
In merry notes delighting."
SIR JOHN DAVIS.
THE WOODLAKK, (Alauda arborea.)
THIS species is smaller than the skylark, and its voice
deeper ; it has also a circle of white feathers encompass-
ing the head, from eye to eye, like a crown or wreath,
and the utmost feather of the wing is much shorter tban
the second, whereas in the common lark they are nearly
equal. This bird sometimes emulates the nightiDgale;
for which, when pouring forth his sweet melody in the
grove, during a silent night, he is often mistaken. These
birds sit and perch upon trees, unlike the common lark,
which always keeps to the ground. They build their
nest at the foot of a bush, near the bottom of a hedge, or
in high dry grass. The number of their eggs is about
four, of a pale bloom colour, beautifully mottled, and
clouded with red and yellow. Like the skylark, they
assemble in large flocks during frosty weather. Their
usual food consists of small beetles, caterpillars, and other
248 Birds.
insects, as well as the seeds of numerous kinds of wild
plants.
" Bright o'er the green hills rose the morning ray,
The Woodlark's song resounded on the plain,
Fair nature felt the warm embrace of day,
And smiled through all her animated reign."
LANGBOUDN.
THE TITMOUSE, OR TOM-TIT, (Parus cceruleus.)
THE LONG-TAILED TIT. (Parus caudatus.)
THE common Titmouse or Tom-tit is a very small bird,
only four inches and a half in length. He has a blue head,
with white cheeks and a white stripe over each eye ; his
back is greenish, his wings and tail blue, and the lower
surface of his body yellow. This bird, and all the species
related to it, live on insects, as well as on seeds. When
kept in a cage, it is really amusing to see with what quick-
ness the Titmouse darts at any fly or moth which comes
imprudently within its reach. If this kind of food be
deficient, as generally happens in winter, it feeds upon
several kinds of seed, and particularly that of the sun-
flower, which it dexterously holds upright between its
claws and strikes powerfully with its sharp little bill, till
the black covering splits, and yields its white contents to
the persevering bird. Its general food consists of insects,
The Yellowhammer, or Yellow Bunting. 249
which it seeks in the crevices of the "bark of trees, and
when thus engaged, clinging in every possible position
to the branches, it looks like a very diminutive blue
parrot. In winter the Titmouse visits our gardens and
orchards, where he is often seen picking the buds of fruit
trees to pieces ; but in doing this he inflicts little or no
injury upon the gardener, his object being the capture
of insects which would probably cause far more mischief
in the ensuing summer. The nest of the Titmouse is
built in the hole of a tree or wall ; the female lays usually
eight or ten eggs, and when sitting defends her nest with
great courage, pecking at the fingers of boys so vigorously
that in some parts of the country she is known by the
name of Billy Biter. The Long-tailed Tit is also a
common bird about hedges, orchards, and plantations.
He is an active lively little fellow, and resembles the
common Tit in his habits.
THE YELLOWHAMMER, OK YELLOW
BUNTING. (Emberiza citrinetta.)
THIS bird is somewhat larger than the sparrow. Its
head is of a greenish yellow, spotted with brown ; the
throat and belly are yellow ; the breast and sides, under
the wings, mingled with red. These birds build their
nests on the ground, near some bush, where the female lays
five or six eggs. The Yellowhammer may be sometimes
seen perched on the finger of some poor man or woman
in the streets of London, in a state of complete tameness ;
but this is the transitory effect of intoxication, and soon
after the bird is bought and brought home, it dies, over-
come by the power of the laudanum that has been given it.
This bird feeds on seeds and various sorts of insects,
250
Birds.
and is common in every lane, on every hedge, throughout
the country, flitting before the traveller, and about the
bushes. Happily for him, we have not yet acquired the
taste of the natives of Italy, where the Yellowhammer
falls a daily victim to the delicacy of the table, and
where its flesh is esteemed very delicious eating. There
he is often fattened, for the purpose of gratifying the
palate of epicures.
The Ortolan, (Emheriza Tiortulana^) which is another
species of the same genus, is common in the central and
southern provinces of Europe, where it is thought exqui-
sitely flavoured as an article of food. When first taken
it is frequently very lean, but if supplied with abundance
of food, it is said to be so greedy, that it will eat till it
dies of repletion.
THE WHEATEAE, AND WHIN CHAT.
(Saxicola cenanthe and S. rubetra.)
THE WHEATEAR is one of our earliest visitants, and may
be found in every part of Britain. In the North, it gene-
rally frequents heaps of stones, ruins, or the dry stone
The Wheatear, and Whin Chat. 251
walls of burial-grounds, and though, it is a very hand-
some bird, and in the early season sings sweetly, its
haunts have obtained it a bad name. The common alarm-
note resembles the sound made in breaking stones with a
hammer, and as it utters that note from the top of the
heap which haply covers the bones of one who perished
by the storm, or his own hand, popular fancy has not
unnaturally associated the Wheatear with the supersti-
tion that belongs to the place of graves. Beneath that
heap of stones, or in some neighbouring fallow, its nest
may be discovered, formed of moss and dried grass, lined
with hair, feathers, or wool, and containing five or six
eggs of a delicate bluish white. These birds congregate
on the southern downs about the middle of July ; they
are then caught in vast numbers, in horse-hair nooses,
which are set between two pieces of turf turned against
each other.
The Whin Chat is a beautiful bird, compact in form,
with a rich and elegant plumage. Its song, which is
peculiarly soft and sweet, may be heard in spring on the
bushy margins and gorse of extensive heaths. Its nest,
constructed in thick tufts of grass and under bushes, is
most carefully concealed. It is usually approached by
a labyrinth to which the rising of the bird affords no clue,
and it may long be sought in vain, though perhaps not
more than a yard distant all the time. The eggs are
bluish green, without any spots, and are nevermore than
six in number.
The following lines, addressed to the English Ortolan,
or Wheatear, by Mrs. Charlotte Smith, allude to the
foolish timidity of that bird :
" To take you, shepherd boys prepare
The hollow turf, the wiry snare,
Of those weak terrors well aware,
That bid you vainly dread
The shadows floating over downs,
Or murmuring gale, that round the stones
Of some old beacon, as it moans,
Scarce moves a thistle's head.
And if a cloud obscure the sun,
With faint and fluttering heart you run
Into the pitfall you should shun,
And only leave when dead."
252
Birds.
THE SPARROW. (Passer domesticus.)
THIS bird is, next to the robin redbreast, the boldest of
the small feathered tribe which frequent our barns and
houses : he is a courageous little creature, and fights
undauntedly against birds ten times bigger than himself.
Sparrows are accused of destroying a great quantity of
corn, and in several counties the landlord or farmer puts
a price on a Sparrow's head ; but the farmer is the per-
son most injured by the plan, as the good Sparrows, in
ridding land of caterpillars, more than compensate for
the loss of grain they destroy. Mr. Bradley, in his
Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening, shows, by a cal-
culation, that a pair of Sparrows, during the time they
have their young ones to feed, destroy on an average,
every week, three thousand three hundred and sixty
caterpillars.
This bird is easily tamed, and will hop about the
house, and on the table with great familiarity. It will
feed on anything, and is particularly fond of meat cut
into small pieces. The song of the Sparrow, if we can
The Linnet. 25S
so call its chirping, is far from agreeable : this arises,
however, not from want of powers, but from its attend-
ing solely to the note of the parent bird. A Sparrow,
when fledged, was taken from the nest and educated
under a linnet : it also heard by accident a goldfinch ;
and its song was in consequence a mixture of the two.
The male is particularly distinguished by a jet-black
spot under the bill upon a whitish ground. Sparrows
are found nearly in every country of the world.
THE LINNET, (Fringilla linota or Linota cannabina,)
Is about the size of the goldfinch ; and compensates, by
an extremely melodious voice, the want of variety in its
plumage, which, except in the red-breasted species, is
nearly all of one colour. Its musical talents are, like
those of many other birds, repaid with captivity ; for it
is kept in cages on account of its singing.
The Kedpole (Fringilla linaria) is a small species of
Linnet, little more than four inches in length, distin-
guished by a deep blood-red spot on the crown of his
head. He visits Britain in the autumn and stays with
us during the winter, his favourite summer residence
being far away in the north. Kedpoles are taken in great
numbers by the bird-catchers in the autumn. Their only
song is a twittering note, but they are often attached by
a brace and chain to an open cage and trained to draw
their water in a bucket.
The Green Linnet is rather larger than the house spar-
row. Its head and back are of a yellowish-green, the
264 Birds.
edges of the feathers grayish ; the rump and breast more
yellow. The plumage of the female is much less vivid,
inclining to brown. Its song is trifling, but in confine-
ment it becomes tame and docile, and will catch the notes
of other birds*.
THE CANAKY-BIED. (FringiUa,or Carduelis canaria.)
As his name imports, this bird is a native of the Canary
Islands ; where, in his wild state, he has a dusky gray
plumage, and a much stronger voice than when in a cage.
In our northern countries his feathers undergo a great
alteration ; and the bird often becomes entirely white or
yellow. Of this bird, Buffon says, " that if the nightin-
gale is the chantress of the woods, the Canary is the
musician of the chamber; the first owes all to nature,
the second something to art. With less strength of organ,
less compass of voice, and less variety of note, the Canary
has a better ear, greater facility of imitation, and a more
retentive memory ; and as the difference of genius, espe-
cially among the lower animals, depends in a great mea-
sure on the perfection of their senses, the Canary, whose
organ of hearing is more susceptible of receiving and
retaining foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame,
and familiar; is capable of gratitude and even attach-
ment; its caresses are endearing, its little humours
innocent, and its anger neither hurts nor offends. Its
education is easy ; we rear it with pleasure, because we
are able to instruct it. It leaves the melody of its own
natural note, to listen to the melody of our voices and
TJie Cananj-Bird. 255
instruments. It accompanies us, and repays the pleasure
it receives with interest, while the nightingale, more
proud of his talent, seems desirous of preserving it in
all its purity, at least it appears to attach very little
value to ours, and it is with great difficulty that it
can be taught any of our airs. It despises them,
and never fails to return to its own wild wood notes.
Its pipe is a masterpiece of nature, which human art
can neither alter nor improve ; while that of the Canary
is a model of more pliant materials, which we can
mould at pleasure; and therefore it contributes in a
much greater degree to the pleasures of society. It
sings at all seasons, cheers us in the dullest weather,
and adds to our happiness, by amusing the young
and delighting the recluse, charming the tediousness
of the cloister, and gladdening the soul of the innocent
and captive." It breeds generally twice a year when
domesticated ; and it sometimes happens that the female
lays her eggs for the second time before the first brood is
fledged. The male then good-naturedly takes her place
on the eggs while she feeds the young ones, and feeds
them in his turn, when she sits in the nest. They are
very easily tamed, when brought up with attention and
kindness, and take their food out of the hand, often
perching on the shoulder of their mistress, and feeding
out of her mouth. The Canary-bird is sometimes, and
with success, matched with the linnet or the goldfinch ;
and the produce is a beautiful bird, partaking of the
talents and plumage of both.
Canary-birds live twelve or thirteen years in our
climate, and sing well to the end of their life.
The following curious anecdote of one of these birds
is related by Dr. Darwin : " On observing a Canary-
bird at the house of a gentleman near Tutbury, in Derby-
shire, I was told it always fainted away when its cage was
cleaned ; and I desired to see the experiment. The cage
being taken from the ceiling, and the bottom drawn out,
the bird began to tremble, and turned quite white about
the root of the bill : he then opened his mouth, as if for
breath, and respired quick; stood up straighter on his
perch, hung his wings, spread his tail, closed his eyes,
256
Birds.
and appeared quite stiff for half-an-hour ; till at length,
with much trembling and deep respirations, he came
gradually to himself."
Some years ago, a Frenchman exhibited in London
twenty-four Canary-birds, many of which he said were
from eighteen to twenty-five years of age. Some of
these balanced themselves, head downward, on their
shoulders, having their legs and tail in the air. One of
them taking a slender stick in its claws, passed its head
between its legs, and suffered itself to be turned round,
as if in the act of being roasted. Another balanced itself,
and was swung backward and forward on a kind of a slack
rope. A third was dressed in military uniform, having
a cap on its head, wearing a sword and pouch, and carrying
a firelock in one claw : after some time sitting upright,
this bird, at the word of command, freed itself from its
dress, and flew away to the cage. A fourth suffered
itself to be shot at, and falling down as if dead, was put
into a little wheelbarrow, and wheeled away by one of
its comrades !
THE CHAFFINCH. (Fringffla coelebs.')
THE CHAFFINCH is of the same dimensions as the sparrow,
The Chaffinch. 257
but more lightly and elegantly formed. Its nest, which
is of the most beautiful and elaborate construction, is com-
posed of mosses and lichens, interwoven and lined with
wool, hair, and feathers. " Four or five eggs," says Mr.
Waterton, " are the usual number which the Chaffinch's
nest contains, and sometimes only three. The thorn, and
most of the evergreen shrubs, the sprouts on the boles
of forest trees, the woodbine, the whin, the wild rose, and
occasionally the bramble, are this bird's favourite places
for nidification. Like all its congeners, it never covers
its eggs on retiring from the nest, for its young are
hatched blind. There is something peculiarly pleasing
to me in the song of this bird. Perhaps association of
ideas may add a trifle to the value of its melody; for
when I hear the first note of the Chaffinch, I know that
winter is on the eve of its departure, and that sunshine
and fine weather are not far off. The Chaffinch never
sings when on the wing ; but it warbles incessantly on
the trees, and on the hedgerows, from the early part of
February to the second week in July ; and then (if the
bird be in a state of freedom) its song entirely ceases."
258 Birds.
THE BULLFINCH. (Loxia pyrrhula.)
THIS is a very docile bird, and will nearly imitate the
sound of a pipe, or the whistle of man, with its voice, the
mellowness of which is really charming. It is, by bird-
fanciers, considered to excel all other small birds, except
the linnet, in the softness of its tones, and in the variety
of its notes. In captivity, its melody seems to be as great
a solace to itself, as it is a pleasure to its master. By day,
and even when the evening has called for the artificial
light of candles, the Bullfinch pursues his melodious
exertions, and if there be any other birds in the apart-
ment, awakes them gently to the pleasing task of singing
in concert with him. His notes are upon one of the
lowest keys of the gamut of birds.
The plumage of the Bullfinch is beautiful, though
simple and uniform, consisting only of three or four
colours. In the male, a lovely scarlet or crimson
colour adorns the breast, throat, and jaws, as far as the
eyes ; the crown of the head is black ; the rump and tail
are white; the neck and back grey, or lead-coloured.
The name of this bird originates from its head and neck
being, like those of the bull, very large in proportion to
the body. The female does not share with the male the
brightness of colours in the plumage. Bullfinches build
their nests in gardens and orchards, and particularly in
places that abound in fruit-trees, as they are passionately
fond of fruit, which they often destroy before it is ripe.
The Goldfinch. 259
THE GOLDFINCH.
(Fringilla carduelis, or Carduelis elegans.)
THIS bird is also called the Thistlefinch, from his fondness
for the seeds of that plant. He is very beautiful, his
plumage being elegantly diversified, his form small, but
pleasing, and his voice not loud, but sweet. He is easily
tamed, and often exhibited as a captive, with a chain
round his body, drawing up with trouble, but yet with
amazing dexterity, two small buckets, alternately, one
containing his meat, the other his drink. If he is old when
caught, the Goldfinch, after a few weeks, if well attended
to, and gently treated, becomes as familiar as if he had been
brought up by the hand of his keeper. Some have been
taught to fire a small piece of artillery, and go through
the drilling exercise, to the great astonishment of the
spectators ; but the cruel and severe treatment that
animals undergo, when taught performances altogether
contrary to their nature, should prevent us from en-
couraging such exhibitions.
This bird, as if conscious of the beauty of his plumage,
likes to view himself in a glass, which is sometimes fixed
for this purpose in the back of the cage. The art with
which it composes and builds its nest is really worthy
of admiration ; it is generally interwoven with moss,
small twigs, horsehair, and other pliant materials ; the
inside stuffed most carefully with fine down, and tufts of
cotton grass. There the female deposits five or bix eggs,
260 Birds.
which are whitish, marked at their upper end with
purple dots.
" The Goldfinch weaves, with willow down inlaid,
And cannach tufts, his wonderful abode ;
And oft suspended at the limber end
Of plane-tree spray, among the broad-leaved shoots,
The tiny hammock swings to every gale.
Sometimes in closest thickets 'tis concealed ;
Sometimes in hedge luxuriant, where the brier,
The bramble, and the plum-tree branch
Warp through the thorn, surmounted by the flowers
Of climbing vetch, and honeysuckle wild."
GRAHAME.
The following lines were written by Cowper on a Gold-
finch starved to death in his cage. The Goldfinch
speaks :
"Time was when I was free as air,
The thistle's downy seed my fare,
My drink the morning dew ;
I perched at will on every spray,
My form genteel, my plumage gay,
My strains for ever new.
' But gaudy plumage, sprightly strain,
And form genteel were all in vain,
And of a transient date ;
For caught and caged, and starved to death,
In dying sighs my little breath
Soon passed the wiry grate.
" Thanks, gentle author of my woes,
Thanks -for this most effectual close
And cure of every ill.
Never your cruelty repress !
For I, if you had shown me less,
Had been your prisoner still."
The Crossbill 261
THE CROSSBILL. (Loxia curvirostra.)
THE CROSSBILL is a native of the vast pine foiesls of
northern Europe, and is by no means abundant in Eng-
land. The bill of this singular bird is of considerable
length, and the mandibles towards the point are very
sharp and strong, curved in opposite directions, so that
when closed the points cross each other, from which the
bird derives his name. This curious organization enables
them to obtain their food, which chiefly consists of the
seeds of the cones of the fir, with the greatest facility
These seeds, for a considerable time after they have
ripened, are so firmly enclosed within their ligneous
scales, that the bill of no ordinary bird could reach them.
Fixing itself across the cone, the Crossbill brings the
mandibles of its beak immediately over each other, and
insinuates them between the scales, then forcing them
laterally, the scales open. The mandibles are again
brought in contact, between the scales, and the bird then
picks out the seed with their tips. It is very interesting
to find that a structure so anomalous as that of the bill
of the Crossbill is really beneficial to the creature, and
not, as was formerly rather flippantly asserted, a defect
or error of nature.
262
Birds.
THE STAKE, OB STARLING, (Sturnus vulgaris,)
Is about the size and shape of a blackbird ; the tips of
the feathers on the neck and back are yellow; the
feathers tinder the tail of an ash-colour ; the other parts
of the plumage are black, with a purple or deep blue
gloss, changing as it is variously exposed to the light.
Jn the hen, the tips of the feathers on the breast and
belly, to the very throat, are white ; which constitutes
a material point in the choice of the bird, as the female
is no singer. She lays four or five eggs, lightly tinctured
with a greenish cast of blue. Starlings build in hollow
trees and clefts of rocks and walls, are very easily tamed,
and can add to their natural notes any words or modula-
tions which they are taught.
]n the winter season Starlings collect in vast flocks,
and may be known at a great distance by their whirling
mode of flight. The evening is the time when they
assemble in the greatest numbers, and betake themselves
to fens and marshes. Sterne has immortalized the Star-
ling in his " Sentimental Journey : " " The bird flew to the
place where I was attempting his deliverance, and thrust-
ing his head through the trellis, pressed his head against
it, as if impatient. * I fear, poor creature,' said I, * I
can't set thee at liberty.' 'No,' said the Starling, 'I
can't get out.' ' Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still,
slavery,' said I, ' still thou art a bitter draught !' "
The Satin Bower-Bird.
263
THE SATIN BOWER-BIRD.
(Ptilonorhynchus Jiolosericeus.)
THIS singular bird was first brought before the notice
of the public by Mr. Gould, in his splendid work, the
" Birds of Australia," from which the following extracts
are given by permission of its author. The most remark-
able circumstance relating to this bird, is its construction
of a bower-like tenement, the object of which, it should
seem, is a sort of play ing-ground, or hall of assembly.
"The Satin Bower-bird, " says Mr. Gould, "is not a
stationary species, but appears to range from one part of
a district to another, either for the purpose of varying
the nature, or of obtaining a more abundant supply of
food. Judging from the many specimens I dissected, it
would seem that it is altogether granivorous and fru-
givorous ; or, if not exclusively so, that insects form but
a small portion of its diet. The brushes it inhabits are
studded with enormous fig-trees, some of them towering
to the height of two hundred feet; among the lofty
branches of which the Satin Bower-bird finds, in the
264 Birds.
small wild fig with which the branches are loaded, an
abundant supply of a favourite food : this species also
commits considerable depredation on ripening corn. It
appears to have particular times in the day for feeding,
and when thus engaged among the low shrub-like trees,
I have approached within a few feet without creating
alarm; but at other times I have found this bird ex-
tremely shy, especially the old males, which not unfre-
quently perch on the topmost branch of the loftiest tree,
whence they can survey all around, and watch the move-
ments of the females and their young in the brush below.
Besides the loud liquid call peculiar to the male, both sexes
frequently utter a harsh, unpleasant, guttural note, indica-
tive of surprise or displeasure. The old black males are
exceedingly few in number, as compared with the females
and young male birds in the green dress, from which, and
other circumstances, I am led to believe that at least two,
if not three years, elapse before they attain the rich satin-
like plumage, which, when once perfectly assumed, is,
I believe, never again thrown off. The extraordinary
bower-like structures alluded to above, are usually placed
under the shelter of the branches of some overhanging
tree in the most retired part of the forest, and differ
considerably in size. The base consists of an extensive
and rather convex platform of stick, firmly interwoven,
on the centre of which the bower itself is built : this,
like the platform on which it is placed, and with which
it is interwoven, is formed of sticks and twigs, but of a
more slender and flexible description, the tips of the
twigs being so arranged as to curve inwards and nearly
meet at the top : in the interior of the bower the materials
are so placed, that the forks of the twigs are always pre-
sented outwards, by which arrangement not the slightest
obstruction is offered to the passage of the birds. The in-
terest of this curious bower is much enhanced by the
manner in which it is decorated at and near the entrance
with the most gaily-coloured articles that can be collected,
such as the blue tail-feathers of the Eose-bill and Pen-
nantian parrots, bleached bones, the shells of snails, &c. ;
some of the feathers are stuck in among the twigs, while
others with the bones and shells are strewed about near
The Haven.
265
the entrances. The propensity of these birds to pick up
and fly off with any attractive object, is so well known
to the natives, that they always search the runs for any
small missing article, as the bowl of a pipe, &c., that may
have been accidentally dropped in the brush. I myself
found at the entrance of one of them a small neatly- worked
stone tomahawk, of an inch and a half in length, toge-
ther with some slips of blue cotton rags, which the birds
had doubtless picked up at a deserted encampment of
the natives. For what purpose these curious bowers are
made is not yet, perhaps, fully understood ; they are cer-
tainly not used as a nest, but as a place of resort for many
individuals of both sexes, which, when there assembled,
run through and around th . bower in a sportive and
playful manner, and that so frequently, that it is seldom
entirely deserted."
^Ai&^^
<- '^$&L*
-P\ ! 1
fi, /:- "
THE KAVEN. (Corvm Corax.)
" The Raven sits
On the raven-stone,
And his black wing: flits
O'er the milk-white bone ;
266 Birds.
To and fro, as the night-winds blow,
The carcass of the assassin swings :
And there alone, on the raven-stone,
The Raven flaps his dusky wings.
The fetters creak and his ebon beak
Creaks to the close of the hollow sound :
And this is the tune by the light of the moon,
To which the witches dance their round."
BYRON'S MANFRED.
THE RAVEN is about twenty-six inches in length, and his
weight about three pounds. The bill is strong, black,
and hooked at the tip. The plumage of the whole body
of a shining black, glossed with deep blue ; the back of
the lower part inclining to a dusky colour. He is of a
strong and hardy disposition, and inhabits all climates of
the globe. He builds his nest in trees ; and the female
lays five or six eggs of a palish green colour, spotted with
brown. It is said that the life of this bird extends to a
century ; and even beyond that period, if we can believe
the accounts of several naturalists on the subject. The
Raven unites the voracious appetite of the crow to the
dishonesty of the daw and the docility of almost every
other bird. He feeds chiefly on small animals ; and is
said to destroy rabbits, young ducks, and chickens, and
sometimes even lambs, when they happen to be dropped
in a weak state. In the northern regions, he preys on
carrion, in concert with the white bear, the arctic fox, and
the eagle. The faculty of scent in these birds must be
very acute ; for in the coldest of the winter days, at Hud-
son's Bay, when every kind of effluvium is almost instan-
taneously destroyed by the frost, buffaloes and other
beasts have been killed, where not one of these birds
was seen ; but in a few hours scores of them have been
found collected about the spot, to pick up the blood and
offal. The Raven possesses many diverting and mis-
chievous qualities ; he is active, curious, sagacious, and
impudent ; by nature a glutton, by habit a thief, in dispo-
sition a miser, and in practice a rogue. He is fond of
picking up any small piece of money, bits of glass or
any thing that shines, which he carefully conceals under
the eaves of roofs, or in any other inaccessible place. He
is easily tamed ; and, like the parrot and starling, can
The Raven. 267
Imitate the human voice, in articulating words. At the
seat of the Marquis of Aylesbury, in Wiltshire, a tame
Eaven, that had been taught to speak, used to ramble
about in the park, where he was commonly attended
and beset with crows, rooks, and others of his inquisitive
tribe. When a considerable number of these were col-
lected round him, he would lift up his head, and with
a hoarse and hollow voice shout out Holloa ! This would
instantly put to flight and disperse his sable brethren ;
while the Eaven seemed to enjoy the fright he had
occasioned. When domesticated, the Eaven is of great
service, both as a scavenger and in keeping watch, in
the last of which he is more alert and vigilant than
almost any other animal. The Eaven was the ensign of the
invading Danes, and the prejudice thereby engendered
against the bird is not yet quite extinct. Of its per-
severance in the act of incubation, Mr. White relates
the following singular anecdote :
" In the centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood
an oak, which, though on the whole shapely and tall,
bulged out into a large excrescence near the middle of
the stem. On this tree a pair of Eavens had fixed their
residence for such a series of years, that the oak was dis-
tinguished by the title of * The Eaven-tree.' Many
were the attempts of the neighbouring youths to get at
this nest : the difficulty whetted their inclinations, and
each was ambitious of surmounting the arduous task ; but
when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in
their way, and was so far beyond their grasp, that the
boldest lads were deterred and acknowledged the under-
taking to be too hazardous. Thus the Eavens continued
to build, nest upon nest, in perfect security, till the fatal
day on which the wood was to be levelled. This was in the
month of February, when those birds usually sit. The
saw was applied to the trunk, the wedges were inserted
into the opening, the wood echoed to the heavy blows of
the mallet, the tree nodded to its fall ; but still the dam
persisted in sitting. At last, when it gave way, the bird
was flung from her nest ; and though her parental affec-
tion deserved a better fate, was whipped down by the
twigs, which brought her dead to the ground !"
268 Birds.
The croaking of the Haven was formerly considered a
note of ill omen :
" The Raven croaked as she sat at her meal,
And the old woman knew what he said ;
And she grew pale at the Raven's tale,
And sickened and went to her hed."
THE CARE ION CHOW. (Corvus corone.)
THIS bird is less in size than the raven. The bill is
strong, thick, and straight. The general colour is black,
except the extremities of the feathers, which are of a
greyish tint. His delight is to feed upon carcasses and
dead animals, or malefactors exposed on the gibbet.
He roosts upon trees, and takes both animal and vege-
table food. Crows, like rooks, are gregarious, and often
fly in large companies in the fields or in the woods.
On the upland moors, Crows occupy the place which
rooks fill in the low country ; and as the Crow has a
very coarse and uncouth voice, the Lowlanders of Scot-
land are in the habit of saying that the Highland rooks
'* speak Gaelic." They are great destroyers of partridges'
eggs, as they often pierce them with their bills, and
carry them in that manner through the air to a great
distance to feed their young. The female lays five or
six eggs.
Mr. Montagu states that he once saw a Crow in pur-
suit of a pigeon, at which it made several pounces, like
The Rook 269
a hawk; but the pigeon escaped by flying in at the
door of a house. He saw another strike a pigeon dead
from the top of a barn. The Crow is so bold a bird that
neither the kite, the buzzard, nor the raven, can approach
its nest without being driven away. When it lias young
ones, it will even attack the peregrine falcon, and at a
single pounce sometimes bring that bird to the ground.
THE EOOK. (Corvus frugilegus.)
THE cawing of these birds, on the tops of high trees near
gentlemen's houses, and in the middle of cities, is not
very pleasing ; yet old habits, to which we are reconciled,
have as much influence upon us as if they were pro-
ductive of amusement. Hence it has been seldom at-
tempted to destroy a rookery ; although the noise and
other inconveniences that accompany these birds render
their vicinity often troublesome. They feed entirely
on corn and insects, and are little bigger than the com-
mon crows. In Suffolk, and in some parts of Norfolk, the
farmers find it their interest to encourage the breed of
Rooks, as the only means of freeing their grounds from
the grub, which produces the cockchafer, and which in
this state destroys the roots of corn and grass to such a
degree, that instances have been known where the turf
of pasture land might be turned up with the foot. The
farmers in a northern county, a good many years ago,
waged a war of extermination against the Rooks, but
the very next year the crops were so completely cut up
by grubs, that the same proprietors were at considerable
270 Birds.
expense in getting Eooks back again. Young Rooks are
good eating, but should be skinned before they are
dressed. The colour is black, but brighter than that of
the crow, which the Book resembles in shape. The
female lays the same number of eggs; and the male
shares with her the trouble of fetching sticks, and inter-
weaving them to make the nest, an operation which is
attended with a great deal of fighting and disputing with
the other Eooks.
New comers are often severely beaten by the old inha-
bitants, and are even frequently driven quite away ; of
this an instance occurred near Newcastle, in the year
1783. A pair of Eooks, after an unsuccessful attempt to
establish themselves in a rookery at no great distance
from the Exchange, were compelled to abandon the at-
tempt, and take refuge on the spire of that building ; and,
though constantly interrupted by other Eooks, they
built their nest on the top of tlie vane, and reared their
young ones, undisturbed by the noise of the populace be-
low. The nest and its inhabitants were of course turned
about by every change of the wind! They returned
and built their nest every year on the same place, till
1793, soon after which year the spire was taken down.
A small copperplate was engraved, of the size of a watch-
paper, with a representation of the spire and the nest ;
and so much pleased were the inhabitants and other per-
sons with it, that as many copies were sold as produced
to the engraver a profit of ten pounds. The woodcut
by Bewick, in the title-page to his Select Fable givess, a
view of the old Exchange, with the Eook's nest on the
vane.
It is amusing to see Eooks coming at sunset as thick
as a cloud hovering over a grove, and, after several
eddies described in the air, and incessant cawings, each
repairing to its own nest, and settling in a few minutes
to rest, till the dawn calls them up again to their pas-
ture in the neighbouring fields.
Dr. Darwin has remarked, that an instinctive feeling
of danger from mankind is much more apparent in Eooks
than in most other birds. Any one who has in the least
observed them will see that they evidently distinguish
The Jackdaw. 271
that the danger is greater when a man is armed with a
gun, than when he has no weapon with him. In the
spring of the year, if a person happened to walk under a
rookery with a gun in his hand, the inhabitants of the
trees rise on their wings, and scream to the unfledged
young to shrink into their nests from the sight of the
enemy. The country people observing this circumstance
so uniformly to occur, assert that Eooks can smell gun-
powder.
THE JACKDAW. (Corvus monedula.)
THIS bird is much less than the crow. He has a large
head and long bill, in proportion to the size of his body.
The colour of the plumage is black, but on some parts
inclining to a bluish hue ; the fore part of the head is of
a deeper black. The Jackdaw feeds upon nuts, fruits,
seeds, and insects ; and builds in ancient castles, towers,
cliffs, and all desolate and ruinous places. The female
lays five or six eggs, smaller, paler, and marked with
fewer spots than those of the crow.
Jackdaws are easily tamed, and may with little diffi-
272 Birds.
culty be taught to pronounce several words. They conceal
such parts of their food as they cannot eat, and often,
along with it, small pieces of money or toys, frequently
occasioning, for the moment, suspicions of theft in per-
sons who are innocent. In Switzerland there is found
a variety of the Jackdaw, which has a white ring round
its neck. In Norway, and other cold countries, they
have been seen entirely white. In a state of nature,
jackdaws and rooks frequently feed together, and the
Jackdaws come to meet the rooks in the morning, and
also accompany them for some distance on their retreat
at night.
THE MAGPIE. (Pica caudate.")
" From bough to bough the restless Magpie roves,
And chatters as he flies." GISBOENE.
THIS bird resembles the daw, except in the whiteness of
the breast and wings, and the length of the tail. The
black of the feathers is accompanied with a changing
gloss of green and purple. It is a very loquacious crea-
ture, and can be taught to imitate the human voice as
well as any of the feathered creation.
Plutarch relates a singular story of a Magpie belong-
ing to a barber at Eome, which could imitate, to a
wonderful extent, almost every noise that it heard.
Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded before
the shop ; and for a day or two afterwards the Magpie
The Magpie. 273
was quite mute, and seemed pensive and melancholy.
This surprised all who knew it ; and they supposed the
sound of the trumpets had so stunned the bird as to
deprive it at the same time of voice and hearing. This,
however, was not the case ; for, says the writer, the bird
had been all the time occupied in profound meditation,
and was studying how to imitate the sound of the
trumpets ; accordingly, in the first attempt, it perfectly
imitated all their repetitions, stops, and changes. This
new lesson, however, made it entirely forget everything
that it had learned before.
The Magpie feeds on everything ; worms, insects,
meat, cheese, bread, milk, and all kinds of seeds, and
also on small birds, when they come in its way : the
young of the blackbird and of the thrush, and even a
strayed chicken, often fall a prey to its rapacity. It is
fond of hiding pieces of money or wearing apparel, which
it carries away by stealth, and with much dexterity, to
its hole. Its cunning is also remarked in the manner
of making its nest, which it covers all over with haw-
thorn branches, the thorns sticking outward ; within, it
is lined with fibrous roots, wool, and long grass, and then
plastered all round with mud and clay. The canopy
above is composed of the sharpest thorns, woven together
in such a manner as to deny all entrance except at the
door, which is just large enough to permit egress and
regress to the owners. In this fortress the birds bring
up their brood with security, safe from all attacks, but
those of the climbing schoolboy, who often finds his torn
and bloody hands too dear a price for the eggs or the
young ones.
There are many superstitions respecting Magpies ; and
it is singular that in all the southern and middle districts
of England, two Magpies together are thought to betoken
luck ; while in Lancashire, and other northern counties,
they are thought to betoken misfortune. The chattering
of Magpies was formerly supposed to foretell the arrival
of strangers.
274 Birds.
THE COKNISH CHOUGH, (Pyrrhcorax gracums,)
Is like the jackdaw in shape and colour, but somewhat
larger. The bill and legs are of a red colour, and hence
the bird is frequently called the red-legged Crow. It is
an inhabitant of Cornwall, Wales, and all the western
coasts of England, and is generally to be found among
rocks near the sea, where it builds, as well as in old
ruinous castles and churches on the sea-side. The voice
of the Chough resembles that of the jackdaw, except
that it exceeds it in hoarseness and strength.
Mr. Montagu describing a Chough in the possession
of a friend, says, " his curiosity is beyond bounds, never
failing to examine everything new to him : if the gar-
dener be pruning, he examines the nail-box, carries off
the nails, and scatters the shreds about. Should a ladder
be left against the wall, he instantly mounts, and goes all
round the top of the wall : and if hungry descends at a
convenient place, and immediately travels to the kitchen
window, where he makes an incessant knocking with his
bill, until he is fed or let in. If allowed to enter, his first
endeavour is to get up-stairs ; and if not interrupted, goes
as high as he can, and gets into any room on the attic
story; but his intention is to get upon the top of the
house. He is excessively fond of being caressed, and
would stand quietly by the hour to be smoothed ; but
resents an affront with violence and effect, by both bill
and claws, and will hold so fast by the latter, that he is
with difficulty disengaged."
TJie Jay. 275
THE JAY, (Garrulus glandarius,)
Is less than the magpie, and resembles him more in the
habits of his life than in the shape and colour of his body.
Like him he is talkative, and ready to imitate all sounds,
but boasts of ornamental colours, which the magpie is
deprived of. The ablest painter can produce no colour
to equal the brightness of the chequered tablets of white,
black, and blue, which adorn the sides of his wings.
His head is covered with feathers, which are moveable
at will, and the motion of which is expressive of the
internal affections of the bird, whether he is stimulated
by fear, anger, or desire.
A Jay, kept by a person in the north of England, had
learned at the approach of cattle to set a cur dog upon
them, by whistling and calling him by his name. One
winter, during a severe frost, the dog was by this means
excited to attack a cow that was big with calf, when the
poor thing fell on the ice, and was much hurt. The Jay
was complained of as a nuisance, and its owner was
obliged to destroy it.
The hen lays five or six eggs, of a dull white colour,
mottled with brown.
Birds.
THE ROLLER, (Coracia* garrula,)
Is about the size of the jay. Its bill is black, sharp,
and somewhat hooked. The head is of a dirty green,
mingled with blue ; of which colour is also the throat,
with white lines in the middle of each feather; the
breast is of a pale blue, like that of the pigeon; the
middle of the back, between the shoulders, is red ; the
rump and lesser coverts of the wings are dark blue ; the
feet are short, and, like those of a dove, of a dirty yel-
low colour.
The Roller is wilder than the jay, and frequents the
thickest woods ; it builds its nest chiefly on birch-trees.
It is a bird of passage, and migrates in the months of
May and September. In Africa, it is said to fly in
large flocks in the autumn, and is frequently seen on
cultivated grounds, with rooks and other birds, search-
ing for worms, insects, seeds, berries, roots, and in cases
of necessity, small frogs.
The Kingfisher. 277
THE KINGFISHEE, (Alcedo ispida,)
Is the Halcyon of the ancients, and his name recalls to
our mind the most lively ideas. It was believed, that,
as long as the female sat upon her eggs, the god of
storms and tempests refrained from disturbing the calm-
ness of the waves, and Halcyon days were, for navigators
of old, the most secure times to perform their voyages :
" As firm as the rock, and as calm as the flood,
Where the peace-loving Halcyon deposits her brood."
But although this bears analogy to a natural coinci-
dence between the time of breeding assigned to the
Kingfishers and a part of the year when the ocean is
less tempestuous, yet Mythology would exercise her
fancy, and turn into wonders that which was nothing
else than the common course of nature.
This bird is nearly as small as a common sparrow,
but the head and beak appear proportionally too big
for the body. The bright blue of the back and wings
claims our admiration, as it changes into deep purple
or lively green, according to the angles of light under
which the bird presents itself to the eye. It generally
haunts the banks of rivers, for the purpose of seizing
small fish, on which it subsists, and which it takes in
amazing quantities, by balancing itself at a distance
above the water for a certain time, and then darting on
the fish with unerring aim. It dives perpendicularly
into the water, where it continues several seconds, and
then brings up the fish, which it carries to land, beats
278 Birds.
to death, and afterwards swallows. When it cannot
find a projecting bough, it sits on some stone near the
brink, or even on the gravel ; but the moment it per-
ceives the fish, it takes a spring upwards of twelve
or fifteen feet, and drops from that height upon its
prey.
The Kingfisher lays its eggs, to the number of seven or
more, in a hole in the bank of the river or stream that it
frequents. Dr. Heysham had a female brought alive to
him at Carlisle by a boy, who said he had taken it the
preceding night when sitting on its eggs. His informa-
tion on the subject was, that "having often observed
these birds frequent a bank upon the river Peteril, he had
watched them carefully, and at last he saw them go into
a small hole in the bank. The hole was too narrow to
admit his hand ; but, as it was made in soft mould, he
easily enlarged it. It was upwards of half a yard long ;
at the end of it the eggs, which were six in number,
were placed upon the bare mould, without the smallest
appearance of a nest." The eggs were considerably larger
than those of the yellow-hammer, and of a transparent
white colour. It appears, from a still later account, that
the direction of the holes is always upward ; that they
are enlarged at the end, and have there a kind of bedding
formed of the bones of small fish, and some other sub-
stances, evidently the castings of the parent animals.
This bedding is generally half an inch thick, and mixed
with earth ; and on it the female deposits and hatches
her eggs. When the young ones are nearly full-feathered
they are extremely voracious ; and as the old birds do
not supply them with all the food they can devour, they
are continually chirping, and may be discovered by
their noise,
The Bird of Paradise.
279
THE BIKD OF PARADISE. (Paradisea apoda.)
THERE are several distinct species of these birds, of which
the best known are the large and small Emerald Birds
of Paradise, which are very similar in appearance, and
are both imported into Europe as ornaments for ladies'
dress. Their appearance when flying in their native
forests is said to be most beautiful. M. Lesson, a French
naturalist, gives the following account: "Soon after
280 Birds.
our arrival on this land of promise (New Guinea) for
the naturalist, I was on a shooting excursion. Scarcely
had I walked some hundred paces in those ancient
forests, the daughters of time, whose sombre depth was,
perhaps, the most magnificent and stately sight that I
had ever seen, when a Bird of Paradise struck my view :
it flew gracefully and in undulations ; the feathers of
its sides formed an elegant and aerial plume, which,
without exaggeration, bore no remote resemblance to
a brilliant meteor. Surprised, astounded, enjoying an
inexpressible gratification, I devoured this splendid bird
with my eyes; but my emotion was so great that I
forgot to shoot at it, and did not recollect that I had a
gun in my hand till it was far away."
The head is small, but adorned with colours which vie
with the brightest hues of the leathered tribe ; the neck
is a beautiful fawn, and the body very small, but covered
with long feathers of a browner hue, tinged with gold : the
two middle feathers of the tail are little more than fila-
ments, except at the point and near the base. Although
the body is no larger than that of a thrush, the total
length is two feet. This bird has long been esteemed
by ladies as a head-dress ; and as those sent to Europe
for this purpose always had the legs cut off for the con-
venience of packing, it was reported, and at one time
believed, that the Bird of Paradise had no legs, but that
it lived always on the wing. Indeed, a very fierce
controversy arose on this subject among the earlier
naturalists.
The native place of these birds is New Guinea and
the neighbouring islands, where they are generally found
in flocks of thirty and forty, roosting on fig or teak trees.
They always fly against the wind, that it may not ruffle
their light and spreading plumage, as, if the wind came
from behind, it would blow their long tails over their
back. They take shelter from storms in the most dense
thickets, and feed principally on figs, the berries of the
teak, and insects. The note. of the Bird of Paradise is
very unpleasant, and resembles the cawing of a raven ; it
is chiefly heard in windy weather, when they dread being
thrown on the ground.
Nuthatch and Creeper. 281
THE NUTHATCH, OR NUTJOBBER,
(Sitta Europcea,)
AND THE CREEPER, (Certhia familiaris,)
Is less than the chaffinch. The head, neck, and beak are
of an ash-colour; the sides under the wings red; the
throat and breast of a pale yellow ; the chin white, and
the feathers tinder the tail red, with white tips. The
Nuthatch feeds upon insects and also upon nuts, which
he hoards in the hollow part of a tree ; and it is pleasing
to see him fetch a nut out of the hole, place it first in a
chink, and standing above it with his head downwards,
striking it with all his might, break the shell, and catch
up the kernel. The hen is so attached to her brood,
that, when disturbed from her nest, she flutters about the
head of the depredator, and hisses like a snake. The Nut-
hatches are shy and solitary birds, and like the wood-
peckers frequent woods, and run up and down the trees
with surprising facility. They often move their tails in
the manner of the wagtail. They do not migrate, but
during the winter approach nearer to inhabited places,
and are sometimes seen in orchards and gardens. The
female lays her eggs in holes of trees.
282
Birds
THE CEEEPER. (Cerihia familians.)
THE CREEPEES are dispersed through most countries of
the globe, and feed chiefly on insects, in search of which
they run in a spiral direction round the stems and
branches of trees, with great agility.
The Common Creeper is about five inches in length ;
its colour is tawny, the quills being tipped with white or
light brown. Its nest is formed of dry grass and bark,
and is placed in the hollow of some decayed tree.
The Wall Creeper
283
THE WALL CREEPER, OR SPIDER-CATCHER,
( Tichodrom a muraria, )
Is larger than a house-sparrow. It has a long, slender,
black bill ; the head, neck, and back are of an ash-colour,
the front of the neck and throat being a deep black ; the
breast is white ; the wings a compound of lead-colour and
red. It is a brisk and cheerful bird, and has a pleasant
note. Clefts and crevices of rocks and the walls of old
edifices are its favourite haunts, and sometimes, but very
rarely, the trunks of trees. It feeds on insects, and is
especially fond of spiders and their eggs. The nest i$
made in clefts of the most inaccessible rocks, and in the
crevices of ruins, at a great height.
284
Birds.
THE LYBE-BiKD OF AUSTBALIA.
(Menura superba.)
THIS bird is found in New South Wales, near Port
Philip, but it is the male only that possesses the splen-
did tail whence it derives its name. It feeds on snails,
and builds a nest like a magpie.
" Of all the birds I have ever met with," says Mr.
Gould, " the Menura is by far the most shy and difficult
to procure. While among the brushes, I have been sur-
rounded by these birds, pouring forth their loud and
The Lyre-Bird of Australia. 285
liquid calls, for days together, without being able to get
a sight of them ; and it was only by the most determined
perseverance and extreme caution that I was enabled to
effect this desirable object ; which was rendered the more
difficult by their often frequenting the almost inaccessible
and precipitous sides of gullies and ravines, covered with
tangled masses of creepers, and umbrageous trees : the
cracking of a stick, the rolling down of a small stone, or
any other noise, however slight, is sufficient to alarm it ;
and none but those who have traversed these rugged, hot,
and suffocating brushes, can fully understand the exces-
sive labour attendant on the pursuit of the Menura. In-
dependently of climbing over rocks and fallen trunks of
trees, the sportsman has to creep and crawl beneath and
among the branches with the utmost caution, taking care
only to advance when the bird's attention is occupied in
singing, or in scratching up the leaves in search of food :
to watch its actions, it is necessary to remain perfectly
motionless, not venturing to move even in the slightest
degree, or it vanishes from sight, as if by magic. Al-
though I have said thus much on the cautiousness of the
Menura, it is not always so alert : in some of the more
accessible brushes through which roads have been cut, it
may frequently be seen, and even on horseback closely
approached, the bird apparently evincing less fear of those
animals than of man. At Illawarra it is sometimes suc-
cessfully pursued by dogs trained to rush suddenly upon
it, when it immediately leaps upon the branch of a tree,
and its attention being attracted by the dog which stands
barking below, it is easily approached and shot. Another
successful mode of procuring specimens is, by wearing a
tail of a full-plumaged male in the hat, keeping it con-
stantly in motion, and concealing the person among the
bushes, when the attention of the bird being arrested
by the apparent intrusion of another of its own sex, it
will be attracted within the range of the gun: if the
bird be hidden from view by the surrounding objects,
any unusual sound, as a shrill whistle, will generally
induce him to show himself for an instant, by causing
him to leap with a gay and sprightly air upon some
neighbouring branch to ascertain the cause of the dis-
286 Birds.
turbance : immediate advantage must be taken of this
circumstance, or the next moment it may be half-way
down the gully. So totally different is the shooting of
this bird to anything practised in Europe, that the most
expert shot would have but little chance, until well
experienced in the peculiar nature of the country, and
the habits of the bird. The Menura seldom, if ever,
attempts to escape by flying ; it easily eludes pursuit by
its extraordinary power of running. None are so efficient
in obtaining specimens as the naked black, whose noise-
less and gliding steps enable him to steal upon it unheard
and unperceived, and with the gun in his hand, he rarely
allows it to escape, and in many instances he will oven
kill it with his own weapons.
" The Lyre-bird is of a wandering disposition, and
although it probably keeps to the same brush, it is con-
stantly engaged in traversing it from one end to the
other, from mountain-top to the bottom of the gullies,
whose steep and rugged sides present no obstacle to its
long legs and powerful muscular thighs : it is also capable
of performing extraordinary leaps ; and I have heard it
stated, that it will spring ten feet perpendicularly from
the ground. It appears to be of solitary habits, as I
have never seen more than a pair together, and these
only in a single instance ; they were both males, and
were chasing each other round and round with extreme
rapidity, apparently in play, pausing every now and
then to utter their loud shrill calls ; while thus em-
ployed they carried the tail horizontally, as they always
do when running quickly through the bush, that being
the only position in which this great organ could be
conveniently borne at such times. Among its many
curious habits, the only one at all approaching to those
of the Gallinaccea, is that of forming small round hillocks,
which are constantly visited during the day, and upon
which the male is constantly trampling, at the same
time erecting and spreading out his tail in the most
graceful manner, and uttering his various cries, some-
times pouring forth his natural notes, at others mock-
ing those of other birds, and even the howling of the
native dog, or - dingo. The early morning and the-
Tlie Humming-Bird. 287
evening are the periods when it is most animated and
active."
There is another kind of Lyre-Bird, also found in New
South Wales, to which Mr. Gould has given the name
of Menura Alberti, in honour of the late Prince Consort.
THE HUMMING-BIED. (TrocMus cohlris.)
THERE are numerous species of Humming-Birds, but
that represented above, is one of the most common.
They are abundant in South America, particularly in
Brazil ; and are so small and so brilliant in their colours,
that when seen fluttering about in the brilliant rays of a,
tropical sun, they look like flying gems. They are ex-
tremely active, darting about, and thrusting their long
beaks and flexible tongues into every flower they see, in
search of food. Sometimes they will remain suspended
in the air for a long time together, vibrating their
wings with such velocity, that they cannot be seen dis-
tinctly, but appear like a mist round the body of the bird,
while they make that curious humming noise from which
the bird takes its name. Sometimes they quarrel, when
their little throats become distended, their crest, tails,
and wings expand, and they fight with inconceivable
fury, till one of them falls exhausted on the ground. The
most common species is Trochilus colubris, the Ruby-
throated Humming-Bird, and one of them has been kept
alive in a cage for more than three months, by feedin
it with sugar and water. This species is found in
288
Birds.
America, where it migrates to the north in summer, and
is there seen even in Canada and the country of Hudson's
Bay.
THE HOOPOE. (Upupa epops.)
THIS is a small bird, measuring no more than twelve
inches from the point of the bill to the end of the tail.
The bill is sharp, black, and somewhat bending. The
head is adorned with a very beautiful, large moveable
crest, a kind of bright halo, the radiation of which places
the head nearly in the centre of a golden circle. This
pleasing ornament, which the bird sets up or lets fall at
pleasure, is composed of a double row of feathers, reach-
ing from the bill to the nape of the neck, which is of a
pale red. The breast is white, with black streaks tend-
ing downwards; the wings and back are varied with
white and black cross-lines. The food of the Hoopoe
consists chiefly of insects, with the remains of which its
nest is sometimes so filled as to become extremely offen-
sive. This beautifully-crested bird is not at all common
in this country, and is solitary, two of them being seldom
The Hoopoe. 289
seen together, while in Egypt, where Hoopoes are very
common, they are often seen in small flocks. The female
generally constructs her nest in a hollow tree, the ma-
terials employed, in addition to the remains of their
food, being very scanty, consisting in fact of a few dried
grass stalks and feathers. She lays from four to seven
eggs at a time, of a pale lavender grey, about an inch
and a half long. The young are generally hatched in
June ; it is said, however, that two or three broods are
produced in the course of the year. The name alludes to
the note of the bird, which resembles the word " hoop "
repeated several times in a low voice.
Though this bird is found occasionally both in England
and Scotland, it rarely breeds with us. It is common in
Italy, where its strange startling cry is often heard,
without the bird being seen, as it keeps itself concealed
among trees. It is also not uncommon on the banks of
the Garonne in France, where it may be seen skimming
along the ground amongst the willows in search of the
insects upon which it feeds.
There are several species of this magnificent family.
The most brilliant is undoubtedly the Upupa Superba,
or Grand Promerops of New Guinea. " There does not
perhaps exist," says Sonnerat, " a more extraordinary-
bird. Its body is delicate and slender, and, although it
is of an elongated form, appears excessively small in
comparison with the tail. Nature seems to have pleased
herself in painting this being, already so singular, with
her most brilliant colours. The head, the neck, and the
belly are a glittering green ; the feathers which cover
these parts have the lustre and softness of velvet to the
eye and to the touch ; the back is changeable violet ; the
wings are of the same colour, and appear, according to
the lights in which they are held, blue, violet, or deep
black, always however imitating velvet." This bird is
rare, and a specimen is seldom seen even in the most
complete collections.
290
Birds.
IV. Scansores, or Climbers.
THE CUCKOO. (Cuculus canorus.)
" Hail, beauteous stranger of the wood,
Attendant on the spring !
Now Heaven repairs thy rural seat,
And woods thy welcome sing.
" Soon as the daisy decks the green,
Thy certain voice we hear ;
Hast thou a star to guide thy path,
Or mark the rolling year ?
The Oackoo. 291
* Delightful visitant ! with thee
I hail the time of flowers,
When heav'n is fill'd with musio sweet,
Of birds among the bowers."
LOGAN.
THE well-known notes of this bird, in spite of their
monotony, are heard with pleasure in spring, as a sure
prognostic of fine weather. The Cuckoo is generally first
heard about the middle of April, and ceases towards the
end of June. This bird is so shy that he is seldom seen
when uttering his singular note. The female does not
build a nest, but lays her eggs in that of some other
bird.
The Cuckoo is somewhat less than the magpie, his
length being about twelve inches from the tip of the bill
to the end of the tail. He is remarkable for his round
prominent nostrils ; the lower part of the body is of a
yellowish colour, with black transverse lines on the
throat and across the breast ; the head and upper part of
the body and wings are beautifully marked with black and
tawny stripes, and on the top of the head there are a few
white spots. The tail is long, and on the exterior part,
or edges of the feathers, there are several white marks ;
the ground colour of the body is a sort of grey. The legs
are short, and covered with feathers, and the feet are com-
posed of four toes, two before and two behind.
We are indebted to the observations of Dr. Jenner for
the following account of the habits and economy of this
singular bird in the disposal of its eggs. He states that,
during the time the hedge-sparrow is laying her eggs,
which generally occupies four or five days, the Cuckoo
contrives to deposit her egg among the rest, leaving the
future care of it entirely to the hedge-sparrow. This
intrusion often occasions some disorder; for the old
hedge-sparrow, at intervals while she is sitting, not only
throws out some of her own eggs but sometimes injures
them in such a way that they become addled, so that it
frequently happens that not more than two or three of
the parent bird's eggs are hatched : but, what is very
remarkable, it has never been observed that she has
either thrown out or injured the egg of the Cuckoo,
292 Birds.
When the hedge-sparrow has set her usual time, and has
disengaged the young Cuckoo and some of her own
offspring from the shell, her own young ones and any of
her eggs that remain unhatched are soon turned out:
the young Cuckoo then remains in full possession of the
nest, and is the sole object of the future care of the foster
parent. The young birds are not previously killed, nor
are the eggs demolished; but they are left to perish
together, either entangled in the bush that contains the
nest, or lying on the ground beneath it. On the 18th
June, 1787, Dr. Jenner examined a nest of a hedge-
sparrow, which then contained a Cuckoo's and three
hedge-sparrow's eggs. On inspecting it the day follow-
ing, the bird had hatched : but the nest then contained
only a young Cuckoo and one hedge-sparrow. The nest
was placed so near the extremity of a hedge, that he
could distinctly see what was going forward in it ; and,
to his great astonishment, he saw the young Cuckoo,
though so lately hatched, in the act of turning out the
young hedge-sparrow. The mode of accomplishing this
was curious ; the little animal, with the assistance of its
rump and wings, contrived to get the bird upon its back,
and making a lodgment for its burden by elevating its
elbows, climbed backward with it up the side of the
nest, till it reached the top ; where, resting for a moment,
it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite disengaged it
from the nest. After remaining a short time in this situa-
tion, and feeling about with the extremities of its wings,
as if to be convinced that the business was properly
executed, it dropped into the nest again. Dr. Jenner
made several experiments in different nests, by repeatedly
putting in an egg to the young Cuckoo, which he always
found to be disposed of in the same manner. It is very
remarkable that nature seems to have provided for the
singular disposition of the Cuckoo in its formation at
this period ; for, different from other newly-hatched birds,
its back, from the scapulse downward, is very broad, with
a considerable depression in the middle, which seems
intended for the express purpose of giving a more secure
lodgment to the egg of the hedge-sparrow or its young
one, while the young Cuckoo is employed in removing
The Cuckoo. 293
either of them from the nest. When it is about twelve
days old, this cavity is quite filled up, the back assumes
the shape of that of nestling birds in general, and at that
time the disposition of turning out its companion entirely
ceases. The smallness of the Cuckoo's egg, which in
general is less than that of the hedge-sparrow, is another
circumstance to be attended to in this surprising transac-
tion, and seems to account for the parent Cuckoo's
depositing it in the nest of such small birds only as these.
If she were to do this in the nest of a bird that produced
a larger egg, and consequently a larger nestling, the
design would probably be frustrated, the young Cuckoo
would be unequal to the task of becoming sole possessor
of the nest, and might fall a sacrifice to the superior
strength of its partners. Dr. Jenner observes, that the
egg of two Cuckoos are sometimes deposited in the same
nest ; and gives the following instance which fell under
his observation. Two Cuckoos and a hedge-sparrow
were hatched in the same nest ; one hedge-sparrow's egg
remained unhatched. In a few hours a contest began
between the Cuckoos for possession of the nest; and
this continued undetermined till the afternoon of the
following day, when the one which was somewhat
superior in size, turned out the other, together with the
young hedge-sparrow and the unhatched egg. The con-
test, he adds, was very remarkable; the combatants
alternately appeared to have the advantage, as each
carried the other several times nearly to the top of the
nest, and again sank down oppressed by the weight of
its burden; till at length, after various efforts, the
strongest of the two prevailed, and was afterwards
brought up by the hedge-sparrow.
The American Cuckoo, or Cow bird, is quite differ-
ent in its habits to the European Cuckoo, as it builds a
nest for its eggs, and hatches its young itself like other
birds.
294 Birds.
THE COMMON GREEN WOODPECKER,
(Picus viridis,)
RECEIVES his name from his habit of pecking the insects
from the chinks of trees and holes in the bark. The bill
is straight, strong, and angular at the end ; and in most
of the speqies is formed like a wedge, for the purpose
of piercing the trees. The nostrils are covered with
bristles. The tongue is slender, and cylindrical in
shape, and to the touch is hard and bony. The Wood-
pecker, in common with the Humming Bird, though for
a different object, possesses the remarkable property of
being able to dart out its tongue and secure insects al a
considerable distance from its beak. For the purpose of
effectually capturing the stronger insects, the tongue is
barbed at the end, and provided with glutinous secre-
tion. The toes of this bird are placed two forward and
two backward ; and the tail consists of ten hard, stiff,
and sharp-pointed feathers. A Woodpecker is often
seen hanging by his claws, and resting upon his breast
against the stem of a tree ; when, after darting his beak
against the bark, with great strength and noise, he runs
round the tree with much alacrity, which manoeuvre
has made the country people suppose that he goes round
The Common Green Woodpecker. 295
to see whether he has not pierced the tree through,
though the fact is, the bird is in search of the insects,
which he hopes to have driven out by his blow.
The following lines, from Moore's beautiful song,
allude to the noise which the Woodpecker makes in
searching for its food :
" I knew by the smoke that so gracefully curl'd
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near,
And I said, if there's peace to bo found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here.
Every leaf was at rest, and I heard not a sound,
But the Woodpecker tapping the hollow beech-tree."
The fact is, that this beating against the bark is for no
other purpose than to rouse the insects which the chink
contains, and to force them to come out, which they do
from their alarm at the noise, when the Woodpecker
turning round takes them unawares, and feeds upon
them : if the insects do not answer the delusive call, he
darts his long tongue into the hole, and brings out, by
this means, his reluctant prey. The plumage of this
bird is a compound of red and green, two colours, the
approximation of which is always productive of harmony
in the works of nature. They nestle in the hollows of
trees, where the female lays five or six whitish eggs,
without making any nest, trusting to the natural heat of
her body to hatch them.
The Green Woodpecker is seen more frequently on
the ground than the other kinds, particularly where there
are ant-hills. It inserts its long tongue into the holes
through which the ants issue, and draws them out in
abundance. Sometimes with its feet and bill it makes a
breach in the nest, and devours the ants and their eggs
at its ease. The young ones climb up and down the
trees before they are able to fly ; they roost very early,
and repose in their holes till day. There are many
different kinds of Woodpecker, five of which are common
to this country.
296
Birds.
THE WEYNECK. (Yunx torquilla.)
THIS bird, Mr. Gould tells us, has received its English
name from its habit of. moving its head and neck in
various directions, and with an undulating motion, like
that of a snake ; indeed, in some parts of England it is
called the snake-bird. When found in its usual retreat
in the hole of a tree, it makes a loud hissing noise, raises
the feathers of the crown, and writhing its head and
neck towards each shoulder alternately, with grotesque
contortions, becomes an object of terror to a timid in-
truder ; and the bird, taking advantage of a moment of
indecision, darts with the rapidity of lightning from a
situation where escape appeared impossible.
The Wryneck deposits its eggs on fragments of decayed
wood within a hollow tree, and makes scarcely any nest.
The birds when caught young are easily tamed.
The Toucan.
297
THE TOUCAN, (Wiamphastos tucanus,}
Is a native of South America, very conspicuous for the
magnitude and shape of its bill ; which, in some of the
species, is nearly as long and as large as the body itself.
The length of its body is about eighteen inches (the size
of the magpie) ; the head is large and strong, and the
neck short, in order the more easily to support the bulk
of such a beak. The head, neck, and wings are black ;
the breast of a most lovely orange saffron colour ; the
lower part of the body and the thighs are vermilion;
the tail black. Mr. Gould's specimen represents a nar-
row straw-coloured belt across the centre of the breast,
dividing the orange tint from the vermilion. One pf
these birds that was kept in a cage was very fond of
fruit, which it held for some time in its beak, touching
it with great delight with the tip of its feathery tongue,
and then tossing it into its throat by a sudden upright
jerk ; it also fed on small birds, insects, caterpillars, &c.
298 Birds.
THE GREY PABROT. (Psittacus erythacus.)
THE tongue of the Parrot is not unlike a black soft bean,
and fills so completely the capacity of its beak, that the
bird can easily modulate sounds and articulate words ;
the beak is composed of two pieces, both moveable, which
is a peculiarity belonging almost exclusively to this tribe
of birds. The bill of the Parrot is strongly hooked,
and assists it in climbing, catching hold of the boughs of
the trees with it, and then drawing its legs upwards ;
then again advancing the beak, and afterwards the feet,
for its legs are not adapted for hopping from bough to
bough, as other birds do. Several stories are told of the
sagacity of these birds, and of the aptitude of their in-
terrogatories and answers, but they have been no doubt
the effect of chance.
Dr. Goldsmith says that a Parrot, belonging to King
Henry the Seventh, having been kept in a room next
the Thames, in his palace of Westminster, had learned to
repeat many sentences from the boatmen and passengers.
One day, sporting on its perch, it unluckily fell into the
water. The bird had no sooner discovered its situation,
than it called out aloud, " A boat ! twenty pounds for a
boat 1" A waterman, happening to be near the place
where the Parrot was floating, immediately took it up,
and restored it to the king ; demanding, as the bird was
The Grey Parrot. 299
a favourite, that he should be paid the reward the bird
had called out. This was refused ; but it was agreed
that, as the Parrot had offered a reward, the man should
again refer to its determination for the sum he was to
receive. " Give the knave a groat," screamed the bird
the instant the reference was made.
The memory of Parrots is very astonishing, and they
can not only imitate discoiirse, but can sing verses of
songs, and mimic gestures and actions. Scaligor saw
one that performed the dance of the Savoyards at the
same time that it repeated their song. The song was
well imitated, but when the bird tried to caper, it was
with the worst grace imaginable, as he turned in his toes,
and kept tumbling back in a most clumsy manner.
Willoughby tells us of a Parrot, which, when a person
said to it, " Laugh, Poll, laugh," laughed accordingly, and
the instant after screamed out, " What a fool to make
me laugh ! " Another, which had grown old with its
master, shared with him the infirmities of age. Being
accustomed to hear scarcely anything but the words " 1
am sick ; " when a person asked it, " How do you do,
Poll ?" " I am sick," it replied in a doleful tone, stretch-
ing itself out, " I am sick."
Parrots are very numerous in the East and West
Indies, where they assemble in companies, like rooks,
and build in the hollows of trees. The female lays two
or three eggs, marked with little specks, like those of
the partridge. They never breed in our climate, though
they live here to a great age. They feed entirely upon
vegetables, but, when tame, will take from the mouth of
their master or mistress any kind of chewed meat, and
chiefly eggs, of which they seem particularly fond. They
bite or pinch very hard, and some of them possess so
much strength in their beak, that they could easily
break a man's finger. The Parrot is sensible of attach-
ment, as well as of revenge ; and if in their mimic atti-
tudes they show great pleasure at the sight of their
feeders, they also fly up with anger to the face of those
who once have affronted or injured them.
300 Birds.
THE GREEN PARROT, (Psittacus amazonicus,)
WHICH is perhaps more commonly seen in England than
the African Grey Parrot, is a native of South America,
and receives its name from the great river Amazon,
on the banks of which it is common. In its native
country it does much damage to the plantations, and
indeed many of the Parrots are as injurious in this
respect as they are beautiful in their plumage. The
Green Parrot resembles the Grey species in its habits,
and may likewise be taught to speak with much distinct
ness.
THE BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW,
(Psittacus, or Macrocercus aracanga^}
Is one of the largest of the parrot tribe, and painted
with the finest colours Nature can bestow. The beak is
uncommonly strong ; and the tail proportionally longer
than that of any of the parrot tribe. Its voice is fierce
and tremulous, sometimes sounding like the laugh of an
old man ; and it seems to utter the word " Arara," which
occasions its bearing that name in its native country.
When tame, it eats almost every article of human food,
and is particularly fond of bread, beef, fried fish, pastry,
and sugar. It cracks nuts with its bill, and dexterously
picks out the kernels with its claws. It does not chew
The Ring Paroquet. 301
the soft fruits, but sucks them by pressing its tongue
against the upper part of its beak : and the harder sort
of food, such as bread and pastry, it bruises, or chews, by
pressing the tip of the lower upon the most hollow part
of the upper mandible.
TJie Scarlet Macaw (M. Macao) is another large species,
of a bright red colour, with some blue and yellow
feathers on the wings, and blue ones about the base ot
the tail. It was formerly common in the West Indian
Islands, but has now become rare there. Its voice is
very loud and harsh.
THE KING PAKOQUET. (Palceornis Alexandri.)
THIS beautiful species, no less remarkable for the ele-
gance of its form than for its docility and imitative
powers, is supposed to have been the first of the parrot
species known to the ancients, from the time of Alex-
ander the Great down to the age of Nero. It is about
fifteen inches long ; its bill is thick and red ; the head
and the body a bright green; the neck, breast, and the
whole of the under side of a paler tint. It has a red
circle, or ring, which encompasses the neck, and is about
the breadth of a little finger at the back ; but grows nar-
rower by degrees towards the sides, and ends under the
lower bill. The lower part of the body is of so faint
a green, that it seems almost yellow. The tail also is of
a yellowish green, and the legs and feet ash-coloured.
302 Birds.
THE WABBLING GRASS PAROQUET.
(Mekpsittacus undulatusj)
GREAT numbers of Paroquets of different species are
found in Australia, and most of these live and seek their
food upon the ground rather than in trees. One of
them is called the Ground Paroquet, as it is never seen
to perch upon trees, but is always running about
among the grass and herbage. The Warbling Grass
Paroquet is a well known and beautiful little Australian
bird, of which considerable numbers have been im-
ported into this country of late years ; it is deservedly a
favourite, both on account of its elegance, and from
its possessing a gentle warbling note very different
from the harsh screaming of many species of its tribe.
It can, however, scream vigorously for its size. In
the interior of Australia these charming little birds occur
in countless multitudes. They feed chiefly on the seeds
of grasses, which they pick up whilst running upon the
ground, but they perch in crowds upon the gum-trees
for shelter from the noon-day heat, and also before
starting on an expedition in search of water.
THE COCKATOO. (Plyctolophus gakritus.,
THIS bird is distinguished from the parrots, by a beau
The Cockatoo. 303
tiful crest, composed of a tuft of elegant feathers, which
he can raise or depress at pleasure. We meet with some
of a beautiful white plumage, and the inside feathers
of the crest of a pleasing yellow, with a spot of the
same colour under each eye, and one upon the breast.
The Cockatoos are natives of the Indian Islands and
Australia, where they are found in great abundance.
Their food consists of seeds and soft and stony fruits,
which last their powerful bill enables them to break
with ease. They are easily tamed when taken at an
early age, after which they become familiar and even
attached, but their imitative powers seldom go beyond
a very few words added to their own cry of Cockatoo.
In a wild state they are shy, and cannot easily be
approached. The flesh of the young birds is accounted
very good eating. The female is said to make her nest
in the rotten limbs of trees, using nothing more than the
accumulation of vegetable mould formed by the decayed
parts of the bough. The eggs are white, without spots ;
there are no more than two young at a time. The
natives first find the nest by the pieces of bark and
twigs which the old birds strip off the trees adjoining
that in which the nest is situated. It is a remarkable
fact that the bark is never stripped off the tree which
contains the nest.
Mr. Bennet, in speaking of the large black Cockatoo
of New Holland, says, that if this bird observes on
the trunk of a tree indications of a larva being within,
it diligently labours to get at it with its powerful
beak, and should the object of its pursuit be deep within
the wood, as often happens, the trunk becomes so ex-
tensively hacked, that a slight gust of wind will lay
the tree prostrate.
804
Birds.
V. Gallinaceous Birds.
THE PEACOCK. (Pavo cristatus.)
ASTONISHED at the unparalleled beauty of this bird, the
ancients could not help indulging their lively and creative
fancy, in accounting for the magnificence of his plumage.
They made him the favourite of imperial Juno, sister
and wife to Jupiter ; and not less than the hundred eyes
of Argus were pulled out to ornament his tail ; indeed,
there is scarcely anything in nature that can vie with
the transcendent lustre of the Peacock's feathers. The
changing glory of his neck eclipses the deep azure of
ultramarine ; and at the least evolution, it assumes the
green tint of the emerald, and the purple hue of the
amethyst. His head, which is small and finely shaped,
has several curious stripes of white and black round the
eyes, and is surmounted by an elegant plume, or tuft of
The Peacock. 305
feathers, each of which is composed of a slender stem
and a small tuft at the top. Displayed with conscious
pride, and exposed under a variety of angles to the
reflections of light, the broad and variegated disks of
his train, of which the neck, head, and breast of the
bird become the centre, claim our admiration. By an
extraordinary mixture of the brightest colours, it displays
at once the richness of gold, and the paler tints of silver,
fringed with bronze- coloured edges, and surrounding
eye-like spots of dark brown and sapphire. The hen
does not share in the beauty of the cock, and her feathers
are generally of a light brown. She lays only a few
eggs at a time, generally at an interval of three or four
days ; they are white and spotted, like the eggs of the
turkey. She sits from twenty-seven to thirty days.
The loud screamings of the Peacock are worse than the
harsh croakings of the raven, and a sure prognostic of
bad weather; and his feet, more clumsy than those of
the turkey, make a sad contrast with the elegance of his
plumage :
" Though richest hues the Peacock's plumes adorn,
Yet horror screams from his discordant throat."
The spreading of the train, the swelling of the throat,
neck, and breast, and the puffing noise which they emit
at certain times, are proofs that the Turkey and the Pea-
cock stand nearly allied in the family chain of animated
beings.
The flesh of the Peacock was anciently esteemed a
princely dish ; and the whole bird used to be served on
the table with the feathers of the neck and tail preserved ;
but few people could now relish such food, as it is much
coarser than the flesh of the turkej 7 . The Italians have
given this laconic description of the Peacock : " He has
the plumage of an angel, the voice of a devil, and the
stomach of a thief."
306
Birds.
THE TUKKEY, (Meleagris Gallo-PavoJ
"WAS originally an inhabitant of America, whence he
was brought to Europe by some Jesuit missionaries,
which accounts for his being called a Jesuit in some parts
ot the continent. The general colour of the feathers
is buff and black; and turkeys have about the head,
especially the cock, naked and tuberous lumps of flesh ol
a bright red colour. A long fleshy appendage hangs
from the base of the upper mandible, and seems to be
lengthened and shortened at pleasure. The hen lays
from fifteen to twenty eggs, which are whitish and
freckled. The chicks are very tender, and require great
care and attentive nursing, until they are able to seek
their food. In the county of Norfolk the breeding of
The Turkey. 307
Turkeys, which is there a considerable branch of trade,
is brought to great perfection ; and some weighing up-
wards of twenty pounds each have been raised there.
They appear to have a natural antipathy to everything of
a red colour.
Though extremely prone to quarrel among themselves,
they are, in general, weak and cowardly against other
animals, and fly from almost every creature that ventures
to oppose them. On the contrary, they pursue every-
thing that appears to dread them, particularly small dogs
and children; and after having made these objects of
their aversion scamper, they evince their pride and sa-
tisfaction by displaying their plumage, strutting about
among their female train, and uttering their peculiar note
of self-approbation. Some instances, however, have oc-
curred, in which the Turkey-cock has exhibited a consi-
derable share of courage and prowess ; as will appear
from the following anecdote: A gentleman of New
York received from a distant part a Turkey-cock and
hen, and with them a pair of bantams ; which were
put all together into the yard with his other poultry.
Some time afterwards, as he was feeding them from the
barn-door, a large hawk suddenly turned the corner of
the barn, and made a pounce at the bantam hen: she
immediately gave the alarm, by a noise which is natural
to her on such occasions ; when the Turkey-cock, who
was at the distance of about two yards, and without
doubt understood the hawk's intention, flew at the tyrant
with such violence, and gave him so severe a stroke with
his spurs, as to knock him from the hen to a considerable
distance ; by which means the bantam was rescued from
destruction.
The wild Turkey-cock is, in the American forests,
an object of considerable interest. It perches on the
tops of the deciduous cypress and magnolia :
" On the top
Of yon magnolia, the loud Turkey's voice
Is heralding the dawn : from tree to tree
Extends the wakening watch-note far and wide,
Till the whole woodlands echo with the cry."
SOUTHEY.
308 Birds.
THE GUINEA FOWL, OR PINTADO.
(Numida Meleagris.)
THIS bird, which is also called the Pearled Hen, was
originally brought from Africa, where the breed is com-
mon, and seems to have been well known to the Romans,
who used to esteem the flesh of this fowl as a delicacy,
and admit it at their banquets. It went then by the
name of Numidian Hen, or Meleagris, because it was
fabled that the sisters of Meleager, who unceasingly
deplored his death, were metamorphosed into Guinea
Hens by Diana. In fact, although they are now domes-
ticated with us, they still retain a great deal of their
original freedom, and have a stupid look. Their noise
is very disagreeable : it is a creaking note, which, in-
cessantly repeated, grates upon the ear, and becomes
very teasing and unpleasant. They belong to the class
of birds called pulveratores ; as they scrape the ground
and roll themselves in the dust like common hens, in
order to get rid of small insects which lodge in their
feathers.
The Pintado is somewhat larger than the common hen ;
the head is bare of feathers, and covered with a naked
skin of a bluish colour ; on the top is a callous protuber-
ance of a conical form. At the base of the bill on each
side hangs a loose wattle, red in the female and bluish in
the male. The general colour of the plumage is a dark
bluish grey, sprinkled with round white spots of different
sizes, resembling pearls, from which circumstance the
The Guinea Fowl, or Pintado. 309
epithet of pearled has been applied to this bird ; which
at first sight appears as if it had been pelted by a strong
shower of hail.
If trained when young, these birds may easily be ren-
dered tame. M. Brue informs us, that when he was on
the coast of Senegal he received as a present from an
African princess two Guinea fowls. Both these birds
were so familiar that they would approach the table and
eat out of his plate ; and, when they had liberty to fly
about upon the beach, they always returned to the ship
when the dinner or supper bell rang.
In a wild state, it is asserted that the Pintado associ-
ates in large flocks. Dampier speaks of having seen be-
tween two and three hundred of them together in the
Cape de Verd Islands. They were originally introduced
into our country from the coast of Africa somewhat
earlier than the year 1260.
In Jamaica, where they have run wild, and become
very destructive to the plantations, they are sometimes
caught, Mr. Gosse tells us, by the following stratagem :
A small quantity of corn is steeped for a night in proof
rum and is then placed in a shallow vessel, with a littlfi
fresh rum, and the water expressed from a bitter cassava
grated. This is deposited within an enclosed ground to
which the depredators resort. A small quantity of the
grated cassava is then strewed over it, and it is left.
The fowls eat the medicated food greedily, and are soon
found reeling about intoxicated, unable to escape, and
content with thrusting their heads into a corner. It is
almost unnecessary to observe that in this state they
become an easy prey. Pigeons are sometimes caught
in this manner in Germany by the poachers.
This bird has, of late years, greatly increased in this
country, and is often seen hanging at the poultry shops
and in the markets ; the great abundance of them has
considerably reduced their value, and they now sell,
proportionally, like other fowls. The eggs are smaller
and rounder than those of the common hen, and of a
speckled reddish-brown colour. They are esteemed a
very delicate food.
310
Birds.
THE MOUND-BIRD OF AUSTRALIA.
(Megapodius tumulus.)
IT is remarkable that this bird does not hatch its eggs
by incubation. It collects together a great heap. of decay-
ing vegetables as the place of deposit of iis eggs, thus
making a hotbed, arising from the decomposition of the
collected matter, by the heat of which the young are
hatched. This mound varies in quantity from two to
four cart-loads, and is not the work ol a single pair of
birds, but is the result of the united labour of rnany
Mr. Gould, in his Birds of Australia, gives the follow-
ing account of the discovery of one of these nests by
Mr. Gilbert :
" I landed beside a thicket, and had not proceeded far
from the shore, ere I came to a mound of sand and shells,
with a slight mixture of black soil, the base resting on a
sandy beach, only a few feet above high-water mark ; it
was enveloped in the large yellow-blossomed Hibiscus,
and was of a conical form, twenty feet in circumference at
the base, and about five feet in height. On pointing it
The Mound-Bird of Australia. 311
out to the native, and asking him what it was, he replied,
* Oooregoorga Eambal,' Jungle-fowls' house or nest. I
then scrambled up the sides of it, and, to my extreme de-
light, found a young bird in a hole about two feet deep ;
it was lying on a few dry withered leaves, and appeared
only a few days old. So far I was satisfied that these
mounds had some connection with the bird's mode of in-
cubation; but I was still sceptical as to the probability
of these young birds ascending from so great a depth as
the natives represented, and my suspicions were con-
firmed by my being unable to induce the native, in this
instance, to search for the eggs, his excuse being that he
knew it would be no use, as he saw no traces of the old
birds having recently been there. I took the utmost
care of the young bird, intending to rear it if possible ;
I therefore obtained a moderate-sized box, and placed in
it a large portion of sand. As it fed rather freely on
bruised Indian corn, I was in full hopes of succeeding ;
but it proved of so wild and intractable a disposition, that
it would not reconcile itself to such close confinement, and
effected its escape on the third day. During the period
it remained in captivity, it was incessantly occupied in
scratching up the sand into heaps, and the rapidity with
which it threw the sand from one end of the box to the
other was quite surprising for so young and small a bird,
its size not being larger than that of a small quail.
" At night it was so restless, that I was constantly
kept awake by the noise it made in its endeavours to
escape. In scratching up the sand it only used one foot,
and having grasped a handful, as it were, the sand was
thrown behind it, with but little apparent exertion, and
without shifting its standing position on the other leg :
this habit seemed to be the result of an innate restless
disposition, and a desire to use its powerful feet, and to
have but little connection with its feeding ; for although
Indian corn was mixed with the sand, I never detected
the bird in picking any of it up while thus employed.
" I continued to receive the eggs without having any
opportunity of seeing them taken from the mound until
the 6th of February ; when, on again visiting Knocker's
Bay, I had the gratification of seeing two taken from a
312 Birds.
depth of six feet, in one of the largest mounds 1 had then
seen. In this instance the holes ran down in an oblique
direction from the centre towards the outer slope of the
hillock, so that, although the eggs were six feet deep from
the summit, they were only two or three feet from the
side. The birds are said to lay but a single egg in each
hole, and after the egg is deposited the earth is imme-
diately thrown down lightly, until the hole is filled up ;
the upper part of the mound is then smoothed and rounded
over. It is easily known when a Jungle-fowl has been
recently excavating, from the distinct impression of its
feet on the top and sides of the mound, and from the earth
being so lightly thrown over, that with a slender stick the
direction of the hole may readily be detected ; the ease
or difficulty of thrusting the stick down indicating the
length of time that has elapsed since the birds' opera-
tions. Thus far it is easy enough; but to reach the
eggs requires no little exertion and perseverance. The
natives dig them up with their hands alone, and only
make sufficient room to admit their bodies, and to throw
out the earth between their legs : by grubbing with
their fingers alone, they are enabled to follow the direc-
tion of the hole with greater certainty, which will some-
times, at a depth of several feet, turn off abruptly at
right angles, its direct course being obstructed by a
clump of wood, or some other impediment."
In all probability, as Nature has adopted this mode of
reproduction, she has also furnished the tender birds
with the power of sustaining themselves from the earliest
period ; and the great size of the egg would equally lead
to this conclusion, since in so large a space it is reason-
able to suppose that the bird would be much more de-
veloped than is usually found in eggs of smaller dimen-
sions. The eggs are perfectly white, of a long, oval
form, three inches and three quarters long by two inches
and a half in diameter.
There are several other Australian birds which adopt
the same singular mode of hatching their eggs ; one of
these is called the Native Pheasant (Leipoa ocellata), and
another the Brush Turkey (Takgalla Laihami). The
latter has its head and neck covered with a naked skin,
The Pheasant.
313
like the turkey, but the lower part of this is much
thickened, warty, and bright yellow.
THE PHEASANT. (Phasianus colchicus.)
THE name of this bird implies that he was originally a
native of the banks of the river Phasis, in Armenia ; how
and when he emigrated, and began to frequent our
groves, is unknown. He is of the size of the common
cock ; the bill is of a pale horn colour ; the nostrils
arched; the eyes yellow, and surrounded by a naked
warty skin, of a beautiful scarlet, finely spotted with
black; immediately under each eye there is a small
patch of short feathers, of a dark glossy purple; the
upper parts of the head and neck are of a deep purple,
314 Birds.
varying to glossy green and blue ; the lower parts ot
the neck and breast are of a reddish chesnut, with black
indented edges ; the sides and lower part of the breast
are of the same colour, with tips of black to each feather,
which, in different lights, vary to glossy purple ; indeed,
the whole colour of this half-domesticated fowl is very
beautiful, uniting the brightness of deep yellow gold to
the finest tints of the ruby and turquoise, with reflec-
tions of green ; the whole being set off by several spots
of shining black ; but in this, as in every other kind of
gorgeously-feathered birds, Nature has for some wise
purposes, yet unknown to us, denied the female that
admirable beauty of plumage which belongs to the male.
The Pheasant lives in the woods, which he leaves at
dusk to perambulate corn-fields and other sequestered
places, where he feeds with his females, upon acorns,
berries, grain, and seeds of plants, but chiefly on ants'
eggs, of which he is particularly fond. His flesh is
justly accounted better meat than any of the domestic
or wild fowls, as it unites the delicacy of the common
chicken to a peculiar taste of its own. The female lays
eighteen or twenty eggs once a year, in the wild state ;
but it is in vain that we have attempted to domesticate
this bird entirely, as she never will remain patiently
confined, and if she ever breeds in confinement is very
careless of her brood.
There are great varieties of Pheasants, of extraordinary
beauty and brilliancy of colours : many of these, such
as the Gold and Silver Pheasants (Phasianus pictus and
P. Nycihemerus), brought from the rich provinces of
China, are kept in aviaries in this kingdom.
This beautiful bird is elegantly described in the fol-
lowing passage :
" See ! from the brake the whirring Pheasant springs,
And mounts exulting on triumphant wings ;
Short is his joy ; he feels the fiery wound,
Flutters in blood, and panting beats the ground :
Ah I what avails his glossy, varying dyes,
His purple crest, his scarlet-circled eyes,
The vivid green his shining plumes unfold,
His painted wings, and breast that flames with gold I"
POPE'S WINDSOR FOREST.
The Red-legged Partridge.
315
THE EED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. (Perdix rufus.)
THESE Partridges are natives of Guernsey and Jersey ;
but are also very frequently found on the adjoining
coasts of France. Of late years they have spread very
rapidly in England ; and as they are stronger and fiercer
than the common partridge, the latter becomes scarce
wherever the Red-legged Partridges are abundant. In
the Western districts of France they are very abundant,
and their flesh is plump and juicy. In England it is as
white as in France, but more dry. The side-feathers are
very handsomely speckled, and there is a rich black mark
beginning behind the eye and forming a kind of gorget
on the breast. The eyelids are of a bright red, as are
the bill and feet, and the claws are brown. They build
their nests on the ground; but are sometimes found
perched on trees, or on a fence or paling.
316 Birds.
THE COMMON PARTRIDGE, (Perdix cinerea,)
Is in weight about fourteen ounces. The plumage,
although it cannot boast of gaudiness, is very pleasing to
the eye, being a mixture of brown and fawn- colour, inter-
spersed with grey and ash-colour tints. The head is small
and pretty ; the beak strong, but short, and resembling
that of all other granivorous birds. The female lays fifteen
or eighteen eggs, and leads her brood in the corn-fields
with the utmost care. Young Partridges are among the
birds which run fleetly the moment they come out of
the shell, and may sometimes be found running with a
piece of the shell still remaining on their heads. The
affection of Partridges for their offspring is peculiarly
interesting. Both the parents lead them out to feed :
they point out to them the proper places for their food,
and assist them in finding it by scratching the ground
with their feet. They frequently sit close together,
covering the young ones with their wings; and from
this position they are not easily roused. If, however,
they are disturbed, most people acquainted with rural
affairs know the confusion that ensues. The male gives
the first signal of alarm, by a peculiar cry of distress ;
throwing himself at the same moment more immediately
The Common Partridge. 317
into the way of danger, in order to mislead the enemy.
He flutters along the ground, hanging his wings, and
exhibiting every symptom of debility. By this strata-
gem he seldom fails of so far attracting the attention of
the intruder as to allow the female to conduct the help-
less unfledged brood into some place of security.
The nest is usually on the ground ; but on the farm
of Lion Hall, in Essex, belonging to Colonel Hawker,
a Partridge, in the year 1788, formed her nest, and
hatched sixteen eggs, on the top of a pollard oak-tree !
What renders this circumstance the more remarkable
is, that the tree had fastened to it the bars of a stile,
where there was a footpath ; and the passengers, in
going over, discovered and disturbed her before she sat
close. When the brood was hatched, the birds scrambled
down the short and rough boughs, which grew out all
around the trunk of the tree, and reached the ground in
safety. It has long been a received opinion among
sportsmen, as well as among naturalists, that the female
Partridge has none of the bay feathers of the breast
like the male. This, however, is a mistake ; for Mr.
Montague happening to kill nine birds in one day, with
very little variation as to the bay mark on the breast,
he was led to open them all, and discovered five of
them were females. On carefully examining the plu-
mage, he found that the males could only be known by
the superior brightness of colour about the head ; which
alone, after the first or second year, seems to be the
true mark of distinction. They fly in coveys till about
the third week in February, when they separate and
pair ; but if the weather be very severe, it is not unusual
to see them collect together again. We are told that a
gamekeeper, in Dorsetshire, hearing a Partridge utter a
cry of distress, was attracted by the sound into a field
of oats, when the bird ran round him very much agi-
tated ; upon his looking among the corn, he saw in the
midst of her infant brood a large snake, which he killed ;
and perceiving its body much distended, he opened it,
when to his astonishment two young Partridges ran
from their prison, and joined their mother ; two others
were found dead in its stomach. Partridges have e"Ver
318
Birds.
held a distinguished place at the tables of the luxurious
we have an old distich :
" If the Partridge had the woodcock's thigh,
Twould be the best bird that e'er did fly."
THE QUAIL, (Cotumix da,dylisonans,')
Is a small bird, being in length no more than seven
inches. The colour of the breast is a dirty pale yellow,
and the throat has a little mixture of red : the head is
black, and the body and wings have black stripes upon
a hazel-coloured ground. Its habits and manner of
living resemble those of the partridge, and it is either
caught in nets by decoy birds, or shot by the help of
the setting-dog, its call being easily imitated oy tapping
two pieces of copper one against another. The flesh of
the Quail is very luscious, and next in flavour to that of
the partridge. Quails are birds of passage, the only
peculiarity in which they differ from all other of the
poultry kind ; and such prodigious numbers have some-
times appeared on the western coast of the kingdom of
Naples, that one hundred thousand have been caught in
Quails,
319
one day, within the space of three or tour miles. In
some parts of the south of Russia they abound so
greatly, that at the time of their migration they are
caught by thousands, and sent in casks to Moscow and
St. Petersburg. The female seldom lays more than six
or seven eggs.
The ancient Athenians kept this bird merely for the
sport of fighting with each other, as game-cocks do, and
never ate the flesh. The Quail was that wild fowl which
God thought proper to send to the chosen people of Israel
as a sustenance for them in the desert.
The Chinese Quail is a beautiful little bird, and is often
kept in cages in China, for the singular purpose, as it is
said, of warming people's hands in winter ; as taking the
soft, warm body of the bird in the hand diffuses through
it an agreeable warmth. It is also very pugnacious, and
is employed in fighting.
THE AMEEICAN QUAIL, (Ortyx Virginianus,}
Is larger than the Common Quail, and is something be-
tween a Quail and a Partridge.
The CALIFORNIAN QUAIL (0. Ccdifornicus) is distin-
guished by its possession of a curious crest or tuft of
feathers on the crown of the head.
320
Birds.
THE EED GROUSE. (Lagopus scoticus.)
" High on exulting wing the Heath-Cock rose,
And blew his shrill blast o'er perennial snows."
ROGERS
THIS bird is called by some ornithologists the Moor
Cock, and by others Bed Game. The beak is black and
short ; over the eyes there is a bare skin of a bright red.
The general colour of the plumage is red and black,
variegated, and intermixed with each other, except the
wings, which are brownish, spotted with red, and the
tail, which is black; the feet are covered with thick
feathers down to the very claws. It is common in the
north of England, in Scotland, and in Wales ; and not
only affords great diversion to the noblemen and gentle-
men of those countries who are fond of shooting, but also
repays them well for their trouble, as the flesh is very
delicate, and holds on our table an equal place with that
of the partridge and the pheasant. The season of Grouse
shooting commences on the 12th of August. In winter
they are found in flocks of sometimes fifty to one hundred
in number, which are termed by sportsmen packs, and
become remarkably shy and wild, seldom allowing the
sportsman to approach them within one hundred yards.
The Ptarmigan, or White Grouse. 321
They keep near the summits of the heathy hills, and
seldom descend to the lower grounds. Here they feed
on the mountain berries and on the tender tops of the
heath. The hen lays seven or eight eggs of a reddish
black colour.
THE PTARMIGAN, OR WHITE GROUSE,
{Lagopus vulgaris,)
Is somewhat larger than a pigeon ; its bill is black, and its
plumage in summer is of a pale brown colour, elegantly
mottled with small bars and dusky spots. The head and
neck are marked with broad bars of black, rust-colour,
and white; the wings and belly are white. The White
Grouse is fond of lofty situations, where it braves the
severest cold. It is found in most of the northern parts
of Europe and America, even as far as Greenland. In
this country it is only to be met with on the summits
of some of our highest hills, chiefly in Scotland, and in
the Hebrides and Orkneys, but sometimes in Cumberland
and Wales. Its plumage becomes pure white in winter,
with the exception of the tail feathers, which remain
black.
322
tiirds.
THE BLACK COCK, (Tetrao tetrixj
Is about four pounds in weight ; but the female, which
is usually called the Grey Hen, is often not more than
two. The plumage of the whole body of the male is
black, and glossed over the neck and rump with shining
blue ; the coverts of the wings are of a dusky brown,
with the quill feathers black and white. The tail is
much forked in the male. These birds never pair ; but
in the spring the males assemble at their accustomed
haunts on the tops of heathy mountains, where they
crow and clap their wings :
" And from the pine's high top brought down
The giant Grouse, while boastful he displayed
His breast of varying green, and crow'd and clapp'd
His glossy wings."
GISBORNE.
The females, at this signal, resort to them. The males
are very quarrelsome, and fight together like game-cocks.
On these occasions they are so inattentive to their own
safety, that two or three have sometimes been killed at
one shot ; and instances have occurred of their having
been knocked down with a stick.
The Capercatzie.
323
Like the Capercalzie, or Cock of the Woods, a larger
species of this genus, these birds are common in Eussia,
Siberia, and other northern countries, chiefly in wooded
and mountainous situations ; and in the northern parts
of our own island on uncultivated moors.
THE CAPERCALZIE, (Tetrao urogallus,)
WAS also formerly an inhabitant of the forests of Scot-
land, but has been extinct in Britain for many years.
The male is as large as a good-sized turkey, the female
considerably smaller. Several attempts have been made
to rear the Capercalzie, and domesticate it in this coun-
try, but without effect. They are now most numerous in
Sweden, where they are much esteemed as food. Of
late years they have been brought to the English market,
and are considered very good eating.
324
Birds.
THE COMMON COCK. (GaUua domesticus.)
" While the Cock, with lively din,
Scatters the rear of darkness thin ;
And to the stack, or the barn door,
Stoutly struts his dames before."
MILTON.
THIS bird is so well known that it would be needless to
say much of him. His plumage is various and beautiful,
his courage very great and proverbial, and his intuitive
knowledge of the period of sunrise has baffled the most
scrutinising researches of naturalists. When of a good
breed, and well taught to fight, he will die rather than
yield to his adversary. The hen la} r s a great number of
eggs, and will hatch as many as thirteen at one sitting ;
but this is considered the extreme number, being as
many as she can well cover. When in the secluded
state of incubation she eats very little; and yet is so
The Common Cock. 325
courageous and strong that she will rise and fight any
men or animals that dare to approach her nest. It is
impossible to conceive how, with such a scanty suste-
nance as she takes, she can, for twenty-one days, emit
constantly from her body as much heat as would raise
Fahrenheit's thermometer to ninety-six degrees. The
flesh of this bird is delicate and wholesome, and univer-
sally relished as nourishing and agreeable food.
There are several varieties of families of this fowl.
The Hamburg Cock has a beautiful tuft of feathers about
his ears and on the top of his head ; and the Bantam has
his legs and toes entirely feathered, which is more an
impediment than an ornament to the bird.
The cruel sport of cockfighting may be traced back to
the earliest antiquity. The Athenians seem to have re-
ceived it from India, where it is even now followed with
a kind of frenzy ; and we are told that the Chinese will
sometimes risk not only the whole of their property, but
their wives and children, on the issue of a battle. The
religion of the Greeks could not see that game with plea-
sure, and therefore cockfighting was allowed only once a
year; but the Eomans adopted the practice with rap-
ture, and introduced it into this island. Henry VIII.
delighted in this sport, and caused a commodious house
to be built for the purpose, which, although now applied
to a very different use, still retains the name of the
Cockpit. The part of our ships so called, seems also to
indicate that in former times the diversion of cockfight-
ing was permitted, in order to beguile the tedious hours
of a long voyage. The Cock has been a subject of con-
siderable interest with the poets ; and has been very
commonly called by them " Chanticleer :"
" Within this homestead lived, without a peer
For crowing loud, the noble Chanticleer." DRYDEN.
" The feathered songster, Chanticleer,
Had wound his bugle-horn,
And told the early villager
The coming of the morn." CHATTERTON.
326
Birds.
BANKIVA COCK. JAGO COCK AND HEN.
SPANISH COCK AND HEN.
FROM the Bankiva fowl nearly all the various kinds of
fowls found in British poultry-yards are said to have
sprung. It is a native of the island of Java, and is cha-
racterised by a red indented comb, red wattles, and ash-
grey legs and feet. The cock has a thin indented or
scalloped comb, and wattles under the mouth. The
feathers of the neck are long, falling down, and rounded
at the tips, and are of the finest gold colour. The head
and neck are fawn-coloured, the wing-coverts dusky
brownish and black ; the tail and belly black. The hen
is of a dusky ash-grey and yellowish colour, and has a,
much smaller comb and beard than the cock.
The Paduan, Spanish, and Bantam Fowls. 327
THE PADUAN, OR JAGO FOWL.
(Gallus giganteus.)
THE wild species, termed by Marsden the Jago fowl, is a
native of Java and Sumatra, and is supposed by Tem-
minck to be the original of this fine breed, though little
is known of the wild sort, further than that it is double
the size of the Bankiva, or common fowl. Marsden says
he has seen in the East a cock of this species tall enough
to pick crumbs from a dining-table. They are said to
weigh from eight to ten pounds. The combs of both the
cock and hen are large, frequently double, of the form of
a crown, with a tufted crest of feathers, which is largest
in the hen ; the voice is stronger and harsher than that
of other fowls; but the most singular peculiarity is,
that they do not come into full feather till about half
grown. The Cochin-China fowls are said to be a variety
of the Jago fowls. There are numerous hybrids and
varieties of the Jago fowl found under different names
in poultry-yards, but all of them lay fine large eggs, and
are highly esteemed for the excellent flavour of their
flesh. One of the most interesting of these varieties is
called
THE SPANISH FOWL,
the body and tail feathers of which are of a rich black,
with occasionally a little white on the breast. The cock
of this variety is a most majestic bird ; its deportment is
grave and stately, and its eyes are encircled with a ring
of brown feathers, from which rises a black tuft that
covers the ears. There are other similar feathers behind
the comb and beneath the wattles. The legs and feet
are of lead colour, except the sole of the foot, which is
yellowish.
THE BANTAM FOWL
is a small variety, with short legs, most frequently
feathered to the toes, so as sometimes to obstruct walk-
ing. Many Bantam fanciers prefer those which have
328
Birds.
clear bright legs, without any vestige of feathers. The
full-bred Bantam cock should have a rose comb, a well-
feathered tail, full hackles, a proud lively carriage, and
ought not to weigh more than a pound. The nankeen
coloured and the black are the greatest favourites. If of
the latter colour, the bird should have no feathers of any
other sort in his plumage. The nankeen bird should
have his feathers edged with black, his wings barred
with purple, his tail feathers black, his hackles slightly
studded with purple, and his breast black, with white
edges to the feathers. The hens should be small, clean-
legged, and match in plumage with the cock.
THE DODO. (Didus ineptus.)
SWIFTNESS has generally been considered the attribute of
birds, but the Dodo appears never to have had any title
to this distinction. Instead of exciting the idea of swift-
ness by its appearance, in the drawings that have been
preserved of it, it strikes the imagination as a thing the
most unwieldy and inactive of all nature. Its body is
massive, almost round, and covered with grey feathers.
The Vodo. 329
It is just barely supported upon two short thick legs,
like pillars ; while its head and neck rise from it in a
manner truly grotesque. The neck, thick and pursy, is
joined to the head, which consists of two immense jaws,
opening far beyond the eye. The Dodo formerly inha-
bited the Isle of France ; but it has been long extinct
so long, indeed, that the very fact of its ever having
existed at all has been a subject of dispute amongst
naturalists and scientific men. A great deal of evidence,
in the form of old pictures as well as in writings, has
been brought forward to prove that the Dodo is not a
fabulous bird, and its reality is now generally admitted.
Tn fact, we have very reliable testimony that a single
specimen was actually exhibited publicly in London in
the year 1638.
The Dodo was supposed by the earliest naturalists
who described it, to be a kind of turkey, as in the fla-
vour of its flesh it resembled that bird. Later natural-
ists supposed it to be a kind of swan, and this opinion
was followed by the celebrated Buffon. Others thought
it was a kind of vulture ; and others, judging from the
shortness of its wings, placed it in the ostrich tribe.
Modern naturalists, however, having carefully examined
the bones of the bird, which have been preserved, are of
opinion that it was a gigantic pigeon. An entire speci-
men existed about a hundred years ago in the Ashmolean
Museum at Oxford, but only part of the bird and one of
the feet remain; there is also a foot preserved in the
British Museum. There is a reference to this extinct
species in Humboldt's Cosmos. (See Bonn's edition, vol. i.
page 29, and a note on the Dodo, by Dr. Mantell, at the
end of the volume.)
The Solitaire is another remarkable bird which was
formerly found in the Mauritius and the adjoining
islands, but which has now become extinct.
330
Birds.
THE KINGDOVE, CUSHAT, OK WOOD
PIGEON,
(Columba palumbiis,)
Is the largest Pigeon found in our island, by which it
may be distinguished from all others ; its weight is
about twenty ounces, its length eighteen inches, and its
circumference about thirty. It is usually known as the
Wood Pigeon. This bird is of a bluish grey colour, with
the feathers of the sides of the neck tipped with white,
forming several imperfect rings; the breed is common
in Britain. Its habits are like those of other birds of
the tribe, but it is so strongly attached to its native
freedom, that all attempts to domesticate it, with a few
rare exceptions, have hitherto proved ineffectual.
These birds build their nests chiefly on the pine, or
holly, with dried sticks thrown rudely together; and
the eggs, which may frequently be seen through the
The Stockdove. 331
bottom of the nest, are larger than those of the domestic
Pigeon.
Mr. Montague bred up a curious assemblage of birds,
which lived together in perfect amity ; it consisted of a
common pigeon, a ringdove, a white owl, and a sparrow-
hawk ; the ringdove was master of the whole.
THE STOCKDOVE. (Columba anas.)
" The Stockdove, recluse, with her mate,
Conceals her fond bliss in the grove,
And murmuring seems to repeat,
That May is the mother of love." CUNNINGHAM.
THIS bird is called the Stockdove, because it builds in
the stocks of trees which have been headed down, and
are become thick and bristly ; and not, as some have
supposed, because it is the stock, or original, from which
all the tame pigeons have sprung. Sometimes these
birds lay their eggs in deserted rabbit-warrens, on the
sod, without making any nest.
The colour of the Stockdove is generally of a deep
slate or lead tint, with rings of black about the feathers.
While the beech woods were suffered to cover large
tracts of ground, these birds used to haunt them in
myriads, frequently extending above a mile in length,
332
Birds.
as they went out in the morning to feed. They are
still found in considerable quantities in many parts of
England, but never in Scotland, forming their nests in
the hollows of trees ; not like the ringdove, on boughs.
Their murmuring strains, or cooings, in the morning
and at dusk, are highly pleasing, and throw an agree-
able melancholy on the solitude of the grove. The poet
of the Seasons expresses this in the following lines, with
a beautiful instance of imitative harmony :
the Stockdove breathes
A melancholy murmur through the whole."
Spring.
Wordsworth also gives a pleasing description of the
mournful cooing of these birds :
" I heard a Stockdove sing or say
His homely tule this very day ;
His voice was buried among trees,
Yet to be come at by the breeze ;
He did not cease ; but cooed and cooed ;
And somewhat pensively he wooed ;
He sang of love with quiet blending,
Slow to begin, and never ending ;
Of serious faith and inward glee,
That was the song the song for me.''
THE EOCKDOVE. (Columla livia.)
THE shape of this bird, which is the original stock ol
our domestic Pigeons, is well known, and the plumage
The RocJcdove. 333
of the wild birds is exactly similar to that of the com-
monest kind seen in our dove-cots bluish-grey, with
black bands across the wings. In its wild state it in-
habits the cavities of high rocks and cliffs on the sea
coast, where it is found abundantly in our own country.
The female Pigeon lays two eggs at a time, which pro-
duce generally a male and a female. It is pleasing to
see how eager the male is to sit upon the eggs, in order
that his mate may rest and feed herself. The young
ones, when hatched, are fed from the crop of the mother,
who has the power of forcing up the half-digested peas
which she has swallowed to give them to her young.
The young ones, open-mouthed, receive this tribute of
affection, and are thus fed three times a day.
There are upwards of twenty varieties of the domestic
Pigeon, and of these the carriers are the most celebrated.
They obtain their name from being sometimes employed
to convey letters or small packets from one place to
another. The rapidity of their flight is very wonderful.
Lithgow assures us that one of them will carry a letter
from Babylon to Aleppo (which, to a man, is usually
thirty days' journey) in forty-eight hours. To measure
their speed with some degree of exactness, a gentleman,
many years ago, on a trifling wager, sent a Carrier
Pigeon from London, by the coach, to a friend at Bury
St. Edmunds, and along with it a note, desiring that the
Pigeon, two days after its arrival there, might be thrown
up precisely when the town clock struck nine in the
morning. This was accordingly done, and the Pigeon
arrived in London at half-past eleven o'clock on the
Bame morning, having flown seventy-two miles in two
hours and a half. An instance of still greater speed is
mentioned by Mr. Yarrell, in which a Carrier flew from
Rouen to Ghent, a hundred and fifty miles in a straight
line, in one hour and a half. From the instant of its
liberation, its flight is directed through the clouds, at
a great height, to its home. By an instinct altogether
inconceivable, it darts onward, in a straight line, to the
very spot whence it was taken, but how it can direct its
flight so exactly will probably for ever remain unknown
to us.
334 Birds.
" Led by what chart, transports the timid Dove,
The wreaths of conquest, or the vows of love V
Say through the clouds what compass points her flight ?
Monarchs have gazed, and nations blessed the sight.
Pile rocks on rocks, bid woods and mountains rise,
Eclipse her native shades, her native skies ;
'Tis vain ! through ether's pathless wilds she goes,
And lights at last where all her cares repose.
Sweet bird, thy truth shall Harlem's walls attest,
And unborn ages consecrate thy nest." KOGERS.
The Carrier Pigeon is easily distinguished from the
other varieties by a broad circle of naked white skin
round the eyes, by the large fleshy wattle at the base of
its bill, and by its dark blue or blackish colour.
It would be as fruitless as unnecessary to attempt to
describe all the varieties of the Tame Pigeon ; for human
art has so much altered the colour and figure of this
bird, that pigeon-fanciers, by pairing a male and female
of different sorts, can, as they express it, " breed them
to a feather." Hence we have the various names of
Carriers, Tumblers, Jacobins, Croppers, Pouters, Bunts,
Turbits, Shakers, Fantails, Owls, Nuns, &c., all of which
may, at first, have accidentally varied from the Kock-
dove, and these have been further improved by crossing,
food, and climate. An actual post system, in which
Eigeons were the messengers, was established by the
ultan Noureddin Mahmoud, which lasted about a cen-
tury, and ceased in 1258, when Bagdad fell into the
hands of the Moguls.
The Turtle Love.
335
THE TUKTLE DOVE. (Columba turtur.)
" Go, beautiful and gentle Dove,
And greet the morning ray ;
For lo ! the sun shines bright above,
And the rain is pass'd away."
BOWLES.
THIS Dove brings to the heart and mind the most
pleasing recollections ; its name is nearly synonymous
with faithfulness and unvariable affection. The male
or female is so much attached to its respective mate
that it is said, perhaps with more poetry than truth,
that if one die the other will never survive ; however,
the author of these observations was an eye-witness to
the death of a female Turtle Dove, who was unfortu-
nately killed by a spaniel, in the absence of the male ;
the disconsolate survivor, after having in vain searched
336 Birds.
everywhere for his mate, came and mournfully perched
upon the wonted trough, waiting patiently for her to
repair thither in order to get food ; but, after two days
of unavailing expectation, he, by spontaneous abstinence,
pined and died on the place. Such examples are not
common ; and we believe that, when not domesti-
cated, the appearance of another female, in the time of
coupling, sets at defiance all natural propensity to con-
stancy, and puts an end to the much-famed disconsolate
widowhood. Their general colour is a bluish grey ; the
breast and neck of a whitish purple, with a ringlet of
beautiful white feathers with black edges about the sides
of the neck. Nothing can express the sensation which
is excited in a feeling mind when the tender and sweetly
plaintive notes of the Turtle Dove breathe from the
grove on a beautiful spring evening :
" Deep in the wood, thy voice I list, and love
Thy soft complaining song, thy tender cooing ;
Oh, what a winning way thou hast of wooing,
Gentlest of all thy race sweet Turtle Dove !
Thine is a note which doth not pass away
Like the light music of a summer's day ;
Hushing the voice of mirth, and staying folly,
And waking in the breast a gentle melancholy."
INGLIS.
The Ostrich.
337
VI. Grallatores, or Waders.
THE OSTKICH. (Struthio camelus.)
THIS bird is a native of Africa, and is so tall that when
it holds up its head it is seven or eight feet in height.
The head is very small in comparison with the body,
being hardly bigger than one of the toes, and is covered,
as well as the neck, with a kind of down, or thin-set
hair, instead of feathers. The sides and thighs are
entirely bare and flesh-coloured. The lower part of the
neck, where the feathers begin, is white. The wings
are very short in proportion to the size of the bird, and
in fact are too small to enable it to fly ; but when it
runs, which it does with a strange jumping kind of
z
338 Birds.
motion, it raises its short wings and holds them quiver-
ing over its back, where they seem to serve as a kind of
sail to gather the wind, and cariy the "bird onwards.
The speed which it will thus attain is enormous. The
swiftest greyhound cannot overtake it ; and indeed an
Arab on his horse cannot hope to capture an ostrich
without having recourse to stratagem. He dexterously
throws a stick between its legs as it runs, and so tripping
it up, is enabled to secure it.
In its flight it spurns the pebbles behind it like shot
against the pursuer. And this is not their only mode of
annoyance. They have been known to attack men with
their claws, with which they are able to strike with ter-
rific force. The feathers of the back in the cock are coal
black, in the hen only dusk} 7 , and so soft that they re-
semble a kind of wool. The tail is thick, bushy,' and
round ; in the cock whitish, in the hen dusky, with white
tops. These are the feathers so generally in requisition
to decorate the head-dress of ladies and the helmets of
warriors.
The Ostrich swallows anything that presents itself,
leather, glass, iron, bread, hair, &c., but the old notion
that the Ostrich could digest metals is certainly in-
correct. An Ostrich in the Zoological Gardens in the
Regent's Park was killed by swallowing a lady's parasol.
" O'er the wild waste the stupid Ostrich strays
In devious search, to pick a scanty meal,
Whose fierce digestion gnaws the temper'd steel."
MICKLE'S LUSIAD.
They are polygamous birds, one male being generally
seen with two or three, and sometimes with five, females.
The female Ostrich, after depositing her eggs in the
sand, trusts them to be hatched by the heat of the
climate; in the Book of Job there is a beautiful
passage relating to this habit of the Ostrich, " which
leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the
dust ; and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or
that the wild beast m&y break them. She is hardened
against her young ones, as though they were not hers,
The Ostrich. 339
Her labour is in vain ; without fear, because God hath
deprived her of wisdom ; neither has he imparted to her
understanding. What time she lifteth up her head on
high, she scorneth the horse and his rider." It appears,
however, that the female Ostrich sits upon her eggs
like other birds, although generally at night only, and
brings up her young. The eggs are as large as a young
child's head, with a hard stony shell, and one has been
known to weigh upwards of three pounds, The time ot
incubation is six weeks. That Ostriches have great
affection for their offspring may be inferred from the
assertion of Professor Thunberg, who says that he once
rode past the place where a hen Ostrich was sitting in
her nest, when the bird sprang up and pursued him,
evidently with a view to prevent his noticing her eggs
or young. Every time he turned his horse towards her
she retreated ten or twelve paces, but as soon as he rode
on again she pursued him till he had got to a consider-
able distance from the place where he had started her.
In the tropical regions, some persons breed Ostriches in
flocks, for they may be tamed with very little trouble.
"When M. Adanson was at Podar, a French factory on
the southern bank of the river Niger, two young but
full-grown Ostriches, belonging to the factory, afforded
him a very amusing sight. They were so tame that two
little blacks mounted both together on the back of the
largest. No sooner did he feel their weight than he
began to run as fast as possible, and carried them several
times round the village, and it was impossible to stop
him otherwise than by obstructing the passage. This
sight pleased M. Adanson so much that he wished it to
be repeated, and, to try their strength, directed a full-
grown negro to mount the smaller, and two others the
larger of the birds. This burden did not seem at all
disproportioned to their strength. At first they went at
a tolerably sharp trot, but when they became a little
heated they expanded their wings, as though to catch
the wind, and moved with such fleetness that they
scarcely seemed to touch the ground. The foot of the
Ostrich has only two toes, one of which is extremely
large and strong.
340
Birds.
THE BHEA, (Shea Americana,)
OR AMERICAN OSTRICH, is about half as big as the African
species. It has its head ccrfered with feathers, and each
of its feet consists of three toes. It is found on the great
plains of South America, and, like the African Ostrich,
The Cassowary.
341
is polygamous, but the curious part of tlio matter is that
the females often lay their eggs almost anywhere on the
ground, and the male takes the trouble of collecting
them into a sort of nest, and sitting on them until the
young birds are hatched. When thus occupied, the
males often become very fierce, and will attack any one
that approaches them too closely.
THE CASSOWARY, (Camarius galeattis,)
INSTEAD of the beautiful plumes of the ostrich, has his
wings furnished only with five stiff quills without barbs,
which project curiously from the feathers of the body.
His plumage is black ; his head is small and depressed,
with a horny crown or helmet, and covered with a naked
red skin ; the head and neck are deprived of feathers ;
342 Birds.
about the neck are two protuberances of a bluish colour,
in shape like the wattles of a cock. The feathers consist
of long, slender, separate barbs, which hang down on
each side of the body, so that at a distance he looks as
if he were entirely covered with the hairs of a bear
rather than with the plumage of a bird. His height is
about five feet. The Cassowary is as voracious as the
ostrich, and eats indiscriminately whatever comes in his
way, and does not seem to have any sort of predilection
in the choice of his food. The Dutch travellers assert
that he can devour not only glass, iron, and stones, but
even burning coals, without testifying the smallest fear,
or sustaining the least injury ; and it is said that the
passage of his food is performed so speedily that even
eggs will pass unbroken. He is a native of some of the
Indian islands. The eggs of the female are nearly
fifteen inches in circumference, of a greenish colour. It
has been said of the Cassowary that he has the head of a
warrior, the eye of a lion, the armament of a porcupine,
and the swiftness of a courser.
A Cassowary once kept in the menagerie of the mu-
seum at Paris, devoured every day between three and
four pounds weight of bread, six or seven apples, and a
bunch of caiTots. In summer it drank about four pints
of water in the day, and in winter somewhat more. It
swallowed all its food without bruising it. This bird
was sometimes ill-tempered and mischievous, and much
irritated when any person approached it of a dirty
or ragged appearance, or dressed in red clothes, and
frequently attempted to strike at them by kicking for-
ward with its feet. It has been known to leap out
of its enclosure and to tear the legs of a man with its
claws.
The Cassowary is very vigorous and powerful; its
beak being, in. proportion, much stronger than that of
the ostrich, it has the means of defending itself with
great advantage, and of easily pulling down and breaking
in pieces almost any hard substance. It strikes in a very
dangerous manner with its feet either behind or before,
not unlike the kicking of a horse, at any object which
offends it, and runs with surprising swiftness.
The Emeu.
THE EMEU. (Dromaius Nova? HoUandice.)
THE head of this bird is without any horny crest, and
feathered, but the cheeks and throat are nearly naked.
The general colour is a dull brown, mottled with a dingy
grey, and the young are striped with black. In appear-
ance it closely resembles the ostrich, next to which it is
the tallest bird known, but is of a more thick-set and
clumsy make, though at the same time very swift and
strong, and able to make a formidable defence against its
hunters and their dogs, by kicking in a very vigorous
and dangerous manner. It is, however, very docile, and
if taken young may be easily tamed. The flesh is con-
sidered excellent eating, and is said to possess a flavour
something between a sucking-pig and a turkey. The
only gound that this bird emits is a low drumming noise,
produced by means of a valve attached to the lungs.
The female Emeu lays her eggs in different places, but
they are afterwards collected by the male, by rolling
them to one place, when he sits on them.
344 Birds.
THE APTEEYX. (Apteryx Australia.)
THIS curious bird, which has the shortest wings of any
member of its class, is found only in New Zealand, where
it is called Kiw-Kivi by the natives, in imitation of its
cry. It is smaller than any of the species of wingless
birds just described, and its legs are short and stout ; it
has three strong front toes on each foot, and a short
hinder toe armed with a very strong claw. The body of
the Apteryx is something like that of the cassowary in
its form ; the neck is rather long, and, like the head,
clothed with feathers ; but the most singular part of the
bird is its bill, which is long, rather slender, and slightly
curved, and has the nostrils situated quite at its tip. This
curious structure of the bill is intended to enable the
bird more readily to obtain the worms and insects upon
which it feeds, and which it drags out of their holes in
the ground. It runs quickly, but only at night, and
when in motion it might easily be mistaken for a small
dusky-brown quadruped. The plumage resembles that
of the emeu in its texture, and the skins are highly
esteamed by the New Zealanders, who use them for
making cloaks.
Among the many curious characteristics of this bird
is its habit of leaning, when at rest, upon the tip of its
long bill. When hunted it scrapes a hole in the sand
with its powerful feet, in which it hides ; or it runs into
some natural cavity, if there is any near, where access
is difficult for its pursuers, and often makes a valiant
defence.
The Bustard.
345
THE BUSTARD, (Otis iarda,)
Is a large and fine bird which was formerly common in
some parts of England, but has now become so rare here
that the capture of a specimen is looked upon as some-
thing remarkable. It is still abundant in some parts of
the continent of Europe. The male Bustard measures
nearly four feet in length, and has the head and neck
greyish, the back buif or pale chestnut, with a great
many black bars, and all the lower part of the body
white.' From each side of the chin there springs a
tuft of slender feathers about seven inches in length,
standing out like a pair of stiff moustaches. The female
346 Birds.
is a good deal smaller than the male, or about three feet
in length ; she is also distinguished from her partner by
the want of the tufts on the chin, although in some cases
these exist in the female, but shorter than in the male.
The Bustard feeds on green vegetables and insects,
and are also said to kill and eat small quadrupeds and
reptiles. They are polygamous, and when the female
has laid her two or three eggs in a slight depression of
the ground, and commenced the business of inciibation,
the male most ungallantly deserts her, and retires to
take his ease in some neighbouring marsh. It was
formerly supposed that the male Bustard paid so much
attention to his mates as to provide them with water,
which he was said to bring to them in a large pouch,
capable of holding nearly a gallon, situated under his
throat. It is true that the female is without this ap-
pendage; but modern naturalists all agree in stating
that the male bird is never seen in company with the
female after she has begun to sit. The use of this pouch
is therefore still a subject of controversy.
The female lays her eggs among clover, or more fre-
quently in corn-fields, the nest being merely a hollow
scraped in the ground. The eggs are two, or sometimes
three, in number, and their colour is a yellowish-brown,
inclining to green.
A peculiarity of the Bustard, noticed by most natur-
alists, is the extreme rapidity with which they can run.
They skim along the ground, raising the wings over the
back in the same manner as the ostrich. It is said that
in former times, when the breed was commoner, it was
a practice to hunt the young birds, before they had
acquired the power of flying, with greyhounds.
As an article of food the flesh of the Bustard has
always been held in great estimation.
There are several other species peculiar both to Asia
and Africa.
The Crane.
34?
THE CKANE. (Grw cinerea.)
CRANES frequent marshy places, and live upon small fish
and water-insects. Their long beaks enable them to
search the water and mud for their prey, and their long
necks prevent the necessity of their stooping to pick tip
from between their feet the objects of their search. The
top of the head, the throat, and sides of the neck are of a
blackish hue ; the back, the wings, and the body are
ash-coloured. The tertial feathers of the wings are very
long, with loose webs, forming elegant plumes, which
fall over the sides of the tail. They used to be common
in the fen countries, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire,
348 Birds.
but are not now so frequently seen in England as for-
merly. In their flight, Cranes mount high in the air,
but their voices can be heard even when the birds cease
to be perceptible to the eye, and it is said that their
sight is so keen that they discover at a great distance
any field of corn or other food which they are fond of,
and presently alight and enjoy it. These depredations
they generally commit during the night, trampling down
the ground as if it had been marched over by an army.
They generally form themselves in the air in the shape
of a wedge.
" Part more wise,
In common, ranged in figure, wedge their way,
Intelligent of seasons, and set forth
Their aery caravan high over seas
Flying, and over lands, with mutual wing
Easing their flight. So steers the prudent Crane
Her annual voyage, borne on winds. The air
Floats as they pass, fann'd by unnumber'd wings."
MILTON.
This bird lives to a considerable age, and as it is
easily tamed, it has been ascertained that the Crane
often reaches his fortieth year. Its nest is usually built
amongst the reeds and sedges of a marsh, but sometimes
upon a ruined building. The female lays two eggs, of a
pale brown colour, with darker spots.
According to Kolben, they are often observed in large
flocks on the marshes about the Cape of Good Hope.
He says he never saw a flock of them on the ground
that had not some placed apparently as sentinels, to
keep a look out while the others are feeding, who on the
approach of danger immediately give notice to the rest.
These sentinels stand on one leg, and at intervals stretch
out their necks, as if to observe that all is safe. On
notice being given of danger, the whole flock are in an
instant on the wing. Kolben also adds that in the night
time each of the watching Cranes, which rest on their left
legs, hold in their right claw a stone of considerable
weight, in order that, if overcome by sleep, the falling
of the stone may awaken them.
TJie Balearic Crane.
349
THE BALEARIC CRANE, OR CROWNED
DEMOISELLE, (Balearica pavonina,)
Is originally, as the name expresses, a native of Majorca
and Minorca, in the Mediterranean sea, which were for-
merly called the Balearic Isles, but is chiefly found now
in the Cape Verd Islands. The shape of its body is
not unlike that of the common Crane, but it has a prin-
cipal and distinctive mark on the head ; which is, a tuft
of hairs, or rather strong greyish bristles, standing out
like rays in all directions, from which peculiarity this
species takes its other name of the Crowned Heron.
They roost and feed in the manner of peacocks.
The Demoiselle, or Numidian Crane (Anihropoides
virgo), is remarkable for the grace and symmetry of its
form, and the elegance of its deportment. It is rather
larger than the species above described, and is a native
of many parts of Africa. It frequents damp and marshy
places, in search of small fishes, frogs, &c., which are its
favourite food. It is easily domesticated.
350
Birds.
THE STOKK. (Ciconia alba.)
THE neck, head, breast, and body of this bird are white,
the rump and exterior feathers of the wings black ; the
eyelids naked ; the tail white, and the legs long, slen-
der, and of a red colour. Storks are birds of passage.
When leaving Europe they assemble together on some
particular night, and all take their flight at once. As
they feed on frogs, lizards, serpents, and other noxious
creatures, it is not to be expected that man should be
inimical to them, and therefore they have been generally
a favourite with the nations they visit. The Dutch
have laws against destroying them : they are therefore
very common in Holland, and build their nests and rear
their young on the tops of houses and chimneys in the
The Stork 351
middle of its most frequented and populous cities, and
may be seen by dozens familiarly walking about the
markets, where they feed on the offal. In some places,
1he stork is supposed to be a herald of good fortune to
the house on which it builds its nest, and the inhabi-
tants place boxes on their roofs to induce the birds to
take up their abode there.
The Stork much resembles the crane in its confor-
mation, but appears somewhat more corpulent. The
former lays four eggs, whereas the latter lays but
two.
It is said that Storks visit Egypt in such abundance,
that the fields and meadows are white with them. The
Egyptians, however, are not displeased with the sight ;
as frogs are there generated in such numbers, that did
not the Storks devour them, they would overrun every-
thing. Between Belba and Gaza, the fields of Palestine
are often rendered desert on account of the abundance
of mice and rats ; and were they not destroyed the in-
habitants could have no harvest. The disposition oi
the Stork is mild and placid ; it is easily tamed, and
may be trained to reside in gardens, which it will clear
of insects and reptiles. It has a grave air, and a mourn-
ful aspect; yet, when roused by example, exhibits a
certain degree of gaiety ; for it joins in the frolics of
children, hopping about and playing with them.
During their migrations, Storks are observed in vast
quantities. Dr. Shaw saw three flights of them leaving
Egypt, and passing over Mount Carmel, each of which
appeared to be nearly half a mile in width ; and he says
they were three hours in passing over.
The Stork, like the ibis, was an object of worship
among the ancients, and to kill them was a crime
punishable with death. The Stork is remarkable for
its great affection towards its young. This was re-
markably evinced during the great conflagration of
Delft, in Holland, during which a female Stork was
noticed using every endeavour to carry off her young
family, and continuing this labour of love until the
smoke and flames prevented her own escape, and she
perished with her brood.
352
Birds.
THE ADJUTANT, (Leptoptilus argala,}
ALSO called the Gigantic Crane, is a bird of the stork
kind, and a native of India, and other warm countries.
The head and neck are bare of feathers, as in the ostrich ;
the former looking as if made of wood ; the latter of a
flesh-colour. The coverts of the wings and the back
are black, with a bluish cast; the under part of the
body whitish ; the legs are long, without feathers, and
of a greyish hue, as are the thighs, which seem to be as
slender as the leg. The bill is of enormous size, and
the bird is fond of clatting the two mandibles together.
Under the chin, there is a kind of bag or pouch which
hangs down in front of the neck, like the dewlap of a
cow ; in this the Adjutant stores away any provisions
that may fall in his way, after his immediate wants are
satisfied. He is a most voracious bird, and devours
every kind of food, and as he has no objection to carrion,
The Adjutant. 353
his presence is encouraged in towns, where he assists
the vultures, crows, dogs, and jackals, in performing the
duties of scavengers. Indeed his rapacity is so great
that he swallows such innutritions substances as bone
with such eagerness and relish as to have received the
name of " Bone-eater" or " Bone-taker." When he comes
about the houses he requires to be carefully watched, as
his power of swallowing is so great that a fowl, a rabbit,
or even a leg of mutton, is disposed of at a single mouth-
ful. Sir E. Home states that in the stomach of an Adju-
tant were found a tortoise nearly a foot long, and a large
black cat ; from which we may see that the Adjutant is
by no means squeamish in his diet.
The Adjutant is indeed a very gigantic bird. Its
wings often measure fourteen or fifteen feet from tip to
tip, and it is five feet high when it stands erect.
Dr. Latham, in his " General History of Birds," gives
some very interesting information about the habits of
this bird. " One of them, a young bird about five feet
high, was brought up tame, and presented to the chief
of the Bananas, where M. Speakman lived ; and being
accustomed to be fed in the great hall, soon became fa-
miliar, daily attending that place at dinner-time, placing
itself behind its master's chair frequently before the
guests entered. The servants were obliged to watch
narrowly, and to defend the provisions with switches ;
but, notwithstanding, it would frequently seize some-
thing or other, and even purloined a whole boiled fowl,
which it swallowed in an instant. Its courage is not
equal to its voracity, for a child of eight or ten years old
soon puts it to flight with a switch. Everything is
swallowed whole, and so accommodating is its throat
that not only an animal as big as a cat is gulped down,
but a shin of beef broken asunder serves it but for two
morsels."
Another species of Adjutant (Leptoptilus marabou) is
found in tropical Africa. It is even uglier than the
Indian bird, which has not much beauty to boast of, but
is valuable not only as a scavenger, but from its fur-
nishing those beautiful plumes called marabout feathers,
whicb are so much used for ladies' head-dresses.
2A
354
Birds.
THE COMMON HERON. (Ardea cinerea.-)
THE habits of the Heron are peculiar. Perched on a
stone, or the stump of a tree, by the solitary current of
a brook, his neck and long beak half-buried between his
shoulders, he will wait the whole day long, patient and
unmoved, for the passing of a small fish, or the hopping
of a frog ; but his appetite is insatiable.
This bird is about four feet long from the tip of the
bill to the end of the claws ; to the end of the tail about
thirty-eight inches ; its breadth, when the wings are
extended, is about five feet. The male is distinguished
by a crest or tuft of black feathers hanging from the
hinder part of his head, which in chivalrous times was
The Common Heron. 355
of great value, and held as a peculiar mark of distinc-
tion when worn above the plume of ostrich feathers.
Virgil places the Heron among the birds that are
affected by and foretell the approaching storm :
" When watchful Herons leave their watery stand,
And mounting upward with erected flight,
Gam on the skies, and soar above the sight."
DBYDEN.
The Heron, though living chiefly in the vicinity of
marshes and lakes, forms its nest on the tops of the
loftiest trees. It resembles the rook in its habits : a
great number of Herons living together in what is
called a Heronry, as rooks do in a rookery. The fe-
male lays four large eggs, of a pale green colour ; the
natural term of this bird's life is said to exceed sixty
years.
In England, Herons were formerly ranked among the
royal game, and protected as such by the laws ; and
when falconry was in fashion, the pursuit of the Heron
was a favourite amusement.
" Now, like the wearied stag,
That stands at bay, the Hern provokes their rage ;
Close by his languid wing in downy plumes
Covers his fatal beak, and cautious hides
The well-dissembled fraud. The falcon darts
Like lightning from above, and in her breast
Receives the latent death : down plumb she falls,
Bounding from earth, and with her trickling gore
Defiles her gaudy plumage. See, alas !
The falconer in despair, his favourite bird
Dead at his feet : as of his dearest friend,
He weeps her fate ; he meditates revenge,
He storms, he foams, he gives a loose to rage ;
Nor wants he long the means ; the Hern fatigued,
Borne down by numbers, yields, and prone on earth
He drops ; his cruel foes wheeling wound
Insult at will." SOMERVILLE.
It is extremely dangerous to go near a wounded
Heron, and the utmost caution is necessary in doing so.
Though apparently almost dead, he will yet dart at his
enemy's face, and sometimes inflict a most severe wound.
356
Birds.
THE BITTERN, (Botaurus stellaris,)
Is not quite so large as the common heron ; its head is
small, narrow, and compressed at the sides. The crown
is black, the throat and sides of the neck red, with nar-
row black lines, and the back of a pale red, mixed with
yellow. The claws are long and slender, the inside of
the middle one being serrated, the better to enable it to
hold its prey. The bill is about four inches in length.
The most remarkable character in this bird is the hol-
low and yet loud rumbling of his voice ; his bellowing
is heard at the distance of a mile, at the time of sunset,
and it is hardly possible to conceive at first how such a
body of sound, resembling the lowing of an ox, can be
produced by a bird comparatively so small. The boom-
ing noise was formerly believed to be made while the
bird plunged its bill into the niud ; hence Thomson :
The Bittern. 357
" So that scarce
The Bittern knows his time, with bill ingulf d
To shake the sounding marsh."
And Southey also describes the peculiar noise of this
bird in his poern of Thalaba :
"And when at evening, o'er the swampy plain,
The Bittern's boom came far,
Distinct in darkness seen
Above the low horizon's lingering light,
Rose the near ruins of old Babylon."
Sometimes in the evening the Bittern soars on a sud-
den in a straight, or, at other times, in a spiral line, so
high in the air, that it ceases to be perceptible to the
eye. When attacked by the buzzard, or other birds of
prey, it defends itself with great courage, and generally
beats off such assailants ; neither does it betray any
symptoms of fear when wounded by the sportsman, but
eyes him with a keen, undaunted look ; and, when
driven to extremity, will attack him with the utmost
vigour, wounding his legs, or aiming at his eyes with
its sharp and piercing bill. It was formerly held in
much estimation at the tables of the great, and is again
recovering its credit as a fashionable dish. The flesh is
considered delicious. In autumn it changes its abode,
always commencing its journey at sunset. Its precau-
tions for concealment and security seem directed with
great care and circumspection. It usually sits in the
reeds with its head erect ; and thus, from its great
length of neck, sees over their tops, without itself being
perceived by the sportsman. The principal food of
these birds, during summer, consists of fish and frogs ;
but in autumn they resort to the woods in pursuit of
mice, which they seize with great dexterity, and always
swallow whole. About this season they usually become
very fat.
S58
Birds.
THE SPOONBILL, (Phtalea leucorodia,)
Is a large bird ; the colour of the whole body is white,
and the resemblance of the bill to a spoon has caused
the denomination of the bird. In some specimens the
plumage inclines from white to pink colour. On the
hind part of the head is a beautiful white crest, re-
clining backward. The legs and feet are black. The
wisdom of Providence is most conspicuous in the con-
formation of the bill, which is entirely adapted to the
habits and manner of feeding of these birds ; the frogs
and fishes, which constitute the principal food of the
Spoonbill, may often escape the thin and narrow beak
of the heron and other birds, but the mandibles of this
bird are so large at the end, that the prey cannot slip
aside. Like rooks and herons, Spoonbills build their
nests on the tops of high trees, and lay three or four
eggs, which are white, sprinkled with pale red, and
the size of those of a hen. These birds are very noisy
The Ibis.
359
during the breeding season. The Spoonbill migrates
northward in the summer, and returns to southern
climes on the approach of winter; and is found in all
the intermediate low countries between the Faroe Isles
and the Cape of Good Hope.
The American or Eoseate Spoonbill (Platalea Ajajd) is
very beautiful. Its colour is white, tinged with rose,
which deepens in the wings and tail into the richest
carmine. The feet are half- webbed, and the bird is
generally found on the sea- coast, where it wades into
the sea in quest of the small shell-fish of different kinds,
on which it feeds.
THE IBIS. (Ibis religiosa.)
THE IBIS was regarded as a sacred bird by the ancient
Egyptians, who used to have these birds walking about
in their temples, and embalmed their bodies after death
with as much care as those of their priests and kings.
The cause of this veneration is not clearly ascertained,
some authors supposing it to bo duo to the services
(360 Birds.
rendered by the bird in destroying serpents and other
noxious creatures ; others to a fanciful resemblance
between the bird and one of the moon's phases; and
others, again, to the arrival of the birds in Egypt at or
about the period of the annual inundation of the Nile.
The sacred Ibis has a long, stout, curved black bill ; the
head and neck are black and naked, and the plumage
is white, with the tips of the wings black. Another
species, the Glossy Ibis (Ibis falcinellus), shared the vene-
ration of the Egyptians with the Sacred Ibis ; it has a
more slender bill than the Sacred Ibis, and its plumage,
which is beautifully glossy, is dark green above and
reddish-brown beneath. This bird is common in the
south of Europe, and specimens have been shot in Eng-
land. The Scarlet Ibis (Ibis rubra) is a beautiful species,
which adorns the banks of the great rivers of South
America, in company with the Eoseate Spoonbill.
THE CUELEW. (Numenius arquatus.)
" Soothed by the murmurs of the sea-beat shore,
His dun-grey plumage floating to the gale
The Curlew, blends his melancholy wail
With those hoarse sounds the rushing waters pour."
Miss WILLIAMS.
" Wild as the scream of the Curlew,
From rock to rock the signal flew."
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
THE CORLEW is a large bird, weighing about twenty-four
Tlw Redshank. 361
ounces ; and is found in winter on the sea-shore on all
sides of England. The middle parts of the feathers of
the head, neck, and back are black, the borders or out-
sides ash-coloured, with a mixture of red ; and the lower
.part of the body white. The beak has a regular curve
downward, and is soft at the point. This bird's flesh
may challenge for flavour and delicacy that of any other
water-fowl, and the people of Suffolk say proverbially :
" A Curlew, be she white, be she black,
She carries twelve pence on her back :"
but it must be confessed that the quality and goodness
of the flesh of Curlews depend on their manner of feed-
ing, and the season in which they are caught. When
they dwell on the sea-shore, they acquire a kind of
rankness, which is so strong, that, unless they are
basted on the spit with vinegar, they are not agreeable,
eating.
THE REDSHANK. (Tatanus calidris.)
THIS bird has received its name from the colour of its
legs, which are of a crimson red. In size it is between
the lapwing and the snipe, and is sometimes called the
Pool Snipe. The head and back are of a dusky ash-
colour, spotted with black, the throat party-coloured
black and white, the black being drawn down along the
feathers. The breast is whiter, with fewer spots. The
Redshank delights in the fen countries, and in wet and
marshy grounds, where it breeds and rears its young.
362
Birds.
The female lays four whitish eggs, with olive-coloured
dashes, and marked with irregular spots of black. Pen-
nant and Latham say, that it flies round its nest when
disturbed, making a noise like a lapwing. It is not so
common on the sea-shore as several others of its kindred.
We must here observe, that this bird has often been
mistaken for others. The fact is, that several birds
changing their plumage, and increasing or diminishing
their size according to their age, the season of the year,
and the climate they live in, set all nomenclators at
defiance, and confound all classifications.
THE GODWIT, (Limosa cegocephalaj
Is met with in various parts of Great Britain, and is
rather larger than the woodcock, which it much re-
sembles in appearance. In spring and summer it resides
in the fens and marshes, where it rears its young, and
feeds on small worms and insects ; but in winter it seeks
the salt marshes and the sea-shore, where it feeds upon
the shell- fish and marine animals left by the retiring
tide. A peculiarity belonging to this bird is the shape
of its bill, which is a little turned upwards. The head,
neck, and back are of a reddish brown ; the under part
of the body white; the legs dusky, and sometimes black.
The Godwit is much esteemed by epicures as a great
delicacy, and sells very high. It is caught in nets, to
which it is allured by a stale or stuffed bird, in the same
manner and in the same season as the ruffs and reeves.
TJie Ruff and Reeve. 363
THE BUFF AND KEEVE. (Machetes pugnax.} \
IT is curious to see, in our observation of natural objects,
how the creative power of Providence seems to have
tried all forms and shapes in the composition of species,
In the cock bird of this species a circle or collar of long
feathers, somewhat resembling a ruff, encompasses the
neck under the head, whence the bird has received the
name of Kuff. It is about a foot in length, with a bill
about an inch long. There is a wonderful and almost
infinite variety in the colours of the feathers of the males ;
so that in spring there cari scarcely be found two exactly
alike ; but after moulting they become all alike again.
The males are sometimes called Fighters, on account
of their quarrelsome disposition. It is a bird of passage,
and arrives in the fens of Lincolnshire, and other similar
places, in the spring. Mr. Pennant tells us, that in the
course of a single morning more than six dozen have
been caught in one net, and that a fowler has been
known to catch between forty and fifty dozen in a
season.
364
Birds.
THE female is called a Eeeve, and its flesh is thought a
great delicacy for the table. They are smaller than the
cocks, and their feathers undergo no change. The Kuff
and -Eeeve are -taken in nets. They used to be seen
in vast numbers in many parts of England, especially in
the Isle of Ely and the Lincolnshire fens. The improve-
ments in drainage and cultivation that have been made
during the present century have deprived these birds of
their accustomed haunts, and they are no longer common.
A writer of the last century said he had seen the ground
so covered with the nests and eggs of Plovers and Reeves
that "one could scarce take a step without stepping on
them." They are now most ^common on the shores of
southern Scotland and of Northumberland.
Reeves are fattened for the table by feeding them, on
boiled rice or wheat, bread and milk, hemp seed, &c.
They are obliged to be kept in a dark room during the
process, as the least gleam of light is the signal for a
furious battle.
365
THE SNIPE. (Scolopax gallinago.)
" The Snipe flies screaming from the marshy verge,
And towers in airy circles o'er the wood ;
Still heard at intervals ; and oft returns,
And stoops as bent to alight ; then wheels aloft
With sudden fear, and screams and stoops again,
Her favourite glade reluctant to forsake." GISBORNE. '
THE SNIPE weighs about four ounces. A pale red line
divides the head longways ; the chin under the bill is
white ; the neck is a mixture of brown and red ; the
lower part of the body is almost all white. The back
and wings are of a dusky colour. The flesh is tender,,
sweet, and in flavour ranks next to that of the woodcock.,
Snipes feed especially upon small red worms, and,
insects, which they find in muddy and swampy places,,
on the banks of rivulets and brooks, and on the clayey
margin of ponds. It is said that Snipes remain with us
all the summer, and build in moors and marshes, laying
four or five eggs ; but most of them are migratory, and,
when forced by severe frosts to sheltered springs, are
often seen in large flights. Mr. Daniel states that,
about thirty years ago, Snipes were so abundant in the
fens of Cambridgeshire, that as many were taken in
Milton fen, by means of a lark-net, in one night, and by
a. single man, as could be contained. in a small hamper. ;
366
Birds.
THE WOODCOCK, (Scotyax rusticola,)
Is somewhat less than the partridge. The upper side
of the body is party-coloured of red, black, and grey,
and very beautiful. From the bill almost to the middle
of the head, it is of a reddish ash-colour. The lower
part of the body is grey, with transverse brown lines ;
under the tail the colour is somewhat yellowish ; the
chin is white, with a tincture of yellow. Woodcocks are
migratory birds, coming over into Britain in autumn,
and departing again in the beginning of spring ; they
pair before they go, and are seen flying in braces.
The colours of this timid bird render it difficult to
discern him among the withered stalks and leaves of
fern, sticks, moss, and grass, which form the background
of the scenery, by which he is sheltered in his moist
and solitary retreats. By habit only is the sportsman
enabled to discover him, and his leading marks are the
full eye and glossy silver white-tipped tail of the bird.
The flesh is held in high estimation, and hence he is
eagerly sought after. It is hardly necessary to observe
that in dressing a Woodcock for the spit the entrails are
not drawn, but are allowed to drop upon slices of toasted
bread, and are relished as a delicious kind of sauce.
By some late observations, it appears that several indi-
viduals of the species remain with us the whole year.
They frequent especially wet and swampy woods, the
thick hedges near rivulets, and places affording them
The Knot 367
tlieir allotted food, which consists of very small insects
found in the moist ground.
" The Woodcock's early visit and abode
Of long continuance, in our temperate clime,
Foretell a liberal harvest." PHILIPS.
THE KNOT, (Tringa Canutw,)
Is a small bird, whose head and back are of a dusky ash-
colour, or dark grey ; while the lower part of the body
is pure white, or white varied by black lines. The sides
under the wings are spotted with brown. The bird weighs
about four ounces and a half, and generally makes its
appearance in Lincolnshire in the beginning of winter,
and abides there for two or three months, after which
they fly off in flocks. They are caught in great numbers
by nets, into which they are decoyed by carved wooden
figures, painted to represent themselves, and placed
within them, much in the same way as the ruff. When
the knot is fat, its flesh is considered excellent food. It
is also fattened for sale, and then considered equal to the
ruff in flavour. The season for taking it is from August
to November, after which the frost compels it to dis-
appear. This bird is said to have been a favourite dish
with Canute the Great ; and Camden observes that its
name is derived from his Knute, or Knout, as he was
called which, in process of time, has been changed to
Knot.
368
Birds.
THE GEEY PLOVEE, (Squatarola cinerea,)
Is about twelve inches long and twenty-four across the
wings : the head, back, and coverts of the wings are
black, with tips of a greenish white ; the chin white ;
the throat spotted with brown or dusky spots ; the breast
and thighs white. The flavour of the flesh, when the
bird is caught in the proper season, is delicate and
savory ; at other times it is hard, and has a strong and
rank taste. This bird is generally found in small packs,
and is not nearly so common as the beautiful Golden
Plover. The male becomes entirely black on the lower
surface in the spring, or black interspersed with patches
and spots of white.
The Grey Plover is found in the northern parts
of Europe, and, it is said, breeds in Egypt, Java, and
Japan. Like the Buff, it is an exceedingly quarrelsome
bird, and fights fiercely in the spring. The young,
when hatched, are covered with a thick, soft down, and
immediately begin to follow their parents about and
search for food.
The Golden Plover.
369
THE GOLDEN PLOVEE, (CJiaradrius pluvidis,)
Is about the size of the former. The colour of the whole
tipper side is black, thick set with yellowish green spots ;
the breast brown, with spots as on the back; the body
is white. The male of this species is also black beneath
in the spring. The flesh is sweet and tender, and there-
fore esteemed a choice dish in this and other countries.
The Golden Plover feeds principally during the night,
and during the day-time may be seen sitting or stand-
ing on the ground, asleep. The parent birds are very
careful in guarding their young. When any intruder
approaches their nest, they use all sorts of stratagems
to divert his attention.
The " Plover eggs," frequently seen at the tables of
the opulent and luxurious, are not those of the Plover,
but of the Lapwing.
2B
370
Birds.
THE DOTTREL, (Cliaradrius morinellus^
Is proverbially accounted a foolish bird, yet why so it is
hardly possible to say. Its length is about ten inches ;
the bill is not quite an inch long, and is black. The fore-
head is mottled with brown and grey ; the top of the
head is black ; and over each eye there is an arched line
of white. The back and wings are a light brown ; the
breast is a pale dull orange ; the middle of the body is
black, and the rest and the thighs are of a reddish white.
The tail is brown, black towards the end, and tipped with
white. This bird is migratory, and makes its appear-
ance in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Derbyshire
in April, but soon leaves those counties and passes on
towards the north, breeding in the mountains of the
north of England and Scotland. In April, and sometimes
in September, Dottrels are seen in Wiltshire and Berk-
shire. They are generally caught, like other birds, by
night ; when, dazzled by the light of a torch, they are
at a loss to know where to fly for safety, the whole place
being in darkness, and generally select the very spot
which they should avoid. Many ridiculous stories have
been propagated about the gestures of this bird, and its
The Lapwing. 371
endeavouring to imitate the actions of the fowler, and
thereby falling into the snare laid for him ; but they
ought to be entirely disbelieved.
THE LAPWING, OE PEEWIT.
( Vanellus cristatus.)
THIS well-known bird is found in nearly all countries,
and is of the size of a common pigeon. The female lays
four or five eggs, of a yellow colour, varied all over with
large black spots and strokes. Lapwings build their
nests on the ground in the middle of some field or heath,
open and exposed to view, laying only some few straws
under the eggs : so soon as the young are hatched, they
instantly forsake the nest, running away with the shell
on their back, and following the mother, only covered
with a kind of down, like young ducks. The parents
have been impressed by nature with the most attentive
love and care for their offspring ; for if the fowler, or
any other enemy, should come near the nest, the female,
panting with fear, lessens her call to make her enemies
believe that she is much further off, and thereby deceives
those that search for her brood ; she also sometimes pre-
tends to be wounded, and utters a faint cry as she limps
away, to lead the fowler from her nest. This bird is
really beautiful, although it does not exhibit that gaudi*
ness of colours of which other species of the feathered
tribe can boast: it weighs about half-a-pound. Tho
head, and the crest which elegantly adorns it, is black ;,
372 Birds.
this crest, composed of unwebbed feathers, is about four
inches in length. The back is of a dark green, glossed
with blue shades ; the throat is black; the hinder part
of the neck and the breast are white. The Lapwing,
when in search of food, stamps with his feet upon the
ground, and when the earth-worms, alarmed at the noise,
appear, he seizes and devours them. His voice, on the
swampy places along the sea-shores, heard at night, re-
sembles the sound of peewit, or teewt, and hence his name
in several parts of Great Britain ; he is also called the
Great Plover by several ornithologists. This bird is one
of those who attract the fowler's attention in winter :
" With slaughtering gun th' unwearied fowler roves,
When frosts have whiteu'd all the naked groves ;
Where doves in flocks the leafless trees o'ershade,
And lonely woodcocks haunt the watery glade.
He lifts his tube, and levels with his eye ;
Straight a short thunder breaks the frozen sky :
Oft, as in airy rings they skim the heath,
The clamorous Lapwings feel the leaden death :
Oft, as the mounting larks their notes prepare,
They fall, and leave their little lives in air." POPE.
The following anecdote, from Bewick's " History of
Birds," exhibits the domestic nature of the Lapwing, as
well as the art with which it conciliates the regard of
animals materially differing from itself, and generally
considered as hostile to every species of the feathered
tribe. Two Lapwings were given to a clergyman, who
put them into his garden ; one of them soon died, but
the other continued to pick up such food as the place
afforded, till winter deprived it of its usual supply. Ne-
cessity soon compelled it to draw nearer to the house, by
which it gradually became familiarised to occasional in-
terruptions from the family. At length one of the ser-
vants, when she had occasion to go into the back kitchen
with a light, observed that the Lapwing always uttered
his cry of " pee-wit," to obtain admittance. The bird
Boon grew more familiar ; as the winter advanced, he.
approached as far as the kitchen, but with much caution,
as that part of the house was generally occupied by a
dog and cat, whose friendship, however, the Lapwing at
Tlie Water-Hen.
373
length conciliated so entirely, that it was his regular
custom to resort to the fireside as soon as it grew dark,
and spend the evening and night with his two associates,
sitting close by them, and partaking of the comforts of a
warm hearth. As soon as spring appeared, he discon-
tinued his visits to the house, and betook himself to the
garden ; but, on the approach of winter, he had recourse
to his old shelter and friends, who received him very
cordially. Security was productive of insolence ; what
was at first obtained with caution, was afterwards taken
without reserve ; he frequently amused himself with
washing in the bowl which was set for the dog to drink
out of; and while he was thus employed, he showed
marks of the greatest indignation if either of his com-
panions presumed to interrupt him. He died in the
asylum he had thus chosen, being choked with something
that he had picked up from the floor.
THE WATER-HEN, (Gallinula cliloropus,)
Is also called the Moor-Hen, or Moor-Coot, and the Galli-
nule. The breast is of a lead-colour, the lower part of
the body inclining to ash-colour, and the back dark olive
brown. As she swims or walks, she often flirts up her
tail. Water-hens feed upon aquatic plants and roots,
and upon the small insects which adhere to them ; they
trow fat about the latter end of September, and their
esh is then considered nearly equal to that of the teal ;
374
Birds.
yet it can seldom be entirely deprived of its fishy taste.
They build their nests amongst reeds, long grass, roots,
and stumps by the water-side, breeding twice or thrice
in the course of a summer ; the eggs are white, with a
tint of green, dashed with brown spots.
There are very few countries in the world where
these birds are not to be found. They generally prefer
the cold mountainous regions in summer, and lower and
warmer situations during winter.
' The fish are leaping, and the Water-hen
Dives up and down. A storm is coming on."
SCHILLER. WILLIAM TELL.
THE COKN-CKAKE, OK LAND-KAIL,
(Ortygometra
Is a migratory bird, appearing in England in April, and
departing in October. At the time of its arrival it is
very lean, but becomes excessively fat before it quits the
island. Their favourite haunts are cold and humid
upland districts, corn-fields in the vicinity of water, and
Tie Corn-Crake. 375
marshy grass-lands. Their cry is a peculiar roll of
short notes, all in the same key and of the same length.
The sound, crec, crec, crec, has been compared to the
noise made by drawing the finger along the teeth of a
comb. The legs of the Corn-Crake are unusually long
for the size of the bird, and hang down while it is on
the wing. Its flesh is greatly esteemed for its delicate
flavour. This bird is never seen on the wing in this
country, and is extremely difficult to capture ; they
cannot be made to rise like partridges and many other
birds, nor is it of much use to invade their cover. They
glide through the corn, without the least perceptible
rustle, and with wonderful rapidity, considering the size
of the bird, and if the sportsman follows in the direction
of the sound, it ceases for a while, and then, perhaps, is
heard far in the rear ; if he follows it again, it is not
long before the sound is heard setting in its former or
some other direction.
It is said by some writers that the Corn-Crake is a sort
of natural ventriloquist, and can make his note appear
to proceed from quite another direction than the spot in
which he lies hid. It is probable, however, that the
delusion arises from the astonishing swiftness with which
the bird passes through the covers, where it is usually
found. And as they can never be made to rise, the ob-
server has very seldom the means of deciding whether the
bird was in the place its cry seemed to proceed from or not.
The nest is made in a hole in the ground, and is lined
with dead leaves, moss, and other soft substances. There
are generally ten, twelve, or fourteen eggs. The pecu-
liar cry by which the bird is recognised is only uttered
during the period of incubation.
Corn-Crakes are occasionally found to have a great
fondness for water. An anecdote is related by Craven,
in his "Young Sportsman's Manual," of a young bird of
this species, in the possession of a Mr. Jervis, which had
a remarkable partiality for water, in which it would
dive and splash, as if unused to any other element. If
the habits of this bird could be watched more closely,
perhaps we should find that this fondness for water is
not uncommon in its wild state.
376 Birds.
THE COOT. (Fulica aim.)
THIS bird has so many traits in its character, and so
many features in its general appearance like the rails
and water-hens, that to place it after them seems a
natural and easy gradation ; and accordingly this has
been done by Cuvier, though it was considered by
Linnasus to belong to a group distinct from those birds,
and from the waders in general, on account of its being
fin-footed, and its constant attachment to the waters,
which, indeed, it seldom quits. The manner in which
Coots build their nest is very ingenious. They form it
of interwoven aquatic weeds, and place it among the
rushes, in such a way that it may occasionally rise with,
but not be washed away by, the stream ; and if ever this
accident happens, steady on her nest, the hen does not
desert her brood, but follows with them the destiny of
their floating cradle. This bird, in the figure and shape
of its body, resembles the water-hen, and weighs about
twenty-four ounces. The feathers about the head and
neck are low, soft, and thick. The colour about the
whole of the body is black, but of a deeper hue about
the head. The sere rises upon the forehead in a peculiar
manner, and appears as if Providence had designed it
for a means of defence. It changes its whitish colour
to a pale red or pink in the breeding season. Coots are
very shy, and seldom, venture abroad before dusk. "When
attacked, they defend themselves with their feet, and they
do this so energetically, that sportsmen say, " Beware of
a winged Coot, or he will scratch you like a cat,"
The Pelican.
377
YII. Palmipedes, or Web-footed Birds.
THE PELICAN, (Pelicanus onocrotalus,)
Is in size about equal to the swan ; the colour of the
body is white, inclining to pink ; the beak is straight
and long, with a sharp hook at the end ; the skin of the
lower mandible is so capable of distension, that it may
be dilated to contain fish in large quantities. This pouch
Providence lias allotted to the bird, that he may bring
to his eyrie sufficient food for several days, and save
himself the trouble of travelling through the air, and
watching and diving so often. The legs are black, and
the four toes palmated. It is a very indolent, inactive,
and inelegant bird, often sitting whole days and nights
on rocks or branches of trees, motionless and in a melan-
choly posture, till the resistless stimulus of hunger spurs
378 Birds.
it on, and forces it to the sea in search of nourishment.,
when thus excited to exertion, the Pelican flies from the
spot, and, raising itself thirty or forty feet above the
surface of the water, turns its head with one eye down-
ward, and continues to fly in that position till it sees a
fish near the surface. It then darts down with astonish-
ing swiftness, seizes its prey with unerring certainty,
and stores it in its pouch. Having done this, it rises
into the air, and repeats the same action till it has pro-
cured a sufficient stock. The Pelican is by no means
destitute of natural affection, either towards its young
ones or towards others of its own species. Clavigero, in
his " History of Mexico," says, that sometimes the Ameri-
cans, in order to procure, without trouble, a supply of
fish, cruelly break the wing of a live Pelican, and, after
tying the bird to a tree, conceal themselves near the
place. The screams of the miserable bird attract other
Pelicans to the place, which, he assures us, eject a por-
tion of the provisions from their pouches for their impri-
soned companion. As soon as the men observe this, they
rush to the spot, and after leaving a small quantity for
the bird, carry off the remainder.
In America, Pelicans are often rendered domestic, and
are so trained, that at command they go in the morning
and return before night with their pouches distended with
prey, part of which they are made to disgorge, while the
rest is left them for their trouble. The bird is said to
live sometimes a hundred years.
Our forefathers attributed extraordinary affection to
this bird, more than is attested by any save heraldic evi-
dence. Thus, in several crests, it is represented in the
act of feeding its young with its own blood, which it
procures by striking its breast with the sharp point of
its beak. And the ancients fully believed that in times
of scarcity the female Pelican resorted to this means of
supporting her brood. The nest of the Pelican is made
with sedges and grass, close to the water's edge; the
female lays two or three white eggs, and the male is said
to supply his partner with food while she is engaged in
the work of incubation,
The Cormorant.
379
THE CORMORANT, (Phalacrocorax carlo,)
Is a large water-bird, nearly allied to the pelican, pos-
sessed with a very voracious appetite, and consequently
of a very rapacious disposition. It lives upon all sorts of
fish; the fresh water and the briny waves of the sea
both paying a large contribution to its craving stomach.
The bill is about five inches in length, and of a dusky
colour ; the predominant tints of the body are black
beneath, and dark brown above ; on each thigh there
is a white patch. The smell of these birds when alive
is excessively rank and disagreeable ; and their flesh is
so disgusting that even the Greenlanders, among whom
they are very common, will scarcely eat it. They were
formerly tamed in England for the purpose of catching
fish, as falcons and hawks were for chasing the fleet inha-
bitants of the air. This custom is still in practice in
China. The birds are taken to the water in a boat, with
leather thongs tied round their necks to prevent their
swallowing the fish; at the word of command they de-
scend into the water, swim about, and dive in pursuit of
380
Birds.
prey, and bring whatever they capture to their owner's
boat. Sometimes two Cormorants will unite their efforts
to capture a large fish ; and if any of the hands neglect
their business the man will slap on the water with a
bamboo, as a schoolmaster does with his cane on tho
desk, to recall the idlers to a sense of their duty. This
bird, although of the aquatic kind, is often seen, like the
pelican, perched upon trees. Milton tells us that Satan
On the tree of life,
The middle tree, and highest there that grew,
Sat like a Cormorant."
In the year 1793, one of them was observed sitting on
the vane of St. Martin's steeple, Ludgate Hill, London,
and was shot there in the presence of a great number of
people.
THE SHAG, OB CKESTED COKMOKANT,
(Phalacrocorax graculus,)
Is of a dark green, with a singular tuft on the front of
the head in the spring. It breeds in rocky caves on the
sea-coast.
The Gannet.
381
THE GANNET, OK SOLAN GOOSE.
(Sula bassana.)
THESE birds are insatiably voracious, but are somewhat
particular in their choice of prey ; disdaining, unless in
great want, any food worse than herrings or mackerel.
No fewer than one hundred thousand Gannets are sup-
posed to frequent the rocks of St. Kilda ; and of these,
including the young ones, at least twenty thousand are
annually killed for food by the inhabitants. The Gannet
is somewhat more than three feet in length, and weighs
about seven pounds. The bill is six inches long, straight
almost to the point, where it is a little bent; its edges
are jagged, to enable it the better to secure its prey ;
and about an inch from the base of the upper mandible
there is a sharp process pointing forward. The general
382 Birds.
colour of the plumage is a dingy white, with a greyish
tinge. Surrounding each eye there is a naked skin of a
fine blue colour ; from the corner of the mouth a narrow
slip of naked black skin extends to the hind part of the
head ; and beneath the chin there is a pouch capable of
containing five or six herrings. The neck is long ; the
body flat, and very full of feathers. On the crown of
the head, and the back part of the neck, is a small buff-
coloured space. The quill-feathers, and some other parts
of the wings, are black ; as are also the legs, except a fine
pea-green stripe in front. The tail is wedge-shaped, and
consists of twelve sharp-pointed feathers.
These birds chiefly resort to those uninhabited islands
where man seldom comes to disturb them. The islands
to the north, Ailsa Craig, on the west coast of Scotland,
the Skelig Islands, off the coasts of Kerry in Ireland, and
those that lie in the North Sea off Norway, abound with
them. But it is on the Bass Rock, in the Frith of Forth,
that they are seen in the greatest abundance. " There is
a small island," says the celebrated Harvey, " called the
Bass, not more than a mile in circumference ; the surface
is almost wholly covered during the months of May and
June with the nests of the Solan Geese, their eggs, and
their young. It is scarcely possible to walk without
treading on them : the flocks of birds upon the wing are
so numerous as to darken the air like a cloud ; and their
noise is suoh, that one cannot without difficulty be heard
by the person next to him. When one looks down upon
the sea from the precipice, its whole surface seems covered,
with infinite numbers of birds of different kinds, swim-
ming and pursuing their prey. If, in sailing round the
island, one surveys its hanging cliffs, in every crag or
fissure of the broken rocks may be seen innumerable
birds., of various sorts and sizes, more than the stars of
heaven when viewed in a serene night. If they are
viewed at a distance, either receding or in their ap-
proach to the island, they seem like one vast swarm of
bees."
The Swan.
383
THE SWAN. (Cygnus dor.)
" Fair is the Swan, whose majesty prevailing
O'er breezeless water, on Locarno's lake,
Bears him on, while, proudly sailing,
He leaves behind a moon-illumined wake :
Behold ! the mantling spirit of reserve
Fashions his neck into a goodly curve
An arch thrown back between luxuriant wings
Of whitest garniture, like fir-tree boughs,
To which, on some unruffled morning, clings
A flaky weight of winter's purest snows !
Behold ! as with a gushing impulse heaves
That snowy prow, and softly cleaves
The mirror of the crystal flood ;
Vanish inverted hill, and shadowy wood,
And pendent rocks, where'er in gliding state
"Winds the mute creature, without visible mate
Or rival, save the queen of night,
Showering down a silver light
From heaven upon her chosen favourite !"
WOEDSWOHTH.
THE two best known species of this elegantly-formed
and majestic bird are commonly known as the Wild and
384
Birds.
the Tame, or the Whooping and Mute, Swans. They
may easily be recognised by the peculiarities of the bill :
the Tame Swan has the bill orange-coloured, with its
base black, and surmounted by a black knob ; the Wild
Swan has no knob, and it is the tip instead of the base
of the bill that is black.
THE WILD SWAN, WHOOPING SWAN, OR
WHISTLING SWAN, (Cygnus ferns,)
Is also a fine bird, with beautifully white plumage ;
unlike the Tame Swan, which is nearly mute, it has
a loud and rather melodious voice, which it utters fre-
quently, as it flies along at a great height in the air,
during its migrations. It is found in England in the
winter, but resides all the year in the north of Scotland.
Its favourite place for breeding is in the extreme north.
The Tame Swan is the largest of our web-footed water-
fowl, sometimes weighing about thirty pounds: the
whole body of the full-grown Swan is covered with a
beautiful pure white plumage, but the young ones are
grey ; under the feathers is a thick, soft down, which
The Wild Duck. 385
is of very great use, and often employed as an orna-
ment. The elegance of form which this bird displays,
when, with his arched neck and half-displayed wings,
he sails along the crystal surface of a tranquil stream,
which reflects, as he passes, the snowy beauty of his
dress, is worthy of admiration. Thomson describes the
Swan in the following beautiful manner:
The stately sailing Swan
Gives out Ms snowy plumage to the gale,
And arching proud his neck, with oary feet,
Bears forward fierce, and guards his osier isle,
Protective of his young."
Swans have for ages been protected on the river
Thames as royal property ; and it continues at this day
to be accounted felony to steal their eggs : by this means
their increase is secured, and they prove a delightful
ornament to that noble river. Latham says the estima-
tion in which they were held, in the reign of Edward
IV., was such, that only those who possessed a freehold
of the clear yearly value of five marks were permitted
even to keep any. In those times, hardly a piece of
water was left unoccupied by these birds, as they gratified
the palate as well as the eye of their lordly owners
of that period : but the fashion of those days has passed
away, and Swans are by no means as common now as
they were formerly, being by most people accounted a
coarse kind of food, and consequently held in little esti-
mation : but the Cygnets (so the young Swans are called)
are still fattened for the table, and are sold very high,
commonly for a guinea each, and sometimes more;
hence it may be presumed they are better food than is
generally imagined.
At Abbotsbury there was generally a noble Swannery,
the property of the Earl of llchester, where six or seven
hundred birds were kept, but the collection has of late
been much diminished. The Swannery belonged an-
ciently to the abbot, and, previously to the dissolution
of monasteries, the Swans frequently amounted to double
the above number.
From the whiteness of this bird, the expression of a
2c
386
Birds.
" Black Swan " was used in ancient times as equivalent
to a nonentity ; but a species nearly entirely black has
been lately discovered in Australia. This bird is as
large as the white Swan, and its bill is of a rich scarlet.
The whole plumage (except the primaries and seconda-
ries, which are white) is of the most intense black.
Swans are very long lived, sometimes attaining the
great age of a century and a half.
THE WILD GOOSE. (Anser ferns.)
" The farmer's Goose, who in the stubble
Has fed without restraint or trouble,
Grown fat with corn, and sitting still,
Can scarce get o'er the barn-door sill ;
And hardly waddles forth to cool
Her body in the neighbouring pool ;
Nor loudly cackles at the door,
For cackling shows the Goose is poor."
SWIFT.
THE GOOSE is very different in outward appearance from
the last-named bird. Stupidity in her look, uncouth-
ness in her walk, and heaviness in her flight are her
principal characteristics. But why should we dwell
upon these defects ? they are not such in the great scale
of the creation. Her flesh feeds many, and is not dis-
dained even by the great ; her feathers keep us warm ;
The Wild Goose. 387
and even the very pen I hold in my hand was plucked
from her wing.
These birds are kept in vast quantities in the fens
of Lincolnshire ; several persons there having as many
as a thousand breeders. They breed in general only
once a year, but if well kept they sometimes hatch
twice in a season. During their sitting, the birds have
spaces allotted to each, in rows of wicker pens placed
one above another ; and the Goose-herd, who has the
care of them, drives the whole flock to water twice a
day, and bringing them back to their habitations, places
every bird (without missing one) in its own nest. It is
scarcely credible what numbers of Geese are driven
from the distant counties to London for sale, frequently
two or three thousand in a drove; and, in the year 1783,
one drove passed through Chelmsford, in its way from
Suffolk to London, that contained more than nine thou-
sand. However simple in appearance or awkward in
gesture the Goose may be, it is not without many marks
of sentiment and understanding. The courage with
which it protects its offspring and defends itself against
ravenous birds, and certain instances of attachment, and
even of gratitude, which have been observed in it, ren-
der our general contempt of the Goose ill-founded.
The Goose was held in great veneration among the
Kouians, as having by her watchfulness saved the
Capitol from the attack of the Gauls. Virgil says, in
the seventh book of the ^Eneid,
" The silver goose before the shining gate
There flew, and by her cackle saved the state."
DKYDEN.
The colour of this useful bird is generally white;
though we often find them of a mixture of white, grey
black, and sometimes yellow. The feet which are pal-
mated, are orange-coloured, and the beak is serrated.
The male of the Goose is called the Gander ; and the
young ones Goslings. Geese are very long-lived, one is
known to have lived above seventy years.
The Wild Goose is the original of the tame one, and
differs much in colour from her, the general tint of its
feathers being a greyish black. Wild Geese fly by night
388
Birds.
in large flocks to more southern countries; and their
clang is heard from the regions of the clouds, although
the birds are out of sight.
THE DUCK. (Anas loschas.)
THE COMMON DUCK is of two kinds, the wild and the
tame, the latter being but the same species altered by
domestication ; the difference between them is very
trifling, save that the colour of the Mallard, or male
wild Duck, is constantly the same in all the individuals,
whereas the Drakes, or tame ones, are varied in their
plumage. The females do not share with the males in
beauty of plumage : the admirable scarf of glossy green
and blue, which surrounds the neck of Drakes and Mal-
lards, being an exclusive prerogative of the male sex.
There is also a curious and invariable peculiarity be-
longing to the males, which consists of a few curled
feathers rising upon the rump.
The Eider Duck. 389
Wild Ducks are caught by decoys in the fen countries,
and in such prodigious numbers, that in only ten decoys
in the neighbourhood of Wainfleet, as many as thirty-
one thousand two hundred have been caught in one sea-
son. They do not always build their nests close to the
water, but often at a considerable distance from it; in
which case the female will take the young ones in her
beak, or between her legs, to the water. They have
sometimes been known to lay their eggs in a high tree,
in a deserted magpie's or crow's nest ; and an instance
has been recorded of one being found at Etchingham, in
Sussex, sitting upon nine eggs in an oak, at the height
of twenty-five feet from the ground : the eggs were sup-
ported by some small twigs laid cross-ways.
The tame Ducks, reared about mills and rivers, or
wherever there is a sufficient quantity of water for them
to indulge their sports and to search for food, become a
branch of trade, which proves very profitable to their
owners.
THE EIDER DUCK, (Sornateria mottissima,)
WHICH is found about the coasts of the north of England
390 Birds
and Scotland, becomes more numerous as we go further
north, and is most abundant on Iceland and the Arctic
shores, both of Europe and America. This bird is par-
ticularly valuable for the great quantity of down which
it furnishes, as this is so light and elastic that beds and
quilts made from it are preferable to any others. The
birds line their nests with this beautiful material plucked
from their own bodies, and it is chiefly by plundering
the nests that the down is obtained. Each nest will
furnish about half a pound of down in the season, and it
is worth about four dollars a pound.
THE WIDGEON, (Mareca Penelope,)
WEIGHS about twenty-two ounces, and feeds upon grass
and roots growing at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and
ponds. The plumage of this bird is much variegated,
and its flesh esteemed a great delicacy, though not so
highly praised as that of the teal. The bill of the
Widgeon is black ; the head and upper part of the neck
of a bright bay ; the back and sides under the wing
waved with black and white ; the breast purple ; the
lower part of the body white, and the legs are dusky.
The ) T oung of both sexes are gre} r , and continue in this
plain garb till the month of February ; after which a
change takes place, and the plumage of the male begins
to assume its rich colourings, in which, it is said, he
continues till the end of July; and then again the
The Teal
391
feathers become dark and grey, so that he is hardly to
be distinguished from the female.
Widgeons commonly fly in small flocks during the
night, and may be known from other birds by their
whistling note, while they are on the wing. They quit
the desert morasses of the north on the approach of
winter, and as they advance towards the ends of their
destined southern journey, they spread themselves along
the shores, and over the marshes and lakes, in various
parts of the continent, as well as those of the British
isles ; and it is said that some of the flocks advance as
far south as Egypt.
The Widgeon is easily domesticated in places where
there is plenty of water, and is much admired for its
beauty, sprightly look, and busy, frolicsome manners;
yet it is generally asserted that they will not breed in
confinement, or at least that the female will not make a
nest and perform the act of incubation ; but that she will
lay eggs, which are generally dropped into the water.
THE TEAL, (Querquedula crecca,)
Is the least of the duck tribe, weighing only twelve
ounces. The lower part of the body is of a dingy white,
inclining to a grey tint. The back and sides under the
wings are curiously varied with lines of white and black;
the wings are all over brown, and the tail of the same
colour. This bird is common in England during the
winter months, and it is still uncertain whether it does
not breed here as it does in France. Dr. Heysham says
it is known to breed in the neighbourhood of Carlisle.
The female makes her nest of reeds interwoven with
392 Birds.
grass ; and, as it is reported, places it among the rushes,
in order that it may rise and fall with the water. Their
eggs are of the size of those of a pigeon, six or seven in
number, and of a dull white colour, marked with small
brownish spots ; but it appears that they sometimes lay
ten or twelve eggs, for Buffon remarks that that number
of young are seen in clusters on the pools, feeding on
cresses, chervil, and some other weeds, as well as upon
seeds and small insects that swarm in the water. The
flesh of the Teal is a great delicacy in the winter season,
and has less of the fishy flavour than any of the wild
duck kind. It is known to breed and remain through-
out the year in various temperate climates of the world,
and is in the summer met with as far northward as
Iceland.
THE COMMON GULL. (Laruscanus.)
THE GULLS, of which there are a great many different
kinds, are very common birds around our coasts and at
the mouths of rivers ; they have long wings, and fly
with great rapidity and buoyancy. Their plumage is
thick, and they float very lightly on the surface of the
water, but do not dive. The Gulls are very voracious,
and not only devour great quantities of fishes, shell-
fish, and other marine animals, but even condescend to
feed upon the dead bodies of animals which they find
floating on the water or cast up on the shore. Some of
the smaller kinds come inland, and catch insects on the
wing, in the same way as the Swallows.
The Common Gull is rather a large species, being
more than eighteen inches in length when full grown.
Its plumage is pearly grey above and white beneath ;
the largest wing feathers are black, with white tips
and white spots near the tip ; and the bill and feet are
greenish grey. This bird breeds in the salt marshes or
on the ledges of cliffs. The female lays two or three
eggs, which are olive brown, with dark brown and black
spots.
It is a very pretty sight to watch from the top of a
lofty cliff the multitudes of these birds that often haunt
The Stormy Petrel
393
our coasts ; gliding with beautiful ease and swiftness
through the air, skimming the surface of the water in
pursuit of their prey, or reposing upon its bosom.
Even their rather harsh and discordant cry is in har-
mony with the wild and imposing heights on which
they love to dwell. This, however, does not protect
them from the frequenters of our seaside towns, with
whom seagull shooting is a favourite amusement ; an
amusement the more to be reprehended as the flesh of
the bird is quite useless.
Gulls are frequently caught alive, and, after having
their wings clipped to prevent their escape, are kept to
satisfy their voracious appetite on snails, slugs, and
other garden pests.
THE STORMY PETEEL, OE MOTHEE CAEY'S
CHICKEN. ( Thalassidroma pelagica. )
" O'er the deep ! o'er the deep !
Where the whale, and the shark, and the sword-fish sleep,
Outflying the blast and the driving rain,
The petrel telleth her tale in vain ;
For the mariner curseth the warning bird,
Who bringeth him news of the storm unheard !
Oh ! thus does the prophet, of good or ill,
Meet hate from creatures he serveth still ;
Yet he ne'er falters : So, Petrel ! spring ^
Once more o'er the waves on thy stormy wing." PROCTER.
THE STORMY PETREL is not larger than a swallow ; and its
394 Birds.
colour is entirely black, except the coverts of the tail, the
tail itself, and the vent-feathers, which are white : its legs
are slender. Banging over the expanse of the ocean, and
frequently at a vast distance from the land, this bird is
able to brave the utmost fury of the storms. Even in
the most tempestuous weather it is frequently observed
by the mariners skimming with almost incredible velo-
city along the billows, and sometimes over their summits.
They often follow vessels in great flocks, to pick up any-
thing that is thrown overboard ; but their appearance is
looked upon by the sailors as the sure presage of stormy
weather in the course of a few hours. It seems to seek
protection from the fury of the wind in the wake of the
vessels ; and it is probable that for the same reason it
often flies between two surges. The nest of this bird is
found in the Orkney Islands, under loose stones, in the
months of June and July. It lives chiefly on small
fish; and although mute by day, it is veiy clamorous
by night. The young of this bird are fed with an oily
matter or chyle, which is ejected from the stomachs of
the parents.
Mudie, in his very entertaining work on British Birds,
says that they are called Petrels, or "little Petrels," be-
cause they move along the surface as if they were literally
walking on the water. He also informs us that they are
at times very full of oil, and that the Faroese, taking ad-
vantage of this circumstance, convert them into lamps,
by fixing them in an upright position and drawing a
wick through their bodies, which they light at the
mouth.
The Fulmcv
395
THE FULMAR, (Procdlaria glacialis,)
Is a ^arger kind of Petrel, which is found not uncom-
monly on the British coasts, and is exceeding abundant
in the Arctic seas. Here it is a regular attendant upon
the whale-fishers when they are engaged in cutting up
a whale. Any fragments of blubber that happen to fall
into the water are immediate^ snapped by these greedy
birds, which clamour and squabble over the feast with so
little regard to the vicinity of the sailors, that they may
be knocked on the head with a boat-hook. They are in
high estimation in the countries they inhabit, on ac-
count of the large amount of oil they contain. It is
only rarely they are seen in England, nor do they regu-
larly frequent any part of Great Britain, except a few
of the northernmost islands of Scotland. Like the
other Petrels, they feed their 3 7 oung with a sort of oil,
which they have the power of exuding at will.
396 Birds.
THE ALBATROSS, (Diomedea exulans,)
ALSO resembles the diminutive Petrels in some respects ;
but instead of being a pigmy it is a giant among birds.
Its wings often measure as much as fifteen feet in extent
and are of corresponding power, as they have to support
the Albatross by the day together above the stormy
waves of the great Southern Ocean. Indeed, so enor-
mous is their strength and endurance, that they have
been known to follow ships for whole days together,
without once resting upon the water. From time to
time the gigantic bird plunges down into the sea to
capture the fishes with which he satisfies his hunger ;
and it is said that where Albatrosses are numerous
they will even attack sailors who may happen to fall
overboard. From their abundance at the Cape of Good
Hope they are often called by mariners Cape sheep.
Albatrosses generally weigh from twenty to thirty
pounds. The plumage is white, except some narrow
bars upon the back, and some of the long wing feathers,
which are black, and of the head, which is a reddish
grey. The beak is long and powerful, and curved at
the end, and would be a most terrible weapon if the
owner were of a pugnacious disposition. It is, however,
quite inoffensive, and is even sometimes attacked by
much smaller birds, when it invariably takes to flight,
and the immense power of its wings generally enables
it to distance its pursuers. The Albatross, like most
sea birds, has a most insatiable appetite, and devours
immense quantities, not only of fish, but of other sea-
animals, such as molluscs. They are so greedy that
they are caught by a line baited with a piece of flesh,
which the ever-hungry bird swallows at a gulp, paying
with his life for the dear repast. They are taken by
the natives of the countries they frequent, not for their
flesh, which is tough and insipid, but for the sake of
their entrails, which are very large and elastic, and
are used for a number of useful purposes.
The Great Northern Diver.
397
THE GKEAT NORTHERN DIVER.
(Cotymbus glacialis.)
THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER is found most abundantly in
the Arctic seas, but a considerable number of them dwell
on the shores of Scotland. It has a rather long, strong,
and sharply pointed bill ; its back and wings are black,
ornamented with numerous white spots; its lower
surface is greyish- white ; and its head and neck are
black, with a couple of white collars across the front of
the neck. The Great Northern Diver is a large bird,
measuring nearly three feet in length; its wings are
small in proportion to its size, but yet the bird is able
to fly very rapidly. It is, however, in the water that
it is most active ; it swims and dives with the most re-
markable ease, and even under water goes as fast as a
four-oared boat. Its food consists of fishes, and it breeds
amongst the herbage of the sea-shore, the female laying
two or three eggs in a neat nest made of grass.
398
Birds.
THE PUFFIN, (Fratercula arctica,)
Is another short-winged water bird, but, unlike the
Northern Diver, it visits us in the summer, and breeds
on our shores. It is about a foot long, and has the back
and wings black, the cheeks and all the lower parts of
the body, except a band round the neck, white, and the
feet orange. Its bill is very curious, and has obtained
for it the names of Sea Parrot and Coulterneb in some
places. This organ is large and strong, but flattened at
the sides ; it is of a bluish colour, with three grooves and
four ridges of an orange colour. The Puffin flies swiftly,
and swims and dives almost as well as the Great Diver;
it breeds sometimes in crannies amongst the rocks, and
sometimes in a hole which it digs in the turf or in a
rabbit-warren.
The Great Auk.
399
THE GREAT AUK, (Alca impennis,)
WHICH is sometimes called the Northern Penguin, is a
large bird, furnished with very small wings, which,
although formed of regular feathers, like those of other
birds, are far too weak to raise their owner into the air.
They are, however, of use in another way. When the
Auk dives, which it frequently does, they serve as fins,
and, with its powerful webbed feet, enable it to swim un-
derneath the water with even greater rapidity than on
the surface. This bird was formerly seen occasionally
on the northern coasts of Britain, and became more
plentiful towards the Arctic seas ; but no specimens
have now been met with for many years, and there
is reason to believe that the bird is quite extinct on
our coasts. In the water the Great Auk, like the Diver,
is wonderfully active, swimming on the surface or
beneath the waves with equal ease. Mr. Bullock, when
in the Orkneys, pursued a male bird for several hours
in a six-oared boat without being able to kill him.
The Great Auk is generally about three feet long, and
changes its plumage in summer. The breeding-season
is in June and July, when the female la} r s one large
egg, of a yellowish colour, marked with black spots.
400
Birds.
THE PENGUIN, (Speniscus demersus,)
OF which numerous species abound on the shores and
islands of the great Southern Ocean, is remarkable for
its almost incredible agility in the water ; it swims and
dives like a fish, and in fact is described as coming to
the surface for air, and descending again so suddenly
as to give rise to the impression that it is a fish jumping
in sport. It is found in vast numbers in hiding places,
where the females are seen sitting upright and holding
their single egg between their legs.
BOOK III.
INHABITANTS OF THE WATER
I. Cetacea, or Sea Mammalia.
THE COMMON, OE GKEENLAND WHALE.
(JBalmna mysticetus.}
" Nature's strange work, vast Whales of different form,
Toss up the troubled flood, and arc themselves a storm ;
Uncouth the sight, when they in dreadful play,
Discharge their nostrils, and refund a sea ;
Or angry lash the foam with hideous sound,
And scatter all the watery dust around ;
Fearless, the fierce destructive monsters roll,
Ingulf the fish, and drive the flying shoal ;
In deepest seas these living isles appear,
And deepest seas can scarce their pressure bear ;
Their bulk would more than fill the shelvy strait,
And fathom'd depths would yield beneath their weight."
THE WHALE is not properly a fish ; since, though it lives
2D
402 Fishes.
in the sea, and has fins and a tail instead of legs and feet,
it resembles in most other respects a seal, and differs from
fishes, properly so called, in many important points. In-
deed, it is always included in the class Mammalia, by
zoologists, as it brings forth its young alive, and nourishes
them with its milk ; and hence a conceited person, who
said he knew every fish from the shrimp to the Whale,
was justly laughed at, as neither the Whale nor the
shrimp are included in the fishes by zoologists.
The general form of the Whale's body is that of a fish ;
but the tail is placed horizontally instead of vertically,
and the skeleton of the fins exactly resembles that of a
hand affixed to a contracted arm, though it is covered
with so thick a skin that no trace of the formation of the
bones can be discovered externally. There are only two
fins, which are very small, and close to the head. The
Whale, however, differs from fishes most materially in its
having warm blood ; and in its lungs, which are exactly
the same as those of quadrupeds. Hence, though the
Whale can remain a long time under water without
breathing, it is compelled to come to the surface when-
ever it does breathe, and for this purpose it is furnished
with two large nostrils, or blow-holes as they are called.
The blow-holes are most beautifully and curiously con-
trived to close when the animal sinks under water ; so
that not a drop of water can enter the lungs, however
great the pressure may be. The Whale is also provided
with a very thick skin, containing an immense quantity
of liquid oil, called the blubber, which is so easily de-
tached from the flesh, that when a Whale is killed, the
blubber, which is sometimes two feet thick, is taken off
by passing a common spade between it and the body.
This thick oily skin is a non-conductor of heat, and is
thus admirably adapted for preventing the warm blood
of the Whale from being chilled by the cold of the water.
The true fishes, which are unprovided with such a cover-
ing, have cold blood, and are therefore not susceptible of
chills.
The common Whale has no teeth in either jaw, but its
mouth is furnished with a kind of fringe of numerous
long horny laminaB, which are what we call whalebone,
The Common, or Greenland Whale. 403
and which form a kind of strainer, admitting only the
small fish on which the Whale feeds. This Whalebone
is one of the valuable products of the whale, though the
oil is most important.
" As when enclosing harpooners assail,
In hyperborean seas, the slumbering Whale ;
Soon as the javelins pierce the scaly side,
He groans, he darts impetuous down the tide ;
And, rack'd all o'er with lacerating pain,
He flies remote beneath the flood in vain."
FALCONER.
Whales are taken in great numbers about Spitzbergen,
Greenland, and other northern countries by the English,
the Dutch, &c. Considerable fleets of ships are sent out
every spring for this purpose. When they begin their
fishery, each ship is fastened or moored with nose-hooks
to the ice. Two boats, each manned with six men, are
ordered by the commodore to look out for the coming of
the fish for two hours, when they are relieved by two
more, and so by turns ; the two boats lie at some small
distance from the ship, each separated from the other,
fastened to the ice with their boat-hooks, ready to let go
in an instant at the first sight of the Whale. Here the
dexterity of the Whale hunters is to be admired ; for as
soon as the animal shows itself, every man is at his oar,
and they all rush on the Whale with prodigious swift-
ness ; at the same time taking care to come behind its
head, that it may not see the boat, which sometimes so
alarms it, that it plunges down again before they have
time to strike it. But the greatest care is to be taken of
the tail, with which it many times does very great
damage, both to the boats and seamen. The harpooner,
who is placed at the head or bow of the boat, seeing the
back of the Whale, and making the onset, thrusts the
harpoon with all his might into its body by the help of
a staff fixed to the iron for this purpose, and leaves it in,
a line being fastened to it of about two inches in circum-
ference, and one hundred and thirty-six fathoms long.
Every boat is furnished with seven of these lines, from
the motion of which, when let run, they observe the
course of the Whale.
404 Fishes.
As soon as the Whale is struck, the third man in the
boat holds up his oar, with something on the top, as a
signal to the ship ; at the sight of which the man who is
appointed to watch gives the alarm to those that are
asleep, who instantly let fall their other four boats, which
hang on the tackles, two at each side, ready to let go at
a minute's warning, all furnished with six men each,
harpoons, lances, lines, &c. Two or three of these boats
row to the place where the Whale may be expected to
come up again; the others to assist the boat that first
struck it with line ; as the \Vhale will sometimes run
out three more boats' lines, all fastened to each other, for
when the lines of the first boat are almost run out, they
throw the end to the second to be fastened to theirs, and
the second boat does the same to the third, and so on.
In this manner line is supplied to such an extent that
a large Whale has been known to carry off three miles
of it.
A Whale, when he is first struck, will run out above a
hundred fathoms of line, before the harpooner is able to
take a turn round the boat's stern ; and with such swift-
ness that a man stands ready to throw water on the line
to quench it, in case it should take fire, which it frequently
does. There was, many years ago, a boat to be seen in
the South Sea Dock at Deptford, the head of which was
sawed off by the swiftness of the line running out. The
harpoon would be of but little avail in the destruction of
this animal ; but part of the rowers, either at the first
onset, or when, in order to fetch his breath, he rises to
the surface and discovers himself to view, throwing aside
their oars, and taking np their very sharp lances, thrust
them into his body, till they see him spurt the blood
through the blow-holes, the sight of which is a sign of
the creature's being mortally wounded. The fishermen,
upon the killing of a Whale, are each entitled to some
small reward. After the Whale is killed, they cut all
the lines that were fastened to it, and then cut off the
tail ; upon this it instantly turns on its back ; and in this
manner they tow it to the ship, where they fasten ropes
to keep it from sinking ; and, when it is cold, begin to
cut off the blubber.
The Common, or Greenland Whale. 405
The blubber of a Whale is frequently found to be
eighteen or twenty inches thick ; which yields fifty or
sixty puncheons of oil, each puncheon containing seventy-
four gallons ; and the upper jaw yields about six hundred
pieces of whalebone, most of which are about twelve feet
long, and six or eight inches broad ; the whole produce
of a Whale being worth one thousand pounds, more or
less, according to the size of the animal. Whilst the men
are at work on the back of the Whale they have spurs
on their boots, with two prongs, which come down on
each side of their feet, lest they should slip, the back of
the Whale being very slippery.
When the Whale feeds, it swims with considerable
velocity below the surface of the sea, with its jaws widely
extended. A stream of water consequently enters its
mouth, carrying along with it immense quantities of
cuttle-fish, sea-blubber, shrimps, and other small marine
animals. The water escapes at the sides ; but the food is
entangled, and, as it were, sifted by the fringe of whale-
bone within the mouth ; this kind of strainer is rendered
necessary by the very small gullet, which in a Whale
of sixty feet long, does not exceed four inches in width,
The sailors say that a penny-loaf would choke a Whale.
The Whale bellows fearfully when wounded or in dis-
tress. Its young is called a cub.
There is also an extensive Whale fishery in the
Southern Ocean, carried on chiefly by the Americans.
The Whale found in those seas is distinct from the
Greenland Whale, and is described by naturalists under
the name of Balcena Australis.
406
Fishes.
The Rorqual The Spermaceti Wlide. 407
THE RORQUAL, OK FIN-BACKED WHALE,
(Balcenoptera loops,")
Is a very large Whale, specimens sometimes measuring
as much as one hundred feet in length. It is distinguished
by its smaller head, and by the existence of a sort of fin
on the lower part of its back. The Rorqual is found in
the northern seas, and specimens are sometimes seen off
our coasts. It is not of much value, as it furnishes far
less blubber than the common \\ hale, and the baleen or
whalebone is so short as to be useless.
THE SPERMACETI WHALE, OR CACHALOT.
(PJiyseter macrocephalus.)
THIS animal has teeth in the lower jaw only ; and no
whalebone. The substance called spermaceti is extracted
from its immense head, which is nearly half the size of
the entire animal ; and the throat is so large that it could
swallow a shark.
The quantity of oil produced from the Spermaceti
Whale is not so considerable as that obtained from the
common or Greenland Whale, but in quality it is far
preferable, as it yields a bright flame, without exhaling
any nauseous smell. Tho substance known by the
408
Fishes.
name of ambergris is also obtained from the body of
this animal. It is generally found in the stomach, but
sometimes in the intestines ; and, in a commercial point
of view, is a highly valuable production. The sper-
maceti is in a fluid state while the animal is living, and
as soon as it is dead a hole is made in the head, and the
liquid taken out with buckets. It becomes solid as it
cools, and it is afterwards made into candles, &c.
When we reflect that the same Power whose will has
formed the immense bulk of this marine monster has
also given animation, senses, and passions to the smallest
of the microscopic animalcules, how lowered must be
the pride of man, who, standing in the middle, and
nearly at equal distance from both, is yet unable to
comprehend the mechanism which puts them in motion,
and much less that intelligence and power which has
given them life, and has assigned to them their respec-
tive stations in the universe ! Let us then exclaim,
with astonishment and gratitude, with the Psalmist :
" O Lord, how inscrutable are thy ways, how magnifi-
cent thy works !"
THE DOLPHIN. (Delphinus delphis.)
THIS animal, like the whale, is not considered a fish,
though it lives in the water, as it has warm blood and
suckles its young, which are born alive. It has also
lungs instead of gills, and is therefore obliged to raise
its head above the surface of the water to breathe.
The Dolphin is from six to ten feet in length. The
The Dolphin. 409
body is roundish, gradually diminishing towards the
tail ; the nose is long and pointed, the skin smooth,
the back black or dusky blue, becoming white below.
It has numerous small teeth in each jaw ; a dorsal and
two pectoral fins, and a tail in the shape of a crescent.
The beak-like snout has probably made the French call
the Dolphin the sea-goose.
Several curious stories have been related of this animal,
most of which are fabulous. The anecdote of Arion, the
musician, who, being thrown overboard by pirates, was
indebted for his life to one of these animals, is well
known, and acquired great credit among ancient poets,
as it was said to be by his music that Arion charmed
the Dolphin. There are several other fables mentioned
by ancient authors to prove the philanthropy of the
Dolphin. Since the province of Dauphine in France
has been united to the crown, the heir-apparent has
been called " Dauphin," and quarters a Dolphin on his
shield. Falconer, in his beautiful poem, " The Ship-
wreck," describes the death of the Dolphin in the fol-
lowing elegant manner :
" Beneath the lofty vessel's stern
A shoal of sporting dolphins they discern,
Beaming from burnished scales refulgent rays,
Till all the glowing ocean seems to blaze.
In curling wreaths they wanton on the tide ;
Now bound aloft, now downward swiftly glide.
Awhile beneath the waves their tracks remain,
And burn in silver streams along the liquid plain ;
Soon to the sport of death the crew repair,
Dart the long lance, or spread the bated snare.
One in redoubling mazes wheels along,
And glides, unhappy, near the triple prong.
Rodmond, unerring, o'er his head suspends
The barbed steel, and every turn attends :
Unerring aim'd, the missile weapon flew,
And plunging, struck the fated victim through.
The upturning points his pond'rous bulk sustain ;
On deck he struggles with convulsive pain ;
But while his heart the fatal javelin thrills,
And fleeting life escapes in sanguine rills,
What radiant changes strike the astonish'd sight,
What glowing hues of mingled shade and light !
No equal beauties gild the lucid west
With parting beams all o'er profusely dressed ;
410 Ti&es.
No lovelier colours paint the vernal dawn,
When orient dews impearl the enamell'd lawn j
Than from his sides in bright suffusion flow,
That now with gold empyreal seem to glow ;
Now in pellucid sapphires meet the view,
And emulate the soft celestial hue ;
Now beam a flaming crimson to the eye,
And now assume the purple's deeper dye :
But here description clouds each shining ray ;
What terms of art can Nature's power display ? "
Unfortunately for poetry, the beautiful colours of the
dying Dolphin exist entirely in the fancy of the poet ;
as the Dolphin in a dying state displays no tints but
black and white, and it is believed that the notion so
prevalent among the ancients of the change of colour in
this animal was derived from a true fish, the Dorado,
which does exhibit this pheiiorneno-
THE WHITE WHALE. (Beluga leucas.)
THE WHITE WHALE, or Beluga, is included among the
dolphins. The body is white, tinged with yellow, or
The White Whale,
411
rose-colour, and its proportions are more agreeable than
those of most of the cetacea. It measures from twelve
to eighteen feet in length. White Whales are gregarious,
assembling in flocks or herds, and playing about with
rapid and graceful movements. The female has two
young ones at a time, over which she watches with the
greatest apparent affection. They follow all her move-
ments, and do not quit her till they are nearly full grown.
This Whale is generally confined to the northern lati-
tudes, though one was taken in the Firth of Forth in
1815. The oil is of excellent quality, and the flesh eats
like beef. According to some writers the flesh, when
pickled with vinegar and salt, is as well tasted as pork ;
and thus the body, which is generally thrown away when
the sailors have cut off the blubber, might be used by
them as food. The internal membranes are used by the
Greenlanders for windows, and the sinews for thread, and
the fins and tail, when properly prepared, are said by
some of the old writers to be good eating.
412
Fishes.
THE POKPOISE. (Phoccena vulgaris.)
THE PORPOISE is one of the cetacea, and nearly allied to
the dolphin, but it has not the beaked snout of that
animal. The length of the Poi poise, from the lip of the
snout to the end of the tail, is from four to eight feet,
and its girth about two feet and a half. The figure of
the whole body is conical ; the colour of the back is
deep blue, inclining to shining black; the sides are
grey, becoming white below. The tail is crescent-
shaped. There are only three fins, one on the back,
and one on each shoulder. The eyes are very small.
When the flesh is cut up, it looks very much like pork ;
but although it was once considered a sumptuous article
of food, and is said to have been occasionally introduced
at the tables of the old English nobility, it certainly has
a disagreeable flavour. Porpoises live on small fish, and
appear generally in large shoals, particularly in the
mackerel and herring seasons, at which time they do
very great damage to fishermen, by breaking and destroy-
ing the nets to get at their prey. Their motion in the
water is a kind of circular leap ; they dive deep, but
soon again rise up in order to breathe. They are so
eager in the pursuit of their prey, that they sometimes
ascend lai'ge rivers, and have even been seen above West-
The Porpoise. 413
minster Bridge. They have no gills, and blow out the
water with a loud noise, which in calm weather may
be heard at a great distance. They are seen nearly in
all seas, and are very common upon the British coasts,
where they sport with great activity, chiefly at the
approach of a squall.
The Grampus (PhoccBna Oreo) is a species of Porpoise,
and a decided and inveterate enemy to whales ; which
they attack in great flocks, fastening round them like
so many bull-dogs, making them roar with pain, and
frequently killing and devouring them. They are
usually from twenty to twenty-five feet in length, and
in general form and colour resemble the common Por-
poise ; but the lower jaw is considerably wider than
the upper, and the body is somewhat broader and more
deep in proportion. The back-fin sometimes measures
six feet in length, In one of the poems of Waller, a
story (founded on fact) is recorded of the parental
affection of these animals. A Grampus and her cub
had got into an arm of the sea, where, by the desertion
of the tide, they were enclosed on every side. The men
on shore saw their situation, and ran down upon them
with such weapons as they could at the moment collect.
The poor animals were soon wounded in several places,
so that all the immediately surrounding water was
stained with their blood. They made many efforts to
escape; and the old one, by superior strength, forced
itself over the shallow into the ocean. But though in
safety herself she would not leave her young one in the
hands of assassins. She therefore again rushed in ; and
seemed resolved, since she could not prevent, at least
to share the fate of her offspring. The story concludes
with poetical justice ; for the tide coming in, conveyed
them both off in safety ; and it is probable, from the
great thickness of their skins, that their wounds had
not been very deep.
414 Fishes.
THE SEA-UNICOKN, OK NARWHAL,
(Monodon monoceros,')
A MARINE animal, differing from all the cetacea, to which
it belongs, in not having any teeth, properly so called,
and in being armed with a horn of seven or eight feet
in length, which projects from the head. This horn is
white, spirally twisted throughout its whole length,
and tapering to a point : it is harder, whiter, and more
valuable than the ivory of the elephant, and was for-
merly in high repute for its supposed medical proper-
ties : small ones may be sometimes seen set with an
elegant head as a walking-stick, and large specimens
have been employed as bed-posts. The animal itself
is from twenty to forty feet in length, and is occasionally
found with two horns ; indeed, there is always the
germ of a second horn both in the male and female,
though it is rarely developed in the former, and never
in the latter, from whioh we may conjecture that the
females trust entirely to the males for their defence, as
we know is the case with several of the mammalia.
When there is only one horn, it is always on the left
side of the head ; and when there are two, the horn on
the left side is always larger than the other. This
animal chiefly inhabits the arctic seas, and its food is
said to consist of the smaller kinds of flat fish and other
marine animals ; its horn is useful in breaking away
the ice when it wants to come up to breathe. The
blubber supplies a small quantity of very fine oil, and
the Greenlanders are very partial to the flesh.
The Manatee.
415
THE MANATEE, (Manatus Australia,)
ALSO called the Sea Cow, is a great deal smaller than
the other cetacea just described, and differs from them
in its diet, which consists entirely of marine plants.
It haunts the coasts and estuaries of South America,
and measures nine or ten feet in length ; its head is
comparatively small, its jaws are furnished only with
grinding-teeth, of which it has thirty-two, its skin is
provided with a good many scattered bristles, and its
flippers, or fins, with four small nails. This animal
not unfrequently raises its head and shoulders out of
the water, when it is said to have some resemblance to
a human being, and it is probable that the distant view
of a nearly related species, the Lamantin, which inhabits
the shores of Africa, may have given the ancients their
first notion of the Mermaid. The Manatee is captured
with harpoons, and its flesh is said to be very good
eating. When salted and dried it will keep for a year.
It also furnishes an excellent oil, and its skin is used
for making harness and whips. The Dugong (Halicore
Dugong) is a very similar animal, inhabiting the eastern
seas. It grows to a length of eighteen or twenty feet.
Fishes.
II. Cartilaginous Fishes.
THE STURGEON, (Aclpenser sturio,)
SOMETIMES grows to the length of eight or ten feet, and
has been found to weigh five hundred pounds. It has
a long, slender, pointed nose, small eyes, and a small
mouth destitute of teeth, placed beneath and unsup-
ported by the maxillae ; so that when the animal is dead,
the mouth remains always open. The body is covered
with five rows of large bony tubercles, and the under
side is flat ; it has one dorsal fin, two pectoral, two ven-
tral, and one anal. The upper part of the body is of a
muddy olive colour, and the under part silvery. The
tail is bifurcated, the upper part being much longer
than the under. Sturgeons subsist principally on insects
arid marine plants, which they find at the bottom of the
water, where they mostly resort.
The Sturgeon annually ascends our rivers in the sum-
mer, particularly those of the Eden and Esk ; and when
caught, as it sometimes is, in the salmon-nets, it scarcely
makes any resistance, but is drawn out of the water
apparently lifeless. One of the largest Sturgeons ever
caught in our rivers was taken in the Esk a good many
years ago : it weighed four hundred and sixty pounds.
This fish is found in most of the rivers in Europe ; it is
also common in those of North America, and especially
in the lakes and rivers of Northern Asia.
The flesh of the Sturgeon is delicious ; and it was so
much valued in the time of the Emperor Severus, that it
The Sliark. 417
was brought to table by servants with coronets on their
heads, and preceded by music. In London, every Stur-
geon that is caught in the Thames is presented by the
Lord Mayor to the Sovereign. The roe, when preserved
with salt and oil, is called caviar, and is a favourite dish
with many persons ; the best is made in Russia. The
flesh is also piokled or salted, and sent all over Europe.
So prolific is this fish, that Catesby says the females fre-
quently contain a bushel of spawn each ; and Leeuwen-
hoek found in the roe of one of them no fewer than one
hundred and fifty thousand million eggs !
THE SHAKE.
Squalus carcharias, or Carcharias vulgaris.)
'' Increasing still the terrors of the
His javvo horrific arm'd with threefold fate,
Here dwells the direful Shark."
THE SHARK differs from the whale in not being one of
the mammalia. It is cold-blooded, and does not buckle
its young. It has no lungs, and its mode of breathing
is like that of other fishes, except that its gills are fixed,
and the water escapes by five apertures on each side.
The body of the Shark is elongated, and tapers gradually
from the head to the tail, or is very slightly dilated in
the middle. Its muzzle or nose is rounded, and projects
very much over the mouth, the nostrils being situated
2E
418 Fishes.
on the under side. The male shark is smaller than the
female, and differs from it in appearance, in possessing
two elongated appendages, one of which is attached to
the hinder edge of each of the ventral fins. The purpose
which these appendages are intended to serve is not known.
Some of the Sharks produce their young alive, and others
lay eggs contained in horny cases of an oblong shape,
with long tendrils at each of the four corners. After the
young Sharks are hatched, these curious cases are often
washed on shore, and are called mermaids' purses.
The bones of the Shark are like gristle, and very dif-
ferent from those of most other fishes. Hence all the
fishes with bones similar to those of the Shark are placed
in a separate order, and called cartilaginous fishes.
The White Shark is sometimes found weighing nearly
two thousand pounds. The throat is often large enough
to swallow a man ; and a human body has sometimes
been found entire in the stomach of this tremendous
animal. He is furnished with six rows of sharp tri-
angular teeth, which amount in all to a hundred and
forty-four, serrated on their edges, and capable of being
erected or depressed at pleasure, owing to a curious
muscular mechanism in the palate and jaws of the Shark.
The whole body and fins are of a light ash-colour ; the
skin rough, and employed to smooth cabinet work, or
to cover small boxes or cases. His eyes are large and
staring, and he possesses great muscular strength in his
tail and fins. Whenever he spies, from the deepest re-
cesses of the sea, a man swimming or diving, he darts
from the place, pp to his prey, and if unable to take in
the whole, or snatch away a limb, he follows for a long
time the boat or vessel in which the more nimble swim-
mer has found a safe and opportune retreat : but seldom
does he let any one escape his jaws, and get off entire.
Sir Brook Watson was swimming at a little distance
from a ship, when he saw a Shark making towards him.
Struck with terror at its approach, he cried out for
assistance. A rope was instantly thrown; but even
while the men were in the act of drawing him up the
ship's side, the monster darted after him, and, at a single
snap, tore off his leg.
The Shark. 419
We are told that, in the reign of Queen Anne, some
of the men of an English merchant-ship, which had
arrived at Barbadoes, were one day bathing in the sea,
when a large Shark appeared, and was rushing upon
them. A person from the ship called out to warn them
of their danger ; on which they all immediately swam
to the vessel, and arrived in perfect safety, except one
poor man, who was cut in two by the Shark, almost
within reach of the oars. A comrade and intimate
friend of the unfortunate victim, when he observed the
severed trunk of his companion, was seized with a
degree of horror that words cannot describe. The in-
satiate Shark was seen traversing the bloody surface in
search of the remainder of his prey, when the brave
youth plunged into the water, determining either to
make the Shark disgorge, or to be buried himself in the
same grave. He held in his hand a long and sharp-
pointed knife, and the rapacious animal pushed furiously
towards him; he had turned on his side, and had
opened his enormous jaws, in order to seize him, when
the youth, diving dexterously under, seized him with
his left hand, somewhere about the upper fins, and
stabbed him several times in the belly. The Shark,
enraged with pain, and streaming with blood, plunged
in all directions in order to disengage himself from his
enemy. The crews of the surrounding vessels saw that
the combat was decided : but they were ignorant which
was slain, until the Shark, weakened by loss of blood,
made towards the shore, and along with him his con-
queror ; who, flushed with victory, pushed his foe with
redoubled ardour, and, by the aid of an ebbing tide,
dragged him on shore. Here he ripped up the bowels
of the animal, obtained the severed remainder of his
friend's body, and buried it with the trunk in the same
grave. This story, however incredible it may appear,
is related in the History of Barbadoes, on the most
satisfactory authority.
Had nature allowed this fish to seize his prey with
as much facility as many others, the Shark tribe would
have soon depopulated the ocean, and reigned alone in
the vast regions of the sea, till hunger would have forced
420
Fishes.
them to attack and ultimately destroy each other ; but
the upper jaw of this devouring animal, is so constructed
as to offer, by its prominency, an impediment to the
Shark's easily seizing his prey; and consequently when
on the point of catching hold of anything, he is obliged
to turn on one side, which troublesome evolution often
gives the object of his pursuit time to escape. The
flesh of this fish is of a disagreeable taste, and cannot
be eaten with any kind of relish, except the part near
the tail.
Twenty different species of this family are known,
and the number of different families of the Shark tribe
is very great.
THE GKEENLAND SHARK, (Sdaclms maximus,)
Is another very voracious species ; and one extremely
difficult to kill. It is the great enemy of the whale,
and devours the bodies of those left by the fishers. Its
teeth are very small, pointed, and numerous. The
snout is short. It is sometimes known as the Basking
Shark.
THE DOG-FISHES
ARE so excessively voracious, that they are altogether
The Hammer-headed Shark. 421
fearless of mankind. They follow vessels with great
eagerness, seizing with avidity everything eatable that
is thrown overboard ; and have sometimes been known
to throw themselves on fishermen, and on persons bath-
ing in the sea. As, however, they are much smaller
and weaker than most of the other Sharks, they do not
always attack their enemies by open force, but generally
have recourse to stratagem. They, consequently, con-
ceal themselves in the mud, and lie in ambush, like the
ray or skate-fish, (also one of the cartilaginous fishes,)
until they have an opportunity of successfully attacking
their prey. On the coasts of Scarborough, where had-
docks, cod, and Dog-fish are in great abundance, the
fishermen universally believe that the Dog-fish make a
line or semicircle to encompass a shoalof haddocks and
cod, confining them within certain limits near the shore,
and eating them as occasion requires : they are there-
fore considered very destructive to this fishery. The
flesh of the Dog-fish is hard and disagreeable ; its skin,
when dried, is made into the well-known shagreen, and
from the liver a considerable quantity of oil may be
extracted. Shagreen is also made from the skin of other
cartilaginous fishes.
THE HAMMEK-HEADED SHARK, (Zygoma malleus,)
Is a very curious kind, having a transverse head like
that of a hammer, with an eye at each extremity ; and the
Fox-Shark, or Thresher (Carcharias vnlpes), is remarkable
for the enormous length of the upper lobe of its tail,
with which it is able to strike with tremendous force.
This fish is one of the great enemies of the whale.
422 Fishes.
THE SKATE, (Baia batis,)
Is a species of the Ray, which was long disregarded in
this country as a coarse, bad-tasted food, but which now
appears upon our best tables. It is still, however, dis^
regarded in Scotland and the north of England, where
its flesh is principally used as a bait for other fish. On
some parts of the continent, where these fish are caught
in great abundance, they are dried for sale. The best
season for Skate is the spring of the year. The body is
broad and flat, of a brown colour on the back, and white
on the lower side : the head is not distinct from the
body, so that this fish and all belonging to this genus
are apparently acephalous, or without a head. The
peculiar form of this fish is owing to the large size of
the pectoral fins, which extend from the head to the
base of the tail, and are very wide in the middle, and
so, combined with the sharpness of the snout, give the
fish the shape known as rhomboidal. Dr. Monro has
remarked, that in the gills of a large Skate there are
upwards of one hundred and forty-four thousand sub-
divisions, or folds; and that the whole extent of this
membrane, whose surface is nearly equal to that of the
whole human body, may be seen by a microscope to be
covered with a network of vessels, that are not only
extremely minute, but exquisitely beautiful. The tail
of the Skate is long, and generally prickly. The mouth
is, as it were, paved with teeth, which are flat, and nearly
square in shape. In the full-grown male the centre
teeth are pointed, at least in some species. The eggs
The Skate. 423
deposited by the female Skate are very similar to those
laid by the shark, being in the shape of a square bag,
with two horns at each end as here represented.
In this horny case the embryo is contained, and grows
till it has acquired strength enough to burst through its
prison. The colour of the bag is maroon, and the sub-
stance like thin brown parchment or leather. The
female begins to drop these singly in the month of May,
and continues to do so for several months, to the num-
ber of two or three hundred. In some parts of Cum-
berland they are called, by the common people, Skate-
barrows, on account of their resemblance to the barrows
which are carried by two men, and used for the convey-
ance of goods, &c.
The Skate sometimes attains a very large size. Wil-
loughby speaks of one so huge that it wouM have served
one hundred and twenty men for dinner. Some natural-
ists are of opinion that these fishes are the largest in-
habitants of the deep, and that only the smallest of them
come near the surface of the water, the biggest remain
ing flat at the bottom of the sea, where an unfathomable
deep secures them against the wiles of man.
Nine species of the Skate or Ray are found on the
British coasts.
424
FisJies.
THE THORNBACK, (Eaia davata,)
RESEMBLES the Skate in its general appearance ; the prin-
cipal difference consists in the latter having sharp teeth,
and a single row of spines upon the tail, while the former
has blunt teeth, and several rows of spines both upon
the back and tail. A Thornback was caught near the
island of St. Kitt's, in the year 1634, which measured
twelve feet in length, and nearly ten in width. It is
sometimes eaten in England, but as its flesh is inferior
to that of the Skate, it is generally sold at a low price.
The young ones, however, which have the denomination
of Maids, are delicate eating.
The Torpedo. 425
THE TOEPEDO, OE ELECTEIC EAY.
(Torpedo vulgaris.)
THIS curious fish is capable of giving a violent shock, like
ihat produced by the electrical machine, to the person
who handles it. The body is nearly circular, and thicker
than any other of the Bay kind, and is sometimes so large
as to weigh between seventy and. eighty pounds. The
skin is smooth, of a dusky brown colour, and white under-
neath. The ventral fins form on each side, at the end of
the body, nearly a quarter of a circle. The tail is short,
and the two dorsal fins are near its origin. The mouth
is small, and as in the other species, there are on each
side below it five breathing apertures.
The shock imparted by the touch of the Cramp-fish, as
the Torpedo is vulgarly called, is often attended with a
sudden sickness at the stomach, a general tremor, a kind
of convulsion, and sometimes a total suspension of the
faculties of the mind. Such power of self-defence has
Providence allowed this lumpish and inactive fish.
Whenever an enemy approaches, the Torpedo emits from
its body that benumbing shock, which incapacitates the
other instantly, and it thereby gets time to escape. Nor
is it merelj T a means of defence, but an advantage in
other respects, for the Torpedo thus benumbs its prey,
and easily seizes upon it. The animals thus killed are
also supposed to become more easy of digestion.
426 Fisties.
THE MONK-FISH, OK ANGEL-FISH,
(Squatina Angelus^)
Is very voracious, and feeds upon all kinds of flat fish,
as soles, flounders, &c. It is often caught on the coasts of
Great Britain, and of such a size as to weigh sometimes
a hundred pounds. This fish seems to be of a middle
nature between the rays and sharks, and is called by Pliny
the Squatina ; a name which seems to bring this species
near that of the skate. Its head is large ; the mouth has
five rows of teeth, which are capable of being raised or
depressed at pleasure. The back is of a pale ash-colour ;
the belly white and smooth. The shores of Cornwall are
often frequented by this fish, but its flesh does not deserve
to be praised, being hard, and of a very indifferent
flavour.
It is supposed to have acquired the name of Angel-fish,
from its extended pectoral fins bearing some similarity to
wings, certainly, as Mr. Yarrell has remarked, not for its
beauty ; and of monk-fish, from its rounded head, appear-
ing as if enveloped in a monk's hood. The skin is rather
rough, and is used for polishing, and other works in the
arts. Mr. Donovan says that the Turks of the present
day make shagreen of it.
The Lamprey. 427
THE SAW-FISH. (Tristu antiqiiorum.)
THIS fish is found in the European and Atlantic seas.
Its body is flattened anteriorly with four or five branchial
openings below on each side ; two spiracles behind the
eyes ; no anal fin ; the head prolonged into a depressed
bony beak, with strong pointed spines on each side ; the
lips are rough and sharp like a file, supplying the place of
teeth. With its formidable weapon, which resembles a
toothed saw, this fish attacks the largest whales, and in-
flicts very severe wounds. The colour of its body is
of a greyish brown above, and paler below; its length
about fifteen feet, the saw being about a third of the
whole.
THE LAMPEEY. (Pdromyzonmaiinus.}
THE LAMPREY belongs to the last family of cartilaginous
fishes, and is one of the lowest in the scale of vertebrated
animals. It grows to the length of about three feet,
although the British species, with which we are best ac-
quainted, seldom exceeds twelve inches. To avoid the
constant muscular exertions necessary to prevent their
being carried away by the current, they attach them-
selves by the mouth to stones or rocks, and hence are
called Petromyzon, Stone-suckers. The Lamprey, although
428 Fishes.
no longer maintaining its ancient repute, is still con-
sidered a delicacy ; those taken in the Severn being pre-
ferred to all others. Henry the First, as is well known,
died of a surfeit of them ; and in the reign of Henry the
Fourth their importation was encouraged by immunities.
The Eoman epicures prized this fish so highly, that they
bestowed the utmost care, and expended enormous sums
in rearing them. Pliny tells us that Lucullus formed
a fish-pond of such extent, that the fish it contained
were, at his death, sold for four million sesterces. These
polished barbarians sometimes threw a slave into the
ponds where they kept their Muroence, or Lampreys, and
considered that by this means they fattened the fish and
gave them a superior flavour.
THE HAG-FISH, (Myxine glutinosa,)
A CARTILAGINOUS FISH, which in its general appearance
bears a near resemblance to the Lamprey. Its colour is
dusky bluish above, and reddish towards the head and
tail ; its length from four to six inches. The Hag-fish is
remarkable for its total want of eyes ; its mouth is of an
oblong form, with two beards or cirri on each side, and
on the upper part four. On the top of the head is a
small spout-hole, furnished with a valve, by which it can
be closed at pleasure. A double row of pores extends!
beneath the body, from one extremity to the other, which
on pressure exude a quantity of viscid fluid, which, when
attacked by large fish, the Hag throws out, so as to cloud
the surrounding element in such a manner as to render
itself invisible to its assailants. " The habits of this
fish are highly singular : it will enter the bodies of sucb
The Pilot-Fish.
429
fishes as it happens to find on the fishermen's hooks, and
which consequently have lost the power of escaping its
attack ; and gnawing its way through the skin, will de-
vour all the internal parts, leaving only the bones and
the skin. If put into a large vessel of sea- water, it is said
in a very short space to render the whole water so glu-
tinous that it may easily be drawn out in the form of
threads."
III. Bony Fishes.
THE PILOT-FISH. (Naucrates ductor.)
THE body of this fish is long, the head compressed,
rounding off in front, without scales as far as the oper-
culum. The mouth is small, the jaws of equal length,
and furnished with small teeth ; the palate has a curved
row of similar teeth in front, and the tongue has teeth all
along. The colour varies in several species. The Pilot-
fish will frequently attend a ship during its course at sea
for weeks, or even months together ; and there are many
curious stories told respecting its habits, in occasionally
directing a shark where to find a good meal, and also in
warning him how to avoid a dangerous bait. Whether
this be true or not will be difficult to determine ; but it
is certain that this little fish is generally found in com^
pany with the shark, and picks up the smaller pieces of
food which his predatory master drops, either by accident
or design.
430 Fishes.
THE REMORA, OE SUCKIKG-FISH,
(Eclieneis Remora,)
KESEMBLES the herring ; its head is thick, naked, de-
pressed, and marked on the tipper side with a curious
sucker composed of numerous transverse, movable, ser-
rated plates. The fins are seven in number ; the under
jaw is longer than the upper, and both furnished with
teeth. This fish is provided by nature with a strong ad-
hesive power, and, by means of the grooved space on its
head, can attach itself to any animal or body whatever.
We might suppose that a small fish with seven acting fins,
armed like a galley with oars, would have a great power
of motion in the water, but, for some reason unknown to
us, Providence has contrived for him an easier way of
travelling, by enabling him to fix himself to the hull of
a ship, and even to the body of a larger animal than him-
self, as the whale, the shark, and others. Our forefathers
believed that, small as he is, this fibh had the power of
arresting the progress of a ship in its fastest sailing by
adhering to the bottom.
" The Sucking-fish beneath, with secret chains,
Clung to the keel, the swiftest ship detains.
The seamen run confused, no labour spared,
Let fly the sheets, and hoist the topmast yard.
The master bids them give her all the sails,
To court the winds and catch the coming gales.
But, though the canvas bellies with the blast,
And boisterous winds bend down the cracking mast,
The bark stands firmly rooted in the sea,
And will, unmoved, nor winds nor waves obey :
Still, as when calms have flatted all the plain,
And infant waves scarce wrinkle on the main.
No sliip in harbour moor'd so careless rides,
When ruffling waters tell the flowing tides ;
Appall'd, the sailors stare, through strange surprise,
Believe they dream, and rub their waking eyes."
The Sea- Wolf .
431
THE SEA-WOLF, OR SEA-BAT,
(Anarrhichas lupus,)
Is often caught in the European seas ; and is about five
or six feet in length, and has a larger and flatter head
than the shark. The back, sides, and fins are of a bluish
colour; the body is nearly white ; the whole skin is smooth
and slippery, without any appearance of scales. It is of
a very voracious nature, and has a double row of sharp
and round teeth, both in the upper and lower jaw. Its
appetite, however, does not lead it to destroy fishes
similar in shape to itself, as it is supposed to feed chiefly
on crustaceous and molluscous animals, whose shells it
breaks easily with its teeth. It is sometimes found in
the northern seas exceeding twelve feet in length, and
owes its name to its natural fierceness and voracity. The
fishermen dread its bite, and endeavour as speedily as
possible to strike out its fore-teeth, which are so strong,
that they are capable of leaving an impression on an an-
chor. The fins nearest the head spread themselves, when
the animal is swimming, in the shape of two large fans,
and their motion contributes considerably to accelerate its
natural swiftness. The flesh is good, and as it bears salt-
ing well it is an important article of food to the Icelanders,
in whose seas this fish occurs in great abundance and of
large size.
432
Fishes.
THE HOENED SILUKE,
(Silurus, or Ageneiosus militarist)
GROWS to a large size, weighing sometimes three hundred
pounds, and measuring eight to ten feet in length, and
two in breadth. It has a broad, flat, thin head ; and the
horns, which are on each side of the upper lip, are armed
with short crooked spines, like teeth. A remarkable pe-
culiarity in this fish is the dorsal fin, which is close to
the head, and is long, stiff, dentated like the horns, and
is, no doubt, an instrument of defence. In colour it re-
sembles the eel, and has no scales ; only one small fin on
the back, and a forked tail ; its flesh is esteemed next to
that of the eel, and has a similar flavour. This fish is a
great depredator, and makes considerable havoc among
the smaller inhabitants of the rivers and lakes which it in-
habits. It is a native of the fresh waters of Asia. The
Danube, and several other rivers of Germany, and the
lakes of Switzerland and Bavaria contain numerous
specimens of Silurus.
The Father Lasher The Sword-Fish. 433
THE FATHER LASHER. (Coitus scorpius.)
THE whimsical denomination of Father Lasher, given to
this fish, cannot be easily accounted for ; perhaps it may
be ascribable to the quick and repeated lashings of its
tail, when the fish is caught and thrown upon the sand.
The length is about eight or nine inches, and it is usually
found under stones, on the rocky coasts of our island. In
Greenland these fish are so numerous, that the inhabit-
ants depend largely upon them for their food. When
made into soup, they are nutritive and wholesome. The
head is large, and armed with spines, by which this
fish combats every enemy that attacks it, swelling out its
cheeks and gill-covers to an unusual size. Its colour is
a dull brown, mottled with white, and sometimes mixed
with red ; the fins and tail are transparent, and the lower
part of the body a shining white.
THE SWORD-FISH, (Xiphias glaclius,)
WHICH belongs to the mackerel family, has received its
2 F
434 Fishes.
name from its long snout resembling the blade of a sword.
It sometimes weighs above one hundred pounds, and is
fifteen or even twenty feet in length. The body is of a
conical form, black on the back, white under the body ; the
mouth large, with no teeth ; the tail is remarkably forked.
The Sword-fish is often taken off the coast of Italy, in the
Bay of Naples, and about Sicily. They are struck at by
the fishermen, and their flesh is considered as good as
that of the sturgeon by the Sicilians, who seem to be
particularly fond of it. Other European seas are not
destitute of this curious animal.
The Sword-fish and the whale are said never to meet
without coming to battle ; and the former has the repu-
tation of being always the aggressor. Sometimes two
Sword-fishes join against one whale ; in which case the
combat is by no means equal. The whale uses his tail in
his defence ; he dives deeply into the water, head foremost,
and makes such a blow with his tail, that, should it take
effect, it kills the Sword-fish at a single stroke ; but the
latter is in general sufficiently adroit to avoid it, and im-
mediately rushes at the whale, and buries its weapon in
his side. When the whale discovers the Sword-fish dart-
ing upon him, he dives to the bottom, but is closely pur-
sued by his antagonist, who compels him again to rise to
the surface. The battle then begins afresh, and lasts until
the Sword-fish loses sight of the whale, who is at length
compelled to swim off, which his superior agility enables
him to do. In piercing the whale's body with the
tremendous weapon at his snout, the Sword-fish seldom
inflicts a dangerous wound, not being able to penetrate be-
yond the blubber. This animal can drive its sword with
such force into the keel of a ship, as to bury it wholly
in the timber. A part of the bottom of a vessel, with
the sword imbedded in it, is to be seen in the British
Museum.
The Flying Scorpion.
435
THE FLYING SCORPION.
How admirable is Nature ! how extensive her power
and how various the forms with which she has sur-
rounded the united elements of animated matter ! From
the uncouth shape of the wallowing whale, of the un-
wieldy hippopotamus, or ponderous elephant, to the
light and elegant form of the painted moth or fluttering
hurnming-bird, she seerns to have exhausted all ideas, all
conceptions, and not to have left a single figure untried.
The fish represented above is one of those, in the out-
lines and decorations of which appear the discordant
qualities of frightfulness and beauty. Armed cap-a-pie,
surrounded with spines and thorns bristling on his
back, and fins like an armed phalanx of lance : bearers,
and decorated on the body with yellow ribands, inter-
woven with white fillets, and on the purple fins of
his breast with the milky dots of the pintado, the Sea
Scorpion presents a very extraordinary contrast. His
eyes, like those of which poets sang when celebrating
the Nereids and Naiads, consist of black pupils, sur-
rounded with a silver iris, radiated with alternate
divisions of blue and black. The rays of the dorsal fin
are spiny, spotted brown and yellow, conjoined below
by a dark brown membrane, and separate above; the
ventral fins are violet with white drops, and the iail
and anal fins are a sort of tesselated work of blue,
black, and white, united with the greatest symmetry,
436 Fishes.
and not unlike those ancient fragments of Roman pave-
ments often found in this island.
This variegated fish is found in the rivers of Amboyna
and Japan ; its flesh is white, firm, and well tasting, like
our perch, but it does not grow so large ; it is of a very
voracious disposition, feeding on the young of other
fish, some of which, two inches in length, have been
found in its craw. The skin has both the appearance
and smoothness of parchment. To the tremendous
armour of its back, fins, and tail, this fish owes the
name of Scorpion.
THE LUMP-SUCKER, OK SEA-OWL.
(Cydopterus lumpus.)
THIS odd-shaped fish derives its name chiefly from the
clumsiness of its form ; it is also called the Cock Paddle.
Its colour, when in the highest perfection, combines
various shades of blue, purple, and rich orange; the
abdomen is red ; it has no scales, but on all sides sharp
black tubercles, in shape like warts; on each side are
three rows of sharp prickles, and on the back two
distinct fins. The great resort of this species is in the
Northern seas, about the coast of Greenland ; it is also
caught in many parts of the British seas during the
spring season, when it approaches the shore for the
purpose of depositing its spawn ; and in the month of
March it may be seen at the stalls of the London mar-
kets. This unseemly fish is usually about a foot in
length, and ten or more inches in breadth, and some-
times weighs seven pounds. The flesh is but indifferent.
The Ocellated Sucker.
437
The Lump-sucker is very remarkable for the manner
in which its ventral fins are arranged. They are united
by a membrane so as to form a kind of oval and concave
disc, by means of which it is enabled to adhere with
great force to any substance to which it fastens itself.
Pennant says, that, on throwing an individual of this
species into a pail of water, it adhered so firmly to the
bottom that, on taking the fish by the tail, the whole
pail was lifted up, though it held some gallons.
In the Northern seas great numbers of the different
species of Lump-suckers are devoured by the seals, who
swallow all but the skins, quantities of which thus
emptied are seen floating about in the spring months ;
it is said that the spots where the seals carry on their
depredations can be readily distinguished by the
smoothness of the water.
THE OCELLATED SUCKER,
(Lepadogaster cormibicus,)
ANOTHER Malacopterygious fish, a relative of the Lump-
438 Fishes.
sucker, and chiefly remarkable for the singular append-
age observable on its head. It possesses similar tenacity
of suction. The utility of this faculty .to animals inha-
biting the rocky shores and turbulent seas of Greenland
is sufficiently obvious.
THE ANGLEK. (Lopliius piscatorius.)
THIS extraordinary fish is occasionally met with on our
coasts, and is commonly known by the names of the
Fishing Frog, Toad Fish, and Sea Devil. In shape it is
the most uncouth and unsightly of the piscatory tribe,
resembling the frog in its tadpole state. It grows to a
large size. A specimen taken in the sea, near Scar-
borough, was between four and five feet in length, the
head considerably larger than the body, round at the
circumference, flat above ; the mouth is of a prodigious
size, being a yard in width, and armed with sharp teeth.
It lives, as it were, in ambush at the bottom of the
sea, and by means of its fins stirs up the mud and sand,
so as to conceal itself from other fishes on whom it
preys. The manner in which it procures its prey is
very extraordinary, the peculiarity of its construction
forbidding the possibility of rapid movement. Two long
tough filaments are placed above the nose, each of them
furnished with a thin appendage, closely resembling
a fishing-line when baited and flung out. The back
is provided with three others, united by a web, and
forming the first dorsal fin. Pliny notices these remark-
able appendages, and explains their use. " The Fishing
Tlie Four-horned Trunk Fish. 439
Frog," says he, " puts forth the slender horns situated
beneath his eyes, enticing by that means the little fish
to play around till they come within his reach, when
he springs upon them." But it is not only the lesser
inhabitants of the water that the Angler ensnares !
Codfish of good size are often found in his stomach, and
he occasionally seizes upon fishes as they are being
drawn up by the line. Mr. Yarrell mentions an in-
stance of an Angler attacking a conger- eel under these
circumstances : the eel wriggled through the branchial
aperture of his captor, and both were drawn up to-
gether.
Cicero also notices this extraordinary creature, in his
Treatise on the Nature of the Gods. He observed its
wonderful construction when musing on the shores of
Sicily.
THE FOUE-HOKNED TEUNK FISH.
(Ostracion quadricornis.)
THESE singular fishes are distinguished from most others
by the bony covering which envelopes them. The head
and body are covered with plates of bone, forming an
inflexible cuirass, and leaving exposed only the tail,
fins, mouth, and a portion of the gill opening. They
have no ventral fins, and the dorsal and anal are placed
far back. Their liver is large, and abounds with oil.
The Trunk fish is a native of the Indian and American
seas. Some of the species are considered excellent
eating.
440 Fishes.
THE GLOBE FISH, (Tetraodon hispidus,)
Is an oblong fish, inhabiting the seas of Carolina, and
endowed with an extraordinary power of swelling its
under surface into a large globe. This sudden enlarge-
ment not only alarms the enemies of the Tetrodon, but
prevents them from making good their hold, by pre-
senting to their grasp little more than an inflated bag.
It is also covered with spines, which merely adhere
to the skin, and are capable of being erected on any
sudden emergency ; thus giving to an innocent and de-
fenceless creature a most formidable appearance.
When inflated, they roll over on their backs, floating
in this position, without any power of directing their
course. Some species are reckoned poisonous. One is
electrical, (Tetraodon lineatus,) and is found in the Nile;
when left on shore by the inundations, it always inflates
its body, becomes dried in this condition, and is then
picked up by the children, and used as a ball.
The Bun Fish. 441
THE SUN FISH, (Orihagoriscus mola,)
APPEARS like the fore part of the body of a large fish,
which has been amputated in the middle. The mouth
is small, with two broad teeth only in each jaw. Its
nearly circular form, and the silvery whiteness of the
sides, together with their brilliant phosphorescence dur-
ing the night, have obtained for it very generally the
appellations of sun or moon fish. While swimming,
it turns round like a wheel, and sometimes floats with
its head above water, when it appears like a dying fish.
It grows to a large size ; sometimes being four or five
feet in length, and weighing from three to five hundred
pounds. The back of this curious marine animal is of a
rich blue colour. It frequents the coasts of both the
ancient and new continent, and has been found on tho
shores of England.
442 Fishes.
THE CAVALLO-MARINO, OR SEA-HORSE.
(Hippocampus brevirostris.')
THIS is a small fish, of a curious shape. The length
is from six to ten, and sometimes twelve, inches : the
head bears some resemblance to that of a horse, whence
originates its name. A series of longitudinal and trans-
verse ridges run from the head to the tail, which is
spirally curved and prehensile.
The following account of two specimens taken alive
at Guernsey, in June, 1835, by F. C. Lukis, Esq., is ex-
tracted from Yarrell's " British Fishes." These creatures
were kept about twelve days in a glass vessel, and their
actions were equally novel and amusing. " An appear-
ance of search tor a resting-place induced me," says Mr.
Lukis, " to consult their wishes, by placing seaweed and
straws in the vessel : the desired effect was obtained,
and has afforded me much to reflect upon in their habits.
They now exhibit many of their peculiarities, and few
subjects of the deep have displayed, in prison, more sport
or more intelligence.
"When swimming about, they maintain a vertical
position ; but the tail is ready to grasp whatever meets
it in the water, quickly entwines in any direction round
the weeds, and, when fixed, the animal intently watches
the surrounding objects, and darts at its prey with the
greatest dexterity.
The Flying Fish of the Ocean.
443
" When the animals approach each* other, they often
twist their tails together, and struggle to separate or
attach themselves to the weeds : this is done by the
under part of their cheeks or chin, which is also used
for raising the body when a new spot is wanted for the
tail to entwine afresh. The eyes move independently of
each other, as in the chameleon, and this, with the bril-
liant changeable iridescence about the head, and its blue
bands, forcibly reminds the observer of that animal."
THE FLYING FISH OF THE OCEAN.
(JExoccetus volitans.')
THIS fish has a slender body, a projecting under-lip, and
very large and prominent eyes. The ventral fins are
small, but the pectoral fins are so long and wide as
to answer the purpose of wings, and aided by them the
fish is enabled to rise out of the water, and support itself
in the air. It must not be supposed, however, that the
Flying-fish can soar like a bird; on the contrary, it can
444 Fishes.
only spring from the water to a considerable height
(sometimes as much as twenty feet), and fly about a
hundred and fifty, or two hundred yards; most com-
monly, however, it does not rise above two or three feet
from the water, and remains fluttering over the surface
for about a hundred yards, when it again drops into its
native element. There is another Flying-fish (Exoccetus
exiliens) in the Mediterranean.
THE GURNARD. (Trigla cuculus.)
THIS genus is divided into several species. The Red
Gurnard has fins and body of a bright red colour ; and
the head is large, and covered with strong bony plates.
The eyes are large, round, and vertical ; the mouth is
large ; and the palate and jaws are armed with sharp
teeth. The gill-membrane has seven rays. The back
has a longitudinal spinous groove on each side. There
are slender articulate appendages at the base of each
pectoral fin. This fish is not unfrequently met with on
the southern shores of England ; and is often seen ex-
posed in the fish-markets of the maritime towns of
Dorset and Devonshire, as well as in Cornwall. It is a
pleasant-tasting fish, when properly stuffed and baked,
the flavour being similar to that of the haddock.
Whilst in the water, the colours of the Red Gurnard
are almost inconceivably brilliant and beautiful, particu-
larly in the broad glare of sunshine, as they then vary,
in the most pleasing manner, with every motion of the
fish.
The Gurnard. 445
The Grey Gurnard (Trigla gurnardus) usually measures
from one to two feet in length. The extremity of the
head, in front, is armed on each side with three short
spines. The forehead and the covers of the gills are
silvery ; the latter being finely radiated. The body is
covered with small scales ; the upper parts are of a
deep grey, spotted with white and yellow, and some-
times with black ; and the lower parts silvery. About
the months of May and June, the Grey Gurnards a,p
proach the shores in considerable shoals, for the pur-
pose of depositing their spawn in the shallows ; at other
times they reside in the depths of the ocean, where they
have a plentiful supply of food in crabs, lobsters, and
other shell-fish, on which it is supposed they for the
most part feed. They are occasionally found on the
shores of Great Britain and Ireland, in the spawning
season.
The Lucerna is caught in the Mediterranean Sea, and
is of a very curious shape ; its fins about the gills being
so large, and spreading so much like a fan on each side,
that they appear somewhat like wings. The- tail is
bifid, and the scales very small. The flesh is esteemed
among the Italians, and the Lucerna is often seen in the
fish-markets of Naples, Venice, and other towns on the
sea-shore. This fish much resembles the Father Lasher
and the Gurnard ; and it is called Lucerna because it
shines in the dark.
The Flying Gurnard (Dactyloptcra Mediterranea), which
is the commonest flying-fish of the Mediterranean Sea, is
about a foot long ; it is brown above, reddish below,
and has blackish fins spotted with blue. The pectoral
fins with which it supports itself in the air are of im-
mense extent. On each operculum there is a long and
pointed spine, with which the fish can inflict severe
wounds.
446 Fishes.
THE JOHN DORY. (Zeusfaler.}
IT would be an inexcusable neglect to pass this fish
unnoticed, not on account of its disputing with the had-
dock the honour of having been pressed by the fingers
of the apostle, nor of its having been trodden upon by
the gigantic foot of St. Christopher, when he carried on
his shoulders a divine burden across an arm of the sea,
but for the excellence of its flesh. It has been for some
years in such favour with our epicures, that one of
them, a comedian of high repute (Quin), took a journey
to Plymouth merely to eat this fish in perfection. Its
body presents the shape of a rhomboid, but the sides are
much compressed ; the mouth is large, and the snout
long, composed of several cartilaginous plates, which
wrap and fold one over another, in order to enable the
fish to catch its prey. The colour is a dark green,
marked with black spots, with a golden gloss, whence
the name originated. They inhabit the coasts of Eng-
land, and particularly Torbay, whence they are sent to
the fish-markets of London.
When the Dory is taken alive out of the water, it is
able to compress its internal organs so rapidly that the
air, in rushing through the openings of the gills, pro-
duces a kind of noise somewhat like that which, on
similar occasions, is emitted by the gurnards.
The BlepharisThe Opah.
447
THE BLEPHAEIS. (Blepharls ciliaris.)
THIS species of the Dory is of a bright silver colour,
with a cast of bluish-green on the back. Several of the
last rays, both of the dorsal and anal fin, extend beyond
the membrane, reaching even farther than the tail itself.
It has been supposed that the smaller kind of fishes may
be attracted with these long flexible filaments, and mis-
take them for worms, while the Zeus, concealed among
the sea-weeds, lies in wait for its prey. It is a native of
the Indian seas.
THE OPAH, OE KING FISH. (Lampris guttatus.)
THIS is a most splendid fish, of a fine green colour on
the back, and yellowish green on the belly. The back
and sides exhibit brilliant purplish and golden tints, the
whole surface is covered with numerous white spots, and
the fins are of a beautiful vermilion colour; so magnifi-
cent is its costume, that it has been justly remarked that
it looks " like one of Neptune's lords dressed for a court
day." The King Fish is found apparently in the seas
of all parts of the world ; it is nowhere common, but
seems to be more abundant in warm climates.
448
THE COD-FISH, (Gadus morrhuaj
Is a noble inhabitant of the seas ; not only on account of
its size, but also for the goodness of its flesh, either fresh
or salted. The body measures sometimes above three,
and even four feet in length, with a proportionable thick-
ness. The back is of a brown olive colour, with white
spots on the sides, and the lower part of the body is en-
tirely white. The eyes are large and staring. The head
is broad and fleshy, and esteemed a delicious dish.
The fecundity of all fishes must be an object of the
greatest astonishment to every observer of nature. In
the year 1790, a Cod-fish was sold in Workington market,
Cumberland, for one shilling : it weighed fifteen pounds,
and measured two feet nine inches in length, and seven
inches in breadth ; the roe weighed two pounds ten
ounces, one grain of which contained three hundred and
twenty eggs. The whole, therefore, might contain, by
fair estimation, three million nine hundred and four
thousand four hundred and forty eggs. From such a
trifle as this we may observe the prodigious value of the
fishing trade to a commercial nation, and hence draw a
useful hint for increasing it ; for, supposing that each of
the above eggs should arrive at the same perfection and
size, its produce would weigh twenty-six thousand one
hundred and twenty-three tons ; and consequently would
load two hundred and sixty-one sail of ships, each of
one hundred tons burden. If each fish were brought
to market, and sold as the original one, for one shilling,
the produce then would be one hundred and ninety-five
thousand pounds; that is to say, the first shilling would
produce twenty times one hundred and ninety-five thou-
sand, or three million nine hundred thousand shillings.
In the European seas, the Cod begins to spawn in
The Haddock 449
January, and deposits its eggs in rough ground among
rocks. Some continue in roe until the beginning of
April. Cod-fish are reckoned best for the table from
October to Christmas. The air-bladders, under the name
of sounds, are pickled, and sold separately.
The chief fisheries for Cod are in the Bay of Canada,
on the great bank of Newfoundland, and off the isle of
St. Peter, and the isle of Sable. The vessels frequenting
these fisheries are from a hundred to two hundred tons
burden, and will each catch thirty thousand Cod, or more.
The best season is from the beginning of February to
the end of April. Each fisherman takes only one Cod
at a time, and yet the more experienced will catch from
three to four hundred in a day. It is a fatiguing work,
owing particularly to the intense cold they are obliged
to sutler during the operation.
Cod frequently grow to a very great size. The largest
that is known to have been caught in this kingdom was
taken at Scarborough, in the year 1775 ; it measured five
feet eight inches in length, and five feet in circumference,
and weighed seventy-eight pounds. The usual weight of
this fish is from fourteen to forty pounds.
THE HADDOCK, (Gadm aglefinus,)
Is much less in size than the cod-fish, and differs some-
what from it in shape ; it is of a bluish colour on the
back, with small scales ; a black line is carried on from
the upper corner of the gills on both sides down to the
tail ; in the middle of the sides, under the line a little
450 Fishes. ,
beneath the gills, is a black spot on each shoulder, which
resembles the mark of a man's finger and thumb ; from
which circumstance it is called St. Peter's fish, alluding
to the fact recorded in the seventeenth chapter of St.
Matthew : " Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take
up the fish that first cometh up ; and when thou hast
opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money ; that
take, and give unto them for me and thee." And while
St. Peter held the fish with his fore-finger and thumb, it
is fabled, that the skin received, and preserved to this
day, the hereditary impression.
Haddocks migrate in immense shoals, which usually
arrive on the Yorkshire coast about the middle of winter.
These shoals are sometimes known to extend from the
shore nearly three miles in breadth, and in length from
Flamborough Head to Tynemouth Castle, a distance of
fifty miles ; and, perhaps, even farther. An idea of the
number of Haddocks may be formed from the following
circumstance : three fishermen, within a mile of the har-
bour of Scarborough, frequently loaded their boat with
these fish twice a day, taking each time a ton weight of
them !
The flesh of the Haddock is harder and thicker than
that of the whiting, and not so good; but it is often
brought upon the table, either broiled, boiled, or baked,
and is by many much esteemed. The Haddocks caught
on the Irish coast, near Dublin, are unusually large,
and of a fine flavour, and unite to the firmness of the
turbot much of its sweetness. They are in season from
October to January.
The Whiting The Ling.
451
THE WHITING,
(Gadus Merlangus, or Merlangus vulgaris,)
Is seldom more than twelve inches in length, and of a
slender and tapering form. The scales are small and
fine. The back is silvery, and when just taken out of
the sea reflects the rays of light with great lustre and
gloss. The flesh is light, wholesome, and nourishing ;
and is often recommended to sick or convalescent pa-
tients, when other food is not approved of. The Whiting
is found on the coasts of England, and is in its proper
season from August to February.
THE LING, (Lota molva,)
Is usually from three to four feet in length, though some
have been caught much larger. The body is long, the
head flat, the teeth in the upper jaw small and nume-
rous, with a small beard on the chin ; its dorsal and anal
fins are very long.
These fish abound on the coasts of Great Britain and
Ireland, and great quantities are salted for home con-
452 Fishes.
sumption and exportation. On the eastern coasts of
England they are in their greatest perfection from the
beginning of February to the end of May. They spawn
in June : at this season, the males separate from the
females, who deposit their eggs in the soft oozy ground
at the mouth of large rivers.
In a commercial point of view, the Ling may be con-
sidered a very important fish. Nine hundred thousand
pounds weight are annually exported from Norway. In
England, these fish are caught and cured in somewhat
the same manner as the cod. Those which are caught
off the shores of America are by no means so much es-
teemed as those which frequent the coasts of Great Bri-
tain and Norway ; and the Ling in the neighbourhood
of Iceland are so bad, that the inhabitants are unable to
find a sale for them in any country except their own.
The roe and air-bladders, or sounds of the Ling, are
pickled, and sold separately.
THE HAKE, (Gadus merluccius,)
Is a coarse fish, nearly allied to the Ling, and is caught
in great abundance on the Devonshire and Cornwall
coast. It is also found on the coasts of Ireland and
Scotland, where it is called otock-fish, and is often con-
founded with ood.
The Mackerel.
453
THE MACKEKEL, (Scomber Scomber,)
Is taken and well known in all parts of the world. It is
usually about a foot or more in length ; the body is thick,
firm, and fleshy, slender towards the tail ; the snout sharp,
the tail forked, the back of a lovely green* beautifully
variegated, or, as it were, painted with black strokes ;
the under part of the body is of a silvery colour, reflect-
ing, as well as the sides, the most elegant tints of the
opal and the mother-of-pearl. Nothing can be more in-
teresting and pleasing to the eye than to see Mackerel,
just caught, brought on shore by the fishermen, and
spread, with all their radiancy, upon the pebbles of the
beach, at the first rays of the rising sun ; but when
taken out of their element, they quickly die.
Mackerel visit our shores in vast shoals ; but, from
being very tender and unfit for long carriage, they are
found less useful than other gregarious fish. The usual
bait is a bit of red cloth, or a piece of the tail of the
Mackerel. The great fishery for them is in some parts
of the south and west coasts of England : this is of such
an extent as to employ in the whole, a capital of nearly
454 Fishes.
two hundred thousand pounds. The fishermen go out to
the distance of several leagues from the shore, and stretch
their nets, which are sometimes miles in extent, across
the tide during the night. A single boat has been known
to bring in, after one night's fishing, a cargo that has
been sold for nearly seventy pounds. The roes of the
Mackerel are used in the Mediterranean for caviar. In
Cornwall, and also in several parts of the continent,
Mackerel are preserved by pickling and salting ; and in
this state possess a flavour somewhat like that of the
salmon. Their voracity has scarcely any bounds ; and
when they get among a shoal of herrings, they will make
such havoc as frequently to drive it away. Mackerel
are in season from March to June.
THE GAR-FISH, (Belone vulgaris,)
OF which the figure above is an exact representation, is
of a very extraordinary form. The body, in shape and
colour, is not unlike that of a mackerel, but is much more
elongated, and the jaws are protracted into a kind of
lance, nearly half as long as the rest of the body. It is
vulgarly supposed that this fish leads the phalanxes of
mackerel through the regions of the deep ; and, like a
faithful and experienced pilot, traces their journey, points
out their dangers, and conducts them to their destina-
tion. A curious singularity of this creature is, that its
bones are of a bright green colour ; the flesh is not so
firm nor of so good a flavour as that of the mackerel,
but it sells pretty well whenever it comes to market.
The Herring.
455
THE HERRING. (Clupea Harengus.)
THIS fish is somewhat like the mackerel in shape, as well
as in delicacy of taste, although it differs much in
flavour. It is about nine or ten inches long, and about
two and a half broad, and has blood-shot eyes ; the scales
large and roundish ; the tail forked ; the body of a fat,
soft, delicate flesh, but more rank than that of the
mackerel, and therefore less wholesome. Yet some
people are so very fond of it, that they call the Herring
the King of Fishes. They swim in shoals, and spawn onco
a year, about the autumnal equinox, at which time they
are the best. They come into shallow water to spawn,
like the mackerel ; and hence they periodically visit our
coasts, retiring again to the deep waters when the spawn-
ing season is over.
The fecundity of the Herring is astonishing. It has
been calculated that if the offspring of a single pair of
Herrings could be suffered to multiply unmolested and
undiminished for twenty years, they would exhibit a
bulk ten times the size of the earth. But, happily, Pro-
vidence has contrived the balance of nature by giving
them innumerable enemies. All the monsters of the
deep find them an easy prey ; and, in addition to these,
immense flocks of sea-fowl watch their outset, and spread
devastation on all sides.
In the year 1773, the Herrings for two months were
in such immense shoals on the Scotch coasts, that it
456 Fishes.
appears from tolerably accurate computations, no fewer
than one thousand six hundred and fifty boat-loads were
taken in Loch Torridon in one night. These would, in
the whole, amount to nearly twenty thousand barrels.
This fish is prepared in different ways, in order to be
kept for use through the year. The white, or pickled
Herrings, are washed in fresh water, and left the space
of twelve or fifteen hours in a tub full of strong brine,
made of fresh water and sea-salt. When taken out,
they are drained, and put in rows or layers in barrels,
with salt.
Eed Herrings are prepared in the same manner, with
this difference, that they are left in the brine double the
time above mentioned ; and when taken out, placed in a
large chimney constructed for the purpose, and contain-
ing about twelve thousand, where they are smoked by
means of a fire underneath, made of brushwood, for the
space of twenty-four hours.
THE SPEAT, (Clujpea Sprattus,)
A. WELL-KNOWN fish, between four and five inches in
length, the back fin very remote from the nose; the
lower jaw longer than the upper, and the eyes blood-
shot, like those of the herring, to which it is nearly
allied. Sprats arrive yearly in the beginning of Novem-
ber in the river Thames ; and generally a large dish of
them is presented on the table at Guildhall, on Lord
Mayor's Day, November 9th. They continue through
the winter, and depart in March. They are sold by mea-
sure, and yield a great deal of sustenance to poor people
in the winter season. It is reported that they have been
The Pilchard. 457
taken yearly about Easter-time in a lake in Cheshire,
called Kostern Mere, and in the river Mersey, in which
the sea ebbs and flows seven or eight miles below the
lake.
The Sardine (Clupea Sardina) is caught on the southern
shores of France, where it is held in great repute ; and
from its abounding in the neighbourhood of the island
of Sardinia, it is called the Sardine. It is sent here
pickled in the same way as herrings, and packed in
barrels.
THE PILCHARD. (Clupea PikJiardus.)
THE chief difference between this fish and the herring
is, that the body of the Pilchard is more round and
thick ; the nose shorter in proportion, turning up ; and
the under jaw shorter. The back is more elevated, and
the belly not so sharp. The scales adhere very closely,
whilst those of the herring easily drop off. It is also, in
general, of considerably smaller size.
About the middle of July, Pilchards appear in vast
shoals off the coast of Cornwall. These shoals remain
till the latter end of October, when it is probable they
retire to some undisturbed deep, at a little distance, for
the winter.
The Pilchard fishery is an important branch of com-
merce. From a statement of the number of hogsheads
exported each year, for ten years, from 1747 to 1756 in-
clusive, from the four ports of Fowy, Falmouth, Pen-
zance, and St. Ives, it appears that Fowy exported
yearly one thousand seven hundred and thirty -two hogs-
heads; Falmouth, fourteen thousand six hundred and
thirty-one ; Penzance and Mount's Bay, twelve thousand
one hundred and forty-nine ; St. Ives, one thousand two
hundred and eighty-two : in all, twenty-nine thousand
seven hundred and ninety -four hogsheads. Every hogs-
head, for ten years last past, together with the bounty
allowed for exportation, and the oil made out of it, has
amounted, one year with another, at an average, to the
price of one pound thirteen shillings and three pence ;
so that the cash paid for Pilchards exported has, at a
458 Fishes.
medium, annually amounted to the sum of forty-nine
thousand five hundred and thirty-two pounds. The
above was the state of the fishing several years ago ; at
present it is still more extensive, the average annual
produce of the Cornish fisheries amounting to about
twenty-one thousand hogsheads, which contain no less
than sixty millions of Pilchards.
THE WHITEBAIT. (Clupea alba.)
THIS beautiful little fish is a pure white, without spots
on either side. Immense quantities are caught from
the beginning of April to the end of September, in the
Thames; but they are so delicate as scarcely to bear
carriage, and are therefore thought best when eaten as
near as possible to the place where they were taken ;
and hence the custom of having Whitebait dinners at
the taverns at Greenwich and Blackwall. It was long
supposed that the Whitebait was the fry of the shad,
but it is now proved to be a distinct species.
THE ANCHOVY. (Engraulis encrasicolus.)
LIKE the herring and sprat, these fish leave the depths
of the open sea, in order to frequent the smooth and
shallow places of the coast, for the purpose of spawning.
The fishermen generally light a fire on the shore, for
the purpose of attracting the Anchovies, when they fish
The Turbot. 459
for them in the night. After they are cleaned, and
their heads cut off, they are cured in a particular way,
and packed in small barrels for sale and exportation.
Anchovies are occasionally found both in the North Sea
and in the Baltic ; but they are in much greater number
in the Mediterranean than in any other part of the world.
They have sometimes, though rarely, been caught in the
river Dee, on the coasts of Flintshire and Cheshire. The
upper jaw of this fish is longer than the under ; the
back is brown ; the sides silvery; fins short; the dorsal
fin, opposite the ventrals, transparent; the tail fin-
forked. Its length is about three inches.
THE TQEBOT. (Rhombus maximus.)
THE TURBOT is a well-known fish, and much esteemed
for the delicate taste, firmness, and sweetness of its
flesh. Juvenal, in his fourth Satire, gives us a very
ludicrous description of the Roman emperor Domitian
assembling the Senate to decide how and with what
sauce this fish should be eaten. The Turbot is some-
times two feet and a half long, and about two broad.
The scales on the skin are so very small that they are
hardly perceptible. The colour of the upper side of the
body is a dark brown, spotted with dirty yellow ; the
under side a pure white, tinged on the edges with a
somewhat flesh-colour, or pale pink. There is a great
difficulty in baiting the Turbot, as it is very fastidious
in its food. Nothing can allure it but herrings or small
slices of haddocks, and lampreys ; and as it lies in deep
460 Fishes.
water, flirting and paddling on the ooze at the bottom of
the sea, no net can reach it, so that it is generally caught
by hook and line. It is found chiefly on the northern
coasts of England, Scotland, and Holland.
THE PLAICE, (Platessa vulgaris,)
A WELL-KNOWN English fish, nearly allied to the turbot.
It has smooth sides, an anal spine, and the eyes and six
tubercles are placed on the same side of the head. The
body is very flat, and the upper part of the fish of a
clear brown colour, marked with orange-coloured spots,
and the belly white. Plaice spawn in the beginning of
February, and when full-grown assume something like
the shape of a turbot ; but the flesh is very different,
being soft and nearly tasteless.
When near the ground they swim slowly and horizon-
tally, but if suddenly disturbed they change the hori-
zontal to the vertical position, darting along with
meteor-like rapidity, and then again quickly resuming
their inactive habits at the bottom of the water. Plaice
feed on small fish and young Crustacea, and have some-
times been taken on our coasts weighing fifteen pounds,
but a fish half that weight is considered very large. The
finest kind, called Diamond Plaice, are caught on the
Sussex coast. These fish are in considerable demand as
food, though by no means equal to the turbot and sole.
Those of a moderate size are reckoned the best eating.
The Flounder The Sole.
461
THE FLOUNDEE. (Platessa flesus.)
THE principal distinction between the plaice and the
Flounder consists in the former having a row of six
tubercles behind the left eye, of which this fish is en-
tirely destitute ; it is also a little longer in the body,
and, when full-grown, somewhat thicker. The back
is of a dark olive colour, spotted. In taste, they are
reckoned more delicate than the plaice. They live long
after being taken out of their element, and are often
cried in the streets of London, but they seldom appear
on the tables of the rich and dainty. They are common
in the British rivers, and in all large rivers which obey
the impression of the tide, and they feed upon worms
bred in the mud at the bottom of the water.
THE SOLE, (Solea vulgaris,)
Is well known as a very excellent fish, whose flesh is
firm, delicate, and of a pleasing flavour. Soles grow to
the length of eighteen inches, and even more, in some of
our seas. They are often found of this size and supe-
riority in Torbay, whence they are sent to market at
Exeter and several other towns in Devonshire and the
462 Fishes.
adjacent counties. They are found also in the Mediter-
ranean and several other seas, and, when in season, are
ill great requisition for the most luxurious tables. The
upper part of the body is brown; the under part white ;
one of the pectoral fins is tipped with black, the sides
are yellow, and the tail rounded at the extremity. It is
said that the small Soles, caught in the northern seas,
are of a much superior taste to the large ones, which the
southern and western coasts afford.
This fish has also the quality of keeping sweet and
good for several days, even in hot weather, and is
thought to acquire a more delicate flavour by being thus
kept. On this account it is that Soles in the London
markets are frequently more esteemed than those which
are cooked immediately after they are taken out of the
sea.
In the economy of flat fish we have an account of one
circumstance which is very remarkable : among various
other marine productions, they have been known to feed
on shell-fish, although they are furnished with no appa-
ratus whatever in their mouth which would seem to be
adapted for reducing these to a state calculated for
digestion.
THE SALMON-PINK, BRANDLING, PAR, OR
SKEGGER.
THIS brilliant little fish is the smallest of the salmonidce,
and is only found in rivers frequented by salmon ; for
whenever a river becomes deserted by them, the samlet
also disappears. This fish is considered to be the fry
The Salmon. 463
of the true salmon, and Mr. Young, in a recent essay,
has, we think, fairly established the fact; but Mr.
Yarrell and other naturalists assert it to be a distinct
species.
THE SALMON, (Salmo solar,)
Is the boast of large rivers, and one of the noblest inha-
bitants of the sea, if we esteem it by its bulk, colour,
and the sweetness of its flesh. Salmon are found of a
great weight, and sometimes measure five feet in length.
The colour is beautiful, a dark blue dotted with black
spots on the back, merging to silvery white on the sides,
and white with a little shade of pink below. The fins
are comparatively small. These fish, though they live
principally in the sea. come up the rivers at the spawn-
ing season, to a considerable distance inland, where the
female deposits her eggs. Soon after, both she and the
male take an excursion to the vast regions of the sea,
and do not visit any of the land streams again till the
next year, when they return for the same purpose. They
are so powerfully impelled by this natural impulse, that,
if they are stopped when swimming up a river by a fall
464 Fishes.
of water, they spring up with, such a force through the
descending torrent, that they stem it till they reach the
higher bed of the stream ; and on this account small
cascades on the Tweed and other rivers are often
called Salmon-leaps. The Salmon is in a great measure
confined to the northern seas, being unknown in the
Mediterranean, and in the waters of other warm cli-
mates. The flesh is red when raw, rather paler when
salted or boiled ; it is an agreeable food, fat, tender, and
sweet, and excels in richness all other fresh-water fish :
however, it does not agree with every stomach, and is
often injurious when eaten by sick persons.
In the river Tweed, about the month of July, the
capture of Salmon is astonishing : often a boat-load, and
sometimes nearly two, may be taken at a tide ; and in
one instance more than seven hundred fish were caught
at a single haul of the net. From fifty to a hundred at
a haul are very common. Some of these are sent to
London by the railway ; but part are slightly salted and
pickled, in which state they are called kipper. The
season for fishing commences in the Tweed in February,
and ends about old Michaelmas-day. On this river
there are about forty considerable fisheries, which ex-
tend upwards, about fourteen miles from the mouth;
besides many others of less consequence. These, se-
veral years ago, were let at an annual rent of more
than ten thousand pounds ; and to defray this expense,
it has been calculated that upwards of two hundred
thousand Salmon must be caught there, one year with
another. The principal Salmon fisheries in Europe are
in the rivers, or on the sea-coasts adjoining the large
rivers of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The chief
English rivers in which they are now caught are the
Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Tweed. They
were formerly found in the Thames, but none have been
taken there for many years. The Salmon fry go down
the river to the sea in April. A young Salmon under
two pounds in weight is called a Salmon Peel, and a
larger one a Grilse. Salmon cannot be eaten too fresh,
and is very unwholesome when stale.
The Salmon Trout.
465
THE SALMON TKOUT, (Sdkno Trutta,)
ALSO called the Bull Trout, or Sea Trout, is thicker in
the body than the common trout, and weighs about
three pounds ; it has a large smooth head, which, as
well as the back, is of a bluish tint, with a green gloss ;
the sides are marked with numerous black spots, and
the tail is broadest at the end. It is said that in the
beginning of summer the flesh of this fish reddens, and
remains this colour till the month of August ; which is
very probably owing to their being on the point of
spawning. Like the salmon, this fish inhabits the sea ;
but in the months of November and December it enters
the rivers, in order to deposit its roe ; and consequently,
in the spawning season, it is occasionally found in lakes
and streams, at a great distance from the sea. It is very
delicate, and much esteemed on our tables. Some people
prefer this fish to salmon ; but they are both apt to
cause illness when eaten in too great a quantity.
2n
466
Fishes.
M
THE TEOUT. (Salmo-fario.}
THIS fish, in figure, resembles the salmon ; it has a short
roundish head, and a blunt snout. Trouts are fresh-
water fish, and they breed and live constantly in rivers
and small pellucid streams which sparkle over clean
pebbles and beds of sand.
They feed on river flies and other water insects, and
are so fond of them, and so blindly voracious, that an-
glers deceive them with artificial flies made of feathers,
wool, and other materials, which resemble very closely
the natural ones. In Lough Neagh, in Ireland, Trouts
have been caught weighing thirty pounds ; and we are
told, that in the Lake of Geneva, and in the northern
lakes of England, they are found of a still larger size.
It holds the first place among the river fish, and its flesh
is very delicious, but difficult of digestion when old, or
kept too long. The3 r spawn in the month of December,
and deposit their eggs in the gravel at the bottom of
rivers, dykes, and ponds. "Unlike most other fish, the
The Trout. 467
Trouts are least esteemed when near spawning. They
are properly in season in the months of July and August,
being then fat and well-tasted.
The beautiful silvery Trout is the most voracious of
fresh-water fish, and will devour every living thing
which the water produces even its own spawn in all
its stages, and will lie upon the bed or hill, watching to
seize its young fry, as they become vivified and rise
from under their gravelly birthplace. Neither does he
confine himself to any given sort of fish, but luxuriates
his rapacious stomach upon all the varieties, from in-
stinct occasionally changing his food to larvae, caddis,
ephemera, worms, and even the young of the water-
snail, all of which act as alteratives. Owing to his
large fins and broad tail, his movements are extremely
rapid, and, from his muscular power and pliability, he
seldom misses his prey. His habits are solitary, being
only accompanied by one, and that at some distance
from him, in the summer season; and as the autumn
approaches, when larvae, &c., are diminishing, he keeps
entirely alone until the pairing season returns. The
period of spawning differs in various rivers from natural
causes, such as snow, cold rains, or inclement weather ;
for, as Trout, like salmon, spawn on gravel beds in shal-
low water, the cold readily affects them. When they
cannot reach the spot prepared for the deposit of their
eggs, they frequently abstain from spawning for weeks.
The younger Trout generally hill, as it is termed, ear-
lier than those of larger growth. They begin to throw
up their bed early in December, when the female and
male may be seen working together, the former mostly
in advance. By constant labour they dig a hollow in
the gravel, throwing it up on each side, and at last
forming a heap, which is called a hill, or bed. At this
period they are very shy and stupid, and even the sha-
dow of a cloud will frighten them from their hill, when
they retreat into deeper water; but upon finding all
quiet they return. This preparation generally occupies
two or three weeks ; and frequently the hill is shared
both in labour and occupation by several pairs of Trout.
Tt often measures many feet in diameter, and is two or
468 Fishes.
three feet higher than the bed of the stream. From the
middle of December to the end of January the Trout is
in full spawning operation ; when the fish deposit their
eggs in the hollow, and afterwards work the gravel over
them to the depth of about three inches. If the tem-
perature of the water is not altered during the period of
incubation, the young make their appearance on the
fiftieth day; never earlier, frequently later. Nature
has endowed the young fry with so much instinct of
self-preservation, that for many days they keep under
the gravel, and it is curious to see the shoal hiding
together under large stones to protect themselves from
danger : this they continue to do until the eggshell, in
which they remain partially enveloped, falls off from
their delicate frames. This shell, which adheres to them
for fourteen days, contains a proportion of fluid necessary
for their support during this period of helplessness.
After this they resort to the shallows and scours to avoid
the larger fish, where they remain solitary for a year,
during which time, in good keep, they attain the weight
of three to four ounces ; the second year, eight to ten
ounces ; after which they begin to breed. A fish, like
every animal, becomes fat when it has abundance of
food with little or no exertion ; so that the growth is
entirely regulated by the relative proportion of food and
labour. I have observed this difference in the same
brood of Trout, artificially bred -upon my system : the
one brood being placed in water well supplied with
food, the other in a spring-stream where little food
existed ; the former, at ten months old, were four inches
long, and three and a half ounces in weight, while the
latter were only an inch and a half long, and less than
an ounce in weight. Although Trout are not migratory,
yet, when they become large, they run up stream to
purer water.- The small Trout are carried down the
stream against their habit, by the flushes of water or
floods during the autumn months, being unable to stem
the thickened torrent, which fills their gills with allu-
vial deposit, and hinders their respiration, whence they
become weak and sickly. In this state of water all fish
sicken more or less, and it destroys vast numbers in the
The Char.
469
very young state. I have known thousands destroyed
by the overflowing of a river, as well old as young. The
cause of all our rivers falling off in the quantity of fish,
is from the increasing impurity of the water, as fish
especially require pure water.
The above interesting notice of the Trout has been communicated to
the publisher by Mr. Boccirs, who devotes himself professionally to the
increase offish in rivers and ponds, and has performed marvels.
THE CHAR, OR ALPINE TROUT,
(Salmo salvelinus,)
Is not unlike the trout ; t> scales are very small ; the
colour of the body marked with numerous spots and
points of black, red, and silver, mixed with yellow, and
without a circle ; the back tinged with olive-green ; the
belly white, the snout bluish. All the fins, except
those of the back, are reddish, and the adipose one is red
on its edge. This fish is about twelve inches in length,
and is esteemed very delicate as an article of food, espe-
cially by the Italians. It is abundant in the Lago di
Garda, near Venice ; and is also found, not only in our
northern lakes in Westmoreland and Scotland, but also
in the large sheets of water at the foot of the mountains
in Lapland. The potted Char enjoys a high and de-
served reputation in several parts of the Continent, as
470
Fishes.
well as in England. The Char is a fresh- water fish, ana
is generally found in the deepest parts of lakes ; it is
never taken by the angler, only by the net.
THE GRAYLING. (Sdhno thymallns.)
THIS fish never exceeds fifteen inches in length, anu.
seldom arrives at three pounds weight. The back and
sides are of a silvery grey, and when the fish is first
taken out of the water, slightly varied with blue and
gold. The coverts of the gills are of a glossy green, and
the scales are large.
The Grayling is a fresh-water fish, and delights
chiefly in clear and not too rapid streams, where it
affords great amusement to the angler, as it is very
voracious, and rises eagerly to the fly. They are bolder
than trout, and even if missed by the hook several
times successively, they will still pursue the bait. They
feed principally on worms, insects, and water-snails ; and
the shells of the latter are often found in great quantiies
on their stomachs. They spawn in the months of April
and May. The largest fish of this species ever heard
The Smelt,
471
of was one caught in the Severn, and weighed five
pounds.
Ancient writers strongly recommended this fish as
food for sick persons, as they considered it peculiarly
wholesome and easy of digestion.
THE SMELT, OR SPARLING. (Osmerus eperlanus.)
THIS fish is in length about eight or nine inches, and
nearly one in breadth; the body is of a light olive green,
inclining to silver white. The smell, when the fish is
fresh and raw, is not unlike that of ripe cucumbers, but
it goes off in the frying-pan, and the Smelt then yields a
tender and most delicious food. Smelts are sea-fish, and
inhabit the sea-coast and harbours ; but they are often
taken in the Thames, the Medway, and other large rivers,
which they ascend in the spawning season. The skin of
this fish is so transparent, that with the help of a micro-
scope, its blood may be seen to circulate.
Smelts are found on the coasts of all the northern coun-
tries of Europe, and also in the Mediterranean. They
vary considerably in size. Mr. Pennant states that the
largest he had ever heard of measured thirteen inches in
length, and weighed half a pound.
472
Fishes.
THE PIKE. (Esox Indus.)
THE body of this fish is a pale olive-grey, deepest on
the back, and marked on the sides by several yellowish
spots or patches ; the abdomen white, slightly spotted
with black ; its length is from one to eight feet, and its
Aveight from one or two to forty or fifty pounds. The
flesh is white and firm, and considered very wholesome ;
the larger and older it is, the more it is esteemed.
There is scarcely any fish of its size in the world that in
voracity can equal the Pike.* It lives in rivers, lakes,
and ponds ; and in a confined piece of water will soon
destroy all other fish, as it generally does not feed upon
anything else, and often swallows one nearly as big as
itself; for through its greediness in eating, it takes the
head foremost, and so draws it in by little and little at a
time, till it has swallowed the whole. A gudgeon of
good size has been found in the stomach of a large Pike,
the head of which had already received clear marks of
the power of digestion, whilst the rest of 'the fish was
still fresh and unimpaired.
" I have been assured (says Walton) by my friend
Mr. Seagrave, who keeps tame otters, that he has known
a Pike, in extreme hunger, fight with one of his otters
for a carp that the otter had caught, and was then
bringing out of the water."
* Mr. Boccius has, however, shown that the Trout is even more
voracious.
The Pike. 473
Boulker, in his Art of Angling, says, that his father
caught a Pike, which he presented to Lord Cholmon-
deley, that was an ell long, and weighed thirty-six
pounds. His lordship directed it to be put into a canal
in his garden, which at that time contained a great
quantity of fish. Twelve months afterwards the water
was drawn off, and it was discovered that the Pike had
devoured all the fish, except a large carp that weighed
between nine and ten pounds, and even this had been
bitten in several places. The Pike was again put in,
and an entire fresh stock of fish for him to feed on : all
these he devoured in less than a year. Several times he
was observed by workmen who were standing near, to
draw ducks and other water-fowl under water. Crows
were shot and thrown in, which he took in the presence
of the men. From this time the slaughtermen had orders
to feed him with the garbage of the slaughter-house ;
but being afterwards neglected, he died, as is supposed,
from want of food.
Jn December, 1765, a Pike was caught in the river
Ouse, that weighed upwards of twenty-eight pounds,
and was sold for a guinea. When it was opened, a watch
with a black riband and two seals were found in its
body. These, it was afterwards found, had belonged to
a gentleman's servant, who had been drowned in the
river about a month before.
The Pike is a very long-lived fish. Jn the year 1497,
one was caught at Heilbrun, in Swabia, to which was
affixed a brazen ring, with the following words engraved
on it in Greek characters : " I am the fish, which was
first of all put into this lake, by the hands of the gover-
nor of the universe, Frederick the Second, the fifth of
October, 1230."
474
Fishes.
THE PERCH, (Perca fluviatilis,)
SELDOM grows to any great size ; yet we have an account
of one which is said to have weighed nine pounds. The
body is deep, the scales rough, the back arched, and the
side-lines placed near the back. For beauty of colours,
the Perch vies with the gaudiest inhabitants of the
waters ; the back glows with the deep reflections of the
brightest emeralds, divided by five broad black stripes ;
the abdomen imitates the tints of the opal and mother-
of-pearl ; and the ruby hue of the fins completes an
assemblage of colours most harmonious and elegant. It
is a gregarious fish, and is caught in several rivers of
these islands ; the flesh is firm, delicate, and much
esteemed.
It is generally believed that a pike will not attack a
full-grown Perch : he is deterred from so doing by the
spiny or dorsal fin on the back, which this fish always
erects at the approach of an enemy. Perch a.re so vora-
cious, that, if an expert angler happens to find a shoal of
them, he may catch every one. If, however, a single
fish escape that has felt the hook, all is over; as this
fish becomes so restless, as soon to occasion the whole
shoal to leave the place. Perch are so bold, that they
are generally the first fish caught by a young angler;
they will also soon learn to take bread thrown into the
water to feed them. A large-sized Perch weighs about
three pounds ; but generally the Perches caught in
ponds do not exceed eight or ten ounces in weight.
The Basse. 475
THE BASSE, OB SEA PERCH, (Labrax lupus,)
Is found in abundance on our southern coasts, and is
still more common in the Mediterranean. It has one
long dorsal fin, like the ruffe. The flesh of this fish is
highly esteemed.
The Climbing Perch, (Anabas scandens,) a native of
the fresh waters of India, possesses a very singular ap-
paratus for enabling it to quit the water, and pass a
considerable time on dry ground. This consists of a
curiously folded portion of thin bone on each side of the
head near the gills, in the cavities of which a good deal
of water is contained; this keeps the gills in a moist
state while the fish is out of the water, and thus enables
it to breathe in the air. This fish is said to employ its
singular power of quitting the water for the purpose of
climbing trees, although what it expects to gain by so
doing is quite unknown. Its power of climbing has
been denied by some naturalists, but Daldorf says that
he once caught one which had clambered to a height of
six feet on the stem of a palm, and was in the act of
going still higher.
476
Fishes.
THE POPE, OB RUFFE. (Acerina cernua.}
THE POPE is very like a small perch, but with a curiously
formed single dorsal fin : the colour of the back is a
dusky olive green ; the sides light brownish green and
copper colour; and small brown spots are spread over
the dorsal fin, the back, and tail. The pectoral, ventral,
and anal fins are pale brown. This fish rarely exceeds
six inches in length; but it is nearly as good as a perch
of the same size, which it resembles, both in its haunts
and habits ; it spawns in April, and feeds on small fry,
worms, or aquatic insects.
Cuvier assigns the credit of the first discovery of this
fish to an Englishman of the name of Caius, who found
it in the river Yare, near Norwich, and called it Aspredo,
a translation of our name Ruffe, (rough,) which is well
applied to it, on account of the harsh feel of its denticu-
lated scales.
The Carp.
477
'/. / i //
THE CAKP, (Cyprinus carpio,)
Is famous for the sweetness of its flesh, when of moderate
size, that is, when measuring about twelve to fifteen
inches in length, and weighing about three pounds. The
scales are large, with a golden gloss upon a dark green
ground. These fish sometimes grow to the length of
three or four feet, and contain a great quantity of fat.
The soft roe of the Carp is esteemed a great delicacy
among epicures. In the canals of Chantilly, formerly
the seat of the Prince of Conde, Carps have been kept
for above one hundred years, most of them appearing
hoary through old age, and so tame that they answered
to their names when the keeper called them to be fed.
This fish has large molar teeth only, situate at the back
part of the head or throat, and a broad tongue ; the tail
is widely spread as well as the fins, which are inclined
to a reddish tint. Carp that live in rivers and running
streams are preferred for the table, as those which inhabit
pools and ponds have generally a muddy and disagree-
able taste. Though so cunning in general as to be
called the River Fox, yet at spawning time they suffer
themselves to be tickled and caught without attempting
to escape. It is said that Carp were first brought to
478
Fishes.
England about three hundred years ago. They are very
tenacious of life, and at the inns in Holland are often
kept alive a month or six weeks, by being fed with
bread and milk, and laid on wet moss in a net, which is
hung from the ceiling in an airy place. The moss is kept
moist, and water is thrown over the fish twice a day.
Carp is always considered a delicacy for the table,
especially when stewed in port wine ; and it appears to
have been long held in high estimation on that account,
as we find, from the privy purse expenses of Henry
VIII., that the bluff king was exceedingly fond of
Carp.
THE TENCH, (Cyprinus tinea,)
LIKE the carp, is remarkably tenacious of life. Its body
is thick and short, and seldom exceeds twelve inches in
length, or four pounds in weight. The eyes are red;
the back, dorsal, and ventral fins dusky ; the head, sides,
and abdomen of a greenish hue, mixed with gold ; and
the tail very broad. The Tench delights in still water,
in the muddy parts of ponds, where it is the most secure
from the voracious ramblings and fierce attacks of the
tyrant pike, and from the hook of the angler; here it
lives nearly motionless, lurking beneath flags, reeds, and
weeds. This inactive life has enabled some individuals
The Gold-Fish. 479
of this species to attain an extraordinary bulk. We have
read, as a well-authenticated fact, that in the northern
part of England, in a piece of water, which having heen
long neglected, was filled with timber, stones, and rub-
bish, two hundred Tench, and as many perch of good
size were found ; and that one fish in particular, which
seemed to have been shut up in a nook, had not only
surpassed all the others in size, but had also taken
the form of the hole in which it had been accidentally
confined. The body was in the shape of a half-moon,
conforming in the convexity of its outlines to the con-
cavity of the dungeon where this innocent sufferer had
been immured for a number of years ; it weighed eleven
pounds.
THE GOLD-FISH, OK GOLDEN CAEP,
(Cyprimis aur-atus^)
WAS originally brought from China, and first introduced
into England in 1661, but is now become quite common,
and will breed as freely in ponds as the carp. The
average size is about five inches, and it scarcely ever
exceeds seven and a half. Gold-fish are highly prized
in China, and are extensively introduced in the orna-
mental waters of our own countiy. Nothing is more
pleasing than to see them glide along and play in the
transparent crystal, whilst their broad and glittering
scales reflect the rays of the sun. They are often kept
within the small compass of a glass bowl, where they
become tame and docile, and after a short time seem to
recognise their feeders.
480 Fishes.
The smallest fish are preferred, not only from their
being the most beautiful, but because a greater number
of them can be kept in a small circumference. These
are of a fine orange red colour, appearing as if sprinkled
over with gold-dust. Some, however, are white, like
silver ; and others white, spotted with red.
When Gold-fish are kept in ponds, they are often
taught to rise to the surface of the water at the sound of
a bell, to be fed.
THE GUDGEON, (Cypinus gobio,)
A WELL-KNOWN fresh- water fish, generally found in
gentle streams, on gravelly scours. The average length
of this fish is from six to eight inches, and its weight
is from two to three ounces. The back is brown, the
abdomen white, and the sides tinged with red ; the tail
is forked. It is beautified with black spots both on the
body and tail. Gudgeons spawn early in summer, and
feed upon worms and aquatic insects. Their flesh is
white, of excellent flavour, and easy of digestion. In the
months of September and October these fish are taken
in the rivers of some parts of the Continent in great
abundance ; and the markets are well supplied with
them. They are not uncommon in the river Thames,
where persons are frequently to be seen fishing for them
from punts. As these fish bite with great eagerness,
large numbers are often taken in this manner. They
are also caught in nets, as well as with hooks and lines.
TJie Chub.
481
THE CHUB, (Cyprinus cephalus,)
Is of a coarse nature, and full of bones ; it seldom ex-
ceeds the weight of five pounds. The body is of an
oblong shape, nearly round ; the head, which is large,
and the back, are of a deep dusky green; the sides
silvery, and the abdomen white ; the pectoral fins are of
a pale yellow, the ventral and anal ones red ; and the
tail brown, tinged with blue at its extremity, and
slightly forked. This fish frequents the deep holes of
rivers, but in the summer, when the sun shines, it rises
to the surface, and lies quiet under the shade of the
trees, that spread their foliage on the verdant banks;
but yet, though it seems to indulge itself in slumber, it
is easily awakened, and at the least alarm dives rapidly
to the bottom. Although a leather-mouthed fish, it takes
every species of food, including small fish, the same as a
trout, though it is not so voracious. In March and April
this fish may be caught with large red worms ; in June
and July, with flies, snails, and cherries ; in August and
September, with cheese pounded in a mortar, mixed with
saffron and butter. When the Chub seizes a bait, it
bites so eagerly that its jaws are often heard to chop
like those of a dog. It, however, seldom breaks its hold,
and, when once struck, is soon tired.
2t
482
Fishes.
THE BARBEL. (Cyprinus Barbus.)
THE BARBEL is readily distinguished from the other carps
by the four barbs or wattels attached to its rnouth. Its
upper jaw is very considerably extended beyond the
lower jaw. The Lea, the Thames, and various other
rivers in the neighbourhood of London, abound in this
fish, which affords excellent sport to the angler. " During
summer," says Mr. Gorrell, " this fish, in shoals, fre-
quents the weedy parts of the river ; but as soon as
the weeds begin to decay in autumn it seeks the deeper
water, and shelters itself near piles, locks, and bridges,
which it frequents till the following spring." It is
sometimes found to weigh from fifteen to eighteen pounds,
and to measure three feet in length, but its usual length
is from twelve to eighteen inches. The flesh is coarse
and unsavory, and held in no estimation.
THE DACE, (Cyprinus leuciscus,)
RESEMBLES the chub in its form, but is smaller, and of a
lighter colour ; it is gregarious and remarkably prolific.
It is seldom more than ten inches in length ; the back is
of a dusky colour, tinged with yellow and green, and the
sides have a silvery cast.
The Roach The Bleak.
483
Dace spawn in March, and are in season about three
weeks afterwards. They improve, and are good about
Michaelmas ; but in February they are best. The flesh
is, however, at all times woolly and insipid. They are
very lively creatures, and, if kept in ponds, may live a
considerable time.
THE EOACH, (Cyprinus rutilus,)
BELONGS also to the carp family, and is remarkable for
its numerous progeny. It is a deep yet thin-made fish,
in shape somewhat resembling the bream, but approach-
ing the carp in the breadth and shape of its scales, which
are large and deciduous. The soundness of the flesh is
become proverbial, and pleases the taste by a peculiar
delicacy of flavour. The ventral fins are, like those of
the perch, of a bright crimson, and the irides of the eye
sparkle like rubies and garnets. The length of the Eoach
is commonly between nine and ten inches, but sometimes
much greater.
THE BLEAK, (Cyprinus allurnus,)
Is nearly allied to the roach. It is a small glittering fish,
familiar to most persons from its playing about on warm
484 Fishes.
summer evenings on the surface of rivers in chase of flies,
bread-crumbs, &c. The scales are employed in making
artificial pearls.
THE BKEAM, (Gyprinw Brama,)
Is a flattish fish, not unlike the carp in several points, but
much broader in proportion to its length and thickness.
Its head is truncated, the upper jaw a little projecting ;
the forehead a bluish black; cheeks yellowish; body
olive, paler below ; fins obscure, with an oblong conical
process at the base of the ventral fins ; twenty -nine rays
in the anal fin ; its greatest length is about two feet.
The scales are large, and of a bright colour ; the tail has
the form of a crescent. It frequents the deepest parts
of livers, lakes, and ponds. These fish spawn in May,
secluding themselves at that time so carefully in the
ooze at the bottom of the water that they are seldom
found with either soft or hard roe in them, so that in
some countries the name is often used to denote sterility.
The flesh is not comparable to that of the carp.
The "White Bream never exceeds a pound in weight,
and is consequently much smaller than the Common
or Carp Bream, which frequently weighs seven or eight
pounds.
In some of the lakes of Ireland great quantities of
Bream are taken, many of them of very large size, some-
times weighing as much as twelve or even fourteen pounds
The Minnow. 485
each. A place conveniently situated for the fishing is
baited with grain, or other coarse food, for ten days or
a fortnight regularly, after which great sport is usually
obtained. The party frequently catch several hundred-
weight, which are distributed among the poor of the vici-
nity, who split and dry them with great care, to eat with
their potatoes.
THE MINKOW. (Cyprinus pJwxinus.)
THE body of the Minnow is of a blackish green, with
blue and yellow variegations ; the abdomen silvery ;
scales small ; ten rays in the ventral, anal, and dorsal
fins ; tail forked, and marked near the base with a dusky
spot. Its length is about three inches.
This beautiful and well-known fish is gregarious, and
is frequent in clear gravelly streams and rivulets in many
parts of Europe. In Britain it appears in March, and is
seldom seen after October. It spawns in June, and is,
indeed, found in roe during the greater part of the
summer. It is easily tamed ; and, in captivity, may be
taught to pick flies or filaments of beef from the hand.
The flesh of the Minnow is extremely delicate, but
the fish is so small that it would take a great number
to make a dish, and consequently it is seldom used for
human food. Its chief value is as a bait for catching
other fish. In some parts of England it is so abundant
as sometimes to be used as manure.
486
Fishes.
THE LOACH, (Colitis larbatula,)
WHICH also belongs to the family of the carps, is a small
fish, with six barbs at the mouth. It inhabits small,
gravelly streams, and lies at the bottom among the stones ;
it is easily caught with a small worm.
It is considered an extremely well-flavoured fish,
though, on account of its small size, and the difficulty
of catching a sufficient quantity, seldom seen at table.
The Loach is very sensitive to atmospheric changes,
which it shows by its restless movements. They have
sometimes been kept alive in glass vessels, in which
state they indicate the approach of storms with almost
the accuracy of a barometer.
THE BULL-HEAD, OB MILLER'S THUMB,
(Cottus gobio,)
Is found in clear brooks and rivers in most parts ot
Europe. It is from four to five inches long ; the head is
large in proportion to the body, broad and depressed ; the
gill fins round, and beautifully notched. The mouth is
large and full of small teeth ; the general colour of the
body is a dark brownish black. This fish is remarkably
stupid, and may be caught with ease by the most inex-
The Stickleback. 487
perienced angler, even with a bent pin and coarse thread.
Its hiding-places are among loose stones, under which
the peculiar flattened form of its head enables it to thrust
itself. Its popular name seems to have suggested itself
from the resemblance the head of the fish is supposed to
bear to the form of a miller's thumb, the peculiar con-
formation of which is produced by his mode of testing
samples of meal.
THE STICKLEBACK, (Gastuostius aculiatus,)
Is one of our smallest fishes, and appears to live indiffer-
ently in fresh and salt water. It is exceedingly common
in every pond, and may be caught easily, either with a
hand-net, or by fishing for it with a small worm tied to the
end of a piece of cotton ; he bites at this so boldly that
he may be drawn out of the water without the aid of a
hook. His name of Stickleback is given to him from his
having thin spines on the back instead of a fin; the
sides of his body are covered with thin bony plates, and
his ventral fins consist of single, strong, and sharp spines,
which constitute formidable offensive weapons.
The Stickleback, although so common, is one of the
most interesting of fishes, on account of the singularity
of its habits in the breeding season. Instead of deposit-
ing its eggs in the sand or mud, and leaving them to
take care of themselves, the Stickleback builds a curious
nest of fragments of vegetable matter, and defends this
most valiantly against all intruders until the hatching
of the young ; the parental solicitude does not cease until
the young Sticklebacks have grown too big to be any
longer controlled. One curious feature in the business
is, that it is the male that takes all this trouble ; he builds
the nest, exposes himself to every danger in its defence,
and watches anxiously over the vagaries of his young
progeny, the female having nothing to do but to deposit
her eggs in the already prepared nest.
The Stickleback is an extremely pugnacious fish.
The males fight together furiously, and the colours of
their bodies become much more brilliant while they are
so occupied than at any other time.
488 Fishes.
THE ELECTRICAL EEL. (Gymnotus Electricus.)
THIS very remarkable fish is about five or six feet in
length, and twelve inches in circumference, in the
thickest part of the body. The head is broad, flat, and
large ; the moutn wide and destitute of teeth ; the ros-
trum obtuse and rounded ; the eyes small and of a bluish
colour ; the back of a darkish brown, the sides grey, and
the abdomen of a dingy white. Across the body there
are several annular divisions, or rather ridges of the skin,
which give the fish the power of contracting or dilating
itself at pleasure. There is no dorsal fin, and the ventral
fins are also wanting, as in all the Eels. It is able to
swim backwards as well as forwards.
Mr. Bryant mentions an instance of the shock from one
of these fish being felt through a considerable thickness
of wood. One morning, while he was standing by, as a
servant was emptying a tub, in which an Electrical Eel
was contained, he had lifted it entirely from the ground,
and was pouring off the water to renew it, when he re-
ceived a shock so violent as occasioned him to let the
tub fall. He then called another person to his assist-
ance, and they lifted up the tub together, each laying
hold only on the outside. When they were pouring off
the remainder of the water, they received a shock so
smart that they were compelled to desist.
Persons have been knocked down with a stroke. One
The Electrical Eel. 489
of these fish having been taken from a net and laid upon
the grass, an English sailor, notwithstanding all the per-
suasions that were used to prevent him, would insist on
taking it up ; but the moment he grasped it he dropped
down in a fit ; his eyes were fixed, his face became livid,
and it was not without difficulty that his senses were
restored. He said that the instant he touched it " the
cold ran swiftly up his arm into his body, and pierced
him to the heart."
Humboldt tells us that when the Indians wish to catch
these Eels they drive some wild horses through the pools
which the fish inhabit; and that when the Eels have
exhausted their electrical power upon the horses, the
Indians take them without difficulty. He relates an in-
stance in which he says that the horses, stunned with
the shocks they received, sank under water, but most of
them rose again, and gained the shore, where they lay
stretched out on the ground, apparently quite exhausted
and without the power of moving, so much were they
stupefied and benumbed. In about a quarter of an hour,
however, the Eels appeared to have exhausted them-
selves, and, instead of attacking fresh horses that were
driven into the pond, fled before them. The Indians
then entered the water and caught as many fish as they
liked*
This most singular fish is peculiar to South America,
where it is found only in stagnant pools, at a great dis-
tance from the sea.
* See a very animated account of the capture of this fish, in Hum
boldt's " Views of Nature," page 16 (Bohn's Edition).
490
Fishes.
THE EEL. (Anguilla vulgaris.)
THE EEL resembles a serpent in its form, though no two
animals can be more different in every other respect.
Eels are fresh-water fish ; but as they are very suscep-
tible of cold, those which inhabit rivers go down every
autumn towards the sea, which is always warmer than a
river, and return in spring. They are said also to spawn
in the sea, and great numbers of young Eels are seen in
spring ascending tidal rivers. Mr. Edward Jesse, in
his edition of " Walton's Angler," says : " A column of
them has been traced in the Thames from Somerset
House to Oxford, about the middle of May, and I have
watched their progress with much interest. No impedi-
ment stops them. They keep as much as possible close
alongshore, and as they pass watercourses, open ditches,
and brooks, &c., some of them leave the column and
enter these places, along which they eventually make
their way to ponds, smaller rivers, &c. So strong is the
migratory instinct in these little eels, that when I have
taken some in a bucket and returned them to the river
at some distance from the column, they have imme-
diately rejoined it without any deviation to the right or
Tlie Eel 491
left. On the banks of the Thames the passage is called
Eel-fare. Two observers, watching their progress at
Kingston, calculated that from sixteen to eighteen hun-
dred passed a given line per minute. Eennie saw (on
the 13th of May) a column of young eels of uniform
size, about as thick as a crow-quill, and three inches
long, returning to the river Clyde, in almost military
order, keeping within parallel lines of about six inches.
He traced it for several hours without perceiving any
diminution." Those that live in ponds seek the deep
water for their winter quarters, and sometimes bury
themselves in the mud at the bottom. They are very
tenacious of life, and will live for a long time out of
water; they are even sometimes found on the grass,
passing from one pond to another, in search, it is said,
of food.
They are voracious feeders, eating frogs, snails, and
other molluscous animals, worms, the fry of fishes, and
the larvae of various insects, as well as grass and aquatic
weeds. Mr. Jesse states that he has known them to eat
young ducks, and even water-rats.
The Eel is caught in many different ways. As it sel-
dom stirs during the day, the best method is found to be
by setting night-lines. The baits most commonly used
are lob-worms, loach, minnows, small perch, with the
fins cut off, or small pieces of any fish ; but such is the
voracity of this animal that it will take almost any bait.
Spearing for Eels is a method very commonly resorted
to during the winter, when Eels imbed themselves in a
state of torpidity in the muddy banks of streams and
ponds. Eel-spears have usually six or seven prongs,
with long handles. The process consists merely in
plunging them into the mud in likely places, and pull-
ing them out again.
There seems to be no reason for supposing, as is
commonly done, that Eels are viviparous ; parasitic
worms have sometimes been mistaken for the young
animals.
The common Eel often weighs upwards of twenty
pounds. The flesh is tender, soft, and nourishing, but
does not agree with all stomachs.
492 Fishes.
THE CONGER, OB SEA EEL, (Conger vulgaris,)
Is very largo and thick. Its body is dusky above, and
silvery below; the dorsal and anal fins are edged with
black ; and the lateral line is dotted with white. Its
flesh is firm, and was much esteemed by the ancients.
It is still eaten by the poorer classes, especially in sea-
side towns, but would be considered coarse and tasteless
by most people in the present day.
The voracity of the Conger Eel is very great, and it is
one of the most powerful enemies with which the fisher-
men of the British islands have to contend. Being usually
caught by a hook and line, it requires some care to land
and kill the large ones without danger. We are informed
that, on such occasions, they have been known to en-
twine themselves round the legs of a fisherman, and fight
with the utmost fury. They are almost incredibly
strong and tenacious of life. When pulled up by the
line and landed in a boat, they make a loud, hoarse,
grating sound, almost resembling the angry snarling
of a dog, which often terrifies the amateur fisherman.
Unless seized with great care, they bite most severely.
It is even said that men have occasionally been per-
manently maimed by them. A Conger, six feet in
length, was caught in the Wash, at Yarmouth, in April,
1808 : but not without a severe contest with the man
who had seized it. The animal is stated to have risen
half erect, and to have actually knocked the fisherman
down before he could secure it. This Conger weighed
only about sixty pounds : but some of the largest exceed
even a hundredweight.
BOOK IV.
KEPTILES.
1. Serpents, or Ophidian Reptiles.
SEKPEKTS.
SERPENTS are characterised by an elongated body, clothed
in scales and destitute of limbs, but furnished with a
tail. They move by lateral undulations of the body ;
and in this manner they glide with equal ease along the
bare ground, through entangled thickets or water, and
up the trunks of trees. They possess the power of fast-
ing a great length of time, and when they feed always
swallow their prey whole, which they are enabled to
accomplish by their faculty of dilating their bodies to an
enormous size. This power is carried to such an extent
that a Boa Constrictor can swallow a bullock whole,
suffering no other inconvenience than that of lying in a
state of torpor while digestion is proceeding. Serpents
generally roll themselves up when in a state of repose,
with the head in the centre ; and when disturbed raise
the head before they uncoil the body. The Serpent is
often made a subject of poetry ; and as it was the form
adopted by the arch fiend to seduce Eve, it is generally
considered the emblem of insinuation and flattery :
" on his rear,
Circular base of rising folds that tower'd
Fold above fold, surprising maze, his head
Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes.
494 Reptiles.
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling spires that on the grass
Floated redundant ; pleasing was his shape
And lovely .... Ofthebow'd
His turret crest and sleek enamell'd neck,
Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod."
PARADISE LOST.
The ancients paid great honours to Serpents, and some-
times called them good genii : they frequented sepul-
chres and burying-places, and were addressed like the
tutelary divinities of these places. We read, in the fifth
book of the u33neid, that when the Trojan hero sacrificed
to his father's ghost, a Serpent of this kind made his
appearance :
and from the tomb began to glide
His hugy bulk on seven high volumes roll'd ;
Blue was his breadth of back, and streak'd with scaly gold.
Thus riding on his curls he seemed to pass
A rolling fire along, and singe the grass ;
More various colours through his body run,
Than Iris when her bow imbibes the sun.
Between the rising altars and around,
The sacred monster shot along the ground ;
With harmless play among the bowls he pass'd,
And with his lolling tongue assay'd the taste :
Thus fed with holy food, the wondrous guest
Within the hollow tomb retired to rest." DRYDEN.
This animal was exalted to the honour of being an
emblem of prudence, and even of eternity ; and is often
represented as the latter in Egyptian hieroglyphics,
biting his tail, so as to form a circle. Serpents are very
numerous in Africa ; and Lucan, in his "Pharsalia," gives
us a very extraordinary account of the different species,
which he seems to have drawn partly from ancient
Greek authors, partly from actual traditions. He says :
" Why plagues like these infect the Libyan air ;
Why deaths unknown in various shapes appear ;
Why, fruitful to destroy, the cursed land
Is temper'd thus by Nature's secret hand ;
Dark and obscure the hidden cause remains,
And still deludes the vain inquirer's pains."
BOWE'S " LUCAN.''
The Viper.
495
Serpents differ very much in size. We are told of
Serpents in the Me of Java measuring fifty feet in
length ; and in the British Museum there is a skin of
one thirty-two feet long.
THE VIPEE, OK ADDER, (Viperalerus,)
Is a venomous species of serpent that seldom exceeds
the length of two or three feet, and is of a dull yellowish
brown colour with black spots, the abdomen being en-
tirely black ; the head is nearly in the shape of a lozenge,
and much thicker than the body. The Viper is vivi-
parous ; yet it is ascertained that the eggs are formed,
though they are hatched in the body of the mother.
The Reverend Mr. White, of Selborne, in company
with a friend, surprised a large female Viper, as she lay
on the grass, basking in the sun, which seemed very
heavy and bloated. As Vipers are so venomous that
they should be destroyed, they killed her; and after-
wards, being curious to know what made her so large,
they opened her, and found in her abdomen fifteen
496 Reptiles.
young ones, about the size of full-grown earth-worms.
This little fry issued into the world with the true Viper
spirit about them, showing great alertness as soon as
they were disengaged from the body of their parent.
They twisted and wriggled about, set themselves up, and
gaped very wide when touched with a stick ; exhibiting
manifest tokens of menace and defiance, though as yet
no fangs could be discovered, even by the help of glasses.
Vipers attain their full growth in seven years ; they
feed on frogs, toads, lizards, and other animals of that
kind, and it is even asserted that they catch mice and
small birds, of which they seem very fond. They cast
their skin every year. The two front teeth in the upper
jaw of the Viper are furnished with a small bladder
containing poison. There is no doubt but this poison,
which appears to have been infused into the jaws of the
Viper and other serpents by Providence, as a means of
revenge upon their enemies, is so harmless to the animal
itself, that when swallowed by it it only serves to ac-
celerate its digestion. These venomous teeth or fangs
stand, each by itself, upon a small movable bone ; this
arrangement enables the creature to fold down its fearful
weapons in the mouth, and to erect them instantly when
it has occasion to make use of them. The Viper is very
patient of hunger, and may be kept more than six months
without food. When in confinement, it refuses all sus-
tenance, and the sharpness of its poison decreases in
proportion : when at liberty, it remains torpid through-
out the winter ; yet, when confined, it has never been
observed to take its annual repose.
The Viper is a native of many parts of this island,
chiefly the dry and chalky counties. Its flesh was for-
merly used for broth, and much esteemed in medicine,
particularly to restore debilitated constitutions. It was
also used as a cosmetic, being supposed to render the
complexion fair. It was probably from the use made
by the ancients of this animal in medicine that Escula-
pius is represented with a serpent. The best remedy
against the bite of the Viper is to suck the wound, which
may be done without danger, and after this to rub it
with sweet oil, and poultice it with bread and milk.
The Horned Viper.
497
THE HORNED VIPEK, (Cerastes Hasselquistii.)
THIS species of Viper is nearly allied to the asp, and has
a pointed and solid horny substance on. each eyelid,
formed of two projecting scales : its body is of a pale
yellowish or greyish colour, with distant sub-ovate
transverse brown spots ; and in length it is from one to
two feet.
This species is often mentioned by the ancients.
Pliny tells us that " the serpent Cerastes hath many
times four small horns, standing out double ; with
moving whereof she amuseth the birds, and traineth
them unto her for to catch them, hiding all the rest of
her body."
It is found in the sandy deserts of Egypt and the
neighbouring countries, and is believed to be the Asp
with which Cleopatra eluded the disgrace of becoming a
prisoner to her Roman conqueror.
498
Reptiles.^
THE RATTLE-SNAKE, (Crotalus Jiorridus,)
Is a native of the New World, and grows to five or six,
and sometimes to eight feet in length, and is nearly as
thick as a man's leg. It is not unlike the viper, having
a large head and small neck, and inflicting a very dan-
gerous wound. Over each eye is a large pendulous
scale, the use of which has not yet been ascertained ; the
body is scaly and hard, variegated with several different
colours. The principal characteristic of this justly
dreaded serpent is the rattle, a kind of instrument re-
sembling the curb-chain of a bridle, at the extremity of the
tail; it is formed of thin, hard, hollow bones, linkfed
together, and rattling on the least motion. When dis-
turbed, the creature shakes this rattle with considerable
noise and rapidity, striking terror into all the smaller
animals, which are afraid of the destructive venom that
this serpent communicates to the wounded limb with his
bite. The wound the Rattle-snake inflicts, through the
uncommon sharpness and rapid fluency of the poison,
generally terminates the torment and life of the unhappy
victim in the course of six or seven hours.
A snake of this kind exhibited in London at a mena-
gerie of foreign animals, in the year 1810, wounded a
carpenter's hand, who was repairing its cage, and seeking
for his rule. The man suffered the most excruciating
pain, and his life could not be saved, although medical
assistance was immediately applied, and every effort
The Eaje. 499
made to prevent the dire effect of the poison. The pro-
prietor was condemned to pay a deodand for the injury
done by the serpent.
THE HAJE, OR EGYPTIAN ASP. (Naja Eaje.)
THE HAJE, or Egyptian Asp, is from three to six feet in
length ; it has two teeth longer than the rest, through
which the venom flows. The body is covered with
small round scales, and is of a greenish colour, bordered
with brown ; its neck is capable of inflation. The jug-
glers of Egypt, by pressing this Asp on the nape of the
neck with the finger, throw the animal into a kind of
catalepsy, which renders it stiff and immovable; when
they say that they have changed it into a rod. The
habit which this species has of raising itself up when
approached, induced the ancient Egyptians to believe
that it guarded the fields where it was found ; and it is
sculptured on the gates of their temples as an emblem
of the protecting divinity of the world.
500
Reptiles.
THE HOODED SEEPENT, OE COBEA DI
CAPELLO, (Naja trvpudiam,)
CALLED by tlie Indians the Nagao, is from three to
eight feet long, with two long fangs in the tipper jaw.
It has a broad neck, and a mark of dark brown on the
forehead ; which, when viewed frontwise, looks like a
pair of spectacles ; but behind, like the head of a cat.
The eyes are fierce and full of fire ; the head is small,
and the nose flat, though covered with very large scales,
of a yellowish ash-colour : the skin is white, and the
large tumour on the neck is flat and covered with oblong
smooth scales. This serpent is extremely dreaded by
the British residents in India, as its bite has hitherto
been found to be incurable, and the sufferer generally
dies in half an hour.
The Snake.
501
Of this kind are the dancing-snakes, which are carried
in baskets throughout Hindoostan, and procure a main-
tenance for a set of people, who play a few simple notes
on the flute, with which the snakes seem much delighted,
and keep time by a graceful motion of the head; erect-
ing about half their length from the ground, and follow-
ing the music with gentle curves, like the undulating
lines of a swan's neck. It is a well-attested fact, that,
when a house is infested with these snakes, and some
other of the coluber genus, which destroy poultry and
small domestic animals, as also by the larger serpents
of the boa tribe, the musicians are sent for ; who, by
playing on a flageolet, find out their hiding places,
and charm them 'to destruction: for .no sooner do the
snakes hear the music, than they come softly from their
retreat, and are easily taken. I imagine these musical
snakes were known in Palestine, from the Psalmist
comparing the ungodly to the deaf adder, which stop-
peth her ears, and refuseth to hear the voice of the
charmer, charm he never so wisely.
THE SNAKE, (Coluber natrix,)
Is the largest of all English serpents, sometimes exceeding
four feet in length. The colour of the body is variegated
with yellow, green, white, and regular spots of brown
and black. They seem to enjoy themselves when bask-
ing in the sun, at the foot of an old wall. This animal
is perfectly innoxious, although many reports have been
circulated and believed to the contrary ; it feeds on
502
Reptiles.
frogs, worms, mice, and various kinds of insects, and
passes the greater part of the winter in a state of
torpidity. In the spring they re-appear, and at this
season uniformly cast their skins. This is a process
that they also seem to undergo in autumn. Mr. White
says: "About the middle of September we found in a
field, near a hedge, the slough of a large snake, which
seemed to have been newly cast. It appeared as if
turned wrong side outward, and as if it had been drawn
off backward, like a stocking or a woman's glove. Not
only the whole skin, but even the scales from the eyes
were peeled off, and appeared in the slough like a pair
of spectacles. The reptile, at the time of changing his
coat, had entangled himself intricately in the grass and
weeds, in order that the friction of the stalks and blades
might promote this curious shifting of his exuvia."
THE BOA CONSTRICTOR
THIS immense animal is often twenty feet in length, and
sometimes even thirty-five ; the ground colour of its skin
is yellowish grey, on which is distributed, along the
back, a series of large chain-like, reddish brown, and
sometimes perfectly red, variegations, with other smaller
and more irregular marks and spots. It is a native of
The Amphisbsena. 503
South America, where it chiefly resides in the most re-
tired situations in woods and marshes.
The bite of this snake is not venomous, nor is the
animal believed to bite at all, except to seize its prey. It
kills its prey by twining round it and crushing its bones.
The Python and the Anaconda, which are at least as
large as the Boa Constrictor, are found chiefly in the
Indian Islands: they are very similar both in form and
colouring to the Boa, and have exactly the same habits.
These monsters will attack and devour the largest ani-
mals, of which the following is an instance : A Boa had
for some time been waiting near the brink of a pool in
expectation of its prey, when a buffalo appeared. Having
darted upon the affrighted beast, it instantly began to
encircle him with its voluminous twistings, and at every
twist the bones of the buffalo were heard to crack as loud
as the report of a gun. It was in vain that the animal
struggled and bellowed ; its enormous enemy entwined
it so closely that at length all its bones were crushed to
pieces, like those of a malefactor on the wheel, and the
whole body was reduced to one uniform mass : the serpent
then untwined its folds in order to swallow its prey at
leisure. To prepare for this, and also to make it slip
down the throat more smoothly, it licked the whole body
over, covering it with a mucilaginous substance. It
then began to swallow it, at the end that afforded the
least resistance, and in the act of swallowing, the throat
suffered so great a dilation as to take in a substance that
was thrice its own ordinary thickness.
THE AMPHISBSENA. (AmpJiislcena ftdiginosa.)
THIS name is now applied only to a genus of South
504 Reptiles.
American reptiles, which are of a harmless nature, being
destitute of those fangs which prepare the venom in
poisonous serpents. It is indeed doubtful whether the
Amphisbsenas are really snakes, and by many naturalists
they are arranged amongst the lizards, although they
have no limbs. The head is so small, and the tail so thick
and short, that at first sight it is difficult to distinguish
one from the other ; and this circumstance, united to the
animal's habit of proceeding either backwards or forwards
as occasion may require, gave rise to the supposition
throughout the native regions of the Arnphisbsena, that
it had two heads, one at each extremity, and that it was
impossible to destroy one by simple cutting, as the two
heads would mutually seek one another and reunite !
The colour of the commonest species is a deep brown
varied with patches of white. The body is ornamented
by more than two hundred rings, and the tail by
about twenty-five. The eyes are almost concealed by
a thick membrane, and this, together with their small
size, has given rise to the idea that the Amphisbasna is
blind. It grows to the length of eighteen inches or two
feet. Its food consists of worms and insects, and espe-
cially ants, in the mounds of which it generally con-
ceals itself. The ancients gave the name of Amphisbasna
to what they considered a two-headed serpent ; but it
is not known with certainty which of the serpent tribe
they meant, as their Amphisbasna is described by Lucan
as venomous, though in his lines elegance of language,
beauty of versification, and liveliness of fancy, have
perhaps a greater claim than truth to the admiration of
the reader :
" With hissings fierce, dire Amphisbsenas rear
Their double heads, and rouse the soldier's fear.
Eager he flies : more eager they pursue ;
On every side the onset quick renew !
With equal swiftness face or shun the prey,
And follow fast when thought to run away.
Thus on the looms the busy shuttles glide,
Alternate fly, end shoot at either side."
The Frog,
II. Batrachian
505
THE FKOG. (Eana temporaria.)
WHEN this reptile issues from the egg it is merely a black,
oval mass, with a slender tail. This tadpole, as it is then
called, is the embryo of the Frog, and when it has at-
tained a certain size its body gradually acquires the form
of that of the Frog, its legs sprout from its sides, and
finally its tail is cast off. This metamorphosis is one of
the most curious in nature, and deserves our observation.
Like other reptiles, it is not necessary for it to breathe
in order to put its blood into circulation, as it has a
communication between the two ventricles of the heart.
It lives during spring in ponds, brooks, muddy ditches,
marshy grounds, and other watery places, in summer in
corn-fields and pasture land. Its voice proceeds from
two bladders, one on each side of the mouth, which it
can fill with wind. When it croaks, it puts its head out
506 Eeptiles.
of the water. The hinder legs of the Frog are much
longer than the fore ones, to help it in its repeated and
extensive leaps. The whole of the body bears a little
resemblance to some of the warm-blooded animals, prin-
cipally about the thighs and the toes. The Frog is ex-
tremely tenacious of life, and often survives the abscission
of its head for several hours. It is supposed that Frogs
spend the whole winter at the bottom of some stagnant
water in a state of torpidity.
There are several species of the Frog ; they are all
oviparous, and the eggs are gelatinous. The Edible Frog
is the species used in France and Germany for food; it
is considerably larger than the common kind, and though
rare in England, is very plentiful in France, Germany,
and Italy. Its colour is olive green, marked with black
patches on the back, and on its limbs with transverse
bars of the same. From the tip of the nose three distinct
stripes of pale yellow extend to the extremity of the
body, the middle one slightly depressed, and the lateral
ones considerably elevated. The upper parts are of a
pale whitish colour, tinged with green, and marked with
irregular brown spots. These creatures are brought
from the country, thirty or forty thousand at a time, to
Vienna, and sold to the great dealers, who have frog-
geries for them, which are pits four or five feet deep,
dug in the ground, the mouth covered with a board, and
in severe weather with straw. In the year 1793, there
were but three great dealers in Vienna, by whom those
persons who brought them to the markets ready for the
cook were supplied. Only the legs and thighs are eaten,
and these are always skinned. They are rather dear,
being considered a great delicacy. The Edible Frogs
are caught in various ways, sometimes in the night, by
means of nets, into which they are attracted by the light
of torches that are carried out for the purpose, and some-
times by hooks, baited with worms, insects, flesh, or
even a bit of red cloth. They are exceedingly voracious,
and seize everything that moves before them.
The Toad.
507
THE TOAD, (Bufo vulgaris,)
WHOSE very name seems to carry with it something of
an opprobrious meaning, is not unworthy the attention
of the observer of nature ; for, though prejudice and
false associations have affixed a stigma on certain
species of animals, none of the works of our Creator
are despicable, but all, the more minutely they are ex-
amined, the greater claim they are found to have to our
admiration. Somewhat like the frog in the body, it also
resembles that animal in its habits ; but the frog leaps,
while the Toad crawls. It is an error to suppose the
Toad to be a noxious and venomous animal ; it is as
harmless as the frog, and, like some of the human kind,
only labours under the stigma of undeserved calumny.
Several stories have been related of its spitting poison,
or knowing how to expel the venom it may have re-
ceived from the spider or any other animals ; but these
fables have been long exploded. A curious and yet in-
explicable phenomenon is that Toads have been said to
be found alive in the centre of large blocks of stone,
where they must have subsisted without food and respi-
ration for a number of }^ears. The following are recorded
examples: In the year 1719, M. Hubert, professor of
philosophy at Caen, was witness to a living Toad being
taken from the solid trunk of an elm-tree. It was lodged
exactly in the centre, and filled the whole of the space
that contained it. The tree was in every other respect
firm and sound. Dr. Bradley saw a Toad taken from
the trunk of a large oak. In the year 1 733, a live Toad
was discovered byM. Gray burg in a hard and solid block
508 Bcptiles.
of stone which had been dug up in a quarry in Goth-
land. On being touched with a stick upon the head, he
informs us, it contracted its eyes as if asleep, and when
the stick was moved gradually opened them. Its mouth
had no aperture, but was closed round with a yellowish
skin. On being pressed with the stick on the back, a
small quantity of clear water issued from it behind, and
it immediately died. A living Toad was found in a
block of marble at Chillingham Castle, belonging to
Lord Tankerville, near Alnwick, in Northumberland.
Some of these cases are related in a manner which
renders it difficult to doubt that the observers described
what they thought they saw; but the occurrence of the
phenomena, as described, seems to be so utterly im-
possible that we are forced to suppose that those writers
have been misled in some way. That there is some foun-
dation for many of the stories in question we can have
no doubt, but we must look forward to further observa-
tions for their explanation ; as Mr. Bell says : " To believe
that a Toad, inclosed within a mass of clay, or other
similar substance, shall exist wholly without air or food,
for hundreds of years, and at length be liberated alive,
and capable of crawling, on the breaking up of the
matrix, now become a solid rock, is certainly a demand
upon our credulity which few would be ready to
answer."
With regard to the length of life of these animals, it
is impossible to state anything decisive, but several facts
prove that some of them have been gifted with astonish-
ing longevity.
A correspondent of Mr. Pennant's supplied him with
some curious particulars respecting a domestic Toad,
which continued in the same place for thirty-six years.
It frequented the steps before the hall-door of a gentle-
man's house in Devonshire. By being constantly fed, it
was rendered so tame as always to come out of its hole in
the evening when a candle was brought, and to look up
as if expecting to be carried into the house, where it was
frequently fed with insects. An animal of this descrip-
tion being so much noticed and befriended excited the
cariosity of all who came to the house, and even females
The Surinam Toad. 509
so far conquered the horrors instilled into them by their
nurses as generally to request to see it fed. It appeared
most partial to flesh-maggots, which were kept for it in
bran. It would follow them on the table, and, when
within a proper distance, would fix its eyes and remain
motionless for a little while, apparently to prepare for
the stroke which was to follow, and which was instan-
taneous. It threw out its tongue to a great distance, and
the insect, stuck by the glutinous matter to its tip, was
swallowed by a motion quicker than the eye could fol-
low. After having been kept more than thirty-six years
it was at length destroyed by a tame raven, which one
day seeing it at the mouth of its hole pulled it out, and
so wounded it that it died.
THE SUEINAM TOAD, (Pipa Americana,)
WHICH is one of the ugliest of all Toads, is remarkable
for the mode in which the young are developed. The
female, like that of the common Toad, deposits her eggs
at the edge of the water, but instead of leaving them
there, the male takes the mass of eggs and places them
on the back of his partner, pressing them down into
a number of curious pits, which are produced in that
part at the breeding season. When each of the pits has
received its egg, the orifice becomes closed by a sort of
lid, and the young animal goes through all its changes
510
Reptiles.
from the tadpole to the perfect Toad in this rather con-
fined space. This curious Toad is found in Guiana ; it
frequents the dark corners of the houses, and, notwith-
standing its intense ugliness, is eaten by the natives.
THE COMMON NEWT. (Triton aquaticus.)
BESIDES the frogs and toads, which have no tails when
arrived at their perfect form, there are several Batrachiaii
Reptiles in which this appendage is permanent. The
best known of these are the Newts, of which two kinds
are very common in ponds during the spring. The
common Newt is three or four inches in length, and is of
a pale brown colour above, and 'orange with black spots
below. It has four little webbed feet and a flattened
tail. In swimming, the legs are turned backwards to
lessen resistance, and the animal is propelled princi-
pally by the tail. Their progression at the bottom of
the water and on land is performed creepingly with
their small and weak feet. These animals live during
the autumn and winter under stones and clods of earth,
and come down to the water in February or March for
the purpose of depositing their eggs there. The eggs
The Great Newt. 511
are carefully inclosed by the parents in the leaves of
aquatic plants. The young, when first hatched, are in
the form of tadpoles ; the legs afterwards sprout from
the sides of the body, but the tail is not cast off, as in
the frogs. The old Newts remain in the water until
July or August.
THE GREAT NEWT. (Triton jpofcwfrw.)
THIS, the largest British species of the Newt, is by no
means uncommon in our ponds and ditches. It is about
six inches in length; its back is dark, and its under
side is orange-coloured, sprinkled with small black
rts ; altogether it is darker and richer in colour than
common species. During the breeding season the
males of both species, but especially those of the larger
one, are adorned with membranous crests, and their
colours become much more vivid. Their tenacity of
life is very great ; when mutilated, they will reproduce
the lost parts, and they may be frozen into a solid lump
of ice without losing their vitality. With regard to its
habits, this animal is a most voracious creature, and
devours unsparingly aquatic insects, and, in fact, any
small animal which happens to come in its way. For
tadpoles it seems to have a special predilection, and its
greediness is such that it has not escaped the charge of
cannibalism. These Newts have more than once been
taken in the act of devouring individuals of the smaller
species, but of such a size that there seems to have been
considerable difficulty in swallowing them.
512
Reptiles.
III. Saurian Heptiles.
THE LIZAKD. (Lac&rta wwporo.)
THIS is a British species, and is one of the very few
reptiles found in Ireland. Its movements are most grace-
ful. It comes out of its hiding-place during the day to
bask in the sun, and when it sees an insect it darts like
lightning upon it, seizing it with its sharp little teeth,
and soon swallowing it. The young are produced in
eggs, which are generally hatched the moment they are
laid, the skin of the egg being so thin that the young
Lizard can be seen through it.
The Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) is a beautiful
creature. Its colours are more brilliant and beautiful
than those of any other European species, and exhibit
The Iguana. 513
a rich and varied mixture of darker and lighter green,
interspersed with specks and marks of yellow, brown,
black, and sometimes even red. The head is covered
with large angular scales, and the rest of the upper parts
with very small ones. The tail is generally much longer
than the body. Beneath the throat there is a kind of
collar, formed by scales of much darker colour than the
rest of the animal.
The Lizard seems .occasionally to lay aside its natural
gentleness of disposition, but no further than for the
purpose of obtaining food. Mr. Edwards once surprised
a Lizard in the act of fighting with a small bird, as she
sat on her nest in a vine against a wall, with newly-
hatched young. He supposed that the Lizard would
have made a prey of the latter, could it have driven the
old bird from her nest. He watched the contest for
some time ; but, on his near approach, the Lizard
dropped to the ground, and the bird flew off.
THE IGUANA, (Iguana tuberculata,)
WHICH is found commonly in the tropical parts of Ame-
rica, is a large kind of lizard, often measuring four or
five feet in length. It has a crest of long teeth, looking
like a comb, along its back ; its tail is long, tapering,
and slender ; and beneath its throat it has a sort of
pouch which it can dilate considerably. The colour of
this lizard is greenish, with brown bands on the tail.
The Iguana is found in trees, and feeds chiefly on fruits
and other vegetable substances. It is usually caught
when reposing upon a branch, and by a very simple
process: the hunter approaches it whistling, and the
animal is stupid enough to sit still, no doubt enjoying
the music, until a noose, attached to the end of a stick,
is passed over its head. It is captured for the sake of
its flesh, which is regarded as very delicate.
An Iguana, which was kept for some time in a hothouse
at Bristol, was fed on the leaves of kidney bean plants,
which it devoured eagerly, after refusing every other
kind of food that had been offered it. It seems certain
that Iguanas in their natural state are not entirely herbi-
2 L
514 Reptiles.
vorous, but feed on insects, the eggs of birds, and other
animal matter, as well as on plants. They will occa-
sionally take to the water, and seem to swim with ease.
Notwithstanding its repulsive and even frightful appear-
ance, the Iguana is perfectly harmless and inoffensive.
THE FLYING LIZAED, OE DEAGON.
(Draco volans.)
THE Flying Dragons, those terrible creatures described
by the older naturalists, are undoubtedly fabulous and,
indeed, impossible creatures, and either entirely pro-
ducts of the imagination of the vulgar, or founded upon
specimens manufactured for the express purpose of
taking in the naturalist, who, in old times, was a little
too ready to believe in wonders of this kind. The wings
of a bat attached to a body and legs made up from half
a dozen animals would furnish a capital Dragon in
former times. Modern naturalists apply the name of
Dragon to some little lizards inhabiting the East Indies,
and which have none of those terrible qualities ascribed
to the fabled monsters of antiquity. They are related to
the Iguanas, but have on each side of the body a mem-
branous expansion, stiffened by the prolongation into it
of the first six false ribs ; this acts as a sort of parachute,
and enables the little creatures, not to fly, but to leap or
glide through the air to considerable distances between
one tree and another, They live entirely in trees, and
feed on insects.
The Chameleon.
515
THE CHAMELEON. (Chamodeo vulgaris.)
" A lizard's body, lean and long,
A fish's head, a serpent's tongue ;
Its foot with triple claw disjoin'd ;
And what a length of tail behind !
How slow its pace ! and then its hue !"
MERBICK.
THE CHAMELEON is a small animal, about ten inches
long, and its tail nearly the same length. Its body is
covered with small compressed scaly granules ; its back
is edged, and its tail round, long, and tapering. Its
feet have each five toes, which are situated three one
way and two another, in order to enable it to lay firm
hold of the branches; but wherever it happens that
these are too large for the animal to grasp with its feet,
it coils round them its long, prehensile tail, and fixes its
claws strongly into the bark. When walking on the
ground, it steps forward in an extremely cautious man-
ner, seeming never to lift one foot until it is well assured
516 Beptites.
of the firmness of the rest. From these precautions, its
motions have a ridiculous appearance of gravity, when
contrasted with the srnallness of its size, and the activity
that might be expected from an animal so nearly allied
to some of the most lively in the creation. Though the
Chameleon is repulsive in its appearance, it is perfectly
harmless. It feeds only on insects, for which the struc-
ture of its tongue is well adapted, being long and pro-
trusive, and furnished with a dilated, glutinous, and
somewhat tubular tip. With this it seizes on insects
with the greatest ease, darting it out and immediately
retracting it, with the prey thus secured, which it swal-
lows whole. The strange notion that Chameleons were
able to feed on air, seems to have arisen merely from
the circumstance of these animals, like all others of
the lizard family, being able to subsist for a great length
of time without food. The eyes of the Chameleon have
the singular property of looking at the same instant in
different directions ; one of them may be seen to move
when the other is at rest, or one will be directed for-
ward, whilst the other is attending to some object behind,
or in a similar manner upward and downward. It has
the power of inflating its body to double its ordinary
size, and at these times it is transparent. It can un-
doubtedly change its colour, but it is not true that it
takes that of any object it may be near. On the con-
trary, its change of colour depends on its being exposed
to a very strong light; and it only changes from its
natural dull grey to a beautiful green, spotted unequally
with red. Africa is the native country of the Chame-
leons, of which there are fourteen species ; but two of
1 em are found also in different parts of Asia and New
Holland, and one ((7. vulgaris) in the south of Europe;
but this animal has never been found in any part of
America.
The Crocodile of the Nile. 517
THE CROCODILE OF THE NILE.
(Crocodilus vulgaris.)
THIS animal is frequently thirty feet long. The female
lays its eggs in the sand, where they are hatched by the
heat of the sun ; and the mother is said to take no care
of the young ones. The head of this species, as of all
the true Crocodiles, is twice as long as it is broad ; the
snout is pointed and unequal, and the eyes, which are
small, are placed very far asunder. The colour is a
greenish bronze, speckled with brown, and of a yellow-
ish green underneath : six rows of nearly equal-sized
plates run along the back. This Crocodile is less fero-
cious than some of the other kinds, and, when taken
young, may be tamed, It is common in Senegal and
other parts of Africa, as well as in the Nile.
The method which the African adopts to kill this for-
midable creature displays considerable ingenuity and
courage. Having wrapped a thick cloth round his arm,
and provided himself with a long knife, he proceeds to
the known haunt, usually a reedy swamp or river. The
518 Reptiles.
moment the Crocodile perceives him it rushes at him
with open mouth, but is coolly received by its antago-
nist, who thrusts his covered arm between its jaws. The
teeth cannot pierce through the thick folds of the cloth,
so that his arm only gets a smart squeeze, and before
the creature can disengage itself, he adroitly cuts its
throat.
The Gavials have very long, slender snouts, and their
hind feet are webbed to the ends of the toes. These
animals grow to the length of twenty-five feet, and when
large are as dangerous and destructive as the Nilotic
Crocodile. They are found abundantly in the Ganges,
and in the fresh waters of most parts of India and its
islands.
A short time before M. Navarette was at the Manillas,
he was told that, as a young woman was washing her
feet at one of the rivers, an Alligator seized and carried
her off. Her husband, to whom she had been but just
married, hearing her screams, threw himself headlong
into the water, and, with a dagger in his hand, pursued
the robber. He overtook and fought the animal with
such success as to recover his wife ; but, unfortunafely
for her brave rescuer, she died before she could be
brought to the shore.
THE ALLIGATOK, OK CAYMAN.
(Alligator Indus.}
THE habits of the Alligator are much the same as those
The Alligator. 519
of the crocodile. The principal mark of distinction is,
that the former has its head and part of the neck more
smooth than the latter, and the snout is considerably
more wide and flat, as well as more rounded at the ex-
tremity. The largest of these animals do not usually
exceed eighteen feet. Alligators are natives of the
warmer parts of America, and are the dread of all living
animals. Their voracity is so great that they do not
spare even mankind.
The voice of the Alligator is loud and harsh. They
have an unpleasant and powerful musky scent. M. Pages
says, that near one of the rivers in America, where they
were numerous, their effluvia was so strong as to impreg-
nate his provisions, and even to give them the nauseous
taste of rotten musk. This effluvium proceeds chiefly
from, four glands, two of which are situated in the groin,
near each thigh, and the other two at the breast, under
each fore leg. Dainpier informs us that, when his men
killed an Alligator, they generally took out these glands,
and, after having dried them, wore them in their hats
by way of perfume.
The following anecdote of the voracity of this animal
is related by Waterton, in his " Wanderings in South
America": " One Sunday evening, some years ago, as I
was walking with Don Felipe de Ynciarte, governor of
Angustura, on the bank of the Oroonoque, * Stop here a
minute or two, Don Carlos,' said he to me, * while I re-
count a sad accident. One fine evening last year, as the
people of Angustura were sauntering up and down here,
in the Alameda, I was within twenty yards of this place,
when I saw a large Cayman rush out of the river, seize
a man, and carry him down, before anybody had it in
his power to assist him. The screams of the poor fellow
were terrible, as the Cayman was running off with him.
He plunged into the river with his prey ; we instantly
lost sight of him, and never saw or heard him more.' "
520 Reptiles.
IV. Chelonian Reptiles.
THE COMMON, OR GREEK TORTOISE.
(Testudo Grceca.)
THIS animal has a small head, four feet, and a tail, which
it can gather within the shell in such a way that the
top and tinder part meet together, and so closely, that
the greatest strength cannot separate them. The eye is
destitute of an upper lid, the tinder one serving to de-
fend that organ. The tipper shell, composed of thirty-
seven compartments, is convex, and so strong, that a
loaded cart can pass over it without injuring the crea-
ture inside. In winter, Tortoises are said to bury them-
selves in the ground, or retire to some cavern or hole,
which the3 r line with moss, grass, and leaves, and where
they pass in safe and solitary retirement the whole of
this season. The Tortoise is very tenacious of life, and
is no less remarkable for its longevity, as it is ascertained
that one lived upwards of one hundred and twenty years
in the garden of Lambeth Palace.
This animal is found in most of the countries near the
Mediterranean Sea, in Corsica, Sardinia, and some of the
islands of the Archipelago, as well as in many parts of
the north of Africa.
The Green Turtle.
521
THE GREEN TURTLE. (Chelonia midas.)
MOST of the Turtles are considered very delicate food,
especially the green species. Some of them are so largo
as to weigh from four to eight hundred pounds. Dam-
pier mentions an immensely large one that was caught
at Port Royal, in the Bay of Campeachy. It was nearly
six feet long, and four feet broad. A son of Captain
Roch, ahoy about ten years old, went in the shell, from
the shore to his father's ship, which was about a quarter
of a mile distant.
Turtle generally ascend from the sea, and crawl on
the beach, for the purpose of laying their eggs (which
are as large sometimes as those of a common hen), some-
times to the number of fifty or sixty at a time. The
young ones, as soon as the}?- are hatched, crawl down to
the water. Turtles are caught, when sleeping on land,
by turning them on their backs ; for as they cannot turn
themselves over again, all means of escape is denied
them. The lean of the Green Turtle tastes and looks
like veal, without any fishy flavour. The fat is as green
522
Reptiles.
as grass, and very sweet. The introduction of Turtle as
an article of food into England, appears to have taken
place within the last eighty or ninety years. They are
common in Jamaica, and in most of the islands of the
East and West Indies. Green Turtles are sometimes
caught on the shores of Europe, driven thither by stress
of weather. In the year 1752, one, six feet long and
four feet broad, weighing between eight and nine hun-
dred pounds, was caught in the harbour of Dieppe, after
a storm. In 1754, a still larger one, upwards of eight
feet long, was caught near Antioche, and was carried to
the Abbey of Longveau, near Vannes, in Brittany ; and
in the year 1810, a small one was caught amongst the
submarine rocks near Christchurch, in Hampshire.
The reader will remember how delighted Eobinson
Crusoe was to find a large Turtle which, he says, con-
tained three score eggs. Behold him dragging it home.
The HaivJcs-lill Turtle. 523
THE HAWK'S-BILL TURTLE, (Chelonia imbricata,)
HAS received its name from the peculiar formation of
the upper jaw, which terminates in a curved point, like
the beak of a bird of prey. It is smaller than the Green
Turtle, the largest specimens being about three feet in
length. Its flesh is a very indifferent, if not unwhole-
some, article of food ; but the horny plates with which
its back is covered, and which lie over one another like
the slates on the roof of a house, are beautifully mottled,
and constitute the well-known tortoiseshell of commerce,
which is so much used for making combs and various
ornamental articles. It is only the best kind of tortoise-
shell, however, that is taken from the Hawk's-bill Turtle.
The shell that is usually seen is taken from commoner
kinds. A very large quantity ot tortoise-shell is im-
ported into Europe every year, and the traffic in it forms
a very important part of the trade of those countries in
which turtles abound.
524
Reptiles.
THE LEATHERY TURTLE, (Splmrgis coriacea,)
HAS its back covered with a sort of leathery skin,
instead of the horny plates of the other turtles. It is
a very large species, measuring eight feet or more in
length, and weighing as much as a thousand pounds.
It is chiefly found in the Mediterranean ; it is, however,
occasionally found on the other coasts of Europe, and a
few specimens, some of them weighing seven or eight
hundred pounds, have been caught in England. The
flesh is not considered good, and in some cases great
suffering has been occasioned by eating it. In 1748, a
Leathery Turtle, which had been caught near Scar-
borough, was purchased by a gentleman, who invited
several friends to taste it. Though warned that the
flesh was unwholesome, one of the guests ate some, but
was seized soon after with dreadful sickness. This
should be a warning to the curious to be careful how
they " eat strange flesh."
BOOK V.
MOLLUSCOUS ANIMALS.
I. Bivalves, or those having two shells.
THE PEARL OYSTER. (Avicula Margaritifera.)
WHO that sees the beauty and delicacy of pearls would
imagine that they were the production of disease ?
Such, however, is the case, as they are either formed in
the body of the oyster which inhabits the shell ; or they
rise from cracks in the shell itself, the delicate, silvery,
half-transparent lining of which forms the substance
generally called Mother-of -Pearl, or Nacre. Their for-
mation is generally caused by the introduction of some
foreign body between the mantle or skin of the animal
and its shell ; the irritation thus produced causes succes-
sive coats of pearly matter to be deposited on the in-
truding object, and thus the pearl is formed. The best
pearls are those which are fairly imbedded in the sub-
stance of the mantle. These shells are found in the
526 Mollusca.
Persian Gulf and at Ceylon, where they form an impor-
tant article of commerce.
The Chinese form pearls by casting into the shell of a
certain kind of muscle artificial beads, which at the end
of a year become covered with a pearly crust, in such a
manner that they cannot be distinguished from the
natural pearl.*
THE COMMON OYSTER, (Ostrea edulia,)
HAS long been in favour with man for its delicacy as an
article of food ; the Lucrine lake used to be as much in
renown among the Romans for the choicest kind of
Oysters, as Cancalle Bay with the French, and the Col-
chester beds with us. The two shells of the Oyster are
generally unequal in size ; the hinge is without teeth,
but furnished with a somewhat oval cavity, and gene-
rally with lateral transverse grooves. Oysters sometimes
grow to a very large size ; in the East Indies they are
said sometimes to measure nearly two feet in diameter.
The principal breeding season of oysters is in the
months of April and May, when they cast their young,
which are enveloped in slime, and in this state called
spats by the fishermen, upon rocks, stones, shells, or any
other hard substance that happens to be near the place
where they lie; and to these the spats immediately
adhere. Till they obtain their film or crust, they are
somewhat like the end of a candle, but of a greenish
hue. The substances to which they adhere, of whatever
* For a very interesting article on this subject, see Beckmann's
" History of Inventions," vol. i. p. 259. (Bohiis Standard Library.}
The Common Cockle. 527
nature, are called cultch. From the spawning time till
about the end of July, Oysters are said to be sick ; but
by the end of August they become perfectly recovered ;
from May till August they are out of season and un-
wholesome. The Oyster-fishery of our principal coasts
is regulated by a court of admiralty. In the month
of May the fishermen are allowed to take the Oysters, in
order to separate the spawn from the cultch, the latter
of which is thrown in again, for the purpose of preserv-
ing the bed for the future. After this month it is felony
to carry away the cultch, and otherwise punishable to
take any Oyster, between whose shells, when closed, a
shilling will rattle. The reason of the heavy penalty
on destroying the cultch is, that when this is taken
away, muscles and cockles will breed on the bed ; and,
by gradually occupying all the places on which the
spawn should be cast, will destroy the Oysters.
The Oyster has been represented, by many authors,
as an animal destitute not only of motion, but of every
species of sensation. It is able, however, to perform
movements which are perfectly consonant to its wants,
to the dangers it apprehends, and to the enemies by
which it is attacked. The gills, through which the
Oyster breathes, are what is commonly called the beard,
and are very indigestible. The scallop is nearly allied
to the Oyster.
THE COMMON COCKLE. (Cardium edule.)
FEW of our shell-fish are more common, in inlets and
bays near the mouths of rivers, than these. In such
situations they are usually found immersed at the depth
of two or three inches in the sand, the place of each
being marked by a small, circular, depressed spot.
When they open their shells, the entrance into them is
protected by a soft membrane, which entirely closes up
the front, except in two places, at each of which there is
a small, yellow, and fringed tube ; by means of which
they receive and eject the water which conveys to their
body the nutriment necessary for their support.
Cockles are in great request as food among the labour-
528
Mollusca.
ing classes, and are caught chiefly in the winter months.
Their size varies from five or six inches to half an inch
in diameter. The shell is generally white; it has
twenty-six longitudinal ridges, is transversely wrinkled,
and has somewhat imbricated stria3. The foot of these
animals is largely developed, and is to them a most im-
portant organ, as they use it not merely for progression,
but in the excavation of hollows in the sand or mud in
which they dwell.
The Chama, which is akin to the cockle, was used by
the ancients to engrave various figures upon, from which
circumstance those small bas-reliefs, so valued now,
have obtained among the Italians and collectors the
name of Cameos. The shells of some of these are
decorated with red or yellow stripes, diverging from
the hinge, and spreading to the edges. The Giant
Chama has been found to weigh more than five hundred
pounds, and the oyster-like animal within was large
enough to furnish a meal for twenty men. The animals
which inhabit these shells are sometimes called Clams.
The shells are often used in Catholic countries for
containing holy water.
THE PHOLAS. (Pholas dactylus.)
THIS is a shell of a rather elongated form, gaping at both
TJie Pholas. 529
ends, and terminated in front by a point ; it is white
and chalky in its appearance, and the anterior end is
roughened by numerous sharp spines and tubercles.
The animal which inhabits this shell bores deeply into
the rocks of the sea-shore, forming cylindrical holes, in
which it lives ; and the water which it requires for its
food and respiration is conveyed to and from the
interior of the shell by a pair of tubes which reach to
the outer orifice of its dwelling-place. It is supposed
that the Pholas is enabled to bore into the hard rock by
means of its large and strong foot, but this is still a
matter of dispute.
There are many other boring shells, most of which
are related to the Pholas. Some of them burrow in
rocks, others in wood, and some indifferently in either
material. Of the wood-borers, the most remarkable is
the Ship Worm (Teredo navalis), which penetrates deeply
into floating or submerged timber, and lines the cavity
of its burrow with a coating of shell. In this way the
Teredo has often done much injury to piles and other
woodwork exposed to the sea, and in 1731 and 1732 it
excited so much alarm in Holland by attacking the piles
of the great dikes, that even statesmen condescended to
study its natural history. We must remember, however,
that in the grand economy of nature even this destruc-
tive creature has its use ; by penetrating in every direc-
tion through any floating mass of timber it promotes the
breaking up of the latter, arid prevents the surface of
the sea from being encumbered with quantities of
wreck.
530
Molluscn.
1 rr
1. THE MUSSEL. (JT^iZtw
LIKE the oyster, the Mussel inhabits a bivalve shell, to
which it adheres by a strong cartilaginous tie. The
shells of several of the species are beautiful. The
Mussel possesses the property of locomotion, which it
performs with the member called its tongue, by which
it gets hold of the rock, and is enabled to draw itself
along; it has also the property of emitting a kind of
thread, called the byssus, which, fixing the sides of the
shell upon the ground, answers the purpose of a cable,
to keep the body of the fish steady.
II. Univalves.
2. THE ADMIKAL.
ONE of the cone-shells, the inhabitant of which is a kind
of snail, with a very distinct head. If nature has taken
a delight in painting the wings of birds, the skins of
quadrupeds, and the scales of fishes, she seems not to
have been less pleased in pencilling the shells of these
inhabitants of the deep. The variety, brightness, and
versatility of the colouring have long been deservedly
the object of man's admiration ; and we cannot help
being astonished at the richness which a cabinet of
well-selected shells presents to the eye.
The Tiger Cowry The WJielJs. 531
THE TIGER COWKY. (Cyprcea Tigris.)
THE Cowries or Porcelain shells are amongst the most
beautiful of the univalves. The shells are generally of
an elegant oval form, with no visible spire ; the mouth
is a long slit on the middle of the lower surface, with
two nearly equal lips toothed along their margins ; the
surface is most beautifully polished, and generally
adorned with rich colours, arranged in varied and
elegant patterns. The Tiger Cowry, which is one of
the commonest, is rather broad, and very convex ; it is
of a white colour, covered with numerous dark brown
spots. It is usually four or five inches in length, and
inhabits the seas of India. The Money Cowry (Cyprcea
moneta) is a little Indian species, which is used in place
of money in some countries, especially the interior of
Africa. It is imported into England for exportation to
Africa in large quantities ; as much as 300 tons having
been landed at Liverpool in one year.
THE WHELK, (Buccinum undatum,)
Is a common British shell-fish of considerable size,
which is obtained in large quantities by dredging, and
used as food. In London it is sold commonly at stalls
in the streets, we believe in a pickled state. The
mouth of this animal is furnished with a powerful
rasping proboscis, by means of which it is able to bore
through the shells of other mollusca.
532
Moflusca.
THE SNIPE SHELL, (Murcx haustellus, or cornutus,)
So called on account of the length of a prominency
coming out of the shell. It is surrounded with blunt
prickles, and the colour of the whole is elegantly varie-
gated.
THE PERIWINKLE, (Littornia littorea,')
Is too well known to require any description. It is
found in incalculable numbers all round the European
coasts, and captured in immense quantities as an article
of food.
THE LIMPET. (Patella.)
THE shape of this shell is pyramidal ; it adheres to the
rock with such strength, that it can only be removed
by means of a knife or a strong blow. The apex of the
shell is sometimes sharp, sometimes obtuse, and often
surrounded with points and sharp prickles. When
thoroughly cleansed the shell is generally of a beautiful
purple tint of great brilliancy, though the animal that
TJie Garden Snail.
533
lives under this magnificent roof is a kind of snail, dis-
agreeable to the eye and insipid to the palate. They
are found on the rocks, which are incessantly beaten by
the surges and breakers, on the sea-shores of almost
every country in the world. Jt is not by any glutinous
liquid, as it has been asserted, that this fish adheres so
strongly to the rock ; but by the simple process of pro-
ducing a vacuum between its foot and the rock to which
it affixes itself.
The variety which is thrown into the sum of animated
beings is so wonderfully great, that naturalists have
reckoned more than a hundred and twenty-nine species
of Limpets, and nearly allied genera; the difference
arising principally out of the diversity of the shells in
form and colour.
THE GAEDEN SNAIL, (Helix aspersa,)
Is furnished with four tentacula, two of which aro
smaller than the others ; at the end of these tentacula,
which the animal pushes out or draws back, like tele-
scopes, are blackish knobs, which are the eyes. Tho
534 Mollusca.
snail lays eggs, which are about the size of small peas,
semi-transparent, and of a soft substance. By closely
examining with a magnifying lens the eggs which a
Water Snail, kept in a bottle of water, had deposited
against the glass, the young Snail was seen in the egg,
with its embryo shell on its back ; two have also been
observed in one egg, each of them with the rudiments
of the shell.
The Garden Snail is extremely tenacious of life, and
remains in a state of torpor during the winter. It is
said, indeed, that it can remain in this state for many
years, and the following instance is probably without
parallel in any other animal : Mr. S. Simon, a merchant
of Dublin, whose father, a Fellow of the Eoyal Society,
and a lover of natural history, left him a small collection
of fossils and other curiosities, had, among them, the
shells of some Snails. About fifteen years after his
father's death, he gave to his son, a child of ten years
old, some of these Snail-shells to play with. The boy
placed them in a flower-pot, which he filled with water,
and the next day put them into a basin. Having occa-
sion to use this, Mr. Simon observed that the animals
had come out of their shells. He examined the child
respecting them, and was assured that they were the
same which had been in the cabinet. The boy said he
had a few more, and brought them. Mr. S. put one of
these into water, and, in an hour and a half afterwards,
observed that it had put out its horns and body, which
it moved but slowly, probably from weakness. Major
Valiancy, Dr. Span, and other gentlemen, were after-
wards present, and saw one of these Snails crawl out ;
the rest being dead, probably from their remaining
some days in the water. Similar observations have
since been so frequently repeated, that there is now no
doubt that Snails of various kinds may retain their
vitality for years when preserved in a dry state.
THE SMALL GKEY SLUG, (Limax cinereus,)
RESEMXLES a Snail in all points except that it has
n j shell, consequently the brown skin of the back is
The Sepia.
535
rougher and stronger than that of the Snail. Its pro-
gress on the ground may easily be traced by the slime
which it leaves in its track. Few animals are more
destructive to vegetation than these.
THE BLACK SLUG, (Arionater,)
Is a well-known inhabitant of our fields and meadows,
during the summer season. The country people con-
sider its appearance as an indication of approaching
rain ; but this is rather to be accounted for by the
moisture of the ground and plants. Indeed, it very
seldom appears abroad during dry weather. The Black
Slug feeds on the leaves of different kinds of plants.
THE SEPIA, OR CUTTLE-FISH. (Sepia officinalis.)
THE structure of these animals is very remarkable.
Their body is nearly cylindrical, and, in some of the
536 Mollusca.
species, entirely covered with a fleshy sheath. ; in others
the sheath reaches only to the middle of the body.
They have eight arms, or rather legs, and in general
two feelers, much longer than the arms. Both the
feelers and arms are furnished with strong circular cups
or suckers. The mouth is hard, strong, and horny,
resembling in texture the beak of the parrot. The
body is of a jelly-like substance, and usually covered
with a coarse skin, having the appearance of leather.
This skin contains cells of different colours, which are
capable of changing their relative position, so that the
Cuttle-fish is able to change the colour of its skin. By
means of the numerous circular cups or suckers with
which the arms are furnished, they seize their prey,
and firmly attach themselves to the rocks. Their
adhesive power is so great, that it is generally more
easy to tear off the arms than to separate them from the
substance to which they are affixed : if the arms happen
to be broken off, they are soon reproduced. The size to
which this creature grows has been variously stated ;
and, although evidently exaggerated by some authors, it
undoubtedly attains to a very considerable magnitude.
When attacked in its own element, it has been known
to overcome a large dog. Its jaws are extremely strong
and powerful, and with its beak it can crush in pieces
the shells of the fish on which it feeds. In the body is
a bladder filled with a dark inky fluid, which it emits
when alarmed, and which not only tinges the water so
as to conceal its retreat, but is so bitter as immediately
to drive off its enemies. This inky fluid, when dried,
forms a very valuable colour, used by artists, and
known as Sepia.
The bone, or calcareous plate of the Sepia Officinalis, a
species common on our coasts, is a well-known substance,
and is much employed in the manufacture of tooth-
powder ; and by silversmiths for moulds, to cast their
small work, such as rings, &c. It is also converted into
that useful article of stationery, called pounce.
The PoulpeThe Argonaut. 537
THE POULPE, (Octopus vulgaris,)
HAS only eight arms, the two long tentacles of the Sepia
being absent. It is found on our coasts, and is especially
abundant in the Mediterranean, where it is regularly
brought to market as an article of food.
THE AEGONAUT, OE PAPEE NAUTILUS,
Is a kind of Poulpe, in which only six of the arms
present the ordinary form, the other pair being ex-
panded into broad, flat organs. It was supposed by
the ancients, and, indeed, until very recently, that these
expanded arms were used by the animal as sails ; it was
described as floating at the surface of the sea, with the
back of the shell downwards, the six arms sticking into
the water like so many oars, and the two broad members
elevated to catch the breeze ; but it is now known that
the so-called sails are used to embrace the shell when
the animal is swimming backwards, in the same way as
its allies, and it also appears that it is by these arms
that the shell is enlarged. The Argonaut is found in
the Mediterranean.
538
MoTlusca.
THE NAUTILUS, OK PEARLY NAUTILUS,
(Nautilus Pompilius,)
Is a very different creature, and instead of the eight
arms of the Argonaut has its head surrounded by
numerous ringed and sheathed tentacles. It is remark-
able for the structure of its shell, the cavity of which is
divided into numerous chambers by transverse parti-
tions ; these chambers, of which the outermost alone is
occupied by the animal, are filled with air, but a narrow
tube passes through the whole of them, and communi-
cates with the cavity of the body. By this arrangement
the Nautilus is enabled to alter his specific gravity so as
either to rise to the surface or sink to the bottom of the
water. The few existing species of Nautilus are all
found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans.
BOOK VI.
AETICULATED ANIMALS
I. Annelida, or Ringed Animals.
WORMS. (Femes.)
THESE creatures constitute a class by themselves, under
the name of Annelida, in the works of modern naturalists.
They are distinguished from the caterpillar and maggot,
by undergoing no change, and crawling by means of the
annular structure of their bodies.
The Earth Worm has neither bones, eyes, or ears ; it
has a round, annulated body, with generally an elevated
fleshy belt near the head. Though considered a great
540 Articulated Animals.
nuisance by gardeners, Earth Worms perforate, and
loosen the soil, and render it pervious to rains and the
fibres of plants, by drawing into it straws and the stalks
of leaves : and chiefly by throwing infinite numbers of
lumps called worm-casts, which form a fine manure for
grass and corn. They are, however, very injurious to
plants in pots.
THE LEECH, (Sanyuisuga officinalis,)
Is about three inches in length, and in its exterior form
somewhat resembles the worm, when extended, but
often contracts itself greatly in length, at the same time
expanding in thickness. It has a small head, a black
skin, with six yellow lines above, and spotted with
yellow below. The mouth of the Leech is of curious
construction ; it has three jaws, each of which is armed
with two ranges of very fine teeth, with which it pierces
the skin ; and then draws up, as through a siphon, the
blood, upon which it feeds. The progressive movement
of the Leech is effected by sticking, by suction, its
mouth to a certain spot, then bringing its tail, which
also has the property of sticking, in the same manner
as the head, and then advancing its head further on,
quickly followed by the tail, and so on. The common
Leech is very often met with in brooks and rivulets.
Its uses in medicine are well known, as by its means
the blood can be extracted from diseased parts, to which
the lancet cannot be applied.
The blood which the Leech sucks out of the wound
it makes supplies it with nutriment for so great a
period of time, that a Leech, after having been satisfied
with blood, has been known to live three years without
TJie Leech. 541
any food. It is usual, however, to make them disgorge
the greater part of the blood they have swallowed by
sprinkling them with salt ; as otherwise they would
not bite again till the blood they had taken was fully
digested.
Leeches lay eggs, which are covered with a kind of
membrane, which serves to protect them when they are
deposited in the clay and holes in the sides of ponds.
They appear to live on the eggs of fish or frogs, bul
eagerly attach themselves to the legs of human beings,
horses, or cows, whenever they have an opportunity.
As there is a prejudice among the country people that
Leeches never breed well till they have tasted blood,
it is said that they drive their horses and cows into the
water inhabited by the Leeches, and consequently that
the Leech districts are remarkable for their wretched-
looking horses and cattle. Leeches must be five years
old before they are fit for medical purposes ; and they
are caught in shallow water in spring by people going
in with naked feet and ankles, to which the Leeches
adhere, when they are picked off and put in baskets
provided for the purpose. In summer a raft is made of
twigs, and the waters being disturbed with a stick, the
Leeches rise to the surface, and get entangled in the
raft. When caught, the} 7 are washed in water with a
very little salt in it, and packed in wet linen cloths,
which are put into a barrel with a canvas cover, and
sent away for sale. London used to be chiefly supplied
from the fenny districts of Lincolnshire, but the con-
sumption of these useful worms has been so great that
most of our Leeches are now imported through Hambro'
from the east of Europe. Some years since Dr. Pereira
stated that the number of Leeches imported by the four
principal dealers in London amounted to 7,200,000
annually. They are also, when kept in a glass bottle
with water, a good barometer, as they always come up
to the neck of the bottle when rainy weather is ap-
proaching, remain at the bottom in dry weather, and
move anxiously up and down when the weather is
stormy. Horse-Leeches are larger than the common
species, more voracious, and narrower at each extremity.
542
Crustacea.
II. Crustacea.
THE LOBSTER, (Astacus marinus,)
HAS a cylindrical body, long antenna, and a broad tail.
Its large claws enable it to seize on its prey, to fix itself
on the small prominences of rocks in the sea, to resist
the motion of the waves, and to defend itself against its
enemies. When the Lobster wants to spring off the
rocks, it makes a fulcrum of its tail, which has the
action of a powerful spring. Its gait is awkward, as in
all the Crustacea. Besides its claws, it has four small
legs on each side, to assist it in its movements. Under
the tail the hen Lobster preserves her eggs till they are
hatched. They are extremely prolific. Dr. Baxter
says he counted twelve thousand four hundred and
forty-four eggs under the tail of a female Lobster, be-
sides those that remained in the body undeveloped.
Like the rest of their tribe, they cast their shells an-
nually, previous to which they appear languid and
restless : they acquire an entirely new covering in a
few days.
The Crayfish -The Crab.
543
THE CKAYFISH, (Astacus fluviatilis,)
MAY be called the lobster of fresh water, and its pre-
sence is generally esteemed an evidence of the goodness
of the water. Crayfish are considered a very strength-
ening food. They are caught in shallow brooks, hid
under large stones, out of which they crawl backwards
to seek for their prey, which consists of small insects ;
the hooks employed to catch them are baited with liver
or flesh, which they nibble most greedily.
THE CRAB. (Cancer pagurus.)
CKABS are of various sizes, some weighing several pounds,
and others only a few grains, all of different species.
They do not move forward, but sideways. They have
a small tail closed on the body which forms a con-
544 Crustacea.
siderable and essential difference between them and the
lobsters, prawns, shrimps, and crayfish.
The most remarkable circumstance in the history of
these animals is the changing of their shells and the
renewal of their broken claws. The former, as it is
stated, take place once a year, and usually between
Christmas and Easter. During the operation they retire
among the cavities of rocks, and under great stones.
Crabs are naturally quarrelsome amongst themselves,
and frequently have serious contests, by means of those
formidable weapons, their great claws. With these
they lay hold of their adversary's legs ; and wherever
they seize, it is not easy to make them forego their
hold. The animal seized has, therefore, no other al-
ternative but to leave part of the leg behind in token
of victory.
An experiment was tried to prove the extremely
tenacious disposition of the Crab. By irritating it, a
fisherman made a Crab seize one of its own small claws
with a large one. The animal did not distinguish that
it was itself the aggressor, but exerted its strength, and
soon cracked the shell of the small claw. Feeling itself
wounded, it cast off the piece in the usual place, but
continued to hold it with the great claw for a long time
afterwards.
The Violet Land-Crabs oi ilie Caribbuo Islands aro
The Soldier Crab. 545
most singular in their habits ; they descend in annual
and regular caravans from the mountains, their natural
abode, to the sea-shores, in order to deposit their spawn,
after which they again return to the mountains. These
Crabs form, in their procession, a body of fifty paces
broad, and three miles in length. This battalion moves
slowly, but with regularity and uniformity, either when
they descend or ascend the hills. They abound in
Jamaica, where they are accounted a great delicacy by
the natives, and are common in the adjacent islands.
THE SOLDIER CRAB, OK HERMIT CRAB,
(Pagurus bempardus^)
Is a curious animal, and ought to be noticed here for its
singular habits. It is somewhat like a lobster divested
of its shell ; it is about four inches in length, and has
no shell on the hinder part, but is covered down to the
tail with a rough skin ; it is also armed with strong
hard nippers. This Crab has not been provided by
nature with a shell, and is obliged to seek for one
which has been deserted by its legitimate tenant ; but
as this covering cannot grow of course proportionally
with him, he is forced out of it by his increasing size,
and finds himself under the necessity of looking out for
a new one : it is curious to see him when in want of a
new house, crawling from one empty shell to another,
examining and trying his new habitation. Sometimes,
when two competitors happen to eye the same premises,
a great contest arises, and of course the strongest gets
the manor.
2K
546
Crustacea.
1. THE SHRIMP. (Crangon vulgaris.,
THE SHRIMP is a well-known small crustaceous animal,
nearly allied to the lobster, which it resembles in shape.
Its length is rather more than two inches ; in colour it
is greenish-grey, dotted with brown. It has long slender
feelers, between which are two projecting laminae; ten
feet and five fins, but no claws. This animal breeds
on all the sandy shores of Great Britain: it is fre-
quently found in harbours, and even in the ditches and
ponds of salt marshes; it is also very common on the
French coast. During life the body is semi-transparent,
and so much resembles sea- water that the animal is
distinguished with difficulty. Its ordinary motion con-
sists of leaps. Its flavour is very delicate.
2. THE PRAWN. (Palcemon sermtus.)
THE PRAWN is not unlike the shrimp, but exceeds
it considerably in size, its length being between three
and four inches. It has a projecting ridge down the
back, furnished with sharp teeth. Its natural colour
is greyish, with small red and brown spots, but when
boiled it assumes a most beautiful pink tint. The flesh
is very delicate, although perhaps inferior in flavour to
that of the shrimp.
Prawns are very common on the coasts of France and
England; they are chiefly found among sea-weed, and in
the vicinity of rocks, at a little distance from the shore.
The Prawn. 547
They seldom enter the mouths of rivers. They feed on
all the smaller kinds of marine animals, which they
seize and devour with great voracity. In their turn,
they are the prey of numerous species of fish, although
the sharp and serrated horn in front of their head con-
stitutes a powerful weapon of defence against the attacks
of all the smaller kinds. At the side of the head there
is frequently to be observed a large and apparently
unnatural lump. This, if examined, will be found to
contain, under the thoracic plate, a species of parasitic
animal, which occupies the whole cavity, and there
feeds and perfects its growth. The same tumour or
lump may also be observed on the shrimp.
Being in great request for the table, both shrimps
and Prawns are eagerly sought for by fishermen, who
catch them either in osier baskets, similar to those em-
ployed in catching lobsters, or in a kind of net called a
Putting-net. These, which are well known to all fre-
quenters of the sea-coast, are five or six feet in width,
and flat at the bottom ; and are pushed along in the
shallow water, upon the sandy shores, by a man who
walks behind. There is a great number of other species
belonging to the same family as the shrimp and prawn,
but they are for the most part inhabitants of foreign
seas, and what other British species exist are rare in
comparison to the two we have described.
Fossil crustaceans, which are apparently members of
the same family, have also been found in France and
Germany.
548
AracJinida.
III. Araclmida.
THIS ORDER, according to Lamarck, and other modern
zoologists, contains the Spiders, Scorpions, and Mites,
which do not undergo any metamorphoses. These
creatures differ from the true insects in the number of
their feet, which are generally eight, while those of the
true insects never exceed six.
THE GARDEN SPIDEK. (Epe'ira diadema.)
ALL the Spiders are distinguished by having no antennae,
eight legs, and generally eight eyes; mandibles termi-
nated by a movable claw, which sometimes emits poison ;
and an abdomen without rings, furnished at its point with
four or six spinnerets, from which the Spider emits the
threads used in spinning its web. This web is wonderful
Spiders. 549
in its formation. It consists of a number of stout threads
radiating from the centre to various objects in the neigh-
bourhood, and crossed by a great quantity of finer threads
arranged in a close spiral, so as to produce the impres-
sion of a number of concentric circles. These fine threads
are braided and glutinous, so that any unfortunate fly
that comes in contact with them adheres readily :
" The Spider's touch, how exquisitely fine I
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line." POPE.
The Spider sits in the middle, and at the least motion
caused by a fly or other insect pressing against it, rushes
on his prey, and sucks its juices ; if, however, it should
appear at all formidable, the Spider carefully encloses it
in a shrond of web, which, of course, quite disables it ;
and then feasts on it at his convenience. The most diffi-
cult part of the business is to eject the remains, which
is often attended with great detriment to the net. The
female generally lays from nine hundred to a thousand
eggs, which are contained in a kind of bag, and thus an
immense number of Spiders are hatched every year,
which would soon become troublesome from their num-
bers, if they were not kept in check by the numerous
birds which prey upon them. The silk which the Spider
produces is not strong enough to be employed for any
useful purposes, though, out of curiosity, gloves and stock-
ings have been woven out of it. A great difficulty,
however, arises in the pugnacious habits of Spiders, as,
when a number of them are kept together, they fight so
dreadfully, that in a short time only a very few are left
alive ; and a great number would be required, as twelve
Spiders do not produce so much silk as a single silk-
worm. Spiders resemble the Crustacea in having the
power of reproducing the legs which they lose.
THE HOUSE SPIDEE, (Tegenaria domestica,)
Is a very diiferent species from the Garden Spider. It
dwells in the dark corners of houses and outbuildings,
forming, a dingy web of irregular threads, all of which
communicate with a concealed chamber or den in which
the Spider lurks.
550 Arachnida.
THE DIVING SPIDER, (Argyroneta aquatica,)
Is another kind, which forms a sort of tent by stretch-
ing its threads between the stems of aquatic plants far
below the surface. In this den it dwells, and here it
devours the prey which it captures during its excursions ;
and in order to provide a stock of air for its respiration,
it carries down successive small portions entangled
amongst the hairs of its abdomen. This process is
exactly similar to that by which diving-bells used to
be supplied with air, and indeed the dome-like habi-
tation of this Spider is constructed precisely on the
same principle as the diving-bell.
There are also several kinds of Water Mites ^ the most
abundant of which is of a rich red colour, and grows to
nearly the bulk of a pea. It may commonly be seen
swimming among the plants in pools and ditches.
THE TABANTULA. (Lycosa Tarantula.}
THIS Spider is a native of the South of Europe. It lives
in fields, and its dwelling is about four inches deep in the
ground, half an inch wide, and closed at the mouth with
a net. They lay about seven hundred and thirty eggs,
which are hatched in the spring. These Spiders do
not live quite a year; the parents never survive the
winter.
The Tarantula. 551
Inflammation, difficulty of breathing, and sickness, are
said to be the inevitable consequences of the bite of this
animal. Dr. Mead, and other medical men, have coun-
tenanced the popular story of these effects being coun-
teracted by the power of music. It is, however, now well
known, that this singular mode of cure was nothing
more than a trick frequently practised on credulous
travellers, who were desirous of witnessing it. Mr.
Swinburne, when he was in Italy, minutely investigated,
every particular relative to the Tarantula. The season
was not far enough advanced, and it was pretended that
no persons had as yet been bitten that year : he, how-
ever, prevailed upon a woman, who had formerly been
bitten, to dance the part before him. Several musicians
were summoned, and she performed the dance, as every-
one present assured him, to perfection. At first she
lolled stupidly on a chair, while the instruments played
a dull strain. They touched at length the chord sup-
posed to vibrate to her heart ; and up she sprung with a
hideous yell, staggered about the room like a drunken
person, holding a handkerchief in both hands, raising
them alternately, and moving in very true time. As
the music grew brisker, her motions quickened, and
she skipped about with great vigour, and in a variety
of steps, every now and then shrieking very loud. The
scene was unpleasant, and, at his request, an end was
put to it before the woman was tired.
He informs us, that, whenever they are to dance, a
place is prepared for them, hung round with bunches of
grapes and ribbons. The patients are dressed in white,
with red, green, or yellow ribbons ; on their shoulders
they have a white scarf; they let their hair fall loose
about their ears, and throw the head quite back. He
says that they are exact copies of the ancient priestesses
of Bacchus. The introduction of Christianity abolished
all public exhibitions of heathenish rites ; but the women,
unwilling to give up their darling amusement, in per-
forming the frantic character of Bacchantes, devised
other pretences ; and he supposes that accident led them
to the discovery of the Tarantula, of which they took
advantage for that purpose.
552 Insects.
THE CHEESE MITE. (Acarus siro.)
THESE destructive little creatures differ from spiders in
having the thorax and abdomen united and covered with
the same skin, though it is contracted in one part. They
have also, when young, only six legs, though the two
others appear afterwards ; and their feet are armed with
strong hooks, which enable them to retain hold of the
cheese or other food, in which they take up their abode.
Their bodies are covered with hair, and their mouths
are furnished with strong mandibles, with which they
soon hew down huge rocks and mountains of cheese.
The eggs of these Mites are so small, that it has been
computed that a pigeon's egg would contain thirty mil-
lions of them. It must be observed that this Mite is
only found in dry cheese, in which it looks like reddish
dust. The cheese-hopper, found in moist rotten cheese,
is the maggot of a kind of fly. (Piophila Casei.)
IV. Insects.
INSECTS have all six legs and two antennae or feelers ;
and though the transformations they undergo differ
slightly in the different kinds, the following is the order
in which they occur : The perfect insect lays eggs,
which when hatched produce Iarva3 ; and which are called
grubs when they belong to beetles, maggots to flies, and
caterpillars to butterflies and moths. These larvae eat
voraciously ; and as they rapidly increase in size, they
generally moult, that is, change their skins, two or three
times. When the Iarva3 are full grown, they go into the
pupa state, in which they remain torpid and without
food for a considerable length of time, sometimes first
spinning a loose covering for the pupa called a cocoon.
The pupa is generally called a chrysalis ; but it is also
sometimes called a nymph, and sometimes an aurelia.
The last transformation is when the insect breaks from
its covering in a perfect form, when it is called the
Coleopiera, or Beetles. 553
imago. There are, however, some insects which are
active throughout their lives, and in these the larvae and
pupae are very similar to the perfect insect. The perfect
insect is divided into three segments, or parts, called the
head, the thorax, and the abdomen.
ORDER I. Coleoptera, or Beetles.
THE larva of the beetle is a grub, which often continues
in that state three or four years, eating voraciously
during the whole period. When full grown it in most
cases either descends into the ground, where it under-
goes its transformations, first into a nymph, or pupa, and
then into a beetle ; or it makes itself a rough cocoon of
bits of stick and dead leaves, in which it changes into a
pupa, and afterwards into a beetle. The wood-eating
beetles undergo their transformations in the tree on
which they feed. The pupa of the beetle is termed in-
complete, because all the parts of the insect are visible
in it, instead of being enclosed in one thick covering, as
in the moths and butterflies. The head of the beetle
is furnished with two compound eyes; two antennae
(differing in shape in the various species, but having
usually eleven joints); and a mouth, consisting of a
labrum, or upper lip, a labium, or under lip, two man-
dibles, or upper jaws, and two maxillae, or under jaws.
There is also the mentum, or chin, and a part called the
clypeus, to which the upper lip is attached.
The thorax is the part which supports the legs and
wings. The legs are divided into five portions, of which
the part terminated by the claw is called the tarsus.
There are two membranous wings, covered by two
hardened wings or wing-cases, called the elytra, which
generally open by a straight line down the back ; and
hence the name of Coleoptera, which signifies wing in
a case : the abdomen is simply the body.
The number of beetles is very great, and indeed Mr.
Westwood informs us that more than thirty thousand
species have been described, of which about three thou-
sand five hundred are natives of Britain.
554 Insects.
THE COCKCHAFER. (Melolonfha vulgaris.)
THE COCKCHAFER is one of the lamellicorn beetles. The
female lays her eggs in the ground, and the grubs, when
hatched, are soft, thick, and whitish. It is from its
white appearance that the grub of the Cockchafer is
called le ver blanc by the French. These grubs, some-
times in immense numbers, work between the turf and
the soil in the richest meadows, devouring the roots of
the grass to such a degree that the turf rises, and will
roll up with almost as much ease as if it had been cut
with a turfing knife ; the soil underneath appearing, for
more than an inch in depth, like the bed of a garden.
In this the grubs lie, on their backs, in a curved position,
the head and tail uppermost, and the rest of the body
buried in the mould. It is also said that a whole field
of fine flourishing grass has become, in a few weeks,
withered, dry, and as brittle as hay, in consequence of
these grubs devouring the roots.
In the year 1688 great numbers of Cockchafers ap-
peared on the hedges and trees of the south-west coast
of the county of Gal way, in clusters of thousands, cling-
ing to each others' backs, in the manner of bees when
they swarm. During the day they continued quiet, but
towards sunset the whole were in motion ; and the
humming noise of their wings sounded like distant
drums. Their numbers were so great that, for the space
of two or three square miles, they entirely darkened the
air. Persons travelling on the roads, or who were abroad
in the fields, found it difficult to make their way home,
as the insects were continually beating against their
faces, and occasioned great pain. In a very short time
The Dor. 555
the leaves of all the trees, for several miles round, were
destroyed, leaving the whole country, though it was near
midsummer, as naked and desolate as it would have
been in the middle of winter. The noise which these
enormous swarms made, in seizing and devouring the
leaves, was so loud, as to be compared to the distant
sawing of timber. Swine and poultry destroyed them
in vast numbers ; waiting under the trees for the clus-
ters of insects to drop, and then devouring such swarms
as to become fat upon them alone. Even the native
Irish, from the insects having eaten up the whole pro-
duce of the ground, adopted a mode of cooking them,
and thus used them as food. Towards the end of the
summer they disappeared so suddenly that in a few days
there was not one left.
Eooks are very fond of eating these grubs, and often,
when they are seen in a newly-sown field, apparently
devouring the grain, they are, in fact, rendering the
greatest service to the farmer, by destroying his great
enemy, the white worm.
THE DOE, OR BLIND BEETLE.
(Geotrupes stercorarius.)
THIS well-known insect, which is sometimes also called
" the shard-borne beetle," has been often noticed by the
poets. Amongst others, Shakespeare makes Macbeth
say :
" Ere to black Hecate's summons
The shard-borne beetle, with its drowsy hum.
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadful note."
This beetle, which is a British insect, lays its eggs in
a mass of cow-dung, which it afterwards buries in the
earth. It makes a dull drowsy noise when it flies, and
often strikes itself against any person or object it may
meet, as though it were blind. It has also the habit of
stretching out its limbs and pretending to be dead when
caught.
556 Insects.
THE STAG BEETLE. (Lucanus cervus.)
*' See the proud giant of the beetle race ;
What shining arras his polished limbs encase !
Like some stern warrior, formidably bright,
His steely sides reflect a gleamy light ;
On his large forehead spreading horns he wears,
And high in air the branching antlers bears ;
O'er many an inch extends his wide domain,
And his rich treasury swells with hoarded grain."
BARBAULD.
THIS insect is the largest, and most singular in shape, of
any in this country. It is known by two horn-like
mandibles, projecting from its head, and resembling
those of a stag, with which it is able to pinch very
severely. These mandibles are strongly dentated from
the root to the point. The wing-cases have neither
streaks nor spots. The whole insect is of a deep brown.
It is sometimes found in hollow oaks and beeches, near
London.
The larvae, or grubs, lodge under the bark, or in the
hollow of old trees ; which they bite and reduce to fine
powder. The larvae are supposed to exist three or four
years before they form their cocoons. These insects are
mostly found in Kent and Sussex. In Germany there
is a popular but idle notion, that they sometimes, by
means of their jaws, carry burning coals into houses ;
and that, in consequence of this mischievous propensity,
dreadful fires have been occasioned. The Stag Beetle is
one of the lamellicorn Coleoptera.
The Elephant Beetle. 557
THE ELEPHANT BEETLE,
(Scardbceus, or Dynastes Eleplias,)
Is found in South America, particularly in Guiana and
Surinam, as well as near the river Orinoko. It is one of
the largest beetles of its kind ; it is black, and the whole
body is covered with a very hard shell, quite as thick
and as strong as that of a small crab. Its length, from
the hinder part to the eyes, is almost four inches ; and
from the same part to the end of the large horn on the
head (from the resemblance of which to the proboscis of
an elephant, and its great size, the beetle has obtained
its name) four inches and three quarters. The trans-
verse diameter of the body is two inches and a quarter ;
and the breadth of each case, for the wings, upwards of
an inch. The horns are about an inch long, and termi-
nate in points. The head-horn is an inch and a quarter
long, and turns upwards, making a crooked line termi-
nating in two horns, each of which is nearly a quarter of
an inch long. Above the head is a prominence, or small
horn, which, if the rest of the trunk were away, would
cause this part to resemble the horn of a rhinoceros.
There is, indeed, a beetle named after that animal, whose
lower horn resembles this : its scientific name is Oryctes
Rhinoceros.
558 Insects.
THE MUSK BEETLE, OK GOAT CHAFFER.
(Cerambyx moscTiatus, or Aromia mosclmta.)
THIS is one of the longicorn beetles. It is a very beau-
tiful insect, of a glossy bluish-green colour, with a cast
of shining gold ; the under part of the body is bluish.
It is about an inch and a half in length, and is elongated
in form, its breadth being small in proportion to its
length ; the wings under the case are black ; the legs
are of the same bluish-green colour, only somewhat
paler; and the breast is pointed at each extremity.
Between these points are three little tubercles near the
wings, and three smaller towards the head. The cases
of the wings are oblong, and somewhat in the shape of a
lance, with three ribs a little raised, and running length-
wise. The feelers are as long as the body, composed
of many joints, which grow smaller near the ends.
This Beetle is very common in the south of England,
and is chiefly to be found on old pollard willows. It
emits a strong and agreeable odour, which is not unlike
attar of roses. It certainly has not the slightest resem-
blance to musk, though those who named it appear to
have thought that it had.
THE GROUND BEETLE. (Carabus clafhratm.)
THE GROUND BEETLE is not only one of the largest, but
the most beautiful and brilliant that this country pro-
duces. The head, breast, and wing-cases are of a cop-
The Glowworm. 559
pery green ; the latter having three longitudinal rows of
oblong raised spots. All the under part of the insect is
black. Having only very short wings beneath the cases,
Nature has providentially supplied it with such legs as
enable it to run with amazing swiftness. This insect is
frequently found in damp places, under stones and heaps
of decayed plants in gardens. There are several spe-
cies, one of which (Carabus molaceus) is of a beautiful
purple.
The larvae live under ground, or in decayed wood,
where they remain until metamorphosed to their per-
fect state, when they proceed to devour the larvae of
other insects, and all weaker animals that they can
conquer.
The Ground Beetles are found as early as the begin-
ning of March, in paths and near old walls, where the
sun warms the earth with its vivifying beams. Many of
the large species have been found between the decayed
bark and wood of willow trees.
THE GLOWWORM. (Lampyris noctiluca.)
IT is only the female Glowworm which produces the
beautiful light for which the insect is so well known,
and she frequently communicates this light to her eggs.
She is without wings or wing-cases, and possesses no
beauty when seen by daylight. The male has wings,
and leathery elytra. The larva is a very ugly and very
voracious grub, which feeds greedily on snails and
slugs.
560 Insects.
THE DEATH-WATCH. (Anobium tesselatum.)
THIS creature is called the Death-Watch, from a super-
stitious notion that, when its beating is heard, it is a
sign that some one in the house is going to die. The
insect lives in wood, and the noise is produced by its
striking its head against whatever is near it. These
insects, in the larva state, do a great deal of mischief to
old furniture, in which they perforate numerous round
holes. To enable them to do this they are furnished
with two maxillaB formed like two cutting pincers, with
the help of which they bore the holes so neatly that the
French call them vnllettes, from vrille, a gimlet. They
also perforate books in the same way, and thus do much
damage in old libraries :
" Insatiate brute, whose teeth abuse
The sweetest servants of the muse !
His roses nipt in every page,
My poor Anacreon mourns thy rage ;
By thee my Ovid wounded lies ;
By thee my Lesbia's sparrow dies ;
Thy rabid teeth have half destroyed
The work of love in Biddy Floyd ;
They rent Belinda's locks away,
And spoiled the Blouzelind of Gay ;
For all, for every single deed,
Relentless justice bids thee bleed.
Then fall a victim to the Nine,
Myself the priest, my desk the shrine." PABNELL.
Sometimes two of these insects may be heard ticking,
answering each other ; and sometimes the Death- Watch
may be made to tick by tapping with the finger-nail
upon a table. These creatures imitate death with great
exactness when they are caught, or when they think
themselves in danger.
The Spanish Fly The Corn-Weevil 561
THE SPANISH FLY, OR CANTHARIS.
(Cantliaris vcsicatoria.)
THESE insects are found but rarely in this country ; they
are more common in France, but Spain, Italy, and Russia
seem to be their favourite localities. They make their
appearance in July, and are generally found upon ash
trees, the leaves of which form their food. They are of
great commercial importance, for they are found very
useful in medicine on account of their remarkable blister-
ing powers. They have a very disagreeable smell, and
emit a fluid of so corrosive a nature that many persons
have suffered greatly from gathering them ; and it is said
to be extremely dangerous to sleep under a tree infested
by them, as their smell produces a lethargic sleep, which
frequently terminates in death. They are generally
caught by laying linen cloths under the trees they
infest, and beating the boughs ; they are then put into
hair sieves, and held over vessels of boiling vinegar,
till the vapour kills them. After this they are dried
in ovens, or on hurdles, exposed to the sun, and then
packed up for sale. When dried, fifty of them hardly
weigh a drachm, but they do not lose their medicinal
properties by age unless allowed to get damp. Though
bearing the name Spanish Flies, the greatest quantity
is obtained from St. Petersburg, the Russian insects
being considered the best.
They are of a highly poisonous nature, and there are
many instances, some even recent, of their producing
violent hasmorrhao-e and death.
THE CORN-WEEVIL. (Calandra granaria.)
THIS is a little beetle about an eighth of an inch in
length, of a reddish-brown colour, with a slender pro-
2o
Insects.
boscis projecting from the front of the head, at the ex-
tremity of which the mouth is situated. As this pro-
boscis is not thicker than a fine needle, our readers may
form some notion of the minute size of the jaws with
which the mouth is furnished ; nevertheless, they are
sufficiently powerful to enable the little creature to eat
corn and biscuit. In the larva state they are exceedingly
destructive to corn in granaries, sometimes abounding to
such an extent in a heap of grain as to leave nothing of
it but the husks.
There are an immense number of Wtevils, all of which
have the front of the head elongated fhto a proboscis or
beak. A very common one is the Nut- Weevil (Balaninus
micum), which has a very long and slender beak ; with
this the female eats into the soft shells of young nuts,
and deposits her eggs in the hole ; the grubs devour the
kernel of the nut, and leave nothing but dust in the in-
terior of the shell.
THE LADY BIRD, OR LADY COW.
(Coccinella septem-punctata.)
THE larva of this well-known and beautiful little beetle
is disagreeable and almost disgusting in its appearance ;
but to compensate for this it is extremely useful in de-
stroying the aphis, or green fly. In the perfect insect
the elytra are scarlet, beautifully spotted with black ;
some species having seven, and others five spots, and
one of the most beautiful, eighteen. The head is very
small, the antennae and legs very short, and the body
nearly round. This beetle is generally regarded with
much favour in almost all countries, and in Catholic
times was in a manner dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Hence its name of Lady Bird.
The Earwig. 563
ORDER II. Orthoptera.
IN this order the elytra, or wing-cases, are much softer
and more flexible than in the beetles ; they are frequently
membranous or webbed, and when closed they do not
form a straight line down the back. The mouth is also
different ; the maxillaa being terminated by a horny,
toothed piece called the galea. There is also a kind of
tongue, and the metamorphosis is incomplete.
THE EARWIG. (Forficula auriculana.j
UNLIKE most other insects, the female Earwig watches
over her eggs until they are hatched, and afterwards
attends upon her young progeny for some time. At the
beginning of the month of June, M. de Geer found, under
a stone, a female Earwig, accompanied by many little
ones, evidently her young. They continued close to her,
and often placed themselves under her body, as chickens
do under a hen.
This little animal is very nimble, and perfectly harm-
less, except to flowers, notwithstanding the fabulous
charge which was so long believed against it, of its en-
tering the human ear, and depositing its eggs there,
which were said to cause intolerable pain when hatched,
and the young began to gnaw the inside of the ear. The
Earwig possesses wings, which, when extended, cover
nearly the whole insect. The elytra, or wing-cases, are
short, and do not extend along the whole body, but only
over the breast. The wings are concealed beneath these,
and are somewhat of an oval shape. There is great ele-
gance in the manner in which the insect folds its wings
beneath its elytra.
THE BLACK BEETLE, OR COCKROACH,
(Blatta Orientalis,)
So common in London kitchens, is nearly allied to the
Earwig.
564 Insects.
THE LEAF MANTIS. (Empusa gongyhdes.)
THIS insect is remarkably shaped. The head is joined
to the body by a neck, longer than the rest of the body.
It has two polished eyes, and two short feelers. This
neck consists of the first segment of the waist or thorax.
The wing-cases, which cover two-thirds of the body, are
veined and reticulated, or netted. The wings are veined
and transparent. The hinder legs are very long, the
next shorter ; and the foremost pair of thighs are termi-
nated with spines: the others have membranous lobes,
which serve them as wings in their flight. The top of
the head is membranous, shaped like an awl, and di-
vided at its extremity. This animal is one of the innu-
merable instances which Nature affords of the infinite
wisdom of the Creator ; for, whenever an animal is found
to deviate in shape from the general system, it is still
formed to answer the design of its existence. Thus this
insect, having such long legs, could never have sustained
itself in the air had not Providence bestowed on the legs
themselves a species of wings to balance their weight.
These are instances with which Nature teems ; and which
would make the atheist tremble did he but contem-
plate the admirable design and system with which they
are characterised as
" Parts of one stupendous whole ;
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul."
These insects are partly of a pale yellowish green,
and partly brown ; so that they look like dead leaves,
T/ie Walking Leaf. 565
whence their English name. They are found in the
East Indies and China.
THE ordinary Mantides, or Praying Insects, as they are
sometimes called, from their apparently devotional atti-
tudes, resemble the species just described in their general
structure, but are seldom furnished with so long a neck
and so leaf-like a body. They carry the head erect,
and the long fore-feet, which shut together like a clasp-
knife, are used in catching their prey ; it is while thus
engaged that their postures have been considered to
resemble an attitude of devotion.
THE WALKING LEAF, (Pliyllium siccifoUum,)
HAS a shorter neck than the Mantis, and its fore-legs are
566 Insects.
not constructed as clampers, but ihe body is very flat and
leaf-like,and the wing-cases are veined so as to look exactly
like a leaf; indeed, if seen adhering motionless to the
branch of a tree, it would certainly be mistaken for a leaf.
They are found in the East Indies. It is curious that while
these creatures present such a deceptive resemblance to
leaves, there are some near relatives of theirs which are
equally similar to sticks and twigs, so that the semblance
of a leafy branch might easily be made by fixing the
former upon the latter. Some of these Walking Slides
are eight or nine inches in length, and the whole body
and legs are of precisely the colour and texture of bark.
THE GKASSHOPPEK, (Locusta flavipes,)
Is of a green colour, with the wing-cases brown, and the
head somewhat resembling that of a horse ; the corselet
is armed with a strong buckler. Of its six legs the
hinder two are much longer than the others, to assist the
insect in leaping. The male makes a chirping noise,
which is caused by the thighs being rubbed against the
sides of the wing-cases : if handled roughly, the Grass-
hopper bites very sharply.
Toward the end of autumn the female deposits her eggs
in a hole, which she makes in the earth for the purpose.
These eggs sometimes amount to a hundred and fifty ;
they are about the size of caraway-seeds, w.hite, oval, and
of a horny substance. The female, having thus performed
her duty, soon languishes and dies. In the beginning of
May following a small white larva issues out of each
egg. The creature passes about twenty days under this
humble form; after which, having assumed the pupa
The Locust. 567
shape, while ail the rudiments of the future Grasshopper
are concealed under a thin outward skin, it retires under
a thistle or a thorn-bush, most likely in order to be more
secure ; and there, after a variety of laborious exertions,
writhings, and palpitations, the temporary covering
divides, arid the insect jumps out of its exumse.
THE LOCUST. (Locusta migratoria.)
THE Bible, which was written in a country where the
Locust made a distinguished figure among natural pro-
ductions, has given us several very striking images of
these animals' numbers and rapacity. It compares an
army to a swarm of locusts : it describes them as rising
out of the earth, where they are produced ; as pursuing
a settled march to destroy the fruits of the earth ; and as
the frequent instruments of Divine indignation.
The native countries of the Locust are Central Asia
and the North of Africa, but they migrate every year to
Europe, where they desti oy every green thing they meet
with. Other species of Locusts are met with in various
parts of the world, which, like the true migratory Lo-
cust, pass from place to place in vast flocks, causing
immense damage wherever they take up their temporary
abode.
When the Locusts take the field they have a leader
at their head, whose flight they observe, and to whose
motions they pay a strict attention. They appear at a
distance like a black cloud, which, as it approaches,
gathers upon the horizon, and almost hides the light of
the day. It often happens that the husbandman sees
this imminent calamity pass away without doing him any
568 Insects.
mischief; and the whole swarm proceed onward, to settle
upon the labours of some less fortunate country. But
wretched is the district upon which they fix ; they ravage
the meadow and the corn land ; strip the trees of their
leaves, and the gardens of their beauty ; the visitation
of a few minutes destroys the expectations of a year ; and
a famine but too frequently ensues. In their native cli-
mates they are not so injurious as in the south of Europe,
for in Syria and Palestine, though the plain and the forest
be stripped of their verdure, the power of vegetation is
so great, that an interval of three or four days repairs
the calamity ; but our verdure is the produce of a season ;
and we must wait till the ensuing spring repairs the
damage. Besides, in their long nights to this part of the
world, the Locusts are famished by the tediousness of
their journey, and are therefore more voracious wherever
they happen to settle. But it is not by what they devour
that they do so much damage as by what they destroy.
Their very bite contaminates the plant, and injures its
future vegetation. To use the expression of the husband-
man, they burn whatever they touch, and leave the marks
of their devastation for two or three years ensuing. And
if so noxious while living, they are still more so when
dead ; for wherever they fall they infect the air in such
a manner that the smell is insupportable.
In the year 1690 clouds of Locusts were seen to enter
Eussia in three different places ; and thence to spread
themselves over Poland and Lithuania in such astonish-
ing multitudes, that the air was darkened, and the earth
covered with their numbers. In some places they were
seen lying dead, heaped upon each other to the depth of
four feet ; in others they covered the surface like a black
cloth : the trees bent beneath their weight, and the dam-
age which the country sustained exceeded computation.
In Bar bary their numbers are formidable, and their visits
frequent, In the year 1724 Dr. Shaw was a witness of
their devastations in that country. Their first appearance
was about the latter end of March, when the wind had
been southerly for some time. In the beginning of April
their numbers were so much increased, that in the heat
of the day they formed themselves into large swarms.
The Mole Cricket. 569
which, appeared like clouds, and darkened the sun. In
the middle of May they began to disappear, retiring into
the plains to deposit their eggs. In the next month,
being June, the young brood began to make their ap-
pearance, forming many compact bodies of several hun-
dred yards square; which, marching forward, climbed
the trees, walls, and houses, eating everything that was
green in their way :
" To their general's voice they soon obeyed
Innumerable. As when the potent rod
Of Amram's son, in Egypt's evil day,
Waved round the coast, upcalled a pitchy cloud
Of Locusts, warping on the eastern wind,
That o'er the plains of impious Pharaoh hung
Like night, and darkened all the land of Nile ;
So numberless were those bad angels seen,
Hovering on wings, under the cope of Hell,
'Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding fires."
MILTON.
THE MOLE CRICKET. (Gryllotalpa vulgaris.)
THE two fore-feet of this insect, placed very near the
head, are short and broad, and, like those of the mole, are
contrived to help the insect in burrowing under ground.
The Mole Cricket is very destructive in gardens, as it
attacks the roots of young plants, and causes them soon
to rot and die. The female forms a nest of clammy earth,
in which she lays from two to four hundred eggs. The
nest is carefully closed up on every side, to secure the
brood from the incursions of grubs and other subter-
raneous depredators. The song of the Mole Cricket is
a low, dull, jarring note, which is continued for a long
time with great pertinacity.
570 Insects.
THE CEICKET. (Acheta domesticata.)
THE domestic Crickets generally inhabit houses, select-
ing for their place of retirement the chimneys or backs of
ovens ; and feeding upon anything that comes in their
way, flour, bread, meat, and especially sugar, of which
they seem to be particularly fond. The chirping noise,
which they make nearly without intermission, proceeds
only from the males, who produce it by rubbing the
bases of their wing-cases one over the other.
Crickets are generally of a brown rusty colour, and the
organ of vision appears in them to be very weak and im-
perfect, as they find their way much better in the dark
than when dazzled by the sudden light of a candle. The
Field Cricket (A. campestris) has the same form, but is of
a different species to the House Cricket, and is black,
with a fine gloss. Us noise is heard at a great distance,
and is so similar to that of the grasshopper, that it is
difficult to distinguish one from the other.
ORDER III. Hemiptem.
THESE insects have neither mandibles nor maxillae, but
in lieu of them they have a tubular articulated rostrum,
adapted for suction. Insects thus formed are called
haustellated. The four wings are all membranous, but
the outer ones are leathery at the base. Some of the
species are without wings. The antennae are often
small, and sometimes scarcely perceptible. The meta-
morphoses of these insects are incomplete.
The Lantern Fly TJie Cochineal Insect. 571
THE LANTERN FLY. (Fulgora laternaria.)
THIS Lantern Fly is a nocturnal insect, with a hood or
bladder on the head, which is semi-transparent, and very
curiously ornamented with red and green stripes. By
some writers it has been affirmed that this part of the
insect shines brilliantly at night, so that it is even pos-
sible to read by it. No modern entomologist has, how-
ever, witnessed this phenomenon, and it is generally
believed that the supposed luminosity of the Lantern
Fly exists only in the stories of the natives of South
America. The wings and whole body are elegantly
adorned with a mixture of red, green, yellow, and other
splendid colours.
THE COCHINEAL INSECT. (Coccus cacti.)
THE Cochineal Insect is of the same genus as the scale
insect on the vine, which looks like a little bit of wool
attached to the branch, but which, when pressed, stains
the fingers with a red liquid. The Cochineal Insect in
the like manner affixes itself to the leafy stems of the
nopal-tree, a kind of opuntia, or prickly-pear, common
in Mexico and South America, whence the Cochineal
used in Europe is principally imported.
572 Insects.
When the Mexicans have gathered the Cochineal In-
sects, they put them into holes in the ground, where
they kill them with boiling water, and afterwards dry
them in the sun; or they kill them by putting them
into an oven, or laying them upon hot plates. From
the various methods of killing them arise* the different
colours in which they appear when brought to us.
While they are living, they seem to be sprinkled over
with a white powder, which they lose when the boiling
water is poured upon them, but preserve when killed in
an oven. Those dried upon hot plates are the best.
The quantity of Cochineal annually exported from
Mexico and South America is said to be worth more than
five hundred thousand pounds sterling a vast sum to
arise from so minute an insect ; and the present annual
consumption of Cochineal in England has been esti-
mated at about one hundred and fifty thousand pounds
weight. The Mexicans think so highly of their trade
in this insect, that the republic has adopted the nopal-
tree as part of its arms.
It is for dyeing scarlet that Cochineal is chiefly in
demand ; but, although a peculiarly brilliant d}^e is now
obtained from it, this substance gave only a dull crim-
son colour until a chemist of the name of Kuster, who
lived at Bow, near London, about the middle of the
seventeenth century, discovered the art of preparing it
with a solution of tin. Cochineal, if kept in a dry place,
may be preserved without injury for a great length of
time. An instance has been mentioned of some of this
dye, one hundred and thirty years old, having been
found to produce the same effect as though it had been
perfectly fresh.
THE PLANT LOUSE, OE GEEEN FLY. (Aphis.)
THE APHIDES are sometimes viviparous, and at other
times oviparous, according to the season of the year.
The Plant Louse, or Green Fly. 573
Those of the rose-tree have been particularly noticed,
and of ten generations produced in one spring, summer,
and autumn, the first nine were viviparous, and the last
oviparous. The first nine generations consisted of
females only ; but in the tenth there were males. In
this singular aberration from the common laws of nature
this insect is a remarkable anomaly. They multiply at
such an extraordinary rate the whole ten generations
within three months that from a single Aphis ten
thousand million millions may be produced in that short
period, and it has been calculated that the progeny of a
single Aphis during a single summer, supposing its mul-
tiplication to be subject to no check, might exceed in
weight the entire human population of China.
The moss-rose, the hop, the vine, the apple-tree, the
bean, the willow, and privet, are all particularly liable
to be infested with this insect ; the various species of
which take their names according to the plants on which
they are usually found. The red tumours, commonly
called galls, which are seen on the surfaces of leaves,
especially on those of the willow, varying from the size
of a ladybird to that of a pigeon's egg, are produced by
Aphides, and contain thousands of small lice. From a
pair of small tubes placed near the end of the body of
these insects exudes a saccharine fluid, of which ants
are very fond; and it is this fluid dropped upon the
adjacent leaves, or the extravasated sap flowing from
the wounds caused by the punctures of the insects,
which is known under the name of honeydew.
After a mild spring, most of the species of Aphis
become so numerous as to destroy all the young shoots
of the plants on which they are found. No successful
mode of destroying them has yet been discovered, but
the best remedy against them is to wash the infested
shoots with tobacco water or soap lees ; and to repeat
the operation when any Aphides are seen.
574 Insects.
ORDER IV. Neuroptera.
THESE insects have four transparent wings, strongly
and beautifully varied, so as to resemble net-work. The
mouth has mandibles and maxillae. The abdomen of the
female has neither ovipositor nor sting.
THE ANT-LION. (Myrmeleon formicarium.)
THIS insect is hatched from an egg laid in soft moving
ground, or sand ; the larva soon increases in size, and
assumes the shape of a small spider with this differ-
ence, that the legs are constructed in such a way that
it can only proceed backwards or sideways. The abdo-
men is very large and fleshy; and the head, which is
small, is armed with two long jaws like horns, some-
what resembling those of the stag-beetle. What must
create our utmost admiration is, that this insect, which
can only move in a retrograde direction, is doomed by
nature to feed upon flies and ants, the quickness and
agility of which would at all times deprive him of his
prey were he not endowed with an uncommon instinct,
which prompts him to the following stratagem: He
makes a kind of funnel-shaped hole in the loose earth or
sand, and, placing himself at the bottom of it, waits
there with the utmost patience, till an incautious ant or
The Ant-Lion. 575
giddy fly falls into the deathful pit. Then all his skill
is put in requisition ; he throws out, by the shaking of
his large jaws, a great quantity of sand upon the insect,
to prevent its climbing up the steep sides of the hole ;
and when the prey appears strong and nimble, he gives
such a general commotion, that the whole construction
crumbles down, and the unfortunate insect, overwhelmed
with the ruins, falls into the jaws of the Ant-lion, which
open like a pair of forceps. When the Ant-lion has
sucked out the blood and inside of his prey, he takes it
upon his head, and, by a sudden jerk, throws the car-
case to a distance from his abode. When the larva has
attained its full size, it spins for itself a cocoon of white
shining silk, with an external covering of sand. In
about three weeks there bursts from this pupa case
a slender-waisted winged insect, which, after fluttering
about for a few weeks, and depositing eggs in the sand,
resigns its life. The winged insect resembles a beau-
tiful dragon-fly ; it has a head of a chestnut colour ; the
body is of a pearly grey, the legs short, and the wings,
which resemble the finest lace, are beautifully marked
with dark lines and spots. This fly is often seen flutter-
ing about the sides of roads and dry banks exposed to
the east, in the months of June and July ; it continues
for a little time, and then entirely disappears. The Ant-
lion is not found in this country ; but in the south of
France and Italy there is not a bank on the sides of a
public road, or a sandy ridge at the foot of an old wall,
which does not harbour a great number of these insects.
576
Insects.
THE GREAT DRAGON FLY. (Libellula grandis.)
THIS genus of insects is well known to every one. The
larva lives in the water, and wears a kind of mask,
which it moves at will, and which serves to hold its
prey while it devours it. The pupa closely resembles
the larva in its form, except that at the sides of the body
the wings are seen enclosed in thin cases. The period
of transformation being come, the pupa goes to the
water-side, and fixes on a plant, or sticks fast to a piece
of dry wood, in which position it remains for some little
time, when the skin of the nymph splitting at the upper
part of the thorax, the winged insect issues forth gra-
dually, throws off its slough, expands its wings, flutters,
and then flies off with gracefulness and ease. The ele-
gance of its slender shape, the richness of its colours,
the delicacy and resplendent texture of its wings, render
it a beautiful object. It is in length about four inches.
The female deposits her eggs in the water, from which
spring the larvae, which afterwards undergo the same
transformations.
The Day Fly (Ephemera), so called on account of the
shortness of its life, is a small insect originating from a
larva residing in rivers. After remaining several months
in the creeping state, a nymph is formed, from which
The Bees, 577
the perfect insect changes, three or four hours after mid-
day, into the fly form, and dies soon after. This fly has
the singular characteristic of casting off its entire skin
very soon after it has attained its perfect state ; and
the empty coat may often be seen lying about after its
occupant has deserted it.
ORDER V. Hymenoptera.
IN this order the wings are neither so large nor so
strongly veined as in the previous one. The mouth is
furnished with mandibles, maxillae, and an upper and
lower lip ; and the abdomen of the female is terminated
either with an ovipositor or a sting. The metamor-
phosis of these insects is complete.
This order contains the Bees, of which there are hun-
dreds of different species. The most interesting of
these is the common Hive Bee, from whose industry we
obtain wax, and by whose provident habits we are sup-
plied with honey. The inhabitants of a hive are of
three kinds : one Queen, a few hundred drones or males,
and several thousand workers. The Queen, or Parent
Bee, is the soul of the community; to her all the rest
are so attached, that they will follow her wherever she
goes. She has the power of quelling any disturbance
which may arise among her subjects by making a pecu-
liar humming noise. She is so prolific as to lay fifteen
or eighteen thousand eggs, which produce about eight
hundred males or drones, four or five Queen Bees, and
the rest Working Bees or Neuters. The combs of a hive
consist of a number of cells, formed of wax, a substance
which is secreted by the Working Bees after gorging
themselves with honey. These cells are for the habita-
tion and breeding of the young Bees, and are also used
as stores for honey, and bee-bread, or the pollen of
flowers. The royal cells, in which are laid the eggs
of future Queens, are the largest, and shaped like the
cup of an acorn. All the other cells are of a beautiful
hexagonal form, and of two kinds, one larger than the
other : the larger for the young drones, the smaller for
2p
578 Insects.
the workers. In two or three days the eggs are hatched,
when the Neuters nurse the young grubs, whom they
feed most tenderly with bee-bread and honey. After
twenty-one days, the young Bees are able to form cells
with such indefatigable activity that they will then do
more in one week than during all the rest of the year.
No more than one Queen is ever permitted to inhabit a
hive. When a young Queen is about to be hatched, the
old one leads away a swarm from the old colony to form
a new one. If the Queen die or is lost to the hive by
accident, and there be no young Queens in the royal cells,
the Bees can repair their loss. They choose a grub of
the Neuter species, enlarge its cell by adding to it three
or four adjacent ones, feed the young grub on royal food,
and it is then developed into a Queen. Sometimes there
are Bees who, less laborious than the others, support
themselves by pillaging the hives of the rest; upon
which a battle ensues between the industrious and the
despoiling insects. Their foes are the wasp, the hornet,
and various kinds of birds.
The Bee collects the honey by means of its proboscis,
or trunk, which is a most astonishing piece of mecha-
nism, consisting of more than twenty parts. Entering the
hive, the insect disgorges the honey into cells, for winter
subsistence ; or else presents it to the labouring Bees.
The combs of cells formed by these industrious in-
sects are constructed with an instinctive ingenuity which
must always be regarded as one of the most marvellous
things in nature. Each comb consists of two sets of
hexagonal cells placed back to back, and not only do
the insects adopt this form which enables them to con-
struct the greatest number of cells of the requisite
size within the smallest possible space, and with the
least possible amount of material, but each cell on one
side of the comb is placed opposite to the junction of
three cells on the opposite side, so that its centre may
be deepened without interfering with the latter, the
three diamond-shaped pieces forming the bottom of each
cell belonging to three distinct cells of the opposite sido
of the comb. By all these contrivances the Bees manage-
to get the greatest possible amount of accommodation in
The Wasp.
579
the smallest possible space ; and it has been found, by
mathematical calculation, that if it were desired to con-
struct a series of cavities of a given size within the
smallest possible space and with the smallest possible
amount of materials, we should have to adopt precisely
the same plan, even to the forms of the sides of the cells
and the angles at which they are attached to each other,
that has been instinctively adopted by the little Bee.
At the entrance of every cell the Bee architect places a
flange of wax, which fortifies the aperture, and prevents
the injuries it might receive from the frequent ingress
and egress of the Bees.
Bees produce honey, which they lay up for winter
consumption ; wax, of which they form their cells ; and
a substance called bee-bread, which they extract chiefly
from the pollen of flowers, and which they use for feed-
ing their young.
Above are given representations of, first, the Queen
Bee, placed on the left-hand side ; second, the Drone ;
and, third, the Working See.
THE WASP, (Vespa vulgaris,*)
Is a very fierce, dangerous, and rapacious insect ; it is
much larger than the bee, and furnished with a powerful
sting. The abdomen is striped with yellow and black.
580 Insects.
All kinds of Wasps make curious nests; some attach
them to the beams of a barn or other building, or place
them in the hollow of a large tree, but the common Wasp
digs a hole in the ground. Wasps do not construct
their combs with quite the same care and accuracy as
the bee ; nevertheless, their nests are often very in-
geniously made, and the material employed by most of
them is curious, being a sort of paper or card made from
fibres of wood masticated between the jaws of the
insects. As they do not lay up a store of honey for their
support during winter, they mostly die at that season ;
and the few that live remain in a torpid state till spring.
Their sting is very large ; and the poisonous liquor of
it, when introduced into the human body, excites inflam-
mation and creates very considerable pain.
THE ICHNEUMON FLY. (Pimpla persuasoria.)
THE mouth of this insect has jaws, but no sucking tongue.
The antenna contain more than thirty joints ; and the
abdomen is joined to the body by a slender pedicle. The
ovipositor is enclosed in a cylindrical sheath, composed
of two valves.
One distinguishing and striking characteristic of all
the species of this kind of fly is the almost continual
agitation of their antennae. The name of Ichneumon has
been applied to them from the service they do us by
destroying caterpillars, plant-lice, and other insects as
The Ichneumon Fly. 581
the Ichneumon or Mangouste destroys the crocodile in
the East. The tip of the abdomen of the females is
armed with an ovipositor, visible in some species, though
not in others ; and this instrument, though so fine, is
able to penetrate through mortar and plaster. The
female fly uses it to deposit her eggs in the body of
other insects when in the egg, caterpillar, or pupa state ;
so that the young as soon as they are hatched may feed
upon the caterpillar, penetrating to its very entrails.
These larvae, however, contrive to suck out the nutri-
tious juices of their prey without attacking its vitals ; for
the caterpillar continues to live for a long time, so as to
afford them food till they have attained their full size. It
is not uncommon to see caterpillars fixed upon trees, as if
they were sitting upon their eggs ; when it is afterwards
discovered that the Iarva3, which were within their bodies,
have spun their threads, with which, as with cords, the
caterpillars are fastened down, and so perish miserably.
" A friend of mine," says Dr. Derham, " put about
forty large caterpillars, collected from cabbages, on some
bran and a few leaves in a box, and covered it with
gauze to prevent their escape. After a few days we saw,
from the backs of more than three-fourths of them, about
eight or ten little caterpillars of one of the Ichneumon
flies come out and spin each a small cocoon of silk ; and
in a few days the large caterpillars died."
The Ichneumons performed great service in the years
1731 and 1732, by multiplying in the same proportion as
the caterpillars, and their larvae destroyed more of these
destructive creatures than could any efforts of human
industry.
They are found of all sizes, suitable to the various
insects they are parasitic upon, and in their ceaseless
rummaging about in every hole and corner, millions of
destructive larvae are discovered and destroyed by them,
which would otherwise have reached maturity, and left
a progeny to renew their ravages in the ensuing summer.
Even those larvae which feed in concealment are readily
discovered by the Ichneumons destined to live upon
them, and the farmer is often made aware of the presence
",f his enemies by observing the activity of his friends.
582 Insects.
THE LABOURING AND SOLDIER ANT.
(Formica rufa.)
THE colour of the Ant is in general a dark red or brown,
with a fine gloss on the abdomen. They are like the
bees, divided into three kinds males, females, and neu-
ters. The females and neuters are furnished with stings
for their defence ; the males are wholly destitute of them.
The males and females are in proper season furnished
with wings, but the neuters have none, and they are
doomed always to labour and drudgery on the hill. This
hill is constructed with considerable art and labour ; it
is composed of leaves, bits of wood, sand, earth, and
gum from the trees, which are all united into a mass,
perforated with galleries to give access to the numerous
cells which it contains. From this hill there are several
paths, worn by the constant passing and repassing of
these creatures; and it is worthy the admiration of the
naturalist to consider how busy the whole legion appears
in bringing bits of straw, dead bodies of other insects,
or in carrying away their eggs, if any danger threatens
their republic. Their sense of smell is very keen, and
they discover at a great distance any food they may be
in search of.
ORDER VI. Lepidoptera. The Moths and Butterflies.
THE insects included in this order are all remarkable for
their beauty. Their wings are membranous and veined,
like those of the dragon flies and their allies, but instead
The Emperor Moth.
583
of oeing naked they are covered by close-sefc scales of
the most delicate texture and most brilliant colours. The
mouth is furnished with a spiral trunk or tongue, by
which nectar is sucked from the flowers ; but in other
respects it only differs from the mouths of the masticating
mandibulated orders in the smallness of its parts. The
antennae vary in the different kinds : but those of all the
diurnal lepidoptera, or butterflies, are terminated by a
small inflation or knob ; while those of the nocturnal
species, or moths, taper to a point, and are often feathery,
or comb-shaped. The transformations of the species
belonging to this order are all complete.
Over the larvae of this order the ichneumons reign
with undisputed sway; attacking all indiscriminately,
from the minute insect that forms its labyrinth within
the thickness of a leaf, to the giant caterpillar of the
hawk moth. The most useful of all, however, the silk-
worm, appears, at least with us, to be exempted from this
scourge. De Geer, out of fifteen larvee that were mining
between the two cuticles of a rose-leaf, found that four-
teen were destroyed by one of these insects.
THE EMPEROR MOTH WITH ITS CHRYSALIS
AND CATEEPILLAR
THE larva of all the lepidoptera is a Caterpillar composed
of twelve ring-like segments, exclusive of the head, which
is harder than the other parts, and always of a deeper
584 Insects.
colour than the body. Each Caterpillar has nine breathing-
holes on each side ; and each of the three segments nearest
the head is furnished with a pair of short legs, ending in
a kind of claw, which are the true legs of the insect.
The Caterpillar has, however, eight or ten other legs on
the hinder segments of its body. The head has twelve
eyes, and two very short conical antennae ; and the mouth
is furnished with two strong mandibles, two maxillae, a
labrum, and four palpi.
The habits of Caterpillars differ : some, which are
called Geometers, or Loopers, advance by a succession
of steps, first extending the body to its full length and
adhering by the fore legs, then drawing up the hinder
part of the body close to the forepart so as to form a loop,
and then again repeating this process ; these Caterpillars,
when at rest, often adhere by their hinder feet, and ex-
tend the body stiffly, like a little dry twig ; others, which
are furnished with more prolegs, adhere by these to the
branch or leaf, and raise the forepart of the body a little,
an attitude which induced Linnaeus to give the name of
Sphinx to the moths in whose Caterpillars this habit pre-
vails ; some small species live between the upper and lower
surfaces of leaves, in which they excavate mines ; others
dwell in small cases, which they manufacture of various
materials ; whilst others, dwelling in large societies, spin
for themselves a sort of silken tent, in which they take
their repose, and from which they issue daily in search of
food in a regularly marshalled procession. Many make
themselves cocoons ; but others have no other covering
in the pupa state than a smooth shining skin, or a dark
mummy-like cerement. The chrysalis of a butterfly is
generally angular, .and that of a moth cylindrical.
Tortoise-shell Butterfly.
585
TORTOISE-SHELL BUTTERFLY.
(Vanessa urticce.)
THE Caterpillar, which feeds on the nettle, is about an
inch in length, covered with bristles, and of a reddish
brown colour. After having changed its skin three times
when in the shape of a Caterpillar, it crawls up to a
branchiDg part of the stalk; and, hanging itself by the
hinder part or tail, swells and bursts in such a curious
way, that the Caterpillar's skin drops to the ground,
and the chrysalis, or aurelia, remains suspended; till
after a fortnight of torpor it bursts its skin again, and
escapes into the air, under the beautiful form of a
variegated Butterfly. The golden line which shines
through the pupa case of this Butterfly is supposed to
have suggested the words chrysalis and aurelia, both of
which signify golden. The wings of the perfect insect
are about two inches in extent, of a deep orange colour
above, and their base and hinder margin black, with a
series of blue crescents. These Butterflies, which are
very common in England, appear in spring, and at the
end of June and beginning of September.
586
THE CABBAGE BUTTEEFLY
(Pontia, or Pieris Brassicce.)
WHEN the colewort and cauliflower are nearly mature, the
perfect insect of this Caterpillar is found depositing her
eggs upon the leaves. The heat of the sun soon vivifies
them and brings forth the Caterpillars, which imme-
diately proceed to consume the vegetables on which
they received being. They bear the heat of the sun
without inconvenience, but cannot endure long rains,
and in wet weather they soon disappear. There are
several species of this Butterfly, but the common white,
with a black spot on each of the under wings, is the
earliest seen in our gardens. It lays its eggs in May ;
and its Caterpillars, which are soon hatched, feed together
till the end of June, when they go into the pupa state,
from which the perfect Butterfly appears in July. The
eggs laid by the second brood of Butterflies produce
Caterpillars which feed during the remainder of the
summer, and remain in the pupa state all the winter, to
be hatched the following spring.
From the astonishing fecundity of these insects, it may
be wondered that they do not, in the course of time, com-
pletely overspread the face of the earth, and totally con-
sume every green plant. This would certainly be the case
The Magpie, or Currant Moth.
587
if Providence had not provided a check to their progress.
One of the kinds of the ichneumon fly deposits her eggs
within the caterpillar of this Butterfly, and they are there
hatched. In their larva state they continue preying on
the vitals of the animal; they then pass to the pupa
condition, and eventually emerge as perfect insects. So
greatly are we indebted to this apparently contemp-
tible little parasite, for keeping down the increase of an
insect which would otherwise become a serious and
alarming evil.
THE MAGPIE, OE CURRANT MOTH.
(Geometra, or Abraxas grossulariataJ)
THE Caterpillar of this Moth is one of the kind called
loopers, and is very destructive. The chrysalis is naked
and shining ; and its colour is a bright yellow with black
bands. The Moth is white, spotted with black, and hence
its name of Magpie.
The black and white caterpillar of this Moth is very
destructive to currant and gooseberry bushes, and in
some seasons particularly so. Mr. Kirby especially
cites the devastations at Hull in the spring of 1814. He
also confirms Boerhaave's assertion, that the severity of
winter has no effect in destroying the larvee of those in-
sects, as these abounded even more after a winter when
Fahrenheit's thermometer stood at zero, than after a
winter which was remarkably mild.
588
Insects.
THE WINTER MOTH.
(Geomeira, or Cheimatobia brumata.)
THE Caterpillar delights in newly-opened leaves ; it is
not so ravenous as many others, making long intervals
between its meals, but it seldom quits a leaf until it has
entirely consumed it. The colour is very elegant. The
upper part of the body is of a fine yellowish green ; but
it is by no means so beautiful after as before feeding, its
skin being so thin as to transmit the hue of whatever food
it eats. They are also called looper Caterpillars, because
when they crawl they draw their hind and fore feet to-
gether, so as to form their bodies into a loop. They go
into the pupa state towards the end of June, burying
themselves for that purpose in the earth ; and in Novem-
ber or December the perfect insect is brought forth.
It is evident that they possess great muscular power,
and hence their positions during repose are very striking.
Fixing themselves by their hinder feet alone, they extend
their bodies in a straight line, holding it in that posi-
tion for a long time. This, together with their obscure
colours, and the warts on their bodies, render it often
difficult to distinguish them from the twigs of the trees
on which they feed. When alarmed, these Caterpillars
have the instinct to drop from the leaves, and suspend
themselves by a thread, which enables them to remount
when the danger is over.
The Silkworm. 589
THE SILKWORM. (Bombyx mori.)
WITHOUT entering into a very minute description of this
Caterpillar, we shall confine ourselves to what we think
will be at once more interesting and more useful. As
the Silkworm is an insect of universal service, and not of
singular "beauty, we are induced to prefer giving an ac-
count of its utility, rather than any elaborate description
of its figure or colour.
This larva feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree,
and when first produced is extremely small, and entirely
black. In a few days it appears in a new habit, which
is white, tinged with the colour of its food ; and before
it goes into its chrysalis state it changes its skin several
times. When full grown it spins its cone of silk, which
is its cocoon, in the same manner as other insects. The
Moth possesses no beauty. The Silkworm is a native of
China, whence the greater part of our silk is still imported ;
but the insect was introduced into the south of Europe
during the reign of the Emperor Justinian, and is now
reared in large quantities both in France and Italy.
The art of manufacturing silk was known to the an-
cients. We are informed that, in the third century, the
wife of the Roman emperor Aurelian entreated him to
give her a robe of purple silk, which he refused on
account of its enormous price.
It is not certain at what precise period the manufac-
ture of silk was first introduced into England ; but in
590
Inscets.
the year 1242, we are told that part of the streets of
London were covered or shaded with silk, for the recep-
tion of Richard, the brother of Henry III., on his return
from the Holy Land. In 1454 the silk manufactures of
England are said to have been confined merely to rib-
bons, laces, and other trifling articles. Queen Elizabeth,
in the third year of her reign, was furnished by her silk-
woman with a pair of black knit silk stockings, which
she is stated to have admired as " marvellous delicate
wear;" and after the using of which she no longer
had cloth ones as before. James I., whilst king of
Scotland, requested of the Earl of Mar the loan of a pair
of silk stockings to appear in before the English am-
bassador, enforcing his request with the cogent appeal,
" For ye would not, sure, that your king should appear
as a scrub before strangers."
THE CLOTHES MOTH. (Tinea pellionella.)
THE larva of this little Moth is well known from the
damage it commits in woollen cloth and furs. These
substances constitute the principal support of the Cater-
pillar, and therefore the parent is, by its natural instinct,
directed to deposit its eggs in them. As soon as it quits
the egg, the Caterpillar begins to form for itself a nest :
for this purpose, after having spun a fine coating of silk
Diptera, or Flies. 591
immediately around its body, it eats the filaments of the
cloth or fur, close to the thread of the cloth, or to the
skin. This operation is performed by its jaws, which act
in the manner of scissors. The pieces are cut into con-
venient lengths, and applied, with great dexterity, one
by one, to the outside of its case ; and to this it fastens
them by means of its silk. Its covering being thus
formed, the little Caterpillar never quits it but on the
most urgent necessity. When it wants to feed, it puts
out its head at either end of its case, as best suits its
conveniency. When it wishes to change its place, it
puts out its head and its six fore legs, by means of which
it moves forward, taking care first to fix its hind legs
into the inside of the case, so as to drag it along. After
having changed within its case into a chrysalis, it issues,
in about three weeks, a small, winged, mealy-looking
Moth, of silvery drab colour, too well known to almost
every mistress of a family. The best mode of destroying
this insect, when in the cloth, is to place a saucer of oil
of turpentine with the articles affected in a close place,
when the vapour raised by the warm air will imme-
diately destroy it. Should the Caterpillar be old and
strong, it may be necessary to brush the clothes with a
brush, the points of which have been dipped in turpen-
tine. Camphor wrapped up with furs will protect them
from the Moth.
ORDER VII. Diptera, or Flies.
THIS order is characterised by having only two wings,
which are transparent, and which have two little mov-
able bodies, called halteres or balancers, placed close
behind them. The head is almost covered with a pair
of enormous eyes ; and the mouth is furnished with a
proboscis or sucker. The legs are long in proportion to
the body, and are in many species terminated by two or
three small cushion-like expansions, which, it is sup-
posed, enable them to walk on glass. Each foot has also
two hooks or claws.
592 Insects.
THE HOUSE FLY. (Musca domestica.)
THIS insect lays its eggs in sinks, dunghills, or any Other
place where there is decaying vegetable matter tolerably
moist. The larvse, or maggots, are thick and fleshy, with-
out legs, but having the mouth furnished with hooks, by
means of which they drag themselves along when they
wish to move. They go into the pupa state without
throwing off the skin of the maggot ; and when the per-
fect insect appears, it forces off a kind of cap from one
end of the pupa case, in order to make its escape. The
Blue Bottle flies (Musca erytlirocephala and Vomitoria) are
only too well known from their habit of depositing their
eggs upon our meat in summer. In the Flesh fly (Musca
or Sarcophaga carnaria) and some allied species, the eggs
are hatched within the body of the parent, which thus
deposits living larvse upon the decomposing animal
matter that constitutes their food. These flies are so
prolific and their larvae so voracious that Linnaaus says
the progeny of them would devour a horse as quickly as
a lion could do it.
THE GNAT. (Culex pipiens.)
THIS is an insect which deserves the observation of the
naturalist, not only for the very curious conformation of
its proboscis (which so quickly and powerfully pene-
trates into our skin, and through which it sucks our
blood into its body), but also for the several metamor-
phoses it undergoes before it arrives at its winged state.
The Gnat deposits its eggs upon the surface of stagnant
water, and sets them upright one against another, in the
form of a small boat : after floating upon the water for
eeveral days, as soon as the time of hatching arrives the
The Gnat. 593
larvae, which the eggs contain, escape into the water in
which they swim about with vigorous jerking move-
ments. They are compelled to visit the surface to take
in a supply of air, and for this purpose the tail is fur-
nished with a short tube, surrounded at its extremity with
a star of bristles, which, when spread out, prevent the
water from flowing into the air tube. The change to
the pupa state is a curious one. In this condition the
insect exhibits a rather slender body with a bulky an-
terior extremity, in which the head, wings, and limbs are
enclosed ; the tail is furnished with a pair of leaves or
membranous plates, the matting tube has vanished from
this part and in place of it we find two tubes situated on
the sides of the thorax : having passed about ten days in
this state, its increase being at an end, it keeps longer
near the surface, and at last the outer skin bursts, and
the winged insect, standing upon the exuvice it is going
to leave behind, smooths its new-born wings, springs
into the air, and begins its depredations. The fecundity
of the Gnat is so remarkable, that in the course of one
summer they might increase to the amazing number of
five or six hundred thousands, if Providence had not
ordered that they should become the prey of birds, who
by this means prevent their multiplying more than they
generally do. These insects are very annoying from their
blood-sucking propensities ; and as the sucker is horny
at the tip, it inflicts a severe wound, into which the insect
emits a small quantity of poison, which occasions the pain
and inflammation always felt from a Gnat bite.
594 Insects.
ORDER VIII. Suctoria.
THESE insects are without wings. The mouth is fur-
nished with a trunk or beak, formed to wound as well as
to suck.
THE FLEA, (Pulex irritans,')
Is one of those little creatures with which want of clean-
liness in mankind is punished. It is one of the most
annoying insects that infest the human race, as, by its
leapings, it often escapes being caught. It is oviparous,
and the egg, which is hardly discernible with the naked
eye, contains at maturity a small white worm, beset with
hairs. This worm soon spins for itself a little silk co-
coon, from which the perfect insect issues. The Flea is
an active, troublesome, blood-thirsty insect ; it has a small
head, large eyes, and a roundish, but compressed body,
which is covered with a kind of armour resembling the
tortoise shell in colour and transparency. The plates of
which this skin is composed are also armed with spines
or bristles. It has six legs, two of which are much longer
than the others, in order to enable the insect to make
such wondrous leaps, as to raise the body above two
hundred times its diameter. The great strength and
agility of the Flea are well known, from the exhibition
of the industrious Fleas.
BOOK VII.
KADIATA.
THE STAR-FISH. (Asterias, or Uraster rubens.)
THIS animal is often found adhering to rocks on the sea-
shores. The common species is furnished with five rays,
and is of a yellow or red colour. It has a slow progres-
sive motion, and is often found on the beach among sea-
weeds after a storm.
Mr. Bingley describes an animal of this kind, which
he kept by him for some time alive ; it had more than
four thousand tentacula on the under sides of the rays.
These it frequently retracted, and again pushed out, as a
snail does its horns ; and by means of them it was ena-
bled firmly to adhere to the dish containing the salt-water
in which it was kept. Whenever he touched the tenta-
cula with his finger, all those of that ray or limb were
gradually withdrawn, but those of the other rays were
not in the least affected by it.
There are many other kinds of Star-fishes, especially
in warm climates. Amongst our native species we may
notice the Great Sun Star (Solaster papposa) with a large
disc and thirteen short rays; the Luidia fragilissima with
five long rays, which it usually casts oft' immediately on
finding itself in danger, so as to render it a most diffi-
cult matter to obtain perfect specimens of this species.
The Feathered Star (Comatula rosacea) is also deserving ot
mention. This is a small species, with the arms distinct
from the body as in the last species and jointed, but fur-
nished with numerous slender jointed tentacles which
give them the appearance of plumes. There are ten ot
these arms and the number of little calcareous joints
contained in them is most astonishing. The small cup-
like body of the Feather Star beajs other slender jointed
appendages, by means of which the creature clings to
the rocks with its mouth and arms directed upwards ;
and in the young state it is even supported on a jointed
stalk, from which it eventually casts itself free.
596 Eadiata.
THE SEA-UKCHIN. (Echinus miliaris.)
THIS animal, which lodges in the cavities of rocks just
beneath low- water mark, on most of the British coasts, is
nearly of a globular shape, not much unlike that of an
orange, having its shell marked into ten partitions, with
rows of projections like beads, which divide it. On the
outside of the shell there are a great number of sharp,
moveable spines, of a dull violet and greenish colour,
curiously articulated, like balls and sockets, with tuber-
cles on the surface, and connected by strong ligaments to
the skin or epidermis with which the shell is covered.
The mouth is situated in the under part, and is armed
with five strong and sharpened teeth. The animal can
move from place to place by means of its contractile
tubular feet and its spines ; but its movements are slow
and laborious. So tenacious of life are the Sea-urchins,
that the ancients, according to Appian, believed that the
body retained life even when cut to pieces.
" If in the sea the mangled parts you cast,
The conscious pieces to their fellows haste ;
Again they aptly join, their whole compose,
Move as before, nor life nor vigour lose."
In Marseilles, and some other towns on the continent,
the Sea-urchin is exposed for sale in the markets, as
oysters are with us, and is eaten boiled as an egg. The
Eomans adopted it as food, and dressed it with vinegar,
mead, parsley, and mint.
ZOOPHYTES.
ZOOPHYTES were long supposed to hold a middle station
between animals and vegetables. Most of them, deprived
altogether of the power of locomotion, are fixed by stems
that take root in the crevices of rocks, among sand, or in
such other situations as Nature has destined for their
abode ; these, by degrees, send off branches, till at length
some of them attain the size and extent of large shrubs.
The Bed Coral
597
The Zoophytes were placed by Linnseus in two divisions.
The stony branches of the first division, which have the
general appellation of coral, are full of hollow cells, which
are habitations of the animals. The next division con-
sists of such Zoophytes as have softer, fleshy, or horny,
stems, and in which the individual polypes are, as it were,
amalgamated with their common plant-like habitation.
Magnified branch, exhibiting the Animals. Gorgonia Nobilis.
THE EED CORAL.
THE CORAL, or Gorgonia, is a hard, stony, branched, and
cylindrical substance, which is formed at the bottom of
598 Badiata.
the sea by animals called polyps, or, to use the Latin and
now established term, polypi. The whole form a living
mass, or polypidom, all the polypi in which are united
under one skin, and have one common stomach. Each
of these polypi resides in a distinct cell; the}^ are generally
dormant during winter, and like the blossoms of plants,
push forth buds, and expand in the summer season. The
stems and branches of the Gorgonise, which are of a some-
what horny and flexible nature, may be considered as the
true skeletons of the nests of the sea-polypi, being covered
with a fleshy or pulpy substance, the surface of which is
porous. These pores are the mouths or openings of the
cells, in which the polypi are lodged ; and it is the
number, disposition, and varied structure of these, in ad-
dition to the general aspect of the plant-like nest of
habitations, that constitute the distinguishing difference
of the species.
The bone of the Eed Coral constitutes that beautiful
and much esteemed production, the true or red coral of
the jewellers. It is found in the Mediterranean, Adriatic,
and Eed Sea, and appears to be nowhere more abundant
than in the seas about Marseilles, Corsica, Sicily, the
coasts of Africa, and in the vicinity of Barbary ; where
the Coral fisheries are carried on with great spirit, and
prove very lucrative. It is equal in hardness and dura-
bility to the most compact marble ; and these qualities,
in addition to its beautiful texture and colour, have
rendered it valuable in all ages. Thus in the book of
Job, " No mention shall be made of corals, or of pearls ;
for the price of wisdom is above rubies."
Travellers in tropical lands often speak of the exqui-
site beauty of the coral beds that lie at the bottom of
the ocean. The water is so clear in those regions, that
these wonderful formations are clearly visible at a great
depth, growing like stony forests, mingled with waving
seaweeds of many brilliant dyes.
The mode of obtaining Coral is by a very simple ma-
chine, consisting of two strong bars of wood or iron, tied
across each other, with a weight suspending from their
centre of union. Each of the bars is loosely surrounded,
throughout its whole length, with twisted hemp ; and, at
The Bed Coral.
the extremity, there is a small open net. The machine
is suspended by a rope, and dragged along those rocks
where the Coral is most abundant ; and such as is broken
off either becomes entangled iu the hemp, or falls into
the nets.
Coral is bought by weight, and its \alne increases
according to its size. Beads of large size are worth
about forty shillings an ounce, whilst small ones do
not sell for more than four shillings. Large pieces
of Coral are sometimes cut into balls, and exported to
China, to be worn as insignia in the caps of officers of
state. These, if perfectly sound and of good colour, and
upwards of an inch in diameter, have been known to pro-
duce in that market, as much as three to four hundred
pounds sterling each. There are extant many beautiful
pieces of sculpture in coral, as this substance has in all
ages been considered an admirable material on which to
exhibit the artist's taste and skill. Probably the finest
specimen of sculptured Coral yet known is a chess-board
and men in the palace of the Tuileries.
The Chinese have, within the last few years, succeeded
in cutting coral beads of much smaller dimension than
has hitherto been effected by any European artist. These,
which are not larger than small pins' heads, are called
Seed Coral, and are now imported from China into this
country, in very considerable quantity for necklaces.
There are modes by which Coral may be so exactly
imitated, that without a close inspection, it is sometimes
impossible to detect the counterfeit.
600 Eadiaia.
STONY COKALS.
THE RED CORAL, just described, belongs to the section of
zoophytes called Asteroida by Cuvier, in which the
surface of the polypidom is fleshy, and each polypus has
only eight arms. The polypi which form the massive
stony corals of the tropical reefs, are furnished with
numerous tentacles, and resemble in their general confor-
mation the Sea Anemones which are so well known now-
a-days as inhabitants of aquaria. The coral consists of
a deposit of carbonate of lime, and each polypus dwells in
a cell which exhibits a number of thin stony rays nearly
meeting in the middle. The masses of coral differ ex-
ceedingly in size, some consisting of the habitations of
only two or three polypi, whilst others are the gradual
production of a vast and constantly succeeding popula-
tion ; some form branched trees and shrubs of the most
various and elegant forms, others grow in solid masses,
but all, when living, present a most beautiful appearance
from the charming and often brilliant diversity of colours
with which they are adorned.
In the Pacific Ocean several of the coral reefs are
extremely beautiful, and the voyager is astonished with
the curious and fantastic forms of the various marine pro-
ductions of which they are composed. "VV heat-sheaves,
mushrooms, cabbage leaves, with innumerable plants and
flowers, are vividly represented by different kinds of
Coral, and glow beneath the water in brilliant tints of
brown and purple, white or green ; each with a peculiar
form and shade of colouring, equal in richness and
variety to the most beautiful productions of the vege-
table world. Corals and fungi start from between the
fissures of the rocks ; while large portions of the former,
in a dead state, connected into a solid mass, of a dull
white colour, compose the stone-work of the reef. Solid
masses, termed negro heads, of different dusky hues, and
generally dry and blackened by exposure to the weather,
are also occasionally conspicuous. Even these are not
without ornament, for nature delights in the variety of
Stony Corals. 601
her decorations. They are studded with small shells,
and beautifully marked with outlines expressive of their
origin. The edges of the reefs, particularly those ex-
posed to the waves, partake of a considerable degree of
lightness, and form small coves and caverns, the resort
of live corals, sponges, sea-eggs, and trefangs, or sea
traces, (valued in China, for their invigorating quality,)
and enormous cockles, which are scarcely to be distin-
guished from the rock, excepting when they suddenly
close their shells, and discharge living fountains, which
rise to the height of four or five feet.
With regard to the formation of coral reefs, it has been
conjectured, from the appearance of the low islands in
some parts of the South Sea and Indian Ocean (where
they occur in rows or groups, while they are totally absent
in other parts of the same seas), that Coral animals rear
their habitations on marine shoals, or, to speak more
properly, at or near the top of sub-marine mountains.
As it is known, however, that the polypes can only build
their coral within a small distance of the surface of the
sea, and the water is often of immense depth close to the
coral reefs, it has been supposed that in the Pacific
Ocean, where the greater part of the Coral reefs and
islands are met with, the bottom of the sea has been
gradually undergoing changes, deepening in some places
and becoming shallower in others, and by this supposi-
tion most of the peculiarities of the Coral reefs and
islands may easily be accounted for. "Where reefs are
formed the bottom is generally sinking ; islands indicate
that the bottom is stationary or rising. In the latter
case, when the Corals approach close to the surface,
floating substances of every kind are caught by their
stony tree-like fabrics, till at length a solid mass of rock
is formed, which gradually advances to the surface of the
water. The deposits of the ocean no longer tenaciously
adhere, but remain in a loose state, and form what is
termed by mariners a key upon the summit of the reef;
while the sea, by throwing up sand and mud on the top
of these animal rocks, progressively raises them above
its level. The new island, for such it may now be called,
is soon visited by sea-birds ; plants successively appear,
602
Radiata.
and carpet the sterile soil with a luxuriant covering.
As these decay, vegetable mould is gradually deposited ;
cocoa-nuts, or some floating seeds, flung on shore by the
impetuosity of the waves, take root, and soon begin to
grow ; land-birds, attracted by the verdant appearance of
the bank, fly thither in quest of provisions, and deposit
the seeds of shrubs and trees ; every high tide and every
gale adds some new treasure : the appearance of an island
is gradually assumed, and at length man comes to take
possession.
CORAL POLYPI, MAGNIFIED.
1. Coral of the Astrea annanas. 4. Animal and dwelling of the Cellepora
2. Animal of the Caryophyllia solitaria. hyalina.
3. Animal of the Tubipora musica. 5. Animal and central axis of (he Gorgonia
patula.
Sponge.
603
SPONGE.
SPONGE is a substance of a soft, light, porous, and elastic
nature, which is found adhering to rocks at the bottom
of the sea, in several parts of the Mediterranean, and
particularly near the islands of the Grecian Archipelago ;
and which, in its natural state, is filled with animal jelly.
The general uses of Sponge, arising from its ready
absorption of fluids, and distension by moisture, are well
known and of great importance. It is collected from
rocks, in water five or six fathoms deep, chiefly by divers.
When first taken from the sea, it has a strong and fishy
smell, from the animal matter it contains, of which it is
divested by being washed in clear water. No other pre-
paration than this is requisite previously to its being
packed up for exportation and sale. The growth of
Sponge is so rapid, that it is frequently found in perfec-
tion on rocks, from which, only two years before, it had
been entirely cleared.
As they are never designed to move from their places
of abode, the surface of the Sponges is covered with innu-
604 Eadiata.
merable small apertures or pores, communicating with a
network of fine canals, which permeate every part of the
substance and convey to the minute and simple creatures
which form the living part of this curious compound
animal, the food and water necessary for their support
and respiration. These fine canals unite into larger
passages, leading to orifices of considerable size usually
placed on prominences of the surface; from these the
water streams forth with such force, according to some
observers, as to be perceptible by the eye.
The inherent chemical properties of this curious Zoo-
phyte are very remarkable. When a Sponge has been
immersed for fourteen or sixteen days in nitric acid
(diluted with three parts of distilled water) it becomes
nearly transparent, and when touched with ammonia,
assumes a deep orange colour, inclining to a brownish
red. But if much softened by the acid, the whole fabric
immediately disappears, on being immersed in ammonia,
and forms a deep orange-coloured solution. A Sponge,
when boiled, gives out a considerable portion of animal
jelly. The infusion of a small quantity of oak bark
causes this to fall to the bottom of the vessel, as a sedi-
ment, and so entirely changes the nature of the Sponge,
that, when dry, it crumbles between the fingers ; and,
when moist, it may be torn like wetted paper. In this
state we should naturally conclude that it is entirely
useless : but no ; the operations of chemistry resemble
a magic wand. Boil the same in water, with caustic
potash, its latent qualities will be called forth; and,
behold, a deposition of animal soap !
THE FRESH-WATER POLYPI AND THEIK
MARINE ALLIES. (Hydroida.)
THESE are two species, which will fully illustrate the
nature of the whole tribe. They are found in clear
waters, and may generally be seen in small ditches and
trenches of fields, especially in the months of April and
May. They afiix themselves to the under-parts of leaves,
and to the stalks of such vegetables as happen to grow in
The Fresh-Water Polijpi. 605
the same water ; and feed on the various species of small
worms and other aquatic animals within their reach.
When any of these pass near a Polyp, the latter sud-
denly catches it with its arms, and dragging it to its
mouth, swallows it by degrees, much in the same man-
ner as a snake gorges its prey. Two Polypi may
occasionally be seen in the act of seizing the same worm
at different ends, and dragging it in opposite directions
with great force. It sometimes happens, that while one
is swallowing the end it has seized, the other is employed
in the same manner ; and thus they continue swallow-
ing, each his part, until their mouths meet. They then
rest for some time in this situation, till the worm breaks
between them, and each goes off with his share. But
sometimes when the mouths of both are thus joined
together a combat ensues, and the largest Polyp usually
swallows his antagonist; the animal thus swallowed,
however, seems to be a gainer by its misfortune, as after
it has lain in the conqueror's body for about an hour it
issues unhurt, and often in possession of the prey that
had been the original cause of contention. The remains
of the animal, on which the Polyp feeds, are evacuated
at the mouth, the only opening in the body. The species
are multiplied by a kind of vegetation, one or two, or
even more young ones, emerging gradually from the sides
of the parent animal; and these young ones are fre-
quently again prolific before they drop off; so that it is
no uncommon thing to see two or three generations at
once on the same Polyp. But the most astonishing fact
respecting this animal is, that if a Polyp be cut in
pieces, it is not destroyed, but is multiplied by dissection.
It may be cut in every direction that fancy can suggest,
and even into very minute divisions, and not only the
parent stock will remain uninjured, but every section
will become an animal. Even when turned inside out,
it suffers no material injury ; for, in that state it will
soon begin to take food, and to perform all its other
natural functions.
M. Trembley, of Geneva, ascertained that different
portions of one Polyp could be engrafted on another.
Two transverse sections brousrht into contact will quickly
606 Eadiata.
unite and form one animal, though each section should
belong to a different species. The head of one species
may be engrafted on the body of another. When one
Polyp is introduced by the tail into another's body, the
two heads unite and form one individual. Pursuing
these strange operations, M. Trembley gave scope to his
fancy by repeatedly splitting the head and part of the
body ; he thus formed hydras more complicated than ever
struck the imagination of the most romantic fabulist.
Though so difficult to destroy by division, all the
Polyps, even those which form the corals, may be easily
killed by depriving them of moisture, when they soon
shrivel up, and the tissue of their skins is completely
destroyed.
OF these Fresh-water Polypi, only a few kinds are
known, but the sea nourishes a multitude of species
which closely resemble the Hydras in their structure,
from hence called Hydroid Polyps by Cuvier and many
other naturalists. Most of these are compound creatures,
of the kind shown in the above engraving, of which
many species may be found on all our shores. A horny
tube runs branching over the surface of a seaweed, or
The Sea Anemones.
607
some other object, and from this, at intervals, rise slen-
der stalks, often branched in the most elegant manner.
Upon the delicate branches we find little horny cups,
each of which is the habitation of a tiny Polyp, fur-
nished with a mouth and stomach, and with a circlet of
slender arms to enable it to capture its prey. Other
species are enclosed only in a soft membrane, but all
rise from creeping roots.
THE SEA ANEMONES.
BESIDES the Polypi just mentioned as nearly related to
the fresh-water Hydra and those forming the different
kinds of Corals, the sea produces a vast number of other
Zoophytes, the commonest kinds of which are well
known as Sea Anemones. These animals are found
adhering to rocks on all shores ; they consist of a rather
thick column, the base of which forms an adhesive disc,
while its summit, which is also a disc, shows a puckered
mouth in the centre surrounded by several rows of
608 Badiata.
tentacles. The tentacles are sometimes short and stout,
sometimes long and slender ; they are generally adorned
with vivid or delicate colours, often disposed in rings
and contrasting beautifully with the colours of the stem
and disc. In their expanded state they present a close
resemblance to a flower, and indeed vie with many
flowers in beauty ; hence the name of Animal Flowers was
given to them formerly, and has now given place to that
of Sea Anemones, although they are rather to be com-
pared with those composite flowers in which numerous
petal-like flowerets radiate from a central disc. When
contracted, the Sea Anemones resemble soft knobs or
buttons, with a depression at the top.
In describing the Stony Corals, the fact has been
mentioned that the Polyps, which may be regarded as
the architects of those extraordinary structures, are very
similar to the Sea Anemones. In the latter, the cavity
surrounding the central stomach is partially divided into
chambers, by partitions, which run inwards from the
circumference towards the centre ; in the Coral Polyps
each of these partitions produces a stony plate in its
substance, and these plates form the rays which occupy
the interior of the Polyp-cell.
The Sea Anemones move slowly along by the action
of their adhering disc, somewhat in the same way that
a snail or slug crawls upon the ground. Their food is
obtained by means of the tentacles which give them their
beautiful flower-like character, and to render them effi-
cient organs for this purpose they are endowed with a
singular provision. The skin of the tentacles, and,
indeed, of most parts of the Sea Anemone is filled with
little cells or vesicles, each containing a spiral thread,
which when touched instantly darts forth, and penetrates
the body coming in contact with it. In this way, if a
worm, a small fish, or any other soft animal touches the
tentacles of an Anemone, it is instantly transfixed with
innumerable delicate darts, which not only assist the
tentacles in holding the destined prey, but also seem to
exercise a sort of numbing influence upon the victim,
deadening his struggles and rendering him an easy
conquest. He is then speedily passed by the tentacles
Jelly Fishes. 609
to the orifice of the month, and swallowed without
mercy.
One of the commonest kinds of these Polyps is the
Mesembryanthemum (Actinia Mesembryanthemum), a large,
usually liver-coloured species, with a row of blue warts
round the margin just outside the tentacles. It is found
abundantly on the rocks of our Southern coast especially.
The Thick-horned Anemone (Actinia or Brusodes crassi-
cornis) is another large and fine species, usually of a red
colour, with very thick tentacles, which are generally
white with pinkish bands. The Sea Cereus (Anthea
Cereus) has long slender tentacles, which are not retracted
in the same way as those of the Sea Anemones generally.
The tentacles are usually tipped with a pink or purple
tint ; they are constantly waving about in the water in
search of prey, and instantly seize upon any creature
that passes over them. The Parasitic Anemone (Actinia
parasitica) and the Cloak Anemone (Adamsia palliata)
always attach themselves to univalve shells which are
occupied by Hermit Crabs.
JELLY FISHES.
THE animals commonly known as Jelly Fishes are free-
swimming Eadiata ; they were described by Cuvier and
most succeeding naturalists under the name of Acalephce,
from a Greek word signifying " nettles," because many of
them produce a stinging sensation when they come in
contact with the skin. Their name in several languages
signifies " Sea Nettles." The Acalephas of Cuvier are
now regarded as belonging to the same class as the
Hydroid Polyps.
The common Medusa (Medusa amita), which may serve
as an example of this group, is found in great abundance
round our coasts ; it is of a circular form, convex above,
concave beneath, like an umbrella, the stick of which is
represented by a thick stalk, containing the mouth and
stomach, and terminated by four long arms for seizing
the animal's food. The skin of these, and of the body
and its appendages generally is full of the thread-cells
2R
610 Radiafa.
described as occurring in the Sea Anemones, and it is to
these that the stinging power of the Medusas is due.
The motion of the Medusae through the water is effected
by the alternate expansion and contraction of its um-
brella, which is slightly inclined in the direction towards
which the creature is moving, and it is a most beautiful
sight to look down upon a fleet of these animals, all
advancing in the same direction at a depth of two or
three feet in the water, as may often be seen in fine
weather at the mouths of our rivers.
At first sight it may be thought that the Medusas have
but little in common with the Hydroid or any other
Polyps, but it has been fully proved by late researches
that the young animal produced from the egg of the Me-
dusa is a regular Polyp, which adheres by its base, arid
obtains its food by the agency of a crown of tentacles sur-
rounding its mouth ; nay, it even propagates in this form
by pushing out buds exactly in the manner described in
the case of the fresh-water Hydra. In course of time,
however, the body of this Polyp becomes elongated,
and its surface is marked into rings, the grooves sepa-
rating which gradually become deeper until the whole
body breaks up into a number of saucer-like segments,
each of which becomes a Medusa. How fully does this
extraordinary mode of reproduction show that the won-
ders of the Creator are no less striking in the lowest
than in the highest of his creatures, and that for all,
from the highest to the lowest, the same prescient care
has been exercised, the same goodness evinced. Verily,
we may follow the pious example of the great Linnasus,
and exclaim with the Psalmist, " O Lord, how manifold
are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all."
APPENDIX
OF
FABULOUS ANIMALS.
OUR OBJECT in the previous pages has been to combine
interest with amusement, and to present truth unmixed
with fable. Yet considering that some fictitious animals
are conventionally recognised in poetry and painting, we
have thought it desirable to subjoin an account of them.
The Sphinx, the Dragon, the Unicorn, Pegasus, and the
Centaur, are so familiar to us, both in sculpture and fable,
that some notice of these mythological creations seems
indispensable.
THE SPHINX.
PROVIDENCE has ordered, that as the plains of Egypt aie
not visited by showers, they should be fertilized by the
overflowing of the Nile, which takes place annually,
612 Fabulous Animals.
a little after the summer solstice. This phenomenon, the
source of unfailing fertilit}^ in the vales of the Delta up
to Memphis, and around the bases of the majestic and
venerable pyramids, was of the greatest importance to
the people of Misraim, from the far-famed Pharos to
the frontiers of Ethiopia. It was therefore their interest
to calculate correctly the season, the month, and nearly
the hour, when the flood should begin ; the more so, as
the sudden invasion of the waters was dangerous to the
inhabitants of the low lands, the meadows, and the fens,
and often destroyed the cottages, and drowned the flocks
and the improvident villagers. The star Sirius was
remarked to emerge from the blazing halo of the sun
about the time of the rising of the Kile ; it was a warning,
and was accordingly called the Dog-star, as if barking
from the heavens to apprise the inhabitants of the valleys
of the impending rise of the waters. The Egyptian
astronomers, to mark the period, combined the signs of
the zodiac answering to the two months during which the
overflowing took place. These signs happening to be
Leo and Virgo, the mystical fancy of the ancient Egyp-
tians united them in one, and thus formed the figure of
the Sphinx, which has the head and breast of a woman,
and the body of a lion. This was a great enigma to the
Greeks and Phoenicians who travelled to Egypt ; they
saw the monster, but could not comprehend its meaning.
On returning to their respective countries, they invented
the fable of the Sphinx offering riddles at the gates of
Thebes, and destroying those who could not unravel them ;
having probably been told by the supercilious sages of
that nation, that they who could not guess the meaning
of the Sphinx were to forfeit their life in atonement for
their ignorance. Long afterwards, the real sense of the
symbol was forgotten, and Egypt in her superstition
began to worship the emblem, of which innumerable
figures still exist in that once flourishing country.
The Sphinx has been introduced in heraldry to adorn
Hie gorgets of those general officers who distinguished
themselves against the French on the banks of the Nile ;
it has also been adopted as an ornament in various decora-
tions ; and two specimens, exquisitely wrought, are seen
TJie Dragon. 613
on the front wall of Syori House, at Brentford, the seat
of his Grace the Duke of Northumberland.
This chimerical figure is generally represented as sit-
ting and at rest ; a graceful attitude adopted by Egyptian
sculptors, and imitated by the Greeks and Eomaris.
THE DEAGON.
THIS fabulous animal, which figures largely in ancient
romances, was supposed to be the tutelary genius of
fresh-water springs in the bosom of dark forests and
enchanted rocks. Dragons were harnessed to the car of
Ceres ; they were the guardians of the golden apples of
the Hesperides, and of the golden fleece of Colchis ; and
in several parts of the world set as protectors to the car-
buncles and other precious stones hidden at the bottom
of wells and fountains. They are represented as scaly
serpents, with webbed feet, and with wings similar to
those of a bat ; having been, it seems, originally a hiero-
glyphic emblem of the dangerous influence of an undue
combination of air and water. Thus the serpent Python
was the allegory of a pestilence, originating from a union
of mephitic air and moisture. They have been long
supporters to the arms of the city of London, as if the
guardians of the wealth which commerce brings hither
from all the parts of the world. Four of them are placed
in fanciful attitudes, and beautifully carved, on the pe-
destal of the monument of London.
614 Fabulous Animals.
THE WIVEEN, WOLVEBINE.
THIS fabulous animal somewhat resembles the dragon,
only that, instead of four, it has two legs, which are
webbed, and armed with claws. There is no doubt that
this imaginary being was originally conceived in the
brains of the poets and romancers, in times of chivalry,
when the Crusaders overran the plains of Palestine and
Assyria. The heat of the climate in some vales at the
foot of the mountains, which intersect the deserts of those
countries, was favourable to the breeding of all sorts of
serpents, some of an immense size. The European sol-
diers of Godfrey and liichard, unaccustomed to such
flights, were easily i'rightened, whenever they met those
monsters on the sedgy banks of small lakes, under the
shade of cedars and palm-trees, where they appeared as
if posted to guard the sacred waters, so precious in so
hot a country ; and magnified in their idle tales, when
inactive in camps, the bulk of the serpent they had seen.
The castle of Lusignan, in the province of Poitou, was
supposed to contain one of those winged serpents. It is
a very ancient armorial bearing, and now stands as sup-
porter to the arms of several illustrious houses.
The Cockatrice, or Basilisk.
615
THE COCKATEICE, OR BASILISK.
THB fruitful imagination of man knows hardly any bounds.
The animal which bears the name of Basilisk was ori-
ginally supposed to be a serpent, with a sort of comb or
crown on its head : but that was not sufficiently marvel-
lous. It was supposed also to be hatched from a cock's
egg, upon which a snake had performed the office of in-
cubation ; and the animal had the head of a cock, and
the wings and tail of a dragon. Hatched near a spring
of water, the common resort of serpents, it was asserted
that, frightened at his own extraordinary shape, he soon
precipitated himself to the bottom, whence, by the mortal
look from his fiery eyes, he had the power of killing
whoever dared to gaze at him. There are no less than
four kinds of basilisks mentioned by various authors.
One burnt up everything near him, and reduced the
place he lived in to a complete desert ; another kind had
the power of producing a stony rigidity in whoever
looked at them, which was followed by death ; or the
gazers' flesh fell from their bones. The basilisk was said
to be killed by carrying a mirror to its lair ; and the
creature encountering the reflection of its own baleful
glance, was killed with its own weapons.
616 Fabulous Animals.
THE GRYPHON, OE GKIFFIN,
WAS originally an emblem of life. It was used to adorn
funeral monuments and sepulchres. The upper part of
this allegorical animal resembles the eagle, the king of
the birds, and the rest the lion, the king of beasts ; which
is said to imply that man, who lives upon the earth, can-
not subsist without air. In later times it was supposed
that the Gryphon was posted as a jailor at the entrance
of enchanted castles and caverns where subterraneous
treasures were concealed. Milton compares Satan in
his flight to the Gryphon, in the following beautiful
" As when a Gryphon through the wilderness,
With winged course o'er hill or moory dale,
Pursues the Arimaspian, who, by stealth,
Had from his wakeful custody purloined
The guarded gold ; so eagerly the fiend,
O'er bog or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare,
With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way,
And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies."
The Arimaspians were Asiatic wizards, who, by magic,
used to obtain a knowledge of the places where treasures
lay hidden. Their incessant wranglings with the Gry-
phons about gold-mines are mentioned by Herodotus and
Pliny. Lucan gays that they inhabited Scythia, and
adorned their hair with gold ; that they had but one eye
in the middle of the forehead, and lived on the banks of
the gold-sanded river Arimaspes.
The Phoenix -The Mermaid, or Siren. 617
Virgil, in his eighth. Pastoral, mentions this animal as
if really existing, but does not give us any description of
it ; and Claudian, in his Epistle to Serena, alludes to ths
supposed fact of their keeping watch over masses of gold
in the bosom of northern mountains.
THE PHCENIX.
HERODOTUS, Pliny, and nearly sixty other classical authors,
have related marvellous stories of this bird, all of which
are of course fabulous. The Phoenix, they say, inhabits
the plains of Arabia, and is about the size of an eagle,
with gorgeous plumage of purple and gold. He is the
only one of his kind in the world. At the approach of
death, he builds himself a nest of aromatic herbs, and on
it yields up his life. From his marrow proceeds a worm,
which shortly becomes a young Phoenix, whose first duty
is to discharge the obsequies of his sire. For this pur-
pose he collects a quantity of myrrh, which he moulds
into the shape of an egg, as large as he can conveniently
carry, and then scooping it out, he deposits the body of
his sire in the inside. Having stopped it up again
with myrrh, he carries it to the Temple of the Sun in
Egypt, where he devoutly places it on the altar. This
is the only time that he is seen during his life, which
lasts five hundred years. According to others, after pre-
paring a funeral pile of rich herbs and spices, he burns
himself, but from his ashes revives in all the freshness
of youth.
From late mythological researches it is conjectured
that the Phoenix is a symbol of five hundred years, of
which the conclusion was celebrated by a solemn sacri-
fice, in which the figure of a bird was burnt. His being
restored to youth signifies that the new springs from
the old.
THE MERMAID, OR SIREN.
THK existence of this animal, half a woman and half a
fish, has long been talked of, believed, disbelieved, and
doubted. Homer is the first who speaks of such beings,
618 Fabulous Animals.
which he styles Sirens ; but we do not find that he gives
any description of their shape ; however, it was soon as-
serted that the Sirens were, as Horace, in his "Art of
Poetry," describes them :
11 Above, a lovely maid; a fish below."
The Sirens were three sisters, whose voice was so de-
lightfully harmonious and enticing, that no resistance
could be made against its powerful charms ; but " 'twas
death to hear," for they led the navigators and their ships
to certain destruction among the rocks that bordered the
dangerous coasts which they inhabited, near the shoves
of Italy.
The belief in the existence of Mermaids has been cur-
rent at different periods ; indeed, some years ago, several
persons made depositions before a magistrate, that they
had seen Mermaids come out of the sea and play on the
rocks, but that they sprang into their element before they
were able to secure them.
A creature, said to be a dried Mermaid, was exhibited
in London about the year 1828 ; but it was afterwards
discovered to be the body of a monkey artfully attached
to the dried tail of a salmon.
THE KRAKEN.
THIS creature is another fabulous inhabitant of the sea.
It is said to be three or four miles in breadth, and to live
generally at the bottom of the sea, on the Norway coast.
When it moves the commotion of the sea is so violent that
it upsets boats and even small ships ; and when it comes
to the surface, it is generally mistaken for an island.
The Dolphin The Unicorn.
619
THE DOLPHIN.
THIS is the Dolphin of heraldry, and as fabulous an ani-
mal as any here mentioned, as may be seen by comparing
it with the figure of the real Dolphin, given with the
description in a former part of this work. This fish was
said to curl up his back to carry his favourites over the
seas without wetting them ; and to assume the most bril-
liant colours in dying, changing from a bright blue to as
bright a yellow, and then to red and green, &c. &c.
THE UNICORN.
THIS is another offspring of the lively and fruitful fancy
of man. It is represented as a compound of the horse
and stag, the head and body belong to the former, and
the hoofs to the latter, while the horn, the tufts, and the
620 Fabulous Animals.
tail are anomalies. This animal holds a high rank in
heraldry, and is one of the supporters of the royal arms
of England.
The Unicorn is often mentioned in the Scriptures, and
by many commentators is supposed to be the rhinoceros.
From the book of Job we learn that it was not only an
animal of considerable strength, but also of a very fierce
and intractable disposition " Will the Unicorn be will-
ing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind
the Unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he har-
row the valleys for thee ? Wilt thou trust him, because
his strength is great ? or wilt thou leave thy labour to
him ? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home
thy seed, and gather it into thy barn ? " Ch. xxxix. ver.
9 11. In the book of Psalms, xcii. ver. 10. " My horn
shalt thou exalt like the horn of a Unicorn."
THE PEGASUS.
ANOTHER liberty has been taken with the horse. My-
thology has added wings to its elegant figure, and called
it Pegasus. This animal, it is said, sprang from the blood
of Medusa, when Perseus had cut off her head ; and im-
mediately afterwards flew upwards towards heaven, but
stopped short, and alighted on Mount Helicon, where he
struck the ground with his foot, and instantly the fountain
Hippocrene burst from the ground. During his residence
on Mount Helicon, Pegasus became a great favourite with
the Muses, who resided occasionally on that lofty moun-
tain; and still, when any one attempts extravagant nights
of poetry, he is said to have mounted on his Pegasus, as
it was difficult to approach the Muses when raised so
high. On the contrary, the Castalian fountain on Mount
Parnassus was more accessible, and inspired poetry of
a gentler nature. But to return to Pegasus ; he was
at length tamed by Neptune, or Minerva, and lent by
the latter to Bellerophon, to enable him to conquer the
horrid monster called the Chimera, which was always
shifting its place, and vomiting forth flames and smoke.
After the victory was achieved, Bellerophon attempted
The Centaur The Satyr. 621
to fly up to heaven ; but Pegasus threw his lider, and
flying up to heaven without him, was changed into the
constellation of stars which still bears his name. Pegasus
is sometimes confounded with the Hippogriph, or Ippo-
grifo of Ariosto, which is often seen in coats of arms.
THE CENTAUK.
LIKE the Sphinx, this creature is a compound of the
brute and human form, exhibiting the body of a man
united to that of ahorse, the former rising from the chest
of the latter. Absurd as such a combination must appear
to the anatomist, and ill adapted as it seems for agility,
it is not wholly devoid of grace, and is very frequently
met with in antique sculpture. According to Grecian
mythology, these beings inhabited Thessaly ; and poetry
has celebrated their combats with Hercules, Theseus,
and Pirithous, the latter of whom was the leader of the
Lapithse, a people who vanquished the Centaurs. Their
fabulous existence had its origin in that love of the mar-
vellous, which is always found to exist in the earlier
stages of society. Hence the natives of Thessaly being
distinguished for their skill in horsemanship, at a time
when their neighbours were unacquainted with the art of
riding, they would be described as combining the powers
both of the human and the equine race ; in the same
manner as some of the American tribes, when they first
beheld the Spaniards mounted on horses, mistook them
for a different race of beings from themselves, supposing
them to be half men and half quadrupeds. It is by such
errors that fiction, whether poetry or painting be its
vehicle, creates those fanciful beings and shapes which
delight the imagination.
THE SATYR.
ALTHOUGH the Satyr of the ancient poets can hardly be
termed an animal, as the human form predominates, he
may be introduced here as our final example of fabulous
622 Fabulous Animals.
creatures. Satyrs and Fauns are represented as men witn
goats' legs and horns, and were supposed to be the
attendants of Bacchus, with whose worship they are ge-
nerally connected. The idea of such beings was probably
derived from some of the larger species of apes. They
are described as inhabiting woods and forests, of which
they were regarded as the protecting deities. Probably
they were partly personifications, intended to express the
debasing influence of animal propensities and sensual
indulgence ; and as nothing tends more than intoxication
to reduce man to a level with the brutes, since it de-
prives reason of all control over the passions, the form
of the Satyr may have been ingeniously intended as a
visible representation of the degraded state of those who
surrender up the noblest prerogative of man. Whether
such was really or not the idea of those who first
feigned the existence of such creatures, we may very
rationally adopt this explanation, and thereby deduce an
important moral lesson from what is in itself an extrava-
gant fiction.
INDEX.
A.
Page
Anthropoides virgo
Abraxas grossulariata
Acelephae
Acarus siro
587
609
552
Ant-lion
Aphis .
Apteryx (Australis)
Accipiter nisus
Acerina cernua
202
476
Aquila chrysaetos
Arctic Fox
Acheta campestris
domesticata
570
570
Arctomys Marmotta
Ardea cinerea
Acipenser sturio
Actinia crassicornis
mesembryanthemum
parasitica .
416
609
609
609
Argali .
Argonaut
Argyroneta aquatica
Arion ater .
Adamsia palliata
Adder
609
495
Armadillo
Aromia moschata .
Adjutant
Admiral
352
530
Arvicola amphibia
Asp, Egyptian
Ageneiosus militaris .
Ai .
432
107
Ass
Astacus fluviatilis .
Alauda arborea . *
arvensis
247
245
marinus
Asterias rubens
Albatross
396
Astur palumbarius
Alca impennis
Alcedo ispida .
399
277
Ateles paniscus
Auchenia glama
Alligator (lucius) .
Amphisbaena (fuliginosa)
518
503
Auk, Great
Avicula Margaritifera
Anabas scandens .
475
Axis
Anaconda
503
Anarrhichas lupus .
431
B.
Anas boschas.
388
Babiroussa
Anchovy
458
Babirussa alfurus
Angel fish
426
Baboon
A ii (j *K*r
438
C*n-*\n
Anguilla vulgaris
490
, v^ape .
Badger
Anobium tesselatum
560
Balaninus micum
Anser ferns
380
Balaena Australis .
Anthea cereus
696
mysticetus
Ants
582
Balaenoptera boops
Ant-eater, great
110
Balearica pavonina
Antelope (cervicapra) .
Dorcas .
149
150
Barbary Ape
Barbel
Onii
1 c t
"Racilicb-
picta
152
J>US111SK
Basse .
v>
151
Bat
Virgo .
349
, K along .
Page
349
574
572
344
185
39
97
354
147
537
550
535
109
558
102
499
197
543
542
595
200
182
172
399
525
163
122
122
178
179
53
562
405
401
407
349
177
482
615
475
80
83
624
Index.
Page
Page
Bat, Long-eared .
Vampyre .
. 81
82
Bulteo vulgaris
Butcher-bird, Great
197
. 2l7
Bear, American (Black)
, European (Brown)
, Grisly
. 45
46
. 46
Little
218
. 586
585
Butterfly, Cabbage
, Tortoiseshell
- Malayan .
48
Buzzard
. -197
, Polar
. 50
Honey
199
Beaver.
* 88
Bees
. 577
C.
Beetle, Black .
563
Cachalot
407
, Blind
. 555
Calandra granaria .
. 561
"I?l^-*Viorf
557
Camel Arabian .
170
5 r* A
558
168
' - " ' -y fjrroiincl .
558
*^f A^^_: '
172
, Stag
. 556
Camelopardalis Girafla
. 164
Belone vulgaris
454
Camelus Bactrianus .
168
Beluga (leucas)
. 410
Dromedarius
. 170
Billy Biter
Bird of Paradise
249
. 279
Canary Bird .
Cancer pagurus
254
. 543
Bison (Bonasus)
141
Canis aureus .
42
, American
. 141
. 23
Bittern.
356
> lagopus
39
Rlnr>lrhirrl
220
Inmia
40
x>iacKoirQ . .
231
37
Black Cap . .
Black Cock.
322
Cantharis (vesicatoria)
. 561
Blatta orientalis
563
Capercalzie
323
Bleak
. 483
Capra hircus
. 147
Blepharis (ciliaris)
447
ibex
148
Blue Ox
Boa Constrictor
. 152
502
Caprimulgus Europaeus
Carabus clathratus
. 244
558
Boar, Wild
Bombyx mori .
. 120
589
.r'^ln rtrt,-.^
. 559
20
Caracal
Boquetin .
. 148
Carcharias vulgaris
. 417
141
421
J3OS JjOnUiSuS . .
Indicus
l^xl
. 143
Cardium edule
. 527
Taurus
134
Carduelis canaria
254
Botaurus stellaris .
. 356
elegans .
. 259
Bower- Bird
263
Carp .
477
Bradypus tridactylus
Brandling
. 107
462
, Golden
Carrion Crow .
. 479
268
Bream
. 484
Cassowary
. 341
Brusodes crassicornis .
609
Castor Fiber .
88
Bubalus Caffer
. 139
Casuarius galeatus
. 341
Bubo Maximus.
214
Cat . .
20
Buccinum undatum
k . 531
Cavallo-Marino
. 442
Budytes flava .
237
Cavia Cobaya .
98
Bufo vulgaris
. 507
Cayman
. 518
Buffalo, African
139
Cebus Capucinus
182
Bull
. 134
Centaur
. 621
, Brahmin .
143
Cerambyx moschatus .
558
, Wild .
. 137
Cerastes Hasselquistii
. 497
Bullfinch
258
Cercopithecus Diana .
180
Bullhead .
. 486
Certhia familiaris
281, 282
Bunting, Yellow
249
Cervus Alces
. 16C
Bustard
. 345
axis
163
Index.
625
Cervus Canadensis
capreolus
dama
Page
157
158
159
155
161
179
2.%
528
515
515
151
370
369
469
552
552
15
588
523
521
174
105
274
481
350
219
213
54
56
528
458
455
457
457
456
53
486
500
562
571
571
303
615
554
527
563
448
501
331
332
330
335
397
595
196
Conger vulgaris
Coot
Coracias garrula
Coral, Red.
Page
492
. 376
276
. 597
600
. 379
380
. 374
561
. 268
265
. 269
271
. 433
486
. 318
106
. 136
293
. 531
531
. 543
544
. 545
347
. 349
352
. 349
546
. 543
281, 282
. 283
570
. 570
569
. 517
517
. 261
498
. 290
293
. 290
592
. 360
231
. 330
535
. 436
178
. 179
384
. 3^3
531
. 531
483
rp *
Chacura
Chaffinch .
Chama
Chamaeleo vulgaris
Chameleon
Chamois
Charadrius morinellus
, atony
Cormorant .
. ... Prnctnrl
Corn Crake
Weevil .
Corvus corone
Corax .
frugilegus .
Char .
Cheese Hopper
Mite
Cottus scorpius
gobio
Coturnix dactylisonans
Couendou
Cow
Cow Bird
Cowry, Money
, Tiger .
Crab
, Violet land
, Soldier, or hermit
Crane .
, Balearic
Cheetah
Cheimatobia brumata .
Chelonia imbricata
midas
Chimpanzee
Chinchilla lanigera
Chough
Chub .
Ciconia alba
Cinclus aquaticus
Circus cyaneus
Civet .
, Oriental
Clam .
Clupea alba
, Numidian .
Crangon vulgaris
Crayfish .
Creeper
Wall
Pilchardus .
Cricket
Field
' Mole
Coati-Mondi
Cobitis barbatula .
Cobra di Capello
Coccinella septem-punctata
Coccus cacti
Cochineal Insect .
Cockatoo
Cockatrice .
Cockchafer
Cockle
Cockroach
Cod-fish
Coluber natrix
Columba senas
palumbus
Turtur
Colymbus glacialis
Comatula rosacea
Condor
Crocodile of the Nile
Crocodilus vulgaris
Crossbill .
Crotalus horridus
Cuckoo . . .
, American
Cuculus cauorus
Culex pipiens .
Curlew
Curruca atricapilla
Cushat
Cuttle-fish
Cyclopterus lumpus
Cynocephalus
Cygnus ferus .
olor
Cyprsea moneta
tigris
Cyprinus alburnus
2s
626
Index.
Cyprinus auratus .
Page
479
482
484
477
481
480
482
485
483
478
243
482
445
109
576
560
159
163
408
349
122
86
328
396
219
104
131
328
420
23
25
30
27
36
29
34
28
23
32
31
33
408
619
555
410
96
97
370
330
332
331
335
514
Dragon
Dragon-fly, Great
Dromaius .Novae Hollandiae
Dromedary
Duck
Eider
613
576
343
170
388
389
111
415
557
192
185
188
1189
563
430
112
596
490
492
488
425
113
115
113
160
249
250
343
564
458
68
548
576
127
133
124
131
132
74
62
226
472
444
443
204
205
208
199
197
204
om
brama
leuciscus .
phoxinus
Duck-billed Platypus
Dugong
Dynastes elephas .
E.
Eagle, Black .
Cypselus apus
D.
Dace .
Dactyloptera Mediterranea
Dasypus sexcinctus
Dav-fly
Death-Watch
Deer, Fallow .
, Musk
Delphinus Delphis
Demoiselle .
Dicotyles labiatus
Didelphis Virginiana
Didus ineptus .
Diomedea exulans .
Dipper
Dipus JEgyptius
Diegge ,ai
Dog-fishes
Dog ...
Bloodhound
Bulldog
Foxhound
Greyhound
Mastiff .
Newfoundland
Earwig
Echeneis remora
Echidna hystrix
Echinus miliaris
Eel .
, Conger, or sea .
, Electrical . . .
Electric Ray
Elephant
Elephas Africanus .
Elk .
Emberiza citrinella
Emeu
Empusa gongy lodes
Engraulis encrasicolus
Enhydra Lutris
Epei'ra diadema
Ephemera .
Equus Asinus .
Burchel ii .
caballus
Shepherd's . .
Spaniel .
Terrier
- Water Spaniel .
Dolphin
Zebra .
Erinaceus Europaeus
Ermine
Erythacus rubecula
Esox lucius
Exocaetus exiliens .
volitans
F.
Falcon
Dor
Dorado
Dormouse .
Dottrel
Dove, Ring
, Rock
, Stock .
, Turtle
Draco volans
Falco sesalon
gyrfalco
Index.
627
Page
Page
Falco nisus .
202
Gadus morrhua
. 448
t-v. t 1 * C1
. 200
205
Gallinula chloropus
Gallus domesticus .
373
. 324
peregrinator
. 207
giganteus
327
210
Gannet
OQ1
Father-Lasher
. 433
Garangan
OOl
57
Felis Canadensis
19
Gar-fish
. 454
Caracal
. 20
Garrulus glandarius .
275
Catus
22
Gastuostius aculiatus
. 487
concolor
. 18
Gavial
518
domestica
20
Gazelle
. 150
jubata
. 15
Genet .
55
Leo
1
Geometra brumata
. 588
Leopardus
12
grossulariata
587
Lynx
19
Geotrupes stercorarius
. 555
Onca
. 17
Gerfalcon
204
Pardalis .
15
Giraffe
. 164
Pardus
13
Globe Fish .
440
Tigris .
9
Electrical .
. 440
uncia
14
Glowworm
559
Fern Owl
244
Gnat
. 592
Ferret
. 60
Gnu .
154
Fiber Zibethecus
90
Goat
. 147
Fieldfare .
. 223
Goat Chaffer .
558
Fitchet, or Foumart .
61
Goatsucker
. 244
Flea
. 594
Godwit
362
Flounder
461
Gorgonia nobilis
. 597
Flusher
. 218
Goldfinch
259
Flying Dragon
514
Gold-fish .
. 479
Fi"h
443
GOOSG wild
oof?
Scorpion
435
Gorilla
OoD
. 176
Forficula auricularia
. 563
Goshawk
200
Formica rufa .
582
Grampus .
. 413
Fowls, Bankiva
. 326
Grand Promerooks
239
Bantam
327
Grasshopper
. 566
T Po rlti nn
097
(^ rn vlintr
4"7O
S '"h
O&1
007
Great Northern Diver
/U
007
Fox ^^
Otff
. 37
Green Fly
O7 /
572
, Arctic
39
Griffin, or Gryphon
. 616
Fratercula arctica .
. 398
Grisly Bear .
46
Fringilla coelebs
256
254
Grouse, red
white
. 320
001
carduelis
259
Grus cinerea
- - I
. 347
liriciriti
253
Grvllotalpa vulsraris
569
linota
2.^3
Gudgeon
. 480
Frog
. 505
Guinea Fowl .
308
, edible .
508
Guinea-pig
. 98
Fulgora laternaria .
Fulica atra
. 571
376
Gull .
Gurnard
392
. 444
Fulmar
. 395
, Flying
445
, Grey
. 445
G.
Gymnotus electricus .
488
Gadus aeglefinus
449
JVicrltiniriis
. 451
452 1 Haddock
449
628
Index.
Page
Page
Hag-fish .
428
Jackdaw
271
Haje .
499
Jaguar
. 17
Hake
452
Jay .
275
Halcyon
277
Jelly Fishes
. 609
Haliaetus albicilla .
188
Jerboa
104
leucocephalus
189
John Dory
. 446
Halicore Dugong .
415
Jungle Fowl .
310
Hare .
91
Harf'ang
215
K.
Hawk, Fishing
Hedgehog .
, Australian .
191
74
112
Kangaroo .
Kestrel
IT-
. 84
210
Helix aspersa
Hen Harrier .
Heron
533
213
354
Kiang
King-fish
Kingfisher .
T7" . ,
131
447
. 277
Herpestes, griseus
Ichneumon
57
56
Kite
Kivi-Kivi .
203
. 344
Javonicus
57
455
Knot .
Kraken .
367
. 618
Herring
Hippocampus brevirostris
442
Hippopotamus amphibius
Hirundo rustica
116
238
Labrax lupus
. 475
urbica
241
Lacerta viridis
512
Hog, domestic
118
vivipara
. 512
Honey-Buzzard
Hooded serpent
199
500
Lady Bird, or Lady Cow
Lagopus Scoticus .
562
. 320
Hoopoe
288
vulgaris
321
Horned Silure
432
Lamantin .
. 415
Viper .
497
Lamprey
427
Horse
124
Lampris guttatus .
. 447
House-fly
Humming-bird
592
287
Lampyris noctiluca
Land Kail .
559
. 374
Hyaena, striped (Striata)
43
Lanius collurio
218
spotted (Crocuta)
44
excubitor .
. 217
Hydras
606
Lantern-Fly
571
Hydroida .
604
Lapwing .
. 371
Hystrix cristata
106
Laruscanus
392
prehensilis .
106
Leaf Mantis
. 564
, Walking .
565
I.
Leech
. 540
Ibex
Ibis falcinellus
religiosa
148
360
359
Leipoa oeellata
Lemming .
Lemur albifrons
312
. 103
184
184
rubra
Ichneumon Fly
Ichneumon, or Egyptian
Mangouste .
Iguana tuberculata
Inuus sylvanus
360
580
56
513
177
Leopard
Ao*t
12
15
437
. 352
353
. 93
Lepadogaster cornubicus
Leptoptilus argala .
Lepus cuniculus
Ql
J.
Jacchus Rosalia
183
Libellula grandis .
Limax cinereus
y i
. 576
534
vulgaris
Jackal
183
42
Limosa segocephala
Limpet
. 362
532
Index.
629
Ling
Linnet
Linota cannabina .
Lion
Lioness and Cubs .
Littornia littorea
Lizard
, Flying and Green
Llama
Loach
Lobster
Locust
Locusta migratoria
flavipes
Lophius piscatorius
Lota molva
Loxia curvirostra .
pyrrhula
Lucanus cervus
Lucerna
Luidia fragilissima
Lump-sucker .
Lutra
vulgaris .
Lycosa tarantula .
Lynx, common
Lyre-Bird of Australia
N. S. Wales
M.
Macaw
, Scarlet
Machetes pugnax .
Mackerel
Macrocercus aracanga
Macao .
Macropus giganteus
Magot ,
Magpie . . 27
Maid . . .42
Manatee . . <
Manatus Australis
Mandrill .
Mangouste, Egyptian .
Mantis, Leaf
Mareca Penelope
Marikina Monkey .
Marmot
Marmozet . .
Marten, Common or Beech
, Pine or yellow -breasted 66
Martes foina
Zibellina
Martin
, Black .
Page
Page
451
Mavis . , .
222
253
Medusa amita
609
253
Megapodius tumulus
310
1
Meleagris Gallo-Pavo .
306
7
Meles Taxus
53
532
Melolontha vulgaris .
554
512
Melopsittacus undulatus
302
514
Menura Alberti
287
172
W*hAflK
284
486
Mephitis Americana .
63
542
Merlangus vulgaris
451
567
Merle .
222
567
Merlin
208
566
Mermaid
617
438
Miller's Thumb
486
451
Milvus regalis
203
261
Minnow
485
258
Missel-Thrush
221
556
Mite, Cheese
552
445
, Water .
550
595
Mocking-bird
225
436
Mole .
76
68
Cricket
569
66
, Water .
111
550
Mongoos
184
19
Monkey, Capuchin
182
284
, Diana
180
*>87
Oii"titi
183
J!o t
, Marikina
183
, Proboscis
180
300
301
Spider
182
426
Monk-fish
363
Monodon monoceros
414
453
Moongus
57
300
Moor Cock
320
301
Hen, or Coot
373
84
Morunga proboscidea
71
177
Morse .
72
,587
Moschus moschiferus
163
,424
Motacilla boarula
236
415
Moth, Clothes
590
415
, Emperor
583
179
, Magpie, or Currant
587
56
, Winter.
588
564
Mother Cary's Chicken
393
390
Mound-Bird of Australia .
310
183
Mouse
99
97
Field
no
183
y/
ino
65
Mule
1\A/
130
ed66
Murex haustellus, or cor-
65
nutus
532
64
Musca domestica .
592
241
Mus decumanus
100
243
messorius
100
630
Index.
Mus musculus .
sylvaticus
Musk Rat
Mussel
Mustela Abietum
Americana
erminea
furo
martes
putorius
vulgaris
Zibellina
Myodes Lemmus
Myoxus avellanarius .
Myrmecophaga jubata
Myrmeleon formicarium
Mytilus edulis
Myxine glutinosa
N.
Nagao
NajaHaje
tripudians
Narwhal
Nasalis larvatus
Nasua narica .
Naucrates due tor .
Nautilus, Paper
Pompilius ,
Newt
, Great .
Nightingale
Night-jar
Numenius arquatus
Numida Meleagris
Nuthatch, or Nutjobber
Nyl Ghau
O.
Ocelot
Octopus vulgaris
Ondatra . . .
Opah .
Opossum, Virginian
Ornithorhynchus paradoxus
Orthagoriscus mola
Ortolan
Ortygometra crex
Ortyx Californicus
Virginianus
Oryctes rhinoceros
Page
Pag*
99
Osmerus eperlanus
471
99
Osprey
191
90
Ostracion quadricornis
439
530
Ostrea edulis
526
66
Ostrich
337
63
\ mr*TMr*fin
o in
62
Otis tarda
o-tU
345
60
Otter
66
65
, Sea
68
65
Ounce
14
61
Ouistiti Monkey
183
58
Ourang Outan
173
64
Ouzel, Ring .
224
103
Water
219
96
Ovis Aries
144
110
Owl, Brown
217
574
, Great Snowy
215
530
, Horned
214
428
, White, Barn, or Screech
216
Oyster, Pearl
525
/"^rvimrvKi
526
? V^UIIIIUUH *
500
p.
499
500
414
Pagurus Bempardus
Palaeornis Alexandri
545
301
180
Pal asm on serratus
546
IO\J
Kq
Pandion haliaetus .
191
Do
429
Panther
13
537
Par ...
462
538
Paradisea apoda
279
538
Paroquet, Ground .
302
510
, Ring
301
511
302
228
Partridge, common
316
244
315
360
Parrot, Green .
300
308
281
, Grey
Parus caeruleus
298
248
152
caudatus
248
Passer domesticus
252
Patella
532
Pavo cristatus .
304
15
Peacock
304
537
Peccary
122
90
Peewit
371
447
Pegasus
620
86
Pelicanus onocrotalus
377
111
Pelican
377
441
Penguin
400
250
Perca fluviatilis
474
251
Perch
474
374
Climbincr
475
319
, Sea
475
319
5fi7
Perdix cinerea
316
si*;
Index.
631
Pearled Hen
Periwinkle
Pernfis apivorus
Petrel, Stormy
Petromyzon marinus
Phalacrocorax carbo .
Page
. 308
532
. 199
393
. 427
379
. 380
87
. 87
56
. 313
314
. 314
617
. 313
312
. 314
314
. 228
69
. 413
412
. 528
565
. 82
407
. 272
294
. 586
333
. 330
472
. 457
429
. 580
308
. 552
509
. 81
460
. 572
359
. 358
461
. 460
111
. 81
369
. 368
303
. 50
61
. 604
586
361
Pope .
Porcelain shells
Porcupine
Porpoise
Poulpe
Praying insects
Prawn .
Procellaria glacialis
Procyoii lotor
Promerooks, Grand
Psittacus Amazonicus .
Pago
476
531
106
412
537
563
546
395
51
289
300
300
298
321
95
83
263
398
594
18
274
503
133
318
319
319
319
391
93
94
51
422
424
146
146
505
161
100
97
90
102
498
265
320
253
361
222
364
235
Phalanger
Phalangista vulpina
Pharaoh's Rat .
Phasianus colchicus
f o CFU
Phoenix
Pheasant
, Australian .
, Gold
Silver
Ptarmigan .
Pteromys volucella
Pteropus edulis
Ptilonorhynchus holoseri-
ceus . .
Puffin .
Pulex irritans
Puma .
Pyrrhcorax eraculus
Python
Q.
Quagga
Quail .
, American
, Californian
, Chinese
Querquedula crecca .
R.
Rabbit, wild .
Philomela luscinia .
Phoca vitulina
Phocaena orca
vulgaris
Pholas dactylus
Phyllium siccifolium .
Phyllostoma spectrum
Physeter macrocephalus
Pica caudata .
Picus viridis .
Pieris Brassicae
Pigeon, carrier
Pike .'
Pilchard .
Pilot Fish
Pimpla persuasoria
Pintado
Piophila casei
Pipa Americana
Pipistrelle .
Plaice .
Plant Louse
Platalea Ajaja
Racoon
Raia batis .
clavata
Ram
, Wallachian
Rana temporaria .
Rangifer Tarandus
Rat
A Ininp
Platessa flesus
Platypus, duck-billed .
Plecotus auritus
Plover, golden
, Musk .
, Water
Rattle Snake
Raven .
Red Game .
Redpole
Redshank .
Redwing
Reeve
Regulus cristatus
Plyctolophus galeritus
Polar, or White Bear
Polecat
Polypi
Pontia Brassiest;
Pool Snipe .
t)32
Index.
Page
P^
Rein-Deer .
161
Sea-Horse .
442
Remora
430
Sea-Nettles .
609
Rhamphastos tucanus
Rhea Americana
297
340
Sea-Owl
Sea-Parrot
436
398
Rhinoceros unicornis
117
Sea-Unicorn
414
Rhombus maximus
459
Sea-Urchin
596
Ring Dove
330
Sea-Wolf .
431
Ouzel .
224
Secretary Bird
211
Paroquet
301
Selachus maximus . .
420
River Fox
477
Sepia officinalis
535
Horse
116
Serpentarius reptilivorus
211
Roach .
483
Serpents
493
Robin, or Redbreast
226
Shag .
380
Rockdove
332
Shaheen
207
Roebuck
158
Shark .
417
Roller .
276
, Fox
421
Rook
269
, Greenland, or Basking
420
Rorqual
407
, Hammer-headed
421
Ruff and Reeve
363
476
Sheep
144
u e .
T 1 U
Ship Worm
529
S.
Shrew .
78
Sable
64
Witrr
7Q
, American
65
Shrike .
4 y
217
Salmon
463
Shrimp
546
Pink
462
Silkworm
589
Salmo fario
466
Silurus militaris
432
flllT
463
Simia satyrus .
173
Gdlvclinus
469
174
thvmdllus
470
S"
fi!7
Tnittn.
465
S'tt F*
Oil
Sanguisuga officinalis
Sarcorhamphus papa .
540
195
Skate .
Skegger
422
462
Sardine
457
Skunk .
63
Satin Bower Bird
263
Skylark
245
Satyr
621
Sleeper
96
Saw Fish
427
Sloth
107
Saxicola senanthe .
250
Slug, small grey
534
rubetra
250
, black
535
Scarabeus elephas .
557
Smelt .
471
Sciurus vulgaris
95
Snail, Garden
533
Scolopax gallinago
365
Snake, Common
501
rusticola
366
Snipe
365
Scomber Scomber .
453
Snipe-shell
532
Seal .
69
Solan Goose
381
Sea Anemones
flmlr
607
firm
Solaster papposa
595
DU.7
Sole . . .
Solea vulgaris .
461
themum
609
Solitaire .
329
OAA| tin
609
C t\
78
Sea Ccrcu"
609
oorex araneus .
/o
7Q
609
Sornateria mollissima .
/y
OQQ
Sea-Bat ' .
Sea-Cow . . 72
431
,415
Spanish Fly
Sparling
ooy
561
471
Sea-Elephant .
71
Sparrow
252
Index.
633
Sparrowhawk .
Speniscus demersus
Sphargis coriacea
Sphinx
Spider-catcher
Spider, Diving
Page
202
. 400
524
. 611
283
. 550
548
. 549
603
. 358
seate 359
. 456
417
. 368
426
. 95
95
97
155
. 262
595
. 262
487
. 62
331
. 350
449
. 216
337
. 416
262
. 437
430
. 381
441
. 215
118, 120
. 238
241
383, 384
243
. 433
233
. 106
217
312
. 76
123
. 123
550
. 391
549
Tench .
Teredo navalis
Testudo Graeca
Tetrao. tetrix
Page
478
52r
520
322
323
440
440
393
424
421
221
221
283
9
15
44
590
248
248
507
509
248
425
520
361
297
72
444
445
367
427
510
511
287
176
174
232
466
469
465
467
439
459
222
220
221
223
225
224
221
306
312
521
523
524
Tetraodon hispidus
Thalassidroma pelagica
Thornback
Thresher .
Thrush, Song, or Throstle
Sponge
Spoonbill .
Sprat
Squalus carcharias
Squatarola cinerea
Squatina Angelus
Squirrel
Flvinf
Tichodroma muraria .
Tiger
Tiger Cat
Tiger Wolf
Tinea pellionella
Titmouse .
Tit, Long-tailed
Toad
, Surinam
Tomtit
Torpedo vulgaris
Tortoise, Common, or Greek
Totanus calidris
Toucan
Trichechus Rosmarus .
Trigla cuculus
gurnudus
Tringa Canutus
Tristis antiquorum
Triton aquations .
, riymg
Stag .
Stare
Star-fish
Starling
Stickleback
Stoat
Stockdove
Stork
St. I'eter's Fish
Strix flammea
Struthio camelus
Sturgeon
Sturnus vulgaris
Sucker, ocellated .
Sucking-fish .
Sula bassana
Sun-fish
Surnia nyctea
Sus scrota
Swallow
Trochilus colubris .
Troglodytes gorilla
Trout
Swan
Swift .
Sword-fish .
Sylvia trochilus
Synetheres prehensilis
Syrnium aluco
T.
Talegalla Lathami
Talpa Europea
Tapir, American
, Malayan
Tarantula
Teal
Tegenaria domestica .
' sTfvery'
Trunk-fish .
Turbot
Turdus iliacus
Turkey
. , Brush
Turtle, Green .
, Hawk's-bill
2 T
634
Index.
u.
TJnau .
Unicorn
Upupa epops .
Page
108
. 619
288
. 289
595
45
46
. 46
48
. 50
81
. 371
585
. 579
81
. 80
81
. 495
495
. 495
497
. 54
55
. 56
194
. 195
196
. 194
195
. 236
237
dess 237
. 565
283
. 72
157
. 578
373
. 550
219
Weasel
Weevil, Corn .
Nut
Page
58
561
562
407
401
407
410
250
331
250
458
189
451
390
241
588
614
40
366
247
294
37
539
232
235
233
296
433
249
237
296
132
133
143
446
421
Whale, Fin-backed
Uraster rubens
Ursus Americanus
Arctos .
ferox
! White . .
Wheat-ear
Whelk
Whinchat
Whitebait
White-headed Eagle .
Whiting .
Widgeon
Window Swallow .
Winter Moth .
Wivern, or Wolverine
Wolf .
Woodcock .
Woodlark
Woodpecker
Wolf-Dog
Worm, Earth
Wren .
V.
Vampire Bat .
Vanellus cristatus .
Vanessa urticae
Vespa vulgaris
Vespertilio auritus
noctula
Vipera berus
cerastes
Viper .
, Horned
Viverra Civetta
Willow
Genetta
Zibetha .
Vulture
King
Vultur gryphus
monachus .
Wryneck .
X.
Xiphias gladius
Y.
Yellowhammer, or Yellow
Bunting .
Yellow Shepherdess
Yunx torquilla
Z.
Zebra
Burchcll's
papa
W.
Wagtail, Grey
Pipd
Walking Leaf
Wall Creeper .
Walrus
Wapiti
Wasp
Water Hen .
Mites
Ouzel .
Zebu, or Brahmin Bull
Zeus faber . .
Zygsena malleus
LONDON : PRINTED BY WM. CLOTVES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
