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Photo '

FALLOW DEER.

There are two breeds of these beautiful deer in the Brit 1- I in the one th is fawn dappled

wiili white, in the othei I i I brown at all sei

Mammals
of Other Lands

5q A ; o X

Editors and Special Contributors

Charles T. Cornish Sir Herbert Maxwell

Ernest Ingersoll Sir Harry Johnston

F. C. Selous H. N. Hutchinson

R. Lydekker J. W. Gregory

and many others

^Nature/

J~>c

overs

Xjhrarxf

The University Society Inc.

New York

* /

i '- 1

■

CONTENTS

MAMMALS OF OTHER LANDS

Aims. Monkeys, and Lemurs ....

I'm C \t Tribe

The Fossa, Civets, and Ichnei mons .
The Hv.inas and Aard-Wolf

The Dog Family

The Bears

\. Bl FFALOES

The Smaller Carnivora

Marine Carntvora: The Seals, Ska Lion, \\i> Walrus .
The Rodents, or Gnawing Animals
The Hats and Insect-Eating Mammals
The Elephant, Tapir, Hyrax, and Rhinocerc

The Horse Trire

The Hollow-Horned Ruminants: Oxex. Bis
The Sheep and Goats .....

The Antelopes

The Giraffe and Okapi ....

The Deer Tribe

The Camel Tribe and the Chevrotains .

The Pic and Hippopotami s ....

The Dugong, Manatees, Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins

Sloths, Ant-Eaters, and Armadillos .

Marsupials and Monotremes

. \ N

d Musk

Oxen

1
33
74
80
S3
109
115
120
130
143
1 50
167
185
196
213
238
245
266
274
291
300
308

PREFACE

HE concluding sections of this Library, dealing with animals of other lands,
are not entirely new, but are revised reprints of an earlier successful work,
' The Living Animals of the World." The chief change made in this text
has been to eliminate, so far as possible, references to American birds and
mammals. Some cutting down in other directions was also necessary, with
the result that the cream of five large volumes is here given in two volumes,
and none of the matter duplicates what has gone before.

The publishers fee! justified in retaining this material from the fact that
it has been widely sold and commended in its former shape It contains
what is believed to be the finest portrait gallery of wild animals ever collected
in the covers of one work. From every page they greet the reader, life and action
showing in each pose. The materials, in respect to both pictures and text, have been
gathered from the whole world, and represent the latest studies, much of which has never
been popularly published heretofore. Specialists of distinction and renowned scientific
travelers have contributed photographs and field-notes, often from remote regions where
alone many of the most rare and interesting animals may be found. These unique con-
tributions come from the most distant islands of the Southern Ocean, the deserts and coral
reefs of Australia, the New Zealand hills, the Indian jungle, the African forest and veldt,
ami the wilds of tropical and South America. Wherever it has not been possible to get
really good pictures of wild creatures in their native haunts, living examples have been
sought in the great Zoological Gardens of the world — London, Berlin, Antwerp, Florence,
New York, Calcutta, and Sydney.

It is one of the most important functions of out-door photography, to-day, to preserve
for posterity a record of passing conditions and of diminishing species; and a work like
the present is of permanent interest, and will increase in historical and bibliographical value
as time goes on. Such a book, covering in an entertaining style the whole range of zoology,
carefully prepared by men of exact knowledge, yet avoiding technicalities, and wholly
illustrated by precise reproductions of photographs, many in life colors, is not only novel and
beautiful but is also of high value as an educator; and it would seem to be as indispensable
a part of the library of every family and school-room as is the dictionary or yearbook, since
by its aid all reading may be illuminated, and perchance corrected, and the whole view of
nature enlightened and enlarged.

The editors have had the assistance of the most eminent authorities in other lands.
Mr. F. C. Selous deals with the African Lion and the Elephants, with which he has had
thrilling experiences; and other sportsmen treat of other game animals of the Dark Continent.
To Mr. W. Saville-Kent, author of " The Great Barrier Reef," has been assigned the
Marsupials of Australia, and also the Reptiles generally. Sir Herbert E. Maxwell writes
on the Salmon family, and so on; while Dr. Richard Lydekker, Dr. R. Bower Sharpe, Mr. F. W.
Kirby, and other specialists are editorial advisers in regard to the branches in which they stand
as authorities

[v]

A VOL'NG CHIMPANZEE

Pleasure

I ■,.;•

Mammals of Other Lands

C H A P T E R I

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

Phcto h Frattlli Alinarh, FUrtnci

ARABIAN BABOON

THE MAN-LIKE Al'ES

The Chimpanzee

all the great apes the Chimpanzee most closely ap-

Oproaches man in bodily structure and appearance,
although in height it is less near the human standard
than the gorilla, 5 feet being probably that of an adult male.

Several races of this ape are known, among them the True
Chimpanzee and the Bald Chimpanzee. The varieties also include
the Kulo-kamba, described by Du Chaillu.and the Soko, discovered
by Livingstone, who confounded it with the gorilla. But the varia-
tions in neither of these are sufficiently important to justify their
being ranked as species.

The first authentic mention of the chimpanzee is found in
•• The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell," an English sailor
taken prisoner by the Portuguese in 1590, who lived eighteen
years near Angola. He speaks of two apes, the Pongo and
the Enjocko, of which the former is the gorilla, the latter the
chimpanzee. The animal was first seen in Europe in 1641, and
described scientifically fifty-eight years later, but we are indebted
1

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

to Dr. Savage, a missionary, for
our first account of its habit-,
in 1X47.

The chimpanzee, like the
gorilla, is found only in Africa.
The range includes West and
Central Equatorial Africa, from
the Gambia in the north to near
Angola in the south, while it oc-
curs in the Niam-Niam country
to the northwest of the great
lakes, and has been discovered
recently in Uganda. The new-
Uganda Railway, which will open
out the great lakes to the east,
will bring many travelers well
within reach of the nearest hauiu
of these great apes. It is on the
likeness and difference of their
form and shape to those of man
that the attention of the world
has been mainly fixed.

The chimpanzee is a heavily
built animal, with chest and arms
of great power. The male is
slightly taller than the female.
The crown is depressed, the chin
receding, the ridges which over-
hang the eye-sockets more prom-
inent than in man, less so than in
the gorilla. The nose has a short
bridge, and a flat extremity. The
ear is large, and less human than that of the gorilla. The hands and feet are comparatively
long; the digits are, except the thumb and great toe, joined by a web. The arms are short lor
an ape, reaching only to the knees. The teeth are similar to those cf man, and the canines of
only moderate size. The chimpanzee has thirteen pairs of ribs, and, like man, has a suggestion
at the end of the vertebrae of a rudimentary tail. It walks on all-fours, with the backs of its
closed fingers on the ground, and can only stand upright by clasping its hands above its head.
The skin is of a reddish or brown flesh-colour, the hair black with white patches on the lower
part of the face. The bald chimpanzee has the top, front, and sides of the face bare, exceedingly
large ears, thick lips, and black or brown hands and feet.

The chimpanzee's natural home is the thick forest, where tropical vegetation ensures almost
total gloom. But near I.oango it frequents the mountains near the coast. It is a fruit-feeding
animal, said to do much damage to plantations, but the bald race, at all events in captivity, takes
readily to flesh, and the famous " Sally " which lived in the Zoo tor over six years used to kill and
eat pigeons, and caught and killed rats. The male chimpanzee bmlds a nest in a tree for his
family, and sleeps under its shelter; when food becomes scarce in the vicinity, a move is made,
and a new nest built. This ape lives either in separate families or communities not exceeding
ten in number, and is monogamous.

As to the animal's courage, it is difficult to get accurate information, as the sins of the

Phut by SlbtMltk f«»I». C».] [Parsm'l (Jritn

"JENNY," THE WELL-KNOWN CHIMPANZEE

A VERY CHARACTERISTIC POSE

In this picture tie rounded ear, human-like wrinkles on the Jorehead, and length of the
toes should be noted

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

gorilla and baboon have often been laid on its shoulders, and information derived from natives is
usually untrustworthy. Apparently the chimpanzee avoids coming into collision with man,
although, when attacked, it is a formidable antagonist. Tales of chimpanzees kidnapping women

and children need stronger evidence than they have yet obtained. The natives kill this ape by
spearing it in the back, or by driving it into nets, where it is entangled and easily dispatched.
According to Livingstone, the Soko, as the chimpanzee is called in East Central Africa, kills the
leopard by biting its paws, but falls an easy prey to the lion.

In captivity it is docile and intelligent, but usually fails to stand a northern climate for more
than a few months. It is easily taught to wear clothes, to eat and drink in civilised fashion, to
understand what is said to it, and reply with a limited vocabulary of grunts. Sally learnt to
count perfectly up to six, and less perfectly to ten; she could also distinguish white 'from any
colour, but if other colours were presented her she failed, apparently from colour-blindness. I >t
this ape the late Dr. G. J. Romanes wrote with something more than the enthusiasm of a clever
man pursuing a favourite theme: " Her intelligence was conspicuously displayed by the remark-
able degree in which she was able to

understand the meaning of spoken lan-
guage—a degree fully equal to that pre-
sented by an infant a few months before
emerging from infancy, and therefore

higher than that which is presented by
any brute, so far at least as I have
evidence to show." Romanes here
speaks only, be it noticed, of ability to
understand human speech — not to think
and act But this is in itself a great
mark of intelligence on hitman lines.
" 1 laving enlisted the cooperation of the
keepers, I requested them to ask the ape
repeatedly for one straw, two straws,
three straws. These she was to pick up
and hand out from among the litter of
her cage. No constant order was to be
observed in making these requests ; but
whenever she handed a number not asked
for her offer was to be refused, while if
she gave the proper number her offer
was to be accepted, and she was to re-
ceive a piece of fruit in payment. In
this way the ape had learnt to associate
these three numbers with the names.
As soon as the animal understood what
was required, she never failed to give
the number of straws asked for. Her
education was then completed in a similar
manner from three to four, and from
four to five straws. Sally rarely made
mistakes up to that number; but above
five, and up to ten, to which one of the
keepers endeavoured to advance her
education, the result is uncertain. It is

Woro b) G. It

n Sf C»., Ltl.]

YOUNG CHIMPANZEE

This excellent photograph, by Major Nott, F.Z.S., is particularly rood,
as showing the manner in which these animals use their hands and feet

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

evident that she understands the words seven,
eight, nine, and ten to betoken numbers highei
than those below them. When she was asked
for any number above six, she always gave
some number over six and under ten She
sometimes doubled over a straw to make it
present two ends, and was supposed (thus) to
hasten the attainment of her task." By no
means all the chimpanzees are so patient as
Sall\-. One kept in the Zoological Gardens
for some time made an incessant noise by
stamping on the back of the box in which it
was confined. It struck this with the Hat of
its font while hanging to the cross-bar or perch,
and made a prodigious din. This seems to
bear out the stories of chimpanzees assembling
and drumming on logs in the Central African
forests.

The Gorilla

The name of this enormous ape has been
known since 450 b. c. Hanno the Cartha-
ginian, when off Sierra Leone, met with wild
men and women whom the interpreter called
Gorillas. The males escaped and flung
stones from the rocks, but several females were
captured. These animals could not have been gorillas, but were probably baboons. Andrew
Battell, already mentioned, described the gorilla under the name of Pongo. 1 Ie says it is like a
man, but without understanding even to put a log on a fire; it kills Negroes, and drives off the
elephant with clubs; it <s never taken alive, but its young are killed with poisoned arrows ; it
covers its dead with boughs. Dr. Savage described it in 1847. Later Du Chaillu visited its
haunts, and his well-known book relates how he met and killed several specimens. Hut Mr.
Winwood Reade, who also went in quest of it, declared that Du Chaillu, like himself, never
saw a live gorilla. Von Koppenfels, however, saw a family of four feeding, besides shooting
others. The late Miss Kingsley met several, one of which was killed by her elephant-men.

The gorilla has a limited range, extending from 2° north to 50 south latitude in West Africa,
a moist overgrown region including the mouth of the Gaboon River. I low far east it is found
is uncertain, but it is known in the Sierra del Cristal. In 1 85 1— 52 it was seen in considerable
numbers on the coast.

The (ionlla is the largest, strongest, and most formidable of the Primates. An adult male
i- from 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet high, heavily built, with arms and chest of extraordinary power.
The arms reach to the middle of the legs. The hands arc clumsy, the thumb short, and the
fingers joined by a web. The neck scarcely exists. The leg has a slight calf. The toes are
stumpy and thick; the great toe moves like a thumb. The head is large and receding, with
enormous ridges above the eyes, which give it a diabolical appearance. The canine teeth are
developed into huge tusks. The nose has a long bridge, and the nostrils look downwards. The
ear is small and man-like.

In colour the gorilla varies from deep black to iron-gray, with a reddish tinge on the head;
old animals become grizzled. The outer hair is ringed gray and brown; beneath it is a woolly
growth. The female is smaller not exceeding 4 feet 6 inches -and less hideous, as the canines

Phato h) A. .?. RuJIanJ if Sonj

II HAD OF MALE GORILLA

This is a photograph of one of the first gorillas ever brought to England.
It ivas sent by the famous M. du Chaillu

Hen Umlaut

THE LARGEST GORILLA EVER CAPTURED,
rhis huge ape, 5 feet 5 inches high, measures i listan i o'vei 3 feel from fingei to finger.

APES, M () N K E YS, AND L E M U R S

arc much smaller, and the ridges above the eyes are not noticeable, a feature common also to the
young.

Timid, superstitious natives and credulous or untrustworthy travelers have left still wrapped
in mystery man)- of the habits of this mighty ape, whose fever-stricken, forest-clad haunts lender
investigation always difficult, often impossible. Many talcs of its ferocity and strength are
obviously untrue, but we think that too much has been disbelieved. That a huge arm descends
from a tree, draws vip and chokes the wayfarer, must be false, for intelligent natives have con-
fessed to knowing no instance of the gorilla attacking man. That it vanquishes the leopard is
probable; that it lias driven the lion from its haunts requires proof. Nor can we accept tales of
the carrying off of Negro women; and the defeat of the elephants, too, must be considered a
fiction.

But we must believe that this ape, if provoked or wounded, is a terrible foe, capable of rip-
ping open a man with one stroke of its paw, or of cracking the skull of a hunter as easily as a
squirrel cracks a nut. There is a tale of a tribe that kept an enormous gorilla as executioner,
which tore its victims to pieces, until an Englishman, doomed to meet it, noticing a large swell-
ing near its ribs, killed it with a heavy blow or two on the weak spot.

Gorillas live mainly in the trees on whose fruit they subsist; they construct a shelter in the
lower boughs for the family, and as a lying-in place for the female. The male is said to sleep
below, with his back against the tree — a favourite attitude with both sexes— to keep off leopards.
On the ground it moves on all-fours, with a curious swinging action, caused by putting its hands
with lingers extended on the ground, and bringing its body forward by a half-jump. Having a
heel, it can stand better than other apes; but this attitude is not common, and Du Chaillu appears
'to have been mistaken when lie de-
scribes the gorilla as attacking upright.

In captivity only immature speci-
mens have been seen — Barnum's great
ape being one of the larger forms of
chimpanzee. Accounts vary as to the
temper of the gorilla, some describing
it as untamable, while others say it
is docile and playful when young.
There is a wonderful tale that a
gorilla over 6 feet high was captured
near Tanganyika, but nothing more
has reached us about it.

When enraged, a gorilla beats its
breast, as the writer was informed by
a keeper, who thus confirmed Du
Chaillu's account. Its usual voice is
a grunt, which, when the animal is
excited, becomes a roar.

The Orang-utan

This great red ape was mentioned
by Linnaeus in 1766, and at the begin-
ning of the last century a specimen
living in the Prince of Orange's col-
lection was described by Vosmaer.

There are three varieties of the
Orang, called by the Dyaks Mias-

«@3

By fermiiiion of Htrr Omlauff]

A MALE GORILLA

[ Ha m bu rg

This photograph of the largest gorilla known was taken immediately after death
by Hi ••■ Paschen at Yaunde, and gives an excellent idea of tht size of these ani-
mals as compared ivith Negroes. The animal ivei^hed 400 lbs.

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

pappan, Mias-rambi, and Mias-kassu, the third of which is smaller, has no cheek-excrescences,
and very large teeth. Some naturalist- recognise a pale and a dark race.

Mc»t of our information is due to Raja Brooke and Dr. Wallace. The species i- confined to
Borneo and Sumatra, hut fossils have been found in India of this genus, as well as of a chim-
panzee. The orang is less man-like than the chimpanzee and gorilla. In height the male varies
from 3 feet 10 inches to 4 feet 6 inches, the female being a few inches shorter. It is a heavy
creature, with large head often a foot in breadth — thick neck, powerful arms, which reach nearly
to the ankles, and protuberant abdomen. Its legs are short and bowed. The forehead is high,
the nose fairly large, the ears very human. The throat is ornamented with large pouches, and
there are often callosities on the cheeks. The fingers are webbed, the thumb small, the foot long

and narrow, the great toe

Phota h OtUmar AnuhutK."]

YOUNG ORANG-UTANS

/( -will he seen here, from the profile, that tk J . ■ thropoid ape has only the upper part of

the head at all approaching the human type

small and often without a
nail. The brain is man like,
and the ribs agree in number
with those of man ; but there
are nine bones in the wrist,
whereas man, the gorilla, and
the chimpanzee have but
eight. The canine teeth are
enormous in the male. The
hair, a foot or more long on
the shoulders ami thighs, is
yellowish red : there is a
slight beard. The skin is
gray or brown, and often, in
adults, black.

The orang is entirely a
tree-living animal, and is only
found in moist districts where
there is much virgin forest.
On the ground it progresses
clumsily on all-fours, using
its arms as crutches, and with
the side only of its feet on the
ground. In trees it travels
deliberately but with perfect
ease, swinging along under-
neath the branches, although
It lives alone with mate and young, and builds a sleeping
wind. Its food is leaves and fruit, especially the durian ; its

{Btrlii,

it also walks along them semi-erect.
place sufficiently low to avoid the
feeding-time, midday.

No animal molests the mias save — so say the 1 >yaks — the python and crocodile, both ol
which it kills by tearing with its hands. It never attacks man, but has been known to bite
savagely when brought to bay, and it is very tenacious of life, one being found by Mr. Wallace
still alive after a fall from a tree, when " both legs had been broken, its hip-joint and the root of
the spine shattered, and two bullets flattened in neck and jaws."

In captivity young orangs are playful and docile, but passionate. Less intelligent than
chimpanzees, they may be taught to eat and drink nicely, and to obey simple commands. ( Ine
in the Zoo at present has acquired the rudiments of drill. They will eat meat and eggs, and
drink wine, beer, spirits, and tea. An orang described years ago by Dr. Clarke Abel was allowed

8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

the run of the ship on the voyage t'> England, and would play with the sailors in the rigging.
When refused food he pretended to commit suicide, and rushed over the side, only to be found
under the chains.

The orang is the least interesting of the three great apes; he lacks the power and brutality

of the gorilla and the intelligence of the chimpanzee. " The orang," said its keeper to the writer,
" is a buffoon ; the chimpanzee, a gentleman."

It is worth remark that, although all these apes soon die in menageries, in Calcutta, where
they are kept in the open, orangs thrive well.

The Gibbons

Next after the great apes in man-like characters come a few long-armed, tailless apes, known
as the Gibbons. Like the orang-utan, they live in the great tropical forests of Asia, especially

Photo h Oittmar Annhutx]

TWO BABY ORANG-UTANS. THE TUG-OF-WAR

[Berlin

the Indian Archipelago; like the latter, they are gentle, affectionate creatures ; and they have
also a natural affection for man. Hut it is in mind and temperament, rather than in skeleton,
that the links and differences between men and monkeys must be sought. It will he found that
these forest apes differ from other animals and from the true monkeys mainly in this — that they
are predisposed to be friendly to man and to obey him, and that they have no bias towards mis-
chief, or " monkey tricks." They are thoughtful, well behaved, and sedate.

The SlAMANG, one of the largest of the long-armed, tailless gibbons, lives in the Malay
Archipelago. The arms of a specimen only 3 feet high measured 5 feet 6 inches across. This,
like all the gibbons, makes its way from tree to tree mainly by swinging itself by it^ arms. But
the siamang can rt 'alk upright and run. < )ne kept on board ship would walk down the cabin
breakfast-table without upsetting the china. The White-handed Gmsison is found in Tenasserim,

APRS, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

southwest of Burma. This ape has a
musical howl, which the whole Rock utters
in the early mornings on the tree-tops. In
Northern India, in the hills beyond the
Brahmaputra, lives another gibbon, the
Hulock. One of these kept in captivity
s. M m learnt ti < eat properly at meals, and t< i
drink out of a cup, instead of dipping his
fingers in the tea and milk and then suck-
ing them. The SlLVERY GlBBON kept at
the Zoological Gardens was a most amiable
pet, and had all the agility of the other
gibbons. It is very seldom seen in this
country, being a native of Java, where it is
said to show the most astonishing activity
among the tall cane-groves. < )ne of the
first ever brought to England belonged to
the great Lord Clive. The Agile Gibbon
is another and darker ape of this group.

The list of the man-like ape closes
with this group. All the gibbons are
highly specialised for tree-climbing and an
entirely arboreal life ; but it is undeniable
that, apart from the modifications necessary
for this, such as the abnormal length of
the arms, the skeleton closely resembles
none of these apes show any remarkable
so simple a way, by plucking fruits and

Phott bi York <5r» Son']

HUI.OCK GIBBON

he ?rcat length of arm <

companion with the body and head ihouid here be
noted

Photo t) York & S»n] [ Kitting Hill

WHITE-HANDED GIBBON

This gibbon is found in the forests of the Malay Archipelago

that of the human being. In their habits, when wild,
degree of intelligence ; but their living is gained in
leaves, that there is nothing in their surroundings to
stimulate thought. They do not need
even to think of a time of famine or
winter, or to lay up a stock of food for
such a season, because they live in the
forests under the Equator.

MONKEYS

The Dog-shaped Monkeys

After the gibbons come a vast
number of monkeys of every conceiv-
able size, shape, and variety, which
naturalists have arranged in consecutive
order with fair success Until we reach
the Baboons, and go on to the South
American Monkeys and the Lemurs, it
is not easy to give any idea of what
these monkeys do or look like merely
by referring to their scientific groups.
The usual order of natural histories will
here be followed, and the descriptions
will, so far as possible, present the

[ Kitting Hill

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

habits and appearance of the
monkeys specially noticed.

'This great family of true
monkeys contains the Sacred
Monkeys, or Langurs, of India, the
Guerezas and Guenons of Africa,
the Mangabeys, .Macaque-, and
Baboons. Most of them have
naked, hard patches of skin on the
hindquarters, and the partition be-
tween the nostrils is narrow. Some
have tails, some none, and they
exhibit the most astonishing dif-
ferences of size and shape. Per-
haps the most grotesque and
astonishing of them all is the
Proboscis Monkey. It is allied
to the langurs, and i> a native of
the island of Borneo, to which it
is confined ; its home is the west
bank of the Sarawak River. It
is an arboreal creature, living in
small companies. Mr. Hose, who

saw them in their native haunts,
says that the proboscis monkeys
kept in the trees overhanging the
river, and were most difficult to

Pktlt bj A. S. Rudland if Svr.i

HEAD OF PROBOSCIS MONKEY

A native of Borneo, Next to the orang-utan^ the most striking monkey in the Alalay

Archipelago

shoot. " I saw altogether about 150 of these monkeys, and without a single exception all were
in trees over the water, either lake, river, or in submerged forest. As long as they are in sight,
they are very conspicuous objects, choosing the most commanding positions on open tree-tops.
Once I saw thirteen in one tree, sitting lazily on the branches, as is their habit, sunning them-
selves, and enjoying the scenery." They are very striking animals in colour, as well as in form.
The face is cinnamon-brown, the sides marked with reddish brown and white, the bell)- white,
the back red-brown and dark brown. Next to the orang-utan, these are the most striking
monkeys in the Malay Archipelago.

The greater number of the species intermediate between the gibbons and the New World
species are called •• Dog-shaped" Monkevs. We wonder why? Only the baboon and a few
others are in the least like dogs. The various Sacred Monkeys of India are often seen in this
country, and are quite representative of the " miscellaneous " monkeys in general. Most of them
have cheek-pouches, a useful monkey-pocket. They poke food into their pouches, which unfold
to be filled, or lie flat when ni >t wanted ; and with a pocketful of huts or rice on either side of their
faces, they can scream, eat, bite, or scold quite comfortably, which they could not do with their
mouths full. The pouchless monkeys have only their big stomachs to rely on.

The Entellus Monkey is the most sacred of all in India. It is gray above and nutty
brown below, long-legged and active, a thief and an impudent robber. In one of the Indian
cities they became such a nuisance that the faithful determined t" catch and send away some
hundreds. This was done, and the holy monkeys were deported in covered carts, and released
many miles off. Hut the monkeys were too clever. 1 laving thoroughly enjoyed their ride, they
all refused to part with the carts, and, hopping and grimacing, came leaping all the way back
beside them to the city, grateful for their outing. One city obtained leave to kill the monkeys ;

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

i i

but the next city then sued them for " killing their deceased ancestors." In these monkey-
infested cities, if one man wishes to spite another, he throws a few handfuls of rice on to the roof
of his house about the rainy season. The monkeys come, find the rice, and quietly lift off many
of the tiles and throw them away, seeking more rice in the intei ti( i

This is not the monkey commonly seen in the hills and at Simla. The large long-tailed
monkey there is the IIimai WAN LANGUR, one of the common animals of the hill-. "The
langur," says Mr. Lockwood Kipling in his •• Beast and Man in India," " is, in his way, a king of
the jungle, nor is he often nut with in captivity. In some part- of India troops of langurs come
bounding with a mighty air of interest and curiosity to look at passing trains, their long tails

Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sont

CROSS-BEARING LANGUR AND YOUNG

A forest monkey of Borneo

lifted like notes of interrogation ; but frequently, when fairly perched on a wall or tree alongside,
they seem to forget all about it, and avert their heads with an affectation of languid indifference."
In India no distinction is made between monkeys. It is an abominable act of sacrilege to
kill one of any kind. In the streets holy bulls, calves, parrakeets, sparrows, and monkeys all rob
the shops. One monkey-ridden municipality sent off its inconvenient but holy guests by rail,
advising the station-master to let them loose at the place to which they were consigned. The
station, Saharanpur, was a kind of Indian Chicago, and the monkeys got into the engine-sheds and
workshops among the driving-wheels and bands. One got in the double roof of an inspection-

I 2

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

car, and thence stole mutton, corkscrews, camp-glasses, and dusters. Among many other inter-
esting and correct monkey stories of Mr. Kipling's is the following: ■' The chief confectioner of
Simla had prepared a most splendid bride-cake, which was safely put by in a locked room, that.
like most back rooms in Simla, looked out on the mountainside. It is little use locking the
door when the window is left open. When they came to fetch the bride-cake, the last piece of
it was beincr handed out of the window by a chain of monkey-, who whitened the hillside with

its fragments."

From India to Ceylon is no great way, yet in the latter island different monkeys are found.
The two best known are the White-BEARDED Wanderoo Monkey and the Gkeat Wanderoo.
Both are grave, well-behaved monkeys. The former has white whiskers and a white beard, and
looks so wise he is called in Latin Nestor, after the ancient counsellor of the Greeks. Nice, clean
little monkeys are these, and pretty pets. The great wanderoo is rarer. It lives in the hills.
" A flock of them," says Mr. Dallas, " will take possession of a palm-grove, and so well can they
conceal themselves in the leaves that the whole party become invisible. The presence of a dog
excites their irresistible curiosity, and in order to watch his movements they never fail to betray
themselves. They may be seen congregated on the roof of a native hut. Some years ago the
child of a European clergyman, having been left on the ground by a nurse, was bitten and teased
to death by them. These monkeys have only one wife." Near relatives of the langurs are the
two species of Snub-nosed Monkeys, one of which (see figure on page 18) inhabits Eastern Tibet
and Northwestern China, and the other the valley of the Mekong.

Phot* f>J A. S, Rudland «f Sonl

MALE HIMALAYAN LANGUR

A king of the jungle, not often met with in captivity

The Guerezas and Guenons
Among the ordinary monkeys
of the Old World are some with
very striking hair and colours.
The Guereza of Abyssinia has
bright white and black fur, with
long white fringes on the sides.
This is the black-and-white skin
fastened by the Abyssinians to
their shields, and, if we are not
wrong, by the Kaffirs also.
Among the Guenons, a large
tribe of monkeys living in the
African forests, many of which
find their way here as " organ
monkeys," is the Diana, a most
beautiful creature, living on the
Guinea Coast. It has a white
crescent on its forehead, bluish-
gray fur, a white beard, and a
patch of brilliant chestnut on
the back, the belly white and
orange. A lady, Mrs. Bowditch,
gives the following account of
a Diana monkey on board ship.
It jumped on to her shoulder,
staied into her face, and then
made friends, seated itself on her
knees, and carefully examined her

GELADA BABOONS AT HOME

This photograph is probably unique, as a ge!ada baboon hat been rarely seen. It shows them at home looking for food on the gr
bamboos and palms. It was taken by Lord Delamert in the East African jungle

2 J3

nd under the

THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photi h A. S. Rudland &• Sent

MANTLED GUEREZA

This group of monkeys supplies the " monkey muffs " once very fashionable.
The species with white plumes is used to decorate the Kaffir shields

hands. " He then tried to pull off my
rings, when I gave him some biscuits,
and making a bed for him with my hand-
kerchief he then settled himself comfort-
ably to sleep ; and from that moment we
were sworn allies. When mischievous,
he was often banished to a hen-coop.
Much more effect was produced by taking
him in sight of the panther, who always
seemed most willing to devour him. I m
these occasions I held him by the tail
bef ire the cage ; but long before 1 reached
it, knowing where he was going, he pre-
tended to be dead. His eyes were closed
quite fast, and every limb was as stiff as
though there were no life in him. When
taken away, he would open one eye a
little, to see whereabouts he might be ;
but if he caught sight of the panther's
cage it was instantly closed, and he be-
came as stiff as before." This monkey
stole the men's knives, tools, and hand-
kerchiefs, and even their caps, which he
threw into the sea. He would carefully
feed the parrots, chewing up biscuit and
presenting them the bits ; and he caught
another small monkey and painted it
black ! Altogether, he must have enliv-
ened the voyage. The Grivet Monkey,
the Green Monkev, the Mona Monkey,
and the Mangabev are other commonly
seen African species.

The Macaques

The Macaques, of which there are many kinds, from the Rock of Gibraltar to far Japan,
occupy the catalogue between the guenon and the baboon. The Common Macaque and many
others have tails. Those of Japan, and some of those of China, notably the Tcheli Monkey,
kept outside the monkey-house at the Zoo, and the Japanese Macaque, at the other entrance, are
tailless, and much more like anthropoid apes. The Tcheli monkey is large and powerful, but
other macaques are of all sizes down to little creatures no bigger than a kitten. Some live in the
hottest plains, others in the mountains. The Common Macaque, found in the Malay Archi-
pelago, is a strong, medium-sized monkey. The Fokmosan Macaque is a rock -living creature;
those of Japan inhabit the pine-groves, and are fond of pelting any one w ho passes with stones
and fir-cones. The BONNET MACAQUE is an amusing little beast, very fond of hugging and
nursing others in captivity. The BANDAR or RHESUS MONKEY, a common species, also belongs
to this group. But the most interesting to Europeans is the MAGOT, or BaRBARY Ah:. It is t he-
last monkey left in Europe. There it only lives on the Rock of Gibraltar. It was the monkey
which Galen is said to have dissected, because he was not permitted to dissect a human body.
These monkeys are carefully preserved upon the Rock. Formerly, when they were more com-

A PES, MONK E Y S, AND L E MURS

■5

Photo hy L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

DIANA MONKEY

Nu-th Finthl,

One of the most gaily coloured monkeys of Africa

Tiik Baboons

Far the most interesting of the apes in
the wild state are the BABOONS. Their dog-
like heads (which in some are so large and
hideous that they look like a cross between
an ill-tempered dog and a pig), short bodies,
enormously strong arms, and loud barking
cry distinguish them from all other creatures.
The greater number — for there are many
kinds — live in the hot, dry, stony parts of
Africa. They are familiar figures from the
cliffs of Abyssinia to the Cape, where their
bold and predatory bands still occupy Table
Mountain. They are almost the only animals
which the high-contracting Powers of Africa
have resolved not to protect at any season,
so mischievous are they to crops, and recently
to the flocks. They kill the suckling lambs,
and tear them to pieces for the sake of the
milk contained in their bodies.

One of the best-known baboons is the
Chacma of South Africa. The old males grow-
to a great size, and are most formidable
creatures. Naturally, they are very seldom
caught; but one very large one is in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, at the time
of writing. The keeper declares he would
rather go into a lion's cage than into the den
of this beast when angry. Its head is nearly
one-third of its total length from nose to the
root of the tail. Its jaw-power is immense,
and its forearm looks as strong as Sandow's.

mon, the_\- were very mischievous. The fol-
lowing story was told by Mr. Bidcup; "The

apes of the Rock, led by one particular
monkey, were' always stealing from the kit of
a certain regiment encamped there. Atlast
the soldiers caught the leader, shaved his
head and lace, and turned him loose. His
friends, who had been watching, received him
with a shower of sticks and stones. [n these
desperate circumstances the ape sneaked back
to his old enemies, the soldiers, with whom
he remained." Lord Ileathfield, a former
Governor of the Rock, would newer let
them be hurt; and on one occasion, when
the Spaniards were attempting a surprise, the
noise made by the apes gave notice of their
attempt.

Photo l>y G. If. Wihon &° Co., Ltt{.\ {Aderaeen

BARBARY APE

The last of the European monkeys on this side of the Mediterranean;
and it is only found on the Rock of Gibraltar

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Like all monkeys, this creature has the power of
springing instantaneously from a sitting position ; and
its bite would cripple anything from a man to a
leopard. The chacmas live in companies in the kopjes,
whence they descend to forage the mealie-grounds,
river-beds, and bush. Thence they come down to steal
fruit and pumpkins or corn, turn over the stones and
catch beetles, or eat locusts. Their robbing expedi-
tions are organised. Scouts keep a lookout, the females
and young are put in the centre, and the retreat is pro-
tected by the old males. Children in the Cape Colony
are always warned not to go out when the baboons are
near. When irritated — and they are very touchy in
their tempers — the whole of the males will some-
times charge and attack. The possibility of this is
very unpleasant, and renders people cautious.

Not man>' years ago a well known sportsman
was shooting in Somaliland. On the other side of a

rocky ravine was a troop ofbab is of a species of

which no examples were in the British Museum.
Though he knew the danger, he was tempted to
shoot and to secure a skin. At 200 yards he killed one dead, which the rest did not notice.
Then he hit another and wounded it. The baboon screamed, and instantly the others sat up,
saw the malefactor, and charged straight for him. Most fortunately, they had to scramble down
the ravine and up again, by which time the sportsman and his servant had put such a distance
between them, making " very good time over the flat," that the baboons contented themselves
by barking deli, nice at them when they reached the level ground.

They are the only mammals which thoroughly understand combination for defense as well as
attack. But Brehm, the German traveler, gives a charming story of genuine courage and
self-sacrifice shown by one. His hunting dogs gave chase to a troop which was retreating
to si mie cliffs, and cut off a very young one, which ran up on to a rock, only just out of reach of
the dogs. An old male baboon saw this, and came along to the rescue. Slowly and deliberately
he descended, crossed the open

... if C. Rlid] [trishaw, S.B.

RHESUS MONKEY
si young specimen of the common Bengal monkey

space, and stamping his hands on
the ground, showing his teeth, and
backed by the furious barks of the
rest of the baboons, he discon-
certed and cowed these savage
dogs, climbed on to the rock,
picked up the baby, and carried
him back safely. If the dogs had
attacked the old patriarch, his
tribe would probably have helped
him. Burchell, the naturalist after
whom Burchell's zebra is named,
let his dogs chase a troop. The
baboons turned on them, killed
one on the spot by biting through
the great blood-vessels of the
neck, and laid bare the ribs of

Ww. h, A. V. RutlUnJ 6r> S.nl

Kills IS MONKEY

AND SOOTY MANGABEY

The sooty mangabey [to the right of the picture) is gentle an J companionable, but petu-
lant and active

APES, MONJCEYS, AND LEMURS

I u Hand, I ./.. v., North I ■ •

GRJ \ (IN I kl l> M \\(. \BK.Y
Out- oj tht tmati > ■ beys.

CHINESE MACAQUE

This moi ■■f.iite as cold a

anoth cr. The Cape

I )utch in the Old ( iolony

would rather let their

dogs l>.iit .1 lion than

a troop of baboons.

The rescue of the infant

chacma which Brehm

saw himself is a remarka-
ble, and indeed the most

incontestable, instance

of the exhibition of

courage and self-sacri-
fice by a male animal,
li the baboi ms were

not generally liable to

become bad-tempered

w hen they grow old, they

could probably be
trained to he among the most useful of animal helpers and servers; but they are so
formidable, and so uncertain in temper, that they are almost too dangerous for attempts at
semi-domestication. When experiments have been made, they have had remarkable results, l.e
Vaillant, one of the early explorers in South Africa, had a chacma baboon which was a better
watch than any of hi^ dogs. It gave warning of any creature approaching the camp at night long
before the dogs could hear or smell it. lie took it out with him when he was shooting.and used
to let it collect edible roots for him. The latest example of a trained baboon only died a
few years ago. It belonged to a railway signalman at Uitenhage station, about 200 miles
up-country from Port Elizabeth, in Cape Colony. The man had the misfortune to undergo
an operation in which both his feet were amputated, after being crushed by the wheels of a train.
Being an ingenious fellow, he taught his baboon, which was a full-grown one, to pull him along the
line on a trolley to the " distant" signal. There the baboon stopped at the word of command, and
the man would work the lever himself. But in time he taught the baboon to do it, while he sat
on the trolley, ready to help if any mistake were made.

The chacmas have for

relations a number of other

baboons in the rocky parts

of the African Continent,

most of which have almost

the same habits, and are

not very different in ap-
pearance. Among them

is the Gelada Baboon, a

species very common in

the rock)- highlands of

Abyssinia ; another is the

Ani his Baboon of the West

( !i iast of Africa. The latter

is numerous round the
Mm. b, r.r* &> Son. N.nmg Hill Portuguese settlement of

GRIVET MONKEY Angola. Whether the so-

This rs the small monkey commonly taif ahou: 11 j /-» t> c

whh arei-organ ' Called COMMON BABOON Ol

Phito by A. S. Rudland &> Soni

BONNET MONKEY, ANP ARA-
BIAN BABOON (ON THt XIGHT)

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

the menageries is a separate species or
only the young of some one of the above-
mentioned is not very clear. But about
another variety there can be no doubt. It
lias been separated from the rest since the
days of the Pharaohs. It does not differin
habits from the other baboons, but inhabits
the rocky parts of the Nile Valley. It
appears in Egyptian mythology under the
name of Thoth, and is constantly seen in
the sculptures and hieroglyphs.

Equally strong and far more repulsive
are the two baboons of West Africa — the
Drill and the Mandrill. As young
specimens of these beasts are the only ones
at all easily caught, and these nearly always
die when cutting their second teeth when in
captivity, large adult mandrills are seldom
seen in Europe. They grow to a great
size, and are probably the most hideous of all beasts. The frightful nose, high cheek-bones, and
pig-like eyes are the basis of the horrible heads of devils and goblins which Albert Diirer and
other German or Dutch mediaeval painters sometimes put on canvas. Add to the figure the mis-
placed bright colours — cobalt-blue on the cheeks, which are scarred, as if by a rake, with scarlet
furrows, and scarlet on the but-

PIMo b, L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

RHESUS MONKEYS

[North VinihU)

This photograph is particularly interesting. It tvas actually taken by another
monkey, which pressed the button of Mr. Medland's cimcra

tocks — and it will be admitted that
nature has invested this massive,
powerful, and ferocious baboon
with a repulsiveness equaling in
completeness the extremes of
grace and beauty manifested in the
roe-deer or the bird of paradise.

The natives of Guinea and
other parts of West Africa have
consistent accounts that the
mandrills have tried to carry off
females and children. The}- live
in troops like the chacmas,
plunder the fields, and, like all
baboons, spend much time on
the ground walking on all lours.
When doing this, they are quite
unlike any other creatures. They
walk -lowly, with the head bent
downward-, like a person walking
on hands and knees looking for
a pin. With the right hand
(usually) they turn over every
stick and stone, looking for insects,
scorpions, or snails, and these they
seize and eat. The writer has seen

f k«, bj A. S. Kudland &• Sim

ORANGE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY

This should be contrasted ivith the Proboscis Monkey

\ I'KS, MONKKYS, WD LEMURS

baboons picking up sand, and straining it through their fingei , to see if there were ants in it
He has also seen one hold up sand in the palm of it- hand, and blow the dust away with its
breath, and then look again to sec if anything edible were left. Mandrills kept in captivity until
adult become very savage. One in Wombwell's menagerie killed another monkey and a beagle.
Mr. Cross owned one which would sit in an armchair, smoke, and drink porter; but these
convivial accomplishments were accompanied by a most ferocious temper.

One >>i' the earliest accounts of the habit- of the Abyssinian baboons was given l>y Ludolfin
his ■• History of Ethiopia." It was translated into quaint, but excellent old English : " Of Apes,"
he ays, "there are infinite flocks up and down in the mountains, a thousand and in. .re together,
and they leave no stone unturned, [f they meet with one that two or three cannot lift they call
for in. .re aid, and all for the sake of the Worms that lye under, a sort of dyct which they relish
exceedingly. They are very greedy after Emmets. So that having found an.emmet hill, they

Phato by Ottomar Anithul?c\

PIG-TAILED MONKEY

" Footing the line/* Note Itoiv the monkey usts its feet a> handi token walking on a branch

presently surround it, and laying their fore paws with the holli >w downward upon the ant heap,
as soon as the Emmets creep into their treacherous palms they lick 'em off, with great comfort to
their stomachs. And there they will lye till there is not an Emmet left. They are also perni-
cious to fruits and apples, and will destroy whole fields and gardens unless they be looked
alter. For the)- are very cunning, and will never venture in till the return of their spies,
which they send always before, who, giving all information that it is safe, in they rush with their
whole body and make a quick despatch. Therefore they go very quiet and silent to their prey;
and if their young ones chance to make a noise, they chastise them with their fists; but if the
coast is clear, then every one has a different noise to express his joy." Ludolf clearly means the
baboons by this description.

A more ancient story deals with Alexander's campaigns. He encamped on a mountain on
which were numerous bands of monkeys (probably baboons). On the following morning the
sentries saw what looked like troops coming to offer them battle. As they had just won a

20 THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

' victory, they were at a loss

to guess who these new foes
might be. The alarm was
given, and the Macedonian

troops set out in battle-array.
Then through the morning
mists they saw that the
enemy was an immense troop
of nn inkeys. Their prisoners,
who knew what the alarm
was caused by, made no small
sport of the Macedonians.

The Speech of Monkeys

m£ ^B Wf /»'A Something should be said

of the alleged "speech of

monkeys" which Profi or

Garner believed himself to

1 i have discovered. lie rightly

excluded mere sounds showing

frS ( Vpfl Bf ■ joy, desire, or sorrow from the

i-- $f-'~ ^3wfl» v/BW^^ faculty of speech, but claimed

** *• -^ »*^£;', to have detected special words,

one meaning " food," another

-r\*\ ,"_ A^-''f* ^"'- ' - "drink," another "give me

,*A «* •» % T ' " - that," another meaning

•• monkey," or an identification

« .:■..,, ,■,-,..." I,,,,.,, <■(" a second animal or monkey.

CH ACM A baboon He used a phonograph to

This photograph shotvs his attitude when about to make an attack keep permanent I'eCOrd of the

sounds, and made an expe-
dition to the West African forests in the hope that he might induce the large anthropoid
apes to answer the sounds which are so often uttered by their kind in our menageries.
The enterprise ended, as might have been expected, in failure. Nor was it in the least
nece sary to go and sit in a cage in an African forest in the hope of striking up an acquaint-
ance with the native chimpanzees. The little Capuchin monkeys, whose voices and sound- he
had ample opportunity ol observing here, give sufficient material for trying experiments in the
meaning ol monkey sounds. The writer believes that it is highly probable that the cleverer
monkeys have a great many notes or sounds which the others do understand, if only because
they make the same under similar circumstances, otherwise they would not utter then;. They
are like the sounds which an intelligent but nearly dumb person might make. Also they have
very sharp ears, and some of them can understand musical sounds, so far as to show a very
marked attention to them. The following account of an experiment of this kind, when a violin
w.i bring played, is related in " Life at the Zoo": •■ The Capuchin monkeys, the species sell
by Professor Garner for his experiments in monkey language, showed the strangest and most
amusing excitement. These pretty little creatures have very expressive and intelligent faces, and
the play and mobility of theii faces and voices while listening to the music were extraordinarily
rapid. The three in the first cage at once rushed up into their box, and then all peeped out,
chattering and excited. One by one they came down, and listened to the music with intense
curiosity, shrieking and making faces at a crescendo, shaking the wires angrily at a discord, and

Phcu by C. Rtid\

A YOUNG MALE CHACMA BABOON

IVhhaw, N. B

Note the protruding tusk in tie upper /a<w. A baboon sitting in this position of rest can instantly leap six or seven feet, and inflict ,

dan^ert>us bite
21

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

putting their heads almost upside-down in
efforts at acute criticism at low and musical
passages. Every change of note was marked
by s,,nn- alteration of expression in the faces
of the excited little monkeys, and a scries of
ill cordant notes roused them to a passion
of rage." At the same time a big baboon,
chained up near, evidently disliked it. He-
walked off in the opposite direction to the
farthest limits of his chain.

The American Monkeys

Mention of the Capuchins takes us to
the whole group of the American Monkeys.
Nearly all of these live in the tropical forests
of Brazil, Guiana, Venezuela, and Mexico.
They are all different from the Old World
monkeys, and many are far more beautiful.
The most attractive of the hardier kinds are
the Capuchins ; but there are many kinds of
rare and delicate little monkeys more beauti-
ful .than any squirrel, which would make the
most delightful pets in the world, if they were
not so delicate. To try to describe the Old
World monkeys in separate groups from end
to end is rather a hopeless task. But the
American monkeys are more manageable by
the puzzled amateur. Most of them have a
broad and marked division between the nos-
trils, which are not mere slits close together, but like the nostrils of men. They also have
human-looking rounded heads. Their noses are of the ".cogitative" order, instead of being

snouts or snubs with narrow

openings in them ; and the

whole face is in many ways

human and intelligent. The

Howler Monkeys, which

utter the most hideous

sounds ever heard in the

forests, and the SPIDER

Monkeys are the largest.

The latter have the most

wo n derfu 1 ly developed

limbs ami tails for catching

and climbing of any living

animals. As highly special-
ised creatures are always

interesting, visitors to any

zoological garden will find

The most intelligent of the common monkeyi \{ wultll while to watch a
of America. It uses many sounds to cxprcv . , , ,. , .

emotions, ana1 perhaps desires Spider mollkcy climbing,

thm by A. S. Rudland &• 4'wij]

HEAD OF MALE MANDRILL

This is one of the most hideous of living animals. The natives of
PPcst Africa hold it in greater dislike even than the large carnivora,
from the mischief it does to their crops

Pholnky L. Midland, F.Z.S., Ntrth Flnchlt)

BROWN CAPUCHIN

W.t. hi L.

■ .', F.Z.S., Narth Tin.hltj

DRILL

Only less ugly than the Mandrill* Its hahiti an

the same

AIM-.S, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

flioto by si. S. Rudland &* Soni

RED HOWLER MONKEY

The male possesses a most extraordinary 'voice

just as it is always worth while to watch a great snake
011 the move The tail is used as a fifth hand: the
Indians of Brazil say they catch fish with it, which is
not true. Hut it' you watch a spider monkey moving
from tin to ticc, hi-- limbs and tail move like the five
fingers of .1 star-fish. Bach of the extremities is as
sensitive as a hand, tar longer in proportion than an
ordinary man's arm, and apparently able to work in-
dependently of joints. The monkey can do so many
things at once that no juggler can equal it. It will
hold fruit in one hand, pick more with one foot, place
food to the mouth with another hand, and walk and
swing from branch to branch with the other foot and
tad, all simultaneously. These monkeys 'have no
visible thumb, though dissection shows that they have
a rudimentary one ; but the limbs are so flexible that
they can put one arm round behind their heads over
on to the opposite shoulder, and brush the fur on their upper arm. The end of the tail seems
always " feeling" the air or surroundings, and has hairs, thin and long, at the end, which aid it
in knowing when it is near a leaf or branch. It is almost like the tentacle of some sea
zoophyte. Gentle creatures, all of them, are these spider monkeys. One of them, of the species
called Waita, when kept in captivity, wore the fur off its forehead by rubbing its long gaunt
arms continually over its brow whenever it was scolded. The spider monkeys differ only in
the degree of spidery slenderness in their limbs. In disposition they are always amiable, and in
habits tree climbers and fruit-eaters.

The Capuchins are, in the writer's opinion,
the nicest of all monkeys. Many species are
known, but all have the same round merry faces,
bright eyes, pretty fur, and long tails. There is
always a fair number at the Zoological Gardens.
They are merry, but full of fads. One hates chil-
dren and loves ladies ; another adores one or two
other monkeys, and screams at the rest. All are
fond of insects as well as of fruit. A friend of the
writer kept one in a large house in Leicestershire.
It was not very good-tempered, but most amusing,
climbing up the blind-cord first, and catching and
eating the flies on the window-panes most dexter-
ously, always avoiding the wasps. This monkey
was taught to put out a lighted paper (a useful
accomplishment) by dashing its hands on to the
burning part, or, if the paper were twisted up, by
taking the unlighted end and beating the burning
part on the ground ; and it was very fond of turning
the leaves of any large book. This it did not only
by vigorous use of both arms and hands, but by
putting its head under too, and "heaving" the
leaves over.

In the private room behind the monkey-
house at the Zoo there are always a number of the

A SPIDER MONKEY

Thit monkey is specially adapted for arboreal life. The tail
acts as a fifth hand

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

rare and delicate monkeys from America,
which cannot stand the draughts of the outer
house, like the Capuchins and spider monkeys.
1 he greater number of these dime from tropical
America. There, in the might}- forests, so lofty
that no man can climb the trees, so dense that
there is a kind of upper story on the interlaced
tree-tops, where nearly all the birds and many
mammals live without descending to earth,
forests in which there is neither summer nor
winter, but only the changes from hour to hour
of the equatorial day, the exquisite MARMOSETS,
whose fur looks like the plumage and whose
twittering voices imitate the notes of birds, live
and have their being. They are all much alike
in shape, except that the I. ion Marmoset's
mane is like that of a little lion clad in floss silk ;
and they all have sharp little claw-, and feed
on insects. The Pinche Marmoset from the
Guiana forests has a face like a black Indian
chief, with white plumes over his head and neck
like those worn by a " brave" in full war-paint.
Merchants who do business with Brazil very
frequently import marmosets and the closely

allied tamarins as presents for friends at home in England ;

the Brazilians themselves like to have them as pets also; so

there is to some extent a trade demand for them.

Among the most delicate of American monkeys are the

Oukaris, which have somewhat human faces, exquisite solt

Photo Pi Stholaitic Photo. Co.]

PATAS MONKEY

Found in IVat Africa. A large and brilliantly coloured >pec:e:

■

fur, and are as gentle as most of these forest creatures.

They

seldom live long in captivity, a few months being as much as
they will generally endure, even in Brazil. Perhaps the rarest
of all is the white-haired Scarlet-faced Oukari. This monkey
has long white hair from neck to tail, sandy whiskers, and a
bright scarlet face. It lives in a district of partly flooded forest,
and is only obtained by the Indians using blow-pipes and
arrows dipped in very diluted urari poison. The White-
headed Saki i- a rare and very pretty little monkey of Brazil ;
and there are a very large number of other species of this
group whose names it would be mere weariness to mention.
All these small monkeys arc very quick and intelligent, while
the rapidity of their movements, their ever-changing expres-
sion, and sharp, eager cries heighten the idea of cleverness
given by their general appearance. Other little imps of these
forests arc the Squirrel Monkeys. In the common species
the face is like a little furry man'--, it- arms brilliant yellow (as
if dipped in gamboge dye), the cheeks pink, and eyes black.
In habits it is a quick-tempered, imperious little creature,
carnivorous, and a great devourer of butterflies and beetles.
The most beautiful and entertaining of all monkeys are

Photo hy C. R«M] [Wi,A«i», N. B

WANDKROO MONKEY

The number of monkeys which have 'eontne
manes is lar^e. The manes act as capes tc keep
the de-w and ".vet from the'r chests and shoulders.

PAo't it A. t. Rudland &■ Sir,

COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY

The squirrel monkeys have loft, bright-coloured fur t and long, hairy tails. They are Jound from Mexico to Paraguay

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

a twio uy W. H. HudUnd &> Soni

BLACK-EARED MARMOSET

These are among the prettiest of small tropical monkeys in America : they art

these New World species. No person
clever at interpreting the ways of ani-
mals would fail to consider them far
more clever and sympathetic than the
melancholy anthropoid apes, while
for appearance they have no equals.
Probably the most attractive monkey
in Europe is a South American one
now in the London Zoological Gardens.
It was first mentioned to Europeans by
Baron von Humboldt, who saw it in the
cabin of an Indian on the Orinoco.
These forest Indians of Smith America
are gentle creatures themselves. Among
other amiable qualities, they have a
passion for keeping pets. One who
worked for a friend of the writer, with

., r 1 • . ■ i iji^t insect-feeders, and -very delicate

others of his tribe, was asked what he J J

would take in payment, which was given in kind. The others chose cloth, axes, etc. This
Indian said that he did not care for any of these things. He said he wanted a " poosa." X"
one knew what he meant. He signed that he wished to go to the house and would show them.
Arrived there, he pointed to the cat! " Pussy," to the Arawak Indian, was a " poosa," and that
was what he wanted as a month's wages. Humboldt's Indian had something better than a
" poosa." It was a monkey, as black as coal, with a round head, long thickly furred tail, and
bright vivacious eyes. The explorer called it the Lagotiikix, which means Hare-skin Monkey.
The fur is not the least like a hare's, but much resembles that of an opossum. The more suitable
name is the Woolly Monkey. The one kept at the Gardens is a most friendly and vivacious
creature, ready to embrace, play and make friends with any well-dressed person. It dislikes
people in working-clothes which are dirty or soiled — a not uncommon aversion of clever animals.

In spite of all the vari-
eties of temperament in the
monkey tribe, from the genial
little Capuchins to the morose
old baboon, they nearly all
have one thing in common —
that is, the monkey brain.
The same curious restlessness,
levity, and want of concentra-
tion mark them all, except the
large anthropoid apes. Some
of these have without doubt
powers of reflection and con-
centration which the other
monkeys do not possess. But
in all the rest, though the
capacity for understanding
exists, the wish to please, as
a dog does, and the desire

PhM hj L. Midland, F.Z.S.~\

HUMBOLDT'S WOOLLY MONKEY

'.V r:h flmhliy

This is the most popular monkey in captivity. He looks for all the world like a Negro, an J he,
a most beautiful^ softy woolly coat. He is very tame, and loves nothing belter than being petted

to remember and to retain
what it has learnt, seem

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

almost entirely wanting. Egoism, which is a sign of humam dementia, is .1 very leading
characteristic of all monkeys. There is no doubt that the baboons might be trained to be
useful animals if they always served one master. Le Yaillant and many other travelers have
noted this. Hut they are too clever, and at the bottom too ill-tempered ever to be trust-
worthy, even regarded as "watches," or to help in minor manual labour. Baboons would
make an excellent substitute for dogs as used in Belgium for light draught; but no one
could ever rely on their behaving themselves when their master's eye was elsewhere.

Taken as a family, the monkeys are a feeble and by no means likeable race. They are
"undeveloped" as a class, full of promise, but with no performance.

THi: I.1MURS
with their

The South American monkeys
forms and fur, are followed by a beautiful and
of creatures, called the LEMURS,
Maholis, and l'ottos. Their rese
their hands and feet. These are
hands, with proper thumbs. The
always terminates in a long, si
alist, who kept them as pets no-
themselves with. Some of them
sensitive disk, full of extra
" Unlike the lively squirrels
hiding-places till the tropic
when they seek their
but by ascending to the
and again, at the first ap-
the light in the recesses
The Ring-tailed
most of the race
the light seems to
they turn over
same inarticu-
Hut at night
they fly from
so that the
whether they
ghosts of their

Photo by Ottomar jlnithutx.]

[Brrlin

PIG-TAILED MONKEY CATCHING A FLY

squirrel-like
; *■ interesting group
cousins the Lorises,
lonkeys is mainly in
highly developed
toe on the hind foot nearly
v. " Elia," the Indian natur-
lat they used this to scratch
j finger-tips expanded into a
Lemur means "ghost."
ikeys, they do not leave their
5 has fallen on the forest,
i by descending to the ground,
urface of the ocean of trees,
ich of dawn, seek refuge from
ome dark and hollow trunk,
is as lively by day as night ; but
entirely creatures of darkness that
stupefy them. When wakened,
like sleeping children, with the
late cries and deep, uneasy sighs,
most are astonishingly active ;
tree to tree, heard, but invisible ;
natives of Madagascar doubt

Most of the smaller monkeys, as <wcll as the baboons, arc fond of eating

insects'. Beetles, tohite ants, and fies are eagerly sought and devoured are not tl'UC lemutes, the unquiet

departed dead.

Though the lemurs are here treated apart from the other animals of Madagascar, it will be
obvious that they are a curious and abnormal tribe. This is true of most of the animals of that
great island, which has a fauna differing both from that of the adjacent coast of Africa and from
that of India or Australia. In the Fossa, a large representative of the Civets, it possesses a
species absolutely unlike any other. The Aye-aye is also an abnormal creature. Nor must it
be forgotten that Madagascar was until recently the home of some of the gigantic ground-living
birds. But, after all, none of its inhabitants are more remarkable than its hosts of lemurs, some
of which are to be met with in almost every coppice in the island. There are also many extinct
kinds.

Exquisite fur, soft and beautifully tinted, eyes ol extraordinary size and colour (for the pupil
shuts up to a mere black line by day, and the rest of the eye shows like a polished stone of rich
brown or yellow or marble gray), are the marks of most of the lemurs. But there are other
lemur-like creatures, or " lemuroids," which, though endowed with the same lovely fur, like

THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phitt b) L. MrJhnd, F.Z.S.]

RING-TAILED LEMUR

h FinthU)

This lemur is often kept as a domestic animal, and a/lowed to run about the
house like a cat

softest moss, have no tails. The strangest
of all are two creatures called the Slender
Loris and the Slow Loris. The slender
loris, which has the ordinary furry coat of
the lemurs, and no tail, moves on the
branches exactly as does a chameleon.
l-..u h hand or foot is slowly raised, brought
forward, and set down again. The fingers
then .is slowly close on the branch till its
grasp is secure. It is like a slow-working
mechanical toy. Probably this is a habit,
now- instinctive, gained by ages of cautiously
approaching insects. But the result is to
give the impression that the creature is
almost an automaton.

Madagascar is the main home of the
lemurs, though some of the related animals
are also found in Africa and in the East
Indies. But the dense forests of the great
island are full of these curious nocturnal beasts, of which there are so many varieties presenting
very slight differences of form and habit, that naturalists have some difficulty in giving even a
complete list of their species. Add to this that nearly all of them are intensely and entirely
nocturnal, and the scarcity of data as to their habits is easily accounted for. When seen by us,
their faces all lack expression — that is to say, the eyes, which mainly give expression, seem
entirely vacant and meaningless. But this is due to their special adaptation to seeing in the dark
tropical night. By day the pupil of the eye almost disappears. If only we could also see in
the dark, the eyes of the lemur might have as much expression as those of a faithful dog. 1 he-
change which night makes in their general demeanour is simply miraculous. By day many of
them are like hibernating animals, almost incapable of movement. When once the curtain of
night has fallen, they are as active as squirrels, and .is full of play as a family of kittens. The
Ring-tailed Lemur is often kept as a pet, both in Madagascar and in the Mauritius. It is
one of the very few which are diurnal in their habits. When in a hurry it jumps along, standing
on its hind feet, like a little kangaroo, but holding its tail upright behind its back. It will
follow people up-stairs in this way, jumping from step to step,
with its front paws outstretched, as if it were addressing an
audience. The French call these day lemurs Maris. The
ring-tailed lemur lives largely among rocks and precipices.
Most of these creatures live upon fruit, the shoots and leaves
of trees, and other vegetable food. But, like the squirrel, they
have no objection to eggs and nestlings, and also kill and eat
any small birds and insects. Some of the smaller kinds are
almost entirely insect-feeders. The largest kind of lemur
belongs to the group known as the I\i>kis. The Black-AND-
white Indki measures about two feet in length. It has only a
rudimentary tail, large ears, and a sharp-pointed nose. The
amount of white colouring varies much in different individ-
uals. This variation in colouring a very rare feature among
wild mammalia, though one of the first changes shown when
animals are domesticated — is also found in the next three
species, called Sifakas. The Diademed Sifaka, the Woolly

Photo by L, Midland* F.Z.S., forth htnchhy

A DWARF LEMUR

These tiny animals take the place of the dor-
mouse in Madagascar

APES, MONKKVS, AND LEMURS

Indri, .md the Bi \< k Indri all belong to this group.
The Sifakas, as some of these and the allied forms
are called, are venerated by the Malagasys, who never
kill one intentionally. Mr. Foster observes that
" they live in companies of six or eight, and are
very gentle and inoffensive animals, wearing a very
melancholy expression, and being as a rule morose,
inactive, .uu\ more silent than the other lemurs.
They rarely live long in captivity. In their native
state the) are mosl alert in the morning and everting,
as during the (.lay they corneal themselves under the
foliage of trees. When asleep or in repose, the head
is dropped on the chest and buried between the
arms, the tail rolled up on itself and disposed betw een
the hind legs. The sifakas live exclusively on vege-
table substances, fruits, leaves, and flowers, their diet

not be-

-M

Phut, by I . Midland, h ./.. V. ] [Ntrlh Fin hit)

BLACK LEMUR

Found on the coait of Madagascar

Ph.m h I.. Midland, F.Z.S., North Finrhlij

COQUEREL'S LEMUR

A lemur tuhich strongly objects to being aivakcned in the day-

lemur, and pushes out its sharp
little face just above the thigh
of the mother. The Woolly
Indri has more woolly fur than
the others of its tribe, a shorter
nose, and a longer tail.

The True Lemurs

Of these there are several
species, all confined to Mada-
gascar and the Comoro Islands.
One of" the best known is the
King-tailed Lemur, mentioned
above. It is called Lemur Catta,
the Cat Lemur, from being so
often kept in domestication. The
Weasel Lemur, the Gray Lemur,
the Mouse Lemur, the Gentle
Lemur, the Sportive Lemur, the
3

ing varied, as in the other lemurs, by small birds,
eggs, or insects. Their life is almost entirely
arboreal, for which the muscles of their hands and
feet, as well as the parachute-like folds between
their arms and bodies, and their peculiar hooked
fingers, are well fitted. The young one is carried
by the mother on its back, its hands grasping her
armpits tightly."

This is not the universal way of carrying the
young among lemurs. The Crowned Lemur, a
beautiful gray-and-white species, often breeds at
the Zoo. The female carries its young one
partly on its side. The infant clings tightly with
arms and tail round the very slender waist of the

J>*„r» by L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

» . I Finchlt

RUFFED LEMUR
Another of the nocturnal lemurs. It lives mainly on Jrutt and insect*

3°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Ph»iik, I.. Midland, Y.7. S ] [Won* Finthli?

GARNETT'S GALACU
One of the squirrel-like lemuroids

Crowned Lemur, and Coquerel's Lemur, all
represent various small, pretty, and interesting
varieties of the group. The Black-and-white
Lemur, one of the larger kinds, is capable of
domestication. A specimen kept in a London
house, where the present writer saw it, was always
called •• Pussy " l>y the children. The cither small
kinds are very like squirrels, mice, weasels, and
other creatines, with which they have no connec-
tion. It seems as though the curiously limited
and primitive fauna of Madagascar tried to make
up for its want of variety by mimicking the
forms of other animals, and something of the
same kind is seen in Australia, where the mar-
supials take the place of all kinds of ordinary mammals. There are marsupial rats, marsupial
wolves, marsupial squirrels, and even marsupial moles. The small squirrel and rat-like lemurs
are called Chirogales. Coquerel's Lemur is really a chirogale. It is a quaint and by no
means amiable little animal, sleeping obstinately all day, and always ready to growl and bite
if disturbed. Its colour is brownish gray and cream-colour. A pair of these, rolled up tightly
into balls in a box of hay, will absolutely refuse to move, even when handled. They only
feed by night.

The Galagos

An allied group, confined to tropical Africa, is that of the Galagos. They are most beau-
tiful little creatures, whose nearest relatives are the Malagasy lemurs. Generally speaking, they
have even more exquisite fur than the lemurs. It is almost as soft as floss silk, and so close that
the hand sinks into it as into a bed of moss. The colour of the fur is rich and pleasing, gener-
ally some shade of brown. The head is small, the nose pointed, and the ears thin, hairless, and
capable of being folded up, like the wings of a beetle. But the most beautiful feature of the gal-
agos is their eyes. These are of immense size, compared with the head. The eye is of the
richest and most beautiful brown, like a cairngorm stone, but not glassy or clear. Though quite
translucent, the eye is marked with minute dividing-lines, like the grain in an agate — a truly
exquisite object. When handled or taken in the arms, the little galago clasps the fingers or
sleeve tightly, as if it thought it was holding
a tree, and shows no disposition to escape. A
family of three or four young ones, no larger
than mice, with their large-eyed mother attend-
ing to them, forms an exquisitely dainty little
group. The galagos vary from the size "l a
squirrel to that of a small cat. The kind most
often seen in England is the Maholj Galago
from East Africa. Another species conns
from Senegal, and others from Calabar and the
forests of the Gold Coast. Garnett's Galago,
another ■-])<•< ie-, is shown above. They may
be regarded as nocturnal tropical lemuroids,
analogous t'> the chirbgales of Madagascar. It
ha- been suggested, with great probability, that
the intensely drowsy sleep of many of the
lerruroid animal- corresponds to the hiberna-

Wtro bj I. Midland, F.Z.S] VtiI 1 .■ hit}

MAHOLI GALAGO

This little animal 'is a native t I- '.Africa. It has very large eyes,

and fur as sift as the chinchilla's

APF.S, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

PrMn if L. Midland, F.Z.S.~] [North Finchll)

SLENDER LORIS

This extraordinary creature has the habits of a chameleonivhen
seeking insects for food. The photograph is unique

tion of many northern mammals. Tropical animals
often become torpid to avoid the famine cau ed by
the hot '.i on, ju i as creatures in cold countries
hibernate to avoid the hunger which would otherwise
ii ime with winter.

The Slow Lemurs ok Lorises, and Tarsiers

Another group oflemuroids is distinguished from
the foregoing by having the second finger of the tort-
paws cither very short or rudimentary. The thumb
and great toe are also set very widely apart from the
other lingers and toes. A far more striking distinc-
tion to the non-scientific eye is their astonishingly
deliberate and slow movements. They have no tails,
enormous eyes, and very long, slender legs.

The Slow Loris is found in Eastern India and
the Malay countries, where it is fairly common in the
forests. The Bengali natives call it sharmindi billi
(" bashful cat "), from its slow, solemn, hesitating
movements when in pursuit of insects. Of a slow
loris kept by him. Sir William Jones, in the " Asiatic
Researches," wrote : " At all times he seemed
pleased at being stroked on the head and throat, and he frequently allowed me to touch his
extremely sharp teeth. But his temper was always quick, and when he was unseasonably
disturbed he expressed a little resentment, by an obscure murmur, like that of a squirrel.
When a grasshopper or any insect alighted within his reach, his eyes, as he fixed them on his
prey, glowed with uncommon fire; and having drawn himself back to spring on his prey with
greater force, he seized it with both his fore paws, and held it till he had devoured it. He never
could have enough grasshoppers, and spent the whole night in prowling for them."

The Slender Loris, an equally curious creature, is only found in Southern India
ami Ceylon. Its food consists entirely of insects, which it captures by gradual, almost
paralysed approach. Its has been described as a " furry-coated chameleon." A group
of slow lemurs, living in Western Africa, are known as Pottos. They are odd little quad-
rupeds, in which the "forefinger" never
grows to be more than a stump. The
tail is also either sharp or rudimentary.
The_\- are as slow as the lorises in their
movements. »*■

In the Malay islands a distant rela-
tive, even more curiously formed, is found
in the Tarsier. It has the huge eye ,
pointed ears, and beautiful fur of the
galagos, but the tail is long, thin and
tufted. The fingers are flattened out into
disks, like a tree-frog's. These creatures
hop from bough to bough in a frog-like
manner in search of insects. They are

Phtlt bj L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

not so large as a good-sized rat. Our SLOW loris

photograph does not give an adequate Another of the sloto-moving loris group. These animals are not shewn to the

idea of the size of the eyes.

Flmhli}

general public at the Zoo, but kept in a specially ivarmed ro:m

THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot* fa A. S. Rudland & Sons

TARSIER

These little animals hop about in the trees like frogs. They are nocturnal, and seldom

The Aye-aye

Last, and most remarkable ol
all these weird lemuroids, is the
Aye-aye. It is placed in a group
by itself, and has teeth like
those of the Rodents, a large
bush)- tail, and most extra-
ordinarily long, slender fingers,
which it probably uses for pick-
ing caterpillars ami grubs out of
rotten wood. It is nearly as large
a^ an Arctic fox, but its habits
are those of a lemur. In Mada-
gascar it haunts the bamboo
forests, feeding on the juice ol
sugar-cane, grubs, and insects.
The fingers of its hands are of
different sizes and lengths, though
all are abnormally long and slender.
The second finger seems to have
" wasted," but is said to be of the
utmost value to its owner in ex-
tracting grubs and insects from the burrows in which they dwell, or the crannies in which they
may have taken refuge. Very seldom is this animal seen alive in captivity. Although com-
monly called Aye-aye in this country, it is doubtful if this is really its native name. The aye-
aye was long a puzzle to naturalists, but is now classed as a lemuroid.

The living races of animals have thus far been reviewed along the completed list of the first
great order — the Primates. Even in that circumscribed group how great is the tendency to
depart from the main type, and how wonderful the adaptation to meet the various needs of the
creatures' environment ! The skeletons, the frames on which
these various beings are built up, remain the same in character;
but the differences of proportion in the limbs, of the muscles
with which they are equipped, and of the weight of the bodies to
be moved are astonishing. Compare, for instance, the head of the
male Gorilla, with its great ridges of bone, to which are attached
the muscles which enable it to devour hard tropical fruits and
oite off young saplings and bamboos, with the rounded and
delicate head of the Insect-eating Monkeys of South Africa; or
set side by side the hand of the Chimpanzee with that of the Aye-
aye, with its delicate, slender fingers, like those of a skeleton
hand. What could be more diverse than the movements of these
creatures, whose structure is nevertheless so much alike? Some of
the lemuroids are as active as squirrels, Hying lightly from branch
to branch ; in others, as the Slow I. "rises, the power of rapid move-
ment has disappeared, and been replaced by a creeping gait which
cannot be accelerated. Already, in a single order, we see the rich
diversity of nature, and its steady tendency to make all existing

things serviceable by adapting other parts of creation to their use 2?^™!'™%}*
or enjoyment. «w*«*

Phttih L. Midland, F.Z.S., .V h,nrhlv

HEAD OF AYF.-AYE
The aye-aye lin-es mainl\ in the ivild

Photo by Charles Knight. Aldershot.

AFRICAN LION AND LIONESS.
These animals are so numerous in K.ist Africa tli.it thj

Photo b) Fr.iltih W.'in,i

[F/.i

AFRICAN LION

This lion h aitm it in the attitude of those sculptured by Sir Edwin Landsee* jor the Nelson Monument, but the feet are twned in, not lying flat

C H A P T E R I I

THE CAT TRIBE

HOUGH only one species is entirely domesticated, and none of the Cats have flesh edible
by man, except perhaps the puma, no group of animals has attracted more interest than
this. Containing more than forty species, ranging in size from the ox-devouring tiger or

lion to the small wild cats, they are so alike in habit and struc-
ture that no one could possibly mistake the type or go far
wrong in guessing at the habits of any one of them. They are
all flesh-eaters and destroyers of living animals. All have
rounded heads, and an extraordinary equipment of teeth and of
claws, and of muscles to use them. The blow of the forearm
of a lion or tiger is inconceivably powerful, in proportion to its
size. A stroke from a tiger's paw has been known to strike
off a native's arm from the shoulder and leave it hanging bj a
piece of skin, and a similar blow from a lion to crush the
skull of an ox. The true cats are known by the power to
draw back, or "retract," their claws into sheaths of horn,
rendering their footsteps noiseless, and keeping these weapons
always sharp. The hunting-leopard has only a partial capacity
for doing this.

The characteristics of the Cats and their allies are too well
known to need description. We will therefore only mention
the chief types of the group, and proceed to give, in the fullest
detail which space allows, authentic anecdotes of their life and
habits. The tribe includes I Jons, Tigers, Leopards, Pumas,
Jaguars, a large number of so-called Tiger-cats (spotted and
striped), Wild Cats, Domestic Cats, and Lynxes. The
Hunting-leopard, or Cheeta, stands in a sub-group by itself,
as docs the Fossa, the only large carnivore of Madagascar,

By ptrmitsion of Htrr t.arl liagttlbtcJt, Hamburg

AN UNWILLING PUPIL

This is one of Herr Hagenbeck' s famous perform-
ing tigers

THK LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

This closes the list of the most cat-like
animals. The next links in the chain
arc formed by the Civets and Genets,
creatures with more or less retractile
claws, and long, bush)- tails ; the still
less cat-like Binturong, a creature with
a prehensile tail ; and the Mongooses
and Ichneumons, more and more nearly
resembling the weasel tribe.

THE LION

Recent intrusions for railways,
sport, discover)-, and war into Central
and East Africa have opened up new
lion countries, and confirmed, in the most
striking manner, the stories of the power,
the prowess, and the dreadful destruc-
tiveness to man and beast of this king
of the Carnivora. At present it is found
in Persia, on the same rivers where
Nimrod and the Assyrian kings made its
pursuit their royal sport; in Gujerat,
where it is nearly extinct, though in
General Price's work on Indian game
written before the middle of the last
century it is stated that a cavalry officer
killed eight)- lions in three years ; and in Africa, from Algeria to the Bechuana country. It
i- especially common in Somaliland, where the modern lion-hunter mainly seeks his sport.
On the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria, lions are very numerous and
dangerous. In Rhodesia and the Northern Transvaal the)- have killed hunters, railway officials,
ami even our soldiers near Komati Poort. It has been found that whole tracts of country are
still often deserted by their inhabitants from fear of lions, and that the accounts of their ravages
contained in the ( (Id Testament, telling how Samaria was almost deserted a second time from
this cause, might be paralleled to-day.

The African Lion

BY !■'. C. SELOUS

When, in the latter half of the seventeenth century, Europeans first settled at the Cape
of Good Hope, the lion's roar was probably to be heard almost nightly on the slopes of Table
Mountain, since a quaint entry in the Diary of Van Riebeck, the first Dutch governor of the
Cape, runs thus : " This night the lions roared as if they would take the fort by storm " — the said
fort being situated on the site of the city now known as Cape Town.

At that date there can be little doubt that, excepting in the waterless deserts and the dense
equatorial forests, lions roamed over the whole of the vast continent of Africa from Cape Agulhas
to the very shore of the Mediterranean Sea ; nor was their range very seriously curtailed until
the spread of European settlements in North and South Africa, and the acquisition of firearms
by the aboriginal inhabitants of many parts of the country, during the latter half of the nineteenth
century, steadily denuded large areas of all wild game.

As the game vanished, the lions disappeared too; for although at first they preyed to a
lar^e extent on the domestic flocks and herds which gradually replaced the wild denizens of the

that b) »V* <&* 4'mi] {Nttting Hill

LIONESS AROUSED

Tie pose of the animal here shoivs attention, but not anger or fear

ALGERIAN LIONESS
This lioness^ sitting under an olive-tree, was actually photographed in the Soudan bx the intrepid Af. Geiser

Algiers

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

>^?L-

A FOSTER-MO TI1KR

This is a remarkable photograph of a setter suckling three lion cubs which
had lost their mother. It is reproduced here by permission of the Editor
of the Irish Field

come so numerous in the sparsely inhabited or
altogether uninhabited parts of Africa, that they
would first have exterminated all the game on
which they had been wont to prey, and would
then have had to starve or to have eaten one
another. But such a state of things has never been
known to occur; and whenever Europeans have
entered a previously unexplored and uninhabited
tract of country in Africa, and have found it
teeming with buffaloes, zebras, and antelopes,
they have always found lions in such districts
very plentiful indeed, but never in such numbers
as to seriously diminish the abundance of the
game upon which tiny depended for food.

once-uninhabited plains, this practice
brought them into conflict with the white
colonists or native herdsmen armed with
weapons of precision, before whom the)'
rapidly succumbed.

To-day lions are still to be found
wherever game exists in any quantity, and
their numbers will be in proportion to those
of the wild animals on which they prey.

The indefinite increase of lions must
be checked by some unknown law of
nature, otherwise they would have be-

I.IONESS AND CUB

Lion cubs thrive both in Dublin and Amsterdam, but not so tvcll at the Lonaon Zoo

B> f-.rmis.in ,t H.rr Carl Hjgtnool] {Hamburg

A PERFORMING LION

Lions, it ivould seem, are capable of being taught almost anything,
even tricycle-riding

It is easy to understand
that the increase of a herd
of herbivorous animals would
be regulated by the amount
o| the food-supply available,
as well as constantly checked
by the attacks of the large
carnivora, such as lions,
leopards, cheetas, hysenas, and
wild dogs; but I have never
been able to comprehend
what has kept within bounds
the inordinate increase of
lions and other carnivorous
animals in countries where
for ages past they have had
an abundant food-supply, and
ai the same time, having

THE CAT TR1HK

been almost entirely unmolested by human beings, have had no enemies. Perhaps such a
state of things does not exist at the present day, but there are many parts of Africa where such
conditions have existed from time immemorial up to within quite recent years.

Since lions were once to be found over the greater portion of the vast continent "I Africa,
it is self-evident that these animals arc able to accommodate themselves to great variations of
climate and surroundings; and I myself have met with them, close to the sea, in the hot and
sultry coastlands of Southeast Africa; on the high plateau of Mashonaland, where at an altitude
of 6,000 feet above sea-level the winter nights are cold and frosty ; amongst the stony hills to the
east of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi; and in the swamps of the Chobi. In the great reed-
beds of the latter river a certain number of lions appeared to live constantly, preying on buffaloes

Photo h) Fraflli Jlirulrf]

A YOUNG LIONESS

The sole of tie hind foot shoivs the soft pads on luhich the Cats m

[ Florence

selessly approach their prey

and lechwe antelopes. 1 often heard them roaring at nights in these swamps, and I once saw
two big male lions wading slowly across an open space between two beds of reeds in water nearly
a foot in depth.

Although there are great individual differences in lions as regards size, general colour of
coat, and more particularly in the length, colour, and profuseness of the mane with which the
males are adorned, yet as these differences occur in every part of Africa where lions are met
with , and since constant varieties with one fixed type of mane living by themselves and not inter-
breeding with other varieties do not exist anywhere, modern zoologists are, I think, now agreed
that there is only one species of lion, since in any large series of wild lion skins, made in any
particular district of Africa or Asia, every gradation will be found between the finest-maned
specimens and those which are destitute of any mane at all. Several local races have, however,
been recently described by German writers.

In the hot and steams- coastlands of tropical Africa lions usually have short manes, and
never, I believe, attain the long silky black manes sometimes met with on the high plateaux
of the interior. However, there is, I believe, no part of Africa where all or even the majority

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

[Hamburg

B) permission of Herr Carl Hagenhtih']

A HAPPY FAMILY

Here is a group of animals and their keeper from Herr Hagcnbcck' s Thifrpark. The animal in
front is a cross between a lion and a tigress ; he lives on Quite friendly terms ivith his keeper, and also
ivith lions, tigers, and leopards, as seen in the photograph

of male lions carry heavy
manes, the long hair of
which does not as a rule
cover more than the neck
and chest, with a tag of
varying length and thick-
ness extending from the
back of the neck to be-
tween the shoulder-blades.
Lions with very full black
manes, covering the whole
shoulders, arc rare any-
where, but more likely to
be encountered on the
high plateaux, where the
winter nights are ex-
tremely cold, than any-
where else. In such cases,
in addition to the tufts
of hair always Pound on
the elbows and in the
armpits of lions with lair-
sized manes, there will
probably be large tufts

of hair in each flank just where the thighs join the belly ; but I have never yet seen the

skin of a lion shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick

hair, as may constantly be observed in lions kept in captivity in menageries. There is,

however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on the high plains of the Cape

Colony and the Orange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the

countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species

developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of mane

on the neck and shoulders.

From the foregoing remarks it will

be seen that wild lions, having as a rule

much less luxuriant manes than many

examples of their kind to be seen in

Kuropean menageries, are ordinarily not so

majestic and dignified in appearance as

many of their caged relatives. On the

other hand, the wild lion is a much more

alert and active animal than a menagerie

specimen, and when in good condition is

far better built and more powerful-looking,

being free from all appearance of lankiness

and weakness in the legs, and having strong,

well-formed hindquarters. The eves of the

menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually

sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are

yellow, and extraordinarily luminous even

after death. When wounded and standing

i i.

1 V

rr ' Jli S

f mi .. mimmmm\ am

dfc

Jl:ii

f M ci

I'
U ■

V. A!

Bt ftrmiuian of Hirr Carl Haftnbtci'] [Hamburg

A CROSS BETWEEN LION AND TIGRESS

This unique photograph shows a remarkable hybrid and its proud parents.
The father [on the right) is a Hon, and the mother [on the left) a tigress.
The offspring [in the centre) is a fine , large mate, noiv four years old; it
is bigger than an a'vcragc-si'zcd lion c tiger

ay^Hi^B

MoI« 4; Otuml' AnicHBm]

A HUNGRY LION

Notice that the mane, as in most -wild lions, is very scanty

4°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

B} permission of Htrr Carl Hagtnbt \~\

LIONESS AND TIGER

[Hamburg

The straightness of the Itont i'j tail is here shoiun. It is not in the least like that oj the tiger or

of the cat

at bay, with head held
low between his shoul-
ders, growling hoarsely,
and with twitching tail,
even if he is not near
enough to be observed
very closely, a lion looks
a very savage ami
dangerous animal ; but
should he be wounded
in such a way as to admit
of a near approach —
perhaps by a shot that
has paralyzed his hind-
quarters— his flaming
eyes will seem to throw
out sparks of living fire.
Speaking generally,
there is little or no
danger in meeting a
lion or lions in the day-
time. Even in parts "!
the country where fire-
arms are unknown, and

where the natives seldom or never interfere with them, these animals seem to have an instinctive
fear of man, and even when encountered at the carcase of an animal freshly killed, and at a time
when they may be supposed to be hungry, they will almost invariably retreat before the unwelcome
presence, sometimes slowly and sulkily, but in districts where much hunting with firearms has been
going on at a very rapid pace. 1 low ever, I have known of two cases of Europeans mounted on
horseback having been attacked by lions in broad daylight, and Dr. Livingstone mentions a third.
In one of the instances which came within my own knowledge, a lion sprang at a Boer hunter as he
was riding slowly along, carrying an elephant-gun in his right hand and followed by a string of
natives on foot. The lion attacked from the left side, and with its right paw seized my friend from
behind by the right side of his face and neck, inflicting deep gashes with its sharp claws, one of
which cut right through his cheek and tore out one of his teeth. My friend was pulled from his
horse, but, clutching the loosely girthed saddle tightly with his knees, it tw istcd round under the
horse's belly before he fell to the ground. Instead of following up its success, the lion, probably
scared by the shouting of the Kaffirs, trotted away for a short distance, and then turned and stood
looking at the dismounted hunter, who, never having lost his presence of mind, immediately sln>t it
dead with his heavy old muzzle-loading elephant-gun. besides these three instances of Europeans
having been attacked in the daytime by lions, I have known of a certain number of native- li,i\ ing
been killed in broad daylight. Such incidents are, however, by no means every-day occurrences,
and, speaking generally, it may be said that the risk of molestation by lions in Africa during day-
light is very small. It is by night that lions mam abroad with stealthy step in search of prey;
and at such time- they are often, when hungry, incredibly bold and daring. I have known them
upon several occasions to enter a hunter's camp, and. regardless of tire-, to seize oxen and horses
and human being--.

During the year following the first occupation of Mashonaland in 1S90, a great ileal of
damage was dime by lions, which could not resist the attractions "I the settlers' live stock-. For
the first few months I kept .1- a. . urate an a< 1 ount as I could "I the number of horses, donkeys.

THE CAT TRIBE

oxen, sheep, goats, and 'pigs which were killed by lions, and it soon mounted up to over 200
ho;ul. During the same time several white men wire also mauled by linns, and one unfortunate
man named Teale was dragged from beneath the cart, where he was sleeping by the side of a
native driver, and at once killed and eaten. Several of the horses were killed inside rough
shelters serving .is stables. In the following year ( [891 ) over 100 jii^s were killed in one night
by a single lioness. These pigs were in a series of pens, separated one from another, but all
under one low thatched roof The lioness forced her way in between two poles, and apparently
was unable, after having satisfied her hunger, to find her way out again, and, becoming angry
and frightened, wandered backwards and forwards through the pens, killing almost all the pigs,
each one with a bite at the back of the head or neck. This lioness, which had only eaten portions
of two young pigs, made her escape before daylight, but was killed with a set gun the next night
by the owner of the pigs. ,

When lions grow old, they are always liable to become man-eaters. Finding their strength
failing them, and being no longer able to hunt and pull down large antelopes or zebras, they are
driven by hunger to killing small animals, such as porcupines, and even tortoises, or they may
visit a native village and catch a goat, or kill a child or woman going for water; and finding a
human being a very easy animal to catch and kill, an old lion which has once tasted human flesh
will in all probability continue to be a man-eater until he is killed. On this subject, in his
•• Missionary Travels," Dr. Livingstone says: " A man-eater is invariably an old lion; and when
he overcomes his fear of man so far as to come to villages for goats, the people remark, ' His
teeth are worn ; he will soon kill men.' They at once acknowledge the necessity of instant
action, and turn out to kill him." it is the promptness with which measures are taken by the

&**

Phott by Oltomar Antthutx]

TIGRESS

I Berlin

Were the gran seen here the normal height of that in the Indian jungles, the upright lines ivoutd harmonise ivith the stripes, and render the

tiger almost invisible

THL LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

W.» tj L. Midland, F.7.. S., Strih rinthli

TIGER CUB

Note the great development of the legs
and paivs

greater part of the natives of Southern Africa to put an end to
any lion which may take to eating men that prevents these
animals ae a rule from becoming the formidable pests which
man-eating tigers appear to be in part- of India. Hut man-
eating lions in Africa are not invariably old animal-. One
which killed thirty-seven human beings in iSSj, on the Majili
River, to the north-west of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi,
was, when at last he was killed, found to be an animal in the
prime of life; whilst the celebrated man eaters ol the Tsavo
River, in East Africa, were also apparently strong, healthy
animals. These two man-eating lions caused such consterna-
tion amongst the Indian workmen on the Uganda Railway
that the work of construction was considerably retarded, the
helpless coolies refusing to remain any longer in a country
where they were liable to be eaten on any night by a man-
eating lion. Both these lions were at last shot by one of the
engineers on the railway (Mr. J. H. Patterson), but not
before they had killed and devoured twenty-eight Indian
coolies and an unknown number of native Africans.

THE TIGER

Tigers are the " type animal " of Asia. They are found nowhere else. Lions were inhab-
itants, even in historic times, of Europe, and are still common on the Euphrates and in parts
of Persia, just as they were when the Assyrian king- shot them with arrows from their hunting-
chariots. They survived in Greece far later than the days when story says that Hercules slew
the Nemean lion in the Peloponnesus, for the baggage-animals of Xerxes' army of invasion were
attacked by lions near Mount Athos. But the tiger never comes, and never did come in historic
times, nearer to Europe than
the Caucasian side of the
Caspian Sea. On the other
hand, they range very far
north. All our tiger-lore is
Indian. There is scarcely a
story of tigers to be found
in English books of sport
which deals with the animal
north of the line of the
Himalaya. These Chinese
northern tigers and the
Siberian tigers arc far larger
than those of India. They
have long woolly coats, in
order to resist the cold.
Their skins are brought to
market in hundreds every
year to the great fur-sales.
But the animals thems<

we never see. The present phM tj ,,„,,„„„, &, s„ , ,... rDu„d„

writer was informed by a A ROYAL TIGER

friend that in the Amur Tin is an old Bengal Tisrer. with the smooth, short ecat ari-uin in that hot clim*i-

THE CAT TRIBK

Phot, h Fratllli Almar,\

A TIGER BEFORE SLEEPING

Tigers, ivhen about to sleep, sit in this position ,• ivhcn more drowsy, they lie doivn or rol' over on their backs

Valley he shot three of these tigers in a day, putting them up in thick bush-scrub by the
aid of dog.-.

The Royal Bengal Tiger, so called, and very properly called in the old books of natural
history, is a different and far more savage beast. It i> almost invariably a ferocious savage,
fierce by nature, never wishing to be otherwise than a destroyer — of beasts mainly, but often of
men. Compared with the lion, it is far longer, but rather lighter, for the lion i- more massive
and compact. "A well-grown tigress," says Sir Samuel Baker, " may weigh on an average 240
lbs. live weight. A very fine tiger may weigh 440 lbs., but if fat the same tiger would weigh 500
lbs. There may be tigers which weigh 50 lbs. more than this; but I speak according to my
experience. I have found that a tiger of 9 feet 8 inches is about 2 inches above the average.
The same skin may be stretched to measure 10 feet. A tiger in the Zoological Gardens is a long,
lithe creature with little flesh. Such a specimen affords a poor example of this grand animal in
its native jungles, with muscles in their full, ponderous development from continual exertion in
nightly travels over long distances, and in mortal struggles when wrestling with its prey. A well-
fed tiger is by no means a slim figure. On the contrary, it is exceedingly bulky, broad in the
shoulders, back, and loins, and with an extraordinary girth of limbs, especially in the forearms
and wrists."

This ponderous, active, and formidably armed creature is, as might be expected, able to hold
its own wherever Europeans do not form part of the regular population. In India the peasants
are quite helpless even against a cattle-killing tiger in a populous part of the country. In the
large jungles, and on the islands at the mouths of the great rivers, the tigers have things all their
own way. Things are no better in the Far East. A large peninsula near Singapore is said to

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

have been almost abandoned by its cultivators lately, owing to the loss of life caused by the
tigers. In the populous parts of India the tiger is tar more stealthy than in the out-of-the-way
districts. It only hunts by night; and after eating a part of the animal killed, moves off to a
distance, and does not return. ( )therwise the regular habit is to return to the kill just at or after
dusk, and finish the remainder. Its suspicions seem quite lulled to sleep after dark. Quite
recently a sportsman sat up to watch for a tiger at a water-hole. It was in the height of the
Indian hot season, when very little water was left. All the creatures of that particular neigh-
bourhood were in the habit of coming to drink at one good pool still left in the rocky bed of the
river. There the tigers came too. The first night the)- did not come until all the other creatures
— hog, deer, peacocks, and monkeys — had been down to drink. They then came so softly over
the sand that the gunner in waiting did not hear them pass. His first knowledge that they were
there was due to the splashing they made as they entered the water. It was quite dark, and he
felt not a little nervous, for the bush on which he was seated on a small platform was only some
10 feet high. He heard the two tigers pass him, not by their footsteps, but by the dripping of

the water as it ran off their
bodies on to the sand. Next
night they came again. This
time, though it was dark, he
shot one in a very ingenious
manner. The two tigers
walked into the water, and
apparently lay down or sat
down in it, with their heads
out. They only moved occa-
sionally, lapping the water,
but did not greatly disturb
the surface. On this was re-
flected a bright star from the
sky above. The sportsman
put the sight of the rifle on
the star, and kept it up to his
shoulder. Something obliter-
ated the star, and he instantly
fired. The " something " was
the tiger's head, which the
bullet duly hit.
The hill-tigers of India are, or were, much more given to hunting by day than the jungle-
tigers. In the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India the late General Douglas Hamilton said that before
night the tigers were already about hunting, and that in the shade of evening it was dangerous
to ride on a pony — not because the tigers wished to kill the rider, but because they might mis-
take the pony and its rider for a sambar deer. He was stalked like this more than once. Often,
when stalking sambar deer and ibex by day, he saw the tigers doing the same, or after other
prey. " My brother Richard," he write-., " was out after a tiger which the hillmen reported had
killed a buffalo about an hour before. He saw the tiger on first getting to the ground, and the
tiger had seen him. It was lying out in the open watching the buffalo, and shuffled into the
wood, and would not come out again. Next morning, when we got to the ground, the tiger
was moving from rock to rock, and had dragged the body into a nullah. . . . We were upon
the point of starting home when we observed a number of vultures coming down to the carcase.
The vultures began to collect in large numbers on the opposite hill. I soon counted fifty; but
they would not go near the buffalo. Then some crows, bolder than the rest, flew down, and

Ithilaitti Phett,. C«.]

A HALF-GROWN TIGER CUB

[Parson* i Grttn

Tigers " gro'iv to their head" like children. The head of a half-groivn cub is as long, though
not so broad, as that oj the adult

Phcto by Frattlii Alin.

I Florence

TIGERS IN ITALY

Tic tigers wcr, photographed in Turin. Italy M the first European country to whtch these anima

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

made a great row over their meal.

All of

a sudden they all flew up, and I made certain

it was the tiger. Then my brother fired, and

there he was, shot right through the brain,

lying just above the buffalo. He had been

brought down by the noise the crows were

making. Upon driving the sliolas (small

woods on these hills), tigers were often put

out. Sometimes they availed themselves of

the drive to secure food for themselves. A

wood was being driven, when a tremendous

grunting was heard, and out rushed an old

boar, bristling and savage. B was about

to raise his rifle, when a growl like thunder

stopped him, and a great tiger with one spring

cleared the nullah, and alighted on the back

of the old boar. Such a battle then took

place that, what with the growls of the tiger

and the squeals of the boar, one might believe

oneself in another world. I thought of nothing

but of how to kill one or the other, or both ;

so, as they were rolling down over and over,

about fifty yards from me on the open hill-
side, I let fly both barrels. For a second or

two the noise went on ; then the tiger jumped

off, and the boar struggled into the nullah

close by. The tiger pulled up, and coolly

stared at us without moving ; but his courage seemed to fail him, and he sprang into the

nullah and disappeared."

In most parts of India tigers are now scarce and shy, except in the preserves of the great

rajas, and the dominions of some mighty and pious Hindu potentates, such as the Maharaja of

Jeypur, who, being supposed to be descended from a Hindu god, allows no wild animals to be

killed. There the deer and pig are so numerous that tigers are welcome to keep them

down. But the Sunderbunds, unwhole-
some islands at the Ganges mouth, still
swarm with them. So does the Malay
Peninsula.

Mr. J. D. Cobbold shot a tiger in
Central Asia in a swamp so deep in snow
and so deadly cold that he dared not
stay for fear of being frozen to death.
Tigers sometimes wander as far west as the
Caucasus near the Caspian. The farther
north, the larger your tiger, is the rule.
The biggest ever seen in Europ.e was
a Siberian tiger owned by 1 I err Carl
Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, and the largest
known skin and skull is from the Far
North. The skin is 13 feet 6 inches from
the nose to the end of the tail. The

By ptrmiuion of Herr Carl Hagent>e,t]

A LEOPARD-PUMA HYBRID

This is a photograph from life of a i>ery rare hybrid. The amtmaV s
father luas a puma, its mother a leopard. It is noiv dead, and may be
seen stuffed in Mr. Rothschild* s Museum at Tring

Phct, hy L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

Korth r'inihlty

I.KOPARDS

A pair of leopards, one spotted, the other black. Black leopards may be the
offspring of tk*. ordinary spotted form ; they are generally much more lavage

THE C A T T R I \i E

largest Indian tiger-skin, from one killed by the Maharaja of Cuch Behar, measures 11
feet 7 inches.

LEOPARDS

LESS in size, but even more ferocious, tin- Leopard has a worse character than the tiger.
Living mainly in trees, and very nocturnal, this fierce and dangerous beast is less often seen than
far rarer animals. It is widely spread over the world, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Atlas
Mountains, and from Southern China to the Black Sea, where it is sometimes met with in the
Caucasus. There seems to be no legend of its presence in Greece, Italy, or Spain ; hut it was
quite common in Asia Minor; and Cicero, when governor of Cilicia, was plagued by an aristo-
cratic young friend in Koine to send him leopards to exhibit in wfite lie was giving.

Any one who has frequented the Zoo for any time must have noticed the difference in size
and colour between leopards from different parts of the world. On some the ground-colour is
almost white, in others a clear nut-brown. ( Hhers are jet-black. Wherever they live, they are
cattle thieves, sheep thieves, and dog thieves. Though not formidable in appearance, they are
immensely strong. Sometimes one will turn man-eater. Both in India and lately in Africa cases
have been known where they have " set up " in this line as deliberately as any tiger. They have
four or five young at a birth, which may often be kept tame for some time and are amusing pets.
But the following plain story shows the danger of such experiments. At I longkong an English
merchant had a tame leopard, which was brought into the room by a coolie for the guests to see
at a dinner part)-. Excited by the smell of food, it refused to go out when one of the ladies,
who did not like its looks, wished for it to be removed. The man took hold of its collar and
began to haul it out. It seized him by the neck, bit it through, and in a minute the coolie was
dying, covered with blood, on the dining-room floor !

The Chinese leopard ranges as far north as the Siberian tiger, and, like the latter, seems
to grow larger the farther north it is found. The colour of these northern leopards is very

Phm, b; C. Riid]

A YOUNG LEOPARD

The leopard cub is far mare cat-like in appearance than the young tiger or lien

iU'isbaw, N. S.

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

pale, the spots large, and the fur very long. At the March fur-sales of the present year, held at
the stores of Sir Charles Lampson, there were Siberian leopard skins as large as those of a small
tiger.

Leopards are essentially tree-living and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in trees or caves by
daw they are seldom disturbed. They do an incredible amount of mischief among cattle, calves,
sheep, and dogs, being especially fond of killing and eating the latter. They seize their prey by
the throat, and cling with their claws until they succeed in breaking the spine or in strangling
the victim. The largest leopards are popularly called Panthers. In India they sometimes
become man-eaters, and are always very dangerous. They have a habit of feeding on putrid
flesh ; this makes wounds inflicted by their teeth or claws liable to blood-poisoning. Nothing in
the way of prey comes amiss to them, from a cow in the pasture to a fowl up at roost. " In
ever}- country," says Sir Samuel Baker, " the natives are unanimous in saying that the leopard is
more dangerous than the lion or tiger.
Wherever I have been in Africa, the
natives have declared that they had no
fear of a lion, provided they were not
hunting, for it would not attack unpro-
voked, but that a leopard was never to
be trusted. I remember when a native
boy, accompanied by his grown-up
brother, was busily employed with
others in firing the reeds on the op-
posite bank of a small stream. Being

rhct, h J. If. Mclrilan] \Hi(htuf

SNOW-LEOPARD, OR OUNCE

This is a striking portrait of a -very beautiful animal. Note the long busily tail, thick coat, and large eyes

thirsty and hot, the boy stooped down to drink, when he was immediately seized by a leopard.
I lis brother, with admirable aim, hurled his spear at the leopard while the boy was in his jaws.
The point separated the vertebra: of the neck, and the leopard fell stone-dead. The boy was
carried to my hut, but there was no chance of recovery. The fangs had torn open the chest
ami injured the lungs. These were exposed to view through the cavity of the ribs. He died
the same night."

In the great mountain-ranges of Central Asia the beautiful Snow-leopard is found. It is a
lar<*e creature, with thick, woolly coat, and a long tail like a fur boa. The colour is white,
clouded with beautiful gray, like that of an Angora cat. The edges of the cloudings and spots
are marked with black or darker gray. The eyes are very large, bluish gray or smoke-coloured.
It lives on the wild sheep, ibex, and other mountain animals. In captivity it is far the tamest
and gentlest of the large carnivora, not excepting the puma. Unlike the latter, it is a sleepy,
quiet animal, like a domestic cat. The specimen shown here belonged to a lady in India, who
kept it for some time as a pet. It was then brought to the Zoological Gardens, where it was
more amiable and friendly than most cats. The writer has entered its cage with the keeper,
stroked it, and patted its head, without in the least ruffling its good-temper. The heat of the
lion-house did not suit it, and it died of consumption.

rh.i* J.

nar Anichufx]

iBtrltn

C H E E I" A

A tieaa is a hnting-lecparj} tki, one i, a particularly large specimen. Tie chtttas art deal, toiti later on in this chapter

5°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

lire /. (.. IV. IVdtm &* Co , Lid.

lJt,rJ„n

JAGUAR

The largest and strongest of the Cats of America. A South American species

THE AMERICAN CATS

The cats, great and small, of the New World resemble those of the Old, though not quite
so closely as the caribou, wapiti deer, and moose of the northern forests resemble the reindeer,
red deer, and elk of Europe. They are like, but with a difference. The Jaguar and the Ocelot
are respectively larger and far more beautiful than their counterparts, the leopard and serval
cats. But the Puma, the one medium-sized feline animal which is unspotted, is something
unique. The jaguar and puma are found very far south in South America; and though the
jaguar is really a forest animal, it seems to have wandered out on to the Pampas of Argen-
tina, perhaps attracted by the immense numbers of cattle, sheep, and horses on these plains.

The Jaguar

The Jaguar is as savage as it is formidable,
but does not often attack men. Its headquarters
are the immense forests running from Central
America to Southern Brazil ; and as all great forests
are little inhabited, the jaguar is seldom encoun-
tered by white men. By the banks of the great
rivers it is semi-aquatic ; it swims and climbs with
equal ease, and will attack animals on board boats
anchored in the rivers. As there are few animals
of great size in these forests, its great strength is
not often seen exercised, as is that of the lion; but
it is the personification of concentrated force, and
its appearance is well worth studying from that
point of view. The spots are larger and squarer than
in the leopard, the head ponderous, the forearms
and feet one mass of muscle, knotted under the
velvet skin. ( )n the Amazons it draws its food
alike from the highest tree-tops and the river-bed;
in the former it catches monkeys in the branches,
fish in the shallows of the rivers, and scoops out
turtles' eggs from the sand bank^. Humboldt, who
visited these regions when the white population

Phou bf Stholatcic Photo. Ce., Panon'i fintn

PUMA

A puma tn the act of lying doivnt like a domestic cat

THE CAT TRIBE

was scarce, declared that 4,000 jaguars were killed annually, and 2,000 skins exported from
Buenos Ayres alone. It was clearly common on the Pampas in his day, and made as great
havoc among the cattle and horses as it does to-day.

The Puma

The PUMA is a far more interesting creature. It is found from the mountains in Montana,
next the Canadian boundary, to the south of Patagonia. Many stories of its ferocity may
ha\e some foundation; but the writer believes there is no recorded instance of the northern
puma attacking man unprovoked, though in the few places where it now survives it kills cattle-
calves and colts. It is relentlessly hunted with dogs, treed, and shot. As to the puma of the

Photo by Otlomar jfnlchutx]

[Birlin

FEMALE PUMA

This shoivs a puma alert and -vigilant, ivith ears pricked forward

southern plains and central forests, the natives, whether Indians or Gauchos, agree with the
belief, steadily handed down from the days of the first Spanish conquest, that the puma is the
one wild cat which is naturally friendly to man. The old Spaniards called it amigo del Cristiano
(the Christian's friend) ; and Mr. Hudson, in " The Naturalist in La Plata," gives much evidence
of this most curious and interesting tendency : " It is notorious that where the puma is the only
large beast of prey it is perfectly safe for a small child to go out and sleep on the plain. . . .
The puma is always at heart a kitten, taking unmeasured delight in its frolics; and when,
as often happens, one lives alone in the desert, it will amuse itself for hours fighting mock bat
ties or playing hide-and-seek with imaginary companions, or lying in wait and putting all its
wonderful strategy in practice to capture a passing butterfly." From Azara downwards these
stories have been told too often not to be largely true ; and in old natural histories, whose

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

*fii

writers believed the puma was
a terrible man-eater, they also
appear as " wonderful escapes."
One telK how a man put his
poncho, or cloak, over his back
when crawling up to get a shot
at some duck, and felt something
heavy on the end of it. He
crept from under it, and there
was a puma sitting on it, which
did not offer to hurt him.

As space forbids further
quotation from Mr. Hudson's
experiences, which should be
read, the writer will only add one
anecdote which was told him by
Mr. Everard im Thurn, C. B.,
formerly an official in British
Guiana. He was going up one
of the big rivers in his steam-
launch, and gave a passage to an
elderly and respectable Cornish
miner, who wanted to go up to
a gold-mine. The visitor had his
meals on the boat, but at night
went ashore with the men and
slung his hammock between two
trees, leaving the cabin to his
host. One morning two of the Indian crew brought the miner's hammock on board with a
good deal of laughing and talking. Their master asked what the joke was, whereupon, pointing
to the trees whence they had unslung the hammock, one said, " Tiger sleep with old man last
night." They were quite in earnest, and pointed out a hollow and marks on the leaves, which
Showed that a puma had been lying just under the man's hammock. When asked if he had
noticed anything in the night, he said, " < )nly the frogs croaking wakened me up." The croak-
lii" of the frogs was probably the hoarse purring of the friendly puma enjoying his proximity
to a sleeping man. Mr. Hudson quotes a case in which four pumas played round and leapt over
a person camping out on the Pampas, lie watched them for some time, and then went to sleep!
Main' of those brought to this country come with their tempers ruined by ill-treatment and
hardship; but a large proportion are as tame as cats. Captain Marshall had one at Marlow
which used to follow him on a chain and watch the boats full of pleasure-seekers at the lock.

The puma is always a beautiful creature, — the fur cinnamon-coloured, tinged with gold; the
belly and chest white ; the tail long, full, and round. Though friend!)' to man, it is a desperate
cattle 1 iller, and particularly fond of horse-flesh, so much so that it has been suggested that the
n 'Us wild horses of America were destroyed by the puma.
There are two other cat- of the Pampas— the Grass cat, not unlike our wild cat in appear-
ance and habits, and the W i VT, or Geoffroy's Cat. It is a tabby, and a most elegant

creature, of which there is a specimen, at the time of writing, in the Zoo.

Photo by Ottomur sjns<l!ulj.~]

OCELOT

Note the elongated spots, and their arrangement in chains

The ( >ci ioi
In the forest region is also found the most beautiful

if the medium-sized cats. This is the

THE CAT TRIHH

t tenor, which corresponds somewhat to the servals, but is not the least like a lynx, as the
servals are. It is entirely a tree-cat, and lives on birds and monkeys. The following detailed
description of its coloration appeared in •• Life at the Zoo": —

••Its coat, with the exception perhaps of that of the clouded leopard of Sumatra, marks
the highest development of ornament among four-footed animals. The Argus pheasant alone
seems to offer a parallel to tin- beauties of the ocelot's fur, especially in the development of the
wonderful ocelli, which, though never reaching in the beast the perfect cup-and-ball ornament
seen on the wings ol the bird, can be traced in all the early stages of spots and wavy lines,
so far as the irregular shell-shaped rim and dot on the feet, sides, and back, just as in the
subsidiary ornament of the Argus pheasant's feathers. Most of the ground-tint of the fur is

j»-. N.

l!£

Photo by Ottomar Anschutx,] | ft .. i

OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA

The ocelot can be tamed and almost domesticated if taken young, and is occasionally kept as a pet by the Jorest Indiam

smoky-pearl colour, on which the spots develop from mere dots on the legs ami speckles on
the feet and toes to large egg-shaped ocelli on the flanks. There are also two beautiful
pearl-coloured spots on the back of each ear, like those which form the common ornaments
of the wings of man)' moths."

The nose is pink; the eye large, convex, and translucent.

A tame ocelot described by Wilson, the American naturalist, was most playful and affec-
tionate, but when fed with flesh was less tractable. It jumped on to the back of a horse in the
stable, and tried to curl up on its hindquarters. The horse threw the ocelot off and kicked it,
curing it of any disposition to ride. On seeing a horse, the ocelot always ran off to its kennel
afterwards. When sent to England, it caught hold of and threw down a child of four years
old, whom it rolled about with its paws without hurting it.

5 +

THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

OTHER WILD CATS

A HANDSOME leopard-like animal is
the Clouded Leopard. It is the size of

a small common leopard, but far gentler
in disposition. Its fur is not spotted, hut
marked with clouded patches, outlined in
gray and olive-brown. Its skin is among
the most beautiful of the Cats. It is
found in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo,
Sumatra, Formosa, and along the foot
of the Himalaya from Nepal to Assam.
Writing of two which he kept, Sir
Stamford Raffles said : " No kitten could
be more good-tempered. They were
always courting intercourse with persons
passing by, and in the expression of
their countenance showed the greatest
delight when noticed, throwing them-
selves on their backs, and delighting in

fhttl by A. S. Rudland &■> Sent

FISHING-CAT

This wild cat haunts the sides of rivers, and is an expert at catching fish

gray and spotted, and those which are gray
and striped, or •• whole-coloured." There
is no wholly gray wild cat, but several
sandy-coloured species. All live on birds
and small mammals, and probably most
share the tame cat's liking for fish. Among
the gray-and-spotted cats are the Mottled
Cat of the Eastern Himalaya and Straits
Settlements and islands ; the TlBETAN
Tiger-cat; the Fishing-cat of India and
Ceylon, which is large enough to kill
lambs, but lives much on fish and large
marsh-snails; Geoffroy's Cat, an Ameri-
can species; the Leopard-cat of Java and
Japan, which seems to have gray fur in

Mors by A. S. Rudhnd &* Soni

CLOUDED LEOPARD

Jt shares ivith the ocelot the first place among the highly ornamented cats

being tickled and rubbed. On board ship
there was a small clog, which used to play
around the cage with the animal. It was
amusing to watch the tenderness and play-
fulness with which the latter came in con-
tact with it> smaller-sized companion."
Both specimens were procured from the
banks of the Bencoolin River, in Sumatra.
They are generally found near villages, and
are not dreaded by the natives, except in
so far that they destroy their poultry.

The number of smaller leopard-cats
and tiger-cats is very great. They fall,
roughly, into three groups: those which
are yellow and spotted, those which are

fhstt by A. S. Rudland V Sim

MARBLED CAT

Another beautifully marked cat. The tail is spotted and -very long, the
marbled markings being on the body only

jr AnsJlGtx]

GOLDEN CAT

Sumatra is tit home of tils very beautifully coloured cat. The general tint ?, 'hat of gold-stone Sometimes the belly is pure tuiit.

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo bj A. S. Rudlan

PAMPAS-CAT

Note the likeness of the thick tail and barred legs to the English -wild cat.
" Inexpressibly savage in disposition " (Hudson)

Japan and ;i fulvous leopard-like skin in

India, where it is also called the TlGER-< \i ;
and the smallest of all wild cats, the little
Kimi SPOTTED Cat of India. This has
rusty spots on a gray ground. - 1 had a
kitten brought to me," says Dr. Jerdon
of the species, •• when very young. It
became quite tame, and was the delight
and admiration of all who saw it. When
it was about eight months old, 1 introduced
the fawn of a gazelle into the room where
it was. The little creature flew at it the
moment it saw it, seized it by the nape
of the neck, and was with difficulty taken
off." Of the whole-coloured wild cats — which
include the Bay Cat, the American Pampas-
CAT, Pallas' Cat of Tibet and India — the

most beautiful is the Golden Cat of Sumatra,
one of which is now in the Zoological Gar-
dens. It has a coat the colour of gold-stone.
The nose is pink, the eyes large and topaz-
coloured, the cheeks striped with white, and
Lhe underparts and lower part of the tail
pure white.

Four kinds of wild cats are known in
South Africa, of which the largest is the
Serval, a short-tailed, spotted animal, with
rather more woolly fur than the leopard's.
The length is about 4 feet 2 inches, of which
the tail is only 12 inches. It is found from
Algeria to the Cape; but its favourite haunts,
like those of all the wild cats of hot countries,
are in the reeds by rivers. It kills hares,

Photo by A. S. Rudland ft? Sons

EYRA CAT

The lowest and longest of the cats, shaped more like a civet ; it is readily
tamed, and makes a charming pet

Photo ht A. S. Ru Hand £r» .

BAY CAT

rats, birds, and small mammals generally.

The Hi \< k i i ioted Wild Ca i is am
African species. It is a beautiful spotted-
and-lined tabby, the size of a small domi tii
cat, and as likely as any Other to be the
origin of oik tabby variety, it tame
came to Europe from Africa. At present
it is only found south in the Kalahari Desert
and Bei huanaland.

The Kaffir Cat is the common wild
cat of the (ape Colony, and a very in-
teresting animal. It is a whole-coloured
tawny, upstanding animal, with all the
indifference to man and generally inde-
pendent character of the domestic tom-cat.

THE CAT TRIBE

Photo it A. Sons

KAFFIR CAT

The common wild cat of South Africa. It will interbreed with
domestic cats

It i-, however, much stronger than the tame
, with which it interbreeds freely. In the
Colony it is often difficult to keep male tame
. for the wild Kaffir cats come down and
fight them in the breeding ea on. The
ptian cat is really the same animal, slightly
modified by climate. A very distinct pei
is the Jim. u ( \i, ranging from India,
through Baluchistan, Syria, and East Africa,
and railed in Hindustani the Chaus. The
European striped wild cat extends to the
Himalaya, where the range of the lion-
coloured, yellow-eyed chaus begins. The
chaus has a lew black bars inside the legs,
which vary in different regions. The Indian
chaus has only one distinctly marked; the Kaffir cat has four or five. The Egyptian Fettered
Cat has been said to he the origin of the domestic and sacred cats of Egypt. A male chaus is
most formidable when "cornered." General Hamilton chased one, which had prowled into the
cantonments on the lookout for fowls, into a fence. " After a long time I spied the cat squatting
in a hedge," he writes, " and called for the do^s. When they came, I knelt down and began
clapping my hands and cheering them on. The cat suddenly made a clean spring at my face.
I had just time to eateh it as one would a cricket-ball, and, giving its ribs a strong squeeze, threw
it to the dogs ; but not before it had made its teeth meet in my arm just above the wrist. For some
weeks I had to carry my arm in a sling, and I shall carry the marks of the bite to my grave."

The chaus, as will be seen from the above, wanders boldly down into the outskirts of large
towns, cantonments, and bungalows, on the lookout for chickens and pigeons. Its favourite plan
is to lie up at dawn in some piece of thick cover near to where the poultry wander out to scratch,
(ccA, and bask. It then pounces on the nearest unhappy hen and rushes off with it into cover.
An acquaintance of the writer once had a number of fine Indian game fowl, of which he was not
a little proud, lie noticed that one was missing every morning for three days, and, not being
able to discover the robber, shut them up in a hen-house. Next morning he heard a great com-
motion outside, and one of his bearers came running in to say that a leopard was in the hen-
house. As this was only built of
bamboo or some such light material, it
did not seem probable that a leopard
would stay there. Getting his rifle, he
went out into the compound, and cau-
tiously approached the hen-house, in
which the fowls were still making loud
protests and cries of alarm. The door
was shut; but some creature — certainly
not a leopard — might have squeezed in
through the small entrance used by the
hens. He opened the door, and saw at
the back of the hen-house a chaus
sitting, with all its fur on end, looking
almost as large as a small leopard. On
the floor was one dead fowl. The

, . , , , r , , Photo fa A. S. Rttdland <V Sons

impudent jungle-cat rushed for the door, AFRICAN CHAUS) OR jUNGLE_cAT

but had the coolness to seize the hen „, , . , , ,. , ., , f ... , u .

""^ w»v. v,v* jfo chaul ts the Indian and African equivalent of our ivtld cat. It it

equally strong and savage

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

as it passed, and with this in its mouth rushed past the owner of the hens, his servants and
retainers, and reached a piece of thick scrub near with its prize.

As the chaus is common both in India and Africa, a comparison of its habits in both conti-
nents is somewhat interesting. Jerdon, the Indian naturalist, writes : •• It is the common wild
cat from the Himalaya to Cape Comorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 feet
elevation. It frequents alike the jungles and the open country, and is very partial to long reeds,
and grass, sugarcane-fields, and corn-fields. It does much damage to all game, especially to
hares and partridges. Quite recently I shot a pea-fowl at the edge of a sugarcane-field. One
of these cats sprang out, seized the pea-fowl, and after a short struggle — for the bird was not

quite dead carried it off before my astonished eyes, and, in spite of my running up, made

his escape with his booty. It must have been stalking these very birds, so closely did its spring
follow my shot. It is said to breed twice a year, and to have three or four young at a birth. I
have very often had the young brought to me, but always failed in rearing them ; and they
always showed a savage and untamable disposition. I have seen numbers of cats about villages
in various parts of the country that must have been hybrids between this cat and the tame ones."
The late Sir Oliver St. John was more fortunate with his jungle-cat kittens. He obtained
three in Persia. These he reared till they were three months old, by which time they became
so tame that they would climb on to his knees at breakfast-time, and behave like ordinary kit-
tens. One was killed by a greyhound, and another by a scorpion — a curious fate for a kitten to
meet. The survivor then became morose and ill-tempered, but grew to be a large and strong
animal. " Two English bull-terriers of mine, which would make short work of the largest domes-
tic cat, could do nothing against my wild cat," says the same writer. " In their almost daily
battles the dogs always got the worst of it."

In Africa the chaus haunts the thick cover bordering the rivers. There it catches not only
water-fowl, but also fish. According to Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, " its spoor may con-
stantly be seen imprinted on the mud surrounding such pools in the periodical watercourses as
are constantly being dried up, and in which fish may probably be imprisoned without chance of
escape." The chaus has for neighbour in Africa the beautiful Sekval, a larger wild cat. This
species is reddish in colour, spotted on the body, and striped on the legs. The ears are long, but
not tufted, like those of the lynx. The serval is more common in North and Central Africa than
in the South. Hut it is also found south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Messrs. Nicolls and
Ellington say of it: "Northward through South Central Africa it is fairly common. It fre-
quents the thick bush in the vicinity of rivers. The karosses, or mantles, made from its skins
___ are only worn by the chiefs and very

high dignitaries amongst the native
tribes, and are in consequence eagerly
sought after, on which account the
species tuns a risk of rapid extermi-
nation, lis usual prey consists of
the young of the smaller antelopes,
francolins, and wild guinea-fowls, to
the latter of which it is a most
destructive enemy in the breeding-
season. When obtained young, the
serval can be tamed with little trouble ;
but it is difficult to rear, and always
shows a singular and almost unac-
countable aversion to black men. Its
otherwise even temper is always
aroused at the sight of a native.

. v**.

pjt

Phut by L. Midland, F.Z S.~\

This is a spotted cat, with long ears, hut

[Kirth Finshli/

SERVAL

tufts on themy as in the true lynxes

HB I

PJiexe Aj Ottomar jinuhut-x)

MALE SERVAL
The scrval is a link between the leopards and tiger-cats, quite large enough to kill the young of the smaller antelopes

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

When in anger, it is by no means a despicable
antagonist, and very few dogs would like to
engage in a combat with one single-handed."

The Common Wn d Cat

The Wild Cat was once fairly common
all over England. A curious story, obviously
exaggerated, shows that traditions of its

ferocity were common .it a very earl}' date.
The tale is told of the church of Barn-
borough, in Yorkshire, "between Doncasterand
Barnsley. It is said that a man and a wild
cat met in a wood near and began to fight;
that the cat drove the man out of the wood
as far as the church, where he took refuge
in the porch ; and that both the man and
cat were so injured that the)- died. Accord-
ing to Dr. Pearce, the event was formerly
commemorated by a rude painting in the
church.

Mr. Charles St. John had an experience
with a Scotch wild cat very like that which
General Douglas Hamilton tells of the jungle-
cat. He heard main- stories of their attack-
ing and wounding men when trapped or
when their escape was cut off, and before
long found out that these were true. " I
was fishing in a river in Sutherland," he
wrote, "and in passing from one pool to
another had to climb over some rocky ground.
In doing so, I sank almost up to my knees in
some rotten heather and moss, almost upon
a wild cat which was concealed under it. I
was quite as much startled as the cat itself
could be, when I saw the wild-looking beast
rush so unexpectedly from between my feet,
with every hair on her body on end, making
her look twice as large as she really was. 1
had three small Skye terriers with me, which immediately gave chase, ami pursued her
till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, perched in a kind of recess out of reach
of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, spitting and growling like a common
cat. Having no weapon with me, I laid down my rod. cut a g 1-sized stick, and pro-
ceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven feet of the place, she sprang
straight at my face over tin- dogs' head-,. 1 [ad 1 not struck her in mid-air as she leaped at me, I
should probably have received a severe wound. As it was, she fell with her back half broken
among the clogs, who with my assistance dispatched her. I never saw an animal fight so desper-
ately, or one which was so difficult to kill. If a tame cat has nine lives, a wild cat must have
a dozen. Sometimes one of these animals will take up its residence at no -real distance from a
house, and, entering the hen-roosts and outbuildings, will earn- off fowls in the most audacious
manner, or even lambs. Like other vermin, the wild cat haunts the shores of lakes and rivers.

Photo by Ottomar Slnnhiitx]

SERVAL CLIMBING

Note the actii-e, cat-like method of climhing

THE CAT TRIHK

and it is therefore easy to know where to set a trap for them. Having caught and killed one of
the colony, the rest of them are Mire to be taken it' the body oi their slain relative is left in the
same place mil far from their usual hunting-ground and surrounded with traps, as every wild cat
passing that way will to a certainty come to it."

The wild cat ranges from the far north of Scotland, across Europe and Northern Asia, to
the northern slope- of the Himalaya. It has always been known as one of the fiercest and wild-
est of the eats, large or small. The continual ill-temper of these creatures is remarkable. In
the experience of the keepers of menageries there is no other so intractable savage. One pre-
sented to the Zoological Gardens by Lord Lilford some eight years ago still snarls and spits at
any one who comes near it, even the keeper.

The food of the wild cat is grouse, mountain-hares, rabbits, small birds, and probably fish
caught in the shallow waters when chance offers. It 1- wholly nocturnal; consequently no one
ever sees it hunting for prey. Though it has long been confined to the north and northwest of
Scotland, ;t is by no means on the verge of extinction. The "deer-forests are saving it to some
extent, as they did the golden eagle. Grouse and hares are rather in the way when deer are
being stalked; consequently the wild cat and the eagle are not trapped or shot. The limits of
its present fastnesses were recently fixed by careful Scotch naturalists at the line of the Caledo-
nian Canal. Mr. Harvie Brown, in 1880, said that it only survived in Scotland north of a line
running from Oban to the junction of the three counties of Perth, Forfar, and Aberdeen, and
thence through Banffshire to Inverness. But the conclusion of a writer in the Edinburgh
K, rv'r-.v of July, 1898, in a very interesting article on the survival of British mammals, has been
happily contradicted. He believed that it only survived in the deer-forests of Inverness and
Sutherlandshire. The wild cats shown in the illustrations of these pages were caught a year
later as far south as Argyllshire. The father and two kittens were all secured, practically un-
hurt, ami purchased by Mr. Percy Leigh Pemberton for his collection of British mammals at
Ashford, in Kent. This gentleman has had great success in preserving his wild cats. They, as
well as others — marten-, polecats, and other small carnivora — are fed on fresh wild rabbits killed
in a warren near; consequently they are in splendid condition. The old "torn" wild cat,
snarling with characteristic ill-humour, was well supported by the wild and savage little kittens,
which exhibited all the family temper. Shortly before the capture of these wild cats another

Bl ptrmitlien «f Ftr;i Ltigh Pembtrttn^ Esa

EUROPEAN WILD CAT

The British representative of this species is rapidly becoming extinct. The ">ec'tmen <w hose portrait is given here ivas caught in Argyllshire

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

> ffrmisiion of Periy Leigh Ptmhtrton* Esq.

SCOTCH WILD CATS

These wildcats, the property of Mr. P. Leigh Pemberton, though regularly fed and well treated, show their natural bad-temper in their faces

family were trapped in Aberdeenshire and brought to the Zoological Gardens. Four kittens,
beautiful little savages, with bright green eyes, and uninjured, were safely taken to Regent's
Park. But the quarters given them were very small and cold, and they all died. Two other
full-grown wild cats brought there a few years earlier were so dreadfully injured by the abomi-
nable steel traps in which they were caught that they both died of blood-poisoning.

The real wild cats differ in their markings on the body, some being more clearly striped,
while others are only brindled. But they are all alike in the squareness and thickness of head
and body, and in the short tail, ringed with black, and growing larger at the tip, which ends off
like a shaving-brush.

It may well be asked, Which of the many species of wild cats mentioned above is the an-
cestor of our domestic cats ? Probably different species in different countries. The African
Kaffir cat, the Indian leopard-cat, the rusty-spotted cat of India, and the European wild cat all
breed with tame cats. It is therefore probable that the spotted, striped, and brindled varieties of
tame cats are descended from wild species which had those markings. The so-called red tame
cats are doubtless descended from the tiger-coloured wild cat--. But it is a curious fact that,
though the spotted gray-tabby wild varieties are the least common, that colour is most frequent
in the tame species.

THE LYNXES

In the LYNXES we seem to have a less specially cat like form. They are short-ta.led, high
in the leg, ami broad fai ed. Less active than the leopards and tiger-cats, and able to live either
in very hot or very cold countries, they are found from the Persian deserts to the far north of
Siberia and Canada.

The Carai \i is a southern, hot-country lynx. It has a longer tail than the' others, but the
same tufted ear-. It seems a link between the lynxes and the jungle-cats. It is found in India,

tine, Persia, and Mesopotamia. In India it was trained, like the cheeta, to catch birds,

I'HK CAT TRIBE

gazelles, and hares. The Common Lynx is probably the same animal, whether found in Norway,
Russia, the Carpathians, Turkestan, China, or Hbet. The Canadian Lynx is also very probably
the same, with local differences of colour. The Northern Lynx is the largest feline animal left
in Europe, and kills sheep and goats equally with hares and squirrels. The beautiful fur, of pale
cinnamon ,i\ul light gray, is much admired. In some southern districts of America we have the
Rf.h Lynx, or so-called •• wild cat " winch is distinct from the lynx oi I anada. The Mini 11 rra-
ni \n or Spanish Lynx seems likewise entitled to rank as a distinct species.

( if the lynxes the Caracals are perhaps the most interesting, from their capacity for domes-
tication. They are found in Africa in the open desert country, whereas the Serval is found in
the thick hush. In Africa it is believed to be the most savage and untamable of the Cats. That
is probably because the Negro and the Kaffir never possessed the art of training animals, from
the elephant downwards. In India the caracal's natural prey are the fawns of deer and antelope,
pea-fowl, hares, and floricans. The caracal is the quickest with its feet of any of the Cats. ( >ne
of its best-known feats is to sprint;- up and catch birds passing over on the wing at a height of
six or eight feet from the ground. A writer, in the Naturalist's Library, notes that, besides being
tamed to catch deer, pea-fowl, and cranes, the caracal was used in " pigeon 111, itches." Two
caracals were backed one against the other to kill pigeons. The birds were fed on the ground,
and the caracals suddenly let loose among them, to strike down as many as each could before
the birds escaped. Kach would sometimes strike down with its forepaws ten or a do/en pigeons.
"Caracal" means in Turkish " Black Ear," in allusion to the colour of the animal's organ of hearing.

The Common Lynx is a thick-set animal, high in the leg, with a square head and very strong
paws and forearms. It is found across the whole northern region of Europe and Asia.
Although never known in Britain in historic times, it is still occasionally seen in parts of the
Alps and in the Carpathians ; it is also common in the Caucasus. It is mainly a forest animal,
and very largely nocturnal ; therefore it is seldom seen, and not often hunted. If any enemy
approaches, the lynx lies perfectly still on some branch or rock, and generally succeeds in avoiding
notice. The lynx is extremely active ; it can leap great distances, and makes its attack usually

fioro t>) Ottomar Annhui

[B./.in

LYNX

This animal is a uniformly colouted species common to India and Africa

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

EUROPEAN LYNX

The largest of the cat tribe left in Europe

in that way. When traveling, it trots
or gallops in a very dog-like fashion.
Where sheep graze at large on moun-
tains, as in the Balkans and in Greece,
the lynx is a great enemy of the flocks.
In Norway, where the animal is now-
very rare, there is a tradition that it
is more mischievous than the wolf, and
a high price is set on its head.

In Siberia and North Russia
must (if the lynx-skins taken are
sold to the Chinese. The lynx-skins
brought here are mainly those of the
Canadian species. The fur is dyed,
and used fur the busbies of the
officers in the hussar regiments.
These skins vary much in colour,
and in length and quality of fur.
The price varies correspondingly.
The Canadian lynx lives mainly on
the wood-hares and on the wood-
grouse of the North American forests. The flesh of the lynx is said to be good and tender.

Brehm says of the Siberian lynx: " It is a forest animal in the strictest sense of the word.
But in Siberia it occurs only singly, and is rarely captured. Its true home is in the thickest
parts in the interior of the woods, and these it probably never leases except when scarcity of
food "i- the calls of love tempt it to wander to the outskirts. Both immigrants and natives hold
the hunting of the lynx in high esteem. This proud cat's activity, caution and agility, and
powers of defense arouse the enthusiasm of every sportsman, and both skin and flesh are valued,
the latter not only by the Mongolian tribes, but also by the Russian hunters. The lynx is
seldom captured in fall-traps;
he often renders them useless
by walking along the beam
and stepping on the lexer,
and he usually leaps over the
spring-traps in his path. So
only the rifle and dogs are
left."

The Red Lynx is a small
American variety, the coat of
which turns tawny in summer,
when it much resembles a
large cat. It is called in some
part- i if tlie United States the
Mountain-cat. This lynx is
30 inches long in the body,
with a tail 6 inches long. It
is found on the eastern or
Atlantic side of the continent,
and by no means shun- the
neighbourhood of settlements.

B; pirmiition of Mr. V. tl. Gundy~\

CANADIAN LYNX

Gr.a' numbers of these are trapped every year for the sake of their fur

[Toronto

•■^

/'Atfo />v Ottamar An\thufxi\ \Htriin

CHEETAS

Cheetas can be distinguished at a glance from the ordinary leopards by the solid black spots upon the back instead of the lt rosettes "

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fio/e bj 1'ori <5r» Son]

A CHEETA HOODED

[Netting Hill

THE CHEETA

liii: Non-Retractile-Clawed Cat

The Cheeta, or Hunting-leopard, is the
only example of this particular group, though
there was an extinct form, whose remains are
found in the Siwalik Hills, in the north of
India. It is a very widely dispersed animal,
found in Persia, Turkestan, and the countries
east of the Caspian, and in India so far as the
lower part of the centre of the peninsula. It
is also common in Africa, where until recent
years it was found in Cape Colony and Natal.
Now it is banished to the Kalahari Desert,
the Northern Transvaal, and Bechuanaland.

The cheeta is more dog-like than any
other cat. It stands high on the leg, and
has a short, rounded head. Its fur is short
and rather woolly, its feet rounded, and its
claws, instead of slipping back into sheaths
like a lion's, are only partly retractile.

Mr. Lockwood Kipling gives the follow-
ing account of the cheeta and its keepers :
" The only point where real skill comes into
play in dealing with the hunting-leopard
is in catching the adult animal when it has
already learnt the swift, bounding onset, its
one accomplishment. The young cheeta is not worth catching, for it has not yet learnt its trade,
nor can it be taught in captivity. . . . There are certain trees where these great dog-cats (for
the}' have some oddly canine characteristics) come to play and whet their claws. The hunters find
such a tree, and arrange nooses of deer-sinew round it, and wait the event. The animal comes and
is caught by the leg, and it is at this point that the trouble begins. It is no small achievement for
two or three naked, ill-fed men to secure so fierce a capture and carry it home tied on a cart. Then
his training begins. He is tied in all directions, principally from a thick rope round his loins, while
a hood fitted over his head effectually blinds him. He is fastened on a strong cot-bedstead, and
the keepers and their wives and families reduce him to submission by starving him and keeping him
awake. His head is made to face the village street, and for an hour at a time, several times a day,
his keepers make pretended rushes at him, and wave clothes, staves, ami other articles in his face.
1 1 1- i^ talked to continually, and the women's tongues are believed to be the most effective of things
to keep him awake. No created being could withstand the effects of hunger, want of sleep, and
feminine scolding; and the poor cheeta becomes piteously, abjectly tame. He is taken out for a
walk occasionally — if a slow crawl between four attendants, all holding hard, can be called a walk —
and his promenades arc always through the crowded streets and bazaars, where the keepers' friends
are to be found ; but the people are rather pleased than otherwise t< i see the raja's cheetas amongst
them." Later, when the creature is tamed, " the cheeta's bedstead is like that of the keeper, and
leopard and man are often curled up under the same blanket ! When his bedfellow is restless,
the keeper lazily stretches out an arm from his end of the coat and dangles a tassel over the
animal's head, which seems to soothe him. In the early morning I have seen a cheeta sitting up
•in his couch, a red blanket half covering him, and his tasseled red hood awry, looking exactly
like an elderly gentleman in a nightcap, as he yawns with the irresolute air of one who is in doubt
whether to rise or to turn in for another nap."

The cheeta is not unhooded until fairly near his ouarry, zchen he is given
a sight of the game, and a splendid rate ensues

THE CAT TRIBK

I his charming and accurate description shows the cheeta at home. In the field he is quite

another creature. lie is driven as near as possible to the game, and then unhooded and given a
sight of them. Sir Samuel Baker thus describes a hunt in which a cheeta \\a^ used : " The chase
began after the right-hand buck-, which had a start ol about i [Oyards, It wasa magnificent sight
to see the extraordinary speed of pursuer and pursued. The buck flew over the level surface,
followed by the cheeta, which was laving out at full stretch, with its long, thick tail brandishing
in the air. They had run 200 yards, when the keeper gave the word, and away we went as fast
as our horses could carry us. The horses could go over this clear ground, where no danger of a
tall seemed possible. I never saw anything to equal the speed ol the buck and the cheeta ; we
were literally nowhere, although we were going as hard as horse-flesh could carry us ; but we had
a glorious view. The cheeta was gaining in the course, while the buck was exerting every muscle
for life or death in its last race. Presently, after a course of about a quarter of a mile, the buck
doubled like a hare, and the cheeta lost ground as it shot ahead, instead of turning quickly, being
only about thirty yards in rear of the buck. Recovering itself, it turned on extra steam, and the
race appeared to recommence at increased speed. The cheeta was determined to win, and at this
moment the buck made another double in the hope of shaking off its terrible pursuer ; but this
time the cheeta ran cunning, and was aware of the former game. It turned as sharply as the
buck. Gathering itself together for a final effort, it shot forward like an arrow, picked up the
distance which remained between them, and in a cloud of dust we could for one moment distin-
guish two forms. The next instant the buck was on its back, and the cheeta's fangs were fixed
like an iron vice in its throat. The course run was about 600 yards, and it was worth a special
voyage to India to see that hunt."

H&j

Photo bv Ot:amar dnsthufx.-] { Beritn

A CHEETA ON THE LOOK-OUT

Cheetas arc common to Africa and India. By the nati-vc princes of the latter country they are much used for taking antelope and other game

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THK WORLD

Ph>:ih, T. Fa//]

WHITE SHORT-HAIRED

Most •white cats are not albitiom — that is to sayJ tiej have
coloured and not red eyes

rdinar'tly

THE DOMESTIC CAT
By Lot is Wain

( )j the domestication of the cat we know
very little, but it is recorded that a tribe of cats
was trained to retrieve- -i.e., to fetch and carry
game. In our own time 1 have seen many cats
fetch and carry corks and newspapers, and on
one occasion pounce upon a small roach at the
end of a line and place it at its owner's feet.
Gamekeepers whom 1 have known agree that,
for cunning, craftiness, and tenacity in attain-
ing an object, the semi-wild cat of the woods
shows far superior intelligence to the rest of the
woodland denizens. It is quite a usual thing tc
hear of farm cats entering upon a snake-hunt-
ing expedition with the greatest glee, and
showing remarkable readiness in pitching upon their quarry and pinning it down until secured.
These farm cats are quite a race by themselves. Of decided sporting proclivities, they roam the
countryside with considerable fierceness, and yet revert to the domesticity of the farmhouse fire-
side as though innocent of roving instincts. They are spasmodic to a degree in their mode of life,
and apparently work out one mood before entering upon another. It will be remembered that
this spasmodic tendency — the true feline independence, by the bye — is and has been characteristic
of the cat throughout its history, and any one who has tried to overcome it has met with failure.
Watch your own cat, and you will see that he will change his sleeping-quarters periodically ;
and if he can find a newspaper conveniently placed, he will prefer it to lie upon, before anything
perhaps, except a cane-bottomed chair, to which all cats are very partial. If you keep a number
of cats, as I do, you will find that they are very imitative, and what one gets in the habit of doing
they will all do in time : for instance, one of my cats took to sitting with his front paws inside my
tall hat and his body outside, and this has become a catty fashion in the family, whether the object
be a hat, cap, bonnet, small basket, box', or tin, If by chance one of the cats is attacked by a
dog, a peculiar cry from the aggrieved animal will immediately awaken the others out of their
lethargy or sleep, and bring them fiercely to the rescue. They
are, too, particularly kind and nice to the old cat, and are
tolerant only of strange baby kittens and very old cats in the
garden as long as they do not interfere with the
"catty" subject. The same quality obtains in Spain
or Portugal, where a race of scavenging cats
exists, which go about in droves or families,
and arc equal to climbing straight walls,
big trees, chimneys, and moun-

tainsides. Long, lanky, and
thin, they are built more on the
i il ,i g] i\ hi >und than the
ordinary cat, and .ire more easily
trained in tricks than home cats.

I he Tor roisESHELLhas long

been looked upon as the national
i al i >f Spain, and in fact that
co mi ry is overrun with the
breed, ranging from a dense

fhota h T. Fall] [Bjhr Strut

LONG HAIRED WHITE

White cats iv'tth blue eyes are generally deajt or at a. I t veitti hard of hearing

Photo b) I ■ u I 1 In rr/, Fiorina

MACKEREL MARKED I AKHV

Tabbies are probably the hat knoivn ar.d the

commonest cats

Photo b\ I . Midland^ F.Z.S., Ntrth hinchlty

i \ I CARRYING KI II KN

A unique photography showing the way tn

h the iiit carries iti \

Photo by !■'. I.andor, Eating

BLUE LONG HAIRED, OR
PERSIAN

Persian or long-haired cats are of various
colours; this is one of the least common

By permission of Lady Alexander

ORANGE TABBY

A i luur.pl •: iv;r;r;t-r t ,;, > f}> ,.' prices

Photo by E, Lander, Ealing

SMOKE AND BLUE LONG-HAIRED

Two pretty and 'valuable Persian kittens

/•*«. ht F. Under, Ealing

LONG-HAIRED TABBY

A pretty pose

ehcte h F. ].. injur, |

SILVER PERSIAN
A handsome specimen

Photo by F. Landtr, Eating

SMOKE LONG-HAIRED, OR
PERSIAN
A new breed

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

SHORT-HAIRED BLUE

This champion cat belongs to I.ady Alexander, by whose
kind permission it is here reproduced

black and brown to lighter shades of orange brown
and white. The pure tortoiseshell might be called a
black and tan, with no white, streaked like a tortoise-
shell comb if possible, and with wonderful amber eyes.
It is characteristic of their intelligence that they will
invariably find their way home, and will even bring
that mysterious instinct to bear which guides them
back long distances to the place of their birth ; and,
with regard to this cat, the stories of almost impossible
journeys made are not one bit exaggerated. The tom-
cats of this breed are very rare in England ; I myself
have only known of the existence of six in fifteen years,
and of these but three are recorded in the catalogues of
the cat shows.

The Black Cat has many of the characteristics
of the tortoiseshell, but is essentially a town cat, and
is wont to dream his life away in shady corners, in

underground cellars, in theatres, and in all places where he can, in fact, retire to monastic quiet.
The black cat of St. Clement Danes Church was one of the remarkable cats of London. It
was his wont to climb on to the top of the organ-pipes and enjoy an occasional musical concert
alone. A christening or a wedding was his pride ; and many people can vouch for a lucky
wedding who had the good-fortune to be patronised by the black cat of St. Clement Danes,
which walked solemnly down the aisle of the church in front of the happy couples.

My old pet Peter was a black-and-white cat, and, like most of his kind, was one of the most
remarkable cats for intelligence I have ever known. A recital of his accomplishments would,
however, have very few believers — a fact I find existing in regard to all really intelligent cats.
There are so many cats of an opposite character, and people will rarely take more than a
momentary trouble to win the finer nature of an animal into existence. Suffice it to say, that
Peter would lie and die, sit up with spectacles on his nose and with a post-card between his paws
— a trick I have taught many people's cats to do. He would also mew silent meows when bid,
and wait at the door for my home-coming. For a long time, too, it was customary to hear
weird footfalls at night outside the bedroom doors, and visitors to the house were a little more
superstitious as to their cause than we were ourselves. We set a watch upon the supposed
ghost, but sudden opening of the doors discovered only the mystic form of Peter sitting purring
on the stairs. He was, however, ultimately caught in the act of lifting the corner of the door-
rug and letting it fall back in its place, and he had grown quite expert in his method of raising

and dropping it at regular intervals until he

rhu» bj r. Fail]

SILVER TABBY

A beautiful variety of a typical cat

[ Bailr Strut

heard that his signals had produced the required
effect, and the door was opened to admit him.

White Cms I might call musical cats, for
it is quite characteristic of the albinoes that
noises rarely startle them out of their simpering,
loving moods. The scraping of a violin, which
will scare an ordinary cat out of its senses, or
the thumping of a piano, which would terrorise
even strong-nerved cats, would only incite a
white cat to a happier mood. Certainly all white
cats are somewhat deaf, or lack acute quality of
senses ; but this failing rather softens the feline
nature than becomes dominant as a weakness.

THE CAT TR I BE

Photo fa E. Landor]

SHORT-HAIRED TABBY

This is perhaps the most famous cat noiu living. It has ivon no /esi

[Ealing

than 200 prizes

The nearest to perfection

perhaps, and yet at the same

time extremely soft and finely

made, is the Blue Cat, rare

in England as an English cat,

but common in most other

countries, and called in

Amen, a the Maltese Cat -for

fashion's sake probably, since

it is too widely distributed

there to be localised as of

foreign origin. It is out in

the mining districts and

agricultural quarters, right

away from the beaten tracks

of humanity, where the most

wonderful breeds of cats

develop in America; and

caravan showmen have told me that at one time it was quite a business for them to carry cats

into these wildernesses, and sell them to rough, hardy miners, who dealt out death to each

other without hesitation in a quarrel, but who softened to the appeal of an animal which

reminded them of homelier times.

One man told me that upon one occasion he sold eight cats at an isolated mining township

in Colorado, and some six days' journey farther on he was caught up by a man on horseback

from the township, who had ridden hard to overtake the menagerie caravan, with the news that

one of the cats had climbed a monster pine-tree, and that all the other cats had followed in his

wake ; food and drink had been placed in plenty at the foot of the tree, but that the cats had

been starving, frightened out of their senses, for three days, and despite all attempts to reach

them they had only climbed higher and higher out of reach into the uppermost and most

dangerous branches of the pine. The showman hastened
with his guide across country to the township, only to
find that in the interval one bright specimen of a man
belonging to the village had suggested felling the tree
and so rescuing the cats from the pangs of absolute
starvation, should they survive the ordeal. A dynamite
cartridge had been used to blast the roots of the pine,
and a rope attached to its trunk had done the rest and
brought the monster tree to earth, only, however, at the
expense of all the cats, for not one survived the
tremendous fall and shaking. A sad and tearful pro-
cession followed the remains of the cats to their hastily
dug grave, and thereafter a bull mastiff took the place
of the cats in the township, an animal more in character
with the lives of its inhabitants.

Analogous to this case of the traveling menageries,
we have the great variety of blues, silvers, and whites
which are characteristic of Russia. There is a vast table-
land of many thousands of miles in extent, intersected by
caravan routes to all the old countries of the ancients,
and it is not astonishing to hear of attempts being made

[B.

Photo fa F. lander]

LONG-HAIRED ORANGE

A good specimen of this variety is always large and

finely furred

j 2 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhoto by E. Lander}

\_Ealing

SIAMESE

F«.n by C. ReiJ] [Wiihaw, N. B.

MANX

These tailless cats are ivell knoivn ; they ivere formerly called These strikingly coloured cats are noiu fairly numerous, but com-

" Cornwall cats." Note the length of the hind legs, ivhich is one mand high prices. They have *white kittens, ivhich subsequently

of the characteristics of this variety of the domestic cat

become coloured

to steal the wonderful cats of Persia, China, and Northern India, as well as those of the
many dependent and independent tribes which bound the Russian kingdom. But it is a
remarkable fact that none but the blues can live in the attenuated atmosphere of the higher
mountainous districts through which they are taken before arriving in Russian territory. It is
no uncommon thing to find a wonderful complexity of blue cats shading to silver and white in
most Russian villages, or blue cats of remarkable beauty, but with a dash of tabby-marking
running through their coats. Their life, too, is lived at the two extremes. In the short Russian
summer they roam the woodlands, pestered by a hundred poisonous injects ; in the winter they
are imprisoned within the four walls of a snow-covered cottage, and are bound down prisoners to
domesticity till the thaw sets in again. Many of the beautiful furs which come to us from Russia
are really the skins of these cats, the preparation of which for market has grown into a large
and thriving industry. The country about Kronstadt, in the Southern Carpathian Mountains
of Austria, is famous for its finely developed animals ; and here, too, has grown up a colony of
sable-coloured cats, said to be of Turkish origin, where the pariahs take the place of cats.

The Tabby is remarkable to us in that it is characteristic of our own country, and no other
colour seems to have been popular until our own times. If you ask any one which breed of
cat is the real domestic cat, you will be told the tabby, probably because it is so well known to
all. The complexity of the tabby is really remarkable, and for shape and variety of colouring
it has no equal in any other tribe of cat. It has comprised in its nature all the really great
qualities of the feline, and all its worst attributes. You can truthfully say of one of its

BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN

This cat belonged to £$ueen Victoria

SILVER PERSIANS
Three of Mrs. Champion s celebrated cats

THE CAT TRIBE

LONG-HAIRED CHINCHILLA

Note the beautiful *' Jlufjiness" of this caty s fur

pecimens that it attaches itself to the indi-
vidual, while of another in the same litter you
will gel an element of wildness. A third ol the
same parents will sober down to the house,
but take only a passing notice of people. You
can teach it anything if it is tractable, make it
follow like a dog, come to whistle, but it will
have its independence.

The Sand-coloured Cat, with a whole-

coloured co.it like the rabbit, which we know

as the Abyssinian or Bunny Cat, is a strong
African type. On the Gold Coast it comes
down from the inland country with its ears all
bitten and torn away in its fights with rivals.
It has been acclimatised in England, and Devon-
shire and Cornwall have both established a new

and distinct tribe out of its parentage. The Manx Cat is nearly allied to it, and a hundred

years ago the tailless cat was called the Coin wall Cat, not the Manx.

Siam sends us a regal aminal in the Siamese Royal Cat ; it has a brown face, legs, and tail,

a cream-coloured body, and mauve or blue eyes. The Siamese take great care of their cats, for

it is believed that the souls of the departed are transmitted into the bodies of animals, and the

cat is a favourite of their creed ; consequently the cats are highly cultivated and intelligent, and

can think out ways and means to attain an end.

I have tried for years to trace the origin of the Long-haiked or Persian Cats, but I cannot

find that they were known to antiquity, and even the records of later times only mention the

Short-haired. European literature does not give us an insight into the subject; and unless

Chinese history holds some hidden

lights in its records, we are thrown

back upon the myths of Persia to

account for the wonderful modern

contribution of the long-haired cat,

which is gradually breeding out

into as many varieties as the short-
haired, with this difference — that

greater care and trouble are taken

over the long-haired, and they will,

as a breed, probably soon surpass

the short-haired for intelligence

and culture.

One variety is quite new and

distinctive — the Smoke Long-

HAi red, whose dark brown or black

surface-coat, blown aside, shows an

under coat of blue and silver, with

a light brown frill round its neck'.

All the other long-haired cats

can pair with the short-haired

for colouring and marking, but I

have not yet seen a Bunny Long-
haired.

Fhoto by H. Trevor Jeaop

THE "BUN" OR "TICKED" SHORT-HAIRED CAT

This is one of the rarest of cats. It belongs to Miss K. Maud Bennett tuho has kindly
had it photographed for this tvork

CHAPTER III
THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS

Photo by A.

>■ _•*.--. - c -:^jQ§J!£ii

FOSSA

The only feline animal oj Aladagascar

THE FOSSA

N the Fossa Madagascar

possesses an altogether

peculiar animal. It is a

very slender, active creature,

with all its proportions much

elongated. It is of a bright

bay uniform colour, with thick

fur. and has sharp retractile

&^"^BBfak.»^^ -r ^^m claws. It has been desi ribed

S&^-*> — . j0k - -S|^fcji^*,^M8P| ^t ' as the natural connecting link

Wl$& m. - between the Civets and the

Cats, anatomically speaking.
Thus it has retractile claws,
but does not walk on its toes,
like cats, but on the soles of
its feet (the hind pair of which
is quite naked), like a civet.
Very few have been brought

to captivity; indeed, the first time that one was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens was only

ten years ago. Formerly stories were told of its ferocity, which was compared to that of the

tiger. These tales were naturally the subject of ridicule. The fossa usually attains a length of

about 5 feet from snout to tail, and is the largest of the carnivora of Madagascar. A fine young

specimen lately brought to London, and in the Zoological Gardens at the time of writing, is now

probably full grown. It is about the same

length and height as a large ocelot, but with a

far lunger tail, and is more slenderly built. The

extreme activity of the fossa no doubt renders

it a very formidable foe to other and weaker

creatures. It has been described by a recent

writer as being entirely nocturnal, and preying

mainly on the lemurs and birds which haunt

the fi irests i if Madagascar. The animal kept at

the Zoological Gardens has become fairly tame.

It is fed mainly on chickens' heads and other

refuse from poultererc' shops. Apparently it

has no voice of any kind. It neither growls, p*»»» tj i. Miiimd, f.z.s.\ [\on* fw<m„

roars, nor mews, though, when irritated or LARGE INDIAN CIV KT

frightened, it gives a kind of his. like a cat. Gw" are """rnalin their ha/,i„ That thmm ten has just

° awakened in broad daylight

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND IC'IINKUMONS

/ D

THE C1VE I S AND GENETS

The Civets are the first marked deviation from the Cat Family. Their bodies are elongated,
their legs short, their claws only partially retractile. Some of them have glands holding astrong

scent, much esteemed in old days in Europe, when •• The Civet Cat " was a con n inn-sign

even in England. I he civets are generallj beautifully marked with black stripes and bands on
gray. But none of them grow to any large size, and the family has never had the importance
of those which contain the large carnivora, like the true cats or bears. Many of the tribe and its
connections are domesticated. Some scholars have maintained that the cat of the ancient Greeks
was one of then — the common genet. The fact is thai both this and the domestic cat were kept
by the ancients ; and the genet is still used as a cat by the peasants of Greece and Southern Italy.
I he African Civet and Indian Civei are large species. The former is common almost
throughout Africa. Neither of them seems to climb trees, but they find abundance of food by
catching small ground-dwelling animals and birds. They are good swimmers. The Indian civet
has a handsome skin, of a beautiful gray ground-colour, with black collar and markings. It is
from these civets that the civet-scent is obtained. They are kept in cages for this purpose, and
the secretion is scooped from the glands with a wooden spoon. They produce three or four kit-
tens in Ma)- or June. Several other species very little differing from these are known as the
Malabar, Javan, and Burmese Civets.

1 he Rasse is smaller, has no erectile crest, and its geographical distribution extends from
Africa to the Far East. It is commonly kept as a domestic pet. Like all the civets, it will eat
fruit and vegetables.

The GENETS, though resembling the civets, have no scent-pouch. Tliey are African creatures,
but are found in Italy, Spain, and Greece, and in Palestine, and even in the south of France.
Beautifully spotted or striped, they are even longer and lower than the civet-cats, and steal
through the grass like weasels.

The Common Genet is black and gray, the latter being the ground-colour. The tail is very
long, the length being about 15 inches, while that of the body and head is only 19 inches.
Small rodents, snakes, eggs and birds are its principal food. It is kept in Southern Europe for

Photo bj A. S. Rudland <S^ Str.i

AFRICAN CIVET

This is one of the largest of the Civet Tribe. The perfume knoivn as " civet *' is obtained from it

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

photo b) Scholastic Photo, Co.]

[Parson'1! (Srttn

This photograph iho

AFRICAN CIVET

; i he finely marked Jur oj the ipecia and the jrnnt fieiv cj the head

killing rats. Several other
very similar forms arc found in
Africa. The presence of such
a very Oriental-looking ani-
mal in Europe is something
of a surprise, though many
persons forget that our South
European animals are very
like those of Africa and the
East. The porcupine, which
is common in Italy and Spain,
and the lynx and Barbary ape
are instances. A tame genet
kept by an acquaintance of the
writer in Italy was absolutely
domesticated like a tame
mongoose. It had very pretty
fur, gray, marbled and spotted with black, and no disagreeable odour, except a scent of musk.
It was a most active little creature, hill of curiosity, and always anxious to explore not only
every room, but every cupboard and drawer in the house. Perhaps this was due to its keenness
in hunting mice, a sport of which it never tired. It did not play with the mice when caught as
a cat does, but ate them at once.

The Linsangs, an allied group, are met with in the East, from India to Borneo and Java.
They are more slender than the genets, and more arboreal. Of the Nepalese LlNSANG Hodgson
writes : " This animal is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It breeds and dwells in
the hollows of decaying trees. It is not gregarious, and preys mainly on living animals." A
tame female owned by him is stated to have been wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive
to cold, and very fond of being petted. There is an allied West African species.

The Palm-civets and Hemigales still further increase this numerous tribe. Slight differ-
ences of skull, of the markings of the tail, which may only have rings on the base, and of the
foot and tail, are the naturalist's guide to their separation from the other civets ; Hakdwicke's
Hemigale has more zebra-like markings. Borneo,
Africa, India, and the Himalaya all produce these
active little carnivora ; but the typical palm-civets are
Oriental They are sometimes known as Toddy-cats,
because they drink the toddy from the jars fastened to
catch the juice. The groves of cocoanut-palm are their
favourite haunts ; but they will make a home in holes in
the thatched roofs of houses, and even in the midst
of cities. There are many species in the group.

The Binturong is another omnivorous, tree-
haunting animal allied to the civets ; but it has a
prehensile tail, which few other mammals of the Old
World possess. It is a blunt-nosed, heavy animal,
sometimes called the Bear-cat. Very little is known
of its habits. It is found from the Eastern Himalaya
to Java.

The last of the Civet Family is Bennett's Civet,
the only instance of a cat-like animal with partly
webbed feet. Found in the Malay Peninsula and in

fhtlt h, I. M,dUnd, T.7. 5.] [North Fimhln

SUMATRAN CIVF I

A small and very beautiful member of the Civet Family
It feeds largely on fish

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS -jj

Sumatra and Borneo, it is very rare, but is known to feed on fish and Crustacea, and to be semi-
aquatic. The author of the chapter on the civets in the Naturalist's Library says, " It ma) be
likened to a climbing otter."

THE MONGOOSE AND ICHNEUMON FAMILY
These are a numerous and useful rare of small mammals, feeding mainly oh the creatures
most annoying to man within tropical countries. Snakes, the egg ol thi crocodile',- large lizard,
rats, mice, and other creatures known generally as " vermin," are their favourite food. It must
be added that, though they are most useful in de troj ing the < , they also kill all kinds of bird ,
and that their introduction into some of the West India Islands, for the purpose of killing rats,
has been fatal to the indigenou bird life.

The Indian Mongoose
This universal favourite is one of the largest, the head and body being from 15 to 18 inches

Photo by A. S. Rutland &> Sons

OF.NET

The genets are smaller than some ci-vets, but allied to mem. One was anciently domesticated like a cat

long, and the tail 14 inches. The fur is loose: and long, and capable of being erected. As in all
the tribe, the tint is a •• pepper and salt," the " pepper" colour being sometimes blackish and
sometimes red, but a speckled appearance characterises the whole group. This is the animal
supposed to be immune from snake-bite. It is possibly so to some extent, for it kills and eats
the poisonous snakes, and it is now known that the eating of snake-poison tends to give the
same protection as inoculation does against certain diseases. Hut it is certain that in most cases
the mongoose, by its activity, and by setting up the hair on its body, which makes the snake
" strike short," saves itself from being bitten.

Main- descriptions of the encounters between these brave little animals and the cobra have
been written. 1 1 ere is one of the less known : " < >ne of our officers had a tame mongoose, a
charming little pet. Whenever we could procure a cobra — and we had many opportunities —
we used to turn it out in an empty storeroom, which had a window at some height from the
ground, so that it was perfectly safe to stand there and look on. The cobra, when dropped from
the bag or basket, would wriggle into one of the coiners of the room and there coil himself up.
The mongoose showed the greatest excitement on being brought to the window, and the moment
6

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

he was let loose would eagerly jump down into
the room, when his behaviour became very
curious and interesting. He would instantly

see where the snake was, and rounding his
back, and making every hair on his body stand
out at right angles, which made his body ap-
pear twice as large as it really was, he would
approach the cobra on tiptoe, making a
peculiar humming noise. The snake, in the
meantime, would show signs of great anxiety,
and I fancy of fear, erecting his head and
hood re, uly to strike when his enemy came
near enough. The mongoose kept running
backwards and forwards in front of the snake,
gradually getting to within what appeared to
us to be striking distance. The snake would
strike at him repeatedly, and appeared to hit him, but the mongoose continued his comic dance,
apparently unconcerned. Suddenly, and with a movement so rapid that the eye could not
follow it, he would pin the cobra by the back of the head. One could hear the sharp teeth
crunch into the skull, and, when all was over, see the mongoose eating the snake's head and
part of his body with great gusto. Our little favourite killed a great many cobras, and, so far as
I can see, never was bitten.

The Egyptian* Mongoose, or Ichneumon, has an equally great reputation for eating the
eggs of the crocodile ; and the Kaffir Mongoose, a rather larger South African species, is kept
as a domestic animal to kill rats, mice, and snakes, of which, like the Indian kind, it is a deadly foe.
There are more than twenty other species, most of much the same appearance and habits.
The smooth-nosed mongoose tribe are closely allied creatures in South Africa, mainly bur-
rowing animals, feeding both on flesh and fruit. The CusiMANSES of Abyssinia and West Africa
are also allied to them. Their habits are identical with the above.

Phete b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [Nirih FinthUf

TWO-SPOTTED PALM-CIVET

This is a West African sf teles, which, with an allied form from East

Africa, represents the pa/m-citets in the Dark Continent

The Meekkats, or Suricates

Most people who have read Franl
chief pet in Albany Street. The
Suricates, or Meekkats, burrow all
over the South African veldt, espe-
cially in the sandy parts, where they
sit up outside their holes like prairie-
dogs, and are seen by day. They
are sociable animals, and make most
amusing pets. A full-grown one is
not much larger than a hedgehog,
but more slender. It barks like a
prairie-dog, and has many other noises
of pleasure or anger. A lady, the
owner of one, write- in Country Life:
" It get- '>n well with the dogs and
cats, especially the latter, as they are
more friendly to her, and allow her to
sleep by their side mm\ on the top ol
them. One old cat brings small birds

Huckland's Life will remember the suricate which was his

,.,/, F.Z. 1.1 [Nirtk !:■ >:.

MA SK.K I) PALM-CIVET

A 'whole-coloured species oj the group

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 79

Phtta by Robert D. Carton'] [Philadelphia

BINTURONG

The binturong is placed ioitk the diets. It has a pre-

to her (her favourite is a sparrow), and makes her
usual cry, and Janet run- to her and carries off the
bird, which she eats, leather- and all, in a very lew-
minutes, if she is hungry." When near a farm, the
meerkats will devour eggs and young chickens.
They are also said to eat the eggs of the large
leopard-tortoise. The commonest i^ the Slender-
tailed Meerkat. It is found all over South Africa,
anil is very common in the Karroo. It cats injects
ami grubs a- well as small animals, and is commonly
kept as a pet throughout the Colon)'.

vVe have now traced the long line of the
Carnivora from the lordly Lion, the slayer ol man and
his flocks and herds, and the Tiger, equally formidable
and no less specially developed for a life of rapine on
a great scale, to creatures as small and insignificant
as the Meerkat, which is at least as much an insect-
feeder as a devourer of flesh, and the Ichneumons
and Civets. The highest form of specialisation in the
group is the delicate mechanism by which the chief
weapons of offense, the claws, are' enabled to keep
their razor edge by being drawn up into sheaths when the animal walks, but can be instantly
thrust out at pleasure, rigid and sharp as sword-blades. The gradual process by which this
equipment deteriorates in the Civets and disappears in the Mongoose should be noted. There
are many other carnivora, but none so formidable as those possessing the retractile claws. Thus
the Hears, though often larger in bulk than the Lion, are far inferior in the power of inflicting
violent injury. At the same time such delicate mechanism is clearly not necessary for the well-
'being of a species. The members of the Weasel Tribe are quite as well able to take care of
themselves as the small cats, though they have non-retractile and not very formidable claw-.

Such a very abnornal animal as the BlNTURONG — of which we are able to give an excellent
photograph — is doubtless rightly assigned to the place in which modern science has placed it. But
it will be found that there are several very anomalous forms quite as detached from any general
type as is the binturong. Nature
does not make species on any strictly
graduated scale. Many of these
nondescript animals are so unlike
any other group or family' that they
seem almost freaks of nature. The
binturong is certainly one of these.

The next group with which we
deal is that of the Hyaenas. In these
the equipment for catching living
prey is very weak. Speed and pursuit
are not their metier, but the eating of
dead and decaying animal matter, and
the consumption of bones. Hence
the jaws and teeth are highly de-
veloped, while the rest of the body
is degenerate.

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.SA

MONGOOSE

The Indian mongoose is the great enemy of snakes,
of the crocodile

Another species eats the egg%

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

A S- Rudlaud tg° Sens

MEERKAT

A small, mainly insectivorous animal, found in South Africa ; also
called the Suricatt

The question of the comparative intelli-
gence of the Apes and Monkeys, and the
carnivorous animals subsequently described in
these pages, is an interesting one. It would
seem at first as if the Cat Tribe and their rela-
tions, which have to obtain their prey by con-
stant hunting, and often to make use of consid-
erable reflection and thought to bring their
enterprises against other animals to a successful
issue, would be more likely to develop intelli-
gence and to improve in brain-power than the
great Apes, which find an easy living in the
tropical forests, and only seek fruits and vegeta-
bles for their food. Yet it is quite certain that
this is not the case. The Cat Tribe, with the
exception of the domesticated cats, does not
show high intelligence. Even the latter are
seldom trained to obey man, though they learn
to accommodate themselves to his ways of life.
There is no evidence that cats have any sense of
number, or that any of them in a wild state make
any effort to provide shelter for themselves or
construct a refuge from their enemies, though
the Leopard will make use of a cave as a lair.
In matters requiring intelligence and coopera-
tion, such rodents as the Beaver, or even the
Squirrel, are far beyond the feline carnivora in
sagacity and acquired or inherited ingenuity.
Except the Stoat, which sometimes hunts in
packs, no species of the carnivora yet dealt with
in this work combines to hunt its prey, or for
defense against enemies. Each for itself is the
rule, and even among the less-specialised flesh-
eating animals of the other groups it is only
the Dog Tribe which seems to understand the
principles of association for a common object.

CHAPTER IV
THE HYENAS AND AARD-WOLF

IF every animal has its place in nature, we must suppose that the hyaena's business is to clear
up the bones and such parts of the animal dead as the vultures and other natural "under-
takers" cannot devour. Hyaenas have very strong jaws, capable of crushing almost any
bone. In prehistoric times they were common in England, and lived in the ca\es of Derbyshire
and Devon. In these caves many bones were found quite -mashed up, as if by some very large-
wild animal. It was supposed that this was done by bears Dean Buckland said " by hyaenas."
1 [e procured a hya na, kept it at his house, and fed it on bones. The smashed fragments he laid
on the table at a scientific lecture beside the fragments from the caverns. The resemblance was
identical, and the Dean triumphed.

. . ■ ■. '

WOLF FROM CENTRAL EUROPE,
recorded a illi d In the > ' Hug in Hungary.

THE HYAENAS AND AARD-WOLF

Photc by A. S. Rutland £j> Sans

SPOTTED HV7F.NA
The largest of the carrion-Jcedtng animals. A South African

The hyaenas are carnivorous animals, with the
front limbs longer than the hind. The tail is
short, the colour spotted or brindled, the teeth and
jaws of greal trength.

The Brown ll\ i.w, or Strand-wolf, is an
African species, with very long, coarse hair.reach-
ing a length of 10 inches on the hack. It is not
found north of the Zambesi ; and it is nocturnal,
and fund of wandering along the shore, where
it picks up crabs and de.nl fish. Young cattle,
sheep, and lambs are also killed by it, and offal of
all kinds devoured.

The Si'oi i iii llv i \\ is a large and massive
animal, the head and body being 4 feet 6 inches
long without the tail, h is found all over Africa
from Abyssinia and Senegal southwards. A leu-
are left in Natal. It i- believed to be the same
as the cave-hyaena of Europe. By day it lives
much in the holes of the aard-vark (ant-bear); by
night it goes out, sometimes in small bands, to
seek food. It has a loud and mournful howl,

beginning low and ending high. It also utters a horrible maniacal laugh when excited, which

gives it the name of Laughing-hyaena. " Its appetite," says Mr. W. I.. Sclater in his " South

African Mammals," •• is boundless. It is entirely carnivorous, but seems to prefer putrid and

decaying matter, and never kills an animal unless driven to do so by hunger. Sheep and donkeys

are generally attacked at the belly, and the bowels torn out by its sharp teeth. Horses are also

frequent objects of attack ; but in this case shackling is useful, as the horse, unable to escape,

faces the hyaena, which instantly bolts. It is an excellent scavenger, and it has been known to

kill and carry off young children, though the least attempt at pursuit will cause it to drop them.

Many stories are told, too, of its attacking sleeping natives ; in this case it invariably goes for the

man's face. Drummond states

that he has seen many men

who had been thus mutilated,

wanting noses, or with the

whole mouth and lips torn

away. This is confirmed by

other authors." Drummond

gives an instance of seven

cows being mortally injured in

a single night by two hyaenas,

which attacked them and bit

off the udders. Poisoned meat

is the only means to get rid of

this abominable animal.

Sir Samuel Baker says :

•• I can safely assert that the

bone-cracking power of this

animal is extraordinary. I Fh°" h> A- *' Rud,a''d * s""

., ... j ., SPOTTED HYvENA

cannot sav that it exceeds the , ,

The jatvs oj the hyaena are specially made Jar cracking bones. They ivill smash the thigh-bent

lion or tiger in the strength „j a buj/alo

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

of its jaws; but the}- will
leave bones unbroken which
a hyaena will crack in halves.
Its powers of digestion arc
unlimited. It will swallow
and digest a knuckle-bone
without giving it a crunch,
and will crack the thigh-bone
of a buffalo to obtain the
marrow, and swallow either
end immediately after. . . .
I remember that once a
hyaena came into our tent at
night. But this was merely a
friendly reconnaissance, to see
if an)- delicacy, such as our
shoes, or a saddle, or anything
phmbfL. Midland, f.z.s.] [w.r»A FimhL, that smelt of leather, were

STRIPED HYAENA iying about. It was bright

This hthehj*na of Northern Africa, Palestine, and India moonlight, and the air W3S

calm. There was nothing to disturb the stillness. I was awakened from sleep by a light touch
on my sleeve, and my attention was directed by my wife to some object that had just quitted
our tent. I took my rifle from beneath the mat on which 1 lay, and, after waiting for a few-
minutes sitting up in bed, saw a large form standing in the doorway preparatory to entering.
Presently it walked in cautiously, and immediately fell dead, with a bullet between its eyes.
It proved to be a very large hyama, an old and experienced depredator, as it bore countless
scars of encounters with other strong biters of its race."

The Striped Hyena is found in India as well as in Africa
animals are so numerous that on the Nile tributaries Sir Samue
ing the bones after supper every

In portions of Abyssinia these
Baker used to hear them crack-

night just as they had been thrown
by the Arabs within a few feet of the
deserted table. In this way they are
useful scavengers.

The Aard-wolf

This small African hyaena-like
creature stands in a family by itself.
The animal is like a small striped
hyaena, with a pointed muzzle, longer
ears, and a kind of mane. It is com-
mon all through South and East
Africa, where it lives on carrion, white
ants, and lambs and kids. It has not
the strong jaws and teeth of the dog or
hyaena family. The colonists com-
monly hunt and kill it with fox-terriers.

Phut b, A. S. RuJUn.l &• .

AARD-WOLF

The aard-wolf stands in a family by itself. It is allied to the hyanas, but l> a t»
feebler animal

CHAPTER V
THE DOG FAMILY

Photo by Sthotttitit Photo. Co.y Parson' i Green

A GROWING CUB

Note ho-w the ivolf cub develops the long pasterns,
larpc feet, and long jaiu before its body grows in
proportion

IE tribe now treated is called the Dog Family, and
rightly so, for our domestic dogs are included in
the group, which comprises the Wolves, Dogs,
Jackals, Wild Dogs, and Foxes. Their general characters
are too familiar to need description, but it should be noted
that the foxes differ from the dogs in having contracting
pupils to the eye (which in bright sun closes like a cat's
to a mere slit), and some power of climbing. 1 he origin
of the domestic dog is still unsettled.

The Woi i

B 1^ **■« This great enemy of man and his dependents — the

creature against the ravages of which almost all the early
races of Europe had to combine, either in tribes, villages,
or principalities, to protect their children, themselves, and
their cattle — was formerly found all over the northern
hemisphere, both in the Old and New Worlds. In India
it is rather smaller, but equally fierce and cunning, though,
as there are no long winters, it does not gather in packs.
In many lands the popular fear of the wolf has persisted
for centuries, a momento of the time when this animal
was man's most dreaded enemy. In Switzerland the ancient organisations of wolf clubs in the
cantons are still maintained. In Brittany the Grand Louvetier is a government official. Every
very hard winter wolves from the Carpathians and Russia move across the frozen rivers of
Europe even to the forests of the Ardennes and of Fontainebleau. In Norway they ravage
the reindeer herds of the Lapps. Only a few years ago an artist, his wife, and servant were
all attacked on their way to Budapest, in Hungary, and the man and his wife killed. The
last Brftish wolf was killed in 1680 by Cameron of Lochiel. Wolves are common in Palestine,
Persia, and India.

Without going back over the well-known history of the species, we will give some anecdotes
of the less commonly known exploits of these fierce and dangerous brutes. Mr. Kipling's
"Jungle Book" has given us an " heroic" picture of the life of the Indian wolves. There is a
great deal of truth in it. Even the child-stealing by wolves is very probably a fact, for native
opinion is unanimous in crediting it. Babies laid down by their mothers when working in the
fields are constantly carried off and devoured by them, and stories of their being spared and
suckled by the she-wolves are very numerous.

Indian wolves hunt in combination, without assembling in large packs. The following is a
remarkable instance, recorded by General Douglas Hamilton : " When returning with a friend
from a trip to the mountain caves of Ellora, we saw a herd of antelope near a range of low rocky
hills ; and as there was a dry nullah, or watercourse, we decided on having a stalk. While creep-
ing up the nullah, we noticed two animals coming across the plain on our left. We took them
at first for leopards, but then saw that they were wolves. When they w'ere about 500 yards from

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

PWo Ay Scholastic Photo. Co.~\

[Parson*' Grtin

WOLF CUBS

These are evidently the foster-brothers of Romulus and Remus

the antelope, the}- lay down
quietly. After about ten
minutes or so, the smaller of
the two got up and trotted
off to the rocky hills, and
suddenly appealed on the
ridge, running backwards and
forwards like a Scotch collie
dog. The larger w olf, as soon
as he saw that the antelope
were fully occupied in watch-
ing his companion, got up
and came as hard as he could
gallop to the nullah. Un-
fortunately he saw us and
bolted; and his companion,
seeing there was something
wrong, did the same. Now.
it is evident that these
wolves had regularly planned

this attack. One was to occupy the attention of the antelope, the other to steal up the water-
course and dash into the midst of them. At another time a brother-officer of mine was stalking
a herd of antelope which were feeding down a grassy valley, when suddenly a wolf got up before
him, and then another and then another, until fourteen wolves rose out of the grass. They were
extended right across the valley in the shape of a fishing-net or jelly-bag, so that as soon as the
herd had got well into the jelly-bag they would have rushed on the antelope, and some must have
fallen victims to their attack." They have been known to join in the chase of antelopes by dogs.
Captain Jackson, of the Nizam's service, let his dogs course an antelope fawn. A wolf jumped
up, joined the dogs, and all three seized the fawn together. He then came up, whipped off the
dogs and the wolf, and secured the fawn, which did not seem hurt. The wolf immediately sat
down and began to howl at the loss of his prey, and in a few moments made a dash at the officer,
but when within a few yards thought better of it, and recommenced howling. This brought
another wolf to his assistance. Both howled and looked very savage, and seemed inclined to
make another dash at the antelope. But the horse-keepers came up, and the wolves retired.

The Indian wolf, if a male, stands about 26 inches high at the shoulder. The length of
head and body is 37 inches; tail, 17 inches.

The same species practically haunts the whole of the world north of the 1 limalaya. It varies
in colour from almost black to nearly pure white. In the Hudson Bay fur-sales every variety
of colour between these may be seen, but most are of a tawny brindle. The male grows to a
very great size. One of the largest ever seen in Europe was for years at the London Zoo. It
Stood 6 feet high when on its hind legs, and its immense head and jaws seemed to occupy one-
third of the space from nose to tail. 1 torses are the main prey of the Northern Wolf. It will
kill any living creature, but horse-flesh is irresistible. It either attacks by seizing the flank and
throwing the animal, or bites the hocks. The biting power is immense. It will tear a solid mass
of flesh at one grip from the buttock of a cow or horse. In the early days of the United States,
when Audubon was making his fust trip up tin: head-waters of" the Missouri, flesh of all kinds
was astonishingly abundant on the prairies. Buffalo swarmed, and the Indians had any quantity
of buffalo meat for the killing. Wolves of very large size used to haunt the forts and villa
and were almost tame, being well fed and comfortable. Bar different was the case even near
St. Petersburg at the same period. A traveler in 1S40 was chased by a pack of wolves so

THE DOG FA.M I LY

closely thai when the sledge-horses reached the
post-house and rushed into the >i;il >U-. tin- doors
Hi which were open, seven of the wolves rushed
in after them. The driver and traveler leaped
from the sledge just as it reached the building,
and horses and wolves rushed past them into
it. The men then ran up and closed the doors
Having obtained guns, they opened the roof,
expecting to see that the horses had been killed.
Instead all seven wolves were slinking about be-
side the terrified horses. All were killed with-
out resistance.

In Siberia and Russia the wolves in wintei
are literally starving. Gathering in packs, the) haunt the roads, and chase the sledges with their
unfaltering gallop. Seldom in these days doe- a human life fall victim; but in very hard
winters sledge-horses are often killed, and now and then a peasant. Rabies is very common
among wolves. They then enter the villages, biting and snapping at every one. Numbers of
patients are sent yearly from Russia and Hungary to the Pasteur Institutes, after being bitten by
rabid wolves. In Livonia, in 1823, it was stated that the following animals had been killed by
wolves: 15,182 sheep, 1,807 oxen. 1,841. horses, 3,-70 goats, 4,190 pigs. 703 dogs, and numbers
of geese and fowls. They followed the Grand Army from Russia to Germany in 1812, and
restocked the forests of Europe with particularly savage wolves. It is said that in the retreat

r I Midland, F.Z.S]

Will I E WOLF

v... I ■

I'hoti b\ f)t!r.

"THE WOLF WITH PRIVY PAW"

The photograph shoivs admirably the slinking gate and long stride oj th" tuolj

\_Btrl,n

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhm to }. <&■ M-.UV. •>•]

RUSSIAN WOLF

[Hi:hhury

This nr a most chara;:y*:slic pfcoiograpA of one of the so-cailea "greyhound wolves'* of th

Russian forest

from Moscow twenty-four
French soldiers, with their
arms in their hands, were
attaeked, killed, and eaten by
a pack of wolves.

From very early times
special hreeds of dogs have
been trained to guard sheep
against the attacks of wolves.
Some of these were intended
to defend the flock on tin-
spot, others to run down the
wolves in the open. The
former are naturally hred
to be very large and heavy ;
the latter, though they must
be strong, are light and
speedy. Of the dogs which
guard the flocks several races
still survive. Among the most
celebrated are those of Al-
bania and the mountainous
parts of Turkey, and the
wolf-dogs of Tibet, generally called Tibetan Bloodhounds. The Tartar shepherds on the
steppes near the Caucasus also keep a very large and ferocious breed of dog. All these are
of the mastiff type, hut have long, thick hair. When the shepherds of Albania or Mount
Rhodope are driving their flocks along the mountains to the summer pastures, they sometimes
travel a distance of 200 miles. During this march the dogs act as flankers and scouts by day
and night, and do battle with the wolves, which know quite well the routes along which the
sheep usually pass, and are on the lookout to pick up stragglers or raid the flock. The Spanish
shepherds employ a large white shaggy breed of dog as guards against wolves. These dogs
both lead the sheep and bring up the rear in the annual migration of the flocks to and from
the summer pastures.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt says of hunting wolves: "In Russia the sport is a science.
The princes and great landowners who take part in it have their hunting-equipages equipped
perfectly to the smallest detail. Not only do they follow wolves in the open, hut they capture
them and let them out before dogs, like hares in a closed coursing-meeting. The huntsman
follows his hounds on horseback. (These hounds are the Borzoi, white giant greyhounds, now
often seen in England.) Those in Russia show signs of reversion to the type of the Irish
wolf-hound, dogs weighing something like 100 lbs., of remarkable power, and of reckless and
savage temper. Now three or four dogs are run together. They are not expected to kill the
wolf, hut merely to hold him. . . . The Borzois can readily overtake and master partly
grown wolves, but a full-grown dog-wolf, in good trim, will usually gallop away from them."
Wolf cubs are horn in April or May. The litter is from four to nine. There was one "i
six a few years ago at the Zoological Gardens at The Hague, pretty little creatures like collie
puppies, hut quarrelsome and rough even in their play. When born, they were covered witli
reddish-white down ; later the coat became woolly and dark.

The European wolf's method of hunting when in chase of deer is by steady pursuit. Its
speed is such and its endurance so great that it can overtake any animal. But there is no doubt
that the favourite food of the wolf is mutton, which it can always obtain without risk on the wild
mountains of the War East, if once the guardian dogs are avoided. M. Tschudi, the naturalist

TIIK DOG FAMILY

of the Alps, gives a curious accounl of the assemblage of wolves in Switzerland in \j<)<)- They
had, as it is mentioned above, followed the armies from Russia. I laving tasted human flesh, they
preferred it to all other, and even dug up the corpses. The Austrian, French, and Russian
troops penetrated in 171)1) into the highest mountain valleys of Switzerland, and fought sangui-
nary battles there. Hundreds of corpses were left on the mountains and in the forests, which
aeted as bait to the wolves, which were not destroyed for some years.

Wolves will interbreed with dogs readily, which the red fox will not. The progeny do not
hark, but howl. The Eskimo cross their dogs with wolves to give them strength.

Photo by Ottom.ir Antchutx]

[Berlin

WOLF OF THE CARPATHIANS

This ivolf is a shorttr and more heavily built specimen than the Russian ivolj en the previous page

8 8

THK LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

PAofo h /.. Midland, F.Z ! ] [North Fimhlt)

INDIAN WOLF

This photograph shows the Indian ivolj alarmed. It has a
reputation for stealing children a> ■zee// as killing cattle

Sonic years ago experiments were made at the
Regent's Park Zoological Gardens to ascertain if there
were any foundation for the old legends that wolves
feared the sound of stringed instruments such as the
violin. Every one will remember the story of the
fiddler pursued by wolves. It i> said that sis the pack
overtook him he broke a string of his instrument, and
that the Midden noise of the parting cord caused the
pack to stand still for a minute, and so enabled him to
reach a tree, which lie climbed. Further, that when
he improved on the hint so given, and played his fiddle,
the wolves all sat still; when he left off, they leapt up
and tried to reach him. Experiments with the Zoo
wolves showed that there was no doubt whatever that
the low minor chords played on a violin cause the
greatest fear and agitation in wolves, both European
and Indian. The instrument was first played behind
the den of an Indian wolf, and out of sight. .\t the
first sound the wolf began to tremble, erected its fur, dropped its tail between its legs, and crept
uneasily across its den. As the sound grew louder and more intense, the wolf trembled so violently,
and showed such physical evidence of being dominated by excessive fright, that the keeper begged
that the experiment might be discontinued, or the creature would have a fit. A large European
wolf is described in - Life at the Zoo" as having exhibited its dislike of the music in a

different way. It set up all its
fur till it looked much larger
than its ordinary size, and drew
back its lips until all the white
teeth protruding from the red
gums were shown. It kept
silent till the violin-player
approached it ; then it Hew at
him with a ferocious growl,
and tried to seize him.

There are instances of
wolves having been quite suc-
cessfully tamed, and develop-
ing great affection for their
owners. They are certainly
more dog-like than any fox ;
yet even the fox has been
tamed so far as to become a
domesticated animal for the
lifetime of one particular indi-
vidual. An extraordinary
instance of this was lately
given in Country Life, with a
photograph of the fox. It
was taken when a cub, and
brought up at a large country
house with a number of dogs.

fhote bf Otlcmjr A

[Birlin

WOLF

in: An

A very fine study of the head, jaws, and teeth of a female wolf. The head of the male it

much larger

I II 1. DOG FA M 1 I.Y

botasli Pboto.Co."] (Parson's Green

RUSSIAN' WOLF

Note the expression oj fear and ferocity on the face oj tbii wolfi also tbt enormously powerful jaw

Among these were three
terriers, w itli whk h it made
friends. I here were plenty
of w ild foxes near, some ol
which occasionally laid up
in the laurels in .1 shrub
In 1 y not far from the
house. These laurels were,
in fact, a fairly safe find for
a fox. It was the particular
sport of the terriers to be
taken to " draw " this bil 1 1
1 1 >\ er, and to chase out any
fox in it. On these ex-
peditions the tame fox
invariably accompanied
them, and tncik an active
part in the chase, pursuing
the wild fox as far as the
terriers were able to main-
tain the hunt.

In Central Asia the
wolves lie out singly on
the steppes during the

summer, and feed on the young antelopes and the lambs and kids of the Tartar's flocks. The
Kirghiz organise wolf-killing parties, to which as many mounted men and dogs come as can be
brought together. In order to aid the dogs, the Tartars often employ eagles trained to act like
falcons, which sit on the arm of the owner. As the eagle is too heavy to be carried for any time
in this way, a crutch is fastened to the left side of the saddle, on which the bearer of the falcon
rests his arm. When a wolf is sighted, the eagle is loosed, and at once flies after the wolf, and
overtakes it in a short time, striking at its head and eyes with its talons, and buffeting it with its
wings. This attack so disconcerts the wolf that it gives time for the dog- t<> come up and seize it.

The habits of the Siberian wolf are rather different from those in West Russia, and the set-
tlers and nomad Tartars of Siberia are far more adventurous and energetic in defending themselves
against its ravages than the peasant- of European Russia. Being mounted, they also have a
great advantage in the pursuit. The result is that Siberian wolves seldom appear in large packs,
and very rarely venture to attack man. Yet the damage they do to the flocks and herds which
constitute almost the only property of the nomad tribes is very severe.

Both the Russians and Siberians believe that when a she-wolf is suckling her young she
carefully avoids attacking flocks in the neighbourhood of the place where the cubs lie, but that
if she be robbed of her whelps she revenges herself by attacking the nearest flock. On this ac-
count the Siberian peasants rarely destroy a litter, but hamstring the young wolves and then
catch them when partly grown, and kill them for the sake of their fur. Among the ingenious
methods used for shooting wolves in Siberia is that of killing them from sledges. A steady horse
is harnessed to a sledge, and the driver takes his seat in front as usual. Behind sit two men
armed with guns, and provided with a small pig, which is induced to squeak often and loudly.
In the rear of the sledge a bag of hay is trailed on a long rope. Any wolf in the forest near
which hears the pig concludes that it is a young wild one separated from its mother. Seeing the
hay-bag trailing behind the sledge in the dusk, it leaps out to seize it, and is shot by the passen-
gers sitting on the back seat of the sledge.

90 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phott by L. Midland, F.Z..?] [ S.nh f,

NORTH AFRICAN JACKAL

This is the common jackal of Cairo and Loiver Egypt

The Jackal
Of the Wild Canine Family, the Jackal
is the next in numbers and importance to the
wolves. Probably in the East it is the most
numerous of any. In India, Egypt, and Syria
it regularly haunts the outskirts of cities, and
lives on refuse. In the Indian plains wounded
animals are also killed by the jackals. At night
the creatures assemble in packs, and scour the
outskirts of the cities. Horrible are the
howlings and weird the cries of these hungry
packs. In Ceylon they live in the hills and
open country like foxes, and kill the hares.
When taken young jackals can he tamed, and
have all the manners of a dog. They wag
their tails, fawn on their master, roll over and
stick up their paws, and could probably be
domesticated in a few generations, were it
worth while. They eat fruits and vegetables,
such as melons and pumpkins, eagerly.
In Africa two species are found — the Black-backed Jackal and the Striped Jackal ; the

lormer is the size of a large English fox. The young jackals are born in holes or earths ; six

seems to be the usual number of puppies. The)- have nearly always a back door by which they

can escape; this is just large enough for the puppies to squeeze through, whatever their size.

When fox-terriers are put into the earth, the jackal puppies fly out of their back doors, through

which, as a rule, the terriers are unable to follow them. Should there be no one outside, the

puppies race out on to the veldt as hard as they can go. This jackal is terribly destructive to

sheep and lambs in the Colony. A reward of

$1.80 per tail is paid to the Kaffirs for killing

them. The Side-striped Jackal is a Central

African species, said to hunt in packs, to inter-
breed with domestic dogs, and to be most

easily tamed.

Both in India and South Africa the jackal

has been found to be of some service to the

white man by providing him with a substitute

for the fox to hunt. It has quite as remarkable

pi iwers of endurance as the fox, though it does

not fight in the same determined way when

the hounds overtake it. lint it is not easy to

estimate the courage of a fox when in diffi-
culties. The writer has known one, when

coursed by two large greyhounds, to disable

both almost instantaneously. One was bitten

across the muzzle, tin- other through the foot.

The fox esi aped without a bite from either. In

India the hounds used are drafts from English

packs. The hot weather does not suit them,

and they are seldom long-lived ; hut while they

are in health they will run a jackal across the fag' t tale of the "undertaken" — the jackal, alligator, and adjutant

J'hole by A. $. RudLind <5-* Son;

INDIAN JACKAL

This Indian jackal might be sitting for his portrait in Mr. Rudva'd k~tp~

THE doc; family

Indian plains as gaily as they would a
fox over the Hampshire Downs. The
meet is very early in the morning, as the
scent then lies, and riding is not too
great an exertion. The ground drawn
is not the familiar English covert, but
fields, watercourses, and old buildings.
A strong dog-jackal goes away at a
great pace, and as the ground is open the
animal is often in view for the greatei
part of the run; hut it keeps well ahead
of the hounds often for three or four
miles, and if it does not escape into a
hole or ruin is usually pulled down by
them. Major-General R. S. S. Baden-
Powell has written and illustrated an
amusing account of his days with the
fox-hounds of South Africa hunting
jackals. The local Boer farmers, rough,
unkempt, and in ragged trousers, used
to turn up smoking their pipes to enjoy
the sport with the smartly got-up English
officers. When once the game was
found, they were just as excited as the
Englishmen, and on their Boer ponies
rode just as hard, and with perhaps
more judgment.

Photo hy L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [North Finihln

TURKISH JACKAL

This Jackal is common in both Turkey in Europe and in A.ni. Ngu '
Constantinople it feeds largely on the bodies buried in the cemeteries at
Scutari

Photo h A. S. Rudland £*• Sons

MANED WOLF

A South American animal ; its coat is a chestnut-red

Jackals are said to be much increasing
in South Africa since the outbreak of the
war. The fighting lias so far arrested
farming operations that the war usually
maintained on all beasts which destroy cattle
or sheep has been allowed to drop. In parts
of the more hill}- districts both the jackal
and the leopard are reappearing where they
have not been common for years, and it will
take some time before these enemies of the
farmer are destroyed.

The Maxi.h Wolf

This is by far the largest of several
peculiar South American species of the Dog
Family which we have not room to mention.
It occurs in Paraguay and adjoining regions,
and is easily distinguishable by its long limbs
and large ears. It is chestnut-red in colour,
with the lower part of the legs black, and is
solitary in its habits.

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The Wild Dogoi Africa,
or Caije Hunting-dog

PhtH bj A. S. Rudl ,

WILD DOG
These animal* range from the plains of India and Burma to the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia.
They hunt in small packs, usually by day, and arc very destructive to game, but seldom attack
domestic animals

1 his l- a most interest-
ing creature, differing from
the true dogs in having
only four to ies on both fore
and hind feet, and in being
spiit ted 1 i k e a hy.i n a
These dogs are the scourge
of African game, hunting
in packs. Long of limb
and swift of foot, incessantly
restless, with an overpower-
ing desire to snap and bite
from mere animal spirits, the
Cape wild dog, even when
in captivity and attached to
its master, is an intractable
beast. In its native state it
kills the farmers' cattle and sheep and the largest antelopes. A pack has been seen to kill and
devour to the last morsel a large buck in fifteen minutes. Drummond says : " It is a marvelous
sight to see a pack of them hunting, drawing cover after cover, their sharp bell-like note ringing
through the air, while a few of the fastest of their number take up their places along the
expected line of the run, the wind, the nature of the ground, and the habits of the game being
all taken into consideration with wonderful skill." The same writer says that he has seen
them dash into a herd of cattle feeding not a hundred yards from the house, drive out a
beast, disappear over a rising ground, kill it, and pick its bones before a horse could be saddled

and ridden to the place.

The Indian Wild Dogs

Mr. Rudyard Kipling's
stories of the " Dhole," the red
dogs of the Indian jungle, have
made the world familiar with
these ferocious and wonderfully
bold wild dogs. There is very
little doubt that they were found
in historic times in Asia Minor.
Possibly the surviving stories of
the " Gabriel hounds " and other
ghostly packs driving deer alone
in the German and Russian
forests, tales which remain even
in remote parts of England, are
a survival of the days when the
wild dogs lived in Europe. At
— -.-. ;,.. -sa»*-_ present their is one species of

M.I. h >><h.la,t« Pb.u. (.'..] [Par,,*', Gr««i .

|)|VGO long-haired wild dog in West

The wild dog of Australia. lit, : he first discoverers, but -was probably Central Siberia. These dogS

rd from elselvhere

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo fa A. S. Rutland &* Soni

CAPE HUNTING-DOG

This animal hunt: in packs. It ts very active and mcst destructive to large game
oj many ktr;d<

killed nearly all the deer in the large
forests near Omsk seme years ago.
Across the Himalaya there are several
species, cue of them as far cast as
Burma; Init the must famous are the
Red Dogs of the Deccan. They
frequent both the jungles and the
hills ; but their favourite haunt is the
uplands of the Indian Ghats. They
are larger than a jackal, much
stronger, and hunt in packs. They
have only ten teeth on each side,
instead of eleven, as in the other
dogs and foxes. There is no doubt
that these fierce hunting dogs actually
take prey from the tiger's jaws, and
probably attack the tiger itself. They
will beset a tiger at any time, and the latter seems to have learnt from them an instinctive tear
of dogs. Not so the leopard, which, being able to climb, has nothing to fear even from the
"dhole." A coffee-planter, inspecting his grounds, heard a curious noise in the forest bordering
his estate. On going round the corner of a thick bush, he almost trod on the tail of a tiger
standing with his back towards him. He silently retreated, but as he did so he saw that there
was a pack of wild dogs a few paces in front of the tiger, yelping at him, and making the
peculiar noise which had previously attracted his attention. Having procured a rifle, he
returned with some of his men to the spot. The tiger was gone, but they disturbed a large
pack of wild dogs feeding on the body of a stag. This, on examination, proved to have been
killed by the tiger, for there were the marks of the teeth in its neck. The dogs had clearly
driven the tiger from his prey ami appropriated it. The dread of the tiger for these wild dogs
was discovered by the sportsmen of the Nilgiri Hills, and put to a good use. They used to
collect scratch packs and hunt up tigers in the woods. The tiger, thinking they were the
dreaded wild pack, would either leave altogether or scramble into a tree. As tigers never do
this ordinarily, it shows how wild dogs get on their nerves.

Several South American wild dogs and foxes are included in the series with the wolves and
jackals. Among these are Azaka's Dog and the Raccoon-dog. These are commonly called
foxes, though they have wolf-like skulls.

The Dingo

The only non-marsupial animal of Australia when the continent was discovered was the
Wii.n Dog, or Dingo. Its origin is not known ; but as soon as the settlers' flocks and herds be-
gan to increase its ravages were most serious, though doubtless some of the havoc with which it
was accredited was due in a great measure to runaways from domestication. Anyhow, in the
dingo the settlers found the most formidable enemy with which they had to contend, and vigor-
ous measures were taken to reduce their numbers and minimise their ravages, so that by now
they are nearly' exterminated in Van Diemen's Land and rare on the mainland of Australia.

It is a fine, bold dog, of considerable size, generally long-coated, of a light tan colour, and
with pricked-up ears. It i-- easily tamed, and some of those kept in this country have made af-
fectionate pets. Puppies are regularly bred and sold at the Zoological Gardens. The animal
has an elongated, flat head which is carried high ; the fur is soft, and the tail bushy. In the wild
state it is very muscular and fierce.

THE !)()(; FAMILY

THE FOXES

Foxes form a very well-marked group. They have very pointed muzzles, strong though
slightly built bodies, very fine thick fur, often beautifully coloured and very valuable, bushy tails,
pricked-up ears, and eyes with pupils which contract by day into a mere slit. They are quite
distinct from dogs (although wolves are not), and will not interbreed, though stories are told to
the contrary. The smell of a fox is disgusting t>> a dog, and quite sufficient to distinguish it.

If the present writer takes a simpler view of the kinds and species of foxes than that
adopted by many naturalists, he must plead to a study of the subject on slightly different lines
than those usually followed. The skins of all foxes are valuable, some more than others. But
they are sent in hundreds of thousands, and from all parts "f the northern hemisphere, to
London to the great fur-sales. There these differences can be studied as they can be studied

P hoto by C. RtiJ]

[Wilbaui, N. B.

FOX CUBS

Fox cubs are born from March jj till three tveeks later, the time <ivhcn young rabbits, their best food, are most numerous

nowhere else. As the habits and structure of foxes are much alike, allowing for differeiues
of climate, and the discrepancies in size, not more than can be accounted for by abundance or
scarcity of food, it seems pretty certain that these animals are some of the few, almost alone
among mammals, showing almost every variety of colouring, from black to white, from splendid
chameleon-red to salmon-pink, and many exquisite shades of brown, gray and silver. In the
East, from Asia Minor to China, red, gray, and yellow fox skins are the lining of everv rich
man's winter wraps. Splendid mixed robes are made by the Chinese by inserting portions of
cross fox-skins into coats of cut sable, giving the idea that it is the fur of a new animal.

The Common Fox, the foundation or type of all the above, is the best known carnivorous
animal in this country. Abroad its habits do not greatly differ, except that, not being hunted
much with hounds, it is less completely nocturnal. It drops its young in a dugout earlv in
April. Thither the mother carries food till late in June, when the cubs come out, and often
move to a wood or a corn-field. There they are still fed, but learn to do a little on their
own account by catching mice and moles. By late September the hounds come cub-hunting,

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Fhui bf G. W. tVih°n 6f O

partly to kill off superfluous foxes, partly to educate
the young hounds, and to teach the foxes to fear them
and to make them leave cover easily. Four or five cubs

in a litter are commonly seen. The distance which a
fox will run is extraordinary. The following is a true
account of one of the most remarkable runs ever known.
The hounds were those of Mr. Tom Smith, master of
the llamhledou limit, lie was
the man of whom ai, other famous
sportsman said that if he were
a fox he should prefer to he
hunted by a pack of hounds
rather than by Tom Smith with
a stick in his hand. The fox
was found in a cover called
Mark wells, at one o'clock in the
afternoon in December, near
Petersfield. It crossed into Sussex, and ran into an earth in Grafham Hill a little before dark.
The fox had gone twenty-seven miles. The hounds had forty miles to go back to kennel that
night, and three only found their way home four days afterwards. Dog-foxes assemble in
considerable numbers when a vixen is about in spring, and at all times common foxes are socia-
ble creatures, though not actually living in societies. Sometimes as many as five or six are
found in a single earth. Two years ago five foxes and a badger were found in one near
Romford. They eat mice, beetles, rats, birds, game, poultry, and frogs. Their favourite food
is rabbits. If there are plenty of these, they will not touch other game. They hunt along
the railway-lines for dead birds killed by the telegraph-wires. In the New Forest they also
go down to the shore and pick up dead fish. One in the writer's possession was shot when
carrying away a lamb from a sheepfold near the cliffs of Sidmouth, in Devon. The shepherd
thought it was a marauding dog, and lay in wait with a gun.

MOUNTAIN-FOX

In hilly countries the fox becomes a powerful and destructive animal, ktlhng not w..\ gamt

but lambs

The F gnnecs

Africa has a group of small foxes of its own. They have very large ears and dark eyes.
Some of them remind us of the Maholis and other large-eyed lemuroids. Several are nol

more than 9 or 10 inches long; t In • \
are a whitish-khaki colour, but tin-
eyes are very dark and brilliant.

The Common Fennec is found
over the whole of Africa. Its favour-
ite food is dates and any sweet fruit,
but it is also fond of cl^s. and will
eal mice and insects. It is probably
the original hero of the story of the
fox and the grapes. The large eared
fennec. which is sometimes called the
Silver Fox, is found from the Cape
to as far north as Abyssinia. It is
23 inches long, and lives mainly on
insects and fruit.

' it , : ,:

THE !)()(; FAMILY

DOMESTIC DOGS

in C. H. LANE

Tiik Dot;, almost without exception, shows a marked liking forthe society ol human beings,
and adapts itself to their ways mini- than any other animal.

Fox-, Stag-, and Hare-hounds the latter better known as Hariers and Beagles -have many
points in common, much beauty ol shape and colour, and great suitability for their work, though
differing in some other particulars.

Another group Greyhounds, Whippets, Irish Wolf-hounds, Scottish Deer hounds, all of
which come under the category of Gaze-hounds, or those which hunt by sight are built for
great speed, to enable them to cope with the fleet game they pursue. In the same group should
be included the Borzoi, or Russian Wolf-hound, now very popular in this country, with some-
thing of the appearance of the Scottish deer hound about it as to shape, but with a finer, longer
head, ik .per body, more muscular limbs, and shaggier in the hair on body and tail.

The Otter-hound is one of the most picturesque of all the hound tribe. This variety
somewhat reminds one of a large and leggy Dandic Dinmont terrier, with a touch of the blood-
hound, and is thought to have been originally produced from a cross between these or similar
varieties.

The BLOOD-HOUND is another, with much style and beaut)- of shape, colour, and character
about it which cannot fail to favourably impress any beholder The matches or trials which have
of late years been held in differenl localities have been most interesting in proving its ability for
tracking footsteps for long distance-*, merely following them by scent, some time after the person
hunted started on the trail. By the kindness of my friend Mr. E. Brough, I am able to give as
an illustration a portrait of what he considers the best blood-hound ever bred.

.Much valued by sportsmen with the gun are Pointers, so called from their habit of remain-
ing in a fixed position when their quarry is discovered, eagerly pointing in its direction until the
arrival of the guns. They are most often white, with liver, lemon, or black markings; but occa-
sionally self-colours, such as liver or black, are met with. They have been largely bred in the

P*.lo h F. 11. Dtmh

[Brhlot

STAG-HOUND PUPPIES

This gives art interesting group oj hounds in kennel

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Ph,t<, b, T. Fall]

[flji,

GREYHOUND

j£ typical specimen uj this elegant variety

red in colour, rather higher on the leg, with narrow

west of England. I have

been fortunate in obtaining
one of Mr. E. C. Norrish's
celebrated strain as a typical
specimen for illustration.

The Setter group, which
comprises three varieties, are
all useful and beautiful in
their way. The English are
usually white, with markings
or tickings of blue, lemon,
or black ; they are rather
long and narrow in the head,
with bodies and sterns well
feathered, and are graceful
and active movers. Gordon
setters, which are always
black and tan in colour, and
preferred without any while.
are generally larger and
stronger in build than the
last-named. Irish setters are
more on the lines of the
English, being a rich tawny
skulls, gloss\- coats, feathered legs and

stern, ears set low and lying back, and lustrous, expressive eyes.

Retrievers may be divided into flat-coated and curly-coated. Both are usually black,
but other colours are occasionally seen. The coats of the first-named are full, but without
curl in them; while the latter have their bodies, heads, legs, thighs, and even tails covered
with small close curls. The eyes of both should be dark, and the ears carried closely to the
sides of the head. In an article dealing with retrievers, which appeared in the Cornhill Maga-
zine under the title of " Dogs which Earn their Living," the author writes : " There is not the
slightest doubt that in the modern retrievers acquired habits, certainly one acquired habit, that
of fetching dead and wounded game, are transmitted directly. The puppies sometimes retrieve
without being taught, though with this they also combine a greatly improved capacity tor further
teaching. Recently a retriever was sent alter a winged partridge which had run into a ditch.
The dog followed it some way down the ditch, and presently came out with an old rusty tea-
kettle, held in its mouth by the handle. The kettle was taken from the dog, amid much
laughter; then it was found that inside the kettle was the partridge! The explanation was that
the bird, when wounded, ran into the ditch, which was narrow. In the ditch was the old kettle,
with no lid on. Into this the bird crept; and as the dog could not get the bird out, it very
properly brought out the kettle with the bird in it. Among dogs which earn their living, these
good retrievers deserve a place in tin- front rank." The illustration shows a good llat-coated
retriever at work.

The Spaniel group i- rather 1. 1114c, including the English and Irish water-spaniels, the
former an old-fashioned, useful sort, often liver or roan, with some white or other marking
and a good deal of curl in the coat and on the ear--. 1 lis Irish brother is always some shade of
liver in colour, larger in the body and higher on the leg, covered with a curly coat, except on the
tail, which i- nearly hare of hair, with a profusion of hair on the top of the head, often hanging
down over the eve-, giving a comical appearance, and increasing hi- Hibernian expression. They

Phitc by C. R'ld]

\_Wishjw, h'. B.

RETRIEVER

This represents a fiat-coated retriever at tvork, and is remarkably true to life

TOO THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

make lively, affectionate companions and
grand assistants at waterfowl shooting.

Clumber Spaniels arc always a
creamy white, with lemon or light tan
markings, and are rather slow and de-
liberate in their movements, but have a
stylish, high-class look about them.

si ssex Spaniels are also rather heavy
in build and of muscular frame, but can do
a day's work with most others. They are
a rich copper-red in colour, with low-
short bodies, long feathered ears, full eyes
Jf J i JL, of deep colour, and are very handsome.

Black Spaniels should be glossy
raven-black in colour, with strong
muscular bodies on strong short legs,
long pendulous ears, and expressive eyes.
Good specimens are in high favour, and
command long prices. I regret I cannot
find room for an illustration of this breed,
so deservedly popular.

Cockers, which are shorter in the back, higher on the leg, and lighter in weight, being
usually under 25 lbs., are very popular, full of life, and very attractive in appearance.

Basset-hounds, both rough-ami smooth-coated, are probably the most muscular dogs in
existence of their height, with much dignity about them. In the Sporting Teams at the
Royal Agricultural Hall there were some thirteen or fifteen teams of all kinds of sporting
dogs, and of these a team each of rough and smooth bassets was in the first four.

Dachshunds are often erroneously treated as Sporting Dogs. There are certainly not so
many supporters of the breed as formerly. Their lean heads, with long hanging ears, long low
bodies, and crooked fore legs, give them a quaint appearance. The colours are usually shades
of chestnut-red or black and tan ; but some are seen chocolate and " dappled," which is one
shade of reddish brown, with spots and blotches of a darker shade all over it.

Great Danes, though mostly classed amongst Non-sporting Dogs, have much of the hound
in their bearing and appearance. The whole-coloured are not so popular as the various shades
of brindle and harlequin, but I have seen many beautiful fawns, blues, and other whole colour-.

BLOOD-HOUND

This photograph shows ivhat an almost perfect blood-hound should be like

ENGLISH SETTER

A typical but rather coarse specimen of a beautiful variety

Photo by E. Landor'] [Ealing

SMOOTH-COATED SAINT BERNARD

The illustration gives a capital idea of these handsome dogs

THE DOG FAMILY

IOI

They arc beiiiL; bred with small natural drooping car-. One of the first I remember seeing
exhibited was a large harlequin belonging to the late Mr. Frank Adcock, with the appropriate
name of " Satan," as, although always shown muzzled, In- required the attentions <>f three or four
keepers to deal with him . and at one show 1 attended ho overpowered his keepers, got one of
them on the ground, tore hi- jacket off, and gave him a rough handling.

Non sporting Varieties.
Saint Bernards, although

sometimes exceeding 3 feet at
the shoulder, are as a rule very
docile and good tempered, and
main- are owned by ladies. The
coat may be rough or smooth,
according to taste ; but either
are splendid animals. They are
sometimes seen so -coloured,
but those with markings — shades
of rich reel, with white and
black, for preference — are the
handsomest. They are still used
as " first aids " in the snow on
the Swiss mountains. So far as
I remember, this is the only
breed c if di >g used for stud and
exhibition for which as much as
57,500 has been paid; and this
has occurred on more than one

Photo h Frattlli AHuarf]

t ; R K A T DANE

[ TUrtnt'

This, shemii a typical specimen of this breed, ivith cropped ears, luh'tch 'will be dts
continued in show dogs

occasion.

Newfoundlands have re-
gained their place in popularity, and many good blacks and black-and-whites can now be seen.
Numerous cases are on record of their rendering aid to persons in danger of drowning, and
establishing communication with wrecked vessels and the shore.

MASTIFFS are looked on as one of the national breeds. Their commanding presence and
stately manner make them highly suitable as guards, and they are credited with much attach-
ment and devotion to their owners. The
colours are mostly shades of fawn with black
muzzle, or shades of brindle. 1 am able to
give the portrait of one of the best speci-
mens living, belonging t" .Mr. R. Leadbeater.

Bull-dogs are also regarded .1- ,1 national
breed. They are at present in high favour.
The sizes and colours are so various that all
ta-tes can Lie satisfied. Recently there has
been a fancy for toy bull-dogs, limited to 22
lbs. in weight, mostly with upright ears
of tulip shape. In spite of the main-
aspersions on their character, bull-dogs are
usually easy-going and good-tempered, and
are often very fastidious feeders — what fanciers
call " bad doers."

[Bj.,- i

DACHSUND

The photograph conveys a fair idea of these Quaint degs

102

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Rough Collies are very
graceful, interesting creatures,
and stand first in intelligence
among canines. They are
highly popular. Several have
been sold for over $5,000, and
the amounts in prize-money
and fees obtained by some of
the " cracks " would surprise
persons not in •• the fancy." A
high-bred specimen " in coat "
is most beautiful. The colours
most favoured are sables with
white markings ; but black,
white, and tans, known as
" tricolors," are pleasing and effective. I quite hoped to give a portrait of one of the most perfect
of present-day champions, belonging to H. H. the Princess de Montglyon.but could not find room.
Smooth Collies are a handsome breed, full of grace, beauty, and intelligence, and very
active and Lively. A favourite colour is merle, a sort of lavender, with black markings and tan
and white in parts, usually associated with one or both eyes china-coloured. Specimens often
win in sheep-dog trials ; a bitch of mine won many such, and was more intelligent in other ways
than many human beings.

( )ld English Sheep-dogs are a most fascinating breed, remarkably active, possessed of
much endurance and resource, and very faithful and affectionate. I have often made long

Phm h Kiuhmr P,*:r.,<: Co.

DALMATIANS

All arc typical, but the frit is the best in quality and marking

M: by T. F«l[]

[Buhl

\ I W 1 OUNDLAND

Tbi dog shewn here gives a good idea cf size a nd i hara> tert but is not in best coat

THE DOG FAMILY

103

journeys through cross-country roads accompanied by one or more ol them, and never knew
them miss me, even on the darkest night or in the crowded streets ol a large town, rhe
favourite colour is pigeon-blue, with white collar and markings. The coat should be straight and
hard in texture. The illustration is from .1 portrait ol one of the best bitches ever shown,
belonging to Sir II. de Traffbrd.

Dalmatians are always white, with black, liver, or lemon spots, the size of a shilling or less,
evenly distributed over the body, head, ears, and even tail, and pure, without mixture ol white.
There is much of the pointer about this variety, which has long been used for sporting purposes
on the continent of Europe. I can testify to their many good qualities as companions and
house-dogs. To quote again from the article above mentioned: " It is commonly believed that
the spotted carriage-dogs once so frequently kept in stables were about the most useless

ThtH h T. F.iTJ

BULL-DOGS

The photograph is remarkably good and characteristic of this wirltty

[£d/.-r Street

creatures of the dog kind, maintained only for show and fashion. This is a mistake. They were
used at a time when a traveling-carriage carried, besides its owners, a large amount ot valuable
property, and the dog watched the carriage at night when the owners were sleeping at country
inns. We feel we owe an apology to the race of carriage-dogs. . . . While this dog is
becoming extinct, in spite of his useful qualities, other breeds are invading spheres of work in
which they had formerly no part." There is only one point in which I differ from the above,
and that is contained in the last sentence. There are a number of enthusiastic breeders very
keen on reviving interest in this variety, and I have during the last few years had large entries to
judge, so that we shall probably see more of them in the future.

Poodles are of many sizes and colours. They are very intelligent, easily taught tricks, and
much used as performing dog>. They have various kinds of coats : corded, in which the hair
hangs in long strands of ringlets ; curly, with a profusion of short curls all over them, something

104

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

OLD ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG

like retrievers ; and fluffy, when the hair is
combed out, to give much the appearance of
fleecy wool. A part of the body, legs, head,
and tail is usually shorn.

Bull-terriers are now bred with small
natural drooping ears, and should have long
wedge-shaped heads, fine coats, and long
tails. There is also .. toy variety, which
hitherto has suffered from round skulls and
tulip ears, but is rapidly improving. 1 have
bred many as small as 3 lbs. in weight. In
each variety the colour preferred is pure
white, without any markings, and with fine
tapering tails.

Irish Terriers are very popular, and
should be nearly wholly red in colour, with
long lean heads, small drooping ears, hard

This is a remarkably fine photograph of a luclh-knvwn specimen of this COatS, not too much leg, and without CoaisC-
interesting variety negs They make gQod comrades

Bedlington Terriers have long been popular in the extreme north of England, and are
another fighting breed. It is indeed often difficult to avoid a difference of opinion between show
competitors. Their lean long heads, rather domed skulls, with top-knot of lighter hair, long
pointed ears, and small dark eyes, give them a peculiar appearance. The coats, which are
" linty " in texture, should be shades of blue or liver.

Three breeds, all more or less hard in coat-texture, and grizzled in colour on heads and bodies,
while tanned on other parts, are Airedale, Old English, and Welsh Terriers, which may be
divided into large, medium, and small. The first-named make very good all round dogs ; the
Old English, less in number, make useful dogs, and are hard)- and companionable ; while Welsh
terriers are much the size of a small w ire-haired fox-terrier, but usually shorter and somewhat
thicker in the head. I intended one of Mr. W. S. Glynn's best dogs to illustrate the last-named.
Fox-terriers are both smooth- and wire-haired. Their convenient size and lively tempera-
ment make them very popular as pets and companions for both sexes and all ages. The colour
is invariably white, with or without markings on head or body, or both.

Black-and-tan and White English
Terriers are built upon the same lines,
differing chiefly in colour, the former being
raven-black, with tan markings on face, legs,
and some lower parts of the body, and the
latter pure white all oxer. Both should have
small natural drooping ears, fine glossy coats,
and tapering sterns. The toy variety of the
former should be a miniature of the larger,
and is very difficult to produce of first-class
quality.

Scottish Terriers are very interesting,
often with much "character" about them.
The usual colours are black, shades of gray,
or brindle, but some are seen fawn, stone-
colour, and white. The ears should be carried
bolt upright, the coat as hard as a badger's,

MASTIFF

The photograph gives almost an ideal picture of this splendid breed, the
colour being known as black-brindle

Photo b) Lambtrt Lambtrt\ r Wjf/,

DEER-HOUND

'hi, is j tapttal prtrall i/c-ne if the but tf thli graffiti vartil)

Fhm h) II. Cm//*] , , .',„„

POIN I IK

This is a young dog not yd shown, but full of quality tin J type

rhtt* h ruiurs cy s.m] [rcwpert

SKYE TKRRIER

The photograph is oj a ivell-knoiun luinner in shotv form

PhlU by T. till] IBalir Street

CORDED POODLE
The length of the cordsoftvhich the coat is composed is clear!)

U, pun.. 0/ Mr,. Uttll-fCMer

POMERANIAN

Probably about the best all-black T \ /' ?•: ■/-;.," fir- Jh-u-n

Photo by o. N. r.n/or] [Cozrln RoaJ

MALTESE TOY TERRIER

A 'very excellent representation of one of the best specimens of the
present Jay-

Photo by Kitchener & Silmr.nl [Bind St*i

SCOTTISH TERRIER

.-/ smart picture of one oj the best of these populai

PJ r] [£* i»t

BI ITERFLV-DOG
The photograph gives an excellent idea of this somewhat rare variety

!°5

io6

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phttt by T. Fair] [Balrr Strut

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA,
WITH CHOW AND JAPANESE SPANIELS

teeth even, small dark expressive eyes, fore
legs straight, the back short. One I brought
from Skye many years since I took with me
when driving some miles into the country;
coming back by a different route, he missed
me; but on nearing my starting-point I
found him posted at a juncture of four roads,
by one of which 1 must return. II<; could
not have selected a better position. The illu-
stration is that of a first-rate specimen of the
variety, " Champion Balmacron Thistle."

Dandie Dinmont Terriers have many
quaint and charming ways. They are very
strongly built, being among the most muscular
of the terriers, of high courage, devotedly
attached to their owners, and admirably
adapted for companions, being suitable for
indoors or out, and at home anywhere. The
colours are pepper (a sort of darkish iron-
gray) and mustard (a yellowish red fawn),
both with white silky hair on head, called the
top-knot, and lustrous dark eyes, very gipsy-
like and independent in expression.
Skyes, both Prick- and Drop-eared, are another Scottish breed which well deserve their
popularity, as they are thorough sporting animals. The colours are chiefly shades of dark or light
gray, but sometimes fawn with dark points and whites are seen. The texture of coat should
be hard and weather-resisting ; the eyes dark and keen in expression ; bodies long, low, and well
knit ; legs straight in front ; even mouths ; tails carried gaily, but not curled over the back.

Schipperk.es are of Belgian origin. To those who do not know them, they are something
like medium-sized Pomeranians, short of coat, but without tails. They are nearly always pure
black in colour, with coats of hardish texture, fullest round the neck and shoulders, the ears
standing straight up like darts, short cobby bodies, and straight legs. They make smart guards
and companions.

Chows originally came from China, but are now largely bred here. They are square-built
sturdy dogs, with dense coats, tails carried over the side, blunt-pointed ears, and rather short

thick heads. They have a little of a large coarse Pomeranian,
with something of an Eskimo about them, but are different
from either, with a type of their own. The colour is usually
some shade of red or black, often with a bluish tinge in it.
( )ne marked peculiarity is that the tongues of chows are blue-
black in colour.

Pomeranians can be procured of any weight from 3 to
30 lbs., and of almost every shade of colour. At present
brown of various shades is much in favour, but there are
many beautiful whites, blacks, blues, sables, and others. They
are very sharp and lively, and make charming pets and com-
panions. Really good specimens command high prices. The
illustration is of one of the best of his colour ever seen —
" Champion Pippin."

Pugs, both fawn and black, are old-fashioned favourites

Photi t/ T. Fall] [Baltr Strut

SAND-DOG

A quaint picture of a quaint variety, quite hair~
/ess, and much the colour of Castile soap

THE DOG FAMILY

107

very quaint and peculiar in appearance. They sh< >uld have square
heads and muzzles, with small ears, large protruding eyes, short
thick bodies, and tails tightly curled over the back. The illus-
tration, " Duchess of Connaught," is of a well-known winner.

Maltese Terriers are very beautiful when pure bred.
They have a long Straight coat of silk)' while hair nearly
reaching the ground, black nose .\.\\d eyes, and the tail curled
over the back of their short cobby body. Their beauty well
repays the trouble of keeping them in good condition. The
illustration, from a photograph taken tor this article, is that
ol the high-class dog " Santa Klaus."

Yorkshire Toy Terriers, with their steel-blue bodies
and golden-tanned faces, legs, and lower parts, and long
straight coats, require skilful attention to keep in order, but
are very attractive as pets.

Toy Spaniels are very old members of the toy division,
dating from or before the time of King Charles: KING
ClIAKi ES SPANIELS being black and tan; PRINCE CHARLES
Spaniels black, white, and tan ; another strain, the Blenheim,
white, with shades of reddish-tan markings on the head and

body, and a spot of same colour on forehead ; and the Ruby, a rich coppery red all over. They
should be small arid stout in size and shape, without coarseness, long in the ear, with large full
protruding eyes of dark colour, a short face, a straight coat, and not leggy.

Japanese Spaniels carry heavy coats, usually black, or yellow, and white in colour, shorter in
the ears, which are carried more forward than in the last-named, broader in the muzzle, with
nearly flat faces, dark eyes, and bushy tails carried over the back. They have very short legs,
and their hair nearly reaches the ground as they walk. When I kept them they were much
larger in size, but they are often now produced under 6 lbs. in weight.

Pekin Spaniels, the last of the toy spaniels I need mention, come from China. They
should have soft fluffy coats, tails inclined to turn over the back, short faces, broad muzzles, large
lustrous eyes, and a grave, dignified expression. The colour is usually some shade of tawny
fawn or drab, but I have seen them black and dark brown ; whatever colour, it should be without
white. The illustration, Mrs. Lindsay's " Tartan Plaid," was one of the early importations.

Photo h Count)

PUG AND

0/ Gloucetter Stu<iioy Cheltenham

PEKINESE SP WIF.L

A typical portrait of ttvo ivell-knoivn winners in
these popular varieties

[If'tshau, \. B.

FOX-TERRIER

A picture full of lift and go — at present odds in favour of our friend ivilh the prickly coat

io8

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THK WORLD

Photo b) E. LdnJor]

BLENHEIM AND PRINCE CHARLES SPANIELS

This little group shew the appearance cj these charming tittle pets

Italian Greyhounds, another old-fashioned variety of toy dog, should not exceed 12 lbs.
in weight, but in my opinion are better if they are some pounds less. Much like miniature
greyhounds in shape and build, they are elegant, graceful little creatures, very sensitive to cold.
Shades of fawn, cream, or French gray are most common ; but some are slate-blue, chestnut-red,
and other tints. Of late years the breed has met with more encouragement, and there is less
fear of its being allowed to die out.

Griffons Brusselois have been greatly taken up the last tew years. They are something
like Yorkshire toy terriers in size and shape, but with a shortish harsh coat, generally of some
shade of reddish brown, very short face, small shining dark eyes, heavy under-jaw , short thick
body, and an altogether comical appearance. Imported specimens, particularly before reaching
maturity, are often difficult to rear.

The Afrk \\ Sand-dog occasionally seen in this country (mostly at shows) is remarkable
for being entirely hairless, except a i'cw hairs of a bristly character on the top of the head and
a slight tuft at the end of the tail ;
in colour, something in shape and
terrier, and very susceptible to

Having been supplied with an
will say a few words about this
numbers at Constantinople and
roam about unclaimed, and act as
t> 1 divide the places they inhabit inti 1
leader, and resent any interference
here they have made ,1 de-
late at night ; but they are rather a
with a little firmness on the part of
the descendants of the dogs so often
probrium ; and. among Eastern pei >-
now the most insulting epithet that
ancient time-, the dog never seems
hunting and pursuing game and
guardian of their flocks, herds, and

it is chiefly blue-black or mottled
size like a coarse black ami-tan
cold.

illustration of Pariah l't PPIES, I
variety, which is seen in large
other Eastern cities, where they
amateur scavengers ; they are said
districts or beats, each with its own
with their authority. I have km >w n
termined attack on travelers out
cowardly race, and easily repulsed
the ait. i. ked. Pr< ibably these are
mentioned in Scripture with op-
ples, to call a man " a di ig " is even
can be used. By the Jews, in
to have been used, as with us, in
Thh capital photograph of a wild animals, but merely as a

variety seldom seen in this country
will be very interesting

Photo h tht Du(htn of Btdford,
' IVotiurn Abbt)

PARIAH PUPPIES

sometimes dwellings.

CHAPTHR VI

THE BE IRS

EXCEPT the great cats, no creatures have longer held a place in
human interest than the Bl \us. Their size and formidable
equipment of claws and teeth give the touch of fear which
goes with admiration. < >n the other hand, they do not, as a rule, molest
human beings, who see them employing their great strength on appar
ently insignificant objects with some amusement. Except one species,
most bears are largely fruit and vegetable feeders. The sloth-bear ol
India sucks up ants and grubs with its funnel-like lips ; the Malayan bear
is a honey-eater by profession, scarcely touching other food when it can
get the bees' store ; and only the great polar bear is entirely carnivorous.
The grizzly bear of the Northern Rocky mountains is largely a flesh
eater, consuming great quantities of putrid salmon in the Columbian
rivers. But the ice-bear is ever on the quest for living or dead flesh ;
it catches seals, de-

AN INVITING

A T T I I i Dl

The upright poiiti
ral to the broivn bear. It prefers
to sit on its hams, ar.d not to stand

vours young sea-
fowl and eggs, and
can actually kill
and cat the gigantic
walrus.

Every one will
have noticed the
deliberate flat-
footed walk of the
bears. This is due
partly to the for-
mation of the feet
themselves. The
whole sole is set flat
upon the ground,
and the impressions in a bear's track are not
unlike those of a man's footsteps. The claws
are not capable of being retracted, like those
of the Cats ; consequently they are worn at
the tips where the curve brings them in contact
with the ground. Yet it is surprising what
wounds these blunt but hard weapons will in-
flict on man — wounds resembling what might
be caused by the use of a very large garden-
rake. Against other animals protected by hair
bears' claws are of little use. Dogs would
never attack them so readily as they do were
they armed with the talons of a leopard or tiger.
The flesh-teeth in both jaws of the bear are
8

111 REE PERFORMING

Those on the right and left are Himalayan black bean,
collar is plainly seen

109

• met

HEARS

The ivhttr

HO THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

unlike those of other carnivora.
The teeth generally show that
bears have a mixed diet.
Bears appear to have de-
scended from some dog-like
ancestor, but to have been
much modified.

Except the ice-bear, all
the species are short and very
bulky. It is said that a polar
bear has been killed which
weighed 1,000 lbs. It is far
the largest, and most formida-
ble in some respects, of all the
carnivora. The claws of the
grizzly bear are sometimes 5
inches long over the outer
curve. All bears can sit up-
right on their hams, and stand
upright against a support like a
tree. Some can stand upright
with no aid at all. Except the
grizzly bear, they can all climb,
many of them very well. In
the winter, if it be cold, they
hibernate. In the spring, when
the shoots of the early plants
come up, they emerge, hungry
and thin, to seek their food.
Bears were formerly common
in Britain, and were exported
for the Roman amphitheatres.
The prehistoric cave-bears
were very large. Their re-
mains have been found in Devon, Derbyshire, and other counties. The species inhabiting Britain
during the Roman period was the common brown bear of Europe.

The Common Brown Bear.

Only one species of bear is found in Europe south of the ice-line, though above it the white
ice-bear inhabits Spitzbergen and the islands off the White Sea. This is the Brown Bear, the
emblem of Russia in all European caricature, and the hero of innumerable fragments of folk-
lore and fable, from the tents of the Lapps to the nurseries of American children. Except the ice-
bear, it is far the largest of European carnivora, but varies much in size. Russia is the main home
of the brown bear, but it is found in Sweden and Norway, and right across Northern Asia. It is also
common in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Caucasus, and in Mount Pindusin Greece. IntheSouth
it is found in Spain and the Pyrenees, and a few are left in the Alps. The dancing-bears commonly
brought to England and America arc caught in the Pyrenees. The " Queen's bear," so called
because its owner was allowed to exhibit it at Windsor, was one of these. But lately dancing-
bears from Servia and Wallachia have also been seen about our roads and streets. In Russia the bear
grows to a great size. Some have been killed of Soo lbs. in weight. The fur is magnificent in

uhutx.

EUROPEAN

BROWN BEAR

The specimen of the brown bear oj Europe from which this picture teas taken was an unusually
light and active hear. Its flanks are almost flat

T II E B E ;.\ K S

i i 1

I ■ ,r~.'

Photo h F. Lanjor]

' F,i/m,

SYRIAN BEAR

Thii is the hear generally alluded to in the Old Testament

winter, and in greal demand
for rich Russians' sledge rugs.

The finest hear skins of all are

bought for the caps of the

Grenadier and Coldstream

( iuards. In the Alps the hears

occasionally visit a cow shed

in winter and kill a COW : hut

as a rule the only damage done

by those in Europe is to the

sheep on the hills in the

far north of Norway. Tame

brown bears are amusing

creatures, but should never he

trusted. They are always

liable to turn savage, and the

bite is almost as severe as that

of a tiger. Men have had

their heads completely crushed

in by the bite of one of these

animals, in Russia hears are shot in the following manner. When the snow falls, the bears

retire into the densest thickets, and then- make a half-hut. half-burrow in the most tangled

part to hibernate in. The hear is tracked, and then a ring made round the cover by heaters

and peasants. The shooters follow the track and rouse the hear, which often charges them,

and is forthwith shot. If it escapes, it is driven in by the heaters outside. High fees are

paid to peasants who send information that a hear is harboured in this way. Sportsmen in

Petrograd will go 300 or 400 miles to shoot one on receipt of a telegram.

^^^^^^^mmm vwrr-r- - -— A Siberian peasant who wished to do a little hunt-

V V 'ng (,n his own account had a lively adventure. The

-„* Li hear had the best of it. knocked him down, and so

AMKm frightfully mangled his arm that he fainted. Bruin

then buried him in orthodox bear fashion ; and the
man. when he came to. which he fortunately did
before the bear came back, got up, and made his way
to the village. There he was for a long time ill. and
all through his sickness and delirium talked of noth-
ing hut shooting the bear. When he got well, he
disappeared into the forest with his gun. and after
a short absence returned with the bear's skin!

The Syrian Bear.

This bear, which figures in the story of Elisha,
is a variety of the brown bear. It is found from
the Caucasus to the mountains of Palestine, and is
a -mailer animal than the true brown bear, weigh-
ing about 300 lbs. The fur in summer is of a mixed
rusty colour, with a whitish collar on the chest. It
steals the grapes on Mount Horeb, and feeds upon
ripe fruits, apples, chestnuts, corn, and the like. It
is then ready to face the long winter sleep.

Photo h If. D. Daido] [Regent's Part

LARGE RUSSIAN BROWN BEAR

The picture shows to ivhat a si-ze and strength the
Jfoiun bear attains

112

T H E BK A R S

The Indian Sloth-bear.

Few people would believe that this awkward and ugly beast is so formidable as it is. It i^
die commonest Indian species, seldom cats flesh, prefers sucking up the contents of a white ants'
nest to any other meal, and is not very large; from 200 lbs. to 300 lbs. is the weight of a male.
But the skull and jaws are very strong, and the claws long and curved. As they are used almost
like a pickaxe when the bear wishes to dig in the hardest soil, their effect upon the human bod}'
can be imagined.

Sir Samuel Maker says that there are more accidents to natives of India and Ceylon from
this species than from any other animal.

Mr. Watts Jones writes an interesting account of his sensations while being bitten by one

*•%

■

Photo by C. Rrld]

A B R O W N B E A R IN SEARCH OF INSECTS
The photograph \h w) ■' beat feeding on insects^ possibly large ants, which he licks upfront the ground, after scratching them out with his claws

of these bears: " I was following up a bear which 1 had wounded, and rashly went to the mouth
of a cave to which it had got. It charged. I shot, but failed to stop it. I do not know exactly
what happened next, neither does my hunter who was with me ; but I believe, from the marks
in the snow, that in his rush the bear knocked me over backwards — in fact, knocked me three or
four feet away. When next I remembered anything, the bear's weight was on me, and he was bi-
ting my leg. He bit two or three times. I felt the flesh crush, but I felt no pain at all. It was
rather like having a tooth out with gas. I felt no particular terror, though I thought the bear
had got me; but in a hazy sort of way I wondered when he would kill me, and thought what a
fool I was to get killed by a stupid beast like a bear. The shikari then very pluckily came up
and fired a shot into the bear, and he left me. I felt the weight lift off me, and got up. I did
not think I was much hurt. . . . The main wound was a flap of flesh torn out of the inside of
my left thigh and left hanging. It was fairly deep, and I could see all the muscles working under-
neath when I lifted it up to clean the wound." This anecdote was sent to Mr. J. Crowther Hirst

THE BHAKS

I I 3

to illustrate a theory of his, that the killing of wild
animals by other animals is not a painful one.

Rustem Pasha, once Turkish Ambassador in
England, had an accident when brown bear shoot-
ing in Russia, and writes oi it in the same sense :
•• When I met the accident alluded to, the bear
injured both my hands, but did not tear off part of
the arm or shoulder. In the moment of desperate
struggle, the intense excitement and anger did, in
fact, render me insensible to the feeling of actual
]j.uii as the bear gnawed my left hand, which was
badly torn ami perforated with holes, most ol the
bi mes being broken."

There is good reason to believe that when
large carnivora, or beasts large in proportion to the
size of their victims, strike and kill them with a
great previous shock, the sense of pain is deadened.
Not so if the person or animal is seized quietly.
Then the pain is intense, though sometimes only
momentary. A tigress seized Mr. J. Hansard, a
forest officer in Ceylon, by the neck. In describing
his sensations afterwards, he said : " The agony 1
felt was something frightful. My whole skull seemed
as if it were being crushed to atoms in the jaws of
the gre.it brute. I certainly felt the most awful pain
as she was biting my neck ; but not afterwards, if I
can remember." Sir Samuel Baker says he has
twice seen the sloth-bear attack a howdah-elephant. Lord Edward St. Maur, son of the Duke
of Somerset, was killed by one. Mr. Sanderson, the head of the Government Elephant-catching
Department, used to hunt bears in the jungle with bull-terriers. Against these the bear was
unable to make a good fight. They seized it by the nose; and as its claws were not sharp like
those of the leopard, the bear could not get them off.

This bear seldom produces more than two or three young at a birth. The young cub is
very ugly, but very strong, especially in the claws and legs. A six weeks' old cub has been
turned upside-down in a basket, which was shaken violently, without dislodging the little animal
clinging inside.

The Isabelline Bear and Himalayan Black Bear.

The former animal is a medium-sized variety of the brown bear. The coat in winter is of a
beautiful silver tipped cinnamon colour. 'Hie 1 1 1 MALAYAN Black Bear has a half-moon of white i >n
its throat. The habits of both do not differ markedly from those of the brown bear of Europe.

Recently black bears have been most troublesome in Kashmir, attacking and killing and
wounding the wood-cutters with no provocation. Dr. E. T. Yerc, writing from Srinagar, says:
" Every year we have about half a dozen patients who have been mauled by bears. Most of our
people who are hurt are villagers or shepherds. Bears have been so shot at in Kashmir that,
although not naturally very fierce, they have become truculent. When they attack men, they
usually sit up and knock the victim over with a paw. They then make one or two bites at the
arm or leg, and often finish up with a -nap at the head. This is the most dangerous part of the
attack. One of our fatal cases this year was a boy, the vault of whose skull was torn off and
lacerated. Another man received a compound fracture of the cranium. A third had the bones

Photo by FratelU J'.inari] (F/or*n..

P (I1.AK B E A R S

Though Arctic animals i polar bears tan endure great heat.
During a " heat tuave ' ' at Hamburgh Herr C. Hagenbet k
found tivo oj his leopards suffering from heat apoplcxx^ but the
polar bean ivcre enjoying the sun

114 T H E LIVING ANIMALS OF THE W O R L D

of his face smashed and lacerated. He had an axe, but said. 'When the hear sat up, my
courage failed me.' "

The Malayan Sun-bear.

These small, smooth-coated hears have a yellow throat-patch like a mustard plaster, and
are altogether the most amusing and comical of the tribe. They are almost as smooth as a
pointer dog. and are devoted to all sweet substances which can be a substitute for honey,
their main delicacy when wild. There are always a number of these bears at the Zoo inces-
santly begging for food. When one gets a piece of sugar, he cracks it into small pieces, sticks
them on the back of his paw, and licks the mess until the paw is covered with sticky syrup,
which he eats with great gusto. This bear is found in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra.
and Java. It is only 4 feet high, or sometimes half a foot taller. It is more in the habit
of walking upright than any other species.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA.

The Coatis.

THE Coatis arc small arboreal creatures, with the habits of a raccoon and squirrel
fairly proportioned! They are flesh-eaters, but active and playful. Their long pig-
like snouts give them an unpleasant appearance. They inhabil Mexico and Central
and South America as far as Paraguay. Several specimens are generally to be seen at the
Zoological Gardens. Their habits are much the same as those of the small tree climbing cats,
but with something of the badger added, tnsects and worms, as well as birds and small
animals, form their food.

The Tax has and Kinkajou.

Among the small carnivorous mammals the Bear-cat, or Panda, is a very interesting crea-
ture. Its colour is striking — a beautiful red-chestnut above, the lower surface jet-black, the tail
long and ringed. The quality of the fur is tine also. It is found in the Eastern Himalaya, and
i- as large as a badger. The Gkkat Panda, from Eastern Tibet, is a much larger, short-tailed,
black-and-white animal, once thought to be a bear. The Kinkajou has a prehensile tail, and
uses its paws as hands so readily that it was formerly placed among the lemurs. It is a native
of Southern and intertropical America. Nocturnal, and living in the great forests, it is seldom

seen by man. Its head is
round and cat-like, its feet
are the same, but with non-
retractile claws, and it has a
long, full tail. It has a long
tongue, with which it can lick
out insects from the crevices
and holes of trees. Baron
von Humboldt says that it
attacks the nests of wild bees.
It uses its tongue to draw
objects of food towards it,
even if they are not living.
A pleasant description of this
animal appeared in Charles
Knight's "Museum of Ani-
mated Nature," published
many years ago: "In its as-
GREAT PANDA pect there is something of

This very rare animal is found on the high plateau of Tibet gentleness and good-nature.

1" ; ' "-*.. , 1

— . .....

- •

■

__ _

k.' ^^H

L__ ....

Il6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

In captivity it is extremely playful, Familiar, and fond of
being noticed. One lived in the gardens of the Zoological
Society for seven years. During the greater part of the
morning it was asleep, rolled up in a ball in its cage. In
the afternoon it would come out, traverse its cage, take food.
and play with those to whom it was accustomed. Clinging
to the top wires of its cage with its tail and hind paws, it
would thus sw iny itself backwards and forwards. When thus
hanging, it would bring its fore paws to the bars, as well
a> the hind pair, and in this manner would travel up ami
down its cage with the utmost address, every now and then
thrusting out its long tongue between the wires, as if in quest
ot food, which, when offered to it, it would endeavour t"
draw in between the wires with this organ. It was very fond
of being gently stroked and scratched, and when at play with
any one it knew it would pretend to bite, seizing the hand
or fingers with its teeth, as a dog will do when playing with
its master. As the evening came on. it was full of anima-
tion, and exhibited in every movement the most surprising
energy."

TTIF. OTTERS.

Photo uy Scholastic Photo Co., Partont i'.rttn

KINKAJOU
The khiajou eats birds and eggs as well as
h ney and fruit. One kept in South America
killed a nohoh brood of turkeys, and -was partial
to birds' eggs.

As the badgers and ratels seem especially adapted t" an
underground and cave-making existence, so the < )tters all
conform in structure to an aquatic life; yet, except the web
bing of the space between the toes and the shortening and
flattening of the head, there is very little obvious change

in their structure to meet the very great difference in the conditions under which they live.
The Short-toed Otter is a small Indian species. It has nails on its hands in place of

claws. One kept at the Zoo was a most amusing and friendly little pet, which let itself be

nursed like a kitten.

lhe Common Otter is

far the most attractive of the

British carnivora. It is still

fairly common all over Britain

where fish exist. It is found

on the Norfolk broads and

rivers, all up the Thames, in

Scotland. Devonshire, Wales.

Cumberland, and Northum

berland. It travels consider-
able distances from river to

river, and sometimes yets into

a preserved trout-pool or
breeding pond, and does much

mischief. The beautiful youno
otters here figured are in Mr.
Percy Leigh Pemberton's col-
lection of British mammals.
Their owner made a large
brick tank for them, where

lit permission of PtrC) Leigh Prmhrrton, Esq.

VOUNG OTTERS

Otterst ivhen taken youngs can be trained to catch fish for their owners.
employ them for this purpose

In India several tribes

THE SMALL K R C A R X 1 V ( ) R A

I I

they wore allowed to catch live fish.
( )nce one <>! them seized a 4 lb. pike
by the tail. The pike wriggled round

and seized the otur's paw. but was
soon placed hors de combat. The
largest otter which the writer has seen
was bolted by a ferret from a rabbit-
warren on the edge of tile Norfolk
feu at I lockwold, and shot by the
keeper, who was rabbiting.

English dog otters sometime;
weigh as much as 26 lbs. 'They
regularly hunt down the rivers by
night, returning before morning to
their holt, where they sleep by day.
\d iisli stands a chance with them.
I hey swim after the fish in the open
river, chase it under tin- bank, and
then corner it. or seize it witli a rush,
just as the penguins catch gudgeon at
the Zoo. Captain Salvin owned a
famous tame otter which used to go
for walks with him. and amuse itself
by catching fish in the roadside ponds.

Tin'. BADGERS.

T W O TAME OTTERS
These two little otters were photographed by the Dm hesi t Bedf rd. Alluding
to the old signs of the zodiac and their fondness for the watering-pat, their portrait
was called " Aquarius" and " The Twins."

Tin-: Badgers include several

genera. The Sand-badgers of the

East have a naked snout, small ears,

and rough fur. with softer fur underneath. The Indian Badgkr is larger than that of Europe,

while that of Java, Sumatra, and Borneo is smaller, and lias a very short tail.

The Ferret-badgers from the East
have elongated bodies and short tails.
They are tree-climbers, and as omniv-
orous as the badger itself. The Cape
Zorilla, with another species found in
Egypt, is more nearly allied to the
polecats, hut is striped like a skunk.

The European Badger is still fairly
numerous. There is not a county in
England where it is not found. A large
colony has keen established in Epping
Forest, some fifty yards square of hill-
side being honeycombed with badger
earths. The European hadger is found
all over temperate Northern Europe
and Asia; but being shy, wary, and
mainlv nocturnal, is seldom seen. At

Phtf tf Schttasllt Phcf. Co.] [Parian, C.r„n . , . ...

EUROPEAN BADGER m^X " Wa"derS ^ and, '" Au?U?t

gets into tlie corn-fields, whence it is

Badgers can be readih kept in confinement, and are not difficult to tame

.,/./,. chasei1 ;i"(1 caught by dogs. A Somer-

I 1 8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto by C. Rlid]

BADGER IN THE WATER

Thes are nocturnal animals

[trishaw, N.B.

setshire farmer had
a pointer and sheep-
dog which were
adepts at this night
catching of badgers.
They would accom-
pany their master
along the roads, and
the pointer instantly
winded any badger
which had crossed.
Both dogs then
bounded off, and soon
their loud barking
showed that they had
found and "held up"
the badger. The dogs'
owner then came up.
picked the badger up
by its tail, and drop-
ped it in a sack. The
badger's "earth" is

wonderfully deep and winding ; in it the badger sleeps during the winter, and gives birth to its
young, three or four of which are produced at a time. The end of March is the period of birth,
but the cubs do not come out until June. In October they are full-grown. The badger carries
in a great quantity of fern and grass as a bed for its cubs. Mr. Trevor-Battye writes : "I had a
pair which were probably about six weeks old. They were called Gripper and Nancy. They
would rest on my lap when feeding, and sit up and beg like dogs. Their hearing and power of
scent were remarkable. The badgers were in a closed yard; but if any of the dogs came near,
even following a path which ran at a distance of six or seven yards, they would instantly jump
off my lap and disappear into
a corner. The animals could
walk and trot backwards with
the greatest ease." I have
never seen this noticed else-
where, yet it is worth men-
tinning, because it is char-
acteristic of the Weasel
Family, not being shared,
to my knowledge, by any
Other mammal — not, for in-
stance, by the Bears.

Mr. A. E. Pease says of
the badger: "It is easily
domesticated, and if brought
up by hand is found an in-
teresting and charming com-
panion. T had at one time
two that I could do anything
with, and which followed me
so closely that they would

Phut bj A. S. RuJljn.l if Sens

R A T E L

Ratels are curiously restless little animals, with a peculiar trot-like 'wait

THE SMALL E R C A R X IVOR A

119

bump against my boots each step I took, and come and snuggle in under my coat when I sat
down."

Till R \ I ELS.

As the mink is adapted for an aquatic diet, SO the Ratels, a link between the Weasels and
the Badgers, seem to have been specialised to live upon insects and honey as well as flesh. They
are quaint creatures, with rounded iron-gray backs, and black bellies, no3es, and feet. The
African kind is found in Cape Colony and East Africa, and is believed to live largely on honey
and bee-brood. The habits of the ratel are almost identical with those of the badger, except that
it is less shy and very restless. A nearly similar species of ratel is found in Southern Asia from
the Caspian to India.

The ratels are strictly nocturnal, and make their lair by day in hollow trees, though they
arc said not to climb. The skin is protected by thick, close hair, so that bees cannot sting
through the fur. The skin is also very loose. If a dog bites it, the ratel can generally twist
round and bite back. The African ratel is omnivorous. It eats snakes and birds. The body of
a cobra has been found in the stomach of one.

THE WEASF.L TRIBE.
The Martens.

There are two species of marten in Europe — the Beech- and the Pine-marten. The latter
has a yellow throat, the former a white one. The fur is almost as fine as sable. All so-called
Canadian sables are really martens. These animals are found throughout Northern Europe and
Northern Asia, and also in Japan. It is a tree-loving animal, and feeds mainly on squirrels,
which it pursues through the branches. It is also fond of fruit. Mr. Charles St. John discovered
this in a curious way. He noticed that his raspberries were being stolen, so set a trap among
the canes. Next day all he could see was a heap of newly gathered raspberry leaves where the
trap was. Stooping down to move them, a marten sprang up and tried to defend itself. The
poor beast had come to gather more raspberries, and had been caught. Unable to escape, it
gathered the leaves near and concealed itself.

The Sable.

This is so little different from the marten that some have thought it only a northern variety.
That is not the case, as both are found in the same area, and no one who knows anything of
form and colour could mistake the true sable's fur. This fur is so fine and even that each
single bair tapers gradually to a point: that is why sable brushes for painting are so valu-
able: they always form a point when wet. The price of these brushes, which are of genuine
sable fur. though made up from fragments of the worst coloured or damaged skins, varies
yearly with the price of sable in the market.

The Polecat.

This is now probably the rarest of the European weasels. It is almost identically the same
as the polecat-ferret, a cross-breed between it and the domesticated variety. It is an expert
swimmer. Its habits are the same as those of the stoat, but it is slower in its movements.
It catches fish, and can pick up food from the bottom of the water. Wild ones can be trained
to work like ferrets. "They do not delay in the hole, but follow the rat out and catch it in a
couple of bounds" (Trevor-Battye). The Ferret is a domesticated breed of polecat. It is iden-
tical in shape and habits, but unable to stand a cold climate.

CHAPTER VIII.
MARINE CARN1V0RA: THE SEALS, SEA-LION, AND WALRUS.

Til ERE are three
families of the Sea
Carni vora, — the
Fur-seals, or Eared Seals;
the Walrus; and the True
or Earless Seals.

The first group, which
are called Eared Seals, and
occasionally Sea-LIONS and
Sea-bears, have a small i iuter
car, anil when <>n land the
hind flippers are folded for-
wards beneath the body.
There is a distinct neck, and
on the flippers are rudiment-
ary claws. Some of the eared
seals have the close and fine
under-fur which makes their
capture so remunerative.
Under the skin there is often
a t h i c k layer of blubber,
which is also turned to commercial uses by the sealers.

The Walrus stands by itself. It is a purely Arctic species, whereas fur-seals are found
from Bering Sea to the .Antarctic ; and forms in some degree a connecting link between the
cared seals and the true seals. Like the former, it turns the front flippers forwards and inwards
when on land ; but it resembles the true seals in having no external ears. The upper canine
teeth are developed into enormous tusks of hard ivory.

The Common Seals are the most thoroughly aquatic. The hind flippers seem almost to
have coalesced with the tail, and are always directed backwards in line with it. They have no
under-fur. On land they can only use the front flippers to aid their progress.

Most seals arc marine, though some arc found in the land-locked sea of Lake Baikal, in
Central Asia, and the true seals often come up rivers.

Tin-; Eared Seals, ok Si a i i i\-.

These and the walrus have their hind limbs so far free that they can crawl on land and use
their flippers for other purposes than swimming; the}- can comb their hair with them, and walk
in an awkward way. They an- divided into the fur-seals and hair-seals in tin- language of trade.
Tlie fur-seals are those from which ladies' sealskin jackets are made ; the hair-seals are sought
for their hides and oil. A demand has sprung up for the latter to make coats for automobilists
to wear when riding at high speed in cold weather. The " porpoise-hide " boot- arc really made
from the skin of the hair-seal.

Both hair-seal- and fur-seals have in common the remarkable habit of assembling in large

120

Photo h a. if. it ihov e- Co., ltd.)

STELLER'S SEA-LION

The eared seal, or sea-lion, has the kind flippers divided, and is thus able to tnot-e toith . n

paiative ease on land

MARINE CARNIVORA

I 2 I

herds during the breeding-season, and of spending a long period on land after the young an
born. The male seals reach the islands, or "rookeries," first, followed by the females. The
latter give birth to their young almost as soon as they reach the rocks, and are then seized and
gathered into harems by the strongest and oldest males. The sea-lions ol Patagonia, equally
with the fur-seals ol Bering Sea and the Pribyloff Islands, never feed during the whole time
which they spend on the rocks, often for a period of two months.

The Fur seals.
The Northern Fur-seal is the only member of this group surviving in any number.
These animals still annually resort to the Aleutian Islands, in the territory of Alaska, in great
herds to produce their young, and to certain other islets off the coast of Japan. This northern
fur-seal, from the fur of which the sealskin jackets are obtained, is, when full grown, between
6 ,im\ 7 feet long. The females are only 4 feet or 4}.. feet in length. The shoulder of the male
i> gray, the rest of the body varying between reddish gray and deep black. The female is lighter
in colour. Males of this species are not full grown till six years of age, but breed when four
years old. The females produce young at three years of age. The male seals take possession
of the female> almost immediately after reaching the breeding grounds, each male collecting as
man}- females as it can round il The pups keep with their mothers. This assemblage is
surrounded by great numbers of young male or bachelor seals, which the old males prevent from
annexing any of the females. The greatest of all these gathering-places are on the Pribyloff
Islands and certain other islets in Bering Sea. By the end of May both male and female seals
swim in flocks through Bering Straits, making for the islands. The islands themselves are
leased to American merchants. But as those seals killed on the way are all just about to bring
forth young, tin- waste and cruelty of this •• pelagic sealing" will be easily understood. On the
islands, or •• rookeries," the males, mothers, and pups remain till August, when the pups take to
the water. The male seals have remained for at least two m uiths, incessantly lighting and
watching, without taking any food. By that time they are quite exhausted, the fat which they
laid up previously being all absorbed. The fur has not naturally either the coloui or texture

phut b) a. n: h 11,0* & ,

SEA-LION

This photograph shoivs the dry mane of the sea-lion, a rather uncommon sight, as it rarefy remains long ei

to become absolutely dry

[Abrrjetr.

out oj the water for its fur

122 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

which art gives it. The outer fur is long and coarse,
and only the inner fur of the exquisite texture of the
" made " skin. The former is removed, and the latter
dyed to the rich brown colour which we see. The fur-
seals are steadily diminishing, and each year's catch is
smaller than that of the year before.

The Cape Fur-seal, Southern Fur-seal, and
New Zealand Fur-seal are practically extinct for
commercial purposes.

B) r permiilton of Profeslor Bumpus

SEA-LION

All sea-lions are polygamous. The males guard their
harems 1'cry jealously , an J fight determinedly 'with any
intruder

The Hair-seals.

Among these are the large so-called " sea-lions "
of Patagonia and the North Pacific. We are familiar
with their appearance, because for many years speci-
mens have been kept at the Zoological Gardens.
Their habits are much the same as those of the
fur-seals. The principal species are, in the north,
Steller's Sea-lion, and the Patagonian Sea-lion
in the south. Those kept at the Zoological Gardens
are usually of the latter species.

Steller's Sea-lion is already on the road to
extinction. When the annual catch of fur-seals
reached 100,000 a year, the total number of these
northern sea-lions was estimated at between 30,000
and 40,000. They repair every year to the Pribyloff
Islands to breed, as the fur-seals do, but are shier and
more entirely aquatic. The fur of the old males is
tawny, and makes a kind of mane over the shoulders,
whence its name. Off San Francisco there is a small
rocky island, one of the ancient " rookeries " of these sea-lions, where they are carefully preserved
by the United States Government as one of the sights of the bay. Another favourite haunt in
old days was on the Farralone Islands, thirty miles from the bay.

Southwards, towards the Antarctic, on the desolate and uninhabited coasts and islets of the
Far Southern Ocean, the most characteristic of the fauna still remaining are the sea-lions. For-
merly they swarmed in great packs, crowding at the breeding-season the seaweed-covered rocks
with their huge and unwieldy forms, and at other times cruising in uncouth and noisy companies
in search of the fishes and squids, which they pursued like packs of ocean-wolves. In spring the
sea-lions used to struggle on to the flat shore, where the equally aquatic tribes of penguins, which
had lost the use of their wings, covered acre after acre of rock with their eggs and young.
These the sea-lions devoured. When the men of the first exploring-ships visited the penguins'
nurseries, all the ungainly birds began to hop inland, evidently taking the men for seals, and
thinking it best to draw them as far from their native element as possible. But the eared seals
can make good progress of a kind on land. When Captain Musgrave and his crew were cast
away for twenty months on the Auckland Islands, they found their tracks on the top of a hill
four miles from the water. Captain Musgrave also saw the mother seals teaching their puppies
to swim ; they were by no means inclined to do this, and were afraid of the water — fairly clear
presumptive evidence that seals have only recently, so far as natural time is counted, taken to the
aquatic life, and modified their form so profoundly as they have.

The Patagonian Sea-lion i- perhaps the most numerous species, though its numbers have

MARINE CARNIVORA 123

been greatly reduced by whalers in search of skins and oil. The first sea-lion ever brought
here was one of these. The Zoological Society did not import it; they found it in the pos-
session of a Frenchman called Lecomte, who hail taken it on the 1'atagonian coast, trained it, and
brought it home, where he showed it in a caravan. Its training was long and difficult; it bit like
a bull-dog, and Lecomte's limbs were scarred all over with its bites. In spite of this it was the
cleverest performing animal ever seen up to that time in England. This sea-lion died from swal-
lowing a fish-hook concealed in some fish with which it was led. Lecomte was then sent out by
the Zoological Society to obtain some more. With the greatest difficulty several were secured,
but all died on the voyage to New York. Lecomte returned and obtained others, one of which
he succeeded in bringing here. The cleverness of these animals — or rather their power of
understanding what they are required to do, and their willingness to do it — -probably exceeds that
of any other animal, except the elephant and the dog. Why this is so is not easy to conjecture,
except that the brain is more developed. They have been taught to fetch and carry on dry land
like a retriever, in addition to the well-known tricks exhibited by those at the Zoo. One be-
longing to Barnum's Show caught strawberry-punnets on its nose when they were thrown to it,
and waved a torch, which it held in its teeth and caught after tossing it into the air.

The sea-lions are much more powerful animals than the fur-seals. The male of Steller's sea-
lion attains a length of 10 feet and a weight of i.ooolbs. The AUSTRALIAN Sea-LION is even
larger than that of the North Pacific. Some specimens are said to attain 12 feet in length. Cap-
tain Cook mentions seeing male 1'atagonian sea-lions 14 feet long and from 8 to 10 feet in cir-
cumference. Though none arc now seen of such dimensions, skulls found on the beach show
that anciently some of the sea-lions were larger than any now known.

It should be noted that all these creatures are carnivorous, yet the supply of food for them
never seems to fail, as undoubtedly it would were the animals dependent for their food on land.

H) rtrminion of lierr Carl Hagenbttb] [Hamburg

FEMALE WALRUS

This is a photograph of the only ivalrus tvhich has ever been tamed and taught to perform tricks It was taken ivhen she 'was two years ola
and weighed jSo lbs. At that time she consumed yo lbs. of boneless fish a day ,* a year later not less than ioq lbs. satisfied her. She is now
an inmate of the Roumanian Zoological Gardens

124 THE LIVING ANIMALS O F THK WORLD

B> nrmittion af the Hen. Walter Rothichild]

M ALE WALRUS

The " lusJti " of the walrus are put to many practical uses during life,
and after death are much -ralued for the ivot v

The Walrus.

The distinguishing features of the walrus
have been mentioned in the introductory re

marks to this chapter. It should be added
that it has an external ear-passage, though no
external ears, and very thick and bristly whis-
kers. It is practically confined to the Arctic
Circle, though once its range extended to the
■K»~ *Mj^ J*tf» ■ rim *_ British coasts (where its bones are found in

^'^■23^B^^*~ the Suffolk Crag) .mil to Virginia. The skull
of one was found in the peat at Ely — evidence
that it once ascended rivers.

The walrus stands alone; it is a real mon-
ster of the deep. Strange and awful stories
were told of it by some of the early voyagers
to the Arctic Seas; but Captain Cook gave a very different account of his impressions of
the walruses which he saw on the north coast of America: "They lie in herds of many
hundreds on the ice, huddling over one another like swine. (They lie just like a lot of pigs
in a yard.) They roar and bray so very loud, that in the night, or in foggy weather, they
gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice before we could see it. We never found the whole
herd asleep, some being always on the watch These, on the approach of the boat, would
awaken those next to them ; and the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole
herd would awake presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to get away, till after they had
been once fired at; they then would tumble over one another into the sea in the utmost con-
fusion Thej- did not appear to us to be that dangerous animal which authors have described,
not even when attacked. Vast numbers of them would follow us, and come close up to the
boats ; but the flash of the musket in the pan, or the bare pointing of it, would send them down
in an instant. The female will defend her young to the last, and at the expense of her own life,
whether in the water or upon the ice; nor will the young one quit the dam, though she be dead ;
so that if one be killed the other is certain prey." The long pendent tusks, bristly whiskers,
small bloodshot eyes, and great size lent colour to the terrifying tales of the walrus. But more
ancient voyagers than Captain Cook told the truth — that the " morses," as they called them, were
harmless creatures, which often followed the ships from sheer curiosity. They sleep on the ice
like elephantine pigs, and dive and rout on the sea-bottom for clams, cuttle-fish, and seaweeds.
Probably the long tusks are used to rake up mussels and clams ; they also help the walrus to
climb on to the ice. A young walrus was kept for some time by the members of the Jackson-
Harmsworth Expedition, and was found to be an amusing pet. One kept on board a Dundee
whaler used to sleep with an Eskimo dog, and got into the same kennel with it. It ate blubber
and salt pork, but liked the sailors' pea soup better than anything else; it was most sociable, and
could not bear to be alone— would tumble down the hatchway to seek the society of its beloved
sailor-, and scramble into the cabin if the door were Open. When it fell ill and before it died, it
seemed most grateful for any attention shown to it. The parent walrus shows the greatest cour-
ii trying to defend the young one. Walruses are now scarce; but as the ivory is the only
part of them of much present value, there is a chance that the)- may not be killed off entirely.

The True Seals.
The True Seals, with their greatly modified forms, heads set almost on to their shoulders,
with no neck visible, have well-developed claws on all the toes, and in the typical species have

double-rooted and small cheek teeth. The number of the incisors is variable. The Gray Seal
o<" the North Atlantic is a large species which visits the North British coasts and the Hebrides.

M A R I N E C ARM V O R A

125

One old male shot off the coast of Connemara weighed nearly 400 lbs., and was 8 feet long. It
is found off Scandinavia and eastwards to the coast of Greenland, and breeds off our coasts in
( ). tober and November. This is the large seal occasionally shot up Scutch lochs. Its colour is
yellowish gray, varied with blots and patches of dirty black- and brown.

The Common Si \i
This seal is smaller than the preceding. It breeds on parts of the Welsh and Cornish coasts,
and is found on both sides of the Atlantic and in the North Pacific. It assembles in small herds, and
frequents lochs, estuaries, and river mouths. In the summer it is fond of following flounders and
sea-trout tip rivers. A few years ago one came up the Thames and was shot at Richmond. The
young arc born in June, and are grayish white. The adults are variously mottled with gray,
brown, ami black. The fondness of seals for music is proverbial. Macgillivray, the Scotch
naturalist, said that in the Hebrides he could bring half a score of them within forty yards of him
bv a few notes on his flute, when they would swim about with their heads above water like so
many black dogs. A seal was captured by the servants of a landowner near Clew Bay, on the
west coast of Ireland, and kept tame for four years. It became so attached to the house that,
after being carried out to sea three times, it returned on each occasion. The cruel wretches who
owned it then blinded it, out of curiosity to see whether it could find its way back sightless.
The poor animal did so after eight days.

The common seal is still fairly numerous on the rock)- western coasts of the British islands,
though a few old seals, unable to forget their early habits, appear now and then in Morecambe
Bay and in the Solway. It is not uncommon off the coasts of Caithness and Sutherland. It also
frequents a sand-bank in the Dornoch Firth, though it has been much persecuted there. The
common seal is gregarious, while
the gray seal usually lives only in
pairs, or at most in small com-
panies. Two or three dozen like
to lie closely packed on shore with
all their heads turning seawards.
The white hair of the young seals
— which, as already said, arc born
in June — is shed in a day or two,
when the young take to the water.
With regard to their reputed mu-
sical proclivities, some experi-
ments made at the Zoological
Gardens did not bear out this
belief; but there is much evi-
dence that in a state of nature
they will approach and listen to
music. The common seal has a
large brain capacity, and is a very
intelligent creature. The upper
parts of this seal are yellowish
gray, spotted with black and
brown, the under parts being
silver-gray.

The Harp-seal is an Arctic
or ice-seal which sometimes finds
its way here. The young are born
0

81 rtrmisiien of Htrr Carl Hxigfnbrtt] [Hamburg

WALRUS AND SKA-LION

Another photograph of the -walrus tamed by Htrr Carl Hagenheck. Notice the sea-lion in
the right-hand corner^ which also formed one of the same performing troupe

126 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phett h) nrt and S.n] [ Umlng Hill

GRAY SEAL

iteals are not so tvell adapted as sea-lions for getting about on the dry landt and, except for
their habit of coming ashore to bask in the sunt are thoroughly aquatic

on ice-floes. It is found in great
herds in Davis Straits, on the
coasts of Greenland and in the
greater part of the frozen Arctic
Ocean. It is the animal which
the sealing-vessels which hunt
seals for oil and " hair " — that is,
the leather of the skins, not the
fur — seek and destroy. In the old
days they could be seen in tens
of thousands blackening square
miles of ice. They are still so
numerous that in Danish Green-
land more than 30,000 are taken
each year. The Ringed Seal is
a small variety, not more than 3
or 4 feet in length, found in great
numbers in the Far North. Its
flesh is the main food of the
Eskimo, and its skin the clothing of the Greenlanders. The seals make breathing-holes in the
ice. There the Eskimo waits with uplifted spear for hours at a time, until the seal comes up to
breathe, when it is harpooned. The Bladder-nosed Seal is a large spotted variety, with a
curious bladder-like crest on the head and nose of the male. Unlike all other seals, it some-
times resists the hunters and attacks the Eskimo in their kayaks.

If any evidence were needed of the great destruction which the sealing and whaling
industry causes, and has caused, among the large marine animals, the case of the Elephant-seals
ought to carry conviction. These are very large seals, the male of which has a projecting nose
like a proboscis. They were formerly found both north and south of the Equator, their main
haunts being on the coast of California, and on the islands of the South Pacific and Antarctic
Ocean. They are gigantic compared with the common seals, some of the males being from 16
to 20 feet long. Cuttle-fish and seaweed are the principal food of this seal, which was formerly
seen in astonishing numbers. The whaling-ships which hunted both these seals and sperm-
whales at the same time almost destroyed those which bred on the more accessible coasts, just as
the earlier whalers entirely destroyed Steller's sea-cow, and their modern descendants destroyed
the southern right-whales. The elephant-seal is now very scarce, and when one is killed the
skin is regarded as something of a curiosity.

In the records of the voyage of the Challenger it is stated that there were still great
numbers of the elephant-seals surviving near Heard Island, and not a few round the shores of
Kerguelen Island. Professor Moseley states that on the windward shore of Heard Island " there
is an extensive beach, called Long Peach. This was covered with thousands of sea-elephants in
the breeding-season ; but it is only accessible by land, and then only by crossing two glaciers.
No boat can safely land on this shore; consequently men are stationed on the beach, and
live there in huts. Their duty is constantly to drive the sea-elephants from this beach into the
sea, which they do with whips made out of the hides of the seals themselves. The beasts thus
ousted swim oil", and often ' haul up,' as the term is, upon the accessible beach beyond. In very
stormy weather, when they are driven into the sea, they are forced to betake themselves to the
sheltered side of the island. Two or three old males, which are called ' beach-masters,' hold a
beach for themselves and cover it with cows, but allow no other males to haul up. They fight
furiously, and one man told me that he had seen an old male take a young one up in his teeth
and throw him over, lifting him in the air. The males show fight when whipped, and arc with

Bi permiinon of th* Neiv )'cri Zoological Sodtty

CAL1KORNIAN SEA-LIONS, OR EARED SEALS
Seal-J/crdsform " rookeries" tvhen on land at the breed:ng-seasons during -which lime they undergo a complete fast

128 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

great difficult}' driven into the sea. The females gi\e birth to their young soon after their
arrival. The new-born young ones are almost black, unlike the adults, which are of a light slate-
brown. They are suckled by the female for some time, and then left to themselves, lying on the
beach, where they seem to grow fat without further feeding. They are always allowed by the
sealers to lie like this, ' in order to make more oil.' This account was corroborated by all the sealers
I met, but I do not understand it. Probably the cows visit their offspring unobserved from time
to time. Peron says that both parent elephant-seals stay with the young without taking any
food at all till the latter are about six or seven weeks old, and that the old one> conduct the
young to the water and carefully keep them company. The rapid increase in weight is in
accordance with Peron's account. Goodridge gives a somewhat different story — namely, that
after the females leave the young the old males and the pups proceed inland, as far as t,vo miles
sometimes, and stop without food for more than a month, during which time they lose fat The
male sea-elephants come ashore for the purpose of breeding about the middle of August, the
females a little later."

Formerly the elephant-seals were found as far north as the Californian coast, where their
capture was the main business of the sealing-traders. This species also formed the mainstay of
the far southern sealers. As the elephant-seals were killed off, so the business became less and
less profitable. It is to be hoped that the voyages of exploration to the Antarctic ice-fringe will
not lead to the discovery of fresh sealing-grounds, for if this is the case there is little chance that
any of the southern seals will escape entire destruction. Some form of close time has already
been enforced in the pursuit of the hair-seals of Northern Europe; but it is very desirable that
the species still found on our own coasts should also receive protection. Except when they paid
visits to the fixed salmon-nets, they never did any harm ; and fixed nets are now illegal. When
a seal learned the use of the stake-nets, which these animals were very quick to understand, it
would wait quietly till it saw a fish caught, and then swim up and carry it off before the fisher-
men could take it.

Two species — namely, the Common Seal and Gkav Seal — still regularly visit our shores.
The common seal breeds on our southwestern coasts, and the gray seal off the Hebrides. If the
common seal were accorded a close time, its numbers would probably increase ; and the spectacle
of such interesting creatures visible on our coast could not fail to be of great interest. All the
old legends of mermaids and wild men of the sea are based on the capture of seals. Perhaps the
most ancient is one which records such a capture in the river near Orford Castle, in Suffolk, in
the reign of Henry II. The ignorant soldiers were persuaded that it was a man, and tortured it

to make it speak. They then took it
to the church, and showed it the
sacred emblems. As it " showed no
reverence," they took it back to the
castle, and led it on fish. It was al-
lowed to go into the riser, but re-
turned to its captors of its own accord.
Later it swam away to the sea. The
monk who recorded the story stated
his conviction that this seal was an
evil spirit which had got into the
body of a drowned sailor. A gray
seal was taken not many years ago in
the creek leading up to the little town
of Wells, in Norfolk. It was so tame

B) fi-mitlitn tf th, Hon. Ujllrr Rmhuhlld] [.J ring .

H A R p - s f. A L tuat ' fishermen caught it by throw

Tie iarp-xal coma from Greenland i»g COatS OVer it as it lay OH the mud

SEA-ELEPHANT
That emrmoul seals (about 20 feet in length) are becoming very scarce. When the-) come ashore, they are easily approached, though not
arc much -valued for their oil. Note the trunk-like prolongation of the nose, which, ivhen the animal is excited, becomes

:o easily killed. They
tistended

]-'<)

CHAPTER IX.

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS.

HE Rodents, or Gnawing Mammals, have all
the same general type of teeth, from which
the order receives its distinctive name. There
are a very large number of families and of genera among
the rodents, more than in any other order of mammals.
All the rodents possess a pair of long chisel-shaped in-
cisor teeth in each jaw. The ends of these teeth are
worn into a sharp edge which cuts like a steel tool. In
most rodents these are the only teeth in that part of the
jaw, a wide gap intervening between them and the other
teeth. The hares, rabbits, and calling-hares have a
minute pair of teeth set just behind the large pair in
the upper jaw. The grindnig-teeth are set far back,
and are never more than six in number, these being
sometimes reduced to four. Rodents generally have
five toes on the fore feet; in the hind feet there are in
some cases only four, or even three. None of the
species are of great size ; the largest, the Capybara, t.
water-living animal of South America, is about the
dimensions of a small pig. But the number of species
of small rodents is prodigious, and their fecundity so
great that they constantly increase in favourable seasons
until they become a
plague. Voles, lem-
mings, field-mice,
and rabbits are constant sources of loss to agriculture in their
seasons of extraordinary increase. Most rodents feed on
vegetables, though rats and mice have developed carniv-
orous tastes. No rodents have canine teeth.

The Squirrels.

Those of the order of Gnawing Animals which have
only two incisors in each jaw, and no rudimentary teeth like
those possessed by the hares, are called " Simple-toothed
Rodents." Of these the family usually placed first in order
is that of the Squirrels and their allies. The True Squirrels
and Marmots have fixe molar teeth on each side <>f the
upper jaw.

Squirrels are found in nearly every temperate part of
the globe, from Norway to Japan, and in very great numbers
in India and the tropics. Everywhere the}' are favourites ;

130

Phut by tV. P. Danii]

CAPYBARA

This, the largest of the rodents, is found by the rivers of
South America

B ftrmtsiion ../ Prtfttttr Bumfui, Ntw fori

Flying-sqjuirrel

One of the small species of the group

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 131

and though they do sonic
mischief in highly cultivated
countries, they arc among
the most harmless of crea-
tures. Most of them live on
wild nuts and the kernels of
fruit ; they suck eggs occa-
sionally, and in Canada will
come to the traps in ex-
treme cold and eat the meat
with which they are baited.

The Red Squirrel.

This, the common squirrel
here, is representative of the
whole order. In old Scandi-
navian legends the squirrel
is represented as the mes-
senger of the gods, who car-
ried the news of what was
going on in the world to
the other animals. Together
with its close relations, it is
die most graceful of all
climbers of trees. With its
long tail waving behind it,
it races up or down the
trunks and across the for-
ests from branch to branch
as easily as a horse gallops
across a plain. It will de-
scend the trunk head down-
wards as fast as it runs up.
Squirrels pair for life, and
are most affectionate little
creatures, always playing or
doing gymnastics together. The squirrel builds a very good house, in which lie shows himself
far more sensible than the monkeys and apes ; it is made of leaves, moss, and sticks. The sticks
come first as a platform ; then this is carpeted, and a roof put on. No one who has seen com-
mon squirrels at work house-building has ever described exactly how they do it ; it is the best
nest made by any mammal, thoroughly well fitted together and waterproof. In this nest the
young squirrels are born in the month of June ; that year they keep with the parents, and do
not " set up for themselves " till the next spring. The red colour is very persistent in squirrels.
One Chinese variety, black and red, has even bright red teeth. In cold countries the red squirrels
make stores of food, but spend much of the winter asleep.

It is a great pity that in England no ones tries to tame the squirrels as they do in America;
there they are the greatest ornament of the parks of cities, coming down to be fed as tamely as
our sparrows. The writer has known one instance in which a lady induced wild squirrels to pay
daily visits to her bedroom for food ; they used to climb up the ivy and jump in at the open
window. The great enemies of squirrels near houses are the cats, which kill all the young ones

thai h A. ?. Rudltni S* 9an<

F I. Y I N G - S QJJ I R R E 1.

The large flying-squirrels are mainly nocturnal. They can leap a distance of jo feet with the aid
of the parachutes of skin stretching from the fore to the hind limbs

132 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

when they first come down
from the trees. In a garden in
the country a pair of squirrels
had a family every summer for
five years, but none ever sur-
vived the cats' persistent at-
tacks. These squirrels were
most amusing and improvi-
dent. They used to hide
horse-chestnuts, small pota-
toes, kernels of stone fruit,
bulbs of crocuses, and other
treasures in all kinds of places,
and then forget them. After
deep snows they might be seen
scampering about looking into
every hole and crevice to see
whether that happened to be
the place where they bad hid-
den something useful. Much of
the store was buried among the
roots of trees and bushes, and
quite hidden when the snow fell.

P*M1 It If. P. Panjl) [Regent's Part

DORSAL SQUIRREL FROM CF. NTRAI. AMI RICA

ei most beautiful species. The main colour is red, but the but t is French gray, and the tail
French gray and red mingled.

The Flying-Squirrels.

One of the finest squirrels is the Taguan, a large squirrel of India. Ceylon, and the Malacca
forests. It is a "flying-squirrel," with a body 2 feet long, and a busby tail of the same length.
Being nocturnal, it is not often seen; but when it leaps it unfolds a flap of skin on either side.
which is stretched (like a sail) when the fore and bind limbs are extended in the act of leaping:
it then forms a parachute. The colour of this squirrel is gray, brown, and pale chestnut. There
are a number of different flying-squirrels in China, Formosa, and Japan, and in the forests of
Central America. One small flying-squirrel, the Polatouche is found in Northeast Russia
and Siberia. It flies from tree to tree with immense bounds, assisted by the "floats" on it-
sides. Though only six inches long, it can cover distances of 30 feet and more without diffi-
culty. Wherever there are birch
forests this little squirrel is found.

In Africa, south of the Sahara.
the place of the < Iriental flying-
squirrel is taken by a separate family.
They have a different arrangement of
the parachute from thai of the flving-
squirrels of India. This wide fold
of skin is supported in the Asiatic
squirrels by a cartilage extending
from the wrist. In the South Afri-
can flying-squirrels this support
springs from the elbow, not from the
wrist ; they have also horny plates

ASIATIC CHIPMUNKS on the "»<1er surface of the tail.

. , ,., . , . Manv of the tropical flving-snuirrels

Small ground-squirrels wbicb store food for the winter J I » 1

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS

133

Photo b) Siholaitlt Photo. Co.] [Pjnon'i Gri-.-si

LONG-TAILED MARMn I

Tie marmots live by preference on high and cold mountains just below the line
if eternal snow in Europe. In Asia, where the snow-line is higher, they are found
Jf altitudes of jj,ooo feet

are quite large animals, some being
as large as a small cat.

Mr. W. 1 1. Adams says of Pi l's
Flying-squirrel, a West African
species: •'These squirrels come out
(il their holes in the trees some hours
alter sunset, and return long before
daybreak. They are only visible Oil

bright moonlight nights. 'The na-
tives say that they do not come out
id" their holes at all in stormy weather.
or on very dark nights; they live on
berries and fruits, being especially
fond of the palm-oil nut. which they
lake to their nests to peel and eat.
They pass from tree to tree with
great rapidity, usually choosing to
jump from a higher branch to a
lower one, and then climbing up
again to make a fresh start. . . . They litter about twice in a year, once in September. The
young remain in the nest for about nine weeks, during which they are fed by the old ones on
such food as shoots ami kernels. They do not attempt to jump or 'fly' till the end of that
period, extending the length of their jumps with their growth."

The Ethiopian Spiny Squirrels have coarse spiny fur; the little Indian Palm-soi-irki l
is marked with longitudinal dark and light stripes on the back; others have light hands on
their flanks.

The Alpine Marmot is a much larger species than the prairie-dog. It lives on the Alps
just below the line of perpetual snow. From five to fifteen marmots combine in colonies, di°-
very deep holes, and. like the prairie-dogs, carefully line them with grass ; they also store up dry
grass for food. In autumn they grow very fat, and are then dug out of the burrows by the
mountaineers for food. Young marmots used to be tamed and carried about by the Savoyard
boys, 1ml this practice is now rare. The monkey is probably more attractive to the public than
the fat and sleepy marmot. Marmots are about the size of a rabbit, and have close iron-grav fur.
Tschudi, the naturalist of the Alps, says of the marmots that they are the only mammal
which inhabits the region of the snows. No other warm-blooded quadrupeds live at such an
altitude. In spring, when the lower snows melt, there are generally small pieces of short turf
near their holes, as well as great rocks, precipices, and stones. Here they make their burrows,
outside which they feed, with a sentinel always posted to warn them of the approach of the ea<de
or lammergeir. The young marmots, from four to six in number, are born in June. When they
first appear at the mouth of the holes, they are bluish gray; later the fur gains a brownish tint.
The burrows are usually at a height of not less than 7.000 or 8,000 feet. Winter comes on
apace. By the end of autumn the ground is already covered with snow, and the marmots retire
to sleep through the long winter. As they do not become torpid for some time, they require
food when there is none accessible ; this they store up in the form of dried grass, which thev cut
in August, and leave outside their burrows for a time to be turned into hay.

The Alpine Marmot is also found in the Carpathians and the Pyrenees. Another species,

the Bobac. ranges eastward from the German frontier across Poland, Russia, and the steppes of

\sia to Kamchatka. In Ladak and Western Tibet a short-tailed species, the Himalai \.\

Marmot, is found, sometimes living at a height of nearly 17.000 feet. The Golden Marmot

is found in the Pamirs.

134 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The Dormice.

There are a considerable number of animals, even here, which hibernate. Most of these
feed largely on insect food, which in winter is unobtainable in any great quantity. Conse-
quently the hedgehog and the badger, which live largely on snails and worms, go to sleep in the
famine months. So does the sleepiest of all — the Dormouse. This alone would show that this
little rodent probably feeds on insects very largely, for if it only ate nuts and berries it could
easily store these, and find a good supply also in the winter woods. It has been recently proved
that dormice are insectivorous, and will eat aphides, weevils, and caterpillars. Hut a dormouse
hibernates for so long a time that one might imagine its vitality entirely lot; it sleeps for six
months at a time, and becomes almost as cold as a dead animal, and breathes very slowly and
almost imperceptibly. Mr. Trevor-Battye says that if warmed and made to awaken suddenly in

the winter it would die in a minute or two, its
heart beating very fast, " like a clock running
down." Before their hibernation dormice grow-
very fat. There is a large species, found in
Southern Europe, which the Romans used to
eat when in this fat stage. In winter dormice
usually seek the nest of some small bird, and
use it as a sleeping-place. They pull out and
renew the lining, or add a roof themselves. Into
the interior they carry a fresh supply of moss,
and sleep there in great comfort. Their great
; «ny at in time is i i. weasel. There are tun
main groups af the dormice, divided by natural-
ists in reference to the structure of their stomach.
The South African Graphilkes have short tufted
tails. The hibernating habit is confined to the
more northern species.

The Mouse Tribe.

ejk This family, which includes the Mice, Rats.

A^^* Wm and Voles, contains more than a third of the
^ *m \i number of the whole order of Rodents. Some are

»^ ' Vr H arboreal, others aquatic; but most are ground-

a*. . jBBBI living animals and burrowers. The number of

known species has been estimated at 330. Among
the most marked types are the Water-mice of
Australia and New Guinea, and of the island
of Luzon in the Philippines. The feet of the
Australian species are webbed, though those of
the Philippine form are not. The Gerbils form another group, mainly inhabitants of desert
district-. They have very large eyes, soft fur, and tails of various length and form in different
species. They have greatly developed hind legs, and leap like jerboas, and are found in Southern
Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Philippine Rats, large and long-haired, and the Tree-mice of
Africa south of the Sahara, form other groups. A very mischievous race of rodents i> repre-
sented in Europe by the Hamsters, and in America by a closely allied group, the White-
footed Mice.

The Hamsters.

The Hamster is a well-known European species, and represents the group of pouched rats.

Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sent

POCKET-GOPHER

The pocket-gophers are almost entirely subterranean. Their
burrowing pozvers are remarkable. The teeth as well as claivs
are used to aid them

THE RODENTS, OR (INAWING ANIMALS 135

Phctc If A. S. RuJUnd & Sins

LONG- EARED JERBOA

These curious little animals arc mainly desert creatures. They move h\
a series of leaps

These creatures have cheek-pouches t"
aid them in carrying food. In addition
they are most voracious and inquisitive,
so that the hamster is a type throughout
Central Europe of selfishness and greed.
We are sorry to add that John Bull
occasionally appears in German cartoons
as the " Land-hamster," or land-grabber.
Hamsters are numerous from the Elbe
to the Obi. The}' burrow and make
cellars in the corn- and bean-fields, and
convey thither as much as a bushel of
grain. As soon as the young hamsters
can shift for themselves, each moves off,
makes a separate burrow, and begins to
hoard beans and corn. As the litter
sometimes contains eighteen young, the
mischief done by the hamster is great.
Its coloration is peculiar. The fur, which
is so thick as to be used for the linings
of coats, is a light yellowish brown
above. A yellow spot marks each cheek. The lower surface of the body, the legs, and a band
on the forehead are black, and the feet white. Thus the hamster reverses the usual natural
order of colour in mammals, which tends to be dark on the back and light below. The animal
is io inches long, and very courageous. Hamsters have been known to seize a horse by the
nose which stepped on their burrow, and at all times they are ready to defend their home.
Besides vegetables and corn, they destroy smaller animals. They spend the winter in a more
or less torpid state in their burrows, but emerge early in spring. They then make their summer
burrows and produce their young, which in a fortnight after birth are able to begin to make a
burrow for themselves.

Among the South American members of the group to which the hamster belongs are the
Fish-eating Rats, with webbed hind feet. The Rice-rat, which is found from the United States
to Ecuador, lives on the Texas
prairies much as do the prairie-
marmots, though its burrows
are not so extensive, and often
quite shallow. In these the
rats make beds of dry grass.

The Voles.

The Voles are allied to
the preceding groups, but are
marked externally by a shorter
and heavier form than the
typical rats and mice. Their
ears are shorter, their noses
blunter, their eyes smaller,
and the tail generally shorter.
They are found in great num-
bers at certain seasons, when

PJiofo In .V S. SbJ.'juJ & Sons

CAPE JUM PING-HARE

This animal is very common in South Africa. The Boers call it the ** Springhaas "

136 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by A. S, Rudland ftJ" Sont

OCTODONT

The octodont, so culled because they bai'e four molar teeth on each side of the jatv

are a group of rodents found mainly in South America

they often develop into a pest. The
Short-tailed Field-vole is respon
sible for much destruction of crops in
Europe. One of the latest plagues of
these animals took place in the Low-
lands of Scotland, where these voles
devoured all the higher pastures on
the hills. Nearly at the same time
a similar plague occurred in Turkish
Epirus. When a special commis-
sioner was sent to enquire into the
remedies (if any existed) there in
use, he found that the Turks were
importing hoi}- water from Mecca to
sprinkle on the fields affected. The
Bank-vole is a small English species, replaced on the Continent by the Southern Field-vole.

The Water-rat belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen of all
American mammals — probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not entirely
nocturnal, it prefers the darkness or twilight ; but whenever the visitor to the waterside keeps
still, the water-rats will allow him to watch them. The writer has had rather an extensive
acquaintance with these cousins of the beavers, and, while watching them, has never ceased to be
struck with their close resemblance to those creatures. At Holkham Lake, in Norfolk, he no-
ticed a willow-bush, in which a number of twigs had been gnawed off; and then saw the misMng
sticks lying neatly peeled, just like " beaver-wood," in the water below. Waiting quietly, he
noticed a water-rat climb into the bush, gnaw off a willow twig, descend with it to the edge of
the water, and there, sitting on some crossed boughs, peel and eat the bark, just as a beaver does.
By rivers a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of something tearing or biting them ;
it is made by the water-rats getting their supper. The rat cuts off three or four sedges and
makes a rough platform. It then cuts down a piece of one of the large round reeds full of pith,
and, holding it in its hands, seizes the bark with its teeth, and shreds it up the stem, peeling it
from end to end. This exposes the white pith, which the rat then eats. Water-rats have been
seen to swim out and pick up acacia blossoms float-
ing on the water. When swimming under water, each
hair is tipped by a little bubble, which makes the rat
look like quicksilver When it comes out, the rat
shakes itself with a kind of shiver, throwing all the
water off its coat. Though so good a swimmer, its
feet are not webbed. It is found from Scotland to
the Bering Sea, but not in Ireland.

In the Far North the Lemming takes the place of
the voles. It is a very small, short-tailed creature, like
a diminutive prairie-dog. Like the voles, lemmings
have seasons of immoderate increase. They then
migrate in enormous flocks, and are said never to
stop till they reach the sea, into which they plunge.
It is believed that they are following an inherited
instinct, and that where there is now sea there once
was land, over which they passed onwards.

The MuSK-RAT inhabits the same waters a- the
beaver of North America. It makes a house, generally

\Korth Ftn.h'.er

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

COYPU

This is a large aquatic rodent, found on the South
American rivers. Its fur, called "nutria," forms a
•valuable export from Argentina

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS I 37

Pbtto if A. S. Rudland & Sum

SHORT-TAILED H U T I A

The butias are another group of octodoms, found in the IVeit India
Islands

of reeds piled in ;i mound, in the lakes and
swamps. The body is only 12 inches long,
but the fur is thick and close, and much used
for lining coals and cloaks. The vast chains of
rivers and lakes in Canada make that country
the favourite home of the musk-rat. This crea-
ture lives upon roots of aquatic plants, fresh-
water-mussels, and stems of juicy herbs. Be-
sides making the domed houses of grass, reeds,
and mud, it also burrows in the banks of
streams. There it makes rather an elaborate-
home, with numerous passages leading to the
water. The odour of musk is very strong cwn
in the skin. The tail is narrow and almost
naked. This species is the largest of the vole-
group.

Tin'. Typical Rats and Mick.

These animals were originally an Old
World group. Though the brown rat is now
common in America, it is believed to have
come originally from China.

A very large number of animals are now almost dependent on man and his belongings.
Such creatures are said to be " coinmensalistic," or eaters at the same table. They are often
very unwelcome guests, whether they are flies, sparrows, or cockroaches ; but probably the least
welcome of all are the rats and mice. The Brown Rat is the best known of any. It has come
into worse repute than usual of late, because it is now certain that it harbours the plague-bacillus,
and communicates the disease to man. Its habits and appearance need no description. The
Black Rat is the older and smaller species indigenous in Europe, which the brown rat has
almost extirpated from England. A few old houses still hold the black rat, and there are always
a few wild ones at the Zoological Gardens which feed in the animals' houses. The Black-and-
white Rat (not the albino white rat) kept tame in this country is probably a domesticated form
of the Alexandrine Rat of Egypt.

The HOUSE-MOUSE is now found in all parts
of the world to which Europeans have access.
In England its main home is in the corn-ricks.
Were the farmers to thresh the grain, as is done in
the United. States, as soon as it is cut, mice would
be far less common. Besides these parasitic mice,
there are a host of field- and forest-mice in this
and other countries. One of the best-known Eng-
lish species is the I Iakvest-mouse, which makes
a globular nest of grass in the wheat-fields, at-
tached to stems of corn or weeds. In this the
young are born. In winter the mouse lives in
holes in banks, and lays up a store of kernels
and grain. The Wood-mouse is larger than the
former, or than the House-mouse. It is yellow-
ish brown in colour, lays up a great store of

winter food, and is itself the favourite prey of the Tht common porcupine is found in North America, Italy,

weasel.

PORCUPINE

Spair, and North Africa

138 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phits hy A. S. RudUnd it Sim

PORCUPINE

This photograph shows the arrangement of the porcupine 's defense of
spines ; but when frightened it erects these, so as to form a complete protection
to the body

The Bandicoot.
A very mischievous class of rats is
represented by the various species of
Bandicoot. They are found throughout
Southern Asia as far as Ceylon, and in
Kashmir and Turkestan. The Bandi-
coot-rat of India is a large and de-
structive species which is sometimes
brought to the London docks in ships,
but has not spread into the country.

Other Murine Rodents.
Among the numerous other rodents
allied to the rat group are the Mole-
rats, with short mole-like bodies. The
largest is the Great Mole-rat, found in
Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia,
and Northeastern Africa. It is a sub-
terranean creature, burrowing for food like a mole. The Bamboo-rats have minute eyes, small
external ears, and a short tail partly covered with hair. In Somaliland a small, almost naked
Sand-rat is found, which burrows in the sand of the desert, throwing up little heaps like
mole-hills.

The Gophers.

In North and Central America the Pocket-gophers form a curious group of small rodents
with cheek-pouches opening on the outside. They spend their entire existence underground,
and are said to use their incisor teeth as picks to open the hard earth in their tunnels. They
push the loosened soil out by pressing it with their chests and fore feet. When a gopher has
eaten enough to satisfy the immediate calls of hunger, it stores all spare food away in the large
cheek-pouches. When gophers desire to empty the pouches, they pass their feet along their
cheeks from behind, and press the food forwards on to the ground.

The Jerboas, Springhaas, and Jumping-mice.
The hopping rodents have an immense range, from Southern Europe, through Africa,

Arabia, India, and Ceylon, and even in the New
World, where the American Jumping-molse is
found throughout the northern part of the con-
tinent. The latter is only 3 inches long. The
true Jerboas are mainly found in Africa. All
these, when excited, move like kangaroos. Their
main home is the Central Asian steppe region,
but they are found in Egypt, India, Syria, and
Arabia. The hind legs are much elongated, the
fore legs very small, and the bod}- usually of a
sandy colour. The American jumping-mouse,
though a very small creature, can cover from 3 to
5 feet at each leap. It inhabits the beech and
hard-wood forests. In winter it makes a globular
nest about 6 inches under the surface of the ground.
The Cape Jumping-hare forms a family by
itself, with no near allies. It is of a tawny brown

Phttt, by W. P. Dandc]

VISCACH A

[Rtgrnt*s Pari

The Viscacba forms colonies like those of the prairie-dogs.
. found on the pampas south of the La Plata

It is

THE RODENTS, OR (iNAWING ANIMALS 139

Photo hy If. P. Panda

CHINCHILLA

A small rodent of the Andes, possessing very soft and valuable gray fur

colour, becoming almost pure white be-
low. The tail is long, and carried up-
right as the animal leaps. The head and
body are nearly 2 feet long, and the tail
20 inches. It is found both in the plains
and mountains of Smith Africa, where it
makes deep burrows, in which several
families live. It is mainly nocturnal.

The < Ictodon 1 Family.

America is the main home of this
family of rodents, though there are sev-
eral representatives in Africa. Their name
is due to the fact that they have four
molar teeth on each side of the jaw. The
best-known species is the Coypu, or Nu-
tria, of South America, an aquatic, fur-
bearing animal. It is very plentiful in the
large risers of that continent, where its fur is a valuable commodity for export. When swim-
ming, the female coypu carries its young on its back. The coypu is usually 20 inches long, with
a tail two-thirds of the length of its head and body. The general colour is brown above and
brownish yellow below. Coypus live in pairs in holes in the river-banks. In the Chonos
Archipelago they frequent the seashore, and burrow near the beach.

The Hutia, another large octodont, is found in the West Indies. There are two species,
both partly arboreal. The Tuco-tucos, burrowing octodonts of the pampas and the far south of
the American Continent, are rat-like animals, with large claws and very small eyes and ears.

The Porcupines.

These animals are either tree-climbers or ground-dwellers. The former are found in South
America, though one, the Canadian Pokcupine, is
found in the North; the latter are European and
Asiatic. In Africa they are also common. The
Canadian porcupine passes nearly all its life in trees,
feeding on the leaves ; but it has not a prehensile
tail. The Common Porcupine is abundant in Italy
(where it is eaten by man), Greece, Spain, and Africa.
It lives in burrows or among rocks. In India a very
similar species is found. The head and shoulders of
these ground-porcupines are not protected by the
larger sharp spines which guard the rest of their
bodies.

The tree-porcupines of the forests of Central

America have long prehensile tails, and are very

lightly built. The quills are short, the head H

rounded, and the appearance very different from

that of the European or African species. The

common porcupine of Europe and North Africa ^*

. a. , ■ , , - , w.i. *» >v* & s.»] letting mn

measures about 28 inches in length from the nose to ,.,.._.

the root of the tail. The head, neck, and shoulders T, , „ , _,

lbe agutts are also a South American group, found both in

are covered with short spines and hairs, and the the forests and on , he plains

140 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

shoulders and back by a crest of long
spines, varying from i 2 to 15 inches in
length. The tail also carries spines

Phota hi A. S. Rudland GJ Sons

PACA, OR SPOTTED CAVY

The pacas are among the larger rodents, found mainly in the northern part of
the South American region

\'l-( \i II \- ANI» Chinchili AS.

On the plains of La Plata the com-
monest large rodent is the Viscacha. It
assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs,
but is a much larger animal, from 1 8 inches

rto 2 feet long. Yiscachas always set a
', f\ sentinel to give warning of danger. They

cut every kind of vegetable near and drag
them to their holes ; they also have a
habit of picking up and collecting round
the burrows any object which strikes them
as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even
whips or boots, may generally be found
there. The viscacha belongs to the chin-
chilla family, but differs much from the
beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. The Common Chin-
chilla is about 10 inches long, and the Short-tailed Chinchilla rather smaller. The exqui-
site fur is well known. Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. All four
creatures are found on the Andes.

The Agutis and Pacas.
South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the
mouse-deer in general appearance; they are called Agutis. Mainly forest animals, but living
also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds ; they are very swift in their
movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. The fur is long, olive-
or chestnut-coloured, and thick.

The Pacas are allied to the agutis, but are stouter; they live either in burrows made by
themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. The pacas are spotted and
rather ornamentally marked ; they are found from
Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay.

The Cavils.

The DlNOMYS, a spotted rodent known by one
example from Peru, has been thought to form a link
between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea-
pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the
Largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed
to be the Restless Caw, a small rodent common on
the plain.- of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with
yellowish-gray and white hairs of the domesticated
species; and it is suggested that the original of the
present name was " Guiana pig." This cavy lives in
thickets rather than in forests or plains.

The PATAGONIAN Cavy is a larger form, about
twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground, p a C A S , OR SPOTTED CAVIES
and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the jUi photograph, which represents young animals, shows in
sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France great perfection the linear arrangement of the uripa

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 141

and England. The flesh is like that of the

rabbit.

The Capybara is the largest of all rodents.
This species is, in fact, a gigantic water guinea-
pig. It is found in all the great rivers of South
.America, from the Orinoco to the La Plata.
It M\ims as well as .1 water-rat, though it is as
large as a small pig. It feeds on weeds, water-
plants, and grass. A capital photograph of
this animal appears on page 146.

Pikas, 1 Iares, and Rabbits

The last two families of the Rodents have
a small pair of rudimentary incisor teeth be-
hind the large ones in the upper jaw. The
Pikas, or Calling-hares, resemble the mar-
mot tribe in general appearance. Their heads
are short, their ears rounded, and, being tail-
less, the}- still less resemble the common hare ;
but their dentition marks them as allied. One
species, about 9 inches long, is found in Si-
beria ; and another, only 7 inches long, in
the Rock\- Mountains. The former has a
habit of cutting grass and storing it in small
stacks outside its hole for winter use ; the
Rocky Mountain species carries its ha}- into
its burrows.
The Hakes are a widely distributed group. They are found from the north of Scotland

^ where the gray mountain species turns white in winter) to the south of India, in South Africa, and

across the continent of Asia to Japan. The Mountain-hare takes the place of the brown species in

Scandinavia, Northern Russia, and Ireland ; it is rather smaller, and has shorter ears and hind legs.
As cail}- as 54 b.c, Caesar, in

his account of Britain, writes that

the ( ommon Hare was kept by the

ancient Britons as a pet, but not

eaten by them. It was protected by

the Normans in the second list, or

schedule, of animals reserved tor

sport. The first list included the

Beasts of the Forest, the second

the Beasts of tin- Chase, of which

the hare was one of the first. The

word" ch.i^e " has here a technical

meaning, by which was understood

an open park, or preserved area,

midway in dignity between a forest

and an enclosed park. " Hare parks "

were also made, perhaps the most

recent being that made at Bushey

for the amusement of die sovereign

PATAGONIAN CAW

This large species of cavy has been acclimatised successfully both
England and in France

By fermiiiion 0/ Professor Bumfus]

W 0 OD-HAR E

This is one of the forms intermediate betvjttn tbe bares and rabbits

tltw rtri

142 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

when at Hampton Court Palace. The name is often found surviving elsewhere. Near one of
the large country English seats a walled park of 1 ,500 acres holds almost all the hares on the
estate. If these parks and forest laws had not existed at an earl}- date, it is probable that the
hare would have become very scarce in this country.

Hares produce their leverets about the middle of April, though in mild seasons they are born
much earlier. The number of the litter is from two to five. They are placed in a small hollow
scraped out by the due hare, but not in a burrow of any kind.

The instinct of concealment by remaining still is very highly developed in the hares and
rabbits. They will often " squat" on the ground until picked up rather than take to flight. This
seems almost a perverted instinct; yet hares often exhibit considerable courage and resource
when escaping from their enemies. The following is an instance:- A hare was coursed by two

Ph-te h C. Rtld

WILD RABBITS

young greyhounds on some marshes intersected by wide ditches of water. It first ran to the side
of one of these ditches, and doubled at right angles on the brink. This caused the outer dog to
lose it- balance and to fall heavily into the deep and cold water. The hare then made straight
for the hue of walkers, and passed through them, with the other greyhound close behind it.
i'he dog reached out and seized the hare by the fur of the back, throwing it down. The hare
caped, leaving a large patch of fur in the dog's jaws, doubled twice, and was again seized by
the second dog, which had come up. It escaped from the jaws of the second pursuer, leapt two
ditches 12 feet wide, and then -at lor a moment behind a gate on a small bridge. This use of
the only cover near caused the dogs to lose sight of it ; they refused to jump the second drain,
and the hare escaped.

The Rabbit is too well known to need description either of its habits or appearance. It
originally came from the countries south of the Mediterranean, but is now common in Northern
Europe, and has become a pest in Australia and New Zealand. The rabbit breeds when six
months old, and has several litters in each year.

CHAPTER X.

Till: TATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS.

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

THESE two groups are really closely allied ; but the bats are generally considered apart,
on account of their totally different mode of life. Originally, like their more com-
monplace relatives, they wore dwellers upon the earth, or, more correctly, among the
trees. By gradual modification of the fore limbs, and a corresponding development of folds of
skin attached thereto, and to the body, they have acquired the power of flight. The cobego,
to be mentioned presently, gives us a hint of how this may have come about.

The bats are the only members of the Mammalia which possess the power of true flight.
The so-called flying-squirrels do not rightly deserve this title, for they have no wings. The
wings of the bat have been formed by modification of the fore limbs, the finger-bones having
become excessively lengthened, so as to serve as a support to a thin web of skin extending
outwards from the body, much as the ribs of an umbrella support the covering. The hand of
the bat is therefore a quite unique org, in.

II: ■ Sj II Savi :> Kent, F.Z.S.}

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BAT. OR "FLYING-FOX'
Tbii photograph shows the lt jiying-fox " in its custt mary rating position.

[Crcydcn

144 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The wing-membrane serves yet
another purpose, for its sense of touch
is exceedingly delicate, enabling eve«i
blind bats/for bats are not blind usually,
as is popularly supposed) to avoid
objects placed in their path. Some
bats, hi iwever, appear to depend also in
some slight degree upon hearing. The
sense of touch is still further increased
by the development of frills or leaf-like
expansions of skin round the nose and
mouth, and by the excessive develop-
ment of the external ears. Delicate
hairs fringing these membranes proba-
bly act like the " whiskers" of the cat.
Insect-eating bats inhabiting re-
gions with a temperate climate must in
winter, when food supplies cease, cither
hibernate or migrate to warmer re-
gions. The majority hibernate ; but
two species at least of Canadian bats
perform extensive migrations, it is
supposed to escape the intense cold.

The power of flight has made
the bats independent of the barriers
which restrict the movements of ter-
restrial animals, and accordingly we
find them all over the world, even
as far north as the Arctic Circle.
Hut certain groups of bats have an
extremely restricted range. Thus the
Fruit-bats occur only in the warmer
regions of the Old World, the Vam-
pires in America, whilst some of the
more common insect eating forms are found everywhere. Those forms with a restricted
distribution arc, it sin mid be noticed, all highly specialised — that is to say, they have all become
in some way adapted to peculiar local conditions, and cannot subsist apart therefrom. It is the
more lowly — less specialised — forms which have the widest geographical range. There are some
spots, however, on the world's surface from which no bat has yet been recorded — such arc Ice.
land, St. Helena, Kerguelen, and the Galapagos Islands.

The Fruit-bats,

These represent the giants of the
bat world, the largest of them, the
Kalong, or Mai w Fox bat, measur-
ing no le-s than 5 feet from tip to tip
of the wing. The best known of the
fruit-bats is the Indian Fox-bat. Sir TUBE-NOSED FRUIT-BAT

J. E. Tennent tells us that a favourite The tubular nostrils distinguish this and a species of insect-eating bat from all other

resort of theirs near Kaiuty, in living mammals

n.lo by Henry Aing\ [Sydney

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BATS

In their roosttng-plaies these bats hung all over the fees in enormous numbers*
looking like great black fruits. Although shot in thousands, on account of the
damage they do to fruit orchards, their numbers do not appear to be reduced

THK BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 145

■*%

Phot' b) Frattlli Atlnart\

r ,'■', trtnct

PIPISTRELLE BAT

This is one of the commonest bats. It h the first to appear tn the sprtng, and the last to retire at the fat! of the sear

Ceylon, was some india-rubber-trees, " where they used to assemble in such prodigious numbers that
large boughs would not infrequently give way beneath the accumulated weight of the flock." An
observer in Calcutta relates that they occasionally travel in vast hordes, so great as to darken the
sky. Whether they are performing some preconcerted migration or bent only on a foray to some
distant feeding-ground is a matter for speculation. These hordes are quite distinct from the" long
strings" which may be seen every evening in Calcutta on their way to neighbouring fruit-trees.

One of the most remarkable of this group is the Tube-NOSED Fruit-bat, in which the
nostrils are prolonged into a pair of relatively long tubes. Strangely enough, a group of insect-
eating bats has developed similar though smaller tubes. Except in these bats, such tubes are
unknown anion" mammals. Their function is not known.

Some,

Insect-eating Bais.

The vast majority of the bats comprising this group feed exclusively on insects.
however, have acquired the habit of
fruit-eating, like the true fruit-bats;
and a few have developed quite ogre-
like habits, for they drink blood —
indeed, they subsist upon nothing else.
This they obtain from animals larger
than themselves.

Main- of the bats of this group
have developed curious leaf-like expan-
sions of skin around the nose and mouth.
which are supposed to be endowed
with ,i very delicate sense of touch.
In some, as in the Flower-nosed Bat,
the nose-leaf is excessively developed,
forming a large rosette. The upper
border of this rosette is furnished with
three stalked balls, the function of

1 - 1 •. • , ■ t_ 1 1 Photo by A. S. Rudland fsf Soni

which it is surmised is probablv orna-

. , , ., , ., , LEAF-NOSED BAT

mental — trom the bats point of view. _,. , , , , ,. ,. ..„„,.

1 the leaj-nosed are the most highly organised of all the hats. The remarkable

To our more aesthetic taste the whole /eaf./ile fMi tf Mn anund thc mu or cii„f mthe eau may fc> urvt m delhau

effect is hideous. organs of perception, there art numerous species of leaf-nosed bats

146 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the Sucker-footed Bats. These are met
with, strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from
which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached
to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water-
beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces.

A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention
the fact that Centrai and South America possess tun species of White Bats. This colour is
probably developed for protection's sake, the bats being found nestling between the silvery leaves
of a cocoanut-palm. Bril-
liant coloration, on the other
hand, is by no means so-rare.
Welwitsch's Bat, for in-
stance— a West African spe-
cies— is remarkable for its
gorgeous coloration, the col-
ours being orange and black.
An Indian species, known as
the Pointed Bat, is said to be
so brilliantly coloured as to
resemble a gorgeous butterfly
rather than a bat.

Ugliness is more common
than beauty amongst the bats,
and perhaps the ugliest of all
the tribe is the Naked Bat
of the Malayan region. It is
absolutely repulsive. The skin
is naked, save for a collar of
hair round the neck ; whilst
on the throat it gives rise to
an enormous throat-pouch,
which discharges an oily fluid
of a peculiarly nauseating
smell. On either side of the
body is a deep pouch, in which
the young are carried — a very
necessary provision, for they
would be quite unable to cling
to the body of the parent, as do
the young of fur-bearing bats,
on account of the naked skin.

Of the great group of the Vampike-bats we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species.
These are natives of South America. It is to Dr. Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable
information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which
of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay
of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was
drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been
inflicted was plainly visible, from it> swollen condition. These twospecies.it has beer: stated,
" are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that . . . some
of the Javelin-bats or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it."

Phitt h, If Savilli-Ktnt , F.Z.S.] [ Cr,)din

COBEGO

Back titii' of the cobtgoy tvith the limbs extended^ showing the great size of the Jiying-mem-

brancS) or parachute

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 147

["he Insectivora, or Flightless Insect-eaters.

Some members of this group have departed from the traditional insect diet. Thus the
cobego feeds upon lea\es, a curious aquatic shrew — the Potamogale of West Africa — upon fish,
and the moles upon worms.

The group has a very wide geographical distribution, but there arc nevertheless large-
portions of the globe in which they are conspicuous by their absence. They are never found in
Australia or South .America. Madagascar, Africa, and the West India Islands produce the most

remarkable forms.

The Cobego.
This is a peculiarly inter-
esting animal, which lives m
the forests of Sumatra, Bornei >,
the Malay Peninsula, and the
Philippine Islands. It dwells
among the trees, moving from
one to another by taking
flying leaps through the air,
covering as much as seventy
yards at a jump. Prodigious
leaps like this would be quite
impossible but for the fact that
the animal, which is almost as
large as a cat, is provided with
a sort of parachute, formed In
a broad web of skin stretched
between the body on either
side and the fore and hind
limbs, and between the hind
limbs and the tail.

JjB \^ Shrews, Hedgehogs, and

^SfP^^^^^H *^ Tenrecs.

The variation in form
presented by the members of
this group is considerable.
The most noteworthy ex-
amples of this variation are
furnished by the pretty little
squirrel-like Tkee-shrews of
India and Borneo and neigh-
bouring lands, the mouse-like Jumfing-SHREWs of Africa, the Hedgehogs, the Tenrecs, the ele-
gant little Mouse-like Shrews of almost world-wide distribution, and the Water-shrews. Of
these, hedgehogs and tenrecs have undergone the greatest transformation. By a curious modi-
fication of their original hairy covering they have developed a formidable armour of sharp spines.
When alarmed, the former roll themselves up into a ball by the contraction of powerful muscles,
and so present an almost impregnable armour to an enemy. Stoats and foxes, however, appear
at least occasionally to succeed in overcoming this defense and making a meal of the vanquished.
Tenrecs are found in Madagascar. The Common Tenrec is the largest of all insect-eaters.

Photo h IV. SaviJlt-Ktnt, F.A i J [Croydon

COBEGO

Vertical {front) -vieiv of the cobego^ •with newly born and naked young attached. Note the

extension of the membrane betiveen the toes of the fore feet of the adult

148 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

and one oi the most prolific, as many as
twenty-one having been produced at birth.
Of all living mammals it is the one most
nearly allied to the Marsupial-.

1 111: Moles.

The Common Mole shows a most perfect

adaptation to its underground mode of life.
The general form of the animal is long,
cylindrical, and pointed in front, whilst the
legs are exceedingly short, the foot only in
the fore limb projecting from the body. This
foot is very broad and spade-like and im-
mensely powerful, its use being to force a way
— often with incredible speed — through the
soft, yielding soil, and not to support the body,
as in running or walking. The hind feet are
weak, but resemble those of its allies the shrews,
for instance. The eyes have become reduced
to mere vestiges, very difficult to find. The fur
has become so altered in structure that it will lie
equally smooth whether brushed towards head
or tail, so that it should not be damaged when
the animal travels backwards in its burrow.
External ears have been dispensed with.

Worms form the staple diet of the mole,
but besides underground insects of all kinds
are greedily devoured. This animal is one of
the most voracious feeders, falling ravenously
upon its prey. It has been said with truth that

so great is the ferocity displayed by the mole that if it could be magnified to the size of the lion it

would be one of the most terrible of living creatures. That a constant supply of food is necessary

to satiate its enormous appetite is shown

by the fact that a mole will succumb to

an abstinence of from ten to twelve hours.

Moles fight among themselves furiously;

and if two are confined together, the

weaker will be attacked and devoured.

They take readily to the water, and in- f.

stances ol moles observed in the act of

crossing streams are numerous. I :*■$&&

It is a curious fact, but the mole is ^'^l

unknown in Ireland; yet it ranges from

England in the west through Asia to

Japan.

Careful observation seems to have

shown that with the common mole n.ui,L.M.i\ i,f.z.s.\

m„. ., f . ! 1 1 R E E BABY H E D G E H O G S

males arc more numerous than females.

.,., , , . . . . TTottttP htdeehovl are born blind and naked. The spines on their first

Whether this is true O other specie- „„ , , ■ , 1 ,.

' appearand ■ ■: harden, and at the same time the power to

remains to be seen. „// ,hc body up into a ball it aeouirtd

Phtn *v W. Savillt-Kint, F.Z.S.] [Cnydcn

COBEGO ASLEEP

All four limbs are used in suspending itself toben asleep, as in tne
sloths. In (bis position the cobego closely resembles, and t's mistaken by its
enemies for, the fruits of one of the native trees. It is a nocturnal
animal

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS

149

I he nearest allies of the moles arc the curious aquatic Desmans of Russia, and the Shrews.

some of \\ hich are
form, owing to
ed a similar mode
The BuRROW-
iu >t the only forms
which have as-
shape, for allied to
Tenrecs is a re-
known as the
The mole - 1 ike
of this animal is
adaptation to a >im
The fore limb of
provided with huge
used for digging
is not broadened
in the common
rendering this un-

Phcti hi A. S. Rudland &• Sons

COL DEN MOLE

This is found only in South Africa. The name is derived from the wonderful

metallic lustre of the fur : the brilliancy of the hues is intensified by immersion
in spirit

quite mole-like in
their having adopt-
of life.

ing Shrews are
in the great group
sumed a mole-like
the hedge-hog-like
markable animal

( rOLDE X MOLI .

shape of the body

am ither instance of
ilar mode of life.
the golden mole is
claws, which are
purposes ; the hand
out spade-like, as
mole, the claws
necessan .

CHAPTER XI.

THE ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, AND RHINOCEROS.

THE ELEPHANT.

BY F. C. SELOUS.

once the mightiest and most majestic of all terrestrial
mammals, the elephant appeals to the imagination
more forcibly than any other living animal, not only
on account of its great sagacity and the strangeness and
singularity of its outward appearance, but also because it is such
an obvious link between the world of to-day and the dim and
distant past of Pleiocene and Miocene times.

There are two existing species of elephant, the African and
the Asiatic, the latter, from the structure of its molar teeth and
the shape of its skull, appearing to be very nearly related to the
Mammoth, which lived upon the earth in comparatively recent
times — geologically speaking -and was undoubtedly contem-
porary with man in Europe during the Stone Age.

There are very considerable differences both in the external
appearance and also in the habits of the two existing forms of
elephant. In the African species the forehead is more convex
and the eye relatively larger than in its Asiatic cousin ; and
whilst the ears of the latter are only of moderate size, those of
the former are so large that they at once arrest the attention,
and are one of that animal's most remarkable external character-
istics. Both sexes of the African species, with few exceptions,
earn- well-developed tusks, but in the Asiatic form the tusks ot
the females are so small as scarcely to protrude beyond the jaws.
In Asia, too, tuskless bull elephants are common, whilst males
of the African species without tusks are extremely rare. The
latter species has but three nails on the hind foot, the Asiatic
elephant four. In the African species the middle of the back is
hollowed, the shoulder being the highest point, whilst in the Asiatic
elephant the back is arched, and the top of the shoulder lower than the highest part of the back.
Hie extremity of the proboscis is also different in the two species, the African elephant being
furnished with two nearly equal-sized prolongations, the one on the front, the other on the hinder
margin, with which small objects can be grasped as with the finger and thumb of the human
hand, whilst in the Asiatic species the linger-like pmccss on the upper margin of the end of the
trunk is considerably longer than that on the under-side. In external appearance the skin of the
African elephant i- darker in colour and rougher in texture than that of the Asiatic form. The
m ilar teeth of the former animal are, too, of much coarser construction, with fewer and larger
plates and thicker enamel than in the latter, which would naturally lead one to suppose that the

15°

ehslt hi M. I . F. Kah i. El}.

A FINE TUSK E R

The male Indian elephant has smaller tusks
than the African species

Ph:m h Fratilll Alltutr(]

A YOUNG INDIAN ELEPHANT

This animal has been (rained to " salute " by raising its trunk andjoot. It has lost the end of its tai.

151

[Fl.r„

152 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THK WORLD

African elephant is accustomed to eat coarser, harder food than the .Asiatic species. This sup-
position is borne out by fact ; for whilst the Asiatic elephant feeds mainly upon grass, the leaves
and fruit of the wild plantain, and the young shoots of the bamboo, together with the leaves,
twigs, and bark of certain trees, the African species never eats grass, and, although very fond of
certain kinds of soft and succulent food, such as wild fruits and the inner bark of certain trees,
is constantly engaged in chewing up the roots and branchc-. ol trees as thick as a man's wrist for
the sake of the sap and bark, the wood}' portions being rejected after having been reduced to
pulp. The Asiatic elephant appears to be far less tolerant of exposure to the heat of the sun
than the African ; and whilst the latter may often be found standing at rest or sleeping through-
out the hottest hours of the day in long grass or scrubby bush of a height not sufficient to afford
any protection from the sun to the whole of the upper portion of the head and body, the former,
when in a wild state, is said to always seek the shade of the densest forests it can find during hot
weather.

The Asiatic elephant often lies down when resting and sleeping. This is in marked contrast
to the African species, which, if it ever does lie down at all, except to roll in mud or rub itself
against an ant-heap, can only do so very rarely, since in all my experience, though 1 have seen
some thousands of African elephants standing sleeping during the heat of the day, 1 have never
yet seen one of these animals lying down, nor found the impress in the ground where one had
been so lying.

When excited and charging, both species of elephant raise their heads and cock their ears,
which in the African animal stand out at such a time like two sails, and, being each upwards of
3^ feet in breadth, cover, together With the animal's head, an expanse of fully io feet. The
Asiatic elephant is said to remain mute whilst charging, and to hold its trunk tightly curled up
between its tusks. The African elephant, on the other hand, usually accompanies a charge with
a constant succession of short, sharp trumpeting screams. Sometimes, though rarely, however,
animals of this species remain mute whilst charging, but they never, I believe, coil their trunks
up under their throats. Often an African elephant will swing round for a charge with a loud
scream and trunk held high in the air; but in my experience, when settling down to a chase, it
drops its trunk and holds it pointing straight down in front of its chest.
In the southern portions of the

African Continent the average standing

height at the shoulder of full-grown bull

elephants ranges from io feet to io feet 6

inches, though individuals have doubtless

been met with in those districts which

have much exceeded these dimensions. In

North Central .Africa the average standing

height appears to be some inches higher,

approaching II feet, and in those districts

it is quite possible that individuals exist

which exceed 12 feet in height. .African

cow elephants stand from S feel to 8 feet

6 inches at the shoulder. The Asiatic

species is considerably smaller than the

African, the average height ol full-grown

males not exceeding 9 feet, though certain

individuals now and then attain to a much

greater size, as is indicated by the fact M«. h in. e. f. B*tri, e»».

that there is a mounted skelton of an THE CHIEF 0 F CHIENGMAI" S CARRIAGE

Indian elephant in the Museum at Cal- This victoria ivas drawn by a young Mian elephant

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS

153

WioI» il M. E. F. lialrl. Elf.

TIMBI'.R.RLEPHANTS

Fbii photograph teas taken at Lakou, in Upper Statu. Notice the large teak log in the foreground

cutta which stands 11 feet 3 inches at the shoulder. In the size of its tusks the African ele-
phant far surpasses the Asiatic species. In India a pair of tusks measuring 5 feet in length and
weighing 70 lbs. the pair would, I think, be considered large, though an elephant was killed by-
Sir Victor Brooke in the Garo Hills with a single tusk measuring 8 feet in length, 17 inches in
circumference, and weighing 90 lbs., and a few tusks even exceeding these dimensions have been
recorded. In Southern Africa the tusks of full-grown bull elephants usually weigh from 80 to
120 lbs. the pair, and measure about 6 feet in length, with a circumference of from 16 to 18
inches; but these weights and measurements have often been much exceeded, and in my nun
experience I have known of two pairs of elephants' tusks having been obtained south of the
Zambesi, each of which weighed slightly over 300 lbs., each tusk measuring upwards of 9 feet in
length, whilst a single tusk brought from the neighbourhood of Lake Ngami in 1873 weighed
174 lbs. The average weight of cow-elephant tusks in Southern Africa is from 20 to 30 lbs. the
pair, but I have seen the tusk of a cow elephant killed in Matabililand which weighed 39 lbs. and
measured over 6 feet in length, whilst its fellow almost equaled it in size and weight. In North
Central Africa, according to Sir Samuel Baker, the tusks of full-grown elephants average about
140 lbs. the pair, and tusks weighing upwards of 100 lbs. each are not at all uncommon, whilst
many of a much greater size have been obtained.

Until quite recently a tusk in the possession of Sir E. G. Loder, which weighs 184 lbs. and
measures 9 feet 5 inches in length, with a circumference of 221-4 inches, was supposed to be the
largest in existence; but in 1899 two tusks were obtained near Kilimanjaro, in East Central
Africa, both of which much exceed this weight. These enormous tusks were at first stated to be
a pair taken from a single elephant ; but though nearly equal in weight they are said to be differ-
ently shaped, and as their history is not yet fully known it is possible, though not probable, that
they originally belonged to two different elephants. The larger of these two tusks has recently
been purchased for the collection of the British Museum (Natural History), where it may now be

154 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Fh»t, i, M F. F. K,urd, Eif.

FEMALE INDIAN ELEPHANT DRAGGING TEAK

The teak logs are floated down the Burmese rivers and dragged out bv elephants

seen. It weighs 228 lbs., measures 10 feet 2l/z inches on the outside curve, and 24 ^ in girth at
the thickest part. The tusks of cow elephants are also considerably larger and heavier on the
average in East Central and North Central Africa than in the southern portions of the continent.

At the present time the Asiatic elephant is found in a wild state in most of the forest-
covered tracts of India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China, Sumatra, and Borneo;
whilst the African species, although it has been hunted out of large tracts of country in South
and Southwestern Africa, still inhabits the greater part of the continent south of the Sahara, and
in many districts of Central Africa appears to be extraordinarily abundant. In the Cape Colony
two herds still exist under the protection of the Government.

As might be expected from the greater length of its legs, and consequent longer stride, the
African elephant is admitted by those who have had experience of both species to be a more
active animal than its Asiatic cousin. Speaking of the walking and running powers of the Indian
elephant, that great authority Mr. Sanderson says that •• the only pace of the elephant i- the
walk, capable of being increased to a fast shuffle of about fifteen miles an hour for very short dis-
tances. It can neither trot, canter, nor gallop. It does not move with the legs on the same
side, but nearly so. A very good runner might keep out of an elephant's way on a smooth
piece of turf, but on the ground in which they are generally met with any attempt to escape by
flight, unless supplemented by concealment, would be unavailing." This description exactly
coincides with my own experience oi the African elephant, except that I think that animals ol
the latter species, especially cows and young bulls, are capable of getting up a pace of at least
twenty miles an hour, and keeping it up for from IOO to 200 yards, when charging.

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 155

In disposition both African and Asiatic elephants are as a rule timid animals, and, excepting
in the case of males of the latter species when suffering from sexual excitement, are always
inclined to shun danger. 1 have never heard of male elephants of the African species becoming
savage and aggressive at any season of the year ; indeed, old bulls always appeared to me to be
less inclined to charge than cows or young bulls. The eyesight of the elephant — of the African
species at least — is bad, and his hearing not particularly acute; but his olfactory nerves are prob-
ably more highly developed than in any other animal, and, aided by this exquisite sense of smell,
he will avoid a human being if possible. Hut if elephants are attacked and wounded, they
become savage and dangerous animals ; and the charge of an African elephant, coming on with
the great ears outspread, to the accompaniment of a quick succession of short, sharp trumpeting
screams, besides being very sudden and rapid, is very disconcerting to the nerves of a man unac-
customed to such experiences. I remember the case of a young Englishman who was killed in
Matabililand many years ago by the first elephant he had ever seen. This animal — an old bull
— had retired, after having been wounded, into a small but dense patch of thorn-bush, into which
its pursuer thought it (inadvisable to follow on horseback. He therefore left his horse, and
advanced on foot towards the cluster of trees amongst which the elephant was concealed. The
latter, having either seen or smelt the approaching enemy, at once charged out, screaming
loudly; and the young hunter, instead of standing his ground and firing at the advancing
monster, lost his presence of mind, and, turning, ran for his horse; but before he reached it he
was overtaken and killed. It seemed to the friend who found his body (he was close at hand
shooting another elephant at the time, and pieced the story together from the tracks of man,
horse, and elephant) that the victim had first been struck in the back of the head by one of his
pursuer's tusks — at any rate his skull had been smashed to pieces and emptied of its brains.
Then the elephant had rushed upon him where he fell, and, after first having driven a tusk right
through his chest and deep into the ground, had stamped him into a bloody pulp with his huge

INDIAN ELEPHANTS BATHING

These animals love a batbt and ivill ivalk en the bottom of a deep river ivitb only tbet'r trunks raised above the 'wat-r

156 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

feet. A waggon was brought the same night, and the mangled body carried to the hunter's
camp on the banks of the Ramokwebani, where it was buried.

The strength of the elephant is proverbial ; and in India and Burma, where this animal has
for ago past been trained in the service of man, this power is habitually made use of in moving
and stacking large baulks of timber, or in dragging heavy guns through muddy ground or up
steep ascents. In Africa the traveler is often astonished at the size of trees which have been
uprooted and overturned by elephants. These trees, however, have no tap-root, and have not
therefore a very firm hold in the ground, especially during the rainy season, when the ground is
soft. At this time of year large trees are butted down by elephants, which push against their
stems with the thick part of their trunks, and get them on the swing, until the roots become
loosened and the trees are at last overturned. Small trees of 2 or 3 inches in diameter, as well
as branches, they break off with their trunks. In 1878 a tuskless bull elephant — I met the same
animal again in 1885, and he is the only African bull elephant without tusks I have ever seen —
killed a native hunter in Mashonaland. This man, a big powerful Zulu and a great friend of my
own, was torn into three pieces. I imagine that, after having caught him, the elephant held the
unfortunate man down with his foot or knee, and then, twisting his trunk round his body, tore
him asunder — surely a terrible exhibition of strength.

The elephant is a very slow-going and long-lived animal, not arriving at maturity until
upwards of thirty years of age ; and since cases are on record of elephants having lived for
upwards of 130 years in captivity in India.it is probable that in a wild state these animals, both in
Asia and Africa, often attain to an age of 150 years. The female elephant produces, as a rule, but
one calf at birth, the period of gestation lasting from eighteen to nearly twenty-two months.
The mammae of the cow elephant are placed between the fore legs, and the new-born calf sucks
with its mouth, holding its trunk turned back over its head. I have seen elephant calves so
engaged.

Although there is no reason to doubt that the African elephant is as intelligent as the Asiatic
species, its domestication has never been attempted by the Negro or Bantu races of Africa. It is
believed, however, that the African elephant

was in ancient times domesticated by the
Carthaginians, and used by them in their wars
with the Romans. The opinion, too, is gen-
erally held that the elephants with which Han-
nibal crossed the Alps were of the African spe-
cies, as well as those which, after the conquest
of Carthage, were used in the Roman amphi-
theatres and military pageants. On the other
hand, it is well to remember that the late Mr.
W. Cotton Oswell, who had had great ex-
perience both with African and Asiatic ele-
phants, wrote as follows on this subject : " I
believe some people suppose the Carthaginians
tamed and used the African elephant they could
hardly have had mahouts Indian fashion, for
there is no marked depression in the nape of
the neck for a seat, and the hemming of the
ears when erected would have half smothered
them. My knowledge does not allow me to
raise any argument on this point ; but might
not the same market have been open to the
dwellers at Carthage as was afterwards to

Phalt, by J

II U Lilian}

A 1 RIC A N

[ Hlghturr

ELEPHANT

The difference in profile between ibis and ibe Indian species is noticeable
The forehead is receding and the ears much larger in the African species

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HVRAX, RHINOCEROS 157

Mithridates, who, I suppi >se,
drew his supply from India?
I lviiow in the representations
of elephants on the medals of
Faustina and of Septimus
Severus the ears arc African,
though the bodies and heads
.11 e Indian ; but these w ei e
struck nearly 400 years after
Carthaginian times, when the
win ile known world had been
ransacked by the Romans for
beasts lor their public shows;
and I still think it possible
that the Carthaginians — the
great traders and colonisers
of old — may have obtained
elephants through some of
their colonies from India.

An interesting example
of the intelligence of these
animals can be seen any
day at the public Zoological
Gardens. A large African ele-
phant restores to his would-be
entertainers all the biscuits,
whole or broken, which strike
the bars and fall alike out
of his reach and theirs in
the space between the barrier
and his cage. He points his
trunk at the biscuits, and

blows them hard along the floor t< > the feet of the persons who have thrown them. He clearly knows
what he is doing, because, if the biscuits do not travel far enough, he gives them a harder blow.

TAPIRS AND HVRAX.

IiV W. I'. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

Tapirs are odd-looking creatures, and, strange as it may seem, are nevertheless related on
the one hand to the rhinoceroses, and on the other to the horses. They are furthermore
extremely interesting animals, because they have undergone less modification of form than any
other members of the group to which they belong. This we know because fossil tapirs, belonging
to a very remote period of the world's history, are practically indistinguishable from those now living.

The general form of the body may perhaps be described as pig-like; the head, too, suggests
that animal. Rut the pig's snout is here produced into a short proboscis, or trunk. The feet are
quite unlike those of the pig, and resemble those of the rhinoceros. The fore feet have each
four and the hind feet three toes; these are all encased in large horse-like hoofs. The tail is
reduced to a mere stump.

Tapirs are shy and inoffensive animals, living in the seclusion of dense forests in the neigh-
bourhood of water, in which element they are quite at home; indeed, it is said that they will
trequently dive and walk along the bed of the river. The)' are also fond of wallowing in mud.
1 i

Phm by L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [Nclli Finthlt)

MALE AFRICAN ELEPHANT DRINKING

Not the great size ' the . ks and baic of tbe trunk

158 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The largest of all the tapirs.

[Notlinr Hill

MALAYAN TAPIR

Is easily distinguished from the American tapirs by the patch of
ivhite on the middle of its body

partly, it is believed, that they
may encase themselves with it
as a protection against the an-
noyance of flies. They feed
on shoots of trees, bushes,
leaves, and fallen fruits, forag-
ing during the evening, and
possibly far into the night.

Tapirs are hunted by the
natives for the sake of their
thick hides, which are cut into
thongs for reins and bridles.
The flesh also is esteemed
by some. There are three
methods of capture. In South
America the lasso is used with
occasional success. But when
not foiled by undergrowth,
the hunter often loses his
victim by reason of the vio-
lence and force of its rush, which snaps the thong. The Gauchos intercept it with dogs on its way
to the water, when it will fight furiously, and many dogs may be killed before its dispatch is accom-
plished. Others imitate its peculiar, shrill call, and shoot it on its approach in answer thereto.
Captives are easily tamed, and may be seen walking about the streets in main- South American
towns. They wander into the forest by day, returning in the evening to be fed, and are said to
di>play great affection. On account of their great strength, it has been suggested that such cap-
tives should be used as beasts of burden.

Except the Malayan Tapir, which is black and white, tapirs are black or dark brown in
colour, and but scantily clothed with hair; but the young, it is interesting to note, are spotted and
striped with white or fawn-coiour on a dark ground, a coloration recalling that of the wild pig.

There are five different species of tapir. Their geographical distribution is remarkable, four
species being South American, and one belonging to the Malayan region. But far back in the
world's history, as we know from fossils, tapirs roamed over the warm and temperate regions of
Europe, and their remains have been found in China and the United States. Thus the interve-
ning gaps existing to-day have been made by the extinction of these intermediate species.

By nature the tapir appears to be a harmless and inoffensive animal, flying even before the
smallest dog. Occasionally, however, it displays great courage and ferocity, and this appears to
be especially the case with females deprived of their young. At such times they will charge with
great spirit, and knock down, trample on, and bite their victim after the fashion of wild swine.

Man alone excepted, the most deadly foe of the American Tapir is the jaguar, as is the tiger of
the Malay species. The American tapir often gets rid of the jaguar by rushing at full speed into
the dense jungle, thus sweeping its assailant from its back, the jaguar's claws finding but an
insecure hold on its victim's thick hide. Tapirs are often found bearing scars all over the back,
witnessing the terrible nature of the wounds received at such times.

That the tapir is a comparatively unknown animal is partly accounted for by the fact that it
is but little s(,ught after by the big-game hunter — who finds more excitement in pursuit of its
larger relative the rhinoceros — and partly, perhaps, owing to its inhabiting regions comparatively
little visited by Europeans. Nevertheless, the tapir is an animal of quite peculiar interest, having
undergone but little change during long ages, whilst its ally the horse has effected in the same
time a complete transformation, not only in its general shape, but more especially in its teeth and

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HVRAX, RHINOCEROS 159

feet. The gradual steps by which this transformation has been brought about we can trace
through certain t'ossil forms, of which we can say little here.

Amongst these fossils occur remains of an animal bearing a very strong resemblance to the
living tapir, but which, strangely enough, is not really so closely related thereto as to the horses.
It does not, however, Stand in the direct line of descent of these latter, but must be regarded as
representing a collateral branch thereof. The occurrence of this distinct tapir-like animal is of
great scientific interest.

The short, stout legs and spreading toes of the living tapirs, rhinoceroses, and ancestral
horse are admirably adapted for plodding deliberately over soft and yielding ground, such as is
afforded by reed-beds and banks of rivers, or the shady depths of forests. Speed in such
surroundings is not necessary, food in plenty being always at hand, and escape from enemies
being sought by concealment in thick herbage rather than flight. With a migration to drier
and higher plains, the spreading foot has undergone a change. The short legs and numerous
toes have given place to long ones, and of the several toes growth has taken place in one only —
the third ; whilst the others have slowly dwindled, till eventually only traces of the second and
fourth remain, as in the modern horse. Thus has a firmer support over hard, unyielding ground
been brought about, and great speed gained. The animals with this type of foot (in which the
third is the largest toe) are known as the Odd-toed Hoofed Animals. The pigs, sheep, deer, and
oxen have gained an equally
efficient foot, yet retaining four
toes. Of these, the third and
fourth are equal in size, and
serve as a support to the body,
whilst the second and fifth
have now become function-
less, and do not reach the
ground. This type of foot
characterises that group of the
hoofed animals known as the
Even-toed.

The Hvrax.
This is one of the most
remarkable of living mam-
mals, and one of the greatest
puzzles to zoologists, having no
near living relatives. Though
bearing some resemblance to
an earless rabbit, it really
belongs to the hoofed
animals, and amongst them
comes perhaps somewhat
nearer the rhinoceros than
to any other animal. It is
the Coney of the Hible. It
inhabits the rocky districts of
Syria and parts of Africa. It
is a vegetable-feeder, and very
wary. About a dozen species
are known.

TAPIR

Molt if G. IV. IVilstn & Co., Lid.]

CO M M 0 N AMERICAN

This tapir inhabit! tropical America. It is a nocturnal animal, frequenting the depths or
shady forests in the neighbourhood of neater, to -which it frequently resorts for the purpose of
bathing, or as a refuge from pursuit

160 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

HAIRY-EARED SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS

This species is found in Eastern Bengal and in the .Ma/ay Peninsula and
adjacent large islands

I HE RHINOCEROS.

BY F. C. SELOUS.

Of the five existing species of Rhino-
ceros, three are found in Asia, whilst two
are inhabitants of Africa.

Of the three Asiatic species, two, the

Indian and the Javan, are one-horned, and

"Wk have a single pair of broad incisor teeth in

the upper jaw, and a pair of sharp-edged and
pointed tusks in the lower, the nasal bones
being long and narrow, and terminating in
a point. In both these species the skin is
hairless (except for tufts or fringes at the
extremity of the tail and on the edges of
the ears), and is arranged in shield-like folds
over the body. The arrangement of these
folds, however, differs somewhat in the two
species, and the large round tubercles with
which the skin of the great Indian rhinoceros
is profusely studded are wanting in the Javan
species.

The Indian Rhinoceros inhabit-- the
Terai at the foot of the Himalaya from Bhutan
to Nepal, and is said to be very abundant in
Assam and the Bhutan Dooars. It frequents
swamp)- ground, and lives amongst jungles and dense growths of reeds and grass, which attain a height
sometimes of 20 feet, and ci iver vast areas of ground in the valley of the Brahmaputra and other rivers.
Owing to the nature of the country in which it lives, the Indian rhinoceros cannot often be
hunted with much prospect of success, except with the aid of elephants, which sagacious animals
are not only employed to carry the hunters, but are also used to beat the great grass jungles in
which the rhinoceroses lie hidden, and drive Ehem towards the guns.

Despite its great size and strength, the Indian rhinoceros seems to be regarded as, in
general, a timid and inoffensive animal, and even when wounded it seldom charges home.
Elephants, however, appear to be as a rule nervous when in the near proximity of rhinoceroses,
perhaps objecting to the smell of those animals. When the Indian rhinoceros doc- make good
its charge against either man or elephant, it cuts and rips its enemy with its teeth, and makes
little use of its horn .1- an offensive weapon.

The Indian rhinoceros is said to live principally, if not entirely, on grass and reeds. .\- ,1
rule it is a solitary animal, but sometime- several are found living in a comparatively small extent
of grass-covered plain.

Large male- of this species will stand from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet at the shoulder, and they
are enormously bulk}-. Both sexes carry well-developed horns, which, however, do not usually
attain a length of upwards of 12 inches. There i- a specimen in the British Museum measuring
19 inches, and it i- believed that in very exceptional instances a length of 2 feet has been attained.
The [avan Rhinoi EROS, though it has been called the Lesser Indian Rhinoceros, is said by
a late authority -Mr. C. E. M. Russell -to stand about the same height at the shoulder as the
Indian species. It i- found in the Sunderbunds of Eastern Bengal, .uu\ has been met with in the
Sikhim Terai and in Assam, ranging eastwards through Burma and the Malay Peninsula to
Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.

l-i I b) ' II \l. I Man]

GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS

The largat land mammal of tie East after the elephant

r6i

[Highiurf

162 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

But little appears to be known of the habits of this species of rhinoceros. Although it is
found in the swampy grass-covered plains of the Sunderbunds, its more usual habitat seems to be
hilly forest-covered country, and both in Burma and Java it ascends to a height of several
thousand feet above sea-level. It feeds principally upon leaves and the young shoots of trees
and bushes. In disposition it is timid and inoffensive. Only the male carries a horn, which,
being very short, is a very poor trophy for a sportsman.

The third Asiatic species of rhinoceros, known as the Sumatran, is the smallest of all living
rhinoceroses. This species carries two horns, and its skin, which is very rough, is usually thinly
cove red with hair of a dark brown colour and of considerable length. The folds in the skin of
the Sumatran rhinoceros are not nearly so well developed as in its single-horned relatives, and
the one behind the shoulders is alone continued over the back. Although furnished with tusks
in the lower jaw, the small pair of incisor teeth, which in the other two Asiatic rhinoceroses are
always present in front of these tusks, are wanting in the Sumatran species.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is rare in Assam, but is found in Burma and the Malay Peninsula,
as well as in Siam, Sumatra, and Borneo. The two horns of this species are placed at some

distance apart. Although they are as
a rule very short, the front horn oc-
casionally grows to a considerable
length, sweeping backwards in a grace-
ful curve.

In height adult males of the Su-
matran species stand on the average
from 4 feet to 4^ feet at the shoulder,
and females sometimes not more than
3 feet 8 inches.

Like the Javan rhinoceros, the
Sumatran species is by preference an
inhabitant 01 hilly, forest-covered
country, and browses on the leaves
and shoots of trees and bushes. It is
a timid and inoffensive animal, soon
becoming tame in captivity. Its flesh
is said to be much appreciated by the
Dyaks of Borneo ; and as its horns are
of value for export to China, where they are used for medicinal purposes, it has of late years
very much decreased in numbers in the province of Sarawak, but is more plentiful in Central and
North Borneo. Living as it does in dense jungle, it is an animal which is seldom seen by
European sportsmen, and its habits in a wild state have newer been yet very closely studied.

Turning to the two species of rhinoceros which inhabit the continent of Africa, both are
double-horned, and neither furnished with incisor teeth, the nasal bones being thick, rounded,
and truncated in front. Both, too, are smo >th-skinned and entirely hairless, except on the edge
of the ears and extremity of the tail, which arc fringed or tufted.

Of the two African species, the White or Square-mouthed Rhinoceros is the larger and

the rarer. L'ntil quite recently the range of this huge ungainly-looking animal, the biggest of
all terrestrial mammals after the elephant, was supposed to be entirely confined to the southern
portions of the \ln< .u\ Continent ; for although from time to time horns had found their way to
Zanzibar which seemed referable to the square-mouthed rhinoceros, the fact of the existence of
the white rhinoceros in any part of Africa north of the Zambesi remained in doubt until a female
was shot in the year 1900, in the neighbourhood of Lado, on the Upper Nile, by Captain A. St.
H. Gibbons, who brought its skin, skull, and horns to England. The fact, however, that the

ky rcri & Son] [Netting Hill

GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS

This species inhabits the grass jungles of Northeastern India

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 163

■■■ -- -it ■ • « •-_-.'•■ . ■ ■ •'■•. ...... .."" . *

KI.ACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES
.V splendid snapshot t no Ma ■ Aft an rhii •■ us taken on the open veldt. They were afterwards shot by the party

■ i

white rhinoceros has never been encountered by any other traveler in Central Africa seems to
-how that the animal is either very rare in those districts, or that it has an exceedingly limited range.

In the early years of the nineteenth century the square-mouthed or white rhinoceros was
found in large numbers over the whole of South Africa from the Orange River to the Zambesi,
except in the waterless portions of the Kalahari Desert, or those parts of the country which are
covered with rugged stony hills or dense jungle.

Speaking of his journey in 1837 through the western part of what is now the Transvaal
Colony, Captain (afterwards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote: " On our way from the waggons to a
hill not half a mile distant, we counted no less than twenty-two of the white species of rhinoceros,
and were compelled in self-defense to slaughter four. On one occasion I was besieged in a bush
by three at once, and had no little difficulty in beating off the assailants." Even so lately as
thirty years' ago the white rhinoceros was still to be met with in fair numbers in Ovampoland and
other districts of Western South Africa, whilst
it was quite plentiful in all the uninhabited
parts of Eastern South Africa from Zululand
to the Zambesi. In 1872 and 1873, whilst
elephant-hunting in the uninhabited parts of
Matabililand, I encountered white rhinoceroses
almost daily, and often saw several in one day.
At the present time, however, unless it should
prove to be numerous in some as yet unex-
plored districts of North Central Africa, this
strange and interesting animal must be counted
one of the rarest of existing mammals, and in
Southern Africa I fear it must soon become
extinct. A few still exist amongst the wild .*.'•'•- --?•'• •■• •' *V. ■._-'-.- "v.. A

loquat groves of Northern Mashonaland, and fku' ** c- B- a**,h"t < s't ■

there are also a few surviving in Zululand ; but O N E O F T H E S AM E RH I N O CER OSES D E AD

I fear that even With the most rigid protection This picture gives some idea of the size of the commonest surviving speues

1 64 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phcu i) J. If. McLtllati] [Highbury

K II 1 N OC EROS BATHING

AU the Asiatic speciei of rhinoceros are fond of bathing and ivalltywing in mud

they are too few in number to restock
the country. They have a better
chance, I think, of increasing in num-
bers in Zululand than in Mashonaland,
in which latter country it is at present
impossible to afford them an)- protec-
tion either from natives or Europeans.
A full-grown bull white rhinoceros
stands from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet
9 inches at the shoulder, and is very
massively built, with short, stout legs.
The head is very much elongated,
and the mouth square, like that of
an ox. When white rhinoceroses
were still plentiful, very considerable
differences were observable in the
length and shape i if their horns. The
anterior horns of full-grown bulls
might measure Irom i S inches to 40 inches in length ; those of cows from 24 inches to 60 inches.
The longest horn known — that of a cow — which was brought from South Africa by the well-
known hunter the late Roualeyn Gordon Gumming, measures 62l/2 inches over the curve. As
a rule, the front horn of the white rhinoceros curved slightly backwards, but was often straight
or bent slightly forwards, and sometimes curved strongly backwards. The posterior horn varied
from a few inches to 2 feet in length.

The white rhinoceros lived in families, usually a bull, cow, and calf being found together ;
but there might be two or even three calves of different ages, and of which the youngest alone
would be suckling, living with the father and mother. In the early South African spring (Sep-
tember and Octoben, when the young green herbage was just sprouting after the first rains, two
or three families of white rhinoceroses might be seen feeding in close proximity, presenting the
appearance of a herd; but I fancy the several families of these animals had only been brought
together for the sake of the young green grass. In Southern Africa the white rhinoceros lived
entirely on grass, and 1 have newer seen any evidence of their having eaten anything else.
When either walking, trotting, or galloping, the white rhinoceros always carried its nose close to
the ground. A calf always preceded its mother, and she appeared to guide it by holding the
point of her horn on the little creature's rump; and in all changes of pace, no matter how
sudden, this position was always maintained. The white rhinoceros was easily killed by a shot
through the heart or through both lungs, but would travel very long distances, and probably, as
a rule, ultimately recover from wounds in other parts of the body. They could travel at a great
rate and for a considerable distance with a broken fore leg or shoulder, but if a hind leg were
broken the_\- were rendered almost immediately helpless. In disposition they were sluggish and
inoffensive animals, lying asleep in the shade of trees or bushes during the heat of the day, and
coming to the water to drink at night or often before sundown in parts of the country where
tin}- had not been much molested. When disturbed, white rhinoceroses would go off at a swift
trot, but if chased on horsebai k would break into a gallop, which they were capable of maintain-
ing for a considerable distance, and at a wonderful pace for so large and heavy an animal. I he
meat of the white rhinoceros was most excellent, the part in greatest favour amongst hunters
being the hump on the back of the neck in front of the shoulder, which was cut off whole and
roasted in the skin in a hole dug in the ground.

The colour of the so-called white rhinoceros i- dark gray. The second species of African rhi-
noceros, which is also dark gray in colour, is known as the Black or Prehi nsile-J ipped Rhinoceros.

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 165

Less than .1 hundred years ago the range of tin- fast-disappearing species extended from the
northwestern districts of the Cape Colonyto Abyssinia, and at that time it must have been plentiful
'\ 11 almi 1st the whole of the intervening country. It never seems to have penetrated i nt< > the equa-
torial forest regions of West Central Africa, where the climate is probably too damp to suit its require-
ments ; for both species of African rhinoceros appear to like a dry climate, ami not to object to very
arid surroundings. At the same time they never wander many miles from a river or pool, and drink
regularly every night, and in hot weather probably very often .1 second time in the early morning.

In Southern Africa the black rhinoceros appears to attain to a larger size than in the coun-
tries farther north, ["o the south ol the Zambesi large bulls of this .species will stand 5 feet 8
inches at the shoulder; whilst the height of an adult bull, as taken by Mr. F. Jackson at
Naivasha in East Africa, wa 5 fi el 5 in< lies ; and Mr. A. II. Neumann gives the standing height of
another adult bull shot by himsell still farther north, near Lake Rudolph, as only 4 feet 9 inches.

It is now gener-
ally recognised that
there is but onespecies
of prehensile lipped
rhinoceros in Africa,
though the horns, and
especially the hinder
one, differ in length
and shape to such an
extent that it was li mg
thought that there
were at least two
distinct species, those
with both horns of
equal or nearly equal
length basing been
distinguished from the
more common form,
with a comparatively
short second horn, as
the K 1:111. oa, this
being the name in
the Sechuana dialect
for a prehensile-lipped

rhinoceros with horns of equal length. Speaking on this subject, Mr. A. II. Neumann, who has had
great experience with the black rhinoceros in East Africa, writes: " Length of horn is a purely
fortuitous individual trait ; and the extremely long horns (mostly of females) which have occasionally
been obtained from traders on the east coast, and brought home, are merely exceptionally fine
specimens, selected from among large numbers brought to the coast (the bulk of which, I am told,
go to China to be ground up into medicine), and do not belong to any distinct species, nor come
from any particular region. In proof of this contention I may mention that I have a 40-inch horn,
the owner of which I myself shot at the northern base of the Jambeni Range (near Kenia), in a
neighbourhood where I hunted a great deal and saw great numbers of rhinos, and shot a good
many. The vast majority have quite short horns — under a foot — and anything over 18 inches
is uncommon, while a length of 30 inches or upwards is extremely rare." The black rhinoceros,
I believe, never eats grass, but browses on the young shoots of trees and bushes, which are often
quite leafless and seem excessively dry. In this way it chews up and swallows great quantities
of dry -looking twigs, much of which passes through its stomach undigested.

' S| Ntrman B. Smith, E,j.

BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROS
This photograph, taken by a sportsman in Africa, shotcs a charging rhinoceros just before it ivas shot

166 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

There has been a good deal of
controversy as to the character and
disposition of the black rhinoceros, some
hunters and travelers regarding it as
most dangerous and aggressive, whilst
others are inclined to take an almost
opposite view. That some black
rhinoceroses are certainly aggressive and
therefore dangerous animals, the experi-
ences of C. J. Anderson and \\ . Cotton
( (swell in South Africa many years ago,
and "'t many travelers and hunters in
East Africa during the last few years,
certainly prove beyond a doubt; and as
one never knows that any particular
rhinoceros, when encountered, may not
prove to be a vicious brute, a certain
amount of caution should be employed
in approaching one of these animals.
In my own experience I always found
that black rhinoceroses ran off at once
on getting the wind of a human being ;
whilst, on the other hand, if they only
heard one approaching, they would come
towards the noise, and I have often
known them to trot up to within
twenty yards of where I was standing,
snorting and puffing loudly; but as these animals always turned round and went off eventually
without charging, I came to the conclusion that they were inquisitive and very short-sighted
rather than vicious. When fired into, a black rhinoceros goes off at a gallop — his usual pace,
when alarmed, being a very fast trot — puffing and snorting loudly. He can gallop at a very
great pace, considering his size and weight ; but a South African shooting-pony can easily come
up with him, or get away from him if pursued. In death a black rhinoceros will often sink down
on its knees, and remain in that position, looking as if it were simply resting. When dying, it
often gives vent to a pitiful squeal, the sound seeming very small and thin for so large a beast.
The meat of the black rhinoceros is not ill-flavoured, and, if fat, very palatable; but as a rule
these animals are very lean, and their flesh tough and coarse. The tongue, however, if well
cooked. i> always good ; and the liver if first roasted under the ashes, and then, after being beaten
up in a native wooden mortar, cooked with rice and fat, makes a dish which is good enough for
a hungry man.

During the making of the Uganda Railway the engineers came upon something like a pre-
serve of this specie^ of rhinoceros, especially in the thick and waterless thorn jungle near the
coast. The rhinoceros was almost the only animal, except the linn, which was able to penetrate
the bush. As many as five of these animals were seen in one day when the line was being
made; they did no injury to the coolies, other than by frightening them, and appeared to be
stupid and by no means vigilant animals, perhaps because no ether creature attacked them. The
li"ii never meddles with a grown-up rhinoceros, though it might and probably does kill a call
occasionally, when tin- latter is no larger than a full-grown pig. The horns of some of these
Ea i African black rhinoceroses were of unusual length and thinness.

Photi by Terk & Son] 'Nulling Hill

SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS

This species of rhinoceros is the smallest of the three Oriental forms. It has
tivo horns

CHAPTER XII,

THE HORSE TRIBE,

ZEBRAS AND WILD ASSES.

BY F. C. SELOUS.

Zebras.

THE Zebras have many points in common with the asses, from which latter group of
animals they are principally distinguished by their beautifully striped skins. Both
asses and zebras carry
short, erect manes, and in both the
upper portion of the tail is free from
long hair. In both groups there arc
naked callosities on the fore legs only,
whilst the head is larger in propor-
tion to the size of the animal, and
the ears longer than in the horse. In
Burchell's and Grevy's Zebras the
hoof is intermediate between that of
the horse and the ass ; for although
narrower than the hoof of the horse, it
is broader and more rounded than that
of the ass. In the True Zebra, how-
ever, the hoof is thoroughly asinine
in character, and the ears very long.
The True or Mountain Zebra
appears never to have had a very
extended range. It was once an
inhabitant of all the mountainous
regions of the Cape Colony as well
as of the great Drakensberg Range,
and fifty years ago was also found
amongst the rugged hills of Great
Namaqualand. The mountain-zebra
is the smallest of the group, standing
only from \2 to \zl/2 hands at the
shoulder. It is a most beautiful
animal, the whole of the head, body,

ami limbs, with the exception of the ?tnub} c. w. w«»n & Co., Ltd.

under-parts and the insides of the MOUNTAIN-ZEBRA

thighs, being Striped. I he ground- Tfje true or moumajn zcbra is now becoming scarcer than formerly. At one time n

Colour of the bodv is white, the stripes was to be seen in great numbers on tbe mountains of Cape Colony

I67

1 68 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

If. P. Dandt

G R K V Y ' S ZEBRA

This species of -zebra came from the Galla country, and has narroiver and more numerous itripu
than the mountain-zebra

being black and the muzzle
bright brown. Both hindand
fore legs arc banded down to
the hoofs. The stripes on the

neck and body arc narrower
and more numerous than in
Burchell's zebra, and on the
hindquarters the median
stripe, which runs down the
centre of the back from the
inane to the tail, i- connected
with the uppermost of the
oblique longitudinal stripes by
a series of short horizontal
bars. The ears in this species
are much larger 'Jian in.
Burchell's zebra.

The true zebra seems
never to have been an in-
habitant of the plains, like
all its congeners, but to have
confined its range entirely to mountainous districts. Speaking on this point, Captain (after-
wards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote upwards of sixty years ago: "This beautiful and wary
animal never of its own free will descends into the plain, as erroneously asserted by all natural-
ists, and it therefore never herds with either of its congeners, the quagga and Burchell's zebra,
whose habitat is equally limited to the open and level lowlands. Seeking the wildest and most
sequestered spots, the haughty troops are exceedingly difficult of approach, as well on account of
their watchful habits and extreme agility and fleetness of foot, as from the abrupt and inaccessible
nature of their highland abode."

An allied specie-, of which examples have been obtained by Mr. G. W. Penrice, occurs in
Benguela, Portuguese West Africa.

I once saw the carcase of a zebra stallion which had been sent by rail to the Cape Town
Museum by a farmer living in the neighbourhood of the village of Worcester. This animal had
come down from the mountains, and joined a troop of donkeys running on the farm. Its intrusion
was, however, resented by a male donkey, which fought with and overpowered it, and, having
seized it with its teeth by the back of the neck, held it fast until it was secured by the farmer and
his men. The captured animal, however, refused food, and soon died, when its carcase was sent
to the Cape .Museum tor preservation.

Grevy's Zebra is the largest and perhaps the handsomest of all the zebras. Ibis fine
animal is an inhabitant of Eastern Africa, its range extending from the central portion of
Somaliland southwards to tin: Tana River. It appears to be plentiful in the country between
Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, but has not, I believe, been met with to the west of that lake.
Full-grown specimens of Grevy's zebra will stand from 14C' to 15 hands at the shoulder, with a
girth of body immediately behind the shoulders of nearly 5 feet. The arrangement of the stripes in
Tlii- species differs considerably both from that of the mountain -zebra of the Cape Colony and also
from Burchell's zebra. The body-stripes are very narrow, numerous, and deep black in colour,
and are separated by equally narrow white bands. The longitudinal -tripe- on the haunches
are also shorter and finer than in any other species of zebra, and on tin- top of the centre of the
back from the neck to the tail. The belly and inside- of tin- thighs are white, and the legs banded
right down to the hoofs as in the mountain-zebra, and the ears are a.- large as in that species.

Phcto by Ptrty Ashtnden

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA AT HOME

Tin. excellent photograph '.vas taken in South Africa, and shows these animals in their native state

r6q

170

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Grevy's zebra is, as a rule, an inhabitant <>t open or thinly wooded country, and it appears to
avoid anything in the nature of thick cover. In Central Somaliland Major Swayne met with it
on low plateaux some 2,500 feet above sea-level, the side- of which fell in broken ravines to the
river- valleys. This country is described as broken and hilly, and here Grevy's zebras were met
with in small droves of about half a dozen. In the country between Mount Kenia and Lake
Rudolph, Mr. A. 11. Neumann frequently met with herds of Grevy's and Burchell's zebras
consorting; together. The contrast between the two specie- when thus seen side by side was
very marked, the former animals looking like horses among a flock of ponies. Mr. Neumann
never observed stallions of the two species fighting together, but on the other hand he states that
the stallions of the larger species fight viciously amongst themselves for possession of the mares.
Grevy's zebras seem never to collect in large herds, more than twenty, or at the outside thirty,
being very seldom seen together.

Although this species is an inhabitant of arid plains and bare stony hills where the herbage

is short, it requires
to drink daily, and
is never therefore
found at an>' great
distance from water.
The cry of Grevy's
zebra is stated to be
quite different from
that of Burchell's.
Mr. N e u man n de-
scribes it as a very
hoarse kind of grunt,
varied by something
approaching to a
whistle, the grunts
being long drawn
out, and divided by
the shrill whistling
sound, as if the latter
were made by draw-
ing in the breath
which had been ex-
pelled during the
sustained grunt.

Like all other species of the genus to which they belong, Grevy's zebras, especially the mares
when in foal, become very fat at certain seasons of the year, and their flesh is much appreciated
both by natives and lions, the latter preying on them and their smaller congeners, Burchell's
zebras, in preference to any other animal, now that the rinderpest has almost exterminated the
great herds of buffalo which once roamed in countless numbers all over East Central Africa.

BURCHELL'S Zebra once inhabited the whole of Southwestern, Southeastern. Central, and
Eastern Africa from the Orange River to Lake Rudolph; and though it has long ceased to exist
in the more southerly portions of its range, it i- still tin- most numerous and the best known of
all the species of zebra.

The typical form of this specie- was first met with early last century by Dr. Burchell in
Southern Bechuanaland. In this form the legs are white below the knees and hocks, and the
body-stripes do not join the median stripe of the belly. In examples met with farther north
the legs are striped down to the hoofs and the body-stripes join the belly-stripe. South of

Phnf l\ 7. T. IVVurffl [Bf.-ihamited

THi-; HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD'S TEAM OF ZEBRAS
Air. Rothschild was practically the first person to break in zebras to harness. At one time these

animals lucre thought to be quite untamable

TIIK HO RSI'. TRIBE

171

the Zambesi .ill forms of Burchell's zebra seem to have faint markings, known as shadow-
stripes, ..n the pale yellow ground-colour of the spaces between the broad black stripes.
North oi the Zambesi varieties are met with in which these shadow-stripes are wanting. As,
however, the differences between all the various sub-species of Burchell's zebra are superficial

and not structural, and as, moreover, the habits of these animals seem to be tin- same in every
part of tlnir widely extended range, I shall henceforth speak of them as one species.

Burchell's zebra is without the small horizontal bars on the hindquarters, which in the

mountain-zebra connect the dorsal stripe with the uppermost of the broad longitudinal bands
running across the flanks. Its ears, too, are smaller than in the' latter species, and its mane
fuller. In size Burchell's zebra is intermediate between the mountain-zebra and Grevy's
zebra, standing from thirteen to thirteen and a half hands at the shoulder.

h\ ftrmiiliin >■ Mr. William Cron

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA, CHAPMAN'S VARIETY

Where they have not been shot down, Burchell's zebras often live in large herds of from
fifty to over a hundred together. I have met with them almost at the level of the sea, as in
the Pungwe district of South-east Africa, and all over the high plateaux of the interior up to
a height of 5,000 feet above sea-level. They are partial to sparsely forested country intersected
by open glades, but also frequent open plains entirely devoid of trees or bush, having been
once numerous on the open downs of the Western Transvaal and Orange River Colony. They
never live in dense jungle, but I have met with them frequently amongst broken rugged hills.
Burchell's zebras are both fleet and enduring, but I have often galloped right amongst a herd
of them when mounted on a fast horse, and in good ground. In broken, hilly, and stony
ground, however, no horse can live with a Burchell's zebra. The hoofs of this species seem
made for running in rocky ground, being deeply hollowed and as hard as iron.

I have always found the presence of Burchell's zebras a sure indication that water was not

I 72

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

MARE AND KOAL OF BURCHELL'S ZEBRA

These animals breed regularly in captivity

far distant, and it is my experience
that these animals require to drink
daily, and never wander more than
a few miles away from tlie pool or
river they frequent.

This species of zebra may often
be seen in Southern Africa in
company with other animals, such
as buffaloes, blue wildebeest >, elands,
gemsbucks, roan and sassaby ante-
lopes, and ostriches, and I have upon
several occasions seen them come up
to domestic cattle and horses. They
are naturally not very wary, and in
parts of the country where they
have not been much molested are
often very inquisitive, and will come
trotting quite close up to a caravan,
provided they do not get the scent
of human beings. Foals of this

species are easily caught, and become at once very tame and confiding; nor do I believe that

adult Burchell's zebras are such vicious animals as is generally supposed, since I have seen

several which were very quiet and well broken, whilst even the half-broken animals, which

were at one time used on one of the coach-lines in the Transvaal, did not appear very vicious.
As with Grevy's zebra, the flesh of the species under consideration is much appreciated

both by natives and lions. I have often seen the fat on the quarters of the mares unite an

inch thick. It is of a dark yellow colour, and too rich to suit the stomach of a European

The meat is rather sweet in taste, but if fried with bacon not at all unpalatable.
Professor Ewart has lately carried out a very

interesting series of experiments on the hybrid-
ising of zebras and horses. The results were very

satisfactory. The zebra cross proved to be very

hardy creatures, capable of wintering in the open

on the hills of Scotland. The scientific data

obtained were of singular value, as showing the

effect of crossbreeding on subsequent generations

of foals of the same mother. It has long been

believed that the influence of the first sire was seen

in foals ef which other animals were subsequently

the fathers. Thus, if a white mare threw a foal

to a black stallion, it was considered th.it her

subsequent progeny would occasionally be black,

and instances were freely quoted to support this

theory. The scientific name of " telegony " was

given to this supposed influence of previous sires

on future-offspring. Professor Ewart's experiments,

in which pony mares were first mated with a

zebra and afterwards with horses, show that this

theory of telegony is erroneous. The foals sired

afterwards by ponies and horses showed no trace

whatever of zebra stripes, but were normal pony

foals, and not altered either in shape or disposition.

rnoto bj forman B. Smithy Eiq.

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA

This species is occasionally domesticated and driven in South
Africay as it is not injured by the tsetse jly

'Ill K 1 1 OK SI. TRIBE

173

The Qi \i <C i, which became
extinct about thirty years ago,
never had a very extended ran
but in the early part of the

last century it existe"d in great
numbers on all the upland plains
of tlii- Cape Colony to the west
of tin- Kei River, and in the
open treeless country lying be-
tween the ( )range and Yaal
Rivers. North of the Vaal it
appear- tb have been unknou n
The quagga seems to have
been nearly allied to Htuclu ll's
zebra — especially to the most
southerly form of that species —
but was much darker in general
colour, being of a dark rufous
brown on the neck and upper-
parts of the body, becoming
lighter on the sides, and fading
off to white beneath and behind

' £i

ST ^ \ ft

Photo by Percy jithtndtn

ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN
Another S uth African photograph. Notice Cape Town in the far distance

Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was
only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the
shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in
the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly
resembled its handsomer relative. The barking neigh " qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha" seems, too, to
have been the same in both species. The word "quagga" is pronounced in South Africa
" qua-ha," and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal's neighing call. To-day
Burchell's zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists.

W'lin Asses

& 13»

Q U A G G A

This is, we believe, the only known photograph from life of this Tcr\- rare
animal. There will probably never be another, for the quagga is generally
supposed to be extinct

The true asses are without stripes
on the head, neck, and body, with the
exception of a dark streak down the
back from the mane to the tail, which
is present in all members of the group,
and in some cases a dark band across
the shoulders and irregular markings
on the legs.

In Africa the wild ass is only
found in the desert regions of the
north-eastern portion of that continent,
being an inhabitant of Abyssinia,
Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and
the arid districts bordering the Red
Sea. The form of wild ass found in
Somaliland differs in some respects from
its near relative of the Nubian Desert,
in that it is of a paler colour, has the
dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is
without a cross stripe over the shoulders,

174 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

whilst on the other hand it has numerous markings botli on the front and hind legs. Naturalists
are, however, agreed that, although there" may be certain small differences in the colour and
markings of the wild asses found in different localities of Northern Africa, such variations are
of no specific value, and only one species is recognised.

The AFRICAN WILD ASS is a fine animal, standing between 13 and 14 hands at the shoulder.
It lives in small herds or families of four or five individuals, and i> not found in mountainous
districts, but frequents low stony hills and arid desert-wastes. It is as a general rule an
alert animal and difficult to approach, and so fleet and enduring that, excepting in the case
of foals and mares heavy in young, it cannot be overtaken even by a well-mounted horseman.
Notwithstanding the scanty nature of the herbage in the districts they frequent, these desert-
bred asses are always in good condition. They travel long distances to water at night, but
appear to require to drink regularly. Their flesh is eaten by the natives of the Soudan. The
bra}- of the .African wild ass is said to be indistinguishable from that of the domesticated
animal, which latter is undoubtedly descended from the wild African breed.

In Asia three varieties of the wild ass are found, which were formerly believed to
represent three distinct species; but since the points of difference between these varying forms
do not appear to be of specific value, all the local races of the Asiatic wild ass are now
considered to belong to one species.

These wild asses have a wide range, and are met with in the deserts of Asia from
Syria to Persia and Western India, and northwards throughout the more arid portions of
Central Asia.

In Tibet and Mongolia the wild ass inhabits the high mountain-plateaux, and lives at
elevations of 14,000 feet and upwards above the sea. This local race, know as the KlANG,
approaches in size to the African wild ass, standing 13 hands at the shoulder. It is dark
reddish brown in colour, with a very narrow dorsal stripe. The ONAGER of Western India
and Baluchistan is a smaller and lighter-coloured animal, with a broader stripe down the
back. In parts of its range it is found at sea-level. In Persia and Syria a third local race
of wild ass is found, which, however, differs from the two forms already enumerated in no
essential particular.

Like their African congeners, the wild asses of Asia are inhabitants of the waste places
of the earth, frequenting desert plains and wind-swept steppes. They are said to be so fleet
and enduring that, except in the case of a marc heavy with foal, they cannot be overtaken

by a single horseman.

Phut bj J. If. M< Lilian

HA l.rcil I WILD ASS

This is one of the three leading 'varieties of the Asiatic ivild ass. It is found in Western India

and Baluchistan

The wild asses of the
desert plains of India and
Persia are said to be very wary
and difficult to approach, but
the kiang of Tibet is always
spoken of as a much more
confiding animal, its curiosity
being so great that it will
frequently approach to within
a short distance of any un-
familiar object, such as a
sportsman engaged in stalking
other game.

.Asiatic wild asses usually
live in small families of four
or five, but sometimes congre-
gate in herds. Their food
consists of various grasses in
the low-lying portions of their

THE HORSE TRIBE

175

MALE KIANG

The kiting comes from the Tibetan highlands. It is the largest and most horse-like of the tvi/d asses of Asia

range, but of woody plants on the high mountain-plateaux, where little else is to be obtained.
Of wild asses in general the late Sir Samuel Baker once said: "Those who have seen donkeys
only in their civilised state can have no conception of the wild or original animal; it is the
perfection of activity and courage."

DOMESTICATED HORSE, ASSES, AND MULES

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S

TllE 1 >< IMESTICATED lloKSE

LIKE the wild camels, genuine wild horses are very generally believed to be extinct. The
vast herds which occur to-day in a wild state in Europe, America, and Australia are to be
regarded, say those who believe in the extinction theory, as descended from domesticated
animals which have run wild. So far as the American and Australian horses are concerned,
this is no doubt true; but of the European stocks it is by no means so certain. For
Dr. Nehring — and he speaks with authority — assures us that the wild horses known as
Tartans, which occur on the steppes north of the Sea of Azoff, between the river Dnieper and
the Caspian, are veritable wild horses, the last remaining members of enormous herds which
occurred in Europe before the dawn of civilisation. These horses formed no small part of the
food ol the savage races of men then inhabiting this continent. This we know because of the
quantities of their remains found in the caves of the south of France, for instance, associated
with the remains of the men who hunted them. Further evidence of this we have in the
shape of crude engravings on pieces of bone and deer horns, carved by the more artistic
spirits amongst these early hunters. From these drawings we gather that the horse they
hunted was small in size and heavy in build, with a large head and rough, shaggy mane and

176 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

tail — a horse, in fact, almost identical with the above-mentioned tarpan. But long before
historic records begin these horses must have been domesticated; man discovered that they
could be even more useful alive than dead, and from that time forth the horse became his
inseparable companion. "Caesar found the Ancient Britons and Germans using war-chariots
drawn by hoi

But the stock of domestic hoi -ses drawn from tin's tarpan bind appears to have died
out almost entirely, the majority of horses now existing being probably descendants of the
native wild horses of Asia, the product of a still earlier domestication. In Egypt the horse,
as a domestic animal, seems to have been preceded by the ass; but about 1900 B.C. it
begins to appear in the role of a war-horse, to draw chariots. Its use, indeed, until the
Middle Ages was almosl universally as a war-horse.

From the time of its domestication till to-day the history of the horse lias been one
of progress. The care and forethought of the breeder have produced many varieties, resulting
in such extremes as the London Dray-horse, the Racer, and the Shetland Pony.

The coloration of our various breeds of horses is generally without any definite marking,
piebald and dappled being the nearest approach to a pattern. Occasionally, however, horses are-
found with a dark
stripe along the back,
and sometimes with
dark stripes on the
shoulders and legs.
Darwin, discovering
a number of horses so
marked belonging to
different breeds, came
to the conclusion that
probably all existing
races of horses were
descended from a
"single dun-coloured,
more or less striped
primitive stock, to
which [stock] our
horses occasionally
revert."

" If we were not
so habituated to the sight of the horse," says the late Sir William Flower, "as hardly ever
to consider its structure, we should greatly marvel at being told of a mammal so strangely
constructed that it had but a single toe on each extremity, on the end of the nail of
which it walked or galloped. Such a conformation is without parallel in the vertebrate scries."
By the aid of fossils we cm trace out all the stages through which this wonderful foot has
1 ed in arriving at its present state of perfection: we can sec how it has become more
and more beautifully adapted to fulfil the requirement demanded — a firm support to enable
it-- owner to cover hard ground at great speed. The study of the structure of this foot, and a

parison with the intermediate forms, make it clear that this toe corresponds to the third

finger or toe of the human hand or foot — according as we compare the fore or hind limbs —
and that its development was at the expense of the remaining toes, which gradually dwindled
and disappeared, leaving in the living one-toed horse only traces of the second and fourth toes
in the shape of a pair of splint-bones, one on either side of the excessively developed third toe.
The horses, it must be remarked, may be distinguished from the asses by the fact that the
tail in the former is clothed with long hair throughout; in the latter long hair springs only
from the sides and end, forming a tuft. Furthermore, the horses have a remarkable horny

* *pBW ;

:*'^

rag

§k

WPV

/>fl

''t^^k ^^Kl^K WhI

w %

W vt

■ v J ■ I 1

^^ J

*f^

flut, by T. Fall

YEARLING ARAB COLTS

Note the co/ts examining the photographer* s bag. They a> c very inquisitive creatures, but easily frightened

ARAB MARE
Nothing would induct this horse to stand still in order to be photographed , „ flJ „ /„, source the rider put on her Arab couum This acted

like magic, for under its spell the animal at once became quiet

177

1/8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

ARAB MARES AND FOALS

excrescence, resembling a huge black and flattened wart, on each hind leg just below the
" hock," or heel-joint. This excrescence is commonly known as the " chestnut." Its function
is unknown. A similar pair of "chestnuts" occurs on the inner side of the fore limb just
above the wrist, or " knee," as it is generally called. The " chestnuts " of the fore limb occur
also in the asses, but not those of the hind limb.

The Arab Horse

This magnificent and justly celebrated animal is chosen first for consideration because
it is probably a direct descendant of an original wild breed — the Asiatic wild horse. How
far back the domestication of this breed began will probably never be exactly known. Till
the third century after Christ the Arabs were almost certainly camel-riders; but by the
sixth century of our era we find them in possession of a breed of horses which they regarded
with great reverence, and spoke of as an heritage from their forefathers. They were probably
introduced from the Caucasus or Asia Minor. The Arab horse fmmd its way into Europe, perhaps
accompanied by an allied breed - the Barb — with the Arab invasion of Spain in the eighth and
ninth centuries, leasing traces of its sojourn in the Andalusian and the French Limousin. Hut
ieat value of Arab blond was not appreciated till armour ceased to be u^-<], the excessive
weight of this demanding a horse of heavy build.

The Arab does not appear to have been introduced into England till the seventeenth
century; but the result of that introduction, as we shall see presently, has been fraught with
tremendous consequences. In its native land it appears to have been bred chiefly for the
purposes of warfare. The success with which the breeders' judicious selection has been
rewarded is plainly seen in the wonderful powers of endurance on long marches; so that, at
the end of a raid, the animal is still fresh enough either for flight, if necessary, or for a final
rush on a retreating enemy. Besides, Arabs possess great courage, and are frugal both in the
matter of food and drink.

Till-: IIORSK IK I HI',

179

As a race-horse, one enthusiast
assures us, the Arab is superior to
e\ ery other natui al bi eed ; he is
b iter only by his own half-breed
offspring the English Race-horse.
But ihi^ seems to be rather an over-
estimate.

The colour of the Arab varies ;
white is the most highly esteemed,
but bay and chestnut are common,
black being rare. Strange as it may
semi, the white breed is never born
white.

The great affection of the Arab
for his horse is proverbial. The
following story is certainly worth
repeating: " The whole stock of an
Arab of the desert consisted of a
mare. The French Consul offered to
purchase her, in order to send her
to his sovereign, Louis XIV. The
Arab would have rejected the pro-
posal ; but being miserably pool', with
scarcely a rag to cover him, his wife
and children starving, he was tempted
greatly. At length he yielded, lie
brought the mare to the consul's
house, and stood leaning on her neck,

PERCH ERON HORSE

Phil, »> T. tail

HACKNEY AND EOAL

A ipecimer. of [he English carriage-hone

and looking, now at the gold, and now
at the horse. The gold was good to
look upon ; it would make him rich
for life. Turning at last to his
favourite, lie said: 'To whom is it
I am going to yield thee up? To
Europeans, who will tie thee close,
who will beat thee, who will make
thee miserable. Return with me, my
beaut}-, my jewel, and rejoice the
hearts of my children.' At the last
of these words he sprang upon her
back, and was in a few moments out
of sight."

Tin-: Barb

This is an African breed, which,
like the generality of African horses,
is distinguished from those of Asia
by its long limbs and small girth
at the loins, thus resembling the
foals of other breeds. It displays
great powers of enduring hunger and

i8o

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

thirst; and is fleet, with a high
and graceful action. The barb takes
its name from its native land — ■
Barbary. It is a larger breed than
the Arab.

:%■

Fhoto by C. Rtli

A perfect English the.

I. \ DAS

ughbred. With this racer Lord Rosebery ivon the Derby
in l8<)4

Levant and Persian Horses

These are very closely allied to

the Arab, but generally of larger
size; and in Southern Persia, at least,
less delicately framed. The Turko-
man horses are related to those of
Northern Persia.

The English Race-horse

This animal is the product of
very careful selection and gradual
improvement of an original native
breed, extending over several cen-
turies. Long since, so long ago as
the reign of James I., it had reached
a high degree of excellence.

Upon this native stock there has

been built up, by the infusion of Arab blood, the swiftest horse which the world has ever

known — the BRITISH THOROUGHBRED. " Of this breed, it may be stated," says Mr. Allison,

" that every such animal in the stud-book of the present day, in this country or any other,

descends . . . from one of three original Eastern sires — the Darley Arabian, the Byerley

Turk, or the Godolphin Arabian." This is an extremely interesting fact, and constitutes

a lasting monument to the enterprise and acumen of the British horse-breeder.
The Byerley Turk hailed from

the Levant, and was introduced by

Captain Byerley about 1689. From

the Byerley Turk came Herod, the

most celebrated of his descendants,

who has given rise to the Herod line,

which to-day is but feebly represented.
The Godolphin Arabian, or the

Godolphin Barb, was born about 17-4.

From his grandson Matchem is

derived the Matchem line, which is

il ;o to da) bordering on extinction.
The Darley Arabian carries us

bai 1. i" the reign of Queen Anne.

Flying Childers and Bartlett's < !hilders
directly descended from him; and

from the latter i^ descended Eclip e,

the fastest horse which the turf has
1 known. It is interesting to note

that tli'' d< 1 ■ ndants in the Ecli]

line enormously outnumber those of

the other two lines which we havecon- FLORIZEL II

sidercd. OfhisdcSCCIldantS,Oneofthe One of King Edward' s racing-stud

Phitc if C. Riid

THK IIORSK TRIHK

181

most illustrious is Stockwell,
who lias been described as
the most extraordinary sire
■ 'I all time, whose blood is
coming more than ever to
tin- front.

I 111 Tri n riNG-Hi >RSE

This is an American
breed. The trotting-horse is
a combination of barb and
Arab on an English sfc " k.
Most of the trotting"- and pac-
ing horses qf Americq ma} be
trai id loan English thorough-
bred - Messenger w hi > was
imported into America in
1780. This horse became the
founder of the greatest trot-
ting family in the world. I he
speed attained by some of the
fastest trotters is wonderful,
a mile being covered in some
three or four seconds over
two minutes.

Russia is the only European countrj
This bleed was made by crossing Arab and

I'hile by T. Fi

SHETLAND PONY AND FOAL

with a distinct breed of trotter — the ORLOFF.

English horses with the native races. The Orion
has not the speed of the
American horse, but has
greater powers of endurance.
The trotting-season in Russia
is winter, the races taking
place on the ice.

The Pacer is not a
distinct breed, but so called
on account of its curious

tnuto uj i . tan

CHAMPION SHIRE STALLI
A celebrated cart horse

method of trotting. In
trotting the left fore and
right hind leg strike the
ground at the same moment;
in pacing the fore and hind
leg of the same side move in
unison. Some wild animals
as the giraffe — are pacers.
" Many American horses,"
says Mr. Winans, " are able to
move with either action, a
-ei of lighter shoes often
mi liking to convert a trotter
into a pacer." Pacing is
a swifter mode of motion
than trotting.

Photo by T. ft

SHIRE MAKE AND FOAL

WELSH PONY

Thii photograph shows the Duchess of Newcastle ivtth one of her white fVelsh ponies

l82

'I'll E HORSE TRIBK

183

The pacing record time stands
;it one mile in 1 minute 59.', seconds, as
against the trotting record of one mile

111 2 minute-.

. .;
1 1

seconds.

MSB

fW. h C. RiU

POLO-PONY

Various breeds of pontes are used in this game, but the most esteemed at the
present day are the English-bred Nctv Forest, Dartmoor, or Exmoor, or
Welsh ponies.

Till. Ill \ I I K

This also is not .1 distinct breed, .is
some suppose. Any good riding-horse
may be used as a hunter. " Hunters"
have been made by infusing the blood
of the race-horse with native breeds.
The chief requirements are a muscular
neck and chest, with a rather short
body, and shorter and stouter legs than
the race-horse.

From the half-bred hunter we pass
by insensible gradation to the ordinary
saddle- and carriage-horses. The ideal
carriage-horse, however, is more of a
distinct breed than the hunter, and
known as the CLEVELAND BAY. It has
been produced by mingling the blood
of the thoroughbred with that of a
horse of stouter make than that of the
hunter type.

The record broad jump for the hunter, we might mention in passing, is variously stated
to be from 33 to 37 feet !

The Shetland Pony

This is a native of the Shetland
Islands, and remarkable for its small
size, docility, and hardihood. It is
allowed to run nearly wild, and made to
forage almost entirely for itself. In the
winter it grows a coat of great length,
which, soon becoming matted, forms a
most effective protection against cold and
wet. TheDARTMOOR, ExMOOR.andNEW
FOREST are likewise small breeds, but
lack the symmetry and beauty of the
Shetland.

Cart-horses

Under this head arc included all
the large, heavily built draught-horses.
These are of European origin, and
without intermixture of foreign — Asiatic
or African — blood. In England the most
important breeds are the BLACK or SlIIRE

Horse, the Clydesdale, and the Suf-
folk Punch. These are wonderful in-
stances of the results of selective breeding

Fh,t. h, T. Fall

DONKEY

A Typical Coster* s Donkey

184

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

EGYPTIAN DONKEYS

The ass has long been known to tie Egyptians, having been in use by
them before the introduction of the horse

towards a definite end — large size, accom-
panied by great physical strength and powers
of endurance. To accomplish this, speed has
had to be sacrificed.

ASSES AND MULES

As>i -

The DOMESTIC Ass, so common to-day
in these islands, is of African origin, and
has, moreover, departed but little in either
form or colour from the wild race. This is
probably due to the fact that the ass has
not been subjected in this country to that
process of rigorous and careful selection that
the horse has undergone.

We have no record of its first intro-
duction to England, but it was certainly
known in tin- reign of Ethelred, though it
was a rare animal. Later it appears to
have died out, and to have been reintroduced
in the reign of Elizabeth ; but it has never
become popular. This is unfortunate ; its
sterling qualities have never been really
appreciated there. Spain, Italy, and Malta
have all succeeded in raising some fine breeds.
Tne United States has, however, produced
the finest of all in animals standing some
15 or 16 hands (5 feet or 5 feet 4 inches)
high.

Mules

The term Mui.E, strictly speaking, should be reserved for the offspring of the male ass and
the mare: the offspring of the opposite cross is called the HlNNY. Mules are valued on account
of their great powers of endurance and their sure-footedness. The finest and handsomest are
bred in Spain, the United
States, and North-west India.

It is interesting to note
that mules exhibit a strong
tendency to revert to the
dun-coloured and striped col-
oratii >n believed to belong to
the primitive It >rses. The spi-
nal and shoulder stripes which
sometimes appear in horses,
and more frequently in asses,
occur yet more frequently in
mules. The legs of the mules

appear particularly liable to

revert t< 1 this striped 1 1 ill 'ra-
tion in the United States, it
is said nine out of ten being
so marked.

Photo by C. Rti.i]

[JViiAaui, K B

MULES

CHAPTER XIII

THE HOLLO W HORNED RUMINANTS: OXEN, BISON
BUFFALOES, AND MUSK-OX

CATTLE, Deer, Camels, Pigs, I torses, Tapir-. Rhinoceroses, and Elephants differ greatly in
structure from the orders already described. They are classed as the Ungulates, or
Hoofed Mammals. In most of these, such as the Horse, Deer, and Oxen, the toes are

contained within a solid hoof; in others, such as the Rhinoceros, they are protected by broad
nails. Great differences exist in the feet of the various groups of Ungulates, caused by the
degree in which the digits, or "toes," remain in use' or not. Except in the Elephant, where
there are five, the greatest number of " working " digits found in existing forms is four. In
the Horse and its surviving allies the digits are reduced to one; in the Giraffes, to two.

The general process, as it can be learnt from the remains of the horse-like animals of the
past, seems to have been as follows. One or more of the toes were developed in length and
strength at the expense of the others, until, in the case of the Horse, only one toe remained,
which was enclosed in a large and solid hoof, little splints on either side of the cannon-bone
being left to hint where the second and fourth toes had once been. In the Oxen and Deer the
third and fourth toes developed equally, at the expense of the others, and each gained a case
or covering, which makes the two parts of the " cloven hoof" of these groups.

The first group of the order of Ungulates is represented by the Hollow-horned Ruminants.
These have horns set on a core of bone, the horns themselves being hollow throughout. They
" chew the cud," after receiving the food eaten into the first of four divisions in the stomach,
whence it is brought up into the mouth, and then swallowed again for digestion. The Oxen,
Sheep, and Goats have no popular name by which they are collectively distinguished, but their
characteristics are sufficiently
well known. The horns are
never shed annually, as is the
case with the Deer ; and the
hoofs are cloven. They have
no incisor teeth in the upper
jaw, acharacteristicalso shared
by the Giraffes, the Prongbuck
(or American antelope), and the
Deer. The lower jaw has its full
complement of incisor teeth.

The Oxen and the allied
Bison, Yak, and Ruffaloes are
the bulkiest and most impor-
tant to man of all ruminants.
Some are found in nearly all
inhabited parts of the Old
World, and there is one North
American species, now practi-
cally exterminated as a wild
animal.

Photo by E.

ENGLISH rARK-CATTLE

This photograph represents ttvo animals of different types. The bull is pure-bred ; the coto is a

cross-bred

IS--

i86

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

by W. P. Dande

ENGLISH PARK BULL

The similarity in shape to the best-bred modern shorthorns is obvious

BRITISH PARK-CATTLE, AND
1 HE AUROCHS

The so-called " Wild Cattle " found in
the parks of Chillingham and Chartley, as
well as in Lord Leigh's park at Lyme, and
in that of the Duke of Hamilton at Cadzow
Castle, Scotland, are probably not the
descendants of an indigenous wild race. It
is not without reluctance that the belief in
their wild descent has been abandoned. But
the evidence seems fairly conclusive as to
the antiquity of these white cattle, regarded
as a primitive breed, and of the unlikelihood
of their being survivors of a truly wild stock.
They are almost identical in man}- points
with the best breeds of modern cattle, and
probably represent the finest type possessed
by the ancient inhabitants of these islands.
But they are far smaller than the original
Wild Ox, or Aurochs, the ancestor of our
domestic breeds. The skulls of these large
wild oxen, which still survived in the Black Forest in Caesar's time, have been dug up in
many parts of England, especially in the Thames Valley, and may be seen at the Natural
History Museum. The remains of the extinct wild ox, the Bos urns of the Romans, show
that, if not so large as an elephant, as Caesar heard, its size was gigantic, reckoned by any
modern cattle standard whatever. It probably stood 6 feet high at the shoulder, and there
is every reason to believe that it was the progenitor of the modern race of domestic cattle
in Europe. It seems certain that the Chartley Park herd did once run wild in Ncedwood
Forest; but so do the Italian buffaloes in the Maremma, and the Spanish bulls on the plains
of Andalusia. Those at Chartley have been kept in the park, which is very wild and remote, so
long that they have gradually lost
many of the attributes of domestica-
tion. This is even more marked in
the case of Lord Tankervill's white
cattle at Chillingham. An observant
visitor to Chillingham lately noted
that the bulls fight fur the possession
of the cows, and that one is occasion-
all)- killed in these combats. The
cows still "stampede" with their
i alves when alarmed, and hide them
for a week or ten days after they are
born. The horns of the Chillingham
cattle turn up; those of the bulls of
the Chartley herd arc straight or
slightly inclined downwards. Cross-
breds between the Chartley cattle and
some Other herds of reputed ancient
descent may generally be seen at the
London Zoological Gardens. They
remain remarkably true to type.

/'/Jifo by U'. t*. i»jnJo

CALF OF ENGLISH PARK-CATTI.E

Though the stock is very old and inbred, the white park-cattle are still fairly prolific

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS

187

Photo by 7. T. Ntmman

JERSEY COW
Though small in size, the ferity coivi pr duct mart bunts than any English breed

Formerly there were
several 1 ither herds o) an< ient

white Cattle. One was at
Gisburne, in Yorkshire ;
another at Chatclherault Park,
in I .anarkshire ; and rec< irds
of herds at Bishop Auckland
in 1 inrham, Barnard ( !a tie,
Blair Athol, Burton Constable,
Naworth Castle, and other
ancient peaks are preserved.
Probably all were of a breed
highly prized in ancient days,
which was allowed the run of
the foiests adjacent to the
homes of their owners; then,
as the forests were cleared,
they were gradually taken up
and enclosed in parks. Another
theory is, that they were the
white cattle of North-western
Italy, imported by the first settlements of Italian monks after the conversion of the Saxons.

SOME DOMESTICATED CATTLE

THE various species of European domestic cattle have in most cases been brought to a
degree of excellence even higher than that which might be expected from the long period of
time in which their improvement has been an object of solicitude to man. Of the foreign
races, the dark red cattle of the Spanish Peninsula — animals which have been exported to the
Canary Islands and Madeira with great success — are justly famous. The white oxen of North-
east Italy have been famous since the days of the Romans. The tall long-horned cattle of
Hungary are excellent alike as beasts of draught and for beef. The black-and-white Dutch cows
are, and have been, the mainstay of the dairy industry of Holland, and later of Denmark;
while the small Brittany cows are perhaps the best butter-producers on the continent of
Europe. But England and the Channel Islands may justly claim to rear the finest cattle of the

temperate parts of the world. The diminutive
Jersey cows, now reared in all parts of the
kingdom, surpass all the animals of Europe
or America in the richness of their milk,
while stock from the pedigree herds of
various English breeds is eagerly sought by
foreign and continental buyers on both sides
of the Atlantic, and in New Zealand and
Australia. These foreign strains need constant
replenishing from the English herds, and the
result is a golden harvest to the breeders in
these islands.

The Sm IRTHORN was the first breed to be
brought to perfection. Two main stocks —
one for producing beef, the other for the
dairy — are recognised; they are the "all-
round breed " most in favour, and it is said
that the improvement in this race alone has

fhilt t>) W. P. Dando

SPANISH CATTLE

These belong to the long-horned race of Southern and Eastern Europe. In
the bulls the horns are shorter, and often turn doivnivards

i88

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

raised the value of average Irish store cattle if 10 per head during the last twenty years. The
shorthorns are level-backed, large animals, maturing very quickly. The commonest colours are
roan, white, red, and red-and-white. HEREFORD CATTLE are red, with white faces and long,
upturned horns; the}' fatten quickly on good grass, and are in most demand for summer
beef. HIGHLAND CATTLE have long horns, rough, shaggy coats, and bodies of moderate size
.iml great symmetry; they are grazed on the mountains of the West Highlands mainly, and
fattened in the smith. The beef is of the finest quality. SUSSEX CATTLE are an "all red"
variety, large, and formerly much used for draught and farm work. Tin: DEVONS are another
red variety, very like the Sussex, yielding excellent ami rich milk, and, when fattened, being
little inferior to any breed as beef. The long-horned black WELSH CATTLE grow t<> a great
size as do the polled ANGUS breed of Scotland. The polled or hornless cattle include the
red SUFFOLKS, a most valuable breed, hard}-, and wonderful producers of milk. The cows
often give milk ever}- day of the year. The LONGHORN breed is almost disappearing, as the

horns are a disadvan-
tage both in the fields
and when the animals
are carried on board
ship or in the train.

The Humped Cattle

of India andEastAfrica
belong to a race dif-
ferent from European
cattle, of which the
parent stock is not
known. The}' have a
hump upon the withers,
drooping ears (a sign
of ancient domestica-
tion), and a very large
dewlap. The coat is
always exquisitely fine.
The}' are of all sizes.
from the tall B rah mi nee
bull to dwarf breeds
not larger than a New-
foundland dog. The
commonest colours are cream, grey, mouse-colour, and white. They do not low, but grunt,
and are by no means so fond of shade and water as European cattle.

WILD OXEN

THIS group consists of the GAUR of India; the GAYAL of Assam, which is possibly a

domesticated form of the gaur, but rather smaller in size, with skull ami horns different in

character; and the BANTING, a lighter and more slender wild OX, of which different varieties

arc found in Burma, in Java (where it is kept in a half-domesticated condition), and in

Manipur.

Tin: Gaur

The GAUR, the so-called INDIAN Bisiin, U probably the largest of all the wild bovine
animals. It is found at the foot of the North-eastern Himalaya, in tin: Central Provinces
of India, the forests of Madras and Mysore, and in parts of Burma and the Mala}' Peninsula,
but not in Ceylon. Its range eastward is not accurately known. In habits the gaur is
mainly a forest animal, retiring always at daybreak into the depths of the jungle. It
sometimes attains a height of over 6 feet at the shoulder, and a length of 9 feet 6 inches

Phut by G. li: ll'ihtn if C»., Lid.

YOUNG GAUR

The largest and handsomest of the iv'tld oxen

THE HOLLOW IIORXLD RUMINANTS

189

fhctc b) Kri if Son

COW GAYAL

This animal is not a! all dissimilar to the gaur. lis chief points of differ-
ence are in the horns and in the colour of its skin

from the nose to the tail. The colour of
the full-grown gaur is dark brown, turning
to black; the legs from above the knees
ami hocks to the hoofs air white, the
haii- being short ami line. Its horns are
upturned, <\m\ tipped with black, with white
hair covering tin- junction on the top of
the skull. 'I ho cows are much smaller than
the bulls, standing about ; loot high at the

shoulder. This species feeds both on grass
and on the young shoots of trees ami of
bamboos. The calves are dropped in Au u 1
and September. The pmc- bred animal does
not appear capable of domestication.

Hunting gaur by tracking in the jungle
has long been a favourite sport of Anglo-
Indians. General Douglas Hamilton says:
" I have killed bulls measuring 6 feel al
the shoulder, and the average height of the
male is from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet IO
inches. An old bull gaur is a magnificent
animal. The normal colour is a brownish black, sometimes in very old specimens almost
quite black. The white stockings reach from the hoof to above the knee, and are very
conspicuous. When on the Anamalies, I had a grand fight with a big bull. 1 was out early,
and came on the spoor of bison, and soon saw two, onea very large bull. To my disgust he
lay down, and was completely covered by creepers and bushes. After a bit I attempted to
move to get a better view ; but there to my left was a cow bison staring at me. She at once
gave the alarm, and I waited for the large bull to rise. This he did so quickly, and disappeared
so suddenly, that 1 only got a snapshot. As I stopped to load, I saw a young calf squatting
at the foot of a tree like a hare, intently watching me. I put the rifle down, crept up
behind the tree, and suddenly threw myself on the little calf, and managed to get hold of its
hind legs, but it got from under me. I managed, however, to tie its fore legs securely by
means of some slender stems from the creepers. All this time it continued to bellow and to
make a great row, and 1 fully expected to see the mother come charging down. I went back
to the bungalow, and got some men to bring my little captive home. After breakfast I started
again, and got on the track of the bison. ... I saw some branches move, and on looking
carefully perceived a large bull bison ; but he was among the thick bushes, and I could not
see his outline. I guessed as nearly as possible the position of the shoulder, and fired the
big rifle at him. He gave a bound forward, and then stopped long enough for me to give him
a shot with the other barrel. . . . The next moment I saw the bull standing on the high
ground above us. I fired again, and hit him well behind the shoulder. He dashed off, but
only went fifty yards, and then stopped. 1 walked up, thinking to finish him, when he made
a fearful rush at me. My man put the double rifle into my hands and then bolted, and I
thought it prudent to retire and await my opportunity. But he only moved a tew paces
forward, and then stopped. Then began a regular siege of his position." The result of the
;e was that the bison received four more bullets, charged anil routed the hunter twice,
and then walked off. It was shot twice more, charged again, and was finally killed by
General Hamilton with his hunting-knife tied to a bamboo spear-pole.

Considering the size and tenacity of life of the gaur, it is rather wonderful that more
accidents do not occur in the pursuit of this animal; but as it lives mainly in thick jungle,
where large trees grow, the sportsman has more chance of getting out of sight of a wounded
animal than when attacked by the Indian buffalo, which generally haunts jungles of high grass.

19°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

INDIAN HUMPED BULL

The hump and deiv/ap mark the Oriental cattle. The can are often more drooping
than in this specimen

The Gayal

The doubt whether this animal

is found in a wild state has recently

vIiiBB W^H HI wk been considerably increased. It is

lv^ S- wc" known m a semi-domesticated

condition, in which it is kept by
the tribes in and around the Assam
Valley, where the wild gaur is also
found. These herds roam during the
day freely in the jungle, and return
to be fed at the villages. It has
been stated that wild gayal are
enticed to join the tame herds by
feeding them with balls of meal
and salt; but these "wild" speci-
mens may be only those which have
belonged to or have descended from
the domesticated herd. Gayal have
been kept in England not only in
the Zoological Gardens but in some
parks, and crossed with English cattle.
The offspring furnished excellent beef, but were rather wild and intractable. The horns of the
gayal are thicker and flatter than those of the gaur, and placed lower on the skull and farther
apart. The domesticated gayal stands lower than the gaur, but is a very massive animal.

The Banting

The common wild ox of the Malay countries of Borneo, Java, Eastern Burma, and
northwards, in Manipur resembles the European oxen rather more than does the gaur. In
size the bulls sometimes reach 5 feet g\ inches. The old bulls are black, the younger bulls
chocolate red, and the cows a bright reddish brown. The rump is marked with a large white
patch, and all have white stockings from above the knees and hocks down to the hoofs. The
tail is considerably longer than in the gaur, coming well below the hocks. As might be
expected from its distribution, the size of this animal and the shape of the horns vary
considerably in the different districts which it inhabits. In Borneo the horns often curve
forwards; in Java they spread outwards. In the latter island large herds of this species are
kept in a state of domestication. When wild, banting live in small herds, and in Burma
feed from early morning until ten o'clock, when they retire into the jungle for shelter. The
Manipur race is smaller than that of Burma (of which the males arc not black), and the bulls
have not the white rump.

THE YAK

THE Yak is naturally an inhabitant of the very high plateaux and mountains of Tibet,
where the climate is cold and the air excessively dry. Lower down on the Indian side of the
Himalaya a smaller race is found domesticated, which is the only one able to stand the
climate of India, or of Europe, where it is now kept in some parks as a curiosity. The tamed
yaks are usually much smaller than the wild ; these sometimes reach a weight of between
I.IOO and 1,200 lbs. In form they are long and low, very massive, and with hair almost
entirely black; this falls off along the sides into a long sweeping fringe. The tail is thickly
tasselled with fine hair, and is employed by Indian princes for fly-flaps. The wild yak has
large, massive black horns, curved upwards and forwards in the male. In Ladak and Chinese
Tibet the yaks inhabit a desolate and barren country, in which their main food is a dry,

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS

191

coarse grass, on which they nevertheless contrive to keep themselves in condition, feeding 111
the mornings and evenings, and lying down by day to rest among the rocks.

THE III SON

TllK BlSON form a marked group, differing from others of the Ox Tribe. They possess
fourteen pairs of ribs, while the oxen have only thirteen (the yak has fourteen); and have very
heavy, massive heads, broader and more convex foreheads than the oxen, longer spinal processes
on the vertebrae of the front part of the back, and larger muscles to hold the ponderous head,
causing a hump, which in the American bison is very marked. There arc two living species
of bison, one of which is found in Europe, the other in North America.

The European Bison

This is the most interesting survival of the primitive fauna of the Old World. It is still
found wild, though protected, in a large forest in Lithuania, the property of the Czar of Russia,
called the Forest of Bielowitza. A few are also left of the purely wild stock in the Caucasus.
Those in Lithuania have been protected for several centuries, and the herd is numbered from
time to time. In 1857 there were 1,898 of these bison left; in 1882 there were only 000;
in 1S89 the herd had sunk to 380, but in 1892 it had risen to 491. The presence of
the bison in the Caucasus had been almost forgotten till Mr. Littledale and Prince Demidoff
gave accounts of hunting it there quite recently. The ZUBR, as it is called, only survives
in some very inaccessible parts of the mountains, preserved by the Grand Duke Sergius
Michaelovitch, in the Kouban district. There it exists as a really wild animal. 'The dimensions
of one recently shot were 10 feet from the muzzle to the end of the last vertebra of the
tail. The Grand Duke has to obtain special permission from the Czar to shoot one whenever
he goes to the Caucasus.

This bison seems to have been an inhabitant of most of the forests of Europe and
Northern Asia; its remains show that it existed in Britain, and it was plentiful in the Black
Forest in the time of Ca>sar. It is the largest of all European quadrupeds, measuring as
much as 10 feet 1 inch from the nose to the root of the tail, and standing nearly 6 feet
high at the shoulder. Prince Demidoff states his belief that it is found on the southern
slopes of the Caucasus Range between the hills and the Black Sea. The weight of this bison
reaches 1,700 lbs. It is now
rare to see more than five
or six together. Though the
animal is so massive, its horns
are rather small and slender,
and curve upwards. The
mane — which, like the rest of
the coat, is of a uniform rich
brown — is thick and curly, but
not developed like that of the
American bison.

The Buffaloes.
The Buffaloes are so
far distinct from other
species of wild cattle that it
is said they will not inter-
breed with them ; yet one
species, the Indian Buf-
falo, has been domesti- INDIAN HUMPED CATTLE

cated for a long, though These are often called Zebu in Europe, but the trigin of the name is unknown

192 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THL WORLD

L-

EUROPEAN BISON

Thar wild animals of the Caucasus an- very much scarcer than formerly, and art in danger

of becoming extinct

unknown period, and is

aiming the most valuable of
tame beasts of draught, aii-
well as for dairy purposes.
The various buffaloes usually
have little hair, especially
when old, and have flatt< i
shoulders than the gaur,
gayal, or bison. The pairs
of ribs number thirteen.

Tin: African Buffai o

Great differences in size
and colour exist in the AFRI-
CAN Buffaloes. Whether

they are separate species or
not may be doubtful ; but
the small yellow CONGO
BUFFAD i. with upturned short
hums, is a vastly different
creature from the large black
CAPE BUFFALO. There is also an Abyssinian or brown race of African buffalo, and another in
Senegambia smaller than the former, and a reputed grey race near Lake Tchad. The Cape
buffalo is a heavy, thickset animal, all black in colour, with large massive horns covering the
skull, and nearly meeting in the middle line of the forehead. In height it varies from 4 feet
10 inches to 5 feet at the shoulder. This species ranges from South Africa to the Congo on
the west, and to the region of the Equator on the east of the continent. Firearms, and
lately rinderpest, have greatly reduced the number of these creatures. They live and feed
in herds, and, like the Indian species, are fond of the neighbourhood of water, in which they
bathe, but arc not so dependent on bathing and wallowing as the former.

Fully as formidable as the Indian buffalo, and much like it in habits, the African species
is quite distinct. It has different horns, broad at the base and curled and tapering at the
ends. Among the extreme measurements of the Indian buffalo's horns recorded is one of
u feet 2 inches from tip to tip along the curve. Those ni the African buffalo are seldom
more than 6 feet, measured in the same way. By far the greatest number of hunting accidents
in Africa are caused by the buffalo. Sir Samuel Baker shot a buffalo bull one evening near
the White Nile. Mis men actually danced upon the body, when the animal rose to its feet,
and sent them flying into the river like so many frogs. It then disappeared in the thick
atipn. ( )n the following day, supposing that it must have died during the night, thirty
or forty men, armed with double-barrelled guns, went to look for it. The result was thus
recorded by Sir Samuel Baker: "They had not been ashore for many minutes when I
first heard a shot and then a regular volley. My people returned with the head of the
buffalo and a large quantity of meat, but they also carried the body of my best man, who,
when leading the way through the high reeds, following 'he traces of blood, actually stumbled
upon the buffalo lying in the swamp, and the light guns failed to stop its charge. The
crooked horn had caught him behind the ear, and, penetrating completely through the neck,
had torn out the throat as though it had been cut. The savage bea I had then knelt upon
the body, and stamped it into the muddy ground, until it fell beneath the tire of thirty men."
The head and body of a male Cape buffalo are 9 feet long. It is stated that tin- parasite
conveyed by the tsetse fly remains in the blood of the buffalo 1 which is not affected by it),
and that this forms a reserve whence the fly, after sucking the blood of the buffalo, poisons
other animals.

so ■=■
X -

f. -

THE HOLLOW -HO RNE I) RUMINANTS

193

I'm G »n< ;o Buffalo

This is a very small race, the height at the shoulder being about 3 feet 6 inches. The
shape of the horns varies, but they are wrinkled at the bases and flattened, and turn upwards,
ending in thin, sharp tips. The hair is bright reddish yellow. It is entirely a West African
specie-,. Sir Samuel Baker records .\n instance in which his brother was nearly killed by a
small West African buffalo, probably one of the species in question. It is said to be less

arious than the Cape buffalo, and usually found in pairs.

The Indian < >r Water-buff vlo

Very great interest attaches to this animal, if only from the fact that it is evidently a
species domesticated directly from the wild stock. It therefore deserves consideration both as
a wild and as a domesticated animal. It is found wild in the swampy jungles at the foot of
the Himalaya, in the Ganges Delta, and in the jungles of the Central Provinces; also, it is
believed, in the jungles of West Assam. Like the African species, it is an animal of great
si/e and strength, with short brown hair, white fetlocks, and immense long, narrow, flattened
horns. It is almost aquatic by preference, passing many hours of each day wallowing in the
water, or standing in any deep pool with only the tips of its nostrils and its horns out of
the water. By general consent it is the most dangerous of Indian animals after the tiger. A
buffalo bull when wounded will hunt for its enemy by scent as persistently as a dog hunting
for a rabbit. A writer in Country Life lately gave an account ol a duel between himself,
armed with a small and light rifle, ami a buffalo bull, in which the latter hunted him for
more than an hour, each time being driven off by a shot from the light rifle, and each time
returning to the search, until it was killed. Sir Samuel Baker, when he first went to Ceylon,
found the buffaloes practically in possession of the meadows round a lake in the neighbourhood
of his quarters, ami waged a war of extermination against the bulls, which were very dangerous.

Phu, .-. If. P Bandi\ [K«£«nCj /•-.,«

DOMESTICATED YAK
The wild btyvine animal of- the Central Asian plateau, tamed and domesticated

194

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The buffaloes of Ceylon
are the same as those of
India, but the horns are
inferior in size. " The charge
of a buffalo is a serious
matter," says Sir Samuel
Baker. " Many animals charge
when infuriated, but they can
generally be turned aside by
the stunning blow of a rifle-
shot, even if they be not
mortally wounded. But a
buffalo is a devil incarnate
when it has once decided on
the offensive ; nothing will
turn it. It must be actually
stopped by death, sudden and
instantaneous, as nothing else
will stop it. If not killed,
it will assuredly destroy its
adversary. There is no creatine
in existence so determined
to stamp the life out of its
opponents, and the intensity
of its fury is unsurpassed
when a wounded bull rushes
forward upon its last desperate
charge. Should it succeed in
overthrowing its antagonist, it
will not only gore the body

with its horns, but will kneel upon the lifeless form, and stamp it with its hoofs till the

mutilated remains are beyond recog-

CAPE BUFFALO

Notice the striking difference depicted on this page bet-ween the two species of buffalo -

Indian and the Cape

■the

nitn 'ii."

The true Indian buffalo is usually
shot from the back of an elephant.
Hunting it on foot is dangerous in
the extreme, for the buffalo can crash
through obstacleswhich would prevent
any man from making his way through
them when escaping. When domesti-
cated, the Indian buffalo loses most
traces of its savageness ; it is habitually
managed by the children, who take
the herds out to graze in the jungle,
and drive them back, often riding on
one of the bulls, at night. The)'
dislike Europeans, and often show
this by attacking them; but other-
wise they are quite tame, and are
docile when in harness or earning
burdens. The buffalo's milk is very
rich, and makes a much larger per-

DOMESTICATKD INDIAN BUFFALO

This animal ts found as a 'wild and domesticated species in India. It is valuable
as a beast of draught and J or the dairy

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS

195

centage of butter than ordinary cow's milk. So useful is this mud- and water-loving animal
in all swampy districts, that wherever rice is cultivated it is almost indispensable. The
result is that the Indian buffalo has been transported, probably in comparatively modern
times, to many distant quarters of the globe. When this was done is not known; but it is
probable, for instance, that it was not known in Egypt in the days of the Pharaohs, for its
form never appears in the paintings and sculptures. Now it is seen very far up the Nile, and
plays .m important part in Egyptian agriculture; it is also the general beast of burden and
for the dairy in the Pontine Marshes of Italy. In Spain it was probably introduced by the
Arabs, and is used to cultivate the marshy plains near the mouths of the rivers oi Andalusia;
it is also in use in the marshes of Hungary, in the Crimea, and across Western Asia to
Afghanistan. We have thus the curious fact that a wild animal once confined to the jungles
of the Indian Peninsula is now domesticated on two other continents. It has not been

A PAIR OF ANOAS

The anoa h the smallest and most antelope-like member of the Ox Tribe

introduced into America yet, though it would be useful in the Mississippi swamps; but the
Chinese have taken it to the Far East, and established it as their favourite beast of burden.

The Tamarau and Anoa

In the island of Mindoro, in the Philippines, a small black buffalo, with upright, slightly
incurved horns, is found in the dense forests. The height at the shoulder is about 3 feet
6 inches; a few irregular marks of white are found on the fore legs, face, and occasionally
tin throat. It is called the TAMARAU by the natives, most of whom fear to attack it. Its
habits are said to be much the same as those of the other buffaloes; but it is reputed to fight
with the Indian buffaloes which have escaped and become semi-wild in the forests.

In Celebes a still smaller wild forest-buffalo is found, called the ANOA. It is only 3 feet
3 inches high at the shoulder, and has upright, almost straight horns. The general colour
is brownish, tinged with yellow, that of the adults being very dark brown or black. Scarcely
anything is known of its habits.

CHAPTER XIV
THE SHEEP AND GOATS,

THE SHEEP

THE sheep are represented at the present time by several wild species, one of which is
found in Northern India east of the Indus, in the Punjab, and in Sind ; one in
North America ; and another in North Africa. The rest inhabit the high ground of
Europe and Asia as far south as the Himalaya. These mountains, with the adjacent plateaux
of the Pamirs and the great ranges of Central Asia, form the main home of the group.
Wild sheep are of various types, some so much like the goats that it is difficult to draw a
hard-and-fast line between them; while others, especially the Curly-horned Aigalis, Bighorns,
Oorial, and Kamchatka Wild Sheep, are unmistakably ovine in type. The wild original of
the domesticated breeds of sheep is unknown ; but the extreme differences between various
breeds of tame sheep — as, for instance, between the smooth-coated, drooping-eared breed of
Nubia and the curly-horned, woolly sheep of Dorsetshire- must not be allowed to divert the
attention from the considerable likeness of habit which still remains between other breeds
and the wild species. Domesticated sheep which live on hills and mountains are still inclined
to seek the highest ground at night. The rams fight as the wild rams do, and many of them
display activity and powers of climbing and of finding a living on barren ground scarcely less
remarkable than in the wild races.
The apparent absence of wool in
the latter does not indicate so
great a difference as might be
thought. The domesticated sheep
have been bred by artificial selection
for unnumbered ages in order to
produce wool. It is said that in
some of the wild breeds there is
an under-fur which will " felt" like-
wool. Most of the species are short-
tailed animals, but this is not the
case with the Barbary wild sheep.
Wild s h e e p a r e m a i n 1 y
mountain-living animals or
frequenters of high ground. They
generally, although not always,
frequent less rugged country than
thai afifei ted by the wild goats, and
some are found at quite low levels.
The altitude at which other wild
sheep are found is, however, very

great; on the Pamirs it reaches p*«« h <•". **. mum &• c... Ltd.

20,000 feet. Here the country is YOUNG BARBARY SHEEJ

* ' Note the length of the tail as compared with other wild sheep

I96

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 197

The l'.i k< 'Ti \\ Mi 'i 1 1 i.i '\

The only wild sheep of Europe is the Moi FFLON, found in the mountains of Corsica and
Sardinia. It-; height .it the shoulder is about 27 inches. In the rams the horns are strong,
.ind curved into a spiral, forming almost a complete circle, ["he hair is close, and in winter
has a wnollv under-fur. In summer and autumn the coat is a bright red-brown on the neck,
shi iulders, and legs ; the rump and under-parts arc whitish, and the back and flanks marked with
a white saddle. In winter the brown becomes darker and the white saddle broader. A rather
larger moufflon is found on VIount Klbur/ in Persia, in Armenia, and in the Taurus Mountain-.
A smaller variety exists in Cyprus, where it has been preserved ince the British occupation.
The moufflon is a typical wild sheep. In Sardinia and Corsica are dense scrubby forests of
tall heather, some 5 feet high. I his maqnia is practically impenetrable to hunters. When
alarmed, the moufflon dash into it, and are safe. The maqnia has preserved two very interesting
survivals of antiquity the moufflon, and the Corsican or Sardinian bandit. The Corsican bandit,

like the moufflon of the same island,
HE*' *• is nearly extinct In Sardinia both

flourish. Many sportsmen have had
their first taste of big-game shooting
in the difficult pursuit of the moufflon
on the Sardinian mountains. Some
declare that the sport is so fascinating

Kthat they have seldom found much
^^^^^^^^ to equal it since. Mr. S. H. Whit-
bread, whose notes in "'The Ency-
clopaedia of Sport " are very full on
this subject, deems that the best
season to stalk moufflon is in October
or November. The animals are then
less disturbed by shepherds and dogs,
and the moufflon are on the move
and more easily seen during the day
than in summer, when they feed at
night and rest or sleep by day.

There is a small herd of moufflon

running wild in one of the English

parks. They have a specially built

" mountain-top " of stone to make a

home of, but are free to frril where they like in the park. They produce lambs yearly. It is

an interesting sight to see the quick rush of the little flock, when frightened, to their sheltering-

place, led by an old white saddled ram.

The Argalis

SIBERIAN ARGALI

One of the large wild sheep of Central Asia

The Argalis are the largest of all living wild sheep. Some measure from 3 feet 9 inches
to 4 feet at the shoulder. The horns are broad, corrugated, and curling in the male, and
in the female short, erect, and curving backwards. The male TIBETAN ARGALI has a ruff on
the throat. The usual colour is a stony grey, mingled with white in the summer in the case
of the old males. The name is applied collectively to several wild sheep found in Northern
and Central Asia. Whether these are only varieties or separate species it is difficult to say ;
but the following are some of the most marked forms.

Tlie SlBERAlN ARGALI is the characteristic wild sheep of the rocky hills and mountains of
Southern Siberia, the Altai Mountains, and Northern Mongolia. The horns curve so as to form
more than a complete circle; the upper parts are tinged with grey, and the lower are white.

198

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

The Tibetan Argali is a little

smaller in size, and has slightly
smaller horns. The rams have also
a large white ruff on the thri_i.it.
These sheep descend in winter to the
lower valleys of the Tibetan plateau,
returning to the higher ground in
spring. The lambs are born in May
or June.

L ITT LK I) A LIC'S SHEEP is a
smaller animal, found on the Sair
Mountains in the Great Altai, on the
northwestern border of Mongolia. It
is darker in colour than the argali or
Marco Polo's sheep, ami has dark
under-parts.

Writing of the argali of Southern
Siberia, the naturalist Brehm says
that when the Tartars want mutton
an argali hunt is organised. The
Tartar hunters advance on their horses
at intervals of 200 or 300 yards, and
when the sheep are started generally

manage, by riding, shooting, coursing them with dogs, and shouting, to bewilder, shoot, or
capture several. •

On the high plateau of the Pamirs and the adjacent districts MARCO POLO'S SllEEP is
found. The rams are only slightly less in size than the Siberian argali ; the hair is longer than
in that species, and the horns are thinner and more slender and extend farther in an outward
direction. An adult ram may weigh 300 lbs. The first description of this sheep was given
by the old traveller whose name it now bears. He said that on the Pamir plateau wild

dt£

,/■

BARBARY SHEEP
These fine wild sheep are found in the Atlas and Aures Mountains oj North Africa

animals are met with in large numbers,
particularly a sheep of great size,

having horns three, fo

and

HARBARV S 1 1 1 : 1 . P

This shows a fine ram, with a mane reaching almost to its hoof'

six palms in length.

Tur. ( )ORIAL.

The vast range of the Himalaya
affords feeding-ground to other
species of wild sheep and wild gnat,
so different in the shape of the horns
that the variations of the ovine race
under domestication need not be
matter for wonder when so much
variety is seen in nature.

The Oorial, or Sua. is found
from North-west India to Persia.
The horns make a half-curve back-
wards, and are flattened. The coat is
of reddish-brown colour, with white
on the belly, legs, and throat. This
species is the only wild sheep found
in India proper.

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

199

The Barbary Sheep, Aoudad,
OR Arui
This is a large wild sheep of

the North African highlands. The

old rams have a very fine appearance,

with a long flowing beard or mane,

and large horns. These wild sheep,

though somewhat goat-like in appear-
ance, are typical of their race in

general habits. They live in the

.Atlas Range, and in the splendid

heights df the Aures Mountains, which

lie at the back of Algeria and fringe

the great Sahara Desert. In the

isolated and burning rucks which jut

up in the desert itself into single

mountains they are also found, living

on ground which seems absolutely

destitute of water, grass, or vegetation.

They live singly or in small families;

but the rams keep mainly alone.

Sometimes the}- lie in shallow caves

during the heat of the day. These

caves smell like a sheep-fold. More

generally the sheep repose on some

shelf of rock, where they exactly

match the colour of the stone, and

are invisible. The ground is among

the most difficult in which any hunt-
ing is attempted, except perhaps in

chamois stalking; but the pursuit seems to fascinate sportsmen. Mr. A. E. Pease recently

gave some charming descrip-
tions of the silence, the rugged
rocks, and the astonishing
views over the great orange
Sahara Desert seen from the
tops of these haunts of the
1 larbary sheep — mountains on
the summits of which his Arab
guides would prostrate them-
selves in evening prayer as
the sun sank over the desert,
and then, rising, once more
resume the chase. The young
lambs of the Barbary sheep
are charming little creatures,
more like reddish kids. They
can follow the mother over the
steepest ground at a great

Phtn by L. Midland, F.7..S.' ISirth FinchUy pace. WllCIl Caught, as they

FAT-TAILED SHEEP sometimes are by the Arabs,

The fat tail of ibis sbeep -was considered by Charles Dar-a/in as due to degenctathr. they SOOI1 become tame. The

Woro by J.T. Niwm.in] [B.riham :. i

PUNJAB SHEEP

This is an example of one of the breeds 10 hie h carry no tvoo. whatever

200 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

•

tail is longer than in other
wild sheep, and in the males
a large mane c< >\ ers the chest.

t) II. r. Danda]

[R,g,nfi Park

FOUR-HORNED SHEEP

There are several breeds of these sheep, some from China, some from Iceland, and others fra

South Africa

The Burhal, i >r Blue Sheep

This speciespi >ssiblyindi-
cates the transition-point from
the sheep to the goats. It
was pointed out by Mr. Brian
Hodgson that it had certain
features more like the goats
than the sheep, and later
other writers laid stress on
structural differences of the
same kind, both in skull and
horns. It has not the dis-
agreeable odour of tin' goats ;
but the black markings which
separate the white of the belly
from the brown of the flanks, and run down the front of the legs, are like those seen on some goats.
The horns rise in a curve outwards and downwards. The largest are only some 30 inches long.
Burhal are perhaps the commonest of all Asiatic wild sheep. They inhabit the whole
length of the higher Himalayan Range, and are found over and round the Central Asian plateau
as far north as Varkand. The horns make two half-moons at right angles to the skull. Unlike
some of the other wild sheep, burhal often climb the very highest ground of all. Much of
the best burhal ground is above 17,000 feet high, and, as Mr. Whitbread remarks, this alone
makes the chase of such an animal difficult. As in the moufflon, the mutton is excellent.
There is no difficulty whatever in taming these wild Himalayan sheep; those in the Zoological
Gardens are practically domesticated.

Domesticated Sheep

Under domestication sheep exhibit a wide variety of coat, shape, and size, very striking
to the eye, and very important in regard to
the produce of wool or mutton. The intro-
duction of a particular breed, with long wool
or -.Ivnt wool as the case may be, has often
saved or altered for a time the economic
condition of a colony or province. It was
the introduction of the sheep which gave
Australia first rank among the rich colonies
of the world; and the discovery that the
Cheviot breed would thrive on tin- Scotch
hills made millions of acres remunerative
which might otherwise have been very un-
productive. But the only important change
in the structure of the sheep in domestica-
tion is the lengthening of the tail. The
carcase may be fat mutton or thin mutton,
the wool long or short, tine or coarse; but
the sheep itself remains true to type, and of
much the same docile habits, under all the
changes of the breeders.

PhM by J. T. Kiwmen']

SOUTH DOWN SHEEP
The finest breed of dmun-thetp

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

201

We may first say .1 word or two as to foreign breeds of sheep, especially those ol the East.
Some of these resemble the wild breeds in having smooth 1 oats and almost no wool. The S< iM \i 1
Sin EP, for instance, yield no wool useful for felting or spinning. They havi drooping ears and
black heads. Some of the finest natural wool is developed by a white sheep in Tibet. The fur
is usually sold as Hbetan lamb. The wool is exactly like white floss-silk. When cured b)
the Chinese, the leather is like white kid, with this flossy wool attached.

In India and Persia the sheep 1- sometimes used as a beast of burden. Mr. Lockwood
Kipling, in his "Beast and .Man in India," says: "Borax, asafcetida, and other commodil
are broughl into India on the backs of sheep in bags. The flocks are driven in large numbers
from Tibet into British territory. One of the sensations of journeying in the hills of the
'interior,' as the farther recesses of tile mountains are called by Anglo-Indians, is to come
suddenly on such a drove, as it winds, with the multitudinous click of little feet, round tin

PhM h IK R<iJ~[

MERINO RAMS

The best wool-producing sheep. Imported from Spain to Australia

| :t; I ;■• , s,b.

shoulder of some Himalayan spur. The coarse hair bags scrape the clififside front which the
narrow path is built out or hollowed, and allow but scant room for your pony, startled by the
hurry and the quick-breathing rush of the creatures as they crowd and scuffle past. Only
the picturesque shepherds return from these journeys. The carriers of the caravan (/. c. the
sheep), feeding as they go, gather flesh in spite of their burdens, and provide most excellent
mutton. ... In the towns of the plains rams are kept as fighting animals. A Mohammedan
swell going out for a stroll with his fighting-ram makes a picture of foppery not easily
surpassed by the sporting ' fancy ' of the West. The ram is neatly clipped, with a judicious
reservation of the salient tufts, tipped with saffron and mauve dye, and besides a large collar
of blue beads it wears a necklace of hawk-bells."

The FAT-TAILED SHEEP of Persia and Tartary exhibits a curious provision of nature. When
food is plentiful, a quantity of fat accumulates on the tail and croup. As the pasture dries up
and the animal finds little food, this store of fat is gradually absorbed. Another fat-tailed
■sheep is found from Syria and Egypt to the Cape. This has a long tail reaching to the

202

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photi by J. T. fltu:m.tn~\

[Brrihamited

ground. In the Egyptian breed the tail is
broad throughout ; in the Syrian it narrows
to a point. The ordinary weight of the
Syrian sheep's tail is 15 lbs.; but in some
well fattened examples it reaches 70 or
80 lbs. Ludolph saw in Egypt a sheep's tail
of 80 lbs. weight. This overgrown tail is a
great encumbrance to the animal. In order
to lighten the burden, the shepherds fasten
under it a small board, sometimes with wheels
attached, to make it easy to draw over the
ground.

In Greece, Wallachia, and Western Asia
a fine breed of sheep, quite different from
the English forms, is seen. It is called the
WALLACHIAN SHEEP. When the Zoological
Gardens were first founded here, some of
these sheep were introduced and crossed with
English breeds. The horns are tall spirals,
as in the great kudu antelope. The body
is large, and the fleece long and straight,
and more like that of the long-haired goats
than curl}- wool.

There are now few countries in the
world to which sheep have not been intro-
duced. They were probably among the
earliest animals to be domesticated. Cer-
tainly they are the first to be mentioned;

for we learn that " Abel was a keeper of sheep," while Cain tilled the earth. The feud

between the keeper of flocks and the grower of crops

typified in this ancient quarrel still goes on wherever

the wild mountain breeds of sheep are kept, for

there is of necessity always danger that the wander-
ing sheep may raid the plots of corn. In Spain a

curious and ancient set of laws regulates the passage

of the flocks to and from the mountain pastures

through the corn-lands.

It is said that the name of the famous breed of

Spanish sheep known as Mkrim is recalls their foreign

origin from across the sea, and that they were originally

imported into Spain from England. Whether that be

so or not, it is certain that no one could recognise

them now. The finest merino sheep, especially those

bred in Australia, into which country they were

imported some forty years ago, look as if covered

with a dense growth of moss. The close wool grows

not only on their backs, sides, and bellies, but on legs,

forehead, and nose. There are believed to be ten

•millions of merino sheep in Spain, most of which

arc migratory. They are called " transhumantes,"

and are taken from the plains to the mountains

and from the mountains to the plains yearly. These

BLACK-FACED MOUNTAIN-SHEEP

The sheep of the high mountains and heather-moors

1 */ 7. T. WnoBMn] IBtrihamitid

LEICESTER EWE

A hta'vSy long-ivmlled breed

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

203

" transhumantes " arc divided into flocks, each under a head shepherd, or " majoral." The
flocks follow the shepherds, who lead the way, and direct the length and speed of the journey.
A few wethers, trained to the business, follow the shepherds, and the rest come in tine order.
Powerful dogs accompany them as guards. This system of sheep migration is controlled by
a tribunal termed the Mesta. It can be traced back to the middle of the fourteenth century.
By it persons arc prohibited from travelling <along the course of the route pursued by the
flocks so long as they are on the road. It also maintains the right for the flocks to graze
on all the open or common land that lies in the way. Moreover, it claims a path ninety
yards wide through all enclosed and cultivated country. The length of the journey is over
400 miles, which is accomplished in six- or seven weeks. The system works greatly to the
injury of local cultivators and stationary flocks, whose fields are injured by the migratory sheep.

Photo by U\ Rtid~\

[trishaw, N.B.

CROSS-BRED SHEEP

The class of sheep kept mainly on cultivated land in the North Midlands

English Breeds of Sheep

In England are reared the finest and most valuable sheep. This is evident from the
prices paid for them by foreigners and breeders in our colonies. Except for merinos, no
one comes to any other country but this when about to seek new blood for their flocks or
to stock new lands. Recently 1,000 guineas were paid by a firm in Argentina for a single
Lincoln ram.

Differences, well marked and of great importance, exist between our different breeds. Each
suits its own district, and each is carefully improved and kept pure by herd-books, in which all
pedigree animals are entered.

The "general utility sheep" in England is the South DOWN; in Scotland, the BORDER
Leicester. The former is a small, fine sheep, with close wool, and yielding excellent mutton.
It provides the meat sold in our best shops, and has largely stocked New Zealand. The
original breed of England was possibly the COTSWOLD; it is a tall, long-woolled, white-fleeced

2 04

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

LONK RAM

This is a photograph of the largest sheep on record

[HtrthumsreJ

SOA and ST.

sheep. Later a large heavy
sheep, with long wool and a
massive body, was bred in

the Midlands, and called

the Leicester Long-wi m u .
This sheep gives a great cut
of wool, and much coarse
mutton. The O hah n Sin 1 i .
originally bred on the hills of
that name, is now one of the
mainstays of the Scotch moun-
tain farmer. The Cheviots
eat the grass on the high
hillsides, while the BLACK-
faced Highland Sheep
live on the heather higher
up. The Suffolk, Oxfi >rd,
Hampshire, and other

"Down" sheep are larger
breeds than the South Down.
The R.OMNEY MARSH SHEEP
are a heavy long-woolled
breed. The EXMOORS are
KlLDA SHEEP, which are often

small heather-sheep like those of Wales, and ill
four-horned, the smallest of all.

The maintenance of flocks is now almost an essential part of English agriculture on all
chalk lands, which comprise a very large percentage of the southern counties. On the chalk
downs the flocks are the great fertilisers of the soil. Every night the sheep are folded on
the fields which are destined to produce corn in the following year. The manure so left on
the soil ensures a good crop, with no expense for carting the fertiliser from the farmyard, as
is the case with manure made by oxen kept in straw-yards.

On the South Downs, Oxfordshire Downs or Chiltern Hills, Salisbury Plain, and the
Berkshire Downs the farms have been mainly carried on by the aid of the flocks. Where
these are no longer kept the land reverts to grass, and the growing of corn ceases. < >n the
coarse, new-sown grasses cattle take the place of sheep, and an inferior style of farming, like
the ranches of South America, replaces the
careful and highly skilled agriculture of Old
England. In the far north of Scotland cross-
bred sheep are now reared and fed in winter
on turnips, which will grow luxuriantly where
the climate is too bleak and wet for wheat.

Formerly cattle were the main source
of wealth to the owners of Highland estates.
The sheep was only introduced after the
Highlands were subdued subsequently to
the rebellion in 1745. It was found that
the rough 1 oati d heather-sheep throve on the
wet and elevated hills. This led to their
substitution for cattle, as wool was then dear.
' are now in their turn giving way to

grouse and deer over much of the Central
Highlands, as the price' of wool has fallen.

'. T. Ntwman]

WELSH I W I S

A small bned of /

I Btrihamtttd

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

205

Photo bv E. Land

[ Ealing

FEMALE ANGORA GOAT

The breed from which mohair is obtained

THE GOATS

Though the dividing-line between
the Sheep and Goats is very indistinct,

some differences are of general appli-
cation. The goats are distinguished

by the unpleasant " hircine" odour of

the males, and by beards on the chins

of the same sex, by the absence of

glands in the hind feet, which sheep

possess, and by certain variations in

the formation of the skull. The

difference between the temperament

of the sheep and goats is very curious

and persistent, showing itself in a

marked way, which affects their use

in domestication to such a degree that

the keeping of one or the other often

marks the owners as possessors of

different degrees of civilisation. Goats

are restless, curious, adventurous, and

so active that they cannot be kept

in enclosed fields. For this reason

they are not bred in any numbers in

lands where agriculture is practised

on modern principles; they are too enterprising and too destructive. Consequently the goat is

usually only seen in large flocks on mountain pastures and rocky, uncultivated ground, where

the thicks are taken out to feed by the children.

On the high alps, in Greece, on the Apennines, and in Palestine the goat is a valuable

domestic animal. The milk, butter, and cheese, and also the flesh of the kids, are in great

esteem. But wherever the land is enclosed, and high cultivation attempted, the goat is banished,

and the more docile and controllable
sheep takes its place. In Syria the
goat is perhaps more docile and better
understood as a dairy animal than
elsewhere in the East. The flocks are
driven into Damascus in the morning;
and instead of a milk-cart calling, the
flock itself goes round the city, and
particular goats are milked before the
doors of regular customers.

The European Goat is a very

useful animal for providing milk to
poor families in large towns. The
following account of its present uses
was recently published : " The sheep,
while preserving its hardy habits in
some districts, as on Exmoor, in Wales,
and the Highlands, adapts itself to
richer food, and acquires the habits as
well as the digestion of domestication.
The goat remains, as in old days, the

«!•(. t) I I

ANGORA RAM

[ Eating

These gocti ivere originally obtained from Turkey in Asia, and exported to South

Africa

206

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

enemy of trees, inquisitive, omnivorous, pugnacious. It is unsuited for the settled life of the
English farm. Rich pasture makes it ill, and a good clay soil, on which cattle grow fat, kills it.
But it is far from being disqualified for the service of some forms of modern civilisation by the
survival of primitive habits. Though it cannot live comfortably in the smiling pastures of the
low country, it is perfectly willing to exchange the rocks of the mountain for a stable-yard in
town. Its love for stony places is amply satisfied by the granite pavement of a ' mews,' and
it has been ascertained that goats fed in stalls and allowed to wander in paved courts and yards
live longer and enjoy better health than those tethered even on light pastures. In parts of
New York the city goats are said to flourish on the paste-daubed paper of the advertisements,
which they nibble from the hoardings. It is beyond doubt that these hard)- creatures are
exactly suited for living in large towns; an environment of bricks and mortar and paving-
stones suits them. Their spirits rise
in proportion to what we should deem
the depressing nature of their sur-
roundings. They love to be tethered
on a common, with scanty grass and
a stock of furze-bushes to nibble. A
deserted brick-field, with plenty of
broken drain-tiles, rubbish-heaps, and
weeds, pleases them still better.
Almost any kind of food seems to
suit them. Not even the pig has so
varied a diet as the goat ; it consumes
and converts into milk not only great
quantities of garden stuff which would
otherwise be wasted, but also, thanks
to its love for eating twigs and shoots,
it enjoys the prunings and loppings
of bushes and trees. In the Mont
d'Or district of France the goats are
fed on oatmeal porridge. With this
diet, and plenty of salt, the animals
are scarcely ever ill, and never suffer
from tuberculosis; they will often
give ten times their own weight of
mil

Phtte by F. Lander] [Eaiing

BRITISH goat

A much-neglected breed in this country. Note the shape of this animal

in a year.

The Kashmir shawls are made of
the finest goats' hair. Most of this
very soft hair is obtained from the
under-fur of goats kept in Tibet, and
by the Kirghiz in Central Asia. < >nly
a small quantity, averaging 3 ozs., is produced yearly by each animal. The wool is purchased
by middlemen, and taken to Kashmir for manufacture.

In India the goat reaches perhaps the highest point of domestication. The flecks are in
charge of herd-boys, but the animals are so docile that they are regarded with no hostility
by the cultivators of corn and cereals. Tame goats are also kept throughout Africa. The
valuable ANGORA breed, from which " mohair" is obtained, is now domesticated in South Africa
and in Australia. In the former country it is a great commercial success. The animals were
obtained with great difficult}', as the Turkish owners did not wish to sell their best-bred
goats; but when once established at the Cape, it was found that they proved better producers
of mohair than when in their native province of Angora. The " clip" from their descendants
b ai lily improves.

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

207

«, f„

n of P. Thomas, F.iq.

FEMALE TOGGENBURG GOAT

These goats art milk-goats par excellence j they remain in profit for at least ten
months in the year. Each goat produces on an average from 110 to 120 gallons of
milk during the year

wild goats

The 'Ilk

In the Caucasus, both east and
west, in the Pyrenees, and on tin-
South Spanish sierras three fine wild
goats, with some features not unlike
the burhal sheep, are found. They
arc called TUR by the Caucasian
mountaineers. The species found in
the East Caucasus differs from that
of the west of the range, and both
from that of Spain. The East
Caucasian Tur is a massive, heavy
animal, all brown in colour ( except on
the fronts of the legs, which are
blackish), and with horns springing
from each side of the skull like half-
circles. The males are 38 inches high
at the shoulder. The short beard and
tail are blackish, anil there is no white
on the coat. The WEST CAT CASIAN
TUR is much lighter in colour than
that of the East Caucasus, and the
horns point backwards, more likethosc
of the ibex, though set on the skull
at a different angle. The SPANISH
TUR has the belly and inner sidc^ of
the legs white, and a blackish line
along the flank, dividing the white
from the brown ; also a blackish chest,
and some grey on the flank.

In the Caucasus the tur are
found on the high crags above the
snow-line in summer, whence they
descend at night to feed on patches
of upland grass ; but the main home
of the tur by day is above the snow-
line. The Spanish species modifies its
habits according to the ground on
which it lives. Mr. E. N. Buxton
found it in dense scrub, while on the
Andalusian sierras it frequents bare
peaks 10,000 feet high. In Spain
tur are sometimes seen in flocks of
from IOO to 150 each.

stud toggenburg goat
The Persian Wild Goat

The original of our domesticated
goat is thought by some to be the
PASANG, or PERSIAN WILD Goat. It is a fine animal, with large scimitar-shaped horns, curving
backwards, flattened laterally, and with knobs on the front edge at irregular intervals. It is
more slender in build than the tur, light brown in general colour, marked with a black line

/l|k-" "

! J

i n i» !

By ft'

niuion of P. Thomjs, Esq.

STUD TOGGENBURG

This breed originally came from Switzcrfand, but is now well known in
1 and. Tht animals are fine in boney kai>e a long, thin neckt with two tassel'
like appendages

2()8

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

along the nape and back, black tail, white belly, blackish shoulder-stripe, and a black line
dividing the hinder part of the flank from the white belly. Formerly found in the islands of
South-eastern Kurope, it now inhabits parts of the Caucasus, the Armenian Highlands, Mount
Ararat, and the Persian mountains as far east as Baluchistan, A smaller race is found in Sind.
It lives in herds, sometimes of considerable size, and frequents not only the high ground, but
the mountain forests and scrub, where such cover exists. The domesticated goat of Sweden is
saiil to be certainly a descendant of this species.

The Ibex

Of the Iisf.X, perhaps the best known of all the wild goats, several species, differing
somewhat in size and in the form of their horns, are found in various parts of the Old World.
Of these, the ARABIAN IBEX inhabits the mountains of Southern Arabia, Palestine, and Sinai,

SCHWARTZALS COAT

A large, Long-haired breed, which derives its name from its peculiar colour, the fore part of the body being black and the hinder part white.

These goats are good milkers

Upper Egypt, and perhaps Morocco. The ABYSSINIAN IBEX is found in the high mountains of
the country from which it takes its name. The ALPINE [BEX is now extinct in the Swiss
Alps and Tyrol, but survives on the Piedmontese side of Monte Rosa. The ASIATIC IBEX is
the finest of the group; its horns have been found to measure 5-+] inches along the curve.
Thi> ibex inhabits the mountain-ranges of Central Asia, from the Altai to the Himalaya, and
the Himalaya as far as the source of the Ganges.

The King of Italy is the great preserver of the ALPINE IBEX, and has succeeded where
tin- nobli "I the Tyrol have failed. The animals are shot by driving them, the drivers being
expert mountaineers. The way in which the ibex come down the passes and over the precipices
is simply astonishing, One writer lately saw them springing down perpendicular heights "\
40 feet, or descending "chimneys " in the mountain-face by simply cannoning off with their
feel from side to side, Young ibex can be tamed with ease, the only drawback to their
maintenance being the impossibility of confining them. The)- will spring on to the roof of

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

209

a house, and spend the day there by prefer-
en< e, though allowed the run of all the premises.
The kids are generally two in number; they

are born in June

The ibex was long one of the chief
objects of the .Alpine hunter. The Emperor
Maximilian had a preserve of them in the
Tyrol mountains near the Aachen Sea; these
he shot with a cross-bow when they were
driven down the mountains. Sometimes they
were forced across the lake. A picture in
his private hunting-book shows the Emperor
assisting to catch one in a net from a boat,
lb- notes that he once shot an ibex at a
distance of 200 yards with a cross-how, after
one of his companions had missed it with a
gun, or " tire-tube." When away on an ex-
pedition in Holland, he wrote a letter to the
wife of one of the most noted ibex-poachers
on his domain, promising her a silk dress if
she could induce her husband to let the
animals alone. In the Himalaya the chief
Iocs of the ibex are the snow-leopard and
wild dog.

The Markhor

The very fine Himalayan goat of this
name differs from all other wild species. The
horns are spiral, like those of the kudu

p?'$&ii<,

YOUNG MALE ALPINE IBEX

The photograph shows the corrugated horns of the male

MALE ALPINE IBEX

The finest zui/d goat of Europe, formerly common on the Swiss Alps,
notv only on a limned area on the Italian side

antelope and Wallachian sheep. It may well
be called the king of the wild goats. A
buck stands as much as 41 inches at the
shoulder, and the maximum measurement of
the horns is 6$ incites, or over 5 feet! It
has a long beard and mane, and stands very
upright on its feet. Besides the Himalaya,
it haunts the mountains on the Afghan
frontier. The markhor keep along the line
between the forest and snow, some of the
most difficult ground in the hills. The horns
are a much-prized trophy.

Tin, Taiir

The Taiir of the Himalaya is a very

different-looking animal to the true goats,
from which, among other characters, it is
distinguished by the form and small size

2 10

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THK WORLD

By ftrmittUn of P. Thomas^ Esq,

NUBIAN GOAT

These goats come from Nubia and Upper Egypt- They art generally hornless
and short-haired ; the colour varies, being sometimes black, and sometimes tan and
spotted.

of the horns. The hums, which are
black, spring in a high backward
arch, but the creature has no beard.
A buck stands sometimes as much as
38 inches high at the shoulder. It
has a long, rough coat, mainly dark
stone colour in tint.

Tahr live in the forest districts
of the Middle Himalaya, where they
arc found on very high and difficult
ground. General Donald Macintyre
shot one standing on the brink of
an almost sheer precipice. Down this
it fell, and the distance in sheer
depth was such that it was difficult
to see the body even with glasses.
The tahr is fairly common all along

the higher Himalayan Range. Its
bones are believed to be a sovereign
cure for rheumatism, and are exported

to India for that object. A smaller kind is found in the mountains of Eastern Arabia, where

very few, even sportsmen, have yet attempted to shoot them.

The Nilgiri Tahr, or Nilgiri Ibex

Though not an ibex, the sportsmen of India early gave this name to the tahr of the
Nilgiri and Anamalai Hills. The Himalayan species is covered with long, shaggy hair; the
South Indian has short, smooth brown hair.

"The ibex," says Hawkeye, the Indian sportsman, of this animal, "is massively formed,
with short legs, remarkably strong fetlocks, and a heavy carcase, short and well ribbed up,
combining strength and agility wonderful to behold. Its habits are gregarious, and the does
are seldom met with separate from the flock or herd, though males often arc. The latter
assume, as they grow old, a distinctive appearance. The hair on the back becomes lighter,
almost white in some cases, causing a kind of saddle to appear; and from that time they
become known to the shikaries as the saddle-backs of the herd, an object of ambition to
the eyes of the true sportsman. It is a pleasant sight to watch a herd of ibex feeding
undisturbed, the kids frisking here and there on pinnacles or ledges of rock and beetling
cliffs where there seems scarcely safe hold for anything much larger than a grasshopper, the
old mother looking calmly on. Then again, see the caution observed in taking up their
resting or abiding-places for the day, where the)- may be warmed by the sun, listening to
the war of many waters, chewing the cud of contentment, and giving themselves up to the
full enjoyment of their nomadic life and its romantic haunts. Usually, before reposing, one
of their number, generally an old doe, may be observed gazing intently below, apparently
scanning every spot in the range of her vision, sometimes for half an hour or more,
before she is satisfied that all is well, but, strange to say, seldom or never looking up to
the rocks above. Hun, being satisfied on the one side, she follows the same process on the
other, and eventually lies down calmly, contented with the precautions she has taken.
Should tin 3( ntinel be joined by another, or her kid come ami lie by her, they always lie
back to back, in such a manner as to keep a good look-out to either side. A solitary
male goes through all this by himself, and wonderfully careful he is; but when with
the herd he reposes in security, leaving it to the female to take precautions for their
joint safety."

ITALIAN GOAT

phM it Fraulli AUntri\

From the earliest Roman Jays these goats have been the main form of livestock kept by the mountaineers of the Apennines

211

CHAPTER XV

THE J NT ELOPES

BY F. C. SELOUS

Till". TRUE ANTELOPES (including the Gazelles) are
strictly confined to the Old World, the Prongbuck
of North America differing so much from all other
living ruminants, in its horn growth and other particulars,
that it is considered to be the sole representative of a distinct
family.

Thk Hartebeests

With the exception of one species — the Bubal — which is

found both in North Africa and Arabia, the HARTEBEESTS are

entirely confined to the African Continent. They are animals

of large size, standing from 43 to 48 inches at the shoulder,

^^%t ^■^3 and are characterised by their long, narrow faces, high withers,

and doubly curved horns, which are present in both sexes.
Nine different species of this group are known to exist.

Although the ranges of these various species of harte-
bcest cover the greater part of the African Continent, it is
./ -i 4) noteworthy that each species keeps to its own ground, their

several ranges but rarely overlapping.

All the hartebeests have a strong family resemblance,
and are very similar in their habits. The}' are never found
cither in dense forests or in swamp}- or mountainous country,
but are inhabitants of the arid deserts of Northern and
South-western Africa, and of the open grassy plains and
thinly forested regions of the high plateaux of the interior
of that continent. They are extraordinarily fleet and enduring,
dh'^'aa and in my own experience I have never heard of one of

these animals, of whatever species, having been overtaken or
ridden to a standstill by a man on horseback. They are very inquisitive, and where they
have not been molested will allow any unaccustomed object — such as a European in clothes —
to walk to within easy shot of them before running off. They soon gain experience, however;
and in countries where they have been most persecuted hartebeests are the keenest-sighted
and the most wary of all African game. They are very fond of climbing to the top of the
large ant-heaps with which the plains of Africa are profusely studded, and from this point of
vantage surveying the surrounding country. They live, I believe, entirely upon grass, and
in the desert areas of their range seem able to subsist for long periods without drinking
water. Their meat I have always thought very palatable. They are generally in fairly good
condition, though they seldom carry much fat. Their fat, after being melted, becomes solid
again immediately on cooling, and clogs on the teeth whilst being eaten. But very few African
species, except the eland, ever become really fat; their life is too active, and the food-supplv
too uncertain, for them to put on flesh like European deer.

213

M.ro by Mill E. J. Bui

BUBALINE HARTEBEEST

214 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

PAofC 4/ /Vry jftftrnirr]

[L'd/i# Toiun

BLKSBOK.

W species formerly very numerous in South Africa, but notv tuell-nigh
exterminated

Bon i i bi ik and Bi i sbok Group

Nearly allied to the hartebeests are
certain other antelopes of which it will be
sufficient to mention but two species — viz.
the BONTEBOK and the BLESBOK. These
two antelopes, though doubtless distinct,
since their points of difference are constant
and unvarying, are nevertheless so much
alike, and evidently so closely allied, that I
look upon the former as a highly coloured
and specialised race of the latter. The bles-
bok once had a far wider range than the
bontebok, and ran in countless herds on
the plains of the northern districts of the
Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony, the
Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British
Bechuanaland, whilst the latter animal has
always been confined to the sandy wastes
in the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, the
extreme southern point of Africa.

I think it, however, not improbable
that ages ago the blesbok ranged right
through Cape Colony to the sea-shore, and
that subsequently the gradual desiccation

of the south-western portions of the country — which is still continuing — or several years of

continuous drought, caused the withdrawal of the species northwards from the waterless parts

of the country. Those, however, which had reached the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, where

there is plenty of water, would have remained behind and formed an isolated race, which, being

influenced by local conditions, would naturally in course of time have become differentiated

from the parent stock. Be this as it may, the bontebok of to-day is nothing but a glorified

blesbok, being slightly larger and

more richly coloured than the

latter animal. Its horns, too, are

always black, whilst those of the

blesbok are of a greenish hue.

When they are in good condition,

the coats of both these species

of antelope, as well as of the

S VSSABY, am ither member of this

group, show a beautiful satiny

sheen, which plays over their

purple-brown hides like shadows

on sunlit water.

The few bontebokswhich still

survive are now all preserved on

large enclosed farms; but their

numbers are very small — less

than 300, it is believed. The M,„ h % ^ MtL.iun\ [**««

farmers of Dutch descent now do

their best to preserve rare species WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF

On their land. This " JVildcbeett " is believed to be practically exterminated as a wila anima

THE ANTKLOPES

215

•■•<iSH5S?v

A COW BRINDLED GNU

Tbis gnu, ivbicb is still found in great numbers in East Central Africa, indulges in the same curious antics as tbe ivbite-tailed species

The Gnus

These remarkable animals were once distributed throughout the greater part of Africa from
the Cape to Abyssinia, and their range is even now very extensive, though what was once the
most numerous and the most eccentric-looking species of the group has almost ceased to exist.

The gnus are of large size, and at first sight appear to have the head of a buffalo, the
tail of a horse, and the limbs and hoofs of an antelope. Their heads are very massive, with
broad muzzles and widely separated, hairy nostrils; their necks are maned, tails long and
bushy, and both sexes carry horns. They are known as " wilde beeste," or " wild cattle," to
the Dutch colonists of South Africa.

The White-tailed Gnu, or Black
WILDEBEEST, as it is more commonly called,
was once found in great numbers on the kar-
roos of Northern Cape Colony, and through-
out the vast plains of the Orange Riser
Colony, Transvaal, Griqualand West, and
British Bechuanaland. Its range, in fact,
was coequal with that of the blesbok. Even
as lately as in 1875 and 1876 I personally
saw very considerable herds of these quaint
animals in the Orange River Colon)- and the
Western Transvaal. When the present war
broke out in 1899, there were only two
herds of black wildebeest left alive. These
animals numbered some 500 head altogether,
and were protected by Dutch farmers. There

Mol. bj Min E. J. Btti

RED-FLANKED DUIKER

Tbe duikers are for tbe mo*t part diminuti-ce and graceful antelopes, ivitb
simple, spike-like borns

2 I 6

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

are probably very few of them left to-day, and it is scarcely possible that this most interesting
animal will long escape complete extinction.

Black wildebeests, before they had been much persecuted, were so inquisitive that, in the
words of Gordon Cumming, they would "caper and gambol" round a hunter's waggon or any
other unusual object, and sometimes approach to within a couple of hundred yards, when,
whisking their long white tails, they would gallop off with loud snorts. They were always,
however, very keen-sighted, and soon became extremely wary and almost impossible to approach
on foot in the open plains they frequented, whilst their powers of endurance and flectness of
foot were such that they could only be overtaken by a well-mounted hunter. In spite of
these advantages, however, the value of their skins, and the ever-increasing number of hunters,
armed with long-range rifles, practically brought about the extermination of this species of gnu
in a few decades.

The BRINDLED GNU is a larger animal than the last:named species, standing 4}, feet and
upwards at the shoulder. This animal once ranged from the Vaal River northwards, throughout
Eastern and Central Africa, to the north of Kilimanjaro, where its range overlaps that of
a closely allied form, the WHITE-BEARDED GNU, which is only found in certain districts of
Eastern Africa. In general habits these two varieties seem to be identical.

In the interior of Southern Africa, both north
and south of the Zambesi, I have met with very
large numbers of Blue Wildebeests. They usually
run in herds of from ten to twenty individuals, but
towards the end of the dry season collect in droves of
200 or 300. They are often found in company with
zebras and sassaby antelopes. Their flesh resembles
coarse beef, and, to my thinking, is not ill-flavoured.

The Smaller Bucks

In addition to the great number of antelopes
of large size which inhabit the African Continent,
there are also very many small species, the life
history and habits of some of which are as yet
but imperfectly known, since they are denizens of
dense forests, and feed principally at night.

All these small African antelopes are divided into
two sub-families. The first comprises the African
Duikers and the Indian Four-h< irned Ami u mi .
and the second the DlK-DIKS, Oribis, Klipspringer,
and certain other small bush-antelopes.

The African duikers are distributed throughout
Africa south of the Sahara, and are represented
by some twenty different species, the largest of
which approaches a small donkey in size, whilst the
smallest is not much larger than a hare.

The majority of these dainty little antelopes
are inhabitants of the dense tangled forests of the
coast-belts of Africa, and are therefore but seldom
seen by travellers and sportsmen. One species of
the group however, the COMMON DUIKER of South
Africa, is a very well-known animal. This little
antelope inhabits much more open country than
most of its congeners, and has an enormous range,
extending from Cape Agulhas to Somaliland, whilst

fhni b) Mm E. J. Bit!

KLIPSPRINGER

lie " cliff-jumper " is as active in its habits as a chamois,
and isjound in most of the mountain-ranges if Aftica

?h°" h,G- "'•"'"'"" efC'-'i'*] SING-SING waterbuck

The sing-sing and its relatives differ from the true -waterbuck by the absence of the "white elliptical ring on the rump

2IJ

2l8

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhi.lt b) if. f. i/JnJ.J

MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK

One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa

two very nearly allied forms are found
in Senegal and Abyssinia respectively.
In most species of duikers both
sexes are horned, but in the case of
the common duiker it is very excep-
tional to find a female with horns,
and in all my experience I have only
known of three such cases.

The Four-horned Am el< >pe is

the Indian representative of the African
duikers, and is found along the foot
of the Himalaya from the Punjab to
Nepal, and in suitable localities through-
out the peninsula of India. It frequents
wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle.
Like its nearest allies, the duikers, it
is solitary in its habits, more than
two of these antelopes seldom being
seen together. The growth of four
horns on the skull of this antelope and
on certain breeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact which has not roused as much comment

as it deserves. _

I in; Klipspringer

Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the KLIPSPRINGER as the most characteristic
species to describe. This beautiful little animal, which is often called the African Chamois, is
found in suitable localities from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions
of its range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and ascends
to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more central regions of its
habitat, however, although it always lives amongst rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name
of " rock-jumper," it is often found in regions where there arc no high mountain-ranges. It
used to be very common in Matabililand, both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated
granite kopjes which are so numerous
in that country, and usually are
not more than 200 or 300 feet in
height. In Mashonaland I have
found it living amongst granite rocks
in the beds of the larger rivers, and
actually on the same level as the
surrounding country; whereas on
Wedza, a great mountain-mass of
slate and ironstone, which lists to
a height of about 2,ooo feet above
the surrounding country, and to the
top of which I once climbed, I did
not see any klipspringers. The hoofs
of this little animal arc curiously
different from those of any other
African antelope, being remarkably
short and small, with very deep
hollows. This adaptation to its re-
quirements enables the klipspringer
to obtain a foothold on any small

Phtte by S. O". P.Jtnr, AjlttbUTJi, f< rirmc < ■

MALE [MPALA, OR PALLA

Rtthtihild

The beautifully curved boms of the male palla form seme of the most graceful of

trophies

THE ANTELOPES

219

projecting piece of rock, and to climb in a scries of little jumps up the faces of cliffs which
seem almost perpendicular.

In height the klipspringer stands about 1 foot 9 inches at the shoulder. The males alone
carry horns, which are straight and ringed at the base, and vary hem 3 to 5 inches in
length. The coat is of a greeny yellow-brown colour, with the hairs hollow and brittle. These
little animals are usually met with singly, or in twos and threes together. When caught
young, they become wonderfully tame, and make the most charming pets, being very playful
and fond of jumping, with surprising ease and grace, from the floor of a room on to any
elevated position, such as a table, mantelpiece, or window-sill.

The Waterbucks

The largest animals in the first of three groups now to be considered are the W \ 1 1 RBUCKS,
antelopes of stout and sturdy build, standing from 45 to 50 inches at the shoulder, and covered
with long, coarse hair, especially on the neck, in both sexes. The males alone carry horns,
which vary from 20 to 36 inches in length, and are strongly ringed in front for three-fourths
of their length. They are sublyrate in shape, being first inclined backwards and then forwards
at the tips. There are three well-marked species of waterbuck — viz. the COMMON WATERBUCK
of South Africa, whose range
extends from the Limpopo
northwards, through Nyasa-
land to German and British
E a s t A f r i c a, and to the
Shebe_\ li l\i\ er, in S< unali-
land ; theSlNG-SING of Sene-
gal and Gambia ; and the

Defassa Waterbuck of
Western Abyssinia and the
Nile Valley, south to Uganda
and British and German East
Africa. In habits all species
■ if waterbuck are very similar.
They live generally, though
not invariably, in herds of
from ten to twenty individ-
uals, and in such small herds

there is seldom more than one full-grown male present. In the interior of South Africa the
waterbuck is often met with amongst steep stony hills and at a distance of more than a mile from
the nearest river. Speaking generally, however, this antelope may be said to frequent the near
neighbourhood of water, but to prefer dry to swampy ground. When chased by dogs it always
makes for water, and will plunge fearlessly into broad, deep rivers, regardless of crocodiles, to
which ravenous reptiles it sometimes falls a victim. In South Africa waterbuck vary much in
colour even in the same district, some being reddish brown, whilst others are of a very dark
grey. The flesh of the waterbuck is coarse, and sometimes rather strongly tasted, and when
in good condition the fat is very hard.

The REEDBUCKS are similar in essential characters to the waterbucks, but are of
smaller size, and have more bushy tails, and naked spots on the sides of the head beneath
the ears.

Of this group the COMMON REEDBUCK of South Africa is the best known. This animal
stands 3 feet at the withers, and is of a soft greyish fawn-colour, with a large fluffy tail, which
is always thrown up when the animal runs, exposing the white under-surface. The males alone
carry horns, which curve backwards and then forwards, and attain a length of from 12 to 16
inches. Reedbucks are met with singly or in twos and threes, and never congregate in herds.

Photo by S. t»\ Payne, Ayltibury, by ptrmiuion of the Hon. Walttr Rothichild

MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES

These antelopes inhabit the East Russian steppes. The thick woolly coat turns nearly ivhite in

•winter

220 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

though I have seen as many .is eight, belonging probably to three or four families, feeding in-
close proximity to one another on young green grass.

Another member of the reedbuck group is the Rom RHEBUCK of South Africa. This
latter species, though a much smaller animal, is very similar to the common reedbuck in
colour, shape, and general appearance; it is quite distinct in its habits and mode of life, as it
lives in small herds of from four or five to fifteen head, amongst rugged stony hills, often far
from water.

The Blackbuck of India

This handsome species is found throughout India wherever there are open cultivated
plains. The male stands about 32 inches at the shoulder, and when full grown is of" a
glossy black colour, with the exception of a chestnut-coloured patch at the back of the neck,
and some markings of the same colour about the face. The belly and insides of the limbs
are pure white, the line between the black and white being very clearly defined. The whole
body and frame are very compact, strong, and beautifully proportioned, and the head is carried

high. The males alone
in shape, annulated almost to
from 18 to 28 inches. Young
coloured instead of black.
met with in considerable
cultivated tracts alternate with
much damage to the natives'
first execute a scries of pro-
re finally settling down to
prisingly fleet, and can seldom
greyhounds, although they
down without difficult}- by
are often called, hunting-
The PALLA, which is
Eastern Africa from Bechuana-
the most graceful of animals,
and is never found far from
general bright reddish brown,
alone carry horns, which are
vary from 14 to upwards of
finest specimens of the palla
southerly and most northerly
animals inhabiting the inter-
and carrying shorter horns.
in herds of from twenty to
alarmed, they bound over

Phete by Mill E. J. Br<t

ARABIAN GAZELLE

Gaxe/les are lime of the most tUnderly
built oj all antelopes

carry horns, which are spiral
the tips, and vary in length
bucks and does are fawn-
These antelopes are usually
herds on open plains in which
waste land, and the)- often do
crops. When alarmed, they
digious bounds into the air
a stead\- run. The}- are sur-
be overtaken by the fastest
can be caught and pulled
trained cheetas, or, as they
leopards.

found in Southern and
land to Kordofan, is one of
It is a forest-loving species,
water. Both sexes are of a
with white bellies. The males
very graceful in shape, and
20 inches in length. The
are met with in the extreme
portions of its range, the
mediate districts being smaller
Pallas are gregarious, living
over one hundred. When
bushes or any other obstacles

with the utmost ease and grace, and appear to get over the ground at a high rate of spied.
The)- are, however, very commonly run down and torn to pieces by wild dogs, which hunt in
packs, and air very destructive to African game.

Of far less graceful appearance than the two preceding species is the SAIGA, which,
though Structurally closely allied to the gazelles, has been placed by naturalists in a genus
by it

This curious-looking animal, which is chiefly remarkable for its large swollen-looking nose

and light-coloured horns, is an inhabitant of the steppes of the South-eastern Europe and

rn Asia. In height it stands about 30 inches at the withers, and is of a dull yellowish

colour in summer, turning to nearly white in winter. The males alone can-}- horns, which are

limes 13 or 14 inches long, and of a peculiar colour which has been likened to pale amber.

THE ANTELOPES

22 I

At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don
and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends over the Kirghiz Stepp
and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of
hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and
can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in
small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into
considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole
herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers
are also killed by the natives. The flesh of the sai^a is said to resemble mutton, and is held
in much esteem.

Tin. Gazelles

We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known
and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes
generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia; and there

By firmlsihn of Hirr Carl Hngtnbtii"\ {Harnh:.'.

GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA

These animals are inhabitants of rocky and desert ground. They are often kept tame by the ivandering jirabs

are only four species known — all Asiatic — in which the females are hornless : vis. the TIBETAN

Gazelle, Prejevalski's Gazelle, the Mongolian Gazelle, and the Persian Gazelle.

The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, comprising
the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as well as
Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid desert regions
of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country where there is a
certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any kind of jungle
or thick cover.

On the sandy plains of North-western Africa are found the RED-FRONTED Gazelle of
Senegal and Gambia; the little-known Aim irk GAZELLE of South-western Morocco; and the
DAMA GAZELLE, a species which has been known to naturalists ever since the time of Button.
A near ally of the last-named animal is the RED-NECKED GAZELLE of Dongola and Senaar. In
North-eastern Africa are found the large and handsome SOEMMERRING'S GAZELLE ; the ISABEl LA
GAZED E, of the coastlands of the Red Sea; HEUGLIN'S Gazelle ; PELZELN'S Gazelle, of the
maritime plains of Northern Somaliland ; and SPEKE'S Gazelle, of the interior of the same
country ; whilst farther south the group is represented by the large and beautiful Grant's
15

222

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Gazelle, with its allies Peters's
Gazelle and Thomson's Gazelle,

The well-known DORCAS GAZELLE is
.m inhabitant of Morocco and Algeria,
ranging through Egypt into Palestine
and Syria; the MARK \ GAZELLE, the

Muscat Gazelle, and the Arabian
Ga/.elle inhabit the deserts of Arabia ;
the Komi Gazelle is found in the
mountain-ranges of Morocco, Algeria,
and Tunis; while LODER'S GAZELLE
inhabits the sandy tracts of the interior
of Algeria and Tunis. In Asia, besides
the four species of gazelle already
enumerated in which the females arc
hornless, one other member of the
group is met with. This is the INDIAN
Gazelle, a species very closely allied
to the Arabian form.

Of the whole genus Grant's Gazelle is the most beautiful. This handsome animal, which
was first discovered by the explorers Speke and Grant in i860, is an inhabitant of Eastern
Africa, from the neighbourhood of Lake Rudolph southwards to Ugogo. In size the average
height at the shoulder of males of this species is about 34 inches. The coat is close and
short and of a general fawn colour, the rump and belly pure white, and the face marked with
a rufous band from the horns to the nose and with streaks of white on each side. The upper
surface of the tail is white, with a black and tufted tip. The horns, which are very elegant
in shape, being first curved slightly forwards and then backwards, are much longer and more
powerful than in any other gazelle, and attain a length of 30 inches in the males and 17 inches
in the females.

Grant's gazelles, though they undoubtedly find their most congenial home in open
country, have also been met with by recent travellers in bush-sprinkled wastes and stony,
rugged hills. They are, however, never found in dense jungles or high mountains. They live
in herds of from half a dozen to twenty or thirty individuals, though in certain localities as
many as 200 have been seen together. They

Phot, hj L. Midland, F.Z.S.]

SPEKE'S GAZELLE

F and in the interior of Northern Somaliland

are fond of consorting with other game, such as
Burchell's and Grcvy's zebras, Coke's hartebeest,
and the beisa oryx, and arc often met with at
long distances from the nearest water. They
are keen-sighted and wary, and from the open
character of the country in which they are
usually encountered are often difficult to stalk.
When in good condition, the meat of this gazelle
is said to be excellent.

The nearest ally of the true gazelles is
undoubtedly the SPRINGBUCK of South Africa.
< (wing to the protection which it has received
of late years, this graceful antelope is now a
common animal in many parts of South Africa,
and in the north-western portions of the Cape
Colony still sometimes collects into prodigious
herds, which travel through the country in dense
masses, destroying every vestige of grass on the

Mr.n hf W. P. I<

G \ZELI.ES FROM EGYPT
Seen in great numbers in the Ba\uda Deterr

THE ANTKLOPES

223

I ''■ I

.•*at

RED-FRONTED GAZELLE

Inhabits Dongola and Senaar

line of their advance, and causingconsiderable

anxiety t<> farmers, whose flocks of sheep

and goats are sometimes swept away by the

migrating springbucks, In former years the

migration of these antelopes in countless

thousands from the deserts oi Namaqualand

to the countries farther south was a common

occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the

wandering herds to districts where rain had

lately fallen and caused a new growth of

green grass. The animals composing these

migrating herds were called by the Dutch

settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken,"

or " travelling-bucks."

Two other antelopes, the DlBATAG and

the GERENUK, are included in the present

group; but both, whilst typically gazelline

in certain respects, differ so much in other

ways from all members of that group that

each has been placed in a separate genus.
The DlBATAG is a very remarkable-
looking antelope, only found in certain

districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. \V. H. Clarke in 1890.

This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present

in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining

a length of only 11 or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front.

The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved

forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted

at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes,

and lives in small families, being usually met
with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare
to find more than four or five consorting
together.

The GERENUK.like the last-named animal,
is an East African species, but has a more
extended range, being found all over Somali-
land, and thence southwards to the Tana
Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of British
East Africa. The most remarkable external
characteristic of this species is the exces-
sively long neck. The males alone carry
horns, which attain an average length of
12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat
gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly
crooked forwards at the points. The skull
of this species is more dense and solid in
structure than in the true gazelles, and the
cheek-teeth are smaller in size.
n«. b, w. p. Da**,] [R,e,„r. r.r, Coming now to the Sable Antelope

group, we find an assemblage of antelopes
RED-FRONTED GAZELLE which are all of large size and handsome

Another -view of the specimen sko-wn abo-vc appearance, and in all of which both the

224 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

f'htto by Percy Aihendtn

[C.i^» Town

MALE SPRINGBUCK

Once the most numerous species in South Africa, where it is still not uncommon. Its migrations, or tltrcht" at certain seasons were one

of the sights of the veldt

males and females are horned. With the single exception of the BEATRIX Oryx, which
inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of Africa. One species of the group, the
BLUEBUCK, which appears to have been entirely confined to the mountainous districts of the
Cape Peninsula, became extinct during the first decade <>f the last century. Little is known
as to the life history of this animal, but it was undoubtedly nearly allied to the larger and
more handsomely marked ROAN ANTELOPE. This latter animal once had a more extensive
range than any other antelope, as it was found in almost every part of Africa south of
the Sahara, with the exception of the Congo forest region. It has now been exterminated
in tin- more southerly portions of the country, but from the Limpopo to the Upper Nile,
and thence to the Niger, it is still to be found wherever the surroundings are suitable to its
requirements.

A large bull roan antelope will stand 4 feet 9 inches at the withers. The general colour
of the body differs in individuals, even in tin- same district, varying from a very light shade
of brown to dark grey or red roan. The front and sides of the face arc jet-black in the adult
male, and dark reddish brown in the female, with two long white tufts of hair under the
eyes. The muzzle and extremity of the lower jaw are white. The hair on the under side of
the neck is long and coarse, and a stiff mane about 3 inches in length runs from behind
the ears to the withers. The ears are very long, and in the females and young males
tufted. The horns are curved backwards, and in the male are very stout and strong, attaining

THE ANTELOPES

225

a length oi' from 26 to 34 inches. In the female the horns are shorter and slighter, and
not so strongly ringed.

Roan antelope are usually met with in small herds of from six to a dozen members, and
never congregate in large numbers. 1 do not think I have ever counted as many as thirty
! ether. 1 have found them fairly common in certain districts, but nowhere very plentiful.
They frequent open plains and thinly forested country, and are never found far away from water.
Bucks often heroine savage when wounded, and will sometimes charge viciously if approached
incautiously. They can use their horns with great dexterity, and play havoc with a pack of dogs.

I In- SABL1 A.NTELOPE, though considerably smaller than the roan, is yet a handsomer
animal. In colour the adult male, when in high condition, is jet-black all over with the
exception of the white face-markings and the snow-white of the belly and insides ol the
thighs. The mane is longer and more bushy than in the roan antelope, and often hangs down
on either side over the withers. The horns, too, arc much finer, and, sweeping backwards
in a bold curve, are commonly upwards of 42 inches long, and have been known to reach
50 inches. The striking colour, large size, and horns of this creature make it one ol the
most-prized trophies of the sportsman. The skin, when prepared and laid down as a rug
in halls or dwelling-rooms, is far more handsome than that of any deer. The female of this
species is usually of a rich
red-brown in colour instead
of black as in the male.
South of the Zambesi, how-
ever,! >ld COWS become alnn 1st
absolutely black. North of
the Zambesi both male and
female sable antelopes are
dark red in colour rather
than black. The horns in
the female are slighter and
less curved than in the
male, and are also consider-
ably shorter, as a rule not

measuring over 30 inches in
length.

The range of the sable
antelope extends from the
northern districts of the
Transvaal to German East
.Africa. In the country be-
tween the Limpopo and the
Central Zambesi it used to
be a very common animal,
especially in the northern
districts of Mashonaland. It
is partial to open forests
intersected by grassy, well-
watered glades, and is never
found on open plains entirely
devoid of bush. It is usually
met with in herds of front
twelve to twenty individual-.
but I have often seen as
many as fifty, and once

SABLE ANTELOPE

A r.car ally of the Roan Antelope, from which it is broadly distinguished b\ its striking colora-
tion— black and "white

226

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by thr Duchtsi of B*dford\

ROAN ANTELOPE

In common iviti the Sable Antelope and the Oryx group, both sexes of this species carry

horns

counted between seventy and
eighty together. Howeverlarge

a herd of sable antelopes may
be, it is very exceptional to find
with it more than one fully
adult male, from which fact I
should judge that these animals
are of a very jealous and
pugnacious disposition. When
wounded and brought to bay by
dogs, a sable antelope defends
itself with the utmost fury, using
its long scimitar-shaped horns
with most wonderful quick-
ness and dexterity. If badly
wounded it will lie down, other-
wise it tights standing. Keeping
its face to some of its foes, with
a sideways twist of its head
it will transfix and throw into
the air any dog which attempts
to attack it from behind. I
have seen a wounded sable
antelope, when lying down,
drive one of its horns clean
through a large dog deep into
its own haunch, and I have

had four valuable hounds
killed and four others
grievously wounded by one
of these animals in less than
a minute. I once knew a na-
tive hunter who was stabbed
through the kidneys and
killed byasable antelope cow.
The nearest allies of the
sable and roan antelopes are
the various species of the
genus ( )rvx. In this group
are included t he W II IT E
( )RYX,which inhabits the des-
ert regions of the interior of
Northern Africa from Don-
golatoSenegal ; the BEATRIX
• IRYX of Southern Arabia;
the GEMSBUCK of South-
western Africa; the Beisa,
which is found in North-east
Africa from Suakim south-
wards to the river Tana; and

the Tufted Beisa, which is

Photo b} Norman B $mttht F.iq.]

MALE OF GRANT'S GAZELLE

Thti fire East African speacs is one of tie handsomest of its kind

THE ANTELOPES 227

very nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes south of the Tana River in
certain districts of British and German East Africa. In general appearance there is a strong
family resemblance between the different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry
horns, which are considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the
males. In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards; but in the other four species they
are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are conspicuously banded with black and white,
and the tails long, with large dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the
white and the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other t'->ree, and
the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the group, standing not
more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the largest and undoubtedly the
handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the shoulders; the horns of the females are
often upwards of 40 inches long, and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches.

In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of the arid sun-
scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of all kind of vegetation, but are
often covered with stunted bush, and carry a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx
usually run in herds of
from four or five to fifteen
or twentyi though the
beisa, the most abundant
of the group, has been
m e t with in troops
numbering 400 or 500
head. All the oryx are
shy and wary, and in the
open country they usually
frequent are difficult to
approach on foot. II
pursued on horseback,
the)' run at a steady
gallop, which they can
maintain f o r long
distances, swinging their
bushy black tails from
side to side, and holding GROUP OF BEISA ORYX

melt IleaUS 111 SUCH a This most interesting photograph, taken by Lord Delamcrc, shoivs a group of these fine antelopes on the

Way that their long East African plains

straight horns are only

sloped slightly backwards. Fleet and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of
opinion that in these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to all
other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single exception of the eland. I
have often, when mounted on a fast horse, galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on
two occasions have run antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all
species should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they arc liable to make
short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect.

Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential characteristics, yet at
once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting Addax
has been placed in a separate genus, of which it is the sole representative.

This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and varies in
general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish grey to a reddish hue. The
forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy black hair, beneath which there is a patch
of white extending across the nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tail, and legs
are white. The horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes. In the male they attain

228

THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

a length of about 28 inches in
a straight line, and about 36
inches following the spiral. In
the female they are thinner and
less spirally curved. The addax
is confined to the desert regions
of Northern Africa from Dongola
in Senegal, and the broad, rounded
hoofs, so unlike those of any
other antelope, would seem to
show that it inhabits countries
where the soil is deep, soft
sand.

Very little is known of the
life history or habits of this
antelope. It is said to associate
in pairs or small herds, and to
be entirely independent of water,
though it travels great distances
over the desert in the track of
thunder-storms for the sake of
the young herbage which grows
so quickly wherever rain falls in
It is killed in considerable numbers by the Arabs for the sake of

Phtu bj 5. G. Paint, Jtltibur*, by firmission 0/ tht Hon. Walur Rothschild

WHITE ORYX

Found in Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal

those thirsty regions.

its flesh and hide, and is either stalked or hunted on horseback, with the help of greyhounds,

by Europeans.

The last of the sub-families into which modern
naturalists have divided the antelopes of the
world comprises some of the handsomest species
of the whole group, and includes the largest of
all antelopes, the Eland, as well as such small
and beautifully marked creatures as the Harnessed
Bushbucks.

With one exception — the Nilgai — all the
members of this sub-family are denizens of the
great African Continent.

The NILGAI, or Hi i i. 1 > i I \.. is an inhabitant
of India, and is found throughout the greater
portion of the peninsula, from the base of the
Himalaya to the south of Mysore. It is an animal
of large size, standing about 4 feet 6 inches at the
shoulder. In general colour the male is of a dark
iron-grey, the female tawny fawn. White spots
on the cheeks and just above the hoofs on the fore
and hind feet are the outward signs of its affinity
to the African harnessed antelopes. The male
alone carries horns, which are nearly straight and
very small for the size of tin- animal, rarely exceed-
ing 9 inches in length.

Passing now to the Harnessed Antelopes of
Africa, our attention is lirst claimed by the BUSH-
BU< KS. Excluding the Inyala ami the Broad-

Phttt b) If. V. D.snJt] [K'£'"l

BEISA ORYX

The beisa is fund in N rti east Africa ; by some it is believed
to ka~vt suggested the original idea of the unicorn

THE ANTELOPES

229

horned Antelope, we find
several forms of the smaller
bushbucks recognised by
naturalists: viz. the HAR-
NESSED Antelope of the
forest regions of Western
Africa; the CAPE BUSHB1 CK
of South Africa; CUMMING'S
BuSHBUCKof Eastern Africa;
and the DECULA BUSHBUCK
of Abyssinia. The various
forms of bushbuck vary in
general colour from very dark
brown to various shades of
grey-brown, yellow-brown,
and rich red. In all species
the young are more or less
striped and spotted ; but
whereas in some forms the
adult animals lose theirstripes
and spots almost entirely, in
others the adults are more
richly marked than immature
specimens. For my part, I am
inclined to believe that, if
largeseries of bushbuck-skins
were collected from every
district throughout Africa, it
would be found that all the
varieties of this animal at
present accepted as distinct
species would be found to
grade into one another in
such a way that only one true
species could be recognised.

The bushbucks van- in height at the shoulder from 28 inches to 33 inches, and only the
males carry horns, which are nearly straight, with a close spiral twist, and measure in adult
animals from 10 inches to 18 inches in length.

Bushbucks are not found in open country, but live in forest or thick bush near the
bank of a river, stream, or lake, and are never met with far from water. They are very
partial to wooded ravines amongst broken, mountainous country, provided such districts are well
watered ; and are very solitary in their habits, both males and females being usually found
alone, though the latter are often accompanied by a kid or half-grown animal. They are shy
and retiring, and should be looked for between daylight and sunrise, or late in the evening, as
they are very nocturnal in their habits, and lie concealed in long grass or thick bush during the
heat of the day. Their call resembles the bark of a dog, and may often be heard at nights.

The Br< >ai i-iii iRNED ANTEL( >PE is only found in the forests of the West African coast range,
from Liberia to Gaboon. The male of this species is a very handsome animal, standing about
43 inches at the withers, and is a bright chestnut-red in general colour, with a white spinal
stripe extending from the withers to the root of the tail, and fourteen or fifteen white stripes
on the shoulders, flanks, and hindquarters. The ears are large and rounded, and the horns very
massive, and about 30 inches in length, measured over the single spiral twist. There are two or

Photo by S. G. I

.-/>.* &Mr/, by ptrmission of tht Hon. If'alltr Rothschild

GEKENUK

A gazelle-like antelope 'with long neck and lcgst inhabiting North-east Africa

230

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Pktti 4. IVi ? V n] [Netting Hill

FEMALE NILGAI

The largest of the antelopes of India, and a distant cousin of the Kudu

horns, which are only present in the male,
attain a length of about 2 feet in a straight
line, and 30 inches along their spiral curve.
The standing height at the shoulder of males
of this species is about 42 inches.

This most beautiful antelope has a very
restricted range, being only found in a narrow
belt of coastland extending from St. Lucia Bay
to the Sabi River, in South-east Africa, and in
a still smaller area in the neighbourhood of the
Upper Shiri River, in British Central Africa.

Before the acquisition of firearms by the
natives in South-east Africa, the inyala was very
plentiful in Northern Zululand and Amatonga-
land, and was then to be met with in herds of
from ten to twenty individuals; whilst the males,
which at certain seasons of the year separated
from the females, were in the habit of consorting
together in bands of from five to eight. Constant
persecution by the natives in Amatongaland and
the countries farther north very much reduced
the numbers of inyalas in those districts a long
time ago; but in Zululand, where this animal
has hem strictly protected by the British
authorities for the last twenty years, it was still
plentiful u; 1 to 1896, when the rinderpest swept
over the country, and committed such sad

three large white spots on the cheeks, and a
broad white arrow-shaped mark across thenose
below the eyes. The female is similar in
ci >1< iratii into the male, but smaller and hornless.

Little or nothing is known as to the
habits of this very beautiful antelope. Du
Chaillu, who met with it in the interior of
Gaboon between 1S56 and 1S59, says that it
is " very shy, swift of foot, and exceedingly
graceful in its motions"; but he does not
tell us whether it lives in pairs like the
bushbucks, or in small herds like some of its
other near allies.

The INYALA is another bush-loving ante-
In) >e closely allied to the bushbucks. In this
species the general colour of the adult male
is a deep dark grey, that of the female and
young male bright yellow-red, and both sexes
are beautifull}' striped with narrow white
bands on the body and haunches. In the
male long dark hair hangs from the throat,
chest, and each side of the belly, and fringes
the front of the thigh almost to the hock,
and the back of it up to the root of the
tail. The ears are large and rounded ; and the

[Rotting Hit'

A D D A X

Unfortunately, the specifier from which t/tti photograph ivas tancn
had lost its splendid spira/ horns

FEMALE KUDU.

Kudu is f the handsomest of the African Antelopes, tl kscrew-like horns of thi

forming some of the most striking of all sporting

THE ANTELOPES

231

ravages amongst all the tragelaphine antelopes that it is to be feared the inyala can now no
longer be found anywhere in any considerable numbers. Where I met with these antelopes
some years ago, in the country to the south of Delagoa Bay, I found them living either alone
or in pairs like bushbucks. They frequented dense thickets in the immediate neighbourhood
of a river or lagoon, and I never saw one in anything like open country or far away from
water. Their tracks showed me that at night they were accustomed to teed in open spaces in
the bush, but they always retired to the jungle again at daylight, as they had become very
wary and cunning through constant persecution at the hands of the natiyes.

Closely allied to the hush-antelopes of the present group are the swamp-haunting
Sn a 1 1 NGAS. Three species of these have been described, — one from East Africa, named after
Captain Speke ; another from tropical West Africa; and a third from Lake Ngami and the
Chobi River, named after the present writer.

There' is very little difference between the adult males of these three species, except that
in the West African form the coat is of a darker colour than in the other two. The main
difference consists in the fact that,
whereas die female of Selous' sitatunga
is light brown in colour like the male,
and tin- newly born young are very
dark blackish brown (the colour of a
mole), beautifully striped and spotted
with pale yellow, the female and young
of the other two forms are red in
ground-colour, witli white spots and
stripes. However, personally I am of
opinion that there is only one true
species of sitatunga in all Africa,
and that the differences between the
various forms are superficial, and
would be found to grade one into the
other, if a sufficiently large series of
skins of all ages and both sexes could
be gathered together from all parts
of the continent. In the Barotse
Valley, on the Upper Zambesi, my
friend Major R. T. Coryndon informs
me that both red and brown female
sitatungas arc met with. On the
Lower Chobi and Lake Ngami region
the females are never red, but always of the same brown colour as the males, whilst on the
Congo all the females are red.

The male sitatunga stands about 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder, and varies in general
colour in different localities from light to dark brown. The adult females are either red with
a few faint stripes and spots, or light brown, only retaining very faint traces of any stripes or
spots. The young are, both in tropical West and Central Last Africa, red, striped, and spotted
with white; but in South-west Africa dark blackish brown, with spots and stripes of yellowish
white. The hoofs are excessively long, and the skin which covers the back of the pastern is
hairless, and of a very thick and horny consistency. The males alone carry horns, which are of
the same character as in the inyala, but more spiral and longer, having been known to attain
a length of 28 inches in a straight line and 35 inches over the curve.

The sitatunga is an inhabitant of the extensive swamps which exist in many parts of the
interior of Africa. It may be said to live in the water, as it passes its life in flooded beds of
reeds and papyrus, into the muddy bottoms of which its long hoofs, when splayed out, prevent

ehclsi; Mr. W. Rati] [rhiladllfhla

A PAIR OF YOUNG PRONGBUCKS

From the fact that the horns of the malei are annually shed, the prongbuck is
assigned to a group apart from the Antelopes

232 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

it from sinking.
When forced out into
dry ground by heavy
floods, the formation
of its feet so hinders
it in running that it
can be overtaken and
speared by a native
on foot. I was
informed by the
natives on the Chobi
River that, when the
floods enabled them
to paddle their cam les
throughthereed-beds,
tluy often killed con-
siderable numbers of
the sitatungas. These
animals, they said,
when they saw a canoe
approaching, would
often not attempt to

seek safety by flight, but would sink down in the water, submerging their whole bodies, and

leaving only their nostrils above the surface, and in this position were easily speared.

The sitatunga is not gregarious, but is met with singly or in pairs. The hair is long,

but soft and silky; and the skins are much sought after by the natives for blankets.

In addition to the bushbucks and sitatungas, two more very notable spiral-horned African

antelopes remain to be mentioned — namely, the Greater KUDU and the LESSER KUDU.

The GREATER KUDU is one of the most magnificent-looking of the whole family of antelopes,

and is an animal of

large size, an adult

male standing 4 feet

9 inches and upwards

Photo £, thl butnilitf BtJforS

FEMALE GORAL

The goral is a Himalayan antelope, ivith some-chat the habits of a chamois

at the withers. The
general colour of this
species is light brown
to dark grey, the old
males looking much
darker than females
or younger animals,
because the scanti-
ness of their coats
showsthe dark colour
of the skin beneath.
( >n each side of the
body and hind-
quarters there are
several white stripes,
which vary in number
from four to eight or
nine. As in all this
group of antelopes,

Photo h II'. P. DanJo

l*'f"

HARNESSED ANTELOPE

A very beautiful species, in ivhich the ground-colour of the coat is a rich chestnut, white the spots an J str :ptr

are pure white

THE ANTELOPES

233

tin-re are two or three cheek-spots, as well as an arrow-shaped white mark across the nose,
below the eyes. In the male there is a slight mane on the back of the neck, and a fringe
of long white and blackish-brown hair intermixed, extending from the throat to the chest. The
ears are very large and rounded, and the male is adorned with magnificent spiral hums, which
have been known to attain a length of 4N inches in a straight line from base to tip, and
64 inches over the curve.

The greater kudu once had a very wide range, which extended from the central portions
of the Cape Colony to Angola on the west, and on the east throughout East Africa up to
Abyssinia; but, with the single exception of the buffalo, no species of wild animal suffered
more from the terrible scourge of rinderpest which recently swept over the continent than
this lordly antelope, and it has almost ceased to exist in many districts of South and South
Centra] Africa, where up to 1S96 it was still very numerous.

The greater kudu is a bush-loving antelope, and very partial to wooded hills, though it is
also plentiful in the neighbourhood of rivers which flow through level tracts of country covered
with forest anil bush. In my own experience it is newer found at any great distance from
water. It eats leaves and wild fruits as well as grass, and lives in small herds or families,
never, 1 believe, congregating in large numbers. In Southern Africa, at any rate, it was always
exceptional to see more than twenty greater kudus together, and I have newer seen more than
thirty. At certain seasons of the year the males leave the females, and live alone or several
together. I once saw nine magnificently horned kudus standing on the bank of the Chobi, and
I have often seen four or five males

of this species consorting together.

As a rule the greater kudu is met
with in hill}- country or in bush so
dense that a horse cannot gallop
through it at full speed; but if met
with in open ground, a good horse
can overtake an old male without
much difficulty. The females are
much lighter and faster and cannot
be overtaken in any kind of ground.

The greater kudu is one of the
mi 1st timid and inoffensive of animals,
and when attacked by dogs will not
make the slightest attempt to defend
itself either with its horns or by
kicking.

The LESSER KUDU in general
colour nearly resembles its larger
relative, but is much smaller, the
males only standing about 40 inches
at the withers, and it lacks the long
fringe of hair under the throat.
The white stripes on the body ami
hindquarters are, however, more
numerous — from eleven to fourteen ;
and the horns, which are only present
in the males, are less divergent, and
with the spiral curvature much closer
than in the greater kudu.

The lesser kudu is an inhab-
itant of Somaliland and the maritime

■

4 .."

MALE KUDU

A kudu bull stands about 5 feet or a little more at the withers, being in si-ze or.iy
inferior to the eland. The horns form a corkscrew-like spiral

2 34 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

districts of British East Africa. It frequents thick scrubby jungle, and is said to be exceedingly
watchful and wary. It lives either in pairs or in small families, but never congregates in large
herds. Like all the tragelaphine antelopes, this species is a leaf-eater, and feeds principally
during the night, lying up in thick bush during the heat of the day.

There remains to be mentioned but one other group of antelopes, the ELANDS, large,
heavily built animals, which belong to the present group, but differ from all species of kudu,
sitatunga, and bushbuck, inasmuch as both sexes are horned. There art- two forms of the
G 'MM' 'X ELAND — namely, the grey variety of South-western Africa, and the striped animal, which
is found in the countries farther north and east. The two forms grade one into the other,
and are absolutely identical in their habits and mode of life, the differences between them
being merely superficial. To the south of the twenty-third parallel of south latitude all elands
are of a uniform fawn colour, except the old animals, which look dark grey, from the fact that

the scantiness of their coats allows the
dark colour of the skin to show through
the hair. Old males, when standing in
the shade of a tree, appear to be of a
deep blue-grey in colour, and are known
to the colonists of South Africa as " blue
bulls." In Rhodesia, South-east Africa,
and the countries to the north of the
Zambesi, all the elands are bright
chestnut-red when young, with a black
line down the centre of the back from
the withers to the tail, broad black
patches on the backs of the fore legs above
the knees, and eight or nine white stripes
on each side. When they grow old, the
ruddiness of the ground-colour gradually
fades, the black markings on the fore legs
die out, and the white stripes become
indistinguishable at a short distance, the
old bulls looking deep blue grey in
general colour. Every intermediate stage
of colouring between the unstriped and
the highly coloured forms of eland is to
be found in the district lying between
the central portions of the Kalahari
Desert and the Zambesi River. Old male
elands south of the Zambesi develop a
growth of long, bristly black hair on the
forehead, which often hangs over their eyes and extends half-way down their noses. North of
the Zambesi this growth of hair is not nearly so luxuriant.

I have carefully measured the standing height at the withers of many old male elands in
the interior of South Africa, and found that it varied from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches.
The horns of bulls in their prime measure from 26 inches to 33 inches in length, but old
bulls wear their horns down very much. The cows carry longer, though thinner horns than
thi bulls.

The range of the eland once extended from Cape Agulhas to the White Nile, but it has
become extinct in many districts of Southern Africa, and in almost every other portion of its
range has, like all other tragelaphine antelopes, suite red so cruelly from the recent visitation
of rinderpest that it has now become a scarce animal all over Africa.

During the rainy season elands are usually met with in small herds of from four or five

Fhm h; J. W. McUV.a

I . LAND

si feature of the eland is the large *' dk wlap.

are >■

Unlike the kuduf both sexes

m-M

Phot* b) tht Duchtsi efBtdford]

[Unburn Abbtj

ELAND COWS

Female elands carry longer, although more slender horns than the hulls

235

236 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

to ten individuals; but towards the end of the dry season they collect into large herds,
and at such times I have often seen from fifty to over two hundred of these animals in
one troop.

In my experience elands live for two-thirds of the year in forest or bush-covered country,
or amongst rugged hills; and in such localities they are difficult to overtake on horseback;
but in the middle of the dry season, as soon as they smell the smoke of the grass fires lighted
by the natives on the open plateaux, they leave their retreats, and, collecting in herds, wander
out on to the treeless plains in search of young grass. They then fall an easy prey to a
mounted hunter, especially the heavy old bulls, which can be run to a standstill with ease by
a very moderate horse.

The flesh of the eland is excellent when the animal is in good condition, as at such a
time these animals become very fat, especially the old bulls, whose hearts become encased in
a mass of fat which will often weigh 20 lbs. It is a mistake, however, to think that
eland-meat is always good; for towards the end of the dry season, when there is little grass
to be got, they feed extensively on the leaves of certain bushes, and their meat at such times
becomes very poor and tasteless.

Besides the common eland of Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa, another distinct
species is met with in Senegal and the Gambia Colony. This is the DERBIAN ELAND, about
which animal our knowledge is still very slight, as I believe that it has never yet been shot
nor its habits studied by a European traveler. A good many skulls and horns and a few skins
have been obtained from natives, from which it appears that in general colour this species is
of a rich reddish-fawn colour, becoming nearly white below, the middle of the belly being,
black. The neck is covered with long hair of a dark brown or black colour, blacker towards
the shoulder than in front. A broad black stripe extends all down the centre of the back
from the neck to the root of the tail, and there are large black patches on the backs and

inner sides of the
fore legs above the
knees. On each
side of the body
a n d haunches
there are thirteen
or fourteen narrow
white stripes. The
horns are larger
and more massive
and divergent than
in the common
viand.

The Derbian
eland is said to be
a forest - losing
animal, never of its
own accord coming
out into the plains.
It lives in small
herds, is very shy
and not at all
ab u n d an t, a nd
browses on the
leaves and young
~li- >• >is of various
trees and bushes.

Pholt hf If . P. Danjo]

BULL ELAND

The flesh of the eland is of better flavour than that cf most other large game. If sheltered in -winter, the

species will thrive in English parks

PhM by IV. r. Cind.J

THE SOUTHERN GIRAFFE

The .attest mammal ei'cr ktiotvn to walk the earth
237

CHAP T E R X V I
THE GIRAFFE AND OKAP,

THE GIRAFFE

BV 11. A. BRYDEN

SOUTHERN GIRAFFE LYING DOWN

This giraffe tvas <i present to S%uecn Victoria; it only lii-ed fourteen
days after its arrival

IRAFFES, which arc found only in the
continent of Africa, arc the tallest of
all living creatures. They belong to
the Ruminants, or Cud-chewers, and naturalists
air inclined to place them somewhere between
the Deer Family and the Hollow-horned
Ruminants, in which latter arc t< > be found
oxen, buffaloes, and antelopes. Rutimeyer, tin-
Swiss naturalist, once defined them as " a most
fantastic form of deer," which is, perhaps, as
i^ood a definition of them as one is likely
to hit upon. Fossil discoveries show that, in
ages Ioiil,' remote, great giraffe-like creatures,
some of them bearing horns or antlers, roamed
widely in the south of Europe, Persia, India
and even China.

( )f living giraffes, two species have thus
far been identified, — the SOUTHERN or CAPE
Giraffe, with a range extending from Bechua-
naland and the Transvaal to British East
Africa and the Soudan; and the NUBIAN or

Northern Giraffe, found chiefly in East
Africa, Somaliland, and the country between
Abyssinia and the Nile. The southern giraffe,
which, from its recent appearance in the Gar-
dens of the Zoological Society, is now the more
familiar of the two animals, has a creamy or
yellowish-white ground-colour, marked by
s of different ages, from lemon-fawn t<> orange-
( >ld bulls and occasionally old cows

irregular blotches, which vary in colour, in anima
tawny, and in older specimens to a very dark chestnut
gr< >w extremely dark w ith age, .uu\ at a distance appear almost black upon the back and shoulders.
The northern giraffe is widely different, the coloration being usually a rich red-chestnut,
darker with age, separated by a line network of white lines, symmetrically arranged in
polygonal patterns. At no great distance this giraffe, instead of having the blotch)' or dappled
appearance of the southern giraffe, looks almost entirely chestnut in colour. Again, tin'
southern giraffe has only two horns, while the northern species usually develops a third,
growing from the centre of the forehead. These horns, which are covered with hair in both
, and tufted black at the tips, arc, in the youthful days of the animal, actually
-< parable from the bones of the head. As the animal arrives at maturity, they become firmly

238

THF, GIRAFFE AND OKA PI

239

united to the skull. A third race or sub-species of giraffe has been identified in Western
Africa mainly from the skull and cannon-bones of a specimen shot in 1897 at the junction of
the Binue and Niger Rivers; but very little is known about this form. Other varieties or
sub-species may yet be discovered in other parts of the Dark Continent. It is lacking in the
giraffe's long neck.

The towering height of the giraffe is entirely attributable to the great length of the neck
and limbs. A full-grown bull giraffe will certainly measure occasionally as much as 19 feet in
height. I measured very carefully a specimen shot by my hunting friend, Mr. W. Dove, in the
forests of the North Kalahari, South Africa, which taped 18 feet I I ! inches. A fine cow, shot
by myself in the same country, measured 16 feet 10 inches, and there is no reason to suppose
that cow giraffes do not easily reach fully 17 feet in height. These animals feed almost
entirely upon the leaves of acacia-trees, the foliage of the kameel-doom, or giraffe-acacia,
affording their most favourite food-supply. It is a most beautiful spectacle to see, as I have
seen, a large troop of these dappled giants — creatures which, somehow, viewed in the wild state,
always seem to me to belong to another epoch — quietly browsing, with upstretched necks and
delicate heads, among the branches of the spreading mokala, as the Bechuanas call this tree.

The giraffe's upper lip is long and prehensile, and covered, no doubt as a protection
against thorns, with a thick velvety coating of short hair. The tongue is long— some 18 inches
in length — and is employed for plucking down the tender leafage on which the giraffe feeds.
The eyes of the giraffe are most beautiful — dark brown, shaded by long lashes, and peculiarly
tender and melting in expression. Singularly enough, the animal is absolutely mute, and never,
even in its death-agonies, utters a sound. The hoofs are large, elongate, nearly \2 inches in
length in the case of old bulls, and look like those of gigantic cattle. There are no false
hoofs, and the fetlock is round and smooth. The skin of a full-grown giraffe is extraordinarily
tough and solid, attaining in tin- cast' of old males as much as an inch in thickness. From
these animals most of the sjamboks, or colonial whips, in use all over South Africa, are now
made; and it is a miserable fact to record that giraffes are now slaughtered by- native and
Boer hunters almost solely for the value of the hide, which is worth from i,j to ^.5 in the
case of full-grown beasts. So perishes the
giraffe from South Africa.

Giraffes live mainly in forest country, or
country partially open and partially clothed with
thin, park-like stretches of low acacia-trees.
When pursued, they betake themselves to the
densest part of the bush and timber, and, their
thick hides being absolutely impervious to the
frightful thorns with which all African jungle
and forest seem to be provided, burst through
every bushy obstacle with the greatest ease.
They steer also in the most wonderful manner
through the timber, ducking branches and
evading tree-boles with marvellous facility. I
shall never forget seeing my hunting comrade
after his first chase in thick bush. We had
ridden, as we always rode hunting, in our flannel
shirts, coatlcss Attracted by his firing, I came
up with my friend, who was sitting on the
body of a huge old bull giraffe, which had
fallen dead in a grassv clearing. He was looking

, . . 1-11 fh.n h, W. P. Dandi] IRift ■'■■■■

ruefully at the remains of his shirt, which hung MAL£ sQU rHERN GIRAFFE

about him, literally in rags and ribbons. Blood ^ ^^ o/MeK amWj harmoniia cxacll? with tht ^ ana
was streaming from innumerable wounds upon light splashes of their surrounding

240 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Pha: ■■ .1- !. Ku Hand SC S»nj

A GIRAFFE GRAZING
Grazing is evidently not the natural mode of feeding of these animalst which are essentially

browsers

his chest, neck, and arms.
Alwaysafterthatwedonnedcord

. i '.it 5, W hen running gh
in bush and forest country.

In regions where' they
have been little disturbed,
giraffes no doubt wander across
i ipen plains, and are to be seen
well away from the denser
forests, feedingamong scattered
islets of acacias, easily exposed
to the human eye. But in
South Africa the}' are now
seldom to be met with out of
the forest region. Once, and
once only, have I seen giraffes
in the open. This was on the
outskirts of the forest, and
the great creatures had been
tempted to a little knoll of
mokala trees, rising like an
islet from the sea of grass.
One's first impression of these creatures in the wild state is very deceptive. 1 well
remember first setting eyes upon a troop of five or six. As they swung away from the leafage
on which they were feeding, my friend and I cantered easily, thinking that we should soon
come up with them. We were completely deceived. With those immense legs of theirs, the
great creatures, going with their easy, shuffling, but marvellously swift walk, were simply
striding away from us. Discovering our mistake, we rode hard, and the giraffes then broke into
their strange, rocking gallop, and a headlong, desperate chase began, to be terminated by the
death of a fine cow. Like the camel, the giraffe progresses by moving the two legs upon
cither side of the body simultaneously. At this strange, rocking gallop these animals move at
a great pace, and a good Cape horse is needed to run into them. By far the best plan, if you
are bent on shooting these animals, is to press your pony, so soon as you sight giraffes, to the
top of its speed, and force the game beyond its natural paces in one desperate gallop of a
couple of miles or so. If well mounted, your nag will take you right up to the heels of the
tall beasts, and, firing from the saddle, you can, without great difficult}', bring down the game.
The giraffe, unlike the antelopes of Africa, is not very tenacious of life, and a bullet planted
n the root of tin: tail will, penetrating the short body, pierce a vital spot, and bring

down the tall beast crashing to earth. Having tasted the delights of fox-hunting and many
other forms of sport, I can testify that the run up to a good troop of giraffes is one
of the most thrilling and exciting of all human experiences. There is nothing else quite
like it in the wide range of sporting emotions. Having enjoyed this thrilling pleasure a few
times, however, the humane hunter will stay his hand, and shoot only when meat, or perhaps
an exceptionally line specimen, is absolutely needed. Giraffes are, of course, utterly defenceless,
and, save for their shy, wary habits and remote, waterless habitat, have nothing to shield
them from the mounted hunter.

Giraffe-hunting on foot is a very different matter. In that case the giraffe has the better

of it, and the stalker is placed at great disadvantage. These animals are in many places

found in extremely waterless country, where even the mounted hunter has much trouble to

i them. Like elands and gemsbok and other desert-loving antelopes, they can exist for

periods — months together- without drinking. In the northern portions of the Kalahari

Desert, where I have carefully observed their habits, as well as hunted them, it is an undoubted

NORTHERN GIRAFFE.

Two distinct types of Gira isl ; the northern form, which lias a large third hom, ma; as a

■ loured animal marked with a network of tine buff lit: outhern form, in n

the third horn is small, is i ri loured with irregular brown blotches

THE GIRAFFE AND OK API

241

fact that giraffes never touch water during the whole of the dry winter season — for several
months on end. Gemsbok and elands in the same waterless tract of country are complete
abstainers for the same period. The flesh of a giraffe cow, if fairly young, is excellent tender
and well tasted, with a flavour of game-like veal. The marrow-bones also, roasted over a gentle
wood fire, and sawn in half, afford delicious eating, quite one of the supreme delicacies of the
African wilderness.

THE OKAPI

BY SIR HARRV JOHNSTON, K.C.1

F.Z.S.

READERS of "The Living Animals of the World" are in all probability readers of
newspapers, and it would therefore be affectation on the part of the writer of these lines
to assume that they have not heard more or less of the discovery which lie was
privileged to make of an entirely new ruminant
of large size, dwelling in the forests bordering
the Semliki River, in Central Africa, on the border-
land between the Uganda Protectorate and the
Congo Free State. The history of this discovery,
stated briefly, is as follows: — In 1882-83 I w'|s
the guest of Mr. mow Sir Henry) Stanley on the
River Congo at Stanley Pool. I was visiting the Congo
at that time as an explorer in a very small way and
a naturalist. Mr. Stanley, conversing with me on the
possibility of African discoveries, told me then that he
believed that all that was most wonderful in tropical
Africa would be found to be concentrated in the
region of the Blue Mountains, south of the Albert
Nyan/.a. This feeling on Stanley's part doubtless was
one of the reasons which urged him to go to the
relief of Emin Pasha. His journey through the great
Congo Forest towards the Blue Mountains of the
Albert Nyanza resulted in his discovery of the
greatest snow mountain-range of Africa, Ruwenzori,
and the river Semliki, which is the Upper Albeitine
Nile; of Lake Albert Edward, from which it flows
round the flanks of Ruwenzori ; and, amongst other
things, in more detailed information regarding the
dwarf races of the Northern Congo forests than we
had yet received. Stanley also was the first to draw

the attention of the world to the dense and awful character of these mighty woods, and to
hint at the mysteries and wonders in natural history which they possibly contained. The
stress and trouble of his expedition prevented him and his companion, from bestowing much
attention on natural history; moreover, in these forests it is extremely difficult for persons
who are passing hurriedly through the tangle to come into actual contact with the beasts that
inhabit them. Sir Henry Stanley, discussing this subject with me since my return from
Uganda, tells me that he believes that the okapi is only one amongst several strange new
beasts which will be eventually discovered in these remarkable forests. He describes having seen
a creature like a gigantic pig 6 feet in length, and certain antelopes unlike any known type.
In regard to the okapi, the only hint of its existence which he obtained was the announcement
that the dwarfs knew of the existence of a creature in their forests which greatly resembled
an ass in appearance, and which the}- caught in pits. This tiny sentence in an appendix to
his book " In Darkest Africa " attracted my attention some time before I went to Uganda.
It seemed to me so extraordinary that any creature like a horse should inhabit a dense

Phut 4; Charla Kn^ht']

A GIRAFFE BROWSING

Here the posture is seen to be thcroughly nature.

242 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

forest, that I determined, if ever fate should lead me in that direction, I would make
enquiries.

Soon after reaching the Uganda Protectorate at the end of 1899, I came in contact with
a large party of dwarfs who had been kidnapped by a too enterprising German impresario, who
had decided to show them at the Paris Exhibition. As the Belgians objected to this procedure,
I released the dwarfs from their kidnapper, and retained them with me for some months in
Uganda, until 1 was able personalis- to escort them back to their homes in the Congo Forest.
t had other reasons connected with my Government business for visiting the north-western
part of the Congo Free State. As soon as I could make the dwarfs understand me by means of
.111 interpreter, 1 questioned them regarding the existence of this horse-like creature in their
forests. They at once understood what I meant; and pointing to a zebra-skin and a live mule,
they informed me that the creature in question, which was called OKAPI, was like a mule with

zebra stripes on it. When I reached Fort
Mbeni, in the Congo Free State, on the west
bank of the river Semliki, I put questions
to the Belgian officers stationed there.
They all knew the okapi, at any rate, when
dead. As a living animal they had none
of them seen it, but their native soldiers
were in the habit of hunting the animal
in the forest and killing it with spears,
and then bringing in the skin and the
flesh for use in the fort. One of the
officers declared there was even then a
freshly obtained skin lying about in the
precincts of the fort. On searching for
this, however, it was discovered that the
greater part of it had been thrown away,
only the gaudier portions having been cut
into strips by the soldiers to be made into
bandoliers. These strips, together with
similar ones obtained from natives in the
forest, I sent to England, to Dr. P. L.
Sclater, for his consideration. Furnished
by the Belgian officers with guides, and
taking with me all the dwarfs whom
I had brought from Uganda, I entered
the forest, and remained there for some
days searching for the okapi. All this
time I was convinced that I was on the track of a species of horse: and therefore when the
natives showed the tracks of a cloven-footed animal like the eland, and told us these were
the foot-prints of the okapi, I disbelieved them, and imagined that we were merely following
a forest eland. We never saw the okapi; and as the life in the forest made the whole expedition
extremely ill, and my time was required for official work elsewhere, I was obliged to give up
this search. Meantime, I had elicited from the natives, whom I questioned closely, that the
okapi was a creature without horns or any means of offence, the size of a large antelope or
mule, which inhabited only the densest part- of the forest, and generally went about in pairs,
male and female It lived chiefly on leaves. The Belgian officers, seeing that I was disappointed
at not obtaining a complete skin, offered to use their best efforts to obtain one for me, and
send it on to Uganda after my departure.

This promise was eventually redeemed by Mr. Karl Eriksson, a Swedish officer in the
B an service. Mr. Eriksson sent me a complete skin and two skulls. The skin and the

., r.rt s- 5.,] [Wirt.

MALE AND FEMALE GIRAFFES

Giraffes are said to be very affectionate animals

243

244 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

bigger of the two skulls belonged to a young male. This is the skin which is now set up
in the Natural History Museum .it South Kensington, and of which a photographic illustration
accompanies this notice. Upon receiving this skin, I saw at once what the okapi was — namely,
a close relation of the giraffe, from the very small development of the horn-bosses, I believed
that it was nearer ailied to the helladotherium than to the living giraffe. In forwarding
tli>' specimens to Professor Ray Lankester, I therefore proposed that it should be called
Helladotherium tigrinum. Professor Ray Lankester, having examined the specimens with a
greater knowledge than I possessed, decided that the animal was rather more closely allied to
the giraffe than to the helladotherium, but that it possessed sufficient peculiarities of its own
to oblige him to create for its reception a new genus, which he proposed to call Ocapia.

Meantime, the original strips of the skin (which apparently belonged to an older and

larger animal than the
S] lecimen mounted at
South Kensington)
had been pronounced
by experts to whom
they were submitted
to be the skin of an
undiscovered species
of horse, and this
supposed new horse
had been tentatively
named by Dr. 1'. L.
Sclater Equus john-
stoni. The full dis-
covery obliged
Professor Ray Lan-
kester to set aside
any idea of the okapi
being allied to the
horse, but he was
id enough to attach
Mr. Sclater's specific
name of johiistoni to
his newly founded
genus of Ocapia.
I'p to the time of writing this is all that is known of this extraordinary survival in the
Congo Forest of the only living relation of the giraffe. We know by palaeontologisal discoveries
in Europe and in Asia that there existed a large family of ruminants which in their develop-
ment .md features were neither of the Ox group nor of the Deer, but in some respects
occupied a position midway between these two branches of cloven-hoofed, horned, ruminating
Ungulates. To this family the Giraffe, the Okapi, the Helladotherium, the Samotherium, the
Sivathcrium, and the Bramatherium belong. In all probability bony projections arose from the
skulls o| these creatures similar in some measure to the prominent bony cores of the horns of
oxen, from the top, however, of these bony cores there would seem to have arisen anciently
antler-, possibly deciduous like those of the prongbuck. In time creatures like the giraffe
lost any need for such weapons of offence, and ceased to grow antlers; but the bony cores
from which these antlers once proceeded still remained, and in the case of the giraffe remain
to the present day. In the helladotherium and in the okapi these bony cores have dwindled
to mere bumps.

HEAD OF OKAPI

Thi i 1 rm u ; l f the ears is very noteworthy

C H A P T E R X V I I

THE DEER TRIBE

BY II. A. Bkl Hi N

EER represent as a family the non-domesticated class of ruminants. Generally speaking,
the males are distinguished by antlers, which are shed periodically, usually once a year,
and again renewed. Comprising as it docs some of the noblest mammals to be found
on the face of the earth, this large and important tribe is to be found distributed over a large
portion of the world's surface, from the .Arctic North, the home of the wild reindeer, to
Patagonia, in Southern Smith America. Deer arc, however, not found in the continent of
Africa south of the Sahara, nor in Madagascar or Australia. They are not indigenous to New
Zealand; but the red deer, introduced there some years ago for purposes of sport, have thriven
wonderfully well, and are now completely acclimatised.

From the earliest times deer, especially those species known as the true or typical deer,
of which red deer may be said to be a type, have been animals of considerable importance
to mankind. Their flesh has been always eagerly sought after; deer-skin is still, even in
these days of high civilisation,
useful for many purposes; and
the antlers are almost equally
in request.

It is mure than probable
that, in the vast and still little-
explored regions of Central,
East, and Northern Asia, new
species of deer remain to be
discovered. At the present time
there are known to exist, in
various parts of the world, close
on a hundred species and varieties.
Within the space allotted to
these animals it is, of course,
manifestly impossible to notice
all these in anything like detail.
Main of the varieties or sub-
species closely resemble one
another, so much so that the
differences between them are only
apparent to the eyes of naturalists
or acute observers.

The Reindeer

Reindeer are distinguished
from all other kinds of deer by
the fact that antlers are borne
bv both males and females. The

[Dundee

Phcte h Valentine £r Sen,, Ltd."]

SCANDINAVIAN REINDEER

The spreading hoofs enable the reindeer to traverse snow and stuamfs ■without sinking

^45

246 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

antlers, as may be seen by the illustration, differ materially from those of the red deer, el.
and other species; the brow-tines, especially, are often much palmated. These animals are
heavily built, short-legged, and, as hc-irnb dwellers in .1 snowy habitat, provided with round,
short, and spreading hoofs. For ages reindeer have been domesticated by the Lapps of
Scandinavia, the Samoyeds, and other primitive races of Northern Europe and Asia. Trained
to harness, and drawing a sledge, they traverse long distances, while their milk, flesh, and

hides are of great
importance to the
people who keep

them. The Common
or So ax n 1 \ w ian

Reindeer ranges
fn >m Norway through
Northern Europe
into Asia, though
how far eastward is
not yet accurately
determined. It is
interesting to note
that these animals
were once denizens
of Britain, and so
lately as the twelfth
century the Jails of
Orkney are believed
to have been in the
habit of crossing to
the mainland for the
purpose of hunting
them in the wilds of
Caithness, Wild
reindeer are still to
be found in the
remoter parts of
Norway, though,
from much persecution, they are becoming comparatively scarce in most parts of the country.

Mr. Abel Chapman, in his " Wild Norway," gives some excellent accounts of sport with
these fine deer. Speaking of a good herd of twenty-one, discovered in Ryfylke, he says:
" Most of the deer were lying down, but both the big stags stood upright in dreamy, inert
postures. ... I now fully realised what a truly magnificent animal I had before me. Moth in
bode and horn he was a giant, and his coat was no less remark-able; the neck was pure white,
and beneath it a shaggy mane hung down a foot in length. This white neck was set off by
tin- dark head in front and the rich glossy brown of his robe behind. Besides this the
contrasting black and white bars on flanks and stern were conspicuously clean-cut and defined,
and tin: long and massive antlers showed a splendid recurved sweep, surmounted by branch-like
tines, all clean." For three long, agonising hours the stalker watched this noble prize, and then
one ol those lucky chances which occasionally gladden the hunter's heart occurred, and the
reindeer approached within a hundred yards. " Half-a-dozen forward steps, and hi- white neck
and dark shoulder were beautifully exposed. Already, ere his head had appeared, the rifle had
been shifted over, and now the foresight dwelt lovingly on a thrice-refined aim. The 450 bullet
struck to an inch, just where the shaggy mane joined the brown shoulder.

PARK RED DEER

The t\J>ical representative of the entire Deer Tribe

THE DEER TRIBE

2\1

The Red I >i i i;
Mr. J. G. Mill. iw. author of " British Deer and their Horns" and other works himself a
first-rate sportsman in many parts of the world, compares the style of shooting red deer in
vogue forty or fifty years ago with that obtaining in the Highlands at the present day. "A
stalker in Black .Mount, Argyllshire," he says, "told me of a typical day's sport in which he
took part some forty years ago. Fox Maule and Sir Edwin Landseer were the two rifles (they
frequently stalked in pairs at that time), and, on the side of Clashven, Peter Robertson, the
head forester, brought them within eighty yards of two exceptionally fine stags Maule fired and
missed, as did also Sir Edwin as the stags moved away; then, on a signal from Robertson,

Peter McColl, the gillie, slipped the hounds
the two best ever owned by the late Marquis of
Breadalbane, and whose portraits are still pre-
served in the famous picture of ' The Deer
Drive ' - and away they went in hot pursuit
of the deer. An end-on chase now ensued,
the line taken being due east down the great
glen towards Loch Dochart, and at last the
stalkers were brought to a standstill, being
fairly exhausted both in wind and limb. At
this moment, however, four dark spots, like
small rocks, standing out at the point of a
little promontory in the lake, attracted their
attention, and, on drawing nearer, the}* saw, to
their surprise, each of the big stags being
held at bay by a gallant hound. A couple of
shots then settled the business, and so ended
what was then considered a grand day's sport.
No doubt it was most exciting to see the
struggle of bone and sinew between two such
noble quadrupeds, but it was not rifle-shooting.
To-day the gallant but disturbing deer-hound
has given place to the cunning and obedient
collie, and the success of the stalker depends,
for the most part, on the accuracy of his rifle
and his skill in using it."

Here are a couple of sketches of modern
stalking taken from Mr. Millais' own diary: —
" Wednesday, October \th. — Started for
the big corrie with McColl, and saw nothing
till we got to the Eagle Hill. On this were
three stags and about twenty hinds, the property of a magnificent fellow carrying one of the
best heads I have ever seen on Black Mount. For some time McColl thought he was just
a bit too good to shoot, for the very best in this forest are generally left for stock purposes.
Finding, however, that he was not Royal [a twelve-pointer], my companion agreed to a shot —
that is, if he got within shooting distance, which was not too likely, the Eagle Hill being
one of those queer places where back eddies are carried down from almost even- ' airt ' from
which the wind is blowing. Luck is apparently entirely my way this week, so far at any rate.
The big stag was very ' kittle,' frequently roaring and keeping his hinds moving before him
along the hillside, in the direction of another corrie running at right angles, the entrance to
which, if reached, would checkmate us. A quick, stiff climb, and a dashing piece of stalking
on the part of McColl, brought us in front of the herd only just in time, for I had hardly got

Pk.u h »'. P. Dmdi]

AN ASIATIC WAPITI

All the races of the tvapit't are easily recognisable by the large fourth
tine 0/ the antlers and the short tail

248 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF T H E W ORLD

into position when the first few hinds moved past a hundred yards below us. They were very
uneasy and highly suspicious, but fortunately did not stop; and in another moment, to my joy,
the big stag came slowly behind them, and offered a fair broadside in the \m spot where I
should have wished him to stand. The bullet took him through the rihs. certainly a trifle too
far hack, hut he gave in at once, and rolled 150 yards down the hill, fortunately without hurt-
ing his horns. A really tine Highland stag in his prime; weight, (6 stone _• lbs., with a good
wild head of ten points, and good cups on the to])."

"Thursday, October 5//;. — We negotiated the stiff climb, and McLeish, leaving me behind
a rock on the summit, returned some distance to signal directions to the pony-man. lie came
hack just as the stag returned roaring down the pass he had ascended ; and as the mist was
blotting out the landscape, 1 feared he would come right on to us without being seen, hut. as
luck would have it. he stopped and recommenced bellowing within seventy yards. 1 never
heard a stag make such a row, hut nothing of him could we see. It was most exciting, lying
flat on a slab of rock, hoping devoutly that the mist would rise, if only for a few seconds.
The tension had grown extreme, when there was a momentary lift in the gloom, and I made
out the dim forms of the deer just as a big hind, which 1 had not noticed, 'bruached' loudl)
within twenty yards of us. The outline of the stag was barely visible when, after carefully
aiming, I pressed the trigger, knowing that a moment later there would he no second chance.
At the shot the deer at once disappeared, but I felt sure I had hit him, and, on following the
tracks for some fifty yards, there he lay as dead as a door-nail. Weight. 13 stone 6 lbs.; a
wild head of ten points; thin, and evidently that of a deer on the decline."

In England the wild red deer are hunted with stag-hounds on Exmoor, and first-rate sporl
is obtained on the great moorlands of Somerset and Devon. During the last fifty years the
deer have much increased in numb rs, and no less than three packs — the Devon and Somer-
set, Sir John Heathcoat-Amory's, and Mr. Peter Ormrod'i — are now engaged in hunting them.
In the five years ending in 1892, 276 deer were killed by 1 1 1 Devon and Somerset hound-.

Wild deer are much given to fighting during the mating season. This is evidenced by the
number of pairs of dead deer formerly found with their antlers tightly interlocked. !
ever, deer often make playful tests of strength by pushing each other with their antler-, and
in this way also such casualties may have occurred.

The young of the red deer are in Europe usually dropped in June. The fawn is dexterously
concealed by the hind amid the heather, and is left in concealment during the day. Scrope,
a great authority on these animals, states that the hind induces her fawn to lie down by
pressure of the nose: "It will never stir or lift up its head the whole of the day, unless you
ciime right upon it, as 1 have often done; it lies like a dog, with its nose to its tail. The
hind, however, although she often separates herself from the young fawn, dots mil lose sigh) of
it- welfare, but remains at a distance to windward, and goes to its succour in case of an attack
of the wild cat or fox, or any other powerful vermin."

On the Continent far liner examnles of red deer are to be found than in the British I |i
and the antlers and records of weights preserved at the Castle of Moritzburg in Saxony, and
elsewhere, show that two hundred vears ago the stags of Germany were far superior even to
those of the present daw which are much heavier and afford liner trophic- than do the
Highland red deer. Even in Gcrmanv. however, marked deterioration has taken place during
the last two centuries. A stag, for example, killed by the Elector of Saxony in [646 weighed
not less than fit stone ir lbs.; while from the Elector's records between [611 and [656 it
appears that 59 stags exceeded 56 Stone. 651 exceeded 48 -tone. 2,679 exceeded J.0 -tone.

and 4,139 exceeded 32 stone. These figures are given by Mr. W. V Baillie-Grohman, a
distinguished -port-man, in a very interesting chapter contributed to the "i'.iy Came Shooting"
volumes of the Badminton Library.

'Ibis deterioration among the red deer of the forests of Central and Northern Europe is.
however, not traceable among the red deer of the wild mountainous regions of Austria-Hungary

THE DEER TR I HE

249

ALTAI WAPITI
This is • ■ ral Asiatic forms of the '

apitt

and South-eastern Europe. Here,

at the pit-sent day, stags of
enormous size and weight are
still to he found. In the Car-
pathian Alps, tor example, red
deer stags are still to be shot
scaling more than 40 stone ( clean )
in weight. Climate and feeding
have, of course, much to do with
the weight of stags and the size
and beauty of their antlers. The
Carpathian stags have enormous
range.rich fond, and, as Mr.Baillie-
Grohman points out, are suffered
during the summer to " make
undisturbed raids upon the rich
agricultural valleys . . . the feudal
sway exercised by the great terri-
torial magnates permitting the
deer to trespass upon the crops
■■. 11: r. />.•,:! [:;,„,„t\ r ,~,'t with impunity, and thus grow to

be the lustiest of their race."

In addition to the British

Islands, the red deer of Europe

is found on the Island of Hitteren,

mi the western coast of Norway, in the south of Sweden, and in Germain-, Russia, France,

Spain, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Greece.

In Corsica and Sardinia a local and smaller race is found, probably closely allied to the
stag of North Africa. The BARBARY STAG is somewhat smaller than its first cousin of Europe,
and carries antlers which usually lack the second, or bez, tine. The colour of this stag is " a
dark sepia-brown, a little lighter and greyer on the back. Faint yellowish spots can occasionally
be distinguished on the fur in the adults," says Sir Harry Johnston. The hinds are of the same
colour as the stags, but lack the grey tint on the back. These fine deer are found in Algeria
and Tunis, their habitat being chiefly in pine and cork forests. They are found also in parts
of .Morocco, near the frontiers of Algeria and Tunis, where their range extends from near the
Mediterranean to the verge of the Sahara Desert. Formerly the Barbary stag was hunted by
the Arabs on horseback by the aid of greyhounds. In Tunis, where it is protected by the
French, it is now fairly abundant.

Tin- Maral and Kashmir Stag

The Caspian Red Deer, or Maral, is a magnificent sub-species, incomparably the finest
representative of the red deer species. Standing about 4 feet 6 inches at the shoulder, a good
stag will weigh as much as 40 stone clean, in exceptional specimens probably a good deal more.
The range of this noble beast includes the Caspian provinces of North Persia, Transcaucasia, the
Caucasus, and the Crimea. There can be little doubt that the great stags shot in the Galician
Carpathians are Caspian red deer, and not the ordinary red deer of Western Europe. The
red deer of Turkey i--, too, no doubt referable to this sub-species.

Continuing our survey of typical deer, we come to the Kashmir Stag, which is a magnificent
beast, standing as much as 4 feet 4 inches at the shoulder, and carrying antlers approaching
the red deer type, which measure in fine specimens from 45 to 48 inches. The Kashmir stag,
often miscalled Barasingh by Indian sportsmen, makes its home in the forest regions of the
north side of the Kashmir Valley, ranging chiefly on altitudes of from 5,000 to 12,000 feet.

250

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Wapiti.

Wapiti arc giants of the red deer group, carrying large antlers and often attaining 1 .000

lli- in weight. In America they are known as Elk.

In recent years it has been discovered that wapiti are also denizens of certain parts of

Asia. At least two sub-species — the ALTAI W'.Ui I I and the MAN'CHURIAN WAPITI — have thus

far been identified. The former, some-
times known as the Thian-shan Stag,
is found in the forests of the Altai and
Thian-shan Mountains, west of the Mon-
golian Desert. Compared with its Amer-
ican congener, it is inferior in stature,
has shorter legs, a longer body, and pro-
portionately larger antlers, though none
have yet appn lached tin >se of the longest
American specimens. These splendid
stags, of which living specimenshave been
maintained by the Duke of Bedford at
Woburn, are captured alive by the Altai
natives, and kept in domestication for
the sake of their antlers, which are sold
in China for purposes of medicine at as
much as the value of $50 apiece.

The MANCHURIAN WAPITI, or LUEH-
DORF'S Sim;, is a well-marked local race
of the wapiti, which turns reddish in
summer. It has received several names,
and is well characterised by the form
of its antlers. It has been kept alive in
the Duke of Bedford's park at Woburn
It seems probable that the Siberian stags will eventually be referred to the wapiti

Bokhara Deer

Ht ptrrninion of Proftltor Bumfus"] [New fori

A SPOTTED ORIENTAL DEER

One of tht numerous Philippine species

Abbey.
group.

A fine deer from Russian Turkestan is at present known as the BOKHARA DEER. It is
said to resemble the shou of Northern Bhutan more than any other species, and, standing
about 4 feet at the shoulder, is of an ashen-grey colour, tinged with yellow. A living specimen
has been exhibited at Moscow, and it is believed that specimens in the collection of the
Duke of Bedford belong to this form.

SlKAS

The Sikas, as typified by the JAPANESE DEER, are a group of deer of moderate size,
distinguished from the preceding assemblage by antlers of simpler type, each antler having
usually four points, and lacking the second, or bez, tine. The coat is spotted with white,
and white markings appear about the tail. The tail is much longer than in the red deer
group. The Japanese deer, found in Japan and North China, is a beautiful creature, somewhat
smaller than the fallow deer of Europe, having a coat of brilliant chestnut, thickly spotted with
white in curious longitudinal markings. This is the summer pelage; in winter the colour
changes to dark brown, and the spots mostly disappear. When in the velvet, the antlers are
of a bright chestnut-red, with black tips, and at this season the bucks look their handsomest.
A good head measures from 25 to 31 inches, and carries usually eight points.

The M am HURIAN SlKA may be looked upon as a larger variety of the Japanese deer, with
a somewhat darker coat.

THE DEER TRIBE

251

Another closely allied form is the FORMOSAN SlKA, which hens a rather paler summer
coat, and carries spots in its winter pelage. This deer is found on the mountains of the island
from which it takes its name. The few antlers which have reached this country seem to
indicate that in this respect this deer is inferior to the other sikas. The longest pair yet
recorded measure not more than 19J inches.

The PEKIN Sik \, sometimes known as Dybowski's deer, is considerably larger in si/.e than
the rest of the group, standing well over 3 feet at the shoulder. The horns are large and
rugged, and measure as much as 27 inches in length. The coat is thick and shaggy, and well
adapted for life in a harsh climate. The habitat of this species is North-eastern Manchuria
and the borders of Korea.

Fallow Deer

FALLOW 1»i ER are, perhaps, to English people, the most familiar of all the cervine race,
forming as they do, in the semi-domesticated state, the adornments of many English parks. The
flesh of this handsome deer furnishes the well known venison of this country, and is perhaps
the best-tasted of all deer-meat. A good fallow buck stands about 3 feet at the shoulder, and
weighs (clean) about 150 lbs., though specimens have been shot weighing as much as 204 lbs..

Phut bf C. RtiJ]

[PTilhaui, N. B.

A YOUNG FALLOW BUCK OF THE BROWN BRF.F.D
The favourite park~dccr of England

but this is exceptional. The horns are strongly palmatcd. ( (riginally this deer was not
indigenous to Britain, but is often said to have been introduced by the Romans from Eastern
Europe.

The Common Fallow Deer is found in the wild state in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria,
Rhodes, Sardinia, Asia Minor, and North Palestine. It is doubtful whether, as has been stated,
this deer ever existed in modern times in the wild state in North Africa. This is a highly
gregarious species, delighting to move in considerable herds. In some parts of Scotland fallow
deer have reverted completely to the wild state, and afford excellent sport. And even park-

252 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

deer, once they are shot at,
exhibit extraordinary wariness
and cunning, so much so that

curious tricks and disguises
have often to be resorted to
when a fat buck has to be
shot for venison.

The beautiful MESOPO-
TAMIA I'M i ow Deer, found
in the mountains of Luristan,
in Mesopotamia!! Persia, is
somewhat larger than the
common species, while its
coat is much more brightly
coloured. The antlers bear
little resemblance to those
seen in the park-deer of
this country, being far less
palmated and spreading, and
more vertical.

The enormous horns of
the extinct deer once known
as Irish Elk arc now con-
sidered by naturalists to be
those of a gigantic species
of fallow deer. By the kind-
ness of Mr. J. G. Millais,
1 am enabled to give the
dimensions of a pair of antlers
of one of these wonderful
beasts from his museum.
These antlers measure in
spread, from tip to tip, 9 feet
4 inches; length round inside
of right horn, 6 feet; round
left horn, 5 feet 8 inches,—
a marvellous trophy, truly.
This specimen was dug up

in County Water ford. Thcs lossal fallow deer, which roamed the wastes of Ireland in

prehistoric times, must have afforded fairly exciting sport to the feebly armed human beings
who then existed.

Till SAMBAR, i >R RUSINE DEER

SaMBAR may be shortly described as large deer, having rough, shaggy coats, and big,
rugged antlers of simple type, usually displaying but three tines. They belong to the group
known as Typical Deer, although they are but distantly connected with the red deer. The colour
of the coat is usually dark umber-brown, marked with chestnut about the rump and under-parts.
The well-known sambar of India stands as much as 5 feet 4 inches at the withers, and weigh-.
before being cleaned, -.me Goo lbs. The longest pair of antlers yet recorded (Rowland Ward's
"Records of Big Game") measure 48 inches in length over the outer curve. Usually to be
found among jungly, wooded hills and mountains in many parts of India and Ceylon, this tine stag
affords first-rate sport, and is much sought after by shikaris. It is to be met with in small

fhtu b} Min E. J. Bui

A SAMBAR STAG

The only Indian deer of ivhich the faivm are unspotted

THE DEER TRIBE

253

troops of from four to a dozen, or singly,
while during the rutting- .season tin- animals
rove in more considerable herds. In jungle
and thickly forested regions it is a hard
matter to come up with the sambar <>n t« mt.
and it is there usually shut from elephant-
back, by the aid of heaters. [n more
open hill country it affords good stalking.
In Ceylon it is hunted with hounds, and
yields in this way also capital sport. These
animals seem to revel in heat, and love
to shelter themselves in hot, stifling valleys;
they drink only once in two or three days.
It is a noticeable feature in connection
with the antlers of the sambar that they
are not invariably shed annually, as with
most of the deer kind. In Ceylon, accord-
ing to Sir Samuel Baker, they are shed
" with great irregularity every third or
fourth year."

Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Ileber
Percy thus writes concerning the sambar, or
sambur: " Compared with the Kashmir stag,
red deer, or wapiti, he looks like an ugly,

*v"3L

Photo by the Duchtss of Bedford}

JAVAN RUSA STAG

This deer is a near relative of the sambar, but has a somewhat different
type of antler

FORMOSAN SIKA STAG

Like its Japanese kindred, this deer is spotted only in summer

coarse, underbred brute. . . . As the sambur
is almost entirely noct rnal in its habits, it
is most commonly shot in drives, and in many
places it is almost impossible to obtain
sambur otherwise; but where it can be
managed, stalking is, of course, far better fun.
The sportsman should be on his ground just
before daylight, and work slowly through the
forest at the edge of the feeding-grounds,
taking the bottom of the hill if there are
crops on the plain below, or, failing these,
the edges of the open glades in the forest.
Presently, if there are any sambur about, he
will hear their trumpet-like call, and, creep-
ing on, see two or three dark firms moving
among the trees. In the grey of the morn-
ing it is often very hard to distinguish a
stag from a hind, and the writer has on
several occasions had to wr.lt, after viewing
the herd, till there was light enough to
pick his stag. Even in broad daylight it is
difficult to judge the size of a stag's horns
as he stands motionless in the deep gloom
of the forest, and what little can be seen

254 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phut by ihi Dmhiil »/ Btdferd]

HOG-DEER

The smallest Indian representative of the sambar group

[Wohurn Abbty

of them makes them look three times their
real size the beam is so massive ami the
tines so long. The stag, too, is such a
big beast, standing nearly a hand taller
than a barasingh, that if seen in the open
he looks as big as the Irish elk. . . . All
driving should be done during the heat
of the day, when the animals are lying
down; trying to drive when beasts are
naturally on the move generally results
in the game leaving the beat before the
men are in their places. It may sound
ridiculous for a man to get up a tree in
a sambur drive, but he is far more likely
t" get an easy shut in this position, as
the deer will neither see nor wind him;
he commands more ground, and he runs
no risk of heading back the wary old
hind which often leads the herd, the
chances being that if he is rightly posted
the herd will come right under his tree.
Another advantage is that, his fire being
plunging, he can shoot all round without
danger to the beaters. In some parts of
the Himalaya native shikaris declare that
the_\' often shoot sambur by selecting a
likely path and improvising a salt-lick,
after the fashion of Laplanders when they
want to catch their tame reindeer." The
flesh of this deer is coarse and only moderately good eating.

The Malayan SAMBAR, found from Assam, through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula, and in
Siam, Hainan, Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra, is slightly less in size than its Indian prototype;
the antlers vary somewhat, and are shorter and stouter. The longest antlers yet recorded
measure 30^ inches over the outer curve; these come from Borneo.

The FORMOSAN SAMBAR, sometimes called Swinhoe's Deer, is, again, closely connected with
the Malayan sambar, and may be looked upon as purely a local race" The antlers appear to
run smaller, the best recorded examples only extending to 19^ inches.

The LUZON Sambar ( Philippines), a small sub-species, and the- Szechuan SamiSak (North-
west China), are also local races of the same species. This last seems thus far to occupy the
most northerly habitat of this group.

The BASILAN SAMBAR (Philippines) is, like its congener of Luzon, a small sub-species,
-landing no more than from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder, of slender build, ami with the
hindquarters higher than the withers. Tin- best antlers yet recorded measure no more than
15.I inches. It is interesting to note that as the island of Basilan is the smallest of the
Philippines, so is this sambar by far the smallest of its group. Its restricted habitat has no
doubt conduced, during lung ages, to bring about this result.

I he JAVAN SAMBAR, or RUSA, is a distinct species, found, as its name implies, in the island
of Java. The antlers are somewhat slender, but are, next to those of the sambar of India, the
longest of the group The best recorded pair measure 35.I inches, while another pair from
Mauritius, where this animal ha- been introduced, measure half an inch longer. This sambar
is smaller than the great sambar of India, and is about on .1 par with a good red deer.

I h'- MOL1 CCAN Rl s.\, a sub-species somewhat smaller than the Javan deer, is found in

THE DEER TRIBE

255

Celebes and cert. 1 in islands Born, Batchian, and Amboina — in the Moluccan group ; while the
TIMOR R.1 SA, a closely allied congener, is found on the islands of Timor, Semao, and Kambing.
It is possible — nay, even probable that the Malays may, in times gone by, have introduced
certain of these rusine deer from one habitat to another. Such, at hast, seems to be the

presumption among naturalists.

Dr. Guillemard, in th.it charming book "The Cruise of the Marchesa" (p. 357), gives some
interesting information concerning Moluccan sambar in the little-known island of Batchian.
The inhabitants, " living for the most part in the hills, kill and smoke the deer, and bring the
meat into tlie villages for sale. We were fortunate enough to assist at one of their hunts, in
which no other weapon than the spear is used. The side of a large ravine, which had been
partially cleared, and presented a confused jumble of fallen trees and low brushwood, was
assigned to us as our post, and, from the extensive view it commanded, we were able later in
the day to watch one run almost from start to finish, although at first the sport appeared to
be successful in every direction but our own. At length a stag broke covert about five
hundred yards above us, and descended the slopes of the ravine, but shortly afterwards turned
and made for the forest again. I te was met by some of the hunters and driven back; but the
dogs were now in full cry, and pressed him hard, the hunters meanwhile racing at their utmost
speed above, in order to prevent his regaining the jungle. He now altered his direction, and
turned down once more towards us; but the fallen trees were so thick that the dogs gained
rapidly on him. He made one more effort for his life by doubling, but it was too late, and
in another minute the dogs ami hunters had fairly run him down."

1 )eei were probably the earliest animals of the chase. Their bones are found in the cave-
dwellings of prehistoric man, and some of the earliest efforts at drawing represent these animals.

YOUNG MALE SWAMP-DEER
This species is the Barasingh of the natives of India, It is by no means addicted to stvampy localities

256 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

INDIAN MUNTJAC

Sometimes called the Barking-dtcr. Tht
species stands only 2 feet high

Indian

Other Typical Deer

So numerous are the typical deer that they are not
concluded even by the long list of animals already
enumerated. We proceed now to glance briefly at the
remainder of this important group.

The Philippine Spotted Deer, or Prince
Alfred's DEER, is a small but extremely handsome
species, found in the islands of Samar and Leyte. The
height is under 30 inches; the colour very dark brown,
spotted with white, the under-parts, chin, and upper
portion of the legs also white.

Another small cervine from the Philippine group is
the CALAMIANES DEER, a darkish brown beast, found in
the island of that name.

The little BAVIAN DEER, another island-deer, from
the Bavian group, between Borneo and Java, should also
be mentioned. Very little is known of the habits of
these three deer, and few specimens even of their skins
and horns have reached Europe.

The HOG-DEER, allied to the last-named species, is
an animal much better known, found as it is in many
parts of India and Burma. This handsome little deer
stands from 24 to 28 inches at the shoulder, and carries
antlers which average from 10 to 15 inches, and reach
occasionally as much as 21 or 22 inches — one specimen

is recorded measuring 23^ inches. It has a yellowish or reddish-brown coat, minutely speckled

with white. The summer coat is paler and marked with white or palish-brown spots. This

sturdy little deer is found usually in long grass, and

affords excellent snap-shooting; it is also run into with

dogs and speared by mounted sportsmen'. Major Fitz-

Herbert thus describes a chase of this kind: " Me [the

little stag] stood at bay, with head down and bristles

raised like a miniature red deer of Landseer's, but broke

away when I came up. Once he charged the bitch

and knocked her over. He stood at bay two or three

times, but I could never get a spear into him for fear of

hurting the dogs. At last one time, as he was break-
ing bay, I came up, and he charged me with such

force as to break one of his horns clean oft" against the

spear. However, I struck him in the spine, and rolled

him over." These little deer have quite extraordinary

pluck, and have been known even to charge and wound

a hi 'i

The CiiiTAL.or Indian Spotted Deer, often called

the Axis Deer, a very beautiful species, is the common
jungle stag of India. Standing about 3 feet or a little
over, its lovely coat of bright reddish fawn is thickly

d with white at all seasons of the year. The horns
-mew hat of the sambar type, and measure as much

or 38 inches in length in fine specimens. These
exquisite deer are often found in considerable herds, and
are a forest-loving species.

YOU NT, MALE CHINESE

w \ IKK DEER

One of the few deer which have nu antlen

9
tor ;

By permistion of tht Ntw Tork Zoological Society

A STAG AXIS, OR INDIAN SPOTTED DEER

One of the most common animals in an Indian jungle scene

257

Pheto by Ottomar /Inuhutx.]

F E M A L E E U R O \> E AN ROE D E E R

Though common in the Scotch ivooJs, these Jeer arc rarely teen, keeping close in cover a.', da)

258

TIIK DKKR TRIBK

-59

MALE SIBERIAN

A i-ery large species of roebuck, ivith more rugged an:'ers than the
European roe

The Sw AMP-DEl k, the true Barasingh of
India, as distinguished from the Kashmir
stag, which is often loosely called Barasingh,
is a plain-loving species, found in various
parts of India, and characterised by hand-
some antlers, bearing as many as from 10 to
16 points. This is a big, heavy deer, stand-
ing nearly 4 feet at the withers, and weigh-
ing as much as 560 lbs. The summer coat
is light rufous, nunc or less spotted with
white. The winter coat is yellowish brown.
A near relative to this deer is S< H< iMBURGK's
1 >i 1 R, found iii Northern Siam. The antlers
of this stag arc most curiously forked and
bifurcated.

The T11 UIIN, or Eld's Deer, sometimes
called the Brow-antlered Deer, is another
plains-deer, found chiefly from Manipur,
through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula.
It is a good-sized species, standing about
3 feet 9 inches at the shoulder, and weighing
as much as 240 lbs. The huge antlers are
simple in type, the brow-tines curving down
curiously over the forehead; the tail is
sharp, and the neck provided with a mane, the young being spotted. A Siamese race of Eld's
deer, found in Siam and Hainan, differs somewhat from the Burmese type.

The Muntjacs

The Muntjacs, or Barking-deeRj are a

group of small deer found in India, Burma,
and the Malay region. The Indian MUNTJAC
stands about 2 feet in height, and weighs
some 28 lbs. The antlers, which average 5
or 6 inches in length, bear two points —
brow-tine and beam ; the lower portions, or
pedicles, are curiously covered with hair, and
the front of the face is ribbed or ridged in
V fashion. The general colour is a golden
bay, the face and limbs brown, and the lower
parts white. The buck has sharp tusks in
the tipper jaw, and, at a pinch, knows how to
make use of them. A shy, stealthy little
creature, the muntjac loves dense cover, and
the sportsman usually obtains but a quick
snapshot at this active and wary little deer
as it flashes across him much as does a bolting
rabbit scuttling across a narrow drive. Local
Indian names for the barking-deer are Jungle-
sheep, Red Hog-deer, and Rib-faced Deer.
< Hher muntjacs, varying somewhat from the
Indian form, are the HAIRY-FRONTED, the
TENASSERIM, the TIBETAN, and the CHINESE

Muntjacs.

FEMALE SIBERIAN ROE

The absence of a tail, characteristic of all roes, is •well sh tun

260 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Tufted Deer

Near relatives of the odd little muntjacs
are the TUFTED DEER, of which two species,
the TIBETAN and MlCHIE'S, are known to
naturalists. The former, found in Eastern
Tibet, is about the size of the Indian muntjac,
and lias a coat of dark chocolate-brown,
curiously speckled on the face, neck, and fore
parts; the frontal tuft is nearly black. The
antlers of the bucks of both this and Michie's
deer are extremely small, scarcely observable
at a first glance. Both species have long
curving tusks projecting from the upper jaw.
Michie's tufted deer is of a greyish-black
or iron-grey colour, the face and neck dark
grey. This animal is found in the reed-beds
bordering the Ningpo and other rivers in
Eastern China.

Water-deer

The Chinese Water-deer is another
diminutive deer, standing no more than 20
inches at the shoulder. The body-colouring
is pale rufous yellow, the head and the back
of the ears being darker in hue than the rest
of the body. The males carry no antlers.
This tiny deer is found in North-east China,
and is well known on the islands of the
Yangtse-kiang River. It loves thick cover, especially reeds and long grass. So apt is it at
concealment, that in one park, where specimens are kept in a paddock of long tussocky
grass, hours may be spent without catching a glimpse of it. When disturbed, it scurries off
with short, quick leaps, very much after the manner of the hare. The males of the Chinese
deer, like the muntjacs, carry long curved tusks in the upper jaw.

Roe Deer

The EUROPEAN Roe, one of the handsomest of all the smaller deer, is still happily found
in many parts of Scotland. In England, where it had at one time become well-nigh extinct,
it has been lure and there reintroduced with some success. In Ireland it seems never to have
been found. On the Continent its range is wide, extending from the south of Sweden, through
France and Germany, to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, ami Spain. Found in
Southern Russia and the Caucasus, it makes its way eastward as far as North Palestine and
Persia. The roe stands, in good adult specimens, 26 inches at the shoulder, and weighs about
60 lbs. 'I'he handsome and very characteristic horns measure in good specimens from 10 to
13 inches over the outer curve. The summer coat of this beautiful little deer is a bright
rufous brown ; in winter a darker and duller brown, with a notable white patch about the tail,
The roc is always more or less a wood-loving creature. In winter, especially, it seldom cares
t<> quit the shelter of tin- forest; in summer, however, the deer wander into more open localities.
The fawns are born generally towards the end of May, and two young are usually produced. In
the rutting-season tin males fight savagely with one another.

Mr. J. <i. Millais c;ives an instance of a buck killed in one of these desperate battles, in
which one antler of the victor, having penetrated the brain of the vanquished buck, had been

Hagrnh,.^

SIBERIAN ROEBUCK

Shows a magnificent pair of antlers

T HE D E E R T R I B E

261

broken clean off and remained embedded in the skull, firmly wedged between the ears and the
antlers. " When wounded and brought to hay by a dog," says .Mr. Millais, "a roebuck brings
into play both head and fore legs in his defence, using his horns as described, and -Hiking out
with his leys, mure as if to push off his antagonist than to cause a forcible blow, for he gives
no shock, as a hind caw. A doe, too, uses her fore legs and boxes with her head; and
Mr. Steel, who has had wide experience in roe-shooting, tells me that he has seen .1 doe use
her hind legs as well. The bark of the buck is loud, sharp, and deep in tour, not unlike what
a single call might be from an old collie. At this season, too, the female gives an amorous call
when she wishes the male to come to her. If he is within healing, he puts his neck out
straight and comes full speed to her. In Germany many roebucks are shot by alluring them
in this m, inner, and calls exactly imitating her voice are made for the sportsman's use. One
who has shot roe in this manner tells me it is most exciting sport, for the buck comes straight

•W

'fm

' y,

V/ K~»„ I HM

1 -

PERE DAVID'S DEER

Nineteen of these deer are in England; three are at Berlin. It is believed that these are the only deer of this species in existence

for the sound at full speed, and will only stop startled for a second when he discovers the
fraud, and as often as not he passes right on without giving a chance."

Roe have a curious trick of chasing one another in play, and certain roe-rings in the woods
near Cawdor Castle, according to Mr. Millais, demonstrate the fact that for ages the deer have
been in the habit of disporting themselves in these strange circles oxer the same pieces of
ground. The fact is very singular. "These curious circles are most used in early summer; and
Sutherland, the head keeper, tells me," says Mr. Millais, "that hardly a morning passes without
there being one or two roe playing in the p'ngs, and sometimes there is quite a party of them."
Roe feed chiefly on grass; they will eat also rowan (mountain-ash) berries, of which they are
especially fond, a- well as turnips, grain, heather tops, and various other roots and plants.
Certain fungi, to which they are partial, they take much pains to dig out with their sharp
hoofs. "A roebuck that I once kept." says Mr. Millais, " was a good Scotchman, though he
had a beastly temper, for he liked nothing so much as oatmeal porridge." Roe make delightful
pets, but the bucks are not to be trusted after the third year. One of these animals, supposed

262 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

ill 1

n
ii i

•i

\i\

**h'&

_ I.

to be tame, has been known
to kill a lad. In Scotland
and on the Continent roe
deer are usually killed by
driving, and large bags
are often made. Even
within recent times, as
man}- as sixty-five roebucks
and thirteen hinds have
been shot during a day's
driving. Shot-guns are
employed for this kind of
sport. Stalking the roe is
not so much pursued in
Scotland as it might be.
It is a first-rate and most
interesting form of sport,
and in certain districts the
rifle might very well be
substituted for the shot-
gun. " Roe-stalking," says
Mr. Millais, " possesses
many charms of its own.
In the first place, you can

enjoy it at a season when there is no other shooting going on; secondly, it takes you out in
the earh- morning, when all nature is full of life and beauty, and before the heat of the day
commences; and, thirdly, where the chase of the animal is systematically conducted, as with red
deer, the nature of the sport is everything that can be desired. I would therefore put forward
a plea that tenants and owners of part-wood, part-forest lands in Argyll, Inverness, Ross, and
Aberdeen should turn their attention to stalking the roe in preference to killing them during the
usual winter wood-shoots." Roe deer are exceedingly abundant in the great forest regions
of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In Austria alone, not including Hungary, during the year
1892, no less than 68,1 10 of these beautiful little deer were shot on various estates.

The Siberian Roe, found from the mountains of the Altai and Turkestan to Siberia, is a
somewhat larger species than its European cousin, measuring from 28 to 34 inches at the
shoulder. The antlers arc also larger, extending to as much as 16 and even 18 inches in
measurement. As beseems its habitat, the coat of this species is also thicker and rougher
than is the case with the European roe. Mr. Lydekker gives some interesting particulars
regarding this animal : " When the snows of November fall, the roe themselves commence to
collect in herds, which may number from 300 to 500 head, and soon after migrate southwards
into Manchuria, whence they return about the end of March or beginning of April. On the
LTssuri, which they must cross, they are at this season slaughtered in thousands by the hunters,
without regard to age or sex."

One other species, the MANCHURIAN Roe, found chiefly in mountainous habitats, whence
it never descends, should be noted. This is a smaller deer than the Siberian roe, and
approximates in size and length of horn to the European race.

GROUP OF VIRGINIAN DEER (TWO BUCKS, FOUR DOES)

These are the c.mmon deer oj the Eastern United States

Pkre David's Deer

This remarkable animal, which apparently bears little or no resemblance to any of the other
deer of the Old World, has been placed by some naturalists between the roe deer and the
American deer. Its habitat is North China, and, strangely enough, it seems to be unrecognised

THE DEER TRIBE 263

in the wild state, being apparently only known in China in the Imperial Park at Pekin. This
deer approaches in size the red deer of Europe. The general colouring is greyish brown,
white about the eyes, ears. rump, and under-parts; the horns, which lack the brow-tine, are
\er\ singular in shape, and measure as much as ,}_■ inches in length : the tail is long, reaching
to the hocks; the gait is "lolloping" and mule like. This is a marsh-loving species, and at a
certain park, where specimens are kept, "they may be seen wading far into the lakes and even
swimming in the deeper water."

In South America art' to be found several kinds of marsh-deer, of which the best 'known is
the handsome Marsh-deer, having its range from Brazil to the forest country of the Argentine
Republic. Little is known of this and other South American deer of similar species. The
marsh-deer is almost equal in size to the red deer of Scotland, but somewhat less stout of
build; the colouring is bright chestnut in summer, brown in winter; the coat is long and
coarse, as befits a swamp-loving creature; the antlers usually display ten points, and measure
in line specimens as much as 23 or 24 inches.

The Pampas-deer, a species closely allied to the marsh-deer, is of small size, standing
about 2 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. The antlers, usually three-pointed, measure no more
than from 12 to 14 inches in fine specimens. This deer is found from Brazil to Northern
Patagonia.

The Peruvian and Chilian Guemals are small deer, found on the high Andes, and are
somewhat inferior in size to the Virginian deer. The males carry simple antlers forming a
single fork, and measuring about 9 inches. The coat, yellowish brown in hue, is coarse, thick,
and brittle. The Chilian guemal is found also in most parts of Patagonia : unlike its congener
of Peru, which delights in altitudes of from 14,000 to 16,000 feet, its habitat lies chiefly in deep
valleys, thick forest, and even the adjacent plains, to which it resorts in winter.

The Brockets, of which seven species are found in South and Central America and Trini-
dad, are small deer, having spike-like antlers and tufted crowns. The largest is the Red
Brocket, found in Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay, which stands 27 inches at the shoulder.
The body-colouring is brownish red. Like most of the group, this brocket is extremelv shy;
although fond of dense covert, it is found also on open campos. The Pygmy Brocket, a
tiny dark brown deer, less than 19 inches in height, found in Central Brazil, is the smallest
of these very small deer.

Two other diminutive deer, known as Pudus, closely allied to the brockets, are found in
South America. These are the Chilian and Ecuador Pudus, of which the former is no more
than \7,y2 inches in height, the latter about 14 or 15 inches. Little is known of the history
and life habits of these charming little creatures, one of which, the Chilian species, has occa-
sionally been seen in Zoological Gardens.

The Musk-deer.

This brief account of the deer of the world closes with the Musk-deer, which differ from
almost all others of their kind — the Chinese water-deer being the sole exception — in the
absence of antlers. In place of these defensive and offensive weapons, nature has provided the
musk-deer with long canine tusks, projecting downwards from the upper jaw. The musk, from
which these curious deer take their name, is secreted during the rutting-season- — in the male
only — in a pouch or gland contained in the skin of the stomach.

The well-known Himalayan Musk-deer, is a stout, heavily made deer for its size, meas-
uring 20 inches at the shoulder, about 2 inches higher at the rump, and having a coat of coarse,
brittle hair of a dark brown colour. This musk-deer, which is nowadays by no means common,
is found in the forests of the Himalaya, Tibet, Siberia, and Western China, often at altitudes
of about 8,000 feet. These animals are extraordinary mountaineers, active, daring, and
apparently quite unconscious of or indifferent to danger.

264 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

YOUNG MARSH-DEER

-Y re'J elegant South American species. The main colour is a /'right chestnut, ivith the lower pare
cfthe legs black. The insides of the ears arc Jillcd ivith ivhitt hair, looking like St,

A wi ird should be

said upon the subject
of the acclimatisation of
various members of the
I ii i r Tribe in countries
which are distant from
their native ground, but
in which they are found
to thrive and breed,
some with greater and
some with less success.
Several of the illustra-
tions in this chapter are
taken from deer living
in natural conditions
at an English country
seat in Bedfordshire.
< Hhers were photo-
graphed out of doors in
zoological parks or pri-
vate menageries. There
is a considerable degree
of transferability among
deer, not only among
those found in temper-
ate or northern regions, but also those which inhabit the- tropical jungles of Southern
India.

The Axis, or Chital Deer of India, is the most striking example. It lives in the hot
jungles, where it is the usual food of the tiger. Yet it has been transferred to the forests of
France and to English parks, and not only lives, but breeds and increases in numbers. In
France and Germany herds of axis deer have been maintained long enough to observe a
curious and noteworthy incident in acclimatisation. The axis deer breeds naturally in < October,
after the Indian rainy season. This habit, if persisted in in Europe, would expose the fawn
to the ri-ours of the French or English winter. Gradually a'nd after some time- the herds-
become irregular in the time of reproduction, and later produce the fawns in June, at the
time which is best suited to their survival. This is a real instance of acclimatisation.

The Japanese Deer, or Sika, was introduced into the park- at Powerscourt by Viscount
Powerscourt some thirty years ago. Now it is one of the commonest of recently introduced
park-deer both in England and in France. The venison is excellent, and the herds are
prolific. The stags are small, but very strong, and at Powerscourt always get the better of
the red deer stags, and sometimes carry oil their hinds. Wapiti 1 leer are kept in several
English parks, but so far the Sambar has proved a failure. I log-deer and Chinese Water-deer
do very well both in England and fiance.

But it is in New Zealand that the best results have been obtained with imported deer.
The English Red Deer, some of which were originally sent out l>y the Prince Consort,
reinforced by some of the same species bred in Australia, have become indigenous. They
grow far faster and to a larger size than those on the Scotch moors, and rival the
great stags . .1' the Carpathians. The antlers also increase in size at an abnormal rate.
Licences an- regularly issued to stalk and shoot these deer, which, like the in-own trout and
the pheasant, are now among the stock of established wild fauna. Moose and a few Sam-
tags and herds have also been turned out in New Zealand. The latter are said to be
doing well.

THE DEER T R I B K

265

There is no particular reason why the
deer of cold countries should not be inter-
changed ; they seem to have the natural
adaptability of oxen. But it is not a little
surprising that the species from warm climates
should flourish in damp and cold ones. The
axis deer would be a real addition to the
fauna of the great European forests, if it is
found that it survives the winter snows
without some form of artificial shelter. No
one seems to have considered the advisa-
bility of introducing the mule-deer into the
Central European woods. It is a much finer
animal than the fallow buck, and the venison
is excellent. In these woods where fallow
deer are preserved in a wild state, as on
many of the German Emperor's sporting-
estates, the mule-deer would be a far more
ornamental animal. Few people know what
immense herds of red and fallow deer, as
well as of wild boars, still exist, under
careful preservation, in the forests of the
great German, Austrian, and Russian princes,
and in the royal forests of their respective
countries.

When the Kaiser holds his great Court

hunting-parties, to which the guests all come

dressed in the uniform of the Order of

St. Hubert, as many as 200 deer are shot in a day. They are driven past the guns by

beaters. After the day's sport is over all the antlers are wreathed with boughs of spruce fir,

and the stags laid out like rabbits after an English battue.

It is rather surprising that only one species of deer has been entirely domesticated — ■ viz.
the Reindeer. Deer's meat is as highly prized as that of any other game, perhaps even more
so. There is almost no part of the animal which is not useful. The horns are valuable for
knife-handles, and always command a good price; they were prized even by prehistoric man,
wlm converted them into pick-axes, and made spear-heads and daggers of them. The leather of
the hide makes the softest and best of all hunting-garments: the American Indian or trapper
always wears, or used to wear, a deer-skin shirt and deer-skin leggings, made as exquisitely soft
as chamois leather by a process known to the squaws. At the present time all the best gloves
are made of doe-skin ; they are far the most costly of any gloves. Doe-skin breeches are
aKo a luxurious garment to ride in. For ornamental rugs few skins beat those of the Dappled
Deer, laid on the floor of some finely furnished hall or room.

Thus we have the curious spectacle of the wild men of the Far North, the Lapps and
( )stiaks, taming and keeping in domestication great herds of deer, milking them, using them as
beasts of draught, and feeding on their flesh, while far more civilised races in the South have
not taken the trouble to do so. The reason is not easy to surmise, unless it be that the idea
of making use of the Deer Tribe sold)- as beasts of the chase was so rooted in the European
ruling races, and their kings and nobles, that the agriculturist never had a chance of trying
to tame and use them for other purposes. It is certain that during the Middle Ages law and
custom made any such attempt quite impossible. The deer were a valuable sporting asset, so
hedged round with an atmosphere of feudal privilege, that to convert them into something
useful to the common people would have been regarded as an insult to the powers that were.

YOUNG HIMALAYAN MUSK-DEER

Tht malt carries a pouch on the abdomen, from luhich the musk is
obtained. There are no antlers

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHE/ROTJJXS

UV XV. P. PYCRAFT. A.L.S., F.2.S.

A WHITE C A M E L

A li^ht sandy is the common colour, though -.chile, grey, broivn, and
black occur ; but black camels are held by the Arabs to be -worthless

iHE Camels and Llamas, constituting

the present group, form a very dis-
tinct section of the great assem-
blage of animals known as the Ruminants, or
Cud-chewers. The Camel Tribe are peculiar
amongst the Ruminants in that they never
possess horns, and in that the stomach is
only divided into three instead of four com-
partments - this division into compartments
being intimately connected with the ruminat-
ing habit. Furthermore, the upper jaw
bears cutting-teeth, or " front teeth,' as
they are popularly called : though the full
set (three pairs) is only complete in the
young, in the adult but one pair remains,
the others being shed. The canine or "eye"
teeth are also peculiar in their position,
those of the lower jaw being separated from the cutting-teeth by a very considerable gap

In the structure of the feet the Camel Tribe are no less peculiar; indeed, it is on this
character that the scientific name of the group is founded. Only two toes are present; these
are of equal size, and, instead of being protected by hoofs, are provided with a hardened skin,
covering a cushion-like pad, which expands when the weight of the body is thrown upon the
foot, as in walking. This is an admirable adaptation for walking on soft and yielding sands.
Hoofs are represented only by a pair of broad nails.

The three-chambered stomach is remark-
able because the chamber known as the
',' paunch " lodges in its walls a large collec-
tion of" water-cells," in which can be stored
as much as a gallon and a half of water.
This faculty of storing water is invaluable
to m\ animal which has often to subsist for
davs on absolutely waterless deserts.

Note the slit-like nostrils in the illus-
tration n\~ the Hadrian Camel on page 306
These can be closed at the will of the animal,
a useful precaution against the entrance of
s,md during the violent sand-storms which
1 ifti n arise in the desert.

The True Camels are distinguished by
tli, po 1 ion of a hump or humps ; there
arc never more than two. It is in thi •
humps that the camel was popularly supposed

266

Kit 1 ■

\ R \KI AN CAM1 I.

This individual belongs to the h,.: -■ 'Ming

merchandise and baggagt

THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVRO TAINS 267

to store water; in reality they are huge masses of fat,
serving as a reserve store of food. The accumulation
of fat for this purpose is a common feature amongst
the Mammalia. Most animals which hibernate, or lap up
.md sleep during the winter, store up fat; 1 >n i , except in
the camel, it is distributed more or less evenly over the,
body. With haul work or bad feeding the camel's hump
dwindles almost to nothing. When on the eve of a long
journey, the Arab looks anxiously to the state of this hump,
for on tin- size of this depends the animal's condition and
ability to undertake the march.

The Arabian camel as a wild animal has long since
been extinct. Of the hordes of so-called wild camels which
abound in the desert regions of Central Asia (Gobi Steppe),
some are probably descendants of domesticated animals
which have escaped from captivity, but others may be
aboriginally wild. From the evidence of fossil camels, there
seems little doubt that this animal originated in North
America — one branch of the family (the Llamas) migrating
into South America, and the other (the Camels crossing
Bering Sea into the ( >ld World.

Phm In l.ri & ion

A CAMEL

A halJ-brccA betivecn the Arabian and Baarian
species

The True Camel

Before proceeding further, it may be well to refer to
the confusion which exists in the use of the names Camel
and Dromedary. The latter name seems popularly to be
applied to the two-humped species, the name Camel being reserved for the one with a single
hump. This is a mistake. The DROMEDARY is a swift breed of riding-camel of the one-
humped species, and is so called to distinguish it from its slower brother, the Pack-camel, or

A STRING OF CAMELS NEAR PORT SAID
These are the typical Jcser> camels cf the Ej>t

2 68 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Baggage-camel. The pack-camel, it is interesting to note, has been introduced into Australia,
where it has proved invaluable in crossing the vast waterless deserts, on account of its powei
to exist for long periods without drinking.

The TRUE or ARAB! w CAMEL is found in a domesticated state in Africa and Asia, and, as
we have just indicated, belongs to the one-humped species. It is a long-limbed, short-haired

animal, standing as much as 7 feet high.

/*/

-*> rv

HEAD OK BACTRIAN CAMKL

lon£

.\^ a wild animal it is extinct. Much mystery,
indeed, surrounds the question of its origin. It
has been suggested that the Arabian camel, or
its immediate parent, may have sprung from an
Indian ancestor, and thence made its way through
Arabia and Syria into Northern Africa.

Not only is the camel indispensable as a
beast of burden, but it is esteemed also for its
hair, its flesh, bones, and milk. The hair is
woven into cloth. In some parts of India the
bones are used instead of ivory for inlaid work.
The milk is unusually thick and rich, so much
so that it cannot be used for tea or coffee, as it
curdles when mixed with either.

The camel is popularly supposed to be a
very docile animal ; but those who speak from
experience declare it to be stupid, surly, and
vicious to the last degree. It is, however, not

The hair of this species is u;cd to felt into material for tents.
It is longest on the top of the head, neck, humps, and parts oj the
fore limbs

entirely void of understanding, and apparently
cherishes feelings of revenge, as the following
story shows: "A camel, working in an oil-mill,
was severely beaten by its driver. Perceiving
that the camel had treasured up the injury, and was only waiting a favourable opportunity
for revenge, he kept a strict watch upon the animal. Time passed away; the camel, perceiving
it was watched, was quiet and obedient, and the driver began to think the beating was
forgotten, when one night, after the lapse of several months, the man was sleeping on a
raised platform in the mill, whilst the camel, as is customary, was stabled in a corner.
Happening to awake, the driver observed by the bright moonlight that, when all was quiet,
the animal looked cautiously round, rose softly, and, stealing towards a spot where a bundle
of clothes and a bernous, thrown carelessly on the ground, resembled a sleeping figure, cast
itself with violence upon them, rolling with all its weight, and tearing them most viciously
with its teeth. Satisfied that revenge was complete, the camel was returning to its corner,
when the driver sat up and spoke. At the sound of his voice, perceiving the mistake it had
made, the animal was so mortified at the failure and discovery of its scheme, that it dashed
its head against the wall and died on the spot."

It is said that when camels pass a mounted man in a narrow path the}- will turn their
heads suddenly round and endeavour to inflict a bite on the rider's arm or shoulder. This
is naturally much dreaded, as a camel's bite is particularly severe.

Much care has been spent in the breeding of the camel. " In the Sahara Desert," saws
Canon Tristram, " the Tourareg is as careful in the selection of his breeding mahari (a fine

r; t the dromedary) as the Arab is in that of his horse. The pedigrees are handed down,

and many a dromedary can boast a genealogy far longer than the descendants of the Darley
Arabian " (page 202).

Tin-: Bactrian Camel

This species is often called the Dromedary; but, as we have already remarked, this is an
error. The dromedary is a swift breed of the Arabian camel. The BACTRIAN Camel may be

1 8

AN OLD MALE BACTRIAN CAMEL

This animal is a magnificent representatit'e of the two-humped species, so widely distributed in Central Asia

269

270 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phctc by Charles Knight'] \j

BACTRIAN CAMEL

The most useful transport animal oj Central Asia

THE LLAMAS

The Llamas arc humpless camels, and
confined to the western and southernmost
parts of South America. Two wild and two
domesticated species are known. The name
Llama, it should bementioned, properly belongs
to the domesticated animal of that name.

The Vktna

Thi

nis is the smaller of the two wild
species. Vicunas live in herds in the
mountain-ranges of Peru, dwelling during the
wet season high up amid rocks and precipices,
mar the region of perpetual snow. In the
dry season they descend to the higher valleys.
1 heir capture is a matter of great difficulty;
for, apart from the inaccessible nature of their
haunts, they are exceedingly shy and vigilant.
They are clothed in a woolly coat of extremely
delicate texture, much in demand forweaving
purpi ises.

The baby vicuna, it is interesting to
note, is able to run swiftly directly after
its birth, and possesses great powers of

distinguished from its Arabian relative by the
fact that it has two humps, is shorter in
the leg and heavier, and has longer hair
and stouter and harder feet. The shorter
legs are distinctly advantageous, enabling the
animal to get about with ease and safety over
rocky and hilly ground.

lhe hordes of wild camels found in
Turkestan, in the neighbourhood of Kashgar,
are believed by Major C. S. Cumberland to
be descended from camels which escaped
when the district known as Takla Makan was
buried in a great sand-storm joo years ago.
From the fury of that storm it is said no
human being escaped alive. Some camels
apparently did, perhaps owing their survival
to the power they possess of closing the
nostrils, and thereby keeping out the sand.

The Bactrian camel lives upon the salt
and bitter plants of the steppes, which are
rejected by almost all other animals. It is
further able to drink brackish water from the
salt lakes by which it is surrounded. When
pressed by hunger, it will even eat felt blankets,
bones and skins of other animals, and fish !

VOUNG BACTRIAN CAMI'I.

The live humps are just beginning to grew

THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE C'HKVROTAINS 271

endurance. This is the more noteworthy since the young of the camel are exceedingly
helpless.

Vicunas arc hunted by the Indians and captured by driving them into an enclosure of
perhaps half a mile in diameter. This is hung round with bits of coloured rag, which,
fluttering in the wind, appear to deter the captives from breaking through.

The Gu vnaco

This is larger than the vicuna, and is described as an elegant animal, being possessed
of a long, slender, gracefully curved neck .utA fine legs. It ranges from the highlands ol the
Andes to the plains of Patagonia and the islands of Tierra del Fuego. As Mr. Darwin points
out, the behaviour of guanaco when alarmed is very contradictory. At one time they will
sound the danger-signal, and put themselves out of harm's way long before the enemy has
perceived them; .it another they exhibit the most extraordinary curiosity, and pay the death-
penalty in consequence. "That they are curious is certain; for if a person lies on the ground
and plays strange antics, such
as throwing up his feet in
the air, they will almost
always approach by degrees _ T

to reconnoitre him. It was ^

an artifice that was repeatedly
practised by our spoilsmen
with success, and it had,
moreover, the advantage of
allowing several shots to be
fired, which were all taken as
part of tlu- performance. On
the mountains of Tierra del
Fuego, I have more than
once seen a guanaco, on being
approached, not only neigh
and squeal, but prance and
leap about in the most ridi-
culous manner, apparently in
defiance, as a challenge.
These animals are very easily
domesticated, and I have seen
some thus kept in Northern
Patagonia near a house, though not under any restraint. They are in this state very bold,
and readily attack a man by striking him from behind with both knees. The wild guanaco,,
however, have no idea of defence; even a single dog will secure one of these large animals till
the huntsmen can come up. In many of their habits they are like sheep in a flock. Thus,
when they see men approaching in several directions on horseback, they soon become bewildered,
and know not which way to run. This greatly facilitates the Indian method of hunting, for
they are thus easily driven to a central point, and are encompassed.''

Guanacos readily take to the water, and have been frequently seen swimming from one
island to another. Here again the llamas differ from the camels, for these can swim but
little, if at all. Like the Bactrian camel, the guanaco can drink salt water with impunity.

One of the most remarkable traits of the guanaco is that which induces it, when it feels
its end to be near, to seek out the dying-place of the tribe, and there breathe out its last.
" The guanacos," says Mr, Darwin, " appear to have favourite spots for lying down to die. On
the banks of the St. Cruz, in certain circumscribed places, which were generally bushy and all
near the river, the ground was actually white with bones. On one such spot I counted

Mojo hy J. If. Mi Lilian

GUANACO

The ivitd original of the llama ami alpaca

272 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

between ten and twenty heads. . . . The animals in most cases must have crawled, before
dying, beneath and amongst the bushes."

The Llama

This is the first of the two domesticated offshoots of the guanaco, the other being the
Alpaca. The LLAMA is a larger beast than the guanaco, and variable in colour. The ancient
Peruvians bred it as a beast of burden or for riding, and before the Spanish conquest kept
it in enormous numbers. Soon after the Spanish conquest " it was not uncommon to meet
droves of from 300 to 500, or even 1,000 llamas, each laden with silver ingots, and the
whole in charge of a single native. . . . Only the male llamas were used as beasts of
burden, while the smaller females were kept for their milk and flesh. In traveling along
the roads, the droves marched in single file, under the guidance of a leader; and such a line
would traverse the highest passes of the Cordillera, and skirt the most stupendous precipices
with perfect safety. . . . The Spanish conquerors of Peru spoke of llama-flesh as being fully
equal to the best mutton, and the)' established shops in the towns for its regular sale. At
the time of the conquest it is estimated that upwards of 300,000 llamas were employed in
the transport of the product of the mines of Potosi alone."

Tut: Alpaca

This animal is bred solely for the sake of its wool, which is of great length and fineness.
From it is made the well-known fabric which bears, in consequence, the name " alpaca."

The alpaca is kept in herds on the high grounds of Bolivia and South Peru, whence
it is annually driven down to 'be sheared. The Incas dyed the wool — which is of two
qualities, a fine and a coarse — with bright colours, and made it up into cloth or blankets, as
the occasion served.

The earliest account of this animal is by Augustin de Zarate, the Treasurer-General of
Peru in 1544. He speaks of the beast as a sheep; but since he describes it as camel-like in
shape, though devoid of a hump, there can be no doubt that it is the llama he is describing.

ji**U*hl"~~

■;*? -■ L~*. ■-,

LLAMAS

Largely used at beasts of burden in Peru, ivherc these and the alpaca were formerly the only domesticated ruminants

T H E C A M E L T R I H E A N D Til E CHKVROTAINS 273

He says: " In places where there is no snow the
natives want water, and to supply this they fill the
skins of sheep with water, and make other living
sheep carry them; for, it must be remarked, these
sheep of Peru are large enough to serve as beasts
of burden. They can carry about loolbs. or more,
and the Spaniards used to ride them, and they
would go lour or five leagues a day. When they
are weary, they lie down on the ground; and as
there are no means of making them get up, either
by beating or assisting them, the load must of
necessity be taken off. When there is a man on
one of them, if the beast be tired and urged to
go on, he turns his head round and discharges his
saliva, which lias an unpleasant odour, into the rider's
face. These animals are of great use and profit to
their masters, for their wool is very good and fine
. . . and the expense of their food is trifling, as a
handful of maize suffices them, and they can go four
or five days without water. Their flesh is as good
as that of the fat sheep of Castile. There are now
public shambles for the sale of their flesh in all parts
of Peru, which was not the case when the Spaniards
came first."

The particularly offensive habit of spitting in
the face of people who may be obnoxious to it is
well known to those who are in the habit of seeing much of this

phoic b} Miss E. f. Br.k

LLAMA

The larger of the tivo domesticated forms descended f on.
the guanaco

ALPACA

A domesticated form, bred solely for its wool, tvhich is of a dark brown or black colour

THE CHEVROTAINS

MEM i< IN must be made,
before passing to the Pig
Tribe, of the smallest of hoofed
mammals, the Royal Antelope
excepted — theCiiEVROTAixs.
These little animals are horn-
less, and intermediate in
character between the Deer,
Camels, and Pigs. The males
have large canine teeth, like
those of the Musk-deer, with
which the Chevrotains have
long been confounded. The
range of these animals, of
which there are five species
known, extends from India
and Ceylon, through the
Malayan countries, as far east
as the island of Palawan, in
the Philippine group. One
species, the largest of the
group, occurs on the west
coast of Africa.

C H A P T E R XIX
THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS

THE PIC TRIBE

BY H. A. KRVDKN

MANY species and varieties of swine are found in different parts of the world, most of
them exhibiting strong traces of a general family resemblance, although widely
sundered as to habitats and often markedly differing in outward appearance. All are
omnivorous; all have the stomach simpler in type than in the Ruminants; and all have front
or incisor teeth in the upper jaw. The two great families of swine proper are the Pigs and
Peccaries.

There has been much discussion among scientists as to the earh' origin of the various
breeds of domestic swine found in different parts of the world. There can be little doubt
that, although selective breeding has produced extraordinary differences in outward appearance,
even among the domestic pigs of our own islands, the origin of the numerous tame races is
to be sought in the ancestry of the wild breeds of the countries in which they are found.
Darwin has some very apposite remarks on the differences to be observed in domesticated
swine. "The peculiar form of the skull and body in the most highly cultivated races is,"
he observes, " not characteristic of any one race, but is common to all when improved up to

Mm *>■ «'. Reii

A DOMESTICATED SOW AND HER PROGENY

77,, ,, uripei .n: J spots on the young is a feature in which they differ from ih te .7 nearly all ivi/J s-.uint

274

thk pic; and hippopotamus

275

fed V ' * .Jfe*** £ - ->\ . fv,; '

P>io(o by Ottomar Aniihiitx.']

[Btrli,

WILD BOAR

In its longt bristly hair and powerful lower tusks, tht wild boar is a very different animal from its domesticated descendants

the same standard. Thus the large-bodied, long-eared English breed, with a convex back, and
the small-bodied, short-eared Chinese breeds, with a concave back, when bred to the same
state of perfection, nearly resemble each other in the form of the head and body. This
result, it appears, is parti}- due to similar causes of change acting on the several races, and
partly to man breeding the pig for one sole purpose — namely, for the greatest amount of
flesh and fat; so that selection has always tended towards one and the same end. With
most domestic animals the result of selection has been divergence of character; here it has
been convergence."

The True Pics

True pigs are found only in the Old World, and even there in very widely different forms.
Typical of these quadrupeds is the well-known WILD BOAR, found abundantly in many parts
of Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. In the British Islands the wild boar
must once have been extraordinarily plentiful, especially in Ireland, where its tame descendants
still so greatly flourish. In the days of the Plantagenets wild swine k\\ and sheltered in the
woodlands close to London. James I. hunted them near Windsor in 1617, and even clown to
the year 1683 these animals still had their haunts in the more secluded parts of England.
Although now extinct in these Islands, the wild boar is to be found plentifully at the present
day in France, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Spain, Greece, Albania, and other countries of the
Mediterranean. In most parts of Europe the wild boar is shot during forest drives, but in
the Caucasus and round the Black Sea the hardy peasants lie in wait for these animals by the
fruit-trees on autumn nights or waylay them going to the water and shoot them single-handed.
Many an old Cossack, writes Mr. Clive Phillipps-Wolley, bears the scars of some desperate
encounter with these formidable foes. In Spain, where in the old days the boar was pursued by
cavaliers with spear and pike, it is still, in the forests of Estremadura, followed with horse and
hound, usually, says Mr. Abel Chapman, " during the stillness of a moonlight night, when the
acorns are falling from the oaks in the magnificent Estremenian woods."

2/6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtu b) J. Turmr.Turmr, Fi?.

DIVING-PIGS

Half-iuiid pigi, found in Florida, where they live on refusefisk. [See next page)

In India the wild boar of Europe and North Africa is replaced by a closely allied species
(distinguished by a crest of long black bristles upon the neck and back), which furnishes some
of the finest and most exciting sport in the world to mounted hunters armed with a sharp
spear. There is not a pluckier or more fearless beast living than the boar; and as he carries
long and extremely sharp tusks, and never scruples to use them, he is an exceedingly dangerous
opponent when wounded and enraged. Severe and even fatal accidents have happened in the
pursuit of this determined beast of chase. When at bay, the boar is absolutely reckless of
life; and although pierced and mortally wounded by the spear, will yet force himself up the
shaft, and with his dying effort inflict gaping wounds on the horse bearing his attacker.
Indian shikaris, to illustrate the courage of the wild boar, say that he has the hardihood to
drink at a river between two tigers; and Colonel R. Hcber Percy mentions, in the Badminton
volumes on " Big Game Shooting," that " several cases are on record in which an old boar
has beaten off a tiger, and some in which the latter has been killed by a boar. The boar's
extraordinary activity and sharp tusks make him no mean adversary, and his short neck makes
it difficult for a tiger to seize it and give it that fatal wrench with which he likes to polish
off his victims." A wild boar will stand as much as 3 feet at the shoulder — some sportsmen
affirm considerably more — and weigh more than 300 lbs. The finest boar's tusk known is
one mentioned in Rowland Ward's " Records of Big Game." This measures 11.] inches over
the curve. It came from the Caucasus, and is in the possession of Colonel Veernhof.

It is worthy of note that, while the full-grown individuals of the various species of wild
swine are uniformly coloured, their young are longitudinally striped and spotted. In India,
besides the common boar, a tiny wild swine, known as tin- I'm. my HOG, is found in the
Bhutan Terai and the forests of Nepal and Sikhim. This pig, which is little bigger than a
fox-terrier, runs in considerable troops, or sounders, and is said to attack intruders into its
domain much in the same fearless way in which the peccary of America defends its sanctuaries.
The height of this diminutive species is given as from 8 to 10 inches — the weight at 10 lbs.

THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMI'S

277

JAVAN WILD PIG
Om ' leverat nearly allied species inhabiting the

.Mil/ay li/ands

Wild swine arc nocturnal in their habits, frequenting

moist and marshy country, loving the shade of forests,

and making their lairs in tall grass, reed-beds, and similar

1 overt. They go far afield for their food supplies, and do

a great deal of damage to crops in cultivated districts.

The European wild sow produces from six to ten young,

and at least two litters arc usually brought forth in

the year.

It is remarkable how quickly pigs, as well as other

domesticated animals, revert to a semi-feral state of

existence, and develop habits suited to a fresh environ-
ment. Mr. J. Turner-Turner sends us the following

interesting note in connection with this trait : " DIVING-

PIGS. — These pigs live in an almost wild condition on

certain of the islands off Florida, and subsist chiefly upon

the refuse fish cast away by the netsmen. To obtain

this, the pigs dive under water, walking on the hind at

a depth of 5 feet below the surface."

Among other Asiatic wild swine arc to be mentioned

the COLLARED PIG, found in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo;

the White-whiskered Japanese Pig; the Papuan and

Formosan Pigs; the Warty Pig of Java and Borneo; the Ceram Pig; the Celebes Pig;

and the BEARDED PlG of Borneo, a species distinguished by a quantity of long hair carried

upon the cheeks. In the Andaman Islands a small, shaggy wild pig, standing about 20 inches

at the shoulder, is found in the forests. Although distinguished from the well-known wild

boar of India by certain peculiarities, there is a strong family resemblance to that well-known

species in most of these various Asiatic species and races.

Among the many kinds of domesticated swine found in Asia, perhaps the strangest and

most curious is the JAPANESE MASKED Pu;. This animal is described by Darwin as having

" an extraordinary appearance, from its short head, broad forehead and nose, great fleshy ears,

and deeply furrowed skin. Not only is the face furrowed, but thick folds of skin, which are

harder than the other parts, almost
like the plates on the Indian
rhinoceros, hang about the
shoulders and rump. It is
coloured black, with white feet,
and breeds true. That it has
long been domesticated there can
be little doubt; and this might
have been inferred even from the
circumstance that its young are
not longitudinally striped."

In Africa, besides the Euro-
pean wild boar, which there
extends its range to Algeria and
Morocco, a little known wild pig
is the SENAAR Boar, found in
Senaar, Kordofan, and the Soudan
region. In the late Dr. Gray's
" Catalogue of Carnivora " this
wild pig is described as having
the fur dense and bristly, and

MALE AND FEMALE BABIRUSA

The chief characteristic cf this pig is the peculiar and enormous development of the tusks
in the male, the upper pair of which grow through the lips and curve backwards

2/8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

being in rolour dull olive-black, varied with yellow. Possibly
this little-known swine may prove tube merely a sub-species
of the common wild boar of Europe and North Africa. Now
that the Soudan regions have once more been opened up
to Europeans, we may expect shortly to hear more of this
wild swine, as well as of other rare and interesting animals.
Still dealing with the true pigs, we come now to the
BUSH-PIGS of Africa ami Madagascar. These differ somewhat
from the typical wild boars of Europe and India in the
structure of the teeth, the long pencilled ear-tufts, the
elongated snout, and other characteristics. The tusks are
considerably smaller, and seldom exceed 6 or 7 inches in
length. The RED RlVER-HOG, or WEST AFRICAN' BUSH-PK .,
is decidedly the most striking of this group. Smaller than
the bush-pig of South Africa, and seldom exceeding 2 feet
in height at the shoulder, the colour of this animal is
a brilliant reddish brown, with tints of yellow. Noticeable
streaks of white are found round the eyes and on the cheeks.
The ear-tufts, forehead, and limbs are blackish; more white
markings are seen at the tips of the ear-tufts, along the
thick mane, and round the margins of the ears. The under-parts are whitish grey in colour.
This very handsome pig runs in considerable herds, and is found chiefly in forest and jungle
near the banks of the various rivers in West Africa. Its range extends from Angola to
Senegambia, and eastwards into the continent as far as Monbuttu.

The well-known BUSH-PIG OF SOUTH AFRICA, the B< »SCH-VARK of the Boers, is a fine species,
having a wide range over much of the southern and south-eastern parts of the continent,
extending as far north as Central Africa. In the Eastern Transvaal and Swaziland these animals
attain their greatest size, an adult boar standing from 2 feet 4 inches to 2 feet 7 inches in
height, and weighing as much as from 150 to 170 lbs. The usual colour is brownish red, the
face and mane greyish; but in different specimens and at different ages great variations are
to be noticed. Pale greyish brown or mottled brown are colours often to be found. These
bush-pigs are formidable-look-

WART-HOG

Shotvs the great size of the head in proportion to
the body

ing creatures, with thick bristling
manes, small deep-set eyes, and
sharp if somewhat short tusks,
which they know well how to
use. .Among the old fashioned
Boers cured hams from these
animals were, when they were
more plentiful in Cape Colony,
often to be found in up-country
farmhouses. The bosch-vark
is a beast of shy, nocturnal
habit, and, loving as it does the
shade and protection of dense
covert and bush, is, unless care-
fully sought for, not often seen
by sportsmen. The herds range
usually from half a dozen to
as many as twenty in number.
When once encountered and
set up at bay, this wild swine

Photo by Stholaitic Photo. Co.

ELIAN'S WART-HOG

Displays the broad muzzle and huge tuskst which arc nearly as large in tht sozvs m in

the boars

THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS

279

will be found a most tough and courageous adversary, capable and willing to defend itself
Stoutly against all foes. "They arc," says Mr. F. Yaughan Kirby, who lias had much
experience in limiting these animals, " expert swimmers and swift of foot, and can get over
the roughest ground at a great pace. There is no pluckier beast in Africa than a bush-pig,
and even a leopard will hesitate before attacking a full-grown boar. Like all wild creatures,
they have an instinctive dread of man, and will always make their escape from him if possible;
but if surrounded or wounded and brought to bay, they appear to accept the situation with
stolid imperturbability, and die lighting with rare pluck, against all odds, grim and silent to
the last. . . . Face to face in the middle of a ' fast' bush, and only a Swazi ' stabbing-assegai '
with which to kill him, ... I have seen an old boar, after receiving nine thrusts from those
terrible weapons, two of which were still fast in him, make a charge that scattered us
like chaff, and in three consecutive lunges lame one of our number for life, and disembowel
two of the finest 'pig-dogs' I ever hunted with. In such encounters a boar inflicts terrible
wounds with his teeth, as well as with his tusks."

Another bush-pig is
found in Madagascar, and is
known as Edwards' Bush-
PIG. Its habits are very
similar to those of its brethren
in the neighbouring continent

Few men care to face a wart-hog on foot.

HEAD OF

Profile showing the large

MALE WART-HOG

al ivarty groiuths on the side oj the face
these animals

characteristic 5/

of Africa.

Tut: Babirusa

Quitting the true pigs,
we come now to perhaps the
very strangest and most
singular of all the great
tribe of swine. This is the
BABIRUSA, that curious and
grotesque creature found in
the island of Celebes, in the
Malay Archipelago. The
name Babirusa signifies " pig-
deer." It is of course a
misnomer, and the animal
has no kinship whatever with
the cervine race. The babi-
rusa is a wild swine, having a dark slate-grey skin, very sparsely covered with hair along
the ridge of the spine. This skin is vet}- extraordinarily wrinkled. The ears are much
■smaller than is the case with other members of the swine group, while the tail is short,
straight, and tacks any semblance of tuft. The females have small tusks. In the boars the
tusks are most singularly and abnormally developed. From the upper jaw, instead of curving
from the side of the lips, the tusks grow from the centre of the muzzle, penetrate right
through the skin, and curve backwards often till they touch the forehead. The lower tusks
have also a strong curve, but are not so long as those of the upper jaw Although thus
superabundantly provided with tushes, the babirusa is, as regards the rest of its teeth, less
well off, having only thirty-four, as against the forty-four of the European wild boar. In their
habits these singular pigs much resemble other wild swine, going in herds and frequenting
forest, jungle, and the banks of rivers. They are excellent swimmers. The young are, unlike
other wild swine in the infant state, unstriped. These animals are often found domesticated
about the dwellings of native chiefs in Celebes. The weight of a good male is as much as
128 lbs.; height at shoulder, 27I- inches. The longest tusk recorded measures 17 inches

280 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

over the curve. These
animals are driven into
nets and speared by the
natives of Celebes, and
afford excellent spurt, the
b< iars espe< tally charging
viciously at their assailants.

The Wart-hogs

If the babirusa of the
Malay Archipelago is a
sufficiently bizarre-looking

creature, the wart-hog of
Africa yields to none of
the wild pigs in sheer,
downright hideousness <>f
aspect. The WART-HOG
OF Sou in Africa, the
VLAKTE-VARK (Pig of the
Plains) of the Boers, has
long been familiar to
hunters and naturalists.
Standing some 30 inches
in height, this wild swine
is distinguished by the
disproportionate size of
the head, extreme length,
breadth, and flatness of the front of the face and muzzle, smallish ears, huge tusks, and the
strange wart-like protuberances from which it takes its name. Three of these wen-like
growths are found on each side of the face. The. tusks of the upper jaw, unlike the teeth
of the true pigs, are much larger than those protruding from the lower jaw. The lower
tusks seldom exceed 6 inches in length ; those of the upper jaw occasionally reach as much
as 20 inches over the curve. A pair from North-east Africa (Annesley Bay, on the Abyssinian
littoral) measure respectively 27 and 26 inches — truly gigantic trophies. The skin of this
wild hog is nearly naked, except upon the neck and back, where a long, coarse mane of dark
bristly hair is to be observed. Wart-hogs, as their Dutch name implies, in the days when
game was plentiful, were often found in open country, on the broad grass-plains and karroos.
At the present day they are less often seen in the open. They run in small family parties,
usually two or three sows and their litters. The old boars, throughout a great part of the year,
prefer a more solitary existence. These animals, when pursued, usually betake themselves to an
open earth, not of their own making, and, slewing round sharply just as they enter, make
their way in hind end first. They afford no great sport to the hunter, and arc usually
secured with a rifle-bullet. The flesh is fairly good eating, especially that of a young and
tender specimen. Speaking generally, wart-hogs are nothing like such fierce and determined
opponents as the wild boars of Europe and India, or even the bush-pig. They will, however,
charge occasionally, and have been known to attack and rip up a horse. A northern species
— .l-.i.i.w's Wart-HOG — is found in Abyssinia, Somaliland, and other parts of East Africa,
where — especially in Abyssinia- -it roams the mountains and their vicinity, occasionally to
a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet. There is little difference between this and the southern
form. Wart-hogs produce usually three or four young, and the sow makes her litter in
a disused burrow. Unlike those of the majority of wild swine, the young of the wart-hog are
uniformly coloured, having no white stripes or spots.

COLLARED PECCARY

Peccaries art the American representatives of the Siuinc, and are characterised by a large gland on

the back

the pic; AND HIPPOPOTAMI s

281

The Peccaries

Peculiar to the .American Continent, the PECCARIES differ considerably from the wild swine
of the Old World. They are of small size; tin- dentition is not the same, the stomach is
more complicated in structure, and the hind feet have three instead of four toes. In general
appearance peccaries are not unlike- small dark-coloured pigs, well covered with bristles, and
having, as well as a prominent mane, a deep fringe of hair beneath the throat. They are
essentially forest-loving animals, roaming over large tracts of country and making considerable
migrations in search of food. Two species have been distinctly identified by naturalists — the
C< (llared Peccary, and the White-lipped Peccary. Ofthese, the former species is found from

Texas, in North America, as far south as the Rio Negro, in Patagonia. The habitat of the
white-lipped peccary is more circumscribed, and the animal is seldom found except in that
part of South and Central America lying between British Honduras and Paraguay. No
members ol the l'ig Family are fiercer or more tenacious of their sanctuaries than the white-
lipped peccary, which roams the dense forests of Brazil and Paraguay in large herds. A
human being, attacked and surrounded by a herd ofthese savage little creatines, would indeed
stand but a poor chance ol his life, and many a hunter and traveler has been compelled to
seek refuge in a tree and sustain some hours of siege. Of the two species, the white-lipped
peccary is somewhat the larger, standing from 15 to 17.] inches in height. The collared
peccary averages from 1,5.] to 15.] inches. The flesh of these wild swine is not in much
repute, and unless the back-gland is at once cut out a freshly killed specimen will become
quickly spoiled as a human food-supply. Young peccaries appear to be easily tamed, fierce
as is their nature in the wild state. In contrast with the abundant litters of other pigs, wild
and domesticated, only one offspring is ordinarily produced at birth. In fighting, the peccan-
cies not rip like the wild boar, but inflicts savage and severe bites.

"Untrained dogs," says President Roosevelt, "even those of a large size, will speedily
be killed by a single peccary, and if they venture to attack a herd will be literally torn
into shreds. A big trained dog, however, can, single-handed, kill a peccary, and I have
known the feat performed several times."

Azara, the eminent Spanish naturalist of the end of the eighteenth century, had
considerable experience of the peccaries of Central and Southern America, where the Indians
arc much addicted to taming wild animals, and keep both the peccary and the tapir in
a state of semi-domestication. The peccary
he found to be domesticated more easily
than might be expected. Though so fiei < e
in its wild state, it soon becomes trouble-
some from its familiarity.

Mr. Schomburgk, the explorer of Cen-
tral America, whose travels were so con-
stantly quoted during the Venezuelan
arbitration, saw much of the white-lipped
species in the forests. I [e found the animals
in large troops under the leadership of an
old boar. When attacked, they were reach-
to surround man, dog, or jaguar; and if
there were no means of escape, the enemy
was certain to be cut to pieces. He him-
self had a narrow escape from an infuriated
herd, the leader of which he shot in the
act of rushing at him. As the herd ap-
proached the sound was like that of a
whirlwind through the bushes.

A YOUNG COLLARED PECCARY

In this specimen the tuh'tte collar from •which the specie^ takes its name is
•very clearly displayed

282 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

By permission of Htrr Cart Hagtnbtt i, H.i-nburp

A THREE-YEAR-OLD HIPPOPOTAMI s

In this specimen the great lotvcr tusks are not yet developed

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

BY F. C. SELOUS

Two species of the Hippopotamus Family exist
on the earth to-day, both of which are inhabitants
of Africa, and are not found in any other country ;
but the remains of many extinct forms of this genus
which have been discovered in various parts of Europe
and Asia show that in Pleistocene and Pliocene times
these strange and uncouth animals must have been
widely distributed throughout the greater part of the
Old World. The fossil remains of the large form of
hippopotamus which once frequented the lakes and
rivers of England and Western Europe cannot be
distinguished from the bones of the common .African
species of to-day, which latter is possibly the only
animal in the world which has undergone no change
in form or structure since the prehistoric savages
of the Thames Valley threw stone-headed spears at
their enemies.
The Common Hippopotamus, though it has long

been banished from the Lower Nile, and has more
recently been practically exterminated in the British
colonies south of the Limpopo, was once an inhabitant
of every lake and river throughout the entire African
Continent from the delta of the Nile to the neigh-
bourhood of Cape Town. Now it is not found below
Khartum, on the Nile; but in Southern Africa a few hippopotamuses are said still to exist in
the lower reaches of the Orange River. When Van Riebeck first landed at the Cape, in 1652,
he found some of these animals in the swamp now" occupied by Church Square, in the centre
of Cape Town, and the last in the district was only killed in the Berg River, about seventy
miles north of that city, as recently as 1874. This animal, which had been protected for some
years; was at last shot, as it had become very savage, and was in the habit of attacking any
one who approached it. In my own experience I have met with the hippopotamus in all the
large rivers of Africa where I have travelled, such as the Zambesi, Kafukwe, Chobi, Sabi,
Limpopo, and I'sutu, and also in most of the man}' large streams which take their rise on
the plateau of Matabililand ami Mashonaland, and flow north, south, and east into the Zambesi,
the Limpopo, or the Sabi. I have also seen them in the sea, at the mouth of the Quillimani
River, and have heard from natives that they will travel by sea from the mouth of one river
to another.

Hippopotamuses live either in families of a few individuals or in herds that may number
from twenty to thirty members. Old bulls arc often met with alone, anil cows when about
to calve will sometimes leave their companions and live for a time in seclusion, returning,
however, to the heal soon after the birth of their calves. Although, owing to the shortness
of its legs, a hippopotamus bull does not stand very high at the shoulder — about 4 feet
8 inches being the average height- -yet its body is of enormous bulk. A male which died
some years ago in the Zoological Gardens of London measured 12 feet in length from the nose
to the root of the tail, and weighed 4 tons; and these dimensions are probably often exceeded
in a wild state.

The huge mouth of the hippopotamus (see Coloured Plate), which the animal is fond of
opening to its widest extent, is furnished with very large canine and incisor teeth, which
are kept sharp by constantly grinding one against another, and thus enable their possessor

fiuu b, J. W. Mi Lilian

HIPPOPOTAMUS DRINKING

The enormous breadth of the mussz/e, as lucll as the small nostrils^ which can be closed at will, are clearly displayed in this posture

283

284 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

to rapidly cut down great quantities of the coarse grass and reeds upon which these animals
exclusively feed when living in uninhabited countries. When, however, their haunts are in
the neighbourhood of native villages, they often commit great havoc in the corn-fields of the
inhabitants, trampling down as much as they eat; and it was their fondness for sugar cane
which brought about the destruction of the last herd of hippopotamuses surviving in Natal.

The lower canine teeth or tusks of the hippopotamus grow to a great size, and in bulls
may weigh from 4 lbs. to 7 lbs. each. They are curved in shape, and when extracted from
the jaw form a complete half-circle, and have been known to measure upwards of 30 inches
over the curve. In life, however, not more than a third of their length protrudes beyond
the gums.

During the daytime hippopotamuses are seldom met with out of the water. They lie and
doze all day long in the deep pools of the rivers they frequent, with only their eyes, ears,
and nostrils above the surface, or else bask in the sun on the tail of a sandbank, looking like
so many gigantic pigs with their bodies only partially submerged. Sometimes they will lie
and sleep entirely out of water amongst reeds. I have seen them feeding in the reed-beds
of the great swamps of the Chobi just at sundown, but as a rule the)' do not leave the water

until after dark. At night
they often wander far afield,
especially in the rainy season,
in search of suitable food ;
and after having been fired
at and frightened, I have
known a herd of hippopota-
muses to travel at least five-
and-twenty miles along the
course of a river during the
ensuing night, in order to
reach a larger and deeper pool
than the one in which they
had been molested.

Although the hippopota-
mus is thoroughly at home
in the hottest parts of Africa,
and appears to thrive in the
tepid waters of all the rivers
which flow through the malarious coast regions of the tropical portions of that continent,
it is also found at a considerable altitude above the sea, and in quite small streams where
the temperature of the water during the winter months cannot be many degrees above
freezing-point. I have personally met with hippopotamuses in the Manvami River, not far from
the present town of Salisbury, in Mashonaland. The country there has an altitude of about
5,000 feet above sea-level ; and the water was so cold on the last occasion on which I came
across the animals in question — July, [887 -that, if a basinful was left out during the night,
ice quite an eighth of an inch in thickness would be formed over it before morning. There
was, however, never any ice on the river itself. During the rainy season, when the grass
and reeds are green and succulent, hippopotamuses become enormously fat, especially in the
higher and colder portions of their range, and retain a good deal of their fat right through
the driest season of the year. Old bulls are usually very lean; but 1 have seen cows the
greater part of whose carcasses, after the skin had been stripped off, was covered with a layer
of fat from 1 inch to 2 inches in thickness. The meat of these animals is dark red in
colour, and more like beef than pork. To my mind, that of a young animal is most
excellent in flavour, and far preferable to that of a lean antelope. The fat, when prepared, is
as good as the best lard, from which, indeed, it is hardly distinguishable. The skin of the

HIPPOPOTAMUSES BATHING

A hippopotamus stays under warn / r ab -.' 2 '^ minutes at a time, and then just shotus part of
its head above tuater tuhill it draws afresh breath

THE P((i AND HIPPOPOTAMUS

285

on if Hire Carl Hagirtbuk']

BABY HIPPOPOTAMUS, AGED SIX MONTHS

[H.,;,tur,

The flesh of a young hippopotamus is said to have an excellent flavour. Natives often follow shooting expeditions in order t secure some

of its meat

hippopotamus is smooth and hairless, and in adult animals quite i\ inch in thickrfess on the
upper parts of the body.

Hippopotamuses are said to be capable of remaining under water for ten or twelve
minutes. Should, however, a herd of these animals be watched but not tired at hum the
bank of a river in which they are passing the day, they will all sink below the surface of
the water as soon as they become aware of and more or less alarmed by the presence of
the intruder, but each member of the herd will come up to breathe at intervals of from one
totw" minutes. I have seen hippopotamuses so tame and unsuspicious of danger that they
allowed mc — the first human being probably with any kind of hat or clothes on him that
the_\' had ever seen — to take up a position within fifty yards of them on the edge of the deep
rock-bound pool in which the}- were resting without showing any signs of alarm. The}- simply
stared at me in an inquisitive sort of way, raising their heads higher out of the water, and
constantly twitching their little rounded ears; and it was not until a number of natives came
up and began to talk loudly that they took alarm, and, sinking out of sight, retreated to the
farther end of the pool. I once took the length of time with my watch for more than an hour
that a hippopotamus which I was trying to shoot remained underwater. This animal, a cow
with a new-born calf, had made an attack upon one of my canoes. It first came up under the
canoe, tilting one end of it into the air and almost filling it with water. Then it made a
rush at the half-swamped craft, and, laying its huge head over it, pressed it down under the
water and sank it. There were four natives in the canoe at the time of the attack, all of
whom swam safely to an island in the river — the Zambesi. After the accident — which caused
me a good deal of loss and inconvenience — I tried to shoot this unprovoked aggressor, but
unsuccessfully, as the river was too broad to allow me to get anything but a long shot at her.
The shortest time she remained under water during the seventy minutes I was paying attention
10

286 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

to her was forty seconds, and the longest four minutes and twenty seconds- — the usual time
being from two to two and a half minutes. She always remained a long time under water
after having been fired at.

The capsizing of canoes by these animals is quite a common occurrence on most African
rivers, and the great pains the natives will take in certain districts to give these animals a
wide berth seem to prove that they have good reason to dread them. Solitary bulls and
cows with young calves are the most feared. Such animals will sometimes, 1 have been
assured by the natives, tear out the side of a canoe with their teeth, and even crunch up
some of its occupants whilst they are trying to save themselves by swimming. Sipopo, a
chief of the Barotse tribe, who was deposed by his nephew Mona Wena in 1S76, was said
to have been attacked and killed by a hippopotamus whilst lying wounded amongst the reeds
on the southern bank of the Zambesi, but I cannot vouch for the truth of the story.

Bull hippopotamuses must be rather quarrelsome, as I have shot several whose hides were

deeply scored with wounds, no doubt
inflicted by the tusks of their rivals.
Once I killed a hippopotamus in a
shallow' lagoon amount the swamps
of the Chobi, whose enormously thick
hide had been literally cut to pieces
from head to tail. The entire body
of this animal was covered with deep
white scores, and we were unable to
cut a single sjambok from its skin.
We found, on examination, that this
H Wk vj yL. ^H poor beast had been wounded by

natives, and then in its distress most
cruelly set upon by its fellows, and
finally expelled from their society. It
was in the last stage of emaciation,
and a bullet through the brain must
have been a welcome relief. On
another occasion a hippopotamus bull,
which I had wounded in the nose,
became so furious that it dived down
and attacked one of its fellows which
had already been killed and was
lying dead at the bottom of the pool.
Seizing this latter animal by the
hind leg, it brought it to the surface
of the water with such a furious rush that not only half the body of the dead animal it had
attacked was exposed, but the whole of its own head and shoulders came above the water.
A bullet through the brain killed it instantly, and it sank to the bottom of the pool, still
holding its companion's hind leg fast in its jaws.

When a hippopotamus is killed in the water, the carcase sinks to the bottom, and in the
cold water of the rivers of Mashonaland will not rise to the surface till six hours after death.
In the warmer water of the Lower Zambesi a dead hippopotamus will come up in about half
that time. When it rises, the carcase comes up like a submerged cork, with a rush as it were,
and then settles down, only a small piece of the side showing above the surface. As decom-
position sets in, it becomes more and more swollen, and shows higher and higher above the
water. When the body of a dead hippopotamus has been taken by the wind or current to
the wrong side of a river, I have often climbed on to it and paddled it with a stout stick
right across the river to a spot nearer camp. A dead hippopotamus is not the easiest or the

no. 1

DENTAL OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS

This and the next two photographi probably constitute the most remarkable series
of animal photographs ever seen. No. I shoivsa hippopotamus about to be trapped,
preparatory to having its teeth attended to

Till'. IMG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS

NO. II

DENTAL OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMI S
This shows tAe process cj filing one of the lower ru^ki

pleasantest thing to sit on in deep

water \\ itli crocodiles abi tut, especially

in a wind, as it i-. very much like

sitting on a floating barrel, and unless

the balance is exactly maintained one

is bound to roll oil'.

Although it is often necessary

for an African traveler to shoot one

or more of them in onlcr to obtain

a supply of meat for his native

followers, then' is not much sport

attached to the killing of these animals.

The modern small-bore rifles, with

their low trajectory anil greal pene-
tration, render their destruction very

easy when they are encountered in

small lakes or narrow rivers, though

in larger sheets of water, where they

must he approached and shot from

rickety canoes, it is bv no means a

simple matter to kill hippopotamuses,

especially after they have grown shy

and wary through persecution. As

these animals are almost invariably

killed by Europeans in the daytime,

and are therefore encountered in the

water, they are usually shot through the brain as they raise their heads above the surface to

breathe. He the natives hippopotamuses are killed in various ways. They arc sometimes

attacked first with harpoons, to which long lines are attached, with a float at tile end to mark

the position of the wounded animal, and then followed up in canoes and finally speared to

death. Sometimes they are caught in huge
pitfalls, or killed by the fall of a spear-head
fixed in a heavy block of wood, which is re-
leased from its position when a line, attached
to the weight and then pegged across a
hippopotamus's path a few inches above the
ground, is suddenly pulled by the feet of
one of these animals striking against it. A
friend of mine once had a horse killed under
him by a similar trap set for buffaloes. His
horse's feet struck the line attached to the
heavily weighted spear-head, and down it
came, just missing his head and entering his
horse's back close behind the saddle. Where
the natives have guns — mostly old muzzle-
loading weapons of large bore — they often
shoot hippopotamu-e-. at close quarters when
they are feeding at night. The most destruc-
tive native method, however, of killing these
monsters with which I am acquainted is one

DEN1 \1. OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS which used to be practised by the natives
Sawing off « if the Iowa tusks of Northern Mashonaland — namely, fencing in

288 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Pholl by r>ri <5r> Son]

F E M ALE H 1 PPO PO TAM USES
Exhibits a very characteristic attitude of the animal

strengthened, and platforms some-
times built to command naturally
weak places, and from these points
of vantage the poor animals were
speared when in their desperation
they tried to leave the pool.
Gradually the whole herd would be
speared or starved to death.

Once, in August, l88o, I came
upon a native tribe engaged in
starving to death a herd of hippo-
potamuses in a pool of the Imniati
River, in Northern Mashonaland.
When I came on the- scene, there
were ten hippopotamuses still alive
in the pool. Eight ofthese appeared
to be standing on a sandbank in the
middle of the river, as more than
half their bodies were above the
water. They were all huddled up
together, their heads resting on each
other's bodies. Two others were
swimming about, each with a heavily
shafted assegai sticking in its back.
1'" sides these- ten still living hippo-
potamuses two dead ones were being
cut up on the side of the pool, and
many more must already have been

\ '.',':£ Hill

a herd of these animals and starving
them to death. As tlure is a very
rapid fall in the country through
winch all the rivers run to the
Zambesi from the northern slope of
Mashonaland, these streams consist of
a scries of deep, still pools called
" sra-i ow huh-- " by the old hunters .
from a hundred yards to more than
a mill in length, connected with one
another by shallow, swift-flowing water,
often running in several small streams
over the bed of the river. A herd of
hippopotamuses having been found
resting for tlie day in one of the
smaller pools, all the natives in the
district, men, women, and children,
would collect and uuild strong fences
across the shallows at each end. At
night large fiiv^ would be kept blazing
all round the pool and tom-toms
beaten incessantly, in order to prevent
the imprisoned animals from escaping.
1 )ay after day the fences would be

,'-..

•

. Mi

IV-tlA ML. - ^^

ilijl . ^f^ * ^

s^BL--^

^B^^C^v*~"^^^2Es

^^v^

^■ifl^taft^ ^Sfifl

Eg^^J Wf*

™

-~~r—

pi 11 h ) .< .-- 1 •.

LAellinj Hill

A HIPPOPOTAMUS FAMILY-FATHER,

MOM HER, AND YOUNG

Hippopotamuset are 'very sociable ammafs, and are often to be met tvith in large

hcrdi

Photo by J. i

A HIPPOPOTAMUS GAPING.

The position of ilit- animal displays tlu- enormous i apai tty, and likewise the powerful lower tusks: the
shortness "I the limbs is also well exhibited.

TIIH PI(, AND HIPPOPOTAMUS

289

II IPI'OI'O r A MI'S

The skin of the hippopotamus is often as much as an inch and a half in thickness on the upper parts of the !■■

killed, as all round the pool festoons <>t meat were hanging on poles to dry, and a large
number of natives had been living for some time on nothing but hippopotamus-meat.
Altogether I imagine that .1 herd of at least twenty animals must have been destroyed.
Much as one must regret such a wholesale- slaughter, it must be remembered that this great
killing was the work of hungry savages, who at any rate utilised every scrap of the meat
thus obtained, and much of the skin as well, for food; and such an incident is far less
reprehensible — indeed, stands on quite a different plane as regards moral guilt — to the wanton
destruction of a large number of hippopotamuses in the Umzingwani River, mar Bulawayo,
within a few months of the conquest of Matabililand by the Chartered Company's forces in
[893 These animals hail been protected for many years by Lo Bengula and his father
Umziligazi before him; but no sooner were the Matabili conquered and their country thrown
open to white men than certain unscrupulous persons destroyed all but a very few of these
half-tame animals, for the sake of the few paltry pieces of money their hides were worth !

Gradually, as the world grows older, more civilised, and, to my thinking, less and less
interesting, the range of the hippopotamus, like that of all other large animals, must become
more and more circumscribed; but now that all Africa has been parcelled out amongst the
white races of Western Europe, if the indiscriminate killing of hippopotamuses by either white
men or natives can be controlled, and the constant and cruel custom of firing at the heads of
these animals from the decks of river-steamers all over Africa be put a stop to, I believe that
this most interesting mammal, owing to the nature of its habitat, and the vast extent of the
rivers, swamps, and lakes in which it still exists in considerable numbers, will long outlive
all other pachydermatous animals. Hideous, uncouth, and unnecessary as the hippopotamus

290 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

may seem when viewed from behind
the bars of its den in a zoological
garden, it is nevertheless true that,
when these animals have been
banished from an African river by
the progress of civilisation, that river
has lost one of its highest charms
and greatest ornaments.

ThePYGMY or LlBERIAN HIP-
POPOTAMUS is confined to Upper
Guinea, and, compared with its only
existing relative, is a very small ani-
mal, not standing more than 2 feet
6 inches in height, and measuring
less than 6 feet in length. In weight
a full-grown specimen will scale about
400 lbs. But little is known of
the habits of this rare animal, speci-
mens of which, I believe, have never
been obtained, except by the German
naturalists llerrn Biittikofer and
Jentink. When alive, the colour of
the skin of the pygmy hippopotamus
is said to be of a greenish black,
changing on the under-parts to
yellowish green. The surface of the
skin is very shiny. This species,
unlike its giant relative, does not congregate in herds, nor pass its days in rivers or lakes, but
lives in pairs in marshes or shady forests. It sleeps during the day, and at night wanders
over a great extent of country, eating grass, wild fruits, and the young shoots of trees. Its
flesh is said to be very succulent and much esteemed by the natives.

A hippopotamus, apparently of the same species as that now found in Africa, formerly
inhabited the Thames Valley. Great quantities of fossil remains of another species are also
found in the island of Sicily. The bones found in England are mainly in the river gravel
and brick earth of the south and midland districts of England. This seems to show that at
the time when the animal existed our rivers must have been open all the year, and not
ice-bound, for it is certain that no hippopotamus could live in a river which froze in winter.
Yet among the remains of these animals are also found those of quite arctic species like the
Musk-ox and the Reindeer, together with those of the Saiga Antelope, an inhabitant of the
cold plateau of Tibet. The problem is: How could these creatures, one a dweller in warm
rivers and the others inhabitants of cold arctic or sub-arctic regions, have existed together,
apparently on the same area of ground? The answer, which does not seem to have occurred
to naturalists who have discussed the question, seems to be plain enough. Any one who
knows the conditions of the great rift valleys of Central Africa has the key to the solution
of the puzzle. There was probably a very great difference in the vertical plane. Deep in
the rift was probably a warm river, while above it may have been mountains from 10,000
to 20,000 feet high, with snow on the summits and glaciers in their valleys. On these cold
and arctic height's the reindeer and the musk-ox would find congenial homes. Thousands
of feet below, in the hot and narrow valley, the hippopotamus would revel in a warm and
steamy climate. This is what actually occurs in the rift valleys of Central Africa, where
the hippopotamus swims in rivers that are at no great distance from snow-covered and ice-
capped mountains.

Ptuf b, Yorl 6- J.*] [Nuting Hill

MALE AND FEMALE HIPPOPOTAMUSES

A hippopotamus is almost inseparable from she water ; it never goes farther away
than possible from a river or lake

CHAPTER XX
THE DUGONG, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, AND DOLPHINS

HY Y. (.. Mill", I'. /. S.

The Di g< >ng \\i> Manai i i s

THESE curious creatures, which seem to have been the basis of much of the old mermaid
legend, have puzzled many eminent naturalists. Before they were placed in an order
by themseh es, 1 .inn.eus had classed them with the Walrus, Cuvier with the Whales, and
another French zoologist with the Elephants. They are popularly regarded as the cows of the
sea-pastures. Their habits justify this. I have often watched dugongs on the Queensland
coast browsing on the long grasses, of which they tear up tussocks with sidelong twists of the
head, coming to the surface to breathe at short intervals.

Omitting the extinct Rhytina, otherwise known as Steller's Sea-cow, which was exterminated
in the Bering Strait not very long alter civilised man had first learnt of its existence, we
have to consider two distinct groups, or genera, of these sirenians. The DUGONG is the
representative of the first, and the two MANATEES belong to the other.

The dugong is found on the coasts of Northern Australia, in man}- parts of the Indian
Ocean (particularly off Ceylon), and in the Red Sea. It is easily distinguished, by even
superficial observation, from the manatee-. Its tail is slightly forked, somewhat like that of
the whales: the tail of manatees, on the other hand, is rounded. The dugong's flippers, to
which we also find a superficial resemblance in those of the whale, show no traces of external
nails: in those of the manatees, which show projecting nails, there is a considerable power of
free movement (the hands being, in fact, used in manipulating the food), which is not the

Rudlanti & Sent

DUGONG

A •vegetable-feeding sea-mammal I rem the Indian Ocean and North Australian ivaten

291

292 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phut h A. S. Rudlanl &> Sent

AMERICAN MANATEE
Found in the Amatsom Rifer. The Manatees Jijfcr remarkably from the Dugong in the number and structure of their teeth

case in the limbs of the whale. The body of the dugong is almost smooth, though there are
bristles in the region of the mouth : that of the manatees is studded with short hairs. The
male dugong has two large tusks: in neither sex of the manatees are such tusks developed^
Finally, a more detailed examination of the skeletons would reveal the fact that, whereas the
dugong has the usual seven bones in the neck, that of the manatees has only six.

When we come to the Whales, we shall encounter that very characteristic covering known
as "blubber"; and, though it is present in smaller quantity, these sirenians have blubber as
well. Complex stomachs they also have, like the whales, only in their case both the nature
of the food and the structure of the teeth point clearly to a ruminating habit, which, for
reasons that will be given in the right place, seems inadmissible in the whales. In both
dugong and manatees the mouth i^ furnished with singular horny plates, the precise use of
which does not appear to have been satisfactorily determined; and the upper lip of the
manatee is cleft in two hairy pads that work laterally. This enables the animal to draw
the grass into its mouth without using the lower lip at all.

In their mode of life the dugong and manatees differ as widely almost as in their
appearance; for the former is a creature of open coasts, whereas the manatees hug river-
estuaries and even travel many miles up the rivers. Of both it has been said that they have
the water at night, and the manatees have even been accused of plundering crops near the
banks. The few, however, which have been under observation in captivity have always been
manifestly uncomfortable whenever, by accident or otherwise, the water of their tank was run
off, so that there is not sufficient reason for believing this assertion.

This group of animals cannot be regarded as possessing any high commercial value, though
both natives and white men cat their flesh, and the afore-mentioned rhytina was, in fact,
exterminated solely for the sake of its meat. There is also a limited use for the bones as
ivory, and the leather is employed on a small scale, — a German writer has, in fact, been at
great pains to prove that the Tabernacle, which was 300 cubits long, was roofed with dugong-
skin, and the Red Sea is certainly well within the animal's range.

DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 293

The Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins

Although anatomists have good reason for suspecting that all the members oftheWhale
Tribe are directly descended from river-dwelling forms, if not indeed, more remotely, from
some land animal, there is something appropriate in the fact of the vast ocean, which
covers something like three-quarters of the earth's surface, producing the mightiest creatures
which have ever lived. There should also be some little satisfaction for ourselves in the
thought that, their fish-like term notwithstanding, these enormous beings really belong to
the highest, or mammalian, class of animal Life.

One striking feature all these many-sized cetaceans have in common, and that is their
similarity of form. Though they may vary in length from 70 to 7 feet, their outline shows
a remarkable uniformity. Important internal and even external differences there may be.
A whale may be toothed or toothless; a dolphin may be beaked or round-headed; either may
be with or without a slight rujge on the back or a distinct dorsal tin; but no cetacean could
well be mistaken for an animal of any other order. It is as well to appreciate as clearly as
possible this close general resemblance between the largest whale and the smallest dolphin,
as the similarity is one of some interest; and we may estimate it at its proper worth if we
bear in mind that two species of cetacean-., outwardly alike, may not, perhaps, be more closely
allied than such divergent ruminant types as the elephant, the giraffe, and the gazelle.

\<i f< rence has already been made to the fact that the whales are true mammals, and we must
now clearly set before us the justification for separating them from the Fishes — to which any one
with a superficial knowledge of their habits and appearance would unhesitatingly assign them —
and raising them to the company of other mammals. Let us first separate them from the
Fishes. The vast majority of fishes, with some familiar exceptions like the conger-eel, are covered
with scales: whales have no scales. The tail of fishes, often forked like that of whales, is
set vertically: in whales the tail is set laterally, and for this a good reason will presently be
shown. Fishes have anal fins: whales not only have no anal fins, but their so-called pectoral
fins differ radically from the fins of fishes. Fishes breathe with the aid of gills: whales have

Photo by A. .9. Rudla«d &* Sons

N A R \V HAL
An Arctic whale, ivith one or rarely two long spears of hone projecting from the head

294 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

no gills. Fishes, in the vast majority of cases, reproduce their young by spawning, the eggs
being left to hatch out either in gravel-beds or among the water-plants, lying cm the bottom
(as in the case of the herring), or floating near the surface (as in that of the plaice): whales
do not lay eggs, but bear the young alive. This brings us to the simple points of resemblance
between them and other mammals. When the young whale is born, it is nourished on its
mother's milk. This alone would constitute its claim to a place among the highest class.
Whales breathe atmospheric air by means of lungs. Hair is peculiarly the covering of mammals,
just as scales are characteristic of fishes and feathers of birds. Many whales, it is true, have no

P hole ty A. S. Rujl.lnd <5r> Sol

GRAMPUS, OR KILLER

A carnivorous cetacean ivtth large teeth, often found in the North Sea

hair; but others, if only in the embryonic stage, have traces of this characteristic mammalian
covering. It must, moreover, be remembered that in some other orders of mammals the amount
of hair varies considerably — as, for instance, between the camel and rhinoceros.

Having, then, shown that whales are mammals, we must now determine the chief features
of the more typical members of the order. The extremities of whales are characteristic:
a large head, occupying in some species as much as one-third of the total length; and
the afore-mentioned forked, or lobed, tail set laterally. The flippers, which bear only a
slight resemblance to the pectoral fins in fishes, are in reality hands encased in swimming-
gloves. In some whales these hands are five-fingered, in others the fingers number only four,

DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 295

but many of the fingers contain mure bones than the fingers of man. In some whales we
find a dorsal fin, and this, as also the flippers, acts as a balancer. In no whale or
porpoise is there any external trace of hind limbs, but the skeleton of some kinds shqws in
varying stages of degradation a rudimentary bone answering to this description. Perhaps,

however, the most distinctive feature of whales is the blow-hole, situated, like the nostrils
of the hippopotamus, on the upper surface of the head, and similarly enabling the animal to
breathe the air without exposing much of its head above the surface of the water. The
blow-hole (or blow-holes, for whalebone-whales have two) may be said to take the place of
nostrils as regards the breathing, though perhaps no sense of smell is included in its function-.
In the Sperm-whale, or Cachalot, then- is a single (/j-shaped blow-hole near the end of the
snout. The well-known spouting of whales is merely the breathing out of warm vapour, which,
on coming in contact with the colder air — and it should be remembered that most whaling is
carried on in the neighbourhood of icebergs — condenses in a cloud above the animal's head.
I have seen many a sperm-whale spout, and the cloud of spray, often mixed with a varying
volume of water if the whale commences to blow before its blow-hole is clear of the surface,
drifts forward over the forehead. This is due to the forward position of the blow-hole. I never
to my knowledge saw a whalebone-whale spouting, but its double jet is said to ascend vertically
over its back, and this would in like manner be accounted for by the more posterior position
of the blow-holes. Having filled its lungs, which are long and of simple structure, with fresh
air, in enormous draughts that till the great cavities of its chest, the whale sinks to the
depths. There, in ordinary circumstances, it will lie for a quarter of an hour or more, but
the pain of the harpoon and the knowledge that there is danger at the surface may keep it
below for as much as an hour. When it has to breathe again, a few powerful strokes from
the laterally set tail suffice to bring it quickly to the surface. This is not the place for a
detailed anatomy of the whale, but no one can fail to notice with admiration such parts of
its equipment for tin- battle of life as the structure of its windpipe, which enables it to breathe
with comfort with its mouth full of water, the complicated network of blood-vessels that
ensures the slow and thorough utilising of all the oxygen in its lungs while it remains at the
bottom, and the elastic cushion of blubber that makes this gigantic animal indifferent to
extremes of pressure and temperature. Thanks mainly to its coat of blubber, the whale
exists with equal comfort at the surface or hundreds of fathoms below it; in the arctic or in
tropical seas.

It is not perhaps in keeping with the plan of this work that we should consider in detail
the soft parts of the whale's inside. One or two parts of its feeding and digestive mechanism
may, however, offer some points of passing interest. The complex stomach, which is divided
into chambers, like that of the ruminants already described, has suggested that the latter function

Photo bj A. S. RudUnd if Sons

SHORT-BEAKED RIVER-DOLPHIN

In this type the head is produced into a bcakj supported in the upper ..-:;.- by a mass of ivory-It ke bone

296 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

may in a modified process be performed by whales. It is, however, evident that the teeth of
toothed whales are in no way adapted to the act of mastication, which is inseparable from any
conception of ruminating, while the toothless whales have as complicated a stomach as the
rest Mr. Beddard, writing on the subject in his interesting " Book of Whales," takes the
more reasonable view that the first chamber of the stomach of whales should be regarded
rather as a storehouse in which the food is crushed and softened. The teeth of whales, the
survival of which in the adult animal offers the simplest basis of its classification under one
or other of the two existing groups, or sub-orders, are essentially different from the teeth
of many other kinds of mammals. It cannot, perhaps, be insisted that the distinctive terms
employed for these two categories of whales are wholly satisfactory. For instance, the
so-called " toothless " whales have distinct teeth before birth, thus claiming descent from toothed
kinds. On the other hand, the so-called " toothed " whales are by no means uniformly equipped
in this respect, some of the porpoises having as many as twenty-six teeth, distributed over
both jaws, while the bottlenoses have no more than two, or at most four, and these in
the lower jaw only. Only the lower jaw, in fact, of the great sperm-whale bears teeth that
are of any use, though there are smaller and functionless teeth in the gums of the upper.
The teeth of whales, by the way, are not differentiated like our canines and molars, but are
all of one character. Although, in "toothless" whales, the foetal teeth disappear with the

coming of the baleen,
or whalebone, the latter
must not, in either struc-
ture or uses, be thought
to take their place. The
plates of whalebone act
rather as a hairy strainer.
Unless we seek a possible
analogy at the other end
of the mammalian scale,
in the Australian duck-
bill, the feeding of the

Phtto h A. S. Rudland & oui.j 111 it

whalebone-whales is
SOWERBY'S BEAKED WHALE unique. They gulp in

One of the rarest of -.fhalcs. It probably inhabits the open seas the Water, full of plonk*

ton, swimming open-
mouthed through the streaks of that substance. Then the huge jaws are closed, and the
massive tongue is moved slowly, so as to drive the water from the angles of the mouth
through the straining-plates of baleen, the food remaining stranded on these and on the
tongue. The size and number of the baleen-plates appear to vary in a degree not yet
definitely established, but there may, in a large whale, be as many as between 300 and 400
on either i'de of the cavernous mouth, and they may measure as much as 10 or 12 feet in
length and 7 or 8 feet in width.

An enumeration of such whales and porpoises and dolphins as have at one time or other
been stranded on the shores of the British Isles may serve as an epitome of the whole
order. Only one interesting group, in fact — the River-dolphins of the Ganges and Amazons —
is unrepresented in the list. Whales, either exhausted or dead, are periodically thrown
up on our coasts, even on the less-exposed portions — one of the most recent examples in
the writer's memory being that of a large specimen, over 60 feet long, stranded on the sands
near Boscombe, in Hampshire, and the skeleton of which at present adorns Boscombe Pier.
It was one of the rorquals, or finbacks, probably of the species called after Rudolphi; but the
skeleton is imperfect, though its owner, Dr. Spencer Simpson, appears to have preserved some
details of its earlier appearance. It should be remembered that many of the following can
only be regarded as " British " with considerable latitude, the records of their visits being in

DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 297

some cases as rare as those of the rustic bunting and red-necked nightjar among birds, or of
the derkio and spotted dragonet among fishes.

British zoologists, however, usually include the following: — WHALEBONE-WH \i ES : Southern
Right-whale ; I tumpback ; Finbacks, or Rorquals T< >OTHI D WHALES : Sperm-whale, or Cachalot ;
Narwhal; Beluga, or White Whale ; Grampuses; BeakedWhale; Broad-fronted Whale ; (Javier's
Whale; Sowerby's Whale ; Pilot-whale; Porpoise; Dolphin; White-sided Dolphin; White-beaked
Dolphin; Bottlenose.

A selection may therefore be made of five of the most representative of these species — the
S01 mi k\ Whale, the Cachalot, the Narwhal, the Porpoise, and the Doi rinv

The Sol nil R\ WHALE, which, in common with the closely allied polar species, whaling-
crews call "right," seeing that all other kinds are, from their point of view, "wrong," is
probably the only right-whale which has ever found its way to our shores. Some writers
include the Greenland Right-whale, but their authority for this is doubtful. It is said to grow
to a length of at any rate 70 Feet, though 55 feet would perhaps be more common for even
large specimens. In colour it is said to be dark above, with a varying amount ot white
or grey on the flippers and under-surface. The head and mouth are very large, occupying
in some cases one-third of the total length, and the baleen-plates measure as much as 8 or
10 feet in length and 5 or 6 feet in width. The species has no back-fin, but there
is a protuberance on the snout, known technically as the "bonnet." This whale appears to
give birth to its single calf some time in the spring months, and the mother shows great
affection for her offspring. The HUMPBACK is distinguished from the right-whales externally
by its longer flippers and the prominence tn\ its back, and internally by the fluted skin
of the throat. The FlNNERS, or RORQUALS, have a distinct back-fin. , They feed on fishes
and cuttles, and I have more than once known a rorqual, which looked fully 50 feet long
comparing it roughly with my 24-foot boat), to swim slowly round and round my lugger,
clown on the Cornish coast, puffing and hissing like a torpedo-boat on its trial trip, rounding
up the pilchards in a mass, and every now and then dashing through them open mouthed with
a terrific roar, after several of which helpings it would sink out of sight and not again put in
3.n appearance.

The SPERM-WHALE, or Cachalot, may serve as our type of the toothed whales. It
attains to the same great dimensions as the largest of the whalebone group. A more active

/>ioro bj A. S. Rudlind &• Sons

COMMON PORPOISE

From J to i feet long. It lives in lt schools," or companies, and pursues the herrings and mackerel

298 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Ph,:c bt A. S. RudUnd&r Snn>

animal for its size could scarcely be conceived ; and I have seen one, in the Indian Ocean,
fling itself three or four times in succession out of water like a salmon, striking the surface
each time as it fell back with a report like that of a gun. No one appears to have explained
whether performances of this sort are due to mere playfulness, or, as seems more probable, to
the attacks of parasites or such larger enemies as sharks or "killers." I have also seen four
thresher-sharks leaping out of water, and falling with a loud blow on the whale's back; but
the victim lay quite still in this case, and may in fact have been worn out before we came
upon the scene. I wish to add that I took the word of the skipper, himself an old whal-
ing-captain, for their identity as threshers. The dazzling sun shone full on them, and on
the sea between, and it was impossible, even with the ship's telescope, to recognise them

with any accuracy. The
cachalot has a very
different profile from what
any one who had seen
only its skull in a
museum would be led to
expect, for the sperm-
cavity in the forehead
is not indicated in the
bones. The structure of
the head enables the
animal to drop the lower
jaw almost at right angles-
to the upper; and Mr.
Frank Bullen quotes, in
his fascinating " Cruise
of the Cachalot," the
current belief that it does
so to attract its prey by
the whiteness of its teeth
and palate. Although
both fishes and cephalo-
pods are very curious,
even to their own destruc-
tion, it is doubtful
whether the whale could
not catch its food more
rapidly by swimming
open-mouthed through

the acres of floating squid
encountered all over the
warmer waters of the ocean.
The NARWHAL, an arctic type, may be distinguished from all other cetaceans by the single
spiral tusk in the left side of tin- head of the male. Sometimes the right tusk grows as
well, and cither may attain a length of as much as 8 feet; but in the female both teeth
remain undeveloped.

Tin- COMMON PORPOISE of our own sras, distinguished by its rounded head from the
equally common beaked dolphin, is too familiar to need much description. It grows to a
length of 5 or 6 feet, and is dark in colour on the back and white beneath. Its conspicuous
back-fm is always recognisable when it gambols with a herd of its fellows; and a line
of these sea-pigs, a mile or so in length, is no uncommon sight, their presence inshore being
indicative on some parts of the coast of the coming of east wind. The porpoise, which has,

ELLIOTT'S DOLPHIN

One oj the commoner Indian species

RISSO'S DOLPHIN

About J J feet in lengthy found in almost all oceans

DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 299

its group,
jaw, is a

Phcli by A. S. RudUn.l & .S'gfw

BO I rLE-NOSED DOLPHIN
From S to </ feet ■ ngt t und from the Mediterranean to the North Sea

like many of
teeth in either
voracious feeder, preying in
estuaries on salmon and
flounders, and on more open
parts of the coast on pilchards
and mackerel. It is occasion-
ally a serious nuisance in
the Mediterranean sardine-
fisheries, and I have known
of the fishermen of Collioure,
in the Gulf of Lyons, appeal-
ing to the French Govern-
ment to send a gunboat from
Toulon that might steam after
the marauders and frighten
them away. * me of the most
remarkable cases of a feeding

porpoise that I can recall was that of one which played with a conger-eel in a Cornish harbour
as a cat might play with a mouse, blowing the fish 20 or 30 feet through the air, and
swimming after it so rapidly as to catch it again almost as it touched the water.

The 1)(M PHIN, which is in some seasons as common in the British Channel as the more
familiar porpoise, is distinguished by its small head ami long beak, the lower jaw always
carrying more teeth than the upper. It feeds on pilchards and mackerel, and, like the porpoises,
gambols, particularly after an east wind, with its fellows close inshore. There are many other
marine mammals somewhat loosely bracketed as dolphins. RlSSO'S I >< » 1 PHIN, for instance, a rare
visitor to our coasts, has a striped skin, and its jaws are without teeth, which distinguish it
from the common dolphin and most of the others. It cannot therefore feed on fishes, and
most probably eats squid and cuttle-fish. The B< itti.k-m iSEl > DOLPHIN, a species occurring in
the greatest numbers on the Atlantic coast of North America, is regularly hunted for its oil.
HEAVYSIDE'S Do I. I'll IN, which hails from South African waters, is a smaller kind, chiefly remarkable
for the curious distribution of black and white on its back and sides.

A word must, in conclusion, be said on the economic value of the whales. Fortunately, as
they are getting rarer, substitutes for their once invaluable products are being from time to time
discovered, and much of the regret at their extermination by wasteful slaughter is sentimental
and not economic. For whalebone it is not probable that a perfect substitute will ever be
found. It therefore maintains a high price, though the former highest market value of over
$10,000 per ton has fallen to something nearer the half. The sperm-oil from the sperm-whale,

and the train oil from that
of the right-whales, the sper-
maceti out of the cachalot's
forehead and the ambergris
secreted in its stomach, are
the other valuable products.
Ambergris is a greyish, fatty
secretion, caused by the irri-
tation set up in the whale's in-
side by the undigested beaks

of cuttle-fish. Its market
«... h, a. s. mi , t &• u« prjce is about ^ per ounce

HEAVYSIDE'S DOLPHIN A lump of 240 lbs. sold for

A wall, peculiarly coloured species from the Cape nearly j) IOO.OOO.

CHAPTER XXI

THE SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS

BY \\ . !'. PYCRAFT, A. I., b., f. '■■ S.

THE very remark-
able assemblage
df animals we are
now about to consider
includes many diverse
forms, bracketed together
to constitute one great
group ; and this on account
of the peculiarities of the
structure and distribution
of the teeth, which arc
never present in the front
of the jaw, and may be
absent altogether. Of the
five groups recognised,
three occur in the New
and two in the ( >ld World.
All have undergone very
considerable modification
of form and structure, and
in even' case this modifica-
tion has tended to render
them more perfectly adapted
to an arboreal or terrestrial
e x is te nc e. Flyi n g o r
aquatic types are wanting.
Whilst one great group —
the Sloths — is entirely
vegetarian, the others feed
either on flesh or insects.

'I'm. Si.' >THS
I n the m a 1 1 e r o f
personal appearance Nature
has not been kind to the
SLOTH, though it is cer-
tainly true that there are
many uglier animals — not
including those, Mich as
some of the Monkey Tribe
and certain of the Swine,
w h i c h arc positive! y
Wdeous The mode of life of the sloth is certainly remarkable, for almost its whole existence
•S passed among the highest trees of the densest South American forests, and passed, too, in

300

NORTHERN TWO-TOED SLOTH (COSTA RICA)

Thii h aho known <u Hoffmann', Slot*. The ' ' -toed" refer, to the fort limb only.

The hind foot hat three toes

SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 301

a perfectly topsy-turvy manner, inasmuch as it moves from bough to bough with its legs up

in the air and its hack towards the ground. It walks and sleeps suspended beneath the
boughs instead of balanced above them, securely holding itself by means of powerful hooked
claws on the fore and hind feet. This method of locomotion, so remarkable in a mammal,
coupled with the deliberate fashion in which it moves, and the air of sadness expressed in its
quaint physiognomy - large-eyed, snub-nosed, and earless — on which there seems to dwell an
ever-present air of resignation, led the great Buffon to believe that the sloth was a creature
afflicted of God for some hidden reason man could not fathom! His sympathy was as
certainly wasted as his hasty conclusion was unjustified. There can be no doubt but that the
life led by the sloth is at least as blissful as that of its more lively neighbours — the spider
monkeys, lor instance. Walking beneath the boughs comes as natural to the sloth as walking
on the ceiling to the fly.

The sloth sleeps, as we have already remarked, suspended from a bough. During this
time the feet are drawn close together, and the head raised up and placed between the
fore legs, as in the cobego,
which we depicted asleep on
pa ;e l ,~ >, as our readers will
remember. In the sleeping
position the sloth bears a
striking resemblance to the
stump of a lichen-covered
bough, just as the cobego
resembles a fruit. Thus is
protection from enemies
■aiiied. The resemblance to
lichen is further aided by the
fact that the long, coarse hair
with which the sloth is clothed
becomes encrusted with a
peculiar green alga — a lowly

Phmi 4. L. Midland, F.Z.S.

THREE-TOED SLOTH

A remarkable peculiarity about the three-toed sloths is the fact that they have no less than nine
vertebra in the neck, instead of ..civ/?, as is usual among mammals

form of vegetable growth —
which lodges incertaingrooves

or Outings peculiar to the
hair of this animal. Such a
method of protection is unique
amongst the Mammalia. As
tiie sloths sleep by day

and feed by night, the usefulness of such a method of concealment is beyond question.
The strange form of locomotion of the sloths renders separate fingers and toes unnecessary,
and so the fingers and toes have come to be enclosed in a common fold of skin, extending
down to the base of the claws.

The sl,,ths stand out in strong contrast to the volatile spider monkeys, with whom they
share the forest; these have added .1 fifth limb in the shape of a prehensile tail, by which
they may suspend themselves at will. The sloths, on the contrary, have no tail; they move
deliberately, and do not require it. The monkeys move by prodigious leaps, taken not seldom
by gathering impetus by swinging on their tails.

The great naturalist Bates writes of the sloth : " It is a strange sight to watch this
uncouth creature, fit production of these silent shades, lazily moving from branch to branch.
Every movement betrays, not indolence exactly, but extreme caution. He newer loses his hold
from one branch without first securing himself to the next. . . . After watching the animal
for about half an hour, I gave him a charge of shot; he fell with a terrific crash, but caught
a bough in his descent with his powerful claws, and remained suspended. Our Indian lad

302 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

tried to climb the tree, but was driven back by swarms of stinging ants; the poor little
fellow slid down in a sad predicament, and plunged headlong into the brook to free himself."

On another occasion the same writer tells us he "saw a sloth swimming across a river at
a place where it was 300 yards broad. I believe it is not generally known that this animal
takes to the water. Our men caught the beast, cooked and ate him."

In past ages gigantic ground-sloths roamed over South America. The largest of these, the
Megatherium, rivalled the elephant in size. Descendants of these giants appear to have lingered
on till comparatively recent times, as witness the wonderful discovery by Moreno, made during
the year of 1900, in a cave in Patagonia. This was nothing less than a skull and a large
piece of the hide of one of these monsters in a wonderful state of preservation, showing
indeed undoubted traces of blood and sinew. That the hide was removed by human hands
there can be no doubt, for it was rolled tip and turned inside-out. Immediately after this
discovery was announced, an expedition was dispatched from Kngland to hunt, not so much
for more remains, but for the animal itself. Time will show whether these efforts will prove
successful.

Tin-; Ant-eaters

Unlike as the ant-eaters are to the sloths, they are nevertheless very closely related thereto.
This unlikeness at the present day is so great that, were it not for " missing-links " in the
shape of fossils, we should probably never have discovered the relationship. The head of the
typical ant-eaters has been drawn out into a long tubular muzzle, at the end of which is a tins-
mouth just big enough to permit the exit of a long worm-like tongue, covered with a sticky
saliva. This tongue is thrust out with great rapidity amongst the hosts of ants and termites
and their larvae, on which the)- prey. These victims are captured by breaking open their nests.
At once all the active inhabitants swarm up to the breach, and are instantaneously swept away
by the remorseless tongue. The jaws of the ant-eaters are entirely toothless, and the eyes and
ears are very small.

1 he largest species of ant-eater is about 4 feet long. It lives entirely upon the ground.
Generally speaking, it is a harmless creature ; but at times

THE GREAT ANT-EATER

Iri walking the an ■ ■' , that the efaws turn upwards and inwards,

the weight cj the body being borne by a horny pad en the Jj/th rue, and the balls oj' the thh .
fourth t.e'

when cornered, it will fight
furiously, sitting up on its
hind legs and hugging its
foe in its powerful arms.
Bates, the traveler-
naturalist, relates an
instance in which a dog
used in hunting the GREAT
A.M'-EATER was caught in
its grip and killed. The
tail of this large species
is covered with very long
hair, forming an immense
brush. The claw on the
third toe of each fore limb
is of great size, and used
for breaking open ants' and
other insects' nests.

Hut besides the great
ground ant-eater there are
some tree-haunting species.
These have a shorter muzzle,
and short hair on the tail,
which is used, as with
the spider monkeys, as a

SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 3«3

Fhoto hi J. S '■■..;■. '-' ! • i

TAMANDUA ANT-EATER

This ipecicSj which is a smaller animal than the Great Ant-eater t lives almost entirely in the trees, instead of on the ground

fifth limb. Curled round the bough of a tree, its owner is free to swing himself out on to
another branch.

The smallest of the tree-dwelling species is not larger than a rat, and is a native of the
hottest parts of the forests of South and Central America. The muzzle in this species is quite
short, not long and tubular, as in the larger species. It is a very rare animal, or is at least
very seldom seen, a fact perhaps due to its small size. It is known as the TWO-TOED AntT-
EATER, only the second and third fingers of the fore feet bearing claws.

Von Sack, in his " Narrative of a Voyage to Surinam," tells us that the natives of Surinam
call this little animal " Kissing-hand " — " as the inhabitants pretend that it will never eat,
at least when caught, but that it only licks its paws, in the same manner as the bear; that
all trials to make it eat have proved in vain, and that it soon dies in confinement. When
I got the first, I sent to the forest for a nest of ants; and during the interim I put into its
cage some eggs, honey, milk, and meat ; but it refused to touch any of them At last the
ants' nest arrived, but the animal did not pay the slightest attention to it either. By the
shape of its fore paws, which resemble nippers, I thought that this little creature might
perhaps live on the nymph. e of wasps, etc. I therefore brought it a wasps' nest, and then
it pulled out with its nippers the riymphae from the nest, and began to eat them with the
greatest eagerness, sitting in the posture of a squirrel. I showed this phenomenon to many
of the inhabitants, who all assured me that it was the first time they had ever known that
species of animal take any nourishment."

The Armadillos

Readers of this book will doubtless have noticed long ere this how manifold arc the devices
for the purpose of defence adopted by the Mammalia. The ARMADILLOS have certainly selected
the most complete, having encased themselves in an impenetrable bony armour as perfect as
the coat of mail of the warrior of the Middle Ages. Concerning this and the variations
thereon adopted by the different members of the group we shall speak presently.

Armadillos are mostly confined to South America, and occur both in the open pampas and
the shad_\- depths of the forest. They live in burrows, which they dig with incredible speed.
These burrows are generally found in the vicinity of the nests of ants and termites, which
form their staple diet. One species, however, at least feeds apparently with equal relish upon
vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, mice, snakes, and carrion.

3«4 THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The bony armour is disposed over the crown of the head, back, and Hanks. It is made up
of numerous small, bony plates, buried deep in the skin, and each overlaid by a horny scale.
The tail is protected by bony rings. The plates covering the shoulders and those directly over
the hindquarters (use into a solid mass, thus forming chambers into which the limbs can be
withdrawn. In the region of the body, between these two shields, the plates are arranged in
rows encircling" the body, thus permitting the animal to roll itself up as occasion may require.
Hairs grow out between the plates, and in some cases give the animal quite a furry appearance.
Speaking of the burrowing powers of the armadillo, Darwin, in his most fascinating "Voyage
of the Beagle," tells us that "the instant one was perceived, it was
necessary, in order to catch it, almost to tumble off one's horse; for
in soft soil the animal burrowed so quickly that its hinder quarters
would almost disappear before one could alight. It seems almost a pity
to kill such nice little animals; for as a Gaucho said, while sharpening
his knife on the back of one, 'Son tan mansos' (They are so quiet)."
As a rule, armadillos are regarded as animals loving dry, sand}' wastes;
nevertheless, they are said to be able to swim both well and swiftly.
The flesh of the armadillo is apparently by no means unpalatable.

The Pichiciag< i
( )ne of the most remarkable of the armadillos is the Pl( HICIAGO, or
Fairy Armadillo. It is a tiny creature of some 5 inches long, found in

the sandy wastes of the western part of the Argentine Republic. The

horny covering of the bony plates is pinkish colour, and the hair is

silky in texture and snow-white. Hut it is not on this

account that the fairy armadillo is remarkable: its claim

to notoriety rests on the peculiar arrangement of the

bony plates constituting the armour. These bony plates

are small and thin, and covered, as in other species, with

a horny coat ; but instead of being embedded in the

skin, the\- are attached only along the middle of

the back, and project freely over the body on either

side, leaving a space between the shield and the

bod}-. The hinder end of the body is specially

protected by a nearly circular vertical shield, firmly

fixed to the hip-girdle. This shield, it is said, is

used as a plug to fill up its burrow with.

The Peludo
Armadillos of the normal type, wherein the body
armour is embedded in the skin, are represented by
numerous species. Of one, known as the PELUDO,
Mr. Hudson has given us some interesting details. "It feeds," hetellsus, " not only upon insects,
but also upon vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, and carrion. Its method of capturing mice
was certainly ingenious. It hunted by smell, and when Hearing its prey became greatly agitated.
The exact spot discovered, the body was raised slowly to a sitting posture, and then flung
suddenly forwards, so that the mouse or nest of mice was imprisoned beneath, and promptly
dispatched." "Still more remarkable," says Mr. Lydekker, " is the manner in which a peludo
has been observed to kill a snake, by rushing upon it and proceeding to saw the unfortunate
reptile in pieces by pressing upon it closely with the jagged edges of its armour, and at the
same time moving its body backwards and forwards. The struggles of the snake were all in
vain, as its fangs could make no impression upon the panoply of its assailant, and eventually
the reptile slowly dropped ami died, to be soon afterwards devoured by the armadillo, which
commenced the meal by seizing the snake's tail in its mouth, and gradually eating forwards."

Phcri by A. !. Rudlana £ ' Stm

TWO-TOED ANT-EATER

I h the fore feet ' ■ four , ■■ v ■ econd and third

bear claivs ; hence l hi- name " Two-toed" Ant-ea!er

SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 305

Photo by V<" k &> Son

WEASEL-HEADED ARMADILLO

The •weasel-headed armadillos have from six to eight movable bands
in the bcn\ armour in 'which they are encased

HAIRY-RUMI'KD ARMADILLO
This species, like the Peba Armadillo, 'varies its diet luith

The Pangolins

The PANGOLINS, or Scaly ANT-EATERS, are perhaps even more curious creatures than the
armadillos. Tiny have been likened in appearance to animated spruce fir-cones, to which indeed
they bear a strange resemblance. This resemblance is due to the wonderful armature of the
skin, which takes the form of large overlapping, pointed, horny plates or scales. The pangolins
are confined to the Old World, occurring in South Africa and South-eastern Asia. Like the
American Ant-eaters, teeth are wanting, and the tongue is long and worm-like, being employed
in the capture of insects, as in the New World ant-eaters.

The scales of the Mams are formed by the fusion together of fine hairs. Like the spines
of the hedgehog and porcupine, they serve the purpose of offensive defence; for when the
manis rolls itself up, these pointed scales project at right angles to the body, and offer a
formidable resistance to any enemy whatsoever. The}- also serve to break the force of a fall,
which, indeed, is often voluntary; for should the animal wish to descend from the branch of
a tree, it will often take a short cut to the ground by deliberately dropping, the force of the
fall being entirely broken by the elastic scales.

In climbing, the tail is of the greatest service, its under-surfacc being clothed with
pointed scales, which serve as so many climbing-hooks. The grasp of a tree-trunk g;,ined by
the hind legs and tail is so secure that the body can be moved to a horizontal position with
ease. In a specimen kept in captivity by Mr. Fraser, this horizontal movement was a form
of exercise which appeared to afford the greatest pleasure.

■ • ■" H

>-kiio 1, 1 . W.J ..'.., t.Z. !.]

[forth Finthltj

PEBA ARMADILLO

This species lives largely upon carrion, ivhich it buries in its burroiv
till tvantcd

Phr.o *i York B*

KAPPLEKS'

Itinung H,

ARMADILLO

This is a varie , I i'tba Armadillo, inhabiting

Surinam

306 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The Aard-vark

The custom of naming newly discovered animals after well-known forms to which they
arc supposed to bear seme resemblance, physically or otherwise, is a common one. The
animal now mulcr consideration shows tin's once more, having originally received the name
of AARD-VARK (Earth-pig) from the Boers of the Cape. The aard-vark is a must decidedly
ugly animal, and justifies its name in several particulars. It is hunted for the sake of its
hide, which is of great thickness and resembles that of the pig, hut is sparsely covered with
hairs, the general shape of its body being not unlike that of a long-headed, short-legged,
heavy-tailed pig. The whole animal is about 6 feet long. In a wild stall-, or even in
captivity, it is but rarely seen, since it is a night-feeder, and passes the day in sleep deep
down in a burrow. This burrow it digs for itself with the aid of powerful claws borne
on the fore feet. It lives principally on ants and termites, breaking down their nests, and
remorselessly sweeping up the frightened occupants with a long, stick}- tongue, as soon as
they rush to the seat of the disturbance which has broken up the harmony and order of
their community. At one time it was believed that the aard-vark was a close ally of the
pangolin, but later researches have disproved this, and have furthermore thrown doubt upon
the probability of its relationship with any of the members of this group of mammals at all.

There are two species of this animal — the CAPE AARD-VARK of South and South-east
Africa, and the ETHIOPIAN AARD-VARK of North-east Africa.

Where the nest-building ants are most common, there will the aard-vark — or Innagus,
as the Boers sometimes call it — be most plentiful. The nests of these ants are huge structures
of from 3 to 7 feet high, and often occupy vast areas of ground, extending as far as the eye
can reach. The}' are substantially built, and swarm with occupants, and consequently are
quite worth raiding. But the aard-vark has become much less common since a price has
been set upon its skin. The powers of digging of these animals are so great that they can
completely bury their large bodies in a few minutes, even when the ground has been baked
by the sun into something like adamantine hardness. In excavating their burrows, the
ground is thrown out by the fore feet, in huge lumps, through or rather between the hind
legs. Shy and suspicious, the least unusual sound will send them scuttling to earth, for their
sense of hearing is very keen. They seem to change their minds somewhat frequently, when
engaged in digging out a new burrow; for half-excavated burrows in the side of ant-hills
are very commonly met with. A full}' grown aard-vark is about 6 feet long — generally rather
more. Although this animal is frequently kept in captivity, it is but rarely seen by visitors;
owing to its nocturnal habits, of which we have already spoken.

The teeth of the aard-vark are sufficiently remarkable to justify notice here. Only the
crushing teeth are represented — that is to say, the front or cutting teeth are conspicuous by
their absence. These crushing teeth number from eight to ten in the upper and eight in
the lower jaw, on each side; but in the adult fewer would be found, the number being
reduced to five in each side of the jaws — that is to say, there are but twenty all told. In

structure these teeth

.— ■ are quite remarkable,

, v differing entirely from

those of all other
m ■* ai ma 1 s, a n d re-
sem bl ing t hose of
sonic fishes; further-
more, they have no
" roots," but instead
grow continual ly
B, ,.,*,„!.* ./«*« H.n. u an,, w„ ,,., throughout life, which

/ • \ 1 (17 A A U IA _ \ ' A U L- &

CAPE AARD-VARK

The ants upon 'which the aard-vark largely subsist! appear to be -very fattening, and impart a delicate flavour

t, the flesh, especially to the hams, tuhwh are greatly esteemed IlOt.

rooted " teeth do

Phot-} by Biltingun] [Quttntland

THE GREAT GREY KANGAROO

The massive hind limbs and tail of the animal constitute, in its characteristic resting pose, a most efficient supporting tripod

307

CHAPTER XXII
MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

BY W. b>AVILLE-KENT, F.L.S., F.Z.S.

MARSUPIALS

WITH the order of the Pouched Mammals we arrive — with the exception of the Echidna
and Platypus, next described — at the most simply organised representatives of the
Mammalian Class. In the two forms above named, egg-production, after the manner
of birds and reptiles, constitutes the only method of propagation. Although among marsupials
so rudimentary a method of reproduction is nut met with, the young are brought into the
world in a far more embryonic condition than occurs among any of the mammalian groups
previously enumerated. There is, as a matter of fact, an entire absence of that vascular or blood
connection betwixt the parent and young previous to birth, known as placentation, common
to all the higher mammals, though certain of the more generalised forms have been recently
found to possess a rudiment of such development. In correlation with their abnormally
premature birth, it may be observed that a special provision commonly exists fir the early
nurture of the infant marsupials. In such a firm as the Kangaroo, for example, the young
one is placed, through the instrumentality of its parent's lips, in contact with the food-supplving
teat, and to which for some considerable period it then becomes inseparably attached. Special
muscles exist in connection with the parent's mammary
glands for controlling the supply of milk to the young
animal, while the respiratory organs of the little creature
are temporarily modified in order to ensure unimpeded
respiration. The fact of the young in their early life being
commonly found thus inseparably adhering to the parent's
nipple has given rise to the fallacious but still very widely
prevalent idea among the Australian settlers that the
embryo marsupial is ushered into the world as a direct
outgrowth from the mammary region.

At the present day, with the exception of
the small group of the American Opossums and
the Selvas, the entire assemblage of marsupials,
comprising some 36 genera and 150 species,
are, singularly to relate, exclusively
found in Australia, New Guinea, and
the few neighbouring islands recog-
nised by systematic zoologists as

lining to the Australasian

on. What is mine, this region

of Australasia produces, with some

few insignificant exceptions, chiefly

rodents, no other indigenous

mammals n"° b *"""/*•»]

' .' . . SILVER-GREY KANGAROO

It is interesting to note that , , , ,. .

Jn general form the kangaroo* are to like one another that one pgurc would almost serve

within the limits of this isolated for all

308

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

309

and anciently founded marsupial order
we have an epitome, .is it were, of
main' of the more important groups
oi an equivalent classificatory value
that are included among the higher
mammalia previously described. In this
relationship we find in the so-called
rasmanian Wolf, the Tasmanian Devil,
and the "Native Cats" carnivorous
ami eminently predatory forms whose
habits and general conformation are
immediately comparable to those of
the typical Carnivora. The Bandicoots,
Handed Ant-eater, and Phascogales
recall in a similar manner the higher
[nsectivora. In the tree-frequenting
Opossums and 1'halangers the external
likeness and conformity in habits to
the arboreal rodents is notably apparent,
several of the species, moreover, possess-
ing a parachute-like flying-membrane
essentially identical with th.it which is
found in the typical Flying-squirrels.
An example in which the ground-
frequenting or burrowing rodents are
closely approached is furnished by the
Australian Wombat, an animal which
may be appropriately likened to an
overgrown and lethargic .Marmot. In
this form, moreover, the rodent-like
character of the dentition is especially
noteworthy. The higher grass-eating

■H

P>i.ro bj F. Landir]

[Ealing

BLACK-STRIPED WALLABY

Female with halj-groicn \oun^r in her pouch

IBirlthamsud

HE GREAT GREY

/•/ioio h< J. T. Newman]

BENNETT'S WALLABY AND T
KANGAROO
'''his photograph illustrates the relati-ve sizes of these rwo species

mammals find their counterparts
in the family group of the
Kangaroos, in which, in addition
to their essentially herbivorous
habits, the contour of the head
and neck, together with the ex-
pressive eyes and large expanding
ears, are wonderfully suggestive of
the various members of the Deer
Family. The discuses of New
Guinea and the adjacent islands,
both in form and habits, some-
what resemble their geographical
neighbour-;, the Lorises, belonging
to the Lemur Tribe, compared
with which higher mammals, how-
ever, they possess the advantage
of an eminently serviceable pre-
hensile tail. The Australian

3I<> THE LINING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

,</

Koala, or so-called " Native Bear," lias been
commonly compared by zoologists with the
Edentate Sloths; while in the most recently
discovered marsupial, tin- Pouched Mole, we have
a counterpart, in both form and habits, of the
familiar European species. Finally, in the small
American section of the Marsupialia, we meet
with .i type the so-called Yapock, or Watcr-
opossum — in which the resemblances to an Otter,
in both aspect and its aquatic habits, are so
marked that the animal was originally regarded
as a species only of the Otter Tribe.

The character of the marsupium, or pouch,
differs materially among the various members of
their order. It presents its most conspicuous
and normal development in such animals as
the Kangaroos, Wallabies, and the Australian
Opossums or l'halangers. In the Tasmanian
WOlf and the Bandicoots the pouch opens back-
wards. In such forms as the Phascogale, or
Pouched Mouse, the pouch is reduced to a few-
rudimentary skin-folds, while in the Banded Ant-
eater its position is occupied by a mere patch
of longer hairs, to which the helpless young
ones cling. On the same Incus a Hon lucendo
principle there is no trace of a pouch in the
Koala, nor in those smaller species of the
American Opossums which habitually carry their young upon their back. Even in these
pouchless marsupials, however, the peculiar marsupial bones are invariably present, and in
all other essential details their accord with the marsupial type of organisation and development
is fully maintained.

Tin: Kangaroos

The typical and most familiar member of the Marsupial Order is the KANGAROO — the
heraldic mammal of that vast island-continent in the South Seas, whose phenomenal advance
bv leaps and bounds, from what scarcely a century since was represented by but a few
isolated settlements, has been aptly likened to the characteristic progression of this animal.
Of kangaroos proper there arc some twenty-four known species distributed throughout the
length and breadth of Australia, extending southwards to Tasmania, and to the north as far
as New Guinea and a few other adjacent islands.

In point of size the GREAT GREY KANGAROO and the RED or WOOLLY species run each
other very closely. A full-grown male of either species will weigh as much as 200 lbs., and
measure a little over 5 feet from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, this latter important
member monopolising another 4 or 4', feet. The red or woolly species more especially affects
the rocky districts of South and East Australia, while the great grey kind is essentially a
plain-dweller and widely distributed throughout the grassy plains of the entire Australian
Continent and also Tasmania. It is to the big males of this species that the titles of " Boomer,"
" Forester," and -Old Man Kangaroos" are commonly applied by the settlers, and the species
with which the popular and exciting sport of a kangaroo hunt — the Antipodean substitute
for fox-hunting — is associated. The pace and staying power of an old man kangaroo are
something phenomenal. Fox-hounds would have no chance with it; consequently a breed
of rough-haired greyhounds, known as kangaroo-dogs, are specially trained for this sport.

Phtte if D. Li Sua,' 1 [A/WJ.urB

ALBINO RED KANGAROOS

Albino kangaroos and other Australian animals have been obser
to be the product of special, narrowly limited locations

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

3il

A run of eighteen miles, with .1 swim of two in the sea at the finish, and all within the
spare of two brief crowded hours, is one of the interesting records chronicled. The- quarry,
when brought to bay, is, moreover, a l>v no means despicable foe. Erect on its haunches,
with its back against a tree, the dogs approach it at their peril, as, with ;f stroke of its
powerful spur-armed hind foot, it will with facility disembowel or otherwise fatally maim
its assailant. Another favourite refuge of the hunted "boomer" is a shallow water-hole,
wherein, wading waist-deep, it calmly awaits its pursuers' onslaught. < >n the dogs swimming
out to the attack, it will seize them with its hand-like fore paws, thrust them under water,
and, if their rescue is not speedily effected, literally drown them. Even man, without the
aid of firearms, is liable to he worsted in an encounter under these conditions, as is evidenced

in the following anecdote.

A newly arrived settler from the old country, or more precisely from the sister island,
ignorant of the strength and prowess of the wily marsupial, essayed his maiden kangaroo
hunt with only a single dog as company. A fine grey boomer was in due course started,
and after an exciting chase was cornered in a water-hole. The dog, rushing after it, was
promptly seized and ducked; and Pat, irate at the threatened drowning of his companion,
fired, hut missed his quarry, and thereupon jumped into the water-hole, with the intention,
as he afterwards avowed, "to hate the brains out of the baste" with the butt-end of his gun.
The kangaroo, however, very soon turned the tables upon Pat. Before he hail time to realise
the seriousness of the situation he found himself lifted off his feet, and soused anil hustled
with such vigour that both l'at and his dog most narrowly escaped a watery grave. A couple
of neighbours, by good luck passing that way, observed the turmoil, and came to the rescue.

Pbtlt 61 W. R,tJ

TASMANIAN WALLABY

Has softer and thicker fur than its relative oj the Australian mainland

312 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Between them they beat off and killed the kangaroo, and dragged Pat to land in a half-
drowned and almost insensible condition. Pat recovered, and vowed " niver to meddle with
sui h big bastes " again.

The doe kangaroos, while of smaller size and possessing much less staying power than
their mates, can nevertheless afford a good run for horses and dogs, and are commonly known
as "flyers." When carrying a youngster, or "Joey," in her pouch, and hard pressed by the
, it is a common thing for the parent to abstract her offspring from the pouch with her
fore paws, and to throw it aside into the hush. The instinct of self-preservation only, by
the discharge of hampering impedimenta, is usually ascribed to this act; but it is an open
question whether the maternal one of securing a chance of escape for her young, while feeling
powerless to accomplish it for herself, does not more often represent the actual condition of
the case.

In proportion to the size of its body the kangaroo yields but a limited amount of meat
that is esteemed for food. The tail represents the most highly appreciated portion, since from
it can be compounded a soup not only equal to ordinary ox-tail, but by gourmands considered

so superior that its conservation and export
have proved a successful trade enterprise.
The loins also are much esteemed for the
table, but the hind limbs are hard and i oarse,
and only appreciated by the native when
rations are abnormally short. " Steamer,"
composed of kangaroo-flesh mixed with slices
of ham, represented a standing and very
popular dish with the earlier Australian
settlers; but with the rapid disappearance of
the animal before the advance of colonisation
this one time common concoction possesses
at the present day a greater traditional than
actual reputation.

The hunting of the kangaroo is con-
ducted on several distinct lines, the method
of its pursuit being varied, according to
whether the animal is required for the
primary object of food, for the commercial
value of its skin, as a matter of pure
sport, or to accomplish its wholesale destruc-
tion in consequence of its encroachments mi
the pasturage required fur sheep- and cattle-grazing.

The greatest measure of healthy excitement in hunting the kangaroo, from the standpoint
f pure sport, is no doubt t<> be obtained when running tin- marsupial down with horse and
hounds in congenial company, as referred to on a previous page. The stalking of the animal
single-handed on horseback or on fo.it, much after the manner of the deer, has also its
enthusiastic votaries, and calls into play the greatest amount of patience and savoir-faire on
the p.ut oi the sportsman It lias been affirmed by a Queensland writer, " To kill kangaroos
with a stalking-horse requires the practice of a lifetime, and few 'new chums' have the
patience to learn it. It is, in fact, only stockmen, black-fellows, and natives of the bush who
can by this method expect to make kangaroo-shooting pay." The horse which is successfully
employed by experienced bushmen for stalking purposes is specially trained to its work, and,
walking apparently un< om i rnedly in the direction of the selected quarry, brings the gunners.
if they are experts in the art of keeping themselves well concealed, within easy range. In
this manner two or three kangaroos are not infrequently shot in the same stalk, the animals
having a tendency, on hearing the .report of the gun, but not locating the direction from which

Photo hi D. L> Sou// [jVfe/Aourarf

ALBINO RED-BELLIED WALLABY

Many </ the M.n upials, including Kangaroos iitul the Opposum-ltkt

Phalangerst cxhtl>:t a tendency 10 albinism

31:

3M THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phott by D. Is Sou*/]

[Meibournt

PARRY'S WALLABY
In attitude of listening

it was discharged, to rush about
in aw aimless manner, and, as
frequently happens, in the im-
mediate direction of the hidden
sportsman. In the good old times
it is recorded that an experienced
hand might kill as mail}' as
seventy <>r eighty kangaroos in
a day by this stalking method.
The marsupials are at the present
date, however, so severely deci-
mated that even in the most
favourable settled districts a bag
of from twelve to twenty head
must be regarded as exceptional.
Stalking the kangaroo on foot
without the horse's aid is more
strongly recommended to those
to whom an occasional shot is
considered sufficiently remunera-
tive. Taking full advantage of
intervening bushes and other
indigenous cover, an approach to
within a hundred yards or so of the quarry may be usually accomplished, though not quite so
easily, perhaps, as might be at first anticipated. It is the habit of the kangaroo to sit up
waist-high in the midst of the sun-bleached grass, which corresponds so closely in colour
with its own hide that unless the animal is silhouetted against the sky-line it readily escapes
detection.

The conditions under which the kangaroo is obtained for the main purpose of supplying
the human commissariat is perhaps most aptly illustrated in connection with its chase as
prosecuted by the Australian
aborigines. In Tasmania
and the Southern Australian
States the primeval man is
either extinct or more rare
than the kangaroo. In the
extreme north and far north-
west, however, he still poses
as " the lord of creation,"
and conducts his hunting
expeditions on a lordly scale.
The food-supply of the
.Australian native is essenti-
ally precarious. I-ong inter-
vals of " short commons "
are interspersed with brief
periods of over-abundance,
in which he indulges his
appetite to its fullest bent.
A kangaroo drive on native
line; represents to tlie
Australian mind < me of these

PARRY'S WALLABY

Characteristic feeding attitude

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTRKMKS

315

last-named superlatively memorable occasions. The entire
tribe, men, women, and all capable youths, participate in
the sport. hires are lit by one section of the tribe, accord-
ing to the direction oi the wind, encircling a vast area of

the country, while the other section posts itself in detach-
ments in advantageous positions to intercept the terrified
marsupials as they fly in the presumed direction of safety
to escape the devouring element. Spears and waddies and
boomerangs, in the hands of the expert natives, speedily
accomplish a scene of carnage, and the after feast that
follows may perhaps be best left to the imagination of
the reader. The encroachments of neighbouring natives
on the happy hunting-grounds that time and custom have
conceded to be the sole monopoly of any one particular
tribe is most strenuously resented, anil constitute one of
the commonest sources of their well-nigh perpetual
inter-tribal battles.

A kangaroo battue, as carried into practice by European
settlers in those few remaining districts where the animal
is sufficiently abundant to constitute a pest by its whole-
sale consumption of the much-prized pasturage, is far more
deadly in its results to the unfortunate marsupials. Exist-
ing sheep-fences, supplemented by a large suitably en-
closed yard, are first specially prepared for the reception
of the expected victims. All the settlers, stockmen,
and farm hands from the country round are pressed into
service, and assemble on horseback or on foot at the
appointed rendezvous at break of day. A widely spreading
cordon of beaters being told off, a systematic drive is then
commenced, which results in all the animals being driven
towards and collected within the enclosed yard. The cul-
minating scene is one of wholesale slaughter with club and
gun. from these battues none of the unfortunate animals
escape, as they are so closely hemmed in.

The first record of the existence of the kangaroo, coupled with its characteristic name, is
found associated, it is interesting to observe, with the history of one of the earlier voyages of
Captain Cook. The neighbourhood of Cooktown, in Queensland, claims the honour of supplying
the first example of the animal which was brought to Europe and astonished the zoologists
of that time by the singularity of its form and reported habits. Captain Cook happened —
in July, 1770 — to be laying up his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs, after narrowly
escaping total wreck on the neighbouring Great Barrier Keel, in the estuary of the river
subsequently coupled with his ship's name. Foraging parties, dispatched with the object of
securing, if possible, fresh meat or game for the replenishment of the ship's well-nigh
exhausted larder, returned with reports of a strange creature, of which they subsequently
secured specimens. Skins were preserved and brought to England, but it was some little time
before the zoological position and affinities of the creature were correctly allocated. By some
naturalists it was regarded as representing a huge species of Jerboa, its near relationship to
the previously known American < (possums being, however, eventually substantiated. The closer
acquaintanceship with the peculiar fauna of Australia that followed upon Captain Cook's
memorable voyage of discovery along the coast-line of that island-continent soon familiarised
naturalists with many other of the allied species of which the kangaroo constitutes the leading
representative.

Phelc it D. Li Snutf, Mt'hturnt

FOOT OF TRF.F.-KANGAROO

Underside^ showing peculiar skin-con ligations and
the united second and third toes

3i6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Some considerable amount of obscurity is
associated with the prime origin of the animal's
almost world-wide title of " Kangaroo." It is
most commonly accepted as representing the
native name for the creature in that Queens-
land district from whence it was first reported
by Captain Cook. No later investigations and
enquiries have, however, in any way established
the correctness of this hypothesis, those ex-
plorers who have made a special study of the
dialects and habits of the aboriginal inhabitants
entirely failing to elicit anything even remotely
coinciding with the name in question. It has,
in fact, been reluctantly concluded by one of
the most experienced Queensland authorities
on these matters that the name originated
as i mere miscomprehension of the information
elicited from the natives Verbal communi-
cation with the native tribes under the most
favourable circumstances is liable to a vast
amount of misunderstanding, and where other
than linguistic experts are present it frequently
happens that much mongrel or " pidgin
English " gets mixed up with the native terms.
Assuming this to have been the case in the
present instance, it has been suggested that
the name of Kangaroo, or " Kanguroo," as it
was originally spelt, implied some form of
negation of the know ledge which the enquiring
white man was seeking to elicit, or, maybe,
partly even a phonetic and parrot-like repetition of the constantly recurring query that was doubt-
less current among the " handy men " of the Endeavour's commission, such as " Can you " tell
me this or that concerning the many unfamiliar objects that greeted the eyes of the new arrivals
in this strange land. The writer retains a vivid recollection of a closely analogous manner in
which the rural inhabitants of Vigo Bay, on the Spanish coast, appropriated a common phrase
used by the crew of the yacht with whom he landed there. Having evidently noted that the
two words " I say " prefaced the majority of Jack-tar's speeches, this catch-phrase was adopted
and applied by them as a greeting and as a reply to almost every interrogation in dumb-show or
otherwise that was addressed to them. An unknown animal submitted to these rustic Solons
would doubtless have been dubbed the " I say"; and had the land been a new one — say, some-
where in the South Seas — that name would probably have stuck to it. Applying this interpre-
tation to the kangaroo, and bearing in mind the fondness of the Australian native to duplicate
his name-words or syllables e. g. wagga wagga, debil-debil, and so forth — the " Kang-you-you "
or a closely resembling phonetic expression would present itself to the native mind as a much
more correct rendering of the simpler "Can you"or"Kang you" which he had picked up
as a catch-phrase from the Endeavour's crew. In the absence, at all .vents, of any more
rational interpretation of the mystery, this one would seem to merit consideration.

While the kangaroo is being speedily dethroned from the dominant position it originally

occupied in the indigenous Australian fauna, praiseworthy ami highly successful attempts have

mid. to acclimatise this marsupial in one of the English Parks, Woburn Abbey, and

elsewhere, where troops .-,f these graceful creatures may be seen under conditions of happiness and

liberty scarcely inferior to those by which they are environed in their native "bush."

Phot, by W. Saville-Ktnt, F.Z.S.

BROWN TREE-KANGAROO

This species represents the group in Ncrih Queensland

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTRKMKS

317

Of smaller members of the Kangaroo Family,
there arc some thirty distinct forms, popularly
known in Australia as \\ \i 1 VBIES, WALLAROOS,

Paddy-melons, Potoroos, Kangaroo-hares,
Kang \ i<i >< > rats, etc. The wallabies, which rep-
resent the must important group with regard
to their larger size and economic utility, number
some fourteen or fifteen species, and arc distin-
guished, with relation nunc especially to their
habitats or peculiar structure, as R.OCK-, IJrusii-
TAIL, and SPUR-TAIL WALLABIES, etc. Among
the rock-wallabies the yellow footed species from
South Australia is undoubtedly one of the hand-
somest as well as the largest member of its
group, the uniform grey characteristic of the
majority of its members being in this instance
represented by an elegantly striped and banded
form, in which the several tints of brown,
yellow, black, and white arc pleasingly in-
terblended. The successful stalking of rock-
wallabies in their native fastnesses entails no
mean amount of patience and agility. Although
these animals are so abundant in favoured locali-
ties as to make hard beaten tracks to and fro
betwixt their rock-dwellings and their pasture-
grounds, one may traverse the country in broad
daylight without catching a glimpse of a sin-
gle individual. One species, about the size of
a large rabbit, is very plentiful among the
rocky bastion-like hills that border the Ord
River, which flows into Cambridge Gulf, in
Western Australia. Efforts to stalk examples
in broad daylight proved fruitless; but by
sallying out a little before daybreak, so as
to arrive at their feeding-grounds while the
light was still dim, the writer succeeded in
securing several specimens. Many of these
rock-wallabies are notable for the length, fine
texture, and pleasing tints of their fur, their
skins on such account being highly esteemed
for the composition of carriage-rugs and other
furry articles.

Of the larger brush or scrub varieties, the
species known as the BLACK WALLABY is the

most familiar form. It is particularly abundant in the Southern Australian States, and also
in Tasmania. Its flesh is excellent eating, and, dressed and served up in the orthodox
manner of jugged hare, can scarcely be distinguished from that toothsome dish Some
of the smaller species, such as the hare- and rat kangaroos or potoroos, are, as their
names denote, of no larger dimensions than the familiar rodents from which they are
popularly named. Several of these smaller species, including notably the potoroo, 01
kangaroo-rat of New South Wales, are addicted to paying marked attention to the set-
tlers' gardens, and, being to a large extent root-feeders, have acquired a special predi

rhM by 1). Lc Sou«/] [Milbaum,

TREE-KANGAROOS

Examples acclimatised in the Melbourne Zoological
Gar Jem

318 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Fh,H <> JVi &• Sin] [Netting Hill

GAIMARD'S RAT-KANGAROO

A species named after the French naturalist, Gaimard

lection for the newly planted or
more fully matured potato crops.

The most abnormal group of
the Kangaroo Family is undoubtedly
that of the TREE-KANGAROOS, for-
merly supposed to have been limited
in its distribution to the island
of New Guinea, but which has
within recent years been found to
be represented by one or more
species in Northern Queensland.
At the Melbourne Zoo they have
been found, except in the coldest
weather, to thrive well in the open
a moderate-sized tree, with a small
fenced-in enclosure around it, being
admirably suited to their require-
ments, at the same time providing
a most instructive exhibition of their
peculiar forms and idiosyncrasies.

Seen at its best, however, the tree-kangaroo, or " boongarry," as it is known amongst the

Queensland natives, is a most clumsy, melancholy-looking beast, which has apparently found

itself " up a tree," not as the outcome of its personal predilections, but owing to the force

majeure of untoward pressure in the form either of relentlessly persecuting enemies or the

failure of its normal terrestrial commissariat. Compared with the graceful and superlatively

agile tree-frequenting phalangers, between whom and the ordinary kangaroos it has been

sometimes, but erroneously, regarded as representing a connecting-link, the boongarry

presents a most ungainly contrast. Its climbing powers are of the slowest and most

awkward description, the whole of its energies being concentrated on its endeavour to

preserve its balance and to retain a tight hold upon the r ,

branches of the trees it frequents, and to which it clings

with such tenacity with its long sharp claws that it can

with difficulty be detached. In its wild state, moreover,

these claws can be very effectively used as weapons of

defence; and hence the natives, with whom the animal

is highly esteemed as an article of food, arc careful to

give it its quietus with their clubs or waddies before

venturing to handle it. The tree-kangaroos inhabit the

densest parts of the forests or " scrubs " of New Guinea

and tropical Queensland, and appear to confine their

movements chiefly to the trees of moderate size, or the

lower branches only of the taller ones.

The species which constitutes the most natural known

connecting-link between the typical Kangaroos and the

family of the Phalangers, next described, is the Five- i ( )] 1 1

RAT-KANGAROO, or POTOROO. As its name implies, it

is a small creature of rat-like aspect and dimensions, and

possesses, like a rat, a long, cylindrical, naked, scaly tail.
It is the structure of the feet, however, that constitutes the

important distinction. In place of the four toes only to the

hind limbs it possesses the full complement of five, and the

first toe, moreover, is set farther back, and is opposable

for grasping purposes. This animal is from Queensland.

Phm h «'. Savtlit-Kent, F.7..S.

RAT-KANGAROO FROM NEW
SOUTH WALES

One of the small jerboa-like species

MARSUPIALS AND M O N O T R E M E S

319

The I'ii \i wi.kks

The Phalanger Family of
Marsupials, which next invites
attention, is constituted of
animals especially adapted to
lead .m arboreal life, though
among themselves they ex-
hibit very considerable struc-
tural variations. The species
usually placed at the head of
this group is the essentially
droll and in many respects
abnormal form known as the
Koala, or Australian
Native Bear. Its little podgy

tailless body, short thick-set
head, and round tufted ears
lend some countenance per-
haps to the ursine analogy;
but there the likeness ends.

The koala is limited in
its distribution to the south-
eastern region of the Australian
Continent, and is there found
inhabiting the loftiest gum-
trees, on the leaves and flowers
of which it almost exclusively
feeds. Compared with the
opossum and squirrel-like
phalangers, the koala is a
very slow and sedentary little
animal, remaining stationary
in and browsing upon the
leaves of the same gum-tree
for days or even weeks at a stretch. Taking advantage of this home-staying propensity,
examples are established, with full liberty to wander at will among the large gum trees, in
the Melbourne Zoological Gardens, and have never abused the confidence reposed in them by
surreptitiously absconding. The young koalas in particular make the most droll and delightful
of household pets, speedily becoming attached to and following their owners about the premises,
or contentedly settling clown to the possession of an allotted corner of the verandah, in which
an improvised perch has been erected and a constant supply of its favourite gum-leaves is daily
assured. One such example, kept in Brisbane, Queensland, furnished the writer with the material
for the photograph on this page; also of another one that illustrated in an interesting manner
the very singular attitude assumed by the animal when asleep. Instead of creeping into the
hollow trunk or spout of a gum or other tree, as the opossums and other phalangers are wont
to do, the little "bear" simply sticks tight to his supporting branch, and, tucking in his
head and cars and limbs, converts himself into an apparently homogeneous rounded mass of
fur or moss, and, thus disguised, peacefully sleeps. Seen at some little distance, in fact,
none but a trained eye could distinguish this sleeping bear from one of the round woody
excrescences or bunches of mistletoe-like parasitic growths that are of common occurrence on
the trees in every gum forest. In this way the little creature secures immunity from the

/•*»<•»,• /r. SAvillt-Ktnt, f 7..S.

KOALA, OR AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEAR AND CUB

An excellent illustration of the way in which the female koalas carry their \ . •
perched on their bach

320 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

attacks of enemies by mimicking the character-
istic peculiarities of its environment, as obtains
so generally among insects and other of the
lower orders of animated nature. A closely
analogous sleeping attitude, itmay be mentioned,
is assumed b) one of the African lemurs or
pi itti is, which have been dealt with in a previous
chapter.

Although in captivity the koala takes
kindly to a mixed diet in which bread-and-milk
anil fruit may form substanti.il elements, it
can rarely be induced to altogether dispense
with its customary gum-leaf regimen, and it
is this circumstance that mainly accounts for
its rarity in European menageries. Time and
again, however, this interesting animal has put
in an appearance at the Regent's Park; but
in spite of Kew Gardens and other sources
being laid under contribution for a supply of
gum-tree leaves, its sojourn there has been but
brief. As a matter of fact, the common or
blue gum-tree, which is alone cultivated and
available in any quantity in this country, and
which is indigenous to Tasmania, is nut the
species on which the koala is accustomed to
feed. Of gum-trees there are some hundred
species, every one differing in the peculiarity
of its aromatic scent and flavour, and having
its special clientele among the ranks of leaf-
browsing animals. So far as the writer's obser-
vations extended, it was the big Queensland
" white " and " swamp" gums that were especially patronised by the Australian bears, and these
are not grown in England.

.Although at first sight, and normally so far as the younger individuals are concerned, the
k^ala would appear to represent the most perfect embodiment of peace and goodwill among
mammals, he is accredited at a maturer age, when crossed in love or goaded to resentment
by some other cause, to give way to fits of ungovernable rage. These temporary lapses are,
however, very transient, and our little friend soon recovers his customary bland placidity.
While it is being threshed out, nevertheless, the "burden of son- " delivered by rival claimants
for a partner's favours is a remarkable phenomenon. The circumstance that the vocal duet
is commonly executed high up among the branches of the loftiest gums no doubt adds very
considerably to both the timbre of the "music" and the distance to which it is carried.
The old-time phrase of "making the welkin ring" would undoubtedly have been applied with
alacrity and singular appropriateness by the poets of the departed century to the love-song of
the koala, hail they been privileged to hear it.

Among the examples of the koala which have been in residence at the Zoo, one of
them came to a pathetic end As told to the writer by Mr. A. D. Bartlett, the late
superintendent, it appears that the little animal, on exhibition in the gardens during the
day, was brought into tin- house at night, and allowed the run of a room which, among other
furniture, included a large swing looking-glass. One morning the little creature was found
crushed to death beneath the mirror, upon which it had apparently climbed ami over balanced.
The information that the animal was a female evoked the suspicion th.it personal vanity and

Phv *. If. SaviU-Kent, F.Z S.

KOALA, OR AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEAR

The kcala has no tail, and is a stout, clumsily built animal, about 32
inches in length, ivith thick woolly Jur of a greyish colour

KOALA, OR AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEAR
These anitnah make a peculiarly plaintive , ■ v when molested in any ivay by human beings

321

322 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

the admiration of its own image in the glass had some share in compassing its untimely end.
Possibly, however, it hailed in the reflection the welcome advent of a companion to share its
lone banishment from the land of the gum-tree, and in its efforts to greet it thus came
to grief.

The female koala produces but nne cub at a time. At an early period after its birth
this is transferred to i t s mother's back, and is thus transported until its dimensions are
about one-half of those of its parent. The pair as shown in the illustration on page 355
presents, under these conditions, an essentially grotesque aspect.

It is a noteworthy circumstance that, compared with the male, the female koala is but
rarely to be observed wandering abroad during broad daylight. As with the typical phalangers
food is consumed chiefly at night or during the brief Australian twilight hours. While the
male at certain periods, more especially the months of March and April, is much in evidence
in daytime to both the senses of sight and hearing, as attested to on a previous page, the
female spends the whole or greater portion of the day clinging as an inert sleeping mass to a
convenient branch. " Bear "-shooting in Australia, as might be anticipated from the description
here given of the animal's habits and temperament, affords but sorry sport. It may further
be remarked that those who have shot at and only disabled one of these inoffensive little
creatures are scared}- likely to repeat the experiment. The cry of a wounded koala has been
aptly compared to that of a distressed child, but still more pathetic. When fatally shot, it
also more frequently than otherwise clings tenaciously back-downwards, like the South American
sloths, to the supporting tree-branch, and is thus frequently irrecoverable. With the non-
sentimental Australian furrier the koala's pelt of soft, crisp, ashy-grey fur is unfortunately in
considerable demand, being made up mostly, with the quaint round head and tufted ears
intact, into, it must be confessed, singularly attractive and warm rugs.

The correspondence of the koala in form and habits to the sloths among the higher
mammalia has been previously mentioned. The parallelism might be pursued in yet another
direction. In earlier times the small tree-inhabiting South American sloths were supplemented

by ground-frequenting species, such as the
Megatherium, which were of comparatively titanic
proportions. The epoch of the accredited exist-
ence of these huge ground-sloths was so com-
paratively recent — the later tertiaries — that it is
even yet not regarded as altogether improbable
that some existing representative of the race
may yet be discovered in the fastnesses of the
South American forests, and thus claim a niche
in the pages of a subsequent edition of
"LIVING Animals." In a like manner the little
sloth-like tree-frequenting "Australian Bear"
had his primeval ground-dwelling colossi, and
there is yet a lurking hope among enthusiastic
zoologists that some surviving scion of the little
koala's doughty forebears may yet turn up in
the practically unexplored Central Australian
wildernesses. Some such anticipations, as a
matter of fact, stimulated the hopes and aspira-
tions of the participators in one of the latest
of these exploring expeditions, which, while not
successful in this instance in obtaining so great
a prize, secured for science that most interesting
and previously unknown marsupial mammal the
Pouched Mole.

/ . ■ .7'. i ,- lllt-Kinl, P.Z.S.

SQUIRREL LIKE FLYING PHALANGER
OK VICTORIA

Tfiit animal ha% loft grey fur like thai of the chin.

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

323

The Typical Phalangers

The typical PHALANGERS, or OPOSSUMS,
as they arc familiarly known throughout
Australia, include a very considerable number

of representatives, ranging in size from that
of a small mouse to that of a full-grown
cat. All are essentially arboreal in their
habits, feeding principally on the leaves and
flowers of the various gums. They are for
the most part strictly nocturnal in their
habits, and make their homes and retiring-
places during the day in the hollow trunks
and limbs that are of such abundant occur-
rence in the periodically fire-swept Australian
forests. Almost all the larger species are
notable for the length, thickness, and ex-
quisitely fine texture of their fur, a circum-
stance for which the)- arc consequently laid
under heavy penalties for the sake of their
pelts. The island colon)1 of Tasmania, in the
extreme south, with its colder climate, as
might be anticipated, produces the finest
qualities of these furs, that of the Black or
Sooty Opossum, which is peculiar to the island,
being most highly prized. The length and
furry character of their in many instances
prehensile tails also form a conspicuous feature
of this group. Nature, in fact, apparently
distributed caudal material so over-liberally
among these marsupials that the little koala
had to make shift without.

The group of the Phalanger Family
popularly known as Fl.YlXG-snUlRRELS, or more correctly as Flving-PIIAT.axcf.RS, is almost
universally admitted to include some of the most beautiful of living mammals. In external
structure, so far as their peculiar so-called " flying " mechanism is concerned, these animals
coincide in a remarkable manner with the true flying-squirrels, belonging to the Rodent Order,
indigenous to the Asiatic and American Continents. In neither instance is there flight, in
the true sense of the term, similar to that of birds and bats, but the fore and hind limbs are
connected by a parachute-like membrane, which, outstretched when the animal leaps from tree
to tree, buoys it up and enables its owner to traverse, in a straight and gradually descending
line only, very considerable distances.

The smaller squirrel-like form common to the south-eastern districts of Australia, and
on account of its predilection for sweets commonly known as the SUGAR— SQUIRREL, makes a
most charming little pet. For the most part addicted to sleep, and impatient at being disturbed
during the day, towards sundown it wakes up, and is full of frolic. One such example was
the writer's traveling companion for a considerable interval in Western Australia. While
remaining packed conveniently away in a small box throughout the day, it was accustomed
to enjoy the liberty of whatever apartment its owner occupied in the evening and throughout
the night, returning of its own accord to its sleeping-box with the approach of dawn. On
one exceptional occasion, however, Master Tiny, as this individual was named, was missing in
the morning from his accustomed crib, and a prolonged search and examination of every

Phut by IV. Savilli.Kml, F.Z.S.

LARGER FLYING-PHALANGER

A nearly pure 'white example

324 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

corner and article of furniture that could afford shelter failed to recover him. That the
little creature was lust through some one having unwittingly left the door of the apartment
open, permitting its escape, was the only and much deplored conclusion that could be arrived
at. Towards evening, however, there was a slight rustle close at hand, and Master Tiny
was discovered emerging, like Minerva from the head of Jupiter, from the top of one
of the old-fashioned china dogs that decorated the hotel room mantelpiece. The ornament,
seemingly intact from the front, had the back of the head battered in. Through the resulting
crevice the little animal had managed to squeeze itself, having come to the conclusion, doubtless,
that this newly chosen retreat more nearly resembled the cavernous shelter of its native
tree-spout than its accustomed artificially constructed box. This singular domicile Master
Tiny was permitted to monopolise for the remainder of his sojourn at that hostelry. One of
the favourite diversions of this little phalanger during the evenings was to climb up the
curtnin and cornice of the room he occupied, and thence hurl himself through the air with
outspread parachute to the writer at the opposite end. The apartment, happening to be the
commercial room of the hotel, some thirty feet in length, gave him good scope for exercising
his characteristic flying leaps. The attitude invariably maintained during these flights is
aptly illustrated in the accompanying photograph; the body is never poisci! with the head
inclined downwards, as is commonly depicted in artists' fancy sketches of the animal contained
in popular natural histories. A friend of the writer's in Tasmania, who kept one of these
flying-phalangers as a household pet, was accustomed to leave a crevice of the window open at
night, so that the little fellow could go in and out as it liked. After the manner of most
pets, however, a day arrived upon which its box was found vacant, a marauding cat or other
disaster having apparently compassed its untimely end.

Pfc.io ky :: . ■ ■■ i, F.7..S.

LESSER FLYING-PHALANGER

. r.irg position maintained during id remarkable Jiying leaps

M ARSUIMALS A N D M ONO T R E M E S

325

The larger fl) ing-
phalanger, the dimensions
of our domestic tabby, and
with fur as long and as soft
as the Persian variety, is
less frequently domestii ati d.
It has, in fact, an evil reputa-
tion for scratching, biting,
and general untamableness.
( Ine that was kept for some
little time by the late Dr.
Bennett, of Sydney, and
brought to England, never
entirely lost its innate
savagery. On the voyage
from Australia it bei ame
sufficiently tame as to be
allowed occasionally to run
about on the deck, and was
so far amiable as to lay on
its back and permit itself to
be tickled. On attempting
to handle it, however, " it
displayed its usual savage
disposition, digging its sharp
claws and teeth into the
hands of its captor." The
writer was fortunate in being
the recipient in Queens-
land of a couple of these
large phalangers which were
exceptions to the usual rule.
These specimens — a mother
and its young male offspring
— also varied in colour from
normal examples, which
are usually dark slate or
blackish brown above and
whitish underneath. The
mother in this instance was
a beautiful cream-white throughout; and her young one, while dark chinchilla-grey upon
the back, limbs, and tail, had white ears and breast. Both were very friendly, and would of
their own accord climb over their owner's person, seeking in his pockets for hidden lumps
of sugar and other acceptable dainties. As with the smaller squirrel-like forms, they slept
throughout the greater portion of the day, waking to activity and making excursions in search
of their food as soon as the sun went down. The tail of this species of phalanger is abnormally
long and furry, but not prehensile. It was observed of them that when feeding leisurely on
the gum- tie : leaves this appendage was permitted to hang or rest loosely, but that when walking
along tlie branches they would very frequently coil this member into a tight spiral coil, like
a watch-spring or the proboscis of a butterfly, against their hindquarters. This phenomenon is
apparently unique among mammals. Although generally seeking the darker retreat of their box
for their long daylight sleep, the female, more particularly, would frequently simply curl herself

M./t hy W. SavilU-Kint, F.Z.S.

PYGMY FLYING-PHALANGER

A life-size photograph. The hairs of the tail in this animal are arranged in tivo parallel lines,
like the vanes of a bird' s feather

326 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

up into a furry white ball in one corner of
the cage, the head, limbs, or other features
being at such times altogether indistinguish-
able. The aid of the magnesium flash-light
was successfully called into service to secure
the photographic likeness of this animal, here
reproduced, which was taken while it was en-
joying its evening meal.

As previously mentioned, some representa-
tives of the flying-phalanger group are no
larger than mice, and are furnished in a similar
manner with a parachute-like membrane that
enables them to take abnormally long flying
leaps, or as it were to sail horizontally through
the air. The Pygmy FLYING-PHALANGER, whose
length of body does not exceed 2k inches, is one
of the most interesting. The tail in this form
is also adapted for aerial flotation, the long hairs
that grow upon this appendage being arranged in
two parallel lines like the vanes of a feather. Its
distribution is limited to the south and eastern
districts of the Australian Continent. There
are also a number of mouse- and squirrel-like
phalangers destitute of the flying-membrane,
which in this respect very closely resemble in
external aspect more typical members of the
Rodent Order. One form in particular, the
STRIPED PHALANGER of New Guinea, decorated
with broad longitudinal black and white stripes, is singularly suggestive of some of the variously
striped American squirrels. This interesting island of New Guinea also produces a little PYGMY
PHALANGER with a feather-like tail which, except for the absence of a parachute or flying-
membrane, is the very counterpart of the Australian kind. Another species, which in shape,
size, and more especially with reference to its long, pointed snout, closely resembles a shrew-
mouse, is found in Western Australia. The tail of this species, known as the L.ONG'SNOUTED
PHALANGER, i> highly prehensile; and it is also provided with a long, slender, protrusile tongue,
with which it abstracts the honey from Banksias and other flowers, upon which it customarily feeds.
The two large phalangers known as the Black and Grey or VULPINE OPOSSUMS, which are
chiefly laid under contribution for the Australian fur supplies, are provided with prehensile
tails, the under side of the extremity of which grasps the supporting fulcrum and is devoid
of hair. The adaptation of the tail for use as a fifth hand — as in the New World monkeys —
is, however, much more conspicuously manifested in what arc known to the colonists as tin

Ring-tailed ( ipossums, ami to zoologists as Crescent-toothed Phalangers. In these the

tail tapers to a line point, and the hair throughout the terminal third of this appendage
is so fine and short that it at first sight presents the appearance of being entirely naked.
This terminal third of the tail, moreover, in the greater number of species, contrasts with the
remaining portion by being white in hue. It occasionally happens, however, that individuals
occur which are entirely white. One such which came into the writer's possession was
obtained from the Bruni Islands, in the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania, and afterwards became
eat pet with the young people at Government House, Hobart. It is an interesting
circumstance that the Bruni Islands were noted for the production of albino animals of
various descriptions, white kangaroos and white emus having also been obtained from this
locality. Probably some peculiarity of the soil, and its action on the vegetable food the animals

rhoieh ir. Saville-Ktnt, F.Z.S.

COMMON GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER

The jut of this species is in great demand for the manufacture of
carriage-rug^

AUSTRALIAN GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER

On account of its "foxy " appearance, t/us species is also known as the fulpine Phalar.ger

327

\_Sydnty

328

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

M.I. b) If. iavilli-Kinl, F. Z.

FRONT VIEW OF GREY OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER

Displays the bare . . r- urfat t oj the prehensile tail

consumed, played an impor-
tant part in the unusally
frequent occurrence of this
phenomenon.

The ring-tailed opossums
differ essentially from the com-
mon opossum or phalanger
.mil its allies in their life
habits. While these lattei
habitually take up their abode
and bring forth their young
in hollow trees, the ring-
tailed species construct a
^^flb^ 40 M ^^fc» ncst "'" 'interlaced

*«J^H^, ■ ' A*' i£~1& n slic'<S leaves, any

-^ ^ * A JH BE other available material for

H .' 7 a their domicile. The Stl'UC-

m* ture much resi mbles the nest,

or " drey," of our own fa-
miliar squirrel, and may
be perched high up among
the tree branches or within
only a few feet from the

ground among the scrub thickets. In New Guinea a variety of these ring-tailed phalangers

occurs, not found in Australia, which has no white tip to its tail, and the ears are very short

and wide. The group as represented by this species leads to the consideration of the so-called

CUSCUSES or typical phalangers indigenous to New Guinea and North Queensland, though but

rarely seen there, which, as an exception to the Marsupial Tribe, are distributed among the

[ndo-Malay Islands as far westward as Celebes. In the cuscuses the tail is altogether naked,

and pre-eminently prehensile throughout

almost its entire terminal moiety ; the ears

are round and, proportionately, exceedingly

small; while the fur is very short, thick,

and woolly. Compared with the opossums

or phalangers, the cuscuses are very dull

and sluggish in their movements, creeping

slowly among the branches of the tree-, to

browse on the fruit and leaves which

constitute their principal diet. Like the

opossum-, however, or even to a greater

extent, they vary this vegetarian regimen

with insects or an occasionally captured bird.

Tin: Cuscuses

The familiar SPOTTED CUSCUS of New
Guinea is the most ornate marsupial
mammal. The male-,, more especially, are
as variegated in colour as a tortoiseshell i at,
their tints, moreover, closely corresponding
in hue with those of the feline. No two
individuals, however, are precisely alike in
this respect. Usually the ground-colour of the

)'< ', I/ . IVI , Ken,, F.7..S

PROFILE VIEW OK GREY OPOSSUM,
OR PH A.L VNGER
The tpouumi "re uaially shot by moonlight, as seen silhouetted ago
the sky

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

329

bai k is a dirty or creamy
white, i nterspe rsed with
various shaped blotches of
nut-brown or black ; thechin,
breast, and under-parts are .1
purer white, and the limbs
grey or reddish brown, or,
<^ shown in the photograph
over-leaf, mottled like the
body. The Black Ci scus

of Celebes is, as its name de-
notes, a much more sombre-
ly m iking animal, and is also the
largestspecies.its dimensions
equalling or exceeding those
of a large cat. The uniformly
tintedGR] n Cl SCUSofTimor,
Amboina, and other of the
Indo-Malay Islands is very
similar in size and aspect,
excepting for the half-naked
tail, to the common ring-
tailed phalanger. All the
cuscuses are of rare
occurrence in even theirmost
favoured habitats. On one
occasion the writer came
across an example of the
grey species in the scrub
forest of Thursday Island,
Torres Straits. In this
instance, however, it is
doubtful if the animal was
not an escaped pet brought
over from the neighbouring
coast of New Guinea.

Much interesting in-
formation concerning
different varieties of the
cuscus is contained in Dr.
Alfred Wallace's interesting
work "The Malay Archipelago." An anecdote of one which was brought to this naturalist
during his residence in the Aru Islands — the headquarters of the great bird of paradise — is
thus related: "Just as we had cleared away and packed up for the night, a strange beast
was brought, which had been shot by the natives. It resembled in size and in its white
woolly covering a small fat lamb, but had short legs, hand-like feet with large claws, and a
long prehensile tail. It was a Spotted Cuscus, one of the curious marsupial animals of the
Papuan region, and I was very desirous to obtain the skin. The owners, however, said they
wanted to eat it ; and though I offered them a good price, and promised to give them all the
me.it, there was great hesitation. Suspecting the reason, I offered, though it was night, to set
to work immediately, and get out the body for them, to which they agreed. The creature was
much hacked about, and the two hind feet almost cut off, but it was the largest and finest

By ptrminian o'~ S. Sinclair, Eta."] [S)dncj

RING-TAILED OPOSSUM, OR PHALANGER, AND NEST

Thii ii the only Auitralian opossum ivhtch builds a regular tiest

330 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

M.M bj W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.]

SPOTTED CUSCUS

The cuscuses are sleepy animals, -with ?r,f~t, woolly f-.tr, •which in
this species is curiously 'variegated in colour

specimen of the kind I had seen; and after an
hour's hard work I handed over the hotly to the
owners, who immediately cut it up ind roasted
it for supper."

The remarkable tenacity of life possessed by
the cuscus is fully attested to by Dr. Wallace.
1 le says : " They move about slowly, and are most
difficult to kill, owing to the thickness of their
skins and tenacity of life. A heavy charge of shot
will often lodge in the skin and do them no
harm, and even breaking the spine or piercing the
brain will not kill them for some hours. The
natives everywhere cat their flesh ; and as their
motions are so slow, easily catch them by climbing ;
so that it is wonderful that they have not been
exterminated. It may be, however, that their dense
\vool!\- fur protects them from birds of prey, and
the islands they live in are too thinly inhabited
for man to be able to exterminate them."

One of the most notable circumstances re-
specting the cuscus is the fact that it is one of
the few marsupials whose geographical distribution
extends so far east in the Mala}' Archipelago as
to be found associated with man}- of the higher
mammalia which are altogether unrepresented in
Australia or New Guinea. The Moluccas, includ-
ing notably the islands of Silolo, Ceram, Boru, and many smaller ones, for example, produce
no less than three species of cuscus, and are also the home of a species of baboon, a civet-
cat, a deer, and that remarkable pig the babirusa. One other marsupial, a little hVing-
phalanger, is likewise a denizen of these islands. It has been suggested by Dr. Wallace that
none of the foregoing higher mammals are possibly indigenous to the Moluccas. The baboon,
he remarks, is only found in the island of Batchian, and seems to be much out of place
there. It probably originated from some individuals which escaped from confinement, these
and similar animals being often kept as pets by the Malay inhabitants and carried about in
their praus. The civet-cat, which is more common in the Philippines and throughout the
Indo-Malay region, is also carried about in cages from one island to another, and not infrequently
liberated after the civet has been abstracted from them. The deer, which is likewise tamed
and petted, its flesh also being much esteemed for food, might very naturally have been
brought by the Malays from Java with the express object of its acclimatisation. The babirusa,
whose headquarters are in the island of Celebes, is only found in Horn, its nearest neighbour
in the Moluccan group. Dr. Wallace anticipates that these two islands were in former times
more closely connected by land, and that under such conditions the babirusa may have swum
across the intervening channel. Should these several hypotheses be correct, the Molucca
Islands must not be regarded, from a zoological standpoint, as an essentially Australasian or
marsupial-producing region.

The Wombats

The Wombat Family, claiming the next position in the marsupial galaxy, constitute- the
very antithesis to the light and graceful arboreal phalangers. There are but three known species,
one of these inhabiting Tasmania and the adjacent islands, while the other two are peculiar
to the southern region of the Australian Continent. In forms and gait their thick-set tailless
bodies suggest a cross between a small bear and a capybara, and as "bears" and "badgers"

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

331

they arc familiarly known by the Australian colonists. The badger simile is perhaps the most
pertinently applied with reference to their habit of excavating huge earth-burrows .is dwelling-
places, ami out of which they customarily emerge only at night to feed. The TASMANIAN
Wombat, at all events, is essentially gregarious in its habits. In the neighbourhood of
Swansea, on the east coast, it is, or was, particularly abundant, forming regular warrens among
a light undergrowth of vegetation, through which traveling on horseback is a distinctly risky
proceeding. The temperament of the wombat is peculiarly placid; and hence, as it might be
anticipated, they are essentially long-lived. One, Charlie by name, which lias been domiciled
at the Zoo for the past thirty years, is still hale and hearty, and evidently disinclined yet
awhile to immolate himself on the altar of fame as a much-needed successor to the antique
effigy which has for so long represented his species in the British Natural History Museum.
Waiting for dead men's shoes is a proverbially tedious task, and lor a coveted wombat's skin
evidently more so.

The tough hide, with its thick, harsh fur, of the Tasmanian wombat, or " badger," as it is
locally dubbed, is somewhat highly prized in the land of its birth. For floor- and door-mats and
rugs the pelt is practically indestructible; and as such, though scarcely a thing of beauty, the
special pride of the thrifts- housewife. This animal is also not infrequently made a household
pet, and will waddle as complacently as an over-fed poodle around the premises after its owner.
The wombat, like the large majority of the marsupial animals, is for the most part nocturnal
in habits, and a strict vegetarian.

The wombats present several interestingly distinct structural peculiarities. In the first
place, their teeth, which are twenty-four in number, all grow uninterruptedly throughout life,
and are consequently devoid of roots. The incisor teeth are represented by but a single pair
in each jaw, and, having enamel only on their front surfaces, wear away in a chisel-like form,
as in the beavers and other rodents. Superficially in both form and habits, as well as in the
character of their dentition, the wombats may in fact be aptly likened to some unwieldy
representative of the Rodent Order. Another structural peculiarity of the wombat is that it is
the proud possessor of two more pairs of ribs than any other marsupial.

Of the three known species, the Common Wombat of the South and Eastern Australian
States is the largest,
attaining to a length
of as much as 3 feet.
The colour of this form
is subject to consider-
able variation, being
sometimes yellow,
yellow more or less
mixed with black, or
completely black. Al-
binism, as in the kan-
garoos ami phal angers,
is of apparently rare
occurrence. The hair,
while coarse, is less so
than in the Tasmanian
species. What is known
as the IIAIRV-XOSEL)
Wombat, inhabiting
South Australia, is in-
termediate in size be-
tween the common and COMMON WOMBAT

theTasmailianVarietieS; A burrowing animal about the size of a small fig

Pheto by E. Land*

332 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

its most distinctive features are the soft and silk_\- character of its brownish hair, and its longer
and more pointed ears. The coarseness of the hair of the Tasmanian species lias been
previously referred to; in colour it is most usually a dark greyish brown, while the ears are
small and rounded.

The flesh of the wombat is somewhat esteemed for food, being regarded by some as equal
to pork, and much resembling it in flavour. The predilection of tame specimens for milk is
very strong, and it has been recorded of one animal that it was not only in the habit of
seeking out the milk-pans and pushing off the covers in order to drink the contents, but
afterwards of taking a bath in what was left.

A remarkable habit has been accredited to the wombat which invites scientific
investigation. It is said to be capable of sustaining life for an abnormally long period

under water, and that when
in the course of its travels it
meets with a pond or river
it does not attempt to swim,
but, deliberately entering the
water, walks along the bottom,
and so emerges on the opposite
bank.

The animals of Australia
living in not very remote
geological times included a
near ally of the wombat
which equalled a tapir in
dimensions.

The Bandicoots

The Australian BANDI-
COOTS— not to be confounded
with their namesake of India,
which is a big rat- — constitute
a very distinct little family
group. They number in all some eight or nine species, distributed throughout the length
and breadth of Australia and Tasmania, and found also in New Guinea. The largest member
is about the size of a rabbit ; and as its general shape, long ears, and soft silky hair impart
some slight resemblance to that rodent, it is commonly known as the RABBIT-BANDICOOT. With
the above-enumerated points, however, the likeness ceases — its possession of a moderately
long tail, pointed snout, and feet modified on a plan closely resembling those of the
kangaroo's indicating its essentially distinct nature. In a second variety, having somewhat
the same external contour, but smaller in size, the fore limbs are very short, and the
feet so modified that only two toes arc visible externally. With reference to this peculiar
feature, it is known as the PlG-FOOTED BANDICOOT. In a third kind of similar dimensions,
with harsh brown fur, the cars are comparatively short, and the snout is so abnormally
prolonged that it has been appropriately named the LONG-NOSED Bandk OOT. Superficially,
in point of fact, this and other allied species so closely resemble certain of the long-snouted
insectivorous mammals, such as the Tenrec and Solenodon, that they might be excusably
mistaken by the non-scientific for members of the same group. The bandicoots are chiefly
nocturnal, and at all events incorrigible " sun-downers," turning up for their meals when
the evening shadows fall, and taking a heavy and unwelcome toll of the farmers' potatoes,
beets, or other root crops. Like the wombat, already described, they are earth-burrowers. Some
of them, however, construct nests above-grouhd in long coarse grass or low tangled shrubs,
which are so ingeniously built in accord with their environment as to readily escape detection.

rh.it 4r f.\ LunJo'

HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT

A form peculiar to South Australia

^*^5PB

J**W*

P/iolo 4r G. W IVilitn if C«., ltd.

COMMON WOMBAT

The Wombats may be said to hold the place occupied in other parts of the world by the Badgers

333

33 4 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Insects and worms, in addition to a main diet of vegetable matter, contribute to the bandicoot's
somewhat heterogeneous menu.

The wood- and root-boring larva; of a moth which infests the Australian wattle- or acacia-
trees are a very favourite food with several of the species, and it is worthy of remark that
the bandicoots are not alone in displaying a penchant for this delicacy. Under the title of
" bardies" they are collected and highly estcrmrd fur food by the natives of Western Australia,
who eat them either cooked or raw. These larvae are, moreover, acceptable to many European
palates, and the writer has witnessed little faggot-like bundles of them brought round by the
natives to the hotels at Geraldton, Western Australia, for sale or barter to chance customers.
It may be observed in this connection that the analogous wood-boring larvae of the goat-moth,
which were kept and specially fattened for the occasion, constituted one of the dainty dishes of
the luxurious Romans.

One of the commonest species found in Tasmania is known as the BANDED or STRIPED-
BACKED Bandicoot, being so named on account of the characteristic markings of its fur. The
general ground-colour of the coat is an almost equal admixture of black and yellow hairs, the
black tint, however, prevailing on the back, and the lighter one on the sides. The hind-
quarters are, however, variegated by the presence of some three or four broad transverse stripes
that are almost entirely black, while the intervening spaces are a light whitish yellow. A
few shorter stripes are sometimes continued as far as the root of the tail, this appendage also
having a dark line running along its upper surface. The head is of a somewhat lighter tint
than the remainder of the body, while the breast, abdomen, and feet are white, slightly
tinged with grey. The transversely striped pattern of ornamentation of the hindquarters
of this bandicoot is of interest with relation to the circumstance that a similarly located
banded variegation of the fur occurs also in the Tasmanian wolf, or thylacine, and in the
banded ant-eater, described in a following section. As a colour-pattern it would appear to
be quite peculiar to these marsupials, no such restriction of the markings occurring among the
higher or placental mammals. In the South African suricate, a member of the Ichneumon
Tribe, in which the nearest approach to this dorsal banding is met with, the stripes are
equally developed as far forward as the base of the neck.

Both the banded and other species of bandicoots are extremely swift and active in their
movements, and are at the same time noted for the singularity of their gait. This consists
of a half-running and half-jumping action, induced by the peculiar structure of their feet and
greater length of the hind legs, which are modified on a plan intermediate between that of
the kangaroos and the dasyures, or native cats. The back of the animal while running being

highly arched, adds to the grotesque-
ness of its appearance. Like the native
cats, the pouch in the bandicoots
opens backwards; it is furnished
with eight teats, but not more than
two young are usually produced at
a birth.

The striped-backed bandicoot is
not infrequently adopted as a house-
hold pet, in spite of its notorious
garden depredations. When thus
domesticated, it appears to be capable
of developing a strong attachment for
its owner. One that was owned by
friends of the writer especially attached
itself to the lady of the house. It was
acquired when quite young, having
escaped from the pouch of an adult

/>*«• b) W. Savtllt-Ktnl, F.Z.S.

LONG-NOSED AUSTRALIAN BANDICOOT

Bandicoots, although larger, ha-ve somewhat the appearance of shrews

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

335

f male which the dogs had killed, and

being then about the size of a mouse.

It speedily learned to lap milk, and

throve on a diet of bread and raw

potato. As it grew larger it was

allowed tin- run of the house, and

also of the garden, but habitually

returned to the sleeping-quarters

selected by itself, and represented by

the woolly depths of its mistress's

work-basket. In this haven of rest

it slept all day, scolding and snapping

at any intruding hand. Tow aids dusk

it would waken up and bustle about

in a most energetic manner, with the

air, in fact, of having an immense

amount of business to transact within

the very shortest limits of time. Its

first dart was always towards a corner

where a supper of bread-and-milk

and potato was usually placed. This meal discussed, its evening's occupation commenced

of scampering around the room and over every accessible article of furniture. Nor was it

shy of climbing up and resting for a few seconds on the shoulders of its human friends,

being always, however, in too great a hurry to prolong the visit. Finally, as with all pets,

" Coota," as he was familiarly named, came to an untimely end — not a cat, however, on

this occasion, but, if rumour whispers true, through over-indulgence in a too liberally furnished

meal of custard pudding.

The flesh of this and other species of bandicoots is esteemed for food both by the natives
and the white settlers in Australia. It is noteworthy of the banded variety, more especially,
that the skin adheres so tightly to the flesh that its removal is a matter of some considerable
difficulty. When full grown, this species measures as much as 1 8 inches in total length,
and is little inferior to a rabbit with regard to the amount of good meat it provides for
the larder.

I'holaty K~. Savillt-Xtnl, h .'/.. S.

RABBIT- BANDICOOT

The largest of the bandicoots ; about the size of ti i

Tin: Pi h/ched Mole

A still more essentially insectivorous marsupial is represented by the little mammal
discovered only a few years since in the wild sandy wastes of Central Australia. In form
and habits it so nearly resembles the familiar European mole that the title of the POUCHED
MOLE has been very suitably given to it. At the same time, with regard to its remarkable
organisation, it constitutes the sole representative of its peculiar family group. The first
suspicions of the existence of this singular little animal were raised by the observation of
peculiar sinuous three-lined tracks at irregular intervals on the surface of the sandy regions it
inhabits.

After a long quest, with the aid of the aborigines, the first specimen was discovered
reposing under a tuft of coarse porcupine-grass. A further investigation elicited the fact that
its burrowing proclivities were much less pronounced than those of the ordinary moles, the
little creature progressing alternately over the surface of the sand, and then ploughing its
way, for several feet or yards, two or three inches only beneath the surface. All efforts
to preserve examples of this marsupial alive for longer periods than three or four days
proved abortive; for though the remains of ants and other insects were found within its
viscera, it refused to feed upon the living supplies that were provided for it. In fact, the
animal itself apparently ran the greater risk of being eaten.

336 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by A, A. Rudland & Sons

POUCHED MOLE

This animal is of a pale gulden-red colour , and about J inches long. It spends most of its

time burrowing, which it can do luith great rapidity, in the sand of the

Australian deserts in search of insects

fhttt -. IV. i . ... Kent, F Z.Si

I \!)KR SURFACE OF POUCHED

MOLE

l\vtice the abnormal size of the third and fourth

:*:s of the fore limbs, and their peculiar

scoop-like shape

Thccolour of the pouched
mole is for the most part
light fawn, varying in parts
to golden yellow. One of
its most conspicuous features,
as illustrated in the accom-
panying photographs, is the
abnormal size of the third
and fourth toes of the fore
limbs, their peculiar scoop-like
character proving of eminent
service to the animal in
its customary sand-burrowing
habits.

The Tasmanian Wolf

The remaining family of
the Australian marsupials
constitutes a parallel to the
carnivorous order of the higher
mammalia, all its members
being more or less flesh-
eaters, and having their
dentition modified with relation to such habits. One
of these (the TASMANIAN WOLF, or TlGER of the colonists,
better known to zoologists as the THYLACINE) is an animal
of considerable size. Its dimensions equal those of a wolf
or mastiff, with which the contour of its body and more
especially that of the head very nearly correspond. In
common with the true dogs, the thylacine hunts its
prey by scent. This is well attested to by the following
incident, as related by eye-witnesses. While camping out
among the hills in Tasmania their attention was attracted
very early one morning by a brush-kangaroo hopping past
their fire in an evidently highly excited state. Some ten
minutes later up cantered a she thylacine with her nose
down exactly on the track, evidently following the scent, and
in another quarter of an hour her two cubs came by also
in the precise track. While not very swift, the Tasmanian
" tigers" possess immense staying power, and will keep up
a long, steady canter for many hours on end. Accustomed
in its primitive state to run down and prey upon the
kangaroos, wallabies, and other weaker marsupial mammals
indigenous to the regions it inhabits, the Tasmanian wolf
speedily acquired a predilection for the imported (locks of
the settlers, and proved almost as destructive to them as
its Old World namesake. To check its ravages, a price
was put upon its head by the Tasmanian Government;
and this measure, in conjunction with the rapid advances
towards the complete settlement of the country which
have been accomplished within later years, has compassed
this animal's extermination in all but the wildest and

MARSUPIALS AND M () NOT R EM 1 )S

337

most inaccessible mountain districts. The colour-markings of

this animal arc somewhat striking, the grey-brown tints which
characterise the ground-hues of the body and limbs being
varied by a scries of dark bands traversing the buttocks, these
being widest in this region, and continued forwards to the
middle of tin- back. A somewhat similar cross-stripe pattern
of ornamentation occurs in the relatively small member of the
same family described later on as the Handed Ant-eater.

Examples of the Tasmanian wolf have frequently been on
view .it the Regent's Park Gardens, a very fine young male
specimen being at present located in the marsupial section.
Within a few weeks of its arrival it was on excellent terms
with its keeper, though, owing to its somewhat imperfect sense
oi vision during the daytime, it was apt to snap somewhat
promiscuously at those attempting to cultivate its close ac-
quaintanceship. That a bite from its formidable teeth is not
to be lightly risked will be made abundantly apparent by a
glance at the successful yawning pose photograph secured of
this example by Mr. Medland, and here reproduced. Although the thylacine is at the
present time entirely limited in its distribution to Tasmania, it occurs in the fossil state
on the Australian mainland; while, singularly to relate, the remains of a closely allied form
have within recent years been unearthed in Patagonia. This circumstance, taken in conjunc-
tion with the fact that many other fossil types with Australian and Xew Zealand affinities
have been discovered in the same South .American strata, has strengthened the supposition
maintained by many zoologists that in bygone ages a vast Antarctic continent, spreading
through the areas now occupied by the Southern Indian and Pacific Oceans, temporarily united
the now distinct lands of South America and Australasia.

PhoH, I., I.. Midland, I ./..%.

TASMANIAN WOLF

T/lis photograph shows the great iviJlh of
gape oj this ferocious animal

Tin: Tasmanian Devil

Next in size to the thylacine, but possessing a more unenviable notoriety for the

uncompromisingsulkinessand
savagery of its disposition,
is the animal which, in virtue
of the aforesaid qualities, is
known by the title of the

Tasmanian Devil. In shape

and dimensions this marsupial
carnivore somewhat resembles
a badger; but the head is
abnormally large, the masseter
muscles which control the
action of the powerful jaws
mi mopolising a very consider-
able share of the face area.
The limbs are short and also
very powerful, the front paws
being well adapted to its
burrowing habits. There is
some slight variation in the
colours of this marsupial
Apollyon; and, as the

Phau by I.. Midland, F.Z.S.

TASMANIAN WOLF

'i this phctcgraph are shoivn nearly all the chief characteristic points of the Tasmanian nvolf

33^ THL LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto by y

TASMANIAN DEVIL

A small, but stout and poiverful animal, very destructive, and absolutely untamable

aphorism runs concerning
his sable namesake, he is
not always so black as he
is painted. More or less
or in fact mostly black he
always is, but there is
usually a redeeming thread
or patch of white upon his
coat. This may take the
form of a small star-like
spot only on the front of
its chest, which not infre-
quently extends to a narrow
crescent-shaped band or line
continued round the neck
almost to the shoulders.
One or more supplementary
spots of white may also be
developed upon the flanks
and hindquarters.

The destructive pro-
pensities of the Tasmanian
devil, wherein the farmers' sheep and poultry are concerned, are in no way inferior to those of
the Tasmanian wolf, and in consequence of their former much greater abundance the havoc
these animals committed was the more serious. Placed, like the last-named type, under
Government ban, these native devils have, in comparison with the earlier days of colonisation,
very considerably ceased from troubling, and with the ever-progressing march of settlement and
civilisation will probably be altogether exterminated at a no very distant date. A bag of no
less than 150 of these marauders, in the course of one winter, was recorded from an upland
sheep-station some twenty or thirty years ago. In common with the thylacine, it has been
observed that the Tasmanian devil has a marked predilection for prowling along the seashore
in search apparently of crabs, fish, or any acceptable flotsam and jetsam that may be cast up
by the waves.

Examples of this most unamiable of mammals were brought in alive on several occasions
t'> the Hobart Museum during the writer's residence in Tasmania, but in all cases obstinately
resisted every attempt towards the establishment of a friendly footing. Their ultimate
relegation to the specimen-cases was, under the circumstances, unattended by any very
poignant manifestations of regret. A fact brought into prominent notice during subsequent
post-mortem investigations was the extraordinary extent to which these animals are infested
with vermin. Possibly this circumstance is to a considerable extent accountable for the creature's
unconquerable irritability. The experiment as to whether a course of disinfecting treatment,
by baths or otherwise, would not conduce towards the taming of this native devil, where .ill
other applied methods have failed, would at all events be worth the trial. The bath pure
and simple is a wonderful soporific for unruly tempers. As most schoolboys know, a pail of
water, from which the patient is withdrawn when a watery grave is apparently inevitable, is
an unfailing specific for the taming of mice and Other " small deer." Tin- writer's experience
with a villainously savage cat which one night fell incontinently into an uncovered cistern, and
was rescued by him at almost the last gasp, will not he readily forgotten. That cat, though
still a vixen to the ordinary members of the household, forthwith attached itself affectionately
to its rescuer, and would sit for hours awaiting his arrival on the doorstep when the business
of the day was over. Other fierce creatures, including the Tasmanian devil, would possibly
prove amenable to the judicious application of the " water cure."

M A R S U P I A LS AND M () N O T R K M E S

339

The Native Cats

The animals common in Tasmania and throughout the greater portion of the Australian
Continent, and familiarly known as Spotted or Native Cats, and to zoologists as Dasyi res,
enjoy also an unenviable reputation for their depredations among the settlers' hen-roosts. To
look at, these native eats are tlie most mild-mannered and inoffensive of creatures. Actually,
however, they possess the most bloodthirsty proclivities, and may be aptly compared in their
habits to the stoats, weasels, polecats, and other ( lid World carnivora. There are some five known
species, the largest being equal to an ordinary cat in size, ami the smaller ones about half
these dimensions. All of them are distinguished by their spotted pattern of ornamentation,
such spots being white or nearly so, and mure or less abundantly sprinkled over a darker
background which varies from light grey to chocolate-brown. In the commonest form, represented
in the accompanying photograph, the ears and the under surface of the body are also often
white. No two individuals, however, arc to be found precisely alike in the pattern of their

[Srdn.y

B} ptrmiision of S. Sinclair, Eiq.~\

SPOTTED DASYURES, OR AUSTRALIAN NATIVE CATS

This spirits is rather smaller than an ordinary-sized eat. All the dasyures are arboreal in their habits, and very destructive to birds

markings. The dasyures differ from the two preceding types, the Tasmanian wolf and the
devil, in being essentially arboreal in their habits, living by day and breeding, as the majority
of the Australian opossums, in the hollow gum-tree trunks, from which the}' emerge at nightfall
to seek their food. This, in their native state, when hen-roosts arc not accessible, consists
mainly of birds and such smaller marsupial forms as they can readily overpower.

The Pouched Mice

The so-called Poi'CHEl> Mice represent a group of smaller-sized carnivorous mammals which
have much in common with the dasyures, but are devoid of their spotted ornamentation.
None of them exceed a rat in size. They number about twelve or fourteen known species,
and are distributed throughout the greater part of Australia and New Guinea, and extend
thence to the Aru Islands. They are said not to occur in the extreme north of the
Australian Continent. The writer, however, obtained an example of the brush-tailed species,

340 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

here illustrated, from the neighbourhood
of Broome, in the farthest north or
Kimberley district of Western Australia.
This specimen, which was caught alive
in a rat trap, exhibited astonishingly po-
tent gnawing powers, almost succeeding
one night in eating its way through the
wooden box in which it was temporarily
confined. The habits of this species are
omnivorous, ami chiefly akin to those of
the ordinary rats, it being accustomed
to prowl round the out-buildings at
night, picking up any unconsidered tri-
fles in the way of food that may be left
unprotected.

Many of the smaller members of
this tribe are no larger than mice ; and
in one form, known as the Jerboa
P< iuched Mi iuSE,inhabitingQueensland
and New South Wales, the hind limbs
are abnormally prolonged, and the ani-
mal progresses by leaps and bounds, after
the fashion of the true jerboas, or its
nearer relatives, the ordinary kangaroos
and rat-kangaroos.

The Banded Ant-Eater

One of the most interesting from
the zoologist's standpoint, and the last on
our list of the Australian marsupials, is
the little creature, limited in its habitat
to Western Australia, locally known as the SQUIRREL. The Banded Ant-eater, with reference
to its striped ornamentation and ant-eating habits, is the name by which it is usually chronicled
in natural history works. In size and shape, except for its more pointed snout, its squirrel-
like aspect is certainly somewhat striking. Like the true ant-eaters of the Edentate Mammalian
Order, it, however, possesses a long protrusile tongue, with which it is accustomed in a similar
manner to lick up the ants which constitute its main food-supply.

The most interesting biological peculiarity of this animal is the abnormal development
of its teeth. These number as many as from fifty-two to fifty-six, and exceed the dental
formula of any other known existing marsupial. The usual colour of this interesting little
animal is a warm chestnut-brown, banded transversely over the back with white, these stripes
being widest and most conspicuous over the hindquarters. This somewhat paradoxical marsupial
possesses no pouch, the young, when first born and attached to the nipples in the manner
characteristic of ordinary marsupials, being covered over and concealed among the longer hairs
that clothe the abdominal region. In the dasyurcs, or native cats, previously described, the
pouch exists only in a rudimentary condition, its function being fulfilled by merely a few
skin-folds ; while in the " tiger" and native devil the pouch, contrary to that of the kangaroos,
opens backwards.

In disposition the banded ant-eater presents a marked contrast to that of many of the
preceding types. Caught in its native habitat, it does not attempt to bite, and soon becomes
reconciled to captivity. The peculiar nature of its diet, however, militates against its being
easily transported over-sea from the Antipodes.

Phtta by IV. Savillr-Ktnt, F.7..S

BRUSH-TAILED POUCHED MOUSE, OR
PHASCOGALE

A slender and graceful animal, the largest of the thirteen kncivn species, and
about the size of an ordinary cat

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

341

The Selva.

South America has one other marsupial —the Selva — an animal which, while possessing the
dimensions and much of the aspect of an ordinary rat, is remarkable as differing so materi-
ally in the character of its teeth and other structural points that it cannot be referred to any
existing marsupial family. < >n the other hand, this type is found to coincide in the above par-
ticulars with species hitherto only known in the fossil state, and excavated from the same ter-
tiary deposits in Patagonia which have been productive of the distant ally of the Tasmanian
wolf. It is yet hoped by zoologists that the discovery of other interesting and possibly some
supposed extinct mammals may reward the thorough exploration of the vast South American
forests. The capture in the flesh of some form allied to the huge ground-sloths, such as the My-
lodon and Megatherium, is, however, now considered to he quite beyond the pale of possibility.

MONOTREMES, OR EGG-LAYING MAMMALS.

With this group or order of the .Mammalian Class we arrive, as it were, on the border-
land between the more typical Mammals and Reptiles. In the last group, that of the Mar-
supials, it was observed that the young were brought into the world at an abnormally early and
helpless phase of their existence, and usually consigned, until able to see and walk, to a variously
modified protective pouch. With the Monotremes a yet lower rung in the evolutional ladder is
reached, and we find that the young are brought into the outer world as eggs, these being in the
one case deposited in a nest or burrow, and in the other carried about by the parent in a rudi-
mentary sort of pouch until they are hatched.

The living representatives of this singular mammalian order are but few in number, being
restricted, in point of fact, to only two distinctly differentiated family types — the Echidna or
Porcupine Ant-eater, and the Platypus. These monotremes, moreover, like the majority of
the existing marsupials, are limited in their distribution to the Australasian region. The
single species of the Platypus is only found in Tasmania and the southern and eastern
districts of the Australian Continent, wdiile the Echidna numbers some three recognised species,
two of which belong to Australia and Tasmania and the third to New Guinea.

The Echidna.

The Echidna, Porcupine Ant-eater, or "Porcupine," as it is commonly called by the
Australian colonists, would seem at first sight to represent an animal in which the characters
of the hedgehog and the common porcupine are interblended, the innumerable spines being
longer than those of the former, but less in length than those of the last-named animal. The
head, with no externally visible ears and remarkable elongated beak-like snout, however, at
once proclaims it to be altogether distinct from these. The animal has no teeth, and the
tiny mouth at the termination of the beak-like snout simply constitutes an aperture for the
extrusion of the worm-like glutinous tongue, wherewith, after the manner of the true ant-eaters,
it licks up the inhabitants of the ants' nests upon which it feeds. For tearing down the
ants' nests and obtaining its customary food, as also for its inveterate burrowing propensity,
the feet, and more especially the front ones, are provided with strong, blunt, and very powerful
claws. The male animal is in addition armed on the hind feet with a peculiar supplementary
spur, which is, however, still more conspicuously developed in the platypus.

Three distinct species of the echidna are recognized by zoologists. The one peculiar to
the cooler climate of Tasmania is remarkable for its more slender spines, the much greater
abundance of the long bristle-like hairs, and the thickness of the seal-brown under-fur, as
compared with the typical Australian form. In North-west New ( iuinea the largest and most
aberrant form is met with. Normally it has only three toes in place of five to each foot,
the spines are very long and thick, the body is deeper and more compressed, and the animal
stands comparatively high upon its feet.

342 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The writer, during his residence in Tasmania, had several examples of the local species as
domestic pets. For the first few days they were very shy and untractable, burrowing into
tin earth and seeking to escape, or presenting an impenetrable cheval de /rise of sharp-
pointed spines to the hands that sought to caress them. After a short interval, however, the
creatures became entirely reconciled to hum. in society and the small amount of restraint to which
they were subjected. They would follow their owner about the garde n, or, flattening their
bodies and spreading out their limbs to the greatest extent, lie basking in the sun close to
where he might be seated. They also apparently appreciated being carried, slung across their
owner's arm after the manner of a lap dog. Living in the near vicinity 61 unreclaimed
bush-land, it was found possible to keep these echidnas well supplied with their customary
food; they were, in fact, permitted to forage on their own account. Liberated amidst their
normal surroundings, they would walk leisurely from one ant-hill to another, tearing down
the side of it with their powerful front claws, and appropriating its living contents with the
greatest relish. It was observed, however, in this connection that the echidna paid attention
entirely to the succulent white larvae and pupal phases of the insects with which the inner
chambers of the ant-hills are customarily crowded, and that adult ants, as they abounded in
the tracts near at hand or elsewhere, were altogether neglected. In addition to this natural
food these animals were supplied daily with a saucer of either well-softened bread or porridge
and milk, for which they evinced a decided appreciation, assimilating this food dexterously,
though somewhat slowly, with the aid of their long protrusile tongues. Allowed to wander
about the house, they displayed a most inquisitive turn of mind, peering into every crevice, and
climbing upon every accessible article of furniture.

The echidna usually produces only one* egg at a time; it is relatively small, not larger
than a sparrow's egg, but equally and obtusely rounded at both extremities, and with a white
leathery shell like that of a reptile. For some time previous to hatching, this egg is carried
in a skin-fold or rudimentary pouch in the parent's abdomen, much similar to that possessed
by many of the marsupials. The young one is also retained in this pouch for some weeks
after escaping from the egg. When finally leaving the pouch, it is between three and four
inches in length, and the spines arc in an altogether rudimentary condition.

Examples of the Australian echidna have on several occasions been " in residence " at the
Zoo; while the Hon. Walter Rothschild
has been fortunate in keeping living
specimens of both this and the very rare
three-toed New Guinea variety in his
admirably appointed menagerie at Tring

The Platypus

The egg-laying mammal known as
the DUCK-BI1 LED PLATYPUS differs very
essentially from the echidna both in
aspect and habits. It is adapted espe-
cially for an amphibious life, and for
feeding on molluscs, worms, and insects,
which it abstracts from the muddy bed
or banks of the rivers that it frequents.
The somewhat depressed ovate body is
covered with short dense- fur much re-
sembling in colour and texture that of
an otter. The tail is short and flattened
like that of a beaver, but in place of
being naked and scaly, as in that animal,
is covered, on the upper surface more

l, if. Savlllt-Kt

COMMON

l, F.Z.S.

OR VIRGINIAN

OPOSSUM

The only marsupial animal found north of .Mexico

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

343

particularly, with long, coarse, bristle-like hairs that intercross one another in all directions.
Neither is this tail used, as with the beaver, as a mason's trowel, il being simply subservient
as a steer-oar. The feet arc all four distinctly webbed, the membranes oi the front feet in
particular projecting to some distance beyond the extremities <>t the claws, and so com-
municating to these members a singular resemblance to the feet ol a duck-. The head of the
platypus tapers off from the body without any conspicuous neck, and terminates in a most
ri markable duck-like beak, having at its base a supplementary membranous ferrult dike strui
which would seem to serve the purpose of limiting the distance into which the beak of the
animal is tlirust into the mud during the quest for its accustomed food, and at the same
time protecting the creature's eyes. The mouth of the adult platypus contains no teeth,
simply a few horny plates; but, singularly to relate, rudimentary teeth exist temporarily in the
young animals. These provisional teeth, moreover, correspond in a marked manner with those
of some ancient types of mammals which occur as fossils in the tertiary deposits of North
America. The platypus, with relation to the obliteration of its teeth in the adult state,
is regarded as a very exceptionally modified form and not as the immediate prototype of the
ordinary mammals.

The platypus is found in Tasmania and in the south and eastern districts of Australia
only, being altogether unknown in the west and north. Being especially shy and retiring,
and to a large extent nocturnal in its habits, it is not frequently seen even in districts where
it may be rather abundant. The animal excavates burrows of so great a length as from thirty
to fifty feet in the river-banks that it frequents, and at the extreme end of these burrows it
constructs a loose nest of weeds and root-fibres, which it uses as its retreat, and also for the
production of its eggs and young. There are invariably two entrances to these burrows, the
one being under water, and the other usually opening into a tangle of brushwood at some
little distance from the water's edge. As many as from one to four eggs and young may be
produced at a time, but two is tin: more general number. From the first it would appear
that the eggs and young are deposited and nursed in the nest, not being retained or carried
about in a pouch, as observed of the echidna.

The late Dr. George Bennett, of Sydney, New South Wales, has probably placed on record
the most detailed account of the ways and life-habits of these remarkable animals, though it did
not fall to. him to solve the much-vexed question as to whether or not they were oviparous.
This discovery, as applied also to the like phenomenon in the case of the echidna, was the
outcome within quite recent years of the researches of Mr. Caldwell. After much indefatigable

exploration, in which he was ably
assisted by the natives, Dr. Bennett
obtained from the extremity of an ex-
ceptionally long burrow a mother and
pair of half-grown y< tung. The young
ones survived several weeks, and
proved most droll and interesting pets.
In playful habits they much resembled
puppies, chasing and rolling one
another over, and pretending to bite
with their toothless bills. The}- were
also much addicted to climbing every
scalable article of furniture, including
even a tall book-case, which they
would negotiate by "swarming" up
behind it as a sweep climbs a chimney,
with their backs to the wall and their
feet against the back of the book-
case. The sleeping and waking hours

fh,t, by D. Ll S,u,r ) [MWi.urn,

FXHIDNA, OR ANT-EATING PORCUPINE

The female echidna can carry nvo eggs in her pouchy ivhich in due course are
hatched by the heat of her body

3 44 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

-Kent, F.Z.S.

TASMANIAN KCHIDNA, OR PORCUPINE ANT-EATER

This is the largest variety of the fii'C-toed species ,• it grows to a length of 20 inches, and has the fur so long as almost to conceal the spines

that both these and other examples kept were observed to be very irregular; for while usually
most lively and disposed to ramble after it grew dusk, they would at other times come out of
their own accord in the daytime, or perhaps one would ramble about while the other slept.
When going to sleep, they would roll themselves up in a perfect ball, the head, tail, and limbs
being closely folded over the abdomen.

The food question appears to have presented almost insurmountable difficulties so far
against the permanent acclimatisation of these interesting animals in any of our European
zoological gardens. At the Melbourne Zoo some considerable success was obtained by fencing
off a small pond abounding with insects and well-established water-plants for their reception,
and in this instance they had also the advantage of being brought speedily and within a few
hours of their capture to their new home. For their long voyage to Europe the provision of
an adequate quantity of living insects or other aquatic organisms is a by no means easy task.
They have, however, been known to thrive on broken-up river-mussels for the space of two or
three weeks, and would probably have done so for a longer period. This material might easily
be stored for their use on board ship.

An incident concerning the natural predilections of the platypus that fell within the writer's
observation in Tasmania might also be utilised in their experimental transportation. At the
trout- and salmon-rearing establishment on the river Plenty — of which the writer was at
the time superintendent — the platypuses proved to be most destructive to the spawn both
deposited in the hatching-boxes and upon the natural spawning-beds, or " redds," and they had
in consequence to be systematically destroyed. This being the case, it is probable that they
would be found to thrive well on a diet consisting to a large extent of the preserved roes
or spawn of any easily procurable fish — such as the Murray perch and cod — and of which
adequate supplies might with facility be stored aboard ship. The admixture in all cases of
a certain amount of sand or mud with their provided pabulum would appear to be essential
for digestive purposes, such material being always found in considerable quantities in their
stomachs when dissected.

MARSUPIALS AND MONOTREMES

3 45

A distinguishing feature which the male platypus shares in common with the echidna is
the peculiar spur developed on its hind foot. It is in this case, however, much larger and
sharper, and has been accredited with aggressive functions and poisonous properties. Ther
be little doubt, however, that they are normally used by the animal only as clasping or retaining
instruments during intercourse with the female at the breeding-season. At the same time,
undoubted cases of persons receiving severe wounds from these animals' spurs have been placed
on record. One such that fell within the writer's cognisance happened on the Murray River,
on the Victorian and New South Wales boundary. A young fisher-lad, on taking up his nets,
found a half-drowned platypus entangled in them, and, whilst disengaging it, it convulsively

Mm bj If'.

■ Kir.:, F.Z.S.

DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS

This curious egg-laying mamma!, the only representative of its family, is mainly nocturnal in hahits

gripped his hand between the two spurs, the points penetrating deeply into the flesh on either
side. The result was a festering wound that refused to heal for man}- months, and for such
time entirely deprived the lad of his use of that hand.

The fur of the platypus, dressed so as to remove the outer and longer series of hairs,
nearly resembles that of the fur-seal in both colour and texture, and as a rare local product is
highly prized for the manufacture of carriage-rugs and other articles.

With the egg-laying Echidna and Platypus we terminate the Mammalian Series, and they
pave the way to the typical egg-laying animals which follow.

INDEX

MAMMALS OF OTHER LANDS

Aard-vark, Cape, .506; Ethiopian,
306

Aard-wolf, 82

Abyssinian Cat, 73

Abyssinian Ibex, 208

Addax Antelope. 227, 2.30

/Elian's Wart-bog, 278

African Civet. 75

Agutis, 139, 140

Airedale Terriers, 104

Alexandrine Rat, 137

Alpaca. 272, 273

Alpine Ibex. 208

Alpine Marmot. 133

Altai Wapiti, 249

American Jumping-mouse, 138

Angora Goat. 20S

Angus Cattle. 188

Anoa, 195

Ant-eater. 300, 302; Banded, 337
340; Great. 302; Porcupine, 341
Scalv, 305 ; Tamandua, 303
Two-toed, 303, 304

Antelope, Addax. 227. 230; Broad-
horned, 229; Harnessed, 228,
229, 232; Indian Four-horned,
216; Invala, 230; Roan, 224;
Sable, 225; Saiga, 219, 220;
True, 213

Anubis Baboon, 17

Aoudad, 199

Ape. Barbary, 14. 15

Apes. Man-like. 1

Arab Horse. 178

Arab Mares, 177. 178

Arabian Gazelle, 220, 111

Argali. Siberian, 197; Tibetan. 197
198

Armadillo. 300. 303: Fairy, 304;
Hairv-rumped. 305; Kapplers'.
305; Peba. 305; Weasel-headed
305

Ami. 199

Asiatic Ibex. 208

Ass. I (omestic, 184
Vsses, Wild, 173

Aurochs. 186

Australian Fruit-bat, 143. 144

Australian Native Bear, 319. 320.
321

Axis Deer, 256. .
Aye-aye, 27, 32
Azara's Hog. <M

264

Babirusa, 111. 279. 330

llaboon, 15; Anubis, 17; Arabian,
17; Common, 17; Gelada, 13

Bactrian Camel, 266. 268. 269. 270

Badger. 117; European, 11/; In-
dian. 117

Baggage-camel, 268

Bamboo-rats, 138

Bandar Monkey, 14

I '..uiilcd Ant-eater. 340

Bandicoot. 138; Australian, 331;
Banded, 334; Long-nosed. .Ml.
334; Pig- footed. 331: Rabbit-.
332. 335 ; Striped-backed, 334

Bank-vole, 136

Banting, 188. 190

Barb. 178. 179

Barbary Ape, 14

Barbar'v Sheep, 196, 198, 199

Barbary Stag, 249

Barking-deer. 259

Basilan Sambar, 254

Basset-hounds. 100

Bat. Australian Fruit, 143, 144
Indian box-, 144; Javelin, 146
Kalong, 144; Leaf-nosed, 145
Malay box-. 144; Naked. 146
Pipistrelle, 145; Pointed, 146
Sucker- footed. 146; Tube-nosed
bruit-. 144; Vampire, 146; Wel-
witsch's, 146; White, 146

Bavian Deer, 256

Bay Cat. 56

Beagles, 97

Bear. 109; Australian Native. 319;
Himalayan Black. 113; Isabel-
line. 113; Malayan Sun-. 114;
Performing. 109; Russian Brown.
Ill ; Syrian. Ill

Bear-cat. 76. 115

Bearded Pig, 277

Beatrice Oryx. 224

Bedlington Terriers, 114

Beech-marten. 119

Beisa Oryx, 226

Beluga, 297

Bennett's Civet. 76

Bennett's Wallaby. 309

Binturong. 76. 79

Bison, European. 191; Indian. 188

Black-and-tan English Terriers,
1(14

Blackbuck. 220

349

Black- faced Mountain-sheep, 202

Black Horse. 183

Black Rhinoceros. 164

Black Wildebeest. 215

Blenheim Toy Spaniels, 107, 108

Blesbok, 214

I'd 1-bound. 97, 100

Bluebuck, 224

Blue Bull, 228

Blue Sheep, 200

Blue Wildebeests, 216

Boar. Senaar, 277; Wild, 275

Bokhara Deer. 250

Bonnet Macacme. 14. 17

Bontebok, 214

Border Leicester Sheep, 203

Borzoi. 97

Boseh-vark, 278

Bottle-nosed Dolphin. 297. 299

Brindled Gnu, 215, 216

British Goat, 206

Broad-horned Antelope, 229

Brocket, 263

Brown Bear, European, 110

Brown Rat, 137

Bubaline Hartebeests, 213

Buffalo. 191; African, 192; Cape,
192, 194; Congo, 192, 193; In-
dian, 193, 194; Water-, 193

Bull-dogs. 101. 103

Bull-terriers, 104

Burchell's Zebra. 167. 169. 170,
171, 172

Burhal, 200

Burme e Civet, 75

Bushback, Cape, 229; Cumming's.
229; Decula. 229

Bush-pig, Edwards'. 279; South
African. 278; West African.
278

Butterfly-dog. 105

Cachalot. 297

Calamianes Deer, 256

Calling-hares. 141

Camel. Arabian. 266. 268; Bac-
trian, 268. 269. 270; Baggace-.
268; Pack-. 267; True. 266. 267.
268

Camel Tribe, 266

Canadian Lynx. 63, 64

Cape Aard-vark, 306

Cape Buffalo. 192, 194

350

I N D E X

Cape Bushbuck, 229

Cape Giraffe, 239

Cape Hunting-dog, 92. 94

( ape Jumping-hare, 135, 138

Cape Zorilla, 117

Capuchin Monkeys. 20. 22, 2.5

Capyhara. 130, 141

Caracal. 62

Cart-horses, 183

Caspian Red Deer. 249

Cat. Hay. 56; Black. 70; Blue, 71;
Blue Long-haired, 69, 72; Blue
Persian. 69, 72; Bun Short-
haired. 73; Bunny. 73; Do-
mestic. 68; Egyptian Fettered,
57; Eyra. 56; Fishing-, 54; Geof-
fray's. 54; Golden, 55; lungle-,
57; Kaffir, 56. 57; Lemur. 2" ;
Long-haired Chinchilla. 73 ;
Long-haired Orange. 71 ; Long-
haired Tabby, 69; Mackerel-
marked Tabby. 69; Manx. 73;
Marbjed. 54; Mottled. 54; Musi-
cal, 70; Non-retractile-clawed.
66 ; Orange Tabby, 69 ; Pallas',
56; Rusty-spotted. 56; Short-
haired Tabby. 71 ; Siamese. 72 ;
Siamese Royal. 73; Silyer Per-
sian. 69, 72; Silver Tabby, 70;
Smoke and Blue Long-haired,
69 ; Smoke Long-haired, 69, 73 ;
Smoke Persian, 69; Ticked
Short-haired, 73; Tortoise Shell,
68; White. 70; White Long-
haired. 68; White Short-haired,
68

Cat Tribe, 53

Cattle, Angus, 188; Brittany, 187;
Devon, 188; Domesticated. 187;
Dutch, 187; English Park-, 185.
186; Hereford. 188; Humped,
188. 190. 191 ; Jersey. 187; Long-
horn. 188; Shorthorn. 187;
Spanish. 187; Sussex, 188;
Welsh, 188

Caw, Restless, 140; Patagonian,
140, 141

Celebes Pig, 277

Ceram Pig, 277

Chacma. 15, 20, 21

Chaus. African, 57

Cheeta. 49. 65. 67; A hooded. 66

Cherrotains, 266, 273

( 'hilian Guemal, 263

Chilian Pudu. 263

Chimpanzee, Bald, 1 ; True. 1

Chinchilla. 139, 140; Short-tailed,
140

Chinese Muntjac. 259

Chipmunks. Asiatic, 132

Chirogales, 30

Chital Deer. 256, 264

Chows, 106

Civet, African, 75. 76; Bennett's.
7d ; Burmese, 75; Indian. 75;
Javan, 75; Large Indian. 74;
Malabar, 75; Sumatran, 76

Cleveland Bay, 183

Clumber Spaniels, 100

( lydesdale, 183

Coatis. 115

( obego, 14.1 146. 147. 148

( ,« I,, ... ino

Collared Peccary, 280

( ollared Pig, 277

Colliev Rough, 102

( ■ .Hi. - Smooth, 102

i , 159

( ongo Buffalo. 192, 193
Coquerel's Lemur, 29. 30
Cotswold Sheep, 203
Coypu, 136, 139
Cumming's Bushbuck, _'_"'
Cuscus, Black, 329; Grey, 329;

Spotted, 328, 330
Cusimanses, 78
Cuvier"s Whale. 297

Dachshunds. 100. 101

Dalmatians, 102. 103

I lama Gazelle, 221

Dandie Dinmont Terriers, 106

Danes, Great, 100, 101

I >artmoor Pony, 18.?

1 (asyures, 339

I »ecula Bushbuck, 229

Deer, Axis, 25(<. 257. 264; Bark-
ing-, 259; Bavian, 256; Bokhara,
250; Brow-antlered. 259; Cala-
mianes, 256; Chinese Water-,
256, 260; Chital, 256. 264; Dy-
bowski's. 251 ; Eld's, 259; Fallow,
251 ; Himalayan Musk-, 263. 265 ;
Hog-, 256; Indian Spotted. 256;
Japanese, 250, 264; Marsh-, 263,
264; Michie's Tufted. 260; Pam-
pas-, 263; Pere David's, 261, 262;
Philippine Spotted, 256; Prince
Alfred's, 256; Red, 247, 264;
Rib- faced, 259; Roe. 259, 260;
Rusine, 252; Schomburgk's, 259;
Spotted. 250; Swinhoe's, 254;
Thamin, 259; Tibetan Tufted.
260; Typical. 252. 256

Deer Tribe. 245

Defassa Waterbuck, 219

Derbian Eland. 236

Desmans, 149

Devon Cattle, 188

Diana Monkey, 12, 15

Dibatag. 223

Dik-diks. 216

Dingo. 92. 93, 94

Dinoneys. 140

Diving-pigs, 276. 277

Dog. Azara's, 94; Domestic, 97;
Sand-, 106. 108; Wild, 92

Dog Family, 83

Dolphin, 297; Bottle-nosed, 297.
299; Elliott's. 298; Heavvside's.
299; Risso's, 298, 299; Short-
beaked River-. 295; White-
beaked, 297; White-sided, 297

Donkey, 183; Egyptian. 184

Dorcas Gazelle. 222

Dormice. 134

Dorsal Squirrel. 132

Drill. 18, 22

1 In imedary, 267. 268

I lugong, 291

Duikers. 216; Common, 216; Red-
flanked. 215

Dybowski's Deer, 251

Eared Seals. 120

Echidna, 341, 342. 343. 344; Ecua-
dor Pudu, 263
Edmi Gazelle, 222
Egyptian Lettered Cat. 57
Egj ptian Mi mgi « >se, 78

[•'.land. Common, 2.54; Derbian,
236

Eld's Deer. 259

Elephant, 150; African. 150, 156,
157: Asiatic. 150; Female In-
dian, dragging teak. 154; Tim-
ber-. 153; Young Indian. 151,
152

Elephant-seals, 126

Elk. Irish, 252

Elliott's Dolphin, 298

Entellus Monkey. 10

Eryocks (Chimpanzee), 1

Ethiopian Aard-vark, 306

Ethiopian Spring Squirrels. 133

European Badger, 117

European Bison. 191

Kuropean Goat. 205

European Lynx, 64

European Roe Deer, 258. 260

Exmoor Pony, 183

Eyra Cat, 56

fairy Armadillo. 304

fallow Deer. Common. 251 ; Meso-

potamian. 252
Fat-tailed Sheep. 199. 201
Fennec, 96; Common. 96
Ferret, 119
Ferret-badger, 117
Field-vole. Short-tailed. 136
Finback. Whales. 297
Fish-eating Rats, 135
Fishing-cat, 53

Florizel II.. The Race-horse, 180
Flower-nosed Bat, 145
Flying-fox, Australian. 14.5
Flying-phalangers, 323
Flying-squirrels. 130. 323
Formosan Macaque. 14
Formosan Pig. 277
Formosan Sambar, 254
Formosan Sika, 251, 253
Fossa, 27, 74

l-our-horned Antelope. 216
Four-horned Sheep. 200
Fox, Common, 95; Leicestershire

96; Mountain-. 96; Silver, ''<>
Fox-bat, Indian. 144; Malay. 144
Fox-hound, 97
Fruit-bat, Australian. 143, 144:

Tube-nosed, 144
Fur-seal. 121; Cape, 122; New

Zealand, 122; Northern, 121;

Southern, 122

Gaimard's Rat-kangaroo. 318
Galago, Garnett's, 30; Maholi, 30

Garnett's Galago, 30

Gaur, 188

(.aval. 188. 189,_190

( iaze-hounds, 97

Gazelle. Arabian. 220. 222; Dam.i.
221; Dorcas. 222; Edmi, 222:
Goitred. 221; Grant's. 221. 222:
Heuglin's, 221; Indian. 222;
Isabella. 221; Lodcr's, 222: Ma-
rica. 222; Mhorr, 221; Mongoli-
an, 221: Muscat. 222; Pelzeln's,
221; Persian. 221; Peters'. 222;
Red-fronted. 221, 223; Red-
necked. 221; Soemmerring's,
221; Speke's. 221. 222; Thom-
son's. 222

I N D E X

351

Gelada Baboon, 13

Gemsbuck, 22ii

Genet. Common, 75. 77

Geoffray's Cat, 54

Gerbils, 154

Gerenuk, 223, 22<>

<,iIiIm.„. 8; \gilc. <>: Silvery, 9;
White-handed 8, 9

Giraffe Northern, 239; Nubian,
238: Southern, 237, 238, 239

Gnawing Mammals, 130

Gnu, Brindled, 215, 216; White-
bearded, 216; White-tailed, 21

Goat, 205; Vngora. 205; British,
206; Europi an, 205; Italian. 211 :
Schwartzals, 208; Toggenburg,
207; Wild, 207

i iolden ( 'at. 55

< iolden Marmot, 133

Golden Mole, 14"

Gordon Setters, 98

I li 11 ilia, 4

Grampus, 294. 297
Grant's Gazelle, 222, 226
Graphiures, 134

Great Danes. 100, KM

Grevy's Zebra, 167, 168

Greyhound, "7. 98; Italian. 108

Griffons Brusselois, 108

Grivet Monkey, 14. 17

Guanaco, 271

Guemal, Chilian, 263: Peruvian,

263
Guenons, 12
Guereza, 12; Mantled. 14

Hackney. 179
Hair-seals. 122
Hamsters, 154
Hardwicke's Hemigale. 76
Hare. Cape Jumping-, 135; Com-
mon, 141 ; Mountain-, 141

I I are-kangaroo. 317
Hare-skin Monkey, 26
Harp-seal. 125. 128
Harriers. 97

Hartebeests, 213: Bubaline, 213

Harvest-mouse. 137

Heavvside's Dolphin. 299

Hedgehogs, 147. 148

Hemigale. Hardwicke's, 76

Hereford Cattle. 188

Heuglin's Gazelle. 221

Himalayan Black Bear, 113

Himalayan Marmot, 133

Hinny, 184

Hippopotamus, Baby, 285; Com-
mon, 282. 289; Dental operations
on a, 286. 287; Liberian. 290;
Pygmy, 290

Hippopotamus drinking, 283

Hippopotamuses bathing, 284

Hog-deer, 254. 256; Red, 259

I log, Pygmy, 276

Hollow-horned Ruminants, 185

Horse. Domesticated, 175: Levant,
180; London Dray-, 176; Per-
sian. 180

Horse Tribe. 167

House-mouse, 137

Howler Monkeys. 22, 23

Hulock. 9

Humpback Whale. 297

Humped Cattle, 188. 190. 191

Hunter, 183

Hunting-leopard. 66

Hutia, 157. 139

Hyaena, Brown, 81; Laughing-, 81 ;

Spotted, 81 ; Striped. 82
Hyrax, 159

Ibex. 208: Abyssinian. 208; Al-
pine. 208. 200; Arabian. 208;
Asiatic, 208; Nilgiri, 210

lmpala, 218

Indian Bison, 188

Indian Civet, 75

Indian Mongoose, 77

Indian Muntjac, 259

Indian Sloth-bear. 1 12

Indian Spotted I leer. 25d. 257

tndri, Black, 29; Black-and-white,
28; Woolly, 29

[nsectivora, 147

Invala Antelope, 230

Irish Elk, 252

Irish Setters, 98

Irish Terriers, 104

Irish Wdlf-hounds, 97

Isabella Cazclle. 221

tsabelline Bear, 113

Italian Goat, 211

Italian Greyhounds, 108

fackal, Black-backed, 90; Indian,
90; North African, 90; Side-
striped, 90; Striped, 90; Turkish,
91

Jaguar, 50

Japanese Deer, 250, 264

Japanese Macaque. 14

Japanese Masked Pig, 277

Japanese Spaniels, 107

J ay an Civet, 75

Javan Sambar, 254

Javelin-bats, 146

Jenny, the Chimpanzee. 2

lerboa, Long-eared, 135; Pouched
Mouse, 340; True, 138

Jersey Cow, 187

Jumping-shrews, 147

Jungle-cat, 57

Jungle-sheep, 259

Kaffir Cat. 56, 57 __

Kaffir Mongoose, 78

Kalong. 144

Kangaroo, 310; Albino Red, 310;
Great Grey. 307, 309, 310; Brown
Tree-, 316; Rat-, 317, 318; Sil-
ver-grey, 308; Tree-, 315, 317,
318 ; Woolly. 310

Kapplers' Armadillo. 305

Kashmir Stag, 249

Keitloa, 165

Kiang, 174. 175

Killer. 294

King Charles Spaniels, 107

Kinkajou, 115. 116

Klipspringer. 216. 218

Koala, 319, 320,321

Kudu. Greater, 232, 233 ; Lesser,
232. 233

Ladas, The English Thorough-
ly d. 180

Lagothrix, 26

l.angur. 10; Cross-bearing. 11;
Himalayan. 11

Leaf-nosed Bat. 145

Leicester Ewe, 202

Leicester Long-wool Sheep, 204

Lemming. 136

Lemur, Black, 29; Cat (Lemur
Catta). 29; Coquerel's, 29, 30;
Crowned, 29; Dwarf, 28; Gentle,
29; Grey, 29; Mouse, 29; Ring-
tailed, 28; Ruffed, 29; Slow. 31;
Sportive. 29; True. 29

Leopard, 47; Black. 46; Clouded.
54; Hunting-, oo ; Snow, 48;
-puma Hybrid. 46

Leopard-i at, 54

Liberian Hippopotamus, 290

Linsang, Nepalese, 76

Lion, A performing, 36; African,
33; -tiger Hybrid. 38

Lion Marmoset, 24

Lioness, Algerian, 35

Littledale's Sheep, 198

Llamas. 270. 272, 275

Loder's Gazelle, 222

London Dray-horse. 176

Longhorn Cattle. 188

Long-wool (Leicester) Sheep. 204

Loris, Slender, 31 ; Slow, 31

Luehdorf's Stag, 250

Luzon Sambar. 254

Lynx, 62; Canadian, 63, 64; Com-
mon, 63 ; European, 64 ; Medi-
terranean, 63 ; Northern, 63 ;
Red, 63, 64; Siberian, 64;
Spanish, 63

Macaque. Bonnet, 14; Chinese, 17;

Common. 14; Formosan, 14;

Japanese. 14
Mahari Dromedary, 268
Maholi, Galago, 30
Makis, 28
Malabar Civet. 75
Malay Fox-bat. 144
Malayan Sambar. 254
Malayan Sun-bear. 114
Maltese Toy Terriers. 105, 107
Mammals, Egg-laying. 541
Mammoth, 150
Manatees, 291, 292
Manchurian Roe, 262
Manchurian Sika. 250
Manchurian Wapiti, 250
Mandrill, 18. 22
Mangabey, 14; Grev-cheeked, 17;

Sooty, 16
Manis. 305
Manx Cat, 72
Maral. 249

Marco Polo's Sheep. 198
Margot, 14
Marica Gazelle. 222
Marine Carnivora. 120
Marknor. 209
Marmoset. Black-eared, 26; Lion,

24: Pinche, 24
Marmot. Alpine, 133; Golden, 133;

Himalayan, 133
Marsh-deer, 263, 264

352

I N D E X

M:u supials, 308

Marten, Beech-, 119; Pine-, 119

Mastiffs, 101, 104

Mediterranean Lynx, 63

Meerkat, 78. 80; Slender-tailed, 79

Merino Sheep. 201, 202

Mhurr Gazelle. 221

Mias-kassu (orang-utan), 6

Mias-pappan (orang-utan ). 6

Mias-rambi (orang-utan ). 0

Mice. White-footed. 134

Michie's Tufted Deer. 260

Mole. 148; Common. 148; Gold-
en. 149; Pouched, 311, 335, 336

Mole-rats. 138

Moluccan Rusa. 254

Mona Monkey. 14

Mongolian Gazelle. 221

Mongoose, Egyptian, 78; Indian,
77 ; Kaffir, 78

Monkey, Bandar, 14; Diana, 12;
Dog-shaped, 10; Entellus, 10;
Green, 14; Grivet, 17; Hare-
skin. 26; Mona, 14; Patas. 24;
Pig-tailed, 19, 27; Proboscis. 10;
Rhesus, 14, 16; Sacred, 10;
Snub-nosed, 12, 18; Spider. 11.
23; Squirrel, 24; Tcheli, 14;
Wanderoo, 24; White-bearded
Wanderoo, 12; Woolly, 26

Monotremes, 308, 341

Moose, 264

Moufflon, European, 197

Mountain-cat, 64

Mountain-fox. 96

Mountain-reedbuck, 218

Mountain-zebra. 167

Mouse. House-, 137

Mouse Lemur. 29

Mouse Tribe, 134

Mules, 184

Muntjac, Chinese, 259; Hairy-
fronted, 259; Indian. 259; Ten-
asserim, 259; Tibetan, 259

Muscat Gazelle, 222

Musk-deer, Himalayan, 263, 265

Musk-rat, 136

Naked Bat, 146
Narwhal, 293, 297. 298
Native Cats, Australian. 339
New Forest Ponv, 183
Newfoundlands. 101, 102
Nilgai, 228. 230
Nilgiri Ibex. 210
Nilgiri Tahr, 210
Nubian Giraffe. 238
Nubian Goat, 210
Nutria, 139

Ocelot. 53

i (ctodont, 136

Odd-toed Hoofed Animals. 159

Okapi, 241, 243, 244

Old English Sheep-dogs, 102, 107

Old English Terriers, 104

Onager. 174

Oorial, 198

Opossum, 308, 323; Black. 313.
326; Common Grey, 326, 327,
328; Ring-tailed. 326,329; Sooty,
323; Virginia, 342; Vulpine, 326

Orang-utan, 5

Orang-utans, Baby, at play. 8

Oribis, 216

Orlort. 181

Oryx, Beatrice. 224-226; Beisa,
lit,. US; Tufted Beisa, 226;
White, 220. 228

(liter, llo; Common, 116; Short-
toed, 116

( hikari, Scarlet- faced, 24

< lunce, 48

Oxen. Italian White, 187; Wild,
186. 188

Paca, 140
Pacer, 181
Pack-camel. 267
Paddy-melons. 317
Palla, 218, 22(1
Pallas' Cat, 56

Palm-civet, 76; Masked, 78; Two-
spotted, 78
Pampas-cat, 56
Pampas-deer, 263
Panda. 115; Great, 115
Pangolins, 305
Papuan Pig, 277
Pariah Puppies, 108
Park-cattle, English. 185, 186
Parrv's Wallaby, 314
Pasang, 207
Patas Monkey, 24
Peba Armadillo, 305
Peccary, Collared, 280,281; White-
lipped, 281
Pekin Sika. 251
Pekin Spaniels, 107
Pel's Flving-squirrel, 153
Peludo,'304
Pelzeln's Gazelle, 221
Percheron, 179
Pere David's Deer, 261, 262
Persian Gazelle. 221
Peruvian Guemal, 263
Peter's Gazelle. Ill
Phalanger, 319; Crescent-toothed
326; Flying-, 313; Larger Fly-
ing-. 313; Lesser Flying-. 324
Long-snouted. 326; Pygmy, 326
Pygmy Flying-. 325. 326
Squirrel - like Flying-, 311
Striped. 326; Typical, 313
Phascogali, 340
Philippine Rats. 134
Philippine Spotted Deer. 256
Pig, Bearded. 277; Celebes, -'77;
Ceram. 177; Collared, 277; Div-
ing-, 276, 277 ; Formosan, 177 ;
Japanese Masked, 277; Papuan.
277 ; True. 275 ; White-whiskered
lapanese. 277 : Warty, 277
Pig-tailed Monkey. 19, 27
Pig Tribe. 274
Pikas, 141
Pilot-whale, 297
Pinche Marmoset, 24
Pine-marten. 119
Pipistrelle Bat, 145
Platypus. 341, 342; Duck-billed,

342-345
Pocket-gopher, 134, 138
Pointers, 97. 105
Polatouche, 132
Polecat, 119
Polecat- ferret. 119
I 'olo-pi my. 183
Pomeranians. 105. 106
Pongo (Gorilla). 1. 4

Ponv, Dartmoor. 183; Exmoor,
183; New Forest, 183; Polo-,
183; Shetland, 183: Welsh. 182,
183

Poodles, 103; Corded. 103. 105;
Curly, 103; Fluffy, 103

Porcupine, 137 ; Canadian, 139

Porpoise. Common. 297, 298

Potoroos, 317, 318

Pottos. 31

Pouched Mice. 339

Pouched Mole, 311. 335

Pouched Mouse, Jerboa, 340

Prejevalski's Gazelle. 221

Prehensile-lipped Rhinoceros, 164

Prince Alfred's Deer. l?t,

Prince Charles Spaniels, 107, 108

Proboscis Monkey, 10

Prongbuck, 231

Pudu. Chilian, 263; Ecuador, 263

Pugs, 106

Puma. 50, 51

Punjab Sheep, 199

Pygmy Hippopotamus, 290

Pygmy Hog, 276

Quagga, 173

Rabbit, 142

Rabbit-bandicoot. 332, 335

Raccoon-dog, 94

Race-horse. English. 179. 180

Rasse, 75

Rat, Alexandrine. 137: Bamboo-,
138; Black-and-white. 137;
Brown, 137; Fish-eating. 135;
Philippine. 134; Rice-. 135

Ratel, 118. 119

Red Deer. 247. 264; Caspian. 24";
Park. 246

Red Dogs of the Deccan, 94

Reedbuck, Common, 219; Moun-
tain-, 218

Reindeer, 246; Scandinavian. 245

Retrievers. 98, 99

Rhesus Monkey, 14. 16

Rhinoceros, 160; bathing. 164;
Black African, 163, 165; Great
Indian, 161, 162; Hairy-eared
Sumatran. 160, 162, 166; Indian.
160: lavan. 160; Prehensile-
lipped, 164, 165; Square-
mouthed. 162; White, 162

Rice-rat. 135

Ring-tailed Lemur. 28

Risso's Dolphin. 298

River-dolphin, Short-beaked. 295

River-hog, Red. 278

Roan Antelope. 224. 226

Rodents. 130

Roe. Manchurian, 262; Siberian,
Ih'K 262

Roebuck, Siberian. 260

Rorquals, 297

Rubj Toy Spaniels, 107

Rusa. 254: Moluccan. 254; Stag,
Javan, 253 ; Timor. 255

Rusine Deer. !?•!

Russian Wolf-hound. 97

Sable, 119

Sable Antelope, 225

Saiga Vntelope, 219, 220

1 N d i-; X

353

Saint Bernard, 101 J Smooth-
coated, 100

Saki, White-headed, 24

Sally, the Chimpanzee, 2. 3, 4

Sambar, Basilan, 254; Formosan,
.'54: favan, -'54; Luzon, 254;
Malayan, -'54; Stag, 252; Sze-
chuan, 254

Sand dog, 106, 108

Sand-rat, 138

Sassaby, -14

Schipperkes, 106

Schomburgk's Deer, 259

Schwartzals Goat, 208

Scottish I leer-hounds, 97

Scottish Terriers. 104, 105
Si .i < lephant, 1-"'
Sea-lion, 120, 122; Australian.
123; Californian, 127; Pata-
gonian, 122
Seal, Bladder-nosed, 126; Com-
mon, 120, 125, 128; Elephant,
126; Grey, 124, 126, 128; Harp-,
126, 128; True. 124

Selvas, 3(18. 341

Senaar Boar, 277

Serval. 56. 58. 59

Setter. 98; Fnglish, 100; Gordon,
98; Irish. 98

Sha, 198

Sheep. Barbary, 196. 198. 199;
Black-faced Mountain-. 202;
Blue. 200; Border Leicester.
203; Cotswold, 203; Domesti-
cated, 200; Fat-tailed, 199. 201;
Four-horned, 200; Leicester.
202: Littledale's, 198; Marco
Polo's. 198; Merino, 201, 202;
Somali, 201; South Down, 200,
203; Wallachian, 202; Welsh,
204; Wild, 196

Sheep-dogs, Old English, 102

Shetland Pony, 176, 181, 183

Shire Horse. '183

Shire Mare, 182

Shire Stallion, 181

Shorthorn Cattle. 187

Shrew, 147; Burrowing, 149;
Mouse-like. 147; Tree-, 147;
Water-, 147

Siamang, 8

Siamese Cat. 72

Siberian Argali, 197

Siberian Lynx. o4

Siberian Roe, 2^'K 262

Siberian Roebuck, 260

Sifaka, Diademed. 28

Sika. Formosan. 251, 253; Man-
churian, 250 ; Pekin. 251

Silver Fox, 96

Sing-sing Waterbuck, 217. 219

Sitatungas, 231

Skye, Drop-eared. 106; Prick-
eared, 106

Skye Terriers. 105, 106

Sloth, 300; Northern Two-toed,
300; Three-toed. 301

Sloth-bear. Indian. 112

Soemmerring's Gazelle. 221

Soko ( Chimpanzee I, 3

Somali Sheep. 201

South Down Sheep. 200. 203

Southern Field-vole. 136

Southern Giraffe, 237, 238, 239

Sow. Domesticated. 274

Sowerby's Beaked Whale. 296. 297

Spaniel, 98; Black, 100; Clumber,
100; Cocker, 100; Japanese, 107;
Pekin, 107; Sussex, 100

Spanish I.\ nx, 63

Spanish Tur, 207

Sp.ke's Gazelle. 221, 222

Sperm-whale. 297

Spider Monkeys, 22, 23

Spotted Cats, 339

Spotn ,1 i aw. 140

Springbuck, '222. 224

Square-mouthed Rhinoceros, 162

Squirrel, 130; Dorsal. 132; Ethio-
pian Spiny, 133; Flying-, 130,
131. 132. 323; Indian Palm-,
133; Red. 131; Sugar-. 323

Squirrel Monkeys, 24, 25

Stag. Barbary, 249; Kashmir, 249;
Luehdorf's, 250

Stag-hound. 97

Steller's Sea-lion, 120, 122

Strand-wolf, 81

Sucker-footed Bats, 146

Suffolk Punch, 183

Sugar-squirrel. 323

Sumatran Civet. 76

Sun-hear. Malayan. 114

Suricates, 78

Sussex Spaniels. 100
Swamp-deer. 255, 259
Swine, 274
Swinhoe's Deer. 254
Syrian Bear, 111. 114
Szechuan Sambar, 254

Tabby, Short-haired, 71

Taguan, 132

Tahr. 209; Nilgiri, 210

Tamandua Ant-eater. 303

Tamarau, 195

Tapirs, 157, 158; American, 158,

159; Malayan, 158
Tarpans. 175
Tarsier. 31, 32
Tasmanian Devil, 337, 338
Tasmanian Tiger, 336
Tasmanian Wallaby. 311
Tasmanian Wolf, 336. 337
Tcheli Monkey. 14
Tenasserim Muntjac. 259
Tenrecs. 147; Common, 147
Terrier. Airdale, 104; Bedling-

ton. 104; Bull-. 104; Fox-. 107:

Irish. 104; Old English. 104;

Scottish. 104. 105; Skye, 105.

106; Welsh, 104
Thamin Deer. 259
Thomson's Gazelle. 222
Thoroughbred, British, 180
Thylucine, 336
Tibetan Argali. 197. 198
Tibetan Gazelle, 221
Tihetan Muntjac, 259
I ibetan Tiger-cat. 54
Tihetan Tufted Deer. 260
Tiger. Royal Bengal, 42
Tiger-cat. Indian. 56; Tibetan, 54
Tigress. 41

Timber-elephants, 153
Timor Rusa, 255
Toddy-cats. 76
Toggenhurg Goat. 207
Toothed Whales, 297

I Spaniel'-. 107
Toy Terriers. Yorkshire, 107
Transhumantes. 202
Tree-kangaroo, 315. 317, 318
Tree-mice, 134
Tree-shrews. 147
Trotting-horse, 181
Tube-nosed Fruit-bat, 144
Tuco-tucos. 139
Tufted Beisa < >ryx. 226
Tur, 207; East Caucasian, 207;
Spanish, 207

I iieulates, 185

Vampire-bats, 146

Vicuna, 270

Virginian I >eer, 262

\ iscacha. 138. 140

Vlakte-vark, 280

Vole, 135; Hank-. 136: Short-
tailed Field-, 136; Southern
Field-, 136

Waita. 23

Wallaby, Albino Red-hellied. 312;

Bennett's. 309; Black. 317:

Black-striped. 309; Brush-tail.

317; Parry's. 314; Rock. 313;

Spur-tail, 317; Tasmanian, 311
Wallachian Sheep. 202
Wallaroos, 317
Walrus, 120. 123. 124
Wanderoo Monkey, Great, 12;

White-bearded. 12
Wapiti. 250, 264; Altai. 2_49:

Asiatic, 247 ; Manchurian. 250
Wart-hog. 278. 279; .Elian's, 278.

280; South African. 280
Warty Pig. 277
Waterbuck. 219; Common, 219;

Defassa, 219; Sing-sing, 217,

219
Water-buffalo. 193
Water-deer. Chinese, 256, 260
Water-mice. 134
Water-rat. 136
Water-shrews. 147
Weasel Lemur. 29
Weasel Tribe. 119
Welsh Pony. 182
Welsh Sheep. 204
Welsh Terriers. 104
Welwitsch's Bat. 146
West African Bush-pig. 278
We<t Caucasian Tur. 207
Whale. Beaked. 297; Broad-
fronted. 297 : Cuvier's. 297 ;

Southern Right-, 297: Toothed,

297; Whalebone-, 297; White.

297
Whalebone-whales, 297
Whiffets. 97
White-bearded Gnu. 216
White English Terriers. 104
White-footed Mice. 134
White-lipped Peccary. 281
White Rhinoceros, 162

354

INDEX

White Whale. 297

White-whiskered lapanese Pig,
277

Wild Ass, 173; African. 174;
Asiatic, 174: Baluchi, 174

Wild Hoar. 275

Wild Cat, Black-footed, 56; Com-
mon. 60; European, 61; Scotch
62

Wild Cattle. 186

Wild Dog, 92, 94

Wild Coats. 207: Persian, 207

Wild Oxen, 186, 188

Wild Sheep. 196

Wildebeest, Black, 215; nine. 216

Wolf, Carpathian, 87; Indian. 88;
Maned, 91 : Northern, 84; Rus-
sian, 86. 89; White. 85

Wolf-hound, Irish. 97; Russian
97

Wombat, 330; Common, 331, .i.ii ;
Hairv-nosed, 331. 352; Tasmani-
an. 331

Wood-hare, 141

Wood-mouse, 137

Woolly Monkey, 26

Yak, 190. 193

Yorkshire Toy Terriers. 107

Zebra, 167; Burchell's, 167, 169,
170, 171. 172; Grevy's, 167, 168
Mountain-, 167; Team of, 170
True. 167

Zehu. 191

Zorilla, Cape, 117

Zuhr. 191

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