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THE NATURAL HISTORY «r QUADRUPEDS, AV9 CESACmUS ANIMALS, fBpU THB WORKS I . . . t OF TX8 ■ r ■ ■ ■ •■ USST AUTHOlis, ANTIENT AND MOD£RN, it ' I NUMEROUS PLATjes, / ACCURATELY COLOUnSD FROM MATURE, IN TWO TOLUMJSS. fOL. /. •inroAT : vhivtsb ««s fubixshbb it BiitoaTiiT avb c«i. ,•* .'a I«li« ^ ,71 :.J..:.nV 'lP (p>-is-. ^^ i^-' -^v a rmrr^m jahii;^, if? -Ci' lOi'iVlM I A if ( V ^' •**' o:^.!)Ai-'ri H^'T I/: 1,1 f » '5 V ,!.■-- J. .;v..4. "'O'l :ii. •> -^ « .1 ■•> *.. |Vll .« vj. 4 «-;; "M tariff '.K f\ ''f-<^_ CONTENTS Of VOLUME THE FIRST. Ant.eater tribe [)age 92 Monkey, Palatine [)age 33 great 92 hare.lippcd 33 middle 94 spotted 34 striped 95 long.nosed 34 little 95 yellowish 35 three-toed 96 green 35 Cape 96 white eye-lid 36 aculeated 97 mustache 36 Mauis 98 white-nose 37 long.tailod 101 Talapoin 37 short.tailed 102 negro 38 ArinadlHo . 102 egret 38 threp- handed 107 mona 38 six.banded 107 red 39 nine.banded 108 Chinese 39 twelve-bander 108 bOnnetted 40 cightcenwband ed 108 varied 40 i.; ■,•■! Vaulting 40 Ape tribe 1 proboscis 41 great 4 Cochin-china 42 pigmy . 13 tawny 43 long.armed 13 goat 43 Burba ry . 14 full. bottom 43 Baboon, common ■ 16 bay * ■'■■■ , 44 variegated 18 anuiilated 44 ribbed.nose , 19 Philippine 45 wood 20 fox-tailed 45 cinereous 20 great-eared 45 broad.toothed 20 striated 46 brown 21 silky 46. WiiXe 21 rod-tailed 47< crested 21 fair 48 pig-tail 22 preacher 41 dog.faced 22 royal 49 ursine 23 four-fmgered 49 lion.tailed 24 f«*arful 50 dug.tailed - 25 capuchin 51 wrinkled 25 weeper 51 Monkeys 26 ) squirrel 52 leonine 32; honied ■^■1 purple.faced S'i' , Autigua '>^ Or.n^ ■N • *JKj\j S • - .^».i«_. ^ * CONTEiVTS. Hah TiiiDL page 68 Cat, Japan . , page 333 rommon 71 Guigna . , 323 PtTUViftll 73 Colorolo 323 bulLdng 74 Cayenne . t 323 • Senegal 74 Bengal 324 Hleiider.tailed 74 Manul . 325 bearded . . 75 Ctpe 328 New York . . 76 common 327 striped 75 Angora 336 Molucca 76 Mountain lynx -. 338 horse.shoc . 76 Serval . . . 339 Noctule . 76 common lynx 339 Serotiiio 77 Bay do. 341 Pepistrelle . 77 Caspian do. 342 Barbastelle . 77 Persian do. , 343 long.earcd . 78 lasiopter 78 Dog tribe 207 rough-taileil 78 Wolf . . . 244 slouch-eared 78 Mexican do. 254 pit-nose 79 black do. 254 vampyre 79 Hyaena 255 spectre 83 spotted do. . 258 ' javelin 83 Jackal . . 260 leaf . . . 84 Barbary do. 264 cordated 84 Fox 265 great Serotlue 81 Arctic do. . 272 brant do. 278 Bear tribe 396 Corsac do. 278 common 397 Karagan do. 278 American . 405 fulvous-necked do 279 Polar . . , 409 Bengal do. 279 Glutton 414 sooty do. . 280 Wolverine . 418 Antarctic do. . 280 Raccoon 420 grey do. 281 Badger, common 424 silvery do. 281 American . 427 Ceylonese . 281 .Indian 427 Cape Jackal . 282 Surinam . 283 Cat T 'iBE 28o Fennec 283 Lion . 285 Elephant tribe 120 Tiger . . 300 Panther . 312 HeDOHOC tlUBB . 466 J.ieopard . 314 common , 466 lesser do. . 316 Siberian . 468 hunting do. . 316 i • Asiatic . 469 Ounce . . 317 Guiana . 469 Jaguar 318 Malacca . 469 Ocelot . 319 , Puma . 320 Kanoi-roo tribe . 44S /black tigar . . 321 gr(>at . 444 >".in«r«pus , 222 rat . . i447 : nF ,j^f^^'\-. CONTENTS. • LfiMUB THIBE Page 53 Opossum, squirrel page 440 slow . 34 long.tailed 441 loris 58 pigmy 441 V woolly 58 bush-tdilcd 442 ring.tailed 59 Tulpine 442 ruined 61 ursine 443 tarsier 61 murine . 62 Otter tribe 385 Indri 63 common 386 potto . 63 sea . 392 flocky 64 Brasilian 394 heart-marked 64 lesser 395 whitish . . 64 Cayenne 395 long-fingered 65 {•lender • 395 ■ flying 66 Chinchlmen . 396 vison 396 Manati tribe . . 171 whalc.tailed 176 Platypus triue 167 round-tailed 178 duck-billed I 168 Guiana . 180 sea.ape . 181 RniNocEROs tribe 109 Walrus, arctic . 171 single.horned 109 Indian . 176 two.horned 113 Sumatran 118 Megatherium Americanum 90 1 Seal tribe 182 Mole tribi: , 448 common . 182 common . 448 pied . 193 purple 458 Mediterranean 194 Gape 458 long.necked 194 radiated . 459 Falkland Isle 194 long.tailed 459 tortoise.headcd 194 brown 459 ribbon 195 red 450 leporine '.G5 great ii'5 Opossum tribe . . 428 rough lU Virginian 428 hooded 196 Molucca 430 harp . 196 Javan . 4S1 little 196 murine 432 porcine 197^ Mexican 433 yellow 197 * Cayenne 433 ursine 197 New Hollani 1 434 hpttle.nosed 201 short.tailed 434 leonine 204 Phalanger . 435 urlgne 206 Merian 435 Philander . 436 Shrew tribe . 460 lemurine 437 musky . 460 porcullne 437 perfuming 461 viverine 438 Brasilian 461 petaurine 439 murine . 461 tl i CONTENTS. Sbirew, fetid . page 402 1 Weasel Zibet page 355 vraier 46'2 threp.striped 3 5fi minute 462 Genet 356 pygmy 463 Fossane 337 white.toothed 463 four.toed . 337 square-tailed 463 prehensile 338 Canada 463 Mexican 359 , Surinam 464 Brusilian 360 elpphant 464 fasciated 360 whitish-tailed 465 Malacca 361 cinereous 465 Touan 362 Persian 465 Quiqui 363 Cuja 363 StOTH TRIBC . 85 spotted 364 three.toed 85 blotched 364 two.toed 88 Ermine 364 ursiue . 88 Ferret 367 Polecat 369 Sukotyro 167 Martin 372 Sable 373 Weasdl tribe 343 common 376 Ichneumon 344 Fisher 379 Caifrarian 346 Madagascar 380 Zenic 346 Pekan 380 Coasse' 347 white.cheeked 381 striped 348 Grison 381 Conepatl 349 Guiana 382 Chinche 349 woolly 382 Zorilla 349 Sarmatian 382 Chiuge 349 Siberian 383 Mapurito 350 South American 384 Cape 3/jO grey-headed 384 honey 351 musky 384 CiTCt 353 slender.toed 38d if r Of INTRODUCTION. NATURAL HISTORY is a science both use- ful and entertaining : as it comprehends ani- mals^ vegetables, and fossils ; air, earth, and 8ea« ^I'ith all their inhabitants and productions ; itmajr be said to include the knowledge of all nature, and to present an inexhaustible fund of inquirj and of amusement. It is intimately connected with all the other sciences ; and with all the arts, from the simplest and rudest, to the most compli- cated and the most elegant. From an acquaintance with the economy of lui- ture, many advantages b.(».ve already accrued to man ; and from a more intimate knowledge of them, many more may still be derived. The com- fort of all ranks may be said to depend on ths knowledge of natural history. The husbandman needs to know the characters of the tame aniroalt which he employs ; what advantages are to be derived from them ; whether there are others that ii INTRODUCTION. would suit his purpose better ; where they are to be found ; how they may be procured^ and how sup- ported ; the qualities of the soil which he cultivates^ and the means of managinr^ and of improving it ; the nature of the grain ^hich he raises ; and whether he might not^ with advantage^ substitute a different species, instead of that which hath been in common use. Even the meanest mechanic must have a pretty accurate knowledge of many of the qualities of those natural objects with which bis art is connected. The fine arts, though usually considered as the peculiar province of imagination^ depend greatly upon natural history. Both in music and painting, the study of nature alone can ensure success. In the writings of the poets, many images are introduced from external nature ; and allusions are frequently made to the manners and economy of animals. And as modern poets have not the same machinery of gods and goddesses ; of nymphs, fawns, and satyrs, which were so ser- viceable to the heathen poets of antiquity ; as they cannot employ elves, witches, ghosts, or the won-: ders of enchantment, with so much advantage as the writers of the old romances ; let them, there- fore, be more industrious in studying the scenes of nature : these are so endlessly diversified, that they must always continue to afibrd abundance of the richest materials for the poet's art ; — materials which have this advantage over allegory and fic- tion, that they are durable as the present constitu-- tion of things. By attending to this principle, Thomson, while he led the way to otliers, pco-r INTRODUCTION. 111 cured for himself a distinguished place among those \rhose names are immortal. But natural history has a relation infinitely more important : for it is one material use of the study of nature, to illustrate this greatest of all truths : — " That there must be a God ; that he must be almighty, omniscient, and infinite in good- ness ; and that, although he d>vells in a light in- accessible to any mortal eye, yet our faculties see and distinguish him clearly in his works." In these we are compelled to observe a degree of greatness far beyond our capacities to understand : — we see an exact adaption of parts composing one stupendous whole ; an uniform perfection and good- ness thfit are not only entitled to our admiration, but that command from us the tribute of reverence, gra- titude, and love, to the Parent of -the Universe. Every step we tread in our observations on nature^ affords us indubitable proofs of his superintendance. From these we learn the vanity of all our boasted wisdom, and are taught that useful lesson, humility. We are compelled to acknowledge our dependance on the protecting arm of God, and that, deprived of this support, wc must that moment dissolve into nothing. ' '' . . . ', Every object in the creation is stamped with the characters of the perfection and benevolence of its author. If we examine with accurate dis- crimination the construction of bodies^ and remark ■N% IV INTRODUCTION. even their most minute parts^ we see clearly a necessary dependance that each has upon the other ; and if we attend to the vast concurrence •of causes that join in producing the several ope- rations of nature, we shall h6 induced to believe further, that the whole world is one connected train of causes and effects, in which all the parts, either nearly or remotely, have a necessary dependance on each other. We shall find nothing insulated, no- thing dependant only on itself. Each part lends a certain support to the others, and.takes in return its share of aid from them. • . .. ■' The empire of nature has, by the general a». sent of mankind, been divided into three essen- tial kingdoms ; the first consisting of minerals^ the second of vegetables, aod the third of animals. The mineral kingdom, which consists of substances destitute of the organs necessary to life or motion, occupies in rude masses the interior parts of the earth. It is formed from the accidental aggrega- tion of particles, which, under certain circum- stances, take a constant and regular figure, but which are more frequently found without any definite conformation. The vegetable kingdom clothes the surface of the earth with verdure. It consists of organized bodies destitute of the power of locomotion, or changing place at will. These imbibe nutriment through their roots, respire air by their leaves, and continue their various l^indc by means of seeds dispersed within proper limits*. INTRODUCTION. V The animal kingdom adorns the external parts, of the earth with sentient beings. These have volun- tary motion, respire air, are impelled to action by the cravings of want, by love, and by pain. They keep within proper bounds, by preying on them, the numbers both of animals and vegetables. The latter of these kingdoms was subdivided by Linnaeus into six classes, viz. mammiferous animals^ which he called mammalia, birds, amphibious animals, fishes, insects, and worms. The class of animals denominated mammalia comprehends all those that nourish their young by means of lactiferous glands, or teats, and that have, flowing in their veins, a warm and red blood. It includes the whales, an order that, from external shape and habits of life, has usually been arranged among the fishes. It is true that these animals inhabit exclusively the water, an element in which none of the quadrupeds can long subsist, and are furnished like the fish with fins, still, however, in every essential characteristic, they exhibit an alii, ance to the quadrupeds. They have warm b^ood^ produce their young alive, and nourish them with milk furnished from teats. In their internal struc- ture they are likewise in a great measure allied to the quadrupeds, having similar lungs, and two auricles, and two ventricles to the heart. Upon comparing the various animals of the globe with each otherj we shall fi:nd that quadfu- ti INTRODUCTION. peds demand the rank immediately next to our- selves ; and^ consequently^ come first in considera- tion. The similitude between the structure of tlicir bodies and ours^ those instincts which iiiey enjoy in a superior degree to the rest^ their constant services^ or their unceasing hostilities^ all render them the foremost objects of our curiosity^ and the most interesting parts of animated nature. These« very probably^ in the beginnings were nearer upon on equality with us^ and disputed with obstinacy^ the possession of the earth. Man, while yet savage himself, was but ill qualified to civilize the forest. While yet n^ked, unarmed/ and without shelter^ every wild beast was a formidable rival ; and the de- struction of such was the first employment of heroes. But when he began to multiply^ and arts io accumuktev he soon cleared the plains of the ' most noxious of his rivals ; a part was taken under liis protection aud care, while the rest found a pre- carious refuge in the burning desert, or the howl- ing wilderness. ^ From being rivals, many quadrupeds have now beeome the assistants of man ; upon them he de* solves the most laborious employments, and finds in them patient and humblp coadjutors, ready to ©bey, and content with the smallest retribution. It was not, however, without long and repeated efforts that the independent spirit of these animals was broken ; for the savage freedom, in wild animals, is generally found to pass down through several generations before it is totally subdued. /- INTRODUCTIOK.I Til Tbosft cats and d , ^ that are taken from a state of natural wildness m the forest^ transmit their fierce- ness to their young ; and^ however concealed in general^ it breaks out upon several occasions. Thus the assiduity and application of man ia bringing them up^ not only alters their disposition, but their very forms ; and the difference between animals in a state of nature and domestic tameness, is so considerable^ that M. Bufibn has taken this as a principal distinction in classing them. In taking a cursory view of the form of quadru- peds we may easily perceive that, of all the ranks of animated nature, they bear the nearest resem- blance to man. This similitude will be found more striking when erecting themselves on their hinder feet, they are taught to walk forward in an upright posture. We then see that all their ex- tremities in a manner correspond with ours, and present us with a rude imitation of our own. In some of the ape kind the resemblance is so striking, that anatomists are puzzled to find in what part of the human body man's superiority cc nsists ; and scarce any but the metaphysician, who studies the mind, can draw the line that ultimately divides theni. But if we compare their internal structure with our own, the likeness will be found stiJl to increase, and we shall perceive many advantages they enjoy in common with us, above the lower tribes of na- ture. Like us, they are placed above the class Vlil INTRODUCTtOS. of birds, hy bringing forth their young alive; like us, they are placed above the class of fishes, by breathing through their lungs ; like us, they are placed above the class of insects, by having red blood circulating through their veins ; and, lastly, like us, they are diFerent from almost all the other classes of animated nature, being either wholly or partly covered with hair. Thus nearly are we represented in point of conformation to the class of animals immediately below us ; and this shows what little reason we have to be proud of our persons alone, to the perfection of which qua- drupeds make such very near approaches. Quadrupeds, although they are thus strongly marked, and in general divided from the various kinds around them, yet some of them are eften of so equivocal a nature, that it has been asserted, it IS hard to tell whether they ought to be ranked in the quadruped class, or degraded to those below them. If, for instance, we were to marshal the whole group of animals around man, placing the most perfect next him^ and those most equivocal near the classes they most approach, we should, it is said, find it difficult, after the principal had taken their stations near him, where to place many tlmt lie at the out-skirts of this phalanx. The bat makes a near approach to the aerial tribe, and might, by some, be reckoned among the birds. The porcupine has also some preteqsions to that class, being covered with quills, and showing that birds are not the only part of nature that are fur- "F ■■!*'- iNTRODUCTfOK. IX nished with such a defence. The armadillo might be referred^ though very improperly^ to the trib* of in«ectSj or snaib^ bein^, like them^ covered with a shell ; the seal and the morse might be ranked among the fishes^ like them being fur- nished with fins, and almost constantly residing in the same element. , * , ' ,.' .f." . ■ " ' •» " ' i But although the variety in quadrupeds is thui great, they all seem well adapted to the stations in whict they are placed. There is scarce one of them, how rudely shaped soever, that is not formed to enjoy a state of happiness fitted to its nature. All its dcfdrmities are only relative to us, but all its enjoyments arc peculiarly its own. We may superficially suppose the sloth, that takes up many days in climbing'a single tree, or the'mole, whose eves are too small for distinct vision, are wretched and helpless creatures ; but it is probable thajt their life, with respect to tliemselyes, is a life of luxury ; the most pleasing food is easily obtained ; and, as they are abridged in one pleasure, it may be doubled in those which remain. Quadrupeds, and all the lower kinds of animals, h^ve, at worst, but the torments of immediate evil to e^^counter, and this is but transient and accidental ; man has two sources of calamity, that which he foresees, as well as that which he feels ; so that, if his rc- yards were to be in this life alone, then, indeed, would he be of all beings the most wretched. Th« heads of quadrupeds, though differing h I INTROOUCTIOIff, ', • ; ': from each otlier^ arc, in general^ adapted to then Way of living. In some it is sharp^ the' better to fit the animal for turning up the earth in vi^hich its food lies. In some it is longj in order to give n greater room for the olfactory nerves^ as la dogs^ Y'hoareto hunt and find out their prey by the scent. In others it is shorty and tbick^ as in the lion, to increase the strength of the jaw, and to fit it the better for combat. In quadrupeds that feed upon grass, they are enabled to hold down their heads to the ground, by a strong tendinous li<>a- ment, that runs from the head to the middle of the back. This serves to raise the head, although it has been held to the ground for several hours, without any labour^ or any assistance from the mus-^ cles of the neck. The teeth of all animals are entirely fitted to the nature of their food. Those of such as live upon flesh, differ in every respect from such as live upon Tegetables, Jn the latter, they seem entirely made for gathering and bruising their simple food, being edged before, and fitted for cuttmg , {m broad towards to the back of the jaw^, and fittea for pounding. In the carnivorous kinds, they ar» sharp before, and fitted rather for holding than dividing. In the one, the teeth serve as grind** stones, in the other, as weapons of defence ; in both, however, the surface of those teeth which serve for grinding are unequal ; tisc cavities and risings fitting those of the opposite, so as to tally csxactly when the ja>"s are urougut together. ^A \ INTRODUCTIOH, XI These inequalities better serve for comminuting th« food ; but thej become smooth with age ; and, for this reason, old animals take a longer time to chew their food than such as are in the vigour of life/" • ^•'-''"'- -"■ ■'•■- ■ ■'■ ' Their legs are' not worse fitted than their teeth to their respective wants or enjojments. In some (hey are made for strength only, and to support a vast unweildy frame, without much flexibility or beautiful proportion. Thus the legs of the ele- phant, the rhinoceros, and the sea-horse, resembla pillars ; were they made smaller, they would bo unfit to support the body ; were they endowed with greater flexibility, or swiftness, they would be needless, as they do not pursue other animals' for food ; and, conscious of their own superior strength, there are none that they deign to avoid. Deers, hares, and other creatures, that are to find safety only in flight, have their legs made entirely for speed ; they are slender and nervous. Were it not for this advantage, every carnivorous animal would soon make them a prey, and their ra-ces would be entirely extinguished. But, in the pre- sent state of Nature, the means of safety are ra- ther superior to those of 'offence ; and the pursuing animal must owe success only to patience, perseve- rance, and industry. The feet of some, that liv« upon fish alone, are made for s\vimming.— The toes of the animals are joined together with mem- branes, being web-footed, like a goose or a duck, hy which they swim with great rapidity. Thosa Xll INTRODOCTIOir. animals that lead a life of bo^tilitjr^ and livfi iiponi others, have their feet armed with sharp claws, ^hich some can sheath nqd iinsh^ath at will. Those^ on the contrary^ who Jead peaceful lifes, have generally hoofs, which serve some as weapons of defence ; . and which, in all, are better fitted for traversing extensive tracts of rugged country^ tbau the cUw-foot pf th^ir pursuers. 'The stomach is generally .proportioned to tho quality' of the animaVs food^ or the ease with which it is obtained. In thos^ that live upoq flesh, and such nourishing substances, it is small and glan- dular, affording such juices as are best adapted ta digest its copt^qts ; thejr intestines, also, are shorty and without fatness. On the contrary, such ani- mals as feed entirely upon vegetables, have tho stomach very large ; and those who chew the cud liaye no less than four stomachs, all which serve 9,i 80 many laboritories, ^o prepare and turn their coarse food into proper nourishment. In Africa, where the plants afford greater nourishment than / in our temperate climates, several animals, that vyith >I8 have four stomachs, have there but two. However, in all animals the size of the intestines are proportioned to the nature of the food ; where that is furnished in large quantities, the sfomach dilates to answer the increase. In domestic animals, that are plentifully supplied^ it is large ; in the wild animals, that live precariously, it is mucb more contracted, and the intestines arc muck IjhoTtor. INTRODVCTIOM. xiH In this maPDer« |iU animaU 8.rc fitted by nature to fill up some p^uliar station. The greatest aninials are made for an inoffensive life, to rangte the plains and the forest without injuring others; to live upon the productions of the earth, the grasi of the tields, or the tender branches of trees. These, secure in their own strength, neither fljr from any other quadrupeds, nor yet attack them c nature, to the greatest strength, ^as added the most gentle and harmless dispositions ; without this, those enormous creatures would be more than a match for all the rest of the creation ; for what devastation might not ensue, were the elephant, or ilie rhinoceros, or the buifalo, as fierce and as mis- chievous as the tiger or the rat ? In order to oppose these large animals, and in some measure to prevent their exuberance, there is a species of the carnivorous kind, of inferior strength indeed^ but of greater activity and cunning. The lion and the tiger generally watch for the larger kinds of prey, attack them at some disadvantage, and com- monly jump upon them by surprise. ; None of the carnivorous kinds, except the dog alone, will make a voluntary attack^ but with the odds on their side. They are all cowards by nature, andJusuatUy catch their plrey by a bound from some lurking place, seldom attempting to invade them openly ; for th^ larger beasts are too powerful for them, and the. smaller too swift. A lion does not willingly attack a horse ; and then only wbea Aoajpelled by the keenest hunger. t\f iNlHODUCTlAl^. W The combats between a lion and a horse tre fre«* qiient enoug in Italy ; where they are' both in* closed in a kind of amphitheatre; fitted for that purpose. The lion always approaches wheeling Itbout^ while the horse presents its hinder parts to the enemy. '\'he lion in this manner goes round and round; still narrowing his circle^ till he comci to the pru^icr distance to make his spring; just at the time the lion springs, the, horse lashe^l with both legs from behind, and, in general, the odds are in his favour ; it more often happening that the liOn is stunned, and struck motionless by the blow, than that he effects his jump between the horse's shoulders, If the lion is stunned, and left Iprawling, the horse escapes, without attempting to improve his victory ; but if the lion succeeds, he sticks to his prey, and tears the horse in pieces in a very short time. But it is not among the larger animals of the forest alone, that these hostilities -are carried on ; there is a minuter, and a still more treacherous contest between the lower ranks of quadrupeds. The panther hunts for the sheep and the goat ; the ocelot, for the hare or the rabbit ; and the wild cut for the squirrel or the mouse. In proportion as, each carnivorous animal wants strength, it uses »ll the assistance of patience, assiduity, and cunr ning. However, the arts of these to pursue, are not so great as the tricks of their prey to escape ; •o'that the power of destruction in one class, is inferior to the power of safety in the other. Wert .1 « INTRODUCTIOK. this otherwise^ the forest would soon be dis* peopled of the feebler race of animals ; and beasti of prey themselves, would want, at one time« that subsistence which thej layishiy dcitroved at another, .^^,,^^ i ,av.- i .v;ii •.'•") i^>->'' mu'V^^' i''*'*'^' , R..>... •> "i -fi i..r '-I .: ■•: ^.i iH^VK-'', tlHil Few wild. animals seek their prey In the day-time ; ' they are then generally deterred by their fears of ma^ in the inhabited countries, and by the exces- sive heat of the sun in those extensive forests that lie towards the south, and in which they reigii the undisputed tyrants. As soon as the mornings therefore, appears, the carnivorous animals retire to their dent ; and the elephant, the horse, th« deer, and all the hare kinds, those inoffensive tenants of the plain, make their appearance. But again,' at night-fall, the state of hostility begins ; the whole" forest then echoes to a variety of diffe- fent bowlings. Nothing can be more terrible thao an African landscape at the close of evening : the deep-toned roarings of the lion ; the shriller yel- lings of the tiger ; the jackall, pursuing by the «cent, and barking like a dog ; the hyajha, with a note peculiarly solitary and dreadful ; but abovs fill,' the hissing of the various kinds of serpents^ that then begin their call, and, as we ^ire assured, make a much louder symphony than the birds in pur groves in a morning. Beasts of prey seldom devour each other ; nor can any thing but the greatest degree of hunger isduce iherrt to it. What ihey chiefly eeek after^ x^i i]iTR(mvottdiv. ^9 deer, or the goat ; thos6 faarmkss efeatUf^i^ iui . 4§(im made to embellish nature. These are « either pursued or turpi laed, and afford the taost agreeable repast to'* their des.troycrs. The mo&t usual liaethod with even the fiercest animals, k fO hidn and crouch near some path frequented by their prtiy ; or some water where cattle cotat to drink ; and seize them at once with a bound. The lion and the tiger leap twenty feet at a spring ; and this^ rather than their swiftness or strength, is what they have most to depend upon for a supply. There is scarcely one of the deer, or hate kinil^ that is not very easily capable of escaping them by its^swiftness ; so that whenever any of these fall A prey, it must be owing to their own inattention. But there is another class of the carnivorous kind, that hunt by the 8cent> and which it is much more difficult to esiMpe. It is remarkable, that all animals of this kind pursue in a pack ; and encourage each other by their mutual cries. Th(^ jackall, the wolf, and the dog, are of this kind : they pursue with patience, rather than swiftness .* tliejr prey flies at first, and leaves them for miles behind ; but they keep on with a constant steady pace, and excite each other by a general spirit of industry and emulation, till at last, they ghj "c ♦he common plunder. *But it too often h^j ,• ;.a, iliai the larger beasts of prey, when they hear a cry of this kind begun, pursue the pack, and when they have bunted down the animal, eome in and ttiono- ^ Ujp the spoil. This ba» given I'ide to the reporf These arc tlic laoit The most lals, i^ to lented by e cooi^ tOi a bound. a spring ; strength, a supply. are kind, them by resc fall a ention. ■ tniidrom i is much ible^ that ick ; and es. Th holes, in which nature has directed them to bury themselves ; some find safety by swiftness ; and such as are possessed of neither ol& these advantages, generally herd toge- ther, and endeavour to repel invasion by united force. The very sheep, which to us seem so de- fenceless, arc by no means so in a state of nature ; they arc furnished with arms of defence, and a XTiti INTRODUCTION. lery great degree of swiftness ; but they are still further assisted by their spirit of mutual de- fence ; the females fall into the centre ; and the m&Ics^ forming a ring round them^ oppose their horns to the asst^ilants, Some animals^ that feed upon fruits, which are to be found only at one time of the year, fill their holes with several sorts of plants, which enable them to lie concealed during the hard frosts of the winter, contented with their prison, since it affords them plenty and protection. These holes are dug with so much art, that there seems the design of an architect in the formation. There are usually two apertures, by one of which the little inhabitant can always escape, when the enemy is in possession of the other. Many crea- tures arc equally careful of avoiding their enemies, by placing a ccntiiicl to warn them of the approach of danger. Tliosc generally perform this duty by turns ; and tht^y know how to punish such as have neglected their post, or have been unmindful of the common safety. Such are a part of the efforts that the weaker races of quadrupeds exert to avoid their invaders ; and, in general, they are attended with success. The arts of instinct are most commonly found an overmatch for the in- vasions of instinct. Man is the only creature against whom all their little tricks cannot prevail. Wherever he has spread his dominion, scarce any flight can save, or any retreat harbour ; wherever he comes, terror seems to follow, and all society ceases among the inferior tenants of the plain ; (heir union against him can yield them no protection. INTRODUCTION. XIX and their cunning is but weakness. In their fellow brutes, thejr have ao enemy whom they can oppose with an equality of advantage ; they can oppose fraud or swiftness to force ; or numbers to invasion ; but what can be done against such an enemy as man, who finds them out though unseen, and though remote destroys tliiem ? Wherever he comes, all the contest among the meaner ranks seem to be at an end, or is carried only by surprise. Such as he has thought proper to protect, have calmly submitted to his protection ; such as he has found convcniont to destroy, carry on an un- equal war, and their numbers are every day de- creasing. The wild animal is subject to few alterations ; and, in a state of savage nature, continues for ages the same, in size, shape, and colour. But it is otherwise when subdued, and taken under the pro- tection of man ; its external form, and even its internal structure, are altered by human assiduity : and this is one of the first and greatest causes of the variety that we see among the several quadrupeds of the same species. Man appears to have changed the very nature of domestic animals, by cultiva- tion and care. A domestic animal is a slave that seems to have few other desires but such as maq is willing to allow it. Humble, patient, resigned, and attentive, it fills up the duties of its station ; ready for labour, and content with subsistence. Almost all domestic animals seem to bear the marks of servitude strong upon tbeni. All the IX INTROCUCTTON. varieties in their colour, all tlie fineness and Icngtli of their hair, together with the depending length of their ears, seem to have arisen from along con- tinuance of domestic slavery. What an immense variety is there to be found in the ordinary race of dogs and horses ; the principal differences of which has been effected by the industry of man, so adapt- " J ing the food, the treatment, the labour, and the climate, that the tame animal seems in some in- stances no, longer to have any resemblance to his ftncestors in the woods around him. In this manner, nature is under a kind of con- s^aint, in those animals we have taught to live in a state of servitude near us. The savage animals preserve the marks of their first formation ; their colours are generally the same ; a rough dur>ky brown, or a tawny, seem almost their only varieti^. But it is otherwise in the tame ; their colours are various, and their forms different from each other. The nature of the climate, indeed, ope- rates upon all ; but more particularly on these. That nourishment which is prepared by the hand of man, not adapted to their appetites, but to suit his own convenience, that climate, the rigours of which he can soften, and that employment to which they are sometimes assigned, produce a number of distinctions that are not to be found among the savage animals. These at first were accidental, but in time became hereditary ; and a new race of artificial monsters are propagated, rather to answer to the purposes of human pleasure, than their own convenience. In shorty their very ap* INTRODUCTION. XXI peiites may be changed ; and those that feed only apon grass may be rendered carnivorous. Goldsmith saw a sheep that would eat fleshy and a horse that was fond of oysters. But not their appetites,' or their figure alone, but their very dispositions, and their natural saga- city, are altered by the vicinity of man. In tiioso countries where men have seldom intruded, soma animals have been found, established in a kind of civil state of society. Remote from the tyranny of man, they seem to nave a spirit of mutual be- nevolence, and mutual friendship. The beavers, in these distant solitudes, are known to build like architects, and rule like citizens. The habitations that these have been seen to erect, exceed the houses of the human inhabitants of the same coun- try, both in neatness and convenience. But as soon as man intrudes upon their society, they seem im- pressed with the terrors of their inferior situation, their spirit of society ceases, the bond is dissolved, and every animal looks for safety in solitude, and there tries all its little industry to shift only for itselC Next to human influence, the climate seems to have the strongest effects both upon the nature anci form of quadrupeds. As in man, we have seen some alterations, produced by the variety of his situation ; so in the lower ranks that are more subject to variation, the influence of climate is more readily perceived. As these arc more nearly xxu INTRODUCTIOM. I'i attached to the cartli, aud in a manner connected to the soil ; as they have none of the arts of shield- ing oH'the inclemency of the weather, or softening the rigours of the sun, they are consequently more changed by its variations. In general, it may be remarked, that the colder the country, the larger aud tiie warmer is the fur of each animal ; it being wisely provided by nature, that the inhabitant should be adapt^d to the rigours of its situation. Thus the fox and wolf, which in temperate cli- mates have but short ha^r, have a fine long fur in the frozen regions near the pole, . On the contrary, those dogs which with us have long hair, when carried to Guinea, or Angola, in a short time cast their thick covering, and assume a lighter dress, and one more adapted to the warmth of the coun- try. The beaver, and the ermine, which are found in the greatest plenty in the cold regions, are re- markable for the warmth and delicacy of their furs ; while the elephant, and the rhinoceros, that are natives of the line, have scarcely any hair. Not but that human industry can, in some measure, co-operate with, or repress the effects of climate in this particular. It is mcII known what altera- tions are produced by proper care, in the sheep's fleece, in different parts of our own country ; and the same industry is pursued with a like success it) Syria and Cashmirc. where many of their animals are clothed with a long and beautiful hair, which they take care to improve, as they work it into that stuff called camblet, so well known in different parts of Europe. INTRODUCTION. XXIH The disposition of the animal seems also not less marked by the climate than the figure. Both at the line and the pole, the wild quadrupeds are fierce and untameable. In these latitudes^ their savage dispositions having not been quelled by any efforts frdm man, and being still farther stimulated by the severity of the weather^ they continue fierce and untractable. Most of the attempts which have hitherto been made to tame the wild beasts brought homo from the pole or the equator have proved ineffectual. They are gentle and harmless enough while young ; but as they grow up, they acquire their natural ferocity, and snap at the hand that feeds them. It may indeed, in general, be asserted, that in all countries where the men are most barbarous, the beasts are most fierce and cruel : and this is but a natural consequence of the struggle between man and the more savage animaU of the forest ; for in proportion is he is weak and timid, they must be bold and intrusive ; in pro- portion as his dominion is but feebly supported, their rapacity must be more obnoxious. In the exfeniive countries, therefore, lying round the pole, or beneath the line, the quadrupeds are fierce and formidable. Africa has ever been remarked for the uncivilized condition of its men, and the fierce- ness of its animals : its lions and its leopards are not less terrible than its crocodiles and its serpents ; their dispositions seem entirely marked with the rigours of the climate ; and being bred in an e:;- treme of heat, they show a peculiar ferocity, that neither the force of man can conquer, nor his art* XXll INTRODUCTION. ollay. However, it is happy for the wretched inhabitants of those climates, that its most formi- dable animals ure all solitary ones ; that they have not learnt the art of uniting, to oppress man- kind ; hut each, depending on. its own strength^ invades without any assistant. The food also is another cause in the variety, which we find among the quadrupeds of the same kind. Thus the beasts which feed in the valley are generally larger than those which glean a scanty subsistence on the mountain. Such as live in the warm climates, where the plants are much larger and more succulent than with us, are equaTly remarkable for their bulk. The ox fed in the plains of Indostan, is much larger than that which is more hardily maintained on the side of the Alps. The deserts of Africa, where the plants are ex- tremely nourishing, produce the largest and fiercest animals ; and, pprhaps, for a contrary reason, America is found not to produce such large ani- mals as are seen in the antient continent. But, whatever be the reason, the fact is certain, that while America exceeds us in the size of its reptiles of all kinds, it is far inferior in ifs quadruped pro- ductions. Thus, for instance, the larr^cst animal of that country is the tapir, which can by no means be compared to the elephant of Africa. Its beasts of prey also, are divested of that strength and cou- rage which is 80 dangerous in this part of the world. The American lion, tiger, and leopard, if such diminutive creatures deserve these names. 1IITR0DUCTI0M^ lie wretched nioat formi- ; that they oppress man- kvn strength^ the variety, i of the same in the valley ich glean a Such as live its are much i, are equally : fed in the n that which of the Alps, lants are ex- t and fiercest rary reason, large ani- inent. But, ccrtait), that its reptiles drupred pro- rrcst animal by no means Its beasts th and con- part of the nd leopard, hese names. XXK (tre neither 80 fierce nor so valiant as thoge of Afr iTTa and Asia. The tiger of Bengal has been seen to measure twelve feet i^i length, without including the tail ; whereas the American tiger seldom ex- ceeds three. This difference obtains still more in the other animals of that country, so that some have been of opinion, though without sufficient reason, that all quadrupeds in Southern America arc of a different species from those most resembling' them in the old world ,* and that there arc none which are common to both, but such as have entered America by the north ; and which, being able to bear the rigours of the frozen pole, have trdivelled from the antient continent, by that passage^ into the new. But, if the quadrupeds of the new continent be less, they are found in much greater abundance ; for it is a rule that obtains through nature, that the smallest animals multiply the fastest. The goat imported from Europe to South America^ soon begins to degenerate ; but as it grows less it l^ecomes more prolific ; and, instead of one kid at a time, or two at the most, it generaiUy produces five, and sometimes more. What there is in the food, or the climate, that produces this change, we have not been able to learn ; we might be apt to ascribe it to the heat, but that on the African coast, where it is still hotter, this rule does not obtain; for the goat, instead of degenerating: there^ seems rather to improve. d XX?I INTRODUfTION. However^ the rule i^ general among all qua- drupeds^ that those which are large and formida- ble produce but a few at e time : while such as are small and contemptible are extremely prolific. The lion^ or tiger, have seldom above two cubs at a litter : while the cat, that i^ of a similar nature, is usually seen to have five or six. In this manner, the lower tribes become extremely numerous ; and^ but for this surprising fecundity, from their natu- ral weal^ness, they would quickly be extirpated. The breed of mice, for instance, would have long since been blotted from the earth, were the mouse as slow in production as the elephant.. But it hat been wisely provided that such animals as can make but little resistance, should at least have a means of repairing the destruction, which they must often suffer, by their quick reproduction ; that they should increase even among enemies, and multiply under the hand of the destroyer. On the other hand, it has as wisely been ordered by Providence, that the larger kinds should produce but slowly ; otherwise, as they require propor- tional supplies from nature^ they would quickly con- sume their own store ; and, of consequence, many of them wbuld soon perish through want ; so that Kfe would thus be given without the necessary meanf of subsistence. In a word. Providence has most wisely balanced the strength of the great against the weakness of the little. Since it was necessary that some should be great and others raKan> since it was expedient that some should lif « INTRODUCTIOIf. ZXYl! upon others^ it has assisted the weakness of one bj granting it fmitfUlness ; and diminished the nuiq- ber of the other by fecundity. In consequence of this provision, the larger creatures, which bring forth few at a time, seldom begin to degenerate till they hfive nearly acquired their full growth. On the contrary, those which bring many, reproduce before they have arrived to half their natural size. Thus the horse and the bull are nearly at their best before they begin to breed ; the hare and the rabbit scarce leave the teat before they become parents in turn. Almost all ani- mals likewise continue the time of their pregnancy in proportion to their size. The mare continues eleven months with foal, the cow nine, the wolf five, and the bitch nine weeks. In all, the interr mediate litters are the most fruitful ; the first and the last generally producing the fewest in number and the worst of the kind. Whatever be the natural disposition of auimali at other times, they all acquire new courage when they consider themselves as defending their young. No terrors can then drive them from the post of duty ; the mildest begin to exert their little force, and resist the most formidable enemy. Where resistance is hopeless, they then incur every dan- gers in drder to rescue their young by flight, and retard their own expedition by providing for their little ones. When the female opossum, an animal of Aiherica, is pursued, she instantly takes her ^VVlll IMTRODTJCTIOW. younc; into a falie belly, with whicfi nature has supplied her, and carries them oflf, or dies in the endeavour. But^ if at this period the mildest ani- mals acquire new fierceness^ how formidable must those be that subsist by rapine ! At such times^ no obstacles can stop their ravage^ nor no threats can terrify ; the lioness then seems more hardy than eventhe lioQ himself. She attacks men and beasts indiscriminately, and carries all she can overcome .reeking to her cubs, whom she thus early ace us* toms to slaughter. Milk, in the carnivorous ani' mals, i« much more sparing than in others : and it may be for this reason that all sqch cai'iy home their prey alive, that, in feeding their young, its blood may supply the deficiencies of nature, and serve instead of that milk, with which they are so sparingly supplied. Nature, that has thus givei> them courage to defend their young, has given them instinct to choose the proper times of copulation, so as to bring forth when the provision suited to each kind is to be found in the greatest plenty. The wolf, for instance, coupler in December, so that the time of pregnancy continuing five mouths it may have its young in April. The mare, who goes eleven months, admits the horse in summer, in order to foal about the beginning of May. On the contrary, those animals which lay up provisions for the winter, such as the beaver and the raarmotte, couple in the latter end of autumn, so as to have their young iftbout January, against whiph season they have IKTRODUCTION. XXIX provided a very comfortable store. These seasons for coupling, howcrcr, among some of the domes- tic kinds, are generally in consequence of the quan- tity of provisions with which they are at any time sopplied. Thus we may, by feeding any of these animals, and keeping off the rigour of the climate, n .ke them breed whenever we please. In this manner those contrive who produce lambs all the year round. The choice of situation in bringing forth is also very remarkable. In most of the rapacious kinds, the female takes the utmost precautions to hide • the place of her retreat from the male ; who other- wise, when pressed by hunger, would be apt to ^ devour her cubs. She seldom, therefore, strays far from the den« and never approaches it while bs is in view, nor visits him again till her young are capable of providing for themselves; Such animals as are of tender constitutions take the utmost care to provide a place of warmth, as well as safety, for their young ; the rapacious kinds bring forth in the thickest woods ; those that chew the cud, with the various tribes of the vermin kind, choose some hiding-place in the neighbour- hood of man. Some dig holes in the ground ; some choose the hollow of a tree ; and all the am- phibious kinds bring up their young near the water, and accustom them betimes to their proper element. Mammalia, or viviparous quadrupeds, are dis- tributed by Linnscus into sevea orders, viz. Fri- 1» INTRODUCTION. mates, bruta, ferae, glires, pccora, belluAB, and cete. The primates are remarkable for a nearer ap< proach to the human form than is exhibited in the other quadrupeds. The bats, howeyer, which are by Linnaeus ranked in this order, differ greatly from the rest. The principal character of the primates, consists in the teeth, which, except in the bats, strongly resemble the human. The bruta have no front, or cutting; teeth, either in the «per or under jaw ; their feet are armed with strong claws ; their pace is, in geucral, some- what blow, and their food is principally vegetable. The ferae have generally six cutting teeth, of a somewhat conical shape, both in the upper and under jaw ; these are succeeded by strong and sharp fangs, or canine teeth ; and the grinders are formed into conical, or pointed processes : this tribe is preda- cious, living principally on the flesh of other animals : the feet are armed with sharp claws. The glires are furnished with two remarkable large, long, fore teeth, both above and below ; but have no canine, or sharp lateral teeth ; their feet arc provided with claws, and their general pace is more or less salient, or leaping ; their food is vegetable ; cohsisting of roots, barks, fruits, &c. The pecora, among which are comprised what we commonl V call cattle, have no front teeth in thtf ) 1' ■:■"■■*■ INTRODUCTION. AXIt upper jaw, b^t several, y'lz. six or eight in the lower; their feet are furniihed with cloTen, or divided hoofs ; their food is entirely vegetable, and they possess the remarkable power of rumination, or throwing up again into the mouth the food they have first swallowed, in order that it may be still further reduced, or comminuted by the teeth. This remarkable process is assisted by the peculiar struc- ture of the stomach, which, in these animals, is di- vided into four cavities, each having its peculiar office. The bell use have obtuse front teeth ; the feet are furnished with hoofs, in some whole, or round- ed, in others obscurely lobed or subdivided ; their food is vegetable. The cete consists of the whales, which, though resembling fishes as to general form or outline, are real mammalia in disguise ; having similar bones, lungs, teats, &c. &c. Their teeth are frequently less osseous than in other mammalia. They feed on soft marine animals and vegetables, and swim chiefly by means of their pectoral, or breast fins, in which are inclosed the bones of the fore feet. Their tail is horizontal, and they are furnished with breathing holes on the top of the head^ throughly which they occasionally spout the water. I I QUADRUPEDS. APE TRIBE. THIS numerous family is distinguished froiti all others, hy the animals having in each yA\f four front teeth, placed near together ; the ca- nine teeth longer than the resti and distant from them, and the grinders obtuse. The animals belonging to this tribe bear a con- siderable resemblance^ both in external and inter- nal structure^ to the human race : and in theit habits and instincts we remark a ;nuch nearer ap- proach to us, than in those of any other division of animated nature. They are endowed with me- mories exceedingly retentive ; they arc also suspi- cious, agile, fond of imitation, and full of ges- ticulations and grimace ; when offended, they as- sume threatening gestures, and chatter with their teeth; but when any thing pleases them they are seen to laugh. The dispositions of many of the species are so wild and unmanageable, that it is with difficulty they can be brought into a state of domestication. Others are indeed of a milder nature, and exhibit some degree of attachment to those who are kind to them, but nearly the whole tribe are endowed with mischievous pro* pensities. They are also in creneral filthy, ob- scene, and thiirvi-i'i- VOL. I« B % APE. All the species, except one^ (the Barbary ape,) are confined wHhiii the limits of the torrid zone, w here^ for the most part, they live on vegetable fo(»d ; and although our books on natural history enumerate about sixty species, we are given to understand that these are but a small proportion of the numbers that have even been observed in the forests of hot climates. Booman says he saw an immense immber of different kinds on the coast of Africa, and Condamine tells us, that it would occupy a volume to describe accurately only the speciiic characters of those to be found along tiie banks of the great river Amazons. They abound in the forests of Africa, India, China, Japan, and South America. Several of this tribe have pouches in their cheeks in which they macerate their food for some time before they chew and swallow it. They are fond of hunting after fleas, both in their own fur, and in that of their companions. Few animals have a more delicate sense of feeling, or are agitatvas of a coal black colour, more resembling human hair than that of brutes. It bore a still stronger similitude m its different lengths ; for in those places where it is longest on the human species, it was also longest in this ; as on the head, the upper lip, the chin, and the pubrs. The face was like that of a man, tl»ej ^owliead lara^er, and the head cound. The iit^ •j^Pf ' ..«(M n additional w. from two to liih brown, long, cover , tha back, than on the face is flat, the human exactly like vs is ta>jvny. y that there al : viz. the ^ called tlie 9, apd 8ome ;o, or great p Aff ioa» al's "we hav€' ^ht into thi» observed by been dcs- was brought had beenV; country, in kind, that overed with )lour, more brutes. It its difTereht is longest est in this ; tin, and the a man, tht^ The II j^ 5 a ORAN OTAN. per and lower jaw were not so prominent as in nionkies ; but flat, like those of a man. The ears ■were like those of men in most respects ; and the teeth had more resemblance to the human than those of any other creature. The bending of the arms and legs were just the same as in a man ; andj in short, the animal, at first view, presented a figure entirely human. In order to discover its differences, it was neces- sary to make a closer survey ; and then the im- perfections of its form )egan to appear. The first obvious difference was in the flatness of the nose ; the next in the lowness of the forehead, and the wanting the prominence of the chin. The ears were proportionably too large ; the eyes too close to each other ; and the interval between the nose and mouth too great. The body and limbs differed, in the thighs being too short and the arms too long ; in the thumb being too little, and the palm of the hand too narrow. The feet also were rather more like hands than feet ; and the animal, if we may judge from the figure, bent too much upon its haunches. When this creature was examined anatomically, a surprising similitude was seen to prevail in its internal conformation. It differed frym man in ihe number of its ribs, having thirteen ; w hereas, in man there are but twelve. The vertebras of the neck also were shorter, the bones of the pelvis narrower, the orbits of the eyes were deeper, the kidneys were rounder, the urinary and gall blad- ders were longer and smaller, and the ureters of a different figure. Such were the principal dis- tinctions between the internal parts of this animal and those of man ; in almost every thing el.<;e iliey were entirely and exactly the same, and dis- covered an astonishing congruity. Indeed, many jjarts were so much alike m conformation, that ORAM OTAN. it might have excited wonder, how they were pro- ductive of such few advantages. The tongue, and all the organs of the voice, were the same, and yet the animal was dumb ; the brain was formed in the same manner with that of man, and yet the creature wanted reason : an evident proof (as M. Buffon finely observes) that no disposition of matter will give mind ; and that the body, Jiow nicely soever formed, is formed in vain, when there is not infused a soul to direct its opera^ tions. From a picture so like that of the humatS spe- cies, we arc naturally led to expect something of a corresponding mind ; and it is certain, that such of these animals as have been shown in Europe, have discovered a degree of imitation beyond what any quadruped can arrive at. That of Tyson was a gentle, fond, harmless creature. In its passage to England, it would embrace with the greatest tenderness, those that it knew on shipboard, opening tlieir bosoms, and clasping its hands about theni. Monkies of a lower species it held in utter aversion ; it would always avoid the place where they were kept in the same vessel ; and seemed to consider itself as a creature^ of higher extraction. After it wai taken, and a little used to wear clothes, it grew very fond of them ; a part it would put on with- out any help, and the rest it would carry in ita hands to some of the company, for their assistance. It would lie in a bed, place its head on the pil- low, and pull the clothes upwards, as a man would do. That which was seen by Edwards, and des- cribed by Buffon, shewed even a superior degree of sagacity. It walked, like all of its kind, up- on two legs, even though it carried burdens. Its air was mela,ncholyj and its deportment grave,. ORAN OTAN. Unlike the baboon or monkey, whose motious are violent and appetites capricious, who are fond of mischief, and obedient oo\ from fear, this animal was slow in its motions, and a look wag sufficient to keep it in awe. " I have seen it," says M. Buffon,/' give its hand to show the com- pany to the door ; I have seen it sit at table, un- fold its napkin, wipe its lips, make use of the spoon and the fork to carry the victuals to its mouth, pour out its drink into a glass, touch glasses when invited, take a cup and saucer and set them on the table, put in sugar, pour out lis tea, leave 't to cool before drinkiiig^ and all this without any other instigation thaa the signs or the command of its master, and often of its own accord," It was gentle and inoffen- sive ; it even appri)achcd strangers with respect, and came rather to receive caresses than to offer injuries. It was particularly fond of sugared comfits, which every body was ready to give it ; and, as it had a cough, so much sug.n.r contri- buted to increase the disorder and shorten its life. It continued at Paris but one summer, and died in London. It ate indiscriminately of all things, but it preferred dry and ripe fruits to all other aliments. It would drink wine, but in small quan- tities, and gladly left it for milk, tea, or any other sweet liquor. M. Vosmaer's account of the manners of an ©ran otan, brought into Holland in the year 1776,, and lodged in the menagerie of the prince vt Orange, is exceedingly curious. " This animal," says M. Vosmaer, " was a fe- KJiale : its height was about two Rhenish feet and a half. It shewed no symptoms of fierceness or malignity, and was even of a somewhat iuelan- choly appearance. It was fond of being in com-' pany, and shewed a preference to those who took s ORA*r OTAN. daily care of ii, of which it seemed to be sensible. Often when fhey rctiredj it would throw itself on the ground, as if in despair, uttering lamen- table cries, and tearing in pieces the linen with- in its reach. Its keeper having sometimes been accustomed to sit near it on the ground, it fre- quently took the hay of its bed, and laid it by its side, and seemed by every demonstration, to invite him to be seated near. Its usual manner of walking was on all fours, like other apes ; but it could also walk erect. One morning it got unchained, and wc beheld it with wonderful agility ascend the beams and rafters of the buil- ding ; it was not without some pains that it was retaken, and we then remarked an extraordinary muscular power in the animal ; the assistance of four men being necessary in order to hold it in such a manner as to be properly secured. During its state of liberty it had, amongst other things^ taken the cork from a bottle of Malaga wine, which it drank to the last drop, and had set the bottle in its place again. It ate almost every thing that was given to it ; but its chief food was bread, roots, and especial'ly carrots ; all sorts of fruits, especially strawberries : and it appeared extremely fond of aromatic plants, and of the leaves and root of parsley. It also ate meat, both boiled and roasted, as well as fish. It was not observed to hunt for insects, like other monkies ; was fond of eggs, which it broke with its teeth, and sucked completely ; but fiish and roasted meat seemed its favourite food. It had been taught to eat with a spoon and a fork. When presented with strawberries on a plate, it was extremely pleasant to see the animal take them up, one by one, with a fork, and put them into its mouth, holding, at the same time, the plate in tile other hand. Its common drink was water. ORAK OTAT^. 9 but H also very Vr lllirigly drank all sorts of wine, and particularly Mahga. After drinkinc^, it wiped its lips ; and after eating, if presjcnttul with a tootli-pick, would use it in a proper manner. I was assured, (continues this writer,) that on shipboard it ran lYcely about the vessel, played with Ihe sailors, and would i::o, like them, intd the kitchen for its mess. At the approach of night it lay down to sleep, and prepared its bed, by shakinj:: well the hay on which it slept, and putting it in proper order ; and la.stly, covering itself warm with the coverlet. One day, seeing the padlock of its chain opened with a key, and shut again, it seized a little bit of stick, and put it into the key hole, turning it about in all directions, eisdeavouring to see whether the pad- lock would open or not. This animal lived seven months in Holland. On its first arrival, it had but very little hair, except on its back and arms : but on the approach of winter it became extreme- ly well covered ; the hair on the back being three inches in length. The whole animal then appear ed of a chesMut colour ; the skin of the face, &c. was of a mouse colour, but about the eyes and round the mouth of a dull flesh colour." It camef from the island of Sorueo, and, after its death, was deposited in the musetim of the prince of Orange. Gemelli Carreri gives an instance of something very analogous to reason in these animals. He tells us that when the fruitc Ort the mountains are exhausted, they frequently descend to the sea- coasts, where they feed on various species of shell-fish, but in particular on a large specie* of oyster, which conirnonly lies open on the shore : " Fearful," he says, " oi putting in their paws, lest the oyster should close and crush them, they till &* stuiic wiiuitt tnc liMCH ; tnit VOL. 1. fO OHAN OTAN. prevents it from closings and they then drag out their prey, and devour it at leisure," PcTe Carbasson brought up ar. oran otan, which became so fond of liim, that wherever he went it always seemed desirous of accompanying him : whenever, therefore, he had to perform the ser- vice of his church, he was always under the necessity of shutting it up in a room. Oncc^ how ever, the animal escaped, and followed the father to the church ; where, silently mounting on the sounding board above the pulpit, he lay perfectly still till the sermon commenced. He then crept to the edge, and, overlooking the preacher, imita- ted all his gestures in so grotesque a manner that the whole congregation were unavoidably urged to laugh. The father, surprised and confoundr ed at this ill-timed levity, severely reproved his audience for their inattention. The reproof failed in its effect, the congregation still laughed, and the preacher, in the warmth of his zeal, r<> doubled his vociferations and his actions : these •the ape imitated so exactly, that the congregation could no longer restrain themselves, but burst out into a loud and continued laughter. A friend of the preacher at length stepped up to him, and pointed out the cause of this improper con- duct ; and such was the arch demeanour of liis animal, that it was with the utmost difficult) he could command the muscles of his countt^nanco, and keep himself apparently serious, while he or- dered the servjwits of the church to take him a>vay. Such are the habitudes and the powers of f h<; smaller class of these extraordinary creatures ; but we are presented with a very different picture in those of a larger stature and more muscular form, The little animals we have been describing, which are seldom found abo^ve four feet high, seem to ORAN OTAN. n iturcs : but pAfiake of the nature of dwarfs among the human species, being gentle, assiduous, and playful, rather fitted to aniuw; than terrify. But the gi- gantic races of the oran otan, seen and described by travel tcrs, are truly formidable ; and in the gloomy forestn, where only they are found, seem to hold undisputed dominion. Many of these are as tall, or taficr than a man ; active, strong, and intrepid; cunning, lascivious, and cruel. This redoubtable rival of mankind is found in many parts of Africa, in the East Indies, in Madagascar^ and in Borneo. In the last of these places, the people of quality course him as we do the stag ; and this sort of hunting is one of the favourite amusements of the king himself. This creature is extremely swift of uiot, endowed with extra- ordinary strength, and runs with prodigious cele- rity. His skin is all hairy, his eyes sunk in his head, his countenance stern, his face tanned, and all his lineaments, though exactly human, harsh and blackened by the sun. In Africa this crea- ture is even still more formidable. Battel calls him the pongo, and assures us that in all his pro- portions he resembles a man except that he i» much larger, even to .1 gigantic state. His face resembles that of a man, the eyc% are deep sunk in the head, the hair on each side is extremely long, the visage is naked and without hair, ai are also the cars and the hands. The body it lightly covered, and scarcely differing from that of a man, except that there are no calves to the legs. Still, however, the animal !«i seen to walk upon his iiinder legs, and in an erect pos- ture. He sleeps under trees, and is said to build himself a hut, which serves to protect him against the sun and the rains of the tropical climates. He lives only upon fruits, and is no way carnivo- rous. He cannot speak, although furnished with le •RAN OTAIff. greater instinct than any other animal of tlie bryte creation. When the negroes make a fire in the woods, this animal comes near and warms himself hy the blaze. However, he has not skill enough to keep the flame alive hy feeding it with fuel. They go together in companies ; and if they happen to meet one of the human spe- pies, remote from succour, they generally show him no mercy. They even attack the elepliar.r, V'liich they beat with their clubs, and oblig«'; to leave that part of the forest which they claim a& their own. It is impossible to take any of those dreadful creatures alive, for thev arc 80 strong, that ten men would not be a match for one of tlicm. None of this kind, therefort-, are taken, except when very young, and these but rarely^ \vhen the female happens to leave them behind ; for in general they keep clung to the breast, ;^nd adhere both with their legs and 9rms. From the same traveller we learn, that when one of these animals dies, the rest cover tlie body with a quantity of leaves and branches. They sometimes, however, show mercy to the Ijuman kind. A negro boy, that was taken by one of tliese, and carried into the woods, con- tinued there a whole year, without receiving any injury. From another traveller we learn, that these animals often attempt to surprise the female ijegroes as they ^o into the woods, and frequently keep them against their wills for the pleasure <}f their company, feeding them very plentifully s^ll the time. He assures us that he knew a Avoman of Loango that had lived among these aiiimals for tkj-ce yejirs. imal of the malit^ a fife ' and warms las not skill / feeding it panics ; and human spe- lerall^ show le elepjjfijir, d oblig«^ to they claim take Huy for they arc be a match Ij thcrefort-, , and these [IS to leave sep clung to ;ir legs and learn, that rest covci d branches, rey to the IS taken by 'oods, con- ceiving any learn, that the female frequently pleasure plentifully knew a ong these MCJ-ABMED APE. '^■f-r tigmy, and long-armed ape. is Pigmy ape, or pitheque. * The flatness of their face and nails, the naked- ness of their buttocks, the want of a tail, and their Upright carriage, give this species some re- senibhince to th^ human form. They are tlie smallest apes, boing not larger than a common cat ; the colour of the upper part of the body is an olive brown, -and beneath it is yellowish. Individuals are often to be seen among ouf exhibitions of wild beasts. They feed on fruits ; but are greedy of insects, particularly of ants, and search for them with eagerness and dexterity. They are numerous in Ethiopia. This race are the pij:^mies of antiquity, represented as a dwarf- ish v.'dtU " '^f mankind, who waged war with cranes, v ,' were at length utterly destroyed by their vi_i..>-.ious enemies. ' Gibbon, or long-aumed ape. Is easily distinguished by the prodigious length of his arms, which touch the ground when the animal stands erect. His flat swarthy visage^ surrounded witli grey hairs, his erect carriage, the want of a tail, flat nails, and round naked ears, give this creature also a distant resemblance of the human figure, though hideously deform- ed. His body is rough, all covered with black hair, except his buttocks, which are bare. His feet are long ; his eyes are large, but sunk deep m their sockets. His canine teeth are propor- tionably larger than those of man. His height from two and a half to four feet. These animals are mild and gentle in their man- ners. Their movements are not too precinitate. uui lively and quick. They are said ahvays to \ V alk erect, They inhabit the East Indies, where thovarc seen by hundreds, on the tops of trees. The whico gibbon is generally considered as a. A'ariety of the former ; from which it differs, in being entirely white, except the face and liands, which are black. . ■f:,t'^./ Magot, t)R Bapbary ape. Ij. This creature is a remove still farther from the human form. Its face is long, and resembles that of a bull -dog. Agreeable to this character, its canine tretli are both long and .strong. Its cars resemble those of the human species; its nails are flat. The upper pari of its body is of a dirty greenish brown, and its belly of a dull pale yel- low. It has down on i^s face, and cheek pouches. It has also large prominent callosities on its but" tocks, and a small appendix of skin, apt to be mi.stakcn for a tail. It walks on the two hind feet at times, but more frequently on all four. When erect upon its two hind legs, it is generally two feet and a half high ; some are three, others are found four feet in height. Apes of this species inhabit many parts of India, Arabia, and all parts of Africa, except Egypt. They live on vegeta- bles, and are said to assemble at times in the open plains of India, in vast troops, and if they see any of the women going to market, they at- tack tiiem, and take away their provisions. Ta- ■yemier, apparently alluding to this species, says, that some of the inhabitants of India have an odd mode of amusing themselves at their expence. These people place five or six baskets of rice, forty or fifcy yards asunder, in an open ground near their retreat, and by every basket put a num- ber of stout cudgels, each about two feet long: tiiey then retire to some hiding place, not far '.;r- /If: ■*■■ DAREARY APE. IS distaiU^ 10 wait the event. When the apes ob- serve no persons near the baskets^ they soon descend in great numbers from the trees, and run towards them. They grin at each other for some time before they dare approach; sometimes they ad- vance, then retreat, seeming much disinclined to encounter. At length the females, which are more courageous than the males, especially those that have young ones, (which they carry in their arms as women do their children) venture to ap- proach the baskets,' and as they are about to thrust their heads in to eat, the males on the one side advance to hinder them. Immediately the other party comes forward, and the feud being ki: died on both sides, the combatants seize the cudgels and commence a most severe fight, which always ends with the weakest being driven into the woods with broken heads and limbs. The victors, he tells us, then fall to in peace, and devour the reward of their labour. He also informs us, that as he was himself tra- velling in the East Indies, in, company with the English president, a great number of large apes were observed upon the trees around them, The president was so much amused, that he ordered his carriage to stop, and desired Tavernier to shoot one of them. The attendants, who were prin- cipally natives, and well acquainted with ti:c manners of these animals, begged him to desist, lest those that escaped might do them some injury in revenge for the death of a companion. Being, however, still requested, he killed a female, which fell among the branches, letting her little ones, that clung to her neck, fall to the ground. In itn instant all the remaining apes, to the number of sixty or upwards, descended in fury, and, as many as could leaped upon the president's coach, Vrhere tbey would soon have strangled him, had ^■v 16 MOTTLED BABOON. not the blinds been i.nmediatelv closed, and cf\, and ff. Th«'v, [1 teazc tlie II the place th our cli- itions in this nee to two jxpress both e brisk^ its jr passion, it withstanding sposition, it )linej gcne- 0 amuse the II to dance, ; peaceably ON. [e size, and tree to four ^ and mus- ;owards the of all the irm greyish the upper if mottled ; sh colour ; d, or very lour. The s ; but the lails. The rmidablc of ..1 ;j. •_ ^m^i '^^ •VAr" €03E.^io::^ :aAiBiJ(DTT m liAkiiAkiV aH. i7 hred. It appears, in its native woods, to be \th* pelled by two uppoitite passions ; a hatred fm* ihe males of the human species, and a desire f^r women. Were we assured of these sttailge rttj- positions in its dispoisition from otte ic^tiTtibrhf alone, the account mi^ht appear doubtful ; but^ as it comes from a Variety of iht most credible witnesses, we tannort refuse our assent. Fi'dih them, therefore, we Icjara, that these animaU Wtll nften assail Women iil d bddy, ilnd forcd thtirti into the wood^ wher^, thef keep them oj^ziwH I their will, and kill them when rcfractdry. '" At the cape of Good Hoti^ the^ ttlre \ck^ tuf- midable, but, to the best of their power, cqualtj |mischieY0U8. They are there under a sort of mitiiral discipline, ahd go about what^vdi' ih^y undertake with surprising skill and regularity. [When they set about robbing an orchard or a a Tineyard, for they are extremely fond of graj)e3, apples, and ripe fruit, they do not go singly t6 work, but in large companies, and witti preccm- certed deliberation. On these deeaSions, apart of them enter the indlosure, while ote is-set t■' 't«* ."?'< - -' ^ 13L-5 f ijff >^V" I'M, f A'^ /r ■ - M"aim:ob-. RlEEED NOSE EABOON. 10 Its nails arc flat ; its feet and hands of a dusky colour. Ks tail stands erect, and is very liairy, from four to six or seven inches in length. The rump of a vermilion colour ; and the beautiful colours on the hips are gradations from red to hlue ; the inside of the thighs a light blue. This is a native of the interior of Africa. ;, , '■' Mandrill maimon, or ribbed nose baboon, This baboon has a long naked nose^ of a flesh colour, compressed sidevt^ajs^ ribb,ed obliqyely on each side, and striped with blue ; on the chin a short, picked, orange beard : its tail, which is between two and three inches long, and very hairy, it carries eject ; its buttocks are bare ; its hair is soft and long, of a reddish brown upon the body, and grey ' upon the breast and belly. It has cheek pouches ; its ears, the palms of its hands, and the soles of its feet, are naked. , The ugliness of this baboon is perfectly dis- gusting, t'rom his hostrils distils pefpetually ^ kind of mucus, whitih, with his tongue, he licks into his mouth. His body is of a squat figure ; his buttocks are of A blood colour. Tlie deep longitudinal wrinkles or ribs, on each side of his nose, augnient the sullenness and deformity of his aspect; : ; . They diflfer as to size ; some are only two feet long from the nOse to the tail ; others four, or even five. They are more tractable, and less im- pudent than the great ba.boon, but equally dis- agre^ble. They are found on the Gold coast* »nd other southern provinces of Africa. I r- u SSQ WOOD, AND X^hlQW BABOON^ &e. Wood baboon. »: , ;-f This baboon has » long 4og-like faGe> of 9 l^lossj black. His hftn4s and feet are blacky and nakea, )i^e the fa,ce. His nails are ii^^hite. Hiii body is covered on all parts with long hair^ ele* eantlj mottled with black and greyish bro^n. His tail measures not qqite three inches ; it is veo' hairy on the upper part. t^^hen erectj lie is ^bput three feet hi^. H« h^abits G^iBe<^^ and i? called bj the English, Th^ m^9 oj[ tth^ woq4. f! ;'l{' .^ .ili-i I.. T*iis creature greatly reiem^lfs the wood ha^ Ijpon, but differ? ift th^ following instances \ iti ei^rs are liid in its fur ; there arc several lojpg dus^ ky hairs over Us eves; its hands are covered witli hair above ; its pQlour is a bright yellpw^ met- tled with blaek. It if about two Ue^ long^ and ii probably ^ n^tiv^ of Africa. . , , ;. C^NEBEova CfB.. 4;i^Tflo;(.oyB.BD BABPon, Tms baboon is disting^i{||i#d byl^it dusky face« pale brown beard, and his crown mottled witli yellow. His body wd limb* ar^ of a cinereous prow^, I J i,§ f,]^oi^ t^e ^iz^ of itf^ ferpn^f,., P-^ll^ErFACEl?, TUfT^lk, OB B*<>AI>-1fQ^T|»*Je 3(t>* : ( r.i> ,.';♦ '((> B)A«-,,.-^_',j r-^'^-^yj:' BROTrN> LITTLV, AND CRESTED HaBOON. 81 Iti cinereous, mixed with a dull rust colour, length is about three feet. The four last species were described from spe* cimens in the collection of sir Ashton Lever. .;^ -^r Vtj iY'.d'. Brown baboon. ^ r' ''"^ • . ■ • . ■ » Thib species has pointed ears, and "a face of a dirty white. Its nose is large and broad. The colour of the upper part of its bodj is brown ; of the under ua ash colour. Its tail is taper, al- most bare oi hair, and about four inches long. Its \eg§ are much longer in pr ^portion to the size' of its body, than those of the great, or ribbed nose baboon. It is more frequently to be seen in the exhibitions of wild beasts. ,n! i'^ihd ^";:;- Little BABOON." ' The head and ears of this species are roundish ; the mouth projects ; the thumb is not remote fVom the fingers, as in the former kinds ; the nails are narrow and compressed ; those of the thumb are rounded. The colour of its hair yellowish, tipt with black. Its face is brown, with a few scattered hairs ; its tail not an inich long ; its but- tockd are coTered with hair. It is about the size of a squirrel ; an inhabitant of India^ and a lively creature. ,^::^;-f.,y?m^-^ Crested baboon. . ' Tnif animal derives its name from the very long and dishei'clled. hair, of a dusky colour, on Its crown^nd cheeks. Its breast is whitish ; the rest of the bodj and its limbs are covered with Iwig black hair. Its face and feet are black and bare, its tail slender and taper, about seven fS , PIGTAltj AND DOG-FACED BABOON.' inches long^. The vhole length of the animal is about two feet. It inhabits Africa. Pigtail baboon. This species is easily distinguished by its tail, which is four inches long, slender, aiid exactljf like a pig's. Its face is df a swarthy redness, and somewhat pointed. It has ears like thos« of the human body ; its eyes are of a hazel co- lour. It has two sharp canine teeth ; the crown of the head dusky ; the hair on the limbs and body brown^ inclining to an ash colour^ but palest on the belly. Its Cngors are black ; its nails long and flat. The thumbs on its hind feet are very long, and connected to the nearest toe by a broad membrane. Its length from head to tail is twenty -two inches. Though full of viva- city, it has none of that impudent petulance peculiar to the other baboons ; but is gentle, tractable, nnd even caressing. It is found in Sumatra and Japan. In the latter country^ it ii iaught tricks and carried about by mountebanki. BABOONS WITH LONGER TAILS. Dog-fac£o baboon. This species has a long, thick, and strong nose, covered with a smooth red skin. Its eyes are Rmall, and deeply seated ; in ears pointed and liid in its hair. Its head is large and flat. The hair on the sides of its head and the fore part of Us body^ as far as the waist, is very iong;an4 ^-" ^a?" ^^m ^Wm •ve T!I><^T> its tail, i exactljf rcduesg, ke tkost liazel co> he crown imbs and )ur, but ack ; its hind feet arest toe 1 head to of viva- letulance gentle, bund io try, it If tebanki. ;WA; :.:i^ m-^. ?-^^ ''-■^^^^' tig nose, Bjes are ted and The part of >ng;and t. -S««3. wm/i!f^";?/', t^-i-'!r ]PI(B- TifflLlEB BABOCT^, '%**'' ^:i-: I -.<*?, v ^^■'•-■"•' ' Jw- '■tr if.:ip . ■■; / *^. ■^. .>iv ;a- ■;■ &a- ^V*' V: i4?._:- ■i.fi • V .'!«•?■, ■ fr \ "IDOG-lElf^ClEB-lBAlBO O^ VRSINE BABOOn. the hind pari of the head, on the limbs and hind part of the body, very sliort. lis limbs are strong and thick ; its hands and feet dusky. The nails on the foce feet are flat ; ' those on the hind re- eerable claws. Its buttocks are very bare, and covered with a skin of a bloody colour. Its tail, which is scarcely the length of the body, is car- ried generally erect. The baboons of, this species, in vast troops^ inhabit the hottest regions of Africa and Asia. They are very fierce ; excessively impudent, in- decent, and lascivious. They rob gardens ; and are dangerous to people passing the place where they happen to be. When they dare not attack passengers, they. run up trees, shake the boughs at them with great fun^,,and chatter very loud. In Arabia Felix they in^st the woods by hundreds^ and oblige the owners of the coffee plantations I to be continually on their guard against their de- predations. They are quite untameable. Some lof them are above five feet high. ■ o ' ;; .JIU i^A » ■ V. Ursine or bear baboon . <« i :i: Sfrms to be a variety of the same species. It lis covered with long dusky hair, and has^ at first sight, the appearance of a young bear ; ahd Ihence it has its name. It has a great head, a long land thick nose, .and short ears. The crown of its head is covered with long upright hairs. The part lof the head immediately above the forehead is pro- jminent, and terminates in a ridge. Its body is [thick and strong ; its limbs arc short ; its tail mea- [surcs half the length of the body, and is arched at ithe end. Its nails are flat and round ; its buttocks lof a bloody redness. Even when sitting, it mea- jsures four feet in height; and when erect, is as |bigh as a midd! - • ^ mao* They are very nu« ^ LioN*TAlL»S tkh6on. meroiis near the Cape of G<>od Hope, tfftd g6 fb ti'oops among the mountains. When +^v"' discover any sincle person resting and rr^ii! t round, examine, compare it with others, and if they find it to their mind, stick it under one of their shoulders. When in this manner thjey have got their load, they begin to think of re- treating : but if it should happen that the owners of the field appear to interrupt their depredations, their faithful centinel instantly cives notice, by crying out, Houp, houp, houp ; which the rest per- fectly understand, and all at once throwing down the corn they hold in their left hands, scamper ©ff upon three legs, carrying the remainder in the MONKEYS. 31 len they Indian They nd they . Their that of sn. One lilc the b every e is the tof the nee and he first happen up that ; they others, under ner they of re- I owners dations, ice, by est per- Ig dOM'U scamper in the right. If they arc still hotly pursued, they then are content to throw down i,hcir whole burden, and to take refuge among their woods, on the top of which they remain in perfect security. The monkey generally brings forth one at a time, .'ind sometimes two. They are rarely found to breed when brought over into Europe ; but those that do, exhibit a very striking picture of* parental affection. The male and female are never tired of fondling their young one. They instruct it with no little assiduity ; and often .severely correct it, if stubborn, or disinclined to profit by their example : they hand it from one to the other ; and when the male has done showiiig his regard, the female takes her turn. When wild in the woods, the female, if she happen" to have two^ carries one on her back, and the other in her arms - that on her back clings very closely, clasp- ing its hands round her neck, and its feet about her middle ; when she wants to suckle it, she then alters her position ; and that which has been fed gives place to the other, which she takes in her arms. It often happens that she is unable to leap from one tree to another, when thus loaden^ and upon such occasions their dexterity is very surprising. The whole family form a kind of chain, locking tail in tail, or hand in hand, and one of them holding the branch above, the rest swing down, balancing to and fro, like a pendulum, until the undermost is enabled to catch hold of the lower branches of some neighbouring tree. When the hold is fixed below, the monkey lets go that which was above, and thus comes under- most in turn ; but, creeping up along the chain, attains the next branches, like the rest ; and thus they all take possession of the tree, without ever coming to the ground. 3'i LEONINEj AND PURfLE-FACED MONtLEV. \m Leonine iMonkey. This species was described from the I»vinj* animal in the possession of the Due de Bouillon, and was in the royal menagerie at VersailleSj, in the year 1775. Its lengih was two feet from nose to tail, and it was eighteen inches high when standing on all fours. The legs were long in pro- portion to the body : the face naked and quite black ; the whole body and limbs of the same colour ; the hair, though long, appearing short, on account of its lying smooth : around the face, according to Buffon's figure, is a fine long chevelure of grey brown hair, and a large beard of fair >jTey. The chevelure, or spreading hair round the face , stretches upwards over the eyes and forehead so as to encircle the whole head in a remarkable manner ; as in the ovanderon or lion-tailed baboon ; to which, indeed, from the figure as well as description, it appears so ex- tremely similar, that it might well pass for a va- riety of that animal. The eyes are of a deep brown ; the nose flat, and the nostrils large and separated like those of th ovandcroa ; from which, however it differs in the far superior leng-th of the tail, which measures twenty-seven inches, and is tufted at the end. It has callosities be- hind : the feet and hands are a little hairy, but the fingers are naked ; the ears also are naked, flat, round, and hid by the hair. It was sup- posed to be a native of Abyssinia. Purple-faced monkev. This monkey has a largo triangular white beard, short and pointed at the bottom, and extended on each side of the ears like wings ; its face and "ff UIRTPEiE. ■JFA.CED-MlOIMJKJE'Sr '^.>i **'^T^'v' Sj eoivjiim ifc -"T^ir® :^KiEnr VAtATINE, AUD HARE-LII^PID MOHKJET. 83 hands are purple ; its body black ; and itg tail> which is much longer than the body, is termina* ted with a dirty white tuft. It is a native of Ceylon, is very harmlessi lives in the woods, and feeds on the leaves and buds of trees. When tak0Q it soon becomes tame<, There is a variety of it entirely white ; but in form exactly like the others. .■( ■;, J , .■ . . ■ , These are qiilcii scarcer, and more dangeroui than the black ones. , , . , .. Palatine' monrev, ckr rolowaY. . This monkey has a triangular black face^ bor* dered all round with white hair? ; which, on th« chin, are divided into a long forked bec;rd ; it$ back is of a dusky colour ; its h^ad,,its sides, ^ad the outsides of its arms and thighs the same ; but each hair is tipped with white ; the breast, the belly, and ihe limbs, are white in those which ar# shewn in tlurope, but, in their native country, ot an orange colour, for they fade in eoider climates ; its tail and body are each about a foot and a half long. In Guinea, its native country, it i» tery full of frolic ; fond of the persons it is acquainie) with, but averse to others. Hare-lipped mom&ey^ or macaqvb, This species has its i^ostrils (divided like those of a hare ; its nose is thick^ flat, and wrinkled ; its head is large, eyes small, teeth very white, body thick and clumsy ; its buttocks are. naked ; its tail is long ; its colour , varies ; it is scnie- tiraes of an olive brown, and sometimes of a grey brown ; the belly and the inside of ,the limb* are of a light ash colour, ^t is a native of Gui- yoL. I. F 34 SPOTtED^ AND LONG-NOSED MOMKEY. nea and Angola^ and is full of frolic and ridi- culous griiuace. 1..' • j: Spotted monkey, on diana. It V ! The spotted monkey is a species of a middle •ize ; it has a long white Iwafd ; the upper parti of its body are reddish, as if they had been »}»• gcd, and are marked with white specks ; thi belly and chin are whitish, and the tail terji long. LInnflcus describes his Diana monkey some- M'hat ditferently. He says, it is of the size of a large cat, black, spotted with white ; that th« hind part of the back is ferruginous ; its fare blacky and its beard pointed, black above ami ■while beneath, placed on a fattish excrescence j that its bredst and throat are white ; that a white line pailses from the nose over each eye in an Arched form to the ears ; that there is a white line passing fVom the rump cross the thighs ; that the tnil is long, straight, and black ; that the ean and ftet are of the sarnie colour ; and that it has large canine teeth. It inhabits Guinea and C(rtigo. .tiiu'EhV Long-nosed monkey. This monkey has a very long slender nose, covered with a flesh-coloured, naked^; Skki ; the hair on its head falls back ; that on its body and breast is long ; the colour of the head and upper part of the body and limbs is pale ferrugino is/ mixed witli black ; that of the breast and bellj light ash ; its tail is very long ; the height of the animal, when sitting, is about two feet ; its face IS very much like that of a long nosed dog ; it i» very good natured. Pennant, who describes it, ii Ujicertain as to its country; but thinks it if '4» \ TELLOWISII, AND GREEH MOKKEY, 3b probftblj from Africa. He also mentions another animal, which he calls the prude, and which he thinks may possLblv be related to the former. . . . ^ •. . I. , ;. ; Yellowish monrey. ... - This creature is of the size of a fox, has a black face, large black naked ears, and large canine teeth ; on the side of the checks, long hairs of a fiale yellow, falling backward towards the head ; ong hairs above each eye ; the throat and breait pf a yellowish white, and its upper parts cinereoiif mixed with yellow ; on the lower parts, and on the tail, the cinereous or ash colour predominate! } the hair on the body is coarse ; the tail is as long as the body. i.i. CfREEN MONKEYj OR <;ALLETm«. ,; This monkey |ias a red flattish face, ih4 U black nose ; the sides of its face are bounded by long' ])ale yellow hairs, falling backwards like a mustache^ and ^Imost covering its ears, which are black, and shaped like those of the human face ; the head, limbs, upper part of the body^ -nd tail, are covere4 with soft hairs of a yellow^sl green colour at their ends, of an ash colour at ^he roots ; the under side of the body and tail, and the inner aide of the limbs, are of a silvery grey ; the tail w very long and slender ; the size of this monkey is equal to that of a small cat. Monkies of thi^ species inhabit different parts c»f Africa ; they keep 'm great Socks, and live pn trees in the wood^, where they are almost entirely concealed by the leaves, and would s.carce be noticed, were it not for the branches wh*;,?! they break in their gambols ; though in these they .t6 WHltC-ZTE-LID^ AND MUST AC Hi: M ON RET. arc yfx^' rsgile and siiciit ; ctcii wb*r\ shot at, they Ac wot make the lea^t noise ; hut will unite in company, knit their hrows, ar -' rpash their teeth, as if they meant to attack the enemy. Thej wo very common in the Cape de Verd islands. ''"'■ White-et'e-lid MONKEV. '"^ *• " ^ This species has a long, black, naked, anc* dog- like face ; the upper part of the eye-lids of a pare iNrhite, which distinguishes it from most other 8|^ecies ; the ears black, and like those of the human body : no canine teeth ; hairs on the sidei of the face ; those beneath the cheek ° lon&rcr than the rest ; the colour of the whole body is tawnj and black ; the nails on the thumbs and foit liiigerii are flat ; those on the others are blunt (Clawi ; the tail, which it carries arched, as welj M the hands and feet, are black ; it is a nativi of Madagascar ; there is a variety of it with | T'Jb^t'!? colour. -• ' ' Mustache monkey. Two large tufts of yellow hairs, like mustache?, before its ears, serve to dist* guish this monkey, and to give it a name ; it has a short nose, of a dirty bluish colour, and a truisverse stripe of white beneath it; the edges of both its lips, and the space rotind the eyos, black ; its ears are round, and tufted with whitish hairs ; the hair on the top pf the head is long and stands upright ; there are some black hairs round its mouth ; the colour pf the hair on the head, yellow mixt with hlaik ; on the body and limbs^ d, mixture of red and ash (Colour ; the rest yellowish ; the under part of the body is p^ler than the upper ; the feet are black. •NRET. ^ shot at, will unite lash their ly. They aiids. I. ■ ii it t , arw* dog- of a pure ost other >se of iht the siilei n&:er than 19 tawnj and foit urc blunt , as welj 3 a nativf it with % lustachei, monkey, lose, of a stripe of lipSj and ire round, )n the top it ; there he colour Ih black ; 1 and asii irt of the ire blackj. 'm><- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ^ m " 2.2 1*0 2.0 1.8 1.25 1-4. 1 1.6 ^ 6" 1»- V] ^ "/// 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 '"^^'''1^ ^I^ ^v- MtrSTACHTE MOICliEX iPLi-f the size of a tmall cat. Monkieg of this species are found in J^ava. They are said to fawn on men and their own upecies, and em- brace each other ; and to play with dogs, if they have none of their own «peeies with them. I( they tat a monkey of another species, they greet him with a thousand grimaces. When a number of them go to sleep, they put their Iieads together. They make a continual noise during* the nijght. MONA^ OR MONEA. This species is called by the Malays monea ; it is distinguished by a high, upright, rusty tufti MMD, AMD CUtNESB MON&EV. 3^ I on tbe crown : its limbs and body are fcrru^inout. mixed with dusky; its belijr and the inside of its legs are whitish. It is supposed to be a variety of the egret, or to be some other species imperfectly described. I. i. .JJr.Vt*'"' ' . ; ■ . ,1"' 1 .■■(:•• I'r /■;;'■{ J t r» !""J .^\ \\>!:i: ?l'\t Red MONKEY. ;:;{ /■ k,i„; i"ui1\^:J The upper part of the body of this nionkc^,. which is slender, is of a beautiful bright ba^r, almost red, so vivid as to appear painted; the lower parts* are oi' an ashoculuur, tinged with yellow ; the length of the body is about one foot six inches ; the tail generally not so long ; it has a long nose ; its eyes are sunk in the head^ and its ears furnished with pretty long hairs; thoM^ on each side of the face are long ; its . chin i» bearded ; over each eye, a black line, or some* times a white one, extends from car to ear. It inhabits Senegal ; is less active than other monkiesj but more inquisitive. When boats are passing alcmg the river, they will come in crowd» to the extremities of the branches, and seem t<^ admire them with vast attention ; at length thejf will become so familiar as to throw piecei off sticks at the crew. ,i>!u>l r; Chinese MONKEY, im. ,:. ;fM,//r-> This animal hatha long smooth nose, of ft dusky colour ; the hair on tbe crnwn of its head is long, lies flat, and is parted like that of a man ; its colour is generally a dusky brown, mixed with yellow ; the belly is whitish. Monkies of this species iiihabit> or ' raihdr infest Ceylon ; they keep together in great troops, and rob ibe gardens of fruit, and the iields of corn. It has the name of Chinese from its hair spread- ■■■\fi'^y'_-"t^,i'rj-:tTf^-fi^ ^*T-1T *' 40' BONNBTEB^ AMD rAfttfiD MONK£r> &C. iag out in a circular direction like a Chinese cap It 18 about the size of a cat. Bonneted monkey^ '^4*2 10 .tvr.'r> ( . A CIRCULAR bonnet on its crown^ consisting df upright black hairs, distinguishes this animal ; it is of the size of a cat, having long hairs on the •ides of its cheeks ; its body brown ; its legs and ^rms black. ^ * ■ > , „< > ^ r- ^.^ Varied monrey« or mona. ? This species of the monkey is described as living its nose, the orbits of its eyes, and iti ionouth, of a dirty flesh colour ; the hair on the sides of itt face, and under its throaty is long, of a whitish colour, tinged with yellow; its fore- head, is grey, having a black line, from ear to ear> above the eyes ; the upper part of the body ift dusky and tawny ; the breast^ belly> and inside of the limbs are white ; the outside of its thighs and arms black ; its hands and feet »e black and naked ; its tail of an ash brovni ; it is about a foot and a half long, and its tail about two. i til n^ . It inhabits Barbary, Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa, and is very common. This kind, it is supposed, gives the name of monkey to the whoU tribe, from the African word monnet or father from the corruption of it^ monichus and monichi, .-w,^*:, Vaulting monkbv*. ^^ .-nn^v, This is described by Mr^ Allamimd in hit edition of Buffon's natural history of quadritpeds. It is said to be somewhat more than a foot highi and the tail about twenty inches long. The up- hinese cap 'i . nsisting df is animal ; airs on the f legs and *.*•:>*: ascribed at ;s, and itt lair on the is long, of ; its fore- from ear to the body and inside ide of itt I and feet ksh brown ; nd its tail ;,?i ill HA - . other parts kind, it is ) the wholi or father d moniehii and in hit uadritpeds. foot high, jilbe tip- ' f». V .. x,<.. t ' I t ^ \ -v-;v^r: ,^- 't^f; XCRIIvnn .^CfJITirft'j^' PL ii ^^^lU^^^H p». (n»iR(n>i?,(ri[ji; MowivEY" PROBOSCIS Mf>NK.EY. a* per part* of the animar nre of a dark olivaceous colour, owing to a mixture of olive greei>, and black Iiair ; the face black, with a snow^-white triangular spot on the nose ; the chin, throat, breast, arul belly, white ; the under part of the tail, and insides of the limbs of blackish grey.. It is an extremely nimble and active animal, according to Mr. AUaniand. The individual in his possession came from Guinea. It was per- fectly familiar, playful, of a gentle disposition^ and so rapid in its motions that it seemed to fly rather than leap. Proboscis monkey. Z^nvSin^. Amongst the whole tribe of monkies, this, per* haps, may be considered as the most singular iq its aspect ; the nose being of such a length and form as to present, especially in a proflle viev, an appearance the most grotesque imaginable ; and indeed, from an inspection of the figure alone, one would be apt to imagine that it must have been desiigncd for a caricature of a monkey. The animal, however, is preserved in the royal cabinet at Paris, and was first described by Mon& d'Au- benton. It is a large species, mri"3uring two feet from the tip of the nose to the tail^ which is more than two feet long. The face was a kind of cur- ved form, and is of a brown colour, and marked with blue and red : the ears broad, thin, nakedly and hid within the hair. The head is large, and covered with cliesnut-coloured hair : the whole body is also of a similar colour, except that on the breast it approaches to orange. Round the throat {tnd shoulders the hair is much longer than on the other parts, so as to form a sort of cloak, as in some of the baboons, to which, indeed, thia species seems nearly allied. . It is an East India* VOL. I. a 42 COCHIN CHINA MONKET, animal, and is extremely rare. The form of the nose is most singular, bein^ divided almost into two lobes at the tip ; a longitudinal furrow run- ning along the middle. It is said to be found chiefly in Cochin China, and to grow to a very Urge size. They are sometimes teen in great companies, and are considered of a ferocious dis- position, though they feed only on fruits. The native name of this animal is kht ddc, or great monkey. DOUC, OR COCHIN CHINA MONKKT. ''«<^' •Ti[f^MA£••^f this creatufe, vairiegaied wiih many colours, distinguishes his species in a con- ^icuous manner. Round his neck there is a collar of a purplish brown colour ; a yellowish white beard surrounds his cheeks ; his lipt are black, and he hat a black ring round his eyes ; his face is short and flat ; both his face and ears are of a yellowish bay ; his head and body grey ; his back, breast, and belly, are yellow ; nis legs are white below, and black above ; his tail is white, and there is a large spot of the same colour on his loins ; his feet are black, with several shades of different colours ; his buttocks are covered with hair, which is the case with otil^ three others of all tlie species of apes of Asia and of Africa. vS k -i* ; vr jn'jfa He inhabits Cochin China and Madagascar ; Sives mostly on beans, and frequently walks on hii bind feet ; he is a very large species, about two feet long from the nose to the tail ; but his tail it not so long. ? . •' ^^ ^^ ?vn Travellers assure ut, that in the stomachs of the large apes, in the southern provinces of Asitj bezoar stones are found, of a superior Quality to ih«86 of the goats and gazelles. It is aHleged ♦ • -u rm of the Imost into TOW ruDi be found 0 a very in great cious dis- 1 ddc, or 65T. ted witli n a con* lere is a yellowish lips are his eyes ; and ears )dv grey j ; nis legs is tail is the samtt tik, with buttocks ;ase with apes of lagascar ; Iks on bii lb out two t his tail »machB of I of Asia J, !}uality to s alleged Tli-H- IPTJIjIi-ISOTIOM MO'H-KJKX TAWNY, -COAT, AND FULf.-BOTTOM MONKflr. 43 that tho bezoars of the apes nrc always round, while the other kinds are of diO'erent figures. It njurh resembles the proboscis monkev, but differs in the form of the face. TaWNT MONItEY, OP MR. PENNANT. The face of this species is a little produced ; that and the ears arc flesh coloured ; its nose il flattish ; it has long canine teeth in the lower jaw ; the hair on the upper part of the body if pale tawny, ash j:oloured at the roots ; the hind part of the back is orange ; legs ash, belly white; it is a creature of tiic size of a cat, and its tail is shorter than its body. It is an inhabiiant of India^ and is very ill-natured. There is a variet;^ of this species with a black face, and long black hairs on the cheeks ; the body of a dull pale green ; the limbs grey, aii4 the tail dusk^. I Goat MOTtREr. This species, described by Mr. Pennant from a drawing in the British museum, derives its name from its long goat-like beatd ; its blue naked face is ribbed obliquely ; its whole body and limbs are of a deep brown colour ; its tail is of con- siderable length ; but the gentleman who describes it, seems to fall short of his usual accuracy in this respect, that he does not-ascertain the size of the animal. FyLL-BOTTOM MONKEY. This animal has a short, black, naked face, a small head ; his head and shoulders are covered with long coarse flowing hairsj like a full bottom- 44 BAYj AND ANNULATED MONKEY. ed perriwig, of a dirty yellow colour^ mixed with black ; his body, arms, and legs, are of a fine glossy black, covered with short hairs ; his hands are naked, and furnished with only four fingers ; on each foot he has five very long slender toes; his tail is very long, of a snowy whiteness, with very long hairs forming a tuft at its end ; his body and limbs are very slender ; his length is above three feet. He inhabits the forest of Sierra Leoiia in Guinea, where he is called bey, or king mon- key. The negroes hold his skin in high estimation, and use it for poiiches, and for coverings to their guns. ♦ / .. Bay monkey, i . ^ i This monkey derive^ its name, with great pro- priety, from its prevailing colour ; its crown ii black ; but its back is of a deep bay ; the outr gide of its limbs black ; its cheeks, the under part of its body and legs, are of a very bright bay ; it has only four fingers on the hands, and on the feet five long toes ; its tail is very long, slender, an4 black ; its body and limbs very slender and meagre. Like the last species, it inhabits Sierra Leona. Annulated monkey. ^ ^ ^ Tnis species of monkey, described by Mr. Pen- nant, from a drawing in the British museum, has a flat face, long hairs on the forehead and cheeks ; the upper part of the body and limbs of a tawny colour ; the belly cinereous ; the tail shorter than the body, annulated with a darker and a lighter brown, and its hands naked and black ; size not mentioned. v i „,- ?, , . >i^ ■;,;«; EV. mixed with re of a fine ; his hands lur fingers; endcr toes ; teness, with I ;■ his body th is above ierra Lcoiia • kitig mon- estinjation, igs to their great pro- Ls crown is ^ ; the outr under part ^•ht bay ; it on the feet lender, an4 md meagre. Leona. f Mr. Per- tiseum^ ha$ nd cheeks ; of a tawny horter than id a lighter I : size not IFDZSTAUILIEE) MirOTKE7| ,^-;s,fe*^.^ TMi III rlf If '4 % (GBTEATC IE ABIED M:o:^KTEir PIIIUPPINC, AND FOX-TAILSD MONKEY^ &C. 45 ( . PUIJ;(IPPINE MONKEY. . . . - This is an obscure species^ said to come from (lie Philippine islands ; its mouth and eye-brows are beset with long hairs. if - Fox-tailed monkey. ;i u : '. This species, -which inhabits Guiana, is about a foot and a half in length, from nose to tail ; its tail is as long,, and like that of a fox ; its face is black, covered witb a short white down ; its fore- head, and the sides of its face, are covered with pretty long whitish hair ; its body with long dusky brown hair, white or yellowish at the points ; its belly, and the lover part of the limbs, are pf a reddish white. ; .' / Jv- Tamabin, or great-eared monkey. This is a beautiful animal, very lively, and easily tamed, but so delicate, that it cannot long resist the inclemency of our climate. It inhabits the hotteo parts of South America, and the isle of Gorgona in the South Sea, south of Panama. It has a round head, a flesh coloured, naked face ; the upper lip a little divided ; ears erect, very large, and almost square ; the hair on the i\)rel^ead upright and long ; that on the body soft, but shaggy; the head, body, and limbs black, except the lower part of the back, whicli is tinged with red ; its hands and feet are covered with orangcrcoloured hair, very fine and smooth ; its nails are long and crooked ; its teeth very white ; it is of the size of a squirrel ; the tail is black, and twice the length of the body. Its face ii iQinetimes black instead of flesh colour. 46 SANGLINj AND SILK.V, MONKEY. Dampier says, at low water tliey come to the nea-side to take muscles and perriwinklcs, which they dig out of the shells with their claws ^ANGLINj OR STRIATED MOKEEY, This species is of a small size ; its body is onlj seven inches long ; its tail near eleven ; if weighs only about six ounces, and some not more than foar and a half ; it inhabits Brasil, and feeds on vegetables ; but will also eat fish, snails, and insects ; it has but a weak cry, from the sound of which BufFon gives it the name of ouistiti ; it is a very lively, restless, creature, and is often brought €Kver to Europe ; its head is very round ; its ears are like the human ; but ajre concealed in a front view of the animal, by tyvo very long tufts of white hair standing out on each side ; the irides of its eyes are reddish ; its face is almpst naked, of a swarthy flesh colour, with a white spot above its nose ; the head black ; the body ash coloured, reddish, and dusky ; the tail is full of hair, an* niilated with ash colour, and black, in alternate rings ; its hands and feet are covered with short bair ; its fingers are like those of a squirrel ; its nails, or claws rather, are sharp. ^ They have produced young- in Portugal, where the climate is found favourable to them ; and lience, it has been asserted, that they might be mul^tiplied in the southern parts of Europe. * 61LK.Y MONKEY. i Thi3 species inhabits Guiana, is very lively, and when in a state of confinement, remarkably gentle. The length of its head and body is about ten inches ; its tail thirteen and a half ; a little bushy at the end. Its constitution seems to h« come to the iklcs, which lawa I.EY, body is onljr ^1 I ; if weiglis ^H t more than ^^^^H nd feeds on ^^^^H ^^^B snails^ and ^m he sound of ^^^^^B stiti ; it is a ^^H ^^^H 'ten brought H . '^,\0 i ' nd ; its ears ed in a front )ng tufts of the irides of t naked, of spot above 1 sh coloured, ^H of hair J an- ^^^H ^^^B in alternate H *''"^'' i with short B quirrel ; its ugal, where ^^H them ; and ^^^^B y might be ^^^m ^^^B rope. ^^^^B very liYelv, , remarkably ►dy is about alf; a little I leeras to ha\ Hi---- ■pi-ir* jyi/zv/^ >y/i^/'m^u'^ ^hm 'ra <^y 4 ■.^r MONKIES WITH PREHENSILE TAILS. ;.r^^^ Preacher, or BEEi.zEBtjB. ■^ ■■• > ■ t^ ■ ■ !* ;.f- i 4- The monkies of this species arc as large as i ibx ; they have black shining eyes, short round ears, and around beard under the chin and throat; the hair on their bodies is of a shining black, long, yet hes so close that the animal appears quite smooth ; the feet and the end of the tail are brown ; the tail is very long, and is alwajrs twisted at the end. Several authors corroborate the evidence of Margrave, a writer of the fir«t authority, and a liiost able naturalist, who resided long in the Brasils where these creatures abound; He speaks from bis own knowledge, and tells us, that morn- ing and evening they assemble in the woods ; that ane mounts upon a higher branchy while the rest I. i the most ce and ears ^ is covered whiteness ; tail of a \j are eight K the banks covered by i them al- it it could climate^ to TIMK MONJEEJar E TAILS. large as i lort round and throat; ; black, ;il appears of the tail is always videiice of ity, and a 3ng in the He speaks that morn- oods ; that ■lilc the rest )IIR-"FJIH(EJE]R]BB ItorAL, AND FOUR-E'INGERED MONKEY. 49 Mat themselves beneath ; that when he perccivct them all seated, he begins, as if it were tft haraugue, and sets up so h)ud and sharp a howl as may be heard to a great distance ; ihe rest keep the most profound silenrc, till he stops andL gives a signal with his hand ; then, in an instant, the whole assembly join in chorus, till he commands silence by another signal, which they obey iri a moment ; then the orator resumes his discourse^ :ind finishes his address, and the assembly breaks up. Their clamour is the most disagreeable and [tremendous that can be conceived, owing to a hollow and hard bone placed in the throat, which the English call the throttle-bone. These mony I kies arc very fierce, quite imtameablc, and bi(« dreadfully; though not carnivorous, they excite terror by their frightful voice and ferocioutf Inspect. , ,,, ,.„ ., ,, .,, , ,. ..... .' Royal monkey, or allouate. \n-^!\ This species or variety, which the Indians call Ithe king of the monkies, is of a reddish bay co- jlour, equally large and noisy ; the natives ar^ Iparticularly fond of its flesh. Its native country lis Guiana, where the former species ia not to bii itound. v.. u^i-.f •>, i •>(,?,./'•-:. J^i.f'-; v j^Hw Four-fingered monkey, or coaita. I ' * ■-' " I This species is distinguished t>y its four fingcfs^f jits hands being quite destitute of a thumb ; but ihe Ifeet have five toes with flat nails ; its face is long and fliit, of a swarthy flesh colour ; its eyes are sunk ^'i the head ; tts ears like the human ; its limbs are )f great length, and remarkably slender ; its body is also slender, about a foot and a half long : |itstiiil is about two feet long, naked below, sKjai Yor. t, ' M^^ . ' M^ tKiHTLT, MONREf, > the end, and so prrlioii.silp rs lo sfrve pvcry piir« ^osc of a hand. Its colour, uulcfis of its fare, IS uniformly blnrk. >-' "i'?.' ' It inhabits Pcni, Brnsil^ Guinna, and neighbourhood of Cartliajj^enn. Thcv are most active of monkics, and quite enliven forests of America. They are sometimes brouplit to Eii. op • ; they arc very tender, and seldom liv , ,c; pr 'n our climate. On account of the len;';ili aim j. I -odor- ness of their legs and tail, they a-" somctiinei Called spider monkies. Unlike the preacher anf'. i oval monkey, they are of a mild and docile dijposition. the the the but /, • f ]^EARfl7t MONKEY, On SAJOtT. This is a monkey with a round head and a short ffesh coloured face, with a little down on it ; tlic hair on the forehead is more or less high in dif- ferent subjects ; the top of the head is covered trith pretty long black, or dusky hair, as are likewise the hind part of the neck and the middle j of the back ; the rest of the body and the liinbtj ftre of a pale brown ; the hair on the breast and belly verj' thin; the hands and feet are covorfdj livith a bluish black skin; the nails on its toes { are flat i its tail is longer than the head and bodv, and is often carried over the shoulders ; the Iiair upon it is of a deep brown colour, very long, and| appears ver , ')i' hf from beginning to end. It ihbab 1-5 i.' v'' ;.a, is -iveiy species, bull Capricious 'i. i;^ aticetions in a state of captivity, having a great fondness for some persons, a«»^| as great an aversion to others ; they are very agile, and their nimbleness and dexterity are extremclTJ amusing. Of all the sapajous, their constitutin«j Sftms to be the best adapted to^ eur climate. K* CAPL'CllIN, AND WEEPER MONRVT. ai kt'pt warm in a thaniber durin^^ the >viiitor, fluy live cornfortabljf in Europe tbr_ orvorHl yt^T», Tlipv hav been known to produce in France. Thejr are ul the lize of a half-^rown cat. '< Capuchin monkev, or sai. •< On the toes of this species there are crooked claws/ not flat nails, as on tliose of the former; but in every other particular, the two are so much alike^ that this circumstance soeuis to be the c]iici diiiercnce between tliem. Weepee monrev. This monkey smells of musk, is of . melancholy disposition, makes a plaintive noise, md appears as if always weeping ; yet he is much "^lisposed to imitate whatever he sees done; his fu e is rotiiid and flat, of a reddish brown colour ; on the upper part of his head and body, his hair, whii h is very long and thinly dispersed, is black, tinned >vitli brown ; beneath, and on the limbs, it is tinned with red ; the tail is black, and much longer than [the head and body, which exceed not lourteeii inches ; he has a flat nail on eac)i toe. Both old and young of this species appear to be deiormed. They inhabit Surinam and Brasil. They keep in large companies, and make a great chattering, especially in stormy weathe -, ^nd reside much on a species of tree which bears a I podded fruit on^vvfiich they feed. They are iiiild, I docile, and timid. Buffon mentions a variety with a white throat. The three last species are very nearly allied, and fre- quently confounded by describing;. 65 ORANGE^ AND HORNED MOXKEY. Orange^ or squirrel monkey. This monkey is of the size of a squirrel^ of a brilliant gold colour in Brasil^ its native country ; it smells of musk, is a very tender animal, and is seldom brought to Europe alive. It has a round ^ead, a nose a little pointed ; and the tip of its nose, and a circular space round its mouth, black ; its ears aye hairy ; thq hair on its body is short, ■Vvoolly, ^nd line ; in the faded state in which it is seen in this country, of a yellow and brown colour ; the nails on its hands are fiat ; those oij its feet like clavys. From the gracefulness of its movements, the fmallness of its size, the brilliant colour of its hair, the largeness and vivacity of its eyes, it has uniformly been preferred to all the qther sapajous; it is indeed the most bcajiitiful of this tribe." Ai the tail is less prehensile than that of the former species, it seems to form the shade between thd sapajous and sagoins. Horned monkey. This monkey Jias obtained the epithet horned, from two tufts of hair that stand up like horns on its head ; its eyes are bright, but of a dusky colour ,* its cars are like those of the hiiman body; its face, sides, belly, and fore legs, are of a reddish brown ; the upper part of its arms, its neck, and the upper part of its back are yellowish j the top of its head, the lower part of its back, its hind legs, and all its feet aire black ; the body is about fourteen inches long ; the tail about fifteen, pre- hensile, and covered with short hair. It inhabit? j^merica. * ' ANTIGUA MOVKEY^ &C. 53 Antigua monkey Has a short noBe^ black face, liair on each side long ; back and sides orange and black, intimate* \y mixed ; belly white ; outside of the legs black : inside ash coloured ; tail of a dusky ash ; its length twenty inches ; body eighteen. This seems a large species, and is described by Mr. Pennant ftom one which was brought from Antigua ; but its real native place was not known. It was a lively sportive animal : the tail is strongly pre^ lieusile. LEMUR TRIBE. The animals composing the present tribe have a considerable resemblance to the monkies in their hand-like paws, but void of their petulant and mischievous disposition. They diflFer from them principally in the shape of the head, which is somewhat like that of a fox, and in the length of their hind legs. Except in using their paws as hands, none of these creatures have any resem- blance whatever to mankind. The principal Linnean characters of the tribe ire, four front teeth in the upper jaw, the inter- mediate ones remote ; six long, compressed, pa* rallel teeth in the under jaw ; the canine teeth solitary, and the grinders somewhat lobated. There are in the wliole at least thirteen species ; )»ut it is only of Qiie of these that we have hithef M SLOW L'^MUR. to been able to o'btaia any thing, except mere description. i^ »•;,, ;«- > rc Slow lemur. The slow lemur is about the size of a small cat.: Itg body is of an elegant pale bcown, or mouse colour. The face is flattish, and the nose ioniewhat sharpened. The eyes are extremely prominent ; they are surrounded with a circle «f dark brown, and a stripe of the same colour runs, down the middle of the back. This animal is found in the island of Ceylon, and in various parts of the East Indies. It is very slow in its motions, and, from this circumstance, has actually been ranked by some naturalists among the sloths, though in no other respect resembling them. It is a Kocturnal ani- mal, and sleeps, or at least lies motionless, during the greatest part of the dj^y. In captivity it mIII feed on • boiled rice, small birds, or insects. Its odour is said to be disagreeable. The late learned and accomplished sir William Jones has given a pleasing general description ol this little creature, in the fourth volume of the Asiatic reseaches ; and as it is always interesting to observe the habits of an anim^'L even in a do- mestic state, in its native country, I shall insert an extract from his curious paper. h^jI *' In his manners he was for the most part gentle, except in the cold season, when his temper seemed wholly changed ; and his Creator, who made him »o sensible of cold, to which he must often have been exposed even in his native forests, gave him, probably for that reason, his thick fur, which we rarely see on animals in these tropical climates. To uie, who not only constantly fed him, but 'ihI5 X OJLIS §Ii€>"W JLTEIMim itotr i.R*?vw. hi bathed him twice a week in water acrommodated to the seasons, «nd whom he clearly distinguished from others, he was at all timrs grateful ; but when I disturbed him in winter .he was usually indignant, and seemed to reproacli me with the uneasincsi which he felt, though no po would climb upon the furniture, or more frequently upou ropes placed for that purpose. Sometimes M. D'Obsonville would tie a bird in the part of the chamber opposite to him, or hold it in his hand in order to invite him to approach : he would presently come near with a long careful step, like a person walking on tip-toe to surprise another. When within a foot of his prey, he would step aod raising himself upright, advance gently, stretching out his paw, then, at once seizing, would strangle it with remarkable celerity. He perished by an accident. He appeared much TOL. I. ' I 58 LOins AND WOOLLY LEMUR. attached to his master, who always used to caresi him after feeding. His return of affection consisted in taking the end of M. D'Obsonvilhe's fingers, |)ressing them, and at the same time fixing his half opened eyes tin those 6f his master. LoRIt. Cra.czi.2s:. This lemur has a long dog-like visage, high forehead, ears large, thin, and rounded ; a body slender and weak ; its limbs very long and slender ; dn the interior toe of every foot, a crooked claw, and flat nails on the rest ; the thumb on each foot separate, and distinct from the toes ; it has no tail any more than the former ; the hair on its body ii universally short, and delicately soft ; on the upper parts tawny, beneath whitish ; on its head there is a dart-shaped spot, with the end pointing to the interval between its eyes, which are surrounded with a dusky space. The length of the animal, measured from the tip of the nose, is only eight inches ; it differs totally in form and in nature from the preceding, though Buffbn seems to confound the two species in his description of the loris. This is very active, ascends trees most nimbly, and has the actions of an ape. If we may credit Seba, the male climbs the trees, and tastes the fruits before it presents them to its mate^ WdOLLY LEHUR, OR MONGOUS. This creature, of the size of a cat, has its eyes lodged in a circle of black, and the space between them of the same colour ; the irides of its eyes of an orange colour ; short round ears ; the end of the nose black ; the rest of the nose, and the bwer sides of its cheeks, white. When in full i^aij-113 I to cavcsi 1 consisted ;'s fingers, ig his half tage, high ; a body id slender ; :>ked claw, 1 each foot lias no tail its body is 1 the upper 5ad there ig ;ing to the surrounded I from the it difters )rcceding, wo species revy active, actions of ale climbs it presents I as its eyes ce between its eyes of he end of and the n i« ful' TARSMT-T?. WOOIiir IiUMTUBv # i 4^ #' •*'., +• h: .0 i^'- >• ^4l .•>^ :■.■?', .1|rM*,,'C ■i i",.i. ^^ ^N*^^ i iM jf % m^ .. Cr^^ MFRINB I4E.ME.B. KING-TAILED |.EHUR. 59 health, the whole upper part of the body is covrr- ed with long soft and thick fur, a little curled or waved, of a deep brownish asli colour ; its tail is very long and covered with the same sort of fur of the same colour ; its breast and belly are white ; the hands and feet pakcd and dusky ; the nails, as in the two former species, flat ; except that of the inner toe of the hind feet ; it varies lometimcs with white or yellow paws, and a face wli'olly brown. It inhabits Madagascar and the adjacent isles ; turns its tail over its head to protect it from ram ; feeds on fruits, and sleeps on trees ; it is very cood natured, and very sportive, but very tender; it is found as far as Celebes or Macassar. Buflbn gives the history of one that he had in his possession for Vjpveral years. He says, that its tongue was rough like that of a cat ; that when permitted, it would continue licking a per- son's hand till it was inflamed, and often finished this operation with a severe bite. It amused itself with gnawing its own tail, and actually destroyed four or five vejrtebraB. Whenever he poiild escape^ he went into the neighbouring shops in quest of fruits, sugar, and sweet meats, opened the boxes that contained them, and helped hinii^elf. He dreaded cold and moisture ; in cold weather )ie never left the fire, and would stand pn end tq warm* himself. His movemeiits wefe extremely brisk, and sometimes petulant. He often slept during the day ; but his slumbers were so ligntj that tlie smallest noise awaked him. They are^ however, generally gentle in p^ptivity. ' »-• ^At^' : ■ . ■■ . ...■: .i. .', . ' > .■ RlN6-TAIL£D LEMUR. This, says the count de Bufibn, is a.beautiful apiinal ; his aspect is agreeable ; hjs figure el«« ■ -i" ()0 niNG>TAILED LEMUR. M'' gantj and his hair alwajrs neat and glossy ; he is ircraarkable for the largeness of his eyes ; for tlie height of its hind legs, which are much longer than those before ; and for his large and beautiful tailj which is always erect, always in motion, and garnished with thirty alternate rings of black and white, well marked and separated from each other ; his manners are gentje ; and though he bears great resemblance to the monkies^ he possesses none of their malicious dispositions. In a state of liberty, this species live in society, and are found in Madagascar, in troops of thirty or forty. In a domestic state, the prodigious rapidity of their movements renders them incommodious : it is for this reason they are generally chained ; for, thougli extremely active and vivacious, they are seither mischievous nor ferocious ; they tame to such a degree, as to go out and return without ruiming oft*. Their gait is oblique, like that of all animals that have hands instead of feet. Thc^ leap more gracefully than they Walk, aire ifatlier eilent, uttering only a short acute cry v<4ien sur- prised or irritated; they sleep in a sitting posture, vfith'the head resting on the breast; their body is longer but not thicker than that of a cat ; but ♦hp height of their legs gives them an appearance of being "larger than they really are : their hair, though soft to the touch, stands always erect. But, to give a more accurate description of the animal, it has the point of its nose black, with black circles round its eyes ; the rest of its fc.ce is white ; and its ears stand erect ; the hair on the top of its head, on the hind part, is of a deep ash colour ; the back and sides of a reddish ash colour ; the outsides of the limbs are paler ; it» belly and the. inside of the limbs are white ; all its nair is very soft, close, and fine ; erect like the pile of vdvet ; its tail, ¥^hich is twice th« -^fyv.]^,'^' ■ '. '"y:-' ', .v-^''-'S''r'''\'f*ti'A''''<' RUFFED LEMUR^ AND TARSIfiR. 61 length of the body, is marked, as before observed, with regular rings of black and white ; whea the animal sits, it is twisted round its body, and brought over* its head ; its nails are flat, particu- larly those of the thumbs of the hind feet ; the inside parts of the hands and feet are black. In addition to its other agreeable qualities^ it ii « very cleanly creature, n i '-.; j -m ..jor. i.r^<-\i Ruffed lemur, or vari. 3Caa4^^?. .•• >., I.r .-: In this creature, the iridesof the eyes are of a deep orange colour ; it has long hair round the sides of the head, standing out like a ruff, from which it has obtained its name ; the colour of the whole animal is black ; but not always, being sometimes found white spotted with black ; but having always black feet ; it is rather larger than the last species ; it is very fierce in a wild state, and makes so violent a noise in the wood», that a is easy to mistake the noise of two for that of an hundred ; some have compared the noise it makes, to the roaring of a little lion. When taken young and tamed, they are very gentle and good natured ; their hind legs and thighs, like those of the two preceding species, are very long, which makes their pace oblique and bounding. These three species seem to be confined to Mada- gascar, Mosambique, and the lands adjacent to those islands. . Tarsii^. The count de Buifon joins this species with the woolly jerboa, though at the same time he is particularly careful to point out their specific dif- ference. Mr. Pennant has described it from two ipecimens in the cabinet of Dr. Hunter ; but en* 6i .?,■'■ MURINE LEMUR.' .T I crs it as an' exception from the genus with whick lie has classed ii, on account of its having in each jaw^ only two cutting and two canine teeth ; its name is derived from that part of the foot called the tarsus^ the bones of which are prodigiously long in proportion to the size of the animal, which is no bigger than a middling rat ; iti length from nose to tail is near six inches, to the hind toes eleven aad a half ; its tail nine inchei Thetarsier^ called by the Macassars^ podje, hai a pointed visage^ a slender nose, ending in two lobes ; eyes large and prominent ; ears erect, bread, naked, and semi-transparent, an inch and a lialf long ; between them, on the top of the head, H has a tuft of long hairs ; four slender toes, and R distinct thumb on each foot, with sharp-pointed claws ; the thumbs of the hind feet are broad, and greatly dilated at their ends ; the hairs on the legs and feet shorty white^ and thin ; the tail is almost naked ; the greater part of it is round and scaly like that of a rat ; but grows hairjr towards the end^ which is tufted ; the hair on its body is soft^ but not curled, of an ash cplour mixed with tawny. It inhabits the remotest islandf pf India^ espci cially Amboina, n(>|if:M4^' . iBfls^^^i^^^rj^/ d . -'' N.ITDM INDRI AND POTTO. 6^ ash coloured, the lower white ; its head is rounds nose sharp, and whiskers long ; it has two canine teeth in eacli jaw ; four cutting teeth in the upper jaw ; six in the lower^ and seven grinders on each side ; its ears are large, roundish, naked, and memhrandceOus ; its toes are long, but of unequal lengths ; the nails round, and very short ; iU tail is as long as the body, and is preheAsile. Indri. • This animiil is entirely of a black cdlour, except on the face, which is greyish ; a greyish cast also prevails towards the lower part of thd abdomen,- tnd the rump is white. Tlie face is of a lengthened;, or dog-like form ; th^ cars shortish, and slightly tuftfed i the hair or fur is silky and thick, and in some parts of a curly, or crisped appearance ; it is tlie largest animal of this genus, and is said by Mons. Sonnerat, its first describer, to be three feet and a half high. It is said to be a gentle and docile animal ; and to be trained^i when taken young, for the chace, in the manner of a dog. Its voice resembles the crying of aa infant. It is a native of Madagascar, where it is known by the name of Indri, which is said td sigiiify the man of the wood. The nails -in this species are flat, but pointed at the ends ; and there! is no appearance of a tail . :,.^ ... - ^ ^' Potto. » This is an obscure species, known only from the description and figure in Bosman's account of Guinea. He ascribes to it, on the authority of tlie negroes, the tardy manners of the sloth. He assures us that it is inconceivably ugly ; and 1 v^heu it is old. is covered with reddish ficcky baifi '■'t^ '■'4 ,,-rv-^v;--Hy'!;>^-r ■u-^:%-- "%^..' 64 FLOCKY, AND HEART-MAURED LEMUR> &C. like wool ; though it appears brown and smoothiih when young. The size is not mentioned, ^^iu Flocky lemur. This animal is described by Sonnerat^ as a large fepecies ; measuring a foot and nine inches from nose to tail ; the tail being also nine inches loog. Its colour is a pale yellowish ferrup:inous on the upper parts^ and white beneath ; the tail, bright ferruginous. The fur is extremely soft and crisped, and of a deep colour on the region of the loins ; the face is black ; the ears small ; the eyes large, :^nd of a greenish grey ; in the upper jaw are two fore t(%th ; in the lower jaw, four ; the feet have| five fingers, which have lorig claws, except the thumbs, which ha,vc rounded nails. Two smaller varieties of the flocky lemur, are described and igured in the supplement of Bufibn. ^ • . , * ■ ,i«! This animal has the face, upper part of the neck | 9iaA back, hind part of the thighs, and the tail, b/.ack ; the under part of the neck and body, and I tile limbs, white. On the forehead is a large beart-shaped spot, pointing downwards. The tail is considerably longer than the body, and thickens gradually towards the tip. The feet are furnished on all the toes with strong sharp black claws; in which particular it differs from other animals of this tribe.* It is supposed to be u iobfiibitant of South Aj^nerica, HeART-MAREED ftCMURi lim^^' TC* Galago, or whitish lemur. ' This is one of the smaller species, measuring ftbovt six or seven inches from the nose to tli« taiU 9,, SlC. 8moothiili S ■ as a large ches from ches loDg. ►us on ibe til, bright id crisped, the loins; eyes large, iw are two 1 I feet have except the | wo smallei cribed and '"^'1^" " " ■.•p..'ijy. .'\'.. ' v.v;>.' ■:'■ : f >• J ^"■^••■ [)f the neck I d the tail, body, and I is a large •ds. The body, and he feet are larp black from other to be u ; ii A V- 'f ^■m-ir^^ measuring to tli scattered over the whole body ; the thighs and VOL. u - £ 66 VLYINO LEMUR. \e^9 have a reddish cast ; the black prevails on the feet, >¥hich are covered with short hain of that colour ; the head is shaped like that of a iquirrel, and there are two cutting teeth in front of each jaw ; the ears are large, round, and naked, resembling those of a bat, and of a black colour. The feet are long, and somewhat resemble those of the tarsier ; the interior toes of the hind feet are short, and furnished with flat, round nails, as in the lemurs ; but the principal character of the animal consists in the extraordinary structure of the fore feet, which have the two middle toes of rn uncommon length, most extremely thin, and perfectly naked, except at their base ; all the i;laws on the fore feet are sharp and crooked. It is a timidj slow^ mild animal, which sleeps almost continually ; its eye resembles that of an owl, and cannot well endure strong day-light. It is a native of Madagascar, where it inhabits the woods. It is extremely rare, and is supposed ii> feed upon fruits, insects, &c. Its native name is aye-aye, which is said to be taken from iti natural voice, or cry, which resembles a feeble scream. :,^hr. Flying cq^lugo, or flying iemvb. This very ' singular animal is so remarkably distinguished from all others, that it is made » distinct genus in the modern tystematic arrange- ment. The cdlugo is a native of the Molucca and Philippine islands, where it is said to frequent woody places, and to feed principally on fruits. It almost constantly resides on trees, and makes use of its membranes in the same manner as th« flying squirrels. In descending from the top of * tree, it spreads its membranes, and balances ;5 nvttila on hairs of that of a , in front ad iiakedj ;k colour, ible those hind feet d nails^ as ter of the 'ucture of die toea of thin, and ; all the I crooked, lich skepi that of an -light. It thabits the tuppoaed Id itive namQ from it! es a feeble l^U 5tO lv''^>*>(tTr^vw^^. , i W\sM:i ///•/ >lucca and frequent on fruits, and makes mer as the the top of d balauces m .•,'J» »- v>'. VLYIMG LEMUR. •t } Hielf to the place it aims at in t gentle manner ; but in ascending it uses a leaping pace. It hat two joung, which are said to adhere to iti breaiAt by the mouth anO claws. The whole krhgth of the animal is ahout three feet ; the breadth, when expanded, nearlj the same : the tail ii ilendcr^ and about A spatt long. The ' inembranie, or expansile skin by which it ii enabled to flf, is continued on each vide, from the neck to the fore feet, thence to the hind feet, and agaiil to the tip of the tail ; it is not naked, lik« the skin of a bat's wing, but covered with fuf in fhe same manner as the body : the inner, or lower side, howeVef, appears membrana- ceous, and is marked by numerous veins and fibres dispersed through it. The whole upper side of the animal is generally of a deep ash co« lour, most so in those which are full grown, and blacker ih the younger, ot leH advanced efrecH mens j the back also, in the full grorwn animill* is crossed transversely with blackish hnea; ia^ wards the edges, is commonly i, tinge of yell^nf- ish, and the whole underside, both >f the body and membranes, is of a yellowish colour, T|t« lii\id is long ; the mouth rather small ; tb4 toiic^iie, according to Dr. Pallas, fleshy, broadi rounded, attenuated on the edges,- and ciliated M^ith fapilisc, as in the Opossums ; ii is «lsQ' sli^tly beset with papillae on its surface. There are no lore teeth in the upper jaw ,• but in the lower are six, which are short, broad, and pretty deeply pectiriated, sO as to resemb]^ little comb* on their upper part ; the canine teeth, or at least thost which Dr. Pallas considers as such, a^e shaped somewliat like the petrifactions known by fh* Bame of glossopetrae, being triangular, very broad at their base^ very sbortj sharp-'pointed, lod an* I I 7- ^' ... es BAT TRIBE. rated ; the grinders^ or molares^ which are getSf* rally four, both above and below^ are of an ab« rapt or truncated fornix and roughened with conir cal protuberances. The ears are small^ round^ membranaceous, and marked internally by nume* rous semicircular Iranaverse streaks, as in a. bat. The legs are clothed with a soft yellow down ; th^e are five toes on each foot, united by a eom- moin membrane, and terminating in large^ tbin^ liroad^ very sharp crooked claws. ii »4: !?• i;;-i BAT TRIBE. Tbsbe Tery singular animals would seem at tight to hold a kind of middle station between the quadrupeds and birds. It is, howevei', only in their power of raising themselves into the air by means of the membranes which extend round their body, that they are in the least allied to the latter, whilst with the other they claim a place, from their structure both externally and inter- nally. Joats have erect sharp-pointed teeth, placed iiear together. Their fore toes are lengthened, and connected by the membranes which perform the office of wings. Their structure cannot be contemplated without admiration, the bones of the extremities being continued into long and thin processes, connected by a most delicately formed membrane or skin^ capable, from its thinness, of being contracted at lUeasuce into inpupserable wripklesy so as to Ho ^ BAT tltl&i!. m in a small space when the animal ig at rest« and to be stretched to a very wide extent for occa- sional flight. ' ;j' Should a speculative philosopher, noi aware of the anatomical impossibility of success, atti^mpt^ by means of light machinery, to exercise the pow* er of flight, he could not hit on a more plausible idea than of copying the structure described. Accordingly, a celebrated author has represented a sage theorist busied in imitating, for this pur- pose, " the folding continuity of the wing of the bat."- Although this membrane enables the bat,.after it has once raised itself from the ground, which it does with some difiiculty, to flit along the air, yet all its motions, when compared with those of birds, are clumsy and awkward ; and in walk- ing, its feet appear so entangled with its wings, . that it seems scarcely able to drag its body along, f y. ■ ^ .1.4 . ,: , . >; The bat, like the mouse, is capable of being tamed to a certain degree ; and we are told by Mr. White, that he was once much amused witn the sight of a tame bat. It would take flies out of a person's hand. If you gave it any thing to cat, it brought its wings round before the mouthy hovering and hiding its head in the manner of birds of prey when they feed. The adroitness it shewed in shearing off the wings of the flies (which were always rejectfjd) was worthy of observation, and pleased me much. Insects seemed to be most acceptable, though it did not refuse raw flesh when ofiered. While I amused myself with this wonderful quadruped, I saw it several times confute the vulgar opinion, that bats^ when down on a flat surface, cannot get on the wing again, by rising with great case from the floor. It ran, I observed, with mo ^lie^atch than woi 70 BAT TRUE. aware of^ but in a Aiost ridiculous and grotesque uianoer. From experiments made by Spallauzani, on the long-eared^ the horse-shoe, and the noctule bats, it appears that these animals possess some ad- ditional sense, which enables them, when deprived of sight, . to avoid obstacles as readilj as vrhen they retained the power of vision. When their eyes were covered, or even put entirely out, they would fly about in a darkened chamber without ever hittii^ against the walls, and always suspend their flight with caution, when they came to a plact whereth^yeould perch. In the middle of a dark sewer, that turned at right angles, they would always, though at a considerable distance from the walls, regularly bend thfeir flight with the great- est nicety. When branches of trees wev* , i.> pended in a room^ they always avoided h .; and flew betwixt threads bung perpendi^uiarly from the ceiling, though these were so near each either, that they had to ccNitract their wingif in^ pas- sing through them. Mr. Jurin supposes that the sense which enables them to perform these unac- countable operations, is lodgied in the expanded nerves on the nose ; but on that of the present^ and several other species, the membrane in' which these endy is wanting. Some have supposed, how- ever, that thi« power of avoiding obstacles in the dark is dependant principally on their ears ; for when the ears of the blinded bats were closed, thejf hit against the sides of the room, and did not seem at all aware of their situation. Several were eolkcted together for the purpose of the above experiments, and they were preserved in a box for more than a week. They refused every species of food for several days. During the day-time they were extremely desirous of re- tirement) and darkness, and, whil^ couflned to the COMMOiii BAT. 71 se unac- box^ never moved or endeavoured to get out while it was liglit ; and^ when spread on the carpet^ they commonly rested for a few minutes, and then be- ginning to look about, crawled slowly to a dark corner or crevice. At sun-set the scene was quite changed; every one then endeavoured to scratch its way out of the box ; a continued chirping was kept up, and no sooner was the lid of the prison opened, than estch was active to escape, either flying away immediately, or running nimbly to a convenient place for taking wing. When the«e bats were first collected, severq,l of the females had young ones clinging to the breast in the act of sacking. One of them flew with perfect eaae,, though two little ones were thus attached to hef which weighed nearly as much as their parent. ,j-" Common bat. The bat most common in England is about the size of a mouse ; or nearly two inches and a half long. The memtNEanes that.are usually called wingSj, (the extent of which, vi a large bat, when fully expanded, is about nine inches,) when the animal flies, are kept stretched on every side, by the four iaterior toes of the fore feet, which are enormously long, and serve like masts that keep the canvas of a sail spread, and regulate its motions. The first toe is quite loose, and serves as a heel when the bat walks, or as a hook, when it would adhere to any thing. The hind feet are disengaged from the surrounding skin^ and divided into five toes, somewhat resembling those of a mouse. The skin by which it flies is of a dusky black, colour. The body ii covered with a short fur, of a mouse colour, tinged with red. The eye» «re very small ; the ears are black and roundish. It makes its appearance early in summer, ai^ V. i ^^^ •ft \. CAteMON SAT. begins its flight in the dusk of I je eyenin^-. it principally frequents the sides of woods^ glades, > snd shady walks ; and is frequently observed to skim along the surface of pieces of wi^er. It pur^iues _gnats^ moths, and nocturnal insects of every kind. It feeds upon these ,' but will not lefuse nieat^ whenever it can find it. Its flight ii a laborious, irregular movement ; and if it hap- pens to be interrupted in its coucse, it cannot readily prepare for a second elevation : so that if it ctrikes against any object^ and falls to the ground, it is usually taken. It appears only in the most * pleasant eyenings, when its prey is generally abroad, and dies in pursuit with its mouth open. At other times it continues in its retreat ; the chink of a ruined buildings or the hollow of a tree. Thus this little ammal, even in summer, sleepg the greatest part of its time, never vienturing out hy day-light, nor in rainy weather ; newr hunting ID quest of prey, but for a small part of the night, and then returning to its hole. But its short life is still 'more abridged by continuing in a torpid state during the winter^ At the approach of the cold season, the bat prepares for its state of life- less ftiattivity, and seems rather to choose a pilace where it may continue safe from interruption^ than where it may be warmly, or conveniently Ipdged. For this reason it is usually seen hang< ing by its hooked claws to the roofs of caves, regardless of the eternal damps that surround it. The bat seems the only animal that will venture to remain in these frightful subterianean abodes, where it continues in a torpid state, unaffet led b) every change of the weather. Such of this kind as are not provident enough to procure themselves a deep retreat, where the cold and heat seldom vary, are sometimes e:^posed to gre^t inconve- ifienccf, for the weather often becomes so mild '..^ iPfc. U ;rved to ter. It sects of ;nU not flight if it hap- ', cannot that if it groundi he most r abroad, en. At le chink a tree. X, sleeps iring out r hunting [le night, short life a torpid h of the of life- a place rruption, veniently en hang- )f caves, round it. venture abodes^ etledb) his kind lemselvei t seldom inconve- 80 mild V ';?'.' > M^.r V*'^.?'*^: '•4^^^-.'-_. ^•■•^'' , V ■. ^v .. y-" >- \ Peruvian BAt. '7^ id the midat of winter as to warm tliem prematurely into life. Knd to allure Ihem from their holes in quest of food, when natu has not provided a supply. These, therefore, have seldom strength to return ; but having exhausted theiiiselves in a vain pursuit after insects which are not to be found, are destroy <;d by the owl, or any other animal that follows such petty prev. The bat couples and brings torth in summer, generally from two to five at a time : of this Dr. Goldsmith is certaiii, that he has found five young duel} in^a hole together ; but whether they were the issue of one parent he cannot tell. The fe- male has but two nipples, and those forward on the breast, as in the human kind. The common bat is a harmless, inoJOfensiye crea« ture. it is true that it now and then steals into a laj^der^ and, like a mouse, commits its petty theftv upon the fattest parts of the bacon. But this happerts seldom ; the ^neral tenor of its industry if employed in purstimg insects that are muca mwe noxious to us than itself can possibly be ; whi[e its evening flight, and its unsteady wabbling motion, amuse the imagination, and add one figure more to the pleasing group of animated nature. ,1 fo-Kf vriv.it i; i ^PerVVian bat. This species has a head like a pug-dog ; large, straight, pointed ears, projecting forwards ; two canine teeth, and two small cutting teeth between! them, in each ja-w. The tail is inclosed in the membrane that joins the hind-legs ; and aupportctd by twocaitilaginous ligaments, which are involved in the membrane. The' colour of its fur is of an iron grey ; its body is equal to that of a middle-' sized rat : the extent of its wings is two feet five inches. V Vb. 74 SULL'DOG^ 8&I»E«AL^ AMD POUCH BAT. There it n variety of tbig species with banging lips, like the chops of a mastiff*, its nose awl upper lip are divided : it has long^ narrow, sharp- pointed ears. A few joiota of its short tail stick out without the membrane^ which, at the , same time extends far beyond it, is an|^ular> and ends in a points Thd claws on the hind-feet are large^ hookedj and compressed, sideways. TJi^i mem- branes of the wings are dusky, and very thin. The fur on the head and hack is brown ; on the belly cinereous; five inches long; extent, of tlui v/ings, twenty. It iiiliah«ts Peru and the Mu/iquito shore. ; ; u- f,-,tri •)?.! ;\i hn'f- '•■■''i^n^'i^i irt/i Unl ^ui{ '»!(;?;, --' BvLt-DOO >BATii n: ..-. .\ii-yu\ txi' WitH broad rbuadetrs/toiichuig cAol other in front; has a thick noae and petidUlom iif^ii the uppet* part of the hodj. is. of a deep d»h<^olourj the lower paler; the tail is long; iU five 1», }t inlMkhits the West Iiidies. , -;4i-.,,i:.:';, ■> .ir-»^{jw It has a long head ; its now ^ little pointed ; short and pointed ears ; fur of a tawny brown, mixed with t8h*ool««r : helljr pialer ; two joints of the tail ^ree. li is four inches k«g ; its •extest twenty-^OBDi >•;.) wf,- !>>: PoijCll ■A.Tj Oft 8L£Niy\ Has its name froni the membrane of the shape of a horse shoe at the end of its nose ; its eari are large ; broad at their base, and sharp-poiiited, inclining backward ; it is cinereous above, whitish beneath; three' inches, and a half long from the nose to the tip of the vail ; its extent above fou|:r teen. • •• ■' ■' . /'''V!'; There is i^ less variety of this species ; it is Ibund about the Caspian; inhabits Burgundy; and has been discovered in K«nt. .^^ ! • '„'■»• "• ■ -■ - It h^s its nose slightly bilobated ; ears spiaH and rounded ; a small wart on the chin, and hair of a reddish ash colour. tU length is two inches and eight tenths ; the extent of its \yings is four* teen ^nches. It inhabits Great Britain and France ; and is yery common in Russia ; it fliei |iigh in search of food. There were taken under fke caves of Queen's College^ Cambridge, in cue B;ue IS CO- its claw lembr^ne. ted bv a ^^rond the the bellj ! quarters 1. ;i- 1 •SROTINEj AMD PEi>I8TR£LL£ BkTy &C. 77 night, one hundred and eighty five; the serond night, sixty three ; the third night, two. Each that was measured bad fifteen inches extent ol wings. It hat an unpleuant smell, , ^ .^^ «. . WH > '.f1^J^«rf,H> .•< SeROTINE. jj^,,., ,^|^,,^ 1Tt;«R1ini It has a longish nose ; ears short, but broad at the base ; and brown and ash coloured hair on the upper part of the body ; the belly of a paler co- lour : it is two inches and a half long ; inhabits France ; .'?nd is alsfr found beyond lake Baikal : but has not as yet been discov^ed in any other part of the vast dominions of Russia. It has n» tail. ^he shape ; its eari p-poiiited, [e^, whitish t from the love four- ies ; it is urgundy; Pepistrelle t '■' /}('■ ears ?piall and hair ;wo inches rs is four- -itaip and ; it flies iken under ge, in one Has a small nose ; its upper lip swells out a little on each side ; its ears are broad. Its fore- head is covered with long hair ; its lips are yel- low ; its upper parts a yellowish brown ; the low- er dusky. This is the least of bats^ not an inch and a quarter long from nose to rump ; the extent of ita wings only six and a half. It inhabits France, and is common about tha rocky and mouu-r tainous parts of Siberia. Barbastelle Has a sunk forehead, and long broad ears, touching each other at their base ; these conceal the face and head when viewed in front. The i|ose is short and flatted at the end ; the cheeks are full ; the upper parjt of the body of a duskv brown ; the lower ash coloured and brown, ft is two inches loug ; its extent ten and a half. It inhabits France. / • 78 LONG-EAREOj kVt tASIOFTlA lAT^ 4c. liOtrO^-SAREO BAT, 6% OREILLAB.' "( The ears of thin sp^iet art above tn inch Ions', thin, and almost pellucid. Its body and tail boSi measure only one inch and three quarters. This and all other bats, except the ternati and the hikrlfe^^hde, hate a lesser or internal ear, serTing at a talve to ciow the greater vhen the aninaal ii Ci1ee|t. It inAiahitt Europe, and i« found in Great M.: I V' iv La'siopter rat I •.u Has the forehead very prominent and rounded ; no&e short ; the general colour ferruginous ; the upper part of the wings of a paler cast ; the ends, and lower parts, black ; this is one of the largest specifes. -t>y J41. ";j Rough-tailed BAT. ' ! Th1« species has upright ears, and small ; tail broad at' base terminating in a point, thickly tOTered with hair ; colour a reddish brown. A tmall species : nattive country unknown. Slouch-eared bat Has large pendulous ears, pointed at the ends; nose obtuse ; tail long, included in a membrane, and ttirminated with a hook ; colour above deep «ih^nut, lighter on the bellv, and cinereous on ttc sides ; lertgfh three inches and /four lin«« ; tx^itiA df tdng 'fifteen inches. Native of Guiana. ■ ■ ' - •■■ ■ ■ ■-...,. • . ^ I ' FITNOSB ^Mp fTAMPvar. BAT. 19 j,'.'i'»">/i <^ The vamp3rre bat is in general about a i-y^l long, and in the extent of its wings near fc':r feet ; but it is sometimes found larger, and \ pec «niens have been seen of six feet in extent. Its general colour is a deep reddish brown. The head is shaped like that of a fox ; the nose is sharp and black ; the teeth long and strong ; and the tongue pointed, and terminated by sharp prickles. The ears are naked, blackish, and pointed ; and the wings umilar in colour to those of the common bat. These aniraalls are found in several parts of the Eaat Indies, and in all the Indian islandj ; in ITiew Holbnd, the Friendly ir^^. New Caledonia, and South America. They ^-^ f:om«un-setto sun^rise, and reside dnringthe M.y in the hollow trees. They are not carnivoroua, but live principally on fruit, and are so food of ihts juice of the palm tree, that Aey will intoxicate themselves with it till they fall seosclesB to the ground. They skim the water with perfect ease in tbeir sportive moods, and frequently (Hp into it to wash themselves. Mr. Foster and several other writers inform us that they iWArjm likt I 10 .•^ vampyhb bay. ■/.'t bees, hanfirinc^ near one another in vaaf clusteri. At least fiv< hundred were seen by this gentleman, baii^in^, some by their fore, and others by their hina legs, in a large tree, in one of the I^riendly islands. Finch says, that '' tHnej hang by the cla^» to the bows of trees near Surat.. in such Tast clus- ters, as would surprise a man ta see ; *. and tlig^ noise and squealing they make is so intolerably tliat 'twere a good deed to bring two or thfee piecw of ordnance, and scour the trees, that the country; might be rid of such a plague as they are to it.'n In a small island, one of the Philippines, Dampier tells us that he saw an incredible number of huts, ^^^^siLlSh^Klliat none of his company could reach from tip to tip of their wings, with their arms extended to the utmost. The wings were of a mou*^ co- lour, and on the joints were sharp crooked claws, lit the evening, as soon as the sun was set, he says, these animals used to take their flight in swarms, like bees, to a neighbouring island ; and they were seen ta continue in immense number^, till darkneii . rendered them no longer visible. The whole of the time from day break in the morrting till sun- rise, they occupied in returning to their former place ; and this course they constantly pursued all the time the ship remained statioaed qS that islai d. ? : 8l)u?.iH«. nMbai h^M H« m hu& ^^'^\h^lhtFi At Rose HilT, near Port Jackson, in New Hol- land, it is supposed that more than twenty thousand of these animals were ^een within the space of t mile. Some that were taken aliye in New Hoi-* land, would almost immediately after eat boiled rice, and other food from the hand ; and io a few days became as domestic as if they had been eo- > tirely bred in the house. Governor Phillip bad t female, which would hang by one leg, a whole day, without changing its position^ and ia that clusteri^ sntleman, by their Friendly the cla^f rast clus- » and the" tolerable^ ree picctfr e couatiy^ ire to it." Dampier Br of bats, each from ) extended nou^e co- led clawf. it, he ^ays, D swarini, they were il darkneu "whole of g till SUQ- r former pursued doff that New Hol- thousaad space of • ?Jew Hoi-* eat boiled d io a f^*' been ea* lip bads a whole in that 5^ ^5^.,0. *»■ pen wit Offi' miti be dtiri that spec We fail trem toth been The aciilf .1 tilt (he aer, a sleep, thems in hii his i\ the g sionar Ca} (acke< hit andte in the here" camst about wasej ing ac in pain \ 8U the VOi VAHPrRE BiT. ^i pendant situation, with its breast nnatly covered with one of its wings, it would cat whatever wai offered to it, lapping from the hand like a At. Linnaeus has given to this bai the specific deno- mination of vampvruSi from his conjecturing^ it trt be the species tnat draws blood from people diifirig th^ir sleep : but there is reaSon toima^ifie, that this tliirst for blood is not confined to a sifigl^ species, but is cottiition ib most of the bat triboi We are informed that the bats of Java seldoM fail to attack those persons who lie with their ex- tremities uncovered, whenever they can get accesi to them. Persons thus attacked, have sometimes been near passing from a loUnd sleep into eternitj. The bat is so dexterous a bleeder as to insinuate iti acnleated tongue into a vein without being per-^ ceived, and then suck the blood till it is satiated f all the while fanning with its wings, and agitating (he air, i.\ that hot climate in so pleasing a man-^ ner, as to throw the sufferer into a still souhder sleep. These animals do not, however, confine themselves to human blood ; for M. Condamine^ in his voyage to South America, says, that in his time they had, in certain paifts, destroyed aW the great caltle introduced there by the Mis*' sionaries. Captain Stedman, whilst in Surinam, was at-^ lacked during his sleep by a vampyre'bat ; and al his account of this incident v somewhat singular^ and tends to elucidate the fact, we shall extract it in the language of his own narrative. '* I cannot here" S9ys he, " forbear relating a singular cir-» cnmstance respecting myself, viz. that on waking about four o'clock one morning in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself welter4 ng in congealed blood, and without feeling any jain whatever. Having siarted up and rung fo* ihe surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and VOL. I. M 82 ▼AMPVRE BAT. all over besmeared with gore ; to which, if ad- ded, my pale face, short hair, and tattered ap. parel^e mi^ht well ask the question^ * Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd ? ' * Bring with thee airs from heav*n, or blasts from bell ?' The mystery, however, was, that I had been bitteo by the vampyre, or spectre of Guiana, which ii also called the flyin)]^ dog of New Spain, and br the Spaniards perro-volador ; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle while they are fast as'eep, even sometimes till they die ; and a?; the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it. Know ing, by instinct, that the person they intend to at> tack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight iacar the feet, where, while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool^ he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed, that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is con* sequently not painful ; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus conti- nues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sunercr has often been kno^vn to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they gene- rally bite in the ear, but always in places whera the blood flows spontaneously. • i^^ ..i *^ Having applied tobacco ashes as the best re- medy: and washed the gore from myself and mj hammock, I observed several small heaps of con* gealed blood all round the place where I had Iain, upon the ground ; oh examining which, the si»i* ^f^eon judged that I had lost at least twehtM fourteen ounces durins the nieM." 1^ hi fi, if ad. tered ap^ ? rom hell T een bitteo which ii n^ and bj >ther than the blood ist as'eep, le manner 111, I shall t. Know ;nd to at- ily alight continues keeps one great toe, >in could ch is con- orifice he bliged to 1U8 conti- I scarcely en known ley gene- ces yfhm best re- If andmjr s of con- had lain, the si'i- twehi er t+j^'i mim wn a :>-;i'^J ^;h^. S rfe SPECTRE, AND JAVELIN BAT. 83 Tlie smell of these, creatures is stroii«;er, and more rank than that of a fox ; yet the Indians oat tiieni, and declare their flesh to be excellent food. They become excessively fat at certain times of the year, and it is then that they are said to be most delicious. The French who reside in the isJe of Bourbon^ boil them in their bouillon^ to give it a relish ! ^ In New Caledonia the natives use the hair of these animals in the making of ropes, and in the tassels of their ctubs ; interweaving* it with the threads of cypcrus squarrossus. Spectre bat , , Inhabits South America ; like the former ijt lives in the palm trees, and grows very fat ; it has a long nose ; large teeth ; long, broad, upright ears ; a conic erect membrane at the end of the nose, bending at the end and flexible. The hair on its body is cinereous, and pretty long ; the mng& are full of ramified fibres ; the mem- brane extends from hind leg to hind leg. From the rump extend three tendons^ which terminate %i the end of the membrane. It is seven inches and a half long ; extent two feet two. Javelin ba*^ Has large pointed ears ; an erect pieinbrane z% the end of the nose, in form of the head of an an- tient javelin. It inhabits the warm part of Ame- tk ' ; Is of the size of the commoa bat^ aqd its 8i tEAFj A.\D f.OIlDAT£D BAT, &C. LEAT BAT Has small rounded ears ; a membrane en the pose, of the form of an ovate leaf ; and a web b^ tween the hind legs. It is of the same size as th« last. Its fur is of a mouse colour, tinged with red. It inhabits Jamaica, Surinam, and Senegal, It lives in the woods. Is of the size of a connnoD b(it. CORDATED BAT Has very broad and long ears ; at tlie end of the nose an upright heart-shaped membrane ; io Seba's figure the membrp,ne is doubly heart-shaped, or with two cordated divisions, one above the other. The colour of the whole anirs-al is a pale reddish brown ; the hind legs are coiinected by a web ; the body is thick and plump ; the extent nt "vying, according to Seba's figure, seems to be about fifteen inches ; length of body, fyom nose to xiimp, near four inches. IJ^ative of Ceylon, ani} the Molucca islands. Geeat serqtine bat. This species has a very long, straight, and strong nose, sloping down at the end ; cars long, erect, dilated towards the bottom, round at the end ; colour of the upper parts, a reddish chesnut ; sides |i)Paclear yellow ; remainder of a dirty white; length five inches and eight lines ; extent of wing two feet. This species is described in the supplemental volume of the Count de Buffon's Natural History, It is a native of Guiana, where it is said to asser- \.)ic in mcadowSj a.ad other open places, i: SLOTH TRIBS. 85 •nd both together io such numbers, as to darkeo the air. SLOTH TRIBE. In this tribe there have been hitherto only three species discovered, two of which are found more commonly in South America than in any other parts of the world. Their motions are unparallel- ed for slowness in the rest of the animal creation. The feet are furnished with strong hooked claws to enable them to climb the trees, where their voracity leads them to devour both the leaves and fruit. Their eyes are languid and heavy, and their whole countenance expresses so much misery, that no one can look upon them withou* Hy, Their teats are seated on the breasts ; and in < . j of the species it is a remarkable circumstance^ that, instead of distinct excretory apertures, there is onlj one common canal, as in birds. The sloths have no cutting teeth in either jaw : the canine-teeth are obtuse ; and there are five grinders on each side. Their fore-legs are muel| longer than the hinder ones ; and the body is co- vered with hair, and not with scales •"• 'n the annadillo, and some other animals of th. juaer. Three-toed sloth. ; '• Of the three-toed sloth, which is a native of [the hotter parts of South America, we have a very furious, though qften-quoted account^ written by 4! b6 TKREE-TOED SLOTR. II Kirvli'^r, principally from the authority of a pro- viiK'iai of llit^ Jesuits^ in South America, ^vh() had several of these animals in his possession, and tried many cxperiinents with them relative to their nature and properties. Its figure is. (he says) extraordi' nary : it is about tiie size of a cat, has a very ugly countenance, and has its cla^vs extended like Hn* jrers. It sweeps the ground with its belly, and ./..«/ ves so slowly, that '\i can scarcely go the length of a bow-shot in fifteen days, though constantly in motion; hence it obtained 5i; This ijjecies of the sloth ^as a round bead; a short projecting nose ; ears like those of the human body, lying close to the head ; two long and strong claws on the fore feet, three on the hind ; hair long and rough, in some parts curW and woolly ; in slome of a pale red above, ash brown below, in others of a yellowish white below ; a$h brown above. It inhabits South America and Ceylon. It is more slender than the former species ; it« coat is not so rough nor so variegated, and it is a more active animal, since it can ascend and des- cend a tali tree three times in a day .^.f-i-:-^'- -■-;:• ■■ UilSlNE SLOTH. . "This, which is by far the largest species of •loth, is a native of India, and has been but lately introduced to the knowledge of European natu- j lalists. It wai brought from the ueighbourhoctt lened ; ra^ ick^ round, le corner o( rty white; leven, of a 5 the mid. 'ulders, and :k ; its tail t ; its hind ts feet are rong claws. i (ox ; and e of Sotitli voung one, ■^.-■ mnd head ; iose of the two long ee on the arts curled ibove, iksh vish white )its South pecies ; its and it i> id and des* t specie* o( n but Istelj pean natii-| hbourliocJ ■■'eX^ Tli-2^J 'Pn'O M'OWU vSlliJ)Tri — * I* • 'A ^ nl ^ :-T-jr..;tff-;iT'-if--"=tr'*","*"'."*^''*"^~ ^ m ..M .i of Pj sight over, VaSIN£ SLOTH. 89 of Patna m Bengal. This animal has at first sight so much of the general asipect of a bear, that it h'is actually been considered as such by some observers ; but it is no otherwise related to the bear than by its size and habit^ or mere exterior outline. It is about the size of a bcar^ and is corered all over, except on the face, or rather the snout, which is bare and whitish, with long, shaggy, black hair ; ^vhich on the neck and back is much longer than elsewhere. On the fore part of the body the hair points forwards ; on the hinder part back- wards. The eyes are very small ; the ears rather imall, and partly hid in the long hair of the head. It is totally destitute of incisores cr front teeth : in each jaw are two canine teeth of a moderate size ; those in the upper jaw are situated at the distance of two inches from each other ; those in the lower jaw are placed somewhat less remote. The grinders in the upper are three on each side ; of which the two most remote are double ; the re- maining one simple. In the lower jaw, there are on efich side six grinders, of which the most re- mote is simple, the two next double, and the three others simple. The tongue is smooth. The nose or snout is somewhat elongated ; it also appears as if furnished with a sort of transverse joint, or internal cartilage, which admits of a peculiar kind of motion in this part. The claws on the fore feet are five in number, and are excessively strong, moderately crooked, and sharp-pointed ; those on the hind feet are shorter and inconspi* cuous. The animal at the time this description wai drawn up, was thought to be somewhat more than four years old. When first taken it is said t« have been the size of a racoon, and to have sorae-^ times barked iti the manner of a dog. Its Toice, fvL. i. K 50 MEGATHERIUM AMERICANUM however, when examined as above, was a sOf( ol short abrupt roar, which it uttered when much disturbed or irritated . It was a gentle and g;ood- natured animal ; it fed chiefly on vegetable sub- stances and milk ; wa» fond of apples, and did not willingly eat animal food, except of a very tender nature, as marrow, which it readily sue- ked from a bone presented to it. It wai also del ij:;htcd with honey, sugar, and other sweets. Its motions were not, as in the two former specie*, slow and languid, but moderately lively ; and it appeared to have a habit of turning itsflf round and round every now and then as if for amusement, in the manner of a dog when lying down to sleep. It was said to have a propensity to bi'now under the ground ; and it was added that it had been dug out of its subterraneoui retreat by those who first discovered it. MEGATHERIUM AMERICANUM. This is one of those animals which are supposed to be extinct, as no living individuals have yet been found belonging to this species. Its skeletoi was discovered some years since, and is thui described by M. Cuvier : *' This skeleton is fossil. It was fouud a hun- dred feet beneath the surface of a sandy soil, in the vicinity of the river of J.a Plata. It only wants the tail, and some pair bones, which have bet.i imitated in wood, ajid the skeleton is now mounted at Madrid. " This skeleton is twelve feet (french) long, by six feet in height. The spine is composed of several cervical, sixteen dorsal, and four lumbar Tertcbras : it has consequently sijsteen ribs ; the oi MEGATHERIUM AMERICANUM. 91 i sacrum is short; the ossa ilia very broad ; and tlu'ir plane being almost perpendicular to the ispuP, lliey form a very open pelvis. There is i9 pubis Oi ischium, at least they are wanting in this skeleton, and there is no mark of their having existed when the animal was alive. " The thigh bones are excessively thick, and I the leg bones still more so, in proportion. The entire sole of the foot bore on the ground in Kvall.iiig. The shoulder-blade is much broader tlifir- long. The clavicles are perfect ; and the two bones of the fore arm are distinct and move- able npon each other. The fore limbs are longer than the hind. To judge by the form of the last phalanxes, there must have been very large pointed claws on the fore feet, and a single one on the hind. The other toes seem to have been deprived of them, and, perhaps, entirely concealed beneath ithe skin. " The head is the greatest singularity of thin [skeleton. The occiput is elongated and flattened, but it is pretty convex above the eyes. The iwo jaws form a considerable projection, but without Iteeth, there being only four on each side, above land below, all grinders, with a flat crown, and Igrooved across. The breadth of the branches of [the lower jaw, and the great apophysis placed on [the base of the xygomatic arch, deserve particu- jlar notice. " This quadruped, in its characters taken to- Igether, differs from all known animals ; and each jof its bones, considered apart, also differs from the Icorresponding bones of all known animals. This [results from a detailed comparison of the skeleton [Nvitli that of other animals, and will readily appear [to those who are conversant in such researches, for acne of the animals which approach it in bulk^ 93 4NT-EA1EF- TRIBE. 1 1 m have cither pointed claws, or similarly formed heads^ shoulder-blades, clavicles, pelvis, or limbs. " ANTEATER TRIBE. The ant-eaters, living entirely on insects, have |io teeth. Theirtongue,, which is long, wormlike, «nd covered with a kind of glutinous moigfure, i» the only instrument by which they seize their food, Instead of teeth they have, however, certain bones, not unlike teeth, that are situated deep in th« rnouth, near the entrance of the gullet. The moutlu of the whole tribe arc lengthened into a somewhat tubular foroi. Great ant-eater. This is by far the largest of the ant-eaters, being Up'wards of seven feet in length, from the tip of the nose, to the end of the tail ; to the root of tlie tail it is not more than about five feet and a half, It is an animal of an uncouth appearance ; the head is small ; the ears short and round ; the shoulders thick and muscular, from whence tb body tapers towards the tail ; but the thighs are (Qiick and short ; the colour of the animal is a tieep grey, with a very broad band of black I'unning from the neck downwards, on each side the body, growing gradually narrower as it passes down ; this black band is accompanied on the upper part, by a streak of white ; the fore legs are of a lighter cast than the hinder ; and ;-eaters, being >in the tip of le root of tlie et and a half, earance ; the round ; the whence ih le thighs are ! animal is a nd of black on each side er as it passfJ anied on the . ; the fore hinder; and ha frW SB imj tfRtfit Alft-£iTeil. 93 have a patch of black in front, not murh above the foot ; the tail is black, extremely long, and bushy ; the hair on the whole body, but rspecialljr on the tail, is very harsh and coarse ; there are four toes on the fore feet, and five on the hind ; the two nil lie claws on the fore feet are extremely large and stroni whit^^ render this creature. though destitute oi Tcrsary. It may well . less as the ant-eater 1, a very formidable ad- ^ea that an animal so help- ith legs too short to fit it for flight, and uuj s uvided with teeth, to give it a power of resistance, is neither numerous, nor often seen ; its retreats are in the most barren and uncultivated part of South America. It is a na- tive only of the new continent, and entirely ua*' known to the old. It lives chiefly in the woods,- and hides itself under the fallen leaves. It seldom ventures from its retreat, and the industry of tin hour supplies it with sufficient food for several days together. Its manner of procuring its prey, is one of the most singular in all natural history ; as its name implies, it lives entirely upon ants and insects ; these, in the countries where it is bred, are found in the greatest abundance, and ofteo build themselves hills, five or six feet high, where they live in community. When this animal ap- proaches an ant-hill, it creeps slowly forward on its belly, taking every precaution to keep itself concealed, till it comes with^ a proper distance of the place where it intends to make its banquet ; there lying closely along at its length, it thrusts forth its round red tongue, which is often two feet long, across the path of these busy insects, and there lets it lie motionless for several minutes together. The ants of that country, some of which are half an inch long, considering it as a piece of flesh accidentalljr thrown before ihain. .# IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 m m m 1^ III 1.8 U 11.6 m <^ 7 M^rJ^ :> > t .%* /A "^ y Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ % .V :\ \ 4f- C^ "«* % 'ij,^ M MIDDLE ANT-EATER, come forth and swarm upon it in great numbers, but wherever thej touch, they stick ; for fhii instrument is covered with a slimy fluid, which, like bird-lime, entangles every creature that lights upon it. When, therefore, the ant-eater has found a sufficient number for one morsel, it instautlj draws in the tongue, and devours them all in a mo- ment ; after which it still continues in its position, practising the same arts until its hunger is entirely appeased ; it then retires to its hiding-place once more, where it continues in indolent existence^ till again excited by the calls of hunger. Such is the luxurious life of a creature, that leems of almost all others the most helpless and de- formed. It finds safety in its hiding-places from its enemies, and an ample supply in some neigh- bouring ant-hill for all its appetites. As it only tries to avoid its pursuers, it is seldom discovered by them ; yet helpless as this animal is, when driven to an extremity, though without teeth, it will fight with its claws with great obstinacy. With these arms alone, it has often been found to oppose the dog, and even the jaguar. It throws it«elf upon its back, fastens upon its enemy with all its claws, sticks with great strength and per- aeverance, and even after killing its invader, which is sometimes the case, does not quit its hold, but remains fastened upon it with vindictive despera- tion. It sleeps in the day, and preys by night. Its flesh has a strong disagreeable taste ; but it ii eaten bv the Indians. Middle ant-eater Has a long slender nose, bending a little down ; small black moath and eyes ; and small upright ears. The bottoms of its fore {cet are rouP«J, with four strong claws on each ; the hind feet havf * STRIPEDj AND LITTLE ANT EATElt. 95 five ; itd hair is hard and shining, of a pale yel- low brown ; dasky on the hind legs and the mid- dle of the back. A black line on each side, from the neck, crosses the shoulders, passes along", and both meet at the lower end of the back. The tail, covered with longer hair than the back, tapers, and is bald at the end. This animal mea- sures one • foot seven, its tail ten inches. It in- habits the same country with the last, and resem- bles it in its manners. When it drinks, part spurts out of the nostrils. It climbs treesy, and lays hold of the branches with its tail. Striped ant eater Has a taper nose ; its upper mandible extendi very far beyond the lower ; its eves are exceedingly small; ears round and short ; its tail is equally covered with long hairs ; it has five toes on each foot ; its body and tail are tawny ; the first mar- ked downwards with broad stripes of black ; the last annulated ; its legs and nose are striped in the same manner ; its belly is of a dirty white. Length thirteen inches ; tail seven and a half. It is a native of Guiana. Little i\t eater Has a conic nose, bending a little down ; small ears, hid in its fur ; two hooked claws* on the fore feet, four on the hind. The whole animal is covered with long soft silky hair, or rather wool, of a yellowish brown colour. It is seven inches and a half long; its tail, which is thick at the base, and tapers to a point, measures eight and a half, and is naked on the underside for the last four : it ia^bits Guiana, and^climbf trees in quest of # 96 TIIllEE-TOED, AND CAPE ANT EATElt. a species of ants which build their nests among the branches. Three-toed ant eater. This is an obscure species described by Seba, and adopted by Linnaeus. It is said to be a na- tive of India. * Dr. Shaw supposes it to be a va riety of the middle ant eater. Cape ant eater. The Cape ant eater is a large animal, measur- ing about three feet and a half from the tip of the nose to the beginning of the tail ; and the tail im^asures one foot nine inches. The general co- lour of the animal is grey, or like that of a rabbit, but deeper, and tinged with reddish on the sides and belly ; the legs are blackish ; the head is of a conic shape ; the nose long, and somewhat ab- ruptly blunt at the end, like that of a hog ; the tongue is very long, flat, and slender ; the ear> abi iix inches long ; upright (in the dried spe- cie. J. . and extremely thin ; they are also thinly scattered over with fine hairs ; tlie hair on the head and upper parts is short, and lies close or smooth as if glued to the skin ; it is longest and loosest on the sides and legs ; the tail is thick at the base, and gradually tapers to a point. The fore feet have four toes ; the hind ones five ; and the claws on all the feet are very strong. This species in- liabits the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, where it lives underground, and is called by the name of the ground hog. It feeds prin- cipally on ants. It is said to be often hunted out of its retreats by the Hottentots, who consider it as good food. • TElt. ests among i by Seba, o be a na- to be a va il, measiir- the tip of md the tail general co- of a rabbit, on the sides head is of ewhat ab- hog ; the the ean dried spe- also thinly on the head or smooth ind loosest at the base, ; fore feet i the clavfs species in- e of Good is called eeds prin- hunted out consider it ■ fis '**.;. ;^ •^' t ■Siti^ ' animal < A. 'J-v-./'W -.».-. '<■'.-. ^^»?: Iwhole •<■■.! ;..>>.*' '»^r'»' ^' I , ■ ■ ■ ■ J .-, ■ " '. .!" •» '.* '. i -■ \ ■ ; • I - ■ '^•;.-. 1 ,- 't ' ;-.^ ■,(l»i?j' ••■■rv *'• - ' "V.i ':}> PORCUPINE ANT E&TER. 97 AfULEATHl), Oil PORCUPINE ANT EATER. The iiculcated ant eater is one of those curious I animal j, \vliicli have been lately discovered in New Holland ; and is a striking instance of that beautiful gradation, so frequently observed in the animal kingdom, by which creatures of one tribe oTgrenus approach to those of a very different one, as it forms a connecting link between the very di)»laiit genera of porcupine and ant eater. This aiiinial, so far as may be judged from the specimens hitherto importea, is about a foot ii| jiength. The whole upper parts of the body and Itail are thickly coated with strong and very sharp hpines, of a considerable length, and perfectly resembling those of a porcupine, except that they tare thicker in proportion to their length ; and Itliat, instead of being encircled or annulated with leicTeral alternate rings of black and white, at lin that animal, they are mostly of a yellowish Iwhite, with black tips ; the colour extending to [some little distance on the quill, and being sepa- rated from the white part by a circle of dull jorange : others have but a very slight appearance jof black towards the tips. The head, legs, and Iwhole under parts of the bod}', are of a deep Ibrown, or sable, and are thickly covered with [strong, close-set, bristly hair. The tail is ex- [trcmcly short, slightly flattened at tlie tip, and [coated on the upper part of the base with spines, [at least equal in length to those of the back, and [pointing perpendicularly upwards. The snout is [long Kiid tubular, and perfectly resembles that of [the great ant eater, having only a very small jftpening at the tip, from whence is protruded a [long wormlike tongue, as in other ant eaters. [The nostrils are small, and seated at the extre- TOL. 1. o 98 MAMI«. mity of the snout. The eyes are very small^ and blacky with a pale blue iris. The legs are ven short and thicks and arc each furnished with five rounded broad toes ; on the fore feet are five very strong,- long^ and blunt black claws; on the hind feet are only four claws ; the thumb, which is broader than the rest of the toes, being destitute of a claw ; the first claw on the hind foot is extremely long, somewhat curved, and sharp-^pointed ; the next rather shorter, but of similar appearance; the two remaining ones far shorter, very slightly curved, and not shaqi- pointed. In its mode of life, this animal resembles the rest of the ant caters, being generally found in the midst of some large ant-hill. It burrnwi with great strength and celerity underground when disturbed ; its feet and legs being excei> sively strong and short, and wonderfully adapted to this pur}H)8e. It will even burrow under a pretty strong pavement, removing the stones witli itt claws, or under the bottom of a wall. Du- ring these exertions, its body is lengthened to an VBtlsual degree. Manis. This genus ha^s the back, sides, and upper part of the tail, covered with large, strong, scalei; a small mouth, a long tongue, and no teeth. The manis has been usually called the scaly lizard ; but, as M. Buffon very judiciously ob- serves, the calling it a lizard is apt to produce error, and occasion its being confounded with an animal which it reeembles only in its general form, and in its being covered with' scales. The lizard may be considered as a reptile, produced from an ^SS» ^^^ msiHt it a quadruped^ and brought MANIS. 99 forth alive, and perfectly formed. The lizard ii all over covered with the marks of scales ; the manis has scales neither on the throat, the breast, nor the belly. The scales of the lizard seem stuck upon the body even closer than those of fishae ; the scales of the manis are only fixed at one end, and capable of being erected, like thoie of the porcupine, at the will of the animal. The lizard is a defenceless creature ; the manis can roll itself into a ball, like the hedgehog, and presents the points of its scales to the enemy, which effectually defend it. The manis, which is a native of the torrid cli- mates of the antient continent, is, of all other ani- mals, the best protected from external injury by nature. It has no teeth, but is armed with five toes on each foot, with long white claws. But what it is chiefly distinguished by, is its scaly covering, which, in some measure, hides all tlie proportions of its body. These scales defend the animal on all parts, except the under part of the head and neck, under the shoulders, the breast, the belly, and the inner side of the legs ; all which parts arc covered with a smoo'!:h soft skin, without hair. Between the shells of this animal, ■d all the interstices, are w: <^r\ hairs like bristles, brown at the extremity, and yellow towards the root. The scales of this extraordinary creature arc of different sizes and different forms, and stuck tipou the body somewhat like the leayes of an arti- choke. The largest are found near the tail, which i« covered with them like the rest of the body« These are above three inches broad, aud about two inches long, thick in the middle and sharp at the edges, and terminated in a roundish point. They are extremely hard, and their substance resembles that of horn. They are convexed on the outside, and u little coiLcavc on the inner ; one cd^e sticks i*l T *,Ai 1(K) MAMS. in the skin, while the other laps over that imnu' diately behind it. Those tliat cover the tail con- . form to the shape of tiiat part^ beiyg of a duikjf brown colour, and so hurd^ when the animal lias acquired its full growth, as to turn a musket ball, Thus armed, this animal fears nothing from the efforts of all other creatures, except raaii. Thft instant it perceives Uis approach of an enemy, it rolls itself up like the hedge-hog, and present! no part but the cutting edges of its scales to the ' assailant. Its long tail, which, at first view, might be thought easily separable, serves gliil more to increase the animal's security. This u )apped round the rest of the body, and, being de- fended with shells even more cutting than any other part, the creature continues in perfect security. Its shells are so large, so thick^ and so pointed, that they repel every animal of prey ; they make a coat of armour that wounds while it resists, and at once protects and threatens. The most cruel, the most famished quadrupeds of the forest, the tiger, the panther, and the hya»na, make vain attempts to force it. They tread upon, they roll it about, but all to no purpose ; the manis remains safe within, while its invader almost ahvays fds the reward of its rashness. The fox often destro)! the hedge-hog by pressing it with his weight, and thus obliges it to put forth its nose, which he in- stantly seizes, and soon after the whole body; but the scales of the manis effectually support it under any such weight, while nothing thiit tlic strongest animals are capable of doing can conipfi it to surrender. Man alone seems furnished with arms to conquer its obstinacy. The negroes of Africa, when they find it, beat it to death willi clubs, and consider its flesh as a very great delicacy. But, although this animal be so foruiidal^le in -'- 1 that imine* he tail con- ^ of a duiky c animal liaj musket ball, oihing i'roin except man. of an eneinv, and prcscnti scales to tht • ; first \iew, serves slill ity. This ii nd, being dc- han any other feet security. d so pointed, ; tliey luake it resists, and ; most cruel, he forest, the I, make \ain on, they roll nanis remains always feels often cl-lB ^'JANIS^. iinquai it had should other a this in of its LONG-TAILCO MANIA. 101 Hi appcariinrp, there cannot be a more Ininnlt'ss, iiioffciwive crciiture when unnioh'stcd. It is even iiiiqiiulitic'd by nature to injure larger animals, if it had the disposition, for it has no teeth. It shouhl seem that tlie hony matter, whieh ^'oes in other animals to suppl^y^the tectii, is exhausted in this in suppl)i!5J^ the scales that ^o to the covering of its body. However this be, its lite seems cor- respondent to its peculiar conformation. Incapa- hle of being carnivorous, since it has no teeth, or of subsisting on vegetables, which require much chewing, it lives entirely upon insects, which it catches in a similar maimer to other ant eaters. It is against these no.^ious insects, therefore, that its only force or cunning is exerted ; and were the negroes but sufliciently sensible of its utility in destroying one of the greatest pests to their coun- try, they would not be so eager to kill it. But it is the nature of savage men to pursue the imme- diate good, without being solicitous about the more distant benefit they remove , Tliey, there- fore, hunt this animal with the utmost avidity for its flesh ; and as it is slow and un&blc to escape in an open place, thev seldom fail of destroying it. However, it chiefly keeps in the most obscure parts of the forest, and digs it( tagonist. ^ Nature, therefore, has given the arma- dillo the same method of protecting itself with the hedge-hog or the manis. The instant it per- ceives itself attacked, it withdraws the head under its shells, and lets nothing be seen but the tip of the nose ; if the danger increase, the animal's pre- cautions increase in proportion ; it then tucks up its feet under its belly, unites its two extremities together, while tlie tail seems as a band to strength- en the connection ; and it thus becomes like a ball, a little flattish on ea«h side. In this posi- tion it continues obstinately fixed, while the danger is near, and often long after it is over. In i">' ilCRMADILtt). 105 utuation it i& tossed about at the pleasitrd ot every clher quadruped, and ^ery little reseiTtbliiig a ireature endowed \vitli life and motion. When- ever the Indians take it, which is in this form; by laying' it close to the fire, they soon oblige the poor animal to unfold itself, and to face a milder death to escape a more severe. This animal is a native only of America, for they were utterly unknown before the discovery of that continent. It is an inoflfensiye, harmless creature, unless it finds the way into a garden; where it does a great deal of mischief, by eating the melons, the potatoes, and other vegetables. Although a native of the warmest parts of America, yet it bears the cold of our climate without any inconvenience. They are often shown among other wild beasts, which is a proof they are not difiicuH to be brought over. Their mo- tion seems to be a swift walk, but they can neither run, leap, nor climb trees ; so that, if found in au open place, they have no method of escaping from their pursuers. Their only resource in such an extremity is to make towards their hole as fast as they can ; or, if this be impracticable, to make a new hole before the enemy arrives. For this they require but a very few moments advan* tage ; the mole itself does not burrow swifter than they can. For this purpose, they are furnished with claws extremely large, strong, and crooked, and usu-* iilly four upon each foot. They are sometimes caught by the tail as -they are making their way into the earth ; but such is their resistance, and so difficult is it to draw them backward, that they leave their tail in the hand of their pursuer, and are very well contented to save their lives with its loss. The pursuers, sensible of this^ never drag the tail ftith all their force, but hold it while another '%sthe grouuu about iu«m« and thus these ani- VOL. I. p I 106 ARMADILLO. mals are taken alive. The instant the armadiiln perceives itself in the power of its enemies^ it hu but one last resource, to roll itself up, and thui patiently wait whatever tortures they think pro. per to inflict. The flesh of the smaller kinds it •aid to be delicate eating ; so that we may suppose they receive no mercy. For this reason they ve |»ursued with unceasmg industry ; and, although they burrow verv deep in the earth, there have been many expedients Used to force them out. The hunters sometimes contrive to All the hole with smoke, which is often successful ; they at other times force it by pouring in water. Th^ also bring up a small kind of dogs to the chaie, that quickly overtake them, if at any distance from their burrow, and oblige them to roll thein< •elves up in a ball^ in which figure the hunteri carry them home. If, however, the armadillo be Bear a precipice, it often escapes by rolling itself up, and then tumbling down from rock to rock, without the least danger or inconvenience. Thqr are sometimes taken in snares laid for them by tlie •ides of rivers and low moist places, which thej particularly frequent ; and this method, in gene- ral, succeeds better than any of the former, a» their burrows are very deep, and they seldom stir out except in the night. At no time are ihtj found at any great distance from their retreats, •o that it requires some patience and skill to intercept their retreat. / There are scarce any of these that do not root the ground like a hog, in search of such rooti u make a principal part of their food. They live also upon melons and other succulent vegetables, and all will eat flesh when they can get it. Thej frequent water and watery places, where the;f feed upon worms, small fisii>-and water insects. It is pretended that there is & kind of fiiciidship ISf ' araiadijlfl "»c»i it bti > and (Iiiii think pro. :r Itindsjt lay suppwe on they ne ^ although there Iiave them out. II the hole j1 ; they at ter. They the chaw, \y distance roll them* he hunteri madillo be lling itieli k to rock, ice. Thqf lem by the ^hich thej i, in gene- former, ai ey seldom le are tlieji ir retreat!, 1 skill to y not root h root! II They liTe Vegetables, it. Thej here thej er insects. f;-ic:idship £■."' '.H r.j^ iMj!*-'i . »• * r r . • . *■ ^ '^■: ;v^tv, ;■>-• .•< .V' •h- ...ft' ;fr .-'■v. I'vCJ,* '*^'i. #:uiii .Sv.•^ s\ tr^'TiV ■'a:... < ■■^'•i i% ^■^ a-'P'^^'^ i fi- '^1.U\--;_ M ^! ".">■ a THRf I between tl peaceably I frequently ever, may dillo; th retreats, iMch is in The an I flier cuttir This m] elegant of armour bei u^the CO inmost oih The head, ire coated ously stud ind the zo and only tl marked in iquares ; i legs are c segments, nnaller; tl onaller thf of Brasil. His its liome 8catt< short in pr the base, a dp ^ach fo4 »■ ».« '■;:■ '"T'^ffC THR£Ej AND 8IX-BANDED AEMAOIX.LO. 107 between them and the rattle-snake^ that they live peaceably and conimodiously together^ and are frequently found in the same hole. This^ how- ever, may be a friendship of necessity to the arma* dillo; the rattle-snake takes possession of its retreats, which neither are willing to quit, while Mch is incapable of injuring the other. The armadillos have several grinders, but nei* iher cutting nor canine teeth. ThREE»BANDED ARMADILLO, TfliB may be considered, perhaps as the moit {elegant of the whole genus, the pattern of tiM armour being peculiarly neat, and well defined; an^the colour of the animal more* pleasing thwi mmost other species, viz, a clear yellowish white, Tbhead, shoulders, and hind part of the body^ fire coated with regular hexagonal divisions, curi- ouslj studded, or tuberculated on the surface ; and the zones of the body are extremely distinct, and only three in number; they are divided or marked into numerous transverse segments, or iquares; the tail is very thick and short. The legs are covered with hexagonal divisions, or segments, similar to those on the shoulder, but ■mailer ; the ears are rather larger, and the claws analler than in most other species. It is a native ofBrasil. v. ?^i"< Six-banded armadillo ;S:-Afc-:,f-i^»f His its crust formed of angular pieces, wiib lome scattered hairs between, Its tail, which is short in proportion to the body, is very thick at the base^ and tapers to a point. It has five toes dp fach foot^ aiid inhs^bit^ Brasil and Guinea, 108 NiNB-BANDEb ARMADILLO^ &C. t . ...... Nine-banded armadillo . t- . • I Has long, upright ears ; four toes on tlie fore, jfeet, five on the hind ; is three feet long; and the tailj which tapers, is longer than in any other species. Its crust is marked with six-sided n^um; its bands with wedg^-like marks across. One brought sf)»ne years ago to England from tlic Musquito shore, was fed with raw beef and milk but refused grain and fruit ; though this genus ^ants, as has already been observed, both cuttiog aifd canine teeth. i > » Twelye-banded armadillo Has broad, upright ears. The crust on ilj shoulder consists of ob Ions pieces; that of the rump of six sided pieces : it has five toes on each foot ; those of the fore feet have very large clam Its tail is shorter than the l)ody, and is said to have no crustaceous covering ■.'..i 'EJi IGHTEEN-BANDED AUmADILLO Has a very slender weasel -looking head, and j^mall erect cars. The crust on its shoulders and riimp consists of square pieces. It has five toes on each foot ; is about fifteen inches long ; its tail only five and a half. It is iiecessary to observe, that the different species of armadillos li^tve not always that exact number of bands, from which they derive their specific name. There are seven-banded, and eight- banded armadillo's, which arc considered as va- rieties of the nine-banded species. There is anc: ther kind which have eight bands, which are believed to be a variety of the six -banded species. c. in the forei gi and the I any other led figum; 088. One, 1 from tilt f and milk, this genuj oth cutting rust on ib that of the oes on each ^rge claws. 18 said to Lo head, and ulders and 19 five toes long; its ! different that exact rive their and eight- •ed as va- ere is ano; kvhich are d species. ■u '*"f Several o< described reined »it species of 4- • I Weho^ and bulk^ They are c their dispo attacked o solid, con never shed dent, durii hard, but ficiently t The genei this tribe ( horse. The sin size by aw in strength height is about twel of its bod} Its nose hard and ^ feet in leng fctthe basi T-.;- «BIM0CSR08 TRIBE. ]0i> Sevi-ral other varieties of armadillos arc obscurely described, but as this animal lives chioHy in reliitd iituations^ it is very probable that other tpeciei of it may exist. RHINOCEROS TRIBE. Wsnow come to a race of animals of huge .-♦ize and bulk, inhabitants only of the tropical climates. They are dull and sluggish in their manners, but in their disposition sufficiently peaceable, except when attacked or provoked. They liave on the nose « solid, conical horn, not fixed in the bone ; this is never shed, but remains, unless b oken off by acci- dent, during life. Their skin is tuberculated and hard, but on the under parts of the body suf- ficiently tender to be cut through with a kniie. The general internal structure of the animals of this tribe corresponds with what is observed in the horse. Single-horned rhinoceros. " ; The single horned rhinoceros is r« «a*»«li;cil3 'to .1 p _• « pc»cii puunus Oi iiCCj uiiXt'u niui 9INGLE-I10RN|SD RHINOCEROS. Ill three pounds of siig:ar, besides hay and green flants ; be nlso drank large quantities uf water D his disposition he was very peaceable, readily suffering all parts of his body to be touched. When he was hungry, or was struck by any person, he became mischievous, and nothing would ap- I pease him but food. He was not at this time taller i than a young cow. A rhinoceros brought from Atcham, in the I dominions of the King of Ava, was exliibitled in 1748, at Paris. It was very tame, gentle, and even caressing ; was fed principally on hay and corn, and was much delighted with sharp or prickly jplants, and the thorny branches of trees. The at- Itendants frequently gave him branches that had iTery sharp and strong thorns on them ; but h« Ibent and broke them in his mouth without seem- in the least incommoded. It is true they Bometimes drew blood from the mouth and tongue, I" but that," says father Le Comte, who gives a the description, " might even render them more palatable, and those little wounds might serve only ko cause a sensation similar to that excited by salt, pepper, or mustard, on ours." As an equivalent for a very dull sight, Dr, Parsons remarks, that this animal has an acute Ind most attentive ear. It will listen with a deep m long continued attention to any kind of noise ; wd although it be eating, lying down, or obeying m pressing demand? of nature, it will raise its pead, and listen till the noise ceas6s. The rhinoceros is said to run with great swift- less, and frdm his strength and impenetrable co- [ering, is capable of rushing with resistless fiolencft through woods and obstacles of every [ind ; the smaller trees bending like twigs as he sses them. In his ceneral habits and manner leediag be resembles the elephant ; residing io * 1 1U SINGLE' HORNED RHINOCEROS. i' • *: cbol sequestered spots^ near waters, and in sliady woods. Lilce the hog, he delights in occasioiiully wallowing in the mire. The Asiatics sometimes tame and bring these animals into the field "of battle, to strike terror into their enemies. They are, however, in gene- ral so unmanageable, that they do more harm than good; and in their fury it is not uncommon foe them to turn on their masters. The flesh is eaten by the inhabitants of the country. The skin, flesh, hoofs, teeth, and even the dung, are also used medicinally. The honi, when cut through the middle, is said to exhibit on each side, the rude figure of a man ; the out- lines being marked by small white strokes. Many of the Indian princes drink out of cups made of this horn ; imagining, that when these hold aoj poisonous draught, the liquor will ferment till it runs quite over the top. Goblets made of the horns of the young, are esteemed the most valu- able. Professor Thunberg, when at the Cape, tried these horns, both wrought into goblets and unwrought, both old and young horns, with seve- ral sorts of poison, weak as well as strong, hut I did not observe the least motion, or etfervescence; "when, however, a solution of corrosive sublimate was poured into one of them, there arose indeed a few bubbles, which were produced by the air that had been inclosed in the pores of the horn, andwai now disengaged from it. Martial informs us, thai the Roman ladies of fashion used these horns in the baths to hold their essence bottles and oils.| The Javanese make shields of the skin. The single horned rhinoceros is a native of sevf- 1 ral parts of India, as well as of the islands ol| Ceylon, Java, and Sumatra. It is also found in Ethiopia. The female produces only one jouiid ^ * _ u:.4U ViiC aik il Mil Ul* I I #^.. ^M**':;: ■$l • ^ '$: .^- >n. .1^-. r 4-- ii^ 1^: ^^>^;;^;rpn?>^ .M,i;Mf.. ,^^Mffl' , (' '•■: IM^'^' •m:-. ii,-.,j. ..Nr »: . / 1, ■'■■ ■ '■ ■: • •f5..-;i'j-' • .1^' '■ This pearanc regular a very the hin the side moQ rhij howevei the nose which i above it toe anin andimm In its but little Yaillant thej alw; the wind discover, luies. F their hea( be assun they sooi they are. their hon ously, an( Mr. B two-horw nbticci J capable o: forests -\yi tence^ ah 8eem to b( animal. j branches i ▼OL. I. tWO-UORNEl) rhinoceros: 115 if) Jl» »■•' '^<|i- ^'^tt ;'.v*«l!>> ■♦' k.> TwO-HORNEi) RHINOCEROS. This species differs from the Iasl> in the ap- bearance of its skin ; whi«li, iustead of vast and regularly marked armour-like folds; hsis merely a very slight wrinkle across the shoulders :and on the hinder parts^ with a few fainter wrinkles pA the sides ; so that^ in coaiparisoii with the com-^ moQ rhinoceros^ it appears almost smooth. What;> however^, constitutes the principal distinction^ is ihe nose being furnished with two horns^ one of which is smaller than the other^ and situated above it. These, horns are said to be loose when the animal is in a quiet state^ but to become ficni and immoveable when he is enraged. In its habits and manner of feedings this diffefs but little from the single-horned rhinoceros. jLe VaillaDt says^ that when these animals are at rest;. thej always place themselves in the direction of the vt^ind, with their noses towards it^ in order to. discover by their smell the approach of any ene-: mies. From time to time, however, they move their heads round to look behind them, and to be assured that they are safe on all sides ; but they soon return to their former position. Wheri they are irritated they tear up the ground with their horn ; throwing the earth and stones furi-* ; ously, and to a vast distance, over their heads, t fi Mr. Bruce's description of the manners of the two-horned rhinoceros, is deserving of particulai' nbtice; He informs us that, " besides the tre^a ; capable of most resistance, there are, in the vast.v I forests >yithin the rains, trees of a softer consis-r* tence, ahd of a very succulent quality, whicha Ueem to be destined for the principal food of this animal. For the purpose of gaining the highest branches of these, his upper lip ia capable of TOL. I. o %.("' W k^. ^ f 1% . f\ tu TWO-lkORNED RIlINOCERQSi .>■ ■%■ being lengthened out so as to increase his power of laying hold with it, in the same manner as tbe elephant does with his trunk. With this lip^ and the assistance of his tonrue, he pulls down the upper branches, which nave most le»?es, and these he -devours first. Having stripped the tree of itfl branches, he does not immediately abandon it ; but placing his snout as low in the trunk as he findi hit horns will enter^^ he rips up the bodyo!> tbe tree, and reduces it to thin pieces like go< many laths ; and when he has thu» prepared*!!) be embraces a» much of it as he can in hi> monstrous jaws, and twists it round with as mm^ ease as an ox^ would do a root of celery, or aaj^ small plant.' i»^';3* v.. " When pursued j and in fear, he possesses w Mtoni^hing> degree -of swiftness, considering hit size, the apparent unwieldiness of his- body, hir l^eat weight before, and the shortness of his legi. He has a kind of trot, whicb> after a few miRutes> increases- in a great proportion, and takes in a great distance ; but this is \o be understood with a degree of moderation. It is not true that ins plain he beatftd t^ wood, and forces himselt into the thickest parts of tliem. The trees that are dead or dry, "are brotoew doMD as with R cannon shot, and fall l^bind bim ad on his sides in all directions. Others that' are more pliable, greener, or fuller of sap, are bent back by his weight, and the velocity of bis mo tioDS. And after he has passed, restoring them selves like a green branch to their natural posi- tion, they ohsa. swdep the incautious porsuerattd TWd'HORMED RHINOCEROS. ill bii horse from the ground^ and dash tbem in piecef against the snrroundii^g trees. '* The eyes of the rhinoceros are yery small ; he seldom turns his hea4> &nd therefore sees bo- thing but what is hefore him. To this he oyfti Ilia deaths and never escapes if there is so much plain as to enable the horse to get before him. His pride and fury then make him lay aside al) thoughts of escaping, hut by victory over his enemy. He stands for a moment at bay : then, at a start, runs straight forward at the horse, like the wild boar, which, in his manner of action, he Teiy much resembles. The horse easily tfvoida him by turning short to one side ; and this is tht fatal instant : the naked man, with the sword, drops from behind the principal horseman, and^ unseen by the rhinoceros, who is seeking his ene* my, the horse, he gives him a stroke across ihc tendon of the heel, which renders him incapable of further flight or .resistance. "In speaking of the great quantity of food ne- cessary to support this enormous mass, we must likewise consider the vast quantity of water which he needs. No country but that of Shangalla, which be possesses, deluged with six months rain, and full of large and deep basons, made in the living rock« and shaded by dark woods from evaporation, or watered by large and deep rivers, which never fall low or tc a state of dryness, can supply the vast draughts of this monstrous creature ; but it is not for drinking alone that he frequents wet and marshy places ; large, fierce, and strong as he is, he must fiubmit to prepare himself against the weakest of his adversaries. The great consumption he con- stantly makes of food and watery necessarily con- fines him to certain limited spaces ; for it is not every place that can maintain him ; he cannot ^4i;ratc or seek his defence among: the sands gf 116 TWJ-RORNED RniNOCER^d. A^tbara/' His adversary is a fly (probably of thf Linnsean genus oestrus) vvhich is bred in the black earth of the ntiairshes. It persecutes him so un- renfiittingly, that it ^irould irf a short time subdue him, but for a stratagem wliicb hepradtises forihii preservation. In the night wheii'thefly is at rest, the rhitioceros abuses a' cohvehieht plaice, and tlier^ rolling in the mud, clothes hiinself with a kind of case, which defends him against his adversary the following day. The wrinkles and plaits of his skin serve to keep this muddy plaister firm upon him, all but about his hips, shoulders, and legs, where it cracks and falls off by motion, and leavei hiitk exposed in those parts to the attacks of the fly. The itching and pain which follow, occasido him tp rub himself in those parts against the roughest trees ; and this is one cause of the ni)me> i'ous pustules or tubercles that wc see upon him. He enjoys so much the rubbing himself, that he groaps and grunts so loud during this action, as to be heard at a considerable distance. The pleasure he receives from this ehiployment, and the darkness of the night deprive him of his usual vigilance and attention. The hunters guided by his noise^ steal secretly up(^n fiim; arid vvhile lying on the eround, wound him with their javelins, mostljr ih the belly, where the w6und rs' mortal. •^*' ' It is by no means true that the skin' of this rhi- noceros, as it has been often represented, is hard Or impen(*trable like a board. In his wild state he is slain by javelins thrown from the hand, some of which enter his body to a great depth. A mus- ket shot will go through him, unless interrupted by a bone J and the Shangalla, an Abyssinian tribe, l^ill him by the clumsiest arrows that ever vJrrc used by any people practising that weapon, and cut him in pieces afterwards viith the verj ^^ » «%ft«A I WU. , - r. - ..,,.^-,,.,^^..: ,, I ^Jl-^-'rw^ w:^-j,'r:<^-::^.--^.-r::'^;'n TWO-HORNIBD RHI :ERQ8. 117 ov/, occasion i' In order to afford some idea of the enormoui itrengtii of the rhinoceros, even after heing ae^ yerely M^ounded, I shall quote Mr. Bruce's ac- count of the hunting of this animal in Abyssinia : f We were on horseback (sajs this gentleman) by the dawn of day, in search of the rhinoceros, many of which we had heard making a verj deep groan and cry as the morning approached ; several of the Agageers (hunters) then joined us : and after we had searched about an hour in the very thickest part of the wood, one of them rushed out with great violence, crossing the plain towards a wood of canes that was about two miles distant. But though he ran, or rather trotted with sur- prising speed, considering his bulk, he was, in a very little time, transfixed with thirty or • forty javelins ; which so confounded him, that he left is purpose of going to the wood, and ran into a deep hole, ditcn, or ravine, a cul desac, without outlet, breaking above a dozen of the javelins m he entered. Here we thought he was caught' ai ID a trap, for he had scarcely room to turn ; whed a servant, who h^d a gun, standing directly over him, nred at his head, and the animal fell imme- diately, to all appearance dead. All those on foot now jumped in with their knives to cut him up; but they had scarcely begun, when the animal recovered so far ksto rise upon his knees ; happy then was the man that escaped first ; and had qot one of the Agageers, who was himself engaged in the ravine, cut the sinew of the hind leg as he was retreating, there would have bicn a very sor- rowful account of the foot-hunters that day. " After having dispatched him, I was curious to sec what wound the shot had given, which had operated so violently upon so huge an animai ; and I doubted not it was in the brain. But it had struck no where but upon the point of the foremost 118 8UMATRAN RHINOCEROS. iiorn, of which it had carried off aboYC (in ineh ; and tiiis occasioned a concussion that had stunned hiin for a minute^ till the bleeding had recovered him." > The rhinoceros, though next in size, vet in docility aiul ingenuity greatly inferior to the eie* {»hant, has never yet been tamed so as to assist tlie aborirs of mankind, or to appear in the raiiics of war. The Romans introduced him on theampbi* theatre- and opposed him to the elephant ; it ii even asserted that he appeared no une({ual match. The bear was a contemptible antagonist to tiie ^inoceros. Tlie fleslii i€ this anknal, though by no mem a ddicate d^sh, is with the Shangalla and a erest part of the inhabitants of Lower Abyssinit, a principal article of food. The soles of his feet^ consisting of a gristly substance, soft like tbe •olei of a camel, are the most delicate part. The f«9t of the fiesh is said to taste like pork ; but ii i^!.aeh of a pyramidal shape; flattenedia> little, and placed above the eyes, rather a little more forward, -stand- ' ing in a line with the larger horn, immediately above it. They were both firmly attached to the ikull« nor was there any appearance of joints or muicles to move them. The neck was thick and short; the skin on the under side thrown into folds and these folds again wrinkled. The body was bulky and round, and from the shoulder ran a Hue Of fold, as in the flingle-hornedVhiiioceros, though it was but faintly marked: There were several other folds and wrickles on the body und l^ ; and the whole gave rather the appearance of' soft-^ ness. The legs were thick, 8hort> andremark- ^ly strong ; (he feet are armed with three distinct hoofs of a blackisb colour, which sur- rounded half the foot, one in front, tfae others on each side. The soles of the feet were convex; uid of a li^^ht colour^ and the cuticle on tbeka 120 ELEPHANT. not thicker than on tlie foot of a man who is uiH to walking. The whole skin of the aniniul js rough, and covered very thinly with nhort black hair. The skin was not more than out liirdof an inch in thickness at the strongest part ; under the belly it was hardly a quarter of an inch ; any part of it might be cut through with ease b^ i common dissecting knife. jf:\i bnn . :V ** The animal had not that appearance of armcur which is observed in the single-horned rhinoceroi. *' Since I dissected the male, I have had an op. portunity of examining a female, which was more of a lead colour ; it was younger than the mab, and had not so many folds or wrinkles in its ikio: of course it had still less appearance of armour,*^ The height of the first of the^se specimens, oi the male, was, according to Mr. Bell, fouriie^ four inches at the shoulders ; nearly the sanieit the rump ; and eight feet live inches from thet^ of the nose to the end of the tail. . .!.- i.if// ''.lil . 1t> ^!,»"'!f ban .[•.;:^ !<■.;( ELEPHANT TRIBE, h'-m '"' These animals have no front teeth in eith«r jaw ; and from the upper jaw proceed two Icng and stout tusks, which, in a state of nature, are used in tearing up trees for food, and as weapons of defence against their enemies. They have a long, cartilaginous, prehensile trunlc, which is ca* pable of laying hold even of the most minute sub* stances. Their body is very thinly scattered over with hairs. , * Of all quadrupeds/' says M. de Bufibn, " the tt who is uttd tie animal ij 1 rest, or often plunge into the water, and even swim from the continent into islands somo leagues distant from the shore. Their chief food is of the vegetable kind, for they loath all kind of animal diet. W hon one among their number happens to light upon a spot of good pasture^ he calls the rest, and invitei them to share in the entertainment ; but it must be a very copious pasture indeed that cnn supply the necessities of the whole band. As with their broad and heavy feet they sink deep wherever they go, they destroy much more than they devour, so that they are frequently obliged to change their quarters, and to migrate from one countrj to another. The Indians and negroes;, who are often incommoded by such visitants, do all they can to keep them away, making Inud noises, and large iSres round their cultivated grounds ; but these precautions do not always succeed ; Ihe fiephanii ELEPHANT. lt$ often break through their fences^ destroy their whole harvest^ and overturn their little habitation!.^ When they have satisfied themselves, and trod down or devoured whatever lay in their way, they then retreat into th£ woods in the same orderly manner in which they made their irruption. Such are the habits of tliis animal bOhsidered ID a social light ; and, if we regard it as an indivi- dflal, we shall find its powers still more extraordi* naiy. With a very aukward appearance, it pos- lesses all the senses in great perfection, and if capable of applying them to more usefu4 purposes than any other quadruped. The elephant, as we observed, has very small eyes, when compared to the enormous bulk of its body But though their minuteness may at first sight appear deformed, yet, when we conie to examine them, they are seen to exhibit a variety of expression, and to discover the various sensations with which it is moved. It turns them with attention and friendship to its master : it seems to reflect and deliberate ; and as its passions slowly succeed each other, their va- rious workings are distinctly seen. The elephant is not less remarkable for the ex- cellence of its hearing. Its ears are extremely large, and greater in proportion than even those of an ass. They are usually dependent ; but it can readily raise and move them. They serve also to wipe its eyes, and to protect them against the dust and fli«^s that might otherwise incommode them. It appears delighted with music, and very readily learns to beat time, to move in measure, an J even to join its voice to the sound of the drum and the trumpet. This animal's sense of smelling is not only ex- uisitc, but it is in a great measure pleased with le sasne t>dour« that delight mankind. The ele- liant gathers flowers with great pleasure and at- 124 lELEPllANT. tention ; it picks them up one by one^ unites theoi into a nosegay^ and seems charmed with the pier, fume. The orangcrflower seems to be particularly grateful both to its sense of taste and smelling ; i strips the tree of all its verdure^ and eats eTeiy l^.art of it, even to the branches themselves. It veeks in the meadows the most odoriferous pUntj to feed upon ; and in the woods it prefers the cocoa, the banana, the palm, and the saga tree, to aR others. As the shoots of these ar^e tender and filled Tn^ith pith ; it eats not only the leaves and the fruits, but even the branches, the trunk, and the jvhole plant to the very roots. JBut it is in the sense of touching that this ani^ mal excels all others of the brute creation^ and perhaps even man himself. The organ ofthii f ense lies wholly in the trunk, which is an instni* ment peculiar to this animal, and that serves it for all the purposes of a hand. The trunk ii, properly speaking, only the snout lengthened out to a great extent, hollow like a pipe, and ending in two openings, or nostrils, like those of a hog, An elephant of fourteen feet high has the trunk about eight feet long, and five feet and a lialf in circumference at the mouth, wheye it is thickest. It is hollow all along, but with a partition ruDDiD|[ from one end of it to the other ; so that though out' inwardly it appears like a single pipe, it is inwardijr divided into two. This fleshy tube is composed of nerves and muscles, covered with a proper skin of a blackish colour, like that of the rest of the body. It is capable of being moved in evciy direction, of being len^liencd and shortened, of being bent or straightened, so pliant as to embrace ?iny body it is applied to, and yet so strong that nothing can be torn from the gripe. To aid tie force of this gripe, the^e are several little enii' uences, like a caterpillar's feet, on the undersjd* BLEPHANT. 125 of this instrument^ which^ without doubt, contri- bute to the sensibility of the touch, as well as to the firnincss of the hold. Through this trunk the animal breathes, drinks, and smells, aa I through a tube ; and at the very point of it^ just above the nostrils, there is an extension of the skin, about five inches long, in the form of a fiflger, and which, in fact, answers all the pur- poses of one ; for, with the rest of the extremity of the trunk, it is capable of assuming different I ibims at will, and consequently of being adapted to the minutest objects. By means of this, the elephant can take a pin from the ground, untie the knots of a rope, unlock a door, and even write with a pen. " I have myself seen," says iEIian, '* an elephant writing latin characters on a board in a very orderly manner, his keeper only showing him me figure of each letter. While thus employed, the eyes might be observed stu- diously cast down upon [the writing, and exhi- biting an appearance of great skill and erudi- tion." It sometimes happens that the object is too large for the trunk to grasp ; in such m case the elephant makes use of another expedient, as ad- , mirable as any of the former. It applies the extremity of the trunk to the surface of the object, and sucking up its breath, lifts and sustains such a weight as the aii in that case is capable of keep- ing suspended. ^'In this manner this instrument is useful in most of the purposes of life ; it is an or* gan of smelling, of touching, and o^ suction ; it not unly provides for the animal's necessities and comforts, but it a|so serves for its ornament and defence. But though the elephant be thus admirably supplied by its trunk, yet, with respect to the rest of its conformation, it is unwieldy and help- ies8. The neck is so short that it cau scarce turn 120 ELEPRAKT. the headj and must wheel round in order to dii* cover an enemy from behind. The hunters that attack it upon that quarter^ generally thus escape the effects of its indignation ; and find time to re- new their assaults while the elephant is turning to face them. The legs are, indeed, not so inflexible as the neck, yet they are very stiff, and bend not without difficulty. Those before seem to be longer than the hinder ; but upon being measured, , are found to be something shorter. The jointi, |] by which they bend, are nearly in the middle, like the knee of a man ; and the great bulk which they are to support makes their flexure ungainly. While the elephant is young, it bendi the legs to lie down or to rise ; but when it growi old or sickly, this is not performed without human assistance ; and it becomes, consequently, so in> con^'enient, that the animal chooses to sleep stand- ing. The feet, upon which these massy columni are supported, form a base scarce broader than tire legs they sustain. They are divided into five toes, which are covered, beneath the skin, and none of which appear to the eye ; a kind of pro- tuberance like claws are only observed, which vary in number from three to five. The appa. rent claws vary ; the internal toes are constanth the same. The sole of the foot is furnished with a skin as thick and hard as horn, and which com- pletely covers the whole under part of the foot. To the rest of the elephant's incumbrances may be added its enormous tusks, which are unservice- able for chewing, and are only weapons of de- fence. These, as the animal grows old, become so heavy, that it is sometimes obliged to make holes in the walls of its stall to rest them in, and ease itself of the fatigue of their support. It i? well known to what an aniazinu^ size these tusk. grow ; they are two in nuinler, proceodinij; fi >w ■LEPVAMT. 127 (he upper jaw> and are sometimes found above lix feet long. Some have supposed tlicm to be rather the horns than the teeth of this animal ; but, besides their greater similitude to bone than to horn, they have been indisputably found to grow from the upper jaw, and not from the fron- tal bones, as some have thought proper to assert. Some also have asserted, that these tusks are shed Id the same manner as the stag sheds his horns ; but it is very probable^ from their solid consis- tence, and from their accidental defects, which oflep appears to be the effect of a slow decay, that they are as fixed as the teeth of other animalt are generally found to be. Certain it is that the elephant never sheds them in a domestic state, but keeps thorn till they become inconvenient and cumbeisome to the last degree. An account of uses to which these teeth are applied, and the manner of choosing the best ivory, belongs^ather to a history of the aits than of nature. This animal is equally singular in other parts of its conformation ; the lips and the tongue in other creatures serve to suck up and direct their drink or their food ; but in the elephant they are totally inconvenient for such purposes ; and it not only gathers its food with its trunk, but sup- plies itself with water by the same means. When it eats hay, as I have seen it frequently, it takes up ?. small wisp of it with the trunk, turns and shapes it with that instrument for some time, and then directs it into the mouth, where it is chewed bythe great grinding teeth, that are large in pro- portion to the bulk of the animal. This pacquet, when chewed, is swallowed, and never ruminated again as in cows or sheep, the stomach and intes- tines of this creature more resembling those of a Inorse. Its manner of drinkirvj^ is equally extra* wdinary. For this purpose, "the elephant dipt 128 SLEPHANT. the end of its trunk into the water^ and sucki up just as much as fills that great fleshy tube roniplictcly. It then lifts up its heail with the trunk full^ and turning the point into its rnnutli, as if it intended to swallow trunk and all, it drives the point helow the opening of the wind. pine. The trunk being in this position and itill full of water, the elephant then blows strongly into it at the other end, which forces the water it contains into the throaty down which it is heard to pour with a loud gurgling noise, which ronti- nues till the whole is blown down. Froin*thii manner of drinking, some have been led into an opinion' that the young elephant sucks with its trunk and not with its mouth ; this, howsver, is a fact which no traveller has hitherto had an opportunity of seeing, and it must be sreferred to tome future accident to determine. The hide of tlie elephant is as remarkahle as any other part. It is not covered over with hair as in the generality of quadrupeds, but is near!; bare. Here and there indeed, a few bristles are seen growing in the scars and wrinkles of tlie body, and very thinly scattered over the rest of the skin ; but in general the head is dry, rough, and wrinkled, and resembling more the bark of an old tree than the skin of an animal. This grows tliicker every year ; and by a constant addition of substance, it at length contracts that disorder well known by tlic name of the elephan- tiasis, or Arabian leprosy ; a disease to whicb man, as well as the elephV^nt, is often siibj(!ft. In order to prevent this, the Indians rub tlie elephant with oilj and frequently bathe it to pre- serve its pliancy* To the inconveniences of this disorder is added another^ arising from the great sensibility of inose parts that are not callous Upon thcic the uies settle in great abiu'daiio^ fllBPHAMT. 129 ind torment thii aaimal unceaiingly ; io remedy which, the elephant tries all its arts ; using not c ! its tail and trunk in the natural manner to keep them off, but even takes the branch of a tree, or a bundle of hay, to strike them off with. When this fails, it often gathers up the dust witk its trunk, and thus covers all the sensible placet. In tlvii manner it has been seen to dust itself leTcral times a day, and particularly upon leaviii|; the bath. Water is as necessary to this animal as food H* leif. When in a state of nature, the elephant rarely quits the banks the river, and often standi in water up to the belly. In a state of servitude^ the Indians take equal care to provide a proper lupply ; they wash it with great address ; tbcjr giv£ it all the conveniencies for lending assistance to itself; they smooth the skin with a pumice* itone, and then rub it over with oils, eflaences, and odours. It is not to be wondered at that an animal fur- niihed with so many i^arious advantages, both of itrength, sagacity, and obedience, should be taken into the service of man, We accordingly find th»t the elephant, from time immemorial, has heen employed either for the purposes of labour, of war, or of ostentation ; to increase the gran* deur of eastern princes, or to extend their do~ minions. We have hitherto bi^n describing this animal in its natural state ; we now come to consider it in a different view, as taken from the forest and reduced to human obedience. We are now io be- hold this brave, harmless creature, as learning a lesson from mankind, and instructed by him in ail the arts of war, massacre, and devastation. We are now to behold this half reasoning am* TOL. I. s iDUOuaiiw^ 130 KLEPHANT. mat led into the field of battle^ and wonJ* ring at those tumults and that madness which he is corn- pellcd to increase. The elephant is a native of Africa and Asia^ being found neither in Europe nor America. In Africa he still retains his na- tural liberty. The savage inhabitants of that part of thew^orld^ instead of attempting to subdue this powerful creature to their necessities, are happy in being able to protect themselves from his fury. Formerly, indeed, during the splendor of the Carthaginian empire, elephants were used in their wars ; but this was only a transitory S^eam of human power in that part of the globe ; c natives of Africa have long since degene- rated, and the elephant is only known among them from his devastations. However, there are no elephants in the northern parts of Africa at present, there being none found on this side of Mount Atlas. It is beyond the river Senegal that they are to be met with in great numbers, and so down to the Cape of Good Hope, ^ as well as io .the heart of the country. In this extensive regiba they appear to be more numerous than in any other part of the world. They are there less fearful of. man ; less retired into the heart of the forests ; they seem to be sensible of his im- portance and ignorance, and often come down to ravage his little labours. They treat hira with the same haughty disdain which they show to other animals, and consider him a.s a mischievous little being, that fears to oppose them openly. But although these animals are most plentiful in Africa, it is only in Asia that the greatest ele- Ehants are found, and rendered subservient to uman command. In Africa, the largest do not exceed ten feet high ; in Asia, they are found from ten to fifteen. Their price increases in pro- ELCTHANT. 131 portion to their nize ; and when thej exceed a certain bulk, like jewels, their value then rises as (he fancy is plcawd to estimate. - J The largest are entirely kept for the service of priuces ; and are maintained with the utmost magniHcence, and at the greatest expence. The usual colour of the elephant is a dusky blacky but some are said to be white ; and th^ price of one of these is inestimable. Such a one is pecu- liarly appropriated for the monarch's own riding ; he is kept in a palace, attended by the nobles, and nlmost adored by the people. Some have said that these white elepliants are larger than the rest ; others assert that they are less ; and still, others entirely doubt their existence. As the art of war is but very little improved in Asia, there are few princes of the East who do not procure and maintain as many elephants a« they are able, and place great confidence on their assistance in an engagement. For this purpose they are obliged to take them wild in their native forests, and -tame theVn ; for the elephant never breeds in a state of servitude. It is one of the most striking peculiarities in this extraordinary creature, that his generative powers totally fail when he comes under the dominion of man ; as if he seemed unwilling to propagate a race of slaves, to increase the pride of his conqueror. There is, perhaps, no other quadruped that will not breed in its own native climates, if indulged with a moderate share of freedom ; and we know that many of them will copulate in every climate. The elephant alor.e has never been seen to breed ; and though he hab been reduced under the obedi- ence of man for ages, the duration of pregnane^ in the female still remains a secret Aristotle, indeed, asserts, that she goes two years with young ; that she continues to suckle her young for 4*.: IS» IIBPHANT. three y«arfl, and that ihc bringi forth but cne i( a tiiiie ; but he does not infunn U8 of the manner ill which it was possible for him to have his in- foniiatioii. From authorities equally doubtful we learn, that the little one is about as large ai a wild boar the instant it is brought forth ; that it« tusks do not yet appear { but th;:t all the rest iff its teeth are apparent ; that at the age of lix nonthsj it is as large as an ox, and its tusks pret< ty well grown ,* and that it continues in this inaB> Ber, for near thirty years, advancing to maturitjr. All this is doubtful ; but it is certain that, in order to recruit the numbers which are coiisuroed in war, the princes of the East arc every year obliged to send into the forests, and to use various methods to procure a fresh supply. Of all these numerous bands, there is not one that has not been originally wild ; nor one that has not been forced into a state of subjection. Men themselvei are often content to propagate a race of slaves, that pass down in this wretched state through fuccessive generations ; but the elephant, under subjection, is unalterably barren ; perhaps from acme physical causes, which are as yet unknown As thp modes of taking this animal, and Tt^ dering it submissive to human authority, oifrrt S articular attention, I shall, in a cursory manner, escribe those pursued by the inhabitants of • hvf of the different countries of the East. At Tepura, in the East Indies, ihe manner •f securing a single male, is very different from thai employed in taking a herd. In the former fase, which I shall first mention, the animal ii taken by means of koomkees, or female elephants, trained for the purpose ; whereas in tlte latter case they art^ driven into a strong inclosure. As the hunters know the places vvliere the ele- phants come out to feed^ they advance towards CLEPnAKT. Ids Ihem in the eTening with four koonikeei^ the num- ber of which each hunting partj consists. When thf night«) are dark, the male elephants are disco- fereil by the noise they make m cleaning their food, which they do by whikking and striking it against their fore legs ; and in the moon*^ light nights they may be seen distinctly at tome dis- tance. As soon as the hunters have determined on the animal they mean to secure, three of the koom- kees are conducted silently and slowly, at a little distance from each other, near to the place where he is feeding. The koomkees advance very cau- tiously, feeding as they go along, and appear like wild elephants that have strayed from the forest. When the male perceives them approaching, if he takes the alarm, and is viciously inclined, he beati the ground with his trunk, and makes a noise, shewing evident marks of his displeasure, and that he will not allow them to approach nearer. lo this case, if they persist, he will immediately attack and gore them with his tusks ; for which reason they take care to retreat in good time. He, how- ever, generally allows them to approach, and lometimes even advances to meet them. The drivers now conduct two of the females, one on each side, close to him, and make them press themselves gently against his neck and shoul- ders ; the third female then comes up, and places herself directly across his tail. In this situation, far from suspecting any design against his liberty, he begins to toy with the females, and caresses them with his trunk. While thus engaged, the I fourth female is brought near, attended by proper assistants,, furnished with ropes, who immediately- get under the belly of the animal at the tail, and put a slight rope round his legs. If he takes no notice of this slight confinement, the hunteri m CLEPHAKT* proceed to tic his legs "vvith a stronger Top«; which is passed alternately^ by means of a forke(| stick, and a kind of hook, from one leg to the otlicr, in the form of a figure of eight. Sin or eight of these ropes are generally employed^ one above another ; and they are fastened at their in- tersections by another rope, that is made to pasi perpendicular up and down. A strong cable, with a running noose, sixty cubits long, is next put round ea.ch hind leg, above the other ropes ; and afterwards six or eight otlier ropes are crossed from leg to leg above the cable. ThQ fixing these ropea usually occupies about twetity niiuutes; during which time the utmost silence is observed. When thus properly secured, the animal is left to himself, the koomkees retiring to a little dis- tance. In attempting to follow them, he finds his legs tied ; and becoming sensible of the danger of his situation, immediately retreats towards the jungle. The drivers^ mounted on the tame ele- phants, accompanied by a number of people, who till this time have been kept out of sight, follow him at a little distance; and as soon as he passes near a tree sufliciently stout to hold him, they take a few turns with the long cables which trailed be- hind him, round his trunk. His progress being thus stopped, he becomes furious, and .xerts hii utmost efforts to disengaare himself. The koora- kees dare not now come near him ; and in his tury he falls down on the earth, and tears it up with his tusks. In these exertions he sometimes breaki the cables, and escapes into the thick jungle. Hither the drivers cannot advance, for fear of the other wild elephants ; and arc therefore obliged to leave him to his fate. But as the cables are strong, and very seldom give way, when he has exhausted himself by his exertions, the koomkees are again brought near, and take their former posi* ELEPHAIIT. 155 tions, one on each side^ and the other hchind. After getting him nearer the tree, the people, carry the ends of the long cables two or three times round it, so as to prevent the possibility of his escape. His fore legs are now tied in the same manner as his hind legs Were ; and the cables are made fast, one on each side, to trees, or stakes driven deep into the earth. When he has become more settled, and will eat a little food, with which he is supplied as soon as he is taken, the koomkees are again brought near, and a strong rope is then put twice rouud his body, . close to his fore legs, like a girth, and tied behind bis shoulder ; then the end is carried backward close to his rump, and there fastened, after a couple of turns more have been made round his body. Another rope is next fastened to this, and thence carried under his tail like a crupper, and brought forward and fastened to each of the garths. A rtrcng rope is now put round his buttocks, and made fast on each side to the girth and crupper ; 80 as to confine the motion of his thighs, and pre- vent him from taking a full step. A couple of large cables, with running nooses, are now put about his neck, there secured, and tied to the ropes on each side. Thus completely hampered, the cables round his neck are made fast to two koomkees^ one on each side. Every thing being now ready, and a passage cleared from the jungle, all the ropes are taken from his legs, except the strong one round his but- tocks to confine the motion of his liind legs, which is still left. The koomkees pull him forward ; sometimes, however, not without much struggling and violence on his part. When brought to his proper station, and made fast, he is treated with a mixture of severity and gentleness ; and generally in & few months becomes tractable, and appears per^ 136 't:i}EPHAKT. fectly reconciled to his fate. It seems somevht extraordinary^ that though the animal uses hit ut< most force to disengage himrelf when taken, and vould kill any person coming "within his reach, yet he seldom or never attempts to hurt the females that have ensnared him ; but^ on the contraiy, seems (as often as they are brought near, in order to adjust his harnesiing, or move and slacken those ropes which gi.W him) pleased, soothed, and consoled by them^ as it were^ for the loss of hii liberty. The mode of securing a herd of wild elephants is very different from that adopted in taking a single male, and the process is much more tedious. When a herd, which generally consists of from about forty to a hundred, is discovered^ about five hundred people are employed to tarround it. Bjf means of fire and noises^ they^ in ti , ciursc of some days, are able to drive them to tl" ^ ' "-e where thej are to be secured. This is called ttie keddah. It consists of three inclosures;, communicating with each other by means of narrow openings or gate* ways. The outer one is the largest, the middle generally the next in size, and the thirc^. *>? further- most the smallest. When the animals arrive near the first inclosure, (the palisadoes and ^wo gates of which are as much as possible disguised with branches of trees and bamboos stuck in the ground, lo as to give them the appearance of a natural jungle,) great difficulty attends the busineis of getting them in. The leader always suspects some snare, and it is not without the utmost hesi- tation that he passes ; but as soon as he enters all the rest implicitly follow. Immediately, when they have passed the gateway, fires arc lighted round the greatest part of the inclosure, aud par- ticularly at the entries, to prevent the elephants from returning. The hunters from w ithout theo BLfiPHANT. 137 ftake a terrible noise by shoutings beating of torn. toms (a kind of druni)^ firing blank cartridges, &c. to urge them on to the next inclosure. The elephants, . finding themselves entrapped, icream and make other noises ; and disccvering no opening except the entrance to the next inclo- sure, they at length, but not before they have many times traversed round their present situa* tion, following their leader, enter it. The gate is instantly shut upon them, fires are lighted, and the same discordant noises made a9 before, till they have passed through another gateway into the last inclosure, where they are secured in a gimilar manner. Being now completely surrounded on all sides, and perceiving no outlet through which they can escape, they appear desperate, and in their fury advance frequently to the surround- ing ditch, in order to break down the palisade, in- flating their trunks, and screaming out aloud : but wherever they make an attack, they are op- posed by lighted fires, and by the noise and tri- umphant shouts of the hunters. The ditch is then filled with water ; and after a while they have recourse to it, in order to quench their thirst and cool tlietaselves, which they do by drawing the water into their trunks, and then squirting it over every part of their bodies. VVhen the elephants have continued in the inr closure a few days, where they are regularly, though scantily, fed from a scaffold on the out- aide, the door of the roomee (an outlet about sixty feet long and very narrow) is opened, and one of the elephants is enticed to enter, by having food thrown before it. When the animal has ad- vanced far enough to allow it, the gate is shut and well secured on both sides. Finding his retreat now cut off, and the place so narrow that he cannot turn iumself, he advances^ and exerts his utmost efforts ?yi.. I. 138 ftLSPBAHT. to break d^^wA the bar. iti front >;' hiin, running against them^ screaming and roariag most violently and battering thenij like a ram^ by rfepeated blowi with his head,, retreating and advancing with the utmost fury. In his rage he even rises up, and leaps upon the bars with his fore feet, striving to break ihem down with his huge weight. When he becomes somewhat fatigued with these exertions, ropes are, by degrees, put round him ; and he ig secured in a manner nearly similar to that adopted m taking the single males. And thus^ in succei- sion, they are all secured. The elephants are now separated, and each put under the care of a keeper, who is appointed to at- tend and instruct him. ITader this man, there are three or four others, who assist in supplying food and water, till the animal becomes sufficiently tract- able to feed himself. A variety of soothing and caressing arts are practised : sometimes the keeper tlireatens, and even goads him with a long stick pointed with iron ; but more generally coaxes and flatters him, scratching his head and trunk with a long bamboo split at one end into many pieces, &nd driving away the flies from his sores and bruises. In order to keep him cool, he likewise squirts water all over him ; carefully standing out of the reach of his trunk. In a few days he advances cautiously to his side, and strokes and pats him with his hand, at the same time speaking to him in a soothing voice ; and after a little while, the beast> begins to know his keeper and obey his commands. By degrees the latter becomes familiar, and a^ length mounts upon his back from one of the tame elephants ; from hence he gradually increases the intirrjacy as the animal becomes more tame, till at last he is per- mitted to se.'i himself on his neck, from 'whici) place he is afterwards to regulate and direct all XI,EPFANT. 139 hii motions. While they are training in this man« mt, the tame elephants lead the others out alter- nately, for the sake of exercise ; and likewise to ease their legs from the cords with which they are tied, and which are apt to gall them^ unless they are regularly slackened and shifted. «ij ,, ,. , . In five QT six weeks the elephant beconjes obe- dient to his keeper, his fetters are taken off by de- grees, and generally in about six months he suffers himself to be conducted from one place to another. Care, however, is always taken not to let him ap- proach his former haunts, 'lest a recollection of them should! induce him to attempt to recover hif liberty. The following is Mr. Bkuce's account of ele« phant-hunting in Abyssinia. The men who make the hunting of elephants their business, he says^ dwell constantly in the woods, living entirely upon the flesh of the animals they kill, which ii chiefly that of the elephant or rhinoceros. They are exceedingly thin, light, and agile, both on horseback and foot. The}'^ are called agageers ; a/iarae derived from the word agar, which signi- fies to hough or ham-string with a sharp wea- pon. More properly it means, indeed, the cut- ting of the tendon of the heel; and is a charac- teristic of the manner in which they kill the ele- phant, which ia thus: Tvo men, quite naked, to prevent their being laid hold of by the trees or bushes in making their escape from this very watchful enemy, get on horseback. One of them sits on the back of the horse, sometimes w^ith a saddle, and sometimes without one, with only a switch or short stick in one hand, carefully managing the bridle with the otlier ; behind him sits his companion, armed only with a broad sword. His left hand is employed in grasping the sword by the handje ; about foiir ; 140 ELEPHANT. teen inches of the blade of which are covered with whip-cord. This part he takes in his right handj without any danger of being hurt by it . and, though the edges of the lower part of the sword are as sharp as a razor, he carries it with- out a scabbard. . »-" v.>«^ i i > As soon as an elephant is found feeding, the hoi^seman rides before him, as near to his face as possible ; or, if he tries to escape, crosses him in all directions, calling out, " I am such a one, and such a one, this is my horse, that has such a name; I killed your father in such a place, and your grandfaiher in such another place, and I am dow come to kill you, who are nothing in comparison with them." This nonsense he believes the ele- phant perfectly to understand ; who, chafed and angry at hearing the noise immediately before him, attempts to seize him with his trunk ; and, intent upon this, follows the horse every where, turning round and round with him, neglecting to make his escape by running straight forward, in which consists his only safety. After having made him turn a few times in pursuit of the horse, the horse- man rides close up beside of him, and Jrops his companion just behind, on the off side ; and while he engages the elephant's attention upon 'Jie horse, the other behind gives him a drawn stroke just above the heel, into what in man is called the ten« don of Achilles, This is the critical moment ; the horseman immediately wheels round, again takes his companion up behind him, and rides oil at full speed after the rest of the herd, if they have started more than one ; and sometimes an expert agagcer will kill three out of one herd. If the svvoid is good, and the man not too timid, the ttJndon is in common entirely separated ; and, if not cut through, is generally so far divided that the animalj with the stress, he puts upoRit, breaks CLEPHANT. HI (he remaining part asunder. In either rase, he retrains incapable of advancing a step, till the horseman returning r his companions coming up, pierce him through with javelins and lances ; he then fatls to the ground, and expires from loss of blood. TIk, elephant being slain, thev cut his flesh into thongs, like the reins of a bridle, and hang these, like festoons, upon the branches of trees, till they become perfectly dry, without salt, and then lay them by for their provision in the geasoD of the rains. hi one of these elephant-huntings, Mr. Bruce mentions a striking instance of atfection in a young one to its mother : " There now remained (says he) but two elephants of these that had been discover- ed ; which were a she one with a calf. The aga- geer would willingly leave these alone, as the teeth of the female are very small, and the young one is of tio sort of value whatever. But the hunters would not be limited in their sport. The people having observed the place of lier retreat, thither we eagerly followed. She was very soon found, and as soon lamed by the agageers ; but when they came to wouijd her with their darts, as every one did in their turn, to our very great sur- prize, the young one, which had been sufi'ered to escape unheeded and unpursued, rushed out from the thicket, apparently in great anger, and ran upon the hbrses and men, with all the violence it was master of. I was amazed, and as much as ever I was upon such an occasion, afflicted, at seeing the affection of the little animal in defending its wounded mother, heedless of its own life or safely. I therefore cried to them, for God's sake, to s()are the mother, but it was then too late ; anil the calf had made several rude attacks upon me, winch I avoided without difficulty ; but I am happv to this day, in the reflection thai I did not strike 142 E^LEPRANT. it. At last, making one of its attacks upon Ajtoii Egcdau (another of the partyj ithurtluuu little on the leg ; on which he thrust it through with his lance, as others did after, and it then felt dead before its wounded mother, wh«m it had so affectionately defended. It was about the size of an ass, but round, big-bellied, and heavily made; and was so furious and unruly, that it would easily have broken the leg of a man or a horse. could it have overtaken^ and jostled against them properly." Ill some parts of the East the elephants are taken by means of pit-falls. Through the woody forests several paths are cut ; in these are dug deep and large holes^ which are carefully covered over with branches and loose earth. On distant Ethiopia's sun-burnt coasts, The black inhabitants a pit-fall frame ; With slender poles the wide capacious mouth, And hurdles light, they close ; o'er these is spread A floor of verdant tur^ w'th all its flowers Smiling delusive, and fro.n strictest search Concealing the deep grave that yawns below. Then boughs of trees they cut, with tempting fmit Of various kinds surcharg'd ; the downy peach, The clust'ring vine, and of bright golden rind The fragrant orange. Soon as cv'ning grey Advances, slow besprinkling all around IVith kind refreshing dews the thirsty glebe, yiie stately elephant from the close shade "With step majestic strides ; eager to taste The cooler breeze that from the sea-beat shore Delightful breathes, or in the limpid stream To lave his pantiivg sides ; joyous he scents The rich repast, uuweeting of the death ' That lurks within. And soon he sporting breaks , The brittle boughs, and greedily devours The fruit delicious. — Ah! too dearly bought; ' . Tlio price is life. For now the treaclj'rous turf Trcn>bling gives wr.y ; and the unweihly beast, Self-.sinking, droiiS into the dark profouml. ELEPHANT. 143 When the hunters have .>ufficiently secured the animals^ witli strong ropes tied round their limbi, they are dragged out and taken home to be tamed. Of their mode of performing this I shall give the gccount of Tavernier, from his Travels in India« who tells us that he was himself present at the tam> ing of two that had been taken not long before. " After two hours travel, we came ^,o a great vil- lage, where we saw the two elephants that had been lately taken. Each of these was placed be* tween two tame ones. Round the wild elephants stood 8ix men, each with a half-pike in his hand, with a lighted torch fastened at the end of it, who talked to the animals, giving them meat, and calling to them in their own language ' take it, take it.' If the wild elephants refused to do as they were bid, the men made signs to the tame ones to beat them ; which they did thus : one of th.-m banged the refractory elephant aboui the head with his trunk, and if he offered to make any resistance, the other thwacked him on the other side ; so that the poor animal, not knowing what to do, was at length constrained to become obe- dient." It has been stated, that the sagacity of the ele- phant is so great, and his memory so retentive, that when once he has received an injury, or been in bondage and afterwards escaped, it is not possible, by any art, again to entrap him. The following instances, recorded in the Philosophical Transac- tions for 1799, will prove, however, thatthib is not the fact : " A female elephant was first taken in the year 1765, by rajah Kishun Maunick, who, about six months after, gave her to Abdoor Rezah, a man of some rank and consequence in the district. In 1767, the rajah sent a force agj^inst this Abdoor Rfiwh, for some refractory conduct, who, in ht« 14^ ELEPHANT retreut to the hills^ turtifd the above-mentioned beast loose into the woods, after having used her above two yaaia as a riding elephant. She was afterwards retaken ; but broke loose in u stormy niglit, and again escaped. In the year 1782, above ten years after her second escape, •he was driven by the e1ephant-hunter.«i belonging to Mr. Leeke, of Longford-hall, in Shropshire, into the inclosure in which the elephants are se* cured ; and the day following, when Mr. Lcekc "went to see the herd that kad been taken, this elephant was pointed out to hirn oy the hunters, who well recollected her. They frequently called to her by name ; to which she seemed to pay some attention, by immediately looking towards them when it was repeated ; nor did she appear like the wild elephants, who were constantly running about the inclosure in a rage, but seemed perfectly re< conciled to her situation. " For the space of eighteen days, she never went near enough the outlet to be secured ; from a recollection perhaps of what she had twice be- fore suffered. Mr. Leeke, at length, went hira- ■elf, when there were only herself, another female, and eight young ones remaining in the inclosure. After the other female had been secured, by means of the trained female eh^phants, called koomkces, sent in for that purpose, the hunters were ordered to call on her by her name. She immediately came to the side of the ditch, within the inclosure; on which some of the drivers were desired to carry in a plaintain tree, the leaves of which she not only took from their hands with her trunk, but opened her mouth for them to put a leaf into it, which they did, stroking and caressing her, and calling to her by name. One of the trJiincd ele phants was now ordorcd to be brought to her, and the driver to take her bv the ear, and order hux to lie down togo ne called to them io a few m phanti to then fastc jumped 0 did not li small cor driver to the neck, ' the inclo the tame to lie dow rise till s scat, eav< with her i then retui Tonnerly I wai 80 ob elephants useful in i " In Ju before, w others, to) aod havini phants di! fright an< the efforts the driver inal> and < which he got rid of effhia loa 10 wai get up in t VOL. I. IXKPHAKT/ Hi e huntcis, ntly called ) pay some ards them ir like the ling about rfectly r^ she never ed ; from twice be- went him- er female, inclosure. by means toomkces, :e ordered imediately inclosure; d to carry she not runk, but f into it, her, and lined ele ) her, and ler bet to lie down. At firit she did not like the kooirifiee tofno near her, and retired to a dintance, seemtiij^ utfry ; but, ^rhen tlie drivers, ^bo were on fuot^, called to her, she came imn>ediately, and a1Iowed( tiieni to stroke and caress her as before ; and in s few minutes after, permitted the trained ele- phants to be familiar. A driver from one of' theao then fastened a rope round her body^ and instantly jumped on her baek, which/ at the moment, she did not like, but was sn reconciledi to \t. Ar small cord was then put round her neek^ for the driver to put his feet in i who, seating himself oii; the neck, in the usual manner, drove her about the inclosure, in the same manner as ariy of the tame elephants. After this he ordered her' to lie down, which she instantly did ; nolr did she rise till she was desired. He fed her from his- scat, gave her his stick to hold, which she took with her trunk, and put into her mouth, kept, and then returned it as she was directed, and as she had formerly been accustomed to do< In shorty she was so obedient, that had there been more wild* elephants in the inclosUre, she would have been useful in securing them. " In June, 1787, a male elephant^ taken the yeair before, was travelling in companv with some others, towards Chittigon^f, laden with baggage ; and having come upon a tiger's track, which ele- phants discover readily by the smell, he took fright and ran off to the woods, in spite of all the efforts of his driver. On entering the woo^/ the driver savtd himself by sprineing from t^e ani-' inal> and clinging to the brancli of a U^e under which he was passing. When the elephant had got rid of his driver, he soon, contrived to shake off his load. As soon as he ran away, & tr ined female was dispatched afler him, but coutd not get up in time to nrevent his escape. ^ VOL. I. B' • ^W*tJ rf^*'J\M\l>t V i4& XlEfBA>T. *' Eighteen iaotidha after thU,: when a herd ol dlq)hanti} had been taken^ and had remained iev«<^ ral days in the ineloiure/ till they were eotiM into ihe outlet^ there tied^ and led out in. the uiuil manner^ one of the drivers, viewing a male eic' phatit very attentively^ declared jhe resembled the 6ne which had Tun away.r This, excited the cu- riosity of evtry one to go and Ipok at him ; but, w^en any fic^son came hear/ the animal stnic)i at li^i^n with liis trunk/ and in evevy respect appeivoi as wild and outrkg^eoui as finyof the other elt. phants. An old hunter at l«ngfth> coming up and examining himj declared that he was the ydr^veli' pliant that had* made. hiiB escajte. -.i< ,-Aim*\>n( t-h " C^fident of this, he^ boldly rode- up to himoa i tame elephaut^ and ofdercd hira to lie down, pull- ing him by ttie - edr at' the same moment !» was addressed in^a commanding tone,f the fecAll^" tion of his formt'r obedience seemed to rush upoR him a oitte ; and; without any difficulty, heperr mitfied a iki Va* to be seated on hi» .dedc, who in a i^v days n^de him as tractable as 'ever. " A fSemale elephant, belonging to a gcntleQtM at Calcutta, being ord^i*ed from the upper eoUntrv tip Cnotygone; by chance broke louse, from bet keepc^^ and was Idst iiitheweodi. TbeexcuHit which the k<^eper mi^o W^enot ad^nitted. It«M lupposed that ho bad cold the c^phant; hiivik • t< ^'- ' EbBPBANT. Iff ad family therefore were sold for tlKvet, ud he ftl binfelf condemned to work upoo the roadf. iiNfuttweWeyenri afWwftfds, this man was orderej lip into the country to assist in catchiogthe wilj elephaiit». The keeper fancied he saw his lona« iMt elephaiit in a ^oup that was before them. Hf tas determined to j^o up to it ; nor could thf itrong' ui ,fv>f/f The elephant, when once tamed, becomes toii most! g^nftle'm^ upon its ne(^k> and makes use of a rod of irdOitQ ^iiide it, which is sometimes pointed, and at ptberi Bent into a hook. With this the ^.nimil is spurred folrward, when dull or disobedient ; but, in gene- ral, a word is sufficient to put the genti« crc&tuM into tkiotion, especially when it is acquainted wjth its cohductor. This acquaintance is oftiii per? fectly necessary ; for the elephant frequently tjikei such an affection to its keeper, that it willQ^; jb6 otfaeir ; and it has been known to die for grief, when, in some sudden fit of madness, it h^s l(iN its conductor. 'We are told that one of these, that yim use() by the French forces in India for the drftwieg their caiinon, was promised, by the conductor, » reWardj for haying performed some painful s^*! yiccf ; bill being disappointed of its expectationi, it slew him in a fury. The conductor's wife, who was a spectator of this shocking waKi could not restraifi her madness and despair « bu^ running with her two children ; in fipr arms, threw them at the elephant's feet, crying out, that since it had killed her husband, it might kill her and her children also. The elephant, seeing the • children at his feet, instantly stpppe^i and moderating its fury, took up the eldest >vp ELEPHANT. 149 ts trunk, and placing him upon its neck, adopted him for its conductor, and obeyed him ever after with great punctuality. But it is not for drawing burdens alone, that the elephants are serviceable in war ; they are often brought into the ranks, and compelled to fight in the most dangerous parts of the field of battle. There was a time, indeed, in India, when (hey were much more used in war than at present. A century or two ago, a great part qf the depen- dence of the general, was upon the nuniber and the expertness of his elephants ; but of late, since war hu been contented to adopt fatal, instead of for* midable arts, the elephant is little used, except for drawing cannon, or transporting provisions. The princes of the country are pleased to keep a few for ornament, or for the purposes of re- moving their seraglios ; but they are seldom led iuto field of battle, where they are unable to withstand the discharge of fire-arms, and have oflfen been found to turn upon their employers. Still, however, they arc used in war, in the itidre remote parts of the East ; in Siam, in Cocliin-China, in Tonquin, and Pegu. In all these places, they not only serve to swell the pomp of state, beinc adorned with all the barbarian iplendnr that those countries can bestow, but they are actually led into the field of battle, armed before with coats of mail, and loaded on the back each with a isquare tower, containing from five combatants to seven. Upon its neck sits the con- ductor, who goads the animal into the thickest ranks, and encourages it to increase the devasta- tion : wherever it goes, nothing can withstand its fury ; it levels the ranks with its immense bulk, flings such as oppose it into the air, or crushes them to death under its feet. In the mean time, those who are placed upop its back combat us from 150 ELEPHANT. uh eminence^ and fling ^own th^jr weapons \y\i\\ ddiibte force, their weight beisg added to their velocity. Nothing, therefore,, can he more dread- fikl, Or more irresistible, than such a ipbving nift chine, to men unacquainted ^yith the niodeni arts of vftp ; t|rc elef>hant, thus armed and conducted, mging in the midst of the field of battle, ipspires more teiTor than even those machines that destroy at a distance, and are often most fjatal,, when most unseen. But this method of coml|ating is rathet formidable than e^ectual ; polished nations Iiaye ever been victorious over .these semirbarWrous troops, that have called in tlie , elephant to t^eir assistance, or attempt to gain a vic|;ory by merely astonishing their oppiosers. T.lie Ropians quickhr learned the art ot opening tjhek; rai?ks to admit the elephant, and thus separating it ffom iiMi«' tance, quickly. compel!p<^ its conductors to caim the animal's fury, and to submit' It sometimei also happened that the elephant became impatient of control j and instead of , put to other very disagree* (bleoific^ ; for in srnnecpturtsof the more bar* barous prince^), they are used as executioners ; and ihii horriditas]^ , they perform with great dexterity: with their truijk^^ they are seen to break every limb of the ^viminal at tl^ word of command ; th<$]r sonnetioies trample him to death/ and some-* tjmes impale him on their enormous tusks, as 4if!ect^d. In ;]this the elephant is rather the ser- vi9tofa cruel master, than a voluntary tyrant, lin^^po other animal of th^ forqst js so naturally benevolent and gentle ; equally mindful of benefits M sensible of jieglect, he <^onitract$ a frie^dship fat hjs ke^per^ au4 obey^ him even beyond his ca^ pa<;ity, s , ■ In In4ia, where; they were at one time employ- ed in launching ships, . a particular elephant was directed to for<<;e'a very large vessel into the water ; the work proved superior to its strength, b«'t not to its endeavours ; which, however, the keeper affected ,to despise. ''Take away," saye he, "that lq,zy beast, nnd bring another better fitted for jier vice." The f ...or animal Wpon this instantly redoublqd its efforts, fractured its skull;, and died upon the spot. In Deli, an elephn^t, passing along the streets, put his trunk into, a tailor's shop, where several people were at work. One of the person? of the shop, deMfpus pf >ome amusement, pricked the '"i'P^i'jf trunk with his needle, and seemed liiojhiy lb% ELEPHANT. deliglited with this slight punishment. The elc. phant^ however^ passed on without any immediate signs of resentment ; but coming to a puddle filled with dirty water, he filled his trunk, re- fumed to the lihop, and spurted the contents oTer iall ■ the finery upon which the tailors were then employed. ' ..»';,..-*>.. u*. t.^.^jjs.^'»-. ifji^v' An elephant in Adsineer, which often passed through the bazer, or market, as he went by a certain herb-woman, alwavs received from her a mouthful of greens. Being one day seized with a periodical fit of madness, he broke his fetters, and funning through the market, put the crowd to flight, and, among others, this woman, who in her haste forgot a little child at her stall. The elephant, recollecting the spot where hit benefactress was accustomed to sit, took up the infant gently in his trunks and conveyed it to a place of safety. At the Cape of Good Hope it is custoiniirf fo Imfit those animals for the sake of their teeth. Three horsemen, well mounted^ and armed with iiances, attack the elephant alternately, each relier- lYig the other, as they see their companion presfied, till the beast is subdued. Three Dutchmen, bro- thers, who had made large [fortunes by this busi- iiess, determined to retire to Europe, and enjoy the fruits of their labours ; but they resolved; one day before they went, to haye a last chasej by way of amusement; they met with their game^ und began their attack in the usual manner ; but, unfortunately, one of their horses falling, happened to fling his rider, the enraged elephant instantly seized the unhappy huntsman with hi* trunk, flung him up to a vast height in the air, and received him upon one of his tusks as he fell; and then turning towards the other two enormous EtEPlTANt. 153 brothers^ a»if it were with an aspect of revenge aud insult^ held out to them the impaled wrctch> wtiihing in the agonies of death. Ceylon is famed for its elephants. Some of the Dutch hare ohserved the DQanners of the wild flephantii in that islaM with singular attention. They live in small trdops^ or distinct families. The old ones often stand while they !, if he prove refractory by the way^ are dirtci'ed to beat him with their trunks. Tame ff^niuit :s i-re slUo led out, at times, to invei- gle wild males. As soon as one of these females has enticed a male from the savage herd, a part of her conductors seize her captive, while the rest make a noise to frighten away bis companions. Mankind have, in all ages, been at great paint ' m taming elephants . When Alexander penetra- ted into India, the natives opposed him upon tame elephants, which they had trained to military discipline. The Greeks, who at first beheld them with terror, after triumpjiing over the nations of the East, introduced them into their own armies. Either a part of those very elephants which Alexander brought from India, or others brought soon after into Greece, were carried by Pyrrhus into Italy, when he went to oppose the Romans. His elephants, with the Macedonian tacticts, rendered him at first no unequal match to the warriors of Home. But Roman discipline and Roican magnanimity, soon triumphed over his military skill and his gigantic cavalry. Ele- phants were often after tfiaf exhibited at Rome The Carthaginians, as well ms Fjirhus, loanu thenf b it vfeak aids agair:» 4b darti. They were afterwards opposed CISPBANT. 165 opposed to bulls, and to the rhinoceros. Pliny relates that a oumber of elephants, exhibited in the circus by Pompey, when they found themselves des- tined to immediate death, made a vigorous, but in- effectual effort to break through the iron railing, in which they \eere inelosed. Frustrated in the attempt, they, with a wailing voice, and in a suppli- tnt posture, seemed to implore the compassion of (he spectators ; and so impulsively w^re the whole people affected with the distress and the sensibility of those majestic animals, that they, with one as- sent, arose, and in tears imprecated destruction oa ike head of the magnificent general who enter- ttiaed them with that splendid spectacle ; impre- citions, says the faisteriaa, which soon after took effect. ' ' ' ' The successors of Alexander appear to haye long continued the use of elephants in their ar- mies. One of the brave Jewish brothers, the Maccabees, terminated his life in a glorious man- ner, by piercing the belly of an elephant, in the army of one of those raonarchs fighting againiC his countrymen, with a deadly wound, and suffer- ing himself to be crushed to death under the fall- ing mass. Elephants trained to war among the Greeks, had turrets raised on their backs, from which troops of armed men annoyed the enemy ; while a person, sitting on the neck, directed the motions of the elephant, and animated him to fight with his trunk. But when scared or wound- ed, th^y disdained all government, and spread confusion not less readily among their friends, than through tlie adverse army. The East is the great theatre on which the strength, the ingenuity, and the generous qualities of tr is species have been chiefly displayed. The Indian nrinces Bailm&iet their DQwer and srrandeur 1^ the nuiobef of their elepb^ots. Many of the ^^ ELEPHANT. XiKiians are persnaded that so majestic a body muit |)e aniiuated by the soul of a departed king ^ hero. ' ■• '■;':: ■'^: '-.. I ''r^]p .,: '■■■.i^f:/,*j..i :-.;■•_. In Si am, Pegu, Laos, white elephants aretiew. .ed with peculiar veneration, as the living manei^of deceased emperors Each has a palace, domeii- tics, golden vessels, choice food, splendid robei. ^hey are subjected to no servile labours, and ut iaught to bow the knee to the reigning emperor^ |>ut before none else. Wlien an elephant wishes aaerely ^ terrify at^ person, he runs upon hioi with an aspect of fuiy, li.ut stops when near, without inflictiag avcy iajur^. He lades a boat in a river wiith amaamg dei- ItBT'itj, carefully keying all the articles dry, «a4 disposing them so that their arrangement oeedp not to be changed. In ratsir"^ wheeled carriages, lieavily loaded, up a declivity, lie pushes the car^ riftige Ibrward with his front, advances, support! U with this knee, and renews his effort. Ifdrsg- giiag o. heam e£ wood along the ground, he r^< fBOves obstacles to ibake it run smooth and easily. The majestic elephant on which Porus rode ill jthe .battle in which he <^po=8d Alexander, dis- pliayed a strong attachment to his master. Wbea tthe lucian monarchy though exhausted with fatigue, and covered with wounds, obstinateiy refused to retire or yield himself prisoner, ana the Grecian soldiers pressed hard upon him, his elephant iM;ilI obeyed his direction, though all hit companions had fled ; still defended his master^ and attacked those who approached against him, with firm and ardent courage. 'M. D'Obsonville relates an anecdote of an elephtiiift which represents him in a very amiable light. lu tjie Laki'iaor^ the capital of Soubah, duriug the ra^ of an epideoaic di ' er^ the priucipal sv&d to the palace Qmc was co 'Cicd witji -> BLEPHANT ' ' 157 gitk and dyitig wretche^^ extended on the ground, arid M/:apable of removing^ at a time when the nabob was to pass on his elephant. The indiffe- rence of the prince about the lives of his perishing subjects, the haste with which he wr>3 to pass^ and (he aukward motions, and heavy steps of the ele- phant, seemed to threaten inevitable death to a Dumber of those unhappy wretches. But the ge- Bcrout quadruped, without receiving any command to the purpose, and even without slackening hit ftot, veiy dexterously assisted the poor creature* wiib his trunk, removing eiome, raising others, and stepping oy«r the test ; so that none suffered the sli^test injury. In what is an animal, capable oi such pmdeace, suchdext^ity, and such gentle hu- maniity., iitferior to man ? In this action, both intelligende /and virtue conspicuously appear. I £iqphant« ape more influenced by a regard to the consequences of their actions than almost any' •tber domesticated animals. O-^ the promise of a reward, they are often induced t^ xtraordinary exertions of ingenuity and strong The &ame curious observer of the economy of animal?, re- latep that he has seen two elephants employed in concert in beating down a wall ; who, encou-? raged by their cornacks, with a promise of fruits and brandy^ doubled up their trunks to save them from injury, combined their efforts, thrust with repeated shocks against the strongest part of the wall, carefully marked the sik'''''^ss of their exer- tions, and at last, with onegra. .. ^.j pulse, levelled the frabric; retiring ha«ti4y to avoid suffering from its falling fragments. A still more singular fact is related by D*Ob- soriville. An elephant, who, in the course of the last war between the French and the British in the East indies, had received a ilesh wound by a canriion ball, after being once or twice conducted 1 153 £LEPHAKT, %;'^ to the ho.spital to have his -wound dreised, con- itantly attvnded of himself at the proper time, till it was heal<;d. That the surgeon might operate, be readily extended himself ou the grouna. He bore >vith patience the application even of fire to Mr wound. The acuteness of the pain WQuId •ometimes force from him a plaintive groan. But to the hand, who, hv inflicting momentary torments, ffought to accomplish his cure, he expressed none but emotions of gratitude. Gratitude is indeed represented by ali who have had opportunities of observing his manners^ as the most eminent fea^ ture in the character of the elephant. At tiie tight or the cry of his master or benefactor indant ger, he forgets all regard to his own safety. At Pondicherry, a soldior, vcho bad used to •hare his arrack vt^ith an elephant, whenever he received his pay, happening one day to get drunk, was pursued by the giiard, who meant to put him into confilui.ment. He rei eated und^r the belly of his friend, the elephant; - o, with is trunk, beat .off his pui'sucrs. The soluier fell asleep. When he awaked next day, having 'ft away his intoxi- cation, he was much alarmed to find himself under the beily of so enormous an niraal. The elephant, however, eased his feai by caressing him with his trunk, and dismissing him in tlia most friendly manner. An elephant in Versailles was very carefully olj? "^'^rved by the members of the French Academy of 6'cicnces, and many other visitors. He discovered considerable penetration, seemed to know when he was mocked, and waited for an opportunity to revenge the affront. A man pretending to throw something iwto his mouth, made him gape for nothing. The disap- pointed elephant, in high resentment, knocked tiie waff down, and broke two of his ribs with a blow ELEPHANT 159 of his trunk ; then trampled on him vllh his feet, and kneeling, endeavoured to pierce liis belly >vitli his tusks. He was^ however, rescued. A painter wanted to draw this same elephant in an unusual attitude, wiHi his trunk elevated^ and his mouth open. To make him remain in thi« position, an attendant threw fruits, from time to time, into his mouth. But he often only pretended to throw, without giving any. The elephant at length, teazed and irritated, and ob.^erving that it was tM gratify the painter the servant treated him with such impertinence, turned his eye upon the master and his work, and by squirting a quan- tity of water from his trunk, entirely spoiled the drawing. The following instance of the sagacity of these animals was mentioned to Dr. Darwin, by some gentlemen of undoubted veracity, who had been much conversant with our Eastern settlements. The elephants that are used to carry the baggage «f our armies, are put each under the care of one of the natives of Lndostan ; and whilst this person and his wife go into the woods to collect leaves and branches of trees for his food, they fix him to the ground by a length of chain, and frequently leave a child, yet unable to walk, under his j)rotec- tion; and the intelligent animal not only defends it, but, as it creeps about, when it arrives near the extremity of his chain, he wraps his trunk gently found its body, and brings it again into the centre of his circle. In the last war, a young elephant received a violent wound in its heiid ; tlie pain of which ren- dered it so frantic and ungoveriiable, that it was found impossible to persuade the animal to have the part dressed. Whenever any one approached, it tan off with fury, and would suffer no person to come within several yards pf it The man who IGO ELEPHANT. had iht care of it^ at length hit upon a cor\,(rivnnce for securing it. By a few words and signs, he gave the mother of the animal sufficient intellj- gence of what was wantq^l ; the sensible creature immediately seized her younff one with her trunk, and held it firmly down, though groaning with agony, while the surgeon completely dressed the wound ; and she continued to perform this service every day, till vhc, animal was perfectly recovered. In the Philosophical Transactions^ a story is re- lated of an elepliaat having such an attachment for a very young child, that he was never happy but when it was near him. The nurse used, therefore, Tcry frequently to take the child in its cradle, and ; place between his feet. This he became at length so much accustomed to, that he would never eat his food except when it was present. When the child slept, he used to drive off the flies with ^is proboscis ; and when it cried> he would move the cradle baekward^ and forwards^ and thus rock it again to sleep. A sentinel, belonging to the present menagerie at Paris, was always very careful in requesting the spectators not to give the elephants any thing to eat. This conduct particularly displeased the fe- male ; who beheld him with a very unfavourable eye, and had several times endeavoured to correct his interference, by sprinkling his head with water from her trunk. One day, when several pcrsoni were collected to view these animals, aby-stander offered the female a bit of bread. The sentinel perceived it ; but the moment he opened bii mouth to give his usual admonition, she, placing herself immediately before him, discharged in hil face a considerable stream of water. A general laugh ensued ; but the sentinel, having calmly wiped his face, stood a little on oiie side, and con- tinued as vigilant as before. Soon aftcrwardsj be ELEPHANT. ?C!l found himself uiulor the necessity of repeating his admonition to the spectators ; hut no sooner wa« (his uttered, than the female laid hold of hii musket, twirled it round with her trunk, trod it under her feet, and did not restore it till she had twisted it nearly into the form of a screw. *i.o'» ;> ; ; M. Navarette says, that at Macassar, an clft*i phant-driver had a cocoa-nut given him, which, out of wantonness, he struck twice againsf the ele- phant's forehead to hreak. The day following the animal saw some cocoa-nuts exposed in the street for sale ; and taking one of them up with its trunk, beat it about the driver's headj till the man was completely dead. That elephants are susceptible of the warmest attachment to each other, the following account^ extracted from a late French journal, will suffici- ently prove. Two Ceylonese elephants, a male and a female, each about two years and a half old, were in 1785 brought into Holland, a present to the stadtholder from the Dutch East India Com- pany. They had been separated, in order to be conveyed from the Hague to Paris ; where, in the Museum of Natural History, a spacious hall was prepared for their reception. This was divided into two apartments, which had a commu- nication by means of a large door, resembling a portcullis. The inclosure round these apartments consisted of very strong wooden rails. The morn- ing after their arrival, they were conveyed to this habitation. The male was first brought. He entered the apartment with suspicion* reconnoitred the place, and then examined each bar separately with his trunk, and tried their solidity by shaking them. He attempted to turn the large scrfews on the outside which held them together, but was not able. When he Arrived at the portcullis which separated the apartments, he observed that it waf VOL. i. ' ir ■,'BPr'; 163 ELEPHANT. fastened only by a pt^rpendicular iron bar. This he raised with his trunk, then pushed up the door, and entered the second apartment, where he re- ceived his breakfast. These two aniir-als had been parted, (but with the utmost difficulty,) for the convenience of carriage, and had not seen each Other for some months ; and the joy they expc- l^ienced on meeting again, after so long a separa. tion, is scarcely to be expressed. They imme- diately rushed towards each other, and sent forth cries of joy so animated and loud as to shake (he whole hall. They breathed also through their trunks with such violence, that the blast resembled an impetuous gust of wind. The joy of the female was the most lively. She expressed it by quickly flapping her ears, which she made to move with astonishing velocity, and drew her trunk over the body of the male with the utmost tenderness. She particularly applied it to his ear, where she kept it a long time ; and after haying drawn it over his whole body, often moved it affectionately towards her own mouth. The male did the same over the body of the female, but liis joy was more steady. He seemed, however, to express it by his tears, which fell from his eyes in abundance. Since this time they have occupied the same apartment ; and their mutual tenderness and natural affection, have excited the admira- tion, and even the esteem, of all who have visited them. These two elephants consume every day a hun- dred potmds weight of hay, and eighteen pounds of bread, besides several bunches of carrots, and a great quantity of potatoes. During summer they drink about thirty pails of water in the day. On their arrival in Holland, they were conveyed in a vessel up the river Waal to Nimegucn, whence they were driven on foot to Loo. The attendants had ELEPHANT. i6a much difRculfy in inducing them to cross the bridge at Arnhcini. The animals had fasted for several houis, and a quantity of food was placed for tliem on the opposite side of the bridge. Still, however, some time elapsed before tlie^r would venture themselves upon it ; and at last they would noit make any step, without first carefully examining the planks, to see that they were firm. During the time they were kept at^Loo, they were perfectly tame, and were suffered to range at liber-r ty. They would sometimes even come into the room at the dinner hour, and take food from the company. After the conquest of Holland, from the cruelty with which they were treated by many of the spectators who crowded to visit them, they lost much of their gentleness ; and their subse- quent confinement in the cages in which they were conveyed to Paris, has even rendered them in some degree ferocious towards spectators. They are not suffered to range at liberty ; but are kept in ininclosure suffieientij large to allow thcai some exercise. This contains their den, and a pond, io which, during summer, they often wash them- selves. Dr. Darwin tells us, that he was informed by t gentleman of veracity, that, in some parts of the East the elephant is taught to walk on a narrow path between two pit-falls, which are covered with turf ; and then to go into the woods and seduce the wild elephants to come that way, who fall into these wells, whilst he passes safe between them. The same gentleman says also that it was univer- sally observed, that such wild elephants as had escaped the snare, always pursued the traitor with the utmost vehemence ; and if they could overtake him, which sometimes happened, they beat him to death. Elephants are said to be extremely susceptible •C 164 ELEPHANT. the power of music. Suetonius relates that the em- peror Doniitian had a troop of elephants disci- plined to dance to the sound of music ; and that one of them, who had been beaten for not liaving his lesson perfect, was observed the night after- wards in a meadow, practising it by biniself. At Paris some curious experiments have been lately made on the power of music over the sensibi- lity of the elephant. A band of music went to play in a gallery extend 'iig round the upper part of the stalls in which were kept two elephantSj flistinguishcd by the names of Margaret and Hans. A perfect silence was procured. Some provisions, of which they were fond, were given them to en- gage their attention, and the musicians began to play. The music no sooner struck their ears, than they ceased from eating, and turned in surr prise to observe whence the :>3unds proceeded. At sight of the galiery, the orchestra, and the assembled spectators, they discovered considerable alarm, as though they imagined (here was some design against their safety. But the music soon overpowered their fears, and all other emotion? became completely absorbed in their attention to it. Music of a bold and wild expression excited in them turbulent agitations, expressi»e either of Violent joy, or of rising fury. A soft air per- formed on the bassoon, evidently sootlied them to gentle and tender emotions. A gay and lively air moved them^ especially the female, to demon- strations of highly sportive sensibility. Otiier va- riations of the music produced corresponding changes in the emotions of the elephantsi. The natives of Africa greedily eat the flesh of the elephant. Thi^ Hottentots and Boshiesmen, in the neighboujhood of the Cape of Good Hope, esteem it a very agreeable article of food ; but tlif JDutch colonists regard the eater of elephant's EtEPTIANT. 1:63 flesh with little less horror than a cannibal. Sparrman relates that he saw the liuts of some Hottentots in the service of a fanner on Diep- rivier covered over with zig-zag slips of ele- phant's flesh, some inches in breadth, and several fatlioms in length, which they had thus laid out to dry ; some of those slips were wound round the huts, and others stretched between two. It was in the beginning of November ; they had lately been successful in the chace : and "at this time," says this lively naturalist, " men, women, and children, had here no other employ- ment, but sleeping, smoking, and eating ele- phant's flesh." The tusks of the elephant have long been apj,lied, under the denomination of ivory, to a variety of important uses, in the arts. Ivory is a material as well for i\\Q fine as for the mechanic arts. In the country of Sogno, in Lower Ethio- pia, the natives distil a water from the bones of the elephant's legs, which they esteem an excel- lent remedy for asthmas, sciaticas, and several other complaints. The Giaghi regard the tail of this animal with religious veneration. When a chief or sovereign dies, an elephant's tail is consecrated to preserve his memory. The animal is hunted merely for his tail. A sacred tail must always have been cut off from a living elephant, aii(! lit a single stroke. It is a most curious fact, and may well excite our astonishment, that skeletons resembling those of cleph-in^s arc occasionally found in a fossil state, and in large quantities, at a great depth under the surface, in the most northern parts of Asia. " All i^c arctic circle," says Mr. Pennant, " is a vast mossy flat, formed of a bed of mud or sand, weniing the eflect of the sea, and which gives reason 166 ELEPHANT.- to think that that immense tract was in some vcjy distant age won from it. With them are mixed an infinitely greater number of nmrine bodies than are found in the higher parts of that portion of Asia. I give the fact : let others more favour- ed explain the cause how these animals were transported from their torrid scats to the arctic regions. 1 should have recourse to the only one we have authority for ; and think that pheno- menon sufKcient. I mention this, because modern philosophers look out for a later cause ; I rest con- vinced, therefore, to avoid contradicting what can never be proved.'* We must by no means here omit the fossil bones, viz. jaws, vertebrae, thigh-bones, and tu.«]ks, which are often found in some part of North America ; they arc commonly found about live or six feet below the surface, on the hanks of the river Ohio, not far from the river Miame, •even hundred miles from the sea-coast. Of these the thigh-bones are much thicker in proportion than in the common elephant ; the grinders, or, side teeth, are very different from those of the *^Iephant, and instead of having a flat top with numerous transverse scores, as in that animal^ are pretty deeply lobed 'ike the teeth of carnivo- rous animals ; the tusks bear a great resemblance to those of the common elephant, but have an inclination to a spiral curve towards the smaller end ; in their common texture they perfectly re- semble common ivory. It seems, therefore, ex- tremely clear, that this animal must bare been 3 »peci("s differing from the common elephant, but greatly resembling it. Whether it may exist in any of the unexplored parts of the globe, must be loft to future investigations to determine These bones are not peculiar to the northern re- gions of 4^mcric*, but have also been found v^ StROTYRO, &C. 167 Siberia, in Peru, and in the Brasils ; and it has been remarked, that they are found at greater depths than the remains of the common elephant, in strata, which are supposed to be the remains of the old world after the event uf the deluge. 'J SUKOTYRO. •Tiivt That we' may not seem to neglect so remarka- ble an animal, though hitherto so very imperfect- ly known, we shall here introduce the sukotyro. This, according to Niewhoff, its only describer, and who has figured it in his travels to the East Indies, is a quadruped of a very singular shape. Its size is that of a large ox ; and the snout like that of a hog ; the ears long and rough ; and the tail thick and bushy. The eyes are placed upright in the head, quite differently from those uf other quadrupeds. On each side the head, next to the eyes, stand the horns, or rather teeth, not quite so thick as those of an elephant. This ani- mal feeds upon herbage, and is but seldom taken. It is a native of Java, and is called by the Chi- aese, sukotyro. ^ PLATYPUS TRIBE. Tif E only animal at present known as belonging" to this very extraordinary tribe, was discovered a few years ago, in New Holland. 8ir Joseph Banks had in his possession two specimens, which 168 DL'CR-niLLED PLATYPUS. were sent over by Governor Hunter ; and only one or two oliieis liave us yet arrived iu this king- dom. The platypus has two grinders on each sido, both of the upper and lower jaw. Instead of iiowt teeth, it has a process resembling the bill of a duck. The feet ure webbed. Duck-billed platypus. The mouth of this very singular creature rxlii- bits so great a resemblance to the beak of some of the broad-billed species of ducks^ that it is not Without minute and accurate examination^ thai we caa persuade ourselves of its beingthe real beak or snout of a quadruped, The length of the animal^ from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail, is thirteen inches ; and of tjiis the beak occupies an inch and a half. The body is depressed, and has some resemblance to that of an otter in miniature ; it is covered with a very thick, soft fur, of a moderately dark brown colour above, and whitish beneath. The head is rather small ; and the tail Hat, furry like the body, and obtuse. The legs arc very short, and terminate iu a broad web, which on the fore feet extends to a considerable distance beyond the claws. On the fore feet there are fi ve claws, straight, strong, and sharp-pointed ; and on the hind feet six curved daws ; the interior one seated much higher than the rest, and resembling a strong sharp spur. The specimens of this animal hitherto sent to Europe, have been deprived of their internal parts, and are for the most part very ill preserved. Mr. Home examined one belonging to sir Joseph Bunks, which had been kept in spirits, and was tolerably' perfect. He discovered that although the beak, ■when cursorily examined, had so great a rcscm- ^ih we or :ry 111 the nan to LVir. ibl)' =i^;iv'^'"i^^t--:"r--'T; v*^jwvf7wjryr, f'-. t*! ■«; .A-- ■if: / / blancc that it w yvt whei toiind th This, it merely Th other ,, side *" ofi tinuc. and forii two porti nating, a! forwards^ This stru all birds of the no the bill ; 1 pond with are hard^ the middl tongue ; 1 of bone surround brane, in ^ iocluded. The tee in most ot jums. 1 and the nr of an iuc mouth ; quarter oi smell diffi quadrupec placed ne iiiperaddei VOL. 1, DtCK-BItLt:t> PLATVPUJI. m blancc to that of the duck, as to induce a Itelief that it was calculated for exactly the same purposes ; Aet when all its parts were carefully reviewed, he found that it ffered in a variety of circumstances. This, it appears, is not the animal's mouth ; but is merely a projccture beyond, and added to it. Th vity "f the month is similar to that l* oilier 4 peds, and has two grinders on eac[» side hr u he upper and under jaw : but iiiucwd of i 'h, lie nasal and palate bones are con- tinue; I 'd, lengthening the interior nostrils, and form.,^ ih<* upper part of the beak : and th6 two portioiis of the lower jaw, instead of termi- nating, as in other quadrupeds, arc also continued forwards, forming the under portion of the beak. This structure differs materially from the bills of all birds : since in the feathered tribe the cavities of the nostrils do not extend beyond the root of the bill ; and in the lower portions, which corres- pond with the under jaw of quadrupeds, the edges are hard, to answer the purpose of teeth, and in the middle there is an hollow space to receive the tongue ; but in the platypus, the two thin plated of bone arc in the centre, and the parts that surround them are composed of skin and mem-'' brane, in which, probably, a muscular structure h included. The teeth have no fan^s that sink into the Jaw, as in most other quadrupeds, but are embedded in the l^ums. The tongue is scarcely half an inch long^ and the moveable part is not more than a quarter of an inch. It can be drawn entirely into the* mouth ; and, when extended, reaches about a quarter of an inch into the beak. The organ of smell differs in some measure from that of both quadrupeds and birds. Tli« eternal opening is placed near the end of the beak ; wluMice are superadded to it two cavities, extending all llie VOL. I. z IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 !i: i- ti^ I.I 1.25 ■^ 1^ 12.2 2.0 Hf 1^ 1.8 U III 1.6 V] O^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 <^ no DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS. way along the beak. The beak itself is covered \yiih a smooth black skin^ that extends some way beyond the bones^ both in front and laterally ; and forms a moveable lip, so strong, that when dried or hardened in spirit, it seems to be quite rigid ; but when moistened is very pliant, and is probably a muscular strupture. Tne under portion of the beak has a lip equally broad with the upper. This has a serrated edge (wanting in the upper mandible), but the serrae are mostly confined to the soft part. A curious transverse fold of the external black smooth skin, by which the beak ig covered, projects ail round, exactly at that part where it has its origin. The apparent use of this is to prevent the beak from being pushed too far into the soft mud, in which prey may be concealed. The nerves that supply the beak, are much allied to those of birds ; and the cavity of the skull has a greater resemblance to that of a duck than of a quadruped. The eye is uncommonly small for the size of the animal ; and the external opening of the ear is simply an orifice, and so mimite as not to be discovered without difficulty. From the form of this animal, we kre led to sup- pose it a resident in watery situations ; that it bur* rows in the banks of rivers, or under ground, and that its food consists of aquatic plants and animals. But the structure of its beak is such as not to en- able it to lay firm hold of its prey : when, how- ever, the two marginal lips are brought together, the animal has most probably a considerable power of suction, and in this manner may draw food into its mouth. MANATI TRIBE, &C. 171 MANATI TRIBE. The animals of this tribe arc destitute of fore teeth in both jaws. From the upper jaw, how- ever, proceed two great tusks, which point down- wards. The grinders have wrinkled surfaces. The lips are doubled. The hind feet are at the extremity of the body, and unite into a kind of fin. The manati are entirely marine ; feeding on sea- weeds, corallines, and shell-fish, and not carni vorous. Their elongated body, declining in bulk from the head gradually to the tail, and their short fin-like feet, give them some alliance to the fishy tribes. They may indeed be considered as forming one of those steps in nature, by which we arc conducted from one great division of the animal world to the other. Though the general residence of all the species is in the sea, yet Home of them are perfectly amphibious, and live with equal ease on the Jaud and in water. Arctic walrus. These animals, which are sometimes seen eigh- teen feet long, and ten or twelve in circumference, are inhabifants of the coasts of the Magdalene is- lands, in the gulph of St. Lawrence. They are usually found in vast multitudes floating on the ice, In their upper jaw they have tw o long tusk s betiding; downwards, which they use in scrapirg shell-fish and other prey out of the sand, and from tli,e rocks. The further use of these is in ascend- ing the islands of ice, the animals fixing them in the cracks, and upon them drawing up tlu;ir ITS ARCTIC WALRUf. bodies. They are also vieapons of defence againat the white bear, the sword-fish, and sharks. The arctic walrus is inelegant in its form, hav- ing-a small head, short . neck, thick bod^, and short legs. The lips are very thick, and the up- per one is cleft into two large rounded lobes, on which there are several thick and semi-transpa- rent bristles. The eyes are very small ; and in- stead of external cars there are only two small circular orifices. The skin is thick, and scattered •over with short brownish hair. On each foot there are five toes connected by webs, and the hind feet are considerably broader than the others. The tail is extremely short. They are harmless animals^ unless when attack-* ed or provoked, in which case they become furif ous, and exceedingly vindictive. When surprised on the ice, the females first provide for the safe^r ty of their young, by flinging them into the sea, and conveying them to a secure distance ; they then return to the place with great rage, to re- venge any injury they have received. They will sometimes attempt to fasten their teeth on the boats, in order to sink them, or "will rise under them in great numbers, with the intention of oversetting them, at the sancie time exhibiting all the marks of rage, i'baring in a dreiadful manner, and gnashing their teeth with, great violence. They are strongly attached, to each other, and will make every cfl\)rt in their power, even to death, to set at liberty their harpooned companions. A wounded walrus has been known to sink to the bottom, rise suddenly again, and bring up with it multitudes of others, who have united in an attack on the boat from whence the insult came. These animals always visit the Magdalene is- Ijinds early in the spring. These bcchi particular'^ ARCTIC WALRUi. I7S rc- adapted to their wants, abounding in large shell- jfish, and affording them a convenient landing. Immediately on their arrival, they crawl up the sloping rocks of the coast in great numbers, and frtqwently remain for many days, when the wea- ther is fair, without food ; but on the first ap- pearance of rain they immediately retreat to the water with great precipitation. Very soon after their arrival they bring forth their young. The inhabitants sufn;r them to come on shore, and amuse themselves for a considerable time, till they acquire some degree of boldness ; for, at first landing, they are so exceedingly timid as to suffer no one to approach them. In a few weeks they assemble in great numbers ; formerly, when un- disturbed by the Americans, to the amount of seven or eight thousand. At a proper time the fishermen, taking advai^tage of a sea-wind to pre- vent the animals from ^smelling them, and with the assistance of dogs, endeavour in the night to se- parate those that are farthest advanced from those next the water, driving them different ways. This they call making a cut, and it is generally esteemed a very dangerous process, since it is impossible to drive them in any particular direction, and often difiicult to avoid them. The darkness of the night, however, deprtves them of every direction to the water, so that they stray about, and arc killed by the men at leisure, those nearest the shore becom- ing the first victims. In this manner fifteen or six- teen hundred have been killed at one cut. They are then -skinned, and the coat of fat that always surrounds them is taken off, and dissolved into oil. The skin is cut into slices of two or three inches wide, and exported to America for carriage traces, and to England for glue, • /• ■ They sometinH!s attack small boats, merely through wantonness, and not only put the people 174 ARCTIC WALRUS. in confusion^ but frequently subject thenri to great danger. In the year 17(56 some of the crew of a ■loop which sailed to the North, to trade with the Esquimaux^ were attacked in their boat by a great number of these animals ; and, notwithstanding their utmost endeavours to keep them off, one, mure daring than the rest, though a small one, got in over the stern, and after sitting and looking at the men some time, he again plunged into the water to his companions. At that instant, another, of an enormous size,, was getting in over the bow ; and every other means proving ineffectual to prevent •uch an unwelcome visit, the bowman took up a gun loaded with goose shot, put the muzzle into the animal's mouth, and shot him dead. He im- mediately sunk, and was followed by all his com- panion!. The people then made the best of their way to the vessel, and just arrived before the crea- tures were ready to make their second attack, which, in all probability, would have been in- finitely worse than the first, as they seemed high- Ijr enraged at the loss of their companion. The following is captain Cook's description of a herd of walrusses, that were seen floating on a mass of ice off the northern part of the continent of America. *' They He in herds of many hun- dreds upon the ice, huddling over one another like swine ; and roar or bray so very loud, that iu the night, or in foggy weather, they gave us no- tice 4>f the vicinity of the ice before we could see it. ' We never found the whole herd asleep, «ome being always upon the watch. These, on the approach of the boat, would wake those next to them *, and the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole herd would be av\ake presently. But they were seldom in a huriyto fet away, till after they had been once firen at. 'hey then would tumble over one another iulo the ARCTIC WALRUS. 175 ica in the utmost confusion. And if we did not, at the first discharge^ kill those we fired at, w« generally lost them, though mortally wounded. They did not appear to us to be that daiigorout aianial which some authors have described ; not even whea attacked. They are rather nu>re s9 ia appearance than in realiy. Vast numbers ot them would follow and come close up to the boats ; but the flash of a musket in the pan, or even the bare pointing one at them, would send them down in an instant. The female will defend the young to the very last, and at the expcnce 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 is killed, the other is certain prey. The dam, when in the water, holds the young one between her fore fins." The Greenlanders, when they find a herd of them upon the ice, approach in their boats, and fling their harpoons as the alarmed animals are tumbling themselves along the steeps of the ice into the sea. They seize these opportunities of killing them, as the animals always distend tlieir skins, to roll with greater e^yf.e and lightness, and, therefore, are easier to hit tvian when they are at rest on the shore, and the skin is flaccid. When playing about in the water, they have been frequently observed to draw sea fowl be- neath the surface, with their long tusks, and after a while to throw them up in the air ; but they live entirely upon marine plants and shelUflsh, and never eat these. ' This animal appears to have been Icnown to king Alfred so early as the year 830, from the informa« tion of Octher, the Norwegian, who made a voy- age beyond the North Cape of Norway, " for the more commoditie," says Hakluyt, " of fishing of 175 INDIAN WALRUS, &C. horse wales, which have in their teeth bones of great price and excellence ; whereof he brought some on his returnc unto the king." Hakluyt further informs us, that at that period the nativeii of the northern coasts made cables, some of thciii sixty ellf in length, of the horse wales and sealo skins. The tusks of the walrus/ which weigh from ten to thirty pounds each, are used as an inferior sort of ivoiT ; but the animals are principally for the sakeof their oil. A very strong and clastic lea- ther, it is said, may be prepared from the skin. The animals frequently weigh from fifteen hun- dred to two thousand pounds, and produce from one to two barrels of oil each. Indian walrus. Has two canine teeth, or tusks, placed in the upper jaw, pretty close to each other, and four grinders on each side, at a little distance from these tusks ; in the lower jaw three grinders on each side. It is found at the Cape of Good Hope, and among the Philippine isles ; but little satisfac- tory is yet known respecting the natural history of this animal. 0 , Whale-tailed manati. The whale-tailed manati live entirely in the wa- ter, and in other respects they so nearly approach the whale tribe, as scarcely to deserve the name oi quadrupeds. What are denominated feet arc little more than pectoral fins, which serve only lor swimming. They inhabit the seas- between America and Kamtichatka, but never appear off the coast vi WHALE-TAILED MANATt. m Kamptschatka, unlets driven thcx-c by a tempesf^ They are always found in herds. The old onei keep behind^ and drive the young before them ; and some go along the sides, by way of protection. On the rising of the tide they approach theshoreij and are so tame as to suffer themselves to be handled. They live in families near one another, each consisting of a male and female, a half grown young one, and a new born* cub ; and these families often unite so as to form vast droves. In their manners they arc'pcaccable and harmless^ and bear the strongest attachment to each other. When one is hooked, the whole herd will attempt its rescue ; some will strive to overset the boat by going beneath it ; others will fling themselves on the rope of the hook, and press it down in order to break it ; and others again will |nake the utmost efforts to wrench the instrument out of the body of their wounded companion. In their conjugal affection, if such it may be termed, they are most exemplary. A male, after having used all his endeavours to releadse his mate, which had been struck, 'pursued her to the vefy edge of the water ; and no blows that were given could force him away. As long as the decea.sed female continued in the water, he persisted in his attendance ; and even for three days after Ae was drawn on shore, cut up, and carried away, he was observed to remain in expectation of her return. They are taken by a great hook fastened to a long rope. The strongest man in the boat strikes the instrument into the nearest animal ; which be- ing done, twenty or thirty people on shore seize the rope, and with the greatest difficulty drag it on shore. The poor creature makes the strongest re* sistance, assisted by its faithful companions. It will cling with its feet to the rocks till it leaves the skio VOL. I. A a 179 UUUND-TAILEO MANATIT. behind ; aiid often great fragments fly oflf before it can be landed. *' I once saw" snys Dr. Grieve, ^' some of tbc fishermen cut off the flesh from one of them While it was nlivc, which all the while struck the waiter with such force with its paws, as entire- ly to tear off the skin." The size is enormous^ some of them bein^ twenty-eight feet long, and weighing so much as eight thousand pounds. They are exceedingly vo. racious, and feed on the difl*erent species of fuci that grow in the sea, and arc driven to the shore, When filled they fall asleep on their backs. During their meals, they are so intent on their food, that any cue may go among them, and select out one of their number. Their back and sides are generally above water. The head is aiiall. The lipA are double ; and, near the junction of tire two jaws, the mouth is filled with white tubular bristles, which pre- vent the food from running out with the water, and also serve for cutting teeth, to dividj^ the strong roots of the sea-plauts. Two flat white bones with undulated surfaces, one in each jaw, supply the place of grinders. The eyes are extreme- ly small, as are also the orifices of the ears. The tail is thick and strong ; ending in a black, stiff fin. The skin is thick, hard, and black, and full of inequalities, like the bark of oak ; beneath it there is thick blubber. The flesh is coarser than beef, and does not soon putrify. The young ohefe taste like veal. ', ' sA ^-iS t\ Rot/Ntf-'Tiiriifib Mk^Ati. ■5 ; « N •' These animals are about six feet long ; and three or four in circumference,^ though some- times much more. They have a short thick neck, ^biall cyps, and th.i«k lips ; arc very thiek about are ; and 80me- : neck, about ^ H a VI ^- U. * \.- ■*-'- %.'i Oil' k>i. ,.*««' t I'l- !f- ROUND-TAILED MANAT!. 179 the shoulders, and taper gradually to the tail« 'which is broud and round. The feet are placed at tlie shoulders ; and near the base of each foot, in the female, there is a small teat. The skin is thick and hard, and has a, few hairs scattered over it. . -...ih i^i,-, !.».,■.■'„« .^.t , They are found in the African rivers, from Sene- gal to the Cape ; and in abundance on sonic of the eastern coasts of South America. In the river of Amazons, 'they are often seen nearly a tiiou- sand leagues from its mouth. They seem much more partial to fresh, or only brackish water, than to the sea. j ^,,«!!5M*'v>^r;f**?>^i-lp^bfi*V vii,^:T";T«^-?" At (imcs they are observed, in their frolicsome moods, to leap to great heights above the surface ; and they delight in shallow water near low land, and in places secure from surges, where the tidei run gently. Marine plants seem to constitute their principal food. They are taken by harpoons. The Indians go out in small canoes, with the utmost silence, (for the animal is very quick of hearing), carrying a harpoon, fastened to a strong cord of several fathoms in length. When * struck, the manati swims off with the instrument of death in his body ; and, when spent with pain and fatigue, agaiti rises to the surface, and is taken. The aifection of the parent for her young is as conspicuous in this as in the last species. If a young one is with its mo- ther when she is struck by a fisherman, careless of her own sufferings, she affectionately takes it, if not too large, under her fins or feet, to protect it from her own fate. But how cruelly do mankind re- ward them for these tender offices ! The young, which will never forsake its dam, even in the greatest distress, is looked upon in no other light than as certain prey. * ■^■ We are told that this species af manati ii oilten tamed by the native inhabitants of America, and 180 GUIANA MANATI. 'I that it delights in music. A governor of Nicaragua is said to have kept one of them in a lake near his house, for six-and-twenty years. The animal was usually fed with bread, and fragments of victuals, as fish are fed in a pond. He became so familiar, that in tameness and docility he uearly equalled Nvhat has been laid by the ancients of their dolphin. The domestics gave him ths name of Matto ; and virhen anyof them came at the regular hour to feed him, and called him by his' name, he >vould come immediately to the shore, take victuals out of their hands, and, (though contrary to what is generally said of these creatures,) even crawl up to the house to receive it. Here he would play with the servants and children; and, according to the writer of the account, has even been knoM'n to carry persons across the lake on his back. From circumstances similar to these, some authors have imagined this to be the dolphin of the ancients ; And others believe that what has been written re- specting mermaids and syrens, should be referred to this animal. >. The flesh and fat of the round-tail manati are very white, sweet, and salubrious. The young are extremely tender and delicious. The thicker parts of the skin, cut into slips, and dried^ be* come very tough, and are used for whips. The thinner parts, which are more. pliant, serve the Indians as thongs for fastening the sides of their canoes. Guiana manati. Turs is a native of Guiana, inhabiting the lar^re rivers, as well as the sea; and grows to the lengih of sixteen or eighteen feet ; the skin is of a dark brown, with scattered hairs on it. The bead hangs downward ; the feet have five toes ; the boc'^* SEA-APE MAlfAYI. ISl continues of nearly the same thickness almost to the tail^ where it suddenly narr^^^ws ; the tail it flat, and of the shape of a spatula ; thickest in the middle, and thinner towards the edges. S£A-APE MANATI. ' ' This animal, tho^igh placed among the manati by Mr. Pennant, seems rather to belong to the next order, and to be a seal. The following is Dr. Grievc's account of it. Mr Steller saw oflf the coast of America, a niiarine animal which he calls a sea-ape. The head appeared like that of a dog ; with sharp and upright ears, large eyes, and with both lips bearded. The body was round and co- noid, the thickest part near the head ; and the tail was forked. The animal was apparently destitute of feet. ^* It was extremely wanton^^nd played a jiumber of apish-'tricks. It sometimes swam on one and sometimes on the other side of the ship, gazing at it with great admiration. It would often stand erect for a considerable time, with one-third of its body aboTe the water ; then dart beneath the ship and appea.r on the other side, and repeat the same thirty times together. It would frequently rise with a sea plant in its mouth, not unlike the boltU;- gourd, and toss it up and catch it again, placing with it a thousand antics. From this anitnal, much more probably than from thfe round-tailed' manati, the fable of the Syrens might originate. i . hangs OUMJf m .iT' SEALSf ■Jt;j ,»> ]i;;r r\\..i^^Ki. SEALS. ;-,) y^^:*. , ;;^^., - ,. ■v>'^^ ^'^f-''— i S '. '^■*.^ ■ r'^ COMMON SCAt} 189 cxtellent sViminers find ready divers. Their usutl length is fi v e or six feet. 'The hetid is large and round ; the heck small and short ; and on each' side of the niouth there are sevdrti! strong bristKts. From thd s^6uldcrs the body tap^Hri to the taili The ejes are* large ; there itb m external ears. The legs tite very short; and the hinder ones placed so backward^ as to be but of little use, except in swimming. The feet are all webbed. It has five toes on each foot^ with sharp strong claws. Its hind feet are more widely webbed than the fore. The tail is very short. The ani- mals vary in colour ; their short thick set hial^ being sometimes grey, sometimes bi'own or black- ifih> and sometimes even spotted with White or jreiiow;;'';\\::';f "Hv ' ■ *«»:.i^• mm „ It has been often remarked^ that all animals are sagacious in proportion to ihe size of their brain. It has, in support of this opinion, been alleged, that man, with respect to his bulk, faftsof ail others the largest. In pursuance of this ft!i« sumption, some erroneous speculations liave beenf formed. But, were the size of the brain to deter- mine the quantity of the understanding, the seaf would, of all Other animals, be the most saga*^ cious ; for it has, in proportion, the largefst brain of any, even man himself not excepted. However, this animal is possessed of but very few advantages over other quadrupeds ; and the size of its brain furnishes it with few powers that contribute to its wisdom or its preservation. ' This animal differs in the formation of its toD^uc from all other quadrupeds. It is forked or slit at the end, like that of serpents ; but for what purpose it is thus singularly contrived we are at a loss to know. We are much better in- formed with respect to another singularity in its conformation, which is, that the foramen ovale • ^ ■ . • ■'JIS'*^/'.' ■ ••'- '■'•-■■•'•V' •'j( I m COMMON SEAL. in the heart is open. Those who arc in the least acquainted with anaf oinj, know> that the veins uniting bring their blood to the heart, which sends it into the lungs, and from thence it returns to the heart again, to be distributed through the whole body. Animals, however, before thcj are born, make no use of their lungs ; and therefore their blood, without entering their lungs, takes ft shorter passage through the very partition of the heart, from one of its chambers to the other ; thus passing from the veins directly into those vessels that drive it through the whole frame. But the moment t)>e animal is brought forth, th^ passage through the partition, which passage is . called the foramen ovale, closes up, and conti- nues closed for ever : for the blood then takes its longest course through the lungs to return to th^ other chamber of the heart again. Now the seal's heart resembles that of an infa:it in the womb, for the foramen ovale never closes ; and although the blood of this animal commonly circulates through the lungs, yet it can circulate without their assistance, as was observed above, by ft shorter way. From hence, therefore, we see the manner m which this animal is adapted for continuing under water ; for, being under no immediate necessity of breathing, the vital, motions are still carried on while it continues at the bottom ; so that it can pursue its prey in that cienricnt, and yet enjoy all the delights and advan- tages of ours. The water is the seal's usual habitation, and whatever fish it can catch its food. Though not equal in instinct and cunning to some terrestrial animals, it is greatly superior to the mute tenants of that element in which it chiefly resides^ Al- though it can continue for several minutes under water, yet it is not ablc^ like fishes, to remain COMMON lEAL. 189 there for any Icng;th of time ; and a sc^\ mar be drowned, like any other terrestrial animal. I'hu* it seems guperior, in some respects, to the inhabit tants of both elcmeiiti, and inferior in many more. Although furnished with legs, it is in some mea- sure deprived of all the advantages of tlicm. They are shut up within its body, while nothing appears but the extremities of them, and these furnished with very little motion, but to serve them as fins in the water. The hind feet, indeed, being turned backwards, are entirely useless upon land ; so that \^lien the animal is obliged to move, it drags itself forward like a reptile, and with an cifort more painful. I* or this purpose it is obliged to use its fore feet, which, though very short, serve to give it such a degree of swiftness that a man cannot readily overtake it ; and it runs towards the sea. As it is thus awk- wardly formed for going upon land, it is seldom found at any distance from the sea-shore, but con- tinues to bask upon the rocks ; and, when dis- turbed, always plunges down at once to the bottom. The seal is a social animal, and wherever it frequents numbers are generally seen together. In the North and Icy seas they are particularly numerous. It is on those shores, which are lesa inhabited than ours, and where the fish resort in greater abundance, that they are seen by thou- sands, like flocks of sheep, basking on the rocks, and suckling their young. There they keep watch like other gregarious animals ; and, if an enemy appear, instantly plunge altogether into the water. In fine weather they more usiially employ their time in fishing ; and generally come on shore in tempests and storms. The seal seems the only animal that takes delight in these tre- mendous conflicts of nature, in the midst of thunders and torrents, when every other creature VOL. I. B b tS5 COMMOM lEAL. takes refuse from the fury of the elements, the seals arc seen hy thotisancis sporting along the shore, and delighted with the tiniversal disorder ! This, however, may arise from the sea being at that time too turbulent for them to reside in; and they may then particularly come upon land when unable to resist the shock of their more usual element'. As seals arc gregarious, so they are also ani- mals of pasi^age, and perhaps the only quadru- peds that migrate from one part of the world to another. The generality of quadrupeds are con- tented with their native plains and forests, and seldom stray, except when necessitpr or fear im- pels them. But seals change their habitation ; and are sein in vast multitudes directing their course from one continent to another. On the northern coasts of Greenland they are seen to retire in July, and to return again in September. This time it is supposed they go in pursuit of food. But they make a second departure in March to cast their youngs and return in the beginning of June, young and all, in a great body together, observing in their route a certain fixed time and track, like birds of passage. When they go upon this expedition, they are seen in great droves, for many days together^ making towards the north, taking that part of the sea most free from ice. and going still forward into those seas where man cannot follow. In what maimer they re- turn, or . by what passage, is utterly unknown ; ii is only observed, that when they leave tlie coasts to go upon this expedition, they are all extremely fat, but on their return, they come home exces- sively lean. The females, in our climate, bring forth in winter^ and rear their young upon some sand- bsiik^ fock^ or desojate island, at seme distance COMMON ISAL. 187 from the cbntinent. When they suckle their young they sit up on their hinder legi, ^hile these, which are at first white vith woolly hair« cling to the teats, of which there are four in number, near the navel. In this manner the young conti- nue in the place where they are brouglit forth, iot twelve or fifteen days ; after which the dam brings them down to. the water, and accustoms them to swim and get their food by their own in- . dustry. ^ As each litter never exceeds above three or four, so the animars cares are not much divided, and the education of her litUe ones as soon completed. In fact, the young are paftico- larly docile ; they understand the mother's voice among the numerous bleatingi of the rest of the old ones ; they mutually aMist each other in dan- ger, and are perfectly obedient to her call. Thus early accustomed to subjection, they continue to live in societv, hunt and breed together, and have a variety of tones by which they encourage to pursue, or warn each other of dancer. Some compare their voices to the bleating of a flock of sheep, interrupted now and then by the barking of angiy dogs, and sometimes the shriller notes of a cat. All along the shore, each has its own peculiar rock, of which it takes possession, and where it sleeps when fatigued with fishing, un- interrupted by any of the rest. The only season when their social spirit seems to forsake them, is that when they feel the influences of natural de- sire. They then fight most desperately : and the male (hat is victorious keeps all the females to himself. Their combats, on these occasions, are managed with great obstinacy, and yet great justice; two are never seen to fall upon one to« j!;ether ; but each has its antagonist, and all fight ari equal battle, till one »lone becomes victo- •1VU*. 188 COMMON SEAL. IVe are norcertainly informed how long the fe« flialei continue pregnant ; but ii we may judge from the time which iii<(;rvenc8 hctwrtn their &- parture from the GreenUnd coasts and tlieir re- turnj they cannot go above tcven or eight monthi at the fartheiit. now long this animal lives it also unknown : a gentleman, whom Dr. Gnld- imithknew in Ireland, kept two of tJii..;, which be had taken very young, in h'lr.vi.. ft, ten yean ; and they appeared to \ii.\a the marks of age at the time lie saw them, f.ir iuCj ^ ere gruwa erey about the muzzle ; ind v is very prububle Si«y did not live many yca;s longer. In their natural state the old ones are seen very fat and torpid, separated from the rest, and, as it should leeni, incapable of procreation. ? vit'j : "^ca - .< As their chief food is fish, so they arc very ex> ^crt at pursuing and catching it. In thns« places >Krhere tiie herrings are seen in shoals, the seals fre- auent and destroy them by thousands. Wlicn le herring retires, the seal is then obliged to bunt after ns'. that are stronger and more capa> ble of '".'uding the pursuit : however, they are very swift in deep waters, dive with great rapi- dity, and, while the spectatoir cyts the spot at ■which they disappear, they are seen to emerge at above a mmdrcd yards distance. The weaker fishes, therefore, have no nthec means to escape d doei r aareon land. The mullet has l>c«.u icen trying every art of evasion ; and at last swimming into shallow water in hopes of escaping. There, however, the seal followed ; 80 that the Tittle animal had no other way left to escape, but to throw itself on one side, by which ;a>9ans it darted ijito s^ioalcf wntcr than it (ould COMMON iUAtt 189 bt¥i h\' xm iuv/Hh the bell^ undermoit ; and ihiM at last it got free. 'iltC Real in (iikcn for the aakc of its skin, urid for the oil iti fat yivUU The foriin'r srlli fur about four shiliiu^N ; and, when drcs.icd, it if very useful in coveririnr triinkK, iiuikiiig waist coats, shot-pouches, uiui Kcveral other conveni* ences. The flesh of this aninivil formerly found place at the tables of the great. At a feast pro- vided by archbishop NcvilUs for Edward iV. there were twelve seals and porpoises provided anioni;: other extriordinary rarities. In swimming, the seaU always keep their T cad above water. They sleep on the rocks ; and arc extremely watchful, never siocping long without moving ; seldom longer than i minute ; they then raise tiicir heads, and if they <«cc or hear nothing more than ordinary, again lie down, and so ou, raising their heads a little, and nclining them al- ternately at intervals of about a minute. Nature seems to have given them this precaution, as being unprovided with auricles or external ears ; itud consequently not hearing very quick, uor frum any great distance. SeaU, if taken young, are capable of being tamed; they will follow their muster like a dog^ and come to him when called by t/ie name that ia given to them. Some years ago a v^ung seal was thus domesticated ; it was taken at a little distanci! from the sea, and was generally k( d in a vessel full of salt water ; but sometimes %\ is allowed to orawl about the house, and even to ipproach the tire. Its natural food was regularly procured for it ; and it was taken to the sea e> ery day, and thrown in from a boat. It used to s\\ im after tlje boat, and always allowed itself to be taken back. It lived thus for several weeks ; and probably voiuild have lived muck longer, had it not heeu IlK) COMMON SEAL. Sometimes too roughly used. A seal that was ex- hibited in London, in the year 1750j answered to the call of his keeper and attended to what- ever he was commanded to do. He would take food from the man's hand, crawl out of the water, and, when ordered, stretch himself out at full length on the ground. He would thrust out bis neck and appear to kiss tlie keeper, as often as the man pleased ; and, when he was directed, would again return into the water. The follow^ ing is an interesting communication oa this subject from Dr. Hamilton of Ipswich : •' Some time ago, a farmer of Aberdown, a town on the Fife- shire side of the bia,nks of tJie Frith of Forth, in going out among the rocks to catch lobsters and crabs, disoovered a young seal, about two feet and a half long, which he brought home. He offered him some pottage anrl luilk, which the ani- mal greedily devoured. It was fed in this manner for three days ; when the man's wife, considering it an intruder in her family, would not suffer it to be kept any longer. Taking some men of the town along with him for the purpose, he threw it into the sea ; but notwithstanding all their endea- vours, it persisted in returning to them. It was agreed that the tallest of the men should walk into the water as far as he could, and having thrown the animal in, they should hide themselves behind a rock at some distance. This was accordingly done ; but the affectionate creature returhc^d from the water, and soon discovered them in their hiding place. The farmer again took it home, whe^e he kept it for some time ; but at length j^owing tired of it, he had it killed for the sake of its skin. T!ie seals are taken generally in October, or the hegiiming of November. The hunters, provided with torches and bludgeons.. enter the mouths oi COMMON SEAL. 191 the caverns where the seals reside about midnig-ht^ and row in as far as they can. They then land ; and^ being properly stationed, begin by making a great noise which alarms the animals, and brings them down from all parts in a confused hurry, uttering frightful shrieks and cries. In this ha-^ zardous employment, much care is necessary on the part of the hunters, to avoid the throng, which presses down upon them with great impetuosity^ and bears away every thing that opposes its pro- gress ; but when the first crowd has passed, they kill great numbers of young ones, which generally straggle behind, by striking them on the nose, where a very slight blow soon destroys them. To the inhabitants of Greenl£id the different species of seals are indispensably necessary towards their existence. The sea is to them, what corn- fields are to us ; and the seal fishery is their most copious harvest. The flesh supplies them with their principal, most palatable, and substantial food. Their fat furnishes them with oil for their lamps and fires ; they use it also with their food ; and barter it for other necessaries with the factor. They find the fibres of the sinews better for sewing with than thread or silk. Of the skins of the en- trails they make their windows, curtains for their tents, ana shirts ; and part of the bladders they use in fishing, as buoys or floats to their har- poons. Of the bones they formerly made all those instruments and working tools that are now sup- plied to them by the introduction of iron. Even the blood is not lost ; for they boil that, with other ingredients, as soup. Of the skins they form clothing, coverings for their beds, houses^ and boats, and thongs and straps of every descrip^ tion. To be able to take seals, is the height of the Greenlander's desires and pride ; and to this labour, which is in truth an arduous one, they 193 COMMON SEAL. arc trained from their childhood. By this they ttipport themselves ; hy this they render th(Mti> ■elves agreeable to each other, and become bene- ficial members of the community. The hunting of this animal also evinces the courage and enterprize of the Finlander. The season for this chuce begins when the sea breaks up, and the ice floats in shoals upon the surface. Four or five peasants v%-iil go out to sea in one small open boat, and often continue more than a month absent from their families. Thus do they expose themselves to all the horrors of the north- ern seas, having only a small fire, which they kindle on a sort gf brick earth, and living on the flesh of the seals which ihcy kill. The fat and skins are what they bring home. The perils with which these voyagers have to struggle are almost incredible. They are every instant betwixt masses of ice, which threaten to crush their little bark to atoms. They get upon the floating shoals ; and creeping along them, steal cautiously upon the seal, and kill him as he reposes on the ice. The following narrative will represent the extrenw danger of this ctnployment. A few years ago, two Finlanders set out in a boat together. Having got sight of some seals on a little floating island, they quitted their boat, and mounted the ice, moving on their hands and knees to get near them without being perceived. They had previously fastened their boat to the little island of ice which they disembarked upon ; but while they were busily engaged in the pursuit, a gust of wind tore it away ; and, meeting with other shoals, it was broken to pieces, and in a few minutes entirely disappeared. The hunters were aware of their danger only when it was too late. They were now left without help, without any resource, and without even a ray of hope, on their ■I /itrP'ED «EAL. itm^^. 193 floating island. Thev remained two weeks on this frail terri^ry. The beat, which diminiihed its bulk, and also its prominent surface, render- ed their situation more alarming ererv moment. In the anguish of hunger jkhey goawc^, tiie Af^h off their arm^s. , At last ;thej|r embraced leach other^ resolved to plunge together rato the tea, and thus end their ■ Qiiserjr, for lliev ;had no profpect of escapinff. The fatal resolution was just made> when ihey discovered a sail. One of them strip* ped off his shirt, and suspended it on the, muafsde of his gui|. The signal w,ai observed from t|>f vessel, which was a whale lusher. A Hoai T\rai put out to assist them, and by this providential circumstance they were saved, from otherwise in^ evitable destruction. The Icelanders fancy that seals are the qffi^ring of Pharaoh and his host, who; they beUevei^ero transformed into these animals in the Red 1^. PtED SfiAt^ : „ , ■■>* This species, which resembles in manners the common seal, and like that is easily tamed ia found on the i^oasts ot the Adriatic, and visits the British shores. It sometimes grows to the IcDj^h of seven feet and'a half. The principal difference between this and the former speciesji consists in its having the nose long and taper ; the fore feet inclosed in a membrane, but very distinct ; the claws long and straight ; the hind feet very broad ; five distinct toes, with the claws just extending to the borders of the membrane, -which expands in the form of a cres- cent. It» colours are black aud white, variousl)r disposed. ■ .['■/fi^-lM^'^^^^tM-'^'^- ;»»i^-^- ■I- i'n '■ 'J '■,tyi^i\ '.^'-.f « r. /'If i r 194 MfiDlTEItftAKEAN SEAL^ &C, hMhtUimlh ,MEl>iTEltltANEAlV gifcAE'"'''-^^f^*'l^&'«'^ • Ma^ ft sttiAll head, vtni a Aec*k loneer fhan thai bfihe common seal. Tfie orifices of its ears are li^t larger than a peat ; its hair is shoft aind rude, duskj, and spotted Tvith ash colour. The toei wiiolw*i'ii5 Is covered with fui^ soft as that of a hare, up^ right and interwoven, of a dirty white colour. Its whiskers are lontf and thick, so that the ani* mal appears bearded ; its head is long ; its upper lip is thick ; it has' four cittting teeth both abive and below ; and nails on both the fore and hind feet. Its usual length is six feet and a half ; iti greatest eircumference five feet two. It inhabits the White sea during the summer ; and is found also off Iceland, and on the coast of Sf^ihwgtUt "#'-■#' - Great seal ' *?'^-ii^%yi>iili|f^ ;n ' Resembles the common, but grows to the length of twelve feet. It inhabits the north of / Scotland, and the south of Greenly. Is covered with bristly hair of a pale brown, intermixed ^ke that of a hog. It inhabits Green<^ lifnd. The natives make garments of its skin, turning thd bairjr side inmost. This is perhaps what our Newfoundland seal-hiinters call square phipper, whose coat, they say, is like that of a water dog, and weighs s|omctimes five hundivd ""l pounds. f96 HOOOSQj AND HARP StAt, At, III ^ Hai a strong folded skin on its fore*bead^ which it can flJDg over its ejei andnose^ to defend them ageinst stopes and nod in stormy weather. Iti hair it white^ with a thicks coat of black wool under it, which makes it appear of a fine grey. It inhabits oqlj the soutn of Greeqland and Newfoundland. The hunters affirm) ihey cannot kill it till they remove the integumept on the head,'.' :' )■> .rytidw i'- HAftriBAI, ■H »^»Aa it pointy head, and a thick body of a Whitish grey cofoar, marked ^on the sides with two: hlaol cr^stents, the horns pointing upwards fdwardi each other. It altefiis this mark only in its fifth year ; till this y^^&sA it changes its J|olofur annually, and is called by differMtt names ;^cb year. Its head joins the body without any Visible neck, which gives the animal a clt^sy appearance. v . ' It inhabits Gfeenlaod, Newfoundland, lGeIa|)d,T the- White Sea, the Frozen Ocean, and passes through the Asiatic Strait as^ far asKamtschat* ka. It is the most valuable kind of any, both for its skii^ and oil. It grows to the length of i^p^ ,Mt. if - «'*'V{ Ir) vii (f i- if 1., 'Little seat.. '■•J i 1 1 \' > rMl ''■ .'..i^' -.tj: hi, •:;i;f: AiouT twd feet four inches long, has ,sof smooth hair, longer than that of the commoa seal, dusky on the head and back, and brownish iMneatb ; its teeth above are bifuirc^ted^ and twq^ j»f ihctf^ below are three pointed, ^u. / w rORCINEj AHh YELLOW 9V.liLj, &C, I9t > In iti general form this species resembles the ursine seal^ but the note is longer, and formed like • that of a hog. It has also fiye distinct toes co* vered with a common membrane: It inhabits the coast of Chilij and is a rare species. :^^^w-v'4...Y«fcLow-8iSAi,,' OR EAuab SEAL. •-•■*■«& *H I Tbb ear^ seal appeal-s to 'b« a rare 'Speciiet; Itnd is smaller than mtost of the gentis; not much ' exceeding the l^ngtb of 'two feet from the nose to - the^ail ; and from the«ame place to the extrteiitf of the hind feet labout' two fecit - and a half. Iti Colour, an nmiform pale yellow or" deep cream co- lour, without any variegation. The head it rather imall, ahd-the nbie somewhat pointed ; the eara are abi^t an'^inch Isng^ .and are very narrow^^ and pointed^ and are somewhat leaf shaped ; th# vi^ris^sft Orivhiskers long- and whitish ;. the teetlj^^ |jre rather blltnt than sharp, and the two middle ^incisores or front teeth of the lower jaw ate /slightly emar^nated. The fore feet are pinni- U fornix and without any appearance of toes or claws, and in shape somewhat resemble the fora Ins of a turtle ; the hind feet are strongly web- IM, and have long and very distinct claw8> of ni^ich the three intermediate are much larger than the exterior ones ; the tail is about an incd - to length.^ ^••' ^vi!.'> <>i U\;m\\:i. ;<> rni; Lhvia» /^^riK ursine seals are inhabitants of the islands in the neighbourhood of Kamtschatka. Here ^|hey APe seeii frorn June to 'September^ durinj^ I • \ VRSIKE 8KAL. 'I.'ti4.? 'it >v]iicli lime they breed and educate their youn^. They are said then to quit their stations, and re- turn, Bonie to the Asiatic, and some to tlie Ame- rican shore, gener the shores where they inhabit. These animals also •wim in tribes when they take to the sea. The males exhibit great affection towards their young, and equal tyranny towards the females. They are fierce in the protection of the former ; and, should any one attempt to carry off their cub, they will stand on the defensive, while the fe> male conyeya it away, in her mou^h. Should she happen to drop it, the male instantly ^uit^ his enemy, falls on her, 4nd beats her agamst the stones till he leaves her for dead. As soon as the recovers, she crawls to his feet in the mo«| l*^i tflSINE SEAL. 199 itippliant manner^ and wasli^. them ^ith her tearct ; he, at the same time, hrutallv insults her Biiiery, stalking about in the most insolent man* ner. But if the j^oung is entirely carried off, he melts into the greate^M; affliction, shedding tears^ and shewine every mark of aorrow. ''r Those animals that, through age or impotence^ are deserted by the females, withdraw themselve* from society, and grow excessively splenetic, peev* ish, and quarrel somik ; they become very furious^ and so attached to their own stations, as to prefer even death to the loss of them. If they perceive another atiimal approaching them, they are instant** ly roused from their indolence, snap at the len- croacher; and give him battle. During the fight^ they insensibly intrude on the station of their neighbour, who then joins in the contest ; so that at length the civil discord spreads through the whole shore, attcfnded With hraeous growls, their note of war. Mr. Steller, and his men, in order to try the experiment, wantonly attacked one of these seals, put oiht both his eyes, and irritated four or five of his neighbours by throwing stonoe at them. When these pursued him he ran towards the blind animal, who, hearing them approach^ fell iq)on them with the utmost fury. Mr. Stel- ler escaped to an adjoining eminence, from whence be observed the battle, which raged for several hours. The blind seal attacked, without distinc> tion, both flriendsand enemies ; till, at length, the whole herd, taking part against him, allowed him no rest, cither on shore or in the sea, out of which they more than once dragged him to land, till he was dead. This is one of the cattses of disputes amon^ these irritable creature^. But the most serious «ne is when an attempt is .made to seduce any of their m^istresses, or a young female of the i too VKIiNE tlAE. I 1 . fimily ; a battle i§ th« sure coaiequcnee of tb« iniull. Tlie unhappy vf^nquiahed animal instantfr loses his whole seraglio^ ^ho deiert him for the victorious hero. ^ « ins ; hut the moment one.ol tnem i!ails, thoMOi^ iei2et htm with his teeth> and throws him upon tlie gfecsrad. The wounlrihey inflict am. wy deep, mn«l Uke the cut of i, sabre ; and; itii;Mid» that in :the month of «r \i\j[ scarcely one ; h < to be ; leeq Uiat has not sora«iKn4i>iL of thife HDri, At the conclusiqii of an cngageiKeittj su^Ik .as . ut able throw -themseWes iatoothf sea; to wMb oiF,jtI|^ blood . . They are excieediagljr ■, facialis of, ! li|^| and. will live a fdrtnijrht.im^f. receiving JMob wounds as would soon destroy any.oi^qr fpnmi^v BesiiW their notes of wur, , tliey , have . severi!| •thers. When they lie on ^bO; sb^re, an^ Are dir Terting tbemselves, ths^ low lil^eii^t 99w. .After rfctory they make a Hoise spmewjbat ',like» the; chirping of a cricket.; and o» ^-d^fcat^ .or afjte^ leceiving a woundj thay mew iJk^ j|,4at. ^ When they come out of ttie water,' tlie3rshi|k& themselves, and smooth their biir!«rith1heir hind feet ; apply their lips to those ol the; females, as if to kiss them: lie down and balk lu the ; sua with their hind legs up, whicd thoy wag as ardog does his tail. Sometimes they lie on their back : and sometimes roll themselves up into a ball, and thus foil asleep. Thiy often swim on their back, and so near the surface of the water, as frequently to have their hind paws quite dry. When they go from the shore iuto (he water, or when tliey .♦ mily rth'e reit then, fight ko t9 CCOk- ; but letvet I thu deep, tut I leeQ it tbA I able iverfi: let the; ffjter^ hiiui ,48 lUII doff kck : and )ack, [ently they they i i .i:^} Mi '^/X %' -'f4i ■■ ■^:' -)^^J WT,'»(r* ''*;:;.;5?' Si ■ *•■•■ V dive, gome like 4 great 1 M¥eo I iportii tuiabk parent Iben, iTMrtei On ] %ueh n tftTeJ|< ^lliail thut til of June ^rthtl Augnit| The the fe^i Itie^e find aref naiiaati. , Thb tflltweni thefema iochei I; snout th« a thus tl The skin The ftfit Vot. 1 dive, after having l^reiithed, they, in the manner of lome other aw animaU, whirl themielvet rouQ4 like % wheel. They cut through the waves with great rapidity, frequently iwimniing at the rate ox leven or eight miles an hour. Their cubs are as sportive aa puppies ;: they have mock fights, add tunble one another on the ground. The male parent looka on vvi^,|.,fOft niMomplacency, "p^ ikm, licks and hnm^Sbimi and sem^io taki^i ^roster affMiton to tito tietur than to thd oliwL f On Baring^a island these animab were foimd iq 'iuiih numhars at io cover the who|e)^ahore^ and tfalre)|eri WffQ ol^Ii|red,,.f<>r their Ofm saf^y^fo Jiave Ihf) saads aadsileyel fSf^uti^, andgooyer the hills iwi4i^li^ parts. . It,i|, Iponpef |*f rema^kablei thit ittcy jiiuQr ft«qiiffit(titit;^iart of the coast irhicli Jit^in^tM l^^iplsehatka. In the beginning of June they relink' to the southward, to hrin£ ^rth the^, TOupgj ap(l return towards the end of kugnttt^ They M^idoiii produce more than a single young ope^ w^|n^4lie¥ j^urse for three r joiith». 'The ftep^;pf miVb males is rank, but that ot tlie levilW and^^JOHOg is said to be exceedingly MOd. ;T\i|e^^ifM pf the young ones, cut out of the MUe^ 4if ' the females.; are in esteem for elotbinffj, liod are( ^nearly as valuable as those of the old Mimals. ■ fioTTLl-NOiSiS nkti -(')■ , < The male of this sp^eies measures from fifiteeii to' twenty feet in lengro ; and is distinguhhed from the female by a largo snout, projecting five or six inches below the end of the upper JAW. This snout the kqlmal inflates when he is irrated, giving it thus the appearance of an arched or hooked nose. The skin is jscattered over with a rust-coloured hair. The feet, are short, and the hinder ones sO webbed Vot. ij D d BOTTLE-NOSED iEXlb. <• f' .^; 1- as to appear like fins. lo the upper jaw there are jDnly four froht teeth^ and in the lower jaw no ; iBore than two. These animals are fountl in the fleas about New IZSealand^ on the island of Juan Fernandez^ and the Falkland Islands. Thtfir fat is to very considerable, as i6 lie at least a foot deep between the skin and the ftesh ; ; Itfidjsonie of the largest ilfford as much as will fill «batt. When the boitte-^d^ «<^^ls are inmo^ tion, they ap{ifeA)r atmdst like iitthiehse skinU filled ^ith oil; iM tremulous motion of the blubber ~1»eiiig plainly discernable beneath the Surface. They have Also ^o niiitb blood, that, if (i««plt Wounds in k dozeti places, it Will j^lish oUt at •Tery one, and sf^OUt to k coniidemle distance. , Lord AnsoA'k sailbrs, to try the eipeifiment> ^hot otieofthem, and obtained from it mdtfe than twd llogsheads of blood. Th^y seem to divide their time iiterly equally bisiw«eii the litind and neix, ; eohtinainj^ out during the suihmer, and coming on sbore at the commence* iMeht of Wihter, and residing thef^ all that season. iVhen ashore, they feed on the^ass and verdure ifhith grows on the banks or the fresh-water streams ; and when not employed in feeding, they ^Ie«p in h^rds, in the most miry places they can find. 'Each herd seems to be uader the directiott of a large male; which the seamen ludicrously stile the bashaWi from his driving off the other males from a number of females which he ap- l^Ydpfiatei to himself. These bashawi, however, 46 not arrive at this envied superiority, with* dut matiy bloody and dreadful contests, of which their numerous 'scars generally bear evidence. Their battles are very frequent t and when for the females, alwavs extreii^«ly furious^ Some of Lord Anson's party observed, 6ne day> on the island of luan Fernandez^ what, they at first took kt BOTTLE^NOS£0 SEAL. QOS two animals of a kind different from any they liad before seen ; but, oi;i a nearer approach, they proved to be two of these seals, which had been gotine each other with their teeth, tiil both we(a completely cpvered with blood. They are ^f a letharg^ disposition, wd when at resj i^^ ni^ ^9MUy disturM- It is n(^ di^cuH to ^Lil^ ih,cm ; hmg, in ^eo^ral^ ^om their slu^ gish aQ4 MQ^^eULy motiops, i^icap^ble ei<^ of «ftaping or resting. A ^Otr was, howey^r, ona day, ^avjel^sly jeqiployed 4n aliinning one^f th^ yioung,yf}fm the female from whom he had taken 4t, 4;aQ^ toaMnon seal, which they denominated iaoib. The hearts and toi^gues we^ excellent eating; and, M^ey thou^fht, preferable even t(? Uioseof theQ:^, . ':%?'^#6i^-i^^t#-''';^ » . . . . ■ •• .if. *L^ -';.j>.'-..--l' iV-.-i^.Ii^'-^fti ii'-.i.i,. . |N>f LEONINB SEAliV^^'^ , !" r- - I.-. " ,.'" '.f; LeONIWE seal, oh 8Bi LIdN. ' t' The leonine seal has ihe head and eyes large. The nose turns up/ sOme^^hat like that of a pug jdog. The ears are conical and erect ; and along the neck of the male runs b mane of stiff curled liair. The whole neck is covered with long waved hair/ not utilike that of the lion. The hair of the other parts of the hodjr is short and f^ ; that of the female yellowish. At a certain kee they become grev. The feet resemble those ' of the ursine seal, fhe weight of a lar^ male 18 about sixteen hundred pounds ; and these are frequently from suiteeii to eighteen feet long, but the females seldom exceed dight. ^'Leonine seals are found in great numbers on the feasterb coasts of Kaifitschatkaj as well as on the distant shores of Patagonia. Thej do not mi- frate^ but only change their place of residence, aving' winter aud summer stations. They live 'princiimlly' among the rocks of the coasts ; and by iheif .dreadful rearing, are freijutotly of use du- ting foggy weather, m w^ing sailors of the dan'r ger of approaching in their dii'ection. ' - If a hiiman being appears among th^m, f hey immediately run off ; and when disturbed in sleep, they se6m seized with horror, . sigh deeply in their .MteJnpts to escape, f«n into thu uimost iconlTusion, tumbledown, and shake so violently As scarcely io be able to use their limbs. When, however^ they are reduced to an extremity, and find it im- possible to effect an escape, they become desperate, turn on their assailant with vast noise and fury, and will even put the most courageous man to flight. When they find there is no intention to fiurt them, they lose their fear of mankind. Stel^ |er, when he was on Bering's island, lived i^ ff lte(>t4lN& SEAL. S06 hovel, surrounded by th^m/ for six days. Th^ were soon reconCtleid to biin ; and \irould observe, with ^reat ca]nine8s> what he vras doing> lie dowo near him, and even ^ffer him to ^eize iand play with tbtir cubs.-— They often disjyute for ^e pos- session of fefliales t ftQu be had an opportunity Nof seeing' sieveral of these conflicts. He once wIm witness tb' a duel between two males; wbtcblastHl three davs/ aiid in which one of themr received above a hundred wounds. The ursin^ itfals whida were among them neveir> interfered^' but' alwayi hastened oift' of the way of ti^eirbtrtilefi. They brind^ forth btily a single .^yoi^ng one at 1 birth ; and, strange to say, the ^^rents seem to exhibit towards this ver/li^le share of aifection ? they sometim^B tread it to' death through oaireles*^ ness, $nd will suffer' it to be killed before tbera without cthe back of thi&irdam ; but the male often pushes them off to habituate them to tbis exeriqse. Each male has from two to four females, which he treats with great kindness ; and he seems very fond of their caresses. In their actions these ani- mals seem much allied to tbe ursine seals. The old ones bellow like bulls, and the young bleat like sheep. They live en fish, and several of the marine animals. During two of the summer months, the old males abstain almpst entirely from eating, and indulge in indolence and sleep, swaU lowi^ig at intervals large stones to keep the sto- mach distended. At the end of this time they are excessively emaciated. The chase of these animals is esteemed by the j^amtflchadales an occupation of the highest honouE. V-.', * -<(;/ " ♦ WKen fhejr find one of thom asleep^ tliey approach it againtt the wind ; strike a harpoon^ fastened tO'a long' eord> into its breaat ; and run off with the utmost precipitation. The other end of the cord bein^ &stGiied to a stake/ prevents the atiiiaal from nmning entirelj off ; and they prmeipally effect his 4lestru^on by flinging their Idsicei into hini> or shooting him with arrows. As sdon as he is exhauit- td, ahey Tenture near enough to kill him with their ;cIu1m. 'When i>ne of them is discorered alone on the tocksj they shoot him with poisoned arrows. Immediately he plunges into the sea ; but> unable -to bear the poignancy of his wounds in the sal^ watev> Bwims to shore in the utmost agony. If a ^ood opportunity offers^ thef transfix him with their lances ; if not, they leiave him to die of the poison. Such is the stupidity of these people, that, esteeming it a disgrace to leave m of their ■game behind, they frequently overload iheir boats •o much, as to send botii their booty and themselves to the bottom. But they disdain the thought ot laving themselves at the expence of any part of their prize. The flesh of their young is pleasant food, aAd their skin is used for the making of straps, shoes, and boots. U&I6NE SEAL. This is a smaller species than the former, being found from about three to eight £ttt in length. The body is thick at the i^oulders, and gradually lessens to the hind legs. The head resembles that of a d<^ witii close cut ears ; the nose is short and i)lttnt ; in the mouth are six cutting teeth above, and four below ; the fore feet have four toes in^ closed in a membraneous sheath, so as to resemble ins ; and the hmd feet are hid in a continuation '. ■ '■ -^ ■. - DOG TRIBE. 907 of the skin of the back ; and have five toes, of un- equal length, like the fingers of the human hand ; thetail is three inches long; the skin is eovered with two sorts of hair ; one like thai of an ox^ the other harder ; the colours are various. Thes^ aoimals are the sea wolves, mentioned by naviga* tors off the island of Lobos, near the river Platai Thgr are said to appear there in great multitudes^ and to meet the ships and even ti> iKing at the ship's tide bj their paws, seeming to stare at and admire the crew ; then drop off and return to their former haunts. The natives of Chili kill them for the lakcof theiir oilj ■ ■ ■ * - •■ ■■'■■■■ ■■ m- DOG tRIBE. I The generic " in- dependent of the beauty of his form> his vivacity^ force, and swiftness, is possessed of all those inter- nal qualifications that can conciliate the affectiont of man, and ma,ke the tyrant a protector; A na«^ tural share of couraee^ an angry and ferocious dispositions renders the dog. in its ravage statSi ■■■ti' •;:: 1 rW3 poo. a formidable enemy to all other animals; bat these readily i^ive way to very dilfd^rcnt qualities i^tbe domesjtic dog, Mrhoseonly ambiticni teems the desire to plei^se; h« is i^en to ppme crouching alQOg, to 1<^ bit force, liis , courage^ i^pd all his upeful talents, at the feet of )^s master ; l^e waits his orders, to which he pays implicit obedience ; iiecoDsi^tSt his looks, and a single glance is suffi- ciept tp. put. him in qt^otion ;. he is more faithful even tbim the upost boasted among nien ; he is con- stant in his affections, friendly without interest, anfl ffratef^l for the slightest favours ; much more mindful of benefits received, than injuries offered ; he is not driven off by unkindness ; he still con- tinues bumble, submissive, . and imploring ; his only hope to be serviceable, his only terror to displease ; he lick 3 the hand that has been just lifted to strike him, and at las^ disarms resentment, by submissive perseverance. " More docile than mail, more obedient than any ; other animal, he is not only instructed in a short tipie,; but he a|so conforms to the dispositions and the . mi^ineirs .of those who command him. He jlakes his tpn^ froni the house he inhabits: like jthe rest pf the domestics, he. is disdainful amoDg jtbe, great;, and churlish aicong clovirns. Always ^a^si^yQus in serving his master, and only a friend to his frieniis, he i^ ipdifferenttosuchas rest, aad declares himself openly against all that seem to be dependant like himself. He knows a beggar ,by his qlothes, by his voice, or his gestures, and Xorbids . his approach. When at night the guard ,of, the house i? committed to his care, he seems 4)rou4 of tbe charge : he continues a watchful ^ .sentinel, he goes his rounds, scents strangers at a distance, and gives them warning of his being ,upon 4uty^ If they attempt to break in upon his ^fitori^ ^f be^o^l m9j?9^ ^erp* l^igjLjJIlprf ,* ■'' DOG. 209 threatens, fights^ and either conquers alone, or alarms those who have most interest in coining to his assistance ; however, when he has conquered^ he quietly reposes upon the spoil, and abstains frond what h« has deterred others from abusing ; giving thus at once a lesson of courage, temperance^ and fidelity. From hence wc see of what importance this ani- mal is to us in a state of nature. Supposing, for a moment, that the species had not exist^i how could man, without the assistance of the dog, have been able to conquer, tame, and reduce to servitude, every other animal ? How could he discover, chase, and destroy, those that were noxious to him ? In order to be secure, and to become master of all animated nature, it was ne* cessary for him to begin by making a friend of a part of them ; to attach such of them to himself^ by kindness and caresses, as seem fittest for obe- dience and active pursuit. Thus the first art em- ployed by man, was in conciliating the favour of the dog ; and the fruit« of this art were, the ton* quest and peaceable possession of the earth. The generality of animals have greater agility, greater swiftness, and more formidable arms from nature than man ; their senses, and particularly thatof smelling, are far more perfect: the having gained, therefore, a new assistant, particularly one whose scent is so exquisite as that of the dog, was the gaining a new eense, a new faculty, which before was wanting. The machines and instru- ments which we have imagined for perfecting the rest of the senses, do not approach to that already prepared by nature, by which we are enabled to find out every animal, though unseen, and thut destroy the noxious, and use the serviceable. The dog, thus useful in himself, taken into a participation of empire, exerts a degree of supe^ vol] I. 'fie' *« ^^^ ^"W ti , I w *■•■. 210 »0(l. riority over all animals tliat require human pro. tection. The flock and ths herd obey his voice more readily even than that7>f the shepherd or the herdsman ; he conducts them, guards them, keeps them from capriciously seeking danger, and thoir enemies he considers as his owo. Nor is he less useful in the pursuit ; \vhcn the sound of the horn, or the voice of the huntsman calls him to the field, he testifies his pleasure by every little art, and pursues with perseverance those animals, vi^hich, when taken, he must not expect to divide. The desire of hunting is indeed natural to him, as well as to his master, since war and the chase are the only employment of savages. All animals that live upon flesh hunt by nature ; the lion and the tiger, whose force is ^o great that they are sure to conqiier, hunt alone, and without art ; the wolf^ the fox, and the wild-dog, hunt in packs, assist each other, and partake the spoil. But when edu- cation has perfected this talent in the domestic dog ; when he has been taught by man to repress his srdour, to measure his motions, and not to exhaust his force by too sudden an exertion of it, he then hunts with method, and always with success, ^^^^v In those deserted and uncultivated countries where the dog is found wild, the/ seem entirely to partake of the disposition of the wolf ; they unite in large bodies, and attack the most formi- dable animals of the forest, tlie cougar, the pan- ther, and the bison. In America, where they were originally ^ brought by the Europeans, and aban- doned by their masters, they have multiplied to such a degree, that they spread in packs over the whole country, attack all other animals, and even 'man himself does not pass without insult. They are there treated in the same manner as all other ^Carnivorous animals, and killed wherever they liappeii to come : however, they are easily tameU ; ^/ DOO. Sli when taken faome, and treated with kindness ami lemty, they quickly become submissive and fami- liai\ <&nd continue faithfully attached to their masters. Different in this from the wolf or the fox, who, though taken never so young, are gentle only while cubs, and, as they grow older, give themselves up to their natural appetites of rapine and cruelty. In short, it may be asserted, that the dog is the only animal whose fidelity is unshaken : the only one who knows his [master and the frienda of the family ; the only.one who instantly distin- guishes a stranger ; the only one who knows his nsme, and answers to the domestic call ; the only one who seems to understand the nature of subor- dination, and seeks assistance ; the only one who, wheit he misses his master, testifies his loss by his complaints ; the only one who, carried to a distant place, can find the way home ; the only one whose natural talents are evident, and whose educatioii is always, successful. In the same manner, as the dog is of the most ' complying disposition, so also is it the n;iost suscep- tible of change in its form : the varieties of this animal being too many for even the most careful describer to mention. The climate, the food, and : the education, all make strong impressions upon the animal, and produce alterations in its shape^ its colour, its hair, its size, and in every thing but its nature. The same dog taken from one cli^ mate, and brought to another, seems to become another animal ; but different breeds are as much separated to alf appearance, as any two animals the most distinct in nature. Nothing appears to continue constant with them, but their internal conformation ; different in the figure of the body, in the length of the nose, in the shape of the head, in the length and the direction of the ears and *»il, in the colour, the quality, and the quantity • v V - 9A2 DUG. of the hair ; in shorty different in every thing bui that make of ihe parts which serve to continue the species, and keep the animal distinct from all others. It is this peculiar conforniation, ilm power of producing an animal that can reproduce, that marks the kind, and approximates forms that at first sight seem never made for conjunc- tion. From this single consideration, therefore, we may at once pronounce all dogs to \)t of one kind ; but which of them is the original of all the rest, which of them is the savage dog, from whence such a variety of descendants have come down, is no easy matter to determine. We may easily, indeed, observe, that all those animals which are under the in^uence of man, are subject to great variations. Such as have been sumciently independent, so as to choose their own climate, their own nourishment, and to pursue their own habitudes, preserve the origin9,l marks of nature, without much deviation ; and it is probable, that the first of these is even at this day very well represeniefl in their decendants. But such as man has subdued, transported from one climate to another, controlled in their manner of living, and jtheir food, have most probably been changed also in their forms ; particularly the dog has felt these alterations more strongly than any other of the domestic kinds ; for living.more like man, he may be thus said to live more irregularly also, and, consequently, must have felt all those changes that such variety would naturally produce. Some other causes also may be assigned for this variety in the species of the dog ; as he is perpetually under the eye of his master, when accident has produced any singularity in its productions, man ^ses all his art to continue this peculiarity un- changed; either by breeding from such as ht^ "T DO0, S13 tliosc singularities^ or bj destroying such as hap« pencd to want them ; besides, as the dog produces much more frequently than some other animali, and lives a shorter time, so the chance for its varieties will be offrred in greater proportion. But which is the original animal, and which the artificial or accidental variety, is a question which, as was said, is not easily resolved. If th« internal structure of dogs of different sorts bft compared with each other, it will be found, ex- cept in point of size, that in this respect they are exactly the same. This, therefore, affbrcfs no criterion. If other animals be compared with the dog internally, the wolf and the fox will be found to have the most perfect resemblance ; it is probable, therefore, that the dog, which most nearly resembles the wolf or the fox externally, is the original animal of its kind ; for it is natural to suppose, that as the dog most nearly resembles them internally, so he may be near them in exter- nal resemblance also, except where art or accident has altered his form. This being supposed, if we look among the number of varieties to be found in the dog, we shall not find one so like the wolf or the fox, as that which is called the shepherd's dog. This is that dcg with long coarse hair on all parts except the nose, pricked ears, and a long nose, whith is common enough among us, and receives his name from being principally used in guarding and attending on sheep. This seems to be the primitive animal of his kind ; and we shall be the more confirmed in this opinion, if we attend to the difi'erent characters which climate produces in the animal, and the difi«rent races of dogs which are propagated in every coun* try ; and, in the first place, if we examine those countries which are still savage, cr but half juvilized^ where it is most probable the dog, likf f • \ ■ tu Bod. kit master^ hai received but few impressions from ari;, yre shall find the shepherd's dog, or one verj like him, still prevailing amongst them. The dogs that have run wild in America, and In Congo, approach this form. The dog of Siberia, Lapland, and Iceland, of the Cape of Good Hope, of Madagascar, Madura, Calicut, and Malabar, have all a long nose, pricked ears, and resemble the shepherd's dog very nearly. In Guinea, the dog Yerj speedily takes this form ; for, at the second or third generation^ the animal forgets to bark, bii ears and his tail become pointed, and his hair drops off, while a coarser, thinner kind, comes in its place. This sort of dog is also to be found in the temperate climates in great abundance, particularly an^ong those who, preferring useful- ness to beauty, employ an animal that requires vciy little instruction to be serviceable. Notwith- itanding this creature's deformity, his melancholy and savaee air, he is superior to all the rest of his kind m instinct,; and without any teaching, naturally takes to tending flocks, with an assiduity and vigilance that at once astonishes^ and yet re- lieves his master. In more polished and civilized places, the dog seems to partake of the universal refinement ; and, like the men, becomes more beautiful, more ma- jestic, and more capable of assuming an education foreign to his nature. The dogs of Albany, of Greece, of Denmark, and of Ireland, are larger and stronger than those of any other kind. In France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, the dogs are of various kinds, like tbe men ; and this variety seems formed by crossing the^breed of such as are imported from various climes v^;t |v\ The shepherd's dog may, therefore, be considered a« the primitive stock from whence these varieties fre aU derived. He makes the stem of that ge? t 000. ^15 nealogical tree, whicli has be^ branched out into ever)> part of the >vorlU. This animal still conti- nues pretty nearly iu its original state among the poor in ten^Derate climates ; being transported into the colder regions^ he grows lesi and more ugly among the Laplanders ; but becomes more perfect in Iceland, Russia, and Siberia, where the climate is less rigorous, and the people more] civi- lized. Whatever differences there may be among the dogs of these countries, they are not very considerable, as they have all straight ears, long and thick hair, a savage aspect, and do not bark either so often or so loud as dogs of the more cultivated kind. The shepherd's dog, transported into the tem- perate climates, and among people entirely civi- lized, such as England, France and Germany, will be divested of his savage air, his pricked ears, his rough, long, and thick hair, and from the single influence of climate and food alone, will become cither a matin, a mastiff, or a hound. These three seem the immediate descendants of the former; and from them the other varieties are |)roduCed. ' .♦«; f ■ ; Th» hound, the harrier, and the beagle, seem all of the same kind; for although the bitch is^ covered but by one of them, yet in her litters are found puppies resembling all the three. This animal, transported into Spain or Barbary, where the hair of all quadrupeds becomes soft and longi ^vill be there converted into the land>spaniel, and (he water-spaniel, and these of different sizes. The grey matin hound, which is in the second branch, transported to the North, becomes the great Danish dog ; and this, sent into the Souths becomes the grey-hound, of different sizes. The .larae, transported into Ireland, the Ukraine, Tar- tary, Epirus^ and Albania, becomes the great 216 DOO. ;: i?K1£ji'J :*■»*■• m iM> -■■■•■?. %', U-^rpWi-^ * m .•f.,' r*V t !■ ... • -f- ■ vm-.' • ■ W^-t *'■ ':■ 'f^l ■■/Ar :im ■,ti;i.K: i-pm ■e*?' ?.-',, in »,.*': /■•■ ; .t-. jfsa •sfti it3lv._. i.»J_j..^ >r) ^ lei mm -y- ■',;fe^^ iimea of queeu Elizabeib/ when Dopior €Mi)g attempted tbeir natural htsioijrvi: Soroet 0f tUeie he mentions are BO lon^r to w lound atnong ua^, althou^b mdn^ have iioce Ixeii iiitrd4ti«edi hy no means so s^rviceabk at thole, vrbich hato Im^b luifered todecajr; ?■ .^r ■ :■'.?': :r^-:r- >:■: t -•: " He dmdes tlie ifrhote rutstwh three -iindl: The first iis'the generous JLiiid; which co|iiMS:«f the terricffi' the h«rrier« and ihe .tilood^hoana ; the gaze-hound> the^ey^hound, tW leoiiatvirand the tumbler ; alltb^ar^ iitedwifbr:i^iuitlD^ Then the spaniel^ Hie letter^ and Ihe )«riitelwihiam1el^ or £nder« were ^sed for fowling ; an! ,m spanie! gentle^ or lap*dog, for aiiiutement. ' 't^ha; second is the farm kind,, consisting of the '#hci|^erd's dog and the mastiff. And tSe thtid iMilKi mon- grel kind, consisting of the wappe, tlie{tttitS|)tit, and the dancer. To these Tarieties; wo nisy add at present the bull-dog, Ihe Dutch mastiff^ the har« iequin, the pointer^ and the Dane> wit%i a variety of lap-dogs, whi<^« as they ate ^fbctlji^ iiseless^ may be considered a9 iihwortfa^of anatnei i "The terner is^ ii*>sma11 kind of hoiihdii with rough hair, ihado use of to force.the foi^^.tn- tho badger out of their holes ;,<>^ratheri6giY^iiotice, by their barking, in what part of their kenhet th<^ fox or badger reside^ wh«n the apertsmes intend to dig them otit. ;•', ; ',' '' The harrtery at well as the basgle and ihtL fox-hound, are used for hunting; of all other animals, thc^ have the quickest and niOst distin- guishing sense of smelling. The properly breed- ing, matching, and training these, make up the business of many men'i lives. ''The VlOod-houud was a dog of gteat usei and high esteem among our anceMors. Itn employ was to recoviNT any game that had escaped lyotu the hunter, <» hi^d been killed sod stolen out «« -'■*» tOL. I. r f >*■ ■ m N Sin DOG. t*. tii« Ibi^ii. Bui it wu stH' more ei^jtl^ed fit bunting; thieves and robl>ers by their footstep*. At that time when lie country was less peopled than at pttseht andcwhen^ consequently, the foot- •teps of ore mail /wcte test crossed and obliterated by those of others^ this animal was; very service- able in mi^h putwoiiit but at preseht^ when the oountif^ every HiiMit^^copled, this variety is quite worn ^t ;: probaiilipecause it was f^unaof lei* 8en1c9:t]nift .Mqn^V* •; - - ■ > ' ;■ . ■ • » <» n.'^ ■ ■ .^ '' The, g^UMS^iiqiM iike our grey- houndiii Millie tym- tisiiipp^ibj the scent. It chased indil^j|^% the £bx;ilM&i4 or buck.; It would ielect'fim' the herd ibe fattest *uid fairest deer^ pursue'it^by the' eye; Kind if losi recover it again with a^^ing sagacity. Thii ipeciea is now lost orui^ufb^ f^j :a" ^ii^gn^-hound is very well known at pre- sent> «iise nor it iiei- tiU !l e > 1 ^ \ ss. •?-■■ ail. ^'rJ^ 000. 219 'A i rMi fame within reach^ and then leiztd them 1^ a lud* den spring. ** The land spaniel^ which proibahly had itf name from Spain, where it might have acquired theioftneuof its hair, ii well known at present. There are two variettes of this kind ; namely, the slater, used in hawkin^^ to spring the game ; and the setter, that crouches down when it scents the birds, till the net he drawn over them. I havo read somewhere that the famous poet. Lord Surry, was the first who taught dogs to set ; it being ail amusement, to this day« only known in Englano.' " The water spaniel was another species used in fowling. This seems to be the most docile ot all the dor kind ; and this docility is particularly owing to nis natural attachment to roan. Mairjr other kinds will not bear correction; but this patient creature, though very fierce to«jtrangers, icems unalterable in his affections ; and blows and ill usage seem only to increase his regard. *<^ " The lap-dog, at the time of Doctor Caius, was of Maltese breed ; at present it comes from different countries ; in general, the, more auk-* ward or extraordinary these are, the more they are prized. " The shepherd's dog has been already mention'* ed, and as for the mastiff, he is too common to require a description. Doctor Caius tells us, that three of these were reckoned a match for a bear, and four for a lion. However, we are told that three of then^ overcame a lion in the time of king James the first; two of them being disabjed in the combat, the third obliged the lion to seek for safety by flight! - " As to the last division, namely, of the wappe, the turnspit, and the dancer, these were |xioD|^rel8, of no . certain shape, and made use of V ■ '^i ,~;j : %. only to alarm tlie family, or, being taught a variety of tricks, were carried about as a show.. " With regard to those of later importation^ the bull-dog, OS M, BuiToD supposef, it a breed between the small Dane and the English mastiiT. The large Dane is the tallest dog that is generally bred in England. It is lomewluit between a mas- ti£faada grey-hound in sbape^ being more slender than the one, and much stronger than the other. Th^ are chiefly used rather for show than service, being neither good in the yard nor. the 6eld. The highest are most esteemed ; and they generally cut on their ears to improve their figurv^ as some ab8ur(^' ' suppose. The harlequin is not muc|;i unlike a\e small Dane, being an useless animal, somewhat between an Italian grey-hound and a Dutch mastiff. To these several others might be added, such as the pug-dog^ the black bre^, and the pointer ; but^ in fact, the varieties are so numerous as to fatigue even the most ardent curiosity.*' Of those of the foreign kinds^ I shall mention only three^ which are more remarkable than any of the rest. The \wn dog greatly resembles that animal^ in miniature, from whence it takes the oame. The hair of the fore part of its body is extremely long, while that of the hinder part is as short. The nose is short, the tail long, and tufted at the point, so that in all these particulars it is entirely like the lion. However, it differs ▼ery much from that fierce animal in nature and disposition, being one of the smallest animals of its kind, extremely feeble, timid, and inactive. it comes originally from Malta, where it is found 90 small, that women carry it about in their fleeves. Tha^ animal^ falsely called the Turkish-do^, Eini Bj the breed lastiff. terallj I, mM' lender other, ervice, field, nerallj ,g some mucl^ uiimal, and a ight be At and are bo ardent ti'i •>.«< Hi*' -A -f'r »v *»-■ '•*»" ''<•'•'■,.'.•' . »• ' ■y j. ' •P**.' lan anj les that kes the >dy I part IS is and iculars differs ire and lals of lactive. found their •(V th-dog. \ ^ # ^ ^ hniinfl A' Betf. 1221 dilTers >great1j from the rest of tbe kincL in being cntirel/ ivithoBt hair. The skin, which is perfect- ly bare; is of a flesh-colour, with brown spots ; and their figure, at first view, is rather disgusting. These seem to be of the iwv%l\ Dapish breed, brought into a warm climate, siiid therc^ by a fiaccewion of generation^, divested of their hair. For this reason, they are extremely chilly^ and unable to endure the cold of our climate; and, eHn in the midst of summer, they continue to shiver n» we see men in a frosty day. Their spots arc broiirn, as was said, well marked, and easily distinguishable in summer ; but in the cold of win- ter they entirely disappear. They are called the Turkish breed, although brought from a much warmer r climate ; for some of tluem have been XnowB to come from the warmest parts of Africa and the £ast^Indiee. # * *' Thst last variety, and the most wonderful ot all that I shall mention, is the great Irish wolf-- dog, that may be considered as the first of the canine species. This animal^ which is very rar^ even in the only country in the world where it is to be foimd^ is rather kept for show than use ; there being neither wolves nor any other formidable beasts of prey in Ireland, that seem to require so powerful an antagonist. The wolf-^dog is therer fore bred up in the houses of the great, or such gentlemen as choose to keep him as a curiosity^ being neither good for hunting the hare, the fox^ nor the stag, and equally unserviceable as a housedog. Nevertheless he is extremely beautiful and majestic to appearance, being the greatest of the dog kind to be seen in the world. The largest of those I have seen, and I have seen above a dozen, was about four feet high, or as tall as a calf of a year old. He was made extremely like a grey- hound, but inther more robust, and inclining t9 'M/:^. ,.| ^ fe-^- 222 tb6 '«A the fi^re of the French matin, or the great Dane.' His eye was mild, his Golour v^hite^ and his nature seemed heavy and phlegmatic. This I as- cribed to his having been bred up to a size beyond his nature ; for yre see in man, and all other ani- rnals^ that such as are overgrown are neither so vigorous nor alert as those of a more moderate stature. The greatest pains have been taken with' these to enlarge the breed, both by food and matching. This end Vras effectually obtainid, indeed, for the size vras enormous ; but, as it seemed to me, at the expense of the animal's fierce- ness, vigilance, and sagacity. However, I was informed otherwise ; the gentleman who bred them assuring me that a mastiff would be nothing * when opposed to one of them, who generally seized their antagonist by the back ; he added, that they would worry the strongest bull-dogs, in a few minutes, to death. But this strength aid not appear either in their figure or their' inclinations ; they seemed rather more timid than the ordinary ra'Ci' of dogs ; and their skin was much thinner, and coasequently less fitted for combat. Whether, with these disadvantages they were capable, as I was told, of singly coping with bears, others may determine ; however, they have but few op- portunities, in their own country, of exerting their strength, as all wild carnivojrOus animals there are only of the vermin kind. M. Buffon seems to be of opinion that these are the true Molossian do^s of the ancients ; he gives no reason for this opi- nion ; and I am apt to think it ill-grounded. Not to trouble the reader with a tedious critical dis- quisition, which I have all along avoided, it will be sufficient to observe, that Nemesianus, in giving directions for the choice of a bitch, advises to have one of Spartan or Molossian breed ; and, among several other perfections, he says, that the can DOG. 223 should be dependent^ and fluctuate as she rum. This, ho\^ever, M by do means the case with the Irish wolf-dog, whose ears resemble those of the grey-houad, and ^re far from fluctuatinj^. with the animal's motions. But of whatever kinds these dogs may be, whether kaOwn among the ancients, or whether produced by a later mixture, they are now almost quite worn away, and are very rarely to be met with, even in Ireland. If car- ried to other countries, they soon degenerate ; and even at home^ unless great care be taken, they quickly alter. They were once employed in clearing the island of wolves, which infested it in great plenty ; but these being destroyed, the dogs also are wearing away, as if nature meant to blot out the species, when they had no longer any ser- vices to perform. " In this manner several kinds of animals fade ftom the face of nature,, that were once well known, but are now seen no longer. The enor- mous elk of the same kingdom, that, by its horns, cotfld not have been less than eleven feet high, the wolf, and even the wolf-dog^ are extinct, or only continued in such a manner, as to prove their former plenty and existence. From hence, it is probable, that many of the nobler kinds of dogs, of which the antients have given us such beautiful descriptions^ are now utterly unknown ; since among the whole breed, we have not one that will veuture t'^ engage the lion or the tyger in single combat. I he English bull-dog is per- haps the bravest of the kind ; but what are his most boasted exploits to those mentioned of the Epirotic dogs by Pliny, or the Indian dogs by iElian. The latter gives us a description of a combat between a dog and a lion, which I will take leave to translate. ]': ^S tr ' I "When Alexander was pursuing his conquests V 22-f DOO. in India, one of the principal men of that ;oQn-> fry was desirous of slMWing him the value of the dogs which his country produced. Bringing his dog into the king's pre9eoce> he ordered a sta^ to be let loose before him, which the dog despised as an unworthy enemy, remained quite regardless of the animal, aad never once stirred from his place. Hit ma^e? then ordered a wild boar to he set out ; but Iheidog thought even this a des- picable foe> and remamed calm and regardless as before. He^ was next tried with a bear j but still despising hi!^ enemy, he only wiiited for an object more worthy of bis couragei and his force. Al last they brought forth a ti'emendous lion^ and then the dog aoknowledgeii his antagonist, and prepared for combat. He instantly disco- vered a degree of ungovernable ardour ; and, flying at the lion with fury, seized him by the throat, and totally disabled him from resistance. Upon this, the Indian, who was desirous of sur- prising the king, and knowing the constancy and bravery of his dog, ordered his tail to be cutoff; trhich was easily performed as the bold animal ^&s employed in holding the lion. He next or-^ dered one of his legs to be broken ; whieh, how- ever, did not in the least abate the dog'^s ardour, but he still kept his hold as before. Another leg was then broken ; but the dog, as if he had suf* fered no pain, only pressed the lion still the more, in this cruel manner, all his legs were cut off, without abating his courage ; and at last, when even his head was separated from his body, the jaws seemed to keep their former hold. A sight so cruel did not fail to affect the king with very itron^^ emotions, at once pitying the dog's fat*/ and admiring his fortitude. Upon which lh« Indian, seeing him thus moved, presented him ivith four dogs of the same kind^ which, in some DOG; 225 more* «t off> when ly,the sight h very fatey h tli« hiflfi some measure, alleviated bis unetsiness for the Ion of the former. '" "'■ - 'i.>j."?«»:.^w -vAi^.^iK " The breed of dogi lidwcv€ir, in that country, is at present very much inferior to what this storj seems to implj ; since in many places, instead of dogs, they have animals of the cat kind for hunt- ing. In other places, also, this admirable and faithful animal, instead of being applied to his natural uses, is only kept to be eaten. All over China, there are dog-butchers^ and shambles ap- pointed for selling their flesh. In Canton, par- ticularly, there is a street appointed for that pur- pose ; and, what is very extraordinary, wherever a dog butcher appears, all the dogs of the place are sure to be in full cry after him ; they know their enemy, and persecute him as f#r as they u% able/ • jti y:^ lisfe' i i ..-, . ,s,' u-ui^t Along the coasts of Guinea, their flesh it esteemed a delicacy by the negroes, and they will give one of their cows for a dog. But, among this barbarous and brutal people, scarce any thing that has life comes amiss ; and they may well take up with a dog, since they consider toads, lizards, and even the flesh of the tiger it- self, as a dainty. It may, perhaps, happen that the flesh of this animal, which is so indifferent in the temperate climates, may assume a better qua- lity in those which ai^ more warm ; but it is more than probable that the diversity is rather in man than in the flesh of the dog ; since in the Cold countries the flesh is eaten with equal appe- tite ^v the savages ; ard they have their dog- feasts in the sam* manner as we bf«ve ours wt Tsnison, The cafe of the dog in directing the stepu of the bliiHl> is highly deserving of notice Mr, Itay^ in his Synopsis cf Quadrupeds, informs us of a blind beggar who was thus led through tht ■•:'^i V'^^ VOL. I. S 'jAjk'ijt. ■ i.^--^ .o^ V ^ "\ fse DOO. s . H streets of Rome by a middle sized dog. Thii dog, beiiidej* ieading his master in such a manner as io protect him horn aU danger, learned to dis* tinguish b«?lij the street ^ and houses where he was 'accustoraed to recf'ye ill '^tM'ice or thrice a week, "^'i'henever the ammal trsuie to any one of these strct^ts, TfjLh which lie was well acquainted, he .would not leave it till a call had been made at every, house where hi** ini'^te/ was usually success- i\i\ ill his petitions. When the beggar, began to a?k^a\in8^ the do-?!' lay down to rest ; but the man was lao sot'jier h?-*'ved or refused, than the dog •rose spontautously, and without either order or «igR, proceeded to the other houses, whc,<; the beggar generally received some gratuity. " I ob- served/' says he, '^ not without pleasure and sur- prize, that when a halfpenny was thrown from a "window, such was the sagacity and attention of this dog, that he went about in quest of it, took it from the gro.und with his mouth, and put it into the blind man's hat. Even when bread was ^thrown down, the animal would not taste it, unless he received it from the hand of his master." > .Dogs can be taught io go to market with money, |o repair to a known shop, and carry home pro- visions in safety. Some years since, the person who lives at the turnpike house about a mile from Stratford on Avon, had trained a dog to go to the •town for any small articles of grocery, &c. that he ."Wanted. A note,'me:itioning the things, was tied jound the dog's neck, and in the same manner the articles were fastened ; and in these errands the commodities were always brought nn.fe to his master A g ' :rin Edinburgh had a dog, - liich, for some time, 5sed and astonished the people in the i'fSif:' ' iiurhood. A man who went through the .i rinffiiiff a bell and seUiiiC penny pits, hap- ■ IPVM Doo." |K8f pened one day to treat this dog~with~a pic. The next time he heard the pieman's bell^ he ran to him with impetuositj, seized him by the coat, and would not suffer him to pass. The pieman, who understood what the animal wanted, shewed him a penny, and pointec^ to his master, who stood at the street-door and saw what was going^on. The dog immediately supplicated his master by many hum-^ ble gestures and looks. The master put a penny into the dog's mouth, which he instantly delivered tothe pieman, and received his pie. This' traffie between the pieman and the grocer's dog continued to be daily practised for many months. . ,'>ij;;,t -■, f\ At a convent in France, twenty paupers wer« lerved with a dinner at a certain hour every day. A dog, belonging to the convent, did not fail to b« present at this regale, to receive the odds and ends which were now and then thrown down to him, . The guests, however, were poor and hungry, and of course not very wasteful, so that their pensioner did little more than scent the feast, of which he would fain have partaken. The portions werf served by a person^ at the ringing of a bell, and delivered out by means of what, in religious houses, is called a tour ; which is a machine like the sec- tion of a cask, and, by turning round upon a pivot, exhibits whatever, is placed on the concave side, without discovering the person who moves it. One day this dog, who had only received a few scraps, waited till the paupers were all gone, took the rope in his mouth, and rang the bell. His stratagem succeeded. He repeated it the next day with the same good fortune. At length the cook,' finding th^^ twenty-one portions were given out instead of twenty, was determined tp discover the trick, in doing which he had no gr^at difficulty ; for lying perdu, and noticing the paupers as they ' «^!ue, in grest f eguiariiy, lOr their di^ereut ppfr €3 t)8 »oii. tions, and thut there wag no intruder except the (dog, he began to suspect the real truth which he was confirmed in when he law him wait with great deliberation till the visitors were all gtuie, and then pull the bell. The matter was related to the com- munity ; and to reward him fqr his ingenuity, he was permitted to ring the bell every day for hit dinner^ when a mess of broken victuals was pur- posely served out io him. In the year 176(), the following incident illus. trative of the sagacity of the dog, occurred near Hammersmith : while a man of the name of Richardson, a waterman of that place, was sleep- ing in his boat, the vessel broke her mooring, and was carried by the tide under a West-country bftrge. Fortunately for the man his dog hap* pened to be with him ; and the "igacious animal awakened him by pawing his face, and pulling the collar of his coat, at the instant the boat was filling with water ; he seized the opportunity, Itnd thus saved himself from otherwise inevitable death. •';'----»^f*!''; >«'.-^ • ..iTX«ep^..^. r>,'^'^: i..i.^n iam*' In the year 1781, a person went to a house in Deptford to take lodgings, uudcr pretence that he had^just arrived from the West Indies ; and after liaving agreed on the terms, laid he should send his trunk that night, and come himself the neit day. About nine o'clock in the evening, the trunk was brought by two porters, and was carried into his bed-room. Just as the family were going te bed, their little house-dog, deserting his usual sta- tion in the shop^ placed himself close to the cham- ber-door where the chest was deposited, and kept up an incessant barkine. The moment the chamr ber-dopr was opened the dog flew io the chest, against which it scratched and barked wi^h redou- bled fury. They attempted to get the . . Jut of ♦he room, bnt in vain. Calling in »om:i ueigh- «, ' ■ Boa. 221) bours^ and making them eye-witnesaei of the cir- cumstanre^ they began to moTe the trunk about ; when they quickly discoyered that it contained Bomething that was alive. Suspicion becoming tery strong, they were induced to force it open ; when, to weir utter astonishment, they found in it their new lodger, who had been thus conveyed into the house with the intention of robbing it. A dog that had been the favorite of an elderly lady, discovered some time after her death the itrongest emotions on the sight of her picture^ when it was taken down to be cleaned. Before this instant he had never been observed to notice the painting. Here was evidently a case either of passive remembrance^ or of the involuntary re* newal of former impressions. Another dog^ the property of a gentleman that died, was given to a friend in Yorkshire. Several years afterwards, a brother from the West Indies paid a short visit at the house where the dog then was. He was instantly recognized, though an ent'"' "Granger, in consequen''e, most probpbly, of as. ig personal likeness. The dog fawned upon and followed him with great affection to every place where he went. ^tij.yr.i^ui-n'i -■.■?• Mr. C. Hughes, an actor, had a'wig, which generally hung on a peg in one of his rooms. , He one day lent the wig to a brother player^ and some time after called on him. Mr. Hughes had bis dog with him, and the m;»r) '/> opened to have the borrowed wig on his head. !.*».. Hughes stayed a little while with his friend; but, when he left him, the dog remained behind : for some time he stood, locking fiill in the man's face ; then making a sudden spring, lcap to shift for themselTes, till the returnof the severe season renders it necessary to the master's inter^t that they should be taken again into custody, amt brought once more to their state of toil and slavery. When yoking to the sledgd they utter the most dismal howiings ; but,^ when every thine is pre* pared, a kind of cheerful yelping succeeds, which ceases the instant they begin their journey. These animals have been known to perform, in three days atid a half, a journey: of almost two hundred arid sev^D^y miles. And scarcely ar« horses more useful to Europeans, than these dogs •re to the inhabitants of the frozen and cheerless regions of the North. When> during the most Kvere (rtorm^ thfir master cannot see ithe path^ .mt ▼0L= !. u h i*.i)M'i*^'-u ^''■'^' V.' ■ , I ■ I fSti even ktep'hk tyti f^pm, ^aey very seldom mui Ibeir way ; "wlieneter ihvr do this^ they go fl-oa one tide io the other^ till^ by their smelL uiey i e^ gftin it ; and when in the midst of a lo|^ journey as it often happens^ it is found absolutely icipoi* Bible to triivel any fartber> the dogst^ ^yi"ft 'oaiul their master^ will keep him warm^ and defend him from all dknger. They also foretel an i^. pfoachinff storm^ by stopping and scraping tht snow wit n their f^t '; in which case it is alwayi ad viseable^, without delay^ to look out for some viU iatfe, or other place of safety. IHngoi 6r New South Wales dog/ is an animal of uncommon strength and fierceness. The esn are short and erect ; the tail js bushy ; the hair, which is of a reddish dun> is long/ thick^ and itraight. He is capable of bkrkingy but not so readily aS European dogs. Such as have been brought over are savage and untractable. 1 The Newfoundland dogs were originally brought from the country of which they bear the name; where their great strength and docility render them extremely useful to the settlers, who employ them in bringing down wood, on sledges, froiii iht interior parts of the country to the 8ea-*coast. ^heyhaVe great strength, and are able to drav^ very considerable weights. Pour of them yoked to a sledge will trail three hundred weight oi wood with apparent ease, for several miles. Their doci)ity is as materia) to their bwnef s as iMt strength ; for thw frequently perform these ser- vices without a driver. As soon ag ^My are re- lieved of their load at the piroper |)lilce, they re- turn in the same order to the wo^rds '&om wherit^ they vrere dispatched; wlieflfe their labours ai« commonly rewarded with a meal of dtiedl fish. -^ They are web-footed ; and eaii swiAi extrertiely fMt^ a^ witti j^reat «ase. Their extraordloaiy 1100; iagncitjftBA aitacbment to their autetr^ reail« tfaem, in particular situatioti«> highly vaAubble. - lathe summer of 1793^ a g^leman went to Portsmouth for the benefit of sea-bathing. He -was conducted in one of the machine* intoth^ water ; but being uuacquantei with the ftteejpbess of the shore, and no swimmer^ he found' himself the instant he quitted the nlttchtne^ nearly out of his depth. The state of alarm into which he Wat thrown^ increased hii danger ; aiid> uiinoti9ed bj the person who attended tie machine^ he would unavoidably have been drowned^ had not ti krgt Newfoundland dog^ which by accident wiustana*- ing on the shore and olMierved hid distresn^ plungevl ia to his assistance. The dog seized him by thS hftir, and conducted him safely to the shore ;. bul it was sometime before he recovered. The geiK tleman afterwards purchased the dog Ht a high price^ and*preserved him as a treasure of equal va* lue with his whole fortune. '^ ■ ' 6 * ^'^■■^^ During a severe stoTm itt the Winter af 1789; 4 belonging to Newcastle was lost Dear Ynf- mouth ; and a NewfoUlidUnd dog alone escape^ to shere^ bringing in his mouth the cAptaitfii peeket-book. He landed amidst a number of people, several of whom in tun attempted to Uht from him his prifee. The sagacious animbl^ a^ if iensibleof the iitiporlnnee of the charge, which^ ittall prebability wtts ddivered to him by his pt*- Miiig master^ ttt length letupt fkwmi^ly agairiil tht bi^Mt of a man, who had attratted hi^itdtici^ iMoAgtheierowd^ and delivered the book't^ him. The dog immediately returned to tbe pkte %h^ le had landed ; and watched with great iiitllDltipii for all the things that eame from the wrecked yet<^ ^1; setting them^ and endeavoiirliig to britigth^ tdlaad. ■' ' ^^ ' ' - ,ii'j ,..:•;.. k^t, ..•/->> A |;eiftlemi^ii> Wdtiiig b^the>ideof the iit# /; J 900'. Tyne, obwrved, on the opp,08ite side, that a child had fallen into the water : he pointed out the ob- ject to his dog, which immediately jumped in, •warn, over, and^ catching hold of the child with his mouth, landed it safely on the shore. The following anecdote, amoiTg the immense numbers that have been recorded, affords a proof of the wonderful spirit of the hound, in support- ing a continuance of e]i^crtion : '*^ Many years since, a ^'firy large stag was turn- ed, out of Whinfield park, in the county of West- moreland; and was pursued by the hounds, till, hy fatigue or accident, the whole pack was thro^vn out, except two etaunch and favourite do^j, which continued the chace the greatest part of m clay. The stag returned to the park from whenca he set out ; and, as his last effort, leapt the wall, and immediately expired. One c^ the hounds pur- sued him to the wall ; but bemg unable to get over, lay down^ and almost immediately expired: the other was also found dead at a little distance. The leng^th of the cl)a.ce is uncertain ; but, ag they were seen at Red-iiLirkc, near Annan^ in Scot- lanq, distant^ by thn post road, about forty-six miles, it is cpnjectured that the circuitous and un- even course they mij^rht be supposed to take, would liot be less than one hundred and twenty miles. " To commemorate this fact, the horns of the $Ug, which were the largest ever seen in that part fff the country, w^re placed on a tree of enormoui jl/e in the park, afterwards called hartT-born tree. The horns ha-ve been since r^moyed ; and arc jK)w at Julian's bower, in the ^ajne county. A perspn of quelHy, (say# Mr* Boyle,) tp make trUl whether a voiing bloo4-^houn(l was well in- structed, caused one of his servants to walk to a town four miles off, and then- to a market-town three miles from thence. The dog, , without seeing D06. 237 the" nan lie was to pursue, followed him by the sceiit^ to the above-mentioned places, notwithstand- ing the multitude of market-people that went along the same road^ and of travellers that had occasion io cross it ; and when the blood-hound came to the chief market-town, he passed through the streets, without taking notice of any of the people there ; and ceased not till he had gone to the house where the man he sought rested himself, and where he found him in an upper room, to the wonder of those who had accompanied him in this pursuit. A most extraordniary instance of memory in a mastiiF is related by M, D'Obsonville. This dog, which he had brought up in India from two months old, accompanied himself and a friend from Pondicherry to Benglour, a distance of more than three hundred leagues. " Our journey (he conti- nues) occupied nearly three weeks ; and we had to traverse plains ana mountains, and to ford rivers^ and go along several bye-paths. The animal^ which had certainly never been in that country before, lost us at Benglour, and immediately re- turned to Pondiclierry. He went directly to the house of M. Beylier, then commandant of artille- ry, my friend, and with whom I had generally lived. Now the difficulty is, not so much to know how the dog siibsisted on the road, for he was very stroiig and able to procure himself ibod ; but how he should so well have found his way, after an interval of more than a month ! This was an effort of raemor} greatly superior to that which the human race is capable of exerting. . /?' ■ Stow relates an instance of a contest between three mastiffs and r lion, in the presence of king James the first. One of the dags, being put into the den, was soon disabled by the lion ; which took him by the head and aeck^ and dragged him tss Bod. about/ Another do^ was then let loose ; and wai served in the same manner. But the thirds being put in^ immediately seized the lion by the lip, and field him for a considerable time ; till^ being se* verely torn by his claws, the dog was obliged to quit his hold. The lion, greatly exhausted by th« conflict, refused to renew the engagement ; but, taking a sudden leap over the dbgs, fled into tli« interior part of his den. Two of the dogs boob died of their wounds ; the last survived,, and was taken great care of by the king's sop ; who said* " He that had fought with the king of beasts^ should never after fight with any inferior creature. , This animal, conscious of his superior strength, has been kao'wn to chastise, with great dignity, the impertinence of an inferior. A large dog of this kind, belonging to the late M. Uidley, esq. of Heaton, near Newcastle, being frequently mo« lested by a mongrel, and teazed by its continuft) barking, at last took it up idThis mouth by the |l)ack, and With great composure dropped it ov^ the quay into the river, without doing any farther injury to an enemy so contemptible. f>> Some years ago, at a bull^baiting in the NorfJi of England, when that barbarous custom was mor< j^valent tha^ it is -ai present, a young man, coo- Udent of the courage of his dog, laid some trifling wagers that he would, at separate times, even cut dff all the animal's feet ; and that, after every succes- sive amputation, he would attack the bull. The cruel and unmanly experiment was tried ; and the dog continued to seize the bull with the same eagert s as before. ne ! An anecdote related by Mr. Hope, and well au- thenticated by other persons, shews also that thji animal is both capable of resentment when injured, And of great contrivance to accomplish it. Agea* ticuian of Whitmcre in Stafibrdshire, used tdi co^ tiri<«a genera] accornp littbte towo, h hn Ian( a they lie to passcnj was so for be built, every strei during sic canriiS to DOS. ^$» t^i«ca-year to lown * and being fond of exercise^ geiieratly performed the jotifne^ on horsebackt^ accompanied moft part of the way by a faithful little terrier dog, which/ lest he might loie it in town, he always loft to the care of Mrs. Langford^ hh landlady, at St. Alban^s ; and on his return he was sure to find his little companion well taken care of. The gentleman calling one time, as usual^ fpr his dog, Mrs. Langford appeared before hiqi with a woeful countenance : — ' Alas ! sir, youriter- rier is lost ! Our great house-dog and he had a qyarrel : and the poor terrier was so worried and bit before we could part them, that I thought he could never have got the better of it. He however crawled out of the yard, and no one saw hm for almost a week. He then returned, and brought with him another dog, bigger by far than ours ; and they both together fell on our great dog, and bit him so unniercifuHy, that ht Has scarcely since been able to go about the yard* pr to eat his meat. Your dog and his companion then disappeared^ and have never sinee been seen at St. Alfoan's/ The gentleman heard the story with patience, and endeavoured to recc^eilehim'- s^lf to the loss. On his arrival at Whitmore, he found his little terrier ; and on inquiring into circumstances, was informed that he had been at Whitmore, and had coaxed away the great dog^; who it seems had, in consequence, folToweu him to St. Alban's, and completely avenged his injury. In Japan the dogs are amaaingly numerous; they lie about the streets, and are veiy troublesome to passengers. In Kaempfer's time, the emperor was so fond of these animals, as to cause huts tm be built, and food to be provided for them, in every street ; the utmost care was taken of them during sickness, and when they died, they werfe • carritd to the usuftl buryissg placet on th« topi fl^ li ,1 t40 DOS. •roouotalnt. This attention to the speeiei aroie merely from^the superstitious whim of one of the Hie emperors^ who happened to foe born under the sign of the dog> one of the Japanese constellatioos. A poor fellow, that had lost his do^ bj death, •weatii^ under his load in cUmbing the mountain of intermentj was overheard by his Heighbour, cursings at a dreadful rate, the edict. *' Friend, (said his neighbour^) you have reason to thank the gods that the emperor was not born under the orse ; for that would have then been your load !" If these animals happen to do any injury^ none but the public executioner dare presume to puuish thcfm ; hmI it is even necessary for him to receive 8 direct order for the purpose, from some of the pfovernors. It is singular that the race of Ensropean dogi shew as great an antipathy to the American species, as they do to the wolf. They never meet with them ;without exhibiting every possible sign of dislike: they will fall on and worry them ; while the wolfish breed, with every mark of timidity, puts its tail between its legs, and runs from their rage. This aversion to tlie wolf is natural to all genuine dogs; for it is well known that a whelp, that has. never seen a wolf, will at first sight tremble and run to its master for protection ; an old dog will naturalljf attack it. : It is recorded of a dog belonging to a nobleman of the Medici family, that it always attended at its master's table ; changed the plates for him ; and carried him his wine in a giass placed on a salver, without'spilling tiie smallest drop. It would also hold the stirrup in its teeth, while its master was mounting his horse. ; . Plutarch relates, that, in the theatre of Marcel- lua, a dog wa^ exhibited before the emperor Ves- p&sian^ so well instructed as to excel in cver^ kind bbd. M 6f dance. He afterwards fi^igtied illness in So nh^ tural a manner, as to strike the spectators with ai- tonishment ; first shewing symptoms of pain ; then falling down as if dead, and suffering himself t« be carried about in that state ; and afterwards, at the proper time, seeming to revive as if Waking frofn t profound sleep ; and then Sporting about and ihewing every demonstration of joy. But of all the educational attaibtnentis by which fhe dog has been distinguishedi that of learning 16 Ipeak seems the most extraordinary. The French ftcademicians, however, make mention of a dog ifl Germany, ^hich*would call, in an intelligible matH* ner, for tea, coffee, chocolate, &c. The ac^ouftt iifrom no less eminent a person than the cdlebTft^ ted Leibnitz, who cbmmunicatcd it to the Rdyill Academy of France. This dog was of a middling size, and was the property of a peasant iti Saxoti)^. A little boy^ the peasant's son, imagined that at perceived in the dog's voice an itidistitict Fi-^sein- blatice to certain Words, atid ther^fbre to6k it Itltl) his head to teach hini to ^peak. For thid ^iitfoi^ he spared neither time rior paitil With his pti|)ir« who was about three years old when thii h\k learned education Commenced ; and at length ht inade such a progress in language, as to be aiile to articulate so many as thirty Words. It fllppearK^ however, that he Was soifttrwhat of a truani, ftiifl did not very willingly exert his talehts, beings in a manner pressed into the service of litei'atUfe ; and it was necessary that the words should he first pronounced to him each time, which hetb^n fcchoed from his preceptor. Leibnitz j however, declares that he himself heard him speak ; and the Fi*cttch icademicians add^ that unless thfey had received the testimony of so great a man as Leibnitz, they thould scarcely have dared to report the ciream- VOL. 1. I I t4/i DOO. itance. This wonderful dog wag born at ZeitzM Misnia, in Saxony. A little dog^ if advices from Sweden may be cr dited, was some years ago exhibited at Stockholm, which had been taught to speak many words, and to utter even complete sentences, in French and Swedish. Vive le Roi he uttered very gracefully. The dog, when first whelped, is not a com- pletely finished animal. In this kind, as in all the rest which bring forth many at a time, the yount aire not so perfect as in those which bring fortH one or two. They are always produced with the eyes closed, the lids being held together, not bj sticking, but by a kind of thin> membrane, which is torn as soon as the upper eye- lid becomes strong .(enough to raise it from the under. In genera), fheir eyes are not opened till ten or twelve dajrg old. During that time, the bones of the skull are not completed, the body is puffed up^ the nose is •I;ort^ and the whole form but ill-sketched out. In less than a month, the puppy begins to use all its senses ; and from thence makes hasty advances to its perfection. At the fourth month, the dog loses some of his teeth, as in other ani' inals, and these are renewed by such as never fall. The number of these amount to forty-two, which is twelve more than is found in any of the cat kind, which are known never to have above thirty. The teeth of the dog, being his great and only weapon, are formed in a manner much more ser< ▼iceable than those of the former ; and there ii scarce any quadruped that has a greater facility in rending, cutting, or chewing its food. He cuti with his incisors, or fore teeth, he holds with hii four great canine teeth, and he chews his meat with his grinders ; these are fourteen in numbeii and so placed, that, when ^the jaws uve. shut, thejre i reman by op< thepo cat ki DOO. ' 943 remains a distance between them, so that the dog, by opening his mouth ever so wide, does not lose the power of bis jaws. But it is otherwise in the cat kind^ whose incisors, or cutting teeth, are yery small, and whose grinding teeth when brought together, touch more closely than those of the dog, and, consequently., have less power. Thus, for instance, we can squeeze any thing more forcibly between our thumb and fore finger, where the dfstancb' all. plater, than between any other iyfo fingers^ whose distance from each other is leis. <*»> ^^^f* ;■'■... .;;*Vi» (|u-. ,^'. . This animal is capable of reproducing at the ige of twelve months, goes nine weeks with young, and lives to about the age of twelve years. Few quadrupeds are less delicate in their food ; and yet toere are many kinds of birds which the dog will not venture to touch. He is even known, although in a savage state, to abstain from injuring some which one might suppose he had every reason to oppose. The dogs and the vultures which live Wld about Grand Cairo in Egypt (for the Maho^ metan law has expelled this useful animal front human k^ciety,) continue together in a very so* ciabie an^^ ^-iendly manner. Although the dog is a voracious animal, yet ha can bear hunger for a very long time. We have an instance, in the Memoirs oif the Academy of Sciences, of this kind, in which a bitch that had been forgotten at a country house, lived forty days without any other nourishment than the wool of a quilt .'hich she nad torn in pieces. It should seem that water is more necessary to the dog than food ; he drinks often, though not abundantly ; and it is cou.:aonly believed, that when abridged in water, h£ runs mad. This dreadful malady^ the consequences of which are so well known, is the greatest inconvenienoe that results from the kpc||«. 944 'VrOL«»- ing thii faithful domestic. But it ii a disorder by no means so frequent as the terrors of tliQ timor vrould suppose ; the dog bus been often accused of madness without a fair trial ; aud souiti pnrsoos have been supposed to receive tlieir 4«aths from his bite, when either their own ilU ground^. d fearsj or their natural di^ordera ^cre the &UC c^uie. ..„ ;. i'/rui VfOLF.OAMfTfZtPn^jr Thb dog and the wolf are so very much alike internally^ that the most expert anatomists can flcarcelv perceive ^he difference ; and it is even asserted, that, externallyj some dogs more nearly resemble the wolf than they do each other. It was this strong similitude that iirst led some tsn tUi'alists to consider them as the same animal, and to look upon the wolf as the dog in its state ol savage freedom ; however, this opinion dues not seem to be well founded ; the natural antipaUqi those two animals bear to each other« the lengei iiaas which the wolf goes with young than tka 4og, the one going over an hundred days, andtba other not quite sixty, the longer period of life ui C^lbrmer than the latter, the wolf living twentj yeara, the dog not fifteen, all sufficiently point o«t a diatinctioD, and draw a line that must for 49Tec keep them asunder. The lyolf, from the tip of the noseto the in-' aartion of the tail, is about three feet seven inches long, and about two feet five inches high, which ^ows him to be larger than our great breed of inastifiia, which are seldom found to be above three feet by two. His colour is amiijrtureof hlack> brown, and grey, extremely rough and hard, but mixed towards the roots with a kind ol l^^coloured fiir* In comparing him to any of m»'Atii 4' of tha 3Q often ve tlieir [Xwn ill- M'i' 5ar ;h alike lists can is even re nearijT lier. It ome nan nal, Had stato of duel not ntip«tl^ > loQgei han tki andtba life ill twentj f poiot ust for the in- inches which ireed of ^bove Iture of rb ftnd lind oi loDj oil SM>M'Bfn:iu)? ^iDixr. ^VOILF IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /> .<^'.4' 4 C ^° ^^ <^s 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.2 AO 12.0 1.4 1.8 1.6 . ^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 mi He to 'i^'TSI^- ■-.! f, WP?,F< ^5 rn^f^ ffKfy)»WP^;e l?9r W8t*n th^ d^g^; fpd tbo lengih of tM )i^f cootrtbiit^ ilji)] mto^f to hif mhnei appearynoe. Thq ff^at^yrar vhiost vebe^ meotj and wb^e m^ws of R«ti«fyiMg this appch tiie are tbe in0«t varipufi. Nature bai fur^uhod ym \¥itb ^trengtbj cnivaing, agility^ a4i wh^o the few wild animals tb bft. fpvnd >^e|!($ espapp him^ either by their asiniftBesK pr4bpir^;«irt,; or are guppUedin top smaU a pr«po]Ct«M> tP* a^lM^y his rapacity.. He is natu-n rally dullnAdcpwardly; but frequently disap^ po'itedv^nd,; !£» G^ten reduced tp the verge of famine, bebcciiimes ipgemous from want, and cpu-* ra|pui j|is«^ IW^essjty, Wben ^Xfi^m^ wM^Ju^ H'^^ V, -* 046 WOLf. I ger^ he braves danger, and comei to attack tboM animals which are under the protection of maoj particularly such as he can readily cariy awaj^ lambs, sheAD, or even dogs themselves, for all animal fooa becomes then equally arreeable, When this excursion has succeed(ed, he often returns to the charge, until having been wounded, or hard pressed by the dogpi or the shepherds, he hides himself by day in the thickest covets and only ventures out at night ; he then sallies forth over the -country, keeps peering round the villages^ carries off such animals as are not under protec- tion, attacks the sheep-folds, scratches up and undermines the thresholds of doors where they are housed, enters furious, and destroys all before he begins to fix upon and carry off his prey. When these sallies do not succeed, he then returni to the thickest part of the forest, content to pur- sue those smaller animals, which> even when taken, afford him but a scanty supply. He there goes regularly to work, follows by the scent, opens to the view, still keeps following, ' hopeless himself of overtaking the prey, but expecting that some other wolf will come in to his assistance, and ih content to share the spoil. At last, when Li necessities are very urgent, he boldly faces certain destruction ; he attacks women and children, and sometimes ventures even toi^ll upon men, becomei furious by his continual agitations, aad ^nds hii life in madness. :,mi>%, »i. .m.,v«', vw ,'..■.. .„. «» The wolf, as well externally as internally, le nearly resembles the dog, that he seems modelled upon the same plan ; and yet he only offers the reverse of the model. If his form be like, his na^ ture is so different, that he only preserves the ill Dualities of the dog, without any of his good ones, ndeed, they are so different in their dispositions, that QO tWQ animals can have a more perfect ant^-. ■•■nn'\'«;-r''T'-','?7^ r ■"iflS" woir. 847 patbyto each other. A joung dog shudders at the sight of a wolf ; ^ he even shuns his scent, which, thoueh unknown, is so repugnant to hie nature, that he comes trembling to take protection near his master. A dog who is stronger, and who knows his strength, bristles up at the sight, testifies his animosity, attacks him with courage, endeavours to put him to flight, and does all in his power to rid himself of a presence that is hateful to him. They never meet without either flying or fighting; fighting for life and death, and without mercy on either side. If the wolf is the itronger, he tears and devours his prey ; the dog, on the contrary, is more generous, and contents himself with his victory ; he does not seem to think that the body of a dead enemy smelh well ; he leaves him where he falls, to serve as food for birds of prey, or for other wolves, since they devour each other ; and when one wolf happens to be desperately wounded, the rest track him by hit blood, and are sure to show him no nercy. ,' The dog, even in his savage state, is not cruel ; he is easily tamed, and continues firmly attached to his master. The wolf, when taken young, Womefi tame, but never has an attachment ; na^ tUK is stronger in him than education ; he resumes^ with age, his natural dispositions, and returns, as toon as he can, to the woods from whence he was taken. Dogs, even the dullest kinds, seek the company of other animals ; they are naturally disposed to follow and accompany other creatures besides themselves ; and even by instinct, without ai^ education, take to the care of flocks and herds. The wolf, on the contrary, is the enemy of all society : he docs not even keep much company with those of his kind. When they arc seen in packs together, it is not to be considered as a peaceful society, but a combination for war ; they i4B i^dlf. testify thcif h6ii[U ihtentfons by thei't Idutf hloiifU ings, ahd, !>/ thelt fiei'Ceness, dis<^oV^r k jproject for attacking sonle gVeat aniitial^ svith fts a stag or a bull, or to destroy some more r6doubtable -^atcb-doe. The instant their military feipedition is complefed, tlleir sdciety is at ad end ; iney theft part, and eaich returns iu silence id lA^ Solitary retreat. There is not even any strong attaohttMklti between the male and female ; they seek eitc\ ^ther only otice ti year, and remain but' a fevt dayi together ; ihey always couple in winter ; ai which time several males are seeii following one female, and this association is Still ^ore bloody than th^ former j they dispute most cruelly, grdi^l, barl, fight, and tear each other ; ihfl it sohietimes hap- pens, that the majority kill the woll^, Wbich has ten chiefly preferred by the fcWikfb. It is usual for the she-wolf to fly from them kll tHfb him she has chosen ; atid watches this op^oi^uhity when the rest ate asleep. The time of pregnancy is ibotit iftrefe' thbntiis imd a half; and the young w'olve^ aife found ftom the latter end of April, to the begirtning df July. When the she- wolves sre ttear tbeir tiitie t6 bring forth, they seek sdriie \4ty tiiftdd sfidt, k the thickest patt of the forests; in the middle of this they make a ^tiidll tmeniiigi tikiiht aWAjf Ihe thorns and briaiis withth^ir tectHf, itiid after- wards carry thitber k gtcat ^utftatWy oi mni, %hich they form into i bed for th^lr i^viti^ on^* They generally bring fdrth fite tW' srit, an^ rfome- timcs even to nine at a Wtte*-. The fcitbi at« brought forth, like those of the bitctt; i^h the feyes closed ; the iani suckles therti for sfOftie ^^i, and teaches them betimes to eat fleish/ Whi^h ih* prepares for thfem, by chewing it first hetsfelf. Some time after slie brings them strtynj^r food, hares, partridges, and bir£ yet alite* TticydwBg WOLF. 849 wolves begin by playing with them, and end by killing tbem. The dam then stripg them of their fiestberB^ tears them in pieces, and gives to each of them a share. They do not leave the den where they have been littered, till thev ere six weeks, or two months old. They then follow the old one, who leads them to drink to the trunk of lome old tree, where the water has settled, or at aotne pool in the neighbourhood. If she ap- prehends any danger, she instantly conceals them io^the first convenient place, or brings them back to their former retreat. In this manner they follow her fur some months ; when they are at- tacked, she defends them with all her strength, and more than usual ferocity. Although, at other times, more timorous than the male, at that season she becomes bold and fearless ; willing perhaps to tei^ch the young ones future courage by her own example. It is not till they are about teo or twelve mionths old, and until they have shed tbeir first teeth, and completed the new, that she ^hioks them in a capacitj^^to shift for themselves. Then, when they have acquired arms from nature, and have learned industry and courage from her example, she declines all future care of them^ being again engaged in bringing up a new pro- «eny. The wolf grows grey as he grows old, and hii teeth wear like those of most other %nimais, by using. . He sleeps when his belly is full, or when he is fatigued, rather by day than night ; and always, like the dog, is very easily waked. He drinks frequently ; and in tiroes of drought, when th&fo is no water to be found in the trunks of old trees, or in the pools about the forest, he comes often, in 'the day, down to the brooks, or the lakes in the plain. Although very voracious, he supports hunger for a long time, and often lives Vol I. K. k k m M €50 WOLF. four or five days without foodj provided he be tup- plied with water. The wolf ha» great strength, particularly in hii fore parts, ia the muscles of his neck and jaws. He carries off a sheep in his mouth without letting it touch the ground, and runs with it much swifter than the shepherds who pursue him ; so thtt nothing but the dogs can overtake, and oblige hin to quit his prev. He bites cruelly, and alwayi with greater vehemence in proportion as he is least resisted ; for he uses precautions with «uch ani- Inals as attempt to stand upon the defensive. He is ever cowardly, and never fights but when under ft necessity of satisfying hunger, or making good bis retreat. When he is wounded by a bullet, lie is heard to cry out ; and yet, when surrounded by the peasants, and attacked with clubs, he never bowls as the dog under correction, but defends iiimself in silence, and dies as hard as he lived. His nature is, in fact, more savage than that of the dog^ ; he has less sensibility and greater itrength. He travels, xuns, and keeps plundering for whole days and nights together. He is in a manner indefatigable ; and perhaps of all animali, lie is most difficult to be hunted down. The dog is good natured and courageous ; the wolf, thoun savage, is ever fearful. If he happens to oe caught jn a pit-fal, he is for some time so fright- ened ana astonished, that he may be killed with- out offering to resist, or taken alive without much danger. At that instant^ one may clap a collar round his neck, muzile him, and drag him along, without his evfer giving the least signs of anger or resentment. . At all other times he has his senses in great perfection ; his eye, his ear, and particularly his sense of smelling, which is €vcn superior to the two former. He smells a carcase at more than Uleagiie't distance; heals« WOtf. 35t perceiyes living animals a great waj off, and follows thom a longtime upon the scent. When- ever he leaves the vrood, he always takes care to go out a^inst the wind. When just come to its extremity^ he stops to examine, bj his smell, on all sides, the emanations that may come either from his enemy or his prey, which he very nicelv distinguiflhes. He prefers those animals which he kills himself to those he finds dead ; and yet be does not disdain these when no better is to be had. He is particularly fond of human flesh; and perhaps, if he was sufficiently powerful, he would eat no other. Wolves have been seen foU lowing armies, aud arriving in numbers upon the field of ba^e, where they devoured such dead bodies as were left upon the field, or but negligently interred. These, when version among tJie great of s<»ne countries ; and it must be confessed it seems to be the most useful of any. These animals ace distingpiushed by the huntsmen into the young wolf, the old wolf, and the ereat wolf. Tiny are known by the printi of their feet ; the older the wolf, the larger the track hie leaves^ That of the female is narrower and longer then that of the male. It is necessarf to have a very good starter to put up the wolf ; and it is even convenient to use every art to encou*- rage him in his pursuit ; for all dogs have a na- tural |>epugnance against this anim^^l, and are but • S52 WOLF. cold in their tndeaTOuri. lYhen the wolf is once Iiut upt it it then proper to have grej-hounds to et fly at him, in leashes^ one after the other. Th« first leash is sent after him in the beginning, se- conded' by a man on horseback ; the second are let loose about half a mile farther, and the third Mullen the rest of the dogs come up with him and begin to bait him. He for r*. long time keeps them off, glands his ground, threatens them on all sides, and often gets away ,* but usually the hunters, arriving, come in aid of the dogs, and help to dispatch him with their cutlasses. * When the.animal is killed, the dogs testify no appetite to enjoy their victory, but leave him where he falls, a frightful spectacle^ and even in death hideous. 'MJ trni i<>.hr'Hi»dVito»jni Jbi9*v3W^wjiiti** t> The wolf is sometimes also hunted with har- riers ; but as he always goes straight forward, and often holds his speeid for a whole day together, this kind of chase is tedious and disagreeable, at least if the harriers are not assisted by grey- bounds, who may harrass him at every viewi Se^ veral other arts have been also used to take and destroy this noxious animal. He is surrounded and wounded by men and larae house-dogs ; he la secured in traps ; he is poisoned by carcases, prepared and placed for that purpose, and ii caught in pit-falls. Gesner tells us of a friar, a woman; and a wolf, being taken in one et these, all in the same night. The woman lost ber senses with the fright, the friar his reputa- tion, and the wolf his life. All these disasters, however, do not prevent this animal's multiplying IS groat numbers, particularly in countries where the woods are plenty. France, Spain, and Italy, are greatly infested with them ; but England, Ireland, and Scotland, are happily set free. K-ing Edgar ii said to be the. first who attempted vroLV. .-A «J3 ling, se- cond are ;he third til him tie keeps them on ally the gs, and ^ When appetite ^here he in death 1o rill this kingdom of such disngrceahle inmates^ by cornmuting the punishment for certain crimes, into the acceptance of a number of wolfi tongues from each criminal. However, some centuries after, these ouimals vrere again increased to such a degree, as to become the object of royal atten- tion; accordingly Edward I. issued out his man- date to one Peter Corbet, to superintend and assist in the destruction of themi The last wolf known io this island was killed in Scotland by the famous sir Ewcn Cameron, in 1680. Thew^ontinued but a few years longer in Ireland : k)r the last that has been heard of running wild in that island was killed in 1710. English records make no mention of their infesting that country later than 1281. The colour of this animal difTers according to the different climates where it is bred, and often changes even in the same country. Besides the common wolves, which are found in France and Germany, there are others with thicker hair, in- clining to yellow. These are more savage and less noxious than the former, neither approaching the flocksipor habitations, and living rather by the chase than rapine. In the northern climates there are found some quite black, and some white all over. The former are larger and stronger than those of any other kinds. The species is very much diffused in every part of the world, being found in Asia^ Africa, and in America, as well as Europe. ,; In the wolf there is nothing valuable but his skin yhich makes a warm and durable fur. His flesh, ii so bad, that it is rejected with abhorrence by all other quadrupeds ; and no anioial but a wolf will voluntarily eat a wolf t .{i , » r^'t . f(*f ?■■ a 854 MEXICAN^ AND BLACK T« OLF. ..rtmhfi»i!0t5> Mexican wolf. ■'»-i''V';'''i»*!~ff'' • This species has a very large head^ ash -coloured^ striped transversely with bending dusky lines ; great jaws, vast teeth ; with very strong bristles on the upper lips, reflected ibackwards, not unlike the softer spines of a porcupine : its colour is grey and white; its ears are large, erects and ash- coloured ; the space between them is marked with broad tawny spots : its neck is fat and thick, covered with a loose skin, marked|^with a long tawny stroke ; ' on the breast is another of the same kind ; the body is ash-coloured, spotted with black ; and the sides are striped, from the back downwards, with the samo colour ; the belly is cinereous ; the tail long, c^ the colour of the belly, tinged in the^ middle with tawny ; the legs and feet are striped with black and ash-<-colour, This is the most beautiful of all wolves, and its skin should be esteemed for its variety of colours. Sometimes it is found white, ll inhabits the hot parts of Mexico or New Spain ; and agrees with the European wolf in its manners, ^t attacks cattle, and sometimes men. No wolves are found - fitrther south on the new continent. - '■ Black WOLF. ^^^^ ''•*' 'f<,y^.M) Tins animal, considered by Buffon and othcri as a variety only of the common wolf, is at pre- sent regarded as a distinct species. Like the common wolf, it is found both in Europe and America, as well as in some parts of Asia. It bean a great general resemblance to the common species, but is smaller, entirely black, with a somewhat thinner, or less bushy tail, hanging nearly straight ; the ears are larger in proportion than those rf the com m 01 at a grc the bia( Europe Iti fur wolf. k T y. HYiENA. 855 lines ; iristlei unlike is grey i ash- ;dyrith thick, a long of the spotted om the tie belly of the the legs '■colour, and its lolours. the hot z% Mvith attacks found 1,., v:.^a others it pre- like the )e anl!( [it bears Igpecies, !cwhat liai^ht ; of the comiron wolf^ and the eyes smaller^ and situated at a great distance from each other. In America, the black wolf is chiefly found in Canada, and in Europe occurs only in the more northern regiona. Its fur ii much mferior to that of the common wolf. Hy JBNA, OR STRIPED HYJIMA. J^ VlfJ^AUK The hyaena is a native of Asiatic Turkey^ Syria^ Persia, and many parts of Africa. It is about the lize of a large dog, of a pale greyish brown, and ffiarked across with several distant blackish bands. The hair of its neck is erect, and is continued in a bristly mane along the back. The tail is rather short, and very busby. The head is broad and flat, and the eyes have an expression of great wildnesi and ferocity. The hyaenas generally inhabit caverns and rocky places ; prowling about in thp night to feed on the remains of dead animals, or on whatever living prey they can seize. They violate the repositorief •f the dead, and greedily devour the putrid corpse. They likewise prey on cattle, and frequently com- mit great devastation among the flocks ; yet, when other provisions fail, they will eat the roots of plants, and the tender shoots of the palms. They sometimes assemble in troops, and follow the march of an army, in order to feast on the slaugh- tered bodies. i v-^ -i; ^. ' '>■ - *' The cry of the hyaena is very peculiar. It be- gios with somewhat like the moaning of the human voioe, and ends like that of a person making a violent effort to vomit. His courage is said to equal his rapacity. He will occasionally defend himself with great obstinacy against much larger animals. Kaempfer relates, that he saw one which had put to flight two lions ; and that he has oftea v 856 f.i* ■ MtXK'^. .'-vv. •■*; ■ known H 'io ttttwik tbe diii^d* *nd the panther. There iftso^Aetbiog iH iti al^ilGt thatUndicates a peculiar |^lo4Nniiics» aiid mallguity^ ^ (tisppsition ; and its nuuniertt correspond with it« ^j^arancc. Instance! liavc occurred of this (Creature being tamed. Mr. Pennant (i&y»f that ha law a h^aeua as tame at a dog ; and the, Comte de j^uffon^ that 'th^i^lMdd iUie sUewDuftt^itarii that liii;tl been tamed very eajriv;, and was apparently divested of all ils natural rorocity. 'In Barbahr^ Mr. Bruce ftMttrcs us that he has seeft^ the Moors, in the day-time^ take this animal by the eats, and haul him along, without his offering any other resistance than that of drawing back. And ''^- ,¥ Mr. Bruce locked up a goat, a kid, and a lamb, all day with a Barbary bynna, when it was fasting> and found them in the evening alive and unhurt ; but on his repeating an experiment of this kind one night, nt ate up a young ass, a goat, and a fox, all before mornii^, so as to leave nothing but some fragments of the ass's bones. In Barbary, therefore, the' hjrmmsseenli to lose their courage, and fly from tnan by dlty ; but in Abyssinia, they often prowl about in the open day, and attack, with savage fury, every animai they meet with.—- " These creatures were" says Mr. Bruco " a gene- ral scourge to Abyssinia, in every situation, both in the city and in the field ; and, I think, surpassed the sheep in number. Goudar was full of them, from evening till the dawn of day ; r'^'^king the different pieces of slaughtered carcases which thii cruel and unclean people expose in^ the strecfH without burial, and who firmly believe that these animals arc Falasha, from the neighbouring moua* .h'' . TIj-4" panther, icates a psition ; earancc. 0- being a hyx;M foDj that m tamed •f allils lay-time, n along, tee than ters will kvc, and, M jargon intl drag d a Iamb, ,s fastings unhurt ; his kind tnd a fos, hing but Barbary, courage, uia, they d attack, t with.— f' a gene- ion, both Burpasscd of them, 5king the hiehthii ic streeH hat these ig mova* H22E3iKA.. l^iBOTTED H225E^A. .I--.' \ ■'.■ ■i-y:unitmski,\ tbl9 tfttns^ transfornTed by' magic, and come A'^^n^id eat hurnan flesh in the dark with safety. Manj a time in the nighty when the king had kept me late in the palace, and it was not my duty to lie there, in going across the square from the kiog!*! bouse, not many hundred x^rds distant,'! ha)|^e been apprehensive lest they should bite me in iht leg. They grunted in great numbers about me> although I was surrounded with several armied men, who seldom passed a night without wOuful«> ing or sliyightering some of them, i \ i-xvt^hih Uijn One night in Maitsha, being very intent ob' sa observation, I heard something pass behind mlt towards the bed ; biit, upon looking rounds could per(:eive nothing. Having finished what I was then about, I went out of my tent, resolving directly to return, which I immediately did ; when 1 perceived two large blue eyes glaring at me in the dark. I called up my servant With '^a light ; and we found a byaena standing near ^the head of the bed, with two or three large biinchlf of caiidlesin his mouth^ To have fired at him; would have been at the risk of breaking my qua* drant, or other furniture ; and he seemed^ by ke€|i«i> ing the^ candles steadily in his niouth, to wish for no other prey at that time. As his mouth wat full, and he had no claws to tear with> I was not tfraid of him ; and, with a pike, stuck him as near the heart as I could. U was not till then that he shewed any sign 'of fierceness ; but, upon 'feeling his wound> he let d op the candles^ and eiidea- vourcd to run up the shaft of the spear to arrive at nie, so that I was obliged to draw my pistol from my girdle, and '•shobt hiftt-; and nearly at the same time, my sorvaint cleft his skull with a battle-axe. In a word, the hyaena veas the plague of our lives, the terror VOL. I. h I f M^CkSy m •FOVTOO |ITiB5A. ike Mfkntiioa of our mules and aiiet, %vliicli« fbev«evttrytbiiigelie> tre kis favourite food." ' At DitrrFAri t kiagdom in the iuterior of AhU M, tke hjieiiM oome in herds of sii« eighty and iffkoi niore> into the vikUges at nighty and carry •ir with them wkatcYer thcf)r are able to master. TbejFwiU kill dogs and asses, even Mfithin the peloMire of the houses; and always assemble ipktreTor a dead camel or other animal is thrown, itkiek» acting in concert, thejr drag to a prodigi- ous distance ; nov arc thejr greatly alannea at the Mghi of meuj or tho report .of fire-arms. Mr. Blown was told> that whenever any one of them ynu wounded, its comptwons would alw^^ys in- Hantlj tear it to pieees and devour it. A ramarkable peoultairity iatki^ aain»l, though lometimes obserfcd in dogn* ih that when he ii irst dislodged Drom eovor^ of obliged to run, he •Iways appears lamo Ibf n copsidf rablt disfonoe ; •nd aiwietimet to iu«h a degree, according to Mr. Bruce, as io induce tho spectators to suppose that one of his hind legs is broken ; but aflsi Zoning some time, this affection goes of, and he escapes swiftly away. The neck is so extremely stiff, that in looking biehind, or in snatching obliqudy at any object, m it obliged to move his. whole body, somewhat it Iho manner of a hog. When the Arabs take asf ii these animals, they are very careful to bury the liead, lest the brain, acoordiog to their supersti* <&on, should be used in sorcery or enchantment. i ^ SfoTTEO VY.BIIA, OR TYCBR WOLF* The spotted hymna baa a considerable resero* klaace to the fttfmer species ; but is larger, and marked with numetoua roundiili black ^ts« 8?0TTBD aVtfXA. 9$0 The face ami iif»p«T part f)f tli« Iteid are blaek i tlid alonf^ the neck extends aa upright Uaeli luftiie. The ground colour oi the bodj a« rediUib hroMru. ' These animals arc tiatiTei of rintn/ parts of Afrt* c^ ; but are lieculiarly nu«erotis at the <>apei^ • where th^ tat described as being cruel, mitchlbt* dus, and formidable. They have been Irtq^wmttlf known to enter the huts of the Hottentots in aenrell of prey, from whence thcj somfetiaoeft oarrf dH eren the children. One of them, ooaiia^ inid • Begro's house, on the coast of Gitinei^ laiA kriDi of a girl, threw her, in spite ^f her reststendSi «]ft kis .back, holding fast bjr one of the legs ; n^ wiM making off wkh her, when tiie mcti, Tii/h&m ker screams bad roused from sleep, eftme to iMt relief. The beast dropped her, and made fail escapit; but tht i^aa coA^derablj Ino^ratM in different parts of her body by his teeth. Numbers of them attetd, almost every delli eighty about the shambles at the Gape^ to caxt^ aWay the fiHh and effal Itft there by the ioiMibi<» tants, who suffer these their acavengers i» cama and return unmolested. The dogs too, with whlch^atsother times. they arc in continual enmity, do not now molest them ; and on these occasions, it has beeft remarked, thejy lire aeldoiA ktMn^n to do a^ Bfiaterial mischiefs Tfaunberg informs uf$ that tliey kte so excessively boid and ravtoous, it sortietimes evea to eat the saddle i^om tinder the Irtvellor's head, and gnaw the shoei oil hii ftxt^ while he is sleeping in the open 4ir. They utter the most horrid Jt41s in the night, while prowling about for pr^y j and their pro*- pensity to these cries is so implanted in them by nature^ that one which wm brou|;ht up tame at the Cape, was often heard in the nigitt to emit tkii drepdiUl noise. Dttriflf tlw di^« tlwf remain j f«) tkCKlL. IconcpalM in Tiolei in the ground, or in clefts of the rocKs ; atid in the night time thev frequently descend upon the sheep-folds, ui which, if not well d«*fehded by dogs, t|iey commit terrible ra- Vages, killing, like most of their genus, niauy more than they devour. Some of the inhabitants of the Cape pretend that the hyaena has the power of imitating the cries of other animals, and that by these ineans it often succeeds in decoying lambs, calves, &c. from the folds. It is also •aid, that a party of hyaenas, half flying and half defending themselves, will decoy the whole of the dogs froni a farm to follow them to some distance, while their companions have an opportunity of coming . from their retreats, and carrying off sufii < cieht' booty before the dogs can return to prevent tfa^m. ' ' ■ r: Thns inhabitants of Guinea kill them' by fixing euns on the outside of the villages, wi^h a pirce of carrion fastened to the trigger, and placed near the muzzle, ifi such a manner, that the moment this bait is touched, the trigger is thereby pulled, and the piece discharged. .- ' . *.5 iK-' The body of the jackal has a great resemblance to that of the fox ; the head, however, is shorter, the nose blunter, ahd the legs longer. The tail ii thickest in the middle, tapers to a point, and is tipped with black. The hair, which is long and coarse, is of a dirty tawny colour, yellowish on the belly; The length of the body is about thirty inches, sind of the tail eleven. ' The* jackal is found in all the hot and tcmpe* rate parts of 'Asia ; and in most parts of Africa, from Bill bary to the Cape, ' , In their manners thede animals are much allied JACKAL. 261 t»r toibcdog. "When iaken young, they soon be- come domestic, att?xh tliemselvci to mankind, wag their tails when pleased, and distinguish their masters from other pt^rsons. They love to be fpiidled, and patted with the hand ; and when cM'ed by name, will leap on a table or. chair. , Tiit^y eat readily from tlie hand ; and drinks as 4og3 do, by lapping. They are fond of playing with dogs ; unlike most others of this genus,. T^hich run away from them. Although carnivo^ rous in a wild state, they eat bread eagerly. . Mr. Pennant and Dr. Shaw seem -of opinion, that tbejf are the stock from which have sprung the various faces of these domestic animals. In their native forests they associate in packs p^- ffom filiy to two hundred ; wh€re they hunt du- ring the night, like hounds in full cry. They de-. vour poultry and lambs, ravage the streets of vil-. l^gcs and gardens near towns, and are said even to, destroy children which are left unprotected. They are bold and courageous ; sometimes entering the' tent of a traveller while he is asleep, and stealing away any thing that is eatable. If animal prey is not to be met with, they will feed on roots and fruit. They not only attack the living but the dead. They scratch up, with their feet, the new made graves, and devour the corpse, how putrid soever.' In those countries, therefore, where they abound, they are cblip^ed to beat the earth over the grave, and inix it with thorns, to prevent the jackals from scraping it away. They always assist each other, as well in this cmployrnent of exuraaton, as in that of the chace. While they are. at this dreary work, they exhort each other by a most mournful cry, resembling that of children under chastisement : and when they have thus dug up the body, they siiarc it amicably between them. S62 JAC&AL. ThMe, like all othef sarage animals, ^vhcnthcj have oncfe tasted of human flesh, can never after re^ fVain ftom piirsumg mankind. Tlicy tratch the btirfing; grounds, lollovv armies, and keep in the rear of caravans. They may be consiaereA ai the vulture of the quadruped kind ; every thing tliat oncef had animal life, seems equally aglreeablo to them ; the most nutrid substatieei «fe ^ret^ily devoured ; dried leather, and any thing that has been rubbed with gfease, how iniipid soefbr in itself^ is sufficient to make the trholego down. They hide themselves in holes bv day, and seldom appear abroad till tii^t fan, wliett the uckal that has first hit Upon the scent of some iftfge beasts gives notice to the rest bv a hoirl, 'wlijch it repeats as it runs ; while all the rest that are within heiiring, pack in to its aisistance. The gazelle^ or whatever othet beaH it ttaty be, iftndiag itself pursued, makes oif towards the iM^uses and the towns ; hoping, by that means, to ^eter its pursuers from following ; but liungef S'l ves the Jackal the same degree of boldness tnftt ar giyes the gazelle, and it pursues even to the terge of the city, and often along the streets. The gazelle^ however, by this means, most £re« JACSAt. 263 8. )on tlie on, the c siirc- rior to their swiftness, attend to its call, and fol- low in silonoe at some distance behind. The jack* al pursues the whole night with unceasing assi-' duityi keeping up the cry, and with great perseve- rance at lait tires down its prey ; hut just at the moment it supposes itself going to share the fruits of its labour, the Hon or the leopard comes in^ latiates himself upon the spoil, and his poor pro- vider must be content with the bare carcase he leaves behind. . It is not to be wondered at, thereto fore, if the jackal be voracious, since it so sel* dom has a stifiSciency ; nor that it feeds on putrid substances, lince it is not permitted to feast o|i what it ha« newly killed. • Besides these enemieai, tbe jackal has another to cope with, for between kim and the dog there is an irreconcileable antipa- fhv ; and they never part without an engagement. The Indian peasants often chase them as we do foxes j and have learned, by experience;, when thcj kave got a lion or a tiger in their rear. Upoa iuch'oceasions they keep their dogs close, as thc^ would be no match for such formidable animals, and endeavour to put them to flight with their tries. When the lion is dismissed, they more •uily cope with the jackal, who is as stupid as it is impudent, and seems much better fitted tor pur« Miing than retreating. It sometimes happens that toe of them steals silently into an out-house to Mize the poultry, or devour the furniture; but hearing others in full cry at a distance, without thought, it inUantly answers the call, and thus betrays its own depredations. The peasants sally •lit upon it, and the foolish animal finds too late, that its instinct was too powerful foi it» S»fety, 264 BARBART JACKAL. r. I ;,,^ . BaRBARY JACKAL, OR TnALBS, Thb Barbary jackal is about the size of tlie common fox^ and is of a browuiHh faivn eolour. From behind cacb <^ar runs a black line ; wbick soon divides into two^ extending downwards along the neck. The tail is bushy, and surrounded by three dusky rings. , , ^ ^ * » i^rf.-j I'vv ■ This species is found in Egypt ; never in flocki like the common jackal, but always singly U ii a very adroit animal. He ventures to approach, eYcn in the open day^ the houses near which he bas his subterraneous abode ; and carefully coiv- cealed beneath thick bushes, he frequently creeps without noise, surprises the poultry, carries off their eggs, and leaves no traces of his exploits but the devastations themselves. One of his principsl talents consists in the hunting of birds ; ^d in this he exhibits such surprising craft and agility^ that very few arc able to escape hira. His cunning is strongly depicted in the follow- ing narration of M. Soonini : " One day, as I wu meditating in a garden, I stopped near a hedge. A thaleb, hearing no noise, was coming thi ough the hedge towards me, and when he had cleared himr self, was just at my feet. On perceiving me, he was seized with such surprise, that he remained motionless for some seconds, without ev< n at" tempting to escape, his eyes fixed steadily < n me. Perplexity was painted m his couutcnanct , hy a degree of expression of which I could not have supposed him susceptible, and which • enoted great delicacy of instinct. On my pari. 1 wai afraid to move, lest I should put an cnii o this situation, which afforded me much pleasi; e. At length, after he had taken a few steps, Lrst to- mi •^>:?r-iy^i; ■fni •>)» '^i'"^- ■«'.•■*: iK.''>: .ttV -1^' *«•.* '■%t, ,frrv (AP 1^ :?4*x .■•V( r' T... U/?;^ l^'Vf: ^v^; ghthe d hitn«, me, he rained i n at- n me. .. ^>y » t have enoted 1 wai 0 this c. At rst to- J5 ■•'*•" -•A :-T m ■Sr^'- ■^^S \'>rf;,*,lL,.^T^'*'ii*{^> I'll jACyATilTj . \ JtfOX. fuflcd ;ii kerpjiig tired ; or rartw his f(^i He accir flight, horizont ground other ba his ITi. ^-reat pa ofthepr THEf the dog i fVom botl to examin to be vc Were, foi tural hist a dog, a •eeneithei these anil unable U dcscriptio *ny persoi ht ; ft cise, yet attended i ihall no m should be •dded or t wive, thei •»«»/ won Ol ▼OL. 1. rox. U5 wird« one lido and then the other, ai if no cnn- fuHrd UK not to know which way to get (iff, and ktN'ping his eyes itill turned towards nic« he re- tired ; not running, but stretching himself out, or rather creeping vrith a slow step, letting down his feet one after another with singular precaution. He seemed so mu* h a!r«id of making a noise in hit fli|2^lit, thath* . J' u his large tail, almost iu an horizontal l.-c, 1.nat it might neither drag on the ground nor b <"h against the plants. On the other inO of the hedge I found the fragments of his mt-ai , that had consisted of a bird of prey, great part of wliichlie had devoured." He is out of the prettiest of quadrupeds. ■' "it /f FOX. £l and its %aM sofler. On the other iaod> it differs from the dog in having eyes ob* Kqu^I^ situated^ like those of the mrbU'; itiB «flri tre directed also ia tlie same manner a^ ^bose ef tho wolC and its head is equally large in propor- tion to its size. It differs, stiil more ffoni fthe dog in its strong offensive smelly which is peculiar to the species^ sand f often the cause of their death. However^ some are ignorantly of opinion that it ^iil I&eep off infectious disetse»> &M tli^ plre^^Tve this animal near their habitation* fw that veijr purpose. . The fox has since the beginning been funqm fpr hi^ cunning and his arts^ and he partly merits bis reputa4ien. Without fittewptieg in opfvH either the dogs or the shepherds, witbaul aitAck" ing the fioehj or alarming the YiUage, he finds sa easier way to ettbtiat^ and gaiaa by his address what is denied to his strength, or couc9Yiltiaed and more enduediwttb wi^dfMi than thoie who wander from ptswe. tti pUoi ; l^ in th« ioferior raalca of animated aature, the taking pot|les»ion of a hou* suppoatea a tiegrce ^ in&t\ntt ^bielii others ^re without. The choice df iKb lititati^n fpr tb|i dovicif, the art of* intkiii^ it eoBveniidnt^ of biding; its cntrancej «id decofw il agiiiii8t mofo powerful aiiiffiats> are afl fo itik& Msrki of suf«rip» skill an4 Industry, Tfte' fportuiiitt, i)diSk£,1i\t t^M •p^Oa«he(i> creep* slily along, makes fh^ attitd^. •nd seldoBi re(lu|Q» without bi» hocly. tf h^ be »bkto get into the yard;, he begins by r^tdlifdj^ til tko pouUfjr without remorse/ ai)d cafryin'g off apart of the spoilj bides it at sonei^ coiitdtfiietft diitanee, aad agfam refurns to tlie otiarge. /takittj^ off another fowl in tiie satac manner^ he hid^^ that ftlso^ btti dot in tjhe same place; aii^ tliU be ^aciises ftfr several times together/ Unti'f tlte sttti* pfoaehof day^ of the noise of the dom^sflcX ^\ii^ Mm waffUing to retire, 'ihe same arts ai'C ^ikt- tiled when he 6ndft biids entangled in ^pfin^^ laid for tllem by tha fowter ; the fox take's t^t to be befor^hand^. very expertly takes the Birtf t\ti of the snare> hid^s it for three or fbur dilyr^ MA Iwowsl ¥e*y etaetly when and where to r6tiij1i tb Avail hiijiself of hidden treasisre. ^^e iV ^'4uStf)^ •left ia sieiziag the young bares ai;id raBbitA' b^oY^ they ha vd strength enough to escape biniy arid^hieYi the old ootes are wouackd and fatigued^, he i^^tit^*^ to Come Qpott them in their moments of distreitid^ and to shoxil tbem no mercy, fa the same intftiii^ heftndaOuilNrdtf' nests^ seizes tlie partridge db'd ^^jttalrWiHto iMtin^ and destro/s a largtf ^\m» .1 ti^B %6k. tityofgame. The vol f is most Iiurtfui to tire peasant^ bu^tlie fpx to the gentleman. In short, ;Ootl)ing th|t can bf> eaten scoots to come amiss • i:ats> toice, serpents, toads, and lizards. He will, Vhen urged py hunger, eat vegetabJes and insects * tnd those that live n^ar the searcoasts will, fol' If aiijl; of other food, eat crabs, shrimps, and' shell- iil|). The hedge-bog in yain rolls itself up into ft ball to oppose hini, tins determined glutton '^zjes it until it is obliged to appear uncovered, juid then he devours it. The wasp and the wild ^ee are attacked with efjual success. Although f)^ first they fly out upon the invader, and actually obl^ him to retire, this is but for afew minutes, un« ]|:il 1}!^ has rolled himself upon the ground, and thus erMshpd such as stick to his skm ; he then returns ^(|ther. charge, and at last, by perseverance, obliges ]Uicm '^o abandon their combs ; which he greedily (devours, both wax and honey. " The cbace ojF the fox requires less preparation ^an that of the wolf, and it is also more pleasant and amusing. As do^ have a natural repugnance ^0 pursue the wolf, to they are equally alert in following the fox ; which they pefer even to the ^ba^se of the hare or the buck. The huntsmen, (M upon other occasions, have their cant terms for cyery part of tl^is chase. The fox the first year is ca).led n cub ; the second, afox; and the third, fo :)ld,fox ; his tail is called the brush or dragt l^hi) his cxcroryient the bilfifitig. He is usually pur* 91ie4 hy a large kind of harrier or hound, assisted by terriers, or a smaller breed, that follow him in^o his keqiiel, and attack him there. The instant i^e perceives hiniself pursued, he makes to his kennel,' and takes refuge at the bottom of it, Inhere Cor a vi^hile he loses the cry of his enemies ; but the whole pack coniing to the mouth, redou'- bie their veheniAnce and ra.ee, and the tittle terrief *ne rem fOfL. tfi9 boldlj veiiturei in. It often happens that the kennel is made under a rock, or amoi^ the root* of old trees ; and in such cases the fox cannot bo dug outj nor is the terrier able to contend with him at the bottom of his hole. By this contri < vance he continues secure ; but when he can b« dug out, the usual way is to carry him in a bagf to some open country, and there get him loose before the hounds. The hounds and the men follow, barking and shouting wherever he runs ; and the body being strongly employed, the mind has not time to make any reflection on the futility of the pursuit. What adds to this entertainment is the strong scent which the fox leaves, that al- ways keeps up a full cry : although his scent is stronger than that of the hare, it is much sooner evaporated. His shifts to escape when all retreat is cut off to his kennel, are various and sur- prising. He always chooses the most woody coun- try, and takes those paths that arc most embar- rassed \\;ith thorns and briers. He does not dou- ble, nor use the unavailing shifts of the hare ; but flies in a direct line before the hounds, though at no very great distance ; manages his strength ; takes to the low and plashy grounds, where the scent will be less apt to lie ; and at last, when overtaken, he defends himself with desperate obstinacy, and fights in silence to the very last gasp. The fox, though resembling the dog in many respects, is nevertheless very distinct in his nature^ refusing to engender with it ; and though not testifying the antipathy of the wolf, yet discover- ing notiiing more than indifference. This animal also brings forth fewer at a time than the do^« and that but once a year. Its litter is generally from four to six, and seldom less than three.. The female goes with jroung about six weeks. m t70 FOX, Mi lelfioiiiitiri out iwliUf pcegnaot, but nakci % bed for b«r voungj and takefiffvecy precaution to preput for thoir procluciii^. Wocu she ^ndi fbe |lif«e of i]mr retreat 4i^oxere|i> and that hcc yottoj^' h»vf) b«en dirtHrbcd duriuf her al^sencci •he r«flfiov#s iUeoi one aCter tUe qilier in her mouthy •oA ej|d«(ivouis to &i4 them out a pUce of bei> inr tecurily. A ramarkabte io&tance of this ta\U mmk's |t»rf«tal aJTefitioQ happcoed iu the county of £f s«x. A »hi! fox that t^d^ as it should seem, biitonecub> yiM uukeuuelled by a g;entleman'i Windi iNMr CheilOKfocd^ and hotly pursued. Iti •uckfteaae« wUenh^r owa life was iu inunineot peril, ote wcHild think H was nota time to consuU thesafetjf of Ikut jnoung ', ha^aver, the poor aoU TBmJk, brftvia^ every dangcv, rather than leave her cub behind i» be worried by the dogs, took it up in ber m^uthj, aikd ran vviUU it in tnU manner for MHfte walet, Aila$t> taking her way through a fwrifter's yard, »ikc was asaaulted by a^ raastiC and way abliged to drop bev tub, 'which was taken lip by the farmer. Tbe faitlifuf creatur^ escaped th«) parsuti, anrd at la«igoA oif in ^aefi'ty. Tbe eub» of tbe fox are boru btiua^ Uke tliotie of the dog ; they ate eighteen lUDotki or tw9 jreawt ini€4Mn}»g topt^rfectiom, and ilve ab<;»ut twelve er fomrtsen ye»rs. As^tbefox n(»ke» war upoo> all aiiiinals, so all others seem to make war upon him. TFie dog ImMki biin \\h\t necahiar acrianany ; the wolf ii siiJili a gjreakr and more necessHuus enemy, who p4Hisue« hint 1o> bis> ^ery retrcaft- Hat the fo» is M«i bunded by quadrt^veds^ i^Ume '„ for the biF(Tg^ fvb» biMrW hint for ikaig, auur tal. euemy> scttend Ittnt ia bift e;xcur9(ious, and five each otfier w«««inf; of theixr a)f|)roacbing dangeo. Tbe daw, iher mssssp^, and tha blackbird, conduct him along, pcvcbiae en ibi kedeea as he. creeps below< sa all he dog |w'<»lf id , who fo*is stteni otfler cfawi ;t him IbeloWi - 90%. '• i^l - / .... gnd, with tfieir cries and notes of hostilHy^ sp« prisse all . other animals to be^irare ; a caution which tht*V perfectly understand^ and put itito practice. ' The htinters themielves are otlteQ in**, formed by the birds of the place of his rctreaVi and set i he do» into those thickets tfhere ihtif see them- particularly tioisy and querulous. S^ that it is the fatie of this petty phinderetto be At* tt^e^ by etery rank of animals ; all the ^realttt^ clauses snun^ and all the stronger pvrsue hitn. The fox, of all wild animals, is most subject W the in'fttrence of cliniate.; and there Itre found «t mai^ varieties in this kind almost as in any times white ; the young of the grey are blackish before they come to maturity ; their hair is much longer in winter than in summer, as is usual with animals in cold climates. They inhabit the countries bordering on the Fro- sen sea, as far as the land is destitute of woods, which is generally from seventy to sixty-five de- grees of ktitude ; this species extends to Kamts- diatka, and Bering's, and Copper islands; but are found in none of the other islands between l^amtschatka and the other opposite parts of Anoerica, discovered by captain Bering in 1741. They are found in Greenland, Iceland, Spitxber- ^n. Nova Zenibla, and Lapland., and once ia tour or five years iu Hudson's Bay : they burrow AiiCTtc ro«. 9K3 loGold iihder p^rmiiid, in 1ioI«;n many ft'e.i in \cn^h, thv. bottom of witirh ilicy lino wifli movii. In (irc(m- liind und Spitz bcri^cn, they live in the cIci'tM Of tile rocliN, not bcinji^ able Ui bnrrOw, by rcaNoti of iliu front. Two or tlireo inhabit the Humc hole. Tliev art; in hi>at about Lndy-day, and continue durnif; that time in the open air ; they afterwards take to their holex, and p^o with yuun^ nine wcckn, likedoffN, which they resemble in other reRpecti also. The lluHNianH, indeed^ call them doirs ; but they have all the cunning of the conmion U)x, and prey on the young of geese, duckx, and other water-fowl before they can fly ; on the grouse and bared of the country ; on the cggH of birds ; and ill Greenland, through ncccHnity, on berries, shell- fmh, or any thing the sea throwM out ; but their firincipal food in the north of Asia, and in Lap- ami, 18 the lemingi or Lapland rat ; and heuce^ they are very migratory, following the leming, a very wandering animal. Sometimes these foxei desert the country for three or four years, pro- bably as long as they can find prey. Tbe people in Jeiisea suppose they go to the banks of the Oby. They are taken in traps, and often the glutton and great owl destroy them before the hunter can take them out. They are killed for their fur ; which is light and warm, but not durable : the blue skins are the best. They arc the hardiest of animals, and will pur- sue their prey during the long, dreary, polar win- ters. Steller has given us an ftmple and entertaining description of their manners. *' During my unfortunate abode," says he, " on Bering's island, I had but too many opportuni- ties of studying the nature of these animals ; which far exceed the common fox in impudence, cunning, aud roffucry. The narrative of the intiumerabie VOL. 1, N 11 2t4 ARCTIC FOX. tricks they played us might vie with Albertus Julius' history of the apes on the island of Sax- enburg. " They forced thcmselvej} into our habitations by night as well as by day^ stealing all that they could carry off ; even things that were of no u»c to thenij as ktiives^ sticks^ and clothes. They were so extremely ingenious, as io roll down our casks of provisions^ several poods (quarters) in weight ; and then steal the meat out with such skill, that, at first, we could not bring ourselves to ascribe the theft to them. While employed ia stripping an animal of its skin, it has often hap- pened that we tould not avoid stabbing two or three foxes, from their rapacity in tearing the flesh out of our hands. If we buried it ever so care- fully, and even added stones to the weight of earth that was upon it ; they not only found it out, but with their shoulders pushed away the stones by lying under them, and in this wanner helping one another. If, in order to secure it, we put any animal on the top of a hirh post in the air ; they either dug. up the eartn at the bottom, and thus tumbled the whole down, or one of them climbed up, and with incredible artifice and dez« terity threw down what was upon it. " Th^y watched all our motions, and accom* panied us in whatever we were about to do. If the sea threw up an animal of any kind, they de- voured it before we could arrive to rescue it from them ; and if they could not consume the whol* of it at once^ they trailed it in portions to the mountains, where they buried it under stones be* fore our eyes, ruoning to and fro so Jong as any thing remained to be conveyed away. While this was doing, others stood on guard and watch- ed us. If they saw any one coming at a distance, the vrhole troop would combine at once, andbe^in ARCTIC FOX. 275 digging altogctlior in the sand^ till even a beaver or soa-bear in their possession, would be completely buried under the surface^ that not a trace of it could be seen. In the night>time> when we slept in the field, they came and pulled off our night* caps, and stole our gloves from under our heads, with the beaver-coverings, and the skins that we lay upon. In consequence of this, we always slept with our clubs m our hands, that if they awoke us we might drive them away or knock (hem down. " When we made a halt to rest by the way, they gathered around us, and played a thousand tricks in our view ; and when we set still, they approach^ ed us 80 near that they gnawed the thongs of our shoes. If we lay down as if intending to sleep, thoy came and smelt at our noses, to find whether we were dead or alive. On our first arrival, they bit off the aoses, fingers, and toes of our dead, while we were preparing the grave ; and thronged in such a manner about the infirm and sick, that it was with difficulty we could keep them off. " Every morning we saw these audacious animals patrolling about among the sea-lions and sea-bears, lying on the strand ; smelling at such as were asleep, to discover whether some of them might not be dead ; if that happened to be the case, they proceeded to dissect him immediately, and soon afterwards all were at work iti dragging the parts away. Because the sea-lions sometimes in their sleep over-lay their young, the foxes every morn- ing examined' the whole herd of them, one by one, as if conscious of this circumstance ; and im^ mediately dragged away the dead cubs from their dams. " As they would not suffer us to be at rest either \>j nigiu or qay^ we became so exasperated against 276 AnCTIC ¥0%. them, that wc killed thcin, young and old, and harassed them by every means Vfe could devise. When we awoke in the morning, there always lay two Of three that had been knocked on the heaii the preceding night; and I can safely affirm, that, during my stay upon the island, I killed above two hundred of these animals with my own hands. On the third day after my arrival, I knocked down with a clubj within the space of three hours, upwards of seventy of them, and made a covering to my hut with their skins. They were so ravenous, that with one hand we could hold to them a piece of flesh, and with a stick or ax in the other could knock them down. • '^ From all the circumstances that occurred during our stay, it was evident that these animals could never before have been acquainted with mankind ; and that the dread of man is not innate in brutes^ but must be grounded On long experi^i dice. ^ "Like the common foxes, they were the most •leek and full of hair in the months of October and November. In January and February the growth of this was too thick. In April and May they began to shed their ooat ; in the two following months they had only wool upon them, and ap- peared as if they went in waistcoats. In June they dropt their cubs^ nine or ten at a brood, in holes and clefts of the rocks. They are so fond of their young, that, to scare us away from them, they barked and yelled like dogs, by which they betrayed their covert ; but no sooner did they perceive that their retreat was discovered, than (unless they were prevented) they dragged the young away in their mouths, and endeavoured to conceal them in some more secret place. On one of us killing the young, the dam would fol- low him with dreadful bowlings, both day and ARCTIC FOX. 27? night, for a hundred or more vcr,sts ; and would not even then cease till she had done her enemy some material injury, or was herself killed by Sim. "■ In heavy falls of snow, these animals bury themselves in that substance, where they lie as long as it continues of a sufficient depth. They swim across the rivers with great agility. Besides what the sea casts up, or what is destroyed by other beasts, they seize the sea-fowl, by nighty on the clifts, where it has settled to sleep ; but. Ml the contrary, they are themselves frequently dctims to the birds of prey. Though now found id buch numbers on this island, they vvere probably conveyed thither from the continent, on the drift- ice ; and being afterwards nourished by the great auantity of animal substances thrown ashore by le sea, they became thus enormously multiplied." We are informed by Mr. Crantz, that the arctic foxes exert an extraordinary degree of cun- ning in their mode of obtaining iish for prey. They go into the water, and make a splash with their feot, in order to disturb the scaly tribes ; and when these come up, immediately seize them. He says that in imitation to these animals, th6 Greenland women have adopted the same method with success. Charlevoix, apparently alluding to this species, says that they exert an almost incredi- ble degree of cunning in entrapping the different kinds of water-fowl. They advance a little way into the water ; and afterwards retire, playing a thousand antic tricks on the banks. The fowl approach ; and on their coming near, the fox ceases, that he may not alarm them, only moving about his tail very gently : the former are said to be so foolish as to come up now and peck at it ; when iinniediately springs round upon themj and sel- dom misses us iiiiu. t7S CRANT^ COKSACj AND RARAtiAN FOX. Brant fox. This is less than the common fox, and 'has a thicker and dusker fur, though sometimes, on the contrary, it is much brighter and redder than that •pecies, as mentioned by Linnaeus in his Fauut Suecica ; the tail is tipped with black. CORBAC FOX. The colour of this species is in sammer^ a clear yellow ferruginous ; in winter, mixed or shaded with grey, deeper on the back, white on the belly, and reddish on the feet ; the eyes are surrounded with a border of white/ and a brownish stripe rum from them down the nose ; the ears are of the ■ame colour with the back, as is likewiaie the tail, but the base and tip are blackish ; the ears are abort ; the tail almost as long as the body ; the 9ize of this animal is less than that of the cominoo fox. It is an inhabitant of the hilly parts, be- tween Jaik and Irtish ; where it resides in its den underground, and commits great ravages among the game. It is hunted by the inhabitants of those regions with falcons and dogs, and it is said that aot IcKS than forty or fifty thousand are annually taken. These are sold to the Russians for about forty kopecks (about twenty pence) each ; a vast number of their skins are said to be sent into Turkey. Karaoan fox. This is a small species, which, according to Dr. Pallas, is very common in almost all parts of the Kirghision deserts, and Great Tartary. Its gene- ral colour is of a wolf-srrev : the head vellowishj rULVOUS-NECKF.D FOX, &C. 270 •has a on the n that Fauaa a clear shaded c helly, •oundcd ipe rum ) of the the tail, ears arc ly ; the common rts, he- its den among of those nid that nnually about a vast ant in^o ding to tsofthe ts gene- ilowisli^j and above the eves reddish ; the ears arc black on the out8ide,aud white witli in, wifli tlie edge ami base red ; and near the base is a white spot, from which, alonff the back to (he tail, runs a reddish or yellowish streak ; the throat and breast are of a deep or blackish grej • the belly white. FuLVOUS-NECKED FOX. ' " ' This fox, .according to Mr. SchVehcr, inhabits North America ; and the skins arc often scut over to Europe. The crown of the head, neck and back, are grey, mixed with black and white ; the finer hairi being white-grey, the coarser varied with black and white, like a porcupine's quill ; the ears are externally yellow-brown towards the tip, mingled with black ; about the ears and on the sides of the neck, there is a fox-yellow patch ; the throat, breast, and belly are white ; the legs externally yellow-brown : on the fore legs, runs from above inwards, a very small black and white mixed atripe, which terminates below in a broader black one ; on the hinder legs a white stripe runs in- wards, and underneath joins with a blackisli one ; tile tail is brown, mixed with a little yellowish, la sice this species it inferior to the common fox. Bengal fox. '1 This species inhabits Bengal. It is scarc^Ij half the size of the European fox. The face is cinereous ; the body pale brown ; the legs ful- vous ; the tail tipped with black ; and down the middle of the face runs a black stripe. The ipecics round the eyes and the niiddle of the jaws sso SOOTY, AND ANTARCTIC FOX. arc white. It U said to feed chiefly on roots and berries. Sooty fox. This, in size and habits resembles the arctic fox, but is a distinct species. It is said to be nume- rous in Iceland^ and is mentioned only by Mr. Pennant. Antarctic fox. This animal is mentioned under the name of wolf fox in Bougainville's voyages ; it is one third less than the common fox ; has pointed ears lined with white hair ; its head and body are of a cinereous b rown ; its hair is more woolly than that of the common fox ; its legs are dashed with a rust colour ; its tail is dusky and tipped with white ; shorter atid more bushy than that of the common fox ; it has much the appearance and ha- bit of a wolf in cars, tail, and strength of limbs. Pennant suspects it to be the small Mexican wolf degenerated. it inhabits the Falkland isles, and is the only quadruped in those distant isles that lives near the shores ; it kennels like a fox, and forms regu-« lar paths from bay to bay, probably for the con"- veniency of surprising the water-fowl, on which it lives; it is at times very meagre, from want of prey. It is very tamcj fetid, and barks like a dog. i , ^ The Antarctic islands are supposed to have been stocked with these animals by means of islands of ice, broken from the continent and carried by the currents. GilEY^ AKD SILVERY FOX^ &C. 281 Grey fox, or Virginian fox. ' .< This animal is all of a ■whitish grey, except h little redness about the ears ; has a sharp nose ; sharp-pointed, long, upright ears ; and lone legs, and bushy tail. It inhabits Carolina and the warmer parts of North America. It resem- bles tlie common fox in form, but differs from it in the nature of its dwelling ; as it never burrows^ but lives in hollow trees ; it gives no diversion to the sportsman ; for, after a mile's chace, it takei to its retreat ; it has no strong smell like the com- mon fox ; it feeds on poultry, birds, &c. and is easily tamed. Their skins, when in Reason, are made use of for muffs. SiLTERY FOX. > These, resembling in form the common fox, abound in the woody eminences of Louisiana, which are every where pierced with their holes. Their coat is very beautiful ; they have short hair, of a deep Jsrown ; over this spring long silvery hairs, which give the animal a very elegant ap- pearance. They live in forests abounding in game, and never attempt the poultry^ which run at large without any danger. . Cbylonesg dog. This species is a native of Ceylon, but no par • ticul.'irs relative to its manners or history are known. It was described by Mr. Vosmaer, from a stiifl'ed skin. He informs us that it was a little larger than a common domestic cat, measuring about twenty- two inches, tapering to the point. The ground cor VOL. I. 0 0 882 CAPE JACKAL. lour isa vellowisli grey, with a cast of brown on some parts, owing to the longer hairs which arc of that colour ; the feet are strongly tinged with a brown cast, which seems to form a kind of stripes or rays ; the belly is cinereous ; the hair on the whole animal is soft to the touch ; the head is long and pointed ; the snout and part under the chin, brown, but the top of the head of a yellow- ish ash colour, which passing beyond the ears, forms as it were a spot below them, and descends from thence to between the eyes, where it termi- nates in a point. Between the eyes, on the cheeks, are some oblong patches of a clearer or brighter co- lour than the rest of the skin ; the nostrils open m the foi'm of crescents ; on each side the front of the nose are seated long hairs or whiskers of a black- ish colour ; two similar hairs are also situated at each corner of the eye ; and on each side the head, in a straight line from the nose, is a similar hair like the former ; the ears are small, pointed, aud elevated, and of a brown colour. There are six front teeth in the upper mandible, beyond which arc two large canine teeth ; and farther back, (so far as the dried stvite of the specimen permitted a \iew) four very pointed grmders : but there are f)rohably more, which could not be seen. In, the ower jaw are six small front teeth, large canine ones, and six grinders on each side. The claMS of this animal resemble those of a cat more than of a dog, though not so long and slight in pro- portion. Both fore and hind feet have five toes. The anidial was received from Ceylon under liie name of wild or wood-dog. Capesch shacral, or Cape jackal. This species inhabits the countries ahoxii tlie € ate of Good Hone, andniav Dr«>bal)Iv he fouiu) SURINAM D06 AND ZERDA. 2S3 as liij^li as ilic lir.c ; its length is two feet and three quarters ; its tail one foot, bushy, of a yellow brown ; marked on the upper part with a line of black along it ; and^ towards the end, encircled with two rings of black ; it is tipt with white : his cars arc erect, of a yellowish brown, mixed with a few scattered black hairs ; his head the same, only having some white hairs intermixed, and growing darker towards the hind part ; his sides are of a light brown, varied with dusky hairs; his throat, treast, and belly, are white; on his neck, shoulders, and back, there is a band of black, broad on the shoulders, and growing narrower to the tail. When the hair lies smooth, the part on the neck seems barred with white ; that on the shoulders with white conoid spots, one within the other, with the ettd pointed to the back. When the hair is rufUcd, these marks vanish, or grow less distinct^ and a hoariness appears in their stead. Surinam doo, fo^, or jacIlal. This species is of the si^e of a large cat, has upright ears, little W4rts on the cheeks, above the eyes, and under the throat ; its tongue is fringed On the sides ; the colour of the upper part of its bddy ifi greyish, the lower vi^hite ; its tail bends downwards, and issrtiOOth ; it has five toes before, and four behind. It has its name from that part of South America, where it is found. It is de- scribed by Linnsus, and no other naturali«it. ZeUUA, or FENNEC.^T^-SVfcV7«?*V. This is a singular and beautiful animal, an inhabitant of the vast desert of Saara or Zarn, in Africa. It has a very pointed visage, lon^ fm ZKROA. ■whiskers, lar|^e, bright, blark eyes, very large cars, of a bright rose-colour, lined with longhair, and having their orifice so small as not to be visi- ble, probably covered with a valve or membrane ; its legs and feet are like those of a dog : its tail taper, with a black tip. , Its colour is between a straw and a pale bjown, Its length from the nose to the tail, ten inches : its ear3 three and a half; its tail six; its height not five. It burrow^s in the sandy ground ; is so excessive- ly swift, that it is very rarely taken alive ; feeds f)n insects, especially Wusts ; sits on its rump, and is very vigilant. It barks like a dog, but nuich shriller, and that chiefly in the night : it has never been observed to be sportive. One of them that was in the possession of^the late Swedish consul at Algiers, who first introduced it to the l^aowledge of the naturalists of Europe, fed freely from the hand, and would^ eat bread or boiled ineat. Mr. Brupe affirms, that their true name is fennec. He kept several of them tame, and has furnished us yfhh the following particulars. His favorite food was dates, or any other sweet fVuit ; he ate eggs with avidity, but would xpntent himself with bread sweetened with honey or ^ugar. He watched a |iind with bis eyes, as if accustomed to supb prey. He was very much afraid of a cat. In the day he vvas sleepy and unwilling to be handled, but active jn the nighty an4 desirpus to effect his escape. ^ . «AT TRIBE. SS5 H .:!ifi CAT TRIBE. This tribe of animals is ferocious, and tolerahlj swift of foot. They hunt for their prey chiefly ia the night, and seize it by surprize ; ly?hg in wait till it comes within reach, and then springing suddenly forwards upon it at one leap. While their prey is in sight, they frequently move their tail from side to side, keeping at the same time their eyes steadily fixed on the object. They never adopt vegetable food, except from necessity. Most of them are very agile in climbing trees ; and have the remarkable property of alighting on their feet, whenever thrown or falling from a height, by which the danger usually attendant on such accidents is often prevented. The females, producing a considerable number of young at a birth, have eight teats ; four of which are situated on the hreast, and the other four on the belly. All the animals belonging to this tribe have^ix fore-teeth, the intermediate ones of which are equal. They have also three grinders on each side in both jaws. The tongue is furnished with rough sharp prickles, that point backwards. And the claws are sheathed and retractile : a necessary provision to keep them from being dulled while walking ; for, being their principal weapons, as well of offence as defence^ they are both hooked and sharp. Lion.Zjbo. The lion is chiefly found in the interior of Africa, and in the hotter par^s of Asia. His form is strikingly bold and majestic. His large head .jT- 286 LION. und »l»agg;y pendent mane^ his strength of limb, and formidable countenance^ exhibit a picture of terrific grandeur, which no words can describe. His length is from six to eight feet ; and big tail, which is terminated bv a tuft of blackish hair, is alone about four feet. The general colour is a pale tawny, inclining to white beneath. The claws are retractile ; not into sheaths, but into the inter- vals between the toes, by means of a particular articulation of the last joint. The last bono but one, by bending itself outwards, gives place to the last, which is only articulated to it ; and to which the claw is fastened so as to bend itself upwards and sideways, more easily than down- wards. ^0 that the bone which is at the end or every toe, being almost continually bent upwards, the point which rests upon the ground is not the crxtrcmity of the toe, but the node of the articula- tion of the last two bones ; and thus in walking, tile claws remain elevated and retracted between the toes ; those of the right paws towards the right, ai(d those of the left towards the left side of the toes. This admirable structure is not found in the great-toe ; whose last joint bends only downwards, |>ecause this toe does not naturally rest upon the ground, being considerably shorter than the others. The 4ioncs3 or female is smaller^ and wants the mane The lion, produced under the burning sun of Africa, is, of all others, the most terrible, the most undaunted. Th« wolf or the dog, instead of attempting to r'val him, scarce deserve to attend his motions, or become his providers. Such, however, of the^e^Jjgimals, as are bred in a more temperate climate, or towards the tops of cold and lofty mountains, are far more gentle, or, to speak more properly, far less dangerous than those vfCu iu the tofji ^u vallcjs bvncatii. AUC liOiia W4 LION. 28T mount Atlas, the topj of which are covered in eienial snows, have neither tlie strength nor the ferocity of the lion* of Bilcdulgerid or Zaara, where the plains are covered with burning sands. It is particularly in these frightful deserts, that those enormous and terrible beasts are founds that seem to be the scourge and the terror of the neighbouring kingdoms. Happily, indeed, the species is not very numerous ; a«' I it seems to be diminishing daily ; for those who have travelled through these countries, assure us, that there are by no means so many there at present, as were known formerly; and Mr. Shaw observes, that the Romans carried fifty times as many lions from L^^bia, in one year, to combat in their amphi- theatres, as are to be found in the whole country at this time. The same remark is made with regard to Turkey, to Persia, and the Indies ; where the lions are found to diminish in their numbers every day. Nor is it difficult to assign the cause of this diminution; it is obvious that it cannot be owing to the increase of the force of other quadrupeds, since they are all inferior to the lion, and, consequently, instead of lessening the number, only tend to increase the supplies on which they subsist ; it must, therefore, be occa- sioned by the increase of mankind ; for man is the m\]y auimal in nature capable of making head against fhcse tyrants of the forest, and preventing their increase. The arms even of a Hottentot, or a negro, make them more than a match for this powerful creature; and they seldom make the attack without coming off victorious. Their usual manner is to find out his retreat, and with spfiars headed with iron, to provoke him to the combat ; four men are considered as sufiicient for this encounter ; and he against whom the lioQ fiies^ receives him up^ui his spear, while the ■I ^ i." -■-^,- S88 tloH. ■fsr- others attack him behind ; the lion, finding him- self wounded in the renr^ turns that yv&y, and thus gives the man he first attacked an opportu- nity to recover. In this manner the^ attack him on a. I sides ; until^ at last, they entirely disable, and then dispatch him. This superiority in the y rsambersy and th(y arts of man, that are suiHcient to conquer the lion, serve also to enervate and discourage him ; for he is brave only in propor- tion to the success of his former eikcounters. In the vast deserts of Zaara, in the burninf^ sands . tiiat lie between Mauritania and Negroiand, in the uninhabited countries that lie to the north of Caffraria, and, in general, in all the deserts of Africa, where man has not fixed his habitation, the lions are found in great numbers, and preseiTe their natural courage and force. Accustomed to measure their strength with every animal they meet, the habit of conquering renders them intre- pid and terrible. Having never experienced the dangerous arts and combinations of man, they have no apprehensions from his power. They boldly . face him, and seem to brave the force of his arms. Wounds rather serve to provoke their rage than repress their ardour. They are not daunted evea *■' with the opposition of numbers; a single lion of the desert often attacks an entire caravan ; and after an obstinate combat, when he finds himself overpowered, instead of flying, he continues to combat, retreating, and still facing the enemv , . till he dies. On the contrary, the lions which inhabit the peopled countries of Morocco or India, having become acquainted with human power, ^ and experienced man's superiority, have lost all theri courage, so as to be scared away with a »hou< ; and seldom attack any but the unresisting flocks or herds, whith even women and cbildreu are sufficient to protect. ; u^. vj'i A^. ng liim- ay, and )pportii- ack him disable, r in the luflicient irate and propor- ters. In ig sands )land, in he north leserts of ibitation, preserve customed imal they im iiitre- Inced the they have boldly i arms, .gc than ited evea e lion of ,Q ; and himself inues to |e cnemv 18 whicn r Indiaj power, lost all with a {resisting :hildrea '■'■'"^ i. ;';; ■?i';4r,, \ Thi cientlj •limit OAthin of the pull G withou the ut iflitanci lies of mger ii rible. • lion ii attend i caresses for soo^ was aw{ first, he log the 4 the lion had sepa the floe the oext had the chief. cieot to every da •ubiaissif mestic a and ftmi peas that exerted are stron| not to pr will alws ous, in iu too long ftnft iiKiiai ' — *"• re, flew into the next room, called to the people without, and had the animal secured from doing further mis- chief. However, this sinele account is not suffi- cient to weigh against the many instances we every day see of this creature's gentleness and submission. He i^ often bred up with other do- mestic animals, and is seen to play innocently^ and familiarly among them ; and, if it ever hap-^ pens that 1|is natural ferocity returns, it is seldom exerted against his benefactors. As his passions are strong, and his appetites vehement, one ought not to presume that the impressions of education wiir always prevail ; so that it would be danger** ous, in such circumstances, to suffer him to remain' too long without food, or to persist in irritating numberless accouiitt uowevcr. ^ I *■ ▼©I., L »P S90 now t ftMure us that his anger ii nob1e> hii CQur#ee UliignAninioiiSj and bis diiip,o8Uion gn^tcf^l. He )iAs bcoii often seen to desniss contv^^ptible ene- ijnies, and pardon their insults^ when it was in bit power to minish them, He ha^ bcpn lec^ to s^^ri the lives of suc)^ as werf^ tbrotifn to be di^ypufed Inr him, io live peaceabljf with thcnia to afford them a part of nil subsistenee, and sometimes ta yrmi food himself, rather than deprive them q,f that life which his generp^it^ had sparred. In the reign of kipar James I. Mr. Hpnrjr Archer, a watchmaker in Morocco, had two whelps J^iven him, which had been stolen, not Iqh^ before, rom a lioness near Mount Atlas. Thej were a male ajtid, female ; and till the death of the latter, were l^ept together in thp emperpr's garden. He, 14 that time had the mule constantly in his bed- room. tiU ^^ ^rew as tall as, a large mastiff-doff; and«the aninml was perfectly tamie and gentle m its n>utmer8, l^ein^ about to return, to England, l\fi r^\\).vi^i\ti]y ^ave it to a Marseiljes merchant ; who prc^nted it to the French king> from whom it cauije as. a present to, king James ; and, for •even years afterwards, wa.s kept in the tower, A person of the name of Bull, who had been a. servant t^ Mr. A^rchcr, went by clmnce^ with some friends, to see the animals there. The beast recognized him in a moment ; and by his whining voice and motions, expressive of anxiety fpr him to cpme near, fully exhibited the symptom of. hiji^ joy at meeting with a fprmer friend. Qm)L equally re* joiccd, ordered the keeper to open the grate, and he went in. The lion fawned upon hioi like p dfig, licking his feet, hands^ a|id face; a(id shipped and tumbled about^ to tJi^H^^^"^^^ €^f all ihe spectators. When the man l<)ft ^^ ]i)fipe, the animal bellowed alo^d, aqd shook hii cofij^ in ail extacy of sorrow sud «n<1 Tilf ..:•../ "'♦ broir. ^»1 four dayl ftftcrwarUf relied td tcke any nou- riiliinefit whatever. . * v» J' •> « About tbc ytm 1€(50> wheli the plague tkgeA at Naples, air George Davii, the Engligb ceifiidl therci retired to Florence. He, happened oHe day^ from curiosity, td visit the |^rand duke'ft deal. At the farther end of tlie place> in one 6f the Atini, lay a lion,'.whicb the keepers, during ihreewhola years, liad not been able to tahie,' though all th^ art and gentleness imaginable had been used. Sit George no sooner appeared at the gatei df th4 den, than the lida ran to him with all the nmrks of joy and transport h^wrai'dapable of expreiiT^ ing. Horoared nimiol^f up and jieked his liand, which this gentleman put in throdtfh 'tiie iro^ grate, ., Theke would satisfy sir George, biit in tfitp of all the keeper saidf to him, he 'WbUld gomtd the deft« ,Th« instartt he ente^, the > lion threw bis paws Upon bis sbmildcrs, licked his face, add ran about his d^», fstwoino^, and ar fiiUof joj^ IS a dog at tbhe sight c€ hi^t matter. After seTeVM MilutatKma liad beed exekaiigi^, they part^< verf g^od (fiends. '•) ivrv-^'t*} .>i.;i ••;-.< t ;f» ''j'''^ ^ •''••'*• The runiouir of tliiaokiternow'biotweeo the H(M and the straiiger, ri-U' immediately through llM city, and 0ir George almost passed for a sakvl among the people. The grdnd duke, as soon di be bad heard of it, seat for sir George; wkKT jl^oing with hie highness tOK th^ don, gave hittl i%4 followii)^ aceo«iiit df ^hot had! seemed ao strange; '' A captain of a ship from Barbary gave m# ibis lion; when c^ake a whelp. 1 brought hfHV up tame : but when ! tkcufht iriin too targe to Im suffered to tun about tbakouNr^ I built a dtf» fw "m uow. Jiim io mj court yard ; firom that time he wai n were five years and a half old. , .it is. usjaaliy supposed that the lion is not po/i80BS(;d of the, sense of smelling hi such per^- fq^tipn «)i most othef. animals. It is also ob- lierTsdj that top , strong a light greittlj incom4> mode^ him. Th^s is more than probable rfrom the Ibrmation i^f his eyes, which^i like those of the cat, seem fitted fpr sj^ingbest in the dark. For this reason, he seldotm i^ppears in open day, but ravages chiefly by nigjit ; atid not o«Iy the lion^ but all other animals of the cat kind, are kept off py the fires which the inliabitants light to pre* serve their herds and flocks ; tbe^ brightness of the flame dazzles their eyes> wliich are only fitted for seeing in the dark ; and thf^r are afraid to venture Xlindly into those places which they know to be filled with their enemies. ; Hci /<> It iis equally true of a]l this kind, that they hunt rather by the sight than the smell ; and it sometimes happens that the lion pursues either the jackal or the will? 'dog, while they are hunt* ing upon the scent; and, when they have run the beast down, he comes in and monopoliiei the spoil. From hence, probably, may have arisen the story of the lion's provider ; these lit- merely iotruidei The animals formida often ot nirprise belly, ii which « this ret tiQn> uni and he i\ fVQm hii U he mil rated* spi motion hd hi^ disap fyoppoi usual pi with wbl hetakett'i for he-Cfi Mfe dfevoi fHII hitns teeth are tie industrious animals may often, it is true, pro* Ii'nn • liiitf- ^)i*w hfl.va hiin^Pii ar body. l\ Yery long equal dej hot ; Bom tinual fevi water, laji brinks bui fifteen po that of li\ ht has Jus of animali .X »iiowBC'8 ra Llu^l 9»h reat a nrifehcd le had desire v'ould e after ^>cnce; These L^t the La half \t\t ii not h per* iBO 6b- incom« rom the of the u-* .For ly, but le lion> lept off to pre- tness of fitted raid to ;h thej at the^ and it either e hunt" ,vc run poliaei have icse lit- le, pr<>- hiintpd merely for tb«iiiie*lve8, and he is t.n unwelcomei iatniideT upon the fruit* 6£ tbeir toil. ■.^-fh./ki The libn, Avh^o hsan^tjt bol>ily attacks all animals that coaiis in his way ; but, as he is ve«« formidablo, m- they all ifi^k to avoid Kiion^ he is often obliged to hide, in. order to take them by surprise. F«ff this, purpttse >ie crouches on his belly, in somo thi^kelt, or among the long gras«> which is f^und in mamy/ paTis of the forest ; in this retreat' he continues, ^t^ith patient txpccta- tion> unti^htsipccy coatcs;M'itthiaa proper diitance^ sad he then 8nrine» after, if.,, fifteen or twenty feet ftom bims anc oftem seiz^js it at the first bound. If he nitsees the> cfiwrt^i and. in two or three reitp his most usual prey*' ate* tilo ^azellEe< and the manJieyt^ with weiiifi tbe^ tarrid r cgiojOB ahonadl. The latter lMtakeS'^hen>they happens to bo upon this i;rouiidU (br h&GAihiibt Glnubtirees Juke tbe cat or the tigers Hie disvotfrft » gvcat denial aitime', and g^TenesaJljl Mlk hitnself' ibr two> or tbaco dajfe to oonm. Hifi teeth are so strong' that be* veiy easily threiikath* booes-, and ftw-a;lbwfr tii^nii' with tho rest of tbe body. 1% is reported tiiat. he* sustains hunger tu very long tiaie> bbt thrift bo cannot support in aiv > equal degree, bis temperaniehti being eztremeljfc.t hot; some have even asserted that be is. in a con*« tinual fever. Ho drinks as ofiten.aB he meets witlri- vrater, lapping»it4ike a cat : which, as we know^.;: drinks but slowly. He genef ally requires ahoutir fifteen pounds- of; raw flesh in a day; be-proler^ that of liveanimalS) and particularly tbosetwbtc^i W has just killed. He s^domidevours the bodievi of animals when they begin to putrefy ; and h«i> iheoflrs raibcF to buV-tb' ^-^rd* spoilithoBi t^t^ tl96 LIOH. return to that vrhich he had half devoured before. However, thoug^h he usually feeds upon fresh pro. irision^ hts breatih it vcrjr ofensive^ and his urine insupportable. '^ * *i^^ *nI <« lffiM-:fud^ iUt^ The roaring ot the Hon is so loud, that when it is heard in tho night, and re-echoed by the mountains, it resembles distant thunder. This roar is his natural note; for when enraged he has a different grrhtl, which is short, broken, and reiterated. The toar is a deep hollow growl, which he sends fortii five or six timet a day, particulartj before rains. Th« cnr of anger is much louder and more formidable. This is always excited by opposition ; and upon these occasions, when the lion summons up all his terrors for the combat, nothing can be more terrible. He then lashes his sides with his long, tail^ which ftlone is strong enough to \cj a man level. He moves his mane in every direction ; it seems to rise and stand like bristles round his head ; the akin and muscles of his face are all in ag^itation ; bis huge eyebrows half cover his glarine eye- balls : he discovers, hit teeth, whi^h are formed rather for destruction than chewing his food ; he ihnwt his tongue covered with points, and ex- tends iiis claws, which appear almost as long as » man's fingers. Prepared in this manner for war, there are but few animals that will venture tp engage him ; and even the boldest of the hu- ll uin kind arc daunted at his approach. The ele- fthant, the rhinoceros, the tiger, and the hippopo' tamus, are the only animals that are not afraid ■mgly to make opposition. /^ ' rv> i . Nevertheless, i^either the leopard nor the wild fioar, if provoked, will shun the combat ; thoy ^U» not seek the lion to attack, but will not ilf at his approach : they wait his onset, which fl^ seldoRS aiakcs, unless GompeHed by hunger; LION. S91 ic wild thoy fill not which inirer : ■ fj tliey then exert all their strcnj^th, and ar 3 sotnc- times succcsstul. We are told of the combat of a lion and a wild boar, in a meadow near Al|i^iers« which continued for a long time with incredible obstinacy. At last, both were seen to fall by the wounds they had given each other ; and the ground all about them was covered with their blood. These instances, however^ ara Tcry raro, for the lion is in general the undisputed master of the forest. Man is the only creature that at- tacks him with almost certain success ; with the assistance of dogs and horses, which are trained to the pursuit. These animals that, in a state of nature, would have fled from the presence of the lion, in an agony of consternation, when conscioua of the assistance of man, become pursuers in their turn, and boldly hunt their natural tyrant. The dogs arc always of the large breed ; and the horses themselves, as Gesner assures us, must be of that sort called c/taroj^j/, or lion-eyed, all others of this kind flying at the sight of a lion, and endeavouring to throw their riders. When the lion is roused, he recedes with a slow, proud motion ; he never goes of^ directly forward, nor laeagurcs his paces equally, but takes an oblique course, going from one side to the other, and bounding raUier than running. When the hun- ters approach him, they ciwer shoot or throw their javelins ; and in this manner disable him before he is attacked by the dogs, many of whom he would otherwise destroy. He is very vivacious, and is never killed at once, but continues to fight desperately even after he has received hi.^ mortal blow. He is also taken by pit-falls ; the natives digging a deep hole in the ground, and covering it slightly over with sticks and earth ; which, h( wcver, give way beneath his >vcii»;ht, and he links to the bottom, from whence hs has UiWiliM VOL. I. ^^ 298 LIOM. of cscnpc. But tlic most usual manner of taking this nnimml is while a cub, and incapable of re* fiiKtauce. The place near the den of the lionesi is generally well known by the greatness of her depredations on that occasion ; the natives, there- fore> watcb the time, of her absence, and, aided by a swift horse, carry off her cubs ; which they tell to ftrangers^ or to the great men of their country. - w -j n jr; .* » • .^ i J Tkii.i\' /x t< T lii The lioh, . while young and active, lives hy hunting in the forest at the greatest distance from any human habitation ; and Beldv^m quits this re- treat while able to subsist by his natural industry ; hut when he becomes old and unfit for the pur- poses of surprise, he boldly comes down into places more frequented, attacks the flocks and herds that take shelter near the habitation of the shepherd or the husbandman, and depends rather upon his courage than his address for support. It is remarkable, however, that when he makes one of these desperate sallies, if he finds men and quadrupeds in the same field, he only attacks the latter, and never meddles with ^ men, unless tbcy provoke him to engage. It is observed that he prefers the flesh of camels to any other food ; he is likewise said to be fond of that of young ele* phants ; these he often attacks before their trunk is yet grown; and, unless the old elephant comei to their assistance, he makes them an eas^ prey. The lioB is terrible upon all occasions, but particularly at those seasons when he is incited by desire, or when the female has brought forth. It is then that the lioness is seen followed bj eight or ten males, who fight most bloody battles umung each other, till one of them becomes vic- torious over all the rest. She is said to bring forth in spring, and to produce but once a year. With respect to the time of gestation^ naturalists LION. 899 have been divided ; tome asserting that the lioneii went with youiiu" six months, and others but two. The time also of their growth and their age have hitherto been left in. obscurity : some assert- ing that they acquired their full growth in Ibred years, and others, that tl>ey required a longer period to come to perfection ; some say- ing« (and among this number is M. BufTon) that they lived to but twenty or twenty-two years at most ; others making their lives even of shcrter duiatioD. All these doubts are now reduced to a certainty; for we have had several of these animall bred in the tovver ; so ihat the manner of their copulation, the time of their gestation, the number they bring forth, and the time they take to come to perfection, are all pretty well koown. Although the lion emits liis urine back- wards, yet he couples in the ordinary manner ; and, as was said before, bis internal structure in almost every respect resembles that of a cat. The liones!., however, is upon these occasions particularly fierce, and often wdunds the lion in a terrible manner. She goes with young no more than five months ; the young ones, which are never more than two in number, when brought forth^ ar6 about the size of a large pug-dog, harmless, pretty, and playful ; they continue the teat for twelve months, and the aAi- ttial is more than five years in coming to perfec* tion. As to its age, from its imprisoned state, we can have no certainty; since it is very probable that, being deprived of its natural climate, food, and exercise, its life must be very much abridged. However, naturalists have hitherto been greatly mistaken as to the length of its existence. The great lion called Pompey, which died in the year 1760, was known to have b^en in the tower for above seventy yeans ^^^ o^'^ lately died >T doo TI6M. there^ which was brought from th« river Gambia^ that was above iixty-tnrce. The lion, therefore, IS a verjr long-lived animal ; and, verj probably, in his native forests, hit age excoedi even that <»f man himself. ,„..,,,•.'- In this animal, all the pAfiiaiM, even of the most gentle kind, are in excess ; but particu« larly the attachmeilt of the female to her young. The lioness, though naturally Icra strong, less cou- rageous, and less mischievous than the lioli, be- comes terrible when she has got young ones to provide for. She then makes her incursions with even more intrepidity than the lion himself ; she throws herself indiscriminately among men and other animals ; destroys without distinction ; loads herself with the spoil, and brings it home reeking to her cubs, whom she accustoms be- times lo cruelty and blood. She usually brings forth in the most retired and . inaccessible places ; and, when she fears to have her retteat discovered, > often hides her track by running baok her ground> or by brushing it out with her tail. V/hcn at- tacked, she wul defend her young to tho last ex- tremity. l^ne antients had a saying, ** That at the pea- cock is the most beautiful among birds, so is the tiger among quadrupeds." In fkct, no quadru- ped can be more beautiful than this animal ; the glossy smoothness of his hair, which lies much smoother, and shines with greater brightness than even that of the leopard ; thft elrtrenie black' Hess of the ftreaks with which he is marked, and the bright orange yellow colour of the groimd which th^y diversify, at dnc« strike the beholder^ ■ '- ^ "" '■ *"" .i«T3?^'? -/' ^':..- ^v pen- is the ladru- 1; the much htness )lack« irkedj \i the [ethe ,1 Tl hyil foreai thetj count To treme that ( deiica nest I mal'i adrniri thesm moit n The tho ti» of the which 1 tion as The fee partljr , all ovej •tretch 1 to befn other ob Urg€r, « *>«n8clf i to its ,i longer. rescmblei *hc latte slial] hai "The partake < without P"de, coi "cw. cl«r TIlikR. SOI y ■. 1*. •."■'it tit The beiutjf of tbe tiger can only be conceived by tboie nvho have seen him at large in hii native foreits ; for its lustre is greatly dinuniihod, both in the-tpeoioiNii %ad live auimaU which arrive in this countrvi ajn'^^yi UnM iistance. In falling in among a flock or a herd, it gives no quarter, but levels all with indiscri- minate cruelty, and scarce finds time to appease its appetite, while intent upon satisfying the ma- lignity of its nature. It thus becomes the scourge of the country where it is found ; it fears neither the threats nor the opposition of mankind; the beasts, both wild and tame, fall equally a sacrifice to its insatiable fury ; the young elephant and the rhinoceros become equally its prey> and it Vtoi unfrequently venturies to attack even the 'lion himself. . " Happily for the rest of nature, that thit ani- mal is not common^ and that the species is chiefly confined to the warmest provinces of the East. The tiger is found in Malabar, in Siam^ in Ben- gal, and in all the countries -which are inhabit- ed by the elephant or the rhinoceros. 8ome even pretend that it has a friendship for, and often ac- companies the latter, in order to devour its ex- crements^ which serve it as a purge. Be this as it will, there is no doubt but that they are often seen together at the sides of lakes and rivers ; where they arc probably both compelled to go by the thirst which, in that torrid climate, they must ycty often endure. It is likely enough also that they seldom make war upon each other, the thinoceros being a peaceable animal, and the tiger l^now ing its strength too well to venture the en- gagement. It is still more likely that the tiger finds this a very convenient situation, since it can there giirnr!«« ol nroaior niimhor t aniinfiU. which fifd v%0'%Mmf%^m •«»*aMim#^/» ^ «* «v««a»*««»ftM^ tliout when trary, isfied, have g re- L herd, discri- ppease ie ma- courgc neither id; the aerificc int and and it ;he 'lion n\\rh are TIGER. 309 compelled thither from the same motivei. In fact, it is generally known to lurk near such places, where it has an opportunity of choosing its prcj, or rather of multiplying its massacres. When it has killed one, it often goes to -destroy others^ •wallowing their blood down at large draughts, and seeming rather glutted than satiated with its abundance." ,; ♦ •; However, when it has killed a large animal, such as a horse or a buffalo, it immediately begins to devour it on the spot, fearing to be disturbed. In order to feast at its ea^e, it carries off its prej to the forest, dragging it along with such case^ that the swiftness of its motion seems scarce re- tarded by the enormous load it sustains. From this alone, wc may judge of its strength ; but to have a more just idea of this particular, let us stop a moment to consider the dimensions of this most formidable creature. Some travellers have compared it for size to a horse, and others to a buffalo, while others have contented themselves with flaying, that it is much larger than a lion. To gi%'e a still more complete idea of the strength of this terrible creature, we shall quote a passage from Father Tachard, who was an eye witness of a combat between a tiger and three elephants at Siam. For this purpose, the king ordered a lofty pallisadc to be built of bamboo cane, about a hundred feet square ; and in the midst <^ this were three elephants appointed for com- bating the tiger. Their heads, and a ,part of their trunk was covered with a kind of armour, like a mask, which defended that part from the assaults of the fierce animal >¥ith which they were to engage. ** As soon," says this author, '' as we were arrived at the place, a tiger was broughi forth from its den of a size much larger than we had ever seen before. It was not at £rit let 904 TIGER. loose, but held with cords, so that one of the ele* Shants approaching, gave it three or four terri- le blows, with its trunk on the back, with such force, that the tiger was for some time stunned, and lay without motion, as if it had been dead. However, as soon as it was let loose^ and at full liberty, although the first blows had greatly abated its fury, it made at the elephant with a loud ahriek,'and aimed at seizing his trunk. But the «tephant, wrinkling it up with great dexterity, received the tiger on his great teeth, and tossed it tip into the air. This so discouraged the furious •Jinimal, that it no more ventured to approach the elephant, but made several circuits round the pal- lisade, often attempting to fly at the ipectatori. Shortly after, the three elephants were sent against it, and they continued to strike it so terribly with their trunks, that it once more lay for dead ; and they would certainly have killed it, had not there bcen that in the Sun- dah Raijah's dominions there arc three sorts of tigers in the woods, and that the smallest are the fiercest. This) ^'s not above two feet high, appears <6 be extremely cunning, and delights in huroao flesh. The second kind is about three feet high, and hunts deer and wild hogs. The tiger of tlie largest sort is above three feet and a half high ; but, although endowed with greater powers, is, Vv no means, so rapacious as either of the former. This formidable anhnal, which is called the royal ^%cr, (one of which we iiave ai pieiCiit in the t«^= ▼01. TIGER. SOif er) does not seem so ravenous nor so dangeirousi and is even more fCQM^^rdly. A peasant in that cpuntry, ^s this traveller in"*' furms us, had a bufifalo fallen into a quagmire^ and while he went fpr assistance, there came a large tiger, that with its single strength drew forth the animal, which the ypited force of mmny men could not effect. Wh^n tl^c people return^ to the place, the ^rst ohject they beheld was thj^ tiger, whQ had thrown the bu#aIo pver its s|ioii)deri «is a fox does a goose, find W»f cj^'rving it away, with the feet upward, towards iunter ihe crpcodilc. It is said that wlien he descends , to the water to drink, the crocodile raises his heft4 fibove the i9jurface, in order to seize him, aft it doe^ other animals that come there for that purpose. When this is the caso, the tiger strikes his cl^ws into the eyes of tj^e crocodile, the only vulnerajl)!^ part within his reach ; and the latter, immediately plunging under the water, drags in the tiger also^ and by ^is means they are frequently both drowned. The tiger, if taken young, may, for a short tiiqis Ht least, till his fi^ocity comes with his age, be ^i pome measure domesticated, and rendered mild an4 uicr. ■ playful to his keepers. A beautiful young tiger^ royal f brought npt long ago from Chisaj i? tha Fitt iMwii ▼OL. I, R r - »». ,? «tiJ.*.-; •. * v-| Strange dogs have seTcral times been put intii i^^-JiS^r thetigtSk't il«ti aft^^ hiii feeding, and hk has in n? instanci^ attei^pted to injure them. Mr. E. Croi;^i the lite k(!epfers inform^ \ikB that the animal's i!o>. rility is ?;uch, that hc^tltiviks he could himfaelf wuh ttifkiy venture intii the den. The8!ii|) tMrpcntcs* whtt came dter with the tigeii aflsr a»i al^uce oi Irtbre thnatw<> yearfci camt ft) the t^wpr to i'tii him, The atnfiial i^fetantly recVj:>:rtizcd a former ac* SUKintaticc, TUbhiflid hiinfAeli' backward snd fot^ ^ard a^ifttet tlie grating of hi?» den, \ind ipp ar"* ^"i t?i^hJy »i»lig^iitr>f . Notwithstanding: ihe ur» ftrit «t*<|^tK;?.t that he would not exposte himseiito the dii\iii'i'% ■;h'Oii!!'t>s,»i^>bfirti:fciltte be let ihto the den ■--7 • ^J C with sO'ittUth feiil?:. vcty., tl>nt. he wa^at lastsuftbrcd ttK eat/f. ''Pb'K !!»h «iioa8 n£ ihi6 aaimal iscf^ied r«Uf(ek1 in the H^f^t g^ratefiil inakmer. He rubbed i%a{f)^a bii^^y litkvi. his hand'i, faVrhed tj^on hm like a cat, iariid huro respect attempted tb trtjar^ hi\A. The mail ncmaiued htere for two m tftrci* h«ii¥s ; .itid he at IbM b^i^an to fancy I4iere \v6uU he:iB^mb dilS%ttfty in l.-ettiw^ riil g\oomymrocrty!, which, i^d^Mtfd byt*er!tain dircvitnitatvces, taiight be fMind <' ka'^ebelNiby m me«ft wa^Prcated. <| i Tlffe'ttifetliWd tof tihe t%«r's seiKinj^ bis pre* by concealing hinr f from view, and 'sp*. v ^ #iA li horlible »tr. \ ^ *» cfejedt, whith . > l^. r^ T16£1I. 309 lies ofT into the recesiM of the foreit ; havings irst, if uiirdisturbed, sucked out the blood. Hit erf, ri) the act of springing on the victim, is said io b-:^ ^ at« ' \£ the limt if he misses his object> he atakoi off without repeating the attempt. He seems to prefer mankiml to any other prcty, "vrhcn ho can procure th^^iii by surprize ; but he seldom makes ii'^npen attack on any animal capable of resist- annco. In the hegiikning of the present century, a com- p^y^ seatett under the ^adc of some trees near the banks of a riTcr in Bengal, were alarmed by the uncatpected sight of a tigftr> preparing tor its fatal spring ; when a lady, wUh almost unexam- pled pretence of mind, unfurl^ a large umbrelln in the aaimal^ft face ; which, being confounded by so extraordinary and sudden mh appearanc^ft, instantly retired, and thus gate them an opportu- wty of escaping from its terrible attack. "^ Another par^ bad not the same good fortune ; by an eye-witness of the Scene. '* Wc wentj" says the narrator, "^ on shore on Satigar island, to shoot deer r of which we saw inmmierable tracks, aswcAlas of tigers ; we cen« tinued omr diversion till )2eartbrc3 o'clock ; when, titting down by the sid>. .?^ ?* jan^]jlc- ^ refresh oui^ seWes, a roar like t^ .nder was he^ d, and an im* u^Se tiger seizei. our unfr>rtuRat« firicnd, and vushed ugain iitto the jungle, dragging him through the thickest bnsheti and trees, e^eiy thing IgiViiig ^v «o i» mofiiitMua streug^ ; ^atigreii v SIO TIGER. •rcompanied fai^ progr«M. The united agoniei of horror, regret, and fear, rushed at once upon IJ8. I fired on the tiger ; be seemed agitated. My companion fired also ; and in a few moments afp ter this, our unfortunate friend came up to us, bath- ed in blood. Every medical assistance was vain ; and he expired in the space of twentv-four hours, having received such deep wounds from the tcctn and claws of the animal, as rendered his recovery hopeless. A large fire, consisting of ten or twelve yrhole trees, was blazing near us at the time this accident took plaee, and ten or more of the na>- tives were with ue. The human mind can scarce- ly form any idea of this scene of horror! We badbut just pushi^ our boat from this accursed ■bore, when the tigress made her appearance, al<- most raging mad, and remained On the, sand all tht while we continued in sight." On the borders of Tartary, Tigers. are very fre- quent ; and in so populous an empire as Ohina, where it would seem impossible for them to have remained till the present day unextirpated. In the Northern roads, hundreds of travellers are seea with lanterns carried before them, to secure them from these ravenous animals. In some parts of India, they are particularly fatal to wood-cutters and labourers about the forests; and they hate been known to swim to boats at anchor at a little distance from the shore, and snatch the men from aboard. In Java, they arc niuch dreaded, from their very frequently carrying oflF the travel- ling inhabitants. When any person of conse- quence goes out into the country, he has with hira mcn^ who blow incessantly a kindof small Frenchr liojrns. the shrill sound of which frightens these creatures entirely away. The hunting of tigers ia a favourite amusement with some of the Eastern l^rukces : who s^ io fc^^ch of thcm^ attended by TiGEft* 311 dedb^ considerable bodies of men, well mounted ftnd armed with. lances. At soon as the animals ares roused, the^ are instantly attacked on all sides, with pikes, arrows, md sabres, and aro. present!/ destroyed. This diversion is, howerer, always at- teiidedf with danger : for if the tiger feelf him- gelf wounded, he seldom retreats without sacri- (icing one of the party to bis vengeance. There are men who, covered with a coat of mail, or even armed only with a shield, a poniard, and a short scimitar, will dare to attack these blood> thirsty animals singly, and fight with them life for life : for in combats of this nature there is do other alternative, than to vanquish or to fall. it? The inhabitants of these countries predict their success or losses by omens taken from this animal. If tbey are marching against an enemy; and a tiger it seen flying neariy in the same direction^ victor/ is always supposed to be certain. But as it must of course happen that the reverse frequently takes place, they are never in want of a subterfuge to justify a nimilar augury. The tigress, like the lioness, produces four or* five young ai ?^ litter. She is at all times furious ; t)uther rage rises to the utmost extremity, wheo robbed of lier young. She then braves every dan- ger ; and pursues her plunderers, who are often obliged to release one of their captives in order to retard her motion. She stops, takes it up, bnd carries it to the nearest covert ; but instantly re- turns and renews her pursuit even to the gates of buildings, or the edge of the sea ; and whea her hope of recovering her offspring is lost, she ex- prciies her agony by bowlings, so hideous as to excite terror wherever they are heard. The roar of the tiger is said to be exceedingly dreadful. It begins by int^jr lions and inflections^ dsep, melancholy, and slow ;, presently it becomes ■x 312 PANTHER more tciitc ; when suddenly rxcrtir.^ hiingcif, the animal utters a violent cry> intRrruptcd by long tremuloui soundr vlv rh, together, make u dis- tracting iiDnryi!*:/!. u > ui the mind. Itig chiefly in the nigh^ ihui ihis is heard ; Yihen silence and darkness add to the horror, and his roarings are repeated by the echoes of the mountains. The skin of these animals is much esteemed all over llie East, particul«r"v "." lya ; the man-' darines cover their seats of juitke in the public placet) with it, and convert it into coverings for ci. Jiions in winter. In Europe, these skins, though bui seldom to be met with, are of bo groat value ; thv>seof the panther and he U^opurd bt^ing held ii) much greater estimation. This is all the little be- neHt we derive from this dreadful animal, of which ho> many falsehoods have been reported ; as, that its sweat was poisonous, and the hair of its whisk- ers morr; dangerous than un envenomed arrow. Sut the real mischiefs which the tiger occasion white living are sufficient, without giving ima- ginary ones to the parts of its body when diad. In fact^ the Indians sometimes eat its flesh, and find it neither disagreeable nor unwholesome. Pantmer. This animal measures, from the point of the nose to th«tail, six feet and a half or seven feet, aa^ its tail near thr**^ f-ct. its limbs are r^ry strong ; its hair is short and smootl), of a bright tawnjr colour ; its back, sides, and fl'^uks^ are cle^aatly marked with roundish ' lack spots, dispmed m circles ; there are from ir to five of these spotj in each circle, with a siu^ie ^ lack spot commonly in the centre of each ; on tlic face and Jegs there •re single spots only ; on the top of the back there n a row of oblong spots, the longott next the tail; If, the ' bug a dis* Dliiefly ce and igs are led all c man- public ngi for iUough "value ; held ii) ittle bc- f whicb ae, tbat B wbisk- I arrow. ng imai- in dead. ah, and mc. [the nMf et, aiid strong ; it tawny ed i» BSC SpotJ jmmonly Lrg there ^ck tbi'te Ithe tAil# I y I i-j ^5 "■■»»;..' ''.< '•• i> * i I I' r ^fc.. M^ ■0: PANTHER. S}if the chest and belly nre \vhltc ; the cheit marked witii transverse dusky stripes ; the belij and tail with large irregular black spots ; its ears are shoirt and pointed : and the poiitt of its nose is brown. It diflfers from the leopard in its having a deepen colour, larger size, and central spots. y^drcd 4w twenty. They probably thinned the coa^M «f M^Hf ritania of these animals ; but they still 4j>^ara^ i^ Guinea. Animals of thi» species, though they c^n jocvcf be tamed, are sometimes trained to the chafr^ ; ^^^ great caution is requisite in conducting a:nd jc^'f ercising them. When one of them is taken a ^unlr ing, he is carried in a cart shut up in a ^agf^ the door of which is opened when game app^ari f. ' I T w»i. I. s s ''S%. 314 LVOpAilti. he then springs towards the animal^ and, genc- rallv, at three or four bounds, strangles it ; but if he misses his aim, he becomes furious, and sometimes attacks his master, who commonly pre- vents this hazardj by carrying along with him pieces of flesh, oir live animals, as Iaral>s or kids, one- of which he throws to him to appease his rage, till he gets a cover over his eyes, puts on his chaiu, aud conducts him back to his cart. This species is considerably less than the former ; its length from the nose to the tail is only four feet ; and its tail is two feet long. '''* ' It is of a lively yellow colour; marked on the back and sides with small spots, disposed in cir- cles, and plated pretty closely together ; its face and Ipgs arc rharked with single spots ; its breast iind" belly iire'covered with longer hairs tfian the rest of its body, of a whitish colour ; the spots on itfi tall are large and ob long. . ,}. ' It inhabits Senegal and Guinea, and spares ncitber man nor beast. When the beasts of chacc fail, the leopards descend in crowds from the in- terior parfs of Africa, and make vast havock among' the numerous herds that cover the rich iheadows of the Lower Guinea ; they tear their prey in pieces with both claws and teeth : and though perpetually devouring, they are always thin ; th« panthers are their enemies, and destroy riumbers of them ; the negroes take them in pit- falls covered at the top with slight hurdles, on which is placed some flesh as a bait ; when they haVe killed one, they feast on its flesh, which \i SRid to be as white as veal, and very well lasted. The 'iiegress*»s make beads or a collar of its teelli, and attribute to them certain virtues. The skijii I, . gene- t ; but us, and ily pre- itn him T kids, ease his puts on rt. former ; (urfcct; on the i in rir- its face ♦s breast tfian the ic spots i spares of chacc the in- havock he rich ar their th : and always destroy in pit- dies, on |hen they hich is tasted. . teeth, hie skinJ >w- V: - . / -•<: V '.^ ••'/-:")■ LEOPARD. 3\b Rfc frequently brought to Europe, and are reckon- ed very valuable. BufTon says, that when it. is of a bright yellow, and has its spots buck and well defined, one skin will fetch eight or ten louis d'ors. In Asia, it is found in the mountains of Cau(ia- sus, from Persia to India ; and also in China^ where it is called poupi. The Bucharian traders^ •who of^en bring their skins to Russia, call them bars. It inhabits Arabia also, where it is called nemr. It is said that in that couirtry, as well af Egypt, it does no hurt to man unless provoked ; but will enter houses by night and destroy cats. In the year 1708, if we may believe the account of Kolbec, two leopards, a male and femalt, with three young ones, entered a sheep-fold at the Cape. The old ones killed nearly a hundred <«beep, and re- galed themselves with the blood. When they were satiated, they tore a carcase into three pieces, and ga'/e one of these to each of their young ones. They then took each a whole sheep ; and thus laden began to move off. Having been observed how€vcr, they were way-laid on their return,^ and the female and three young ones killed ; but the. male effected his escape. The same writer also informs us, that the leopard will not eat carrion^ nor deign to touch what has been killed by anv other beast. > The late sir Ashton Lever had a leopard, which he kept in a cage at Leicester-house. It bad be- come so tamo, as always to seem highly pleased and gratified by caresses and attention, purring and rubbing its sides against the cage like a cat. Sir Ashton gave it to the royal menagerie in the tower ; where a person, before acquainted with it, saw it after an interval of more than a year, not- il'ithitanding which it appeared instantly to re^ S16 LESSER^ AND HUNTING LEOPARD. cognize him. and began as usual to rcnevr iti carcKscs. V':i« n •! . V , < ',;»; . , ; J 1 ; ..?.«' r . '.'>'•'< Lesser leopard. 1 ./ ' t ■■ . ' This species is not half the size of the former : it8 tail is also shorter in proportion, and tapers to a point ; whereas the tails of the panther and great l0r>pard are of equal thickness from top to bottom ; its face is spotted with black ; it has a great Mack spot on each side of its upper lip ; its brenst is marked with small spots ; its belly is white spotted with black ; its back, sides, and rump, Wc covered with hair of a bright yellow, marked with circles of spots like the former, but the circles arc less. One of these was kept some years ago in the tower, and seemed a good-natured animal. — Mr. Pcnuant is its only describer. Hunting leopard. This animal is of the size of a large greyhound, of a long make, and has long lej^s and ^ narrow chest. It has a small head ; its eyes arc of a prilc orange ; the end of its nose black ; a dusky line runs from each corner of the mouth to the corner of each eye ; its ears are short ; of a tawny colour, marked with a brown bar ; its face, chin, and throat, are of a pale yellowish brown, sometimes the throat white ; the face is slightly spotted ; the 1>ody is of a light tawny brown, marked wiih numbers of small round black spots, not incirc-.cs, but each distinct ; the spots on the outside of the legs are larger ; the hair on the top of the neck is longer than the rest ; that on the belly is white ind yefy long ; the tail is of a reddish brown. white )ro\vn. * 44^^^ '^*'*ff'4Siiiiiiiir'''^ ■:'r;&^Ba^^t!as^*>».^ k\f^.m. O'MCM^ -TT A/e.TrrA"iD X.Mb1v H^.AIOL'^ u OVNCK. Sit longer than the body, marked above with Urgd black spots, with verj long hair on the under «ide. It inhabits India, and is said to be tamed and trained for the chacc of antelopes ; i\t is carried in A small kind of waggon, chained and hood^ winked, till it approaches the herd. When first unchained, it does not immediately make its at-^ tempt, but winds alon^ the ground, stoppiiiji^ and concealing itself till it gets a proper advantage^ then darts on the animals with surprising swiftness, and overtakes them by the rapidity of its bounds ; but'if it docs nut succeed in its first efforts, con* sisting of five or six amazing leaps, it misses its prey ; losing its breath, and finding itself unequal in speed, it stands still, gives up the point for that time, and readily returns to its master. This spc* ties is called in India, chittah ; it is used for the taking of jackals, as well as other animals. Ounce. T.Virc^rA This species is of a strong make, has a long back and short spotted legs ; and is about three feet and a half in length from the nose to the tail ; the tail, full of hair, with large black spots, is upwards of three feet ; its head is large, marked Avith small round spots ; its cars are short ; the hiiir on its body is long ; its colour ash, tinged with yellow ; behind each car it has a large black epot ; the upper part of its neck is also varied witli large single spots. The spots are small and roundish about the head, a kind of abrupt stripes along the back, variously shaped on the sides and limbs, sometimes with central spaces, and on the tail black and scattered. It inhabfts Rarbary, Persia, Hyrcania, and Chi- na ; it is an animal of a more mild ai^d gentle na- ture than most of the preceding, and is, like the 318 BRASILIAN TIGER. last, used for the cliace of antelopes, and «ten bares ; but instead of being conveyed in a wag-gon . like the panther or hunting leopard, it is carried on the crupper on horseback, and is as much under commaitd as a setting' dog. and returns at the least call, and jumps up behind its master ; it is sup- posed to be the panther of Pliny, and the lesser panther of Oppian. Their skins are brought from China, and. sold in Russia for t'^cnty shillings •-piece. ■ . • \a v. ' '• • ' •• ♦- - i(^ Mexican tiger, or ocelot. r{ ■■r,c'f This animal is about four times the size of a larj^e cat^ and almost as large as the jaguar. It is very strongly made ; its upper parts arc of a bright tawny ; its sides whitish, marked length- ways ;with long stripes of black, hollow, and of a richer tawny in the middle, in which are sjprink-^ led some small black spots ; from the neck towards the shouldoi^s>po4;nt others of the same colours ; a black stripe extends along the back from head to tail ; there is also a black stripe from the nostrils to the corners of the eyes ; its forehead is spotted with black ; its legs are whitish varied with small black spots ; the tail is also spotted with small spots near its base, and with larger near the end, which is black. An animal, supposed to be the feinale of this spt ~ cies, w.'is shewn somu years ago in London. It shoulders were both barred and spotted ; the tai' not so long as the body, with large spots above and small beneath 'the colours of the fiemale arc not so vivid as those of the male. It inhabits Mexico, the neighbourhood of Car- thagcaa, and Brasil ; lives in the mountains, and is ver}' voracious, but afraid of mankind ; itp eyi on calves and dilTerent sorts of game ; lurks amidst the leaves of trees ; and sometimes will extend itself along the boughs as if dead, till the monkics, tempted by their natural curiosity, ap- proaching to examine it, become its prey. ButFon says, of all spotted auimals, the robe oi 300 ruMA. tliemalc of this 4> cicg ii unquestionably the mo«t l^eautiful and the most elegantly varie)srated . £r < . that of the leopard is not to be compared >vitli it for vivacity of colours, and symmetry of design ; far less of the jaguar^ panther^ and ounce. But in the female the colours are fainter^ and the design taore iirregular. They prefer blood to flesh; hence they destroy a great nunikf hairs ; his breast, his belly, and the insidt^ €l hi:, legs cinereous ; the hair on his belly is long ; his tail is dusky aitd ferruginous ; the tip of it is black. His teeth arc of a vast size ; b.is claws arc white ; the outmost one of the fore feet much larger than the others. He is long bo- died, and stands high on his legs ; his length from the nose to the tail is five feet three inches ; his tail two feet eight. He inhabits the continent of America, from Canada to Brasil, and has been mistaken for tlie lion ; he is the scourge of the colonies in tbe hotter and less populous parts of America ; fierce and ravenous to the highest degree; he swims over b roarl rivers, and attacks cattle even in the ificlosures ; and, when much pressed with hunger, spares not even the human species. In North America^ however^ their fury secmi to be subdued CANGUAR. 321 b)' tlio rigour of the climate; the smallest cur, ia company with its master, makes them seek for security, by running up trees ; but they arc equaPy destructive to ilomestic animals, and are the greatest plai?;ue the planter has. Whc tl)cy lie in wait for the moose or other deer, they li c on the branch of some tree, till the animal p^sb underneath, then they drop on it, and soon ih *"" it. They also make the wolf their prey, j , conceal such part of their prey as they cannot tat they pur like a cat, and have soft fur of eomc valui. among the Indians, who cover themselves with it during, the winter ; their flesh is also eaten, and laid to be as good and as white as veal. , Canguar^ or bl'ACk tiger. This name having been applied io difierent species, is apt to create some degree of confusion of ideas ; it is the name given by the natives of South America to most of those ravenous animnit tliat arc to them objects of terror. This species grows to the size of a heifer of a year old, and has vast strength in its limbs. It inhabits Brasil and Guiana. It is cruel and fierce ; much dreaded by the natives ; but happily it is a scarce species. Its headj back^ sides, fore part of the legs, and its tail, arc covered with short stnd glossy hair of a . dusky colour ; sometimes spotted with black, but generally plain ; its upper lip is white ; it has a black spot at each corner of its mouth, long hairs above each eye, and long w\iskers on the upper lip ; its lower lip, its throat, belly, and the inside of its legs, are whitish, or of a very pale ash- colour ; its paws are white, and its ears pointed. VOL. I. T t t ^>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ J^4i. ■"'-.^ ^ 1.0 I.I 12.8 ■12 1^ 2.5 2.2 S l£ lllllio 1.8 1.25 III 1.4 V] f* V /^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 4i. xP S22 CIMERXOUS^ AND JAPAN CAT. Cinereous cat. This seems to be described only by Mr. Pennant, H/?ho informs us that it is about the size of the ocelot^ and is a native of Guinea. It it of a cinereous colour^ palest on the legs and belly ; the irides arc hazel ; the tip of the nose red : ears sharp and rounded^ black on tha outside, grey within ; from the nose to the eye, on each side, a black line, and above and beneath each eye a white one ; side?» of the mouth white, with four yows of small black spots ; from the hind part of the head to the back and shoulders run some long, narrow, hollow stripes ; along tiie top of the back two rows of oyal black spots ; the marks of the sides long, hollow, and irregular, extending from the shoulders to the thighs ; shoulders both barred and spotted ; tail not so long as the body, with large spots above, and small beneath. This species, according to Mrc Pennant's description as given above, seems to approach extremely near to the ocelot, the female of vyhich inclines much to ash>colour ; but being expressly said to be a native of Guinea, wc cannot suppose it the same ■pccies. Japan cat. This is said to be of the size of a common cat, has a tail ten inches and a half long ; the ears are upright and pointed ; colour of the face and lower part of the neck whitish ; breast and lower part of the belly a clear grey ; body part yellow and grey, mixed v/ith black, disposed in transverse ways. Along the back, quite to the tail, is a broad band of black, which also extends over the upper part of the tail ; the lower part is semi-annulated with aniknt, Df the of a r ; the : ears , ^rey I eye a li four d part 1 some top ot >, marks tending •s both e body, This !ription y near s much io be a le same OUIGNA^ COLOROLOj AND CAYENNE CAT. 3S5 black and grey. It? cry is said to resemble the mewing of a groat cat. Gu>tGNA CAT. This, which is described by Molina in his ac- count of Chili^ is of the size of a common cat^ and inhabits forests. Its eolour is tawny, marked with round black spots, five lines in diameter, extending along the back to the tail. COLOROLO, OR COROLOLO. This also is described by Molina. Like the for- mer species it inhabits the forests, and preys on birds and mice, and is said sometimes to infest poultry yards. Its colour is white, marked with irregular spots of black and yellow ; the tail ei>- circled with black quite to the point. The head and tail in this, and tlie preceeding aiiimal arc larger In proportion than the common cat. Cayenne cat, or margay. This animal, of a bright tawny colour, is of the size of a common cat. Its face is stripod downwards with black. Its shoulders and body arc also marked with stripes, and oblong large black spots ; its legs with small ones. Its breast, the inside of its legs and thighs, whitish spotted with black. The tail is very long, marked with black, tawny, and grey. It inhabits South America, aiid perhaps Louisiana, and lives on feathered game and poultry. It is very active. It goes by bounds or leaps, and lives much on trees. Its voice is like that of the common cat. It brings furth in all seasons of the year^ in hoUpw trccf^ su BEXGAL CAT. and has two at a time. It seems a species of wild cat; but its hair is shorter than that of those creatures in general^ its head more square, and its muzzle and tail longer. It is supposed to be uu- tameable. , Bengal cat. These cats have white whiskers, large duskj «ar3, with a white spot in the middle of the out- side ^ betNVpen each eye and the nose, a white line, and another under each eye. Their colour is a beautiful pale yellowish brown. The head and face is striped downward with black. Along the back there are three stripes of the same colour, pointing towards the tail. Behind each shoulder to thr; belly, there is a black line. The chin and throart; are white, surrounded with a semi-circle of black. The breast, belly, and inside of the limbs arc white. The spots on those parts, as ^well as those on the legs and rump, are r'^nnd. The tail is long, full of hair, brown an ted witb black. This species is distinguished from the common cat by ihi9 peculiarity, that it is not afraid of being wet, but takes to the water like a water-dog. There w as one of them brought to England, which swam on board a ship at anchor off the coast of Bengal. After it was brought to England, it coupled with the female domestic cats, which pro- . duced young, resembling the male in marks ou the body and in character ; but the ground colour was cinereous. Mr. Pennant says, that he saw one of these plunge into a vessel full of water about two feet deep, and bring up a bit of meat, ilung in by way of trial ; that it was far better fut)us(3r than the tamliqucly from the eyes. It' feet are striped obscurely with dark liiies. Its tail is lonj»;er in proportion than that of the domes- tic cat, of an equal thickness in all p^rts^ and bes<^ 32G CAP£ CAT. tbichljr with hair. It is also encircled with ten black rings ; the throe next the tip almost touch one Another ; the rest arc more remote. ?» ■I. ;AFE CAT. i^iS S<' Tuis is an elegant animal, and is found in a wild state, in the mountains at the Capo of Good Hope. It is considerably larger than the domesf ic cat. The colour is a bright tawny ; marked on the back with oblong black streaks, and in the other parts with blotches o( the same. A skin, measured by Mr. Pennant, was found to be three feet from the nose to the tail. In their native mountains, these animals arc very destructive to rabbits, young antelopes, lambs, and even to all the dificrent species of birds. In disposition, however, they are not so fierce as the geirierality of their tribe ; and when taken, they are easily rendered tame. Labat says, (as it seems though without sufficient foundation,) that their appearance bespeaks cruelty, ajid their eyes a greai degree of ferocity. When Dr. Forster and his son touched at the Cape, in the year 1795, one of these animals was offered to him for sale. But from its having a broken leg, he refused it, under the apprehension that it would not be able to bear a passage to Europe. It was brought in a basket to his apart- ment, where he kept it above four-and-twcnty hours ; which gave hiiii an opportunity, not only of describing it, but, in some measure, of observ- ing its manners and economy. These seemed per- fectly analogous to those of our domestic cats. It ate raw fresh meat, and appeared to attach it- self very much to its feeders and l>enefact6rs. In its disposition it was gentle, and had been ren- dered perfectly tame. After Dr. Forster had fed "iwtjb Is are lambs^ 8. la as the ley are seems their greai ^EifCYAD CAI»Ii'. CAT -■^, «(■■>.• ■■••■, t ,* - jj(..''-'-.;'^>f^' ^>^; 'i^' ■ V ,' \- ir \ >;,>'9>, •v.. -v; ;.'f. ..1vi»^-> ■.>■*, .'• , I C'.-i^ W >:..:/ fh^ i'lfL. >*...--^/>s„; r' ■•<. • <■ i^T-vSi-.:./^ ■}• '*;,- ,1"!-*.'A' V. ««. ,/ '(.- itai itoci rc8sc( son's of b€ do wl tbout •I a fa iasidio this it peoie 1 itreoctl dable. tamedj mand; liar mo (heiratr or capri the catj oui in h lufficien when yc than the tioo as it I^ind is a ravenous pctites, { plunder ; learned tl can put t 8»t7 offerj Hies off ^ *"Pp08((9 i CAT, 3ST »i> < - , 1- - ^.■^»,.,.■'•J• 1: / H a few times, it followed bim like a tame favour* it»cat. It was food of being; stroked and ca- ressed, rubbed its head and back against the per- son's clothes who fed it, and seemea very desirous of being noticed. It purred as our domestic cats do when they arc pleased. At this time it was about nine months old, and bad been taken when 4|uite joung in the woods. •T' ' CAT.3'tez:x.A ■;«' K^V .■.■•■«>." .■■■•- ' " Tns cat," sajs Buffon, " may be considered II a faithless friend, brought to oppose a still more iosidious enemy. It is, in fact, the only animal of this tribe whose services can more than rccom- ^nse the trouble of their education, and whose strength is not sufficient to make its anger formi- dable. The. lion, or the tiger, may easily be tamedj and rendered subservient to human com- mand ; but even in their humblest and most fami- liar moments^ they are still dangerous ; since their strength is such, that the smallest fit of apger or ci4>rice may have dreadful consequences. But the cat, though easily offended, and often caprici- ous in her resentments, is not endowed with power sufficient to do any great mischief. Of all animali when young, there is none more prettily playful than the kitten ; but it seems to lose this disposi- tion as it grows old, and the innate treachery of its kind is then seen to prevail. From being naturally ravenous, education teaches it to disguise its ap- petites, and to watch the favourable moment of plunder ; supple, insinuating, and artful, it has learned the arts of concealing its intentions till it can put them into execution ; when the opportu- nity offers^ it at once seizes upon whatever it finds^ Hies off with it, and continues at a distance till it lupposfts it9 offenea forgotten. The cat has only n^ CAT. the appearance of attachment ; and it nnay ca»ilj be perceived, by its timid approaches, a"d siUe- long looks, that it either dreads its master, or dis- trusts his kindness ; different from tbc dog, whose caresses are sincere, the cat is assiduous rather for its own pleasure, than to please ; and often gains confidence, only to abuse it. The T^rm' of its body, and its temperament, correspond with its dis- position ; active, cleanly, delicate, and voluptu* ous, it lu native of the warmer climates, it chooses the softest bed to lie on, which is always the warmest. " The cat goes with young fifty-six days, and sel- dom bringr. forth above five or six at a time. The female usually hides the place of her retreat from the male, who is often found to devour her kittens. She feeds them for some weeks with her milk, and whatever small animal she can take by surprize, accustoming them betimes to rapine. They live to about the age of ten years ; and, during that period, they are extremely vivacious, suffering to be worried a long time before they die. " The young kittens are i?ery playful and amu- sing ; but their sport soon turns into malice, and they, from the beginning, show a disposition to cruelty ; they often look ^ wistfully towa|ds the €Xr^ 329 i side- ff dis- whose ler for t gaini of its its dis- )liiptu* usbions are ra- han the n; it is is weak, ely more nd body clothed, 1 naked, be won- e fearful cs, cvca also the DC softest and scl- .. The cat from f kittens, lilk, and (urprize* hey liv« in^ that Tcring to id amu- lice, and Isition to Is the cage, sit centinel s at the mouth of t mouse-hole^ ana, in a short time, become more expert hunters, than if they had received the instruction of art. Indeed, their disposition is so incapable of con straint, that all instruction would be but thrown away. It is true, that we are told of the Greek monks, of the isle of Cyprus, teaching cats to hunt the serpents with which the island is infested ; but this may be natural to the animal itself, and they might' nave fallen upon such a pursuit without any instruction. Whatever animal is much weak- er than themselves, is to them an indiscriminate ob- ject of destruction. Birds, young rabbits, hares, rats and mice, bats, moles, toads and frogs, are all equally pursued ; though not, perhaps, equally acceptable. The mouse seems to be their favourite game ; and, although the cat has the sense of smelling in but a mean degree, it, nevertheless, knows those holes in which its prey resides. They will watch a whole day until the mouse appears, tod continue quite motionless until it come within reach, and then seize it with a jtimfi. Of all the marks by which the cat discovers its natural malig- nity, that of playing and sporting with its little captive, before killing it outright, is the most fla- grant. " The fixed inclination which iKcy discover for this peculiar manner of pursuit, arises from the conformation of their eyfes. The pupil in man, and in most other animals, is capable but of a small degree of contraction and dilation, it enlarg(*!s a little in the 4ark, and contracts when the light pours in upon it in too great quantities. In the eyes of cats, however, this contraction and dilatioa of the pupil is so considerable, that the pupil, \vhich, by da;y-light appears narrow and small like the black -of one's nail, by night expands over VOL. I, V u 330 «A*>. the whole surface of the eye-ball^ and^ as every one must have seen, their ejes seem un fire. By this peculiar conformation, their eyes sec better in darkness than light ; and the animal is thus bet- ter adapted for spying out, and surprising its prey. " Although the cat is an inhabitant of our houses, yet it camiot properly be called a dependant ; al- though perfectly tame, yet it acknowledges no obe- dience; on the contrary, it docs only just what it thinks fit, and no art can controul any of its in- clinations. In general, it is but half tamed ; and has its attachments rather to the place in which it resides, than to the inhabitant. If the inhabitant quits the house, the cat still remains ; and if car- f ied elsewhere, seems for a while bewildered with its new situation. It must take time to become ac- quainted with the holes and retreats in which its prey resides, with all the little labyrinths through which they often make good an escape, ** The cat is particularly fearful of water, of cold, and of ill smeHs. It loves to keep in the sun, to get near the fire, and to rub itself against those who carry perfumes. It is excessively fond of some plant8> such as valerian, marum, and cat-mint; against these it rub^!^ smells them at a distance, and, at last, if they be planted in a garden, wearc them out. " This animal eats slowly^ and with difficulty, as its teeth are rather made for tearing, than chew- ing its aliments. For this reason, it loves the most tender food, particularly fish, which it eats as well boiled as raw. Its sleeping is very light ; and it often seems to sleep, the better to deceive its prev. When the cat walks, it treads very softly, and without the least noise ; and as to the neces- 4itiei of oatur^ it 13 cleanly to tlie last degree. CAT. asi Its fur also i^ usuallj sleek and glossy ; and^ for thii reason, the hair is easily electrified, sending forth shining sparks, if rubbed in the dark." The wild cat breeds with the tame ; and, therefore, the latter may be considered only as a variety of the former ; however, they differ in some particulars ; the cat, in its savage state, is some- what larger than the house-cat ; and its fur being longcrj gives it a greater appearance than it really has ; its head is bigger, and face flatter ; the teeth and claws much more formidable ; its mus^ cics very strong, as being formed for rapine ; th*^ tail is of a moderate length, but very thick and flat, marked with alternate bars of black and whitCj the end always black ; the hips, and hind part of the lower joints of the leg, arc alwayn black ; the fur is very soft and fine ; the general colour of these animals, in England, is a yellowish white, mixed with a deep grey. These colours, though they appear at first sight confusedly blend- ed together, yet, on a close inspection, will be found to be disposed like the streaks on the skin of the tiger, pointing from the back downwards, rising froin a black list, that runs from the iicad, along the middle of the back, to the tail. This animal is found in our larger woods ; and is the most destructive of the carnivorous kinds in this king- dom. It inhabits the most mountainous and woody parts of these islands, living mostly in trees, and feeding only by night. It often happens, that the females of the tame kind go into the woods to seek mates among the wild ones. It should seem, that these, however, are not original inhabitants of this kingdom, but were introduced first in a domestic state, and afterwards became wild in the woods, by ill usage or neglect. Certain it is, the cat was an animal much higher in esteem smong our ancestors than it is at present. By the ss^ CAT. laws of Howcl^ the price uf a kiltcn, before it could see was to be u penny ; till it caught a mouse, two-pence ; nnd, when it commenced inouscr, four- pence ; it was required, besides, that it should be perfect in its senses of hearing and seeing, be a good mouser, have the claws whole, and be a good nurse. If it failed in any of theiie qunliticsi, the seller was ^o forfeit to tlie buyer (he third part of its value. If any one stole or killed the cat that guarded the prince's granary, lie was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece, and lamb, or us much wheat as when poured on the cat, suspended by the tail, (the head touching the floor) would form a head high enough to cover the tip of the former. From hence we discover, besides a picture of the simplicity of the times, a strung argument that cuts were not naturally bred in our forests. An animal that could be so easily taken, could never have been rated so highly ; and the {precautions laid down to improve the breed, Mould lave been superfluous, in a creature that multiplies to such an amazing degree. In our climate, we know hut of one variety of the wild cat ; and, from the accounts of tra- vellers, we learn, that there are but very few differences in this quadruped in all parts of the world. The greatest difference, indeed, between the wild and the tame cat, is rather to be found internally than in their outward form. Of all other quadrupeds, the wild cat is, perhaps, that whose intestines are proportionably the smallest ard the shortest. The intestines of the sheep, for instance, unravelled out, and measured according to their length, wiil be found to be above thirty timos the length of its body ; whereas the wild cat's intestines, being measured out, will not be found above three times the lengjth of its body. This is u surprising diflcrencc ; but \\c may iic- CAT. 333 count for it, from the nature of the food in (he two animals ; the one living upon vegetables, vvliich require a longer^ and a more tedious pre- paration, before they can become a part of its body ; the other living upon flesh, which rec^uires very little alteiation, in order to be assimilated into the substance of the creature that feeds upon it. The one, therefore, wanted a long canal for properly digesting and straining its food ; the oilier but a short one, as the food is already pre- pared to pass the usual secretions ; however, a (liiiiculty still remains behind ; the intestines of llic wild, cat are, by pnc-Vaird, shorter than those of the tame. How can we account for this ? If we say that the domestic cat, living upon more nourishing and more plentiful provision, has its intrstines enlarged to the quantity with which it is supplied, we shall find this observation con- tradicted in the wild boar and the wolf, whose intestines are as long as those of the hog or the do|?, though they lead a savage life, and, like the wild cat, are fed by precarious subsistence. • The flhortness, therefore, of the wild cat's intestines, is still unaccounted for; and most naturalists consider the diflicuily as inextricable. We must leave it, therefore, as one of those difliculties which future observation or accident are most lik«?ly to discover. The domestic cat, although it does not exhibit the affectionate attachment of the dog, yet is not des- titute of either gentleness or gratitude.. A very singular example of this is recorded in Mr. Pen- nant's Account of London. Henry Wriothsly, earl of Southampton, the friend and companion ot the earl of Essex in his fatal insurrection, having been some time conflned in the tower, was one day surprised by a visit from his favorite cat ; which. S3^ CAT. •ajs tradition, rcaciieu us master by descending the chimney of his apartment. A physician of Lyons, in July, 1800, was re quested to inquire into a murder that had been committed on the body of a woman of that city. In consequence of this solicitation, he wcnlto the residence of the deceased, where he found her extended lifeless on the floor and weltering in her blood. A large white cat was mounted on the cornice of a cupboard, at the farther end of the apartment, where he seemed to have taken refuge. He sat motionless ; with his eyes fixed on the corpse, and his attitude and looks expressing horror and affright. The following morning, he was found in the same station and attitude ; and when the room was filled with officers of justice, neither the clattering of the soldiers' arms, nor the loud conversation of the company, could in the least degree divert his attention. As soon, however, as the suspected persons were brought in, his eye% glared with increased fury ; his hair bristled ; he darted into the middle of tlie apartment, where he stopped for a moment to gaze at them ; and then precipitately retreated under the bed. The countenances of the assassins were disconcerted ; and they now, for the first time during the whole course of the horrid business, felt tlieir atrocious audacity forsake them. Few animals exhibit more maternal tenderness. or shew a greater attachment to their young, than the cat. The assiduity with which she attends them, and the pleasure which she seems to take ia all their playful tricks, afford a very grateful enr tertainment to every observer of nature. She has also been known not only to nurse with tenderness theyoungof different individuals of h?r own sper cies, but even those of other kinds of animal?. cAt; SSl^ ft My friend " says Mr. White, in liis Natural History of Sclborne" had a little helpless leveret brought to him, which the servants fed with milk from 8 spoon ; and about the same time his cat kittened, and the yonng were dispatched and buried. The hare was soon lost ; and was sup- posed to have been killed by some dng or cat. However, in about a fortnight, as the master was sitting in his garden, in the dusk of the evening, he observed his cat, with tail erect, trotting to- wards him, and calling with little short inward notes of complacency, such as these animals use H)^wards their kittens ; and something gamboling^ after her, which proved to be the leveret, that the cat had nourished with her milk, and continued to support with great affection. Thus was a gra^ aivorous animal nurtured by a carnivorous and predacious one ? This strange affection was pro- bably occasioned by those tender maternal feelings, which the loss of her kittens had awakened ; and by the complacency and ease she derived from the procuring of her teats to be drawn, which were too much distended with milk. From habit, she became as much delighted with this foundling as if it had been her real offspring." " A boy " says the same gentleman" had taken three young squirrels in their nest. These small creatures he put under a cat who had lately lost her kittens ; and found that she nursed and suckled them with the same assiduity and affection as if they had been her own progeny. So many persons went to sec the little squirrels suckled by a cat, (hat the foster-mother became jealous of her charge, and in pain for their safety ; and therefore hid them oVer the ceiling, wliere one died. — This circumstance shewed her affection for these found- lings, and that she supposed the squirrels to bf her own young." n36 AkCORA CAT. Some years ago a sympathy of ibis nature took place^ in the house of Mr. James Greenfield, of Maryland, betwixt a cat and a rat. The cat had kittens, to which she frequently carried mice and other small animals for food ; and among the rest she is supposed to have carried to them a young rat. The kittens, probably not being hungry, played with it ; and when the cat gave suck to theui, the rat likewise sucked her. This having been observed by some of the servants, Mr. Green- field was informed of it. He had the kittens ami rat brought down stairs, and put on the floor ; and in carrying them off, the cat wa» remarked to convey away the young rat as tenderly as she did any or the kittens. " This experiment was repeatod as often as any company came to the house, till great numbers had become eye-witnesses of the preternatural affection. These incidents, it is excellently observed b}- Mr. Bingley, form no bad solution of that strangr circumstance, asserted by grave historians as well as poets, of exposed, children being sometimes nurtured by female wild beasts, that probably had lost their young. For it is no more marvellous that Romulos and Remus, in their infant state, should be nursed by a she wolf ; than that a sucking leveret, a set of young squirrels, or a rat, should be fostered and cherished by a fierce gri- malkin. Angora cat. The Angora cat is a variety of the domestic ■pccies. When M. Sonnini was in Egypt, he had one of them in hie possession for a long time. It vra.» entirely covered with long silky hairs : it$ tail formed a magnificent plume ; which the animal elevated^ at pleasure^ over it» body. Not •neipo daxzlir ofad«i in its r< low, an This of Rian meuts. possesfc soever i advance kindnes? even thai reposed i pany, fo audifJVI kucw wa leiist dist In Soni by his sid md$t of 1 resses exti bim in hii Jiiid tallcc quicti.'de ; peared, si herself to for whom, greatest a fJistance ; ^ini, to fee (rank, and '*»hc posses njost amia ■■■•' ''Si % :, i ••■./*'*'•;.- :■.'. ■ / -y' ■,■%;. -J, ■.•" ■■■ ;'i ". mm: Tnfi length of this animal is two feet and a half; and his tail, which is barred with black, measures only eight inches. His ears are upright and pointed, marked with two brown bars acroii /' '?ll^ -'■ . f •r.'jfi, '■i-t- ... ■V.-. ; irocs: Thccc part 0 markec with n\ legs. are of a He 11 tie aniir of Mea a browr elossjr. 18 long; i Tlic cat \his gpcc '1 (II This C4t, diff particula spots on it is verj woods in breeds on ground, tree. It rapute, a] 4^r-: I'rMSfs: This w end ; its ( {ts chin ifi llso long red, and n tiuct on scarcely v Wct,ai;»^ MOUNTAIN CAT AND LYNX. 339 The colour of the head, and of the whole upper part of the body, is a reddish brown. He is marked with long narrow stripes on the back,, and with numerous round small spots on the sides and legs. His belly is whitish ; his chin and throat arc of a pure w^iite. He inhabits North America ; is a mild and gen- tle animal, and grows very fat. The quauhpecotli of Mexico agrees in nature with this ; but is of a brown or dusky colour, darkest on the back, and dossy. Its feet are black ; the ha,ir on its belly IS long a; d white ; and its tail is thick and long. The cut of New Spain ia considered as a variety of (his species. , ut.i . .. ..,-.*, hM<. < ,., ,-„^, i ? ,; ^j, SeRVAL, or mountain cat. ;'>,«»vifA:| -J( ^ This animal, four times the size of a common C4t, differs widely from the preceding in these particulars : the orbits of its eyes arc white ; the spots on its body universally round. In its nature it is very fierce and untameable. It inhabits the woods in the mountainous parts of India, lives and breeds on trees, and scarcely ever descends to the ground. It leaps with great agility from tree iQ tree. It is called by the natives of Mt^Ubar mat rapute, and by tl^e Tortngue&e the scfvaU.. a... miY-fi*h. ■■■.'■■0 liVNs;. Lxurairj, i*^.v ,i^ Tnis wild cat has also a alioi-t tail, black at its «nd ; its eyes are of a pale yellow ; the hair under {ts chin if long and full ; the hair on its body it |lso long and soft, of an a^h colour, tinged wit^ red, and marked with dus^y 9pots, piore oi^ less dis- tinct on difierent subjects ; in some they are scarcely visible. Its belly is whitish ; its ears are erect, ai[)4 tufted with long black hairs ; these pjc^i^ 'k'i \ "VtKf r- ki\k ITHX. M i <,■.'. tiU of hairs at the fears are characterisiic of the different species of lynxes ; its legs and feet are *reiry thick and itrong. A Russian lynx will measure, iV6m nose to tail, fbur feet fix inches^ while the tail is only six inches loiig. They vary sometimes in their colour. The irbys, from lak^ Blackash, situated to the V«9tof the river Irtish ; as also the katloof the ^^vi^des, is whithihj spotted with black, and larccr than the common kino . This large vn riety is called by the Oermans, wolf-lucks, and kalblucks, on account of its size. ' ■''" " *" ^r^ ' It inhabits the vast forests of the north of Eu- rope, Asia, and America, but not the hot rcgioni of Africa, or of India, though the poets liave harnessed them to the chariot of Bacchus, in hit conquest of that country. The female brings two or three at a time. It is a long lived animal. It climbs trees, and lies in wait for the Acer (hat t)a*s9 under ; drops on them, and sci2ing the jugu- lar vein, soon makes them its prey. It does not Uttack man, but is very destructive t6 the rest d ■the aninTal creation ; since, after sucking the %lood and devouriogthe brains, tt frequently aban- 'dons Us prey., and goes in quest of fresh game. The Airs of these animals are vahis^ble for their softness and warmtii ; but their colour Varies ac- cording to the, seaspn and climate. Numbers of them are annual ty Imported from North America, and the north of Europe, and Asia. The farther Hoi^tli and r.a«;t they are taken, the whiter they are, htMl tlic more distinot the spots. The most elegant ftind is the irbys already mentioned. Their skins ■sell on the spot for one pound sterling each. ,'^? The ancients celebrated the lynx for its great %|l)ickness of si^lit, aad feigned that its uritie was ^converted into a precious stone. Our lynx, though his sight cannot penetrate stone ^alls, has brilliant •AT LYKX. 341 tyti, a mild atpcct> and an ngrcr^blf und uprightly air. His urine is not converted into precioui stones^ though it may chance to full upon such ; but, like the cat, he covers it with earth. lie is generally about the size of a fox. The tkin of the male is more spotted than that of the female. He does not run out like the wolf, but walks and springs like the cat. The wild cats, the pine weasels, the cmrinos, and the Rquirrels, are unable to escape him. He likewise seizes birds when opportunity serves. His fur is mora beautiful and richer io winter than in summer.. IfiU'V '».'■ ')■t,.:( "i-^k" .;,;?«»/ This animal^ about twice the size of a cat, derives its name from the ground colour of its bend, back, and sides, and the exterior parts of its iimbfi, witich are of a bright bay, obscurely marked with dusky spots. Its irides arc yellow ; and the orbits of its eyes arc edged with white ; its tail ii fihort ; its ears arc upright, sharp pointed, and tufted with long black hairs ; its face is marked with black stripes pointing to the nose. On each side of the upper lip, there are three rows of small black spots^ with long stiff hairs issuing out of tliem ; its cheeks are marked with hluck curved stripes ; its cheeks, lips, and lower parts are white ; the inside of the fore legs is marked with two Mack bars, and the upper part of the tail with dusky strokes ; and next the end with ime of deep black ; its tip and under side are white. It is a creature of a strong make, and inhabits tlie inner parts of the province of New Yoi!k. "I .'S'/ •'!.; ..■ iUi ])'!■: a'j> J .,r:^ J:'i-i4 mt CASriAN LMUX. > itiyi>>Hi«| Caspian Lvrtx, on cHAUt. ( .^i^ ^ The heaf^ of this lynx is a little more oY>Ioiig than that ot the common cat. Ita restless shiuing eyes are adorned with a most brilliaot golden pupil : its nose is oblong and bifid ; its whiskers are tcarr<>ly two inches ; its cars are erect, oval, and lined with white hairs ; their outside is reddish and their summits arc tufted with black huir ; its hair is coarser than that of the cat or «,omt<"i i lynx, but less so than that of the wolf; it is siitjt tuU on the head ; but on the back it is two inchra long. Tlie colour of its head and body is, a yel- lowish brown, or dusky ; its breast apd belly are 0i a bright brown, nearly orange ;. it has two obscure transverse dusky bars near the bending of the knee ; its feet are like those of the cat, clothed with hair, and black below ; its tail, thick and cyliudric, reaches only to the flexure of its leg ; it is v,i the saniccolour with the back, tipped with bkwk, and having three black rings near its end. In its general appearance it has the form ot the domestic cat ; its length is two feet six inches ; its tail eleven inches ; its height before ninetcca inches, behind twenty. It is sometimes found so large as to measure three feet. It iiihabits tlie reeds and woods in the marshy parts tha^ border on the western sides of the Caspian Sea. In man- pers, voice, and food, it agrcv.r' with the wild cat; it conceals itaclf during the-' '^' - ' in the .t wanders over the .liooded tra^ .:., m seurcH of prey : it feeds on rata, mice, and birds, but seldom climbs trees; it is exceeding fierce^ ai\,d never frequents the haunts of men. It is so impatient of captivity, that one taken in a trap-, by which it had its leg broken, refused for many days the food placed by H ; J^'tj in its rage, devoured the fractured lir^U PERSIAN LYNX, INO WEASEL TRIBE. 543 Mith pieces of the stakr it was ristcm-d to, and bt'okc.all ita teeth in its niaJ ciToits lo get loose. ■ui'x J-)'; Persian lynx, or c\rkca.l.Z.MsUJ^O^^^ This is the caracal of Buifon, and is nearly of t\ :, ri:.e of a fox ; it has a lenp^thcncd face, and tnvil ')cad ; its cars arc black, very lon^ and iliiider, and terminated with a tuft of black hairs ;
  • of which the tail occupies nearly one half. Its colour is pale red- dish grey, each hair being mottled with brown or mouse colour. The eyes are of a bright red ; the cars almost naked, small, and rounded ; and the nose long and slender. The tail is very thick at the base ; from whence it gradually tapers to almost a point, where it is slightly tufted. The hair is hard and coarse ; and the legs are short. In Egypt, the ichneumon is justly considered as one of the most useful and estimable of animals ; being an inveterate enemy to the serpents, and otiver noxious reptiles which infest the neighbourhood of the torrid zone. It attacks without dread tiiat most fatal of serpents, the cobra di cupel io, or hooded snake ; and when it receives a wound iii the combat, instantly retires, and is said to ob- tain an antidote from some herb, after which it returns to the attack, and seldom fails of victorv. It is a great destroyer of the eggs of crocodiles, which it digs out of the sand ; and even kills multitudes of the young of those terrible creatures, It was not, therefore, without some appearance of reason, that the ancient Egyptians ranked the ichneumon among their deities. It is at present domesticated, and kept inhouics, in lodia and Egypt, where it is found inore useful than tduiecj iity oi like a up lil catchc enemy tract 1 t'-emelj ill sue jury. "l\ on the icJnieun fed it a baked r even tan and folic try, ''One pent aliv stinct wo he was I emotion anger, fo after, he remarkab Jead, seis This essj awakened %; whi "eness he about my among vvh f^ then, h /csted and i »ie found V nr tOYPTlAN ICHNEUMON. S4S short cics, a toDgue I with arbary, roni the is from the tail ale red- h brown jht red ; cd ; and cry thick taper! to Dd. The 1 short. idcrcd as aninialfi ; and other irhood of ead lluit pcUo.or wound iu d to ob- ■vvhich it victorv. ocodiles, vcn Hill* Features. arance of ked the |inhouie«> )Hi useful than a cat in destroying rats and mice. It ig easily tduicd, is very active, and springs with great agi- lity on its prey. It will glide along the ground like a serpent, and seem as if without feet. It sits up like a squirrel, eats from its fore feet, and catches any thing that is flung to it. It is a great enemy to poultry, and will feign itself dead to at- tract them within its reach. It is said to be ex- tremely skilful in seizing the serpent by the throaty ill such a manner as to avoid receiving any in- jury- " I had,** says M. D'Obsonville, in his Essays on the Nature of various foreign Animals, " an ichneumon very young, which 1 brought up. I fed it at first with milk, and afterwards with baked meat, mixed with rice. It soon became, even tamer than a cat ; for it came when called^ and followed me, though at liberty, into the coun- try. " One day I brought him a small watcr-scr- pcnt alive, being desirous to know how far his in- stinct would carry him against a being with which he was hitherto totally unacquainted. His first emotion seemed to be astonishment mixed witb anger, for his hair became erect ; but in an instant after, he slipped behind the reptile, and with a remarkable swiftness and agility leaped upon its head, seized it, and crushed it between his teeth. This essay, and new aliment, seemed to have awakened in him his innate and destructive vora- city ; which, till then,had given way to the gen- tleness he had acquired from his education. I had about my house several curious kinds of fowls, among which he had been brought up, and which^ till then, he had sufitjrcd to go and come unmo- lested and unregarded ; but, a few days after, when id himself alone, he itransrh VO! kllCIll every 346 CAFFR4RIAN WEASEL^ AND ZENIC. one^ ate a little^ and^ as appeared^ drank the blood of two." In a wild state^ the iciineuition is said to fre- quent principally the banks of riyers ; and^ in times of floods to approach the higher grounds and in- habited places in quest of prej. He is reported to swi>n and dive occasionally^ in the manner of an otter ; and to continue beneath the water for a great length of time. His voice is very soft, some. what like a murmur ; but unless the animal is struck or irritated, he never exerts it. When he sleeps, he folds himself up like a ball^ and is not ^dsily awaked. The ichneumons are short lived, but grow Tcrv rapidly. In our temperate climates, they cannot, without great difficulty, be either reared or pre* served. Whatever care be taken, the frosts in- commode them, and they generally fall victims to the change. • ' Caffrarian weasel. I'm Is species in its general foriii resembles t!ie polecat, but is nearly of the length of an otter. Its colour on all parts, except the tip of the tail, which is black, is a miSLture of yellow brown and black, so as to resemble the colour of the aguti, but rather deeper, especially on the -back ; the hair is of a strong and glossy nature ; the feet are blackish ; the cars very short, and coverei with woolly fur. It is a kiative of the Cape of Good Hope. Zenic. This, which is described by Sonnerat, is a Caf- frarian species, ahd is about the site of a water-rat. . coAssii;. 347 The snout is long, and in cadi jaw arc two in ing their noses into the ground. There is no bear- ing the company of a dog that has killed one, for several days, Professor Kalm was one night in great danger of being suffocated by one of them that was pur- sued into a house where he slept. When driven into a house "where cattle are kept, they bellow through pain : indeed they are much disturbed at the sight or smell of any weasel in their stalls. One of these, that was killed in a cellar by a maid servant, so affected her with its stench, that she lay ill for several days ; and all the provisions that were in the place were so tainted, that the owner was obliged to throw them away. "^ Notwithstanding this, the flesh is reckoned jgood meat, and not unlike that of a pig : but it must be skinned as soon as killed, and the blad^ der taken carefully out. The Virginian species, or skunk, is capable of being tamed, and will follow its piaster like a dog, and never emits its vapour except it be terrified. - It breeds in hollow trees, or holes under ground, or in the clefts of rocks. It climbs trees with great agility, kills poultry, eats eggs, and dei* trOys birds. Striated or stripep weasel. This striped species of the weasel is about the size of an European polecat, out his back is more arched ; its ears are rounded ; its head, neck, belly, legs, and tail, arc black ; its back and sides are marked with five parallel white lines ; there is one on the top of the back, and two on each side ; the second extends some way up the tail, which eOMEPATLj CHINCHE, &C. S49 is long and bushy towards the end ; but it variei in the disposition of its stripes. It inhabits North America. When attacked^ it bristles up its hair^ and flings its body into a round form ; its vapour, like that of the last, is horrid. Du Pratz says that the male is of a shining black. : i ' ; ' ' ■ "j ' 1^' "^ '■ CONEPATL. ^ '' ••■' • ^ ■* - < Of this species very little more than its mere name and descriptive character seems to be known. It is a native of New Spain/ and perhaps maybe nothing more tlian a variety of the preceding. :■■■'■' ■=:".- ChiNCHE Is rather smaller than the former species. It has a broad bed of white on the back, divided by a stripe of black. Its manners resemble the two former. :^' •' '■■'' ■■ ■■'- ■■'' -' - ''> J - .'■ •' ZORILLA. ' ■ i^i ? ?/( This is the annas of the Indians^ the zorrinas of the Spaniards. Its back and sides are marked with short stripes of black and white, but the latter is tinged with yellow ; its tail is long and bushy, part white and part black ; its legs and belly are black. In size it is less than the pre- ceding. It inhabits Peru, and other parts of South America. Its pestilential vapour overcomes even the American panther, and stupifics that for- midable enemy. *■ >; ' '•'• • ' y > . . . -, ■ ••• : ; ' . '' Chinge. r : .- i' •''■ This, arcording to Molina, its first dcscriber, sc<;i;is in shape and gcrrcfai form to resemble the SoO MAPyniTO^ AND CAPB WSASEl. Cbinchc,9r Vivcrra Mcphitica ; but ii of a black colour^ with n changeable cast of blue, and has ^lung: the back a row of round white spots reach- ing from head to tail. The head is long ; the cars Urge« well covered with hair^ and pendulous : the hind legs longer than the fore. It is a native of Chili. It generally carries its head low, its back arched, and its tail, which is very busby, spread over its back like that of a squirrel, tu its manners and vapour it is said to agree with those before described. Molina affirms that the fame proceeds from a certain greenish oil, ejected from a follicle or receptacle near the tail. The Indians are said to value the skin of this species on account of its beauty, and to use it for various purposes. ■b: Mapuhito. This is said to measure twenty inchcn to the set ;; when he will sit and hold one of his paws before his eyes, in order to modify the rays of the sun> aad at the same time to procure a distinct view of the object of his pursuit : and when, in conse- ((uence of peering in this manner on each side of his paw, opposite to the sun, he sees any bees fly, he knows that they are at this time going straight to their own habitation, and cossequently takes £2rc tokticp in the same direction, in order to find $52 HONEY WEASEL. tlicm. He haS| bcsidosi, tlic saguriiy to follow the cuculus indicator, a little bird, which flies on, hy degrees, with a peculiar aad alluring note, and guides him to the bces'-nests. As the ratel's hairs are stiflf and harsli, so its hide in tough^ and the animal itself difficult to kill. The Colonists and Hottentots both assert, that it is almost impossible to kill this creature, with- out giving it a great number of violent blows oii the nos^ ; on which account they usually destroy it by shooting it, or by plunging a knife into its body. The sliortness of his legs will not permit him to make his escape by flight, when pursued by the hounds. He is able, however, somdiincs to extricate himself from their clutches, by l)iting and scratch int]^ tlicm in a most terrible ir.auncr: "while, on the of her hand, he is perfectly well defended from the assaults of their teelh bv the toughness of his hide ; for, when a huiiiKJ rndoa> vours to bite bin:, it can lay hold only on lliis part, which instintly separales from the creature's body or flesh, as it is reported to lie loose from the skin, as within a sack ; so that, when any one catches hold of him by the hind part of his neck, and that even pretty near his head, he can turn round, as it wore, in his skin, and bite the arm that bei/es liiiu. It if a remarkable circumstance, that such a ituinbcr of hounds as are able collectively to tear in pieces a lion of moderate size, arc said to be soiuctimcs obliged to leave the ratel dead in appearaiici; only. Is it not, therefore, probable, that nature, which neemsto have destined the ratel for the destruction of bees, may have bestowed on it a hide so much tougher than those she has given to other animals of the viverra kind, for the purpose of defending it from the stings of these insects ? Those bees'-nests that are built in trees, are in uo dansrec whatever from the ratel. In the fir&t €1 VJBl T , irwBirArf nr.iHiMMirMd&K' . <: %4 ■*.».- transports o yv;- •. T^ f -.,..' •-./-'l:^ H bees in vain trees ; and bitants of i ""^ M found there. ,'^*' I man, " liav( w* „.y*,,, I these proper obtained vai "^'i' ^ exactly corrt The civet and has a tail The ground i fiilly marked The hair is up, so as to Ihickish ; am Thrc^ black end at the th ijitbcdarfc. (Jf Africa am I temperate regi Jperfect health k ' \'^ • . ^L, ■''cry prolific. I* ..<4/ \. ^■'^'' . I « '8 active i^v^A V' .^ ' B^^at, and runnii ' '*" ' ' naninmlsr but ty surprise ; a tions atmong pc into a fartn-yai often roll itsc before eating. Poupe, was, frc |«pt without 1 VOL, I. »s. * ,f '^^ • »ft CIYET. 3b3 transports of his ra2:c, at having- sOught iftcr these bees in vain, he gnuv^s and bites the trunks of Uie trees ; and these bites are sure marks t nr thr inha- bitants of the country that a bees' nest is to be foiuul there. " I should myself/' says Dr. Sparr- maUj " have entertained many doubts concerning these properties attributed to the ratal, had I not obtained various accounts of this curious aninlal/ exactly corresponding with each other, from many experienced farmers and Hottentots, living ia di^> iifrent parts of the Cape of Good Hope." » Civet. l/j^rsjaLA^svvrrji. The civet is somevthat more than two feet long, and has a tail about half the length of its body. The ground colour is yellowish ash grey, beauti« fully marked with large blackish or dusky spots. The hair is coarse ; and along the back standi up, so as to form a sort of mane. The body is thickish ; and the nose sharp, and black at the tip. Thrc^ black stripes proceed from' each car, and end at the throat and shotilders. Th6 eyes shin in the dark. It is an inhabitant of several parts of Africa and India ; and will not breed in more temperate regions, though' it lives and appears iir perfect health iii them ; iu its Own climate it is m prolific. • : .. ^ , , It is active dnd nimble ; jumping arbout like a' imt, and running very swiftly. H feeds on small inimals ; but particularly on birds, which it takos by surprise j*^ and it sometimes^ comtnits depreda- tions aimong poirltry, when it cari steal anperceived into a farm-yard . It is very voracious ; and will often roll itself, for a minute or two, on itsmeatj jbefore eating. One that Barbot had at Guada* joupe, was, from the carelessness of the servant, |kept without food for a whole day ; the auimai. VOL, I. z z 334 CITET. on the following morning, gnawed his way through the cage in which he was kept, came iiitt) the room where M. Barbot was writing, and, itarinr ubout with his sparkling ejes for a few seconds, made a leap of five or six feet at a fine American parrot, that was perched on a piece of wood put into the wall for the purpose. Before his master could run to the relief of the bird, the civet had torn oflf its head, and begun to feast him- •elf on his prey. Though the civet is naturally ■avage, it is capable of being tamed, and rendered tolerably familiar. Its voice is stronger than that of a cat, and somewhat resembles the cry of an en- raged dog. This animal is remarkable for the production of j the drug called civet, sometimes erroneously cou- foundcd with rnunk. This substance is a secretion, formed in a large double glandular receptacle, situated at some little distance beneath the tail, and which the creature empties spontaneously. Thej Dutch' keep great numbers alive at Amsterdam, for the purpose of collecting the drug from them. When a suflicient time for the secretion has been I allowed, the animal is put into a long wooden cage, [ so narrow that it cannot turn itself round. The cage being opened by a door behind, a small spoon, I or spatula, is iiitroduced through the orifice of the pouch, which is carefully scraped and its con- tents put into a proper vessel. This operation isl performed twice or thrice a week ; and the animal is said always to produce the most civet after being irritated. The qiiuntijty depends in. a great measure also on the quality of the nourishnacnt | which it takes, and the appetite with which it eats, In confineincjit, its favorite food is boiled meat, I eggs, birds^ and small animals, and particularly fish. .,, :< While the French army was in Egypt, the king ZIBET. S5j of DBr*f£lr tent four civets to the generals ; and loine information was at the same time acquired respecting the reatmcnt of the animals in that country. Since very few of them are found there^ and these few are brought from a great distance, the inhabitants have found it expedient to adopt lofue modes of increasing the produce of the civet. They introduce into the ba^ a small quantity of butter or other fat ; then snake the animal vio- lently, and by beating, irritate and enrage it as much as possible. This, they say, greatly accele- rates the secretion ; and the fat also by these mevis imbibes so much of the civet, that the women of Dar-fur use it upon their hair. i»;-' i- ZlBI^T. This, which was figured as a variety by Gcsner^ and more precisely discriminated by Buifon, seems (o be considered by modern naturalists as a dis- tinct species ; Mr. Pennant, however, even in his last edition, still regards it as the same with i\\e prc- I ceding, from which, indeed, it seems to differ in so few particulars, as still to leave the determination difficult. The zibet is chiefly found in the Indian islands. Its general aspect is the same with the former spe- cies, but its snout is somewhat sharper, its tail longer, and, instead of being black or dusky, with merely a few whitish patches at the base, is strongly semi-annulated, or banded with alternate black and white stripes ; there is no perceptible niane on the back, nor any large brown or blackish I patch under the eyes as in the former animal ; the liair also is shorter and softer than in the precer iliiig kind, and the variegations arc more disposed jin the form of undulations than spots, especially I on the limbs. In short, this species may be calle^i 356 TIlREE-STIllPED WEASEL, AND GENZT, the Indian, and ihc former the African civet cat. In disposition and manners thej both seem to agree, as well as in tlic secretion of the perfume before described, which is collected from both ani- mals in the same manner. Three-striped weasel. This species is described by Mr. Schreber from Dr. Pallas. Its size is between that of the civet and the genet ; its colour is a dark ash grey, with three black dorsal stripes ; the snout and face beyond the eyes, the throat and the feet are black; the tip of the tail black also ; beneath the eyes is a whitish spot, and the underside of the body is lighter than the upper. It is a native of Barbary. Genet. {rJBJ/Tuz^^l/h^AZzr. The ears of the genet are a little pointed ; llie body is slender, and the tail very long. The co- lour of the body is a pale tawny, spotted with black ; and the ridge of the back is marked with a black line ; the tail is annuhitcd with black and tawny, and the {vet are black; sometimes the ground colour of the hair inclines to grey. It is ^ about the size of a marten, but the fur is shorter, It inhabits Turkey, Syria, and Spain. It fre- quents the banks of rivers and rivulets, and other moist places ; BufFon says there are some found in the southern provinces of France. They smell faintly of musk, and, like the civet, have an orifice beneath the tail. They are kept tame in the houses at Constantinople, and are use- ful as cats, for the purpose of catching mice rOBSANE, AND FOUR-TOED WEASEL. 357 FOSSANE. The fossanc weasel has a slender bodv^ rounded cars, and black eyes ; its back and legs arc covered mih cinereous hair^ mixed with tawny ; the sides of its face arc black. From the hind part of the hcad^ four black lines are extended towards the back and shoulders ; the tail is semi-annulated with black ; the whole under side of the body is of a dirty white. It inhabits Madagascar and Guinea^ Cochin China, and the Philippine isles. It is a fierce creature. FoUR-TOED WEASEL. This is the surikatc of Buifon, a weasel with a very sharp-pointed nose, depressed head, inflated cheeks, and a long upper jaw ; it has black whiskers, arising from warty tubera ; its iridcs are dusky ; the space about its eyes is black ; its ears are small, rounded, and bhack, and lie close to the head ; its tongue is oblong, blunt, and rough ; it has six small cutting teeth, two long canine teeth in each jaw, and five grinders on each side ; its back is very broad, and a little convex ; its belly is broad and 0at ; its legs arc short ; its feet small and naked at the bottom, with four toes on each. The claws on the fore feet are long, like those of the badger ; those on the hind feet are short. Its hair is brown near the bottom, black near the ends, and hoary at the points ; that on the back is undulated or wavy ; the inside of its legs a yel- lowish brown ; its tail is tufted with black. It is eleven inches long ; its tail, which is thick at the ^ase, ending pretty abrupt, measures ei^ht inches. S58 YELLOW WEASEL. It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, where it Is called inccr-r^t. It feeds ou flesh, prejs on mice, and is a gre.it esicniv to bl attfe. Like the squirrel, it employs ils fore paws to coavcy iU victuals to its moulij, aiui laps water like a dog : it in much in motion, and always makes a grunting iioigc. It utters two kinds .of sounds : when uneasy' cr disturbed, it barks like a young dog ; when pleased, it emits a sound like that of a small rattle in ra- pid motion. It may be tamed ; but it biteg those whose smell it finds disagTceable. It sita quite erect, dropping its fore legs on its breast, and moving its head with great (ase, ag if on a pivot, and appearing as if it lifiteiitd, or had just spied something new. AVhi-n }> leased, it makes a rattling noise with its tail ; f<;r which reason the Dutch at the Cape, call it Khipper-uiaus. It is also found in Java, where the Javanese stile it jupe ; the Dutch fiuracatje. Yellow OR prehjensile weasel. This p])ccieshas a short dusky nose, and small eyes, its ears arc short, bread, and flapping, and placed at a great distance from each other; its head is flat and broad, and its cheeks swell out; its tont:,uo is very loiig ; its legs and thighs arc short, and very thick. It has tive toes on eacli fofit, sri;ari!itd, i\vx\ standing all forward ; its chiws aie lai-^e, a little hooked, and of a flesh- colour ; its hair is shorf, close, soft, and gloss); on th<^ liead, back, and sides, it conjsists of a mix- ture of yeiiow and black; its cheeks, belly, and the inside of its leji:s, are vellow. Half wav down tlic middle of its belly there is adufcky list, ending at the tail ; and another along the middle of tlid back to the tail ; the tail itself is of a briglit tav/ny, mixed with black ; it is round, and bus tliel MEXICAN WEASEL. S59 same prehensile faculty with that of the sapnjous. The body measures nineteen iiichcs^ the tail seven- teen. There was one shewn some years ago in London. Its keeper said it came from the mountains of Jamaica^ and called it a potto^ the name given by some writers to a species of sloth found in Guinoa. It was very good-natured and sportive, and would catch hold of any thing, and suspend itself by its tail. It lay with its head under its legs and belly. . , - i' Mexican weasel, or kinkajou. The Mexican weasel has a short dusky noscj a [tongue of vast length, and small eyes, encircled with a dusky colour ; its ears are short, rounded, aad placed very distant from each other ; its hair is short. On the head, the upper part of the body, and the tail, the colours arc yellow, grey, and black intermixed ; the throat and inside of the legs of a lively yellow ; the belly is of a dirty white, tinged with yellow ; its toes are separated; the claws crooked, white, and guttered beneath. This animal is about two feet four inches long ; lits tail near one foot three. The tail is taper, Icovcred with hair, except beneath, near the end, Iwhereit is naked, and of a fine flesh colour. It is lextremely like the former, but larger in all its parts. iLikc the former, it has a prehensile tail, and is [naturally very good-natured. It goes to sleep at Itlie approach of day, wakes towards night, and Ibeconics very lively. It makes use of its feet to jcatch any thing, and has many of the actions of h monkey. It cats like a squirrel, holding its jlood in its hands. It has a variety of cries during pc night : one like the low barking of a dog ; its S60 nRASILIAN^ AND FACIATED WEASEL. plaintive note is cooing' like a dove ; its menacing", hissini^ like a goose or a serpent ; its angry cry is confused. It is very fond of sugar, and all sweet things ; it eats fruits and vegetables of all kinds; it will fly at poultry, catch them under the viing, suck the blood, and leave them without tearing them. It prefers a duck to a pullet; yet hates the water. • Brasilian weasel, or coati-mondi. The Brasilian weasel has the upper jaw length- ened into a pliant, moveable proboscis ; it is much longer than the lower jaw. Its ears are round, its eyes small, its hose dusky ; its hair is of a bright bay colour, and is smooth, soft, and g^lossy. I!; ■■'%■ .Jf; l!»> .•3i,=<^-?,'*i.' :-i ■fc •?^,i: 'jii* ty of the tliose of I has two sides is and tipt Ics of its foet arc k and dusky I wit!i ac distinct ■ .^ ■U'} ,■,!■■ ,/ 11 res tw(j| iDcbdl hong ; it ha miiie inferi Iteetli in each jrtrong' crooI< ■even and cl lalmoat as loi llike that of a Ireddish hairs Ibody. This ■with reddish legs, and feet pre six bands licginning at t fhe body to t po others, \ Heaved, as it ^ knd terminate pnd beneath i m over the t lellow colour, Jomc views, Nive of India Mons. Soni: This is a nil loimals which jonnerat. He k and that i p Thfwhi W the upper p.i nail and rount p in numbei Pe topi of the fund black spr Minaliy; thei |"P>ls, in some v '«*<• I. ai ~MiAlAAC CAJW^^MJbS^TLa^ MALACCA "WtknEtm S6l lon^ ; it has two cutting teeth in each Jaw ; those of the inferior being the strongest ; sixteen canine I teeth in each jaw ; five toes on each foot^ with I strong crooked claws ; bodj long, covered withf ■even and close hair ; legs short ; tail dleAder; lalmost as long as the body ; and ending in a point/ llike that of a cat ; it ia marked with Mack and [reddish hairs, which are longer thda those of the Ibody. This creatuu; id of a grey colour, tinged Iwith reddish at the lower partsof the head, neck, jlegs, and feet ; the belly is white. On the body arc six bands of black, four of which are i^traight/ licginning at the back of the head, and going along Ihe body to the tail, where they ternimate ; the kffo others, which are on each side the body, ar6 vavcd, as it were ; they begin at the shoulders/ bd terminate by rounding olf on the hind parts ; Bod beneath their termination is a smaller bifid m. over the thigh. The eyes are lively, and of at lellow colour, with a cast of red ; the papil, in' |omc views, appearing oblong. This species is a: pative of India, and was first described and figured |)y Mens. Sonnerat. . Malacca weasel. This is a nUtird of Malacca, and one of those [oimals which we owe to the assiduity of Mons. fonncrat. He says it is of the size of a domestic jat, and that it has the same ch^tracter and man- |«rl The whole animal is of a pearl grey, deepest In the upper parts ; tlie snout is' longish ; the cars nalt and round, and the limbs short; the claws fvc in number, weak, crooked, and retractile^ fhc topi of the head is black ; and it has four ,> Dund black spots above each eye, situated lonei^-^4|^ udinally ; their eyes are small and black, th|4*:**^^ >^ « -^ Is, in some views, objong. Oyer the neck rui» '^ )L. i. 3 A ^ $$i tavAv. ihwG IjOnffUudinal bUck bandf, coramoncing be* ^ind the^ead, and termination at the shouldcri; 9ild throe other bands commeace over the loins, and ter>rainai<^ at th,e tail; there is also another band l^i^WUDg along the middle of the belly. On each ^^A the bcUjr and thighs are thirty round block ^Qtn, sjtmmetrically arranged in rows, tIz. three I Kows on eachside, and one over the back ; the taiU ^ijch i^ loneer than the body, is mackod with a SOsaA ipAay aUcmatc black and grey circles. From m 9ho\e description, aa well as from Sonnetat'i ^gurc, it appcara that this animal is much allied t^ the genet and the fossane. Mens. Sonnerat tells flA it Uvea by chace ; and is rery nimble io floloupting Ivees, &c. It is a fierce creature, and if bjQly. wjounded when shot at, will turn back and! a^tiek the ae^ssor. It diffuses a powerful musky ciidour,. which irowing'to a peculiar receptacle like that of the civet cat, and some others of this geniu. The Malays collect the fluid thus secreted, and pjrctcnd that it is stimulant and stomachic. It ii| much esteemed for these qualities hj the Chiocie, n^o purchase it of the Malays. TouAic. Tftjis is a very small species, less than tlie com* rqpn.weasely and is a native of Cayenne, living in hollow treeSj and feeding on worms and insect». The tipper pari of the snout, the head, and thi viehole body, a? far as the tail, is blackish ; tm tid0s of the body and limbs, bright ferruginous; ^d the lowqr parts, from throat to tail^ wbiie/| tbetail towards the tip is. baro. QuiQUi^ cuJA^ ANir^ OTTfeo #k4^H. i)dd Titis specici inhabits Chili, livihg undbr-t^t»iind {lod feeding on niice« &c. It is principiilfy difl- (inguisbcd by its cuneiform or wcdgc-shapcd snout { the cars arc short and round, with a white spot m the middle, the \eei and tail short, like thoie of i I lizard : the length of the sniiDal (torn noit to ttti| I ii thirteen inches. CUJA. This animal is said by Molina to hftT6 a greil liesemblance, in shape, manners, and teeth, to a ferret ; but has blatk haiir and eyes, and a turn-up iDOut ; the tail is as long as the "^body, and' very fliU of hai^. It is a native of Chili, andprcjf on tticc. It breeds twice a year, and h«i ihi6t ot four \fmg at ic time. SPOTtED WEASEL. This, which is described in Governor Phillipi^ I Voyage to Botany Bay, is said to be of the size of la large polecat, measuring eighteen inches .front Inose to tail, and the tail nearly as much ; the visagjB lis^of a pointed shape, and the form of the whole lanimal such as not ill to resemble that of the Ifossane. The colour is said to be black, marked lall over, the tail not excepted, with irregular Iblotches of white j the tail is represented as thin, land gradually tapering to the end j; the whiskers jveiy long, ard the general appearance of the ani-* nal such as te resemble the viverrine opossum ip Jmost particulai.^, except iu tho appear^ape of thp $6>lc ;i|^LOTCHED WEASEL, AND EBMINB/ Blotched^ or tigerine weasel. The blotched weasel takes its name from the irregular spots of deep bro>yn scattered on its sides^ legs, and th^^lis^ which arc of ^ jc)lo>yish white; it has a round head, a short nose, pointed cars, ami white whiskers ; its nose and chcckstare of a)'€l* Ipwish white, with a round black spot on each side of the no^e and a dusky line down the middle of the forehead ; its back, and the outside of its limbi, are of a reddish brown ; its tail is of the same colour, as long as the body, and marked spirallj Dear the end with black. ! Ermin Alir^tlA JE!rm I , I though said to be originally brought; from AfricA isto Spain, which beii j; a country abounding ia rabbits, required .a animal of this kind more than any other ; however this he, it is not to be found at present among us, except in its domestic itate ; and it is chiefly kept tame for the purposes I of the warren. The ferret is about one foot long, being nearly I four inches longer than the weasel. It resembles that animal in the slcnderncss of its body, and the shortness of its legs; but its nose is sharper, and its body more slender in proportion to its length. The ferret is commonly of a cream colour ; but they are also found of all the colours of the weasel kind ; white, blackish, brown, and parti-coloured<. Those that are of. the whitish kind, have their eyes, fed, as is almost general with all animals entirely lofthot colour. But its principal distincticn from: 368 FERRET. the weasel, is the length of the hair on its tail, whic)i| is much longer in the ferret than in the weasel. As this animal is a native of the torrid zone, sol it cannot bear the rigours of our climate withuiit| care and shelter ; and it generally repays the trou' ble of its keeping, by its great agility in the war* pen. It is naturally such an enemy of the rabbitl kind, that if a dead rabbit be presented to a youngj ferret, although it has never seen one before, it in- stantly attacks and bites it with an appearance of| rapacity. If the rabbit be living, the ferret is- still more eager, seizes it by the neck, winds itselfl round it, and continues to suck its blood, till itbe| satiated. Their chief use in warrens is to enter the hole!,! and drive the rabbits into a net prepared for thcml at the mouth. For this purpose, the ferret iij muzzled ; otherwise,* instead of driving out the rabbit, it would content itself with killing and sucking its blood at the bottom of the hole ; but, by this contrivance, being rendered unable to sciid its prey, the rabbit escapes from its claws, and in- stantly makes to the mouth of the hole with such precipitation, that it is inextricably entangled in the net placed there for its reception. It often happens, however, that the ferret disengages itselfl of its muzzle, and then it is most commOnly lostJ finlcss it be dug out ; for, finding all its wants satisfied in the warren, it never thinks of returning to the owner, but continues to lead a rapacious solitary life while the summer continues, and dies with the cold of the winter. In order m bring the ferret from his hole, the owners often burn straw and other substances at the mouth ; thev also bdat above to terrify it ; but this does not] always succeed ; for as there are often several is- sues to caph hole, tlie ferret is affected neither bH the noise uorthc smokcj but Continues secure at I POLECAT. 369 turning pacious es, and rder to ■s often Ih ; thcT Iocs iwt| Icral is- Itlierliyl ;urc ai I the bottom, sleeping the greatest part of the time, and waking only to satisfy the calls of hunger. They are tisually kept in boxes/ with wool/ of I which they make themselves a warm bed, that Lprves to defend them from the rigour of the cli- mate. They sleep almost continually; and the instant they awalie, they seem eager for food. ThcJy are usually fed with bread and milk. They breed twice a year Some of them devour their young as soon 5js brought forth, and then become fit for the male again. Their number is tisually from five to six at a litter ; and this is said to consi;st of more females than males. Upon the wholO/ this is an useful, but a disagreablc and oftensive laninial ; its scent is fetid, its nature voi:acious, lit is tame wiihout any attachment, and such is its lappetite for blood, that it has been known to latlack and kill children in the cradle. It is very easy Iti) 1)0 irritated ; and, although at all times its smell i,^ Ivirvoilcnsive, it then is much more so ; and its |liilo is very difficult of cure. Polecat^ The polecat. is larger than the \Vea;8cl, th6 lerminc, Or the ferret, being one foot five ihches- long ; whereas,- the weasel is but six inches, the lermiiic nine, and the ferret ejeven inches. It so nnch resembles the ferret in form, that some have )oen of opinion they were one and the same animal ; pcvertholeSs, there are a sufficient number of dis- jlinctioiis between them ; it is, \i\ the first place, prgor than the ferret ; it is not quite go slender, and lias a blunter nose ; it diftcrs also internally, pving but fourteen rfbs, whereas tke ferret has pftecii; and wants one of the breast boncs> which >uiid in the ferret : however, warreners assert, iiiat the polecat will mix with the ferKC't ; uud VOL. \, 3 B «70 I'OIECA*. •iR. they arc sometimes obliged to procure an iukt. course between these two animals^ to improve the I breed of the latter^ which, by long confinement J is somctitnes seen to abate of its rapacious disposj. tion. Howevfer this be, the polecat iiecms bv inuch f be more pleasing animal of the two ; fur afthoiigh the long slender shape of all these vermin tribeJ gives them a very disagreeable appearance, yet the I softness and colour of the hair in some of thim atones for the defect, and renders them, if not I pretty, at least not frightful. The polecat, for the most part, is of a deep chocolate colour ; it is white about the mouth ; the cars arc short, roundedj and tipped with white ; a little beyond the corners | of the mouth, a stripe begins, wliicli runs back- ward, partly white and partly yellow. It is very destructive to young game of all kind^vA but the rabbit seems to be its favourite prov;aj single polecat is often snffiiient to destroy a wiioWl warren ; for, with that insatiable thirst for bloodl which is natural to all the. weasel kind, it kilhl much more than it can devour ; and I have siral twenty rabbits at a time taken out dead, wliid they had destroyed, and that by a wound whichi was hardly perceptible. Their size, however,! which is so much larger than the weasel, rcndcril their retreats rienr houses much more precarious;! although I have seen them burrow near a village,! so as scarcely to be extirpated. But, in general,! they reside in woods or thick brakes, making holes I under ground of about two yards .deep, commonlj! endiiig among the roots of large trees, for grcaterj security. In winter they frequent houses, and! make a common practice of robbing the hen-roortj and the dairy. The polecat is particularly destructive amongl |>igwvru> when it gets into a doT^-housc ; withouil POLECAT. S7J making so mucli noise as the weasel, it docs a great deal more mischief ; it dispatches with a single wound in the heatN; aiidV'''ftf4:br killing a great number, and satiating itself with their blood, it then begins to think of currying them home. This it carefully performs, going and rcturniiiff, and bringing them one by one to its hole ; but ||f it should happen that the opening by which it got into the dove-house be not large enough for the body of the pigeon to get through, this raischiey- 0U9 creature contents itself with carrying away the heads, and makes a most delicious feast on the brainx, fi * "ot less fond of honey ; attacking the hives inv ', and forcing the bees away. It docs not rein..t,t. far from houses in winter, as its prej i» not so easily found in the woods during that irason. The female brings forth her young in luiiimer, to the number of five or six at a time ; these she ?oon trains to her own rapacious bfibits, supplying the want of milk, which no carnivorous quadruped h»»s in plenty, with the blood of such animals as she happens to seize. The fur of this animal is considered as soft and warm ; yet it is in less estimation than some of a wurh inferior kind, from its ofiensive smell, which can never be wholly removed or suppressed. The polecat seems to be an inhabitant of the temperate climates, scarce any being found towards the North, and but very few in the warmer latitudes. The species appear to be confined in Europe, from Poland to Italy. It is certain that these animals fire afraid of the cold, as they are often seen to come into houses in wiutor, and as their .tracks arc never found in th,e snow near their retreats. It is probable also, that they are afraid of heat, as thoy are but thinly scifttcj:c4 ia the Southern clj • O .S7« J\f 4rst ploasinuj ptMl'iimr. 'V\w niarlni, III (ihor<, is the iiiosi Imiutit'ii! of all Drifish \h\isU\ of \)\'cy ; \iA head is small, and t'lrt!;anlii(( large, and sharp, well adapted for the purpose climbing ; but, like others of the weasel kind. capable of being sheathed or unsheathe«l at pici-j Bure ; the throat and breast are wliite : the l)i of the same colour with the back, but ra(lirr| ^)alcr ; the hair on the tail is very long, especia lit the end, where it appears much thicker tiiaii| near the insertion. Of all animals of the weasel kind, the martrn isj S Ot in- 10 w ions scarce an am- the most pleasing ; all its mot grace as well as agility ; and there inal in our woods (hat will ventiire to oppose it.l The instant the marten linds itself pursued ^.vj dogs, for which purpose there is a peculiar brwl lABLC. 373 Ihflficeinflt for tliii rhaso only, it immcdiattly nmkcM to jlH rclrciat^ whit h is gciicrullv in the iiol- |lowof lomctroo, lowardtj the lop, mul wliich it is iinossiblc to conic at without ciittin^^ it down. TheKc animalH aro j'ound in all tho Northern ||ar(Mof the world, troni Siberia to China and Ca- liiiida. In every country they are liunted fur tli«;ir fiirs, which are very valuable, and chiefly so wheis taken in the l)eg;inning of winter. The inotil ch- iccnied part of the marten's skin is that part [of it which is browner than the rest, and stretches ilonp the back bone. Above twelve thousand of Itheso skins are annually imported into England Ifrom Hudson's bay, and above thirty thousand Ibni Canada. Sable. The flablc is a native of North Amciica, Siberia., Kamlschatka, and Asiatic Russia. It is about eighteen inches in length ; and has a '.ongish and rather sharpened head. Its general colour is a deep glossy brown. The skin of the sable is more valuable than that of any other Animal. One of these, not above four K's broad, has sometimes been valued as high as (ift(vn pounds ; l)nt the general price is from pim|;ound to iM\, according to their quality. The 'jabloH lur is difforent from all others, in the hair iiiriiiiig with equal case either way. The bellies fsibles, which arc sold in pairs, are about two iigfrs in breadth ; and arc tied together in bundles f forty pieces, which are sold at from one to two ounds a bmidle. The tails are sold by the hun»- red, at from four to eight pounds. I'bo manner in which the na-tivcs of Karri'tschatka fake these animals is very sinip!t% T'ley follow 374 SABLZ. tlic track of the sablc^ in snow shoos, till they liave detected his covert, which is generally a burrow m the earth. As soon as the little creature is aware of his pursuers, he escapes into some hollow tree; w^hich the hinifcrs surround with a net, and then either cat it entirely down, op force the animal by fire and smoke to abandon his retreat, when he falls into the net and is killed. They sometimes surround the tree in which a sable is lodged, with dogs trained for the purpose ; and then, makiuga running noose on a pretty strong cord, find meam to get the creature's head into the snare, and thm haul him down an easy prey. In other parts, where these animals are less com> mon, tt:o contrivances to take them are more artifi- cial. Of this kind is the sable-trap of the Vogulcg, which is used in several parts of Siberia : — a place is found vvhereftwOvyoung trec^ $t»nd not far asun- der. Tjicse are iuAUcdiately stripped of thcirj branches about the bottom ; and near one of them a post is stuck into the ground, on which a beam Is placed horizontally, so fastened to both treei, that one end of it lies between the post and mi tree. Over this beam another is laid, as a trap- fall ; at the end of which a thin support is putJ which, when the trap -fall is up, stands overtbe notched end of the post. At the extremity of the support is a mat-string, and another at the lower] transverse beam, tied very short. Both are broughl together ; and a stick is put through them, having| at its lower extremity a piece of flesh or wild fowl attached, which, by its preponderance, keeps tin stick down, and thus holds the two strings together; The sable creeps cautiously along tb j lower beam, ' till he can reach the bait, and pull it to him; tliif looses the stick to which the bait 's tied, and l)j which the strings were held together ; tiw stay siipj its hold, an< upon the she fast. Sables fre thickest part; under ground trees ; but t sisting of m hollows of ire l>P"ng, and p 'In winter the I but in the sun: devour hares, |a.iima)s. The sable is with great ag birds or squirr fruits and berr «nimals tha* I cated. WheiH on their hinri f< MK they w< pit during the they generally '«" hour, that tl ven pricked, m The chase of ant, was, durii he Russian em appy exiles wh i'O; as well as i io furnish, with I furs ; but opulous, (he »'^^ed if, atid r( to the {]panrf <•,>, SABLE. 573 trap-] is put )ver tbe of thel le lower] )rouglii havingl ild fo^/ 3cps Ibi )getlicr |r beam n; thi! and b; [ay Slip' its hold, and consequently the upper beam faPa upon the shoulders of the aniniul, and hulds him fast. Sables frequent the banks of riverS;, atjd Ihc thickest parts of the woods. They live in ho^ under ground, and especially under the roots of trees ; but they sometimes make their nest (con- sisting of moss, small twigs, and grass) in the hollows of trees. The female brings forth in the jpring, and produces from three to five at a time. In winter they live on berries of different kinds; but in the summer tin^.e, before these are ripe^ they devour hares, weasels, ermines, and other small animals. The sable is a lively and active animal ; and Isapa with great agility from tree to tree, in pursuit of birds or squirrels. It is said to feed also on wild fruits and berries. M. Gmelin saw two of these lanimals that had been in some measure domesti-^ cated. Whenever they saw a cat, they would rise on their hind feet to prepare for a combat. In the night, they were extremely restless and active ; but during the day, and particularly after eating, tbey generally slept so sound for half an hour, or jan hour, that they might be pushed, shaken, and iven pricked, without being awakened. The chase of the sable, according to Mr. Pcn- lant, was, during the more barlftirous periods of the Russian empire, the principal task of the im- lappy exiles who were banished into Siberia ; and lio, as well as the soldiers sent there, were oblifi^od 10 furnish, within a given time, a certain quantity 11 fiirs ; but as Siberia is now become more lopulous, the sables have, in a great nuasur?, ted it, and retired farther to the north and east, ato the desert forests and mountains, 376 COMMON WEASEL. Common weasel. This 13 an active little animal^ well known in our owti country. Its length, exclusive of the tail, is about se.ven inches ; and its height, not above twj and a half. The colour of its upper parts is a pale reddish bro vn ; and its breast and belly are white; but on each side, below the corners of the moull), is a brown spot. The cars are small and roundedj and the eyes black. It is very destructive to young birds, poultrv, rabbits, and several other animals ; and it sucks eggs witli great avidity. In this latter operation, it begins by making a small hole at one end, from v/hich it licks out the yolk, leaving the shell be- hind ; whereas rats and some other animals, al'.vim drag the egg out of the nest, and either m»Ae a large hole in it, or break it to pieces. 15y this cir- cumstance the attacks of the weasel may ahvajs be distinguished. Its form is elegant, but, like some others oftliis genus, it has an unpleasant smell. It lives chiefly in cavities under the roots of trees, and in the banks ©f rivulets ; from whence it sallies out on the ap- proach of evening, to commit its devastations. M. de Buflon supposed the weasel tobeniitamf-j able ; but Mademoiselle de Laistre, in a letter oii this subject, gives a very pleasing account of 11h^ education and manners of a weasel which she tooli under lier protection. This she fed with frcsij meat and milk, the latter of which it was ver« fond of. it frequently ate from her hand, and seeinj ed to beniore delighted with this manner of M ing than any otlier. *'lf I pour," says this lady^ ''some milk inij my hand, it will drink a good deal ; but if Idi not pay it this compliment, it will scarcely takij ■ *•» fc# • ATM and I have smell by p( into which had discovf kept in a w with reluct be set at lii thousand lii and goes to I am up fir ing me ; ph jumping on round on m elegance wh; " I p^eseni feet, it jump shews a grei to compass i prohibitions, 'ts actions, it noticed; Joo to see wbethe ''e taken of it and betakes i from the sou gaiety, and fi as before. I( *heu confinec f«e, itexpres "|»r, very diffi pieased^ "In the mi •"al distinguis I springs o\yer ev ^ith me is the '«'o little Daws VOL. 1." COATMON WEASEL. 377 a drop. 'Wlicn it is satisfied, it j^enerall^ goes to fiieep. My chamber is the place of its residence ; and I have found a method of dispelling its' strong smell by perfumrs. By day it sleeps in a quilt, into which it gets by an unsown place which it had discovered on the edge ; during the nighty it is kept in a wired box or cage, which it always enters with reluctance^ and leaves with pleasure. If it be set at liberty before my lime of rising, after % thousand little playful tricks, it gets into my bed, and goes to sleep in my hand, or on my bosom. If I am up first, it spends a full half hour in caress- ing me ; playing with my fingers like a little dog, jumping on my head and on my neck^ and running round on my arms and body with a lightness ana elegance which I never found in any other aniipal. If I p/esent my hands at the distance of thr6,e feet, it jumps into them without evef missing. It (hews a great deal of address rand cunning in ordet to compass its ends, and seems io disobey certain prohibitions, merely through caprice. During all its actions, it seems solicitous to divert, and to be noticed ; looking at every jump, and at every turn, to sec whether it is observed or not. If no notice be taken of its gambols, it ceases them immediately, and betakes itself to sleep ; and even when awaked from the soundest sleep, it instantly resumes its gaiety, and frolics about in as sprightly a manner as before. It never shews any ill-humoui', unless when confined, or teased* too much ; in which case, it expresses its displeasure by a sort of mur- mur, very different from that which it utters when pleased < " In the- midst of twenty people, this little ant-^ mal distinguishes my voice, seeks me out, and [springs ower every body to come at me. His play vi^ith me is the most lively and caressing ; with his [two little paws he pat s me on the chin. Wito an air VOL. I. 3 c 378 COMMON WEASEL. and manner cxpreisive of delight. Tliia, and a thousand other preferences, shew tliat his attach- ment to nic is real. When he sees me dressed for going out, he will not leave me, and it is not with- out some trouble that I can disengage myself from him ; he then hides himself behind a cabinet near the door, and jumpii upon me as I pass, with so much celerity that I often can scarcely perceive him. '* He seems to resemble a squirrel in vivacity, agility, voire, and his manner of murmuring. Durirtg the swmmer, he squeaks and runs about all night loiHg ; but since the commencement of | the cold weather, I have not observed this. Some- times, when the sun shines v^hile he is playing on the bed, he turns and tumbles about, and murmun for a while. " From his delight in drinking milk out of my hand, into which 1 pofir a very little at a time, and his custom of sipping the littio drops and edges of •the fluid, it seems probable that he drinks dew in the same manner. He very seldom drinks water, and then only for want of milk ; and with great I cautior, seeming only to refresh his tongue onccj or twice, and to bo even afraid of that fluid. Dur- ing the hot weather, it rained a good deal. I^ presented to him some rain water in a dish, and en- deavoured to make him go into it, but could not succeed. I then wetted a piece of linen cloth ini it, and put it near him ; when he mlled upon it with extreme delight. ?' — *' One singularity in this charming animal is his I curiosity ; it being impossible to open a .drawer or i a box, or even to look at a pape;*, but he will ex- amine it also. If he gets into any place where 1 1 am affaid of permitting him to stay, I take a paper j or a book, and look attentively at it ; when he im- mediately runs upon my hand, and surveys with an I inquisitive a fiuther obsc and dog, he necks, backf the least injt The moti Neaps ; and, lings., lie feet active ; and jthat no place farmer in ri will pursue ii depredations pernicious an [troys young prey near the tiie spot, gene I It often destr IS is proved traps laid fc when it pun i terrified into gives up itself at the same ti A story is a weasel, moi 80on after obsi le enemy able to bite hi presently brou Hic weasel an ( This specit amphibious. stilt' whiskers i^ud below ; i FISHER. 379 inquisitive air whatever I happen to hold. I must fiiither observe, that he plajs with a young cat and dog, lioth of some size; getting about their necks, backs, and pawSj without their doin^; hini the least injury." ' "\ The motion of the weasel consists of unequal leaps ; and, on occasion it has the power of spring- ing so, ne feet fiom the ground. It is remarkably active ; and will rur. up a wall with such facility, that no place is secure troiu it. It is useful to tne farmer in ridding him of rats and mice, which it will pursue into their holes, and there kill ; but iti depredations arc not altogether confined to thes^ pernicious animals, as it also very frequently des- troys young poultry and pigeons. It seizes iti prey near the head ; and but seldom cats it upon the spot, generally carrying it awaj- to its retreat. h often destroys the moles in their habitations ; as is proved by its being at times caught in the traps laid for those animals. We arc told that when it pursues the hare, that timid creature is terrified into a state of absolute imbecility, and gives up itself without the least resistance, making, at the same time, the most piteous ontcries. A story is related, that an. eagle, having seized a weasel, mounted into the air with it, and was soon after observed to be in great distress. His little enemy had so far extricated itself, as to be able to bite him very severely in the neck ; which presently brought the bird to the ground, and gave tlic weasel an opportunity of escaping. Fisher. This species, notwithstanding its name, is not amphibious. It has a black nose ; strong and stiff whiskers ; six small weasel-like teeth above ^u(l below ; it has six large canine teeth ; four 380 MADAOABCAU, AND PF.KAN WKA.SEL grinding teeth in each upper jaw ; fhrre of fliesft arc sl^arp-pointcd^ tiie fourth flat; in the lowir jaw six ; the last flatted, the next with throe points, | the next to those with two. Its ears are round, idusky on their outsjdcs, but edged with wliito ; iin face and the sides of its neck arc of a palci brown, or ash colour, mixrd with black ; its back, belly, legs, and tail, are black ; but the roots ofj the hair are brown ; its sides are brown ; its fcctf very broad, covered with hair even on their soles ; it has Ave toes on the fore feet ; on the hind feet I generally four, but inietinies five, with sharp, strong, and crooked white claws ; its fore feet I are longer than those behind ; its tail is full and bushy, smallest at the end, seventeen inches long. The length of the animal itself is twenty-ciglit I inches. It inhabits North America ; above five hundred I skins are brought in a season from New York and Pennsylvania. Many of these vary in colour. Galiera, or Madagascar weasel. This species is the vansire of Buftbn. It hail sliort ears. Tho hair on its whole body is brown at the roots, and barred above with black and • rust colour ; as is also the tail, which is near ten{ inches long. The animal itself is about fourteen inches in length ; it inhabits Madagascar, whence it has its name. arocovere PUKAN WEASEf.. . The pckanhas very long and strong whiskers, Dud his ears are a little pointed. The hair on \m liiMd, back, and belly, is cinereous at the roots, •1* a bright bay at the ends, and is very soft aiiJ WHITE-CHEEKED, AND GRISON VEASBL. 391 plussy ; thcrr is a tins^c of grey on the sides, and betwrcn the fore legs u white spot ; the hj^s and tail arc blaek ; its toes, armed with sharp claws, are covered with tliick hair, both above ainl below, hi furni it resembles the marten. Its length is one foot seven inches ; the length of its tail about eleven. It is an inhabitant of North America. It l)as somewhat the appearance of the otter tribe. WniTE-CHEEKED WEASEL. Ma. Pennant described thi ■ Woolly weasel. This species has a lonpf slender nose, the upper jaw K)np:er lliau the lower ; very short and round ears, its body covered with woolly hair, wid a tail Hl)ove eight inches long, fapqriiig to a poiut. )ts body measures between Uftccui and ki^toen ipchos. Mr. Peiniant copies liuflfon in this article, at the same tune that he ^cknovvledges he has somo doubts whether it be not of the same species with the former, iiullon says it inhabits Guiana. Saumatian weasel. This srccies has broad, short, round cars, edged with l().)o; while hairs ; its niouth is surrounded with whiter i;it ; from the hind part of the hyad another band of voilow passes on each side obliquely to- wards the shoulders : above is a third. The up- per part of (lie body is of a brownish black, stripe J and spotted ii"'gularly with obscure yellow; its tail, about s.jv inehrs lonjr. is duskv. with longCf wliilo Ii.'iirs iiitcrmixod, hut uliolly bliK'!: j.t tlie 111(1, The aMirnal is abmit fourluoii invUvn long. It inliabilH only l*ol;uid and the southern pro- vinces of Ru9sivhen in rivers, it is always observed to swim against the stream, and to meet the fishes it preys upon rather than to pursue them. In lakes it des- troys much more than it devours, and is often seen to spoil a pond in the space of a few nights. But the damage they do by destroying fiith is nut so ^reat as their tearing in pieces the nets of the fish- ers, which they infallibly do whenever they happen to be entangled. The instant they find themseivei caught, they go to work with their teetb, and iD a few minutes destroy nets of a very considerahle ▼alue. The otter has two different methods of fishing ; the one by catching its prey from the bottom up- ward, the other by pursuing it into some little creek, and seizing; it there. In the furincr ease, up- little ^ Ki ^ ^ -^m .C9' •^ JT .,>. «8 this j quadru can rcD whatevi taken ; i6 see u guard f the bell leaves tl hours to tised in rent ; tl: kind, fo] deep waj In th the sumr greater tmusemc with qua a« trophi But in w the rivers often gre obliged t bark of grown CO restrial ai selves, i of contini though, d torpid. 111 keeps mm "Rip- iiol «r -ral yt that when >^Qd often ( COMMON OTTER. 'J87 fts ibis animal has longer lungs than most other quadrupeds^ upon taking in a quantity of air, it can remain for some minutes at the bottom ; and whatever fish passes over at that time is certainly taken ; for as the eyes of fish are placed so as not t(5 see under them, the otter attacks them ofif their guard from below ; and, seizing them at once bj the bell J, drags them on shore, where it often leaves them untouched, to continue the pursuit for hours together. The other method is chiefly prac- tised in lakes and ponds, where there is no cur- rent ; the fish thus taken are rather of the smaller kind, for the great ones will never be driven out of deep water. In this manner, the otter usually lives during the summer, being furnished with a supply much greater than its consumption ; killing for its amusement, and infecting the edges of the lake with quantities of dead fish, which it leaves thene as trophies rather of its victory than its necessities. But in winter, when the lakes are frozen over, and the rivers pour with a rapid torrent, the otter if often greatly distressed for provisions ; and is then obliged to live upon grass, weeds, and even tbc bark of trees. It then comes upon land, and, grown courageous from necessity, feeds upon ter- restrial aiiimais, rats, insects, and even sheep them- selves. Nature, however, has given it the power of continuing a long time without food ; and al- though, during tliat season^ it is not rendered quite torpid, like the marmot or the dormouse, yet it keeps much within its retreat, which is usually the holfovv of H haaii., worn under by the water. 1%?' k often fofr»g a kind of gallery, running for sercral yards along the edf^^e of the water ; so that when attacked at one en;, it flies to the other^ and often efadcf the pursuer by pluaging into the COMMON OTTER. water at forty or fifty pares distant, while he oX« pcct8 to find it just before him Wo learn from M. Biifibn, that this animal^ is France, couples in winter, and brings forth in the beginning of spring. But it is ccrtainlj diflfcrcnt with us, for its young are never found till the Int- ier end of summer ; and Goldsmith frequently, when a boy, discovered their retreats, and pursued them at that season. He is, therefore, more in- clined to follow the account given us of this ani- mal by Mr. Lots, of the academy of Stockholm, who assures us tliat it couples about the middle of summer, aiid brings forth at the end of nine weeks, generally three or four at a time. In the rivers and the lakes frequented by the otter, the bottom is generally stony and uneven, with many trunks of trees, and long roots stretch* iug underneath the water. The shore also is hol- low, and scooped inward by the waves. These are the places the otter chiefly chooses for its retreat : and there is scarce a stone which docs not bear the mark of itn residence, as upon them its excrements are always made. It is chiefly by this mark that ha lurking places are known, as well as by the quantity of dead flsh that are fmind lying here and there upon the banks of the water. To take the old ones alive is no easy task, as they are extremely ftrong, and there are few dogs that will dare to en- counter them. They bite with great fierceness, and never let go their hold when they have once fastened. The best way, therefore, is to shoot them at once, as they never will be thoroughly tamed ; and if kept for the purposes of fishing, are always apt to take the first opportunity of es- caping. But the young ones may be more easily taken, and converted to very useful purposes. The otter bringi forth its young generally under COMMON OTTER. 380 iiidcr (he hollow banks, upon a bed of ruslies, fl^gi'j or such weeds as the place afTords it in the greatest i)uantities. Mr. Pennant savs, that it burrows un- der g;round, on the banks of some riTer or lake, and always makes the entrance of its hole under water, then works up to the surface of the earth, and there makes a minute orifice for the admissioD of air, and this little air hole is often found in the mid> die of sonic thicket. In some places this may be true, but Goldsmith has never observed any such contrivance ; the retreat, indeed, was always at the edge of the water, but it was only sheltered by the impending bank, and the otter itself seemed to have but a small share in its formation. But be this as it may, the young ones arc always found at the edge of the water ; and, if under the protec- tion of their dam, she teaches them instantly to plunge, like herself, into the deep, and escape among the rushes or weeds that fiinge the stream. At such tiu)es, therefore, it is \ery difficult to take them ; for, though never so young, they sM'im with great rapidity, and in such a maiuicr, that no part of them is seen above wajer, except the tip of the nose. It is only when tlic dam is absent that they can be taken ; and, in some places, there are dogs purposely trained for discovering their re- treats. Whenever the dog conies to the place, he soon, by his barking, shews that the otter is there ; whicli, if there be an old one, instantly plunges into the wat«T, and the young all follow. But, if the old one be absent", they continue terrified, and will not venture forth but under her guidance and protection. In this manner they ace secured, and taken home alive, where they are carefully fed with small fish and water. In proportion^ how- ever, as r^ey gather strength, they have milk mixed J' g their food, the quantity of their fish provision is retrenched, and that of yufj^et^hhi is > i i^DO COlilMON OTTER. irx'Tcased, until at length, they are fed wholly upon br'^pi!; which perfectly agrees with their constitii- u:):<. 'i iic manner of training them up to hunt fi . listi requires not only assiduity, but patience ; however, their activity and use, when taught, greatly repays the trouble of teaching ; and, per- haps, no other animal is more beneficial to his master. The mc"... ' ^'ay, is, first to learn thcni (o fetch as tlogs are intiti-ucted ; but, as they have not the same docility, so it requires more art and experience to teach them. It is commonly per- fornicd by accustoming them to take a truss stuD'cd vrith wool, of the shape of a fish, and made of leather, in their mouths, and to drop it at the word of command ; to run after it when thrown forward, and to bring it to their master. From this they proceed to real fish, which are thrown dead into the water, ard which they are taught to fetch from thence. From the dead they pre ed io the liv until at last the animal is perfectly instructed i- thewhole art of fishing. An otter thus taught is a very valuable animal, and will catch fish enough to sustain not onjy itself, but a whole family. Goldsmith saw one of these go to h gentleman's pond at the word of command, drive up the fish into a corner and seizing upon the largc&t of the who!:, brinj., it ofi*, in its mouth, to its master. In some parts of North America, otters are seen in winter at a distance from any apparent open water, both in woods and on plains ; but it is not known what leads them to su'-L situations. If pur- Bued, w^'^n a: ong the woods where the snow is light and eep, they immediately dive, and make consideri > ay under it ; but they are easily traced by then otion of the snow above them, and loon overtaken. The Indians kill numbers of them with clubs, by tracking thom in the snow ; but •ome of the oi4 ones are so fierce, when cloiely ■^ ht i» nigli mily. man's fish f the tcr. e seen open is not fpur- low is make easily 1, and them but \ow\j COMMON OTTER 391 pressed, that they turn upon and fly at thttir pursuers. They arc very fond of play ; and one of their favourite pastimes is, to g^t on a hi^h ridge of mow, bend thcfr fore feet backward, and slide dowa the side of it, sometimes to the distance of twenty yards. A person of the name of Collins, who lived at Kilmerston, near Wooler, in Northumberland, had a tame otter, which followed him wherever he went. He frequently took it to fish in the river ; and when satiated, it u ver failed to return to its master. One day, in the absence of Collins, the otter being taken out to fish by his son, instead of return mg as usual, refused to come at the accus- tomed call, and was lost. The father tried every means to recover it ; and after several days search, bein^ near the place were his son had lost it, and calUij"- it by its name, to his inexpressible joy it cam* creeping to his feet, and shewing many marks of affection and firm attachment. Some years ago, James Campbell, near Inverness, had II voung otter, which he brought up and tamed. It\> d follow him whenever he chose ; and if calleu on by its name^ would immediately obey. When apprehensive of danger from dogs, it fought the protection of its master, and would en- deavour to spring into his arms for greater security. It was frequently employed in catching fish, and would sometimes take eight or ten salmon in a day. If not prevented, it always made an attempt to break the fish behind the fin next the tail ; and, as soon as one was tak n away, it immediately dived in pursuit of more. When tired, it would refuse to fish any longer ; and was then rewarded with as nuich as it could devour. Having satisfied its appe- tite, it always coiled itself round, and fell asleep : was generally carried home. • laic 892 ISA OTTER. The same otter fished as well in the sea is in fresh water, and took great numbers of young cod and other fish there. Another person ^vho kept a tame otter, siiffcred It to follow him with his dogs. It was very uscfui to him in fishing ; by going into the water, and driving trout, and other fish towards the net. It Vf»9 remarkable, that dogs acru.stomed to otter hunting, were so far from giving it the least mo- lestation, that they would not even hunt any otter while this remained with tbeni ; on which account the owner was under the necessity of disposing of it. An instance has been known of an otter being brought up in a house, and when it was shewed the water^ manifesting a fear of that element. In the northern parts of America, these animals change their colour in winter to white, like most of the other arctic animals ; and it is not till very late in the spring that they resume their browa tummer drois. The flesh i* exceedingly ranle and fishy ; so much so, that the Romiih Church permitted the use of it on maigre-days. In the kitchen of the Carthu- sian convent near Dijon^ Mr. Pennant saw one of them cooking for the dinner of the religious of that rigid order ; who by their rules are prohi- bited, during their whole lives, the eating of flesh. The Kamtscnadales use the otter's fur for garments; and the North American Indians manufacture their •kins into pouches, w hich they ornament with bits of horn. Sea otter. The sea otter is found on the coast of Kaints- chatka, and in the adjacent islands, as well as on the opposite coasts of America : but it is confined «KA otter; 3t3 Willi ill a vcrv fpur ,i- « • deep glossy bi.ek (,„ .,"f"r '/»»«- and of »gre^..h .pi,, the e.r, a e ' mlln '"^ "»«ner.ll, the »W,ker. long and ;",'""" •"<> "ect, anS »nd thick, the finder on«. ^"J**' "« «'">'•« thee of a «,al. The UM , 177''« «'«»bliDg the end. The we.VLt „f L''?'"' ""d pointed a! from . events to eigh^t;p°'„„t ''^" "' »«" « •ni" ow^ldTC offSTh"'' "IT"^ ""n"- ; "on degree of at tachmy %7 *''''^" »» «"««>■"- them ; and will even rta,ve .T. *^ J'" ""^ ^<"e'« ,l«'i>g: robbed of tb"m V^a!^'""i''" '» '*<"'<'' on '"t on the ,pot wS'th'^ vl'"'' '? *"*"""' «'«' .inyed. The fenial/„, i ^"""S: have been de- •«e at .time! Xch Te ^1?"'^ ? ""»'• y»>"* rar, and till it takes to^...lf^'*.' "'i?"'* « ^holf P»'>. and are yet^ZlZtXl ^'j •»»«"• «"" .young between tbeTrf^^l, ^""fy "ft™ «rr/ f'equentlj- flinging ,Jem *!f*'' »"•* '""die them. •nd ^''»tokisJVC\u: T^""i' ""''> o'l-er. «"'' "o'd and grin ■"•diatelylii on the,?^idrT"'«^ * '''''*' "'^^^m' Mjgether^over tl,ereve,;fthTK"P i'"'''' '•'■"'' '«?» '"» seem to nreD,rI T .^ *''^" 'ore paws, and f%are fo?tZte enoS /" *■"' ''^'"''' «"' ira o„r- S91 BKASILIAN OTTER the setij with various diverting tikks ; at one time keeping themselves on end in the water, and jumping over the waves, holding their fore paw over the eyes as if to shade them from the sun while looking out for their enemy ; then lying flat on tlieir back, and stroking their belly ; then throwing their young down into the water and fetching them up again. In their escape they carry the suck- lings in their mouths, and drive before them those that arc full grown. The skins of the sea otters arc of great value. The flesh of the young ones is delicate eating. Brasilian otter. The Brasilian otter has a round head like that of a cat ; it has feline teeth too ; eyes small, round, and black ; large whiskers and round cars; feet like those of a monkey, with five toes, tho inner ones the shortest, all armed with sharp claws ; its tail, which is flat and naked, reaches no further than the fbet ; its hair is soft, and not long ; it is entirely black, except the head, which is dusky, and the throat, which is yellow. It is about the size o^a middling dog. It inhabits Brasil, Guiana, and the borders of the Oronoko. It lives on fish, and crustaceoiis animals, such as cray fish, and is very dexterous in robbing nets and weels of what it finds in them. It makes a noise like a young puppy. Its flesh is reckoned delicate eating, and does not taste fishy, notwithstanding its food. They are extremely cleanly, live in society, and go in troops ; they are fierce, and make a vigorous defence against dogs; but when taken youug, arc soon tamed. This sp but it is or; cars; awh the short h black. It with hair ; It inhabits none of thv. or in the i fish, frogSj Inable. It It is Caui>;ht poiecaf, it i fuiimal wit skins arc oft Sark This spec a cat, with it lives more; is very delic South Anicr The leugf age but solitjiry ; he takes refuge in the most unfrequented parts, and the most dangerous pre- cipices of uninhabited mountains. It chooses its den in the most gloomy parts of the forest, in some cavern that has been hollowed by time, or in the hollow of some old enormous tree. There it re- tires alone, and passes some months of the winter ■without provisions, or without ever stirring abroad. . However this animal is not entirely de- prived of sensation, like the bat or the dormouse ; but seems rather to exist upon the exuberance of its former flesh, and only feels the calls of appe< tite, when the fat it had acquirvid in summer begins to be entirely wasted away. In this maimer when the bear retires to its den, to hide for the winter, it is extremely fat ; but at the end of forty or fifty days, when it comes forth to seek for fresh nourisli- ment, it seems to have slept all its flesh away. It is a common report, that during this time they live by sucking their paws, which is a vulgar error that scarce requires confutation. These solitary animals couple in autumn, but the time of gesta- tion with the female is still unknown ; she takes great care to provide a proper retreat for her young ; secures them in the hollow of a rock, and provides a bed of hay in the warmest part of her den ; she brings forth in winter, and the young ones begin to follow her in spring. The male and female by no mcaas inhabit the same den ; they liave each their separate retreat, and seldom are ^een together^ but upon the accesses of genial de- sire." The voice of the bear is a kind of growl, inter- rupted with rage, which is often capriciously ex- cited ; and though this animal seems gentle and placid to its master, when tamed, yet it is still to be distrusted and managed with caution, as it is often treacherous and resentful without a cause. The black bear9> we are toid, ^re reraarkabb COMMON BEAR. 399 attached to each other. The hunters never dare to fire at a young one while the dam is on the spot ; for^ if the cub happens to be killed, she becomes 80 enragedj that she will either avenge herself, or (lie in the attempt. If, on the contrary, the mother should be shot, the cubs will continue by her side long after she is dead, exhibiting the most poig- nant affliction. A man nearly lost his life, a few years ago, in Hungary, by firing at a young bear in the presence of its dam, who had indeed been concealed from his sight by some bushes : for, at one blow with her paw, she brought off a great part of his scalp. This animal seldom uses its teeth as weapons of defence, but generally strikes its adversary very strongly with its fore paws, like a cat; and, if possible, seizes him between its paws, and presses him to its breast with such force, as almost instantly to suffocate him. The most usual way of killing the bears, is by means of fire-arms or arrows. The liaplandcrs easily overtake them in their snow shoes, and knock them down with clubs ; but they generally first shoot them^ and then dispatch them with spoars. . In some parts of Siberia, the hunters erect a scaffold of several balks laid over each otlicr ; which fall altogether, and crush the bear, upon his stepping on the trap placed underneath. Ano- ther method is to dig pits, in which a smooth, solid, and very sharp-pointed post is fixed into the ground, rising about a foi)t above the bottom. The pit is carefully covered over with sods : and across the track of the bear, a small rope with an elastic figure is placed. As soon as the bear touches the rope, the wooden figure starts loose ; and the affria^hted animal, endeavouriaa: to save himself }»y flight, falls with a violent force iuto the pit, and s 400 COMMON BEAR. killed by the pointed post. If he escapes (hit snare, at a litiie distance several caltrops and other instruments of annoyance frequently await him ; amonp^ which a similar image is erected. The per- secuted beast, the more he strivcb to get free, fixes himself faster to tite spot ; and the hunter, who lies in ambush, soon dispatches him. Yet not only beneath and upon the earth, hut even in the air, has man's inventive genius con- trived to lav snares for the liberty and the life of this animal. The Koriaks, for this purpose, find some crooked tree, ^rown into an arched form ; at the bowed end of which they attach a noose, with a bait. The hungry bear is tempted by this object, and eagerly climbs into the tree, where he becomes infallibly the victim of his at* tempt ; for, on his moving the branch, the noose draws together, and he remains suspended to the tree, which violently springs back into its former position. But still more singular and ingenious is the method adopted by the inhabitants of the moun- tainous parts of Siberia, to make this ferocious animal become his own destroyer. They fasten a very heavy block to a rope, that terminates at the other end with a loop. This is laid near a steep precipice, in the path on which the bear is accus- tomed to go. On getting his neck into the noose, and finding himsetf impeded by the clog, he tiikes it up in a rage, and to free himself from it, throws it down the precipice : it naturally pulls the bear after it, and he is killed by the fall. Should this, however, accidentally not prove the case, he drags the block again up the mountain, and reiterates his efforts ; till, with increasing fury, he cither sinks nerveless to the ground, or ends his life by a deci- sive nlunare Tlie bear's well known partiality for lioney, give* COMMON BEAU. 401 Occasion to Oim of the Russian niotlcs of taking liim. To those ♦' "s where llio bees am hived, a heavy log^ of wou.* is luiiig' at the end of a long itriiig. When the iniwiehl)' ercatiirc climbs np to jjct ut the hive, he finds himself interrupted by the loj:f ; he puslics it aside, and immediately attempts to pass it ; hut in returning", it hits him such a blow, that in a rage, he flings it from him with greater force, which makes it return vVith increased vio- lence upon himself ; and he sometimes continues |tliis, till he is cither killed, or falls from the tree. These animals arc so numerous in Kamtschatka, [that they are often seen rbaming about the plains ill great companies; and they would infallibly have long since exterminated all the mhabitants, were they not here much more tame and gentle than the generality of bears in other parts of the world. In spring, they descend in multitudes from the mountains (where they have passed the winter) to the mouths of the rivers, for catching nsh, which swarm in all the streams of that peninsula. If there be plenty of this food, they eat nothing but the heads of the fish ; and when :.. any time they tiiid the fisherman's nets, they dc .rorously drag leiH out of the water, and empty tnem of their I contents. When a Kamtschadale espies a bear, he endea- Itours to conciliate its friendship at a distance, ac- companying his gestures by courteous words. The bears are indeed so familiar here, that the women and girls, when gathering roots nd herbs, or turt for fuel, in the midst of a whole drove of bears, are never disturbed by them in their employment; Und if any one of these animals come., up to them, it is only to cat something out of their h:iiids. They have never been known to attack a man, except bvheii roused on a sudden from sleep ; and they I very seldom turn upon the marksman, whether thej VOL. I. O k"^ 403 COMMON BEAR. be hit or not. This humane character of flic Kamtschadalc bear, who ;* ein differs so remark- Bh\y from his brethren oi most other countries, procures him^ however, no exemption from tiic persecutions of mankind. His great utility is a sufficient instigation to the avarice of man, to de- clare eternal war against him. Armed with a spear, or club^ the Kamtscnadale goes in quest of the peace- ful animal, in his calm retreat ; who, meditating no attack, and intent only on defence, gravely takes the faggots which his persecutor brings him, and with them, himself chokes up the entrance of his den. The mouth of i^e cavern being thug closed, the hunter bores a hole through the fop, and transfixes with the greatebt security his defence* '4e88 foe They are sometimes cruel enough to lay a board driven full of iron hooks, in the bear's track ; I placing near it something heavy, which the animal { must throw down as he passes. Alarmed by this, be runs upon the board with greater force than he I vould .otherwise do ; and, finding one of his paws wounded, and fixed by the hooks, he endeavouri to free himself by striking it forcibly with the I other. Both the p^ws bemg now fixed, bcllow« ing with pain, he rises on his hind feet ; this rno-j tton immediately bring ^^ the board before his eyes, and so perplexes him, that he throws himself down ill fury^ and his violent struggles at length destroy him. It would be difficult to name a species of ani- mals, except the sheep, so variously serviceable to| man, after its death, as the bear is to the Kamts- chadales. Of the skin, they make beds, covcrturesJ caps, and gloves, and collars for their sledge-dogs.l Those who go upon the ice for the captusc ofl marine animals, make their shoe soles of the samel •ubstunce, which thus never slip upon the ice-i The fut ol all the in savoury an rendered fl oil. The intestines, y vv-orn by tli faces from i being reflex to blacken chadaie lac Russians of window pan those made blades are the heads ar pie, as orna their dwelli The Kam to the beai hitherto ma the polite art to these anin and surgery, have applied what method languid, and edaknowledj have recourse plications, of all is, thj dancing masf dance, every ^ 10 faithfully p cations to wh ment. They pid gait, and as the young COMMON BEAB. 403 The fut of the bear is held in great estimation b^ all the inhabitants of Kamtschatku as a very savoury and wholesome nourishment ; and, when rendered fluid by melting, it supplies the place of a del '4 .1. •racy. The Hi 1 aped, are eserve their ' aichhere, erally found the Kamts- oil. The flesh is esteeuicd 'x p"^ intestines, when cleansed a d [ worn by the fair sex, as ma^ks faces from the effects of the sn being reflected from the snov^ to blacken the skin, but by this i chadale ladios preserve a fine complexion. The Russians of Kamtschatka make of these intestines window panes, which are as clear and transparent ai those made of Muscovy glass. Of the shoulder blades are made sickles for cutting grass ; and the heads and hanches arc hung up by these peo- ple, as ornaments or trophies, on the trees about their dwellings. The Karatschadales also owe infinite obligation! to the bears, for the little progress they haye hitherto made, as well in the sciences, as even in the polite arts. They confess themselves indebted to these animals for all their knowledge of physic and Surgery.; by observing what herbs the bears have applied to the wounds they have received, and what methods they have pursued when they were languid, and disordered, these people have acquir- eda knowledge of most of those simples, which they have recourse to either as external or internal ap- plications. But the most singular circumstance of all is, that they admit the bears to be their dancing masters ; and, in what they call the bear dance, every gesture and attitude of that animal it 10 faithfully pourtrayed, as to afford sufficient indi- cations to what they are indebted for this acquire- ment. They represent the bear's sluggish and stu- pid gait, and its different feelings and situations ; as tiie young ones about the dam, the amoroui IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. ^ .5^ ^.$ii;ii^>i>q ■■- «''•■:; 'i • -1. v'^ ..V "I -ihilvv i-> Jr.oW ) eji ippear only with the return of the sun. Their flesh is white, and said to taste like mutton; but their liver is very unwholesome ; their fat if melted for train oil ; and that of the feet is used in medicine. One of this species was brought over to England a few years ago, and exhibited in many places. U was very furious; almost always in motion; roared loud ; and seemed very uneasy, except when cooled, by having pail fulls of water poured upon it. ;, , Land bears, ' sometimes spotted with white, at other times wholly white, are sometimes seen in the parts of Russia bordering on Siberia, in a wandering state, and are supposed to have strayed out of the lofty snowy mountains whtch divide the 4t4 • tUfTCW.* two countries. They are said to dread the whale, who scents and pursues tiicm from a natural ati- iipathy^ because they eat her young/; •c i ■ ,J« •• • Glutton. V-i .T(]r U' Tuts is a bear with a round head^ a thick blun( nose, and short cars, rounded except at the tip. Its limbs are \arge, and its back is strai^ht^ inarkci) along its whole length with a taw^ny line ; its tail is short, and very full of hair ; its hair in all other parts is finely damasked^ or watered like a ■ilk, and very glossy ; but it sometimes varies to a brown colour. One brought from Siberia^ and kept alive at Dresden, measured forty-four inches^ and nineteen in height. It inhabits Lapland^ the northern and easteri) parts of Siberia, and Kamtschatka. Those of Kamtschatka dilt'cr and vary to white and yellow- ish. The natives prefer the skins of these to such as are black ; they say the heavenly beings wear no other garments. The women wear the pawd of the white sort in their hair, and esteem the skin of one the most valuable present their husbands or lovers can make them. It is chiefly in North America that this voracious creature is seen lurking among the thick branches of trees, in order to surprise the deer, with which the extensive forests of that part of the world abound. Endued with a degree of patience equal to its rapacity, the glutton singles out such trees as it observes marked by the teeth or the antlers of the deer ; and is knov^n to remain there watching for several days together. If it has fixed upon a wrong tree, and finds that the deer have either Jeft that part of the country, or cautiously shun the place, it reluctantly descends, pursues the beaver to its retreat, or even ventures into the water, in purr GLUTTON. ;4l5 luit of fishes. But ifit happens, that bv Ipng at- tention and keeping close, at last the elk or the rein-d«;er happens to pass that w&y, it at once dartf down upon them, iticki its claws between their ihoulders, and remains there unallcuibly Qna. It ii in vain that the large frighted animal increases its speed, or threatens with its bianchipg horns ; the glutton having taken possession of its post, Dothing can drive it off; its enormous prey drives rapidly alonff amongst the woods, rubs itself against the largest trees, and tears down the branches with its expanded horns ; but still its iu- latiable foe sticks beliind, eating its neck, and dig- ^iag its passage to the greatest blood-vessels that lio 10 that part. Travellers who wander through thos« deserts, often see pieces of the glutton's skin sticking to the trees against which it was rubbed by the deer. But the animal's voracity is greater than its feelings, and it never seizes witliout bringing down its prey. When, therefore, the deer, wounded and feeble with the loss of blood, falls, the glutton is seen to make up for its former abstinence by its present voracity. As it is not possessed of u feast of this kind every day, it resolves to lay in a store to serve it for a good while to come. It is, indeed, ama:',- ing how much one of these animals can eat at a time! That which was seen by Mr. Klein, al- though vvithout exercise or air, although taken from its native climate, and enjoying but an indif- ferent state of health, was yet seen to eat thirteen pounds of flesh every day, and yet remain unsatis- fied. We may, therefore, easily conceive how much more it must devour at once, after a long fast, of a food of its own procuring, and in a cli- mate most natural to its constitution. We are told, accordingly, that from being a lank, thin animaljl which it naturally is, it then gorges in such quan,4. titles, that its belly is distended, and its whvit 416 GLUTTOtl. fip^ure seems io alter. Tfaug YOracioust)' it con* tinues eating till, inc/«pable of any other anin\al function, it lies totally torpid by the animal it has killed ; and in this sitnation continues for two or three days. In this loathsome and helpless state, it finds its chief protection from its horrid smell, ^hich fbw animals care to come ucdr ; so that it -continues eating and sleeping till its prey be de* vourcd, bones and all, and then it mounts a tree, in ^ucst of another adventure. j , . l^c glutton, like many of th^wc^dcHdind, seems to prefer the most putrid flesh to that newly killed ; and such is the voraciousness of ttiis hateful crea. ture, that, if its swiftness and strength were equal to its rapacity, it >V(>u1d soon'^thin the forests of every other living ciTatore. But, fortunately, it iv so slow, that there is scarce a quadruped that canuoi escape it., except the beaver. Tliis, therefore, it very frequently pursues upon land ; hUt the bea- ver generally makes good Its retreat by taking to the water, where the glutton has no chance to luccced. This pursuit only happciis in summer ; for in winter all that remains is to attack the boa- ter's house, as at that time it never stirs froiri homo. This attack, however, seldom succeeds ; for the beaver has a covert way bored under tlic ice, and the glutton has only the trouble and (lis* appointment of sacking an empty town. A life of necessity generally produces a gooS fertile invention. The glutton, continually prrsscd by the call of appetite, and having neithei^swifttjcss nor activity to satisfy it, is obliged io make up by stratagem the defects of nature. It is bflou seen to examine the traps and the snares laid for other animals, in order to anticipate ^he fbvvlers. It is said to practise a thousand arts to procure its prey, to steal upon the retreats of the rein-dccr, the fiegh of whir^jh asinial it loves in p lU «t, liA '■''. ^'/H^foto-^***!;} sn:^ i^fun-vvj-.^: . -/i'd' As a ptoof of their lurprising strength, there was one at Churchill, on Hudson's Bay, some years lince, that overset the greatest part of a pile of wood which measured upwards of seventy yards round, and contained a whole winter's firing, to get at some provisions that had been hidden there by the company's servants when going to the fac- tory to spend the Christmas holidays. This animal had for nikny weeks been lurking about the neigh- bourhood or their tent ; and had committed many depredations on the game caught in their traps and snares, as well as eaten many of the foxes that were killed by guns set for the purpose ; but he was too cunning to take either trap or gun himself. The people thought they had adopted the most efiectual method to secure their provisions, \^ tying them up in bundles, and placing them on the top of the wood piie; They could not suppose the wolverine would even have found out where they were ; and much less that he could get at them if he did discover th T& their astofiisMiiiciii. howevf^r. 420 ju^eooff. wlien thej returned^ they found the greatest psrt of the pile thrown doyitn, notwithstanding some of the trees with which it was constructed were as much as two men could carry. The wood "Was very much scattered about; and it was imagined, that in the animal's attempting to carry off hi8 booty, sonic of the small parcels pf pro- Tisions bad fallen down into the heart of the pile, and, sooner than lose half his prize, he 'w^ at the trouble of doing this. The bags of flour, oathfieal, and pease, though of no use to him, he tore ail to pieces, and scattered the contents about on the snow ; . but every bit of animal food, con- sisting of beef, pork, bacon, venisoji, salted geese, ^nd partridges, iu cooiiderahlc quantities, he carri- ed away. The vtolverines are great enemies to the beavers^ "virhich they sometimes t^ke as they come from their houses ; but the manner of life of the latter renders them more difficult to come at than many, other animals. They commit vast depredations on the foxes during the summer, while the young ones are small. Their quick scent directs them to the dens ,* and if the entrance be not large enough, their strength enables them to widen it ; when they go in, and kill both the mother and her cubs. They are,' in short, nearly the most destructiy^i^ni- vals of the country they inhabit. ' ' ' i ^ * ■ f •■ 1.;;' RaCCOP^I. ■' ..:>..; ,. Th|^ raccoon is a native of North America, and several of the West India islands, where it is said to inhflbit the hollows of trees. Its colour is grey ; and its head is shaped somewhat like that of a fox. The face is white ; and the eyes, which are large, are surrounded with a black band, from which a dusky stripe rum along the nose. The tail is very RACCOOir. 481 veil bushy^ and \t annulated with black. The back is somewhat arched ; and the fore legs are shorter than the others. The length of the raccoon U about two feet, from the nose to the tail ; and the tail is about a foot long. Its food consists principally of maize, 8Ugar«t canes, and various sorts of fruits. It is also 8up<« posed to devour birds, and their eggs. When near the shores, the raccoons live much on shell-fish, and particularly on oysters. . We are told, that they will watch the opening of the shell, dexterous* ly put in their paw, and tear out the contents ; sometimes, however, the oyster suddenly closes, catches the thief, and detains him, till he it drowned by the return of the tide. They feed likewise on crabs ; in the taking of which they exhibit much cunning. Brfckell, who relates these circumstances, says, that the raccoon will stand on the side of a swamp, and hang its tail over into, the water ; which the crabs, mistaking for food, lay hold of ; and las soon as the beast feels theoi> pinch, he pulls them out with a sudden jerk. He then takes them to a little distance from the water's edge ; and, in devouring them, is careful to get them cross- ways in his mouth, lest he should suffer from their nippers. A species of land crab, found, in holes of the sand in North Carolina, arc. fre- quently the food of the raccoon. He takes them by putting one of his fore paws into the ground, and hauling them out. These animals feed chiefly by night ; as, except in dull weather, they sleep 4uring the greatest part of the day. Like the squirrel, it makes use, of its paws to bold its food while eating, but it diflfers from the monkey kind, which use but one hand on those occasions, whereas the raccoon and the squirrel use both ;. as, wanting the thumb, their paws •inffly are un/it for graspina- or hoiuinjr. grasping Uougb mAceoov. aninuil be ihcNrt ind bulkj, it ii, however, itty Bctite ; iti pointed cltwa entble it to climb treei with ^eat facility ; it rum on the trunk with the Mine iwiftocfs that it movei upon the plain, and •porti among the most extreme branches with gnat agilitj, securitj, and ease ; it moves forward chiefly by bounding, and though it proceeds in an oblique direction, it has speed enough most fre* qoently to escape its pursuers, '<>;n vh ..v Ot . The {planters in Jamaica consider these animals •• one of their greatest miseries ; they have con- trifed various methods of destroying them^ yet still they propagate in such iiumhera, that neither traps nor fire-arms can set them free ; so that a swarm of these famished creatures are found to do more iigary in a single night, than the labours of a ■oath can repair. But though, when wild, they are thus trouble- MMK, in a state of taneness, no animal is more bannleM t)r anuaiog ; they are capable of being imtracted in various littlo amusing tricks. The fMcooii is playful and cleanly, and is yery easily supported ; it eats of every thing ttiat is given it, and, if left to itself, no cat «an be a better pro- vider ; it examines every corner, eats of all flesh, oither boiled or raw, eggs, fruits, or corn, insects themselves cannot escape it, and if left at liberty, IB a garden, it will feed upon snails, worms, and beetws ; but it has a particular fondness for sweets oi every kind, and to be possessed of these, in its vrild state, it incurs every danger. Though it vrill eat its provisions dry, it will for choice dip them in water, if it happens to be in the way ; it has one peculiarity which few other animals have been found to possess, it drinks as well by lapping like the dog, as by sucking like the horse. His fur is esteemed next to that of the beavec for making hats. r r Met us' an animal. «M sion, hi captivit nation t equally rently ; against invariat "Hij dcred h apartme was wit reconcih managee liberty, him to his grati ing gam when he about, i upon th( scends di enters tli and eats him mor he then ( grow fan of his vi( them wit seizes on have mel " Thi caresses bad treat ral lashe: ItACCOOlT. 4J» A. letter from M. Blanqyart to M. Bafibn gives us' an amusiog dcliaeation of the manners of this animal. " My faccoon, before he came into my posses- sion, had always been chained. < In this state of captivity, ho was very gentle, but had little incli- nation to caress. The people of the house were all equally kind to him, but he received them diffe- rently ; for what pleased him in one, he revolted against in another ; and in this his conduct was invariable. ** His chain sometimes broke, and liberty ren- dered him insolent. He took possession of aa apartment, and would allow none to enter it ; it was with some difficulty that he could be agaia reconciled to bondage. Since he came under my management, I have frequently given him his liberty. Without losing sight of him, I allowed him to walk about with his chain ; and each time his gratitude was expressed by a thousand caress* ing gambols ; but this is by no means the case when he makes his escape himself; he then roams about, sometimes for three or four days together, upon the roofs of the neighbouring houses, de- scends during the night time into the court-yards^ enters the hen-houses, strangles all the poultry, and eats their heads. His chain does not reader him more humane, but more circumspect only ; he then employs every artifice to make the fowls grow familiar with him ; he permits them to partake of his victuals ; and it is only after having inspired them with the highest notions of security, that he seizes one and tears it in pieces. Some young cats have met with the same fate. *' " This raccoon is not very grateful for the csresses he receives ; but is extremely sensible of bad treatment. A servant one day gave him seve- ral lashes with a whip ; but the man has cndca- «M COMMON BADGEm. voured erer since in vain to accompliith a recon- ciliation. Neither eggs nor fish, of whirh the animal is very fond, can appease his resentment. At the approach of the servant, he flies into a rage, his eyes kindle, he springs at the man, utters dolorous cries, and rejects every thing that is pre- lented to him, till the object of his rescutmeut dis- appears. ,i>'hi)vify^'i*ii tyti tvu'. ,v>;v.!!..^.,4,\ .,_,"/.■" ■ " If any person strikes him, or if he be attacked by an animal that he thinks stronger than himself, he makes no resistance, but like the hedge-hog, conceals his head and feet, by rolling up his body in the form of a ball ; no complaint escapes him ; and in this position, he calmly submits to be killed. '* He abhors children ; their crying irritates him ; luid be makes every effort to spring upon thorn. A small bitch, of which he is fond, he chastises severely if she bark too loud. I know not why, several other animals equally detest sharp cries." This species acquires not its full growth till it be two years and a half old. Common baogeh. This species has small eyes, short rounded eari, and a short thick neck ; his nose and chin, the lower side of his cheeks, and the middle of his forehead, are white ; his ears and eyes are inclosed in a pyramidal bed of black ; the hair on his body is long and coarse ; its bottom is of a yellowish white ; its middle is black ; and it is ash-coloured at the ends ; his throat, breast and belly, arc black ; his tail is covered with long hair, of the same t:6lour with that of the body ; his legs are very 'short and thick ; the claws on his fore feci are very long ; a fetid white matter exudes from the orifice beneath his tail. He is an animal of a vcrj ■ys'-Ti'-?.-*-", -' ■fyr!'^' ,^it (>i»' •*',. i''} eari, I, the >f his [closed bodv lowisli loured [lack ; same very 2t are the la v&r| .>i •J'., '-.'^•■:fe:p ■Mil.t SoimmiuLiiL COMMON BAOOm. 486 clumsy make, c* Tinioiiljr r>vo f^ei six inches in K'lii^th ( ilia tail nieasiit'es six inchos ; he weighs from fii'U'eu to thiity-foi r pounds. Mr. I*< imant met with a nmle of the weight last mentioiieii m the yoar 1779 ; but such are very rart, i -...tihi . .- It inhabits most parts of Europe, as far qorih at Norway and Russia, ajid the Stt.p or -desert be-* yond Orenburg in the Russian Asiatic dominions; in Great Tartafy, and in Siberia about the river Tom, and eyen about the Lena ; but there are none to the north. It inhabits China also, and is often found in the. butchers' shops in Pekin, the Chinese being fond of them for the table. It ia a scarce animal in most countries : it is n dutident and solitary creature : it seldom appears i.) the day ; it confines itself much to its hole, and . ^ an indolent, sleepy creature, but generally very fat. It feeds by night, and eats roots, fruits, grass, in- sects and frogs, but is not carnivorous, aciordiug to Mr. Pennant, while Bufibn asserts that it pre- fers flesh to every thing else. It runs very slowly ; when overtaken,. it comes to bay, and defends itself vigorously ; its bite is hard a,iii4 dangc.rous. It is hunted during the night for the skin, which serve.*) for pistol furniture^ and its > hair for makiog brushes to soften the shades in pointing. Its flesh makes good bacon. The division of this species into two, the swine and the dog badger, Mr. Pen- nant thinks unnecessary, as he asserts there is only one. It burrows under ground, and makes seve- ral apartments, but forms only one entrance from the surface. M. Bufibn says, the badger retires to the most secret places, to the inmost recesses of the forest^ and there digs a subterranean habitation ; he seems U) fly society, and even the light, and spends tliaee fourths of life in his dark abode, from which h« of subsistence. As dcpi' VOL quel 3 I m COlilMOS ttADGCR his body is long ; his legs short ; his clawi, especi- ally thosR of the fore (eety very long and strong ; he digs and penetrates the earth with greater faci>- lity than any other animal ; he makes his hole winding and oblique. The fox, who cannot dig with equal dexterity, avails himself of the ope- rations of the badger. Being unable to make htm quit hit habitation by force, the fox practises Avery art to render him uneasy. He stands sen- tinel at the entrance of the hole, and even defiles it with his ordure. He afterwards takes posses- sion, enlarges, and fits it up for his own accom- modation. The badger, though obliged to change his habitation, leaves not his country ; be goes to a small distance only, where he digs a fresh hole. When at some distance from his hole, he is soon overtaken by the dogs. They seldom, however, accomplish tneir purpose without assistance. The hair of the badger is very thick ; and his legs, jaws, teeth, and claws, arc exceedingly strong. These natural weapons he uses with courage and dexterity. He lies on his back, and resists all the efforts of the dogs, and wounds them in the most dangerous manner. He is besides tenacious of life, fights long, makes a brave defence, and persists to the last extremity. The young ones are easily tamed ; they play with the dogs, and follow the person who feeds them ; but when taken old they continue always savage. They are neither misdiievous nor raven- ous, like the wolf and the fox. Thev often remain in their holes three or four days together, especially during snow. They keep their habitations (;x- tremely clean, and never defile them with their or- dure. The male is seldom found with the female. When about to bring forth, she cuts down herbage, bundles it up, and trails it with her feet to the bottom of her hole, where she makes 4 commo- ^ AMERIOAN^ ATI D I tl 0)1 AN BADCIK. ¥n dious bed for herself and hpr young onei . Sbe brings forth in summer ; and the litter coasista of three or four. American badger^ In Pennsylvania called the ground hog. Thil badger has a white line from the tip of the nose, passing between hii ears to the beginning of hii backj bounded on each side with blacky as far as the hind part of the head ; then by a white one, and immediately between that and the ears, there is another of long black hair^ His back is coloured like that of the common badger; his sides are yellowish, and his belly cinereous ; his thighs arc dusky ; his tail is covered with lon^ dirty yellow hairs, tipped with white; the cm dusky! ' . ■ ^ ■;. . : ., . ; • ; .'■ ■!•! ;'■•"; Indian BADGER. ■ ''• \' *•'■ This animal has a small head, a pointed noie, and scarcely any external ears, only a small promi- nent rim round an oval orifice. The colour of its pose and face a little bcjond the eyCs, is black ; iti crown, the upper part of the neck and back, are white, inclining to ffrey ; its legs, thighs, breast, belly, and sides, and the upper part of the tail, are black ; it has five toes on each foot ; the inner otKS are small ; its claws are very long and straight ,* its length is about two feet ; the length of its tail is about four inches ; it« hair is short and smooth. It derives its name from the country it inhabits. It is very lively, playful, and good- natured. It sleeps rolled up, with its head be- tween its hind legs. One in the possession of Mr. John Hunter, London, some years ago, refoien all conamerce Yfiih ao Englitfi badger that was "^^ .K25fT OPOSSUM TniBE, ftcjill'^ 4lKncd in to iU and Hied sometime iii the «anie 'jpla W4> wcfnt to .climb vcrjr teadily over a division in its cagc^ and slept very, little during the daytime. ftirf'iu'^iiinaii OPOSSUM TRIB^;."^'*** ••^"^•^^'^I , -jjU «u ^i'>;j{(i ii;i^/ ^iili iyj:yj ;;u ii.i|>.in*; ^-li- ^ •*({!' bn*fi Inrft ft^'vif/^^ff '4M»<''1l*>r'ifr»i IviM ,-v»n ^ Twisgcnup has two canine teeth in ieach jaw ; Duitb^inumber of cutting teeth diSbrs in different sybjef^^ i aB(f! 0ye toes on each foot ; those on the liiodi^et are formed like a band> with a distinct Khymj} ^ the tai) is very lon^, slender^ and usually naked. I'hcre are about eighteen species compre? bended under tbiH genus. They are most remark- able for a pouch >vhich seei]^9 a; a retreat for the yiRCJ^IAN OPOSSUM. » 7! i ) r young. Hfiiiyu]^ I: mm : j. Tins animal has a long sharp-pointed face, and wide mouth ; larg^j, rounds naked, and very thin cars, of a black colour, edged with pure white ; it has small, lively black eyes, with long sti^ h^irs on e^^ch side of its nose, and behind its eyes; it? face is covered with short, soft, white hair ; the sp^ce round its eves is dusky ; its neck is Very short ; its sides arc of a dirty, yellow ; the hind part of its neck and its back are covered with hair above twQ inches long, soft, but uneven ; having its bottom of a yellowish white, the middle part black, and the ends whitish; its sides are covered with dirty coloured dusky h,air ; its belly witn soft, woolly, dirty, white hair ; its legs and iih •iM^ ( *'■ «.> 1P1i(a3 ...-■t^VL^S'A -.1. Vim(Eii:NIAT^ O'FdDSBlTM: face. \ very pure long id its \i'hitc ; neck ; the Iwith f W even ; liddlc •' s are belly V"!-- l-l^:. thic^hs which white. hair li is cove body is appear has th( monk if Its I arc she lower ] lodged, as soon length fifteen i inhabit Peru. so as it It feeds active i its tail^ among continiK its head and the taken, i killed, ] h armies Whei makes a bush, at or six y( are broii flr false and fas arc not a ren em a Virginian opossum. 429 tluc^hs arc blackish ; its feet dusky, and its claws, winch are sharp, u»iess the thumb of tlie hind feet, white. The base of its tail is cIotl)ed with long hair like that on its back ; the rest of the tail is covered with small scales ; the half next the body is black, the rest white ; it has a disagreeable appearance, loolvinjjf like the body of a snake. It has the same prehensile qualities as that of some nionkics. Its body is round and very thick, and its le^s arc short ; the female has a large pouch on the lower part of her belly, in which the teats are lodged, and where the young slielter themselves as soon as they are brought forth. The usual length of this animal, when full grown, is about fifteen or twenty inches ; of its tail, twelve. It inhabits Virginia, Louisiana^ Mexico, Brasil, and Peru. It is very destructive to poultry ; the more so as it -mcks their blood without eating their flesh. It feeds also on roots and wild fruits. It is very active in climbing trees, will hang suspended by iti! tail, and, by swinging its body, fling itself among the boughs of a neighbouring tree^ It continues frequently hanging by the tail, with its head downwards. It hunts eagerly after birds and their nests. It walks very slow ; when over- taken, it will feign itself dead ; but it is not easily killed, being as tenacious of life as a cat. It is harmless, and easily tamed. When the fcgialc is about to bring forth, she makes a thick nest of dry grass, in some close bush, at the foot of a tree, and brings forth five or six young ones at a time. As soon as the young are brought forth, they take shelter in the pouch or false belly, or are placed in it by the mother, and fasten so closely to the teats, that they arc not to be separated without difficulty. They art* Bmall blind, and naked, when new born. m fiOLUCCA OI'OISUM. and rcfcmble foetuses; it is therefore nece99afy ihat they should continue in that receptacle that nature has prepared for thcm^ till they attain per- fect shape^ strength, sights and hair, and are. pre- pared to undergo what to thcin may be railed a second birth ; after which, they run into this pouch, as into an asylum, in time of danger, and the parent Carries them about with her. During the time of this second gestation, the female shews an excessive attachment to her young, and will suffer any torture rather than permit the place of their retreat to be laid open ; for she has the power of opening or closing it, by the assistance of some very strong muscles. The flesh of the old ones is very good, like that of a sucking pig. Their, hair is dyed by the Indian women, and wove into garters and girdles ; but their skim are very fetid. , 1 ^ , . , . ;; 'i '> ' • . ■' " • >: Molucca opostiUM. This species has long, oval, and naked ears ; its mouth is very wide ; over each eye it has an oblong white spot ; the lips of its upper jaw, its throat, breast, and belly, are of a whitish ash- colour ; the rest of its hair is of a cinereous brown, tipt with tawny, and darkest on the back ; its tail is as long as the body ; near the base it is covered with hair ; the rest of. it is naked ; its claws are hooked. On the belly of the female there in a pouch, like that of the former species, in which the young shelter. Margrave found six young ones in the pouch of one female ; she had ten cutting teeth above, and eight below. Its tail exceeds the length of both head and body; its whole figure is of a much more slender and elegant make than that of the former. It is longer than the frrmer unccicii. JATAIf OPOSSUM. 431 Its tail pulverised^ and taken in a glass of water, ii reckoned in New Spain a sovereign remedy against the gravely colic^ and several other dis* orders. ; This genus is not confined to America, as Buffon asserts ; it is frequently found in Java, the Molucca isles, and New Holland. This species is found in great numbers in Aroe and Solor. It is called in the Indies, pelandor Aroe, or the Aroe rabbit. They are reckoned very delicate eating, and are very common at the tables of the great, who rear the young in the same places in which they keep their rabbits. It inhabits also Surinam and the hot parts of America. Mr. Pennant mentionb a larger variety of this species, called the philander orientalis, described by Seba, and said to be brought from Amboyna ; but complains, that much is wanted to complete (he history of this genus. Javan opossum. This species of the opossum has a narrow fox-* like head, upright pointed ears, a brown stripe passing through the eyes, very short fore legs, five toes on the fore feet, three on the hind ; two of which ar'^ very strong, the outmost slender and weak. His tail is thick, and shorter than the body. In the upper jaw are six cutting teeth ;>, two in the lower, formed like those of a squirrel. They have no canine teeth. They resemble in many instances the kanguroo. On the belly of the female there is a complete pouch like that of the Virginia kind ; the hair on (he body is coarse ; the face of the animal is seemingly (hat of a hare. They were first discovrred by Mt Le Bruyn, who saw, in Java, aoveral of I II »flRINE OPORfirM. tliem in an inclosurp along with rabbits ; tlic^ biirroNVac!i fiir- nivhed with tlat nails. Its taij is very Umtr nnd slendci ; and, except at the base, quite nak<(!. The leng;th of the animal, from the nose to t\w tail, is ten inches; the tail rxrx>eds the Irngtii of both file body and tlie head, li inhabits Surinam, and burrows under ground. The female brings five or SIX young at a time, whieh follow her ; but on any apprehension of danger, they all jump on her back, and, twisting their tails rmmd tier's, keep fani hold : and she immediately runs with them iuto her hole. rillLANDEK^i The philander is about the size of a large rat ; the head is large, the snout thick, and the ears roiinded and upright, though in Seba's figure, as vrell as in the Linnnsan description, they are said to be pendulous ; the abdominal pouch contains two large mammie, each furnished with two teats. The tail is longer than the body, and is hairy for •ome little distance from the btse, the remamder being naked, and towards the end prehensile. The length of the body is nine inches, and of the tail thirteen. The philander is of a reddish brown above, with a brownish border ; the mouth on each side is beset with very long whiskers ; down the forehead runs a brownish stripe ; the thumbs on the hind feet are rounded^ as iii most others of their genus. It has ten upper fore teeth, of which the middle ones are rather longer than the rest ; and eight lower fore teeth, the middle ones rather longest, and standing distant. It is a native of Surinam, and in all probability of ncveral other i .^rtiifli A I LEMURINC^ AND PORCULINE OPOSSUM. 437 Lemdrine opossum. This is a large sporics, hnng equal in size to a cat, but longer bodied in profiortion. Its colour is a (ioe brownish or iron-grev above, and pale yellowish brown beneath, iu some s|)eeimeus nearly white ; the sides ot' the neek and the i'cvt have also a tinge of this colour ; the fur on the whole nnimal ii extremely thick, rich, and soft, scarcely yielding ill eh gance to that of the petaurus, or great ilying opossum ; the muzzle is short and roundish ; the whiskers large ; the ear.s upright, large, and a little incliin'ng to a point<'d form at the tips ; the eyes bright, and reddish ; the hind feet furnished with a rounded interior toe ; the tail, which is thick, long, and very furry, is prehensile, and iff of the same colour with the body for about a fourth of its length, the remainder being black ; it is naked beneath to a great distaVice from the tip. The general length of the body is about eighteen inches ; of the tail about twelve. Living speci- mens of this beautiful animal have been brought into England. In their manner of life they rc> seinble the rest of this genus, feeding on small birds, vegetables, &c. In feeding they often set in the manner of a squirrel^ holding their food in their hands. PORCULINE OPOSSUM. / A SPECIMEN of this is preserved in Mr. Hunter'i museum. It is about the size of a half grown domestic cat, and is remarkable for a thicker or more corpulent habit than most others of the ge- nus. The hind legs are considerably longer than the fore, and have i.i miniature the form .of those the kanguroo and some other Australasian qua- 438 VIVCniNE OPOVIVH. drupeds ; though the middle clavrs are far less in proportion, the interior ones are double, or both covered by a common skin. The colour of this species, is a pale yellow brown ; paler and inclining to whitish beneath ; and its hair is of a coarser, or more harsh appearance than the rest of the smalji opossums ; the cars are rouoded ; the tail rather long. When viewed in a cursory manner, the animal bears a distant resemblance to a pig is miniature. ■ . . . Viy Slants oposetJM. This animal im remarkable for its slender form ; and this, together with its sharpened visage and lung bushy tail, gives it, at first view, thcappear> mnce of one of the weasel tribe, rather than that of the opossum. Its general size seems to be that of • jitoat, measuring about ten inches from nose to tail, and its tail about eight inches. It appears, how- ever, to vary in size, since different describcrs differ greatly in their account!. In the work of Governor Phillip, (published by Mr. Stockdf^lc, in the year 1789,) it is said to measure fifteen inches from the nose to ihp. tail, the tail measuring about ten inches ; but in Mr. White's publication, ibe description by Mr. Hunter states tlie animal to be about the size of a rat. The different age of the specimens cicamincd, ma^ account for these discrepances. The colour of the whole animal is ad«3ep glossy black, the whole body and outsidcs pT the limbs being spotted with pretty numerous, large, and somewhat irregular patches of whit^. If, however, we admit Mr. Hunter's idea on this subject, the black and white animal just described, is of the same spocios with a bi^own one of the ftamo size, and differing only in colour. The broij»'o variety, ii that which mt. Hui\t^f> Ao the piioUca* ii'-ii/t-djiw PETAURfNE OPOSStM. «39 tion before referred to, has verj^ accurately de- icribed. i ' Petaurine opossuiJi. ' ' The si2e> colours^ and form of the petaurine^ or great flying opos»uni of New Holland^ conspire to render it one of the most beautiful of quadrupeds. It measures about twenty-two inches from the tip of the noseto the beginning' of the tail> which is twenty inches in h>ngth. The body is about the size « a half grown cat, or a small rabbit, and the general Appearance of the animal is similar to that of a flying squirrel ; an expansile membranCj covered with fur, stretching from the fore legs to the hind, on each side the body^ and thus enabling the animal to spring to a considerable distance at pleasure. The general colour of this species, is a vciy fine sable, or deep grey-bi^wn above, varied W^th a cast of ferruginous; beneath, it is nearly wHite ; a stripe of darker, or blacker brown than 4he rest^ runs along the back, from head to tail ; the fur near the edge of the flying membrane, oa its upper part, has also a blacker, or darker tinge than on the other parts, while the edge itself is white ; thus forming a beautiful contrast of colour round the whole border of the membrane ; a dark, or blocker shade than that on the rest of the fur, pre • vails on the upper parts of the shoulders, extending over each side of the neck. The tail is nearly equal to the whole length of the head and body, and is extremely full of long, soft fur, of a blacker cast than the rest, particularly towards the end, where it is longer, or more flocky than towards the base ; the whole is of a roundish, or subcylindric form, but from the disposition of the lonji: fur, has a tii^htlj^ flattened appcarapcc towards the extremity. 4'H) SQUIRREL OPOSHUM. The native name of this animal is hepooiia roo. Squirrel opossum. This is perhaps the irost beautiful quadruped, if we except the petaurus or great flying opos- sum, of all the Australasian species yet discos ered. In its general aspect it has so much the appearance of a squirrel, that, on a cursory view, it might rea- dily pass for such. A more exact inspection into its character, will, however, evince it to be a ge- nuine opossum. Its size is nearly that of a common squirrel ; but from the fullness and particular growth of the fur, which, like that of a lemur, grows in a sub- erect manner, it appears somewhat larger. It^ general colour is exactly like that of the sciurus cinereous, or American grey squirrel. A black stripe passess over each eye along the top of the bead ; under each ear is a black patch surrounded with white ; the hair on the white part having a more soft or flocculcnt appearance than the black. The tail, which is prehensile, is of the same colour with the body for half its length, the remainder being black. It is very full of liair, and tapers a little towards the extremity, but witii- out any acute termination. The eyes are black, rounded, and full ; the ears round, shortish, and very thin ; the whole underside of the animal h milk-white ; the upper parts of the feet are also white ; and the edge of the lateral or flying mem- brane which extends from the fore feet to the hind, is edged with a blackish border, as in the flying squirrels. The abdominal pouch is of a consider- able size, and is situated as in other opossums, on the lower part of the abdomen ; the hind feet are furnished with a rounded, uuarmcd. or mutic LONG*^TAXLED, AND PIGMY OPOSSUM. 441 thumb. Nothinj^ can exceed the softness end de- licacy of this animal's fur^ which is, if possible, still finer than that of the petauruit ^ to \%hiTA1LED OPOSSUM. &C. lour \» a soft or palish brown above, and almost white beneath ; the edges of the fl^'ing meiubrane arc also white ; the nose, feet, and ears, internally are of a light pink or flesh colour ; the tail of a flattened form, and is beautifully edged on each side with soft silky hairs. The tongue in this ani- mal is remarkably large and long, and of a flat- tened form ; the hind feet have rounded and un- armed thumbs, and the two interior toes arc united under a common skin. Shaw is inclined to think that this little species feeds on insects, and proba- bly on young birds, egg", &c. Brush-tailed opossum. » This species is aboat the size of the black rat, and of an elegant appcaraiice. The general co- lour is cinereous or deep grey, somewhat darker on the back ; the nose is rather sharp ; the cars moderalely large, and of a very slightly pointed form at the tips ; the sides of the mouth are fur- nished with Yt.-ry long fine bristles or whiskers, and others somewhat shorter are situated above each eye ; the feet are formed as in others of this tribe; the sides are dilated into a flying mem- brane; and the tail is thin and ash coloured for nearly lialf its length, and from thence is jet black, with very long fine hairs, so disposed as to repre- sent a brush or large camel's hair pencil. ■ . Vulpine opossum. This, which is one of the larger opossums, is said to measure twenty-six inches from the nose to the setting on of the tail, and the tail itself fifteen inches. The general colour of the animal is on iha. ti»nA» naria Attahv trr^v Wllfl % rilfonS tinffft ^ all the under parts being of a tawny bufl" colour. f VRSIN£ OPOSSUM, dc. 443 deepest on the throat ; the tail is of the colour of the back for about a quarter of its length, and from thence to the end black ; it appears from the representation in Mr. Phillip's Voyage, to ba well covered with fur to the very end. Upon the whole. Dr. Shaw supposes that it is in reality no other than the species already described, under the name of the ^emurine opossum. r-' ' •• t..f Ursine opossum. ,• The largest oi all the opossums ; size 6f a badger ; colour pale yellow ; fur longish and suberect ; nose strongly divided by a furrow. Native of New Holland ; a species very lately discovered, and not yet fully, or satisfactorily known^or described. KANGUROO TRIBE. The kanguroos (of which only two species have yet been discovered, and both of these in New Hol- land,) are furnished, like the opossums, with an abdominal pouch. This, and a few other charac- t;:;rs that they have in common with that tribe, caused them to be arranged by Linnaeus, along with the opossums. They have, however, since been taken into a separate tribe with the following cha« racteristics : — Six front teeth in the upper jaw, emarginatcd ; and two in the lower, veryiiarge, long, and sharp, pointing forwards ; five grinders on each liuc ia hoth JawSj, distant from Ihe other teeth. \ 444 911EAV KANOVBOd. Tlie foro IfPfl short, and the hinder ones rety lon^ } «nd lit the h:uialc an alidomiiial pouch coutaiiiiug the teats. •. . ft ' ' ' Great kakguroo. . ' , ' - ■ • * .' - "This ^tngular quadruped^ ;which wai first dio'i eovercd iii New Holtand, in the year 1770, bj Captani C 'ttk, has frequently been seen nearly' nine feet in length from the tip of th« nose to the end of the tail ; »onie of the species have been found to Tveigh a hundred and fiftv pounds, and this ig gene- ra 11)' believed to be by no means the largest size thev will arrive at. The greatest circumference ot the a,nmial is round the bottom of the bt\\y and hips ; being very small about the head and neck, and increasing gradually downwards. The fore legs of the largest arc about nineteen inches in length ; the hinder ones three feet seven inchc§. The hind legs, which arc perfectly pare and callofis beneath, are very strong ; and when sitting, the animal resis on the whole of their length, its rump bring elevated sieyeral inches from the ground. The claws are only three in number, the middle one exceeding the others greatly in length and strength ; but the iuiier one is of a peculiar structure; at first si^-ht appearing single, though on farther inspection it is seen to be really divided down the middle, and even through the ball of the toe be* lohgiiig to it, appearing as if separated by a sharp instrunieiit. ■ ' From the make of the animal, there can be little doubt that its principal progressive motion must be (notwithstanding the remark of M. Labillar- diere) by leaps ; in these exertions it has been seen to exceed twenty feet at a time, and this so often repeated as almost to elude tiie swiftness of the iug #v*^ ditto "J [line iof 1 to enc- size It ot and leck, fore ;s in heg. loiis the iti und. B one gth; at rtliei the be- harp ittle ust illar- been often : the 111 a ^% «* '"W^. V lift*! '^•.^/••^f €eeiet\ qucnti in heig The fence ; The CO animal' them M they 111 hound ^^ |iold w |b« dog •re woi degree, ^ecesiit •everity (Country aremor 1788, 01 in thie ] the dogj Tbel( f(fect, in hy lappi fometim with iU which w iip tail. Thefi abdamin yei, so f{ duces bi] epedingl' from the Unatfk I Br""* ,v Bnnkv xkVGvnoo. 44» I ie«(«it pfrefnound ; besides which, it vfiW fre« qucntly bound over obstaclct of nine feet, or more in height, with the greati'»t ease The kaiigurooB have also vast strength in their tail, which they occasionally use as u weapon of de- fence : for with it they strike with such asto<* Itishing force as even to break the leg of a man. The colonists for some time considered this as the mnimal's chief defence ; but having of late hunted them with greyhoundsj it was soon discovered that they use both their claws and teeth. On the hound seizing them, they turn, and catching liold with the nails of their fore paws, strike the dog with the claws of their hind feet, which are wonderfully strong, and tear him to such a degree, that the hunters are frequently under the liecessity of carrying him home on account of the severity of his wounds. The native dogs of the country hunt and kill the kanguroo ; but these are more fierce than our greyhounds. In the year 1788, one of them was seen, by one of the colonists^ In this pursuit ; and the person, till he had shot the dog, mistook them both for kanguroos. The kanguroo generally feeds standing on its four ftet, in the manner of other quadrupeds, It drinkf jl>y lapping. When in a state of captivity, it baa fometimes a trick of springing forwards, and kicking with its hind feet in a very forcible manner ; during i^hich action it rests, or props itself on the base of it| tail. The female has two mammae, or breasts, in the abdominal ppuch, on each of which are two teats ; yet, so far as has been hitherto observed, she pro- duces but one young one at a birth ; and so ex- ceedingly diminutive is this at its first exclusion from the uterus, that it scarcely excee s an inch in length, and weighs but twenty-one grains. Xi 446 0RBAT KANOVROO, this early period of its growth, the mouth is merely s round hole, just large enough to n^rf^ive the point of the nipple ; but it gradually extends with age, till capable of receiving the whole nipple, which then lies in a groove, formed in the middle of the tongue, and well adapted to that purpose. It seems probable, that in the first state it ii attached to the teat by a viscid gelatinous sub- stance, which is always found in the uterus. At this time, feeble as it may appear in other respects, the fore paws are, comparatively, large and strong, •nd the claws extremely distinct, to facilitate the motion of the little animal during its residence in the large pouch ; while the hind legs, which are afterwards to become very long and stout, are now both shorter and smaller than the others. The young one continues to reside in the pouch till it has attained its fVill maturity, occasionally running out for exercise or amusement ; and even after ii has quitted its maternal retreat, it often runs into it for shelter on the least appearance of danger. The kanguroos live entirely on vegetable sub- stances, and chiefly on grass. In their native state they arc said to feed in herds of thirty or forty to- gether ; and one is generally observed to be station- ed, apparently on watch, at a distance from the rest. According to Labillardiere, they seem to be nocturnal animals. They have the eye fur- nished with nictitating, or winking membranes, situated at the interior angle, and capable of being extended at pleasure entirely over the ball. They live in burrows, which they form in the ground. One of the most remarkable peculiarities of this animal, is the extraordinary faculty which it has of ■eparating, to a considerable distance, the two long fore teeth in the lower iaw. This, however, is the ith pic, die [)se. i !• ub- At ictc, >ng, the e in are now The U it ning it it into r. sub- state y to- ion- the n to fur- incs, of h)all. the ^i-i'Kv*.. '>?;' I# this of as ong is :r;r,id mAttDIAiriEU) ^HRIIflW 1RA31' IRCAH'GTriHiX ) BAT I^ANGUROO. 44T not absolutely peculiar to the kanguroo ; buttaket place also in an animal of a very diilereDt and dis^ tinct genus, the mus maritimus. c ;^ The flesh of the kanguroo is said to be some^ what coarse, and such as to be eaten rather from want of other food, than as an article of luxury. Mr. Hunter, however, calls it good mutton; but owns it is not quite so delicate as what he has spine* times seen bought in Leadenhall market. , , .-i The kanguroo may now be considered as in a great degree naturalized in England ; several having been kept for some years in the royal domains at Richmond, which, during their re^ sidcnce there, have produced young, and appa- rently promise to render this most elegant animal a permanent acquisition to our country ; though it must, no doubt, lose, by confinement and alter- ation of food, several of itn natural habits, and exhibit somewhat less of that bounding vivacity, which so much distinguishes it in its native wilds of New Holland. ^^^ T- Rat rakguroo. • T.I IS species, which, from its colour and the general aspect of its upper parts, has obtained the title of the kanguroo rat, is about the size of ^ rabbit ; the head is rather flattened sideways, and bears some resemblance to that of a rat ; the ge- neral shape of the animal resembles that of the kanguroo, but is far less elegant, the proportion! of the parts less pleasing, and the hair, which is a dusky cinereous brown, of a coarser nature. In its teeth it agrees with the great kanguroo, except that it has eight instead of six front teeth in the upper jaw, the two middle ones being sharp- pointed ; the foreteeth in the lower jaw are like those of the kanguroo as to shape and position, but I4S MOLC TBIBI^ Ac, Are smaller in proportion ; the grinders fire ihret in number on each side both above and belowj the foremost being floted or channelled ^ith seve ral longitudinal ribs ; the two remaining ones |)lain ; the ears arc rather large^ and on each lide of the upper lip are several long whiskers. The structure of the hind feet in this speriei per^' feetly resembles that of the kanguroo, but the fore feet have onlj four toes. The female is furnished ifith an abdominal pouch for the reception of the iroung. Some of this species were imported in a living state from New Holland^ and brought forth young. Its native name is ooto roo. ti ■ : MOLE TRIBE. 'ti <\ The cliaracters of this genus are a long nose ; the upper jaw much longer than the lower ; no cars ; fore feet \ery broad^ with scarcely any ap- liarent legs before, and small hind feet. There are only seven s|)ecies belonging t» this genus. ':■ .':■-.. , ■ This animal, so well known in England, is, however, utterly a stranger in some other places, and particularly in Ireland. For such, therefore, as have never seen it, a short description will be necessary. And, in the first place, though some- what of a size between the rat and the mouse, it no way resembles either, being an animal entirely of a singular kini^ *n^ pei-£cct*y tmlike any othc^ re* ye mes ach era. per*- fore ihed the in a brtb liose; no ap- tbU 1*, aces, fore, ilbe omc- ie, it t'lreAy TA ^ quadn with ) Its not hog, b it is sci ears, it short, ders. by a vc very sh belly, sition, ately gi pears U with a i and sea spcctior disccrnt some oj animal help of parts of such as mours. strong-. These s the hand legs arc only usei arc cont are like i on both but thos tongue is Such i of this i manner o rot. 1 COMMON MOit. 4'i9 quadruped whatever. It is bigger *han a mouse, with a coat of fine, short, g'ossv, black hair. Its nose is long and pointed, resembling that of a hog, but much longer. Its eyes are so small, that it is scarce possible to discern them. Instead of ears, it has only holes in the place. Its neck is so short, that the head 3flems stuck upon the shoul- ders. The body is thick and round, terminating by a very small short tail, and its legs aI.9o are so very short, that the animal seems to lie flat on its belly. From under its belly, as it rests in this4|)o- sition, the four feet appear just as if they immedi- ately grew out of the body. Thus the animal ap- pears to us at first view as a mass of flesh covered with a fine, shining, black skin, with a little head, and scarce any legs, eyes, or tail. On a close in- spection, however, two little black points may be discerned, that are its eyes. The ancients, and some of the moderns, were of opinion that the animal was utterly blind ; b'lt Dcrham, by the help of a microscope, plainly discovered all the parts of the eye that are known in other animals, such as the pupil, the vitreous and crystaUnc hu- mours. The fore legs appear vciry short and strong, and famished with five claws to each. These arc turned outwards and backwards, at the hands of a man when swimming. The hind legs arc longer and weaker than the fore, being only used to assist its motions ; whereas the otben arc continually employed in digging. The teeth are like those of the shrew mouse, and there are five on both sides of the upper jaw« which stand out ; but those behind are divided into points. The tongue is as large as the mouth will hold. Such is the extraordinary figure and formation of this animal: which, if we compare with its raannr;r of living, we shall find a foaaifest tttteo* ▼oi.. I. 3 m J 450 COMMON MOLI. tion in nature to adapt the one to the other. As it IS allotted a subterraneous abode^ the seeming defects of its formation vanish^ or rather are turn- ed to its advantage. The bt-eadth^ strength^ and shortness of the i^ore feet, which are inclined out- wards, answer the pui poses of digging, serving to throw l?.ck the earth with greater ease, and to Eursue the worms and insects which arc its prey ; ad they been longer, the falling in of the earth would have prevented the quick repetition of its 8t%>kes in working ; or have obliged it to make a large hole in order to give room for their ex- ertion. The form of the bodj is not less admira- bly contrived for its way of life. The fore part ii thick, and very muscular, giving ^reat strength to the a :tion of the fore feet, enabling it to dig its way with amazing force- and rapidity, either to pursue its prey, or elude the search of the most active enemy. By its power of boring the earth, it quickly gets below the surface ; and it has been seen, when let loose in the midst of a field, instantly to sink into the earth ; and the most active la- bourer, with a spade, in vain attempted to pur- sue it. The smallncss of its eyes, which induced the ancients to think it was blind, is, to this animal, a peculiar advantage. A small degree of vision is sujSicient for a creature that is ever destined to live in darkness. A more extensive sight would only have served to shew the horrors of its prison, while nature had denied it the means of an escape. Had this organ been larger, it would have been perpetually liable to injuries, by the falling of the earth into it ; but nature, to prevent that incon- venience, has not only made them V( ry small, but very closely covered them with t^air. Anatomiiti tueit advaniagci^ anoiucf tuu* . a: UtVIItlUII bolide COMMON MOLE. 451 As la. pur- ison> cape, beea |)fthe »con- ,but miiti thai contributes to their security ; na Hy, a certain muscle^ by which the animal can draw back the eye, whenever it is necessary, or in danger. As t'he eye h thus perfectly fitted to the animal's situation, so also are the senses of hearing and S4nelling. The iBrst gives it notice of the most distant appearance of danger ; the other directs it, ill the midst of darkness, to its food. The wants of a subterraneous animal can be but few ; and these are sufficient to supply them ; to eat, and to produce its kind, are the whole employment.^ of such a life ,* and for both these purposes, it is won- derfully adapted by nature. Thus admirably is this animal fitted for a ]if« of darkness and solitude ; with no appetites but what it can easily indulge, with no enemies but what it can easily evade or conquer. As soon as it has once buried itself in the earth, it seldom stirs out, unless forced by violent rains in summer^ or when in pursuit of its prey, it happens to eome too .lear the surface, and thus gets into the open air, which may be considered as its unnatural element. In general, it chooses the looser, softer grounds, beneath which it can travel with greater ease ; in such, also, it generally finds the greatest number of worjns and insects upon which it chiefly preys. It is observed to be most active, and to cast up most earth, immediately before rain ; ^nd, in win- ter, before a thaw ; at those times the worms and insects begin to be in motion, and approach the surface, whither this industrious animal pursues thera. On the contrary, in very dry weather, the mole seldom or never forms any hillocks ; for then it is obliged to penetrate deeper after its prey, which, at such seasons, retire far into the ground. As the moles very seMom come above ground, ihciy have but few enemies; and very readily evade the pursuit of animals stronger and swifter than 45f COMMON MOLB. thcmselTCS. Their greatest calamity is an inunda- tion ; from which^ wherever it happens, they are seen in numbers attempting to save themselves by swim- ming, and using every effort to reach the higher grounds. The greatest part, however, perish, as well as their young, which remain in the holes behind. Were it not for such accidents, from tbeir great fecundity, they would become extreme- ly troublcson.^'; ; and, as it is, in some places, they are considered by the farmer as his greatest pest. They couple towards ithe approach of spring ; and ^heir young arc found about the beginning of May. They generally have four or five at a time ; and it is easy to distinguish among other mole-hills, that in which the femalp has brought forth her young. These are made with mucli greater art than the rest ; and are usually larger. The fe- malcj in order to form this retreat, begins by erecting the earth into a tolerable spacious apdrt- ment, which is supported within by partitions, 9t proper distances, that prevent the roof from falling. All round this she works, and beats the earth very firm, so as to make it capable of keep- ing out the rain, let it be never so violent. As the billock, in which this is thus formed, is raised above ground, the apartment itself is consequently above the level of the plain, and, therefore, less subject to accidental slight inundations. The place being thus fitted, she then procures grass and dry leaves as a bed fop her young. There they lie secure from wet, and she continues to make their retreat equally so from danger ; for all found this hill of her own raising, are holes running into the earth, that part from the middle apartment, like rays from a centre, and extend about fifteen feet in every direction ; these rescm- iiie so many walks, or chases, into which the animal makes her subterraneous excursions^ wA COMMO : MOLE. 453 leep- tbe laised Icntlv IcfiS The the lupplics her young with such roots or insects as she can provide ; but thoy contribute still more to the general safety ; for as the mole is very quick of hearing, the instant she perceives her little ha- bitation attacked, she takes to her burrow, pind un- less the earth be dug away by several men at onte, she and her young always make a good retreat. Moles, like the bi^r.vcrs, and some other qua- drupeds, live in pairs ; and so lively arid recipro^ cal an attachment subsists between them, that they seem to disrelish all other society. In their daiik abodes they enjoy the placid habits of repose and of solitude ; they also have the art of securing thrmsclves from injury, of almost instantaneously making an asylum or habitation, and of obtaining a plentiful subsistence, without the necessity ot going abroad. They shut up the entrance to their retreats, and seldom leave them, unless compelled by the admission of water, or when their mansions are demolished. During the summer, these animals run in search of food, in the night, among the grass ; and thus frequently become the prey of otvls. They exhibit a considerable degree of art in skinning the worms, which they always do before they cat them ; stripping the skin from end to end, and squeezing out all the contents of the body. The verdant circles in the meadows and pas- tures, called by the country people fairy-rings, are supposed to be owing to the operations of the moles ; who, at certain seasons, perform their bur- rowing by circumgyrations ; and this, loosening tlic soil, gives to the surface directly over these tracks greater feitility and rankness of grass than is yeen in other parts. When iiioles arc first taken, either bv diarsins: or OtniTwise, they utter a shrill scream, and prepare for their defepce by exerting the strength of their 451 COMMON MOLE. claws and ice.th. They are said to be very feroci- ous animals ; and however contented they may bo together underground^ yetj when above, they will sometimes tear and eat one another. In a glass rase, in which a mole, a toad, and a viper were ijiclosed, the mole has been known to dispatch the other two, and to devour a great part of each. The skin of the mole is exceedingly tough ; the fur is close- set and softer than the finest velvet, or, perhaps than the fur of any other animal. This is usually black ; but moles have been found spotted with white ; and sometimes, though only rarely, altogether white. Linnaeus says that the mole passes the winter in a state of torpidity. In this asssertion, however, he is directly contradicted by the Comte de Buf- fon ; according to whom it sleeps so little in the winter, that it raises the earth in tae same manner as during the summer. The following is a very remarkable instance^ re- lated by Arthur Bruce, Esq. in the Transactions of the Linrasan Society, of the exertions which the mole makes towards crossing even broad waters. *' On visiting," says this gentleman, " the loch of Clunie, which I often did, I observed in it a small island at the distance of one hundred and eighty yards from the nearest land, measured to be so upon the ice. Upon the island, lord Airly, the proprie- tor, has a castle and a small shrubbery. I remark- ed frequently the appearance of fresh mole-casts or hills. I for some time took them for those of the water-mouse ; and one day asked the gardener if it was so. No, he said, it was the mole ; and that he had caught one or two lately. Five or six years ago he caught two in traps ; and for two rears after this, he had observed none. But about four .years ago, coming ashore one summer's ev«tt« COMMON MOLE. 455 ing iQ the dusk^ he and another person^ (lord Air- \y's butler) saw, at a short distance, upon the smooth water, some animal paddling to, and not far from the island. They soon closed with this feeble passenger ; and found it to be our common mole, led hy a most astonishing instinct, from the nearest point of land (the Castle hill) to take pos- session of ibis desert island . It had been, at the time of my visit, for th« space of two years quite free from any subterraneous inhabitant ; but the mole has, for more than a year past, made its appear- ance again, and its operations I have since been witness to." The depth of water in this lake is seldom less, either in summer or winter, than six feet in the shallowest, and from thirty to forty in the deepest parts. People in general are not aware of the great mis- chief occasioned in fields and gardens by these animals. We are, however, informed by M. de Buffon, that in the year 1740 he planted about sii- teen acres of land with acorns, the greater part of which was in a very short time carried away by the moles to their subterraneous retreats. In many of these were found half a bushel, and in some even a bushel. BufTon, after this circumstance, caused a great number of iron i raps to be construc- ted ; by which, in less than three weeks, he caught one thousand three hundred moles. To this in- stance of devastation we may add the following : In the year 1742 they were so numerous in some parts of Ho11ai>d, that one farmer alone caught between five and six thousand of them. The des- truction occasioned by these animals is, however, no new phenomenon. We are informed that thw inhabitants of the island of Tenedos, the Tn^jans, and the A^oMsLm, were infested by them in the agcK ; and for this reason a temple was 456 COMMON MOLE. erected to Apollo Smintheus, the destroyer of moles. ** The moles/' says Dr. Darwin, " have cities underground, which consist of houses, or nests, where they breed and nurse their young. Com- municating with these are wider and more fre- quented streets, made by the perpetual journeys of the male and female parents ; as well as many other less frequented alleys or by-roads, with many diverging branches, which they daily ex- tend to collect food r themselves or their pro- " This animal is most active in the vernal months, during the time of its courtship ; and many more burrows are at this time made iu the earth for their meeting with each other. And ihoueh they are commonly esteemed to be blind, jti they appear to have some perception of light, even in their subterraneous habitations ; because they begin their work as soon as it is light, and consequently before the warmth of the sun can be supposed to affect them. Hence one method of destroying them consists in attending to them early, before sunrise ; at that time ihe earth or the grass may frequently be seen to move over them ; and with a small light spade their retreat may be cut off by striking it into the ground behind them, and they may be immediately dug up." If a fresh mole-hill, says another "Writer, is found by itself, that appears to have no communi- cation with any other, (which is always the case vehen the mole has worked from the surface down- vrard», as it frequently does in endeavouring to procure a more convenient habitation ;) after the hill has been turned up by a spade, a bucket of wat^r should be poured over the mouth of the passage. By these means the animal^ which is ai COMMON MOLB. 457 luni- case lown- ig to jrthe Let of If the is di no great distance, will be obliged to come forth* and may be easily caught with the hand. It ii very easy to discover whether a hill has any com- munication with another, by applying the car to it, and then coughing or making a loud noise; if it Iftis no communication, the terrified animal may be beard by its motion. It will then be almost im* possible for it to escape ; and the water may ctther be poured into the hole, or the earth may be turned up with a spade till the mole is found ; for it does not often go deeper into the earth than from fifteea to eighteen inches. In the moist beds of a garden, which it is tei/ fond of, the mole makes a passage at the ic^thof scarcely an inch below the surface. In his case it is easily caught. When seen at work here, it is only necessary to tread behind the animal with the foot, on the passage, to prevent its retreat, and then turn it up with a spade. " The mole," continues Dr. Darwin, whose ac- count we resume, *' suckles four or five, and some- times six young ones ; which arc placed consider- ably deeper in the ground than the common runs ; and the mole-hills near them are consequently larger, and generally of adiffert ;i « olour. These nests arc to be dug up ; haviiijt iirst intercepted the road between them and the mole-hills in the vicinity, to cut oft' the retreat of the inhabitants. " The next important circumstance is to dis^ cover which are the frequented streets, and which the bye-roaUs ; for the purpose of setting sub- terraneous traps. This is efl'ected by making a mark on every new mole-hill, by a light pressure of the foot ; and the next morning observin||^ whether a tnole has again passed that way, and obliterated the foot mark. This is to be dose for two or three successive mornings. These fbot marks should not be deeply impressed ; lest the VOL. I. 3 K 458 PURPLi. MOLE, &C. animal be alarmed on his return, and thus induced to form a new branch of road rather than open the obstructed one. • *' The traps are then to be set in the frequented streets, so as to fit nicely the divided canal. They consist of a hollow semi-cylinder of wood ; with grooved rings at each end, in which arc placed uooses of horsehair, fastened loosely by a peg in the centre, and stretched above grcAmd by ;i bent stick. When the mole has passed half way through one of the nooses and removes the central peg in his progression, the bent stick rises by its elasticity, and strangles him." ' Purple mole. This species so completely resembles the com- mon -European mole in almost every particulai;, that it might pass for a variety of that animal. Its colour is black, M'ith a strong cast of changeable purple ; and the tail is white. It seems to have been first described by Scba, and is, according to that author, a native of Virginia. Cape mole. The CfSpe mole> called by Mr. Pennant the Si- berian, though he says it inhabits the Cape of Guod Hope and not Siberia, has a short blunt nose ; from each corner of its mouth a broad whitish bar, pointing upwards along the sides of its head ; the upper part of its , body is varied with hair oi a glossy green, and copper colour ; the under parts are brown. On each of the fore feet there are three toes with vast claws. On each of the hind feet there ar' ave small toes with weak claws, It has no tail, but a round nimp. Th! legs, > nose, I: very si legs, \^ inches tenths. terrane walks f broad ; in iU \t The aiid inh the fore those on its hBJLt inches an The I teeth ; bottom, white ; is very 9] inhabits RADIATIiD, LONG-TAILED MOLE^ &C. 459 ■'.-■"' ■ * Radiated mole. The radiated mole has small, but broad fore legSj with five long white claws on each ; a long nosc^ having its sides beset with radiated tendrils ; very short, dusky, fine, compact liair ; scaly hind legs, with five toes on each foot. It measures three inches and three quarters ; its t^il one and three tenths. It inhabits North America ; forms sub* terraneous passages in uncultivated fields, raises walks for itself about two inches high, and a palm broad ; it feeds on roots ; and has great strength in its legs. Long-tailed m<^le. The long-tailed mole has a radiated nose toOj, ai)4 inhabits North America also ; the claws on the fore feet arc like those of the common mole ; those on the hind feet arc very long and slender ; its h^ur is soft, long, and of a rusty brown ; four inches and a half long ; its tail two. Brown mole. The brown mole has a slender nose ; no canine teeth ; hair brown at the ends, deep gr?y at the bottom, very soft and fylossy ; its tali and feet white; its length five inches and a half; its tail is very slender, and not onp incji long. It also inhabits North America. •, I.-:-. Red mole. The history of the red mole rests on the Rutho= niy of Seba, who is not ko particular as to inform 4^ 9HREW TRIBE. US whether il inhabits North or South America. lie says it has three toes on the fore feet, and four on the hind ; and that the furni of its body and tail is like the European kind, Nizne bring for ond SHREW TRIBE. Of this genus there are sixteen species. Their ffeneric characters are, two cutting' teeth in each jaw, pointing forward ; a long slender nose; small ears ; and five toes on each foot. MUSKV SHRETT. t This species isscvei^ inches long, and of a dusky colour, has no external ears, very small eyes, ami a tail of eight inches, compressed sideways ; its belly is of a whitish ash colour ; it inhabits the river Wolga, and the lakes adjacent ; it is' very Blow, and never wanders far from lakes and rivers. I^ makes its hole in the banks, far below the lowest fall of thp water, and works upwards, not so high as to reach the surface, but only to be out of the rcaoh of the highest rise of the water ; it feeds on leeches, water insects* &c. ; but is itself devoured iu its turn by the pikes and siluri ; and gives tliose fish so strong a flavour of musk, as to render thein not eatable. Out of its tail is expressed a sort of musk, very much resembling the genuine kind. Their skins arc put into chests among clothes to drive away moths, and to preserve the wearers from pestilence acd fevers. They are so common near The Its up upper slender ears trt of sho parts, 1 bits Ja It eats to pcrf that by wine in will noi The dusky c three bi inches, animal 1 The of a coi inhabits with vci ed, and thaq the PERFUMIKO, BRA8ILIAN SHREW, &C. 461 Nizney Novogorod, thai the peasants frequently bring five hundred a-piece to market, and sell thcoi for one ruble per hundred. Perfuming shrew. The perfuming shrew is near eight inches long. Its upper jaw extends far beyond the lower ; its upper fore teeth arc short, the lower long and slender ; it has long white whiskers ; small eyes ; ears transparent, broad and round ; and a fine coat of short close hair, of a pale cerulean on the upper parts, lighter beneath ; with white feet. It inha* bits Jav£»^ and others of the East Indian islands. It eats rice. It has so strong a scent of musk as to perfume every thing it runs over. It is said^ that by merely passing over it, it will render the wine in a well-corked bottle not drinkable. Cats will not touch them. Brasilian shrew. The Brasilian shrew, five inches long, is of a dusky colour, and is marked along the back with three broad black strokes. Its tail measures two inches. It does not fear the cat ; neither does that animal hunt after it. Murine shrew. The murine shrew, so called as being of the size of a common mouse, is of a brown colour, and inhabits Java ; it has a long nose, hollow beneath, with very long hair about its nostrils ; cars round- ed, and rather naked; the tail a little shorter than the body, and not so hair^'. 462 FETID^WATERj AND MINUTE SHREW. Fetid shrew. The fetid shrew has its eyes small^ and almost hid in its fur ; its head, ana the upper pnit of its body are of a brownish red ; its belly of a dirty white ; it is only two inclies and a half long ; its tail one and a half; it inhabits most parts of Europe, Siberia, and even the Arctic flats, and Kamtschatka ; it is also found about the Caspian sea ; lives in old walls, fceaps of stones, or holes in the earth ; feeds on corn, insects, or any filth, and has a disagreeable smell ; cats will kill, but not cat it : it brings four or five young at a time. There seems to be an annua 1 mortality of these ani- mals in August, numbers of them being then found dead in the paths. Water shrew. The water shrew has, like the rest, a long slender nose ; very minute cars, and within each, a tuft of white hairs, very small eyas hid in the ftir. The colour of the upper part of its body is black ; its throat, breast, and belly, arc of a light ash- colour ; the feet are white ; it has a triangular dusky .«pot beneath the tail ; it is three inches and three quarters long ; its tail two. It inhabits various pnrts of Europe and Siberia, as far as the river Jenesay ; burrows in the banks of rivers ; is said to swim under Mater ; and chir- rups like a grasshopper. Minute shrew. r.-^ =s v:^ -. The head ot the iiunnte snrew is ne&r as big the body ; its whiskers reach to its eyes very small^ and capable of betn^ which drawn are its PYGMY, WUlTE-TOOTIiED 8HREW« &C. 46S hair is very fine and shining, grey above and white beneath ; it is found about tlu; Oby, and near tlie Kama ; it lives on seeds ; digs ; rum swiftly ; and has tlie voice of a bat. Pygmy shrew. The pygmy shrew is, in shape and colour, like t^e fetid, but paler ; its tail is small at both ends, and thick in the middle ; it is very common about the Jenisay and the Oby ; it weighs about half a drachm oniy, and is thought to be the least of all quadrupeds. WUITE-TOOTHED, AND SQUARE-TAILED SHREWS^ Have little to distinguish them, except their generic characters, and those peculiarities from which they take their name. These two species inhabit the neighbourhood of Strasburg. Canada shrew. This animal may, with great propriety, ue termed sorex radiatus ; since the snout, which i long and slender, has a dilated cartilaginous extiYunity, fur- nished with a circular series of sharp-pointed pro- cesses, or soft tendrils, disposed in the manner of the rays in a spur. The whole animal is of a long form, and its habit inii^ediately pronounce^ H to be- long to thft shrew tribe, and not to ' 'tat of the mole. It seems to have been first described and figured b) Mous. de la Faille, iu his Memoir on moles. It is a native of Canada, and resembles the Mole only in some particular parts ; while in others it approaches to the mouse tribe ; having the same •oape and agility. Its tail, which is three inchet *•] 464 SURINAM, AMD BLBPT^AUT ??imEW. long-, is knotty, and almcft mi^i^dj, as wcJI as the feel, which have five toes on euh, andarer'^ivcred •with small brown an* whitish sriil^s en thr-, ppfrr part, This animal, according to M. de h ki'aille (who considers it, in a gencril view, as a species of mole), is mor;' above ground, or less addicted to burrowing than the comvnt n mole. Itc« body is longish, and eoveri d wiih black coarsjish hkir ; the feet iur less than fho?e of a wo]:.^ ; tba eyes hid under the skin ; the AnotJit edged on '^ich side with upricrht vibrissa ; the radiated tentacula at the «iid of the nose arc of a bright rose colour, and moveable at the pleasure of the animal, so af either tc be brought together in a tubular form^ or ex- panded in the form of a star. Surinam sureit. This is said to be about the size of the water alirew, which it most resembles ; but is of a bay colour above, and of a pale yellowish ash beneath,; the tail, which is about half the length of the body, is ash-coloured above, and white below ; the muz- zle i'j white, the cars short and round, like those of the common shrew. It is a native of Surinam. Elephant shrew. This species is of a deep brown colour, and of a thickish form, with a slender tail, about the length of the body, and a cylindric, loiig, and slender snout, or upper ja* , stretching very far be- yond the lower. It is v. > iodifferentlj represc^it- ed in Petiver's Gazoph um, and is said to be a native of the C re. < sood Hope. stlie ?ered ■ppfrr 'aille tecies iirted body hKir ; IS hid with it the r, and either )r ex- waier abav neath,; body, :muz- lose of VHITI8H-f AllED SHREWj &C. WUITISH-TAILCD illREW. 465 Itais appears from Schreber's figtire, to be of the •ize and colour of the common shrew^ and is M'hitish beneath ; the tail is short, brown at the base, and whitish or much lighter as it proceeds t« the tip. . ' Cinereous shrew. This is of an uniform dusky cinereous colour, with the base of the tail narrow or compressed. It inhabits, like the three preceding species, the Beighbourhood of Strasburg, where it was dis« covered by Professor Hermana. Persian shrew. This is said to be rather larger than the Surimdk •brew, measuring about three inches and a half. It is of a dusky grey above, and pale a«h Coloured beneath ; in the form -of its teeth it is nearly allied to the common shrew, and is a native of the north^ ern p«f ts of Persia. land of it the and Far be- to be :»L HEDGEHOG TRIBE. The hedgehogs ha e two front teeth, both above and below ; of which those in the upper jaw are distant, and those of the lower are pla^eil near UgfeUicr. On each side there ace oaoinc teeth ; in VOL. I. 3 o 400 COMMON HEDGEHOG. the upper jaw five, and in the lower three. Ther« are also four grinders on each side« both above and below ; and the body is covered on the upper parts with spines. The tail and feet are very short ; and the snout is somewhat cartilapnous. There are seven species, none of which are car- nivorous. Of these only one is found in Europe, aud this is commoa in several parts of England. Common hedgehog. These animals are natives of most of the tcmpe- ate parts of Europe and Asia. They are gene- rally about ten inches long, and of a greyish brown colour. Their usual residence is in small thick* ets ; and they feed on fallen fruits> roots, and in- sects ; they are also very fond of flesh-meat^ cither raw or roasted. They chiefly wander about by night, »nd during the day lie concealed in their boles. ^ Naturalists have alleged that they enter gardens ; where they mount trees, and descend with pears^ apples, or plums, stuck upon ^ heir bristles. This, however, is a mistake ; for if kept in a garden, they never attempt to climb trees, norev^n to stick fal- len fruit upon their bristles, but lay hold of their food with the mouth. They also are undeservedly reproached with sucitin^ cattle and injuring their udders ; for the smallness of their mouths renders this altogether impossible. Mr. White says, that the manner in which the hedgehogs eat the roots of the plaintain in his grass walks is very curious. With their upper jaw, which is much longer than the lower, they bore under the plant, and ^aw the root ofl" up- wards; leaving' the tuft of leavvys untouched. In this respect they are serviceable as they dcitr«#y a a i xj^ V' COMMON HEDGEHOO. 467 very troublesome weed ; but they in some mea- sure deface the walks^ by digging in them small round holes. ' ' ' . The hedgehog has a very uncommon method of defending itself from the attacks of other animals. Being possessed of very little strength or agility, he neither attempts to fly from, nor to assail his enemies ; but erects his bristles, and rolls himself up like a ball, exposing no part of his bodv that is not covered yvith these sharp weapons, ife will not unfold him )lf unless thrown into water ; and the more he is frightened or harassed, the closer he shuts himself up. While in this state, most dogs, instead of biting him, stand off and bark, not daring to seize him ; and if they attempt it once, their mouths are so pricked with hii bristles, that it is with difficulty they can be pre- vailed upon to do it a second time. He is easily taken ; for he neither attempts to fly, nor to defend himself by any other means than this. The hedgehog may be rendered in a considerable degree domestic ; and it has been frequently introduced into houses for the purpose of ex- pelling those troublesome insects the blattfe, or cock-roaches, which it pursues with avidity, and on which it is fond of feeding. By the Calmuc Tartars these animals arc kept in their huts in- stead of cats. There was a hedgehog in the year 1799, in the possession of a Mr, Sample, of the Angc-l !nn, at Felton, in Northumberland, which performed the duty of a turn-spit, as well in every ri spect as a dog of that denomination. It ran about the house as familiarly as any other domestic quadruped, and displayed an obedience till then unknown in this species of animals. It used to answer to the name of Tom. In the winter the hedgehog wraps itself up in a warm nest of moss, dried grass^ and leaves^ c 4«8 iineRiAN HZDocnoa. and sleeps out (he rij^oiirs of that «eaion. It if friqiienily found so completely encircled with herbiige^ that it resembles a ball of dried leaves ; but when taken out^ and placed before a fire, it soon recovers from its state of torpidity. It produces four or five young ones at a birth ; which are soon covered with prickles, like those of the parent animal, but shorter and weaker. The nest ibrmed for these is large, and is composed prin- cipally of moss. The hedgehog is occasionally an article of food, and is even said to be very delicate eating. The skin was used by the ancients for the purpose of a clothes-brush. This animal differs very npatejrially from the porcupine, (which at first sight it seems much to resemble,) both in the stucturc of its teeth, and ia lh(p shortness of its spines^ or quills. Siberian hepcehoo. T^is species, which is common from the Don to the Oby, is generally much inferior in size to the common kind ; but beyond the lake Baikal some are found much larger. They grow very fat ; sleep all the winter in a hole a few inches deep ; live on insects, even th^ most caustic ; and will eat above a hundred cantharides without any injury. They roll them- selves up, and have all the manners of the common kind. In the following particulars they differ from the former species ; their ears are large, open, and oval, with soft whitish hairs within ; the tai) is shorter ; the spi;ies are slender and brown, white at their roots and points ; and the limbs and belly arc covered with a most elegant soft white fur. ... AfUTlC, «VU1IA HBDaBHOa« &c. 469 AlIATIC HEDOEnoO. This tpecief, the tftndrac of Rufioh, if about the lizc of a mole ; has the upper part of th« bodjr covered with short white splines, marked with brown in the middh; ; the lower parts with whitish^ fine, but hard hair. The tail, which is very short, is also covered with spines. Thcj walk slowly, and grunt like hogs. There is a larger variety of this species, which RufTon calls tanree ; each of these varieties have five toes on each foot; they inhabit India and Madagascar. Some ore said to gprow to the size of rabbits. They are also said to grunt like hogs ; to grow very fat ; to multiply great* ly ; to frequent shallow pieces of water ; to burrow on land ; and to lie torpid during nit months ; during which time their old hair lillf ofi*, and they rise in a new suit. Their flesh is eaten by the Indians^ but is very flabby and insipid. Guiana hedgehog. The Guiana, or American hedgehog, has no external ears ; a short thick head ; spines ash- colour, tinged with yellow ; its lower parts are covered with soft whitish hair ; it has a short tail ; long and crooked claws ; and is about eight inches long. Malacca hedgehog. This species, which seems to have been first (described by Scba, has so compietciy the ap- peatrancc of a porcupine^ that nothing but a 4T0 MALACCA HEDGEH90. i' severe adherence to systematic arrangement from the teeth, could justify its bein^ placed in the present genus ; yet even this particular seems not yet distinctly known, the animal being rarely imported into Europe. The particular size is not mentioned by Seba, but it appears to be a large species, since the leogth of its quills is laid to be from an inch to a foot and half, on different parts of the animal. It is therefore probably about the size of the common porcu- pine, and they arc variegated in a similar man- ner ; the ears are large and pendulous ; and there is no crest or ruff of longer bristles than the rc^t on the back of the head^ as in the common porcupine. This is said to be the animal from which is taken the particular Bezoar, called Piedra del Porco, the Lapis Hystricis, Bezoar Hystricis^ and Lapis Porcinus, of the old Materia Medica, so long and so highly extolled on account ot its supposed virtues ; which were such, according to some authors, as to produce the. most won- derful and salutary effects in fevers, and various other disorders of a malignant nature. In order to experience the effect of this won- derful concrete, which is commonly about the size of a small walnut, round, smooth, and of a reddish brown colour, nothing more wav ne- cessary than to infuse it for some minutes in a glass of wine, water, or other liquor, which wa?, by this method, impregnated with all its virtues, and administered to the patient. The truth is, that being a biUary concretion, found in the gall- bladder, it is intensely bitter, and being salutary in water, impregnates the fluid with its bitterness, and with its supposed aperient, stomachic, and alexi- pharmic virtues. BIAL&CGA HEDGEHOG. 471 Those concretions, which have now lost their consequence, and are- regarded merely as curi- ous specimens of the old Materia Mcdica, were once so esteemed, as to have been sold, when large and perfect^ for the sum of five himdred crowos. IMD OF Tii<£ FIRST VOLVMB. r f-f ^^■f^^-^*--9